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Sprinting, jumping and throwing in this year’s indoor track state championship, Alicia Holmes ’27 showed her strength and determination by competing in four events: the 4x200 relay, high jump, long jump and shot put. Switching between such different events can be difficult, especially mentally. Alicia said that she sometimes feels anxious about her performance. To be focused, she gives herself a few minutes between events to calm down.
“To mentally switch between different events, I usually take a couple minutes to calm down and refocus,” Alicia said. “I struggle with being anxious about my performance, so I take a second to pray and remind myself that one bad competition isn’t going to ruin everything.” In the meet, high jump was the most challenging event for her.She had only started competing in high jump three weeks before the championship, so she didn’t have much time to practice. “High jump challenged me the most,” Alicia said. To handle the pressure, she focused on her technique and remembered what the coach had to tell her. She also takes deep breaths to be calm and confident. Alicia believes that training in different events makes her be a better athlete overall. “Training your body to do different things gives you an advantage,” she said. “Being able to run and jump makes me a better thrower.” Competing in multiple events also allows her to help her team in many ways. Her journey back to competition has not been easy. Last year, Alicia got an ACL and had the operation. The injury forced her to spend months in rehabilitation. She stayed committed to physical therapy and workouts, even when progress was slow.“Recovery taught me discipline and patience,” she said. “I had to trust the process.” When asked to describe her experience in the indoor track state championship in one word, she said, “Exhilarating. It was so fun to experience this with my friends,” she said. “Hopefully I can do it again.” Secret Santa:Before the Christmas holiday, Dorm Director Kaitlyn Brantiforte and her assistant Annie Elwell ’14 organized a gift exchange activity called “Secret Santa.” During the event, participants drew lots to decide who they would prepare a gift for, and put their gifts in front of the television on the first floor of the dorm on January 16. On January 25, everyone will get their own present.Everyone was happy and surprised. This activity made the dorm feel warmer during the chilly winter.
 I am resting in the yard with my two dogs, and enjoying the sunshine by the sea. My parents and their friends took me to Taizhou to play. We chose a hotel closest to the sea and they asked me to look after two dogs. ”Taizhou is a place where people can relax both physically and mentally,” said my mom. It is different from Shanghai.The elder one who using red leash is called “天地” (the pronunciation is Tendy). It means “the universe” in Chinese because his father is called “盘古”(Pangu). In Chinese mythology Pangu split the chaos with an axe and the universe was formed.The younger one called ”无用”, it means “useless” in Chinese. He likes sleeping and eating and dislikes exercise.He’s lazy but has a curious heart and will explore anywhere bravely. I really love both of them.
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Andrew WengI'm Andrew Weng,from shanghai. Archives
March 2026
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the Willis Hall HeraldContact: [email protected]
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The StaffCo-Editors-in-Chief .............................................................Aadeetri Pandey ‘26 and Mason Bibby '27
Asst. Editor-in-Chief........................................................................................................Kaitlyn Perkins ‘28 Senior Editor of Page Design.....................................................................................Anderson Ratliff '26 Digital Publishing Editor .................................................................................................Anna Ciccozzi ‘26 Photography Editor ....................................................................................................... Andrew Weng '28 Staff Writers..........................................................................................Camryn Stevens '28, Jax Bentley '29, Piper Malloch '29 Advisor......................................................................................Robert Robillard P’35 |
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