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Somerville
VALKYRIE
High
School
February/March 2021
Volume 115, Issue 2
Inauguration 2021
Sarah Preston ‘21
"It decrees that we, the people, elect leaders not to rule but to serve." Those were the words spoken by President Dwight D. Eisenhower
during his first inaugural address on January 20th, 1953. The idea of a ruling group who are above the law, is an idea long rejected by America. Our
first president, George Washington famously refused a royal title and chose to serve only two presidential terms, because Presidents are not on par
with kings and dictators; they represent the people’s best interest. A new president marks a new chapter in the story of America; they can truly make
or break the nation. Joseph R. Biden Jr. is one of the most politically experienced presidents we have ever had. He serves as a stark contrast to the
past Trump Administration.
The ceremony began just before noon on Capitol Hill Tuesday, January 20th, 2021. It begins with performances from Jennifer Lopez,
Garth Brooks, and Lady Gaga, who sang the National anthem. Father Leo O’Donovan did the invocation, to swear in President Biden and Vice
President Harris. Andrea Hall read the pledge of allegiance. Amanda Gorman read a poem she wrote. The twenty-two-year-old National Youth Poet
Laureate gave a five-minute speech entitled “The Hill We Climb,” an inspiring piece on democracy and this nation and how when we move
forward, as a nation to improve ourselves; we move towards the light and that “Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broke
but simply unfinished.” Lastly, Reverend Dr. Sylvester Beeman offers the benediction for the new President.
Not in attendance was the parting President, Donald J. Trump. Trump’s absence in itself was historic, marking the first time in over 150
years that a sitting President did not attend his successor's Inauguration; the first time was when Andrew Johnson skipped Ulysses S. Grant’s
Inauguration. While Trump left prior to the ceremony, Vice President Mike Pence and the Second Lady, were in attendance. Alongside Pence, were
former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. The only other living President not mentioned is Jimmy Carter, who decided to
sit this one out due to his elevated age of 96 years and the Pandemic.
After being sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden gave his inaugural address. Biden stated that this was a day, to
celebrate democracy, that as of two weeks ago, thousands of rioters stormed the Capitol building and that “violence sought to shake the Capitol’s
very foundation, we come together as one nation, under God indivisible to carry out the peaceful transfer of power, as we have for more than two
centuries.” President Biden went on to say that this country is good and it is filled with good people who have accomplished great things, but we
still as a nation have far to go and “much to repair.” Taking on the presidency of one of the most powerful nations, but also to lead one that is
hurting from a pandemic, unemployment, racism, extreme division, and many others, will make this task hard for the Biden Administration. A time
when the death toll of lives taken by COVID-19 is higher than that of America’s death toll during World War II; Biden promised justice for all and
that the “rise in political extremism, white supremacy [and] domestic terrorism, [is something] that we must confront and will defeat.” Biden stated
that all of his soul is in bringing America together and asking his fellow Americans to join him in fighting violence, disease, hate, and joblessness.
Because together we will be able to defeat COVID-19.
Two days after Martin Luther King’s Birthday and almost 60 years after he gave that famous “I have a dream speech” on Capitol Hill, Joe
Biden addressed the work that Dr. King specifically has done for civil rights, as well as the much-needed work to still be done. “Our history has
been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we are all created equal, and the harsh ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, [and]
dehumanization have long torn us apart.” The theme of the President's speech was unity, that with our setbacks, which we have all faced many,
especially within this last year, America has always come out stronger in the end. Besides, the finest steel is forged in the hottest fires. To do so,
however, we must “see each other not as adversaries but as neighbors. [because] without unity there is only bitterness, [...] no progress.” Biden
stated that this year is a fresh start, and we should all show respect to one another “Politics does not have to be a raging fire, destroying everything
in its path.” As Americans, we should focus on the truth and reject lies circulating in our culture, and even though we may not always agree with one
another, we should not go to war;we should view our fellow Americans as individuals, not as the enemy. Our problems are just that, our problems,
we must face them as a nation united, because a nation divided is weaker than one united.
In this new beginning, we should focus on the positive change happening all over the world. Over 100 years ago women fought at Capitol
Hill for the right to vote, and now the first South Asian and African American woman is being sworn into a national office. Biden closed his speech
by quoting his mother who used to tell him to put himself in other's shoes and like he has said many times prior, he pledged that “I will be a presi-
dent for all Americans, and I promise I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did.” While it’s tough to say whether or
not Unity will truly be reached under a Biden Administration, let’s all hope and hold President Biden to his words that it will be achieved.
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VALKYRIE
A New Year Brings New Change!
Thank You, Mrs. Kemper!
Austin Sasiak ‘21
Mrs. Kemper is retiring from Somerville High School and has had an incredible career. She is a special education
teacher who taught Biology classes but also taught a Workforce Development class & Post Secondary Planning class
during her time at Somerville. When she first started teaching here her main goals were to help develop well- rounded
students to not only improve intellect but to also improve social and emotional development. She also wanted to help
model good character and citizenship while also creating a strong home to school relationship. One final goal Mrs.
Kemper had during her time at Somerville was to be on time and available the most she could, especially during those
rough dark winter mornings. She most definitely accomplished all her goals during her career here. Her fondest memories
here at Somerville include all the SHS graduations, watching her students in their sporting events, and the “Somerville
Idol '' where she was able to see many of her students’ artistics talents.
There are many things Mrs. Kemper will miss about SHS, such as the daily student interactions with staff and
students, the moments when she was able to help a student get to an “I got it” moment, and helping motivate students on a
daily basis. One last thing she will miss is all her great colleagues that she got to work with over the years. During retire-
ment Mrs. Kemper plans to keep active by running and taking her shuffle classes. She will also continue to be a positive
role model for her granddaughters and others around her. Additionally, Mrs. Kemper hopes to one day visit all fifty states.
Mrs. Kemper was a great teacher and leader here at Somerville High School and will surely be missed by everyone around
her.
Welcome Mr. Balcerski!
Juliet Andrade ’22
Mr. Balcerski is a new teacher here at Somerville High School. He enjoys golfing, fishing, and making his own
lures. He has been to every state in the U.S. and loves to visit Canada. Mr. Balcerski graduated from Roxbury High School
and later attended Seton Hall University and Nova Southeastern University. For fifteen years, he was a U.S. Army Engi-
neer Officer. His accomplishments include being inducted to Roxbury Hall of Fame for track and basketball. He also
received many awards as an athlete including, NJ state champion in group 3 Hurdles and Long jump, not to mention, his
full scholarship to Seton Hall University and being team captain for three years. He has also coached boys and girls track
for more than forty years. Mr. Balcerski states that he has been teaching for twenty seven years and has taught every
science at some point! He mentions his goal is to, “-make students want to be scientists.” Mr. Balcerski, we can’t wait to
see your new accomplishments at Somerville High School!
Serving Somerville High School
Since 1905
VALKYRIE
Editors
Sarah Anderson ‘21
Trey Wright ’21
Writers Juliet Andrade ’22
Sarah Anderson ‘21 Taliyah Bailey ‘22
Victoria Kornecki ‘21 Alanna Hadley ’22
Caera Matthews ’21 Lily Murphy ‘22
Evan Nuzzi ‘21 Domenick Noto ‘22
Sarah Preston ‘21 Brody Bouziotis ’23
Colin Saich ‘21 Sasha Phelps ‘23
Austin Sasiak ’21
Trey Wright ‘21
the
Staff Advisor: Ms. Reeves
The Valkyrie is a student-produced, student-managed, and non-profit newspaper produced by the students of Somervile High School. Printed approximately four times a year, The
Valkyrie intends to inform and entertain the Somerville High School community. Although The Valkyrie does everything within its power to keep the publication free of errors, mistakes do
occur. If you find an error regarding any of the material in The Valkyrie, please contact the staff. The Valkyrie is not responsible for any errors and reserves the right to have the final
decision regarding an error.
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VALKYRIE
Congratulations to Our Educators of the Year
Congratulations Mr. Milici
Lily Murphy ‘22 and Alanna Hadley ’22
As many of you may already know, Mr. Milici was awarded with the Educator of the Year award this year, but
you may not know much about him as a person. Mr. Milici grew up in Roselle Park. He attended Kean University where
he received his Bachelors in Psychology and Minor in Sociology in 2007-2011. He later returned to Kean for graduate
school from 2012-2015 for his Master's in School/Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Mr. Milici says that he realized his
career path at 3 different times in his life. The first time was when he was taking Psychology 101 his first year of college,
and he realized that he had always wondered about "Why do people do what they do?" The second time was when he
started taking more advanced classes in Psychology and Counseling, and he was able to fully immerse himself in the
different theories of psychology, and was hooked on it. The last realization was when he was in graduate school. Mr.
Milici started looking at potential career options and wanted to keep as many options open as possible so he kept school
counseling as one of them. He did his first internship at East Side High School in Paterson; there he realized that this was
what he was meant to do. From his own experiences, he knows that life is “tornado-esque being a teenager”, and it is so
important to have somebody there alongside you to help when you need it. He hopes to pass the wonderful experiences
he has had on in the same way to students at Somerville High School.
Mr. Milici prides himself in living his life to the fullest, and staying true to himself. He likes to cook and experi-
ment in food from around the world. He also enjoys playing Pokemon Go as one of his guilty pleasures. Mr. Milici’s
favorite place to travel is Vermont because it has sentimental value to him. He had relatives that used to live there when
he was young, and his family would go there during the summer. He describes it as being peaceful, and he was able to sit
in the woods every morning, which is his favorite view in the world.
After experimenting in various different sports as a child, he was able to discover his favorite sport, bowling. He
has been bowling since he was around 6 years old, when he played in leagues and was eventually able to start a team at
his high school. Mr.Milici was a sectional champion, and his team ranked 2nd team overall All state. He is also a part of
the high school's athletic hall of fame! Now, he volunteers to help coach the team.
Congratulations Mrs. Spencer
Sarah Anderson ‘21
Congratulations to Mrs. Spencer on winning Educator of the Year! She is a teacher of Special Education (in Life
Skills), but also teaches Functional Math, English, Science, and Social Studies. One of her career accomplishments is
creating a full-scale curriculum for Life Skills (this spans all four years and includes functional Math, Science, Social
Studies, English, as well as general life skills). Mrs. Spencer reflected on her career experiences so far and said, “ I
taught one year of second grade in South Brunswick Twp. schools. Then I came to Somerville and taught inclusion
Biology and English I for three years with Mr. Weiland and Mrs. Gornick. Now I am in my third year teaching Life
Skills with Mrs. Navatta!” Not only has she been able to accomplish this, but she has goals she is looking to achieve in
the future. Her goal is to get a certification to become a Learning Disabilities Teaching Consultant (LDTC), which is a
type of case manager that works in schools with students who have disabilities.
Mrs. Spencer grew up in Woodbridge, New Jersey. She is the youngest of four siblings, with two older sisters
and one older brother. Her two older sisters have children, so she is an aunt to three girls and one boy. She is married
and has two cats, Knox and Jojo. After graduating high school, she went on to get a B.A. in History from Rutgers
University, but also got an M.Ed. in Special Education & Elementary Education, from Rutgers Graduate School of
Education. Aside from working, she has some fun hobbies! She loves to read and loves art of any kind and commented
that drawing and painting are two of her favorites. She works out and swims whenever she can. One cool talent that Mrs.
Spencer learned was how to toeside carve while snowboarding. Mrs. Spencer also enjoys traveling, and before the
COVID-19 pandemic went to Bermuda, and was on a cruise to Ensenada, Mexico to build houses! She says, “I have also
been to a few places in the US - Miami, San Francisco, D.C. - the usual places. My dream is to visit Greece!”
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VALKYRIE Lorem ipsum
Valentine’s Day during the COVID 19 Pandemic
Julianna Pitucco ‘23
It is no secret that everyone’s daily lives have been altered for almost a year now because of the Coronavirus pandem-
ic. Most of all, major holidays from Halloween to Christmas have looked completely different than ever before. One major
holiday was Valentine’s Day, and celebrations were forced to be completely different. Commonly on Valentine’s Day, which is
February 14, loved ones come together to go out to dinner, exchange gifts, or just hang out with friends to watch a romantic
movie. Although, with COVID numbers spiking as the days go on, people needed to get creative on how to celebrate this
fun-spirited holiday.
Although this year’s holiday may be unique in a very odd way, that does not mean that the holiday cannot be celebrat-
ed. One of the main festivities that occurs on Valentine’s Day is the giving of small, pink, and red gifts in honor of the holiday.
Luckily, grocery stores as well as most malls have remained open, despite the spike in COVID cases, so a fun way to keep the
“love” alive is dropping off a surprise gift for a loved one. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has guide-
lines in place to protect yourself and others, such as wearing a mask and staying six feet away from others who do not live in
your immediate household. Granted, gathering or going out in a group this holiday is off the table, but dropping off a surprise
to someone is always a nice thing to do.
The CDC has also recommended that people should try to avoid traveling to slow down the spread of the virus. This
makes Valentine’s day difficult for so many people who would usually go home to see friends or meet with a long-distance
loved one. Despite this hardship, several social media platforms can be used to chat with someone virtually. Zoom, Google
Meet, Facetime, and Skype are all great and affordable ways to play a virtual game or have a virtual conversation with
someone who lives far away.
Maybe Valentine’s Day is a lonely time for you (as it is for many) and because of the pandemic, the holiday has
gotten that much lonelier. There are some at-home activities that can be done on the holiday to keep you busy. Making choco-
late fondue, taking an online cooking class, having a virtual game day, or binge-watching movies are all some great ways to
pass the time.
Do not let this pandemic ruin your holiday! Whether you’re fortunate enough to be able to see a loved one safely or
you’re stuck at home, hopefully Valentine’s Day still was one to remember.
Holiday Cake Balls Recipie
Sarah Preston ‘21
Ingredients Directions
1 cake mix of your choosing 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Pour cake mix into two 9x9 pans
6 oz. cream cheese 3. Bake time stated on cake mix box
4. Break up the cake until completely broken up
½ cup white chocolate chips (melted)
5. Add cream cheese, cup of melted white chocolate, and mini chocolate chips
½ cup mini dark chocolate chips 6. Stir until completely mixed
7. Form the mixture into 1in balls and set aside
1 cup dark chocolate (melted) 8. Melt the dark chocolate
9. Cover the cake balls in the melted dark chocolate
Vanilla frosting 10. Place on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper and let sit
11. Sprinkle vanilla icing over the chocolate covered balls
12. Enjoy!
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VALKYRIE Impact of COVID-19 on Students Across the World
In Person V. Virtual Sasha Phelps‘23
Trey Wright’21
As we know all too well, COVID restrictions have impact-
ed schools all across our country, but has the impact been the same
The 2020-21 school year had its entire trajectory in other parts of the world? Let’s take a look at some European
changed with the Covid-19 pandemic. Many schools across the countries and see how their schools have been dealing with the
nation are either entirely virtual with Google Meets, or like virus.
SHS, are hybrid between In person and virtual.
In my opinion, I much rather virtual than in person.
With virtual class, students can get up an hour later than normal Sweden: Sweden’s approach to combat the spread of COVID has
and are not in such a rush in the morning. No bus to catch, no been different from the rest of the world as the government decided
things to pack. Everything is at home with you already. Plus, at to avoid any lock-downs in spring. Children of all ages continued
the end of the day, you don’t have to catch a bus or drive home; going to school, while keeping social distancing but without wear-
you’re already there. ing masks. At the end of 2020 COVID cases in Sweden spiked
again, so it was decided to switch “gymnasium” (upper secondary
On the flip side, in person learning can be challenging,- school for students aged 16-18) to on-line learning while keeping
Students still have the same rush in the morning, and once we nurseries, elementary and middle schools open.
get to class, masks are mandated for all hours of the day, as well
as social distancing. If you have a different in person day than Germany: Germany’s approach to school closing is similar to that
your friends or significant other, you can’t see them during of the US, where each Bundesland (equivalent to a US state) could
school for the whole year. There is no gym and no lunch. While decide on its own rules. Some schools closed, while some remained
still being able to participate in the school environment, in opened with masks and social distancing. In some parts of Germany
person learning is very different during this school year. students were allowed to be in the classroom only with the windows
wide open to allow fresh air to come in - so all the students had to
I myself personally prefer online class rather than in wear coats, hats and gloves the whole time they were in school!
person, at least under these conditions.
Russia: In spring of 2020 all secondary schools were closed, and
the students had to follow a self-paced on-line curriculum that was
published for each subject by the Department of Education. In the
fall, however, the decision has been made to keep all the schools
open. Children would stay in the same classroom throughout the
day, and only the teachers are supposed to wear masks.
The United Kingdom: The UK had closed schools in the spring,
and starting in late August all the schools were open with children
confined to the same classroom during the day. Neither students nor
teachers were wearing masks in the classrooms - just in the
hallways. As of a month ago the decision has been made to move all
schools in the UK back to on-line learning as the cases of
COVID-19 rose sharply.
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VALKYRIE Donald Trump: A President In Part
Domenick Noto ‘22
The sun has set on the Donald Trump Era. Some have been counting the days, hours, minutes, and seconds to this
moment, and some tried their hardest to prolong and prevent this moment. There were protests against him, rallies for him, and
overall a complete political polarization of the nation. Trump’s abrasive personality angered many while simultaneously
making him an idol for others. No matter your opinions on him or his policies, Donald J Trump is one of, if not the most,
polarizing figure in Modern American Politics. Like most presidents, Trump’s rhetoric and failures will overshadow his
successes. Sometimes the failures are louder than the successes.
One of the Trump administration's main focuses was to cut taxes and decrease unemployment, both of which he has
done. Trumponomics is essentially trickle-down economics. Trickle-down economics is the philosophy that by cutting taxes on
corporations and eliminating restrictions, businesses will be able to invest more in their employees, therefore creating more
stable wages for the middle-class. Trump slashed the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, a significant decrease, and lifted
regulations on companies to make business in the United States more appealing. Consequently, the unemployment rate fell to
3.5%, the lowest in decades.
The Trump Administration took major strides in improving opportunities for African Americans. The First Step Act
has been arguably one of President Trump's most exceptional accomplishments. The bipartisan legislation overhauled federal
sentencing laws, leading to the reduction of mandatory minimum sentences for drug felonies and the expansion of early-release
programs. Nevertheless, Trump falls short when it comes to easing racial tensions. When Black Lives Matter protests in
response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and the severe injuring of Jacob Blake, swept the nation during the
Summer, Trump responded with calls for “Law and Order”, a term that had become synonymous with the Presidential Admin-
istrations of the 60s and 70s during the War on Crime and War on Drugs. This call for “Law and Order” was very divisive and
quickly labeled by the media as bigoted. Trump gave a very bold and strong response to the violence of some of the protesters,
however, his administration lacked in taking immediate legislative action. Trump did call in the National Guard, however, this
was highly criticized by Democrats, claiming that the strong police presence was a way of silencing Black Voices. Some could
argue it was Trump’s heavy-handed response that made tensions worse. Others argued it was the Media’s emphasis and atten-
tion on the whole situation that magnified the issue; however, we can all agree that in a very tumultuous year, another opportu-
nity for unity was right at our fingertips, and we allowed it to be ripped farther away.
The Covid-19 Pandemic caught everyone by surprise; the US government was no exception. We as a country were hit
especially hard, and because of that, a lot of the blame has fallen on former President Trump. The media slammed the former
President for downplaying the severity of the Pandemic; however, quite early on, he imposed travel restraints that were
criticized by many of his democratic adversaries, including President Joe Biden. While it is justified to criticize his approach of
downplaying the virus to the media, the argument that he was not proactive enough, early on, is simply unsubstantiated. The
Trump administration took on a states’ rights approach to the issue. New York and New Jersey oversaw two of the worst
Coronavirus responses in the nation. The painful reality is that over 500,000 Americans are dead, and more will follow. As a
country, we should not try to point fingers at who is or is not to blame for this catastrophe, because in reality, it's up to all of us
to make the change we wish to see.
On December 19th, 2019 Donald Trump became the third President in United States history to be impeached joining
Democrats, Andrew Johnson, and Bill Clinton. Trump was impeached for Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress. While
he was eventually acquitted by a 52-48 vote (with Mitt Romney being the only Republican to vote against) the controversy of
impeachment forever put another stain on a highly contentious Presidency.
After Trump lost his reelection bid many believed (and still believe) that the Election was determined by fraud.
Trump’s denial laden response to his loss, caused unrest among the Republican Party with several Republicans turning their
back on the President. This all reached a climax on January 6th, when several extremist Trump supporters sieged the Capitol
Building during the Senate Confirmation hearing for then President-Elect Joe Biden. From this, the debate for or against
impeachment has further divided our nation. Was it free speech or incitement? Is it protected or not? Should Twitter and other
tech giants have censored the President of the United States? While your answer to this question may be different from mine, it
is up to you to decide that for yourself. However that is all moot with the Democrats being unable to reach that 67-33 vote
threshold, Trump becoming the first President to be acquitted twice (which is not saying a lot). While their vote for impeach-
ment has failed, the significance of the impeachment trial is much more than Trump being able to run again or not. The impor-
tance lies in the internal war occurring in the Republican Party. For many, Trump’s actions are hard to defend, he built the fire,
and it finally lit, but some do support it, and because of this, there are growing concerns that the former President might create
his own “Patriot” or “America First” party. If Trump decides to create his own party it could be catastrophic to the GOP
considering his immense popularity amongst Republicans.
If nothing else, the story of Donald J. Trump is impressive. Rather than live his life quietly off his father’s money,
Trump built a real-estate empire. He exemplified the American Dream, at one point nationally idolized and loved, Trump has
fallen far from grace. While still widely loved by his fiercely loyal followers, he is also very hated. In his own way, Trump
used being President to give back to the country he loves. Trump donated every dollar of his $400,000 annual presidential
salary to several government agencies. Along with this Trump’s Net Worth took about a $2 billion hit (From $4.5 to $2.5
billion). I have only scratched the surface of the Reality TV Show that was the Trump Administration, it is up to you to really
explore the politics and policies of his administration. We as the next generation of Voters must make sure we scratch more
than the surface, Trump was more than an antagonizing figure, he had policies, and did some indisputably great things. He had
his problems, while numerous, at the end of the day, it's important to read more than just the headline. As the old saying goes,
“Don’t judge a book by its cover”.
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VALKYRIE Page 7
Thank Goodness 2020 Is Finally Over
Trey Wright ‘21 July: The pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests rage
on.
This past New Years was one of the most anticipated
changes of the year in recent memory. 2020. A year everyone in August: An ammonium nitrate storage facility detonates in
the world would like to forget. But we made it, and let’s recap it. Beirut, Lebanon. The massive blast killed 204 people and
Here is your 2020 Year In Review. injured over 7,500.
January: A top Iranian military general is assasinated and Iran September: School classes in the United States go back in
threatens war; the world braces for a possible Third World War session, many schools being either all virtual or hybrid,
to begin. Fortunately, a massive war was averted, much to such as SHS. Social distancing and masks are mandated at
everyone’s relief. The sports world both mourned and celebrated many of these schools.
the life of Kobe Bryant. Basketball legend Kobe Bryant tragical-
ly passed away in a helicopter crash, killing his daughter and 11 October: US Voters watch the First US Presidential
people as well. debate between President Donald Trump and Former-VP
Joe Biden.
February: We celebrated when Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas
City Chiefs to a comeback win over the San Francisco 49ers in November: Joe Biden wins the 2020 Presidential election
Super Bowl LIV. in a comeback victory with mail in ballots due to the
Covid Pandemic. President Donald Trump falsely claims
March: The novel Coronavirus hits the United States hard, victory for his side and cries voter fraud.
causing shutdowns across the nation, and generating heated
debates about masks. December: Pfizer and Moderna announce rollouts of a
new vaccine to combat Covid. As the year closed out,
April: Covid is still dominating our lives as we cope with its there was hope on the horizon for the future of not only
impact. the United States, but also the world.
May: George Floyd, an unarmed Black man was suffocated by
police in Minneapolis. This event set off some of the largest
BLM protests in recent memory, as the need for justice takes
center stage.
Abbey Road Album Review
Evan Nuzzi ‘21
Abbey Road is the 11th album to be released by the Beatles and it is very interesting
and important. One of the most known Beatles songs, “Here Comes The Sun” rests in the
beginning of this record. It also has one of the most recognizable album covers of all time.
The Fab Four walking across the street is so simple yet so amazingly iconic. The album
contains lots of great songs with “Something”, “Come Together”, “Oh! Darling”, “Here
Comes The Sun”, etc. The section of the album which makes it interesting to me is the
medley. A collection of 8 songs that all flow together as one long medley. The songs in the
medley are good but they feel more like pieces of songs rather than whole songs. “You
Never Give Me Your Money” is a soft and beautiful song about not having faith in some-
body; it begins the medley and it is a wonderful song. The album as a whole captures a band
who had problems getting along, disruptions and turbulence towards the end of the band's
life, and a band that is trying to get together one last time to create an album like the good
old days. It’s a great album that cements the Beatles as the greatest band to ever exist.
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VALKYRIE Page 8
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Super Bowl LV Recap
Colin Saich ‘21
Defending Super Bowl champs the Kansas City Chiefs were once again back in the Super Bowl after a dominating
14-2 regular season record, having to go against someone who is very familiar with the Super Bowl himself, Tom Brady. This
being his 10th Super Bowel, Brady is no stranger to the biggest stage in football; however this time would be a little different,
he is no longer a New England Patriot where he spent his previous 20 seasons playing. Joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in
the off-season Brady brought with him the winning mindset and according to his teammates that inspired them from the very
beginning. Brady joined a team already established with weapons such as Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Ronald Jones,
while bringing along some other weapons with him in Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown. Leading the Bucs to a regular
season record of 11-5, Brady and the Bucs had to battle some of the best teams in the NFC in order to reach the Super Bowl.
Going into the big game, the Chiefs were considered to be the favorites by many analysts as well as the gambling sports
books, despite the odds for the first time in Super Bowl history, the Bucs would be playing at their home field in Tampa Bay.
As they got closer to gametime however, there were some concerns that with the Chiefs missing starters on their offensive line
that the dominant Buccaneers pass rush led by Shaq Barrrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, Ndamukong Suh, and Vita Vea might be able
to take advantage of that and stall the Chiefs offense.
The Chiefs won the coin toss and elected to kick to start off the game putting Tom Brady and the Bucs on offense. In
previous Super Bowls Brady has played in they all started off with very low scoring first quarters, in fact Brady’s teams have
never scored a first quarter touchdown in the Super Bowl up until this point. To start the game the Bucs would go 3 and out,
followed by a 6 play drive by the Chiefs that would end in a punt as well. The Bucs would once again be forced to punt and
when the Chiefs got the ball back they were able to drive down field but would have to settle for a field goal; to everyone's
surprise this would be the only time in the game that the Chiefs would be in the lead . Brady knowing that he can’t let his
young team get down early, put together a touchdown drive that ended in a pass to Rob Gronkowski for an 8 yard touchdown
giving the Bucs a 7-3 lead as the first quarter came to an end.
The second quarter is when the Bucs would start to pull away as Brady would lead his team to two more touchdown
drives including one in the final seconds of the first half that would give his team a 21-6 lead going into the second half. The
second half is when the Bucs defense would really come into light, after the Chiefs started the half with a field goal to which
the Bucs responded with yet another touchdown; the Bucs defense really started to come after Mahomes. Play after play
Mahomes would have to scramble around in the pocket trying to make something happen for his team. This constant pressure
is what really caused the Chiefs to not be able to get the ball into the end zone, allowing Brady and the Bucs on offense to start
to chew the clock away. The constant pressure led to two interceptions, one in the 3rd quarter and one final one to seal the
victory for the Buccaneers in the 4th quarter.
Many people stepped up for the Buccaneers aside from Brady, running backs Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones
combined for 196 total yards and a touchdown. Rob Gronkowski finished with 6 catches for 67 yards and 2 touchdowns. The
X-factor in my eyes had to be the defense of the Buccaneers led by linebacker Devin White who had 12 tackles, two tackles
for a loss, 1 pass deflection, and an interception. As well as the pass rush for the Bucs, they pressured Patrick Mahomes 29
times; in those 29 pressures they were able to hit Mahomes 10 times. Mahomes by the end of the game had been pressured so
many times that he ran for a total of 498 yards behind the line of scrimmage, that means he was forced to scramble for 498
yards before either throwing it or taking a sack. Suh finished with 1.5 sacks and 2 QB hits, while Shaq Barret finished with 1
sack and 4 QB hits. Tom Brady ended up winning Super Bowl MVP for his 201 yard and 3 touchdown performance, but there
is no doubt that if the Bucs defense did not show up in the way that they did, there might have been a different outcome to this
game.
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VALKYRIE Page 9
Photography Club Winter Photos
Photo by Lauren Westermann Photo by Emma Rice
Photo by Emma Gehring
Chocolate Crackles Recipe
Sarah Preston ‘21
Ingredients Directions
8 oz. Bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering
water, stirring. Set aside and let cool. Sift together flour, cocoa
1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour powder and baking powder and salt in a bowl.
½ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder With an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium
speed until pale and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Mix in eggs and
2 teaspoons baking powder vanilla, and then the melted chocolate. Reduce speed to low;
mix in flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the milk.
¼ teaspoon coarse salt Divide dough into four equal pieces. Wrap each in plastic;
refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide each piece
1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar into 16 1 - inch balls. Roll and granulated sugar to coat, then
and confectioners sugar to coat. Space 2 inch apart on a baking
2 large eggs sheet lined with parchment paper.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Bake until surfaces crack, approximately 14 minutes, rotating
sheets halfway through. Let cool on wire racks. Cookies stored
⅓ cup whole milk between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room
temperature up to 3 days.
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup confectioners sugar
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VALKYRIE Page 10
Written by Grace Gandalfo
Age 9
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