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The <strong>Suffield</strong> Bell<br />
www.suffieldacademy.org<br />
Established 1833 December 2005<br />
Vol. LXIV, no. 2<br />
Marginalization Discussions Play Out at Laramie Project<br />
Cole Archambault ’06<br />
On November 10, 11, and<br />
12 Cue and Curtain showed their<br />
production of the Laramie Project. In<br />
keeping with the school yearʼs theme of<br />
marginalization, the play was meant to<br />
foster discussion and thought about how<br />
and why societies, both in the country<br />
and in a microcosm like <strong>Suffield</strong>,<br />
alienate certain people.<br />
The play deals with the<br />
marginalization of Matthew Shepard. In<br />
October 1998, two men tied the twentyone<br />
year old college student to a fence<br />
and beat him to death, quite possibly<br />
because he was a homosexual. This<br />
violent crime sent waves of sadness,<br />
anger, and most importantly, a call for<br />
tolerance throughout Laramie, Wyoming<br />
and the world.<br />
The Tectonic Theater<br />
Company traveled to Laramie to<br />
conduct interviews of people who<br />
were involved, both directly and<br />
indirectly, in the murder of Matthew<br />
Shepard. These interviews include<br />
the police officer that first responded<br />
to a call that a boy had been beaten,<br />
Matthew Shepardʼs academic advisor,<br />
and Dennis Shepard, Matthewʼs father.<br />
The Tectonic Theater Company used<br />
the interviews to compose the play. In<br />
it, each cast member offers a different<br />
view and emotion about the loss of a<br />
fellow human being.<br />
Florante Glavez, <strong>Suffield</strong>ʼs<br />
new drama teacher and director of the<br />
Laramie Project, stated that the goal of<br />
the cast and crew was, “to produce a<br />
play that would heighten the awareness<br />
of intolerance to the community in<br />
hopes that people would be emotionally<br />
affected by the play.”<br />
For the cast and crew, it was a<br />
challenge to bring such a controversial<br />
play <strong>here</strong>. First of all, the play had<br />
to be rehearsed in just seven weeks.<br />
The second, greater challenge was<br />
producing a play that has been protested<br />
by anti-gay groups at other high school<br />
productions. Mr. Galvez stated that a<br />
big part of the challenge of producing<br />
such a controversial play was preparing<br />
everyone for the intensity of the play.<br />
“This is a hard hitting piece,” said<br />
Galvez. Lunch announcements, class<br />
discussions, and a Chapel presentation the<br />
day before opening night aided in preparing<br />
the audience for the playʼs intensity.<br />
Each production was followed by<br />
a discussion session. The cast and audience<br />
discussed the extent to which intolerance<br />
exists in the play, our community, and<br />
society as a whole. For many, the postplay<br />
discussions were a continuance of<br />
debates that originated in the leadership<br />
classrooms.<br />
During the discussion session,<br />
many audience members offered praise<br />
to the deserving cast who presented<br />
the controversial topic with the utmost<br />
professionalism.<br />
Sickest Girls’ Dorm Rooms On Campus<br />
Brooke Beatt ’06<br />
Joci Scholtz and Kari Schmaling – Nathena Fuller<br />
This room combines vintage<br />
music charm and girly comfort. Made up<br />
of two adjoining rooms with high ceilings<br />
and hardwood floors, Kari and Jo have<br />
made the most of the space by splitting<br />
the rooms into a study/hangout room<br />
and a sleeping room. The study room<br />
is artfully decorated with old records<br />
salvaged from the <strong>Suffield</strong> thrift shop<br />
and 70s rock posters. Bunked beds in<br />
the sleeping room are complimented<br />
by a five foot color changing bubbler<br />
that adds lots of mood. Some room<br />
highlights include a Llama Xing<br />
sign, pirate flag, and prayer flags.<br />
Janie Cottrell and Jen Mais – Montgomery Street<br />
Music and relaxation are<br />
two major themes of this cozy room.<br />
With beautiful bay windows Jen and<br />
Janie made the most of the light with<br />
chairs, a table, and decorative candles<br />
underneath the window. The walls are<br />
covered with posters, tapestries, and<br />
signs that make any guest feel right at<br />
home. The girls took out one of the<br />
desks, since chill space is a necessity.<br />
Janie’s two electric guitars and an<br />
amp finish off this sick nasty pad.<br />
Highlights<br />
Editorials - page 2<br />
Quiz Team<br />
Letter from the Editors<br />
Freshman Perspective<br />
Varsity Versus JV<br />
Features - page 3<br />
Lunch with Dish Crew<br />
Knitting Club<br />
Friday Night Movies<br />
Fozzie<br />
Whatʼs Hot/Whatʼs Not<br />
Art - pages 4 + 5<br />
News - page 6<br />
New Faculty<br />
Sports - pages 7 + 8<br />
Cross Country<br />
Victor Dotel<br />
Ringing the Bell<br />
Tiger Fourths Soccer<br />
Weekend Activities
2- The Bell December 2005<br />
Name a king of France<br />
who was of the Bourbon line.<br />
Quick, who wrote I, Claudius?<br />
These were two questions<br />
asked of our As Schools Match<br />
Wits team in competition at<br />
the Channel 22 television<br />
studio on October 20th.<br />
Members of the quiz<br />
team are certainly skilled in<br />
knowledge in many specific<br />
categories, such as sports,<br />
entertainment, general knowledge,<br />
literature, math, and science. This year,<br />
after many practices filled with preparing<br />
for competition, the <strong>Suffield</strong> <strong>Academy</strong><br />
Quiz Team put together a group of four<br />
students to compete against Windsor<br />
High School’s team (this competition<br />
aired at 7:30 pm on November 15 th on<br />
Channel 22!). Sydney Greenberg ’07,<br />
Catherine Mis ’07, Anna Childs ’07, and<br />
Mike Hickey ’07 were cheered on by<br />
numerous fans and other team members.<br />
Clubs and activities are such<br />
an integral part of our lives. We would<br />
not have as many weekend activities<br />
without the work of Student Council and<br />
the Social Chairs. The Yearbook staff<br />
is obviously crucial to the publication<br />
of our yearbook, The Pioneer. You<br />
wouldn’t be reading this paper without<br />
the work of the students on The Bell.<br />
However, so many clubs have emerged<br />
over time that t<strong>here</strong> is hardly enough time<br />
to fit everything in to our busy schedules.<br />
A student could theoretically<br />
attend some kind of meeting after<br />
lunch each day and then attend another<br />
one at night after dinner. One could<br />
also join the Spirit Committee and<br />
meet after study hall. And of course,<br />
everyone has sports or other activities<br />
after school each day. For ambitious<br />
and enthusiastic students who love to be<br />
involved, life can become very stressful.<br />
Meetings are obviously a vital<br />
aspect to accomplishing any club’s goals;<br />
t<strong>here</strong>fore, for very involved students,<br />
this means giving up lots of free time.<br />
Unfortunately, this can result in dreading<br />
and grumbling about the clubs that<br />
As soon as I opened the door<br />
of my room, I remembered the smells<br />
of last year. Memories of last year as<br />
a freshman returned to me with the<br />
scents in the dorm. The smells were<br />
from the bed, the aisle, and even the<br />
desk. At that moment, I looked back<br />
when I was in this room as a freshman.<br />
Last year, everything in the<br />
room was new to me: the desk, the<br />
white window, the yellow walls which<br />
made me feel cold, and the empty desk.<br />
Because I was a new freshman then, I<br />
went to the gym for Orientation. The<br />
seniors in front of us seemed really<br />
scary. Also the new students seemed<br />
really tense, including me. Beside me,<br />
I found an Asian friend, even though I<br />
did not know her yet. I wanted to talk<br />
to her to simply say “Hello.” Everybody<br />
knows that “Hello” is the easiest and<br />
simplest word in the world. However, it<br />
was not for me. It was the hardest word<br />
at the moment. I hesitated for while to<br />
say the word, “Hello.” When I finally<br />
said “Hello” to her, she saluted me with<br />
Returning as a Sophomore<br />
Hae Rin Yoon ’08<br />
Quiz Team<br />
Monica Markowski ’07<br />
Unfortunately, odds were<br />
against our team in more that one way.<br />
To begin, after graduating three seniors<br />
last year, t<strong>here</strong> was only one student<br />
left on the team with prior experience,<br />
Mike Hickey. Because of this fact, Mr.<br />
LaPlante acknowledged that “this is<br />
really a rebuilding year” for the team.<br />
Secondly, Windsor has an extremely<br />
strong team and had already won two<br />
matches prior to this one against <strong>Suffield</strong><br />
<strong>Academy</strong>, which already gave them<br />
Too Many Clubs and Not Enough Time<br />
Kristen LaPlante ’06<br />
originally struck a student’s interest.<br />
It is also frustrating to have meetings<br />
scheduled simultaneously, especially<br />
with leaders or advisors who do not<br />
understand the rigors of the club and<br />
academic schedule. Splitting one’s time<br />
between two very important meetings<br />
may not be the most productive option.<br />
However, it is never easy to choose<br />
which meeting is more important, either.<br />
Clubs are not meant to create<br />
stress and frustration, but they sometimes<br />
do. They are really <strong>here</strong> for students<br />
who enjoy getting deeply involved<br />
in school life, and clubs can act as an<br />
outlet from pressures of academics and<br />
athletics. Overly intense club schedules<br />
often work against this idea. This kind<br />
of frustration could be avoidable if each<br />
student found one or a few organizations<br />
that he or she were passionate about.<br />
This way, kids could be active and<br />
dependable students in their respective<br />
clubs rather than joining a club and not<br />
having much time to actually participate.<br />
Certain clubs can take on members that<br />
are not seriously committed but are<br />
interested and like to help when they can.<br />
a beautiful smile. She said, “I am Alice.”<br />
I was relieved at the moment she said it.<br />
Now, I am best friends with<br />
Alice. Of course, I always try my best<br />
to be a friend to everybody. Now that I<br />
am a sophomore, I can read the same<br />
thoughts in this year’s new students<br />
that I experienced last year. I can see<br />
hesitation in their eyes and voices.<br />
In Brewster when I arrived this year,<br />
t<strong>here</strong> were already lots of new students<br />
at the tables. I could easily recognize<br />
that the small and short students were<br />
mostly new freshmen. Mostly, they<br />
did not talk much to each other as I<br />
did. Some of them rolled their eyes<br />
with frozen faces. Even though the<br />
new freshmen seemed frozen, new<br />
sophomores seemed more comfortable<br />
than the freshmen. I don’t know why.<br />
I hope every new student enjoys<br />
this year and has lots of interests. Even<br />
though, now, they feel that t<strong>here</strong> are many<br />
strangers, after time passes, they will be<br />
enjoying their school lives as I am now<br />
that I’ve started my sophomore year.<br />
much more experience and<br />
an advantage over our team.<br />
Yet, while <strong>Suffield</strong><br />
did not take home the<br />
victory, the competition was<br />
a success. Sydney Greenberg<br />
expressed that she had an<br />
amazing time at the event,<br />
and, for her, it was “obviously<br />
a bummer that we lost, but<br />
personally, I came with just<br />
the goal of trying to at least<br />
answer some questions since I’d never<br />
done it before.” With feedback such<br />
as this, it is evident that with time,<br />
the team will gain back its strength.<br />
Although this single elimination<br />
tournament puts <strong>Suffield</strong> out of the<br />
running this year for the As Schools<br />
Match Wits contest, our team will<br />
still be able to get involved in other<br />
local competitions that will prepare<br />
them for a fresh start next year.<br />
It might even be in a club’s best interests<br />
to permit this arrangement because it<br />
allows students to participate and get<br />
involved without as much responsibility,<br />
which could actually result in an<br />
increase in club memberships.<br />
Either way, students should find<br />
some method of reducing the stress that<br />
can result from belonging to clubs. If<br />
a club is too stressful and all a student<br />
does is complain about it, it is not<br />
worth it to participate in that club. All<br />
members of clubs should have interest<br />
in the goals of the organization, should<br />
look forward to meetings and what can<br />
be accomplished in them, and, finally,<br />
should enjoy being a part of the club.<br />
After all, clubs should serve to lessen<br />
pressure and stress, not be the sources of<br />
them. Otherwise, t<strong>here</strong>’s just no point.<br />
Editors In Chief<br />
Cole Archambault ’06<br />
Kristen LaPlante ’06<br />
Layout Editors<br />
Yiannis Gazis ’07<br />
Navid Obahi ’06<br />
Andrew Teich ’06<br />
Photography Editors<br />
Brooke Beatt ’06<br />
Caitlin Cahill ’06<br />
Erin Meehan ’06<br />
Jill Furman ’06<br />
Art & Poetry Editors<br />
Jane Fuller ’06<br />
Nancy Fuller ’06<br />
Features Editors<br />
Ned Booth ’06<br />
Rob Logan ’06<br />
Luke McComb ’06<br />
News Editors<br />
Brie Beaudette ’07<br />
Bianca Molta ’07<br />
Editorials<br />
The Letter from<br />
the Editors<br />
Cole Archambault ’06 and<br />
Kristen LaPlante ’06<br />
Finally, the second issue of the<br />
Bell arrives, and it certainly was not<br />
easy to produce. In the whirlwind that<br />
is the fall term, we all find ourselves<br />
with so much to do and so little time.<br />
Freshmen and sophomores,<br />
you are trying to find a balance of<br />
work, friends, and the extra activities<br />
that you are discovering. Juniors, your<br />
year has surely been difficult so far<br />
with great amounts of work. Seniors<br />
are completely engulfed in applications,<br />
essays, SATs, visits, and anything<br />
you can thing of to do with college,<br />
not to mention the pressure of getting<br />
good fall term grades. Needless to<br />
say, it’s not an easy time for anyone.<br />
On top of everything, our staff<br />
worked tirelessly to turn out this issue<br />
and we hope you enjoy it. We would also<br />
like to announce to the community that<br />
we are very proud to have put the Bell<br />
up on the web at the <strong>Suffield</strong> <strong>Academy</strong><br />
homepage. We greatly thank Ms. Thomas<br />
for helping to make this happen and we<br />
encourage everyone to go and take a look.<br />
The <strong>Suffield</strong> Bell<br />
A Member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association<br />
Sports Editors<br />
Kristen Bautz ’06<br />
Sarah Ellerton ’06<br />
Meara McCarthy ’07<br />
Contributors<br />
Becca Bathrick ’08<br />
Sarah Brislin ’06<br />
Will Cooley ’08<br />
Matt Doup ’07<br />
Britt Echlin ’06<br />
Hannah Frank ’09<br />
Christina Fraziero ’07<br />
Tsuneko Jarris ’09<br />
Rob Logan ’06<br />
Monica Markowski ’07<br />
Tod Moore ’09<br />
Britt Rock ’06<br />
Jenny Schnaak ’07<br />
Cooper Sanford ’09<br />
Ana Santos ’07<br />
Joci Sholtz ’06<br />
Craig Tateronis ’09<br />
Hannah Thompson ’07<br />
Ben van Renesse ’06<br />
Ethan Wood ’07<br />
Hae Rin Yoon ’08<br />
Faculty Advisor<br />
Elizabeth Stowe<br />
<strong>Suffield</strong> <strong>Academy</strong> does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, creed, national or<br />
ethnic origin, citizenship, physical attributes, disability, age, or sexual orientation. We administer<br />
our admissions, financial aid, educational, athletic, extra-curricular, and other policies so that each<br />
student is equally accorded all rights, privileges, programs and facilities made available by the<br />
school.
Features<br />
3- The Bell December 2005<br />
We meander towards lunch<br />
after a morning of classes, reaching the<br />
Union with 12 minutes to spare before<br />
our duties commence. After flirting<br />
with the usual ladies, we check the<br />
clock and come to the abrupt conclusion<br />
that it is time to GET DOWN WIT<br />
DA GNASTY. But really, it is time<br />
for the legend, the lifestyle, the Dish<br />
Crew. Traversing the gauntlet of human<br />
bodies trying to distract us from our final<br />
destination, we ascend the stairs. In the<br />
dining hall we each dish out piles of<br />
meager portions. But the food is delish.<br />
Anyway. We roam back<br />
downstairs to our dining area, the Union,<br />
and get our grub on. The underclass dish<br />
crew members await the legendary call<br />
for ice cream. This request, made by<br />
one of the inspectors, usually comes in<br />
a very casual remark to another member<br />
of crew such as, “I could go for some<br />
ice cream right now,” or “I wonder if<br />
it’s going to be Garret or Chapman who<br />
gets the ice cream today.” The way<br />
in which this tedious and burdensome<br />
deed is given to someone is through<br />
the sacred process known as the “nose<br />
game.” But folks, this is no game. This<br />
simple action of placing one’s index<br />
finger on his nose could very well decide<br />
the fate of any one man. Lacking this<br />
essential skill on dish crew could lead<br />
to daily humiliation and taunting, not<br />
to mention many trips to get ice cream.<br />
After ice cream has been<br />
retrieved by a member of dish crew, this<br />
delectable delicacy is then thrown by a<br />
designated thrower to each member of<br />
<strong>Suffield</strong> <strong>Academy</strong> kicked<br />
off its Friday night movie program<br />
by showing Hotel Rwanda, hosted<br />
by Amnesty International. Groups<br />
and a class will show movies hosted<br />
by various clubs and groups around<br />
campus every B week Friday night. By<br />
showing these movies, clubs such as<br />
Amnesty International and MCA are<br />
able to initiate discussion among the<br />
community about important and relevant<br />
issues. In line with this year’s school<br />
theme, these movies often bring up the<br />
subject of marginalization, whether it<br />
is due to race, religion, or some other<br />
factor that separates groups of people.<br />
Amnesty International chose to<br />
show Hotel Rwanda not only to illustrate<br />
just how dangerous marginalization can<br />
be, but also to bring to light the important<br />
human rights issues that are happening<br />
A Lunch with Dish Crew<br />
Luke McComb ’06 & Ben van Renesse ’06<br />
the crew. However, if this ice cream<br />
is disliked by the senior community of<br />
dish crew, then the fool who has made<br />
this profound blunder of the frozen dairy<br />
nature must return to the freezer and<br />
find a more suitable and well liked treat.<br />
Moving on, we eat it; it’s good; then we<br />
go upstairs. And the mayhem begins.<br />
At any time during dish crew<br />
one may be berated with screams of<br />
hatred, or covered with particles of half<br />
eaten or particularly foul pieces of food<br />
or many other items which produce a<br />
desired response of anger and/or anguish<br />
by the victim. A barrage of trays and<br />
waiters squeeze through the opening<br />
leading to the realm of the normal<br />
folk. Trays move like the wind along<br />
the line. The workings of dish crew<br />
on a good day are like nothing else to<br />
be seen at this school. Every worker<br />
has his own job which he does with<br />
perfected expertise. The greater purpose<br />
of what is being done is always kept in<br />
mind, so it is understood that one slip<br />
up could lead to a failure in the other<br />
areas of this machine called dish crew.<br />
Pressure, perspiration, and<br />
perfection are what we are all about,<br />
along with singing, throwing pitchers,<br />
making fun of Apples, and yelling. So,<br />
next time you think of the people who<br />
are working behind the scenes during<br />
lunch to clean all the food you don’t<br />
eat off of your plates, think of this. We<br />
clean your dishes, we organize your<br />
silverware, we wash your cups, we watch<br />
you while you eat. Do not mess with us.<br />
Friday Night Movies: More Than Just Entertaining<br />
Sarah Brislin ’06<br />
all around the world. Hotel Rwanda takes<br />
place during the genocide that occurred<br />
in Rwanda in the 1990s. Many countries<br />
overlooked these horrible events when<br />
they were taking place, and Amnesty<br />
showed the movie in hopes that it would<br />
make our community take a closer look<br />
at what is happening around the world.<br />
Other movies being shown<br />
include Higher Learning, sponsored by<br />
the MCA, and Crash, sponsored by Ms.<br />
Dillard’s ethics class. T<strong>here</strong> has been<br />
discussion over whether the movie will<br />
continue into the winter term. Its growing<br />
popularity would make its demise<br />
unfortunate even though t<strong>here</strong> are no B<br />
weeks in the winter schedule. Any clubs<br />
or groups that wish to host a showing<br />
of a movie along with a discussion<br />
afterwards should contact Mr. Lynch.<br />
HOT or NOT<br />
Ned Booth ’06, Rob Logan ’06 & Luke McComb ’06<br />
Knitting: Not Just for Your Granny Anymore<br />
For many, the word<br />
“knitting” brings to mind images of<br />
weat<strong>here</strong>d rocking chairs, thinning<br />
grey hair, and that old, musty grandma<br />
smell. However, the old fashioned<br />
pastime has become somewhat<br />
of a trendy hobby for younger<br />
generations of girls and guys alike.<br />
This newfound popularity<br />
is partially attributed to the recent<br />
presence of knitting in Hollywood<br />
associated with such celebrities as<br />
Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, and<br />
Gwen Stefani. In addition, the wellknown<br />
Vogue magazine releases a<br />
knitting specialty magazine that is<br />
known for its entirely fashion-forward<br />
and cutting-edge approach to knitting.<br />
Though many students have been<br />
knitting for years, most are just catching<br />
on. This is why <strong>Suffield</strong> formed<br />
the Knitting Club about a year ago.<br />
A typical Knitting Club<br />
meeting consists of basically sitting<br />
around knitting and talking while Mrs.<br />
Cahn helps everyone with specific<br />
Fozzie<br />
Hello again. Now that we are<br />
back in the full swing of the school year,<br />
it’s time to take a look at some of the<br />
key things I’ve noticed in the last month.<br />
School spirit is one of<br />
<strong>Suffield</strong>’s key aspects. Teams thrive<br />
off of people cheering, and tigers gain<br />
confidence through people’s unity<br />
towards their success. Having spirit<br />
shows a sense of being involved,<br />
caring, and not just being t<strong>here</strong> because<br />
you have to. People with real true<br />
spirit shine above the rest because<br />
they go out for the love of a school, a<br />
sport, a state of mind or something they<br />
believe in and do the best they can. I<br />
hope if <strong>Suffield</strong> helps all its students<br />
in one way, it’s to help them find<br />
something they are passionate about.<br />
To me, that’s more important than<br />
school work, sports and school rules.<br />
So you can all imagine how<br />
I felt about our school’s actions at our<br />
pep rally for Berkshire Day. What<br />
should have been a night that brought<br />
our school together ended with a a<br />
complete separation of our energy. In<br />
the last four years of being at <strong>Suffield</strong>,<br />
one of my fondest memories are of the<br />
entire school surrounding a gigiantic<br />
bonfire. (It does show comparison<br />
to that famous scene in Lord of the<br />
Flies, but that’s besides the point.)<br />
In those brief moments <strong>Suffield</strong> is<br />
together as a community. Regardless<br />
of your political afilliation, your sport,<br />
or your age, we are all around that<br />
Jenny Schnaak ’07<br />
projects. The club’s main goal for this year<br />
is to knit several blankets to send down to<br />
a hospital in New Orleans for further relief<br />
for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The<br />
presidents of The Knitting Club this year<br />
are Kelly Van Ingen ’06 and Anna Childs<br />
’07. The faculty members involved in the<br />
club are Mrs. Connors, who volunteers her<br />
home as the club’s regular meeting spot,<br />
and Mrs. Cahn. A member of the Knitting<br />
Club says that the best part of knitting is<br />
the fact that someone can knit anyw<strong>here</strong><br />
at anytime, and once they become fairly<br />
proficient at knitting, it is relaxing and<br />
mindless. One of the most unique items<br />
ever knitted by a knitting club member<br />
was when Phillipe Arman ’05 knitted a<br />
shirt for his prom outfit out of colored duct<br />
tape. Some of the most favored things to<br />
knit by members of the club are hats and<br />
baby clothes because they are small, fun<br />
and quick. Without convening to hold an<br />
official meeting this year, the Knitting<br />
Club is unsure of how many members are<br />
in the club. However, last year t<strong>here</strong> were<br />
upwards of fifteen active participants.<br />
illustration: Christina Frazerio ’07<br />
bonfire yelling our lungs out. So what<br />
went wrong this year? Why was our<br />
quest to become unified before our big<br />
games brought to a bad-tasting close?<br />
In my opinion, it was because<br />
people took it all too seriously. The skits<br />
before the big bonfire aren’t t<strong>here</strong> for<br />
the competition. They are t<strong>here</strong> to get<br />
people excited for what is coming. They<br />
establish the unity a team has and the<br />
unity our community reflects when it’s<br />
cheering for them. Having a dance off<br />
can be fun, but not when people cross the<br />
line. The main thing that was forgotten<br />
was that we are <strong>Suffield</strong> <strong>Academy</strong>, and<br />
no matter who has the better dance<br />
routine, we’re all in this together.<br />
Does this mean we should ban<br />
the skits next year? Of course not. It<br />
simply means that we need to remember<br />
that school spirit isn’t just having a<br />
great dance or cheer. It’s unity. It’s the<br />
drive to work well as a unit. So let’s<br />
work well as a unit for the remainder<br />
of the year. Remember that silly cheer<br />
that has slowly been forgotten from a<br />
long time ago: We are....<strong>Suffield</strong>. It<br />
doesn’t get anymore blunt than that.<br />
Dance well, and dance together,<br />
Fozzie<br />
Hot<br />
Having less senior stuff in this column<br />
Dave Chapelle Quotes<br />
Pep Rallies<br />
Friday Night Movies<br />
Ping Pong<br />
Wasabi<br />
Key West<br />
Tiger Tag<br />
November Break<br />
Not<br />
Still having silly college applications<br />
Dave Stillman Quotes<br />
Dance Offs/Strip Shows<br />
Friday Nights on Campus<br />
No one cares about pool<br />
Causing a scene by choking to death<br />
Coney Island<br />
Snowball Fights (but wait until December..)<br />
Breaking Mailboxes
4- The Bell December 2005<br />
Art<br />
Cooper Sanford ’09<br />
Tempera Print Paper<br />
Britt Echlin ’06<br />
Charcoal<br />
Current Art<br />
(Art that can be found in Tremaine Art Center)<br />
Tod Moore ’09<br />
Plaster<br />
Ethan Wood ’07<br />
Wire
Art<br />
5- The Bell December 2005<br />
Featured<br />
Jo Sholtz ’06<br />
“Flower Child”<br />
Photograph<br />
Britt ROCK ’06<br />
Will Cooley ’08 & Craig Tateronis ’09<br />
Plaster<br />
Cardboard<br />
BRITT ECHLIN ’06<br />
“BOOT”<br />
WIRE
6- The Bell December 2005<br />
Four of <strong>Suffield</strong>’s New Faculty Members<br />
Compiled by Becca Bathrick ’08, Hanna Frank ’09, Nancy Fuller ’06, and Kristen LaPlante ’06<br />
Photos by Brooke Beatt ’06, Caitlin Cahill ’06, and Erin Meehan ’06<br />
New<br />
News<br />
Faculty<br />
Name: Carter Scott Marshall Abbott<br />
Birthday: July 10 th<br />
Hometown: Morristown, NJ<br />
School: Princeton<br />
(w<strong>here</strong> she met Mr. Abbott)<br />
Name: Jamison Owen Abbott<br />
Birthday: September 17<br />
Hometown: Cochranville, PA<br />
School: Princeton<br />
Subject: college counselor, history teacher (sophomore World History),<br />
leadership teacher, girls JV basketball, head varsity lacrosse coach, dorm<br />
head (Tompkins dorm!)<br />
Favorite sports team: New York Giants (the rival to Mr. Abbott’s favorite<br />
team; The Philadelphia Eagles!)<br />
Favorite Ice Cream: Moose Tracks (especially in a peanut butter sundae!)<br />
Favorite Book: Don’t Let Go To The Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller<br />
Favorite Movie: Some Kind of Wonderful and Sixteen Candles<br />
Embarrassing Moment: Teaches with fly down at least once a week (often<br />
enough so that it is “not so embarrassing anymore!”)<br />
Subject: Physics 10 th grade and AP Physics, Assistant Football coach and<br />
Assistant Wrestling coach, Head dorm parent in Tompkins dormitory<br />
Favorite Sport Team: Philadelphia Eagles – Football<br />
Favorite ice cream: Mint chocolate chip<br />
Favorite book:The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey<br />
Favorite Movie: Caddyshack<br />
Embarrassing Moment: In the sixth grade, he split his pants in half while<br />
in gym, with his friends.<br />
Name: Babatunde Ayinde<br />
Birthday: January 14 th<br />
Hometown: Hartford, CT<br />
School: Trinity College<br />
Middlebury College<br />
Subject: Student Life, Admissions, Dorm Parent, Community Outreach,<br />
Coordinator, Standardized Testing Coordinator, JV Basketball<br />
If he could be any Ice cream flavor... Yes, I have fun hair, yes, I have a<br />
great dorm, yes I speak louder than most...but who can overlook the simple<br />
perfection that is Breyers Vanilla Bean...the little flecks of bean really make it<br />
a knockout aesthetically.<br />
His Role Model: My mom...and most moms--you’ve just gotta respect and<br />
love a good Mom...even if she isn’t your own.<br />
Embarrassing Moment: I asked my <strong>Suffield</strong> <strong>Academy</strong> prom date to the prom<br />
via a lunchtime announcement; she said, “Yes!”.<br />
So, since then all other announcements--no matter how pressing--seem quite<br />
palpable...<br />
Name: Megan Smith<br />
Birthday: 3/10<br />
Hometown: Bozeman, Montana<br />
School: Lawrence University<br />
Subject: Math<br />
She Lives: 213 Stiles Lane with Miss Thacker<br />
Sports: JV Volleyball and JV Lacrosse<br />
Her Role Model: Dear old Dad<br />
If she could be an Ice cream flavor... Moose Tracks<br />
A favorite book: Life of Pi (no, itʼs not about math!)<br />
Favorite sports team: Right now, the SA JV Volleyball tigers!<br />
Something quirky about her: I love to eat gummy bears--especially when I<br />
go on long runs<br />
Hobbies: hiking, trail running and marathons, going to concerts<br />
What’s New?<br />
The Food Festival was held in<br />
the Dining Hall on Wednesday<br />
November 2nd. Students<br />
and Faculty alike lined up to<br />
taste test new foods that might<br />
make their way into the <strong>Suffield</strong><br />
<strong>Academy</strong> kitchen.<br />
From left to right: Sarah Brislin ’06, Kim Autuori ’06,<br />
and Lauren Ingalls ’06. <strong>Suffield</strong>’s Amnesty International<br />
Chapter attended a conference at Wesleyan<br />
University.
Sports<br />
7- The Bell December 2005<br />
Cross Country Teams Running Toward Championships<br />
Brie Beaudette ’07<br />
Coachesʼ Corner: Tiger B<br />
Soccer<br />
Kristen Bautz ’06<br />
When the staff of The Bell<br />
opened up a discussion about teams<br />
to profile, Tiger B (also known as<br />
Fourths) was mentioned most, primarily<br />
because of the wit and wisdom of<br />
coaches Mr. Krasemann and Mr.<br />
Toutounas. Fortunately, both were ready<br />
to discuss their ever-evolving team.<br />
The average tiger can run<br />
up to thirty-five miles per hour. It is<br />
no wonder why the boys’ and girls’<br />
Cross Country teams did so well this<br />
fall, especially as the girls became<br />
the 2005 Division II New England<br />
Champions. These tigers led the<br />
way each and every Wednesday and<br />
Saturday earning victory after victory.<br />
The boys’ team, holding<br />
down a 9-1 record, was led by Cocaptains<br />
Ned Booth ’06 and Steve<br />
Root ’06. Other returning varsity<br />
runners were senior Chris Scholem,<br />
juniors Kevin Brown and Charlie<br />
Huck, and Sophomore Joel Glassman.<br />
Another standout and new addition to<br />
the team was junior Steve Marangos.<br />
Led by new head coach Mr.<br />
Yates and assistant coach Ms. Thacker,<br />
the tigers defeated numerous teams<br />
such as the rival Berkshire Bears. As<br />
Sometimes, when things run<br />
smoothly, no one bothers to question<br />
or reflect upon what makes them so.<br />
However, I would like to introduce you<br />
to Victor Dotel, also known as Victor<br />
from “the cage,” an individual who<br />
has been a part of our community for<br />
almost eight years. His job is crucial<br />
in ensuring the flow of everyday life<br />
at our school. While Victor admits that<br />
“it can get pretty stressful and crazy at<br />
times,” he works hard to prepare and<br />
manage our gymnasium and much of<br />
our sports equipment; yet, few people<br />
are aware of what really makes him<br />
a hero and worthy of recognition.<br />
Victor was born and grew up<br />
in the Dominican Republic. Spurred on<br />
by poor economic conditions, he applied<br />
for a permit that would enable him to try<br />
his luck in the United States, if only for a<br />
short, fixed period of time. In 1989, after<br />
being rejected twice by the US embassy,<br />
he and fifty-three other members of<br />
his community knew that they had to<br />
find another way to change their lives,<br />
and took matters into their own hands.<br />
Together, they built a boat that<br />
they hoped would take them to Puerto<br />
Rico, w<strong>here</strong> it would be relatively easy<br />
to gain entry into the US. Realistically,<br />
only half the people who attempted<br />
this task generally accomplished it,<br />
due to dangers at sea. Seventy-two<br />
people, many of whom Victor knew<br />
well, had all drowned not long prior to<br />
his own attempt at leaving the country.<br />
Luckily, after a two day<br />
journey under extremely stormy and<br />
tight conditions, the makeshift boat<br />
made it to Puerto Rico. Victor was<br />
forced to beg for temporary shelter<br />
until he could secure a ticket to New<br />
York. After three days, he was finally<br />
on his way to the United States, w<strong>here</strong><br />
he met up with a few family members.<br />
To some, this may seem<br />
the boys’ team looked forward to the<br />
rest of their season, Co-captain Steve<br />
Root noted, “Lime face. Lemon face.”<br />
The unstoppable girls’ team<br />
were almost undefeated for the season.<br />
Led by four-year senior and Captain<br />
Alison Leonard, the tiger team was<br />
small but full of talent. Returning varsity<br />
runners included juniors Margot Genvert<br />
and Jenny Schnaak and sophomore<br />
Ally Nelson. Strong and experienced<br />
additions to the varsity team this year<br />
were Juniors Katy Higgins and last<br />
year’s JV New England Champion<br />
Anna Childs, and sophomore Becca<br />
Joslow. New students and varsity<br />
runners included junior Katy Heydinger<br />
and sophomore Tsuneko Jarris.<br />
Led by experienced coaches<br />
Ms. Cohen and Ms. Alekseeva,<br />
the girls have had an undefeated<br />
season the past three years and they<br />
Victor Dotel: A Hero Uncovered<br />
Monica Markowski ’07<br />
a happy ending, but it was just the<br />
beginning. At this point in time, Victor<br />
was without money, and without any<br />
means to support himself. Determined,<br />
he quickly took charge and did what<br />
he had to do to make ends meet. He<br />
worked at various jobs, including ones<br />
at grocery stores, restaurants, and even<br />
at Shea Stadium, home of the Mets.<br />
Victor says, “it wasn’t hard to find jobs<br />
that were just good enough to get by on.”<br />
In 1993, he found himself<br />
in Springfield, Massachusetts, w<strong>here</strong><br />
he worked odd jobs until he had the<br />
The bell has been a popular<br />
<strong>Suffield</strong> tradition and campus mark since<br />
its early days. As an important landmark<br />
for the school, it is important to know<br />
what we as a community use it for.<br />
T<strong>here</strong> are two circumstances in<br />
which the bell is rung: celebrating team<br />
victories and senior commencement.<br />
Besides these two situations, the Bell<br />
is to remain at peace overlooking Bell<br />
Hill. For new students unaware of<br />
these circumstances, it goes like this:<br />
When your team wins a game or match,<br />
the team can go up and ring the bell<br />
together. Each team may decide to ring<br />
the bell differently than others. Some<br />
choose to lift up their teammates, while<br />
photo by Cole Archambault ’06<br />
Ringing the Bell<br />
Bianca Molta ’07<br />
continue to keep the tradition alive.<br />
When asked about her<br />
cross-country experience overall this<br />
year, Captain Alison Leonard wrote,<br />
“Practice is one of the bests part of my<br />
day. We’re just a bunch of crazy girls<br />
who like to run and have fun. You go<br />
to practice and you know that you<br />
are going to train hard, but you also<br />
know that you will laugh hysterically.”<br />
The girls earned their<br />
championship win at home on<br />
November 12, when <strong>Suffield</strong> hosted<br />
hundreds of runners -- boys and<br />
girls -- on a sunny, warm, muddy<br />
day. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams<br />
boasted impressive performances. The<br />
girls’ win was particulary satisfying<br />
because they finished second in 2004.<br />
opportunity to become a security guard<br />
on a fulltime basis, working extremely<br />
long hours. He came <strong>here</strong> as a security<br />
guard when construction of the new<br />
dorms began. While <strong>here</strong> for the first time,<br />
Victor expressed interest in working at<br />
<strong>Suffield</strong> <strong>Academy</strong> permanently, and four<br />
months later he began his present job.<br />
Today, Victor is one of the best<br />
known and liked people at SA; yet, he is<br />
also a junior at American International<br />
College in Springfield, MA, a newspaper<br />
deliverer at 3:00 in the morning six days<br />
a week, and a happy husband and father<br />
of five children. (Many of you have seen<br />
little Victor running around campus!)<br />
Overall, Victor’s dedication<br />
to our community and the endurance<br />
he possesses in pursuing seemingly<br />
impossible goals are remarkable qualities.<br />
others have their captain(s) give the bell<br />
a ring. The main point of this is to let the<br />
community know of the team’s victory.<br />
The second circumstance in<br />
which a student may ring the bell is at their<br />
graduation. Seniors, on commencement,<br />
each get a chance to individually ring<br />
the bell. Not only is it usually a popular<br />
photo opportunity but a memorable<br />
piece of the <strong>Suffield</strong> experience.<br />
Keeping the bell a special tradition is<br />
the reason for the two opportunities for<br />
ringing it. Saving your opportunity to<br />
ring the bell at a special point in your<br />
<strong>Suffield</strong> career is highly encouraged<br />
and hopefully practiced by all.<br />
Bell: How surprised were<br />
you that your win came so early in the<br />
season? What did the team do well that<br />
enabled them to win that game?<br />
Krasemann: “We are surprised<br />
by every win. [We won because] the<br />
other team was worse than we were.”<br />
Toutounas: “[Deerfield, the<br />
team they defeated 2-1 in their fourth<br />
game of the season] didn’t have skills<br />
or talent that our team had. Our team<br />
was obviously very well-trained and<br />
prepared to meet the opposition.”<br />
Bell: How do you pump your<br />
team up before a game?<br />
Krasemann: “You don’t want<br />
to know.”<br />
Toutounas: “T<strong>here</strong> are always<br />
a few threats. We don’t want them<br />
to think they’re<br />
invincible -- we want them to know<br />
t<strong>here</strong>’s a battle ahead.”<br />
Bell: How do you usually run<br />
your practices? Is it a more laid-back<br />
atmosp<strong>here</strong>, or do you bring the same<br />
intensity to practices that, say, the varsity<br />
team would?<br />
Toutounas: “[Normally, during<br />
practice,] they have to run, warm up, and<br />
go through the rigors of practice. Then<br />
they are rewarded with scrimmages.<br />
They apply their skills [gained from<br />
practice] in their games. If God wills,<br />
they might win.”<br />
Krasemann: “If the other team<br />
stinks.”<br />
Bell: What do you hope that<br />
your players will take away from this<br />
season?<br />
Toutounas: “A sense of good<br />
sportsmanship, and an appreciation for a<br />
great game. As in life, you don’t always<br />
win [in soccer].”<br />
Bell: What constitutes a<br />
successful season for you?<br />
Krasemann: “[A successful<br />
season is one in which] nobody breaks<br />
their nose. [As far as wins] we like to<br />
win one game per season.”<br />
Bell: What is unique about this<br />
team? Is t<strong>here</strong> anything that makes them<br />
stand out from past teams?<br />
Krasemann: “They are even<br />
worse than last year’s team.”<br />
Toutounas: “We miss Oak.”<br />
Bell: What is the best part of<br />
coaching Tiger B?<br />
Toutounas: “The camaraderie.<br />
They love to win, but they know<br />
how to take a loss. Some players<br />
from other teams cry after a loss<br />
-- our players don’t cry.”
8- The Bell December 2005<br />
Recently, the staff of the Bell<br />
compiled a list of weekend activities that<br />
have been held thus far in the school year.<br />
A poll was distributed at lunch, and those<br />
who participated gave valuable feedback<br />
on past or current events, as well as some<br />
events that they would like to partake<br />
in. Among boarders, the most popular<br />
events were the movie and mall trips,<br />
while day students preferred the dances.<br />
The film series sponsored by<br />
the different clubs is the newest of the<br />
events this year. It had a small group<br />
of participants in comparison to other<br />
events, but according to Mr. Eckhardt,<br />
“the turnout was great and better than<br />
expected.” Anna Childs ’07, a member<br />
of Amnesty International who helped<br />
with the club’s showing and discussion<br />
of Hotel Rwanda, added, “at the time<br />
this poll was taken, only Hotel Rwanda<br />
had been shown. I feel that as time goes<br />
on and word spreads, the film series<br />
will become increasingly popular.”<br />
The positive side of the results<br />
is the fact that none of the activities were<br />
harshly criticized. While attendance was<br />
low for some of the events, especially<br />
among day students, Mr. Eckhardt<br />
understandingly acknowledged that<br />
“while I would encourage day students<br />
to attend weekend events, I realize that<br />
for some it is a long way to come.”<br />
Students were also asked to<br />
give suggestions for possible future<br />
events. Some suggestions were open<br />
gym activities and games like laser<br />
tag, capture the flag, and dodgeball,<br />
trips to Boston, Providence, New<br />
York, or the beach, and dances held<br />
with other schools. Other suggestions<br />
included trips to a wider variety<br />
of malls, a bonfire with s’mores,<br />
and either musical performances<br />
or movie showings in the Union.<br />
Lexi Bosee ’06, Student<br />
Council Social Chair, outlined some<br />
projects in the works, as well as her<br />
hopes for school events. “The more<br />
people go [to activities], the more<br />
fun everyone will have. Last year,<br />
everyone who went to Pearl Street<br />
loved it. Kids loved Dance-a-thon,<br />
and Jamfest was incredible. This<br />
year we have dodgeball, movies in<br />
the Union, and trips planned to New<br />
York City [on December 11 th ] and<br />
Northampton [on November 6 th ].”<br />
All of the feedback for weekend<br />
activities shows that the students who<br />
attend enjoy them and that t<strong>here</strong> are fun<br />
opportunities for students who have yet<br />
to join in. Mr. Eckhardt hopes that t<strong>here</strong><br />
will be greater participation in future<br />
weekend activities, and if anyone has<br />
any suggestions, please contact him.<br />
Weekend Activities Poll<br />
Kristen Bautz ’06 and Hannah Frank ’08<br />
Sports & News<br />
BOARDERS<br />
Like Dislike Haven’t Been<br />
Film 20% 8% 72%<br />
Six Flags 40% 4% 56%<br />
Movie/Mall 93% 2% 5%<br />
Ping Pong 31% 8% 61%<br />
Dances 80% 14% 6%<br />
Climbing (at SOLO Barn) 29% 7% 64%<br />
DAY STUDENTS<br />
Like Dislike Haven’t Been<br />
Film 15% 6% 79%<br />
Six Flags 29% 4% 67%<br />
Movie/Mall 40% 0% 60%<br />
Ping Pong 18% 6% 76%<br />
Dances 78% 4% 18%<br />
Climbing 22% 4% 74%<br />
ENTIRE SCHOOL<br />
Like Dislike Haven’t Been<br />
Film 18% 8% 74%<br />
Six Flags 36% 4% 60%<br />
Movie/Mall 75% 1% 24%<br />
Ping Pong 27% 8% 65%<br />
Dances 79% 10% 11%<br />
Climbing 26% 4% 70%<br />
Varsity Football<br />
photo Brooke Beatt ’06<br />
Varsity Waterpolo<br />
photo Erin Meehan ’06<br />
Peter Farnsworth ’06<br />
photo Hannah Thompson ’07<br />
SOLO<br />
photo Brooke Beatt ’06