Voice, November 2012 - Vol. 16, No.1

ACADEMY GOTHIC

Voice

Thayer Academy’s Student Magazine November, 2012 Vol. 16, No. 1

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Comment Indecision 2012

• Rose Murray

As a high school student who is somewhat well-educated, my knowledge of current events on a national level is significantly lacking. I could blame this flaw on Thayer’s curriculum, or say that as a senior I’m just too busy to make time to educate myself about something that’s not about to help me get into college. But in reality, my not keeping up with the news is completely my own decision. The amount I know about the world, and even just the nation around me is phenomenally disproportional to the amount of information literally at my fingertips. While this flaw in my overall education has been apparent to me for some time now, it was emphasized by the lead-up to this year’s presidential election.

I wasn’t old enough to vote in this election. But many of my peers are in fact eighteen years old, which reminds me of just how close I am to having a quantitative say in our nation’s government, and how far I am from feeling as though I am sufficiently informed to make such a decision.

Beyond this confirmation of my political illiteracy, I found out something slightly more alarming about myself. Despite having admitted that I knew very little about the presidential election and each candidate’s policies, I had a stark alliance to the political party supported by my parents.

Here is where I find the biggest problem in how I’m conducting myself in relation to politics. I have based my political beliefs almost entirely on what my parents believe. These opinions aren’t necessarily far from those I would have developed on my own, but I can’t say that they are specifically my own either. Any attempt at justification of my reasoning always blurs into repetition of what I’ve heard from my parents.

In talking with my peers, I’ve found that throughout the student body almost every stance on politics in general is represented. There are those who are passionate about a candidate, those who don’t think it’s something that concerns them at the moment, and every position in between. The common factor linking a majority of Thayer students’ views is that many, myself included, agree with their parents politically. An overwhelming majority of the students asked said that their political beliefs in relation to all topical issues aligned with what their parents believed. The most discrepancies with parents were found in the junior and senior classes, and this is a promising trend, because it suggests as students mature their opinions become more independent but these numbers were still low. As my classmates and I go onto college and then the real world, the simple life experiences there will likely shape our ideas, resulting in the opportunity for a larger degree of differentiation between our ideas and those of our parents. Still, at age eighteen, someone’s vote counts just as much as someone who’s forty, and therefore for our political system to be strongest, all voters should have their own independent and educated opinions as early on as possible.

While nowhere near as large as the portion who agreed with their parents, there were also a large number of students, especially those in the freshmen and sophomore class who said the election wasn’t something they considered to concern them. However among upperclassmen there was an increased interest in the election. I willingly opted to watch the presidential debates this year. Well, I actually only went two for three, and that’s about the extent to which I took educating myself. Even after watching the debates I can’t begin to claim that I had a full understanding of the context of what they were talking about. I understood most of it, but realistically I couldn’t tell you anything about the GDP past what it stands for, and who am I to decide which candidate has a better shot at bettering the U.S. economy? So even by the election it was fair to say I still wasn’t completely confident in why I supported one candidate over the other. Despite my potentially invalidated opinions, I was still hoping for a certain outcome, which happened to be the outcome my entire household was supporting.

I urge my peers not simply to talk about politics with family or the reasonably narrowed demographic represented by Thayer’s student body. Take your own time to learn about both candidates so as to come to conclusions that are genuinely your own. The world is changing, and like those beliefs and systems which have been sloughed off by past generations, my generation must be cognizant of those places in which we feel our government must adapt to the current world. This aspect of parents passing beliefs onto their children is nothing new. However, in the political arena, carrying on political beliefs only because of family influence defrays the true value in democracy and threatens to bring a degree of bigotry to politics.

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Structure is everything. This is the most important yet difficult concept that I have learned from computer programming.

In programming, “structure” is the idea of splitting up the solution into smaller logical components, called functions. Having different parts that do different things in programming allows for reusability. In a program it is not necessary to “reinvent the wheel;” I can just use the same function over again, which makes programs much shorter and easier to read and use.

In my second year of programming, we were tasked with creating a program that simulated a knight moving around a chessboard. The knight would move in an L shaped pattern, as in chess, but it could never return to the same spot. Although it may sound simple, it was our most difficult program to date, and became a complicated and time-consuming task. In my previous programming class, my motto was to get the programs done any way possible, but in the more advanced class, creating a logical structure was just as important as getting the correct answer. I didn’t fully understand this, until I received low grades on programs that worked correctly, but were horribly structured.

So I started off the “knight” program again, just trying to get the algorithm right, and trying to ignore Younger Cedrone’s warnings about structure until the end. But then I ran into a road block: I could make the knight move around the board, but I couldn’t tell the person playing if all of the playable spaces were full.

I struggled with this problem on my own for a few days, then a week before the program was due I broke down and went to Younger to ask for advice on how to proceed.

I explained the problem and Younger was actually glad that I had come to him for advice. He told me what I had been dreading to hear: my structure was totally off, and I would have to redo a good portion of my program.

The silver lining was that at least I had identified the problem pretty early, which gave me a week to finish the

• Danielle Nash program. It took four days, during which I was completely engrossed in the problem before the program finally executed correctly. When I finally saw my program give me the right output, it was an actual “smack my forehead and say ‘Oh!’” moment. It finally made sense what Younger had been trying to drill into my head. Once I got the structure, the rest would follow, fixing most of my problems in the long run.

When programming, there is always a doubt about whether a program will actually work, so I was ecstatic when my knight program worked. Many times I’ve sat at a computer and practically begged it to spit out the right answer, and I was extremely frustrated when it didn’t.

Identifying my structure problem was the key to “knight” and many of my other programs. It helped me solve my problems more quickly, and has cut down on those hours wasted begging an inanimate object to work.

Structure is important in many other subjects, not only programming. Writing an effective English essay requires the knowledge of the structure and flow of an essay. It would not make sense if an essay started at its conclusion and worked its way back to a thesis. The content of an actual essay could be overshadowed by the fact that the structure of the essay is completely off, and this was similar to my program.

Now, it is second nature for me to structure my programs logically. It was a tough process, but resulted in a successful outcome. My “knight” program showed me that I actually did understand programming, and is one of the major reasons why I am considering pursuing computer programming in college. I get it now, and I want to continue to experience that amazing feeling that a working program gives me.

Emily Weinberg art

Knight and Day

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Life Murph: The Man, the Myth, the Legend

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Allie Hooley photo

The new Student Commons has been a source of excitement (and jealousy among the Class of 2012, i.e. why not soooooner???) on campus since its opening this past September. With an overwhelmingly positive student response so far, it’s quickly become a popular hangout and homework spot.

We wanted to know: what does Murph really think about the new student commons? “Love it.

Love being in the thick of it. It reminds me of the opening of the movie Grand Hotel. I think I’m getting to know [the students] better.” The kids, he says, are his favorite part of TA. “If it wasn’t for the kids, we wouldn’t be here!”

When asked about one improvement he would make to the Commons, Murph, while reaching for his sunglasses, requested some blinds be installed. But overall, he’s impressed with the recent improvements on the Thayer campus. “I think Mr. Koskores has done an amazing job bringing the school up to where all the other ISLs are. He has incredible vision, and I think he missed his calling. If he weren’t the great headmaster that he is, I think he could be an incredible interior decorator.” He does admit, however, that he misses certain aspects of his old setup. “I miss Ms. Murray...We’d talk about, ‘Did you see what this kid was wearing!?’ She and I were quite a team.” Fortunately, his new location is ideally located for catching up on the latest gossip to share with her later. “I’ve been trying to creep on conversations. I haven’t really heard anything juicy yet, but I’m still hopeful!”

Despite his claims that, “I’m pretty much an open book: what you see is what you get,” Murph revealed a bit of his adventurous side as we wrapped up our interview. Discussing life as a high school student, he quipped, “If you obey all the rules, no one has any fun.” When warned by a passing Paul Pantano to be careful of the press’s tendency to twist people’s words, Murph shrugged it off. “That’s quite alright,” he said, “let the legend build.”

Linnea Nordgren photo

Liza McPherson photo

He’s the man who welcomes you as you walk through Cahall every morning, the man whose signature “Good morning, Thayer Academy” greets you any time you call the main office. John Murphy is an indispensable member of the Thayer Academy staff and an unmistakable campus icon, but a shroud of mystery still cloaks his presence.

We sat down with Murph on a sunny October morning to learn more about the Man Behind the Desk and his views on the newest improvement to the Thayer campus: the Student Commons. We decided to start with the basics: “How long have you been here?” we asked first. “Well, I knew Sylvanus…” he responded, chuckling.“No, I used to deliver donuts here… and that was like, 27 years ago. And now I’m here.”

Donut delivery service? Why don’t we have that now?! Well, we’re in luck – rumor has it there will be a new snack bar opening in the Student Commons soon. “I don’t know what they’re going to be selling from the snack bar, but it should be in pretty soon,” explained Murph. “I think if they sold coffee people would get here earlier, but it has to be something really good. You need like, Starbucks or Dunkin’, or something.”

So what does a typical day’s work involve for Murph? “The minute you get here, the phone’s ringing,” he stated. “It’s just busy. It’s fun.” Throughout our conversation, several students signed in late with various excuses to explain their tardiness.

When asked about the craziest tardy excuse he’s ever heard, Murph said there hasn’t been anything that outrageous; people just usually oversleep.

“It’s hard to get here in the morning, you know? I live in Braintree so I have, a maybe, ten minute commute, but…I don’t know how these kids do it every day.” If you’re trying to sneak in after the 8:15 deadline, make sure to come in with a medium hot coffee with cream, no sugar – Murph’s favorite.

(Not that we’re condoning bribery…)

• Liza McPherson & Linnea Nordgren

Lit Typical TA Thursdays

• Compiled by Nikki LeFort

7:48 • Kayla Rorke The teacher fished through her fleece jacket pocket and pulled out her key chain. With one hand, she flicked the keys until the desired key was visible. Her other hand tightened around a large stack of neat paper folders. She inserted the key, turned it with ease and returned the keys back into her pocket. Raising her arm out straight, she jerked it against the door, causing it to violently swing.

She took a large step and caught the door by thrusting out her hip, just before it struck the student trailing behind her. Balancing on one foot she flicked down the doorstop with the toe of her clog. The student passed through the doorway and scuffed to the chair facing the teacher’s desk. He leaned forward and let his backpack slide off his shoulder. Stepping over his bag, he slid the chair out and plopped down. The teacher carried her folders around to the back of her desk and placed them down in front of her. After she lowered herself to her office chair, she read the label on the side of one of her folders, and pulled back the colored cover. She licked her finger and began sifting through the papers. The student shifted his weight to the front of the chair and straightened his back. She removed one paper from the orderly stack and flipped it face down. They made eye contact as she slid it across her desk toward the student. He turned the paper and carefully picked it up with two hands. He sighed, slouched back in the chair, and lowered his head.

1:36 • Elizabeth Waltman

Mal Smith art

She peeks up at him with a contained smile on her face, while he focuses intently on the rocks he kicks with every step. The girl quickly glances back down, and fixes her hair. At the end of the path the boy and girl stop walking and face each other. As the boy talks, the girl giggles and flips her hair. The boy shoves his hands into his pockets while the girl tucks a strand of hair behind her ear before crossing her arms across her chest. Then, they part ways. The boy hastily walks towards Main Building while the girl saunters towards the CFA. She inconspicuously whips her head around, catching one last glance at the boy in the blue shirt.

5:59 • Nikki LeFort

Brendan Shiel art

He edged closer to the girl and reached for her shaking palms. The door to the scene shop screeched across the concrete floor and she snatched her hand away. His breathing quickened as he combed his fingers through his hair. The air was stale from the stage lights glaring down on the fidgeting duo. The boy stepped towards the girl once again, this time much faster.

Her eyes darted towards the back door and out towards the empty house.

Eventually they settled back on the feet of the boy in front of her. He stepped in to close the gap between them and cupped his hands around her arms. Without even glancing up, she drew in a sharp breath and raised her face. When his grip on her arms loosened, she nearly tumbled backwards. Instantly, he pulled her body closer to his and waited for her to open her eyes. The final distance between their faces disappeared right as the director shouted, “Perfect!” from the third row of the audience.

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12:17 • Felicia Craffey As she picked up her plastic cup and walked toward the water dispenser, his eyes found her Hunter rain boots then her legging clad legs and finally her eyes. She turned her back to him and commenced filling her cup up with water. His eyes remained on her glossy auburn hair. He did not turn to look at the girl who was joining him, pulling out the chair next to his, and smiling. His eyes remained on water girl’s hair as she wound her way towards a table full of giggling girls.

9:15 • Adam Cowie-Haskell Several amateur photographers pour out of the center for performing arts, cameras slouching around their necks, and disperse around the campus. One photographer, who lacks the jubilance of the others, wanders towards a shedding tree, one hand offering protection under the camera, and the other finding warmth in his pocket. He bends down and musters a few leaves; the others dodge him in the wind. Once he is standing again, he glances from side to side, squinting towards the sun, and prepares the camera for action. He adjusts himself so that the sun is directly in front of him, and lofts the fallen foliage into the air. In less than enough time to take a picture, the leaves scatter and blow away. The photographer kicks at a leaf, turns towards his class, and accepts his failure.

4:05 • Jack Becker He leaned to his right, pulled off his backpack, and dropped it to the floor.

He approached the basketball gym. He grabbed the handle with his right hand, twisted it, and pulled it open. He jogged to midcourt, leaned down, and picked up the basketball with his right hand. He dribbled the ball once, picked it up, and walked to the three-point line. He stopped at the top of the key. He dropped the ball down, but caught it before it hit the ground, bent his knees, and started the motion to shoot. He raised the ball above his head, and released it. He watched the ball spiral through the air; it hit the back rim, then front rim, then rolled off the side. Looking up to the hallway above, he saw the girl he liked standing there, in silence. He’d missed the shot.

2:24 • Emily Weinberg The chairs squeak and moan as the students fidget in their seats. He looks at the clock, then back at the nearly blank paper on his desk. He flips through the pages and looks around at the other kids as they write feverishly. The white board at the front of the room reads End: 2:40.

The class looks to the hallway as a crash and some laughter echoes from the PC lab next door. The teacher rises from his chair and strides across the room to shut the door. The students return their gazes to the papers in front of them. He watches the teacher return to his desk, then looks at the clock above the light-green door that points to 2:25. He sighs as he puts his pencil down and begins to wait.

Brendan Shiel art

“Ooh, shiny.” The sophomore boy paws at the sparkling new iPad that his freshman friend has just removed from his backpack. A triple curve logo sits atop the all-black backpack as the boy searches thoroughly for something inside. The boy’s sneakers dangle from his gangly legs but do not reach the floor. The high top table holds four binders of varying color. The sophomore props up his colleague’s iPad to an upright position as he urges the slider to the right. The screen lights up and a rousing game of Doodle Jump ensues. A piercing sound braces the halls and the two boys gather their things. As the freshman grasps at the iPad now strategically held above the sophomore’s head, his backpack ferociously jostles until he is forced to surrender. The sophomore then graciously hands the iPad back, and they walk away.

Mal Smith art

10:09 • Abby Hogan

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Ms. Browne: The Future of Thayer’s Performing Arts

• Chelle Ohlson aR

Em During her junior year in high school, Kelly Browne’s class had to write m mock obituaries detailing what they had accomplished in their lives.

Ms. Browne wrote that in her life she had given high school students her passion of acting. This year Ms. Browne is accomplishing this dream as the new Theater and Choral Director at Thayer Academy.

Even though Ms. Browne didn’t always know she wanted to have theater direction as her career, she did know from a young age that theater would be a part of her life. After seeing her mother perform in a community theater production of Gypsy, Ms. Browne decided that she wanted to be a part of the “magical” theater experience.

Ms. Browne began her road to theater involvement in middle school, when she auditioned for a community theater production of Annie.

As Ms. Browne jokes now, “I didn’t realize middle school girls were supe posed to be really shy,” so when she got to the audition, she loudly belted out om W “Tomorrow.” She had no expectations that she would get any role. As it turned out, he of t s r M e she got the lead. From this first production all the way through high school and college, s. Brown ith memb ew Ms. Browne performed in several plays and was a member of several theater societies.

Despite this background in theater, Ms. Browne decided that her real passion was teaching, so she got a job in an elementary school and temporarily set her love of theater aside. However, Ms. Browne didn’t leave theater behind for long; when her elementary school realized that she had experience in theater, they asked her to put on a show. From that first directing job to her directing job at Thayer, Ms. Browne describes her success as, “opportunities growing from opportunities.” These opportunities have led her to become Thayer’s Theater and Choral Director.

While you may have seen her directing the fall musicals and winter plays for the past seven years, this year will be the first that Ms. Browne has held a full-time position at Thayer. Fortunately, Ms. Browne says, this transition has been relatively smooth, thanks to the Thayer students who are “lovely to each other and welcoming to me.”

Ms. Browne has only one thing she loves about her job: Everything. “From the second I enter the building to the second I leave,” she is doing something she loves. From being an advisor for her group of eight freshmen to directing the choirs (with the aid of the phenomenal Dan Alosa) to seeing the Thayer community gather during Monday Morning Meeting, Ms. Browne finds ways to immerse herself in her passion every day.

This year, Ms. Browne will also be able to revise the Thayer theater curriculum, and she has many new ideas to add to the existing program. One class in particular that she is excited about revamping is the Advanced Acting Class. Unlike past years, this year the students will direct and perform in the play, but also completely prepare everything in the play, from costumes to lighting. The goal of this venture, according to Ms. Browne, is to give students a comprehensive theater experience that they can take with them on future theatrical endeavors.

Ms. Browne has many other future plans for the performing arts programs, including expanding the numbers in the choirs and creating more opportunities for people to perform at Thayer. From a collaborative Musical Theater class with choreographer Pam Sheiber to an after-school activity where people can perform short skits in front of a group of students, Ms. Browne wants to give everybody a chance to act; in her words, “If you want to act, I want to make that happen.”

While a transition from a part-time to a full-time Thayer teacher can be challenging, Ms. Browne is optimistic for the future. While she is “very thankful” for this new opportunity, Ms. Browne is not likely to become to become complacent. She is ready to show the Thayer community everything she can do to make the Thayer performing arts programs a reason for outside spectators to come to Thayer Academy.

n’s Ch oir .

o hot ly p e il

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Come and Meet Those Dancing Feet

• Kate Tardiff

This fall, Thayer’s Center for the Arts is filling with the sound of tapping feet.

The fall musical, the classic 42nd Street, tells the story of a team of actors putting on a Broadway show and the naïve nobody from Allentown, Pennsylvania, who goes from background chorus girl to star overnight.

This flashy musical is filled with huge, 30’s-style production numbers. Many of these numbers feature a challenge that Thayer performers haven’t faced before: tap dancing.

Pam Sheiber, the choreographer of the play, has dance in her blood –

she’s been tap-dancing since she was three. She’s enjoying bringing her talents to 42nd Street this year and sharing the gift of tap with others. “It’s fun to make noise with your feet!” she says. The theater department picked 42nd Street partly because of the tap included in it. “Tap seems to fire the kids up,” she says; in turn, that energy flows to the audience. She knows that some kids have never even tried to tap before, so she choreographs the dances with several different levels of difficulty. Each person can pick the level that works for them—“no one can tell who’s making what sound, and everyone masters one level.” What’s Ms. Sheiber’s favorite part of this show? “People are pushed beyond their wildest imagination,” she says. “They surprise themselves.”

Pam Sheiber’s

Sophomore Jenna Menard is one of the most experienced tappers in the play; she’s done all kinds of dance, including tap, since she was three. She’s a theater newbie, though;

this is her first fall musical. She loves tap – “it’s fun,” she says, and one of her favorite styles. The choreography for the show is “simple for me, but fun.” The choreography keeps her engaged; it includes challenges for all levels of tappers, even those at Jenna’s level. In one number, experienced dancers have to tap on top of small, round platforms decorated as dimes. “It’s interesting,” says Jenna. “I think I pulled a muscle, but it’s fun!” She’s had a great time watching the more inexperienced dancers learn, too. “I think they looked really good!”

Jenna Menard’s

This is senior Meg Riley’s first time in tap shoes, or any kind of dance shoes for

Meg Riley’s

that matter. It’s her second Thayer musical, but her first that involves tap. “I’m not a natural tapper,” she says with a laugh, “I’ve been known to fall over while dancing.” The experience is “disconcerting, but it’s fun. I really love it. You can’t let yourself get embarrassed - you just have to let loose and have fun!” How does tapping compare to other styles of dance? “It’s more slippery and embarrassing, but it’s also more fun.” Even though she sees herself as more of an athlete, she thinks of dance as just “a different kind of athletics.” She enjoys this chance to go “out of her comfort zone.” She’d recommend it to anyone because, on top of everything else it provides, “it’s a great stress reliever!”

How does it feel to be a boy performing in the musical? He’s used to it, he says, as this is his third Thayer musical. It’s his first experience with tap, though, as with most of the dancers in the show. Adjusting to the shoes has been an interesting experience.

“I slipped many times,” he says. Still, tap-dancing is “Fun. The musical takes a lot of time, but I enjoy doing it.” He’s pleased with the progress of this show so far: “It’s already going really well, and the dances are coming together! The practices were long, but they really helped us to learn.” Alim knows one thing for sure – he’ll be back next year for the next musical. And if there’s more tapping, will he do it? “Yeah!”

Alim Ibrahim’s

Kate Tardiff photos

Alim Ibrahim is one of a rare species – the male tap-dancer.

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Alternative Sports

• Justin Henriksen

Evelina Yakimovich Rock Climbing I don’t know about you, but when I think of rock climbing, I think of a fun, recreational activity accessible at places such as REI. When senior Evelina Yakimovich thinks of rock climbing, she thinks of a competitive sport that one can even make money doing.

Rock climbing since she was about seven or eight years old, Evelina competed in national events in places such as Oregon, Michigan, and Colorado. Basically, competitions consist of three different “routes.” Each one gets progressively harder. The competitor is graded on how high he or she is able to climb on the last route, since that route is “almost impossible to climb.” She reached the peak of her career at age 11, finishing 2nd overall in a national competition in Oregon. She was even sponsored by a rock climbing company called “Mad Rock.” Rock climbing isn’t, as Evelina notes, “all fun and games.” You won’t find a single competitor who hasn’t injured him or herself at one point or another. “One time, I slipped in a bad spot on one of the routes, and hit the back of my head on a ledge.”

Injuries, along with the fact that it is extremely hard to receive college recognition for the sport, have shifted Evelina’s attention to Track and Field. She now rock climbs for fun and teaches at a rock climbing summer camp in New Hampshire.

Benjamin Goldstein Fencing Many of you probably know Benjamin Goldstein as a math wiz, comedian, and, yes, even Superman. I’m guessing most of you didn’t know that he fenced collegiately at Princeton.

That’s right, you heard me, add another thing to the old resume.

Picking up the sport as a freshman at his high school outside of Chicago, he and his teammates would travel to overnight tournaments in places such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other parts of Illinois. Mr. Goldstein explained how there are different “weapons” in fencing. There is the foil, the epée, and the saber. With the foil (Mr. Goldstein’s specialty), you can only hit your opponent in the torso with the point of the blade. Although he was semi-recruited by Princeton, he explained that this is misleading.

“I was a mediocre fencer. Basically, the coach at Princeton had a certain number of slots he needed to fill. I’m just lucky he needed fencers.” Mr. Goldstein ended up fencing for only two years in college.

He had an extremely busy schedule, and had trouble balancing everything.

He even learned that he didn’t miss it that much. He now practices Aikido – as a black belt.

I know people who have played squash their entire lives and still aren’t very good. Madison Barker played for two years and was, at one point, ranked 13th in Massachusetts for girls. “When I came to Dana Hall in 6th grade, a friend of mine told me about the squash team and I thought I’d give it a try.” Madison had instant success, becoming the only middle school student on varsity and regularly competing in tournaments all over New England. She even acquired a private coach, and began devoting all her attention to the sport. She continued to practice and compete for the next few years until she came to Thayer as a 9th grader and realized that they didn’t have a team. “I tried to start a team, but there wasn’t enough support.” It was around this time that she began becoming more serious with lacrosse. She was torn between the two, and had no idea which sport she would choose to pursue in the future. After talking with her parents and thinking it over, she chose lacrosse, as they came to the conclusion that it would open more doors for her in college. Although her squash coach wasn’t thrilled, Madison believes it was for the best.

She now plays occasionally for fun and hopes to play in adulthood.

Allie Hooley photos

Madison Barker Squash

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Sports Unsung Heroes

Will Manning photo

Mark Donovan Center Midfield Senior

Katie Marsano photo

John Reynolds Cross Country Harrier Sophomore

Michaela Mavromates Cross Country Harrier Sophomore

• Allie Hooley, Will Manning & Meg Riley

E

very time he throws it, we have an excellent chance of scoring,” says head coach Jake Diamond when discussing Mark’s unique ability. Mark brings to the soccer team a talent unmatched by any ISL school, an ability he has possessed for some time now, and a threatening attribute: a flip throw that travels 20 yards in the air.

Approximately ten times a game, when the ball rolls out in the offensive third of the soccer pitch, Mark provides himself with ample room, holds the ball in his hands, and handsprings off the ball as he launches it into arching flight. “I’d rather a corner kick than watch him do that again,” blurted a Nobles player, obviously frustrated by Mark’s impressive and always dangerous talent.

O

n the course, throughout the three-mile endurance race, John is the glue that holds together the boys cross-country team. Team captain Josh Cote emphatically described John’s role on the team: “With exhaustion setting in, the rival school literally on your heels, and waning willpower, John steps in.” Although he is just budding in his long cross-country career, John has filled the role of the coach on the course. Inspirational, motivational, and always loud, John has now come to embrace his role as coach Joe Pelletier’s voice on the course. Always motivational, and with an eerily similar voice, John coaches his fellow harriers though the mental marathon that is a cross-country race.

T

Katie Marsano photo

his girls cross-country runner is quite the hidden gem. Michaela started running road races three years before her freshman year at Thayer, and it wasn’t long before it became something she loved. “It’s something I realized I just really enjoy doing,” she commented. Starting out on JV as a freshman but rapidly improving to a varsity spot by her sophomore year, Michaela is a quiet but sure leader on the team. Captain Kathryn Keenan commented that this athlete “always has a strong finish… she’s into the ‘pack attack’ approach: she always stays with her pack, inspiring her running partners.” With her heart, drive, and love of the sport, there is no doubt that Michaela will continue pushing her team and accelerating past the wildest of expectations held by her coaches.

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A

freshman on the varsity field hockey team, Liza Huschle was quick to prove herself on and off the field this season. Her fellow TAFH-ers see her as a great teammate and simply a hard worker. Liza displayed her dedication to the team when she took a hit to the head in a hard-fought game against Nobles. Without drawing much attention, she tended to her head on the sideline and went off to get stitched up after the game. Her attitude inspired many of her teammates, including goaltender Maddie Lewis who noted, “even with stitches in her head, it doesn’t bring her down… even if she has to wear protective foam on her head during practice.” So keep an eye out for Liza in her next three years on the field hockey team – there are surely big things to come.

Chris Bernstein photo Chris Bernstein photo

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his sophomore girls varsity soccer player certainly has what it takes to be a relentless defender. With a calm, confident attitude, Haley battles on the field until the ball is in her possession. Don’t let her size fool you. According to teammate and captain Caroline Fitzpatrick, Haley “always comes up with the ball even though she is one of the smallest on the field.” Her reliability on the field is due to her consistency on defense over the past two seasons with the team. So next time you are reaching for the last mini bagel at break, take a quick sweep around the dining hall – if Haley is there, chances are you won’t win the fifty-fifty ball.

Haley Deveney Girls Soccer Sophomore

Liza Huschle Field Hockey Freshman

Allie Hooley photo

H

ow does one organize the football team, get everyone’s attention, and prepare for the play call on a team of forty? Have Brian Shoyer yell “Huddle!” Every play of every practice of every game, Brian manages to gain the attention of the players on the field and captivate anyone within earshot with his commanding “Huddle!” With eleven players, each with his own niche, the precision and timing of the plays and play calls rely on Brian’s booming voice and demand for attention. For months at practice some wondered who could possibly yell that loudly on each play, ignorantly thinking each person had a shot at glory. Turns out Brian not only has the lung capacity but the intent to command attention and catalyze the team into each play. Next time you’re walking anywhere in Braintree and hear “Huddle,” you will know Shoyer is ready to play.

Brian Shoyer Football Center Senior

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