November 2011 (60, 4)

Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage Permit #58555 Boston, MA PAID

350 Prospect Street Belmont, MA 02478

Volu m e 6 0 , Is su e 4

A Student Publication of Belmont Hill School

Novemb er 2 2 , 2 0 1 1

Longtime football coach steps away from the field Ian Meyer Panel Staff Mere statistics or words cannot begin to quantify or detail the changes of Belmont Hill’s football program over the last 23 years, but looking back on all the wins, losses, and lessons of two decades, one name can: Coach Kevin Fleming.

Coach Fleming came to Belmont Hill in 1989 as a math teacher and head Varsity football coach. With over 20 years’ experience as an assistant coach at Brookline, Walpole, and West Roxbury High Schools, Coach Fleming was more than ready for the job. The 1989 football season proved not only one of firsts, with a new head coach for Belmont Hill and the NEPSAC’s first New England Bowl, but also of lasts: Belmont Hill football’s last losing season. After a tough record of three wins and four losses, Coach Fleming’s direction of the team began with a seemingly inauspicious season.

Yet the disappointment stopped there. Each and every one of Coach Fleming’s teams since that sole losing season has maintained a record over .500, and Coach Fleming boasts an impressive 139-win, 45-loss, and 2-tie career up through the end of the 2011 regular season. Belmont Hill has had the most successful football program on average over the last twenty years in the ISL. After 6 ISL Championships and 2 New England Championships, Belmont Hill’s successful streak has endured, and over the last 23 years, the football team has gone to 9

New England Bowls, averaging one every two-and-a-half years, more than any other football team in New England.

“The 1992 season really turned it around for the school,” Coach Fleming said, commenting on the growth in popularity of the football program.

“When I came in ‘89, football wasn’t that big.” In 1992, however, the tide

Belmont Hill’s first New England Championship came in 2000. Going into the final against the favored Hotchkiss team, it seemed that the Connecticut powerhouse had only an easy game between them and the New England title. Yet against all odds, Belmont Hill came out to win 38-27 against Hotchkiss in an amazing game that put the name of the Belmont Hill

Coach Fleming gives a rousing half-time speech to the varsity squad turned as Belmont Hill achieved two more firsts, the first ISL championship, and their first chance to play in the New England Bowl. After a series of exciting games and a tough loss to Taft in the final game that year, an increased popularity “really fired up the atmosphere.”

Bill Mahoney

program out on the New England scene.

A second New England victory came six years later. In 2005, Coach Fleming’s team had suffered a close loss to Brunswick (whose quarterback reportedly completed 55 passes in one game) with a score of 46-36. In 2006, however,

Belmont Hill broke Brunswick’s 39-game winning streak with a 26-20 victory.

Even with all the victories, Coach Fleming says that he takes most pride in the school his team represents: “I’m very proud to call myself the Belmont Hill football coach... to be a part of a school with academic and athletic achievements and a set of values.” He continues to say that the school has built its program in the “honest, Belmont Hill fashion.”

This season, too, proved one that Coach Fleming says the school “should definitely be proud of.” After winning an exciting early victories against rival BB&N and historic powerhouse Lawrence Academy, the almost undefeated season, weighed down only by last week’s loss to Governor’s, was one of the more successful runs of his 23. “There have been some years where we win easily, but this season had three to four really close games... three or four great football games that made it interesting for the fans.”

As the football team gears up for Saturday’s game against Suffield, the team and the school recognize that it will be one of the last games to end an incredibly succesful career for Coach Fleming. The numbers—23 years, 186 games, 75.5% wins, 9 New England Bowls—still cannot amount to the legacy of the man who will leave them. As the Belmont Hill players walk onto the field for the last time, for their last Bowl, last game, and final season under Coach Fleming, the program and the tradition of excellence he leaves behind will not part with him. ☐

Soccer has breakout season, advances to NEs Nicholas Von Turkovich Contributing Writer The Varsity Soccer team launched into the 2011 season with low expectations.

Across the ISL, competing programs disregarded Belmont Hill’s team as being too inexperienced, too small, or incapable. Supposedly, this would be a “rebuilding” year, a chance to usher in a group of young players, allow them to develop, and look forward to brighter days on the soccer pitch. In every way, there was a transformation in the team.

While ten seniors left, fourteen players from Forms III through VI took their place.

However, something felt different to both the coaching staff and the players during the team’s preseason trip to Costa Rica.

Yes, there had been the usual bonding experiences that coincide with a group trip, but a new image for the team was forged in Central America. In the first game, Belmont Hill trailed 4-0 to a talented Costa Rican team. What seemed like an insurmountable deficit was chipped at gradually. Late in the game, the teams were tied until Abdurezak netted the game-winning goal, securing the 6-5 win. The team’s true character shone through. It wasn’t stacked with skilled and seasoned veterans. They weren’t a group of artistic dribblers that could fool its way past defenders. No, the

Opinion

2012 election’s effect on BH p. 2

team was made up of “grinders”: hard working, athletic individuals that would come each day ready to leave their heartts and lungs on the field. They would play as a cohesive unit, building off each other’s successes, and “taking care of business” in clutch situations. The team and the coaches caught a glimpse of this in Costa Rica.

The season began with four draws, and the team dreaded falling ill with the “tying syndrome,” something that had been all too prevalent in recent years. The boys needed to break this routine and the midseason match against Nobles seemed like the time to do it. Nobles topped the league in 2010 and still seemed to be the most imposing obstacle in 2011.

This game would determine the future of this team and the fate of a season.

Belmont Hill didn’t break under the pressure. Man-marking and doubleteaming when necessary, Belmont Hill brought down Goliath. With a truly unified effort, the Varsity Soccer team had reached its potential for its season.

Coaches Montoya and Holland emphasize that consistency is the only key to success in the ISL. This could not be a “one and done” effort. The season was a marathon, not a sprint. The team took this message to heart and responded with eight wins, two ties, and only one loss to close out the regular season. A team that had been looked

BH Life

Alex Starr Joe Worley

p. 3 p. 3

down upon by the majority of the ISL had secured a close third position in the rankings and a bid in the New England Tournament. Josh Voto finished as the points leader, with sixteen goals and five assists.

Goalie Will Golonka ended the season with the second best goals allowed average, .876.

The team was never the most talented nor the most accomplished. They

were the best in the clutch. As their rivals suffered defeats late in the season, Belmont Hill Soccer kept its composure and proved the skeptics incorrect. We now look forward to Wednesday, confronting Exeter, a team seeded first in the New England Tournament. One thing is sure, we can look for another competitive performance from the Varsity Soccer team. ☐

Peter McHugh clears the ball away from Roxbury Latin

Sports

Summer Athletes Faculty Accomplishments

p. 4 p. 5

Tucker Gordon

Campaign

Political Awareness Candidate Statements

p. 6 p. 7

Belmont Hill Opinion

Pa g e 2

T he Panel

Belmont Hill’s new mock primary election

An in-depth look at the school’s upcoming Republican primary Matt Czarnecki and Alex Haigh Panel Staff In the next few months, Belmont Hill will be running a series of primary elections to simulate the upcoming presidential campaigns. In past years, the school has run a mock convention, but the history department, that sponsors this event has decided to switch the point of focus this year. Their hope is that the primary process will be a more educational and enjoyable experience for the students.

The goal is to get every Form involved in the process. Seven Upper Schoolers will each represent a Republican candidate: Ian Meyer as Mitt Romney; Jimmy Kelleher as Ron Paul; Chris Bean as Newt Gingrich; Alex Swan as Herman Cain; Jake Levine as Michele Bachmann; Chris McAvinn as Rick Perry; and Joe Troderman as Jon Huntsman. Supporting each of the candidates will be a campaign manager and staff.

The process begins Wednesday, November 16th in Chapel, with a short introduction of each of the candidates. Candidates will then begin to try to garner

support in the student body by placing ads throughout campus such as flyers in places like the library corridor or the whiteboard in Howe, and they will give speeches at the end of lunch or in Chapel, all to simulate a real presi d e nt i a l c a m paign.

A s Dr. Buckley stated, “a huge part of a campaign is money and finance.” Each student will be allotted a random amount of fictitious money between $500 and $5,000 to donate to a campaign of their choice. The candidates will then have to use this money to finance advertising and other activi-

ties around campus. Each candidate will start with $40,000 but will need to spend about $60,000 each week to pay for advertisements and speaking opportunities. Thus, student and faculty donations will be critical to any campaign’s success.

The primary campaign will continue with a debate in chapel on November 29th, just after students return from the Thanksgiving recess. For the actual voting, election days will be staggered, starting with Form I on December 5th. Students will be broken up by advisor group to represent various states (17 total) and vote based on the best

interest of their states. Following the First Form will be the Second Form on December 7th, and the Third Form on December 9th. The Fourth and Fifth Forms will vote together on Tuesday the 13th to simulate the “Super Tuesday” of the real primary election schedule. Rounding out the voting will be the Sixth Form on December 15th.

The results are to be released as voting occurs, allowing campaigns to build momentum, just like they do in the real primary, and the winner will be rewarded with a campaign party on the Friday the 16th.

Students will not be required to vote or donate the money allotted to them.

“This whole procedure is intended to mimic the realities of voting as much as possible,” said Dr. Buckley. Student participation, though, will be critical to the success of the program, and a newly launched “BH Politics” website hopes to make it easy for all students to get involved.

Said Dr. Buckley, “We want to emulate the political process as well as possible, and hopefully, students will leave for break with the elections on their mind and an increased political awareness.” ☐

New Chinese teacher, Shen Lao Shi, enlightens students Henry Ogilby Contributing Writer He smiles, eyes crinkling—a wide, open smile that brings levity to the classroom. He folds one arm underneath the opposite arm, and gestures with his free hand.

He energetically bounces from pointing at a Smartboard to elaborating on the definitions and uses of Chinese grammar patterns.

The tall, perpetually smiling, perpetually blazer-wearing man is none other then Penghua Shen, our new Chinese teacher. Fortunately for me, I was one of the first students at Belmont Hill to officially meet him.

Mr. Shen teaches Chinese 4

Last year, “Shen Lao Shi” (Lao Shi is the Chinese word for teacher, hence ‘Teacher Shen’) was one of a few candidates who toured, interviewed, and taught sample classes at the school. I gave Shen Lao Shi a tour of the school and attended his class. I vividly remember my first impression of him while Ms. Gao introduced him to me; he seemed slightly shy, and almost as apprehensive of the student body.

I could not have possibly have been farther off.

Legitimateonly begins to describe the busy, energetic wonder that is the newest addition to our modern language d e p a r t m e nt .

Shen Lao Shi constantly Tucker Gordon

works to perform at his very best, and likewise demands nothing but the highest level of effort from his students. The very first day of class for Chinese 5, his first lesson was almost completely based off of Smartboard technology. Indeed, Shen Lao Shi appears in my opinion to have skills with our Smartboards that exceed those of even the venerable Mr. Martellini. Shen Lao Shi introduced his classes to matching games played with vocabulary on the Smartboard, and full-scale class presentations taking full advantage of available technology.

His dedication to his work can most easily be described through his experience with the recent snowstorm, when his new hometown of Lexington, MA, lost power completely. While a less diligent teacher might have faltered, Shen Lao Shi was not diverted from his computer; neither snow, sleet, rain, nor downed power lines could prevent him from finishing his class preparation. He packed up his computer, miniature nokia phone, chargers, and nerves of steel, and he headed to the only place left with power he knew of: Market Basket. In additional to his die-hard commitment to class preparation, he is one of the most punctual faculty members on campus. While there are many faculty members who show up on time

to meetings and the like, Shen Lao Shi is one of two teachers I have had in my five year career at Belmont Hill who return all graded assignments the day after you submit them.

As many students know or have experienced for better or for worse, a 50-point multiple choice or some equivalent test in certain departments can often take anywhere from two to fourteen days to return. I once had an English paper take 4 weeks to find its way back to me, a horror story I wish upon no one. The importance of this may appear in simple convenience, but, I have found that often it is far easier to understand material when it is reviewed rapidly after testing.

Shen Lao Shi has helped my Chinese 5 class appreciate what will be our senior spring – his senior year consisted of nothing but daily preparation for a college entrance exam until 11 PM. The students of Belmont Hill have taught Shen Lao Shi extremely valuable lessons that his year at Phillips Academy did not teach him. Shen Lao Shi happily reported his newly acquired knowledge of American vernacular to the parents at parent-teacher night.

Shen Lao Shi is new—but don’t let him be a stranger. Even if you are not involved in the Chinese department, I strongly encourage you to visit and say “Ni Hao, Shen Lao Shi!” ☐

How will the 2012 Election affect Belmont Hill students?

Jake Pagano Panel Staff Belmont Hill students unequivocally hold stakes in the 2012 Presidential Election. After all, election influences policy, and policy plays a role in every adult’s life. How these elections play out could dictate anthing from job opportunity to inflation to student loan. Or the government will continue to be dysfunctional, and no policy will be enacted at all.

Either way, the effects will be felt directly.

Let’s first examine the short-term impact on our lives today. Though the job market is tough for everyone, teenagers have faced a particularly dismal decline in opportunity. Sectors such as construction and retail—hardest hit in the face of austere measures taken by both company and con-

sumer—are the prime employers of teens.

One problem is that older workers—frequently college graduates—are taking lower income jobs. Today in America, a skilled molecular biologist could very well be found working in a Stop and Shop.

When opportunity in lab and or the corporate investing sector is in short supply, the skill set of a worker is aligned with a disproportionately low paying and intellectually demanding job. The effect cascades down throughout the entire economy.

One study found that proportionally, more kids have lost jobs in the past few years than the entire country lost in the Great Depression.

Clearly, we Belmont Hill students hold great stakes in the job market. The ability to put the practical and moral assets we acquire here to work

has probably not been as threatened as it is today since the Great Depression.

Still, will the 2012 elections really dictate whether or not you can find your first full-time job and become a member of the workforce? Certainly, economic growth in certain sectors will create more opportunity; how that economic growth is incited is open to policy debate. Cut taxes? American Jobs Act? 9-9-9? Regardless, we the students will be influenced by these elections in the realm of jobs.

Student loans and scholarship help many Belmont Hill students attend the best universities and pursue their interests. Yet today so many of those loans are not being paid off, simply for the reasons stated above—driven, academically accomplished individuals find a job-market that is without opportunity.

In simplified terms, this election could dictate whether you get a student loan.

The issue notorious brought up by

by Ron Paul and other fiscally conservative candidates is the long-term burden for the next generation. Questions in this election over whether to freeze government spending, to cut government employees, or to halt overseas war abound. The national debt—well into the trillions—looms over the candidates as a persistent shadow.

Do we stimulate the economy and spend more? Tax the top 2%? All these issues revolve around the principle that the government’s duty is to ensure that our generation, that our children’s generation, received the same opportunity as did our parents.

If you’re eighteen, remember that your ballot will do much more than you think; it may even get you a job. ☐

Novemb er 2 2 , 2 0 1 1

BELMONT HILL LIFE

Pag e 3

Ricotta joins Starr featured on popular music site Matt Harvard orchestra Tucker Gordon Panel Staff

Alex Starr was at a bar near Duke with his father when he received one of the most exciting phone calls of his life.

Alex’s band had just been featured on goodmusicallday.com, a popular website that promotes upcoming musical acts from across the country. The feature came as a complete surprise to Alex and his band, Point Break, and he says he still has no idea how they got discovered, but it is easy to see that they have been heading towards this for years. Since Alex’s brother started the band in 2008, Point Break has become an increasingly integral part of the Duke music scene. Their music draws from almost all genres, but has its strongest ties to ska, reggae, and rock. The band is constantly changing, but it currently features a five man lineup, including two guitar players, a bass player, a drummer, and a saxophonist.

Alex joined the band last year, and has been working hard to get his music out there for people to hear. They play, on average, a gig every other week at local bars on Thursday or Friday nights, but they have played several bigger gigs. “I’d say the coolest gig we’ve ever played was last November. We played an hour set in Krzyzewsky-ville (the area right outside Cameron indoor stadium) directly before the Duke - Michigan State game. Not only was there a massive line of people waiting to get in, but there were also a fair number of students who had been living in tents waiting for tickets. We also got a few unintentional seconds of airtime on

Ryan Baxter-King Panel Staff

ESPN during the pre-game.” Point Break is working hard to expand their following, and are traveling down to Raleigh to play a show on November 14th. They are also in the process of booking several frat-party gigs at other area colleges.

When asked about the support he received while at Belmont Hill, Alex gets excited and in detail explains the impact Belmont Hill had on him, “The experience I gained at BH was pivotal to my growth as a musician. The first time I ever sang rock in front of a crowd was at a chapel in 8th grade. Every minute I spent with Mr. Patterson and Mr. Fiori is reflected in how I approach music today.”

Although the time he spent at Belmont Hill was important to him, Alex values the strength of his friendships fostered at Belmont Hill even

Courtesy of Alex Starr Courtesy of Alex Starr

more. “We ended up getting 264 Facebook re-posts... I can’t even begin to explain how heartwarming it was to see my BH classmates spreading the word.”

Point Break has big plans for the future, and plans on riding the momentum that the recent publicity has created. “We just tracked the first single off our next album last week. It’s called ‘I’m gonna be Honest’ and I think it’s the best song I’ve written yet. We’ll probably be dropping a 4-5 song EP by the end of the semester with plans to drop a full-length album by year’s end.” We can expect to see big things from Alex and Point Break in the future as he continues to make all of us in the Belmont Hill community proud. Be sure to pick up Point Break’s most recent album “Coming Up For Air”, and be on the lookout for their next album soon.☐

Joe Worley captivates all on Veterans’ Day Tucker Gordan Panel Staff

As Belmont Hill students prepared for the weekend, with many students minds racing twenty-four hours ahead to the games at Governor’s Academy, the whole school stopped for forty minutes to hear from a veteran of the US Navy who inspired us with his unabashed optimism in the face of extreme adversary. Students often grumble as they head to school on Veteran’s day, jealous of their public school friends still in bed, but it is a tradition the school prides itself on despite the opposition. Although we have to be in school the administration always makes sure to recognize veterans, usually with chapel speakers and presentations.

There have been several veteran’s day chapel speakers since I came to Belmont Hill, some much better than others, but no speaker has left more of a mark on me than Joe Worley. Being a disabled vet of the United States Navy is something that is nearly impossible for most of us at Belmont Hill to even imagine. Kids often pat themselves on the back for their bravery when they do things like suiting up for games against tough opponents, speaking in front of chapel, or recklessly skateboarding down the hill towards Belmont center, but the courage it takes to run across a bridge knowing you will probably die is unfathomable. Courage is a word that gets used a fair amount at a school dominated by alpha males, but it is humbling to take a step back from our sheltered world and consider the meaning of bravery in a larger context.

When I saw Joe Worley sitting up there on stage with his service dog, twirling around his “good leg,” confessing to us that he doesn’t regret his decision to try and save his brothers, I was rendered speechless by his bravery. What was even

Joe Worley and his dog, Benjamin, inspire students on Veteran’s Day more amazing was his denial of any bravery. The idea of duty is something we hear a lot about at Belmont Hill but Joe Worley brought the concept to an entirely new level.

When he ran across the bridge toward his fallen brothers, he wasn’t thinking about sitting on stage talking to us, or getting a free dog, or even just being congratulated for his bravery, he was completely focused the men that were counting on him, and his duty to help them. But it wasn’t a duty that he felt forced into, it was a duty he had gladly taken on, one he even relished despite knowing he might die fulfilling the duty.

That sort of dedication is something we should consider as we continue our tenure here at Belmont Hill, but duty will play a much more important role in our lives once we leave Belmont Hill. Not many of

When the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra was founded in 1808, it was known as the Pierian Sodality, “dedicated to the consumption of brandy and cigars as well as the serenading of young ladies.” It was only in 1942 that the Pierian’s changed their name to the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, although they had been playing joint concerts with Radcliffe for six years.

Thus, by the time Matthew Ricotta, class of 2010, joined their ranks, their core purpose had changed. The one hundred person orchestra now plays four concerts a year. “We play pieces in the classical symphonic repertoire,” Matt said, “and because of our large size are better suited to Beethoven and Mahler than Bach, Mozart, or Vivaldi.”

Since its reorganization in the mid 1900s, the orchestra has amassed an impressive history of performances. Since 1980, it has played in the former Soviet Union, Asia, Europe, Italy, Brazil, Canada, and South Korea. “We tour every four years,” Matt explained, “with the latest one being a trip this past summer to Cuba.”

Their most recent performance came on the evening of Harvard’s 375th birthday bash. An event, Matt said, “to prove that Harvard people could party too.” For a full two weeks before the party the New Yard on Harvard’s campus milled with people putting up tents, operating machines, and placing speakers in the trees, whose purpose turned out to be projecting JK Rowling and JFK speeches as people walked beneath the foliage.

The plan called for an abrupt start to HRO’s concert; at one moment people would be milling around in the tents, with food and performing groups, and suddenly the lights would go out and the orchestra would start to play. The orchestra had planned on playing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony because of its spectacular rendition the prior spring.

“However, to make the performance more appropriate in the time from of the celebration, a group of students and faculty trimmed it down to its most famous parts,” Matt said.

“We were thus set to perform ‘excerpts’ from Beethoven 9. Although our conductor and half of the orchestra were up in arms about the (admittedly) terrible job the committee had done piecing together the symphony, we were set to perform it. The night of the party was a torrential downpour...” After forty-five minutes, and a forecast of lightning, the administration ordered the yard cleared of its thousands of residents. In spite of the delay, the concert went on.

Despite the entire affair with the rain, there was one particularly bright spot for Matt.

“Did I mention Yo-Yo Ma gave us a pep talk before the concert? After our performance, the world-famous cellist (Harvard class of ‘76) performed on the steps of the church and then led the crowd in singing happy birthday. A night to be remembered for sure.” ☐

Bill Mahoney

us will continue on to careers in the armed forces, but most of us will fulfill some sort of meaningful duty. Maybe will we save lives as doctors, or invent new medicines as researchers, or inspire young athletes as NHL stars, or foster a love for learning in young children as teachers, or maybe we will simply raise intelligent, ethically informed children. However we contribute to society, and whatever duty we fulfill, we should remember that people like Joe are all around us, and are continuing to fulfill duties so important we can’t even imagine them. Next time you encounter a veteran, especially one who’s entire life was changed like Joe’s, be sure to hold the door open for them, or pick up their cellphone, or simply say thank you, but whatever you do, don’t worry about them on the escalators, they’re all set. ☐

Bill Mahoney

Ricotta’s beginnings in the classical ensemble

Belmont Hill Sp orts

Pa g e 4

T he Panel

Belmont Hill students excel in summer athletics Crew and wrestling teams compete at the highest level over break Alexander Richards Panel Staff Belmont Hill’s athletic program has proven itself to be very successful over the past decade, in large part due to the diversity of team sports it supports. Less heralded sports,in fact, seem to be the ones in which the school excels the most. Squash, wrestling and crew have been among the school’s top programs for the majority of the last decade and it is not hard to see why. Some individual athletes, most notably from the wrestling and crew programs, have excelled not only during the school year, but in the summer seasons as well.

Adam Maleh, captain of the crew team this year, is entering his fourth year as a varsity oarsman. He has proven his skill over the reach of those years and continued to grow this summer. In his sophomore summer, he represented Belmont Hill at the Junior National Team Development Camp, a six-week program that helped refine the top rowers in the country and promote them as candidates for the Jr. National Team. This past spring, applause and congratulations were due as Adam received an invitation to the Jr. National Team Selection Camp. Similar to the one he had completed the previous year, this was more competitive, as the goal was to reduce the squad from the top twenty-four rowers to just eighteen. Adam’s strength and skill

Some of the athletes, most notably from wrestling and crew, have not only excelled in the Belmont Hill school year, but have been unbelievably successful in the summer seasons as well. kept him in until the final rounds of cuts, but unfortunately he was not destined to remain. “My favorite part about the camp was definitely the bonding among all the guys there” he said. “I made a lot of good friends with whom I’ve kept in touch and seen at my college visits.” But this decision did not end Adam’s rowing that summer, for he later joined the famous Wide Load Boat Club, run out of Boston University.

Belmont Hill rowing alums Schimmel, Dillon and Reed with seniors Maleh and Bose Earlier in the summer, Pranay Bose had competed for Wide Load at the Under-23 World Championship Trials event, where he came in fourth just missing a berth on the World’s squad. Adam and Pranay were not the only rowers from Belmont Hill in the boat; in fact the majority of this eight were Belmont Hill students, along with alumni Andrew Reed, Jeffrey Schimmel, Ian Connor and Mark Dillon, all of whom have had very successful starts to their collegiate rowing careers. The boat competed at the Royal Canadian Henley in the under-23 division. Their greatest success amongst the very talented crews was in the 500 meter dash, where they took third place only a few tenths of a second behind the fastest boat.

Another oarsman with a successful summer was another Captain, Dan Kraft.

Dan joined the Community Rowing summer competitive program along with Belmont Hill rowers; Alex Potter, Max Bell and Albert Kiladjian. As stroke of the first varsity boat, he led the crew to a very success-

Ott, Favaloro, and Coach Leonardis at Fargo

ful summer season. Silver medalist at Club Nationals in the coxed four and a finalist at the Canadian Henley in this same event, Dan continued thinking about Belmont Hill throughout. He said that one of his favorite parts of the summer was beating the Deerfield boys, perrenial Belmont Hill rivals who were rowing for another summer powerhouse, Penn A.C, in the coxed four.

In an entirely separate arena, one of the single most successful athletes in the school is national champion wrestler, Jeffery Ott. Wrestling captain for the second year this year, Jeff continues to improve his incredible technique and strength, reflecting his position as the most successful wrestler in the school’s history. Since entering Form III at Belmont Hill, he has been a three-time All-American and the school’s only wrestling National Champion. This summer, at the most competitive tournament in the country, in Fargo, North Dakota, he went 8-1 to take third place out of 91 wrestlers from 45 states,

Peter Ott

Kim Maleh

the only All-American from Massachusetts. Jeff was one of the top recruits in the entire country, and has decided to attend Harvard University next year. His tireless work over his nine-year career has paid

This summer [Jeff Ott] showcased his skills at the most competitive tournament in the country in Fargo, North Dakota. off tremendously. Looking forward to another great wrestling season, he hopes to lead Belmont Hill to its second New England Championship in a four-year span.

Belmont Hill offers a superb athletics department that does everything it can to make every sport as competitive and enjoyable as possible, but for a select few it is the off-season that is the true test of expertise in a given sport. ☐

Kraft rowing on the Charles

Kim Maleh

Novemb er 2 2 , 2 0 1 1

Belmont Hill Sp orts

Pag e 5

Teachers boast impressive athletic achievements Cam Scari Contributing Writer Many of us students walk around Belmont Hill thinking we are some kind of athletic stud, but, in reality, most of us can’t even measure up to many of the faculty members. A whopping seventeen teachers played D1 athletics in college and at least another nine were quite distinguished DIII athletes.

Take Mike Minahan, for instance, who was looking to break the school record in the 400-meter dash last spring with a time in the low 51s. Buzz surrounded the possibility. Coach Kirby even called Minahan out specifically during the massive alumni banquet for having a chance to break the record. However, students don’t know that Dr. Melvoin, himself, would have smashed our record. He ran a 49.8 second 400, as a junior in high school! And while he was Harvard’s number one 400 runner as a sophomore, he ran a 48.1 relay split.

Coach Trautz also accomplished great things in track. He set the Maine State indoor track 2-mile record with a time of 9:35 without warming up because he was pissed at his coach. He doesn’t remember his celebration, because he didn’t have one. He passed out in a puddle of his own feces and vomit when he crossed the finish line. Trautz also set the Maine State outdoor mile record, with a time of 4:23; just to put that in perspective Ian Meyer runs around a 4:40 mile.

Several other teachers have accomplished athletic success in endurance sports as well. Mr. Courtney, Mr. Wood, Mr. Richards, and Dr. Buckley rowed at the collegiate level. Mr. George, whose main sport in high school was tennis, went to Brown and walked onto the crew team.

He never quite made the 1st varsity boat, but made 3rd boat in ’93 and 2nd boat in ’94. The Brown team went undefeated throughout both of those seasons, winning the “Triple Crown,” which included the Eastern Sprints, IRA, and National Championships, two years in a row. Mr. George continued his career for the US National Team in the men’s double, placing 14th out of 30 at World’s in 1997. His best erg 2k ever was 6:01.2; our premier rower, Adam Maleh’s personal best is 6:19.

Only one faculty member can claim the title of “National Champion” as a high school athlete. Mr. Leonardis won Prep Nationals twice at Blair Academy, was a 4x All-American, and was named “Outstanding Wrestler” in one of his championship years. Belmont Hill has had only one National Champion, Jeff Ott. Mr. Leo also won High School Nationals and was a 2x Junior National AllAmerican. To outstrip his mentor’s high school accomplishments, Ott will need a Prep National title with an Outstanding Wrestler award, a Beast of the East title, and win Junior National’s this season. This competition should get interesting However, I doubt that Jeff will be able to beat Coach Leo’s greatest achievement: after abstaining from showering for a month straight in high school, he attained grimiest-kid-ever status.

Mr. Brodie, Armstrong, McCarthy, Tahan, and Fleming all played DI hockey.

Mr. Brodie played hockey for the University of Michigan, where he also played for and captained the golf team. Our very own athletic director was captain of his varsity hockey at SUNY Buffalo his senior year.

Mr. Armstrong captained the Harvard team in 1987-88 and was named 1st Team AllIvy League that season. In his four years he scored 36 goals and had 38 assists, and

Mr. George competing for the United States in the Mens’ 2x in the 1986-87 season, his team lost in the NCAA Championship final. At one game in his hometown of Ithaca against Cornell, fans tossed fish and booed Mr Armstrong.

Mr. McCarthy scored on UVM’s Tim Thomas in an ECAC tournament semi-finals game in 1998 while playing for Harvard.

He played varsity hockey all four years and captained the team his senior year as well.

Mr. McCarthy didn’t stop playing hockey after college. He chased the dream of playing in the NHL for 6 seasons until he decided to use his hockey skills to enrich himself culturally. His last three seasons he played in Slovenia, Sweden, and Italy.

Mr. Fleming played four years of hockey at Colgate and was a captain his senior year too. His team participated in one of the biggest hockey fights in college history during his captainship season, in which he successfully took on the opponent’s biggest guy. However, Fleming seemed more proud of his playing four varsity sports, football, hockey, baseball, and track, in his senior year of high school than his four years of college hockey.

“There was one Saturday at Newton that I remember vividly,” he said, “I had my baseball uniform on over my track jersey.

I ran the 100 yard dash, put my baseball stuff back on to play for a while, then ran the 200 yard dash, and put my baseball stuff back on again to finish the game. Can you believe it?” He was lightning fast. Not once in his entire high school baseball career was he thrown out while stealing a base.

As much as Mr. Fleming might be happy with his high school and college athletic career, his true source of pride has been his coaching career. He was the youngest head hockey coach in the history of the state, starting at Charleston High at age 22. He coached both Charleston and Brookline (at different times of course) far enough into the state hockey tournament to play at the Garden in front of around 13,000 fans. As a public school football coach, he won two super bowls with West Roxbury, two with Walpole, and one with Brookline.

Education and Athletics have been his whole life, besides five years on Wall St. He could not be more thankful for his boyhood friend, Mr. Gallagher, (Mr. Belmont Hill as Fleming calls him) who convinced him to work at Belmont Hill, the best of both worlds.

“Hmm, let’s see…athletic accomplishments, you say? Well I once hit a baseball 475 feet, into a slight wind, I might add. I once threw a baseball 386 feet. After college, while I was coaching, I liked to

Courtesy of Mr. George

screw around so I tried a bunch of different New England. After BC, Montoya played track events. I got 6’4” in the high jump (our professional indoor soccer for four seasons, school record), ran a 2:04 800, a 22.9 second and made the all-pro team once. He also 200, a 10.3 100 yard dash, a 10:24 two-mile, a played three seasons for the Boston Bolts, 4:44 indoor mile, and lept 22 feet in the long a professional outdoor team, and was the jump (again beats our school record), and captain and the team MVP one season. threw a shot-put 47 feet. Oh, and I almost And now we have arrived at the forgot, I once threw a football 67 yards.” man whom many of the faculty members Mr. Kirby listed off the top of his head. consider the school’s best all-around “Those are all cool attributes, but didn’t athlete, Robert Brownell. At Phillips Exeter, you play minor league baseball?” I asked. he earned ten varsity letters in soccer, “Yeah, I was on a AAA roster; I just hockey, and baseball. Ten letters means he tried out and bombed a couple over the played on a varsity team his freshman year fence, and then I made the A team. I couldn’t and all three teams every season starting his play for Holy Cross anymore, though, sophomore year. He won the Purple Key because I was a professional. During one Trophy at Williams for the best athlete for season I set the record for throwing people playing three varsity sports at the same time out at home from the outfield, ha-ha,” and captaining the hockey and baseball Mr. Kirby said with his typical chuckle. teams. He did not even pick up a squash Mr. Greer and Mr. Martin both had racket until he met his current wife after distinguished baseball careers as well. Mr. college. In squash just last year, he was Greer pitched DI for UVA for four years ranked #3 in the nation for the 50+ division. and went on to play semi-pro baseball with So I ask, do any of the faculty the Boston Park League for five years. Mr. members, many of whom are better Martin captained hockey and baseball (two athletes than any of us will ever be, times) at Belmont Hill. Bowdoin picked sometimes look down at us and laugh at up this young stud for both sports, and he our insignificant achievements? Not to became the New England DII/III Player of be too cynical, but it is quite possible. ☐ the Year in hockey and won the Tomasello Award for unsung hero.

He set several scoring records at Bowdoin for hockey and got a tryout with the Buffalo Sabres.

The first year he was eligible, the Bowdoin Hall of Honor inducted him. After college he continued his baseball career; he played semipro baseball for Cotuit in the Cape Cod League and was one of the top ten hitters in the league.

There is only one true professional athlete on the faculty, and he was a soccer player.

Mr. Montoya grew up locally, in Newton. He was awarded All-New England and All-State honors during his time at Newton North High School, from which he graduated in 1980.

He captained the BC soccer team in his senior season and was named Courtesy of Mr. Leonardis Mr. Leonardis wrestling at UNC All-Big East and All-

Belmont Hill CAMPAIGN

Pa g e 6

T he Panel

“The economy means everything,” say candidates

By Colin Sargis Panel Staff In the upcoming election, economics mean everything. The economy still remains in the same recession stupor that it has for the past few years. President Obama passed several long term bills to revive the United States economy, yet the average citizen is too impatient for long term plans, and demands short term economic growth. The top candidate in the GOP race must have a dependable economic plan to challenge the incumbent President Obama.

With the unemployment rate currently at 9.1% nationally, job creation will play a major role in regards to the economic realm of the election. Seven major candidates in the Republican primary have debated this issue for months, trying to express their solution as superior.

Mitt Romney, a renowned businessman, spent 25 years of his life working in the private sector. He believes that with proper education, private businesses will spring up and create new jobs. The government must have faith in the will of the people and stop regulating the economy, punishing small businesses. He plans to cut the wasteful spending of Obama to “train and prepare American workers for jobs of today and tomorrow.”

Romney is sometimes criticized for Massachusetts’ low job creation rates during his tenure. However, Romney was able to hold one of the lowest unemployment rates during his time in office. Ian Meyer, who plays Romney, states, “I must eliminate much of the bureaucratic red tape, and limit the power of coercive union-leaders.

Free trade and energy security allow the economy to adapt to changing times all are key in job creation.”

In the eye of Herman Cain, the Alabama businessman behind Godfather’s Pizza, job creation all starts with a simplified tax code which will allow business to flourish and the American wealth to be restored. Cain’s mantra is his “9-9-9 plan”, stating that “todays taxation is the modern day slavery.” The 9-9-9 plan will reduce the American taxes immensely. A 9% business tax will be enforced and is merely just a tax on businesses. A 9% flat tax will be an enormous tax break to the income taxes of many, which in some cases are as high as 35%. And finally he enforces a 9% sales tax. According to former treasury official Gary Robbins, the 9-9-9 plan will expand the GDP by 2 trillion dollars, create six million jobs, and increase wages by 10% on average.

Ron Paul supports a tax break even more radical than that of Cain. Paul supports the complete elimi-

Herman Cain swifteconomics.com

nation of income tax and in turn, the IRS. He states that Congress has no right to impose direct tax on the people and wants to repeal the 16th Amendment. Like most Republicans, he supports the reduction of taxes which will allow the private sector to prosper, eventually leading to new jobs and an exit path to the recession.

Utah Governor, Jon Huntsman, shares similar views with Romney yet tackles them in a different manner. He plans to create a more business friendly environment by lowering taxes, foreign energy dependence and lessening all other job-killing regulations. In so doing, he created a haven for businesses to sprout up and create new jobs. Joe Troderman, playing Huntsman, states, “The position of our economy and the creation of jobs are clearly interdependent. We need to make America a place for business. Using the same strategies I used in Utah, I know we can do it. If it worked in Utah (which it did), it can work for the country at large.”

Michele Bachmann of Minnesota largely agrees with Huntsman’s ideals. As a former tax litigation attorney, she understands the need to simplify the tax code and decrease the burdens on small businesses. She will lower taxes and “repeal job-kill-

ing regulations,” allowing for more job creation.

Newt Gingrich attempts to repeal and replace Obamacare with a “pro-jobs, pro-responsibility” health care plan. He wants to cut taxes for all Americans. He will bring back “trickle down economics” presented by Reagan to boost the economy. This theory is to give the wealthy and the large corporations money and it will trickle down and reach the needy. He also will attempt to remove regulations on the private sector.

Lastly, Rick Perry is considered the best at job growth of all the GOP candidates, leading Texas to #1 in job creation during his tenure. 40% of all net American jobs have been created in Texas since June 2009. He cut taxes for small businesses; encouraged employers to create thousands of jobs, invest in new technology, invest billions of dollars in education; and made Texas less dependent on foreign energy.

How will this affect Belmont Hill? Education reforms presented by the candidates may not change the school, but their platforms, if put into effect, will certainly afford Belmont Hill families to enjoy the tax breaks and the stronger, more stable economy for which the Republican candidates are striving. ☐

Answers: John Kerry and Scott Brown

Answers: Hu Jintao

BH: USA:

BH: USA:

62% correct 54%

Answers: Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, Rick Perry, Michelle Bachmann, etc.

Answers: Troubled Asset Relief Program

Is President Obama considered pro-life or pro-choice?

Michele Bachmann 10 reasons you should vote for Michele Bachmann: 1. Michele is the only real Tea Party candidate. She stands for lower taxes and less government intervention 2. Michele represents the farthest point possible from the policies of Barack Obama

BH: USA:

31% 40%

anyone 8. Michele believes in a citizen’s constitutional right to own guns 9. Michele wants to minimize federal regulation in order to promote job creation 10. Do it, you won’t…

Ron Paul

What was the “bubble” that broke in 2008?

BH: USA:

3. Prior to becoming a Congresswoman, Bachmann was a tax litigation attorney, so she knows the importance of simplifying the tax codes and reducing tax burdens 4. The 9-9-9 plan is the devil’s plan 5. Michele is a defender of the unborn 6. Michele has 28 kids 7. Michele has never sexually harassed

Newt Gingrich is ready to offer the bold solutions that will get America working again. Under Newt’s leadership as Speaker of the House, Congress passed the first balanced budget in a generation, leading to the repayment of over $400 billion in debt. Congress also cut taxes for the first time in 16 years and enacted welfare reforms that resulted in over 60 percent of recipients either getting a job or going to school. By stopping tax increases and balancing the budget, he will make America a desirable location for business investment, eliminating the capital gains tax and dramatically reducing the corporate income tax. Speaker Gingrich has the knowledge, experience, and the concrete proposals that befit the presidency of the United States of America. He is the only candidate with both a steadfast commitment to conservative values and the experience to get things done in Washington. Join Newt now to save America.

34%

Answers: The housing bubble

58%

Obama changed the course of the United States from one of prosperity to one of socialism and ruin. Obamacare subjects the rights of Americans, unprotected by the Constitution, to the whims of the federal government. Obama has debased the United States internationally by betraying our allies, apologizing for our actions, and submitting our sovereignty to the United Nations. In Texas, Rick Perry created more jobs than any other governor. Rick Perry is the true states’ rights candidate, and stands out from all other governors in that field.

Rick Perry is the only candidate who will lower unemployment, foster economic growth, and keep America the best country in the world.

Newt Gingrich

27%

Answer: Pro-choice

81%

Rick Perry

33%

What is TARP?

BH: USA:

Herman Cain will be stepping in to replace a man who sadly disappointed this proud nation. We, the real people of America, have been struggling along, weighed down by an enormous federal government. Herman Cain is the only candidate who is bold enough, different enough, and authentic enough to make a real change. We shall free the people of America from the fetters of a government grown far beyond its intended scope. We will allow the people of America to finally help themselves.

54% correct

Name four current Republican presidential candidates.

50%

Mitt Romney

What follows is not a normal political statement. Because the man whom it represents is not a normal candidate. A good politician is not a man who can put on a smile, he is a man who will look people in the eyes and say what needs to be said. Jon Huntsman is that man. Jon Huntsman can handle international affairs. He was the US ambassador to China for three years. He knows the inner workings of our relationships with this major nation better than anyone else in this election. Jon Huntsman can handle the economy. He will not speak in hypothetical statements or in three-numbered plans. He has a proven record for improving the economy in Utah when he was governor. Jon Huntsman won’t flop on issues like health-care. Jon Huntsman has the passion to fix our country and is the only man with enough drive to do it himself. Jon Huntsman has your vote. (Commence inception now).

Who is the current president of China?

USA:

Pag e 7

Jon Huntsman

Who are the current Senators from your home state?

69%

Belmont Hill CAMPAIGN

Mitt Romney is the only candidate we can count on to take on President Obama in 2012. After months of gridlock in Washington, in the midst of a worsening economy, we need a Republican who can get the job done. Mitt is often called the “turn-around man,” for his successes at Bain Capital. He was able to make progress despite an overwhelmingly liberal legislature when he was the Governor of Massachusetts. As an American, you should be appalled at an inefficient government in Washington and a sinking economy on Wall Street.

It’s only a matter of time before Main Street is sucked in under the current administration. Right now, our country needs a miracle, and Mitt Romney is the only candidate with experience enough to produce one. Romney will lead a strong, free America. Join the team, stand with America, stand with Mitt.

How politically aware are Belmont Hill students?

BH:

Novemb er 2 2 , 2 0 1 1

Courtesy of Henry Cousins

Our nation is in crisis. The policies of the recent administrations have thrown our economy into turmoil and sullied our international reputation. One man, Dr. Ron Paul, has stood against the tide and refused to compromise his principles. He has fought for Americans since taking office in 1978. In these times of trouble, Dr. Paul is the only man capable of taking America in the right direction. He is the only servant in Washington that understands we need to bring our troops home, stop funding wasteful international organizations, and focus all our resources on rebuilding our country. Dr. Paul believes in defending our liberties, standing by intransigent principles, and curtailing invasive, blundering bureaucratic programs. He is the only politician to stand firm against ignorant criticism and defend our freedoms. Vote for Ron Paul. Vote to save America.

Candidate photos by John Gillooly

L ast L o ok

Pa g e 8

T he Panel

Top Ten Teachers Most Likely to Cancel Class 10. Dr. Buckley - Went on a hunting expedition 9. Mr. Treddenick

James Bell

RJ Grant

Adam Hunter

Richard Cronin

Keelan Smithers

Steven Devellis

8. Mr. Loeb - Mom coulldn’t give him ride to school 7. Mr. Richards - The boathouse was closed at five this morning, practice ran late.

6. Mr. Kolovos, Mr. Hegarty, Mr. Fiori, et al. Trivia bar went late the night before 5. Mr. Leonardis - He’s just cool 4. Mr. Gallagher - Giving a lecture entitled “The True Meaning of Life”

thephoenix.com Evan Ricci

Jeff Spicoli

3. Ms. Davis - Two people were sick, and, honestly, who wants to teach a one-person class?

2. Mr. Butler - Too busy policing student driving habits on Route 2 1. Mr. Butler (the one who still doesn’t wear a tie) - Stayed home to read The Communist Manifesto

nndb.com

in.com Mr. Musler

Colin Firth

John Cresap

Tony Hawk