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Volu m e 6 4 , Issu e 2
Ju ne 8 , 2 0 1 5
A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill School
Advisor, Mentor, and Community Leader Mr. Ekwelum Leaving BH to Pursue a Ph.D. By Arnav Prasad & John Markis Panel Staff The common case of the busy, overloaded schedule and long, sleepless nights too often leave Belmont Hill’s campus to seem crowded with a sea of students fixated on their plans for the day. However, sometimes a simple “hello” or “hey, how’s it going” in the halls can lift your spirit and make your day. Many in the Belmont Hill community, whether a member of the faculty, staff, or student body, can pay testament to the spirit, enthusiasm, and compassion Mr. Ekwelum brings each and every day. His school-wide-known cheer and smile can become a beacon of energy and warmth even in the bleakest of days. Over the many years he has spent with the Belmont Hill community, Mr. Ekwelum’s energetic and spirited persona has impacted not only the lives of his students and advisees, but also the social environment of the entire community. As a member of the class of ‘08, Mr. Ekwelum has been a community leader within his class who has succeeded because of his passion for learning and education. A former boarding student at Belmont Hill, Mr. Ekwelum is well-acquainted with all parts of the school; although much of the campus has changed since his graduation, the sense of community has not. When Mr. Ekwelum graduated from Belmont Hill, he wanted to become a medical doctor and live a similar life to Dr. Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show; that is, Cosby’s lifestyle of eating hoagies, delivering babies, and still being a part of his family, inspired Mr. Ekwelum.
Look Inside Diversity Day Page 2 Arts Year Recap Page 3 Prize Day Awards Pages 4 & 5 Sports Scoreboard Page 6 Matriculation List Back Page
Mr. Ekwelum soon realized, however, that an actor portraying the lifestyle of a doctor is not necessarily similar to the difficult life of an actual doctor, and he began to explore different fields. Being an educator did not appeal to Mr. Ekwelum at first, as he believed that he did not have the patience to work with students; however, after living in a social justice house during
because he wished to instill his love for learning in younger generations of students; as former First Form English students of Mr. Ekwelum, we can wholeheartedly attest to Mr. Ekwelum’s passion for learning, and, thankfully, some of it rubbed off on us. One of the hardest parts of Mr. Ekwelum’s transition back to Belmont Hill was his youth; besides being nearly as young as the
ner, Mr. Carr, and Dr. Buckley, have given Mr. Ekwelum advice about both teaching and being an adult in the world, wisdom that will help him throughout his life. In the future, Mr. Ekwelum wants to continue to be brave in the face of adversity, to keep advocating for justice and equality throughout the world, and, most importantly, to earn his PhD; there
oldest senior, Mr. Ekwelum now called former teachers, who were potentially forty years his senior, by their first names, which was naturally awkward at first. Mr. Collins, his faculty mentor, was instrumental in teaching Mr. Ekwelum not to be afraid to be himself and speak his mind, “which can be intimidating when you’re a young person amongst seasoned educators.” Mr. Collins, Mrs. David, and Mrs. Doherty, friends of Mr. Ekwelum while he was on campus as a student, helped the new teacher adjust to life as a faculty member; his transition back to campus would not have gone nearly as smoothly without their help. Other veteran faculty members, such as Ms. Ze-
is no doubt in our minds that Mr. Ekwelum can accomplish anything he wants in life, as his leadership skills displayed on campus, both in the classroom, on the athletic fields, and during extracurricular activities, will enable him to take any path that he chooses. Mr. Ekwelum is not sure that he will return to Belmont Hill as an employee in the future; however, when he left campus for the first time, in 2008, he did not believe that he would return, showing that life is full of surprises. He is certain, however, that he will visit Belmont Hill as much as he can, both to see former teachers and coworkers and to lead students. In the past three years, Mr. Ekwelum has had the opportunity
to be at the forefront of introducing, welcoming, and including incoming boys to the Belmont Hill community. Personally, Mr. Ekwelum has become more than an advisor, he has become a life-long mentor and friend who has pushed us to involve ourselves in more roles throughout the community. In many ways, Mr. Ekwelum has helped us establish our value systems as we have moved through the inner workings of Belmont Hill. It became evident that Mr. Ekwelum was truly invested in our lives as his advisees after having invited us as a group and individually to his classroom for talks, hangout sessions, and donuts even after we had graduated from his advisory group in the seventh grade. Having graduated Belmont Hill himself, Mr. Ekwelum has been someone whom we can reach out to about anything school or family related. He has guided us as a mentor, pushing us to explore our ethics and beliefs, and our limits and capabilities. Having introduced us to PRIDE (People Respecting Individual Differences Everywhere) as eighth graders, Mr. Ekwelum sparked our drive to succeed as leaders at Belmont Hill, and we will always be grateful for that. Among the many lessons we have learned from him, we hope to adopt the energy, passion, and dedication he invests in everything he does, and continue to promote these values at Belmont Hill. Mr. Ekwelum will always be one of the first real friends we made at Belmont Hill, and we appreciate all he has done to help us grow and develop as a people and leaders. We are hopeful that we will frequently see Mr. Ekwelum on campus in the future: he will be sorely missed by all.☐
Mr. Glenn submerged himself into the thick of musical life at school very early on. One student remarked, “At first, I thought that we students would have to take more responsibility at the start of the school year in managing musical groups to accommodate Mr. Glenn, but that assumption proved to be totally
for giving such great support to me, but also I have to thank the students. At Belmont Hill, everyone took an extra step to go out of their way to help me. Without that effort and strong character of the faculty and students, my transition into the fold at Belmont Hill would have undoubtedly been more difficult.” Mr. Glenn’s contributions in only a single year at Belmont Hill have touched the entire school community. He has brought a new musical perspective to the Orchestra and Jazz Bands, and he has also played a major role in establishing the new Belmont Hill Piano Trio. One member of the Trio noted, “There were many attempts to create chamber groups at this school in the past, but without much faculty support those groups quickly fell apart. Regarding the Piano Trio, however, due to Mr. Glenn’s support we were able to stick together for an entire year and share our love for music with the entire school.” As his time at Belmont Hill winds down to a close, Mr. Glenn recalls numerous special experiences in the past year. Next year, Mr. Glenn will move to Fessenden, where he will continue to teach music. Some of the highlights of his year here include the energetic and
proud all-school Chapel performance in December, the Pep Band at the TD Garden, the Middle School Jazz Band coming together in April, the Piano Trio playing 4 gigs in 8 days in April, and the final Spring Concert and Jazz Night at Ryles in April and May. Mr. Glenn noted how much he enjoyed working with Mr. Patterson. “Mr. Patterson is a great colleague. He answered every question I had, always asked how he could help, and made sure that I arrived and left school every day with a smile.” Mr. Glenn occasionally brought his daughter, Ivy, to school, and he remarked, “Ivy always loved visiting Belmont Hill. Part of it could have been the fact that she got to watch movies and eat cookies, but I know she loved Belmont Hill so much because everyone was so nice to her.” Reflecting on his year, Mr. Glenn holds fond memories of all the groups and students that he taught and directed in a group. He said, “It’s been a wonderful year. I’ve had so many great experiences this year, and I want to make sure to thank all of the students, faculty, staff, and administration.” In turn, the entire Belmont Hill community would like to thank Matt Glenn for making such a large positive impact at school in such a short time.☐
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his time at Columbia University, Mr. Ekwelum soon realized that he wanted to be a teacher, “as it offers [him] space to grow, both emotionally and intellectually, while also making small impacts along the way.” Mr. Ekwelum soon realized that he wanted to come back to Belmont Hill as a teacher; by the spring of 2012, Mr. Ekwelum knew that he would return to Belmont to teach. As he recovered from the fatigue of four hard years at Columbia University, Mr. Ekwelum was not thinking much about his return to Belmont Hill as a faculty member; he was just thankful that he was able to secure a job so quickly out of college. Mr. Ekwelum decided to become a teacher, at least in part,
Mr. Glenn Departing From BH Community After Filling in for Fiori By George Hu Staff Writer While Director of Instrumental Music Dan Fiori enjoyed a sabbatical this year, Matthew Glenn, hired as a one-year interim replacement, did a wonderful job filling in for Mr. Fiori. After teaching and directing instrumental music at Bancroft School in Worcester, MA for 14 years, Mr. Glenn decided to forsake his familiar surroundings for a new challenge at Belmont Hill. Mr. Glenn noted that the friendly and kind atmosphere at Belmont Hill played a pivotal role in making his decision: “When I came to Belmont Hill, I was particularly struck by the warm, thoughtful nature of the administration and the teachers. I also admired how welcoming the students were and their potential to grow as musicians.” His decision to join Belmont Hill has come as a great benefit to the entire community. At Belmont Hill, Mr. Glenn quickly thrust himself into a busy schedule. Teaching Music Technology and Jazz Music Theory, conducting the Orchestra, Upper and Middle School Jazz Bands, and the Jazz Combo, and helping to assemble the school Piano Trio,
wrong.” Despite a tremendous workload from the outset, Mr. Glenn found his transition into life at Belmont Hill quite smooth. He notes, “I have to thank the administration and the arts department
C ommencement Issue
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Diversity Day By Jason Fischman Panel Staff On May 18th, the Belmont Hill community gathered in the chapel to kick off the annual Diversity Day, in which students are given a day off from classes and instead focus on larger issues within the community. Students Actively Fostering Equality, the upper school diversity group also known as SAFE, PRIDE, the middle school diversity group, and the Gay-Straight Alliance all spent much time organizing and planning this event, and their effort did not go unnoticed, as the event ran very smoothly. Already rescheduled once due to snow, Diversity Day came at a time when many students were overwhelmed with homework and upcoming exams, yet everyone realized that problems both within Belmont Hill and the world at large are more important than any school assignment, and this deviation from standard Belmont Hill life was welcomed. After an opening statement by Mr. Collins, guest speaker, Mervan Osborne, took the stage. Mr. Osborne is currently the associate head of school atBeaconAcademy,atwoyearschoolforlowincome 8th and 9th grade students to prepare them academically for a vigorous private high school, and numerous graduates of Beacon Academy have attended Belmont Hill. Osborne emphasized the importance of discussing problems like diversity, and how taking a day off from academics to address such an important part of our community is commendable. The activities started with boys from SAFE,
the Upper School diversity group, leading an exercise before the whole school designed to show how many different ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, and socio-economic backgrounds are represented within Belmont Hill. At a previous Upper and Middle School lunch, anonymous surveys were handed out where students circled many different categories in which they identified, and these surveys were passed out at random in the chapel. A student stood if the sheet they were holding identified as a term that SAFE heads, Michael O’Neill and Deven Ferguson-Perez, read out, showing how traits like sexual orientation or socioeconomic status, which some may not feel comfortable sharing about themselves, were distributed throughout Belmont Hill. After a brief donut break, the school was split into two main groups, and many smaller subdivisions. One large group stayed in the chapel to see a movie titled “I’m not racist, am I?” a documentary following 12 New York City teens from a wide variety of backgrounds, races, and socioeconomic statuses as they navigated through issues of diversity. Included in the film was a white girl from a low-income family who had grown up around blacks her whole life and wished she were black, a Korean girl adopted by white parents and raised in a white family who said she identified much more as white, and a black boy whose racial identity was mocked by others because he worked hard in school. These teens attended numerous workshops in regards to topics such as systemic racism and the Nword, and discussed their views on these workshops in smaller groups. They also played a board game called “The American Dream”, where each teen was assigned characteristics such as race, gender, and socioeconomic
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class, and these traits could either improve or weaken their characters odds in the game, although luck was still a factor, showing how some people had innate advantages in life. At the end of the movie, the group of teens sat down and discussed what they had learned in the workshop, and how their perspectives on race had been altered. After the movie, students were given the opportunity to come to the stage and discuss whatever they were feeling after the movie, and many interesting points were brought up by students and faculty alike.
Diversity Workshop Leaders While one group was watching the movie, the other half of the school was split into four smaller groups attending workshops. The workshops were: Masquerading Masculinity, Beyond the Binary, Love Yourz, and Walking the Line of Privilege. Due to time constraints, each small group could only two of the workshops, but all workshops were well-planned and provided interesting dialogue in a variety of topics. In Masquerading Masculinity, the group discussed issues of masculinity at Belmont Hill and in the world as a whole. Love Yourz focused on family structure and encouraged students to draw a rendition of their
family and post them on the wall, and then walk around and see how every family was unique in its own way. Beyond the Binary explored the topic of sexual and gender identity, and the group had meaningful discussions about these issues. Walking the Line of Privilege highlighted issues of socioeconomic differences, and the students participated in an activity where everyone lined up at a starting point, and were given instructions to step forward of back depending on socioeconomic factors, which illustrated how students of a certain background may have an easier time doing tasks like finding a job than others of a different background. After an action packed morning filled with discussion and internal reflection, the entire school reconvened in the academic quad for an outdoor barbecue filled with discussion among friends of the day’s workshops and everyone’s reactions to the discussions held and lessons learned. Diversity Day was a day like no other in the Belmont Hill community, as the everyday stresses of Belmont Hill life, such as an upcoming test or final paper, were put on hold as the whole community instead focused on much larger issues involving diversity both on and off campus. Students went home that day with much to think about and many issues to focus on in regards to acceptance of people different than themselves, and Diversity Day propelled these issues to the forefront of everyone’s minds and led to discussions of diversity across campus in the weeks following. Overall, Diversity Day was a great success that made everyone at Belmont Hill focus on issues larger than their everyday life, and provided much to think about and be discussed for students and faculty alike.☐
C ommencement Issue
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The Arts in 2014-2015
Multiple Seniors Showcase Their Talents Outside of Belmont Hill Through Senior Projects By Mack Perry Panel Staff Done with college applications and the stresses of the fall semester, seniors have enjoyed less classes and work this winter and spring. Many capitalized on this free time to try something new and embark on a project, whether it be music, literature, or art, that challenges them in non-academic setting to accomplish one more great feat before graduation. Here are three great senior projects completed by members of the Class of 2015. This Time Tomorrow - A novel by Mack Rush: Mack Rush doubts that he ever picked up a book before senior year. Now, he’s an author. For an independant study, Mack set his sights on writing a full length novel to be completed before he graduates from Belmont Hill. He explained how Mr. Leo’s non-fiction writing class inspired him to pick up the pen, saying: “It’s kind of funny that nonfiction writing led me to literary fiction, but writing is writing.” The class read a memoir from Stephen King, “He said, ‘to be a good writer, you have to read a lot and write a lot,’ so I followed that advice”. Mack dove into the writing of Ernest Hemingway, reading most of the author’s works. After finishing To Have and Have Not, Mack decided to write his own story. “I set it down and said to myself ‘I could do that’. And I did it.” This Time Tomorrow centers on a Jimmy Leary, a charter fisherman in his late 20’s living on the Florida Gulf Coast. Two simultaneous plots create the storyline - one focuses on a moral tug-of-war in the Leary family between Jimmy and his brother, Mike; the other, more personal, deals with Jimmy in an early mid-life crisis state, as he deals with his high-achieving parents’ disappointment in his simple life. “The concept of the novel was based on my love of traveling, and events that have happened in my family,” says Rush. “It deals with dynamics in relationships, and debates on whether being neutral in a situation is good or bad. You have to take sides and not be neutral.” The novel clocks in at eighty-thousand words (roughly the length of The Catcher in the Rye), a worthy outcome of a year’s hard work for Rush. As he finishes his fifth draft, Mack is taking a break from the writing, letting others read his work as he waits for reviews and feedback. He is currently sitting on the idea of publishing the completed story. Mack was awarded the Willey Sextant Prize for Creative Writing on Prize Day, and plans to continue his love of writing at college. Charlie Blank: At Belmont Hill, Charlie Blank has thrived on the football field and baseball diamond. Now, he has the opportunity to write about his favorite sports with ESPN NFL Insider and Bel-
mont Hill alumnus, Field Yates. Blank first contacted Yates over Twitter in January to chat about football and Belmont Hill. After the conversation turned to writing, Blank mentioned that he was interested in sports journalism; Yates was enthusiastic to help Blank on his project. Charlie’s work has featured all of the major Boston sports teams, and he writes an article or two every month, emailing them to Yates for edits and feedback. Although he does not have any current plans to have them published, Charlie has enjoyed writing and learning about the business of sports journalism. He has taken a special interest in covering the
summer’s World Lacrosse Championship. Masses of buyers seek out his work every year, and view the yearlong waiting list a wait worth the handcrafted stick. The boys received contact info from an alum who completed the same project several years ago, and called up Jacques asking for assistance. Quillen says that Jacques was extremely helpful over the phone, inviting the two to come to his workshop on the Onondaga Reservation, just outside of Syracuse, NY. On a Saturday afternoon in February, Alex and Quillen drove west to the university, attending the Duke-Syracuse basketball game at the Carrier Dome that night. They spent the entirety of the next day at Jacques’ workshop, which was inherited from his father. The boys picked out their own blocks of ash, and studied how to properly sculpt the wood.Thetwohavespentthelastfewmonthscarvingin the Belmont Hill woodshop with Mr. Kaplan, occasion-
Executive Editor Brendan Pulsifer Senior Quillen Bradlee hand carves his own lacrosse stick national championship-winning basketball team of Duke University. “I most liked writing about Duke basketball, as I feel like I genuinely know a lot about the team and college basketball as a whole,” he says. For Charlie, this six-month project is hopefully just the beginning. “This is a dream job,” he says. “Being able to fly to all sorts of places and meet a lot of people, watching sports and writing about it for a living would be amazing.” Alex Santangelo and Quillen Bradlee: For years, Alex Santangelo and Quillen Bradlee have played lacrosse with metal sticks. This fall, they decided to make their own. These two seniors had the opportunity to handcraft traditional Iroquois-style lacrosse sticks under the guidance of Alf Jacques, whom many consider to be the last great stickmaker in the world. “I’ve always wanted to carve my own stick,” says Alex. AmemberoftheOnondagaNation,partof the Iroquois Confederacy, Jacques is the latest in a long line of legendary stickmakers in his family. Bestowed with the honorary title of Stick Maker in the Iroquois, his work is world-renowned. Jacques was appointed to carve sticks for the Iroquois National Team for last
Arts Editor Alex Afeyan
ally calling Jacques for questions and help. The precise and laborious work involved cutting, steaming, bending, fashioning a wooden block into a lacrosse stick. “This was the hardest thing I have done at Belmont Hill,” remarks Alex. “What takes him a day to do took us four months.” The two put the finishing touches on their sticks and, with the help of Mack Rush, strung them traditional-style with leathers. Both boys plan to feature their work at school and at home. “I’ll go out and rip a few shots with it, then hang it up in my house,” says Quillen. Alex and Quillen are extremely proud of their work, while humbled to learn from a legendary stickmaker. Both will take home a hard-earned token of their personal attachment to the game along with their diploma.☐
Editors-in-Chief Jake DeCaprio Jay O’Brien
Copy Editors Ishaan Prasad John Markis
Sports Editor Matt Reppucci
Photo Editor John Gosselin
Faculty Advisors David Hegarty Juliette Zener News Editor Jason Fischman Opinion Editor Mack Perry
Assistant Editors Gus Lamb Evan Ricci Jack Richards Ben Rush
Online Editor Arnav Prasad
The Panel, founded in 1953, is the official school newspaper of the Belmont Hill and Winsor schools. The Panel is the voice of the student body. We publish articles that are of consequence to the students, as well as the school communities. The views expressed in The Panel belong solely to the authors and editors and do not necessarily represent the student body, faculty or administration of either school. Any comment about the content should be addressed directly to the editors. The Panel encourages responsible opinion in the form of Letters to the Editor. We reserve the right to edit all submissions for length and content. Copyright 2013 The Panel. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the Editor-in-Chief. Published by the Belmont Printing Co., Belmont, MA 02478.
B-Flats Perform Their Rendition of “Up On the Roof ” for Belmont Hill Alumni By Ben Rush Panel Staff The B-Flats spring season kicked off in spirited fashion with the Spring Concert, which was a great success and was followed by a performance for the whole school in the chapel. With several engagements on the books for late May, the B-Flats found themselves without many performances between the Spring Concert and the typical end of the year concert tour, so the group gladly
accepted the invitation from the Alumni House to perform at Reunion Weekend. On May 16th, the Belmont Hill classes of 1990, 1965, and the Grands, which is comprised of alumni from the classes of 1960 and older, gathered for a reunion at their alma mater. The weekend was filled with activities, such as a tour from Dr. Melvoin of the new academic building and various sporting events, before the alumni sat down for cocktails and dinner. Due to all of the activi-
ties going on outside of school, like sports games and the Upper School play, several of the B-Flats had prior engagements. A smaller group of B-Flats prepared a rendition of the classic “Up on the Roof ” by The Drifters. The B- Flats started their “Reunion Weekend Tour” with the 50th Reunion class of 1965, who gathered in MacPherson for dinner. The group then moved progressively from venue to venue to entertain each of the returning groups. The next stop on the tour was the Grands,
who enjoyed dinner in the library, and the energetic acappella piece “Up on the Roof ” brought on cheers for an encore from the group of alumni. It isn’t often that the B- Flats hear the call for an encore, so the group was happy to oblige. The B-Flats then performed “Good Old A Cappella,” a B-Flats classic that always brings the house down! The final stop of the night was the new Melvoin Academic Center for the 25th Reunion class performance. After the successful whirl-
wind tour, Dr. Melvoin asked the B-Flats to close out the last Forum of the year with one last performance of “Up on The Roof.” They followed the Reunion tour with a performance for the Senior Mothers Luncheon on May 21st, where the group performed their endearing classic, “Sincerely,” originally by the McGuire Sisters. The 2014-2015 season comes to a close for the B-Flats after they participate at Prize Day, Baccalaureate, and Commencement.☐
Prize Day
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Pri ze w i nner s 2 0 1 5
Prize Day
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Prize win n ers 2 0 1 5
B Flats Music Awards
Alexander L. Hall, Christian J. Little, Nathaniel J. Trznadel
Physics Prize
Alexander L. Hall
Instrumental Music Prize
Eric T. J. Dawson, Benjamin K. Wanger
Staehle Downes Geology Prize
Michael J. Major
Ensemble Award
Eric T. J. Dawson, John J. Lazor, Alexander P. Santangelo, Benjamin Wanger
Panel Carving Prize
William P. Malloy
Diversity Leadership Award
Deven Ferguson-Perez, Jonathan J. Innocent, Michael E. O’Neill, Harrison G. Porter
Middle School Public Speaking Prize
Owen K. Pickette (Fall), Duncan S. Grant (Spring)
Willey Sextant Prize for Creative Writing
Mackenzie G. Rush
Middle School Drama Award
Macdony Charles, Owen K. Pickette, Theodore X. Why
Woodbury Public Speaking Prize
Maxwell D. Khadduri (Fall), Juan Carlos Fernandez del Castillo (Spring)
Prospector Prize
William J. McCormack
Hayden Gaylord Coon Drama Prize
Charles W. Schwartz (Acting), James G. Mazzio-Manson (Technical)
The Bell Award
Ishaan Prasad
Global Citizenship Award
Justin M. Grady
Newell Howes Morton Award
Anthony E. Marinello
Hampers Lyceum Award
Noah C. Levine, Alexander W. Czarnecki, John E. Gosselin
Thomas Photography Prize
Christian P. Dolan
Evan C. Chaletzky, Deven Ferguson-Perez, Harry J. Kraft, Jacob T. Carter,
Angleo Togneri Art Prize
Christian P. Dolan
Jared Waterbury Scudder Latin Prize
George L. Hu
Edward M. Burt Community Service Award
Warburg Community Service Award
Thomas J. Daley, William J. McCormack
Ariel J. Borsook, Evan C. Chaletzky, Deven Ferguson-Perez, Harry J. Kraft, Harrison G. Porter Maureen O’Donnell Book Prize
Babe Ruth Sportsmanship Award
Alexander B.K. Afeyan, George L. Hu, Matthew M. Reppucci, John C. Richards, William J. Weiter
Evan C. Chaletzky. Benjamin K. Wanger American Classical League Book Prize
George L. Hu
Brown Book Award
Juan Carlos Fernandez del Castillo, William J. Weiter
Monaco American History Prize
George L. Hu, William J. Weiter
Rensselaer Mathematics & Science Medal
William J. Weiter
French Prize
Parker D. Hall
Raymund A. Kathe Prize
Jake E. DeCaprio
Frederick C. Richardson Chemistry Prize
George L. Hu, Spencer E. Kim
Clifford Goodband Biology Prize
John E. Daley, Andrew A. Kaneb
Evan C. Chaletzky, Cameron P. Chiarelli, Sreehaas Digumarthi, John P. Driscoll, Deven Ferguson-Perez, Liam K. Foley, Red and Blue Key Society
Justin M. Grady, Patrick J. McNamara, Michael E. O’Neill, Samuel H. Porter, Myles M.A. Walsh, Colin F. Ward, Jesse P. Wims, Seamus K. Clair, Christian P. Dolan, John E. Gosselin, Myron C. Richards, Maximilian B. Rudzinsky, Timothy W. Seibel
Spencer C. Anton, Robert J. Caputo, Evan C. Chaletzky, Christopher E. Duckworth, Christian J. Layton, William P. Malloy Darren D. Gallup Three Sport Athlete Award
Sultan-Farouk Olusekun, John H. Power, Joshua S. Pradko Lucas S. Ribeiro, Mackenzie G. Rush, James M. Russo Jr. Myles M. A. Walsh, John R. Wilhoite
Charles F. Kenney ‘06 Prize
Evan C. Chaletzky
The Independent School League Award of Excellence
John R. Wilhoite
Carter Drake Goad Award
Cameron P. Chiarelli
Brady P. Chitkara, Emmett P. Greenwood, John P. Henehan, Jake C. Pappo, Jackson C. Riffe, Jeffrey B. Sege, Sean C. Burrell, Cal J. Cross, Andrew J. Herrera, Middle School Award of Merit
Jacob S. McOsker, Kevin F. O’Neill, Evan G. Sleight, Gavin O. Colbert, J. Patrick Connor, Duncan S. Grant, James. Q. McGaugh, William A. Misciagna, John C. Pappo, Arnav Prasad, Ishaan Prasad
Henry S. Robinson English Prize
Christopher J. Bracken
Downes History Prize
Christopher J. Bracken
Gregg Citizenship Award
Blake D. Brookes
Maxwell Mathematics Prize
James M. Russo, Jr.
Helena Weister Funk Award
Jacob T. Carter, William J. McCormack
Thomas G. Walters Mathematics Achievement Prize
Cameron P. Chiarelli, Alexander L. Hall
Yale Book Award
Jake E. DeCaprio, Brian C. Matthews
N.E. Mathematics League Award (NEML)
Vishnu Rai Nair
Williams College Book Prize
Juan Carlos Fernandez del Castillo
Spanish Prize
Mathias G. Asheber
Harvard Club of Boston Book Prize
William J. Weiter
C ommencement Issue
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Belmont Hill Varsity Scoreboard Team
Record
Notable Results W 17-14 vs. BB&N W 35-14 vs. Roxbury Latin
Football
5-3
Cross Country Soccer
12-6
W 35-20 vs. Nobles W vs. Governor’s
8-5-3
Hockey
17-9-6
W 2-1 vs. BB&N T 1-1 vs. Rivers W 5-4 vs. Thayer Academy W 4-2 vs. Berkshire School
Basketball Alpine Skiing Squash Nordic Skiing Wrestling Lacrosse Baseball Track Crew Tennis Golf Sailing
18-4 N/A
W 62-57 vs. St. Mark’s W 69-47 vs. St. Sebastian’s
14-2
W 7-0 vs. St. George’s W 4-3 vs. Avon Old Farms
Team MVP(s) Harry K. Evan C. Ian A. Jack T. John P. John P. Emmett G. Josh F. Charley M. Charlie M. Charlie B. Hilal D. Sultan O. Dan R. Will C. Timothy B. Clark D. John P. Will M.
N/A 13-3
W 40-36 vs. Roxbury Latin W 47-24 vs. St. Paul’s
14-2
W 11-4 vs. Middlesex W 6-3 vs. Roxbury Latin
Pete T. Phil C. Charlie D. Alex S.
17-4 12-4
W 5-1 vs. BB&N W 10-0 vs. Nobles
Ben W. Charlie M.
3rd @ ISTA Championships 1st @ NEPSTA Championships
Lucas R. Sultan O.
4-0 14-2 16-3-1 2-7
W vs. Nobles 2nd @ N.E.I.R.A. Regatta
Andrew W. John P.
W 11-4 vs. Brooks W 10-5 vs. Groton
Ben L. Charlie S. John L. Joe L. James C. Lucas J.
W 4.5-2.5 vs. Nobles 3rd @ ISL Kingman Tournament W 2-0 vs. Hingham W 3-0 Pingree
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C ommencement Issue
Track Concludes Year With New England Title By Jake DeCaprio Panel Staff
was also a NEPSTA DII record, defeating his own NEPSTA DII record of 179’ 1” from 2014. Captain Sultan Olusekun won the Long Jump with an impressive distance of 22” 5.75”, and placed fourth in the Triple Jump with a leap of 43’ 9”. Will Cannistraro narrowly won the Pole Vault, clearing a height of 11’ 6”, gaining ten more points for the team. Throwers DJ Demetri and Jamie Feinberg both placed well above their seeded places,
After a suffering tough losses to the likes of Roxbury Latin and Milton Academy during the regular season, the Varsity Track team held their heads high going into post-season competition. On May 9, Belmont Hill hosted the annual ISTA (ISL League) Championships and attained a third place finish in a very competitive meet full of talent in each event. A third place finish at the ISTA brought no celebration; it brought a full week of hard practices and determination as the team looked forward to the New England Championships (NEPSTA Division II) held at the WillistonNorthampton School in Western Massachusetts the following Saturday. After a long early morning bus ride,Track team celebrates win at New England Championship the team settled in for what was to be scoring a combined 5 points that greatly a long and exciting day on the track. improved the team’s standing in the meet. Field events provided a hefty Distance runners at the meet inchunk of the team’s points for the day, cluded Third Formers John Pappo and with multiple first place finishes. Cap- Quin McGaugh, Fourth Former Cam tain Lucas Ribeiro placed first in both Hall, Fifth Former Ethan McIlhenny and the Shot Put and Discus, with throws Sixth Former Yohannes Mezgebu. In the of 52’ 11.75” and 185’ 10”, respec- 1500m, Pappo claimed fourth place with tively. Lucas’ Discus throw of 185’10” a time of 4:18.11, and Hall claimed a PR
The Belmont Hill Golf team started its season in style, winning their first eleven matches. The first sting, however, came on May 11th at the Ponkapoag golf course, when St. Sebastian’s defeated Belmont Hill, handing them their first loss of the year. Although disappointed, the team still held first place in the league over BB&N and Rivers, both of whom were not far behind. The following week, the team played a tri-match at Belmont Country Club against BB&N and Lawrence Academy. Belmont Hill had seen BB&N a few weeks prior to this match, so they knew that it was going to be a grind out on the course. Both BB&N as well as Lawrence Academy came out with fire, and eventually defeated Belmont Hill. Because of these two losses, Belmont Hill’s official record was 14-3 amongst ISL schools, tied with BB&N. Thus, the two teams halved the ISL title and were both crowned with the Walworth Trophy, which Belmont Hill will keep. A week later, five Belmont Hill golfers (John Lazor, Joe Lynch, Joe Melanson, Chris Byrne, and Oisin Treanor) and Mr. Doar went out to play the annual end of the year ISL King-
man Tournament. This year, it was held at the Old Scotland Links, in Bridgewater, MA. John Lazor shot a fantastic 72 and Chris Byrne a 78, while Joe
golf team had the honor of winning the ISL Sportsmanship Award, which Mr. Doar was extremely proud of, saying, “For the team to both have the
Golf team holding ISL and sportsmanship trophies Melanson, Oisin Treanor, and Joe Lynch each shot a 79; together, the team took 3rd place. On top of their great performance this season, the Belmont Hill
best record in the ISL and win the Sportsmanship Award is very impressive. I am very proud of these guys for digging deep when things got tough,
and, more importantly, doing it with class.” There were many notable accomplishments this year throughout the regular season. Charlie Greenwood played skillfully in matches against BB&N and Middlesex, defeating both of his opponents in the first five holes. This led to a huge win for the team, since otherwise Belmont Hill would have tied BB&N in that match and lost the ISL title. Filip Flenhagen played lights out against Andover and drilled an 18 foot putt for the win in his match and a tie overall between both teams. Lastly, as we say goodbye to seniors John Lazor, Joe Lynch, Joe Melanson, and Chris Byrne, we would like to thank them for all the hard work they put into the team. Belmont Hill Golf has been so dominating in the past few years because of the leadership and motivation these guys showed. This team will not be the same without them, because they were by far the best top four in the ISL. Charlie Greenwood was elected captain, and while this this team will go through a bit of rebuilding stage next year, that doesn’t mean they will not have fire in their eyes to capture another ISL title.☐
(personal record) with a time of 4:24.05. In the 800m, Mezgebu claimed a critical sixth place finish with a time of 2:04.06. Finally, in the 3000m, Pappo had an impressive fourth place finish with a time of 9:32.90 and McGaugh broke the ten minute barrier with a PR of 9:59.69. Sixth Former Josh Pradko capitalized on his training and great improvement throughout the season, and picked up a fourth place finish in the 300m
Hurdles with a time of 43.16 seconds. As always, the sprinting events presented the fiercest, closest, and most nail-biting competition of the meet. Belmont Hill participation in the sprinting events was dominated by Frank McField, Harry Porter, and Sultan Olusekun. Porter took fifth in the open 400m with a time of 22.95, followed
shortly after by McField with a time of 23.08. Porter also placed in the 200m Dash, with a time of 52.16, just behind Olusekun’s fourth place finish of 51.38. With only the 4x400m Relay left, Belmont Hill, The Masters School, and Thayer Academy were in a virtual tie for first place at the meet. A feeling of excitement and anxiety was felt by everyone on the team as the gun went off for Spencer Anton’s leg of the relay to begin. With a strong start from Anton, Frank McField ran a blisteringly fast leg, gaining much ground and putting the team in a promising position for the final two runners of the day. Sultan Olusekun held McField’s place for the third lap of the relay, and the final leg of the race came down to Harry Porter, beginning with a slight lead. Porter was able to hold the lead for much of his lap, but the last 100 meters came down to a foot race. In the end, Porter lit the afterburners and secured victory for Belmont Hill with a first place finish. Unfortunately, the Track Team loses a number of critical athletes for next year, as they graduate, but the team promises to be strong again next year with a large number of strong returning athletes, as well as some newcomers.☐
Outstanding Season by Baseball Team Lacrosse Team Secures ISL Title By Evan Ricci Panel Staff The 2015 Belmont Hill Varsity baseball team completed another impressive season. The team ended with an impressive record of 17-4, winning 81 percent of their games. The team was coached by coaches Mr. Grant and Mr. O’Leary. The squad’s roster features Third Former Spenser Smith, and veterans such as Benny Wanger, and Charlie Mc-
incredible feat. Wanger anchored the Belmont Hill pitching rotation this year. Players from the team are also off to continue their journeys through college, at places such as Northeastern and Yale. The team had notable victories against teams such as; Roxbury Latin, a 10-1 hammering win against St. Paul’s, and most all other ISL opponents, except Groton, and Governor’s Academy, when unfortunately, the team dropped the games and were eliminated from the ISL title contention. The team capped off their season with a revengeful win against the 2015 ISL champi-
Successful Golf Season Leads to Third ISL Title in Four Years By Maahin Gulati Staff Writer
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By Ben Rush Panel Staff After a disappointing loss to a strong Governor’s Academy team early in the season, the Belmont Hill Varsity lacrosse team’s goal of an ISL title seemed out of reach. However, the team remained strong against some tough opponents. With a string of victories over opponents such as St. Paul’s, Milton, St. Sebastian’s, St. Mark’s, Lawrence Academy, and St. George’s, the team was on a roll. Then, to the surprise of many players and fans alike, the team went down 6-1 in the third quarter against Nobles, but rallied and came back to win 8-6. Going into the River’s game, the team received news that earlier in the day our rivals at St. Sebastian’s had pulled one out for Belmont Hill, defeating Governor’s, which flung the lacrosse team into a tie for first place in the ISL. Though it had seemed as if the team had found themselves in a great position, a talented River’s team came out fighting, proving that every team in the league poses a challenge, beating us in overtime 9-8. After our championship hopes had been extinguished once again, the players remained focused on winning out the rest of the season. An easy Groton win motivated the team to face their next opponent, a strong Middlesex
team. The team took on Middlesex before a huge crowd during Reunion Weekend, and was able to shut them down for a win 11-4. Word quickly spread that during the third quarter of our game, that Governor’s had lost to Thayer in another upset, which bumped us back into a tie for the lead. Though Brooks didn’t statistically seem a challenge, the team was all too aware of last year’s surprising upset loss to Brooks that stole our ISL championship. The team cruised to a 12-3 victory. In the final game of the season, Belmont Hill coasted to a 16-0 win over BBN, winning the ISL championship. With the second championship of three years, Belmont Hill has secured the best record in one of the best conferences in the Northeast. Senior Captain Charlie Durbin summed up the season, “we had a great group of guys on the team, we all got along very well, and I think it showed on the field as we played well together. On offense we shared the ball really well, and we were able to play solid team defense.” In fact, this year, the Belmont Hill defense averaged the lowest goals against per game of all private schools in the Northeast, with an average of 5.12, whilst having one of the hardest strength of schedules. As for the team dynamic, Senior Captain Alex Santangelo reflected, “this team was the best lacrosse team I’ve been on, not in terms of talent, but because of its work ethic, selflessness, and incredible togetherness.” ☐
Baseball team photo following home game Connell. The team started its campaign with a 5-3 win against an impressive New-England-ranked Worcester Academy. The team’s pitching rotation was debatably, the best in the ISL, consisting of Benny Wanger, AJ DiFillippo, Chip Daley, and others. The team amassed 17 wins against League, and Non-League teams such as Dexter, Pingree, and Bridgton Academy. The team shut out other teams by margins 6-0 three times, and even completed a 10-0 win against Nobles. The most impressive moment of the season occurred when Senior pitcher Benny Wanger completed a perfect game, neither giving up a single hit, nor walking a batter, a truly
on BB&N. Last year, Belmont Hill won the ISL title, and in their annual last game of the season against BB&N, they were defeated and BB&N spoiled a 19-0 record. This year, Belmont Hill returned the favor, in which, although BB&N had clinched the ISL title before the game, spoiled BB&N’s party by handing them a 5-1 defeat. According to many players, although the team would have preferred to have won the ISL crown for a second year in a row, the ending was rather delightful as they defeated BB&N. We wish good luck to the seniors who are off to college and wish the best of luck to the team next year as they attempt to win back the ISL crown.☐
Lacrosse team after win over BB&N for a share of ISL title
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Matricul ation List
Th e Pan el
Senior Destinations As of June 1
Alex Andriolo........................................................................Bentley University Spencer Anton...................................................................Princeton University Ian Arthur............................................................................Middlebury College Mathias Asheber................................................................Wesleyan University Charlie Barrow..................................Interim Year – College of the Holy Cross Charlie Blank.............................................................................Duke University Ariel Borsook...............................................University of Southern California Chris Bracken..............................................................................Yale University Quillen Bradlee...................................................................Connecticut College Colton Bradley...............................................................U.S. Military Academy Nick Brown..............................................................................Brown University Chris Byrne.............................................................................Emory University Albert Calderelli....................................................................Cornell University Sharif Campbell ’14..................................................................Tufts University Robert Caputo..........................................................................Bowdoin College Evan Chaletzky....................................................................Middlebury College Cam Chiarelli............................................................................Harvard College Patrick Connolly........................................................College of the Holy Cross Andres Cordoba..............................................................................(Undecided) Hilal Dahleh.........................................................................Middlebury College Eric Dawson........................................................................Connecticut College Sreehaas Digumarthi..................................................Northeastern University Clark Doyle........................................................................Princeton University John Driscoll..................................................................Georgetown University Chris Duckworth................................................................Middlebury College Charlie Durbin..................................................................Princeton University Deven Ferguson-Perez.......................................St. John’s University (Queens) Andres Fernandez-del-Castillo..............................University of Notre Dame Josh Fischer..................................................................................Babson College Liam Foley..............................................................................Cornell University Chris Folsom...............................................................................Elon University Patrick Forde................................................................................Eckerd College Emmett Gordon..........................................................Northwestern University Justin Grady...............................................................................Duke University Alex Hall...................................................................University of Pennsylvania Matt Harrity.................................................................................Boston College Jonathan Innocent.....................................................................Tufts University Reed Junkin..............................................................University of Pennsylvania Max Khadduri........................................................................Tulane University Harry Kraft...........................................................................Dartmouth College Chad Larkin............................................................................Emory University C.J. Layton......................................................................................Colby College
John Lazor...........................................................................Dartmouth College Noah Levine.......................................................................Middlebury College Christian Little...............................................................Vanderbilt University Joe Lynch......................................................................University of Richmond Will Malloy............................................................................Davidson College Axel Marcelin ’14..................................................................Suffolk University Jamie Mazzio-Manson....................................................Wesleyan University Charlie McConnell....................................................Northeastern University Patrick McNamara......................................................Wake Forest University Joe Melanson.............................................................College of the Holy Cross Connor Metz................................................................................Colby College Yohannes Mezgebu...............................................................Boston University Charley Michalowski...............................Interim Year – Dartmouth College Nick Neissa.......................................................................New York University Seamus O’Donovan.........................................................U.S. Naval Academy Ned O’Leary.................................................................Georgetown University Matt O’Neal........................................................................Middlebury College Michael O’Neill.....................................................................Brown University Sultan Olusekun...............................................................Wesleyan University JJ Onyeukwu.....................................................................Princeton University Harry Porter............................................................................Bowdoin College Sam Porter..................................................................................Trinity College John Power...............................................................University of Notre Dame Josh Pradko.............................................................................Hillsdale College Dan Remondi...............................................................Georgetown University Lucas Ribeiro......................................................................Dartmouth College Eric Rolfs....................................................................Northwestern University Mack Rush...............................................................................Williams College James Russo................................................................................Trinity College Alex Santangelo.....................................................................Brown University Charlie Schwartz.......................................................Northwestern University Jack Tamasi................................................................Northwestern University Will Treanor.................................................................Georgetown University Nate Trznadel.....................................................................Assumption College Myles Walsh................................................................................Trinity College Benny Wanger...........................................................................Yale University Colin Ward...............................................................................Tufts University John Wilhoite..........................................................................Bowdoin College Andrew Wilkins......................................................................Harvard College Jesse Wims....................................Post-Graduate Year – Worcester Academy Tommy Wynn....................................................................Connecticut College