The Pelican Vol. LXXI, No. 1
September 12, 2019
Meet the New Rector Eva Ye '21 Have you moved into the rectory yet? Well, this year I actually won't be living in the rectory for two reasons. The rectory is a marvelous old building that needs some updates. We would like to air condition the first floor so that when you all come over in the spring and fall, it's comfortable. And the other reason is that I have three big dogs, a black Lab and a German Shepherd and a Springer Spaniel. They would overwhelm the places. So the
Board of Trustees is talking You said on the Alumni about doing some work. But Horae that religion is I'm very much hoping that “about the values of the school and not as much this time next year, I will be living there. We're actually a form of practice.” Can moved into the house that Mr. you expand on that? So one of the things that I've and Mrs. Clunie lived in, right next to Foster. For right now, been doing this summer is thinking about what it means we are super happy there. for me to be a rector. I do think Do you have a favorite that it's really important from place on campus? Well, I think probably every- a young age for us to start body's favorite places is Tur- thinking about why what we do matters and that it key Pond. It’s beautiful sitting on the patio of the new ChaContinued on Page 4 pel and seeing it.
An interview with Mr. Maher
Welcome Margaret MacMillan '21
When you first arrive at St. Paul’s School, it’s hard to not feel a little alone and lost, no matter how much you want to be here. However, everyone here wants to make sure your experience is the best it can possibly be, and you have a wealth of resources at your disposal: prefects, LinC leaders, faculty and staff are always willing to help with any questions you might have. Here are a few SPS hacks and pieces of wisdom many students have accumulated over the course of their time here
on campus. Some students may immediately adapt to their new life at SPS, but many are overcome with homesickness in their first few days here. As soon as school picks up, though, most students will begin to find their own rhythm. Alison Liu ‘20, the Student Council vice president, said, “The school did a really good job of easing everyone into boarding school and SPS life. I think that it really helped to have a couple of days before class started to get to know everyone in your form and dorm. I actually really enjoyed Play-
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Welcome to St. Paul’s!
fair and all the other orientation/ice-breaker activities because it really helped me feel at home which probably helped me get over my homesickness. I think it also really helps to remember that everyone around you is in the same boat and is probably living away from home for the first time as well. ” One of the biggest appeals of living on a campus that is 100% boarding is that you are surrounded by
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Khuan-Yu Hall '21 In 2017, following the highly publicized trial of the State of New Hampshire v. Owen Labrie and the investigation into past incidents of sexual misconduct at St. Paul’s School, the New Hampshire State Attorney General launched an investigation into whether SPS’ “conduct constituted endangering the welfare of a child … and Obstruction of Governmental Operations,” according to the SPS settlement agreement. Following the investigation, the New Hampshire State Attorney and SPS reached a settlement
agreement, including the unprecedented appointment of a Compliance Oversight Officer to improve the culture and policies at SPS and enforce the agreement. Consequently, Mr. Jeffrey Maher was appointed. Mr. Maher was greeted by February frost last year when he first arrived in Millville, and since then he has served in his second-story officein Schoolhouse, next to that of the Sixth Form Officers. Prior to his first day at SPS, the school introduced him both through a press Continued on Page 5
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Welcome
The Vol. __ Editorial Board
Margaret MacMillan '21
Editor in Chief Isabel Maney '21 Assistant Print Editors Daniel Choi '20 Alexander Rowley '21 Assistant Online Editor Khuan-yu Hall '21 Photo & Graphics Editor Isabella Pargiolas '21 Layout & Design Editor Nikhil Vootkur '21
Introducing the New Deans Victoria Chen '21 It’s the start of a new school year, and with the new school year comes not only new students but new faculty as well. Ms. Stephanie Harris and Mr. Rob Arndt will be joining St. Paul's School this year as Associate Deans in the Dean of Students Office. Ms. Harris was raised in Milton, Massachusetts and worked at Northfield Mount Hermon for three years prior to coming to St. Paul’s. Ms. Harris is a social worker by training and attended Brown University before attending graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr.Arndt will be joining the SPS community this year with his wife, Michelle, and dog, Moose. Prior to arriving at St. Paul’s he lived and worked for seven years at the
Millbrook School as an English Teacher, Associate Director of Admission, Dorm Head, Baseball Coach, and Advisor. The Dean of Students Office is a vital part of the SPS community, but it often holds an air of mystery about it. To put some of that mystery to rest, the new Deans have given The Pelican an inside look into why each of them wanted to be an SPS Dean and what being a Dean means to them. When asked about why she was interested in the job, Ms. Harris replied that “[she] is interested in this position because the Deans are responsible for overseeing some of the most important parts of school life: students' health, safety, growth, and fun!” Continued on Page 6
Continued from Page 1 people 24/7, and as a result, you have the opportunity to make new friends at every turn. You can meet incredible friends from all around the world at the Playfair, in your dorm, during sports or classes, at club meetings, or just hanging out in the Friedman Center (also called Hargate by some students). Kash Oseni ‘21, a LinC leader, said “I’m a people person, sorta. So when I first started, I was most excited about a fresh start at a new school and meeting new people with very different backgrounds and experiences than myself.” Anna Smith Moser '21, another LinC leader added, “No one ever really goes to boarding school where I’m from, so I would probably say that I was most excited for all of the different opportunities that I would be offered at school. I was excited to see all of the things that I would get into that I wouldn’t have the
chance to do at home.” St. Paul’s can provide many resources to help you find your passions, and the community encourages students to try new activities regardless of level of experience. Liu said, “Since coming to St. Paul’s, I have definitely discovered a lot of new interests, such as debate and robotics. However, crew, a sport I had never even heard of before St. Paul’s, has become one of my new passions." Liu, a Girls' Varsity Rower, goes on to describe how she joined crew. "When I first arrived at St. Paul’s, one of the crew captains approached me eagerly and told me that I should definitely try rowing in the spring. " Liu decided to join Crew in the Spring, and reports that it was the best decision she has ever made. "Not only has crew made me stronger both physically and mentally, the crew team has also become my family. All the girls have always been
very welcoming, encouraging, inclusive, and enthusiastic. From the fun funky Fridays to the pre-race feeds at Rev’s house, the crew team is one of my favorite communities on campus." This summer , Liu rowed for team USA at CanAmMex. Without SPS, Liu says, I never would’ve discovered this passion for crew.” Though it might be nerve wracking, starting at a new school is the perfect time to broaden your horizons and turn over a new leaf by getting involved in different activities. By trying something completely different you are able to get to know your new classmates and yourself in a way you might never have previously thought possible.
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Readers of the Pelican, Welcome to the first issue of the 71st volume of the Pelican. We are excited to introduce what we hope will be a strong outlet for student voices here at St. Paul’s School. SPS has undergone many changes during our time at the School. It will undoubtedly continue to undergo many more before we leave. While change is necessary, and often positive in the long term, it is also hard to cope with — especially in silence. In these past few years, we have heard objections, both quiet and loud, from the student body; that we are left out of the changes, that we are not involved in them. It is especially easy to feel left out of the dialogue during these changes. It is the job of the Pelican to be a voice of the student body. The Pelican, being our school’s newspaper, has not served its student body in the way that it should. This year is an opportunity for us to learn from past mistakes and work even harder to best serve the SPS community. But, in order to successfully serve our community, we have a request to make of the student body: Join the Pelican. We, more than ever, need writers, photographers, layoutdesigners, web-designers, cartoonists, or anyone with ideas to help the Pelican do its job and be the voice it needs to be. If we would like this paper to best represent the student voice, then we need as many student voices as possible. If you are interested in joining the Pelican, please come to a mandatory meeting for new staff on Friday the 13th at 6pm in the Schoolhouse Reading Room. Pizza will be served. Best, The Editors of the Pelican
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Getting to know Rector Kathy Giles Eva Ye '21 Continued From Page 1 matters more than getting us into college or getting us a good job. What's going to make our lives worthwhile and valuable? Those are the big questions that we need to set ourselves up to ask, and we ask them in Chapel, but we need to ask them in the forms that all people wanna ask questions. Right? The Christian religions ask them one way while the people who practice Buddhism asked them a different way, but they're all the same questions. I think our tradition and our heritage tells us that we gotta ask those questions because they're important. But frankly, there are many beautiful ways. One of the hard parts about religion is when religious rules get used to be exclusive of others. I don't think anything in our heritage tells them that. We talk about words and honourable actions, but then you get down to what does that actually look like. That's where we're gonna continue to honor many different ways of asking these very important questions. What do you think, then, is going to make our lives worthwhile? How do we find a sense of purpose? What your purpose is to bring your strengths and talents to do good for other people in the world. Now, that's a really big purpose right? Maybe that sounds like a great thing to say, but that's really the best we can do. Ultimately, we come
to places like this to learn how to push the good in the world. If you look around, the world needs us educated, strong, principled people to help. And so you know, if your skills take you into brain surgery, or into politics, or into painting or whatever, wherever your talents are gonna lead you, that's gonna be your opportunity to push the good in the world. And that's what we're trying to set you up to do. Two years ago I had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Jim Kim, who at that point was the president of Dartmouth College. But before that, he had worked with a man called Paul Farmer who was one of the first physicians for Doctors Without Borders. It was a big jump for Dr. Kim to go from working with Dr. Farmer to being the president of Dartmouth. I was surprised, and I asked what’s that all about? He said, when he was working with Dr. Farmer, he realized that he had one pair of hands against the needs in the world. But when he was the president of a college like Dartmouth, he had the opportunity to train thousands of pairs of hands to do the work. That's why schools like this exist -to train thousands of pairs of hands to do the work that the world needs, to make people's lives better and to give them hope. You mention in your interview that you think students do not need to have too much pressure, but we need to
work hard. Do you think there would be new academics policies? There are very, very smart people in this school who have been doing this work for a long time. So I'm not coming in doing anything other than learning because that would be both silly and unwise. But I do think one of the observations that I have over my more than thirty years in high schools is that the competition you face is intense. I think a lot of your [the writer] friends here in the U.S. don't have an understanding of that. So part of the challenge, for all good schools right now in the United States, is to help our students and families understand that the world is full of really talented teenagers who are eager for opportunity. I think one of the responsibilities that a school has is that we have to help our students get ready to join the big world. And so somewhere in all of that, there is a balance between study and extra curriculars for each student. It's like anything else, if you don't work hard enough, you won't be able to perform at the standard that you're proud of. I mean, right now, all of the students here’s job is to be good students. And we've got to learn how to do that with your friends and with teachers. It’s really wonderful that we can do it that way. Right now we don't have many technology regulations. Do you think that is beneficial to
us learning? Or do you think sometimes we might abuse technology? So the interesting thing about good learning is that while there's an intellectual component, there's also a social component and an emotional component to it. That's why sitting around the table working with people is the right away. You get to test out your ideas on people. But with technology on the screen, it's all one way. One of my students last year told me that social media wasn't fun. It wasn't relaxing, it was work. One of the things that I've noticed is that teenagers are squeezed into trying to be teenagers in 2019 for 20 hours a day and it comes out of sleep. Two weeks ago, the Journal of the American Medical Association came out with the first big study linking increased amounts of screen time with increased depression and anxiety among teenagers. That's not surprising, is it? I think you guys see it as part of your work. Do you think there's any way the teachers or the school can help students realize the harm and step back a little from the technology? I think we're looking for all of that. An English poet in the 17th century, John Milton, said that “I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue.” What he meant by that is that people shouldn't be forced into being good. So, one of the challenges for the school and for you all is that we have to teach you how
to make those good choices. We have rules. But rules are like a guide rails on a highway. We're driving fast down the highway. We don't want to hit the guide rails. Guard rails exists to keep us from from real catastrophe. So, instead, we try to help young people understand what you value and how you're going to line your actions up with your values. We can provide coaching, we can provide those guide rail rules, but the best and the most important thing is for kids to learn to take the coaching. We're going to respect the fact that our students are great, and you grow up to live your values. We're going to coach and suggest both. We're not going to try to regularly. I’m a big believer that invitations to things are a whole lot better than lots and lots of requirements. Do you have any advice for the student body? Good night sleep is good (laugh). But more than that, Toni Morrison was credited with saying: “people might remember some of what you say, but they will always remember how you made them feel.” I hope that when we're talking about how important it is to be respectful, to be kind, to be truly welcoming, we will remember that it’s one thing to say those words, and it's a totally different job to try to have that be how we live together. I think this community already knows how to do that!
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An interview with Mr. Maher Khuan-Yu Hall '21 bringing a philosophy of meeting the students where they are at. What this means is taking a student-centered approach to all this work. EvWhat does a compliance of- ery decision we make has to ficer do? What experience consider the student experiwill he bring from his previ- ence first. ous roles? How will he work Given the issues with with the student body? And, sexual harassment in most importantly, what does the US and at boarding he hope to accomplish? Over schools, to your knowlthe summer, Mr. Maher sat edge, is there anyone down with the Pelican to anelse employed in a simiswer these questions. lar oversight role? From your own experiSo my title is a little unique ence in high school, in how it came about. It came what is relevant that about from a pretty traumatic will help you underexperience here for certain stand St. Paul’s School? individuals at the school and I attended St. Anthony’s High through a really difficult proSchool in Huntington, NY cess but transferred to Michigan during my senior year. We didn’t have to worry about cell phones, social media, or school violence, but we did Continued from Page 1 release and Chapel announcement, but many questions remain.
"SPS is not alone in that experience"
"I think the most important thing I can bring to SPS is bringing a philosophy of meeting the students where they are at." have to deal with bullying, classism, and racism. So, the tools are different but many of the issues are the same. I think the most important thing I can bring to SPS is
that the school went through. However, SPS is not alone in that experience. There is no shortage of schools that have reckoned with that history of abuse. Interestingly enough, Phillips Exeter Academy responded in a similar fashion. Three years ago, they hired a position, the director of student well being, that is in some ways analogous. In colleges and universities, they are all required to have a Title IX coordinator, the position I held at Keene. So, this is a little unusual, but it’s still about training and educating, putting good policies in place,
and being able to have a good response when reports come in.
mean by opportunities is not opportunities for students. What I am talking about is the opportunity to create a What have you done to student and campus culture prepare for this role? that is inclusive and safe and supportive for everyone. Just I met with a lot of people be- being able to come together fore I started here. I met with during chapel most days is people at the State Attorney a great opportunity and one General’s office, with a group that doesn’t exist in most called the Coalition, the places. New Hampshire Domestic Violence Coalition, and with What are the personal individuals at the local crisis qualities that make center. I talked to former em- you the most qualified ployees, parents, and alumni. candidate for this job? Some people who I reached out to asked not to meet with My success in this role will in me. So, I learned from all of large part, depend on my abilthat. ity to develop relationships across the grounds. This includes students, faculty, and staff but also with alumni and parents. So, perhaps the most important quality is the ability to listen, both to what is said and not said. I do a lot of listening and then try to I learned from the people distill all of that down into who met with me, but I also supporting structures that learned from those who advance student safety. elected not to meet with me. How will you interact Before I even started here, I with the disciplinary felt like I had a pretty good process at the school? 30,000 foot view of some of the organizational and culI have very little involvement tural aspects of SPS. in disciplinary decisions. How did your preconcep- Those are school decisions. What I am interested in is tions and experience differ? During your time whether those undergirding systems are fair and whether at SPS so far, what has their outcomes are supportsurprised you most? ive of student development One thing that struck me was and safety. My lens is lookthat there are so many op- ing to ensure that a culture of portunities here, and what I student safety and support is
"One thing that struck me was that there are so many opportunities here "
maintained throughout the process. What would a successful year look like? What are you hoping to achieve during your time at SPS? First and foremost, I would like students and employees to view me more as a resource than a compliance officer. I have this really bad, almost Orwellian job title,
"The work that is most interesting is considering how the school’s policies and procedures interact to create (or not create) a safe community." compliance overseer; It’s intimidating, but I hope that students and faculty will begin to view me through a different lens. The work that is most interesting is considering how the school’s policies and procedures, like intervisitation or right to return, interact as a system to create (or not create) a safe community. In the end, at the conclusion of my time here, I hope that St. Paul’s can be celebrated as a shining example of what to do right in creating a culture that is safe, inclusive and supports the needs of all students.
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Introducing the New Deans Victoria Chen '21
Continued from Page 2 Mr. Arndt said that it was the “broad range of students… [and] talented community” that drew him to this job. A big part of not only being a Dean, but also living on this fully residential campus, is working with teenagers, which some might see as somewhat of an acquired taste. When asked about this, Ms. Harris responded that she chose to work with high schoolers because “[they] are young enough to bring fresh ideas and a critical view of our society, and mature enough to implement them.” In addition, Mr. Arndt, explained that “high
schoolers provide new chal- facilitate the continued positive lenges and rewards… [and] growth and development [of the students].” The purpose of each day is unique.” the Deans is to be responsible The Deans take on multiple for student health and wellroles at SPS, and it can be being. But the job of a Dean hard to pin down what exactly is not always black and white; makes a “good” Dean. This the Deans add a humaneness definition shifts depending on to this task by “[understandthe perspective of the one an- ing] that every experience is an swering. Ms. Harris says that opportunity for growth,” exoften these roles can seem “con- plained Ms. Harris. They also tradictory at times.” But Ms. aim to “[empower] students to Harris added that part of be- appropriately utilize the vast reing a Dean is having the ability sources at their disposal to work to“[look] at a situation from as toward and discover their best many perspectives as possible,” selves,” Mr. Arndt adds. and weaving them together to form action that will, as Mr. While the Deans at this school Arndt espressed, “enable and are often seen as the epitome
of what it means to be an adult, they were once students and teenagers as well, and their experiences affect how they do their jobs Ms. Harris aims to “[make] students feel as valued as [she] felt” at her high-school. Mr. Arndt said that he hoped to broaden the self-preception of students. Mr. Arndt also spoke of how one of the pitfalls he fell into as a high-schooler was “sticking to areas [he] viewed as strengths and with which [he] was comfortable.” With the “vast resources” that St. Paul’s provides, it is near impossible to be exceptional at everything. Instead of pushing away weakness, students should embrace
it. “For adolescents and adults, acknowledging our weaknesses, as well as our strengths, gives us a greater sense of self and selfdirection,” stated Mr. Arndt. As new faculty, both Ms. Harris and Mr. Arndt expect to make mistakes as well, but both are thrilled to be joining this community and especially meeting new students!
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A New Place to Worship Jackie Chen '22
Graphic by Nikhil Vootkur '21 St. Paul’s strives to be an inclusive safe space for all denominations, and tending to the needs of interfaith groups is crucial to being welcoming of all religions. SPS is discussing location plans with individual groups in order to make suitable advancements ,since different interfaith groups require different kinds of space. Mrs. Laura Hrasky, club advisor to the Hillel Society, has expressed that having a large, inviting gathering space “decorated with symbols that represent the varied faiths that make up our community” for multiple inter-faith groups to use would be a great addition to the community. She noted that a space like a kitchen would be useful to prepare meals together as a group. Overall, she thinks that a meeting place for not just
the Hillel Society but multiple faith groups “would serve as a physical representation of St. Paul's School's commitment to supporting and welcoming all faiths and beliefs.” Most of the Hillel Society meetings have been held at Mrs. Hrasky’s home or the Upper dining room, but the school supports the society annually during Passover when Food Services and the Chaplaincy help “to organize a community seder in the Lower Meeting Room every year,” Mrs. Hrasky says, also noting that the school has been “extremely supportive.” Ms. Pankti Dalal, club advisor to the Hindu Society, also thinks that the Hindu Society needs a meeting space that “enables all members to join and sit together.” Regarding the Upper,
she says, “[The society] find[s] it difficult to meet in the dining hall as it is loud and, because it is so public, students do not feel that they can properly voice any thoughts or opinions without having to filter themselves.” The Chapel is also not an ideal location “because it is a location for Christian worship. As such, those who practice another faith may not feel as if they belong or that they can practice their own faith in that location.” The Chapel does not contain Hindu religious figures either, and a space that holds their deities is crucial for the society’s prayer and worship. Ms. Dalal reports that the Chaplaincy has recognized “that there aren't sufficient resources to support interfaith groups on campus” and is working with many interfaith groups, including the Hin-
different student groups need and want. I think we'll try do everything to make that happen.” She noted that “space things are sometimes a big challenge, and we want to make sure the space is respectful and serves students well, and students feel that it is respectful and serves The interfaith group leaders, them well. But it is certainly a Dean of Chapel, and Rector top priority to address.” along with many others will have to all work together to The SPS community should come up with the best plan to be on the lookout for new adsuit students’ needs this year. In vancements in interfaith space an interview with the Pelican, coming soon. As Mrs. Hrasky Rector Kathy Giles acknowl- puts it, “Having an interfaith edged that interfaith groups gathering space would benefit need their own space: “I think everyone in our community.” that's the next step for us. We have the Friedman center with some spaces for student projects and the community. I think it's very important for us to welcome all faiths and all things du Society. She notes, however, that “while there hasn't been much progress as of yet, [the Hindu Society is] hoping, with the growing population of Hindus and other interfaith groups, that the new Dean of Chapel can prioritize [their] needs.”
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New Community Service Requirements Eleanor La Voie '21
September 12, 2019
Rev. Lewis Joins Chaplaincy Emily Xin '21 Rev. Jeffrey Lewis will be joining the St. Paul's School community this fall as a new member of the Chaplaincy. Rev. Lewis brings with him abundant experience as an educator, first as a teacher at the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Maine and later as a chaplain at St. George’s School in Rhode Island and Salisbury School in Connecticut. Most recently, he served as rector of St. Mary’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Pacific Grove, California.
Starting in the upcoming 2019-2020 school year, there will be a new Community Engagement Program to replace the previous Community Outreach hours requirement for all Third, Fourth and Fifth formers. An email which describes the changes and new requirements was sent on June 6 to the classes of 2021 and 2022 by Mrs. Lori Bohan, Dean of Studies. The email stated that instead of completing 10 hours of community service, as in past years, students now need to earn credits to meet the Community Engagement requirement. Students who begin at St. Paul's in their Third or Fourth Form years will be required to earn two credits before graduation, and students who begin as Fifth Formers will need one credit. In order to gain these credits, students will have to participate in either term-long community service projects (worth one credit), such as the Community Engagement Service Team and the Com-
munity Engagement FIRST LEGO League, or year-long programs, such as the Friends Youth Mentoring Program (a two year commitment worth two credits). If these options do not work with students’ schedules, they can participate in an SPS-sponsored spring service trip or apply for an approved independent project during winter, spring, or over the summer breaks. Either way, Mrs. Bohan says that the school wants students to “get involved in either the Concord community or their own local community at home.”
dents “the means for self-reflection, identity development and other social-emotional growth opportunities.” Additionally, sports teams may still complete team service projects, but it will no longer be required. Looking towards the future, Mrs. Bohan explains that the program “is certainly not complete but we didn’t want to delay what we think is an important change.'' Mrs. Taylor says that while “we are focused primarily on youth development programs,” they will be “looking to expand engagement opportunities to include different populations and issues creating more choice for The purpose of these changes students to participate in seris to have students participate vice that aligns with their areas in more meaningful commu- of interest.” nity service. Mrs. Bohan says the School wants to “have stu- Mrs. Bohan suggested that students work with programs that dents may want to start planare more long term, and more ning now how they are going to in-depth instead of students earn their credits before graduaccumulating hours that might ation. have been just tossed together.” It should also be noted that this Mrs. Kathy Taylor, Commu- program does not apply to curnity Outreach Program Direc- rent Sixth Formers. tor, elaborates that the new program will provide SPS stu-
In addition to fulfilling his new role as an SPS chaplain, Rev. Lewis will teach in the Humanities Department and serve on the advising team at Manville. He will also coach recreational swimming during the Winter Term. Rev. Lewis notes that apart from these roles, he hopes to “be part of any emerging or existing groups who are passionate about building a community of transparency, honesty, integrity and and loving wonder.” Rev. Lewis is married to his wife, Mrs. Susan Lewis, who is also an educator, although not at SPS. He has three sons, ages 17, 20, and 25 Asked why he chose to come to SPS, Rev. Lewis points to “the warmth of the students and faculty” as the deciding factor. He explains that although he feels some anxiety about making such a big move, he is excited and eager to join SPS at such a “tender and promising time” for the community. He believes that the students and faculty members can live and grow together in “ways that inspire our better selves wherever we go into the wider world.”