November 2013 (62, 4)

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Overshadowed by an older sibling?

Don’t Worship the Ivy League pg. 5

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Volu m e 6 2 , Issu e 4

Nov. 2 6 , 2 0 1 3

A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill School

The Elephant on Campus

Talking Turkey about Teen Drinking Culture

By Jacob Pagano Panel Staff When an on-campus EMT from Boston College rose to speak at last week’s gathering of Belmont Hill and NCDS seniors, everyone listened. She was young, pretty, a recent graduate of a local high school, and what she was talking about—her experience dealing with binge drinking on college campuses—felt relevant, even urgent, important to a group of college-bound seniors.

Yet the college drinking scene she reported was not the

Form IV Field Day

By Jay O’Brien Panel Staff While the majority of the student body sat in class on October 8th, Belmont Hill students of the Fourth Form rushed down to the Jordan Athletic Center to prepare for the Form IV Field Day. The students were separated into different teams based on their advisor groups, and then engaged in a variety of competitions. For every first place finish, a team was awarded 5 points, with the amount of points awarded decreasing by one for each descending standing.

Those who placed outside of the top 5 earned no points at all. At the end of the day, the scores were tallied, and the advisor group with the most points was victorious.

Field Day began on the tennis courts, where the advisor groups were judged based on their uniforms. The various apparel ranged from the jerseys of Boston sports teams, as seen from Mrs. Sweeney’s group, to bright pink tank tops, worn by Mr. Bradley’s advisees. From there, the competition shifted onto the football field, where the relay and Ultimate Frisbee took place. These Belmont Hill upper-schoolers could be seen sprinting across the football field, almost resembling a group of elementary school students at recess. The following event was a two-person egg toss, with each pair of students representing an advisor group.

In the end, the final two pairs were at least 60 feet apart, yet the event surprisingly concluded in a tie between the two teams. continued on page 3

glorious, romanticized party scene you hear about in Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night,” nor was it the ecstatic utopia you see in “Project X.” We all know about the debauchery that occurs in a college dorm—the EMT was here to tell us about the aftermath, about what happens after that “really crazy night.”

I understand why we glamorize our binging culture—and there’s good reason teenagers hold the creed that the more spirit, the better the night. Hanging naked outside of frat houses while striking at a pinata, escap-

ing the reality of adult life in a few hours of euphoria on Saturday night, feeling big and powerful and loquacious for an evening— it’s all really fun. But going too far, too often, as relatively young college students—there’s nothing cool about that. And for the EMT that’s awaiting calls from drunken freshmen, the blackouts are downright frightening.

The coeducational event, led by Ms. David and the cohort of Peer Leaders, allowed us to hear from people like the EMT, who depicted the “life of the party” with precision and

honesty. When describing her job as a first-responder at BC, she said “I get many calls on an average Saturday night, and the vast majority of those are from

Learning to indulge without over-indulging. freshman, who are usually reporting blacked-out friends or buddies who have ‘gone way over their limit’...Yes, I tell them, 14 shots in 20 minutes is too much.”

Veteran Meyer Shares His Story

By Michael O’Neill Panel Staff This year’s Veterans Day chapel presented the school with an incredibly rare and exciting opportunity. In a very special gathering of the school, everybody had the chance to hear from Mr. Henry H. Meyer, Jr., a graduate of the Class of 1939 and a surviving World War II veteran. Mr. Meyer embodies much of what Belmont Hill students should aspire to be, and it was truly an honor to listen to such a wise and brave American hero. Mr. Meyer shared several of his experiences during the war, while also honoring the memory of his younger brother, Peter, another graduate of the school, who sadly lost his life during the war. Additionally, he recognized two of his fellow classmates who also fought in the war and explained their roles in fighting the Axis powers.

Specifically, Mr. Meyer discussed what it was like to be involved in the German-offensive Battle of the Bulge, during which more US soldiers were killed or wounded than in any other Wo r l d War II

conflict. He expounded, “it (meaning the Battle of the Bulge) caused the loss of thousands of lives of soldiers not much older than the people sitting in the front row.”

As the front row was populated with members of the Senior class, these words especially hit home once it was understood that those who died were the same age as many students. American troops like Mr. Meyer and his brother fought off the enemy forces valiantly alongside British allies. “I was fortunate.

I came home,” he stated. Tragically, about 19,000 Americans were killed during the month-long assault, Mr. Meyer’s brother being one of them. However, it was not in vain that these men sacrificed themselves for their country, as an Allied victory proved Bill Mahoney to be a decisive turning point in the

She didn’t want to provide us Sixth Form students with an ominous, overly grim view of our college futures, nor did she promote abstinence. She just wanted to let us know this: most college freshmen simply aren’t very good at drinking. They haven’t developed the ability to wade into tipsiness and the enjoyment of a good buzz while still avoiding a cataclysmic tip into crapulent oblivion. Complete, boundless Bacchanal indulgence and the “library grind” stand as the two extremes of freshman existence. continued on page 4

New BH Website

By Andrés Fernández del Castillo Panel Staff

These days, the first step towards learning about something new invariably involves the internet. So, when prospective Belmont Hill parents want to learn more about the school, their curiosity will compel them to make a quick google search.

To them, the site is representative of the school, and so the goal of the site is to make a spectacular first impression. The old site had performed this task admirably, but things have changed since the site’s creation in 2008: technology has been constantly evolving, making web design elsewhere much slicker. In response to the need for a more modern approach, the old Belmont Hill website has now been overhauled to create a sleeker, more navigable new site. continued on page 3

Looking Ahead: Varsity Hockey

By John Sutherland Panel Staff As the temperature drops and athletes begin to migrate off the fields and into the Athletic Center, the varsity hockey team, led by captains Danny Kelly, Matt Melanson and Tyler Granara, is poised to have a strong season in the alwayscompetitive ISL. Despite losing many offensive weapons from an exceptionally strong graduating class, the team returns a strong core group of seniors as well as some tal-

ented and scrappy sophomores and juniors. This year’s team is loaded with talent on both offense and defense, and there are many young players ready to step into those skates left by last spring’s graduates.

The ultimate goal for this season is to win the ISL Championship and return to the New England Tournament. This was emphasized by Captain Danny Kelly: “This year we have a great group of returning players. The common goal we’ve all talked about since the end of last year is making it past the

first round of the playoffs. continued on page 11

Courtesy Photo

Belmont Hill News

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Juniors Help Rebuild Generation-Spanning Memorial Park Senate Official

By Samuel Porter Greets Students Staff Writer

On Friday, October 11th, the Form V boys traveled to the Winnbrook Elementary School in Belmont to help rebuild Joey’s Park. The park was originally built in 1989 to honor Joey O’Donnell, a young boy who passed away in 1986 after a long battle with cystic fibrosis. One of the goals of this project was to raise money for the Joey Fund, which is part of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The Joey Fund was founded in November 1986, and since then has raised over $56,000,000 for cystic fibrosis research. Many of Joey’s childhood friends led the rebuild, along with the help of Suffolk Construction Company. The boys were just a few of the 2,000 plus volunteers who helped keep the cost of the build as low as possible. The entirety of the project was completed by volunteers from the community, in a fantastic showing of the power of a community effort.

The form left immediately following the 8:00 chapel, and worked straight through the morning. For the building, the boys split up into advisor groups, and each group being given a specific task to accomplish. The tasks ranged from digging holes, to spreading wood chips, to pouring concrete. After a quick lunch and basketball break, they were all out there again working on the park.

The afternoon was more focused on digging holes for the base posts of the playground equipment to be set into. The students were

By Liam Foley Staff Writer

Fifth Formers contribute to reconstruction efforts at Joey’s Park supervised by professional workers, as well as other volunteers with building experience.

While the work was tiring, all of the teachers and students knew how important their contribution was to the Belmont community. Said Mr. Armstrong of the day, “It’s a great effort on the community and it’s wonderful that our boys could be down here, and faculty too.” He continued, adding, “It’s good to help the community and also sup-

port a really important cause.” Fifth former Noah Levine said that “It feels really good to give back to the community, and it feels like we’re all working together as a school and as a form”. The boys worked hard until the early afternoon, when the students all returned to school after a hard day’s work, though lifted by the knowledge of their contribution to the community of Belmont, as well as toward the research of cystic fibrosis. ☐

BH Semi-Formal Dance Incoming

By Chip Daley Staff Writer

Bill Mahoney Above: More volunteer work at Joey’s Park Alumni House Below: The Class of 1939, with Mr. Meyer (front row, far right)

Meyer, ‘39, Honors Veterans in Chapel continued from page 1 of several intriguing anecdotes Mr. Meyer shared with us throughout his speech.

Mr. Meyer also detailed life in the Lastly, Mr. Meyer graciously answered army between battles, even injecting a good questions from several students, going into deal of humor into his speech, adding some more detail about certain topics and offerrevitalizing levity in between some of the ing worldly advice about the future. When sadder tales. He told stories about interact- asked whether Belmont Hill students should ing with civilians, communicating with fam- feel obligated to serve in the military, he ily back home, and dealing with the stresses explained that he was not necessarily advoof war. Precisely, he mentioned an encounter cating joining the armed forces, but made with a French woman while at Normandy. it clear that we should always be prepared “I would get my laundry done by a beauti- for any potential situation that may arise. ful young French girl,” he explained. He Hearing from such an esteemed had given her particularly fragrant soap, and respected alumnus was certainly a which, according to him, “attracted her fa- unique opportunity for us as a student vorable attention.” He continued, saying, body, and the takeaways from Mr. Meyer’s “when she gave me my laundry back, there speech are priceless. We were surely gifted was a fresh egg.” Mr. Meyer paused for ef- by Mr. Meyer’s presence, and we sincerely fect before adding, “you might call that an thank him not only for speaking to us in invitation,” evoking an uproar of laugh- recognition of Veterans Day but also for ter from the audience.” This was just one his courageous service to his country. ☐

Bill Mahoney

Earlier in November, several students were given the opportunity to hear from Mr. Alan Frumin, a friend of Mr. MacLean’s and the former Parliamentarian of the US Senate. For those who do not know, a Senate Parliamentarian’s job is to be an expert on Senate rules and procedures and to be able to interpret its by-laws. Mr. Frumin shared details about his interesting job and told a number of fascinating stories about his endeavors in the upper house. He graduated from Colgate University in 1968 and later attended Georgetown University in pursuit of a law degree. Mr. Frumin revealed that after graduating from Georgetown, he simply filled out an application for a job in the senate and, to his surprise, was offered the position.

Thus, his career in Congress started in 1974 as editor of the Deschler’s Precedents of the House of Representatives. Due to his skill with and knowledge of senatorial proceedings and precedents as well as the fact that he had no affiliation to either party, Mr. Frumin was promoted to the Senate Parliamentarian’s office in 1977.

The government official worked under Murray Zweben until Zweben was let go in 1981, when Robert Dove took over as his boss. When the Democratic Party gained a Senate majority in 1987, Dove was dismissed and Frumin began his reign as Parliamentarian. Frumin describes his job as being a “referee” of the Senate, gifted with the power to decide what can or can not be added to certain bills. Frumin continued to be chief Parliamentarian until the Republican Party regained control over the senate in 1997 and Robert Dove took Frumin’s job, however, just four years later, Dove was dismissed yet again and the Republicans promoted Frumin back to chief Parliamentarian. Mr.Frumin jokes that he must be doing something right because he became the first person in the history of the position to serve as chief to both major party after Trent Lott, the Republican majority leader that in 2001, promoted him to chief Parliamentarian. Frumin is also the only one of the past three Parliamentarians to retire on his own terms, as the prior two had been dismissed. Frumin’s job is both extremely important as well as incredibly interesting; he claims that if any of our careers are even one tenth as exciting as his was, we would be lucky. I would have to agree. ☐

Only 8 p.m. Empty gym. No rowdy teenagers. Just a bunch of tables still lined with full beverages and sugary snacks. A very sad state of affairs as the teacher chaperones and finally the D.J packed everything up and headed out of the door of one previous Belmont Hill SemiFormal dance. Since this disastrous occasion, the student leaders of the upper-school senate have often been hesitant to plan a “Semi” in the past couple of years, afraid that theirs would resemble the failure of years past. Despite the fear of another disappointing school dance, Form V President Evan Chaletzky, Vice President Alex Santangelo, and Senator James Russo were enthusiastic and focused on creating a successful night of music, dancing, and high-school romance. Due to the persistence of the committed junior class leadership, Belmont Hill is excited to announce that we will be hosting a junior-sophomore semi-formal on Saturday December 14th at 7:30 p.m. “The event of the year,” as said by Evan Chaletzky, will take place in the Wadsworth room of the Jordan Athletic Center with the D.J from Dana Hall’s 2013 prom known as “Pure Energy.”

The students of the junior and sophomore classes have advocated their excitement and zeal towards the “Semi.” As Sophomore student Charlie Greenwood put it, “ I think its a great idea for the school, especially the younger high school students. We don’t have prom for our grade, so it’s nice to have a formal dance like this.” One large and nerve-racking part for many students is to bring a date, but when I asked sophomore student Al Zenati, he seemed cool and calm stating, “You go for the gold. I would strike up a conversation with the girl. Once that happens, you’re ‘in’. From that point on you just keep the fingers crossed.”

As the signups will soon be coming out, the first privilege will be going to the juniors (seniority) and then the sophomores will have a chance to sign up soon after. Make sure you write down your name Bill Mahoney because it should be a great night and hopefully we will be able to host a successful Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin Semi-Formal dance in the years to come! ☐

Novemb er 26, 2013

Belmont Hill News

Sherman Lecture Generates Intrigue in Scientific Studies standing of the way things work. He emphasized the impact of science on all of our lives, and how it is thus important to understand it On October 22nd, the entire school filed and learn about it. Dr. Willard encouraged all into the Chapel for Belmont Hill’s annual of us to stay inquisitive, always ask questions, Sherman Lecture. The Sherman Lecture is a and always search for new knowledge. He series of lectures held every year thanks to the also pointed out that, in the field of science, generosity of the Nalebuff family (whose son there will always be something left unsolved: Barry was a member of the class of 1976) and answering one question will open the door to named in honor of Mr. Sherman. The lectures many, many more queries. He reminded us always feature a prominent figure in the fields that there will never be a day where a scienof math or science. Now in its fourteenth year, tist can clean up his laboratory and Belmont Hill was honored to welcome back state that his work is done because Dr. Huntington Willard, Class of 1971, there will always be more work to to speak at this year’s Sherman lecture. do and more questions left to anDr. Willard, a graduate of Belswer. Because of this, he emmont Hill, is one of the nation’s phasized the importance of leading researchers in the field science and science educaof genomics and genetic biology. tion in our society as we After graduating from Belmont head into the future. He Hill, Dr. Willard would then go explained that science on to study at Harvard and Yale, is not just about memoreceiving a Ph. D. in biology. He rizing facts and formuthen completed his postdoctoral las, but it is a search for studies in medical genetics at understanding of the Johns Hopkins University. Curworld around us. Berently, he is the Director of the cause of the effects that Duke Institute for Genome Sciscience will have on us, ences and Policy and a professor in Bill Mahoney our future, and our socigenomics at Duke University. He is Mr. and Mrs. Nalebluff with Dr. Willard and Mr. Sherman ety, Dr. Willard invited us one of the most respected researchall to “…seek and embrace ers in the field of genetics, authoring or co-au- huge role, not only in his own work, but also what is the very essence of research: a search thoring hundreds of scientific papers and even in our own future endeavors. Dr. Willard em- for new knowledge and understanding.” one textbook. While he has made many, many phasized that the only way that we can make Overall, Dr. Willard’s Sherman lecture was a contributions to the field of genetics, some of sense of the world around us is through math thoughtful, inspiring, and educating experihis most important work came as a researcher and science because “nature doesn’t speak ence about the importance of gaining an unand scientist involved in the Human Genome English.” Unlike English, science and math are derstanding of the world around us and the Project, a global initiative to map out the universal languages that are vital to our under- importance of science in all of our lives. ☐

By Sreehaas Digumarthi Staff Writer

entire human genome. Dr. Willard has also served in important positions for various scientific societies, organizations, and journals.

His current research focuses on the expanding role that genetics can play in medicine.

For his speech, Dr. Willard began by first sharing some of his experiences in the field of science. While he outlined some of the work that he has done throughout his career, he also recalled some of his experiences as a math and science student at Belmont Hill. He stressed that, while they may not seem so interesting or useful to us right now, m a t h and science play a

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BH Blood Drive Colossal Success

By Michael O’Neill Panel Staff Last Thursday, on the 14th of November, the annual Belmont Hill Blood Drive took place. Spearheaded

by Seniors Taylor Morris and Duncan Wheeler and Junior Will Malloy, along with help from several faculty members, the event saw generous students give blood to those in need. Donated blood is used in transfusions during emergency situations, and is given to patients receiving serious surgical procedures, such as heart transplants. The program is held every year, and is always a popular event among members of the school.

A sincere thanks to everyone who ran the drive, and to those who gave blood. ☐

Form IV Field Day Won by Team Marto continued from page 1 After a quick lunch break, a more intellectual group of events ensued, consisting of memory math, trivia, and the always-competitive game of Simon Says.

Following these contests was the most important event of the day: the talent show. The talent show exemplified the many interesting abilities of the Fourth Form, which included rubix cube solving, dancing, singing, and everything in-between. The winner of the contest was Christian Dolan for his rendition of ‘Sunday Morning’ by Maroon 5, representing Ms. Whitney’s advisory.

Field Day concluded in the gymnasium, with a three-point shooting contest, as well as pull-ups and pushups. Thanks to a strong finish in the pull-ups and push-ups competition at the end of the day, Mr Martellini’s advisory was crowned champion of the Form IV Field Day. In the words of Chip Daley, a member of Mr. Martellini’s advisory, “The Field Day was a great day overall, and it was good to bring home the win for Mr. Martellini’s advisory. We were clearly an underdog, so it felt even more rewarding to come out on top.” Looking forward, the Form IV Field Day will likely be a part of the tradition at Belmont Hill for many years to come, and thank you to those who made this recent Field Day possible. ☐

Redesigned School Site Seeks to Attract Online Visitors with Refreshing Design continued from page 1 the top right corner linking to everything from recent scores to the admissions deThe most noticeable change is the vi- partment. Also added to the bottom are sual design. Everything has been tailored school’s the customary social media links . to impress, from the banner photos to the The student account portals have pastel colors (a common trend these days). likewise been updated, dropping the The design and construction were done en- practically indecipherable clutter from tirely by the independent company Whip- before and replacing it with something a pleHill, the primary goal being to “wow” little easier on the eyes. An ordered ‘activany and all potential viewers. But there’s ity stream’ shows recent news articles, and more to the update than pretty colors and sizeable buttons on the right link to other artsy pictures: the locations of many com- useful sections of the site. In addition, a ponents of the site were changed, reflect- banner on the top provides easy access ing some fairly extensive user accessibility to profile settings and the directory, as testing. For these tests, many charitable well as a search bar to comfort the lost. souls volunteered to plough through the Beyond simply updating previold site looking for a specific feature, be it ous features, there are new things being the score of a recent game, or the sched- pushed, like the addition of embedded ule for the day. Their movement around Youtube videos (rather than simply linkthe site was tracked to see which elements ing to them). While the actually embedweren’t user friendly enough, and as a re- ment of a video might in itself be unsult, desired items should be a bit easier to derwhelming, it’s being creatively used find. For those who know exactly what they for a special segment called “Focus on want, a ‘quicklinks’ bar has been added to the Classroom.” The piece consists of an

actual recording of a class, by which any curious folks can glean an inside look on how a Belmont Hill class is taught.

In a similar fashion, a series of “HillCasts,” podcasts of faculty and staff, are

available to “talk about the life of our school.” With these new features, as well as the redesign of the old site, Belmont Hill will make a grand first impression on all who visit the new webpage. ☐

The new page displaying recent activity at the school

Belmont Hill Opinion

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Collegiate Drinking Scene continued from page 1

The EMT attributed the prevalence of binging among college freshmen largely to a long-suppressed desire to have boundless fun. “They are straight from four years of high school, four years where they worked really hard, so they think ‘Hey, I can let loose now.’ The problem is that they don’t really know how to do that.” Some freshmen, she noted, had a redeeming quality—the capacity to take care of a drunken friend, to look out for him, bring him home.

Yes, even in a crapulent stupor, character persists. Yet though light shined through, the scenes of blackouts she related were utterly dark.

So naturally we ask ourselves, are we ready for that environment, for a place brimming with ample alcohol, for a venue without the guiding compass of our parents and faculty? And if not, how can we become better prepared to enter the world of spiked Kool-Aid and binge-drinking and frat houses and BUD and “DRINK RESPONSIBLY”?

Or perhaps we can avoid all those questions by simply saying this: I’ve worked hard for those four years of college, earned them, and have gained the right to “go all out,” to have a “really crazy night” once in a while, to binge and enjoy myself. Yet what the EMT made clear is that there is no dignity or character or respect or honor or coolness or awesomeness involved in blacking out and choking in your own vomit—sure, many freshmen have one negative experience with drinking.

What baffled and disappointed the EMT was that they, for quite some time, recklessly binge on.

A difficult question remains to be answered—how can we become prudent drinkers in college (and in high school), drinkers who can find intoxication, wallow in it, enjoy it, and then return home conscious?

The law doesn’t help: Belmont Hill parents are left with one legal option when it comes to alcohol—a crude form of prohibition. Yet many parents, sensing the value in learning to drink responsibly as a teenager, have allowed for social drinking around the house rather than simply saying NO. That nuanced approach is a good one, many seniors suggested, for it allows them to develop an understanding of alcohol, of their limits and desires, before they get to a party environment. Learn to temper, to indulge without over-indulging, and be a more competent drinker later.

One Sixth Former said, “I think my

parents have successfully taught me how to drink socially, and they have prevented the want or need to binge drink. More students and parents in our community need to be open to a casual drink or two, [as] it will only help both the parent and the child in the long run.”

And the role models aren’t necessarily parents—perhaps our older brothers and sisters, many of whom are well versed in the social life of college, are best equipped to introduce us to the drinking world.

The Belmont Hill Faculty see virtue in this liberal approach—yet the legal dilemmas involving underage drinking loom large. “It’s a real Catch-22,” says Mr. Bradley, discussing the difficulty of raising a responsible drinker in America today. “On the one hand we want our kids to know how to drink responsibly and socially, but on the other hand there’s the law—and

Sixth Formers Reflect on Drinking Culture

“The way people react to their first bad experience with drinking says a good deal about their character. I respect the kids that have decided not to binge again, a good deal more than those who become serial binge drinkers. To be honest these kids puzzle me. No doubt getting drunk is fun but why go so far as to make yourself physically ill?”

“Everyone knows the state of adolescent drinking, but we are content with drinking irresponsibly. We are conditioned to think it’s acceptable to make mistakes with drinking and act as idiot high school kids.”

“Students are subjected to the timeless rants of abstinence as the only solution, and this type of lecture simply doesn’t work. This “paranoia” surrounding drinking is only further propagated by our societal refusal to discuss this issue… Instead of actively seeking a resolution, we just turn ourselves to the same things we have heard or spoken before: don’t drink. Obviously, this hasn’t worked yet.”

“There are a few of us who have the luxury of drinking at home with our parents, but for the most part, drinking is completely off limits. It is this complete ban of underage drinking that leads to “binge drinking.”

Nobody has the opportunity to drink in a casual setting, so when the opportunity to drink arises, students capitalize and go all out.”

“Its strange that the law, doesn’t care about underage drinking in college. In high school, the law is very strict, but in college, the police seem to look the other way.”

fears about drunk driving, and the worries of parental responsibility.”

Many Belmont Hill students refrain from drinking during their high school careers. As one Sixth Former explained, the rigorous demands of Belmont Hill athletics prevent him from drinking: “The fear of letting my teammates down and diminishing my fitness level that was so hard to come by is enough for me not to engage in even casual drinking.” Others, because of a pounding academic zeal, don’t drink in high school. Some yearn to start drinking before college, but simply aren’t in with a crowd that allows them to—you know what I mean.

Yet for others, the experiences the EMT talked about were not news—indeed, many students have that first (perhaps inevitable) experience with excess drinking in high school. The binging culture the EMT discussed resonated with us. Some seniors have already abandoned the confines of basements for the excitement of college parties, and itching to break free from the suffocation of senioritis, are searching for the college scenes of unfettered fun.

The idea that we high school students will spend our college days sipping Scotch like the urbane, genteel characters do in a James Bond film is dubious and idealistic. And, after all, the recklessness is part of the fun. Perhaps we should start to address the issue of binge drinking by continuing to talk about it. About why we do it, about why there may be an alternative, and about how we Belmont Hill students can become more aware, more conscientious social creatures—now, and in college. ☐

“It’s difficult to discuss issues like drinking accurately when you have no first-hand experience with alcohol. I don’t advocate drinking large amounts every weekend, but to go around preaching abstinence is wrong. Experience is what leads to better decisions.”

Belmont Hill Opinion

Novemb er 26, 2013

Don’t Let the College Define the Man

By Jacob Pagano Panel Staff From a young age we students are inundated with news, facts, statistics, analysis, and rankings on the subject of college—the Best 377, the didactic “Perfect Essay” manuals, the anecdotes of glory and success at Ivy League schools.

Yet for most of us, the message that where you spend those four years is vitally important is received subliminally, transmitted by a deluge of bumper stickers and collegiate sports apparel and Facebook announcements from Sixth Formers eagerly proclaiming “I got in to----!” We constantly are reveling in our collegiate pasts or futures in mundane, quotidian ways.

Take the Belmont Hill parking lot: every other car boasts a “Harvard” or “Elon” or “Bowdoin” sticker, announc- ing where a parent or sibling attended, or to which sorority or fraternity one belonged. Walk around Cambridge and you’ll know instantly who attends MIT or Harvard or Wheelock: most students are decked in preppy gear with school insignia and mottos. We brim with collegiate spirit.

Perhaps we paste these stickers out of a desire to offer a small piece of our identity to other drivers, to broadcast an ounce of our past to neighbors, friends, and classmates. Where you attended college, after all, is known as your “alma mater,” the bounteous place that nourished you. It seems fitting to advertise that history.

Is there any harm in letting everyone be privy to your celebrated collegiate record? After all, maybe college is where you shined as an academic or a brawny hockey stud. Why not blazon that epoch of your life?

I fear that we are approaching a high point of this college idolatry, viewing the image of an institution and the education and entertainment and erudition it offers with a sort of unctuous divinity. The image of the school trumps the facts and realities of the institution itself. Just think about how we talk about University, saying things like “I love Brown,” or how we hastily broadcast our alma mater, or where we plan to apply or attend, at the onset of a conversation, as if that little tidbit of information ranks before your interests, passions,

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Executive Editors Matt Czarnecki Bernardo Pacini Opinion Editor Jake Pagano Sports Editor Alex Haigh Photo Editor Angus Smith

goals, and ideas. “Hello, my name is Jack, and I go to Columbia” is often conveyed in softer euphemistic language.

W h e n I stroll through B oston, sartorial self-expression has evaporated, as the students ensure that the first picture you get of them is a picture of the institution they attend.

Great, but who’s behind the Veritas sweaters?

If an air of smugness and pride wafts around discussion of the elite schools, the opposite is true when we discuss the ones with less competitive admission. A litany of jokes about Community Colleges abounds, and in the senior lounge jests about the lowness of SAT scores of accepted students at colleges of a lower caliber are ubiquitous. This is dangerous, for it perpetuates an atmosphere of college superciliousness, a sense that a ticket to an elite school is also a ticket to intellect and scholarly prowess, to the con- fines of academia and brainpower. It’s not, just as an acceptance to a Community C o l lege or a large State University is not indicative of lesser, inferior intellectual ability. There are students at your local community college who are smarter than many at Harvard or Yale.

My point is this: who you are as a person, what you represent and what you’re all about, isn’t encapsulated by where you go or have gone to school. The man is not synonymous with, or determined by, the college. It is permissible to be proud of your collegiate accomplishments and success, b u t perhaps you should place that past of debauchery, football victories, and studly theses in the backseat and let another sweater, tshirt, or conversation opener do the talking.

I write this now, at this point in the autumn, intentionally, at a time when we seniors prepare to embark on our collegiate paths. How we define ourselves as a senior class should not be determined by the prestige of the schools to which we are accepted, but rather by our ability to remain equable and phlegmatic throughout the college process. We ought to remember that the man, that the individual you are, is not synonymous with the college.

Wear the school apparel, but make sure you have something to show when you take it off. ☐

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Editor-in-Chief Robert Sayegh

Online Editors John Curtin Taylor Morris Assistant Editors William Blank John Driscoll Jay O’Brien Alexander Richards

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Copy Editors Cole Durbin George Holderness News Editor Michael O’Neill Arts Editor William Treanor Faculty Advisors David Hegarty Juliette Zener

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.

Pa g e 5

Conned by Khan: The Dangers of an Online Education

By John Driscoll Panel Staff As new resources for students and teachers become available online, “flipping the classroom” has become a trendy method of instructing students. Some teachers are now requiring students to watch videos on sites such as Khan Academy as a way to learn material, and class time is often used to do problems and discuss finer details of the material. While this method of learning may work in some environments, it is not a beneficial teaching method for Belmont Hill.

In a flipped class, a Belmont Hill student effectively receives the same education as every other student who uses that online resource.

A Belmont Hill education is supposed to be a superior education, and this new style of teaching is undermining that goal. This platform for learning is universal and streamlined across the country. A Belmont Hill student using Khan Academy to learn how to graph polynomial equations, for example, will be learning the same material as a student at a public high school. Additionally, the quality of online material is generally lower than what a talented teacher can offer.

Moreover, Belmont Hill prides itself on having one of the most accomplished and impressive faculties around. When the classroom is flipped, the faculty is not harnessed as effectively. Every teacher at Belmont Hill is supposed to have mastered the subject matter that he or she teaches, but that is not always true for the instructors on these sites. Additionally, one of the major benefits of attending Belmont Hill is the small and friendly class size that allows students to get extra help and attention from their instructor when needed.

With Khan Academy, the student only receives the instructions displayed in the video.

Flipping the classroom does not bode well with certain students who may learn in a

different manner. Simply listening to a lecture works for some students, but others prefer a hands-on approach to learning material. While the results have been inconclusive, studies suggest that learning from a screen is less effective than learning from paper or a whiteboard. In addition to alienating students who learn by using a hands-on approach, Khan Academy also undermines the purpose of one of Belmont Hill’s greatest assets, the Harkness table. Harkness tables are designed to foster creative discussion; by moving the place in which the students learn the material to an “athome” setting, this aspect of the table is lost.

While Khan Academy can be useful in certain situations, it is not an ideal way for Belmont Hill students to learn material.

Not only does it jeopardize some of Belmont Hill’s education trademarks, it also prevents a number of students from learning in the way that they have grown accustomed to and have found is most beneficial to them. ☐

Advocating for Non-Traditional Learning

By Matt Ryan Panel Staff Attempting new experiences has become harder and harder during our high school careers due to a combination of academic workload, sports, and other extracurricular subjects we all take part in. Doing what we love has become increasingly difficult, and finding time to try new things has almost disappeared. Now more than ever, Global Education is becoming a major topic in the learning processes of schools. At some high schools across the country, there exists a sophomore requirement to spend the year abroad, studying the language and culture of another country.

Two years ago, I was enrolled in CityTerm, an experience based learning program that focuses on New York City as its learning material. While this wasn’t in a different country, New York City was just as foreign to me, and I came away from the city with a renewed sense of identity. The four month program opened up my mind to new ideas, and allowed me to think in ways I had never previously done. Making the decision to step out of my comfort zone turned out to be the best decision I made during my high school career.

Don’t let this be a push for CityTerm, it isn’t. There are many other wonderful opportunities out there for each and every student to pursue that include, School Year Abroad, High Mountain Institute, Island School, Chewonki, and many other similar programs, all that focus on learning outside of a normal classroom environment. Each of these

programs can provide a unique learning experience that no classroom can offer.

Another way Belmont Hill offers students ways to learn outside of traditional means is through both exchange programs and group trips to foreign countries. Every student is able to take part in trips to countries like Spain, France, South Africa, China, and the Dominican Republic. In the summer between my freshman and sophomore year, I visited the village of Limonal, D.R, to work on a community service project. Over the course of a week, we built a community center that the entire village could utilize.

It sounds cliché to say it, but I think every student on that trip would agree that what we gave to the people of Limonal wasn’t close to the experiences they gave to us. Though the village lacked running water and electricity, everyone in Limonal seemed happy. They could find satisfaction with the bare necessities of life.

This trip allowed me to come back home and better appreciate the basics and luxuries we normally take for granted.

Ultimately, the idea of non-traditional learning is something you need to seek out and attempt for yourself.

Whether it be a semester or year long program, or a service or cultural trip to a foreign country, these experiences will shape the way you think and act in your community, for the better. You will be able to reflect on your past experiences in ways that you wouldn’t have previously. I strongly recommend you look into the various opportunities offered and take advantage of them, because you will not be disappointed. ☐

Pa g e 6

Big brother

Th e Pan el

Older Sisters: a Blessing in Disguise Girls are smarter, more attentive, and more adroit than we males—or at least some say. Thus, it can be difficult to be stuck as the successor to such a clever individual. I am sure this often occurs: a younger brother becomes trapped in the pressure to succeed, after his older sister achieves greatness. Then again, there may also be the case of the boy who out-does the female elder and faces little or no pressure along the way. Some may face a more ambiguous situation: both children are talented—or not talented—at different things, and do not ever have to compete.

For the purpose of this article, however, we will focus on the “trapped” younger sibling, floundering in the sea of accomplishments his older sibling has set before him. Let me take a moment to mention that the scenarios that appear in this article in no way reflect the experiences of a single boy, but rather reflect a compilation of various opinions on the subject.

Especially at a school such as Belmont Hill, this problem can be greatly exasperated.

We are a school at which much is expected. We work hard both in the classroom and on the field—and even beyond that. Comp a r i s o n with other schools is not an adequate method of judgment but

t o most, the differing nature of the schools is no obstacle to the direct comparison of grades, extracurricular activities, and the like.

The first pressure is familial. Not unlike being the younger brother of another Belmont Hill student, one’s work can quickly be deemed unsatisfactory by parents and even other siblings, if it is not up to par with the first child. For all those in this situation, I offer a piece of advice. Parents, try to recognize that each child is different, and success is relative. As abstract as the fabled “American Dream,” success for each student depends on his or her interests and intellectual pursuits. For students, remember that you are not your older sibling—you are entirely different, and you should focus on what is meaningful to you. Don’t let yourself slip into what your parents or siblings deem ‘correct’ or ‘better.’

You are the “little brother.” At first, you are the “cute” little brother. But this changes—and quickly at that. Once your sibling starts achieving, everyone compares you to him or her—even friends. If he or she got an A+ in AP History,

classmates and companions expect you to do the same—by way of the transitive property. This can also go deeper than academics. In many scenarios we are expected to be good at running, simply because our brother or sister is. What friends fail to understand is the important distinction between two individuals. Yes, we are a product of our environment, and having grown up together we may be expected to be similar, but this is not always the case. I like engineering, my sister not necessarily. I have a hard time running, my sister loves it. These differences range from subtle nuances to great differences, but their existence is important to recognize—especially for friends who assume a younger brother to be identical to an older sibling.

This problem recurs also in coed schools that siblings attend.

Belmont Hill’s interactions with other schools have led to similar circumstances. Having had an older sibling work on the Winsor side of the Panel, I have received comments such as “your sister laid this page out this way,” or “you sister was great at finding mistakes.”

These compliments are interesting to retell our sibling, but do not pertain to us, the younger children.

Often teachers and leaders of clubs or organizations assume that we will be carbon copies of the siblings they knew before us. This is not the case. Every student is different, and should be regarded as such.

“Your sister (or brother) is so smart.” The “chirps” come endlessly and in all forms.

Siblings with whom we have some things in common become benchmarks for our success and achievements. The moment we don’t perform, adults and friends might compare us to our siblings and inform us, as though we didn’t expect it, that we might not measure up, and that we should “learn a thing or two from our older siblings.”

At Belmont Hill, the scenario of living in someone’s shadow does exist. With many students having older siblings at other schools, the pressure to succeed is ever-present, and often difficult to handle. Thus I encourage everyone, students, parents, and teachers alike, to recognize that siblings aren’t the same person. What one sister or brother does, shouldn’t predefine what his or her younger brother will do.

Each person has his or her own interests and successes, and measuring by direct comparison can hurt.

Yet there are two sides to this issue. Older siblings are an authority to look to for help, whether academic, social, or athletic. They are always there if we need someone to help us move past an obstacle or if we need a good talk. This is phenomenal. Having had an older sister, the gifts she has given me, by leading the way and often turning around to give me a helping hand, have been a blessing. ☐

Following in the the F “Are you as much of a slacker as your older brother?” While many may laud the advantage of having an older brother at Belmont Hill, adverse effects can infiltrate this delicate dynamic. In addition, although this unique relationship may only exist for a fraction of students, it can serve as a microcosm for society as a whole: everyone, from the child of a food-pantry leader to the presumed successor to the CEO of a huge equity firm, is expected to fill someone else’s shoes. It is anticipated that one will fulfill the role of a father, mother, sibling friend, or other familial or professional acquaintance; as a result, pressure mounts: pressure to perform, to exceed, not to let anyone down. I routinely hear many of the following questions or insensitive allegations thrown around on campus.

“What college is your older brother applying to?”

“Did you get more points than your older brother?”

“You play piano just like your older brother, right? I bet you aren’t as good as he is.”

“How many times has your older brother bundied you on the ice rink? He could probably eat you for breakfast.”

Younger siblings are often expected to perform at or exceed the level of achievement of their senior siblings. If an older brother has received straight A’s for five years, and his younger brother arrives at Belmont Hill and receives a B in one class in his first quarter, the community—potentially his own classmates or classmates of his brother—will swiftly pounce on him for his ‘lesser academic ability.’ Instead of entering the school as “John Smith,” one quickly becomes

“little-Mike Smith” or “Little Smith” or “Baby Smith” or “Squeaker Smith”— this propensity to belittle (literally) can demean morale and character, and it can be altogether harmful to identity. How can a boy define himself when he is consistently referred to in relation to his older brother?

On the other hand, if an older sibling does not garner as much respect at the school, the bar may be set low for the younger sibling, facilitating a drop or weakening in his own academic, athletic, or moral standards.

Instead of being granted the ability to chop down their own trees to fashion their own path through the forest, younger brothers may enter Belmont Hill and feel limited or think that their track has already been set in stone.

One middle school student wrote, “Although he [my older brother] serves as a great help in terms of the advice he gives me about classes, teachers and homework, I sometimes feel constrained by his accomplishments and the decisions he has made.

He acts as a great example, but occasionally I am conflicted with the choice of either creating a different path for myself or living up to his standards.”

Another middle school student with an older brother revealed that he initially felt burdened by an enormous amount of pressure to be someone that he was not. He remarked, “When I came to Belmont Hill, everyone expected me to be an amazing athlete because my older brother was…Although I got better grades than he did, I felt like I had let people down, and this made me depressed for a while.”

Anxiety and a heart-wrenching sensation of neglect rendered this student’s

Novemb er 26, 2013

big brother

Pa g e 7

Parental Pressure: How much is too much?

e Footsteps of a Giant first few months at the school difficult, but because he was so markedly different from his brother, he eventually was able to dismiss this set of expectations. Nowadays, rarely are he and his brother compared to each other because their talents are distinct, and their individual endowments are special. He says, “I now love Belmont Hill because I made it my own.”

This case certainly holds true for a select number of younger siblings who have the capability to shape their own path or to overlook expectations set out for them. One student tells an enlightening story. His own father (the oldest sibling) was born as a ‘dream child,’ always inline, always acquiescent, and a straight-A student. When his younger brother was born five years after him, all his family members and friends anticipated that this newborn would obey his parents dutifully just like his brother, receive straight-A’s just like his brother, and live obediently just like his brother.

He turned out to be the exact opposite. While the older awed with his grades, the younger awed with his unruliness—he brazenly strode into church one Sunday afternoon as a proud thirteen-year-old wielding a bloody squirrel he had just killed with a rock. Needless to say, the altarservers needed to mop up a few pools of vomit from the sacred floor when

the service had ended. The younger brother realized that he did not need to be the same mold as his older brother; he never felt the pressure because he chose to live his own life.

From the other side, older brothers are often thrilled to watch their younger brothers rise up the Belmont Hill echelon. At times, it may seem more paternal than fraternal as older brothers at this school may admonish their siblings for tardiness, for unruly behavior, or for eating too many cookies at Milk and Cookies.

Yet, for many, there is a

heartfelt sense of gratification a n d joy in seeing a younger sibling succeed. A current senior says, “It’s cool seeing him follow in my footsteps so to speak, but start to make his own path too—it’s a great way to reminisce about my time here as I look forward for him. His take on the school is totally fresh, and that’s been cool to experience as he gets a hold of what BH is all about.” ☐

Whet her or not you have an older sibling or a younger sibling , a sister or a brot her, e ver y B elmont Hi l l student endures intens e pressure to succe e d f rom his p arents. The vast maj or it y of our p arents have achie ve d success at an incre dibly hig h le vel t hems elves, and exp e c t t heir chi ldren, we B elmont Hi l l students, to match if not sur p ass t heir ow n achie vements.

Hig hst ress hous eholds are not uncommon among B elmont Hi l l fami lies, for many re as ons. S ome p arents live t hroug h t heir chi ldren b e c aus e of t heir ow n shor tcomings, gaining a s ens e of accomplishment t hroug h t heir s on’s accomplishments. Parent’s w ho were not ne arly as pr iv i lege d as t he average B elmont Hi l l student is c an a ls o t hr ive on g iv ing t heir chi ldren t he opp or tunit ies t hat t he y were not able to t a ke advant age of t hems elves, t a k ing p ers ona l insu lt w hen t heir chi ld encounters fai lure. Ver y simply, p arents want t he b est for t heir chi ldren. But t he quest ion ar is es: at w hat cost?

No doubt, e ver y B elmont Hi l l student aspires for success, b e it ac ademic, at h let ic, s o ci a l, or ext rac ur r ic u l ar. We are at a s cho ol w here e ver yone exp e c ts much of us, b ot h on and of f t he pl ay ing f ield, p arents include d.

S omet imes, t hes e aspirat ions are in line w it h t hos e of a student’s p arents, but ot her t imes t he y are not, cre at ing quite a go o d de a l of tension w it hin a family. Ta ke a br i l li ant student, s ome one w it h st raig ht As across t he b o ard, but at h l e t i c a l ly ave r age ) , and put h i m i n a f am i ly w it h t wo t h re e - sp or t v ars it y at h letes w hen t he y were in col lege. In s ome fami lies, t here wou ld surely b e an underst anding and appreci at ion of his ac ademic success, but in most, t hat fe at is overshadowe d by fai lure in t he fami ly t rade: sp or ts. Growing up in a family with two academics, I have always felt the pressure to p er for m in t he cl assro om. Throug hout my chi ld ho o d, I did just t hat, e ar n ing mys elf a pl ace at B elmont Hi l l for hig h s cho ol. Whi le here, howe ver, I dis covere d many ne w p assions t hat I have come to love and have ac t ively pursue d. When I come up shor t, e ver y ot her ext rac ur r ic u l ar accomplishment is ess ent i a l ly ig nore d, as my p arents have t heir ow n pr ior it ies for me: t heir ow n pl an for my f uture.

B eing t he eldest or t he on ly chi ld in a fami ly c an incre as e

t his pressure dramat ic a l ly, as p arents fe el li ke you are on ly as go o d as t he y ma ke you and t hat

you are anot her example of t heir success or fai lure. In re a lit y, it is a lmost imp ossible to live up to t he sur re a l exp e c t at ions of many p arents. Thes e exp e c t at ions howe ver change as p arents watch t he imp ac t of t heir inf luence on t heir f irst chi ld’s life.

The f irst chi ld is a guine a pig of s or ts, an exp er iment. Neit her t he chi ld nor his p arents k now t he b est cours e of ac t ion. His p arents howe ver le ar n w hat works and w hat do es not f rom watch ing t heir f irst chi ld g row under t heir guid ance. C ons e quent ly, a s e cond or t hird chi ld is t he recipient of more ef fe c t ive p arenting and less unre a list ic pressure.

The b ottom line is t hat p arents on ly want t he b est for t heir chi ldren. The y want to s e e t hem succe e d s o much t hat s omet imes t he y b e come overb e ar ing , u lt imately imp osing undue st ress up on t heir chi ld. I must admit, t houg h, t hat s omet imes a litt le pressure in t he

r i g ht dire c t ion c an b e not hing but b enef ici a l. It c an me an t he dif ference b et we en an ac ademic or at h let ic sup erst ar and an average p erfor mer a l l around. Thoug h it may s ound as t houg h I am advo c at ing for a tot a l abs ence of p arent a l guid ance in t he lives of t heir chi ldren, it is quite t he opp osite. Abs ente e p arents are just as har mf u l as t hos e t hat are overb e ar ing . Parents: a litt le push in t he r ig ht dire c t ion, despite s ome b ack l ash f rom your s on, c an b e t he fac tor t hat ke eps him out of t rouble and on t he p at h to success. But rememb er t hat it is t r u ly a f ine line b et we en t hat gent le nudge and a st rong push.

F i n d i ng t h at p e r fe c t b a l an c e i s n o e a s y t a s k , but a n o bl e go a l for w h i ch e ve r y f am i ly s h ou l d s t r ive, fo s te r i ng b ot h s u c c e s s an d h appi n e s s . ☐

Belmont Hill Arts

Pa g e 8

Th e Pan el

Fall Instrumental Recitals Bring Down the House

By Didier Lucceus Staff Writer Although the cheering for athletic events at Belmont Hill often eclipses the applause of musical performances, Belmont Hill is full of artists as well as athletes. Belmont Hill has an excellent music program which is rapidly growing, as more new student musicians come each year. The music program here has over 50 musicians and 6 ensembles, each with varying skill levels and genres of music.

Last Friday’s Fall Instrumental Recital truly displayed how many talented musicians are at the school. This year’s Fall Instrumental featured four of the school’s large performance ensembles as well as soloists who study in and out of school.

The recital opened with the Orchestra, led by Robpublican concertmaster Robert Sayegh and orchestra co-president Eric Kim, which played selections from two major films, The Lord of the Rings and the Theme from Mission: Impossible. The audience seemed excited to hear the orchestra, a classical ensemble, play selections of music so familiar. The show continued, alternating between soloists and ensembles.

A new musician, Coleman Walsh, of the second form, performed his first solo per-

Orchestra performs their rendition of the theme from Mission: Impossible formance as a Belmont Hill student. Coleman, a violist, played the 4th Movement of the Telemann concerto for viola. Following Coleman’s performance was George Hu’s, a fourth former, who performed Beethoven’s 14th Sonata. After impressive solo performances, The Percussion Ensemble debuted under the leadership of Mr.

Angus Smith

Patterson. The percussion ensemble performed a traditional African Song, Toro.

For now, the group is composed of Myron Richards, Alex Czarnecki, Philip Bailey, and Zach Shpilner, but Mr. Patterson welcomes anyone looking to have a good time and gain a new skill. Following the percussion ensemble were a few more soloists.

The Upper School Jazz Ensemble performed 3 selections by the American Saxophonist Wayne Shorter, including Speak No Evil. During each of the pieces, students played solos. Soloists included Eric Dawson on guitar, Juan Carlos Fernández del Castillo on piano, and Jeremy Welborn on the drums. After the rousing performance by the jazz ensemble, the show continued with solo guitar and piano performances by Antonio Ubeda, Juan Carlos Fernandez del Castillo, and Jeremy Welborn. Anyone who has been in the music building in the mornings has heard Juan Carlos practicing daily. His vigorous practice was clearly evident during his performance. With a slight change of program, the show continued with Spencer Kim, a serious cellist performing the First Movement Dvorak Cello Concerto. Spencer has been preparing for the NEC Concerto since this summer and performed this past Sunday. If he performed as well as he did at the Belmont Hill concert, it’s safe to say he did amazingly. The show closed with Middle School Jazz’s playing Miles Davis’ Milestones and Stevie Wonder’s Superstition. It already seems that musically, this year is off to a great musical start; certainly, the musicians, faculty, and parents look forward to what promises to be a fantastic winter concert. ☐

A Solid Gold Cadillac Comes to the Hill

By Colin Ward Staff Writer

Eric Bailey’s “Parallels” Collection in the Landau Gallery

Eric Bailey

Landau Gallery: A Reflection on Today’s Society and Nature

By Andres Cordoba Staff Writer

The Landau Art Gallery is one of the most exciting privileges Belmont Hill has to offer its students. With openings every few months, the gallery offers new and exciting artwork for the whole student body to see. The current art pieces on display were created by artist Eric Bailey, and are a part of his award winning series called, “Parallels.” The Bridgewater State graduate got his artistic start in high school, as he dabbled in photography and Photoshop. The once hobby has now quickly blossomed into his full career. The art pieces are a creative

mixture of his photography and Photoshop talents, mixing older art mediums with the new. This feeds into his main goal of capturing the passage of time in each photograph. Bailey has two differing sets of photos in this exhibit. In the first one, Bailey takes photos of various landscapes during the nightfall, and through lighting techniques and exposure, he draws the outline of housing developments. In the second set of photos he goes the opposite way with the idea, and photographs more developed areas before drawing wildlife into the scenes.

Eric Bailey explains his ideas surrounding the exhibit saying, “The idea behind these images is to photograph the present state of

two different places and use light drawing to show them in either the past or future. The landscape images show the potential future of undeveloped land. The suburban images show potential scenes into the past, depicting the creatures and plant life that used to inhabit the undeveloped land.” The pieces make a strong statement regarding the environment, as Bailey challenges the viewer to think of living in areas that preserve wildlife, rather than areas that wipe it out to make way for more developments. These powerful art pieces were only in The Landau Gallery for a limited time, as the exhibit closed on Friday, November 15th. Parallels is a must see for any and all art fans at Belmont Hill. ☐

After long rehearsals and tedious hours memorizing countless lines, the members of the Belmont Hill/Winsor upper school play look forward to performing. Their production is the play A Solid Gold Cadillac by Howard Teichmann and George Kaufman, a raucous rendition about a corrupt board of directors at the company General Products. A major stockholder in the company, Laura Partridge, with the help of the former president of the company, tries to foil the greedy board of directors from cheating the helpless stockholders and ruining the company. Charlie Schwartz summarized it as, “a comedy with shady business men, crazy politics and almost romance.” Mr. MacLean, a recently retired veteran of Belmont Hill, staged a comeback as play director. According to actor Brendan Pulsifer, “It’s really funny, and we’ve put in a ton of work practicing it.” Members of the cast include Fifth Formers Charlie Schwartz and Jamie Mazzio-Manson, and a multitude of Fourth Formers including Brendan Pulsifer, William Galligan, and Christian Dolan, in the lead role. Show times are set for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the November 22nd weekend. According to Charlie, “The cast has been working very hard and having a lot of fun. The show is going to be great and everyone should buy a ticket.” ☐

Novemb er 26, 2013

Belmont Hill Sp orts

Pa g e 9

1GG: Belmont Hill’s Newest A Capella Group

By Charlie Blank, Charlie Durbin, Cam Chiarelli Panel Staff A true gift in rhythm and melody is required to enter the professional music industry. Many of America’s most renowned personalities in other lines of work got their start in music and the arts, namely in the one art that puts all others to shame, a capella. Thus, when one of the most selective acapella groups on the eastern seaboard, Belmont Hill’s own 1GG, announced that there would be tryouts for a small number of openings on the roster, an unprecedented level of competition was inevitable.

A few fortunate individuals, marked out by pietas, have been members of the ensemble for a year now. As the group’s founders, each have cemented a spot in the squeaky squad. Seniors Joey “Mom” Laliberte and Fat Max Gustafson, as well as juniors Evan “Peaked in 7th Grade” Chaletzky, Alex “Soaking Wet” Santangelo, Matt “Samwise the Brave” O’Neal, Ryan “Round Mound of Sweet Sound” Kelley, also known as “Big Sexy” and Ian Arthur, who is 6’4” 245 lbs, first string baritone, second string fullback, captain the troops. Known around campus mostly for their devilishly handsome looks and bountiful gifts of athleticism these men also have voices that can make even the most ravenous wolverine purr.

Upper-schoolers who have expressed interest in the brotherhood known as 1GG have been nervously awaiting their opportunity to tryout, always keeping their vocal pipes flexed and ready for action.

Although the vast majority of auditions took place in the music building at an announced time, some lucky students, such as Harry Kraft, have been given the opportunity to audition for the classy cult in front of the entire upper school. Kraft decided to sing Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road,” and, needless to say, Kraft felt the pressure of performing before his peers.

“I was obviously very nervous,” Kraft reported, sporting his trademark purple shirt and New England Patriots tie. “It’s always been a dream of mine to be a part of 1GG. I asked Evan (self-ap-

The Captians of 1GG gather around the piano in preparation to sing another hit song pointed group leader, also one of the top 5 point scorers in the ISL) if I could do the first audition because I had some work I needed to finish, but he just suggested that I audition in a lunch announcement.

I wasn’t going to say ‘no’ to and thus defy the wishes of one of the Holy Founders.

I had memorized ‘Thunder Road,’ but I used my phone for lyrics just in case my nerves got the best of me.” An unofficial fan vote following his giggle-filled tryout seemed to indicate that Kraft had cracked the squirmy squad (Kraft only managed to break into the practice squad), and young Kraft even concluded his interview with the Panel Staff by triumphantly exclaiming, “I made it! I made it,” as nearby librarians attempted to erase the jubilance from the adolescent’s tone.

Believe it or not, Harry was by no means the worst performer, however. One disgruntled student, widely regarded as the worst audition, which featured a squeaky and unprepared rendition of “Yellow Submarine” that would have the Beatles rolling over in their graves (are they dead?), and described by Max as “ugly and disgraceful to the holy institution that is acapella”, was heard yelling with anguish upon receiving the sad, yet inevitable, news, “This is the worst mistake they’ve ever made!” Later the auditioner tweeted “#UOENO” in an attempt to prove that he had something worthwhile to add to the gorgeous group.

Unfortunately, being a gifted singer does not guarantee you a coveted spot on the rocking roster. “We don’t like being overshadowed . . . Sorry DJ,” Max boasted

Evan Chaleztky

in tryouts. “So if you’re better than any single one of us, you’re not going to make it.”

In a recent announcement, five new pledges were added to the cool clan after undergoing the baptism of fire. From the sixth form, Harry “Clay Aiken” Roberson, Drew “Modawg” Morrissey, and Ryan “Just in General Sketchy” Bathon were thrilled about their accomplishment. Additionally, fifth formers James “Traintracks” Russo and John “Pig” Wilhoite were welcomed with open arms to the flashy fraternity.

Be ready to see your favorite singers in the First Edition of “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with 1GG” coming soon.

Use the hashtag #DoYouEven1GGBro on Twitter and #MirrorSelfieMonday on Instagram to join the conversation and interact with your favorite performers! ☐

Upcoming Events • A Solid Gold Cadillac

November 22-24

Belmont Hill, Kraft Theatre • 3LAU

November 21th

House of Blues, Boston • Blue Man Group

November 27th

Charles Playhouse, Boston • Bill Cosby

November 30th

Wilbur Theatre, Boston • Nutcracker

December 1st

Boston Opera House • Lupe Fiasco

December 3rd

House of Blues, Boston • Rod Stewart

December 4th

TD Garden, Boston • Holiday Pops

December 7th

Boston Symphony Hall

Belmont Hill Sp orts

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Belmont Hill Varsity Scoreboard Team

Record

Football Soccer Cross Country

5-3 5-7-4* 8-7

Notable Results L 16-10 vs. BB&N (OT) W 38-11 vs. Groton

AJ B. Harry K.

W 1-0 (L 3-0) vs. BB&N T 0-0 vs. Groton

Tucker H. Will G.

W 33-46 vs. St. george’s L 35-21 vs. Roxbury latin

John P. Cam D.

Captain’s Corner Soccer

Football “I’m extremely proud of our team, and I think we had a great season. We went out on the field every Saturday knowing it was a championship game. We put so much time and effort into the sport, and you can count on our guys to give every last ounce of heart and energy until the final whistle blows. There’s absolutely no quit in this team, which I think we showed perfectly in that last game against Gov’s, even though we lost. The younger guys will do great next year.

I know they’ll finish what we started.” – Joey LaLiberte

MVPs

“The soccer picked up most of its steam in the latter half of the season. We saw a lot of leadership from our seniors—especially from captains Tucker Hallowell and John Curtin. The season seemed to be plagued by injuries, which resulted in constant changing of the lineup, but, overall, the team has a lot to look forward to next year with a lot of talented underclassmen.” – Will Crowley

Records are final as of 11/14/2013

Cross-Country “Although the first races of the season did not go as planned, we rebounded from several tough losses and won a few close races to finish the season with a winning record. Guys like John Power and Alex Hall really stepped it up when we needed a big race from someone. The team is excited for next fall as ten out of the top twelve runners will be returning. An ISL Championship is definitely in reach if they put the training in.” – Matt Czarnecki

A Look Back at the Fall Sports Season

By Sean Fahey Panel Staff Arguably the best part of the return to school each fall is the resumption of the different athletic competitions; from football, soccer, cross country, and even to crew, there is always some bustle here on the Hill.

Varsity Football has had an exceptional season coming off of what some would call a disappointing performance last fall. To start the season, the team suffered a crushing overtime defeat against rival BB&N, but then went on to a nice four-game win streak, which included an incredibly exciting victory over St. Seb’s during their homecoming, with the final score being 9-7. Later on, the team dropped a tough game to Lawrence Academy,

but then proceeded to bounce back and beat St. Paul’s rather handily. In the final game of the season, Belmont Hill was defeated by a solid Governor’s team. The team closed the season with a record of 5-3. Joe LaLiberte, a senior member and co-captain of the squad, discussed what makes this team special, saying, “We don’t really have any stars. Rather than just having one stud, we instead have a true team effort. Every member of the team has a job to fill, and each member does his job well.”

Varsity Soccer had a difficult start to the season with the controversial forfeit to BB&N. However, despite a sour start that influenced the atmosphere for some of the season, the team eventually found its footing. Overall, the season was full of ups and downs for the soccer team, with tough losses coming

against St. Paul’s and Nobles, and huge wins versus Brooks and Roxbury Latin.

Throughout the season, the team played hard-fought games that ended in a draw, including the game against Rivers that ended with a score of 1-1. At the time, Rivers was sitting at the top of the league standings. The team closed the season with a win against Governor’s Academy, 1-0 on Gov’s home field. The soccer team posted a final record of 5-6-4.

The Varsity Cross Country team had a successful season, finishing with impressive finishes at both the Independent School League and New England races. Despite another season that was plagued by injury, the team posted a winning record of 8-7. The beginning of the season was characterized by losses to some solid competition against Milton and

Roxbury Latin, but the team’s attitude remained positive in light of such difficulties, coming away with victories against St. Paul’s and Brooks later in the season. Matt Czarnecki, veteran team member and co-captain, commented on the team’s outlook, saying “When we won some important races later in the season, the wins were that much more rewarding.” He noted the challenges and opportunities of running cross country: “a lot of runners looked forward to racing because it provides an opportunity to test the limits of physical and mental strength.”

All in all, each team during this fall season had great success, beginning yet another year of Belmont Hill’s athletic success, which is sure to continue into the winter and through the spring season. ☐

UA Athlete of the Issue This month’s Under Armour Athlete of the Issue is Greg Plumb.

Greg, one of the team’s four senior captains, has been integral to the success of the varsity football team this year at Running Back and Middle Linebacker. In the words of co-captain Joe LaLiberte, “Greg was the big dog on the defense, and the alpha male once [fellow captain] Nolan went down.” Greg has consistently shown himself to be a great leader and teammate both on and off the field, and even though he takes a lot of beatings in-game, he’s very reliable with the ball, even carrying defenders with him sometimes. The Panel wishes Greg good luck as he pursues both football and lacrosse at Williams College. ☐

The varsity soccer team huddles up before going to war.

Novemb er 26, 2013

Belmont Hill Sp orts

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Belmont Hill Crew Finishes 4th at the Head of the Charles

By Alexander Richards Panel Staff A fierce tailwind howled down the Charles River on Saturday, October 19, and then reversed itself into a headwind

by Sunday. The Head of the Charles is the biggest fall rowing race in the world and attracts crews from across the globe.

Everyone from high school youth to aged masters (some of the competitors who raced were over 90) to physically disabled rowers to mighty Olympians competed over the course of the two-day regatta. The winding 3-mile course starts in the Basin, toward downtown Boston, and finishes a half-mile upstream of the Belmont Hill boathouse. This year marked the 49th Head of the Charles.

Along with the twelve Belmont Hill students who rowed, a number of faculty and alumni tested themselves against the world’s fastest rowers.

On Saturday, Mr. Richards, Belmont Hill’s head

coach, and his boat not only won their event, but also shattered the course record by an unprecedented 18 seconds. Mr. Richards and his crew certainly set a high bar for the weekend which the four boats with Belmont Hill rowers hoped to reach.

On Sunday, the wind shifted so that it was hurting the crews. All the times on Sunday were significantly slower, turning the sprightly race the crews hoped for into a slog. Jamie Mazzio-Manson, a junior, was the first rower of the day; he competed in the youth single against some of the strongest individual youth rowers in the world. Nonetheless, he had a very respectable finish and showed his oarsmanship in a boat that is difficult to row well. Mrs. Sweeney also competed marvelously well in these tough conditions.

The second event with Belmont Hill rowers was the youth four, the largest event in the entire regatta and arguably the

Mr. Martin Inducted into Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame

By John Curtin Panel Staff Mr. Martin has deeply loved hockey ever since he started shooting pucks in his parents’ kitchen at the age of two. Before Mr. Martin even attended Belmont Hill, he already felt a strong connection to the school. Mr. Martin’s dad was actually the first hockey captain ever at Belmont Hill, and both of his uncles also attended and played hockey at Belmont Hill. After an impressive athletic career at Belmont Hill, Mr. Martin went on to play hockey at Bowdoin College. In only three years of varsity hockey at Bowdoin, Mr. Martin became the first Bowdoin player to ever eclipse the 100-point mark. As a senior captain, Mr. Martin captured the ECAC Most Valuable Player Award and the New England Hockey Writers Joseph Tomasello Award for an Unsung Hero.

This November, Mr. Martin will add another honor to his legendary career. Mr. Martin, along with other hockey legends like

famous Bruin Bobby Orr, will be inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame.

After 39 years of coaching varsity hockey at Belmont Hill, Mr. Martin won a staggering 707 games, making him the winningest hockey coach in Massachusetts’ history. Mr. Martin finished with a 70 percent winning percentage, with an overall record of 707-270-43.

The induction is a deserved and special honor for Mr. Martin, especially since he is in the same induction class as Bobby Orr. “It is always a great honor to be mentioned with Bobby Orr,” Mr. Martin says. “I remember one time when his sons were at Belmont Hill, he came out to practice with the team.

He was an inspiration to the boys, and I was in compete awe.” When asked about his favorite memory from his historic career, Mr. Martin simply responded, “I loved every minute of my career…I do not really have one special moment-of course the New England championships were memorable, but what I really enjoy is seeing former players become successful adults and good family men.” ☐

Mr. Martin behind the bench in his final season as head coach

Bill Mahoney

most competitive. The two crews each consisted of five seniors: in one boat was Mac Manion, Alexander Richards, Matt Ryan, Alex Bailey, and Cole Durbin; the other consisted of Will Crowley, George Holderness, Henry Dodge, Cam Douglas, and Mihir Gulati. The two boats, which only got to practice a handful of times before the regatta, had impressive results given their dearth of training. The boat stroked by Mac Manion finished in fourth place (missing third by just .03 seconds) and not only got a fourth place medal (medals are awarded to the top five finishers) but also clinched the DCR trophy, which is awarded to the highest placing Massachusetts youth crew.

The boat stroked by Will Crowley had a bit tougher time dealing with the wind, due to their lack of training in the conditions, and

finished a lot farther back. Both crews should be proud of themselves for taking on the challenge of racing against so many crews who train all summer and fall long.

The final Belmont Hill student to row was sophomore Jens Odegard, who rowed in a double with his ex-teammate from Fessenden. Science teacher Mrs. Sweeney was the sole Belmont Hill faculty member to row in the race. The weekend could not have gone more smoothly, with clear skies, great competition, and great support. Thank you to all who showed up and supported the rowers and to the food service for providing all the soups and sandwiches to get the rowers and spectators through the day. Hope to see you next year! ☐

Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan

Looking Forward to Varsity Hockey continued from page 1 We had a great run last year and we hope to repeat the regular season we had and go even further in the playoffs.” Last year the team’s 23-4-2 season concluded earlier than the players would have liked, with a defeat at the hands of the Westminster School in the New England Tournament.

Although there is a good deal of parity in the league this year, the hockey team faces several tough matchups against Lawrence Academy, St. Sebastian’s, and Governor’s Academy, as well as some out of league games. This year’s team, possessing a strong work ethic and the desire to improve every day, is up to the challenge. Senior goalie Ryan McConnell returns, as does a strong defense anchored by senior captains Tyler Granara and Danny Kelly, junior Charlie Barrow, and sophomores David Giunta and Brian Matthews. Captains Kelly and Matt Melanson both said that the defense will be one of strongest points of the team this year. Melanson: “Our greatest strength is our defense/goalie because we return a lot of players and have a lot of experience there.” Kelly: “I think the backbone of our team will be our defense and our goalie. We have almost all returning defensemen coming back for

this year and Ryan was all ISL last year so he will definitely be one of the most important parts of the team this year.”

On the offensive side, the team lost forwards Mike Najjar, EJ Rauseo, Dan Doherty and Carl Hesler but returns many strong offensive players, like seniors Will Golonka, Matt Melanson, Joe Welch, and

Danny Seibel. In addition, there are many younger players, like juniors Charley Michalowski and Charlie McConnell, especially on the offensive side, who are ready to take on more playing time and greater responsibility this season. They will rely a lot on this senior leadership and experience to guide them this year. “This year we also have great senior leadership and the experience of Melanson and Welch will help us out a ton on offense.”

One game that everyone is looking forward to is the Frozen Fenway game on January 8 against St. Sebastian’s. This will be the third Belmont Hill hockey game held at Fenway, and it should be another exciting contest.

The Loop may be in full force this winter, led by heads Taylor Morris, Ryan Bathon and Tucker Hallowell. The whole school is ready as the varsity hockey team begins another season December 5th at home against Berwick Academy. ☐

Senior Will Golonka dekes out the Sebs goalie at Frozen Fenway in 2011

Bill Mahoney

L ast L o ok

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Th e Pan el

Seniors vs. Old People Soccer Game Highlights: 0’ - Joey LaLiberte warns the faculty that the “Pain Train” was coming - no such train ever arrived 14’- Referee Doc Fast calls an offsides in the box from midfield - results of his eye test still pending 22’ - Seniors allow the old people to score 34’ - Joey LaLiberte scores an own goal - perhaps this was the train he was referring to 38’ - Seniors again allow the old people to score 42’ - Andrew Meckel scores on Senor Montoya on a PK, exacting sweet revenge for season spent riding pine 48’ - Mr. Collins absolutely bundles Angus Smith 54’ - Seniors yet again show their charitable nature allowing the Old People to net one more goal 60’ - Alex Haigh scores! Anything is possible!

Look Alikes:

Joey LaLiberte

Chip Daley

Ian Arthur

Nigel Thornberry

Tommy Wynn

Dr. Wachtmeister

Phil Dunphy

Charles Darwin

The Belmont Hill Panel Staff would like to congratulate our classmate in absentia Pedro Ribeiro on his engagement! See you all at the wedding!