SG moves to trimester schedule

Transcription

The Red & White
Serving the St. George’s School community since 1906
PRIZE DAY = MAY 25, 2015
inSide
t
Millar, Scheibe win SG Medals; 88 graduate
Jefferys Prize goes to Jaewoo Kang; Zahra Arabzada takes Frissell Prize;
Headmaster’s Award to Agnes Enochs; Thayer Cup to Conor Ingari; Emily Kallfelz
awarded Elliott Cup; Michaela Ahern wins Zane Cup; Powel Cup to Jonathan Lumley;
Allen Prize to Victoria Boatwright and Harvard/Radcliffe Prize to Laura Edson
Prefect-elect
Baumann ’16
looks ahead to
next school year
Page 10
the class of 2015 gathers behind the chapel at the beginning of the school year.
Saying goodbye
What seniors will
miss most.
Page 3
aLSo inSide
t
Prize List......................2
college choices ............6
in 10 years..................8
WHAT’S HOT/
What’S not
the back Page
Editor’s note: The online version of this
paper is available in the Parent Portal.
Eighty-eight members of the class of
2015 received their diplomas this morning from Head of School Eric F. Peterson. At the chapel service preceding the
117th Prize Day exercises, Dr. Paul
Farmer, father of Catherine ’15, deliv-
ered the commencement address.
Elizabeth Millar and Lilly Scheibe each
received a St. George’s Medal, the school’s
highest award, given to a member of the
sixth form who through effort, character,
athletics and scholarship has best caught
and expressed the ideals and spirit of St.
George’s.
eLizabeth MiLLar ’15
SG moves to trimester schedule
BY DEJANIA COTTON SAMUEL ’16
red & White SPortS editor
The St. George’s academic schedule is
undergoing a complete transformation as
the two-term semester evolves to
trimesters for the 2015-2016 school year.
The original system included an exam
schedule that coincided with the transi-
Please see Prizes, Page 4
tion into new sports seasons but switched
semester courses in January. Next year
the St. George’s exam schedule will remain the same but will now include a
course change that is consistent with the
existing season change. The transition to
the new system has been in the works for
years now, including both faculty and
LiLLy Scheibe ’15
student input on changes to the curriculum here on the Hilltop. About three
years ago, according to Dr. Christopher
Shaw, Dean of Academics, the faculty
members began an ongoing discussion
about expanding the variety of courses offered outside the foundation of the sylPlease see Schedule, Page 9
2
The Red & White
Prize List — May 25, 2015
Binney Prize — For the highest scholarship in
the sixth form:
UNAVAILABLE
AT
PRESSTIME
Drury Prize — For excellence in art:
BLAISE C FOLEY
Howe Prize — For excellence in graphic arts:
Camera Prize
PRIZE LIST
JI YOUNG PARK
JING GAO
Prescott Bible & Theology Prize:
SOPHIA ABBY BARKER
Physics Prize:
CARTER YOUNG MORGAN
Pell Medal for United States History:
ERIN MARIE KEATING
The Ramsing Prize — For excellence in marine
and environmental biology:
ALDEN TIMOTHY PEXTON
The Class of 1978 Music Prize—Given to a
student who through personal efforts has inspired the musical life of the school:
Edgar Prize in Mathematics:
The Antoine “Tony” du Bourg Instrumental
Music Prize —Named in memory of the founder
and former director of St. George’s Brass Ensemble and awarded to the student whose talents, dedication and leadership have contributed most to the instrumental program of
the school:
GEORGE D. DONNELLY ATHLETIC AWARD—Awarded
to a girl and boy who, in the opinion of the head
of school and the athletic directors, possess a
passion for athletics and who demonstrate the
dedication and the sportsmanship to succeed in
a variety of athletic endeavors.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON CANNELL
Choir Prize:
YUL HEE KIM
CHENGLIN LU
JACK-HENRY STOCKTON DAY
AMANDA GRACE WARREN
Wood Dramatics Prize—For the students
whose abilities and efforts have contributed
most to the theater at St. George’s:
JACK-HENRY STOCKTON DAY
WILLIAM HARRISON REED
Dartmouth Club of Rhode Island History Prize:
THOMAS ETIENNE KYLANDER
Evans Spanish Prize:
CYNTHIA JANETTE HUYCK
Rives French Prize:
MERRILL AVERY SCURA
Chinese Prize—Awarded to the student who
has demonstrated consistently high performance in the study of Mandarin Chinese and
shown a genuine interest in the Chinese language and culture while at St. George’s:
AMANDA GRACE WARREN
King Medal—For excellence in Latin:
STERLING VICTORIA ETHERIDGE
Logan Prize for English:
AMANDA GRACE WARREN
CARTER YOUNG MORGAN
ANNIKA LEIGH HEDLUND
PHILLIP DUDLEIGH YOUNG
(The next four prizes in athletics are awarded
by vote of the coaches)
Mary Eustis Zane Cup—Awarded to a girl of
the sixth form whose steady devotion to the
high ideals of good sportsmanship has been an
inspiration to her fellow students:
MICHAELA KATHRYN AHERN
Thayer Cup—Awarded to a boy of the sixth
form whose steady devotion to the high ideals of
good sportsmanship has been an inspiration to
his fellow students:
CONOR SULLIVAN INGARI
Dean Scholarship—In memory of Charles
Maitland Dean, Senior Prefect 1968, killed in
Laos in 1974. Given by his family and friends,
and awarded for the sixth-form year to a boy or
girl who has demonstrated a concern for the
community, the ability to lead, and a sense of
civic responsibility:
DEJANIA COTTON-SAMUEL
Centennial Prize—Inaugurated during the
school’s centennial year. Awarded to a boy and
girl of the graduating class who have demonstrated extraordinary and inspirational efforts
on behalf of the school community.
EMMA LOUISE THOMPSON
SORAVIS NAWBHANICH
(The next prizes are awarded by vote of the faculty)
Allen Prize—To a member of the fourth form
who during the year has maintained a high standard in all departments of the life of the school:
VICTORIA ALCORN BOATWRIGHT
Harvard and Radcliffe Clubs of Rhode Island
Prize—For the student of the fifth form whom
the head of school and the faculty deem most
worthy in scholarship, effort and character:
LAURA ELIZABETH EDSON
The Jefferys Prize—Given in memory of Cham
Jefferys to the sixth former who in the opinion
of the faculty has done the most to enhance the
moral and intellectual climate of the school:
JAEWOO KANG
Phelps Montgomery Frissell Prize—Awarded to
the member of the sixth form who at St. George's
has made the best use of his or her talents:
ZAHRA ARABZADA
Louise Elliot Cup—Awarded to a sixth-form
girl for excellence in athletics and for promoting
the spirit of hard, clean play:
Headmaster’s Award—Presented to a member
of the sixth form in recognition of his or her
faithful devotion to the school and its mission:
Samuel Powel Cup—Awarded to a sixth-form
boy for excellence in athletics and for promoting
the spirit of hard, clean play:
St. George's Medal—Awarded to the member
of the sixth form who through effort, character,
athletics and scholarship during the year has
best caught and expressed the ideals and spirit
of St. George’s:
EMILY LOUISE KALLFELZ
JONATHAN DAVID LUMLEY
AGNES ELIZABETH ENOCHS
ELIZABETH GOODWIN MILLAR
ELIZABETH HALE SCHEIBE
PRIZE LIST
The Red & White
What seniors will miss most away from the Hilltop
Sixth-formers Jack-henry day, charleen Martins Lopes, catherine Farmer, Laurie Germain and Sarah braman spend some downtime together on campus.
BY SOPHIE COOLIDGE ’18
red & White StaFF Writer
As the final days of our school year approach, the
air is filled with anticipation, but for the seniors it is
also filled with sadness. These are the last few
weeks for them on the Hilltop before they part ways
for the bigger world. This is a treasured time for
them, so many are starting to reflect on what memories from SG they are going to miss the most. There
are so many factors people can take for granted until
they realize the moments with them are dwindling.
When asked about the things they will miss most,
many seniors responded confidently with “friends”
and “breakfast.”
“Especially [on] Sunday,” said Cici Huyck ’15.
Christina Malin answered similarly that she would
miss, “having breakfast with friends and the good
mood of the school.” The dedicated faculty, the close
strong community, and living with best friends were
other common answers.
The beach and its view was also a common answer. “I’m really going to miss being able to wake up
in the morning and go surf before class,” answered
Amy Nuytkens ’15.
Some mentioned specific moments or classes.
Emily Kallfelz ’15 is going to miss her “Chinese
class!” while Serena Highley ’15 said she would
miss, “Seeing puppies on my way to class!” Many
even will miss the walks to Empire for their coffee.
The school prefects answers were all very similar.
“I am going to miss the people,” said Senior Prefect
Agnes Enoch ’15. Allison Williams ’15 agreed, while
Cookie Guevara ’15 and Will Bemis ’15 both said,
“We will miss the homies.” Elizabeth Millar ’15 will
miss everyone. She laughed, “Is it too much to say
everyone’s name?”
Many seniors noted that they will miss the simple
things. Olivia Consoli ’15 has been going to school
with Maggie Small ’15 for 15 years now, which she
will miss. Laurie Germain ’15 said she will miss
“the walk from Astor to the art center. I know it
sounds insincere, but it’s little things like that that
I’m going to miss.” Alden Pexton ’15 said that he
will miss, “The homies. Oh, and the cereal.” Jillian
Gates ’15 answered, “ I’m going to miss the place,
like the walk through King Hall and other places
across campus.”
Some seniors addressed specific people, like Billy
Reid ’15, who said, “I will miss Mr. [John] Roeser,” a
member of the English and History Departments.
Conor Ingari ’15 said, “I’m definitely going to miss
the people, especially my coach and advisor, Mr. [Ed]
McGinnis [Technology Administrator]. He’s helped
me develop as a student and an athlete throughout
my SG career.” Oliver Green ’15 said that he will
miss, “Garrett [Fownes ’15].” Zahra Arabzada ’15
replied, “I will miss Ms. [Allison] de Horsey [a member of the Global and French Programs], Ms.[Eileen]
Douglas [Assistant to the Dean of Students], and
Ms. [Elizabeth] Bickford [Dean of Faculty].”
Sports were also a common answer. “In college,
you don’t really have the option of playing any
school sport,” said Bing Nawbhanich ’15.
The faculty are also going to be deeply missed by
the seniors as well. “I think I’m really going to miss
the faculty. They are so dedicated to your success,
and it’s not like college teachers don’t care, but the
SG faculty put in a lot of extra effort to help you succeed,” commented Sloan Buhse ’15.
Chloe Lee ’15, answered, “I think I’m just going to
miss the daily conversation.” Emma Thompson ’15
said, “I’m going to miss the sense of knowing everyone and having connections with them.”
SG has given this class four years of memories to
remember forever, from random places to their best
friends. Congratulations to the class of 2015! You
will be missed next year!
3
Photo
by
ray Gao
Photo
by
ray Gao
one of the things seniors will miss is going to empire tea & coffee.
4
The Red & White
Prizes
PRIZE DAY 2015
continued from Page 1
Scheibe, a four-year senior from Groton, Mass.,
distinguished herself academically, earning the
Head of School’s Commendation for Academic Excellence every semester. Head’s commendations are
given to students who receive no grade lower than
an A-. “Lilly possesses the perfect balance of a kindhearted spirit with unparalleled determination,” her
advisor Katie Titus said, “which is clearly reflected
in the seriousness and respect with which she has
approached every facet of life on the Hilltop.”
Praise from her teachers was consistent. “I’ve
taught Lilly for two years now, which means that I
have had to write six academic comments for her,”
wrote science teacher Dr. Scott Stachelhaus, “This
has become increasingly difficult for me, as I ran out
of superlatives for her sometime during her first
year in my class. She’s just that great.” English
teacher Jeff Simpson praised Lilly as “a strikingly
perceptive reader, a very fine writer, and a thoughtful contributor to class discussions.”
“She excels in every way as an English student,”
he wrote.
Chair of the History Department Jim Connor said
Lilly is in the Top 10 of the very best students he’s
had in his 34-year career.
Outside of the classroom, Lilly was a member of
the Honor Board, head of the Women in Leadership
Club, and a four-year member of the choir.
She has been a standout athlete, captaining three
varsity teams: soccer, squash and tennis. Head
coach of the soccer team Ray Woishek ’89 said: “As
Lilly’s coach, I found her to be a smart, ultra-fit
player who played her position responsibly. Never
afraid to speak her mind, she always spoke the truth
and inspired others to be better. She was an excellent team captain.”
Lilly will head to Yale University next year.
Co-winner of the SG Medal Elizabeth Millar of Andover, Mass., similarly stood out in all aspects of
school life.
“Elizabeth is the sort of student who isn’t afraid to
roll up her sleeves and wrestle with the most abstract topics and challenging problems,” said math
teacher Doug Lewis. “She is a real gem!”
History teacher John Roeser called Elizabeth “conscientious, inquisitive and intelligent. “[She’s a]
high-achieving student who is an even better person,” he said. “It has been a great pleasure and privilege to work with her.”
Elizabeth was particularly known for her kindness
and compassion toward others.
Assistant Chaplain Jackie Kirby called Elizabeth
“a model of integrity.”
“She gives 100 percent to everything she does. Her
positive energy is contagious,” Kirby said.
As a science student, Elizabeth was “one the
most genuine, and hardworking students I have
ever taught,” noted science teacher Sarah
Matarese. “I enjoyed her enthusiasm and positive
attitude in the classroom. I am truly going to miss
her around campus!”
Elizabeth was a two-year captain of both the crosscountry and swim teams.
“[She] has been an absolute pleasure to coach and
Lilly Scheibe ’15
know,” said swim coach Keri Cunningham. “Her optimism and discipline earned her the admiration and respect of the entire team. She will be greatly missed.”
Cross-country Head Coach Linda Evans awarded
Elizabeth the Sheryl Hersey Love Coaches Cup. She
completed 30 of the 32 possible races, and she
earned a personal best time of 22:41 over the 3.1
mile distance. “More importantly, she continually
displayed the qualities that define this award. She
was passionate about the team and each teammate’s
success. Her positive energy, perseverance, sense of
humor, and contagious laugh kept everyone motivated through the toughest practices, the steepest
hills, and the most demanding meets,” Evans added.
Elizabeth will attend Davidson College.
Jaewoo Kang is the winner of this year’s Jefferys
Prize, given in honor of Cham Jefferys to the sixthformer who in the opinion of the faculty has done the
most to enhance the moral and intellectual climate
of the school. Jaewoo, from Seoul, South Korea, was
chair of the Honor Board.
“I have been impressed by his kindness toward,
and consideration of younger students and the community in general,” said Jaewoo’s advisor Ray
Woishek ’89. “He is friendly, helpful and wise, and
his modesty belies his true potential.”
Physics teacher Bob Wein said Jaewoo was always
willing to be challenged in class. “He enjoyed the
material and worked hard to master the concepts,”
Wein noted.
English teacher Jeff Simpson had similar praise.
“Jaewoo is a deep thinker who consistently delves
beneath the obvious to arrive at interesting, original
insights. He already possesses a sophisticated literary sensibility,” he said.
Jaewoo will attend University of Pennsylvania
in the fall.
Zahra Arabzada was named winner of the Phelps
Montgomery Frissell Prize, “awarded by a vote of
the faculty to the member of the sixth form who at
St. George’s has made the best use of his or her talents.” Director of Global Programs and French
teacher Allison de Horsey said she felt extremely
lucky to have been Zahra’s adviser during her time
at St. George’s. “I’ve seen her blossom in every aspect — her language skills, her academics and taking on any new challenge she could, from swimming
to choir to cross-country and lacrosse. Zahra has
taken advantage of every moment and every opportunity possible at St. George’s! I love her dogged determination and sense of humor. I am so proud of
her and can’t wait to see what challenges she takes
on next. No doubt she will conquer them and continue to succeed in all that she does.”
Teacher Jake Westermann had Zahra in his English class this past year. “Rather than take a backseat, she chose the path less traveled and wrote a
short story on the role of women in Iran for her final
project, a sizable undertaking, to say the least,”
Westermann noted. “Outside of class, it’s hard for
me to recall a more consistently positive, outgoing,
and charming community member. I know she’ll be
one of the students we hear about doing special
things down the road.”
Art teacher and technical theater director Ted
Sturtevant supervised Zahra on stage crew the past
three years. “Her love of life, positivity, and kindness has touched many members of our community.
While I am incredibly proud she will be heading to
Hobart in the fall, I will miss her presence on the
Hilltop immensely,” he said.
When Zahra arrived in the United States from
Afghanistan, she had never competed in a sport like
cross-country, and she had very little experience
PRIZE DAY 2015
elizabeth Millar ’15
with the sport of running, according to coach Linda
Evans. She joined the team with the goal of finishing one race, Evans noted, and went on to complete
the 3.1 mile distance in five of the eight races, earning a personal best time of 26:52 on the home course.
“She was enthusiastic and very supportive of her
teammates,” Evans said. “She would often cheer on
her teammates during a race while she was running
in the race. She has discovered running as a sport
for life and she plans to run a half marathon this
summer.”
Among other prizes given this morning, Agnes
Enochs received the Head of School’s award presented
to a member of the sixth form in recognition of her
faithful devotion to the school and its mission. Agnes
served as senior prefect for the 2014-15 school year.
Emma Thompson and Soravis “Bing” Nawbhanich
received the school’s Centennial Prize. Inaugurated
during the school’s centennial year in 1996, these are
“awarded to a boy and girl of the graduating class
who have demonstrated extraordinary and inspirational efforts on behalf of the school community.”
In athletic prizes, Emily Kallfelz was named the
recipient the Louise Elliot Cup, “awarded by vote of
the coaches to a sixth-form girl for excellence in athletics and for promoting the spirit of hard, clean
play.” Emily was captain of the soccer team the last
two years and captain of the swim team this year.
She was also a dedicated member of the sailing
team. Coach Roy Williams called her “an incredibly
focused and determined athlete who has been a key
member of the varsity sailing team this spring.”
Meanwhile swim coach Keri Cunningham called
Emily “the perfect recipient for the Elliot Cup”
based on her impact as a three-sport varsity athlete.
“When you consider she did this while training to
become a world-class rower, it is even more impressive,” Cunningham said. “The hours she put forth to
be a strong athlete for St. George’s and the U.S. National Rowing Team showcases her commitment
and determination.”
Soccer coach Roy Woishek said during her tenure
Emily was a respected leader of the team. “Not an
overly vocal leader, Emily played with passion and
led by example. Her selfless desire to be a good
teammate and role model served her well this year,
as she was asked to play multiple positions on the
field, some completely new to her. Emily always
competed with integrity and supported her teammates whatever the situation,” he said.
Michaela Ahern won the Mary Eustis Zane Cup,
“awarded to a girl of the sixth form whose steady devotion to the high ideals of good sportsmanship has
been an inspiration” to her fellow students.
Michaela was a field hockey standout, playing on
the team for four years and becoming captain and
MVP. She was also a four-year member of the varsity hockey team and three-year member of the
lacrosse team.
“Michaela has been a major factor in the success
our defense has had this spring, giving 100 percent
in practices and games,” wrote lacrosse coach
Cassie Rudden. “She leads by example regarding
good sportsmanship and clean play with her teammates, opponents, and refs; epitomizing the values
of St. George’s athletics.”
Meanwhile, hockey coach Brendan Hammatt
named Michaela “the unsung hero” of his team. “She
stepped up when it mattered most and lead quietly
by consistently working hard during and after practice to improve her game,” he said.
On the field hockey team, Michaela was one of the
most passionate and driven of all her players said
The Red & White
5
field hockey coach Steph Johnson ’05. “Her love of
competition and strength of character contribute to
making her an asset to any team she plays on,” she
said. “While coaching her in field hockey this fall, it
became clear early on that she epitomized solid leadership and always took to the field in a way that set
a positive example for her fellow teammates. Never
one to back down from a challenge, Michaela gave
her all during practices and games and earned the
title of MVP on our team due to her diligence, dedication to field hockey, and a desire to always improve her skills. She is a worthy recipient of this
year’s Eliot Cup, and has truly earned this high
level of athletic recognition.”
Jonathan Lumley was named the winner of the
Samuel Powel Cup, “awarded to a boy in the sixth
form for excellence in athletics and for promoting
the spirit of hard, clean play.” He was captain of the
varsity football team last fall, earning all-ISL honors, a three-year member of the basketball team and
a valuable member of the track team, earning allISL honors in that sport this year as well.
Athletic Director John Mackay said, “Jonathan is
one of the finest athletes SG has known in recent
years. In football as a junior he led the league in TD
receptions. As a senior captain, a summer injury
prevented him from playing until our final two
games of the season. Nevertheless his impact was
immediately felt as he played a huge role in the
team’s victory over Nobles and his efforts nearly allowed us to defeat Middlesex in the finale. Despite
only playing two games he was still named All-State
(one of the 22 best players in RI) by USA Today. His
athletic ability and confidence make him one of the
best to don a Dragons uniform. He will be an asset
to the Division 1 Fordham Rams next year.”
Conor Ingari won the Thayer Cup, “awarded to a
boy of the sixth form whose steady devotion to the
high ideals of good sportsmanship has been an inspiration to his fellow students.” During his SG career,
he won nine varsity letters, playing soccer, squash
and baseball. He was the captain of the soccer team
last fall, earning MVP, MVP, All-ISL, and NEPSSA
All-Star honors, and was captain of the baseball
team.
“Conor Ingari is a gifted athlete whose passion for
competition is clear,” wrote baseball coach Ed McGinnis. “As captain of both the varsity soccer and baseball
team he has led from the front. His infectious smile
and good nature mark him as a natural leader and his
actions on the field inspire his teammates.”
Annika Hedlund and Phillip Young received the
George B. Donnelly Athletic Award “given to a girl
and boy who, in the opinion of the Headmaster and
the Athletic Directors, possess a passion for athletics and who demonstrate the dedication and the
sportsmanship to succeed in a variety of athletic
endeavors.”
Underform awards went to Laura Edson and Victoria Boatwright. Edson won the Harvard-Radcliffe
Club of Rhode Island Award, “given to the student
in the fifth form whom the Head of School and the
faculty deem most worthy in scholarship, effort and
character.”
Victoria Boatwright received the Allen Prize,
“given by a vote of the faculty to a member of the
fourth form who during the year has maintained a
high standard in all departments in the life of the
school.”
6
The Red & White
PRIZE DAY 2015
Where the graduates are heading ...
Mahmoud Maged Abdel-Maksoud . . . . . George Washington University
Michaela Kathryn Ahern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . University of connecticut
Erin Marie Keating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . boston college
Michael Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. Lawrence University
Zurab Akirtava . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gap year
Yul Hee Kim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . northwestern University
Victoria Catherine Arjoon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bates college
You Jeong Lee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . new york University
Zahra Arabzada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hobart & William Smith
Thomas Etienne Kylander . . . . . . . . . . . University of St andrews (UK)
Joseph Burnett Asbel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . brown University
Eddie J. Liu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Washington University in St. Louis
Sophia Abby Barker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . new york University
Jonathan David Lumley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fordham University
Sarah Anna Boule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . elon University
Christina Rose Malin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . trinity college
Samara Rebecca Ayvazian-Hancock. . . . . . . . durham University (UK)
William Vaughan Bemis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . colorado college
Chenglin Lu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . new york University
Irene C. Luperon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . University of Southern california
Sarah Chase Braman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Skidmore college
Charleen Martins Lopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . elon University
Alexander Hamilton Cannell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. Lawrence University
Anders Cassoday McLeod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . denison University
Sloan Alexandra Buhse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marquette University
Buckley Carlson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . University of Virginia
James Peter McClelland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . trinity college
Elizabeth Goodwin Millar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . davidson college
Sarah Stewart Carnwath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . college of the holy cross
Carter Young Morgan. . . . . . . . . Massachusetts institute of technology
Lane Alexandra Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kenyon college
Amy Read Nuytkens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syracuse University
Olivia Carson Consoli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . trinity college
Jack-Henry Stockton Day . . . . . . . . . . University of Southern california
Reed de Bruhl de Horsey IV . . . . . . . . . University of colorado, boulder
Agnes Elizabeth Enochs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . tulane University
Sterling Victoria Etheridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . boston college
Catherine Bertrand Farmer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . duke University
Soravis Nawbhanich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Syracuse University
William Nyamwange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hamilton college
Henry Stillman Ordway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wake Forest University
Harrison Wesley Paige. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Villanova University
Ji Young Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cornell University
Alden Timothy Pexton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . babson college
Chloe Amelia Farrick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . University of Southern california
Alexander Pfeiffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sewanee: University of the South
Blaise C. Foley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . colby college
Billy Reid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bishop's University (canada)
Christopher Wright Fleming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. Lawrence University
Garrett Lawrence Fownes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wake Forest University
Jing Gao . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Georgetown University
Jillian Reid Gates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . trinity college
Laurie Naitha Germain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . new york University
Julia C. Goins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . University of delaware
Amira N Z Gomez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ursinus college
Oliver Ridgely Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . colgate University
William Harrison Reed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Johnson and Wales University
Sarah Elizabeth Rezendes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . new york University
Robert Carter Rose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . northeastern University
Cameron Eugene Roy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gap year
Elizabeth Hale Scheibe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . yale University
Merrill Avery Scura. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . University of alabama
Spencer Shelton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Queen's University (canada)
Talia Elisabeth Simanski. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . University of San Francisco
Sung-Kook G. Guevara. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stonehill college
Matthew Ryan Skerkowski. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Providence college
Annika Leigh Hedlund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rhodes college
Paget Grace Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Southern Methodist University
Piers Snowden Hill Guthrie . . . . . . . . . . George Washington University
Margaret Muriel Small . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bowdoin college
Serena deWees Highley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lehigh University
Emma Louise Thompson . . . . . . . . . . . . University of St. andrews (UK)
Rebecca Grace Howe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vanderbilt University
Amanda Grace Warren. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . University of Pennsylvania
Jordan Elizabeth Hoffman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . elon University
Gage Walsh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St Lawrence University
Cynthia Janette Huyck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Lawrence college
Thomas Hunter Westerberg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wake Forest University
Hunter Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Southern Methodist University
Phillip D. Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . George Washington University
Caroline Kam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . college of the holy cross
Chad A Ziadie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florida atlantic University
Conor Sullivan Ingari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . boston University
Emily Louise Kallfelz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Princeton University
Jaewoo Kang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . University of Pennsylvania
Allison Vanier Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . colgate University
Lan Zhang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cornell University
Natasha S. Zobel de Ayala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Georgetown University
PRIZE DAY 2015
Opening lines
The Red & White
7
When it comes to college essays, sometimes it’s all about writing that first sentence.
Here are a few our graduates used ...
t
“The pain was excruciating, absolute raw agony. I could feel my
skin melting and then I felt nothing as I descended into shock.”
— Piers Guthrie ’15
“A huge storm had just hit.” — Alex Cannell ’15
“Plunged deep in the common room armchair, waiting impatiently along with the rest of my dormmates for promised snacks,
I knew the day had taken its toll. I was exhausted from a neverending string of activities and my appearance reflected it: pink
pajama bottoms, an oversized T-shirt, mismatched ankle socks;
my curly hair stuck out on all sides and fell, disheveled, around
my shoulders.” — Catherine B. Farmer ’15
“It often amazes me how easily people throw around the word
‘home.’ Then again, it often amazes people how often I’ve been
thrown around from “home” to “home.” — Laurie Germain ’15
“I have never deleted a single photo off my storage cards after
that one incident.” — Ray Gao ’15
“I admit it. I was ignorant before going to St. George’s School.” —
Julia Goins ’15
“I have often heard that people are attracted to dogs that resemble their own personality.” — Jillian Gates ’15
“I jumped into the dark water unprepared for what came next.
My whole body went into shock from the cold. My goggles filled
with sea water from the mighty Pacific. I gasped for air through
my snorkel but got nothing but sea water.” — Will Bemis ’15
“I have only cried out of joy once in my life.” — Alden Pexton ’15
“My feet carry me towards the microphone.” — Charleen Lopes
’15
“As a privileged child growing up in a peaceful, stable, and successful household, I never truly understood the realities of living
outside a ‘bubble.’” — Moudy Abdel-Maksoud ’15
“I knew. My friends knew. Everybody knew what was planned
for that night. My inner-voice urged me to do something, but my
fear of the possible consequences held me back. I didn’t know
what to do.” — Eddie Liu ’15
“The Saturday morning air is crisp and awake. My toes squish
into the earth as I stand in a field of fresh cut grass, dampened
by morning dew. The illuminating summer rays reflect off the
white coverings of our tents and glisten in the seemingly endless
rows of lush vineyards.” — Talia Simanski ’15
“‘Obama is a Muslim and he hates Israel. I want President Clinton to hold office again,’ she declared.” — Becky Howe ’15
“Stonework and old, heavy wooden doors lead into a small room
carved from dark wood.” — Sarah Carnwath ’15
“The ear-piercing, screeching noise that grocery cart wheels
make when pushed over parking lot pavement makes me cringe
every time I arrive at Woodman’s grocery store.” — Anders
McLeod ’15
“‘Bridgeport tower, niner-sierra-romeo has the three mileright
base for two-four. ... Niner-sierra-romeo cleared to land on twofour.’” — Harrison Paige ’15
“There are two cliffs accessible from the main trail through Ballard Park.” — Joey Asbel ’15
“Like any normal girl, I have dreamed about my wedding every
since I could remember.” — Sarah Rezendes ’15
“Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard once said, ‘What is a
poet? An unhappy person who conceals profound anguish in his
heart but whose lips are so formed that as sighs and cries pass
over them they sound like beautiful music.’” — Erick Lu ’15
“It was a beastly hot day at Hamilton Park. I was clad in orange:
orange shirt, orange shorts, orange socks.” — Emma Thompson
’15
8
The Red & White
PRIZE DAY 2015
Where the Class of 2015
will be in 10 years ...
BY OLIVIA CONSOLI ’15
red & White contribUtinG Writer
Agnes will be backpacking around the world.
Elizabeth will be giving free hugs and complimenting everyone on
the street.
Cookie will have more fans than John Mayer.
Allison will be a faculty member at SG.
Bemis will be back in Minnesota with a local job.
Lilly will be a U.S. senator.
Jaewoo will be a Supreme Court judge.
Blaise will be a newscaster.
Sterling she will be late to her own business opening in Boston.
Sophie will be the Editor-in-Chief of the New York Times.
Zahra will be giving TED talks for different companies and universities.
Ray will be a corporate lawyer.
Charleen will be starting her new company, “Humans of Holland”.
Maggie will be busy in Boston with her five new black labs.
Emma will be running her own business firm in D.C.
Olivia working as a psychiatrist in NYC while saving up money to
move to somewhere in the Caribbean.
Carter Rose will be a well-spoken politician.
Moudy will be living back in Egypt as a professional squash player.
Michaela will be working on her book series similar to “Harry Potter”.
Vicky will be the new squash coach at SG.
Amanda will have started the most successful business in Mexico.
Sarah Boule will be the new Mia Hamm.
Conor will have bought every puppy from every pet store in Boston.
Hunter Johnson will be drafted to the NHL.
Emily will have won her third marathon and a gold medal in the
Olympics.
Jonathan will be making money off of any of his future sports careers.
Gino will be a local high school hockey coach.
Laurie will be a photographer for National Geographic.
Billy Reed will be a guest star on SNL.
Sarah Rezendes will be a judge on “The Voice”.
Catherine will be preparing to run for president.
Zurab will be the new Mr. Mackay.
Joey will be switching between jobs in NYC.
Sam will be doing good deeds all over the world.
Sarah Braman will be biking across the country.
Sloan will be working as a nurse in Romania.
Alex will have just finished recording his second album with Cookie.
Buckley will be living in DC and working for the government.
Sarah Carnwath will have invented a new clothing line similar to
Lilly Pulitzer.
Jack-Henry will be starring in his fifth Broadway show.
Reed will be driving around Newport with his newest sports car.
Chloe Farrick will be working in Paris and then will be just like her
mom.
Chris will be the leader of a successful a cappella group.
Garrett will be playing video games with Buckley.
Jillian will be modeling for J Crew.
Julia will be twitter famous.
Amira will be an accountant and coaching basketball as a side job.
Chloe Lee will still be introducing herself to new people wherever
she goes.
Oliver will be the new Phil Dunphey from “Modern Family”.
Piers will be manager of a chain of nightclubs in New York.
Eddie will be the new head of Kaplan, tutoring students for the
ACT and SAT.
Annika will be back in Berryville teaching high school lacrosse.
Serena will be opening a waterfront store in Newport with Merrill.
Jordan will still be on her phone in the Auch common room.
Becky will teaching cultural awareness and still be on crutches.
Cici will be an aspiring hipster wearing her new line of “handmade”
clothes.
Caroline will be commuting into the city out of her suburban town.
Lane will be recruiting D-1 athletes.
Erin will be in Spain reliving her junior year abroad.
Mike Kelly will be an ESPN sports announcer.
Yul Hee will be laughing at everyone’s jokes.
Thomas will be cruising around the world on his yacht with all
of his coworkers.
Erick will be aa stylish professor at NYU.
Irene will be a biochemist.
Christina will be roaming the streets of New York and dining
often at Serafina.
James will be a typical businessman in Boston.
Anders will be back in Wisconsin telling her kids about SG.
Carter Morgan will be more successful than Bill Gates.
Bing will have started the most successful architecture firm in
Thailand.
Amy will be the new Alana Blanchard.
Will Nyamwage will be calling Mr. Connor to hand in his Gov papers.
Henry will be an aspiring country club dad.
Harrison will be spotted all over the world flying his plane.
Jessica will be directing Vogue fashion shows.
Alden will be headmaster of a secondary school.
Pfeiffer will be the new Eminem.
Billy Reid will be in Canada, never to leave again.
Merrill will be neighbors with Serena.
Spencer will be an aspiring Canadian model.
Talia will be settled in San Francisco sporting a brightly colored Jeep.
Matt will be a world champion foursquare player.
Paget will be starring on a reality TV show.
Gage will be the new robotics teacher at SG.
Hunter Westerberg will have bought out Vineyard Vines.
Phil will be the new soccer coach at SG.
Cindy will be a successful businesswoman, and still jet lagged.
Chad will be on island time.
Natasha will be living on the beach in the Philippines.
Schedule
labus. He explained, “This school has always offered an excellent traditional high school curriculum. I think there was a desire to at least explore
the notion of offering more options for students and
deepening the options that are available in addition
to thinking about interdisciplinary options.” Dr.
Shaw explained that the main drive to take advantage of a trimester system stemmed from a desire to
diversify the curriculum, both pedagogically and in
terms of content.
The new trimester system opens up a world of possibilities, but the main goal of the change is to regularize the day-to-day class schedule and eliminate
any inconsistencies within the start and end times
of each class throughout the week. Another goal of
the new schedule, Dr. Shaw explained, is to explore
the seven-period day used by many other schools.
He explained that seven periods rather than six will
open up the schedule for a couple of different things.
Firsts and foremost, it will automatically introduce
the concept of two free periods for every student,
and second, it will provide a designated time period
for the music ensembles and groups. “As of right
now, music ensembles in particular but also a lot of
other things do not have a place in the schedule and
have to be squeezed in and that’s really awkward.
The whole notion of grabbing lunch while also trying
to play the trombone is just nuts,” Shaw said. “Mr.
Mudrak has been incredibly generous in trying to
make it work but it’s just not how we want to run.
Seven periods allow us to schedule all of the ensembles within the academic day but at the same time
have at least one extra period for every student.”
A seven-period system calls for another reevaluation of the standard St. George’s Day completely. In
order to compensate for the increase in class periods, the system requires that each class period be
shortened. Increasing the amount of periods also
has to coincide with sports, club meetings and
Study Hall that still need to be fit into the afternoon. In the current schedule each class has slotted
230 minutes of class time with 30 of them designated for ‘the block.’ In the new schedule each class
will have 195-220 minutes of available class time.
With such intricate changes it’s impossible to ignore the brains behind the complex new organiza-
NEWS
The Red & White
9
tion. Students and faculty alike made major contributions to the planning process, final decisions and
post feedback. Faculty members began their work
during the summer of 2014, when they dedicated an
entire day of Blitz Week to evaluating the new
schedule. Shaw explained, “What was so interesting about that day was that two completely different design teams not talking to one another came
up with a very similar response to the daily schedule.” According to Dr. Shaw, one of the things that
was also discussed during the Blitz Week was the
potential for switching over to a class day that was
the same every day with A Period first, B period
second and so on. “It’s interesting to me that this
community said no, we don’t really like that. We
want to have the variation day to day but we want
there to be some commonality in terms of when
things stop and start,” said Shaw.
The students contributed in a slightly different
way. Invitations for students to sign up for focus
groups were sent out. Despite not receiving as
many participants as they would have liked, the internal demonstrative team gathered their comments carefully and plan to make them available to
the whole community. Shaw also has a plan for
more students to volunteer feedback after the new
schedule is in full effect. “We’re going to invite others students to come in. We won’t be able to make
dramatic changes to the new system but it’ll be very
interesting to hear how kids feel and what they
think will work and maybe won’t work,” said Shaw.
“We’re still making adjustments.”
In addition to the new class arrangement, the Academic Department is also adding completely new
courses to the students’ selection. “We wanted to accomplish two things, and hope to still accomplish
both,” said Shaw. “One is to have students develop
a greater sense of ownership over their own course
of study. What we need students to do and what we
want students to do is develop their own passions,
try some new things and be able to figure out how
they want to spend their tertiary years in college,”
said Shaw. “This is not about college applications;
this is really about using high school to establish
the fundamentals but also to test the waters.”
These new courses such as Principles of Engineering, a course designed to whet the appetite of students looking to pursue careers as engineers, will
promote self-discovery through exploration and will
take advantage of unique resources soon to be available here such as the Fab Lab, the new Academic
Center, and the 3D printer that are all in the
process of being secured.
“We talk about students being known, challenged
and inspired here at St. George’s and at that inspired level we wanted to create some new opportunities for kids to really be outside the box,” said
Shaw. “We want students to do something more
than just participate in a great AP Physics course
or an AP literature course. We want to actually
combine the two ... to have not only a sense of where
they want to go but also to have support from the
faculty to start connecting the dots across disciplines,” said Shaw.
Looking to the future, these changes to the course
requirement, schedule have prompted a reassessment of Academics at SG for many years to come.
Students entering as Dragons in the fall of 2016
will experience a completely different organization
for their academic careers. Those students will be
required to demonstrate real progress in the development of six key skills in order to achieve a St.
George’s diploma. The six skills will apply across all
courses and disciplines in some way. They are:
Communication, Creativity, Collaboration, Resilience, Analysis, and Self Discovery. The development of these skills will be reflected in a growing
portfolio. Students will create these portfolios over
the course of four years with an advisor, and
throughout their journey will continue to dive into
these six broad areas and document what they’ve
experienced. Though many schools have explored
these concepts of skill development, no one has yet
developed a criterion to measure the progression of
the portfolios. Shaw explained, “The students will
ultimately be creating a narrative and functionally
petitioning the school to recognize their story. The
objective of this portfolio is to have students actually think about their experiences in a very holistic
and long-term sense and to show us that they’ve
grown in some really fundamental ways.”
Though this shift won’t be happening until next
year, students can begin to collect ideas from their
experiences here on the Hilltop, journal entries
from being on Geronimo, portraits made in Visual
Foundations and short stories written in an English
course to contribute to their portfolios when they
are introduced.
Starting next January, one form will be chosen to
pilot SGx. This pilot will be key for the development of
a full SGx course to be implemented in the fall of 2016.
Structured as a group of no more than 10 students,
each group will come up with a problem they would
like to solve. The key to this program is not only discussing and thinking critically about the problem, but
it is coming up with a viable solution. Dr. Shaw, the
Dean of Academics, explained this succinctly: “SGx
will be problem based, solution focused, and will ultimately be a design team playground.”
Design thinking, in correlation with design teams,
accounts for a huge part of the creation of SGx. Design
thinking has a few key principals, with the ultimate
goal of creating an educated and researched solution for
a problem. According to Shaw, the five steps to design
thinking: empathy or focusing on a problem, brainstorming or imagining a range of solutions, ideation or
designing a solution, prototyping or creating a model,
and finally testing or the continual refining of the
SGx: ‘Design thinking’ for the real world
BY ALDEN GRIMES ’17
St. George’s is about to undergo dramatic changes
for the upcoming school year. Included in these
changes is a newly developed revolutionary idea to introduce “design thinking” and real-world problem solving to the academic culture of St. George’s. Named
SGx, this new program will give students the unique
opportunity to move away from traditional academic
classes and into a real-world atmosphere designed to
create a viable solution to a proposed problem.
Please see Schedule, Page 12
10
The Red & White
NEWS
Senior prefect-elect Tim Baumann ’16
outlines goals for the year ahead
AE: What is your biggest concern for next
year?
TB: Communication, I would say. I just want to
make sure that there is no divide between the faculty and students. Making that a priority is definitely something we will do next year.
Outgoing Senior Prefect Agnes Enochs ’15 interviewed next year’s Senior Prefect-elect, Tim Baumann ’16, about Baumann’s journey to becoming
prefect and his ideas on leading the St. George’s
community.
AE: When did you know you wanted to be
senior prefect?
TB: I wanted to be senior prefect my freshman
year when I came to St. Georges. About halfway
through the year I started to get to know Will
Fleming ’13 when I served on the Student Council. I realized how much respect he had from the
students and faculty and how hard working and
diligent and respected he was in the community,
so I really wanted to see myself in that position
and have the same job one day.
AE: What are you most excited about for
next year?
TB: Organizing my first event — like Middlesex
Weekend or the orientation day — doing it right
and having as many people as possible think it is
a success. Just kind of knowing that I can do this
job and I can do it right.
AE: How well do you know the other four
prefects?
TB: I know Dakota [Hill ’16] really well; we’ve
been best buds since freshman year. Caroline
[Macaulay ’16], Beth [Larcom ’16] and I have
been really tight, not as much as Dakota, but I’ve
had some classes and sports with them, so we
have a pretty good relationship. And then Dee
[Cotton-Samuel ’16], we’re friends, definitely
friendly, but we haven’t spent a lot of time together, so I’m interested in getting to know Dee
and working with her.
AE: What is your favorite part about the
community and how do you plan to make
that even better in your role as senior prefect?
TB: My favorite part about this community is
your ability to go into King Hall and just sit next
to anyone and have a good meal with them, or to
go play volleyball or four-square with anybody in
this community. I’ve certainly experienced that as
a student and as a dorm prefect here at St.
George’s, and I just want to really spread that to
everyone else and let them know that that is
something they can do. It’s definitely an environment that’s very welcoming and friendly. I really
want to promote that next year and let that be
known to all students.
AE: What was your reaction when you found
out you were elected senior prefect?
TB: A couple of weeks after the election I got an
email in physics class saying that I was senior
prefect. I was pretty quiet about it at first; I didn’t
tell anyone until they sent out an email to SG
Community. That’s when I started getting a lot of
congratulations and I felt really thankful. I didn’t
really jump up in the air or anything. I was pretty
composed about it, but I’m still really excited.
AE: What has prepared you for this role?
TB: I think I’ve done a lot here at St. George’s
across the spectrum. I’ve been on three varsity
teams. I’ve been a captain on a couple of them. I’ve
lived in the Complex. I’ve lived in Wheeler as a
freshman and have been a prefect there. I just
think that all of my experiences and contact with
so many people in so many different relationships
will help me to be a good prefect.
PhotoS by
annabeLLe FiScher
NEWS
School embarks on process of self-evaluation
prior to official review next fall
BY SOPHIE BARKER ’15
red & White Senior Writer
This year, St. George’s has begun a review
process in which all private schools must participate in order to receive their reaccreditation.
This process involves compiling reports written
by faculty as a method of self-evaluation, followed by an official review by a visiting board of
teachers next fall.
The first step in the process was the formation of
committees of teachers early this year, tasked
with assessing the strengths and weaknesses of
various categories of the school’s performance.
The committees have made recommendations
from these initial assessments which will then be
compiled into a complete evaluation, including
suggestions for the future. The categories included
in this final report are based on broad questions
posed by the New England Association of Schools
and Colleges (NEASC), the organization that
arranges the review.
Once this full report has been written, it will be
presented to a board of six to eight visiting teachers. The review board will spend around three days
immersed in life at St. George’s, asking students
and faculty various questions about their experience. At the end of this visit, the board will compile
recommendations based off of the self-evaluation
report and their own observations.
Each category that has been assessed will be
given one of four ratings: “Passing one or two” if the
school meets the standards or “failing one or two” if
it does not. Regardless of the rating, the schools
have the opportunity to act on each recommendation. After this, another report is written after two
years and then again after five years in order to assure that the changes have been made.
Dr. Patricia Moss, Assistant Head and Latin Department Head, has been in charge of the two most
recent reports, and James Stevens, Dean of Stu-
The Red & White 11
dents and Science teacher, will now assume the
role. Because of St. George’s status as a well-defined and stable school, both see this as an opportunity for reflection rather than a threat the accreditation of the school.
“The 10-year reaccreditation is a time to sort of
stand back and see, according to these evolving
standards, how we’re doing,” said Dr. Moss, “and
the two times I’ve done it, we’ve done very well.”
Generally, the recommendations of the NEASC
board correspond with concerns the school has already confronted in the self-evaluation. However,
sometimes these suggestions are not predicted,
such as the recommendation produced by the last
review that the school use its mission statement
more, both through publications and by making it
visible across the school.
Another past recommendation was a concern
about the pace of daily life, causing the school to review the daily schedule, and eventually switch to
an 8:30 start of the class day. The board also recommended improvements in science and music facilities, a “comprehensive and well-publicized” crisis
plan, and additional minor suggestions such as increased use of laptop computers in speaking in a
foreign language.
Stevens mentioned that the recommendations
generally do not differ from those of the self-evaluation, as being a school with constant visitors and
reviews, the administration hears about issues immediately. “There might be recommendations
made that the school is not really interested in
pursuing because it doesn’t fit the culture of the
school,” said Stevens.
This year, the committees of faculty created to
form the first report were asked to review three
major categories: “program,” “experience of the student,” and “resources and infrastructure.” After
completing most of the reports, Stevens and others
discovered that two issues were reoccurring: the
lack of training for faculty in diversity and multiculturalism, and the necessity of written guidelines
for dorm parents and advisors. Among the other
concerns and recommendations of the faculty are
further changes to the daily schedule, including
less special schedules, better day spaces, and improved Wi-Fi.
Many of these concerns will have already been
addressed through the upcoming changes to the
schools daily life, such as the removal of Saturday
classes and the switch to trimesters. However, according to Stevens, the report serves as a “snapshot
of the school.” Therefore, even issues with a clear
and imminent solution must be presented.
The visiting board of teachers will arrive Sept. 20
and stay through Sept. 23, evaluating each category of standards that the school must fulfill. This
board will consist of heads of school, teachers, and
other professionals from Holderness, Exeter, Middlesex, Ocean Classroom, Hotchkiss, North Field
Mount Hermon, Westminster, and Belmont Hill.
Students have also been involved in the process.
In the beginning of the year, returning students
filled out online surveys with questions that corresponded to many of the standards in the NEASC report. In addition, seniors have been asked to be a
voice of experience during Student Life periods by
answering questions that were posed on posters.
Participation will continue with returning students
next fall as visitors will be asking students for their
opinions as they tour campus.
Dr. Moss has always appreciated the opportunity
of self-reflection that the reaccreditation provides.
“It’s a chance to really look at yourself in the details
and in the big picture, to see how you think you
stack up according to the standards that the commissions have created,” she said.
Eddie Liu ’15, who is going to Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., plans to study either biochemistry or biology in pre-medical school. “I am excited
to start in a new environment and to be challenged
by a new school. I also excited to go to school in a big
city like St. Louis,” said Eddie. After college, he
hopes to go on to medical school.
Will Bemis ’15, one of the five senior prefects, is
going to study economics at Colorado College. “I'm
excited to meet new people and explore the mountains in Colorado,” Bemis said. “After college, I hope
to attend law school.”
At Florida Atlantic University, Chad Ziadie ’15
will study business. “After I graduate from college
I’ll join a business or work with my father,” said
Ziadie. Overall, he is excited for “the experience and
the opening of a new chapter in [his] life.”
Anders McLeod ’15 will be attending Denison
University. “I’m planning to take some great
classes, meet some great people and have a great
four years,” said McLeod. “I am most excited for a
new place and meeting new people.”
At Syracuse University, Amy Nuytkens ’15 will be
majoring in visual communications in Syracuse's
college of Visual and Performing Arts. After college,
Nuytkens said, “I want to work for a magazine,
fashion brand or possibly work for my brother trying to start up our own carbon neutral surf brand...
Graduates outline plans for the future
BY MARY WINTERS ’18
After four years on the Hilltop, a number of students are preparing to embark on new endeavors.
The Red & White interviewed several seniors about
where they’re going to college and what they plan to
study:
Julia Goins ’15 said that at the University of
Delaware, she plans “to major in exercise science
with a physical therapy track” and later receive her
doctorate in physical therapy. “I am looking forward to having more free time to do what I want
and less required commitments. I am also really excited to go to a big school and see what that's like,”
Goins said.
Please see Choices, Page 12
12
The Red & White
Choices
But we'll see!” Nuytkens is very excited about her
major. “I finally found something that really suits
me and I'm stoked to get into all the art and business stuff full time at Syracuse.”
Erick Lu ’15 hopes to major in clinical psychology
and statistics at New York University. After college
Lu wants to travel around the world. He is excited
for “big city” life at New York University.
Laurie Germain ’15 is also going to New York
University and plans to major in global liberal studies. “It is an interdisciplinary major with a global
focus. It takes a humanistic approach on global
studies as you learn about cultures and how meaning is formed across borders,” said Germain. “I also
plan on joining an a cappella group and community
service and human rights or social justice group.
NYU has many options so in the end, I’ll see when
I get there!” Her main goal after college is to travel,
but during her time in the city, she’s looking forward to discount Broadway tickets and learning
about something she is interested in. “NYU is a
very different place than SG and I am super excited
for that experience,” Germain said.
Sarah Rezendes ’15, the third member of the
Class of 2015 attending NYU, will not be going to
New York City next fall. Rezendes will be studying
across the Atlantic Ocean at NYU’s Florence, Italy,
campus next year. She is starting in the liberal core
program, and then going into nursing. Rezendes
said that after college, “I plan to live in New York,
and have a puppy, and work as a nurse, and make
lots of money, and marry a celebrity.” For now, she
is thrilled to be going to Italy and to be an adult.
Thomas Kylander ’15 will also be studying in Europe, at St. Andrews in Scotland. There he will
study economics and international relations. “After
college I’d like to work in finance,” Kylander said. “I
think I’m most excited to be living in Europe for
four years.”
Catherine Farmer ’15 has not yet decided what
she would like to major in at Duke University, but
she is thinking about majoring in architecture and
is “going in with a liberal arts core.” After college,
Farmer said she would like to work in global equity
and development. “I’m excited about meeting new
Schedule
model. With these steps students will be able to develop
a well-crafted and viable solution to a problem.
One of the most important parts of SGx is its fluidity
and its development as a process and not a set program.
This flexibility allows students to work on something
they are interested in, choose their own problems, and
create an original solution within a team. “I hope that
there is a lot of variability, even when we have it built,”
said Associate Head for School Katie Titus. Using this
variability, SGx will be able to grow, potentially having
students working with local companies to tackle problems close to home and globally.
Intentionally so, every aspect of SGx has not yet been
NEWS
people who are passionate about the same things I
am passionate about,” Farmer said.
Lilly Scheibe ’15, who is going to Yale University,
said “I am hoping to do premed, so I want to major
in biology or biochem [and] I’m probably hoping to
go to med school.” She added, “I think I'm just excited for the independence; honestly, being able to
do your own thing.”
At Georgetown University, Ray Gao ’15 plans to
double major in psychology and economics. “DC has
a lot of opportunities, so I think I'll definitely try to
get an internship there, maybe work for Congress
or some political internship,” he said. “I’m excited
about the ability to have more free time and to control my own schedule, to meet people that are more
oriented toward my interests.” After he graduates
from Georgetown, Gao hopes to go to law school for
three years.
Jaewoo Kang ’15, the 2014-2015 Honor Board
Chair, will be starting at the University of Pennsylvania this fall. There he will pursue engineering,
and is excited about “being in the city and having a
lot of opportunities.”
Christina Malin ’15, who is going to Trinity College, said “I haven't decided what I want to do yet,
but I want to take different classes to see what I'm
interested in.” She hopes to move to New York after
college, and remarked that she is most excited to
meet new people.
Also going to Trinity College, Jillian Gates ’15
plans to study either art or economics. “I can't really decide. I am interested in both, but I am interested in the business aspect of the fashion industry.
Also, I really want to study abroad in Italy,” Gates
explained. She explained that after college she
hopes to go into the fashion business. “Anything involving fashion, I am obsessed with it. I swear I
read more Vogue magazines than I read English
class books!” Gates is excited about the independence college will bring, and starting her life leading
into adulthood.
Oliver Green ’15 plans to major in international
relations at Colgate University. “I am most excited
to hopefully study abroad for a semester during my
junior year,” Green said.
At Elon University, Charleen Martins-Lopes ’15
hopes to study marketing, and said that “Right
after I graduate I plan on taking a year off and
teaching in Holland.” Martins-Lopes is excited for
both the new atmosphere and the experiences she’ll
have in college.
Billy Reed ’15 will study electronics at Johnson
and Wales. After college, Reed, a day student,
wants to get a job off the island. Reed is looking forward to “Just being in a city, living in a city that
sounds really fun.”
Though Elizabeth Millar ’15 has not chosen what
major she will pursue at Davidson College yet, she
is excited about “meeting new people and living in a
different part of the country, North Carolina.”
Erin Keating ’15 will study elementary education
at Boston College. “I want to be an elementary
school teacher and hopefully get to travel as well,”
said Keating. “I am excited to live in Boston and
meet new people.”
Zahra Arabzada ’15 is going to Hobart and
William Smith. “I want to major in biology and
something else and go to grad school or medical
school and then go back to Afghanistan,” Arabzada
said. She also mentioned that she’s excited for the
experience she will get in her work study.
Conor Ingari ’15 is excited to start at Boston University this fall. “I will be playing soccer and entering the School of General Studies. I'll hopefully
transfer to the School of Business sophomore year,
but we will see.” He added, “I’m excited to be part of
a very successful soccer program that will compete
at a very high level. It’s something I haven't really
experienced before. And to just meet so many different types of people.” Ingari said, “It would definitely
be nice to pursue soccer at a higher level after college, but if that isn’t a possibility then I’ll hopefully
work in finance or potentially create my own business.”
Sloan Buhse will be going to Marquette University, where she will study nursing. "I'll hopefully become a nurse, and then I want to minor in Spanish
as well, so I might be a traveling nurse for one or
two years, and travel all over the country and work
at different hospitals, or I’ll kind of find one place,
and then after that I’ll probably go to school to become a nurse practitioner,” Buhse said. “[For now]
I’m excited to move to Milwaukee. I think it’s something very different, very different from Newport.
I’m really excited to travel abroad. I think I’ll be
able to go to Ireland, which is really fun, for a semester, and then also Peru for a summer, so that
will be really cool. I’m excited for that.”
finalized. As of right now, it is confirmed that a pilot
program will take place in early 2016, utilizing one
form, and a new schedule. However, the form, teachers
taking part, and exact curriculum of SGx have not been
finalized. For these aspects the school wants the student body to weigh in. As Dr. Shaw explains, “If more
than 15 or 20 percent or students in the pilot are not really into it, it hasn’t worked, because the whole point of
SGx is that students will own this and drive it.” SGx
has the ability to provide a real-world environment at
the high school level, instill crucial skills in the student
body for the future, and provide a unique outlet for creativity. However, none of this will be possible without
the students driving the program.
“We feel as though we teach a fairly traditional curriculum in a traditional way, but the reality is that the
world is changing so fast… the workforce has changed
… and what you guys are going to be asked to do, and
the kinds of skills that you are going to need, it has
changed so significantly since I came out of high
school,” said Titus. “You are going to need to be super
creative, because we can’t even predict what it is going
to be like five, 10 years from now. You are going to have
to be good at working in groups, because collaboration
is just so key,” she continued. “We want to give our students this opportunity at the high school level so they
can already start creating a resumé.”
Originally meaning, “solve for x”, the name SGx has
numerous meanings. Intentionally non-specific, the
title reflects the variable nature of the process. “SGx
harkens both to the TEDx series, which of course are
TED talks that are localized, have the TEDx flavor to
them, have serious expertise, and are focused on a very
specific problem,” said Shaw.
NEWS
The Red & White 13
Math teacher Roy Williams to take sabbatical
head coach of the sailing team roy Williams (far right) celebrates a recent victory with his team.
BY EVA KILLENBURG ’17
Next fall, to many calculus students’ dismay, one
of the most well-known and well-liked math teachers will not be returning to teach at St. George’s.
Mr. Roy Williams, who has taught for more than 25
years, is embarking on sabbatical to travel with his
wife. A native of North Wales, Mr. Williams is
known by his students and around campus for his
charming accent and canny witticisms. Mr.
Williams is also a very successful sailing coach,
leading his team to place very well at nationals in
the past years. He plans to return in time to coach
sailing next spring.
Williams will begin his sabbatical in the early fall
by renting a charter boat in Venice, Italy, with his
wife. He will then return to the United States in
September to volunteer at the Road World Cycling
Championships in Richmond, Va. This event attracts more than 1,000 athletes and half a million
spectators, and has taken place in cities all over the
world. Mr. Williams, who follows cycling, hopes to
have a volunteer role that allows him to catch some
of the races.
The next step of Williams’ journey is to “see the
things he has never seen,” as he put it. These attractions center in the western United States, and
include the Grand Canyon, Boulder Dam, Zyon and
even the world’s biggest ball of string (hint: it’s in
Kansas). These two continental trips will take place
in October.
The next leg of the trip will begin in December.
Williams and his wife will travel to southeast Asia
to travel, visit friends, but mainly engage in diving
expeditions in the South China sea. “My wife and I
both dive,” Mr. Williams said, “We’ve been diving
all over the world together for 15 years.” They will
be diving in a variety of places, including Palau,
Yap, Guam, Sipadan, Borneo and Thailand.
Palau, Yap, and Guam comprise some of the thousands of small islands in Micronesia, a West Pacific
island chain. Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania,
located north of Australia. Palau, a very popular
diving location, possesses a rich marine environment, including its barrier reefs walls and World
War II wrecks.
Williams said, “Palau is considered to be one of
the very best dive sites in the world.” Yap, a nearby
island, is known for its traditional Micronesian culture copious Manta Ray population. “We are going
specifically to Yap because of the giant Manta
Rays,” he said.
Among these fascinating expeditions, Williams
will also be visiting Singapore and China. He plans
to make stops in schools in this area, two of them
with St. George’s connections. A former Chinese
teacher, Tony Jaccaci, founded YK Pao School in
Photo coUrteSy
oF the
SG SaiLinG
teaM
2007, an international school in Shanghai. Another
former SG teacher, Kevin Held is now the head of
the theater department at the TaiPei American
school in Taiwan. Mr. Williams hopes to visit both of
these institutions during his travels. In addition, he
and his wife will visit friends living on the Pacific
Rim, parts of Singapore, Shanghai and Taiwan.
They will return to the United States in February,
in time for Williams to coach the sailing team in the
spring.
The biggest factor in Williams’ decision to go
on sabbatical was good timing. There was a list of
places that he and his wife wanted to visit, but
the time required never coincided with his wife’s
job. When they both had the flexibility to take
time away, the trip went into the planning
stages.
Williams’ application for sabbatical was granted
at the beginning of the year. Since then, they have
been nailing down destinations and activities. “It’s
still in progress,” Mr. Williams said, “and there will
be other side trips.”
Although the excitement is apparent in his voice,
Williams is sad about leaving his teaching.
However much his students will miss his extensive mathematical understanding, lessons on common knowledge, and never failing wisecracks, we
are confident that his travels will be fun, compelling and undoubtedly well-deserved.
14
The Red & White
NEWS
St. George’s responds to Nepal earthquake
BY TILLY PECK ’18
On Sunday April 25, disaster struck Nepal in the
form of the Gorkha earthquake. The quake lasted for
about 20 seconds and was an absolute tragedy for the
developing country. The epicenter was the village of
Barpak, near Kathmandu, and it killed more than
7,000 people and injured more than twice as many
across Nepal. It was the most powerful disaster to
strike the country since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake and even triggered an avalanche on Mount
Everest. Across many districts of Nepal, hundreds of
thousands of people became homeless and entire villages were destroyed.
Neile Golding, a member of the Spanish department,
felt a personal connection to the devastating earthquake, because Nepal is the home of her best friend
from college. “It was so personal to me. It was more
than just another horrible thing happening on the
other side of the world,” said Golding. “I was actually
afraid my friend had died. When I first heard about the
earthquake I was really scared that something had
happened to her.” Later Golding was able to extinguish
her concerns for her friend. “When I found out that she
was OK and working in Kathmandu to get supplies out
to people in need, I decided, knowing she was safe, but
other people weren’t, that I wanted to help out from my
end,” continued Golding. “I knew that maybe it wasn’t
my friend that was in trouble, but it was someone else’s
friend.”
Golding organized a dress-down day for Monday
April 27, in which students and faculty were given the
opportunity to pay $3 in order to wear their St.
George’s gear instead of the usual dress code. She then
held a carwash on Sunday, May 3, with the help of
some St. George’s students, to raise even more funds to
send to Nepal. “In the beginning it was just members
of the SG community who were coming to get their car
washed and giving donations, but then we started getting complete strangers coming in. Word got out and
there was a time period where it was really, really busy
and we almost couldn’t handle it. It was great,” said
Golding. “A lot of people that we didn’t know were
thanking us for holding the car wash because they
knew how important it was.”
Between the dress-down day and car wash, the St.
George’s community raised $2,067.58 for disaster relief in Nepal. Golding said that all the money was
going to the organization #WeHelpNepal through
www.wehelpnepal.org. “They send money directly to
local people and organizations,” Golding explained.
“The reason this is so important is that it gets to people right away. The Nepali government is quite corrupt and when bigger relief organizations bring goods
and money in from the outside, the authorities hold
them at the one international airport, taxing them,
and not letting them get through to the people,” said
Golding. “These great organizations are not able to do
what they want to do because of Nepal’s government,
but the local organizations like #WeHelpNepal can because they are right there.”
“Even if they don’t get a direct ‘thank you,’ the peo-
Photo
by
raMSay eVeritt ’17
St. George’s hosts a car wash to raise money for the victims of
the nepal earthquake.
ple in Nepal are so grateful to receive help from outside their community,” said Golding. “It’s important
for us to look outside of ourselves and work hard for
people we don’t know. Being able to share what we did
for my friend over there meant so much to me, because
it meant so much to her and I want people to know
that. I am really grateful, and I know the people in
Nepal are even more grateful for what we’ve done.”
Present and future
Honor Board members
blaise Foley ’15, annie Kim ’16, Sophie barker ’15, Laura edson ’16, Lilly
Scheibe ’15, Frederic Gregoire ’16
(honor board head-elect), Jaewoo
Kang ’15 (head), Lee cardwell ’16,
Sterling etheridge ’16 and Jee Seob
Jung ’16.
Photo
by
annabeLLe FiScher ’16
NEWS
The Red & White 15
Academic Center construction wraps up
BY JOHN KIRKPATRICK ’18
With the end of the 2014-15 school year approaching, the construction of the new SG Academic Center grows ever closer to its completion. The new facility, which has been under construction for the entire school year, will be ready for “move-in” by September.
George Staples, Director of Operations, is very excited, “I am extremely pleased with what will be the
finished product. The building is going to be the Science Building, Library, and Campus Center all
rolled into one facility. You won’t want to leave once
you go in.”
From its inception back in 2006 to its creation
nearly 10 years later, the facility promises positive
change on campus. Staples emphasized, “The obvious benefit is having a state-of-the-art learning
space for science, but also the renovation of duPont
(the current science building) yields 11 newly renovated classrooms and the introduction of a Rapid
Prototyping Maker space that can be used for classwork, lab work, and independent study.”
t
“These systems will act as
Photo
by
SoPhia SMaLL ’17
Photo
by
SoPhia SMaLL ’17
exterior elevation of the new academic center from back, which overlooks Sachuest Point and the beach.
teaching tools for how renewable energy devices
work in building systems.”
George Staples
director of operations
t
Perhaps the most important element of the new
building is its sustainable design. Like the newly
renovated library, it will likely be a LEED Gold
Certified facility, a certificate marking achievement
in green building and design. It will have a water
harvesting system that will collect up to 3,000 gallons of rainwater run-off, which will be used as
wastewater. There will also be three geothermal
wells and a small turbine on the roof.
“The main differences between the learning
spaces in the existing duPont and what will be the
new Academic Center are the design and the
amount of space allocated for the labs. In the new
facility, the classrooms and labs will combined,”
said Staples. In addition, he mentioned the significant technologic advances, that the new building
will feature, and the atrium, which will serve as a
study area.
Looking forward, Staples mentioned, “I am actively working on plans for a possible renovation to
the Memorial Schoolhouse that was first looked at
in 2007.” Looking back Mr. Staples said, “The only
thing I would have changed is the timeline. I think
we all wish we could have built the new Academic
Center sooner.”
(right) For the first time, alumni enter the new academic
center for a tour during alumni Weekend earlier this
month.
16
The Red & White
ARTS & LIFESTYLE
‘Behind the Hills’ sparks emotion, rave reviews
catherine Farmer ’15, one of the authors of “behind the hills,” stands center stage in what the community thought was a fantastic performance.
BY AVIS ZANE ’17
The original play “Behind The Hills,” written by
Laurie Germain ‘15 and Catherine Farmer ’15, was
performed for the St. George’s community over the
last few days of April. The play was inspired by the
stories of those affected by the Rwandan Genocide.
Germain and Farmer spent their summer in
Rwanda interviewing those who had survived the
genocide, then delivered a play that followed the narratives of individuals and families that suffered loss,
torture, starvation, death, and rape in order to survive. The play displayed the bloodshed of both ethnic
groups—Hutu and Tutsi—switching perspectives to
show each as both the victims and the perpetrators.
With the help of Theatre Department Head Sarah
Ploskina, the director of the play, these two seniors
managed to write, direct, and act in “Behind The
Hills.” Acting alongside Germain and Farmer were
Charleen Martins Lopes ‘15, Jack-Henry Day ‘15,
Billy Reed ’15, Sarah Rezendes ’15, Sydney Jarrett
’16, Anna Rittenhouse ‘17, and Lexi Sinskey ’18.
The powerful message of “Behind the Hills”
evoked a variety of emotions from the community.
“I didn’t think I would leave crying,” said Chloe Lee
’15. Although she had been warned about previous
students being brought to tears, Lee didn’t expect
to be touched the way she was. “My grandma went
through the whole colonization period, when Korea
was colonized by Japan, and a whole lot of people
got killed. Basically the same thing happened—
people hiding, people dying,” Lee explained. “When
I watched the play, I thought about my grandmother, and what she went through.” The play
compelled the community to reflect on the past,
and the past of our ancestors. It also opened up the
minds of those who were uneducated about the
Genocide. Another student who wished to remain
anonymous admitted that she knew nothing about
Rwanda before watching the play. “I didn’t even
know where it was,” she said, “but after seeing [my
classmates] preform ... It completely changed what
I had thought about the history of other countries,
about everything ... I’m surprised we don’t learn
this in class.” While providing an educational lesson, it was the horror within the stories of survivors that resonated within the audience. “I still
don’t understand how [the Rwandan Genocide]
could happen,” a freshman boy confessed. “It was
terrifying, with the drumming and the masks ...
And everyone fighting against each other, even the
people who agreed with them.” “Behind
the Hills” immersed the community in
the history of Rwanda, using music and
performance to convey its emotional and
powerful message.
The playwrights and director themselves were grateful for open reaction
from the students and faculty. “Having
people come up crying and congratulating us,” said Germain. “It was such a
surreal feeling. Knowing that something
we wrote could make someone actually
cry . . . that they invested so fully into
the situations onstage, that’s one of the
best things I could have asked for from
an audience.” Farmer and Germain were
thrilled that the passionate message of
the play was not lost among their peers.
Students and faculty alike expressed the
sentiment they felt throughout the performance. “I felt for the first time that
the students onstage and those in the audience weren’t adversaries anymore, but
Photo
by
ray Gao ’15
teammates. Those nights were special,” Ploskina
remarked. “I think I can speak for all of us when I
say that we felt embraced.”
“Behind the Hills” was a breathtaking performance, and it served as an opportunity for St. George’s
to educate itself on Rwandan history, and reflect
upon the powerful message of love, hate, and fear.
Even those who came into the theatre with no previous knowledge of Rwanda left wondering what it
would be like to have survived such terrifying events.
Germain and Farmer wrote a strong play that was
meaningful to them and to their history, and with
the help of Ploskina and the cast, they were able to
make it meaningful to the school as a whole.
ARTS & LIFESTYLE
The Red & White 17
F ROM T HE A RCHIVES
The “From the Archives,” selected by Caroline Macaulay ’16 with help from archivist Valerie Simpson, is a series that will feature old documents,
photos, articles, and anything in between, from the Gilbert Y. Taverner Archives. The series’ aim is to give current St. George’s
students a window into the past of their school.
A historic look at our Hilltop landscape
Though little recognized and generally taken advantage of, the landscaping that we have on campus is the result of planning, frugality, and also
time. In collaboration with the Olmsted Brothers
company, The Rev. John B. Diman laboriously
planned out the details for the construction and
beautification of the moonscape with which he was
presented to plan an academic institution.
Between the years of 1904 and 1906, around 10
plans were developed for the design of campus.
Olmsted company’s notes quote: “Olmsted meeting
with Diman makes mention of donation of moneys
for dining hall and possibly placing a Head Master’s
house in east wing of main building.” From the outset however, Diman was sparing with funds, as
starting a school proved to have high costs as it
was. In a letter written from Diman to Olmsted, he
said “As to the planting there is no question as to
the advisability of one rather wholesale operation,
the establishment of a border plantation or windbreak along the northerly and westerly sides of the
property. On so windswept a situation, every consideration calls for mass planting so that the trees
may have mutual protection and support. Refinement in the outline and arrangement of the planting is hardly called for.” In the letter, Diman goes
on to say that rather than dedicating time and
money to planning out the minutia of campus
greenery, funds could be saved by simply outlining
these plans. “Although some openings may be desirable in the western border, they may be neglected
in the first planting for the sake of destiny in the
early years of plantation.” In these negotiations,
Diman even went as far as to reject plans for foot-
ball fields and track accommodations due to the
limited expenses.
In the planning of the school, one aspect was
taken into consideration—aesthetics. The orientation of the main drive with respect to its beach view
was purposeful. As well, in a donation from two students’ families, the school was able to plant rows of
maples and oaks near Old School and the Front
Steps, then the only building to top the hill. Pleas
also went out to raise donations for campus beautification. As noted by the 1905 edition of the Dragon¸
the class of 1904 was one of the first to initiate the
tradition of planting trees on campus. Also included
in the 1903 edition of the Dragon was an outreach
for donations: “the site is heavily unadorned by
Please see Archives, Page 18
18
The Red & White
Archives
ARTS & LIFESTYLE
shrubbery of any description. Our lovers of landscape gardening have found little to delight in except the grand possibilities of our surroundings.
Now it’s time for realities… Trees are needed in
great quantities.”
Many years after the school was an established
institution, full with the Auch gym, the Complex,
and Old School, the Pinecroft home also came onto
the school’s radar. Originally where our ice rink is
now, this house sat on the lower right quadrant of
campus. Though never directly associated with the
school itself, this house would prove to become an
important addition to campus buildings. Julien T.
Davies, the owner of Pinecroft at the time, resisted
selling the house to SG, as he hoped to leave it for
his children and their future generations. Despite
his efforts to pass it down, it was never fully utilized to the extent that he had hoped. He thus offered the house and as well a plot of land used for
gardening to the school. The conditions would be
that the school would pay $13,000 to each of his
four children in compensation for the house. Diman
obliged and the school obtained this property.
The property could not be used initially however
for dorm purposes (the intention), as some revenue
needed to be regenerated from the purchase. The
school sporadically rented out the house until eventually the Sturtevant family, along with a handful
of students, were able to move in. The ability to
make this estate into a dorm was a crucial move for
the school as the student body grew every year. It
was in this light that Diman viewed the purchase
as economically sound and of further benefit to the
school. Ironically, despite the novelty of this newly
annexed dorm, students who lived in it were quick
to complain about the long walk.
Surrounding the house was a large variation of
trees, many of which mimicked the royal variations
planted overseas. In particular were the Fagus sylvatica ‘Asplenifolia’ fern-leaved beech trees, which
also line the properties of many of the mansions on
Bellevue Avenue in Newport. Although today the
Pinecroft mansion is replaced by the ice rinks, some
of the foliage remains. One of the iconic beech trees
in that area of campus, which we know as the
“Smoking Tree,” is likely from the Pinecroft estate.
Standing on the corner closest to the front circle,
this tree was planted to imitate royalty in Europe
and as well indicate a high status. Over the years,
however the significance of the tree has changed—
while it indicated class 100 years ago, it now takes
on a more whimsical persona.
Before the 1980s, upperclassmen were granted
the privilege of being able to smoke cigarettes—
what is now the Sixth-Form Porch used to be a
space where students could smoke. As well, faculty
in the faculty lounge smoked. In keeping with the
times this tradition did not seem to be all that particular, rather it was simply something that one did
as a pastime. Yet as time went on and health detriments became more apparent, the privilege started
to be phased out. School physician Dr. Robin Wallace helped to give this movement momentum. The
idea was that parents would have to give their student permission to smoke, and the only place where
this could occur was behind King Hall. As the October 25, 1985 edition of the Red & White noted, “Last
year, it appeared that the good Doctor had finally
made his point to somebody when tighter smoking
rules were instated and smoking on the Sixth Form
Porch was outlawed.” Though they were relegated
to a less desirable location, this did not stop students. Maybe it could be speculated that these are
the roots of the “Smoking Tree,” after which the old
tree by the rink is named.
Also in keeping with the times St. George’s
changes as well, like adding more space for the
growing student body, or adapting to new changes
in student privileges—it is reflected in the very
foundation of our existence. The buildings change,
the student identity changes, and even the trees
change. The 1903 publication of the Dragon envisioned a green and fruitful future for the then 2year-old school: “What a delightful thing it would
be… [to] plant the first of a long series of annual
groves which would make St. George’s a rival of the
near-by Paradise.”
The 2015-16 Prefects
tim baumann, caroline Macaulay,
dee cotton-Samuel, beth Larcom
and dakota hill
Photo
by
tayLor KirKPatricK ’16
The Dragon
Wears Prada:
Prom Edition
ARTS & LIFESTYLE
BY ANNA MOLINARI ’16
Although Winter Formal is the largest St. George’s
dance in number of attendees, prom upholds the
largest array of garments; from short to long, printed
to solid, soft to sequin. Prom has seen it all. However,
St. George’s prom is notorious for its natural, timeless
dresses that are set apart from the high school prom
dress “norm.” Moreover, St. George's Prom of 2015 exhibited many noteworthy outfit combinations and
trends, unlike those of years past.
Tommy Davlin ’16 sported an outfit that captured
the colorful essence of spring, while maintaining the
classic tuxedo look. Combining a blue printed buttondown with a pastel pink patterned cummerbund,
Davlin successfully exhibited one of this year’s trends:
mixing patterns.
Chloe Farrick ‘15 mastered the concept of simplicity
in her stark white dress. With minimal makeup and
jewelry, Farrick presented a timeless ensemble that
shattered the misconception that white prom dresses
appear wedding-like.
Gino Roy ‘15 and Will Bemis ‘15 packed the prep
into their prom outfits. Both sporting bow ties, patterned button-downs, and colorful blazers. The boys
turned heads with their vibrant outfits. However, the
attention may have been diverted from the outfit
combinations to Bemis’ lingering moustache throughout the night.
Olivia Houston ‘16 exhibited an intricate black dress,
featuring a delicate, taupe-colored embellishment that
spanned over her torso. With sheer panels and a leg
slit, the dress combined some classic elements of prom
dresses with contemporary ones.
Jared Rogers ‘16 captured his entire personality
within his prom ensemble. Wearing a tux embellished
by a camouflage tie and cummerbund, as well as American flag-printed suspenders, Rogers displayed his
many dimensions. He left observers wondering, “What
will he wear next?”
Elizabeth Millar ‘15 dressed to impress in her fitted
black and taupe gown. The dress featured both a high
neckline and slit, which complemented the groovy
shapes of taupe fabric down the torso. Additionally, her
nude makeup and circular gold earrings contributed
her to her fabulous, yet simple ensemble.
The Red & White 19
20
The Red & White
Spring Dance Weekend
PhotoS
by
ray Gao ’15
top Left: alyse borelli ’16 triumphs over Lilly Scheibe ’15 in a game of four-square on the Quad. top right: Students stumble over one after another obstacle on the Meltdown machine.
Middle Left: Maggie Small ’15 and cici huyck ’15 revisit their bubbly and colorful childhood. Middle right: Moudy abdel-Maksoud ’15, hunter Johnson ’15, natasha zobel de ayala ’15 and conor
ingari ’15 lounge on the couch as they bath in the spring sunlight. bottom Left: Under the lead of the singer from the band, the students form a train roaming around the Quad. bottom right:
avery dodd ’14, a graduate of St. George’s and the lead singer of his newly formed band, charges the atmosphere with his original music.
SPORTS
The Red & White 21
Tri-Varsity athletes reflect on their SG careers
t
What soccer, swimming and rowing mean to me
BY EMILY KALLFELZ ’15
Sports occupy a lot of our time here at SG. For
some, they are a welcome break from classes and
the academic grind. For some they are a great way
to get some exercise and try new things. And let's
admit it, for some they are just a necessary evil. I'd
argue that however you view sports at SG, most of
us probably don't fully appreciate how different our
school's approach to sports is.
I have played sports of one kind or another since
I was 5 years old, so I’ve experienced a lot of different coaching philosophies and approaches to youth
sports. What I find remarkable about SG is that, in
an era of high-stakes everything, we have an environment where anyone can try any sport. You don't
have to be a rock star to make a team and actually
get some playing time, and you don't have to pick
one sport and "specialize" all year so that you're
good enough to make a team. At SG, I've had teammates who never sailed or swam before, and gained
so much because they had these opportunities. At
bigger schools, particularly ones that place a lot of
emphasis on sports, that just doesn't happen.
Sports can be hyper competitive, sometimes cut
throat, and it's just not an option to walk on and try
a sport you've never played. It's not better or worse
- just a different set of priorities.
SG uses athletics very effectively to help students
"develop their particular gifts" on and off the fields.
Our coaches are also our teachers, dorm parents,
and advisors, so they really get to know us, for better and for worse, and invest a lot of their time in
us. You might be surprised at how many of our
coaches have coached very high caliber athletes,
however their focus is still on encouraging and developing all of us as community members first and
athletes after, versus winning the game or season
and recruiting the next hotshot. It creates an environment that's very supportive and encourages us
to take risks and try new things.
It was this environment that made it possible for
me to take a step in a different direction in athletics. In the spring of my junior year, I decided not to
sail and instead to do a special project and pursue
the sport of rowing. I put together a proposal and
made my case to the Director of Athletics, Mr.
Mackey, who was immediately very supportive, and
the faculty, who were already going full tilt with
teams, S&C, coaching, and all, made the time to
help me. Athletic trainers Mr. Nadeau and Ms.
Drysdale jumped right in to lend structure to my
training days. Varsity Swim Coach Mrs. Cunningham enthusiastically agreed to be my advisor, and
dove into the task with her usual great focus, energy, and determination. In spite of the fact that
Mrs. Cunningham had never touched an oar, she
learned about the sport and helped me build a comprehensive, rowing-specific training plan that I just
couldn't have built without her. She was also the
much-needed, consistent voice of encouragement,
especially when the training got intense and I wondered why I was doing all of this.
The athletic department rallied a lot of resources
to support my “project,” and the results have
changed my life. I represented the U.S. at the
World Junior Rowing Championships in Hamburg,
Germany, last summer and hope to do so again this
summer in Rio. I was recruited to row at Princeton
and am looking forward to an exciting four years
there. My experiences, friends I have made through
SG athletics, and my amazing support groups have
given me athletic opportunities I had never thought
were possible.
22
The Red & White
SPORTS
Morgan heads to MIT after a great athletic career at SG
BY CARTER MORGAN ’15
Sports have had a large impact on my life. I have always played on some sort of team ever since I was big
enough to run around — whether it was soccer, tennis,
hockey, or lacrosse. I’ve made many friendships
through my sports teams. SG sports have helped me
continue my passion for competition.
While I would now say that lacrosse is my main
sport, it definitely was not before I came here. Before I
came here, tennis was my favorite sport and I had to
make a tough decision in the spring of my freshman
year whether to play lacrosse or tennis. My dad is a big
tennis player and often plays against SG alum Emil
Henry ’11 in tournaments, but he encouraged me to
play lacrosse since I could play tennis in the summer.
I started playing lacrosse in fourth grade after all my
friends taunted me for not playing already. On my
middle school lacrosse team I played very little and
was on a team with some phenomenal players; we only
lost one game in our four years together. On Long Island, lacrosse is treated much differently than here.
Everyone plays and kids don’t make varsity freshman
and sophomore year unless they can be impact players.
Coming from such a strong team in middle school
made the transition here quite abrupt. My freshman
year we won only one game and were blown out by several schools. The program has grown in the past years
due to an improved coaching staff and an overall better attitude towards the sport and this is the first varsity season I have had a record of better than 500.
During my sophomore year I started to take face offs
and really enjoyed them, but the morning after the St.
Mark’s game I couldn’t move my wrist. It didn’t hurt
very much so I just assumed that I slept on it funny.
After a couple of days it didn’t get better and I ended
up getting an MRI. It took several different doctors to
figure out what was wrong with it, and I was finally
told that the weight proportions were switched on my
two forearm bones which was destroying the cartilage
in my wrist. The only solution was to cut out part of one
of the bones, in effect shortening it, which did not even
promise recovery and would render my arm useless for
four months. I opted to go without surgery, which
ended my face-off career.
My favorite moment in SG athletics was beating
Middlesex in soccer this year. They were the expected
team to win and needed the win to go to the tournament. We had lost a lot of close games until that point
and it felt amazing to win a close game finally, especially against a talented Middlesex team. When the
final whistle sounded, my heart skipped a beat.
The past couple summers I’ve played on a summer
club team for lacrosse traveling around for tournaments and it’s been a blast. The kids on my team still
don’t understand the concept of boarding school and
think my parents hate me. This summer I am taking a
break from summer lacrosse and am working as a tennis instructor.
Next year I am playing lacrosse at MIT and am excited that I can continue to play a sport in college. I
went through the recruiting process of emailing
coaches and going to showcases, but playing in college
was not my primary goal. I wanted to play in college
but it was more of a supplementary goal of mine and I
am very grateful it worked out.
PhotoS by
ray Gao ’15
SPORTS
The Red & White 23
Athlete of the Edition: Rachel Smithie ’18
Photo by bochU dinG ’17
rachel Smithie ’18 is the only freshman on the varsity girls
tennis team.
BY DEJANIA COTTON-SAMUEL ’16
red & White SPortS editor
Rachel Smithie ’18 began her time as a Dragon
in the fall of 2014 and hasn’t stopped soaring
since. Smithie as a freshman has been a tri-varsity
athlete on girls’ soccer, squash and tennis teams
and has made key contributions to each of her
groups, despite being such a young athlete.
Smithie’s participation on three different varsity
teams in the Independent School League displays
her talent, hard work, and dedication. Smithie
considers soccer her main sport, as it is the one
she has played the longest. Smithie explained, “I
started playing soccer when I was four. I played on
this Sunday Little League kind of program. I was
put on a team with a bunch of boys and girls from
my hometown.” Although she started off at a low
level of play, Rachel was able to progress as an
athlete through her constant work in practices and
games. “I went on to play on a travel team; I
started on the B Team and worked my way up to
the A Team when I was in fifth grade, and that’s
when I really started to love the sport,” said
Smithie. Her long term incentive to push herself
in soccer stems from her incontestable love for the
sport. She said, “Something just clicked for me,
I’ve developed a real passion for it.”
Here at St. George’s, Smithie has contributed her
talent to the soccer team in a variety of different
ways. She currently plays right midfielder on her
team but has acted as a center midfielder, center
defender, right defender, and striker. “I’d never really been the finisher, I am always the one to make
Photo by bochU dinG ’17
the Girls’ Varsity tennis team (from top): rachel Smithie ’18, Lilly Scheibe ’15, Margo cannell ’17, hadley Sherbacow ’18, Paget
Smith ’15, hadley Smith ’17 and caroline Kam ’15.
the plays but not actually execute them so my
mindset on the field is to play fast, play smart and
move the ball forward.” Smithie, through watching
and learning from other Dragons, has developed a
keen sense of the game and appreciates the opportunities she has had to work with stronger athletes.
She explained, “I love being on teams with different
people and getting a chance to bond with them.
Being on a team with much older girls has motivated me to push myself. Being on sports teams has
been my favorite part about being at St. George’s.”
Being a part of varsity teams so early in her St.
George’s career has given Smithie the opportunity
to observe the leadership skills of the captains and
upperclassmen also on her team. She said, “It’s so
much fun. You’re the newcomer or baby on the
team, and you just get to learn from everyone else.
They lead the way for you almost.” The observations that Smithie has made from being on so
many different successful sports teams has allowed her to learn a lot of about that variances
within diverse team dynamics. She explained, “On
every team there’s always the happy and enthusiastic motivator. There’s also the hard worker
who’s always encouraging us. There’s also the patient, quieter leader. I think a successful team requires all of these aspects and also the ability to
have fun.” A particular influence on Smithie’s success has been Lily Scheibe ’15. Scheibe has captained Smithie in all three sports, Smithie illustrated, “She is a quiet leader and demonstrates
qualities of skill, competitiveness, patience and
determination. Coming to practice every day and
seeing someone who loves the sport so much in-
spires me to do better and be better.” With three
years ahead of her, Smithie has already set goals
for her future seasons. She articulated, “I hope
that, as I get older, I will provide the same inspiration to the new girls on my teams and be the
same leader that I had when I was their age.”
Smithie’s passion for tennis and squash developed in different ways. Smithie’s father is her main
motivation in her success in sports. She explained,
“If it wasn’t for my dad, my love and passion for tennis and squash wouldn’t be nearly as strong. He
was always pushing me to keep going to all the clinics and practices and to always strive to improve my
game.” Despite starting each sport for different reasons, Smithie’s determination to succeed in each
sport remains consistent. Her tactics when approaching a soccer game are very similar to her approaches to a tennis and squash match. “When I
walk to the court, first I look for my opponent’s
strong side and weak side. For squash, I look to see
if they’ll take a few drop shots for themselves and
then also their ability to hit off the back wall. For
tennis, I look to see if they’ll ask to hit a few volleys
and also the placement of their serves.” Despite her
competitiveness as an athlete, Smithie has been
able to maintain the level of fun she’s felt through
playing her sports. She laughed, “This is such a
Gatorade commercial, it sounds way more intense
when I talk about it.” Even though she has a long
time left, Smithie is already looking ahead with the
hope of continuing to play the sports she loves. She
confirmed, “It’s kind of crazy to think about now because I still can’t believe I’m actually in high school,
but I think I do want to play in college.”
24
EDITORIALS
The Red & White
STUDENTS
SHARE OPINIONS ON THE FUTURE OF
t
AP
CLASSES
Advanced Placement courses get displaced
BY ANNA MOLINARI ’16
St. George’s academics are undergoing major curricular changes between the Spring of 2015 and the
Fall of 2016. Alongside the implementation of SGx
on Saturdays and the offering of seven class periods
instead of six, St. George's is gradually eliminating
Advanced Placements courses (APs) and replacing
them with an “Honors” label. Although taking AP
Exams in the spring will not be required while enrolled in Honors courses, the difficulty of the classes
will remain consistent with that of the previous AP
classes. Therefore, I believe this change is somewhat arbitrary and should not occur.
First of all, the transformation of APs into Honors
courses is simply a change in label. The material
being taught and learned is not altered in any way.
For instance, the content of U.S. History will remain the same even after being reformed into an
Honors course: Washington will always be the first
president, the Declaration of Independence will always signify freedom, and Lincoln will always be
known for his top hat. These facts will remain in the
curriculum even after the course becomes disassociated with the “College Board” curriculum. Thus, the
change remains primarily in the title, having little
effect on the course itself.
Additionally, this simple change in label will negatively affect the mindset of students. In a high
school environment, teenagers are absorbed by labels and the entitlement that accompanies them.
Students are constantly trying to improve their
image through the use of brand names, social status,
and course difficulty. Therefore, altering the label of
advanced classes from AP to Honors will decrease
the entitlement that accompanies the course. Despite the fact that the academics will remain constant after the alteration, students will believe the
class title is a downgrade from the AP title. Possibly,
motivation to maintain high grades will reduce, seeing as the student will not gain as much peer recognition as they would have in an AP class.
Aside from the status-based reasons associated
with ridding St. George’s of APs, it is simply not
practical for the classes of ’17 and ’18. Once AP
courses are fully diminished (2016-2017 school year),
schedules, courses, and routines will change drastically. Specifically, the Class of ’17 will be transferred
from AP classes during their junior year to Honors
courses for their senior year. This alteration will not
only feel like a downgrade but also will complicate
transcripts and applications during the college
process. Moreover, the transcripts will not appear as
the progression of difficult courses that is typical for
seniors. Rather, the Class of 2018’s transcripts will
present an inconsistent mixture of courses that will
be seemingly lower difficulty than that of their junior
year. Ultimately, this discrepancy within future
classes’ transcripts will complicate their current routines and confuse the readers of their transcripts.
Alongside the students, the College Counseling
Office will face unnecessary difficulty associated
with the termination of AP courses. The counselors
must work harder in order to convince colleges that
the Honors system is more beneficial than AP enrollment. It is pointless to change our current system, which all colleges are already familiar and experienced with. Additionally, trying to persuade colleges to pursue SG students enrolled in an unfamiliar, alternative curriculum is quite risky. For instance, if a school declines a student’s application
because their transcript lacks AP experience, the
Honors curriculum will be blamed. Moreover, why
risk students’ futures and the reputation of the College Counseling Office when we already possess a
successful academic system?
Overall, Advanced Placement courses compel students to work harder, attract attention from colleges, and maintain a tradition high school curriculum. Although some may argue that disassociating
St. George’s academics from the College Board program would allow teachers more independence in
terms of their curriculum, and require less testing
in the spring, the negative aspects of terminating
APs overshadow the positive ones. Students will become less motivated to strive in their classes, and
course modifications this significant will cause unnecessary readjustments. Additionally, the College
Counseling Office will face more work and risks associated with endorsing the Honors curriculum. Ultimately, tradition, motivation, and practicality will
be displaced with the elimination of AP courses.
AP classes should go away
BY CARTER ROSE ’15
red & White Senior Writer
When a course is designated as an AP, there is a
specific curriculum based on the test that teachers
must follow. While at St. George's my teachers have
tried to also focus on topics that they find important, the curriculum has been dominated by what is
on the test. When St. George's stops offering APs,
teachers will have the ability to focus on what is important based on their experience. Teachers will not
be confined to the AP curriculum.
Not having AP classes does not mean that students
cannot take the AP exam. It is not a requirement to
be in a designated AP class in order to take an exam.
Furthermore it does not mean that teachers will totally abandon the AP curriculum. Math and science
classes may follow the curriculum almost entirely.
What it does allow for however, is the ability for the
teacher to rely on his or her experience and teach
what is going to be important down the road compared to what is important for a test.
The argument that some people make in favor of
keeping AP classes, is that people will not do as well
on the exams if not specifically prepped for it. I point
then in the direction of American Studies. For those
who are not familiar with the class, it is a combined
US History and English Language course that does
not follow the AP curriculum, but still prepares you for
the AP exam. I took this course last year and we were
able to focus on Newport's role in American history by
taking field trips to the Redwood Library and The
Breakers. While perhaps we could have spent this
time reading a textbook to improve our AP scores, I
contend that the time spent learning about America in
the context of the surrounding community of Newport
was more valuable to us in the grand scheme of
things. It gave us concrete examples of what it meant
to be an American, far more than what any textbook
could say. Despite not following the AP prescribed curriculum to a tee, we all did well on the AP.
For humanities classes especially, following the
AP curriculum simply seems to limit what the faculty can teach. We are fortunate beyond belief to
have such accomplished, caring, and smart faculty.
The number of faculty with graduate degrees including Doctorate degrees speaks to how lucky we
are. In my time at St. George's I have been taught
by three teachers with Ph.D.s in their respective
field. Most students do not have access to such
teachers until college. There are also teachers who
have had illustrious careers in education or in industry. These teachers should be able to share what
they have learned over the years with their students. Having APs however, simply limits the
amount of knowledge they can impart on us. To me,
I would rather learn about what our teachers know
is important, than follow a curriculum set forth by
people we don't know, and perhaps do not have as
much experience as our teachers.
In the end school is about gaining knowledge. If
we do not offer AP classes we still will get good
scores on the exams, but more importantly we will
have a wider base of knowledge to draw from in college and beyond. We should rely more on the knowledge and experience of the faculty to prepare us for
the exams, rather than the curriculum. The APs
will still be there to take, but we will be equally, if
not better prepared for the exam because of the outstanding faculty we have at St. George's.
EDITORIALS
The Red & White 25
What I learned from working on the newspaper
Almost two years ago, near the end of my sophomore year, my good friend Thomas Kits van
Heyningen ’14, the former two-year Editor-inChief, encouraged me to write for
the Prize Day edition of the Red
& White. At first, I was very hesitant about writing an article—
especially since it meant that I
would have to give up my free
time to write something that
wouldn’t even count for class.
EDDIE LIU ’15
However, I decided to try writing
red & White
neWS editor
the article when I found out that
I had been assigned to write the
feature about my favorite faculty member, English
teacher Mr. Alex Myers. The more I worked on that
article, the more I realized that I enjoyed it. There
was something unique to the process of writing a
Red & White article. Little did I know, this became
the beginning of one of my favorite activities at St.
George’s. In reflection, through the Red & White,
not only did I pick up the skill of journalism, I also
learned a countless number of other things that became omnipresent through my years at St.
George’s.
First, I learned how important it is to go outside
of my comfort zone. Now that I look back, I realize
that because I was willing to try something new, I
found something that I am truly passionate about.
This lesson is not only applicable to St. George’s,
but to the world in general. Here at St. George’s,
the opportunities for trying new things are plentiful. Did you know that without much prior experience you can play an instrument for the school orchestra or sing for the school choir? Of course, at
first, we are hesitant to try new things at St.
George’s because it means that we would have to
give up our free time. However, without being too
cliché, the biggest advice I can give is to simply try
it. Maybe you will like it. Maybe you won’t. But,
how will you ever know if you never try?
My second bit of advice is equally as important: If
you care about something, then work hard at it and
never give up on it. This advice works for getting
into a college, making a varsity team, or spending
time with your friends. St. George’s, at times, can
be very demanding. Sometimes, we lose priority of
the things that we care about because we become so
busy. However, from personal experience, I’ve realized that the best thing to do is work hard for the
things that will make you happy. I truly believe
that if you work as hard as you can at St. George’s,
good things will happen and you will often times
achieve your goals.
My third and final advice is to always make the
most of your time. For almost four years, I have
given up almost every one of my lunches to attend
countless orchestra rehearsals and Red & White
meetings. However, I do not regret it one bit. I realize that the more productive I was during my free
t
“The Red & White is more than
just the Quotable Quotes and the Hot/Not
on the back page. It represents a group
of students who sincerely care
about the school.
t
time, the more productive my St. George’s experience became. For example, this past spring (“Senior
Spring” according to most), I audited my free period
to sit in on Mr. Evan’s AP Biology class. The few
people that knew about this thought that I was
crazy for giving up my free time to sit in on a class
that I wouldn’t get a grade on. However, it became
one of my most productive experiences at St.
George’s. Because I didn’t have the pressure of tests
and grades, I was truly able to sit back and to simply learn. Maybe I’m the only one that thought that
this was a good idea. Maybe it did hurt my performances in other classes because I wasn’t able to study
during my free tine. But, I don’t regret it one bit because I know how truly worthwhile the experience
was. Whether you came to St. George’s as a freshman or as a new upperclassman, your time here
will eventually run out. At times, you will think
that your Prize Day couldn’t come soon enough.
But, I promise that the closer you get, the more you
realize that you will miss about the Hilltop. St.
George’s is good to us. Make the most out of your
time here.
My reflection wouldn’t be complete without some
special thank you to the people who have really
shaped my St. George’s experience.
First, the biggest thank you to Ms. Suzanne McGrady, Director of Communications, who is serving her last year as the faculty-supervisor of the
Red & White. Nobody truly understands how
much work goes into every word in every edition.
Ms. McGrady is the glue that holds everything together. Thank you, Ms. McGrady, for always offering help every step along the way and for teaching
me the art of journalism.
Thank you to the people who came before me:
Thomas Kits van Heyningen ’15, Margaret
Schroeder ’14, Aubrey Salmon ’14, Teddy Carter
’14, and Miranda Bakos ’14. Thank you guys for the
wisdom you all have provided me for my time on the
Editorial Board.
Thank you to my fellow group of editors: Taylor
Kirkpatrick ’16, Caroline Macaulay’ 16, Sophie
Williams ’16, Harrison Paige ’15 and Ray Gao ’15.
Thank you guys all for a successful year. The transition from last year to this year wasn’t always
easy, but because of all the hard work you guys put
in, we accomplished our goals and it was well
worth it.
The most sincere thank you to my advisor, Dr.
Bob Wein. Thank you for all of the wisdom you have
given me throughout the years and for being there
for me when I needed you. Your guidance has truly
helped me succeed in my time on the Hilltop.
To everybody else, from my classmates to my
teachers to my college counselor: Thank you all.
You guys have all made a tremendous impact on my
last four years and words can’t describe how thankful I am for all of that.
These last four years had its ups and its downs,
but that is what makes it all worthwhile. In reflection, my decision to come to the Hilltop was truly
the best I’ve ever made. From the bottom of my
heart, thank you St. George’s.
The Red & White is more than just the Quotable
Quotes and the Hot or Not on the back page. It represents a group of students who sincerely care
about the school and put hours of effort to help preserve the history of St. George’s. For those of you
reading this far, thank you for your appreciation.
26
The Red & White
EDITORIALS
Where are they now?: Oneida SG alumni edition
BY DAKOTA HILL ’16
Growing up in a small Indian reservation in Wisconsin I got to know most of the people in my tribe. This is
a lot like going to school at St. George's. You get to
know everybody whether you like it or not. When getting to know everyone around campus, people will
often find that there is another person who is from
their town who also goes to SG. However, coming from
a small reservation in Wisconsin, this does not necessarily happen to me. However, there are four others
just like me who shared my experience, not knowing
anyone else from home. In fact, these four people are
all from my tribe and happen to be close to me in one
way or another.
Starting with my cousin Megan Hill ’92, the first
member of our tribe to come to SG. After going to summer camp one summer she decided that boarding
school was for her and ended up at St. George's. She
was truly a pioneer for the rest of us. She was the first
to leave home for a higher education. After SG, Megan
went to school at the University of Colorado and majored in international affairs with an emphasis in
Latin American Studies, while minoring in economics.
She then got her master’s degree in social sciences at
the University of Chicago. She now works at Harvard
University as the Director of Honoring Nations after
previously working at the University of New Mexico.
The next member of our tribe to go SG was Norbert
"Bisco" Hill III ’99, Megan's brother. Bisco after leaving
SG went to Colorado College where he majored in biology. He then went to Washington University in Saint
Louis where he got his Ph.D. in microbial pathogenesis. After acquiring his Ph.D. he began research at UC
Berkeley.
The next SG alum from Oneida is Olivia Hoeft class
of 2011. Olivia, while not a member of the Hill family,
is a close family friend who originally heard about SG
from Megan and Bisco's father, Norbert. Coming in as
a new sophomore, Olivia was ready to take on the
world of SG. It was in her first year that she was visited by my family. It was the first time my brother and
I were ever exposed to a place like SG; we would soon
call it home. In her time at SG, Olivia made the Honor
Roll and has her name forever in the Study Hall on a
plaque. She kept up her studious ways and now attends Stanford University and will be graduating this
spring with a bachelor’s degree in Science and Technology in Society. She has worked extensively as the liaison between the Native community and Stanford. She
attends conferences like NERDS which is a Native ed-
ucation conference in Sacramento. In her free time
away from SG she won the Miss Oneida Pageant and
will be helping with the pageant this summer. In the
fall she will be working at Google, yes Google, as a recruiting coordinator.
As mentioned before, during Olivia's first year at SG
my family paid a visit on Parents Weekend. It was at
this time the recent alum Sage Hill ’14, my brother,
would fall in love with the SG. Sage in his time at SG
was a tri-varsity athlete, captaining all three sports,
and he also holds the record for the 4x1 in track. He
now goes to Denison University where he is majoring
in business. In his short time away from SG he has represented Team Wisconsin in the 2014 Native American Indigenous Games. He also plays for the Denison
Big Res football team with significant playing time as
a freshman. In his spare time he works co-hosts a radio
show on Denison's radio 91.1 The Doobie.
These are just a couple of stories about members of a
small tribe in northeastern Wisconsin. Each of them
has been able to achieve their dreams and head off to
college. This is something that could not have been
done without the help of SG. They would like to say
thank you and best of luck to the Class of 2015 on all
of their future endeavors.
Don’t we all speak the same language?
BY JAEWOO KANG ’15
red & White contribUtinG editor
I was never meant to be anybody at SG; as an underclassman, it had never occurred to me that I would
have an impact on anybody else´s life. I was significantly insignificant during the first few months of
school, spending most of my free time — that is, most
of freshman year — watching all 192 episodes of the
TV show “24” (which adds up to about 8,500 minutes).
Coming from Korea, I studied English my whole life
and was, I’d like to say, pretty competent in my speech.
However, I was never comfortable engaging in conversations with native speakers, their conversations teeming with teenage slangs, obscure connotations, and
words that I simply did not know. What frustrated me
the most was my seemingly impeccable aptitude for
having conversations with the adults of the community, in which the usual stutter and long pauses between phrases that were prevalent in my speech
seemed to go away. Until recently, I regarded my two
years of reticence a product of the language barrier
that seemed to affect only the conversations I had with
friends. After my four years on the Hilltop, serving as
Wheeler prefect junior year and chair of the Honor
Board my senior year, however, I now know that my
inaptitude in spontaneous conversation was not the result of the language barrier, but of a phenomenon
much more prevalent: the culture barrier.
Freshman year is a tough time for many at St.
George’s; for me, it was more suffocating than any-
thing else. I literally choked on my own words; my
thoughts were eternally hidden right before my larynx,
unable to climb their way onto social acceptance. Just
once had I willingly stumbled into Nash with the intent of making conversation, only to have the intentions stomped ruthlessly with indifference, or perhaps
by my own timidity. I never stepped foot into Nash
after that first day of school; my room was a prison that
I willingly confined myself in.
Be mindful that I am not in any way blaming my
classmates of apathy or negligence; in fact, as I lived
another year in Wheeler, this time dangerously close
to the confines of Nash, I have come to realize that
my inability to socialize earlier had merely been the
result of the social discrepancy that I faced, coming
from a wildly different social setting. And to be fair,
there were some good times freshman year, including joining the Hilltoppers, which has become an integral part of my identity here at SG. The culture
barrier is a universal hindrance for those who come
to SG, and the difference between those who struggle
and those who fit in is simply how readily and comfortably they accept the difference.
If there is a conspicuous issue on campus, we must
fix it, or at least try to alleviate the issue. After all, we
all live on the 125-acre Hilltop that we call home. This
issue of social discrepancy, the culture of the complex,
political unacceptance, or whatever else one chooses to
call the phenomenon, must be addressed as it has been
made clear by the numerous assembly announcements. Luckily enough for me, through some inexplicable, largely coincidental events, I have been given the
chance to be actively engaged in other people’s lives,
first as dorm prefect and later as the chair of the Honor
Board. Although I have my own shortcomings, I tried
my best to be accepting, understanding, and trustworthy to those who had sought advice from me. I have
kept my doors open to the freshman boys in Wheeler,
and have become friends with many underclassmen,
the reflections of the freshman-year-me, in an effort to
alleviate the social differences. However, this is an
issue only a unified effort can truly resolve; as Dr. Wein
had explained in his chapel talk, we individually must
be the stones to the wall that ultimately holds up this
community. We must be kind, as in kindness everyone
can find support, and only through kindness, can we
truly tear down the suffocating barriers. Kindness is a
close cousin to honor, but kindness, unlike honor, is
usually associated with happiness and comfort. The
Honor Code that we live by here on the Hilltop must be
adhered to, but with the mutual agreement between
the members of this community to be kind and benevolent in the dealings with each other, the absolute loyalty to the Shield can be reduced to a friendly reference. However prevalent the issue of the social discrepancy in teenage culture, kindness is truly universal,
and in it future Dragons may find comfort, as I have
after my two years of wandering.
The Red & White
St. George’s School
P.O. Box 1910, Newport, R.I. 02840
EDITORIAL BOARD
TAYLOR KIRKPATRICK
editor-in-chieF
CAROLINE MACAULAY
ManaGinG editor
EDDIE LIU, SOPHIE WILLIAMS
neWS editor
ANNIE KIM
artS & LiFeStyLe editor
TONI WOODS MAIGNAN
oPinionS editor
DEJANIA COTTON-SAMUEL
SPortS editor
RAY GAO
PhotoGraPhy editor
ANNABELLE FISCHER
aSSociate PhotoGraPhy editor
HARRISON W. PAIGE, BOCHU DING
LayoUt editor
CARTER ROSE, SOPHIE BARKER
Senior WriterS
TILLY PECK, AVIS ZANE,
MARY WINTERS,
JOHN KIRKPATRICK, DAKOTA HILL,
ALDEN GRIMES, ANNA MOLINARI
StaFF WriterS
EVA KILLENBURG, EMILY KALLFELZ,
CARTER MORGAN, JAEWOO KANG
EDITORIALS
The Red & White:
A tool for active conversation
This year has sped by and leaves me to reflect on
the hard work and dedication devoted by all who
contribute to the Red & White.
Many of us assumed new positions, including myself, and
worked hard to fill the large shoes
of our predecessors. Our first
paper began with a frantic lastminute meeting to pull all of the
editors together to sort out the inTAYLOR
augural Back to School Edition. I
KIRKPATRICK ’16
am proud to say that while the
editor-in chieF
process may still have its kinks,
by the end of this year the Red & White Editorial
Board more closely models a well-oiled machine.
It has been a learning year for us all. For me it
has been rewarding to see writers progress as they
learn the art of journalism and write pieces that initially seemed intimidating. As for editors, we have
learned the importance of communication and team
work to oversee the progress of pieces and get editions out on time. I want to thank all of the writers,
photographers and editors that make the Red &
White possible. Each of you have contributed to the
overall voice of the paper and have defined the importance of communication of events, ideas and
opinions of not only the students, but the SG community as a whole.
This is a bittersweet time as we wish all of the
seniors well on their new endeavors and realize how
much we will miss them on the Hilltop. The Red &
White is losing three outstanding members of our
Editorial Board and many devoted writers. I want
to thank our News Editor Eddie Liu ’15 for his dedication and hard work on the paper. Eddie has
worked on the paper for several years now and
contribUtinG WriterS
MS. MCGRADY
FacULty adViSor
Thank you for another great
©2014-15 St. George’s School
The Red & White
welcomes letters from all members
of the St. George’s community.
Please send them to
[email protected].
The Red & White 27
year of readership and
support for the paper!
— The Editorial Board
leads the News section with his eagerness to report
on events across campus. Also, a special thanks to
Ray Gao ’15, our fervent Photography Editor. All of
you know Ray as the man with the camera. While
Ray’ s photography captures the spirit of SG, his
passion and enthusiasm for all aspects of the paper
will be truly missed. Finally, I want to give lots of
thanks to our Layout Editor Harrison Paige ’15.
The paper could not run without him. Harrison has
worked tirelessly at each edition to get the paper
into the final steps before printing.
The biggest thank you is owed to Ms. McGrady
the Red & White Faculty Advisor. Ms. McGrady has
advised the paper for 12 years now and we are sad
to wish her goodbye as she will not be advising the
Red & White next year. It is Ms. McGrady who has
brought the paper to its current status and her passion for journalism that has inspired all of us writers and editors. For me, Ms. McGrady has been the
one to teach me true journalism and the importance
of well-done reporting to get opinions from every
corner of campus. Ms. McGrady’s wisdom and energy will be greatly missed next year.
Most importantly, thank you to our faithful
readers. The Red & White is written by and for the
members of the SG community. Looking forward I
hope to continue to use the newspaper as a communication tool for students and faculty alike to
initiate conversation about news, opinions and
ideas that effect each of us. The Red & White is a
student-run newspaper and its integrity is based
on our writers’ abilities to share and respectfully
reflect on the true issues on the Hilltop. My hope
is that the Red & White can serve as an instrument to relay the real sentiments and culture of
the SG community.
Congratulations
to the
Class of 2015!
Good luck in
your future
endeavors.
THE BACK PAGE
t HOT t
BY ALLIE RIKER ’16
red & White StaFF WriterS
Playing on the Quad
t NOT t
Spending nights indoors
Spring dance Weekend
eating too much funnel cake
Gaining aP Free Periods
Studying for aPs
class rings
Graduating
cliff jumping
Kiddy pools
tanning
beginning college apps
Seniors saying goodbye
hitting the chilly water
Sweating in the heat
Getting sun poisoning
Quotable
Quotes
“Maclean, so where do you shower as a day student in
Diman?” — Scott Andrade ’16
“Oh I don’t really shower.” — Maclean Keene-Connole ’17
“Can we PLAY ‘Game of Thrones’ later?” —
Olivia Gonzalez ’17
“Come break your fast.” — Michaela Ahern ’15, asking her
friend to come to breakfast
“Guys, can I send an email to the Lost & Found Conference? I’ve lost all hope.” — Grace Coughlin '18 waiting for a
Heads Holiday email
“Never trust a man with a Ph.D.” — Dr. Wein
“Wait! English 2 is World Literature?” — Olivia Gonzalez ’17
two weeks before spring finals
“One time I accidentally brushed my teeth with numbing
cream ... I couldn’t stop drooling.” — Lane Davis ’15
“I’m just gonna dress casually.” — Vivian Foley ’16 before
showing up in a ball gown
“My clothes aren’t dirty; they are just on the floor.” —
Michael Perik ’18
S t . G eorGe ’ S S chooL
P.o. b ox 1910
n eWPort , ri 02840
WHAT’S HOT,
WHAT’S NOT

SG moves to trimester schedule

Transcription

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