The Bell: February 2016

www.suffieldacademy.org

Esse Quam Videri

The Suffield Bell Volume LXXXIII, NO. 3

Established 1835

February 2016

Circle of Care: Marion’s Room Update

Photo by Jason Louro ’17

Kaitlyn Nigro ’16

Imagine having the opportunity to redecorate your room in any way you like, with new paint, furniture and pictures. Combine that excitement with the imagination of childhood and the possibilities are endless! Thanks to the Circle of Care foundation, this dream became a reality for Marion, a ten-year-old girl battling cancer. In addition to raising money for Circle of Care, our elected charity for the year, our Student Council is working with Art from the Heart, a subset of that organization, to give her the room makeover of her dreams.

January marked a month of true progress towards making Marion’s decorated room a reality; for all of the additions to her room have been ordered.

The general theme of her room is in tones of blue. She picked Jamaican Aqua Blue for her repainted walls. Staying under the budget of two thousand dollars, a brand new day bed complete with a white comforter has been ordered, along with a rug, curtains, and a giant grey beanbag chair. Student Council also asked for the help of stage crew and Mr. Caginalp, who are working with John Kuzmeski ’17 to build a flip desk and cubby shelves so that she can have a proper workspace and adequate storage in her room. She will also receive a fully redone California closet so that as she gets older there will be ample storage space to ensure her room can remain organized.

With the help of student volunteers, Marion’s room was repainted on January 31, readying it for the next stage of a painted horse-themed mural, directed by the very talented Sarah Raymond ’16. Through the dedication and passion of Suffield students giving their time on weekends, Marion’s room is coming to fruition.

I talked to Student Council President Baek Kang ’16 about the process of making Marion’s room a reality, and he perfectly summarized the project, “Marion’s Room is a project that the Student Council has been working on for Art from the Heart, which is part of Circle of Care. While our objective is to redecorate the room entirely with our ideas while incorporating Marion’s wishes, we are hoping to make a project that reflects Suffield Academy’s commitment to the charity of the year.”

Art from the Heart hopes to provide an exciting and joyful facet to children battling cancer. We at Suffield are so thankful to add an influential and positive aspect to Marion’s life and are excited to give Marion the room of her dreams; one she deserves entirely.

Features

2 | The Bell February 2016

The Suffield Bell EDITORS Editors-in-Chief Billy Cordes ’16 Shannelle Watson ’16

Armed America: Gun Violence in the United States Pat Cordes ’18

Assistant Editor-in-Chief: Editorials & Features Kaitlyn Nigro ’16 Assistant Editor: Editorials & Features Sarah Swanson ’18 News Editor Baek Kang ’16 Arts Editor Simon Park ’16 Sports Editor Devina Bhalla ’18 Layout Editor Peter Suh ’16

CONTRIBUTORS Writers Isabella Attianese ’18 Billy Cordes ’16 Pat Cordes ’18 Chris Donahue ’17 Baek Kang ’16 Tristen Moore ’16 Kaitlyn Nigro ’16 Juhi Rayonia ’18 Shannelle Watson ’16 Meg Williams ’16 Photographers Billy Cordes ’16 Pat Cordes ’18 Kaitlyn Nigro ’16 Juhi Rayonia ’18 Peter Suh ’16

FACULTY ADVISORS Editorial Tanya Andrysiak Molly Gotwals P’09 Design & Layout Tobye Cook Seck ’88, P’16

Reoccurring school shootings continue to raise questions in our country about whether we should put our money towards a stronger mental healthcare system, or towards tightening gun control laws. I believe that the best solution is to upgrade our country’s mental healthcare system.

If we can provide mentally compromised people with assistance and rehabilitation, we may improve the safety of our country and improve the mental health of people in need. Another reason that improving our healthcare infrastructure is the right option is that it will not infringe upon our nation’s Second Constitutional Amendment.

When a tragedy such as a mass public shooting occurs, the nation laments, but it is important to note that shootings on a smaller scale are constant. Every day gun violence results in as many as 53 suicides, more than 30 murders, and about two hundred and three wounds (NBC News). This certainly comments on some of the effects of gun violence in our country, especially when about 100,000 people are shot each year. With an improvement in our mental healthcare system, we may be able to combat reckless gun violence throughout our country and significantly decrease the number of

people negatively affected by these senseless crimes. Each and every life is worth saving.

Prospective gun owners currently need to pass a weapon’s safety and operation check, but I believe checking the mental health of the gun owner is just as imperative. More vigorous questions should be asked about the owner’s mental health. As a member of Suffield’s Riflery team, I think that the sport itself is fun and entertaining, but there is a difference between having a gun in a controlled environment and a having loaded gun in the hands of an unsafe person. It is important to remember that tragedies begin with the person pulling the trigger.

3 | The Bell February 2016

The History Department: Teaching Reflections Kaitlyn Nigro ’16

Features

I DREAM OF EQUALITY Tristen Moore ’16

Photos by Kaitlyn Nigro ’16

Written for and presented at the Martin Luther King Junior Chapel Program, January 18, 2016

I recently sat down with members of the history department with one question in mind: what is one of the most poignant lessons you have carried with you throughout your career as a history teacher at Suffield? Their responses have made me, as a senior, quite sentimental; I feel others will feel similarly.

“For me, I’ve always tried to get kids to stand by an opinion, make a statement and stick to it.

I say to them ‘don’t be a marshmallow!’ Don’t just waste space, be empty, be full of air. Take a stand and go with it. It’s my analogy of what a thesis statement is, but I also try to teach them that in all areas of your life. Develop a passion, pursue it, practice it, and go for it. Don’t just be an empty shell! Whenever I hear from alumni or when I see them on campus when they come back, one of the first things they say is, ‘I’m not a marshmallow!’ It always gets me excited that they remember my lesson about not being an intellectual marshmallow or passive

person. Chris Donahue, current junior, gave me a marshmallow-scented candle for Christmas his freshman year! I still have it and when I burn it, I laugh. When there are marshmallows in the dining hall, kids always come up to me and say, look! I’ll try not to be one.” Mrs. Krasemann “Something I have carried with me throughout my sixteen years as a teacher is a firm belief in attention to detail. I would think that most of my former and current students would agree that this mantra is repeated many times in my courses. The great thing about believing in attention to detail is that it can be applied not only in the classroom but in our everyday lives as well. On another note, I would think my ‘Ode to Biscuit’ haiku would run a close second to attention to detail if you were to poll my students. Of course this beautiful and meaningful haiku was composed with a significant amount of attention to detail.”

Mr. Brissette

The other day, I was having a conversation with some kid and he asked me something. He... He said Tristen answer me this: if whites and blacks are so equal then why do blacks listen to more rap. I had a tough time answering that, but later I asked myself some more questions. Why is it that he thought the black guy on the other side of the street is more prone to carrying a gun and why is it that even when we’re not strapped with a gun on our waist we’re more prone to death? He asked me some more questions and my answers to most were reverse racism does not exist but that wasn’t actually my answer. Racism should not exist. I don’t know if it could have not existed, but I wish I said to him that racism should not exist. You see, 50 years ago the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, and it’s funny because last night I had one too. And so did you and you, but in mine your skin didn’t have to be a certain color to be cool. Or safe.

Where you could sing every word to your favorite song and I didn’t have to keep my hood down when walking down the street.

Where I can turn the corner and not have another cop looking at me. You might be saying to yourself this doesn’t happen or he didn’t have that dream last night.

And you’re right. About that second part.

Because I didn’t just dream it yesterday but every night and every morning and every moment I close my eyes.

I dream of equality.

Features

4 | The Bell February 2016

An Inside Look into Suffield’s Major Committees

Photo by Hillary Rockwell Cahn ’88, P’18

Baek Kang ’16

At the beginning of this academic year, the student council stressed the importance of student involvement and collective leadership.

By placing focus on the committees, related to academics and food, I hoped that we could generate improvements while involving both the underclassmen and upperclassmen of the community. Some of the students often wonder what is the purpose of these committees: what have they accomplished?

Have they brought about the changes the student body wants?

The academic committee, led by seniors Kaitlyn Nigro, Nick Pellegrini, and Meg Williams, endeavors to focus on academic schedules, the grading system, and the choice of summer-reading books. According to Kaitlyn Nigro, the committee’s focus this year was to find a concrete goal and take action.

In this spirit, the committee has implemented a change in how GPAs are reported. Now students will see their GPA listed on their midterm and end-of-term academic reports.

The committee believed that this modification would be a helpful tool for those undergoing the college process. The leaders of the committee hope to focus on the choice of next year’s summer reading this upcoming semester.

The food committee has been active with changes in the dining hall structure and the addition of the pizza bar. According to Melissa Malley ’16, head of the food committee, some of the changes that received positive feedback were the addition of the TVs in the lobby to show the daily meals in advance and the chia seeds in the salad bar.

On the other hand, she added, that “the behind the scenes work of the kitchen staff often

goes unrecognized, and I hope that students can recognize how lucky we are to have the incredible staff we do.”

Finally, the spirit committee has been working hard to enhance school spirit through pep rallies and other school gatherings. Catty Seiler ’16, leader of spirit committee, shared that its biggest accomplishment is the number of students who joined this committee. She hopes that, although it is currently a committee, it will evolve into a club in the future and bring in even more members. Overall, these committees strive to take feedback from students and bring about their desired improvements. These changes that have already been implemented often go unrecognized, but the leaders of each committee clearly play a crucial role in enhancing certain aspects of Suffield Academy.

5 | The Bell February 2016

Tiger Den: Suffield’s Cubs

Features

Fozzie

Photos by Billy Cordes ’16

Billy Cordes ’16

The Tiger Den is a place that most students may not know about. However, it has been a part of Suffield Academy for twenty years. Mrs. Patterson started the daycare for faculty children at her house, but with the help of Mr. Godin, they were able to dedicate a building to create a complete preschool for the children. Mrs. Patterson now runs it with her sister, Mrs. Hoyt. Some of the first faculty families to use the Tiger Den were the Vianney’s and the Patterson’s, whose children are now juniors and seniors in college.

The cubs start their day at 8:00 a.m. in the morning and attend until 12:30. Their day consists of activities such as free choice, patterns, spelling and reading. These activities are followed by lunch. While students do not have to come every day, they really enjoy their time together so the majority are often at the Den. There are nine children in the preschool, but many more

toddlers and babies are a part of the program as well. To put things in perspective, the nine children in preschool could be in Suffield Academy’s class of 2030 and the younger kids could be part of the class of 2035! The youngsters will really get the full Suffield experience through their full exposure to life here. For example once a week, Mrs. Nahmens brings her upper level Spanish classes to interact with the kids and teach them basic Spanish. Also, Ms. Kane comes to play a little music and sing for the kids.

You might ask why we are writing an article about the Tiger Den. Our reason is that students should know about all the hidden gems Suffield has to offer, and this is definitely one of them. Instead of spending your free period in the Union, one day ask Mrs. Patterson if it is okay to come down and spend some time with the kids. It is always appreciated when students take the time to interact with the children in the community. You will certainly leave with a smile on your face.

Water: a substance so simple yet so meaningful and necessary. Have you ever known what it is like to not have clean water? Most people would say that having access to clean water is not something they would ever see themselves having to worry about. What people fail to realize is that there are hundreds of thousands of people around the world who are impacted by a lack of clean water.

There is a misconception that only people in impoverished third-world countries suffer from lack of clean water, but this is far from the truth. For nearly two years residents of Flint, Michigan have not had access to fresh water. High levels of lead have plagued the water supply in Flint, therefore making the municipal water supply hazardous and undrinkable.

Numerous Flint residents reached out to their state officials when they became concerned with their discolored tap water, however no immediate steps were taken to assess and repair the issue at the time. According to CNN, the lead level in flint’s water supply was 10x higher than previously measured. At this point the officials began to realize that the lead was having a negative impact on children throughout the city. Numerous children were hospitalized after drinking the water in Flint, many suffering skin lesions, hair loss, high levels of lead in the blood, vision loss, and memory loss. Having clean water should be a simple expectation, not a luxury. People should not have to worry whether their health will be at risk if they drink the water provided to them by their city. The incident in Flint, Michigan, proves that the lack of clean drinking water is not just a problem that affects thirdworld countries; it is one that hits closer to home than many people realize. Take the time to appreciate the simple things, such as water, because there are many people throughout this country who are not afforded this basic necessity.

Arts

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4 of 415: Hidden Poets Photos by Juhi Rayonia ’18

Sarah Swanson ’18

Yasmin Geradeau ’16

Colin Pittorie ’16

Tiquan Ewell ’16

Daisy Vallely ’16

Yasmin began writing poetry as an outlet in middle school and continues to do so today. Her inspiration often comes from personal experience because she claims, “Poetry is a way of finding the beauty in an ugly situation.” She believes metaphors and allegories have the power to uncover the good in any experience. Although her favorite type of poetry is slam poetry, she writes for herself and close friends because she believes her poems’ power can get lost through a mediocre delivery.

Growing up, she says she was, “forced to learn poetry in an academic setting” so she would prefer to listen to an impressive slam poetry presentation rather than read poetry.

Colin began utilizing poetry as a pastime when he developed insomnia in the beginning of his freshman year of high school.

Today he continues to write for himself because he believes, “art is completely subjective.”

His inspiration comes from entertainment and literature around him, so the themes of his poems often revolve around people and places in other published works.

One example of this style of poetry is his work derived from Van Halen’s album Diver Down, featuring a miner stuck in a cave.

Colin enjoys reading poetry, especially by H.P. Lovecraft, although he argues that he prefers his writing in prose. The following original poem, “So it Goes”, was inspired by the movie Slaughter House 5.

Since early middle school, Tiquan’s poetry has transformed from a method of wooing young ladies to a form of stress release and true passion. His first poems were written for a school writing assignment in 6th-grade where he was researching poems and then constructing his own; this is from where his passion for poetry stems. Although he currently prefers to keep his written work to himself, Tiquan plans to eventually release his poetry as a collection of moments in his life, which he expects to expand on in the future. Although he has difficulty choosing a preferred type of poetry, free verse and lyric are among his favorites. Tiquan loves the freedom of writing without boundary in free verse and how lyric allows writers to take readers “on a journey that is appealing to the ear.” Much of his inspiration comes from everyday phenomena and putting himself in the place of other people or things, but he also enjoys writing about complex concepts, including infinity and the theories of creation.

For as long as she can remember, poetry has been a form of expression for Daisy. In fact, she began writing poetry on napkins with Crayola crayons at a young age and first fell in love with Oscar Wilde’s work after reading The Happy Prince. Daisy normally writes for herself, but she is willing to share it in the right environment because she says, “There’s nothing better than touching somebody with your passion.” She enjoys reading any poetry that expresses the author’s voice and personality, regardless of its format and personally enjoys writing emotional free verse work.

Daisy’s inspiration comes from self-reflection and personification of abstract concepts. “I Remember the Flame” is an original poem that exemplifies her powerful words and passion for writing.

So It Goes So it goes again, the death and the gore, Hear the cries, the blades, the death, once more, So it goes again, in Slaughter House Five, Repeated again, within Slaughter House Nine, So it goes again, and again once more, Back to the cries, the blades, the death, the gore, So it goes again, as it did before, The sound, the fury repeated now four, So it goes again, hear the slaughtered roar.

I Remember the Flame I remember me.

My soul smiled inside out.

Buds of cynicism blossomed from my silent mouth.

I remember you.

You were the tear in the black hole that broke time, Irrelevant time.

I remember us.

We created a pit of fire that spread for many moments.

The notorious fire that burned all the living and segregated our desires.

I remember them.

They were torched before my flooded eyes with crooked smiles that shined through the violent light, Because in their dry veins, they felt our dangerous love that ignited the flames.

7 | The Bell February 2016

Performing Arts

Balance Has Found its Way Into Our Dance Show!

Isabella Attianese ’18 and Juhi Rayonia ’18

Photos by Juhi Rayonia ’18

The Suffield Academy Dance Company put on a performance like no other this February. It tied into this year’s theme: balance. Our team, which consists of 12 members, performed a variety of dances, making sure to never repeat one specific style of dance. Our captain this year is Cari Cyr ’17, and the rest of the team consists of a mixture of returning and new dancers. This year our goal was to try new styles of dance rather than narrowing our genre to one style of dance. Some of the styles we showcased this year included contemporary, hip hop, jazz, traditional African and Caribbean dance, Burlesque, and lyrical. We have had three instructors come in to teach us new techniques and choreography.

However, several team members were given the opportunity to choreograph some of the dances as well. The dance team also had the

opportunity to travel to a circus-training center in northern New England to learn how to work with silks and tightrope walking. Alumnus Matt Wiggin ’06, choreographer Ally Czerniak, and faculty member Mrs. Depelteau all came in and worked with us. We also incorporated surprise appearances by students from other arts and athletic departments, like select players from the varsity boys’ soccer team, into the dance show.

In this way, we got more students involved in Suffield’s budding dance program. It is also important to recognize Mrs. Nahmens, the director, as well as the tech crew because this show would not have been possible without their constant support and hard work. The members of the dance team put in a lot of effort to try to create an enjoyable show for our peers, and they appreciate the enthusiastic support of the community!

Sports

8 | The Bell February 2016

Spotlight on Skiing Chris Donahue ’17

Athletes Greatest Memories Meg Willams ’16

Sports are a large part of our community here at Suffield. The amount of work our student athletes put into excelling at sports is impressive, and they have many great memories from their time spent playing. The excerpts below are from three seniors who all plan on playing sports in college.

The memories they chose are some of their favorites from their time at Suffield, showing how special sports can be to every athlete.

Photos by Hillary Rockwell Cahn ’88, P’18

“The Suffield boys’ swim team beat Deerfield for the second time in the last four years.

The two other meets resulted in one loss and one tie. The past four years have had tightly contested meets, until the last 400 relay. Cameron Auchinachie ’17, Brandon Liao ’17, Ralph Koo ’16, and I won in a pool record time (3:08.90).”

Quinn Egan ’16, Bucknell University

Despite having one of the best records and most prestige of the many sports teams at Suffield Academy, the talents of the alpine ski team sometimes go unrecognized.

Suffield has been involved in the Brigham Ski League for over 20 years. This league is comprised of local prep schools, including Avon Old Farms, Berkshire, Loomis Chaffee, Salisbury, Taft and Kingswood-Oxford. Coach Hillary Rockwell Cahn ’88, P’18 is very proud of the reputation the ski team has developed within this league, as well as with Ski Sundown, the mountain the team trains on in New Hartford, Connecticut. “We are not only known for our competitiveness, speed, and talent, but also for our excellent sportsmanship and our positive, friendly attitude on the mountain,” says Coach Cahn.

Most years, the alpine ski team does dry land training during the month of December while the mountain is closed and is then able to return from break and hit the slopes immediately. This season was no different, except that good ski conditions nearly never arrived. The weather this year was challenging with the lack of natural snow and warm temperatures.

The alpine ski team lost five of its eight varsity racers from last year. A strong group of returning skiers Zach Mooney ’17, Maggy Skaugen ’17 and Maura Eagan ’16, led some young talent that is eager to learn and improve their racing technique. These racers included Jason Choi ’19, Eliza Gregory ’19, Emma Phillips ’19, Sam Cuda ’18, Arianna Saxton ’18, and Taro Makihara ’18. Maggy said, “The team got closer every day and really built a strong group.”

Zach again showed himself to be the top prep school ski racer in New England, winning both parts of the Brigham League Championship (slalom and giant slalom) and finishing first at Class A New England’s in the slalom. Maggy also won both parts of the Brigham Championship, won the Class A New England’s slalom and joined Zach as an All-New England selection.

Suffield has built an outstanding ski program and the time these students and coaches put into this sport should be applauded by the community.

“My absolute favorite time as an athlete at Suffield was this season, when the girls’ basketball team beat Williston for the first time since 2013. And then we did it again.”

Ang Vecchiarelli ’16, Williams College “Scoring my first lacrosse goal was pretty cool.

I play defense so we don’t get the opportunity to shoot that much but I ran the ball up the field and shot it lefty and I got it in the top left corner. I’m right handed and I didn’t think the shot was that fast but it went in and everyone was surprised and laughing. Kyle Reddish who was on the bench at the time fell to his knees laughing and surprised. The game was against KO my sophomore year. Also committing to Manhattanville College to play lacrosse is probably my best accomplishment. It’s been a dream of mine to play college lacrosse since 8th-grade.”

Conor Keough ’16, Manhattanville College