HORNET’S NEST Proctor Academy | May 16, 2016 | Issue 3
THE NEW PROCTOR DINING COMMONS WILL BE BUILT IN FRONT OF THE FARRELL FIELD HOUSE.
Proctor’s New Dining Hall By Paloma Green
Thirty years ago, Proctor’s original dining hall burnt down. The Cannon Dining Hall was originally constructed as a temporary solution, never intended to last for more than a decade. The need for a different dining space was never a pressing matter, and as such, one was never built. Until now. Because Proctor is a non-profit, raising funds to build a new, non-essential building wasn’t a priority. That being said, the Proctor Community has grown and with that growth, the community no longer fits inside the temporary dining hall. This, in and of itself, necessitated the new Dining Commons. Although the need for its construction is fairly recent, this project has been in the process for the past 30 years. Alan McIntyre believes that the new Dining Commons will be “creating a meaningful shared space for dining and communing.” It will also separate the athletic and dining areas. This new building will be play a role in fulfilling Proctor’s Green Initiative. According to Alan McIntyre, “The Dining
Commons was designed to have a net-energy of zero. There is only one other dining facility in the US of this nature. Unfortunately, this goal may not be entirely achievable. Nevertheless, it will be an amazing building because it will be the most energy conservative building on campus.” Being a net energy zero building means the the new Dining Commons will only use natural sources of energy and will not leave a carbon footprint; the building is designed to be completely self sustainable. The Dining Commons will be equipped with solar panels, with the intent that they will meet all the power needs of the facility. This requires that the Dining Commons be designed to have the majority of its lighting needs met by natural light, the remainder will come from LED lights. LED lights are the lowest electricity consumption lights on the market. This, along with natural light, will cause a decrease in the electrical pull that lights take. In addition, the kitchen will be supplied with newer equipment, which will also decrease the required amount of electricity needed to prepare meals. Finally, the kitchen will run completely on electricity, so
there will be no gas pollution. All of this will increase the probably of the Dining Commons being able to run solely on solar power. The Dining Commons will also reinstate composting food waste, which will bring Proctor’s food waste down by 70%. Along with this, the bulding will be cooled using geothermal wells. There will be 42 geothermal wells that will, through a network of pipes, use the earth’s natural temperatures to cool the building. All the heating will come from the biomass plant which will also help to reduce the carbon footprint of the Dining Commons. The Dining Commons being a net zero energy building will help the school reach its green initiative and benefit Proctor and its community in a plethora of other ways.
MIKE INVESTIGATES THE NEW DINING COMMONS
Alex & Lida: Spotlight By Cope Makechnie
Alex Estin and Lida Beaudoin are two of Proctor Academy’s most highly prized treasures. Both have been working here for many years, and have participated in nearly every aspect of Proctor life. Between the two of them, they have worked in the kitchen, coached basketball, ice hockey, field hockey, and lacrosse, served as a dorm parent, and brightened the lives of countless Proctor students. “Lida is just one of those people you can’t help but smile when you see,” said one student. This seems to be the best way to describe her. Lida has worked at Proctor since 1985, beginning thirty-one years ago when she was hired by Arthur Makechnie to work in the kitchen. She worked there for two years before transferring to the
LIDA AND ALEX AT THE SKI LODGE
Store. She coached field hockey for three years, and is the boy’s basketball team’s self-proclaimed biggest fan. So devoted is she to the Proctor sports teams that both the boys basketball and football teams have plays named after her. In 2006 when the boy’s basketball team traveled to compete in the New England Championships, Lida was on the bus and on the sidelines, cheering them all the way to victory. Alex graduated from Proctor in 1983 and returned in the spring of 1997. She worked in Development and has served as head of the alumni department for many years. Besides her work indoors, she has coached field hockey, ice hockey, basketball, and lacrosse, for which she was assistant coach to her own high school lacrosse coach, Sarah Will. Alex has worked closely with students during her time at Proctor.
From being dorm parent of Denberg House to head of alumni, Alex stays with students long after they have left campus. Both she and Lida frequently attend the games of alumni, bringing with them the good wishes of the Proctor community and - on special occasions - Edna’s cookies. Both of these incredible women have made a huge impact on students, whom they hold to be the best part of Proctor. Alex says “I dislike the summers when you guys [students] are all gone . . . It’s so much fun when you guys are around.” Their affections are not one sided. “Alex was always the first thing I saw whenever I stepped into the Store,” said another student. “She would always ask me how I was doing no matter what and was always there when I needed something.” Students look to Alex and Lida for a pick-me-up in their day. These are two friendly faces who always have something kind to say (and a little candy to give out). As Lida says, “Life is like a dance. Sometimes you lead and sometimes you follow.” If ever you are in need of some kind words, a smile, or some sage advice, be sure to pay a visit to the bookstore and two of the wonderful women who make the Proctor community feel like home.
Seniors vs Freshmen: A Strange Phenomenon By K Irving
With the spring term of the 2015-16 year coming to a close, the seniors leaving and a new freshman class coming in, I was curious to find out how four years transformed those once jittery and awkward Freshmen into young adults entering the world outside of our little Proctor bubble. After conducting a plethora of interviews in strange places and with a variety of students from all social and academic backgrounds, I have come to a conclusion: four year seniors have sat at substantially more dining hall tables than have first year freshman. This statistic makes sense — the more years, the more tables. But it seems as if time is not the only factor contributing to my conclusion. Freshmen tend to be more reluctant in their branching-out, more
timid in their accepting of this school as a welcoming place. And as a result, they clump. The freshmen I interviewed have recounted to me their daily treks from class to class surrounded by groups of friends, their afternoon activities, community and Eaarth day activities, classes, and sometimes even off campus programs decided on the basis of other students. Perhaps most pertinent to this article is the nerve-wracking stand-still in the dining hall with a plate full of food. Chloe Knowles ’19, tells me “I do not feel like I can sit at any table during meals. I would never sit with older boys or people I don’t know. I usually have to go with friends.” This seems to be a common factor among the ninth graders. Some students even have specific back-corner tables with a reliable group they flock to at meal time. Others wait for their friends to gather their food before following them, carefully deciphering whether upstairs or downstairs is better, whether to fill a half empty table or keep searching, when to all stand up simultaneously and carry plates down together, if or if not the cookies look good. The inquiry I then turned to is why this happens. In interviews conducted with four year seniors, I found quite the opposite to be true. These students were appalled by my questions, almost scoffing at the absurdity of such measures taken to be constantly surrounded. Grace Migliozzi ’16, says “I can walk into the dining hall and sit down at any table and be happy to have a conversation.” Surely other members of the Proctor community, too, have noticed disarray in the abnormal patterns we see. Seniors are more likely to be seen wearing bold outfits, talking and laughing with teachers, shouting out encouragement during assemblies. Freshmen, in their natural habitat, will more likely be apprehensively chatting or flirting in groups, and when alone, their faces will be buried in phones or looking down. Why is it that three years can make a difference so great it could have been the result of a lifetime, that upperclassmen will pour cereal during a free block with confidence while newbies will be wracked with angst? The only plausible reason I can see for this segregation between groups differing only in age, quite frankly, is familiarity.
As a Junior finishing her third year at Proctor, I find myself to be somewhere in the middle. I walk to meals alone but am a little more comfortable sitting with close friends. I play sports I am interested in but will not hesitate to detour and talk to a friend on the walk to practice, I am the body belonging to that really loud and annoying laugh you’ll usually hear in response to things that usually aren’t worthy of a laugh of that enormity. I have grown accustomed to this school — I am familiar with its strange field trips and bunny funerals, and this has forced me to integrate myself in the funky community myself. But I wasn’t always this way. There was a time when I scheduled my walks from class to class on the basis of an acquaintance walking from A to B with me. The advice I give to freshmen struggling to find their own path is this: do it. I so wish I’d been able to transition paths even sooner than I did, become a comfortable member of this school before I was at the age where it was normal to do so. Pudu Blamoh, ’16, also offers some advice: “It’s gonna take time for them to vary out . . . I can’t really, like, do anything for them, but they should.” Next fall, the changing of leaves will bring a new class, and a step up for everyone else. The little munchkins feeling so conforming will feel a little less so, and there will be a new set of students to step into their uncomfortable, a little out of place, shoes. The important thing to keep in mind is that those spontaneous, loud and laughing seniors came from somewhere, and those small and anxious freshmen are going somewhere, too. The important thing to do, while you wait, is grab your food with confidence, pour a glass of water (because hydration) and sit down at a dining hall table. Anywhere.
Proctor’s Spring Formal By Mo Nguyen & Joe Grunberger
At the end of April, it’s time for one of the most important events at Proctor Academy: Formal. Formal is a part of the Proctor experience that each student should partake in at least once. It includes three main events: The green carpet walk, the dinner, and the dance. Last year, the dinner and the dance were hosted at Ragged Mountain. Students submitted constructive criticisms, stating that that they had to immediately return to their dorms after the Formal because it had fallen on a Sunday. Moreover, students had to go to classes the next day exhausted. This year, the student leaders cooperated with Patrick Coffey, the Proctor Student Activities Coordinator, to improve the event. Supported by faculty and the student body, the school decided to advance the Formal date from a Sunday to a Saturday, and the dance was relocated to campus. We were curious about student perceptions of these changes, so we interviewed a few students from each class. We began by inquiring how the students felt about Formal as a whole. An anonymous freshman said, “It was really fun going to Ragged for dinner and then have the chance to go back to campus. There was also really good music playing. [However], it is my first year at Proctor, so I can’t really compare it to any other Formals.” We then talked to K Irving ’17, who explained her feelings on Formal. “I thought it was cool how we had two parts. The [food] at Ragged was delicious and the dance was fun. I also loved how we had a chance to go change into more comfortable clothing before the dance section on campus.
PROCTOR FORMAL DINNER AT RAGGED MOUNTAIN
The photo booth was also really fun!” Phoebe Torres ’18, thought Formal was a wonderful event. “I thought it was not going to be enjoyable. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I knew it was going to be different from last year. The food at Ragged was really good. I was part of a group that stayed until the very end of the Dance. We kept on dancing even though the songs were subpar. It was
PROCTOR STUDENTS WALK THE GREEN CARPET
just so much fun dancing with a group of people who did not care. The music could have be improved for next year. The snacks at the dance could also be better.” While most students will have the chance to experience even more improvements and changes in the future, our graduating seniors have celebrated their last high school Formal. Kyle Heller ’16 reflected, “ I [was] really pleasantly surprised. I liked that we went to Ragged for dinner and came back for the dance. I thought it was a really cool new idea and it worked out a lot better. Things were not boring and the food was good.” Formal would not have been the same without Patrick Coffey. In order to gain insight on the task of planning such an elaborate event, we asked him about some
of the challenges he faced. He explained, “It was nice because I had never done it before, so I didn’t have anything to go off of. Figuring out where the green carpet went was one of the challenges. I tried to put it all together and it seemed to go really well. I think being new was actually an advantage. It seemed to be a good atmosphere, and that made me feel really good. It seemed that kids had a great time, so all the work put in by the faculty was very much worth it.” When asked about some recommendations for next year’s Formal, Patrick confidently said, “ Listen to students. I think that’s the most important thing”.
ly unique college preparatory boarding school. “I hate failing”, Ian says. “I want to make sure that every class/practice is as good as can be, I want to see results and growth in my students and players, and I am hard on myself,” and with a laugh states that he is a “messy perfectionist”.
IAN ON THE FIELD
Ian Hamlet: Spotlight By Myles Arkins
When Ian first looked at Proctor in 2002, he noticed the difference that every student and faculty member does when he or she steps onto campus. It was the sense of community that attracted Ian, the kindness of the teachers, the tenacity to learn, and the acceptance of experiential learning as a foundation of the academic model. “Proctor gave me a chance to learn and improve, I loved it from here, and never looked back”. Now 14 years later, Ian continues to thrive in the community juggling his Honors, Regular, and Organic Chemistry classes, while coaching a tactical and gritty boys’ soccer team who finished 8-8-1 this season. When the winter rolls around on campus, Ian hangs up the cleats and laces up his skates to take to the ice as the boys’ hockey assistant coach. Often recognized for his tactical genius when it comes to strategic play, Ian brings his equations and deep thinking necessary in the Chemistry lab to the athletic fields as well. He is able to recognize plays before they happen, and to design creative tactics to outsmart the opponents. If a player is having a tough time with his game, Ian is the first guy to notice the little things that will help improve that player’s game. “Walking into the classroom or onto the field or ice to work with students is fun. I love teaching, coaching, being a dorm parent and an advisor”. Ian loves Proctor for what it is: a tru-
Whether it is in the classroom, on the field, or pulling players aside on the hockey bench, Ian is a role model for every student at Proctor. “Leading the harassment committee is great, I focus on my goals every day as a teacher, whether I am challenging honors class enough, if I am fully addressing the learning needs of all of my students, or not going backwards on sports success and making players better and dynamic enough. If I had time I would love to teach more classes like art history or a furthered organic chemistry class.” The gratitude towards Proctor runs deep in Ian as he was given the opportunity to come in at a young age, be a head coach, teach honors level courses, and experiment by creating an Organic Chemistry Elective. Ian hopes that he represents someone who takes his job and role at Proctor very seriously, but maybe someone who takes himself not too seriously. A true character here at Proctor, Ian continues to impact students lives in the classroom, on the field, or simply by having his hair flow behind him on the ice. “I don’t know what’s next for me, but what we all are really seeking is the opportunity to be happy, be valued, and make an impact on our world. Here at Proctor I have found that.”
Proctor’s Summer Reading Program By Nick Ho
Change is afoot once again at Proctor Academy, this time with regards to the annual Summer Reading Program. For
the past thirty years, Charlie Durell ran the program, organizing groups, assigning reading material, and coordinating with faculty leaders. Traditionally, students would complete their assigned books by the start of school, and participate in some form of assessment, from a written essay to an artistic interpretation to an in-class quiz. With Charlie’s retirement at the end of the 2014-15 school year, the question stood: who would take her place as the manager of the SR Program? Erikka Adams, Proctor’s Head Librarian, stood up to the challenge. Erikka has worked tirelessly to shape the program into an engaging way of encouraging students to actively read over the summer. Part of this process has been taking student feedback into account and incorporating it into the program. Erikka said, “Students [want] Summer Reading to feel less like work [and] more fun.” As a result, there will be no requirement to read more than one book this year. Erikka explained that this decision would hopefully lead to an All School Read, where either during the summer or school year, the whole school will read the same book. Additionally, Erikka has promised that groups will be more engaged with members over the summer. She explained how this addressed the student-voiced issues of “forgetting to start, forgetting the assignment, or not having a place to easily find information about their book.” For this summer’s term of SR, faculty members volunteered to lead reading groups. They were, as such, responsible for choosing the books, selected from a list generated by a student survey. Erikka suggested that in the future, she hoped to employ students as co-leaders of reading groups, who could then play a part in the selection of books. Eventually, Erikka hopes to put together a committee that will spearhead any reading related projects, such as the aforementioned All School Read. When asked about any possible concerns for the SR program, Erikka explained her conflictions with the current system of grading reading assignments. “Right now it is a pass/fail and could show up as a grade on transcripts or as an extracurricular type grade. Proctor believes
reading is a skill and a joy. This program is one way to promote the joy part, [so] how does a grade fit in? Do group leaders feel accountability is necessary? How do students feel about being accountable for a summer assignment that is for fun, and also learning? Should this be treated like any other summer class work? Why or why not?” This is an issue for which she hopes to receive student feedback.
My Niche: Debate By Ross Kesselman
Why would anyone spend their time talking about the military base in Okinawa or about government subsidies for sports stadiums? These are but two of the topics that I spend hundreds of hours meticulously researching and crafting arguments for. These topics, which I can admit are trivial, are but cogs in a larger machine of intellectual passion, verbal ability and cunning. Debate is an outlet for many like me, for those who are athletically challenged have to find other ways to compete and express our passions. I found my niche in debate. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a hot air festival where teams just shout and talk at a thousand words a minute. There is a considerable amount of etiquette involved. Held highest among the debate community is education. We care, as a collective, about pushing knowledge of any topic to the limits. The largest part of debate happens weeks before the tournament. Time is spent
writing cases and doing research. Much like any sport, there is significantly more time spent in practice than in the game. High school debate has personally assisted me through some of my darkest hours. I get a rush every time I watch my hours of research pay off in an actual tournament. I believe the most underrated part of debate is the social aspect. It is a team sport. You have teammates who you spend time with. There is a mental bond with your partner, operating on the same mental wavelength to work together against opponents. You have to coordinate between each other to reach a mutual goal convincing the judge that you are the absolute truth and your opponents arguments are fallacies. My partner at States truly enjoyed her experience, saying, “At the debate tournament I learned about the etiquette and form of debating. Even though I was new to debate, I still managed to fight through my nerves and take part in the discussion. I began to follow the logic and get in the swing of things further down the line. Overall it was a great experience and I had a lot of fun.” Bringing multiple teams to a tournament exponentially increases the fun. Having others to cheer for, and with whom to share in both victory and loss, gives the activity an unparalleled sense of comradery. Going out to dinner together, celebrating together, and researching together are all just cherries on top of a rich and mentally stimulating activity. I hope that everyone can have as wonderful of an experience as I have had over the past three
THE PROCTOR DEBATE TEAM
years. I have personally grown as a person through debate. Many in the Proctor community may remember when I made an announcement on debate during the first week of school. The only reason I had enough confidence to go up and speak in front of hundreds of strangers was debate. Debate gives you conviction in your beliefs; you learn how defend your moral values and stand up for what you believe in, through analyzing arguments understanding logical reasoning. Since beginning to debate, I feel more confident introducing my ideas in class, giving presentations and participating in Harknesses (my classmates would agree). It’s the confidence of being able to have the skill to back up your ideas once you introduce them to the world. Joining the debate team and going to tournaments doesn’t make you an arbitrary person nor does it make you someone always searching to create conflict and debate. It teaches you to be fearless when introducing your opinion and defending it inside the classroom and outside. With all of that being said, debate is not for everyone. It is for the passionate, the driven, the ambitious, the creative, the critical thinkers, the cunning, the competitive, and above all, those who want to have fun. I hope that everyone reading this considers joining debate. It is an experience I would like to share with all of you.
PA’s Big Sister Program By JoJo McDonald and Madison Clarke
The Big Sister Program is a program that pairs returning students with younger incoming students. The returning student acts as a “big sister,” meaning they play a supportive role for the new student. When first coming to Proctor, one can be a bit overwhelmed, but with programs such as this, new female students are able to bond with returners and learn what it means to be a Proctor student. The Big Sister program is a great way to integrate the girls of Proctor Academy and gives new students the opportunity to grow close with the upperclassmen. A program like this can have its difficulties. For example, pairing students up who share similar interests can be chal
lenging. When accepting students and pairing them up with big sisters, one does not know the personalities of the incoming girls and it is possible a student is placed with someone who there is not a natural connection with. While there are some challenges, the positives that come out of this program are much greater. The first few weeks at Proctor, at any new school, can be intimidating. Proctor does a great job helping students feel welcomed through wilderness orientation, but the Big Sister Program provides girls with additional support when they return to campus. When a new, female student arrives on campus, they’re greeted with a full support system. They have an older, more experienced Proctor student to help show them the ropes. Big Sisters provide advice, and also help to promote class interaction. It can be scary to approach an upper classmen if you do not already know them, so having an older female figure who you can count on is key. After speaking with a current big sister, Mikaylee Ginchereau, we were provided with some insight of what it means to be a part of this program. When asked what her favorite part of being a big sister is, she said “It’s so rewarding to help a new student acclimate to Proctor’s community. I also love how I got to be a role model for a new student on campus, someone they knew they could rely on.” The Big Sister Program is a wonderful asset to the school. It provides girls with that additional support needed to get through their first high school year away from home. Connections that may not have otherwise been made are formed, and the resulting friendships are ones that often last for years after leaving Proctor. If you are even a little bit interested in being a Big Sister for next year please consider joining this outstanding program! Please contact Kyle Tremblay, JoJo McDonald or Madison Clarke.
partook in an Inipi Ceremony led by JR White Hat. The Lakota term ‘inipi’ means ‘to live again’. JR taught us about the spiritual significance of the ceremony, which is to offer your body and mind as a sacrifice to send out goodness and prayers. The Lakota believe that the ceremony draws all the powers of the universe into the lodge during the ceremony. The lodge resembles a tent; it has a wooden internal frame with thick covering to prevent any light from entering during the ceremony, and there is a small pit in the middle of the lodge for the rocks. The rocks are heated in a fire beforehand. The first seven rocks brought in the lodge represent the seven directions, and are placed by the leader of the ceremony in a particular way. The ceremony happens in four stages, each with its own significance. Songs are sung throughout the entirety of each stage in an almost continuous chant. The leader pours water onto the hot rocks to create steam, cleansing the body. JR addressed us and the spirits as “Mitakuye Oyasin,” which means “all my relatives.” This is because it is believed that all our spirits are related, and we belong to different families and nations. Many of the prayers that are sung during the ceremony are directed towards the spirits of the different nations of animals. The prayers are sung in Lakota, so unfortunately I could not understand the words, but they were very beautiful nonetheless. This ceremony is not a religious practice. Rather, it is “a way of life,” as Lori Patriacca puts it. I also spoke to Carl Hubbard ‘17, who has been regularly attending the ceremony. He told me, “I love the ceremonies, each time I leave I feel so alive and rejuvenated”. The ceremonies take place on the first of every month. I have been twice and I would highly recommend that every student attend at least once in their time at Proctor.
The Lakota Way By Toby Bannister-Parker
This Eaarth day, I was fortunate enough to get on The Lakota Way activity. We
JR WHITEHAT SPEAKS AT EAARTH DAY
Matt Bellace: A Reflection By Jacob Rousseau
The Art Corner
MATT BELLACE
On May 6, 2016, Matt Bellace came to our school. He is a great comedian, and came to speak to talk to all the underclassmen about how drugs can influence our bodies and minds. He also talked about how friends and family can help you with whatever you are going through. He didn’t use scare tactics to keep us from doing drugs. Instead, he instead made his presentation fun and hilarious to listen to and even if you were half asleep you would remember a lot of what he said. “I liked him. I really want to read his book. His points are very accurate and the chair thing that he did definitely helped with what he was trying to say about trusting people,” said Joey Briggs ‘19. Matt was talking about how you should trust people because without trust in the world, the world would go bad. He also talked about how to get a natural high from doing the things you love instead of with drugs or alcohol. “All my friends think I’m always high, but that is my personality and I love it like that,” says Jacob Rousseau ‘18. Matt made jokes through his presentation and was saying how our friends and family are the ones who help us through the tough times in life. I personally have gotten depressed a couple of times in my life but the people that had helped me get through all that were my family and friends. They never gave up on me. He made great points that all tied up in the end with a short presentation. He made us laugh and he made us cry… from laughing so hard. I am glad that Matt Bellace came to Proctor to speak.
CATHERINE DOHENY
ADDY SHANNON
AVERY MONTGOMERY
MIKE WEINTRAUB
CAROLINE ELLIS