Hornet's Nest | January 19, 2024 | Vol. 9 | Issue 3

HORNET’S NEST Proctor Academy | January 19, 2024 | Vol. 9 | Issue 3

How do you survive & thrive in the winter?

Will Lunder ’24 (as told to Tess Gatti) “By the skin of my teeth. No, you know you make life into lemons, and you go skiing and you go sledding, and you throw snowballs at your friends. And you dig in. You watch some good movies and you stay warm.”

Zack Cong ’24 (told to Chris Chol) “The best part about winter in New Hampshire is that I get to see the snow. I am from the southern part of China, so I don’t really see much snow. I just think the snow is really beautiful.”

Ben Bartoldus ’10 (told to Matthew McLaurin) “The best part is splitting wood, getting a nice fire going in the wood stove and relaxing with a nice cup of coffee and a good book. A snowshoe after a big snowstorm in the far reaches of the wooded world, untouched by humans and only accessible by those who know. Coaching in a gym when it’s four o’clock, the sun has set, and the moment feels like it’s prime time. Acknowledge the little things. The socks on your feet. The food in your belly. The roof over your head. The beautiful souls that surround you. Each breath that you take. The simplicity of nature.”

Photo by Grace Lowman ‘27 Ben (left), Zack (right)

Cass Dickson ’24 (told to Tallulah Stirrat) “I survive and thrive by sleeping a lot. Every single moment you get, you have to either be sleeping or doing work because the more work you get done the more you can sleep.

Hour naps are good stuff.

Power naps are so clutch, especially when you get an extra 30 minutes. Some people say that 30 minutes won’t do anything but you don’t realize how much time you use just scrolling on your phone, and you won’t realize that until you try to take a power nap. Listen to Lana del Rey. She will solve your issues, listen to Lana, she’s got something for everyone. Listening to music in the winter helps you appreciate your surroundings instead of making the worst of it. … You have to embrace winter because the other seasons wouldn’t feel as good if it weren’t for cold, biting winter. Summer wouldn’t mean anything if it wasn’t cold outside, so just appreciate it and spring will come around before you know it.”

makes me happy (telemark skiing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, sledding…). I even like shoveling snow (instant gratification for one’s efforts)! No biting insects. It’s beautiful (when snowy). I also like the kind of cooking that is better in cold weather (baking, savory stews, soups).”

Kelly Griffin-Brown (told to Cole Frank) “Getting out of the classroom and training room and going to the games. Looking forward to games really gets me through it.”

Rosanna Eubank (told to Paige Lanouette) “I do love being cozy, I do think getting outside is probably what helps me mentally the most and then just kind of embracing the darkness.

I hate the shorter days…, but I think if you just commit yourself to going outside and doing something kind of fun and adventurous at night it almost does feel magical, like the stars are really awesome in the winter here. Once you get outside and get going, it always actually clears my head and feels invigorating.”

Dean Miller (told to Chris Chol) “Bring more layers than you need to.”

Pearce Shultz ’24 (told to Griffin Stewart) “The best part of my winter is skiing with my friends, enjoying the nice crisp cool air, making snow angels, and frolicking through the snow…The worst part of my winter would probably be people complaining about the weather. Now that grinds my gears. What would make this the best winter ever? Winning an alpine race wearing a candy cane GS suit and a green tutu.”

Lynne Bartlett (told to Griffin Stewart) “The best part is being out in the cold and being active skiing, hiking, snowshoeing. Also the fact that school has a couple of breaks. Get out and play more in the snow as much as possible.”

Photo by Caroline Dover ‘27

Alan Mcintyre (told to Paige Lanouette) “Well, my favorite part of winter in New Hampshire is the absolute beauty you get when you have snow. When it softens the lines, and mutes all the sound, and makes the sky so clear, like a night sky…

One of the things I do in the winter that I love…and maybe others will get to experience it, is doing a midnight hike, looking for owls in the snow is awesome so that’s my favorite part about winter.”

Lily Zhang ’24 (told to Paige Lanouette) “It’s always in terms of skiing. If I have a good ski season and I learn new tricks and have fun with the team and my friends on the mountain, it will be a good winter.”

Heide Johnson (told to Tallulah Stirratt) “First of all, I love winter, provided there is a lot of good snow. Anything that slides on snow or ice

Yamni White Hat ’24 (as told to Zack Cong) One thing I really like about New Hampshire’s winter is the amount of snow. I know a lot of kids here really enjoy skiing, and that’s something they really love. I’ve never tried it, but one day, I plan to try it over a weekend. It’s pretty awesome that we get a lot of snow. I like hanging out in my dorm [Farm House]. I got a good group of boys here, and it’s warm. We have a lot of fun … just hanging out with people like in the dining hall. Check-in with each other and make sure everyone is having fun and being happy.”

Henry Lotter (told to Matthew McLaurin) “The best part is skiing and snowboarding…, spend as much time inside (in my room preferably), chillin’ and enjoying silence while I can until the spring term.”

Matthew Mclaurin ’25 (told to Isabella Guzmán) “Outside of playing basketball…. I think just hanging out with people … whenever there’s free time this time can get pretty lonely… I think just trying to keep busy with people going to other dorms during visitation hours.”

A Taste of Winter

By Isabella Guzmán

Kate Piacenza (as told to Isabella Guzmán) “I think it’s all about the attitude that you have about it where you can just sit around and pout and complain or you can make it fun, right? You can make things to look forward to, maybe on the weekends, or just view the things that you have to do as things you get to do…, and just try to have fun with it. Embrace people around you. ‘Cause everybody’s going through it, so if you frame it as going through it together, then it’ll help you.”

Riding Powder

By Cole Frank

The cold of the doorknob feels as though it burns my hand as I go to shut the door from the elements. My arms and legs are stiff from the layers that I’m wearing to protect myself from the elements. The first ride of the year on the snowmobiles is always the best. The fresh snow feels like powder right underneath the tracks. As we walk down the hill to the sleds, my excitement grows. Filling up the tanks with gas, we aren’t able to tell what stings more - the gasoline or the cold air going up my nose. Next, we brush off the fresh snow from overnight and then start them up. The smoke from the exhaust fills the air and then we’re off for the day. Riding around, speeding, cruising, carving, and feeling the roar of the engine and the cold air in your face.

I zip up my snow pants and begin buckling my ski boots as I look at the slopes ahead of me. I clasp my helmet and skis and begin walking side by side with my friends to the lift. Adrenaline pumps through my veins as the lift moves, and laughter fills the air as we guess who will be the fastest skier today. The adrenaline fades into excitement as we look down the hill to the trees that welcome the next mountain. I throw a playful look at my friend and say, “No mercy” and I take off, soon followed by him. My heart pounds like a drum in my chest as I increase speed, the sound of the wind and my skis slicing the snow fills my ears as I continue the race. I practically collapse as I make it to the bottom before my friend, “I did it!!”

A Snowy Day ByTallulah Stirrat

I make my way into the kitchen and I can hear the faint sound of snow sliding off the roof and collecting into piles.

The sun has just risen, and the light reflects off the frost on the windows with rainbows and patterns. By now I’m the only one awake and the only light to guide me is the Christmas tree. Its faint yellow light leads me to the coffee machine and I carefully make my favorite drink with caramel and almond milk. As I sit on my couch looking out onto the ocean, small chunks of ice float softly in the water, filled with birds that bob mindlessly through currents. The wind blows and the snow swirls and grazes across the water.

Photo by Maddie Zahn ‘25

An Alpine Kind of Day

By Pearce Shultz

Walking around the snow-covered campus, a smile appears on my face. White rain starts to fall from the sky. I open my mouth, attempting to catch a snowflake on my tongue. With snow comes snow-covered mountains, and with snow-covered mountains comes ski season. The upcoming season fills my mind with thoughts of racing down the ski hill at high speeds, feeling the cold air as my buff falls from my face, and the sound of the ice as I carve left and right on the ski slope. As the lift flattens out the ski tips go up to prepare for dismount. The crisp sound of the snow when skis make contact is music to my ears. I scan my head across the landscape admiring the panoramic views from the top of the mountain. The pastel colors paint the sky as the sun slowly starts to emerge from its hiding place under the horizon. The laughs turn to a smile as I take in my surroundings and admire what’s in front of my eyes.

The Magic of Family and Holidays

By Matthew McLaurin

Walking through Chicago O’Hare Airport full of people, I see Christmas trees, bells, and green everywhere. As I walk through the airport to baggage claim, I see white outside through the massive windows. It is snow, the thing that makes Christmas, Christmas. On the first step outside, I feel the freezing cold temperature just eating at my skin, freezing it in just a couple minutes. Getting in the car is a relief from the cold. Driving north of Chicago, Grandpa tells us all of what is new in the small town they live in. Grandpa has finally decided to ditch the flip-flops and put on sneakers.

That tells you how cold it is this time of year. From the windows of the 2014 gray GMC Acadia, you see all of the houses of Chicago light up and Christmas blow-ups fill the front yards. The windshield wipers of the car move side to side as the snow continues to fall lightly. The empty noise of the grayish concrete highway is loud. Finally, we pull off the freeway and approach the town Grandpa lives in. Lights cover the old brown stores and shops along the side of the road. Then we cross white-covered train tracks to enter the neighborhood, and I think about when I will see my cousins.

Being around my family and cousins during the holidays, with snow on the ground, laughing and hanging out is my holiday experience.