June 2025
The Ridgefielder
In May, the RHS Concert Choir held their annual pops concert and the theme chosen by students this year was sounds of the sixties! The students performed works by The Miracles, The Jackson 5, The Temptations, Blue Swede, Stevie Wonder, and The Supremes! Most of the songs sung were from the popular American record label Motown. Besides the pops concerts having fun themes chosen by the students, the pops concerts also spotlights the seniors of the choir; seniors are encouraged to choose their own solos! The pops concerts are special to the choir. "[It] allows the students to have a say in what we sing,” choir director, Lauren Verney-Fink, explains. Moreover, it is beneficial academically as it “helps develop skills as we learn new and more challenging music.” The students also enjoy these concerts as they are allowed to choose their own theme and music, kind of making the concert customized. Elizabeth Campbell, a junior at RHS who has been involved in the music programs her whole high school career, says she “really enjoys the pops concert because [she] love[s] all of the songs.” ”This specific concert was very special as one of the songs, In My Life by The Beatles, was dedicated to Joyce Flanagan, the old choir director of RHS who recently passed. This moving song expresses holding onto memories of loved ones and celebrating those who made differences in your life. Moreover the choir plans to sing this song again at her memorial in October. Flanagan dedicated 30 years of teaching at both East Ridge and RHS. She touched the hearts of various students and even led her students to Carnegie Hall multiple times. It is evident that these traditional pops concerts are sacred to the choir as they allow the students freedom to choose their songs, spotlight the seniors, challenge the students to learn difficult music, and deliver a heartwarming experience. Be on the lookout next year to attend one of these outstanding concerts!
By Grace Smith
Annual art show displays outstanding Student Talent
RHS celebrated its creative students last month in the annual art show. Alongside the orchestra spring concert on May 1st, the finished pieces served as a testament to the talent of our school’s up and coming artists. The exhibition was open for two days, where the work completed by students of all art levels was displayed down the hallway leading to the student center. Sculptures, sketches, paintings, and photography were among the various art mediums present at the show. “It's always so much fun to see the creative work of such a variety of students working in so many different media and materials. Everyone has their own artistic voice that they practice and develop over the years and you can see it here, from our level one courses all the way through AP Art & Design,” says veteran art teacher Dana Phelan. “It was cool to look at the art of people that I didn’t even know took art. There were a lot of really interesting pieces and the show really came together from all the finished products we’ve completed at the end of the year,” says an AP Art student. “It was so rewarding to have my art be appreciated and seen by the community. Looking back on my four years as an art student, RHS allowed me to find my creative side,” senior Ace Carpenter says.
looking Back on May
This fun poster was put together by the social media manager, Grace Smith, to advertise the concert this year! Grace also describes the pops concerts as a “both fun and academically productive experience."
Sounds of the Sixties!
Seniors Peter Karloustos, Charlotte Overs, Charlotte Gray, and choir director Lauren Verney-Fink
Mae Carpenter
"CALLOUT GOES HERE"
Groundbreaking New Art Exhibition Wows Ridgefield
If you’re ever walking down Main Street, make sure to check out the new exhibitions opening at the Aldrich Musuem of Contemporary Art, encompassing the work of famed modern Artists Zak Prekop and Nickola Pottinger. The previous showcase of Martha Diamond's work in Deep Time ended on May 18th. Exploring the complexities of nature and the ways in which we interact with it, her floor to ceiling architectural paintings will be duly missed. Museum-goers can also enjoy the works of Martin Beck in his exhibition of For Hours, Weeks, or Days at a Time. He depicts the various ways in which sound and nature interact with our manufactured world in his display of the vinyl records that revolutionized natural sounds in households in the '70s. Think of the first version of the Calm App or white noise to compare! Known for his archival work, there is also a room dedicated to works that represent how he has evolved as an artist. On the 2nd floor, Pottinger will make her first solo museum debut in Fos Born, starting on June 8. She mainly creates mystical sculptures out of various materials, spanning from paper pulp to concrete. “A lot of my work materializes in the process of making, and from there, there is a channeling that occurs,” says Pottinger. (Aldrich website) Her sculptures represent huminoid furniture, and "narratives fueled by dreams, actuality, and something in-between," according to the exhibition description. Sharing the floor in the south and balcony galleries will be Prekop, who created 13 paintings in the past year to present at this exhibition, Durations. He abstractly portrays geographical landforms, reminiscent of the time passed for them to be orginated. “I refer to my paintings as measures of time. They measure the labor involved, the coexistence of different speeds at which various elements are executed, and time’s relationship to a viewer’s perception of the work, establishing a connection to time-based media, such as music and film,” Prekop says. (Aldrich website) He has exhibited his work individually all over the world, from Tokyo, to Madrid, Chicago, and now Ridgefield! "I’m looking forward to the next round of shows here at the Aldrich. It’s a treat to have two new exhibitions open at once. Both artists, Nikola and Zak, have rich artistic processes and I’m excited to see this work in person," says Brad Sahoma, an educator at the Aldrich. "We will have also two of our curators, Amy and Eduardo, exhibiting on the same floor of the museum. I think visitors will really get a feel for each curator's style. We’ll have two very different shows just a few steps apart from one another. "One of the best parts about working at the Aldrich is that the art is constantly rotating. I will miss the Martha Diamond show, but am truly eager to witness the public receive this upcoming work. The shows open June 8th - stop on by." "I'm excited to see Nickola Pottinger's sculptural and collage-based work in the musuem and Zak Prekops painting process is so intreesting! I'm looking forward to seeing both of the new exhbits," Aldrich Teen Fellow and RHS Senior Sofia Mongardi says. The museum is closed Tuesday, and opened from 12-5 every day but Saturday (10-5). Be sure not to miss these innovative displays!
Phone Hotels: Did they serve their purpose?
As we look back on the school year, there have been many changes both in and out of the classroom. New school wide policies have altered our educational environment, for the better or worse. However, one stands out as being the most debated among the students of our school. In September, the phone hotels (and other variations of them) made their way into almost every teen conversation. Their usefulness, convenience, and overall need was discussed passionately by all grades. Though in the moment it seemed many students were against them, it’s important to reflect on the several reasons they benefited the classroom. According to the CDC, 50% of teenagers ages 12–17 had four hours or more of daily screen time. Along with this, 1 in 4 of these teens experience depression and/or anxiety symptoms while maintaining this habit. Further research has proven that fatigue and other adverse health conditions have been linked to screen use (BMC Psychology). When looking in the classroom, the statistics have been even more concerning. Common Sense Media conducted a survey of students' phone use in school, and found that 97% of teens use their personal devices during school hours. These facts are some of the reasons why the phone hotels are now a school policy. No matter the opinion you have on them, it's vital to look at the results of their presence and use to create a holistic view of them. Did they serve their purpose, and help students have a better, more focused academic year? We spoke to students and staff to find out. “I used a phone hotel last year and the year before. The phones are a real distraction, and they’re easier to enforce now it is a school policy,” says an English teacher. “I really don’t mind the phone hotels, because I personally feel no need to use my phone in class. I know a lot of people get upset about it, but it's really not that big of a deal,” says a sophomore. “They’ve served a purpose, and they were moderately successful. One thing I will do next year is assign numbers for each student to make sure they are putting their phones where they’re supposed to. I find that students are still very reluctant to part with their phones, and it is very important that they do,” says a Business Teacher. On the other hand, some students believe that their use did not make a discernible difference. “I think phones were something that would distract us from work. Now that we don’t have our phones, many students don’t work, they just do nothing,” says a junior. “A lot of the time, when kids go to the bathroom, many will just snag their phone out of the hotel and take it with them and then put it back.” "I think they're helpful in the class, but I feel like if you're not on your phone anyway it doesn't matter," says a sophomore. Clearly, many different ideas regarding the hotels have made their way around the school. However, as they were put in each room starting in the beginning of the school year 2024, let’s look at some people's views on this year in the classroom compared to others. “Last year there were a lot of phone on desks. Too many. When I'd look around the classroom there was always at least one person on their phone during instruction. This year, people were a lot more engaged and get their work done faster,” a senior says. “There was less phone usage during class. Obviously you can’t use your phone when its in there, but I’ve seen people just not put it in,” a junior says. When asked his thoughts, Mr. Goetz had this to say: "The phone hotels give the gift of presence. For 80 minutes they don't have to worry about curating their online selves. They can just be who they are, knowing that that's enough." He calls his hotel the Phone Chateau. It's clear that the phone restrictions are here to stay, along with mandated chromebook usage to help curb this issue. Though students may find them annoying, the full picture of their continued use has beneficial impacts they have on academic focus.
Opinion
Natalie Chin
AI Has the Potential to Harm Learning. Here’s Why it Needs to be Integrated into RHS
If RHS’ administrators and teachers are truly interested in waging a war against students’ use of AI, they'd better be prepared for a long road ahead of them because AI has become a prevalent tool in many aspects of our society, including education. With phone hotels and GoGuardian, it seems like administration is clamping down on how students use technology. Beyond these measures, as AI will continue to evolve, and so will RHS’ efforts to control how students use it. Based on new measures like the new chromebook policy, it seems like the direction administration is going is toward restricting the use of AI by students. This intention of preventing students from using artificial intelligence and instead forcing them to do the work themselves is well-founded; the main purpose of school should be to teach students how to think for themselves - whether that means teaching them how to work through unique problems that they’ve never seen before, how to question things presented to them, or how to form their own informed opinions. It’s not necessarily the memorization of formulas or facts that will allow students to succeed in life; more important to success are skills like critical thinking. When students prompt ChatGPT to write a response for them or answer a question, it removes that layer of having to think through something by themselves, and stops them from developing skills like problem-solving or analytical thinking. Yet at the same time, AI is already becoming an integral part of many industries and career paths. It’s for this reason that if RHS really wants to help prepare students for post-graduation success, it needs to not only help students learn to think for themselves, but also allow students to learn about AI’s use and optimization across different fields. AI isn’t leaving anytime soon. It has profoundly impacted many careers. It’s already being used to automate tasks in fields like finance, education, and healthcare. In a world that will only become more and more shaped by artificial intelligence, in order to be competitive, students must be able to figure out how to use AI effectively. In this context, RHS has little choice but to embrace this and help students learn more about the workings and applications of artificial intelligence. While it may be necessary for administration to take measures against unlimited AI use, RHS should also encourage students to learn more about AI and how it can be used when it comes to subjects they are interested in. Students should be encouraged to use AI to help them study or break down topics they do not understand. In some classes, it may be helpful to discuss how AI is changing the fields and careers related to the subject. The role of AI in education is a complicated issue, and balancing both restricting unlimited usage of AI while embracing learning about it is difficult. However, in order for students to come out of high school strong in both critical thinking and technical skills, it is crucial to find this middle ground.
Congratulations Class of 2025!