December Edition 2022
Hellloooo NHS!
Goodbye 2022, oh what a year it has been! No snow days yet… but our super Hilltopper senses tell us that 2023 will bring a big one :)
To wrap up 2022, here is yet another jolly edition. Read on to learn about all things entertainment (Saturday Night Live, The Grammys) and all things new (the attendance policy, Maura Healey).
Cheers to another great year,
RES
Courtesy of US Weekly
By Ben Fogler
Saturday Night Live has been the pinnacle of sketch comedy on mainstream television for nearly five decades. ... SNL’s legacy of iconic cultural moments, superstars, and beloved recurring characters far surpasses pretty much any other show (of course there are exceptions, but in terms of the sketch comedy genre, SNL reigns supreme). Yet in recent years, the show seems to have fallen off of its pedestal. The sketches seem less exciting and vibrant, the jokes feel forced, and complaints about the surplus of political content abound.
Courtesy of the Rolling Stone
By Owen Woo
For decades now, the Grammys have been severely flawed, often favoring projects with commercial success and name recognition over more deserving music. The prestigious award show has even been accused of favoring white artists over artists of color. The more notorious of these deliberate blunders of the 2010s being Taylor Swift's 1989 winning album of the year over Kendrick Lamar’s critically acclaimed Black power album To Pimp a Butterfly in 2016, Adele’s 25 winning album of the year of Beyonce’s monumental album Lemonade, and the genre bending Frank Ocean being snubbed for best new artist in favor of the one-hit-wonder band Fun.
Courtesy of Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School
By Lily Katz
Beginning on the first day of this school year, whisperings about the new attendance policy have echoed throughout Needham High. As someone who did not pay attention during that first homeroom of the year, I’ve been a little confused about the new attendance policy. Do six absences from a class mean lost credit? If so, will credit be lost for the entire year? ... More importantly, what does this mean for students who have medical conditions that impact their attendance? What role should “mental health days” and trips to guidance counselors play in these policies?
Courtesy of the Smithsonian Magazine
By Emma Zhang
Take a look at the Needham High school parking lot. It’s packed. Many students drive themselves to school and back every day. Because of this, it is important to recognize the importance of driving safety. But, it's hard to drive safely when cars are not even built to keep you safe. Men are more likely to get into car accidents, so car companies decided long ago to design cars better suited to men than to women.
Courtesy of Facebook
Ah, the new year. A time of resolutions that are sure to be forgotten by January. But this year, the Hilltopper has decided to go in a different direction with resolutions. Needham High, we have some resolutions for you! Read this article to hear the top ten things students would like to change about NHS!
Courtesy of Twitter
By Hadas Duchin
The two elected party representatives were Maura Healey, running for the seat as a Democrat, and Geoff Diehl running as the Republican party representative, and had been endorsed and backed by former president, Donald Trump. Ultimately, Maura Healey was elected to be the new governor of Massachusetts, with 63.5% of votes. Not only does she bring with her a party shift in office, but also new ideas, characteristics and priorities. So, who is Maura Healey?
Courtesy of Yale Medicine
With my prior knowledge of COVID and post-acute COVID affirmed and expanded by the more intensive research I have done for this piece, wearing a mask seemed not only intuitive, but imperative. And yet, the question, “Why do you still mask?” is frequently posed to me. I have my rationale, but I set out to pose that question, and its inverse, to students at Needham High. I reached out to students I knew personally, who were opting to continue wearing masks, and posted to my Instagram a box where students could submit abbreviated explanations of their choices.
Courtesy of Pinterest
By Amelie Zosa
Hey, Needham High. As I’m sure you have noticed, the days in MA just keep getting colder. As we approach this long, freezing winter, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to come up with outfits that get the job done: things to wear to school that are both cute and keep me warm. ... So how do you deal with winter fashion? Or more specifically, how do you deal with winter fashion in ten degree weather with a fairly limited winter wardrobe?
Courtesy of Sofia Martinez
By Amelie Zosa
This Winter, I thought it would be fun to interview dance talent, shoe fanatic, interest-filled sophomore Sofia Martinez! Sofia is super indie-cool, and I loved hearing her insights on different topics.
Courtesy of the Wall Street Journal
While some argue that winter’s onset is due to the winter solstice, which is caused by the Earth’s revolution and rotation, true intellectuals know that December only truly starts when we hear the first few notes of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas is You.” Personally, I think that the aforementioned song is iconic and the abundance of jokes about it are top-notch humor. However, the banning of the song in some bars, including at the Stoneleigh P bar in Dallas, Texas, shows that some people are just not fans.