The debate over student parking
Inside the competitive world of Chess
Two different approaches to February break
The Astronomy Club is out of this world
The Ridgefielder
Senior Internship ideas
The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes: a review
February Break: Staycation or Vacation?
Carina Steinmann during a ski meet for the RHS Ski Team
February break has passed us by and now we're left with treasured memories! Let’s take a look into two very special juniors' February experiences! “I had so much fun skiing in Vermont and meeting others as well," says Carina Steinmann, ‘25. “Every day was better than the one before it.!” What a perfect way to make the best use out of February weather and snow! Saving the warmer weather for warmer getaways, and colder weather for amazing ski adventures. “I stayed home,” says Zoe Munoz-Rojas, ‘25. Well, Staying in Ridgefield isn’t the worst thing in the world, am I right? I mean as a junior … homework is fun! “Oh God, I’m hit up all the hot spots like Magic Mountain, Bolton Valley, Jay Peak, oh and somewhere even better than I forget off the top of my head! I had a great break!” says Steinmann. "I looked up potential colleges. Then I studied for the spring AP exams,” says Munoz-Rojas. “Not the most fun I've ever had.” At least you’ll be prepared for AP season Zoe! That's something. “Oh not to mention I went with one of my closest friends and her family. The two of us made Vermont full of fun,” says Steinmann. “I was home with my family. That’s it,” says Munoz-Rojas. Well, quality family isn’t something to take for granted! Right? “I can’t get over how much fun I had,” says Steinnman. “It wasn't fun,” says Munoz-Rojas. “Ridgefield isn’t as fun as Vermont or somewhere warm like Florida, but oh well.” Well, February breaks means something different to everyone. The only thing we can do is make the best of it!
by Hannah Agwu
Zoe Munoz-Rojas competing her homework this past weekend
by Mae Carpenter
Ridgefield Celebrates Successful Chess Tournament
The Ridgefield High School chess club recently hosted a chess tournament for nearby schools. The January 13 tournament consisted of three rounds, with each school playing each other once in a one hour (max) game. In a chess tournament, the players' opponents are chosen by chair number, which is a way of ranking players, with one being the highest rated player, and downward. Each player gets their respective chair number. Leading Ridgfield into battle were Liam Davis (first chair), Carson Fincham (second chair), Walter Treat (third chair), and Ava Treat (fourth chair). The event began at 2:45, with Ridgfield going against Newtown. The first chair, Davis vs. Hammond, ended with a win for Ridgefield. The third chair, Treat vs. Albanese, hosted another win for Ridgefield, this one dominating from the first moment to the last. The second round against Danbury proved more difficult for the players. Ridgefield had no wins, however, players did not view that as a negative thing. “It makes us all better players. We can see where we made a mistake or blundered, and know not to repeat it. That is definitely one of the aspects of chess that people don’t think about. Every time we lose, we get better going forward,” Ava Treat says. The third round was Danbury against Newtown, which was an opportunity for Ridgefield to view the games and play each other. It concluded rather quickly, with Danbury again winning all set matches. Respect and kindness were apparent among the schools throughout the tournament. Not only did the schools all play a joint game together at the conclusion of the event, they all played each other for practice and fun before the tournament began. For any interested student, the RHS chess club meets on Wednesdays, welcoming all levels of players.
While everyone knows they can do their internship at one of the elementary or middle schools, its not just for people interested in education. Working with the music departments is a great way to spark interest among young musicians.
Woodcock Nature Center and Weir Farm are two great places to embrace the outdoors while away on internship.
If you are interested in pursuing business, connecting with small business owners is a great way to integrate that passion with your senior internship.
Politics
Sports Medicine
BUSINESS
by Megan Eng
Sports medicine is an interest that is high on the rise and one great way to peruse that interest is doing your internship at one of the physical therapy places in Ridgefield.
Environmental Sciences
Music
Five Senior Internship Ideas
If you are potentially interested in politics reach out to local or state politicians to inquire about interning with them is a great was to pursue that passion
by Megan Eng & Amelia Weltman
The Amazing Astronomy Club
Astronomy Club is one of the amazing, inclusive clubs at RHS and it covers everything from the stars to the infinite galaxies in the universe. One upcoming astronomical event is a solar eclipse, happening on April 8th, 2024. In Ridgefield there will be 93% totality, meaning only a little crescent of the sun will peak out. The prime of the solar eclipse in Ridgefield will happen at about 3:30 P.M., but the path of totality will go through Buffalo, New York at 3:18 P.M. and Burlington, Vermont at 3:26 P.M. If you choose to watch the solar eclipse please DO NOT look at the sun. Even though that 93% of the sun will be covered there is still enough exposed to cause permanent eye damage. Instead, use a colander to project the solar eclipse or get solar eclipse glasses so you stare at the amazing view. If you want to learn more, stop by one of the Astronomy Club meeting in Mr. Condosta's room and they will be welcome to have you. One of the new members, Amelia, who just joined the club, asked to share her testimony as to what Astronomy Club is like: From Amelia Earlier this year, I decided to join the Astronomy Club, which meets every Wednesday from 2:30-3:30 P.M. The teacher is Mr. Condosta, and he is very nice. When I go to the club, I get to learn about phases of the moon (waxing, waning gibbous, full, quarter, crescent), planets that are outside our solar system, and how the moon controls the tides. Recently, I learned the astronomical reason behind Groundhog Day, which is that when the clouds are covering the sky, it is warmer and there is more humidity, and that is what makes the groundhog declare it an early spring. By contrast, if it is more sunny, it will be colder and the groundhog will say there are six more weeks of winter. Also, on my first day of the club, I got to help assemble and go into an inflatable planetarium, where one of the upperclassmen in the club, Damien, told us a story about the stars and planets. It was so cool, and inspired me to do that when I am older. The Astronomy Club is very informative for me, and I like learning more about stars and planets, especially when Mr. Condosta does demonstrations with planet models. It helps me to understand the material better when I see it acted out. I have also gotten to make new friends in the Astronomy Club. And best of all, I have heard that we may be going on a trip to the Hayden Planetarium at the end of this month. Isn't that cool?
Orion The Hunter. (Damien Pichardo. Winter, 2024).
Parking Lot Woes: Who Should Park Where?
Want to make a senior mad? Ask them about the parking lot at RHS. In theory, a lot of people agree that seniors should park in the lot out front by the community entrance while juniors should park in the back lot. While this is an “unspoken rule” that many follow, a good number of juniors still park in the front parking lot, much to the dismay of the senior class. According to administration, there is no actual defined distinction between the two parking areas, and students are allowed to park wherever they want. “We have used many systems in my time here, and the current system maximizes the number of students who get passes. All other scenarios resulted in fewer total passes available to students,” explains Dr. Greenwood. However seniors still are against juniors parking in the front lot. “There’s so many (juniors). It’s annoying because there’s literally never any space,” says senior Charli Accocella about the lack of space in the front lot after juniors park there. “But I did it when I was a junior because it’s more convenient, so personally I don’t care,” she adds. Senior Sveva Hicks-Pollock shares a similar sentiment. “When we try to park after we’ve left campus to go get food, there are no open spots, which leaves us to park in spots where we aren’t allowed or wait until a spot opens up,” she explains. “This year juniors parking in the senior lot has gotten so much worse.” That sentiment might be an explanation to the rampantness of the debate this year. “I think that the school should organize parking lots based on grades. Maybe a different sticker for the underclassmen vs. seniors,” she adds about potential ideas for a fix for this issue. For seniors, they seem to, for the most part, be against the idea of juniors parking in the “senior” lot, while also noting that they did/would have done the same if they were juniors because of how much more convenient it is to park closer to the school. “I park in the senior lot, and I would say all my friends that drive also park there,” says junior Lila Tantary. She also adds on a potential compromise, “My opinion is that juniors can park in the senior lot as long as it’s not in the first 3 rows because the lot is so big, it can for sure fit everyone who drives.” Junior Elayna Wright feels similarly. “I think there is enough space for juniors to park there, like, I think half of the juniors park there and a small group only parks in the back lot.” The general junior consensus is that it doesn’t really matter if juniors park in the front lot because it’s big enough to hold both grades. Principal Dr. Greenwood, however, has a strong stance on the situation. He also says that there are no plans in the future to change any rules regarding where students should park. The debate of whether or not juniors are allowed to park in the front lot isn’t really based on any actual rule, rather just the expectation that seniors should get to park closer to the school. Despite the arguing, the school still hasn’t laid out rules between the front and back lot and likely will not happen in the near future.
by Liam Flynn
Seniors strong opinions on parking injustices have led to less-than-admirable actions against juniors
Overhead map of the RHS campus with parking lot. The "senior" parking lot in question is located on the left. Additional parking for students is all the way on the right and next to the soft ball field at the top.
"The current system maximizes the number of students who get passes." -- Dr. Greenwood
As a society, we place a great deal of emphasis on material items and anything of high monetary value. Having a lot of these items and accumulating great wealth is viewed as a point in life where one can finally say, "I've made it." However, many people who reach this level of high economic status ultimately look back on their life of achievements with nostalgia, claiming they were much happier before the endless wealth and high praise. George S. Clason, an American author, said, "It is true that money cannot buy happiness but it does make it possible for you to enjoy the best that the world has to offer." In other words, financial security and freedom can open doors and allow one to pursue new and fulfilling opportunities. If you don't trust Clason's wise words, trust the science behind the idea that having money does genuinely improve happiness and well-being. A study done by UPenn students in 2021 concluded that participants' happiness steadily grew as their annual income increased. The trend continued well past annual salaries of $75,000 and showed no evidence of slowing down, despite the common argument that, after reaching a certain level of income, happiness begins to decline. One member of the research team recognizes this common misconception, stating that, "The exception is people who are financially well-off but unhappy. For instance, if you're rich and miserable, more money won't help." This concept might seem obvious to some of us, but there is a vast majority of people who truly believe more money will solve all of their problems, even when a portion of those issues are likely not money-related at all. The study also concluded that the relationship between happiness and income depended on each individual's level of emotional well-being to begin with, before income began to increase. For those with generally poor emotional well-being to begin with, their happiness increased with their income until about the $100,000 mark. Then, the individual's level of happiness remained at that level, even when their income increased. However, those in the middle-to-high range of emotional well-being demonstrated a consistent trend of improving happiness with increasing income. It did not begin to level-out at $100,000. With this information, UPenn researchers concluded that the majority of high-income earners do feel happier as their income grows, and those who feel that their wealth and success has made them more unhappy are the minority.
by Murphy Everdell
Can Money Really Buy Happiness?
Movie poster from IMBd
by Yael Everett
Movie adaptations rarely rival their books in quality, but the newly released film The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes challenges this theory. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which was released on November 17, 2023, was a heavily anticipated movie. It acts as a prequel to the four-movie Hunger Games franchise, describing the backstory of President Snow before his rise to power. It also describes the story of Lucy Gray Baird, a tribute from District 12 who Snow is assigned to mentor during the 10th Annual Hunger Games. Tom Blyth plays the charismatic and cunning young Snow, while Rachel Zegler portrays the mysterious, musically-gifted Lucy Gray. For the most part, the movie was received positively, scoring a 6.9/10 according to IMBd with a 64% Rotten Tomatoes score. The mix of action, character development, and music all contributed to the film's positive reception, transforming the book into a strong visual experience. "I really liked it," says Hannah Caudill, a senior at Ridgefield High School. "It definitely surpassed my expectations." Casting is especially strong, with Blyth balancing all elements of Snow's character. He perfectly captures Snow's ambition without allowing this trait to dominate; he portrays Snow as distinctly human, showing that despite his flaws, he is still capable of love and morality. His desire to love Lucy Gray battles intensely with his want for money and power, displaying a struggle shows the best and worst of Snow's character. Blyth shifts him from a flat villain in the original franchise to a dynamic character that the audience almost wants to root for. As for Zegler, she captures Lucy Gray perfectly. Her singing throughout the movie gives lightness to an intense dystopian plot, weaving into the character as well. She contrasts Lucy Gray's immense care for those she loves with her desire for self-preservation in a society determined to kill her, not unlike Snow. The chemistry between Blyth and Zegler adds to the growing tension and love between their characters, making this film into its own tragic love story. The tone shifts throughout the film, which is separated into three parts, just like the book. In Part I, we see Snow doing everything in his power to be good, especially to Lucy Gray. The audience feels for him, wondering how he turned into the cruel dictator we see in the later movies. In Part II, it becomes clear that Lucy Gray means a lot to Snow; he may even love her enough to sacrifice his future. But then, in Part III, we watch everything crumble. "The best part about the ending is that the fate of Lucy Gray is unknown," says Lexi Kemmer, a senior at Ridgefield High School. "In a world where tributes are forced to become entertainment, she is free from being a spectacle." The movie fits, undoubtedly, right into this franchise. Snow's villain origin story clears up so many questions that viewers had about the original movies, diving deeper into a character that so many have come to despise. But more than anything, this movie takes fans back to their Hunger Games era, which is definitely a good thing. I couldn't ask for anything more.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
by Myah Jones
Valentine's Day Lessons Valentine's Day is in the rearview mirror, but here are some lessons we learned. You might have attended a Galentines party or struggled to pick out the perfect gift for your Valentine. Either way, finding the perfect way to celebrate with a significant other is a challenge. Whether you're in the midst of a new romance or cherishing years of companionship, navigating special days can be both exciting and daunting. Fear not, for this article will teach you everything you need to know about Valentine / birthday / holiday etiquette in a relationship. A Little Planning Goes A Long Way Whether it's Valentine's Day, a birthday, or some other holiday, the pressure to find the perfect gift for your special someone can be overwhelming. Amidst our busy lives, it's easy to let important dates slip our minds, but trust me, you don't want to be scrambling at the last minute. Whether it's a bouquet, a box of chocolates, or a thoughtful handwritten note, taking the time to show your love and appreciation is key. So mark your calendars so that you don't forget to spread some love! Don’t Get a Present for Someone Who Already Has One So obviously, this should go without saying, but just in case people don’t know, it's pretty weird to get a Valentine for someone who is dating somebody. Luckily, the story behind this was a complete accident, though nonetheless embarrassing, Greg sits next to a girl named Mary Kate in his psychology class. They get along really well and always work together on classwork and projects. Feeling confident, Greg decides to anonymously send her a bouquet through a delivery service and waits to see her pleasant reaction when they have class together. The day she receives the flowers, Greg overhears Mary-Kate talking to one of her friends about the flowers her boyfriend sent her. Once in class, Mary-Kate tells him about how her boyfriend denies being the one who sent her the bouquet and expresses how confused she is. Greg manages to laugh, and nod, though on the inside he's cringing. Before you send a present, do a little reconnaissance. Don't be a Greg!
Breakups and Special Occasions Don't Mix Number Two: If you plan on breaking up with your boyfriend, don't do it on Valentine's Day. That’s mean and inconsiderate. Don't worry, you can last one more day. James selects the most beautiful bouquet, writes a thoughtful letter, and buys his girlfriend’s favorite candy. He has it all delivered since they attend different colleges. He calls Lilly and asks if she received the gifts he got her for Valentine's Day. Lilly doesn't acknowledge what he says and just tells him that she wants to break up since she’s seeing someone else. “When are you free this week? I want to talk about this,” James says. “Sorry, but I gotta go, he’s waiting for me downstairs. I’ll text you, okay?” You'd have to be a monster not to be able to imagine how miserable and devastated James feels. Who knows what he decided to do next? Overall, don't break up with your significant other on a special occasion, and perhaps don't cheat on them either. Prioritize Your Significant Other While spending time with friends is undoubtedly important, Valentine's Day is a time to focus on romance and connection with your partner. It's understandable to want to hang out with friends, but if plans have been made, consider prioritizing your significant other on this special day. Planning a romantic dinner, a quiet evening in, or a surprise outing shows your partner they are your top priority. So put those other plans on hold for just one night and focus on creating a special Valentine's Day. Conclusion Remember, whether it's February 14th or any other day of the year, every moment is an opportunity to express gratitude, kindness, and affection. So here's to love in all its forms, and may every day be filled with the magic of Valentine's Day.