T he L og thelog@taboracademy.org
Tabor Academy’s Student Newspaper Volume 89, Number 1
October 2016
The Year Ahead An interview with Mr Quirk by Danielle Plunkett “Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” -John F. Kennedy
This quote has appeared around Tabor in several places since the start of the school year. Kennedy’s words were emblazoned on each of the shirts handed out on Registration Day, and were later echoed in Mr. Quirk’s chapel speech. At this point, everyone at Tabor is pretty familiar with the quote, but what do these words mean, and why are they so important? In his chapel speech, Mr. Quirk emphasized the importance of people in the Tabor community sharing their ideas and thoughts freely with one another. However, this exchange is only a fraction of a conversation’s true substance. What is the point of an open discussion when neither party is willing to acknowledge what the other has to say, only considering their own opinion? Mr. Quirk feels that the most critical part of a conversation is not what one contributes to it, but what one gains from listening to and understanding their counterpart’s side of the issue, even though the process can be rather uncomfortable.
The need for students (and adults) to become citizen-scholars was another theme of Mr. Quirk’s chapel speech. The ability to take in information about a problem and be open to considering that problem from several points of view is just one attribute of a citizen-scholar. As Mr. Quirk said, “The ideological disagreements of today, and the way we take them on, will really matter in the adult lives you will all lead.” As Tabor students move on to the rest of their lives after high school, it is important that they are able to contribute meaningfully to their communities, and one way of doing so is by engaging in effective conversations about the world around them.
Photo by Photo Pool.
“This discomfort is the disguised feeling of learning, I think,” said Mr. Quirk, “and even if we land in exactly the same spot after considering other perspectives, we have learned something and are improved.” By learning from one another’s point of view, members of the Tabor community can certainly improve themselves, but more importantly, they improve the school as a whole. The open-minded exchange of ideas that so commonly takes place on this campus fosters an environment of respect, honesty, and education that goes beyond academia and begins to introduce young people to the real world, where they will, the school hopes, become successful “citizen-scholars.”
J.F.K.’s quote seems particularly appropriate for the 2016-2017 school year. With so many discussion-worthy events happening around us, the Tabor community must think about the best way to have these conversations candidly and respectfully. One of Tabor’s best qualities is that everyone is free to “enjoy the comfort of opinion” in classrooms and in social settings, but the community must embrace “the discomfort of thought” that comes with it, to enhance Tabor’s ability to be an informed and productive collection of individual yet empathetic thinkers. Mr. Quirk proposes that, instead of choosing one component of conversation, the community follow the simple and insightful suggestion on their t-shirts: “Let’s have both.”
Where Did Everything Go? The case of the missing couches by Maddy LaCasse and Jack Shakin With the start of the new school year, students are already enjoying many Tabor staples like the hypnotist, white-pizza Thursdays, class orientations, and outdoor movies by the waterfront. In addition to embracing the school’s traditions, students are also welcoming a few changes. These changes, such as the missing couches in the Beebe and the new ASSIST center replacing the ARC, have been the topic of many discussions among returning students.
Not everyone in the community knows that the ARC has been reshaped into the ASSIST center. Many students visited the ARC and appreciated the expertise of everyone who worked there, benefitting from their wisdom in extra help sessions on any and every topic. The ASSIST center, run by Mrs. Cleary and located on the first floor of the library, has taken the idea of the ARC and revamped it slightly, turning it into a new resource. Mrs. Cleary hopes that the ASSIST center will “prepare students for college” and help them with “organizational and time management skills.” She helps students set up schedules for their busy Tabor days in order to find what time works best for them to study and do their work. In addition, the peer tutoring and peer editing systems will now be run through the Please recycle this paper.
ASSIST center so that students can get effective and efficient help from their skilled peers. The ASSIST center is available for test review or homework assistance before school or during a free block.
While the Tabor community seems to agree that the ASSIST center is a welcome addition, its response to the missing couches in the Beebe and absent peanut butter in the dining hall was not as positive. Since the beginning of the year, students expressed their displeasure with the lack of couches in the Beebe. They were a staple of Beebe night life, and their disappearance has not gone unnoticed The school has not articulated a reason for the change from couches to tables and chairs in the student center. The school has, however, explained why the dining hall has replaced peanut butter with nut-free SunButter. For students with severe food allergies, the PB&J that was a reliable and delicious snack that could be grabbed before an away game or during meeting block was a deadly substance. With allergen-free SunButter in the dining hall, all students can feel safe making themselves a quick sandwich.
A student initiative to lengthen the game for girls’ soccer, p. 3. Preview the Leadership Symposium, p.4.
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