Friday, September 20
The Lawrenceville School's weekly newspaper.
Opinions
Senior Reflection
As Lawrentians, we have been trained to dash out reflections at interims and at the end of every trimester. So, when presented with the honor of writing a Senior Reflection...
The Magical Andy Kim
Five years into office, Rep. Andy Kim stands out in a crowded district with once-tight battles between Republicans and Democrats. His district voted for Donald Trump, while Kim voted to...
Senior Reflection
In my head, Lawrenceville has always been a dragon of sorts. A beautiful dragon, yes, with iridescent scales and eyes the color of rubies, but a terrifying monster nonetheless. I...
A New Voting Bloc Emerges: Tracking Trends Among Gen Z Voters
Come November, many members of Lawrenceville’s Class of 2024 will head to the polls to vote in the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election. The ballots of young people, akin to our...
Senior Reflection
If you’re going to take anything away from this reflection, make it this: be present. That doesn’t just mean showing up for things. Find moments to be and to connect...
Senior Reflection
1) On a rainy April afternoon, I returned to my apartment lobby with a notification that I had received a package. I signed my name and faced a large box...
Senior Reflection
I’ve always been a materialist: in seventh grade, I filled three Wegmans shopping bags with candy wrappers for a “to be determined” art project for a “to be determined” future...
Home is Where the Heart Is: Fostering a More Equitable House Experience
The Circle and Crescent, which encompass six and five Houses, respectively, are staples of campus life at Lawrenceville: House-based events like House Olympics and the tight bonds Lawrentians form by...
The Tetris Trap: How Perfectionism Reinforces Student Struggles
As I sat down to do my homework and opened Tetris for the hundredth time today, my friend’s voice chimed in behind me with a snarky comment: “Wow, you SUCK...
Senior Reflection
As I sit down to write this essay, I realize I am already on my fourth draft. During my four years here, I have served as a prefect, techie, editor,...
Senior Reflection
Two scrapbooks sit on the windowsill of my room, both originally and solely dedicated to my travels. At the beginning of senior year, I decided to scrapbook more in depth—not...
A Waning Trust: Is the American Media to blame for its Unpopularity?
This Monday marked the arrival of Lawrenceville’s seventh Capstone Speaker, NPR White House Correspondent Asma Khalid. While Lawrentians’ immediate focus was Khalid’s presentation, followers of the broader media industry would...
Letter to the Editors
Sahana Lowy ’26 and Tiffany Sun ’26
As the Mem Hall bell chimed, signaling the start of the period, I set foot in my classroom and found myself in the middle of a heated conversation between a...
The Political Mirage; The Dangerous Politics of RFK Jr.
When stumbling upon a recent poll, the competition between Former President Trump and President Biden may catch our eye, but below lurks a surprising contender—Robert...
Letter to the Editor
Living through the II Form year—the gate to a new phase of your life, as a high schooler and Lawrentian—can be overwhelming. Freshmen enter the School knowing absolutely nothing about...
Expanding our Horizons: The Case for Space Exploration
Sarah Jang ’27 and Matthew Fu ’27
Humans have studied the stars for millennia. Virtually every culture formulated theories about the universe and celestial objects. The Greeks associated planets with gods; Helios and Apollo moved the sun...
Falling from Cloud Nine: A Faulty Solution for Climate Change
In 1990, physicist John Latham hiked the undulating hills of Wales with his young son. Gazing at the clouds, Latham’s son asked why the clouds were bright. Latham explained how...
The Unseen Scars of our Future
In 2008, amidst the deafening clangor of tanks and sporadic cries of civilians, my family and I were tasked with fleeing our home less than 35 miles away from active...
Walking on Eggshells: Flimsy Defenses for Meat Eating
The human race raises 27 billion chickens, 1.5 billion cows, 1.2 billion sheep, and 784 million pigs for meat. 72,650 billion gallons of water are used to grow livestock feed....
The Downfalls of Student Activism
A few months ago, I walked into Tsai only to be greeted by an entourage of people asking me for donations. There’s a word in Chinese that perfectly describes this...
The Art of the Compromise: Mike Johnson's Strenuous Path Forward
It is a question that has become an intense matter of debate: who is Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) always on the phone with? Whether it be the...
Pride Reflection
I often joke with my friends that Lawrenceville “turned me” queer; after all, I spent the 14 years prior to arriving on this campus only having crushes on guys, and...
Il Dolce far Niente
With the influx of ‘50 days left at 2500 Main Street’ posts and seniors shopping for graduation dresses, it seems like the end of the 2023-24 school year has snuck...
Watch Your Language: How Journalists' Word Choices Distort Truth
In the British science-fiction anthology series Black Mirror, there's an episode where soldiers are deployed to hunt terrifying, humanoid mutants known as "roaches." After a neural implant embedded in one...
Who's Working for the Working Class?
Leo Mahe ’26 and Eric Chen ’27
In a reverse-polarized political climate, where the electorate votes “against” candidates as much as they vote “for” their rivals, Trump should be a pretty easy target, right? The fascist rhetoric,...
Let Migrants Work
Over spring break, I returned home to Chicago. One of the first things I noticed was that sections of the airport had been closed and converted into migrant shelters. Outside...
Letter to the Editor
A response to “Don’t Blame ByteDance,” published 4/14/2023 Last month, the House of Representatives passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, forcing Chinese corporation ByteDance to either...
Journalism Is Not A Crime
The front page of a newspaper is supposed to be jam-packed with critical information, summarizing the most important events in a typically chaotic day. So imagine the surprise the 555,000...
Alumna Reflection
I’ve always liked to keep diaries, but I’ve never journaled as often as I did during my senior year at Lawrenceville. Fueled by an intense need to preserve the present...
Yap Culture: The Good, The Bad, and the Wordy
You sit at an oval table: a notebook, pencil, and book splayed out around you. Your teacher has scribbled your classmates’ names on a piece of paper, and remains silent,...
Lawrenceville Vignettes
1 We’ve just finished our workout. I’m exhausted and my legs shake of their own volition. As we trudge through Tsai, desperate to sit down and finally eat, you spot...
On Belonging
During my II Form year, I always thought of the House system as one of the numerous PR stunts that Lawrenceville employs to attract applicants—one of those ideas that looks...
It's Bigger than US: 4 Elections to Watch in 2024
Although it is easy to think that all that matters in 2024 will depend on the impending Biden-Trump rematch in November, there are many other elections taking place this year...
Difficult To Divest
On February 2, 2024, the 143rd Board of the Lawrence published the Editorial “Sustainable Living, Beyond the Council,” advocating for students to actively incorporate sustainability into their day-to-day lives, instead...
Epidemic of Violence
Valentine’s Day 2024: 22 shots ring out during the Super Bowl Victory Parade in Kansas City, Missouri, killing Elizabeth Galvan, a beloved radio host, and injuring twenty-two others. If you...
Senior Reflection
1 As soon as the lights dimmed and Lauren Williams strutted onstage with her “yeah girl, you tell her,” I knew I was in for a rollercoaster of emotions. Periwig’s...
Senior Reflection
After Winter Gathering, I cleared out my dark purple “everything” folder: any and all papers, whether from my Honors Government class or from an elective I took last term, end...
Senior Reflection
For years, my favorite movie has been Monte Carlo. Even as a child, I found its premise ridiculous but endearing, and as I grew older, it cemented itself as my...
Senior Reflection
To say my journey through Lawrenceville has been conventional would be an utter lie, but that’s what makes this place so unique—you don’t have to take the same path as...
Senior Reflection
William Jiawei Huang ’24 believes that the diminishing house and school culture at Lawrenceville is mainly due to the loss of mutual respect on campus. While I don’t respect Jiawei,...
Capital Punishment is a Crime
On January 25, 2024, the state of Alabama executed Kenneth Smith using nitrogen hypoxia, a first in American history. Though state attorneys assured courts that the method induces “unconsciousness in...
The War on Thinking: Censorship in Curriculums
Last year, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis enacted bans on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in public schools and universities, intending to eradicate these diversity programs which DeSantis claims “indoctrinate...
Consultation: A Hidden Gem from the Stephan Archives.
There's no way that the following article is satire. According to records recently uncovered by the 2023-2024 Heely Scholars from the Stephan Archives, Lawrenceville had a mysterious block in the...
The Best Bathrooms At Lawrenceville
This article is not a Features article, and not satire either, so it should be taken very seriously. Coming in as a new Lawrentian, I had many...
Lawrenceville Revolutionizes Scheduling: The Future is Awake.
The following article is NOT satire and should be taken very seriously, as it is the honest to god truth. This Winter Term, Head of...
A Question for the Culture
The following article is NOT satire! People tell me to write for the lawrence all the time—my teachers, my classmates, and even my mom. They all...
Reflections on Repetition: Our New Academic Schedule
In the midst of a grueling Lawrenceville Winter Term, it may seem impossible to look ahead; however, next year’s academic schedule is nothing if not...
Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor: After “E Pluribus, None? A Recent History of the Republican Party” It seems that former President Barack Obama’s terms in the Oval Office caused a radical...
The 2024 U.S. Presidential Election Is on the Horizon: Now Is the Time to Help Ukraine.
Soldiers crammed into muddy trenches. The exchange of frontal assaults, machine guns, and shellfire all to gain minimal territory. No, this isn’t a recount of the Battle of the Somme,...
Independence? Truth? Reason? Reflecting on Political Intrusion in Higher Education
Claudine Gay's recent resignation as the president of Harvard University was prompted by allegations of inadequate responses to antisemitism, accusations of plagiarism, and conservative efforts...
Completion Over Caring: How Our Homework System Fails Us
Last night, I checked Canvas to see my math homework and got excited when I saw that we only had six problems to do for...
Free Speech Musings
The First Amendment and the extent to which it protects free speech has become increasingly relevant since the start of the Israel-Palestine war. Phrases like...
Can Israel's Bombing Campaign End Hamas?
For over a hundred days after Hamas militants crossed Israel’s border on October 7, killing 1,139 people and taking around 250 hostages, Israel has bombed...
The Border Crisis: Learning from the Past
The United States faces a crisis at its southern border: millions of migrants, both illegal and legal, pour into the nation at sustained record highs,...
Christmas? In This Economy?
December is that time of year: Whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, family members travel across states, nations, or even continents to reunite with...
On the Recent School Meeting
This Monday, January 8, the Lawrenceville community gathered to listen to alumni Jane Ferguson ’04 and David Ottaway ’57 P ’86 ’91 GP ’24 discuss...
Reflecting On Kamala Harris
There were hints of history-making in the air on January 21, 2021, when Kamala Harris, sporting a purple dress suit paying homage to both women’s...
Breaking the Silence: Why We Must Discuss the Israel-Hamas War
On October 7, the terrorist group Hamas launched an attack on Israel which, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, was the deadliest...
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: I am writing to express a grievance regarding the prohibition of earbuds in the Loucks Field House Power-Rack room—a new policy established...
Dishonesty Was His Only Policy
“Why would I want to stay here? To hell with this place!” That was former Representative George Santos’ (R-N.Y.) response...
The Magic of Sports
Here at Lawrenceville, many students are stressed and sleep-deprived from their academic, athletic, and extracurricular commitments. Simply put, life at Lawrenceville can be taxing on...
A Class Act: Speculating Why Lawrenceville Alumni Donate
As much as Lawrenceville is known for its high quality education, it is equally known for its high tuition—one of the highest in the country...
Letter to the Editor
A Response to "Reimagining Lawrenceville's Work Ethic" published October 9, 2023 In the Editorial published on October 9, 2023, the Board argued that it is not technically academic rigor–“a permanent...
Humanity’s Friendly Ghost: On the Assumption and Absence of Independent Thought
“Don’t ask the question if you don’t want to hear the answer.” This is a refrain that was constantly echoed by my father throughout my...
E Pluribus, None? A Recent History of the Republican Party
Head hung low, Jim Jordan exited the House of Representatives in defeat for the final time on October 21. His attempt to succeed Kevin McCarthy...
Defending Our Defense: A Lesson from Ukraine, Corporations and the Military Industrial Complex Don’t Mix
On September 8, it was unearthed that Elon Musk, private owner of X (formerly known as Twitter) and CEO of Tesla and Space-X, denied the...
A Call to Keep: How “Smartphone” Usage Combats Restrictive Phone Policies
This year, Lawrenceville announced drastic changes to its student handbook and phone policies. Phone use is now prohibited in academic buildings as well as during...
A Polemic on Plastic
Plastics are a staple of humanity, but they are not a harmless convenience. Through advertising campaigns, front organizations, and faulty education, the plastics industry hides...
The Big Red Reality: Lawrenceville in the Eyes of a New III Former
Lawrenceville was Barbieland. There were ponies jumping over rainbows and there were green rolling hills and the blue of the sky was a bit too...
A Call to Confiscate
Since its origin in 19th century English Boarding Schools, study halls have forced students to use their unstructured time effectively. In the past, when the...
For an Affirming Affirmative Action: How An Attempt at Increasing Diversity Ironically Decreases It
A while ago, I read an article called “Affirmative Action is Over. Should Applicants Still Mention Their Race?” A line in the article illustrated the...
From Pariah to Palatable
On the first anniversary of Earth Day in 1971, the “Crying Indian” ad campaign from the environmental organization, Keep America Beautiful (KAB), showcased an indigenous man distressed by the amount...
A Chance to Create
Angel Xin ’26 and Arya Vishwakarma ’25
The last time the late-summer sun beat down on Lawrentians in formal attire, the Class of 2026 had only spent about a week on campus. At last year’s Convocation, fanning...
Letter to the Editor: A response to “The Case for American Communism” published in Opinions on May 26, 2023
Mr. Gupta’s article, “The Case For American Communism,” is a laudable exercise in scholarly debate and an opportunity for diversity of views. All high schools...
Senior Reflection
When it comes to Lawrenceville, I’ve always been a cynic. For years, I’ve run from the Hype Squad and joked about this school’s various pitfalls; the term “hellville” is ingrained...
The Intervention Dilemma
In the past year, the United States gave $75 billion of financial, military, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine to support the country’s resistance to Russia’s invasion. While the vast majority...
The Obesity Epidemic in America: Investigating the Causes and Solutions
Americans often view obesity as a personal issue that people must resolve for themselves. While it’s all too common nowadays to blame overweight individuals for their weight gain, obesity rates...
How to Combat Simmering School Spirit
This Wednesday, Lawrenceville hosted Community Day, a day designed to tackle the school’s cultural problems with our usual strategy: students gathered around Harkness tables, coming up with solutions in small,...
When Lville Alumni Talk, Students Listen
Lawrenceville prizes its alumni network. Alumni events range from Hong Kong, London, New York City, San Francisco, and many other cities worldwide. The alumni magazine, The Lawrentian, is published on...
Mifepristone Ruling: American Women’s Temporary Win
On Friday May 2, the Supreme Court ruled that the abortion drug Mifepristone will remain available to the public. In light of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, some challenged...
Not Your Model: The Negative Effects of the Model Minority Myth
The month of May marks Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of AAPI individuals in American history. It is important to understand...
Splash: The Winning Formula for Fun and Fund
Every spring, Lawrenceville buzzes with excitement as students prepare for Splash, a campus-wide game of ‘assassin’. For $8, students receive a target—another student they must squirt water on—and a plastic...
Interim Interventions: How Revised Responses Promote Performativity Over Reflection
With interim comments coming out earlier this week, Lawrentians are reckoning both with how to respond to the last written feedback from their teachers each term and the new format...
The Road Ahead: Weighing the Effects of President Biden's Electric Vehicle Goal
This month, the Environmental Protection Agency announced its plans to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) production to meet President Biden’s 2021 goal for 50 percent of vehicles sold in 2030 to...
Beyond Wellness Day: Continuing the Mental Health Discussion
At Lawrenceville, not only do students deal with the universal difficulties of teenhood such as stress, insecurities, and relationships, for many Lawrencians, the School’s demanding nature can introduce additional, unique...
Why “Raising Awareness” Isn’t Enough: Lessons on Advocacy
It’s Earth Month once again, so I thought I’d share the two most common mindsets at Lawrenceville (and beyond) whenever people discuss climate change: 1. Oh no, there’s no way...
Sustaining Our Social Life: Managing Social Events Without Saturday Classes
Last August, Lawrenceville announced there would only be three Saturday classes during the Spring Term. Group chats buzzed with excitement and disbelief as arguably the most dreaded aspect of Lawrenceville...
Don't Blame ByteDance
Whether it is through a new dance trend, skits, lip-syncing out-of-pocket audios, or Ice Spice dropping her latest banger, you’ve probably heard of the viral app TikTok, a social media...
Let's Talk About Climate Change: How Acknowledging out Views Can Let Us Proceed
Last weekend, I sat in my basement as pouring rain pounded on the roof and the sound of thunder and lightning echoed through the sky. Like many Lawrentians, I refreshed...
Touch Some Grass: An Open Letter to Lawrenceville
Students with their necks craned downwards while scrolling across the bright blue lights of their cell phone screen is an all too familiar sight at Lawrenceville. At the tables of...
Devenir Lawrentienne
Over the past week, Lawrenceville hosted three Discovery Days, inviting 700 freshly admitted students and their families to experience an authentic slice of campus life. Incoming cars were engulfed by...
Revisiting Revisit Day: Transparency as the Key to Discovery on Discovery Day
“Wanna walk with me to hype squad tomorrow?” someone asks me. I shoot off a response as homework, upcoming assignments, and personal hang-ups swirl in my mind. It isn’t until...
Written, Directed, and Produced by ChatGPT: How the Rise of Generative AI Will Change the Media Industry Forever
With the arrival of ChatGPT, several ethical and social concerns regarding generative AI—artificial intelligence that creates its own work—have surfaced. Rather than simply analyzing data or generating numbers, generative AI...
Breaking News: Fake News is Out, Says New Jersey
Do Covid-19 vaccines contain injectable traceable microchips? Is Elvis still alive? Was Planet Nibiru headed straight for Earth? Social media has allowed questions like these to circulate unchecked, deceiving uninformed...
Closing the Chapter on Unequal Pay: On Dismantling the Pay Barrier for Latinas
In 2016, Olympic Soccer Gold Medalist and FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion Carli Lloyd said, “When I joined four teammates in filing a wage-discrimination complaint against U.S. Soccer late last...
Evaluating Our Evaluation System
As I walk around campus, I can’t help but overhear comments like “Man, I cannot believe the grade I just got on that test!” or “I need to get a...
A Farewell to Blasphemous Blades
One of my favorite shows is Downton Abbey, a British television series that follows the trials and tribulations of an English aristocratic family. What catches my eye in every episode...
America: Episode MMXXII — The Donald Strikes Back
This November’s midterm elections are some of the most heated that we have seen in years. With all seats in the House of Representatives, 35 seats in the Senate, and...