THE CIRCLE VOICE
Opinions
Student voices, editorials, and commentary from The Circle Voice.
OPINIONS
Pope vs. Trump
BY ALOISE '27
OPINIONS
Transition to Canvas
BY ADELAKIN '28
OPINIONS
Shakespeare Cancelled
BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE ‘1579
OPINIONS
Don't Put It Down
BY SPRING '28
OPINIONS
TACO Again at Davos? What Trump May Have Achieved on Greenland
BY CAI '29
OPINIONS
Omnes Summa Cum Laude
BY LU '27 AND CHIU '29
OPINIONS
Sensationalization of the Epstein Files
BY ALOISE '27 AND HUAI '27
OPINIONS
All My Homies Hate the Times
BY SPRING '28
OPINIONS
Grindset: The Elimination of APs at Groton
It’s an annual ritual. Every year in late July, the vast majority of Groton Upper Schoolers find themselves anxiously opening their computers to a list of bold blue single-digit numbers. Anticipation devours them as they input their College Board login, and then, for a split second, everything shifts. Over one hundred class meetings presenting the...
BY LENA ALOISE '27'
OPINIONS
Trump: The Antithesis of Kirk’s Legacy
Charlie Kirk did political discourse the right way. This is not to say that Kirk was perfect. Especially in his earlier years, Kirk was torched for debating uninformed college students. Critics argued that Kirk engaged in rage-bait—that he profited off clips of ill-spoken, emotional 20-year-olds. Even South Park harped on this critique, getting the...
BY DANIEL MAO '26'
OPINIONS
A Case for the Senior Section
BY LU '27
OPINIONS
@GrotonSchool: A Lens Into Campus Life or an Incomplete Picture?
Before prospective students set foot on campus, social media is a convenient tool to preview a place they may end up calling home. These school-run accounts provide a window into a campus potentially thousands of miles away. However, to increase application statistics, it has become the norm, especially at top colleges and boarding schools, including...
BY SAMUEL LU '27', NIKHIL LUTHRA '27'
OPINIONS
The American Eagle ad with Sydney Sweeney + its negative implications?
Nineteen seconds. One pair of blue jeans. Hundreds of celebrity statements. Three hundred thousand daily hits on social media. This summer, Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad campaign, in which the denim-clad actress used the homophone of “genes” and “jeans” to market a pair, sparked widespread controversy and launched an online culture war. People all over...
BY LENA ALOISE '27'
OPINIONS
Silly Moves, Savvy Looks
Since President Trump’s inauguration this past January, a lot has gone down. The Dow is down, Nasdaq is down, even Tesla—the company run by self-proclaimed “Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist” Elon Musk—is down. The only thing up in today’s economy is inflation, fueled by Trump’s reckless tariffs. Even Trump’s supporters have begun to turn on him....
BY DANIEL MAO '26'
OPINIONS
Rewind: You Can’t Keep Ignoring Musk’s Pro-Nazism
“My heart goes out to you,” proclaimed Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk, violently slicing the air with his arm bent at just about 45 degrees and flaunting a disturbingly rigid hand—and, making sure everyone felt the love, Musk repeated this “salute” a second time. I was livid but reassured myself that Musk’s...
BY JESSICA SHAPIRO '26'
OPINIONS
Performance Analytics: Next-Level Tech @ Groton
From writing notes on an iPad to cramming for a test on a shared Google Doc, technology is ever present in the Groton academic experience. While Groton has embraced many aspects of technology, there is still room for improvement: Performance analytics, personalizing learning, and delivering insight for students and teachers alike, is the next step....
BY HAYUN SHIN '27'
OPINIONS
Five Reasons Why the Earth is Flat
This article will not Blow Your Mind, expose Three Health Tips That Will Shock You, nor will it make you believe what You Won’t Believe. Most certainly, it will not be discussing flat-Earth theories. Instead, it will explain how news outlets utilize clickbait to sow partisanship and why we need to be wary of media...
BY CEDAR CONNELL '26'
OPINIONS
Lights Out: Why Sleep Culture at Groton Must Change
How many hours of sleep do you get each night? It’s a frequently asked question that reveals the normalization of unhealthy sleep schedules. Before coming to Groton, I struggled with maintaining a strict bedtime and watched as 10:00 p.m. quickly turned to midnight. Given the strict 10:30 lights out for Third Formers, I was expecting...
BY RORY HU '28
OPINIONS
To Debate or Not to Debate?
Millions of Americans watched the debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in June. Most left sorely disappointed in Biden’s incoherence or in Trump’s baldfaced lies. The second debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump was not much more encouraging. Many undecided voters were still left unsatisfied by the lack of...
BY DANIEL MAO '26
OPINIONS
The Timeless Wisdom of Classical Studies
There was once a generation of Renaissance scholars who believed in literature. Not people who mindlessly read, processed, analyzed, and sold literature, no—these were people who truly believed in literature. They believed that works of ancxient antiquity, both in form and content, could alleviate the burdens of people and purify the enterprises of the state....
BY SAMUEL LU '27
OPINIONS
Age and Authority: Why Presidential Age Limits Make Sense
The last eight years have given us a glimpse into a nation led by the two oldest presidents in the history of the Oval Office, with President Joe Biden inaugurated at 78 and former President Donald Trump at 70. The former resigned as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate this summer at the age of 81,...
BY LENA ALOISE '27
OPINIONS
New Year, Same Struggle
Groton’s halls brim with excitement as the new school year is underway. A sense of joy fills the campus as students are busy reuniting with friends, resuming extracurriculars, and pursuing new academic challenges— the thrill of a “fresh” start is hard to ignore. Despite the supposed restart, students must manage pre-existing problems while also dealing...
BY HAYUN SHIN '27
OPINIONS
The Pros and Cons of GRACE
The prospect of summer vacation at the end of a rewarding but exhausting school year set the Groton community abuzz with excitement after months of hard work. Yet in just two short weeks, a record-high number of rising Fourth Formers found themselves returning to campus for a month of diligent study and academic preparation for...
BY LENA ALOISE ’27
OPINIONS
Reintegration over Retribution
The word prison calls to mind images of a bleak, dangerous place without hope for anything beyond barbed wire and concrete walls. It conjures the feeling of being trapped, confined, and overcrowded yet emotionally isolated. In the mainstream American public narrative, this type of punishment is often perceived as justifiable or even fully deserved. Yet...
BY LENA ALOISE '27
OPINIONS
The Messiness of Military Aid
Congress passed three separate aid packages totalling $100 billion dollars to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan last month. Surprisingly, the packages stirred huge controversy within the Republican caucus. Some Republican representatives such as Marjorie Taylor Greene called for the resignation of Speaker Mike Johnson as he allowed the packages to pass. They claim that sending any...
BY DANIEL MAO '26
OPINIONS
Groton's NYT Games Epidemic
Like the average Groton student, my days are filled with engaging class discussions, rigorous projects, and informative presentations. Of course, during some of this class time I will be asked to take notes, prompting me to open my backpack and take out my computer . . . only to find the New York Times website...
BY ANNA DUGGAN '25
OPINIONS
A Silicon Surge: The U.S. Pursuit in Chip Manufacturing
On March 18, at the Woodstock Developers Conference in San Jose, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang gave a two-hour keynote speech where he heralded a new era for semiconductors. Huang highlighted their role in shaping the future of technology, underscoring the advancements for chips and their demand in the AI and data processing surge. The silicon...
BY HAYUN SHIN '27
OPINIONS
The Vatican’s Muddled, Dangerous Stance on Gender Theory and Reproductive Rights
After five years in the works, a Pope Francis–endorsed, 20-page document Dignitas Infinita (Infinite Dignity) was released early this spring. It covers the Catholic Church’s stances on important themes of Francis’s papacy, from abortion and human trafficking to homosexuality bans and gender theory. Gender theory, however, is the topic in which the hypocritical opinion of...
BY NIKHIL LUTHRA '27
OPINIONS
Bridging America’s Infrastructure Crisis
At 1:27 a.m. Eastern Time on March 26, one of the busiest ports in the United States was paralyzed as a 100,000-ton cargo ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The ensuing collapse of the bridge highlighted America’s declining state of infrastructure. Six people died as the bridge crumbled into the Patapsco...
BY BO HUAI '27
OPINIONS
How Social Media Companies and Congress Both Struggle to Accomplish Their Goals
On January 31, CEOs of Meta, X, TikTok, Snap, and Discord took the oath on Capitol Hill for the “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis” Senate hearings. Over four hours, members of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary attacked these CEOs without looking to inspire change, with Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) threatening...
BY NIKHIL LUTHRA ’27
OPINIONS
Texas Border Dispute: Who has the ultimate authority to the nation’s borders?
Texas governor Greg Abbott has come head-to-head with the Biden administration regarding border control. Since January 11, when Texas strung razor wires along the Mexican border, there has been a dispute on whether or not the government has the right to take them down. After the Supreme Court issued to vacate the injunction that prevented...
BY NICK KAN '28
OPINIONS
Depolarizing by Debate: Fostering discussion between a right and left wing commentator.
It was just another Fourth Form dinner until someone asked that fateful question: What do you think about the new affirmative action ruling? The table immediately went quiet; all I could hear was the person sitting across from me scratching their fork against their plate. After half a minute of awkward silence, we swiftly changed...
BY DANIEL MAO '26
OPINIONS
Should Groton Have a Second Form?
Con: Let’s get rid of the Second Form. By Max Fan ‘25 When some of the now-graduated forms remember my Second Form year, they will perhaps recall the sounds of screaming our form echoed through the Forum during conference, or the sight of me Naruto-running frantically down the halls to get to class. The Second...
BY MAX FAN '25
OPINIONS
Tackling Gender at Groton
As we develop our identities at Groton and attempt to find commonality among our peers, we tend to define ourselves along a single attribute: gender. This divide, which stems from the dorm structure, is not inherently malicious, but it is harmful. By structuring ourselves in such a way, queer students, who might not identify with...
BY ANDERS CASPERSEN '25
OPINIONS
The Presidential Election's Fate is In the Hands of the Supreme Court… Again
Twenty-four years ago, the United States Supreme Court heard a Florida recount case that would determine the winner of the 2000 U.S. presidential election. No matter what the court did, it would be controversial, but Bush v. Gore resulted in George W. Bush taking office. Elections have played out comparatively smoothly since—however, this year is...
BY NIKHIL LUTHRA ’27
OPINIONS
Comparative Politics: The Rise of International Conservatism
A string of conservative victories in foreign elections begs the question of whether or not the factors that led to them are predictive of what might happen in our general election. Geert Wilders—leader of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV)—recently won a huge victory in the Dutch elections. The PVV won 37 out of 150...
BY LUKE TYNER '27
OPINIONS
Six Letters I Can't Escape
Throughout winter break, a startlingly trivial question came to dominate my mind: whether or not to keep the title “Groton” in my social media bio after I graduate. It feels so silly, entirely insignificant, to become preoccupied with the way I define my digital identity for strangers on the internet. But to me, this quandary...
BY ALISA GULYANSKY '24
OPINIONS
The Dangers of China’s Belt and Road Initiative
“Smaller countries need this partnership, and this role played by China,” stated Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a visit to Hangzhou late this September. Syria joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative in January 2022; China has most recently offered to rebuild war-torn Syria’s shattered economy in September 2023. While some appreciate China’s support through this...
BY HARRY SPENCE '25
OPINIONS
The Meme Wall as a Voice of Change
What do photos of Drake, Ziggy Bereday’s latest haircut fiasco, and characters from The Office have in common? At Groton School, they are all voices of change. Among the Groton Meme Wall, featuring a collection of pop culture references characterizing the iconic habits and characters defining the Groton experience, there is a hidden message we...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ALISA GULYANSKY
OPINIONS
Mahsa Amini and College Instagrams: A Cry for Help From Iranian Women
A typical post on the Harvard University Instagram has anywhere between 30 and 150 comments. On October 2nd, a generic, benign post featuring a “Fall day study session” had 178,932 comments. Almost all of them were about Mahsa Amini. The Iranian people are looking to U.S. colleges for help in achieving freedom and rights...
BY SOPHIA BAY, ELIZABETH WOLFRAM '23
OPINIONS
Sustainability in the Strategic Framework
Walking out of the CPAC after Mr. Pyne introduced the 2030 Strategic Framework, I felt like something was missing. At first glance, the renewed commitment to D&I, GRAIN 2.0, counseling, and GEOs all seemed like commendable endeavors. At the same time, though, I was disappointed by the lack of mention of a particular subject: sustainability. ...
BY SOPHIA BAY, AMY MA
OPINIONS
The Dangers of Groton’s Dining Culture
Under the pressures of Groton’s cutthroat “grind culture,” it has become a common occurrence for Groton students to prioritize school work above all else. However, it is perhaps too far to allow the things that keep us alive — primarily, eating three full meals a day — to be shoved to second priority. The...
BY SOPHIA BAY, CAROLINE CREASY '25
OPINIONS
Groton Student Survey Responses
*All results come from the same survey conducted via All-student email, for which 84 respondents participated. D&I (On a scale where 1 is not enough, and 10 is plenty) A number of students who elaborated upon this question falling into the “No – the same” category explained: “Since BLM, Groton has started having more...
BY ELIZABETH WOLFRAM '23
OPINIONS
Why The Freedom to Vote Act Was Doomed to Fail and Here’s What to Do Instead
From the January 6th Capitol riots to President Trump’s false claims of widespread voter fraud, the 2020 presidential election was a chaotic and challenging time for the US government and even the foundations of American democracy. But while the aftermath and tensions of these events gradually faded away, Republican lawmakers were proposing hundreds of voter...
BY ERIC GE '24
OPINIONS
The Kang Doctrine — We Can’t Blame Students for Fixating on their Grades
I am someone who cares a great deal about my grades. If you take a look at my teacher’s comments from term to term, you’d find an endless slew of “suggestions” to “focus less on the grade” and more on the “inherent joy of learning.” And to some extent, these teachers are right: I do...
BY JIACHENG KANG '22
OPINIONS
Why Students Should Use the Circle Voice as an Outlet for their Opinions
Following the herd is easy. There’s very little risk. Leading the herd in a new direction takes bravery, but it is often the only way to discover new pastures. In 1969, Walter Mead stepped out of the herd and led it to new pastures when he started Groton’s Circle Voice. He created it to be...
BY ELIZABETH WOLFRAM '23
OPINIONS
It's Time to Eliminate APs
It is no unpopular opinion among Groton students to detest the entire AP system with a burning passion. However, we rarely think about the prospect that we can actually get rid of APs at Groton with great ease and success. So, with the academic and mental well-being of students in mind, the taxing yet replaceable...
BY ALISA GULYANSKY ‘24
OPINIONS
How to Invest After China’s Trillion Dollar Crackdown
1.5 trillion dollars. This was the amount wiped off Hong Kong and Chinese mainland stock exchanges in the last week of July alone. Amid rapid and unpredictable government crackdowns, China’s largest tech, education, and healthcare companies have suffered precipitous plunges in stock price. As the Chinese government implements a series of sweeping economic reforms, will...
BY ERIC GE '24
OPINIONS
What's Really Behind the Planes in Taiwan
China is not on the verge of war with Taiwan. Though you may have come to believe otherwise after reading last week’s headlines, proclaiming “Brazen China Steadily Ramps Up Warplane Flights in Taiwan’s Airspace” (U.S. News) and “China Flies 52 Military Planes into Taiwanese Airspace in Largest Incursion Ever” (Yahoo News), this notion is all...
BY MICHAEL LU '24
OPINIONS
Withdrawing US Troops was the Best Choice
Twenty years after the 9/11 attacks of Al Qaeda triggered the US’ war in Afghanistan, a long overdue question lingered: what was the US still doing in Afghanistan? Trillions of dollars had already been spent, and Osama Bin Laden was killed almost a decade ago. That was until February 2020, when the US and Taliban...
BY VIVAN DAS '23
OPINIONS
Why We Should Keep the Pandemic Afternoon Activity System
I know that we are all eager to say goodbye to all remnants of the tumultuous 2020-2021 pandemic school year, but we should consider that certain products may actually be worth holding onto. Specifically, the new afternoon activity program which has given students more freedom to choose and opportunity to explore new hobbies at Groton...
BY JESSICA LEE '24
OPINIONS
Tuning Immunity: How Vaccinated Exposure Can Make Us Safer
For over a year, our country has tried to reduce the number of Covid cases to reduce the number of Covid deaths. With the arrival of vaccines, however, our goal has shifted. Now, we must focus on keeping the dynamic system of community immunity as finely tuned as possible. In an effort to be safe,...
BY TYLER WEISBERG, ELIZABETH WOLFRAM '23
OPINIONS
Elon Musk’s Crypto Manipulation Is Not Just for Laughs
“One word: Doge.” Like a magic spell, Elon Musk’s tweet on December 20th, 2020 sparked a 20% price increase in the digital currency Dogecoin. After electric cars, spaceships, and renewable energy, the rocket-scientist billionaire’s new interest is cryptocurrency. While some view Musk as a champion of this revolutionary payment technology, his impulsive public comments...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ERIC GE ’24
OPINIONS
The Bearer of Bad News: How Negative Covid-19 Reporting is Hurting Mental Health
“I’m going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom,” says CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. “Then at the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, we enter the ‘post-pandemic period,’” says Yale professor Nicholas Christakis. A recent study out of Dartmouth College highlighted in a New York Times article found...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ELIZABETH WOLFRAM '23
OPINIONS
Mental Illness Isn’t the Issue, Society Is
Linden Cameron was just thirteen years old when, following an autism-related mental breakdown, he was shot by police officers and left paralyzed for life. Despite the heinous nature of this incident, the over 1200 mental illness-related shootings since 2015 have shown that incidents like Cameron’s are anything but uncommon. According to a study released by...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ALISA GULYANSKY '24
OPINIONS
All-Gender Dorms
Groton prides itself on an intimate community — residential living plays a significant role as students spend time studying, playing, and most importantly living together for a good portion of the year. Over Groton history, the residential system has changed. Going back to 1975, Groton welcomed the first co-educational class. Since then, Groton has had...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, LLOXCI LOPEZ
OPINIONS
Minimum Wage
Once a week, Joyce Barnes leaves the grocery at night, brown paper bag in hand filled shallowly with all that her $25 food budget can buy her. Barnes is 62, works two jobs, over twelve hours a day, and yet, her low wages leave her unable to adequately support herself. The struggles of Barnes, a...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, JACK LIONETTE '23
OPINIONS
The Atlanta Shooting and the Fetishization of Asian Women
On March 16, 2021, Robert Aaron Long shot and killed eight people, six of whom were Asian women. According to the police, Long murdered the women to overcome his sexual addiction, which was at odds with his religious beliefs. If sexual addiction was his problem, then why didn’t Long target a strip club instead? Of...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, DEREK HU '21
OPINIONS
Standardized Tests Reimagined
It’s January of 2020. My team bus slowly maneuvers the icy New England roads on the way home from a hockey game, and I begin to doze off while my “to-do list” for the next day sits on my computer screen. Suddenly, a loud DING on my computer wakes me up. It’s an email from...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ROBBIE LONG '21
OPINIONS
The Blind Eye that Devastated Nashville
When one thinks of the FBI, the nation’s most highly trained security professionals with innovative crime-stopping technology and techniques come to mind. However, both the Nashville Police Department and the FBI made an extreme blunder in their unjustified hesitation to label Anthony Quinn Warner a domestic terrorist. Anthony Quinn Warner, the perpetrator of the...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, BRENDAN PELIKH '22