October Wick 2013

VOLUME 69 ISSUE 1

TUESDAY OCTOBER 8, 2013

In This Issue...

What is #Trending?................................................................1 Westover’s History: The Ghosts............................................2 Mid-Autumn Festival at Westover........................................2 Thoughts on the Return to Nunderland..............................2 The Disciplinary Committee.................................................3 Iheartfroyo...............................................................................3 Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead....................................3 Horoscopes..............................................................................4 Letter from the Editors...........................................................4 Meet our Staff...........................................................................4

Everyone should join the WICK! There are plenty more great papers to come and we want to know what stories you can tell us and what you have to say!

The sports camp soccer crew :Paige Cunningham writes about the 2013 soccer season on Page 3

What is #Trending?

say solo artists…)

So, we all know what the trends are on Twitter, Facebook, and Insta- Shopping. Where do you shop?

P: “Thrift stores, mainly. My friends and I used to thrift shop all the gram, but do we know what is trending with our faculty and peers?

This month I sat down with Paul McCullough (English teacher) and time in high school. Then, as I got older and wiser, it gradually became Lauren Benedetto (a senior) and asked them questions submitted by a more intentional decision based on what I’d learned about global ecoother Westover students about what is trending in their lives and in the nomics and what I’d seen of first-world and third-world poverty. The Red White and Blue Thrift Store in Waterbury is amazing. When I need world. nice, new clothes, I’ll get them from vertically integrated stores like What are your feelings on the end (or “hiatus” for those believers) of the American Apparel because sweatshops aren’t cool. This is not necessarily meant as a moral judgment on others…although I realize it could band Mumford and Sons?

P: “They broke up? I’m ambivalent. It seems like these days there are come off that way; it’s just something many people aren’t aware of. Ala zillion other Celtic-inflected neofolk indie bands out there. At least though, I feel sure that most good-hearted people (which is to say most Mumford were decent lyricists, from what little I’ve heard. I’m a lyrics people) would be against this kind of exploitation of human beings for the sake of profit margins if they knew. The problem is both systemic guy, as you might guess from my line of work.” and personal. Listen to your conscience. Also, I have a lot of hand-meL: “All my favorite bands break up! The Friday Night Boys!” (A pop downs from my more fashionable friends. I’m a woefully bad shopper. punk band that broke up in 2010.)

Essentially, I try to slyly rotate the same five shirts and sweaters during Have you seen Sharknado? (Sharknado is the infamous, made-for-televi- the work week and hope no one notices.” (Sorry guys, but GAP is not sion movie created by the SyFy channel about a tornado full of sharks that sweatshop free. Neither is J. Crew, Mango, Walmart, or Disney.)

L: “Everywhere! Outdoors shopping…I don’t like malls. I love open attacks the city of Los Angeles.)

P: “No. I haven’t owned a TV in ten years. But if I did, that is exactly shopping centers. My favorite stores are J. Crew, Urban Outfitters, Jack Wills, and Lord and Taylor.” (And for all you wondering Paul has never what I would watch.”

L: “I have not, but it was the last thing Cory Monteith tweeted about.” stepped into an Urban store).

(For all of those non-Glee fans, Cory Monteith played Finn Hudson, the singing football player, on Fox’s hit tv-show Glee. He passed away What is your opinion on #hashtags?

P: “I don’t have a Twitter feed. I never used a hashtag before, but they of an accidental drug overdose on July 13, 2013 at the age of 31.) are useful for playing tic-tac-toe.”

L: “#ProHashtag. But not on Facebook. Ever.”

Do you prefer bands or solo artists?

P: ”Bands because I like to see wholes become greater than the sum of their parts. I hasten to add that some of my favorite musicians are solo Miley Cyrus? Yay or Nay? (Our wonderfully grown-up Miley has two new artists. But music isn’t necessarily like poetry, which usually has to be hits: “Wrecking Ball” and “#23.”) composed in relative solitude by an individual wrestling with his or her P: “‘Wrecking Ball’ by Creeper Lagoon? That was my one of my favorite thoughts. I like playing music with other people because half of the fun songs in high school.” of being in a band is screwing around in the garage with your friends. L: ”Miley can be Miley. Wrecking Ball is my jam.”

Plus, you need someone to play the cowbell.” (Maybe if you play the Vests? How do you feel about Vests? cowbell you can join Paul’s band.)

L: “Justin Bieber. That’s all I got to say. JUSTIN BIEBER.” (So I’m gonna P: “I’m pro-vest. Sometimes your torso gets colder than your arms.”

L: “Fall must-have. They are non-binding. You can take notes and move

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 8, 2013

your arms at the same time.”

Westover’s History: The Ghosts

Are headscarves for you?

P: “I don’t have any, but I support the wearing of scarves in any form. I never wore scarves growing up, but since I moved east I have adopted them for both utilitarian and stylistic purposes.” (If you want to get on Paul’s good side, headscarves are always a good gift.)

L: “Not for me. Great for Vanessa Hudgens.”

(For those of you who don’t know, V.Hudgens is our fave Disney star turned bohemian hipster.)

Few girls can go through their Westover career without hearing a ghost story; however, not all of the stories that are told are true as most are created to frighten new girls and old girls alike. Just ask any student about their favorite ghost story, and they will tell you that Westover’s Performing Arts Center (LBD) is, without a doubt, haunted. It is said that a Westover girl whose picture sits in the foyer next to one of the dance studios haunts the LBD. According to the story, she was killed in a car crash on her prom night. People have allegedly heard footsteps echoing down the hallways behind them, the bathroom door on the lower level slam without reason, and the showers turn on with no explanation. Everyone who has encountered “The Ghost of the LBD” says that they have turned around after hearing the sound for only for the footsteps to stop, or to find nothing there. Though various faculty and students have seen some of Westover’s ghosts, the ghost that haunts the LBD prefers to be heard rather than seen.

-Cailee Tallon ’14

iPhone? iOS7?

P: “I haven’t downloaded it yet. I got the iPhone 4 a week before school started. I lost my old flip phone on top of a mountain in Colorado this summer, and they gave me a free iPhone. I’m sort of an aggressive under-user of it. I can be aggressively--perhaps even absurdly?--minimalistic when it comes to technology. It’s fine to have, but it’s finer to leave at home.” (If you have any great apps give Paul a suggestion.)

L: “Forever and always. I love iOS 7. I am pro-iOS 7. It is really cute. It was time for an update.”

Thanks Paul and Lauren; your views are greatly appreciated. If you have any questions for next month’s article, please email them to me. What is trending in your life?

-Lauren Laurenceau ‘14

ly stay in the moon. When Hou-Yi came back from hunting, it was too late; Chang-E would never be allowed to return from the moon. After the exhausted anguish, Hou-Yi prepared a kind of cake made of red beans, lotus seed paste and yolks from salted dusk eggs, Chang-E’s favorite dessert. People in the country missed warm-hearted Chang-E; therefore, they mimicked Hou-Yi by baking cakes to express their heart-ache. The cake was made in the shape of a moon for this is where Chang-E is forced to live. After she became a goddess, they called the cake – “Moon Cake” in honor of her. Ever since then on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chinese people eat moon cakes and watch the moon with friends and family.

This year, I was fortune to have the chance to go to “A-Dong Asian Market” on a Westover trip to buy the moon cakes. Even though I’m not with my family, the taste of moon cakes reminds me of them. I am comforted that my family are always under the same sky, watching the same moon and sharing the same “ I miss you” Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

-Jessica You ‘15 Drawing and Pictures- Jessica You ‘15

Thoughts on the Return to Nunderland

The start of my second (and final) year at Westover brought with it many questions. What gross and mysterious things will happen on freshman corridor? How many weeks will it be before I not-so-accidentally wear boxers to class? Is it hazing if I ask the new girls to carry me to breakfast because my extremities are really weak in the morning?

I am probably cold-blooded, and I have the circulatory health of an anaconda trapped in the freezer. It’s probably not hazing if I have a medical excuse, right? “Weight-bearing bonding experience” is a more appropriate term. But after nearly four weeks of standard nun fun, I realized that I had failed to adequately prepare myself for the return to our sunshine-colored convent. I had forgotten the 4:30 bells, the words to most, if not all, of the Westover songs, and, of course, the peculiarly dark thoughts that come along with a workload large enough to topple a few elephants. Scary stuff. The other day at breakfast, I caught myself mindlessly rearranging my hash browns into a pentagram. (I’m kidding.

It was actually a plea to the nation’s college admissions officers to please, please accept me, I don’t want to work in the fast food industry, I’m a vegetarian at heart, I heard they put the vegetarians in the deep-fryers on the first day, so please let me into your fine institute of higher education.)

If any of the health center staff are reading this, I’m not actually having dark thoughts. I’m as chirpy as a hyper-caffeinated bluebird, just waiting for my standards to drop. I haven’t started wearing the same bean-

Mid-Autumn Festival at Westover

Last Thursday (9/19) was the Mid-Autumn Festival (also referred to as the Moon Festival) in China. I would like to share some old Chinese customs with everyone! Let us begin with the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

According to the folk tale, in the Age of Teras, there were nine suns in the sky; the crops withered up because of a lack of rain. At this time a hero named “Hou-Yi” came and shot the nine suns down. Ever since, people began to have abundant lives. The Jade Emperor, the ruler of all, awarded Hou-Yi with an elixir for his great achievement. The elixir would help Hou-Yi become an immortal god. Then, as many heroes tend to do, Hou-Yi began to pursue a beautiful lady in the hopes of marrying her. This beautiful lady was Chang-E, who was known as the most beautiful woman in the country. Together, they enjoyed a happy peaceful life for awhile. Their pleasant life didn’t last forever because a catastrophe was coming. Hou-Yi’s apprentice Feng-Meng coveted master’s elixir and waited to steal it.

One day, Hou-Yi went out for hunting and left Chang-E and Feng-Meng at home alone, giving Feng-Meng a chance to steal the elixir.

Feng-Meng threatened Chang-E to give him the elixir.

Chang-E mistakenly took the elixir in those very moments.

Chang-E rose up into the sky to eternalie every day, but rest assured that it’ll happen, because the dry air in winter makes my hair look like crap. Putting on all my clothing is something I can actually do for all three terms, but come January, it’s just not reasonable to expect everything to be in the right order. This is probably why my friends sometimes treat me like that embarrassingly senile elderly aunt whenever we’re in public. (“Poor Rhian, she simply doesn’t realize that it isn’t 1970 and you have to put on your bra first nowadays”). I’m still eagerly awaiting the day when it is finally “too cold for froyo”, because I will probably lose three pounds, and maybe the people who work at Froyoworld will stop judging me.

To anybody else who feels like they’re drowning, I offer this reassuring sentimenteverything is going to be okay because we are getting an education. Cue the trumpets! We’re finally superior to all the barbarians who don’t even know what an appositive is! (Full disclosure: as evidenced by my most recent grammar quiz, I really have no clue what an appositive is.) At the end of the day, our time here is going to be worth it one way or another, even if that just means the rare and golden opportunity to see Chris Sweeney in a sundress.

-Rhian Lewis ‘14

TUESDAY OCTOBER 8, 2013

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The Disciplinary Committee

the burning of candles, incense, or any other flammable materials; the Hazing Policy; Computer Use Policy; academic dishonestly; plagiarism; cheating; and others specified in the Student Handbook part five G. Throughout most students’ years at Westover, we often wonder how the school’s disciplinary system functions. So, I did some research in The Disciplinary Committee has four faculty members and four stusection five of the Student Handbook and talked with Meg Eggert to dent leaders. The faculty on the committee are Meg Eggert, the Class find some details students would not generally know about the system. Dean of whichever grade the student is in (for example, if the student is a sophomore, this person would be Chris Sweeny), Veronica McMahon Westover has three committees for the different levels of infractions students can commit. These committees are Community Council, Grey or Elise House (depending on whether the student is a boarder and if she is on the second or third floor of the dormitory), Tracy (if the Bucket, and a full Disciplinary Committee.

Community Council is the least severe of the three. A student student is a day student), and a faculty member who serves two years may be sent to this committee for things such as missing a detention, and is appointed by the Faculty Staff Advisory Committee (currently failure to act responsibly, repeated disruption on corridor, and more Kate Seyboth). The students on the committee are the first three Heads that can be found in section five of the Student Handbook. The Com- of School and either the head proctor or day head depending on if the munity Council is co-chaired by the Director of Residential Life (Ve- student is a boarder or day student. While the committee is discussing ronica McMahon and Elise House) and the freshmen class dean (Tracy the student’s consequences, the student will wait with the remaining Lytle). The committee also includes two faculty members appointed by heads of school, usually the AA heads, until they have made a decision. the Faculty Staff Advisory Committee. Likely punishments to be given All of the decisions made in the committee regarding the student’s infraction are approved by Mrs. Pollina, who will generally want to know from the Community Council include detentions, campusing, community service projects, and corridor restrictions. After a student has if all the committee members are in agreement. finished meeting with the Council, a letter from the Director of Res- -Emily Potts ‘14 idential Life will be sent home to the student’s parents describing the Iheartfroyo incident.

The second level committee is called Grey Bucket. This commit-Hi! I’m Parley Hannan, tee is headed by the first student Head of School, Hannah Hudson; the and I am a junior here at Dean of Students, Meg Eggert; and the Head of School, Mrs. Pollina. Westover. I’m writing a Accompanying the heads of the committee, the second Head of School, column about our beloved Gabby DeBartolomeo and the third Head of School, Andie Dahl, are Froyo World, a new attracalso on the committee. Grey Bucket can issue larger consequences than tion to Middlebury, CT. the Community Council but cannot issue suspensions or expulsions. Froyo World has had quite It acts as a warning before the student would have to meet before the a substantial effect on Disciplinary Committee. The punishments normally given by this com-me, both emotionally and mittee are campusing, writing a reflection paper, and depending on the financially. To begin, I will situation, meeting with someone in the Health Center start by talking about the

The highest level committee Westover has is the Disciplinary problems I frequently face while on my weekly trips down Whittemore Committee. This committee sees students who have committed a major Road. I will then end on a brighter note about the wonderful things infraction. A major infraction can consist of a student’s willing pres- froyo contributes to us Westover girls. ence with another student in committing an infraction that violates the First off, here’s a question more directed to froyo addicts like myself.

Westover’s Drug and Alcohol Use Policy; Westover’s smoking policy; How many trips have you made to Froyo World over the course of your time at Westover? In other words, how many times has a teacher (after being harassed with texts, emails, calls and that “you know you want to take me” look) finally thrown up his/ her hands and given into driving you less then a mile down the street to Froyo World?

I quite frankly think, even before some crazy Canterbury girl took me down, that less than a mile away or not, it is a pretty far walk. I mean, come on, if a teacher wanted froyo, would they walk? Exactly.

Anyways, back to the point. Have you ever thought about how much you’re spending at this magical land of creamy goodness?

After some thinking, I guesstimated that I have probably gone to Froyo World around twenty-five times. Whether or not I was going to see my best friend Jay Woong Lee or just to satisfy my cravings, that is still TWENTY-FIVE times. Let’s say on average I spent 5 dollars each trip, that is one hundred twenty-five dollars. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE dollars I have spent on just twenty-five trips. Although I love frozen yogurt, I don’t think that was my wisest choice on what to spend one hundred twenty-five dollars on.

Although I do have some problems with Froyo World, thy do not change how wonderful it truly is. It’s a place where we can all go, get off campus, and enjoy all different sorts of flavored yogurt. Just this past Friday I was able to venture down and test out all the current flavors, thanks to Chris Sweeney (who, let me just say, pulled off that dress ten times better then I could). After trying all of the flavors offered, I narrowed them down to my favorite flavors and the not so appetizing flavors:

Do’s: thin mint, birthday cake, espresso, cookies and cream Don’t: strawberry, Nutella, pecan Overall, I have been happy with the flavors Froyo World has offered this week and look forward to trying new ones as time progresses.

So, there you go-my first of many to come froyo articles. In general, they will consist of more in depth comments about new flavors, happenings at Froyo, and maybe even some opinions on Froyo from fellow classmates and faculty.

Stay tuned for more news on Middlebury’s hot attraction and make sure to say hi to Jay on your next visit!

Thanks for reading and keep a look out for next month’s article on Westover’s column, “Iheartfroyo,” in The Wick.

-Parley Hannan ‘15 -Drawing by Jessica You ‘15

Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead

The title of this article might be off-putting, but the soccer team can guarantee you that we don’t plan to literally follow through with this saying. During the practice right after losing a tough game to Cheshire, the varsity soccer team just started saying this motto for everything we did. Whether it was a shooting competition or even warm-up stretches, we

would say this motto just to make the team laugh or even motivate ourselves further.

After losing to Canterbury 0-2 and Cheshire Academy 1-7, the team needed anything to lift our spirits. This isn’t to say we aren’t proud of our other accomplishments so far this season, including our defeats over Watkinson (8-0) and Masters (7-0), but the team has been hit with challenges already. Two injuries to our defensive line and multiple sick players who have caught the fall Westover plague, as I like to call it, made it difficult to come together as a team in the first few weeks of games. However, even at this one practice with the beginning of this saying, you could tell the difference in the attitude of all the players. The team had more fun doing the drills and there was a new, good kind of competition present.

I think the team can overcome this minor rough patch and prevail over our competitors just by believing in this saying. Again, I stress that I don’t mean the actual saying, but a more metaphoric edition; Trample the trivial negativity and hurdle the challenges that I know we can overcome.

-Paige Cunningham ‘14 (article and pictures) -Drawing by Jessica You ‘15

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 8, 2013

PISCES: February 29-March 20 this month is over.

Fun Fact: Dr. Seuss was a Pisces. With that being said, odds LIBRA: September 23- October 22 are you’ll find yourself involved with this year’s fall musical Thursday mornings are difficult, but we all know that’s somehow. Be it running lines with your roommate or spray painting nothing a little coffee can’t fix! Make sure Mr. Hungerford millions of clovers, Seussical will become a part of your daily life; but doesn’t catch you trying to make up the sleep you lost last remember, the techs will be nice to you if you’re nice to them. night marathoning New Girl during chapel. He’ll be on the ARIES: March 21-April 19 hunt this month!

Watch yourself on the Red Hall steps this month. The SCORPIO: October 23-November 21 blending levels might defeat you a few times. But no wor- Yes, we all know PostSecret and BuzzFeed are a little too ries, the picture of you doing so on Facebook will go on to addicting and can provide endless hours of mindless enlive in “Spotted” infamy until your tenth reunion. tertainment, but put away the distractions! You’ve been distant from TAURUS: April 20-May 20 your friends and you haven’t touched your Spanish homework in a I got nothing for you this month. Sorry... I guess? week. Download the Self-Control app and faze out of the information GEMINI: May 21-June 20 super-highway.

Good job on that grammar quiz Paul just handSAGITTARIUS: November 22- December 21 ed back! All of your hard work paid off! You’ll find this a Treat ‘yo self! Make this month about you, ‘cause we all theme this month. You’ll need to work twice as hard and it’ll know you spent last month packing and panicking for be worth it. Guaranteed. Okay, not really a guarantee, this is school and trying to cram all of Huck Finn into your car just a horoscope. ride back to the Yellow Nunnery. Buy yourself a cute CANCER: June 21- July 22 necklace on Etsy, take an extra cookie in the dining hall, even downIt happens to all of us. You accidentally sent a somewhat load some new good music (check out Bastille’s new album, more than embarrassing text that was meant for your best friend to amazing)! You deserve it! a boy you met at the movie night at TP. Don’t fret though! This is go- CARPICORN: December 22-January 19 ing to be a great jumping-off point for you guys to talk about something Boys are complicated, and it only seems to get worse as other than the crazy amount of reading you have to do for Dostoyevsky they get older. So don’t spend all your time worrying tonight. You’re welcome for that one. I expect an invite to the wedding. about his text response rate or your conversation at the dance. Focus LEO: July 23-August 22 on the important things like school, sports, and enjoying time with All of that hand-washing and resisting the temptation to your best friends. At the same time however, watch out for the boy you steal a sip of your best friend’s Dunkin’ proved fruitful as may have left back home. Something tells me he’ll be making a comeyou’ve avoided Westover’s classic Fall Term cold. But be back very soon. wary of your surroundings and keep a steady flow of hand AQUARIUS: January 20-February 18 sanitizer on you at all times as this luck may start to slip. Nancy You CANNOT sleep through assembly for a fifth time doesn’t want to see you in the Health Center, so try your best to stay this term. Donna is going to run out of green paper healthy! soon! Avoid another detention and take every step to get VIRGO: August 23-September 22 up on time. Set one million alarms, plan out your outfits Keep track of your stuff Virgo! It’ll start with a mug, then the night before, or shower at night. a jacket, then escalate to your super important pre-calc -Stephanie Crudele ‘14 notebook you need for your test tomorrow. Be proactive! Write your Drawings by Jessica You ‘15 name on EVERYTHING and keep yourself organized... at least until

Letter from the Editors

Greetings Wick readers! Thank you for picking up a copy of the Wick! This year, we want the Wick to capture life at Westover. We want to know what’s important to you, what you care about, and what you want to read in your school newspaper. The entire staff has worked incredibly hard to make this issue possible, and we greatly appreciate any feedback about the issue.

School newspaper is about connecting members of the community to one another, and our hope is that you feel a sense of kinship with each one of our writers, photographers, and artists as you read this issue. Also, if you have a story you want to share or an idea that needs to be heard, the Wick is a great outlet for expressing those thoughts.

Explore your inner journalist and join the Wick, because other newspapers can’t hold a candle to us!

Lauren and Andie (A special thanks to Nola Iwasaki ‘16 and Jessica You ‘15 for the artwork)

Meet Our Staff!

We are always happy to have new members in our family. Join the WICK!