Feb 8th, 2021
Vol. 10
BELFIELD BANTER THE
Th e S t . Ann e’s -B el fi el d S choo l S tud en t New s l etter
In This Issue:
CULTURE: THE 2021 McGUFFEY ART CENTER NEW MEMBERS SHOW SATIRE: TRAIL MIX DISASTER SAINTLY READS [A NEW SERIES]: SAM SIDDERS FACULTY FEATURE: MR. ALVAREZ EDITOR’S NOTE: JACK DOZIER
REVIEW of the McGUFFEY ART CENTER’S 2021 NEW MEMBERS SHOW by Ellie Powell – There comes a time, dear reader, in which we all ask ourselves, “What am I doing with my life and why?” For me, it was a few weeks ago, when I found myself lying sideways on my couch in a set of Cracklin’ Oat Bran encrusted sweats while watching the sixth season of David Shore’s hit program House M.D. Now, there is nothing wrong with House on its own; Hugh Laurie gives a fantastic performance, and it’s one of the best Arthur Conan Doyle adaptations of the twenty-first century. When you find yourself attempting to draw pseudo-intellectual parallels between a 2004 medical drama and the canon of Thomas Harris, however, perhaps it is time to go outside. Having recently heard that the McGuffey Art Center had a new exhibit on display, I decided to mask up and make the twenty-minute trip downtown to view the work of several brilliant Charlottesville artists. Needless to say, I was extraordinarily impressed by the sheer talent showcased at McGuffey. Upon entering the building, a painting of a large moth by artist Deborah Davis immediately caught
my eye. The high contrast of the insect’s black and white coloration paired with Davis’ unfailing attention to detail creates a strikingly realistic image. The 2021 New Members Show included other local artists such as Barbara Shenenfield, who designs posters reminiscent of the original WPA National Park posters to demonstrate the urgency of climate change in her series, “Communicating the Climate Crisis.” Beyond two-dimensional art, the McGuffey Art Center featured the captivating woodwork of sculptor Frank Shepard in this show, who brought new texture to this colorful exhibit through his intricate creations. Additionally, one member of the broader St. Anne’s-Belfield School community had her work on display at this exhibition. Logan Mackethan, mother of Conrad (‘19) and Natalie (‘21), presented absorbing pieces such as Odyssey and Blushing Back, which one may now examine on her website. Mackethan’s evident expertise as a painter should certainly be a point of pride for our school community as well as the larger community of Charlottesville, Virginia. While the 2021 New Members Show has recently concluded its run in the hallways of the McGuffey Art Center, I am excited to catch their new multi-media exhibition entitled, “Water: The Agony and Ecstasy of the Black Experience.” Be sure to check out the McGuffey Art Center’s website and Facebook page to learn about new shows as they come in.
SATIRE: M&M’S ALL EATEN OUT OF TRAIL MIX, MAN FORCED TO RESORT TO ALMONDS by Hannah Slayton – In a horrific turn of events, Daniel Parker, age 42, went on such a long hike yesterday that he was left with no choice but to eat the almonds in his trail mix after he discovered that he’d run out of M&Ms. “I mean, what the hell did I buy the trail mix for anyway?” Mr. Parker commented to our on-site reporter. “You’re not even supposed to eat the other stuff! I don’t know what got into me.” Mr. Parker is currently being examined by a trauma expert to ensure he suffered no lasting effects from the experience. Dr. Matthew Schol, an expert on nutrition and health, says that the only way someone could be forced to eat the otther things in trail mix besides the M&Ms was if they were “under extreme stress or horrifically bored.” He went on to say that “the rest of the stuff in trail mix is there
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the situation, the chairman of the American Psychological Association issued a warning, asking that “if you or a loved one are exhibiting this behaviour” to “please seek medical or psychiatric help.” He also urged parents to watch for signs of “trail mix deviance” in young children, particularly in toddlers.
The lawyers and managers of Trail Mix Inc. declined to comment.
STUDENT POETRY: Snowday by Ally Alvarez
– Branches bending, reaching toward the ground Arching under added weight The floor hidden under a puzzle of snowflakes Each filling its designated place Visible is a shadow of leaves The outline of a footprint Gone is the grass, here is the chill As winter leaves its hint Their pattern is chaotic yet organized As they dissolve into the body of white Their structure is circular and symmetrical Though they look imperfect upon first site
just to invite the possibility of eating something healthy -- like a nut or a raisin -- but only a person truly out of their mind would ever eat them on purpose without extraneous stressors.” As for his comment on Mr. Parker’s specific experience, he said only, “I shudder to think.” Upon learning of this event, the American Psychological Association has updated its official psychopath checklist to include twenty one items instead of the original twenty, the addendum being the “willing consumption of any other foodstuffs in trail mix prior to the consumption of M&Ms or other chocolate additions in the mix.” The new checklist is being rolled out everywhere immediately, and will appear in an emergency printing of a brand new edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, the official handbook on mental illnesses. In an official statement released about
Moments of still hang in the sky The smell crisp and new Looking up all is empty Only greys and blues
photo accompaniment by Sam Sidders
SAINTLY READS: THE NAME of the ROSE Sam Sidders, Class of 2021 –
During the pandemic, I’ve deeply enjoyed escaping into the fourteenth-century world masterfully crafted by Umberto Eco in The Name of the Rose. The book follows the protagonist, Adso, and a friar named William as they try to solve mysterious murder cases that take place over the course of their stay at a monastery. It’s very Sherlock Holmes-esque, though it’s set in Italy during the late middle ages rather than modern-day London. As an added bonus, there’s a fun selection of Latin passages to test the translation skills that, in theory, I should have after four years of studying the language (although you definitely do not need to know Latin to read and fully understand the book). I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys genres such as mystery and historical fiction, or anyone who just needs to get their brain as far away from 2020 as possible (like, 700 years away). If anyone is interested in having a Renaissance Reader discussion on the book, please shoot me an email at ssidders21@students.stab.org!
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FACULTY FEATURE: MR. MAX ALVAREZ an interview with Ellie Powell -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- How do you find teaching at STAB as opposed to having studied at STAB? Probably one of the oddest parts for me is that there are a lot of students who remind me of my classmates and so it can be very funny to see that from a teacher’s perspective. Beyond that, it’s been really great to come back and see all of my old teachers, who I guess are now co-faculty members, and I continue to learn from them, just in a new role. What have you liked to do for fun in Charlottesville during the pandemic? In Charlottesville during Covid, fun has pretty much meant working out and reading. I like to read a lot. Also, I’ve been going on many more walks in Charlottesville than I probably did in high school, which has been nice. I guess I never really appreciated the scenery around here, so I’ve been trying to go on more hikes. When I was in undergrad in Chicago, I used to like to go into the city and explore, finding restaurants and other cool places to go. You mentioned reading--I’m a big reader myself, so I’m curious as to what you’ve found most interesting to read and watch during the pandemic. Yeah! A lot, but I’ll narrow it down a little bit. Over winter break, I read Portrait of a Lady by Henry James, and that was a great novel. It takes place in England and Italy, so it has some classic Henry James themes. Earlier in the pandemic, I read The Sufferings of Young Werther, it’s by Goethe, and it’s a shorter novel--almost a novella--but it’s really incredible, too. Lost in Translation is a movie I watched way back in the spring. It has Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in it, and takes place in Japan. A few weeks ago, I actually watched a Zoom-produced broadcast of a dramatic rendition of the book of Job. All the actors Zoomed in from different locations, and it was hosted by a playhouse in Ohio, where Job was played by Bill Murray. If you could time travel, where and when would you go? So I had a couple of answers to this one. My first answer would be 1920s Paris, because that’s when a lot of the great modernist authors are all in the city together, going to dinner and hanging out. I would also probably go towards classical Athens because that political community seems interesting. And then I would also say some place like Ancient Egypt, or Ancient Mesopotamia because those are such foreign cultures that I’d be interested to see what they were like up close. [cont p4]
All great answers. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
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You know, honestly, butter pecan. I just like butter pecan. From anywhere in particular? Ben and Jerry’s is good, but really, anywhere. I’ll take butter pecan from anywhere.
If you have any more questions for Mr. Alvarez, be sure to find him during passing time, or email him at malvarez@stab.org!
EDITOR’S NOTE: JACK DOZIER
– Hello, St. Anne’s-Belfield School community! Last week, my younger brother told me the Learning Village has celebrated “half-way day,” meaning that we have entered the home stretch of the 20202021 school year. What a year it has been. We have adopted new safety protocols, and learned to be flexible as we figure out how to keep in touch with friends, play sports with no contact, and even take classes such as choir online. It’s been bittersweet; we are missing so much, yet our student body knows that we are lucky to be at a school that has figured out how to teach classes both in-person and online. I am grateful for our student leaders, teachers, and staff members, and try to say thank you as often as I can. If you haven’t already thanked a teacher or coach who has helped you out, or said thank you to the security, IT, dining or housekeeping staff, why not do it now? The rest of the year will go by fast, and you may not have the chance later on. I want to thank all of you for reading The Belfield Banter, and for your support of our work to try to keep our community linked together. This issue is a milestone for us, our tenth, which represents more issues than have been published anytime in recent memory. Thank you to all the staff that have worked weekends and evenings to make this happen, and thank you to everyone who has sent encouraging feedback. We are so grateful for all of you, and cannot wait to continue to grow with you.
The Banter Staff: Eleanor Powell----------------------------------Editor-in-Chief Jack Dozier---------------------------------------Junior Editor Emily Gohn--------------------------------------Features Editor Hannah Laufer-----------------------------------Sports Editor Emma Finley-Gillis-----------------------------Director of Graphics & Formatting Sonia Kamath------------------------------------Director of Student Outreach
Lo o k o u t fo r o ur w ee kly ed i ti on s con ti n ui n g thi s s pr i n g!