The Hotchkiss Record Thursday, April 11, 2019
Vol. CXXI, No. 2
The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT, 06039
Tri-State Mini Maker Faire Returns Emily Bukowski ’22 Contributing Writer
Photo | David Li ’21
Mr. Brad Faus, director of visual arts, demonstrates the laser cutter in the EFX Lab.
Community Welcomes Admitted Students Isabel Su ’21 Staff Writer As the lyrics to “Fair Hotchkiss” rang through Elfers Hall, admitted students and their families joined current students, locking arms and swaying from side-to-side. Over 253 accepted students filled the halls on March 29, April 1, and April 5, for 2019’s “Hello, Hotchkiss!” revisit days, which are designed to give newly-admitted students the opportunity to experience a normal class day at Hotchkiss.
These days highlight how lucky we all are to be here, in community with one another, co-creating the Hotchkiss experience. Ms. Peggy Hsia Each morning, students greeted visitors at the main entrance and led them to the Student Center, where they were offered refreshments. Visitors were then welcomed in Elfers by keynote speakers, including Sebastian Sanchez ’14, Charlotte Dillon ’10, Features page 3 Behind the Door of the Deans’ Wing A graphic outlines the administrators and staff located in the Deans’ Wing. Keeping Up with the Constitution Delving into recent changes made to the Stu-Fac Constitution.
and Instructor in Art and Fairfield Farm Curriculum Coordinator, Charlie Noyes ’78. Admitted students met current student hosts, who brought them to three shortened, 35-minute class periods. Visitors were introduced to topics like stoichiometr y in chemistry or Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence in philosophy class. They then had the opportunity to tour campus and eat lunch in the dining hall. When pairing student hosts with admitted students, admission officers focused on mutual interests. Out of the 253 hosts, most were preps. Eliza Dana ‘22, a student host, said, “My goals were to connect with my revisit buddy and make [sure they had] a really good impression of Hotchkiss.” Meanwhile, parents had the opportunity to visit upper-level classes, attend panels, and talk to parents of current students. After lunch, admitted students could attend Athletics or Arts panels in which current students answered questions and shared personal experiences. Families were also able to meet with department heads in the Humanities wing, coaches in the Student Center, and art instructors in the Cullman Art Wing. Tori Ciardiello, an admitted student, said, “My favorite part was attending the Humanities classes and getting to know the student body, because it gave me a great
perspective [into many] aspects of the school environment.” Each day finished with a student per formance in Elfer s Hall. The orchestra, choir, and individual students performed pieces highlighting the theme of community. The school’s a cappella groups, Bluenotes and Calliope, sang “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper, followed by a performance of “The Barber of Seville” by Rossini from the orchestra. Throughout the revisit days, the performances received standing ovations from the audience. At the end of the day, families that had not yet toured the school were given formal tours by student guides. Ms. Hsia, senior associate director of admission, said, “These days highlight how lucky we all are to be here, in community with one another, co-creating the Hotchkiss experience.” For many prospective students, revisit days are essential to their ability to decide between schools. Margo Donohue ‘22, a revisit host, said, “What really drove home Hotchkiss for me was the sense of community that I found here. I connected with a lot of the people, which really put my Hotchkiss revisit experience over [anywhere] else’s.” Admitted students had until April 9 to accept or reject their places in next year’s class.
Arts page 6 Tremaine Art Gallery Presents “Unstructured Structures” Artist Mark Wilson explores making art with computer software and algorithms.
Opinions pages 4-5
Sports page 7-8
A Tale of Two Chambers The divide between the Senate and the House of Representative’s leadership The Golan Heights: An International Blunder President Trump defies the international community.
Annual Hunt Concert Features Witkowski Piano Duo Witkowski Piano Duo performs fourhand on two pianos in Elfers Hall.
Cancellation of Teams Girls Water Polo and Softball gets cancelled due to lack of participation. Spring Trips give Teams a Head Start Spring teams spent spring break training around the country.
College Admission Scandal Shakes the Nation Sander Kuijs ’21 & Eric Jin ’22 Contributing Writer & Staff Writer Amer ica’s largest college admission scandal has ignited outrage among students across the country. On Tuesday, March 12, more than 50 people were charged with bribery and fraud for their efforts to secure college admission for their children. An FBI investigation nicknamed “Operation Varsity Blues” uncovered a massive scheme in which affluent parents paid large sums of money to have their children admitted into some of the nation’s most competitive universities, including Yale, Stanford, and Georgetown.
[The scandal is a reflection] of the general college admissions atmosphere. People try to do whatever they can to get into good colleges. Brian Wong ’19 At the heart of the scandal was a man named William Singer, the owner of two companies, called The Edge College & Career Network and The Key Worldwide Foundation, which helped parents cheat their way into schools. Among those accused of paying bribes are several high-profile celebrities and wealthy business leaders. Hollywood actors Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, known for their roles in Full House and Desperate Housewives, respectively, were both implicated in the scandal. Several athletic coaches at the country’s top universities, including the sailing coach at Stanford, tennis coach at Georgetown, as well as soccer coaches at Yale, USC, and UCLA were also Continued on page 2.
On Monday morning, students walking through the Science Building might have come across lingering smells of plasma, fertilizer, and helium, left over from the weekend. For the second year in a row, the Tri-State Mini Maker Faire was held on campus. The Faire showcases experiments, projects, hobbies, and crafts to excite audiences about STEAM. The Faire was open to the school and the local community and featured activities tailored to every age. Mr. Bill Fenton, instructor in physics and astronomy, exhibited a “stomp rocket” booth, where attendees constructed paper rockets and launched them using recycled soda bottles. “Kids can use a lot of creativity and there’s a lot of flexibility in how they decide to make [their rockets], and it’s still going to work. Almost no matter what [the kids] do, something’s going to work. Even the simplest little rocket with two pieces of paper is going to fly somewhere.” The Physics Bus also pulled up to the event, bringing tables covered with physics-related toys and gadgets. The Physics Bus aims to connect the research community at Cornell University with a wider audience. Gordon Younkin, a graduate student at Cornell and a Physics Bus volunteer, demonstrated a plasma cutter, which allowed kids to draw patterns in aluminum foil with a laser. Younkin said, “Science literacy is very important in terms of understanding the challenges we are going to be facing. I think it’s very important for the general public to be interested in and excited about funding science.”
Almost no matter what [the kids] do, something’s going to work. Even the simplest little rocket with two pieces of paper is going to fly somewhere. Mr. Bill Fenton Local industries, including a blacksmith and crepe-maker, also showcased their work at the Tri-State Mini Maker Faire. Ms. Erikka Adams, the technology librarian, said, “This area is very rural, but there are lots of agriculture, manufacturing, arts, and textile industries, so the purpose of the Maker Faire is to draw some attention to this area and showcase the work of the people who are doing these things.” Throughout his tenure, Mr. Robert Hilliker, director of the Edsel Ford Memorial Library, has created initiatives to inspire innovation and spur the imagination, including Tinkering Tuesdays, the iSpace, and SM&SH Day. However, four years ago, Mr. Hilliker and Mr. Paul DePaolo, retired technology librarian, drew inspiration from the Maker Faire in New York City and the Exploratorium in San Francisco to design an event that might attract those interested in STEAM. Mr. DePaolo and Mr. Hilliker then approached Kitty Hickcox, instructor in science at the Indian Mountain School, and created the Maker Faire. The first Tri-State Mini Maker Faire took place four years ago at the Indian Mountain School. After Hotchkiss constructed the EFX Lab in 2017, the Faire was moved to this campus. The Tri-State Maker Faire will be routinely featured at different local schools in the future.