Hornet's Nest | Vol. 1 | Issue 2 | May 2, 2016

HORNET’S NEST Proctor Academy | May 2, 2016 | Issue 2

COPE MAKECHNIE ‘17 AND NICK HO ‘17 ANNOUNCE THE 2016-17 SCHOOL LEADERS

School Leader Elections

By Toby Bannister-Parker This year, the faculty, in concert with Student Leadership, decided to make a change to the student leader voting system. The goal was to try to give the Proctor community a better picture of the candidates for whom they are voting. The electoral system used until now consisted of each candidate giving a four minute speech during assembly to the entire school, after which each student and teacher was able to vote for their top two candidates. The new system required the candidates to prepare for a series of randomly selected questions put forward by students, which the candidates answered during assembly. The questions covered a wide range of topics over two assemblies.

The candidates also gave a two minute speech on the core values of the school.

Another edition to the election was the

way in which the students and faculty voted; a survey was sent out to every teacher and student. The survey evaluated every candidate according to four specific qualities: responsibility, communication, trustworthiness, and enthusiasm. The survey required surveyees to give every candidate a score from one to five.

I had an extensive interview with our current school leader Max Kaesshaefer about the change in the election process to understand the reasoning behind the change and discover how it benefited the school.

I started by asking Max about the involvement the student government had in the election change since they have been referred to as a “party planning committee” by many students. “Not much, really,” was his response. I learned that all three of the school leaders this year had direct involvement in the change, and it came from “a compromise between what the administration [wanted] and we wanted”. Max’s

opinion of the new system of voting was that he didn’t “think the new system was perfect but I [didn’t think] it took as long as some students made it out to be.”

Many students complained that the survey took too long to fill out and would rather be able to vote for an individual. “I feel some people were discouraged from voting because the system of voting was overly complicated,” said Ryan Methven, ‘19. Many students didn’t vote because of the time it took. “It wasn’t exactly an election,” said Nicole Kimtis, ‘18. The percentages of student voters were as follows: 76% freshman, 75% sophomore, 80% juniors, and 52% seniors voted.

On behalf of the school, I would like to congratulate Nick Ho and Cope Makechnie for winning this year’s election. I look forward to having them represent the student body next year and wish them the best.

Around the World Day

try would have more than enough time to create an informative presentation.

By Mo Nguyen On Saturday the 9th of April, three hundred Proctor students and faculty members participated in an event to appreciate different cultures. Each group was assigned a country to present to our community. The students and faculty spent their Saturday morning learning new information about other countries. I wanted to hear the opinions of other students, so I went around and conducted interviews. The two most important questions I asked them were, “Did you learn anything from other countries in the event?” and “Was your country well presented?” Most of them didn’t find the event satisfying.

Hazem Chehabi, ‘18, a student from Jordan responded, “I learned that Finland has many saunas, Turkey’s main exports are hazelnuts, and Vietnam has an island shaped like a dragon. The event was interesting.

However, it was also strange and very fast.

I think it would have been better if we had international students present their countries because they have a better understanding than those not from the countries.”

Toby Bannister-Parker ‘18, a student from the United Kingdom, responded similarly. “The event was celebrated with good intentions, but it was rushed and I felt a lack of planning. I appreciate the idea of celebrating different cultures. The United Kingdom station, from my perspective, was not presented too well. I think the groups should have had more time to prepare and do research.”

I also interviewed a number faculty members on their perspectives of the event.

One faculty said, “It helps the community learn a little about the other countries. The event, however, was too short. I wish we could have had the students from foreign countries host their respective stations because they can be the best sources of information to present the countries. If we have the international community organize this kind of event with a little help from the teachers, I think it would be more meaningful. It is more meaningful when we have people share knowledge of their home countries.”

Overall, Around The World Day was a great event for most students to get together and learn new information about other countries and cultures.

The next issue was the lack of space inside the hallways and classrooms of Maxwell Savage. Every time groups had to move to another country, everyone would find themselves shoulder to shoulder as they tried to stay together. At Hillside, not only are the hallways longer and wider, but the school’s academic building is much larger than Maxwell. It doesn’t help that Proctor’s student population is nearly three times that of Hillside’s, making traveling to different classrooms much easier. If we had countries stationed in both Maxwell Savage and Shirley Hall, then the hallways in both buildings would be significantly less crowded and help Around the World Day run more smoothly.

Proctor Academy Around the World Day: Bucket List A Student’s Voice

By Carl Hubbard and Linnea Saunders

By Colin Binswanger For me, Around the World Day was an enlightening and nostalgic experience.

For the past five years I’ve taken part in the same event each year at the Hillside School, of which both myself and Junior De La Hoz, Proctor’s new Multicultural Coordinator, are graduates of. In fact, three members of my Hillside graduating class - Philip Devlin, Mark Sousa, and José Lara - are all currently enrolled here at Proctor. I have seen many countries represented both very well and very poorly, and as such, took it upon myself as an Around the World Day veteran to formally review the event to see where improvements can be made next year.

Both students and faculty appreciated the event as a whole, but found fault in it as well. For me, the first major gripe was the lack of time not only for research and preparation, but also for country presentations. At Hillside, students were given a full week to gather information, organize stations, and make their countries presentable, but the schedules there aren’t nearly as busy as they are here at Proctor.

If groups were to meet several weeks in advance each Saturday evening, each coun-

Everyone who enters Proctor is encouraged to take advantage of all the opportunities the school has to offer, but deciding what we have to do can be difficult when there isn’t enough time in the day. Between Dave Pilla classes, off campus trips and painfully early polar swims, cutting down a list of activities to a doable number was a challenge. We interviewed some members of the Proctor community to present the bare necessities of what you need to do before you graduate. The following is The Proctor Bucket List.

ing with a host family, or sailing the eastern seaboard on Ocean Classroom, many students remarked about how off campus programs were paramount to the Proctor experience. Kevin Oh remarked of his off campus experience, “Do something that involves an off campus program. . . I went to Costa Rica and experienced something I never experienced before, it’s the experience of a lifetime, and you will view the world as you never viewed it before.” Off campus programs are incredibly powerful and have deeply impacted Proctor students for many years.

Go to Polar Swim

DAVE PILLA

Explore the Proctor woodlands As many of you know (or should know), Proctor has about 2,500 acres of wooded campus for the community to explore. Exploration of the woodlands comes highly recommended by almost all of our interviewees. Kyle Heller accurately described it as, “An awesome place in the fall and spring.” and Ari Tourtelot encouraged everyone to, “Take advantage of all the trails on the Proctor woodlands.”

Polar Swim, that painfully early morning jumping into that painfully cold pond.

This long standing tradition has been an integral part of the Proctor experience, and one that everyone should try. While it may be cold, the joy of interacting with new people, listening to some great music (courtesy of Alan), and homemade donuts are too good to pass up. Alan’s slightly intimidating excitement will be infectious, and before you know it jumping into a frozen pond will sound like an exhilarating must do.

Go Off-Campus

Eat an Edna Waffle

An essential part of many Proctor Students’ experiences is going off campus.

Whether it be traveling to Spain and stay-

Edna Waffles, one of the many delicious foods that Edna makes for us every day are impossible to ignore on your way to the

breakfast line. They are wonderful, and a perfect way to start your morning, especially when your worst class is the very first one of the day. Always perfectly cooked by the very exact science of Edna’s eyeballing, the savory waffle with just the right amount of chocolate chips is a taste every Proctor student must acquaint themselves with. Graduating without experiencing this culinary masterpiece is not an option.

The Proctor Bucket List we’ve compiled is very brief, and serves as a basic list to get you started. We encourage you to take this list and add to it, and create a list of experiences you want to have before you leave Proctor!

Take a Dave Pilla Class Forestry and Wildlife Science are unique subjects by themselves, but they are made far more appealing due to the fact that Dave teaches them. As highlighted by the article published in the previous issue of the Hornet’s Nest, Dave Pilla is no stranger to these subjects. Not only is it great to get to know him, but the interesting perspectives he can bring to teaching make his classes a necessary experience for all students. Responses included Taylor Methven, ‘16, “Take a Dave Pilla Class, any Dave Pilla class, because Dave Pilla is a really great guy” and James Roan’s, ‘16, direct and to the point instruction: “Take a Dave Pilla class”.

POLAR SWIM: A MUST-DO ON THE PROCTOR BUCKET LIST

EDNA SERVING UP BREAKFAST

ing a floor-length dress to the formal. She was told that if she did, her dress would be cut for her before the dance began by a senior, who would, of course, be flaunting her own toe-brushing gown. The freshman did not wear a long dress.

To uncover the mysteries of this unofficial yet binding rule, a survey was conducted in which a random collection of students, male and female, were asked if 1) they were aware that only senior girls were supposed to wear floor-length dresses to formal and 2) how they felt about such a tradition. The responses were consistently divided along gender lines, though there was a general lack of excitement for the topic verging dangerously on apathy.

GIRLS’ VARSITY TENNIS TEAM

PA Girls Varsity Tennis

By Madison Clarke Tennis season has begun! The PA Girl’s Varsity Tennis team competed in their first two matches against New Hampton and Vermont this past week. The season began on Wednesday (April 13th), when the team drove to New Hampton. Anjelica Nella, PA’s #1 seed, won 6-3, 6-1. Emilia Helms-Leslie, PA’s #2 seed, won in a tie breaker 6-2, 3-6, 7-2. Emma Walsh and Anjelica won their doubles match 8-0.

Unfortunately, PA’s success against New Hampton ended there. The team was unable to overcome the skills brought on by their opponents.

The team didn’t let the loss of their first match affect their play, and persevered to win a home match against Vermont on Friday (April 15th). Many parents attended because of Spring Family Weekend.

The large crowd provided a sense of positivity for the team and helped them to remain persistent throughout the 3½ hour event. PA had quite the success in singles, with all players winning significantly over their Vermont challengers.

I spoke with the team’s captains to understand their love of the sport. Both have

played tennis since they were young. Ellis grew up playing with her family, as she is one of seven children. Jones often played after school with friends but it was never anything serious. When two discussed their favorite aspects of Proctor tennis, Jones commented on the fact that her favorite thing about Proctor tennis is team dynamic. “We all get along so well and whenever we are at practice or on our way to a match we know we are going to have a good time. We are all a bunch of goofballs but we also know when it is time to be serious, which I think is great.” Ellis mentioned the fact that she loves the coaching, “The team this year is amazing and Mel makes it all come together. She is such an amazing coach. I love everything about tennis, it’s such a fun and sociable sport.”

MEET THE CAPTAINS: CAROLINE ELLIS ‘17 AND CAROLINE JONES ‘17

It’s More Than the Dress

By Cope Makechnie No one knows exactly how it started, but there exists a tradition at Proctor that only senior girls may wear floor-length dresses to Formal. At first glance this may seem trivial, but on closer inspection it reveals a gap between the senior class and all others, a gap that this school has tried for decades to bridge. Why are only certain girls allowed to wear a certain article of clothing? Why is it that one group is being singled out as the only ones worthy to wear the coveted floor-length gown?

When interviewed, 60% of girls said that they were aware of the tradition. No girl interviewed said that they opposed the practice. However, only one - a three-year junior - was in open support, and her justification was the same practiced argument: “Senior girls don’t have a prom. This is the only time they get.” It is not openly specified what, precisely, these senior girls are getting, yet the only plausible explanation seems to be that this is the only opportunity senior girls get to publicly declare that they are above all other girls in the school, though it most likely unconsciously done.

The most interesting aspect of the topic is the response of the boys interviewed. Only 50% had heard of the tradition, yet all of them opposed it. In fact, some of the most

impassioned answers were given by boys.

All of them said that allowing only senior girls to wear floor-length formal dresses created a divide between them and the rest of the school, and that girls should be able to wear whatever they want, an argument never once voiced by a girl. Almost no one was eager to speak on the subject, and their silence speaks volumes. Barely a thought has been given to a tradition that creates social divide.

Fac Brats: Who are they and what do they want?

By Nick Ho Life as a student at Proctor Academy is a unique experience, regardless of home life or family dynamic. It’s no secret that Proctor is home to many faculty children, but most of us haven’t delved deep enough into the life of a “fac-brat” to truly understand what it is like to have a parent working on campus. I set out to gain insight on this particular demographic and figure out what being a fac-brat entails.

I began by inquiring about topics pertaining to day students as a whole. Finn Webber, ’18, explained, “It’s pretty nice being able to go home to my family. There are lots of benefits. But I think it’s also hard because your friends sleep on campus and can see each other more regularly.

I think I’d like to be a boarding student.

Now that I know everyone and I have a lot of friends, transitioning to dorm life would be easy.” Luke Webber, ’18, elabo-

The justification used for this separation is that there is no senior or junior prom at Proctor and so senior girls feel the need to have an occasion set apart for them to shine as upperclassmen. Yet the very reason that there is no senior and junior prom is that Proctor strives to be an open, embracing community. That one group of people are now being separated in such a visible way - the length of their skirts serves only to undercut those principals.

It’s not a practice that has never seen any challenge: just last year a freshman girl announced publicly that she would be wear

PROCTOR LADIES DRESSED FOR FORMAL

rated on his brother’s comment. “I think it’d be cool to be a boarding student. I don’t have any issues with being a day student, but there are definitely benefits to living on campus.” While other students fantasized about living in a dorm, they acknowledged that living outside of their own homes may have adverse side effects.

Cope Makechnie, ’17, states, “I’d definitely want to be a boarding student and live on campus. Of course, it would have an effect on my relationship with my family.

I don’t see my family a ton, but I see them way more than anyone else here. Living in a dorm might affect the relationships I have with my family members.”

When asked about their relationships with their parents, I received a variety of responses. Finn explained one misconception that he has perceived while attending Proctor. “Many people think I’d be embarrassed, or I’d be held back, but I’m really happy to be here with my mom. It’s nice to see her every day and to be able to talk to her about what’s going on in my life.” Nelson Makechnie, ’19, spoke briefly about how living under the same roof as his entire immediate family had some downsides. “I sometimes need a break from my family. I love them, but I see them a lot, and it can be a little much at times.”

One controversial issue among the facbrats was the topic of being held to a different standard as the other students.

Many felt that there was an added academic pressure for faculty kids due to the fact that teachers were already familiar with their potential. Linnea Saunders, ’17, says, “It’s a very safe environment, but at the same time it’s a very high pressure environment. These people know what your best looks like, so you always have to give it. Faculty parents have a reputation to uphold, and I’m a reflection of that reputation. I definitely feel that I’m held to a higher standard because of that.” Luke expressed similar concerns, “If I don’t do well in a class, they can come and talk to my mom. So I think there is an added pressure. There are higher expectations.”

Other students were more skeptical. Nelson explained, “I’m not sure if I’m held to a different standard than other students. I think many teachers know me better, and

know what I need more, so that’s more of a plus. I work hard, but I don’t think I have to work harder than other students.”

There are clearly advantages and disadvantages to being the child of a faculty member. The fac-brats add a unique dynamic to our school’s campus, and are an integral part of our community. While they experience Proctor in a manner unlike any other student, they face challenges similar to the rest of us.

Popping the Bubble

By JoJo McDonald Over the past three years, Proctor has become a home to me and because of this has created a “bubble” of safety and security. Let me just start by saying that this is wonderful and I’m very lucky to have this security in my life. But in the time the time that I’ve been here, I’ve become more aware of what is happening around me locally and nationally.

I have grown up in small towns where everyone knows each other and seeing your teacher at the grocery store is a common occurrence. This too created a bubble of safety for me. I grew up sheltered and not aware of what was happening around me.

I didn’t really understand what ISIS is or how the presidential elections worked, nor had I read up on any current events.

Everyone in my town was the same way; you had everything you needed and you were sheltered from the real world - what more could you ask for? It wasn’t until the end of my freshman year at Proctor that I discovered the benefits of reading the New York Times or The Wall Street Journal for a few hours a week. Doing this, I became more grateful for all that I have had the opportunity to do.

It is so important, especially in an environment that is as sheltered as my own, to read up on current events and understand what is going on outside of your bubble. Not everyone is fortunate enough to live a life as safe as ours, and by reading about what is going on across the ocean or even in your home state, you are becoming more aware of what is around you. I

encourage those all in our community to spend a few minutes of their day to reading or watching current events and to pop the bubble that surrounds them.

Sports Section

By Chandler Devaney Spring sports at Proctor Academy are off to a great start.

The Boy’s Baseball team dropped two early games in the season to the Bulls of Holderness and the New Hampton Huskies but have since rebounded by beating in-league rival Vermont Academy and out of league contestant Hebron Academy.

I was able to catch part of the Hebron Academy game and what I saw was a team that supported each other and made some fantastic plays. Captain Connor Simpson ‘16 who ended the Hebron game on an incredible leaping catch has this to say about the Hornet’s baseball team: “The team faced some adversity early on with a couple tough losses to some really talented lakes region teams but we’re a resilient group and we battled back with a couple of big wins. We’ve got a group of guys that love to scrap and we have high expectations for ourselves in the lakes region this year.” Sitting at .500, the Hornets squad look to take the momentum gained from their current two game win streak and carry it through for the upcoming matches.

They have Kimball Union Academy on Tuesday, the 19th of April. The junior varsity baseball team lost a hard fought battle to Tilton 6-7, but look forward to their upcoming contest with Holderness on Wednesday, the 20th of April.

This year, the Boy’s Varsity Tennis team experienced record tryout numbers as 46 athletes went out for a squad that holds their limit at 14 members. Coach Ted Mastin was able to pick through the players and choose his top 14, all of whom have been quite successful this year. Currently undefeated with road wins at both Brewster Academy and the Dublin School, not to mention a home opening victory against Vermont Academy, the Hornets are sitting pretty but don’t necessarily feel satisfied yet. Team Member Matt Slick ‘17 has this to say about past results and future contests: “You know the boys are off to a solid start. We are undefeated, sitting at 3-0. We expect to keep the strong season going as we have guys adding wins in important areas. I think our top 6 singles can compete and beat anybody. The rest of the season should be a challenge but not one that we can’t overcome (losing a few key seniors due to senior project). But I believe we have guys on the bench waiting for their chance to prove some people wrong. We have Holderness and KUA this week and those should be huge tests for us. However, under Coach Ted Mastin, I feel no doubt that we can be

SPRING SPORTS ARE OFF TO A GREAT START

victorious.” It is clear that members of the Varsity Tennis team would like to keep their winning streak alive but they’ll have a hotly contested matchup with Holderness Bulls come Wednesday the 20th. The Junior Varsity boys tennis team are also playing well, having won two out of their three matches with convincing wins over both Brewster and Tilton and a tight loss to Kimball Union. They look to rebound as they also play Holderness at home on Wednesday the 20th of April.

The Boy’s Varsity Lacrosse team opened up with an away loss to the Rivers School but have been rolling ever since with 6 straight victories over Dexter School, Buckingham Browne & Nichols, Bridgton Academy, Hebron Academy, Phillips Exeter and Kimball Union. Their biggest win was over Phillips Exeter, a team in which they have not beaten in over twenty years. The game started off slow for them, down 4-1 at the half, they battled back to a 6-5 deficit before Dillon Fitzpatrick ‘17 notched the equalizer. After a Proctor timeout with about two minutes remaining, the boys went out looking to get a game winner. The Exeter goalie turned away some shots but ultimately Owen Kuhns ‘16 put one top left with fourteen seconds remaining. He had

this to say about the shot: “I was just on the crease and I knew I had to try and get open after Crowley dodged. My defender was ball watching as Crowley passed to Lance, so I cut to the ball and luckily got open enough for a quick pass and then shot” In the Hornet’s most recent game against Kimball Union, they did not come out playing like a team who had just beaten Exeter but rather a team who overlooked Kimball Union. Ultimately, they would take the victory 10-6 but it did not seem like many members of the team were satisfied following the game. The next game for Boy’s Varsity Lacrosse is an away game on the 23rd of April at Kimball Union. The Junior Varsity Boy’s Lacrosse team is also off to a good start with wins against both Hebron and Tilton and loss to Phillips Exeter. They look to stay undefeated in Lakes Region play as they play Holderness School on Wednesday, the 20th of April.

The Proctor Academy Hornets Golf team, led by returners Bo Kellogg ‘16 and Andrew Edwards ‘16 have dominated the one opponent they’ve played after dropping an early season match to Tilton. They beat Kimball Union handily 9-0 and will look to do the same at Vermont Academy this Wednesday, the 20th.