Bathroom pass system burdens the bladder
Imagine this: one person really needs to go to the bathroom, so they take the pass and are gone for 15 minutes. While that person is gone, the amount of time that you have...
‘Going in Style’: great heist flick
Going in Style, originally made in 1979, directed by Martin Brest, and now the 2017 version, directed by Zach Braff, was a comedy with a bit of adventure, that at the same time had...
Guardians of the Galaxy
Three years ago, Marvel’s first Guardians of the Galaxy movie broke the mold of the typical superhero movie. This year, the five unlikely heroes returned to prove that superhero movies are more than just...
Les Miserables: gorgeous
The Starlight’s Youth Theater has pulled it off once again. They brought Les Miserables to the Academy of Music and knocked it out of the park, earning multiple standing ovations during the Saturday night...
Mr. Burns: a pop-fueled villain
I have been highly involved in the theater world since my freshman year of high school, starting with the show 39 Steps. At school, I have worked on many shows, ranging from full-scale musicals,...
Lockers old, sizes unfair
As the times have changed at the high school, various large building projects have taken place. In 1993, an addition was made to the building. As of recently, the gym is being renovated. Lighting...
Gendered classes: why the breakdown?
In the first semester of the school year, I had two social studies classes, Economics and World Religions. On the first day of school, I walked into both classrooms and was startled by the...
Light Girls documentary perpetuates colorism instead of challenging it
“I think the impact that colorism has on young girls—light girls and dark girls—leave scars on the soul that follow them well into womanhood,” said author Iyanla Vanzant at the beginning of Light Girls....
If you haven’t watched Game of Thrones, you’re missing out
If you haven’t heard of Game of Thrones, you are missing out. This TV series on HBO is based off of the epic fantasy novel series by George R.R. Martin called A Song of...
1980s Polish TV drama, Dekalog, still powerful
In 1989, with the decades-old communist state on the verge of collapse, the people of Poland faced a question crucial to their national identity: what does it mean to be Polish? The same year,...
Time to listen to “outsider views”
Perhaps the greatest strength of the Amherst school system is its record of encouraging the development of its students into precocious, politically-aware young people, strong in their convictions and uncompromising in their search for...
Hidden Figures: uplifting
Theodore Melfi’s Hidden Figures is an inspiring movie, reconstructing the true story of Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), three black female mathematicians who were employed...
Get Out: a horrifying wake-up call about racism
I would like to start by saying that everyone should see Get Out at least once. Not because it’s scary and entertaining, but for the fact that it has a very important message embedded...
Kong: Skull Island is crazy, but not a classic
The most recent iteration of the Kong franchise is a very difficult movie to review. Kong: Skull Island opens with monster-hunter Bill Randa (John Goodman) securing a government contract to journey to Skull...
Lion a tear-jerking ride
Five year-old Saroo (Sunny Pawar) and older brother Guddu (Abhishek Bharate) face devastating poverty in rural India in 1986. At the mercy of whatever work travels their way, they leave their loving mother, who...
Aleppo a shattered city
Imagine waking up one morning and finding your whole town in shambles. You are afraid to walk on the streets because of the fear of being bombed. That’s what life is like right now...
Time to take a stand against guns
Columbine, 1999. Virginia Tech, 2007. Sandy Hook, 2012. San Bernardino, 2015. Pulse Nightclub, 2016. These tragic incidents share one thing in common: they could’ve been prevented by stricter gun control laws. Guns have become...
A life-changing experience helped redefine my manhood
In the summer of 2015, I was a camp counselor and at evening Vespers, I heard a poem by a counselor that changed my life. The author explained how society measures manhood by “pec...
Time for women to register for the draft
After centuries of struggle, American women are finally gaining some traction. Not so long ago, voting, owning property, holding office, and serving in the military were just a few of the rights they were...
Students and staff reflections on the elections, Trump’s win
The 2016 presidential election was as historical for this country as it was shocking and, as many would say, disappointing. Republican President Donald Trump has been widely criticized and mocked for his bold words,...
‘Last Chance U’ a winning show
Do you think you know what it takes to become a professional athlete? The grind and grit that it takes is wildly underestimated. “Last Chance U” is a Netflix documentary series that describes a...
Pizza in Amherst: where’s the best slice?
Pizza has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. My childhood was riddled with “Hop out and grab a slice, Zach.” I like all kinds of pizza,...
Residents: use less water
Usually Amherst has a good amount of water, but since the summer was very sunny and there wasn’t much rain, a severe drought began to affect our community. Though the water ban was lifted...
Students need daily breaks for physical activity, to help us recharge
According to a study conducted by the Department of Exercise Science at the University of Georgia, a break, particularly a involving some sort of physical activity, increases learning, productivity, and brain function. All through...
Solutions for lead-laden water
Before the school year started, the ARPS superintendent sent a letter out to all families regarding a voluntary program that our schools participated in to test the levels of lead and copper in our...
Chance to vote ‘a real sign of becoming an adult’
This year’s election, in particular, has sparked interesting thoughts and opinions throughout the country and here at ARHS. As November 8 approaches, the seniors who are 18 are preparing themselves to vote. This historic...
Banning students from track unreasonable
ARHS home soccer games used to see the track packed with fans and students. This was forever changed after the events of an Amherst versus Holyoke girls’ soccer game in which ARHS fans were...
Mainstream politicians ignore occupation of Palestinian territory
In mid-April, recent University of California, Berkley graduate Simone Zimmerman landed a dream job when she was hired by the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign as its national Jewish outreach coordinator. But her celebration did...
Recess: it’s not just for little kids
As we grow from kids to adults, we are generally encouraged to learn autonomy and creativity. Why then, when students leave elementary school, does our school system take away a core part of our...
Bathroom hysteria taking us backward
Recently, both North Carolina and Mississippi governments have passed anti-LGBTQ laws, with North Carolina barring individual counties from offering protection to LGBTQ people. Simultaneously Mississippi worked swiftly to pass HB 1523, which allows businesses...
