Hornet's Nest | Vol. 2 | Issue 4 | October 10, 2016

HORNET’S NEST Proctor Academy | October 10, 2016 | Issue 4

Ready? Row!

PROCTOR ACADEMY CREW TEAM DURING SPORTS CAMP

all walks of life coming together for crew. The first weeks were for getting the feels but coming into the first race everything came together. The girls and boys boat moved nicely together and really bonded and brought everything they knew coming in and increased their experience and feel for the sport.

I think going into the next one they’ll just build on what they know now and spread to the other members.”

By Colin Binswanger “All four! On the catch! Ready? Row!” Arms forward first, then back, then legs. Keep hands level. Push with legs, straighten back, bring hands to chest.

Rinse and repeat.

If you have ever been a part of a crew team, then you know that when you’re on the water, that pattern becomes your world, the clunk of the oar locks your heartbeat, and the commanding voice of the coxswain your brain. Many members of Proctor’s crew team this season are already familiar with the pace and power of this second beat, but there are many others new to the sport who are working to improve on their skills. According to freshman Alberto Bazzoni Zamora, crew is, “a great sport, it’s kind of hard to get the hang of it at first, but it can be very peaceful once you understand the sport and are synchronized with the rest of the rowers.” This falls directly into the hopes of Crew’s head coach Ilyena Kozain, a Proctor alumni and one of the creators of the rowing program, which are, “Positive attitude, fun morale, and a general excitement.

PROCTOR GIRL’S QUAD AFTER THEIR THIRD PLACE FINISH

I’m looking forward to the steady improvement of new rowers and the integration of novices and veterans.”

Speaking of veterans, those who make up varsity crew are doing an outstanding job at bringing the new rowers up to speed on how everything works, from bringing the boats in and out of the water to responding to specific commands.

One such veteran is Kali Brown, captain of this year’s team and a proud rower of four years, who already has high hopes for this year’s season. When asked how she felt about the team’s progression, she replied, “This team has people from

In the wake of Crew’s first regatta last Sunday, the new members of the team have come away with a firsthand perspective of how the sport works as a whole. From how to quickly launch a boat into the water to keeping a strong steady pace, their collective skill allowed the girls team to secure a tie at 6th place and the boys team at 11th. In preparation for the upcoming Textiles regatta, they will be working towards improving themselves across the board, in keeping synchronized, maintaining stronger strokes, and holding their form throughout their race. But despite the callused hands, drained legs, and the odd crab or flipped boat they will encounter as they prepare for Sunday, as Kali Brown says, “It’s all or nothing.”

Faculty Spotlight: Adam Jones

By Mo Nguyen Adam Jones did not start at Proctor in a typical way. Adam is originally from Massachusetts but he spent most of his childhood in New Jersey. Before coming to Proctor, he lived in Vermont for ten years at Greenwood School, an all-boys boarding school with his wife, Kate. He came across Proctor through one of his friends who taught there. Adam’s friend set up an interview for him. Adam said “ I showed up for the weekend and I had an interview with Mike, Karl and other faculties. I didn’t really ask for an interview. The interview then led to a conversation in the spring when the school had an opening spot. I met Patty Pond, the Director of the Mountain Classroom Program. She told me that Proctor was looking for a Mountain Classroom instructor and it sounded like the jobs that I used to do meets the job’s requirements so she asked whether I was interested to become an instructor. The conversation then led to job application. I sent the school my resume and I got the job.”

Adam returned after some time on Mountain Classroom and started settling on campus. He and his wife Kate lived in Farm House as the dorm parents.

He coached kayaking and baseball. He became an advisor. He started teaching Psychology and Globalization for 5 years.

Adam is the Community Program Director which is, he refered as “a fancy title.”

He oversees community summer service trip to Guatemala, Thailand and Cambodia for 6 years in a row.

Adam is also well known for his role as Education Technology Director. He explained, “I spend most of my day training teachers to use technology and help them with the curriculum. Teachers would come to me and talked about their curriculum for their classes. They would ask whether there is a tool to redo the curriculum. Sometimes there are good tools but there are also bad tools. I try my best to help the teachers on their curriculum even if there are no good technology applications”.

ADAM JONES PREPARING FOR WILDERNESS ORIENTATION 2016

Cyrus Davis, ‘17, a 4-year senior who has done kayaking for three years, reflected on Adam as a coach and a faculty: “He was the first one that taught me how roll my kayak. I remembered so terrified when I had to flip it but he was patient with me and helped me conquer the fear.

Moreover, he was the faculty representative for the Proctor Cafe. We would not be able to start the project without him.

He helped us so much with the Proctor Cafe independent course”.

Jon Beard, who teaches Mandarin shared his view on Adam: “As a friend, Adam is very accepting, and is a really good listener. Even though he has strong beliefs and opinions, he’s able to allow people to be themselves and respect where they’re coming from. He’s very intelligent and has great insight about people and situations, so it’s helpful to talk to him whenever something challenging is going on. He’s also really funny and can make you laugh super hard. One of my favorite moments with Adam is when we stayed in a home stay in China together for a couple weeks in March 2015. He learned how to say some stuff in Mandarin and I loved seeing him take risks and communicate with people in China. I also love laughing with Adam, he has got a great sense of humor that really surprises you sometimes”.

Adam and Kate love the Proctor community. They are grateful to the community which has helped them raise their 5-yearold twins. Adam reflected that living in a community is great. “It might not be perfect, but everyone had the same mission which is to help the students reach their best potential”. When asked wheth-

er he has impact on the community, Adam thought he does not have any real impact further than being a functioning part of the community. He compared himself as a cog in a bigger machine.

Adam then explained one of the reasons the students do not see him very often is because he doesn’t spend his day to day with students. The majority of his time he spends it with teachers and working behind the scene on the curriculum to make sure the school is living up to its mission academically. He claims it to be his biggest role for now.

After eight years at Proctor, Adam learned the lesson and he wanted to share with the community. “We have no control over other people feel, do or think. But we can control how we think and how we react to people. If somebody in your life is mean or mad for any reason and they come at us, we can choose to yell back at them with the same energy or we can choose to take it in, think about it and respond with compassion and love.

I tried to live my life the way I wanted to live it, not letting it dictated by others’ emotions.”

group. The academic aspect of the material may be taught, but it is more than that.

It is never tiring to just sing and to adjust by ears, instead of doing paperwork, because the sound only becomes valuable when integrated. Michael Jackson did not even read music, but for him, “The lyrics, the strings, the chords, everything comes at the moment like a gift that is put right into your head and that’s how I hear it.”

VINCENT LUO AT THE WINTER JAZZ ROCK ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE

Knowing and Doing

I believe this is our principle of teaching music here at Proctor. Music, in most schools, is more academic than spiritual, based on tests of theory and history, as if it is a mathematics course. Here at Proctor, however, learning comes in a more natural way. I still remember how astonished I was on my first day here two years ago, when I had my first Jazz/Rock Ensemble class in the recording studio.

While many people did not read music, everyone performed in certain way that was truly expressive. At that time I started to learn about improvisation, completely different from traditional, or classical music education.

Knowing how to do something, in the learning continuum, is developed in the stage of processing, the initial epistemological stage that facilitates transferring from “perception” to “conception”. Do I know my name? Yes, it’s Vincent. Do I know how to spell my name? Eh… yes, it’s V-I-N-C-E-N-T. In my response to the first question, I did not have to spell to come up with the answer; I just knew it.

I first learned it on the sensory level, as a repeated sound, before I could spell it.

What judges our performances? Our ears not pens. Through the simplest concepts, Bill Wightman gives us opportunities to create the aural pleasure from the bottom of our hearts. When I was wondering what notes to play or about the “theories” behind them, he would just tell me to try and hear it. Unlike some paths to playing in which musicians simply copy and produce, the way we do it carries our genuine values and deepest senses of self. In addition, there are no wrong answers: art is all about creativity. The same principles apply for our vocal and musical theater

ADAM JONES TEACHING HIS GLOBALIZATION CLASS

By Vincent Luo

Ultimately, all we want is “to do,” so that we can create our music, whether in real time improvisation on our instruments, or on paper, without thinking about whether what we are doing is technically correct. This does not mean that there is no thinking about what we are doing in the development of the music as a wellformed outcome. Thinking on a creative level and thinking on a non-creative processing level are fundamentally two different things. Practicing is indeed figuring out and knowing how to do something, but putting all of that into use requires just doing.

Proctor’s Dress Code

By Neal Shivakumar

“Proctor’s Dress Code applies from breakfast through the end of dinner, Monday-Friday” states the Proctor Academy 2016-2017 Green book. “Community members are expected to change attire after athletic activity prior to entering the dining commons for dinner.”

Although this rule has been in the green book for years, the dress code was not enforced during dinner so students were able to wear their sports attire to dinner, and the new enforcement of the rule was startling to many returning students. The new system has resulted in marked controversy among the students. Some students are finding this new rule to be a huge inconvenience after sports practice “This new rule is causing me not to eat there anymore because I don’t want to have to go get changed after practice,” said Philip Devlin when asked about the new rule. Some new students, however, don’t even notice this rule. “I think it’s fine,” said new student Ryan Holler when asked the same question, “I didn’t even notice that this isn’t the way it’s always been.”

This “dinner rule” was made in an effort to keep kids looking presentable in the brand new dining hall. But the response to this change has been a much more extreme one than expected. For example, some students think that getting dress coding shouldn’t result in points but a talking to instead.

Proctor’s dress code has always been a little vague. It asks students to look neat and presentable and says no sports clothing, but what does that really mean? How is sports attire defined? Articles of clothing such hoodies are acceptable, even though some of the hoodies people wear were made for athletic purposes, whereas some joggers or sweatpants, which are made for casual, everyday attire and which many think look presentable, will get students dress coded.

Some students even wear clothes purchased the Athletic Store and don’t get dress coded.

Although this “new” rule has been a big controversy, Proctor students might count themselves lucky. A Proctor instagram account recently posted this photo on instagram revealing a Proctor blazer which was required to wear during certain times:

Indicating that the Proctor students should feel very glad that this is no longer the case and fortunate that Proctor is a school with a lenient dress code. Many other prep schools still require coat and tie and other require a collared shirt or more dress type clothing.

Many students feel strongly about this decision but in reality, there are easy actions to take. For example you change into your athletic clothes in the locker room so that when practice ends, you don’t have to walk all the way back to your dorm. You can also shower in the field house after sports which will also save you a trip back to your dorm. Another thing you can do if you feel strongly about the dress code is join the newly made dress code committee and get a say in what happens instead of just complaining to your peers.

Though many students have expressed a marked dislike for the stricter enforcement of the dress code, there are actions to take. Preparing for practice in the locker room provides students with a dresscode approved outfit after practice has ended. Showers placed in locker rooms also eliminate a trip back to the dorm to prepare for dinner. Most recently, a dress code committee has been formed, giving students a forum where they can express their feelings about the dress code.

Polar Swim

By Tobias Bannister-Parker Every Friday morning at 6:30am, a group of courageous students partake in a polar plunge at Elbow Pond. The inception of Proctor’s Polar Swim was in 1993.

Though at the time it was more sporadic, Polar Swims gradually became more frequent and were driven by the student interest. Francis Whyte explained her reasons for going. “There [is always] a really great community there, it was super cool, and there were fun people to hang out with.” Francis’ insight gives an impression that Polar Swim wasn’t just about doing a polar plunge, it is also a very social event. Francis went on to say, “new kids [come] every week and it’s a great way to meet people,” solidifying the impression that Polar Swim is also about experiencing something with others as

5. Fall Leaves. Besides being the primary source of income for the state of New Hampshire, the fall leaves allow me to relive the charmed fac-brat childhood I led (or am leading, depending on the amount of leaves on the ground).

6. Fresh fruit. I can eat an apple or an orange anytime I want to. What a time to be alive.

7. Books. What would my world be without books? A sad, sad, place. Very sad.

FIRST POLAR SWIM OF 2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR

opposed to just the enjoyment of the act itself.

A particularly informative interview with Alan Mclntyre sheds some light on why he is so enthusiastic about Polar Swim.

Alan, the current Environmental Coordinator at Proctor, started going to Polar Swim in 2000. Unfortunately due to medical reasons Alan can no longer do the plunge himself, but still takes students to the pond every Friday. In response to being asked what Polar Swim meant to him Alan responded: “It means a connection with place.” He went on to say he loved it because over a season or a year the small changes in the pond can be observed. Alan also shared some of the odd traditions of Polar Swim, one of which is listening to Bohemian Rhapsody. This evolved from listing to heavy metal music on the bus to Polar Swim to wake up the students.

A trend could be seen in the responses given in interviews with the students who regularly attend Polar Swim. Every student used the term ‘community’ or mentioned the social dynamic of Polar Swim. The way that each student lit up when asked about Polar Swim and their willingness to talk about it demonstrated that the swim is a key part of bringing the community closer together.

Gratitude Column

By Cope Makechnie

One of the greatest nuggets of truth so graciously bestowed upon me by my lov-

ing parents that I reflect upon as I embark upon this, the eighteenth year of my life (a great age, I know), is to be grateful. It has oft been pointed out to me that all too often I am ensnared in the trap of complaining about what I do not have, rather than being grateful for what I do. While at the time of delivery these reminders may not have been accepted in the most thankful of manners, the message has made its way home, and I am all too aware that when I follow the sage advice given to me by my parents I am more happy. Starting with this, the fourth issue of the Hornet’s Nest, the editorial staff is instituting a “gratitude column”, which is now open to the Proctor community at large as a forum to publicly acknowledge all that they are thankful for. I’ll start.

A List of Gratitudes (By Cope Makechnie) 1. The laundry pin. Words cannot express how grateful I am for the brave souls who handle my sweaty clothes every day.

2. The dining hall. If I had to cook my own meals every day I’d inflate faster than a balloon at a fair from all the mashed potatoes I consume.

3. Mugs. Without which I’d have no vessel with which to carry around my beverage of choice - hot chocolate.

4. Hot Chocolate. Man do I love hot chocolate. In the absence of coffee or caffeinated tea, hot chocolate is the saving grace of this life. Hot chocolate makes me believe in love again.

8. Liza Orne. Among other things, Liza has instituted Crocs and Socks Friday, which gives me a legitimate reason to wear a lump of rubber on my feet at least once a week.

9. Liza Orne: “I am grateful for Alan because of how much effort he puts into polar swim and how eager he is to let us run or try other exciting new things. He constantly goes above and beyond for us . . . it’s so impressive.”

10. Alan McIntire: “I am grateful for Mark’s clever complex discussions and riddles for that sort of fun sustains me.”

If you would like to add to the gratitude column, please let us know. We’ll be grateful for your additions!

Proctor’s standard, as stated by its Environmental Mission statement: “Sustainability is defined as ‘meeting the

present generation needs without compromising our ability to meet the needs of future generations.’”

The new Dining Commons has a carbon neutral footprint, which helps Proctor fulfil its mission statement. The dining commons provides services that force students, faculty and staff to help the environment. Additionally, the Dining Commons is ecologically responsible - having a neutral carbon footprint, it empowers everyone that goes to the Dining commons to be active stewards of their home planet.

Reception Towards the New Dining Commons: An anonymous ninth grade girl: “The Dining Commons is actually really nice.

I like the upstairs.” She thinks that the upstairs portion of the Dining Commons assisted with the overall flow. However if she could change one thing, she would make the tables slightly larger so people do not have to cram around them.

Max Newel, ‘17: “It’s loud, there is usually a line, but the food is pretty good. It’s nice how it is a little bit wider [than the old dining hall]. It is not as open, it’s closed

so you can’t see everyone.” Overall Max thinks that the food improved, however he thinks the Dining Commons created a few problems that need to be addressed.

Copper Murphy,’18: “The New Dining hall meets my expectations overall.” Copper’s major complaints were the lines and the noise. He does, however, prefer the new to the old because of the increased space.

An anonymous two-year junior: “In my opinion, the Dining Commons is very beautiful and the many windows that bring in natural light is amazing. One thing I don’t like though is that it does get louder than the old dining hall.”

When Alan Macintyre, Proctor’s Environmental Coordinator, was asked about his favorite parts of the Dining Commons, he had a ton of positive opinions regarding the new building. “I love a lot of things about the new dining hall, it is the most innovative building energy- and design-wise yet. The building uses less energy because it has many windows which brings in tons of sunlight.” However, Alan pointed out that even though there are many windows that bring in light, the light fixtures inside the dining hall are left on throughout the day. As the dining hall ages, Alan hopes to see the lights within the building turned off during the day to conserve energy.

There are many more aspects about the dining hall that many

The New Dining Commons

By Paloma Green

Why Did we Build New Dining Commons?

There are many reasons why Proctor Academy built the new Dining Commons, the biggest being that the old dining hall was never supposed to be more than temporary. Proctor’s dining space burned down in 1973, at which point Proctor hastily built a dining hall in the new athletic facility. So why was construction started just last year, rather than in 1973? Proctor’s community initially fit nicely into the old dining hall, but as Proctor expanded in size, the dining hall was not able to accommodate the sheer amount of people. The new dining commons was built to meet

THE NEW DINING HALL DURING FALL TERM

individuals at Proctor do not know about.

Alan mentioned that there are 43 geothermal wells that extract the exact temperature of 54 degrees fahrenheit, making the heating and cooling process of the building require a significantly less amount of energy than the old dining hall. On top of the geothermal wells, there are going to be solar panels installed on the roof of the building in the near future which will produce an immense amount of energy in a clean and eco-friendly way.

Not only is the new dining commons incredibly beautiful and sustainable, but the kitchen has ENERGY STAR appliances as well as a food grinder and composter.

“The new kitchen now has a food grinder that grinds bulk foods and reduces the volume by 80%,” said Alan. He also thinks the overall food quality of the new dining commons has improved. He thinks that the improvement is due to there being a lot more room to place different varieties of foods and a new and improved kitchen.

Overall the community appears to have a positive response to the Dining Commons, despite a few kinks that many think can be resolved as work is finished and as the community gets used to the Dining Commons.

THE FRONT VIEW OF THE NEW DINING HALL

Hypnosis and the Power it Holds

By JoJo McDonald

For those that have seen the hypnotist perform at Proctor, they know it is a night full of laughter and watching friends and classmates get put into a trance they may not even recall. When I saw that the hypnotist was returning for Saturday night, I knew that I had to go for my fourth and final time. As I sat in my seat in the Meeting House, I recounted stories with friends about

why do you need a dorm leader if you already have a dorm parent?” It was not until my second year at Proctor that I truly understood the importance of a dorm leader. I had just arrived at my new dorm for junior year and someone came out to greet me. “Hi,” he said, “I’m your new dorm leader, can I help you bring in your stuff?” I thought to myself, “Ross, what a pleasant and warm introduction to dorm life!”

A GROUP OF HYPNOTISED STUDENTS

hypnotized students in years past and eagerly waited for the lights to dim and the performance to start.

This year’s hypnotist did not disappoint. In the short span of a hour and a half, those in attendance saw peers dancing like ballerinas, giving and coaching a birth, thinking that they were sun tanning, and convincing themselves that their hands were glued together. The night was full of incredibly hilarious acts that those participating in had no recollection of. In fact, when asked “What would you say about your experience of being hypnotized?” everyone replied: “I don’t remember a thing.”

I interviewed the hypnotist, Ronny Romm, after the show. He spoke of how he came into the business and his subsequent career. He started in college, needing a way to earn money. “I was doing a mind reading show, a mentalist show, and that put me through college. But I got hooked on this stuff in school and that was it.”

From there he wrote a script and started working at birthday parties and similar events, through the years moving up to headlining shows with 5,000 to 8,000 seats. He is currently in his fortieth year of hypnosis and says he has a very good track record. Once he gets people into believing their hands are glued together, he says, they are

most likely going to stay in a trance.

Ronny’s show concluded my four years watching hypnotists coming to Proctor.

Even though I wasn’t brave enough to volunteer myself for the show this year, it was enthralling to watch Ronny hypnotize the people I see everyday.

What he told me was completely true.

“I have a really good induction, once they can’t get their hands apart I’ve got them.” He lived true to his claim - no one, under his spell, remembered a thing once the night was done.

MARK SOUSA ON A SUNNY DAY AT THE BEACH

Dorm Leader: A Student’s Experience

By Ross Kesselman

What exactly is a Dorm Leader and why do they matter?

I asked myself this question my first year here at Proctor. It seemed like a trivial

position. I thought to myself, “Ross,

Throughout that year the Peabody dorm leader, Max Pastan, was there for me as I needed him, always lending a helping hand, giving me advice, and looking out for me. I was just starting to figure out my role at Proctor and within the dorm and was grateful for his mentorship. Max inspired me to apply for position of dorm leader for Peabody for this year. As the interviewing process began, I truly understood what it meant to be a dorm leader. I realized that if one was to become a dorm leader they would be the one the other members of the dorm looked up to, a

liaison between the dorm parents and the students and a figure to shape the culture and presence within the dorm. A dorm leader ushers new students into the community and is always there for help. Dorm leaders have also taken it upon themselves to plan events such as movie nights and dorm cook outs. As the dorm leader of Peabody, I personally make it my mission to ensure that everyone in the dorm is content and proud to live here. I try to form personal relationships with everyone in the dorm and guide them using the lessons I have learned in my previous years at Proctor. I try to make the dorm an inclusive space where everyone feels welcome, a place for fun and jokes and a place for serious learning and self discovery. In a place such as Proctor, where community is so heavily emphasized, dorm leaders are a pillar of the micro-communities within each dorm. It is important to have a leader in every dorm - someone to guide students and usher them into the Proctor community while maintaining the position as a resource for all students in the dorm.

Off Campus Update Ocean Classroom

Spain