The Suffield Academy Bell / May 2017

www.suffieldacademy.org

Esse Quam Videri

The Suffield Bell Volume LXXXIII, NO. 2

Established 1835

May 2017

Memorial Reconstruction Plan

Photos via Patrick Booth

Nicole Lee ’19

As a part of the Campus Master Plan, Memorial Building is going to undergo a significant reconstruction process this summer. Currently, a new dormitory named Brodie Hall is being built. The school plans to start the reconstruction process for Memorial the day after graduation and expects to finish the project

by September 1, 2018.

One of the most unique and challenging steps throughout this process is going to be the preservation of the east façade of Memorial. Instead of bringing down the whole building, the team is required to leave the front wall up. Suffield Academy is located in a historic district, which means that some of our buildings are closely related to the history of the town and the United States. Town ordinances require the school to maintain the original appearance of the buildings when making significant additions. The process requires high level engineering skill and a lot of effort, time, and funds.

Built in 1854 as a part of the school’s original buildings, Memorial has 13,500 square feet and currently houses classrooms, the technology department, the marketing offices, and academic administrative offices. Memorial has great historical and spiritual value.

Despite this value, Memorial currently has some problems. It is a four-story building with no elevator. Therefore, disabled or injured students often have a hard time using the space, and classes frequently have to take place in the first floor conference room. Moreover, the classrooms often lack appropriate facility for efficient learning. For example, the classrooms are very small and old, and there is no temperature control system. As a result, some of the classrooms are very warm, while others are very cold throughout the winter term.

In order to resolve the current issues, the school has put significant effort into the planning process. According to Ms. Yeager, some of the people involved in the process have visited several schools and places to seek advice. They have focused on creating a beautiful and practical building for student learning. “It was a thoughtful process that we have conducted, in order to meet the needs and create a beautiful modern center on campus that matches Holcomb, Centurion, and the new expanded dining hall,” said Ms. Yeager.

The reconstruction will solve the majority of the problems addressed above; for instance, the inclusion of an elevator will make the building more accessible to all students. Because the main entrance will be facing towards Bell Hill, the academic quadrangle will be transformed into a closed, convenient studying space for students. Twenty new classrooms will alleviate the difficulty of scheduling classes and will allow faculty members to have their own classrooms. Moreover, on the top floor, an advanced media center will provide students with higher technology adapted classes. On the bottom floor, the technology department is going to have its own working space with 3D printers.

During the reconstruction process, classes that now take place in Memorial are going to be transferred to other buildings. The new dormitory will provide nine spacious classrooms with air conditioning. There are also a few rooms that can be used in the library. Some construction work in the library was done over spring break: the metal stacks in the front side of library were removed so that the space can be used as a classroom. There is also a classroom, according to Mrs. Yeager, in the backside of the library. In addition, spaces like the counseling center, athletic conference room, and Tisch Auditorium will provide appropriate spaces for classes. While graduation will take place in the academic quad as always, the construction scene is expected to produce a unique background with beautiful banners and fences.

According to Mr. Booth, the renovation was planned with dedicated faculty members like Ms. Yeager, Mrs. Cahn, Mr. Healy, and Mrs. Wiggin. Moreover, skilled engineers and experts are playing a large part in the process. As a result, Ms. Yeager said that she does not have any concerns regarding the process.

However, Mr. Booth feels a little concern regarding the tight timeline and budget.

This reconstruction process will definitely be a big leap for Suffield Academy. It will efficiently move the school further towards its Master Plan. Ms. Yeager said, “I feel blessed to be included in the process.” It will also provide a great learning and teaching space for students and faculty. The new building is expected to have as large an impact on the entire student body as the recent Brewster Hall renovation, if not more.

Features

2 | The Bell May 2017

The Glow Jenna Polidoro ’18

The Bell Staff EDITORS Editors-in-Chief Devina Bhalla ’18 Sarah Swanson ’18 Layout Aashi Patel ’19 Hattie Bauchiero ’18

CONTRIBUTORS Writers Isabella Attianese ’18 Devina Bhalla ’18 Pat Cordes ’18 Ben Godin ’17 Caleigh Horrigan ’18 Nicole Lee ’19 Jenna Polidoro ’18 Kate Rookey ’18 Sarah Swanson ’18 Nick Vardakas ’18 Photographers Devina Bhalla ’18 Caleigh Horrigan ’18 Liz Sacco ’17 Sarah Swanson ’18

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

She stands outside in the night softly lit by the star’s eerie glow.

Around her the darkness lies, ready to take her into the unknown.

But she is still and makes no sound.

Tears carve ruts into her cheeks.

She banishes the tears from her cheeks, falling away into the night; Silence is the only sound.

Above the stars continue to glow dimly, illuminating the unknown.

Here is where she lies.

Next to the girl lies darkened grass, tickling her cheeks.

Around her lurks the unknown, stalking for prey in the night by the stars eerie glow.

There is no sound.

Still no sound reaches her ears where she lies.

The stars continue to glow, reflecting light off her cheeks which cast tears into the night; Tears caused by the unknown.

Like a vulture the unknown circles, until a sound pierces through the night.

She stands up from where she lies and wipes the tears from her cheeks.

The familiar glow of home, the glow of safety, exiles the unknown.

There are no more tears upon her cheeks, and sound replaces the silence. Outside lies her old friend, the night.

The night brings the sound of silence and the unknown, and causes tears to paint her cheeks.

But there will always be a glow to reach her where she lies.

3 | The Bell May 2017

Editorials

Revisit Day Run-Down Every year, Suffield hosts revisit days for potential students to get a second look at the school. It is an experiential way for the applicants to see what an average day at Suffield is like. For some current students, it means being chosen as hosts, tour guides and admission helpers. In the eyes of the hosts, they meet new friends and feel honored with the responsibility of being trusted to represent the school’s friendly environment.

Since it is a school-wide event, many students have opinions on these special days, such as R.J. Mhoon. He described his optimistic outlook on the occasion, “I think Revisit Day is the perfect chance for interested students to see what they can expect if they were to attend in the fall. They can walk in our shoes and determine if this school is the right fit for them. Overall, I believe the three days are successful in the sense that they show the newly admitted students what expectations await them, and feel the positive mindset we take so much pride in.”

On one of the revisit days, I was able to sit down and talk with an attendee about her visit day. This is what Brigid Lawry had to say, “I loved everything about the revisit day! I thought it was extremely well run. My tour guide was amazing, and she made sure I was comfortable and all my questions were answered. She called me the night before and texted me the following night. Suffield did a great job matching me with a student of similar interests. The staff did a nice job introducing us to a ‘day in the life of a student’ and showing off Suffield’s community.

The student panel portion was really interesting in the sense of hearing how other kids decided to choose Suffield. The lunch was fun because of the ‘Saturday Nights at Suffield’ live band playing in the Union. I thought it was an awesome day and I was so happy to be a part of it!”

In conclusion, these three days show an important preview for the following years. Yes, they might form a slight inconvenience for some students, but be honest, who minds being released a few minutes early to have a bagel with a new student?

Put to the Test at the Podium Sarah Swanson ’18

Each spring the Suffield Academy community anticipates the Kent-Davis oratory contest in which members of the graduating class give a series of original or adapted speeches. For years, young students have marveled at the sight of their older classmates and aspired to have their oratory skills. For this year’s seniors, once those marveling students, their opportunity has presented itself much sooner than they expected in the form of senior speeches.

Will the popular Kent-Davis Chapel still be well received by the community and draw as many participants as it has in past years? This burning question is one of many prompted by the implementation of the new senior speech requirement.

Although senior speeches originally induced widespread stress amongst the Class of 2017, it appears that the opportunity actually provided invaluable practice for those considering competing in the KentDavis contest. Andrew Robitaille ’17 developed a unique mindset which he explained, “I kind of viewed this opportunity as a good gauge to see whether or not Kent-Davis would go well!” Similarly, Cari Cyr ’17 embraced her opportunity to speak in front of her peers and feels “encouraged and prepared” for Kent-Davis after her presentation. Even those who did not view their presentation as a test run found that it opened their eyes to the possibility of competing in Kent-Davis.

Brooklyn Hayes ’17, for example, had “never considered” Kent-Davis, but became interested in participating in the program after her Chapel presentation.

For the many seniors who already found themselves scrambling for content

earlier this year, Kent-Davis can seem daunting. However, the solution to their dilemma lies in the nature of the senior Chapel speech program. The limited guidelines lend themselves to creativity, providing the opportunity for students to present in unique forms during these speeches while allowing them to save their more traditional ideas for Kent-Davis, where they will face a few restrictions.

If students do experience writer’s block, they can undertake the Davis portion of the contest, in which students deliver an adapted speech. If the senior Chapel program becomes a Suffield tradition, it is possible that this category of adapted speeches may become more preferable in years to come.

Although many question whether the repetition of senior speeches may take away from the novelty of the Kent-Davis chapel, there are distinct differences between the programs that make each a valuable experience for participants and audience, alike. As suggested by the 6-week intensive preparation it demands alongside Ms. Andrysiak and Mr. Dugan, the Kent-Davis tradition has high standards and a distinct focus on public-speaking technique. Meanwhile, the goal of the senior Chapel program is to get to know our classmates and, for many, requires limited preparation and consultation with advisors in comparison to Kent-Davis.

The effort required to brainstorm another memorable topic coupled with the inherently demanding preparation requirements of Kent-Davis presents an unprecedented challenge for the class of 2017. While the community’s evident enthusiasm for the beloved Kent-Davis Chapel ensures its existence well into the future, it is certainly possible that we may witness a shift in content and participation in future years.

Photos by Liz Sacco ’17

Photos by Hillary Rockwell Cahn ’88, P’18

Pat Cordes ’18

On Campus

4 | The Bell May 2017

Preparing For Prom

HOT or NOT?

Kate Rookey ’18

Every high school student dreams of having a perfect prom night filled with good music and dancing with friends, but most people underestimate the amount of planning that goes into designing the perfect prom. Each year, the senior class leaders hunt to find a unique place to host prom that is able to unite such a large number of people in one space. This year, Suffield’s prom is going to be held at the Starting Gate at Greathorse in Hampden, MA. From the moment that students visited the facility they knew that this would be the perfect venue.

Garrett Stephenson gave his seal of approval when he said, “I’d get married here.”

With a large ballroom and outdoor area that has the perfect backdrop for photos, Greathorse is setting the stage for a formal, elegant, and traditional prom. The senior class has been raising money for this special night since their freshman year by having fundraisers such as selling wristbands, t-shirts, carnations, roses at holiday dinner, and the senior auction. The money raised helps lower ticket prices, which include a formal sit-down dinner, music by a DJ, a photo booth, and transportation. Ashley, Garrett, Max, Mrs. Depelteau, and Mr. Lynch are all looking forward to everyone seeing this beautiful venue that will host one of the most memorable nights of the school year. They even filled us in on what is hot and what’s not this prom.

HOT Being able to walk in heels Long dresses Original promposals Letting your date wear your jacket if it’s cold Dancing at prom Snapchatting prom with the filter

NOT HOT Stumbling in your heels Too much makeup Ridiculous, over-the-top promposals Letting your date freeze Standing around at prom Not taking pictures

Inside Look at the 5 Year Plan Caleigh Horrigan ’18

Photos by Hillary Rockwell Cahn ’88, P’18

Every year Suffield Academy becomes home to a unique group of postgraduates, all from varying backgrounds with a wide variety of interests. This year, however, the post-graduates have been more involved, more diverse, and more surprising than in years past. I spoke to some of this year’s post-graduates to ask them about their experience and gain some insight about what it means to be a post-graduate at Suffield Academy. So many people see post-graduates as purely jocks, looking for an extra year to pursue sports. Yet, many post-graduates have gained so much more out of their time at Suffield. Winfield Hunter ’17 reflected about his intentions at Suffield saying, “After I got here I figured out very quickly this wasn’t about football for me. It’s had a huge impact on me getting away from sports and pursuing new things.” Winfield has performed on stage for the musical and Mr. Dugan’s acting class and was featured in the Spring Guitar Show. Aboubacar Diaby ’17 came to Suffield to pursue soccer and prepare for

college; however, he has found the experience to be so much more than that. He has been most surprised and impressed by the involvement of our faculty saying, “I feel like the teachers really care about you here and look out for you, which is a huge change from my old school. Knowing that I can reach my teachers here is an incredible plus for me.” A post-graduate year can also include social change and development, something Brad Hawkins ’17 attributes to his year at Suffield. Brad says, “Before I came here, I was kind of quiet. But Suffield has taught me to be a better public speaker.” It is hard to believe that someone who is now a friendly and active member of the Suffield community could have ever been shy. While many of this year’s post-graduates are still pursuing an athletic career in college, they have also used their time at Suffield to grow in ways they never imagined possible. Despite their diversity and differences, when I asked the question, “Would you do it all again?” they all replied, “yes”. From what I have heard, this experience has been an invaluable and life-changing one that will continue to affect this year’s post-graduates.

5 | The Bell May 2017

On Campus

Departing Faculty of Suffield Academy Nick Vardakas ’18 and Bell Advisors

Ms. Massa Ms. Massa teaches Spanish at Suffield and has been here for two years. Her favorite memories on campus happened on the volleyball court. She says the best moment for her was “when we beat Loomis for the first time in Suffield’s history.” Upon the close of this school year, Ms. Massa will be attending graduate school at Simmons College to pursue a career as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She says that she “will miss Suffield and all of the wonderful people here, but I will definitely be back to visit soon!” The Suffield Academy community wishes Ms. Massa the best of luck in her future endeavors as a Nurse Practitioner!

Ms. Kim Ms. Kim is a Hong Kong native who came to the United States to attend boarding school at St. Paul’s School. After graduating, Ms. Kim practiced law in New York City for several years before coming to work at Suffield. She has been at Suffield for three years, serving as a college counselor, SOLO faculty, and a dorm parent. Her favorite activities on campus including walking to work every morning “knowing that I’ll get to spend the next nine hours working with students and getting to know them more.” Ms. Kim will, unfortunately, be leaving us to work in the college counseling office at St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire.

This is a reunion, in a way, as both she and her husband attended the school as students. When asked if there was anything she would like to say to the Suffield community upon her departure, she said, “Thank you for an incredible three years.

I will miss everyone!” The Suffield Academy community wishes Ms. Kim good luck in her future endeavors!

Mr. and Mrs. Depelteau Mr. Depelteau grew up in western Massachusetts and attended Suffield as a post-graduate. He attended Wheaton College and majored in English. Coming back to Suffield Academy 10 years ago, Mr. Depelteau worked in the admissions office for the first six years before moving over to the college counseling office for the past four years. Additionally, Mr. Depelteau has led the boys’ varsity basketball team to impressive victories for the past nine years.

Mrs. Depelteau grew up in Georgia and attended Presbyterian College for her undergraduate degree in English and political science. Mrs. Depelteau has worked at Suffield for the past eight years where she has spent time working in the English department and in the Academic office. Together they have been the dorm heads in Nathena Fuller House for six years and Spencer Hall for the past two. After leaving Suffield at the close of the school year, Mr. and Mrs. Depelteau will be moving to Asheville, North Carolina to work at the Christ School, an independent boarding and day school for boys. Mrs. Depelteau will be the Academic Dean at the school, and Mr. Depelteau will be the Associate Director of College Counseling.

When Mrs. Depelteau thinks about what she will miss at Suffield, she immediately comes to the sense of community that Suffield has and just how loving and friendly Suffield is. She says, “When I came to Suffield I was newly married, and now I’m leaving with a family. Suffield will always be the first place that Jeff and I, together, called a home and the first home that my children ever knew.” She shares a moment of realization in the past week where her son Max was playing hide-and-seek with Griffin Kornaker ’17, where they lost Max and

Photo by Molly Gotwals

As another school year is coming to a close, the Suffield community is saying goodbye to a few faculty members. ended up finding him in a hammock on the quad with Meg Varney ’17 and Lauren Henzy ’17, hanging out and enjoying themselves. She looked to Mr. Depelteau and said “This. I’m going to miss this.”

Many of Mr. Depelteau’s favorite memories include long bus rides to games and also locker room celebrations with all the teams that he has coached. He says “all of my fondest memories at Suffield have something to do with my work with students.” Mr. Depelteau says that Suffield “will always feel like home to me.

From my time as a student to my first ten years of being an adult, I’ve literally grown up on this campus and started a family here. Suffield is a special place, and while my time working here is done, I’m lucky that I’ll always be an alum, and I look forward to coming back to visit because, as Mr. Cahn says at Commencement, ‘You have to take me back!’” Mr. and Mrs. Depelteau will be missed dearly and we wish them a fantastic future!

Ms. Andrysiak Ms. Andrysiak is the English Chair at Suffield who arrived in 2005 as the Assistant Academic Dean. Over the past twelve years, she has been a dorm associate in six different dorms, an assistant swim coach, the advisor to an arts magazine, the advisor to the Bell, and the co-advisor to the Kent-Davis competition. Prior to Suffield, she worked as a public school teacher and as a teacher at an international school in Quito, Ecuador. She also helped start an innercity charter school in Boston and then moved into the administration of an allgirls day school in Boston. She says “Suffield is the first boarding school I’ve experienced, and I think 12 years of dorm duty and Saturday classes is enough!”

Ms. Andrysiak will move to Charlotte, North Carolina where she will be the Upper School Dean of Studies at Charlotte Country Day School.

As Ms. Andrysiak has worked at Suffield for an extended period of time, it is hard to come up with one single favorite memory. She has “teared up” as individuals broke records in the pool and was proud when the coaches were forced to swim, fully clothed, with the team after Suffield’s many New England victories.

She loves having great conversations with students in class and in the dorms, and she feels pride when a student makes her see something in a new way. From her involvement with the faculty community to her connection with the students in her classes, teams, and dorms, she feels the departure is bitter-sweet. She promises to come back often for visits “since the people here have been my community for over a decade – they’re a part of who I am.”

As she finishes writing this chapter of her life and moves on to the next, Ms. Andrysiak “encourages everyone to step outside of their group or clique and get to know each other—that’s both faculty and students.” She says, “there are amazing people here, and if I had just spent time with the few people I see most often in the day, I never would have had this rich experience.”

As Ms. Andrysiak is one of the faculty leaders of The Bell, each staff member of The Bell will sincerely miss her presence at each meeting and the hard work she does for the newspaper. The Suffield Academy community, and especially staff members of The Bell wish Ms. Andrysiak good luck with her future plans and we hope to see her back at Suffield soon!

On Campus

6 | The Bell May 2017

Environmental Club Impacting Suffield

Photos by Sarah Swanson ’18

Isabella Attianese ’18

The main goal of Environmental Club is to raise awareness of environmental issues and to help make Suffield more eco-friendly. Earlier in the year, the club decided to petition to remove the paper cups in the dining hall during meal times. Many people would sit in the dining hall with the paper cups rather than taking them to go, which is their intended purpose. By removing them during meal times alone, the club was able to cut the number of cups used per day from 1000 to 500. Although

the club received a fair deal of backlash from the student body, this decision positively impacts the environment by preventing students and faculty from wasting hundreds of cups a day. Liz Sacco ’17 says, “Our ultimate goal is to completely eliminate the paper cups and have people use their reusable mugs and water bottles.” In addition to the anticup movement, the club has recently been doing a great deal to raise awareness and work with the environment directly. In honor of Earth Day, the

club planned a week of events including an ecofriendly scavenger hunt, a plant seeding day, and numerous plant sales. All of these events encouraged students to make their lives more green as well as to appreciate the nature that is always surrounding them. Humankind is destroying the beauty around us day by day, making it imperative that we take these minor steps towards preserving nature and helping to save the environment, which is exactly the purpose of the Environmental Club.

Brodie Hall: An Exciting Addition to Our Campus

Photos by Devina Bhalla ’18

Devina Bhalla ’18

While renovations to our campus might be annoying in the short-term, they will be exciting and beautiful once complete. The construction of Brodie Hall started earlier this year, and every day more progress is visible. This new dorm is intended to be a connection from the house dorms to the quad dorms, bringing all the boarding life together. It will be finished in the middle of July and used as classrooms during the upcoming renovation of Memorial. For the most part, the construction has followed the original schedule with minimal weather delays. In 2018, when the returning students arrive in September, Memorial will be built and Brodie Hall will be ready to welcome residents. Though the gender for residents of Brodie Hall has not been decided, the new dorm has a clear purpose.

Mr. Booth discussed how it will truly connect the house dorms to the quad; with a new stairwell down the hill and a terrace with landscaping outside its doors.

Though some feel as though this new dorm is being shoved into an already crowded part of campus, Mr. Booth commented on the necessity of maintaining the residential quadrangle, and in addition how most of the other land is wetlands and not suitable for building. Brodie Hall will house 18-20 students, a faculty family, and another faculty apartment.

With air-conditioning and a balcony off the common room, this dorm will be impressive and highly sought after. Even the faculty family will have a nice set-up with a balcony of their own and a gas fireplace. Mr. Booth was kind enough to give me a tour of the building recently and views of the campus from this hillside dorm are simply enough to make any student want to live there. Brodie Hall is an exciting addition to our campus and a reflection of just how lucky the incoming and younger students are.

7 | The Bell May 2017

The Arts

Pursuing Art in College Liz Sacco ’17

Photos by Liz Sacco ’17

As the Class of 2017 finalizes their plans for the next four years, a small group of students have decided to continue their art careers in college. Multiple students plan on attending art school and many more plan on continuing to hone their artistic skills at liberal arts colleges.

Ameera Moumina will be attending Parsons School of Design alongside Sabrina Hang and Leyza Okojie. She did not initially plan on attending art school, but she says, “as I progressed through my art and started to really find what I love, just painting and drawing, and my strengths in those mediums, I decided maybe it’s best if I do go into the field of art.” She feels that Suffield Academy’s art department has fully prepared her for this next step. Her teachers consistently encourage and push her to work outside her comfort zone. She has not declared a concentration, but she is open to exploring her many options.

Manny Chukwu decided upon a different route. He will be pursuing art as a minor or as a double major at a traditional college. Like Ameera, he did not always intend on doing art in college. He claims he used to disregard his artistic talent, not taking it seriously. However, after realizing art has always played a role in his life, he decided to continue. He says he chose not to attend art school because he does not “want to box [himself] in as just an artist.” Manny truly feels “like [he] could be so much more.” A traditional college with a good art department can provide both types of education without forcing students to choose.

Sarah Alaimo chose to continue her art in a more leisurely fashion. She will continue taking art classes, but does not plan on earning a major or minor in that area. She has taken multiple art classes at Suffield Academy and feels prepared to continue in a few aspects of art. She says she is just, “doing what she’s doing.”

There is so much artistic talent at Suffield; the future is undoubtedly bright.

The Tony Awards of High School Theater Isabella Attianese ’18

Photo from the Halo website

Every year the Suffield Academy theater department is involved in the Halo Awards, this year competing with the fall musical Sister Act and the spring play

The Diary of Anne Frank. The Halo Awards were designed to honor high school theater—both plays and musicals—around Connecticut. This year there are 40 schools, both private and public, participating in the program. The nominations for the Halos will be announced in mid-May. Mr. Dugan is “hopeful that we will pick up a few nominations and wins this year.” Whether or not either performance is nominated, Suffield will still be performing at the Seven Angels Theater in Waterbury, Connecticut on May 31st. The cast and crew for both productions are very excited and hope that their many months of hard work will be recognized and awarded. In previous years, Suffield has been nominated for awards such as best performance by leading actor and actress, best set design, best featured dancer, best play, and best featured actor and actress. The judges of the Halos come to schools’ productions across the state and judge them in multiple categories including vocals, facial expressions, energy, dancing, and acting. Although the students participating in the theater department do not put in all this work for the sole purpose of taking home a Halo, they are a nice reward to earn after all the hours they dedicate to impersonating someone else, whether it be Ann Frank or a singer hiding out in a nunnery. Suffield students, crew, and faculty are excited to see what the judges think about their production, but know that even if they do not win an award, they still worked their hardest to put on two incredible shows.

News

8 | The Bell May 2017

Mary and Marge Get a Sleep-In Suffield is going to lose two jewels next year: Mary Pratt and Marge Miller will be retiring at the end of this academic year. Mary has worked for Suffield since 1982 and Marge has worked for Suffield since 1986. Mary is a day chef: she cooks breakfast and the main meal for lunch. Marge sets up the salad bar and helps the entire kitchen. Marge also manages Kitchen Help work jobs, so the dining hall is ready for all the special appointments and sit-down lunches. Therefore, most students, faculty, and staff have had the chance to interact with them through work job and meal times for over thirty years.

Mary and Marge have been playing big roles for years, but they both say that the best part of their work was interacting with the students. Mary said that she likes to cook whatever students like, such as Mary’s Mac and Cheese and Chicken Pot Pie. She asserted that, “those foods are harder to cook and it is more work, but I like making them. I know that kids will enjoy them and thank me afterwards.” Mary continued, “the best part of my job was meeting students. Every generation is different, and I got to meet many of them. I loved all the generations. Students keep me young.” Marge added, “that certainly was the best part of the job.”

Their affection towards students is also revealed through their memories, such as the best senior pranks. Mary recalls when the students filled up water bottles and lined them up in the Brewster lobby so that no one was able to enter, while Marge thought of an incident when the students brought an orange Volkswagen into the dining hall in the middle of the night. They also recalled when some students put “for sale” signs on every school building.

Their decision to leave the work came from the physical burden that the job demands. They are sad that they have to leave the students and their co-workers, but they are delighted at the same time because they do not have to wake up at 4 o’clock every morning, six days a week. They are looking forward to the rest. Just as Mary and Marge will miss the students, we will miss them next year, too. Let us continue to show them gratitude for all they have done for so long.

The War In Syria Ben Godin ’17 Syria. Today the country is emblematic of the problems in the Middle East, a murky mix of terrorism and war. Here is an abridged intro to the war in Syria: In July 2000, Bashar al-Assad ran unopposed for the presidency, succeeding his father. Over the next decade, Assad shaped Syria through a wave of semi-socialist economic reform; notably, the breaking up of several government monopolies, as well as the promotion and support of private industry and investment in the Syrian business. However, Assad installed close friends and family within both the government and newly created private sectors, effectively ensuring absolute government control. These economic reforms slowly became more and more detrimental to the country. In the latter half of the decade, resentment for the regime’s dominion developed. As the Arab Spring reached Syriaa, peaceful protests turned violent in response to the imprisonment and torture of protesters.

In July 2011, several high ranking officers in the military defected, subsequently forming the Free Syrian Army. The FSA utilized coordinated guerrilla attacks to oppose Assad’s regime; the Syrian civil war was underway.

The FSA claimed some decisive victories, and Assad’s forces withdrew to the more populated cities in the western portion of Syria. As the conflict escalated, it caught the attention of international groups, and in January 2012, the Iraq based al-Qaeda dispatched a small fighting force to the Syrian border regions,

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establishing a branch inside Syria called Jabhat al-Nusra, or the al-Nusra Front. Heavily armed and well financed, al-Nusra quickly attracted members of the FSA, who found greater victories against the Assad regime under the jihadist cause. The FSA splintered into a frenzy of rebel cells, many now supported by a host of international backers. These backers include the Gulf states, Russia, and the US among others.

One of the most important developments came in April 2013, when a group of senior al-Qaeda jihadists broke off to form the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. The organization rapidly engulfed the region in large swaths of anarchy, carving out nearly half of Syria’s southeastern and central territory. Recently, the area under ISIS control has been shrinking, albeit slightly.

Finally, Syria has rekindled tensions between the US and Russia; Russia is currently backing the Assad regime, and the US supports both the Kurds and various “moderate” rebel groups. Since 2014 Russia has been far more physically present than the US, with over 4,000 military personnel stationed across multiple cities, including two major Russian bases. Both countries are also directly involved in the war through their use of airstrikes, each attempting to eliminate targets with a “tolerable” policy regarding civilian casualties.

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Photo by Molly Gotwals

Nicole Lee ’19