Hornet's Nest | March 1, 2022 | Vol. 7 | Issue 6

HORNET’S NEST Proctor Academy | March 1, 2022 | Vol. 7 | Issue 6 IN THIS ISSUE: Carrie Babson on Mornings Jackson Downey on Hockey Coach Grotnes Stewart Kane on Alex Estin

Ingrid Pekala on Togetherness and Diversity Camila Marcos on the Bitmoji Invasion

The Famous Covid Camp Kenwood

By Reilly Desmond Getting the call from the Health Center that I tested positive for Covid and hearing I needed to pack up and leave immediately for this strange “camp” was heartbreaking because I just arrived back on campus and now I had to leave again. Everyone’s experiences with Covid are different, but the student and faculty that experienced Covid at camp Kenwood had an unusual, happy outcome.

Faculty member Callie Dwyer observed.“Obviously no one is happy when they hear they’ve tested positive for Covid. A 10 and even 5 day quarantine is quite daunting. However, spending time at Kenwood was the best part of quarantine for me.” Callie was one of the many adults that volunteered to stay at camp with the student because she sadly tested positive as well. I had the pleasure of spending a lot of my time at camp with Callie. Callie explains. “I enjoyed my time at Kenwood and getting to know the group of students who were out there.”

Camp Kenwood is a beautiful place, in the summer it is a very prestigious summer camp. Sadly it is very hard to go tubing on the lake when it’s frozen. The students got to stay in the main cabin of the camp.

The girls upstairs and the boys down stairs. The downstairs had about 20-25 bunk beds and two bathrooms. Upstairs the girls had 5 private rooms with their own bathrooms. I might or might not have fought for the girls to have the upstairs. Perks to being the very first one at camp.

Along with the girls being upstairs the food and the kitchen was also upstairs.

But the boy’s lodging downstairs wasn’t horrible. They had a huge TV set up with XBOX and moved all their beds around to play and blast music altogether. They were perfectly content with their downstairs area. Kate Piacenza was another faculty member that spent some time at Camp. She recalled, “When I walked downstairs to check on the boys in the bunk rooms, I opened the door and looked up to see an NHL game being projected on the wall and all six boys sitting next to each other debating the football games from the weekend.”

Callie added, “It [quarantine] gives both students and faculty the

opportunity to get to know members of the community that they wouldn’t normally interact with.” Along with getting online for classes during the day, the students and the faculty on duty had lots of time to pass during the day. She continued, “We passed time talking, doing puzzles and sledding, things we don’t typically have the time to do in our usual busy routines on campus.” Along with sledding. Somehow Liric Harris ‘23 thought it was a great idea to go sledding with no shoes on. I also watched Paloma Garica ‘23 go sledding for the first time ever!

Even though we weren’t able to do a lot, driving for Dunkin, playing floor hockey, making hot chocolate, or having a hot pan almost fall on your head (shout out to Owen Bezos ‘24 who grabbed it and saved me).

You will never know who you will meet in the most random scenarios. I ended up going on the longest walk with a student and got to know about him and his life. Kara Hort ‘22 observed, “I have never said more than two words to him before, and now we know so much about one another.” Yes, it was a huge challenge learning online and some kids were having symptoms, but they stayed positive and were able to persevere through. Kara noted, “I was pleasantly surprised to witness the positive attitudes of students at Kenwood. Despite having symptoms, kids stayed in good spirits and used their quarantine as a bonding experience. I am grateful to have been able to witness the resilience and supportive nature of our students.”

Testing positive is never good, but the students and faculty that experienced Covid at camp Kenwood were lucky to have a happy outcome.

not work, then no earlier than 8:30 even in the winter!” She mentions, “I wake up at 5 am most mornings, so that I have time for meditation and prayer, some stretching, and writing morning pages.”

Rise and Shine

By Carrie Babson

What is something you do in the morning that influences the rest of your day? Making your bed, or doing yoga?

On the journey back from a game at Vermont Academy, I got chatting with Violet Sperry and Kara Hort, both seniors at Proctor. Kara commented, “I don’t think our start times are that bad compared to other schools, I think everyone would appreciate it if at least we started at 8:45 or 9:00. As a morning person, I don’t think that I have enough time to really wake up and do the things I want like go to the gym or figure skate.”

Chris’s Swedish game jersey

(I play on his team), and many don’t know that coach Grotnes was a terrific hockey player.

After talking with some Proctor teachers students, I discovered mixed opinions on delaying our start time to the day. Many students say they would love to have more time to go to the gym before school without having to wake up at 6:00 am. Another noted, “I always feel rushed in the mornings” and “it would be nice to be able to go to breakfast more without feeling like it is a trade-off for more sleep.”

He grew up playing for a club team in Sweden, where hockey is one of the most prominent sports. Club teams were full of teenagers looking for better competition and a chance to excel and take the next step up to play semi-pro and make the senior team.

Grotnes was one of the few to play on that senior team.

Derek Nussbaum Wagler, Dean of Academics, commented on Proctor’s start times. “I think a start time of 8:20-8:30 is great. Nationally, this puts us on the late end of the continuum compared to our peers; especially when we consider that most of our students live on campus and do not have the 20-30 min commute to get to school. I recognize, however, that some of our day students have a significant commute that makes our 8:20 start time in the winter feel early. … if students are concerned that 8:20 is too early to start their academic day I would encourage them to take a look at their evening routine and sleep hygiene.”

According to Harvard Biologist Christoph Randler, “A structured morning routine cultivates success.” There have been many studies showing that a morning routine leads to more progress in classrooms. Www.Verywellmind.com, a mental health focused website advises, “The morning routine helps us set the tone for the day, better allowing us to control our schedules rather than our schedule controlling us. As we start each day fresh, we can better focus on what is in front of us, where to prioritize our time, and ultimately, increase our productivity.”

On the other hand, Terry Stoecker, who currently teaches Psychology, Meditation and Mindfulness, and Freshman Seminar, supports healthy morning routines and self-care that can influence mental health. I reached out to her and asked, “What do you think about the current start times at Proctor?”

She responded, “The Proctor start time is better than it used to be, however, I think that we could do better. 8:45 would be the perfect start time for classes to better serve the adolescent community. If that really can

The Hockey Man

Hopefully, Proctor can push out the start times to allow time for important morning activities to start our long days better. Even without a later start time, students will hopefully adapt better morning patterns that create a happier foundation for the day.

After that, the University of New England in Biddeford Maine gave him the opportunity to enroll in their school and play hockey.

While majoring in Business Administration during his senior year, Coach Grotnes and his team won the ECAC championship, a major accomplishment in the college hockey world.

With his athletic background, Grotnes knows and loves the game of hockey. He loves it because it’s not like every other sport and to succeed you must think outside of the box. He observed, “Hockey is so different because you can do whatever you want. It’s a team game; if one person messes up and tries to be selfish, the whole play breaks up and doesn’t work.”

By Jackson Downey

Coach Chris Grotnes is a caring, fun, disciplined head coach of the JV Boys’ Hockey team. Coach Grotnes is great at what he does

Chris interacting with new students

Coach Grotnes found his passion for hockey when he was very young, just like most great hockey players. He always idolized Mario Lemieux, a Hall of Fame forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Coach is a huge Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Living in Sweden made it hard to follow the Penguins and the NHL due to the time zone difference, but Coach Grotnes and a hockey friend would always stay up until 1 o’clock in the morning to watch Mario Lemieux and the Penguins.

After Coach’s college career he wanted to continue to play hockey, so he ended up returning to Sweden and playing semi-professionally. Earlier at UNE he met his current wife, Jill Jones-Grotnes. She was a hockey coach at UNE while Chris was playing there.

He later married Jill and they moved on to live at Proctor together as Jill grew up in Andover. Chris looked for a chance to coach hockey. He says, “ I always felt like that was great to see the difference in a player who can develop and do the things you coach them to do.” Coach Grotnes’s philosophy stresses that team play is key. Selfish hockey will lose games. Coach believes that having a shared mindset and goal amongst players, along with practicing how you play meets that philosophy. Coach Grotnes wants every member of his team to leave the season.

Annie, Sarah, and Alex at Holderness Weekend

Stop by the Bookstore and Have a Wonderful Day

By Stewart Kane

I walked into the bookstore and Alex’s warm smile was there to greet me peeking up from the chest-high desk as always. I passed by the neatly stocked shelves and waited patiently as a group of students bought a midday snack. I have always wondered how Alex ended up in Proctor’s Store. So when I asked for the story, she smiled so wide I could see it through her mask.

As she leaned back in her chair, I looked up

at the wall speckled with thank you notes and pictures of appreciation.

She went on, “Proctor was the first place that I really felt I belonged when I came as a student in 1979. It felt like the first time that I had real friends, and teachers that I really liked, and classes that I really liked.” Students continued to trickle in and she nev- er missed a beat, getting kids their snacks and school supplies. “I mean the faculty had such a big influence on me while I was here like my advisor is practically my sister and best friend today and I spend every holiday with her. That is why I came back to Proctor, because of this learning situ- ation and just feeling so at home and loving this community.”

Alex was at Proctor as a boarding student for all four years and graduated in 1983. Before attending Proctor she lived in Aspen. I asked Alex about how she ended up returning to Proctor. “I went to UVM and was on the five-year plan there, and then I was a travel agent for about five years then I went back to school for elementary education and I started here in the spring of 1997.” Alex worked as a dorm parent for five girls in Denberg next door to JJs. She worked at AEMS while she was a dorm parent and later started working in the school Store when a position opened up.

Alex is extraordinary, she’s is an upstanding and outstanding member of the community who I can’t wait to see every time I get a package or stop by for a notebook. She is yet another example of how once you get a taste of the Proctor community nobody ever wants to leave.

So next time you swing through the bookstore to pick up a package or a power bar, don’t forget to thank Alex and remind her how amazing she is.

Together is Better

By Ingrid Pekala

The first thing I saw when I opened up the Proctor Academy website was a picture of Brian Thomas, the Head of School, talking to the Proctor community in the auditorium, with these words displayed: “Pursuing a Mission: TOGETHER.” Recently, I spoke with Sydney Clark, one of Proctor’s Diversity Alliance leaders, and Will

Wamaru, the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator at Proctor and asked them a few questions about Proctor’s mission and togetherness amidst our goal of greater diversity.

Sydney on the right with fellow Proctor students this winter

What are we doing currently to diversify our community and make sure everyone feels like they belong?

Will: “So we look at diversifying and creating belonging as entirely two separate things that are related. Firstly, Proctor is diverse depending on how you are looking at diversity, but we have a long ways to go to make sure our demographics represent that of the United States. To have diversity (increasing numbers) doesn’t necessarily create belonging. We are working first on making sure everyone understands why belonging is important, and practicing how to create it as we did on MLK day…This sense of belonging is being created in advisory, in the dorms, on teams and other programs. We have to keep talking about who is feeling left out and what we can do to make them feel welcome and valued. Just inclusion alone is not enough.”

What are your visions regarding Proctor’s diversity?

Sydney: “My visions regarding Proctor’s diversity are to make sure that I am always leaning into the question, what can I do as a Diversity Alliance leader to make sure that each student feels like they have a voice, their voice is being heard and they have a space where they are seen and heard. I am really happy with the growing Diversity in the student population as well as the faculty population. Diversifying a campus does not happen overnight but I am really hopeful to see more Diversity within both staff and students in the coming years at Proctor.”

Will: “Some of the work we are doing to increase our compositional diversity is firstly making it a valued intention. We are build-

ing networks and connections with organizations that can be valued partners for this goal. We are also leaning in on our alumni networks to continue building champions for Proctor who can help spread the word.

We are telling the world who Proctor is, what we do best and why they should come here.”

Will during Proctor’s Indigenous People’s Celebration

What are things that you personally are doing on the Proctor campus?

Sydney: “I am always being blunt and honest.

When I give tours and people ask me about the diversity on campus, I don’t give the answer they are looking for, I give my honest answer and my honest opinion… When I am on panels and someone asks about the diversity at Proctor, I use it as an opportunity to speak to my experience and what it is like being the only African-American female in the class of 2023. It definitely brings its set of challenges and I do miss having girl talks with other girls who look like me, but I’ve got a great community who supports me and is there with me every step of the way.”

Bitmoji Invasion?

By Camila Marcos

Snapchat dominates the teenage world and the teenage mind. It hits teens hardest where it hurts: their friends and social status. It has created this entirely new realm between strangers and friends.

Most typical high school students live a double life. A life beyond school hallways, the dining hall, and the gym that takes place every waking moment. It is a virtual world equipped with its own set of rules and hidden meanings.

According to an article from The Street, a news website, “History of Snapchat: Timeline and Facts”, Snapchat was founded in 2011 by three Stanford frat boys: Evan Spielberg, Reggie Brown, and Bobby Murphy.

Brown came up with the idea of creating a social media platform in which users could send videos and pictures to others that would subsequently disappear once opened.

Brown then approached Spielberg about it, and he liked the idea as well. They shared the idea with Murphy, who knew how to construct the code to create the app, and their team was formed. The app they initially released was called “Picaboo,” but months later relaunched it as Snapchat.

person on the other end is most likely mad or uninterested. When asked what is worse, opened or delivered, Cal Wilby 23’ says “Probably opened. Yeah, opened is probably worse. It’s ‘cause they saw what you sent them and they were just like, ‘nah.’” A whole instruction manual should be written on the unspoken rules all Snapchatters must recognize and obey.

Forbes Magazine conducted a survey with over 10,000 American teenagers asking about their use of Snapchat and other social media. The survey concluded that on average teenagers open the app thirty times daily.

Although Snap has its benefits and it encourages conversations online, it also has toxic side effects. It makes you become hyper-aware of your friendships. Olivia Ames 23’ says, “It creates a sense of dependability and I think the app makes kids more anxious than they would be without it.”

One might think Snapchat is a simple communication tool via pictures and videos that guarantees some privacy. But for highs choolers, everything one does or doesn’t do has a hidden meaning. There are strict unspoken rules that Snapchat culture enforces.

Double snapping, or sending two pictures without having gotten one back after the first, is strictly prohibited (unless you want to look like a desperate weirdo). When someone sends a ceiling snap, it means they aren’t interested. If you get added to their private story “super priv,“ good for you! They consider you a good friend.

With a simple click of a download button, you now have access to where your friends are 24/7 through Snap Maps. It is a real-life Marauder’s map (the magical map from Harry Potter that shows where everyone is all the time) that identifies where everyone is at any and every moment. Each Snapchat user designs their personal avatar that is supposed to resemble them. These avatars are called bitmojis. Bitmojis become your profile picture as well as a mini you on Snap Maps, where it tracks your location and places your bitmoji in the exact location you last were active on the app.

They unadded you? Yikes. They probably don’t want to be friends with you anymore.

If you are left on opened or delivered, the

This app can highlight and expose insecurities in your friendships. Are you confident enough in your friendships to see your group all together on snap maps or a video of them at brunch on their private story?

For an anxiety-filled, moody teenage mind, Snapchat and the brutal truths it can expose can be a nightmare, but what teenager doesn’t want to stay in touch with their friends and up to date with their social life even when they aren’t with them in real time.