A Review of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Amy Lu '19, Humor Editor
February 5, 2019
Before Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Sony Pictures Animation movies were far from award-show frontrunners in the animation industry. The studio’s most recent release, The Emoji Movie, received a dismal 8% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was thought to be the worst movie of 2017. And yet, during...
Is Beyonce Guilty of Cultural Appropriation?
Sammy Agrawal '21, Maya Gite '22, and Yumin Shivdasani '20
February 5, 2019
Isha Ambani, the daughter of India’s wealthiest man, married Anand Piramal on December 12, hosting the second-most expensive wedding in history, according to Business Insider and Bloomberg News. Attendees ranged from Bollywood actors to famous politicians, but one figure received global attention for...
Artist of the Issue: Andrew Lei
Claire Lee '20, Assistant Arts Editor
February 5, 2019
Who was the man behind the electric bass during the performance of “The Man in the Mirror” on Martin Luther King Jr. Day? Groton’s exceptionally talented bass player: Andrew Lei ’19. He frequents the stage with gigs ranging from band performances at Hard Rock Cafe to accompanying talented Gr...
Alumni Spotlight on Elizabeth Dickson ’15
Grace Oh '21
February 5, 2019
Elizabeth Dickson ’15 was a small girl with big dreams growing up in New Jersey. As a child, she was fortunate enough to go to see Broadway plays such as The Lion King, and “sat in awe” watching the actors perform on stage. Hoping to become an actress herself, she performed whenever she had the chance, put...
Spotlight on Starling Irving ’13
Eliza Powers '20, Assistant Arts Editor
December 18, 2018
Every year, new third formers come to Groton, each haunted with a slight reminiscence of their middle school fashion style. By fourth form, most conform to the staples of a New England preparatory school wardrobe: Patagonia jackets, L.L. Bean duck boots, polo shirts, Vineyard Vines, and Lily Pulitzer....
Art or Stunt?
Isabel Cai '22
November 10, 2018
“The urge to destroy is also a creative urge—Picasso.” Banksy posted this caption along with a video on his Instagram, admitting that he was involved in the destruction of his own painting this October at an auction house. Banksy is an anonymous English street artist, activist, and film director. He...
Drop the Mic: Declining Open Mic Attendance
Katherine Johnson '20 and Kamsi Onwochei '20
November 10, 2018
For the past few years, one of the most popular events at Groton has been Open Mic night. Students and faculty used to regularly pack Gammons Recital Hall, usually exceeding the number of chairs provided. Eager to see friends perform, or peers reveal hidden talents, audience members looked forward to Op...
Welcoming Mr. Chase Back to the Circle
Claire Lee '20, Assistant Arts Editor
November 10, 2018
Groton’s previous interim headmaster Peter Camp, once described Gordon Chase, saying “He looks at the world through Chase coloured glasses, in which there is but one pair.” Classics teacher Andy Reyes added that Mr. Chase “is a truly colorful person. Back in the 70s when the rules were not flex...
Changes to the Dance Program
Hannah Gold '22 and Annie Pei '22
November 10, 2018
This year, Mary Ann Lanier, the Performing Arts Department Head, decided to make adjustments to the dance program in response to student feedback. These changes include new leadership, an emphasis on student choreography, and more opportunities for students to interact with professional artists. Nic...
Artist of the Issue: Julien Alam
Eliza Powers '20, Assistant Arts Editor
November 10, 2018
“Most of my characters have really just been different parts of me,” said Julien Alam ’19. But they are also all different—ranging from a middle-aged grieving father in Scotland to a club owner in World War II Berlin. Julien somehow tackles all of these different characters with equal emotion...
Revamping Visual Arts
October 19, 2018
This year, the Visual Art Department is seeking more opportunities for students and faculty on the Circle to showcase and appreciate artwork. Groton’s art teachers and prefects have come together to refine the platforms, both physical and online, that we use to share art. Ms. Jennifer Ho and Mrs. De Jesus-A...
When Hi-Tech Meets Runway
Isabel Cai '22
October 19, 2018
At Paris’ Palais des Beaux-Arts, on a podium in the center of the catwalk, a model stands motionless under the piercing spotlight, while a stream of water trickles down from the ceiling. The knee-length white jacket that she is wearing starts to fall apart, gradually revealing the golden embroidery...
A Review of Crazy Rich Asians
October 19, 2018
Growing up as an Asian American, most of the faces I saw on screen were white. While I aspired to have their courage, wit, and charm, I rarely saw an Asian character that I could strive to be like. When I did see one, they were either portrayed as a Kung Fu fighter or a nerdy, uncultured character. Neither...
Groton Theater Presents Murder-Mystery, The Mousetrap
Eliza Powers '20, Assistant Arts Editor
October 19, 2018
A guest house. A nursery rhyme. A murder. Ten years ago, a farmer and his wife adopted three young siblings, one of whom died at the hands of their abuse. This morning in London, the farmer’s wife was found strangled and left with a note, “This is the first” and the music to the nursery rhyme...
Artist of the Issue: Charlotte “Chip” Pontifell
Claire Lee '20, Assistant Arts Editor
October 19, 2018
A music prefect and dance captain, Chip Pontifell ’19 has fully immersed herself in the arts at Groton. Not only does she play the organ and the harpsichord––instruments that are not seen often on the Circle––Chip is also a graceful ballerina who has performed with the New York City Ballet...
An Introduction to Groton Arts
Zoe Park '21
September 13, 2018
Choir Choir is a way for students and faculty to express their love of singing. Led by music teacher and organist Daniel Moriarty, choir is a full class and performs every Sunday during Chapel. Students may additionally audition for Chamber Choir. For many choristers, the highlight of the year is Lessons a...
Artist of the Issue: GloMonCho
Claire Lee '20, Assistant Arts Editor
September 13, 2018
Before Travis Scott’s ASTROWORLD entered the music scene, there was GloMonCho’s OffWhite. The album is a product of a Faculty Sponsored Activity (FSA) completed by Gloria Hui, Cho Nikoi, and Montanna Riggs ’19 last winter. Instantly a success, it is currently available on the music platforms Spotify,...
Theater Program Welcomes Andrea Underhill
Eliza Powers '20, Assistant Arts Editor
September 13, 2018
This fall, Andrea Underhill will be taking over for Laurie Sales, who is on sabbatical, as Theater Director for the 2018-19 school year. Andrea began her career in theater as a high schooler. “The theater program at my high school, Merrimack High School, was very strong as we participated in the New E...
A Review of BlacKkKlansman
September 13, 2018
BlacKkKlansman is the newest film by writer-director Spike Lee. It is produced by Get Out’s Jordan Peele. The film tells the true (but often exaggerated) story of the first black police officer in Colorado Springs who, in 1979, successfully infiltrated the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan with the ai...
One Act Play Festival Returns
Grace Oh '21 and Elena Junkala '21
June 2, 2018
The popular One Act Play Festival, referred to as One Acts, marks the end of spring term at Groton. On Saturday, May 27, students excitedly watched their friends shine in a series of short plays. One Acts is a tradition which started before Laurie Sales was the Theater Director. Plays were not student-w...
Artist of the Issue: Ben Calmas
June 2, 2018
According to Ben Calmas ’18, “something clicked” the first time he looked through a camera lens. At Groton, he has most recently contributed his artwork as Photography Editor for The Circle Voice (CV) and through his work on senior portraits this spring. Ben took photo classes for all three terms o...
Tragedy, Love in “The Women of Lockerbie”
May 30, 2018
In the aftermath of Pan Am 103’s fatal flight over the hills of Lockerbie, Scotland, a mother from New Jersey looks for the remains of her son. Also scavenging the plane’s wreckage are the women of Lockerbie. While the mother grieves, these women fight the United States government and strive to rescue...
Artist of the Issue: Josie Fulton
Katie Reveno ‘20
May 30, 2018
If you’ve ever been to a Groton theater production, there is a good chance that you have seen Josie Fulton ‘18 doing one of the things she loves most: acting. Whether as a leading role in Twelfth Night, a dancer in Cabaret or a grieving mother in “The Women of Lockerbie,” Josie has been a strong and consis...
The Man Behind the Mask: DJ Juice
May 30, 2018
It is nine o’clock on a typical Groton Saturday night. After walking awkwardly past the teachers stationed by the Dining Hall stairs, you squeeze into the throng of sweaty, overworked students and begin jumping in sync with the music. What a hype song choice, you might think to yourself and look over ...
Timothée Chalamet, Hollywood’s Heartthrob
May 30, 2018
If you had met 22-year-old Timothée Chalamet just five years prior, he would have been a senior at New York City’s renowned Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, preparing to enter Columbia University in the fall of 2013. However, instead of staying on his inten...
Artist of the Issue: Michael Senko
May 30, 2018
Five. That’s the number of singing groups Michael Senko ‘18 has been a member of during his four years at Groton. And if you have ever sat down in the Performing Arts Center to watch a show, there’s a good chance that you have seen Michael, whether in his role as Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night th...
Wakanda Forever: A Review of Black Panther
May 30, 2018
Since its release on February 16, Black Panther has become a global and cultural phenomenon. Smashing ticket pre-sales and grossing approximately 1.3 billion dollars against a 200-million-dollar budget, it is now the tenth highest grossing film of all time. Though its overall importance cannot be understated, ...
Epics, Illustrated: Drawing the Aeneid
May 30, 2018
Sophie Park ‘19 is what you may call a classics aficionado. Known to many around campus as “Spark,” Sophie has attended two Groton trips to Greece and Rome, and has taken as many classics courses as she can get her hands on. Although studying subjects such as Latin, Greek, and archeology ...
Artist of the Issue: James Hovet
March 2, 2018
James Hovet ’18 has spent time in the CPAC ever since his arrival on the circle five years ago. Taking a bow after directing his first one-act play has been James’ most memorable Groton theater moment. He has also acted in the productions of “Equus,” “The Laramie Project,” “Twelve Angry Jur...
Who’s Winning What? Oscar Predictions 2018
Charles Whaba '20
March 2, 2018
After a tumultuous and historic year in Hollywood, the year’s most prestigious awards ceremony is nearing. In this article, I’ll be predicting the winners of the Oscars’ main awards based on the results of previous award shows, critic reviews, and personal opinion. Here is a list of the Oscar nom...
Cardi More Than Just a Girl from the Bronx
March 2, 2018
Triple platinum debut single. Three songs in Billboard’s Top 10. Stripper turned Instagram personality turned superstar. Cardi B is arguably the biggest hip-hop breakout star of 2017. If the lyrics “I don’t gotta dance, I make money move” don’t ring any bells, I recommend that y...
Teachers Reveal Their Favorite Tunes
March 2, 2018
If you’re looking for a way to momentarily escape Groton’s winter blues, look no further than our faculty. With their tastes in music ranging from heavy metal to country, you’re sure to find something that will help break you out of Groton’s dreary and dark winter, even if only for three minutes....
The Last Jedi: A Fan Base Divided
JJ Cheng '18
January 19, 2018
The Force has awoken: this past winter break was graced with the arrival of the eighth installment of the Star Wars saga. The Last Jedi, directed by Rian Johnson, brought a surge of polarizing developments to the story and caused uproar among fans. Let’s take a look at a couple interesting theorie...
Artist of the Issue: Max Klein
January 19, 2018
Leaving the audience in awe, Max Klein ‘18 graces concerts with his musical talents. From being a music prefect to composing pieces for theater productions such as Equus and Twelfth Night, he’s grown into a formidable presence in the Groton art scene. Max says piano was the first instrument...
Belated Christmas Bops
January 19, 2018
Feeling the Christmas blues? Sounds like you need a sick playlist to jam along to. Here are some contemporary tunes to help you reminisce on the good ol’ holidays. “Santa’s Coming For Us” - Sia Contrary to its title, which sounds like a dark, cautionary tale of Santa coming to ki...
Weightlifter Brings Inspirational Art to the Circle
January 19, 2018
Immigrant, weightlifter, artist: Kledia Spiro, this year’s Mudge Fellow, can be described in these three words, but her art and her person transcend these ideas. At an early age, Ms. Spiro immigrated from war-torn Albania to the United States. Here, she became both an Olympic weightlifter and an art...
Installations in Galleries Provoke Thought
Ben Calmas ‘18
October 26, 2017
With two galleries on campus, there is always much artwork to explore on the Circle. This fall, art faculty Beth Van Gelder and Monika Andersson worked to curate art that would encourage students to engage with our resident galleries. The Brodigan Gallery, located next to the Webb-Marshall Room, cu...
New Leader For Groton’s Gospel Choir
October 26, 2017
Robert Pate, the new gospel choir director, brings a new set of vocals and unique experiences to the Circle. Hailing from Baltimore, Mr. Pate has distinguished himself from his classmates at public school for singing in adult choirs from a young age and for directing successful church and school choirs. M...
Artist of the Issue: Daisy Fey
October 26, 2017
Some artists only master one art form and boast perfect control over their execution and inspiration. Daisy Fey ‘18 is the exact opposite: a Renaissance girl. Daisy paints, draws, sings, tattoos, and writes. Rather than looking for inspiration, Daisy lets it find her, aiming only to “draw the ener...
It Fails to Fulfill Its Namesake
Ani Gogineni ‘20
October 26, 2017
Nothing ever appears as terrifying on screen as it does in our minds when we are alone with a novel. Stephen King’s latest book-to-screen adaptation, It, directed by Andres Muschietti, is based on the unsettling 1,300-page epic published in 1986. But the movie fails to live up to the novel and, quite...