GSA Builds Community and Advocates for Inclusivity

By: McKenzie Settle (2026)

The Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) is a club focused on inclusivity, connection, and support for all students—regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. This year, GSA has been actively working to create a more understanding and welcoming environment within our school and beyond.

One of the first initiatives GSA tackled this year was a collaboration with school administration, teachers, and substitutes. The goal? To encourage the use of students' last names instead of first names when teachers are absent. This small change can make a big difference—especially for transgender students in junior high and early high school, who may not yet feel comfortable with their chosen names or may not have shared them with family or staff. Since last names typically remain consistent and are reflected in the school's system (Aspen), this shift helps protect students' privacy and affirms their identities.

Beyond that, GSA has helped promote important events and causes throughout the year. In February, the group contributed to Black History Month recognition by helping create the slideshow shared across the school. During the week of April 12, GSA also promoted the Day of No Silence, a revised version of the well-known Day of Silence. While the original version focused on staying silent to reflect on LGBTQ+ issues, the updated approach encourages open discussion. “Silence is powerful,” said one member, “but real change comes when we talk about the issues and take action to improve people’s lives.”

GSA members also attended multiple GSA Summits throughout the year, with Millbury often having the largest student turnout—ranging from 7 to 14 students per event. In March, Millbury even hosted one of the summits, a major milestone that reflects the school’s commitment to being a safe space for LGBTQ+ students. These summits address real and pressing topics—such as last month’s focus on transgender athletes and the challenges they face in gendered sports environments.

Looking ahead, GSA hopes to revisit the last name policy and work toward making it a permanent, system-wide change. The group also plans to continue its efforts to educate students and staff, ensuring that all students feel seen, heard, and supported.

NFL Draft Predictions 🏈

Over April break, the NFL will be hosting the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the biggest spotlight on the first night, Round 1. This year the top of the draft means a little more to us because the New England Patriots hold the 4th overall pick. Five students gave us their early predictions for which players will go in the top 5 picks, along with some pros and cons of the top prospects in this year’s draft class. Will these future stars live up to the hype, or will someone end up being a bust? Let’s take a look at what they had to say. 

Tennis is Back at MHS: Photos

Gators Claim National Title in Thriller Over Houston 

Francisco Alvarado-Gomez (2025)

March Madness has delivered on its name yet again, surprising everyone with how things ended—from early-round upsets to Final Four comebacks. The tournament ended in San Antonio, where the finale between Florida and Houston ultimately led to a Houston heartbreak, as they were defeated 65–63.

The Gators, centered around Walter Clayton Jr., an All-American guard, were on a historic run not seen since Kemba Walker carried UConn to a championship in 2011 and 2014. The Florida star had previously recorded a combined 64 points in his two prior games, yet in the game that mattered most, he didn’t score until there were 14 minutes left in the second half against Houston. It was set up to be a comfortable Houston win—the Cougars’ defense continued to show why it was ranked number one.

The championship game was a fitting ending that flipped narratives: Florida’s top-tier offense versus Houston’s top-ranked defense. Florida was down 12 points at one point, but Clayton stepped up and finished the game with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists, winning the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. Florida’s championship will be remembered—an intense game, both number-one seeds, both top-ranked in their own way. One ranked the best in defense, the other ranked the best in offense. An immovable object versus an unstoppable force.

Both teams equally deserved the championship, but it was ultimately the Florida Gators that wanted it more.

What language does MHS wish they could speak.

By: Mark Beatty (2025)

I went around MHS asking students and teachers what language they wish they could speak.  Here are the results.

World Language Week 🌍

By: Aydan Blomiley (2025)

There are 195 countries in this world, all very unique, all different, each country with a story in how they were started, how the people live, the fun things that they do, and traditions that they celebrate. With that being said, this week is World Language Week. We decided to take a deep dive into four different countries from all around the world to learn more about what languages they speak, learn more about their culture, learn more about their food, and maybe get to learn a little bit about the country’s history. The four countries we will be looking into this week are São Tomé and Príncipe, Cape Verde, Bolivia, and Switzerland.

Everyone knows the continent of Africa, which is the second-largest continent, covering about one-fifth of the Earth’s total surface. It is home to 54 countries. Some of these countries include Egypt, Cameroon, and Madagascar. The one we will be focusing on today is an island country located right off the coast of West Africa—that country is called Cape Verde. Cape Verde, officially called the Republic of Cabo Verde, is a very small country, with only a land area of 4,033 square kilometers and a population of 522,331 people, which is similar to the population of Wyoming, one of the least populated states in the United States of America.

Cape Verde was a Portuguese colony from the 16th century until becoming fully independent from Portugal on July 5th, 1975. With that being said, Cape Verde’s official language is Portuguese, with about 90% of the country speaking Portuguese. Cape Verde is also a very Christian-dominant country, with 94% of the population being Christian, which is very common for a country that is mostly Portuguese. As an island country, many of the fun things to do include visiting some of the beautiful beaches they have, like Praia de Santa Maria and Praia de Chaves, which both look absolutely gorgeous.

Another thing that most people don’t know about Cape Verde is that it holds one of the only active volcanoes in the world, called Pico do Fogo, which last erupted in 2015. Cape Verde’s culture and tradition are kept alive through art, music, food, festivals, and holidays. This is a very common aspect of many African cultures—sharing art pieces between families and friends, teaching younger generations different dances, and making fun, vibrant clothes. Some of Cape Verde’s main foods include grilled lobster, chicken and rice, and their national dish, Cachupa, which is a combination of beans, sweet potato, and fish. However, if I were going to Cape Verde, the big thing I would be looking forward to would be going to the main carnival parade on Shrove Tuesday in the town of Mindelo. Cape Verde, being such a small island, still looks like an amazing place that I would love to visit someday.

Another country that catches my eye every time I look at pictures has to be São Tomé and Príncipe.

São Tomé and Príncipe is a small Central African island nation on the Equator in the Gulf of Guinea consisting of two main islands and several rocky islets. These islands were a colony of Portugal until the late 20th century, so Portuguese is recognized as the official language. However, three Portuguese-based creoles are also spoken in various regions. A small European population still remains in the country, along with many indigenous groups—the most prominent being the Forros, which is actually Portuguese for “free men,” who are descendants of immigrant Europeans and enslaved Africans.

In regards to demographics and economy, most of the population resides in urban areas, and it is known for tropical agriculture. Unfortunately, the country has never been self-sufficient in staple foods, and there are high levels of unemployment. Football (soccer) has always been the most popular sport in the country, and it has participated in the Summer Olympic Games. There is also a great amount of radio and television stations that provide consistent programming and broadcasts from Portugal and France that are retransmitted on local channels.

Most people know Switzerland for its neutrality, high standard of living, and economic strength—especially within the financial sector. Or maybe some know it as a landlocked country with beautiful Alpine landscapes. Some know it as just another European nation claiming to make the best chocolate or cheese. Still, there is much to learn about.

What’s interesting about Switzerland is that even with being the small country that it is, it has several cultural and linguistic regions. The four national languages are French, Italian, German, and Romansh. Government documents are written in French, Italian, and German since they are the most prevalent. Less than 1% of the population speaks Romansh, an old Romanic language preserved in the mountainous regions of the eastern Alps. This is due to its history as a “nation of will,” where its 26 cantons (states) voluntarily united, and a lack of central control allowed each region to preserve its regional languages and cultures. Besides linguistic patterns, Switzerland also exhibits great religious diversity, including Roman Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and Jews.

The last country we will be exploring today is Bolivia. You hear a lot in the news about Latin American countries like Argentina, Chile, and Brazil, but you never really hear much about Bolivia. Surprisingly, Bolivia is the fifth-largest country in South America and is probably most known for its rich history involving the Inca Empire and the fact that it is almost right in the middle of the Andes Mountains. With that being said, Bolivia is the highest and most elevated country in both North and South America.

With Bolivia being a Latin American country, it is overwhelmingly a Spanish-speaking country. A historic place in Bolivia that many historians would love to visit someday is Puma Punku, which is a T-shaped structure surrounded by a lot of controversy about how or why it is there. With the elevation of Bolivia being so high up, a place that I would want to see would have to be the Yungas Road, also known as the Death Road, which links the city of La Paz with the Yungas Region of Bolivia. As dangerous as this road looks, I think it would be so cool to be on it someday.

Now, let’s go to food. The national dish for Bolivia is called Salteñas. Salteñas are a type of empanada often filled with juicy beef, potatoes, and raisins. If you don’t get hungry after seeing a picture, then you would have to be lying.

Thank you for reading our article. I hope you guys were able to learn a little bit about these four countries. We look forward to doing four different countries every week. If you guys have any suggestions on countries to research and write about, please let us know.

Contributor: Phoebe Eckler LSMHS 2026 

World Language Week: Part 2

By: Aydan Blomiley (2025)

Belgium
Belgium, a country in northwestern Europe, is one of the smallest but most densely populated European nations, which has been the case since it gained its independence in 1830. The form of government is a democratic constitutional monarchy. With the exception of a small German-speaking region in the east, Belgium is divided between French- and Flemish-speaking people. Flemish is actually a dialect of Dutch mainly spoken in the north of Belgium.

I (Phoebe) really personally love the singer Angèle, who is Belgian, from Brussels, which is the capital. She started her music career in small cafés in Brussels but then became big off of Instagram. She has built her career on years of feminist advocacy, and some of her songs include these topics along with others.

Brussels, the capital, is famous for its gastronomy—its waffles, chocolate, and French fries. It is the most densely populated city in Belgium with 19 municipalities and the highest GDP per capita. There are also many famous monuments in this beautiful city, including the Royal Palace, Parc du Cinquantenaire, the Atomium, and the Basilica of Koekelberg, just to name a few.

Twice a year, there is a huge Flower Carpet event in which volunteers from around Belgium convene at the Grand-Place/Grote Markt, the historic center of the city, to weave a carpet-like tapestry out of colorful begonias or dahlias.

In regards to climate, weather in Belgium is characterized by mild summers, cool winters, and frequent rainfall. In general, it is a pretty low-lying country with a broad coastal plain that extends from the North Sea and the Netherlands, rising gradually into the Ardennes hills and forests of the southeast, where the maximum elevation is 2,277 feet.

Sports in Belgium include football (soccer), which is the most popular, as well as cycling, tennis, and many others. It has been one of the many European countries to host events like the UEFA European Championships.

While there is so much more to know about Belgium, I hope you enjoyed learning about these key aspects of the country. In the end, as many Belgians know, “l’union fait la force,” or “unity makes strength.”

Portugal
A lot of people know Portugal for having a really good national soccer team, with their famous player being Cristiano Ronaldo, who has many awards like FIFA Player of the Year, World Soccer Player of the Year, European Golden Shoe, and more. But there is more to Portugal than soccer—or football, as Europeans call it. Let’s take a deeper dive into Portugal.

If you’re looking on a map, you will see Portugal directly bordering the western part of Spain. You might think, with Spain being a much bigger country and being right next to Portugal, that it could’ve been Spanish territory once—but that is not the case. Portugal has been an independent kingdom since 1138, though there was a short period of time from 1580–1640 when both Spain and Portugal were a part of a dynastic union.

Much of Portugal’s history goes back to the Age of Exploration, which happened in the 15th and 16th centuries. A huge figure in the Portuguese exploration period was Vasco da Gama, who led the first European sea voyage from Europe to India. Another big figure in that period was Prince Henry the Navigator, who explored the African coast, founded the Portuguese Empire, and was a big believer in Christianity.

Portugal is not the biggest country land-wise or population-wise, but they happen to hold the fifth most spoken language, which is the Portuguese language. It’s a Romance language that originated from Vulgar Latin, spoken by Roman soldiers and colonists in the Iberian Peninsula starting in the 3rd century. The Portuguese language has two main dialects: European Portuguese and the more popular dialect, which happens to be the most widespread in the world—Brazilian Portuguese.

The Portuguese language is the official language of seven different countries and is the third most spoken Western language after English and Spanish.

Aside from their language, Portugal holds a very rich culture, including festivals, arts, music, foods, and a very unique New Year’s tradition in which they eat 12 raisins as soon as the clock strikes midnight.

The Festa de São João do Porto takes place every year on the night of June 23rd. It is a festival where people come from all over Portugal to the city of Porto to pay tribute to Saint John the Baptist. The festival consists of fireworks, feasting, dancing, and sports.

Portuguese art consists of very diverse styles—from modern to fine to contemporary art—and includes traditions such as tile painting and handcrafts. Many of Portugal’s art pieces can be found in Lisbon’s Ancient Art Museum, located in the capital.

A lot of Portuguese music consists of folk or fado artists, as they are called in Portugal, who sing a lot about the sea and focus on themes of homesickness and loss.

Most Portuguese food is seafood-oriented, as the country is located right off the ocean. A popular Portuguese dish, bacalhau, which is salted cod prepared with shredded potatoes, eggs, and onions, looks very good. If you’re in the mood for a Portuguese dessert, you’ll have to try a pastel de nata, which is a small custard tart dusted with cinnamon.

Overall, Portugal seems like a beautiful country to visit, full of great history and a very rich culture—and a ton of foods to try. All I have to say is, Viste algum dia!

Contributor: Phoebe Eckler LSMHS 2026 

Baseball—a word that brings many people together

By: Aydan Blomiley (2025)

Baseball—a word that brings many people together, a word that brings excitement to millions around the world. A game played in over 100 different countries, a game that is more than just a game—it's a way of life for many.

One of the first things I remember, one of my first memories, was being a baby in my old apartment in Grafton, Massachusetts—probably about 13 months old—while my dad watched the Red Sox vs. Colorado Rockies on October 28, 2007, which happened to be Game Four of that year's World Series. Obviously, at that age, I had no clue what any of it meant. But I’ll never forget my dad jumping in the air, yelling and screaming, lifting me in excitement like I was Simba from The Lion King—all because his favorite baseball team won the World Series.

His favorite team happened to be the Boston Red Sox, who play at the beautiful, historic Fenway Park, which has been open for over 100 years. A team that has won nine World Series titles. A team with a massive and passionate fanbase that reeled me in as a fan as soon as I was old enough to understand what being a fan even meant.

A few days ago, my family and I were looking through my baby pictures. I found a picture of myself at about three years old, wearing a Red Sox jersey with the biggest smile on my face. I also remember my first Red Sox game—I will never forget it. I was in preschool, and it was about 11 a.m., midway through the school day, when my teacher announced that I was getting dismissed. I had no idea what was going on and was very confused. I saw my dad waiting in the office, and I could tell he was happy. We got in the car, and he said,

"Guess what?"

"What?" I asked.

“We’re going to the Red Sox game.”

A statement I will never forget. A statement that still gets me unbelievably excited. A statement I look forward to telling my own kids one day.

Going to Fenway Park for the first time was insane—it was almost overwhelming. I was only about four years old, and from what I recall, it was still pretty early in the season. One of the first things I remember was walking along a narrow road with a banner that said, Welcome to Fenway Park. Banners on my left and right marked all the times the Red Sox had won championships. I saw the statue of Ted Williams putting a hat on a little kid. One of the first things I smelled was the sausages being cooked on the grill. The first thing I heard? A mix of sounds—people yelling, people talking, people mad, people happy, people anxious to get inside.

The street I’m referring to, once called Yawkey Way, is now called Jersey Street. No matter what name it goes by, it will always have a place in my heart. It will always be a place I go to whenever I need to escape the stress of life. I don’t even have to go inside the stadium. Don’t get me wrong—I would love to—but if I were just standing there, observing, maybe walking around on a game day, I would be just as happy as if I were inside Fenway Park.

But being inside Fenway Park is another dream come true. It never feels real.

I love baseball—I could watch 100 innings and never get bored. But when you’re in that beautiful ballpark and you look out into left field and see that huge wall, the Green Monster… When you look into left-center and see the Citgo sign in the distance… When you look into center field and see the awkwardly shaped bleachers that don’t even face the field… When you look into right-center and see the away bullpen, and right next to it, the Red Sox bullpen… And behind that, you see about 50 rows of fans—trust me, I’ve sat in that 50th row in Section 42 of right-center field, and you cannot see a thing from back there.

But it doesn’t matter.

Fenway has many obstructed seats—seats where you can’t see a thing—but for me, at least, even just hearing the crack of the bat, hearing the loud and excited fans, hearing the organ play, singing Sweet Caroline in the bottom of the eighth inning… Looking over to right field and seeing the Pesky Pole… Then just looking all around—a sea of fans, a diverse crowd, old and young—a place to put stress behind, to put politics behind, to leave everything behind and just focus on your favorite team at your favorite ballpark.

Going to Red Sox games is one of my favorite things to do in life, and it’s something I will never get tired of. It’s something I will miss when I’m in Arizona for college. It could be the worst game ever—the Red Sox losing by 20, people leaving early to beat traffic—but me? Leaving early? Absolutely not! I’m staying until I’m forced to leave.

I love Fenway Park. It's one of my favorite places to be, no matter how good or bad the team is.

For anyone reading this article, my goal for you—by the end of September this year—is to go to a Red Sox game. Bring a friend, take your significant other, go with family, go by yourself—whatever works for you. But trust me, you will have a great time. You will have one of the best times.

There’s so much more to life than scrolling through your phone and checking social media every second of the day.

Go to Fenway Park.

Try not to use your phone.

Just enjoy the moment.

Enjoy the green field.

Enjoy the dimensions of the stadium.

Enjoy the view of the Green Monster.

You don’t need great seats—it’s the atmosphere, the joy of being there.

It’s something you will never forget.

MHS Spring Sports ⚾🥎🏃

Young Players to Watch

As the spring sports season kicks off on March 17th—coinciding with St. Patrick’s Day—high school athletes are gearing up for an exciting slate of competition. Traditional favorites like softball, baseball, and track return, while tennis makes its debut as a new sport this year. With young talent across all sports, this article highlights the young players to watch as they take the field, court, and track this season. We spoke with a few of the current upperclassmen on each team to learn about the young players to watch. As tennis begins its first season, new names of standout players will soon emerge, and we hope to feature them in a future article. 

BASEBALL ⚾

Cole Guilford (2027)

Ryan Nikiforrow (2028)

David Cadrin (2028)

Jackson Stuart (2028)

SOFTBALL 🥎

Addie Cannie (2027) 

Valorie Allain (2027)

TRACK 🏃

Cassidy Gorrie (2029)

Mari Nikiforrow (2029)

Ava Luke (2027)

Jamie Gorrie (2027)

Jakub Lech (2027)

Ben Raffa (2027)

UNIFIED TRACK 🏃

Mahnzo Sosa (2027)

LeeAnn Narkawicz (2026)

Xavier Lopez (2028)

Maya Warobi (2027)