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Michael Quintin conjures excitement through magic, casts wonder on audience

For Michael Quintin (’25), magic isn’t just sleight of hand — it’s the glint in another’s eyes.
“They have that look of wonder when they realize they don’t know how I just did something but really enjoyed the fact that they don’t know,” Quintin said. “That’s the greatest part of performance.”
Before picking up his first deck of cards, Quintin was already an entertainer. Whether it be through theater or singing, Quintin said the stage was always his.
“That performative thing has always been there...
The Standard •

‘Just say the word:’ Period stigma, ignorance bleeds through community

Editor’s note: *Feminine terms such as women and girls are used by sources throughout this piece to refer to people who menstruate.
As Social Studies Teacher Becky Mason watched her AP U.S. History students trickle out at the end of class, she noticed one student remained glued to her seat.
“She was just sitting there,” Mason said. “And then, like, she got up and like, she really had blood.”
After helping the student collect herself, Mason said she understood the “abject fear” the student was in...
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Laura Bates confronts sexism through storytelling, activism

Award-winning author and activist Laura Bates was only five years old when she first felt the weight of sexism. After her younger brother was born, Bates said her mother received a gift in celebration of having a son.
“It was a piece of gold jewelry, and she asked my dad what it was, and he said that it was because, ‘You finally had a boy,’” Bates said. “That was the first experience I had of being judged and devalued because of my gender.”

Bates said for many women, sexism is first encountered...
The Standard •

Class of 1974, 1975 recall world events, school culture

Fifty years after their high school graduation, alumni from the Class of 1974 and 1975 gathered for their reunion Sept. 26, 2024. As they reconnected with fellow classmates, the alumni reflected on their shared experiences and the school’s evolution.
Events
In 1971, the school moved to One Waverley Place from its previous location on York Terrace. At the school’s dedication, then-Secretary of State for Education and Science Margaret Thatcher was invited to speak. Leslie Shiner (’74) said Thatche...
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School building evolves, maintains student focus

Before its current location at One Waverley Place, the school’s first location was founded in 1951, when founder Stephen Eckard started teaching 13 boys in his Knightsbridge flat. Within a year, the school grew to 135 students and 10 teachers, according to Director of Publications and Copywriting Wendy Robinson.
Seeking more room, the school moved to Grosvenor Square in 1957, then to Gloucester Gate, and, in 1963, to York Terrace. By 1964, Robinson said the school — now consisting of 12 regency...
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Students take to Instagram to share their story, expose discrimination

The @shareyourstory.asl’s Google form does not require users to provide their name or email, making submissions anonymous. Angus said this anonymity could easily lead to false submissions.
“It’s way too easy to create fake responses, and I think that’s a problem that should be resolved,” Angus said. “It’s leaning towards a more dangerous place for ASL right now.”
Harrold said a downside of anonymous reporting is the inability to represent action the school might have actually taken.
“The risk in...
The Standard •

Small Business Showcase highlights community entrepreneurship, artistry

In February 2010, former Journalism Adviser Shannon Miller saw photographic potential on a snow day. She took out her camera and captured a telephone booth in the midst of the rare London snow.

“Everyone absolutely loved this photo,” Miller said. “So I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to make a card using this print and see what I can do with it.”
That same year, the Small Business Showcase — then called the Holiday Craft Fair — took place, and Miller saw it as an opportunity to sell her photographs....
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Students participate in math competitions

Over the past school year, High School students have participated in math competitions, including the U.K. Maths Trust, International Schools Mathematics Teachers Foundation and, for the first time, the Harvard-MIT Math Tournament. The competitions have ranged from in-house exams to ones held abroad.
Math Teacher Neil Basu said student involvement in math competitions has remained relatively consistent, though he has noted an increase in interested upperclassmen each year.
“This year’s junior...
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Elia Blot-Lefevre reflects on entrepreneurial journey, career aspirations

While surfing with his dad along the Moroccan coast in 2023, Elia Blot-Lefevre (’26) could not ignore the unsettling amount of litter floating in the sea. After catching a wave brimming with plastic, Blot-Lefevre said he felt truly exposed to the gravity of ocean pollution. Blot-Lefevre and his father made an attempt to clear up the beach.
“We left thinking we had cleaned up quite a bit,” Blot-Lefevre said. “The issue was it was windy so we could see the trash cans with plastic flying out of the...
The Standard •

Maria Pilnik conquers new heights through rock climbing

Maria Pilnik (’26) has no fear of heights. She has been scaling rock walls since the age of 6 and said she truly enjoys the heart-pounding “thrill of it all.”
Pilnik attended Pembridge Hall School and said she initially began rock climbing purely for social reasons, joining her friends in a group outside of school. As others lost interest, Pilnik said she continued because the sport became one of her favorite things to do.
Pilnik said she was drawn to the uniqueness of rock climbing as it lacks...