Main Street Fall 2021 - Edition 7

EDITION NO. 7

FALL 2021

MAIN

STREET

THE BEMENT SCHOOL STUDENT MAGAZINE

GETTYSBURG TRIP AFTER COVID

SLAVERY IN HISTORIC DEEERFIELD

COVID RECOVERY AT BEMENT

A new experience after a year without the trip

The story behind the place where we live, laugh, and learn

New changes at Bement that help students experience a normal school year after school reopens

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editor's Note

02

Recovering from COVID

03

Experiences of Students Remote Last Year

05

Overview of Dorm Life

07

By Jonathan So '23

Reflections on Slavery in Deerfield

22

2021-22 Student Council Members Biographies

24

Contributors

29

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Sports at Bement

08

School Festivities

14

Eighth and Ninth Grade Trip

16

Editor's Note After a year and a half of the pandemic, facing uncertainties and risks, Bement opened again with everyone in the community back together. This year is both familiar and different for us. Living under a pandemic situation, many programs are back on track and how it was in our memories.

Sports games back on, being with friends and all the traditions that Bement used to do but didn’t because of the special situation last year. In this edition, like how the eighth and ninth graders started this club, we will be presenting events at Bement this fall. Thank you to every faculty member working hard and bringing the Bement back from our memories; thank you to all the club members contributing to making this issue happen; thank you for taking time and reading our effort. At last, we hope you enjoy this edition brought to you by a whole new team.

Gordon and Fumi '22 EDITORS IN CHIEF

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Recovering from Covid-19

By Flora and Rose '23 COVID-19 was and is still a global issue and many people have been affected.

Many students last year had to study via zoom and it was really hard to communicate with teachers and classmates. The time zone difference drove us crazy and we usually stayed up until midnight. It greatly altered our life. Fortunately, things have changed and all the students were able to return back on campus. This fall term has gone really successfully and we all enjoyed seeing each other again.

-Flora ’23

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When COVID-19 hit, all the classes shifted to remote. Students had to use Zoom in order to communicate with their teachers and classmates. Meanwhile, quarantining drove most of us out of our minds. Instead of spending most of our time communicating with others in person, we experienced a different way to communicate with our classmates and friends and were able to spend more time with our families at home. As the risk of COVID decreased, our lives slowly transitioned to normality, step by step. This fall, the online students finally received the opportunity to return back on campus. Not only do we have a complete boarding family now, but a complete great start to our year awaiting the memories we build with each other.

-Rose ’23

CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

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EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS REMOTE LAST YEAR

by Vickie '23

When I recalled my experiences as a remote student last year, the first few things that popped into my mind were my computer, a room with a huge bookshelf in the back, and the cups of coffee that kept my eyes open and my brain functioning. To be honest, remote learning is challenging, especially if you are living in a different time zone. The first challenge is the time difference. Students living in the northern hemisphere had to stay up every night till midnight to participate in the classes, and that did mess up our schedules as well as habits. Another challenge that made remote learning difficult was how the quality of classes greatly depended on the internet connection.

There were several times when I found myself having no clue of what the class was doing on the other side of the globe due to unstable connections. All the challenges made me grateful that now we are all here in person. It is absolutely amazing to see all of my friends and this year.

-Vickie '23

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CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

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An Overview of Dorm life

-Melanie '25

At the Dorms, the students develop independence by learning responsibilities such as keeping track of their own belongings and keeping their rooms neat. During the weekends, Bements’ boarding students enjoy a variety of fun activities, that can vary from going to Six Flags all the way to kayaking. Bement is also contributing actively to community services, such as serving at Stone Soup by helping the chefs prepare food for people in need.

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Sports at Bement

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Boys Soccer Soccer programs at Bement have always been popular. However, this year we faced a shortage of players. Our soccer coaches worked together and made the decision to combine JV and Varsity and used this as an opportunity for younger players to have more time playing on the field. Some sixth and seventh graders even had the opportunity to experience some higher level of soccer and participated in some of the Varsity games while they played many opponents at their skill level as JV players. With the shortage of participants and many new to the sport, Varsity this year has developed into an outstanding team. With the record of only losing three games this season, everyone improved a lot and this year’s experience will be important before Bement players enter prep school and play against stronger and more experienced opponents.

-Gordon '22

Boys V Soccer

Boys JV Soccer PAGE 9 | MAIN STREET

Girls Soccer This year, girls' varsity soccer went against several high schools and some middle schools, including NMH, Vermont Academy, Williston, and many others. We also had a few new players who had never played soccer before but tried their best to learn and practice really hard with the team. Despite the fact that most of our opponents were taller and stronger than us, everyone did their best and we ended strong with a record of seven wins, two ties, and one loss. At the end of the session, the team entered the girls' soccer tournament hosted by the Indian Mountain School, which wasn't held last year because of COVID. We played against other middle schools such as Foote, Fay, Rumsey, and IMS. As the fourth highest-ranked team, we entered the consolation match and lost against Rumsey, ending up fourth out of five schools. However, I’d like to point out that we tied IMS, which got first place, beating Fay by one goal. Even though we lost many games, we still enjoyed playing with other middle schools and we were rewarded with the “Team Sportsmanship Award” at the end of the tournament. Every player in the girl soccer varsity team put effort into this fall session of soccer practice and we all improved a great deal, whether it’s personal skills or teamwork.

-Cleo '23

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Cross Country Bement’s cross country team consists of students from grade 5 up to 9. This year, we had a new coach, Ms. R.H. She and Mr. Belcher did a wonderful job coaching us. Cross country may look easy but it requires skills. We participated in a lot of meets after a year of COVID. Runners challenged themselves and many got their personal records or seasonal best. I especially want to point out the Miller Invitational. It is a very tiring and hard course. It is a hilly three-mile course. However, every runner did a great job and finished the race. Every member improved through a season of running and the team all had a great time together.

-Flora '23

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Field Hockey y Bement’s varsity Field Hockey team had a wonderful season, with games against middle and high schools. Field Hockey had a few wins and losses, but we did not leave with a negative attitude when there was a loss. This year’s field hockey was completely new, with many players (including fifth graders) joining the team, each with unique skills to improve upon. Two new wonderful coaches joined as well, Coach Carter and Coach Skii; both coaches motivated us during practice and games. They always had a positive attitude and had us see the brighter side of losing; to work hard and remember that it's okay to lose.

Everyday Field Hockey goes out into the field and practices stick work and teamwork. Josie ’23 and Campbell ‘22 are our captains, they lead stretches and practice and keep the team together. As some of you may know, the annual Field Hockey Jamboree, which was canceled last year, was hosted once again

by Bement. Our Field Hockey team played against four out of the eight teams that came that day; this included Foote, Belchertown, Manchester, and Frontier Junior. We had a wonderful time despite the cold that morning. The players on this team did amazing work and improved so much; we worked as a team and cheered each other on!

-Tianni '23 & Melody '23

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Recreational Tennis Tennis, despite how easy it is at first, requires many skills such as flexibility, balance, agility, and power. Bement’s recreational tennis program is an entertaining and engaging experience where students develop their tennis skills while bonding with others!

Though there are players coming from a various skill level, we are able to learn from each other and grasp the basic foundational skills. Through the tennis program, we are able to enhance our knowledge by learning the rules and how to use the courts. A standard tennis practice starts by all players arriving at the courts, rallying or playing mini-tennis. Then we run a few laps around the Deerfield Academy track and volunteer students to lead stretches.

As the group improves, we are able to play more competitive matches. Recreational tennis is a great way to learn the basics of tennis for players!

-Jessica '24

Dance Dance at Bement is very therapeutic; it helps the students relax while they strengthen and train their muscles to become stronger.

This year at Bement, we focused more on increasing flexibility and balance. Additionally, we worked together, which expanded our ability to communicate and work on teamwork skills. Students enjoy dance, an entertaining sport!

-Melanie '25 PAGE 13 | MAIN STREET

SCHOOL FESTIVITIES -Vickie '23, Tianni '23, Iris '24

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Bement Day Bement Day is an open day for students to present to their parents what they are obtaining through their Bement education. On this day of the year, we invite our parents to join our classes as well as to watch our performances. Both upper school and lower school bands, orchestras, and chorus did a fantastic job carrying on the pieces they’ve been working on for the last two months. The presence of parents made our community even more lively than usual, even under Covid restrictions! All the classes were held outdoors and the enthusiasm from both students and parents filled the atmosphere.

Crazy Hat Day As Halloween approached, upper school and lower school students wore crazy hats and participated in trick or treating around campus. Our fifth through ninth graders paired up with their lower school buddies and accompanied them to different parts of our campus where faculty members greeted them with heartwarming smiles and treats. It is such a fun experience to watch students walk through the door with different crazy hats on. Even with the pandemic, Bement still finds a way to continue past activities in a safe way.

Upper School Halloween Dance On the 29th of October, with Halloween coming up, there was a fall dance for sixth to ninth graders at Bement organized by Ms. Temby, Ms. Keddy, ninth-grade advisors, and other students. Unfortunately, in the year before, this event did not happen due to COVID-19. However, this year we had a chance to host it outdoors. The ninth graders arranged music while many other students volunteered and helped with the preparation.

There were several Halloween-themed activities along with the dance: ‘Guess the Weight of the Pumpkin,’ where students calculated the approximate weight of a pumpkin and the closest one won, and ‘Guess the Number of Eyeballs in the Jar,' where students needed to guess the number of candy eyeballs in a jar to win the candy. Students also enjoyed two games of Man-hunt. There were snacks, drinks, and candy set out for the teachers and the students. Everybody had a fun time and enjoyed hanging out with their friends on the dance floor!

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GETTYSBURG The Battle of Gettysburg is known as the crucial turning point of the Civil War. Every year, our 8th graders have a trip to Gettysburg for a few days and explore the grounds of one of the most historical places in the world. Due to the global pandemic last year, the 9th graders came along with our trip this year to gain back an exciting experience for what they missed. As the 8th graders learn about the Battle of Gettysburg throughout their Monument Projects and the book The Killer Angels, they are given the amazing opportunity to see the battlefield with their very own eyes where the soldiers sacrificed their hearts on the grounds of the bloody battle.

-Serena '23

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Day 1

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by Richard Yu-Hwang

Most started their day with a refreshing morning

Day 2

run around the battlefield while experiencing the pleasing sunrise at Gettysburg. Later on, we visited the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center including a short film

BATTLEFIELD

and the delicate Cyclorama Painting. Students had lunch around the town while exploring souvenirs from local shops. After that, everyone had a walk around the battlefield to take a look at the monuments that would be presented by the eighth graders on the next day. The day ended with a tasty taco Wednesday dinner as well as a few late-night ghost stories in a circle.

A portion of students also enjoyed the swimming pool after the stories before getting rested for

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another day.

Day 3

Day 4

From the start of the year, I have been waiting for this trip with full excitement and thrill. After the long 9-hour bus ride to Gettysburg, various fun events made our time there pass like the swift wind.

One of my favorite parts of the trip is the ghost story night on Wednesday. Not only was it spooky and eerie, but also allowed me to learn more about the history of the battlefield in another way.

Another big takeaway was the monument projects presented by the eighth graders. The speeches from my classmates were truly inspirational while they talked about the stories and purpose behind their monuments. Looking up to the George Meade Equestrian Monument, I immediately felt a strong connection to my monument from gaining such a deep understanding of it. All in all, not only did this amazing trip to Gettysburg allow me to learn more about the history that happened on the battlefield but also get to spend more time with my friends and smoothly conclude our trip to an end.

- Serena '23 Gen. George G. Meade

The four days of the trip passed in a blink of an eye. It still feels like yesterday when we were walking the battlefield and listening to the fascinating stories behind all the monuments. A memorable part of the trip for me was the battlefield run. I remember grudgingly waking up and getting ready for the run at 5:30 AM. However, the breathtaking sights up on Little Round Top quickly led me to decide that it was worth the effort. The monument speeches were also a huge success. There were speeches of all kinds, some were funny while the others were more serious, but they were all informative. Stepping on the grounds where those brave soldiers once struggled and looking at the monuments that mark their bravery definitely helped me make connections and form a better understanding of the bloody battle that happened at Gettysburg.

- Vickie '23

After touring the battlefield and the Shriver House in Gettysburg, I finally understand how devastating and heroic the Battle of Gettysburg was. Looking between the walls and seeing the bullet marks, it was magnificent and it felt like I was once in the battle. It was also truly an exceptional experience to finally see the monument I researched for weeks, and the feeling of standing on the battlefield and viewing the scenery made the 9-hour bus ride worth it. At first, I was so nervous about presenting my monument to my classmates - even though I memorized my speech to my friends and practiced numerous times. When I stood there on the rocks to present my monument to everyone, my knees were practically shaking. I’d carried the piece of paper with my speech with me because I was scared I was going to blank out. When it was finally over, I breathed a sigh of relief and that moment, next to the Governor K. Warren monument with all my classmates around me, was truly unforgettable.

- Rose '23

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Slavery In Deerfield

By Fumi '22

Sometime in my past Bement years, I overheard Ms. O’Brien mention a book about slavery in Deerfield. This fall, deciding to revisit that memory, I asked Ms. O’Brien if I could borrow the book, Slavery in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts to give a concise account of slavery in Deerfield to our readers without spoiling the experience of reading the book. I will briefly highlight the key themes of the book—slavery in Massachusetts, enslaved people in Deerfield, 1752—until Chapter Five: Other Towns in the Valley for pertinence.

If there was one truth Romer would impart, it would be that slavery’s prevalence in the North is often downplayed in light of the South. He clarifies that "English settlers in Massachusetts [owned] African slaves" at least eighteen years after the Pilgrims' arrival in 1620 (Romer 2009). Soon after, Massachusetts was the first out of the thirteen colonies to legalize slavery in 1641, by adopting an article (somewhat ironically) titled “Body of Liberties.” Romer further presents decrees repressing the freedom of slaves. These laws included illegalizing fornication between white and blacks and establishing curfews exclusively for black slaves starting at 9 PM. In the chapter “Was it Really Slavery?”

Romer brings to light the frequent appearance of slave advertisements in the Boston Gazette. The advertisements announced slaves, slave auctions, bounties for runaway slaves, and appeals for slaves with certain qualities.

One of Romer’s missions was to depict the life of slaves in Deerfield, 1752. He surmises that approximately 8% of the Deerfield population were slaves, about twenty-five out of three hundred residents. With 25 slaves, Romer suggests the thriving of a Black community, although favoring evidence not yet found. Excised above is Romer’s map of Main Street in 1752, labeled with each enslaved person and their owners.

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My disappointment with Romer’s narration

Eighth and ninth-graders visited Gettysburg last week. It

stems from the lack of evidence on the

has been long since 1752, or 1860s, or the 1960s, and

personal life of the enslaved people. His

students today are well-informed about the proposition

information on slaves consisted of account

for which the nation stands. In their English essays last

books, baptism records, store records, wills,

year, eighth-graders denounced Atticus’ disposition

and other impersonal documents. Romer

towards Tom Robinson. Terry Shields, previously Director

knowingly ascribes his ignorance to the fact

of Residential Life, now holds a new position, Director of

that slaves were nonetheless treated as

Student Experience and Inclusion. Shields, Minji Cho,

property. It was because of such treatment

and Fang Liu recently held a meeting among students of

that no record exists of their habitual life,

Asian descent, discussing how names impact one’s

Romer says.

identity.

Concluding his account of slavery in

Something is frightening about Bement’s distance from

Deerfield, Romer poses four takeaways to the

slavery, though. For, even if we unanimously think slavery

reader. The first is to see Old Main Street in a

is immoral, we must be aware of our disturbing proximity

new light. “These are people most visitors

to the institution. The uniformity of our perspective could

never hear about, of whom even most

harm us, for we may be adopting anti-slavery in the

longtime residents are unaware,” Romer says.

same way our ancestors adopted slavery. For instance,

Despite being a tourist attraction, Historic

schools in Virginia are met with political hostility as they

Deerfield fails to inform visitors about their

struggle to advance towards DEIJ. “Parents rights” has

history of slavery. The second is to recognize

become a pretext for the advocacy of sustaining a

slavery’s predominance in Deerfield—Romer

white-centered education. It may be only for Bement’s

points out that “many community leaders

location and demographic that our recent efforts aren’t

such as Jonathan Ashley and Elijah Williams

contested. Therefore, we must distinguish anti-slavery

[owned] slaves.” Such a fact reflects the

from public sentiment and face it anew ourselves as

normality of slavery, or perhaps even the

individuals.

expectation for one to own slaves. Third,

I hope to know that Deerfield—the very place where we

Romer reiterates that “slaves were not

learn—once condoned slavery will evoke a measure of

members of the family,” that both

self-reflection.

conventional and legal language found in documents treat slaves as property. Finally, visibly attributed to the inhumanity of Deerfield residents, we could never know how slaves interacted with each other.

Romer. (2009). Slavery in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts / Robert H. Romer. Printed and published by Levellers Press.

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EXECUTIVE STUDENT COUNCIL

2021-2022

“As a recently-established campus institution, a significant part of Council discussion over the past two years has been focusing on developing an organizational structure that establishes representative opportunities for upper school students, encourages engaged discussion and problemsolving across grade-levels, and cultivates a legacy of strong leadership and experience for the highest governing offices.”

- Linda Temby, The Bement School Student Council Advisor

"Something people don't know about you that you want to share" PAGE 24 | MAIN STREET

President

Luka Ninth Grade

"I used to live in South Dakota."

Vice President

Campbell Ninth Grade

"I have been at Bement for 10 years."

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CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

Secretary

Jessica

"My MBTI is INFJ."

Seventh Grade

Treasurer

"I lived in Iowa."

Melody Eighth Grade

Eighth Grade Vice President

Allen

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"I enjoy making digital art."

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Seventh Grade Vice President

Eva

"I love to listen

Sixth Grade Vice

to pop music."

William

"I have been doing ballet since I was 4."

President

Eighth Grade Class Representative

Jonathan

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"I love to say 'bruh.'"

CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

Seventh Grade

"I own six red-

Class

eared sliders"

Representative

Iris

Sixth Grade Class Representative

Melanie

"I’ve gone through 28 sketchbooks."

Student Council

"I used to skydive"

Advisor

Linda Temby Faculty

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FALL TERM - 2021

Main Street

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MAIN STREET FALL TERM

Please contact us at magazine@bement.org for any inquiries