Sophomore Semi 2025 by Georgia Marshall, Assistant Editor, Sophomore
This past Friday, on March 14 at 5:45 pm, the sophomore class of 2025 congregated in the MHS Field House to be transported to Tupper Manor. After weeks of anticipation, anxious buzzes of excitement echoing through the hallways, and photos of dresses, suits, jackets, shoes, and nails being passed back and forth, the night had finally arrived. It was the Sophomore Semi Formal of 2025.
After being breathalyzed and sorted into buses (with New England sports team names, of course), just under 150 sophomores arrived at Tupper Manor in Beverly for an extravagant night of food, friends, and dancing. The venue was notable for its profound elegance and sophistication. Upon entering, we were greeted by friendly staff and immediately seized by the grandeur of the Manor. From the sparkling chandelier to the carved staircase to the huge, engraved mirrors, it felt like stepping back in time to a Jane Austen-era ball. Past the entrance was a dance floor throbbing with pulsating beats from the DJ. Beyond that was a beautiful dining room with a wide-ranging buffet off to the side. After enjoying dinner, students took to the dance floor. Whether you were there to throw your arms high to your favorite pop songs, scream-sing the anthemic lyrics to every rock ballad, or jump to the rap beats from the speakers and watch the disco lights skate across the ceiling, there was fun to be had by all.
Max Kane, president of the sophomore class, says “I thought it went pretty well! It was slow to start, but I think people had a lot of fun towards the end. (The class officer’s) are proud of all the hard work we did and are happy with how it turned out!”
It is safe to say that Max’s sentiment is shared by all the students who attended the dance. As the night went on, more and more people gathered on the dance floor. Social cliques and boundaries were forgotten as we enjoyed the music and festivities. It was enlightening to see how everyone joined together. From best friends to mutual acquaintances to people you may have never exchanged a word with before, it didn’t matter who you were as long as you were willing to let go of your inhibitions and dance. Some highlights of the night were when the entire group formed a circle and people took turns in the center, when a group formed a conga line, and when everyone sang the lyrics to Don’t Stop Believin’ and Sweet Caroline at the top of their lungs.
Teachers and staff who attended also had an amazing experience. “I think Sophomore Semi went pretty well considering how many smiles and shouted song lyrics there were on the dance floor.” says Mr. Proulx, the CAD, Animation, and Architecture teacher at MHS who attended the dance. He and the rest of the attending staff all had a great time watching the students dance, and even joining in at some points.
Overall, this year’s Sophomore Semi was one to remember. From the venue to the dancing to getting all dressed up with friends and classmates, it was an unforgettable experience. The class officers’ hard work fundraising, promoting, and selling tickets paid off in this culmination of the class of 2027, when everyone dropped their reserve and danced.
Which Flags Are ‘Red’ Flags? by Evan Eisen and William Pellicotti, Juniors
Recently at MHS and at many other schools around the state there has been a great amount of debate about what flags should be flown above them. Previously schools had only flown the American and state flags, but now some want to include flags from other countries and that represent other groups. Some flags that are being considered are the Israel and Ukraine flags which many believe helps in showing support and representation to the students who come from those countries. It can be argued that we are in America and not in either one of these states and in the case of Israel not all of the students at MHS are jewish that could be seen as an insult against them. In addition, why should we hang up the flags of other countries when they haven’t and probably won’t hang up our flags.
Other flags being considered are the Black Lives Matter, pride, and trans flags. Many at our school feel that having these flags present increases the sense of acceptance for minorities at the school and helps to foster a more inclusive environment. Shouldn’t students be allowed to come to a place five times a week where they feel that they are accepted? Some individuals will see having a flag as unnecessary or not enough to make a group feel a sense of belonging. Compared to the flags of other countries it will be harder to get these flags installed especially now that President Trump is threatening to withhold federal funds from schools that have anything that correlates to DEI or diversity. We’ve already seen him take action against trans-athletes in sports, Pro-Palestinian protesters at several universities and even feigning threats at deporting some of them.
There have been proposals to even get rid of the American flag outright or to even have no flags flying at all. We are all Americans and we will all want to see our country prosper, so the idea of even disposing of our sacred flag should be seen as ridiculous, however with all of the turmoil that has been going within our nation both internally and externally it isn’t impossible to see where they’re coming from. What we really should be debating is over how to fix real world issues like poverty and ongoing wars rather than debating which flags on our school’s roof will offend the least amount of people. Maybe instead of installing or getting rid of flags we should put people on the roof who will fix it and prevent it from caving in during the next rainstorm.
In all seriousness, both sides make great points about having certain flags implemented and which ones to not install. If there is one thing we can all be thankful for and agree on it is that we are allowed to decide what flags we want. It is thanks to the first amendment and the right to freedom of speech that allows any of this to be possible and in many other places they aren’t afforded that same luxury.
Staying Calm Under Pressure on the Track and in the Sky: An Interview with Nate Assa, Marblehead’s All American Track Star by Anna Cruikshank
On Thursday the 13th, at The New Balance track in Boston, Nate set out on the biggest race of his life: the Nationals five kilometer race. Although he was seeded 10th, his unbelievable kick propelled him all the way to sixth place, with a fourteen-minute 5k. A local and now national superstar, I contacted him to find more about how he prepares for and manages his high-stakes races.
I’m really interested in hearing how you mentally and physically prepare for big races. How do you stay calm? Nate says pre-race nerves are something every high-caliber athlete struggles with, and they’re nothing to be afraid of. In fact, they can get your adrenaline pumping which may improve performance slightly. When you’re feeling extra stressed and doubting yourself, Nate believes that confidence is key. “When you erase all doubt and genuinely convince yourself that your ambitious goal is within reach, you unlock a level of performance that training alone can’t guarantee”. This level of confidence and security takes runners countless seasons and runs to build, but it is essential for beating nervousness and taking control of your race.
Do you have any specific routines the night before or on race day? The day before each meet, Nate cleans his room and packs his bag with his equipment. He explains having a routine like cleaning his room helps him mentally prepare for the race, and he can wake up in a clean environment to focus on running. According to him, “minimizing variables on race day can help keep your mental state in check”. Pre-race fuel is also important, and he thinks it’s best to figure out what your body needs before a race and stick with it. For morning races, he opts for light snacks such as bars or trial mix; if the race is in the afternoon, he prefers a more satiating breakfast with a snack at lunch.
When a race doesn’t go as planned, how do you move past it and refocus? Nate’s key to moving on from bad races is learning from mistakes. Some variables that can shake you up are out of your control, like heat and wind. Others are in your control, like poor racing strategy and pacing. When something in your control messes up a race, it’s best to acknowledge what happened and how to prevent it in the future. “You can’t let a bad race shake you, you just have to move forward with training and move past it mentally”.
I also heard that you have your pilot’s license, which is super cool. I imagine both flying and racing require a lot of attention to detail and preparation—how would you compare the two? Do any of the skills from one help with the other? On Thursday the 13th, at The New Balance track in Boston, Nate set out on the biggest race of his life: the Nationals five kilometer race. Although he was seeded 10th, his unbelievable kick propelled him all the way to sixth place, with a fourteen-minute 5k. A local and now national superstar, I contacted him to find more about how he prepares for and manages his high-stakes races.
I’m really interested in hearing how you mentally and physically prepare for big races. How do you stay calm? Nate says pre-race nerves are something every high-caliber athlete struggles with, and they’re nothing to be afraid of. In fact, they can get your adrenaline pumping which may improve performance slightly. When you’re feeling extra stressed and doubting yourself, Nate believes that confidence is key. “When you erase all doubt and genuinely convince yourself that your ambitious goal is within reach, you unlock a level of performance that training alone can’t guarantee”. This level of confidence and security takes runners countless seasons and runs to build, but it is essential for beating nervousness and taking control of your race.
Do you have any specific routines the night before or on race day? The day before each meet, Nate cleans his room and packs his bag with his equipment. He explains having a routine like cleaning his room helps him mentally prepare for the race, and he can wake up in a clean environment to focus on running. According to him, “minimizing variables on race day can help keep your mental state in check”. Pre-race fuel is also important, and he thinks it’s best to figure out what your body needs before a race and stick with it. For morning races, he opts for light snacks such as bars or trial mix; if the race is in the afternoon, he prefers a more satiating breakfast with a snack at lunch.
When a race doesn’t go as planned, how do you move past it and refocus? Nate’s key to moving on from bad races is learning from mistakes. Some variables that can shake you up are out of your control, like heat and wind. Others are in your control, like poor racing strategy and pacing. When something in your control messes up a race, it’s best to acknowledge what happened and how to prevent it in the future. “You can’t let a bad race shake you, you just have to move forward with training and move past it mentally”.
I also heard that you have your pilot’s license, which is super cool. I imagine both flying and racing require a lot of attention to detail and preparation—how would you compare the two? Do any of the skills from one help with the other?
Something that many people may not know is that Nate has his pilot’s license and has 100 flying hours. When it comes to flying versus running Nate says there’s a lot of overlap between the two. In flying, he says pilots “always aim to be two steps ahead of the airplane. One step ahead is fine, but I always aim for two”. He compares this to running and how you need to consciously take control of your race and training. A trap pilots and runners can fall into is what Nate calls ‘playing defense’, where you’re always trying to catch up with the plane. “You never want to be ‘playing defense’, repeatedly just reacting to whatever just happened”. Responding to changes and keeping your head clear is crucial to running and flying.
Nate Assa is a perfect example of how becoming a tremendously talented athlete goes beyond physical training. You need complete confidence and mental fortitude. Nate will graduate this year but he hasn’t decided on where to go for college, where he will study aviation.