The Picador: Volume10, Issue 8

Volume 10,Issue 8

2.6.2015 A PUBLICATION BY HOLDERNESS STUDENTS FOR THE HOLDERNESS COMMUNITY

YO U

HI!

WELCOME TO

WINTER Parents’ Weekend!

Thanks for coming!

“Thank you, Mom and Dad, for giving me the opportunity to “Thanks for all your support come to Holderness... Again.”

- Jack Vatcher through my four years at Holderness.” - Sean Cashel

“Thank you, Mom and Dad, for all the help through my prep school journey and for always being there for me.” - Tyler Green

THANK

“Thank you, Mom and Dad, for all you have done.

I’m so thankful I’m able to be here and snowboard every day! I love you!” -Karina Bladon

THANK YOU!

Mom and Dad, You guys were wrong, I still do not know how to clean my room after coming here. MOM AND DAD Thanks, Parker

THANK YOU! Thanks for being there!

“Thanks, Mom and Dad, for all you have done. You are always there when I need you.” - Nick Grammas

welcome

“Thank you, Mom and Dad, for not coming to parent/teacher conferences.” - Henry Jones

Welcome Parents, Families, and Friends!

WELCOME!

To the Matthews family: I love you guys so much! You are my world, and I am so thankful for all the sacrifices you’ve made for me. Thank you for your overwhelming love and support. I know I take you guys for granted, but you mean the world to me. I don’t know what I would do without you. I appreciate all the times you have been there to wipe tears from my eyes, cheer me up when I feel down, and make me laugh until I gasp for air. I treasure all of our memories together and can’t wait for the many more we will have in the future. Love, Darielle Matthews

A Photo Essay: Winter at Holderness Page 2-3

THIS I BELIEVE In Our Student’s Words Page 11

Keep the Conversation Going Page 4-5

Let it Snow!

Collected by Charlotte Freccia ‘15

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PIC11 Pic1:Dougie DeLuca, Nick Lacasse, and Sean Robinson shredding the gnar; Pic2: Liam O’Reilly revelling in the mountains’ majesty (photo by Nick Lacasse); Pic3: Sam Braun, Luke Valentine, Aldie Anderson and Zane Zimmerman at the old Holderness ski hill; Pic4: Ella Mure and Bee McLaughlin after nordic practice; Pic5: Picador Editor Parker Densmore tearfully admits that he doesn’t know how to read as he departs downtown; Pic6: Plymouth’s Common Man Inn surrounded by snow; Pic7: The Casey family’s dog, Bella, is a little camera-shy; Pic8: Tegan Mosenthal and Nikki Blair are the queens of the ice castle. Pic9: While the rest of us were watching the Super Bowl, Qianyi Zhang created this awesome ice bowl; Pic10: Julia Tran and Darielle Matthews share their sweetest snowy selfie; Pic11: Liz Casey, Chase McLane, Bee McLaughlin, and Ella Mure at the Top of the World; Pic12: Holderness School’s freestyle nordic team enjoys the snow; Pic13: Photo courtesy of Hope Heffernan; Pic14: Elizabeth Osuchowski, Cat McLaughlin, Alexa Dannis, Hannah Fernandes, and Sydney Caulder prepare for the First Annual Day Girl Sled-A-Thon; Pic15: Photo by Liesl Magnus--taken on Great Island on Squam Lake.

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Outside the Holderness Bubble MLK Day: Continuing the Conversation

By Ms. Glew We had a wonderful opportunity to watch the film I am not racist, am I? during MLK Day, and it sparked – as it should – some moments that were funny, that we could relate to, and that also initiated really good conversations.

They were moments that were emotional, difficult, confusing, and may have even upset us.

I am writing to you today because some of the conversations we had after the film focused on one particular sentence. In one of the earlier scenes in the film, Emma, a student who identifies as white, asks a facilitator if all white people are racist. The facilitator, who also identifies as white, responds, “Yes.” This is a tough statement to hear. Even for me—as a white faculty member, a white woman, a white mother— this was difficult to hear.

But, as I reflected further on what this statement meant, I remembered what else the facilitators said – that racism is a system and not necessarily the acts of individuals. Racism is a system of rules, policies, beliefs, and actions that benefit people who are white. And, while we, as individuals, especially white individuals, experience hardships and challenges in our individual lives, we are part of a larger system that has historically hurt people of color. Maybe not ALL people of color, and maybe not all people of color equally, and maybe not even individual people of color. But, our country was, and sometimes still is, based on a system of rules that doesn’t benefit or protect people of color. So, as people who are white, we benefit from this system that was created for us, by us, and to benefit us.

But, one other thing we really need to think about is this: Why, in a film that

was over 90 minutes long, was this the one phrase that bothered us most?

In this film young people – especially the people of color – talked about things like going to court for carrying a Sharpie. And how they once had laptops in their schools, but because someone stole one, they got rid of them.

And how a young black man is often perceived as dangerous on the subway.

And how as people of color they don’t learn about the accomplishments of their own race in their schools.

Those are real problems. Those are problems that are happening in real time to people who are just like you – young people who are just trying to live their lives. Those are real problems – not just hurt feelings.

We watched a whole film where these brave young people talked about their race-related challenges. Yet, we are talking today about how one line hurt us as white people. We are coming together because we are offended by the statement, “All white people are racist.” Why aren’t we coming together because we’re upset by the atrocities committed against people of color? Why aren’t we upset because some kids go through metal detectors to enter school and don’t have access to laptops or bathrooms? We leave our bags unattended in the hallways and in Weld, bags that are filled with our belongings—our computers, our phones, and our wallets. We have privileges beyond our own imaginations. We have privileges that the majority of people your age cannot even imagine.

So, where is OUR priority? Are we going to focus our energy on one line?

Or, are we going to choose to focus on understanding the racial inequality and social injustice experienced by people who are your peers?

These are important questions. If we

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are to move forward in this conversation about race and racial inequality, we have to move past hurt feelings and focus on actions. Those hurt feelings are real. Our hurt over hearing the statement “All white people are racist” is real. Did I like hearing the statement?

No. I didn’t. I felt hurt, confused, and upset. And, it should upset me.

But, what would it mean if it were true? I’m not asking if you think the statement “All white people are racist” IS true. I’m asking you, what would it MEAN if it were true? What would it MEAN for people of color if that were true? What would it MEAN for WHITE people if it were true?

If it were true, it would mean we have a lot of work to do.

If it were true, it would mean that a great deal of hurt has been done to people of color.

If it were true, it would mean that we can be part of the solution.

It if were true, it would mean that we as a Holderness community need to talk about how our whiteness influences our education, our access, and our community.

That’s how we move forward. At the end of the film screening, Mr. Peck asked Liza the question, “So, what do we do now?” What DO we do now?

We can be uncomfortable with the statement. We can be compassionate about the experiences of others. We can question why we are coming together to discuss ONE line when we should be discussing the dozen or so other lines that were really troubling.

We can do the hard work that it takes to be a more inclusive place.

And, it can start with you believing that we have hard work to do.

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What did you Expect? A Black Man Living in

By Lexi Black ‘16 a White Man’s Body Honestly, coming into the workshops, my outlook was not entirely positive. For a school that is both white-majority and upper/middle class, trying to make progress with an issue that a large number of us have hardly encountered isn’t an easy task. I didn’t fully believe much headway would be made; the whole day begs the question, “What is there that we can do about it anyway?”

However, my line of thinking overlooked a certain aspect of the MLK Day activities that ended up, in my mind, to be crucial—it got people pissed off. Had that not happened, the day would’ve blown by without much impact. We would’ve stumbled through our workshops, maybe become momentarily moved by some idea, some discovery, some argument or self-realization—but eventually, any fervor awoken would fade into the routine of Holderness, where racism is so inconspicuous, its existence is questioned.

This year’s MLK Day events truly succeeded in creating a backlash of opinions; rather than growing dim, the discussion of race has flared long after all the activities have ended. As it should be.

Many of us do not think we can do anything about racism. But keeping up the conversation, as small as it may seem, is one of the things we undoubtedly can do. And when the time comes that you find yourself in a place where you can take a stand, you’ll be ready.

Guilty of Stereotyping?

By Hannah Benson ‘16 A few weeks, ago on a rainy Monday morning, the entire school came together to participate in MLK workshops, with a focus on the issue of diversity. One of the workshops brought together our entire junior class, standing on the basketball court. We were asked questions like: “Are you religious?” “Are your parents together?” “Would you consider your home life stable?” All of which demonstrated the differences we experience in our community every day. Another activity allowed our class to be together in the auditorium and listen to thirty seconds of music from different genres. After each song was played, we were then asked to describe what kind of person would listen to that music. By the end of the activity, we realized that as a community we were guilty of stereotyping others, especially through music. We found ourselves questioning whether we do this in our everyday lives and whether it is a problem or not.

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By Tyler Slusarczyk ‘16 So according to the movie we watched in Hagerman, “all white people are racist.” Hmm, so every day I wake up and see my Canadian roommate who is racist, I guess. But that doesn’t seem right, because he’s a great guy and I don’t think I’ve ever heard him say a nasty, derogatory word. So what does it truly mean to be racist? To me, it seems to be an act against a specific group of people that can be demeaning or hurtful.

MLK Day taught me to watch my tongue and to be careful about what I say because you may have an idea of a person’s racial background, but you don’t know how that person might identify as a human being—like in Michael Fosberg’s oneman play when the main character suddenly realized that he was a black man living in a white man’s body. The simple truth is that we never know what another person’s background truly is, and we need to be careful about the words we choose and how we use them.

Solving the Problem

By Maggie Cunha ‘16 Personally, there were points where I felt frustrated because it seemed like the day was more geared towards convincing us that racism exists in our community instead of actually trying to solve the problem. Like any major issue, racism won’t be resolved in a day.

Outside the Bubble

By Rachel Tejeda ‘17 I LOVED the reactions to the movie, because it made people question themselves and ASK questions. It made people want to learn more about others and themselves. Sometimes in the Holderness Bubble, we are trapped into our routines and can lose ourselves or blend in, but in reality we are all individuals that stand out outside of this bubble. We must all learn how to accept and appreciate one another. We have to be desirous to learn about others and from others. It does not take long to become aware.

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SPORTS NBA Halftime Look Back: Find Your Team

By Jack Yanchitis’15 Here’s a look back at my early season predictions vs. how the teams have actually faired thus far in 2014/2015.

Atlanta Hawks: HOLY TOLEDO! The Atlanta Hawks are the best team in the NBA, and I’m loving it. They just lost their first game and ended a franchise record 18 in a row. They’re playing good team defense, using fundamentals, and shooting the ball. I predicted that the Hawks would continue to look all right and probably make the playoffs, which is as good as a sure bet now.

MODE! Their owner just called them out for tanking, and then they went out and lost to the Sixers…. Moving on.

Detroit Pistons: The Pistons figured out a great equation for success: Pistons – Josh Smith > Pistons + Josh Smith. The Pistons did lose Brandon Jennings for the season, but they have a chance to play at least four more games in the post season.

Boston Celtics: No more Rondo.

Full tank mode in Beantown. Spot on prediction.

Charlotte Hornets: The Hornets are hanging in there. Big Al, Kemba, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are leading the charge, looking to make the playoffs for the second straight year. Jordan is measuring about a “meh” on the Michael Jordan emotional scale.

Chicago Bulls: The Bulls have been hot and cold this year, and Derrick Rose has been struggling to stay healthy. Fortunately, Pau Gasol has been consistently grabbing a doubledouble every night. Playoffs lookin’ mighty favorable for Chiraq.

Cleveland Cavaliers: ESPN’s favorite squad has not produced as predicted.

Currently, they are riding an 11-game heater, seemingly pulling themselves together to start actually looking like a team, and not a bunch of all-stars fighting over one ball. Lebron, Kyrie, and K-Love are trying to stay hot.

Dallas Mavericks: With the addition of Rajon Rondo, I really like this Dallas Mavericks team as we move closer to the season conclusion. Look for Dallas to compete come the postseason in the tight Western Conference.

Denver Nuggets: FULL TANK

Golden State Warriors: Best record in basketball. Best offensive team in basketball. Best pair of guards in basketball. Splash. Steph Curry. Championship bound? Yep. Houston Rockets: Look for James Harden to continue his MVP campaign in Houston, especially with Dwight Howard out for the next month. Yet another incredible team out of the West.

Indiana Pacers: Still no Paul George...

That is all.

LA Clippers: Nothing new here for the Clippers; Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are still looking for their first NBA Championship together. They have another great chance this year.

LA Lakers: Kobe’s out. Instead they have a guy with a last name of Kelly and another named Clarkson, so the internet has had a field day with Kelly Clarkson Laker jokes. And Swaggy P says nobody in the world can guard him one-on-one. Sad sight on this side of LA.

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Memphis Grizzlies: Another one of the West’s Best. Marc Gasol paired with Zach Randolph creates one of the best front courts in the league. Look for the Grizzlies to keep pace with the Clippers, Rockets, and Warriors.

Miami Heat: My poor Heat. So sad we lost half of our fan base with the departure of Lebron. Hassan Whiteside had a triple-double with 12 blocks in 24 minutes the other night. Chris Boss is still a freaky velociraptor, as well as Dwayne Wade who was out with another injury. These are some rough times in the nation’s most envied winter city.

Milwaukee Bucks: No Jabari Parker?

No problem! Milwaukee has performed much better than anticipated, with Giannis “Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo and Brandon Knight highlighting the squad. The Bucks are actually in playoff contention again.

Minnesota Timberwolves: There is hope in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Andrew Wiggins is finally showing the country why he was chosen number one overall in last year’s draft, and Kevin Martin is ready to score after being sidelined with a wrist injury. However, they do have the worst record in NBA. Brooklyn Nets: Meh. Pretty irrelevant.

Brooklyn won’t be able to stick around long, even if they make it to the post season.

New Orleans Pelicans: The world now knows what a beast Anthony Davis is, but the Pelicans are going to have to scrape their way past the Suns and Thunder if they want a shot at the playoffs. I don’t foresee this happening.

Not enough depth in the bayou to keep their team afloat.

New York Knicks: LOLOLOLOLOL...

Oklahoma City Thunder: Russell Continued on page 7

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A Glance at Year’s First Slam in Melbourne

By Thomas Chau ‘15 Right before the XLIX Super Bowl took place on Sunday, February 1, the final rounds of the 2015 Australian Open took place in the most vibrant atmosphere and in one of the most beautiful cities around the world, Melbourne. Let us, the Picador staff, look back to this amazing Grand Slam event on the other side of the world.

The Champions: As expected, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams became the new defending champions. The titles not only confirm the dominance that the two players have been exerting for a

while, but they also set new historical landmarks for both of these amazing individuals.

For Serena, this Australian Open title allows her to pass Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova in the number of Grand Slam single titles (19); Steffi Graf still holds the all-time record of 22 single majors.

Djokovic, on the other hand, is now considered one of the 10 greatest male tennis players in history, for this Aussie major is the eighth Grand Slam in his career, tying him with Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors, and Andre Agassi.

What’s more important is that Djokovic has the most Australian Open titles in the Open Era with five rings, three of which are consecutive victories from 2011 to 2013. Roger Federer has the most Wimbledon and US Open titles, and Rafael Nadal has the most Roland Garros trophies.

derer and Rafael Nadal, World No. 2 and World No. 3 consecutively, were the most disappointing players in this year’s tournament. After claiming an historic 1000th win at the Brisbane International Tournament, Federer seemed to run out of gas by the early rounds of the first slam of the year.

Although an early exit after his loss against Andreas Seppi in the third round startled the fans, many still hope that Federer will be able to stay fit enough to win a Slam or two this year.

The Disappointments:

His arch-rival Rafael Nadal, on the Continued on page 9

There is no question that Roger FeContinued from page 6

Westbrook and Kevin Durant really have no supporting players to rely on besides Serge Ibaka, and that is really showing right now. Westbrook is averaging the most turnovers per game in all of the NBA, and KD, the reigning MVP, is not getting the ball as much as he should because Westbrook is greedy. They need to figure out their on-court chemistry and realize that they actually have to play real defense in order to win.

Orlando Magic: Talented yet inexperienced, I like this Magic team A LOT. Vucevic, Oladipo, Tobias Harris, and Alfrid Peyton just need a little more desire to win (and play defense).

Philadelphia Sixers: TANK CITY by Joshua Harris (owner of the Sixers)

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Phoenix Suns: They got a chance!

Currently the eighth seed, the Suns have Kevin Durant’s Thunder breathing hard down their backs. Might make playoffs.

Portland Trail Blazers: A seriously strong Western team. Look for these Rip City boys to seek out a conference title this year.

Sacramento Kings: Besides Demarcus “Boogie” Cousins, there is little to see in Sacramento’s future. In need of a lot of work.

San Antonio Spurs: Age is finally starting to show on the seemingly ageless defending champion Spurs. I love Pop and everything he does for the game, so I can’t see his winning mentality carrying the fundamentally sound Spurs anywhere but into the

playoffs.

Toronto Raptors: For a while the NBA’s best team, the Raptors were playing some great basketball. Kyle Lowry was recently selected as a starter in the All-Star game, and for good reason; he is one of the best shooting guards in the league right now.

Utah Jazz: Try again next year.

Washington Wizards: Seemingly coming out of nowhere, John Wall has helped the Wizards become one of the best teams in the NBA. Boasting a 31-18 record, the Wizards have shown that they can hang with the league’s toughest. Now all they have to do is prove that they can win.

Playoff Prediction: Houston 3 – 4 Atlanta

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Humans of Holderness Lars Ivarson: Hanging with the Head of School The other night I caught up with Lars Ivarson at the Head’s House, his place of residence. Mr. Peck was kind enough to provide us with a pizza as we talked.

Here’s what I learned about Lars: Charles Harker: What’s the most exotic animal you’ve ever seen?

Lars Ivarson: In fourth grade I went to the Galapagos and saw this really cool bird. When it mated, the males’ chins would inflate into these huge red blobs.

I forget what the bird is called though; hang on. (Looks up “exotic Galapagos birds” on his phone.) Oh yeah, the Frigot bird.

CH: What’s your favorite thing about Holderness so far?

of racing, so I’m still kinda getting the hang of it. I do the school alpine team.

LI: Living with Mr. Peck is pretty sweet; he’s so nice and gives us food all the time. He personally told me it was a Head’s Day as I was getting up and that was pretty sweet. (nods to the pizza we were munching) Like, this is pretty nice.

CH: What’s your favorite Weld dessert?

CH: What’s your favorite kind of pizza?

LI: I really like spicy sausage. Yeah, a spicy sausage pizza.

CH: Where are you from?

LI: Southern New Hampshire, a town called Kensington. I live close to Phillips Exeter.

LI: Do you know, like, the pumpkin whoopee pies? Yeah, those for sure.

CH: What’s your favorite class so far?

LI: Oh, well, I would have to say geometry. It’s challenging, but I understand it enough that I can do the homework and feel good about it. I usually do geometry first because I feel like if I can complete that homework, then I can do the rest of my work. It’s a good start to homework.

CH: What was your favorite Winter

Carnival event?

LI: The lip sync for sure! Winter Carnival at my old school was a big deal too.

CH: If you could call one Head’s Day a year, what season would you call it in and how would you announce it?

LI: I think I would do it on the last day of school in the spring. That way you could just hang out with your friends for a day before leaving for the summer. I think I would announce it when the entire school was in Weld. I would play the “Rocky” theme song and run up and down Weld yelling, “Head’s Day!!” I would throw glitter everywhere too.

CH: What was your reaction when the Patriots won the Super Bowl?

LI: Well, when the Seahawks made that crazy catch, all I could think about was the catch the Giants made against us in 2008, and I was so upset. Then when they won, all I could think was “Yeah!” and I just yelled and jumped up and down.

CH: How’s skiing going?

LI: Good! I’ve skied my whole life, and I really enjoy it, but this is my first year

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Welcome Max Pero, a recruit from Pomfret, CT Meet Max Paro, a new sophomore day boy who came to Holderness in January after attending Pomfret School. Max and I caught up briefly in the gym the other day while playing lacrosse, and he responded to these questions via email.

CH: Where are you from?

Charles Harker: What’s the biggest difference between Holderness and Pomfret that you’ve noticed?

MP: I actually lived closer to campus at Pomfret, and it was definitely more convenient living closer to home.

Max Paro: The biggest difference between Holderness and Pomfret is having a job.

CH: What’s your favorite Weld desert? Favorite meal?

CH: What three sports do you play and do you have a favorite?

CH: What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?

MP: I play soccer, hockey, and lacrosse. Soccer is my favorite.

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other hand, has been struggling to find the spectacular form of 2010 and 2013, especially during he loss in straight sets to Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals.

Since Rafa is turning 29 in June, some have started to question whether or not he has already passed his prime with his abusive defensive baseline strategy taking a toll on his body.

On the women’s draw, Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki were also disappointing. Despite having an amazing comeback to World No. 5 at the end of the 2014 season, Ivanovic lost in three sets against Lucie Hradecka in the first round. A similar story took place with the Danish blonde Caroline Wozniacki who was upset in the second round by former back-to-back Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka.

The Rising Powers: While much of the attention has been focused on the rebirth of the Big Four players—Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, and Andy Murray—and the dominance of the duo Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, the rest of the field still has

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MP: I was born in Pomfret, CT, and I lived there until this winter.

CH: Do you like going to school closer to home?

MP: I honestly have no idea.

MP: My favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate chip cookie dough. some amazing individuals who made it far into the tournament. Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori, Milos Raonic, and Grigor Dimitrov on the men’s draw were relatively successful, as three out of four of these men made it to the final rounds. Wawrinka’s performance was even more impressive with a victory over his direct competitor from Japan, Kei Nishikori, before losing to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. It is a tough mission for these guys to make it to the finals in these Grand Slam events when the Big Four are still strong.

On the women’s side, Madison Keys

CH: Who’s your favorite professional athlete?

MP: My favorite professional athlete is Rémy Cabella (Midfielder, Newcastle United).

CH: If you could take classes in one subject for the rest of your life what would it be?

MP: Math CH: If you could call a Head’s Day once a year, when would you call it and how would you announce it?

MP: Any Tuesday (I have all my classes). I would send an email.

made it to the semi-finals of the Grand Slam event for the first time ever in her career, lighting up some hope for the future of USA tennis after the Williams sisters retire. The same story took place with Eugenie Bouchard when the 21-year-old Canadian made it to the quarter-finals of the major, before losing to Sharapova in straight sets.

The rising powers have made this year’s Australian Open more interesting than ever as many have survived the first week and some even have challenged the top players. Let us see whether this phenomenon will repeat in the upcoming Grand Slam tournaments this year.

Obsessed with any good books lately?

Share your favorite stories, plays, memoirs, and novels with the Holderness community.

Submit your choice for the All-School Summer Read: Kristi Magalhaes at kmagalhaes@holdernesss.org The Picador: Volume 10, Issue 8

In The Community The Dorm Report: Winter Carnival Redux Houseman: The cold winter months have provided Houseman with the opportunity to strut our stuff. Netta, Aly, and Julia ball out, while Anna, Grace, and Abby brave it with P. Casey and the nordies. Hannah and Sarah put the stars in Superstars, completing our athletically well-rounded dorm. We live for brownie nights at the Houseman’s on Thursday nights, where the bowl of fruit is devoured within thirty seconds and the plate of brownies within a minute. We’re not quite sure if Lindsey and Quinn are the ninth and tenth members of the dorm, or if we are the fifth through twelfth members of their family.

Pichette: Here in Pichette Dormitory we have a lovely group of ladies. Winter Carnival brought our dorm closer together—Jessie Montague impressed us with her stunning performance in the marshmallow toss; our brains combined as one on the trivia; and Sarah Gillis discovered her love for dodge ball. We would also like to give a HUGE shoutout to Tory Dobyns and Mary Nugnes for finally cleaning their room! A big shout out to the Sparkmans for making eight boxes of Annie’s white cheddar and shells for the dorm. Mr. Galvin never fails to remind the juniors in our dorm about the days left until Out Back. Ms. Dopp fills us with laughter and never fails to surprise us with brownies. We have moved on from the ouija board and have now turned to just dancing for our late night shenanigans.

Pfenninger: Coming off of our Winter Carnival victory, Pfenni Dorm’s morale is at an all-time high. Although the winter weather may be bringing some down, we keep our attitudes up as well as the thermostat--which stays at a constant 82 degrees. Everyone’s been waking up a bit earlier to get morning work done, but Laura still likes to

squeeze in as much sleep as possible.

It’s February and everyone’s got their bean boots out; sorting through the five pairs in the front hall alone has become quite an issue. We are all excited for Parents’ Weekend—maybe not so excited about the teacher reports, but a quick break from school is always welcome.

Sargent: Sargent Dorm has been having a marvelous winter season. Contrary to popular belief, Sargent actually swept Winter Carnival with a great performance in everything. Therefore, we are claiming a nice week of casual dress for ourselves this spring.

Dahl: Shoutouts to Lily for showing her leadership skills on the dance floor during Winter Carnival; Trasky for being the dorm boom box; Grizz for her birthday on Head’s Day; Elly for being the dorm alarm clock; Emma the VP for leading us to last place in Trivia; Celia for knowing all there is to know about coffee; Grace for sliding in yo snap stories; Bee for running the dorm snack bar; Leah for living on straight almond butter; Snoop for owning six pairs of Jordans; Kathy for getting

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on skis after seeing snow for the first time; and, Carter for staying alive...and sometimes awake.

Day Girls: There may be 30 of us confined to a space the size of one dorm room, but we still have made some pretty awesome memories. You never know what you are going to walk into, whether it’s Tori Merrill doing her crazy voices or Logan Kilfoyle fan-girling over an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Our room literally brings us closer together because we are constantly trying to make room for each other on our small couch. But with a great room comes great people. We have so much fun together, dancing to Beyoncé and having food fights. And the best part of being a part of the Day Girl Nation is that we can go hard, and then go home.

Connell: After the first event of Winter Carnival, Connell Dorm was not at its best. We were heartbroken by the defeat that we thought was a win. As a dorm, we put that behind us, pulled together, and still lost. To help us feel better, the Lins made nachos that filled our hearts with joy.

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This I Believe: The Stories From Our Table This I Believe was a five-minute CBS Radio Network program hosted by journalist Edward R. Murrow from 1951 to 1955. A half-hour European version of This I Believe ran from 1956 to 1958 over Radio Luxembourg. The show encouraged both famous and everyday people to write short essays about their own personal motivations in life and then read them on the air. This I Believe became a cultural phenomenon that stressed individual belief rather than religious dogma. The show was revived by Dan Gediman and Jay Allison on NPR from 2005-2009, and subsequently by Preston Manning on Canada’s CBC Radio One in 2007. Many students at Holderness School have joined this international conversation in their English classes. Below is just one example; we will publish others in the following weeks.

By Chae Hahn ‘17 As the furniture at my house has continued to come and go, one piece has managed to survive. It’s our kitchen table. The table isn’t exceptionally pretty, nor is too old for sale—and it is the kind of table that can be easily seen in many other houses. Our family gathers around the table and does what other families do—we chat about how our days, help each other with homework, and celebrate important events.

Yet, the unforgettable memories we have built during dinner every night have made the table so much more special than it actually seems to be. In fact, my entire life has been shaped by the words that have floated around that very table; the words have struck my mind and steered my life.

The playful chatter of three children

clashes with the sound of chopsticks clicking, but the sounds are immediately softened every time one of my parents begins talking. Their words have always stung me like a mighty shower of arrows. One of my mother’s stories has been echoing ever since it was first told. Without doubt, it is a story that will eternally linger in my mind. Through the benevolent cycle of giving and receiving that is rooted in friendship, my mother has understood the “greatest value of life.” She said, “A selfless good deed brings unlimited joy; you can’t change others’ lives without appreciating your own. You see, I consider myself fortunate as I’m able to share my happiness with others. You will always be blissful when your heart is filled with gratitude and magnanimity.” No matter where I am, the stories from our table sit with me always.

They have filled cracks in the table, supported its legs, and held a special place in my heart.

I believe in the power of words. Yes, words can be both poison and medicine; they can devastate, but also continue ceaselessly to heal. Thus, I also believe that words are most powerful when said with love, passion, and sincerity. The words don’t have to be complex in order to motivate others; sometimes strength is shown in as a little as three words. (I.)(Love.)(You.) Sharing valuable words is like sharing crumbs of happiness with others.

It’s the most simple, yet the strongest way to sprinkle joy in others’ lives and put bright smiles on their faces. There are a lot of people throughout history whose words are remembered, but one does not have to stand at the podium to make a difference. Everyone’s words can be powerful and inspirational.

Every time I pull up a chair to sit for dinner, the table whispers low to me.

The words piled up on the table strike me once again—the priceless words that have navigated my life. I am grateful to have these words glued on my mind wherever I go. And I am equally blessed to have the chance to inspire others by passing on these thoughtful words. The opportunity to share happiness with others and make a change in the world is given to everyone.

And then there’s me, reaching for that opportunity every day, by raising my voice and uttering words, hoping that they will create a difference.

11

The Picador: Volume 10, Issue 8

Continued from page 10

Hoit: After locating a door that is unlocked, you can expect to be greeted by a kitchenette in constant use; consider it a rare day if you can’t smell microwaved spam. If you plan to walk down the hallway, brace your ears for a musical pu-pu platter composed of rap, dubstep, and 80s pop.

Woodward: After a solid win in dodge ball last Sunday night, the Woodward boys started to get too confident and failed at pursuing our dreams of winning the 2015 Winter Carnival.

However, after his delightful opening act to our lip sync, freshman Luke Valentine still feels famous. It is evident that AJ Jarabek is now back from his snowboard race due to the overflow of Jimmy Dean frozen dinners in the freezer.

Rathbun: Rathbun’s been a hive of activity during the early months of 2015. In the uppermost part of the dorm—the Upper Echelon—Joe Wen and Jeff Shin’s loud reactions to FIFA fill the hallways, and Andrew Macleod is always playing the latest Lil Wayne song. There is little to no noise emitted from Dougie Deluca and A.J. Chabot’s room, as both are asleep by 9pm.

Lower Rathbun, however, is a different story with Parker’s electronic music playing at all hours of the day. Will Peatman is maintaining the throne as King of Memes, while Frederic Cyr is

still trying to find ways come up with jokes that are actually funny. As for me – Aaron – all I do is play League and wait for all of the Manny’s I eat to slowly take over my body.

Webster: Webster is filled with the finest men that Holderness has to offer, and we have decided to keep the dorm that way. Yes, there are no visitors, but that is to ensure that our dorm is the cleanest, most well-kept dorm in all the land. Each Webster resident holds himself to high standards in academics and cleanliness.

Niles: Niles is better than ever! Our dodge ball team was a great success.

In the Barton Olympics, we were even better, getting our only points of the whole week in the marshmallow toss.

We hope all is well with the other dorms, and happy Parents’ Weekend.

and strength. In the end, we are just a small dorm with big hearts and a week of no dress code.

Lewis: Lewis Dorm may not be the biggest, the most athletic, the smartest, or the coolest dorm. But, what we lack in swagger is made up for in our love for each other. Unfortunately, there is no event during Winter Carnival that measures solidarity within a dorm, thus Lewis Dorm’s performance was consistently weak. Lewis has become a popular hangout spot for socialites like Tyler and Sam, who can be found playing intense games of FIFA or NHL at any time of day. All in all, Lewis dorm is a warm sanctuary within the greater community of Holderness – it is an ideal place to live.

Day Dorm: Michael Page and Jack Burkitt are usually occupied with video games, while Zane Zimmermann and Sam Braun can be found watching Netflix and trying to learn how to ski.

On any given day you can find Piseth Sam practicing break-dancing for next year’s Winter Carnival and Lewis Mundy-Shaw figuring out how to braid his own hair. Since we won Winter Carnival for the second year in a row, we are pretty confident that we can dominate in almost anything. To be honest, it was pretty easy, because all of the other dorms lack our intelligence

Shoutouts:

The Lip Sync Edition Compiled by Parker Densmore ‘15

LV + HJ = He’s been watching her; or has she been watching him?

CC + WB = What did you say your number was again?

CF+ BR = What type of candy do you like?

Overheards Compiled By Parker densmore ‘15 Does the snackbar carry lemon lozenges?

She smiled at me seven times today; I counted.

How do you even know what you’re wearing?

Skim or 2%?

I made more fouls than I scored points.

Senior Editors Youngjae Cha Tommy Chau Parker Densmore Charlotte Freccia Charles Harker Jack Yanchitis Junior Editors Maggie Barton AJ Chabot Layout and Design Moti Jiang Keying Yang

Faculty Advisors Ms. Magnus Mr. Herring Contact Information Holderness School Chapel Lane P.O. Box 1879 Plymouth, NH 03245 Phone Number: 603.536.1257 Email: info@holderness.org