rumseywritten Spring 2019
In this issue 2019 Diversity Conference My Experience in Crew
Book Clubs and Book Reviews
About rumseywritten rumseywritten is a unique student led publication at Rumsey Hall School. Founded by Hannah Hanson ‘18 and Teddy Hwang ‘19, rumseywritten started during the fall term of 2017 as a newspaper. Much like the Fall 2019 issue, the Spring 2019 issue covers events from Rumsey Hall topped with creative projects like poems and photography.
Elina Choi ‘19 - Head Editor Teddy Hwang ‘19 - Head Designer
Writers
Ben Kim ‘19 Katharine Benson ‘19 Aubrey Swan ‘20 Renee Tracey ‘20 Sylvia Freidenrich ‘20 Chris Liu ‘21 Nicole Liao ‘21 Samantha Wicknertz ‘21
Design / Illustrations Rose Shen ‘19 Teddy Hwang ‘19 Elle Poonsornsiri ‘20 Jiwoo Soh ‘20 Cindy Jiang ‘21 Miranda Fraser ‘21
Special thanks to
Mr and Mrs. Mandl - Faculty Supervisor
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his is the last “letter from the editor” that I’ll be writing. After spending a long time trying to decide what to say, I realized that I’d rather turn the mic over on the primary voices of rumseywritten, the students. These were some of the responses from a survey I sent out, asking for a “senior bucket list”. Maybe a “To Do” list to finish off the spring term, or for underformers, a list to start out the next year. Make the most of your time left at Rumsey, whether that’s two weeks, two years, or four.
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Go to futsal Go cheer on a home game. Boarders: Go on as many weekend trips as possible Spend as much time as you can with your friends Make sure to get honors so that you can have some time off from work to hang out with your friends No beef Jam out to music as much as possible. Bus rides to and from games, in the locker room, with headphones in the collab lab with your friends, anywhere other than class. Try to get involved in a charity event/fundraiser, or volunteer on one of Mr. Ough’s community service trips. Take advantage of your teachers, asking them for extra help/ extra time that you might not get in high school. Find friends to rely on and lean on when you need it. Leave a good impression on the under formers and the school. Appreciate your dorm parents, they are always looking out for you Take a nap during honors study hall Say thank you to everyone: The kitchen staff, the office staff, and all people at Rumsey who make your life better. Arethusa!!!!
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Build a relationship with your advisor. Break a rule during your time at Rumsey Make a list of goals before every week, every term, and the whole year. Try out for things that you think you might not have a chance at Get at least 10 dress code writeups Spend a whole study hall facetiming or just having fun with your friends. (but get your homework done before class!) Just laugh and have fun and have a good time together Push your boundaries DO AIRBAND! Maybe write a poem or create an art piece for the gallery, try a sport you’ve never tried, apply for an honors course. Just try to get creative somehow. :) Take more pictures Airband - I wish I did Airband with my friends and be goofy on stage in front of the entire school for one night. I know we all think we have no ideas for it but I wish I could look back and have a memory of doing air band with my best friends and laughing about it Public speaking- Speaking on stage during morning meeting is a perfect place to practice public speaking and getting over fears.
By Elina Choi
rumseywritten
Book Review Becoming By Katharine Benson
Book Author: Michelle Obama 448 pages. Crown Publishing Group
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ormer First Lady Michelle Robinson Obama’s Becoming, which was released in October 2018, is a powerful, funny, honest, and moving memoir about family, life in the spotlight, and finding your path in life. I don’t read a lot of biographies or memoirs, but Becoming was far from boring.
It was a page turner without being full of action packed scenes - instead, it featured the small, quietly poignant moments of Obama’s life, and the big moments too. From her childhood of piano lessons and growing up with her brother in Chicago, to her days at Princeton, to how she met her husband Barack Obama, Michelle Obama teaches us how to be patient with ourselves, that hard work can accomplish anything, and to always belief in yourself. She admits that life as First Lady is far from glamorous, and that she often felt alone at the predominantly white Princeton University. As a planner, I can relate to Mrs. Obama’s “inner checklist”: all the steps she felt she needed to find success in her life. Ivy league university? Check. Lawyer? Check. Start a family? Check. But sometimes, unexpected things would happen in her life and she would feel herself “swerving off course.” To us planners, this is unsettling at first, but Mrs. Obama learned that a predetermined life isn’t nearly as exciting and that many good unexpected things came her way - her husband, eight years in the White House, during which she met all sorts of people, and so much more. I learned a lot from Becoming and didn’t expect to find so much in common with a surprisingly witty powerful woman I’ve only seen on the news.
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or the past six years, students at Rumsey have taken part in Book Fest over spring break. We read books as part of clubs to converse about them upon return. On my first spring break at Rumsey, I signed up for a book club with Mrs. Mandl called the The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. I started my book one week prior to returning to school. I got so into my book that I finished it in three days. I felt like I needed to share it with anyone and everyone. My book was about diversity and loving yourself for who you are. I joined rumseywritten to express myself, and later on found it as an outlet to share the great books we read. I talked to other kids and teachers about their books, and they seemed very passionate about them.
By Sylvia Freidenrich
I talked to Chris Liu about her book club A Night Divided with Mrs Hoeniger. The book was about separated families during the Berlin wall. “A Night Divided” focused on a family’s fight for freedom during that difficult time. Chris quotes,
“I related to this on a personal level because my brother goes to school away from me and I live very far away from my parents also. We aren’t in a time of war but it is still very hard.” One of the other people I talked to was Elle Poonsornsiri, and she partook in Mrs. Delorenzo's book club A Handful of Stars. This book was about how two totally different girls from completely different places unexpectedly find friendship. She said that she felt a personal connection to the book because she is from far away and has made many new friends since coming to Rumsey. Lastly I talked to Mrs. Mandl, the leader of my book club The Poet X. She said that growing up as a girl in New York, she was able to feel very close to the topic surrounding body positivity. She also said that this book is one she would reccomend to anyone. To conclude, I think that if you were wondering whether or not to join a book club next year, you should definitely join one and find a book you love.
Covucci, David. “Divorced Dads Are Upset with Michelle Obama.” The Daily Dot, The Daily Dot, 16 Apr. 2019, www.dailydot.com/layer8/michelle-obama-divorced-dads/. Nielson, Jennifer A. “A Night Divided (Scholastic Gold).” Indiebound.org, 24 Apr. 2018, www.indiebound.org/book/9780545682442. Lord, Cynthia. “A Handful of Stars.” Indiebound.org, 26 May 2015, www.indiebound.org/book/9780545700276. Acevedo, Elizabeth. “The Poet X.” Amazon, Amazon, 6 Mar. 2018, www.amazon.com/Poet-X-Elizabeth-Acevedo/dp/0062662805.
2019 Diversity Conference
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he Diversity Conference, which was held earlier in the spring, was an immersive and unforgettable experience for all in different ways. In this article, we will explore the impact that the conference had on the students who attended.
Elina Choi - Form VII Boarding Q: Did you feel like you could answer honestly to all the questions? If not, why? A: I wish I could say that I was completely honest, but I wasn’t entirely open to share some of the most personal details in my life with strangers. Still, some people in my group were honest, which really did teach me a lot. Q: How was the privilege walk and what did you learn about yourself (that you didn’t know before) and others? A: I just learned that privilege goes far beyond what people typically think, and I learned that an everyday thing that people take for granted could be something someone doesn’t even have access to. Q: Have you noticed a change in your attitude since the conference? A: It has made me more grateful for the opportunities I have in and out of Rumsey. Q: Was there anything that you found more impactful than you originally expected? A: I’ve always loved spoken word poetry, but I had never seen spoken word performed like that before. I thought it was very beautiful and impactful. Q: Did anything said during the conference change your perception of any cultures or group of people? A: I learned that boarding school communities do not entirely revolve around just one group of people but rath er, it revolves around everyone. Everyone in my group went to prep school and had similar experiences.
Renee Tracey - Form VI Boarding Q: What could you relate to during the conference? A: I was with more people who were as concerned and as invested in the important topics and opinions at hand as I am, so I felt at ease because I knew there was a common outlook and outcome expected from all of us. Q: Is there anything you think you will carry with you for the rest of your life? A: I think I’ll remember this: “The lessons leave, the stories stay....” I will also remember there was a point I was trying to make, and it was on a sensitive subject or may have seemed “risque” so I hesitated and said, “This might make someone uncomfortable”. One of my group members then said, “That’s what we came for.” That really opened my eyes to the fact that the experience was intended to stretch my limits and understanding, and to share that with others. Q: What did you learn from others during the Diversity Conference? A: I have to learn to be okay with being uncomfortable but also okay with that, because the world is a constantly changing place and some things need to be said, despite the effect.
Katharine Benson - Form VII Day Q: How did you first feel when we got there? A: When we first arrived at the Diversity Conference I was both excited for the day and nervous to have discussions with kids I had never met before. Q: What was something you didn’t think would be that impactful but really was? A: I didn’t expect the speeches given at the beginning the day to be so impactful and inspiring. I found the singing especially impactful. Q: What did you gather from other people’s testimonials? A: It was great to hear other people’s perspectives and learn their stories; many people I spoke to had many dif ferent backgrounds but we still found ways to connect. By Aubrey Swan
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umsey’s Community Service Program is a voluntary activity that is held on the weekends. It provides opportunities for students to make contributions to society and the community. Students always sign up for community service full of passion and positivity. Annually, Rumsey’s Community Service Program logs over 1000 hours, with the participation of 75% of student body. In the past, Mr. Ough has brought students to many places to experience different types of community service. For example, during the winter term, some students have travelled to the local garden and helped prepare the beds for the winter. Others had an enjoyable time knitting hats for children in Africa, along with creating several pairs of hand-made shoes. The Rumsey Card Project is also a part of the Rumsey Community Service Program. Whenever there is an upcoming holiday, there is a card project on Sunday afternoon. The cards are mostly delivered to hospitalized children. The cards make those children feel the warmth of our community. Rumsey’s Community Service Program encourages our students to be altruistic and give back to society. Overall, the effort and time students devote to Rumsey’s Community Service Program makes a significant difference. Written by Chris Liu Illustrations by Cindy Jiang and Chris Liu
Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge: A Preview
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By Samantha Wicknertz
ne of the biggest Star Wars events ever was held this spring; the Star Wars Celebration Chicago. The event hosted the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge panel. Galaxy’s Edge is a new theme park coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World. This immersive world will have two new attractions, many restaurants, and many shops. First, let’s talk about one of the two main attractions, Smugglers Run. In this ride, you will get a chance to pilot the Millennium Falcon, and your actions will have consequences, so you better be ready. For example, if you crash the ship, you might just find an angry ship owner coming to find you! You also will enter the ship’s cockpit with two pilots, two gunners, and two mechanics. Next, let’s talk about the other ride, Rise of the Resistance. In this ride, the vehicles use trackless ride vehicle technology, previously seen on rides like Winnie the Pooh in Tokyo Disneyland. This technology means you do not see which direction you will be going in, creating a sense of danger and adventure. You will be taken on a Resistance transport to a First Order ship and from there you will get on your ride vehicle. If you think that is the best part, there’s more. The theme based food and shopping are amazing! I am so excited for Galaxy’s Edge and after reading this, I hope you are too! Thank you for reading!
My Experience in Crew “Join crew” they said. “It’ll be fun” they said. “It’ll be fun after the first few days,” they said. I was pretty relaxed about the entire thing, until I wasn’t. I think the first time I was truly nervous about getting into the boat was three quarters across the pool during the swim test. I was kind of out of breath and my cotton shirt was soaked and filled with water with each stroke. I had forgotten to bring a swim shirt or at least a water resistant shirt. So there I was, carrying twice my weight in a 10ft pool. Somehow, fate let me survive this and I passed it. That night, filled with paranoia, I desperately searched for videos titled:
“what to do if your boat flips” [7:34pm]
The next day was slightly less terrifying, I still didn’t know how to row but: it was less terrifying. I think it was on the third or fourth day when I stopped fighting the boat and let myself fail a little. That was the day I learned how to succeed. Now, I can say I row well, (for a beginner) (on port side).
That wasn’t specific enough. It told me to take a headcount, hold onto the boat for support and essentially not drown. It made enough sense. So, off I went into the lake. My first thoughts were “I think I should put my feet here”. So I did. We were off to a reasonable start, it wasn’t until my coxswain called “Bow pair” to start rowing that I actually started to wonder :
“How do you row?” Actually it was more like, the boat started tipping to the side a little bit and I was worried thinking maybe I screwed up, but it turns out you have to ‘set’ the boat; that was the first thing I learned. So in summary, I was inside a boat and I didn’t know how to row or even keep the boat afloat. That was my first day on the water. But here’s a positive. I’m writing this: so fortunately, I didn’t drown. The next day was slightly less terrifying, I still didn’t know how to row but: it was less terrifying. I think it was on the third or fourth day when I stopped fighting the boat and let myself fail a little. That was the day I learned how to succeed. Now, I can say I row well, (for a beginner) (on port side). Recently, a series of events lead me to rowing starboard (for the first time), in the pouring rain, that’s when I knew --Ah, that’s a story for another time. In summary, join crew.
Written by Renee Tracey Illustrations by Teddy Hwang
Passionate Musician, Always Calculating Written by Ben Kim Illustrations by Rose Shen
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ello to my fellow Blue Dogs! I’m Ben Kim from Korea, and I’m a senior who will be graduating after only one year at this great school. As you might have noticed by my performance in Rumsey’s winter concert and my constant conductor moves, I love music. Music has been my greatest passion since I was 5, when I first got my hands on the ivory. Since then, the rest is history. When I was in 4th grade, I started composing my own music inspired by the beautiful melodies of the great composers such as Beethoven (the OG) and Chopin (aka “Chopping”). Eventually, I started to develop my own voice and my own style of composing, and I have gradually been able to express myself more and more effectively through my all-time favorite medium. One day in 7th grade, I was watching a video about the various types of chords and I stumbled upon tritones. A tritone is an interval between two notes that splits an octave exactly in half. It is dissonant, and was historically called “diabolus in musica”, “the devil in music”. Composers such as Franz Liszt (the showoff) frequently used this interval to represent the devil. I was curious about what makes it so unpleasant, and I found out that the wavelengths of the notes that make up the interval do not match for a while; the ratio of wavelengths of a tritone can be, depending on how you tune it, 45:32, 64:45 and so on. I was intrigued by the math behind the difference between the discordant and harmonious, and for the first time in my life, I wanted to delve deeper into the field of mathematics.
My real passion for mathematics started with another YouTube video posted to a brilliant channel called Numberphile. For weeks it showed up on my Recommended feed, and for weeks I ignored it. At last, I thought there must be a reason why YouTube has been recommending me this video, and I decided to watch it. “Sum of all the natural numbers is -1/12.” My mind was again boggled. Over time, I realized that math is not all about solving equations, memorizing formulas and getting good grades, but rather more about looking behind the formula, finding out where it comes from, and exploring a field of exploration where we can discover many counterintuitive, unexpected results.
Numerous countries have put a great deal of money and effort into ocean exploration to discover new regions of the ocean; however, research suggests that 95 percent of the ocean is still unexplored. I think it’s the same for mathematics. There are still numerous unsolved problems such as the Twin Prime conjecture and the Riemann Hypothesis; there are some problems that took generations to be solved such as the discovery of Euler’s number and squaring the circle. As such I believe that someday, someone will solve such problems and unveil new chapters of mathematics. I do not consider myself a musical genius or a brilliant mathematician. I believe that what matters most in any competition is the experience. My advice to the upcoming senior class and the entire Rumsey community is to try new things and explore what might be your passion, and to not be discouraged by failures and setbacks, as you will always learn from the experience.
The Bottle Wall ELINA CHOI ‘19 FALL 2015, I walked into my first class at Rumsey. Up white stairs and through a red door, I saw faces that meant nothing but strangers to me. I found myself sitting next to a girl with a braid and a white cardigan. There were posters around the room, different from my schools in Korea and California. I wasn’t sure what to expect really. KATHARINE BENSON ‘19 FALL 2015, I walked into my first upper school class at Rumsey. My seventh year but everything was new and faltered on the line between familiar and unfamiliar. Some faces were familiar and some were brandnew. Everyone was nervous and quiet, unsure of what to expect. I sat down next to you, both of us craning our necks to take in the classroom. Everything was so new—the kids around me, the teacher, the room. In the Lower School, I had spent all of fifth grade in one classroom, and all of fourth, and third But this year, the Gatehouse was one of my five classrooms. One for each subject. The girl who sat next to me was named Elina, and behind us were Ellie and Ellie and there was Brett, Gabe, Charlie, and Troy. Some new faces, some old ones. The first day was a first step, one of many. But time passed quickly, and soon it was spring. . . SPRING 2016, I handed her a bottle for her to zip tie. We stuffed bottles all spring, poking them with pencils for the sake of doing it, rather than anything else. Arms outstretched far beyond our heads, trying for another row, another one, last one, at least until the one after that. Now, we’re all friends, and unlike the bottle wall, have changed and grown into different people. We share the same memories of the same events and of the same people, yet unlike a blank wall, we’ve filled our canvas with shared memories.
Bottle walls at the Gate House being created. Left: Katharine Benson Right: Elina Choi Photography by Mr. Mandl
Star by Nicole Liao Star, keep shining bright, Using hopes and dreams to keep alight. But, as time goes on, When hopes and dreams are all fading and gone, What keeps you alight at night. What keeps you shining bright? Illustrations by Chris Liu and Samantha Wicknertz
rumseywritten Spring 2019 Rumsey Hall School Washington Depot, CT
Spring 2019 Number of Pages: 18 Publication Date: May 15, 2019 © 2019 TeddyH Design x Rumsey Hall School If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email us! 19echoi@rumseyhall.org - Elina Choi, Head Editor 19hwang@rumseyhall.org - Teddy Hwang, Head Designer