THE RIVERS EDGE Vol. LI, Number 3 The Rivers School, Weston, MA March 5, 2021 One year into COVID, vaccinations & falling cases offer US hope ters, and mobile units. BY MIA PATEL ’23 CONTRIBUTING WRITER As if the one virus wasn’t enough, a new UK variant of It all began one year ago. A COVID-19 named B.1.1.7 was virus was detected in China and introduced to the US back in mid was starting to spread. By March January. This strain has been con- it had arrived in the US and life sistently doubling every 10 days, would not be the same. due to the high number of muta- Since then, masks, social dis- tions and its ability to spread more tancing, and Zoom meetings have easily and quickly. Fortunately, become the new normal as the the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines world, and especially the US, has both prove effective against this variant. Middle school students, like members of Ms. Bartlett’s French 7 class, will have all new classroom spaces, endured a long, bleak winter. interiors, and furniture to look forward to when they return to campus next fall. (Photo: A Stephens) But hope is on the way. Although the vaccines have The rollout of COVID-19 vac- been rolling out since December cines is one of the most press- 16th, many Americans were still ing issues as we make our way getting COVID at an alarming Middle School facilities upgrade through 2021. Vaccinating all rate, mostly due to holiday gath- corners of the globe is certainly erings and travel. On January 8, a challenging task. Starting with 2021 the US reached a record to begin this summer with Prince number of cases, with almost In 2015, the Rivers Board was lacking, and what they had those most at risk, the seniors and BY WILL ELWOOD ’22 individuals with health risks, the 315,000 cases. Following this CONTRIBUTING WRITER of Trustees drafted the original that needed to be improved upon. vaccinations began rolling out. So outbreak, it became much more Campus Master Plan. In devel- Subsequently, the master plan far, 52 million doses have been common to see people double Since its grand opening last oping this plan, they considered was created. administered in the US which ac- masking. The CDC will only re- winter, The Revers Center for the whole campus and created a “The master plan is like an counts for 11.5% of the popula- quire you to wear one mask, how- Science and Visual Arts has sig- vision as to where they wanted it order of operations,” explained tion (as of Feb. 20). ever double masking is proven to nificantly enhanced both the aca- to go over the coming years. The Assistant Director of Finance Dr. Anthony Fauci, an immu- boost protection against the virus. demic and artistic experiences at goal was to make Upper School and Operations Tom Bourdeau. nologist serving as the director of If double masking, they recom- Rivers. The new building, having and Middle School spaces more “Once the Revers Center was the National Institute of Allergy mend wearing a medical mask won an ABC award for its “ex- conducive to 21st century aca- completed, the next step in the and Infectious Diseases since underneath a cloth one to ensure cellence in construction,” has set demic needs, more reflective of master plan was to address the 1984 and chief medical advisor to there are no gaps. a new standard for Rivers and the school’s interdisciplinary needs of the middle school.” President Biden, is fairly certain Americans have taken heed other schools across the region. programming, and better suited Soon, the school will be do- it will be what he calls “open sea- and cases are falling dramatical- The school’s work to upgrade to collaboration and community- ing just that. Starting this sum- son” around the end of April; in ly. Graphs visibly show the slow its programming, however, does building. The decisions that were mer, to satisfy the need for larger which the general population will but steady decrease in both CO- not stop there. In the coming made in 2015 were driven by pro- classrooms in the middle school, be eligible to receive the vaccine. VID-19 cases and deaths start- year, the Rivers community will gram, so the Board of Trustees the Prince Building, named after At this time, Dr. Fauci believes ing from the peak of January 8th. see renovations to Prince, Lewis, started at the basics. They con- the late math teacher Erv Prince, the US is on track to have mass While everyday citizens seem to and the tutoring center—the next sidered how many students they will be remodeled to hold three vaccination with the help of phar- be doing their part, the govern- steps in the master campus plan wanted, what academic offerings classrooms and two breakout macies, community vaccine cen- Continued on page 2 developed years ago. they wanted, what they had that Continued on page 2 Conservatives feel silenced in school’s liberal community we perceive as Conservative and small government, and freedom the most notable Republican at etc.) and those who support former BY SEBASTIAN CONNELY ’22 Liberal into two parties - Republi- AND CHARLIE FOLEY ’22 for the individual - which usually the time. After the Civil War and President Donald Trump and his STAFF WRITERS cans and Democrats. This associa- ranges from a strong conviction in Reconstruction era, the Republi- agenda. Recently this division has tion, however, is incorrect. free-market capitalism to freedom can Party evolved into the likes of been emphasized with senators’ One’s perception of the world Many people find that being a of speech. A common example of Roosevelt and was characterized votes on impeachment, leaving and ideologies are often shaped by Republican is to be a conservative, this being views on abortion, with by high tariffs, the gold standard, Republicans who voted to convict those of their parents, friends, and which is analogizing that all rect- the close interpretation of the 14th and a national banking system. labeled as “RINOs” (Republicans education. These views - on our angles are squares. For example, amendment and its promise of Subsequently, Reagan became the in name only) by those who are world, other people, and policies - one could be a liberal Republican, “No state shall make or enforce standard bearer for the Republican in line with Trump’s views. At are often politicized. conversely, one could be a con- any law which shall abridge the party, which was associated with the same time, just last week Rep. Election cycles certainly ampli- servative Democrat. More often privileges or immunities of citi- being tough-on-crime, the war on Liz Cheney (R- WY), who broke fy these divisions, and 2020 was people have varying views on sev- zens of the United States; nor shall drugs, and trickle-down econom- with most of her party by voting to no exception. But in a state like eral different topics in the political any state deprive any person of ics. impeach Trump, felt compelled to Massachusetts or a private school sphere. life” where the line of life defines Today, many believe the Re- state that the GOP cannot become like Rivers, being a Republican or The American conservative their pro-life stance. publican party has split, no lon- “the party of white supremacy.” calling oneself conservative can movement, more broadly high- In the 1850s, the Republican ger united as the party of Reagan, This civil war within the GOP also be isolating. lighting tradition, is based around party consisted of abolitionists believing members of the party sets the party at a consequential When we think about politics a close interpretation of the Con- and prominent northern business- have diverged into Traditionalists crossroads which could determine in the US, we often divide those stitution, the belief in having a men, with Abraham Lincoln being (pre-2014 Republicans, Tea Party, Continued on page 12 I NEWS FEATURES ARTS SPORTS SPORTS N History teacher Arturo Youth Poet Laureate Winter Musical goes Winter sports teams relishing Former Rivers, Harvard S Bagley delivers a Amanda Gorman inspires virtual with entertaining some semblance of a normal standout Jillian Dempsey stirring presentation the nation with her poem at “Bring Back the Broadway season during COVID. still chasing gold in I on MLK. the Inauguration. Lights” revue. women’s pro hockey. D Page 3 Page 7 Page 8 Page 10 Page 11 E Page 2 The Rivers Edge March 5, 2021 News Capital riots, impeachment trial mark rocky start to year a speech to his supporters, and phers captured chilling images of vened to vote on the article. In the aquitted. Comparing Johnson and BY NATALIE KLOMAN ’23 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS once again encouraged everyone rioters breaking into the Senate House, 232 members voted yes, Clinton’s actions to Trump’s sec- to march down to the Capitol. He Chamber. It wasn’t until almost including 10 Republicans. Trump ond federal offense, it is evident The start of 2021 seemed to mainly emphasized the “corrupt” six o’clock that evening when received more desertions from his that Trump is much more in the offer some hope for America. We election and that Biden would be the Capitol was actually secured. party than any president ever had wrong, as he intended to spark a could finally put the eventful 2020 an “illegitimate” president, and he Apart from his rally at the Ellipse, during previous impeachment tri- violent uprising in our country and behind us and have the fresh start verbally attacked fellow Repub- Trump, who had returned to the als.