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The Pelican Steering Committee

VOL. LXVII NO.3 ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL, CONCORD, NH 03301 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2014 EIGHT PAGES

The Pelican

Service and Exchange Trips, p. 4 -5what's inside

A Letter to the Editors, p. 2 Admissions Process, p. 6

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: KENTUCKY: MR. SCOTT BETOURNAY NICARAGUA: AMBER BATES '15 PANAMA: JADE THOMAS '16 ETON COLLEGE: EMILIA WELCH '14 LONDON: MR. NICHOLAS WHITE FRANCE: MAC TAYLOR '16 GREECE: IRENE XIANG '14 COVER ART BY NICOLE KIM '15

Around the World in 23 Days

Dear SPS Community,

Each year over Spring Break, groups of students and their faculty chaperones travel to different locations throughout the world to either dedicate a week to serving a commu-nity in need, participate in an international exchange program, or take a tour of a country they have studied in their language classes. This past March, seven groups dedicated part of their Spring Break to participating in these programs. Three of these groups spent six days devoted to community service in Kentucky, Nicaragua, and Panama. Another group of Latin and Greek students and their teachers spent 12 days touring Greece, sightseeing and visiting ancient ruins they had studied in class. Yet another group of students, who had hosted exchange students from France during Winter Term, spent two weeks living and going to school in Paris, France. Two Fifth Form boys also continued the tradition of the Eton College exchange program, living and attending classes at Eton College for two weeks, and will host two boys from Eton this Spring Term. Finally, for the first time this year, the St. Paul's School Chapel Choir spent ten days touring and sightseeing in England, but also attending and performing concerts at several stops along the way. We believe that the opportunities offered to students during March, in addition to the many other exchange programs offered by School Year Abroad, are an incredibly impor-tant aspect of SPS. Whether it is through showing kindness to a community that does not have as much as our own, or expanding our cultural horizons, St. Paul's students are fortunate enough to be afforded the opportunity to have an amazing, and potentially enlightening, experience traveling to another part of the world, and all students should take advantage of this opportunity. Sincerely,

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Dear Pelican Steering Committee,

I was disheartened to read some students’ opinions in your front-page article, “Rubrics, Tallies, and Teaching” (Vol. LXVI, No. 2, 14 February 2014) but encouraged by your back-page letter, in which you solicit “open dialogue” about issues such as grading by Humanities teachers. Hence I feel compelled to write a response to certain points raised in Hostrop’s feature. I must preface my remarks with the acknowledgement that I am but one member of the Humanities Department and do not pretend to reflect the views of my colleagues, nor do I posit any standard-ized, departmental position. Working with my colleagues, though, having frequent conversations plus weekly meet-ings with them for the past three years, has made me acutely aware of the considerable care and attention we in this department give to students’ writing. When I read Hostrop’s article, I was frustrated by students’ belief that “Humanities and Arts grading can be harsher because it is all subjective to the teacher’s opin-ion” and “one paragraph on the back of a Humanities paper can only tell a student so much…” (p. 1). My sense is that students who feel this way do not really have an accurate understanding of how much teachers invest of themselves (not to mention their time) in grading writing. Whenever I assign and collect papers, for example, there is a specific process I go through. My Humanities colleagues have their own particular ways of grading as well—and I am not suggesting here that my approach is in any way unique but rather similar to my colleagues’. Students write their names on the back of their essays, so that I do not know

Opinions & Editorials

I don’t know where the year has gone. Somehow for the past seven months I’ve been living in Italy. I’ve been speaking Italian every day, going to school in a

medieval city, and traveling to places that I never thought I would ever go to. It’s been incredible. I could write a thousand columns about SYA, all the experiences I’ve had and all the places I’ve been, but it wouldn’t be enough to really give you a sense of what this program is. So I’m going to use this column to tell anyone who might have slightly considered spending their Fifth Form year abroad that it’s absolutely worth it. I was hardly the typical SYA applicant, who had dreamed about traveling to Italy for their whole lives and couldn’t wait to leave their friends and school behind for some “adventure” in Italy. I actually didn’t want to go at all. I wanted to stay at SPS, where I belonged. I ended up going anyway, not by my own choice. But that doesn’t matter anymore. After a few months I realized it was the best decision ever made for me, and there are countless reasons why. On the simplest level, SYA is worth it because of, obviously, learning a foreign language. Being able to communicate with someone who speaks an entirely differ-ent language than you is so cool. Being able to have con-versations and make friends with people whose lives are unimaginably different from yours is incredible. You learn so much about life and you have an advantage over any sort of tourist. Every time I travel to Italy I will be able to

A Letter to the Editors

SYA Solter

whose work I’m reading, to minimize subjectivity on my part as best I can. (A colleague suggested this practice and I am not the only Humanities teacher who insists upon this.) For each assignment, students receive the prompts at least one week in advance, and at that time they also see the rubric I intend to use for assessment. When I sit down to grade a paper, I am looking for those elements on the rubric that I believe are essential for a coherent, clear, and compelling argument, such as a viable thesis. Remember, students know in advance what I’m looking for. I edit the paper as I go and then complete the rubric (so that students can see, category by category, where their writing needs work and what they’ve done well). After that, I type gen-eral comments in a conversational style, as though I’m sit-ting down with the student, telling him or her what’s great about the paper and, importantly, where he/she needs to expend more effort on the next assignment. Only after I complete these steps do I turn the paper over, to see who wrote it. I then add the score and writer’s name to my gen-eral comments. This process takes anywhere from 30—50 minutes or more, per paper. This winter term, I graded 114 papers in all. If students want to discuss papers after I’ve handed them back, I welcome writing conferences. This way, I have an additional opportunity to review a student’s work with him or her, to ensure that (a) the student knows where to go from this point and (b) the student feels encouraged, knowing that learning to write is, indeed, a process and not a graded paper-by-graded paper “one and done” type of endeavor. Perhaps some students need to be reminded that writing is a skill that takes considerable energy, effort, and

perseverance. Like my colleagues, I take students’ writing seriously and thus invest considerable time, energy, and effort into grading their work. Just as in the academic discipline of mathemat-ics in which a student must know how to apply, say, the quadratic formula to a problem in order to solve it, so too in essay writing there are critical elements that must be included to craft a successful paper. If a student’s analyti-cal essay is devoid of a plausible thesis, for instance, how can his or her argument be wholly convincing? If there is little evidence to support a student’s assertions, is his or her essay sufficiently persuasive? I think not. To suggest that in order “to grade a student more fairly” a teacher ought to take into consideration how much effort a student puts into a paper misses this critically important point, in my view. It is disappointing to learn from this article that some students on this campus do not realize how much goes into crafting and grading writing assignments. In my experience working in this department, it is indisputable that Humanities teachers invest significant time and effort to assess students’ writing—just as teachers in other dis-ciplines spend on their respective assessments. Grading students’ work is time-consuming and demands a teacher’s investment, no matter the discipline. Now that a dialogue has started, I can only hope that students who desire to learn more about how they’re doing with their writing spe-cifically will consult their respective teachers to continue this worthwhile conversation.

Respectfully submitted, Relinde de Greef, Ph.D.

enjoy my time there on a whole other level. I have friends and a family here, so I will always have connections on the other side of the world. The most fun part of SYA is definitely the travel. I’ve been to Rome more than 30 times over the course of this year. I’m not lying, I honestly have. I know it better than any other city I’ve ever been to. I’m going to Prague and Barcelona with my friends for two weeks during my spring break in April. I never thought I would be able to travel with my friends in Europe. Some people have the privilege of being able to do this kind of thing all the time, but for me, a teacher and priest’s son who has spent ten years on the St. Paul’s School campus, it’s a huge opportu-nity. Those of you who live internationally or go to Europe every summer maybe aren’t that impressed. “I do this stuff all the time, and can already speak French flu-ently,” you might be saying. Going to Italy for the summer and spending nine months in the country while living with an actual Italian family, are completely different things. Learning Italian in the classroom and picking up sayings and gestures from talking to people on the street are on completely different levels. After all my time here, I still don’t really under-stand Italian culture, and I’m not even close to being fluent in the language. I got just a taste of what it’s like to live in Italy, and I love it. I’m sure some of you who are consider-ing applying would, too. YOUNGEUN AHN '14

Continue the dialogue by sending letters to the editors at: pelican2@sps.edu

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Campus LifeMaking Junior Friends

With the conclusion of the 79th Annual Fiske Cup competition, students and fac-ulty alike have noted an alarming trend: the sudden decline of dorm participa-tion in the Fiske Cup. Two years ago, 14 dorms hosted Fiske plays; this year,

there were eight, including only one boys’ dorm. There has been much speculation regard-ing the drop in participation for one of St. Paul’s School’s more historic traditions. While some students have attributed this decline to a lack of time and organization for the project, others have highlighted the recent increase in Fiske Cup regulation as a hindrance to put-ting on a play. In addition to a new panel of judges, three new members of the SPS faculty stepped forward to guide dorms through the process to Fiske Cup stardom. These faculty mem-bers—Mrs. Martha Doyle and Mr. AK Ikwuakor of the Dean of Students Office, and Mr. Kenny Kilfara from the Theatre Department—organized the competition and introduced a slightly altered “vetting process” for directors before they could present. In addition to the protocol of years past—which included some approval over dorm scripts, as well as a strict time limit for performances—the new administrators arranged initial meetings with directors and producers, involved Heads of House in the vetting process, and required that play scripts be submitted two weeks prior to show time. While these regulations have been put in place largely to improve organization and support the dorms in their foray into the Fiske Cup, some students have found that the work and stress associated with putting on a play has deterred them from participation. “Too much pressure is exerted over prefects to organize and manage Fiske Cup plays,” explained Jae Goan Park ’14, “A good majority of these prefects have opted out to focus on the college process and maintain an academic standard.” Other students believe that the drop in dorm participation is connected to the new regulations imposed by the Dean of Stu-dents Office. “I think that in the past, part of what made Fiske Cup performances exciting was the build-up and surprise of interesting or funny-sounding plays,” stated Peter Paine ’15. “Some directors have been discouraged to even write plays this year, for fear that the over-vetting of scripts would take away from the magic and ideas of the original piece.” Paine reiterates a belief that has been widely held by other students on campus: that the heightened scrutiny over the appropriateness of scripts is responsible for the sudden drop in dorm participation.

Fiske-al CrisisBy PAUL KIGAWA '15 By BELLE GIBBONS '16

It is impossible to ignore the positive energy that radiates through campus on Monday nights as a result of the

“Friends Program.” This program, founded in 1975, seeks to provide children from Concord with a positive role model and mentor that can talk to them, play games, and help with homework. Fifth and Sixth Form students have the opportunity to get involved with the Friends Program by being matched with a local, younger stu-dent to mentor. By being paired with the same student for two consecutive years, the mentors are given a valuable chance to get to know their mentees on a very per-sonal level: what they like to do for fun, their experiences at school and at home, and much more. Both the mentor and the mentee cherish this relationship, and nearly all of the students who participate in the Friends Program speak positively of their experience. “Odrielle, a quiet little 11-year-old girl, is the highlight of my Mondays,” Ariya Lawson ’14 says of her Junior Friend. “I joke and say that she is literally a mini-me, but I really do see so much of myself in her. She has the most laid-back disposition and so much energy when she chooses to explore it.” Ariya has also noticed a difference in Odrielle since they first starting spending time together, commenting, “She is definitely positive and more willing to try new things: food, games, and activities. But she also isn’t afraid to tell me what she wants. She is very independent and she’s proud to be on her own, even if it is to go ahead and get some juice.” While the children are only at St. Paul’s School for a couple of hours each week, a significant impact is made on the mentor as well as the younger student they

COURTESY OF MRS. JO BROOKS

COURTESY OF MR. KENNY KILFARA

COURTESY OF MRS. JO BROOKSare paired with. Victoria Wilson ’15 says, “Having a junior friend is honestly really amazing and something that all the men-tors look forward to on Mondays. Not only is it a break from the stressful days we may have at school, but…we [also] get to spend time with and help to entertain kids who truly deserve some downtime.” The Friends Program—which encourages relationships like these at SPS and at other program sites—has even received com-mendation for its work in mentorship. New Hampshire governor Maggie Hassan, who declared the month of January 2014 to be “Youth Mentoring Month,” highlighted the Friends Program as an organization worth praise for its efforts in fostering strong mentor-mentee relationships.

COURTESY OF MR. KENNY KILFARA

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Kentucky Service Trip

Community Service andPanama Service Trip

Nicaragua Service Trip

Paris Exchange

Getting on a bus at six in the morning with ten other kids I barely knew, and travel-ing with them for almost twelve hours did seem like a lot to ask for doing com-munity service. Getting up early and cooking our food for ourselves every day

might seem like a stretch. In contrast though, the satisfaction of helping others, learning new aspects of a culture, and getting to know each other along the way made it all worth it. I didn’t know when I was applying for this trip that I would do a lot more than just build a house. Of course there was the construction side of the learning, and even though we were all on different levels of familiarity with construction, we all learned a lot from Reverent Kipler, our guide during our time in Kentucky. Whether it was electrical wiring, drywall, or insulation, each of us took some new skill away from the experience. Our group also ended up learning about the social structure of the Appalachians. For example, men usually don’t come to family gatherings, and each family in that area usually keeps to themselves in their own self-sufficient pods. Additionally, we learned about the history of Appalachia. Rev. Kipler told us about the time of exploration of the area as well as the time of coal mining and coal script. We would sit down in our cabin at lunch or after work, and he would go up to the board to teach like we were no different than one of his elementary classes. I had all these preconceived ideas about the area being uneducated and poor, but they were soon put to rest after we met the people and learned about their social and eco-nomic history. As a group we got to know quite a few interesting characters along the way, such as Manford (the groundskeeper), or the always-hilarious Little Britches (the grandson of the owner of the house we stayed at). We also had a lot of fun going into Lexington, hosting the community dinner, and playing with the local children. It certainly made us feel more at home and created many memories we won’t soon forget. Overall, I think we learned a lot about the people of Appalachia on this trip, but even more about ourselves. We learned to appreciate what we have, know that a different lifestyle isn’t necessarily a bad one, and that no matter where you go kindness will always have an effect on people.

The initial purpose of our group’s service in Pierdas Gordas, Panama was to get our clothes dirty while building terraces, improving soil quality, and planting 600 young trees in the blistering sun. By our third nightly reflection, it was clear that we were

serving the community in a much different way than manual labor. I believe the St. Paul’s students had a lifelong effect on the Pierdas Gordas community, not by working extremely hard, but simply through human-to-human contact. The strength of the relationships we built with community members in such a short time boosted trust on both sides. We quickly found the most efficient way to build relationships was through humor. It became clear that humor transcends the language and cultural barriers. During our very first project, clearing and rebuilding the school’s garden, Jerry Yang ’16 disap-peared for a short time, and then reappeared on the outside roadway riding on the back of some random horse with a beautiful Panamanian girl. All of the working students, farmers, and involved community members on the inside of the fence had a good laugh together, shattering the uneasiness between everyone. Other laughable situations were when Nick Scott-Hearn '16 fell into a seven-foot hole while carrying large stalks of bamboo, or the classic misconception of the community’s name: “Piernas Gordas” (Fat Legs) instead of its real name: “Pierdas Gordas” (fat rocks). Each of the 11 participating students would agree that nothing could compare to the relationships we formed due to quality giggles.

By SPENSER MEEK '17

By JADE THOMAS '16

By ISABELLE DIGIACOMO '16

One of many aspects of our group’s trip to Las Sevitas, Masaya, Nicaragua that I didnʼt expect (besides the obvious: bucket-showers, our collective OD on rice and beans, and the latrine situation) was the instant relationships we formed with the

little girls whose house we were helping to build. Within the first hour of our arrival to the worksite, every member of our motley crew had already made three new friends whose names we would come to learn and whose Spanish we would come to misunderstand. Never in any other form of community service had I seen so clearly the commu-nity I was serving; on the most basic level, that community consisted of adorable Sharon, feisty Katerin, and clever Sandra. Whenever the “Equipo Sol” clique was feeling sore or tired rolling into the construction site, these little ladies never failed to greet us with a flurry of excited "holas" and "como estasʼes." Similarly, once the cinder blocks started stacking it was stunning to see the prog-ress our humble little set could make in just a few short days. That is exactly why this brief trip had such an impact on all of us—we could see exactly how (and who) our work was helping. Doing your part in your community is constructive no matter what you do, but if there was one piece advice I could give it would be to try and create some sort of connec-tion with every service project you take on. Whether that be researching the history of the Audubon Society before gardening there with your team or shaking the hand of the proud new owner of the house you helped build, that extra bond is what makes your time all the more valuable and what made #NICTRIP14 so remarkable to all of us.

Over the March vacation, a group of nine SPS students ventured far from home to the amazing city of Paris, France. This was no normal vacation. As part of the exchange program with the École Alsacienne we each stayed with a family, allow-

ing us to experience Paris like an average high school student. We learned about Parisian home life, culture, and of course improved our French. During a typical day, we would meet at the school in the morning before starting the day’s adventures. Some of these adventures included visiting the Louvre, Notre Dame, and Chartres Cathedral. The best part of the trip was the relationships we all created and the memories that came with our once-in-a-lifetime experience. St. Paul’s School offers us so many opportu-nities as students that we would never have had the chance to experience otherwise. From riding bicycles through the gardens of Versailles to simply sitting down and eating dinner with our families, each and every moment was absolutely amazing. Having never strayed far from home before, this trip has changed me as a person, making me more independent and open to new experiences that I am not completely comfortable with. Before coming to SPS I never would have traveled to a different country to live with people I didn’t know for two weeks. I hope someday I will have the opportunity to return to Paris and see my host family again, but for now I am very grateful for this wonderful opportunity that I will never forget.

By EMILY GEORGE '15

COURTESY OF MAC TAYLOR '16

COURTESY OF MR. SAMUEL CRIHFIELD

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Cultural Immersion TripsEton Exchange Tour of Greece

By JAMES SHEPHERD '15

Our odyssey began with a long journey to our hotel. After leaving the St. Paul’s campus, spending hours on planes and in airports, we arrived in Greece. A number of hours later, some of us woke up to go on an early morning run, still confused

as to what time zone we were on. That first morning we were introduced to our tour guide, Smaro, who was incredibly knowledgeable and awesome, and our bus driver Takis. She took us to our first site visit at the Acropolis, the Agora, and then took us to the Plaka (square) for lunch. If you were willing to be harassed by street vendors, it was worth it for the delicious gyros. We were free to try out any place for dinner and finished the evening with some gelato. The next day we met our new bus driver, Yiannis, Takis’ brother, who took us on a journey to Marathon, where there were more stray dogs, to the temple of Poseidon, and to the airport to fly to Crete. The following morning some of us woke up to run on the pier, which stretched a mile into the bay, and watched the most beautiful sunrise before breakfast. We had a new bus driver, Nikos, who brought us to the archaeological museum, the Knossos Minoan palace, Archanes and another museum. Then it was time for a relaxing evening in the small town of Heraklion. A highlight from the museums was definitely the pottery, which Dita Cole '14 com-mented on by saying, “It was almost impossible to choose a favorite piece of pottery among so many gems.” After dinner, we tried D-Ray's favorite dessert, bougatsa, and, of course, could not miss out on some Ben & Jerry’s. Paul Kigawa '15 really enjoyed all of the food we had and said, “Having dessert before and after every meal was great.” After stops in Phaistos and Gortys, we flew back to Athens, and the next day we were back on the bus with Yiannis, whom we all missed, for the drive to Ancient Corinth and the theater in Epidaurus. We made it to a city called Nafplion, which Chrissy Antoine '16 called her “spirit city,” adding, “I freaking love Nafplion.”

By COLBY SCHOFIELD '14

Over the first night of Spring break, while many students were sleeping or catching up on Netflix after crashing into their beds at home, the fearless choristers of the Chapel Choir crossed the pond and landed in Heathrow, jetlagged and unable to

hold basic conversation. No rest for the weary, however, as we hurried into touring London, watching a few renditions of the “changing of the guards” in various locations, and explor-ing the haunting Tower of London, which is not a tower, but rather a collection of buildings that are now individualized museums. Throughout our stay, we traversed the country in our trusty Bennetts bus, led by Simon, our illustrious tour guide. We sang lunchtime concerts, attended evensong services in breathtaking spaces, and even performed alongside local choirs. You all have no doubt seen many of the approximately 274 selfies taken or per-haps received a large number of the 328 Snapchats sent. If you have somehow missed these memories, please see Facebook for recently updated albums. Hopefully, somewhere on the World Wide Web we have documented the “monk” who’s yabba-dabba-do and frolicking are unforgettable. Somewhere, we have pictures of scones and cream tea. Find them if you’re interested, and ask us for the stories behind them. However, know that memories of Twa-Tanbou may result in uncontrollable spontaneous singing. It was a choir trip—what do you expect?

Going to a 1,300 strong, all-guys school was something I couldn’t picture when pre-paring for this exchange. Everyone’s heard the rumors that Eton is the best school in the world, and that you have to be put on the list at birth if you want to attend.

These rumors were in my head the whole plane ride over to England with Samrat Patel ’15, the other St. Paul’s School student who participated in the exchange, and while I was walking into my new room in Farrer House. As soon as I settled in, though, I truly felt like an Eton boy. The boys in my house were so welcoming. I was instantly thrown into playing Field Game (a confusing hybrid between soccer and rugby) and Field Hockey (guys play that in England) for my house in a very heated house competition. Being at one of the most prestigious schools in the world was very intimidating at first. I was sitting in the same chapel that George Orwell sat in, and walking through the same halls that 19 British Prime Ministers had walked through. It was an amazing feeling setting foot on the 14th-century campus, and putting on the age-old uniform that consisted of striped pants, a waistcoat, and a tailcoat every day. The second I put the uniform on I felt instantly more intellectual, and like a true Etonian. I have seen pictures of myself in the uniform and Samrat can confirm that I looked absolutely gorgeous in it. Having the opportunity to attend a sanctity of learning such as Eton was unbelievable, and I strongly encourage all boys to apply for this exchange. The friendships I have made and the things that I have learned from this exchange will last a lifetime, and I will never forget my time at Eton College.

COURTESY OF MR. NICHOLAS WHITE

"The most beautiful site visit, in my opinion, was when we climbed the ruins of Delphi, which were spread out on the mountainside with an amazing view. We came to the end of our journey right where we had started: Athens, where we saw the Olympic stadium, ate sweets at a local bakery, and

had our last dinner with Greek dancing—and our first hamburgers of the trip!"

The following morning some of us ventured to climb up to the fortress on top of the hill adjacent to our hotel, where we watched the sunrise. Later that morning, Yiannis greeted us with his usual, “Calamari!” instead of the correct, “Kalimera!” (Good morn-ing). He drove us to Nemea where we saw the ruins of a stadium where the Nemean games were once held, the temple of Zeus, a museum, beehive tombs in Mycenae, a place where we picked oranges and made pottery, and finally back to the hotel where we crashed from exhaustion. It was difficult to part with Nafplion the next day, but we had a long drive across many mountains to the village of Dimitsana, continuing on to Stemnitsa, stopping along the way for lunch in a small town. There was minimal English and a lot of pointing to things on the menu, but with an adventurous attitude we tried rabbit, wild boar, and rooster. Charlie Lee '15 said, “That was definitely the best rabbit I have ever had.” After some museums we spent the night learning traditional Greek dancing and watched them do the “Zorba” dance. Though Paul tried to gain the title, D-Ray was hands down the best dancer in the group, even dancing with the cane Ms. Marrin and Smaro bought him for fun. The next morning we were up and out headed for Olympia, where we raced in the ancient Olympic stadium and there were, of course, more stray cats and dogs, and, just as predictably, Paul was befriending them. After another long drive, we finally arrived in Delphi. The most beautiful site visit, in my opinion, was when we climbed the ruins of Delphi, which were spread out on the mountainside with an amazing view. We came to the end of our journey right where we had started: Athens, where we saw the Olympic stadium, ate sweets at a local bakery, and had our last dinner with Greek dancing—and our first ham-burgers of the trip! Saying goodbye to Smaro was really tough, and Joyce Wang '14 was definitely torn up about it, and saying goodbye to Yiannis was also difficult at the airport the next day, where our odyssey was coming to an end. The trip would not have been the same without Joyce’s amazing music videos, Eleanor Reich’s '14 singing and playing ukulele, and Daryle Banfield’s '14 speakers saying, “Soul mate connected.” It was a great trip and Eleanor summed it up well, saying, “Popopopopopopo! Educational and fun!” Popopopopopopo! = Wow! Yahara = Be well, goodbye!

Choir - Tour of EnglandBy IZZY O'CONNELL '14

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Students at St. Paul’s School often forget what they wrote about in their application that was good enough to receive a congratulatory acceptance letter

in the mail months later. Chances are that they have no clue what the topic of their essay was, as the application process tends to be an absolute blur. A question therefore arises: what sets one prospective student apart from another? Mr. Bohan, the Head of Admissions at St. Paul’s, provides some insight on the topic. The most important question an interviewer must answer after his or her time with a prospective student is, in simplest terms, “Is this a good kid?” The interview is an opportunity for an applicant to prove him or herself, and it’s a fact that a good inter-view dramatically increases the chance of admittance. It is important for the applicant to demonstrate the qualities he or she possesses that make him or her essential to life in a dorm, on a sports team, or around the Harkness table. Conversely, the kids who resort to nervously cracking their knuckles or biting their nails are bound to get a low score on their interview. COURTESY OF AMANDA MORRISON '15

COURTESY OF AMANDA MORRISON '15

Campus LifeAdmissions Pool Deeper, More Competitive

By SAMMY BRAINARD '15

Confidence, and eloquence become an applicant’s trusty sidekick in an interview. Applicants who don’t exude enthusiasm and interest generally don’t receive the accep-tance letter. However, interviewers look for students with a wide range of interests, and as Mr. Bohan remarks, the Admissions staff is “less interested in the kid who wants to come here and do one thing.” This urges our applicants to explore a wide variety of activities during their time here. “We want kids to cross lines while they’re here,” he con-tinues. One of the most important things one can do at a school like St. Paul’s is to take advantage of everything it has to offer, from taking Stellar Astronomy to having your own show on WSPS. An applicant who rants on and on about his passion for the trombone for the entire interview without mentioning any other interests is less likely to be accepted. That is not to say that the School doesn’t value specific passions that students may have; the opposite is true. The Admissions Staff merely aims to admit an incred-ibly diverse student body comprised of students with hun-dreds of different hobbies. On a separate note, St. Paul’s is rumored to be a place where, if one lacks a personal or family connection to the School, it would be almost a feat to be admitted.

The percentage of legacies at the School and/or students who have a parent or other family member on the faculty exceeds that of many, if not all, other boarding schools. Even Mr. Bohan admits, “Connections matter, absolutely.” The harsh reality is that an applicant needs to connect in some way with someone at the School, so that during the application process, they can push for that person. Of course, this makes it more of a challenge to be admitted. Mr. Bohan reports that when he arrived at SPS as a faculty member 14 years ago, the School received only about 800 applications. This past winter, 1,623 students applied to St. Paul’s for less than 150 spots. As Mr. Bohan stated, “We are over-enrolled this year due to last year’s record yield.” Being over-enrolled, the School is forced to admit a much smaller group of students than in past years. This is why this year’s acceptance rate, a miniscule ten per-cent, was not only dramatically low, but the lowest accep-tance rate ever. This fact alone clearly reflects the high caliber of the current student body, as well as this year’s admitted students. SPS students should be proud to have been accepted into not only one of the most prestigious boarding schools in the world, but a school that is statisti-cally as difficult to get into as several Ivy League colleges.

Junior FriendsBecause of this, many students con-sider this positive relationship developed through the Friends Program to be incred-ibly meaningful to them. Part of the reason why the Friends Program is so successful at SPS can be attributed to the organized and effective leadership of Ms. Terry Smith, the pro-gram coordinator in Concord, Mrs. Jo Brooks, head of the Community Outreach Program on campus, and J.D. Davis ‘14, student leader for the Friends Program. In conjunction with all of the mentors, they work to provide a fun, caring, and support-ive atmosphere for the children in acting toward their full potential. “I focus on making sure that the mentors and mentees have strong friendships and that there are lots of activities for the kids to be exposed

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3to,” J.D. Davis says of his responsibilities as a project leader for the Friends Program. “I think that coming to SPS once a week opens them up to a whole new world of boarding school, which a lot of them don’t know about before having a Senior Friend. It really is a wonderful opportunity for these kids to build self-esteem and affirm their values, and I’m happy I can be a part of it.” The students who participate in this program agree that it is an incredibly engaging and fulfilling experience, and that they value their relationships with their Junior Friends immensely. For rising Fifth Form students looking to make a significant difference in the lives of local children, this program is the perfect oppor-tunity to do so.

Fiske Cup Mrs. Doyle, Mr. Ikwuakor, and Mr. Kilfara considered the decline in participa-tion “devastating,” but their general consensus was that the new regulation should not be a deterrent for participation. Mr. Kilfara explained that his involvement, and that of the Deans, goes far beyond censorship. He stated, “I think one component [of the regulation] was to prevent offensive material from being performed…but [another was] to provide deadlines and structure for the students to get their work done…and to foster interaction [with the Theatre Department].” Mr. Kilfara continued, “Going forward, I really want to be a resource and promote creativity, and not be a tyrannical censor.” Mrs. Doyle has added that, while the script checks are indeed an addition to the Fiske protocol, they are intended to improve organization and prevent the “ad-libbing and last minute changes” that can put plays in the “grey area” of appropriateness. The Fiske Cup faces an alarming problem as fewer dorms are opting to partici-pate. However, while Fiske Cup and all of its prescreening may seem daunting, Mr. Kilfara and the Deans encourage students to seek their assistance in the play preparation. Addition-ally, they hope that the new regulation will only help the process and not scare students away from a cherished St. Paul’s tradition. And for those that believe that the new protocol will change the spirit of Fiske, Mr. Ikwuakor assures, “We are not trying to change the Fiske Cup tradition. This event has been going on for several decades and is an event our office values and respects, [but]…accountability is important as it keeps everything fair."

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ProfilesHail Fellows, Well Done

By ALEX DREYFUS '16 AND WEBSTER THOMPSON '16

The University of Pennsylvania’s Residency in Mas-ter’s Teaching program, “the brainchild of Mr. Smith and Mr. Hirschfeld, among others,” accord-

ing to Mr. Gordon, gives budding educators an opportunity to gain experience in the classroom under the tutelage of veteran teachers. The program, currently in its second year, partners with several private boarding schools all around New England, and St. Paul’s School has been home to many bright minds as eager to learn as they are to teach since the program’s inception. In addition to taking on all the duties of a teacher, coach, and adviser at St. Paul’s, teaching fellows also take classes and complete projects to earn their Master’s degrees from The University of Penn-sylvania. While SPS houses many teaching fellows, four, Mr. Sam Crihfield, Mr. Ishiaka Mansaray, Mr. Maxwell Gordon, and Ms. Lina Feuerstein, graduate from the pro-gram this May and close out their tenure with the School at the end of the academic year. The Pelican spoke with these four about their time here: what they remember most, their greatest takeaways, and their plans for the future. After graduating from Harvard, Mr. Crihfield set his sights on St. Paul’s. Originally a teaching fellow before the U Penn program began, Mr. Crihfield is now finishing up his third year at SPS. Once accepted, he joined the Humanities Department and is known for his godly authority in Humanities III classes. Outside the classroom, he can be found leading the boys of Junior Var-sity Soccer and Tennis. Next year, he plans to move on to greater challenges in Seattle, blazing trails at schools across the country. When we spoke with Mr. Crihfield, we learned his favorite meal (beet chips), place to grade papers (the Library basement), and Chapel reflection (Mr. Darik Vélez). Mr. Crihfield fondly recalled his first days

at SPS at the summer ASP, especially the first teacher he encountered. “Señor [Fidel] Rodriguez is always fun. He’s a house supervisor at the ASP, so he was one of the first St. Paul’s teachers I met, which I will say was an interesting introduction to SPS.” His most memorable moment at St. Paul’s, he said laughing, was his first class. “It probably wasn’t very good.” When asked if he would continue to strut his Pelican pride in the future, he promised, “I would say that I will always be proud to have worked at St. Paul’s. I’m not the strutting type.” Hailing from Sierra Leone, Mr. Ishiaka Mansaray took the SPS Physics department by storm in the Fall Term of 2012. Under the mentorship of Dr. Leslie Chamberlain, “Ish,” as his students affectionately call him, arrived at Millville immediately after graduating from Macalester College. Mr. Mansaray, an avid soccer player himself, has coached both Girls’ and Boys’ Junior Varsity Soccer along with JV Boys’ Baseball in the Spring and admits to having been very excited about the opportunity. He explained how much he enjoyed coaching and recognizes it as an excellent learning experience outside the classroom: “I’ve learned a lot, but I guess one of the most important takeaways from coaching is to be patient and to try and understand the stu-dents.” His favorite meal at SPS? A home-cooked meal. “It’s actually been a while since I’ve been to the dining hall. I do like the food, but especially this past term I’ve been cooking a lot. I kind of like cooking my own meals.” A former Exeter student and resident of Meredith, New Hampshire, Mr. Maxwell Gordon had heard about SPS and its academic reputation long before arriving, but admits to not knowing too much about the School before he became involved with the fellowship program. When asked if his first impressions were in line with his expec-

tations, he explained that, from being eased into teaching his own classes to the campus and the people, he has felt embraced since he arrived at Millville. “The faculty has been really welcoming to teaching fellows. We’re young teachers just learning how to do this, but [they] have been really accepting of us and the ideas we bring to the table—it’s been good all around from the start.” Reflecting on his time here, Mr. Gordon told us the greatest lesson he learned outside of the classroom: “Teachers and students alike have a very rigorous schedule here, but I think the community works so well because we all buy into what we’re doing. That’s a really important takeaway for me—wherever you are, if you buy in and decide, ‘I’m gonna give it my all here,’ you’re gonna have a great experience.” A native of Chicago, Illinois, Ms. Lina Feuerstein arrived at St. Paul’s in 2012 after graduating from Carleton College in Minnesota, which means she is by no means a stranger to the icy winters St. Paul’s often experiences. After playing soccer in college, Ms. Feuerstein has been assistant coach to both the Varsity and Junior Varsity Girls’ Soccer teams, as well as being the assistant coach for JV Girls’ Hockey in her first year, and head coach of the JV Girls’ Basketball team this past Winter Term. She cur-rently teaches Humanities IV and the Humanities elective the Origins of Disbelief, and has also taught Encounters and Creative Writing this past year. “They’re a very spe-cial group of people,” Ms. Feuerstein said of her students. “I love the School and the students. They’re intense, but also very funny, and the faculty members are very similar. They take their jobs seriously, but not too seriously. When I was new and didn’t really know what boarding school was, they were really good about cluing me in. It’s a very tight-knit community.”

SUN WOO LEE '16 (NOT PICTURED: MS. LINA FEUERSTEIN)

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Other SPS Travels

St. Paul's School325 Pleasant St.Concord, NH 03301The Pelican Staff

Steering CommitteeCourtney Becker - Editor-in-Chief

Priscilla Salovaara - Assistant Print EditorAntonio Roxas - Print Layout Editor

Hanna Chan - Assistant Print Layout EditorIsabella Pirozzolo - Online Editor

Julia Schell - Co-Online EditorNicole Kim - Graphics Editor

Judy Tsai - Photo EditorMaxwell Abram - Senior EditorNoah Ruttenberg - Senior Editor

Paul Kigawa - Senior EditorAmanda Morrison - Senior EditorSam Yonce - Business Manager

WritersMax Baron Jack Becker

Sammy Brainard Allegra Chapman

Alex Dreyfus Belle Gibbons

Marina Hostrop Joe Kim

Henry KremerSadie Lee Joon Lee

Sarah McKeanAudrey OsbornSophie Pesek Riley Solter

Webster ThompsonMuriel Wang

Nicholas Welch

Print LayoutSam Chase

Sarah KaplanHelena Kwon

Miller Torrance

GraphicsAmber BatesChristina KimSophie Pesek

Emily SaundersLilly Schoeller

Izzy Teran

PhotographersDemilade Adeboye

Cat EtchartSarah Evenson

Arda KeniSadie Lee

Sun Woo LeeChristine LeungGabriel PatenotteBrunston Poon

Mac Taylor

Faculty AdviserMs. Minet Marrin

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SPS COMMUNITY