Winter Break Edition 2023
CONGRATS ON MAKING IT TO DECEMBER BREAK! You did it! Now you can take a nap, go on vacation, procrastinate any homework due after the New Year, and celebrate the holidays. Enjoy this well-deserved break, and check out some new Hilltopper articles while you are recovering from the year. Read about some fun activities to do, what Trader Joe's food to munch on, or what music to listen to, all over the break. See you in 2024!
XOXO,
JEL
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
All NHS students know the feeling; it’s a sunny day in August, and your family is laying down towels and chairs at the beach, ordering ice cream from Junction, or grilling burgers in the backyard. However, your mind is elsewhere and your eyes glued to the open Powerschool app, as your schedule for the new school year should be rolling in at any moment. Of course, the first thing you do once the schedule finally arrives is send it to your best friends, acquaintances, and the random genius who you sat with in physics last year, hoping for a familiar face in one of your new classes.
Photo courtesy of Ray's Pizza
Towards the end of October, a new change was implemented in the daily Needham High Cafeteria lunch options; I don’t often get lunch from the cafeteria, but on a random Tuesday I decided to not pack lunch. I was surprised to see that where the pizza usually was there was an array of hamburgers and other similar style sandwiches. Along with that was a sign noting that the cafeteria would no longer be serving pizza on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A bit disappointed that I had lost a lunch option for the day, I ended up choosing a salad instead.
Photo courtesy of the EAC
In an era defined by climate change and environmental challenges, the role of schools in shaping responsible and environmentally conscious citizens has never been more crucial. Global warming, a pressing issue, demands collective action. This feature explores how schools are stepping up to the plate, fostering a sense of environmental stewardship among students, and implementing initiatives to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Photo courtesy of Trader Joe's
The holiday season is here once again, which means Trader Joe’s has reintroduced special, limited edition holiday items to their shelves. With some fan favorites returning from last year, and some completely new items, we gave eight of them a try to see if they were worth the excitement.
Photo courtesy of Matt Shusterman
Matt Shusterman is a stylish, music-loving junior, and this December’s fashionista of the month!
Photo courtesy of Spotify
It’s officially the most wonderful time of the year! As usual, I kicked off my holiday season with hot chocolate, Serendipity, and a trip to Snowport. But everyone knows that the most iconic part of the holidays is the music.
Photo courtesy of Yahoo
Last year, I wrote an article about the uncertain future of the popular sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. I worried that the television show, which has run for nearly five decades and produced some of the most famous names in comedy, was hitting a rough patch that it wouldn’t be able to recover from. At the time, the show had been in a slump for a while: many of the sketches felt bland, half-baked, or too focused on current events and pop culture, many of the musical guests were lackluster, the hosts too often were inexperienced in comedy and as a result, the popular show struggled immensely. Add to that the exodus of cast members, it really did appear as though SNL wasn’t going to be able to recover. But over the past year, by some miracle, I think they just might have.
Photo courtesy of Hometown Weekly
Winter break is just around the corner, so here are some fun ways to enjoy the ice and snow!
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
With the recent time change on November 5th for daylight saving time, I know that students, including myself, have felt the effects of the new schedule, whether that be positive or negative. On November 5th, we pushed back the clocks an hour, and each day the sun will set earlier than previous until the longest day of the year, December 21st. I have heard some very mixed opinions about winter daylight saving from high school students this year, so I took the liberty of interviewing 15 high school students to gather their thoughts on the time change.
Photo courtesy of WCVB
Does your stomach feel like it’s tied in knots? Does your chest feel tight? Do you ever get this feeling that everything is out of control? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Stress is a common response to difficult situations, and high school is full of difficult situations. So, what are the most common causes for stress at Needham High School; and how do students respond?
This time of year there is a constant battle between the greatness of the two holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving. Some people argue they like dressing up and getting candy more, and some say they would rather be with their family while they feast.
Photo courtesy of Bon Apetit
Picture this: You’ve just arrived in your favorite class, excited to learn. Or maybe it’s your least favorite class, and there’s nowhere you’d want to be less. Either way, you have to be there and you have to be focused.
And you are! Until your stomach starts rumbling and time begins to slow down.