Hornet's Nest | Vol. 4 | Issue 5 |February 4, 2019

HORNET’S NEST Proctor Academy | February 4, 2019| Vol. 4 | Issue 5

People of Proctor

Margaret Fair ’19 By: Jesse Aguilar

“I want to go to college for musical theatre and then move to New York. I then want to pursue musical theatre as a career. It’s literally insane because I am going to be waiting tables a lot if I don’t get cast. This is something that has been a huge part of my life for 9-10 years now and I don’t see it going anywhere. It was the first thing that I ever really loved and it brings me joy to be on stage. It brings me closer to the people I perform for and with. Theatre is one of those things that I think is universal and it makes people feel like they’re not alone in how they’re feeling. It makes other people think about the way that others feel and not just themselves. That’s just a huge deal. I have a sock collection I have over 300 pairs of socks. I’ll start on a shoe collection I’ve got like 50 pairs.

Catch me around campus with some cool socks on, always.”

Donnie MacNeil By: Sam Wyckoff

“When I was a scrawny freshman, my football coach looked at me and saw a younger version of himself. He took me under his wing, and was always making sure I was doing good in school and I knew what I was doing in practice, because all I did was work hard for him. He rewarded me with playing more, picking my number, stuff like that. He always looked out for me, not only giving me advice on the field but in the classroom, and life in general: Looking people in the eye, having good manners,

being respectful, taking pride in your work, just being humble, focus on one game at a time. He was a big part of who I am today. I still talk to him.”

Michael Sun

By: Neal Shivakumar “Last year I participated in an art competition here. I won a golden prize but they sent an email and said that I need to ship my original piece of artwork to the organization to get the award. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring the artwork here with me at Proctor. I contacted my mom and I was very upset. Our solution at the time was that she would just mail the artwork here and it would probably take like five days to a week. But due to the deadline, It wouldn’t come in time. I was very upset. At the time she was on vacation with my family. It was the Chinese spring festival and they went to Hong Kong to celebrate it with my family. But as soon as she heard about the whole situation she gave up the festival, she gave up her break, and she went back home to Shanghai and grabbed the art piece. She bought a ticket to fly all the way here to just to deliver the artwork. I think that this was very powerful and very impactful to my life. She’s not the kind of person that will say I love you all the time, but her actions here really touched me deeply. She’s my mom, I know I can rely on her.”

Ben Charleston By: Rob Gillis

“I’ve always felt the happiest when I’m outside. Ever since I can remember, being outside, especially in the winter, has been an integral part of who I am.

This is likely why skiing is what gives me the most joy in my life. My first days of skiing were spent on a Magic Carpet in single digit temperatures. I instantly fell in love with the sport. I loved the feeling of being outside and free to carve my own path in the snow. Again and again I rode the Magic Carpet and sped down the slope. I felt so free and autonomous.

My passion for skiing soon led me to ski racing, which opened many doors in my

The Hottest Bachelor on Campus: Nelson Makechnie By: Ellie Richardson and Anna Hollenbaugh

life. Through ski racing, I was afforded many opportunities I would never had otherwise, like attending Proctor and traveling the world with the Proctor Ski Team. While I enjoy ski racing, I look forward to the next chapter of my skiing story, where I ski purely for the joy of skiing and enjoy the freedom and autonomy it brings.”

Mihaela Davies By: Samantha Parkman

One of my main goals for this year is to

goal is to really succeed… I want to get my MBA and start my own business, that’s really my dream.”

If you have eyes… Nelson will notice them, as that is the first feature on a person that he sees. “Faces and smiles will change over time, but the eyes will always stay the same, so if I were to fall in love with a feature, it would be with the eyes.” Nelson smiles gently and flutters his eyelashes.

Picture this, Nelson drives to your house, walks out wearing a suit and a bow tie and a bouquet of flowers and you drive around, listen to music, and you go to karaoke. Then to top it off, you go back to his house and bake cookies. Yes, you guessed, this is Nelson’s dream date idea and it can soon become reality. But, he wants his future hornet to know that he would want to do anything that she would want to do, he just wants to make her happy.

We can’t help you get to know Colton Underwood (ABC’s Bachelor this season) but, we can help you get to know Proctor’s own Prince Charming… Nelson Makechnie. He has been alluring chicas since ‘01 but is looking for a lucky lady hornet to share his goofy soul with.

Nelson is looking for a lasting love that he can be his fun self with.

He remarks,“The kind of person that would want to eat chocolate chip pancakes with me, the kind of person that would want to bake chocolate chip cookies with me at one in the morning.”

Other than knowing a few magic tricks, Nelson is also known for his hair cutting ability. When asked what his interests are, the well-rounded bachelor responded gleefully, “I’d like to think of myself as a cinephile, I really love movies, I like singing… I really just love trying new things.” He also enjoys listening to podcasts and playing soccer.

Nelson, an accomplished vocal ensemble singer, knows every word of Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice. He’s open to singing it to his future lady hornet if it’s playing in the car.

As for his hopes and dreams, Nelson says, “I’d be content living a normal life as long as I’m with the person I love, but right now my

Along with being a baker, singer and other countless skills, he is also a global traveler When he studied abroad in Spain, he fell in love with the culture. “I want to live there for two years after college.” As for places that he hasn’t been he really wants to travel to Greece.

If you want to win Nelsons heart, put that phone down! He is all about face to face interaction. He would rather spend time talking to you then text or Snapchat.

Passion will always catch Nelson’s attention. He is looking for someone who works hard in whatever they do. “I don’t like someone who just does something just because they are expected to, I like someone who is really passionate about something, and they show that through their actions.”

If you liked what you read and are a sucker for cookies and karaoke, now is your chance to get to know Proctors first bachelor, Nelson Makechnie.

We can’t help you get to know Colton Underwood (ABC’s Bachelor this season) but, we can help you get to know Proctors own Prince Charming… Nelson Makechnie. He has been alluring chicas since 01, but is looking for a lucky lady hornet that would flutter her wings the same way the caring gent would for her.

Teagan Reilly, Proctor’s Very Own Sweetheart By: Ellie Richardson and Anna Hollenbaugh Teagan Reilly is looking for love and she hopes to find a match with a fellow hornet.

Teagan is 16 years old from Simsbury, Connecticut.

Proctor’s newest heartthrob spends her days skiing and her nights snuggling with her roommate Molly Mueller.

She is a dog lover who is open to share her love with a new pal.

To win Teagan’s heart you need a few specific qualities. First you need to be fun. Teagan is not looking for your ordinary guy, she is looking for a spark. She is seeking an interesting young man who wants to go on adventures with her. Whether those adventures are skiing down a slope or throwing food into her mouth ( a hidden talent), she just wants to laugh louder than the beating of her happy heart. Next, a future mate has to be athletic. She wants someone who can keep up with her active lifestyle. Of course, she loves to ski, but she also loves tossing the pigskin and running and hiking with friends.

stay positive in looking to the future but also to stay in the present. I have found myself getting lost at times in what things will look like days, months and years from now. Although this is helpful at times to help plan things, it can make it hard to focus on what is in front of me. Personally, I want to make my fam-

Have you ever been in love before? “Only with my dog!” Teagan responds with a sly smile. Teagan is an avid dog lover and is looking for a companion that loves pups as much as she does. When asked if she was looking for a boyfriend or a man-friend, she laughs, “Man-friend! Boys are just stupid.”

Teagan defines love as feeling, a feeling that’s just ‘sheer happiness.’

An athlete herself, Teagan finds herself skiing all winter and playing lacrosse during the spring. She admits that she is addicted to skiing and says that her ultimate date would be sharing a romantic gondola ride capped off with champagne powder and a hot chocolate break. When Teagan is not shredding the slopes, you can find her hanging out with her friends.

Athletically speaking she’s not just a skier and lacrosse player, she also can throw a football like Tom… guess you’ll have to test out your skills with her. In all aspects of the bachelorette’s life you can find her smiling, her smile is bright and beautiful, and by far her greatest physical attribute.

What does Teagan find to be a person’s most attractive physical feature? Well, she appreciates a fun(ny) personality before… you guessed it, falling for a guy’s physical appearance.

The bachelorette confesses, “I like it when people are funny, and confident but not overly confident. I like eyes and a smile.”

Even though Teagan is a lover of skiing, she does not care if they ski, she just wants to have fun. If you want to be matched with Teagan, show up to a lunch for two, just her and you, and maybe you will be her new boo.

ily proud by being accepted into a college that is well known and that holds a honorable reputation. This at times can become a time in our lives that we never forget, being accepted into college. At the same time it can also cause trouble for many teenagers. For me, I struggle with anxiety. After getting tested twice at medical centers the doctors told me that I was in the 90th percentile for anxiety and they recommended medication.

I understood that their efforts to ease my anxiety were good intentioned, but I declined the medicine and instead tried my best to control what I worried about.

Along with one of my main goals of making my family proud, I also want to focus on a mental health goal of giving my attention and time to things that matter.

Having anxiety can control your life and make you imprisoned to the unknown, but with close self-monitoring you can teach yourself what is most important.

Hitch Graham By: Ben Levisay

“ I am a dorm leader of Carr house, part of the big brother program, and part of the varsity golf team. I think being a dorm

leader is the main thing I am involved in, and I think it’s good because you have more responsibilities and it allows you to check in and make sure everyone in the dorm is doing well and feeling good. Being a dorm leader is a lot of work, but I think it is really helping me grow up and become more of a leader. My experience has inspired me to run for Student Leader, which will be fun because there are so many other great leaders in my class.”

cally and mentally. Constant pain is overwhelmingly frustrating because you can’t do the things you used to do, the things that make you happy. I’m okay now. I’m still rocking a permanent tan on my arms and legs, but other than that I don’t really have pain. I am sensitive to heat, especially the sun, but I’m just happy to be active again.”

Nelson Makechnie By: Ryan Methven

Dillon Mailand, Snowboard Coach By: Eric Nemirovsky

“I blew up last summer. My friends and I were at a bonfire after work per usual, but this time my buddy decided to throw a fist sized propane can in the fire. We all backed away expecting it to explode. After waiting for a period of time that seemed more than ample, I approached to take it out. When I leaned in to flick it out with a stick, it happened. Blown off my feet I sat up slowly feeling only a tingling all over my body. It was when I looked at my legs and saw the bubbles on my skin the pain flushed over me and my ears began to ring. I lay back down into the dirt in agony. That turned from a great summer to the worst summer real quick.

I began my recovery in my parents house.

I was bedridden. My muscles started to atrophy. When I could finally get up, my exercise for the day was walking to the end of the driveway to get the paper. I couldn’t shake the jumpiness. Loud noises would make me flinch and every time I flinched a wave of pain would flood my body. This was a big setback for me physi-

DJ Rankins

By: Henry Bechok “My dad was one of eight kids and all them were Patriots fans since they grew up in New England. My dad said he was watching a Patriots game when he was like 8 years old on TV and he saw the lightning bolt on the helmet of the opposing team. He wanted to be different from his seven siblings, so he decided to change his favorite team to the Chargers. He has raised me as a Chargers fan and I won’t ever change. I get a lot of hate from kids at school and out in public whenever I wear my Chargers gear, which I don’t understand. It takes a lot of balls to be a super fan of a team that isn’t from where you live. I learned that the hard way when I went to a Chargers vs. Patriots game in New England a few years ago with my dad.

The amount of times I was booed and cursed at was kind of crazy because I was so young. I had old guys tossing beer in my direction, getting chanted at because they [Chargers] lost. I don’t know why people can’t just be genuinely nice.”

“Growing up in a community like Proctor has had a tremendous impact on my life. It has enabled me to have a close friend group and have a great high school education. Just having a place where we could all meet up to play games and have fun was a huge privilege. Having a familiar place to always go to and feel safe, knowing the faculty that works there so I can feel comfortable around them, and to be familiar with the high school before I went there has been a huge help with my high school life.”

Alex Estin

By: Jesse Aguilar “I’ve had two people who have influenced me the most. One was the advisor I had when I was a student at Proctor, Sarah Will. To this day, we’re like sisters.

I’m really glad to have stayed in touch

with her when I left. We still have a great relationship. Her kids are like my nieces and nephews. I’m closer to them than I am to my sister’s kids or my sister. The other person is my dad. I have many of his characteristics. I try to be generous and caring. I also try to help others and not be selfish. It’s more about everyone else and whatever I can do to help is really the most important thing to me.”

Gerrit Kursh By: Rob Gillis

“A few years ago, I went on a month long road trip with my parents. I was able to see the country in a away I had never seen before. I had previously believed the middle of the country was simply flat and boring. Now, after seeing the country through my car window, I have a new and powerful insight on what this amazing country has to offer. I never stayed in a hotel during the road trip. We slept in our van. I learned how to live with minimal resources. No Television. No cell phone. I hate to admit it, but before going I was certainly nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. I had never been outside of New England. But now after taking it in and reflecting back, I understand how powerful it is to stretch your horizons and experience something new.

I now have a unique and unforgettable perspective of the United States.”

Christian Murray By: Anders Klinkenberg

“I used to play basketball back home in the Cayman Islands before I came to Proctor. The standard was much lower and the pace of game slower. I was always a good player at that standard but there was one thing I was always told and that was that I was tall for nothing. That comment really gets to me, even to this day. I worked out hard until I could finally dunk the basketball and I’ve begun to hear that comment less and less. The hate that I receive from other players just motivates me more, I used to want to quit. But now it just adds fuel to the fire I have in my chest. The fire representing my passion and dedication to basketball, and my desire to get better as time passes.

I still aspire to be better even at Proctor.”

Anonymous By: Kaira Bird

”A big event that has shaped me into who I am today is getting a Major. For the majority of my life I have always done the right thing. When I got kicked off an off campus program, I felt like I had failed everyone in my life. Returning to school was the hardest point in my life. My parents and many others were beyond upset with me for months and I felt like I had nothing going for me. I felt that everyone’s opinion of me had changed including teachers. I also had to leave the greatest place I had ever experienced. I knew everyone worked so hard for me to be there, and the fact that I ruined that really changed me. From that experience, I learned to be thankful and what is actually important in life. Crying and hugging my host mother goodbye, made me realize that no night of fun could amount to the bonds and places I would be leaving.”

Tristan Auyang

By: Samantha Parkman

“My favorite thing to do outside of school is exploring urban environments.

Living in Hong Kong, it is easy to get lost in the sheer number of people and the towering buildings. So, I examine the city slowly with my own eyes. I’ve spent many moments learning about “The Oriental Pearl” by traversing across rooftops and street corners to find the very best landscapes and views. I’ve traveled all across Hong Kong for these glorious sights. One of the more unusual yet dazzling examples of one of these sites, is the roof of a local haunted house. The haunted house, known as the “Dragon Lodge,” had a crypt-like interior with a decaying foundation. However, seeing the city from the roof above was one of the most staggeringly beautiful sites I had ever seen. Being higher up near the mountains, the roof overlooked Hong Kong as the sun slowly rose up behind the harbor. Unfortunately when I returned to the site of the house, a disappointing discovery approached me. The original owners of the house have added new security measures to defend against thieves and urban explorers like myself, thus restricting a return to Dragon Lodge. Luckily, every view and landscape I see of Hong Kong will always stay with my vision of the city, crafting a luminous painting filled with bewilderment and thousands of different colors.”

THE JOURNALISM CLASS WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE THESE FACULTY TO STAR IN THE FOLLOWING GAME SHOWS:

Dancing with the Stars: John Beard & Gregor Makechnie

American Ninja warrior: Ross Young & Gaby Zimbron

Wipeout: Chris and Lynn Bartlett

America’s Next Top Model: Kyle Connolly & Kyle Connolly

Dance Moms: Kyle Tremblay & Kyle Connolly

COPS: Dan Mori & Drew Donaldson

Sneaker Shopping with Complex: Junior De La Hoz & Sue Houston

Survivor: Matt Mackenzie & Kayden Will & why not, Kyle Connolly

ence that I have never had before. I had no close friends or family to rely on and I had to trust people that I had just met.”

Kristen Farrell

Ezra Jennifer

By: Logan Dunne

“I get really happy when I get out of my comfort zone and try new things. I love pushing myself and then watching other people take that risk too. For me, I love it and need it but then for other people being able and willing to do it. Living in different countries and learning new languages, and I suck at languages, all those types of things. That’s where I find the most joy, seeing other people accomplish things and knowing that I know how that feels I get so excited for them. I get so excited when I accomplish something or try something new and I don’t have to be a 100% successful but had to be willing to try it and not give up. Then when I see somebody else having that experience I get really excited for them even more than I did for myself. When I moved to Aruba it was for my career, I had never been a teacher before, I’d never lived in an apartment by myself before, I don’t speak Dutch. That whole thing was a challenge. Finding an apartment.

Dealing with this crazy neighbor that I had that was terrifying and could only speak Spanish, she was Columbian, and I couldn’t understand her and I had to have somebody come help me and basically had to move apartments, she was psycho. Navigating that and figuring that out I was like, ‘Oh my god I did it!’ Then I found another apartment and lived by myself there. Figuring out my visa and all those little things, all those little pieces.

Figuring out how to get my health insurance card, how to register my car, get in inspected, all those little things pushed me out of my comfort zone because I had to ask for help from other people. I had to be dependent on other people while being very independent. It was an experi-

By: Mikel Timm

Chad Hildner By: Logan Dunne

“Anything that you could ask, Ocean Classroom fulfilled. It was the biggest joy that I ever experienced. It’s the biggest challenge that I have ever experienced.

It’s the most fun but also the worst time I’ve ever had.” “The community that you’re in and the people you surround yourself [with] in difficult situation brings your connections together.” “The slogan on the boat was ‘Ship, Shipmate, Self. Before you take care of yourself you make sure...the ship comes first.

Shipmates, you make sure everyone that you’re with is mentally healthy and physically healthy.” “It built friendships that I will never forget. But for me through difficult and some of the best situations, decisions I have ever made” “When the mast snapped and we had junks of metal falling to the deck. At first, I was sitting in the galley, I was studying and all of a sudden I hear a huge bang. We didn’t know what it was so we rushed out on deck… we look up and there is a beam crashing into everything. Cooper Murphy was just standing there and a huge piece of metal that feels only a few inches away from him. Our captain started going crazy and started climbing up the boat doing what he needed to do. It was also super dangerous almost getting hit by a huge piece of wood. We had to make a rig out of some various parts.” “It showed us what we could mentally do in a situation that had a lot of fear and could have ended terribly.”

“My mom has been a major influence in my life. As a single mother, she manages a job and three kids. She has taught me many lessons, such as hard work pays off, never quit on anything, and always believe in yourself. My mom has instilled the value of hard work and dedication to me and my siblings. She inspires me to work hard and be the best person that I can be. My mom is my hero not only because she is an amazing woman, but that she had provided me and my siblings with many opportunities to pursue our dreams. My mom inspires me every day and I couldn’t think of a better hero in my life.”

Ben Warren

By: Neal Shivakumar “First time I listened to Playboi Carti was a profound moment for me. You just start hearing a super hypnotic and entrancing beat and get lost in the music. It’s just a

whole ‘nother world that you’re stuck in.

The simplistic, almost minimalist, vocals over it was nothing like I had ever experienced before. My life was changed forever, my music taste was changed forever, my style was changed forever. In this life there are a lot of things that people can find joy in. but for me personally there’s nothing like turning on Die Lit of the Self-titled album by Playboi Carti. Before I listened to Playboi Carti my life was so boring. I mean I just couldn’t ask for anything better to put in my ears then new Playboi Carti music.”

Kerri Belguendouz By: TJ Beaver

“Before I came to Proctor I was really nervous and I didn’t really know if I would fit in which made me really scared. It was maybe like the first week of school and I heard that all of the new girls had to go to this big sister thing and I wasn’t really sure what it was. Someone told me that it was where upperclassmen would be a mentor for you and help bring you into the Proctor community. I was really excited because I didn’t really know anyone so I thought it would be a lot of fun to meet some older kids. So that night there was this girl in my dorm and she told me that she signed up to be a big sister and she offered to walk over with me. We walked over and played a bunch of games and later we figured out that she ended up being my big sister. Her name is Nadia Nevells. She seemed super nice and really sweet and she made me feel like I really belonged at Proctor. After the big sister party she invited me to go to the Wise with her and her friends, it felt so good that she wanted to actually hang out with me. She became someone at Proctor that

I could really talk to. She introduced me to all of her friends and that made me feel really good because I got to know more people. She helped me adjust over the next few weeks to boarding school life and being on campus which eased my nerves about a new school. Now over a year later we are roommates and she has become one of my best friends and it’s all thanks to that Big Sister program the first night.”

Bee Corbin By: Sam Wyckoff

“The whole story of how I came to Proctor started in 7th grade. I went to a new school, and I was really really nervous on the first day, but I met this woman, Anne Rowley, who is currently on

the board here. I think in your life you meet a few amount of people who really change your life for the better, and she’s my person. During that time my family was kind of going through a weird phase, and she really took me under her wing and showed me what it means to be a good person. When I went to high school I was at a boarding school in Virginia. I really didn’t like it there. I felt trapped. I hated it. I called her, and I came up here. I had my interview and I was really really sick, so all during that time Anne nursed me back to health.

Then, when I was filling out my application I didn’t realize that where it had the little ‘nickname’ section that that was what everyone would call you. I put in “Bee” because that’s what Anne and my close friends and family would call me. Then, when I got here for orientation, all the labels on all the folders and the name on my door said “Bee.” It was really unexpected and surprising, but it just felt like because of her I was coming into a new person and a new side of myself, rather than just a new chapter.

Even from the first day with the name Bee I felt like I was coming into a family rather than a school. Everyone was a friend rather than a stranger. That’s how I became Bee, permanently.”