Slocumb: A Home for Creativity
By Rose Werner
Where do students get these crazy visual arts ideas?
There are many students that find their creative passion at Proctor. Inside Slocumb you will find students expressing themselves through painting, drawing, and ceramics. In this building, there is warmth and positivity surrounding students and teachers as they support each other and discuss creative ideas.
How do these students find a passion for art? Junior Lisle Coombs said, “My passion for art comes from a need to express
Love Runs Wild
By Helen Armstrong & Lauren Anzalonemyself as authentically as I can. Some people are talkers, some can write a killer essay or compose heart-wrenching musical pieces. I feel most true to myself when I use art as a form of expression.” Lisle has taken Studio Art multiple times before she enrolled in the Art Major class. She has tried many different styles of painting and she explores and pushes herself beyond her perceived abilities.
Junior Rohan Goswami had a different perspective. “I’ve loved art forever. Going on Euro really reinforced that love. It is some -
Love is in the air! As Valentine’s day rolled through February, we know that love is on everyone’s mind. For some of you, we know every day feels like Valentine’s Day. But for all us ugly losers out there, February is a time of romance. So, we decided to take to the streets of Proctor and ask a couple of questions regarding the infamous holiday. As journalism field correspondents and the funniest students (according to Pete. No, really! He said that!!), we felt it our job to get the general consensus on how the community is feeling about love, hatred, and everything in between. Scan the code to get inside information and video footage on your fellow students’ thoughts.
Proctor Academy | February 24, 2023 | Vol. 8 | Issue 4
Photo: Proctor Flickr
thing that I can do really without thinking and have a creative outlet to destress and create something in the process.” Euro also provided Rohan the inspiration to pursue ceramics.
Proctor offers a wide range of art options such as woodshop, metalwork, textiles, and digital art. Recently, a few Proctor students earned entry in a local art show and won praise and a prize. This campus gives students the opportunity to pursue their creativity by being able to focus on their vision and passion. Lisle commented, “The Proctor campus does inspire me to make art, especially the energy in the art building. When I sit down in there and put music on, I feel like I could stay for hours—and I do!” Students are also inspired by the outdoor
campus as senior Shirley Frauntschi draws different landscapes of the outdoors, especially trees she notices.
Talking with a variety of different students I got a feel for some different styles of how people create. For each person, it is a different experience of how they come up with their muse or idea. Lisle describes her process by saying, “making art mostly includes making a Pinterest board (most important and most time-consuming step), sketching out my ideas either digitally or on paper, then jumping right into painting or drawing!”
Rohan said, “What doesn’t inspire me? My surroundings, friends, building, food, and other art. They all inspire me. Especially other artists who may be better than me. They inspire me to try something new that may be hard at first but if you don’t do hard stuff how will you get better at something?” The art teachers at Proctor are always trying to come up with new ways to inspire the students. For example, Corby in a Studio Art class is encouraging his students to use each other as models. Have you ever heard of the 10,000 hours needed for mastering a skill? This process is applied to art as it takes hours and hours to improve art skills.
Art helps many people express themselves without needing to talk. It is an outlet for many and is a great way to get away from stress. If you ever have a little bit of spare time I recommend you create something that speaks to you and brings joy to others.
Lisle in the winter musical: Proctor FlickrChinese New Year - The Best Time of The Year
By Rebecca ZhangWoken up by the crazy phone alarm, I answer the facetime request from my mom with a big yawn: “Mom it’s only eleven in the morning!”
“It’s already eleven! Happy Chinese New Year! We are all gathering at your grandma’s house and having the family dinner!” Suddenly I realize that in Beijing it’s already New Year’s Eve, however here in the US, it’s just a normal Saturday noon.
My mom shares with me what they are having at the dinner table. Dumplings, fish, shrimp, all kinds of vegetables… that’s all my favorite! I get so jealous of them because now, I can’t cook anything in my dorm, and I can’t use my pot. “Say hi to the whole family.” I am passed around the table on her phone, greeting my mom, dad, two uncles, two aunties, my little sister Amanda, my little cousin, and my dear grandma. I wish them all good luck. After talking to ten people, I end the facetime and wonder, is that happening in every single family?
What is it like in other families? I ask some of my Chinese friends at Proctor to figure out their traditions.
Senior Sin Yee is from Hong Kong. “Our family celebrates Chinese New Year just like others,” said SY. “Normally on the day before Chinese New Year, we all gather in a restaurant with three tables and have our New Year’s Eve dinner with our whole family which also includes our extended family. On the day of Chinese New Year, we first visit my dad’s side of the family, then head to my mom’s side of the family.”
Visiting with family seems to be a countrywide tradition, and junior Lily Zhang from Beijing proves it. “... we all gather together, which is around twenty people, including my cousins, my aunts, and my uncles. We would have Nian Ye Fan.” This is the name of the dinner on CNY eve that you eat with your family. Yes, this is such a formal and significant dinner that we give it a name. The word “family” here doesn’t only means your parents and cousins, it’s just a group of people that give you the feeling of love and support. “The dinner always includes a lot of dishes, a lot of traditional food, and of course dumplings.”
What about their favorite dishes at the family dinner? SY’s answer is a kind of soup: “This is always my top one in terms of deliciousness. It has white pepper and pork belly in it. It’s common around Guangdong.” Her answer shows the diet differences between Southern China and Northern China. In Hong Kong, they drink more soup and porridge than we do in Beijing. Lily and I share the same fondness and love for dumplings. “My favorite dish for the new year is always eating the dumplings.” My personal favorite filling will be garlic chives with pork. My grandmother makes the best dumpling filling.
If we talk about the Chinese New Year we can’t avoid talking about those colorful activities such as the fireworks display and watching the special CNY performances. My favorite tradition is definitely watching fireworks. Lily says, “... decorating the room with all kinds of red things. Red paper cut art, well I don’t know how to say that, it’s Chuang Hua in Chinese which means you cut different pictures with red paper and paste them on the window. Writing calligraphy on red paper and hanging them up, and also doing the fireworks. It’s just very jubilant.”
SY notes another activity. “One of the most remarkable traditions would be getting red packets from the elderly.” Well, that’s very reasonable. I mean, no one hates money, right? Usually, with my gifts, I will save half and use the rest to pay for my annual shopping list.
To me, what is the CNY? It’s the delicious dishes. The fireworks. The smiling faces. The calligraphy I wrote. The boring but indispensable CNY performance. Most significantly, it’s family. I used to think Beijing is always the only home for me. However, after studying abroad for four years, I realized that home is wherever your family is. And even if we can’t meet each other in person, the special emotions and feelings of CNY don’t fade.
Photo: Proctor Flickr Face timing my family in China Chinese New Year dinner at Proctor, made by Asian students and volunteers. Family dinner in China (photo by Rebecca’s uncle)Too Tired To Write?
By Kellen HealeyHaving a hard time writing your English paper? Try ChatGPT, an all New AI (Artificial Intelligence) that will write a grade-A paper for you. ChatGPT is a new technology that knows no bounds on any topic you ask about - math, writing, or history.
For some people ChatGpt is very confusing, so here’s a description from the robot itself: “ChatGPT is a language model developed by OpenAI that uses machine learning to generate human-like text. It is trained on a large dataset of written text and can be finetuned for specific tasks such as conversation, summarization, and language translation. It can be used to generate responses in chatbots, to write articles, and to do many other natural language processing tasks.” Wouldn’t most Proctor teachers give that explanation an A-plus?
With such powerful technology, the concern rises that students may use this with dishonorable intent. Derek Nussbaum Wagler, Proctor’s Dean of Academics, states his concern. “Could ChatGPT have a place in school? Possibly, but in the same way that using google might be interesting to start preliminary research for a paper. Assuming the development of AI algorithms will take the place of writing an essay is concerning. Writing algorithms are solely based on previously written material published on the web. Which means they are not necessarily drawing on the BEST, most creative, or most innovative ideas/thinking available,” However, they can be used to write original work.
Proctor survey: Have you ever used ChatGPT?
(100 Responses)
Even though it is ‘original’ it’s still based on other people’s published work, Derek continued, “So, relying solely on AI to do writing would essentially mean that we’re no longer interested in human thought and creativity. In-
stead, we just want sequels/re-writes only. As an institution of learning, we might be able to use AI to gather old ideas, try out a thesis, and possibly look for patterns of thought that exist.”
Derek finished by saying, “But it should never replace the hard work involved in actually thinking through tough questions, looking for evidence to support ideas, and learning to find your personal voice.” Which makes perfect sense to me.
Do you think that ChatGPT should be used in the classroom?
I asked the source and ChatGPT responded with: Yes, ChatGPT can be used in the classroom as an educational tool to enhance students’ learning experience. It can be used to answer questions, provide explanations, and generate reports, among other things. However, it should be used in conjunction with human teachers and as a supplement to traditional teaching methods, not as a replacement.
Are you (ChatGPT) a reliable source of information?
The AI answers by saying: As an AI language model, ChatGPT is trained on a large dataset of text and can provide information based on that training. However, it is important to note that the information provided may not always be accurate, complete, or up-to-date, and it may not reflect the personal opinions or beliefs of OpenAI or its creators.
ChatGPT is a genius creation and there is no doubt about that, however, it is important to take into account the warnings of possible misinformation. I approve of students using it to find information, but I think that when using it to find information, it is important to do your own research into the subject as well. Using ChatGPT is not a good tool to get in the habit of using, especially if you are about to go to college. AI like this will continue to evolve, but it is important to be original.
Is Proctor Handicap Accessible?
By Mattie Dickinson
Have you ever seen someone in a wheelchair on Proctor’s campus? Curious about this issue, I spoke with Ellie Moore and Chris Bartlett about handicapped life on campus.
Ellie Moore is an English teacher and one of the Culture and Conflict teachers. Intrigued about Proctor’s accessibility, she told me, “ I took a graduate course at Bread Loaf School of English this past summer and it was about disability narrative and documentary…I found it really profound and eye-opening… I thought this isn’t really something that is talked about… I think these voices need to be amplified.’’
will try to offer accommodations (golf cart) if possible or modify the tour to include access to buildings that are accessible. For example, touring dorms that are ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant and easily accessible (Fowler, Carriage, etc). Occasionally, a member of a party who is handicapped will excuse themselves from the tour for the sake of time and effort.’’
Most of the Proctor community knows that some of the buildings on campus are not easily accessible. I asked Chris if Admissions has turned a family away because of accessibility. He responded, “We have never turned a student away because of a physical or mental handicap. We are legally bound by the ADA and have the following policy below. At the same time, a family might choose not to pursue admission to Proctor because the location and program might not align with the needs of their student.”
Proctor is committed to a diverse community, which includes qualified students with documented disabilities and other health issues that may require reasonable accommodations to ensure access to education, housing, and recreation. … the school is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified students so that such students can participate in the school’s programs. (pg.7)
Senior Lauren Anzalone explained to me her experience in Culture in Conflict, “In this class, we dove into disability awareness and worked to understand the disabled community. We read Disability Visibility was incredibly eye-opening and many new perspectives. Additionally, we spent time discussing Proctor’s accessibility to those with physical and cognitive disabilities which led to a lot of conversations about building accessibility as well as the Learning Skills department. To me, the most important thing I learned was radical empathy, the idea that people should actively consider another person’s point of view in order to connect more deeply with them.”
In Culture in Conflict, students learn about a specific group of people or a culture that has faced challenges throughout life. Ellie explained, “I thought this was something that should be talked about and these voices should be heard.” Sometimes, learning new information about a certain group of people can help you empathize more, understand more, and appreciate what you have in life. Ellie suggested she would like to “Start a revolution” and that she “hopes it changes the way...students think about things and see the world.”
Admissions is another area of the Proctor community that is considering improving its accommodations for the physically disabled. Chris Bartlett, the Director of Enrollment, told me about the support offered when a visitor is handicapped. Chris explained, “When a family calls to schedule a visit, they usually let us know that there may be someone in their party who needs accommodations. We have a portable ramp that allows access to our office if there is a physical disability. We
The school wants to be ADA-compliant for future Proctor community members. Hopefully, students in Culture and Conflict class and others can help make their voices about accessibility a future priority on campus.
PASSed its Prime?
By Wyatt Corrigan Proctor Academy Screening Session had a rocky start this year, but the future looks very bright. This fall Proctor Academy Screening Session or PASS, which in Ellie Moore Knox Thompson ‘26 and Dylan Stern ‘23 - Photo: Proctorthe past had been hosted every weekend, was often canceled or postponed, leading to smaller turnouts when the screening did go on. Senior Dylan Stern, an organizer, remarked, “PASS seemed to be more a part of the culture [last year] under Johnny M. He got a larger turnout, and we are trying to decipher why.” one student commented, “The people that ran PASS in the past just made it a lot more enthusiastic than the people that do it now.”
A projector bulb of hope is shining for PASS with new member Knox Thompson ‘26, who is breathing life into the
club. Knox has famously said, “I don’t care if someone dies. We are not canceling PASS!” Knox seems to have what it takes to bring PASS back from the brink, and since he joined the team, there have been larger turnouts to each movie showing.
The current head of PASS, Andrew Milnes ‘23, had this to say about Knox’s future, “Assuming he moves into a higher leadership position, I’d say his greatest advantage is that he’s still a freshman.” Knox has the potential to run PASS for four years learning all the ins and outs of running a club and improving classic movie’s appeal to garner a larger and larger audience.
Life Lessons From The Ice
By: Finn ConnorFrom winning that championship when you were 12, to losing that big game in high school, moments in a person’s athletic career shape them as a person. I can attest because I have learned many life lessons that helped me outside of hockey.
“Never give up,” said junior Brennan Lopes, “I haven’t always been the best player on my team. Never giving up and working the hardest I can has made me the best hockey player I can possibly be. When I’m tired at the end of a game or a workout I always find that second gear of strength to get the job done.” From ups and downs, Brennan has succeeded in
hockey from the encouragement of never giving up.
“From hockey I’ve learned how to cope in a sense.” Reported Jon Groth, “When I was a sophomore we had an outstanding team, but we ended up getting upset and losing in the first round of playoffs, and this was very upsetting and was a shock to us all. This one loss taught me the lesson of coping with loss... The thing that I do to cope is to continue to work even harder than before the loss and shoot a lot of pucks.”
Wayne Gretzky is one of, if not the best hockey players to ever play and he shared a great life lesson from hockey. In 1983 during an interview with Bob Mckenzie a TSN reporter, Gretzky said, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”. The best part about this quote is that it involves hockey and it involves real life, you can’t score if you don’t shoot, and if you do not try you can’t succeed.
Connor McDavid, arguably one of the best active hockey players in the world, also found a life lesson in hockey. “It is not how good you are. It is how good you want to be.” The quote shows his attitude when working toward his goals.
Head of PASS Andrew Milnes ‘23 Photo: Proctor Flickr Max O’Connell, Jon Groth, Cam Gwatkin, and author Finn Connor, Photo Proctor FlickrCam Gwatkin, a senior on the boy’s varsity hockey team here at Proctor shared some life lessons he’s learned from hockey. “On and off the ice, I always make sure to make the most of each opportunity. From having the chance to play golf in the spring at a nice course to even going on a school field trip, I try to make the most out of every hockey game I get the chance to play in.”
Even if hockey isn’t your sport or you don’t play a sport, there are always lessons in what you do, from making a sandwich to taking out the trash. Sports and activities can help you learn something about how to be better.
How Ski Patrol Saved my Life
By Griffin StewartDid you know that Proctor, a school in the middle of nowhere, has its own ski hill? It’s hard to miss, especially in the winter, with its peak towering over campus just across the river. However, many people don’t know that Proctor’s gargantuan hill has a fully staffed student ski patrol.
After reading that last line, many people may be concerned, but I can reassure you that the students know what they’re doing. The ski patrol is spearheaded by a living legend, Larry B. Ballin, former head of numerous mountain ski patrols. I’m grateful to Larry for an interview in his busy schedule. “The ski patrol program gives students at Proctor an opportunity to spend time at the ski area helping the adult staff in the day-to-day operations. We operate one of the lifts, help in the snack bar and assist skiers when problems such as an injury happen. Students learn basic first aid skills, learn to ski with a rescue toboggan, and have their own space at the area.”
However, ski patrol is functional because of students, so why just listen to what Larry says? So I asked junior Will Lunder, a 3-year ski patrol veteran and team captain. There is no one better to ask about the strenuous work of ski patrol, “Ski Patrol at Proctor is an activity where people go to ‘ski,’ but in reality, skiing is just sitting in office chairs and sometimes stopping the lift when someone falls. We also help fallen skiers unable to do the one thing they came to the ski mountain for.”
Yes, we have responsibilities like shoveling snow, taking stock of the lost and found, riding snowmobiles, and, most importantly, getting free hot chocolate. Yes, you have read that correctly.
I’m not twisting your arm with this. Ski patrol gets, as William describes, “‘Bonuses’ - we get hot chocolate.” This hot chocolate promise motivates the ski patrol, half of them at least, to work every day.
Further investigation and digging showed me that the two ski patrol groups are essential for safety on the mountain. One group cannot function without the other, like a gear in a well-oiled machine. Those two groups are group A and group Z. Group A, as the mountain staff calls them, is easily spottable. You can see them all over the hill, helping shovel, putting up the red safety netting along the trails, riding skimobiles, shredding the gnar, and running around trying to find something to pass the time. Group Z is quite the opposite: they usually sit and stare at their phones in the timing hut or the patrol room.
If you’re seriously considering ski patrol, Larry has words of advice: “Try ski jumping….” Will added, “I would say that if you wanted to, you perhaps maybe could do it if you really wanted to, but it’s really up to you if you decide that you want to endure the pain that Larry Ballin forces on us…be my guest.”
On a serious note, this program teaches you many valuable skills. You learn to move forward in an emergency and train in Stop-TheBleed and CPR programs. You have real responsibilities at the mountain as well. When things go wrong, you must be the first person at the scene, be ready to ski a person down in the toboggan, glove up and bandage an incision or even a broken leg, and you learn mountain operations. Ski patrol is worth checking out.
Larry B. Ballin L to R: Jackson Gamache, Will Lunder, & author Griffin Stewart: “Group A” Photo: Proctor FlickrHAYS PRIZESPEAKING CONTEST
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NORRIS FAMILY THEATER 20 23
Thursday
April 13TH | 6:30 PM