Issue 2 2023-2024

EcoAction Urges Student Involvement

Annabella Bernhardt '24

As the effects of climate change and excessive pollution become more widespread, sustainability has become one of the key sociopolitical issues impacting our world. In particular, younger generations are becoming increasingly conscious of the world they are inheriting and how important environmental stewardship really is.

Students who want to get more directly engaged in climate action and environmental stewardship should consider joining the student-led Eco Action club, says club head Eden Knight ‘24. Eco-Action is a great medium to help students get involved in making SPS more sustainable, she says. “This is our moral responsibility, and more students should join Eco Action.”

The club provides a voice for all students to share and implement their own ideas on how to be more environmentally

The Pelican

Kitt 2 and 3 Merge into Kitt 23

Over the summer, two of the smallest residential houses, Kittredge II and Kittredge III, were merged. The new dorm is named Kittredge 23, pronounced “TwoThree,” instead of “Twenty-Three.”

Renovations were made to the hallway that had previously allowed students living in Kitt I, II and III to access their houses. The hallway previously acted as a public space, often used as a student shortcut from Rectory Road to the Hockey Center. The shortcut is no longer available, as a locked door to Kitt 23 prevents non-residents from walking through. The hallway’s interior has also undergone significant renovation, with plants and furnishings lining the walls. Residents may now walk through the corridor from one common room to another at any time.

Ally Martinello ‘24, a prefect in Kitt 23, feels the changes to the Kitt hallway are sig-

Mid-Autumn Celebrated with Music, Poetry

Every year during the Chinese MidAutumn Festival, millions worldwide celebrate, share meals, and join in traditions, some of which are over 3,000 years old. Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival was first officially celebrated when ancient Chinese emperors would celebrate a plentiful harvest with offerings to deities. Over time, the tradition has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon where practitioners reunite with their families.

At St. Paul’s, the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival means a celebratory performance.

Early Friday morning, St. Paul’s students were welcomed into the Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul to celebrate the event, with students from Chinese classes reading memorized poetry. Others danced and played music to commemorate the holiday.

In the week leading up to Friday’s celebration, while students worked hard in the

classroom, performers worked behind the scenes to put on a fantastic spectacle. “We began our preparation on Monday by receiving the poems we had to memorize,” says Thomas Armstrong ‘26. “The poems were our main focus inside and outside the classroom to make the celebration as memorable as possible," he told The Pelican.

Enoch Huang ‘25 arranged a rendition of Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon to complement the student performance of poetry, treating St. Paul’s students to early morning music. Ultimately, a flawless rendition of the piece can be chalked up to the relentless efforts of SPS chamber musicians in the weeks preceding the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. “After I finished distributing the music, we were only two weeks from the performance. We managed to fit two short rehearsals despite being busy with our classes and extracurricular commitments,” Huang says. “Thankfully, everyone in the chamber group practiced enough during their free time, making the rehearsals efficient.”

For many students, the Chinese MidAutumn Festival marked their first chapel performance, and the experience did not

October 6, 2023

St. Paul's School

Photographed by Vin Chutijirwong '25

Helen Berger '24

Lucas Miller '25

SPS Eco Action

Annabella Bernhardt '24

Continued from Page 1 friendly. “A third former in my dorm just came up with a fantastic idea that I can’t wait to see in the works,” Knight says. “More will come soon.”

St. Paul’s School is fortunate to have such a beautiful campus, but faculty, staff and students alike must understand how critical it is to do their part in keeping SPS—and our planet as a whole—safe. In addition to joining Eco Action, students have plenty of opportunities to learn more about environmental issues through elective classes such as Environmental Science, Marine Biology, or classes like Humanities V that emphasize the social explanations for climate disruptions, enhancing student learning.

Education is a key element in helping to shape a new, climate-conscious society, but it’s also important to commit to individual and community action. Fortunately Flik Dining and our wonderful dining hall staff help bring locally sourced ingredients to the table, as well as using the Grind2Energy system to recycle food waste. SPS encourages conservation through the Green Cup Challenge, a friendly competition encouraging students to save energy in the houses which is an oftenoverlooked way to reduce carbon footprint. And as most readers will have noticed, rooms are now equipped with lights that automatically turn off when the room is empty, ensuring that energy won’t be wasted on lighting rooms when they are not in use.

Sarah Ludwig Takes on New Role as the Director of Studies

Miya Zhang '25

Having been a member of the St. Paul’s School community since 2016 as the Director of Ohrstrom Library, Sarah Ludwig is a familiar face on campus. This year she stepped into a role created when Lori Bohan became the Dean of Faculty and the Dean of Studies position split into two new positions. Megan Drinkwater became the Dean of Academic Affairs and Ludwig became the Director of Studies, overseeing the academic calendar, the visitors committee, the schedule, and much more. “Anything that has to do with day-to-day academic operations falls under my purview,” she said in an interview conducted during a 20-minute window between her back-to-back meetings and calls.

As a new Director, Ludwig has her hands full, acting as a Humanities V teacher, the head JV Tennis coach, faculty adviser to the Pelican and Young Women’s Club, and an adviser in Center. “I keep a running list of what I have to get done at all times and focus on prioritizing my tasks every day,” she said of balancing all these different duties. “I do my best to have a plan but also try to stay flexible enough to adjust when necessary.”

Having personally experienced how quickly life moves at St. Paul’s, Ludwig advises students to adhere to a similar method of prioritizing and planning, but also emphasizes being resilient. “Things can get hard and you might make mistakes, but when something

goes wrong, always know that the world is not ending and that everything will be alright in the end. Find ways to grow and adjust from your mistakes,” she said. “Don’t hold yourself to impossible standards.”

St. Paul’s offers an abundance of courses and opportunities for students to explore different interests and passions. Ludwig said she hopes to help students navigate these choices. “My focus this year is to support students in being able to have fulfilling aca-

Mid-Autumn Festival at SPS

Continued from Page 1

disappoint: “I’m really proud of my class– I feel like we got the poem down pretty well,” Armstrong says, “and the dancing and singing was really good too.”

Continued from Page 1

nificant. “The biggest effects on student life of the merging of Kitt 23 is how only residents can walk through the hallway,” she says.

Kitt 23 now houses 39 students, a significant change for former members of Kitt I and

II. “I think it also majorly affected student life for those who live in the Kitts because Kitt II and Kitt III went from being the smallest dorms to one of the largest, which completely changes the dorm dynamic,” Martinello says.

demic experiences, while meeting our requirements and challenging themselves.”

For Ludwig, what sets St. Paul's apart is the students. “All the students here are so impressive in terms of their drive and intellectual curiosity,” she said. “You are all so talented in so many different ways, and that makes me want to help you all really explore your passions and get the most out of your St. Paul’s experience.”

Kitt 2 and 3 Merge into Kitt 23

Helen Berger '24

This increase in dorm size, says prefect Cora Partridge ‘24, promises a vibrant dorm culture and a chance to interact with more members of the SPS community. “With nearly forty girls, you can always find someone to talk with, and with two common areas there is more than enough room for us all to hang out,” she says.

Martinello says the residents of Kitt 23 are making the most of their new living situation. “I feel like the dorm atmosphere is so good, and I have enjoyed getting to know all the new students,” she says. “I really enjoy having the Kitts merged.”

According to Partridge, the prospect of future renovations suggests that the best is yet to come. “While all of the planned renovations are not yet complete, the dorm is a welcoming and fun space to be in already.”

While overcast skies prevented students from seeing the moon––a historically significant part of the holiday––from the Friedman Community Center’s terrace on Friday night, Armstrong says the evening event was still a success: “I believe the main point of the mid-autumn festival is to reconnect and talk to family and friends you haven’t seen in a while, which was accomplished. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood, and it was all around just a good time.”

Lucas Miller '25

Photo courtesy of the Directory

“While all of the planned renovations are not yet complete, the dorm is a welcoming and fun space to be in already.”

"I want to help you all really explore your passions and get the most out of your St. Paul's experience."

Ohrstrom Library is a Community Resource

Gabrielle Ruminski '26

You may know Ohrstrom Library as a staple structure of the SPS campus and enjoy admiring it from afar for its beautiful views and architecture. You may also frequent it with your friends and make use of the many study nooks and crevices in the building. Or, you may just prefer going alone to complete your math homework in private. While Ohrstrom Library serves all of these functions and more, its most important function is to act as a resource for the SPS community to use whenever they need information on a topic.

This year, two new librarians joined the SPS community: Shawna Egan, the new Library Director, and Sarah Yarborough, the new Research and Instruction Librarian. Egan shares her insight into the direction of Ohrstrom Library this school year. “The library is meant to be a community space,” she says, “where students can come to study, gain new knowledge from our resources and be in the space with their friends.” Egan encourages students to utilize the librarians, as they specialize in researching skills.

Aside from the numerous volumes the library contains, Egan explains that a plethora of other resources are available to students and faculty alike. One critical resource, she says, is the librarians, who can help sift

through the various resources to help students find their desired piece of information. Egan says librarians are a great starting point for research, as they can point students in the right direction.

Aside from the librarians, the library provides countless resources for students and faculty. The Archives can be found at the lowest level of the library. In that space, students can find a wide variety of records, publications, and photograph collections that contain records of SPS history.

Furthermore, the library offers extensive and in-depth research tools for any reason: researching for a Humanities paper, researching a mathematician, or even simply wanting to learn more about one’s favorite part of history. Ohrstrom Library provides over 60 databases and newspapers, one of which is the New York Times.

“If you are researching a topic for a paper or project, please contact Ms. Yarborough,” says Egan. “She can help you navigate through the best place to look for your topic, and help you narrow a topic, evaluate, and cite sources, and so much more!”

Every year the library hosts events, and the first event of this school year is Banned Books Week in October. “This is a program which celebrates our freedom to read and focuses on the censorship of books in libraries and schools,” says Egan. “There have been an unprecedented number of attempts to ban books in the past year, which is why the Ohrstrom Library takes pride in its mission to offer diverse collections to our community.”

For more information on Ohrstrom Library, visit library.sps.edu.

Highlight: Family Weekend Arts Showcase

Annabella Bernhardt '24

Family Weekend is fast approaching and the St. Paul’s performing arts departments have been working diligently to prepare for a mid-term Performing Arts Showcase. The event will be held in Memorial Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 13th.

The showcase will display a variety of arts, including the orchestra, chamber groups, Theatre and Ballet companies, as well as the A Capella group. The show is expected to last approximately 90 minutes.

The 56-member Orchestra will play the overture to “The Barber of Seville,” an opera composed by Gioachino Rossini. The String

Students React to Republican Presidential Candidate Debate

Lulu Mangriotis '25

On Sept. 27, with late check granted by the Dean of Students office, SPS community members of all ages and backgrounds gathered in Raffini Commons for a screening of the second Republican Debate. Attendees showed up to this event as if it were a night game at the turf, decked out in red, white and blue. After a quick announcement from the Young Democrats Club Heads, the debate began and silence struck the room.

The debate introduced or re-introduced viewers to seven political candidates competing for the Republican Presidential Candidate spot: Former Governor Nikki Haley, Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Governor Ron DeSantis, Former Governor Chris Christie, Former Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Tim Scott, and Governor Doug Burgum.

The candidates’ criticisms of the opposition party and its incumbent candidate, President Biden, abounded. Viewers heard antiimmigrant comments from the candidates, as well as pro-life sentiments and comments expressing disbelief in climate change.

Throughout the debate, the candidates bounced back and forth from party appeals to attacks on each other. Their party frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, was not present at the debate, though his presence was felt nonetheless.

The community shared some laughs and cheers during the debate. Gretta White ‘25 even referred to it as “peak comedy” and expressed her disappointment in how the candidates were given this platform only to “roast each other.” Although jokes and funny disses were a point of entertainment in Raffini, it is also important to think about the reality of these candidates’ opinions, especially if you are voting Republican. These individuals are in the running for the presidency, and debates like these factor into their eligibility to become our president.

A large number of St. Paul’s student body will be eligible to vote in the 2024 presidential election, or even the primaries in the spring; so watch the debates, stay in touch with current events, and vote if you can.

Graphic by Ava Price '24

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Be Sure to Get Up and Dance to "Dancing Queen"

Charlotte Machiels '25

“Dancing Queen” from Mamma Mia, this year’s Theater portion of the Family Weekend Arts Showcase, will take stage in Memorial Hall on Oct. 13. Actors will be dancing, singing and telling the story of this famous wedding plot. This Dancing Queen number will offer the opportunity for the audience to join in the fun. “Be sure to stand up, sway and dance along” during the Dancing Queen refrain, says actor Olivia Hu ‘25.

While the performance is of only one number, this production is no simple task. Many cast members are juggling working on Mamma Mia and Clue, the fall play which takes stage later in the term. Director of Theatre Kirsten McKinney divides her time and expertise overseeing both productions. Six members within this cast of 12 are both solving a murder mystery and preparing a Greek wedding.

Wearing many hats, cast members in both productions have one weekly Clue rehearsal off to manage work on both productions. Tireless work on productions, creative direction, care for her cast, and building a great team of collaborators is what has allowed McKinney to take on the daunting task of staging two productions this fall term.

To all the Mamma Mia fanatics or the young and sweet dancing queens out there, make sure to swing by the fall arts showcase to sing along with your family and this enthralling cast.

An Interview with Rector Kathy Giles

“Mom! What are we having for dinner tonight?”

A pause.

“Pizza…”

Another pause.

“Again?”

The Kathy Giles from 40 years ago— hockey player and English and American literature major at Harvard University— never expected she would end up teaching or working in school administration. The Kathy Giles who went back to Harvard to obtain a law degree did not expect to find herself too busy to make dinner for any reason other than an important case or court appearance, much less because of an obligation as head of a boarding school.

But this was a recurring conversation between Giles and her children while she

was the Head of School at Middlesex. Her children Kaitlyn, Daniel, and Eileen grew accustomed to the constant ringing of the phone and a school in their backyard. Her husband Ralph Giles took on the role of chauffeur for their kids' extracurricular commitments while also working at a local day school.

So, what led her from her hometown’s public high school to Rector of St. Paul’s School? After graduating from Harvard and being accepted into law school, she decided to take a year off before entering the legal world. Her hockey coach recommended the Groton School teaching internship; she applied, was accepted, and threw herself into the completely foreign world of boarding schools.

Katy Scott '24 Continued on Page 7

“I felt pretty alien–I am a public school graduate! But I met this great young math teacher, and we got engaged right before I started law school, then married at the end of my first term,” Giles remembers.

After her year-long internship, she began commuting from their home at Groton to the law school at Harvard. Giles was simultaneously studying and coaching, and became a new mom two weeks before receiving her law degree.

After her clerkship in the Supreme Judicial Court in Maine and the birth of their second child in the early 90s, Giles decided to work at Groton instead of pursuing a career in law. She had many roles at Groton, including Dean of Academic Affairs, college

Photographed by Vin Chutijirwong '25

Photo courtesy of

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Megan Drinkwater Appointed Dean of Academic Affairs

Dr. Megan Drinkwater joined St. Paul’s School this year as the new Dean of Academic Affairs. Previously, she served as a Classics professor for almost twenty years at Agnes Scott College, and now teaches a Latin 4 class in addition to overseeing the academic program as part of her responsibilities as Dean.

“So far my transition to St Paul’s has been great,” says Drinkwater. “I was not surprised to find the students in my Latin 4 class on par with college students. Everyone I have met has been well-prepared and engaged, and it's been a lot of fun having the opportunity to work with you all.”

As Dean of Academic Affairs, Drinkwater focuses on the St. Paul’s curriculum and the academic experience of students.

“My role is to oversee the academic program, and ensure alignment of our courses from one year to the next,” she says. “And also to make sure the priorities of our academic program are clearly identified and shared, and that we are able to track progress towards achieving certain goals across different subjects—that skills and content introduced in

The Faces Behind Our Package Center

One of the most exhilarating emails you can receive while living at SPS is from the Package Center, detailing the exciting news of your newly arrived package. Though the walk to the building is long, the excitement you feel at the thought of receiving your package renders it bearable. At last, as you walk through the door to the Package Center that opens with a jingle, you are met with two smiling faces behind the counter as they hand your package to you.

The Package Center staff play a very critical role on campus, and it is because of their hard work and dedication that we are able to receive everything we need in such a timely manner. A familiar name that frequents all of our mail inboxes is Debra Mailhot, who has been enthusiastically working in her position at the Package Center for more than six years.

“My favorite part about my job is seeing and interacting with all of the kids that come in,” she says. “It is really sad, though, when after four years they leave.” Mailhot is from Hillsborough, New Hampshire, and enjoys

Miya Zhang

one class level are built upon and expanded within the next.”

Drinkwater says she hopes, in helping to shape students’ St. Paul’s experience, to emphasize consistency without uniformity.

“I am hoping to help ensure a consistent academic experience that still permits individuality in professional expertise for faculty and the range of individual students in the class,” she says. “Regardless of what classes the Third Form takes, I want them to have a similar and positive experience. This applies to all forms both horizontally—across individuals in the same grade—and vertically— across different forms.”

Attending Hotchkiss School and having familial connections to SPS have helped Drinkwater empathize with students and appreciate the unique experiences and education of this school.

She says she draws on these connections to inform and understand her role on campus: “Boarding school is a more holistic approach to student lives and development. In college we as faculty are really more in charge

of your academics, but in a boarding school we are able to follow you as you grow and develop over four really critical years,” she says.

“This is when teenagers are becoming young adults and figuring out who they are, so getting able to be part of your developmental phase really offers a very holistic professional experience.”

spending time with her two grandkids while she is not at work. In fact, photos of them are plastered all around her workspace.

Perhaps a less familiar face at the Package Center is Glen Killam, who worked in the Safety Department at St. Paul’s for 33 years before transitioning roles this fall. The change has been big for him, he says, but like Mail-

While she is well suited to her role as an academic dean, Drinkwater has been a classicist for much longer. For budding classicists, she gives insight on the lasting relevance of Ancient Roman and Greek culture

and their literature: “Literature can tell us so much about social history. Latin is also everywhere—in language, good-old fashioned etymology, and the way English is structured.”

In her free time, Drinkwater says she loves to read, bake, take walks, and watch soccer. Her favorite soccer team is AS Roma, based in Rome, Italy. Expect to see her on the trails, or on the bleachers during home soccer games.

hot, he is happy to be in a position where he can interact up close with students more often. Killam lives in Contoocook, NH, and says he enjoys spending his weekends with his children and going out to social clubs with his wife.

With the beginning-of-the-school-year rush, the Package Center has been busy this

fall. The two staff members shared that in one day they received 536 packages from Amazon alone. To put this in perspective, SPS has 547 students.

Next time you make a visit, make sure to give a special thanks to Debra Mailhot and Glen Killam for all the important work that they do for our lives and community.

Photographed by Temi Johnson '24

'25

Aedyn Kourakos '26

"I am hoping to ensure a consistent academic experience that still permits individuality for faculty and the range of individual studens in the class. "

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Style Column: Nate Roachford '25

Enter Nate Roachford ‘25, born and raised in New York, captain of the JV basketball team, and devoted resident of Middle. If you know Nate, you may have known some of those things, but you definitely know he is a style icon.

On a typical day, one might find Nate on the path wearing jeans and a sweater along with some fun sneakers. “I think my style shows my versatility in personality,”

says Nate. “I have a lot of different interests that might not all “fit” me, but they all collectively make up who I am.” His style allows him to experiment and encapsulate his wide variety of interests.

Nate says he can pull off all of these different “personas” because he grew up in a stylish household with two “fashionable older brothers.” He not only had them for inspiration but also “for some of the hand-me-downs.”

The Life of a Covid Patient

But how does Nate put together these well-thought-out outfits? He says, “Usually, I start with finding the piece that I want to be the center of attention. And then I choose the rest of the outfit with a similar color palette or complimenting colors.” So when it comes time to accessorize, Nate knows not to overdo it unless the accessory really amplifies the outfit. Overaccesorzing exists, Nate says. “If I am really trying to dress to impress, I like to add rings and tote bags to add to my fit.”

Right now is the best time to watch for Nate’s outfits. Style-wise, fall is his favorite season to dress because it is “the best time to use layering to make the best fits.” During the fall, “a tough hoodie or jacket can always be a centerpiece of an outfit.”

Thank you, Nate, for keeping St. Paul’s style profile interesting. He reminds us of two things. First, he says, “you don’t need to be wearing designer brands to dress well.” Don’t feel intimidated by the big brands that everyone hypes up today; the best pieces of clothing aren’t the nicest material but rather the most unique. Secondly, remember that “people don’t look good because of what they are wearing, but because of the way they wear it. Don’t let anyone discourage you from making bold style decisions if they are what make you confident.”

School History Highlight: Hockey at SPS

from the December 1860 issue of Horae Scholasticae offers a play-by-play description of a game of Shinny, an informal, unregulated predecessor to modern hockey:

In the wintry afternoon of November 17, 1883, the St. Paul’s School community — our very own alumni — gathered at the Lower School pond to witness the first ever ice hockey game played in the United States. Since then, St. Paul’s has been honorably recognized as the “cradle of American hockey.”

But the story of St. Paul’s Hockey began long before 1883. As far back as the 1860s, students made use of the freezing Millville temperatures and enjoyed skating on Lower School pond. An excerpt

"Here, near the shore, is a group of teachers looking on and talking and joking with the boys around them. There a little further out is seen a party of boys in pursuit of a hockey ball. One boy swings his hockey and away goes the ball skimming over the ice. The party dashes off in pursuit".

The Shinny tradition at St. Paul’s persisted without much change until 1880, when J.P. Conover, then a new master at the school, introduced a more modern take on the game on ice. He had gone to Montreal to procure specifications for the construction of a Racquets (predecessor of Squash) court for the School, where he was captivated by the local rules of hockey. Conover returned to Millville with several ‘hockey sticks’ — which, in our modern-day perspectives, are more akin to ground hockey sticks with longer shafts — and an octagonal

wooden block covered in leather, used as a puck. Most importantly for the story of hockey, however, he brought back a set of rules which would set the foundations for the modern-day version, henceforth referred to as the “Montreal Rules.”

I have thus far outlined a chapter in SPS hockey history that has already been extensively reviewed by SPS historians and hockey fanatics alike. However, there are countless intricacies and lasting legacies in the story of hockey at St. Paul’s. If you are interested in the central role our alumni played in the creation of collegiate hockey, the role of Malcolm K. Gordon in pioneering change in the sport, the history of Girls’ hockey at St. Paul’s, or the legendary career of Hobey Baker, keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming winter term Archives Exhibit on the top floor of Ohrstrom library, in celebration of the 140th anniversary of Hockey at St. Paul’s.

While many might think the pandemic is over, fear not, because COVID-19 has spread its wings on the St. Paul’s School campus once again. So far, only a select few—either deemed unlucky or chosen—get to experience the legendary COVID-19 quarantine, either off campus or in the campus health center, Clark House. And I am one of those lucky people who is now finally seeing the light at the end of the dark quarantine tunnel. The first couple of days whisked by, but as time continued, the hours and minutes turned into an eternity.

With that said, the rooms in Clark are quite spacious— two wingspans in each direction. The nurses, who performed their check-ins every six hours, offered some of my only human interaction—a precious commodity in such isolation. Once a day, the nurses would even release me into the outside world, letting me sit on the bench outside of Clark. As I breathed in some brisk autumn air I was reminded that the real world still existed.

But I must note that the true challenge was persuading my friends to deliver my belongings. Especially the correct belongings. I found myself without a razor and in the same pair of pants for five days straight.

Clark seems to be a place designed for introspection. Without distractions, I and the other Covid patients found solace in reading and pondering our lives, in stark contrast to the busy life of an active St. Paul’s student. Many hours were also spent on Instagram or Snapchat, restoring relationships with lost friends.

While Clark might not offer the most exhilarating experience, it certainly provided me with a unique perspective and a plethora of time to reflect, learn, and grow. So, here’s to the ‘chosen ones.’ May we exit with a bit more wisdom, a touch more patience, and perhaps a newfound appreciation for the outside world.

Roachford '25 on Freidman Terrace, photo by Temi Johnson '24

Graphic by Ava Price '24

Aedyn Kourakos '26

Jonathan Dase '24

Marvin Cho '24

An Interview with Rector Kathy Giles

Katy Scott '24

Continued from Page 4

advisor, English teacher, and hockey coach. When asked about her time at Groton, she speaks fondly of her experience, giving a shoutout to Head of School Bill Polk. “He gave me great opportunities to learn and grow,” she says.

In 2003, Giles stepped into a new role at Middlesex as Head of School. While Giles says the holistic and value-centric nature of the school (their mantra being honesty, gratitude, kindness, respect, and courage) was similar to Groton, she realized that she need-

Family Weekend Arts Showcase

Annabella Bernhardt '24

Continued from Page 3

Quartet, with Jenny Jang and Seojin Kim on violins, Jenny Qu playing the viola and Ella Kim playing the cello, will perform Beethoven. The Piano Quartet, with Katy Scott on violin, Hana Jang playing the viola, Ian Jang playing the cello and Ally Hu playing the piano, will perform Mozart.

Twelve members of the 19-person Theatre Company (TCo for short) will perform “Dancing Queen,” an ABBA original famously featured in the film Mamma Mia! “We have been working hard to make a really fun seventies summer performance,” said TCo captain Mason Deas ‘24. “Everyone should sing along with us,” says co-captain Gabby Purvis ‘24. “Dancing Queen is well known and just the best.”

Madison's Book Reviews: "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" by James Joyce

As the title suggests, Joyce paints an eidetic portrait of Stephen’s life. Joyce, not one to shy away from abjection and taboo, often adds vivid passages describing the smells of cow manure in a barn Stephen passes on a walk and the body odor of the boys in his school to his portrait of Stephen’s life in Ireland. With artistry, wit, and humor, Joyce creates a full and complex character in Stephen that captures the universal plights of coming of age.

ed to step back and adjust to her new environment: “Any time you are a leader in a community, in order to be effective, you respond and adapt your work to the community’s needs.”

As the 14th rector of St. Paul’s School and first woman to ever hold the position, she is holding true to this statement.

“When everyone prays for the Rector at Convocation, and that prayer defines specific hopes for the Rector, it is clear that the role is beyond professional,” she says. “Which, again, is how I have always approached this work.”

Giles engages with students in the classrooms, in chapel, and by attending her beloved hockey games. She says she was drawn to SPS because of the people that make the school what it is; while the grounds and surrounding nature is beautiful, she says the most important part of this school is the people and the interactions she shares with students each day.

“When I know that I am going to have a challenging day,” Giles says, “I remind myself that I need to put on the uniform, psych up my teammates, and get ready to play. OK, and hopefully, to win.”

The SPS Ballet Company will perform excerpts of Don Quixote, staged by Director of Dance Kate Lydon and Assistant Artistic Director Courtney Peix-Barros after Petipa, Gorsky, and Baryshnikov, with music by Ludwig Minkus. The fourteen-minute piece is “uplifting and technically challenging, and was considered revolutionary for its time,” Lydon says. “It will bring energy and joy to the stage for our SPS families.” BC captain Holland Goss ‘24 agrees.

“Don Quixote is a whimsical delight,” he says.

Finally, the A Capella group will perform two arrangements for the showcase: “What Was I Made For” by Billie Eilish from the Barbie movie and “Problem” by Ariana Grande. Purvis, also a leader of A Cappella, says that the group “has a good amount of new members,” and is “a really strong group this year. We are all very excited to perform.”

While the performance will be held as part of Family Weekend, current students are

James Joyce’s novel Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man follows the young Stephen Dedalus growing up in late 19th-century Ireland. The semi-autobiographical narrative begins with a baby, Stephen, still wetting the bed and follows him through his boyhood and adolescence as he realizes his destiny to become a writer.

At its core, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man asks what makes someone an artist and how institutions—church, state, family—interact with artists. Stephen specifically grapples with the role of the Roman Catholic Church in his life throughout the book, going through phases of deep piety and moments of complete loss of faith. His journey through these institutions and ideologies informs his artwork.

Joyce is a titan of the modernist movement. Compared to Ulysses his behemoth of a book, Portrait is quite readable. However, there are moments of stream of consciousness that can wear on a reader’s morale. In such instances, I suggest the reader embrace the idiosyncratic nature of the writing and feel comfort in the fact that even official Joycean scholars struggle to decipher parts of his texts. Joyce's allusions to everything from Aristotle to niche Irish history are ever prevalent in this text, so reading a copy with annotations is essential to understanding.

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man stands the test of time more than a century after its publication. Despite the confusing language and niche allusions, the modern audience may struggle with, we still read it because of its universal themes of coming of age. It does not take a Joycean scholar to understand this story of growing up and discovering one’s passion because they are experiences everyone goes through. Joyce’s beautiful prose and hilarious wit make this common story all the more entertaining and insightful.

“I will tell you what I will do and what I will not do. I will not serve that in which I no longer believe, whether it calls itself my home, my fatherland, or my church: and I will try to express myself in some mode of life or art as freely as I can and as wholly as I can, using for my defense the only arms I allow myself to use -- silence, exile, and cunning.”

Madison Andree '24

"I need to put on the uniform, psych up my teammates, and get ready to play. OK, and hopefully, to win."

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The SPS Crossword

Henry Dennis '24

My most recent week has certainly improved compared to the previous one. I feel more comfortable asking my teachers questions, and I can finally hold a conversation with my host mom without saying ‘quoi?’ to every word she shoots in my direction.

Not only has my confidence with the French language improved, but my ability to reach out to peers from my school has also become better. In fact, my SYA friend group befriended two French girls from the school we frequent for lunch, Lycée Jean Macé. I have also found it easier to want to speak in French instead of hiding behind the impressive language abilities of my friends.

Although I am writing about the experiences I’ve had with my ‘friend group,’ it wasn’t always as simple as the six of us going out to grab lunch on a Wednesday or taking the metro to visit a museum. Walking into

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Stella at SYA:

A Guide to Finding your People

school the morning after everyone met each other was difficult because it looked like everyone was already forming groups. I felt left out wearing my white Zara dress (which is an SPS staple) while everyone else veered toward the jeans and tank top route.

This ‘guide’ to finding your people is based upon my experience as an SYA France student. I literally knew no one coming in, but I believe that anyone can apply the methods I used to any new environment they enter.

First: To find friends, I had to learn how to go with the flow. As simple a phrase as that is to write down, it feels a lot more complicated to do in the moment. I didn’t try to force myself into conversations or seek out people I wanted to talk to based on appearances. Rather, I joined a conversation when I felt like I could add something to it.

The SPS Comic

Second: I listened to what people had to say. I think it is a valuable skill to be able to sit and listen to someone, and because I was actively paying attention to what people were saying, I was able to connect aspects of myself to their story. Thanks to this, I was also able to quickly figure out who I had things in common with and who I enjoyed talking to.

Finally: I didn’t let my shyness hold me back. Although this may sound surprising to people who know me, I am a shy and nervous person. On the first day, we were assigned to walk around the town of Rennes to learn about the city. During this activity, I stayed quiet, I didn’t ask for help, and most importantly, I didn’t have fun. In contrast, we had another activity that involved walking around Rennes later on, and when I didn’t let my nerves or embarrassing language mistakes hold me back, I had a much better time.

It is early in my time in France, and I know my friends will change as the year goes on and I meet more people, but during these past few weeks I’ve finally learned the way to make good friends - and I encourage you to use it as well!

How to Be an SPS Superfan

Many students on campus know what it is like to perform in front of a full crowd because many of us have had that opportunity–whether it be on stage, on a field, a court, or out on the Gordon rink. Performing in front of hundreds of your classmates is a pretty special feeling, and is really fun when those classmates know how to bring the energy.

A key component to a successful night game is the fans. In order to contribute to this positive atmosphere, you must first be in attendance. Showing your commitment

through attending as many games as possible is the most important thing you can do as a Big Red superfan.

Second, SPS fans must be loud, proud, and positive, but there is way more to it than that. SPS Superfans take every night game as a game of their own. Superfans coordinate according to the theme, show up on time, and let everyone know they’ve arrived. Superfans cheer on the BIG RED and rattle opposing teams with the sheer strength of our cheering. Horns and flags are a musthave for anyone looking to play the role of a Superfan. And we mustn’t forget: chanting is a priority.

Third, our strength lies in our numbers, and the more students that are sitting together, the louder we will be. SPS Superfans sit with all of the other students.

We look forward to seeing everyone at games this fall–especially at the night games–decked out in SPS apparel or clothing that corresponds to the theme. Finally, always remember to be loud, be proud, and be positive, Go Big Red!

Graphic by Cole Hamilton '24

Graphic by Julia Koeman '25

Stella McNab '25

Luke Wolfram '27 Conley Bohan '24

While the debate between living in a double and living in a single is the most relevant during housing selection, it also arises at the beginning of the school year. Students begin to question the decision that their spring-term selves (or deans) made, and wonder if a different housing arrangement would have been ideal. Doubles and singles both have their perks, and I think they are both beneficial at different times. I propose that the best rooming structure is a double Third Form year, a single for Fourth and Fifth forms, and a double again for Sixth Form year (hence, the single sandwich).

A double during your first year at St. Paul’s is ideal, mainly because it helps you meet new people. Having a roommate provides incentive to get out of the room and give your roommate some privacy (which I

A Single Sandwich is the Way to Go

didn’t do a great job of, but it works for lots of people). This forces you to meet new people in the dorm and other places on campus, which is especially important in your first year. Jennifer Yung-Coak ‘27 also brings up the point that having a double at some point is important. “I think having a double is part of the boarding school experience,” says Yung-Coak.

Additionally, fall term of the first year at St. Paul’s is often one of the toughest, and having a double gives students a good first person to talk to. “I don’t love my single,” said Dorothy Kearney ‘27. While it is nice to have privacy for the rest of the year, Kearney says the privacy might not be worth the first week of school alone. People usually have more appreciation for a single having lived in a double, so having a double is an important experience that leads to increased happiness later.

By the time Fourth and Fifth Form come

around, students often benefit more from a single. “Singles are best, but you need to be able to live in a double,” says Madison Andree ‘24.

Mainly, singles are perfect for blissful solitude, which is in high demand here at St. Paul’s. They also allow increased autonomy, like full control of room decor, bedtimes, and cleanliness. Fourth and Fifth form are also lots of work, so living in a single leads to increased productivity for many people, especially when they are still developing their time management skills.

When Sixth Form year rolls around, it’s time for a double again. Having had significant experience in a double to improve roommate skills and plenty of time in a single to hone time management skills, Sixth Formers are ready for a new-and-improved double experience. “Having roommates before makes you a better room-

What's in the Water? Thoughts with Jack Bretl Express Your Gratitude to Todd and Rick

If you don’t know Todd Torrence and Rick Snow, trust me that they are the two most important people south of Dunbarton Rd.. These two individuals are the fulcrum of the SPS Athletic Department and receive a fraction of the praise they deserve from the community. An SPS uniform, a bucket of lacrosse balls, an extra pair of shoulder pads or access to the indoor tennis courts are all things that these two people can grant for students. Without them, there would be no clean laundry or ironed-out jerseys before games. They are the reason that every athlete is able to train every day with the equipment needed to operate at the high level that our teams compete at.

But let’s back up. My relationship with Todd began during the fall term of my junior year. That was when I first realized the perks of being friends with the guy who manages all of the equipment. But I’ll admit it, I also just enjoyed the fun, lighthearted conversation with him as I made my way to the locker room. Todd, the extrovert of the two, is never short of a super exciting story or an insight into SPS athletics history.

Time and time again, I have witnessed Todd go far out of his way to ensure each student has exactly what they need. Whether it’s help opening a locker or tightening up a hel-

met, Todd is there, and always with a smile. It takes some good character to come into the office early in the morning and begin doing the prior night’s laundry and then, with zero complaints, set up each team with precisely what they need for that afternoon. Todd also somehow finds the time to make each trophy section in the AFC lobby spotless, which is why I wanted to write this article in the first place because I don’t know how he does it.

Don’t worry Rick, I didn’t forget about you. Rick is the type of guy who is always looking for more work to do. In fact, it was just yesterday when I saw him cleaning the pool even though the AFC had already cleared out for the afternoon. Rick wants the

best for each athlete who crosses his path and does his best to keep the AFC looking sharp. I encourage everyone who might not walk by his desk on a regular basis to make a point to do so.

These two individuals do so much for the community, and it’s time for them to get the recognition and gratitude they deserve. For that reason, I hope this article can act as a public service announcement to all athletes. The next time you walk past their desk, make sure to say hello and perhaps even engage in some conversation. But most importantly, express gratitude. They are the backbone of the AFC.

mate,” Andree says.

By Sixth Form, people are more likely to have found a compatible person to live with (although no shame if you’re someone who hasn’t, like me), so having a roommate can improve quality of life. Lucas Miller ‘25 thinks that having a roommate means fewer bad days. “The benefit of having a double is that when you’re in a bad mood, it’s much easier to get out of that mental spot you’re in. In a single, if it’s 1am and you’re grinding out a paper, and you look up and it’s past midnight and it looks horrible, you’re stuck,” says Miller. Additionally, living in a double Sixth Form year primes you for the inevitable doubles that most people encounter during freshman year in college.

As someone who was a new Fourth Former, I have only completed the single openfaced sandwich. However, I still believe that the other side enriches any St. Paul’s Experience.

Graphic by Julia Koeman '25

Edie Jones '24 Jack Bretl '24

Team Highlight: Girls Varsity Soccer

The varsity girls soccer team kicked off their 2023 season in August during preseason camp in Maine. Preseason training camp is a great opportunity for teammates to get to know each other before arriving on campus. Additionally, the camp provides the team with high-level competition against other preparatory schools to prepare them for their rigorous regular season play.

Having returned to Millville following camp, the team found themselves with an extra sense of commitment to each other. “My favorite thing about the team is the people. We have great chemistry and good energy,” says Iris Lamoreaux ‘27. The team shows their devotion to each other both on and off the field with their strong collaborative play and team dinners.

Following the team’s first match against the Groton Zebras earlier this month, captains Georgia Bussey ‘24, Kiki Hillery ‘24 and Hadley Cepiel ‘24 say they feel confident in their team and are determined to play at their best against tough opponents. “We are going

to play a lot of really good teams this season and every game is going to be a fight. We are really excited to continue to have competitive games,” says Hillery.

The team is committed to playing with high energy this season. “The energy the team brings on the bench and on the field is a source of pride,” says Cepiel. She says the team’s chemistry, paired with their intense effort and energy, is sure to provide the firepower needed to win games and cultivate a successful season.

Photographed by Declan Schweizer '24 Text by Sam Bently '24

Graphic by Cole Hamilton '24

Camryn Bell '24