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2014 22 || INK! INK!FALL/WINTER SPRING 2014
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language And next year’s words await another voice.” - T.S. Eliot A school is defined by change. Students grow older and teachers leave. Some traditions end and others begin. Last spring we said goodbye to many devoted members of INK; this season new additions to the team have brought fresh ideas and perspectives. In this issue you’ll find interviews with Bluenotes and Big Al, and you’ll see what it’s like to be a director both at Hotchkiss and in Hollywood. We have also put together a stunning photography showcase. Much has changed since our first issue, but Issue 9 was created with the same spirit—the same passion. We hope you enjoy. - The INKredible Team
INK: ISSUE 9, FALL/WINTER 2014 04 AWÁA: It Is What it Is 06 PAINTING AND CATHARSIS 08 NE ME QUITTE PAS 10 TALKING TO THE MOON & RELATIVE STRANGERS 12 AN ENCOUNTER WITH THEATER 14 INTERVIEW WITH NEIL BURGER: Director of Divergent 16 HEART OF HOTCHKISS: An Interview with Big Al 18 CREATIVE WRITING: My Sweetest Day 8 22 BLEEDING BLUE, SINGING BLUE: Bluenotes 24 PHOTOGRAPHY AND POETRY SHOWCASE
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It Is What it Is Article by James Post ’15, Layout by Vivian Xiao ’15
On September 28th, the Hotchkiss Dramatic Association hosted a dance concert in Walker Auditorium featuring Aszure Barton & Artists. I am not a dancer and I know nothing about dance, but a friend and I decided to take a study break. We arrived at the auditorium a few minutes early to find that a video was being projected onto the red curtain for people to watch before the concert. The video depicted several dancers, each with puffed cheeks, pursed lips, and wide eyes. They were making fish faces. Bubbly, underwater sounds reverberated through the auditorium as the dancers blinked and shifted their faces around the screen. The video genuinely caught me off guard. Part of me wanted to laugh, and part of me looked around with worry. Is there something going on I don’t get?, I thought. I didn’t know how to react. Soon, Ms. Sarkissian-Wolf appeared in front of the stage with a microphone and gave the audience some background information about Aszure Barton and the particular dance that would be performed. It was a piece called Awaa, which means ‘mother’. She asked us to turn off our cell phones, and the lights dimmed. The curtains parted, and one dancer stood in the center of the stage with a glowing circle behind him. At first, I tried to analyze different aspects of the performance, knowing that the title meant mother. In the jerky movements, pulsating music,
“Man’s desire to assign meaning and compartmentalize art comes from a fear of the unfamiliar.” red spheres, and long shadows I saw suggestions of femininity, strength, lust, and love; I reasoned with the significance of different artistic choices. I was trying to give the piece meaning. Earlier that week in my English class we had read an essay by Susan Sontag called “Against Interpretation.” The title effectively sums up Sontag’s primary message; she goes on to claim that man’s desire to assign meaning and compartmentalize art comes from a fear of the unfamiliar. According to Sontag, analysis is a defense mechanism, or more aggressively stated, interpretation is “revenge of the intellect.” She raises the question of why can’t we just let art “be.” I had a conversation with a friend a few days ago, and we talked about what we thought characterized a work of art. He told me that he loved the sense of awe he felt when viewing a “great” painting or hearing an amazing song, concluding, “That’s what it’s all about.” I left the Aszure Barton & Artists performance truly thankful that I got the chance to experience something without preconceived notions and judgments. As I watched Awaa I was able to inhabit a different, and unfamiliar, state of mind, and the change of pace was refreshing. In my mind, I can still see the lone dancer and the glowing circle’s simple power. It’s truly valuable to be able to appreciate art for what it is.
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PAINTING AND CATHARSIS
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How North Korean Defectors Are Overcoming Trauma Article by Bobby Kwon ‘16, Layout by Grace Cheng ‘16 For most of my life, art was something appreciated for its aesthetic qualities; it did not appear to me that it was anything more than this. But when I visited a Christian school for North Korean defectors in Seoul, South Korea, I gained a broader perspective. I realized the true power of art. After escaping, defectors tend to have difficulty assimilating into society because of the psychological trauma they might have experienced back in the North. Because their former education system punishes individuality, most are initially hesitant to verbally express themselves. Healing through oral communication is not only ineffective but also unreliable, because it is simply too difficult for defectors to discuss their disturbing pasts. At the school, I was surprised to find that art played a central role in the curriculum. Every student took art classes on a daily basis. The classes themselves were taught in a unique fashion. Rather than assigning projects based on specific skills or tasks, teachers would simply direct students to express themselves through their art. A typical assignment might ask a student to paint something they identify with or something important to them. One project required students to draw their feelings multiple times throughout the course of a year. The purpose was for the students to experience a sort of catharsis: by releasing their negative feelings through deliberate expression, students would more willingly accept positive emotions and thoughts. It was fascinating to see how this art project could help students steadily become happier people. For example, one young student, who en-
rolled the year before I visited, had been initially opposed to talking through her emotional pain but illustrated her feelings through a painting of a dark, barren wasteland with a single dying tree. When I saw the pictures of her project compiled over a year, it was amazing to see the gradual improvement; she used brighter and warmer colors, added objects and people, and spent many more hours on her work, which attested to her new willingness to communicate. Her most recent pictures depicted radiant scenes of natural landscapes—of happiness and independence. Whereas the student had refused to approach strangers a year ago, she quickly greeted me when I visited her class. When I asked her what she wanted to pursue in life, she spoke passionately of her dream to teach art or own an art gallery. It was art that had allowed her to discover herself. To heal, we must communicate, and we can sometimes communicate the painful truth more clearly when we do not explicitly discuss it. The artistic process encourages authentic self-expression and personal discovery through a more considered lens. Like North Korean defectors, we may also gain insight into ourselves through different mediums. Learning to explore one’s self is imperative in becoming a more fulfilled individual.
“To heal, we must communicate, and we can sometimes communicate the painful truth more clearly when we do not explicitly discuss it.” FALL/WINTER 2014 2014 INK! INK! || 77 FALL/WINTER
NE ME QUITTE PAS Article by Carina Zhang ‘14, Layout by Lucy Paddock ‘18
Would you like to rest your ears for a moment and dust off the chanson discs, which have long been left alone?
Jacques
Brel ou L’impossible Rêve.
Three people, two instruments, one language: French. No enormous stage, no gorgeous stage setting, no grand accompaniment. However, the
music is still able to strike a chord with the listeners. The Black Box offers flexibility to the actors’ performance and prompts the audience to focus
on the melody and the lyrics of the chansons, which are a type of French-language song.
The small company is directed by the
French actor André Nerman, who also acts in this musical—though “musical” may not be the best
word to describe this intimate recreation of the life of Jacques Brel, the famed Belgian musician. The performance links important personal events
with Brel’s most noteworthy pieces, adding context to the lyrics and it has had success routing in Russia, Morocco, France and Japan. Because it’s a
three-person group, everyone in Nerman’s com-
pany plays different roles in one performance. Anne Rabas switches between Brel’s mother and lover. Laurent Clergeau plays piano and acts as extras. Nerman brings Brel to life. Through their
performance, the audience can easily sense the subtlest emotions of Jacques Brel’s works.
I encourage you to go online and find a
video of Brel on stage; he was, above all else, a
true performer. As he sings, he seems transfixed, intent on transmitting a message or on revisiting
an emotion. He contorts his mouth and moves his head to accentuate the power and passion of the
music, often working himself into a sweat. Ner8 | INK! FALL/WINTER 2014
man’s performance beautifully captured the significance and depth of Brel’s work, but Jacques Brel was on another level.
Brel was also a genius song writer. His
lyrics steer clear of clichés and trite musings. He wrote and sang poetry. The chanson genre in general is characterized by an elevated language. “Ne Me Quitte Pas,” Brel’s most famous piece, is about a conflict between Brel and his
lover. (“Ne Me Quitte Pas” means “Don’t Leave
Me.”) No one can remain emotionless upon hearing the melody. Instead of directly professing his love, Brel sings “I will offer you Pearls of rain
come from lands where it doesn’t rain.” Instead of begging his lover to stay, Jacques Brels croons
“I will create a kingdom for you where love will be the king, where love will be the law, where
you will be the queen.” The song has been translated into 26 languages.
As time goes by, classic chansons are being
gradually forgotten. Maybe they sound outdat-
ed. Maybe their accompaniments are too simple
compared to those of contemporary songs. But still, ne quitte pas la musique; ne quitte pas les
belles chansons! I don’t want to part with the beautiful chansons!
Ne quitte pas les belles chansons! I don’t want to part with the beautiful chansons!
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TALKING TO THE MOON & RELATIVE STRANGERS Interview by Kyoung A Lee ’16 Layout by Vivian Xiao ’15
Izzy Hellman ’15 Writer and Director of Talking to the Moon “My play is about a girl whose life is confined to two projectors that control the moon and the stars, and the events that follow the death of her father, who was the previous controller of the night sky. She tries to find an escape from her isolation through love, when she meets a teenage boy, who is like all teenage boys—unreliable. The play shows how she fulfills her responsibility to provide the comforts of the night sky. ” Q: Where did you find inspiration for writing the play, and how was the process of writing the script? A: Over the summer, I went to the Brown playwright’s workshop. While I was there, I was walking around one night with a lot of stressful thoughts about college ap10 10 | INK! FALL/WINTER 2014 | INK! FALL/WINTER 2014
plications, friends, and a bunch of other things. Then I just looked up and it was a full moon. In that moment the universe seemed so huge, and I was able to find comfort and consolation just by admiring that expansive place and setting. What would it be like for me to control this expansive night sky? So I started writing the play. I stayed up late for two nights to write a complete draft. My friends and my teachers at the program helped me, and I continued revising it with Mr. Olsen when I got back on campus. I finally got it approved by the HDA board. Q: How was the casting process? A: There was a great pool of talent—I saw a lot of people that I didn’t know were interested in theater. I was surprised to see this unexpected talent and I called back many of these people. But in particular, I saw Colin and Naomy together and they had an incredible chemistry. Colin has a very smooth persona while still being honest and sweet, and I thought that it fit the character of Eli, and Naomy has confidence and independence while still having that innocence, which fit her character perfectly. Matt has a calming, fatherly presence, also perfectly fitting his character.
Q: Could you tell us about staging and scenic design? A: The scene design process was difficult because it was challenging to recreate the night sky on stage, and Mr. Brashears and I had to figure out a creative way to do this. We brought in moon gobos and star gobos (Goes Before Optics), special lights with cut-outs in them so that they look like the moon and the stars, and we projected them across the stage, which gives an impression of being enveloped in the night sky. Q: What made you interested in pursuing an individual production? What is different about being a director and not a performer? A: I’ve done a lot of main stage productions—five, actually. They’ve been great opportunities and I loved doing them, but I find myself more attracted to behind-thescenes aspects of theater. I like directing and writing. My acting experience also helped with the process of directing, because I’ve had experience taking directions, so I had a better perspective on how to give directions to actors. Instead of telling them what exactly they should do, I ask questions to the actors and let them determine the answers themselves.
Jack Chrysler ’16 Writer and Director of Relative Strangers “My play is about a new friendship that begins on a plane between a young woman and an older woman. They meet for the first time on this plane. The younger woman is looking for a maternal figure and imposes that role on the older woman sitting next to her on the plane. It’s a hysterical comedy and shows that even strangers can turn out to be one of your best friends or someone you can confide in.” Q: Which aspects of the original version of Relative Strangers appealed to you when choosing your piece?
like coming into a world of strangers, as life often is-going to places with no familiar faces. I thought even the audition process embodied that idea, that this could help the new students find that “relative stranger” by not being afraid to introduce themselves and to try to find the people that they can really connect with. Q: Tell us about the cast: how was the audition process? How does your cast fit the respective roles? What kinds of things did you look for in the people who auditioned? A: This is my first time directing a play, and I liked having the control of a director as opposed to being an actor. I didn’t specifically look for particular interpretations of the lines or particular stage voices, but rather I wanted to hear everyone’s own interpretations of the script and hear everyone’s own personality come out while acting the characters. I’m counting on the actors to continue to make strong decisions that are going to build a character that are agreeable for both me and themselves. Really, other than the basics, I just looked for a strong personality in terms of the actors, and an ability to create a persona within the play that would help create a good show. Q: What would you say are the “basics?” A: I looked for confidence, communicability, basic compatibility with the role, and most importantly, their willingness to take direction. Even some excellent actors sometimes are reluctant to respond to directions, which can hinder the progress of the play. Q: Who is helping you with the whole process? Is it mostly independent work, or does your faculty advisor for the play help you frequently? A: Mr. Reed has been helping me, and we’ve met a few times, but it’s mostly me and the actors doing the work. I have a great stage manager, Chloe Otterson, who’s been so helpful throughout the process so far—she’s great. Because it’s such a time-consuming process, it’s so nice to have someone to share the load with. We do have regular meetings with Mr. Reed, so he comes to view our rehearsals and he gives us comments.
A: I left it pretty much exactly the same as the original. I wanted to choose a piece that was outrageously funny and at the same time meaningful and applicable to our lives at Hotchkiss. I thought the idea that you could find a friend and a confidante in a complete stranger was very relatable to life at Hotchkiss; many of us have become close friends with completely unexpected people and built spontaneous relationships. I thought this play conveyed that message really well, that even the people who we don’t know very well could become our trustworthy confidantes and mentors. When you’re a new student coming into a fall production, it must be FALL/WINTER 2014 INK! | 11
AN ENCOUNTER WITH THEATER Article by Sophia Wang ’16, Layout by Daniel Lee ’17 and Katherine Spenser ’17
T
here used to be an invisible and inexplicable barrier between theater and me. So many times I had come a fingertip’s distance away from the realm of dramatic presentation of art. But fate always seemed to interfere, pulling me away at the very last second. My first almost-encounter with plays occurred in the spring of fourth grade. For a school-wide competition, my class chose to present the Butterfly Lovers, a traditional Chinese love story similar to the Western classic Romeo and Juliet. A little girl with big dreams, I did not hesitate to sign up to audition for the role of the heroine in the epic romantic tragedy. And hard I practiced. At home, I stood in front of the mirror with my arms flinging in the air and my eyebrows dancing to the rhythm of the lines. During classes, I sneaked furtive looks at the script beneath my textbook and conjured up images of the scenes in my mind. Even on the bus back home, I recited my lines over and over again until they rolled off my tongue with absolute ease. And finally came the day that made me tremble, both with excitement
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and with fear. I delivered my best performance. However, what awaited me at the end of the audition was not the look of approval, but of disdain. “You are just not cut for acting.” That’s what it took to crush my dreams. Seven simple words. And blinded by naiveté, I believed them.
“You are just not cut out for acting.” For the next few years, I never once attempted to audition for any role in school plays, even at the goading of my parents and friends. Even when I longed to try again, to take a leap of faith, those six words would reverberate in my ears, hauling me back to listless reality. I thought theater would never enter my life again, until the summer before my prep year. While perusing the course catalog, I paused as I came across a word: theater. I felt a sudden surge of excitement. Quickly regaining my composure, I chastised myself for even considering such a silly idea and flipped to the next page. But the bold word was seared on my mind. For the next few days, I tried, and failed, to suppress the nagging thought. Finally, I decided to ask my parents for advice. They responded with tepid wariness, concerned that I would not be able to cope with the challenges of acting in English, so I signed up for music. But something did not feel right. Theater and I remained almost complete strangers during my past two years at Hotchkiss. I watched the major plays and musicals with fervor, but my passion for theater would have completely extinguished if not for my chance encounter with playwriting. Truth to be told, while I was applying to summer programs last year, playwriting was not my first choice and neither was Sewanee. But a few months later, I found myself on the beautiful
campus, and without that experience, I would never have discovered the beauty of playwriting, however gradual and painful the process might be. On the first day of the two-week program, I was flabbergasted at how talented and experienced everyone in my class was. Juxtaposed with their plays, mine seemed like the mindless squabbling of a kindergartener. And my teacher’s comments certainly did not help. After briskly giving me a customary laudatory comment, he bluntly told me that my play needed a lot more work and ordered me to delete the first two pages of my 10-page piece. I was convinced more than ever that I was simply “not cut for” theater. Nonetheless, I had to carry on and finish the program. Throughout the twoweek ordeal, I wrote and edited incessantly, immersed in the sea of words. My playwriting skills improved bit by bit. At the end of the program, we had the opportunity to see our plays being acted out by professional actors. Although my script still needed a lot of work, I reveled in the bliss that I felt when my actors told me they enjoyed acting out my piece. I may never audition for a school play, I may not continue to write plays, I may never even cross paths with theater again. But this summer, I finally had my encounter with theater. A brave, breathtaking and unexpected encounter. And I am forever grateful for that.
“Whenever my desire to take a leap of faith momentarily overcame the prowess of my rational mind, those six words would reverberate in my ears, hauling me back to the listless reality.”
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INTERVIEW WITH NEIL BURGER Director of
Interview and Layout by Emma Franklin ‘17
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What films and directors influenced you and got you interested in filmmaking? They were black and white movies like Frankenstein, and The Mummy and things like that, old movies from the thirties that I found very haunting and transporting. I thought they were so strange. Then I saw a silent movie called Nosferatu, which is by a German director named F. W. Murnau, which was the first Dracula movie. I found it so bizarre in a good way, in a fascinating way; and for me, it had such an uncanny feel to it. These were the movies that made me first interested in trying to create. Not a world of horror films, but a world that transported you; I’d like to create a dream for other people as those movies did for me. Can you briefly describe what a director does and the filmmaking process? First of all, there are two modes of working as a director. One is that they get hired for someone that has a script already, and then other times the director is originating the project themselves, and I have done both. I think that a director, in the purest definition, is someone that is interpreting the written material into a visual world. And practicality what that means is that they are in charge of everything: the casting, the design, the photography, the music, everything.They are overseeing the film completely. Some people use the analogy of a conductor with a symphony. All of the musicians, the violinists and the cellists, play, and they can all play their part, but it’s the job of the conductor to know exactly what it is going to sound like when it’s all put together. I think with a director it’s a little more involved, because you are getting emotional performances from each actor.You are deciding whether there is going to be, for example, a blue color scheme for the look of the film.You are deciding that you want classical music in a section and rap in another and then silence in another, you are overseeing the editing as well. So really the director in a way becomes the author of the film. With Divergent, was it difficult adapting a book into a movie, especially with all of these readers who know the book so well? On one hand, I thought that it wasn’t difficult because the book actually had the trajectory of a movie through the beginning, the middle, and the end of the journey of a true hero, which is useful when adapting a book into a film. On the other hand it was really dense. There were so many different characters and so many different storylines, and all of them were very important to the readers of the book. Because not all of them were going to be able to fit into the movie, you have to find a way to keep the spirit of the book but distill it all down into a movie.
“I think that a director, in the purest definition, is someone that is interpreting the written material into a visual world.” How was Divergent different from movies you have done in the past? It was different on one hand because I had a little bit less control over it, because there were a lot of voices involved in it. People from publishing, and the studio, and the readers in a way, people who had such a strong connection to it already and had their own point of views. Ultimately the movie had to be my own point of view for it to work, but it still couldn’t be completely off from the initial story. It was also the biggest movie that I have made, and with that comes, financially, the size of the production, the marketing, and all of that. Especially with all of the readers of the book, it was the highest profile movie, and with that comes a certain responsibility and pressure and certain amount of noise. That can sometimes interfere with other things going on in the story that aren’t the most important things towards making a good story, or a good movie. Finally, how was it working with your kids Clara and Lucas? It was great actually! I was a little bit nervous because the worst thing that could happen is that you bring one of your children onto the set, to even do a small role, and then they just can’t do even the small thing in a way that seems believable. If it is just an actor that you hired, then you can deal with it. You can decide that you can fire them. If it’s your child and you have an emotional connection to them. On one hand, you don’t want to hurt them emotionally and humiliate them, but on the other hand you need to get the scene you need to get. But both of them calmly did what they needed to do, In my older son’s case he had to do tough things. He’s the first choosing boy from Erudite who cuts his hand and he had to do that, without much acting background, in front of 700 people and Kate Winslet. FALL/WINTER 2014 INK! | 15
Heart of Hotchkiss
An Interview with Big Al Article by Katherine Spencer ’17, Layout by Rebecca Li ’16
Why do you have such a love for the students? Every student has at least heard of him: tall with a big white scruffy beard, Big Al always knows how to put a smile on our faces, even in our toughest times. Big Al brightens the spirit of this place on a regular basis, never complains, and helps to make Hotchkiss feel like a true community. And although Big Al seems to know every sport that each student plays, and every student’s academic interests and talents, we don’t know much about Big Al.
What is your favorite part about Hotchkiss and why? My favorite thing is the students. It doesn’t matter what it is: sports, music, theater, watching all of these students that are so dear to me do all of their activities amazes me. I care about everything that they do. Those are my favorite things about Hotchkiss. I am a big supporter of the academics in that I want to make sure that everyone is doing okay. I am certainly not an academic… I can only give kind words and tell people to slow down. In my opinion, the harder you work the harder it gets. I do pride myself in that I truly care about every single student. There are some that I never really get to know, but I still say “Hi” to them. There are some others that I rarely interact with; after all, I cannot get close to every student.
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I have always been like this. I have always been a fan of kids, no matter what they do and who they are. This community took me in. I was laid off from my last job, and when Mrs. Chandler’s father offered me a job here, I immediately immersed myself within this community. I am up here by myself and I have no family in this area, but you kids make it easy, because you accept everything that I have and what I give. I accept all of the students, but some of them just don’t warm up to me; I just keep
saying “Hello”. There was only one student that never came around. I always said “Hello” to him, every single time, but thats the only one. You students make it so easy for me to be like this. The feedback and interactions I get, you are all like my nieces and nephews, you really are. I’ve been here for 4 years, so I am waiting for the class of 2011, the first class I saw graduate, to come back for their five year reunion in 2016. Because after that, I will know all of the students that come back for their first reunion.
What have been some of your fondest memories while at Hotchkiss? There are so many fond memories. But my first year here I started to follow field hockey and that got me in the sports book. The Girls Field Hockey team won the New England Championship at Suffield that year. I drove up to Suffield for both the semis and the finals. When they won those games, I cannot describe to you the feeling that came over me. It was the first of many ‘holy cow’ memories, so it holds a special place in my heart and my mind. I realized that we were the champs. What a feeling it was. Of course I have been to other big wins, but that was my first.
What does Hotchkiss mean to you? I can’t speak as a faculty member, or an alumnus, but I am an employee of Hotchkiss. Right now Hotchkiss will be the center of my life for the rest of my life. I don’t enjoy anything outside of Hotchkiss like I enjoy the interactions that I experience here.
What is the best advice that you could give to the students of Hotchkiss? I only know the students through seeing them at Hotchkiss, so my advice would be to take a step back and relax. When academics are getting stressful, you are practically shooting yourself in the foot by studying to the point where you burn yourself out. Try to step back and think about what you are doing. The best thing you can do is to not stress yourself. Instead of staying up, go get some good sleep and do the two or three hours of studying when you wake up. Have some fun: make sure you are having fun… go to sports games and take a break from studying. Take the time to make sure that you hydrate, and get nutrition. You have to make sure that your health is number one. Everything comes after that. You don’t realize that you are working on half a brain when you are tired, and you are stressed. Get up early, and get it done, so you have a full brain. I try to help during exam time, I go room to room and check on kids to see if they ate, and have water, because you have to feed yourself first because your mind can’t work without food.
Where’d you get your nickname? When I was a bouncer at a nightclub, I was Big Al. That is where it came from, and it has stuck.
I have taken on a second shift though, which has had its pluses, but it takes me away from a lot of the sporting events, and the other activities, which I miss. But I do go to every single thing I can go to. If there is something on a Sunday or Monday, nothing takes precedence over it. I am there.
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My Sweetest SUDDENLY, IT FELT LIKE TURBULENCE. Took the phone; called ‘nineeleven.’ Asked if they could send an ambulance, asked if they could take me high to heaven. Time was running out so quickly. Everything was going wrong. Getting desperately sick, I did really shatter out my phone. Nobody was there to soothe that, no painkillers ever were at home. So I pricked injections of some acrid music, wringing out the wires and volume control. Drop by drop exacerbating, dose by dose, with no restraint, I was bound to tumble fainting, weeping mutely and prostrate. I would curb myself in self-awareness, I’d get drunk and start this life from scratch… yet, you know, how venomous is bareness, when there’s no that cherished soul to match. Do
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you know, when you can’t fight the distance? Thousands bitter miles awake… There’s the one who cures all diseases, there’s the medicine you can never take. I was senseless, with the cell phone broken into pieces, on my veins an inflammation sticking out… And the curtains were all cut up with the scissors… When the doorbell burst out ringing. “Dear, dear doctor, thanks for coming. Sorry, it’s been so damn cold here; hope it doesn’t get you down. So here’s my malignant case…” (shall I tell him when he’s come at last?) “Banshees’ve seized my sun and all my living space, since my sweetest soulmate’s gone… Doctor, tell me, what’s my diagnosis, this debilitating malady? Months ago, it used to be all roses… Doctor, is there
any remedy? Am I shot, or why then do I feel the bullet? Doctor, what’s your fatal reprimand? Who on earth could ever find the culprit? Hardly can I ever understand. Dear, dear doctor… Could you treat me? I have never taken up acquiesce. Sorry, it’s been so damn cold here. Wait, seems like I’m reaching the police…” Took the landline; dialed ‘nine-oneone.’ Asked if they could merely come; told that I’ve been chased 24/7, since my sweetest soulmate’s gone. They were stuck there for another hour—either in some turmoil or, why not, some traffic jam. Things just kept on getting sour, when I heard the doorbell ring again. “Dear officer, my only hopeful! Have a look at what they’ve done so far! They are chasing me, and driving out to coffin… Here’s the doctor. Close, but no cigar. Dear, these banshees’ve stolen all my sunlight… Hell, they’ve brought to ruin everything sent to me from above… And my home’s become their chosen bombsight, since my sweetest soulmate’s gone…” He pretended to be wise and caring; listened to me with a saccharine plastic face, so that I felt lost and coldly erring, searching for my soulmate’s hollow trace… The
policeman didn’t get it downright… To the case of life and death he didn’t find a clue. So he fined me for a false call midnight, not embracing everything was true. He was leaving, I could not believe it. Where on earth could else I call for help? Something inside pulling like a lever, I was into the receiver that I someways held. “Whether this is hell or Fire Service, I am praying for your aid to come. Here’s a fire. The combustion’s urgent. And, therewith, my sweetest…” End of the call.
Piece by Kate Bolonnikova ‘16 Layout by Grace Matthews ‘17
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Day 8 Story and Layout by Mariah Bell ’17
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RACHEL LIKED TO LAUGH AT MY JOKES. In fact, she liked to laugh at everyone’s jokes. Most of the time she’d try to add to the conversation, squeezing a story or two of her own into the mix, but normally the joke was over by then, or what she had to say just wasn’t that great. She was better at listening than she was at talking, despite how much she liked to do the latter. We really started to spend the most time together when we both volunteered to work on the set of the same play. It was a production about the Salem Witch Trials, and we’d chat while sweeping or painting the wooden props black. I always made sure to tell stories, keep the conversation going, to save her the trouble of trying. Though, she never did stop trying. ‘The craziest thing happened to me today. I was using the hand dryer and right as the bathroom door opened, it blew my skirt around. I was so embarrassed because a boy was standing right outside the door; he could have seen!” It was always weird stories like that: not completely and utterly boring, but not interesting enough to react in any way other than fake laughter or something along the lines of ‘Whoa, that’s crazy.’ And then she’d say ‘yeah’ and I’d go back to talking until she built up the nerve to butt in again. “I’ve never been the best at telling stories, but neither was she. I think
I just admired the way she always put so much effort into talking to me during that awkward time. Honestly, neither one of us would admit it, but we were all that we had.” Rachel made me feel special. Partially because when we talked, I had free range to express myself, and partially because she always seemed so interested. I’d play a song for us to listen to and the next day she’d have downloaded it, and she’d tell me how much she loved my taste in music. No one in my life had ever appreciated me as much as she had. “I loved when I was with her. She always thought of something random to say when I’d finally stopped talking. She knew how to make me feel important, like I was the only person in the world she wanted to talk to.” Things started to get strange after they announced that some kids were expelled for selling pills in the parking lot behind main building. ‘Why would anyone do that?’ I asked her one day after an hourlong lecture on substance abuse. ‘Well, I mean, we don’t know what they were going through.’ A few of my own family members had ruined their lives and the lives of others through addictions. I felt very strongly about the entire subject. She, on the other hand, didn’t have much personal experience with substance abuse. ‘There is no FALL/WINTER 2014 INK! | 21
reason for someone to ruin their life. Absolutely none.’ I told her passionately. I think I made Rachel feel strongly about it too. “We shared passions, you know? We both loved to read and write, and we both liked the same music. Sometimes I wasn’t sure where my opinions ended and her’s started. I just knew that being around her was good for me. She was never biased, she was always open to what I had to say.” ‘I just... I don’t know. They probably had their justifications,’ she told me. Her face was scrunched up into this look, like she was waiting for me to agree. I didn’t, but I admired her ability to look at it from a different point of view. ‘Maybe, I guess. I just—I don’t think I could see myself doing that, is all.’ We had very few conversations after that; the play had been put on, and we both joined different afterschool activities. We didn’t share any classes either, meaning I was able to see her only at lunch. But even then she sat on the opposite side of the dining hall, with the girlfriend of one of the guy’s who’d been kicked out. Megan was her name, I think. Or Margret, or Maggie. I never bothered to learn it, always assuming she’d leave Rachel alone. She didn’t. Instead, she listened to Rachel’s stories, or at least she pretended to while texting or scribbling pictures of eyes and hands into a small notepad she always carried with her. “I still loved her even when we stopped spending so much time together. Now, thinking back to it, I feel like it was my fault, but I’m sure a lot of us feel like 22 | INK! FALL/WINTER 2014
that here. She had a way of getting you so wrapped up in her friendship that you were constantly afraid to lose all she offered. There were times when she made you feel so perfect and necessary that all you thought of was how afraid you were to lose that feeling.” Of course, I had other friends. People liked spending time with me, telling me I was funny even when I wasn’t trying to be. By the end of the year, she was sitting exclusively with Megan/Margret/Maggie. Once when I passed them, Rachel wrote something on the notepad and they both laughed. High school friendships are such fragile things, but by that time I’d made enough of those connections to build a protective nest around myself. I wasn’t even pretending to be fine without her, I was genuinely happy with my life. When I heard what had happened to her, I only felt only the slightest tinge of regret. I don’t think she was as fine without me as I was without her. “I miss her. I’ve missed her since before we stopped thinking we needed each other. I think the day I started missing her was last year, the day of the lecture on substance abuse. I never pictured it really affecting her life. But then again, the world does work in cruel ways.” ‘Did you hear about that girl you used to hang out with? I think her name was Rachel?’ one of my friends asked me a year later. We were juniors in high school then. Apparently Rachel had gone from hanging out with the degenerates of our school to actually becoming one. Someone had seen
her at a party totally drunk after coming from that girl’s house. In that moment, if only for a split second, I think I hated Rachel. After what I’d told her about my experiences with substance abuse the night of the lecture, I felt betrayed. We signed up for another play together by accident, but I ignored her every time she tried to talk to me. A month into production she asked me if I hated her. If anything, I think I hated myself later that night for what I answered back. I looked her in the eyes, paint clinging to my ratty sweatpants, paintbrush all coated in red, and said, ‘There is no reason for someone to ruin their life. Absolutely none.’ I didn’t hate Rachel when I said it, but I was so hurt that I wanted her to think I did. She didn’t try to talk to me after that. I thought about her for the rest of the week. I was riding my bike, thinking about it when— “I will always regret my last few interactions with her, but I’ll always be thankful for them. She saved me in a way that no lecture ever could. She always told me ‘There is no reason for someone to ruin their life. Absolutely none.’ I didn’t believe it until the last time she said it. It was last week when we were working together on set. That was the day I stopped drinking, and, sure, it’s only been eight days, but I hope to get to one hundred, and keep going from there. I’ve got another saying to share with you all now: There’s no reason to do anything but make the most of life. Absolutely none.”
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Bleeding Blue, Singing Blue:
Bluenotes
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Interview with Peter Trousdale ’16 and Chris Park ’18 Article by Kyoung A Lee ‘16, Layout by Grace Cheng ‘16
Q: What is Bluenotes?
Q: How do you decide which songs to perform?
A: “Bluenotes, in its most basic form, is the best looking all-male a cappella group on campus. We provide the campus with unique and dynamic musical performances,” Peter Trousdale ’16, a returning member of Bluenotes responds with confidence. Newcomer Chris Park ’18, says, “It is a musical A-Team: a group of singers with different backgrounds, styles, and personalities that comes together for a single purpose: creating oral art.”
A: “Any member of the group may submit a song request to the heads and faculty advisors. One of those leaders will arrange the song, and all members of the group will have a chance to vote for songs. We try to have a balance of new and old pieces with some ballads and fast-paced songs.”
Q: How do you see the individual singers come together in creating an a cappella piece? A: “Singing a cappella creates bonds between students of all grades that allow us to produce the dynamics currently present within the group during the performances,” says Trousdale. Bluenotes inducts members annually from all grades, with members joining even their senior year, and camaraderie is built through the process of rehearsals and performances, regardless of members’ ages or roles outside the group. Park comments, “Every member has his individual traits. Some have loud, projecting voices, while others sing with emphasis on rhythm—Nolan (a co-head) has perfect pitch and primal screams. The fact that we all possess different qualities in our singing enhances our group synergy, because our voices can complement each other. Q: What are some things you remember about your first audition or your first performance? A: Trousdale recalls that he was excited and nervous for his first performance: “Our first performance usually takes place on Parent’s weekend, which makes the occasion even more important.” Park very clearly remembers his audition, “There were about fifteen people who auditioned before me. Now that I think about it, it was actually a quite horrifying experience. As I stood up on the altar in our chapel, I forgot the second half of the song I was going to sing for my audition.”
Q: How do you stage performances? A: Park responds, “The most important part of our performances is balance. When I perform, I try to look at my fellow members as much as possible so that our harmony is sustained.” Trousdale adds, “During performances we try to display cohesiveness, which we show by positioning the members on stage in a particular way, as well as through body language.” Q: How do rehearsals differ from performances? A: Trousdale responds that the focus of rehearsals shifts as Bluenotes progresses further into the year. “In the beginning, rehearsals will usually be spent developing broader group dynamic. When a performance approaches, we practice specific performance techniques to best display our sounds and harmonies.” Trousdale comments on the prospective directions of a cappella: “Bluenotes is looking forward to building our sound and the skill of the group members. This year we welcomed a large number of new members, so we are excited to see what new, fresh qualities we can add to our group dynamic.” Park agrees, “Bluenotes isn’t just about finding the best individual singers. Of course, members must know how to sing the correct notes and pay attention to fundamental skills, but what matters more are their passion, engagement and commitment. These qualities are what makes this group so special.”
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Grace Glovier ’15
Photography and Poetry Showcase
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Maria Xu ’15
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Poem by E Yeon Chang ’15 Corea Mother, you are bold eyebrows and strong shoulders: vision of monstrous femininity. Earth must have taken to your beauty, modeled Her curves after yours. Please never tremble— never trouble My World, or else whose lips shall I trace to know when to smile?
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Sam Bartusek ’15
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Naomy Pedroza ’16
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Poem by Jay Lee ’18 The Pain of Love Her eyes, her complexion, her attitude… Breathtaking Her intelligence, her laugh… He found it prettier than the jewels he wanted to give her But through all that, she couldn’t pick up on his presence… It just didn’t make sense Kindness, concern, humor… He tried to encrypt messages into these codes But, she just couldn’t decipher them... It just didn’t make sense The thought of her… Took his mind off the hardships, the suffering, and the pain But, it seemed as if… The thought of him… Didn’t do the same for her Then… The ache and the pain fell through All the cracks in his heart And it hurt so much Until… He kept his eyes off of her He kept his mind off of her He kept his heart off of her And she kept the pain off of him. FALL/WINTER 2014 INK! | 33
Talia Bush ’15
Olivia Gee ’18
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Maggie Camillos ’15
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Jack Kreisler ’17
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IT’S EASY TO GET INVOLVED.
We meet Wednesdays at 6:30pm in the English Wing and Sundays at 12:00pm in the Library Media Room. Email inkredible@hotchkiss.org to be notifed about the next issue.
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Winner of the Caption Contest: JJ McNulty ’15
But the dining hall app said there’d be bacon!
Cover & Contents Artwork by Maggie Camillos ’15
Special Thanks To Neil Burger, Big Al (Alfred MgGloin), Izzy Hellman ’15, Jack Chrysler ’16, Peter Trousdale ’16, Chris Park ’18 INKredible is a student-run Hotchkiss Arts publication established in 2012 by Jimmy Chung ’14, Iris Garcia ’14, Justin Hung ’14, Evangeline Warren ’14, and Vivian Xiao ’15.
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Email: inkredible@hotchkiss.org Facebook: facebook.com/inkrediblehotchkiss Issuu: issuu.com/inkredible
Cover Photo by Jack Patterson ’16 Contents Photo by Jack Patterson ’16 Special Thanks To Nader Tehrani ’81, Ian Wardropper ’69, Brian Ryu ’13 INKredible is a student-run Hotchkiss Arts publication established in 2012 by Jimmy Chung ’14, Iris Garcia ’14, Justin Hung ’14, Evangeline Warren ’14, and Vivian Xiao ’15. Email: inkredible@hotchkiss.org Facebook: facebook.com/inkrediblehotchkiss Issuu: issuu.com/inkredible
Issue No. 9
Fall/Winter 2014
Chief Editors
James Post ’15 Vivian Xiao ’15
Club Advisor
Brad Faus
Editorial Board
Leo Chan ’15 E Yeon Chang ’15 Jesse Godine ’17 Bobby Kwon ’16 Sophia Wang ’16 Carina Zhang ’16
Design Editors
Grace Cheng ’16 Rebecca Li ’16 Grace Matthews ’17 Elaine Wang ’16
Contributing Writers and Artists
Marketing
Mariah Bell ’17 Kate Bolonnikova ’16 Emma Franklin ’17 Daniel Lee ’17 Kyoung A Lee ’17 Sidney Lee ’17 Lucy Paddock ’18 Sam Saxena ’17 Katherine Spencer ’17 Olivia Ryder ’15
Media and Communications
Grace Matthews ’17
Publishing and Sales
Alexander Gotsis ’15
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