Volume 11, Issue 7
12.14.2015 A PUBLICATION BY HOLDERNESS STUDENTS FOR THE HOLDERNESS COMMUNITY
DON’T LET EXAMS CATCH YOU UNPREPARED Dougie DeLuca ‘16
As the week draws to a close, the Hol-
derness community braces for what lies before us, exams. There is not a single member of this community that is not affected by exam week. Whether it’s a student using every possible second to study for exams, a teacher desperately trying to finish grading papers before a pile of exams are dropped on their desk, or a staff member surrounded by stress, we are all affected. It is pretty undeniable that the majority of our community hates exam week. As we are all affected by this monster, why should we let it be so terrible? As a community, we can make this upcoming week an overall enjoyable experience. The Good Despite popular opinions, there are some things about exam week that are • No formal Classes actually good. Even more surprising- • Snacks in Weld ly, the list of good, for me at least, out- • The scream with Mr. Barton weighs the bad. • No sports Even though the negative aspects of • Short week exam week are unavoidable, that does • The exam block(s) where you not mean that they are not improvable. do not have an exam In order to make exams as enjoyable as • That amazing feeling once you possible it is essential to make the bad, finish your last exam well, not as bad. By doing this we could • Christmas Break fill our community with smiles rather • Exams are only a part of your than frowns. semester grade Take all of these things into consid- • You feel like Rocky running eration and make this upcoming exam the stairs after studying for week as enjoyable as possible. No one five hours straight likes a community full of grouches, so • We are all in this together let’s make our community full of happy (queue High School Musical) people. The Picador: Volume 11, Issue 7
The Bad Exams are stressful • Schedule some fun • Christmas Break is near • Eat chocolate • Embrace positive vibes Exams are long Exams are hard • Go to extra help sessions • Ask questions • Make a shedule • Start studying early Exams are in the gym • Bring a pair comfortable shoes • Wear comfortable clothing • Wear layers Lack of motivation • Watch Rocky • Listen to motivational music 1
WE APPRECIATE OUR HOUSEKEEPERS This article is dedicated to all the housekeepers for the wonderful work they have been doing in our dorms and with our leaders this fall. The dorms have never looked so good, nor have their relationships with students been any better due to your daily care and consideration. The house and floor leaders also want to thank you for the yummy cookies and snacks you have baked over the course of the fall for our friendly dorm competitions. In past years, there has not been much of a relationship between students and housekeepers, at least not across all dorms. Thanks to some gentle encouragement from Mr. Galvin, we know each other's names, and communicate much better about dorm cleanliness and what needs improvement. Happily, we have also learned much more than simply your names. Here’s what we found out: Laurie Nutting: Laurie is originally from Massachusetts but now lives up at Stinson Lake in Rumney, NH. She has the longest running tenure as a housekeeper with her 12 years of dedicated service. She loves meeting and working with the Holderness students. Her one wish would be that the student take care of recycling on a more regular basis. Laurie Butler: Laurie is a NH native and has lived in Wolfeboro and New Hampton. She has been working at Holderness for almost a year and loves the kids in her dorm as well as the busy schedule of the Holderness lifestyle. Laurie also happens to be a twin; she is 3 minutes younger than her sister. Amy Greene: Amy is originally from Dracut, MA, but now lives in Holderness; she has been here for a year. Before coming to Holderness Amy was a hairstylist, and is now a yoga teacher. Amy wishes there was a bit more space in the dorms for the students to put their gear, but she really enjoys working with our kids on campus. Shari Mumford: Shari moved to Ashland, NH a few years ago after following her father, who was active in service, around the globe. Shari started working here 4 years ago in the kitchen. Shari loves working with the students the most and encourages all of them to do their own dishes and recycling daily. Interesting tidbit: Shari once owned a pet monkey named Pugsy. Josephine Panigilinan: Josephine is originally from the Philippines but currently lives in Holderness, NH. When she is not cleaning Connell, Livermore, and Chapel, she enjoys crafts, including cross-stitch and crochet. She was also a registered massage therapist back at home. She has been employed here for 3 years and loves to work around this wonderful community. She loves how friendly and respectful everyone is. Jackie Johnson: Jackie lives in Thornton, NH and just started working here this year. She loves staying busy and enjoys the exercise she gets cleaning all over campus. She enjoys not working behind a desk and meeting the students while working. Liz Hobbs: Liz lives in Rumney NH currently, but has lived in 5 different states throughout her life. She has two teenagers and her favorite pastime is riding her motorcycle; she has visited 42 out of the 50 states. She has been working at Holderness for only a few months, and loves meeting all the nice people in our friendly community.
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Mike Morgan: Mike is from Meredith, NH and has been working at Holderness for a year and a half. Mike wanted to thank the students for doing a much better job picking-up after themselves this year, especially in Webster dorm. Interesting tidbit: Mike is a veteran medic who stitched-up and saved numerous soldiers during the Vietnam War.
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TALES FROM THE OTHER SIDE
DEEP THOUGHTS WITH CHARLES HARKER ‘15 Why did Humpty Dumpty have a great fall? He wanted to make up for a lousy summer! I hope all of you did not have lousy summers, but, like Humpty Dumpty, everyone had a great fall! For those of you reading this that know me, hi! I wish I could have come back to visit you all in the fall, but I have been very busy over here at Bates College; I also don’t have a car to drive two hours across northern New England. I will visit before the end of the year, partly because Drew Hodson needs my old lacrosse helmet because his got ran over by a car, but mostly because I want to see all of you. For those of you who don’t know me and are reading this, thank you. If you kept reading past the joke I’m impressed. I know everyone is super busy this time of year, so I’ll make this short and sweet. 1. Good luck on finals/midterms/ exams! Unfortunately, these still exist in college, but on the bright side you have WAY more time to study for them, so yeah. 2. Congrats to boys’ soccer for win-
ning NEPSACs and to boys’ cross country for keeping the undefeated domination alive. 3. Best of luck to all winter sports Teams this year, and by the way the new rink looks awesome. 4. Will Harker is a horrible DJ* 5. S/O to all the kids living on The Hill, it’s the way to go. Plus Mr. Peck’s brownies are quite excellent. He also cuts the brownies so that one brownie is like four normal brownies. At some places you’ll get a brownie and it will be the size of an infant’s fist and you finish it and you’re like “I could eat 6 more of those,” I never had such thoughts after eating one of Mr. or Mrs. Peck’s brownies. 6. In college, your teachers don’t make cookies and brownies for you, which sucks (a lot) after having teachers that make cookies and brownies for you. You will not ever have teachers like these again, so enjoy it while it lasts! 7. Seniors: I know that lots of you are hearing back from ED/ EA schools right about now. For all of you that get in, congrats! You totally deserve it, and you have the advantage of knowing where you’re going for the rest of the year, which I would imagine is quite an awesome feeling.
For all of you that don’t get in ED/ EA, never fear. I didn’t know where I was going to college until May 1, the last possible day you can know where you’re going to college, and I am currently very happy. 8. Juniors: I have no idea how many days there are until OB, but what I can tell you is that the walk from Weld to Hagerman on a cold, February morning will not seem cold anymore after you go on OB. 9. Holderness Boys’ Lacrosse will win the Lakes Region this year. 10. If you haven’t gone on a service trip with Mr. Weymouth, go on a service trip with Mr. Weymouth. Those were some of the most interesting and rewarding experiences I had at Holderness and there is also a 1000% chance you will go to a Dunkin Donuts. 11. The 60tree shirts look really cool, and I want one. *Will Harker is a good piano player Special thanks to AJ, Maggie, and the rest of The Picador staff (even Mr. Herring) for allowing me to write this brief address. Have a great end of the semester and I look forward to coming back to Holderness in person soon!
SENIORS RESERVE YOUR PAGE When reserving your page, please indicate whether you: a) want a page to yourself b) want to share a single page with a friend, or c) want to share two adjacent pages as a group. You may also add special requests. We will try our best to accommodate. Assignments are first come, first serve
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Please send this request to nifurlonge@holderness.org before Dec 20th. Subject line should read: Senior Page Request 3
CHIPOTLE - DELICIOUS OR DISASTROUS? Maggie Cunha ‘16
One of the things I look forward to
about going home isn't my mom’s home cooking, it’s taking a trip up the street to Chipotle for a burrito bowl with extra guacamole. In addition to having delicious food, Chipotle has made a name for itself as an option for consumers who want sustainable, non-GMO (genetically modified) locally-sourced ingredients. It’s a feel-good place where socially-conscious hipsters can pig out guilt-free – that is until recently. Chipotle has been hit with a series of complaints in multiple states about patrons contracting food poisoning, particuarly E. coli. Just this week, the Chipotle up the street from me in Cleveland Circle was closed down after at least 80 Boston College students reported abdominal distress. Since this was a weekday afternoon, the number of students vomiting and feeling sick to their stomachs raised more concern than if it had been, say, the Saturday morning after a football game. All of
the students had eaten at Chipotle, prompting the closure of the restaurant and investigation into the source of the outbreak. As of press time, it appears this outbreak is likely caused by the norovirus, commonly known as the cruise ship virus because of its tendency to spread like wildfire in small, contained environments like ships and, apparently, college campuses. However, people don’t care which virus or bacteria is the culprit. They would prefer to eat a burrito without having to worry about adverse symptoms of E. coli poisoning. It’s still too early to tell what effect this most recent outbreak will have on Chipotle. The chain has grown to more than 1500 restaurants nationwide, but with the recent string of food poisoning incidents, Chipotle is experiencing a drastic drop in sales. According to the company’s recent annual report, the “use of fresh produce and meats rather than frozen” means there is more of a risk of food borne illness. In addition, the com-
pany cooks much of the food on-site rather than shipping frozen precooked food to restaurants like many other chains. Ironically, these seemingly healthier options are what opens the door for viruses and bacteria that are less likely to affect frozen, microwaved food consumers find at many other fast food places. Chipotle announced that it will ramp up its food safety measures, but that means two things: higher prices and longer waits, which can be the death knell for a fast food establishment, particularly one that caters to a large number of young people, where fast and cheap is almost as important as bacteria-free. It remains to be seen whether socially-conscious, health-minded consumers will be up for paying more for their burritos, but maybe Chipotle could find the silver lining in this outbreak and start advertising the potential weight-loss benefits of their products.
STUDENTS ENDORSE FULL-YEAR SENIOR THESIS
Maggie Barton ‘16
For every Senior at Holderness School,
Senior Thesis stands in the way of your final commencement day stroll to receive your diploma. Although some people are excited for this hefty project and foreboding “seminar presentation,” Senior Thesis requires a lot of work for all who must partake in it. Ideas form, questions shift, and topics narrow. Even those who seem to have it all figured out quickly find that Senior Thesis is full of dead ends and the retracing of steps. The best way to troubleshoot the inevitable trials of your Senior Thesis is to take the full-year course. The benefits of this version of the class are numerous and the downsides hard to find. In the end, those who take regular Senior Thesis have the exact same amount of class time as those
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in the full-year course, but it is just crammed into half the time. The fullyear course only meets twice a week, giving you extra time between assignments and more free blocks to do work or sleep in. The stretched out class also gives students more time to work and rework their projects. Your essential question has plenty of time to percolate before it’s ready to work with, and your topic itself can blossom at your own leisure. Full-Year Senior Thesis gives seniors time to make mistakes and pick the wrong topic, with plenty of time to regroup. Those who choose to take the elongated course also have a greater period of time to work on the more stressful, but equally essential aspects of the class. Not only do you have months to plan your March Experience, but it
also doesn’t necessarily have to be in March. Laborious and time consuming assignments like reading a book or making a documentary don’t have to be crammed into a few stressful weeks, but instead can be relaxing, interesting, and extremely beneficial to your project. Students in full-year Senior Thesis don’t feel pressured to pick the short and easy book, but instead chose the one that best informs their research. Perhaps these benefits are more tangible for those seniors in the midst of their Senior Thesis chaos. But, if you can look ahead and can see your senior year, they may also be appealing. In the end, many of you will find yourself in the regular semester course, but a few of you – the lucky ones – will take my advice and sign up for Full-Year Senior Thesis. You won’t regret it!
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THE AFTERMATH OF THE PARIS ATTACKS PROBLEMATIC MEDIA PROTRAYAL AND ISLAMOPHOBIC STEREOTYPING Liz Casey ‘17
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n the evening of Friday, November 13, while the Holderness community was engaged in its traditional Tabor Day festivities, millions of Parisians watched in horror as their city was attacked. Three separate teams of terrorists launched suicide bombings and mass shootings across Paris, causing 130 deaths in addition to over 300 injuries. ISIS, an Islamic extremist militant group prominent throughout Syria and Iraq, claimed responsibility for the attacks. This event captured headlines and remained a trending topic on social media for days. However, many people are unaware of the various other attacks that occurred on this same day in other countries: a funeral bombing in Baghdad killing 19 and a double suicide bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, killing over 40. So why didn’t these tragedies receive as much media attention as the Paris attacks? Is it because we don’t connect with these people as strongly as we do with the French, due to our contrasting cultures? Or, because the media has normalized violence in these areas to the extent where they don’t seem relevant? The media remained fixated on the unfolding events in Paris for days following the attacks. National headlines consumed television screens, Facebook profile pictures adopted the French flag, and hashtags expressing support for those affected trended on various forms of social media. Amongst all the outpouring of support and recognition of this situation, a blind eye was turned to civilians of other countries impacted by violence on that same day. Baghdad and Beirut each experienced horrifying acts of violence, similar to those that occurred in Paris, yet they remain virtually unknown. The media is unquestionably responsible for the obscurity of these tragedies as it has created a sort of normalization regarding violence in
these areas, lessening the reaction to the point of near insignificance. While the violence in developing countries is overlooked and heads are turned towards the Islamic State, it may come as a surprise that Boko Haram, stationed in Nigeria and East Africa, claims the spot as the most deadly terrorist organization today. Responsible for the kidnapping of hundreds of school girls and nearly 7,000 deaths in 2014, they received far less media attention than ISIS in relation to France. The culture of Nigeria compared to America differs more greatly than that of America and France, but this doesn’t imply Nigerian lives are less important or worthy of American support, yet we are made to think this way. As evidenced in its coverage of these cases, the media holds great manipulative power over what information is highlighted in the news, as well as what they choose to remain insignificant or even completely masked.
Not only has the media manipulated what its audience sees, its problematic portrayal of the Paris attack has also sparked a nationwide conversation regarding Muslims in general, resulting in the spread of stereotyping and Islamophobia across America. Although the Islamic faith does not promote violence, the distinction between Muslim people and Muslim extremists has blurred. This is a dangerous stereotype that has led to an even larger generalization of all Middle Eastern people. Islam is a set of beliefs, not a race. We don’t automatically assume every white person is associated with the KKK, so why do we label Middle Easterners as terrorists? On the contrary, Buddhism
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is widely known to advocate for peace, yet no one discusses the radical monks existing in countries like Myanmar, committing mass murder against their own citizens. Why is this so? A primary root in this Muslim stereotyping lies in the 9/11 attacks in 2001 when Al Qaeda rose to fame. Since then, our society has taught us to believe that only a Muslim is capable of such horrendous acts and should be feared because of their “violent nature.” The most recent event involving Muslim violence in America occurred last week in San Bernardino, California, where two American Muslims opened fire in a social services center, killing 14 and again captured national headlines. This attack only increased the extent to which Islamophobia exists in our country and reversed the work made towards eliminating society’s negative view of Muslims. These recurring instances of violence are provoked by a small minority of Muslims, but it is too often assumed that the entirety of the population is responsible. Only when America learns the distinction between fact and assumption, will these hurtful stereotypes be resolved. As Paris continues to heal from these acts of terrorism, America has begun to handle its own set of repercussions. The federal government’s handling of this situation has become the center of American politics as the presidential election is in full swing. National security has become a hot topic, as has the debate surrounding the Syrian refugee crisis. The generalization of Muslims has influenced the wide spectrum of political perspectives. Many people are unaware of how stereotypes against Muslims in the United States only increase conflict and contribute toward the causes of extremist Muslims. They aim to establish fear, and prevalent Islamophobic stereotypes that label all Muslims as the enemy only make them stronger and more difficult to overcome.
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THE BULLS ARE BACK!
HOLDERNESS RETURNS TO HOME ICE Conner Mayes ‘18
A whole year of waiting finally paid
off when three of Holderness’ top tier teams battled on the ice last Friday. The rink was packed with a large fan base of students, faculty, and families. There was barely enough room for the spectators to even sit on the bleachers. The combination of cheering, the boards shaking after a big hit, the music, and even Mr. Barton’s announcing created this type of atmosphere that no other rink has. What makes this new rink beat all the other rinks is its outdoor feature giving it that classic winter feel. JV Hockey player David Ortiz had this to say about it, “It was awesome, probably the best rink I have ever skated on.” The first puck was dropped for the boys JV hockey game. The Baby Bulls faced New Hampton’s Boys Varsity B. At the end of the first period, the score was 0-2 New Hampton. Then, quickly into the second period New Hampton scored making it 0-3. As the period started to wind down, Ben Booker made a bullet pass to Wei Hao giving him time and room to score making the
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game 1-3. Going into the final period morale was low on Holderness’ bench and in the stands as well. Then came the red line. The line was filled with David Ortiz, Alex Guyette, and Chase Peatman. Did they score on their first shift to bring the game closer? No, but their performance brought back life into the game, giving the morale boost the team needed. One shift later, Will Harker assisted Will Keenan for a goal making the game 2-3. Even though the game ended with a 5-2 New Hampton win, Holderness really showed its true colors by its effort put forth that day. The stage was set for the Boys Varsity with fans in full attendance surrounding the rink. It was a battle between two nations that night when the Holderness Bulls faced off against Academie St. Louis. From the start, the Bulls played a fast-paced offense. It was a dogfight of a game. Kids were being tossed into the boards, pucks were flying into the air, and penalties were being handed out. However, the Bulls pulled through with a win, with goals scored by Steele (2), Mcguire, Slu and Preston. The game ended 5-2 and was such a spectacle to watch, it was hard to look away. It was a good way for the boys to start off the
season and a great way to kickoff the start of the new rink. Following the boys, the blessing of the rink and the inaugural puck drop took place. Both girls and boys varsity teams lined up on either side of the neutral zone for a blessing by Father Weymouth. The whole rink fell dead silent during the blessing. It was a very spiritual moment for the spectators and players. It felt as if by blessing the rink, it became a sanctuary for all rink rats everywhere. After that came the puck drop. Captains from both varsity teams came to take the faceoff together. The person dropping the puck was none other than Coach Eccleston, Sr. Seniors Tyler Slu and Anne Smyth-Hammond squared up to take the faceoff. This ceremony was an excellent way to celebrate the new rink. To top off the evening, the school hosted the Varsity Girls game against Brewster. Going into the game Brewster was known to be a tough opponent. The girls battled throughout the game. With standout performances by Phoebe Day, Nicole Johnson, and Kyra Borsoi, the game ended 1-2 Brewster after a clean and hard fought game of hockey.
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“PRIVILEGE IS NEVER HAVING TO THINK ABOUT IT” ANDREA GIBSON’S POEM: MS. SPARKMAN’S EXPERIENCE
Chae Hahn ‘17
The National Association of Indepen-
dent Schools had no idea how many voices wanted to rise from campuses across this nation. Because of that, the Student Diversity Leadership Conference was overbooked, and I didn’t get to go. Instead of lamenting over this unfortunate situation, I settled for an interview with Ms. Sparkman, who was lucky enough to attend the People of Color Conference last weekend. Chae: How was your experience at the People of Color Conference in general, outside of the actual sessions you attended? Ms. Sparkman: It was powerful. A part of it was that there were 4300 people there. Just knowing that so many people were invested in having these discussions--that ,in itself, was powerful. Chae: How did your status as a white woman influence your position at a conference where the majority of the people were people of color? Ms. Sparkman: The POCC is a place where educators of color build and establish a community larger than their individual campuses. They connect and support one another. And because of this, there were questions of, “Should white people be at this conference?” And to be completely honest, I do not know the answer to that. I do think it was important for us, the people in positions of power, to go and be a part of these conversations because of the sheer lack of diversity at independent schools. But, I felt like my role was to listen to the marginalized and historically oppressed peoples there whose voices have so very often been silenced. Also, feeling like I wasn't a part of the majority was very different. Though I have prior “minority” experiences as a gay woman, I realized that I am still privileged in ways that, for much of my life, I never had to think about.
Chae: Can you share some of the themes of your discussion? Ms. Sparkman: I was interested in the theme of curriculum and different ways to open up conversations about diversity. In particular, my biggest focus was on the question, “How can my curriculum represent diversity?” I wanted to learn more about two major areas: 1. How can we have conversations about institutional racism on a macro level? and 2. How can I not only make visible and heard those groups who have been silenced or marginalized, but also increase empathy and understanding for all of the students in my classroom. The beautiful thing about literature and film is that it creates access to our real world from a more comfortable place, that it allows us to ask real questions about society that we sometimes just don’t know how to confront. I want to take full advantage of this characteristic of literature in my classroom. Chae: You are an educator passionate about the subject of diversity and racial injustices. I’m sure some parts of the discussions were merely a reinforcement of what you had already known. I was wondering , what were some new insights you gained from the conference? Ms. Sparkman: It will take me some time to reflect on all of the ideas and thoughts that I am still grappling with from those 3 days. I learned about different types of literature I can use in my classroom, and also about the interesting concept of teaching "anti-racism". One of the most profound things I heard was possibly an articulation made by a white, male teacher. We were talking about the assumptions we made while having to work with different forms of racism, and he said, "The reason I became a teacher was that I thought I already possess what my students need and that I can represent
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them.” He continued on speaking about how profound it was when he realized what an assumption of white privilege that was on his part. There are students of color whom we can’t speak for or offer anything for, and that reminded me of the Andrea Gibson poem, “Privilege is not having to think about it.” Chae: There have been recurring incidents of police shooting of unarmed black individuals in the United States for months - How did the conference address this issue? Ms. Sparkman: The issue was definitely a big backdrop to the conference. A huge push for the Black Lives Matter movement came from this very conference last year. One of the African-American speakers at the conference was telling a story about walking into his 9-yearold son watching the George Zimmerman trial. At first, he tried to turn it off because it was something he didn’t want to talk about. When they started talking about the subject of racism and violence in America, he recorded his conversation with his little son and played that recording of his son asking these difficult questions and him trying to explain them. It was so powerful to watch him struggle to do the right thing as a parent and his son asking, “Daddy, what if the people messing with me are armed?” Like - wow. Chae: Why should students next year apply? Ms. Sparkman: Students of color on our campus should go to this conference because independent schools are a nationwide community. But they are not a perfect community, and students can feel isolated. When you have a feeling of isolation, it’s important to connect with people who have similar feelings. Belonging to a community larger than yourself and larger than Holderness and just having that “majority experience” cannot be more empowering. GO. JUST GO.
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SCHOOL ASSESSES, QUESTIONS SECURITY AMID RECENT NATIONAL DIALOGUE
AJ Chabot ‘16
S
ince March 5, 2001, 104 people have died from school shootings. There have been hundreds of other shootings in public spaces, workplaces, and worship centers, causing hundreds of other deaths. After each shooting, the world of politics argues over what gun control laws and safety precautions the US should install to prevent these all too common occurrences. Obviously Holderness has never had a school shooting, but in light of recent events it, does makes sense to look into how prepared we are for any type of intruder? I spoke with Officer Barney to learn more. Responding to how well equipped Holderness is to handle a school shooting, Officer Barney, responded that one of the most important factors during an emergency is “the ability to communicate and get information out quickly to the entire community.” Officer Barney feels that we “have protocols in place here at Holderness that allow us to communicate to the whole community pretty effectively.” Holderness definitely has a good foundation in place in terms of precautionary measures. In order to keep up with the unfortunate reality of these violent times, “continued work is needed” to ensure that we are in “the best position possible” if an active shooter were to come on campus. “We will continue practicing our emergency drills and improving all of our emergency protocols,” notes Officer Barney. Holderness has never had an intruder. I know, its somewhat hard to believe
FROM MR. GALVIN 8
considering our open campus and unlocked doors, but we have never had an unwanted visitor on campus, at least that we know of. A few years ago, there was a reported armed suspect on the PSU campus that caused local businesses to lock doors and Holderness to activate our lock-down protocol. According to Officer Barney we were “able to activate and effectively lock down the entire campus in that situation.” Especially in light of some of the recent school shootings on college campuses, which have a much more extensive security system than our own given their size, Holderness should probably questions how protected we are from the outside - or whether we need to install more protective structures on our perimeter. Officer Barney answers, “I’m not sure if gates or walls around our school would be effective or deliver the right message, but we always need to be continuing our security improvements including our ability to monitor arrivals and departures at our school.” While violent crimes have occurred in our state and around our community in the past, these fluctuate in number and intensity from year to year. Mr. Barney’s main role at Holderness is to “monitor potential threats to our community and update our faculty and students accordingly.” Included in the debate over the safety of our school, the question of locks is also raised. Whether it means a locked gate at our entrance, locked school buildings, locked dorms (not a punch code), or locked rooms themselves,
these are all things to consider. While I personally believe a gate would be very unlikely and unnecessary - the issue of locks on individual rooms is a much more realistic result at this point. There are many people who feel that locks on doors could reduce stealing rates, allow for more privacy and better sleep, provide more of a “safe and secure” feeling and reduce the need to use safes. Others argue that locks would be the school’s way of accepting defeat against stealing. They feel locks directly oppose Holderness’ prideful “Open Door Policy” and could exclude students who already feel excluded even further. Other concerns are the need to have the key fob on person at the times when these locks would be on, as well as faculty distrust over what might be happening behind a locked door. Yes, the school would be able to time when doors lock or stay unlocked. For example, they would most likely lock during sports and after 11:00 for underclassmen. Based off Mr. Galvin’s stealing/locks survey, a total of $2,000 has been stolen so far this year. Considering we are a third of the way through the year, this number actually shows major improvement from our end-of-year number last year of $40,000. 80% of our $2,000 this year has been singular and expensive, which shows that the stealing going on is not widespread. Needless to say, we still have a lot of work to do. And, the debate over locks on doors will continue, as will our collective effort as a school to “win” this conflict from within ourselves.
Before you go home for the holidays, don’t forget to clean your rooms, unplug everything except your fridge, shut your windows, and shut off your lights. Best two dorms will win a pizza party (or other comparable restaurant) upon our return in early January. Thanks for participating! The Picador: Volume 11, Issue 7
UTOPIA, PAYBACK, AND HOLDERNESS CULTURE
Emily Perkins ‘16
Let
me first acknowledge the irony under which this article was written. It is 7:04 AM and I am sitting in Weld watching Ellie Teare wipe down tables. I realized I have made a grave mistake, and, for the first time ever, I find myself longing for a vacuum in my hands. Writing my way out of payback proved to be a far more daunting task than attending payback itself, but perhaps it will accomplish something more. In the simplest way payback accomplishes its most basic task: preventing absolute anarchy. Take a look at the absence list – it indicates no great problem, no deeply rooted sickness. Most of us view payback as the weight on the other side of the scales, it maintains a balance. Perhaps some of us are even optimistic enough to consider it a
choice: class or punishment? But, many of us ask the classic question: who are you to decide what is right for me? In fact, Holderness, for the most part, does too good of a job of requiring our presence, although it may not always be in the conventional way. Just ask all the people typing in the library during assemblies. In fact, the most common reasons for skipping classes are to catch up on sleep, to write a paper, to study for a test. In a perfect world, shouldn’t missing class be punishment enough? After all, isn’t it the weight of our future that is on the other end of the scale? Teenagers are notorious for being bad decision makers. Perhaps it’s hormones or rebellion or lack of life experience. But, isn’t it the experience of making a bad decision that incites the reflection and knowledge that yields the ability to be a good decision maker? As Charlotte Mason once said, “educa-
tion should make for the evolution of the individual.” In the context of this school, the opportunity is not given to truly learn lessons. Experiential learning is not just a term we use when talking about the benefit of Outback. The benefit of learning from an experience is evident in every aspect of our lives. Furthermore, the benefit of having your perspective changed by an real world scenario is conducive to positive feedback on both a personal level and a global level. Requirements on the other hand, are conducive to negative feedback loops. My point is not that we should abolish the payback system as a whole, but we should reflect of the value of inherent punishment within a system and the learning and freedom that is inherent to human development. And, more importantly, reflect on what is keeping us from this utopia.
HARMATZ ADVOCATES FOR CONFLICT-FREE CALZONES, CHALLENGES FOOD ORDERING POLICY Aaron Harmatz ‘16
I want to explain the predicament I
was placed in this weekend. As there are little to no commitments for the average folk on Sundays, I find myself sleeping in past brunch, not an uncommon occurrence. From this point on, I have ordering on my mind. After going through musical auditions and a few hours of homework, I decide to call Manny’s at 4:30, a full hour and a half before the 6:00 forced delivery time. As soon as the woman answers, she tells me that there is a two hour delivery delay. Not only did I originally have to wait an hour and a half for food, but it would be delivered at 10 because deliveries can only happen at 6 and 10. This means I have to wait for 5 hours and 30 minutes for a calzone that would have that would have gotten here 3 hours and 30 minutes earlier without this policy. I’m sorry school, but this is a massive problem.
To begin the quest of solving this conundrum, we have to understand the meaning behind the policy and its purpose. And frankly speaking, I can’t even get this far. While I see the school’s concern of food interfering with study hall, this does not explain the 6 PM delivery time. When emailing Mrs. Weymouth on the policy, she responded with “Let me look into that.” We have yet to receive any other response after several weeks of no communication. But what about senior privileges? Unsurprisingly enough, Manny’s does not know the grade that every student is in. Therefore, every student is treated to the same delivery times. What we are doing as a school is detrimental to these local businesses. After a 30 minute phone call with the Manny’s employees, I really learned the truth of what was happening. To quote one of the cash register word for word, he stated that, “Aaron, you have been a loyal to Manny’s for just over 3 years.
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You’re one of our many customers that loves us being here. But we’re losing business because of the school. If we deliver out of the allotted times, we can be cut off from delivering to the school. All the restaurants are scared and we’re all kinda stuck.” There is a way to solve all of this. Here are all of the plausible directions the school could take. Eliminating ordering limits the freedom of the students, would lower school happiness, and potentially kill all of the restaurants in downtown Plymouth. What needs to happen for a clear and logical ordering policy is this: no delivery between 8 to 9:50 from Sunday to Friday. It achieves the goal of not ordering during study hall and opens ordering to conflict-free times. We, as students, have the freedom to order and raise our blood pressure as long as there is room in our stomachs. So why limit it to specific times?
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HE SEES YOU WHEN YOU’RE SLEEPING... WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT SANTA
Ella Mure ‘17, Perry Lum ‘17
Hello from the North Pole! There are quite a few things that you probably did not know about the most wonderful time of year. The holiday season is fast approaching, so we thought that we would inform you of the shocking facts behind this time of year. Even though there is no snow on the ground, we hope our list will get you in the holiday spirit! Happy Holidays! 1. 15,000 Americans visit the ER each November and December from holiday-related decorating accidents. 2. 336,150,386 cookies are eaten by Santa on Christmas Eve. 3. 94,542,296 glasses of milk are consumed by Santa, which equals 5,908,892 gallons of milk, or 9 olympic pools. 4. 38,384,172,192 total calories consumed by Santa on Christmas Eve. 5. Santa would need to run 14,763,143 marathons to burn it all off. 6. Rudolph’s red nose might have been caused by a parasitic infection of his respiratory system. 7. The earliest known Christmas tree decorations were apples 8. Santa visits over 90 million homes on Christmas Eve! 9. Santa’s sleigh travels at 186,282.4 miles per second or 671 million miles per hour! 10. Christmas trees can take up to 15 years to grow (Freshman, your trees are older than you…) 11. If you bought all the gifts from the “The Twelve Days of Christmas” it would cost over $24,000. 12. Santa’s bones leak miracle juice 13. If you received every gift in “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” you’d have 364 gifts. 14. In the Ukraine a spider web found on Christmas morning is good luck 15. President Teddy Roosevelt banned christmas trees in the White House because he didn’t want to support deforestation.
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WHY PARIS? Brooke Hayes ‘17
I
n the world today, people often undermine chances at real peace for the false sense of security brought on by strong groups with compelling causes. Terrorism aims to gain power by making the enemy feel helpless, undermining cooperation and causing more terrorism. In his book, Arab and Jew, Shipler writes that “Terrorism is a theater. It’s real targets are not the innocent victims but the spectators.” It gains power, traction, and legitimacy by being noticed. So in theory, if you ignored terrorism you might be defeating it. But, there is something about terrorism that is impossible to ignore, it attacks your mind. Everyone is the target of the fear which both affects and is routed in everyday causes. When operating in a terrorist system, peace is not the goal, and that is exactly what they point out. Upon giving up on peace, they give up on individual security. This manifests itself in distance and lack of understanding between groups. Once you
see no hope for your personal security or it becomes irrelevant in the shadow of stronger forces, you not only give up on your own safety but the safety of others. Inherent suffering may seem completely odd to our way of thinking, but it serves to justify the suffering of those who came before. The events that transpired in Paris are a tragic reminder of this presence in our world. A multitude of sources, criticized the media as a whole for its blatant focus on these events, when bombs in Lebanon were detonating and a plane over the Sinai Peninsula went down killing 224 people. These numbers are not to be ignored, yet the morning news showed a clear focus on the Paris attacks. And, in no way were these attacks less significant, as every attack threatening public safety
is to be taken with serious address, but these attacks did succeed in catching the attention of the world. In a highly respected travel destination, Paris is not often associated with events originating in the Middle East – a place that us as Westerners almost expect to be turbulent. If the goal of terrorism is to instill fear and “respect” this was accomplished in attacks blindsiding the Eastern world. The outside world attempts to impose solutions to concrete problems, disregarding the staring contest going on. So, perhaps hope is not lost for peaceful negotiation and compromise. Or, perhaps ironically, it will be terrorism that will extend itself too far, opening the door to a new era of global politics, focused on concrete forms of security for all people.
Winter is coming. So is MOSAIC ON-LINE. Launching Early January 2016 Submissions? Send them to mosaicholderness@gmail.com Questions? Email or see Dr. Nicole Furlonge We accept submissions at any time from all members of the Holderness School Community.
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DEAR SCHOOL, HAVE A GREAT BREAK! LOVE, HEADMASTER WELD
PURPOSE STATEMENT The Picador is a publication that serves to inform the Holderness School community and stimulate discourse through the thoughtful and respectful exchange of ideas, featuring the dynamic and insightful voice of the Holderness student body.
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Editors Maggie Barton AJ Chabot Maggie Cunha Dougie DeLuca Carter Bourassa Chae Hahn Brooke Hayes
Visual Editors Moti Jiang Yiyang Mao Yoomi Ren Keying Yang Faculty Advisor Mr. Herring
Holderness School Chapel Lane PO Box 1879 Plymouth, NH 03264 603-779-5200 picador@holderness.org
The Picador: Volume 11, Issue 7