The Picador: Volume 11, Issue 13

Volume 11, Issue 13

5.26.2016 A PUBLICATION BY HOLDERNESS STUDENTS FOR THE HOLDERNESS COMMUNITY

CONGRATULATIONS! Alyson Sadye Axman Margaret Kent Barton Hannah Katherine Benson Alexandra Kathleen Black Kyra Borsoi Reginald Miles Bowser Patrick Joseph Brennan Christopher Jeffrey Caulder Alan James Chabot Jr. Benjamin Coolidge Chapin Zachary Aristotle Chernin Logan Thomas Clarke William Stephen Coleman Grace Evelyn Collins Margaret Kerubo Cunha Phillip Justice De Corsi Douglas Anthony DeLuca Taylor Shaw Dobyns Cole Richmond Donovan Emmanuel Dorvil John Rush Streett Fisher Lydia Tatum Fisher Jack Hamilton Gewirz Joseph Howard Gillis

William Henry Hall Emily Lawton Perkins Aaron Michael Harmatz Supavit Pokawanvit Andrew Thomas Hodson William Joseph Pratt Thomas Benjamin Jackson III Jesse Kassler Ransford Yihe Jiang Hunter McKinley Rehn Brendan Joseph Johnson Zhen Ren Henry Hartt Jones Sean Michael Robinson Seungmin Jung Skylar Stephanie Robinson Zareen Anil Kessler Nathan James Sampo Nicholas Joseph Lacasse Christopher Toulmin Sargent Alexander James Lash Henry Thomas Atkins Sheffield Grace Stewart Lawrence Tyler Mario Slusarczyk David Brian Leclerc Ellery Lincoln Smith Malcolm Munro Macdonald Samantha Lee Smith Natalie Adelle McBeath Anne Kelly Smyth-Hammond Alfred Timothy Meau Anna Elisabeth Soderberg James Ethan Mitchell Hadley Ladd Starer Jessie McClellan Montague Ryan David Steele Avery Anne Michael Morgan Phillip Thomas Stowe Lewis Ward Jonathan Mundy Shaw Corey Jaye Sturges Bryce M Murdick Ellie Thomson Teare Precious Sopuruchukwu Ozoh Julia Marquis Thulander Brendan Michael O’Hara Minh Thien Tran Michael Jason Page Zhaowei Yu

The Picador: Volume 11, Issue 13

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INAUGURAL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL POISED FOR PRODUCTIVE 2016-2017 Coming into next year we are go-

ing to have a small group of 12 focused and driven individuals as a part of a new council, responsible for tackling areas of interest pertaining to student interest. I am super enthusiastic about this addition to our program, because when speaking with some of the senior leaders from this year, those meetings of about 30 were often too hectic to be productive. Our goal was to create a group of both elected and unelected people who are passionate and care about the goings-on around them, which is what we have in this small organization. This group of people is going to focus on topics beyond dorm life, as the goal is to improve the experience of our student bodyin whatever ways need addressing.

After reading all of the applications, there were a few key areas that drew our attention - sustainability on campus, acknowledgment of diversity, day/dorm integration, and student life as a whole. These are going to be areas that the council discusses, as well as thinking about how to improve them. This council should relate to the needs of students, so if you have ideas/ thoughts/ concernsyou are encouraged to reach out to anyone in this bunch. When creating a small council of 12, we tried to form a balanced group with varied interests. What follows is each new member, and their specific area of passion. We wanted to include this, so students would know who to approach pertaining to their topic of interest. This group has so much potential, and we hope to see this develop as an effective tool for improving our community.

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Brooke Hayes ‘17

Ella Mure - Being part of the council for next year I would like to help create a more balanced schedule that makes academics less stressful and provides new opportunities too.

Among many things I think there is a lot of unnecessary stress put on the students here, and I would like to try to alleviate this. I would also like to help keep our campus more environmental. We have already made large advances with the new rink, but we should continue to make small attempts to be more green in our day to day life.

a regular schedule. Instead of being so forced, this can be a more natural way for students of the opposite gender to socialize.

Perry Lum - My main focus this year on the council will be to reconstruct the D.C. process to make it more understandable and transparent to the faculty and students on campus. I hope to recruit three or four people on the council to attend every D.C. hearing so that the trials and punishments can be more consistent and fair to each student. In a similar way, I hope to allow for more active "followers" in the Holderness Elizabeth Casey - Our “three sport community, like Taylor Dobyns said policy� is met with quite a bit of in her article. Right now, there are disapproval from the Holderness too many leaders and not enough Community. Although I agree with followers on campus to have an efthis policy to an extent, there is fective student self government. I something contradictory in the way am really excited to hit the ground we encourage full participation in running with new proposals next sports, yet students can still be cut year! from JV teams. In working with the council next year, I hope to propose Catherine Mclaughlin - I am intera compromise in which students can ested in focusing on the discipline participate in the sports they desire. process. This year I found myself I think we can make the athletic ex- more personally affected by it than I perience more enjoyable for those had ever been. Although I think the athletes who are not on the varsity seniors' goals for more transparenlevel and I look forward to finding a cy in the DC system was mostly met solution to this issue. this year, I have noticed deepening distrust in the system among my Katie Campbell - My areas of in- peers and think there is still a long terest are in student and residential way to go. life. I am particularly adamant about improving the social life at Holder- Kristina Wolff - Next year on the ness, being that it is hard sometimes Leadership Council I am excited to to have a healthy one because of work on events such as a prospective how busy we are and because of the wintertime "Proctor Day," which I lack of good co-ed socializing space. think would be a great way for the A way to solve this, for example, whole school to be able to come towould be to have intervis be set on Council Cont pg 9 The Picador: Volume 11, Issue 13

Overheards

New England Young Writers Conference

Cat McLaughlin ‘17 This past weekend Brooke Hayes and I attended a four day writers conference at the Bread Loaf School in Middlebury, VT. Students from all over the country attended the conference to work, present, and listen together with professional writers. These are some of the interesting things I heard, and overheard, them say.

• He dangles his dreads like a mystery I won't know the answer to... “Ew.” • My autocorrect changed Breadloaf to Meatloaf.

• She had these friends -- I always called them ‘the Lululemons’-- who would come home and feel so spiritual after their shopping trips.

• My mom hinted to me in a text that it was Mother's Day, but I just sent her a picture of Kanye West.

• I taught a group of middle aged women how to make a flower crown and they were so impressed.

• I never had a reason to use the bread emoji before.

• Do you go to Holderness?... So you must know Ben Jerome.

SENIOR BUCKET LIST Maggie Cunha ‘16

With only days left before graduation, now is the time for the Class of 2016 to partake in a few activities that are frowned upon by our administration. But don't get too carried away -- one strike still applies!

1. Cut the quad 2. Spend all your parents’ money buying snack bar breakfast sandwiches 3. Stroll into your dorm at 10:31 like a boss.

4. Have Ms. Connors try to join your class at graduation and see if anyone notices 5. Take Return a big cup or two from Weld 6. Feast on Mrs. Peck's brownies 7. Buy a hedgehog and hide it in your dorm 8. Steal your favorite faculty child 9. Use Geoff West's website to sell all of your stuff 10. Read the last issue of the Picador cover to cover 11. Dab when you get your diploma But whatever you do, don't smoke a cigar after you graduate. That's crossing a major line. Also, lung cancer.

OUTSIDE THE BUBBLE WITH ERICA ASHBY There are two types of people who use the restrooms in Schoolhouse…

What Tabor only dreams of telling the Holderness football team?

Where's the new kid from? They are not wearing bean boots or Vineyard Vines?

What do Lacrosse players say when they get a red card?

The people that flush and the ones who don’t. The North Carolina state government has decided that they are not going to flush their bathroom law down the toilet even after the federal government told them to wash their hands and abolish the law. The law, that 57% of Americans disagree with, states that people must use the bathroom associated with their gender given at birth.

Who knows maybe they're from another planet? Three new plants, have been discovered by Michaël Gillon of the University of Liège in Belgium. These planets orbit a the star Trappist-1, and are about 40 light years away from Earth, in a whole other solar system! Wait it gets better! Scientist say that two of the plants are within the habitable zone or distance relevant to their star to be a possibility for life. Who knows maybe Holderness will have a student from another planet one day?

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You have been “berned”! Bernie Sanders has a burning passion to say the same to Hilliary. But, is his fire strong enough to “bern” Hillary? Even with the traction from Bernie’s recent wins it’s likely that Hillary will smother his flames at the end of the election. But there is still hope Bernie’s fire can be feed oxygen!

Let me back in the games! Russian athletes are saying the same thing. Recently there have been numerous reports done on many of the Russian olympic athletes: runners, nordic skiers, and bobsledders, that concluded that these athletes were part of a state-run doping program! The International Olympic committee is currently running test and debating who should get a forever lasting red card or a second chance yellow card.

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GETTING TO KNOW Chae Hahn ‘17

As sad as it is to say goodbye to

the senior editors who have entertained, inspired, and enlightened us with their words in the past year, we are also excited about the dynamic voices the newly chosen editors will bring to the Picador next year!

The new Picador editors for 20162017 are Alexa Dannis ‘17, Liesl Magnus ‘17, Cat McLaughlin ‘17, Liz Casey ‘17, Erica Ashby ‘18, Sarah Berube ‘18, and Lolo Zabaleta ‘18. Our goals as the editorial staff of the Picador for next year are to promote school-wide conversation about issues that directly concern our community, inform the school of noteworthy current events, as well as amusing our audience with our great sense of humor! With a larger group of editors and with everyone welcome to write, we are aiming to feature a more diverse range of voices. Hoping to really get to know the editors and get a glimpse of the ideas they have for next year, I sat down with them for an interview.

Their responses fully demonstrate how motivated, creative, and unique they all are. The future of the Picador is looking bright! Take a look.

What do you hope to achieve as an editor for next year?

Sarah: The Picador is a great platform for the students to have their voices heard. For next year, I want to encourage students to not only write their opinions on our school's flaws but also to actually take action to change them. There are social issues within our community that we must recognize and take steps to change.

Liz: My biggest goal is to motivate 4

more students to write for the Pic- placing an ad for the startup day ador so that we’re allowing more kid business of dunkin donuts depeople to share their ideas. I’d also livery, so keep an eye out. like to write on some controversial Alexa: I would like to raise the topics that get people talking and number of articles enjoyed by the hopefully excited about reading majority of students after reading the Picador. the overheards and before putting Liesl: I want to get people to the paper down to continue eating, think and be able to reach out to as well as improving the commua large community of writers. So nity’s understanding of different many people read the Picador, and points of view. I would also like to I think it would be cool to see an bring a humorous and entertaining even larger group of voices contrib- light to the Picador. uting. I would really like to address the diversity in our community- Tell us a weird/ fun fact about you! the wealth of different experiences Sarah: I can solve a 2x2 Rubik's and voices is absolutely incredible. cube in 8.47 seconds Erica: My main goal for next Cat: I can tie knots with my feet. year to inform our community of Liz: I once got a yellow card in current events happening outside soccer for falling and breaking my our Holderness bubble. I am also own collar bone. interested in writing sarcastic arErica: I had a pet mouse once… ticles, and pretty much anything but I killed it by crushing his head both within and outside our cam- while doing the “cup song” when it pus. was out of its cage. It had a seizure.

Lolo: My goal is to get people to Alexa: I went to a Waldorf school actually think and talk about the for all of middle school and didn’t Picador besides the five minutes watch TV or use electronics unit takes them to flip through the til 8th grade… Oh, and I can knit issue. As next fall will be the cul- socks, do calligraphy, and can ride mination of the wild ride that has a unicycle and juggle at the same been this presidential election, I time. would definitely want to cover that.

Liesl: I have a birthmark shaped Also, I would like to include the like a fish, and I'm allergic to aldiscussion of mental illnesses in most anything with fur. some of the more serious Picador Lolo: When I was nine months articles. old, I stuck my fingers up a dog’s Cat: My goal is to be as coopera- nose. Strangely enough, it respondtive with the team as possible, while ed by chomping off half of my face, writing material that shakes things resulting in sixteen stitches, and a up a little. Something I’ve been straight jacket (both of which were wanting to do is to come up with for me). recipes of things you can make in the lunch/dinner line when you have nothing to eat. I will also be The Picador: Volume 11, Issue 13

NEXT YEAR’S EDITORS

What is your favorite and least faLiz: Ms. Connors, for obvious vorite part of being a student here reasons. at Holderness?

Sarah: Mr. Graham, he's a cool Liz: Favorite: Frosted Flakes in dude (like me) the Grab and Go. Least Favorite: Alexa: Mr. Cabot— my jokes arRaisin Bran in the Grab and Go. en’t funny, I’m a little strange and I Cat: Favorite: Community, Curi- also went through a bowl cut era. osity, and Character. Least FavorLolo: Mr. Sheppe because at least ite: When people don’t say hi to me 90% of the student body worships on the path. him. If I were Mr. Sheppe, I could Sarah: I really enjoy the oppor- probably convince at least 48 peotunity that each teacher provides ple that the White Mountains are here. The easy connection you can manmade. make with them is comforting and Cat: Ms.Fintonis, the school store helps me succeed academically. I lady, without a doubt. She not only dislike the mandatory three sport has the scoop on the latest Holderrule. To pick up a whole other sport ness fashions but can slyly pick up that I have no interest in playing is on all the gossip muttered by stua huge roadblock for my goal to dents perusing the racks. play college softball.

Liesl: This is such an obvious What differentiates you from othanswer coming from me, but my er editors? favorite part about being a HoldAlexa: Unfortunately, I can’t just erness student is how much Hold- say I’m a day girl, as, for the first erness encourages us to get outside. time in history, day girls are the I love running on the trails in the majority demographic for the Picafternoon, and how many oppor- ador. Instead, I’d say that, as a skitunities there are to go places. My er missing weeks at a time, the day least favorite part is the sheer num- girl room toxins have affected me ber of emails that are sent out daily. far less and I’m a little more normal I don't care where boys JV tennis than most of us. practice is today.

Lolo: I’d like to think that I’m goErica: It’s quite paradoxical : I love ing to a) get more stressed than the having great friendships, but then other editors about deadlines and again, I don't like having to con- b) annoy Mr. Herring the most. stantly be around people.

Sarah: I identify differently than a Alexa: I love the people and doing lot of people on campus. I am cerfun weekend activities. The least fa- tain my contrasting point of view vorite part is definitely the stress of will provide a unique voice to the school.

Picador.

Lolo: My favorite part about beLiesl: Writing comes more easily ing a Holderness student is that it’s to me than breathing sometimes. halfway over.

I love writing, I love reading what other people have written, and I If you were a faculty/staff, who love sharing different ideas. would you be?

Erica: I’m riled up about someThe Picador: Volume 11, Issue 13

thing! It's the Holderness bubble.

The majority of the conversation here concerns what goes on within our campus borders. Though writing for the Picador, I want to burst that bubble and move the conversation towards the happenings outside of Holderness .

If you could be a faculty dog, who would it be?

Liesl: Henry Glew. He got a stick through his lung and didn't care.

What I wouldn't give to have that high of a pain tolerance.

Erica: Anyone but Mr. Ford’s dog.

I wouldn’t want to get in trouble for cutting the quad.

Lolo: Tucker or Roxy because Sam Shinn would feed me a lot.

Cat: Does White Cat count?

Alexa: Dublin. Similar to me, that dog has no boundaries and makes many extremely strange and concerning noises.

Would you rather have the Holderness Wifi disconnect every five second or have chapel every morning including Sundays?

Cat: The Wi-Fi already does that,and we were never given an option.

Erica: Go to chapel. Whenever the word “lord” is said, just replace it with “Ford”! It makes chapel fun.

“And may the Ford be with you”.

Liesl: Holderness Wifi. Sure, it would be frustrating for everyone else, but I'm a day kid. I can go home.

Lolo: I would rather not.

Liz: If either of these actually happened, I would transfer school.

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LIGHT AMONG BRICK AND PINE A PARADOX AND PARADIGM Bryce Murdick ‘16

Over

the course of special programs I found my thoughts in a state of manic depressive schizoid comorbidity that I now believe is endemic of the mind on Out Back.

Of the myriad of thoughts that can occur in this state while on solo it was an unrecognized gratitude that haunted me in the woods.

It is a sad phenomenon that in the realm of qualia with extensive exposure comes inoculation.

Exposure in any realm for that matter -- from a virus to an idea -- will create a tolerance in the individual.

To be tolerant in social matters is to be magnanimous, and to be tolerant in the physical sense implies resistance. We use these two definitions of tolerance almost like the phoneme “tōō” , identical in sound but with unrelated meanings. However, in these two definitions there is a dichotomy. In the literal sense it is tolerance to life that impedes our everyday appreciation. The simple fact that we can live a day in this world without being immobilized by an extreme sense of wonder is testament to just how mundane the most beautiful and intricate things can become over time. We build up a tolerance that makes full appreciation nearly impossible. It is here that we come across a paradox I commonly see at this school: I think that Holderness is the best place to be for four years of high school, but it can’t be the best for kids who have been here for four years. This same sentiment can apply to anyone who has spent the majority of their high school career here. I wish so bad6

ly that I could have spent my four years of high school here and be one of the anointed “lifers”. I don’t just mean that coming from public school appreciation is lost for the advantages of a private education, I mean that appreciation is lost for Holderness. Knowing what I know now given the choice between any other prep school and here there is no other institution that I would choose. Holderness is so amazing for three reasons I will expound on but list upfront; honesty, true diversity, and above all investment.

As an epiphenomena of the Saint Pauls School fallout we saw New England prep schools come under fire as bastions of elitism. St. Grottlesex and Co. were accused of fostering in their students an attitude of self-righteousness and exceptionalism. Regardless of the veracity of these claims never have I seen such a message proselytized here. Mr. Peck’s reaction to derogatory statements made even in jest about Tabor I believe is a perfect example of the humility that Holderness seeks to instill in its students.

Tabor would never have known and the act was seemingly harmless but even in a moment of anonymity the expectation was one of respect despite rivalry. Two quotes that I believe strongly speak to human nature, most notably to what lies behind the tableau of the good person, are “The measure...what he does when no one is watching” and “Give a man a mask...” Holderness imbues its students with a message of genuine spirit.

Diversity is being recognized as a necessary component of education that it truly is. But it still surprises me how many people fail to understand what diversity is. To say a community is diverse because there are people of many different ethnic backgrounds there is ignorant and racist. It is to say that a person is only diversified by the presence of chemicals in their skin. A room with fifty individuals from fifty different ethnic backgrounds could be less diverse than a room of ten individuals of the same ethnicity if those fifty people all believe the same things, have the same aspirations, read the same books, and subscribe to the same philosophy. To see diversity in the physical is to be nothing less than ignorant. Those prep schools considered “elite” all boast of the diversity of their students, but I would ask you this; if the goal of your community as a whole is to attend an Ivy or Potted Ivy how diverse can you truly be? The facades may differ but inherent in their common goal is a prefabricated interior. All that you can have in such an atmosphere is 100 shades of vanilla. In this community there is no prefabricated student. I could go into detail about all the quirks and idiosyncrasies that abound in the Holderness community giving it true diversity but I simply wouldn’t have the space even if given this whole paper to fill. I will say only that while we may seemingly wish to surround ourselves with optimists this is an environment that lacks perspective and will teach

Light & Pine Cont Pg 9 The Picador: Volume 11, Issue 13

EXTRA CREDIT? WHY NOT? It's the end of the year and the fi-

nal exams are the last grades going into each grade book. Obviously, not everyone's grade is where they would like it to be. Even if your grade is where you would like it to be, it would always be great to boost it by a point or two, right? That's where extra credit comes in. Some teachers offer it on quizzes, some teachers offer optional assignments as extra credit, and some teacher's don't outwardly offer extra credit.

However, if any student is willing to do whatever extra amount of work the teacher offers - regardless of assignment - then the student should be able to get at least some extra

Carter Bourassa ‘17 credit for their efforts. Especially if the student reaches out to the teacher, openly saying that they are willing to complete extra work in order to get extra points for their grade, then the student should be given the opportunity to work to whatever extent the teacher mandates, for whatever amount of points the teacher offers. Understandably, teachers would likely be less than excited to have more assignments to grade, particularly at this time of the school year, but if the student is willing to do a little extra work during this busy time, the teachers should also be willing to uphold the student-teacher “social contract.”

Some teachers would likely argue that the student should have done better on the mandated assignments during the quarter. This notion is similar to a boss saying to an office worker, “You can't stay late and finish work, you should've gotten all of your work done during the work day.” Yes, the student could have performed better on regular assignments, but why should they not be granted that opportunity to improve their grade, even if just by little bit.

With the school year all but over now, this may be a moot point, but if a student is willing to do extra work to improve their grade a bit, why not let them?

SUMMER HOROSCOPES Liesl Magnus ‘17, Lolo Zabaleta ‘18 , and Erica Ashby ‘18

Aries (3/21-4/20)- An epic summer romance is in your future. You’ll fall deeply in love with that one lifeguard only to find out that you went to middle school with them and you put gum in their hair one time…

adventure will perk you right up.

Peck, who tells you to take off your hat!

Leo (7/21-8/20)- Change isn’t always bad and could be just what you need.

Make sure to truly appreciate all the good headed your way.

Taurus (4/21- 5/20)- Somehow you end up babysitting for the kids next door and- Timmy. No. Timmy don’t you dare dump that bag of flour on your sister. Their parents should have just sent them to summer camp like normal kids.

Virgo (8/21- 9/20)- While reading World War Z, you’ll become convinced that the zombie apocalypse is here and run off into the woods to avoid contamination. The cops will find you in the woods hitting trees with a baseball bat.

Sagittarius (11/21-12/20)- Just because it’s May doesn’t mean it’s too late for the whole New Year New Me thing.

New foods, new hobbies. It’s all out there for the trying. There’s a lot you’re working towards and it seems slow going but it’s going.

Gemini (5/21- 6/20) - Going on a hike seemed like a good idea… before you wandered off trail to go to the bathroom and have no idea where your group is or how to get back to civilization. Chances are you’ll stumble upon a pack of wolves and live with them.

Cancer (6/21-7/20) - Try focusing on you before worrying about everything else. If you feel a lack of motivation coming around the corner, an outdoor

Libra (9/21-10/20)- Focus on the future, thinking back isn’t getting you anywhere. You may encounter a few surprises in the coming weeks but they’re not of the bad sort.

Scorpio (10/21 - 11/20) - You hate the beach. But somehow your friends will persuade you that a weekend on the Cape isn’t going to kill you, even though you’re sunburned, hot, sandy, and want nothing more than to be in yourhouse.

And it gets worse - you encounter Mr.

The Picador: Volume 11, Issue 13

Capricorn (12/21-1/20)- Drink lots of water, it’s important. Reward yourself for all that you have accomplished this year but don’t go overboard.

Aquarius (1/21-2/20) - Despite having sunscreen on, you will end up with a horrible sunburn all over the back of your legs that makes it difficult to sit for days. Maybe put two coats of sunscreen on next time?

Pisces (2/21-3/20) - Starting slow, there’s nothing wrong with that. You’ll find that your own attributes, which you may take for granted, are actually doing a pretty good job inspiring others

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A Man of Complexity

The Nick Lacasse Story by Nick Lacasse I have made it obvious that I

dislike a certain amount of things.

There is a long list of Holderness activities that over my time here have made me want to politely yet aggressively stomp around like an enraged five-year-old. I calculated how much time and mileage Holderness was making me sacrifice by walking from the lawn next to Hagerman all the way to Weld and how Super Sunday makes me foam at the mouth primally because it made me miss the second half of the Patriots game. My attitude towards life is similar to that of the Heat Miser in Minnesota during pond hockey season; you could say as salty as a liberal at a Donald Trump rally. I blame it partially on the fact that my attitude has aged

like a particularly fine wine. Except instead of my flavor, aroma, and color, changing my mood gets increasingly worse and worse in the human wine cellar we call the day boy room. Some say that the windowless cement coffin underneath our dining hall is haunted and that the old curmudgeonly ghost’s only way of exiting is through possessing a day boy. Or, maybe there is a gas leak in the Day Boy room that makes all of us a little mad. These are all frighteningly far from the truth. For instance, every single day I go home,greet my two cats, who are named Cocoa and Sugar, and have tea and cookies with my Mom and we watch Baseball religiously. On the weekends I come home from school put on a fluffy robe, put on Star Wars, and

cuddle with Sugar and Cocoa. The best reflection on who I am is who I spend the majority of my time with, Brooke Hayes. A kind, lovable, happy person who definitely isn’t known for running around foaming at the mouth primally out of frustration.

The point is that I am not an angry old man and I do not rage puke every time Holderness makes me walk an extra five feet. Instead I am a cuddly, bubbling, annoying person who enjoys what everyone hates about Holderness like sit down dinners and chapel. I rarely reach the third stage of anger of throwing my feces at whatever has angered me. My curmudgeonliness is false; however, I’m still salty about missing the patriots game on super Sunday.

Before leaving campus this week, you must do a few things: 1) See or email Mr. Barney (mbarney@holderness.org) if you want to store your bike here for the summer. Unregistered bikes left behind could be given away to charity.

2) Fill-out the yellow slip that your dorm/day space director has for you. You must return your mail key to Mr. Thompson (or be charged $25), all athletic equipment and uniforms, all library books; in addition, you must clean your room, so it looks like the day you arrived. You cannot leave until you get a faculty member to see your room and collect your yellow sheet.

3) Summer Storage for folks who live far away: we can help you store your personal items in the basement of Pichette. Look at Celine’s job list for times and phone numbers to call once you are packed.

Thank you - Mr. Galvin & Ms. Weymouth 8

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Council From Pg 2 gether and watch sports that they normally wouldn't get to see, like skiing. I am also interested in working with the rest of the council to find ways to improve the effectiveness, timeliness and fairness of the DC process. I would additionally like to work on ways to expand community service opportunities for students who didn't have the chance to participate in PO, as well as create more school-wide community service events and initiatives.

Rachel Tejeda - For the Leadership Council I will like to be able to understand different compartments and components of certain parts of the school, such as the diversity in the Admission Office and how we can attack it to get more color/ LGBTQ faculty and students. Also I would like to make every school night/guest speaker impactful and worthwhile. I no longer want to hear about how "Unsatisfying" MLK Day was or school wide complaints about school nights.

Light & Pine From Pg 6

Geoff West - Without doubt, the relationships among students and faculty are integral to Holderness and to us as a community. Here, faces don't go unnoticed, but voices sometimes go unheard. This year, only a few students volunteered to give talks in front of the school, but the ones who did voiced feelings and perspectives that impacted many of us. These voices make Holderness a stronger institution, so I think we should take further steps to elicit them.

Austin St. Onge - Holderness' unique Job Program often comes up in student conversation as one of the most controversial subjects on campus. With required extracurricular activities, long hours of classes, and sit-down dinners consuming our everyday lives, any extra mandatory commitments make this place feel like a state penitentiary. Despite the irritation brought on by the Job Program, I feel as though such a program is

something deeply personal. Investyou nothing in its self affirmation. It ment is Mr. Barton sincerely asking is a community like Holderness that how your ACT went after leaving remains unsterilized by uniform se- PSU, or his insistence on getting lectivity where opposites can exist what many consider a premature and where students can truly learn start on the college game. It’s Ms. from one another. While the opti- Fischer meeting with you on many mist and pessimist may never agree, occasions beyond what is requisite may never even get along, they are and taking time out of her day. It’s both the better for having met each Mr. Durnan investing his time in a other. blog for the Nordic time with un Finally, and most impor- fading enthusiasm. It’s Mrs. Mumtantly, Holderness invests in its stu- ford teaching you to love a subject dents. It goes beyond any platitude, in which you previously floundered. or generalization. No pithy remark It’s Mrs. Weymouth sitting down or aphorism can encapsulate it. A with you to ask how living at school diatribe about an uninvested school is. It’s Mr. Casey with a genuine incannot give you an idea of it either terest in your training and great because inherent in its nature is suggestions, or Mr. Lin volunteerThe Picador: Volume 11, Issue 13

a defining factor of being a Holderness student. Having a job requires us, as teenagers growing into adulthood and individual freedom, to learn responsibility, trust, and communication. As a member of the Leadership Council, I will work to improve the Job Program so that student life is more manageable yet still allows the student to build on imperative life skills.

Noa Lin - I think my focuses for the coming year are to bridge the gap between day students and boarders, as a means of integrating our community better. Also, improving the social landscape of Holderness is a must if we are to engage our entire student body, and working on improving weekend and other recreational activities will be integral in doing so. Creating a cohesive student community will be a major key to help enhance Holderness' social climate, and I will try my best to make that happen.

ing to drive to Massachusetts for a race. It’s a smile and a hand shake from Mr. Galvin after OB. It’s Tony Mure and Mountain Running. It’s the smile on Mr. Peck’s face that can only be described as pure affection when he addressed the school. It’s so much more that I can even say. I can promise you there is no school like Holderness, and no place you would rather be. Even though at times we may forget all that this school does for us to take it for granted is to turn your back on a place that shows near parental cathexis. This is a rare place that deserves our untold appreciation.

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Across the Decades: AJ Chabot ‘16

As students, we often forget the

reasonably limited perspective we have on Holderness. Most of us will graduate after four years, some three, some two, and some only one year. While this short amount of time allows for an “outsider” perspective of the school, it doesn’t support a more rounded opinion that 15-35 years would foster. Mr. and Mrs. Day, Mr. Lockwood, and Mr. Pettitt have seen this school through technological booms, major global events, and cultural transitions that no student would likely notice. In efforts to view Holderness through a broader lens than a short four years permits, I interviewed each departing member and synthesized their reflections for you all.

I first asked the trio about the types of students they feel matriculate from Holderness School.

After reflecting on the question, Mr. Pettitt, teacher and coach of 21 years, answered: “They’re different in terms of the final product.” He then explained how his answer was two-fold, because it was partly his altered expectations for students as well as their maturity levels. “I’m not sure I’m looking at kids the same way,” he said.

“Coming out of the military as a retiree, I was still influenced directly by that background and experience and the means by which people were evaluated within that institution. In the early going I was learning about college preparatory schools and the types of 10

kids who were interested in the receive feedback summaries, but type of education they offered. My accounting for response initiamilitary experience brought with tives sometimes seems to get lost it high expectations for kids’ main the shuffle of immediate and turity, focus, and levels of initiafuture agendas. Bringing some tive.” Another facet of student life level of timely closure regarding Mr. Pettitt has noticed is that, “the specific issues that surface in such student body seems to have beforums is important to the procome more integrated and homocess of establishing and maintaingeneous.” He explained how there ing the trust students and faculty seemed to be, “a lot more cliques place in our school’s leaders. Aland exclusivity when I first came. though I see some initiatives beCertain groups used specific spacing taken, I think it is important es on campus, and it seemed that for administrators to spend more friendship cohorts were much time within the spheres they talk more discreetly formed and not about improving. Their personal easily penetrable by others from observations followed by inforthe outside. When asked how mal conversations about what faculty and administration have was seen and not seen provide the changed in terms of their role in validation and constructive feedstudent life, Mr. Pettitt answered, back that is needed, and serve to “I think the school has become further legitimize the perspectives more committed to the support of they derive from other sources.” specific student interests. If a stuSuch initiatives really add to a dent is serious about fly fishing, leader’s credibility in my eyes. there are opportunities provided My interview with Mr. And for kids with that interest. If we Mrs. Day included a discussion had a bunch of white water kayof the still-visible vestiges of the akers amongst students across the “Holderness School for boys”. grades, there are faculty members Among other thoughtful changwilling to make it happen on their es, the addition of the Montessori behalf.” He explained how kids, School has, “allowed the school “seem to be fairly satisfied with to hire, attract, and retain women simply hanging out with their who want to have families. This buddies and doing things imevolution has had many ripple mediately around campus rather effects, for example the lessening than projecting outward and tackin frequency of family-style dinling new challenges away from ners which feel “anti-family” for school.” Mr. Pettitt later referenced some couples with younger chilSteve Wessler, the man who came dren. The discussion of having a to do an assessment on the cligender-neutral dress code could mate derived from faculty group also be attributed to a variety of interviews. He indicated that, “we voices being heard. The Days then The Picador: Volume 11, Issue 13

Reflections from Departing Faculty explained why they love and will miss Holderness so much: “This is a place where when I walk out the door of this house, I don’t feel like I’m going anywhere different. Our core values are the same on either side of our door. Something Holderness has done that’s unique for boarding schools is that it has held on to some of the traditions like the job program and sit down dinner that most other schools have lost.

Everyone’s clamoring for a new Bartsch or a new science building, but I don’t think it will change our identity too drastically because we will never lose the balance between the new and the old that makes us so strong.”

My interview with Mr. Lockwood covered a variety of aspects both inside and outside of our school.

First, Mr. Lockwood explained how Holderness has become more of a “prom” school. “When I first came there’d be girls clomping around in L.L. Bean boots, but everyone is a lot more style conscious now.”

He noted how Christmas dinner, Valentines Day dinner, Winter Formal, and Prom, were all nonexistent. Most everything Mr. Lockwood noted were, “neither good nor bad, just changes.” The biggest cultural shift Mr. Lockwood noticed in his 35 years is the phone.

“It’s completely altered the culture here and everywhere - in good ways and in bad,” he explained.

“It’s been so helpful for teaching, but I can see the collective ADD, even in myself.” In terms of what Mr. Lockwood noticed to be pos-

itive changes in the school, he responded: “Mr. Peck’s capacity for self-criticism and self-analysis has been a very good thing; it’s a trait that might be obvious only to those he’s close to. He always welcomes feedback and doesn’t get defensive.”

Things that worried Mr. Lockwood include student feelings of “entitlement” and the “disconnect through phones and misuse of technology.” He noted how assembly feels less “free form,” and instead more, “programmatic and presentation oriented.” He feels this shift has made assembly “lose some of its spontaneity.” On his way out, Mr. Lockwood hopes that whoever is in charge of the music program will, “continue to promote its recognition and relevance.” He feels there is “plenty of money and support, and a number of dedicated student musicians, but sometimes the music program suffers from scheduling difficulties, college admission pressures, or students having other priorities.” Moving on to a more tangible change, he noted: “one of the greatest changes in this school has been the steady increase in the quality of the meals. I can’t praise the kitchen staff enough - when I first came, it was pretty limited.

The variety and quality has gotten so good, and the care they put into our meals is just A+.”

Overall, Mr. Lockwood, Mr. Pettit, and the Days will be greatly missed, as will their wholesome perspective of the school and the changes that have occurred in the many years they’ve lived here.

The Picador: Volume 11, Issue 13

Thank You!

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PRIZE DAY, COMMENCEMENT DAILY SCHEDULES 7:45 AM – 8:30 AM 7:30 AM – 8:20 AM 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM 11:30 AM 1:00 PM 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM 6:15 PM 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 7:15 AM – 8:00 AM 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM 9:30 AM 10:45 AM 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM 12:15 PM 3:00 PM 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM 10:00 PM

SATURDAY, MAY 28

Breakfast (Weld Dining Hall) Dormitory/Campus Clean-Up Spring Sports Assembly (Hagerman Auditorium) - Casual Dress Commencement Rehearsal (Hagerman Auditorium, Livermore Commons) Set-up for Prize Day (Livermore Commons) – Freshmen and Sophomores Dining Hall Setup (Weld)- Day Students School Store Open Campus Clean-Up Jobs (See Faculty-Student Job Listing) Lunch (Bartsch) – Cook-Out Girls Varsity Lacrosse Alumni Game Boys Varsity Lacrosse Alumni Game Boys Varsity Baseball Alumni Game Prize Day Ceremony (Livermore Commons) – School Dress Reception (Near Chapel Lawn) – Seniors, Parents, Faculty, and Guests Dinner for All but Seniors (Lower Weld) – Attendance Required Student Activities – Watch for announcements about activities Commencement Dinner (Weld) – Seniors, Parents, and Invited Guests Summer Storage (See Schedule) Check-in for All Breakfast– Attendance Required for 9th, 10th graders Summer Storage (See Schedule) Commencement Setup (Livermore Commons/Gallop) School Store Open Baccalaureate Service (Chapel) – Seniors and Immediate Family Members Procession Line-Up Commencement Exercises (Livermore Commons) – Commencement Dress Buffet Lunch (Weld) – Commencement Dress New Leader Orientation Begins (See Full Schedule) Room/Dorm Cleanup and Departure – see your dorm parent for final check-out; see Ms. Weymouth for special departure needs and exceptions.

Dinner (Weld) Check-in for All – all rooms must be cleaned

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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SUNDAY, MAY 29

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 13