Hornet's Nest | February 26, 2021 | Vol. 6 | Issue 3

HORNET’S NEST Proctor Academy | February 26, 2021| Vol. 6 | Issue 3

A Painting of 16 Years: Mike Reflects on Proctor Mike’s favorite memories included “Assemblies, the all school meetings when you would hear from different students, see performances, listen to visiting artists… Matt Nathanson playing in assembly.” A very different memory, one with many repercussions and expenses, was the crazy “Mother’s Day floods . . . my second year when Lower Shirley flooded with 18 inches of water.”

These memories will highlight parts of a larger canvas of his journey at Proctor. Although his painting here is almost complete, Mike has plans moving forward. The first is completing a novel he started years ago. He’ll also immerse himself in the outdoors; an important part of Mike’s life will include hiking, cross country skiing and yes, painting outside. Mike explained that going from a fast-paced, energized community environment to a self directed more solitary lifestyle is concerning, yet he is hopeful that it will be fulfilling.

By Paulina Shea I asked Mike Henriques, Head of School and artist, if he could paint something that describes Proctor, what would he paint and why? He responded, “It might be of the inside doors in Slocumb, maybe just the latches and part of the door, slightly ajar and suggesting the room within.” To art students who create in the Slocumb art classrooms, Mike’s response hints at the potential within the building. As an artist in his last year as Head of school, Mike is now looking at the next part of his life, but before that, let’s paint a picture of his journey.

Sitting with him over Webex, I asked Mike to identify some of his favorite moments. He mentioned walking into the dining hall and seeing it decorated for the holidays and then sitting down to a nice dinner surrounded by the community and family. In addition, jumping into freezing water for the morning polar swim or and venturing out on the Ocean Classroom boat to take in what students experience.

One of Mike’s Paintings

To Mike, those Slocumb doors hint at so much more, some of which is unexplainable to an outsider, but he looks forward to “The creativity. The self-discovery. The journey.” Although the doors soon will shut and this journey as Head of School at Proctor Academy will be over, Mike can still look back through sixteen successful years as Head of School whenever he pleases.

The Sound of Music During COVID

By Annie Walker

The muffled voices sing “Higher Love”

by Steve Winwood through their large Donald Duck-like billed masks. Other students play their instruments behind their plexiglass dividers as our teacher Bill conducts us through a Jazz Rock rehearsal. Being a vocalist, I can say this year has been a struggle for the music program.

In my head, it sometimes looks a bit like a circus. All the instruments practice their parts at once, Bill can’t hear with his mask and face shield on, and the vocalists warm up in their special masks. It’s a bunch of elephants and ducks trumpeting and quacking.

The author in a singing mask

During a regular year in the recording studio, instrumentalists and vocalists would gather for Jazz Rock rehearsals twice a week to hang out and play music together. We thankfully still have that opportunity, but the campus mask mandate, special horn instrument bell cap covers, plexiglass stations, and socially distanced microphones make this year so different.

Masks are quite a challenge in the recording studio, but we recently upgraded this situation. Candace Gatzoulis, Proctor’s vocal instructor, stated, “Singers have their own 2-layered fitted or medical masks as well as singing masks we’ve provided which allow for proper phonation and clarity of sound. We have provided instrumentalists with bell masks for their instruments and face masks with a mouthpiece cut out in it.” These new masks are a huge improvement from our usual medical masks, and Candace has aided the vo-

calists a lot, but the instrumentalists are still a bit hesitant about their specialized masks. It takes a lot of time to make these new masks fit your face while still being able to comfortably sing or play.

Candace in rehearsal

Besides masks, the biggest downside of COVID affecting our music program is no live performances. Candace explained, “Our end of term performance will take place in our recording studio, without an in-person audience. It will be livestreamed for friends and family to watch... this will give us an opportunity to share what we’ve been working on over the past few months and allow each student’s talents to shine!”

for over 150 years. For Jack Robinson ‘22, that passion is the game of hockey.

Jack’s trajectory as a hockey player began in Steamboat Springs, Colorado when he was much younger, about four or five years old, thanks to his father. “At the time, he was the assistant head of the winter sports club for skiing in Steamboat, but he liked hockey too.” Before he knew it, Jack’s father’s love for the game developed within him, as well. “I watched him play, I grew up playing, and I didn’t really like ski racing so I decided to pursue hockey instead.” Although Jack gained interest in ice hockey at a young age, it wasn’t until later in his life that he discovered his true passion for the sport. “We were in a tournament in Denver,” said Jack. “There was a coach there who wanted me to move down to Denver. When I received that offer I knew I wanted to move away from home to play hockey competitively and to keep improving as an athlete.”

Still, it’s not the same. Having a live audience is an amazing thing. Most of the time it gives me butterflies in my stomach; having a connection with the audience helps create a vibe which then makes the eventual performance special. We are very lucky at the moment to be together to produce amazing work, it’s all we have as performers right now, and we’re going to make the most of it.

Jack’s most challenging moment as an athlete occurred off the ice. “My decision to come north and play for Proctor,” explained Jack. “Having to message all my friends to tell them I was leaving to go to school in New Hampshire, along with their reactions, was all very sad, but I’m glad I did.”

Jack Robinson: An Evolving Passion

By River Turnbull

Nestled in the dense forests of central New Hampshire, Proctor Academy has been providing opportunities for students

Soon after Jack began the next chapter of his hockey career at Proctor, he began to see tremendous improvements in not only his game but his mentality as well. “Mike Walsh gave me so much confidence,” says Jack. “I came to Proctor raw; I had decent talent, but I didn’t really know how to play the game. He took me under his wing and shaped me into a true player instead

of simply an athlete and I’m very thankful for that.”

According to Jack, hockey has done more than just improve his athletic abilities: it has shaped his outlook on life and the decisions he makes as he continues to mature. “After we lost our 14-state championship game, our coach came into the locker room and told us to never forget the feeling we were all experiencing at that moment,” said Jack. “I realized I never wanted to look back and regret not trying anything or not putting effort into everything I do. Hockey taught me to remember the feeling of failing, and use it as inspiration in my next experience.”

99 Years Later, Following My Great-Grandmother’s Footsteps By: Annie Walker

Our Graduation photos: 1922 & 2021

When I came to Proctor I thought I would be the first of my family to attend, but not until a year ago did I find out my great grandmother who is my namesake, Annie Langley, was a part of the graduating class of 1922. That was ninety-nine years ago; she and I will be graduating almost a century apart.

Now Proctor looked a bit different ninety-nine years ago. I talked with my Aunt Margie who revealed it was a coed public school, Slocumb was the basketball court, and kids would go home on the weekends and stay on campus during the week. That is what my great grandmother and her sister did when they attended; they were called “self borders.” Their father would bring them back to Proctor with a horse and buggy as they owned several horses.

This new found history and information was truly amazing to me, finding out my great grandmother and I would graduate high school ninety-nine years apart! I was able to look through some of her old school books and discover we both took

French. She also studied Latin, Mythology, Poetry, World War Issues, and United States History. She was a part of the play in her senior year. The production was, “Let’s all get Married” where she played the devoted aunt, Miss Laura Plum. I’m envious of her, she truly had quite a variety of activities and classes.

She was class secretary, played basketball, and then went on to study at the Plymouth Normal School, which is now known as Plymouth State University. She went on to live a long and ful- A high school filling life as the only photo of Annie teacher at the North Langley Road school, a one room schoolhouse, in North Wilmot, NH which is about ten miles down the road from Proctor. She later married my great grandfather Frank Walker, and had three children. I never met this amazing woman, but I loved hearing that we shared many similar interests in studies and both of us performed onstage at Proctor.

The Comeback Of Winter Carnival

By Blake Licata

Throughout this year, Covid has minimized the activities we can do on campus, but this winter poses an even bigger challenge: how can we remain safe and happy with the cold winter temperatures?

Perhaps bringing back an old Proctor tradition can solve that problem.

ter brainstorming with students and staff, Erica has exciting plans. During a long pandemic winter, Erica is trying to break up the term in order to generate some excitement and have some fun.

Winter carnival has been a big part of history for a long time, and Erica plans to bring it back this year. “I decided to make each day of the week a different competition. Winter carnival will begin with banner making and Super Bowl activities Saturday the 7th and then end with a dodgeball tournament Sunday the 14th.” Throughout the week, there will be competitions, such as faculty baby photos, twin day, sled races, snow sculptures, a ping pong tournament, and laser tag.

The first night there will be a “Proctor X-Games” along with a torch lighting to kick off the resurgence of winter carnival, along with an open skate for the finale on Sunday. Along with this, there will be a lot of food, fireworks and a lot of Proctor spirit!

Even through the challenges of this year, events like these make it easier to stay happy. We hope you felt the joy winter carnival brought to our campus!

What are Proctor Students Watching?

By Reid Sias

Erica Wheeler, the Student Activities Coordinator, has plans. “My goal is to bring the community together in a safe environment, while still having fun.” Af-

With the pandemic many months long, everyone feels a need for something to do when we are at home: most turn to

TV, movies, and video games. Proctor students have enjoyed a variety of entertainment.

Proctor ranges all over in favorite TV shows.

Many identified favorite shows like Grey’s Anatomy, a drama about doctors, and Bridgerton, a show about romance in the Regency era of England (this TV show recommendation was probably brought to you by history teachers who try to prove the past was worse than the present). Votes were given to Avatar the Last Airbender, Star Wars the Clone Wars, The Queen’s Gambit, and Criminal Minds. Living through campus Phase One quarantine leads us to search for new shows.

The movies were just as varied with a few favorites. These included everything from recent releases like Soul from Pixar to older productions. Some votes were classics like Saving Private Ryan, and others that have only recently begun to get more popular like Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

Some were childhood movies that made people nostalgic like Ice Age. Because we are stuck in our dorms, action movies like Chips, The Gentlemen, and Wonder Women 1984 made the list.

Those who play video games lean toward the multiplayer games. For example, there was Call of Duty Cold War, Call of Duty Warzone, Rainbow Six Siege, StarCraft 2, Minecraft, Mario Kart, and Fortnite. These games include fighting against other players or working with them for a common goal. While Phase One is going on it is nice to have some teamwork that’s not school work.

But what about the most popular genres?

Comedy is key they say, and that rings true for almost 65% of respondents who voted it as one of their three favorites. Looking at the world, we all need a laugh. With an unsurprising second, we have the action genre as a favorite because who hasn’t wanted to be an action hero at some point? We all love an escape from reality and that’s so important these days.

First-ever Winter Ocean Classroom

By Emily Gillis

Louisa Liddle ‘22 and Casten Crosby ‘22

While some of us are psyched to ski and dodge Covid here in New Hampshire, for the first time Proctor students are halfway around the world, scuba diving and sailing in the British Virgin Islands. Many students who planned to go on off-campus trips last Spring were disappointed in the cancellations due to COVID-19.

Now, these same students have been given the opportunity to be a part of Proctor’s first-ever winter Ocean Classroom where they will sail around the Caribbean.

room environment, and many students come back from this program feeling changed for the better after sailing for weeks. Now students on Ocean Classroom are capable of naming lines, parts, and the tools of the boat and have the ability to sail the ship independently.

The program provides independence and eye-opening perspectives for each student through cooperation while living in close quarters. Currently, students are in the Caribbean learning to scuba dive, an experience they will never forget. It is these unique programs that set Proctor apart from other boarding schools. Wouldn’t we all love to be onboard soaking up the sun on these long February days?

Masks In The Proctor Community

By CJ Geier

What do masks say about their wearer?

Some masks are blue, with white straps that go around your ears, others have the Proctor Academy logo, and many more have their own creative designs used to liven up the crazy world we live in today.

Ang Arcidi ‘22, right, sailing the ship

Brooks Bicknell, Program Director of Ocean Classroom, says, “The current eight students on Winter Ocean are learning to sail the ship, use navigation, run the bilges on boats, food preparation, and overall become certified junior crew members.” Brooks explained, “The risks are a lot lower and since we are not in hurricane season the group is able to sail around the Islands of St. John, Vieques, Calabras, and Green Cay.” Brooks worked hard this fall with World Ocean School to get the winter Ocean Classroom up and running.

Since there is a newfound interest in the changes that have been made, Brooks is pondering the idea of extending the opportunity to include a regular winter program along with the annual fall program to give more students the chance to sail.

Ocean Classroom is not your typical class-

Walking around campus, the most common mask is the blue and white disposable. This mask is the most popular for a number of reasons. As many Proctor students explained, this mask is the most comfortable, as it is loose and baggy. It is also easily accessible and inexpensive as they can be found around campus and bought in large quantities.

Another fairly common sight is the Proctor Academy mask which can be purchased in the Proctor Academy Store. This mask shows more school spirit, and they are made out of fabric.

There are multiple types of Proctor Academy masks, such as gaiters, approved only for sports and activities.

Not only are there great masks on campus, there are also some funny stories about masks. A surprising amount of students have attempted to eat with their mask on, and others say they now feel naked when they are not wearing their mask. Sophomore Owen Kreisler told me how once he spilled hot sauce on his mask, leaving him to smell hot sauce for the rest of the day.

Though the circumstances with Covid are not ideal, make the best of your mask situation.

Proctor’s Executive Orders

By Jack Robinson

Zach Macey brings sports into the mask game with a Boston Bruins NHL special.

I love these masks, as not only are they creative, but they also tell you something about who’s wearing them.

If you want to get inspiration for a creative mask, you should probably take notes from Will Wamaru. Will, who is the MLS dorm parent and Diversity Coordinator, has some of the most creative masks I have seen. His masks are filled with color and are aesthetically pleasing. My personal favorite of his is the mask he wore to the assembly when talking about Black history month.

Proctor’s School Leaders Nate Murawski and Kingsley Palmer

Proctor’s School Leaders Nate Murawski and Kingsley Palmer Entering the 183rd year as a school, Proctor students and faculty have seen 43 presidential elections.

This year was especially interesting as Joe Biden started a presidency in one of the strangest years ever. Coronavirus, controversies with foreign powers, economic dismay and an environment in ruins were just a few of the problems that our president had to prioritize. I surveyed the Proctor community on what they would do in the President’s shoes, what they thought was the best way to start our country’s next chapter.

In Biden’s short presidency, he has signed a mass of executive orders to try and ensure his presidency rebuilds America in a strong way. The most important orders included a mask mandate in federal buildings, and rejoining the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accords. Upon hearing this, I had no idea whether to be happy or nervous, whether these were good moves or just the moves of someone trying not to fail in their first days in the office?

I turned to the students for help. I asked in a survey, “What would you do given the chance to sign the first executive order

Some members of the community who voted in 2020

as the President of The United States?” I gave five options to tackle first: COVID, racial injustice, the economy, the environment, and unity inside of America. Of 38 responses, students showed a wide variety of answers. This was seen in all topics besides COVID. COVID was the top priority with 75% of people answering it should be step one, with another 15% saying it should be step two. From there, racial injustice was the next priority with 53% of second place votes. Interestingly, the economy, unity inside of America, and the environment had almost equal amounts of third, fourth, and fifth place votes putting them on a similar level just below COVID and racial injustice.

I asked if there were other important issues, and the results varied. Some of the responses included homelessness, sexism, immigration, foreign relations, gun violence, respecting the flag, voter suppression, and defunding the police. With all these issues, there’s a plethora of work to be done. As of right now, it seems that the Proctor community is hopeful that Joe Biden will continue to address these issues and eventually return the people back to the America we knew. With Biden’s first orders addressing COVID and the environment, the Proctor community agrees he is starting to climb the mountain of the critical issues facing our country.

“Word: a single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing,” says L. L doesn’t question why his name is a single letter, he lacks the consciousness to do so. “Page.” He drones on, with metallic tones rattling in his headbox. “One side of a sheet of paper in a collection of sheets bound together, especially as a book, magazine, or newspaper.” L doesn’t understand the noises he’s producing, he works without purpose or reason, merely acting. He’s gained the slightest amount of comprehension over the past two weeks; however, and he’s starting to produce thoughts. “Thinking is dangerous to a submissive mind,” he’s heard the man in blue say, but he can’t help it; ideas appear in his brain (which is barely a brain and mostly a sheet of metal) like galactic anomalies. They hurtle through his ears into his head where they stay, ricocheting like bullets. “Conundrum: a confusing and difficult problem or question,” says L. The man in blue is uneasy now, and he speaks in soft tones into a radio which dangles from his belt, swaying softly with his anxious pacing. L doesn’t understand the language he speaks, he barely understands language at all, but somehow he understands emotion and finds himself feeling something of the kind. What is it? Sadness? Boredom? He can’t tell, but it grows within him and spreads through each steel contraption of his body like a plague. He’s not reading anymore, he’s angry, and the book releases from his robotic grip and thuds on the cold cement.

A picture of the Proctor Pond before the Library was built

The Proctor Pond, the Heart of the Winter Campus

By Aodhan Hubble

The Proctor Pond has seen many different events over the years, from broomball games and hockey practices on the ice to swimming, after practice cool-offs, and graduation plunges. There are many alumni as well as faculty and staff that have fond memories of the pond. Its importance as a safe connecting spot during

Covid makes our pond the hub of Proctor.

Researching the pond’s history, Karl Methven, Dean of Faculty, provided some tales. Karl recalled an eventful day on the pond some time ago. “A former director of maintenance, Will Ames, loved to plow the pond to keep it open. One year he got on a little early and he went too far west to where the current runs into the pond and the ice was thin...and his pickup went down front-first into the pond.... good thing that end wasn’t too deep. They had to get a huge log skidder to yank it out with a chain.”

Hockey Practice

Maintenance mishaps are not the only events the Proctor Pond has seen, though.

Karl recalled one year when the hockey team practiced on the ice before the current rink had refrigeration and it was still somewhat thin. He recalled how one day at practice, when skating across the pond for conditioning, “the weight of the players coming across the ice pushed the ice down underneath them and the water under the ice pushed ahead...causing a bulge... the ice in front of them rose up like a wave coming across the pond... They had fun trying to make that wave higher and higher and they ended up doing more skating than planned.”

of the faculty took to paddleboards after last year’s graduation.

Graduation 2020

As he reflected, Drew shared many of the same positive sentiments about the pond as Karl. When asked about his thoughts on its increasing importance during Covid, he responded “Yes, for sure. There has been a nice commitment to the pond this winter to provide a good outside space for all in the community, students, faculty, staff, and faculty/staff kids.”

During Covid, the sense of community the pond brings to campus, during a time in which we need community, means everything.

Utilizing the Proctor Woodlands

By Hayden Campolong

Over the years Proctor has acquired several thousands of acres of beautiful woodlands. These woods have been used to Proctor’s advantage in many ways we might not expect. As someone who loves spending time in the woods, it was reassuring to learn how the wilderness is utilized.

Karl has positive views for the future. “It is good to see it get more use and be better maintained. Maybe your article could help rekindle interest in late-night broomball contests!”

Dean of Students Drew Donaldson, ‘92 listed some memories that were not limited to the winter months. “Pond jumping... we built a ramp and used to jump bikes into the pond. It was very fun, but [the] school had to shut it down due to liability. Kayaking on the pond. Soccer teams jumping in [the] pond for fun after a game.” There were also celebrations revolving around the pond, like when some

Due to the vastness of the woodlands of Proctor, much of the acreage is left to the wild. It is Woodlands Manager Laura Ostrowsky’s job to oversee the property. She makes decisions on how to use the land.

“There are four categories of my priorities.

The first priority that I’m always thinking about is biodiversity conservation and

wildlife habitat. Any decision I make here the first thing I’m considering is how this would impact our native species and the forest health. This has to do with removing invasive species, identifying them, and preventing them from spreading.”

Number two is that it is really an educational forest. So I’m always thinking of ways that students use it. So maintaining trails, making sure we can use it for recreation and for woods teams and sports.

Just really making sure we can get out there and trails are marked up.

Laura continued, “ Sugaring is also a big one. I run the maple sugar program here in the spring. The area we do this is across the road near the ski hill. I manage that part of the forest and the sugar maples.

The fourth priority is actually wood products. We do harvest wood here on Proctor land. We use the product for heating Proctor. About 80% of Proctor is heated by this wood. We really focus on which trees we cut making sure that there are regeneration harvest plans where you cut certain trees so that other trees will grow back preserving the woods.”

Laura detailed how these areas are picked, “First, I like to map out the protected areas where I don’t want trees to be harvest-

ed. Areas that are very pretty that students like, areas that are close to campus, areas on trails, areas with unusual biodiversity with endangered species. I pick areas that I specifically want to regenerate because we need to promote biodiversity.” With the instruction of Laura, the loggers cut down trees marked out specifically to preserve the land in its natural state. “Right now we are harvesting out by Hopkins Pond, over there we are trying to regenerate White oak. These cut circles usually have a specific type of tree that we want to grow back once you’ve opened up growing space.”

mountain biking through her four years and was involved in student government. “I went to Proctor to play hockey with the intent to play in college, so that was pretty much all I was focused on. My dream job was not to be in politics, however, I’m not surprised at where I am.”

It takes a cooperative group to sustain Proctor’s property, including students who are willing to help. I encourage all of us to get out and find a way to enjoy the woodlands or just enjoy a hike to get some mental health.

At Proctor, we all have teachers or coaches that support us through our Proctor journey, and Hazel had many. She recalled that ‘The role models I had elevated me, gave me the space, and mainly that would be Anne Swayze and Lori Patriacca.” These female role models were her strong advocates and other teachers at Proctor helped to push her to become her own self-advocate. Seeing other women in power motivated her to work hard.

Hazel Brewster: My Proctor Experience

By Hannah Stowe

If someone asked you right now what you want to be when you grow up, most of you would have no idea.

Alumni Hazel Brewster was no different. “I’m sure if you told a 14 year old me that she would be working in the statehouse every day, I would say you were crazy.” Vermont’s new Chief of Staff Hazel Brewster graduated in 2015 from Proctor. During her time here, she was exposed to many leadership opportunities that contributed to her success in politics.

As Chief of Staff, she works closely with the Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, Molly Gray, who took office this January.

“I am in charge of [Communications], which is social media to Press relations as well as policy advising and strategy advising for the lieutenant governor.”

During her time at Proctor, Hazel competed in varsity girls hockey, road biking, and

When it came time to run for School Leader at Proctor, Hazel said, “I was terrified of doing the whole speech as a junior and running because public speaking is absolutely terrifying, still is.’’ At the end of her senior winter term, she was approached by a mentor who asked her to step up and fill the open position of School leader. “This gave me the opportunity to see the change I wanted to make happen and see the consequences in a positive way.”

Hazel grew up in Vermont and recently graduated from the University of Vermont.

She chose to stay in her state after graduation. “When describing myself, I describe myself first and foremost as a Vermonter.”

She enjoys hiking, biking, and spending her free time outside in the beautiful green Vermont wilderness. “While I am in politics, the reason I’m in politics is because I love where I’m from. I like fighting for Vermonters and making their lives a better place.”

Hazel’s time at Proctor gave her a foundation for her success. She learned many important skills that have advanced her career and strong Proctor role models helped her bring those skills to her job in the statehouse.