Amherst’s Bubble Teas ranked: and the winner is…
It’s no secret that over the past decade bubble tea has taken over as one of the most popular drinks of this generation. Bubble tea cafes continue to pop up in surrounding towns, and...
‘I’m gonna pop some tags’: thrifting is where it’s at
Looking for some new clothes? Instead of buying brand new, why not try thrifting? If you’ve never heard the term “thrifting,” Goodwill defines it as “going shopping at a [second hand] store, garage sale,...
‘Poor Things’ wholeheartedly enjoyable art despite its problems
“Poor Things” (2023) is a movie unlike any I’ve ever seen, directed by the quirky Yorgos Lanthimos, a director who has never shied away from the uncomfortable and bizarre, it is both hard to...
‘Innocent Voices’ explores a brutal chapter of El Salvador’s history
Luis Mandoki’s 2004 film “Innocent Voices” tells the story of one out of millions of individuals living in one of the most cruel moments in El Salvador’s history. This movie illustrates how the ugliness...
‘The Iron Claw’ explores tragic curse in wrestling family
Content warning: this review explores multiple real-life deaths by suicide. In 2008, director Darren Arfonky released “The Wrestler,” the story of a wrestler whose life was slowly consumed by a business that he loved. ...
‘The Boy and The Heron’ a confusing story about grief
Hayao Miyazaki’s 2023 film “The Boy and the Heron” is a semi-autobiographical film that drew the renowned director out of retirement. Released in November of last year, the film spent approximately seven years in...
Join the craze: Spike Ball’s Club’s devoted following
“Spikeball has always been in my blood,” said Sam Cavanagh, vice president of the new and rapidly growing ARHS Spikeball Club. In fact, when he first played in elementary school, he said it was...
Seniors take leadership role on boys’ basketball team
Boys’ basketball had an even start to the season, with a 2-3 record, but in early December, team members said they had hopes of turning over more wins in the months to come. The...
Skating Club of Amherst a loving home for ARHS figure skaters
It’s Tuesday at 4 p.m. and ARHS senior Juliet Coleman is where she almost always is at that time, on the ice practicing for her next big show. She smiles as she races past...
Alpine ski team: inclusive & joyful vibes
The ARHS Alpine Ski team, which practices regularly at Berkshire East Mountain, is led by senior captains Alex Cain, Thea Binzen, and Roka Gould, under the guidance of teacher-coaches Simon Leutz, Gloria Davis, and...
Nordic team one big family, awaiting flakes
This year’s Nordic team is large, with about 60 skiers. According to freshman Ian Burns, some standout skiers are Julian Camera, Tesh Jaswal, Addie Mager, and Zoey Candito, all captains. “Ella Workman is another...
Track team ready to face off with the best
The ARHS indoor track and field team is spearheaded by a strong group of juniors and seniors who are ready to take a huge step forward from previous years. Coming off a top-three finish...
Hockey: for the speed of the game
This year’s regional varsity hockey team includes seven seniors: Skyler Ferro, Evan Scott, Josh Goodhind, Cooper Beckwith, Liam Flynn, Yuuki Ishida, and Ethan Nompleggi. In addition to that crew, the team includes a handful...
Newly elected School Committee members reflect on past wrongs, future goals
On November 7, Amherst residents elected three brand new Amherst School Committee members: Sarah Marshall, Bridget Hynes, and Deborah Lee Leonard, who join incumbent members Irv Rhodes and Jennifer Shiao. Marshall and Hynes spoke...
District failed to conduct mandated criminal background checks, working to remedy situation
On September 27, 2023, ARPS district Director of Communications and Operations Debbie Westmoreland sent a press release saying that “an ongoing internal audit” by Human Resources revealed that the district had not completed criminal...
The ‘cure for hate’: students attend anti-extremism workshop sponsored by Karuna Center for Peacebuilding
On Thursday, October 5, 24 ARHS students spent their D period and Flex Block in the library for a Psychology of Violence and Hate Leadership Training sponsored by The Karuna Center for Peacebuilding and...
‘Young people are the bastions for change in this country’: an interview with Hannah Moushabeck
After reading about the Israel-Hamas war in Journalistic Writing class and watching reactions unfold on the ground and on social media all over the world, I set out to talk, and more importantly to...
‘If we are going to move towards peace, we have to practice containing multitudes’: an interview with Jena Schwartz
After reading about the Israel-Hamas war in Journalistic Writing class and watching reactions unfold on the ground and on social media all over the world, I set out to talk, and more importantly listen...
Students praise ‘Flex Block’ as chance to study, vibe, and chill at day’s end
This year, ARHS made a major and helpful schedule change; rather than requiring students to attend “plus periods” at the end of the day with only their academic teachers, they are instead allowed to...
Music teacher bemoans block schedule, calls it ‘devastating’
For seniors at ARHS, the block schedule (in which students take only one semester-long class in each subject for full credit) is all they have known in high school. Students often praise the reduced...
Fleming in new admin role, with eye toward LGBTQIA+ inclusion, mental health gains
Though Maureen Fleming has been working at ARPS for the last 22 years, this year her job entails something a little different: she is the Mental Health and Behavioral Administrator for the district. Her...
Lucas Correia-Covert part of replacement guidance team at ARMS
Last May, after allegations of transphobia on the part of counselors, students, and staff at Amherst Regional Middle School were published in The Graphic and were investigated by a lawyer hired by the district,...
New phone policy improves student focus, makes life easier for teachers
This fall, ARHS unfurled a new phone policy aimed at separating students from their phones during classes and keeping them off their phones as much as possible during the school day as a whole. ...
Asian American Association builds community, is a resource for AAPI students
Led by seniors Talvin Dhingra, Raye Hegarty, and Johann Bishop, the Asian American Association is focused on creating a community for AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) students at ARHS. Last year, the group...
We got the beat: Music Production Club
Did you know there is a new club at ARHS focused on music production? Music teacher Todd Fruth is the advisor and senior Ben Feeney is the founder and president. According to Fruth, Music...
Olympic diver and ARHS grad Michael Hixon gives exclusive interview
Annabel Culbreth-Loomis: How did you get into diving? Michael Hixon: My mom was my coach and that’s sort of how everything started. My dad was the basketball coach at Amherst College and my mom...
Open ear, open door: new counselor Kody Crawford
Kody Crawford, a new school counselor at ARHS strives to be an “open ear,” “to remove barriers,” and to make the kids at ARHS “feel comfortable in their own skin.” Crawford said his upbringing...
Marita Banda brings desire to build community, outside the box thinking to English, special ed
Marita Banda, a recently hired English and special education teacher, loves working with kids and is motivated to bring together the community in and around Amherst High School. “High school is the last stop...
Crystal Colon steps in to save the day in PE and Health
Crystal Colon, a long-time paraeducator and coach, has a new job this year—as a long-term substitute teacher in physical education and health. In this role, she teaches Foundations of Personal Fitness; Unified PE; Net,...
Living for the ‘light bulb moments’: Jonathan Sivel in new biology teaching role
Jonathan Sivel, a long-time paraeducator, has a new part of his job at ARHS: teaching tenth-grade Biology B and C periods. He also remains a paraeducator for a third of his time. A typical...
