The Log May 2016

T he L og thelog@taboracademy.org

Tabor Academy’s Student Newspaper Volume 88, Number 6

May 2016

Saying Goodbye to the Muthers Colleagues reflect on their favorite memories with the Muthers

by Madeleine Gregory The Muthers have been a Tabor institution since the 1980’s, teaching, coaching, and building relationships with students and teachers alike. They have worn many hats, as teachers, coaches, tutors, and administrators.

Many students and athletes have passed through Tabor’s doors while the Muthers have been here, and have been deeply affected by their presence. Sailors, students, soccer players, and everyone in between have known and loved the Muthers, and their legacy will remain long after they are gone.

One faculty member who has worked closely with both of the Muthers is Mr. Hurd, who coached with Mrs. Muther for many years. He attributes the success of his team to both his co-coach and Mr. Muther, who as Athletic Director has been very attentive to his needs as coach. “I felt that he always had my back as the AD. Sailing is a sport that is ‘outside the box’ when compared to other more traditional high school sports, but he’s always understood our unique needs.” He calls Mr. Muther “the perfect administrator,” understanding the coaches and the athletes and working hard to do

what is best for them.

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Mr. Hurd spends a great deal of his time in the spring with Mrs. Muther. “We had both been assistant coaches to Toby Baker, and the first year we coached without him she made the transition seamless. In that first year, we won New Englands and Nationals,” he says. “That’s when we knew we could actually do this.” Mrs. Muther has always been there to “keep the team together,” he says. She stepped up as head coach when Mr. Hurd was getting his master’s degree, and both her incredible sailing talent and her coaching skill have guided the team to victory over and over again. “I don’t think we’ll ever replace Mrs. Muther on the waterfront. Cindy and continued on page 3

Dick and Cindy Muther enjoying the waterfront.

Wishing Mr. Hartell Fair Winds and Following Seas English teacher, sailing coach off on a new adventure

by Madeleine Gregory One of the teachers setting off for new adventures next fall is Mr. Hartell, a beloved and respected member of the English Department. Mr. Hartell has been at Tabor for 13 years, and in that time has taught and coached many students who have come through.

“My favorite memory of Mr. Hartell is when he rescued our Please recycle this paper.

Any student who has had him recognizes his humor as well, knowing he brings the same energy and enthusiasm to class each day. A true lover of literature, he brings even the most complex novels to life with his metaphors, expressions, and passion for the subject. Though he will undoubtedly be successful wherever he goes, he will be missed in the English wing and the waterfront, and by every student and faculty member who has worked with him.

Editorials....................................2 Tabor News.................................3

Features.................................4,5

Sports..............................7

Opinions.................................6

The Back Page.................8

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Any teacher who has had the opportunity to work with him knows his work ethic and sense of humor. “He’s a stalwart,” says Mrs. Sughrue, who has worked with him since his arrival. “He’s always there to help, and always does his job well and without needing fanfare.” She continues, “We all have a lot of fun in the English Department and he’s a big part of the reason why.” What’s more, the whole department depends on him to tell them whether or not to bring an umbrella to All-School: he is truly an irreplaceable member of their group.

boat,” says Mrs. Sughrue. “No one asked him to, and we didn’t even know he had rescued it until afterwards. It had come off its mooring in a storm and was knocking against the rocks, far down the harbor. He went out into the harbor, towed it back, and tied it to our mooring. He just saw a job that needed doing and did it.” This selflessness is part of what makes him a great teacher: he focuses on the needs of his students, making sure that they understand and enjoy whatever they are reading.

Mr. Hartell coaching the sailing team.

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continued from page 1 feel really weird.”

Mrs. Roller has known the Muthers for their whole Tabor career, and has loved working as their colleague. She has worked alongside them in the math department, as well as with Mrs. Muther in the ARC. “I first met Cindy and Dick when they were young, single faculty members just starting their teaching careers.” She has watched them grow together, get married, and raise their kids. “The Muthers are incredible parents who have encouraged their children to become strong individuals with interests ranging from music to drama to ceramics to athletics.”

World

Citizen

by Stephanie Zou

I was seven years old when I first begged my mother to allow me to get cosmetic surgery. I wanted American features: larger eyes, a higher nose bridge, and raised

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“I think the Muthers will be best remembered for their commitment to meeting Tabor students at whatever point they are at in their development and working with them to take their talents and abilities to the next level,” says Mrs. Roller. “Whether in the classroom or the athletic arena, Dick and Cindy set high standards for the students-athletes with whom they work and hold them accountable for their performance.” Their commitment to and their love for students and faculty alike has left a deep impression on Tabor.

will miss the most, though, he says, will undoubtedly be all the wonderful people he has met. “We are so fortunate to have gotten to know and been able to work with so many people—some students for only a few years and many faculty for much longer than that,” he remembers.

“I will miss the kindness and generosity of spirit of so many Seawolves.”

cheekbones. This was the first year I moved back to the States from Beijing and I hated the way people looked at me. During the first seven years of my life, before I returned to the States, I attended the International School of Beijing, where my Kindergarten class was comprised of eight kids from eight different countries.

I grew up in an ex-patriot community, a warm, international environment, where everyone was given a chance to be proud of his or her cultural heritage. When I moved back to the States, I felt like a minority for the first time in my life. As an Asian-American, I desperately tried to shift towards my American heritage, towards the accepted norm, and away from my cultural roots.

heritage out of my life. I denied that I spoke the language.

I refrained from all interactions with any of my peers from Asia. Soon, I no longer felt accepted by my Asian peers either. I felt extremely alone. There is not yet a community here for the ABC kid, the American Born Chinese.

Looking back on his many years at Tabor, Mr. Muther recalls many wonderful moments in the classroom, on the fields, and working with the administration. What he

During my middle school years in Florida, for many kids in my class, I was the first Asian they had ever met in person. I was like the school doll—everyone wanted to touch my skin, my hair. Many would demand thAt I speak Chinese for them. I felt like a subjugated, foreign species.

I grew to resent my Chinese heritage.

Even as a freshman at Tabor, I could tell that my Chinese heritage was not understood or accepted by my Caucasian peers, and I moved away from it, choosing to identify myself solely as an American. I cut my cultural

pposing

Viewpoints:

The Muthers met here, taught here, coached year, built relationships here, and raised their family here. They are what is best about Tabor, and have built much of what is so good and respected about the school. They will be missed, but felt every day in all that they have done and all the people they have known.

Junior year was a turning point for me. I formed stronger bonds with an extremely loving, accepting, and supportive group of friends. My fifteen-year-old self became better at coping with being a minority. And in hindsight, I understand now that by rejecting my Chinese heritage, I was contributing to the xenophobia at Tabor. I, too, shut out any foreignness from my life and tolerated racist comments. And now I want to do something about it, right my wrongs, and advocate for myself, and for people who can relate to my experiences.

As an American Born Chinese, I have a dual cultural heritage, but when I observed the daily negativity that Asians face, I felt forced to choose my American over my Chinese side—when, in reality, the better choice is to embrace both.

Bernie Sanders

Kyle Rood’s View 2016 is the year of the outsider. Our country has never been more involved in the political scene, and to me this is because we have two candidates who are in stark opposition to the candidates that we usually see on the campaign trail.

First, we have Donald Trump. He seems to be challenging everyone, especially the Republican party, by painting himself as a businessman, not a politician.

Then we have Bernie Sanders. A self-declared socialist, Sanders has taken the country by storm as the Hero of the Middle Class. His message is centered on leveling the playing field for Americans by cracking down on Wall Street, doubling the minimum wage, and fighting to bolster the middle class with sweeping reforms similar to Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society. Bernie Sanders is a revolutionary who is taking a stand against everything that is typical about politics by self-funding his own campaign and sticking to his message. Unfortunately, Sanders is not leading Clinton as we rapidly approach the Democratic National Convention in late July. More important than his success, however, is his unending commitment to helping those who are usually ignored by our society. Bernie Sanders is an outsider. His rise as a candidate is a wake-up call that our political system is fundamentally flawed and that our society is rigged against the group of people who have the power to make our country the best in the world. Bernie Sanders is the type of political visionary who comes along once every century to shake up the system, and he is exactly the type of shake-up that the United States needs.

Will Manory’s View I must say, Bernie Sanders is one of the most genuine gentlemen to ever toss his hat into the mess that is American politics. Honestly, he comes across as a wonderful guy; I would love to have him be my grandfather, but at the end of the day his socialist policies are wrong.

It is a fact that socialist policies simply do not work. From an economic sense, socialism has not provided a long term rise in the standard of living in any country, as it creates disincentives for work. History backs this conclusion up, as all socialistic highly planned economies have failed—the Soviet Union, for example. Any country that functions with socialism today has some form of foreign subsidy; there are several small European nations underneath the umbrella of American military protection. Bernie’s economic policies are overwhelmingly divisive, as he vilifies people of wealth and means, a habit that is no different from the racial injustices that have sadly found roots in our country’s past.

From a foreign policy perspective, Bernie openly supports isolationist

tactics. Although George Washington wanted the United States to stay out of world affairs, the United States is a stabilizing force in the world today.

Granted, not every decision that our nation makes has been correct, but more often than not, when the United States is active in the world we have acted as a check against the growth of totalitarian states. Bernie’s ideas of isolation are dangerous to America and the world because the United States to quell further erosion of individual liberty, free trade, market economies, and democracy will increase.

Lastly, Bernie Sanders was born on September 8, 1941, making him 74 years old. If elected, he would be the oldest person ever to assume the role of President. Age is just a number, but the health of the leader of the free world is important. I respect Bernie; he stands up for what he believes is right.

Unfortunately, he is not what this country needs and is not suited to be our leader.

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Co-Heads reflect on this school year Current Co-heads Ollie and MK.

by Mary Kate McIntire and Ollie Sughrue This year, Tabor Academy Student Council (TASC) has worked hard with the student body to improve the student experience. Members of TASC facilitated the opening of Uncle Jon’s Coffee in the revamped Beebe, which quickly became the go-to hangout spot for students.

TASC also instituted the Tabor bike-share program so that students could use a bike and return it to any rack around campus, or go as far as Silvershell or Dunkin’ Donuts.

While TASC is proud of the tangible evidence of our progress as a school, this year reflected a

concerted effort to become -- as we said in our first address to the school -- a “kinder” community.

This desire came from our collected experiences at Tabor and from recognizing the patterns that emerge: our favorite times as Seawolves happen when others go out of their way to look out for someone else. If we could make those bright spots glow brighter even just for one more person, then we would have felt that our directive had been accomplished.

Unlike the new bicycle system, Uncle Jon’s new location,

or a basket full of a mid-morning snacks, this sort of change is not easily measured. But we feel that the concentrated effort of TASC -- and more importantly of the school as a whole -- does make itself apparent daily.

It is apparent in every smile shared in the hallway, in every door held open, in every piece of trash someone picks up when no one else is looking, and in the infinite other ways that Tabor kids prove themselves to be more thoughtful, more considerate, and kinder than anybody you could hope to meet.

Looking Forward New Co-Heads plan for the year ahead

by Joslyn Jenkins and Eddie Hannon

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your trust makes us more determined to ensure we work as hard as we can to better our community in the upcoming school year.

New Co-heads Eddie Hannon and Joslyn Jenkins.

We are so excited to represent you as your Co-Heads of School next year. We wanted to thank all of you for giving us the opportunity to get to know you and promote your ideas. Our goal is to shape Tabor around all of your ideal experiences and make sure we all embrace our culture.

There should be no one—athletes, performers, scholars, and anyone in between—who is not recognized for making our school the place it is.

The encouragement from all of our classmates, including

epic

Shout

outs!

the other candidates, made the election a very exciting process. In the beginning of the election, we were all waiting in Mr. McCain’s office for our interviews with TASC. The whole group was wishing each other good luck, insisting that there was no reason to be nervous.

This sense of community, even in the face of competition, is what Tabor is all about. We are so honored to be chosen out of such a great group of candidates who are all so passionate about making Tabor a better place. Having

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Roller, Mr. and Mrs. Muther, Mr. Hartell, Dr. Zhou, and Mr. Glennon for your services at Tabor!

Together, we are lucky enough to encompass many aspects of life here at Tabor, and we plan to use these connections to understand everyone’s expectations for our school. Our plans next year will revolve around immersing our campus in the culture that our students create through their achievements as well as their kindness. We want to encourage more performances at All School and Chapel, and acknowledge performers and artists just as we do athletes. The Acky should not only express our academic strength, but also our artists’ work.

We want to have teachers decorate their rooms with their students’ pieces and we want to designate an area for exhibiting pots, paintings, and photos. Being the School By the Sea, we also think it is important to coordinate more functions by the water and bring us all together more often. In addition, we want to continue to take advantage of our new space in the Beebe to have more musical performances on weekends and to watch movies and have pool tournaments.

All our plans for next year cannot happen without you.

We need your optimism and support to make everyone’s ideas come to life throughout our beautiful campus. We want those visiting Tabor to be overwhelmed by what it means to be a Seawolf. As they explore all our buildings, we want them to see how incredibly diverse Tabor is in all branches of our community. We are so excited to help Tabor achieve this in the 2016-2017 school year and make every day a great day to be Seawolf!

T he L og 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 taborlog@taboracademy. org. The Log reserves the right to edit submissions for space and/or clarity.

Editors-in-Chief: Madeleine Gregory Claire Brito Faculty Advisor: Helene Sughrue Layout Editors: Jennifer Joung Wendy Liu Managing Editors: Jack Gordon Nicole Fernandes Bridget Lattimer

Section Editors: Stephanie Zou Joslyn Jenkins Jennifer Joung Wendy Liu Jason Ma LuLu Ward Nicole Fernandes Duhita Das Hannah Frisch LuLu Ward