Spring 2018
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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS HEBRON TRADITIONS
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AMERICA’S PROBLEM
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NEVER AGAIN: THE STUDENT WALKOUT MOVEMENT
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SPRING BREAK IN PUERTO RICO AND CANCÚN SELF-EXPRESSION WITH MYLES BULLEN
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SIT-DOWN DINNER
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FRESHMAN YEAR
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INTERNATIONAL DOMINANCE
On the cover: Picture by Cara Hu ‘19 This page: Woodblock print by Lillybeth Randall ‘22
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HOW HEBRON GREW ME
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FROM HEBRON TO GEORGETOWN
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HIGH SCHOOL ADVICE
CO-EDITORS PASHYNCE LOVE DYLAN RICHMOND
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
Pashynce and I took on the responsibility of being the co-editors of the Hebron Review in the spring of our junior year. Since then the experience has been a roller coaster ride. In the beginning of the school year we launched the Hebron Review blog, enabling more current articles to be published quickly and with ease while reaching more readers. At the same time, we worked on the fall hard copy edition. Writing and editing on two platforms made for quite the workload, with nearly double the number of articles. That meant finding topics as well as writers—and, moreover, chasing down writers for their articles.
With that said, the experience gained this year has proved indispensable. Support from Mrs. Waterman, Dr. Oakes, and Mr. Crofton were essential to our success as editors, and we know that those next in line for the job will receive the same guidance.
Now we leave the students of Hebron with the tools to reach out. Let the magazine and blog be the way to voice your admiration for the opportunities that the school has to offer—and to call out your concerns for the school as well. Remember that the Hebron Review is a reflection of the school itself. Students interested in making the switch to Hebron will see what is written, good and bad, about the school, which will in turn influence their decision to attend. As a result Hebron will have to listen to you. So we invite students to see the Hebron Review as a way to make change. We thank all of our writers present and future and wish the best of luck to next year’s staff. 3
Dolphine Penzo ‘18
In anticipation of a school service trip to Puerto Rico, Hebron students participated in a program sponsored by The Memory Project, a nonprofit organization that invites art students to create portraits to send to children as a symbol of hope. We chose students who lost most or all of their possessions to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Our students received photos of children in Puerto Rico who lost most or all of their possessions to Hurricane Maria.
Ashe Angevine ‘18
Hebron Traditions Hebron Academy is a school full of traditions that can be found all across campus. From the rink to the school building, these traditions are the quirks that make Hebron Academy what it is. The Edie Bell, Victory Bell, senior path, and Hebron Cup are a few of the many pieces of history that our school holds dear.
By Sara Younk ‘19
If you have ever been to a hockey game on campus, you may have heard the faint ringing of a bell before each player goes on the ice. The Edie Bell in the rink, located just before the first locker room door, was put up in honor of Edie Pierson after her passing. Edie and Bill Pierson both worked at Hebron and lived next to the business office; the two were both active members in the Hebron community and were loved by everyone on campus. Edie’s job on campus was answering phones, while Bill did maintenance work. He was a natural machinist and worked to take care of the rink; he even fixed the clock tower after it hadn’t functioned for years. Bill and Edie saw Hebron students as their kids. Bill adored sports on campus, and he and Edie would always be found at games to support their “kids.” Edie was famously known for attending hockey games, ringing a cowbell and yelling, “Go, Lumberjacks!” It was only right that a cowbell was placed in her honor to be rung by every player before every home game. Imagine that you have just won your game, what do you do now? If it’s a home game, you’d go and ring the Victory Bell, but how did the Victory Bellcome about? The history of the Victory Bell started with the bell in the school building, back when the bell had to be manually rung with a rope that reached down to the first floor of Sturtevant Hall. Before our current athletic fields were built, all games were played
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on Andrews Field, also known as “The Bowl,” so the bell in the school building was easily available to be rung after games. When athletics moved to the current fields, there was a need for a bell that was closer, which led to a smaller bell being brought in, near where the current gym parking lot is.
The Hebron Cup, awarded since 1947, is given to a student who “represents the finest spirit of scholastic effort; who has in organized school activity shown a high degree of excellence; and who has in all relations with the school community shown a commendable spirit of devotion, high ideals, friendliness, endeavor and responsibility.”
The victory bell that we know today came from Hallowell, Maine. Once the maintenance staff made it a base, it replaced the smaller bell. In 2009, the bell was moved to its current location, and it was in this same year that the tradition of ringing the bell after graduation began. The Class of 2009 simply decided that they wanted to ring the bell after their ceremony; little did they know that their decision would spark a tradition that is now almost a decade old.
The Hebron Cup came about during the tenure of Claude Allen, the second longestserving head of school. Mr. Allen had come from Deerfield Academy, which has a similar award called the Deerfield Cup. This is likely where the idea came from as it was awarded to students of Deerfield with similar qualities as the recipients of the Hebron Cup. With these traditions current Hebron students are connected to the many classes of Hebron Academy who were here before us and become part of Hebron’s rich history.
Along with ringing the Victory Bell, commencement is filled with various other traditions. Commencement starts with the trek across campus via the senior path, but it was not always this way. The senior path started as a mere dirt track that ran through the middle of campus. Because there was no gym yet, and the path was not paved, Commencement used to start at the chapel and end at Lepage. In the mid-1980s Commencement moved to in front of the chapel, so students walked from Halford around and across the bridge. The Class of 1994 decided that they didn’t want to walk around and thought of the idea to make the senior path official. The secretary of the class of 1994, Laura Hemond, put in place the plans to level and put gravel on the path, thus making an easier way to get across campus and creating a clear path for the seniors toward their end of high school and their future. Leading these seniors along the path before their graduation is a bagpiper. This is a borrowed tradition that came from Dartmouth and has been around since 1977. (This tradition of bagpipes can be seen at various other colleges in the states and the exact origin is unknown.)
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Edie Pierson
America’s Problem One Perspective on Gun Control By Pashynce Love ‘18
Lately in America, there has been renewed discussion of the divide between citizens
Raising the age
regarding gun control laws. This issue was
to buy a firearm is both pointless and
brought on by increased media attention
hypocritical. We send eighteen-year-old men
dedicated to school, and other, shootings in
and women to fight for us and our freedom
the last year. People are banding together in
everyday. They are trusted with tanks, missiles,
protests like March for Our Lives and school
high-powered rifles, and, most importantly, our
walkouts and advocating on social media.
lives; yet they are now being told they cannot
Some are demanding a change to the Second
defend themselves in their own homes.
Amendment, stating that it is outdated and must change as America does. Although, there
Saying that it is illegal to own a gun at eighteen
are many who believe it is not the law that
is like saying you can’t drink alcohol if you’re
must change, but the people.
under twenty-one. Laws are written words; they
Some of the new laws being proposed
hold nothing over a person besides the threat
would change the minimum age to carry a gun
of punishment. If someone wants something
from eighteen to twenty-one, prohibit the
bad enough they’ll find a way to obtain it; at an
distribution of “assault rifles” and bumpstocks,
attack at Franklin Regional high school in
and extend the waiting time to receive the
Pennsylvania, a student injured 21 people with a
firearm after purchase. These proposed
household knife. Drunk driving and most drug
changes were encouraged by the many mass
use are illegal, yet for some reason, they
shootings that have occurred in the last few
continue to be an issue.
years, propelled even more after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in
This isn’t a legal problem; this is a human
Florida that resulted in 17 deaths. The
problem. Society itself shares the blame. Girls
argument many make is that the guns
grow up seeing half-dressed women on TV and
themselves are the issue, that they are the
magazines, being told that that is the standard
problem that needs to be fixed, instead of
for beauty and if it’s not met a man will never
going to the root of the problem, which are in
love them; they grow up insecure and
part societal influences and mental health
vulnerable to people's perceptions of them.
issues, which, the proposed laws don’t really
Simultaneously, boys grow up expected to be
address.
pillars of strength and masculinity. It is often frowned upon for boys to express themselves, and they are discriminated against when they aren’t athletically inclined. When someone 8
doesn’t meet the standards set, they are
and mistreated by their peers. In every school
For example, on March 20th of this year, during
in America, students are bullied all the time,
a shooting at Great Mills High School in
yet they are often told by teachers or peers
Maryland, two students were injured but the
that it’s “harmless fun,” just a “part of growing
schools armed resource officer, Blaine Gaskill,
up.” Being told that you’re not good enough,
fired at the shooter, preventing him from an
worthless, fat, and so much more can damage
even worse fatality number.
a person to the point of suicide, depression, and murderous impulses.
If we want to decrease the occurrence of mass shootings, changing our constitution isn’t the
We might also look at violent video games
solution. Some studies have argued that data
children start playing at young ages that
shows stricter state gun laws might lead to
normalize killing and destruction, along with
higher crime rates in those states. We need
the increased use of technology that creates
better enforcement of the laws we already have,
seclusion and separation from human contact,
such as filing criminal records to keep
making newer generations more cold to and
background checks up to date, drug testing,
distant from others. Instead of taking away the
and mental health screening. The world is
rights given to every American, the rights this
changing and always evolving. It is more
country was built upon, there should be a
dangerous now than it was in 1787, so now
change in attitude and response to bullying
more than ever we need to be able to defend
and mental health. Maybe we need to change
ourselves if needed—now more than ever we
ourselves, become more open and accepting,
need to unify as a country and show the world
talk to the outcast, include others in
our strength.
conversation, monitor kids who seem to be struggling, spread less hate. Maybe then we’ll see a decrease in mass shootings, depression among teenagers, and the increasing dropout rate of high schoolers. There have also been arguments over whether or not arming qualified, able teachers would decrease the chance of fatal shootings. Many claim that that is not the teachers’ job nor are they equipped for it, but if there are teachers willing to take classes and go through the precautions, then why not let them protect your children? If anything, there needs to be an increase in security in schools. Many qualified vets and retired officers are capable of defending children and apprehending an intruder. A great example being
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Students at Yarmouth High School protest (Photo by Kari Herer, Portland Press-Herald)
Never Again: The Student Walkout Movement By Emma Skelton ‘19 Almost twenty years ago, in 1999, the Columbine school shooting took place, the first major school shooting in the United States of America. Since that tragic event, at least 193 school shootings have occurred in both primary and high schools across the country. This means that over 187,000 students have had their lives directly affected by school shootings (Cox). The most recent major shooting occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018. Seventeen people were killed. In the wake of the shooting, survivors at Stoneman Douglas have organized the 10
Never Again movement, the March for Our Lives, and student walkouts across the nation both to hold tributes to those killed and to advocate for stricter gun control laws. The Never Again movement is a nonpartisan activist movement that has thrived on social media, especially Twitter, using the hashtag #neveragain. It has expanded beyond just the survivors of Parkland to advocates around the country. The movement started with Stoneman Douglas student Cameron Kasky, who was very vocal on Facebook in the hours and days following the shooting. As his posts gained more and more popularity, he and some of his friends gathered to start a movement with a “central space that isn’t just [his] personal page for
[everyone] to come together and change this” (Witt). The kids stayed up all night figuring out what to say and how to say it. They decided that their main goal, besides beginning the dialogue and raising awareness, would be to petition for more thorough background checks. A co-founder of Never Again, Alfonso Calderon, said about the background checks, “Nikolas Cruz, the shooter at my school, was reported to the police thirty-nine times. We have to vote people out who have been paid for by the N.R.A. They’re allowing this to happen. They’re making it easier for people like Nick Cruz to acquire an AR-15” (Witt). From the Never Again movement came the idea of the March For Our Lives. Marches and rallies have taken place across the country, with the main one being in Washington D.C. The March For Our Lives statement says that they march “to demand that their lives and safety become a priority and that we end this epidemic of mass school shootings” (Our Mission to End School Shootings). The March took place on March 24.
Yet the most well known result of the Parkland shooting is the student walkout movement. Survivors of the shooting organized the first major walkout for March 14, the one-month anniversary of the massacre. These walkouts were planned to last seventeen minutes, one minute to honor each of the victims. The idea for a walkout quickly spread from just Stoneman Douglas to many schools across the state and soon across the country. On March 14, over 3,000 schools participated in the walkouts, honoring those who died in the shootings and, in many cases, advocating for stricter gun control laws to prevent future shootings. About 40 Maine schools pledged to participate, but a nor’easter caused a snow day for many of the schools. Still-open high schools, such as Gorham, Yarmouth, Portland, and Orono, held protests and walkouts during the school day. About fifty students from Freeport High School held their own walkout in the streets of the town, despite school being cancelled that day (Gallagher).
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Students in Freeport stand along the streets with their protest signs (Photo by Sean Fitzpatrick, Portland Press-Herald)
Andrew Harnik/AP
Because we were on Spring Break on the day
these protests and movements to stop
planned for the walkout, Hebron Academy held our own early walkout on March 6 to show our solidarity with the movement and honor the victims. Jake Bieler ’18 and the proctors led the event, reading the names of the victims and where and how they died, as well as delivering a moving speech about the importance of being vocal so that these events don’t happen again. Across the nation young people are speaking up and raising their voices against gun
shootings once and for all. In 1999, thirteen people were killed at Columbine, and parents and teachers asked, “How many more children have to die?” In 2012, twenty-six people were killed at Sandy Hook, and parents and teachers asked, “How many more children have to die?” In 2018, seventeen people were killed at Stoneman Douglas, but this time the students stood up and said, “Never again should we have to die.”
violence. They are banding together against something that has affected over 187,000 students in the past twenty years. A fear for their lives and other students’ lives has
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Simon Hwang ‘19
Spring Break in Puerto Rico! By Ben Bryce ‘18 Day 1: Today we traveled from Boston to Aguadilla, Puerto Rick. JetBlue was a great airline...unlimited snacks! When we finally arrived at 4:00 am, we grabbed the rental cars and drove through the Puerto Rican wilderness to where we are staying. The house is perfect for our group since it is a two-apartment condo with plenty of space. We grabbed a quick five hours of sleep, then went right to exploring the island! We stopped by Wilderness Beach, Jobos Beach, and Surfer’s Beach—all gorgeous and sunny. After stopping at those beaches, we ended up at Crash Boat Beach, where we spent the remainder of the day. Crash Boat is beautiful and had local food vendors! We got a real coconut and enjoyed trying local food. Awesome first day! Day 2: At 7:00 this morning, two of us jogged to the local cafe and bought cafe con leche and freshly baked pastries. We then jogged back to the house and left for Jobos Beach to surf. Jobos was amazing, and the group enjoyed surfing and lying on the beach. After a full day at the beach, we went back to the house to shower and rest. Soon after we got back, we left to watch a beach sunset. This was the perfect end to the day.
Photograph: Courtesy of Ben Bryce that we could jump off into a water hole. We spent a few hours there and then made our way to Rincon and ate dinner at Shipwrecks restaurant. We ended the night stargazing at the Rincon lighthouse.
Day 3: Today we changed pace and went into the center of the island! After a 1.5-hour drive inland, we reached the rainforest and stopped at the Ataud waterfall. To get there, however, we had to drive up a very twisty and windy 5-mile road with switchbacks. After reaching the top, we hiked to the waterfall and found a 20-foot
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Day 4: surfing and hanging at the beach. I ended up buying a pair of goggles and went snorkeling over the reef.When swimming around, I saw a leatherback sea turtle!
We slept in today until 9:00. As soon as we got up, we left for Cabo Rojo, a small surf town on the south west corner of the island. We arrived at the Cabo Rojo cliffs and hiked along the “Cliff Path.” On the Cliff Path is a gorgeous lighthouse and 100- foot cliffs that lead down to the pristine blue ocean. We spent a few hours hiking around the cliffs and left for lunch. After looking around Boqaron (a small beach town), we settled for lunch at a local taco/burrito truck which was phenomenal. We ended the day with another sunset over Crash Boat Beach.
Day 6: Today we continued the service aspect of the trip by linking with the Surf Rider Foundation to test water samples along Rincon Beach. We learned a ton and had a great time.
Day 5: Today we did the service part of the trip! We woke up early and went to Surfer’s Beach and picked up trash. We collected over ten bags of garbage! The locals were very grateful for the work that we did. After we finished the trash, we headed back to Jobos Beach and spent the day
Photograph: Courtesy of Masataka Mita
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By Sara Younk ‘19
Spring Break in Cancún!
Photograph: Courtesy of Sara Younk
16th: We arrived at the resort in the afternoon. As
unfortunately, am terrible at handling both these
we had expected, our room was not ready for us, so
things, but with some help I was successfully able to
we decided to get lunch. The resort offers many
procure a few souvenirs before leaving.
different places to eat with a variety of different kinds of food; we chose Lebanese food for our first meal there. After lunch we checked out our room
18th: We had previously booked mani-pedis for the day so we spent the day lounging around between appointments. It was nice to have a relaxing day and
and got changed to go swimming. For dinner we
not have to adhere to a strict schedule with
had Japanese food, then we turned in early as we
something planned for every minute of the day. At
were all tired from the flight.
night we enjoyed a juggling show that was
17th: After boarding a bus in the early afternoon,
happening just a couple buildings over and then
we made it to Playa del Carmen where we spent the
went to bed.
day shopping and swimming. If I learned anything
19th: After our day of relaxation we were off on
on this trip, it’s that the vendors are very persistent and that bargaining is key. I,
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another adventure to Isla Mujeres. One boat ride later we were there and found a cozy spot in the
shade to soak up some sun. We then put on our
same time, just one building over. All of us spent
bathing suits and life jackets and headed over to
the day together, exploring new pools, having
swim with the dolphins. We swam with a dolphin
hibachi for dinner, and seeing a show. It was
named Alicia. She pulled us through the water
really nice to catch up with them after so long.
and waved at us and was just adorable in
22nd: We spent the afternoon at a nearby water
general. It was such a great experience.
park. We arrived after a short boat ride and
20th: We slept in a bit and ordered room
spent the day exploring. When we got back, we
service for breakfast. The rest of the day was
changed and went out for a nice dinner at an
mellow. We spent the day by the pool and had
Italian restaurant. Afterward we turned in early
tacos— if that isn’t best friend goals, I don’t know
because we were tired from all the swimming.
what is.
23rd: Brandon and I went to the beach, which
21st: I had the opportunity to meet up with
was just a short walk away from our room, and
some family friends I hadn’t seen in a while
spent most of our time there. We just spent the
because they happened to be at the resort at the
time admiring the ocean and sitting on the
Photograph: Courtesy of Sara Younk
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beach. Along the way we did make friends with a lizard who continued to stay with us for two hours afterward while clinging to Brandon’s shirt. We said our goodbyes to our new pal and went back to the room to change. Then we all went to a steakhouse for dinner, which was amazing. We were so full afterwards! 24th: For the last full day at the resort we split up for a couple hours. I went on my own little adventure by myself to just savor the time we had left. Of course the first thing I did was post about my adventure on social media as a proper teenager would. I then proceeded to try out some new desserts at the little cafe. I sampled hibiscus flower and mamey ice cream and had some macaroons. Then I went back to my room to change and made a little video tour of our room before heading to the lazy river, which is where I spent most of my time. I took a walk around, just listening to music and taking in the sites and taking pictures of everything. I took a golf cart ride to a different section of the resort where I had an amazing lunch the waiter picked for me before returning to the room for a must-needed nap. We all met back up and headed out to see a fire show then went back to the room. 25th: We only had enough time after we woke up to grab breakfast, pack up our bags properly, and have lunch on our last day. We got on a bus which took us to the airport where we spent many hours before getting on our first plane of the day. I took the time to reflect on the trip at this point; I was and am incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity, and I now have many more great memories with my best friend, but in the end I was really just ready to go home. I missed my family and familiarity of my house and was glad to be home even though I didn’t arrive there until after one in the morning.
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Cara Hu ‘19
Self-Expression with Myles Bullen By Eliza Beaudin ‘18 In early January, Hebron welcomed a special guest to campus, a local musician and poet by the name of Myles Bullen. A published artist in his craft, Myles shared his rapping and beatboxing lifestyle with the students during a fun-filled Community Meeting. While telling students about his work in the juvenile facility in Portland, he stressed the idea of expressing oneself. He told stories regarding young teens and adults he met in the correctional facility and how in the environment they are stuck in speaking up is not favored or encouraged. He also shared his upbringing and the struggles he experienced as a young teen going through addiction and depression. He then gave students a taste of both his poetry and music as he shared his own personal expression of these struggles and stories. His face and movements showed the audience how much pride he took in his work.
Following his performance many students said they were struck by his vulnerability with the audience. They enjoyed his honest expression during all of the pieces that he performed. Many faculty as well admired his passion. Hebron students ranked this as a top contender for best Community Meeting of the year and encourage the school to plan many more like this. Hebron would like to thank Myles for sharing his story with the community and wish him future success in his journey of music, poetry, and expression. 20
Sit Down Dinner: Some Love It, Others…Not So Much By Jake Bieler ‘18 After struggling through two full days of school on Monday and Tuesday, students catch a brief glimpse of relief as Wednesday’s half-day rolls through. What often seem like Fridays, Wednesdays are a great break in the week to let students enjoy after-school activities and catch up on work. As study hall rolls around, students begin to forget about their luxurious Wednesday schedule and look toward the rest of the week. With even faculty and staff unsure of the actual answer, the most-asked question of the week is then “Do we have sit-down dinner tomorrow?” As most of Hebron’s community asks this same questions, many hope for very different answers. For some, sit-down dinner is a great way to meet new people, experience different foods that may not normally be served, and spend a full hour relaxing and reflecting on the week as it slowly comes to an end. In contrast, many others feel that sit-down dinner falls short of their expectations. 21
From a student’s perspective, Thursdays are often characterized as tiresome and busy. Students not only bear a full day of school, but they have an after-school activity that oftentimes runs to 5:30. For most, as their sports practice comes to an end, they quickly shower and get dressed back into their school attire. While this task may seem simple, it is often a burden on the human spirit as students struggle to finish the week strong. Students feel that the perfect way to finish their busy and tiring day would be a quick dinner with their closest friends consisting of chicken fingers and mac and cheese, but instead they are faced with an hour-long decision of whether to struggle through the meal or to order takeout. Whether or not the sit-down dinner atmosphere is busy with conversation and tasty treats, it is without doubt the most busy night of the week for Mayflower. Frantically bustling through the halls to convince other people to help pay the twelve-dollar delivery fee, students find their mouths salivating over the pending (mediocre) fried rice and General Tso's chicken.
Hebron Academy is populated by students from all over the world who come together in Maine to learn inside and outside of the classroom. However, somehow, students find themselves hanging around the same people week after week, not exploring the diverse culture that lies in their hands. Admittedly, one way to combat this is sit-down dinner. Students at the table are always different, but they all share many things in common. Students are all eating together, they all are eating the same food, and they all have had a very busy day. Sit-down dinner could be a great opportunity to relax, take a break, and meet new kids who may end up changing our own lives for the better.
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Sit-down dinner is a great way for kids to get to know others whom they may not normally seek out. The sit-down tables embody Hebron’s true diversity, and every dinner seems to have a good subject of conversation.Let’s remember also that the dining hall always provides an interesting theme to accompany the meal. The themes range from Chinese dishes to Middle Eastern cuisine. Whether or not students enjoy the meal or the atmosphere, every student can leave the dining hall with a new fact about a foreign country or a new friend…yet potentially also leave with a very hungry stomach.
Freshman Year at a Glance By Cora Younk ‘21 Freshman year has been unlike any other year at school. Though faced with many challenges like heavy backpacks and adjusting to our new schedule, we are all pushing through and making new friends and memories along the way. All of our teachers have been very kind and considerate during this period of adjustment. We’ve had many fun times and opportunities. Some of us are trying new sports for the first time and taking chances with going out of our comfort zones. Humanities classes are always entertaining with Mr. Middleton and his funny stories. He frequently runs around the building, up and down the stairs and probably has the most energy out of all of us. On the English side of things, Mr. Sanchez-Moran is a little calmer and is still adjusting to Hebron life, just like us.
We did struggle with getting a diverse group together for our class council. We started the year with only three council members, all female day students who had been attending Hebron for the past three years. Very recently, we added a few new faces creating a slightly more diverse, though still small, class council group. Congrats to all who are involved. Even though freshman year has been great overall, different personalities have varied feelings about this year so far. Some people say that they “liked it better last year.” However, others say that freshman year has been “interesting, fun, and memorable” and that “it was easier than I thought it would be.” Though it was easy for some, occasionally we will walk into Mr. Middleton’s classroom to see him “taking a nap” (not actually) on the floor or telling us about how he “only got a B” on the project he made for his son’s science class 10 years ago, so I’d say sometimes it’s not so easy for him. Over the course of the year, we have become a pretty close group of people, a closeness impressive for such a large and diverse group. Most people have forged friendships with people who live a totally different lifestyle, speak a completely different language, and may not have all the same interests. We have come to realize that although there may be seemingly enormous contrast between us, once the differences are overlooked, there is a world of similarities to be talked, Snapchatted, and joked about. Hopefully, as our years at Hebron continue, this group of forty freshman will not only stay close but will grow and learn the ways of high school together.
In the fall during homecoming weekend, we held a fundraiser for our class. We sold various baked goods and broke the record for the most money raised by the freshman class ever. We completed the fundraiser by selling almost $400 worth of baked goods. Though we had fun doing it, there was stiff competition between the classes during this fundraiser. Our class council is still working hard on fundraising.
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International Dominance During my early days in Hebron Academy, I was at first surprised by how diverse our school was: my roommate was from Mexico and across from me lived a Finnish boy. I also soon realized that one particular group outnumbered all other international students. The dining hall was a great place to experience this phenomenon since a language other than English could always be heard during our rowdy lunch period. The majority of those students usually seated themselves together and spoke their native language mostly, if not always. That one group was the Chinese students, and throughout my sophomore year, I was curious why there was an abundance of Chinese students at Hebron while students from other foreign countries (except for Canada) numbered fewer than five per nation. As an international student on the verge of becoming an American citizen, I am curious about issues of diversity, specifically here at Hebron, and wanted to know more about the make-up of the international population here. Throughout my time at Hebron, I have heard various speculation, without hard evidence, concerning this topic, so I figured I needed to ask reliable sources about the topic of Hebron’s international admissions numbers.
The first person I sought By Moses Kwon ‘19 was Ms. Hemmings, our Dean of Academics. She pointed out that diversity is the greatest strength of Hebron Academy: it not only benefits day students, who have a chance to experience different cultures from around the globe, but also international students themselves as they meet others who broaden their perspective of the world. When asked about the Chinese population in Hebron, Ms. Hemmings replied that before the growth in Chinese students came an influx of Korean students in the 80’s and 90’s. (Since she was not involved with admissions during those times, she suggested I visit Mr. Marchetti for more insight.)
She ended our interview saying that she recognizes the selfselection and occasional isolation that is happening on campus, and that it is teachers’ responsibility to reach out to all students and help them be absorbed into the community. Even when students are in their rooms, she said, faculty should encourage them to take part in community activities. I was surprised and heartened by her comments, for I had never heard a Hebron teacher acknowledge potential 24 problems and express an intention to resolve the issue.
In order to answer my question of why Chinese students outnumber other international populations, I then spoke with our Head of School, Mr. Marchetti. I asked him, “What is diversity to Hebron?” His answer was similar to that of Ms. Hemmings: He suggested that diversity is the greatest strength of Hebron, differentiating us from many other prep schools in America. I asked him about the numbers of Korean students in the 80’s and 90’s; he noted that trends in international admissions shift every decade, and so maybe it was inevitable that the population of Korean students had spiked and then died down. I asked him if he sensed any difference in a school atmosphere where one or another nationality dominates. He laughed and argued that kids are kids; teenagers from anywhere tend to act very similarly. I then jumped right to my main question: Why do Chinese students outnumber other international students? Along with echoing what Ms. Hemmings had said about the earlier Korean populations, he also noted the growing economy in China and the increasing demand for better education. When I asked whether the influx was also related to representatives from Hebron visiting China several times last year and this winter, Mr. Marchetti replied that the school had been invited to China, and that he wanted to visit Korea and Japan, but he had not yet had the time. He hopes to visit these countries, too. Though I am fine with being a minority in this community, I often wonder about students who only have one or two fellow citizens here with them. Do they sometimes feel lonely or just melt into this diverse community and become part of it? Could they still feel lonely while they have friends from all over the world? If they do, can the school do anything to help resolve that problem?
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In order to know what thoughts Chinese students themselves have on this matter, I visited a senior from China who lives in Sturtevant. He had several ideas on this topic. He began the conversation by stating that he believes the real reason why the school is accepting so many Chinese kids is because most of them pay full tuition. He added, “But I believe not all of us here work hard… [and] their parents can’t shout at them to do homework.” As for the number of students from China, he suggested that there are “too many, honestly. Well, I’m one of them.” How can the school achieve a more balanced admission group, I asked? “I believe if they recruit more international students, there will be fewer local kids. So I believe the school should reduce the number of kids from China.” Of course, one interview cannot represent the Chinese students here in Hebron as a whole. However, this conversation showed me that there are some students from China who are aware of the potential problems when other countries are underrepresented.
I began to research on this topic out of sheer curiosity. The more I looked into the matter, however, I realized that there was no definitive answer. I am not arguing that the abundance of Chinese students at Hebron academy is a problem—the problem is the unbalanced ratio of international students that Hebron Academy is so proud of. It is true that Hebron is not the only school where the ratio is unbalanced, but I believe that Admissions can try to resolve this by admitting more international students who are not from China. Of course, I am just a student sharing an idea. I hope the future students of Hebron will attend a school where the faculty and Admissions strive towards true diversity and greater inclusivity for all nationalities.
How Hebron Grew Me It’s kind of a weird experience to go to school in a place where you have lived longer than half of your teachers and coaches. For eighteen years Hebron has been my home and community. I haven’t always lived on campus, but my dad started working at Hebron in 1998, which was two years before I was born. Most people’s first reaction is “What? You’ve spent your whole life in the woods?” and the answer is “Yeah, I guess I have.” For someone who has grown up in rural Maine, I don’t feel sheltered or naive at all. I have experienced more here than I might have if I grew up in a city or any place bigger than Hebron (which is literally any other town). I had babysitters from a bunch of different countries, and I had a backyard and playground bigger than anyone else. I’ve been watching Hebron Hockey since I was four. I wouldn’t have traded my childhood at Hebron for any other.
By Rachel Brouwer ‘18 As it is my last year living at Hebron, looking back is both comforting and challenging. I am incredibly grateful for how the community shaped me into the person I am now. To me, that process had nothing to do with how much money our school has, or our successful sports teams, or our impressive academic programs. Instead, it had everything to do with the people. When I see Mr. Ftorek, I see my sixthgrade history teacher who has grown just as much as I have in the past seven years. For example, his best friends used to be the senior boys, and now they’re Mrs. Ftorek and their amazing daughter Bayley. When I see Mrs.Waterman, Dr. Swenton, and Ms. Littlefield, I see strong female role models for me who will raise their daughters to be the next generation of strong women. When I walk into the school building, I think of my dad sitting at his desk on the third floor, which still looks the same as it did when I was ten years old. When I look at my peers I see my unbiological sister who has been by my side for eighteen years, and I mean literally by my side. It’s hard to think about all of these people who give me so much comfort. At the same time, I know I am ready to move on. Change is inevitable, and as this community has changed I have grown. People I love have come and gone. My perspective has changed about a lot of things since I started my Hebron experience. But one thing I can say is to appreciate the moments you have here—not the moments provided to you, but the moments you create with people who make this place truly home.
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From Hebron to Georgetown By Lily Xu ‘17 College sounds fun but intimidating. There is so much excitement to look forward to, while new challenges await. I still vividly remember the dazzling college experiences I pictured in my mind during my Hebron senior spring. College indeed can be sensational, but it definitely differs from what I expected it to be. From Hebron to Georgetown, a large part of my life just took a huge leap. My residence changed from a small school in a sparsely populated town to a medium-sized university in the political and cultural center of Washington, D.C.. Unused to the freedom of having no curfew, study halls, or pressure of getting on Sunday Walmart trips, I wandered on M Street, a 10minute walk from campus, a street that is filled with delicious restaurants, clothing stores, and beauty salons. I have hundreds of student organizations to choose from, ranging from Boxing Club and A Cappella to the Professional Consulting group. I struggled with the realization that college clubs can be more competitive than getting accepted into college! Going to classes with students having excellent grades and various unique talents overwhelmed me, and having a roommate who has interned at Morgan Stanley did not make my first month in college less stressful. 27
Having this new living environment, classes, and friends thrown at me, I never felt so small, and I wasn’t sure about my feelings of freedom with almost no school rules and restrictions and no one telling me what I should do. Yes, I could do whatever I want, and I enjoyed such high degree of independence and control over my life for the very first time. However, I found myself constantly lost pondering the right choices to make and exploring who I really am. Looking back one year ago, I realized how my time at Hebron really prepared me so well for college and helped me deal with my temporary “identity crisis.” I could not have felt luckier and appreciate more about the memorable experiences I had and the wonderful people I met at this small but close-knit community. Almost everyone finds college different from high school to some degree. Cherish the good times at Hebron because they will be the memories you are constantly reminded of when walking around a college campus. Appreciate the difficulties you encountered because they will make you stronger and more independent than you ever thought. Look up to the red clock tower as you walk down the senior path; you will picture it a million times when alone at night in your college dorm.
Can’t College? Here’s How
Play a team sport and make friends
to Prep! Take hard classes and challenge yourself academically Two of the hardest classes I have ever taken, AP U.S. History and American Literature Honors (Shout out to Mr. Ftorek and Mrs. Waterman), made me attain essential skills to read extensively and write well in college. I cannot believe that I would ever say this, but the homework tasks at Hebron are nothing when compared to those in college. (Painfully ironic, but in all honesty).
Talk to your teachers Chances are, school is hard. At college, it is a pain in the neck to schedule office hours with your professors. While still at Hebron, you have all the amazing faculty resources wanting to talk to and hear from you in all settings. Let them know your struggles, in and outside school. They are not only your strict teachers, but your understanding friends. (Teachers know their stuff and your struggle: they were once students as well)
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Hebron offers a great choice of sports you can play, given that you do NOT need to be athletic. It’s a perfect opportunity to learn something new, make lifelong friends, and develop a balanced and healthy lifestyle amidst your busy schedule. Never really playing any sports ever in my life, becoming a JV soccer captain was one of my most rewarding experiences. (Yup, that was hard, but it totally paid off!)
Take classes that you are interested in It gives you an idea of your prospective major in college, and if not, it gives you a chance to explore your passion without worrying too much about sinking your GPA. You might be surprised what you find out about yourself. Taking an international relations class let me discover my interest, and a pottery class helped me learn to breathe and balance in pressure (even though my art and IR skills were not the greatest).
Speak up and speak often Public speaking is such an important skill that becomes especially important in college. Learning how to effectively present yourself to others in front of a group will make you go very far in your job interviews and “elevator pitches.” Take advantage of the Words program at Hebron and practice your public speaking skills with your advisor. You will feel so proud of yourself after delivering your Last Word as a senior. (Stage fright is a real thing and overcoming it requires practice, practice, practice.)
Start a conversation with someone you don’t know Humans are social creatures. You will be surprised how many people, despite their differences, share many similarities with you. Hebron is such a small community that you know pretty much everyone in one way or another. Sit with someone you aren’t familiar with on the movie trip and listen to their stories. You will not only make friends, but also acquire the mingling skills for meeting new people and networking events in college. (Who needs frats and parties?)
Get to know international students College is defined partially by its student diversity. And Hebron is a perfect microcosm. Utilize the chances to talk with people who speak a different language from you and learn about their culture. You might realize some issues you have never thought of your whole life and have more fun with them than you ever would have imagined. (You might get to visit them in their home countries, too!)
Join a club or student organization In college, nearly everyone might find himself or herself involved in some sort of extracurriculars or student groups. Since there are so many student organizations available at Hebron, join one that you find interesting or even create one with friends. You will gain new skills and develop leadership abilities, and you will have fun doing something other than homework with a group of like-minded individuals. (Playing the dead body in the school play was unforgettable!)
Find mentors you can trust and communicate with them regularly Life is hard. What I appreciate the most about Hebron is the deep and profound relationships you can build with people. Talk to someone you can trust and let them know what you are going through. Share your burden and thoughts with them. You might not realize how much support you have in this small community and big Hebron family. Hearing from my Hebron friends and teachers is one of my biggest solaces in college. (Mentors could be your favorite teachers, coaches, dorm parents, or even staff members.)
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College has the highest of highs and lowest of lows. Dear students, please fasten your seat belts, review the safety instructions above, and get ready for a wild ride ahead.