Hornet's Nest | October 16, 2020 | Vol. 6 | Issue 1

HORNET’S NEST Proctor Academy | October 16, 2020 | Vol. 6 | Issue 1

Brian Thomas: A New Chapter

By Casten Crosby

Brian Thomas is a former actor, father, husband, and soon to be leader of our community. Who is this man joining us as the new Head of School?

As noted in Scott Allenby’s profile on the Proctor website, Brian was born and raised in the south side of Chicago before attending Yale where he earned his BA in history and then the University of Portland for his MS in education. He went on to become a professional actor where he worked in different movies and shows before starting work in schools. Brian moved into education when he decided that he wanted to do something that would give back to his community. He worked thirty years in all different types of private and public schools. Proctor will be his first boarding school.

In a Webex conversation with Brian this fall, he told me what interested him in Proctor. “The tight knit community, the close relationships with faculty and students… [the faculty] see things in [the students] that sometimes they wouldn’t see in themselves, like the good stuff.”

He was fond of this aspect in Proctor because it wasn’t something that you could find in other schools. He is a firm believer that people grow when mentors, such as faculty, see something in the students that they otherwise wouldn’t see in themselves. Brian loved that Proctor is a community where becoming a good person is one of the most important characteristics.

Brian Thomas Brian is most looking forward to the students in our community; his voice conveyed lots of passion when he talked excitedly about the kids at Proctor. “Like any school, the faculty hold the culture because they are going to be there for a long period of time, so they are the culture keepers. But the kids are what makes a school a school.”

Brian is going to be a great fit and addition to the Proctor community. His personality is very outgoing, he’s kind and down to earth. He visited last week to get a look around campus and began forming friendships with faculty and students. We can’t wait to see what this new year and new changes will bring.

Staying Close While Socially Distant

By River Turnbull

One staple of the Proctor community is our personal connections to one another. We pride ourselves on our close-knit, familial relationships and we demonstrate these relationships through friendships, advisories, and assemblies.

ished moments of walking into the room and greeting all your friends as you find your seat in the crowd no longer exist. Instead, I meet with my advisory in our normal spot under the tent and see my peers through the cameras on their laptops.

Each year pre COVID, new students are placed into advisories with each other, advisories in which some meet their closest friends. Advisories meet Tuesdays, converse about classes and sports, or even grab food together from one of the many places where it’s provided on campus.

Three times a week, all advisories come together in the meeting house for an allschool assembly where students and faculty make announcements, perform music, or socialize with one another. These are not the only examples of places where the Proctor community comes together. Team sports, activities, classes, the Brown Dining Commons, and the Wise all provide this same experience.

Social distancing alone has forced the school to reconsider how we gather, whether it’s assemblies, advisories, or classes.

Now my advisory meets under a tent outside of the dining hall, socially distanced around a table. In my Spanish class, we sit six feet apart from one another in a tent outside of the Meeting House to ensure we stay safe. And all-school assembly takes place on a virtual WebEx call. The cher-

Recently, I sat down with Assistant Head of School Karin Clough regarding our relationships and asked about how the enforcement of social distancing has affected the school. “I think it’s challenging to enforce social distancing because Proctor is such a friendly place. Kids are friendly with each other and so there have been pictures of kids with their arms around each other on social media and it gets complicated. How are we saying we’re enforcing social distancing but at the same time allowing teenagers to have that joy and togetherness that does come from close contact?” How does sacrificing our friendly and affectionate interactions change the way we define ourselves? Or does it change anything at all?

To answer this challenging question, I talked to Jill Jones Grotnes, an art teacher, advisor, coach, dorm parent. Jill is an extremely engaged faculty member, especially when it comes to her advisory.

When asked about how her advisory has been spending their time together amidst COVID-19, Jill explained, “We meet in my classroom or outside of my house. It hasn’t changed all that much, I still bring snacks. We talk through schedules, fun things, homework, etc. Our group is pret-

ty lively and fun. I can’t wait to have advisory dinners again. I miss those. I am desperately missing the daily hugs the most.”

For those not on campus, social media provides a window into the true emotion of the Proctor family. The Proctor Academy Instagram account illustrates the friendships between students with a daily stream of pictures of peers smiling and enjoying each day. The online photos speak volumes about our community: students are still smiling, they’re still laughing, and although the rest of the world seems to be in a state of uncertainty, this community is still enjoying each and every day we share on our beautiful campus.

Karine Dumont

Another Teacher Returns to Proctor

By Piper Sullivan

After twenty years away from Proctor, Karine Dumont is back. Karine is one of our newest faculty members who is stepping into the Learning Skills department.

Karine was born in France, and went to school at Middlebury College in Vermont as an International Student. Karine started working at Proctor in 1993 as a Spanish teacher while living in Ives House.

She soon became a snowboarding coach and learned how to snowboard at Ragged Mountain with the students. Along with snowboarding she worked with the girls JV Tennis team and also taught some French.

During Karine’s earlier years at Proctor she was the Segovia off campus program co-director from 1998 to 2002. Reflecting

on her return to Proctor, Karine said she is, “Super happy to be back in Andover after twenty years away.” Karine was drawn to Proctor by the “community, the support, and the high expectations the school has.” Sue Houston of the Science department was Karine’s faculty advisor when she was a new faculty member.

Although Karine is new in the Learning Skills program, she is, “Excited to connect with her students and help them discover their strengths.” Like us, Karine is also hopeful to stay face to face for as long as we can. If you happen to see Karine around campus don’t be shy to say a quick hello. Proctor is so excited to have her back on campus!

COVID Upsets the Sports Scene

By Annie Walker

Sports around the globe are being affected by COVID-19, and we all knew our own Proctor Academy sports were going to look a little different this year. Would we even have sports, what would they look like, and how many games would we have?

Into the first couple weeks of school we have a better idea of what each sport might look like, and not just the fall sports.

To help athletes who want to play in college, winter and spring sports are a couple weeks into optional practices for athletes in basketball, hockey, lacrosse, etc. As agreed upon in the Lakes Region league, coaches are meeting one to two times a week with their student athletes in preparation for their upcoming season, and may be scrimmaging on a limited basis with other schools.

Gregor Makechnie, the Director of Athletics at Proctor, revealed some of the challenges and advantages of sports this fall. He noted that many committed athletes here participate in off campus club teams from back home, and many of them have been a part of their clubs for years. Club teams offer a lot of opportunities, but due to COVID-19, students are not allowed to travel off campus for that practice and exposure. While there are downsides of not being able to participate in club teams,

Maggie Kennedy, Varsity Girls Hockey Coach said of Proctor fall practices, “They’re [the players] also getting more opportunities to be on the ice than they would with their club teams this fall. I think it’s a really great alternative for what they may be missing with the club team.

And in fact, we may be even providing a better opportunity for skill work and growth.”

Having these optional practice times all during the week is a great way for committed athletes to show that they’re dedicated and preparing by scrimmaging this fall. Scrimmages will also be livestreamed, so athletes can use video to showcase their skills and talents to prospective college coaches.

While there are physical demands of afternoon sports and off season training, the mental aspect of being a student athlete is another concern. Gregor observed, “It is possible that somebody is playing field hockey and going to a basketball practice, and going to lacrosse, and that’s a lot admittedly. So...we’ve asked all our coaches to be mindful of the physical load and to just be mindful of how students are doing. Are they dragging, are they exhausted, are they breaking down and vulnerable to injury? That’s something we have to monitor very carefully.”

Balancing academics, extracurriculars, sports, social life, and on top of that the world’s crises can be overwhelming. Our mental health is something we have to take care of on top of the physical demands. But we have to thank the coaches, athletic trainers, teachers and friends for looking out for these athletes and helping us all through this unprecedented time.

The State of Food At Proctor During COVID

By Reid Sias

The food at Proctor during a non-COVID year is a hotly debated topic where people argue about almost everything from the

taste to the best places to sit in the dining hall, but this year, due to COVID, we have new issues to discuss. Which good and bad changes will have a lasting effect on our dining hall?

In a recent poll sent out to the faculty and students at Proctor, I asked about their current thoughts on food and availability on campus. The guidelines in place are a new flow of traffic (arrows on the floor) in the dining hall, staff and faculty serve the food and hand you silverware, no more than four people per table, and you must use hand sanitizer at the beginning of the line.

Of the forty-nine responses to the survey, most were really positive to the question “Are you happy with the Dining Hall’s new systems (Given the COVID restrictions)?” Sixteen people said that they did not like it even given the restrictions due to COVID-19. Other respondents noted that non-dining hall sources of food are better, for example, the Wise or pizza deliveries or food brought from home.

These are all excellent food sources, but not everyone can use them because people don’t always have the funds to buy food outside of the dining hall. Two common complaints about the new system included “I can’t sit with my friends” and “I can’t choose my portion size.” The positive responses indicated that the dining hall was doing its best and improving their systems, such as a ‘grab and go’ sandwich room at lunch.

When asked what they would improve, the majority requested more food options at lunch and dinner and sandwich options throughout the day. Many respondents wished that the dining hall would have open doors throughout the day for grab and go food, and so they wouldn’t have to stand in the line for a while being hungry. Overall, despite the minor inconveniences, the dining hall seems to be doing a fantastic job in the eyes of the faculty and students.

The Pizza Chef deliveries made a lot of people happy, but some people also want food trucks, like Patty Pond’s Bluebird Baker, around during the day for grilled cheese and lunch items. There was interest in having food available in the Wise throughout the day, extending the current practice of free breakfast sandwiches every morning. For extra energy before sports, the athletes said that they wanted granola and protein bars and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

No surprise, when asked if they would change anything else, the response of the community is for a wider variety of foods and coffee on campus during the day.

The general consensus is that this year the food on campus is still lacking, but it has improved from the first week. The people working on food are trying their best to give us the food we want, but the many complications due to COVID are challenging. Proctor is looking into a coffee shop cart run by students, has brought a food truck to serve free food on-campus one Saturday night, and hungry students are hoping the accommodations will continue.

Another Class Change with Covid

es continues to be a debate at Proctor as the average class previous to this fall was fifty-five minutes, but now all classes have been changed to seventy minutes.

After talking to three year junior, Emily Gillis, she explained her struggle with the updated schedule. “I feel like some of my teachers need to understand that they get carried away with lecturing, and we should use the end of class time to ask questions and start the homework.” She continued, “I feel like I would be more engaged if we met more times a week for a shorter amount of time.”

Emily Gillis ‘22 For many of the students who have a hard time sustaining attention, this raises some concern. For students, sitting at a desk for seventy minutes is very challenging and makes the quality of class much lower, and considering most classes only meet up to three times a week, this seems to be much less than ideal. However, there do seem to be some perks.

Three year senior Nate Hazen observed, “The longer classes are very hard to stay focused in, but the amount of times we meet a week makes it much easier to complete the homework, and allows students to make sure they understand what is going on in the class.” Even though Nate stated both the pros and cons, the more people I asked, the more positive feedback I received about the longer classes.

By Blake Licata

As the hour mark of class hits, I look around at my classmates who seem to be staring at the clock, wondering how we are going to make it through the next ten minutes of class. The length of class-

Nate Hazen ‘21

From the faculty perspective, the new schedule seems to make a lot more sense. Veteran chemistry teacher Ian Hamlet stated, “This was a faculty decision to make the most out of our class time. I have more time to lecture and complete labs as well as more time for students to get Chemistry teacher help and ask questions. It seems Ian Hamlet to be working out in a couple of ways, I know that students are getting their homework done, and the day is slowing down a bit for the students, which allows them to get to their classes easier without rushing.” The decision to change the schedule was not made hastily, faculty discussed this for multiple years before the final decision was made.

Although a lot of students aren’t happy with the schedule, we are all happy to be back on campus. It may take some time for teachers and students to adjust to our new class day, but we should give it some time to see if this will benefit everyone.

More than the Zamboni Driver

By Matthew Hynes

If you have been to the Teddy Maloney ‘88 Rink, you have most likely seen George Faran either caring for the entire hockey rink or putting a fresh sheet of ice down. He is always mastering his craft and learning new ways to do his job more effectively. George has had a tough year: after getting a full hip replacement, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

On September 22, he completed his radiation treatments with a certificate for having the most positive and determined attitude throughout his treatment.

tor students put the ice down this September. Once you make ice for a while, like George, you find certain do’s and don’ts.

George shared, “Thin coats or layers of water freeze faster, so you can put down more water faster.”

Cooper Rice and I are doing an independent activity this fall with George in the rink. It is amazing how much information he knows right off the top of his head. If he doesn’t know an answer to something he will look it up and tell you the next time he sees you. When students are skating and having a good time, it puts a smile on George’s face. He is also a handy maintenance man around campus. He sent Cooper and I a summer picture of him getting our room ready for move in.

George’s favorite part of the season is when “The teams have been chosen, and the rosters are set. I like it when the lines work together and begin to click.” As a graduate of New Hampton School (a fact we try not to hold against him), it is always a special time for George when we play the Huskies in hockey. Whenever you have the opportunity for a conversation with George, take advantage because you will always learn something new.

Wilderness Orientation’s 50th Anniversary Done Differently

By Emily Gillis

Before coming to Proctor, George spent his career as a public safety officer. He told me “I worked for either fire or police agencies for over 38 years before I ‘retired.’” It seems he hasn’t really retired because he is still working here at Proctor. On top of work, he likes to spend his time doing odd jobs helping people out.

For forty-nine years, Wilderness Orientation was a five day, fournight camping experience out in the wilderness where we bonded with other new students. For students who entered Proctor amidst this pandemic, orientation became just a very short twenty-four hour camping experience.

In his time here at Proctor he has spent countless hours putting a whole sheet of ice down. George is a fanatic about the work he does and strives to make it perfect. In only a single week’s time, George and his assistant, Duncan, with the help of many Proc-

Junior Lucy Short, who volunteered to be a student leader, stated, “I would have liked to get to know my group better and missed being asked questions on what Proctor is all about since classes had already started.” Lucy observed that while they hiked and cooked as a group, this year’s later orientation (after

a week of classes for sophomores, juniors, & seniors) was drastically different as her group already knew each other after a week of classes and dorm living.

incoming students’ orientation, we can only hope that future Proctor students get the full experience of the 51st wilderness orientation they deserve.

Chaotic College Admissions Catastrophe

By Patrick Duffy

Lucy Short ‘22 Proctor’s Wilderness Orientation Director Kayden Will happily observed the new students were able to explore the woods around our campus as a way of introduction. “This year’s new students had a greater connection to the Proctor Woodlands than most returning students. It would be wonderful to find ways to continue getting students out onto our campus and getting to know the woods, trails, ponds, and mountains right in our own backyard.”

New student Allie Cimis had dinner with her group on orientation and they shared personal strengths and weaknesses. Allie noticed, “There is great value you can learn from others in sharing these vulnerable experiences.” Today, even though her orientation was short, she feels like her fellow orientation buddies have become her closest friends on campus.

Although Proctor’s big anniversary orientation didn’t look as typical as ones in the past, there was still a great amount of work put in by our faculty, staff, and students who adapted to the COVID challenges.

We all would have liked for things to go as planned, but as the future is still unclear, we can appreciate the time we have on campus. Kayden also mentioned she, “Appreciates that the school puts such value into orientation as an essential way for all of our incoming students to begin their Proctor journeys.”

Even though Covid-19 has impacted our

Attention all Juniors and Seniors! Are you wondering how your college admissions process will be altered due to the COVID pandemic? Exactly what changes have already been made and will any of them remain permanent? As a junior who was concerned about college admissions, I’ve discovered some key insights that might help you navigate the process.

In an exclusive interview with Michael Koenig, Proctor’s Director of College Counseling, the biggest change to the college admissions process is that, “Many students who are entering their senior year haven’t been on campuses and colleges have moved to virtual tours and visits and communications.” The biggest way that most colleges attract students is by showing them their campuses in person and giving grand tours of their fancy facilities. In response, many schools have overhauled their websites and added interactive virtual campus tours that are fun to look at and full of information.

Michael Koenig Another important aspect of the college admissions process is standardized testing, such as the SAT or ACT. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on who you ask, testing sites were forced to shut down, handicapping the majority of students from their ability to take tests. In

regards to testing requirements, Michael stated, “With many test centers shut down last spring, juniors didn’t really have the opportunity to test. In regards to that, many schools have moved to being test optional or test blind for this admissions cycle.” Michael believes that because standardized testing is “not a lot of fun,” schools going test optional will be beneficial to most students applying.

According to FairTest.org (a center for fair and open testing), “More than two-thirds of 4-year colleges and universities in the U.S. will not require applicants to submit ACT or SAT scores for fall 2021 admission.” Therefore, students who don’t have any test scores to submit still have many options to choose from. Nonetheless, this change only applies to students who are applying for colleges this year with the hopes of going to college in the fall of 2021.

With the lack of testing facilities and the current test optional landscape, many people are wondering if this pandemic will cause college admissions to permanently exclude the need for tests. Mike explained, “I don’t think that this is the beginning of the end. I think there is a place for standardized testing certainly in larger schools that have more decisions to make and try to differentiate [students], but we’ll have to see.” Even though many people wish this weren’t true, a student’s test scores are vital to colleges in order to allow them to measure their knowledge in certain subjects.

It may be that standardized testing will more likely stay as a requirement in bigger schools that deal with a lot more applicants. Smaller schools, on the other hand, have paved the way for test optional applications and continue to set themselves as examples for other institutions who are considering making the switch. According to a 2020 article in the Washington Post

by education writer Valerie Strauss, “Some said they would not require tests for a few years as an experiment to see how the admissions process would do without them.”

Navigating through the college admissions process has never been easy, and despite all of the COVID uncertainty, and the future of testing unknown, Michael reminds us the most important part for college admissions remains the same. “Schools want community members who are going to engage, be involved and seek out a great education that they have to offer.”

As always, engage with your community, work hard, and be yourself.

told me, “Even with COVID-19 happening, I think actually being able to play sports was the biggest surprise and I’m so happy we get to play!”

Assistant Head of School Karin Clough is clear that coming back to campus was a good decision. “Absolutely! Schools are such an important part of students’ lives and they need interactions with their peers and caring adults. You can do the content [online], but being together and learning through constant interactions are how we create memories.”

Is Proctor ahead of the Game compared to other Lakes Region Schools?

By Ang Arcidi

As the uncertainty of COVID-19 continues here in New Hampshire, do you wonder how Proctor has stayed ahead of the game compared to other schools near us? Even though the Lakes Region schools worked together throughout the summer to form the safest back to school plans and have ongoing communication, I talked to a friend at New Hampton and our Assistant Head of School Karin Clough to find out how we compare.

Sophomore Theo Breton, a new student at New Hampton School, told me about his adjustment to boarding school during COVID-19 and their new modifications. In regard to dorm life, Theo explained, “We aren’t allowed into other peoples rooms and only two people are allowed in the common room at a time. Also every time we have a dorm meeting it is outside, we can’t be in the common room.” Compared to Proctor, this is strict, especially if you’re a new student trying to get to know people in your dorm.

Karin Clough After spending many weeks planning our fall term, I asked Karin what she believes puts Proctor in such a good position. She smiled and noted, “Proctor is in a good situation because of how small of a school we are. Our classes, dorms, and the town of Andover are all very small compared to other Lakes Region Schools and I think because we have so much isolation it has become our biggest asset.” As we continue with school, sports, and our own lives the only true way to stay ahead of the game is to be there for our community and keep your mask on!

COVID 19: Is Phase 3 in Our Future?

By Andy Warren

Proctor Administrators are working hard and diligently to consider the stresses that students are facing. Phase 3 has been the buzz around campus recently, and many students have wondered when Phase 3 will happen and what the benefits are going to be.

Along with dorm life, Theo also said, “All of my classes including advisory are in person but school meetings (assembly) are online,” similar to Proctor. New Hampton’s and Proctor’s sports guidelines are alike. Theo told me, “At New Hampton we do have sports. You don’t have to wear a mask unless you’re on the bench, and contact is allowed.” When I asked Theo what his biggest surprise was about being in school this fall he

Scott Allenby, Head of Communications and COVID response team member, said, “When students talk about the idea of Phase 3, it boils down to the wearing of masks outdoors between classes, etc. For the foreseeable future, this is not an option for our community... We have to get better at social distancing. And we have to be willing to hold each other accountable. Our priority right now as a school is keeping our community safe. While there are certainly inconveniences for all of us, they pale in comparison to the inconvenience of shifting back to remote learning.” For most students, this message

of community safety is what is essential. No student wants to get caught having to go home when we are nearing half of our tenweek fall term on campus.

WEEKEND Love FRIDAY | OCTOBER 16 6:00 - 8:30 PM: Open Gym 7:00 PM: Movie “Warrior Women” - Chapel 6:30 - 8:30 PM: Open Slocumb - Rock painting and bracelet making 8:30 PM: In Dorm Time

SATURDAY | OCTOBER 17 Another aspect of being on campus and not allowed to leave to go home is mental health. Even students who have been here for multiple years are struggling. The idea of being locked on campus is a feeling not only new students may be feeling but everyone. As a second year junior here at Proctor, I can personally say that this year has been somewhat of a struggle. Of course, it is always good to be around your friends and hang out with them during the days, but what is especially challenging for me is not looking forward to the mid-term where we get a little break. This year I have to look to the end of the term.

Derek Nussbaum-Wagler, the school’s Academic Dean and member of the COVID committee, explained, “Additionally, our whole community needs to continue to check in on one another. The uncertainty we are all experiencing can weigh heavily on each of us. So students and adults need to be willing to hit pause on what is weighing them down so that they can focus on self-care.” Derek continued, “Our responsibility as a community is to surround our students with support and love and to simply listen to your frustrations, concerns, or stressors...We have been starved of human interaction over the past six months, and while this fall is certainly different and challenging and exhausting, we are together.” Phase 3 may not be in our near future yet, and we may instead have to look forward to what winter term is going to look like, which is another problem in our community that is being discussed as you read this.

Finally, Head of school, Mike Henriques, in his last year at Proctor, thought the community should know this, “That we will be wearing masks, social distancing, and washing hands for a long time. I don’t see our patterns changing over the fall.

If we get to play sports throughout the season, we will be lucky. If we can stay healthy through November, it will be a huge victory for the community.”

2:30 PM: Varsity Field Hockey vs KUA 2:30 PM: JV Girls Soccer vs KUA 4:00 PM: JV Field Hockey vs KUA 6:00 PM: Varsity Girls Soccer vs KUA 5:00 - 10:00 PM: Wise Open 7:00 PM: Banff Mountain Film Festival - Wise 7:00 PM: Hornet Grill - Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers grilled by your fearless faculty members 7:30 - 10:00 PM: The Smoothie Bus - Strawberry Banana, Berry Boost, Tropical Twist, Peanut Butter Power, Chocolate Covered Strawberries - Near the Turf 7:30 PM: Jaxtimer Fire Pit with S’mores 8:00 PM: First official Proctor Intramural challenge - Kickball - Meet at the center of turf

SUNDAY | OCTOBER 18

12:00 PM: Hike Mt. Cardigan - Meet at the Outdoor center 12:30 PM: Kayak at Elbow Pond - Meet at the Outdoor Center 1:00 - 3:00 PM: Open Gym 3:00 PM: Make your own Caramel Apples - Wise 3:00 - 7:00 PM: Wise Center Open 5:15 - 6:45 PM: Sunday Sundaes in the Dining Hall

Get your halloween

costumes ready COSTUME contests coming up soon!

Questions? Suggestions? Get Involved with Student Activities!

Contact Erica Wheeler, Student Activities Director at wheelerer@proctoracademy.org.

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