Westminster News 5/27/16

Vol. 105, No. 09

Friday May 27, 2016

Westminster School Simsbury, CT 06070 www.westminster-school.org

2016-2017 Prefect Board Introduced C O M PI L E D BY g race bren tano '16 & ashlyn chin '16 CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF 2015-2016

Head Prefect

Junior Prefect

Adrian Enchill is a boarder from Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He plays a variety of sports, but particularly enjoys being a member of the First Boys’ Lacrosse team. In his free time, he helps out with coaching. As Head Prefect, he would like everyone to understand that pushing yourself will help you achieve your goals in life. As a determined leader, he has set a big agenda for the upcoming school year and hopes to leave a lasting impact on the community.

Peter Horsfall is a boarder from Westwood, Massachusetts. He enjoys playing hockey, baseball, and watching Blades of Glory. He would like to be a positive influence on his friends and peers next year in order to create meaningful memories. As Junior Prefect, he will “use strategy to achieve his goals for our school”.

SARA DEVEAUX

Adrian Enchill

a boarder from Newburyport, Massachusetts. He enjoys playing football and hockey as well as grilling hamburgers. He hopes to contribute his best efforts to increase involvement on campus. As a prefect, he will use his experience as the eldest child to guide underformers in the coming year.

EMMA MERLIN '16

Gary Simons is a boarder from South Windsor, Connecticut. He enjoys playing frisbee, swimming, and performing in the occasional show. Gary has additionally been involved as an Athletic Trainer Student Aid. As a prefect, he promises to question the norms, hoping to inspire others to follow his lead.

EMMA MERLIN '16

EMMA MERLIN '16

Annie Hicks is a boarder from Indianapolis, Indiana. She is an active member of Black and Gold and enjoys playing tennis and squash. She hopes to strengthen the sense of community on campus by setting a positive example of commitment to student life. As a prefect, Annie will strive to set an example that inspires other to work toward a common goal.

EMMA MERLIN '16

is a boarder from New York City, New York. He enjoys attending Global Forum and playing football and lacrosse. He hopes to further improve the mentormentee system in order to make the relationships formed within the system a pivotal part of students’ lives. As a prefect, he will lead by example and hopes to use his voice as a leader to ensure a successful 2016-2017 year.

EMMA MERLIN '16

Bidding Farewell page 5-7 From Roommates to Brothers page 9 Four Years on the Hill page 10

EMMA MERLIN '16

Joel Groves is a boarder from Bronx, New York. He is involved in many discussionbased clubs and also enjoys swimming and playing football.

He remains an active member of the greater Hartford community by participating in charitable organizations. He hopes to respond to the needs and desires of the student body, making his efforts personally meaningful.

As a prefect, his passion will ensure that he is fully committed.

Anissa Joseph is a boarder from Brooklyn, New York. She is involved in many diversity and performing arts groups. As a prefect, she hopes to broaden the perspective of the student body, making them comfortable sharing differing opinions and beliefs. By listening to the voices of our community, she hopes to confront change effectively as a leader.

EMMA MERLIN '16

Delando Clarke

Manny Meltzer

INSIDE

Peter Horsfall Annie Ogden is a boarder from Rowayton, Connecticut. She loves to dance and support Westminster community events, ranging from sporting events to Shabbat services. She hopes to be remembered for her trustworthy character and fun personality. She believes that through organization and responsibility, she will be able to successfully represent the Westminster students.

Conor Brennan is

EMMA MERLIN '16

EMMA MERLIN '16

is a boarder from Hartford, Connecticut. On campus, he enjoys playing sports whether at a competitive level or for recreation. He also enjoys being a part of several vocal groups and loves a good adventure. As a prefect, he cares about the dayto-day interactions with different students and wants to be remembered as being a holistic student.

He hopes to use his previous experience in leadership roles to help advance our community.

Spring Formal Photo Collage page 8

Jeffrey Guiliano

is a day student from West Simsbury, Connecticut. He enjoys fishing, surfing, and playing lacrosse, hockey, and soccer. He will encourage respect among the student body, while honoring the school’s traditions.

As a prefect, he hopes to inspire others to be as committed to Westminster as he is.

EMMA MERLIN '16

Where will the Class of 2016 be next year?

Matriculation list on page 12!

THE WESTMINSTER NEWS, Friday May 27, 2016

2

Opinions

Is Xenophobia Our Greatest Enemy?

How fear is driving public opinion both domestic and international

by Teag an S t edman '18 NEWS EDITOR

One doesn’t need to be particularly observant to see the heavy arms of xenophobia tearing away at the heart of the stability of the Western world. Every week arises a new manifestation of this ugly side of human nature: Trump, Brexit, Eastern European gates closed shut on hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees – it seems the list grows and grows.

In the past decade or so, in the U.S. and Europe, the perceived threat of job insecurity, terrorism, and cultural change along with population inf luxes has revived a nasty fear, particularly toward the Muslim world, and in many cases any and all even vaguely associated with it.

This intensely angry fear has been exploited and harnessed to great effect by the likes of Donald Trump, who has made extensive use of aggressive, paranoid ‘us vs. them’ rhetoric at every turn available. As David Frum of the Atlantic put it, “The angriest and most pessimistic people in America are . . . middle-class and middle-aged; not rich and not poor; people who are irked when asked to press 1 for English, and who wonder how white male became an accusation rather than a description.”

When governments ref lect this fear, as by fundamental republican or even democratic

tenet, unity, long-standing ties, and globalization all fall to the wind.

One of the most prominent examples of this trend as of late is the degradation of the EU’s Schengen Agreement. The Schengen Agreement essentially provides for vast freedom of trade and movement between EU member states. In the face of the Syrian refugee crisis, however, many EU members have back-tread on the Agreement by revitalizing border controls and cutting off passage routes to Germany and other more welcoming refugee havens through the Balkans – some EU ministers have even proposed a two-year suspension of the Agreement.

Admittedly, the Schengen Agreement has always been controversia l. It f u nda menta l ly threatens national sovereignty, and raises valid concerns over facilitation of human trafficking and crime of all sorts: today, terrorism. In the realm of terrorism, however, specifically ‘jihad’ terrorism, as many have opined a closure of borders and suspension of Schengen Area, free movement would not be an effective counterterrorism measure for the EU. Those responsible for the Paris attack of November, and two of the Brussels attackers, were “homegrown” – they

had not snuck in among refugees or migrants from Syria or Afghanistan, but were themselves French and Belgian born. The Schengen Agreement seems not to be directly conducive to terrorism. There are other, bigger targets than free movement within the EU. A s a mea ns to suppress entrance of refugees into the EU, however, if that is what EU members hope to accomplish, stepping back on the Schengen Agreement does work. In the past few months, it has worked as rates of refugee inf lux to Germany and the northern refugee havens have dwindled drastically. This is partly because of the EU-Turkey deal, which entailed a steppingup of Turkish coast guard activity, increased return of Syrian refugees in the Greek islands to Turkey, and better Turkish job opportunities for Syrian refugees, and partly because some EU members have reinstated passport controls and border checks.

Mass immigration of refugees is straining – both economically and socially – for EU members, that much is fully understood. But the answer is not to dismantle the EU, throw up hands and say “everyone for themselves”.

A large component of this resistance to refugees and immi-

2015-2016 Editorial Board

Teagan Stedman '18 Mike Riberdy '18

Sports

Declan Horrigan '16

Opinion

Nicole Fox '16 Jackson Andrews '17

Features

Jack Horrigan '16 Hallie Feibel '16 Joyce Cheng '16 Jeremy Mason '16

Arts

Assistant Layout Nornia Xu '17 Ryan Lee '18 Connor Seeley '18 Student

Paige Brackett '16 Sarah Poling '16

Rebecca Ryan '16 Lexi Organ '16 Faculty Advisor Sara Deveaux

Yuna Lee '19 Annie Ogden '17 Nick Wee '18

Stone Brown '18

Abigayle Hovey '18 Aex Aiello '17

Matt Cosentino '18

Contributors Tom Wiseman Maddy Dwyer '18 Mia Poling '18

The Westminster News prints between 250 to 500 copies, issued eight to ten times per school year. The News is offered for free to students (65 Third Formers, 110 Fourth Formers, 110 Fifth Formers, and 110 Sixth Formers), faculty and staff (150), and is also available online. The opinions expressed represent those of the authors, not necessarily those of The Westminster News or Westminster School.

We invite all members of the community to share their opinions in these pages. Articles

News

Connor Seeley '18 Matt Cosentino '18

Sports

Josh Cosentino '18 Nick Wee '18

Opinion

Teagan Stedman '18 Mike Riberdy '18

Features

Alex Aiello '17 Aibgayle Hovey '18

Photo

Staff Writers Jeevan Palani '19 Fiona Fan '18 Sarah Minella '17

Co-Editors-in-Chief Hyeonjo Jeong '17 & Jackson Andrews '17

Hyeonjo Jeong '17

Layout

Joel Groves '17 Brett Roenick '16 Matthew Murphy '16

are published at the discretion of The News which reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, clarity, or factual accuracy. Anyone interested in contributing to The Westminster News should contact Grace Brentano '16 or Ashlyn Chin '16, or any member of the Editorial Board for information on how to submit writing, photographs, etc.

The Westminster News is associated with the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

Contact Us: The Westminster News © 2016 Westminster School 995 Hopmeadow St. Simsbury, CT 06070-1880

to whopping extents, and both poles are exceedingly angry at their respective scapegoats.

On Trump’s tangent to the right, the scapegoats are everyone but “Americans” – essentially, everyone but his voter base. Economic isolationism, immigration crackdown, and racial hatred are the name of the game, and so many Americans are playing the game. Many of those Americans are playing for a feeling: of trust in Trump, of racial and national pride, of bullish strength in macho attacks on said scapegoats, and most of all fear. Fear is Trump’s platform, his unstoppable wave to surf to the top. Thus fear is what is driving the American election, be it fear of Trump’s enemies or fear of Trump himself. Fear can tear us apart.

Fear of the outside and alien, of any “other”, and the anger it inevitably births, is gradually consuming Western politics. A great severage of international ties, and an international surge in xenophobic nationalism may just be upon us. As Trump’s campaign has proved, its unrelenting stride onward is chaotic and unpredictable. Only time will tell how far down that consumption will drag us.

2016-2017 Editorial Board

Co-Editors-in-Chief Grace Brentano '16 & Ashlyn Chin '16 News

grants is a bundle of quite valid economic concerns, but a yet significant component is rooted in xenophobia (look no further than the skyrocket in popularity of farright political parties nearly all throughout Europe). What could appear to some a near invasion by a foreign culture could be prompting of threat – to customs, to lifestyles, to cultural integrity.

In an ever-increasingly globalized world, however, one can no longer rightfully draw a circle around a significant chunk of the planet and accept inside nothing but their own familiar kind. Moral obligation must kick in to throw those reservations aside and continue to welcome those torn from their home and country in search of asylum, regardless of cultural encroachment.

Meanwhile here at home… well, you know the story. Trump, Trump, Trump: we’ve been inundated in it for nearly a year now – the wall, deportations, the ban on Muslims entering the U.S., surveillance of “Muslim neighborhoods”, the works. Sure, it’s nightmare fuel. But as alluded earlier, Trump is only a mirror; a demagogic, politically savvy mirror, but a mirror to the American public nonetheless. It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say politicians haven’t changed, only we have.

Americans are currently polarized

Technology

Sean Ryan '18

Arts

Elena Lie '17

Layout

Ryan Lee '18

Assistant Layout

John Rao '17

Student Photo

Sarah Minella '17 Fiona Fan '18 Katie Kosior '18

Faculty Advisor Claudia Morgan

Thank you!

The entire Westminster community would like to thank the editorial board of the 2015-2016 Westminster News for their dedication to print media. Co-Editors-in-Chief Grace Brentano and Ashlyn Chin worked tirelessy to assure that the articles were of the highest quality and that each paper portrayed the community on The Hill.

Congratulations and best of luck in your future endeavors!

THE WESTMINSTER NEWS, Friday May 27, 2016

3

Opinions Make Britain Great Again

Editorialist rethinks his desire to create a United States of Europe by mat t hew murphy '16 CONTRIBUTOR

I love the United States. So much so, that for a long time, I wanted a United States of Europe.

The President of Europe would be one of the world’s most powerful people, would be f luent in 20 languages, and would fly around in an Airbus A380. And he/she would f ly in kilometres, not miles. Brussels would be a gleaming capital city. The ancient world of kings, queens, castles and empires would itself be an empire. Renewable energy, small cars, croissants and democratic socialism would rule the world.

I could be about to sensationally change my mind about all that. Deciding whether or not the United Kingdom should stay in the European Union is one of the most important and daunting questions to face my country in a generation. The issue is one of incredible complexity, so much so that I’m finding it almost impossible to come up with a definitive answer. Our common aspiration is for an economically prosperous, politically stable and safe UK, but we are all using different jigsaw pieces or perhaps arranging them differently. There is little doubt in my mind that everyone who will be voting in

the referendum on EU membership on June 23rd, and all those who are engaged in campaigning, have Britain’s best interests at heart (and ‘at head’, hopefully - but certainly not always). But for many, it doesn’t stop there.

What we often fail to appreciate is that this referendum is as closely linked to the entire EU’s future as it is to the UK’s future alone.

A vote to leave the EU would be a political earthquake with an epicentre in Britain, but the seismic waves would certainly spread to the rest of the continent. The EU has already been inf licted with headaches in recent years such as the Eurozone crisis (especially the possibility of ‘Grexit’) and the Syrian migrant crisis. The tectonic plates are far from settling. The EU has never seemed so dysfunctional, so confused and so weak.

A nti-EU sentiment does exist in countries like France and Germany, but mostly on the fringes. In Britain, euroscepticism is very much in the mainstream, having engulfed about fifty per cent of the governing Conservative Party and indeed, fifty per cent of the entire country. And this particular fifty per cent has some very good reasons

for making a ‘Brexit’, for example: our national parliament in London would regain complete control instead of surrendering powers to the EU parliament in Brussels. The UK would no longer have to pay billions annually into the EU budget (much of which is spent on other EU countries) and would instead spend this money on our public services.

The UK would be free to establish trade deals with fast growing economies such as India and China as well as with countries in the Commonwealth that we have historic ties with. Finally, Britain would regain full control of its borders following Brexit (one of the founding principles of the EU is that all European citizens should be allowed to move freely throughout the continent). There are even those who think that the European project has been a disaster for Europe as a whole and that Brexit would serve as a convenient wrecking device for toppling this federation of states that Boris Johnson (former London Mayor) recently likened to Napoleon’s and Hitler’s evil empires. This sort of rhetoric coming from the most senior figure in the ‘Leave’ campaign

proves that this debate concerns so much more than economics. I will say right now that the ‘Remain’ campaign has just about won the economic case.

However, this is a battle for the soul of Britain, a soul which, since our Empire disintegrated, since Germany emerged as the dominant force in Europe and since Scotland came within a whisker of leaving the United Kingdom, has gone astray. In response to Boris’ remark, I could just as easily argue that Britain leaving the EU would be tantamount to Hitler’s withdrawal from the Treaty of Versailles, a disturbing turning point in the 1930s that ultimately led to the Second World War. Call it hysterical, but this is how it is. Britain has been forever questioning its role in Europe: an island cut off from the continent and with a seafaring, imperial history. We often feel that we have more in common with Australia, Canada and even, dare I say, the USA, than we do with Germany or France. But our bloodiest battles have been fought on our doorstep; in French, Belgian and German trenches. I hope that I have illustrated the agonising complexity of this issue

to you. It is almost impossible for any British voter, even the Prime Minister himself, to provide some sort of all-encompassing verdict.

Perhaps only the Queen has the time to give this issue the consideration it deserves. And the Queen is actually unable to vote poor woman. She certainly won’t care to share her opinion with us on the issue. But should she find a spare moment to consider the future of her Kingdom, she might like to entertain the following questions along with the rest of us: Would Britain be better off in or out of the EU? What do we even mean by ‘better off ’?

Would Scotland leave the UK if the UK voted to leave the EU? Wou l d B r e x it je opa r d i se London’s position as a global financial centre?

Would the EU collapse in a heap following Brexit? Could this be the Third World War in the making?

How many jobs and how much investment in the UK are dependent on membership of the EU? Have European immigrants been positive or negative for the Continued on page 2

Trump vs. Clinton

Captain America Civil War Movie Review

by M at t cosen t ino '18

by s t one brown '17

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

Presumptive candidates widely disliked

AP PRESS

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton: candidates for President of the United States of America.

After a landslide victory in the Indiana primary, Donald Trump secured his spot as the presumptive Republican nominee and forced rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich to suspend their campaigns.

Trump has consistently continued to have a very strong and stable base of support, which has surprised most political pundits.

Despite his strong base of support, however, Trump will need to win over more women and Hispanics, t wo demographics that have plagued Trump in general election polls throughout this campaign.

Tr u mp wou ld a lso benef it from the endorsement of

Paul Ryan, the country’s leading Republican. An endorsement from his former rival Ted Cruz would additionally help Trump because it would cause more true conservatives to vote for Trump in November. Unless Bernie Sanders m i r a c u lou s ly b e at s H i l l a r y Clinton, she will be Trump’s opponent in the general election.

According to public polling, Trump and Clinton are the least popular candidates in modern U.S. political history in terms of unfavorability ratings.

While Trump has had a hard time appea ling to Hispanics and women, more than half of the country believes that Hillary Clinton is not honest or trustworthy. As of right now, Hillary Clinton has a small lead nationa lly as well as in key swing state polls such as Florida and Pennsylvania, but Trump is leading in Ohio. Republicans usually need to win all three of these states in order to win at least 270 electoral votes, the amount needed to win the general election.

However, people will still change their minds as there still a long way to go until November.

The newest Marvel movie surpassess expectations

GOOGLE IMAGES

According to Stone Brown '17, Westminster film critic, this movie is a must-see!

Marvel’s newest addition to their franchise (Captain America Civil War) delivers on all cylinders.

The movie begins by displaying the heavy political pressures that begin to creep on the Avengers team as they are held accountable for the deaths of innocent civilian lives due to life threatening collateral damage from previous battles. A new issue arises amongst the Avengers ultimately dividing the team into two sides. Captain America believing

that the Avengers should have complete control and freedom to defend mankind without the government interfering. Iron Man strongly believes that it is necessary to have some sort of checks and balance system, where the government has some regulation over what they are allowed to do for humanity.

These separate ideologies eventually lead to an all out war bet ween sides Iron man and Captain America.

This movie was quite a spec-

tacle and was everything one would expect from a great blockbuster action movie. The pacing, music, cinematography and acting were all top notch in this movie.

With the addition of new side characters such as Spiderman and Black panther, along with an already stellar cast of Avengers with big personalities, you’d expect the movie to get cluttered with too many characters and become a complete mess. Wrong!

This movie balances each character perfectly and gives each enough time to display their motives. Civil War does have a runtime of nearly three hours but rest assured that time will go unnoticed.

In conclusion, Civil War surpassed any expectation this film critic had for the movie and erased any doubt I held about its possible success.

Captain America Civil War deserves a 10/10.

THE WESTMINSTER NEWS, Friday May 27, 2016

4

Opinions Capital Offenses

An Explanation of “Gray” Market Activities and What Not To Do by nicole fox '16 OPINIONS CO-EDITOR

RICHARD BERGEN

The Panama Papers have created quite a stir internationally, but not as much of a stir domestically.

T h e i n f a m o u s Pa n a m a Papers released earlier this year bring light to a loophole in internationa l ta x codes; of fshore accounts. Here’s a beginners guide to tax avoidance and evading in the United States.

It’s i mp or t a nt to note , though, that shell companies have been wrongly cited by dema-

gogues as perks for the uber rich only used for illegal activities.

Shell companies are commonly used for completely legal activities most often by pensioners in Britain. These companies are also integral to funding small businesses or startups. They can be exploited, but they can also be moral.

No U.S. politicians or businesses have been tied up in the Panama Papers. It’s not because Americans are more impervious to the allures of money, it’s that these shell companies are prevalent inside the United States. The state of Delaware is heralded by some and cursed by other for the simplicity in which one can set up and operate a shell company.

There is no need to cross any borders other than state lines to evade taxes.

A shell company is a vehicle for financial maneuvering when investors often pour money they

want to accrue interest to use at a later date rather than spending the money, which would result in a tax.

Shell companies are one of the most commonly known ways that people can evade their taxes which leads to an important point: the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion.

Tax evasion is the legal delaying of paying one’s taxes by waiting to “cash in” on profit until one can use the interest to accrue more money. Tax avoidance is blatantly illegal, it’s just not paying your taxes ever. The IRS has cunningly gotten legislature passed to filter out some old ways to evade or avoid taxes. Citizens used to be able to move to states that do not charge income tax, but our own state of Connecticut, among many others, has passed legislation requiring citizens who moved from State A to State B to pay income tax for ten years to State

A if State B does not have income tax.

A more radical system used by those with a net worth of over 12 million, sometimes renounced their US citizenship and move to countries that don’t have income tax. Though many benefitted from this loophole a decade or so ago, his system was phased out by a system similar to the state switching system above where residents must pay taxes to their motherland years after leaving.

W hen an earthquake hit Washington and sent a crack up the Washington monument in 2011 an American history buff and multi millionaire offered to f loat half the bill for repairs in what was written off in his taxes as a donation; a donation that cost less than what his capital gains tax would have been. People are always looking for new and creative types of “wealth defense” as it’s colloquially and euphemisti-

cally called.

Sim i la r to get t ing h ig h school seniors to do their homework, the United States is having a difficult time getting the uber rich to pay their taxes. The state of New Jersey last year suffered a blow when billionaire David Tepper quietly moved from the state, taking with him millions of dollars worth of the state’s budget from his annual taxes. It’s no longer enough to invite these billionaires to dinner or pamper them, there needs to be some financial incentive to stay in states or stay in the country. This is the allure of the shell companies.

A piece of advice therefore for those on The Hill: do not avoid your taxes, please. It’s that simple and it doesn’t take a three page tax code to understand that all have to do it.

Make Britain Great Again Continued from Page 3

UK’s economy and society?

Is European integration really possible? Is it possible to cultivate a collective European identity, especially one that includes Britain?

Does there have to be a common European identity for there to be a functional and successful European Union?

Can the EU remain as it is or is further integration inevitable and necessary?

What exactly do we mean by sovereignty? Is there such a thing as a fully independent country?

What is / should be Britain’s role in Europe and in the world?

Who are our real allies? What does history teach us about this?

Are the interests of Britain more important than the ‘greater good’ of Europe as a whole? Or do we have to chose?

Arguably, this is like any other election. There is no clear right answer, and the electorate is compelled to decide what is most importa nt to t hem.

Voting to either leave or remain demands huge sacrifices - on the one hand, sacrificing the UK’s economic stability (at least in the short term) and perhaps cordial relations with the rest of the EU, on the other hand, handing over a great deal of power from the timeless green benches of the House of Commons, the mother of all parliaments, to some grotesque spaceship of a parliament in the heart of the “whited sepulchre” (Joseph Conrad) / “hell-

hole” (Donald Trump) that is Brussels. However, what makes this referendum different from an ordinary general election is that many of us haven’t a clue what we’re talking about. What is this European Union? Is it a country? Does it want to be a country? A federal state in disguise?

The Fourth Reich? A trading bloc? Political union? A community of nations? A supranational body? A fraternal organization?

A cult? Nobody really knows the nature of the beast. Furthermore, unlike an ordinary general election, a country leaving the EU is entirely unprecedented. It has never happened. We have no previous examples to consider. The fact that few of us really know what we’re talking about is at the heart of the EU’s failures. For many, it is a very distant concept.

The ordinary man or woman on the street might just about tell you that there is a parliament in Brussels that dishes out money to the farmer next door. The average British citizen, or European citizen, for that matter, hasn’t the vaguest notion of how the system works or who is really in charge. Ironically, the EU’s very confusing decision-making process and its apparent ‘democratic deficit’ is a result of a careful effort by those who pioneered the European project to ensure that it is not quite simply a ‘United States of Europe’ but something much more complex and abstract.

Therefore, it is also ironic that the only way we can make Europe more democratically pure and to give its parliament true legitimacy is through more integration: through ‘ever closer union’ - the phrase enshrined in EU treaties that sends shivers down the spine of so many Britons.

I should wrap up this article at some point, but I don’t think I’ll do so very conclusively. In case you hadn’t noticed, I did not set out to write this piece with a clearly defined opinion or vision in mind. No national newspaper would ever be interested in featuring this article - and I’m shocked that the Westminster News will feature it, given that some nonBritish friends in AP Comparative Government have much stronger views on the issue than I do. I hope, however, that my thoughts above capture what so much of the British population feels like: utterly unsure. I think that when I reach the polling booth on June 23rd, a sweaty hand gripping the pen, my conservative instinct will kick in and, together with the voices of President Obama, David Cameron, the Governor of the Bank of England and Christine Lagarde, I will tell myself: vote to remain, for goodness sake. The last thing that a fragile country and a fragile continent need at this moment in time is a political earthquake. That would be an omnishambles. When I refer to a ‘fragile country’ I am referring to

the strings holding Scotland and the rest of Britain together, which, despite the result of the 2014 independence referendum, are near breaking point. Brexit would likely break the link altogether. I am inclined to support EU membership for the very same reasons that I was keen for Scotland to remain in the UK. Those eurosceptics who, two years ago, were yelling ‘Better Together’ at the Scots should take a good look at the consistency of their argument.

I care deeply about Britain and I cherish our liberal parliamentary democracy, our system of common law, our multiculturalism, our Queen and our tea. But I also care deeply about Europe.

Brexit, in my opinion, would be a betrayal of the very thing that British soldiers fought for in the 20th century: peace and stability among European nations. There should never be a United States of Europe because I believe we can be better than that; we can creatively accommodate a diverse range of nations and cultures without eroding national sovereignty. But Europe is at a crossroads. We used to be a dangerously fluid continent, constantly at war with itself, constantly redrawing borders. We should not seek to dismantle the progress that has been made. Brexit represents entering a tunnel at the end of which there is no light. Frankly, the idea that we will take back full control is nonsense. The EU

will still be our biggest trading partner, therefore we will be indirectly affected by the decisions it makes whether we like it or not.

One of my favourite historians, Niall Ferguson, reminded us that every time Britain has attempted ‘Brexit’, it has ultimately been forced to ‘Breturn’ - as in the wars of the twentieth century. The ‘Breturn’ of the twenty-first century will happen when Putin tries to look tough again, or when another wave of ISIS attacks hits the continent or when the USA eventually does a free trade deal with EU. At times like these we must have a seat at the table, to remind Europe that we helped shape the modern continent at Yalta and Potsdam in 1945 and that we will continue to help shape it. Another one of my favourite historians, Mr. Charlie Griffith, reminded us that when the thirteen colonies broke free from the British Empire in 1776, they were in an isolated darkness for quite some time. We have a lot more to lose than the thirteen colonies and a lot more to gain from building bridges with our neighbours. And at the end of the day, we can still be ‘eurosceptics’ in the EU if we want to be, but we should be constructively eurosceptic. Brexit is a destructive path and Europe has suffered too much of that.

THE WESTMINSTER NEWS, Friday May 27, 2016

5

Bidding Farewell Profile: Mr. Gilman

An interview with a man whose impact on this community knows no bounds

by Teag an S t edman '18 NEWS CO-EDITOR

RICHARD BERGEN

Mr. and Mrs. Gilman in Andrews Memorial Chapel, a place that holds many memories for these two musicians.

Few have had such a long and lasting impact and involvement with this school as Mr. Gilman, and this year Mr. Gilman will be retiring after now sixty years as a beloved music director, English teacher, coach, and most recently archivist here at Westminster.

Mr. Gilman first came to Westminster to be the Music Director upon graduation from Yale, having heard much about the school at the university, quickly putting together

a brilliant choir. Years later, he was offered the job of teaching Second (yes, Second) and later Third Form English by then Headmaster Keyes on the basis of Gilman’s past letters. Along with coaching duties, Mr. Gilman taught English for several decades and loved this work: of his Second and Third form students, he remarks with a chuckle that he preferred teaching at this level because “the kids were so appallingly ignorant you had to teach them everything, including how to tie their shoes!” It was indeed demanding but rewarding work.

Looking back on these years in the classroom, he tells The Westminster News that he is especially appreciative of the longevity of his teaching and involvement with the school, having been able to teach three or four generations: being able to “work with students [Gilman] taught, their sons and daughters, and even their grandchildren”. As a coach of pole vaulting and diving, he very much

enjoyed “working with individuals to improve their skills”, and to marked success: Gilman coached a pole vaulter whose school record still stands today, and numerous champion divers.

I n h i s re t i re me nt , M r.

Gilman will also miss his colleagues, who he says were “handpicked well to fit into this community”. Gilman will do his best to maintain the long-going and substantial friendships he has forged here on the Hill. Even this year, he was often found deep in discussion with Mr. Reeves and Mr. Shipway.

Mr. Gilman will additionally have daunting “hundreds of books to get through” in his spare time – “hundreds and hundreds to get through and get rid of”. He would like to do some traveling with his wife, Mrs. Gilman, and if all goes well visit their son in Alaska this summer.

On Westminster’s past, present, and future, Gilman comments that the school has the

“potential to be the finest boarding school in the east, if not the whole nation, only if its sons and daughters work to make it so”.

He has seen the school grow not only numerically, from 160 students and 15 faculty when he arrived to now nearly 400 students and over 70 faculty, but also in atmosphere as Westminster has shifted further outward its sense of community and at the same time, Westminster has increased in diversity and inclusiveness of the school community.

M r. Gi l m a n pa r t ic ularly identifies the MS Walk, for example, as a marker of the school’s increased presence in the surrounding communities of Simsbury, as well as its worldly presence through support of MS research. He remarks that when he first arrived, and for a while henceforth, one could spend a month up on Williams Hill, on the “island”, without once venturing into town until one needed to cash a check: today venturing

off The Hill is much easier. It has something to do with the growth of Simsbury itself, of course, but also of the school.

As far as a piece of advice to Westminster students, Mr. Gilman says that “it is important that they be good to each other, and help one another: that is the most important of life’s lessons”. He quotes Father Polonius through Hamlet: “’this above all: to thine own self be true.’” Not only to the self, he modifies, but to others be true: “be true to the best in you, or the best in them”.

Westminster as a whole will dearly miss Mr. Gilman in his retirement, and we wish him the best of luck and best of times in years to come. Mr. Gilman has devoted a lifetime to education and the betterment of the Westminster community, and to this we all owe him greatly.

Profile: Peter Newman '80

Reflections on an impressive tenure on the field, in the classroom and in the office

by J ackson A ndrews '17 OPINIONS CO-EDITOR

Mr. Newman during an inspiring halftime talk.

Peter Newman: coach, college counselor, teacher, advisor, father, husband, friend, Superman? In reality, few others encompass the Westminster Spirit as much as Mr. Newman; his exuberant nature, uninhibited desire for success, and unique, endearing, bipolar coaching style make him almost as appealing as banana pancakes on a rainy Sunday morning.

I was lucky enough to sit down with Mr. Newman in his college counseling office, a perfect place to find Westminster’s head lacrosse coach if a quick word or a snippet of wisdom is needed. An unmistakable feeling of reminiscence slowly encompassed the small room. It was as if hundreds of past prep-schoolers slowly sifted through his vision, sitting in the chairs across from him, currently occupied by myself and my black North Face back-

RICHARD BERGEN

pack, crossed legged just like mine, wearing the same nervous smile as me.

St i l l a s bu s y a s e ver, I sauntered in to Mr. Newman’s office on the tail end of a classic “Newman call”, one that so many of his players have heard before, talking to a concerned parent about his or her daughter’s athletic future; “don’t worry now, these showcases have quite a few big coaches, showcases I assume your daughter is attending, and it wouldn’t hurt to send a quick email…” As per usual, Coach Newman had a packed morning, and the last thing I wanted to do was bother the man as he performed his daily duties. He however, was insistent on completing the interview, so we started promptly.

Recalling his most memorable times at Westminster, he said, “Getting yelled at by Mr. Berry

for fooling around in the locker room”, replies Newman. He pauses for a second, then responded to the latter question; “When one of my former students returned on alumni weekend to tell me how excited he was to be teaching Spanish at the high school level. I felt like at least I didn’t mess him up” I was especially keen to hear about his most memorable game coaching. “It’s Impossible to narrow it down to one”, he quickly answers, “we’ve learned from great wins but also hard losses… it’s the effort to get there that so memorable, and that’s happened so many times with many different teams: but it was nice to beat Brunswick for the first time in 2006, at Brunswick in overtime.”

There are so many different facets to Mr. Newman’s life, and he has a keen sense of self that rubs off on everyone he meets.

One thing particularly special for the seasoned faculty member to experience was teaching his daughter, Abby Newman '16. I asked what is was like educating her and how it was special to have her around, not only as a daughter but as a pupil as well.

“It was a real privilege to see my daughter in her element every day”, uttered Newman, “and not only as one of my students but also as a citizen of Westminster.

She may have wanted it otherwise, but I would not change any-

thing, not a bit!”

I can still vividly reca ll the blustery winter day Coach Newman informed his lacrosse team that he would not return for another year on Williams Hill. Emotions ran through player’s heads; faces of stunned, dismayed, even angry, Third, Fourth and Fifth Formers dotted Sejong lecture hall. Those faces were soon replaced by understanding and respect when Mr. Newman let loose an outpouring of pure emotion. Everyone could see how much the school meant to him, how much of his life revolved around it. I then asked Mr. Newman if he will stay connected with Westminster next year, and in the future, after being so integrated in the school community for so long?”

“It’s going to be very difficult to walk away”, he said, [my family and I] have so many close relationships here that I fully expect to be in touch with many in this community on a regular basis”.

A comforting response for most, including myself.

Mr. Newman then shared what he loved most about college counseling, coaching, and teaching? “Well, for me It really doesn’t matter if it’s formally advising in the college process or casually sitting at family style. The range of emotions that go into what we ask of our athletes is very different but a very special experience. It’s

difficult to pinpoint one aspect, but overall the highs and lows of every element have made twentysix years feel like five minutes.”

T he la st t wo que st ion s loomed ominously in front of me, the bold black ink seared onto my computer. I tell him there are only two questions left, even though we have plenty of time.

“What will you miss most about Westminster?”, I ask him. “Well, I probably won’t miss much of the food”, he jests, “I really like the marinated steak at family-style though, and that I can ride my bike to work”.

“You won’t be able to do that in Georgia?”, I jokingly fire back.

He just chuckled and shook his head.

“Probably not. I think the best one would be how very difficult over twenty-six years its been to differentiate between the word job and the word life, being a member of the Westminster community.”

He ended the interview with the following advice: “Breathe it in, every day, because you’ll never be in another place where so many people know you so well and care about your success as much as at Westminster.”

From a l l of u s here at Westminster, whether as players, students, advisors, daughter, son, wife, or passerby, thank you, Mr. Newman, it truly has felt like five seconds having you around.

THE WESTMINSTER NEWS, Friday May 27, 2016

6

Bidding Farewell

RICHARD BERGEN

Ms. Neilson leaves many memoralble moments in the classroom, the dorm and on the athletic field.

Although Westminster will be sad to say goodbye to Ms. Neilson in a few short weeks as she departs for Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina, we know she will find just as many students and faculty ready to embrace her outgoing, funny, and passionate self as she has found here. Ms. Neilson will be teaching English at PorterGaud just like she has done at Westy.

Ms. Neilson’s favorite memories of Westminster are so abundant that it is hard to pick just one, but she certainly could not

Profile: Ms. Neilson

Profile: Mrs. Howard

by A nnie O g den '17

by Y U na L ee '19

CONTRIBUTOR

CONTRIBUTOR

go without mentioning her pride for the First Girls’ Lacrosse and Field Hockey teams both beating Hotchkiss in the past year.

Anybody who knows Ms. Neilson knows that these two teams are just as important to her as her classes. We will miss the demonstration of her love for these teams shown in hair whether dyed blue like last year’s spring formal after the Hotchkiss victory or the “power buns” expressing her excitement for the beginning of lacrosse season this March.

She will miss the people the most when she departs, like Mrs. Joncas whom she will “never be able to thank nor adequately tell her how important she has been, and is” and Sir Michael Cervas’ leadership of the English Department.

Ms. Neilson will also miss the laughter she felt from living and working in an environment with kids, her favorite Westminster traditions like Ca nd lelig ht, Spring Forma l excitement outside Gund, Lawn C eremony, a nd t he t i n ie s t

moments like sitting on a bench at the Overlook and “inhaling how special this place is.” We hope this is not goodbye forever, but she assures us that “the Universe works in funny ways” and she could see herself having a family back here someday.

In her final words of advice, Ms. Neilson stresses the importance of taking care of each other, the fact that nothing good happens after midnight, her signature notion of throwing kindness like it’s confetti, giving credit to those who have helped you when you achieve something great, and that “when you love people, tell them”.

She has the deepest appreciation to Westminster and all of its people, and her final words of departure are a simple thank you. We will miss this bubbly and charismatic personality in the classrooms, on the fields, and cheering the entire community on, but we cannot wait to see Nellie have just as large of an impact on another lucky school as we have been so fortunate to have.

Mrs. Howard first came to Westminster in 1977 as an English teacher. Although she took some time off of working at Westminster to have kids, she came back as a substitute for Mr. Adams. Even though she was a substitute only for a part of the school year, she came back to Westminster again in 2000 as an Associate Director of Admissions, retiring this year.

After her departure, Mrs. Howard will still be living in Simsbury, however she will also spend some time in Maine. Although her plans for the future are still evolving, she will spend time with her kids in San Francisco and Washington DC as well as with her family in St. Louis.

She also plans to travel the Maine Coast and learn another language Arabic or Chinese, or maybe both! She will take courses wherever she can find them and will play pickle ball.

During her forty years at Westminster, she still remembers her enthusiastic English classes, her fervent coaching seasons, great teaching from other faculty, and pleasant of memorable moments spent with her advisees. She also mentions beating Hotchkiss as one of the most exciting memories at Westminster.

She will miss the energy, creativity, teamwork of Westminster, and how Westminster makes a difference everyday, because, in her mind, Westminster is a brilliant place to not only work but also to grow. With her long, intimate experience at Westminster, she advised the students to make the most of this incredible opportunity and to always remember to laugh at yourself. She moreover gives a huge thank you to everyone for bringing the good energy that makes Westminster the special place that it is. We will miss her warm bits of advice and care that she gave, the positive energy she brought, and her passion she always possessed. We hope she cherishes every moment and has fun with this new journey of her life.

Profile: Dr. Hollebone

Profile: Mr. Bramble

by J Ack H orrig an '16 STAFF WRITER

by A lexandra A iello '17 STAFF WRITER

Mr. Bramble, Westminster’s beloved A P A rt Histor y and Engineering and Design teacher is leaving our community after this year.

After Mr. Bramble leaves Westminster he is going to go home and pursue his other interests. Bramble has something particular in mind that he will engage in after his career at Westminster ends, but he does not know what the future will hold yet.

Mr. Bramble has been vigorously working on a novel and hopes to complete it in the near future, which his leave from our community gives him the time to do. His extremely hard work has resulted in a novel of approximately 250 pages, with about 50 more pages until completion. He has had uttermost success with workshopping for his novel. Bramble shared how for a week this year he had the amazing chance to partake in a workshop with six other authors from all over the world at the Norman Mailer House in Provincetown, MA. He additionally worked on his novel up at Vermont College.

Bra mble is look ing for wa rd to completing his master piece, and says he plans to spend the summer putting all of the finishing touches on it. Bramble also intends on returning actively to his artwork and painting, all on top of celebrating his son who is graduating from high school.

Mr. Bramble mentioned

how many favorite memories came to mind when he reflected on his time at Westminster, but how he believed the most impressive memory of his experience was Candlelight. The Candlelight Ser vice, given at our school Chapel, is an annual Christmastime service for students and teachers to come together before departing on winter vacation.

He voiced how Candlelight was “very, very nice” and not only represented the goals and values of our community, but also portrayed unique, moving artistry.

W hen confronted by the question of what will be missed t h e m o s t a t We s t m i n s t e r, Bramble humorously questioned, “Besides lunch?” Yes, besides Westminster’s exceptional food, there were other wonderful parts of Bramble’s experience that he will miss, such as the wonderful colleagues that he has met this year. Bramble mentioned how he has meet an abundance of admirable people at Westminster such as Ray Gustafson and Lawrence Gilman. He added how he supports Gilman’s retirement and wishes him luck for the future.

There were many others Bramble wa nted to ment ion a s wel l because of the myriad of intellectual and enthusiastic faculty that work at our institution.

Bramble stated that he will miss the camaraderie of the people at Westminster. He added how he believes Westminster has a very nice sense of community loyalty

between faculty and people who are in support services that you don’t see in a lot of places.

Mr. Bramble said that he would be open to the idea of working at Westminster again in the future, if the chance presented itself. However, he understands how Westminster has its needs and although he would love to return, in the end it is about what the future brings-and nothing is for sure.

In regards for Bramble’s advice to students, he wants every student to remember the school motto, Grit and Grace, and to apply it to their lives throughout the Westminster experience and out into the real world. Bramble said he knows how people try to live up to grit and grace as students, but he thinks that it would be really great for them to fully internalize what they have experienced as a result of living in an inclusive community.

Finally, Bramble concluded with sentiment about his time at Westminster. He confidently stated how his experience has been great and that he has genuinely enjoyed his time at Westminster.

He additionally stated how his experiences were exceptionally rewarding. With certainty, Mr. Bramble said that he is going to remember and cherish the experience he had working for our community for the rest of his life.

RICHARD BERGEN

Dr. Hollebone helping a student outside of the classroom.

Dr. Hollebone, affectionately referred to by students as “Dr. Bones,” is closing out her final year here at Westminster. She began her time at Westminster in fall of 2013. An avid runner and CrossFit enthusiast, Dr. Bones has coached track, cross country, and swimming over the past three years. The science department will sorely miss Dr. Bones, a passionate and experienced teacher, who specializes in biology and environmental sciences.

After she leaves Westminster, Dr. Bones plans to start her own CrossFit and endurance training business while maintaining an interest and active involvement in marine biology research, the topic of her doctorate thesis and her lifelong love.

Her favorite Westminster memory is the 2014 New England Championship Swim Meet which was held at the Hibbard Pool. She says what she will miss most about Westminster are the “polite, wellspoken, worldly, highly motivated students,” although she doesn’t see herself coming back to Westminster.

After three years of dedicated service and making a positive influence in the lives of countless students and athletes, the Westminster community is set to say one final ‘thank you’ and ‘goodbye’ and everyone here wishes her the best of luck in all of her future endeavors.

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THE WESTMINSTER NEWS, Friday May 27, 2016

7

Bidding Farewell Profile: Mr. Hartwig

Profile: Mrs. Deveaux

by N IC K W E E '18

BY H Y E O N JO J E O N G '17

STAFF WRITER

As the school year ends, a new adventure begins for Mr. Colin Hartwig. In just a few weeks, Mr. Hartwig will be saying his final goodbyes to the school he spent four years at. Mr. Hartwig will be moving from a quiet, quaint life in Simsbury and “venture out” to the buzz of metropolitan city life in Boston. He will also be switching careers and enter a new job at Seismic, an up-and-coming tech company. Seismic is a young company with a casual office and young employees (most being under the age of 30), topping off the entire startup vibe. Its office is also located right outside of TD Garden, where the Boston Celtics play. “It’s a bittersweet feeling.” he says regarding the big move. While he is excited at the prospect of a new life in a big city, emotion is also running high at the thought of wrapping up relationships and leaving the school that has also been his home. He has lived in student dorms for the entirety of his career at Westminster, and can actively be seen around campus with his high-energy Wheaten terrier Murphy.

Coming out of college at Wesleyan University, Mr. Hartwig wasn’t actually actively looking for a teaching job, and had no real intention of working at a boarding school. During his job hunt however, the head football coach at Wesleyan sent him an email notifying him that Westminster was looking for a football/math guy, and after a few Skype interviews with the school, he decided to take the job. “It’s cool how it all worked out, and I have really enjoyed my

LAYOUT EDITOR

time here at Westminster.”

Mr. Hartwig has always been an avid sports fan all his life, and served as the Assistant Athletic Director at Westminster as well as the coach for several teams and as a Math teacher. His favorite thing about Westminster was being able to work alongside great colleagues and with great students every single day of the week. One of his favorite memories was winning his first ever football game as coach in his first year at Westminster. The team went 1-7 that season, and when they finally beat Pomfret in their second to last game of the season, he vividly remembered head coach Mr. Huguley “turning around and hugging me, while also giving me a firm handshake.” All the blood, sweat, tears and hard work put into the season had finally paid off in one rewarding, unforgettable moment for Mr. Hartwig. He will miss having the pleasure of coaching sports, spending time with faculty, students, and friends, taking advantage of our beautiful campus for dog walks, and of course, the always-excellent family-style dinners. His one piece of advice for new students, was to “Buy in. Buy into the place because the community has way more to offer if you allow yourself to be a part of it.” As a new chapter unravels in Mr. Hartwig’s life, his time at Westminster comes to an end. When asked if he had any final words, he stopped, smiled, and said, “It’s been real.” And it has.

Profile: Mr. Mason

by Grace bren tano '16 CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Mr. Mason joined Westminster in 2004 as the school’s first ever Director of Marketing and Communications. Prior to joining Westminster, Mr. Mason was the principal of an award-winning graphic design and marketing firm in Simsbury that was responsible for the refinement of Westminster’s logo and identity program and the implementation of early marketing initiatives.

Over the past twelve years, Mr. Mason has done a masterful job of managing Westminster’s marketing and communications program, supporting the mission and strategic initiatives of the school. He has worked on the Westminster’s website, print and electronic publications, social media presence, public relations, advertising and the visual brand and messaging of the school’s programs. During his time on the job, Westminster’s reputation has risen to new heights and the school has enjoyed unprecedented success in both admissions and fundraising. Since his arrival, applications have grown 33% and contributions to the annual have nearly doubled since his arrival.

Beyond the Hill, Mr. Mason has been a frequent presenter at national, regional and state conferences, and was selected to join the TABS “NABI-100” committee of industry thought leaders. He has served as chairman of the Commission on School Advancement of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools and as a member of several community organizations including the Simsbury Performing Arts Center board and the Democratic Town Committee.

After celebrating the graduation of his son, Jeremy '16, (his third Westminster graduate along with Mallory '11 and Marissa '12), Mr. Mason will be heading to the Gunnery to work his marketing and communications magic there.

Profile: Mr. Gustafson

by A shlyn chin '16 CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

After a twenty-three year stint on Williams Hill, Ray “Mr. G” Gustafson will be retiring at the conclusion of the school year.

Mr. Gustafson enjoyed an impressive career in architecture before and during his time on the faculty. He was vice president and principal in the architectural firm of Austin Associates when he agreed to fill in for the spring term at Westminster when his friend and colleague Merrill Austin fell ill. Mr. G was a natural and became an instant hit with his students. When it became clear that Mr. Austin could not return to teach the following fall, the decision to offer

the job to Mr. Gustafson was an easy one. Thankfully he said yes, and the rest. As they say, is history.

O v e r h i s c a r e e r, M r.

Gustafson was a member of the AIA/CSA, was NCARB certified and was recently designated a member emeritus of The American Institute of Architects.

Several years ago, he opened his own architectural office in Burlington, CT, where he continues to practice. Mr. G also has served as vice president of the American Management Institute, responsible for creating and presenting seminars for executives in the design profession, and as an

adjunct faculty member teaching architecture at the community college level in Hartford.

Mr. Gustafson is an avid outdoorsman who loves a good summit day on any peak, as well as downhill and backcountry skiing, fly-fishing, bow-hunting for deer and turkey, and bird shooting.

He also has a penchant for performance cars, and for collecting and restoring antique Land Rovers.

We will miss Mr. G greatly and will him luck in his new adventures. He is a wonderful school person who has launched several Westminster students into a career in architecture.

PHOTO COURTEST OF MRS. DEVEAUX

Mme Deveaux on one of her yearly trips to France, a country whose people, culture and history she loves.

A fter 25 years of ser vice to Westminster School, Mrs. Deveaux will begin teaching French at the Loomis-Chaffee School next year. Having lived half of her life on the Westminster campus, there are more memories than she could possibly put into a 250 word article.

Mrs. Deveaux arrived in the fall of 1991 after completing her Masters Degree in French Literature in Paris, France. She was single at the time, however that quickly changed when her boyfriend of almost four years, Jon Deveaux, proposed to her in Stratton, VT. (The story goes that he had been planning to pop the question their first night on vacation, but Mrs. Deveaux fell asleep!

He had to hide the ring for yet another 24 hours.) Mr. and Mrs. Deveaux were married in August of 1992.

After two years at Westminster, Headmaster Don Werner appointed her Dean of Students, a position that she held for four years until the birth of her second daughter, Katherine Hope, (Class of 2016) in September of 1997. With two young children (Eleanor, class of 2014), Mrs. Deveaux decided to take some time off of teaching in order to be home with Ellie and Katie.

In 20 0 0, Mrs. De veau x returned to Westminster as the Director of Student Life, a position that she held until being named Language Department Chair in 2004. “My true passion is working with teachers and students. I try to get the most out of my students in the time that we have. First and foremost, I want them to be able to communicate, both orally and written in the language. I also hope to instill in them a curiosity about the world around them and a desire to perhaps live and / or travel to a Francophone country in the future. I love hearing of my former students who have not only travelled abroad, but have become French majors and minors in college.” Mrs. Deveau x a lso talks about her passion working

with her fellow language teachers. “I consider working with the Language Department to be one of the best experiences of my life, a true honor. Working toward a common goal, exchanging ideas and talking pedagogy is one of the best experiences I could have.”

Mrs. Deveaux will miss traveling to France with Westminster students and could write a book on her adventures. Her favorite part of the trip is always the first three days spent in Paris, showing the students the heart of the city, eating more crepes, steak frites and French food than one would think possible, visiting museums and seeing the city from the top of Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe and La Tour Eiffel.

Over the past several years, Mrs. Deveaux has formed a relationship with Church Street Eats and taken dozens of students there on Sundays to prepare lunch and serve in the soup kitchen. “I can not stress enough the sense of pride that I feel in our students when they are digging into their role in the soup kitchen. They work hard, are kind, polite, and are eager to do whatever the job might be. Each and every time that we leave, Rose, the wonderful woman who runs that soup kitchen, has nothing but the highest of compliments to pay to the Westminster students who have come to serve.” Mrs. Deveaux would also like to thank the entire Westminster community for their donations of tee-shirts and other clothing items this past month.

With the help of many student volunteers and led by Joel Groves '17 and Gary Simons '17, the students donated well over 400 tee shirts to the kitchen.

“I will miss my colleagues and students, but since I am commuting, I do not feel as if I am going away. After 25 years, I am simply moving on. Westminster will always be my home, the place where Mr. Deveaux and I raised our two beautiful daughters, Ellie and Katie and where Westminster students shaped who I have become.

THE WESTMINSTER NEWS, Friday May 27, 2016

8

Spring Formal 2016

WESTMINSTER COMMUNITY

Pros and Cons of Seniors Leaving

T-shirt Drive

CONTRIBUTORS

CONTRIBUTOR

by M addie Dwyer '18 & mia P olin g '18

Each year our community is faced with the bittersweet reality that the senior class will be leaving.

Everyone misses their presence once Commencement weekend is over, however there are some things to look forward to, that may make their departure easier.

College Visits: We can visit them whenever we want at college, and have a good time catching up and meeting their new friends.

New student dynamic: With the seniors leaving, that means a new class of freshmen will come with new students in all the grades as well, bringing with them a new dynamic in which they mold the community for the incoming year.

See their new experiences: As most of us follow the seniors on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc, it is easy to communicate with them as well as see what they are experiencing as they move away from their time on the hill. Whether it be seeing them travel around the world or have fun at college, it is reassuring to know

that they are enjoying what they are doing.

With all positives, there are negatives, besides the biggest one, which is them leaving, here are some other factors that contribute to our sadness.

Empty Dorms: After Commencement ceremony when we realize that finals are coming quickly, and that we will have to start studying, the seniors start packing up, and their rooms are empty. The last week of school is the hardest, because of the lonely halls of the dorms, and the finals we need to start focussing on.

Habit: If anyone orders food with a senior on a certain day or spends time with them in the dorm or during a free, they will feel their absence as they try to break the habits formed by their relationship.

Leadership: On a sports team, in an advisory, or even in a class, certain seniors act as leaders in our community, and the campus will feel very empty without them.

by joel g roves '17

This spring, 12 students worked with Mrs. Deveaux to collect t-shirts for Church Street Eats, a soup kitchen in Hartford. Church Street Eats serves those who live in poverty by providing them with food, clothes, and other daily necessities, such as toiletries. One Sunday a month, Mrs. Deveaux takes students down to Church Street Eats to assist in serving food and toiletries to those who need them. This service opportunity has become so popular with students that oftentimes Mrs. Deveaux has to turn down volunteers because she does not have enough room for everyone in her car. Moved by Mrs. Deveaux’s work and helping others, Annie Sherbacow '19, Ryan Szykowny '18, Matthew Swenson '17, Max Powers '17, Jake Szykowny '17, Katie Deveaux '16, Morgan Peirce '17, Joel Groves '17, Isaiah Preyer '17, Sarah Poling '16, Nicole Fox '16, and Arthur Renehan '17 have led the charge in collecting t-shirts in their dorms and among the day students.

In many of these dorms, all of the students donated a t-shirt to Church Street Eats. A special thank you goes out to Gary Simons '17 and Arianna Cronin '16 whose donations combined amount to more t-shirts donated than several dorms and day students combined. For donating over 400 t-shirts, everyone was given a duds day on Tuesday, May 24.

Thanks to the Westminster community, over 400 people who live in poverty will have a free t-shirt to wear.

9

THE WESTMINSTER NEWS, Friday May 27, 2016

Student Life Roommates at Westy, Brothers for Life Reflections upon rooming with one person for all four years by bre t t roenick '16 CONTRIBUTOR

B e f or e c om i n g to boarding school, my biggest question and concern was my roommate. I thought to myself “what if he’s weird, what if he doesn’t like sports, and what if he’s not a neat frea k like PHOTO COURTESY OF BRETT ROENICK myself ”. In the late Stephen Gasior '16 and Brett summer of 2012, I Roenick '16 defied the odds received an email from and become one of only a Westminster school, handful of 4-year roommates. the subject reading “R o om m ate”. A s I blankly stared at the unopened message, I became anxious while maintaining a surge of excitement. I opened the message to find his name was Stephen Gasior.

Along with his name, his address and phone number were included. I picked up my phone and dialed the number. Stephen answered, sounding very nervous. He said “Hello, Brett”. After a minute of conversation, my first impression of Stephen wasn’t very good. He used a few words I’ve never heard before, speaking to me in a formal way as if I was a 50 year old businessman offering him a job. After our conversation concluded, I immediately went to my mom and said “I’m not sure about my roommate, he

seems weird.”

After a few more conversations throughout the summer, my view of Stephen didn’t change. As the fall came around, it was time to make the move to Westminster.

Pulling up on the Hill to my dorm, I knew I was about to meet my roommate for the first time. As my family and I had arrived early, we began unpacking my bags first. Soon after I was settled in, the door swung open, and there in the doorway stood Stephen and his mom. My nerves exploded! The first thing I noticed was the cleaning supplies they were both holding. I immediately took a sigh of relief. “HE’S CLEAN”, I said to myself.

Meeting him for the first time was the one of the most uncomfortable, awkward things I’ve ever done. In our first handshake, we didn’t make very good contact, as I ended up shaking his fingers instead of his full hand. After helping him unpack, both our parents said their goodbyes and left, leaving only Stephen and me for the next few months. The first night was strange, here I was sleeping in a room with someone who was a complete stranger, at a school, 2,500 miles away from home. I sucked it up, and I knew I was going to make the best of the my experience at Westminster.

After a few weeks of living with Stephen, I found out he wasn’t the same person as I thought he was over summer. I realized he wasn’t weird as I predicted, he was very cool. We got along well, actually a little too well. Stephen and I created a relationship unlike any other roommate

pairs. Others viewed their roommate just as a roommate, I viewed Stephen as a brother, someone that was always there to talk, someone who would always be there for you. Both Stephen and I have a lot in common, we both love hockey and all sports, except Maryland basketball (he’s obsessed), we are both very clean people although I sometimes need to tell him to clean up after himself and make his bed, we both always want to be right, which gets annoying because when we argue, it goes on forever and there is never a declared winner. Stephen and I act a lot like brothers. We fight, argue, complain and get annoyed with each other and then say we’re sorry.

Whether we are in our room, on the ice, or in the classroom, Stephen and I always get along. My decision to be roommates with Stephen all four years at Westminster has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Knowing what I now know, my highschool experience would not have been the same without him. Not only has he been a great roommate, he has been someone who I can always trust, rely, and count on, but most importantly, he has been one of my best friends.

I will miss Stephen next year, as we move our separate ways to bigger and better things. One thing that will never change is the memories and relationship we made. I will always be here for him and he will forever be in my heart.

Brothers for life.

Teagan Stedman’s Year of Cancer Research A testament to one’s commitment to a cause by t om wiseman MEMBER OF THE SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

Te a g a n S t e d m a n ' 1 8 impre ssed a la rge crowd of Westminster community members this month when he presented his research on a new type of cancer treatment. In Sejong Lecture Hall, he explained both his scientific concept and his promising experimental results to a captivated audience.

The Inspiration: Teagan has been dedicated to fighting cancer for the majority of his life. At a young age, Teagan’s best friend Alex was diagnosed with nonHodgkin’s lymphoma. This type of cancer aggressively attacks the white blood cells of the body.

Teagan had to watch his oncehealthy friend get sicker and sicker as Alex was treated with the sickening procedure of chemotherapy. Although Alex survived his fight with cancer, many pediatric cancer sufferers do not.

Teagan vowed to do whatever he could to improve the lives of cancer patients. In the words of Teagan, “I wanted to do more than a ‘get well soon’ card.”

Teagan started his battle against pediatric cancer through fundraising. He established a nonprofit dubbed “Shred Kids’ Cancer,” which has raised over $350,000 and granted funds to 9 clinical trials for pediatric cancer research to date. This nonprofit holds annual music events k nown a s Shred fests, where bands perform to raise money for this research. Teagan and Alex, on guitar and bass respectively, have performed at several of these

events. For Teagan, however, raising money was not enough; he wanted to become directly involved in the process of curing cancer.

The Disease: Cancer is a difficult disease to treat and cure.

The human body is composed of about 30 trillion cells all working together to allow us to live and function normally. Cancer occurs when one or more of these cells start replicating more than they should. These rapidly dividing cells give rise to tumors throughout the patient. Since these cells belong to the body, they are not detected and removed by one’s immune system and are not easily removed by modern medicine.

Currently, our best treatment for cancer cells that have spread throughout the body is chemotherapy. This treatment is essentially the administration of poison with the hope that the poison will kill the cancer faster than it kills the patient. Chemotherapy has an infamously long list of negative side effects including nausea, weakness, hair loss, and severe pain. Current research is focused on selectively targeting and killing only the cells that have become cancerous, rather than all cells in the body. However, the specific targeting of tumors presents another problem. Tumors form hard and dense outer layers around them which blood, and therefore drugs, cannot penetrate.

An ideal cancer drug would be able to find a tumor wherever it was in the body and deliver poi-

son to both the outside and also the hard-to-reach interior. This kind of targeted treatment would be able to eradicate tumors without harming the rest of the body – and is exactly what Teagan has begun designing.

The Idea: Teagan conceptualized that an ideal treatment would need three specific components: be able to carry chemotherapeutic medication, find a tumor, and deliver chemotherapy to both the outside of a tumor and its protected inner layers.

Fortunately, the first two techniques have already been executed by other researchers. Scientists can manipulate and control a balloon of cell material known as a liposome. Think of a liposome as a ball which can be modified in a variety of ways to move wherever a doctor wants it to move and carry whatever a doctor wants it to carry. In the case of cancer treatments, the liposome would move to a tumor, and carry poison to kill that tumor. Teagan wanted to tackle the third challenge; he wanted to figure out how he could get a liposome, now full of chemotherapy, to move inside a growing tumor.

The Unlikely Ally:Teagan was now faced with the challenge of how to modify a liposome in such a way that it could penetrate several layers of cells in order to deliver chemotherapy to the inner layers of a tumor. He found the solution in a very unlikely place: the deadly bacteria Listeria. This bacteria can grow on a variety of

foods and, once ingested, causes the disease known as Listeriosis.

Listeria functions by entering a human cell, reproducing inside the cell, and then using several proteins to “rocket” itself out of one cell and into another cell. The bacterium repeats this process of reproducing and bursting out again and again. This behavior of speeding out of a cell is known as “actin rocketing.” Listeriosis is lethal in 20-30% of human infection cases due in part to the cell-damaging toxins the bacteria produces. Teagan, however, was interested in Listeria’s unique ability to move between cells in the body.

Once learning about Listeria, Teagan hypothesized that he could take a liposome (the previously-mentioned balloon of cell material) and attach Listeria’s “actin rocket” to it. In theory, with these proteins, a chemotherapy-carrying liposome would be able act like Listeria and move from cell to cell – and perhaps from the outside of a tumor to the inside. If his idea proved successful, he would now have a cancer treatment that could navigate to a tumor, carry a chemotherapy, and deliver that medication to the hard-to-reach inner layers. This would be far less harmful to the patient than traditional nonspecific chemotherapy because it would only affect the cells of a tumor.

The Investigation: Teagan needed to find a way to test his idea. He reached out to several

labs, explained his experiment, and asked if he could use their equ ipment a nd exper tise to investigate whether attaching Listeria proteins to liposomes would enable their movement between cells. Dr. Kumbar at the UConn Institute for Regenerative Engineering in Farmington, CT agreed to work with Teagan and test his technique. While his research on this technique is not over, throughout the past several months Teagan and the team have observed that it is possible to attach proteins from Listeria to a liposome and that a modified liposome can move throughout mouse pancreatic cancer cells.

They have taken high resolution images of this process with Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) and f luorescence microscopes. These images were presented to both the Westminster Community and the Connecticut Science fair. The team will need to conduct further research to demonstrate that these liposomes could move through several layers of tumor cells and deliver a cancer-fighting drug to all of them.

Teagan’s research thus far is an important step for this exciting new drug delivery technique.

More impressively, Teagan demonstrated to the Westminster community what initiative and curiosity can produce, no matter what your age or credentials.

THE WESTMINSTER NEWS, Friday May 27, 2016

10

Student Life

Four Years on the Hill: My Westminster Experience

by Grace B ren tano '16 CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

With ten days until graduation and three weeks until my 18th birthday, I’m finally starting to feel a buzz, an inextricable blend of nerves and excitement around finally entering the “real world”. My last big step was moving away from home to attend a small boarding school on the East Coast. Now I stand on the top rung of the ladder, poised to reaching up and blindly grasp at my future in faith that the strong base I’ve built will catch me if I fall.

Coming from the ignorant bliss of living in a landlocked flyover state, I couldn’t have been less prepared for the changes I would undergo in my next four years. Four years is a long time.

After just four years, a baby can do a somersault, write their name, and distinguish fantasy from reality. For a golden hamster, four years is a lifetime. The civil war that united America to form the country, as we know it, happened in just four years. In four years, a president’s legacy is defined forever. Every four years we vote for our leaders, compete for Olympic medals, and even add an extra day to the calendar. But what is it about the period of four years that makes it so special?

Here’s my theory. Four years is the perfect amount of time for a person change, but more importantly to process, ref lect, and come to peace with these changes.

You might think the story of high school change is cliché and over told, but my four years were filled with so much more than just growth spurts, exclusive cliques, piles of homework, and hyperbolic drama.

Westminster is where I lived with my first roommate. And while I did learn how to share a room, clothes, and food, what I really discovered was that I got along really well with someone who seemed to be so different from me. People still don’t believe Nina and I roomed together.

Literally living outside my comfort zone showed me that stretching myself could only lead to a positive experience or a valuable lesson learned. I completely lost my aversion to risk, a trait that will soon serve me well as I begin my entrepreneurial endeavors.

You might ask, “But what about school?” I quickly learned how and when to do homework, but more importantly I learned when not to do homework, times when listening to a friend or taking a break were far more valuable than understanding the “Mississippi Bubble” financial scandal. At the end of my four years, I can assure you I haven’t lost any sleep over the few missed readings that built friendships and protected my mental health because those are the tools on which I will consistently depend after graduation. In this day and age, making connections and

building a reliable network is one of the most valuable skills to have, and at Westminster I learned to form genuine relationships. I trust that every one of my friends would help me without question because of the way they stood by my side through every challenge I have faced, whether small and completely irrelevant or big and daunting.

More importantly, learned to trust myself, to know when to endure and persevere and when to take a step back and relax. I’ve always been extremely competitive, as I grew up participating in countless academic and athletic contests, so before Westminster my effort was always all-or-nothing. There was no inbetween. Imagine driving a car and flooring the gas pedal every time the light turned green and slamming on the brakes at every red light. Now imagine carefully stepping on the gas pedal, gradually speeding up and slowing down as necessary. The allor-nothing approach leaves you with worse gas mileage and deteriorating brake pads and rotors.

I discovered this same principle to be true in my life; by learning when to slow down and when to buckle down, I have become very efficient with my work and have become more stable and less stressed.

By understanding myself and how I learn and process information, I have been able to maintain high standards of academic achievement without sacrif icing my free time to that cause.

I distinctly remember being called out for playing Frisbee on the quad the day before the AP Biology exam, but even then I believe that my teacher trusted that I was doing what was necessary for me to succeed. While counterintuitive, having such personal connections with my teachers at Westminster meant that they always gave me room to experiment and learn on my own. While occasionally nudging me in the right direction, my teachers have always understood that I, like every other student in the classroom, was an individual and that I needed to learn in my own unique way. With this freedom granted to me, I was able to hone my studying skills to maximum efficiency, a talent that will serve me well at college next year in large intro seminars where my identity is reduced to a simple string of digits. I know that I will not be overwhelmed with information nor will I slack off as I have already developed the habits that I need to succeed.

While I will always carry with me this toolbox of skills learned at Westminster, the most valuable and lasting change during my last four years has been i nterna l. In Ps yc holog y we often debate, nature vs. nurture.

However since birth my “nature”

or my genes have already been set in stone. Thus, the only opportunity for change lies within the “nurture” or environmental component. At Westminster I was involved in a variety of activities, many were a mandatory part of the school’s efforts to foster a sense of community. This meant that some days I excelled in my fifth form English class, only to be humbled a few hours later by my teacher-turned-coach, with regard to my lackluster basketball skills. Other days I would struggle to explain or even locate an event during my U.S. History class, but would feel invincible during a conditioning workout later that afternoon. I learned to be comfortable cheering from the bench, without being afraid to stand alone as the devil’s advocate in a debate the next day. I learned to act as strong leader but also as a supportive follower. I developed a refined confidence that could be either loud or humble depending on the situation. After the 25 dances I have attended over the past four years, I can now wholeheartedly laugh at myself or specifically, at my dance moves, or even at drama classes performing “the Grace” also known as wild f lailing without coordination. It’s little moments like these from daily life at Westy that stack together to build the character I will present to the world every day for the rest of my life.

In add it ion to bu i ld ing my personality, I learned to let it change by being f lexible and open-minded. In my Comparative Government class, I was thrown into the shoes of a citizen in countries halfway around the world.

For the first time, I wrote my essays from a non-American perspective. I learned to see elements of democracy in theocracy, and injustice in freedoms. I moved past reading only magic-filled fantasies to reading everything from memoirs to historical fiction. I learned to not just disappear into books but to actually learn from them. While chatting with a few friends in the library, a social hub on campus, I randomly stumbled across “The Gratitude Diaries” on display. It turned out to be an incredible read that changed my entire perspective on life and I never would’ve found it if I hadn’t spent so many hours of my last four years loitering in the library. Ask any of my friends as they’ve heard me talk about this book so much they may as well have read it themselves. Now I’m not claiming that I’ve magically transformed into a positive, wondrous unicorn 24/7, but simply that I recognize the opportunity to grow and better myself as a person.

Beyond that, Westminster is also the place where I discovered my passions. Before arriving, I was involved in about 20 different extracurricular activi-

ties, which meant that I never had enough time to truly dedicate myself to one activity. Finally free from a laundry list of obligations, chores, and events meant that I could choose what I wanted to spend my time doing. It wasn’t an instantaneous discovery, and it took me essentially the entire four years to truly understand what I loved doing. It began my freshman year when, away from the watchful eyes of my parents, pancakes, pasta and ice cream made up my three meals every day. At the same time, I was running cross-country for the first time in my life. In hindsight this was probably a bad idea because at no point in my life have I ever been, nor will I ever be, a distance runner. I struggled every single day to run some obscene amount of miles that felt like some mangled combination of torture and death. In the winter and spring I gladly discarded distance running to play basketball and run hurdles. I found myself doing all sorts of random workouts from yoga to lifting weights, and on top of that, I was actually enjoying myself. I realized that I enjoyed pushing my body to my limits. I began slowly swapping out foods for the most wholesome, nutritious choices available that would give me the energy I needed to move. I learned how to get creative in the dining hall and even realized that I genuinely love vegetables. Every meal is now my own twisted version of Chopped where the salad bar is my pantry and the goal is to make something healthy but still delicious. How ironic that I discovered my love for cooking in a place where it’s nearly impossible to cook. The way I see it, the challenge just made me that much more creative. During my four years at Westminster, I became more innovative, more active, and more appreciative of my kitchen at home. The moment I first stepped on campus I was just as lost as everyone else, but when I leave in 10 days I will take these passions with me.

Finally, the past four years have forever changed my relationship with my family. It’s to be expected that moving away from home will lead to a change in family life but I never could have predicted the improvements that took place. Sometimes it’s hard to appreciate the people closest to you and taking a step back was just what I needed to do so. I now fully understand how much my parents have sacrificed for my success and my happiness, coming here just helped me see that.

No longer responsible for planning and organizing every aspect of my life, my parents treat me as an independent individual and with their respect, my respect for them has grown. In addition, our time together is now limited, so I strive to make every moment we

do have worthwhile, and to show them the kind of person that I have become. Many of my proudest moments were times I subconsciously emulated my parents.

They are my biggest role models, so I cherish every reminder that I was fortunate enough to be raised under their guidance. I now see that even amidst my years of change, my connection to home remains strong.

Furthermore, because I am now away from the heaps of smelly clothes and scattered toys that previously clouded my judgment, I can see my brothers in a different light. I can see the way my brothers look up to me, which in turn makes me work towards setting a good example for them. I spend more time actively interacting with my brothers now than when I was living at home before, constantly annoyed by their presence. Instead of being isolated in our rooms, we spend all of our time together, playing ridiculous card games I’ve learned, practicing acro-yoga, and fighting for attention of our new dog. I have begun sharing my passions with my brothers: letting the twins help me whip up healthy treats and lifting weights with Thomas.

Seeing them in intervalshas made me recognize the changes they are undergoing and the new strength e me r g i n g t he i r c h a r a c t e r s .

Without their big sister at home, they’ve had to grow up faster and adopt more responsibilities and I couldn’t be more proud of the way they’ve accepted and excelled in their new roles. Every time I notice they have adopted one of my idiosyncrasies, I smile, taking their imitation as an expression of the feelings they aren’t yet mature enough to process into words. Without spending high school away from home, I wouldn’t have had the distance or room for reflection that has led to me to truly appreciate my brothers and to be endlessly grateful for my parents.

In summary, during my past four years at Westminster I’ve experienced growth as a student, athlete, teammate, leader, chef, sister, daughter, and as an individual. Williams Hill was the bubble in which I could safely take risks, knowing that no matter what I had the support of our community. The comfort I felt in this little pocket of Connecticut is what allowed me to build character and develop skills that I will rely on for the rest of my career.

So to anyone about to commence a four-year journey, of any kind, I simply ask that for a moment, you put aside the statistics and rankings; and instead, take a moment to think about the person you want to be, the memories you want to make, and the legacy you want to leave behind.

THE WESTMINSTER NEWS, Friday May 27, 2016

11

Student Life Qui est Lilly Etzenbach?

Meet Third Form Parisian Lilly who shared the spring term with us

by F iona Fan '18 STAFF WRITER

John Hay Donations

by Ted sirbau g h '16 CONTRIBUTOR

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEX WOLF

Lilly Etzenbach, top of photo, with some of her new friends.

News: Why did you want to come to America?

Etzenbach: I wanted have an experience that would help build my character and knowledge of the world. Being a student in a different culture, country, and continent really exposed me to a new aspect of the world and allowed me to understand multiple perspectives.

News: What are the biggest differences between the United States and France?

LE: The main difference

between the US and France is the food. People eat meals differently here. Back in France, we eat different courses during each meal, instead of simply one course with a side. The portion sizes are extremely different here as well.

Food is a lot larger here. Before I came here, I had heard about how the food here is enormous, but I didn’t actually think it would be such a noticeable difference!

News: What do you miss most about France?

LE: I miss my family and friends a lot. I was so used to seeing them everyday, and it’s strange to be away from them for so long. Another thing I miss is being able to communicate with ease. The language barrier is also something I struggle with, but being here has def initely improved my English because it is my only way of communicating with everyone else.

News: What type of music do you like to listen to?

LE: My favorite genre of music is pop, both American and French. My favorite artist is definitely Kanye West.

News: Is the food better in France or the US? What’s the best thing you’ve eaten here?

LE: The food is better in the US because it is more unhealthy and the taste is rich. The best thing I have eaten here is the pizza from Joe’s.

News: Do you have any siblings or pets?

LE: I have a younger brother named Franz, who is 9 years old.

As for pets, I have a cat named Chat, which is weird because “chat” means cat in French.

News: How is your spring afternoon activity?

L E: I play wit h Second Tennis, and my experience has been great. Tennis has been a hobby that I’ve enjoyed for a while now. It is a part of my life in France, but I feel as though I have truly been able to excel and

improve here. I would not have been friends with many of the girls on my team if I did not have the opportunity to practice and play with them. Being a part of this team has helped me become closer with people in older grades and have fun!

News: How does it feel to speak a different language every day?

LE: It is very difficult, but I try to be confident in everything I say. At times, it can be extremely frustrating to not be able to convey exactly what I am trying to say. It’s annoying when I can’t seem to remember how to say a specific word in English, and the only way I’m able to describe it is in French. However, everyone is extremely understanding and patient, and with the help of many others, I am always able to express my emotions and ideas here.

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra Reliving the magic of Ella Fitzgerald and Cole Porter N icole F ox '16 OPINONS CO-EDITOR

RICHARD BERGEN

The community came together to listen to a dazzling performance combining vocal and instrumental classics of Ella Fitzgerald and Cole Porter.

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra visited Westminster on April 21st. Their visit was a gift from the Gund family who after Mr. Gund’s 50th birthday, created a fund to bring culture to our classrooms. The orchestra was well received by the community, performing the Cole Porter songbook in the style of Ella Fitzgerald.

Porter and Fitzgerald are the “go-tos” of Jazz and it was a fantastic pairing to listen to for some of our first exposures to the style.

Between the experts there are many Grammys and even an Tony for Porter’s musical “Kiss Me, Kate.” Tina Fabrique, the lead singer of the orchestra who sparkled as much as the sequins on her dress, explained that Porter is known for “musics that were witty and songs

that were catchy.” The composer is also known for his American Songbook contributions and Fitzgerald is a household name and the Queen of Scat. Scat, many of us learned that day, consists of wordless vocals or “doo wops.” The vast majority of hands were raised in affirmation that we knew at least one of Fitzgerald’s songs. Because who doesn’t know “It Don’t Mean a Thing if You Ain’t Got That Swing?”

For those of us who are not musical experts, which was the majority of the audience on Thursday the 21st, instruments alone sound incomplete. To the unrefined ear it is almost like elevator music, something to have words layered over. This is where the beautiful voice of Mrs. Fabrique strung together the string section with the horns and added

a layer most of us amateur appreciators of music needed. Fabrique stole the spotlight without even trying; she was charming and has a grandmotherly disposition of sweetness.

You could listen to her sing for ten hours and talk ten more.

The orchestra played with immense, palpable passion. But what the audience loved was their enjoyment. It felt as if they would playing the same music, and having the same dialogue with the same level of love if the audience weren’t there.

A crowd favorite was the soft melody of “I Love Paris.” My favorite, and it seemed Mrs. Fabrique’s, was the musically and lyrically playful “I’m Always True to You (In My Fashion)” from “Kiss Me, Kate.” The rapidly plucky string section and flirtatious lyrics could make a steel foot bounce.

The orchestra played beautiful music and kept an equally engaging dialogue. We were given a tempo lesson for fourth graders and history lessons for music scholars. We all participated in some Brazilian percussion, where we learned that the majority of our school cannot keep a beat. It was fun for those who participated and it woke up the few who had dozed off to the serenity of the last song.

The Orchestra was passionate, refined, and played music that is hard to not love. At most mandatory all school events there is a palpable disinterest in the ether. This mood was not to be found on the 21st and was replaced with a general interest and enjoyment from most of audience, which–I must stress–is really hard to find at a mandatory event. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra was a beautiful gift for to Westminster that will be remembered and cherished.

WESTMINSTER SCHOOL INSTAGRAM

Members of John Hay 20152016 held offertories during several of the chapel services.

Throughout the course of the school year, the John Hay Society has made a consistent effort to hold offertories for various charities and organizations. The goal was to hold an offertory or fundraiser once a month, and we are proud to have stayed on track.

Westminster was off to a strong start in September, as we raised $500 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This was followed by our largest offertory in October, where we gave $590 to the Monrovia Football Academy, after alum Will Smith (Class of 2010) spoke to the school in chapel about his initiative to help school children in Liberia.

In November, Morgan Pierce ('17) gave a chapel talk about two different organizations that have had an impact on her; John Hay held an offertory raising $465 to be split between Lide Haiti, and Half the Sky Foundation, a n orpha na ge in China. A s well, there was a Pink Day in November, where students and faculty wore pink to raise awareness about Breast Cancer.

The following three months in the winter, John Hay helped raise $265, $165, and $100 for t he Si m s bu r y Fo o d B a n k , Connecticut Fair Housing Center, and the North End Senior Center, respectively.

In April, Westminster alumnus Paige Decker gave an inspirational chapel talk about her ongoing concussion, and her nonprofit organization, Headway.

In response, John Hay held an offertory and raised $230 to give to this cause. Finally, our annual Dance Marathon was held in April, with “marathon’ as this year’s theme. After a fun night, we were proud to write a check for $1000 to Westminster Crossroads Learning Program. It has been a great year for the John Hay Society, and we hope to continue this trend next year.

THE WESTMINSTER NEWS, Friday May 27, 2016

12

CLASS OF

2016

Matriculation

Abdilahi, Nadira Yale University Aber, Leo Dickinson College Alexander, Jordan Post Graduate Year Alfeld, Emma Bucknell University Alibrahimi, Sarah Goucher College Anderson, Connor University of Virginia Barnes, Jordan Tufts University Barnes, Kenneth Gettysburg College Batchelder, Edward The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Berry, Katherine Colby College Bitterli, Anne Denison University Bitterli, John Bucknell University Brackett, Paige Colby College Brentano, Grace University of Pennsylvania Carbone, Ashley Connecticut College Carter, Julia Denison University Cheng, Joyce Wellesley College Chin, Ashlyn Princeton University Cilmi, Addison Washington and Lee University Connal, Christopher Providence College Connell, Bryan Connecticut College Corriveau, Taggart St. Lawrence University Cotto, Taina Skidmore College Crawley, Catherine University of Connecticut Cronin, Arianna The George Washington University Davis, Mariah Boston College DeDomenico, Margaret University of Virginia DeFronzo, Maeve Colgate University Deveaux, Katherine Tufts University Doucette, Carl Lafayette College Ebrahimi, Robert Union College Eppler, Edward Santa Clara University Feibel, Hallie Middlebury College Fosse-Greiner, Noah University of Michigan Fox, Nicole Wake Forest University Gasior, Stephen GAP Year Gochberg, Katelin The George Washington University Gollenberg, David Rollins College Gomez-Rivas, Ines University of Seville Gorham, Erin College of William and Mary Green, Isaiah Wagner College Guerin, Michael The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Guth, Miller University of Michigan Gyasi, Ellen Bowdoin College Halfon, Rachel University of Richmond Haydon, Erin University of Richmond Holinko-Brossman, Callie Bucknell University Horrigan, Declan University of Richmond Horrigan, Jack Georgetown University Hotaling, Claire Colorado College Huth, Elizabeth Elon University Jacobs, Thomas Providence College Jones, Christopher Williams College Kang, Wonjune Massachusetts Institute of Technology Klein, Elizabeth St. Lawrence University Lech, Collin Vanderbilt University Lee, Chae Myung The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Mountain Day 2016

Lefler, Trenton Lennox, Charlotte Lloyd, Connor Martini, Hayley Mason, Jeremy Maturine, Khaleel McCausland, Kaitlyn McCormick, John McDermott, John Melanson, Sarah Mell, Eliza Merlin, Emma Migliori, Sarah Montross, Nina Murphy, Matthew Newman, Abigail Nguyen, Minh Norman, Jack O’Leary, Kevin Ogden, Katherine Organ, Alexa Orzech, Zackary Pierce, Allison Poler, Margaret Poling, Sarah Pope, Evelyn Price, Griffin Probert, Edward Richard, Jacqueline Roenick, Brett Rome, Tyler Ruffin, Charles Ryan, Rebecca Sanford, Nicholas Sanford, Timothy Schuhlen, Jonathan Sclafani, Michelle Selvala, Devin Shaver, Benjamin Simeon, Kathryn Sirbaugh, Edward Smyth, Brian Stepto, Jayme Stevens, Emma Sudduth, Benjamin Tressy, Luke Vazquez, Ricardo Ventricelli, Michael Werner, John Wigmore, Ana Williams, Rylan Williams, Scott Worcester, Samuel Wright, Kailin Yekelchik, Bryan Yenor, Reid

The University of Alabama Vanderbilt University Middlebury College Hobart and William Smith Colleges University of Denver Xavier University Colgate University Trinity College GAP Year Amherst College Colby College Wake Forest University Brown University Trinity College University of Oxford Loyola University Maryland University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Tulane University University of Denver Colgate University Villanova University Ithaca College University of California, Santa Cruz University of Virginia Tufts University Occidental College Middlebury College St. Lawrence University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Whittier College Bucknell University Springfield College The University of Texas, Austin Trinity College University of Denver Colby College University of Richmond Bucknell University Colgate University University of Vermont Babson College Duke University Concordia University Bowdoin College Colorado College Trinity College Wesleyan University Trinity College Denison University Drexel University University of Ottawa Union College Union College GAP Year Bucknell University University of Miami