T he L og Tabor Academy’s Student Newspaper
thelog@taboracademy.org
Volume 39, Number 4
January 2015
Admissions: Building Class of 2019 How admissions officers get students interested and tackle application reading by Claire Brito
Photo by
Though these five weeks are especially busy, the admissions officers play a huge role throughout the year. They have their fingers on the pulse of community life as advisors and dorm parents as well as by being in the Dining Hall, Fish Center, and Academic Center. They keep in close contact with coaches, teachers, administrators, and students. In addition to admissions officers, several faculty members play a role in student selection. “We have about 20 faculty members on the Admissions Committee and each applicant is read by at least three committee members,” said Admissions Director Andrew McCain. “I think having the faculty play such a significant part in the selection process is one of the reasons our student body is so well matched to our community and curriculum.”
Sophomore Jack Gordon gives tours to prospective students and their families during his free blocks.
With revisit days on the horizon, the admissions department is hard at work. There are hundreds of applications to read, interviews to conduct, and tours to schedule, all adding up to a very busy winter for the dedicated team of admissions officers and tour guides. Last year brought outstanding admissions numbers for the “School by the Sea,” with over 1,000 tours and interviews conducted and 900 applicants. The admissions department estimates to meet that of or even exceed those numbers in 2015. With such a large and talented applicant pool, what goes into selecting the ideal Tabor class?
According to Mr. McCain, once a family has decided on a group of schools to visit, “the tour is their most important data-point,” because it gives the student a feel for how we operate as a community and that lasting impression will direct their decision process when it comes time to apply. “While observing great facilities, a welcoming community, and the chance to see students actively engaged in learning is awfully important, there is nothing more important to the campus visit than the very personal interactions visitors have with their tour guide.”
Being a Tabor tour guide is both fun and rewarding. Sophomore Duhita Das recounts that her favorite part of a tour is “definitely at the end, when they thank you and the student says they want to come to Tabor, which happens a lot. It makes me feel like I represented the school well through sharing my personal story, and in turn opened a door for that student to able to come to Tabor. And it’s awesome when you see a kid you toured back for fall orientation.” Senior and Head Tour Guide Matthew McFaul, who has been a tour guide all four years at Tabor, enjoys “helping out prospective families because applying to schools can be a stressful time. Leading a tour is a great way to remember why you chose Tabor and help another kid realize their potential as a future Seawolf.”
Tabor Musicians Receive Honors Students recognized for Districts, All-State, and the Tri-M Music Honor Society by Julia O’ Rourke
It has been a busy winter for Tabor musicians. Recently, the choral groups performed at the annual Festival of Lessons and Carols and the Wind Ensemble, String Ensemble, and Jazz Band played at the Winter Concert. In addition to these performances, a number of talented Tabor students spent much of the fall and winter preparing to try out for the District Festival.
Dorm Wars p. 2
Four Orchestra members were chosen: Leo Moon, Chris O’Brien, Amy Park, and Jackie Shi, all of whom received All-State recommendations. Finally, both Logan Russell and Bill Zhai were chosen to sing at the festival, which was held at East Bridgewater High School in early January with the concerts on the 10th.
Senior Chris O’Brien was chosen to perform in the District Festival.
Chair of the Music Department Philip Sanborn reports, “The Tabor Academy Music Department is proud to announce that nine students recently auditioned and were accepted to perform in the 2015 Massachusetts Music Educators Association Southeastern Senior District Festival in January.” Six of these performers received a recommendation to audition for All-State.
Inside the issue
The three band members who were chosen include AJ Macrina, Ranny Kim, and Jack Shi, who received All-State recommendations.
Photo by Bryn Jacobs’17
Tabor’s many choral and instrumental groups allow students to participate in a wide variety of musical ensembles. In addition to introductory and elective classes, Tabor offers separate singing groups and instrumental groups including the Men’s and Women’s Chamber Choirs and the Jazz Band. Through extra-curricular opportunities, classes, and private lessons, students can develop their musical skills through a number of platforms.
Additionally, Sanborn reports that “Tabor Academy has recently established a chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society.” The National Association for Music Education oversees this Honor Society. The goal of this society is “to recognize students for their academic and musical achievements, reward them for their accomplishments and service activities, and to inspire other students to excel at music and leadership.”
Ten Tabor students have recently been inducted into this Honor Society. The six seniors inducted are Denizalp Goktas, Ranny Kim, William Lee, Amy Park, Ellen Scheiring, and Jackie Shi. The four juniors inducted are Jason Ma, Kyle Rood, Griffin Sigal, and Alex Weimer. Congratulations to all of these students on their recent musical accolades.
Sections
Denizalp Goktas Meet the Artist p. 7
Tabor News.................................1,3 Editorials.......................................2 Center Spread.............................4,5 Opinions........................................6 Sports.............................................7 The Back Page................................8 Please recycle this paper.