here - Suffield Academy

The Suffield Bell
www.suffieldacademy.org
Established 1833 December 2005
Vol. LXIV, no. 2
Marginalization Discussions Play Out at Laramie Project
Cole Archambault ’06
On November 10, 11, and
12 Cue and Curtain showed their
production of the Laramie Project. In
keeping with the school yearʼs theme of
marginalization, the play was meant to
foster discussion and thought about how
and why societies, both in the country
and in a microcosm like Suffield,
alienate certain people.
The play deals with the
marginalization of Matthew Shepard. In
October 1998, two men tied the twentyone
year old college student to a fence
and beat him to death, quite possibly
because he was a homosexual. This
violent crime sent waves of sadness,
anger, and most importantly, a call for
tolerance throughout Laramie, Wyoming
and the world.
The Tectonic Theater
Company traveled to Laramie to
conduct interviews of people who
were involved, both directly and
indirectly, in the murder of Matthew
Shepard. These interviews include
the police officer that first responded
to a call that a boy had been beaten,
Matthew Shepardʼs academic advisor,
and Dennis Shepard, Matthewʼs father.
The Tectonic Theater Company used
the interviews to compose the play. In
it, each cast member offers a different
view and emotion about the loss of a
fellow human being.
Florante Glavez, Suffieldʼs
new drama teacher and director of the
Laramie Project, stated that the goal of
the cast and crew was, “to produce a
play that would heighten the awareness
of intolerance to the community in
hopes that people would be emotionally
affected by the play.”
For the cast and crew, it was a
challenge to bring such a controversial
play here. First of all, the play had
to be rehearsed in just seven weeks.
The second, greater challenge was
producing a play that has been protested
by anti-gay groups at other high school
productions. Mr. Galvez stated that a
big part of the challenge of producing
such a controversial play was preparing
everyone for the intensity of the play.
“This is a hard hitting piece,” said
Galvez. Lunch announcements, class
discussions, and a Chapel presentation the
day before opening night aided in preparing
the audience for the playʼs intensity.
Each production was followed by
a discussion session. The cast and audience
discussed the extent to which intolerance
exists in the play, our community, and
society as a whole. For many, the postplay
discussions were a continuance of
debates that originated in the leadership
classrooms.
During the discussion session,
many audience members offered praise
to the deserving cast who presented
the controversial topic with the utmost
professionalism.
Sickest Girls’ Dorm Rooms On Campus
Brooke Beatt ’06
Joci Scholtz and Kari Schmaling – Nathena Fuller
This room combines vintage
music charm and girly comfort. Made up
of two adjoining rooms with high ceilings
and hardwood floors, Kari and Jo have
made the most of the space by splitting
the rooms into a study/hangout room
and a sleeping room. The study room
is artfully decorated with old records
salvaged from the Suffield thrift shop
and 70s rock posters. Bunked beds in
the sleeping room are complimented
by a five foot color changing bubbler
that adds lots of mood. Some room
highlights include a Llama Xing
sign, pirate flag, and prayer flags.
Janie Cottrell and Jen Mais – Montgomery Street
Music and relaxation are
two major themes of this cozy room.
With beautiful bay windows Jen and
Janie made the most of the light with
chairs, a table, and decorative candles
underneath the window. The walls are
covered with posters, tapestries, and
signs that make any guest feel right at
home. The girls took out one of the
desks, since chill space is a necessity.
Janie’s two electric guitars and an
amp finish off this sick nasty pad.
Highlights
Editorials - page 2
Quiz Team
Letter from the Editors
Freshman Perspective
Varsity Versus JV
Features - page 3
Lunch with Dish Crew
Knitting Club
Friday Night Movies
Fozzie
Whatʼs Hot/Whatʼs Not
Art - pages 4 + 5
News - page 6
New Faculty
Sports - pages 7 + 8
Cross Country
Victor Dotel
Ringing the Bell
Tiger Fourths Soccer
Weekend Activities

2- The Bell December 2005
Name a king of France
who was of the Bourbon line.
Quick, who wrote I, Claudius?
These were two questions
asked of our As Schools Match
Wits team in competition at
the Channel 22 television
studio on October 20th.
Members of the quiz
team are certainly skilled in
knowledge in many specific
categories, such as sports,
entertainment, general knowledge,
literature, math, and science. This year,
after many practices filled with preparing
for competition, the Suffield Academy
Quiz Team put together a group of four
students to compete against Windsor
High School’s team (this competition
aired at 7:30 pm on November 15 th on
Channel 22!). Sydney Greenberg ’07,
Catherine Mis ’07, Anna Childs ’07, and
Mike Hickey ’07 were cheered on by
numerous fans and other team members.
Clubs and activities are such
an integral part of our lives. We would
not have as many weekend activities
without the work of Student Council and
the Social Chairs. The Yearbook staff
is obviously crucial to the publication
of our yearbook, The Pioneer. You
wouldn’t be reading this paper without
the work of the students on The Bell.
However, so many clubs have emerged
over time that there is hardly enough time
to fit everything in to our busy schedules.
A student could theoretically
attend some kind of meeting after
lunch each day and then attend another
one at night after dinner. One could
also join the Spirit Committee and
meet after study hall. And of course,
everyone has sports or other activities
after school each day. For ambitious
and enthusiastic students who love to be
involved, life can become very stressful.
Meetings are obviously a vital
aspect to accomplishing any club’s goals;
therefore, for very involved students,
this means giving up lots of free time.
Unfortunately, this can result in dreading
and grumbling about the clubs that
As soon as I opened the door
of my room, I remembered the smells
of last year. Memories of last year as
a freshman returned to me with the
scents in the dorm. The smells were
from the bed, the aisle, and even the
desk. At that moment, I looked back
when I was in this room as a freshman.
Last year, everything in the
room was new to me: the desk, the
white window, the yellow walls which
made me feel cold, and the empty desk.
Because I was a new freshman then, I
went to the gym for Orientation. The
seniors in front of us seemed really
scary. Also the new students seemed
really tense, including me. Beside me,
I found an Asian friend, even though I
did not know her yet. I wanted to talk
to her to simply say “Hello.” Everybody
knows that “Hello” is the easiest and
simplest word in the world. However, it
was not for me. It was the hardest word
at the moment. I hesitated for while to
say the word, “Hello.” When I finally
said “Hello” to her, she saluted me with
Returning as a Sophomore
Hae Rin Yoon ’08
Quiz Team
Monica Markowski ’07
Unfortunately, odds were
against our team in more that one way.
To begin, after graduating three seniors
last year, there was only one student
left on the team with prior experience,
Mike Hickey. Because of this fact, Mr.
LaPlante acknowledged that “this is
really a rebuilding year” for the team.
Secondly, Windsor has an extremely
strong team and had already won two
matches prior to this one against Suffield
Academy, which already gave them
Too Many Clubs and Not Enough Time
Kristen LaPlante ’06
originally struck a student’s interest.
It is also frustrating to have meetings
scheduled simultaneously, especially
with leaders or advisors who do not
understand the rigors of the club and
academic schedule. Splitting one’s time
between two very important meetings
may not be the most productive option.
However, it is never easy to choose
which meeting is more important, either.
Clubs are not meant to create
stress and frustration, but they sometimes
do. They are really here for students
who enjoy getting deeply involved
in school life, and clubs can act as an
outlet from pressures of academics and
athletics. Overly intense club schedules
often work against this idea. This kind
of frustration could be avoidable if each
student found one or a few organizations
that he or she were passionate about.
This way, kids could be active and
dependable students in their respective
clubs rather than joining a club and not
having much time to actually participate.
Certain clubs can take on members that
are not seriously committed but are
interested and like to help when they can.
a beautiful smile. She said, “I am Alice.”
I was relieved at the moment she said it.
Now, I am best friends with
Alice. Of course, I always try my best
to be a friend to everybody. Now that I
am a sophomore, I can read the same
thoughts in this year’s new students
that I experienced last year. I can see
hesitation in their eyes and voices.
In Brewster when I arrived this year,
there were already lots of new students
at the tables. I could easily recognize
that the small and short students were
mostly new freshmen. Mostly, they
did not talk much to each other as I
did. Some of them rolled their eyes
with frozen faces. Even though the
new freshmen seemed frozen, new
sophomores seemed more comfortable
than the freshmen. I don’t know why.
I hope every new student enjoys
this year and has lots of interests. Even
though, now, they feel that there are many
strangers, after time passes, they will be
enjoying their school lives as I am now
that I’ve started my sophomore year.
much more experience and
an advantage over our team.
Yet, while Suffield
did not take home the
victory, the competition was
a success. Sydney Greenberg
expressed that she had an
amazing time at the event,
and, for her, it was “obviously
a bummer that we lost, but
personally, I came with just
the goal of trying to at least
answer some questions since I’d never
done it before.” With feedback such
as this, it is evident that with time,
the team will gain back its strength.
Although this single elimination
tournament puts Suffield out of the
running this year for the As Schools
Match Wits contest, our team will
still be able to get involved in other
local competitions that will prepare
them for a fresh start next year.
It might even be in a club’s best interests
to permit this arrangement because it
allows students to participate and get
involved without as much responsibility,
which could actually result in an
increase in club memberships.
Either way, students should find
some method of reducing the stress that
can result from belonging to clubs. If
a club is too stressful and all a student
does is complain about it, it is not
worth it to participate in that club. All
members of clubs should have interest
in the goals of the organization, should
look forward to meetings and what can
be accomplished in them, and, finally,
should enjoy being a part of the club.
After all, clubs should serve to lessen
pressure and stress, not be the sources of
them. Otherwise, there’s just no point.
Editors In Chief
Cole Archambault ’06
Kristen LaPlante ’06
Layout Editors
Yiannis Gazis ’07
Navid Obahi ’06
Andrew Teich ’06
Photography Editors
Brooke Beatt ’06
Caitlin Cahill ’06
Erin Meehan ’06
Jill Furman ’06
Art & Poetry Editors
Jane Fuller ’06
Nancy Fuller ’06
Features Editors
Ned Booth ’06
Rob Logan ’06
Luke McComb ’06
News Editors
Brie Beaudette ’07
Bianca Molta ’07
Editorials
The Letter from
the Editors
Cole Archambault ’06 and
Kristen LaPlante ’06
Finally, the second issue of the
Bell arrives, and it certainly was not
easy to produce. In the whirlwind that
is the fall term, we all find ourselves
with so much to do and so little time.
Freshmen and sophomores,
you are trying to find a balance of
work, friends, and the extra activities
that you are discovering. Juniors, your
year has surely been difficult so far
with great amounts of work. Seniors
are completely engulfed in applications,
essays, SATs, visits, and anything
you can thing of to do with college,
not to mention the pressure of getting
good fall term grades. Needless to
say, it’s not an easy time for anyone.
On top of everything, our staff
worked tirelessly to turn out this issue
and we hope you enjoy it. We would also
like to announce to the community that
we are very proud to have put the Bell
up on the web at the Suffield Academy
homepage. We greatly thank Ms. Thomas
for helping to make this happen and we
encourage everyone to go and take a look.
The Suffield Bell
A Member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association
Sports Editors
Kristen Bautz ’06
Sarah Ellerton ’06
Meara McCarthy ’07
Contributors
Becca Bathrick ’08
Sarah Brislin ’06
Will Cooley ’08
Matt Doup ’07
Britt Echlin ’06
Hannah Frank ’09
Christina Fraziero ’07
Tsuneko Jarris ’09
Rob Logan ’06
Monica Markowski ’07
Tod Moore ’09
Britt Rock ’06
Jenny Schnaak ’07
Cooper Sanford ’09
Ana Santos ’07
Joci Sholtz ’06
Craig Tateronis ’09
Hannah Thompson ’07
Ben van Renesse ’06
Ethan Wood ’07
Hae Rin Yoon ’08
Faculty Advisor
Elizabeth Stowe
Suffield Academy does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, creed, national or
ethnic origin, citizenship, physical attributes, disability, age, or sexual orientation. We administer
our admissions, financial aid, educational, athletic, extra-curricular, and other policies so that each
student is equally accorded all rights, privileges, programs and facilities made available by the
school.

Features
3- The Bell December 2005
We meander towards lunch
after a morning of classes, reaching the
Union with 12 minutes to spare before
our duties commence. After flirting
with the usual ladies, we check the
clock and come to the abrupt conclusion
that it is time to GET DOWN WIT
DA GNASTY. But really, it is time
for the legend, the lifestyle, the Dish
Crew. Traversing the gauntlet of human
bodies trying to distract us from our final
destination, we ascend the stairs. In the
dining hall we each dish out piles of
meager portions. But the food is delish.
Anyway. We roam back
downstairs to our dining area, the Union,
and get our grub on. The underclass dish
crew members await the legendary call
for ice cream. This request, made by
one of the inspectors, usually comes in
a very casual remark to another member
of crew such as, “I could go for some
ice cream right now,” or “I wonder if
it’s going to be Garret or Chapman who
gets the ice cream today.” The way
in which this tedious and burdensome
deed is given to someone is through
the sacred process known as the “nose
game.” But folks, this is no game. This
simple action of placing one’s index
finger on his nose could very well decide
the fate of any one man. Lacking this
essential skill on dish crew could lead
to daily humiliation and taunting, not
to mention many trips to get ice cream.
After ice cream has been
retrieved by a member of dish crew, this
delectable delicacy is then thrown by a
designated thrower to each member of
Suffield Academy kicked
off its Friday night movie program
by showing Hotel Rwanda, hosted
by Amnesty International. Groups
and a class will show movies hosted
by various clubs and groups around
campus every B week Friday night. By
showing these movies, clubs such as
Amnesty International and MCA are
able to initiate discussion among the
community about important and relevant
issues. In line with this year’s school
theme, these movies often bring up the
subject of marginalization, whether it
is due to race, religion, or some other
factor that separates groups of people.
Amnesty International chose to
show Hotel Rwanda not only to illustrate
just how dangerous marginalization can
be, but also to bring to light the important
human rights issues that are happening
A Lunch with Dish Crew
Luke McComb ’06 & Ben van Renesse ’06
the crew. However, if this ice cream
is disliked by the senior community of
dish crew, then the fool who has made
this profound blunder of the frozen dairy
nature must return to the freezer and
find a more suitable and well liked treat.
Moving on, we eat it; it’s good; then we
go upstairs. And the mayhem begins.
At any time during dish crew
one may be berated with screams of
hatred, or covered with particles of half
eaten or particularly foul pieces of food
or many other items which produce a
desired response of anger and/or anguish
by the victim. A barrage of trays and
waiters squeeze through the opening
leading to the realm of the normal
folk. Trays move like the wind along
the line. The workings of dish crew
on a good day are like nothing else to
be seen at this school. Every worker
has his own job which he does with
perfected expertise. The greater purpose
of what is being done is always kept in
mind, so it is understood that one slip
up could lead to a failure in the other
areas of this machine called dish crew.
Pressure, perspiration, and
perfection are what we are all about,
along with singing, throwing pitchers,
making fun of Apples, and yelling. So,
next time you think of the people who
are working behind the scenes during
lunch to clean all the food you don’t
eat off of your plates, think of this. We
clean your dishes, we organize your
silverware, we wash your cups, we watch
you while you eat. Do not mess with us.
Friday Night Movies: More Than Just Entertaining
Sarah Brislin ’06
all around the world. Hotel Rwanda takes
place during the genocide that occurred
in Rwanda in the 1990s. Many countries
overlooked these horrible events when
they were taking place, and Amnesty
showed the movie in hopes that it would
make our community take a closer look
at what is happening around the world.
Other movies being shown
include Higher Learning, sponsored by
the MCA, and Crash, sponsored by Ms.
Dillard’s ethics class. There has been
discussion over whether the movie will
continue into the winter term. Its growing
popularity would make its demise
unfortunate even though there are no B
weeks in the winter schedule. Any clubs
or groups that wish to host a showing
of a movie along with a discussion
afterwards should contact Mr. Lynch.
HOT or NOT
Ned Booth ’06, Rob Logan ’06 & Luke McComb ’06
Knitting: Not Just for Your Granny Anymore
For many, the word
“knitting” brings to mind images of
weathered rocking chairs, thinning
grey hair, and that old, musty grandma
smell. However, the old fashioned
pastime has become somewhat
of a trendy hobby for younger
generations of girls and guys alike.
This newfound popularity
is partially attributed to the recent
presence of knitting in Hollywood
associated with such celebrities as
Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, and
Gwen Stefani. In addition, the wellknown
Vogue magazine releases a
knitting specialty magazine that is
known for its entirely fashion-forward
and cutting-edge approach to knitting.
Though many students have been
knitting for years, most are just catching
on. This is why Suffield formed
the Knitting Club about a year ago.
A typical Knitting Club
meeting consists of basically sitting
around knitting and talking while Mrs.
Cahn helps everyone with specific
Fozzie
Hello again. Now that we are
back in the full swing of the school year,
it’s time to take a look at some of the
key things I’ve noticed in the last month.
School spirit is one of
Suffield’s key aspects. Teams thrive
off of people cheering, and tigers gain
confidence through people’s unity
towards their success. Having spirit
shows a sense of being involved,
caring, and not just being there because
you have to. People with real true
spirit shine above the rest because
they go out for the love of a school, a
sport, a state of mind or something they
believe in and do the best they can. I
hope if Suffield helps all its students
in one way, it’s to help them find
something they are passionate about.
To me, that’s more important than
school work, sports and school rules.
So you can all imagine how
I felt about our school’s actions at our
pep rally for Berkshire Day. What
should have been a night that brought
our school together ended with a a
complete separation of our energy. In
the last four years of being at Suffield,
one of my fondest memories are of the
entire school surrounding a gigiantic
bonfire. (It does show comparison
to that famous scene in Lord of the
Flies, but that’s besides the point.)
In those brief moments Suffield is
together as a community. Regardless
of your political afilliation, your sport,
or your age, we are all around that
Jenny Schnaak ’07
projects. The club’s main goal for this year
is to knit several blankets to send down to
a hospital in New Orleans for further relief
for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The
presidents of The Knitting Club this year
are Kelly Van Ingen ’06 and Anna Childs
’07. The faculty members involved in the
club are Mrs. Connors, who volunteers her
home as the club’s regular meeting spot,
and Mrs. Cahn. A member of the Knitting
Club says that the best part of knitting is
the fact that someone can knit anywhere
at anytime, and once they become fairly
proficient at knitting, it is relaxing and
mindless. One of the most unique items
ever knitted by a knitting club member
was when Phillipe Arman ’05 knitted a
shirt for his prom outfit out of colored duct
tape. Some of the most favored things to
knit by members of the club are hats and
baby clothes because they are small, fun
and quick. Without convening to hold an
official meeting this year, the Knitting
Club is unsure of how many members are
in the club. However, last year there were
upwards of fifteen active participants.
illustration: Christina Frazerio ’07
bonfire yelling our lungs out. So what
went wrong this year? Why was our
quest to become unified before our big
games brought to a bad-tasting close?
In my opinion, it was because
people took it all too seriously. The skits
before the big bonfire aren’t there for
the competition. They are there to get
people excited for what is coming. They
establish the unity a team has and the
unity our community reflects when it’s
cheering for them. Having a dance off
can be fun, but not when people cross the
line. The main thing that was forgotten
was that we are Suffield Academy, and
no matter who has the better dance
routine, we’re all in this together.
Does this mean we should ban
the skits next year? Of course not. It
simply means that we need to remember
that school spirit isn’t just having a
great dance or cheer. It’s unity. It’s the
drive to work well as a unit. So let’s
work well as a unit for the remainder
of the year. Remember that silly cheer
that has slowly been forgotten from a
long time ago: We are....Suffield. It
doesn’t get anymore blunt than that.
Dance well, and dance together,
Fozzie
Hot
Having less senior stuff in this column
Dave Chapelle Quotes
Pep Rallies
Friday Night Movies
Ping Pong
Wasabi
Key West
Tiger Tag
November Break
Not
Still having silly college applications
Dave Stillman Quotes
Dance Offs/Strip Shows
Friday Nights on Campus
No one cares about pool
Causing a scene by choking to death
Coney Island
Snowball Fights (but wait until December..)
Breaking Mailboxes

4- The Bell December 2005
Art
Cooper Sanford ’09
Tempera Print Paper
Britt Echlin ’06
Charcoal
Current Art
(Art that can be found in Tremaine Art Center)
Tod Moore ’09
Plaster
Ethan Wood ’07
Wire

Art
5- The Bell December 2005
Featured
Jo Sholtz ’06
“Flower Child”
Photograph
Britt ROCK ’06
Will Cooley ’08 & Craig Tateronis ’09
Plaster
Cardboard
BRITT ECHLIN ’06
“BOOT”
WIRE

6- The Bell December 2005
Four of Suffield’s New Faculty Members
Compiled by Becca Bathrick ’08, Hanna Frank ’09, Nancy Fuller ’06, and Kristen LaPlante ’06
Photos by Brooke Beatt ’06, Caitlin Cahill ’06, and Erin Meehan ’06
New
News
Faculty
Name: Carter Scott Marshall Abbott
Birthday: July 10 th
Hometown: Morristown, NJ
School: Princeton
(where she met Mr. Abbott)
Name: Jamison Owen Abbott
Birthday: September 17
Hometown: Cochranville, PA
School: Princeton
Subject: college counselor, history teacher (sophomore World History),
leadership teacher, girls JV basketball, head varsity lacrosse coach, dorm
head (Tompkins dorm!)
Favorite sports team: New York Giants (the rival to Mr. Abbott’s favorite
team; The Philadelphia Eagles!)
Favorite Ice Cream: Moose Tracks (especially in a peanut butter sundae!)
Favorite Book: Don’t Let Go To The Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller
Favorite Movie: Some Kind of Wonderful and Sixteen Candles
Embarrassing Moment: Teaches with fly down at least once a week (often
enough so that it is “not so embarrassing anymore!”)
Subject: Physics 10 th grade and AP Physics, Assistant Football coach and
Assistant Wrestling coach, Head dorm parent in Tompkins dormitory
Favorite Sport Team: Philadelphia Eagles – Football
Favorite ice cream: Mint chocolate chip
Favorite book:The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey
Favorite Movie: Caddyshack
Embarrassing Moment: In the sixth grade, he split his pants in half while
in gym, with his friends.
Name: Babatunde Ayinde
Birthday: January 14 th
Hometown: Hartford, CT
School: Trinity College
Middlebury College
Subject: Student Life, Admissions, Dorm Parent, Community Outreach,
Coordinator, Standardized Testing Coordinator, JV Basketball
If he could be any Ice cream flavor... Yes, I have fun hair, yes, I have a
great dorm, yes I speak louder than most...but who can overlook the simple
perfection that is Breyers Vanilla Bean...the little flecks of bean really make it
a knockout aesthetically.
His Role Model: My mom...and most moms--you’ve just gotta respect and
love a good Mom...even if she isn’t your own.
Embarrassing Moment: I asked my Suffield Academy prom date to the prom
via a lunchtime announcement; she said, “Yes!”.
So, since then all other announcements--no matter how pressing--seem quite
palpable...
Name: Megan Smith
Birthday: 3/10
Hometown: Bozeman, Montana
School: Lawrence University
Subject: Math
She Lives: 213 Stiles Lane with Miss Thacker
Sports: JV Volleyball and JV Lacrosse
Her Role Model: Dear old Dad
If she could be an Ice cream flavor... Moose Tracks
A favorite book: Life of Pi (no, itʼs not about math!)
Favorite sports team: Right now, the SA JV Volleyball tigers!
Something quirky about her: I love to eat gummy bears--especially when I
go on long runs
Hobbies: hiking, trail running and marathons, going to concerts
What’s New?
The Food Festival was held in
the Dining Hall on Wednesday
November 2nd. Students
and Faculty alike lined up to
taste test new foods that might
make their way into the Suffield
Academy kitchen.
From left to right: Sarah Brislin ’06, Kim Autuori ’06,
and Lauren Ingalls ’06. Suffield’s Amnesty International
Chapter attended a conference at Wesleyan
University.

Sports
7- The Bell December 2005
Cross Country Teams Running Toward Championships
Brie Beaudette ’07
Coachesʼ Corner: Tiger B
Soccer
Kristen Bautz ’06
When the staff of The Bell
opened up a discussion about teams
to profile, Tiger B (also known as
Fourths) was mentioned most, primarily
because of the wit and wisdom of
coaches Mr. Krasemann and Mr.
Toutounas. Fortunately, both were ready
to discuss their ever-evolving team.
The average tiger can run
up to thirty-five miles per hour. It is
no wonder why the boys’ and girls’
Cross Country teams did so well this
fall, especially as the girls became
the 2005 Division II New England
Champions. These tigers led the
way each and every Wednesday and
Saturday earning victory after victory.
The boys’ team, holding
down a 9-1 record, was led by Cocaptains
Ned Booth ’06 and Steve
Root ’06. Other returning varsity
runners were senior Chris Scholem,
juniors Kevin Brown and Charlie
Huck, and Sophomore Joel Glassman.
Another standout and new addition to
the team was junior Steve Marangos.
Led by new head coach Mr.
Yates and assistant coach Ms. Thacker,
the tigers defeated numerous teams
such as the rival Berkshire Bears. As
Sometimes, when things run
smoothly, no one bothers to question
or reflect upon what makes them so.
However, I would like to introduce you
to Victor Dotel, also known as Victor
from “the cage,” an individual who
has been a part of our community for
almost eight years. His job is crucial
in ensuring the flow of everyday life
at our school. While Victor admits that
“it can get pretty stressful and crazy at
times,” he works hard to prepare and
manage our gymnasium and much of
our sports equipment; yet, few people
are aware of what really makes him
a hero and worthy of recognition.
Victor was born and grew up
in the Dominican Republic. Spurred on
by poor economic conditions, he applied
for a permit that would enable him to try
his luck in the United States, if only for a
short, fixed period of time. In 1989, after
being rejected twice by the US embassy,
he and fifty-three other members of
his community knew that they had to
find another way to change their lives,
and took matters into their own hands.
Together, they built a boat that
they hoped would take them to Puerto
Rico, where it would be relatively easy
to gain entry into the US. Realistically,
only half the people who attempted
this task generally accomplished it,
due to dangers at sea. Seventy-two
people, many of whom Victor knew
well, had all drowned not long prior to
his own attempt at leaving the country.
Luckily, after a two day
journey under extremely stormy and
tight conditions, the makeshift boat
made it to Puerto Rico. Victor was
forced to beg for temporary shelter
until he could secure a ticket to New
York. After three days, he was finally
on his way to the United States, where
he met up with a few family members.
To some, this may seem
the boys’ team looked forward to the
rest of their season, Co-captain Steve
Root noted, “Lime face. Lemon face.”
The unstoppable girls’ team
were almost undefeated for the season.
Led by four-year senior and Captain
Alison Leonard, the tiger team was
small but full of talent. Returning varsity
runners included juniors Margot Genvert
and Jenny Schnaak and sophomore
Ally Nelson. Strong and experienced
additions to the varsity team this year
were Juniors Katy Higgins and last
year’s JV New England Champion
Anna Childs, and sophomore Becca
Joslow. New students and varsity
runners included junior Katy Heydinger
and sophomore Tsuneko Jarris.
Led by experienced coaches
Ms. Cohen and Ms. Alekseeva,
the girls have had an undefeated
season the past three years and they
Victor Dotel: A Hero Uncovered
Monica Markowski ’07
a happy ending, but it was just the
beginning. At this point in time, Victor
was without money, and without any
means to support himself. Determined,
he quickly took charge and did what
he had to do to make ends meet. He
worked at various jobs, including ones
at grocery stores, restaurants, and even
at Shea Stadium, home of the Mets.
Victor says, “it wasn’t hard to find jobs
that were just good enough to get by on.”
In 1993, he found himself
in Springfield, Massachusetts, where
he worked odd jobs until he had the
The bell has been a popular
Suffield tradition and campus mark since
its early days. As an important landmark
for the school, it is important to know
what we as a community use it for.
There are two circumstances in
which the bell is rung: celebrating team
victories and senior commencement.
Besides these two situations, the Bell
is to remain at peace overlooking Bell
Hill. For new students unaware of
these circumstances, it goes like this:
When your team wins a game or match,
the team can go up and ring the bell
together. Each team may decide to ring
the bell differently than others. Some
choose to lift up their teammates, while
photo by Cole Archambault ’06
Ringing the Bell
Bianca Molta ’07
continue to keep the tradition alive.
When asked about her
cross-country experience overall this
year, Captain Alison Leonard wrote,
“Practice is one of the bests part of my
day. We’re just a bunch of crazy girls
who like to run and have fun. You go
to practice and you know that you
are going to train hard, but you also
know that you will laugh hysterically.”
The girls earned their
championship win at home on
November 12, when Suffield hosted
hundreds of runners -- boys and
girls -- on a sunny, warm, muddy
day. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams
boasted impressive performances. The
girls’ win was particulary satisfying
because they finished second in 2004.
opportunity to become a security guard
on a fulltime basis, working extremely
long hours. He came here as a security
guard when construction of the new
dorms began. While here for the first time,
Victor expressed interest in working at
Suffield Academy permanently, and four
months later he began his present job.
Today, Victor is one of the best
known and liked people at SA; yet, he is
also a junior at American International
College in Springfield, MA, a newspaper
deliverer at 3:00 in the morning six days
a week, and a happy husband and father
of five children. (Many of you have seen
little Victor running around campus!)
Overall, Victor’s dedication
to our community and the endurance
he possesses in pursuing seemingly
impossible goals are remarkable qualities.
others have their captain(s) give the bell
a ring. The main point of this is to let the
community know of the team’s victory.
The second circumstance in
which a student may ring the bell is at their
graduation. Seniors, on commencement,
each get a chance to individually ring
the bell. Not only is it usually a popular
photo opportunity but a memorable
piece of the Suffield experience.
Keeping the bell a special tradition is
the reason for the two opportunities for
ringing it. Saving your opportunity to
ring the bell at a special point in your
Suffield career is highly encouraged
and hopefully practiced by all.
Bell: How surprised were
you that your win came so early in the
season? What did the team do well that
enabled them to win that game?
Krasemann: “We are surprised
by every win. [We won because] the
other team was worse than we were.”
Toutounas: “[Deerfield, the
team they defeated 2-1 in their fourth
game of the season] didn’t have skills
or talent that our team had. Our team
was obviously very well-trained and
prepared to meet the opposition.”
Bell: How do you pump your
team up before a game?
Krasemann: “You don’t want
to know.”
Toutounas: “There are always
a few threats. We don’t want them
to think they’re
invincible -- we want them to know
there’s a battle ahead.”
Bell: How do you usually run
your practices? Is it a more laid-back
atmosphere, or do you bring the same
intensity to practices that, say, the varsity
team would?
Toutounas: “[Normally, during
practice,] they have to run, warm up, and
go through the rigors of practice. Then
they are rewarded with scrimmages.
They apply their skills [gained from
practice] in their games. If God wills,
they might win.”
Krasemann: “If the other team
stinks.”
Bell: What do you hope that
your players will take away from this
season?
Toutounas: “A sense of good
sportsmanship, and an appreciation for a
great game. As in life, you don’t always
win [in soccer].”
Bell: What constitutes a
successful season for you?
Krasemann: “[A successful
season is one in which] nobody breaks
their nose. [As far as wins] we like to
win one game per season.”
Bell: What is unique about this
team? Is there anything that makes them
stand out from past teams?
Krasemann: “They are even
worse than last year’s team.”
Toutounas: “We miss Oak.”
Bell: What is the best part of
coaching Tiger B?
Toutounas: “The camaraderie.
They love to win, but they know
how to take a loss. Some players
from other teams cry after a loss
-- our players don’t cry.”

8- The Bell December 2005
Recently, the staff of the Bell
compiled a list of weekend activities that
have been held thus far in the school year.
A poll was distributed at lunch, and those
who participated gave valuable feedback
on past or current events, as well as some
events that they would like to partake
in. Among boarders, the most popular
events were the movie and mall trips,
while day students preferred the dances.
The film series sponsored by
the different clubs is the newest of the
events this year. It had a small group
of participants in comparison to other
events, but according to Mr. Eckhardt,
“the turnout was great and better than
expected.” Anna Childs ’07, a member
of Amnesty International who helped
with the club’s showing and discussion
of Hotel Rwanda, added, “at the time
this poll was taken, only Hotel Rwanda
had been shown. I feel that as time goes
on and word spreads, the film series
will become increasingly popular.”
The positive side of the results
is the fact that none of the activities were
harshly criticized. While attendance was
low for some of the events, especially
among day students, Mr. Eckhardt
understandingly acknowledged that
“while I would encourage day students
to attend weekend events, I realize that
for some it is a long way to come.”
Students were also asked to
give suggestions for possible future
events. Some suggestions were open
gym activities and games like laser
tag, capture the flag, and dodgeball,
trips to Boston, Providence, New
York, or the beach, and dances held
with other schools. Other suggestions
included trips to a wider variety
of malls, a bonfire with s’mores,
and either musical performances
or movie showings in the Union.
Lexi Bosee ’06, Student
Council Social Chair, outlined some
projects in the works, as well as her
hopes for school events. “The more
people go [to activities], the more
fun everyone will have. Last year,
everyone who went to Pearl Street
loved it. Kids loved Dance-a-thon,
and Jamfest was incredible. This
year we have dodgeball, movies in
the Union, and trips planned to New
York City [on December 11 th ] and
Northampton [on November 6 th ].”
All of the feedback for weekend
activities shows that the students who
attend enjoy them and that there are fun
opportunities for students who have yet
to join in. Mr. Eckhardt hopes that there
will be greater participation in future
weekend activities, and if anyone has
any suggestions, please contact him.
Weekend Activities Poll
Kristen Bautz ’06 and Hannah Frank ’08
Sports & News
BOARDERS
Like Dislike Haven’t Been
Film 20% 8% 72%
Six Flags 40% 4% 56%
Movie/Mall 93% 2% 5%
Ping Pong 31% 8% 61%
Dances 80% 14% 6%
Climbing (at SOLO Barn) 29% 7% 64%
DAY STUDENTS
Like Dislike Haven’t Been
Film 15% 6% 79%
Six Flags 29% 4% 67%
Movie/Mall 40% 0% 60%
Ping Pong 18% 6% 76%
Dances 78% 4% 18%
Climbing 22% 4% 74%
ENTIRE SCHOOL
Like Dislike Haven’t Been
Film 18% 8% 74%
Six Flags 36% 4% 60%
Movie/Mall 75% 1% 24%
Ping Pong 27% 8% 65%
Dances 79% 10% 11%
Climbing 26% 4% 70%
Varsity Football
photo Brooke Beatt ’06
Varsity Waterpolo
photo Erin Meehan ’06
Peter Farnsworth ’06
photo Hannah Thompson ’07
SOLO
photo Brooke Beatt ’06