ICHSA 2025, Georgia Marshall, Assistant Editor, Sophomore
On Saturday, February 1st, a surprising flurry of snow greeted us as we prepared for one of the biggest days of our year. Everything was white and still as we buzzed around, packing bags and texting each other frantically, nervous energy humming in the air. At 11:30, we congregated at the high school and boarded our signature yellow school bus, blasting Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter from several speakers. While most people’s game days involve open fields or arenas, our big event largely revolves around silver body glitter, sparkly outfits, and descending runs of the major scale. It was the morning of the Varsity Vocals International Championship of High School A Capella, or ICHSA, Quarterfinals for Luminescence, MHS’s all-female acapella group. After executing a fulfilling performance following months of strenuous work and dedication, we went home with the third place title, placing for the first time in six years. The following day, the Jewel Tones, our community’s equally talented co-ed vocal ensemble, went to compete and scored fourth place as well as an Outstanding Soloist Award to Lani Gilmore, a senior member and choreographer of the group. Both groups’ spectacular commitment paid off as we joined other teenage singers for one of the biggest nights of high school acapella.
ICHSA is the only international tournament showcasing high school acapella from all over the world. Schools submit videos of their talent at the beginning of the year, and the selected groups from each region compete in a bracket-style competition, broadening from regional to national to international levels. The unique competition has been uniting young performers for 20 years and is a huge part of the acapella community. It is what all main groups in our region work towards from the beginning of the year and showcases a wide array of artistry, whether that be showstopping vocals, dazzling choreography, or infectious energy.
With the start of school came the beginning of a long string of after school rehearsals, 7am choreography practices, and never ending repetitions of chords, notes, and riffs. Lumi and JT each collectively voted on a set of three songs, building unique narratives to complement our dancing and singing. We auditioned soloists, created choreography, and cleaned our presentation all throughout fall and winter.
Luminescence chose End of Time by Beyoncé to open our set. The song’s pulsating bassline and triumphant rhythms set the tone for what was to come, with Cassidy Klock, Callie Gilmore, and Sadie Newburg taking center stage as featured soloists, blowing away the audience with beautiful harmonies and individual moments. The anthemic energy of the song was a perfect contrast to the slow, melancholic ballad Dynasty by Miia, with Jane Rickards delivering a haunting and powerful solo, transporting the audience with the song’s siren-like melody. We closed with Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan, a song that became our ultimate anthem of empowerment. Anya Kane commanded the stage for the final showstopper with her lilting voice and natural starpower.
The Jewel Tones carried an equal amount of energy and force in their set. Kicking off with the gritty country hit Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood, Lani Gilmore’s spirited and compelling solo set the stage for what was sure to be an unforgettable act. The tone shifted dramatically as they transitioned into the dreamy and jazzy Good Life by Sammy Rae & The Friends, with Charlie Seliger’s soulful rendition leading the way. They wrapped up with Easy to Love by Couch, an uplifting funk-pop anthem in which Arianna Leahy shined as the lead.
Ultimately, both Luminescence and the Jewel Tones worked incredibly hard to reach our shared goal of competing and doing well in the Quarterfinals of ICHSA. The competition was a culmination of all the team work and diligence that we put into our sets. Though neither of the groups advanced in the competition, we couldn’t be more proud of our individual successes and the satisfaction of the experience. Everyone, whether a soloist, beatboxer, or background vocalist grew as singers, dancers, and performers and came out of the weekend having gained a lasting experience. It was surreal to watch every piece of our passion come together in under ten minutes. Each little detail – from the sharpness of our arms to the timbre of our voices – converged beautifully to form our ultimate performances. Whether we finished in last place or landed at the top, what matters the most is how each group came together and gave everything we worked for. While our competition season has ended, this year’s MHS acapella program still has a lot more to show. Whether you’re looking to hear some good music, watch us dance, or just enjoy a good ensemble, be ready for upcoming acapella events in our community. Just make sure you watch Pitch Perfect first.
Is Privacy Being Flushed Away? Evan Eisen and William Pellicotti, Juniors
The recent decision made by the school administration to remove the doors of the student bathrooms has been met with mixed reactions, to say the least. Some at the school have viewed the move as being not that big of a deal and have accepted it. Others, on the other hand, see it as an invasion of privacy and are demanding that the doors be reinstalled.
One student took it upon themselves to create an online petition on the website Change.org where they cite a lack of privacy and demand the doors be put back. In addition to the issue of the bathroom doors the student also complained about the new rule of not leaving the cafeteria during the lunch period, where it has been compared the school to being a prison. The school attempted to compensate for the loss of the doors by installing additional barriers in the bathroom to ensure some sense of privacy.
To be honest, it doesn’t really seem like that big of an issue. While there is justification in having concerns with privacy, like adults going into the student bathrooms, the issue of the bathroom doors shouldn’t be seen as a big deal. In most public schools they already have doorless bathrooms to prevent vaping, smoking, and vandalism, which have shown promise. For us guys, we can all agree that it would definitely feel better to have barriers in between the urinals, as no one wants to see what’s going on in the other urinals. Students also have the option to use private bathrooms where there is only one toilet, which, for now, seems like a good alternative for those who have anxiety or don’t feel comfortable using the main student bathrooms.
When you really think about it, the students brought this upon themselves. Many have been known to constantly smoke, hang out, waste time in the bathrooms, and make a ruckus in the hallways. If only the select few who actually did this had stayed in class and did their work like they are supposed to, then the rest of us wouldn’t have to suffer due to their actions or should we say lack thereof.
In the grand scheme of things, all this doesn’t really matter when there are much more important things to be concerned about. For example, raising money for field trips and school events, working hard to get good grades, or maybe having the district finally fix the roof on the high school, which will probably cave in any day now. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens with the petition and if the bathrooms will remain doorless, but if there is any silver lining it is that students will likely stop smoking and making a mess of the high school. It’s like the saying “when life closes a door, it opens a window”.
When to Act, Grey Collins, Assistant Editor, Junior
As countless government agencies are purged and dismantled, ICE raids are allowed in schools and churches, DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) is blamed for every issue in our country, and tech oligarchs exercise novel unchecked power over our government, it’s no secret that many in our MHS community might feel nervous for what the next four years will bring.
While the chaos at hand is designed to make you feel helpless and overwhelmed, you can take action instead. Kathy Hempel, the chair of the Marblehead Democratic Town Committee is leading an effort to raise awareness and fight back against oppressive new policies on a local level.
“The Marblehead Democratic Town Committee is a very active organization and has been for a long time,” said Hempel. “At our committee meeting on January 27th, the committee voted to form four new subcommittees: Immigration; women’s reproductive rights; 3A housing; and combating misinformation. Hopefully, we will get momentum to do some really good things in our community and beyond.”
With so much uncertainty in the air, and the suspicions of an Elon Musk led government takeover, some are wondering what they can do to step up and help. Hempel believes that there are plenty of opportunities for Marblehead high school students.
“Gather in community,” she said, when asked what advice she would give to fearful and anxious high school students. “Find people and clubs that you enjoy. Do not be alone. Marblehead High School has a High School Democrats club. Join them and learn about democratic values and perhaps get involved in a campaign. Volunteer at the senior center. Volunteer at the animal shelter, or the festival of arts. Find something you enjoy and find a way to help.”
Hempel thinks that students could play an important role in improving our community and strengthening the movement to protect vulnerable populations left behind by the current administration. In Trump’s first two weeks in office, over 5,000 immigrants have been deported, and the policies preventing ICE arrests in churches and schools have been discarded. Hempel remembered a plea made to President Trump by a Bishop that she thinks perfectly sums up how she feels, and why the community needs to unite and act to protect its most vulnerable members.
“Bishop Marion Edgar Boudin said it best on inauguration day, she said ‘have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared. There are gay, lesbian, transgender children, democratic, republican, independent families- some who fear for their lives. The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who washed the dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work the night shifts in hospitals- they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals.’”
Those words inspired Hempel to take more action throughout our community and she hopes others’ hearts are touched in the same way. She firmly believes that we all need to stand up for our values, or we are no better than those who have stepped aside and allowed terrible atrocities in the past.