October 2011 (60, 3)

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A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill and Winsor Schools

Successful class retreats for Forms I, III, VI By Cole Durbin Panel Staff Belmont Hill has long been defined as a place of community, of friendship, and of brotherhood. As new boys join the classes each year, they find their place in this community, whether it is in a class, on a team, or in the school as a whole. As a part of building this community, Forms I, III, and VI take class trips each year, chaperoned by the various advisers of their forms. From campfires and stories to ropes courses and canoeing, each trip has special aspects that make it unique to each form. As a group of boys entirely new to both each other and Belmont Hill, Form I takes their trip to Camp Burgess in Sandwich, MA. Mrs. Hamilton, a Form I advisor and veteran chaperone, described the trip not only as a bonding experience for the new boys, but also as a chance for teach-

ers to get to know the students. it a good fit for the newcomers race and the low ropes courses. “All of the students are to our school? Activities are fun, As each class progresses new to Belmont Hill, and this while also building the lifelong through their First and Secovernight trip allows the advi- skills of teamwork and problem ond Form years, a special bond sor team to learn more about solving, such as in the canoe is built within the class. With the group. It is a large admisa chance for the sion year falling in Form III, boys to get away it is sometimes from campus as a class and betough for new gin to form a boys to find bond and some their place in the class that new friendships.” has grown up Mrs. Hamtogether over ilton went on the previous to describe the two years. The trip as a valuForm III Beckable experience ett trip plays a for the group as major part in a whole, especialthis integration. ly because “the Started boys are starting about 25 years their Belmont Hill careers and ago, this trip will spend six was designed to years together.” be, in the words What is it of Form III head about Camp BurMr. Holly Gettings advisor gess and the Form Tredennick, “a I trip that makes Sixth formers participate in team building exercise at Camp Cody good way to as-

similate new students, while giving all boys another way to bind together as a class.” While it used to be a few nights at Chewonki, where students and faculty alike made their own meals and camped out, this proved to difficult, and the school later decided to move the trip to Camp Beckett. He also notes that the school seeks to instill concepts of leadership and communication throughout the ninth grade year and through the Upper School, and this trip serves as a good opportunity to introduce these skills. In Mr. Tredennick’s 24 years of participation in the Beckett trip, he has “seen many boys learn important lessons about themselves and their classmates.” The senior retreat to Camp Cody serves as a final bonding retreat for Form VI as they take on the task of leading the school. The senior trip also serves as a fun respite from the demanding life of a student in the upper grades. continued on page 4 nytimes.com

Linde Wing opens at MFA By Sophie Cyker Panel Staff The Linde Wing for Contemporary Art opened with a 24-hour celebration on September 17 and 18. The wing contains 250 works of contemporary art, including not only paintings and sculptures, but also modern media such as video art and design art. A particular favorite of mine was an exhibit consisting of neon signs and LED lights that created messages meant to be political and cultural statements. One work in this gallery was a board of light bulbs that formed a message, however the message would change as the light bulbs burnt out. The Linde Wing is also going to be used as a gathering space for modern culture, poetry readings, performances, lectures, and classes. The wing houses seven galleries, a theater, a new bookstore, and a restaurant. The donations of the Linde family have also allowed the MFA to offer a new community arts initiative. Children from city after-school programs in neighborhoods such as Roxbury, Chinatown, and Blue Hills have the opportunity to work with professional artists to use art as a form of self expression. One project that the initiative has already completed is the family project. Children from these after-school programs create artistic representations of what they consider to be their family. The final products can be seen in the Ed-

ward Linde gallery of the Linde Wing. This September, Winsor girls also were exposed to the exciting newer components of the MFA via the annual Virginia Wing Lecture. Elliot Bostwick Davis, the Chair of the Art of the Americas Wing, spoke to the school about the opening of the wing in November 2011. She described and showed pictures of the amazing works there, which are so easily accessible from our school. The wing houses a range of American art, from ancient Native American pieces to modern works. The Linde and Art of the Americas Wings provide great opportunities for the Boston community to explore the world of art. Like many 21st century teenagers, “fine art” doesn’t exactly pique my interest. I generally used to associate the term with old paintings and sculptures that I had heard of but never really wanted to see. Much to my mother’s dismay, I’ve often weaseled my way out of proposed visits

Joe Broughton

The MFA’s Elliot Bostwick Davis gave the Virginia Wing Lecture

News BHS International Trips Global learning at Winsor

to the nearby Museum of Fine Arts. Recently, though, I gave in to her and agreed to visit the MFA and see the new Linde Wing. I expected to see the typical works that often bored me. Instead, I was introduced to a whole new form of “fine art.” Instead of housing dull paintings and sculptures by artists that I had already learned about, I was able to see art composed of bright lights and colors, and to learn about artists and media that I had never heard of before. Within the Linde Wing’s many galleries, both permanent and temporary, every Winsor girl, whether she is artistic or not, will be able to find a photograph, painting, drawing, or sculpture that draws her interest. The MFA is located near Winsor and offers free admittance to students 17 and under. A schedule of the available lectures, classes, and presentations can be found on the MFA website at www.mfa.org. ☐

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Being an athlete at Winsor False advertising

Prepared for hurricane? By Kelly Chen & Anushree Gupta Panel Staff Extreme wind gusts and hours of rain ravaged the New England area late this summer; Hurricane Irene had finally arrived. Even though Boston did not suffer as much damage from the hurricane as other regions did, The Panel conducted a survey to investigate the Winsor community’s response to it. Most of the student body was in the New England region when the hurricane passed and kept informed of its strength and impact through TV and online weather sources. The National Hurricane Center began issuing warnings for states near the coast on August 20. Massachusetts declared a state of emergency and the MBTA shut down all metropolitan transportation. Accuweather, an online weather source, warned that the hurricane would produce “flooding rains, high winds, and widespread power outages.” Chelsea Cherenfant ’13 attested to the power outages, saying, “I lost electricity for five days; I was doing some of my homework by candlelight!” Ambika Nohria ’15, recounted a hec-

Arts p. 9 p. 10

Winsor Fall Concert Nathan Yuen

tic experience with the hurricane: “I was in India trying to fly home, but my flight got canceled due to the weather. We were scrambling to get home before school started!” The Winsor School campus fared much better than those that suffered power outages due to fallen trees. There were no power outages, flooding, or damage to any of Winsor’s trees; Mr. Wonoski, the Maintenance Director, credited this luck to lighter rain and wind gusts than expected. Had the hurricane occurred during the school year, Ms. Stettler stated that school would have been canceled. Ms. Stettler mentioned that concern regarding the hurricane caused Winsor to re-assess the emergency supplies and plans; she was happy to report that Winsor does feel prepared. While the hurricane had devastating effects across the country, several Winsor students noted some positive side effects. Kate Brea ’13, who lost power during this time, said that she found a greater appreciation for nature: “I woke up in the morning to the sounds of grasshoppers, birds, and peeper frogs chirping.” Cherenfant added, “I appreciated having electricity much more after surviving without it for almost a week.” ☐

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Under the Lights Colton Bradley

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E ditoria l

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Editorial

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How do we vote for a dysfunctional government?

Issues of sustainability in Belmont Hill’s policies

As I near my eighteenth birthday, it is hard not to think ing their ideologies that they are incapable of compromise. ed Americans with the liberals. Republicans on the other Yes, we avoided the default last month and hand are increasingly critical of the protesters, calling them about the upcoming date of “adulthood.” Sure, there are those negative parts, like I can now be tried in a court of law, but Congress eventually passed a bill, but commen- “jealous” anti-capitalists, according to The New York Times. Thus once again, instead of considering the needs of the good far outweighs the bad – I can vote in the upcoming the people, politicians are stuck in a de facto war between election. In a matter of a few weeks, I will have a voice in our left and right-wingers. While Democrats are speaking symnation’s government - a government that has unfortunately pathetically about Occupy Wall Street’s platform, the party become a terrible accumulation of congressional gridlock. seems to be more concerned with garnering political support Always the advocate for “rocking the vote,” I have for the upcoming elections. Conversely, the Republicans just awaited my eighteenth birthday for many years for predismiss the protests altogether without attempting to reccisely this voting privilege; nevertheless, recent activities tify the situation. Once again, we have reached a stalemate. in Washington have made me less eager to get involved. As a student witnessing the product of a dysWhat is happening to the United States? The longfunctional government, I feel utterly horrified that this standing champion of compromise and democracy has is the type of political climate I will enter on my upnow become so politically partisan that Washington has coming eighteenth birthday. In a nation where democflirted a little too much with budgetary default and govracy is supposed to support the people through comernment shut-down. Back in August, we narrowly avoided promise, I fear that Washington has morphed into a default with the passage of a mediocre bill that thrilled competitive boxing ring in which simply winning is the no one. So why did it come to such a close call with such goal, not finding a solution to our national economic crisis. a lousy solution? Because representatives and senators We need Washington to be stable – a place where the were so focused on partisan politics that they did not foAmerican people are at the forefront of every discussion. But cus on creating the best bill possible for both parties. what, as a bunch of young women with no experience beNew York Times writer and economic commentator sodahead.com yond High School, can we do? How can we assert our voice Richard Thaler said of the incident, “If we want to balance the budget over time we are going to have to elect adults to dations are far from deserved. They did the abso- in our nation’s political sphere? Before voting age, people Congress who are prepared to invest now in our country’s lute bare minimum of what we elect them to do. can speak their minds in letters of petition or volunteer in Now, with the Wall Street protests that began in early political campaigns for flexible candidates. I urge everyone, future and then, when the economy picks up, take the necessary steps to get spending in line with revenue.” I would October, Washington is once again faced with a partisan as they reach voting age, to register, stay informed, and get have to agree with Thaler – we hope that we elect congress- dilemma. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Com- their opinions out there. Advocate for a united governmen and women who will work together for the good of our mittee came out in support of the Occupy Wall Street pro- ment in which Republicans and Democrats are working in nation, not individuals who are so wrapped up in defend- tests. This support is partially intended to align disenchant- sync toward creating the best plans for America’s future. ☐ For a list of the presidential candidates, see Page 8.

So what is wrong with sustainability The future of sustainability at Bel- separate issue. There are many worthy areas mont Hill seems unclear now and it may of concern and not all of them can have their on campus if we do things already and no well remain so unless we change our own full committee. Furthermore, there is one is to blame for what we don’t do? The frame of mind about its significance. no true leader in sustainability on campus real issue is one of community’s outlook. Currently, the faculty are working with for such a planning committee—there is a We can do all we want behind the scenes, the Board of Trustees in long-range planning Director of Global Education, Mr. Kolovos, but if people are not cognizant of those accommittees to discuss the future of the school. and a Dean of Studies, Mr. Grant, but no tions and do not care that they are happenCategories range from globalization to 21st “Director of Sustainability.” Again, no fault ing, then all the good done has limited affect. Belmont Hill is an academic institucentury education to relations with neighbors needs be assigned. Until recently, we had no of the community. While all of these certainly extra-curricular club in the Upper School tion that prides itself on having excellent achave merit, sustainability does also. Lodged for students who care for the environment ademics, but more importantly, on instilling in the agenda of the globalization group, the but now there is the Upper School Sustain- excellent values in its students. Yet as much issue of sustainability is considered an aspect ability Group (USSG). Perhaps there simply as the campus succeeds in these regards, it of globalization, not a self-contained area of was not enough student interest in the past. still falls short in sustainability education. interest. There is no doubt that sustainability Certainly the institution already does a lot Should students value the environment, on and globalization are related (sustainability in terms of promoting sustainability. We which all people in the world depend, less is a global concern after all), but sustainable have waterless urinals on campus, light sen- than the other things we spend so much practices occur most effectively at a local level. sors that automatically shut the lights when time in teaching? While discussed in enviPerhaps one should not blame the no one is in the room, and soon will have ronmental sciences courses, environmental school for not addressing sustainability as a solar panels on the Jordan Athletic Center. ethics, principals, and science are all interdisciplinary and need to be taught as such. A sin of omission is still a sin, and it is the omission of environmental principals from our educational foundation which allows the casual attitude that currently permeates the community. Environmental issues are only important in environmental science class and trivial elsewhere is the message we currently send. The debate isn’t whether students need to push their peers to consider the environment more strongly in their daily actions or faculty need to teach sustainability across all fields. In order for sustainability to be truly important on campus, the effort needs to be jointly made. Tucker Gordon What we do in the present creates the future and those choices are in our hands. The questions are simple ones: Belmont Hill students in the USSG examining the composter what do we consider important, how do we use our actions to shape the future— and how long are we willing to wait?☐

The era of Harry Potter, from first book to global phenomenon “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense.” Almost 15 years ago, those opening lines from Har-

ry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone began

to change a generation. Now, all of the books are published, and the final movie, Harry Pot-

ter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, was released

this summer. With those major parts of the Harry Potter era now ended, we can look back and realize the impact that Harry Potter has had and continues to have. When the first book was published in the UK on June 30, 1997, Joanne Rowling’s work had already been rejected by nine other publishers. Many of us have already heard her legendary “making-it-from-nothing” story: the struggling young writer with a whole new world imagined in her head, unemployed and piecing together her first manuscript with an old manual typewriter. Fast forward to 2011, and, as many people have also heard, J. K. Rowling is richer than the queen of England. She is the founder of an entire Harry Potter dynasty which has expanded far beyond the original sevenbook series, including eight blockbuster movies which each grossed over 100 million dollars in box office sales, several supplementary books like The Tales of Beedle the Bard and Quidditch Through the Ages, eight video games, a Hogwarts Lego series, Potter Puppet Pals, and the interactive “Pottermore” website, among hundreds of other Harry Potter products. Today, with so many obvious successes of Harry Potter behind us and so many more likely to come, we must keep in mind that back in 1997, it was hardly cer-

tain that Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s alty, and innocence, Voldemort knows and along with everything that is wrong in the Stone would even be accepted by a pub- understands nothing. world, there is also lisher. What if the book had not come out? What if we had never known Harry Potter, or Hermione, or Ron, or Dumbledore, or Fred and George, or even Voldemort? Well, first of all, the girls who dressed as a Hogwarts character during Spirit Week for “What You Want to be When You Grow Up” day would have needed different costumes. But honestly, try to imagine a world without Harry Potter. Of course, the The Leaky Galleries universe would still exist, and the earth would still orbit the sun, and gravity would still pull down, and we would all be just fine. But I think we can all agree, whatever one’s taste for Harry Potter, that our generation and this time would be different. The world of Harry Potter represents much more than just the franchise of books, movies, Legos, and all of that. J. K. Rowling’s creations have left an indelible mark on this generation, on readers around the world, even on this century (dare we say millennium?). 500 years from now, what are the big events that people will list from the late 20th and and early 21st century? Maybe somewhere on that list, which will include everything from 9/11 to the Great Recession of 2008, there will be mention of Harry Potter. The Leaky Galleries It is not only the bad that is remembered. The magic and the happiness that Harry Potter brought to our muggle world will be remembered as something good, something special. Towards the end of the seventh book, when Harry meets Dumbledore again, they discuss the power of love and good triumphing over the evil of Voldemort. Dumbledore explains, “That which Voldemort does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend. Of house-elves and children’s tales, of love, loy-

Nothing. That they all so much that is good. have a power beyond And for those his own, a power beof us still waiting for yond the reach of any our Hogwarts accepmagic, is a truth he tance letters, no mathas never grasped.” ter how many years J. K. Rowlthe owls are overdue, ing’s world of Harry The Leaky Galleries just keep in mind anPotter has struck other thing Dumbour generation and our time so deeply be- ledore says soon after: “Of course it is hapcause it embodies those core values of “love, pening inside your head, Harry, but why on loyalty, and innocence,” reminding us that earth should that mean that it is not real?”☐

Executive Editors Emma Collins Astrid Pacini Andrew Raftery Joseph Troderman Arts Editors Ryan Baxter-King Andrea Zhu

Sports Editors Abby Giannuzzi Jonathon Goodman

Photo Editors Tucker Gordon Elise Green Alexander Haigh Augusta Winthrop

Editors-in-Chief Pranay Bose Bailey Scott

Online Editors Bernardo Pacini Robert Sayegh Catherine Walsh Assistant Editors Holly Breur Kevin Chen Cole Durbin Kate Elfers Eva Epker Charlie Feinberg Anna Kennedy Jacob Pagano

The Belmont Hill Panel is Now Online!

Copy Editors Matthew Czarnecki Abigail Gabrieli Anushree Gupta Ian Meyer News Editors Elizabeth Hiss John Patrick Thomas

Opinion Editors Kate Brea Joshua Lee

Faculty Advisors Katherine Hamblet Stephen Murdock Richard Morange

www.bhspanel.org

Recycling Policy at Belmont Hill Belmont Hill’s recycling is single stream. This means that anything that is recyclable can go in any recycling bin on campus, so although some bins may say “paper only” or indicate that they are for one material only, this is a holdover from a previous system. All recyclable products can go in those bins as well. You can recycle: Newspapers, magazines, catalogs, telephone & soft cover books, direct mail/envelopes, paper (all colors, staples/paperclips are okay), paperboard (cereal/shoe boxes), milk/juice cartons, cardboard/brown paper bags, plastic bottles and containers (numbered 1-7), soda/juice/water bottles (glass or plastic), milk jugs, bleach/detergent containers, shampoo bottles, food containers (cottage cheese/margarine/yogurt), glass bottles/jars (any color), aluminum (pie plates/trays/foil, metal cans (tin/steel/aluminum). You can’t recycle: Plastic bags (these can be recycled at many local grocery stores), food liners, unmarked plastics (laundry baskets/chairs/toys), window glass, mirrors, light bulbs, dishes, pyrex, ceramics, foam packaging, Styrofoam, hazardous materials or universal waste, recyclables containing food waste (make sure to empty any containers with food in them before recycling). ☐

Taking a stance on censorship In today’s world, the press, including The Panel, faces the large challenge of deciding the degree of censorship a publication can and will contain. Even we, in our English classes or history papers, have to deal with the questions, “How far can I go?” “Can I really say this out loud?” “Is this appropriate?” and the like. In fact, censorship comes up all over the place—in places we would expect and places we would not. Recently on The Economists’ Johnson blog, a publication, which I highly recommend reading, that discusses linguistics, the author deals with the issue of censorship in The New York Times and discusses whether by trying to not publish offensive words—racist, homophobic, or politically suspect words--the newspaper is, in fact, losing some of its informative power. If, he argues, The New York Times did not print President Obama’s “God damn America,” the reader would not be able to understand what in the world the article was discussing. When the anonymous author of this Economist piece contacted the New York Times on the subject of censorship, the Times responded with “We have long wrestled with the balancing act of giving readers all the information they need in order to understand a story while avoiding the use of offensive language whenever possible…” The conclusion this Economist writer comes to is that one should use discretion when dealing with such touchy, potentially offensive phrases and not beat the reader over the head, so to speak, and repeat the word over and over again. Remember Winsor’s recent banned books month? What was it other than the library’s stand against censorship? Have you heard about the recently bowdlerized version of “Huck Finn” that exchanges every n-word with the word slave? The English department took a stance against censorship by not adopting this copy in its classes. As a quotation attributed to Voltaire reads, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” How far, students, will you go to defend free speech? How will you, Winsor, take a stance against censorship?☐

-News -Opinion -Sports -And an extended back page for the Belmont Hill community

The Panel, founded in 1953, is the official school newspaper of the Belmont Hill and Winsor schools. The Panel is the voice of the student body. We publish articles that are of consequence to the students, as well as the school communities. The views expressed in The Panel belong solely to the authors and editors and do not necessarily represent the student body, faculty or administration of either school. Any comment about the content should be addressed directly to the editors. The Panel encourages responsible opinion in the form of Letters to the Editor. We reserve the right to edit all submissions for length and content. Copyright 2011 The Panel. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of the Editor-in-Chief. Published by the Belmont Printing Co., Belmont, MA 02478.

(Winsor version coming soon)

My.HSJ.org

Censorship of Twain’s classic Adventure of Huckleberry Finn has proved controversial.

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Winsor encourages globalism with new programs By Georgia Williams & Leila Vicinelli Contributing Writers Over the past few years, students may have noticed an effort within the Winsor community to create more global awareness within the school. This effort has become quite evident in the new mission statement: “Winsor prepares young women to pursue their aspirations and contribute to the world.” Through foreign exchanges and courses that focus on foreign cultures and different ways of life, Winsor truly is motivating its students to become a larger part of the global community and to experience multiple cultures. Director Rachel Stettler says, “Our graduates will need to be able to navigate many cultures, countries, and careers in their lifetimes. It is important that students learn about and begin to experience the world beyond Boston and the U.S., because it will define their lives.” Globalism and the importance of having a global perspective are now major components of student life at Winsor, but this is only the beginning. Winsor expects to continue to build the global mindset of its students, both in and out of the classroom. To ensure equal access and opportunity to engage in these cultural experiences, Winsor offers numerous travel grants and financial aid. Since 2007, juniors at Winsor have taken a mandatory course in a non-western English and history field. The current options are African, Indian, and Middle Eastern history and literature. This graduation requirement is now seen as an essential part of the Winsor experience, broadening students’ horizons and enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of other cultures and to increase their global mindsets. Catherine Walsh ’12 says her non-western literature and history classes were “a really cool experience in a culture so different from our own.” The non-western requirement is a great way for students to learn in depth about a culture that is not

often covered in the standard English and history classes at Winsor and is becoming a more and more important part of the curriculum in today’s globalizing world. This past year alone, Winsor students traveled to China, France, and Guatemala for home exchanges and service learning trips. In Guatemala students like Ella Belina ’14 did service work for eight days in the spring, including helping to build a school in the town of El Hato. The trip, she says, “taught me to appreciate everyday things I usually take for granted.” Becca Manning ’13 went to China, where she stayed with a Chinese family and visited cities including Beijing and Pingyao. She says she loved the trip because it “immersed me in the Chinese culture and language in a way I would never be able to learn at school.” In May, Winsor sophomores and juniors hosted French students from Lycée Victor Duruy in Paris, and in early June they traveled to Normandy and Paris for two weeks for a home stay with their exchange students. Susannah Howe ’14 says that she “loved having the chance to experience the culture firsthand. I loved staying with the host family and spending so much time speaking French.” In the past few years, Winsor has also been involved with trips to the Dominican Republic, India, Quebec, Jordan, and Italy, and many more trips are sure to come. Asked what changes will be coming soon, Mr. Didier, the Director of Global Studies at Winsor, explained: “You’re seeing, every year, new trips, and again, we’re hoping in both Upper and Lower School to help push global issues even deeper into the Winsor curriculum. I think we do a fair job already, but we’re really hoping to do much more.” Indeed, this spring break, trips will be going to Italy and England. In England, students will discover and explore the locations and scenes of many of England’s most famous literary works. Mrs. Skeele enthusiastically described highlights from the trip such as planned visits to the moors of Yorkshire, the mansions of Bath, and

the streets of London, where students can walk in the footsteps of literary icons such as Jane Eyre, Elizabeth Bennet, and Oliver Twist. The Classics department will be leading a trip to Italy where students will explore the streets of Rome and Pompeii, among other places, and experience the culture, architecture, and history of the Romans through modern Italy. During the first two weeks of summer vacation in June, the art department will take students on an art and architecture-focused trip to Spain. The trip will include visits to art museums in Barcelona and Madrid and an exploration of the Alhambra in Grenada. These trips are all a part of the school’s magnified focus on increasing global experiences for the Winsor student body. Speaking about how globally connected Winsor girls are today, Mr. Didier

adds that Winsor is “still looking at offering more opportunities for girls to interact cross-culturally throughout the globe. But also, I think that you can be global and remain in Boston… working with other socioeconomic groups, other ethnic groups, and things like that.” As Ms. Stettler says, “We aspire to be global in all aspects of the Winsor experience: from curriculum and content to assemblies and experiences.” Mr. Didier suggested that since Winsor has trips in association with non-westerns, foreign language classes, and English classes, then we should aim to bring this global experience into math, science and art classes. Looking forward, Winsor students can expect an even more global and well-rounded outlook on the world as the school prepares its graduates for global citizenship. ☐

Winsor students flock to the “Bird’s Nest” Stadium

Carol Renneburg

Best When I Grow Up Day Costumes: Lower School: Sophie Petrillo ’18 Upper School: Marnie Levin ’15 Faculty: Senora Bravo Students tour the Eiffel Tower

Georgia Williams

Spanish students strike a pose

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By Abigail Gabrieli Panel Staff At Winsor, students are taught to value their citizenship and reminded frequently to vote. The idea of being “global citizens” is often stressed in assemblies and in the curricula. This summer, two Winsor students–Corinne Candilis ’13 and myself, Abigail Gabrieli ’13­–decided to take this community ethos of political involvement even further and volunteer for political campaigns. Being a campaign volunteer was a fun, productive way to participate directly in the political process. Candilis volunteered with Bob Massie, one of the Democratic candidates running against US Senator Scott Brown (R-MA). After being impressed by an appearance of his on PBS, she called his campaign office’s number and spoke with his campaign manager, signing up to volunteer twice a week for a few hours a day. During a typical day, she called voters and attempted to persuade them to vote for Massie. While she did have a script, voters occasionally challenged her with difficult questions, forcing her to improvise in response. “It was definitely hard the first couple of times, but it got easier,” she said, adding later that she found such improvisational, on-the-spot work demanding but rewarding. She also entered voter information into databases and addressed envelopes for mailings. Candilis concluded, “I’m probably going to volunteer again, because I want to keep gaining knowledge of how the political process works... City Councillor John Connolly campaign in Boston [It’s very important] to understand campaign tactics.” I volunteered for John Connolly, who is running for a graduation ceremony at which the Councillor spoke and re-election as At-Large City Councillor. After my father attending a march for Mothers for Justice and Equality in recommended him, I did some research on him myself and Roxbury. I, too, found the work fulfilling and appreciated then, won over by his position on education, emailed his getting a behind-the-scenes look at the political process. campaign manager. I volunteered for three days a week for Both Candilis and I recommend campaign voluntwo months. Like Candilis, I mostly did phone bank work, teering to students wondering how they can get more calling voters for six to seven hours at a time and, with the involved in politics. The time commitment was flexible, help of a script, trying to convince them to vote for Connol- allowing both of us to pursue additional summer jobs as ly. I also did some organization work, which involved locat- well. It was easy to find jobs close to home, allowing for ing voter contact information and entering it into a variety reasonable commutes; after all, there are politicians seekof databases, helped to address some mailings, and partici- ing re-election every year in nearly every single town. pated in occasional canvassing trips (i.e., trips to visit vot- Calling voters for hours on end (and occasionally, on caners directly and pass out campaign information). I also took vassing trips, speaking to them face-to-face) increased part in two events, serving as the campaign photographer at both of our interpersonal skills, helping us grow into

Connolly campaign

more effective communicators. Most importantly, though, working in politics - even at the state or municipal level taught us valuable lessons about the realities of the political process. Both Candilis and I feel that the skills that we learned during our summers will help us if we decide to volunteer for one of the presidential campaigns next year, an opportunity both of us are at least somewhat interested in pursuing. Overall, the experience definitely added to both of our understandings of politics and helped us to develop into more politically-aware global citizens. ☐ Shortly before The Panel went to press, Bob Massie announced his withdrawal from the US Senate race.

Fun in the sun at the freshman retreat

No one quite knew what to expect on the freshman retreat this year. School had only started a week before, and everyone was still adjusting to the unfamiliar and intimidating idea of being in the Upper School. However, the time freshmen spent together at Craigsville Conference Center on Cape Cod was enough to kick off the year in a spirited and positive way. Activities varied from venturing to the beach and going for a swim in the cold New England waters to reflective journal writing and meditation. “It was like a vacation; it was really relax-

Best Crazy Hair/Mismatch Day Costume: Lower School: Eva Westphal ’18 Upper School: Augusta Winthrop ’12 Faculty: Mr. Constant

Winsor News

Students explore politics via campaign volunteering

By Bibi Lichauco Contributing Writer

Spirit Week Awards 2011

Best Disney Costume: Peggy Stuart Coolidge Sibling Squad Faculty: Ms. Labieniec

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ing overall,” remarked Surya Pandit ’15. Going on this retreat really gave the students time to reflect and learn about themselves and their peers. The day’s loose structure allowed for a relaxed atmosphere where every girl could easily be herself. The Class V Dean, Ms. Parsley, says, “The goal of the retreat was for the class to have the opportunity to come together, especially the new girls, away from the pressures of school.” When it was time to load the buses and head back to Boston, everyone agreed that they wished the retreat would last longer. No worries though, because, as Maddy Batt ’15, says, “We have the rest of the year to grow closer and closer together.” ☐

Students wave Lower School goodbye

winsor.edu

Best Rendition of Jersey Shore: Anna Kennedy ’12 and Talia Weingarten ’12. Best Group Effort: Mary Richardson, Talia Weingarten ’12, Evan Joy McLaurin ’12, Maia Raynor-French ’12, Erin Cohee ’12, Charlotte Tracy’12. Most Random/Creative Costume: “Velvet Ryan, Hedgehog Wrangler” Best Department: History Department Red Day Costume Sweep: Jennifer Holthouse ’12 Freshmen bond on the beach

Surya Pandit

Freshmen take the plunge into Upper School

winsor.edu

Belmont Hill News

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Jonah Loeb Ms. Navins has joined Belmont Hill’s English department and admissions team. She graduated from Williams College in 2001, where she earned a degree in history and played varsity soccer and lacrosse. Over the past several years, Ms. Navins has been actively involved in education—she has worked at Deerfield Academy, Milton Academy, and at Bottom Line, a nonprofit that provides free college counseling to Boston public school students. After attending graduate school at Harvard, Ms. Navins sought a position that would be a challenge. Belmont Hill was not a new name to her, as her brother is a graduate of the school and Mr. Melvoin was her under-ten soccer coach from her childhood in Wayland. So she seized the opportunity to teach and work at Belmont Hill. Besides her role in admissions, Ms. Navins will be teaching Fourth Form English and coaching First Form soccer. She loves how the faculty “wear many different hats” as teachers, coaches, and staff, and do it all with a dedicated enthusiasm. ☐

Stephen Carr A graduate of Belmont Hill’s Class of 1993, Mr. Carr returns as the new Director of Admissions. He attended Amherst College, where he majored in American Studies and English, and spent several years working in San Francisco before moving back east. Since 2002, he has lived and worked at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. Though he enjoyed his time at the Andover admissions office, and as varsity soccer and lacrosse coach, he was excited to learn of an opening at Belmont Hill. “The decision to pursue it was easy,” Mr. Carr explained, “I saw a great career opportunity at a great school that I firmly believe is in a powerful position to grow and prosper over the coming years.” Mr. Carr believes Belmont Hill has changed—for the better—since he graduated. He finds that there are more academic and extracurricular offerings, that the students have a wider variety of interests and life experiences, and that the school is more focused on the well-being of the community. But it certainly has not lost its best characteristics; the rigorous curriculum, the dedicated faculty, and the belief that character and integrity are paramount. In his mind, all this adds up to a “warmth and positive spirit that seems to flow through the faculty and through the boys.” For now, Mr. Carr will be working full time in admissions, but he may return to coaching at some point. He is now part of a faculty and admissions team that he will “thoroughly enjoy working with day in and day out.” ☐

Seniors bond at Camp Cody

Belmont Hill News

Inspiring South Africa trip teaches good works

Belmont Hill community greets new faculty to campus C.J. Navins

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Class retreats

Holly Gettings

The trip to Camp Cody allows the seniors and their advisors to get to know continued from page 1 one another, mainly by working in small As Form VI advisor Mr. Kaplan puts groups. The goals, challenges, and reit, “What happens at Camp Cody stays at sponsibilities of senior year at Belmont Camp Cody.” What he would reveal was Hill are unlike any other year. This retreat the following: “For several years, we’ve helps in introducing these differences and taken a senior trip to fortify the bonds in preparing the class for its year ahead. within the class and to identify some of Overall, three main reasons emerge the different types of experiences the se- as to why Belmont Hill year after year sends nior year will bring; the pervading feel- boys on these trips: preparation, maturity, ings and nervousness about applying to and the building of relationships. Each colleges; the emotions associated with year at this school proves to be unique, leaving Belmont Hill and entering col- and from the Burgess trip all the way to the lege; ideas of leadership in the school, and senior retreat, Belmont Hill works to prea host of other fun and interesting topics.” pare each boy to tackle the years ahead. ☐

Mr. Loeb comes to Belmont Hill as a Middle School English teacher. As a child, he attended Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut. He went to middle school at both Choate and Kingswood-Oxford. Mr. Loeb was very busy in his high school days, playing varsity soccer, varsity baseball and running varsity track, in addition to playing drums in the jazz band. From there, Mr. Loeb attended Haverford College, where he spent a great deal of his time involved in music. Mr. Loeb hopes to continue to play and teach music this year as he will be supervising one of the rock bands as well as helping direct the ninth and tenth grade play in the winter. He is currently coaching the JV-A soccer team and looks forward to coaching a baseball team in the spring. Mr. Loeb is delighted to be a teacher at Belmont Hill as both of his parents teach at independent schools, and he is excited to meet new students and faculty members. ☐

New changes shape our school By J.P. Thomas Panel Staff On a radiant morning, as the sun rises over the green fields of Belmont Hill, students awake at about 7, after a tiring late night of studying. They remember, however, that this is Thursday morning, and instead of falling back into the daily grind, they fall back asleep for another blissful hour.

We all, teachers and administrators, like making the lives of our students easier. “Late Start” on Thursdays is among the more popular of the new policies that have altered life on the Hill. Others include such modern technologies as a wireless network and a more useful keyboard system, and a more circuitous “drop-off ” parking system that is more popular with the school administration than it is with students. The most conspicuous change this year in the Belmont Hill lifestyle, however, is the “Late Start,” which has proved to be a welcome blessing for stressed students. “Thursday late start is a terrific addition to the schedule,” said Fifth Former Colin Sargis. “The extra half-hour is crucial and allows us to catch up on our much needed sleep.” Teachers applaud the change, too, saying that students are more attentive during Thursday classes. Along with providing more rest for students, the extra hour of sleep on Thursday gives teachers a regular block of time for meetings among themselves. The time slot, from 7:30 to 8:30, is used by teachers for full faculty meetings, academic policy sessions, and form-advisor conferences. In previous years, teachers would be obliged to squeeze these meetings into their busy schedules. Although it may seem that the “Late Start” is a win-win situation for both student and teacher, there are drawbacks. “The ‘Late Start’ causes some Upper Schoolers to miss a full lunch period,” said Head of School, Dr. Melvoin. “Secondly, it results in a chaotic Middle School lunch. The “Late Start” also makes it difficult for an extracurricular to meet on Thursdays, because the open times to meet are hectic.” At the end of the year, the faculty will review the “Late Start” policy and

determine whether to continue it next year. Other major changes at Belmont Hill include new technologies: a wireless network, school-owned tablets, and the opportunity to use privately-owned laptops and tablets in classes. The school was able to become completely wireless this year because of a generous grant offered by an alumnus. This is meant to allow students to work everywhere on campus via private or school-owned computers and tablets. The implementation of a wireless network has not been a complete success, however. Some students complain that they have difficulty in connecting their wireless devices to the network. Others find the new system advantageous and a peek into the future at Belmont Hill. “I now bring both my laptop and iPad to school,” said junior Joshua Lee, “and I have found it much more convenient. While the trend of bringing personal technology is not yet widespread among the student body, I definitely see it as the future of the school.” The technological advancements will serve as a building block for changes to come. For example, later this year, iPads will be used in art and math classes. “We are starting to make technological chang-

Mr. Leonardis sits on a shantytown doorstep and plays with two South African children.

Photos Courtesy of Colin Sargis Abdurezak Shemsu helps tutor a boy.

There was also a noticeable disparity prised by the climate of South Africa. Most of the boys brought only shorts in regional differences, from the elite white and t-shirts, and they were all amazed suburbs to the inner city and townships In early June, ten Belmont Hill stu- that the temperature was in the mid-50’s. dominated by black Africans and mixed dents, under the watchful eyes of Mr. LeonThe first week in South Africa con- races. “It was definitely a different place, ardis and Mr. Hegarty, had the privilege to sisted of sightseeing and exploring the very segregated,” said Jack Kinlan, a junior. During the sectravel for two weeks to Cape Town, South beautiful city of Cape ond week the Belmont Africa. “It was an amazing experience I will Town. “We went to never forget!” remembers senior Jeff Ott. many different places We had so much fun playing Hill students were at the On June 13, a bright Monday with beautiful views, we soccer and just helping around Linawo Home for Ormorning, Belmont Hill students ar- saw baboons and awe- the house. Giving back to the phans, spending time rived at Logan Airport and departed for some different birds women who worked for these and playing with many a seven hour flight to Heathrow Air- on a hike we took to young orphans was extremely young children who lost their parents -to HIV port, London. Then, the boys took a 10- Cape Point,” Ott stated. rewarding. and AIDS. “We had so hour flight to Cape Town, South Africa. While the geographical much fun playing soccer Having time between flights, the group differences were apparheaded to Piccadilly Circus to see some of ent, the demographic difference of South and just helping around the house. Givthe London sights. Quickly, the guys be- Africa was noticeable as well. It seemed to ing back to the women who worked for gan to bond and became a tight-knit group. the group as a melting pot of several differ- these young orphans was extremely reWhen they stepped off the plane, ent races and ethnicities, native Africans, warding,” recalled a student on the trip. The Belmont Hill students also the Belmont Hill students were sur- Dutch Afrikaners, and everything between. By Charlie Feinberg Panel Staff

Dominican Republic develops boys’ language and mindset By Diego Fernández del Castillo Panel Staff

Apple

es, because we need to teach Belmont Hill boys to be able to live in a modern world,” said Mr. Bradley, Head of the Upper School. “This means that students must learn to be able to do jobs that aren’t even invented yet.” A welcome change this November is the cutting-edge key-card system that allows students to access certain doors, during specifically sanctioned off-hours. This high tech system also saves time by allowing a staff or maintenance member to open all the doors on campus by a press of a button, instead of swiping their card or using their key on every door. The more important benefit, perhaps, is that it makes the campus safer. The administration can determine who enters what building and when and lost cards can be instantly cancelled. This year’s changes are steps toward a goal voiced by Mr. Bradley: “We all, teachers and administrators, like making the lives of our students easier.” ☐

visited a few South African schools, where they noticed a massive difference in education between different classes. “It was really eye-opening,” says Kinlan. The boys spent a night in a township, exploring the area known as Tambo Village. There they were fed a traditional African meal by their host mothers. “After the night it was hard to say good-bye to the families, but it was really interesting.” says Ott. On June 25, the boys left Cape Town and flew to Johannesburg for a day on a safari and after this entertaining and exciting excursion into the bush the Belmont Hill boys began the long trip home. “It was seriously life changing, one of the coolest experiences of my life,” recalls Ott. The boys from the trip wish to stay in contact with the children from the Linawo home and hope to raise money for the organization through fundraisers in the future. ☐

At the beginning of last summer, nine Belmont Hill students from Forms Three through Five, accompanied by language teachers Adam Harder and Nancy Montanaro, travelled to the remote village of Jarabacoa in the Dominican Republic. The primary purpose of the trip was to build a community center for the local people of Jarabacoa, which by the end of the week was built, painted, and roofed. Another very important aspect of this school trip was to immerse the Belmont Hill boys in the Spanish influenced Dominican culture. Students were paired up and given a host family. For the entire week, they slept, ate, and lived along side their host father, mother, and siblings. This forced the Belmont Hill boys to speak Spanish, because the people of Jarabacoa were not fluent in English. What surprised the students the most was the simplicity of the local people. All of them lived in modest, onestory houses and had very few possessions. “I was amazed at the humility of the people. The natives of Jarabacoa have almost nothing, yet to me they seemed like the happiest people in the world. They live in houses with tin roofs which Courtesy of Patrick Brown was barely enough protection from the Patrick Brown and Matt Ryan enjoy their time with the natives of Jarabacoa

frequent rain storms common in Jarabacoa. It was as if I had entered a different world,” said Fifth Former Patrick Browne. Despite the almost constant work and the time spent with their host families, the Belmont Hill students were still able to partake in some activities together. “Jarabacoa is located in the middle of the jungle,” continued Patrick. “We went on two hikes, and there was a waterfall where we were able to swim. All in all it was a

I was amazed at the humility of the people. The natives of Jarabacoa have almost nothing, yet to me they seemed like the happiest people in the world. unique experience and I hope to return.” Not only did they help out the community, but these students received a new view of the world. It’s increasingly common at Belmont Hill to hear about poverty and how students can make a difference. These nine students decided to take the initiative and travel to the remote village of Jarabacoa, where they not only witnessed poverty in very real terms, they did something that had a positive effect on the people they visited. ☐

Winsor Opinion

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For whom would Winsor girls vote if they could? By Kate Brea Panel Staff How aware are Winsor students of the upcoming senatorial elections? For whom would we vote if we were old enough? And what do our voting patterns mean? According to a recent poll asking Winsor students for whom they would vote in the upcoming senatorial elections if they were old enough, 58% “have no idea who [the candidates] are.” 16% would vote for Scott Brown, 12% did not know for whom they would vote, 9% would vote for Setti Warren (who dropped out of the race after most of the votes were taken), and 3% each would

vote for Elizabeth Warren and Bob Massie. The rest of the candidates received no votes. That 58% of Winsor students don’t know who these candidates are might be disconcerting because we pride ourselves on being “globally minded” and knowledgeable about the world around us. However, it is very early on in the race and even many adults are not yet thinking about the election, which will be next November. Most major polling websites have not taken polls yet; the results of the first poll taken on the upcoming senatorial elections only came out on October 1, and they showed candidates Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren neck-and-neck with each other. When candidates begin campaigning next year,

Winsor girls will definitely learn more about Winsor students who live in Newton know the values of the candidates individually and Setti Warren as the mayor of Newton. Since the percentage of Winsor girls who do not many Winsor students have heard of these know who the candidates are will be lower. two candidates but probably have not heard These results suggest that that publicity of the others, it is likely that these candidates’ is one of the most important, though some- popularity stems from name recognition. The source of senatorial candidates’ times underrated, aspects of a campaign. When The Panel surveyed 32 Winsor success, according to the poll taken at Winsor, students about whom they would vote for illuminates a helpful hint for Winsor students in the upcoming Senate elections, the re- campaigning for leadership positions: at least sults were consistent with the results of the at an early stage in an election, publicity is study: the candidates about whom we have extremely important. If you are hoping to be heard the most received the most votes. elected to a position of leadership at Winsor, As the incumbent Massachusetts raising your hand more often in homeroom senator in the next election, Scott Brown is to suggest ideas or volunteering to lead the a household name. Most, if not all, Winsor UTL cheer or to head a dance planning comstudents have heard of him. Likewise, many mittee might certainly help your cause. ☐

Learn about candidates running for president!

Barack Obama

-current President of the United States -former senator of Illinois

Mitt Romney

-former governor of Massachusetts -previously entered the presidential race in 2008

Herman Cain

-currently a newspaper columnist -former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza

Rick Perry

-current governor of Texas and chairman of the Republican Governors Association

Michele Bachmann

Newt Gingrich

Jon Huntsman, Jr.

-current congresswoman, elected in 2006 as the first Republican woman to be elected into the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota

-currently a college professor and chairman of American Solutions for Winning the Future -former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

-former U.S. Ambassador to Singapore and China -former governor of Utah

-known for riding his bike to meetings while in China

Ron Paul

Rick Santorum

-current congressman from Texas -previously entered the presidential race in 1988 as a Libertarian and in 2008 as a Republican

-currently an attorney -former senator of Pennsylvania

Obama on his candidacy:

Romney on his candidacy:

Cain on his candidacy:

Perry on his candidacy:

Bachmann on her candidacy:

Gingrich on his candidacy:

Huntsman on his candidacy:

Paul on his candidacy:

Santorum on his candidacy:

“The cause of making a lasting difference for our families, our communities, and our country has never been about one person. And it will succeed only if we work together.”

“Like you, I recognize that America’s economy is in crisis.”

“I am the only nonpolitician on this stage tonight.”

“I simply want to get America working again and make Washington D.C. as inconsequential in your life as I can.”

“I brought the voice of the tea party to the United States Congress.”

“In the spirit of 9/12 [the date of the debate], I hope to work with you to fundamentally, profoundly change Washington.”

“Yesterday, we were reminded how extraordinary this country is…Today, ladies and gentlemen, we are deeply divided.”

“My goal has always been to promote the cause of liberty and to obey the Constitution.”

“I won two elections [in Pennsylvania] without having to change my policies or my party to win.”

Photo Credits: whitehouse.gov, Wikipedia, thepanhandlepolitico.com, conservativedailynews.com, tpm.com, obrag.com, Wikipedia, wired.com, biographyzone.com

Winsor girls have begun to make trick-or-treating plans and have started to dig out their old Halloween costumes, knowing that Halloween is just around the corner. As girls try to figure out how to balance homework and trickor-treating, a question comes to mind: are teenagers too old to trick-or-treat? Toddlers dressed up in big, plush dinosaur costumes are always greeted with smiles and candy, but often teenagers are perceived as troublemakers—rabblerousers trying to deprive the younger kids of treats. Ms. Ryan, English teacher and dean of the class of 2014, admits, “When teenagers just show up without costumes (or with thrown-together costumes) and grab candy, the magic is lost and the night is not as fun for little kids.” I am sure that the majority of trick-or-treaters have encountered obnoxious teenagers taking more than their fair share of candy, or stealing pennies from UNICEF offerings.

Are sports a central part of life at Winsor? By Holly Breuer & Susannah Howe Panel Staff As we sat in assembly several Thursdays ago, more than a few looks of awe passed between students in the audience as Genevra Stone ’03—world-class rower and Winsor alumna—took the stage as the featured speaker. Her speech and several other speeches by current Winsor athletes were originally intended simply to inspire students and celebrate Winsor athletics. However, this first “sports assembly” of the year brought to light questions of whether or not sports are really an integral part of Winsor life and how they are valued in comparison to other commitments, especially other extracurriculars. As several students explained during the assembly, the benefits of sports go Winsor varsity field hockey Gus Freedman far beyond physical health: student athletes learn lessons such as resilience and sor—there’s something about being with addition to extracurricular clubs, arts, teamwork, and they have the opportu- the certain group of girls on your team for and sports—there are enormous demands nity to make friends from other grades. several hours after school every day, and on our time. Everything extracurricular Being a member of Win- winning and losing together, that brings seems to come second to anything acasor’s sports teams teaches us les- us together in ways nothing else does.” At demic, and, as the controversy about the sons that cannot be taught in a class- Winsor, athletics are not only about the changes in Chorale’s scheduling shows, room. We learn what it means to score but also about the priceless lessons students often have to choose between support our teammates, to lead them, that teams teach, about the benefits of sports and other extracurricular activities. and to have their backs—no matter what. hard work, practice, teamwork, and trust. Sports teach so many valuable lesLindsey Ruggles ’14 concurs: “Sports But with a litany of tasks to complete sons that it often seems to make sense to are, socially, a very important part of Win- every day—a full academic course load in sacrifice other activities in order to par-

Should Winsor students hit the beach or the books?

It is easy to understand why many people are uncomfortable with the idea of teenagers trick-or-treating and possibly ruining the evening for the smaller kids. Veronica Lorenzini ’14, however, disagrees. She explains her perspective on Halloween as a teenager: “I think that we’re not too old to trick-ortreat... It’s fun to do with friends, and the candy is a plus. I don’t think trickor-treating is as important for us as it is for little kids; I think Halloween is more about hanging out with friends.” In the fall, students are usually so busy with homework that it seems impossible to find time to see friends. Taking a night to walk around the neighborhood with your buddies may seem like a perfect solution. And, let us be honest, the free candy is certainly a plus. The bottom line is this: it is okay for teenagers to trick-ortreat as long as they are mindful of the younger kids, take the time to put together some sort of costume, and behave well. So get out your costumes, Winsor girls—it is candy time! ☐

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ticipate in athletics. However, many of these lessons and benefits are not unique to sports. For those in the arts, those activities have in many ways played the same role that sports do for other, more athletically-inclined students. Missed entrances or flubbed lines in the middle of a live show teach confidence under pressure and how to think on one’s feet. The arts enable us to make friends from other grades. They also teach time management—most athletes do not have to deal with a schedule as crazy as tech week of a school play. Not to mention all of the skills one learns from drama: creativity, speaking skills, and how to act non-awkwardly around boys. We focus on sports and the performing arts because these have been the activities that play the biggest roles in our lives, but for other students, their passions might be community service, a science internship, debate—any of the countless extracurricular opportunities available to Winsor students. The point is that, even though sports play a central role in many students’ lives, there is plenty to do even if one chooses not to participate in sports. As Allison McGuirk ’15 says, “As a Winsor student, academics, clubs, and sports can be hard to balance.” However, achieving that crucial balance is a fundamental part of the Winsor experience. ☐

By Holly Breuer & Alice Lu, Panel Staff

Too old to trick-or-treat? By Lindsey Ruggles Contributing Writer

Winsor Opinion

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tibet-incense.com

David Sillitoe

For Winsor students, should summer be the third semester? By Elizabeth Hiss & Alice Lu Panel Staff

“Please do not steal our candy!”

thepumpkinlady.com

ourfamilyworld.com

It is early June and after a hectic last few weeks of studying for exams and SAT subject tests, the first thing most Winsor girls want to do is to spend the brief summer vacation doing nothing. But can we really spend our summer break relaxing? As high school students we devote much of our time during the school year to preparing ourselves for college and the rest of our lives. We spend hours studying to earn good grades and pile on extracurricular activities to add to our resume. So after two semesters of these grueling activities, we get about two months to decompress and catch up on lost hours of sleep. But as we get older, it seems that the summer ceases to be a time for long lazy days and instead becomes a third semester of resume building—a time to get a job or an internship, or to

do volunteer work. There is an added tural Connections program where, she something new, whether it is traveling to pressure as we get older to fill our sum- remembers, “we learned, but we also got a foreign country or interning at a lab. mer break with a myriad of activities. to just hang out with each other and get High school students also receive This summer many upper school to know each other.” According to Hagan, pressure from parents to take advanstudents took the initiative and decided to summer is “for both relaxing and learn- tage of the empty summer days and fill their summer breaks with meaningful ing.” English teacher Ms Chugani agrees fill them with valuable experiences. experiences. Christina Schiciano ’13 had with this sentiment; summer is a time to When asked what they thought was the two jobs, working as a hostess at a golf “expand learning from the school year and best use of the summer break, a group club and as a sales assistant in a clothing to relax, and I think that these two things of Class V parents suggested going to store. “I decided to work because I want- are not necessarily at odds with each oth- camp or doing volunteer work. Simied to have the experience of working and er.” She believes that summer should be larly a Class VII parent said, “The sumsupporting myself,” said Schiciano. Erina for doing something different from what mer is a great time to get some work exLi ’13 saw the two months ahead of her the school days present. Georgia Williams perience, either through interning in a as an opportunity to pursue something ’14 also spent her summer in an environ- field that interests you or volunteering.” completely new and exciting which she ment very different from our classrooms, When we start to think about our could not fit in during the school year. yet intrinsically connected. She applied plans for next summer, however far “I participated in a leadership summit in what she learned in French class during away it may seem, I would advise that Philadelphia and went on a backpacking Winsor’s biennial French Exchange Pro- everyone remember that the break is trip through Asia,” said Li. She says she gram. Not all students traveled to faraway two whole months long. Two months was genuinely interested in these two pro- places, however. Michelle Peters ’12 in- in which we can take a step outside the grams, but she also recognized that they terned at an immunology lab right across classroom and into the real world. I bewould be a nice addition to her resume. the street at Brigham and Women’s Hos- lieve the summer is first and foremost Over the summer, Cheryl Hagan ’13 pital. These different activities corrobo- a time of opportunity—a chance for traveled to London for the London Cul- rate the idea that summer is a time to try each one of us to try something new. ☐

stencilkingdom.com

Belmont Hill Opinion

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Taking a holistic approach to specialization

Does Belmont Hill advertise itself as more racially diverse than it really is?

13%

Lawrence

16.5%

Brooks

18%

Belmont Hill

19%

BB&N

26%

Nobles

27%

Governers St. Georges

29.5%

30%

Roxbury Latin

32%

Groton

32%

St. Pauls

Milton

36%

The percent of racial minorities at various schools in the ISL. Four schools did not provide statistics when asked.

By Joshua Lee Panel Staff Take off your rose-colored glasses. Belmont Hill is not perfect. Students standing upon this Hill are constantly being held to high standards, carefully examined under the magnifying glass of character and virtue. Yet how often do these students look down to scrutinize the foundation on which they are standing? Belmont Hill wants nothing but the best for the members of its community, yet at times it becomes so entangled in bettering the school that it forgets some of the values and beliefs that have made it the institution that it is today. Belmont Hill believes that a strong community cultivates diversity in a wide range of areas, yet, when considering the most common measure of diversity, race, Belmont Hill still has much room to improve. The student body sits near the bottom in the ISL in consideration of racial minorities and does not represent the world into which its students will enter. The real issue though lies not in Belmont Hill’s lack of diversity, but rather in how the school portrays its diversity – or lack thereof. Belmont Hill’s website is laden with pictures and videos featuring a range of minorities one does not see when walking the campus. The reason the school does this stems not from a desire to deceive, but rather a desire to include. By showing itself in its best light, Belmont Hill believes that it can attract a stronger and even more diverse group of potential applicants. Mr. Mahoney, the Director of Communications, chooses the pictures for the school website, and says that he definitely takes the race of students into consideration when choosing pictures to feature. “Most certainly,” he said. “We want to show prospective students that this is a diverse place and that it [diversity] is an initiative that is important to the school.” Like a business tries to sell its products, Belmont Hill is trying to sells the unique community that it fosters. Yet even the best intentions do not always lead to the best actions. Yonas Dinkneh, one of the heads of Students Actively Fostering Equality (S.A.F.E.), said, “I think that if they [Belmont Hill] were

to tell people that we are a diverse school it would be wrong, because that’s not 100% true.” Showing the school as something is not, no matter for what reason, is not honest and is not in line with the values Belmont Hill has tried to instill in its own students for years. When the school decided to start representing the school in a way not completely accurate, it inadvertently left some of its integrity behind. Belmont Hill needs focus on creating a school in which prospective students could envision themselves instead of trying to project one. Dr. Melvoin, the head of school, does not think there is anything wrong with this choosing of pictures, calling the practice “aspirational” and not “deceptive”. He argues that the school is featuring what

I think that if they [Belmont Hill] were to tell people that we are a diverse school it would be wrong, because that’s not 100% true. it hopes to be someday, not what it is today. Mr. Bynum, the Head of Community and Diversity, agrees: “Just because you see these faces of color [on the website] doesn’t mean that we have 50-50% people of color. That’s not what we’re arguing,” he said. Yet the reasoning behind an action and how that action is perceived are two entirely different things; a picture may be able to say a thousand words, but it cannot convey meaning or intent. A prospective student browsing the school website will look at the diversity of students in the pictures and think that the school is diverse, not just that it wants to be. “It’s always a double-edged sword,” Mr. Mahoney said. “You don’t want people [prospective students] looking at our website, thinking ‘I’m not going to fit in. Look at their website, they aren’t showing a mix of students.’” Dr. Melvoin continued in justifying the school’s actions by comparing Belmont Hill to its peer institutions: “we’re no different than most other schools in the way we approach this.” The rationalization that “most other schools do it” is a weak one, especially coming from Belmont Hill. Students at this school are directed to set individual goals

“Belmont Hill seeks a community that reflects the diversity of the larger world” -Belmont Hill website

Racial minorities at Belmont Hill

Racial minorities in the U.S. (2010)

41%

for their lives, pursuing them with zeal and hard work, no matter what others may say. And yet Belmont Hill is justifying its actions by looking at how other schools operate? This is hypocritical and unethical. The school usually sets a great example in living out the virtues it preaches, but it takes far less time to degrade a reputation than it does to build one up. So is Belmont Hill lying when it portrays itself as diverse? Maybe not, because the case could be made that Belmont Hill is diverse in areas other than race. For example, 30% of students at Belmont Hill currently receive financial aid, showing the strides that the school has made in economic diversity. Yet even Dr. Melvoin agrees that when considering diversity, a casual reader of the school’s website will think of race before other aspects, such as religion or economic standing. “Yes, I think that it is the natural inclination,” he said, “but for our school, we want to look more broadly.” This is a fine sentiment, yet one that can hardly be conveyed easily to third-party onlookers; people will see black and white, not the fine details of gray that the school may be aiming for. So if this is not lying, per se, is portraying the school as racially diverse deceptive? To an extent, yes, it is. Belmont Hill’s diversity is still a long way from where it needs to be, though it has improved greatly over the years. I have no doubt at all that with the work of Dr. Melvoin, Mr. Bynum, organizations such as S.A.F.E., and the whole community, Belmont Hill will continue to increase the variety of students who call Belmont Hill home. What worries me more is the moral issue that is raised when considering how the school is projecting itself. Belmont Hill has been trying to go so fast down the track to a stronger community, that is has raced past the virtues that have made it what it is today. Though it is now the norm in both schools and corporations to show only some select parts of the truth, if starts Belmont Hill falling into the trap of following the norm, what is next? The school needs to portray itself to the public more accurately, no matter what others do or say, staying on the course of high virtue that it has been on since its creation. ☐

What do you think? Is Belmont Hill ethnically diverse? Yes - 69%

19%

No - 31%

36%

I believe that the diversity at Belmont Hill is not extremely varied. The school should try and seek out diverse students that embrace and believe in the Belmont Hill philosophy. Racial minorities in the U.S. (2050)

47%

Population growth due to immigrants and their children in the U.S. (2050)

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Sports Specialization

False Advertising Rivers

Belmont Hill Opinion

How does Belmont Hill advertise its diversity? Less than reality - 5% Accurately - 49%

More than reality - 46%

82%

I feel that Belmont Hill should not advertise itself as a diverse place necessarily, but rather as a place where you can be accepted Results and quotes were gathered from a random group of 80 Belmont Hill students

By Jacob Pagano Panel Staff When we hear of athletes who have “burnt out” or dealt with excessive and repeated injuries, the first idea that comes to mind is specialization. Often times, these athletes have been put under such great pressure to excel and to be offered a scholarship that one sport dominates their lives, unhealthily so. There are tangible risks associated with young athletes being exposed to such a specialization model. Likewise, the “Renaissance” athlete is important at Belmont Hill. Specialization is less valued; rather, well-rounded and diverse talents are the crux of a “good” athlete. All this is true. But is it just sports specialization, or is there something more complex involved here? Maybe it’s not specialization itself, but how youth athletes focus on a particular event or position. There is a proper way to approach one sport and pursue it wholeheartedly that is thoughtful and balanced. After all, there are many examples of tennis greats, long-distance runners and gymnasts who from a young age have adopted this model of proper specialization and have seen tremendous benefits accrue. So is specialization inherently harmful? When young kids, middle-schoolers or pre-pubescent athletes, are exposed to extreme training regiments, the traditional fate of specialization is sealed;

indeed, burnout seems inevitable. When sport frequently results in failure. The first done properly, however, sports special- prerequisite for the success of sports specialization can yield immense benefits. ization is individual choice. In order Studies show us that doing one for that choice to be made, a player sport at too young an age and at too must have some understanding, high an intensity leads to injury and some true experience in a game. risk. The proposed solution of many Childhood must be a time of unis to move away from this practice structured play, a period of exand encourage an athlete to play a posure. Only then can an athvariety of sports, but others say lete understand what he or that it is possible to specialize she is getting into. Moreover, properly, to take a holistic apthe holistic method would proach to that one sport. This not only allow but require includes the cognitive, physical structured breaks, and social aspects of a game. This acknowledges the importance of the role that sport plays in one’s life; it does not compromise mental or physical health. The most prominent benemental down-time fits may be scholarship and physical rest. possibilities and the Sp e c i a l i z i ng joy of invidual achieve- m e n t in one sport can yield but perhaps the most resoundvery real benefits. An ing and lasting on an athlete’s life athlete who does it is gaining the ability to prepare, wisely—and effecto train, to ice, to heal—to take tively cross trains, a holistic approach to that one bikes, runs, lifts—can sport he or she loves, and to do eliminate the many it to the very best of their ability. risks associated with What constitutes a holistic overuse and cogapproach? First, an athlete must nitive burncommit himself; an external inout. Then, the fluence such as a coach or parent genuine benwho zealously encourages a football efits of mastery over one skill, one or soccer player to only participate in that sport, one move, will resonate. ☐

Working out and burning out: the dangers of specialization By Arman Ashrafi Panel Staff Athletics have come to assume a monstrous role in the lives of many teenagers in America. At the same time, there is a growing debate about specialization in sport, from both professional athletes and our coaches here on the hill. Is it a positive or negative thing for young athletes? The most prevalent arguments heard against increased specialization heard locally are the potential health risks, the possibility of “burning out” and the contraction it poses to Belmont Hill’s goals and principles. For the developing athlete and student, many in coaching say this approach will not bode well for the future. Students who do specialize can end up jeopardizing their own health, and sport-related injuries can hinder growth during the adolescent years. Mr. Kirby, the varsity track coach, stresses this point. “If you apply the same stresses to your body repetitively and frequently, it is not healthy at all.” Some say that this is the price you pay to become a better athlete, but the argument is short-sighted. First of all, athleticism can be enhanced by many different sports and techniques, not just by the repetition of one event. It’s not worth it to risk your health for one sport if in the end, you may find yourself unable to participate in the very activity you find so compelling. Many kids feel, however, that they are forced to specialize because of the perception, as Mr. Richards, the varsity crew coach, puts it, “that you have to be playing yearround for colleges to look at you.” Despite the slim chances of being recruited, this hope remains a powerful emotional incentive at the level of play our teams

enjoy. Many others feel the ultimate goal ply. Sometime towards the end of their of playing sports should not be that de- high school careers or in the middle of sire to be recruited, but the joy of ap- college, these athletes hit that breaking plying yourself to the game, an activity point, and find themselves lost, strandwhich you find enjoyable and relaxing. ed with no idea of what to do when the Another important point is that game has lost its appeal. Asked about the “burning out” has become a new norm severity of this issue, Mr. Richards said, “I just think it’s crazy to have eight-, nine-, and ten-year-old kids playing the same sport all year; I don’t see

Athletes sound off Edward Coumbia Squash “When an athlete reaches his mid to late teens and feels in his core that he is connected to a particular sport, that he loves it with a burning passion, at that point he should be at liberty to put other athletics to the wayside. This does not mean totally abandoning other sports; rather, it means relegating them to casual fun, while elevating the one sport to a priority level entirely its own.” Max Bell Football and Crew “Playing varsity football and rowing. I think specialization is necessary nowadays to keep up with the recruiting standard. Kids simply cannot get better by playing a sport only one season a year to be at the level necessary to be a highly recruited athlete. That is not to say that it is a good thing. Kids get sport specific injuries from overtraining and sometimes these can be career altering or ending for that sport, but D1 sports are a year round training commitment.” Cam Scari Cross Country and Wrestling “I kind of regret my decision not to specialize in wrestling though because I probably could have gotten good enough for it to help me get into school had I put more time into the sport, and I probably could have racked up some fairly noteworthy accomplishments, which may have made

I just think it’s crazy to have eight-, nine-, the extra training seem less burdensome. If and ten-year-old kids playing the same you’re true to yourself and you really think sport all year. I personally encourage the you have a shot to get into college for a rowers to try different sports in the fall and sport if you specialize, I would say go for it winter. assuming you like the sport.”

the point in doing that.” When asked about specializing in crew, he said, “I personally encourage the rowers to try different sports in the fall and winter, those which physically push the boys in ways they won’t be while rowing.” Lastly, many feel that the entire mindset of athletic specialization is in stark contrast to what Belmont Hill values: personal growth through new challenges, new things and participation in a variety of different activities, the development of a well-rounded personality and a broad range of skills. In athletics, these principles come down to the idea that playing one sport all year round might prevent a boy from finding his true identity. Moreover, in a social context, the athletes who specialize in only one sport can end up being surrounded by the same narrow group of friends for their entire high school or collegiate careers. in high school athletes. Students who It all boils down to one quesplay one sport year round can end up tion: ‘is it worth it?’ In the long run, running out of that passion and desire it is just not worth all its potential they once had in seemingly infinite sup- setbacks, physically or socially. ☐

John Cresap Soccer, Cross Country Skiing, and Crew “Sports specialization is a non-issue. Although there might be teams at Belmont Hill that are missing out some talent, if someone wants to specialize it doesn’t have any significant repercussions. If anything, it’s impressive that someone would dedicate all the time it takes to specialize.” Joe McNamara Hockey and Tennis “I agree with people that say complete specialization is bad, but a little specialization is absolutely neccessary in hockey. If you look at college and professional hockey, the overwhelming majority specialized by the time they were sophomores

Winsor Arts

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Which new movies made the grade this summer? Bridesmaids By Anushree Gupta, Kelly Chen, & Sea- Stars: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Melissa Jay Van der Ploeg McCarthy Panel Staff Genre: Comedy

Plot: Trained by her father since birth to be the perfect assassin, Hanna is dispatched on a mission across Europe, tracked by a brutal intelligence agent and her team. Grade: C. There was frequent violence committed by or aimed at a young child, and the dialogue moved slowly.

Plot: About five bridesmaids’ wild journey Even though the sweet summer breeze to their friend’s wedding, including a is by now only a faint memory, on the bright crazy plane ride to Las Vegas and the least side, the plethora of films released during successful bridal gown fitting...ever. the summer can help us remember our va- Grade: A-. Wiig delievers an amazing cation. In the following reviews, we assess performance and Emmy-winner McCarthy movies ranging from action-packed sequels is hilarious throughout. and prequels to funny romantic comedies. Transformers: Dark of the Moon Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel Genre: Science-Fiction/Action Plot: Evil robots use special technology to try and take over the world, but good robots step in to save Earth from destruction and the human race from enslavement and death. Grade: B. Although the acting was unimpressive and the plot was standard, dramatic special effects and good use of 3-D technology helped the film.

IMDB

Rise of the Planet of the Apes Stars: James Franco, Tom Felton Genre: Science-Fiction Plot: A scientist tries to find a cure for Alzheimer’s and, as a result, geneticallyenhanced chimpanzees rapidly gain intelligence, leading to inter-species war. Grade: A. Stunning special effects, believable acting, and tender moments between ape and man are worth seeing.

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Winsor Arts

New superhero movies zooming into theaters

Mutants unite, first-class style

Starspage.net

but the film generally celebrated, rather than mocked, its protagonist. With delightful secondary characters (including In recent years, comic book geeks a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo from (like this reviewer) have been delighted fellow Avenger Hawkeye) and stunning by the success of comic book movies. The special effects, Thor was a solid, though previously-unseen levels of success that not remarkable, comic book movie. these films have been enjoying may be atX-Men: First Class depicted the fortributed in part to The Dark Knight’s ar- mation of the X-Men and offered a more tistic achievements and the advent of the ambitious message. Thematically, the film Marvel Cinematic Universe, which have used the mutants to discuss the dilemmas jointly brought comic books legitimacy minorities face; the film’s ’60s setting inin the eyes of many. This summer rep- vited comparisons to both Malcolm X and resented a high point in this trend, with Martin Luther King, Jr. because Magneto the release of four new superhero movies. represented separationist thinking while Thor portrays the eponymous god’s Professor X advocated assimilation. While coming-of-age during his banishment to some theater-goers did complain about Earth. Comic book fans had long wor- the film’s weak portrayal of female characried about whether the character could ters, overall X-Men: First Class was one of be accurately depicted in a film, consid- the most intellectually interesting films of ering his famously archaic mannerisms, the summer, providing far more substance By Abigail Gabrieli Panel Staff

IMDB

Crazy, Stupid, Love Stars: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Steve Carell Genre: Romantic comedy Plot: Perpetual womanizer helps man going through a divorce rediscover his masculinity; hilarity ensues as the womanizer falls in love and Carell’s character tries to win back his wife. Collider.com Grade: A. There were engaging characters, Bad Teacher great comedic timing, and an unexpected Stars: Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, ending. And Ryan Gosling is always Jason Segal admirably dapper. Genre: Comedy Plot: Irresponsible teacher tries to capture Hanna the attention of her wealthy colleague Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate through sabatoge and seduction while Blanchett trying to win "Best Teacher" award so she Genre: Action thriller can afford plastic surgery. Grade: B+. Funny moments, such as Timberlake's trying to sing badly and Diaz's playing dodgeball in four-inch stilettoes, made the film enjoyable. Although the quality of the acting was slightly disappointing, the well-written script and great comedic timing made up for it.

IMDB

The next time you're looking for good films to watch, be sure to see these! ☐

By Louisa Kania & Shea Necheles Panel Staff With so many genres lining the shelves of bookstores, there are always books for everyone. But with so many choices, it can often be daunting to pick out a good book. To help you choose, Winsor teachers from different departments have offered some of their favorite reads:

By Katie Weed & Andrea Zhu Panel Staff

Senior Small an Joe d Small Chor us perform in Broughton fall concert

Thank you for the music! By Alice Lu Panel Staff Ms. Brady’s percussion class welcomed students as they entered the Assembly for the annual fall concert on Thursday, October 13 with the pieces “Naya Binghi” and “Coyote Dance.” The percussion performance was followed by Descants’ “Go Gently into the Morning” and “A Wink and A Smile” conducted by Ms. Becker. Afterschool Chorale, with Ms. Taillacq conducting, took the stage and sang “‘Cross the Wide Missouri” accompanied by Michelle Peters ’12 on flute.

than the average summer blockbuster. Green Lantern, which followed the reckless Hal Jordan as he became a member of a galactic police force and learned how to overcome fears, was the summer’s only disappointment. A confusing plot and bad acting from both the movie’s villain and Hal’s love interest doomed the movie, despite its hero’s interesting, original superpower (the ability to construct any object he could imagine). The film’s failure to adapt its source material faithfully - the characteristics it assigned Hal Jordan, its hero, were actually those of Kyle Rayner, a different Green Lantern from the comic series - further marred its box office performance, ensuring that even comic book fans were disappointed with the movie. Captain America showed the adventures of Steve Rogers, a scrawny young man with an over-sized spirit who became super-soldier Captain America during World War II. The film avoided the pitfall of unthinking nationalism and

instead focused on Cap’s stubborn moral code. Furthermore, the movie showcased strong performances from all its principal actors and still found time, amidst all the explosions and chaos, to deliver an insightful message about wartime propaganda. It also featured several wickedly funny moments, which made the film sparkle. Captain America's earnestness made it engaging and refreshing, and, in the end, the best superhero movie of the summer. The summer’s crop of superhero movies foreshadows what is to come next year, with the arrival of The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, making 2012 the superhero movie year of the decade. Until those movies arrive, though, Winsor girls who enjoyed this summer’s movies should consider picking up a comic or two and following the adventures of newly-discovered heroes even further; a Newbury Comics store is just a thirty-minute walk fromWinsor, and the world of comics is always full of thoughtprovoking, action-packed adventures.☐

Teachers' summer readings

Returning TV shows to see entertainingly over-dramatic and turbulent. Gossip Girl, which left last season with a possible pregnancy cliffhanger, reopened Just as our tans fade and we fall with Blair planning her wedding to the back into the routine of school, TV shows prince of Monaco, Serena working on a Holbegin their fall seasons to reward us (or lywood movie set, and Chuck and Nate parmaybe to distract us). Along with a bevy tying on a yacht. The episode had the usual of new shows, many fan favorites like little moments everyone loves about Gos90210, Gossip Girl, and Grey’s Anatomy re- sip Girl: gorgeous dresses, swanky parties, turn, in their fourth, fifth, and eighth sea- Dan's puppy-dog face, and even a return of sons respectively. Although some people the popular catch-phrase, “I’m Chuck Bass.” may think these plots have gone stale, the The season is sure to have more scandal as premiere episodes have shown that these the episodes progress. Although the cliffveteran shows are just as good as ever. hanger is resolved that Blair is pregnant, she 90210 portrays the lavish lifestyles does not know who the father is; meanwhile, of a group of high school friends as they Chuck and Dan continue to pine for her. start college: Dixon and Naomi purchase Grey’s Anatomy also left last season on new houses, Liam is planning to propose a cliffhanger, with the marriages of two main to Annie, and Silver and Navid are shar- characters, Christina and Meredith, on the ing an apartment. The episode delivers on rocks. While Cristina and Owen reconcile the expectations of 90210’s faithful view- in the season premiere, Meredith and Derek ers, as the characters’ relationships remain are still fighting, though ABC has promised to reconcile the couple as the season progresses. Their reunion will definitely be a scene to watch for the followers of Grey’s Anatomy. Beautiful people, rocky relationships, and parties we can only wish to attend all provide a dramatic escape that followers are sure to find entertaining even as these shows age. There are plenty of episodes to watch for new viewers as well. If you need an excuse not to IMDB do your homework, turn on Who cares about school when there's gossip? your television and tune in! ☐

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Small Chorus sang four songs. The first was “Wie will ich mich freuen” by Johann Sebastian Bach, sung in German, followed by “How Do I Love Thee,” a song based on the poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Small Chorus ended by singing the classic “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz paired with a spirited performance of “Everybody Rejoice” from The Wiz with soloists Lena Afeyan ’13, Ming Lewis ’14, Katherine Gross ’14, and Evan Joy McLaurin ’12. Senior Small debuted with a fantastic rendition of the Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back” soloed by Hadley Williams, Emma Finder, and Bailey Scott.☐

Teacher: Ms. Skeele Department: English Recommendation: A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter by William Deresiewicz Summary: An “utterly charming story of how a young, immature, arrogant graduate student grows up and begins to understand himself better by learning to read and understand Austen.” Reason: It is “just a delightful story” and “even if you’ve read Austen many times, it will make you want to read her again.” Teacher: Mr. Bowman Department: History Recommendation: Killing the Cranes: A Reporter’s Journey through Three Decades of War in Afghanistan by Edward Girardet Summary: A “particularly interesting” book about Afghanistan from the viewpoint of a reporter who has travelled there for the past 30 years. Reason: “Since we’re involved there now, it’s very very interesting to see what [Girardet’s] perceptions are about Afghanistan and having troops there," Mr. Bowman noted, again adding that he enjoyed Girardet’s perspective on Afghanistan and "whether or not foreign powers can do anything." Teacher: Ms. Stern Department: Director of the Library

IMDB

Recommendation: State of Wonder by Ann Captain America always shields the world from evil Patchett Summary: A “suspenseful” novel about a pharmaceutical research scientist who gets sent on a mission into the Amazon jungle to find we love about Harry Potter: Hogwarts her former mentor, a woman who mysteriously By Abigail Parker Castle, the spunk of Professor McGonadisappeared while working on the development Panel Staff gall, Neville’s developing bravery, and even of an extremely valuable new drug. Oliver Wood, who had not been seen since Reason: It was “well-written but not dense” Only one important thing hapthe second film but was brought back for and “not a big challenge, but not fluff either.” pened this summer: an era came to a one brief moment for nostalgia’s sake. Furthermore, it had an “interesting main close. With the release of Harry Potter Like all the other Potter movies, this character” and a “fun setting.” and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 on July one had its deviations from the plot of the 15, Warner Bros. Pictures completed books, causing some confusion of the timeTeacher: Ms. Rawlings its retelling of the Harry Potter saga. line of Harry’s search for Ravenclaw’s diaDepartment: Science After ten years’ worth of mov- dem. The final scenes of the series, however, Recommendation: Status Anxiety by Alain de ies, the eighth film finally concluded were given the glory they deserved. While Botton the story. Fans’ nostalgia was played some explanation of the plot was glossed Summary: A book that examines our up by the media in the months lead- over, no one could miss the poignant drama transition from aristocracy to meritocracy and ing up to the movie’s release; maga- that built up, accompanied by quiet, otherthe way in which people, desperate for love and zines published tributes to the series worldly music, as the final spells were cast. recognition of existence, seeks to prove their Harry Potter and the Deathly Halas it came to a close, and fatalistic billstatus through their material belongings. lows: Part 2 was a beautiful finish to the boards reminded us that “It All Ends.” Reason : The book can be used to contextualize movie versions of the series that has enThe film itself was worthy of the both environmental science and the world at grossed the world for over a decade. Even buildup. The movie series had many ups large, a world in which “over-consumption for those who, like me, have more proband downs: new directors, a new actor is a rapidly worsening problem that must be lems with the movie versions than complito play Dumbledore, and new dark, angaddressed.” sty scenes, but it ended on a high note. ments, the last film was a reminder of what The last film was arguably the best in the movies have added to the series. In the Teacher: Ms. Kerble the series. It brought back everything end, just as in the books, “All was well.” ☐ Department: Math Recommendation: Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay Summary: An “awesome” book about a journalist who, when investigating the atrocities of French treatment of Jewish citizens during World War II, finds a personal connection that threatens to shatter her carefully-constructed world. Reason: A well-written historical fiction book that “makes you learn a lot about history that you weren’t aware of.”

A spell-binding conclusion

With these suggestions as a guide, the overwhelming bookstore might seem a little less "[Potter] has been crossing lines ever since he arrived here" - S. Snape daunting on your next visit!☐

IMDB

Belmont Hill Arts

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Sextant revival still going strong by Kyle Wheeler Panel Staff

have several ideas to expand the possibilities still further. To facilitate smoother collection, editing, and publishing (onOver the course of last year, The line and in the magazine), the staff has Sextant, Belmont Hill’s Upper School lit- established a more well-defined strucerary magazine, staged a dramatic revival ture of positions similar to that found on under the leadership of editors Joe Troder- The Panel. This year, we can expect to see man, Andrew McNamara ‘11, and Ryan several contests organized around three Baxter-King. Two years ago, The Sextant didn’t publish at all, and many on campus This year, we can expect to see several were concerned that with no evident stucontests organized around three main dent leaders, the literary magazine would cease to exist. In the face of that void, a ded- categories: photography, poetry, and prose. icated group of sophomores joined with the only remaining staff member, Andrew McNamara, to rebuild the organization. main categories: photography, poetry, The team pushed out two issues, and prose. The contests will involve stuone in the fall and one in the spring, dent submissions on a specific topic, with highlighting the work of many fantastic the winner guaranteed publication in the writers and photographers in the Bel- magazine. The Sextant’s heads are also in mont Hill community. However, they discussions with student editors at WinBill Mahoney also knew that they needed something sor and Nobles about a possible collaboraRichard Greenblatt plays drums more to regain the attention of the com- tion on joint magazines for later this year. Despite all these new programs and munity. Under the direction of Andrew Raftery (succeeding Andrew McNamara progress, the main directive of The Sexthis year as the third student leader), the tant remains to find and showcase crestaff launched a website www.thesextant. ative student work. If you have any writHill’s music department. Students have net to better reach out to students, and ing, be it fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, by Ryan Baxter-King been edging into other programs that had to showcase other media, such as music or if you have photos, videos or musical Panel Staff previously been dominated by profession- and videos, which cannot be contained recordings that you wish to share, the staff On September 30th, the school gath- als. The music at Commencement used to within the pages of a print magazine. would be happy to see your work. Conered in the chapel for a short, fifteen minute be provided by a hired band, but for the Looking forward, these innovators tact any of the editors about your ideas.☐ concert. Four music teachers showcased their past two years, it has been played by the skills: Ian Carroll (tenor saxophone), Rich school orchestra. Mr. Patterson has, in the Greenblatt (drums), Matthew Wright (bass), past, included orchestral instruments in and Dan Loschen (piano). These men played choral performances. Similarly, there may Miles Davis’s “Four” before transitioning to also be an opportunity for student musia second song. Joining them on this second cians to play at the B-Flats’ Winter Concert. Belmont Hill has traditionally been piece were three senior musicians: Tucker Gordon (trumpet), Kyle Wheeler (bari- viewed as a powerhouse in academics and tone saxophone) and Chris Bean (drums). athletics. However, it would be foolish to It is only in the past couple years that stu- overlook the arts community. Every day dents have started playing in the faculty cha- when we walk down the halls, we are surpel. While Paul Donelly (bass), Matt Pawlows- rounded by the most obvious sign of arki (saxophone), and Tucker played with them tistic talent: the thousands of panels lining last year, it is still a relatively new phenomenon. the walls. It is to the school’s credit that it “In the past we had some outside musicians fill provides the opportunity for boys to be out the band,” Mr. Fiori recalled. The involve- student-athlete-artists. That being said, ment of students in the traditionally teacher- the arts program can be overshadowed driven chapel is an exciting signal about the by the school’s reputation. If the school growth of Belmont Hill’s music program. is to continue to grow its opportunities The faculty music chapel is not the for students, the arts program deserves Tucker Gordon only indicator of the growth of Belmont a degree of attention and investment.☐ The Most Recent Sextant Issues

Chapel showcases faculty

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Belmont Hill Arts

Upcoming events

Fall brings three artists to Landau

Tuesday, November 1: There will be a chapel for the Middle School featuring a number of Middle School Musicians. Time: 8:00 AM

by Mark Thurner Panel Staff The Landau Gallery is a constantly changing and evolving resource for artists from all over the country and a place where we can view various types of interesting work throughout the school year. Over the past 22 years, artists with a wide variety of styles have displayed their best work on the walls and floors of the gallery, making it a truly nice spot to stop, to relax and think. When the days get too busy or the work piles up, art can amuse, amaze or calm you, providing a break that is often sorely needed. This year’s schedule has begun with a series of three artists who give us a realistic perspective on the small joys of the visual world. William Harting began the year with a show of photography, mostly in black and white; portraits and intimate Elizabeth Schaefer’s painting, Costa Rican Dracena Marginata

Thursday, November 3: The Middle School Fall Play, Beverly Hillbillies, debuts in the Kraft Theater. The play is open to all members of the community. Time: 4:45 PM Friday, November 4: Beverly Hillbillies, second night. Time: 8:00 PM Saturday, November 5: Beverly Hillbillies, final night. Time: 8:00 PM

tion with photography is a vein that has sets in that these are indeed painted scenes. run through his life for some time, culmi- The show runs through November 4, 2011. nating, as he says, “in a considerable body In November, the Landau hosts a visit of work.” He works solely on film, enjoying from distinguished photographer Joe Schatz. its beauty, its limitations and the challenge Mr. Schatz is a nature and wild life photograof translating his vision onto the paper. pher who has shown at Belmont Hill before October’s featured artist is Elizabeth and is currently on journey gathering more Schaefer, with a show called “Flore of Costa inspiration in the American and Canadian Rica and Other Works”. Amazingly accurate west. His work will hang from November 11 to paintings in acrylic on varnished paper, the the start of our winter break on December 16. work focuses on plant life and the natural Stopping in the gallery isn’t a terWilliam Harting’ photograph world. Ms. Shaefer is fascinated by the bal- ribly time consuming or difficult taskviews of simple scenes. Having served as an ance of shadows in her work and takes her but the rewards can be great. So, if you editor at The Boston Globe for many years, inspiration from nature’s everyday beauty. ever find yourself in need of a break or Mr Harting has begun to concentrate on Of distinctly photographic realism, the simply just feel like viewing something the visual world much more since his re- paintings have elicited amazement and per- beautiful, stop by Robsham and the Lantirement, though he finds that this fascina- plexed looks of disbelief after the realization dau Gallery. Brighten your day a bit.☐

by Ryan Baxter-King Panel Staff

Nate Yuen in his senior year

When Nathan Yuen graduated last year, he had amassed a considerable reputation and an impressive list of ‘firsts’ as one of the school’s top musicians. Within the school, he was in the first Belmont Hill Classical Ensemble. He was also a founding member of the smaller Chamber Ensemble. He continued his participation through his senior year; “Nate had been a guiding force in our growing music program, Bill Mahoney and a role model for our younger musi-

Two plays to premier in November George (Matt Hayes) and Emily (SuBy contrast, the Middle School play, sanne Howe), lost in love. There is the Beverly Hillbillies follows the adventures folksy warmth to the newspaper boy’s of the Clampett family through the discries of, “Mornin Doc,” as he does his covery of an oil field on their land and Thorton Wilder’s Our Town, the daily route and the wry comments of Mr. their new and wealthier life in Beverly timeless, Pulitzer prize winning play, Hills society. The old T.V. show satirized will be produced this year by Belmont There is the folksy warmth to the “civilized” American life and the joint Hill and Winsor. Directed by Mr. MaWinsor-Belmont Hill production aims cLean, Our Town is the intimate story newspaper boy’s cries of, “Mornin for the same humor with a similar tone Doc,” as he does his daily route.... of goofy insightfulness. It is rife with that is sage, spiritual, and heartfelt. Grover’s Corners, the fictional village in New jocularity and ridiculous adventures that Hampshire, comes alive because seems so Webb as he reflects on Grover’s demo- echo the hillbilly hilarity of the 1960’s real and the simple life depicted so poi- graphics. There is an air of deep nostal- sitcom. The production will be directed show on November 18 and 19 at 8:00 gnant. Populating the town are Howie gia that pervades the show reflecting the by Ms. DeKenessey and will run from and Sunday the 20 at 2:00. Both shows (Mack Clair) and his horse Bessie, the ephemeral nature of life, reminding us November 3, at 4:45 PM, to Novem- will be held in the Kraft Theater. TickState Manager (Edward Columbia), and of the importance of the here and now. ber 4 and 5, at 8:00 PM. Our Town will ets can be reserved at belmonthill.org.☐ by Jake Pagano Panel Staff

Sunday, November 6: The choral groups of Belmont Hill and Roxbury Latin participate in the Annual Choral Fest, which takes place in the Hamilton Chapel. Community members welcome. Time: 7:00 PM. Thursday, November 10: Chapel featuring poet Peter Fallon. His website is www.peterfallon.com. Time: 10:15 AM. Friday, November 11: An Open Rehearsal will be held in the Hamilton Chapel. The rehearsal will feature a number of instrumental groups in addition to soloists preparing for the Senior District Festival. Open to all members of the community. Time: 6:00 PM. Friday, November 18: The Upper School Fall Play, Our Town begins a series of three performances, to be located in the Kraft Theater. Tickets can be reserved online Time: 8:00 PM. Saturday, November 19: Our Town continues. Time: 8:00 PM. Sunday, November 20: The cast of Our Town gives its final performance. Time: 2:00 PM. Monday, November 21: The Woodbury Finals will be held today in an all-school chapel. Time: 8:00 AM.

Nathan Yuen continues music at Tufts

age five, he began participating in a “kindermusic” program. He transitioned to viocians. He spent the past five years leading lin when he was seven and eventually began the group,” said Mr. Fiori in April 2010. playing the viola as his primary instrument. Outside of Belmont Hill, in the Spring Currently a sophomore at Tufts Uniof 2008, he became the first Belmont Hill stu- versity, Nate is still involved in music. During dent to participate in the Senior District fes- freshman year, he played in the Tufts Symtival, sponsored by the Massachusetts Music phony Orchestra, in the third viola chair. UnEducators Association.Two years later, he fortunately, he has been unable to continue was the first Belmont Hill student to par- with the orchestra this year. “I actually had to ticipate in the All-State festival. Auditions drop orchestra due to schedule conflicts this are only offered to the top players from each year,” he said. “I still do play guitar, electric of the Massachusetts regions. At prize day bass, djembe and the drums with friends.” his senior year, he received the InstrumenAt this point, he has not taken tal Music Prize and the Ensemble Award. any music related classes at the univerNate started playing music early. At sity, but he hopes to in the near future.☐

Pag e 1 5

Friday, December 9: The Fall Coffee House will feature a number of student musicians in a wide range of style. Time: 6:30 PM. Friday, December 11: Holiday Concert to be held at the Heritage Museum in Lexington. Time: 3:00 PM. Joe Schatz’ photograph, Natures Majesty

all photos courtesy of the artists

Senior musician transitions to composing styles of jazz composition and arranging.” Tucker is the president of the Jazz music. “I’d never really been interested in writing jazz until I came here and stud- Band. He also writes pieces for the group, ied with Mr. Fiori, so that’s changed a lot and often performs his own pieces. BeFor many, music is merely something of things,” he says. Tucker now plays the sides playing in the Belmont Hill Jazz Band, Tucker plays at New England Conservato listen to, but for sixth former Tucker Gortory on Wednesday nights. “It’s a band don it is clearly something more. It is a pas- “I’d never really been interested in sion. He began his musical career with piano writing jazz until I came here and that brings together high school musicians lessons at age five, and since then he has been from all around New England, we rehearse studied with Mr. Fiori, so that’s an avid musician. After those early days of two hours a week, and have a couple perchanged a lot of things... [We] are formances, including a performance at piano playing, Tucker developed a fascination with Jazz. He continued this interest studying the techniques behind all Boston’s First Night celebration on New when he came to Belmont Hill as a freshman different styles of jazz composition Years Eve.” New England Conservatory is and joined the Middle School jazz band. a prestigious institution and this translates and arranging.” into their concerts. Community mem“I think I first became interested in Jazz during the summer after fifth grade,” trumpet in the Upper School Jazz Band, bers are encouraged to attend the concert. he says. He developed his knowledge and which he started in fourth grade, and is en“I don’t really have plans for the fuappreciation for this musical genre dur- joying the time he is spending on an inde- ture… I guess just keep playing and writing,” ing Mr. Fiori’s “Theory of Jazz” course in pendent study in music composition with he says We can expect many great things his sophomore year. The experience also Mr. Fiori. “Mr. Fiori and I are studying the from him and in the meantime, we can lissparked Tucker’s interest in writing of jazz techniques and theory behind all different ten to his great music right here at school.☐ Tucker Gordon Bernardo Pacini Panel Staff

Bill Mahoney

Winsor Sp orts

Pa g e 1 6

Th e Pan el

FALL SPORTS UPDATE

Winsor Sp orts

O c tob er 2 1 , 2 0 1 1

UNDER THE LIGHTS 2011 Senior secrets to spirit week By Anna Kennedy & Catherine Walsh Panel Staff

By Holly Breuer, Sophie Cyker, Claudia Forrester, Caroline MacGillivray, & Leila Vicinelli Panel Staff

1. Assume it will rain. 2. Make sure your body paint is washable.

Crew:

Pag e 1 7

3. Prepare yourself for maximum sugar intake throughout the week. 4. Ensure that more than one person knows your cheer.

• Welcomes a novice roster of 13 this fall and two new coaches, Libby Boghossian and

5. If you’re in the Lower School, either be cute or do a backflip.

Katie O’ Driscoll.

6. Go off-campus and ride the T in your spirit garb: the more outrageous, the better.

• Works out weekly with the team’s trainer, Renville, who helps the team build strength

7. Take note: dress code does not apply for spirit week.

and speed.

8. Dress as a Communist, then have meetings with outside visitors (…Mr. Didier).

• Rowed beautifully at the Textile Regatta on October 2, placing fifth out of 38 boats in

9. Rotate Wildcat costume duties every 20 minutes (to maintain your sense of smell).

the varsity 8+ division and third out of 40 boats in the varsity 4+ division.

10. Get your UTL shirts early; otherwise you’ll end up with a dress, not a shirt.

• Has great leadership this year under co-captains Anna Kennedy ’12 and Bailey Scott ’12.

11. Make as a big a scene as possible when showing off your Junior apparel.

• Looks forward to rowing in the Head of the Charles, one of the world’s most prestigious

12. Know the name of your sibling squad.

regattas, on October 23. ☐

13. Attend at least one cheer practice BEFORE Friday morning.

UTL SCOREBOARD WINSOR

GUEST

Varsity Field Hockey

5

0

Varsity Soccer

0

2

J.V. Field Hockey

4

1

J.V. Soccer

0

1

Mid 1 Field Hockey

7

0

Mid 1 Soccer

6

2

Mid 2 Field Hockey

2

0

14. Don’t mosh. Just don’t do it. Winsor crew prepares for Head of the Charles

Georgia Williams

Cross Country:

15. Be chosen as Ms. Labieniec’s favorite cheer ever (cough, cough 2012). ☐

HEAD OF THE CHARLES

• Welcomes eight new runners this year, resulting in a large team of 22. • Opened the season with a perfect score, meaning that Winsor runners finished in all five top positions. • Followed up with consecutive victories over Berwick, BB&N, Beaver, Concord, and Lawerence Academy by over 20 points each time! • Suffered a loss to St. Paul’s by only a single point in the team’s second meet but still remains undefeated in the EIL. • Looks forward to seven more meets in the coming months, including EIL championships (November 4) at their home course in Franklin Park. Go Winsor! ☐

Sunday October 23 Winsor:

Youth Women’s 4+ at 10:52 a.m. Youth Women’s 8+ at 1:47 p.m.

Belmont Hill:

Youth Men’s 4+ at 10:22 a.m. Winsor-Belmont Hill Boathouse 5 Greenough Blvd, Cambridge

Cross country co-captain McGrath ’13 leads the pack

Gus Freeman

Bailey Scott

Gus Freeman

Scottish field team from Marr College visits Winsor

Field Hockey: • Triumphed recently over Berwick Academy 2-0 and over Concord Academy 6-0. • Welcomes new players Natalie Sayegh ’15 and Arielle Mitropoulos ’15 to the team. • Recognizes one team member after each game for outstanding play with the “Wildcat” award, which allows that player to take care of the team’s stuffed wildcat until the next game. • Is determined to make it to the top of pool A in the EIL tournament, a goal sure to drive the Wildcats to achieve great things this season. ☐ Augusta Winthrop ’12 steals the ball from her opponent

Gus Freeman

Soccer: • Opened the season with league victories over Portsmouth Abbey and Berwick. • Welcomes 11 new players, including four freshman, after losing 12 players from last year’s EIL championship team. • Demolished Portsmouth Abbey and Boston Trinity, scoring a combined total of 20 goals and giving up none. • Scored 24 goals in September under the leadership of high scorer Delancey King ’14, while goalkeepers Emily Morton ’12 and Caroline Ognibene ’14 allowed only six goals from opposing teams. • Will play six more games at home during the months of October and November before defending their EIL title at Pingree on November 12. Go Wildcats! ☐ Gus Freeman

tish girls Winsor pins and Winsor t-shirts. Shortly after the pin ceremony, the game began. Instead of the regular two 30-minute halves in a standard high school On September 15, the Winsor var- field hockey game, the game consisted of sity field hockey team welcomed the Marr three periods, each 20 minutes long, in College field hockey team from Troon, order to maximize playing time for both Scotland, for a friendly international teams’ players. The Scottish team had a match. The Scottish girls had a short very different playing style from that of tour of Boston before arriving at Win- many teams Winsor is used to; many of the sor around noon and then observing two girls had powerful hits rather than focusWinsor classes; the visitors were amazed ing on the type of passing game played in by the relaxed nature of Winsor classes as the EIL. The Scottish team was able to score well as the open relationship between stu- one goal for each of the first two periods, dents and teachers. After the school day but the Wildcats held them to a shut-out ended, the Scottish girls separated from third period. Despite numerous offentheir hosts and prepared for the game. sive runs, Winsor was unable to find the Before the game even started, at least back of the net, and the game ended after a hundred underclassmen, parents, and three periods 0-2 in favor of Marr College. After the game, the Winsor and Scotfaculty had filled up all sides of the field in order to watch the special occasion. As it tish teams enjoyed dinner and socializing was an official international match, both in the Winsor cafeteria. Defender Rebecca teams’ rosters were announced and the na- Williams ’13 says, “It was really fun playing tional anthems were sung before the game against the Scottish team, and it was interstarted. Winsor students Lena Afeyan ’13, esting to see that even though we are from Katherine Gross ’14, and Bailey Scott ’12 different continents, we share the game of sang the American national anthem live field hockey.” After spending the night with for all the spectators including the Winsor some Winsor hosts, the Scottish team left varsity and JV soccer teams practicing on the next day for Rhode Island in order to the soccer field. Afterwards, pins and small continue their tour at the Lincoln School. gifts were exchanged by the teams. The Overall, having a visiting team from ScotScottish girls gave each Winsor player a pin land was a great experience for all of the of a Scottish and American flag, a tradition- players; they were able to form new friendal Scottish handkerchief, and a water bottle. ships, sharpen skills, and get a glimpse Gus Freeman In return, Winsor players gave the Scot- of a different culture through sport. ☐ By Joyce Zhang Contributing Writer

• Loves its senior co-captains Erin Cohee ’12 and Sarah Thomsen ’12!

Kate MacLean ’13 takes a shot on goal

Georgia Williams

Marr College and Winsor swap pins after the game

Pa g e 1 8

Belmont Hill Sp orts

Th e Pan el

XC getting even better

Everyone had amazing races and the work ethic that our guys showed (and continue to show) set the tone for drastic improvements this season; we have a great chance to take ISLs if we keep up the hard work. charge in the varsity race. Captain Joe lives. At the varsity level, Ian Meyer ran an Troderman, along with Cam Scari, Jake extraordinary race, achieving a remarkBill Mahoney Pagano, and Alex Bailey rounded out the able time of 15:40. Several other varsity Conor Murphy throws a pass in the victory over BB&N top six. Kyle Wheeler ran a superb race runners completed the 3.1-mile race in for JV, justifying his advance to a key under 18 minutes. Captain Joe Troderrole on the varsity squad in league races. man said about the race that, “Although After two weeks of vigorous training we didn’t come through with the win, evthat included multiple long-distance runs, eryone had amazing races and the work hill workouts, and speed training, the ethic that our guys showed (and continue by Jon Goodman strong, continuing their shutout streak to team traveled to Brooks for the first ISL to show) set the tone for drastic improvePanel Staff 6 consecutive quarters. Although the game league meet. Despite injuries, most nota- ments this season; we have a great chance ended in a 14-0 win for Belmont Hill, Coach bly a concussion suffered by Matt Czar- to take ISLs if we keep up the hard work.” Continuing the good work, Belmont Fleming was not pleased. He remained criti- necki at the MV race, the team ran their Hill’s runners ran well at both the varsity hearts out on Brooks’ hilly course on an The Belmont Hill football team started cal of the offensive line’s performance, feeling and junior varsity levels in the two most exceedingly humid afternoon. Ian Meyer off the season with a huge rivalry game that the team needed to improve each week recent races against St. George’s and St. triumphed with a time of 17:32, defeatagainst a formidable opponent. Buckingham and that this week, the offense had not imSebastian’s, two meets in only three days. ing two strong runners from St. Mark’s. Brown and Nichols was ranked as high as the proved as much as they needed to to maintain Under the guidance of Coaches In the end, Belmont Hill defeated Brooks fourth best team in the state by ESPN Rise momentum. Rice, Trautz, and Kirby, and the leaderand Rivers, but St. Mark’s prevailed, finWith the St. Paul game behind them, magazine, and that was the first challenger ship of Captains Joe Troderman and Ian ishing with five of the top seven runners. of the year but Belmont Hill was more than Belmont Hill (2-0) faced a Nobles team with a Meyer, the cross-country team looks to On the following Saturday, deready for this game. It did not start out as 0-2 record going into the contest. Coach Flemimprove as the season continues, and termined to redress the previous weekplanned, as BHS fell into a 14-0 hole in the ing had stressed that the Belmont Hill squad end’s loss, the team won two fantastic to ably defend last year’s ISL title.☐ first half, but the team showed resiliency could not let a team like Nobles hang around, and started their comeback in the third and his team took his words to heart, starting period. George McLaughlin put them on with a first quarter touchdown from a 38-yard the board with a 14-yard run, followed by a pass, Murphy to Barros, giving Belmont Hill two-point conversion from Conor Murphy an early lead of 7-0. That lead remained until to Eric Oberg, making the score 14-8. In the third quarter, when Mike Leary caught a the second half, the Belmont defense was 30-yard touchdown pass (from Murphy) and impeccable, led by senior captain Brian also returned an interception for a 50-yard Bowser and junior Dewey Jarvis, holding touchdown. At this point it went to a 21-0 advantage. Adding to this lead with another catch by Barros for 25 yards and We do things differently here at Bel- touchdown an 18-yard run by McLaughlin, Belmont Hill mont Hill and we showed what we improved the season’s record to 3-0. do here can still beat teams. Coach Fleming added, “This is a special year (for me) and this is a great team. This team BB&N to 0 points. McLaughlin also had a worked hard and the conditioning is showing. 12-yard run in the fourth (the two-point- Also the team has great senior leadership and conversion failed) to tie the game at 14. great captains (Brian Bowser, Mike Minihan, With less than 2 minutes left, McLaughlin Parker Mundt and Robert Perdoni).” Belmont Hill traveled to St. Sebastian’s to hit a 29-yard field goal to make it 17-14 in favor of Belmont Hill. An interception by AJ take on an excellent Arrows squad. St. Sebs Barros iced the game, giving Belmont Hill a got off to an early start, taking a lead with a 17-14 win, a great come-from-behind start first quarter touchdown. However, Belmont Hill came back scoring two more times in the to the season. Coach Kevin Fleming claimed, “This first half. Short runs by George McLauhlin was my best opening win ever,” adding, “I and Matt Gustafson propelled Belmont Hill have never pointed to one game and put this to a 14-6 lead at halftime. A quick touchdown much pressure on my team to win a game by Sebs made the game 14-12. A field goal by before. I usually focus on playing well, but Mclaughlin extended the lead to 17-12. Several touch stands by the Belmont Hill defense I really wanted to win.” Coach Fleming had a tough task ahead ended the game. Belmont Hill improved to of him, refocusing his team after such an 4-0 with a 17-12 win, spoiling St. Sebastians’ emotional win. “I tried to state clearly, as homecoming. The football season at Belmont Hill is of 5:15 on Monday, that the BB&N game was over. We needed to focus on St. Paul’s.” off to a great start, and the team hopes to The squad looked like they understood this continue their success against St. Sebastian’s message, jumping out to a quick 14-0 lead and the other great teams of the ISL, aiming in the first half. The scoring came through at a league championship - perhaps even the the air and on the ground. Conor Murphy coveted New England championship. The connected, to Mike Minihan for a 25-yard Panel staff wishes the team congratulations on Bill Mahoney touchdown pass and for a 29-yard run everything accomplished so far and the best Cam Scari and Diego Fernández del Castillo sprinting at the finish by George McLaughlin. The defense held of luck with the rest of the season. ☐

BHS football starts strong

Pag e 1 9

Varsity Sports’ daily schedules

by Matt Czarnecki Panel Staff

races in front of a Homecoming crowd here on the hill. Facing BB&N, Groton, and Thayer, Belmont Hill swept the top five places in the JV race, as Jake Though the results have been mixed Pagano resiliently ran through pain to so far, the Belmont Hill cross-country come out victorious. At the varsity level, team has worked hard to improve through- Ian Meyer won handily, coming without the season and has developed a strong in a few seconds of the course record. Six days later, the team journeyed to group of runners in the varsity line-up. To begin the season, seven varsity Concord to face Middlesex, St. Paul’s, and and thirteen junior varsity runners went Milton. With a relatively flat course, many to the fifth annual Martha’s Vineyard In- runners at both the varsity and junior varvitational in Oak Bluffs. On a blistering, sity levels set personal bests on a pictursunny day, with temperatures soaring esque day. It was an idyllic afternoon of towards 90 degrees, the team ran very running as Colin Power, R.J. Grant, and well on a challenging course, with Cap- David Hincks joined multiple other memtain Ian Meyer and Ty Gill leading the bers of JV in running the best race of their

Belmont Hill Sp orts

O c tob er 2 1 , 2 0 1 1

The fall is a competitive season for Belmont Hill athletics, and varsity teams have many different strategies in prepar-

ing for the grueling challenges that they will face throughout the season. Some drills are universal to all the teams, such as fitness, but others are more specialized to each particular sport. This is an in depth look into how each of the varsity teams prepares for their match-ups each week.

Day of the Week

Varsity Soccer

Varsity Cross Country

Varsity Football

Monday

Some skill work and

Emphasis on speed runs

Running, lifting and film

drills but mostly fitness

(about 3.5 miles)

Prepare for possible

Emphasis on Hills (about

Hitting drills, individual

game scenarios, free

2.5 miles)

position work on tack-

John Sutherland Panel Staff

Tuesday

kicks and scrimmaging

ling, blocking and some team work

Wednesday

Thursday

Games

Meets or on non-meet

Film review and focus

days, off campus runs

on the team, JV plays a

(5-7 miles)

game, lifting as well

Some fitness and empha-

Distance runs (4-5 miles

Kicking and special

sis on second team

at an easy pace)

teams; some work as a

Free kicks and passing;

Meets or on non-meet

Helmets only, and

preparation for game

days, yoga

mental preparation for

team Friday

Saturday’s game, not a lot of hitting

Soccer triumphs over the ISL by Kevin Chen Panel Staff

their experience, while newcomers Josh Fischer and Tucker Hallowell are learning much and demonstrating their prowess. In four games, Josh Voto has led the With the season well on its way, team with six goals, and Josh Fischer has Belmont Hill’s varsity soccer team is on scored two. Recently, the team faced powa solid course. Having faced five teams erhouse Nobles, who led the league with already, St. Paul’s, BB&N, Rivers, Gro- a 5-0 record. The players and coaches ton, and Nobles, the young team has a treated this game with a playoff mentalrecord of four hard-fought ties and one ity, ready to fight Goliath in the season’s thrilling win. However, improvement highlight match-up. Nobles drew first is the name of the game as team mem- blood, scoring twice and leaving Belmont Tucker Gordon bers are beginning to adapt to working Hill scrambling to catch up. However, Striker Abdurezak Shemsu maneuvering around a Groton player together as a group, and there are high senior striker Josh Voto came through hopes for a run for the title. As junior with three spectacular goals, leading goalkeeper Danny Fischer states, “We’re Belmont Hill to an amazing 3-2 finish. With Nobles a notch on its collecexpecting good things for us this year. As a young team, we have great raw tal- tive belt, the well-bonded team looks by Robert Sayegh ent and the potential to improve. Al- forward to showcasing its full ability, over the summer in the past, but prePanel Staff though the league is tough, we’re ready and the season is beginning to gather fers regular practice at his own gym. to take on anyone coming our way.” speed. Tough opponents remain, but “I’ve been to a few camps but I generCaptains Sebastian King and John varsity soccer is determined to continue ally don’t like them, it’s weird working Cresap are supporting the team with to pursue the winning path it has set.☐ Most Belmont Hill students com- with coaches you have never met before.” mit themselves to one of the many difThree years ago, Colton suffered a ferent sports offered at school each stress fracture in his knee that required season, but at age seven, Colton Brad- surgery. It did not heal completely for alley found a love for Gymnastics and most six months. This was a setback for has devoted much time to it since then. him, but it did not stop him from conCurrently a Third Former at Bel- tinuing gymnastics after he had recovmont Hill, Colton practices every night, ered. “I have done it for a long time, and Monday through Friday, from five to I enjoy it,” he said. He has also suffered Scoring two touchdowns against BB&N, nine o’clock at Gymnastics and More in other, thankfully less severe, injuries over and one against St. Paul’s, Nobles, and St. Woburn. How does a freshman man- the nearly eight years he has been doing gymnastics. Among Sebastian’s, George McLaughlin has been a age to combine the vigorous acaare broken key component to the success of Belmont [Injuries] are just a part of gymnas- these demics at Belmont fingers and toes, Hill Football’s offense. Coming through on tics and will slow you down in some damage to growth Hill with such a countless occasions, the senior has battled consuming areas, but sometimes you just have to plates, and some past many a defensive line, often propelling time athletic commitbruises. “They are fight through them. the team to victory. Along with being a great ment? In Form I, just a part of gymrunning back, he has excelled as a field goal he played sports nastics and will slow kicker. In both the BB&N game and the St. at school as well, but subsequently you down in some areas, but sometimes Sebastian’s game, he has kicked pivotal field stopped after it became apparent that you just have to fight through them.” goals, helping Belmont Hill come out victorifitting a seven hour school day and a Despite the injuries and all the ous. Not only has he kicked field goals, he four hour Gymnastics practice in every problems of an overcrowded schedule, is also the extra point kicker where he has converted all 9 of his attempts. George has day was more than enough on its own: Colton loves the sport and has no inbecome an excellent field goal kicker, using “It’s tough with schoolwork, I leave my tention of stopping. He actively comhis past experience from soccer. George has house at 6:40 am and don’t get home un- petes throughout the course of the year started off the season with great success and til 9:15 pm. My time for homework is af- in all six events of the all-around gymwe wish him well in the last few games in ter school and after gym, and I usually nast, attending about eight competiget it done.” In doing so, he has joined tions. In 2011, Colton placed took the his senior year. a small but distinguished group of ath- silver at states, seventh at regionals. In letes who are able to excel in an activ- 2010, he competed at the nationals event ity outside of school, while maintain- and placed 126 th in the entire country, ing a high degree of academic integrity. quite an accomplishment and proof He has attended extra camps that his commitment is paying off.☐

Athlete Profile: Colton Bradley

UA Athlete of the Issue

L ast L o ok

Pa g e 2 0

Th e Pan el

Top 10 Students/Faculty Likely to Leave School Midyear #10: Random First Former: Will leave school, but will come back next year. #9: Joe Troderman: Found guilty by association in last year’s dorm extracurricular activities. #8: Jeff Ott: Gets lost while following some rare birds in the Habitat.

William Stonestreet

John Power

Alex Bailey

Dr. Thompson

bnet.com Gorton’s Fisherman Jonathan Folsom

Ms. Conti

Pam Halpert

Quillen Bradlee

#7: Ms. P: George, Conor, and Minahan show up with a special guest, Patrick Bathon. She quits on the spot. #6: Jim Vesey: Whoops...Already left. #5: Mr. Butler: Finds the remains of Neissa’s experiment from last year. Publishes it and retires on the paycheck. #4: Pranay Bose: Chasing down whoever gave Adam Maleh mono (so he can get his first kiss too).

Mr. Sullivan

#3: Richard Mummolo: Finds a great new way to pad his resumé, and decides there’s no reason to go to school anymore. #2: Cam Scari: moneyforteen.com goes viral. Having fulfilled his lifelong dream of entrepreneurial success, he drops out of school and moves to Spain. #1: Mr. Butler (the one who doesn’t wear a tie): After finally losing the battle against Transformice, leaves for a public school where he will not face such sophisticated resistance.

wikipedia.org

Will Golonka

moxietoday.com Finch (American Pie)

Winsor Picks

Spirit Week 2011

Party Rock ✓sorry Math Dept ✓17π/3 When I grow up... ✓Mr. Bowman Junior Apparel

✓F13RCE

Senior Apparel

✓x3

Students’ futures

✓The Jersey Shore

Body Paint ✓my bra is pink! UTL

✓+++++++

collage by Elise Green and Agusta Winthrop