The Spectrum

 OFF THE SPECTRUM

The Spectrum has started a new podcast, called Off the Spectrum! In our podcast, our hosts discuss all things school and newspaper related, release full interviews from articles, and lots more! Be sure to check it out and stay tuned for more!

STAFF PICKS

Discordant: Racism in Classical Music
Music is a curious thing. Having shadowed humanity since the beginning, it is woven into our lives, culture, and history. Listen, and you will hear it: human hearts that thump, thump, thump in unison, faster and faster, spiraling into oblivion, in one multicultural, multilingual, transcendent song of the universe—only for shrill cacophonies to pierce the air...
FORUM 2020

Political Polarization
When we were kids, our parents taught us to be kind unconditionally. Take the higher road, and treat others how you would like to be treated. However, in our increasingly polarized culture, let’s just say, “It’s complicated.” On October 9, 2019, Ellen Degeneres was caught laughing with George W. Bush at a football game. The internet became outraged. To many, Bush ran a...
DUALITY 2020

Letter from the EICs
A message from our Editors-in-Chief...
​BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2020

What is The Spectrum?
It may be difficult to find the perfect club to join, but look no further! ABRHS’ student-run newspaper The Spectrum welcomes all...
​BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2020

What Would Remote Learning Look Like Ten Years Ago?
As a society, we have come a long way technologically. In just a decade, the public has been introduced to a new generation of innovative ideas, such as electronics, social media platforms, and online services, to make our lives more convenient. These technological advancements have become essential to our daily lives, especially for those enrolled in remote learning programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students currently rely...
NEWS 2020

Indigenous Communities and Wildfires
While COVID-19 wreaked havoc behind the scenes, the 2020 California wildfires took center stage, upsetting the lives of many on the West Coast and ravaging over four million acres. And though we all acted as if everything was perfectly normal and returned to our everyday lives, it was rather hard to ignore a glaring problem: California’s ineffective wildfire policy. In fact, the US’s traditional...
​FORUM 2020

The Purple Diary (An Among Us Narrative)
January 21
It was still warm, still June, when the eight of us boarded that ship. We cast aside our faces, our names, and our grief for thick suits of urethane-coated nylon and the title of saviors. 

​Find a new planet to inhabit...
OFF-TOPIC 2020

If a vaccine for COVID-19 was released at the end of 2020, would you be willing to receive it?
Since March, developing a working vaccine has become a necessity as coronavirus cases increase daily. However, if a vaccine was administered by the end of 2020, would the American public trust those in charge enough to receive the vaccine? This September, in a study done by Pew Research Center, 51% of adults say they would be willing to receive a coronavirus vaccine. Why the low numbers? Well...
FORUM 2020

WAP: Women Are Powerful or Wet uh…
The first time I watched “WAP” was for this article. So, yes, I’m blaming YOU for the permanent scarring this music video has caused. Before my own enlightenment, of course, Cardi B’s “WAP” wholly stormed in and demanded attention from anyone who would listen. My friends sang it; my dance teacher played it in class; even the media took a break from COVID-19 and politics to discuss this risqué wonder. Still, as popular as it...
DUALITY 2020

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice
​Ahh autumn… everyone’s favorite season. Look around! Hoodies, sweatpants, beanies, maybe the occasional scarf? Fiery, murky, vibrant foliage littering streets and backyards alike. And in the air: crisp, chilly, crunchy gusts of wind? Take a whiff and—what’s that?—the icing on the cake, the scent of autumn: fresh, cozy, pumpkin spice! You’ve heard of it — how could you not?...
OFF-TOPIC 2020

The Drawbridge Mentality—Exclusion and Escapism in Acton Massachusetts
It’s a wintry Thursday in the last week of January, in a grand room on the second floor of Town Hall. Posters are spaced evenly around the brightly-lit room, featuring colorful charts paired with questions such as “What demographic trends surprised you?” or “Where should new housing be built?” Staffers direct each attendee to pick up a pen and a stack of sticky notes, creating an English class-like atmosphere. Tonight’s public forum seeks to inform the Housing Production Plan (HPP). The visioning document will detail how Acton plans to...
NEWS 2020

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 Time Management Advice 
As a sophomore, I can confidently say that time management was not my forte last year. I struggled to finish long term projects, was constantly stressed by homework, and failed to turn in my best work. The mere thought of...
BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2020

The 2020 Election: An Impending Crisis
He put down the microphone and paused to survey the lively audience. Each individual proudly sported a red hat with bold, capital letters: Make America Great Again. Applause erupted, accompanied by hoots and whistles for their president. Yet, none of these Trump supporters, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, wore a mask. The CDC...
NEWS 2020

Financial Impact of COVID-19 on AB Schools
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, the battle against COVID-19 persists, forcing ABRSD to continuously adapt. Thus, in May, the district reduced the 2020-2021 budget by around $550K to account for economic uncertainty and to further support student education and school operations. The budget is sourced mostly from local and state. Locally, the school committee, superintendent, and district administration formulate the annual budget and divide the funds into aspects such as faculty salaries, insurance, utilities, etc. The state government distributes funding among Massachusetts schools, and federal departments create policies for distribution and general nationwide stratagems. For instance, Title I aids schools in high poverty areas, and the IDEA Act supports students with disabilities. Ultimately, local leaders decide the final...
​NEWS 2020

Love Doc: Quarantine Edition 🧚
Helloooo everyone...THE LOVE DOC IS BACK!!!!! To my beloved (and probably nonexistent) readers, I hope you’re ready for the GREATEST edition of Love Doc yet! But first, let me find my eye drops and script for a Youtube-worthy apology: Guys, I am so incredibly *sniff* sorry that I didn’t write last issue….I had a lot going on...and I’ll never do it again. I promise *dramatic tear slides down face.* I’m sure you all suffered immensely without my oh-so-useful love...
OFF TOPIC 2020

Avatar: The Last Airbender​ Review
Say you just got a Netflix account, and you’re looking for something to watch. There’s Riverdale, but you’ve had your share of horror stories. Sierra Burgess is a Loser? Yikes, you’re not into manipulative protagonists. 13 Reasons Why… who decided romanticizing suicide was a good idea? Ugh. Is there anything you can watch? Well, your search is over. The greatest show ever has returned to Netflix: Avatar: The Last Airbender. Now, a moment, for raucous applause. This is...
​FORUM 2020

Letter from the Old EICs
We’d like to begin with a story.
​It all began last year, when our predecessors bid us farewell. As the first EIC trio, we so insightfully decided in our first letter that two is a party, but three isn’t a crowd—just a really...
GRADUATION 2020

Letter from the New EICs
​This isn’t how we wanted to start our story at all. When we got the email saying that we would be the new EICs, we cheered and looked forward to hoarding Ms. Hammond’s snacks, chilling with our staff, and improving The Spectrum to reach new heights. Suddenly we...
​GRADUATION 2020

Valedictorians and Student Rankings
​The sun shines brightly, glinting off pearly white chairs dotting the grassy field. Parents, teachers, and students look on as a girl steps up to the mahogany podium. She straightens her cap, clears her throat, and begins, smiling down at the expectant faces. Laughs reverberate as she recounts her graduating class’s memories; the audience applauds while she honors her...
GRADUATION 2020

The End of Year Survey: 
Looking Back Through the Year​...
​“I loved how every week, everyone could just sit down and work on their articles while eating store-bought cookies and pretzels, simultaneously working on their articles. The members of The Spectrum were all really...
​GRADUATION 2020

Seniors "What I'll Miss the Most"
Our seniors bid The Spectrum farewell...
​GRADUATION 2020

Farewell to Seniors
​A letter to our upperclassmen...
GRADUATION 2020

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