STUDENT LIFE AT WOODBERRY FOREST SCHOOL • MARCH 2012
Mr. Jacobs (third from left) with his dog, Suki, and members of the debate team.
Gentlemen, Light Your Grills! BARBEQUE COMPETITION FUELS REGIONAL PRIDE
Debate Walks
DEBATERS WORK MINDS AND BODIES
For boys who like academic challenges, Woodberry’s debate team is a great winter-trimester activity. Debate is just as competitive as any sport, and our team participates in regular season tournaments as well as state and national competitions. But staying indoors on cold winter days can result in cabin fever. That’s when the team goes for a “debate walk.” Led by Greg Jacobs, one of our physics teachers and debate coaches, the boys head outdoors. They walk and talk for a mile or two, taking advantage of the school’s 1200-acre campus to practice arguments for upcoming competitions. Team members seem to accomplish more on a debate walk than they do indoors. For some reason, they’re more focused when they’re on the move than when they’re in a chair. They think faster, are more incisive, and are more invested in the discussion when they’re walking and talking rather than just talking. Besides, it’s more fun to be outdoors than inside on a nice — not freezing — winter’s day.
We help you get home faster!
Spring is right around the corner, and with warmer weather comes Woodberry’s annual barbeque competition. Boys get a chance to be on the other side of the serving spoon while expressing their regional and national pride. Last year several teams cooked a wide array of meats outdoors under the leadership of Jason Slade ’90, Woodberry’s associate director for enrollment and international admissions. Chinese students prepared squid and lamb. Louisianans and North Carolinians woke in the wee hours to stoke fires and grill whole hogs. Jamaicans prepared jerk chicken. The resulting delicacies were judged by an impartial third party. Top honors went to the Texas delegation’s offering of beef brisket and Rio Grande River Rats — bacon-wrapped jalapeños stuffed with cheese and shrimp. These delicious dishes were served up with a selection of sides on the lawn, where students and faculty enjoyed perfect weather and live entertainment courtesy of several student rock bands.
FAST FACT
Woodberry has at the ready seven buses to whisk students away from campus for all major breaks. Boys get home faster, and parents are relieved of long-distance driving. The buses go to major airports, train stations, and even popular cities! The transportation manual is posted on the Parents page at www.woodberry.org.
WOODBERRY FOREST SCHOOL
TIGER TALES • MARCH 2012 • 1
Joe Coleman, a 1979 Woodberry graduate and an alumnus of Princeton University, has worn many hats since returning to the Forest nearly sixteen years ago. He has been a teacher, a coach, and director of admissions, and is now the assistant headmaster and dean of students. Joe and his wife, Mary, the school’s director of donor relations, have reared their seven children on campus. Joe has a warm smile, a big heart, and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to student life at Woodberry.
Treetop Course BEHIND THE SCENES
The ropes course program helps students learn to work creatively in a group while developing communication and problem-solving skills. Boys navigate challenges with funny-sounding names like the zig-zag, mohawk walk, wobbly-woozy, helium pole, and magic carpet; they push their limits while scaling the Carolina Climbing Wall and the Alpine Tower.
“Why should I attend Woodberry Forest School?”
I think the answer is quite simple: the people. At Woodberry Forest you are surrounded by a talented, diverse group of fun-loving guys who challenge you to be the best you can be. They quickly become your friends, and you will find they genuinely care about you. You are also surrounded by an accomplished group of adults who care not just about your academic performance, but also about what type of person you become. Finally, you become connected to a group of men who are known for supporting their school and each other.
“How do you know if Woodberry is the right fit for you?”
Do you want to be challenged for success? Do you want to develop your talents? Do you want to be part of a community that cares? Do you respond positively to challenges? Do you stand for the hard right against the easy wrong? Deciding to come to Woodberry is not a high school decision — it’s a life decision.
DEAN OF STUDENTS
Joe Coleman
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF CHARLES BLAYDES
The ropes course program is totally run by students. Boys who love the outdoors try out for the position of ropescourse instructor. It’s recognized on campus as a great way to develop leadership skills.
english with mr. hale
We compare a few mannerist paintings. My favorite is "The Feast in The House of Levi" (1573) by Paolo Veronese.
8:00 AM (SHARP)
quick call to mom We coordinate travel plans for next weekend when three of my friends and I are going to my friend’s house for a short weekend. Mom asks about my upcoming college interview.
math consultation I need some extra help on a tough word problem from class. Dr. McRae is always willing to sit down with me.
hometown » bluefield, wv dorm » upper turner sports » football, athletic trainer’s assistant, golf activities » ropes course instructor, head tour guide, talon, fir tree
jazz band with mr. stakem
12:30 PM
11:00 AM 9:30 AM
year » 6th form (senior)
I am the second chair alto saxophone. We are learning Bart Howard’s “Fly Me To The Moon.” (Frank Sinatra’s 1964 recording is probably the most famous.)
1:45 PM
golf practice I hit balls on the range for our upcoming match against St. Christopher’s. Playing on the weekends has really helped me to improve my game!
6:45 PM
7:00 AM 7:25 AM breakfast with my
roommate
At the table we relive last night’s Woodberry basketball game. We are in the Prep League tournament!
We discuss Newton’s method and differentials. I hope I’m ready for our quiz on Friday!
8:45 AM
I check my mail and grab a drink from the school store before heading back to my room to get ready for practice.
11:45 AM 10:15 AM spanish 4 with mr. collier
We continue reading and translating Gabriel García Márquez’s El Coronel No Tiene Quien Le Escriba.
1:00 PM
2:30 PM
ap psychology with dr. james We examine theories of personality; I take the Keirsey Temperament Sorter test to find out what type of person I am.
WOODBERRY FOREST SCHOOL
WOODBERRY FOREST SCHOOL
lights out Seniors don’t have lights out for another thirty minutes, but I am exhausted and want to get some extra sleep.
11:30 PM 10:00 PM study break I run to the Fir Tree to grab a milkshake and check the scores on Sports Center before heading back to my dorm.
quick break
There’s the salad bar or the sandwich bar or soup — but I go for a personal pizza!
applied calculus with dr. mcrae
2 • MARCH 2012 • TIGER TALES
3:45 PM
courtesy of artstor.org
lunch with my friends in the dining room
wake up I hop in the shower to get the day started.
As the head photographer for the Fir Tree, I make sure all photography is assigned and covered for the upcoming week. I enjoy being able to see many different events on campus.
with mr. lonergan
We review the main ideas of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Mr. Hale always starts lively class discussions.
meet charles!
yearbook meeting
honors art history
> “Hud g stude e” as a n in ’71 t here
study hall I really need to get some work done, so I go to the library for some peace and quiet.
7:45 PM 6:15 PM
dinner at mr. hudgins’s table His stories from his student days are always amusing.
my room 10:30 PM on dorm I check in on dorm and finish up some homework for tomorrow.
TIGER TALES • MARCH 2012 • 3
Presorted First Class U.S. Postage PAID Orange, VA Permit No. 97
Woodberry Forest School Office of Admissions 898 Woodberry Forest Road Woodberry Forest, VA 22989-9989
Here’s Your latest copy of Tiger Tales!
FOOTBALL GAMES • THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THE RIVER AND THE SUNSETS MR. HALE’S PORK WHAT IS YOUR RIND AND GATORADE BREAKS SATURDAY ACTIVITIES MOVIE/MALL • JV TRACK NIGHT INDOOR SOCCER/BASKETBALL ON SATURDAY NIGHT OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE MANY DIVERSE FAVORITE LATE COURSES • THE GENERAL WOODBERRY COMMUNITY IN AND OUTSIDE OF CLASS • PLAYING SOCCER ON THE WEEKENDS • THE FIR TREE ck ’12• CAMARADERIE • ACTING, DRAMA, SHOWS THING ABOUT THE WEIGHT ROOM • BEING ABLE TO HUNT AND SHOOT SKEET ON A TEAM • THE ATHLETICS • LEARNING TO BE INDEPENDENT • BEING ABLE TO MANAGE MY OWN TIME WOODBERRY? Jack ’15
Frankie ’13
Christian ’14
Chris ’12 •
Justin ’15 Thomas ’12
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Woodberry Forest admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin to all of the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school– administered programs.