Hopkins School News Archive The Razor

December

After 40 Years of CFBF, StuCo Switches it Up

Rose Porosoff ’27 Assistant News Editor

The Connecticut Food Bank Fundraiser (CFBF) has been around for roughly 40 years, and is now in its peak
time of development. Big changes came to the CFBF this year.

Beyond the Bow: The Art of Gift Giving

Christina Feng ’28 Campus Correspondent

With the holidays drawing near, the hunt for presents has begun.

Fall Community Service Brings Opportunities Galore

Lena Wang ’27 Campus Correspondent

On and off campus, and even all the way in Hartford, Hopkins students have been serving the community this past fall. Maroon Key, Hopkins’ largest student-run community service board, ran their annual Clothing Drive from September 30 to October 30, partnering with St. Luke’s Episcopal Church to replenish their clothing

closet.

From Screens to Scenes: Hopkins on Holiday Traditions

Karolina Jasaitis ’27 Campus Correspondent

Following the three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas break, many Hopkins students return to the comfort of their homes and spend some much-needed time with family.

Hilltop Hopes: Students’ New Year’s Resolutions

Abby Rakotomavo ’26 Features Editor Veena Scholand ’26 Assistant Features Editor

With 2025 quickly approaching, students are setting goals to work toward in the new year.

October

Halloween: A Canvas for Creativity

Olivia Yu ’27 Assistant Arts Editor

As the air cools and pumpkin spice lattes make their return, one event is on everyone’s mind — Halloween! From making spooky yet stylish costumes and carving charming or chilling pumpkin, it’s the perfect time to let your creativity run wild.

HDA Storms the Stage with The Tempest

Saisha Ghai Assistant Arts Editor '27

While William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” might have been one of the last plays he wrote, it is the first show the Hopkins Drama Association (HDA) is performing this year. Opening on October 24 at the Woodbridge Club, the cast and crew are hard at work piecing together this production.

RIP to HDA’s Haunted House

Liliana Dumas ’26 Arts Editor

Lurid lights, terrifying masks, and sepulchral rituals filled the halls of Thompson as the Hopkins Drama Association (HDA) performed their haunted house. The haunted house has been an HDA tradition since 2018, bringing ouija boards and coffins to campus to fundraise money from ticket sales for StuCo’s annual Connecticut Foodshare fundraiser. This year, however, the HDA will not be performing their haunted house due to scheduling conflicts.

September

Harmonizing History: The Hopkins Choir’s European Adventure

Olivia Yu ’27 Assistant Arts Editor and Saisha Ghai ’27 Assistant Arts Editor

On June 10, the Hopkins Choir departed from Kennedy International Airport, eager to explore the historic cities of Vienna and Prague. They embarked on three exclusive tours, participated in a workshop, and visited twelve cultural sites. Together, they performed four concerts in breathtaking places such as St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and during some performances, they were joined by local choirs to host incredible performances.

Reimagined Lovell Hall To Open Term II

Rose Porosoff ’27 Assistant News Editor Sarah Solazzo ’26 Assistant News Editor

At the start of Term 2, Lovell Hall will again be open and ready for use. Over the summer, significant progress was made on the construction of the new performing arts center. The new Lovell will have nearly twice the square footage as the old Lovell, and, with several levels, lots more volume. Drama teacher Michael Calderone said that “all of Hopkins is going to benefit from the renovation.” Complete with state of the art technology, Lovell “will be a place where we come together as a community,” Calderone shared.

Stacey Abrams to Visit Hopkins for Democracy Assembly Series

Claire Billings ’25 Lead News Editor

As part of this fall’s Democracy Assembly theme, Hopkins will be hosting several important guest speakers, most notably former Georgia State Representative and gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams. Speakers will also visit sections of the senior-school Twenty-first Century Democracy elective, designed by Assistant Head of School John Roberts, which studies and dissects different pieces of modern government and involves a distinctive experiential component where students work on a local campaign.

Welcome, New Hopkins Faculty!

What Was the Song of the Summer?

Miriam Levin ’26 Lead Arts Editor

Although this summer has been relaxing, it is time to get back into the groove, drink some of that “me espresso,” and reflect on all the new music that has come out these past few months.

NIL Deals: Leveling the Playing Field for Athletes?

Elaina Patkukta, '27

After years of following rules that prohibited compensation, college athletes can now officially earn
money through their sports. This change first came in 2021, when the NCAA implemented an interim policy allowing athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness
(NIL). Previously, college athletes were considered amateurs, and any financial gains went to their universities. The NIL policy has since enabled student-athletes to monetize their personal brands through
brand deals and collectives.

What's in a "Scarf"? Modern Cultural Appropriation

Anya Mahajan '25

This summer, the “Scandinavian scarf” took TikTok by storm. The only thing is, the Scandinavian scarf

isn’t Scandinavian — it’s Indian.

June

All You Need to Know About Prom

Veena Scholand ’26 Assistant Features Editor

Hopkins prom is an annual event for juniors, seniors, and their guests. Ava Maccaro ’24, a member of the prom Committee, says this year “the theme for the dance is Mean Girls and Y2K.” Mean Girls was a popular movie from the 2000s, and Y2K means “year 2000,” or fashion trends from the 2000s. Maccaro shared that the prom Committee arranged for the event to be held at Woodwinds Venue in Branford on June 4th at 7pm.

Artist of the Issue: Emma Yan

Saisha Ghai Assistant Arts Editor '27

Art has always been a central part of life for Emma Yan ’24. Beginning as a writer in preschool to a now celebrated member of the Hopkins art community, she is, to her core, a dedicated artist.

Cracking the Case of Comedy: Junior School Players Shine in “The Alibis”

Olivia Yu ’27 Assistant Arts Editor

Laughter and suspense go hand in hand in “The Alibis” performed by the Junior School Players. Since the return from Spring break, Director Hope Hartup and the Junior School cast have been working hard to perfect their production. On Friday, May 10, they made their debut at the Woodbridge Club, followed by another performance on Saturday, May 11.

History of Spam Jam

Liliana Dumas ’26 Arts Editor

Every June, harmonies reverberate across campus as the hard work of Hopkins’ a cappella groups culminates at Spam Jam. Spam Jam started as a small gathering in Upper Heath and has evolved to an annual concert under the graduation tent. On June 6 at 7:00 pm, Triple Trio and Harmonaires, the two acapella groups on campus, will end their year with a performance that features both fast and slow melodies, celebrates their seniors, and fills campus with music.

Music Festivals

Miri Levin Arts Editor '26

Whether it be Coachella in California or Governors Ball in New York, music festival season is upon us. For many, the bold fashion choices, dust-filled lungs, and blistered feet are the highlight of their summer. This festival season, however, is different from the rest: as my friends and I reviewed the Gov Ball lineup, we found ourselves looking forward not to Post Malone, 21 Savage, or SZA, but rather to smaller artists such as Chapel Roan and Faye Webster. It seems as though these micro-artists have piqued the interest of music festival attendees, and are the beginning of a new era of music.

Seniors finding roommates

Elona Spiewak ’26 Assistant Features Editor

As the 2023-2024 school draws to a close, Hopkins seniors are focusing on their next four years. Now that they have selected what college they will attend, they can dive into the more nitty-gritty aspects. Out of the many details to consider, one of their concerns is finding a roommate for their college dormitory. A roommate is more than just someone who sleeps across the room from you.

Spikeball fun

Eric Fusscas assistant features editor '26

As the springtime weather warms up the Hill, students are venturing outside to the quad during their freetime to play the most popular game on campus: Spikeball. Students need a break from the academic push at the end of the school year and find relaxation and joy through playing Spikeball. Students also recognize the unifying impact Spikeball has on our community and its ability to benefit others, like Brayden Gray ’24 who hosted a recent Spikeball tournament.

Summertime traditions and vacations

Abby Rakotomavo ’26 Features Editor

With the 2023-24 school year coming to an end, students and faculty alike are looking forward to enjoying summer’s heat, blue skies, and freedom from school-related obligations. Free time may entail relaxing and focusing on hobbies, and several people partake in yearly traditions that make summer a more special time for them.

April

Behind the Scenes: Awesome Athletic Crew

Samantha Bernstein ’26 Sports Editor Hana Beauregard ’26 Sports Editor

The Hopkins Athletics Program offers an array of team sports, informal sports, and student health.

Captivating Crew Captain: Katherine Tombaugh

Micah Betts ’26 Assistant Sports Editor

Katherine Tombaugh ’24 captains Hopkins Crew this year alongside Hanna Jennings ’24.

Échange Fantastique: French Students Visit Hopkins

Rose Porosoff

This month, thirteen students and two teachers from Lycée Louis Pasteur in Avignon, France came to Hopkins and stayed with host families throughout the week.

Granny? More Like Mommy: The Prevalence of Ageism in Beauty

Winter Szarabajka ’27 Op/Ed Assistant Editor

Throughout history, beauty has been defined extensively by characteristics such as a youthful appearance, perfect skin, and cleanliness.

Hopkins Students Spring into Spring Break China Trip

Sarah Solazzo

This spring break, 31 Hopkins Chinese students and four teachers voyaged to China and Taiwan, with stops

in Beijing, Xi’an, Changsha, and Taipei.

Laudable Lacrosse Captain: Eli Ratner

Elaina Pakutka ’27 Assistant Sports Editor

Eli Ratner ’24 is co-captain of the 2024 Hopkins Varsity Boys Lacrosse team alongside Brendan Cafferty ’24 and Toby Scheps ’24.

Letter to the Editor: Heidi Dawidoff

Heidi Dawidoff

The Letter to the Editor excerpted below was written by Heidi Dawidoff, a retired Hopkins English teacher, in response to Mira Krichavsky’s story in the December 2023 issue of The Razor about the merger of the all-boys Hopkins Grammar School and all-girls Day Prospect Hill (DPH) (“Looking Back on a Thorny Path to Coeducation”).

Short-Form Content, Social Media, and Sinophobia

Rain Zeng ’26 Op/Ed Editor

The past few decades have seen a spread of East Asian culture, with phenomena like the internationalization of Japanese anime and the global rise of Korean pop culture.

We Think Hopkins Needs to Rethink How We Do Our Thinking

Aerin O’Brien ’26 Op/Ed Assistant Editor

Recently, I was watching an episode of “Grey's Anatomy” where the interns were learning how to triage patients in a mass casualty event.

Artist of the Issue: Leila Hyder ’24

Olivia Yu ’27 Assistant Arts Editor

Throughout her life, Leila Hyder ’24 has been surrounded by inspiration for her art as an actress and a painter. Recognized for her contributions to Hopkins Drama Association (HDA) productions, she has influenced the Hopkins arts community.

Flames, Fumes, and Follies: The HARPS Lab Explosion

Elona Spiewak ’26 Assistant Features Editor

Since 2016, the Hopkins Authentic Research Programs in Science (HARPS) has given qualifying Hopkins students hands-on experience in a lab while simultaneously continuing their studies in the sciences. For almost a decade, dozens of students have been able to conduct their own experiments and research, both within

and outside of Hopkins. This unique opportunity, however, was nearly extinguished.

Free Block Freedom with Friends

Veena Scholand ’26 Assistant Features Editor

Don’t know where to go during your free block? Hopkins students have varying opinions on the best place to hang out during their free blocks. Students’ opinions range from those who prefer to lounge on the couches in Upper Heath to those who play sports in the Athletic Center, and some even prefer the outdoors.

HDA Discovers The Importance of Being Earnest

Saisha Ghai ’27 Assistant Arts Editor

Comedy is a medium that can take many years to master, but HDA is doing it in just a little under a month. Throughout the month of April, the Hopkins Drama Association (HDA) has been hard at work preparing for their production of “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde, taking place at the Woodbridge Pool Club from April 25-27.

Paper vs. Digital: The Battle for Notetaking Supremacy

Abby Rakotomavo ’26 Features Editor

In an era where pirated online textbooks replace traditional ones and SMART boards overtake chalkboards, the age-old question persists: What is the superior method of note-taking? Hopkins students remain divided on this issue, with some defending the classic paper-and-pen experience and others arguing that digital notes are better.

Sevvies Meet Seurat: Hopkins English and Art Galleries

Liliana Dumas ’26 Arts Editor

Student-made architecture models cast shadows on their baseplates, a chalkboard fills up with community- made art, and a light show by visiting artist Jason Ting dances across the wall. From student artwork to visiting artists, the Keator Gallery features a variety of artwork throughout the year. Hopkins’ own gallery, however, is not the only exposure to art exhibits students receive; proximity to the Yale Art Gallery and other art exhibitions allow for off-campus field trips and independent visits where students learn to observe and analyze art.

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