“Some of the News That’s Fit to Print”
The VA Voice
October 8, 2012
Vermont Academy, Saxtons River, Vermont 05154 “Discere verba et opera Dei”
Water Bottle Versus Tap Water Test
By: Catherine Kaminsky Last week, students at Vermont Academy participated in a “Water Bottle Taste Test.” Ms. Armiger’s Environmental Issues Analysis class held a test in Aldrich Lounge during lunch Tuesday and Wednesday. All of the students were enthusiastic to participate on both ends of the experiment. The testing did not go without an incentive; all the people who participated were entered into a raffle, and twelve lucky people will win stainless steel Klean Kanteens. The point of the experiment was to show people that tap water is the safer and better choice if you would like to be environmentally friendly. More than half of the participants preferred the unfiltered tap water to the Poland Spring distilled water. The testing was executed in a very simple manner. People would walk up to the station where everything Picture Courtesy of Vermont Academy was set up, and the students conducting the experiment would pour the participant a glass of water from category A and then one from category B. The participants would say if they like A or B better, and then guess which one was bottled water. Most people guessed that the one they preferred was bottled water, which in most cases was incorrect. Overall the experiment was conducted very well, and Ms. Armiger’s Environmental Issues Analysis class was pleased with the results. We are eager to share them to prevent excessive plastic water bottle usage.
Volume 17, Issue 3
IN THE MARGIN The First Presidential Debate President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney participated in the first of three presidential debates on Wednesday. Analysts reported that Mitt Romney won the debate with strong language for the president’s handling of the economy and clear objectives for his presidency. Unemployment Rate Drops The Bureau of Labor Statistics anounced on Friday that the unemployment rate dropped from 8.1% to 7.8%. This drop resulted from a gain of 114,000 jobs in the United States. Some say this helps President Obama’s campaign as voters credit the improvement in the economy to his policies. Presidential Race Tightens Mitt Romney’s better than expected performance in Wednesday’s debate prompted a tightening in the race as some key swing states like Virginia and Ohio saw Barack Obama’s lead narrow. According to the most recent Gallop poll, Mitt Romney gained two points after the debate.
Mehmet Thoughts: “Sometimes people forget to have fun in life. The whole point of life is to have fun, so don’t forget to relax and take some time out of your busy days to just sit back and enjoy what you have.”
Picture courtesy of Mehmet Eroglu
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The VA Voice
October 8, 2012
Jack Torrey’s Take on The Presidential Debate The seriousness begins. Governor Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama engaged in their first debate Wednesday night. They went back and forth describing their plans for the future and discussed healthcare, the role of government, and many other political issues that cause most Americans to fall asleep. These debates have their ups and downs. For the past year we’ve seen many speeches from both men describing their views for America, but even in the national conventions you get a feeling of déjá vú. I can’t say that I’m a fan of either of the candidates, but I can say that the debate was pretty interesting. You can definitely tell that the debate had a friendlier atmosphere. No malicious gestures were made as one candidate talked about their political beliefs. Even though this is only the first debate, both candidates seemed weak. The election is in a month and these two have discussed little about serious issues in the United States. Not to mention, Jim Lehrer seemed to lack any ability to curtail both candidates’ answers. The two candidates had long responses for each question that Lehrer brought up, and he often times tried to cut off the candidates. This is only the first debate and the election won’t be won or lost on anyone’s performance . A lot of people say that Romney had his shining moment Wednesday night, but like I said, it’s only the first debate. Plus, it was what they didn’t talk about that made me so interested in the debate. I couldn’t seem to find anything appealing. There were a few hilarious moments in the debate where it seemed as if politics had become an unintentional comedy show. There were moments where both candidates cracked a couple of jokes. Mitt Romney congratulated Obama on his wedding anniversary which was the same day as the debate, and said jokingly, “I’m sure this was the most romantic place you could imagine --here with me.” One unintentional comment that got me laughing was when he said “I like Big Bird” in regards to government support of Jim Lehrer and PBS. There have been a lot of hilarious photos relating Mitt Romney and Big Bird. It was a marvelous night for social network sites to spread hilarious photos related to the debate. Overall, we’ll see how the rest of the month goes. Joe Biden and Paul Ryan have their first debate on Thursday. We’ll see if the match up will be as good as Wednesday’s. http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02359/mitt-election-big-_2359509b.jpg
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Making Friends with Mac Haddad Invite a friend to your dorm room to hang out. Prepare some material by going to Mr. Harrington for some jokes. An xbox or ps3 doesn’t hurt either. You can play video games to get to know people. A favorite game of mine is MLB Baseball 2K12. You could really impress a friend by making a fake player with their name so they find themselves during the game.
Picture courtesy of Mac Haddad
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The VA Voice
October 8, 2012
Food Thoughts with Erik Nielsen: Weekly Food Critic
The community lunch for October 4th, 2012, was a culinary thrill of taste bud joy. The main entrée for the day was a juicy tender succulent pork loin braised in a mellow yet complicatedly succulent sauce. It was accompanied by coconut rice that was described as having a, “coconut kick” by our very own Molly Brennan. For the vegetarian option, roasted squash and vegetables were available, which is as always a great addition. Another healthy option was the fried plantains, which Billy said was “an interesting twist on a favorite childhood fruit.” The salad was strong as always, really bringing together the meal. And to switch up the meal, there was mango salsa which was solid but seemed to miss a sweet zest that many people had engrained in their minds from just eating mangos. And last was Ginger Bread, which was illustrated by our own Head of School Mr. Sean P. Brennan (this is really what he said), “bready and ginger tasting.” Bready and ginger tasting; he clearly has an incredible food pallet. Brennan provided excellent insight into subtle qualities that define every meal at Vermont Academy. As rated by Mr. Brennan and agreed upon by the rest of the company at our table, the meal received an 8.7. Truly a great hearty meal and one surely to be remembered for a very long time to come. Picture Courtesy of Erik Nielsen
Admisions Visitors By: Kevin Corkery
Monday 10/8 9:00am Peter Wagoner: Director of Secondary School Placement Hillside School 9:15am Barak Swarttz: PG BB 10:20am Sydney Carlo: 9BG: Madison, CT 1:15pm Glenn Braswell; 10BB 2:00pm Alex Simpson: 10 BB; Watamu, Kenya 3:00pm James van der Vord; 9BB Wednesday 10/10 9:00am Fiona Leather: 9BG: Camden, ME Friday 10/12 10:00am Molly O’Neil: 9BG: Chicago, IL 2:30pm Autumn Hauser: 9BG: Hebron, NH Saturday 10/13 9:05am Annice Pelletier: 9DG: Grafton, VT 11:00am Howard Hall: PGBB: Wells, ME
The Politics of the Parking Lot: Day Student Life
By: Mike Reilly Between day students there is an unwritten rule of sorts as to who gets which spot in the gym parking lot. The problem is that people don’t always follow these rules. It usually just comes down to who ends up getting to school earliest in the morning, but traditionally, as you look at the gym from Shep, there is a specific order of cars. I have the space closest to the left parallel to the gym, followed by Salty’s, then Eamon, then Brittany then usually Mr. Hearon. On the side perpendicular to these cars, the furthest from the gym belongs to Connor’s bike, then Mehmet, and then Erik. Now the trouble arises when people decide not to play by the rules. Over the past fortnight or so, Max “Mousey” Basescu and I have been involved in an intense feud over my rightful spot. He even took it to a new level by arriving five minutes earlier than I usually show up, just to make sure that the spot would not be vacant. I have responded by attempting to come in even earlier than he does, but so far I have been unsuccessful in doing so. Just take this as a warning Max, that spot belongs to me.
Guess that Quote????
Salty will provide a weekly movie quote and the first person to email him will get their name in the VA Voice. “Why are you so sweaty?” “I was watching Cops.” Picture Courtesy Of Salty Pennington FitzGerald
By: Salty Pennington FitzGerald
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The VA Voice
Mr. Hearon’s Top Ten Bathrooms on Campus
WC, public restroom, latrine, the loo… call them what you will, we all know the importance of the bathroom in our hectic lives. Here at Vermont Academy we are blessed with a wide variety of restrooms, and after much discussion we are excited to bring you our advisory’s “Top Ten list of VA’s Best Places to Sit and Ruminate.” Criteria included: appearance, odor, cleanliness, lighting, view, general décor, unique architectural features, location, privacy, and comfort. No dorms included, sorry. So, grab the VA Voice and sit yourselves down and enjoy our take on this week’s Top Ten: 10) Arboretum Outhouse – Tad out of the way? Maybe. Slight smell? Sure. But come on, it’s the woods! Don’t we all need a little private time in the Arboretum? Well, it simply does not get any better than this. Bring your Physics textbook and enjoy the best cell service on campus while you listen to the sounds of birds and furry animals happily cavorting nearby. Hint: might want to bring your own TP. 9) Chivers – Hard to share a secret zen spot, but Chivers has it going on. Take a long walk for a big reward. Linger on the porch after your morning meditation and soak up the Vermont countryside. A truly special spot for morning or afternoon contemplation. 8) Bottom of Shep – What a crazy labyrinth of bathrooms: quirky sizes, very public, almost Grand Central Stationesque. However, for their high number of passengers, the rooms do hold their own. Not a place to linger, but we appreciate their location and user-friendly characteristics. 7) Front of LSK, entryway – The Sauna! Only bathroom on campus with its own thermostat and people seem to like it warm! Beautiful calming shade of blue, well appointed, and very private.
Possible issues with its enviro-friendly water-saving low flush capacity…but who is asking, right? 6) Basement of Fuller/Science Wing: A hidden gem! Once a popular stop on the post-morning coffee commute, this now quiet area of campus has settled into an off-the-beaten-path destination for those looking for a peaceful respite. Beware the industrial accoutrements
above your head! Where do those air shafts go? Ladies room is infinitely nicer than the mens room. ¿Qué pasa? 5) Back of LSK in side hallway – Small and cute, feels like home. Best art on campus, some nice watercolors, and a huge mirror for grooming. Possible danger of getting knocked unconscious since the door from LSK out to the hallway can really take you out if you aren’t aware. Like LSK in general, this space has a nice welcoming environment. 4) College Counseling – Solid get away, nice colored tile floor, and cool lines from the roof make for some funky angles. If you are lucky enough to enter the hidden archives, bonus! However, exiting to a packed house college seminar can be a tad awkward. We recommend not going during H period. 3) Horowitz! – Hard to say no to modern efficiencies and no rust. Our sources tell us that the architects purposefully pranked the boys: yes, upon entering, total strangers can catch a
October 8, 2012 slight glimpse through the unusually wide space in the door to the throne. Unsettling, yes. An issue, not really. What is a legitimate concern? When the energy-saving motion detector turns the lights out on you while you are studying for that geometry quiz and you are left to fend for yourself in total darkness! Just ask Eamon. Those crazy architect jokers! 2) Solo commode outside Dance Studio and Gym – Your own private Idaho! An incredibly quiet sanctuary, kept meticulously clean by the outstanding VA staff, this bathroom is a serious place for business. Nice view of the Choukas rink, though it is possible to imagine random freshmen camped out in the trees with binoculars spying. 1) 2nd Floor Fuller, north – An allinclusive/unisex bathroom with private elevator and a view! Much more spacious than the other two bathrooms on the floor, but it is the panoramic vista of the Ski Hill in autumn that makes this room almost incomparable. Plus, the new Clara Converse art installation hanging on the wall outside makes this an easy VA #1 lavatory.
VA VOICE STAFF Editor Eamon O’Keefe Student Contributors Matt Gendron, Mehmet Eroglu, Mac Haddad, Mike Reilly, Jack Torre, Erik Nielsen, Catherine Kaminsky Faculty Contributors Mr. Hearon, Mr. Corkery Faculty Advisor: Mr. Frey, Dr. Cohn