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Branson School News, Sports, Life and Opinion

The Blazer

Branson’s student-run newspaper
Branson School News, Sports, Life and Opinion

The Blazer

Branson School News, Sports, Life and Opinion

The Blazer

The future of money: Is Bitcoin the new dollar?

The future of money: Is Bitcoin the new dollar?

By Katie Warrin, Columnist December 19, 2024

If you had invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2009, your investment would be worth $99 billion today. What makes a 15-year return like this possible in the world of currencies? The first cryptocurrency introduced...

Screen in the commons projects alias of anonymous student DJ. Lunchtime DJ sets have made a return to the Branson campus.

Lunch DJ sets return

By Mika Chow and Riley Gu December 19, 2024

Originally introduced in 2021 by music teacher Jaimeo Brown, lunch DJ sets are starting back up this school year, allowing the Branson community to enjoy fresh music every week in the commons.  With...

Dire Straits album hits NorCal vibe

Dire Straits album hits NorCal vibe

By Olivia Ritter, Columnist December 19, 2024

Commencing with a haunting, foggy bass and an angelic guitar solo by lead singer and guitarist Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits’ eponymous 1978 album leaves its listeners wanting more. I have grappled...

Kai Hewett Sagar '28 and Max Chan '28 rally at problems during the second CML competition of the year. The Branson math team splits its time between regional competition and special math talks.

Math team fosters learning, competition

By Liam Conroe December 19, 2024

The Branson math team, led by Owen Xu ‘25 and Emmanuel Katz ‘25 and advised by math teacher Mahtab Lak, is a hub for students passionate about math. The team has participated in the California Math...

Commons cleanup advocate Jeff Symonds calls out students who fail to clean up during lunch. Symonds and other faculty have taken turns sitting in the newly implemented lifeguard chair to supervise the commons at lunch.

Commons’ uncleanliness takes dessert and threatens wing day

By Cecilia “CC” Brenner December 19, 2024

Described as “the hill I’m gonna die on,” “one of the biggest bees in my bonnet” and “my albatross” by Branson faculty, commons cleanliness is a topic of strong tension between students and...

Spanish teacher Donatella D'Aguanno and Carl Smith '26 speak about language classes at Branson. The new format of open houses for prospective families highlights teacher-student collaboration at Branson.

Branson introduces new open house format

By Isabel Little December 19, 2024

For the first time since the pandemic, Branson has changed the format of the presentations prospective parents receive at admissions open houses. The format has moved from teacher-specific presentations...

Actors reach out to the audience at the end of the show. Branson theater debuted an original musical, 'The Devil's Dating Service,' this fall.

Branson debuts original musical ‘The Devil’s Dating Service’

By Gigi Hohenrieder December 19, 2024

From Thursday, Nov. 14, to Saturday, Nov. 16, Branson witnessed the premiere of “The Devil’s Dating Service,” a musical written by Branson’s own Director of Theater Maura Vaughn and Alexander Eccles...

Director of Human Development and Wellness Arthur Lee. Lee faced many ups and downs during his college basketball career before he came to Branson.

Faculty spotlight: Branson’s hidden basketball star

By Skylar Lariviere December 19, 2024

It’s the 1980s in Los Angeles. A young kid is mesmerized by the Los Angeles Lakers’ “Showtime” era, a dynasty that dominated the NBA with five championships in a row. He is astounded and idolizes...

Students collaborate during peer tutoring office hours. Peer tutoring office hours after school are a new addition, alongside a student-created app that pairs students with peer tutors.

New app streamlines peer tutoring pairing process

By Will Zuercher December 19, 2024

The addition of the student-created Branson peer tutoring app on campus this year provides students with an efficient and reliable method of getting academic assistance from their classmates across subjects. “The...

(Photo courtesy of Sabine Fuchs)

Fellowship spotlight: Sabine Fuchs uses GirlTalk to empower young women

By Ashley Wang December 19, 2024

As a recipient of one of the Branson’s junior fellowship, Sabine Fuchs ’25 focused her project on the feminist magazine GirlTalk.  Every year, Branson juniors are given the opportunity to apply...

A mess is left in the commons after lunch. Commons uncleanliness has been a prevailing issue at Branson, one that demands a new solution.

Messy commons requires new solution

By Editorial Board December 19, 2024

The cleanliness of the commons after lunch has been an ongoing problem. By leaving the commons dirty, Branson students disrespect their community and neglect their responsibility to it. Over the years,...

 Ishwar Jayaraman worked with Dr. Furuta on his junior fellowship project on the EnteroTracker. (Photo courtesy of Ishwar Jayaraman)

Fellowship spotlight: Jayaraman researches EnteroTracker for personal condition

By Hudson Blechman December 19, 2024

This past summer, Ishwar Jayaraman ‘25 embarked on a transformative journey through his junior fellowship, blending groundbreaking medical research with personal experience. His project took him to Denver,...

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Branson School News, Sports, Life and Opinion