Olive Redd, '25

In recent weeks, climbing death tolls, devastation, and horrors of war have consumed the headlines. Palestine and Israel are geographically located in the Middle East between the countries of Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. While the conflict is multifaceted, it primarily surrounds who should occupy the land which is currently controlled by the Israeli government. 

The beginning of the modern conflict between Israel and Palestine began in 1948. Following the devastation of the Holocaust, there was a mass displacement of surviving Jewish people, and so the British government offered up the territory of Palestine to them. The Palestinian people did not consent to their land being offered up, but European Jews where landless and had no homes to go back to. 

Prior to the Holocaust some Jews and Palestinians had lived together on that land in relative peace. When Israel was announced an independent state in 1948, the Arab Israeli War broke out. That war lasted about nine months and involved quite a few Arab nations fighting in support of Palestinian sovereignty, and against the Israeli government's two-state solution. 

Following the war, tensions rose between the Palestinian and Israeli governments. The Israeli government began moving Palestinian people off more and more land, forcing them into small, densely populated, and incredibly impoverished areas such as the Gaza strip. The two-state solution, which outlined a way in which the Palestinians and Israelis could occupy the land in harmony, however proved unsuccessful. 

While the conflict between the Palestinian and Israeli government has been an ongoing issue, it has reentered headlines in the past month amid new developments. On October 7th, Hamas, the main militant force of the Palestinian government, launched a surprise attack on the Israeli government and people. This attack was by land, sea, and air and had incredibly high civilian casualties with the death toll in Israel rising past 1,400. 

Israel responded with a barrage of bombing in the Palestinian occupied areas of Gaza as well as the West Bank. Gaza, being a densely populated area of 141 square miles, is home to over two million Palestinians. Additionally, the Palestinian population is around forty-nine percent below the age of eighteen, making it one of the youngest populations in the world. The bombing by the Israeli government has detrimentally affected the people land of Gaza, with neighborhoods decimated, and over 11,000 deaths and over one million Palestinians displaced from their homes. 

Across the world people have come together to show their concern for the well being of the people affected by the conflict, which is ongoing with no end in sight. 

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Olive Redd, '25

When reminiscing on the younger years of middle and elementary school, the glowing memory of joy-filled field trips to museums, parks, landmarks, and even Boda Borg is a cemented part of those times.   

As students enter SHS, many are perplexed by the lack of this out of school integration of learning. While not all field trips have a designated purpose of furthering academics, it is an immensely effective way in which to make classroom-based learning tactile, and to further real world connections. 

For the past two years, Mr. Blake, an honors and AP World History teacher here at SHS, has been integrating this practice into his curriculum through his field trip to the Harvard Art Museum. For his classes of predominantly juniors, this is one of only a few field trips they have been on at SHS. 

For some, it is their first. When speaking with Mr. Blake, he spoke about the lasting impact that this form of “active learning” had on him in his high school years, and in turn he hopes this trip has this impact on his students. He notes that many are unaware that the artifacts they learn about in these classes are kept in museums in the area, such as the expansive collections at the Harvard Art Museum. 

The Harvard Art Museums, housing a 250,000-piece collection of historical and modern artifacts and a plethora of other exhibits, is an incredible resource. It is less than a 40-minute walk from the high school, something Mr. Blake claims is helpful for transportation logistics, as school buses are prohibitively expensive. On top of all that, this expansive collection is free to the public. 

Once at the museum, Mr. Blake’s scavenger hunt helps students make connections to the classroom by having students find artifacts and connect them to the categories outlined on what they have been given. He finds that this scavenger hunt is applicable to many museums, so students can further their learning by bringing it along on future museum trips.

One of the questions that sparks conversation between students year after year is what pieces speak to them. For Mr. Blake, he finds the careful juxtaposition of the old and new pieces fascinating, as the museum is known for “taking brand new pieces and displaying them near older pieces to instill a theme.” He feels that this is contemporary, and an interesting way to look at history. 

When asked about his answers to some scavenger hunt questions, he said that his personal favorite is a small stone carving from over 5,000 years ago as it, “Makes it seem like we can look back into the past and touch it.” 

Mr. Blake attributes his success in running this field trip to the teachers and parent volunteers who help to make these experiences happen for students. Mr. Blake explains that “Field trips are memorable,” and while there are many difficulties, he “Wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn't worth it.” 

Click here to read this article in Spanish, Portuguese, or Haitian Creole.

by Cyrus Oakes, '25

The electrical program, located on the 5th floor of C building, is one of the 14 CTE programs at Somerville High School. The program runs on a few main virtues: family, progress, and competition. 

Students do everything they can to weave connections within the group, from extensive group projects to the Hawaiian shirt Friday tradition, which they are looking to expand throughout the rest of the school, all to promote the virtue of family.

Progress is the second core ideal. Over the summer, Mr. Oliveira, students, and others worked on redesigning the physical space and the program. They completely redesigned the room to accommodate a new and expansive curriculum, and to influence connections between the students. 

Lastly: competition. The program believes that intense but friendly competition is key to growth. That's why this year saw the introduction of The Electrical Decathlon, where students compete in ten elements throughout the year and the curriculum to win a trophy. 

The trophy, which was created and built at SHS in collaboration with other CTE programs, will have the names of winning students engraved upon it. The trophy can fit twenty-five names to mark the first twenty-five years of the Decathlon, a tradition built to last.

Click here to read this article in Spanish, Portuguese, or Haitian Creole.

This year, the X-block structure has changed. Teachers now practice “community circles” as a mandatory part of the free period. X-block is a practical time to check grades, finish work, or check in with a counselor. 

 In past years, X-block was referred to as “WIN time.” WIN stands for “what I need” and reflects what the purpose of x-block is. 

Many students feel that the community circles take away this valuable time. Even if the circles can be helpful for some, others shared less enthusiasm about them. For example, student Liam Beretsky-Jewell (‘25) said, “I understand the intention behind the circles, but I think that most students think that they are annoying, including me. X-Block should be utilized as time to get homework done.” Leah Cooke (‘25) said, “This is not what I need with my time. Last year, X-block was good and we had time to work. The circles take away that time.”

Not only do students have problems with circles, but there were other complaints. SHS student, Brett Sheldon (26’), said, “I think that X-Block should be on Fridays or something closer to the end of the week.”

Although there were mostly negative comments about X-Block, Julia Rafkind (‘27) felt neutral. She said, “I don’t mind the circles. I feel neutral and they don’t help me in any way so I don’t really care about them.”

The takeaway is that not all students think about X-block in a completely negative way. But many view X-Block period as impractical, and that it should be altered to fit the students’ needs.

Click here to read this story in Spanish, Portuguese, or Haitian Creole.