HORNET’S NEST Proctor Academy | December 10, 2021 | Vol. 7 | Issue 2
Proctor’s Cup of Joe By Lucy Werner
At Proctor Academy the majority of us have a morning cup of joe to get our day started. Besides keeping us energized, caffeine is a drug and can be addicting. What about caffeine does the Proctor Community love so much? I sent out a survey to the Proctor community to investigate their caffeine habits, and out of the 82 people who responded, 79% drink caffeine, well above the 64% of Americans who seek a daily dose. However, only 54% of those faculty and students drink caffeine everyday, which is surprising because the bulk of people I know love drinking coffee. Proctor drinks coffee for a variety of reasons. One student described caffeine as a, “Source of happiness that brings light into [her] days.” According to Healthline.com, some of the positive benefits of caffeine include alertness, decreased suicide risk, and decreased risk of oral cancer. Along with improved happiness, some people mentioned the darkness of caffeine headaches. Headaches are far from the only bad symptom that can occur from drinking caffeine. These negatives range from confusion, headaches, irritability, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, and many more. These side effects are impacting students and faculty. Just the other day a friend told me during class she had a terrible headache and heartburn from the three coffees she had consumed that morning. Despite the health concerns, people are still going for the coffees, Red Bulls, and Bang energy drinks. However, there are some people within the Proctor Community who avoid drinking coffee. These non coffee drinkers at Proctor have found some great substitutes for caffeine without the negative effects. Yes, tea is technically a caffeinated drink but not nearly as strong as coffee. One survey respondent noted, “a part of my daily routine is having a cup of hot tea. I may have a cup after dinner too to relax.” Tea is a great way
to get the caffeine you need plus some antioxidants. However, tea is not nearly as popular compared to the morning cup of joe at Proctor. Coffee awaits you at the Proctor coffee house where students serve and gather on the weekends. Along with students, teachers Ian Hamlet & Patty Pond host a faculty “Java Hut” once a week where Ian and other faculty share their passion for coffee by enjoying espressos. Drinking caffeine is a way of life keeping our population awake and productive. Yet we are only given one body, and so I ask, are the caffeine risks worth the energy?
Changing with the Seasons By Colin Shaver
After a busy fall term with a confusing schedule, students will be introduced to a brand new winter schedule with many changes. There may be a few inches of snow on the ground, but it is certain that a new block schedule will be in place. Proctor’s Dean of Academics, Derek Nussbuam Wagler explained the main changes: • • • •
Classes will begin at 8:20am instead of 8:30am There will be 5 minutes between classes rather than 10 minutes Classes will be shortened to 60 minutes from the previous 70 minutes Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Fri classes will end at 1:40pm instead of 2:50pm • Wed and Sat classes will end at 11:30am instead of 11:15am
Derek noted the change of schedule is an annual occurrence and the main point of the shift is to allow enough time for outdoor snow sports and afternoon activities to practice and meet as the sun begins to set earlier and earlier. When I asked Derek about what he expected the student reaction to the changes would be, he responded, “That is tough to say. I’m sure some will not be excited about the ten minute earlier start to the day and five minute passing times, but I am hopeful that students will understand the need for those changes in order to accommodate all that we try to do in the afternoons.”
New Horizons and a New Woodlands Building
Homesickness At Proctor By Anna Gibson
By Campbell Lucey
A Proctor student needing a quiet place to study, a room to work on a lab, or just an entryway to the woods should know about a new building going up now. Ben Bartoldus ‘10 (left)
Curious to see if Derek’s prediction was true, I spoke to faculty member and varsity basketball coach Ben Bartoldus. He observed of the schedule, “I think the winter schedule is a productive shift given the logistics of the winter, with athletics, travel, and the given hours of daylight.” The enthusiasm was less visible from the student side of the topic. Junior Zach Macey worried about students getting enough rest during the day with the earlier start. He also had some concern about the time between classes, “We won’t have enough time to get to classes, because the paths will be icy.” From the other side of the student view, junior Nate Howell spoke on his exZach Macey ‘23 citement for the new class length, “60 minute classes, I think is a great amount of time, 70 was a little bit too much, but I think 60 is a good...” Although there are mixed feelings, the changes are made to help us be successful in the winter. The new schedule is one way we evolve with the shift of seasons on campus. Finally, it’s time to get excited for the winter! Nate Howell ‘23
One of the classes that will benefit from the new building is Forest Science. This is a class that meets in the woods and learns how to identify a tree by certain traits, how to tap maple trees in early spring for maple syrup, and so much more. Woodlands Manager Laura Ostrowsky commented on the new building,, “Having a forest science classroom on the edge of the woods is such a gift.” I had the opportunity to take Forest Science last year and this new building is going to make incredible changes to that class and others. The new building behind MLS dorm is not just for forest science. When you walk in the building there is going to be a sitting place with a fireplace where kids can congregate. There will be two Laura Ostrowsky classrooms in the building with labs in each that all science classes can access. A heated greenhouse will also be connected to the building where plants will be grown year round. Not only is this addition going to be great for Proctor, but researchers from colleges within New Hampshire will be invited to come to Proctor to study our woodlands. Proctor has 2,500 acres of woods behind our campus. Laura continued, “I really hope it [the building] makes the woodlands more visible to campus. That people are more aware that we have this resource and there are all these opportunities to learn about the woodlands.” Students and faculty will hopefully learn more of what we have. This new building is the gateway to the woodlands!
When we are placed in a new environment away from home, we lose our support system. Suddenly we find ourselves without friends, family, adults and familiar places we go to in need of help. Homesickness is a big problem among boarding students; this is an ache some students find hard to soothe. But how do Proctor students move forward in times of disconnection and separation? It’s difficult to experience the out of touch feeling from the place you call home. Everything feels new, your rituals and routines are broken in an environment with unfamiliar people and places. Eventually, you will have two places to call home. But somehow we all seem to get through it at one point or another. I talked to three students here at Proctor, Lily (‘25), Caroline (‘24), and Thea (‘24) and asked them, “What do you do when you’re homesick?” Some said they called their parents when they missed home. Phone calls gave them a chance to reconnect with a piece of home, but one noted it can make it a lot worse when the call is over. Almost all of the students that filled out my survey (Molly, Lily, Caroline, Thea, and Miles) said that distractions like TV, friends, movies, food, painting, working out, playing sports, or running are something that distracts them. Molly (‘23) said that music is one of the best outlets for her, a chance to forget her sadness for a few minutes. Lucy (‘22), a four year senior, advised, “Honestly I wasn’t too homesick my freshman year, but the times I did get homesick
was when I was having trouble with my friends, got a bad grade on a test or a quiz, or had an argument with my roommate.” She said the best thing for homesickness is to create a good connection with your advisor, go on a walk with a friend, and find a way to create some space for yourself. While talking to five of my peers, both freshman and sophomores, I asked, “Does Proctor support kids enough when it comes to homesickness? Do they do a good job of making sure students have a safety net in times of disconnection?” Some of the students said they feel as if they do have a safe place, like their dorm room, friends’ rooms, hockey rink, or an advisor’s room. However, two freshmen said they were still trying to figure out a comfortable place they can go.
has a sport or activity that they love can play a big role too. Honestly, talking to them about not calling home several times a day can help; sometimes hearing a parent’s voice can make it worse.” Hopefully all Proctor students can rely on advisors, dorm parents, and teachers like Annie to guide us through times of homesickness. Homesickness is very human, but it’s important we remind ourselves that this too shall pass and there is always tomorrow. It is important we find our people to surround us with in times of disconnection from the place we call home.
Indigenous Peoples Day Hearing in Concord By Reilly Desmond
Have we been celebrating the wrong holidays? I attended the court hearing with other Proctor students and faculty on November 8th in Concord, New Hampshire. The Concord City Council was deciding whether to change Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day for the city.
I asked Annie Mackenzie, a dorm parent (Sally B), advisor, and Learning Skills teacher, “When does it seem that homesickness is at its worst for students?” She responded, “In my opinion, kids seem to be most homesick about three or four weeks after school starts. Typically, at the very start of school, students are distracted by orientation, meeting new people, and getting to know Proctor. The honeymoon seems to end about 3-4 weeks into the year. Some students struggle after returning from off-campus programs. They aren’t necessarily homesick per se, but they miss their group and the experience. It can be difficult to transition back to campus.”
Driving to Concord, many questions were running through my head. I had never been to a court hearing before so this was all new to me. The experience and what I learned of a new outlook on history was inspiring. I heard multiple Concord locals speak about both sides of the issue, there were some that were native Americans with connections to tribes, and there were citizens that weren’t natives, but felt strongly that the holiday should be changed to Indigenous Peoples Day. One came forward and stated, “Reading about the struggles people have gone through is heartbreaking, but the first step is changing November 2nd to Indigenous People’s Day.”
The hearing room with Proctor students listening
Present with faculty, some Proctor students went before the council to speak. My favorite part was when a fellow students noted, “I didn’t plan on speaking tonight, but I want to say....”. Mason Guerster ‘22 said, “I am fortunate to know both sides of the story, and I am thankful to go to Proctor and have the opportunity to learn both sides of the story.” She spoke about how, growing up, we all knew Columbus for sailing the ocean blue, and finding the new world, but were never taught the horrible things he did. There was a young man attending who was a Concord citizen and a recent college graduate who commented, “I am not as fortunate as some of these Proctor students to have the education and opportunities to speak my voice, and learn the truth.” That made me realize that he wasn’t the only one that didn’t know both sides of the story. So many kids in the world are growing up only hearing one side of history. Lori Patriacca, the Native American Program Coordinator, organized this opportunity for us to go to the hearing, and she stated to the council, “It scares me that we don’t teach our full history in schools, and if we don’t learn our entire history in its raw, ugly, true form, then you don’t really know it.”
This got me to start thinking about what teachers do to help their students. As a dorm parent and advisor, Annie is constantly watching for signs of homesickness in her students. She said, “Kids who look sad, who aren’t connecting to others, or are consistently on their phones with their parents. Advisors, teachers, and parents also help by communicating when a student is having trouble.” What can be effective when it comes to homesickness? Annie said, “Finding a way to get connected to others is the best remedy. In the past, I have asked dorm leaders to go to meals with a homesick student. Making sure the student
Photo & Caption: Patch.com
I am so very grateful that I attended this experience, could watch and learn, and to eventually learn that the city council decided to change the day of November 2nd to Indigenous People’s Day. This wouldn’t have happened without the support of the Concord locals and the brave Proctor students’ who went up and gave their testimonies. One native person stated, “We don’t feel we own the land, but we are protectors of it. Our language is alive and so is our culture.”
ing to learn history or something like that, read a few pages and then close the book. Push it away. And look at a blank piece of paper and say, What was in there?’ What was in there that was interesting? What was in there that I should know? Why did the writer put together those paragraphs? What was the main upshot? Because now you’re trying to get it out of your own head instead of just copying it over from the book.” This forces us to digest the information and understand it so well that we can restate it clearly. Instead of trying to fill your mind with untethered bits and pieces of information, “You have to make the learning your own. You have to think about it in your way or nothing is going to connect.” While Buz and I talked for thirty minute,s he summarized the challenge, “All knowledge is built on prior knowledge. Anything new that somebody tries to teach you, it won’t stick unless it has something to stick to, something you already know.” He chuckled, leaving me with a question and much to think about the next class: “How is it relevant and how do you understand it?”
Learn to Learn, Live to Live By Stewart Kane
“Why do you make a list to go to the grocery store?” Buz Morison, Head of the Science Department asked me. “Everybody says it’s so you don’t forget things. You actually make the list so that you can forget things!” Buz teaches Neuroscience (an awesome class for anyone who likes to learn) which spurred me to sit down with him in the dining hall and talk about how we can all learn a little more effectively. As the dining hall noises died, Buz continued, “A lot of people take notes that way... what they’re actually doing is creating a grocery list. They’re giving their brain permission not to remember.” Learning takes practice, instead of simply looking at the information and acknowledging what it is, try to remember it. He elaborated, “That doesn’t mean that those kinds of “active” note taking strategies don’t work, but they only work if your brain is actively trying to learn it rather than actively trying to create the grocery list.” That’s why Buz recommends this strategy: “Close the book to take the notes because now you’re wrestling with the ideas in your head. What did I learn from this? What should I remember from this? Rather than cueing your brain, Oh it’s okay to forget because it’s in my reference text somewhere.” The tables nearby quieted down as Buz got to the real meat and potatoes. “So, if you’re try-
the next twelve months.” But it isn’t just about the points, Scott explains. “It is far more important to be defined by our willingness to support each other than it is to be victorious according to the scoreboard.” Yes, beating the Bulls on Holderness weekend would be great, but when we all come together as a community is what it’s all about. Scott continued, “It’s about being vulnerable when we feel least able. It’s about sharing our hearts and talents and souls despite that internal fear begging us to hold back. It’s about giving your all on the field with the chance your team may not be victorious. It’s about unwavering support and respect for those who step into the arena to give their all.” The weekend is about running just a little harder when you can barely stand or cheering on your team to give them that extra boost of confidence. That’s what it’s about. We got a little glimpse of what Holderness weekend will look like when the boys varsity soccer team played the Holderness soccer team toward the end of our season. There was a lot of tension on the field and it was a tough game as our lead slipped away and we lost 3-2. So this team is looking for a big win against the bulls for their last soccer game of the 2021-2022 season. They are also looking to come together with everyone and be together with the Proctor community and the Holderness community. Hopefully with the support of their community behind them, they will take down the bulls!
Bulls Vs Hornets; What Does it Really mean? By Nick Marrocco
In the early 1900s, nearly 120 years ago, history has it we began a competition that continues to this day: Holderness Weekend. This year, Proctor will bring all of their athletes and every student to Holderness to compete or spectate. Every year at the end of the fall term we participate in Holderness weekend. It is a Saturday (sometimes including Friday) where every Proctor and Holderness team competes against the other school. Each win by a team earns them one point for their school’s overall score. At the end of the day, Director of Communications Scott Allenby explains, “The overall winner takes home the Holderness/Proctor Trophy for
Brian watches Proctor students raise the trophy
Editor’s note: the boys varsity soccer team earned a resounding 5-1 victory to end their season and together, all the hornet teams prevailed to bring the trophy to Andover!