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A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill and Winsor Schools
Successful class retreats for Forms I, III, VI By Cole Durbin Panel Staff Belmont Hill has long been defined as a place of community, of friendship, and of brotherhood. As new boys join the classes each year, they find their place in this community, whether it is in a class, on a team, or in the school as a whole. As a part of building this community, Forms I, III, and VI take class trips each year, chaperoned by the various advisers of their forms. From campfires and stories to ropes courses and canoeing, each trip has special aspects that make it unique to each form. As a group of boys entirely new to both each other and Belmont Hill, Form I takes their trip to Camp Burgess in Sandwich, MA. Mrs. Hamilton, a Form I advisor and veteran chaperone, described the trip not only as a bonding experience for the new boys, but also as a chance for teach-
ers to get to know the students. it a good fit for the newcomers race and the low ropes courses. “All of the students are to our school? Activities are fun, As each class progresses new to Belmont Hill, and this while also building the lifelong through their First and Secovernight trip allows the advi- skills of teamwork and problem ond Form years, a special bond sor team to learn more about solving, such as in the canoe is built within the class. With the group. It is a large admisa chance for the sion year falling in Form III, boys to get away it is sometimes from campus as a class and betough for new gin to form a boys to find bond and some their place in the class that new friendships.” has grown up Mrs. Hamtogether over ilton went on the previous to describe the two years. The trip as a valuForm III Beckable experience ett trip plays a for the group as major part in a whole, especialthis integration. ly because “the Started boys are starting about 25 years their Belmont Hill careers and ago, this trip will spend six was designed to years together.” be, in the words What is it of Form III head about Camp BurMr. Holly Gettings advisor gess and the Form Tredennick, “a I trip that makes Sixth formers participate in team building exercise at Camp Cody good way to as-
similate new students, while giving all boys another way to bind together as a class.” While it used to be a few nights at Chewonki, where students and faculty alike made their own meals and camped out, this proved to difficult, and the school later decided to move the trip to Camp Beckett. He also notes that the school seeks to instill concepts of leadership and communication throughout the ninth grade year and through the Upper School, and this trip serves as a good opportunity to introduce these skills. In Mr. Tredennick’s 24 years of participation in the Beckett trip, he has “seen many boys learn important lessons about themselves and their classmates.” The senior retreat to Camp Cody serves as a final bonding retreat for Form VI as they take on the task of leading the school. The senior trip also serves as a fun respite from the demanding life of a student in the upper grades. continued on page 4 nytimes.com
Linde Wing opens at MFA By Sophie Cyker Panel Staff The Linde Wing for Contemporary Art opened with a 24-hour celebration on September 17 and 18. The wing contains 250 works of contemporary art, including not only paintings and sculptures, but also modern media such as video art and design art. A particular favorite of mine was an exhibit consisting of neon signs and LED lights that created messages meant to be political and cultural statements. One work in this gallery was a board of light bulbs that formed a message, however the message would change as the light bulbs burnt out. The Linde Wing is also going to be used as a gathering space for modern culture, poetry readings, performances, lectures, and classes. The wing houses seven galleries, a theater, a new bookstore, and a restaurant. The donations of the Linde family have also allowed the MFA to offer a new community arts initiative. Children from city after-school programs in neighborhoods such as Roxbury, Chinatown, and Blue Hills have the opportunity to work with professional artists to use art as a form of self expression. One project that the initiative has already completed is the family project. Children from these after-school programs create artistic representations of what they consider to be their family. The final products can be seen in the Ed-
ward Linde gallery of the Linde Wing. This September, Winsor girls also were exposed to the exciting newer components of the MFA via the annual Virginia Wing Lecture. Elliot Bostwick Davis, the Chair of the Art of the Americas Wing, spoke to the school about the opening of the wing in November 2011. She described and showed pictures of the amazing works there, which are so easily accessible from our school. The wing houses a range of American art, from ancient Native American pieces to modern works. The Linde and Art of the Americas Wings provide great opportunities for the Boston community to explore the world of art. Like many 21st century teenagers, “fine art” doesn’t exactly pique my interest. I generally used to associate the term with old paintings and sculptures that I had heard of but never really wanted to see. Much to my mother’s dismay, I’ve often weaseled my way out of proposed visits
Joe Broughton
The MFA’s Elliot Bostwick Davis gave the Virginia Wing Lecture
News BHS International Trips Global learning at Winsor
to the nearby Museum of Fine Arts. Recently, though, I gave in to her and agreed to visit the MFA and see the new Linde Wing. I expected to see the typical works that often bored me. Instead, I was introduced to a whole new form of “fine art.” Instead of housing dull paintings and sculptures by artists that I had already learned about, I was able to see art composed of bright lights and colors, and to learn about artists and media that I had never heard of before. Within the Linde Wing’s many galleries, both permanent and temporary, every Winsor girl, whether she is artistic or not, will be able to find a photograph, painting, drawing, or sculpture that draws her interest. The MFA is located near Winsor and offers free admittance to students 17 and under. A schedule of the available lectures, classes, and presentations can be found on the MFA website at www.mfa.org. ☐
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Being an athlete at Winsor False advertising
Prepared for hurricane? By Kelly Chen & Anushree Gupta Panel Staff Extreme wind gusts and hours of rain ravaged the New England area late this summer; Hurricane Irene had finally arrived. Even though Boston did not suffer as much damage from the hurricane as other regions did, The Panel conducted a survey to investigate the Winsor community’s response to it. Most of the student body was in the New England region when the hurricane passed and kept informed of its strength and impact through TV and online weather sources. The National Hurricane Center began issuing warnings for states near the coast on August 20. Massachusetts declared a state of emergency and the MBTA shut down all metropolitan transportation. Accuweather, an online weather source, warned that the hurricane would produce “flooding rains, high winds, and widespread power outages.” Chelsea Cherenfant ’13 attested to the power outages, saying, “I lost electricity for five days; I was doing some of my homework by candlelight!” Ambika Nohria ’15, recounted a hec-
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Winsor Fall Concert Nathan Yuen
tic experience with the hurricane: “I was in India trying to fly home, but my flight got canceled due to the weather. We were scrambling to get home before school started!” The Winsor School campus fared much better than those that suffered power outages due to fallen trees. There were no power outages, flooding, or damage to any of Winsor’s trees; Mr. Wonoski, the Maintenance Director, credited this luck to lighter rain and wind gusts than expected. Had the hurricane occurred during the school year, Ms. Stettler stated that school would have been canceled. Ms. Stettler mentioned that concern regarding the hurricane caused Winsor to re-assess the emergency supplies and plans; she was happy to report that Winsor does feel prepared. While the hurricane had devastating effects across the country, several Winsor students noted some positive side effects. Kate Brea ’13, who lost power during this time, said that she found a greater appreciation for nature: “I woke up in the morning to the sounds of grasshoppers, birds, and peeper frogs chirping.” Cherenfant added, “I appreciated having electricity much more after surviving without it for almost a week.” ☐
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Under the Lights Colton Bradley
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