The Bridge, Dec. 2020

VOLUME LVI ISSUE III

NORTHFIELD MOUNT HERMON

DECEMBER 2020

In the Works Amid the chaos of 2020, construction of the Gilder Center plows ahead. Photo by Mike Stanley ’23.

Read more on p.4

“Feels Like My First Year Teaching”

By Fontis Hsieh ’23 For the 25 NMH teachers in the Lab program, this year has definitely been different from the past years in their careers.

Lab teachers have to cover identical topics for all classes when they have around 6 to 7 hours a week with their on-campus students, but only about 2 hours with their Lab students. As Grant Gonzalez, the director of the Lab program, mentioned, “[The Lab program] might be challenging at first as teachers are asked to revise how their curriculum is taught.”

To cope with online teaching, teachers have made notable changes to their teaching methods. They learned to make good use of technology and had to spend a large portion of their time navigating Canvas. “I assign my students to watch videos of me recording the content of the class, do some individual practices to perfect their learning, and I try to let them speak as much [Spanish] as possible in class,” Spanish teacher Carmen McKeown explained.

Many teachers also established project-based learning to help their students connect with each other. History teacher Tim Relyea shared that he pushes students “ to collaborate because I feel like they are missing out on chances to work with classmates.”

As religious studies teacher Pete Masteller mentioned, “A lot of the things we do in live classes, the Lab students are doing for homework.” Since students in the Lab program do a majority of their work

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Carmen McKeown (left) and Tim Relyea (right) are two of the 25 teachers currently teaching in the NMH Lab Program, which was designed to work with students around the world during these difficult times. Photos by Gus Geremia ’23.

independently, it is important for teachers to be mindful of their students’ conditions. “I offer a lot more extra-help opportunities daily, and I do think that it is something that has to be utilized. You have to make yourself available for the students,” said English teacher John Corrigan.

History teacher Jim Shea said, “the lack of human contact” is what many teachers miss. Jim shared, “I love to stand next to [students] at their desk, look over their shoulder to talk about their paper, and put my finger right there as I read through. I really miss the time when it’s me feeding off my students’ energy, and them feeding off

my passion for the subject.”

Unable to read students’ body language and connect with them on a human level, teachers now find it more difficult to communicate with their students.

Other teachers recognized a decline in students’ participation and engagement in the Lab program. As John alluded, “The joy I get when students come up with an interpretation of the book that I did not have or did not see coming — that’s a thrill and that’s why I teach. And it happens a lot less in Lab.” During this time that, as Tim stated, “almost feels like my first year teaching,” many teachers are appreciating

NMH’s faculty community and its effort in helping the teachers get accustomed to the Lab’s teaching system.

“My colleagues often share their experiences in the Lab program and tell each other what worked and what didn’t work,” Jim stated. “NMH is deeply committed to having teachers feel good with everything we are doing at school.

We were offered professional development opportunities.

Things we haven’t thought about, [the school] has already thought for us.”

Even though the majority of the teachers I interviewed preferred on-campus teaching, many of them find themselves improving and developing

their skills as teachers in this process. Tim explained, “I really have to think through the goal of my subject and the purpose of each project, so it has really helped me to maintain focus and be intentional.”

Some other teachers mentioned their gain in becoming more “well-rounded.” John stated, “I’m getting to use technologies in ways that I haven’t before, and I found apps online that made my teaching easier. It’s just another tool in my toolbox.” Overall, out of the 7 teachers I interviewed, they gave an average of 8 out of 10 for their experience in the Lab program.

A Year for New NMH Traditions realistically at what happens during COVID-19, it is unlikely that everything will go back to normal in the spring, but we can make the most of our time together on the hill.”

COVID-19 has undoubtedly made 2020 a year of uncertainty. Faculty and staff have worked incredibly hard to make this year possible for us.

We still have our busy schedules and stimulating classes — there just needs to be a change in mindset. Hopefully, we can fully take advantage of our time on campus and become trailblazers of new traditions amidst all this change.

By Gina Atwood ’21 For many students, senior year at NMH is the climax of their whole high school experience. There are so many special activities that make the last year on the hill the most memorable. Yet moments such as reaching the top of Mount Monadnock, jumping into Shadow Lake after beating the juniors in rope pull, and running out of the chapel at the Moving-Up ceremony all seem to be out of reach for the Class of 2021.

Understandably, COVID-19 has taken precedence over all other needs for this school year. The safety of students is the most important aspect of our in-person learning; however, this has come with changes to the NMH that all of us have come to know and love. Izzy Campbell ’21 emphasized, “I honestly think that it would be easier to state the aspects that have stayed the same rather than what has changed… A lot has changed.”

The most notable difference this year is the social situation. There are limitations to who and how many people you can spend time with.

Although this has become the norm in 2020, it is still something that impacts NMH students. In past years, the togetherness of students has been a staple point of the experience. Jason Smith ’21 explained, “I feel like so much of the social aspect at NMH is the weekends, spending time in friends’ dorms, and meeting new people, but we can’t really do that anymore.”

Enduring more separation

The Bridge

Founded in 1969 thebridge@nmhschool.org Editor-in-Chief Janice Cho ’21 Managing Editor Celes Moon ’21 Digital Editor Sydney duKor-Jackson ’21

Memorial Chapel used to be a place for school gatherings and special events such as the Moving-Up ceremony; however, due to COVID regulations, one can now find the chapel quiet and empty. Photo by Chloe Key ’21.

in certain areas has led to closeness in unexpected places. Izzy Campbell ’21 pointed out the hidden positives of a school year dominated by a global pandemic. She emphasized, “Since everyone has been on campus since August without any breaks, it has been a pretty good bonding experience for dorms and people in your pod. I have gotten to know people that I other-

wise would not have spent time with. It has also made your teams and clubs a way bigger part of your life.”

It is easy to quickly discredit this school year as being less special than those in the past; however, there is something to be said about the opportunity that the Class of 2021 has. We cannot have a final Dwight Night with our friends and sing our class song in

the chapel, but we can fill that void by creating our own traditions. For example, Reyna Faust ’21 established the COVID Response Activities Committee, a club that works with students and faculty to make our final year filled with fun activities, memories, and traditions. She stated, “I don’t think we should wait until the end of the year to create our own traditions. Looking

Layout Design Editor Sally Pak ’21 Features Editor Dillon Stone ’21 Opinions Editor Dariya Kozhasbay ’21 Arts Editor Chunwen Ko ’21 Sports Editor Leah Sutton-Smith ’21 Photo Editor Chloe Key ’21 Social Media Editor Tram Huynh ’21 Faculty Advisor Jennifer Sutton

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Silicon Valley meets Gill, MA

By Lulu Calame ’23 The Gilder Center, NMH’s state-of-the-art new science center, has been the hot topic for a while, but now that the building is coming to life in the center of campus, The Bridge wanted to take a closer look.

We, like many others, had lots of questions: would it really be done by next fall?

What will the facade look like?

Are the workers in danger when they’re working high up on the roof? What will happen to the old Cutler building?

It turns out that while the rest of the world was falling into chaos during the pan-

demic and the tumultuous political climate, the Gilder Center plowed right ahead, perfectly on schedule. Of all the things to be delayed, a 30-million-dollar, 42,000 square-foot building project seemed likely to be on the list, but according to Jeff Seymour, the NMH project manager, the building is on track to finish by the fall of next year. Though the process has not been delayed, “getting [The Gilder Center] weather tight for the winter is the big push right now,” Jeff told us.

However, there is much more to the Gilder Center than the steel it is made of.

What makes the Gilder

Center so modern, elegant and state-of-the-art? It turns out that the huge wood panels being put on the floors and roof, called cross-laminated timber, are a newer and greener replacement for the typical cement and steel that would be installed. To make it’s design stand out even more, the entire east face of the building will be glass, offering a much more high-tech and futuristic side (literally) to the Gilder Center. The building and planning process itself is also unusual, seeing as how its new design has only been in process for about a year. To have a completed steel frame already is impressive, to say

the least.

The biggest ticket item on the Gilder Center is the steel frame that holds the building together. The glass for the windows and the material for the facade are also expensive, on top of the heating and cooling systems, which have already been installed. But the crane, something that might fly under the radar despite its size, costs $2,800 dollars per day to rent according to Jeff.

Of course, every piece has been carefully factored into the building’s budget.

Conceptually, the Gilder Center will be a push forward in the collaboration between the math and science courses

With the construction workers hard at work, the frame of the Gilder Center went up quickly in the fall. Photo by Mike Stanley ’23.

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offered at NMH. “It’s very hard to create and imagine interdisciplinary connections when we have people separated by two buildings and a hundred yards of campus,” Associate Head of School Charlie Tierney described. By giving the two departments a chance to work elbow-to-elbow, there will be opportunities for a more well-rounded curriculum as well as new courses that are a combination of the two areas, or that go beyond the AP level.

Once completed, the Gilder Center will be a beautiful, sophisticated piece of architecture “intended to connect itself in conversations with some other buildings on campus, including the Chapel,” with its granite facade and the mill buildings of New England, with its barn-like roof style. Because of this combination between New England rustic and high-tech chic, Charlie described the Gilder Center as a building in which “Silicon Valley meets Gill, Massachusetts.” People will enter through a grand archway that is intended to “draw you in and draw you through the building,” Charlie described. The interior will be decked out with ten small “breakout” rooms for group work and class projects or discussion, and open areas for individual work or social time.

“My hope,” planning manager Christie Snow shared, “is that this will bring a sense of community so that every student touches it in some way, shape, or form.”

My Father’s Picturesque America

By Cynthia Zhang ’23 This piece is adapted from one of the winning essays of the Lamplighter Literary Contest: Activism.

I inherit my father’s flat facial features, shortness, and modest character, but I have not carried over — and will not ever do so — his idolized version of America deeply ingrained in his imagination.

I fully acknowledge that America has granted me the rigorous education I’d longed for, the diverse environment I wish I’d been surrounded by earlier, and the differences of opinion that have strengthened my holistic worldview.

But, when it comes to my father, there is no better term to describe him than the Chinese idiom,“崇洋媚外”— the admiring of “everything foreign” and the “blind worship of foreign goods and ideas.”

As an authentic Asian brought up by a rather conservative family, I dare not contradict him. He says that it is disrespectful when I “raise my voice,” when, in fact, I am just cool-headly attempting to knock some genuine sense into him.

As someone who has lived his whole life in China, he has only gone to America as a tourist, for short business trips, or to accompany me during my boarding school visits. It is not his fault that most of his information comes from second-hand Chinese-based news sources or the same group of colleagues who have children succeeding in America.

My father envies the well-mannered Americans, the cars that give way to pedestrians, the food safety, the pleasant air quality, the New York strip steaks, and all that.

But what about the Americans who disregard the social responsibility of wearing a mask, the amount of unjustly treated prisoners used fundamentally as an economic system, and the land of cultural diversity that often seems to either exploit or marginalize foreigners?

“I spend so much money for you to acquire top-notch education” is my father’s favorite saying. Although U.S. colleges account for 27% of the world’s top 100 universities, does he know how much institutional discrimination has played a role in lifting Whites and undermining international students in college admissions, of how much more an Asian, Hispanic, African-American, or someone of any other race has to achieve, in order to step in the same Harvard gates?

No, he does not. His beliefs are only partly true; the core problem behind his assumptions is the romanticized depictions of what America is like. He doesn’t realize that these social phenomena are hugely superficial, one-sided, or broadly generalized.

I hate to stand up as a teacher to point out what he does not know about America since I consider myself to be a learner as well. Yet, here I am, a student studying in the country that my father proudly entitles the most “civilized” nation.

During one of our infre-

Cynthia pictured with her father in her freshman year, one of the most recent times he has visited the U.S. in the past couple of years. Photo courtesy of Cynthia Zhang ’23.

quent car rides together, I was relieved to know that my father agrees that Donald Trump is a failing president.

Using this one piece of insight from him, we have been forming a political conversation between us. The more our discussions move towards America as an entirety, the more hopeful I am.

Although every comment I make is pieced together carefully (I am still the meek daughter), we examine George Floyd’s death that uncovers systemic racism in America, converse about the demonization of immigrants who are deported or enslaved, and exchange views on the economic hardship of the working class

that is continually aggravated by tax cuts from the President.

I learn from my father, too, about U.S.-China relations, and what it means for me to be an overseas student on an F-1 visa.

I recognize that I am not the most knowledgeable or impartial human being; I hold views that advocate for my identity, and the results are unavoidably prejudiced to some extent. But what differentiates me from my father — and I am sparing no effort to shift his mentality to this — is that I try my best to hold myself accountable for my perceptions of what accurately makes up America.

To all students out there,

I urge you to have more frequent conversations with your family and peers, inform them of the most up-to-date information about America, and commend and criticize the country objectively through the means of education, not censure.

In the erratic year of 2020, the world is revealing its vulnerabilities. It is neither time for us to escape reality nor to deny reality. We need to change reality. And I strongly believe one of the most pressing issues at hand is to overcome idealistic visions about the “Great” America, and to work towards making it truly great.

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A Cancer In The U.S. Economy

By Matthew Kang ’24 A monopoly is the economic version of cancer. Once it starts spreading, it is near-impossible to stop. Before you realize what’s growing inside, it is already too late. Drastic measures need to be taken in order to stop it, such as breaking up a company and billion-dollar lawsuits. Currently, there are two monopolies growing in a very vulnerable business sector. Google and Facebook have taken over the digital sector, which is extremely dangerous.

Monopolies are toxic for the economy. They act against the nature of capitalist markets by eliminating competition and innovation. As a result, economic growth decreases and new companies have a harder time at succeeding.

Consumers can also be negatively affected by monopolies. Dominating retailers can fix prices at an absurd rate, which forces consumers to unwillingly pay large amounts of money because of a lack of an alternative.

Throughout the majority of the 20th century, AT&T was one of the largest monopolies that dominated the telecommunications industry. Competition increased after AT&T split and the industry rapidly developed. A Business Insider report details the government’s challenge of breaking up AT&T, how it allowed new companies to grow in its place, and AT&T’s rebirth.

Now, Google is the 21st century AT&T. Currently running 90% of all internet searches in the world and controlling

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Many people in today’s society use Google as their go-to search engine for news and information. Photo

by Janice Cho ’21.

87% of the digital market, Google constantly acquires major startups that threaten their dominance. Employees at Google are taught not to use the word “antitrust” at any cost. Antitrust legislations are rules that prevent companies from controlling or forming monopolies and further promote competition in business.

According to an article in the New York Times, “a former executive recalled coming down like a ton of bricks on

an employee who flippantly wrote about antitrust concerns.”

This unwritten rule also applies to executives and high-ranking employees. A New York Times detailed how this affected a candidate for an executive position at Google. After being interviewed, the candidate sent an email to Sundar Pichai, the Google CEO, asking about potential antitrust problems with a merger. The article stated,

“While it did not disqualify the candidate, it was seen as a negative for the person’s job prospects.”

Facebook is today’s other massive digital monopoly. A BBC report about Facebook’s monopoly shared a shocking statistic. Facebook owns the four most downloaded apps of the decade: Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, and Instagram. Taha Yasseri, a senior computation science researcher at Oxford Inter-

net Institute, told the BBC, “It is not okay. One company owning four of the most popular social networking and communication apps, at best, can be described as a data monopoly.” Facebook built its monopoly in a manner similar to Google. In 11 years since making its first acquisition, the company has acquired 82 companies to come to where it is now, leading to accusations of illegally maintaing a monopoly. If the government does not deter these companies from resorting to these methods, the economy and security of the world will be in great jeopardy.

For other business sectors, a monopoly would be less dangerous as it only affects people economically. However, for the digital sector, the problem exists on a whole different level of importance. Because these two companies have and control so much personal data, they hold the key to our society and in an extreme situation, could even control our society like a Big Brother figure.

The U.S. government should manage the dangerous monopolies lurking in Google and Facebook. If it does not, it could lead to a very dangerous situation where Google and Facebook run the world. Their failure would lead to a world where Google and Facebook knows what you will do before you do.

Coxswains: Captains of the Ship

By Leah Sutton-Smith ’21 Imagine the NMH crew team’s varsity fours in a race piece on the Connecticut River: oars slicing through water, rowers pressing back in unison, muscles straining, boats fighting for the finish line. Now imagine boats crashing into each other, oars clanging together, rowers lost, directionless, unmotivated, and out of sync. Why doesn’t that happen? How do rowers stay together, get encouragement and direction, and row as a crew?

The answer is coxswains.

According to boys’ coxswain Nick Newbold ’22, the job of a coxswain is “first, steering the boat, second, controlling the pacing [and] rhythm of the rowers, and lastly, providing the enthusiasm and motivation for the rowers.”

Coxswains are expected to run drills, communicate with coaches, guide the rowers’ pace and speed, and to keep the rowers’ focus in the boat and unify their mindsets, helping them to work together. Westerly Gooley ’22, a rower, noted that “coxswains help their rowers stay focused and motivated throughout a race...they connect with their rowers and make decisions confidently.”

The role of coxswains is often underestimated, but many people don’t know what their responsibilities truly are. Celes Moon ’21, also a coxswain for the boys’ team, noted that some people think that they “just yell row, row, row, left, right,” which is far from the truth. She added, “I like

Coxswains help lead NMH’s rowing teams, both on the river and on land. Pictured (from left): girls’ coxswains Thalia Hardman ’21, Layla Hay ’21, Ollie McDonald ’21, and Alexa Winter ’22. Photo by Leah Sutton-Smith ’21.

to say, you can’t have a ship without a captain.” Layla Hay ’21, who has coxed for four years at NMH, would agree: “A lot of our work is behind the scenes. So, on the surface level, it doesn’t look like we do a lot. But once you pay attention, you notice those things.”

This is frustrating for many coxswains. But for them, there are other aspects that make the job worth it. Girls coxswain Thalia Hardman

’21 noted, “It’s really special to see your rowers’ successes, but also failures, and be the person that’s watching them along the journey that they’re on.” In addition to watching and helping the rowers grow, coxswains are also able to get to know them as teammates and people. Alice Kim ’23, a novice cox this fall, likes being able to “grow a personal connection with all of [her] rowers,” and Alexa Winter

’22 agreed: “I enjoy watching them improve over time.” The relationships and skills that grow in the boat extend into life on land as well.

Coxing also provides an opportunity for personal growth.

Layla, Thalia, and Ollie McDonald ’21, all members of the girls’ team, agreed that coxing has helped them to develop confidence and composure.

Layla reflected, “Coxing will affect your personality…[it]

helped me develop more confidence and leadership skills.

It affects all areas of your life.”

Thalia agreed: “Sometimes I struggle with confidence, but when I come down here...I don’t ‘own it,’ but I can do it.

This is something I’m good at.” The other coxswains interrupted: “No, you do own it. You do.”

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Lauren Corwin: Painting Progress

By Jessi Shin ’24 From October 2nd to November 22nd, the gallery in the Rhodes Art Center displayed the vibrant and vivid artworks of art teacher Lauren Scott Corwin. Heavily inspired by the unexpected nature of 2020, Lauren described in her artist statement, “For this show, I knew I wanted to build a space that one could interact with, both comfortably and uncomfortably, with imagery that instills real feelings of curiosity, frustration, wonder, hope, and humor.”

She added that she wanted to express “a mind map of what [the room] would look like if men weren’t architects,” or “how [her] brain would manifest itself if its contents were tangible.” According to Lauren, the big question of her show is “what does Progress look like?” She talked with The Bridge to share more about her art career and showcase. Below are excerpts from the conversation.

Can you introduce yourself and your artworks?

I am both a painter and a quilter, and it wasn’t until recently when I started to see them work together deliberately. I teach Graphic Design here, so clearly I also think about messaging and text.

Lately, my paintings have had words embedded in them and they work closely with color relationships. If there’s anything preparing for this show has shown me is that I really love to make things, I love to learn new techniques, and I love to try to see how far I can

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Lauren wanted her viewers to be able to interact with pieces such as Harriet Tubman Dollars, which hung from the ceiling of the gallery.

Photo by Sofia Lozano ’22.

get away with things.

What’s your favorite piece in the showcase?

Can you tell me about that piece?

The grid pieces in the middle (Quilt Grid) is probably my favorite because it’s so unlike everything I was trained to do. This grid has 35 ten inch squares all with random patterns and color relationships adhered to a board and dipped in clear, gloss resin.

All of these little shapes inside

are old paintings that I cut up.

They were mistakes or half done brainstorms, but they were resurrected and kept encased in a new form. What I also love about this piece is that all the squares can be moved around so the work never really stays the same each time you look at it.

statement above (with Medieval Times). I wanted to look at this year as real as possible, but also make sure we also noticed the absurdity in it.

I like to laugh when I work.

Humor drives a lot of my artistic choices and I figured the unpredictability of 2020 really delivered the need for that.

Do you have a fun story you want to share related to your artworks?

I definitely have a fun story that is embedded in the artist

Are there other things you want to share?

My high school art teacher changed my life. He was a guy that was totally unhinged and

listened to Madonna every single day in class, but he made me believe I could do it. He made me believe that making things with my hands was worth it, and that art school wasn’t a waste of time or money. He taught me that working towards something is so much richer when you’re having fun doing it. I kept him and all those sentiments in mind this year.

Trump Has Fans, Not Supporters

By Hazel Reeder ’23 Picture a crowd. A horde of people, in awe at the sight in front of them. They hold adoring signs with heart-filled expressions in their eyes. The people in front of them can do no wrong, they can only inspire. What do you see?

Teenagers at a One Direction concert? Maybe the crowd at the Super Bowl? This is different. This is a sea of red hats all gathered for one man: Donald Trump.

Whenever I drive through rural New Hampshire, there are these specific houses that are smothered by Trump memorabilia. There are flags and stickers, if it can be customized, it is. There is even a house with blow-up dolls of politicians and gravestones with democrats’s names on it.

It was like a carnival’s funhouse but the theme was the future of our country.

For some of these Trump supporters, it is more than Election Day or going to the occasional rally. Political stances are a personality trait and displaying a flag for Trump is just as important as the American flag.

The Trevor Noah Show posted a video interviewing Trump supporters during the height of the impeachment trial in February. They repeatedly advised reading the transcript of the call between Trump and the Ukrainian president that initiated the impeachment. However, when the supporters were asked if they personally read the transcript, the answers ranged from “I’ve skimmed it”

A Donald Trump rally in Minnesota confronted by an anti-Trump counter protesters. Photo courtesy of Fibonacci Blue (via Flickr).

or “I don’t need to.” One man even says it is “unpatriotic to question the president.”

These types of videos show the complete devotion some supporters have.

Seeing Donald Trump supporters who deny any wrongdoings is similar to the 2015 New England Patriots Deflategate scandal. When the players were accused of deflating footballs, fans jumped to their defense. “Free the Patriots” stickers were made and the fans wouldn’t even listen to criticisms. Patriots fans’ loyalty and pride were more important than their morals in this situation. Being a fan and supporting their favorite team blinded them from flaws

and mistakes.

While loyalty before morals is never the most ideal choice, choosing it for a sports team is much less problematic than for a politician. Ignoring a politician’s flaws and mistakes is very dangerous. Politicians cannot write policies or bills that will please the entire country, and some of their plans may still fail. Learning from these mistakes (and acknowledging them as mistakes in the first place) helps the country learn.

An example of presidential failure is George W. Bush’s response to Hurricane Katrina.

Bush was criticized by the public for not suspending his vacation in Texas sooner. His

slow response was criticized and it taught future politicians to act quickly in similar situations.

Unfortunately, when politicians like Donald Trump have fans, these politicians are disqualified from accountability. When there are millions of people blinded by their love, there are millions of people willing to forgive the unforgivable. CNN did a poll that stated 6 out of 10 Trump supporters would support him no matter what he did. Unwavering support could mean people are voting for Trump because they trust everything he says, rather than looking at the full story. Supporters are placing loyalty over principles,

a terrifying concept.

Politicians should have supporters instead of fans. The people of this country should consider all sides of the story, acknowledge mistakes made, and stick to their principles.

The people showing up to Trump’s rallies or defending him senselessly are not casual supporters who check his name on Election Day. These people are trying to please the President, instead of the President trying to please the people. We should strive as a country to never devote our loyalty to a politician.

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China’s “American Type of Education”

By Peter Luo ’23 As my middle school life came to an end, I decided that I wanted to completely throw myself out there by leaving China, the country I grew up in. I enrolled in NMH and thought that the immersive experience would help me prepare for an American college a lot better.

Zhao Xiamoeng, 15, my former Chinese classmate had a similar aspiration: going to foreign colleges. However, she chose to pursue this aspiration in her familiar environment: the International Divisions in China. Today, as I attend NMH, she enjoys similar English teaching and extra-curriculars, but also keeps her life in Beijing and has dinner with her family.

Zhao is one of the couple thousand students that attend the International Divisions in Beijing. Typically teaching an international curriculum involving APs, IBs (International Baccalaureate), and the British A-Level systems, the International Divisions are departments that exist in public schools in the major cities of China for students who want to enroll in foreign universities and colleges.

Although the ultimate goals of the International Divisions are the same, the experience can vary greatly depending on the classes offered and the learning atmosphere of the schools. At Zhao’s school, 101 High, most of the curriculum is taught by American teachers with some non-traditional courses, such as critical thinking. “The foreign

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The RDFZ high school campus in Beijing may seem like any other regular Chinese school, but it houses international learning classrooms. Photo by Peter Luo ’23.

teachers are my favorite part of school, they go along really well with the students and are cordial all the time,” Zhao states. When asking about difficulties, Zhao boastfully said that there’s “not any,” but explained that the different learning paces of students could slow the class down.

Meanwhile, Nie Chengqi, 16, a student in RDFZ high school’s International Curriculum Centre has a more negative experience. Because of the pandemic, a lot of the teachers who left for Britain over the summer have had to

transfer to online instruction, so “they probably have to wake up at 2 am or so to teach us, [which] sometimes makes them grumpy,” Nie explains. “[One time] a student turned on mute before finishing answering the question, and the teacher lost his temper. It felt really unnecessary.” Nie also has had a tough time adjusting to GPA grading. “Every single assignment counts toward the GPA and there’s little room for make-ups even if you did bad on the first try.”

Lu Hanyi, 15, although enrolled in the International

Department at SDSZ High, is required to take the standard Chinese curriculum instead of her chosen AP course for her first year. With eight courses taught in Chinese, it is very demanding. “I’m so busy that I don’t even know what I’m doing,” Lu exclaims. Aside from the educational burdens, she also struggles with relationships. “I don’t experience any true friendships here. The environment is so competitive and everyone’s trying to take advantage of each other’s resources.” This kind of isolated feeling is certainly contrasting

to the community experience at NMH and other fellow boarding schools.

While most international divisions teach an international curriculum in English, the teaching quality is far from equivalent to that of American boarding schools.

Yang Lu, a senior TOEFL and SAT mentor with 10 years of experience, explained, “When foreign teachers teach Chinese students, they will make easier adjustments to their diction and speed of talking …

The time the students spend on verbalizing the English language may only be one fourth or even less compared to the time students in American boarding schools do.”

And the problem doesn’t stop at listening and speaking. “Chinese students often use ‘Chinglish’ in writing, meaning that they write with the logic of Chinese grammar,” Yang said. “I once had a student who wrote ‘solving method’ instead of ‘solution’ because he was straight-translating from Chinese.”

However, the disadvantages of the international divisions don’t stop these students from pursuing their aspirations. “I feel certain that the American type of education that embraces openness and diversity is more for me,” Lu remarked, “and I’m not going to be stopped by COVID-19, which is only a temporary issue.”

Zhao added, “We who are still in the International Division have very clear goals that [are] not going to be changed easily.”

Jerseys On and Masks Up

By Carra Fitzgerald ’24 COVID-19 has brought many changes to athletics.

One of the biggest ones is the incorporation of masks.

Everyone has a different standpoint on masks; they can make breathing harder, and they are distracting.

Everyone’s ability to deal with wearing a mask is different.

However, there is one clear advantage: masks are for the safety of all.

We know that COVID-19 is an airborne virus. It has been determined that the heavier you are breathing, the more germs you are expelling into the air, and the virus is more easily spread. In addition, factors such as closer contact and increased yelling and talking can increase the potential for spreading the virus during sports.

Though it may feel harder to breathe when wearing masks, it has been experimented with, and the outcome was that “face masks won’t impair your oxygen levels,” as said in a CNN article published in August. Tom Lawton, the guinea pig for this test, wore a mask while running 22 miles.

He also tracked his oxygen levels, which reportedly “were stubbornly 98% every time I checked.” He repeated this multiple times, and each run the result was the same: his oxygen levels were not impaired.

The explanation of this is simple — difficulty breathing when masked is only our perception. As mentioned before, sports cause us to breathe heavier as we are

In the fall, the Boys’ JV and Girls’ Varsity soccer teams could be found playing against each other and making the most out of the new COVID regulations. Photo by Glenn Minshall.

moving more and heating up.

So, according to a Sanford Health article issued in July, when wearing a mask “there’s a perception that we’re feeling warm and as a natural response, our body starts to breathe faster.”

Though they are for our safety, masks can be seen as a drag, considerably so during athletics. As Sasa Kolowart ’24, a soccer player, noted,

“They can distract you and make it hard to focus on the game.” The distraction and feeling that you are having more trouble breathing can make masks feel like a burden.

Another downgrading element could be how safe an individual feels. I myself feel safer because as long as I can keep my mask on, I am protecting myself and others I

may later interact with. However, as Kolowart said, some individuals still may “not feel safe...because even when we are told to wear masks, some people do not wear their masks properly.” Though these are valid concerns, as long as you wear your mask, you should be safe. The pluses and science behind masks outweigh the negatives.

When we look at it on a

broader scale — the science, the logic, and the safety — we can see that the slight discomfort that comes with a mask is worth it. Masks enable us to do the simple things we may take for granted, such as the option to return to school in person, and more importantly, to be back playing sports.

Masks keep us and others safer, and they allow us to do what we love.

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A Closer Look at the Farm

By Julia Swanson ’24 While I’ve only been at this school for two and half months, I have found that one part of NMH’s unique environment is the farm. Directed by Jake Morrow, the farm has a small collection of animals such as oxen and horses and grows some of the food that is served to us daily in the dining hall. The farm is a huge part of the school’s initiatives to teach students citizenship as well as education. These photos showcase components of this unique and integral part of NMH.

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To Go or Not: Lab Students Decide Justin Chen ’21 – Taiwan (left) “I am going back to school in January. My advisor told me that going back in January means that I can quarantine at school and in my own dorm with my roommate. I don’t need to quarantine in the Mod, which is very good. Also, many of my friends are going back in January, so going back with them seems like a good plan to me.”

By Kevin Chen ’22 Have you wondered what NMH students in the Lab program feel about returning to campus?

As students at a prep school, we are constantly facing academic challenges and with remote learning, this becomes even more difficult. On campus, we have easy access to various systems of support such as advisors, teachers, and peers; however, when we learn away from all of these resources, it becomes a very different experience.

What do Lab students ultimately consider when deciding on their return to campus? A group of Lab students from all over the world shared their thoughts.

Amos Fang ’22 – Shanghai (right) “I have decided on returning at the January checkpoint because both my family and I thought this was the safest and most cohesive decision. However, nothing is set in stone and this decision could change due to how COVID is developing in the United States.”

Andre Capala ’22 – Poland (above) “Well, I miss school a little bit, but I really like it over here in Poland. I think I might come back to school in January because I’ve also heard that people choosing to go home for Thanksgiving [have to] stay home until January.” to see my friends, and the environment at home is too comfortable and not suitable for learning. My main sport is in the spring as well, so I don’t want to miss another year of that. Hopefully, [the pandemic] Tatar Anourakwongsri ’22 – doesn’t spike up again.”

Thailand (above) “I’m returning January 20 because I’m going to have two APs in the winter. Also, I want

Melanie Huang ’22 – Beijing (above) “I plan on returning in March because of the limitations at school, the difficult traveling conditions, and the freezing cold of New England. I have come to this decision mostly myself and I guess due to what the [U.S. and Chinese] governments have said.”

I have made.

Being in the Lab program is a very different experience for me, but I feel that being in a safe place is the priority.”

Guo Li ’22 – Beijing (above) “I’ve decided to return in the spring due to how complicated the current situation is. I made this decision for myself, and my parents also support the choice

Aemon Cameron ’22 – Washington, D.C. (above) “[I will return in] the beginning of winter, but that can change depending on whether or not the cases are increasing. I don’t think anyone gets to make the decision of returning, as it is all dependent mainly on the situation of COVID.”

Malcolm Cheng ’22 – Malaysia (above) I plan to return to campus the moment I can, but as to when, I am still unsure about that. The Lab program is fine, but I just want to see my friends again.

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