NOTES FROM CARDIGAN Cardigan Mountain School Canaan, New Hampshire 03741
April 1979
Issue No. 11 Cardigan faculty and students bid ·farewell to winter on March 1 , when Joe Collins (Assii:;tant Headmaster) announced " Ski Holid:ay" - another annual tradition at Cardigan Mountain School. The announcement came as a surprise to the dining room full of allegedly overworked students. On that particular day , classes , job responsibilities, and clubs were canceled. In about 30 minutes the entire school body was dressed and equipped to spend the day at one of New England ' s finest ski areas. It was a beautiful day, complete with spring temperatures and spring-type skiing conditions. The ski area , Waterville Valley , was virtually empty because we arrived on a weekday. Cardigan students and faculty enjoyed small lift lines and uncrowded slopes. We returned to school that evening for dinner both exhilerated and exhausted. What a great way to say good-bye to winter . • • Exactly one month later , Cardigan students returned to CMS from their three week spring vacation - some with southern tans , and others with burnt noses from western ski slopes ••• only to see snow covered grounds and blizzard-type weather conditions once again . Was it some sort of April Fool's joke? In spite of the snow and wintry days, early spring training began throughout the campus. Sailors prepared boats and sails , and spent hours inside involved in " chalk sessions"; Lacrosse pl ayers concentrated on learn :i,. ng and developing skills in the fundamentals of the game - as well as_ pract i cing maneuvers in the covered sports arena ; and baseball teams spent time inside the gymnasium - throwing , catching and practicing bunting (all with a whiffle ball). On days that it wasn't snowing or raining too hard, lacrosse and baseball players bundled up and practiced on the fields in sneakers. The Tennis team, did quite a bit of running - both long distance and sprints to condition for their games . They had the indoor courts to practice on , and were soon able to set up the nets outside as well. The snow and sleet did not keep the newly formed cycling team from forging through any kind of weather - riding 20 to 30 mile training rides each activity day. They have been focusing their efforts on safety , endurance , and riding in pace lines to make the most efficient use of their speed. All teams mentioned above will be (or already have been) engaged in a series of competitions this spring. Because of this, discussing and developing strategies have been an integral part of all the team 1 s training sessions.
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Perhaps the "Ice Out" contest is the day of spring in Canaan. This year, Canaan Street Lake on April 18. Tom lucky prophet. His prize was an ice
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' , true decider of which is the first the ice was completely melted from Patterson '79 (Greenwich, CT) was the cake containing 500 pennies.
Also, a raffle took place this month to raise money for the CMS yearbook. Entrants paid 25¢ a ticket in hopes of winning a 10 lb. Hershey Chocolate bar donated by Bob Kenney 1 79 (Wollaston, YiA). Paisith Tuchinda '79 (Bangkok, Thailand) won the chocolate bar, and the yearbook committee raised $38.00. On April 22, Dr. Charles J. Ber ger, Veterinarian and former board member for NAPAC (North American Predatory Animal Center) lectured on the wolf - its mythology, evolution, behavior and ecology. He showed an excellent film entitled " Death of a Legend 11 and brought along with him a live Tundra wolf named Farley. We learned that the wolf is a valuable and highly interesting predator, with one of the most complex social structures of any mammel. It was a beneficial experience for both students and faculty to develop a greater understanding of an animal persecuted and driven to the point of extinction . Most of us will never have the opportunity to see a live wolf again. We'd like to congratulate those who are on Honor Roll this term. The High Honor Roll list includes : Frank Morelli '81 (Melrose, HA); Richard Sincerbeaux ' 81 (Virginia Beach, VA); Tomas Guterres '80 (Managua, Nicaragua) ; Richard Lesser 1 80 (Kigali, Rwanda) ; Thomas Graves 1 79 (Chevy Chase, MD); and Christopher Kin g '79 (Reading, MA). The Honor Roll list includes: Ian George '82 (Sewickley, PA) ; Peter Hadlock '82 (Hanover, NH); Shannon Thompson ' 82 (Houston , TX); Sam Morgan 1 81 (N.Y., · NY); Eric Barrett ' 80 (White River Jct., VT) ; Graham Boyle '80 (Hamilton , Bermuda) ; Stewart Dixon '80 (Lake Forest, IL); Christopher Leahy '80 (Melrose, MA); David Trowbridge '80 (Bronxville, NY) ; David Mccusker '80 (Melrose, NA) ; Casper Conkling '79 (New Hampton, NH); and Jere~y Crigler 1 79 (Kigali, Rwanda). Those students commended for their effort this term were: Peter Hadlock '8 2 (Hanover, NH); David Alexander '81 (St. Louis, MO) ; Stewart Dixon '80 (Lake Forest, IL) ; and Christopher King '79 (Reading , MA). Spring has finally arrived. Frisbees, kites, baseballs and lacrosse balls are flying in the fields that are now dry and ready to be played upon. Students are enthusiastic with new sports, new clubs, term reports, and preparation for the final exams that are approaching quickly. Upcoming events in the month of May include Grandparent ' s Weekend (May 5-6) and Alumni Day (May 13). Perhaps we'll see you then.