HORNET’S NEST Proctor Academy | April 28, 2020| Vol. 5 | Issue 6
Image: yogajournal.com
Our Proctor Community: Tackling Fitness During a Pandemic By Michael Gilerman There’s no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of our daily lives. One thing remains consistent about the Proctor community: it remains active and athletic despite the absence of gyms. On cardiovascularbusiness.com, Steve Collett, an exercise physiologist and health coach recently observed, “No matter what else is going on in the world, people should remember to practice good nutrition, get enough sleep each night and continue to exercise.” In a recent survey of Proctor students and faculty on their athome activities, the results were quite astounding. I asked the community to rate themselves on my scale. ‘One’ was 0 days of activity, ‘two’ was 1-3 days, ‘three’ was 3-5 days, and ‘four’ was 6-7 days of activity. 21 people rated themselves on a level two, 38 people rated themselves as a three, and 32 people rated them-
selves as a four on the scale. Those results are quite impressive and show 95% of our community has been staying very active. Next, I asked, “What steps have you taken to stay in shape?” One exercise enthusiast replied, “Run every other day, Peloton app, and ski up the mountain when possible. This past week I have had less inspiration but try to push on because I know it helps my mental state. I also need to counteract my excessive carbohydrate consumption during this time!” A faculty member emphasized the value of movement, “I’ve gone on long hikes with my kids and I’ve tuned up my bike and gone for a few bike rides. I go on walks with my kids every day, but these are usually pretty short-- under an hour.” The second question was, “How has exercising helped you mentally?” Here are two revealing responses: “It’s the difference between staying sane and going nuts - but that’s the same no matter if there is a pandemic or not!” The next one noted, “
Being outside, seeing spring arrive, breathing deeply are all important and help keep me alert and feeling healthy. Mentally happy and fit is as important as physically stronger is too. I need to realize that life is going on and we will survive and enjoying the woods, the time of year, the freshness, and my pet are key to helping me feel happy and calmer.” Diet is also critical during a pandemic. I asked about changes in nutrition during this pandemic. 46 people (49%) said they had not adjusted their diets. 48 people (51%) said they had. The majority of our community really cares about their physical and mental well being while away from sports. Four-year senior, blacksmith, and gym enthusiast Sean Slick gave a glimpse into his routine.
Jaime Hort
Alex Keskintepe, a first-year sophomore, hockey player, and a huge fan of journalism interviews weighed in. “I’ve been running 3 miles every day as well as working out for 30-45 minutes and stick handling. It has helped me mentally because I feel better that I am training harder than my opponents. That gives me a sense of comfort and pride, and it helps me keep moving forward.” It’s encouraging to see a community adapt to an unlikely and unwanted situation. Despite gyms being closed and trainers forced to quarantine, our community refuses to quit exercising and stays active. Sean Slick
“I get up every day at 4:30 am and go for a 5-8 mile run, I get back and I hit weights for an hour. It pains me to sit through classes because I hate sitting, when classes are done the first thing I do is go for a run and then crush some bodyweight or do one of Craig’s workouts that he is posting on Instagram. Anyone who says that physical activity doesn’t help you is astonishingly wrong. I never take days off, life gets in the way and will provide days off, luckily during this quarantine we all have so much time to improve ourselves, why not stay in shape?” Jaime Hort, a two-year junior and girls varsity hockey player gave me the details of her conditioning. “During the pandemic so far I’ve been doing a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workout series called Insanity Max 30 by Sean T. I have also been targeting abs separately as well as rehabbing injuries from hockey season. My family and I have also been going on hikes and dog walks when the weather is good. Staying active definitely helps me mentally. I feel more focused during school and the workouts also give me something to look forward to.”
Alex Keskintepe (left)
International students
soon and wishes the same thing we all are: that the virus ends.
By Essence Mcclain
These past few weeks have been hard for many of us. Most of us are home with family, but a handful of Proctor students are not. If you find yourself bored or complaining about not leaving your house, you need to know some of your friends who are part of our international group cannot make it home at all. Alumni and former student leader, Zina Asante, who is from the West African country of Ghana, is currently stuck in the United States. Zina is living in Manchester, Connecticut with her auntie. She cannot travel home to Ghana to be with her mother because of flight restrictions. Though she does not feel any strong emotions now since it is technically still school time, Zina Asante she will start to feel the pressure when school is over. She hopes this virus blows over by the time summer approaches, so then she can be with her family again.
The year 2020 has been a disaster, but appreciate what you have if you’re at home. Our international students want everyone to be safe and hope we all stay connected with the people we care about.
Claire He (middle)
Unlike Zina, Claire He is a sophomore who had actually bought a one-way ticket to go back home to China, however, her flight was canceled. She is one of the three students stuck on campus at Proctor. She has no immediate family in the U.S. Claire told me she is longing to see friends, play sports, and her daily life at school. Most of all, “I miss my family, friends, and my dog.” Her younger brother also goes to school in the States, but lucky for him, he flew home earlier. Claire explained, “The younger you are, the faster you get home.”
Ingrid Wu (middle)
Happily, there are international students who were able to go home. Ferdinando Benetton, Class of 2020, was able to get a ticket from California to Italy when the virus started to affect his country. “I came home the second week of spring break because they were about to close flights. My parents didn’t want me to stay in the States; they wanted me close to them. My grandmother is 86 years old, I want to stay with her as much as I can, and I want to be the one who brings her food and medicine to protect her.” Ferdinando tells me in Italy he can’t travel outside because of the high fines for doing anything other than getting food. He is glad to be home with his family during this time and wishes everyone to be safe.
Ingrid Wu, an international student also still on campus, has been able to get an earlier ticket home after weeks living in a Proctor dorm. A charter bus has been provided by the Chinese government to help their citizens to return home. Claire hopes everything goes back to normal
The Online Admissions Experience By Hannah Stowe
As Proctor shifted to online learning starting March 30th, students are not the only ones struggling to adjust. During this drastic change to the virtual world, I wondered how is Admissions dealing with this and preparing to welcome next year’s students to Proctor? At this time each year during the admissions process, students are visiting Proctor for the second or third time to help make their final decision about school for the following year. This spring term has proven to be very different. As a junior beginning my college search, I know that the feeling you get as you walk down a campus path, tour an academic building, or even just see the faces of students at a prospective school can make or break a choice. Kayla Wagner, the Proctor Assistant Director of Admissions, explained to me that it is important to put a more personal side of Proctor forward, rather than just provide information.
She stated, “It’s a lot about feeling and seeing the human side of the school, and seeing people that are in school and a lot of videos of students outside of class, like in the dorms or skateboarding down the sidewalk.” This year, instead of shadowing a Proctor student on a Revisit Day, prospective students are matched with a student of similar interests so they can ask or text questions on the phone or email, and they learn as much as they can without being on the campus. Lacking face to face interactions, Admissions is putting together Skype calls and student panels to personally answer questions and concerns.
stories of fear, and portrayals of how the world was going to falter. It was only a matter of time before the gym was closed, curfews and guidelines enforced, and the only thing left open in town was the supermarket.
Admissions counselors are able to get to know each student more and take time to reach out more than they would have in a usual year. They are able to connect students to people, such as a woodworking teacher or the lacrosse coach. Things are looking positive in next year’s admissions, and students and families seem to embrace the virtual experience to make their decisions. The Enrollment Report presented to the faculty in early April indicated some cause for optimism as roughly 200 accepted students are considering Proctor for next year.
Kayla explained the new process and the efforts that they are making to help families be more comfortable with the new situation caused by Covid-19. “The Admissions team has been working closely with the Communications team to make videos that bring people onto our campus....” Videographer Ethney Marcus, Admission officers, faculty, and the administration have been trying to convey the actual feeling to families, to give them a connection to our campus. Much like many other colleges and prep schools, Proctor has held virtual student and faculty panels for prospective families so they can ask questions in real-time. They have done panels called Learning Skills 101, Alumni Voices a Year Out, the Proctor Experience, Leadership Forum, Outside the Classroom, and A World of Opportunities. Usually, the Admissions team spends hours planning all the spring events, leaving less time to get to know prospective students. Since this term they haven’t been spending as much time on planning Revisit Day, Kayla explained, “We can dig a little deeper with each student because we have the time to do so.”
Routine Amidst a Chaotic World By Sean Slick
As the tectonic plates of most of everyone’s lives have shifted, most of us have found ourselves with an abundance of time. How are you choosing to spend it? In conflict with most sleep specialists, I’m an outsider when it comes to sleep requirements. I start every day at 4 AM, sometimes earlier. I don’t need as much sleep as most people, I don’t know the sciences behind it but maybe there is some correlation to genetics. My father also wakes every day at 3:50 to start his workday. By the way, it’s done ‘alarm-less.’ In the early days of this Coronavirus situation, I found myself drifting into a dark hole, reading all sorts of news reports,
Routines are the backbone of living a healthy, productive life and the importance of having a routine in a time of stress and panic is what will help us all get through this time. According to a recent CNN report on well being, “We need order. We need to know what to do with ourselves with all this new unstructured time.” I follow a pretty strict and disciplined routine that doesn’t leave much time unoccupied. 4:15am: Usual wake up time 4:30: 1st Run (4-10 Miles) 5:40: 1st Weight Train 6:40: Coffee: Read News, Get some work done 7:30: Get Ready for day 9:30 Class 11:00: First Meal That’s the beginning of my day. It works for me and I find that having this consistent structure and daily discipline gives me the most productive and healthiest lifestyle. Everyone will have a different routine, I am a morning person so that works, but it’s really about something that keeps you challenged. The biggest tip I have is to write down what you want to get done. Recently I posted a survey to the community to get a consensus on people’s routines, work periods, and activity.
The majority of those who responded to the survey have a routine that reflects our community values structure and rhythm. For those wanting some ideas on how best to begin structuring your days, below are some Proctor tips I received:
“Write down what you have to get done and how long that will take. Then block out times that stay consistent: sleep, school, etc. and fill in with other activities.” “Make a list of daily tasks, check the list in your mind the night before and then get to it, how great it feels to mark things off your list! see if there are things that
you don’t do that you should do or need to do, check to see how that feels to not do what one ought to do, do it, sleep at a regular time, wake at a regular time, including healthy eating, exercise on your list..... :) ” “I try to keep mine as normal as it was before the pandemic.”
Since Proctor announced that students will not be returning to campus, many students have turned to Instagram to share some of their memories from the last several years. Even freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are posting some of their favorite memories of their senior friends, wishing them the best in whatever they choose to do next.
A Sad Time To Be A Senior By Kaia Schmid
Did you ever think that during your senior year of high school you’d be stuck inside your house missing out on senior activities, dances, and graduation? Probably not. Seniors at Proctor and all around the world are missing out on what they looked forward to since freshman year. More recently, seniors have spoken up on various apps like tik tok, Instagram, and Snapchat about how upset they are with the crisis. Not only are seniors being deprived of their senior privileges, but they are being deprived of their last glimpse of childhood before stepping out into the “real world.”
This world may be going through a lot of trauma, but many Proctor students are using this time to reflect on all the positives in their lives. Seniors cherish the memories created over the past few years and now must look forward to the new adventures ahead.
Now that Proctor has decided to close until the end of the school year, most students will not ever be together at the same time again. One sad Proctor senior said, “I think a lot of us would like to go back and see our friends and teachers one last time before going our own ways.” Another student noted, “I’m heartbroken by the way our senior year is ending but I know the decisions made to shut everything down is for the greater good. It’s still disappointing to not be able to finish as everyone else has.”
The Dorm Dilemma By Birgit Preuss
Covid-19 has led us into unprecedented territory that has boarding students wondering what is going to happen to their rooms and belongings. It is going to be hard, if not impossible to clean out our rooms for the next year. Luckily, the Student Life team at Proctor has kindly offered to pack up our belongings and ship or store them. The Student Life team has already packed and mailed essential items for students requesting them, but they’re nervous about having to pack up whole rooms. Administrative Assistant to Student Life Corrie Dickman is anxious to find something gross. She wondered, “Am I going to find some awesome science experiment from the food left?” Although disturbing, it will definitely happen. Proctor’s Store Manager Alex Estin, helping with the process, told me, “I did find an old egg sandwich from JJ’s on a kid’s desk.” Seeing that students like to
keep snacks in their rooms for study hall or their free block, the egg sandwich will be just the first of many surprises. Sometimes the encounters are not all gross. Corrie reported, I’ve already found many of you have shoe fetishesI’ve seen sooooo many shoes!” It is clear that most teens love clothes and shoes, but won’t all this be excessive work for the people packing up our rooms? With all the belongings and many roommates in a room, confusion could result.
This whole process will be hard for both students, Corrie, Alex, and Kyle. It might feel intrusive and out of students’ control, but being patient and recognizing the generosity and work of our student life coordinators will help.
Climbing a Virtual Mountain with the Mountain Classroom Instructors By Sophie Lyras
Because of this worry, Dean of Residential Life Kyle Tremblay says, “We are considering having the students video in while their room is being packed so they can be a part of the process.” I asked junior Kingsley Palmer of Gulick dorm how she felt about doing this. She noted even though it may be awkward, it makes her feel a bit more in control and there would be no confusion between her and her roommate’s belongings. Some students may worry about the Student Life team finding items in their room that would break a Proctor rule. Although this is a concern, Kyle stated, “We anticipate finding things we don’t want to see and have talked about how we might handle those situations. Again, respect for the student and their belongings is a priority.” It seems that among all the issues facing Proctor, this is not the main preoccupation.
Corrie helping during registration
Most teachers are still holding classes with the same curriculum they would be teaching if we were at school, but not all teachers can do that. Erica Hample and Quinn Harper are the current Mountain Classroom teachers who went from exploring the US with nine kids in the winter term to sitting in a house talking with a few seniors once or twice a week via Webex. After such a 180 degree turn of events, I checked in to see how they were coping with teaching online. Erica is the science teacher and is running a backyard field ecology course. She’s having the four students in her class take a deep dive into their backyards. When I asked her about online learning versus being in the field, she commented, “Oh my gosh it’s just no comparison. We feel so much less connection to anybody that I’m talking to. I have less connection to the places they’re in because I’ve never seen them before.” Like everyone else, Erica is also going crazy having to stay inside. “I’ve been trying to look at it as a way, as a time I could try to take care of my back and my body better.” Erica has had a back injury for the past two years and after leading trips for kids on Outward Bound and adults with other companies, she hasn’t had much
time to focus on her recovery. Quinn and Erica were in Seattle preparing for the spring term before Covid-19 canceled Mountain Classroom. They were right in Seattle when Seattle was getting hit first. “We had a little bit of time in Airbnbs… we didn’t really want to go out much.” After being on Mountain myself winter term, coming back and not doing anything is making me stir crazy. I’ve been wondering if there is a way I can make a Mountain experience at home. “It’s funny because a couple people [the mountain classroom seniors for the spring] said that their parents told them they needed to do a solo. So I think that’s a really good way to do it. Just go somewhere nearby that you’re allowed to camp and just take yourself camping. That’s definitely not the experience they signed up for but it’s very easy, you’re alone. Just bring a journal and nothing else.” I have taken up bread making and lots of baking during this time. I asked what else they have been doing to keep busy. “I have decided to embark on a portrait drawing thing.” She did a similar project her freshman year of college in a drawing class. “Quinn has been doing a lot of sourdough baking. I also started a kombucha mother, so hopefully next week I can start brewing. We also made pickles, some fermented stuff. We’ve been going on runs, I hate running, but it’s the only way to get out.” This outbreak has shifted a lot of people’s lives and plans for the future. Jobs are up in the air and people are worried about what’s to come, and Erica is no different. “Yeah, it came as a shock when we switched mentalities from working every day in a physical and emotional capacity to doing very little. But overall I’m just so thankful that we still have jobs. So many of my friends have been laid off and there’s not much prospect of
any of them having work for the summer which is the prime time to work in the outdoor industry. Most non-profits are just not set up to deal with this sort of thing. I’ve never had a salary or benefits, so it’s just so lucky that the first time that happened for me was also when I needed it the most.” I am so thankful to have been part of Mountain Classroom in the winter and my heart aches for those who can’t go this spring, especially the seniors. I hope this gives a little glimmer of hope to people who want to get outside, but don’t know what to do.
Proctor in a Pandemic: Learning in the Time of COVID-19 By Baxter Curry Recently, we ended our third week of online classes. Proctor definitely took a confident approach to the situation, highlighted in positive class intros, emails, and letters to the community. I’ve heard lots of input from the student body about online classes, but not much from the teaching side of things. So how are our teachers doing with remote learning? I decided to interview two teachers and beloved members of our community about our digital platform. Social Science teacher Kyle Connolly and my advisor and English teacher John Bouton both shared their experiences and thoughts about remote teaching. When asked what the most difficult part of online Proctor was, Kyle’s response was “The lack of face to face. Some days I am painfully aware that I am sitting alone in a room talking to a computer. My favorite part about teaching is being in a room with people talking about ideas and making connections.”
how he and his fellow Mountain classmates were counting down the days until the program began and how they waited about a year and half only to have their dreams crushed a week before they were leaving.
John shared similar thoughts, stating “It’s been vexing not to be able to interact face to face with students and to share my enthusiasm for them and our material with the warmth that I bring to the classroom.” He also highlighted an experience that is so central to Proctor yet is now difficult to find accessible within online classes. “I have found myself uncharacteristically designing experiences that feel transactional -- complete this reading, watch this YouTube supplemental material, work with a partner to find an extension of what we’re learning -- I find myself a bit more of a curator of experiences rather than a flesh-andblood teacher.” Everyone is having the shared experience of trying to cope at their workspaces at home, and the Proctor community has united in the same way it always does, albeit in a new digital medium.
Steve had just bought most of the equipment for Mountain. When asked if he would participate in a mini-mountain program during the senior project, Steve said, “Yes.” Later, when asked about what aspects he most wanted, Steve stated that he hoped to build connections with his mountain classmates, get the same experiences that the other mountain groups got, and be able to do the solo at the end.
What are the effects of Proctor Academy’s cancelation of off-campus programs? To many, this might be a lost opportunity that can just be rescheduled. To some of us though, losing our Mountain Classroom term is a tragedy of an entire year of preparation and anticipation.
Quinn Harper teaches a spring class titled Western Mythology and American Society, and is in his second year instructing in the Mountain Classroom program. He is currently teaching online classes for some of the mountain students. Quinn’s feelings regarding the cancellation of the program are clear. “It sucks there’s no getting around it. We were really excited for the spring.” Quinn went on to explain that he and Erica Hample, the other instructor on Mountain Classroom, were open to teaching online classes because they were new experiences, but it’s not the same. He stated that “It’s not what [we] signed up for; there’s a reason why we do Mountain Classroom and don’t teach on campus.”
Steve Jensen is a four year senior and is one of the ten students planning to adventure on Mountain this spring. When asked about his feelings regarding the cancellation of Mountain Classroom, Steve stated, “[I] was angry and disappointed.” Steve went on to explain
When asked where a mini-mountain group could go, Quinn stated, “If we were able to go get the bus and make a mini trip, I would go to Southern Utah.” Quinn explained that “[He] put a bunch of work in the last two years to get us permits to operate in a lot of different places there.” The permits were for climbing, canyoneering, and backpacking, so we would be able to do a lot of exploring there.
Searching For A Mini-Mountain By Rio Hashimoto
When asked which part of the regular Mountain Classroom he would prioritize, Quinn stated, “I like backpacking because there’s a lot of opportunity for skill progression where we can get people really self-sufficient; rock climbing it’s a trickier thing. However, I like rock climbing because it gets people out of their comfort zones.” As one of the students that was supposed to go to Mountain Classroom this spring, I’m interested in the possibility of participating in such a program during this year’s Senior Project. It could give me the opportunity to get a sliver of the Mountain Classroom experience and allow me to finish off my Proctor career with a bang. However, considering the severity of the situation this is probably unlikely to occur. It’s a fascinating idea: the possibility of planning our own trip that would try to mimic the experience that could only be found on Mountain. Who knows, these adventure-ready students might even plan a road trip this summer.
1 gigabyte connection speed to 5 gigabyte connection, which is a massive overhaul. The school also installed a new firewall, as the last one would only support 1 gigabyte connections. This new firewall can handle up to 10 gigabytes, as the school will need to upgrade in the future. Now, the wifi isn’t the only important thing on campus, as the tech department had to make sure all the teachers were prepared to teach their classes online. They provided every faculty member with at least an iPad, each teacher having one capable of writing with an Apple Pencil to use Notability or some system for teaching. Adam Jones, Proctor’s Technology Educator, worked on helping our teachers how to navigate Webex and get the most out of the program. Heidi Thoma, the Lovejoy Librarian, also helped teachers with information on how to teach remotely and provided resources to guide them. The Proctor Tech Department does a lot for us whether we are on campus or at home. It’s a critical aspect of our life, from sending a text to ask if your roommate can let you in to your dorm room to accessing every class through a device. While this COVID-19 situation is not ideal, Proctor Tech keeps us connected.
Real to Virtual By Alex Hotz
Tech Department is on Top of Their Game By Jack Fedele
The IT department was undeniably the most important part of Proctor for a period of time this spring. They’re the ones that keep these online classes running smoothly, and behind the scenes, they are doing more and less than you would think. In March, as Proctor introduced the idea that students might not return to campus in the spring, the school had to prepare for the worst. This meant finding an online class platform that is reliable, trustworthy, and easy to use. Proctor was ready.
Two months of no technology or real connection with the outside world came to an end on February 27th. The nine of us who had been adventuring on the winter Mountain Classroom program for ten weeks were unaware of a pandemic starting to spread around the world. Our group, fresh off experiential learning and travel, struggle even more with online learning. This winter I was off-campus on Mountain Classroom, starting in New Mexico and ending in California. Throughout this trip, we had very limited access to technology, instead of traditional classes, we did activities such as scavenger hunts to learn about navigation.
Proctor has had Webex set up for about three years. When they put in the new phones in every room about three years ago, they also purchased Webex for the whole school. The Proctor Tech Department has also been experimenting with Webex for about 4 years before purchasing the phone system, so they were familiar with the software, which made it easy to help students adapt. Jim Cox was ahead of the curve to help the school in online classes, “We were pretty lucky because we had it all set up and ready to go. So when there were hints that we might need to go online, all we had to do was send out those emails.” This meant all they had to do was help individuals with issues troubleshoot. When the school started to hear about COVID-19 in China, they believed that remote learning could happen, so they planned to upgrade our bandwidth. The school went from a
Every day on Mountain Classroom was a challenge, you had to find a balance between schoolwork, hiking and other jobs and tasks for the day. Senior Alex Catterson recalled, “What I miss about Mountain is how it challenged me. How every
night I would go to bed exhausted from the day.” With new online classes, we spend much less time outside doing physical activities. While life is generally easier not needing to worry about multiple things at once, during online classes, we lose the healthy challenges we faced on campus. Alex and another senior Anya Jewel both said how they believed solo prepared them for this new isolation from people outside your family. Solo was a three-day experience and a regular part of Mountain Classroom where we were left alone with nothing but essentials such as food, water and a tarp with no one to talk to. This was for me pretty boring most of the time but it did force me to find things to entertain myself with. While quarantine and solo are very different situations, they both involve boredom and feeling lonely. So a little dose of this discomfort on solo helped our group be prepared for this experience.
Other aspects of the winter Mountain Classroom experience impacts the group now. Anya explained, “I miss the simplicity of Mountain [compared to] how overwhelming and constantly connected everything is now.” On Mountain Classroom we were constantly with one another but they were real face to face interactions, there was no screen between us and no easy escape from one another. It helped us to simply communicate with one another. This was not the only “nontech” thing about Mountain, our assignments were often turned in on paper, we lived out of a bus and some tents, and
we sometimes played with sticks for entertainment. This simplicity is lost when we start to be consumed by technology. Mountain Classroom was a special adventure in learning, and even though our group returned to a world different than we left, I don’t believe any of us would have changed our experiences.
Missing Dorm Life By Sloane Wightman
Living together in a small dorm room, a special relationship forms between roommates. The feel of connection and the bonds of friendship are often cemented. Spontaneous funny moments, deep conversations and sleepovers are not something that you can get anywhere else. Although it is comforting to be with family during challenging circumstances, senior Nils Holland reflected on living in a dorm: “I love being with all the boys because it’s like living with a bunch of brothers. I have been living in Rulon Miller house with all the hockey boys. Being around them all the time inspired me to try out for the team this past winter. I ended up making the team and I think this helped my connections with the boys on and off the ice. The past four years I have lived with my best friends. There is no other experience like it. Dorm life in college won’t be the same as dorm life at Proctor because of the close community life that Proctor provides.”
The fun times also come with important lessons. Sophomore Meg Patrick observed,: “Living in a dorm has made a big impact on my life. Respecting other people’s space is really important. When living with multiple girls in one building, it gets crowded easily and being able to have time to yourself is really nice. Clean-
liness is also something I have become very familiar with.” For those who are missing school and wanting to be back with their friends, you are not alone. Junior Cooper Rice noted, “One of my favorite parts about Proctor is being able to return to my dorm at the end of a long day to all my friends who I know have my back and are always there to support me. It is super hard not having that constant support system at my fingertips. There is something special about living with your peers. It helps you build a strong connection with someone inside and outside of the classroom or sports field.”
Junior Kerri Belguendouz reminds us to stay strong while alone: “Online school is tough, it drains you in a way you wouldn’t expect, day to day it’s fine but the accumulation has an effect. We just need to push through as a community and we will get through these challenging times more appreciative of the little things.”