T he L og thelog@taboracademy.org
Tabor Academy’s Student Newspaper
The Debrief
Volume 93, Number 2
November 2018
Photo by Gary Lawrence
Discussing a powerful all school meeting with the people who shared their stories by Gabby Bao In All School Meeting on September 27, Ms. Williams and Mr. Nascimento gave a powerful speech to the Tabor Community. Mr. Nas wanted to teach all members of the community to respect “the ones you love,” while Ms. Williams described her excruciating experience years ago, when several white men yelled the N-word and hurled a soda can at her. Standing on stage in the spotlight and observing the crowd in silence, Ms. Williams understood her audience’s uneasiness, pointing out, “This is exactly how uncomfortable we feel when we hear the N-word.”
In the following days, many students stopped by Ms. Williams’ and Mr. Nas’ office to share their thoughts. Among those, one of the most common, yet heartfelt, pieces of feedback has been “Thank you for finally bringing this up.” Racial slurs exist in favorite songs, social media, even in casual conversation. Many students have felt offended or confused upon hearing the N-word, but it was not until the All School announcement that the school addressed the lack of discussion about this word. To raise more awareness about this language, Ms. Williams looks forward to hearing more voices from the Tabor community. “It’s all about conversation,”
she emphasizes. “We encourage everybody [to] come talk to us. Everybody.” By communicating with more students and co-hosting a community discussion with Mr. Quirk in the Lillard Common Room, she hopes that such important topics for the community can be addressed, allowing the whole community to work together towards a resolution. The All School presentation also brought more attention to the needds of the students of color, who often feel that the community overlooks their welfare. For example, students of color have found it difficult to organize activities similar to the international student-organized Asian Dinner. Part of the problem lies in the combination of the school’s location. “The nearest place is about an hour drive when we want to have our soul food...,” Ms. Williams says. Mr. Nas also mentions the concept of “affinity space” at Tabor, a place where people with shared experiences would feel secure and hang out together.
While they admit there is more to work through, Ms. Williams and Mr. Nas hope that their All School speech has gotten the Tabor community started toward dialogue.
Visiting Writer Maggie Shipstead Writer shares her experiences, advice, process by Cat Shakin
The New York Times best-selling author Maggie Shipstead visited Tabor Academy on October 15. A graduate of the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, one of the most prestigious writing programs in the nation, Shipstead has written two novels: Astonish Me and Seating Arrangements. In addition, she has written numerous essays, many of which she has traveled around the world to research. Her recent article “Another Voyage for Madmen (And, This Time, One Woman)” about the Golden Globe Race was published in Outside. During her visit here, Shipstead focused a few of her writing workshops on her short story “The Cowboy Tango.” In many, though, she explained the long and sometimes difficult process of publishing both short stories and novels, and also about the process of creating characters. Furthermore, she enlightened her audience about choosing book covers, and the hardships that come with being a professional writer.
Please recycle this paper.
Learning about two of this year’s new faculty members, p. 3. Sustainability at Tabor, p. 2.
Photo by Gary Lawrence
Along with being a Harvard, Stanford, and Iowa graduate, Maggie Shipstead was awarded the Dylan Thomas Prize and the L.A. Times Book Prize for First Fiction, and named a finalist for the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize. She was also a National Magazine Award finalist in fiction. Shipstead’s multifaceted skill set provided Tabor students with the chance to learn about the journey of being a writer in almost every style—and it was an opportunity for students to meet an active and successful writer without even having to leave campus.
2 A Student Opinion of Sustainability at Tabor by Owen Sughrue Here at Tabor, we live at “the school by the sea.” More accurately, our school is literally on the sea. We’ve lived through hurricanes, navigated campus through storm surges, and waited out blizzards. Walking to Hoyt for all school or an early morning class there, it is not hard to think, “This is why I go to school here.” We can see the harbor from the dining hall; we could throw a rock to it if we wanted to. Given that our location is the very best, we should be the best at sustainability, too. Over the years, Tabor has made improvements to its sustainability practices—no more trays in the dining hall, the replacement of cardboard ice cream cups for plastic ones, the mug system at the library.
In some ways, we are pretty good. But we can improve so much more. Students go to Uncle Jon’s all the time; some go almost every day. Every day, kids buy their drinks and use a plastic cup, a plastic cover, and a straw. The strawless movement is great, but let’s try not using any plastic in the first place. Uncle Jon’s has a reusable mug system that I have never seen students use. They even offer a discount. Or, if it is easier, bring your own mug and ask them to fill it for you rather than use a plastic cup and straw. It’s pretty easy once you start, but habits take work at first. Additionally, the bike system gives us a great way to use cars less often. We should bike or walk to places whenever we can. If it’s a short walk home, enjoy that short walk.
There are a million little things we can do to protect the environment—little things that become big things. We could try something like UVM’s historic CUPPS Cup system. Every student got a multi-purpose, insulated mug to use—for cereal, soup, coffee, tea, at the dining hall, and in town. Implementing a similar system here would require that students clean their reusable mugs. Taking a minute to clean a mug might briefly burden us but is so much better for the environment than taking a new plastic cup every day.
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There are tons of solutions like this one. If you have an idea, spread the word and try to make the idea happen. Given where we are now, we have to be willing to try to form new habits—to set an example for other schools. We’re lucky to live where we do; let’s take care of this place.
One thing we can do for the environment Ideas from Tabor students:
I always put bottles and cardboard into the recycle bin. I always pick trash off the ground and out of the ocean. I use a reusable water bottle, pick up trash, and clean the beach. I only take the food that I know I am going to eat in the dining hall. I use cloth napkins at my house.
T he L og Co-Editors: Leah Kleinfeld Abby LaCasse Jack Marshall Owen Sughrue
The Tabor Log is the student produced newspaper of Tabor Academy. The Log is distributed to students, faculty and staff. The Tabor Log welcomes letters to the Editors. Please send submissions of fewer than three hundred fifty words to thelog@taboracademy.org. The Log reserves the right to edit submissions for space and/or clarity.
Editorial Board: Ben Ackerman Kelly Chang Harper McKerrow Eari Nakano Tayler Rogers Cat Shakin Photography: Photo Pool Faculty Advisor: Helene Sughrue
3 Expert Climatologist Visits the School by the Sea Takeaways from Dr. Rose Martin's presentation by Jack Marshall
Dr. Martin, who studied at the University or Rhode Island, continues to research the important aspects of our environment like salt marshes, watersheds, and estuaries. After graduating from URI, she worked with the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Energy, studying the effects of an invasive marsh grass, Phragmites australis. She currently works at a tech startup but is “searching for a job that gets [her] back into the ecological field.” Her eye-opening talk was mostly about how salt marshes play a major role in controlling the Greenhouse Effect. To begin her talk, she asked her audience, “How [does] human activity alter the role coastal wetlands play in the global climate?” Dr. Martin then spoke about how she was excited to “explore the salt marsh on campus.” To show the centuries of human influence on salt marshes, she used the William Turner painting “View from Salt
Marsh near Shinhampton, Gloucestershire.” This painting depicted a farmer and his cattle grazing on the rich grass of an English salt marsh. She explained that most of the cities on the East Coast were built on salt marshes (New York City, Boston, and Washington D.C., for example) to show the historic destruction of salt marshes. Salt marshes help diminish the greenhouse effect because they store carbon in thick, peat soil. Their storage of carbon qualifies them as a greenhouse gas sink, meaning that the salt marsh takes up the greenhouse gases naturally, which is better for the environment. The idea that she wanted the audience to leave with was that “how we affect salt marshes leads to a better understanding of our climate.”
Photos of Dr. Martin courtesy of Photopool
On October 8, well-known data scientist Dr. Rose Martin visited our school by the sea. During her visit, according to Ms. Wright, “several of our classes [had] the privilege to work with Dr. Martin.” While visiting the MANS center, she worked with the marine and other science classes to teach them more about the benefits of salt marshes for our planet.
In addition to human impact, she discussed the invasive grasses that can negatively affect salt marshes and the surrounding habitat. And, yes, the one that is mentioned earlier in the article is here on campus. Phragmites can impact the biodiversity and ecological functions of a habitat.
The talk left listeners with a better understanding of the importance of Tabor’s role in climate initiatives. Since Tabor has such a unique ecosystem, the steps that students here take can help save the planet.
Meet Two of Our New Faculty Members Getting to know Ms. Riordan by Leah Kleinfeld
by Eari Nakano
Photo by Photo Pool
Whether or not you have her as a Spanish teacher, cross country coach, or Lillard Southeast dorm parent, you have probably seen Ms. Riordan around campus. Before coming to Marion, she worked in Boston, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Texas. Working in different regions has really opened Ms. Riordan’s eyes to the importance of acknowledging the different backgrounds of students, especially in an international community like Tabor’s, where students come from all over. She places great value in “remembering that we all have different backgrounds and we all need different things in the classroom”—wise advice for students and teachers alike. Like many of us, Ms. Riordan has come to appreciate the rotating schedule we have at Tabor, which she finds helps keep kids engaged in classes. She also appreciates the beauty of Tabor’s location, specifically the access to the waterfront. Ideally, Ms. Riordan wants to teach students in a way that makes them appreciate Spanish instead of just learning it. If you have not had the chance to say hi, swing by the language office and strike up a conversation!
Getting to know Mr. Crofton
Many of you have seen a friendly new face in the science department and may wonder who it is. For those still wondering, this is Mr. Crofton. After graduating from Bowdoin College in 2017, he taught at Lawrence Academy for a year. When Mr. Crofton is not teaching freshman biology and chemistry, he is coaching the Girls’ JV soccer team and he plans to help coach the Boys’ JV hockey team this winter.
As someone who has both attended and taught in boarding schools, he describes boarding school as a one of a kind environment where students get to interact with people from various areas. “I want to get to know people for their overall personality, not just what I see in the classroom or [on] the field but in other aspects of their lives.”
It is always challenging to be new to a community, especially one that is as tightly knit as Tabor. However, within the few weeks he has spent here, Mr. Crofton has come to think of Tabor as “home” and hopes to find his “niche” within the community. And Tabor is not entirely new to him: He actually had Mr. Tanzosh for precalculus at Wocester Academy, and spent several of the past few summers on campus as a camp counselor for the Tabor Academy Summer Program. When asked about his impression of Tabor so far, Mr. Crofton replied, “I think that the Tabor community is really well knit. The community is great, with amazing students. So far I can tell that Tabor students are multifaceted and are eager to learn.” Take the opportunity to introduce yourself to Mr. Crofton and learn more about him.
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This Fall in the Black Box Previewing fall drama productions by Harper McKerrow and Owen Sughrue
Lucky Me This fall, 14 students are putting on a show about chance, luck, and fate and what each means to different people. In the show, characters perform monologues as well as interact with other characters, both in small settings of two or three and a couple scenes involving almost the entire cast.
For the vocal portion of the show, actors are working with Dr. Zhou. Like the rest of the play, the concluding song discusses the realities of chance, but through a different medium, leaving the audience to draw their own conclusions. Some characters view chance as a great opportunity, accepting its fundamental spontaneity, while other characters have become fed up; the play’s message is that everyone reacts to the idea of fate differently. Because those reactions are so varied, most audience members will relate to at least a piece of an actor’s sentiment regarding luck and chance. According to Izzy Vismara ‘19, her favorite part of the play is that “I am given the chance to make my thoughts a true story and act out crazy, unrealistic scenarios.” In addition to the theme of fate, characters work through the stresses of day-today high school life. Relationships, college, and school expectations all emerge as sources of anxiety, frustration, and confusion. But even those, too, have an element of luck. What makes this fall drama different from last year’s is that “last year we [fall drama cast] did Adam and Eve; the main difference from last year is that that play was written by Mark Twain and this year it is a collection of personallywritten monologues,” said Ayi Dolby ‘19.
Photos coutresy of Photo Pool
Wrestling with, coming to terms with, and articulating honestly and thoughtfully the positives and negatives of luck and chance, this year’s fall drama provides moments for students, faculty, and anyone who sees the show to understand their own perceptions of fate. “Lucky Me” runs November 1, 2, 3, at 7:30 pm in the Black Box Theater.
Doing Time Inspired by Mr. Heavey’s “year-long volunteer work” at the Barnstable Correctional Facility in Falmouth, MA, “Doing Time” addresses the many social issues regarding incarceration. Mr. Heavey the director of this play, uses the stories of inmates from across the country, found through online websites and the podcast Ear Hustle, which features “inmates at San Quentin Prison in the San Francisco bay area,” for a majority of the material in the performance. Mr. Heavey believes that the only way to convey the complex components of daily life in prison, such as cellmates, prison food, and family visits, while also shining light on the results of addiction and the severity of “long prison sentences,” is through the experiences of real life prisoners. To help the cast prepare for their difficult performance and their goal to “honor the words” of inmates and their stories, the cast has visited the Barnstable Correctional Facility to meet some of the people they may be portraying. Although the topic of the play can be quite heavy, it has not prevented cast members from having fun after school. In fact, it has actually encouraged the cast members to support each other more. Ultimately, “Doing Time” helps spread awareness and tries to “shift stereotypes” in a way that an audience will find entertaining. The show runs November 8, 9, 10, at 7:30 pm in the Black Box Theater. For either show, reserve tickets through the school’s switchboard.
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Innovation Born of Controversy and Art Student review of Brockhampton's Iridescence
Iridescence album cover
by Ben Ackerman
Brockhampton is a experimental hip-hop “boy band,” a combination of 14 different creative minds working together to release unique music. The group was created through an online Kanye West fan forum, led by frontman Kevin Abstract. Brockhampton was cast into the spotlight last year after releasing 3 consecutive impressive projects. Much controversy has recently swirled around the group, as lead member Ameer Vann was ousted after allegations of sexual assault surfaced. Iridescence is their first project since the scandal, and Brockhampton tackles a variety of issues on the 15-track album. The group bounces back and forth between their typical loud, high energy style and slow, instrument-heavy ballads. The latter makes up one of the album’s highlights, titled THUG LIFE. The song is an introspective piece that uses a piano melody reminiscent of early 2000s R&B, while members bearface (sic) and Dom McLennon discuss their struggles with depression. On
WEIGHT, Abstract discusses his struggles while realizing his homosexuality, rapping “I thought I had a problem, kept my head inside my pillow screaming.” This represents a huge break from the usual emphasis on masculine heterosexuality in the hip-hop industry. The album falls short on songs such as WHERE THE CASH AT and DISTRICT, where Brockhampton overcrowds instrumentals with strained vocals. Several songs on the project represent an improvement from their past work, including SAN MARCOS and FABRIC, where their auto-tuned vocals sound cleaner, and the production is stronger and more advanced. Brockhampton has indicated that Iridescence is the first of their “best days of our lives” trilogy, with two sequel albums yet to be released. The album serves as resounding proof that the group will survive the recent turmoil. Overall, it is solid listen where several highlights outweigh the few weak tracks.. 7/10
Drama in O-H-I-O Rundown of Big 10 and college football update by Owen Sughrue
The college football season is upon us! The pageantry, scandals, and sheer quality of football this year set the table for a college year that… is probably going to be pretty similar to most other years of college football. But that’s the beauty of NCAA football: There are peaks and valleys to a season, but there will be tradition, intensity, drama, and probably a National Title in Tuscaloosa by February.
First, the Urban Meyer scandal. After serving his three-game suspension, Meyer was back on the field to lead the 3-0 Buckeyes against Tulane to improve to 4-0. Then, Ohio State beat Penn State in Happy Valley in front of a record Penn State whiteout crowd of 110,889. Before the game in State College, in a recent ESPN article on Meyer’s return, a fan explained, “You want everyone to forget about Zach Smith? [Smith is the accused abuser in the domestic violence case.] Beat Tulane today. Beat Penn State next week. By the time we stomp Michigan, people will be asking, ‘Zach who?’”
And that’s what’s happened. That’s what this paragraph “on the scandal” has turned into: Ohio State football, not Urban Meyer’s role in a domestic violence case. The Buckeyes have ascended to #2 in the College Football rankings and talk of Ohio State now centers on players like QB Dwayne Haskins, DE Nick Bosa (and his departure), and the Buckeyes’ chances of making the College Football Playoff--rather than on the behavior of its players, a sad comment on fans’ priorities.
Photo: Google Images
The actual football this year has been compelling. Alabama has been incredible--even though their defense is having a down year, falling to #3 in the FBS in defensive efficiency. Luckily, to compensate for their struggling defense, the Tide rank #1 in offensive efficiency. The Tua-Jalen pair has been intriguing and effective, but it appears that Tua has “won the team,” doing what Nick Saban explained clearly and repeatedly that the Alabama QB needed to do to start this year. Alabama has been so good in fact that some students have stopped coming to games, as fraternity and sorority houses have wifi, grills, and cornhole. In a recent AL.com article, Saban said, “If [students] don’t want to come to the game, they don’t have to come but I’m sure there’s enough people out here who would like to come to the games and we’d like for them to come too because they support the players. So, I’ve never said anything about that before.” A scary day to be a Tide fan for sure; you don’t want Nick Saban mad at you in Alabama because then you’ve got
Alabama mad at you.
Outside of Tuscaloosa, Trevor Lawrence has also been excellent, excellent enough to force QB Kelly Bryant out of Clemson, taking advantage of the four-game redshirt rule. Early rumors have surfaced about where he’ll play next year: Penn State or Oklahoma. Rumors. He did take an official visit to UNC Chapel Hill, which, although not in the same division as Clemson, plays the Tigers next year in a cross division ACC game, which would be intriguing. To round out the top 4, Notre Dame has been (Yes, Notre Dame is in the top 4) impressive, beating Stanford in South Bend and traveling to Virginia Tech to beat the Hokies the following week; they might be for real. If they go undefeated, they’ll be in the playoff. West Virginia, led by Will Grier, has been solid, except for a bad loss to Iowa State. Texas--yes, that Texas--has on outside chance at the playoff. Tom Herman, no pressure. LSU is back in contention after smashing Georgia and Michigan’s victory over Wisconsin rocketed the wolverines to #6. Count on dozens of playoff predictions weeks before the playoff. Regardless of who ends up playing for the National Championship in Santa Clara, CA, this year, the cowbells of Mississippi State, O-H-I-Os in Columbus, and, probably, winning in Alabama will continue. This year, college football may not be different from other years, but it’s captivating just the same. Fight on, Hook ‘Em, War Eagle. Oh, and Roll Tide.
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524 Who is Jayden Smith? by Harper McKerrow
Upon seeing the name “Jayden Smith” in the Mugbook or on a roster sheet somewhere early this fall, many may have thought that Tabor had actually accepted a celebrity into our community for the 2018-2019 school year. However, to one’s surprise, Jayden is not the actor/rapper we may have hoped for, although he claims that he can, in fact, do both. Jayden Smith, brother of Gavin Smith ‘18, is actually a new freshman from Block Island. He lives in Lillard North ⅔ and can be found “putting in the work” in the Stone Gym on weekends and early mornings when he is not busy with school work or balancing the needs of the Varsity and JV soccer teams. Jayden continues to work hard in his freshman year on campus and is already leaving a positive impression on community members surrounding him.
Getting to Know Jayden… Q: Favorite class this far?
A: Easily modern world history with Ms. Kaplan (“had to shout her out”) Q: What is your biggest fear? A: Death
Q: Biggest Crush?
A: Ariana Grande, now that she’s single
Q: Which talent would you most like to have? A: Being able to dunk
Q: If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be? A: I would improve my ability to talk to girls
Q: If you were to die and be reborn as anything you want, what would you choose? A: A honey badger
Q: Where would you like to live most? A: Indonesia
Q: Favorite superhero?
A: Tough choice, but most likely Spiderman
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