Hornet's Nest | January 21, 2022 | Vol. 7 | Issue 3

HORNET’S NEST Proctor Academy | January 21 | Vol. 7 | Issue 3 IN THIS ISSUE: Ingrid Pekalaon on Winter Weekends Carrie Babson on Patrick Duffy, School Leader Reilly Desmond on Girls JV Hockey

Cal Wilby interviews Brian Thomas Lily Picotte on Lessons of OCLRM Thomas Johnson talks to River DeVink

Proctorlandia: An Anthropological Study

By Camila Marcos

In a small village far, far, away, nestled amongst the tall pines and tucked away from civilization, lies a mythical place by the name of Proctorlandia. Located in the boundaries of a small New England town in New Hampshire, Proctorlandia is so tiny that if you were to sneeze five consecutive times while driving by on route 11, you would miss it.

It is a curious place. I have now spent almost a year observing, studying, and finally adapting to it and it’s unique lifestyle. What I am about to share with you are my peculiar findings that are essential to understand this strange, magical place.

The first thing you must know about Proctorlandia is that to become a part of the community, as a rite of passage, one must experience 5 days and 4 nights in the treacherous White Mountains.

This initiation ritual is known as Orientation. Hypothermia,

blisters, 60 pound backpacks, and endless miles of wifi-less trails must be endured in order to properly accomplish Orientation at Proctorlandia. CJ Geier ‘23 describes ordeal as “The most Proctor thing there is, right there.” I confess the reasoning behind this is still a mystery to me, but one must endure to belong.

If one manages to survive this first Hunger Games-like ordeal, young Proctorlandians will never be allowed to forget their initiation ritual. You can imagine my surprise and concern when I started attending classes and saw that my teachers were uniformly dressed as if they were about to set off on a great expedition along the AT trail. Every- single -day. I soon realized the only appropriate dress code for them consisted of hiking boots, everything Patagonia, wool socks, and cargo pants. Amusingly, while other private schools insist on suits, ties, and skirts, Proctorlandians believe a 20 mile forest hike might happen at any moment, and

they make sure to dress accordingly, probably with full backpacks and hiking poles stored at an instant’s reach.

Also, because all small tribes have their curses, I offer here fair warning to all who dare enter Proctorlandia. For alas, a wicked curse haunts this village and its people.

A truly strange phenomenon takes place that I have never before experienced in my life, and had only heard of in tales of flying boys and one handed pirates. The curse is this: as if bound by a mysterious force, Proctorlandians never, ever leave.

And even if they do, they will soon come back; or worse, they will send their progeny to continue in the footsteps of their hiking shoes.

After having arrived at this mystical place, many still remain. As former student and now faculty Alicia Barry ‘15 confirms, “All my co-workers were my teachers.” The curse is REAL. Proctorlandia even has its own time zone, which is a no-time zone.

At Proctorlandia time stands still and their calendar ignores national holidays.

The elders barely age. Must be all the fresh air. Or maybe it’s the omlets made at the Dining Hall that keeps them young? Alicia wistfully recalls from her time as a student that “Gregor made the best omelets by far.”

Finally, I feel compelled to share some of the quests the youth of Proctorlandia willingly take part in. There are five tasks that take place off campus, and students are highly encouraged to attend at least one before graduating in order to achieve true Proctorlandian status. Each task is unique in and of itself and students will leave the familiarity of Proctorlandia to complete these quests. One particular daunting endeavor involves students taking to the sea

and disappearing into the North Atlantic Ocean for three cycles of the moon doing god only knows what. All the rest of the Proctorlandians know is the great strife and irritation of their never-ending, incessant Ocean speak they repeatedly utter after returning from their voyage.

out to her with any suggestions or questions at stonega@proctoracademy.org!

And with that said dear readers, if ever you find yourself on Route 11 in the great state of New Hampshire and can suppress 5 consecutive sneezes in a row, Proctorlandia is truly and forever will be a magical land worth the visit.

Winter Weekends: Call to Action

By Ingrid Pekala

As I walked into the Ted, I was overwhelmed with the cheers of the crowd, all packed like sardines onto the bleachers. It was cold there, and everyone was bundled up. Watching sports is a big part of the Proctor community, but there isn’t always a game on weekend nights. I recently met with Gabrielle Stone, the Director of Student Activities at Proctor, to see how she plans our winter weekends, and ways to help the students have some fun.

Students play a big role in planning these weekend activities. Gabrielle explained to me that she and Kyle Tremblay, “meet with a group of students during club time every week…and try to gauge student interest. We talk with student leaders to figure out what is on their mind, what they want more of, less of, or any ideas they might have.” She continued, “I also get a ton of emails throughout the week, from students and faculty, about things they would like to see happen in the future, or even in the upcoming weekend.” Reach

Gabrielle with members of the 2019-2020 Alpine Ski Team

For the upcoming winter, “we have a big event basically every weekend,” according to Gabrielle. On January 8th The Hypnotist is coming, who is a hired professional who will come and bring students and faculty on stage to do strange things while hypnotized. We have the Proctor Academy Talent show on January 22nd, where we get to watch fellow students show off their talents. From 12 pm on January 27th to 7 pm on January 31st, we have our Bonus Weekend, an extra-long weekend to recharge and get some rest. The Ski Area event, put together by the community, a full week of winter carnival, and the semi formal “Snowball” dance are among the other events to look forward to.

Jan 8th: Hypnotist Jan 22: Talent show Jan 27-31: Bonus Weekend Feb 5: Blackwater Ski Area Event Week of Feb 6th: Winter Carnival Feb 12: Snowball Dance Feb 26: PAPA On Ice* *An ice skating event here at Proctor

A Varsity boys hockey game vs.

Brewster Academy

He expanded on this question, mentioning that on the Harvey Gamage you couldn’t escape your responsibilities “It’s not like you can just avoid your teacher, you know, where are you gonna go to hide?”

Patrick Duffy’s Return to Campus

By Carrie Babson

Patrick Duffy is arguably the most smiley student in the community. He radiates positivity and represents the student body as a School Leader.

As ‘Duffy’ was lucky enough to experience Proctor’s off-campus program Ocean Classroom this fall, he was missed on campus. Junior Camila Marcos noticed Patrick’s absence this fall, “It definitely made me realize how vital he is to the community, he always cheered me up when I saw him walking around campus...”

The Ocean Classroom program teaches students many life-long lessons that impact what they bring back from the experience. Sitting down with Patrick in the library, I asked him what he learned from the long sailing trip. “I learned a lot about discipline on Ocean because it’s a very disciplined life on the boat… as well as the importance of getting your work done because everyone is held accountable and it is a great takeaway from the boat.”

Since being back on the campus, Patrick has kick started a movement to make some changes. “I am currently working on a proposal to allow juniors and seniors on Heads List and or Honor Roll to have televisions and video games in their own rooms… I made an informal proposal yesterday at the faculty meeting. I got some comments, some concerns.”

Not only is Patrick a hard working and motivated asset to the community, he takes time to interact with all students no matter what his relationship is with them.

He values making others happy which is inspiring to the Proctor community as a whole.

I asked Duffy what his motto is. “Something I live by is to make others happy I guess and to keep a good image of myself… make sure I make good decisions so that people don’t think poorly of me, I think that really paid off because eventually I got elected as student leader.”

The Real A Team

By Reilly Desmond

The JV girls hockey team feels the love and support that flows from teammates is a big part of the team. Head coach Karl

Methven explains why this JV team is so special and how the culture of the team can create life lessons for each team member.

Kelby Whitehead ‘23 and Kass Reynoso ‘23

Karl has coached both boys and girls varsity soccer and hockey teams over his career and he reflected, “I’ve coached in different sports for boys and girls. They [teams] have their own type of fun and can be playful and more focused on the team. It can take a while to establish that culture, but once it is in place the combination of varsity intensity and positive team culture can be a lot of fun.”

While varsity players are very skilled, there can be a lot of stress in playing on a varsity team. JV is different because players haven’t spent their whole life working at this sport, so there is no risk to your ego and your sense of self there. In my opinion, varsity teams could learn a lot of lessons from a JV culture. On this team, the goal is to “play.” Methven states, “What we’re doing at JV is playing. What’s happening at varsity is not play. It’s more like work than play.”

Team culture is everything. Success thrives off of team culture, Methven adds, “Sometimes there only are five happy people, and those are the ones on the power play.” You need to try and get better and get your team to get better and cheer them on. Hockey is not something that you can just pick up, you need to practice. But the main thing is courage. There is so much courage to get on the ice. If you show up and prove that you care, and are eager to learn, that’s all they ask. Karl explains, “We graduated many seniors last year that had been playing JV hockey since [their] freshman year.”

Those girls stuck with it and didn’t give up. The best feeling as an athlete is when

someone cheers for you, when your team is behind you and supports you. Methven noted, “Break the walls down. Build the body up. Bring the people together.” Try new things, create good habits, and be a good person and support one another.

Yes, we all know that there are lessons you can learn on a team. But this team is special. The players and coaches focus on how they are all connected as one team, and how their human dignity is an important thing not to take for granted.

Methven states, “We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas [on a team] you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.” How you carry yourself as a teammate, a student, and a person can affect the people around you. Methven adds, “When we act upon deeply feeling a sense of being connected to others by our common humanity, when we truly regard self and others as one, when we cherish human dignity, all of our relationships and the level of our behaviors and actions are raised to a higher plane.”

The JV girls smiling after a fun practice

People don’t understand how important team comraderie is. “I am what I am because of who we all are,” Methven observes. Connecting with each other is so important, and that is why this JV girls hockey team is going to shape the future.

They don’t focus on one person or the best player, they focus on being able to connect as one.

Will Brian Thomas Try Ski Jumping?

By Cal Wilby

I sat down with Brian Thomas in the Dining Hall to ask him about his first term this fall. Brian believes that we are a relational school and the relationships we share with each other were made stronger our first term together.

He expected a school that would be struggling with maintaining relations after a year off, but was pleasantly surprised.

Brian stated, ”I wasn’t really expecting everyone to come back, masks coming off made a big difference in our community.”

Brian felt that almost immediately without masks we were able to maintain better relationships. He added, “ Having fans coming to games showed a resurgence in our community after a COVID year.”

Next, I asked Brian about his vision for the future. “Teachers are working hard for our students, but the students need to take charge in classes and their education.” He asked, “Is the cognitive load more on students or teachers; I wonder if we could make the schedule such that the students are working harder than the teachers?”

While the noise of the lunchtime Dining Hall settled, I wondered about Brian’s favorite moments of the fall. He smiled and talked about his experiences at sporting events like watching football and soccer games and making connections with the athletes that were on the field. He mentioned our Holderness Weekend wins and how much those meant to him and

the school, and how absorbed our student-athletes were in their sports.

He really liked being able to connect with students and sit down with them for meals: he felt it keeps the community closer together. The last thing that Brian really loved about the fall term was the attentiveness of the student body at assemblies, he loved being able to talk to the school and for us to get to know him.

Looking ahead to winter, Brian’s first thoughts were about navigating around COVID-19. The winter months and how coming back from the break will go, especially with international students going home. His second thought was trying to get to “cruising altitude” and to get to a place in our academics where we are all doing well. He observed, “we haven’t gotten to a place where we can cruise and I’m really curious what that looks like.” Brian spoke about amplifying the good things that we do. Winter is also the season of hiring for next year, and Brian is looking forward to showing our community to people who are looking for a job here.

Brian’s winter will include visiting off-campus programs. He will see Ocean classroom and he will also go to Segovia and France. He said that he hopes to meet the kids that just came back from off-campus by sitting down and introducing himself around campus.

Realizing I needed to go to class, I asked Brian if I’d see him out on skis this winter. He told me he will try nordic skiing, maybe alpine, and is looking forward to supporting other winter sports. I asked him, “Are you going to try ski jumping?”

He shook his head and smiled. “No.”

was constantly told was to put in as much effort as possible so I don’t regret it once I leave. Looking back I can think back to many moments when I gave it my all and did something extremely out of my comfort zone. In the moment I wasn’t too happy about it, but now I am proud.” Living at sea also teaches you how to focus on the present and not worry about the future.

Ava stated, “Ocean made me realize to live in the moment and to soak every opportunity up as much as I can.”

Some of the fall Ocean Classroom ‘21 crew

Life Lessons aboard the Harvey Gamage

willing to go through it all again. This was something that I suspected some people would say no.

By Lily Picotte

Without a doubt, Ocean Classroom has been the most transformative experience of my entire life. While I found the voyage to be remarkable, I wondered if my fellow sailors felt the same way.

I sent out a Google survey to the 2021 Ocean group. I asked how Ocean changed them as a person, and I received a variety of answers. Ava Freeman, a junior noted, “Now that I am off the boat I have realized that I need to push myself out of my comfort zone and to strive to show the world who I am,” Senior Sam Madison stressed the importance of connection she gained from Ocean Classroom sharing, “It’s given me life long friends and a new family, I got to have new experiences and I now feel more capable and disciplined in general.”

Ocean Classroom is hard. Before going, I was told that the experience would be demanding but I did not know how I would struggle. The sleep deprivation was very challenging because no matter how tired you were, you still had to get up and take care of the chores on the boat.

There are no off days on the boat. I had never worked harder because I wanted to demonstrate my commitment to my peers and the crew. The expectations were high, and I didn’t want to let anyone down. It surprised me that I had the inner strength and confidence to tackle any job, no matter what the weather conditions were.

Another thing I wondered about from my peers on Ocean was if they would be

Josh Reed, a senior day student from New London remarked, “Yes, I would.The experiences you look back on when you get back home are so valuable and the people you meet and the relationships you form last a lifetime.” In contrast, some students appreciated their experience but are not interested in climbing back onboard the Harvey Gamage. Lillian Holley, ‘23 commented,“I would not do Ocean again.

I gained the experiences I needed and wanted and while it would be amazing to sail again, I don’t think I could handle going to sea for such a long time again.”

After speaking to a few of the Ocean Classroom kids, I wanted another perspective from a past alum. Faculty member Lindsay Brown stated, “You must say YES when given opportunities to try something new. I had never been on ANY kind of boat before doing Ocean Classroom; and in my opinion it is THE only program we offer that you MOST likely will not be able to experience again. It’s easy to say YES to the familiar, but really integral to human growth to say YES to experiences for which you are unsure, unfamiliar, and completely humbled.”

Proctor Academy students are so lucky to get this experience. Ocean Classroom will change your life forever.

The key to a successful Ocean Classroom experience is embracing all the challenges it has to offer you. Always being active on the boat and being open to learning the full range of skills needed to sail a 139 foot schooner brings you far. Ella Skaane, a Junior from Marblehead, Massachusetts emphasized, “One of the main things I

A Conversation with River DeVink

By Thomas Johnson

At first glance River DeVink might just look like a tall, skinny, blond, 19 year old kid. When I asked him what he felt were the most significant things that he gained from his Proctor experience, he answered simply, “Independence, a love of learning, and a strong sense of community.”

Sam Madison coiling the halyards

Like many Proctor students, the Proctor

community and learning environment have had a significant effect on him. River left Virginia to come to Proctor in 2018.

I wanted to know how he had changed since his freshman year, and how he has so much wisdom as a 19 year old. He reflected, “My freshman year I never left my comfort zone. I just did what was expected of me and not much else.”

High school is the most important time to learn about yourself. River noted, “Proctor supports an environment for learning and gives you a ton of opportunities to try new things and to grow as a learner.”

River didn’t hesitate to maximize his opportunities. He quickly changed his perspective on school. “I learned quickly how beneficial it is to self advocate and make use of the help that is offered. Proctor really changed my perspective on learning.”

River’s insightful comments are true for me and many of my senior classmates too.

River’s restoration project

teach isn’t only in the classroom, it’s how to be a good person. They teach us what it means to be in such a meaningful community. What does that mean for students? River observed, “That hugely changes the class dynamic, the kids are engaged and interested.” We want to be here just as much as our teachers and it really shows. “The faculty genuinely cares about students doing well and succeeding in their classes. At Proctor, teaching is not a job, it’s a passion and a way of life which really influences students’ learning.”

River’s remarkable drive struck me and one thing he said during our hour long conversation over dinner was notable. “To achieve something, all it takes is hard work. You need to want it.” RIver is demonstrating his perseverance in his pursuit to restore his 1968 Triumph Spitfire. He has spent many hours this year rebuilding his car’s motor in the metal shop. He woke up early before classes and he worked after dinner before study hall. “I feel the happiest when I achieve a goal or something that I’ve worked for. One of my proudest moments was starting my engine for the first time. Because I knew the amount of hours I poured into that project.

I would trade in that moment for all the moments where I could have given up to watch tv. That one success is worth it.”

River is a perfect example of what can be achieved if you apply yourself. He stressed the importance of having an “Awareness to see the benefits of the present for your future… To be successful you have to sacrifice who you are now, for who you want to become.”

WEEKENDLove

River on Orientation

River emphasized the importance of this community. “Having a value for community and a better sense of human relationships, learning how to interact with others is a big part of this school.” We bonded over our love for the people and the relationships that we’ve established at Proctor. People here are family. We live together, it is impossible to avoid these powerful relationships. River continued, “I have found some of my best friends here, relationships that I will maintain for the rest of my life.” Something that we both found remarkable is how “The faculty student relationships here are unlike any other schools… Not only are teachers your instructors, but they are also your mentors, role models, coaches, and most importantly, your friends.”

The relationships we form with our teachers reveals an important thing: what they

FRIDAY | JANUARY 21

SUNDAY | JANUARY 23

4:30 pm: JV2 Boys Basketball 6:00 pm: Senior Sushi at Moritomo 7:00 - 8:25 pm: Coffee House 7:00 - 8:25 pm: Wise 7:00 - 8:25 pm: Open Gym 7:00- 8:00 pm: Fire Pit & S’mores 8:30 - 9:25 pm: Senior Dodgeball 8:30 - 9:25 pm: Senior Study Hall in the Coffee House

10:00 am - 1:00 pm: Ragged Ski Trip 10:00 am: Grounds Coffee & Hannaford 1:00 pm: Wise Ping Pong Tournament 2:30 pm: Spiderman: No Way Home at Smitty’s 7:00 pm: Asian Delight Takeout *All sign ups available on Orah. Priority will be given to those who sign up in advance. Events that require tickets must be purchased in advance. All trips will depart from outside of the dining hall.

SATURDAY | JANUARY 22 1:00 pm: Varsity Girls Hockey 2:30 pm: JV Boys Basketball 3:30 pm: JV Girls Hockey 6:00 pm: Varsity Boys Hockey 5:30 pm: Hot Coco & Poster Making 6:30 pm: Chipotle, Target & Goodwill Drop 7:30- 10:25 pm: Knockout, Open Gym & Weight Room 7:30- 10:25 pm: Coffee House 8:00 pm: Movie in Maxwell 8:30 pm: Open Mic in the Wise 8:00 pm: Late Night Eats in the Dining Hall

Questions? Suggestions?

Get Involved with Student Activities!

Contact Gabrielle Stone, Student Activities Director at stonega@proctoracademy.org.

Follow proctorstudentactivities on instagram for all of the up to date info

Outing Club Event