T he L og thelog@taboracademy.org
Tabor Academy’s Student Newspaper
February 2018
Volume 92, Number 5
TA
Mysteries
What’s Going on in the Greenhouse? by Danielle Plunkett
Tucked away near the maintenance facilities on upper campus lives a relatively unknown but important Tabor resource: the greenhouse. According to Captain Bill, the greenhouse has been around for over 30 years. “In the past, it was used by PlantOps to grow flowers used for the campus,” said Captain Bill. “Now it’s used by students and faculty.” In recent years, the greenhouse has become an academic resource. The facility is being used across various science classes to turn concepts into tangible and easy-to-understand examples. For instance, Biology classes have used the building to grow different plants, allowing students to visualize the process of photosynthesis and understand how specific factors impact the growth of the plant. Mrs. Norris took advantage of the greenhouse with her AP Biology students earlier this year, and she hopes that the facility can be used even more by the Tabor science department. “My goal eventually would be for the greenhouse to be used...to set up experiments, examples, test runs, and independent projects,” said Mrs. Norris, adding that the greenhouse is a great resource
Photo by Photopool
for studying “ecology, environmental science, and other marine sciences.”
The greenhouse also provides Tabor with an opportunity to practice sustainable agriculture. Throughout the winter, Captain Bill will grow microgreens such as kale, carrots, and swiss chard in the greenhouse. “It’s very easy to grow the microgreens, and the Dining Hall said they’ll use anything we grow,” said Mrs. Norris. Growing these products and more for use in our own community advances Tabor’s green initiative and makes our campus more sustainable and earth-friendly. As great as the greenhouse is, there are definitely some improvements that can be made to increase its quality. “It needs some upgrades, like being in a sunnier location,” said Captain Bill. He also mentioned that the greenhouse needs to be “winterized” to handle the New England chill. He said, “[There is] no water supply when it is below freezing due to frozen pipes,” making it very difficult to maintain ongoing projects throughout the winter. Mrs. Norris agrees that a change in location would be beneficial for the greenhouse. “People forget about it because it’s not easy-access,” she
said. “It would be better if the placement of the greenhouse was better for students.” Mrs. Norris added that she would like to see the greenhouse become a place for students to go in their down time, as well. “There’s that idea that we could have one end be little plants and flowers and have a study space or a hangout space for students,” she said. Students could do some work or simply
relax together surrounded by plants and flowers in the warmth of the greenhouse.
The greenhouse is just one of Tabor’s many underutilized facilities, but with the integration of academic research and sustainability into its capabilities, our community can become more involved with this great resource as it continues to grow and develop.
The Lost Play, Found
by Tayler Rogers
The winter drama’s newest play is soon to debut, but there is something missing… a few things, actually. Whether it is something as small as a pair of earrings or as life changing as a loved one, the cast of the winter drama will be performing scenes that both they and Mr. Howland’s creative writing class have written about things they have lost in what they are titling The Lost Play.
The Lost Play is an “entirely devised piece,” as director Ms. Hawley puts it. The actors began the production process without a script or outline to guide them. Their only guidance was the theme of “things that are lost.” Everything else about the production has been created or dreamed up by the cast. Since the students have been the ones to explore and write what they believe should be in the script, cast member Maggie Adams notes that “it is Please recycle this paper.
for the most part just stories of our lives. You get to know the cast by what they are going to be performing.” On this topic Ms. Hawley expressed what she hopes will come from performing this type of theater, “I really want people to leave and think about the community we’re in.” The true stories scattered throughout the play will amount to an unmissable opportunity to get to know and support your peers. The Black Box will no longer be seats and a stage; the area will be set up to resemble a more cozy, intimate café-like setting, complete with a “gallery of lost things” to walk through on the way in. Included in the gallery’s display might be a lost earring, a pen cap, and maybe even a jacket.
Head to the Black Box February 22–24 to catch the show. Reserve tickets at the front desk to see the final product of the cast’s hard work. Opinion, p. 2. Arts and Sports, p. 4