September Edition
Hello, Needham High! After an oh-so riveting first day of school, a spirited senior field day, and countless athletic victories, we have made it through the first month of school. Don’t fret, we have only ⅞ of the school year to go. To lift your midterm spirits and kick off the spooky season, we are back with another superb Hilltopper edition. Interested in political discussion on midterm elections, the history of queer medicalization and its implications for NHS students, or NHS organizations making an impact, it’s all here! Let’s get through this together; we’ve come so far!
With love,
Rachel, Evie, and Sophia (RES)
Courtesy of Shutterstock
By Emma Zhang
When I say “slay,” I don’t mean “please go kill someone brutally,” which is the literal definition of the word. I mean “slay” in its slang form. Translation: “you killed it.” I mean it in a supportive-proud-mother-looking-at-her-child and-realizing-how-much-they-have-grown way.
Courtesy of Isthmus
Despite Conservative arguments about inflation and crime, it is critical to support Democratic candidates this November because if Republicans gain control of either chamber of Congress or take control of more governor’s mansions, they will put democracy at risk and block much-needed reform-minded legislation.
Courtesy of Jesse Young-Paulson
On August 31st, my family and I were doing a brief examination of my SNAP portal, in which medical conditions, allergies, and certain accommodations which have been declared to the school or otherwise documented by the school are listed. Upon arrival at the “Allergy/Condition” menu for medical information, I had two light gray boxes (indicating that I could not edit them from my profile;, rather, they could be edited from the nurse profile) with the input diagnosis of “*LGBTQ” which had a listed onset date of May 12th, 2020.
Courtesy of The Woodlands Sports Medicine Center
By Julia Most
School has restarted, and with that, fall sports have begun their seasons as well. High school teams are a big commitment for student-athletes. They might be playing their sports more consistently now, maybe five or even six days in a row. If they just dove into playing sports without any preparation, both physical and mental, it is very likely that more athletes would get injured. And while some injuries are unavoidable, and soreness is often just part of the physical demands of working out, there are some key actions that any athlete can take to prevent these aches and pains.
Courtesy of The Boston Globe
I don’t know about everyone else, but when I get home from school, I need at least thirty minutes to decompress and relax before I start my homework. And more often than not, that thirty minutes turn into, well, a little more than thirty minutes.
Courtesy of bsu_needham
By Lucy Mackey
Although students get the chance to quickly scan a slideshow or tri-fold poster about each club at the NHS Oracle each June and October, many do not get the opportunity to sit down with each group and discuss its organization’s mission, a major factor in deciding whether or not to join a club. Highlighted in this article are ten student-led organizations and clubs at NHS that strive to create a safe environment for their members and to educate other students, working towards uniting our school community.
Courtesy of Patch
By Evie Lockwood-Mullaney, Sophia D'Amelio, Rachel Talcoff
As many of you know, the first day of school was about a month ago. As is any day in the Needham Public Schools system, it was fraught with zany hijinks up to and including possible alligators in the swamp-like biomes of the Pollard modules. Included in this article is a list of the problems we ran into on the first day of school- stay safe out there rockets!
Courtesy of YaleNews
With the return to the school year, people have a lot of different sets of expectations for the year. Some are optimistic, and others…not so much. So we decided to interview some students and quote how they feel about this school year in their own words. And, of course, some reactions were included, too--because what’s a Hilltopper article without unnecessary commentary?
Courtesy of Canon-McMillan School District
Meal plans have changed to include more fruits and vegetables and lower-income areas have gotten more federal support for their lunch each day, but these short, 20 to 25 minutes lunches deserve to be under more scrutiny than they currently are.
Courtesy of New York Post
Emma has stopped posting regularly on her YouTube, when previously she posted once a week. However, she still attends major fashion shows, records her podcast, appears on the red carpet and does photo shoots for magazines like Vogue, Bazaar, and Forbes. In my opinion, Emma is attempting to make the transition from influencer to celebrity. What’s the difference, you may ask? Aren’t they the same thing? Although the two terms are quite similar and share many of the same duties, I believe that there is a distinct difference.
Courtesy of Ruby Ellerin
By Amelie Zosa
Welcome back to school! This September I was delighted to interview a member of this year’s senior class… Ruby Ellerin! Ruby’s style is fun, imaginative, and reflective of her personality. I loved getting to know her.
Courtesy of USC News
By Matt Weber
Have you ever wondered how you would react if you were in an emergency situation? Would you know what to do? Would you have the guts to do it?
Courtesy of American Kennel Club
By Lily Katz
The boredom of pandemic life had us going to great lengths to entertain ourselves: baking sourdough, crocheting (among other old lady-style crafts), and for some families, including mine, a “pandemic puppy.” ... However now, 73% of dog owners are considering rehoming their dogs, or putting them up for adoption.