By: Sebby Garofalo
This past Friday, junior Olivia Belfonti organized a “comfy sweatpants day” fundraiser, to raise money for the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford. The comfy sweatpants day was her modified version of CT Children’s’ “Pajama Day for Kids." Olivia’s inspiration to give back was kindled by her own relationship with the hospital. Olivia revealed, "Connecticut Children’s saved my life. Doctors at other hospitals told my parents that I would have no quality of life and that abortion was the only option. However, at Connecticut Children’s they gave my parents hope that I would live... I love to give back to them because I am here alive.” The added bonus of being comfortable at school was an extremely positive way to visibly bring students together in supporting an important cause, while also sharing in the hospital’s tradition. The fundraiser was extremely successful due to Olivia’s efforts and the donations of SP students, raising close to $1,000. This money ensures that one of the top-ranked children’s hospitals in the nation can continue to help and support children, just like Olivia and many more. Thank you Olivia for showing that charity is a universal gift with no age requirement! Caleigh Lozito, class of 2015, has used her time in quarantine to raise money for organizations that are centered in anti-racist education, as well as justice for all people. Sitting down to tie dye various clothing items to break her boredom on one particular day in quarantine, Caleigh realized that she could turn her newest DIY project into profit for multiple movements that help people respond effectively to injustice in our society. Simply saying that “Black Lives Matter” is not enough, it is time to act on it. Caleigh knew that silence was compliance and violence, and wanted to raise her voice, as well as raise funds in solidarity. Founding a clothing brand called “Solidarity Styles”, Caleigh has been able to sell tie dyed shirts, sweatshirts, and masks to benefit various organizations, her online shop stating that “all net proceeds go to various BLM organizations”. Soon after launching this online shop, her first collection of tie dyed creations sold out. It has continued to sell out with every release since. Thus far, “Solidarity Styles” has donated to Black and Brown founders, an organization providing community, education, and access to Black and Latinx entrepreneurs, and Color of Change, a national online force that helps people respond effectively to injustice in the world. It is necessary to our world that we continue to actively educate ourselves about anti-racism, and continue to listen to and amplify the voices of people who have been historically oppressed. Caleigh reflects on her years as a high school student, explaining that it was here at St.Paul where she learned the importance of equality and considering all peoples as her family. Caleigh, as well as all of us on the St. Paul Sword Team, encourage everyone to use their voices for change. You can support “Solidarity Styles” by following the instagram, @solidaritystyles_ where you can stay updated on future clothing releases and share the page with friends! By Brianna Wood
The Perry Outreach Program is an opportunity for young women to learn more about careers in the fields of engineering and orthopedic surgery. Run by the Perry Initiative, high school girls can learn more about the process of becoming a surgeon and experience different real life scenarios in the career of an orthopedic surgeon. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Perry Initiative had to cancel all in person programs. This year, they hosted the Perry Virtual Experience, another incredible opportunity for female high school students to discuss STEM and medical careers. The Perry Outreach Program was held in November 2019. Multiple students from the St. Paul's community attended, including Madelyn Kronen, Krista Christmas, Sophia Gerst, Devin Muerer, and Lana Marie-David. The girls participated in six mock-surgeries, as well as hearing from many surgeons and residents, surgeons in training, about their journey to where they are today. Madelyn Kronen found the mock surgeries especially interesting, due to personal connections. Kronen eagerly described how she found the process of becoming a surgeon interesting. Krista Christmas was “awed by the teamwork involved and the hands-on experience of performing on areas of the human anatomy, by having the opportunity in using arthroscopes to locate a pea in a mock knee to extract it. [She] valued the teamwork incorporated in this, as each member helped one another by communicating which way they had to maneuver the tool.” Devin Muerer’s favorite part was “probably doing the stitches on the pig’s foot because it was something I had never done before. Also, another thing I had fun with was when we dropped the pea into the artificial knee and used the robot machine to find it.” This year, senior Lana Marie David attended the virtual experience, learning many things about engineering and orthopedics. This program contained lectures about the importance of engineering and the different careers in the medical field. David was grouped with five other girls, working together to conduct “online mock orthopedic surgery simulations” along with experiments. “My favorite part happened after each activity. After working on each activity, we would discuss the scientific explanation behind the worksheet activity: whether it be biomechanics, anatomy, and physiology, or engineering,” describes David. Programs such as the Perry Outreach Program and the Perry Virtual Experience are very important for all people out there, whether it is young men or women looking for careers or children being introduced to the world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. “I definitely believe that the STEM programs are very important especially for young women… I found [the STEM programs] so interesting...we got to see all different career choices out there. It’s really just a good way to experiment with what you want to do before you have to make that decision for going to college. You get to work with a lot of other young girls your age who are going to do the exact same thing.” says Kronen. “[B]oth programs emphasized the leadership quality in women.” illustrates David. Christmas believes “[STEM education programs] have far-reaching effects on persons of all ages and for the betterment of the world. STEM education programs teach and demonstrate to students how today's technology can heal people, teach others, and offer better alternatives or solutions to previous obstacles.” “By educating the younger generations on new technologies and STEM related topics, they will get inspired and realize how they can change the world in any way they can imagine,” states Muerer. By Brianna Wood
The holiday season is only just beginning! As families set up decorations and begin their festive, holiday traditions, the student government is thinking about some of the true meanings of Christmas: love, family, and giving to those in need. This Monday, December 7, the student government is promoting The United Way of West Central Connecticut Toy Drive. The St. Paul student community is being asked to bring in a new, unwrapped toy for children ages 1-14. Students who bring in a toy that day can dress down. We can help inspire the children and improve their holidays. Imagine how much your gift could mean to a child! If there are any questions, please contact Mrs. Kendrick. By Sammi Bray
On a rather dreary Thursday morning, the senior class officers (President Benjamin Shea, Vice President Patrick Russo, Treasurer Carina Fiscella, and Secretary Joshua Silva) met with their classmates to share a glimmer of light. Despite a disappointing and challenging end to the previous school year, the senior class is excited to be back in the classroom (both in-person and virtually) and incredibly hopeful. The class officers began their presentation with a reminder to keep up with the St. Paul COVID-19 guidelines, which are likely the reason St. Paul has yet to have a covid case. Some of these guidelines include having a mask on properly at all times, sanitizing before entering each classroom, and maintaining a social distance at all times. St. Paul also set up one-way hallways, allowing for more distance during passing times. With the year well under way, it is easy to forget the importance of these rules, but the senior officers reminded their peers that they set an example. Mask on, wash your hands, make it to graduation was the message of the day. Due to the school’s success in remaining nearly COVID free, there have been a number of student gatherings, like the traditional Walk-a-Thon and a Halloween movie night. On Thursday morning, the class of 2021 learned they will have a kickball tournament on November 5th, along with an ultimate frisbee competition and even some snacks at 5PM. This will be a great opportunity for the class to be together outside of the classroom and a celebration of a good start to the school year. Students in the senior class and beyond must remember the school theme #BetheLight and lead the way in following COVID-19 protocols during the school day and after school. Mrs. Kendrick, senior class advisor and beloved CAD teacher, told the senior class that if they want to have more activities, even a school dance, they must take this seriously. By Sammi Bray
It’s that time of year again! The St. Paul Walkathon is back! Despite this year being very different, the community rallied together to find a new, awesome way to keep up a classic tradition. On Thursday, October 1st, the Student Government joined together (from apart) to kick off this year’s festivities. From neighborhoods, cross country practices, and parks, students signed onto Zoom at 5PM to walk the first few steps of the 2020 Walkathon. Unlike past years, all fundraising was held online. The school was able to raise their goal, a collective total of $30,000 and earned the annual “Superbowl Monday” off! Mrs. McGuire is very excited! Similar to the past, students were able to participate in activities like KanJam and Ultimate Frisbee. Each grade worked together to plan a fun, safe day, but unfortunately with COVID-19 regulations, students were not able to intermingle with other grades. This year included a special surprise: Dairy Queen Blizzards! Many students felt that despite this year’s hurdles, this was one of the very best Walkathons ever. Photos via Mrs. Lindquist and @spchsfalcons instagram! Written by Emma Schatz
Two weeks ago, St. Paul hosted a Welcome Back Weekend to celebrate the new school year. There were a variety of different events for students to participate in over the two day period. The weather was chilly, but spirits were high on Friday, September 18th for the drive-in movie show. Students gathered in the school parking lot for a late night showing of “The Greatest Showman”. People bundled up under blankets with popcorn and hot chocolate to enjoy the movie, laughing and chatting with friends. There was singing and even dancing as everyone celebrated finally being back together. Even with social distance rules and mask wearing, everyone had a great time. On Saturday, there was a Quarantine Art Show, presenting artwork that students created during the quarantine. There are some very talented artists at St. Paul, and this event celebrated all their talent and efforts. Also on Saturday, the Chalk it Up event took place, where each grade competed while showing off their artistic talents. Teams were created to represent each grade level, and each team decorated a parking spot, following a unique theme. The chalk drawings came out exceptionally well, brightening up the whole parking lot. The Senior class created a fall harvest theme, featuring pumpkins and a scarecrow. “Growing together” was proudly displayed in the Juniors’ space, including bright flowers. The Sophomore class created a colorful spiral, featuring the St. Paul falcon in the center. Finally, the Freshman Class had brightly colored shapes, forming a stained glass window pattern. Students enjoyed hanging out and chatting over hot chocolate while creating these vivid masterpieces. Thanks to all the wonderful artists who contributed to this event! What a great start to the new school year! Written by Elizabeth Speaker
On Thursday, October 1st the student government hosted a virtual trivia night. It was led by Ben Speaker and Josh Silva. There were a variety of questions ranging from Geography to sports. The questions were asked live over Zoom and answered on a Google form. It was all out of integrity and each participant was asked to fill out the integrity pledge. There were three rounds each with ten questions. At the end there was a bonus round with five questions. Overall, the event was very fun and a good way to learn something new. Be on the lookout for more events like this that are yet to come! |
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