Who spent their Black Friday in an overcrowded mall, or Cyber Monday on the couch with a laptop on their lap for hours? The winter fashion trends are here, from oversized sweaters to ripped jeans, to keep you warm and stylish this upcoming season. The Razor interviewed four Hopkins students about their clothing choices, their style, and the must-haves for this winter season. 

On November 6, 2012, just after President Barack Obama won reelection, President-elect Donald J. Trump tweeted “The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy.” Then last month, a week after he won the presidency himself, Trump took to Twitter again to announce that he now favored the over 200 year-old system that made him president, writing: “The Electoral College is actually genius in that it brings all states, including the smaller ones, into play. Campaigning is much different!” With these two tweets, President-elect Trump outlined both sides of a controversy that has surged to the forefront of our national political discourse in recent weeks. 

After spending three to five years on The Hill, some students feel the need to transition away from Hopkins. The Study Abroad Programs that the Modern Language Department offers fulfill their need to see a new community and expose themselves to new cultures.

The Razor welcomes Letters to the Editor on any topic of interest to the student body.

This past Sunday, Hopkins students, faculty and staff gathered for an afternoon of singing and playing in the Church of the Redeemer in New Haven. Entitled “Music of Winter,” the concert highlighted the talents of both the concert choir and the orchestra. 

No-homework weekends and breaks provide time for students to enjoy activities they would not otherwise have as much opportunity to do during homework loaded weeks, but these weekends can be complicated for both students and teachers.

This past academic year, the organization formerly known as Breakthrough New Haven has been renamed and refocused into Hopkins’ very own on-campus program: Pathfinder Hopkins School.

Seniors offer advice to underclassmen.

Allison Chun ’17 first picked up a squash racket eight years ago.

Just as the math, science, and humanities departments have opportunities for students to display their talents, the drama department now partakes in its own program. The Halo Awards, held every June at the Seven Angels Theater, celebrate and honor achievements of high school thespians throughout Connecticut. 

When Hopkins first began helping the Connecticut Food Bank decades ago, fundraising as we know it today did not exist. Until the twenty-first century, the goal of the annual Food Drive was to gather non-perishables from families and friends of the Hopkins community.

Some people may consider New Haven’s claim to fame to be only its status as the pizza capital of the area, but scattered around the city is also a wide variety of coffee shops to satisfy every person’s craving for caffeine. Each has a unique design and flavor: whether it’s a classic French cafe, an old-timey New Haven shop, or an international coffee supplier New Haven’s got them all. This is your guide to New Haven coffee beyond our own little cafe in Upper Heath.

Caroline Stanley, one of three current Girls Varsity Field Hockey captains, has been playing for the Hilltoppers since 8th grade. 

Each year, the Fall athletes hone their acting prowess, refresh their Michael Jackson moves, and work on their comedic skills as they come together with fellow teammates in an effort to create a production  worthy of a potential Oscar, Emmy, or at the very least, a Teen Choice Award to display in Assembly in the week leading up to Homecoming.

The annual Back to School Bash, run by the Hopkins Student Council, was held  on Friday, September 23 on The Hill.The Bash is a time for students to get together with friends and hang out stress free before the school year ramps up in terms of homework.

Before the voice tapes were released by the Washington Post that revealed obscene comments by Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump, The Razor conducted a school-wide survey to determine campus opinion on the presidential election.

The third installment of faculty profiles.

It is widely believed that all students at this school strive to excel in their classes and to earn an A grade. To explore this issue, The Beat consulted Hopkins teachers, who provided first-hand insight into attaining the GPA of your dreams. So take a look, read it twice, and the secrets to academic success will be yours!

At a very young age, Jake Moscarelli ’17 started playing backyard football games with his dad. Since then, football has been an integral part of Moscarelli’s life, and when he arrived at Hopkins he didn’t plan on stopping.  

The Hopkins Drama Association never fails to impress. This autumn’s production, Othello, features a thrilling meditation on the power of love and the destructiveness of suspicion.

Hopkins’ annual fund-raiser for the Connecticut Food Bank will begin on October 22.

On Friday October 7, United States Senator Richard Blumenthal spoke at Assembly.

The Student Productions directed and produced Melancholy Play, which opened during the first weeks of school.

The vibrant New Haven dining scene boasts famous pizza places, cozy cafes and, more recently, scores of food trucks. Food trucks and carts have become incredibly popular in the area, offering a wide range of foods from Thai to cupcakes.

We live in a vibrant and glorious democracy, the central tenet of which is the right to self-government and voting. In 1870, government officials tried to change the law to ensure that no one would be denied the right to vote. It would be inconceivable to them that the descendants of those who once fought for suffrage would eventually have to be coerced into embracing it.

A summary of Grey's Anatomy, Narcos, American Horror Story, and How to Get Away with Murder as they return to television this fall.

Our founding fathers offered future American citizens an interesting piece of advice in the Latin phrase on the Seal of the United States of America: “E Pluribus Unum,” meaning, “one from many.” 

The second installment of faculty profiles.

Education has always been considered the great equalizer. As the income gaps have continued to grow, finding solutions to inequality is more significant than ever.

As the upcoming presidential election draws nearer, the role of the media in the digital age is more profound than ever. Historically, the media has always been deeply intertwined with politics from as far back as the first newspapers. Now, with modern technology, media and politics are more conjoined than ever.

The Beat put together a Back to School Survival Guide for students.

Sixteen new faculty join Hopkins this academic year.

The Hopkins Class of 2016 graduated on Friday, June 10.

When Edward Hopkins founded our school in 1660, he did so with a mission of the “Breeding up of hopeful youths. . . for the public service of the country in future times.” As a student looking around at our community, it is clear that the school still strives to serve the public today. 

On June 30, Barbara Riley will formally end her fifteen-year tenure as the 108th Head of Hopkins School.

While every June brings with it a significant period of transition, this year is even more bittersweet, with Barbara Riley handing the reins over to Kai Bynum. Faculty members depart. Seniors prepare to leave their homes to start new lives. Returning students relinquish their control over their current, comfortable patterns and are forced to assume new roles in the coming year. While dealing with change does not come easily to many, it is surprising how often and unthinkingly we deal with and adapt to transitions in life.

As Hopkins seniors reach the end of their high school career, they are faced with many opportunities to pursue their interests. Starting with selecting college majors, seniors will soon begin their journeys towards selecting a career. The Razor asked seniors what majors they were considering for college. Seventy-two seniors replied, showing a diverse range of interests in every field of study. Here is a look at what seniors have in mind regarding college majors and career choices.

Razor Reviews captures the staff's opinions and suggestions regarding a recent meal we've eaten, movie we've seen, or product we've used.

The Beat Editor Ellery Saluck ’17 asked Hopkins seniors this question: What will you miss most about Hopkins next year?

Claire Yin ’16 first began playing softball in elementary school, but took a hiatus from softball in middle school.  It wasn’t until ninth grade when Yin made her return to the softball field.

Hopkins’ Day of Silence is rooted in history. On June 28, 1969, a riot-broke out at the well-known gay bar “The Stonewall Inn” in  downtown Manhattan. Before 1980, homosexuality was outlawed in New York, and the police arrived at the Manhattan gay bar with the intention of shutting it down. Instead, the patrons resisted and held out against the police for three days, even as the officers returned clad in riot gear.

Mitchell Patton ’16, current captain of Boys Varsity Lacrosse, has been playing lacrosse at Hopkins since his freshman year. 

Hopkins School instrumental groups harbor many talented musicians who have reached some of the highest levels of music in New England. One such musician is Paul Stelben ’17, who plays both bassoon and piano.

The Beat staff, like most of Hopkins, enjoys bake sales. Hopkins bake sales are especially rewarding because we get to enjoy a sweet treat while supporting a worthy cause. We wondered what the best selling treat would be at a Hopkins bake sale. To find out, we turned to the palettes of Barbara Riley, Head of School, and John Roberts, Assistant Head of School. To carry out our study, each of the four Beat staff members baked an item. Each of our items were then tasted and evaluated by Riley and Roberts. 

At first, the average individual doesn't think of Connecticut as synonymous with sports.  Why would he?  Connecticut lacks a major league team in the MLB, NFL, NHL, or NBA.  Even our only women's professional team, the Connecticut Sun, is a basement dweller in the standings. Yet if that same individual looks beyond the professional arena, he will find a state brimming with collegiate teams dominating their respective sports.

The Jazz-Rock Ensemble at Hopkins gives students with a love for music an opportunity to come together and make music themselves.

The criteria for popular music has always fluctuated: just when you think you have it figured out, it changes again.

“Coming of age” carries with it a persistent urge to be as common as possible.

The increase in online music streaming apps has invaded Hopkins students' listening interests.

From the White House to Hollywood, powerful people and institutions are supported by a group of dedicated people behind-the-scenes, and Hopkins School is no different. The Administrative Assistant Team ensures that The Hill’s community runs as it should, organizing A.P. Exams, daily attendance rosters, and everything in between.  Their efforts impact the daily lives of Hopkins students, faculty, staff, and parents.

The Razor Staff is proud to announce and launch our first-ever online edition.

Charles Blow, the New York Times visual Op/Ed columnist, will visit Hopkins on Friday, February 19, as a part of the Conversations on Race program. Blow covers everything from politics to public opinion to social justice.

After serving as a graphic artist for The Detroit News, he joined The Times in 1994 as a graphic editor and soon became graphic director. In 2008, he began writing a biweekly column and he published his memoir, Fire Shut Up in My Bones, in 2012.

As the early stages of the 2016 Presidential Election sweep the nation, young people across the country are getting involved, and Hopkins students are no exception. Hilltoppers have spent time working for major Presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle, canvassing, attending town hall meetings, and sometimes meeting the candidates themselves.

Lauren Antonelli ’16 entered Hopkins a timid freshman, but by taking advantage of the artistic opportunities that the school offers, she has evolved into a dynamic force on The Hill.

We all learn another language in the classroom on The Hill - French, Greek, Chinese - whatever it may be. Outside the classroom, we are immersed in another language. In fact, it’s the most widely understood dialect in the world.

Fall Season Team Records. All photos taken by Peter Mahakian.

Numerous Hopkins students wander our beloved campus, possessing unrecognized talents or passions. Emily Wang ‘16 is one such scholar. Her unbridled ardor for writing has led to her first nationally published collection of short stories entitled I’m Fine.

As the relaxed place of the holiday break settles in, bringing with it jolly celebrations and loads of free time, head to your living room to watch some classic holiday movies.

“Private schools are blocking social mobility,” says The Telegraph. The Guardian headlines: “The road to meritocracy is blocked by private schools.” “This pampered private school elite can only lead to US decline,” writes journalist Naomi Wolf.

One of students’ favorite highlights of Hopkins is the annual Holiday Assembly, which includes an array of presentations from a cappella groups and choruses to instrumental ensembles, and, most intriguingly, the current senior class. Each year, minutes before being released into the annual winter vacation, the entire school joins together to sing the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Each grade is assigned a specific stanza to sing; however, the most memorable moments come with “Five Golden Rings.” Each time it comes time for the Hopkins community to sing these three special words, the senior class performs some type of thrilling sketch or mini-performance.

What will you remember most about 2015?

Katie Malison ’16 began playing basketball when she was five and started competitive play in third grade. Now a senior, she is a captain of Girls Varsity Basketball. Malison said, “I’m excited and optimistic for the season! We love to play together.”

Miles Lourenco ’16 has begun his fourth and final season of fencing at Hopkins. Lourenco’s talent and skill have been recognized since his freshman year: he earned twelfth place in Individual States. In his sophomore year, he placed fifth, receiving his first medal. However, Lourenco’s passion for the sport of fencing began in his childhood. Lourenco said, “I have been fencing competitively only since ninth grade but I’ve fenced for fun since I was around five.”

Twice a year, at Back to School Bash in September and Reunion in June, Hilltoppers gather to cheer on Hopkins’ very own Teacher Band. !e group combines vocal and instrumental talents, functions as a self-proclaimed garage band, and features nine teachers from nearly every department at Hopkins.

Many of the students at Hopkins are multi-talented in a variety of sports and arts. Still, it is rare to have someone play as many as three instruments and excel at all of them.

In recent years, Hopkins drama has seen tremendous growth in the realm of student directing. This year the Hopkins Drama Association (HDA) has taken this trend one step farther with a set of completely student-directed One-Acts. Director Mike Calderone explained: “Student Directing is the next logical step in exposing our student body to the artistic and leadership opportunities in the theater.”

Thee past few years in popular culture have been filled with revivals of past, classic movies. From new perspectives on traditional princess tales, to modern takes on outdated story lines, film remakes have perpetuated the cinemas. As of this December, the world will be re-introduced to the galactic adventures of the Star Wars saga. Earlier this year, director J.J. Abrams declared that he would be creating a continuation of the 1977 series, and the time has now come for this statement to actualize.

In the interest of full disclosure, I willingly admit that I procrastinated this article far too much. Since freshman year I have noticed a steady decline in my ability to work and plan ahead, partially due to the greater number of responsibilities I’ve accumulated, but mostly because of the general deterioration of my once overly-productive work ethic.

Hopkins School is a very demanding environment. With all the coursework, sports practice, and extracurriculars, stress can run high. Going to bed past midnight is common practice for some of the student body and nervous breakdowns happen often enough that some people regard them as normal. There is no doubt that students are under a tremendous amount of pressure to perform, and to perform well.

Winter is a busy time for Hopkins students and faculty. Students tackle an increase of work, faculty busily manage their schedules, and every Hilltopper’s life is interrupted by the occasional snow day, which Assistant Head of School John Roberts said “are the best part of winter!” Whether enjoying the snow or cooking with family, Hopkins students and faculty find ways to bear the harsh winter.

Hopkins is planning to invigorate its performing arts program with the construction of a new arts center that would be located at the site of Lovell Hall.