year in review - Loomis Chaffee

Transcription

COMMENCEMENT 2012
Loomis Chaffee Log
JUNE 8, 2012
Founded 1915
COMMENCEMENT PULLOUT
College matriculation,
Commencement prizes,
Cum Laude Society
and more
lclog.org
Volume XCVI, No. 10
Reflections
by seniors,
departing
faculty & staff,
and more
YEAR IN REVIEW
SECTION B
SECTION C
MacClintic reflects on his
career in the Kravis Center for
Excellence in Teaching
by Mike Horowicz ‘13
Managing Editor
“Spring fashion at its best”
juwon jun ‘14 for the Loomis chaffee log
From May 8th to June 18th, the RAC displays the AP Art show and the Satorialist show. PAGE 5.
StuCo elections held
Lee ’13 elected Student Council president
by Alex Lafrance ‘12
Staff Writer
On May 15, 2012, Paul K. Lee
’13 was elected president of the
Student Council after a night of
orations and discussions concerning the candidates Lauren Chase
Paul K. Lee’13
’13, Tucker Cheyne ’13, Rekha
Kennedy ’13, Amanda McParlane ’13 and Paul K. Lee ’13. After
giving their speeches, the presidential candidates left the room
and character witnesses spoke
on their behalf. Mike Horowicz
‘13, Hayley Root ‘12, Ramy Chin
‘12, JoDeanne Francis ‘13 and
Jake Bosee ‘12 spoke on behalf
of Lee, McParlane, Cheyne, Kennedy, and Chase, respectively. The
evening also saw the election of
Tucker Cheyne as boys’ vice president, Amanda McParlane as girls’
vice president, and Rekha Kennedy as secretary/treasurer.
Though only two weeks into
his term, Lee has already considered plans for the upcoming year,
and expressed an interest in continuing the council’s current major projects including the house
system and the Loomis Chaffee
Pledge, along with its committee. Yet in addition to pursuing
a number of StuCo’s endeavors
from the present school year, Lee
has also brought his own ideas,
paul lee, Page a2
Sustainable Agriculture Plot
becomes reality
by Lizzy Schimenti ‘12
Staff Writer
Since September the E-Proctors have been busy planning
and preparing the Sustainable
Agriculture Plot, located behind
the Clark Center for Science and
Mathematics. The plot consists
of ten community gardens, a
compost pile, hoop house, and a
chicken coop, which houses eight
Rhode Island Red hens. The community gardens are mainly for
faculty use, however, two of the
ten plots are currently being cultivated by Jeff Dyreson’s Sustainable Agriculture class. Using the
plots as part of their labs, students
in the Sustainable Agriculture
course are able to apply what they
learn about sustainable farming
to a real life scenario. Furthermore, the hoop house, located
within the agricultural plot, or as
the students call it, the Ag Plot,
makes up a large portion of the
outdoor lab, extending the growing season by two to four months.
Acting similarly to a greenhouse
characterized by a half-cylinder
covered by a plastic sheet, the
hoop house uses in-ground growing, which is beneficial for many
of the crops that the class grows.
For anyone who prefers gardening outside to dissecting or mixing chemicals inside, the Sustainable Agriculture class may be
perfect for you. However, the Ag
Plot’s laboratory title credits only
one of its many uses.
The Ag Plot will supply fresh
vegetables for the dining hall,
while exemplifying what Mr.
Dyreson, Loomis’ Sustainability
Coordinator and science teacher,
likes to call a “closed-loop system.” Consequently, the Ag Plot,
is a paragon of sustainability
(hence the name). Here’s how it
works: members of the community grow vegetables and herbs
agricultural plot, Page A2
Perspective
‘They aren’t even vegetarians’
A student’s perspective on hosting Indian students
Rekha Kennedy’13
At 8 o’clock on Monday morning, grumbling to myself about
coming in early to school and
missing my long-desired sleep-in,
I walked into the admission office to meet the Indian student I
would be hosting that day. I will
admit, despite being Indian myself, I had the typical stereotypes
of the sari-bearing, heavy-accented, curry-loving students. Walking into the waiting room in Seller’s Hall, believe me when I say
that I was shocked to see the nine
fashionably dressed and fluent
English speaking Indian students,
relaxing on the comfy admission
office sofas.
As I spent more time
with my Indian student, who had
a name much longer and harder to
pronounce than my name, Aradhana Singh, I realized that they
were Americanized, maybe even
more so than me! I saw the girls
secretly (or in some cases, not so
secretly) texting during classes, I
heard their scandalous conversations about covert relationships,
Printed with soy inks on partially recycled paper.
Please recycle this publication.
and I saw the boys deeping class
to play Frisbee in the underclassmen quad. Spending more time
with my student, I was taken
aback and a little bit annoyed as
every tid-bit of information I had
on American culture (and this is
including Grey’s Anatomy and the
Secret Life) they shot down with
the nonchalant “I know, I have
seen that episode” or “yeah, we do
the same thing in Delhi.”
Priding myself on my
personable and approachable attitude, I found my ego struck
down with the lack of captivating
conversation I could have with
my student. Half way through the
day, and twenty short awkward
conversations later I figured out
the secret to bringing back the
fun to our mundane and dull conversations. I brought up the hot
topic of boys, school gossip, and
of course the greasy school pizza.
As the day groaned on, and I was
abandoned more than once so she
could go hang out with her friends
who had the same free or finish
watching an episode of Scrubs,
rather than sit in the library with
In a room enclosed by panels
of glass on the first floor of the
library, Scott MacClintic ‘82 sits
at his desk, but few people know
what goes on inside the Kravis
Center of Excellence in Teaching.
The Kravis Center of Excellence
in Teaching began two years ago,
in the first floor of Founders’ Hall.
Then last fall, the center moved
over to the first floor of the Katherine Brush library.
When asked how the Kravis
Center took form, Mr. MacClintic attributed the idea’s origin to
Ned Parsons, the dean of faculty.
Mr. MacClintic said, “Mr. Parsons
heard about the concept of teaching centers when finishing up his
advanced degree.” The concept
was met with great support by the
head of school, Sheila Culbert.
Mr. MacClintic said that teaching centers are very common
amongst colleges and universities,
but not among high schools.
Mr. MacClintic said, “Mr.
Parsons thought that the center
would be beneficial to our faculty, and then obviously beneficial
to our students.” In addition, the
Center received support because
at Loomis, according to Mr. MacClintic, “we inspire people to be
lifelong learners, and the best way
to model that would be learning
to be better at what we, the teachers, are doing.” Mr. MacClintic
said that he was responsible for
on-campus professional development, which occurs in various
forms.
The Center helps teachers learn
to handle new technologies that
come out, and how to handle
these technologies. Mr. MacClintic has already taught teachers
many new techniques, such as
teaching history teachers how to
use the program Prezis instead of
wikis.
Mr. MacClintic also said, “I’ve
been working with math teachers who are trying to incorporate
flipped classrooms.” Teachers
using the idea of flipped classrooms have students watch video
lectures for homework and then
work on problems during classes.
This process allows content to
be delivered at home, and then
problems can be smoothed out in
class, a direct opposite of the common classroom.
One of the things that stands
out about Mr. MacClintic is his
overflowing enthusiasm regarding the Center. Mr. MacClintic
said working in the Center has
been “reinvigorating…I have my
dream job.”
Two years ago Mr. MacClintic moved into Founders Hall,
and began working on the Kravis
Center for Excellence in Teaching. Since then, he has thoroughly
enjoyed his experience. Mr. MacClintic appreciated that he not
only gets to interact with students,
but also gets to interact with colleagues more often then in my
previous positions.
It seems as if Mr. MacClintic
has found his niche. “When you
have a job where you get to do
something you love, you can’t ask
for more,” MacClintic said.
Jamol Lettman elected as class
speaker
that because he was not at Loomis constantly, his full involvement
with the community was inhibJamol Aines Mar Otae Lettman ited. Clearly, even as a under(J.A.M.O.L.), the 2012 gradu- classman J.A.M.O.L. was eager
ation class speaker, sauntered to make his mark on the Loomis
down the senior path donning a community.
fresh, bright Atlanta Flames hat
As Lettman speaks, commandand a dark Metallica t-shirt— ing the attention of all those
a stark conaround him,
trast from the
beginning
once awkward
with
his
freshman daylight-heartstudent rolling
ed
comihis black backcal tone, he
pack through
shifts from
the halls. Nohis jocular
body
could
diction
to
predict
the
serious, intransformation
tellectual
that
would
contemplatake four tortion. “The
tuous,
yet
other candiblink-of-andates were
shannon deveney ‘14 for the Loomis chaffee log all qualified
eye years. Now,
a witty and humor-blessed senior as well. I am very honored and
boarder, Lettman has surely ma- excited that my classmates have
tured during his Loomis Chaffee chosen me to speak at graduacareer. J.A.M.O.L. began his ca- tion,” Lettman said. Humble yet
reer at Loomis as a day-student, proud, Lettman expressed obvibut decided to become a boarder ous excitement at the prospect
JAMOL LETTMAN, Page A2
in his sophomore year, as he felt
by Taylor Low ‘12
Staff Writer
CONTINUED ON Page A2
Editor’s Picks
Obama on gay
marriage
Spring sports
recap
Prom proposals Sports
2012
Recruitment
A Loomis Student speculate
about the motives behind president Obama’s controversial decision regarding gay marriage.
A recap of an exciting, record
breaking spring sports season.
Recounting the successes of failures of each LC spring varsity
sports team.
The Class of 2012 puts their creativity to work in the devising of
prom proposals. Everything ranging from petri dish messages to
yoga pants encryptions, the campus is filled with rumors about
who asked who?
Various stages of and rules behind the ambiguous process of
college sports recruitment. From
the regulations set by the NCAA,
to the less structured advises of
coaches, the sports recruitment
process is broken down and explained.
page A6
page A3
page A6
page A8
MONROE, CT
PERMIT NO. 140
PAID
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
News
PAGE
PAGE 2A2
Loomis Chaffee Log
February
1, 2012
JUNE 8, 2012
Environmental proctors accepted to SC3 Continued renovations in the Katherine
Macdonald and Shelby take their environmental
Brush library
passions beyond the island
by Mike Horowicz ‘13
Managing Editor
Recently, fellow students
and Environmental Proctors
(E-Proctors), John Macdonald
‘13 and Ryan Shelby ‘13, were
selected to attend the Student
Climate and Conservation Congress (Sc3), taking place at the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’
National Conservation Training
ity Coordinator Jeff Dyreson.
Dyreson said, “The boys are true
leaders for LC. Both are current
Environmental Proctors who
have been extremely active in the
efforts of the group, most notably
with the sustainable agriculture
plot and composting program.”
When asked about Sc3, Macdonald replied, “Ryan and I are
both very excited about our acceptance to Sc3 this summer. As
our knowledge and to learn from
others. I am incredibly excited!”
In response to being asked
about Macdonald’s and Shelby’s
work this past year, Mr. Dyreson
responded, “Loomis Chaffee is
proud of their commitment and
work toward sustainability and
looks forward to their leadership next year.” Throughout the
year Shelby and Macdonald have
worked on projects such as, the
Library porch to be swapped for extended study room area
by Grace Denny ‘13
Staff Writer
Loomis Chaffee students commonly spend countless hours in
the Katherine Brush Library, due
to the intense and demanding
schedule the students take on.
This fall the Kravis Center for
Excellence in Teaching was built
on the first floor of Brush. Soon,
the first floor of the library will
undergo another renovation, this
time providing the community
with extended study rooms and a
Center for Global Studies. These
renovations will take up the entire porch at the rear of the first
floor. Although many students
are sad to lose the porch, a wonderful place to relax and work
during the warmer months, they
are also excited for the new and
very modernized renovations.
The project, which has been in
the works for some time, gained
ground this fall. Savings within
the school’s budget brought the
ideas to fruition.
“Libraries have changed drastically over the year; however,
there have been limited changes
within the Brush Library which
was designed in 1968. The renovation is going to allow for improved use of the library space
by creating intimate study areas,
traditional study areas, and an
improved functional layout,” says
Mr. Walters, head of the Physical
Plant. One of the main areas to
be renovated is the porch, which
currently is only accessible as a
viable study location during the
warmer months of the school
year. The renovations call for enclosing the porch with glass, providing functionality year-round,
without destroying the beautiful
view of the Meadows. A section
of the porch will be turned into
two classrooms as well as extended study areas. The new design
for the porch will increase the usable space of the library by 17%.
One of the major aspects of the
renovation is the use of glass to
provide increased natural light,
decreasing the dependence on
electric lighting. Currently, the
first floor of the library gets its
light mainly from bright florescent bulbs, which create a harsh
and slightly uncomfortable
brightness. The library will also
be refurnished with more comfortable seating. Shaker style
furniture will be used in order to
create a more welcoming study
environment. The construction
is scheduled to be completed
by the beginning of the coming
school year.
The Loomis Chaffee class of 2016: a preview
Photo courtesy of Jueley Ortengren
Center in Shepherdstown, West
Virginia, this summer.
The two students were the
only participants chosen from
the state of Connecticut, and will
join a group of 150 high school
students from across the world.
Macdonald and Shelby were accepted based of a recommendation written on their behalf, by
Science teacher and Sustainabil-
Jamol Lettman
continued from page A1
of speaking today, at the Commencement ceremonies, in front
of his peers and their families.
His inspiration to pursue a
prominent role in the ceremonies
came from his older brother, Senior. A self-confident, funny, witty, and smart guy—a total boss—
Senior has always encouraged
J.A.M.O.L. to do his best and to
explore new opportunities. As
for his motivation to become
class speaker, Lettman said, “I
wanted to be the class speaker
because I’ve become very interested in public speaking and it is
always an honor to speak in front
of the student body, parents, and
faculty.” He continued to express
that he thrives as the center of attention, making this role perfect
for him.
When asked what route he intends to take with his speech, a
sly smile emerges on his face. He
plans to include notable memories, special shout-outs, clever
jokes, light-hearted remarks regarding faculty members, and,
the only two student representatives chosen from Connecticut,
we are proud to represent Loomis Chaffee as well as the entire
state. I have worked very hard
this year on environmental issues
here at LC, and I am very excited
to learn of new techniques and
ideas that I will be sure to learn at
Sc3.” Macdonald continued, “It is
a wonderful opportunity to share
composting program, the sustainable agriculture plot, the
chicken coop, energy monitoring, and promoting single stream
recycling.
Next year, Macdonald and
Shelby hope to bring new ideas
and concepts from the Sc3 to
Loomis Chaffee, reinvigorating the school’s environmental
awareness.
potential projects and alterations
to the council’s modus operandi
to the table for consideration.
“I would like to collaborate
with PSO on a school-wide service learning day which I think
could be a new tradition,” he
said. “I would also like to expand
on and publicize the student bill
of rights,” an effort that would
address a number of concerns
brought before the council in the
past year. Lee also explained his
intent on bolstering the Student
Council’s productivity and cohesion in the future. “Although I
believe the current system with
which student council operates is
efficient, I would like to see active
participation from every member
of the council so that all members
island next year. Also from the
continental US, we are proud to
welcome new Pelicans from 23
states. Of the 128 incoming students, 56% are boarding while
44% are day, representing the
slow trend towards more boarding students and less day students that the Head of School,
Dr. Culbert outlined last year.
In addition to that, 66 of the 128
students are female (or, 52% of
the incoming class) while 62
(48%) are male.
These new kids will also be
experiencing new orientation
activities as well as the first
freshman class to partake in the
Loomis Chaffee Pledge. These
Freshman, unfortunately will
miss the regime of Dean Lytle
and Marchetti, but will be under
the watchful eye of the incoming
faculty.
school. They obviously get in
trouble for it, buts it’s comparable
to our missing one class. Basically
one “bunk” equals one deep. I realized that besides the fact they
were from India and referred to
their teachers as “ma’am”, they
were Americanized. In fact their
school in Delhi does numerous of
these foreign exchange programs
with Australia, England, and U.S.,
they have had students come
abroad plenty of times and from
what they say they have batches
of foreign students roaming their
school once or twice a term. They
are cultured, Americanized, and
worldly.
So you might be wondering
what I learned from this experience besides the cliché fact that
stereotypes are 99% wrong and
believing them guarantees you
a rude-awakening and unwelcoming surprise. I learned that
maybe the international students
who visit our school are more
cultured and Americanized than
we realize, that the American
culture permeates more of the
world than we ever care to find
out. Maybe the students, who we
are suppose to introduce to the
American way of life have already
seen it and some of them are
even living it in their own country, because of the prominence of
McDonalds and the Internet that
allows American TV shows to be
broadcast basically everywhere.
So maybe we are the ones who
need to open our doors wider
and become more cultured and
diverse. Maybe we need to watch
the occasional TV shows in Hindi
or Spanish or French. We need to
see more and assume less that all
people that come from outside of
the Americas or Europe are clueless to our ways. I want Loomis
student to be able to surprise and
somewhat irritate the foreign students on trips abroad with their
knowledge, with the nonchalant
“I know, I have seen that episode”
or “yeah, we do the same thing in
the U.S.”
FROM PAGE ONE
of course, a promotion for his
nonexistent mix tape, which
J.A.M.O.L. jokingly claims “contains the usual - partying, getting
girls, skipping class. I even have
some diss tracks about the upperclassmen deans on there, so
basically it’s a complete representation of my life.” Essentially,
he aims to strike the perfect balance between laughter and sentiment: directly appealing to the
bulk of the student body. Also,
J.A.M.O.L. intends to mention
a favorite memory from sophomore year: gathering around the
back-corner lunch table during
6th periods and laying down
some beats, training for his
imaginary mix tape. J.A.M.O.L.
also said he extended his talents
for public speaking while preforming on the NEO stage this
spring, in the student casted,
led, and directed One Acts. Playing the evil Frosty the Psycho,
J.A.M.O.L., demanding attention, had the audience hanging
on each of his hilariously evil
words. Just like his performance
in the NEO, J.A.M.O.L.’s speech
will command the attention of
each and every Commencement
attendee.
A dedicated Loomis student,
J.A.M.O.L. says he loves and will
miss the beautiful campus and the
close-knit feeling of the Loomis
community. He aspires to return
to Loomis Chaffee one day as a
dean. Returning as a dean would
be the one way he believes he can
give back to the community, and
thus instill the many invaluable
lessons he learned here to other
future Pelicans. Whether stealing the NEO spotlight or playing
a pick-up basketball game after school, J.A.M.O.L., dripping
with swag, does everything he
can to the best of his ability. Loomis Chaffee will miss J.A.M.O.L.’s
intrinsic ability to make others
smile and laugh. J.A.M.O.L. will
end his Loomis Chaffee career as
the class speaker, and ultimately
as a student who made Loomis a
better experience for everyone.
University of Connecticut will be
lucky to have J.A.M.O.L. light up
their campus in the coming academic year.
StuCo elections
continued from page a1
With a 28% admissions rating, the LC class of 2016 is one
of the most selective in the
school’s history. The eclectic
group of incoming freshman is
from twelve different countries,
including Bangladesh, Canada,
China, Hong Kong, Indonesia,
Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom,
and Vietnam. And, in total, LC
has students from and three different continents headed to the
Indian students
me. Surprise!
As Friday came rolling around
and I was faced with my second
round of hosting an Indian student, I won’t lie, I was hoping this
new girl was little more clueless
to the ways of America or at least
Loomis. But by this time they had
been on campus for a week, seen
the dorms, knew the campus,
and spent their nights on the raging roads of the greater Hartford
county. Sitting in Physics class, I
gawked at Arundita as she spat
out Physics facts about lenses,
the eye, and optics, facts that they
apparently have already learned
long ago. In math, I heard the surprising fact that she and most of
her friends dropped math in 10th
grade, when they had an option
of doing so. I was even more flabbergasted and a little bit jealous
to learn that they get to “bunk”
classes; for all of you who have
no idea what that means it means
they get to miss a whole day
of classes and just chill around
Agricultural plot
of the council, not just a select
few, are involved in projects,” said
Lee.
Lee also provided his thoughts
on the election . “My main inspiration for running for Student
Council president came from my
belief that as president, I would
best be able to benefit and give
back to Loomis,” he said. “Past
presidents Nick Judson ‘10 and
Lindsay Gabow ‘12 demonstrated
the great potential of the council and served as role models for
me.” He also said, “I would like to
thank my fellow officers, Tucker
Cheyne, Amanda McParlane,
and Rekha Kennedy; they have
already provided so much support and give me the confidence
to lead the council in the future.
Further thanks goes out to my
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advisor, Mr. Smith, and everyone
else in Kravis Hall.”
As the 2011-2012 administration prepares for its final acts in
office, Lindsay Gabow issued an
optimistic statement about the
future. “I think the group of officers will be very successful,” she
said. “I already foresee a great dynamic among the four of them. I
hope they will carry through the
House System initiative, as well as
continue to work with the Pledge
Committee and the Center for
the Common Good on the LC
Pledge. I’m sure they will come up
with some great ideas in addition
to those; I know President Lee is
very concerned with improving
school camaraderie. I’m sure it
will be a great year, and I wish the
best of luck to the new officers!”
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in the hoop house and two of
the garden plots. The produce is
given to the dining hall, and then
the dining hall uses the produce
to prepare our meals. The food
we don’t eat from those meals
becomes food waste, which is
used to make compost, and the
compost is used as fertilizer in
the gardens and hoop house. The
chickens, too, play an important
role in this sustainable system.
Providing several ecosystem services, the chickens not only aerate and fertilize the soil, but also
eat the food scraps and pests,
which can be harmful to many of
the plants. Finally, the chickens
provide poultry manure, a wonderful fertilizer for the gardens.
Today, the plots have been constructed and planted, the hoophouse has been built, and the
chickens are now happily living
in their new coop. The Sustainable Agriculture Plot has officially started, and the closed-loop
system is now in circuit.
juwon jun’14 for the Loomis chaffee log
Mary Forrester waters the gardens in the agricultural plot
Loomis Chaffee Log
june 8, 2012
Behind the process of college sports recruiting
PAGE A3
The National Collegiate Athletic Association’s regulations and colleges’ way of getting around them
by Rekha Kennedy ‘13
News Editor
From the somewhat gloating online
profiles on sports-clad websites to the
anxious waiting of phone calls from
coaches, many students turn to the
intricate and complex world of college
recruiting as a stepping stone to going
pro but also to getting a scholarship
to go to college. The world of athletic
sports recruiting has rapidly changed
in the last several years. The availability of video has allowed recruiters
to view ever extending numbers of
potential athletes, giving students at
smaller schools a better chance of being discovered. However, this accessibility has brought about some glitches
in the process as well. Because of the
advancement in technology, recruiters
are able to find athletes at a younger
age and as a result, athletes who aren’t
early-bloomers are left at a disadvantage.
Almost every sport is guided by
the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), which provides a
complex set of rules outlining the dead
and live periods of every individual
sport. These periods delineate when
the coaches are able to contact the
student athletes via emails or phone
calls. These rules include but are not
limited to college coaches being able
to contact the high school coaches of
the player but not the player himself.
However, the students are able to contact the college coach at any time they
please, but here is where the process
gets complicated. The coach, upon
receiving a phone call from the students, can attend the call. However, if
the college recruiter missed the call, he
cannot call the students back because
then he would be breaking the NCAA
rules. But like any other system of established rules, loopholes inevitably
exist. Recruiters
are
known
to call high
school coaches to advise
the
high
school coaches
to inform the
perspective students of a specific
time so they can
conveniently be
present to answer
the phone. Some
recruiters’
voice
mails also provide
detailed
instructions on
how to maneuver
around the NCAA
rules and contact the
recruiter. Other recruiters send mass emails
advising Freshman and
Sophomores to wait to
contact them, such as this email sent
to Coach Garber from a D1 school:
“If you are a 2014 or 2015 high school
graduate, We can not communicate
via email (NCAA rules) until you begin your Junior year of High School.
We cannot return your calls until
July 1st after your Junior year of high
school.”
As many of the Loomis coaches
said, once Junior year comes around
and contacting the perspective athlete
is allowed with minimal interference
of NCAA rules, students get anything
from the noncommittal phone call to
the handwritten letter from the recruiting
college. Many
stu-
dentathletes, excited to get their first call,
commit to that first college only to
regret their rash decision afterwards.
As one student athlete said, “Certain programs hope to get their college
recruiting class done early. UCONN
soccer is a great example. They hope
to snag up the local talent for 2013
very quickly so they can move onto
getting a few international players.
Certain coaches based on their interest or their desire for their recruiting
class will get things done earlier. Also,
committing early lifts a big weight off
your shoulders. There is a bit of pressure to commit, because it alleviates a
lot of stress during senior fall and what
not.” Others make the mistake of assuming their verbal commitment will
guarantee them
forts, assuming the student is already
recruited.
For an experienced student athlete,
Nick Sailor ‘13 noted, “The academic
piece is huge in the college process.
Schools can’t really gauge whether
they can get you into
the
school if the academic piece isn’t
strong.
Certain
s ch o ol s
with
certain
reputations
hold
higher
academic standards than
others. Other
schools factor in the academic piece
less.”
Despite the
Loomis coaches’
humble claims
that the parents,
students, and
coaches all
play a crucial role in the
a spot into the college, only to be de- recruiting process, the student athceived when the admissions office letes polled all claimed that the Loorejects them leaving them out in the mis coaches play the biggest role in
cold. Some students even advertise the process and are with them every
these verbal commitments on their step of the way. Lyle Seebeck, being
online profiles, causing the other col- recruited for football, said, “Coaches,
leges and universities which were once they are the connection to the colleges.
looking into them abandon their ef- The coaches are the ones who open
the door for you to be looked at by the
colleges and to have a dialogue with
the college coaches.” Coach Garber,
the boys varsity lacrosse coach, even
helped a previous LC student athlete
get recruited by Duke, by introducing
the recruiter to the player and sending
in video of the student practicing.
With so many of the recruiters’ jobs
on the line and limited spots on their
teams, the field of athletic recruiting
gets tougher and tougher. Although
Loomis Coaches can get the student’s
foot in the door of some colleges, the
main responsibility of getting recruits
is up to the proactivity of the students
to contact recruiters, get seen in high
level tournaments, and keep up their
grades. While the NCAA does have
academic requirements that every
athlete should meet to even be eligible for athletic scholarships, students
who do not meet requirements often
end up taking a Post Graduate year
to improve their SAT scores or going
to a community college for two years
before transferring. In the end, the
student’s academic standing play a
deciding role in the recruiting process.
Once getting to college some of the
students love the programs they are
in and others simply can’t handle the
hours of commitment for one sport as
well as how much time and energy it
drains from other aspects of their life,
especially at the D1 level. So student
athletes follow the parting words from
Garber: “ You should play to enjoy
the game and if you’re good enough,
someone will find you.”
Perspective
From the prefects, memoirs from a year in Kravis Hall
Tales from the hallways of Kravis Hall: ping pong contests, “bear” spottings, and hairy
freshmen
Dan Keogh’13, Krishna
Kulkarni’13, Paul K. Lee ‘13
N
o room inspection,
unlimited Internet,
and regular outings
to Five Guys with Mr. MacG:
living in Kravis Hall as a prefect
has its perks. Arriving in late
August in the scorching weather
for prefect training, there was
something special about returning to my dorm from two years
ago. After a yearlong hiatus in
Longman, I finally returned to
K-Town.
Looking around at my fellow
prefects in Mr. MacG’s apartment, I couldn’t help but to
compare us to our prefects from
our freshman year. They seemed
so mature, experienced...and
debonair. How could any of
us even dare to step into their
position?
What scared me even more
was that the common room was
full of large, hairy men who
glared at me every time I came
in to fill up my water bottle. If
I remembered correctly, most
of Kravis my freshman year
were short and squeaky, let
alone hairy. The ones sitting in
the common room, however,
seemed like they would be the
ones giving me sevens.
Luckily for me, the guys in
the common room turned out
to be football PGs who were
staying in Kravis for preseason.
It wasn’t the prefect trainingthe humorous simulations with
the deans or the bonding activifair share of scorched hair, most
ties- that transformed us from
notably the charred locks of Mr.
ordinary juniors into prefects.
Zavisza.
Rather, it was the experience
Being a prefect gave us a
of each of us in dorm activities
deeper understanding and
and everyday life that allowed
stronger relationships with all
us to fill the shoes of our predethe faculty in the dorm: instead
cessors.
of fearing the pushups of Coach
The first dorm activity was
Stew, we joked with him in the
my first memory in the Kravis
common room after lights out,
backyard: Kravis Olympics. As Rob Nightingale, Phil DeLamater,
and I led and pushed our
all-star members of the
third floor victory in the
egg toss, ice cream eating contest, and triathlon, I felt my first taste
of Kravis glory. From
that point, there was no
going back.
Toiling in the Kravis
basement, the other
prefects and I frantically
attempted to paint our
Kent Day banner the
night before the deadline. Mr. MacG warned
us of leaving this to the
last minute, but blithely
we ignored his wise advice. Even though each
of us had our respective Kravis prefects help new pelicans move in
schoolwork for the next
day, the Kravis’ honor took
watching basketball and other
precedence.
sports. Fortunately, this year we
Dorm barbeques remain an
wouldn’t have to worry about
essential facet of Kravis tradithe omnipresent and omniscient
tion; as prefects, we took the
Mr. Bartlett, lurking the Kravis
burden of organizing and leadhallways in the twilight hours.
ing grills, along with the hard
Those are now the problems of
work of all the Kravis faculty.
Longman...
But these grills came with their
After all the freshman had
been steered into their rooms
by 10:15, we would rush down
to the musty basement to play
ping pong. Some of our battles
became quite heated, and the
room would often feel like a
sauna, but until Mr. Smith came
and crushed us all, we were the
champions of Kravis ping pong.
Perhaps the greatest dorm
food, money, and service that
were quickly shut down by our
stringent administrator, Tyler
MacG. With an unbelievable 8-2
season record, the Monopaulee
rolled through the playoffs, but
failed to stem the momentum
of Gregory Duverge ‘13 and his
journey to a 3-peat, the first
in Kravis History. Although
controversial refereeing was a continual
problem, it could not
tarnish the inherent
glory of the K.B.A.
Some might say
that living in a dorm
full of immature
freshmen is a major
hassle. It is. Prefects
have their fair share
of inane moments
every day. These
include getting caught
shooting hoops in
James Chung’s room
at midnight by the
hawk-eyed hunter,
Mrs. MacG, singing
and dancing in front
of Tony Lee’s room
during study hall,
being reproached
PHOTO BY JEULEY ORTENGREN by the hawk-eyed
hunter (again), and
event was KBA: the Kravis
Mr. Stewart being mocked by
Basketball Association. By draft
the petulant remarks of Robert
night, we had each prepared
Nightingale.
creative team names such as
There are classic moments
the Cox Blockers, Kulkarnage,
from the year that cannot be
and the Monopaulee, and
easily erased from our minds.
speculated about draft picks.
Who could forget the sight
Some, even, engaged in underof Harouna Gadio fleeing the
handed dealings concerning
scene of his instigation of the
likes of David Harrison, Nick
Chaoush, and his roommate,
“Big Daddy” Chris Torres? Of
the sight of “Ed” written on the
seven board every morning?
Of the cacophonous sounds
of Charlie Kenney’s perpetual
singing throughout the dorm?
Of the persisting complaints
of Jack Philips? Of the cocky
“swagger” of Ivan Rivera?
Nowadays, I can expect to see
certain kinds of behavior every
day. Charlie Kenney & co. will
be engrossed in games of RISK.
The ever-argumentative Billy
Holloway will be arguing with
Mr. Garber about the use of
medical marijuana with a voice
larger than himself. The shirtless Hollister model Sebastian
Dovi will be lounging with his
fellow scantily clad cohorts,
Alex Steel, Seth McCormick,
Max Cushman, Nick Chaoush,
and Christian Petty?
Of course, there is a certain
swag that comes with being a
Kravis prefect; after all, what
other dorm orders Vineyard
Vines Shep Shirts as prefect
apparel? Though I will take my
talents to Taylor Hall next year,
I will always wear that fleece
with a sense of joyful pride.
Thank you to the Kravis faculty,
my fellow prefects, and all the
freshmen for an indelible year:
I’m sure we can all wish Mr.
Bartlett a fantastic new beginning in Harman Hall next year.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Loomis Chaffee pledge passes
The faculty recently voted upon the Loomis Chaffee Pledge with
near unanimity in favor of the proposal. The Pledge Committee is
now working on a matriculation ceremony, a signature book, and
other aspects regarding the inculcation of the Pledge in the coming academic year. The committee, chaired by Lindsay Gabow ‘12,
included John Macdonald ‘13, Alexander Lafrance ‘13, Jae Lee ‘14,
Ha Mi Do ‘12, Ciera Hunter ‘15, Rowan Rice ‘13, Christina Wang
‘14, Rohin Bhargava ‘14, Woo Jin Lee ‘13, and faculty members Curt
Robison, Lilian Hutchinson, Jami Silver, Elliot Beck, and Ed Pond.
Teacher of the Year announced
David Newell was announced as Teacher of the Year for his fantasic
work inside the classroom. Students had to submit essays regarding
why a teacher should be chosen, and Mr. Newell received a recordbreaking number of nominations. Mr. Newell works in the philosophy, psychology and religion department, and teaches a variety of
courses that include Social Psychology, Existentialism, Death and
Dying, and Myth, Dream, and Ritual. Since arriving at the Island in
1992, Mr. Newell has taught most of the courses in the philosophy,
psychology, and religion department.
75 students honored at
annual Awards Ceremony
75 juniors and seniors were honored for their excellence in the academic, artistic, athletic and community service efforts this year in
the 2012 Awards Ceremony. 13 juniors also received the Founders
Prize for their overall contributions to the Loomis Chaffee community. At the end of the ceremony, outgoing student council president
Lindsay Gabow ‘12 and president-elect Paul K. Lee ‘13 gave speeches and conducted the traditional Passing of the Gavel ceremony.
features
PAGE
PAGE 4A4
Loomis Chaffee Log
February
1, 2012
JUNE 8, 2012
“(Insert name here), will you go to Prom with me?”
Prom 2012: A guide from a to z
by Jamil
T
Hashmi ‘12 &
Madeline Parish ‘12
Staff Writers
he Class of 2012, the largest class
to ever graduate from Loomis
Chaffee, leaves behind an impressive legacy of prom proposals. With commendable creativity, this year’s seniors
accepted with alacrity the challenge of
asking their dates to prom. From A to Z,
here are the highlights of this year’s proposals.
Often proposals rely on location. Despite his year abroad, Teddy Cleveland ‘12
managed to ask Alex Lasko ‘12 to prom
from halfway around the world when he
visited AMSTERDAM this spring and
texted her photos of himself posing with
huge letters from an “Amsterdam” sign
spelling out “prom.”
Also making use of his location, Joon
Yang asked his girlfriend Ji Hee Yoon ’13
via a banner hanging off of a Batch BALCONY on their two-year anniversary.
Julia Ivanitski took an interesting approach. After attending last year’s prom
with James Crawford ’11, she decided
this year to ask his younger brother, Mark
’13. She must be a real fan of the CRAWFORDS.
Some seniors use food to spell out the
word “prom,” like Molly Pitegoff ‘12 did
when she asked Tanner Swan ’13 with
DONUTS.
Although many people fret over asking
someone to prom, sometimes it’s really
quite EASY, as Sojin Kim ‘12 can attest to
after simply asking Pat Dickert ’14 spontaneously in the dining hall. Upon his acceptance of her proposal, she immediately
turned to her table, marveling, “Wait, that
was a lot easier than I thought.”
As many know from seeing the winning Flagg Film Festival video by Will
Doran ‘12 and Nick Luchessi ‘12, Doran
is a wizard with FRISBEES. He played up
his skill when he asked Katie Hewitt ’12
by throwing her a disc marked with the
word “prom.”
Every year people take advantage of
sporting events and attend GAMES to
ask their dates to prom, as Antoine Audet
did when he showed up at senior Michelle
Irukera’s softball game wearing a shirt
with “Michelle” written on the front and
“prom?” written on the back.
Brian Nance ‘12 gave his date, Kim
Casillas ’12, a fright when he told her
Dean HESS needed to speak with her.
His friend escorted her to Dean Hess’s office, where Nance awaited her with a sign
reading “prom?”
Dean Hess isn’t the only powerful
figure involved in prom proposals; Lindsay Gabow ‘12, former
Student Council Presi- d e n t ,
took matters
into
h e r
o w n
hands
when
she
This year’s features editor of the Log,
Steven Wang ‘12, asked next year’s features editor, Annie Ferreira ’13 with
LUCKY Charms. He gave Ferreira a box
of the cereal and urged her to open it.
When she did, she found a note inside
that read, “Annie, I’d be the luckiest guy in
the world if I could go to prom with you.”
Occasionally people go public with
their proposals, as did Austin King
‘12 when he went up on stage
and got down on
o n e
knee to
offer
asked
Izzy
Kornblatt
’12,
form e r
e d i tor in
chief
of the
Log. After Kornblatt temporarily
left the table one night at dinner, Gabow
arranged cereal to spell out the word
“prom?!” When asked if her proposal was
spontaneous, Gabow replied, “I knew he
was planning to ask me, but I was getting
IMPATIENT, so I just asked him myself.”
Like Gabow, Zach Breen ‘12 couldn’t
wait to ask his date to prom. He left nothing to chance in asking Siobhan Reid ’12
in JANUARY. Lyle Seebeck ‘12 needed
some help from Mason girls when he borrowed their KITCHEN in order to bake
five giant cookies to spell out “prom?” for
his date, Hadley Merrill ’13.
juwon jun ‘14 / loomis chaffee log
Chloe Alexander ’12 a bouquet of flowers before
her performance in the final number of
MUSICAL Revue.
Smart aleck Christian Bermel ‘12 came
up with a witty idea to ask Julia Crerend
’14 when he arranged two lacrosse NETS,
a lacrosse stick, and a ball on the quad.
On one net Bermel attached a sign reading, “Julia, prom?” while on the other, he
placed one reading “yes,” expecting her to
shoot the ball into the “yes” net.
One may choose to take the Betrand
OKONKWO ‘12 approach: ask every girl
in sight. One of his recent Facebook stauses read, “If you are reading this, and are a
female, then yes I am asking you to prom.”
Science stud Alex LaFrance ‘12 put
his noggin to work when he used PETRI
dishes to culture glow-in-the-dark bacteria in the shape of the letters forming the
word “prom” to ask Erin Currey ’12.
Like Bermel, Ramy Chin also made
use of the QUAD. Using hundreds of tennis balls, he
surrounded a bench
outside
Palmer with a giant
heart,
inside of which
he
spelled
the
word
“prom?”
When Victoria
Yang
’12
walked out
of Palmer in the
morning, Ramy
was sitting on
the
bench holding a bouquet
of flowers.
In training for
the Boston
half
marathon, Rachel
Rosenblatt
’12 was on a RUN one day in the woods
when academic PG Henry Steckel ‘12 surprised her, also with a bouquet of flowers.
Nathan Papermaster ‘12 knew Alyssa
Reamy ’13 loved coffee, so he bought her a
STARBUCKS mug with checkboxes running along the side. He labeled the three
checkboxes “yes,” “no,” and “maybe.”
Stephen Picard, a junior, pulled off an
epic surprise to ask Taylor Low ’12 to
prom. When Low returned to her car in
the Chaffee parking lot to change books in
between classes, she opened her TRUNK
to reveal Picard, who held a rose in between his teeth and had arranged flower
petals to spell out “prom.” Unfortunately,
when Low opened the trunk, the petals
blew away. But she got the point.
Jarrod Smith ‘12 got partially UNDRESSED when he took off his shirt to
reveal not only his six-pack, but also a
prom proposal—partially in Chinese
characters—written on his abs for Sirena
Huang ‘12.
VIJAY Mansukhani ‘12 wooed Charlotte Giroux ‘14 when he customized
M&Ms with her face on them.
Like Picard, Francis Afriyie ‘12 asked
his date by camping out in her car. He
painted the WINDSHIELD of senior
Liana Hinds’ car with the word “prom?!”
Senior Megan Farrell’s proposal was
verging on X-RATED when she asked
Jeremy Bogle ’14 by having the girls’ waterpolo team draw the letters of “prom?”
on their stomachs.
Rowan Rice ’13 hates YOGA pants.
She explains, “I don’t go to the dining
hall in yoga pants. That’s just not me, you
know?” Her boyfriend Jon Spivey ‘12,
however, likes yoga pants. When plan A
(asking Ms. Blunden) didn’t go according to plan, he turned to plan B (asking
his girlfriend, Rice). He had one of Rice’s
friends buy a pair of yoga pants and bring
them to him. He wrote a note asking
Rice to prom on the waistband. Though
Rice was not a happy camper and refuses
to wear the pants, she did agree to go to
prom with him.
But the number one proposal, the
ZENITH of them all, came when Jamil
Hashmi ‘12 poured his heart out into one
of Ms. Grinspan’s Creative Writing papers, filling it with his boundless adoration for Madeline Parish ’12. At first he
meant it as only a confession of his love;
but after reading it aloud in his class,
where Ms. Grinspan and his classmates
showered him with praise and a chorus
of “awwwww,” he emailed the paper to
Parish, amending it to read at the end
“Madeline, will you go to prom with me?”
Class of 2013, the gauntlet has been
thrown.
The Avengers
A Reflection on a phenomenal super hero movie
by Pim Senanarong ‘13
Editor in Chief
I
am not one for brute force. Fast paced
dizzying fistfights and armed showdowns
make me yawn (hence the reason why The
Matrix and Mission Impossible are still sitting
on the bottom of my Netflix queue). Preferring
to cocoon myself under a layer of bad romantic comedies and sappy 500 Days of Summerstyled dialogue, I must confess I had my world
rocked by Marvel’s latest creation. Mind-blowing action coupled with a script loaded with
inspirational college essay-worthy quotes, The
Avengers is simply captivating. Centered on a “team” of crime-fighting heroes, some determined to outdo one another
and some reluctantly inducted into the unit,
the movie follows these heroes on their mission of stopping the evil schemes of a powermaniac outer-worldly God named Loki. Loki,
who embodies a cross between an obsessivecompulsive drama queen in constant search for
the spotlight and a control freak Hitler-wannabe, has his hands on the omnipotent tesseract, a cosmic cube with the power to release an
endless stream of fish shaped space crafts upon
Earth. Enlisting the help of none other than
Loki’s brother, the Asguardian God of Thunder,
Thor, as well as Iron Man, Captain America,
the Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, the secret government defense program, S.H.I.E.LD.,
headed by an eye patch wielding Samuel L.
Jackson, sends the team on the governmentsponsored task initially filled with suspicion
and a tinge of resentment. Sprinkled with
humor and witty one liners that instantaneously becomes infectious and
cause the movie theater to shake
with laughter, the movie carries
the audience through a journey
balanced precariously between
tension and comedy. Despite the
fact that epic dramatized sound
effects and explosives bring out
my critical and dubious side, the
reproachful part of my brain was
rendered dysfunctional throughout the entire
two hours and a half of the movie. In fact I was
so bombarded by sounds and sights, I hardly
had time to blink much less, think. Okay, that
was a lie. The Avengers didn’t completely repress my cognitive workings, but it spurred my
brain to reflect—which is even better than simply numbing all senses.
Aside from the usual nuisances that clutter
my brain, such as:
1. I would kill to be Ms. Pepper Potts.
2. Chris Evans looks good in any-
thing, even a Star-spangled suit.
3. Why are the Chinese not involved
in an
world
sis?
impending
cri-
4. Why does Hulk’s shirt always tear apart
when he transforms into a big, green monster,
while his pants stay intact?
The movie also brought me another
reflective train of thought about humanity as
a whole. Be warned: this reflection is mine
alone. Although the blame for the chaos that
ensues in the movie could arguably be rooted
to the outer-worldly forces and extraterrestrial
interventions of Loki and his crew, The Avengers made some pretty strong implications about
the destructiveness of humans—even those of
superheroes.
Far from the
pictureperfect cape-sporting
bodybuilders
that fly
through the sky (no offense to you, Clark
Kent), the heroes in this movie harbor their
fair share of egotistical narcissism, secrecy,
and an obsessive need to engage in power
plays. Trapped in a need to assert our power,
to “make a statement,” to prevent a war against
unimaginable forces, we seem to be living in
a perpetual state of brinksmanship. Whether
it is in our everyday lives, or with national or
global issues, as we arm up against “weapons of
mass destruction” (Haven’t we heard that one
before?) we seem to be struggling to conquer
everything except for ourselves.
In the movie, Loki voiced his opinion
that humans are harassed by our harrowing
search for identity and that subsequently, we
don’t know what we want. It is more than our
search for identity that leads us astray; it is our
simple, yet unexplainable urge to dominate and
to “suit up” before the battle’s begun that we,
as a culture and population seem to possess inherently. Even between the supposed
“good guys,” there is evidently a compulsion to come out as the strongest, fastest,
bravest, and most awesome, to fight before
using reason.
Throughout the movie, Dr. Bruce Banner, a.k.a. the Hulk, played with sympathetic
insight by Mark Ruffalo, refers to the superhero living within him as “the other guy.” In
the end, was the Hulk right in expressing that
the biggest monster to control is that “other
guy”? Maybe that carnal uncontrollable
savage that everyone runs away from in
the climatic fight scene and fears because
of its sheer power is less to be feared than
the cognitive, decisive manipulation and
scheming we employ as second nature
self-defense.
However, despite all the ugliness
and fallibilities of human nature,
if you fail to watch this movie—
you will be a disgrace to human
nature. So, get yourself to a
theater, fast.
Loomis Chaffee Log
june 8, 2012
Something wicked in the little red barn
one acts review
by Pim Senanarong ‘13
Editor in Chief
tain the audience.
O
n the last night of One Acts, the
NEO was packed with bargaining
students, hassled parents, and disgruntled faculty members all trying to salvage
a seat in the audience. Waves of students in
sports shorts with sweat-slicked hair left the
little red barn, disappointment plastered on
their faces as their place in the waiting list was
allocated to parents of performers. Amidst
the bustling crowd, the normally cozy, semideserted little red barn throbbed with lights
and sounds. Luckily, I secured a seat literally
at the last minute as the lights begin to dim
and murmurs of “hush” and “shut up” filled
the audience. After watching my co-Chief Editor get escorted out because he didn’t show up
with a camera, I felt eternally grateful for my
last-minute seating. The shows that proceeded
would only add to my sense of gratitude as I
am reminded once again of the amazingly creative, unique, complicated and slightly twisted
minds of the Loomis Chaffee students community.
The Noble Bird
An attempt at a futuristic blend between
Kent-Loomis rivalry and the Star Wars series,
The Noble Bird perches precariously between
eccentricity and humor. While Alyssa Reamy’s
’13 rendition of a seductive female Darth
Vader character entranced the audience to a
degree, and Rekha Kennedy’s ’13 epic faint
engendered a hearty laugh, the play’s dialogue
itself was riddled with corny one-liners and
awkward jokes. Overall, the play errs a little
more on the eccentric side. Detailing an intense rivalry between followers of the Noble
bird and the Kount School, the story’s simple
plot is based solely on the story of Kent and
Loomis’s long standing power struggle, portraying Kount (Kent) in a drastically “evil”
light. The play’s budding humor seems compromised by its motives to stick to the history
of our battle with Kent. While it has potential
to be funny, its purpose seems more to be selfpromotional for Loomis rather than to enter-
Horowitz ’13. Filled with murderous rage
and superficial plastic smiles, the actresses
brought the eerie play to life with their robotic
movements and sugary high-pitched voices.
Frosty the Psycho
Jamol Lettman’s ‘12 performance as the
sadistic psychotic snowman will probably be
talked about at Loomis for years to come. Sitting in the audience, my ears were suddenly
assaulted by a chorus of roaring laughter as he
burst out singing, “they see me rollin’, they hatin’.” Starting out slightly confusing and somewhat dubious, the play quickly took a turn for
the better as the flashback begins and the plot
starts to clarify itself as the play unfurls. The
play’s link to the famous Christmas song gave
the ending a memorable twist. Meanwhile, the
commendable performance of the little caroling kids and Mark Crawford’s ’13 as the mean
old grandpa added humor to the rather frightening tale of a demented snowman.
Clinical Trials
Weaving seriousness and hilarity together
into one intense play about the interrogation
of a highly disturbed mental patient, Clinical
Trials keeps the audience on its tippy-toes.
Laughing at Allison Pagani’s ’13 phenomenal
performance is rendered a difficult task because in order to follow the rapid, connotation-loaded dialogue one needs all one’s wits
with them. The intricate, circling script gradually reveals bits and pieces of the convoluted
mind of the interrogated. Through usage of
run-on trains of thoughts, explosive outbursts
and childish sniggers, the play manages to
further the plot in an interesting and fairly
believable way.
Last Supper
Daunting and rife with sickly humorous
characters, a dash of dark humor, and a profound but slightly unclear ending constitute
Last Supper an interesting play about a witty
murderer’s impending death penalty. Jamil
Hashmi’s ’12 weirdly realistic performance of
the killer resembles the notorious Hannibal
from the movie Silence of the Lambs. Striking
a fine balance between quick-witted humor
and general intellect, the sadistic killer ends
up skillfully transformed into an endearing
protagonist that the audience could easily empathize with. Overall, the new outlook on the
precedent of a death penalty was captivating
to watch.
You Know They Do(n’t) Respect You
Although the play was very impressive on
the psychological-analytical level, the play itself was a bit too serious and a tad bit dry. Following the story of a father and son on their
way to school and the numerous phone calls
the dad has with various women from work,
the play introduces many intriguing characters with distinct personalities. However, the
actual conversations themselves seems more
fitted for a screen than on he NEO stage due
to the ambiguity and subtleties that rely on a
unsubstantial background context. While, the
characters themselves were very well thought
out and seemingly realistic, the play itself
lack a certain aspect of action that is needed
to propel a play on stage. On the other hand,
You Know They Do(n’t) Respect You is an
acute portrayal of the many personalities we
are able to find in our daily lives. From the
self-contradictory authoritative Smartphoneobsessed father played by Jake Verter ’12, to
the sultry margarita-tossing modern woman
played by Lauren Chase ’13, the character cast
of the play humorously and bitingly mocks
aspects of our society-dictated antics.
Doll House
It’s amazing to see how the tech crew is able
to transform the stage into a setting fit for the
play, Doll House, in such little time. Present
in the play is a darkly twisted plot and humor,
which I now find typical of Kenny Garniswana’s ‘12 work after seeing her play, Last Supper. Upon stumbling into a fancy house “on
top of the hill,” Jake Bosee ’12 encounters Barbie portrayed by the talented and extremely
doll-like Isabel Guigui ’15 and her friend portrayed by the NEO’s renowned veteran, Sarah
Buzz Around Campus:
“The connection of community service
trip to India and the Dance Revue was
very fresh and interesting. Last year,
although many people devoted their time
and effort into the Indian trip, it was unsatisfying how they couldn’t present their
achievements creatively. The Dance Revue
was a turning point in not only sharing
students’ experiences in India, but also in
advertising the merits of the Indian Trip.”
“We’re going to need a bigger
auditorium soon!”
“I want to
steal that velvet jacket
in the Sartorialist
show.”
“Musical Revue members always look classy in
their all-black outfits.”
Fashion is all the rage in the RAC
image insecurities, “That was the
wonder of it all - the randomness, for me at least, showed us
how these insecurities belong to
everyone,” Steven Wang ’12 says
about the emotional influence
this unbelievable artwork had on
many viewers.
T
he thrilling anticipation
that began three weeks
before the duel opening
of the AP art show and the Sartorialist show hummed throughout
the Loomis Chaffee campus. Students talked in the hallways about
the bright colors of Ji Hee Yoon’s
upcoming drawings, waltzed to
the RAC to take photos for Audrey Newell’s Senior Project, and
released high pitched giggles at
the thought of being five inches
away from a Ruthie Davis shoe.
The entire school couldn’t wait
to see not only the beautiful artwork of current Loomis students,
but also the artistic achievements
of Loomis Chaffee graduates.
These shows were a combination
of the present, past, and future
of Loomis, and both faculty and
student a like could barely contain their excitement. When the
glass doors of the Richmond Art
Center were finally unlocked on
May 8th, dozens of fervent onlookers spilled into the building
and were instantly in awe. The vibrant sketches of Lindsay Silverman jumped off their cardboard
canvases, the sculptures of Haley
Root seemed to dance and climb
on their own, and the geometric
clay pictures of Francesca Salvatore bloomed with unique colors
and textures. Those talented artists, along with so many others
from AP art classes, created a
show that was inspiring, beautiful, and emotional. Describing
Audrey Newell’s heart-wrenching
photos of Loomis students body
PHOTO Courtesy of Samantha AsheR ‘13
by Abby Lavalley ‘13
Staff Writer
“I
t exceeded my expectations!” said Alexis
Ditomassi ’12 about
this year’s Musical Revue. Titled
Two Men Falling and directed by
Melanie Silverman ’12, Spencer
Congero ’12, and Jessica Faust
’13, Musical Revue showcased the
amazing talent at Loomis Chaffee
with a range of classic songs and
some contemporary pieces. Students, parents, and teachers all
piled into the Hubbard auditorium to watch Loomis’s talented
singers come together to produce
a show that contained both drama and humor. The song choices,
which emanated an amusing
energy, were from a plethora of
musicals, including Spring Awakening, Jersey Boys, Little Shop
of Horrors, Grease and Little
Women. Sarah Horowitz ‘13
and Chloe Alexander ‘12 sang
an entertaining duet from The
Little Mermaid, while Amanda
McParlane ‘13, Liana Barron ‘14,
and Kayla Schreibstein ‘14 sang a
comical, but sometimes sorrowful, Shrek piece portraying three
lonely stages of the princess Fiona’s life in her tower. The Revue
munity just fuels our fun.” Musical Revue succeeds each year in
bringing Loomis a little piece of
Broadway, connecting us to the
bright lights and big chorus lines
that are unique to musical theatre.
A few weeks later came another hotly anticipated artistic
event: the Dance Revue. With
performances by Dance Company I, Dance Company II, and
many other group and individual
dancers, this year’s Dance Revue
turned into one of the longest
and most diverse ever. Tickets
sold out quickly and for good
reason. Produced by the Department of Theater and Dance, “The
Dance Companies work on various dances all year long for inclusion in the Dance Revue” says
Kate Loughlin, director of the
show, “and then rehearsed during all-school free periods leading up to the Revue.” Like the
Musical Revue, the Dance Revue
features some of Loomis’s most
artistically talented students.
Many group performances, especially those of Dance Company
I and Dance Company II, were
choreographed by Loughlin and
dance instructor Laura Moran.
But, many solos and small group
“I like how in Musical Revue they took
famous songs and made them relatable
to Loomis.”
“I thought Musical Revue showcased the amazing potential Loomis students have in creating their own unique works without the
participation of teachers.”
by Sarah Horowitz ‘13
Staff Writer
Not the same old
songs and dances
“At Musical Revue it was cool to
see kids that I only know from class
express themselves in a different way.”
“I think it was cool to see the
Sartorialist show because it represents the connection Loomis has
to the fashion world.”
PAGE A5
In addition to the unbelievable
artistry demonstrated by the AP
art students currently attending
Loomis Chaffee, other LC graduates revisited their high school
years by bringing together their
recent achievements back and
Loomis their pasts. Designers
such as Ruthie Davis ’80, Adam
Kimmel ’97, Dana Hurwitz ’08,
Alex Castertano ’01, Gabriella
Salvatore ’09, Leach Nugent ’97,
and Ashley Green ’97 showcased
their recent successes on mannequins and hangers inside the
Mercy Gallery, creating a show
that was completely inspiring
and undeniably unique. “This
exhibit was really cool because
it stretched the boundaries of
what people normally think of
as art,” said Rekha Kennedy ’13.
For a fashion-lover, this Sartorialist exhibition is a life changing show. The show opening,
which was attended by Ruthie
Davis herself, along with Alex
Casertano and Gabriella Salvatore, gave current LC students a
chance to meet alumni in the industry. For those who attended,
they say the experience was indescribable. Victoria Yang ’12, who
met Ruthie Davis at the opening
and received an autograph, says
“Meeting Ruthie and talking to
her was really interesting. This
Sartorialist exhibit is by far my
favorite that we’ve ever had at
Loomis.” From the architectural
forms of Ruthie Davis’s shoes to
the winsome designs of Gabriella Salvatore and the memorable
swimsuits of Haverhill Leach
Nugent, this exhibition displayed
the creative and unique minds
of the Loomis Chaffee community. Each designer reveled in a
distinctive fashion all their own,
and evolved their personal creations into three-dimensional
masterpieces.
This artistic process reflects
not only the Sartorialist show,
but also the artwork of current
Loomis students. Each of the artists displayed in the Richmond
Art Center, whether it be in the
Sartorialist show or the AP Art
show, showcases his or her own
personal style, and in turn puts
a unique identity into his or her
artworks. Whether sown into
fabrics or splattered on canvases, each art work contained the
artist’s soul. Congratulations to
all the talented artists who displayed their passions, and thank
you for inspiring so many others.
photo by jeff holcombe
also performed some saddening
performances, like the piece from
The 25th Annual Putnam County
Spelling Bee sung by Melanie Silverman, Sara Kase ‘12, and Darius Moore ‘13 about a young girl
who dreams of receiving affection
from her parents. Musical Review
starts planning for its springtime
show early, with the directors
coming up with a list of songs
over the summer before whittling
them down over the course of the
year. Even though auditions and
the first practices begin in the fall,
“the true bonding happens when
we begin to block the songs and
numbers were actually produced
by the students themselves, making their complexity even more
impressive. The numbers also
ranged greatly in their style. “In
planning the show, we try to have
a good variety of dance styles
represented (contemporary, ballet, hip-hop, jazz, etc),” Loghlin explains. From ballet pieces
by Company I and Company II
to hip hop numbers to a dance
straight from India, the Dance
Revue truly incorporated something for everyone. But, more
than that, it exposed the Island to
an art form that sometimes gets
photo by jeff holcombe
learn the dances” explains Faust.
One of the things that makes
Musical Revue so unique every
years is its ability to not only sing
popular songs from musicals, but
also act them out just as a musical would. Each piece sounded
professional and emotional in a
way that entertained and moved
the audience. But, the things that
truly set Musical Revue apart this
year were the packed house each
night, the enthusiastic clapping
and cheering after each piece, and
the buzz it generated for weeks after the shows.
As Faust explains, “The support from the wider Loomis com-
lost in between cello concerts,
visiting artists, and One Acts. It
reminded us of the power and
grace that can be found in the
arch of a back and the indescribable joy of watching sequined
skirts go spinning through the
air. As far as Loughlin is concerned, “I hope the audience is
entertained. I hope they might
be made to feel something visceral in a moment of movement that
speaks to them. I hope a dance
may make them think. I hope
they are transported someplace
else for 90 minutes.” Mission accomplished.
opinion
PAGE
PAGE 6A6
Loomis Chaffee Log
February
1, 2012
JUNE 8, 2012
Loomis Chaffee Log
Jaehwan Kim ‘13 and Pim Senanarong ‘13 Editors in Chief
Paul K. Lee ‘13 and Mike Horowicz ‘13 Managing Editors
Juwon Jun ‘14 Director of Graphics
Erinrose Mager Faculty Adviser
Rekha Kennedy ’13 and John Macdonald ‘13 News Section
Harriet Cho ’14 and Annie Ferreira ‘13 Features Section
Karen Cha ‘14 and Claire Kim ‘14 Opinion Section
John Furlong ’14 and Nick Sailor ‘13 Sports Section
Founded 1915
About
The Loomis Chaffee Log is Loomis Chaffee’s official student newspaper. We can be found online at
www.lclog.org and we can be contacted via email at [email protected]. Letters to the editor and op-ed
piece submissions are welcomed via email. The Log reserves the right to edit all letters and pieces for
brevity and content. The views expressed in the Log do not necessarily reflect those of The Loomis
Chaffee School. Unsigned editorials represent the collective views of the Editorial Board.
Shannon Deveney ’14 and Sara Gershman ‘14 Graphics
Ana Fleming ’13 and Grace Woo ‘15 Layout & Design
Maisie Campbell ’15 and Dionna Rivers ‘13 Web Site
Advertising
Mike Ahn ’13, Ezra Kauffman ‘13 and Landon Theis ‘15 Business Managers
Advertising rates can be found at www.lclog.org/advertising. To advertise in the Log, please contact the
Business Managers listed to the right.
Contributors
Jack Bradley ‘14, Michael Carter ‘15, Tucker Cheyne ‘13, VP Dao ‘11, Grace Denny ‘13, Jamil
Hashmi ‘12, Sarah Horowitz ‘13, Daniel Keogh ‘13, Jaewon Kim ‘14, Krishna Kulkarni ‘13, Alexander Lafrance ‘12,
Abby Lavalley ‘13, Jamol Lettman ‘12, Taylor Low ‘12, Madeline Parish ‘12, Alyssa Reamy ‘13, Lizzy Schimenti ‘12
Published by the Loomis Chaffee School, Windsor, CT.
OP-ED
Jaewon kim ‘14
Obama, doing the right thing... at the right time?
A student’s thoughts on Obama’s recent support of same-sex marriage
C
asually scrolling through
Facebook during study
hall, I recognized a post
on President Obama’s new stance
concerning same-sex marriage.
Surprised by Obama’s changed
attitude towards this rather controversial issue, I decided to
delve into recent news from one
of my favorite sources, The New
York Times. Numerous questions
formed in my mind:
Why didn’t Obama make his
stance on gay marriage clear before?
Why the sudden change in
views?
Like all politicians, Obama has
always been cautious when dealing with controversial topics. As a
pious Christian, Obama believed
that “marriage is between a man
and a woman,” as he claimed during his presidential campaign in
2008.
As a Christian myself, I find
conversations about gay rights
quite uncomfortable. My personal experience, garnered by my
time in the United States as well
as by the inspiring speech of Mr.
Andrew Watson, has helped me
form my own perspective on the
topic. Now, I stand as a strong advocate of gay rights, and I believe
that same-sex marriage should be
legal not only because it is a popular opinion among my peers, but
also because I believe affirmation
of the stance is the right thing.
As we can see today, both the
United States and the global community have rapidly changed
their views on gay marriage. Recent polls in the U.S. indicated
that there are more supporters
of same-sex marriage than there
are those against it. Considering
the attitudes toward such issues a
few years ago, we have made great
progress in promoting justice
within a nation where the constitution declares, “equal rights for
all.” Throughout history, the United States has been a leading force
spective.
As the 2012 presidential election approaches, the political
sphere enters the cold arena of
image-crafting and vote-collecting. Obama himself is not unaffected by the rising tension, especially with his republican rival,
Mitt Romney at his tail. Maybe,
just maybe, Obama’s controversial
announcement in this strategic
time might not be a complete co-
Why didn’t Obama
make his stance on
same-sex marriage
clear before?
Why now? Why the
sudden change in
views?
in unifying diverse groups into
one community. As shown by civil rights movements that promote
the rights of blacks, women, and
the lower social classes, America
has continuously worked towards
achieving the “American Dream.”
Obama’s views may be, as he
says, “evolving,” in the rapidly
changing modern society. Although I am glad that the efforts
of many Americans are recognized, I am also skeptical about
president Obama’s true motives
behind his recent change in per-
incidence.
The world of politics is, as I
like to think of it, a brutal war between gladiators. Politicians are
hungry for cheers and votes. In
the presidential elections of 2008,
publicly supporting same-sex
marriage would not have been a
smart move. Throughout the last
three years, however, the tides
have turned; supporting samesex marriage has become a ticket
to the votes of liberal Americans.
Obama’s decision might just be
what he needs to keep his lead in
the political arena and guarantee
another term in office. Although I
am a bit disappointed in Obama’s
rather slow and shy approach to
the issue, especially since he has
only publicized his views after
Vice-president Joe Biden offered up a similar sentiment,
I still view Obama’s announcement with hope.
President Obama explained
his change in views as a
result of
the influence
of
his close
r e l a tionship
with
a
family of same-sex
parents.
I have learned from my own experiences that the people around
us are the most important influences in our long standing views.
Because I myself have learned that
America is a community of all
different sexual orientations, and
because the Loomis Chaffee community is open to new perspectives, I am confident that Obama’s
new stance will elevate the nation
to yet another level of equality
and justice.
I wish to tell the Loomis
Chaffee community that we must
carry on our mission to be our
best selves, actively participating
in the everyday changes that occur in our lives. I urge you, Pelicans, to fully embrace this year’s
all-school theme and to continue
to do the right thing as the school
year comes to an end.
graphic by jae lee ‘14
The Island of Tradition
Alyssa Reamy ‘13 on Loomis’ long-observed customs
A
walk down the senior
path, a rub of the Taylor
Nose, and a sharp left
turn to the upperclassmen dining
hall. What do all of these familiar terms have in common? They
are all Loomis traditions. Are
Loomis traditions simply spirited
activities that bring the school
together, or are the traditions just
another way to divide the school?
I remember myself as the small
and unsure freshman, waltzing
into the “upperclassman” dining
hall (unofficial term for the old
dining hall), being shoved back
through the door, and promptly
getting kicked back into the “underclassman” dining hall (unofficial term for the new dining
hall). At that point in my life, I
did not understand how upperclassmen could be so cruel: how
did I differ from any of the other
students on the opposite end of
the building? How could we be
united? At the time, the tradition
of the dining hall appeared quite
unfair to underclassmen. How
things have changed.
As the year ends and senior year
looms just around the corner, I
step into the upperclassmen dining hall with pride, not scolding
underclassmen for stepping into
the “older” dining hall, but not
exactly inviting them either. Underclassmen often sit with older
friends at lunch, but overall there
remains a strong sense of divide. if these traditions become harm- The dining hall does not divide luck. At one point in time, every
Tradition can foster camaraderie ful or mean.” I’ve concluded that the school any more than do the student has tried his luck on the
among peers, but if handled care- although there is a fundamental separate class meetings, or the nose. From those tests we haven’t
studied hard enough
for, to the incredibly
nerve-wracking show,
the Taylor nose remains
a reassuring reminder of
the faith that the Loomis
community fosters for
each of its students. “I
always rub the nose on
my way to Founders for
my Latin quizzes,” comments Karen Cha ‘14,
“I guess you could say
that it’s become one of
my own personal rituals.” The nose comforts
students, inspiring them
not only to believe in
their ability, but also not
to be afraid of reaching
out for a bit of luck.
Another ritual, especially for athletes is
ringing the victory bell.
“The first time I rang
the victory bell was for
my cross country team
two years ago,” recalled
lessly, it may also bring separa- separation between the two din- separate sport teams. So for now, Paul K. Lee ‘13, “ringing the viction and harassment.
ing halls, the divide is not pur- I will let the dining hall argu- tory bell makes me feel one with
Mr. Ewen Ross warns about the poseful.
ment slide.
the Pelican spirit.”
possible dangers of harassment in
“People sit next to their friends
On a lighter, less critical note, Hanging across from the track
our community. He extends his at lunch, and generally people I begin to wonder about other field, the victory bell appears
opinion, saying, “tradition can are friends with those who are traditions we maintain at Loo- magnificent and proud, ready
be very beneficial to a school’s within close age range,” AsiaSol mis. The Taylor Nose serves as for the victorious teams to recore, but can also be dangerous Goring ’12 kindly reminds us. a friendly face that brings good turn to home field and celebrate.
Whenever we hear the bell across
campus, we cannot help but feel
a tinge of pride for our athletes,
peers, and school.
We get all pumped up for the
Opening Dance, SCAM, convincing our friends to attend in
anticipation for the rest of the
demanding year. The fall Homecoming Game also stands out in
my mind, where students gather
together regardless of their differences in order to watch a good
ol’ game of American football.
These positive traditions, including the Taylor Nose and victory
bell, give me faith in our school
neighborliness, and I begin to
remember what made me fall
in love with Loomis in the first
place: its close, friendly students
and faculty members.
All traditions at Loomis Chaffee
are handled in a respectful and
endearing manner. Traditions are
comforting as well as serving as
a daily reminder of the wonderfully unique traits of the Island.
At a school that improves each
year technologically, physically,
and academically, it is wonderful to know that Loomis maintains its greatest values: tradition
and warmth. To the graduating
class of 2012: always remember
that Loomis will forever remain
a haven to which you can always
return. Consider that a tradition.
Loomis Chaffee Log
OP-ED
Michael Carter ‘15
A Day of Silence: forget golden
T
here are many kinds of
dreams. There are good
dreams, and there are
bad dreams. There are dreams
that you’ll always remember, and
dreams you forget five minutes
later. There are dreams that give
you inspiration, and dreams that
cause you to go “What the hell?”
when you wake up. And then,
under the nightmare category,
there are those terribly awful
dreams in which you scream and
you scream, but never make a
sound. No matter how much you
try to sound like your favorite
coach on game day, you never
achieve more than a whisper. Almost every person
has experienced this specific type of nightmare,
and most hate it beyond
belief. There’s just something so unbearably terrifying in the feeling that
you can’t get help, no matter how hard you tried.
There are people in the
world, though, in our state,
in our city, maybe even in the
next dorm room, who cannot
make a sound, not just in their
dreams but even in their waking
hours. Gays, lesbians, bisexuals,
and transsexuals often go about
their lives never exposing a single detail about their true self,
fearing that their classmates,
friends, and even family
will reject them. Their
fears are not unfounded at all: 26% of all
LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay
Bisexual Transsexual Queer) kids who
come out to their
parents are disowned, and even
more leave home
due to physical and
mental abuse. The
unfortunate condition of one-tenth of
all Americans is inconceivable to
most, who have never had to hide
themselves before. In a society
where conformity is required, so
is silence.
On May 4, 2012, many of the
incredibly diverse members of
the Loomis Chaffee community
participated in The Day of Silence, pledging not to speak the
entire school day out of respect
for those who are silenced. Some
of us were used to the silence, having endured it for many years, and
were still uncomfortable in our
own skin. For some of us, it was
a brutal jolt to a harsh reality that
we had never experienced before.
While the hush that overcame us
from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. was,
well, quiet, the message that we
spread, which we hope others
received, could not have spoken
louder. Those in my classes, who
were not participating, were a bit
put off by the fact that I, of all people, was not talking in class, and
approached me and asked, “So,
why are you suddenly not
talking
to-
sions did little to tell our friends
where we were going, what class
we had next, or what food item to
order at the Snug, but told a long
and detailed story of all the closeted men, women, and children in
the world.
In fact, it was a comment from
one of the Kravis guys that really
put the whole movement in perspective for me: “If I
pinch you, and
it hurts, are
you
allowed to
day?” I could only point to my
shirt and shrug. Luckily for us, we
weren’t bothered too much; the
extravagantly orange shirts were
enough to answer any questions.
It was not only in the deafening silence that Loomis Chaffee
found the true heart of the demonstration, but also in the dedication of the students and teachers
involved. Mind you, nobody’s
perfect. I said four words that day:
“What are you doing?” and when I
realized what I had done, “Crap!”
But I, as well as the other participants, tried our hardest to get the
point across. All of the flailing
hands and desperate facial expres-
scream?” I shrugged, raising a
questioning eyebrow at him.
Many members of the LGBTQ
community are hurt every day,
by a hate crime, a school bully,
or even a nonchalant, sometimes
unintentional remark like, “That’s
really gay.” In United States public
schools, 97% of students report
often hearing homophobic comments from both classmates and
adults; 18.5% of all hate crimes
are against a certain sexual orientation or gender identity. The
threat of pain is a constant for
many people, forcing them to
hide themselves more and more.
I couldn’t help but feel small when
I thought of what so many people went through every day, and
the effect this has on their lives,
emotions, and their very soul. It
occurred to me that perhaps, it
was this kind of mentality that
was truly the main obstacle for
LGBTQ kids; the mentality that
these joking, unintentional aggressions don’t have any impact
at all. But they do, and sometimes
pack more of a punch than namecalling and threats, because when
one person is mean, that’s just
one person being close-minded
and prejudiced. But when everybody is calling their phone “gay”
for not working, or their Valentine’s card “gay” for being heartfelt, it truly feels as if the world is
against you.
He pinched me. It hurt. I didn’t
scream.
At 3:30, all the students in their
traffic cone-esque shirts gathered in our usual silence in the
Chapel for the Break, so that we
could all get back to our normal,
expressive selves. We nodded in
respect at each other, regardless
of whether we had even met before, because we all knew how
tough it was to get through that
day, and we all respected each
other’s choice to stand up against
this silence. The twenty or so of
us felt like a small group, but we
knew that people all over the
world were gathering
together to join
us in our mission, people
from the
Tr e v o r
Project,
t h e
Born
This
W a y
Fou n dation,
youth
centers
all over America, school GSAs,
and even caring individuals
trying to make a difference in
their community. Ms. Conger
said a few words to us, praising
our decision to join in the demonstration, explaining the true
meaning of what we did, and
how it helped our school. Gathered in a semicircle around the
sanctuary, we all grabbed one
another’s arms as the number
“one” was announced. Two, and
it was as if the chapel itself, and
the very soul of Loomis Chaffee,
took a deep breath. Three, and
we finally woke up, screaming at
the top of our lungs.
june 8, 2012
PAGE A7
Letter to the editors
VP Dao ‘11 responds to
article about Student Council’s
accomplishments and
shortcomings
I
have just read your opinion article in the latest issue
of the Loomis Chaffee Log.
From my two-year experience on
the LC Student Council, I can say
with confidence that your diagnosis of the situation is, to a large
extent, correct. The reality that
student government has no actual power feeds the popular perception that it has no influence,
which in turn makes the institution seem irrelevant to the daily
lives of the very people it serves. I
would, however, argue with you,
that real changes can happen
through the Student Council, as
evidenced in the existence of a
Student Bill of Rights, or the reform of the disciplinary system
adopted in the spring of 2011.
Most of the Council’s important work is behind-the-scene,
taking place over private breakfast meetings or in the offices
of administrators and teachers.
Believe it or not, the Officers of
the Council, and some senior
representatives, do have the ear
of the Deans, as well as the Head
of School, and on rare occasions
even the Board of Trustees.
I do agree with you, however,
that some reform might benefit
the institution of student government on the Island, and perhaps
the school as a whole as well.
While the “bicameral” structure
you proposed is indeed, as you
say so yourself, “radical,” it does
represent a good idea in broad
terms. Increased student participation in the formulation and
execution of a school policy will
allow the student body to “own”
that policy. Since they have been
a part of its creation, they themselves then have a responsibility
to observe and uphold it. This
very arrangement lies at the heart
of the concept of civic duty.
Across-the-board participation
by the Student Council in making school policy, not to mention
the proposed “veto,” is highly impractical and even undesirable for
various reasons. Selective involvement of the student government
in policy-making, on the other
hand, will do very well to enhance
the stature and the relevance of
the institution. The school should
solicit the advice and opinion of
the Council whenever it considers new policies, or policy changes. Let the student representatives
take a stance on issues that matter
to them and their constituents.
Allow the student government
to issue resolutions in support or
opposition, or to present modifications, to a decision by the
school administration or faculty,
prior to the enactment of that decision itself.
Loomis Chaffee will foster a
spirit of conversation and dialogue with this new system. And
the distinction as the first school
of its kind to have a democratically elected student government
will become ever more meaningful. I applaud the Loomis Chaffee
Log for not shying away from a
relatively sensitive issue--something it has done remarkably well
this year. It is my hope that a serious conversation about the role
of student government at Loomis
Chaffee will follow this opinion
article, at the up-coming Officer
elections, as well as under the
new Student Council Administration that will assume office
later this month.
Sincerely yours,
VP Dao ‘11
Write for the Log!
It’ll change your life, get you into college and
make you attractive.
Email any editor or [email protected]
Jack BRADLEY ‘14
Student Council: a closer look
T
he St udent C ou nci l
(StuCo) is the backbone of
the student government
at Loomis Chaffee. Comprised
of thirty-five elected officials,
StuCo’s job is to allow a chance
for each student’s voice regarding life on the Island to be represented fairly and equally, with
no stone left unturned. In each
speech, StuCo candidates harp
on the idea that each student’s
individual and unique perspectives are guaranteed to be heard.
These candidates constantly
preach to students about the glorious ability to approach StuCo
representatves with any input,
idea, or opinion, for change appropriate and necessary for the
school. This overly idealistic and
far too optimistic pledge is one
that seems not only corny but
also unrealistic.
When I closely examined the
process of electing committees,
I discovered that this pledge is
proven to be nothing more than
an empty promise. Nowhere in
any of the several speeches I attended for student council was
there even the slightest mention
of a committee, let alone the fact
that we were electing the members of StuCo to vote for committee candidates. The six main
committees on campus are the
Food Committee, Rules Com-
mittee, Curriculum Committee,
Information Techonology (IT)
Committee, Calendar Committee, and the Disciplinary Committee; with smaller sub-committees such as the prom committee
and the pledge committee. If one
were to quickly survey any student or even faculty at Loomis
about the top three most impor-
receive the natural privilege of a
voice on these paramount issues.
Students are welcome to student council meetings, but attendance of non-representatives
is poor, and unsatisfied students
rarely choose to present themselves to the council.
As students vote for their StuCo
representatives, they unknow-
tant parts of living on the Island,
the question subject would probably list at minimum two aspects
for which these committees are
held accountable. Every person
that finds himself on campus,
from staff to pupil, is directly affected by the committees that only
StuCo determines. Many students
would argue that any given committee is more essential to their
daily lives than that of anything
StuCo does as a whole. Committees decide what we eat, when our
Internet shuts off, what our rules
are, and what each of our proms
will look like. Students express
tremendous care for these parts
of their day-to-day lives, and it is
incredibly mind-boggling that we,
the denizens of this school, do not
ingly give away their right to vote
for the very things that they value
the most at the school; students
instead leave the decision up
to elected officials to decide for
them. Gauging general knowledge regarding the Student Council’s ability to elect committees, I
found that many students were
foggy on how the system worked,
and that student council does a
poor job of advertising the elections to get input from their peers.
Student council is supposed to be
a representation of the student
body as a whole, yet any student
can see that the Committee elections are clearly an example of
StuCo working within the best interests of themselves. I personally
challenge any Council member to
Plato once observed,
“Tyranny naturally arises
out of democracy”
reflect upon a time where their
personal opinion was put aside
for that of the popular voice.
This notion that an average
student may be intimidated by
or unfamiliar with approaching
a member of student council is
unreasonable. A great number
of students who have potentially
ingenious insight that could truly
bring about positive change on
the island are silenced due to their
social standing or shy demeanor.
Plato once observed, “Tyranny
naturally arises out of democracy”; this adage is pertinent to the
way Student Council processes
the elections of Committees. Loomis Chaffee to me, as well as to
the majority of the students that
I acquaint myself with, stands for
an institution of the greater good.
It is a place where each person
that walks through the quad is
valued for his or her unique and
individual insight. This aspect of
Loomis is lost as we allow student
council to rob us of our voices
and speak over us. They are elected for their advertised ability to
voice the popular opinion, but
this responsibility quite frankly
and quite visibly has not been
fulfilled. The students of Loomis
Chaffee deserve to be heard.
karen cha ‘14 / loomis chaffee log
LOGspOrts
PAGE A8
JUNE 8, 2012
loomis chaffee log
‘Milk is always the wrong
choice’
2012 LC spring sports review
“Throwing darts” and “draining birdie putts”: all in
a day’s work for LC boys’ varsity golf
By Tucker Cheyne ‘13
Staff Writer
Loomis Chaffee boys’ varsity golf possesses a dominant
reputation in New England, and
with 5 returning seniors complemented by a plethora of new talent, the 2012 squad has, without
a doubt, cemented its claim as a
powerhouse.
Despite having such a talented
team, the beginning of the 2012
season did not quite reflect LC
golf ’s true skill level. In the opening match against Brunswick at
the legendary Century Country Club, The Bears of Brunswick defeated the Pelicans by a
score of 204-211. Following the
loss, Loomis failed to rebound,
losing three of their next five
matches en route to a 2-4 start.
Those disappointing losses came
against traditional rivals Kingswood-Oxford, Gunnery, and
Avon Old Farms. The two wins
in that stretch against Hotchkiss
and Williston Northampton provided little relief due to the low
calibre of the competition, as
evidenced in a 21-stroke victory
over Hotchkiss, and an 8-stroke
victory over Williston. However,
whether by the desire to please
head coach Kurt Winkler (or
“Winks” as he is more commonly known) or simply a result of
shaking off their rust, the LC golf
team finally began to play up to
its potential.
From that point on, the Loomis golf team stunned each one
of its opponents, winning twelve
straight matches against teams
including Exeter, Westminster,
Tabor, and Kent. It seemed as if
the “victory train” LC boarded
at the beginning of the winning
streak could not be stopped.
However, the season’s greatest
test to date loomed large on the
horizon. LC was to compete in
the Coppola Cup against Avon
Old Farms and Kingswood-Ox-
their second straight title in the
competition would not be easy,
however, as an undefeated Gunnery, along with Westminster
and Choate, stepped on to the
links of Loomis’ home course,
Wintonbury Hills. Just like in the
Coppola Cup, The Pelicans were
out for revenge, this time for
their 13 stroke loss to Gunnery
in the second week of the season.
They came out “throwing darts”,
draining birdie putts, and crushing monstrous 300 yard drives.
play this well all season. It was
only a matter of time before we
started breaking some records.”
For winning his second
straight individual championship at the Bader Tournament,
White has come to be known as
the “Master Bader,” a.k.a “Mr.
69.” This victory marked the high
point of the Loomis Chaffee Golf
team’s progress so far this season;
however, successful matches in
the Founders League Championships and the K-O Invitational,
the season’s
two championship
matches,
could very
well
overshadow LC’s
win in the
Bader Tournament.
Overall,
the Loomis
golf
team
finished the
regular season with a
record
of
21-5.
AstonsHANNON DEVENEY ‘14 / loomis chaffee log
Boys Varsity Golf players after their successful season this spring
ishingly, in a
total of fourteen matches, a Looford, two of the four teams to de- After nine holes, LC senior Brad mis player “medaled” (carded
feat LC in their early-season los- White broke a school and course the lowest individual score) in
ing streak. Yet, this was not the record for nine holes, a score of ten of them. Although the team
same team that K-O and AOF thirty-three. For the following did not have any official captains,
played in early April; this was, nine holes, the Pelicans held off they were led by experienced sewithout a doubt, a team that had the previously undefeated Gun- niors. Johnson accumulated six
its “swagger” back.
nery, along with Westminster of LC’s medals over the course
In the Coppola Cup, a pow- and Choate, to take home the of the season, while White won
erful Avon team defeated the Bader Tournament for the sec- five medals in the 2012 regular
Pelicans for the second time. ond straight year. At the end of season. When asked about his
However, not to be kept down the round, LC players left with key to playing so well, Johnson
for long, Loomis defeated the five additional school and course ’12 said, “Fear of failure makes
tournament’s other participants, records. The record-breaking failure more likely, and milk is
Kingswood-Oxford and Suffield, team effort can be heavily attrib- always the wrong choice.”
to take second place overall in uted to excellent rounds from
The golf team hopes for the
the competition.
White, whose score of 69 set best for Coach Winks, who they
Less than a week later, LC the school and course record for will use as inspiration for playing
participated in the Bader Tour- eighteen holes, and Mike John- more scintillating golf throughnament, a tournament in which son ’12, who carded a solid four- out the championship season.
the Pelicans held the role of de- over par score of 74. White said,
fending champions. Winning “I knew we had the potential to
Premier League soccer: Manchester City “paints the town blue”
By Jamol Lettman ‘12
Staff Writer
While American Football’s
“big game,” occurs in early February, the “big game” for English
“football” occurs in mid-May. On
May 13th, the Barclays Premier
League, England’s top soccer
league, had its annual “Survival
Sunday,” the day in which every
team in the league plays its final
game of the season, and the day
in which every team’s final ranking is determined. For those of
you who do not follow English
soccer, here’s some basic info.
Teams play 38 games per season,
one game at home and one away
against every team in the league.
Teams earn 3 points for a win,
one for a tie, and none for a loss.
At the end of the season, the team
with the highest point total wins
the championship. Additionally,
the top four ranked teams at the
end of each year compete in the
next season’s UEFA Champions
League, a tournament consisting
of Europe’s top teams. However,
the league’s bottom three teams
face the stiff punishment of relegation (demotion to the English
Second Division.) It’s estimated
that relegated clubs lose $30
million dollars by playing in the
Second Division rather than the
Premier League.
On the final day, dismal Bolton
joined Blackburn Rovers and
Wolverhampton in relegation.
Chelsea, the 2011 BPL runner-up,
performed poorly in the league
and finished 6th, despite winning
the 2012 F.A. Cup (England’s top
club tournament) and the 2012
Champions League. Other league
disappointments included Liverpool (8th place) and Aston Villa
(16th). Newly promoted (each
year, the Second Division’s top
three teams are promoted to the
BPL to compensate for relegation) teams Norwich and Swansea (11th and 12th, respectively)
impressed, as did Newcastle
(6th) and West Bromwich Albion
(10th). Arsenal shook off their
poor start to the season (a start
that included an 8-2 loss to Manchester United) to finish in third
place, leaving their fierce rivals
Tottenham in the fourth spot.
Despite all of these compelling
while United played 13th placed
Sunderland. United played a relatively quiet game, winning 1-0,
courtesy of a header from striker
Wayne Rooney. City, however,
played one of the wildest matches
in Premier League history. City
struck first to lead 1-0 at halftime, but in the second half, conceded two goals in 17 minutes to
fall behind 2-1. United fans were
elated; their team had the title
in the bag. The Sky Blues (Man
City’s nickname due to the color
of their uniforms) continued to
attack relentlessly in search of
goals, but their efforts proved fu-
Sergio Aguero celebrates after a goal
storylines, however, soccer fans
will remember the 2012 Premier
League season for one thing:
Manchester City winning their
first league title since 1968 in the
most dramatic way possible.
Fierce crosstown rivals Manchester United and Manchester
City entered Survival Sunday tied
at the top of the league standings,
with City holding the tie-breaker
due to a larger goal differential
(number of goals scored – number of goals allowed). City met
16th place Queens Park Rangers,
PHOTO COURTESY OF AP IMAGES
tile as the QPR defense held
firm.
With three minutes to play,
Bosnian striker (and deity of
Haris Kuljanic ‘12) Edin Dzeko
scored to tie the game at two
goals a piece. However, that
would not be enough to win the
title; a tie would place City two
points behind United in the final
standings. Then, against all odds,
striker Sergio Aguero skipped
through the defense and fired an
unstoppable shot past the QPR
goalkeeper with only one minute
to play. Ethiad Stadium, home
of Manchester City, erupted as
Aguero, City’s player of the year,
ripped his shirt off and celebrated with his teammates. Only
seconds later, the referee blew
the whistle to signal the end of
the game. Manchester City fans
stormed the field to celebrate the
the title they desperately yearned
for, while United fans stood
stone-faced in disgust.
Why does this title mean so
much to City and their fans?
Year after year, Manchester City
played second fiddle to Manchester United. While United enjoyed
perennial success, City failed to
compete with not only United,
but all of English football. The
Sky Blues hit rock bottom in
1998; that year, they competed in
England’s Third Division. Over
the next 14 years, however, City
slowly worked their way back
into the Premier League, and
in the past 3 seasons, emerged
among the BPL’s elite. If you still
don’t get what all the hoopla is
about, just look up Aguero’s winning goal on YouTube. There are
no words to describe the elation
of the City fans or the dejection
of the United fans. Martin Tyler,
English soccer’s top announcer,
captured the emotion of the
moment perfectly. His chilling
scream of “AGUEROOO” as the
Argentinean striker scored the
game winner captures the essence of what May 13th meant to
Manchester City and their fans.
For the blue side of Manchester,
beating United on the last day,
with two last-minute goals, was
the perfect way to claim their
first English league title in 44
years.
A glance back at the accomplishments of LC
varsity teams
by John Furlong ‘14
and Nick Sailor ‘13
Sports Editors
The spring of 2012 will forever
be remembered in the history of
LC Athletics, with multiple records set in both boys and girls
track, yet another dominant
year for girls lacrosse, and a water polo team that came oh-soclose to glory. With the term at
an end, we thought this would be
a good time to reflect on the varsity season that was. Here now, is
LOG Sports’s official recap of the
2012 spring athletics season.
Boys’ track
The perennial powerhouse
boys’ varsity track team continued its success with another
phenomenal season. Led by cocaptain John Abraham ‘12, who
took home meet MVP honors
at the New England Championships, LC finished atop the
Founders League and second in
New England. Also, six members of the team competed in
the Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania for the first
time in multiple years: the 4x100
relay finished in second in their
division, while the 4x400 took
home the victory.
Girls’ track
The LC girls’ track team maintained its position at the top of
the Founders League by winning its third title in four years,
a victory accompanied by the
breaking of three school records.
At the New England Championships one week later, LC
achieved its greatest feat of the
season: bringing home LC’s first
New England Girls’ track trophy
since 1987.
Boys’ lacrosse
With many young additions
accompanied by strong senior
leadership, the boys’ varsity
lacrosse team aspired to be a
title contender in the Founders
League. Although a 3-13 record
certainly left a sour taste in the
players’ mouths, the Pelicans
proved no easy opponent for any
team this season, exemplified
by their game against Choate,
where in the first half the pelicans outshot the Wild Boars by a
margin of 29-8.
Girls’ lacrosse
LC’s girls’ varsity lacrosse team
remained the Founders League’s
top team, compiling a record of
12 wins and 3 losses. Captained
by Katherine Mandigo ‘12 and
Devin Markison ‘12, the 2012
team certainly maintained LC’s
storied history in girls lacrosse, a
history that includes six straight
seasons of at least 10 wins.
Girls’ water polo
While there will be no new
championship banner in Hedges
Pool, the 2012 girls’ water polo
team played at a championship
level all season, losing only one
league game en route to a 13-5
regular season record. As the #1
seed in the New England Tournament, the Pelicans faced the
Big Green of Deerfield in the
Semi-finals. Excellent play by
Deerfield’s all-tournament goalie
Madeline McGraw spearheaded
DA’s 10-8 upset of the “Polo Pelicans,” but not to be kept down
for long, LC defeated Exeter
12-4 only hours later to win the
bronze medal.
Baseball
LC baseball achieved one of
its strongest seasons in history,
fighting tooth and nail with rival
Avon Old Farms for the Colonial
League Title. Despite back-toback losses to AOF in mid-April,
the Pelicans avenged their loss to
the Winged Beavers by beating
them, 5-3, on May 10. Although
a tough 1-0 loss to Choate enabled Avon to take the title, a
13-5 record in a conference
as competitive as the Colonial
League surely classifies 2012 as
one of LC’s best in history.
Girls’ softball
Struggling with early-season
injuries, the girls’ varsity softball
team started their season out
rough. A one-run loss to Hotchkiss in mid-April let the girls
softball team know they had the
potential to play at a high level.
Although multiple stumbles denied LC a chance to be league
contenders, Softball finished the
season in a very strong fashion,
defeating Deerfield and Kent in
the final two games of the season.
Boys’ tennis
An abundance of youth and
Coach Smith’s “pelican mantra”
characterized the 2012 boys’ varsity tennis team. Sophomores Jeff
Greenberg, Geneth Chin, Kevin
Cha and Co-Captain Matt Rollings highlight the youth movement in LC tennis. With wins
over Westminster, Salisbury,
Berkshire, and archrival Taft, LC
tennis demonstrated that despite
its many underclassmen, it could
beat experienced teams. Co-captain Ramy Chin described this
season as a “rebuilding year.” If
a 7-7 record and a berth in the
selective 8-team New England
Championships qualify as a “rebuilding year,” then New England Prep Tennis better be on
high alert for the next few years.
Girls’ tennis
Although their record may
not show it, the girls varsity tennis team was no easy opponent.
Captained by seniors Alexis
Ditomassi, Madeline Parish, and
Melanie Silverman, the eleven
women on the team continually
strived for success in singles and
in doubles play. The highlight of
their season, a 7-2 win over the
Miss Porters School, epitomized
the team’s defining characteristic: consistent play and passion
for the game.
Boys’ golf
LC completed its “championship season” with a fourth place
finish at both the Founders and
K-O championships, results that,
at the time, were not available for
inclusion in the article to the left.
At the Kingswood-Oxford championships, the Pelicans defeated
nineteen other teams, finishing
eight strokes behind champion
Avon Old Farms However, LC
came agonizingly close to a runner-up finish, as the gap between
runner-up Taft and Loomis was
only two strokes!
Girls’ golf
Missing their #1 player, Junior
Linh Nguyen, for the Founders League Championships,
LC girls’ golf was faced with an
uphill battle. Finishing in fifth
place showed LC’s resiliency,
as missing a player mandates a
20-stroke penalty. Without that
20 stroke penalty, LC might have
finished in a much higher position. Graduating seniors Heidi
Taggart, Olivia Vehslage, and
Erin Currey leave behind LC’s
girls’ golf program for Nguyen
and Sophomores Tory Petersen,
Simone Hugh Sam, and Sarah
Breckinridge to inherit.
All of us here at the Log would
like to send our well-wishes to
those student-athletes competing at the college level next year,
and we eagerly anticipate hearing about their successes in the
coming years.
Final Records for Spring 2012 Varsity Teams:
Boys’ Track
2nd at NE’s
Girls’ Track
NE Champs!
Boys’ Lacrosse
Girls’ Lacrosse
Girls’ Water Polo
3-13
13-3 (Founders League Champ) 13-5 (3rd at NE’s)
Baseball
13-5
Softball
3-12
Boys’ Tennis
7-7
Girls’ Tennis
3-10
Boys’ Golf
21-5
Girls’ Golf
5-9-2
the life aquatic
with izzy kornblatt ‘12
Photo: Tom honan
reflection | page B5
YearLoomis
inChaffee
Review
Log
june 8, 2012
page b1
Adrienne Henderson ’12
Living with
PILD
Adjusting to life after
Loomis Chaffee
There is a disease going around Loomis Chaffee
that very few people are aware of. It is a terminal
and incurable disease, and though it may not be
fatal, it affects every Loomis student deeply and
profoundly. So if you are a Loomis student reading
this, I regret to inform you that there is simply
no possible treatment or cure for this disease.
However, it may help you to become aware of all of
the symptoms so that you can begin to accept your
permanent condition and live happily despite its
influence in your life. I implore you not to take this
information to any licensed doctor or psychiatrist,
and you should definitely not attempt to self-medicate, for you will find less success in garnering
attention from the medical community than Jamol
Lettman did from the senior class when he tried to
organize a post-prom trip to Popeye’s. Don’t doubt,
however, that this is a serious and real medical
condition and should be regarded as such.
The disease I’m referring to here is Post Intensive Loomis Disorder (PILD), one of the best-kept
secrets of Loomis Chaffee. Evidence and symptoms of this disorder are often dismissed as severe
nostalgia or written off as just a phase of adjustment from living at Loomis to living just about
anywhere else. Take, for example, what I’ll refer to
as Loomis Schedule Self-Programming, a surefire
sign of PILD.
You just survived another long week I school
week at Loomis Chaffee. You were bogged down
with homework this week more heavily than you
had been previously in the term. Your roommate
had allergies and coughed every night, uncontrollably robbing you of your oh-so-precious
hours of sleep. The bus to your game on Saturday
left at 12:45pm but, of course, your last period
teacher didn’t let you out early so you couldn’t grab
something to eat before you left. The game was
somewhere really far away and in the middle of
nowhere — Hotchkiss, maybe Andover. You rolled
off the bus, rubbed your lazy eyes enough to realize it was raining intensely and learned your game
had been cancelled. Back to the bus. Boarders
return to campus around 9 PM, day students get
home by 10. You met up with some of your friends
to lounge in the Snug; maybe you convinced Jamil
Hashmi to order something from Windsor Pizza
with you, but nothing could distract you from
the cozy, satisfying image of your bed that was
imprinted in your mind throughout the night. The
prospect of sleep: that’s what we all strive for, isn’t
Continued on page B5
Adrienne Henderson is a four-year boarding senior
from Old Greenwich, CT.
FOUR YEARS LATER | ARTWORK BY NICOLE CHO ‘12
Fred Seebeck
From Seebs, congratulations, thanks and life advice
Congratulations to you all, to your parents, your siblings, your
ancestors and your posterity. We all wish you prosperous and
joyful lives, good health, wonderful families of your own, and
loving, loyal friends. You have already sown the seeds for all
of those in your years at Loomis Chaffee and before. Cultivate
those seeds with loving care and you will be richly rewarded.
After all, we all yearn for rich rewards in this life, do we not?
Tangible or intangible, we hope for some acknowledgement of
our toils, but such returns on our “investment,” in our time and
in our culture, too often come from sources outside of ourselves
- grades, paychecks, promotions, citations, prizes, publicity all
loom especially large in 21st century America. May I recommend that you find ways to enjoy the intrinsic rewards of your
life and not to rely too heavily on what others say or do or think
about you? I was crushed when, recently, I had dinner with a
couple of my college teammates and their wives — a really fun
little reunion — but during the meal, both of my teammates
professed that they would retire tomorrow, if possible, they were
so disenchanted with their work. One is a lawyer, the other a
veteran engineer for a prominent electronics firm. Their forceful
conviction regarding their current employment really disarmed
me.
I offered them a brief reflection on my own work, and the
conversation moved on. But I mention this exchange to you for
two reasons: first, though my work at Loomis Chaffee is quite
tough and tiring at times, the intellectual challenges, the variety,
the flow of new faces and different opportunities, and the inspiration of working with and around dedicated people NEVER
fail to inspire me. I can’t imagine a lifestyle that’s better for me.
Furthermore, you members of the class of ‘12, so many of whom
I know so well, have brought so much passion, energy, variety
and talent to the game that I have boatloads of fond memories
of your years here, and I thank you for making every new day of
my work with you a precious gift that I have opened eagerly over
these past three to four years.
Fred Seebeck is Dean of Freshmen, an English teacher and a
coach. He has worked at Loomis Chaffee since 1983.
Search for joy in your own daily lives. Point yourselves
toward careers that bring you more than financial remuneration.
Devote yourselves to serving others, in some way, in the years
ahead. Your personal lives will blossom with the good will that
you shower on others if you do. That’s the kind of motivation
that will sustain you through life’s tough passages. That’s the
kind of reward that you can’t get from a paycheck. That’s the key
to real prosperity in life.
I wonder if I will see you again after June 8. I am sure that I
will attend one or two of your weddings (Lyle’s at least, I hope)
and a couple of your reunions. Surely I will see a few of you
at Fenway Park some evening, if the Sox ever get back in their
groove. Very likely I will bump into a few of you here and there
in places like Faneuil Hall, the Moma, Edgartown, Millenium
Park, Santa Monica Pier or the summit of Mount Washington.
Perhaps I will be fortunate enough to have one or two of you as
a colleague. Whatever the case, please know that, along with all
of my friends on the faculty here, I wish every one of you good
fortune, long life and joy!
Profiles of departing faculty and staff
page B4
Reflecting on
their Loomis
careers
Jeff Burke, Liana
Fernez, Lindsay Gabow,
Sojin Kim, Ian Knapp,
Jeesue Lee, Jake
Verter, Steven Wang,
Addison Wright
pages B1-B7
year in sports
essays
a godbye
inside
Brief interviews with college-bound athletes
John Abraham, Jeff Burke,
Devin Markison, Cally Moran
page B8
REFLECTIONS
PAGE B2
Loomis Chaffee Log
June 8, 2012
YEAR IN REVIEW
Loomis Chaffee Log
Christian Bermel ‘12 and Izzy Kornblatt ‘12 Executive Editors
By the students, for the
students
StuCo president Lindsay Gabow ‘12 on
what sets LC apart
Charged with the task of reflecting on my time here
at Loomis Chaffee, I feel as though I’m on a lifeboat
with ten people, but it can only fit two, so I (naturally)
have to kick all the others off. Who’s important; who
isn’t? Or rather, who would most contribute to our
chances of surviving this plight?
What are the most important aspects of my career
at Loomis? What’s just stupid? But, wait, aren’t the
stupid things important, too? What most contributed
to my survival?
The fact that I am even being given the chance to
write this piece reminds me what a shame it is that so
many students squander their opportunities. I think
about some of the amazing, incredible experiences
that define my four-year existence, and I realize how
easy it is to simply go with the motions, to ride LC
waves without a care in the world, and, suddenly, to
find oneself washed ashore, with nothing but a lightheaded sensation and a dazed facial expression.
To fully take advantage of this school as a student,
you cannot be passive. You need to fight. Whether
that means fighting to take a certain class, fighting
to make a certain athletic team or even fighting to
defend yourself when under administrative fire, you
need to do it. If you don’t, you will have in all honesty
wasted roughly four (expensive) years of your life.
Fighting isn’t wrong; it’s healthy. After all, this is a
preparatory school, and we can’t expect to simply go
through the motions throughout our lives, right? No,
but there’s something wrong with this situation: often
highly motivated students are left drowning in their
own stimuli, with no one offering much-needed reprieves. This is due to the fact that faculty and administrators, because they are adults, can choose whether
to help us students. Generally, most faculty do not
hinder our progress, and often, they in fact do aid our
progress. But there comes a point when some students
are so motivated and so invested in their endeavors
that faculty no longer deem it necessary to support
them. The students, consequently, work alone.
Why is that? I’ve speculated that it’s because people,
inherently, fear change. And, let’s face it: as people age,
they become more conservative. It’s natural. But then
I remember the massive legislative and administrative
changes that Loomis has undergone throughout my
time here. Maybe, though, notions of change are espoused only when they stem from the upper echelons
of the administration. After all, even our founding
fathers feared grassroots revolutions. How ironic.
Student Council has done a ton of work this year,
with the Loomis Chaffee pledge, the dress code overhaul, homework policy changes and plans for a house
system topping the list. Faculty, and some students,
have praised our work, especially lately. However,
what’s not so visible to the public is the enormous
trouble and toil we underwent in order to enact these
changes. Most of our plight stemmed not from student protest, but from the faculty. Yes, the faculty.
This school has an extremely intricate bureaucracy.
I myself am a champion of democracy: our democratic government, too, has a complex bureaucracy.
But one of the consequences of this system is that
initiatives move incredibly slowly. In fact, I would
go as far as to say that this system fosters a virtually
ineffective, inactive Student Council. In order to
make the Council successful, my fellow officers
and I had to fight the system. I had to force my way
into several faculty meetings, deluge administrators and faculty with repetitive emails, and, when
all else failed, accost certain adults in the middle
of campus to ask with a grim smile, “Did you see
that email I’ve sent you twice every day for the past
week?”
I’m not a starry-eyed idealist; I know people have
other obligations. I know that faculty members are
not only teachers, but also coaches; I know that administrators are not only deans, but also dormitory
heads. But I’m not just Student Council president.
I’m a student, a varsity athlete, a Resident Assistant
and a Log editor. I don’t dare do the bare minimum
in all of my obligations. I do everything with enthusiasm, and I take great pride in that. I don’t get paid
for it either.
My point is that faculty here are supposed to set
an example for us students. And generally they do.
For me, faculty members like Mrs. Forrester, Mrs.
Knight, Seebs and Mrs. Purdy have served that role
well. Students need faculty not just to learn from
them but to learn from them (learn in a different
sense). So when teachers who decry tardiness come
to class consistently late, often after all of their
students arrive, the wrong message gets sent. When
a coach doesn’t know the names of some of his or
her athletes, the wrong message gets sent. When an
adult slanders a student to his or her colleagues, the
wrong message gets sent.
Lindsay Gabow is a four-year boarding senior from
Pelham, NY. She served as StuCo president and Log
Managing Editor and RA in Ammidon Hall this
year.
This year’s theme is doing the right thing. Why is it
that some of the very individuals who champion this
are doing the wrong thing?
Not everyone, mind you. In fact, very few. The
problem is that the few who are soil the environment
for the members of this community who seek a positive experience. Of course there are wonderful aspects
of this school. I think we have an incredibly accepting
community in comparison to most other schools.
Many students at LC may not have fit in well at their
public schools, but they have plenty of friends here.
Everyone who is looking for a friend can find a friend.
And that’s a great thing.
Further, the staff here are absolutely incredible.
For example, Mr. Aransky, Enver, Ms. Butterfield,
Ms. Blaise, and the rest of the dining hall staff are
wonderful people. They are the epitome of the often
wrongfully used, clichéd term pelican. They are
always striving to do what’s best for the students. They
are warmhearted, kind and extremely hardworking
individuals. Through their work day in and day out,
and the ever-present smiles on their faces, even after
enduring extreme lack of sleep due to food preparation, they embody the concept of “grit and grace,” (incidentally Westminster School’s mission statement). I
hope that I am able to work in whatever profession I
end up choosing with similar joy.
Speaking of joy, what about Joe Billera in the Cage?
Even when deluged with a seemingly endless stream
of athletes with their reeking equipment, his smile
never fades. And I’m sure you remember Judy, who
worked in the mailroom before she passed away two
years ago: she was just as warm and kind. I love the
staff at this school.
At the beginning of the year in the opening convocation, I stressed the fact that Loomis Chaffee is not
just a school but a community. I fear, however, that
we are in danger of turning into a business, a corporation, and as we make this transformation, threads of
our community are unraveling. These changes are not
rapid, but they are happening. And I am not necessarily opposed to all of them. We are becoming a more
competitive, prestigious school; from this, we have
already seen an incredible improvement in college
matriculation. Plus, we are decreasing the number of
students overall, which will engender smaller class
sizes, fostering closer student-teacher ties.
Students, in the midst of these changes, whether
constructive or questionable, I encourage you not to
lose sight of what is important. Take advantage of the
extraordinary opportunities this place has to offer;
become better people. Even more crucial than being
your best selves is ensuring that you are always striving for the common good. Your fellow students are
not your peers, but your brothers, your sisters. Your
support for each other is more important than any
academic, athletic or extracurricular obligation.
Loomis is an amazing place because of the students.
Don’t forget that.
Steven Z. Wang ‘12
Impulsivity: my lucky
charm
Tensions were high. A single bead of sweat
trickled down my left temple. My palms were
sweaty and my legs were vigorously bopping
up and down. I bent down closer to the table
to get a better view, craning my neck left
and right to see the different angles. Just one
wrong move, one slight twitch of the hand, or
one badly timed exhalation could destroy my
chance of success.
With one shaky hand I slowly reached forward to make a move. But before my nervous
fingertips touched the precariously stacked
wooden blocks, I hesitated. I imagined the
Jenga tower crumbling down in a cascade of
blocks as the piece I had chosen to remove
upset the entire balance of the tower. Should
I make this move? Would my hand be steady
enough? Would I unwittingly set up an easy
move for my opponent’s next turn? My hand
stopped in midair as I re-contemplated my options. Perhaps I should find a different block. I
retracted my outstretched arm and rested my
chin on my hand to cautiously reconsider my
decision.
Slow. That’s the way my dad would describe
me if someone asked about my hockey style.
He still has old footage of me playing hockey
from when I was nine or ten and a recurrent
refrain heard from both my coaches and my
dad is, “Steven, MOVE!” Sure enough, I would
be standing at the blue line while an opposing
player zoomed by me. It was not that I was
slow on my feet, it was just that I was slow in
making the decision of what to do. I could
never decide fast enough whether to block
the passing lane, to go for the hip check or to
turn around and sprint down the ice to edge
off the guy further along the boards. Hockey
is a fast-paced game in which one has to make
snap decisions or risk creating problems for
his team. But snap decisions were never my
forte; I liked to take time to think over each
decision, to worry about my choices and the
potential consequences and to hesitate right
before acting on a decided course of action.
Impulsiveness, that’s what I lacked.
Though impulsiveness many times carries a negative connotation, linked with poor
choices and brash mistakes, it was something
I needed — not just on the ice but also in real
life. Too timid, too keen to second-guess, and
too safe; these characteristics defined my life.
I lived by the moral of Aesop’s “The Tortoise
and the Hare,” taking everything too slowly
and too steadily. I needed to escape from my
comfortable shell of reticence and take some
risks, but how to do this, I didn’t know.
It would be clichéd and also a lie to say that
Loomis directly made me more confident.
There are no classes that teach impulsiveness.
There were no teachers who shook me and
said, “Goddamn it! Just follow your guts and
make a decision already!” Although Loomis
taught me a lot academically, it did not instill
Steven Wang is a four-year day senior from
South Windsor, CT. He served as StuCo’s boys’
vice president and was a Features Editor for the
Log and a peer counselor.
the virtues of following my instinct. Instead,
it created an environment in which I could
discover, by myself, how to act with more
confidence. I found myself stumbling into
situations where I had the opportunity to
make snap decisions and acquire a touch of
impulsiveness. In this way, Loomis indirectly
helped me.
I remember freshmen year when I first ran
for Student Council. With a carefully written
and prepared speech in my hand, I listened
and waited as the other candidates delivered
their speeches. I had planned to read directly
off the paper in front of me, worrying that if
I diverged in any way at all I would mess up.
But as I listened to the other speeches, I realized how vapid and boring my speech would
sound compared to the others. But before I
could do anything to modify my speech, it
was my turn to go up. I stood on the stage in
the NEO, stared at the dry words in my hands,
and remembered Pete Gwyn’s stern warning
of delivering only the speech that had been
submitted to and approved by him. I worried
that Pete Gwyn, that scary bearded-Canadianbear/moose fighter, would destroy me if I
strayed away from my written speech.
But a little part of me, that existent yet weak
“impulsivity” muscle, twitched into motion. I
got up on stage, forced my eyes away from the
paper (although I took occasional glances at
it to give a weak impression of following the
script), and completely made up a new speech
on the spot. I even made a tentative attempt
at humor, which yielded a few chuckles, and
when I finished, I found myself not filled with
the familiar feelings of regret and secondguessing, but a feeling of excitement. In the
end, Pete did not kill me and more importantly, I won. The exhilarating experience and the
rush, not to mention the satisfaction,of taking
a risk and succeeding, left a temporary high
that broke my previous notions of the safety of
playing conservatively.
Although that one moment did not change
my entire attitude toward impulsivity, it gave
me an inkling of confidence to act more freely,
to not be so caught up in fear of embarrassment, and to take risks.
I remember taking Acting 1 sophomore
year and having the chance to opt out of a
particularly embarrassing assignment with a
get-out-of-jail-free card I had won earlier. The
assignment: sing a song and perform a selfchoreographed dance in the Snug amphitheater. I remember having nothing prepared,
thinking that I would use the free pass, yet
that small but growing “impulsivity” muscle
twitched again, telling me to take the chance.
When the time came, I remember how I stood
in the middle of the amphitheater and sang
the sappiest song I knew: “Build Me Up Buttercup.” I remember making up a ridiculous
dance that I’m sure Mr. K could tell was not
pre-choreographed. Regardless, it felt rewarding to outstep my comfort zone.
I remember indecisively wavering between
quitting hockey and joining the swim team
after injuring my shoulder. I had weighed
the pros and cons, I had considered my ten
YEAR IN PHOTOS | FALL
LC’s own Model T sits parked in front of Founders Hall. The interdisciplinary course Model T and the American Industrial Revolution, in which students learn how to
drive the Model T, was offered for the first time this year. Photo: Jaehwn Kim ‘13 for the Loomis Chaffee Log.
Loomis Chaffee Log
JUNE 8, 2012
PAGE B3
Ian Knapp ‘12
Before one last race, hanging on the shot of a pistol
It was a scorching hot day at Choate
and the NEPSTA track and field championships were coming to a close: the
300m intermediate hurdles, the 14th
of 17 events. No hurdler I’ve met likes
running the 300m IH. Demarco, AJ,and
Jeff need serious prodding before
stepping up, and Josh usually flat-out
refuses. It’s a tiresome race. Yet as I
prepared my starting blocks, I wasn’t
sure how I felt. I suppose I was eager to
finish the final 300m IH of my running
career but also reluctant to cross that
concluding finish line since this would
be the end; I had and have no intentions of running in college.
I took position in lane 2, an inside
lane, and the starting stagger meant
Ian Knapp is a four-year day senior
from Windsor, CT. He ran track and
cross country all four years.
that all the other runners were in front
of me and to my right. In that beautiful,
silent, rigid moment between the calls
of “On your marks” and “Set,” when all
the runners catch their bearings and
settle into a ready stance, I glanced up
at my competition.
Isaac Normensinu of Hotchkiss, a
junior, was nearest. When I first started
hurdling during my sophomore year,
Isaac seemed untouchable; as a freshman he beat Pat Moriarty in the 300m
IH, and Pat was damn fast. Yet it never
hurts to dream big, as I realized when
I crossed the finish line a fraction of a
second before him during this season’s
home meet against Hotchkiss and
Deerfield. Or maybe it does. Thirty
minutes after that race I pulled my
hamstring while anchoring the 4x400m
relay. I didn’t realize how serious the
injury was until I tried sprinting out of
Addison Wright ‘12
blocks the Wednesday before Founders
and nearly pulled it again. Then I had
to watch from the sidelines as my team
won the Founders League championship.
Jack Shumway of Deerfield occupied
lane 4. Remember that race I was talking about where I beat Isaac? Jack came
in first, in both that and the 110m high
hurdles. I remember lying face down
on a bed in the athletic trainer’s that
Wednesday before Founders, icing my
leg, devastated with the thought that I
had finished my track and field career
with double losses to him.
Grayson Warrick of Choate, an amiable adversary, owned lane 5. He looked
deep in concentration for the imminent race (or as focused as you can
look from the back). He had botched
a first-place finish in the 110m HH by
tripping over the final hurdle. Before
the meet started, Grayson told me that
he couldn’t lose, not here at Choate. I
can understand the sentiment. Every
moment seems to have more lasting
consequences for me as graduation
approaches, as if my legacy is being
determined by my actions during the
final month I spend on the Island, and I
know that his screwed-up race hit him
hard. But athletes can’t afford to sulk
over past mistakes. He tripped, and I
injured myself, but that didn’t matter
here and now.
Peter Parker of Avon occupied the
lane next to Grayson. Yes, that’s seriously his name. Then there’s Corey
Hucker of Hotchkiss, the runner I
always joked with about how much we
both hated running the 300m IH. Demarco Palmer rounded out the field in
lane 8. He was not seeded to score and I
wonder how determined he really was.
I don’t mean to suggest that he wasn’t
going to try, but I was in his shoes
last year; a bad race isn’t as significant
when you have the chance to redeem
yourself at the next meet. As a senior,
I wouldn’t be afforded that luxury of
second chances. I didn’t need a win,
just a resolute race that I could look
back on with pride after graduation, the
last race of a four-year running career
at Loomis Chaffee. I dropped my gaze
from my fellow athletes to the rugged
red track. Silence. I felt the starter raising his arms to the sky, the only motion
in a frozen world. “Set!” I plateaued
my back and leaned forward. My
mind cleared of thoughts of legacy and
memory. I was coiled, teetering on the
shot of a pistol, ready to spring forward
and race into the future.
Bang.
YEAR IN PHOTOS | FALL
A cyclops named
Colgate and other
Loomis memories
I sometimes wonder what I’ll remember when I look back at my time at
Loomis. Usually when I reminisce I try
to re-live a single memory, a tangible and
passionate one, a memory that somehow
captures the full feeling of the experience.
For example: when I think back to
when the Giants won Super Bowl XLII
(the first of multiple Superbowl victories against the Patriots), I remember
this one catch. I remember staring at
the television with my friends huddled
around me. It’s third and five, about a
minute left. Eli (Manning) hikes the ball.
The clock is ticking down. The Patriots
rush three. Eli’s pocket starts to collapse,
just as a Patriots D-lineman grabs hold
of his shoulder pad. He’s definitely sacked,
I tell myself. But wait — he spins, and
out he springs. He throws it. It’s a bomb.
Shit, Eli, this better not be an interception.
David Tyree goes up, and clenches the
ball between his hand and his helmet. He
lands and rolls over. Did he drop it? No?
He caught it!
But Loomis is different. I’ve spent so
many years here on this rock of an island
that it just doesn’t seem fitting to try to
encapsulate it in one overarching, farreaching, perfectly calculated memory.
It isn’t fitting, I think, because no single
memory can quite convey the nature of
my ambivalent and complicated feelings
for Loomis. No memory can adequately
express the stress of late-night homework or the fun of late-night pranks, the
pleasant boredom of Saturday nights
in the Snug, the joy of winning a single
FIFA game. So do I need a new approach? No. This is how I remember
things and I can’t change that. Shouldn’t
it just work itself out? If I stop searching
for a single memory, shouldn’t one just
emerge? Like natural selection: will the
Addison Wright is a four-year boarding
senior from Sag Harbor, NY. He was
an RA in Batchelder Hall and served
as captain of the varsity lacrosse and
water polo teams.
weak die and the strong live? Let’s see.
Senior year seems too recent — the
memories are too vivid, the ideas are too
fresh. So I’ll go all the way back to freshman year. What comes to mind?
I remember Tommy Lipe sitting naked
playing HALO in my room all day,
because after he showered that morning
and discovered that he had accidentally locked himself out of his room, he
decided that God wanted him not to
attend classes that day but instead to play
video games and listen to Bob Marley.
I remember Jamie Bakrow screaming
“Saaaaaadiiiii” (a word that thankfully seems to have lost its foothold on
Loomis culture in the past year or so) at
the top of his lungs, whenever something
unfortunate happened to just about
anyone.
I remember the first time I had an
extended conversation with a girl here.
It was with Annabel Hess ‘12, outside
the library, after I had been told by Zach
Arlia ‘11 to “see if she’d be down for a
good ‘walk.’” Unfortunately, I don’t think
they ever did have that walk. Too bad,
since the weather was really nice those
days — just ask Sam Broda ‘12. He’d
become quite the connoisseur of weather
and constellations, what with all the time
he spent staring at the stars with Katie
Morgan.
Or what about Melanie’s alter ego,
Meanalie, who always seemed to be at
the center of trouble freshman year. She
disappeared long ago though, right?
Or what about JV lacrosse — or better
yet JV football, with Coach Colgate
demanding that we run around the field
carrying benches over our heads, or
wearing his sunglasses during the rain?
I surmise that he wears those sunglasses
for the same reasons as the X-men character Cyclops: to protect us all from his
laser vision. I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen Mr. Colgate’s eyes, and will go
so far as to posit that anyone who does
will never be seen again.
But which memory dominates?
Which sticks with me the most?
Loomis Chaffee football takes down Deerfield Academy 27-21 on Homecoming day this fall. The football program has experienced
tremendous growth in recent years. Photo: Jaehwn Kim ‘13 for the Loomis Chaffee Log.
What’s weird is that they all do.
They’re all still so clear. Maybe this is
because not enough time has passed.
Maybe in forty years I’ll only remember
some naked kid refusing to leave my
room, or some odd Cyclops named Mr.
Colgate. A side of me — the rational,
logical, formulaic side — thinks that this
is what will happen, that my memories
will slowly deteriorate until all I have
left is the name of my high school. But
another side of me, the side that always
seems to whisper in my mind the
hackneyed reminder Look at the glass
half-full, not half-empty, would prefer
to think that my memories at Loomis
and the things I’ve learned here will
never die, that they’re too strong and
too healthy and that I’ll leave Loomis
and relate everything else back to it, that
I’ll look at my watch in college when it
reaches 7:45 and feel the urge to check
into my dorm, that I’ll talk to a girl at
college for the first time and think, Pshht,
this girl still wouldn’t hook up with Zach
Arlia.
But what if I forget? What if one slips
away? When I think back to that Giants
game, a game that lasted through a night
filled with other memories and other
plays, I can really only conjure up the
image of David Tyree’s classic catch. But
it’s okay: that one play tells the whole
story. Maybe in some weird, twisted way,
when I’m seventy and I think back to
my days at Loomis, remembering Mr.
Colgate as a Cyclops will be enough to
tell me enough about the culture here,
about my time here.
Jeesue Lee ‘12
On heroes and on what the future holds for all of us
As blockbuster season draws close, I
admit I have spent more than my fair
share of time thinking about superheroes, or more broadly, heroes. For, with
the groundbreaking opening of Joss
Whedon’s masterpiece, The Avengers,
the summer of 2012 seems guaranteed
to entail some of the best, if not extraordinary, mainstream cinema. Brace
yourselves.
Yet, even with this enticing promise,
I’m caught up in thinking about the
nebulous nature of my future. Yes, I
have made it through the standardized
tests, the college application process
and the APs. But I still have the inevitable challenge of making something
of myself. High school is over. The
Jeesue Lee is a four-year day senior
from Bloomfield, CT. She served as a
columnist for the Log this year.
shots have been made. It doesn’t matter
anymore if I was a jock or nerd. All that
matters is what I become.
Of course, there’s absolutely no way
to guarantee or even predict success.
Descriptions of my tentative major
claim that it seeks to “cultivate intelligent creativity,” a notion that I find admittedly both laughable and admirable.
It doesn’t guarantee a high-paying salary, only the understanding of Wagner’s
Ring Cycle or maybe Venetian literature. I will essentially walk out of my
liberal arts education four years later,
knowing nothing more than a handful
of facts and a bunch of theories. But
can’t the same be said about any other
major or degree one picks up? Sure,
pre-med students have a straighter
and narrower path to success than say,
history majors. But, what guarantees
that every single pre-med will go on to
become a doctor?
Several years ago, a teacher told me
(I paraphrase), “You can’t tell a thing
about an eighteen year old graduate.
But, you sure as hell can tell something
about him twenty years later when he
has kids and a steady job.” And there
is truth to his words. Because we are all
nebulous and we are all hazy. There’s
no telling who of the class of 2012 will
become the biggest billionaire and who
will become the local wino. Yet there’s
something shared by all of us that guarantees we can at least become those
middle-age parents: we went to Loomis
Chaffee.
And that, dear readers, is our origin
story, our beginning. Like all the heroes
of this coming summer — Tony Stark,
Bruce Wayne and Peter Parker — we
have a place where we first learned and
discovered the true potential of our
powers. Indeed, it has been long and
yes, it was most certainly difficult, but
we still survived. At the very least, we
can recognize that we have as much
of our own spidey-sense as we have a
weakness to our own kryptonite.
I am not asking us to become heroes.
In fact, I expect, without any real cynicism or malice, that few will. After all,
we live in a dog-eat-dog world. All we
can really do at times is play by the
rules and try to win whatever game we
are forced to participate in. But I do ask
that we at least perpetuate the idea of
heroes and the belief that they do exist.
And in order to do that, we must
acknowledge where we came from and
how it helped us become the young
adults we are today. We cannot simply
will ourselves away. Instead, we must
remember home and remember it
fondly. For even when we are kneedeep within the real world, trying our
best to wade through the swampy mess
of work and relationships, we will have
a token to bring us back to the surface
and remind us why we bothered in
the first place. We can remember each
walkway, the meadows and the classrooms. We can reminisce about the
teachers and mentors who have made
and broken our days. We can recall
each other’s faces and wonder which of
us might be building the newest Facebook or climbing the corporate ladder.
And maybe it is that wonder that will
encourage us all to add variables and
degrees of safety, comfort and perhaps
luxury to the basic, and fundamental
future of kids and a job. Maybe. Or, at
the very least, to follow our bliss. Congratulations, class of 2012.
REFLECTIONS
PAGE B4
Loomis Chaffee Log
June 8, 2012
Sojin Kim ‘12
Facing
failure and
confronting
the world
beyond LC
I came to Loomis Chaffee as a dazed, homesick
freshmen, with idealistic ambitions and expectations.
And as my Carter prefects Allison Russow ’10 and Emily Gibbs ’10 promised, my freshmen, sophomore and
junior years passed by like a breeze. And now, despite
the fact that I’ve spent the past four years at a school
and home where I was protected, probed and groomed
to become the eventual leader LC hopes all its students
become, I still can’t help but feel anxious about the
future ahead of me.
My guess is that my four years at college will again
pass with the speed of a tornado as I delve into deeper
subjects and, eventually, a major that interests me. But
after that, what happens? I can’t picture myself as the
doctor, lawyer, teacher, vet, dentist, mother, scientist,
explorer, geologist or musician that so many of our
parents are. If anything, being the slightly selfish person I am, I want to keep the benefits and guidance I’ve
always had through my parents’ and school’s support.
I’ve never been independent in the truest sense of the
word.
Like the rest of my senior class, I managed to get
myself into a college I’m excited about, yet that feels
like just one step closer to this new future I can’t chart
on a map. Miraculously, I found great friends at LC
and accomplished much that I’m proud of, but can I
do it all over again at a new college? And can I do it
better? If anything, I feel like I’m back to square one as
I face the blurry future.
I’m thinking of the mentors and friends who helped
me figure out solutions to my questions and dilemmas.
They were all there during my breakdowns, whether
they stemmed from the pressures of homework or
missing all of my Wednesday classes because my alarm
never went off. My wide array of advisors — Mr. Forrester, Mr. Ross and Mrs. Knight — not to mention my
academic teachers — Ma Laoshi, Scando, Mr. Cleary,
Mr. Watson, Mr. Purdy, Mrs. Burr — all put the life in
my classroom work. They shrunk reality and the world
into their palms and showed me that I can apply to the
outside world what I learn in the classroom. And not
just concepts or knowledge; life lessons, too. From collaboration in the classroom to bravery and sportsmanship in athletics to the joy found in working with small
children at the discovery center, I’ve already tasted
hints of what it takes to lead a happy life: perseverance, compassion and responsibility. That might sound
cheesy, but it’s the truth.
For me, Loomis Chaffee is special because of the
equality and community highly valued here. Students
are given work jobs to learn the importance of giving
back to the community and making LC more of their
school. You can point to many flaws in our current
work program, but the essence and general idea of
it are spot-on. During my freshmen and sophomore
years, when I was cleaning up after tables on a family
style night or waking up at 6:45 AM to clean up the
Snug, I loathed my work, but looking back it’s an
experience I would never give up. We can never learn
to appreciate the food and what the dining hall staff
do for us unless we experience the time and energy
that goes into it. It’s up to you whether you value that
knowledge; I know I do.
Another lesson I’ve learned: no matter how many
times you’ve hit rock bottom, there is always a way
up. I hit rock bottom plenty of times along the way in
terms of grades, relationships, music auditions and
sports before I accomplished my goals. I’ve had way
too many failures to count, but that’s precisely what
made meeting my goals difficult and worthwhile. I
really do hope that wherever I go and whatever I face,
I will remember to bounce back up like a Bobo doll
when I fail, because there’s always a low point and after
that you just need to find a way to stand back up.
My big regret is my forgetfulness and sometimes
ungracious attitude toward the people around me.
Loomis Chaffee is my bubble and so it’s easy to forget
that there’s a whole world out there. Sometimes we
have the chance to view reality through PSO’s services
for the greater town of Windsor or through our brief
trips abroad to help out on charity missions, but we
will never fully experience the pains of poverty, a
hopeless future and a loveless life. We are given all the
support and love we need to do more than just excel
academically. We are truly lucky to be receiving one of
the most complete educations in the nation. We would
be lying to ourselves if we thought that the reality of
other people’s lives are just like ours or that they don’t
deserve the privileges we’re offered. At some point
in our lives, we need to learn to step back from the
fast-paced world and look back to see who’s been left
behind.
The failures and obstacles we face are endless,
heartbreaking and will-breaking, but as long as we find
a way to stand up and face the failure again, we are in
essence already winning. It doesn’t matter how long
it takes to finally figure out how to write a thesis for a
paper or how to derive that insane calculus equation
or break that PR. As long as you reach the end, you’re
forever a winner in my book.
Sojin Kim is a four-year boarding senior from Washington, DC. She was an RA in Ammidon Hall and served as
an Editor in Chief of the Log.
Jeff Burke ‘12
Southern hospitality meets prep school
My drawstring Nike Wake Forest bag clings
to my back as it strains under the weight of my
multivariable calculus and economics textbooks.
I lumber down the hall in a sluggish manner hoping I never reach the class of a teacher
named Mr. Moran. What is multivariable calculus anyways? How did I even get stuck in there?
I wanted Algebra Topics like most PGs for crying out loud. Just as I hit the halfway mark down
the Clark second floor hallway a tiny child runs
by. At first I think he is cute. Then when three
others his size walk by I start to wonder. They all
have backpacks. Then it hits me. They are students. I am truly in high school again, and those
kids who walked by with their shoulder brushing my elbows are freshman. My heart sinks.
While saying “y’all,” “daggum” and “golly” makes
it hard to blend in, the most inhibiting factor is
the fact that I am 6’5’’ and unhappy. I am out of
place when all I want to do is blend in.
Having spent my whole life raised way down
in Chattanooga, Tennessee, I approached
Loomis skeptical of the people and upset at the
prospect of actually having to do a fifth year of
high school. I had not experienced New England culture, and although I had family in New
England, I did not really know what to expect.
I expected my PG year at Loomis to be a year
where I angrily sulked in my room scared frigid
by the arctic atmosphere that surrounded me
while wishing I still had my longtime country
friends by my side. I have never been more
wrong.
Though I still miss the South and hope to
return there later in life, this year at Loomis
has been one of the best and most unexpected
blessings I have ever received. The academic and
physical growth that I’ve experienced through
an extra year of hard work are two obvious benefits that reveal only part of the greatness of this
year to me. My ideal college recruited me. I met
Jeff Burke is a boarding postgraduate from Chattanooga, TN.
quite a few friends who I will keep in touch with
for the rest of my life, and many of them will be
near me while I attend Boston College. I was
able to experience one more year of competitive
basketball that ended with an amazing win over
Hotchkiss.
I learned that cold days aren’t bad if you actually own a winter jacket, and a hooded sweatshirt doesn’t count as one. I was forced into microbiology, and while I was mad at first, I ended
up loving the class and now I am considering
biology down the road. I met two of the bravest
and greatest men in Mr. Kosanovich and Mr.
Pukstas, who in Tennessee might be rejected
simply because of their sexual orientation despite the fact that they have more integrity and
intelligence than half the men who slight them.
I watched a child named Oliver grow from
crawling everywhere to talking and walking. I
had my face stuffed with burgers and steaks by
Mr. Beck multiple times. I learned that oatmeal
with brown sugar is a breakfast staple. I learned
that peanut butter and jelly doesn’t belong on
pizza. I learned that if Jamil Hashmi ‘12 comes
into your room at one in the morning, it’s better
to fake sleep than to answer him. I learned that
leaning a trash can against a door and knocking
is a hilarious prank every time. I also learned
that not only can you prank — you can also be
pranked.
I learned that not all lacrosse players are
exact copies of Branston Winstonworth. I also
learned that some are. I learned that people get
very angry if you use more than a cap of their
laundry detergent. I learned there will be good
roommates and there will be bad roommates.
I learned that squash isn’t just a vegetable. I
learned that arriving at Loomis with only two
ties and three polo shirts is not enough.
I learned that I cannot throw a Frisbee. I
learned that Michael Siu becomes a whole different animal when townies encroach on his
territory. I learned that leaving your Facebook
open in a boys’ dorm leads to a very perverted
status. While I still have so many things to learn
(such as the train system up here), I am excited
to experience New England over the next four
years because of the great introduction Loomis
provided me.
As I step forward my metal spikes crackle as
they hit the first bit of dirt. I walk behind the
umpire and survey the Avon bench and crowd
sitting down the third base line. My helmet feels
tight. My body is loose. It all feels right. Miceli
on third. Bellock on second. Reed on first.
Avon’s UCONN-bound lefty comes set and delivers an outside fastball for ball one. I reset my
feet and await the next pitch: fastball tailing low
and away for strike one. Third pitch: curveball
in the dirt for ball two. Fourth pitch: fastball for
ball three. 3-1 count. A hitter’s count.
I grab some dirt on the ground to rub on my
hands. I now have the perfect grip. I step in and
immediately feel myself enter the zone. This
game is a must-win. The pitcher comes set. Has
to be a fastball coming. He checks the runners.
The run in the first running was luck. His leg
rises. Throw me that fastball. My blood is pumping. I dare you. He lunges towards the plate.
Do it. The ball leaves his fingers. You actually
threw one. The ball travels and begins to tail 20ft
from me. I let the ball travel until it’s deep into
my stance. I swing and the ball hits the barrel.
Immediately the ball is propelled from my bat
towards the right field fence high into the air.
As the ball clears the fence, people cheer and I
begin my homerun trot. I round third and head
home where I see my team waiting. Not only
do I see 15 guys cheering and waiting but I see
15 guys I have become close with. Fifteen new
friends who I mesh well with and have the privilege of sharing the field with every day. Fifteen
men with whom I shared a thrilling victory over
Avon. Fifteen men that I would never have been
fortuitous enough to have met had I not done
a PG year at Loomis. Fifteen guys among many
who carry the same name on our chest now and
forever onward: Loomis Chaffee.
YEAR IN PHOTOS | FALL/WINTER
An historically damaging November snowstorm knocked out power on the Island and throughout New England. Above, a downed tree on the Grubbs Quad.
Photo: Mary Forrester.
Liana Fernez ‘12
Loomis Chaffee, 2001 to 2012
The day of my tour was not the first day I
ever stepped onto the Loomis Chaffee campus.
From 2001 to 2005, I each July attending Winninger’s Sports Camp. Every morning at nine I
would be dropped off in front of Chaffee Gym
(I did not know it was called Chaffee Gym), the
gym that has since been replaced by the Hubbard Music Center. I would trot with twenty
other pre-teen children over to the varsity boys’
tennis courts (which then were just the tennis
courts) where I learned how to serve and to
which I never returned.
Around eleven every morning we would
break, and sit on Mr. Holdaway’s (some stranger’s) front lawn. This seemed like trespassing,
but no one ever came out to yell at the two
dozen or so people camped out on his property,
so I came to ignore the houses and contentedly
munched on my Dunkaroos. What a strange
neighborhood, I thought. No one seems to live
here. There’s no community.
When I met my first lax bro (my least
Liana Fernez is a four-year day (formerly boarding) senior from Bolton, CT. She starred in a
number of NEO productions at LC.
favorite camp counselor, which must just be a
coincidence), someone I found out years later
attended Loomis, I couldn’t tell what he was
supposed to be. A floppy mop of hair sat on his
head (“flow”). He had an awful tan line halfway
up his calf (thanks to mid-highs), and he didn’t
believe that gymnastics was a real sport. I
pitted my nine-year-old chutzpah against his
seventeen-year-old Bro Bible, arguing with
him about the qualifications of sports. I am an
athlete! I pleaded, certain that my no-contact
sports made me just as much an athlete as he
felt he was while wielding his battering ram
butterfly net (D-pole). This argument lasted the
time it took to walk from Faculty Row (a deserted street), past the RAC (which, to be honest, I
don’t even remember noticing), past the NEO
(the big, red farmer’s garage), all the way to
Olcott (the big gym with the big pool with the
creepy birds on all the posters).
If I were to give you directions indicating “the
building with mirror windows at the bottom,”
would you know I was talking about the Science
Center? If I told you to go to “the building
where all the boys sleep,” the Health Center
would not be your immediate destination. I did
not understand the concept of boarding school,
or even that where I spent my sweaty summer
days was a boarding school, but now I can’t tell
the story of When Liana Was Athletic without it
being clouded by When Liana Did Plays. Both
of them occurred in the same space, and both of
them involved me, but I can’t un-learn Loomis.
I can’t remember what Chaffee looked like three
years ago, never mind seven years ago. What I
knew then has been painted a thousand times
over by what I know now.
I can’t tell you the story of how I won the
Doubles Pepsi Challenge without referencing
the soda machine (which doesn’t exist anymore)
that lived in the nook across from the Cage just
as much as I can’t tell you how it felt to write papers before interpretive sentences or to do math
without a graphing calculator or to trust that
everyone I ever met would be at least empathetic. I am off to a 25,000 student college in a
40,000 student university in the middle of a city
populated by 8,000,000 people because I can’t
un-learn Loomis. I won’t ever have an experience like this one again, and I don’t want to try.
For what it was, Loomis is as good as it gets.
Loomis Chaffee Log
JUNE 8, 2012
PAGE B5
The life aquatic with Izzy Kornblatt ‘12
Learning from
four years of
swimming and
water polo
Sometime in the later years of my
elementary school career, I decided
that since other sports weren’t working out, I’d become a swimmer like my
mother before me. Swimming led in
the 9th grade to water polo, which is
more violent and also more fun than
swimming, and that lasted me up until
this fall. (I think I’m done now.) The
thing about swimming, and, to a lesser
extent, water polo, is that it requires a
really extraordinary level of stamina.
And the formula for stamina proved
easy for me to follow: come to practice
+ follow instructions, though once
after swim practice during sophomore
year, my coach Mr. Seebeck pulled
me aside and told me that I had to put
something of my own into the workout, that I had to push myself without
his prodding.
The long and short of the matter
is that I quit swimming and joined
afterschool debate instead. This was
a year later, and more immediately
motivated by a desperate need for
some free time, but it nonetheless
followed from my talk with Seebs:
I knew that if I were going to continue, I would need to invest myself
in the sport, and after delaying and
ruminating and agonizing, I decided
I couldn’t or wouldn’t do it.
My last swim meet was the 2010
New England boys’ championship
meet, held just after the start of spring
break on a Sunday at Hotchkiss, in
Lakeville, CT, way too far away. I can’t
remember whether I swam in more
than one event at the meet. Swim
meets tend to produce, at least in me,
a sort of warm lethargy: wrapped in a
heavy, soft parka, I languished, halfwatching the races in front of me, half
drawn into sleep, worrying that my
torpor would affect my performance.
I don’t know if it was my sluggishness
or a failure on my part to have properly
invested myself in my coaches’ taper
practice routines or a failure on their
part to design those routines well or
something else entirely, but for whatever reason, the one event I remember
swimming that day did not go well.
Some background on this event: the
500-yard race, or just the 500, a hellish
10 laps (or 20 pool lengths) had been
my event all season. I was by no means
anywhere close to being particularly
good at it, but I could do it and so I did
do it. Swimming the 500, the longest
race in our league, is torture. I got
through it by telling myself how much
I hated it—over and over and over. You
judge your performance as you go by
how ragged your lungs feel, how much
you dread having to hold your breath
for yet another disorienting flip turn,
how sluggish your arms feel, how close
Izzy Kornblatt is a three-year day
senior from Northampton, MA. He
served as an Editor in Chief of the Log
and Debate Society president this year.
you are to passing out.
I had made some progress over
the course of the season. I swam the
500 almost every meet without much
improvement, until, finally, I had a
breakthrough of sorts at the Founders
League championship the week before
New Englands. My heat had just three
swimmers in it, one of whom was positioned in the lane right next to me and
seeded just behind me: it was going to
be close. For eight surprisingly notpainful laps, we swam neck-and-neck,
and then I pulled ahead and sprinted
down the last length of the race and
hit the wall in first place—and realized
that I still had a lap to go. So I turned
around and swam as fast as I possibly
could, now hopelessly far behind my
competitor, and I finished in second
place. I had set a personal record by 17
seconds.
Seebs and Mr. Pond were fairly
pleased with me: despite having really
terribly embarrassed myself, I had
finally shown
that given the
right competitive conditions, I could
overcome my
worrisome tendency to hold back from
going all-out. I had potential.
So I considered that potential as I,
legs shaved, head squeezed into a rubber cap, goggles too-tight (I always had
a morbid fear of having my goggles fall
off at the beginning of the 500), stood
on the starting block for what I would
later realize was my last swim race ever.
Per usual, at the forefront of my mind
were worries, not ambition, and I’m
not just referring to goggles falling off:
I feared slipping off the block when I
went to dive (that did happen once,
and it was predictably awful), I feared
losing track of my laps again, I feared
slipping on the tile wall during my flip
turn, crashing into a lane line, etc. I
even feared, a bit, diving into the cold
water, which after hours of warm sluggishness was always a major shock.
It would be difficult for me to overstate just how unpleasant a race this
was. I felt heavy and out-of-breath. I
had a maddeningly strong desire for
the race just to be over. Done. Forever.
Living with PILD
Continued from page B1
it? The time between leaving the Snug
and getting to your room was a blur. All
you could recognize was the amazing
feeling of relaxation as your head hit
the pillow and someone turned out the
lights.
The next morning you woke up feeling
amazingly well-rested and very calm.
You stretched your arms out and yawned,
accidentally knocking your phone off
your desk and onto the linoleum floor.
Through squinted eyes, you read the
clock: 8:32 AM. You jolted up. You
started flipping out. Your mind raced.
What class do I have first period? Maybe I
can send someone a text to let the teacher
know I’m coming. Should I deep? With
one leg in your pants and a shirt haphazardly thrown on backwards it hit you:
Today is a Sunday. No classes.
This situation can occur on a variety of
different non-school days and in a variety
of different settings. Be particularly concerned if you find yourself in a situation
such as the one previously mentioned
if you are either a) a boarder at home
or b) any student over the summer. The
point is that if you have Internal-LoomisSchedule-Self-Programming-MorningFreakout-itis, especially in one of those
two situations, then you have very good
reason to worry that you are showing
symptoms of PILD. (Also note that this
Internal Loomis Schedule Self-Programming includes being forever conscious
of the 7:45 PM and 11:30 PM check-in
times.)
Internal Loomis Schedule SelfProgramming is one of the very few
symptoms of PILD that Loomis students
actually exhibit through their actions and
behaviors (e.g. leaping out of bed and
grabbing random books at 8:30 AM for
no reason). The more severe symptoms
of PILD are entirely mental and therefore
need to be self-identified and –diagnosed:
The first day of Carter Dorm orientation in September 2008, I sat squished
sweatily in the common room between
Sojin Kim ‘12 and Hayley Root ‘12. I
As I gasped for breath after finishing,
I looked up at the scoreboard and saw
that I hadn’t even come close to besting
my record from the week before.
There is something very depressing
that underlies boarding school life, not
something that’s always visible or even
always present, but something serious
nonetheless. It has to do with the fact
that there are freshmen who take the
SAT and aim eventually to score 2400,
and with the way so many extracurricular participants are so obviously
motivated by their own college applications (I’m thinking StuCo candidates
and Log editors and community
service-doers and debaters and prefects
and RAs, etc.). But it’s not just about
college applications; it’s about
total self-interest—this
idea of trying in some
way to get ahead via
involvement in every
single offering these
schools present.
Education is
a race and
boarding
schools
somewhat addicting and difficult to resist, so much so that if you’re anything
like me you have to try desperately
hard to remember that there are experiences and connections that matter in
more meaningful ways.
Boarding schools, at their worst
moments, are a total distillation of this
conception of life as just a series of
stages leading… nowhere, really, or at
least nowhere good. Parents send their
kids off to a sort of trial-college where
they’re faced with an obstacle course
of hoops to jump through and if they
do so before everyone else, then they
get into a good college and get ahead
in life. It’s all made much worse by
the ways these schools spend so many
much time congratulating themselves
on the pretense that they’re in fact preparing kids for meaningful existences
when they’re obviously and totally
complicit in this growing hyper-competitiveness of education. They often
reward the system-players with prizes
and leadership positions and invitations to honors teas and yet they seem
not even to know that this is a problem
or that it’s so disturbing.
I don’t know of anyone on my water
polo team at Loomis who played to get
Graphic by Juwon Jun ‘14 for the Loomis Chaffee Log
exist to prepare you for college, to give
a leg up, to encourage this sad sort of
ambition, this total obsequiousness to
the system. It’s a way of life, and it’s just
downright bad. It cheapens experience.
Consider life as a series of stages
where you’re presented with a choice
of doors, each representing one action
you could take: when you act you
choose one door from many and you
open it and then you’re confronted
with a whole new choice of many
doors, but fewer this time, and so on
until you’re eventually you’re left with
just one door to choose and a million
missed opportunities. That seems so
depressing because it removes from the
equation the experience of each stage
and instead makes each nothing more
than a route to the next—precisely
the problem with the education-asrace mindset. The mindset is, though,
ahead or to put the sport on college
applications: the feeling of the entire
thing was communal and generally
very palatable. And so it is for other
reasons that I felt a bit uncomfortable
playing.
This is probably a good time for
me to be upfront about something I
maybe haven’t always been upfront
about: I never did score a goal in a
water polo game. No, not ever, not in
four years. Yes, I’m embarrassed about
it... all right, there’s no need to spend
too much time on this. I’ll just note
that I came close to scoring on several
occasions, and on several of them I
did actually get the ball into the goal,
just there was a foul or a turnover or
something. Whatever. And senior year
I definitely would have scored on JV
if I hadn’t been moved up to varsity.
The point is that I was never much of
crossed my arms nervously in my lap
and tried to adjust my feet to a comfortable position on the floor. My toenails
scratched irritatingly against the shedding carpet and Lindsay Gabow ‘12 kept
fidgeting and elbowing my leg. Each time
she did, she turned to me, giggled and
failed in an attempt to whisper in a very
peculiar voice, “WHOOPS, MY BAD!”
At the time, I awkwardly laughed and
tried to choke out some form of recognition and acceptance, though I’m fairly
sure I never actually made a sound. I
surveyed the room as Ms. Petrillo ran
through the list of Loomis rules, or
rather laws, by which I would have to live
my life for the next four years. Lindsay
Maier idly picked at her hair’s split ends.
Annabel Hess picked at her nails. If you
were to check the collective pulse of the
room, I am pretty sure it ranged somewhere between that of a typical nursing
home and that of a morgue. It was quite
clear that Ms. P had lost the attention of
a vast majority of the girls, until, that is,
she cleared her throat, and finally told us
what a “deuce” is.
From that point of enlightenment
on, I suffered the extreme severity of
judging my life on the Loomis Leveling
Spectrum, the most haunting symptom
of PILD.
To figure out if you suffer from the
mental plague of considering how any
and all personal activities outside of
school would be perceived by the deans
back here on the Island, review your
away-from-Loomis thought processes.
When you’re in a car at home, do you
ever have momentary heart failure and
panic at the idea that you might not
have a per to be in that vehicle with that
driver? Three-week restriction! Wearing a strapless dress? Saturday night
study hall! You drank all the milk in the
refrigerator but told your brother that
you didn’t? Deuce! If you’re constantly
considering the Loomis punishments for
your actions, you most definitely have
incorporated the Loomis Leveling Spectrum into your lifestyle and undeniably
suffer from PILD.
Now think back to freshman year,
before the deans took over your internal
behavior judgment. Gabow, freshman
year, when you shouted across Purdy’s
Harkness table every day of spring term
to alert Mattie Thomas of the fact that
she boasted too much cleavage, you lied.
She really didn’t have that much cleavage.
Level 2? Annabel, Zoe, Melanie, when
we put our feet in our doorways to lay in
a water polo powerhouse. I did fancy
myself a good defender, though, which
proved a fairly effective way of allowing me not to confront the sorry truth
about my total lack of water polo ability until just recently.
Anyway, sophomore and junior
years I was trying to brush up my
water polo in the presence of a fairly
supportive team by modeling myself
after some stellar teammates. There
was Sam Broda, whose generally
impeccable and I think preternatural
togetherness in all situations both
polo-related and not made him slightly
godly in my eyes. And Jamil Hashmi,
with his audacity and rather extraordinary ability to wrangle his way past
just about anyone in the pool. But
most memorable was Addison Wright,
whose somewhat aggressive physical
confidence I initially mistook for cocksureness, and whose all-around water
polo domination wowed me for three
years straight.
Later I learned that all three of these
brilliant players began playing my
sophomore year, i.e. a year after I did.
I tried to emulate their ability to make
sudden, brilliant decisions. I studied
their rapid-fire shots, their cleanly
executed drives across the pool, their
smooth, effortless ball-handling. Water
polo, like every other true sport, is
elegant: it has a clear, physical-object
victory in the form of goals, and there’s
a certain grace in the skillful pursuit of
victory. Good teams operate like decidedly human machines (only in sports
is “human machine” not an oxymoron), made up of fine-tuned, flexible
parts working in a sort of symphonic
harmony. I think the reason sports
descriptions like that one so often
devolve into hackneyed clichés and
mixed metaphors (sorry) is that what
I’m describing really is that graceful
and that dramatic and that universal—
you know what I’m talking about.
There was, for instance, this one
game sophomore year against powerhouse Suffield Academy, one of those
schools whose teams always seemed to
trounce us no matter how we practiced
or what we planned. What would happen was that we’d just sort of fall apart
in the water, and it was always painfully apparent that 28 minutes of play
was going to feel a hell of a lot longer
than that. But this game was different.
After a fairly typical first quarter of
many Suffield goals and few of ours,
we (and I do not mean me; I was blissfully still on JV at this point) just came
together and started fighting—well.
Our plays were as peripatetic as ever
but willfully so: passes hit their marks,
drives had purpose, goals went in. The
final score, according to the Loomis
website, was Suffield 10, Loomis 6, but
it felt so much closer.
Even though I was always a bystander to these ephemeral moments
of greatness, I liked water polo and I
knew I wouldn’t quit. So when I got
just too busy, I decided swimming had
to go. I told Seebs I was quitting and
he nodded sagely and so the next day
I showed up after school to a classroom in the science center to practice
debate.
I want to spend as little time here
the hall and then continued to assert that
we could not be penalized for being out
of our rooms when technically our feet
were in them, we obstructed community
peace. Level 2? Freshman year, we knew
nothing. Freshman year, 8:10 AM meant
no more to us than any other time of
the day. Freshman year, we desperately
needed someone to put us on a schedule
and teach us to think of how we affect
those around us with our actions. Maybe
keeping the deans’ punishments in mind
isn’t such a bad thing.
And so, LC students, now that you can
easily diagnose yourself with PILD, I bid
you the best of luck in quickly transitioning through Ms. Duell’s sacred KublerRoss Five Stages of Grief to reach full-on
acceptance of your PILD existence.
And Christian and Izzy, I deeply regret
failing to follow your request that I not
write about a “universal truth” in this
essay, but facts are facts. I simply cannot
deny what is indeed, a universal truth
for Loomis students: we all have Post
Intensive Loomis Disorder and we all
needed to endure the process of contracting the disease in order to thrive in the
real world. But do not fear. We are all in
this together and looking back decades
later, we’ll miss it.
DEPARTING FACULTY & STAFF
PAGE B6
June 8, 2012
Sue Billera
Positions Held: Administrative Assistant
Started: 1984
Plans for Next Year: Enjoy retirement and
possibly do some volunteer work for the
Community Center in South Windsor
where we live, plus do some traveling to
see family and friends.
Memorable Moment: What stands out
is seeing my first spring flood in 1985 and
watching the Island go underwater. I actually saw a mini barn as well as a couple of
cows floating down the swollen meadows
(all from a farmer living near the river
in Windsor). The only way in and out of
campus was through Island Rd.
Additional Info: I will certainly miss my
interaction with students and faculty and
their children. Loomis Chaffee will hold a
special place in my heart.
ALison Burr
Positions Held: Director, Associate Director of the College Office
Started: 1986
Plans for Next Year: Well, I’m eight years
from retirement and, while it may sound
odd, I’m not prepared. Loomis is a 24/7
commitment (which I’ve loved) but I need
a job now that will allow me more time to
find or rediscover interests, hobbies (photography, gardening, birding, needlework,
museum-going) so I have things to enjoy
when I do retire.
Memorable Moment: What have made
my years at Loomis so special are all the
little moments of connection between
students and faculty. Our job as faculty is
to guide young people to be more confident students and people. Certainly this
growth happens in the formal setting of
the classroom, but it also happens in the
little moments: it’s the compliment to the
very shy student who just got up and made
an announcement in front of the whole
student body, the praise for a student for a
stunning piece of art or an amazing soccer
play.
Tricia Chambers
Positions Held: History teacher, Student
Council adviser, Faculty Representative
Started: 2008
Plans for Next Year: Two-year program
at Columbia and the London School of
Economics earning Master’s degrees in
International and World History
Memorable Moment: Tuesday nights in
Founders Lounge with Student Council.
In my two years working with this group,
I have come to respect how committed
so many LC students are to making this
school the very best that it can be.
Kari Diamond ‘97
Positions Held: Director of the Parent
Annual Fund, Director of Reunion Giving,
Dorm Affiliate in Carter, Dorm Resident
in Mason, Faculty Representative, Class
Adviser
Started: 2003
Plans for Next Year: I will be working for
my family’s business in Springfield. It is
called Astro Chemicals and is a chemical
distribution company.
Memorable Moment: There are so many
wonderful moments. In a way I’ve grown
up here, having been a student and then
coming back as a young adult and now an
adult. I have made lifelong friends during
my time here and feel extremely lucky to
have been a part of this community.
Deirdre Dyreson
Positions Held: Dormhead of Ammidon
Hall, Chair of the Community Playground
project
Started: 2006
Plans for Next Year: Next year I will be
full-time at Farmington, teaching personal
finance and marketing. I’m also looking
forward to being able to devote more time
working with a wonderful group of people
who were and are part of the Admission
Office during my years at Loomis Chaffee.
sara gershman ‘14 / Loomis chaffee log
From left to right: Mercedes Maskalik, Alison Burr, Betsy Tomlinson, Gail Ryan, Sue Billera, Kathy Pierson, Frank Merrill, Rosemarie Quattropani, Kari Diamond ‘97, Ruthanne Marchetti, Mara Lytle, Paulette Studley, Tricia Chambers
to my sons, Carter and Tate.
Memorable Moment: It is probably the
same moment, six times. I really enjoyed
seeing the new girls come to the dorm each
year, who were nervous and unsure about
how the year would turn out.
Additional Info: I am so proud of the
positive culture we have built in Ammidon
over the past six years.
ShaRon Flannery ‘82
Positions Held: Director of the Parents
Annual Fund, Director of Gift Planning,
Major Gifts Officer, and Assoc. Dir. of
Reunion Programs.
Started: 2003
Plans for Next Year: I hope to enjoy this
summer at the Cape with my family, and to
take my mom to Italy for 2 weeks in September in celebration of her 70th birthday.
Memorable Moment: It’s not so much a
moment, but how much I’ve enjoyed working at LC while my son has been a student.
As a freshman, I barely got the head-nod
from William [Fierston ‘12] when passing
him in the Quad. Now, as a senior, he visits
my office even when I’m not here, to rummage through the fridge and cabinets for
sodas and snacks.
Additional Info: Jilly and Maggie have
loved the attention they’ve received at LC!
Katherine Keen
Positions Held: Associate Director of
Counseling, Director of the Peer Counseling Program
Started: 2010
Plans for Next Year: I will be moving to
Denver, CO to be with a fantastic person.
I will be doing as much outdoor recreating
as possible and I hope to be Director of my
summer camp someday!
Memorable Moment: The moments I
like best are when students come to talk
because they want to learn more about
themselves, the relationships in their lives,
the world they live in.
Memorable Moment: Picking out one
memorable moment from a long line-up is
near impossible, but I do fondly remember
the surprise end-of-term party thrown
by my fall term Creative Writing class...
Or any number of RJ Paige fist pumps
mid-English lecture... Or the terrific ethical
proclamations of Payge Kerman during
Frankenstein discussions. I could go on,
but I’ll get all choked up.
RUTHANNE MARCHETTI
Positions Held: Palmer dorm head, Dean,
Counselor, Peer Counseling adviser
Started: 1981
Plans for Next Year: Taking some good
advice from my father, who had a long,
happy retirement, I hope to take the first
year to simply learn how to find my own
rhythm before plunging into another busy
and structured life.
Memorable Moment: I am proud that in
the 1980s Loomis Chaffee hosted the first
New England boarding school conference
addressing the need for schools to learn
and understand more about homosexuality and homophobia. The committee
feared that no school would host such a
meeting, but then-Head of School John
Ratte not only agreed to host the conference at LC but also wrote a letter to many
heads of schools in the New England area
explaining the importance of this effort.
His courage and commitment helped us to
advance an important cause.
MercedeS Maskalik
Positions Held: Web Content Editor and
Writer, Social Media Manager
Started: 2007
Plans for Next Year: Director of Marketing
and Communications at The Renbrook
School
Memorable Moment: Halloween 2008.
Several of the girls dressed up as me
(a very pregnant me) with high heels,
makeup, and baby bump!
Additional Info: I began a whole new
Mara lytle
chapter of my life here. I remember
Positions Held: History teacher, Dean
screaming with glee with the girls in
Started: 1990
Ammidon the day my (now) husband proPlans for Next Year: I will be the Dean
posed. I was married in the Chapel (Faith
of Students of the Upper School at the
played the violin and Patricia Cousins took
Lincoln School
my wedding photos). Chet’s art hung on
Memorable Moment: I will always cherish the walls at my wedding reception at an art
the memory of canoeing on the flooded
gallery in West Hartford, and Keller Glass
meadows at sunset many springs ago.
was my DJ.
This campus is so incredibly beautiful and
restorative. I cannot imagine a more idyllic Frank Merrill
place to work and live.
Positions Held: Chairman of the Mathematics department, Director of Studies,
Erinrose Mager
Faculty Representative
Positions Held: English teacher, Faculty
Started: 1974
Advisor to the Log
Plans for Next Year: We (Alice and I) plan
Started: 2010
to travel some and spend time with our
Plans for Next Year: I plan to devote a few son and grandchildren in LA. We always
years to graduate studies in creative writing spend our summers in Maine, so retirein New York. After that? I’ll probably try to ment will let us travel during the rest of the
write a novel and fail. Then—and this goes year.
without saying—I’ll go back to teaching.
Memorable Moment: Certainly receiving
The life aquatic
as possible on debate, so I’ll just leave
you with a few observations and insights
three years of competitive prep school
debate (both as a sport and not) have
led me to: (1) An unfortunate number
of the people who join debate at Loomis
and elsewhere do so almost entirely out
of self-interest, to put it on college applications and/or just to try to get ahead
by being involved. This means that the
debate team, for all its good qualities, has
none of the team spirit of, say, the swim
team, and so I came to miss that very
fiercely. (2) You may have noticed that
there is a rather high level of pretentiousness surrounding boarding schools. Well
that gets magnified at DANEIS (prep
school debate league) tournaments,
where a very prominent minority of our
peer schools’ debaters exude this really
extraordinary level of wonkish condescension that would put me into these
tense anti-intellectual moods that could
last for hours. I think they reminded
Loomis Chaffee Log
me of the very worst parts of myself. (3)
Loomis debate coach Curt Robison may
be the smartest person I’ve ever met and
is entirely unpretentious and a model of
what debaters should be—understanding, open-minded, interested in ideas.
This cannot be overstated. (4) Success in
debate should be seen as a means rather
than an end, viz. debate teaches clear
and well-structured thinking that breeds
good writing, but prep school debate victories on their own can feel a bit hollow.
And lastly (5): The debaters of the
Connecticut Debate Association, who
hail mostly from the public schools of
this great state, are a truly sincere and
spirited and intelligent bunch, and my
big regret is not having gone to more of
their tournaments.
Since reporting is hard and good reporting is very hard, I figured I’d cut out
the middleman and just ask my mother,
Anne Kornblatt, to tell the story of her
own swimming career in fewer than ten
sentences:
I began swimming late, at the age of six.
I was afraid of the water, afraid to leave
the wall and the hands of my swimming
instructors. But one day I did leave the
wall, and I swam, a remarkably nice
freestyle for someone who had never lifted
her feet off the bottom of the pool before
that. I joined one not-very-good swim
team and then I was sent to one of the
two best teams in Baltimore, which was
located at an all-boys school—girls had to
change their clothes in the boiler room. I
was a backstroker and an IM-er, and was
seeded either first or second in the Baltimore region in my main events. I swam
on Michael Phelps’s team, this a number of
years before Phelps joined. The coach was
a mean guy, and the pressure that he put
on me was tremendous and so at the age
of thirteen I quit. But when I got to college
I decided to swim again, and the second
time around I enjoyed the experience
much more since I didn’t care very much
about winning.
I remember in my grandparents’
the Teacher of the Year Award was very
special. Teaching in France for a year is
another memory that I will always cherish.
Additional Info: In the mid-80s I was
honored by the mathematics department
of the University of CT for excellence in
teaching math. The honor came with a
$1000.00 check.
CHRIS MILLIGAN
No information provided
Laura Milligan ‘99
Positions Held: Van driver, life coach,
locksmith, janitor, nurse, chef, prison
guard, mom - teacher, advisor, coach,
dorm faculty
Started: 2008
Plans for Next Year: Write a book, be a
movie star, run for office, and learn to play
the guitar
Memorable Moment: Meeting Marlo
McGriff [McGriff, a close friend of the
Milligans, is Mr. Pukstas’s husband]
WILLIAM PAUL
Positions Held: Engineer
Started: 1986
Plans for Next Year: I plan to enjoy my
retirement. And I guess I’ll have to get to
all that work around the house.
Memorable Moment: The school’s 75th
anniversary celebration. I couldn’t find a
sitter for my son so he came and watched
the fireworks in the meadows.
Kathy Pierson
Positions Held: Mathematics teacher,
Head of Math Competitions, Department
Head, Faculty Representative.
Started: 1971
Plans for Next Year: We are moving to
Maine where we have a house in Saco that
is on the ocean. I look forward to having time to read, I want to get back on
the other side of the desk and take some
courses through the Maine Senior University program, and I’d like to get involved in
the community.
Memorable Moment: A faculty meeting
in the 70’s when we spent an hour discussing the definition of “torn blue jeans”! An
Algebra I student of mine was trying to
cheat regularly, and if he didn’t succeed,
he failed the assessment. I called him in
and told him that I could turn him in for
cheating, but I would rather address why
he needed to cheat. I suspected a learning
disability, and I was correct. He was so
grateful that he became my advisee for his
last three years.
Rosemarie Quattropani
Positions Held: Administrative Assistant
in the Admission Office
Started: 1995
Plans for Next Year: To enjoy my family
and anything interesting that may come
my way.
Memorable Moment: I have enjoyed
old house a whole wall of ribbons and
trophies—all my mom’s. My grandparents were proud of them, but when they
moved to an apartment, they couldn’t
find room for them anymore, and so they
offered them to my mother, who kept just
a few and tossed the rest. I haven’t seen
the few she kept in years. They’re probably on top of a bookshelf somewhere,
accumulating dust. In any case, it was my
mom who recommended I join a swim
team.
Swimming requires none of the judgment or courage of, say, baseball or water
polo. It is simply grueling and therefore
easy on the fearful and neurotic. I could
handle the one-, two-, and even threehour practices and I could suffer the
boredom of infinitely longer meets. This
world of repetition, of bus rides to what
must be every halogen-lit concrete box
pool in all of New England, of waiting
and lethargy and training, actually suited
me pretty damn well. I learned how to
maneuver my mind into a dull place
between thinking and sleeping during
practices. I learned to occupy the long
drives by trying, with the help of iPod
music and a monotonous but somehow
JOHN ROBISON ‘05
Positions Held: Fac brat, Student, Philosophy teacher, Music teacher
Started: 2010
Plans for Next Year: I’m beginning a PhD
program in Philosophy this fall, so, should
all go well, I’ll be keeping myself busy with
that for the next five years or so. Really,
the things I want to do in my life are these
things: 1) spend lots of time pursuing truth
and clarity, 2) spend lots of time writing
and playing music, and 3) spend lots of
time with people and other creatures I care
about.
Memorable Moment: The time I’ve spent
with my family, friends, colleagues and students at Loomis has been deeply meaningful for me.
Gail Ryan
Positions Held: Librarian, Associate Director of the Katharine Brush Library
Started: 1992
Plans for Next Year: I plan to enjoy my
retirement by continuing my work on the
Simsbury Public Library Board of Trustees
as well as spending more time training,
showing and working my English setters in
the field.
Memorable Moment: Every time I help a
student learn to search for and discover the
information he or she needs is memorable.
MARY SAND
Positions Held: Music teacher
Started: 2002
Memorable Moment: Fostering the
growth of the LC Flute Choir was a great
experience.
WILLIAM SAND
Positions Held: Director of the Concert
Band
Started: 1999
Memorable Moment: I really enjoyed
mentoring student conductors over the
years.
Alicia Specht
Positions Held: Advanced Precalculus
teacher, Statistics teacher, girls’ III soccer
coach, club B basketball coach, girls’ JV
tennis coach, Harman Dorm affiliate
Started: 2011
Plans for Next Year: Applied Mathematics
Graduate Program at Notre Dame
Memorable Moment: The first time I
helped one of the Harman girls study for
a math test while I was on duty and a few
days later she ran up to me out of the blue
and gave me a huge hug because she had
earned an A.
Paulette Studley
Positions Held: English teacher
Started: 2011
Betsy Tomlinson
Positions Held: Associate Director of Admission, Head of Harman Hall, Director
of International Students and Off-campus
Programs, Head of Dorm Life Committee,
Sophomore Class Adviser
Started: 1997
Plans for Next Year: I hope to have the opportunity to lead more student trips to the
developing world.
Memorable Moment: I can’t pick one moment – it’s more of a blurring of memories
of generations of girls living in Harman
Hall. From late night snacks to pancake
breakfasts, hundreds of girls have spent
hours laughing (and sometimes crying)
around my dining room table and on my
red couch.
Compiled by Christian Bermel ‘12,
Sojin Kim ‘12 and Izzy Kornblatt ‘12
moving view of lane after lane of highway
traffic, traffic framed by dazzling sunsets
or heavy whorls of clouds, to summon
some sort of dramatic and fulfilling mental montage of my life.
I remember each of those concrete
boxes. Hotchkiss’s is huge and skylit and
airy. Andover’s is old. Ours is also old
but I’ve developed a soft spot for it. For
a while Suffield’s was just plain gross but
it got a very thorough facelift and now
it too is light and airy. Deerfield’s has a
tower. Williston’s is kind of cramped.
Yes, an actual tower, as in a look-upbecause-there’s-a-big-open-spire-abovethis-pool-type tower. Some involved
investigation on my part during a
particularly uneventful swim meet failed
to uncover its function, but later Seebs,
in all his infinite English teacher wisdom,
explained to me that it’s a phallic symbol.
There were also the chicken-parmand-caesar-salad team dinners and
Mr. DeConinck practices, particularly
torturous and yielding of serious results.
There were races I really did do well in.
There were 20-minute diving breaks.
And there was much goggle-fogging and
REFLECTIONS
Loomis Chaffee Log
‘One final push’
Impulsivity: my lucky charm
JUNE 8, 2012
A paean to Loomis Chaffee cross
country by Jake Verter ‘12
Sprinting up a hill shoulder to shoulder, all I can
hear are the soft thuds of feet coming into contact
with the ground and my heart pounding in my ears.
We reach the crest, lungs heaving, and pick up our
conversation again.
Everyone should run cross country. I pursue
the sport not to stay in shape or to garner medals
and trophies. Rather, I do it for the people I see at
practice every day. While cross country is technically an individual sport, the most fulfilling aspect
for me is working with my sixty teammates. We
improve each other not only as athletes but also as
people.
Cross country played a vital role in my socialization into life at Loomis. Probably the smartest
decision I made here was to come to preseason
my first year. As a new sophomore, I didn’t know
a single person on the Island, and I was apprehensive about finding a place in a social world
that was well underway before I arrived. Within
three days I had learned every person’s name on
the team, and a dozen of the fellows I met in those
first few hours after my arrival have become lasting friends.
I hear the crinkling of a lollipop wrapper, the dull
scratch of graphite on paper, the bubbling of a water
bottle being emptied two seats down from me. This
is practice: not only for athletics, but also for life.
There may be something unique to this sport
that fosters friendships. Part of it, I imagine,
has something to do with the ability to chat with
someone you’re jogging alongside. But it’s more
than the conversation — the benefits of running
on the team extend far beyond the added Facebook friends and acquaintances to nod to across
the quad. This sense of camaraderie and support pervades our every interaction. We do not
compete against each other: no one pushes ahead
to beat out a teammate or rushes out to lead the
pack. Rather, we work together to keep everyone
on pace, helping each other to get faster. This
cooperative attitude reaches out into other regions
of our lives; before I ran, I studied in isolation, and
believed that I was strong to refuse help and manage life independently. But as the seasons rolled by,
I came to learn that people are at their best when
they are a part of a collective enterprise: communities are greater than the sum of their parts, and
a person can often achieve more as part of a team
than he or she can individually.
Chests rising, our bodies packed together like
vegetables to market, we toe the line at the top of the
hill. Then there is dead silence. A shot echoes in my
ears and suddenly I am flying — the race has begun. The support of the community drives you to excel
as an individual. Through practice, runners help
each other to become stronger, fleeter and fitter,
but it is on race day that we grow the most. Here,
the pressure is on the individual. Teamwork aside,
on the course you ultimately are alone, and the
only way to succeed in such a circumstance is to
follow Socrates’s dictum “Know thyself.” In the
end, those runners who perform the greatest are
those who are truest to themselves. Perhaps the
first mile in a race you run with a teammate, but
if you let up the pace he won’t slow down to stay
with you, and if you go faster he may not be able to
keep up. In a race you have to apply what you’ve
learned in practice — how to better your form,
how most efficiently you should tackle the hill in
the second mile, what split you should hear after
rounding the trail at the three-mile mark. Practicing with a team also gives you the courage to face
your toughest, cruelest, most demanding competitor — yourself. As runners we strive to beat our
Jake Verter is a three-year boarding student from
Williamstown, MA. He served as an Opinion Editor
for the Log.
agonizing about water temperature. Plus,
skipped flipped turns, relay starts, brittle
hair, sloppy flip turns under the watchful eye of Mr. Pond, hot tubs only for
divers (not fair), speedos, cringe-worthy
but great cheers, colorful meet write-ups
(thanks, of course, to Seebs), more losses
than wins, handshakes, pungent chlorine
smell, countless nights of the very best
sleep ever, etc.; I really do miss swimming.
It took me a while to fit all of those
little things together in my mind to get
a vaguely coherent picture of the whole
experience, and to see what’s so important about it. To understand you need
to keep in mind the life schedule of a
typical Loomis student: classes from
8:30 to 3:20 on weekdays plus on occasional Saturdays, tons of homework and
extracurriculars in the evening and on
weekends, and then study hall until 10 at
night. And you have to remember what
I said before about the way education is
treated like a very disturbing race, i.e.
the typical Loomis student is under an
extraordinary amount of pressure all the
time to pile up AP classes and SAT scores
and extracurricular activities just to get
ahead, whatever that means.
personal bests, but we do not always succeed.
My feet feel as though they are jammed into cinder blocks, and I’m pretty sure that if I go any faster
I’ll fall on my face. The blue uniform of one of our
rivals is a blur just a few steps in front of me — one
final push and I’ll be ahead. But it isn’t enough: he
keeps his lead.
My worst race all season was at the Founders
League Championship this past fall. I was disappointed with my performance, and though I had
pushed myself as hard as I could as soon as I
crossed the finish line, I knew I had nothing left
over. I grieved over the outcome for about six
breaths, upbraiding myself for failing, and for letting the team down. But then lo, I was informed
that Loomis had actually won the meet. Yes, a race
is based on individual performance, but a meet is
judged by the cumulative scores of the entire team,
and here our practices together paid off. Everyone
has a bad race once in a while, and I know that
if this had been my sophomore year, I probably
would have been more upset. Now I know enough
to accept my setbacks and to celebrate the team
as a whole. I may not have matched my personal
best, but I helped push my teammates to exceed
theirs, and that is what brought us to victory.
Cross country has provided a foundation and a
structure for my time here at Loomis: a girder that
has given shape to my progress both as an athlete
and as a person. This is my last year in high
school, and the season is over. But I know that although I will never again race in Loomis Chaffee’s
name, each time I tie on my spikes, the memories
and experiences I was a part of on the team will
forever be with me. Hunga bunga, LCXC. We fly
high.
years of playing hockey, I had considered the
strong camaraderie on the swim team, and I
had considered what my friends and family
would think, yet still I could not make a decision. I remember walking down a hallway, still
unsure of which team to join, and seeing Mr.
Seebeck walking toward me. I remember recognizing the opportunity to make the decision
right then and I remember slowing my pace
to stall for time. But as we neared each other, I
knew what I really wanted and cut through all
the crap about other people’s expectations, and
said, “Seebs, I’m joining swimming.” To this
day, I have had no regrets about that sudden
impulse.
I also remember when my impulsiveness
led to a not-so-positive outcome. I was at a
dance and decided to ask a random girl to
dance - something the previously reserved
me would have never done. I don’t know why
but perhaps it was due to the darkness, the
flashing lights, the loud music or the combination of all three, but she did not appreciate
the dashing young fellow standing in front of
her. I remember her giving me a quick glance
and saying a curt, “No.” I remember grinning
embarrassedly and walking away to lick my
wounds. I remember then recalling how I had
sung “Build Me Up Buttercup” while dancing
in the Snug and I decided that getting rejected
wasn’t so bad after all.
I remember this past spring and the worry
over prom (one of my only worries during
Senior Spring). I could not decide on whom to
ask or how to ask. I remember coming up with
a few people I wanted to ask but not being
able to decide whom. I remember worrying
about the answers I might receive and the task
of asking in a creative way. My mom kept on
pestering me about it. My sister kept on rec-
PAGE B7
ommending people she knew. My friends kept
telling me to make a decision already.
I remember dropping my sister off at her
first period class and I remember the sudden
urge to do something right then and there.
Without per-ing out, I drove to CVS, bought
a box of Lucky Charms and put a note inside
that said, “I’d be the luckiest guy in the world
if you went to prom with me.” I remember carrying that sugary box of cereal in my backpack
the whole day, unable to decide whom I would
offer it to. I remember sitting on a bench in
the gym waiting, and when Annie Ferreira
finally walked by, I made my decision and gave
her the box. I remember reminding myself of
“Build Me Up Buttercup” just in case things
didn’t work out. I remember thinking worstcase scenario would just be taking home a
full box of Lucky Charms. Thankfully, Annie
saved me from eating all that unhealthy cereal
by myself.
A touch of impulsiveness can do a whole
lot of good. Sometimes, it’s better to be the
hare than the tortoise, to take risks and act
confidently. Sometimes, all one needs is the
opportunity to act on impulse.
I stood up from my chair. I looked at the
Jenga tower one last time and though I could
not be sure which wooden block would send
the tower toppling down if removed, I knew
that stalling would not improve my chances of
surviving the round. I reached forward with
my arm, and with a steady hand, I grabbed a
block. Would this one block be the one that
sends the tower crashing down? Would this
one block turn out to be the one that holds up
the entire tower? Would this one block be the
one that makes me lose?
I slid out the block in one swift motion.
YEAR IN PHOTOS | SPRING
Loomis Chaffee students ride in cycle rickshaws on a trip to India over spring break. The school has put an emphasis in recent years on global studies and will open
a new Center for Global Studies next year. Photo: Betsy Tomlinson.
But for swimmers—and I think most
other Loomis athletes—there are a few
afternoon hours that are different, that
are an escape from all that. In their relative simplicity, athletics transcend the depressing linearity of boarding school life:
they present an objective that is final and
unquestionable and ultimately inconsequential, to win, and athletes compete
outside the bounds of the rest of their
lives, in a state of blissful simplicity. They
take us away from that mindset of trying
to get ahead, to race through life, and allow us to exist purely within the bounds
of a given situation, free of the depressing and increasingly present concerns
of adult life, exultant. And as such they
encourage camaraderie and community,
because (generally) in sports the concept
of success is a) not a life-or-death thing
and b) secondary in an important way
to experience, and experience is in a big
way all about community.
Not all athletics at Loomis and elsewhere are as ideal as what I’m describing—certainly there are athletes who
do compete for college purposes and
the like, and certainly there are a bunch
of other problematic things about prep
school sports these days, like PG-reliance
and recruiting, but what I’m talking
about here is a feeling: the dominant
feeling of sports at Loomis is communal
and vibrant and in some deep, tough-todescribe way, soothing.
Plus, there’s the physical aspect of
things. Sports are very literally releases
of energy shaped by tremendous skill.
They are the physical manifestations of
our goals and desires and they’re beautiful and graceful and freeing. It’s hard to
describe the feeling of a water polo game
that’s just really well-played, or of a swim
race executed perfectly, or even of a solid
baseball hit. The type of beauty I’m talking about here is very much primal in
that it gets at the very fundamental idea
of beauty itself: the physical, visual quality of transcending chaos and randomness and oblivion and making some sort
of emotional sense of the world.
What all this amounts to is the simple
truth that sports allow us to forget, at
least for a moment, the confines of our
peristaltic lives and exist in a much simpler, more beautiful world. They’re vitally
important.
As for me and water polo, well, the
closest I ever came to a truly transcendent sports moment was this one time,
junior year, I think, when I happened
upon some real polo luck. We were at
that point in fall term where everything
slows to a sort of weary crawl and the
end isn’t in sight but the summer is long
gone. I was taking water polo day by
day, trying to ignore the sad prospect of
weeks more of deathly tiring practice.
Each day I made it through practice
without terribly embarrassing myself was
a victory.
On this particular day, practice was
wrapping up with an intra-team scrimmage, and the general tiredness of the
season and team made play sloppy and
even more peripatetic than usual. I was
waiting out the clock: 10 seconds of tired
floating time were all that stood between
me and a hot shower. The team I was
on (maroon team) was behind by one
goal. My location at this moment is fairly
important: I was in the nether-world
between the shallow and deep ends of the
pool, off toward the bleachers, away from
hawkish coaches and fairly inconspicuous to my teammates, treading water.
I was there because as always I was
worried, worried about having to handle
the ball, worried about having to defend
someone who had the ball, worried about
having to make a play, etc. I was con-
sciously attempting to be as marginal as
possible.
Suddenly, the ball landed in the water
in front of me. I dutifully picked it up
and hurled it in the general direction of
the goal—and in the moment I made
that throw I’m fairly certain my eyes
involuntarily closed and the halogen-lit
concrete box pool and all the drudgery
and action of polo practice went out like
a light. When I opened them I saw that
the ball’s trajectory was pitifully flat—i.e.
decidedly un-arclike and graceless and
just really tired—but still the ball landed
with a splash in front of the goal and then
it just kind of bobbed in, goalie nowhere
in sight. A good deal of excitement and
astonishment at the luck of the thing
ensued. And that’s really all it was: sheer
luck.
To settle the tie we played overtime
and the level of energy in the room finally spiked at the prospect of some wellfought polo. Practice went on for maybe
ten minutes more, and later, everyone
was still talking about my shot. I had no
idea what to make of all the attention,
but that ended up not being much of a
problem, since after that I never had to
deal with it again.
june 8, 2012
sports Year in Review
Loomis Chaffee Log
page b8
Brief interviews with hideously good athletes
interviews by Liz Titterton ‘12
John Abraham, headed to Dartmouth
College for track
Q: When did you first start playing your sport and
what role has it played in your life up until this point?
A: I didn’t start running track until my junior year.
I came to Loomis planning on committing to a college for soccer. After two weeks of track, I decided to
quit, but Austin King convinced me to stick it out for
a little longer.
Q: When did you decide you wanted to compete at
the college level and how was the recruiting process
for you?
A: I honestly had no idea what Dartmouth College
was until I came to Loomis, and I had originally expected to commit to Notre Dame for soccer. During
June of my junior year, after my first season running
track, my roommate, Mike Hiscock, dared me to
email my track times to the Ivy League schools. I decided to do it, as a joke, because I thought the schools
would laugh at my academic record and send back
a polite “Sorry, our team is full at the time” email.
However, what started as a joke ended up opening
the doors to a great college opportunity. Over my
senior summer, Dartmouth began emailing me back
about coming to do official visits at their campus. I
am very excited to work with the coach and run for
the track team next year.
Q: How was your experience at Loomis while
playing the sport? And your overall experience in
Loomis Chaffee athletics?
A: Playing Loomis soccer was an incredible experience, especially the Barcelona summer trip and
getting to play with some very talented teammates.
Thank you to Dilan for making the transition as a
new junior on the team very easy. My best friends
have been on the LC hockey team. Ty Tubinis and
Austin King were great teammates during both seasons. Track was a very stressful two seasons, but it
has certainly grown on me. Coach Purdy and Coach
Stewart really helped me become comfortable with
the sport.
Q: What impact has your sport had on your life?
A: I wouldn’t be at Loomis Chaffee if it weren’t for
sports, so they definitely have a huge impact on my
life. Being Canadian, hockey was a huge deal and
I started playing when I was barely four years old,
learning to skate when I was only two. Sports define
who I am, and I use them to get to the places where
I want to be.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish at the collegiate level in your sport?
A: Currently, I’m one of the top five Canadian
runners in my age group. My biggest goal is to get
my 100 time down to about 10.1 seconds in order
to have a shot at competing on Team Canada in the
2016 Olympics in Brazil.
John Abraham ‘12
shannon deveney ‘14 / Loomis chaffee log
Q: What are your biggest accomplishments thus
far? Favorable memories, shout-outs to teammates
or coaches, and goals for the future.
A: I have set four school records: the 100, 200, the
4 x 100 relay and the 4 x 400 relay. I was really proud
of my team for winning the Founders League title
and placing second at New England championships.
I have enjoyed being the captain for all three of my
teams and getting to work with all my teammates. I
want to thank Austin King for making me stick with
track last year. Also, thanks to Coach Purdy, Coach
Stewart, Coach Boor and Coach Hutch who was a
second father to me during my two years at Loomis.
Cally Moran ‘12 with her coach and mother Bobbi Moran and Beth Findley ‘12
Cally Moran, headed to Brown
University for field hockey
A: Ten years ago, I started playing field hockey for
fun and at camps with my mom. Freshman year I
played field on JV and goalie on varsity, and then for
my final three years at Loomis, I was the varsity goalie. I really love playing field hockey, and the thought
of not being able to do it for four more years would
be really heartbreaking.
for you?
A: During my sophomore year my mom and my
coaches started mentioning how colleges were always
looking for goalies, so I began going to tournaments
and college showcases to meet college coaches. In the
midst of my junior year, the college attention really
blossomed and I began receiving notice from bigger Division I schools. I originally wanted to go to
Yale, but after they had to scramble, last minute, to
find a goalie for the year before me, they no longer
had an open goalie spot. At a game at Andover this
past season, their coach approached me and told me
that Brown was looking for a goalie and I would be a
good match. The rest is history and I am so excited to
be playing for Brown University for the next 4 years!
I.e. how has it made you who you are today?
A: During my time in field hockey at Loomis, I
have learned to balance my relationship with my
mom on and off the field. She was a great coach and
always let other coaches yell at me when I ever made
a mistake. I have really loved being able to share the
last four years with her doing something we are both
very passionate about, and I will miss her next year.
far? Favorable memories, shout-outs to teammates
or coaches, and goals for the future.
A: I want to thank my coaches, my mother, and all
my teammates, particularly my co-captains, Chloe
Alexander and Devin Markison for giving me a great
field hockey experience. One of my most memorable games was the 2011 Williston game. They were
ranked #2 in the league and we were only ranked #7,
but the game went into overtime. There was a penalty stroke that I blocked, and then Devin took the
ball up the field and scored to win the game. I loved
getting to learn the sport of field hockey and grow
with it. I am proud of my growth as a player and
am blessed to have such incredible teammates and
coaches. I can’t wait for next year!
Devin Markison, headed to UNC for
lacrosse
A: My brothers grew up playing lacrosse, so when
I started middle school they began teaching me how
to play. My middle school didn’t have a lacrosse team,
so my town’s high school let me practice and play
scrimmages with their team. In eighth grade, I began
playing for an outside club team called Tri-State.
for you?
A: During my sophomore summer I began attending college camps and national tournaments to meet
different college coaches. As I began to go on official
college visits in my junior year, I started to feel the
pressure from my dad to commit to a school because
my brothers had committed to UVM for hockey by
their sophomore years. In December of my junior
year, I committed to University of North CarolinaChapel Hill. I liked that UNC was a big school, had
playing the sport? And you overall experience in
A: As a new sophomore, I played varsity field
hockey and JV hockey for fun in the fall and winter
seasons. I learned a lot playing lacrosse at Loomis
from Coach Parsons and an array of very talented
teammates over the years. It was incredible being
part of the undefeated, New England Champions
team my sophomore year. Coach Parsons, along
with Mr. Trenchard, really helped me with the whole
college process, and Loomis definitely academically
prepared me for the next four years.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish at
the collegiate level in your sport?
A: Lacrosse has taught me to work hard
every day in everything that I do, so I plan
to, in the words of Coach Parsons, try to
“win” each practice at UNC. I also hope
to absorb as much information as possible from the coaches so I can improve
my lacrosse skills.
photo courtesy devin markison ‘12
Devin Markison ‘12 with coach Lisa Parsons
portunity to continue playing
with in the collegiate league.
I am happy I decided to play
basketball this winter because
I met a lot of great teammates
and it has been one of my
most rewarding memories at
Loomis Chaffee.
good academics, powerhouse athletics, and a great
lacrosse coach.
How has it shaped you for who you are today?
A: Lacrosse has brought my whole family together. My sister and brothers love to play lacrosse and
watch me play as well. My dad is basically my coach and has always been there
to critique and help me with different elements of my own skills. For the past seven
years, I have been extremely passionate
about lacrosse.
Q: What are your biggest accomplishments thus far? Favorable memories,
shout-outs to teammates or coaches, and
goals for the future.
A: I am extremely proud of this year’s
girls’ lacrosse team for stepping up and
playing well after having 8 seniors graduate last year, all of who went on to play
college lacrosse. We only lost two games
the entire season, and both were to public schools. I want to give a shout-out to
Chloe Anderson for helping me with the
recruiting process and all the stress that
came with that. Also, a thank you to Katie
Mandigo and Coach Parsons!
Photo courtesy of Cally Moran ‘12
Jeff Burke, headed
to Boston College
for baseball
Q: When did you first start playing your sport
and what role has it played in your life up until this
point?
A: I started playing baseball when I was four
years old. It plays a huge role in my life because
both my dad and my grandfather owned AA Minor League teams. I basically grew up around a
baseball stadium.
Q: When did you decide you wanted to compete
at the college level and how was the recruiting process for you?
A: I decided a long time ago that I wanted to be
a “professional baseball player,” and playing Division I baseball goes along with that. After Harvard didn’t go as planned, I committed to Boston
College. Originally, I was scared of playing in the
Northeast, but it has the best sports in the country.
I like that Boston College is near the city, but has its
own campus and a great business school.
playing the sport? And you overall experience in
A: Loomis baseball has been really fun. I didn’t
know what to expect when I came to the Northeast, but I have gotten to meet a lot of wonderful
teammates and players who I hope I get the op-
photo courtesy of jeff burke ‘12
Q: What impact has your
sport had on your life? I.e.
how has it made you who you
are today?
A: Baseball has played a
huge role in my life. I moved
down to Tennessee because my
dad’s team trains down there.
Baseball is a game of failure.
If you bat .300, you’re considered a great player. Because of
this, baseball has taught me to
have a lot of patience and perseverance despite a seemingly
bad situation.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish at the collegiate level in your sport?
A: Of course, I would like the BC team to win
as many games as possible, and I would like to
contribute to this success by pitching well. Being
able to win a National Championships at the collegiate level would also be an incredible feat. By
my junior or senior year, I hope to be drafted by a
Minor League team and eventually work myself up
to play in the Majors. Long-term goal: play for the
best MLB team, the Red Sox.
far? Favorable memories, shout-outs to teammates or coaches, and goals for the future.
A: One of my favorite basketball memories was
the Hotchkiss game in which the entire team came
together and defeated the Bearcats despite the
odds being against us. During baseball season, our
victory over Avon Old Farms was amazing because
everyone thought they would beat us because they
were considered to be the best team in the league.
On a personal level, I have been blessed with a few
accolades such as being in the Tennessee State Final Four after not having a high ranking to start
the season.
I would like the give a thank you to my basketball and baseball coaches and teammates for dealing with me and making me an all-around better
player. You have all helped me get where I wanted
to be in athletics. Also, a special thank you to Ms.
Sapula and the rest of the training staff for putting
up with me during my concussion.
Prize Winners
pages C2-C4
june 8, 2012
commencement
2012
Loomis Chaffee Log
John Brendan Abraham
Abigail H. Adams
Kelsey P. Adamson
Francis Adjei Afriyie
Chloe S. Alexander
Chloe E. Anderson
Gabriela L. Angelini
Stewart Anoya
Philip Aristotle Apelles
James Atkinson
Antoine Audet
David Russell Balise
David Charles Barnes
Samuel E. Bellock
Christian Joseph Bermel
Dartmouth College
University of Chicago
Williams College
Columbia University
College of William and Mary
Tulane University
Albion College
Queen’s University
Bucknell University
Occidental College
Nazareth College
Washington University in St. Louis
Dickinson College
University of Hartford
Brown University
College Matriculation
Kelvin J. Gonzalez
AsiaSol Goring
Ellis Perkins Gould
Thomas Michael Budd
Jeffrey Burke
Ashlee A. Burris
Kevin Caba
Dilan Casanovas Mack
Scott Lane Casher
Kimberly Jo Casillas
Daniel C. Chan
Aaron Chen
Jeffrey Ricardo Chin
Ransom Woo-jong Chin
Nayon Cho
Samson Ka Keung Chow
Robert Nicholas Citrone
Riley David Clark-Long
Nathaniel C. Cleveland
Theodore C. Cleveland
Sarah Margaret Coco
Kayla Shirley Coley
Spencer W. Congero
Dylan Gunn Connelly
Richard Frederick Conway
Kyrstin Ann Coughlin
Ellen Cui
Erin L. Currey
Zoe Claire Cushman
Michael John Danielczuk
Jaclyn Elizabeth Davis
Joseph Allen Denea
Breana Ruth Derella
Alexis Julia Ditomassi
Ha Mi Do
William Charles Doran
John Drew
Evan J. Duffy
Jonelle T. Dunkley
Patrick Devin Dunn
Christopher M. Edwards
Ahmed El Meleegy
Peter E. Falsey
Tyler M. Fan
Megan C. Farrell
Jing Shirley Feng
Liana C. Fernez
William N. Fierston
Elizabeth Findley
Cris Margaret Frias
Michael K. Fukutomi Boice
Lindsay Ellen Gabow
Katherine Anne Gabriel
Kenny Ganiswarna
Sean Gillis
Saint Michael’s College
Boston College
University of Pennsylvania
Endicott College
Lehigh University
Hamilton College
Union College
Union College
University of Connecticut
Johns Hopkins University
Rhode Island School of Design
Georgetown University
Carnegie Mellon University
Connecticut College
Middlebury College
Tufts University
Bates College
Siena College
University of Southern California
Southern Methodist University
Trinity College
Mount Holyoke College
Matthew Heiser
Adrienne Frances Henderson
Carleton College
Michael Alexander Hiscock
Alyssa Grace Hopson
Sirena Huang
Connecticut College
Gap Year / Hamilton College
Vanderbilt University
Amherst College
Gap Year
School of Visual Arts
Northeastern University
Brown University
Oberlin College
University of Miami
Providence College
New York University
Hamilton College
Bowdoin College
Franklin and Marshall College
Kenyon College
United States Military Academy
Bard College
New York University
Boston College
The Juilliard School
Carleton College
Julia V. Ivanitski
Santa Clara University
Fairfield University
Victoria Rachelle Johnson
Quinnipiac University
Sara Alison Kase
Northwestern University
Alexandra I. Kendall
Bucknell University
Chate Khemakongkanonth
Columbia University
John Kilpatrick
Boston University
Jay Hyun Kim
Brown University
Sojin Kim
Austin D. King
Providence College
Zachary Thomas King
Bentley University
Ian Q. Knapp
Brown University
Isaac Dov Kornblatt-Stier
Swarthmore College
Haris Kuljancic
Connecticut College
Karolina Kwiecinska
Trinity College
Alexander E. Lafrance
Jeesue J. Lee
Kevin K. Lee
Occidental College
Trinity College
Hamilton College
Timothy E. Lyons
Union College
Satchel S. MacClintic
Ursinus College
Brianna Lilian Malanga
Bowdoin College
Katherine Elizabeth Mandigo
Middlebury College
Vijay G. Mansukhani
Trinity College
Devin Jessica Markison University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Steven Martinez
College of the Holy Cross
Sara M. Martino
Mary McGinley
Wheaton College
Christopher McLeod
Nazareth College
Samuel A. Merker
Kelsey Jean Millward
Meadeshia S Mitchell
Trinity College
Samantha R. Neistat
University of Delaware
Audrey M. Newell
University of Puget Sound
Duc Tan Ngo
Lehigh University
Joseph R. Niemiroski
Kevin F. O’Neill
Betrand Chukwuebuka Okonkwo
Olivia E. Olender
Amanda C. Ottah
Trinity College
Hamilton College
Jacqueline Nicole Rigney
Dickinson College
Nicholas M. Roberge
Hayley Plumb Root
Lafayette College
Rachel S. Rosenblatt
Princeton University
Jordan Michelle Rubinfeld
Jun Hwan Joshua Ryu
Yale University
Francesca M. Salvatore
Villanova University
Allison Jane Saucier
Elizabeth Ann Schimenti
University of Vermont
Lyle Richeson Seebeck
Bates College
Andrew Bryan Shichman
Alexander Laird Shirley
American University
Lindsay M. Silverman
Quinnipiac University
Melanie Taylor Silverman
Chan Ieong Michael Siu
Jarrod William Smith
Jayleecia Smith
Colgate University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Wesleyan University
Victoria H. Socolosky
Emerson College
Rachelle Augustine Soriano
Skidmore College
Jay D. Spector
The George Washington University
Jonathan Spivey
Wesleyan University
Henry Steckel
Boston College
New York University
Oxford College of Emory University
Bates College
Sterling Lucas Stone
Valerie E. Szabo
Yung Lok Sherman Sze
DePauw University
Emily Tanji
Meredith Anne Thomas
Katherine Andrea Timko
Elizabeth M. Titterton
Daniel N. Trompeter
Elizabeth C. Trousdale
Stephane Turner
Mitchell Johannes Van Gameren
Olivia L. Vehslage
Jacob Gardner Verter
Dianne Vitkus
Haley B. Walsh
Sela J. Wang
Shihui Wang
Steven Z. Wang
Jesse A. Wasserman
Bradley Michael White
Cameron Williams
Zachary Williams
Joshua Winslow
Addison Baldwin Wright
Kimberly Elizabeth Wynter
Theja K. Yalamanchili
Joonsuk Yang
Brown University
University of St. Andrews (Scotland)
Heidi Gail Taggart
Baxter C. Wathen
Rochester Institute of Technology
Brian Christopher Nance
University of Rochester
Siobhan M. Reid
Denison University
Brown University
Cory C. Morgan
Peter W. Reheis
Nathan A. Warren
Smith College
Caroline Daugherty Moran
New York University
Krishna S. Ragunathan
Lehigh University
Connecticut College
Christian Miranda
Mae Katherine Stover
St. Lawrence University
Taylor Emery Low
Katrina E. Queirolo
Boston College
Denison University
Taylor Jordan Litchfield
Molly E. Pitegoff
Union College
William Lewis
Tulane University
Samantha JoAnne Stilwell
Emily A. Lewis
Connecticut College
Shelby Alexus Pinkerton
Rhodes College
Jamol A. Lettman
Samantha A. Pierce
University of Notre Dame
Wesleyan University
Kikyung Terry Lee
Nickolas J. Stasack
Haverford College
Alexandra V. Lasko
Nicholas K. Lucchesi
Union College
Michael Steven Johnson
Princeton University
New York University
Michelle Ifeoluwapo Irukera
Hector Manuel Lopez
Wake Forest University
Bates College
Rachael L. Petty
Alexander Ward Rainville
Dartmouth College
Alexander Perrone
Liana Kayla Hinds
Lafayette College
Madeline O. Parish
Patryk T. Radlowski
College of William and Mary
Katheryn L. Hewitt
Nathan A. Papermaster
Salve Regina University
Babson College
Annabel Hess
Boston University
Shannon Rita Hearn
Hannibal W.M. Hopson
University of Richmond
Hamilton College
Junjie Monica He
Clarkson University
Natalie Anne Brown
University of Toronto
Jamil A. Hashmi
Zachary Ryan Breen
Union College
University of Miami
Paul Z. Han
Benjamin J. Hiskes
Samuel Huntington Broda
Wheaton College
Finn C. Green
Connecticut College
Connecticut College
Helen Ann Shunying Grant
William Y. Bogle
John K. Bosee
Colby College
page C1
Boston University
Kenyon College
Northwestern University
Eckerd College
Boston College
Hamilton College
Georgetown University
University of New Hampshire
Concordia University
Barnard College
Williams College
Brown University
American University
Gap Year
Duke University
George Mason University
College of the Holy Cross
Colgate University
Marist College
Dartmouth College
Boston University
New York University
Victoria M. Yang
University of Washington
Hyung-Doo Yoon
Cornell University
Caleb J. Yoon
Emma R. Zeligson
New York University
Boston University
SENIOR DEPARTMENT PRIZE WINNERS
photo: wayne dombkowski
From left to right standing: Josh Ryu, Samson Chow, Chate Khemakongkanonth, John Abraham, Brianna Malanga, Riley Clark-Long, Jay Spector, Mike Danielczuk, Ian Knapp, Liana Fernez, Allie Kendall, Valerie Szabo,
Jarrod Smith, Monica He, Sirena Huang, Heidi Taggart, Alex LaFrance, Meredith Thomas, Audrey Newell, Hayley Root, Madeline Parish, Abigail Adams. From left to right seated: Ha Mi Do, Kate Mandigo, Christian Bermel,
Izzy Kornblatt-Stier, Francesca Salvatore, Liz Titterton, Samantha Pierce, Jonelle Dunkley, Victoria Socolosky, Sojin Kim, Kim Casillas, Melanie Silverman, Nate Cleveland, Nicole Cho, Sam Broda.
COMMENCEMENT 2012
PAGE C2
Loomis Chaffee Log
June 8, 2012
Commencement Prizes
A
Kikyung (Terry) Lee
The Loomis Family Prize
The Loomis Family Prize
The Loomis Family Prize for scholarship honors the
founders and their successors in the Loomis Family
who have contributed time, energy, and fortune
to nurture the growth of the Loomis Institute. It
is awarded to the first scholar among the young
men in the graduating class.
The Loomis Family Prize for scholarship honors the
founders and their successors in the Loomis Family
who have contributed time, energy, and fortune
to nurture the growth of the Loomis Institute. It
is awarded to the first scholar among the young
men in the graduating class.
ccolades attach themselves so freely and yet so deservedly to Michael for his superior academic work and his characteristically gleeful approach to everything he does. Michael
started his career at Loomis as a freshman enrolled in PreCalculus/Calculus Advanced
F
rom the start of his Loomis career, Terry’s teachers praised his creativity, his desire to know
every angle of every problem presented, and his tremendous work ethic. His scholarship
in the most demanding curriculum earned Terry an awe-inspiring string of A level grades,
and Latin III Advanced and never looked back, earning a near perfect record of A’s and A+’s in a
junior year prizes in history, mathematics, and science, recognition as an AP Scholar with Distinc-
curriculum dominated by advanced and AP courses. In his junior year, Michael was awarded de-
tion, election into the Cum Laude Society, and departmental honors in mathematics and science. As
partmental prizes in English, science, mathematics, and foreign language. He earned distinction as
his Physics I Advanced teacher remarked “No one engages the material as aggressively as Terry.” A
a National Merit Commended Student and as an AP Scholar with Honor. In his senior year, Michael
generous and effective collaborator with his peers, Terry also led classes “with his positive attitude
was inducted into the Cum Laude Society, received English, mathematics, and science department
and his commitment to excellence.” While most impressive, Terry’s formidable intellect and drive
honors, as well as the Chéruy Senior Foreign Language Prize, the Donald M. Joffray Senior Math-
to excel in the classroom tell only part of his Loomis story.
ematics Prize, and the J. Newfield Senior Science Prize.
A campus leader, Terry’s relaxed and likeable demeanor made him a valued prefect, resident as-
To the demands of his academic work load, Michael eagerly added collaboration with the Foreign
sistant, and head tour guide. He served his peers as a Student Council representative, was a welcome
Policy Association, competition on the As Schools Match Wits quiz bowl team, membership on the
addition to the varsity soccer program, and played the trumpet in both the concert and jazz bands.
Math and Robotics teams, and QRC tutor. Additionally, Michael competed on the varsity cross-coun-
Never too busy to lend a sympathetic ear to friends and his younger charges in the dorm, Terry
try and track and field teams, and played saxophone with the Jazz Improvisation Ensemble. Honest,
is one of those rare human beings who seems to have found balance without sacrificing his com-
sincere, and with a heart of gold, Michael coupled his intellectual prowess with flawless character; he
mitment to excellence. It is this commitment to all that he undertakes that makes Terry such an
represents the best of the best at Loomis Chaffee.
appealing young man.
Senior Awards
Junjie (Monica) He
The Charles Henry and
Mary Wilcox Prize
The Charles Henry and Mary Chaffee Willcox Prize
commemorates Mary Chaffee Willcox’s generous
contribution of energy, time and talents to the Chaffee
School as well as her nurturing of scholarship among
the Chaffee women. It is given to the first scholar
among the young women in the graduating class.
M
onica’s list of academic accomplishments is long and impressive. A Founders Prize
recipient, Monica earned junior prizes in history, English, mathematics, and science.
In her senior year, in addition to induction into the Cum Laude Society, she received
Norris E. Orchard Senior English Prize
Frederick G. Torrey
Liana Fernez
Senior Philosophy, Psychology
Junjie (Monica) He
and Religion Prize
Alexander LaFrance
Kimberly Casillas
Meredith Thomas
Riley Clark-Long
Sarai Ribicoff Senior Journalism Prize
Sojin Kim
Isaac Kornblatt-Stier
Aaron P. Pratt Jr. Senior Music Prize
Victoria Socolosky
Audrey Newell
Special Recognition for Contributions to
the Musical Life of the School
Sirena Huang
Morris H. Brown
Senior Theater & Dance Prize
Chéruy Senior Foreign Language Prize
Abigail Adams
Michael Danielczuk
Liana Fernez
ics, and science. A straight A student, Monica inspired peers and teachers alike with her desire for
Nathaniel Cleveland
Alexandra Kendall
constant improvement, generosity in her work with others, and a joyful approach to her studies.
Ha Mi Do
Melanie Silverman
As described by her AP Physics II teacher: “Monica knows when she ‘knows’ something, and she
Alexander LaFrance
Valerie Szabo
the Norris E. Orchard Senior English Prize, the Donald M. Joffray Senior Mathematics Prize, and
the Samuel C. Suisman Senior History Prize as well as departmental honors in history, mathemat-
won’t rest until she meets her own exacting standards of mastery. That pursuit of excellence really
distinguishes everything she does.”
A veteran faculty member once said of Monica, “While I certainly admire the steady collection of
A+s that dot her report card, I’m actually more impressed with who Monica is as a person. Effervescent, kind, friendly and involved, Monica is at the heart of the school.” Vice president of the Student
Council, a prefect in Harman and resident assistant in Palmer, a writer for The Log and The Loomis
Heidi Taggart
Elizabeth Titterton
Samuel C. Suisman Senior History Prize
Samson Chow
Chaffee World Bulletin, a runner on the girls cross-country team, participant in Model U.N., and
Junjie (Monica) He
member of numerous other clubs and organizations, Monica took her citizenship at Loomis seriously
Liana Fernez
and the school community is the better for it.
Class Agents
Ellis Gould
Annabel Hess
Donald M. Joffray
Samson Chow
Sanford B.D. Low Senior Art Prize
Nayon (Nicole) Cho
Jonelle Dunkley
Hayley Root
Audrey Newell
Francesca Salvatore
Barbara W. Erickson Senior Athletic
Senior Mathematics Prize
Achievement Prize
Christian Bermel
Brianna Malanga
Michael Danielczuk
Katherine Mandigo
Junjie (Monica) He
Samantha Pierce
Ian Knapp
Friends of Loomis Chaffee-Grubbs Prize
Samuel Broda
Kelsey Millward
Jun Hwan (Josh) Ryu
Jackie Rigney
J. Newfield Senior Science Prize
Loomis Chaffee
Michael Danielczuk
Senior Community Service Prize
Jordan Rubinfeld
Kimberly Jo Casillas
Jun Hwan (Josh) Ryu
Madeline Parish
Jarrod Smith
Jay Spector
Haley Walsh
John Abraham
COMMENCEMENT 2012
Loomis Chaffee Log
June 8, 2012
PAGE C3
Commencement Prizes
A
Lindsay Ellen Gabow
The Jennie Loomis Prize
The Nathaniel Horton
Batchelder Prize
The Jennie Loomis prize, a medallion designed
by Evelyn Longman Batchelder, honors the
memories of Miss Jennie Loomis and her mother,
Mrs. Thomas Warham Loomis. It is given to the
senior girl who is recognized by the faculty for
outstanding contributions to the school.
boundless source of energy, good will, and optimism on campus, Lindsay is a dynamic
school leader who inspires and motivates others. Setting a positive example of impeccable comportment, hard work, and absolute devotion to everything she undertakes,
The Nathaniel Horton Batchelder prize for
industry, loyalty, and integrity was instituted
by the first headmaster in memory of Gwendolen
Sedgwick Batchelder and is signified by a medallion
designed by Evelyn Longman Batchelder.
T
alented and accomplished, Jarrod fully embraced his Loomis experience, pursuing his
diverse interests while giving back to the community in spades. Driven by an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, Jarrod enrolled in the most demanding curriculum at every
Lindsay embraced each day and every opportunity to make a difference in the Loomis community.
turn. A National Merit Commended Student and recipient of an AP Scholar Award, Jarrod earned
As Student Council president, Lindsay set an ambitious agenda for the student government and re-
junior year prizes for his work in science and foreign languages. He was further recognized for
mained motivated and focused even as she and her colleagues navigated the sometimes choppy and
his academic achievements in his senior year with election to the Cum Laude Society, department
unchartered political waters. The Council’s many accomplishments included the institution of the
honors in both mathematics and science, and the J. Newfield Senior Science Prize.
Loomis Chaffee Pledge, revision of the dress code, and contributions to a revised homework policy.
Outside the classroom, Jarrod was a varsity football player, a violinist in the school orchestra, a mem-
In addition to her work on the Student Council, Lindsay served as vice president for both the Jew-
ber of the As Schools Match Wits quiz bowl team and the Pelican Phage Hunters Club, and president of
ish Student Union and LC Conservatives Club, and was a managing editor of The Log. She was also
the Loomis Robotics Team. As a testament to the high regard his peers hold for him, Jarrod was elected
an admission tour guide and a resident assistant in Ammidon, all while fulfilling her commitments
senior class president, a role he has filled with distinction. In his limited free time, Jarrod pursues yet
as a three-sport athlete. Goal oriented, self-motivated, and focused, Lindsay proved to be a terrific
another passion—tinkering and inventing—recently working on a hydrogen-powered engine for his
leader and teammate, especially in track and field, even as she achieved individual success as one of
pickup truck. Writing about Jarrod’s leadership in Robotics, the faculty advisor noted, “Jarrod’s contri-
the top runners in New England. Much to her credit, Lindsay did not let these many responsibilities
butions to the team are too numerous to comment on, but suffice to say, he is the glue that holds the
and interests detract from her primary focus—academic achievement—and her transcript reflects the
team together.” It is not a stretch to say Jarrod’s contributions to Loomis are too numerous to comment
impressive results of her efforts. Lindsay’s legacy at Loomis will be a long and positive one.
on but clearly he was a key element in the glue that binds the school community together.
Madeline O. Parish
John Brendan Abraham
The Florence E. Sellers Prize
The Ammidon Prize
J
The Ammidon prize was established by Hoyt
Ammidon of the class of 1928, former chairman
of the Board of Trustees, and is given annually to
a young man of the graduating class who, in the
judgment of the faculty, has been outstanding in
his concern for other people.
ohn joined the Loomis community for his junior year and quickly earned the respect and
admiration of his peers and adults alike. An intelligent, insightful, and conscientious student,
his teachers consistently noted his strong work ethic and positive attitude, traits that served
F
The Florence E. Sellers prize is given in loving
memory of Florence Sellers, the Director of
the Chaffee school from 1936–1954. The prize
recognizes a young woman with the characteristics
of Mrs. Sellers: a quest for excellence, selfdiscipline, and a concern for others.
ollowing in the footsteps of her father and three aunts, all Loomis Chaffee alumni, Madeline came to the Island as a new sophomore and quickly established herself as an outstanding school citizen and stellar student. As one teacher noted, Madeline “dazzled me with
her commitment, her curiosity, and her desire to learn and improve.” Faculty consistently praised
him well both in and out of the classroom.
A leader by example, John was elected co-captain of the varsity soccer, ice hockey, and track and
field teams. John showed his teammates the value of competing to win while at the same time being
the very best team player, always putting others first. His junior year advisor and hockey coach praised
John as an “ever-present positive force on campus. …As a coach, I love the way in which John goes
about his business and gets others to work harder.” In recognition of his impact on the athletic program at Loomis, John was honored with the Junior Physical Education Award and the Friends of Loo-
Madeline’s work ethic, enthusiasm, insight, and analysis; she was an integral member of every class
in which she enrolled. As her faculty advisor commented, it is clear that “Madeline enjoys learning
for the sake of learning, which makes her a better and brighter student.”
As President of the Pelican Service Organization (PSO), Madeline devoted countless hours to service both on and off campus, and was critical to the organization and execution of the school-wide
Oxfam Hunger Banquet to raise awareness of the issues of hunger and poverty. Given Madeline’s
natural affinity for helping others, she served as a teaching assistant for a World History course and
mis Chaffee–Grubbs Prize. In addition, his fellow student athletes selected him to receive the Donald
as a resident assistant in Ammidon during her senior year. As her dorm head noted, “Madeline (is) a
M. Joffray Award for his achievements as a three sport athlete. John’s leadership abilities and maturity
fantastic RA, truly caring about the well-being and happiness of her fellow dorm mates.” An athlete,
beyond his years also made him a natural choice to be a resident assistant in his senior year, a role he
Madeline also pursued her interests in soccer, squash, and tennis throughout her tenure, and served as
has fulfilled with distinction. John’s legacy at Loomis is one of honor, talent, effort, and attitude; all at
co-captain of the varsity tennis team this past year. A young woman of integrity and deep conviction,
Loomis are better for knowing this student leader and gentleman athlete.
Madeline’s commitment to the common good is a model to which we should all aspire.
Cum Laude Society
Abigail Hadley Adams
Christopher M. Edwards
Andrew Bryan Shichman
Christian Joseph Bermel
Peter Edward Falsey
Alexander Ethan Lafrance
Chan Ieong Michael Siu
Scott Lane Casher
Jing Shirley Feng
Jeesue J. Lee
Samson Ka Keung Chow
Liana Clarice Fernez
Kevin K. Lee
Nickolas J. Stasack
Robert Nicholas Citrone
William N. Fierston
Kikyung Lee
Mae Katherine Stover
Nathaniel C. Cleveland
Junjie Monica He
Sara Marie Martino
Heidi Gail Bedford Taggart
Theodore C. Cleveland
Benjamin J. Hiskes
Joseph R. Niemiroski
Meredith Anne Thomas
Spencer William Congero
Sara Alison Kase
Kevin Francis O’Neill
Elizabeth M. Titterton
Erin Lee Currey
Patrick F. Kennedy-Nolle
Patryk T. Radlowski
Shihui Wang
Steven Z. Wang
William Charles Doran
Ian Quon Knapp
Jun Hwan Joshua Ryu
Theja K. Yalamanchili
COMMENCEMENT 2012
PAGE C4
Loomis Chaffee Log
June 8, 2012
Sellers Faculty Prizes
The Charles Edgar Sellers Prize is given by the faculty in loving memory of Charles Edgar Sellers, beloved teacher and coach, in recognition of personal
achievement and service to the Loomis Chaffee community.
I
Jamil Hashmi
f only we could bottle the essence and boundless energy
that is Jamil Hashmi. As a prefect in Kravis, a resident
assistant in Batchelder, and head resident assistant this
past year, Jamil’s considerable optimism, humor, compassion, and respect for others served Loomis well. He is the
consummate team player—both in action and spirit—and
a skilled leader in so many capacities, especially in the pool
where he served as co-captain of both the varsity swim and
water polo teams this year.
Jamil carried that same mentality and affect into the classroom every day. As one teacher noted, Jamil’s “genuine enthusiasm, willingness to try new things, and ability to work
with anybody and everybody were the cornerstones to his
success.” Inquisitive and willing to take intellectual risks,
Jamil challenged himself with an increasingly demanding
schedule during his career at Loomis, enrolling this year in
advanced or AP courses in almost all of his subject areas. A
musician, Log contributor, actor, athlete, and student leader,
Jamil enriched our school community in innumerable ways
and the void that he will leave upon graduation will be significant indeed.
E
Alexandra Irene Kendall
ver smiling, confident, and charming, Allie is a young
woman of sterling character who makes things happen. Her rapport with peers and ease among adults,
as well as her superb organizational skills and work ethic,
served Allie well as a student leader on campus. A prefect
in Carter and a resident assistant in Ammidon, Allie’s ability to balance friendships with her responsibilities in the
dormitory led to her election as Head RA. Co-president of
Habitat for Humanity, Allie poured her service energies into
the coordination of the group’s successful March break trips
to Florida. A standout scholar across disciplines, Allie particularly flourished in the science and history disciplines,
where her teachers praised her initiative and insight.
A dancer since the age of two, Allie’s star shone brightest
on the NEO stage with Dance Company II’s repertoire of ballet, jazz, modern, and hip-hop. Her skills and passion drew
audiences into her performances and earned her the recognition of faculty who awarded her the Morris H. Brown Senior
Theater & Dance Prize. Loomis has been the great beneficiary
of Allie’s myriad of talents and we are eager to watch her continue to flourish in college.
A
Founders Prize, Cum Laude, National Merit Finalist, and AP Scholar Award recipient, Izzy excelled
in a demanding course of study and helped lead the
Debate Society to a series of impressive wins. Filmmaker,
playwright, and member of various school committees and
organizations as well as the water polo team, Izzy clearly
found sustenance in opportunities to collaborate with peers
and adults alike.
Izzy’s many talents and passions and his ability to channel
those into action were never more evident than in his role as
editor-in-chief of The Log. Before the school year had even
begun, Izzy and his colleagues had completely revamped
the style of the paper, set forth a more aggressive schedule
of print dates, and introduced a dynamic online site for
the paper. Throughout the year, Izzy encouraged his fellow
journalists to explore controversial topics and challenged
the administration to consider several issues from different
perspectives. While we did not always agree on the issues,
clearly The Log is better for having had Izzy’s leadership. For
his inspirational commitment to The Log, the faculty awarded Izzy the Sarai Ribicoff Senior Journalism Prize. We thank
him now for his service to the school community.
Junior Awards
Founders Prize
Junior Foreign
Arianna Calabrese
Language Award
Philip Delamater
Philip DeLaMater
JoDeanne Francis
Harris Fisher
Wyatt French
Claire Hard
Michael Horowicz
Rekha Kennedy
Sophie Kokoska
Caroline Daugherty Cooligan Moran
C
ally Moran lives the Loomis Chaffee mission every
day. Committed to being her best self and serving
the common good, Cally brings grace, discipline,
rigor, and passion to her every pursuit. A Founders Prize
recipient, Cally earned honors or high honors every marking period and praise from her teachers who described her
as “an asset to the classroom … a teacher’s dream.” Her passion for studies in the humanities was recognized by her
history teachers with history department honors in her senior year.
Whether engaged in the classroom, singing and dancing
in the winter musicals, or playing on the field, Cally blends
no-nonsense with fun-loving, much to the delight of her
teachers, coaches, and peers. A three-year tour guide, Cally
has been an ideal ambassador for the school. She has also
dedicated her time to work as a peer counselor, a volunteer in
the community, and as a member of the Disciplinary Committee. As co-captain of the varsity field hockey team and the
girls varsity track and field team, Cally led by example, motivating her teammates even as she distinguished herself as
a MVP, Academic All-American, and All Founders League
athlete. Congratulations, Cally.
P
Paul Lee
Amanda McParlane
ossessing a seriousness of purpose with an encouraging and enthusiastic demeanor, Rachel distinguished
herself as a scholar, athlete, Log editor, teaching assistant, admissions tour guide, and volunteer. An AP Scholar
Award recipient and member of the Cum Laude Society,
Rachel excelled across the disciplines receiving department
honors in history, mathematics, and science. Rachel’s philosophy teacher summed it up best when he described Rachel as “Bright, friendly, inquisitive, serious about her work,
but not overly anxious about grades, she was an exemplary
student.”
During her time on the Island, Rachel competed on the
softball, cross country, and diving teams, serving as captain
for the latter two. A volunteer in her home community, Rachel also helped organized successful blood drives on campus
and helped create the Kindness Club. With the unique distinction of serving as a head tour guide for two years, Rachel
also played an important role in sharing the Loomis student
experience with prospective families and did so in an exemplary fashion. Through all these actions and more, Rachel
made the Loomis community a better place.
JUNIOR FOUNDERS AND DEPARTMENT PRIZE WINNERS
Dale Reese
Hannah Shushtari
Michael Wang
Junior English Award
Charles (Rob) Brunstad
Arianna Calabrese
Rekha Kennedy
Ekaterina Kryuchkova
Kyung-Sik (Kenny) Kim
Abigail Lavalley
Hannah Shushtari
Junior Theater &
Dance Award
Mark Crawford
Claire Hard
Darius Moore
Amy Ward
William C. Card
Junior Music Award
Paul Lee
Junior History Award
Daniela Rakhlina-Powsner
Rekha Kennedy
Benjamin Russell
Ji Hwan Seung
Paul Lee
Philosophy,
Junior Art Award
Psychology and
JiHee Yoon
Religion Award
Diana Suciu
Junior Science Award
Michael Basmajian
Shuncong (Michael) Gu
Min Yong (M.Y.) Jung
Junior Art Award
JiHee Yoon
Diana Suciu
Junior Female
Physical Education Awards
Junior Mathematics Award
Danielle Marmer
Michael Basmajian
Molly Strabley
David Calafiore
photo: wayne dombkowski
From left to right standing: Wyatt French, Harris Fischer, Molly Strabley, Sophie Koskoska, Danielle Marmer, Rob Brunstad, David Calafiore, JiHee
Yoon, Ji Hwan Seung, Michael Wang, Claire Hard, RJ Paige, Abby Lavalley, Kenny Kim, Dale Reese, Phil DeLaMater, Mark Crawford, Darius Moore,
JoDeane Francis. From left to right seated: Min Yong Jung, Arianna Calabrese, Ekaterina Kryuchkova, Mike Basmajian, Shuncong Gu, Mike Horowicz, Paul Lee, Ben Russell, Hannah Shushtari, Rekha Kennedy, Daniela Rakhlina-Powsner, Diana Suciu, Amy Ward.
Shuncong (Mike) Gu
Junior Male
Physical Education Award
Reginald R. Paige Jr.

year in review - Loomis Chaffee

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