The Picador: Volume 9, Issue 6

The Picador

Volume 9, Issue 6 January 17, 2014

A PUBLICATION BY HOLDERNESS STUDENTS

FOR

THE HOLDERNESS SCHOOL COMMUNITY

By Celeste Holland ’14

For the past couple of days,

there has been a lot of infor-

mation leading up to the MLK

day workshops. This morning

we all had the opportunity to

attend a couple of these work-

shops, although we were not

able to go to all of them.

Some students had the oppor-

tunity to learn hands-on about

adaptive skiing at Waterville

Valley and Loon Mountain,

while other students were able

to play wheelchair sports and

sled hockey. Some of the other

workshops focused on learning

about inclusion, Braille, sign

language, the media, and ther-

apy animals.

So why did we focus on dis-

abilities for MLK Day? Con-

trary to many people’s first

impressions, the social justice

that Martin Luther King

helped to achieve has a direct

connection to the Americans

with Disabilities Act; the Civil

Rights movement got the ball

rolling and made it possible

for the Disabilities Act to be

passed.

The ADA is a wide-ranging

civil rights law that prohibits,

under certain circumstances,

discrimination based on a dis-

ability. Disability is defined by

the ADA as “...a physical or

mental impairment that sub-

stantially limits a major life

activity.” The determination of

whether any particular condi-

tion is considered a disability

is made on a case-by-case ba-

sis.

One of the goals of the work-

shops was to increase our

awareness of disabilities. For

both people of color and peo-

ple with disabilities, there is a

gray area that surrounds so-

cially correct language. For

example, is it better to say

someone is deaf or hearing-

impaired? By having some

understanding of this terminol-

ogy, we are able to be mindful

of the words we use in the fu-

ture.

Hopefully, one of the big take-

aways from the MLK Day

workshops is that there are

always opportunities to get

involved. Whether this is help-

ing to raise a seeing-eye dog,

volunteering at an adaptive ski

program, or taking a sign-

language course in order to

become a licensed interpreter,

there are always ways that we

can help.

MLK Day: It’s About Getting Involved Winter

Carnival 2014:

Are You Ready?

Page 2-3

Sports

At Home

And

Around the

World

Pages 5 and 6

0

The Picador

How have you been training for this year's games? Do you

have any advice for others looking to prepare for the Car-

nival?

Parker Densmore: I have been mentally preparing since Su-

per Sunday. It is helpful to get ahead in homework, so you can

focus on the festivities, but I prefer to let all of my work stack

up; it adds to the overall feel of Winter Carnival.

Emma Abrams: I’ve been practicing my consolatory hand-

shakes, eating well (mainly Clementines), and practicing the

art of Shakespearean insults in order to have comebacks for

any chirps we may receive.

Hedi Droste: I've been in the gym almost every day training

for the Barton Olympics; they're the key to winning Winter

Carnival.

Alex Lash: I often participate in Ironman triathlons—usually

three or four times a month—with Gabriel Posada. It helps to

keep my body in shape while not tiring me out too much for

the upcoming games. As for others preparations—I eat

healthy. I visit the salad bar in Weld often and have adopted a

gluten-free lifestyle to ready myself for the vigorous Carnival

events.

Mikaela Wall: I’ve been doing somersaults in the snow for

three hours every day since November to condition myself

against the cold.

In which part of Winter Carnival are you most prepared

to destroy the competition?

PD: Definitely the Iditarod; with Trudeau and Sully pulling

the entire dorm, we are predicted to reach speeds that rival

Father Weymouth in a minibus.

EA: Heavy weightlifting.

HD: So prepared to win the dodge ball tournament.

AL: As a whole, I believe the Hill dorm will dominate in the

lip sync category. With twerkography that puts Miley Cyrus

to shame, and song choices that are unrivaled, the lip sync

should be a definite victory.

MW: Lip sync. The art of dance has always been a part of

my life, and I look forward to showcasing my gift for move-

ment in front of the whole school next week.

Winter Carnival By Lea Rice ’14

Winter Carnival is the biggest athletic competition of the year for every Holderness

student, and those looking to win must spend 11 months of their year prepping for the

snowy festivities. Some of our most elite athletes took the time to share their wisdom on

how they succeed year after year.

Volume 9, Issue 6

Which aspect of the competition are you most nervous

about? Are there any other competitors that you think will

be your toughest matchups?

PD: I'd say I am the most nervous about the lip sync; it is by far

the most entertaining event, especially since our strategy tends

to be to plan our routine 30 minutes ahead of time. Scott

Merrill's lip sync skills may seem untouchable, but this year my

dorm is unleashing a secret weapon the will decimate the com-

petition.

EA: Pulling off a impeccable “flying V” maneuver in the

dodge ball game.

HD: I'm super worried for the Lip Sync because there are so

many other great dorms out there with a lot of talent—

specifically, Sargent because of its creativity.

AL: Personally, the most nerve-wracking event is the Iditarod.

The intense moments during this race show how well a dorm

can perform under pressure. The nervousness of not knowing

when your sled pullers will give out is enough to make one's

heart race faster than the sled speeding across the icy ground.

My toughest matchups will probably be the strong, determined

members of Rathbun dorm; the faces of Brett Hepler and Luc

Chanren would make any opposition shake with fear.

MW: I have nothing to fear but fear itself. My only competi-

tion is my previous record.

What mistakes, if any, did you make in last year's games,

and how will you improve in those areas this year?

PD: Last year during the Iditarod, our dorm's sled broke. In

order to improve upon this, we hope to get a better sled.

HD: During dodge ball things got a bit rowdy. I'd say it was

a major mental set back for us, so we're going to keep it clean

and PG13.

AL: I don't make mistakes.

MW: This year, I win.

Is there any closing message you'd like to give to any of

your competitors out there who might be reading this?

EA: Be warned, thou mewling onion-eyed, hedge-pigs

HD: Shenton, watch out.

AL: Back out now, while you have the chance.

MW: Team Wall. Join up before you’re beaten.

The Picador

World News

By Linh Le ’15

Russia is currently enforcing a

new law, which bans

“propaganda of nontraditional

sexual relations around mi-

nors.” The main purpose of the

law, they say, is to “protect

children.”

In June more than a dozen

protesters were attacked by

anti-gay activists and police

hours before the State Duma

approved the legislation 436-0.

Those who were not arrested

were beaten by masked men

on a central street about a mile

away.

The law, which claims to sup-

port traditional Russian values,

charges offenders up to $156

per individual and up to

$31,000 per media organiza-

tions.

Anti-gay attacks are on the rise

in Russia. Pavel Petel, a flam-

boyant bisexual man from

Ukraine who built up a career

as a model, performance artist,

and DJ in Russia, and his part-

ner Sergey Ostrikov were at-

tacked. Petel has been worried

for his own safety since the

bill passed. He has also lost his

job because of the law.

“People in the regions are very

aggressive towards gays,” says

Petel. “Sergey and I were

lucky to be alive last year be-

cause some people wanted to

kill us. My fear has been

growing since then.”

While living in the Soviet era,

life was easier for Petel.

“There was no pressure to

make you chose who you

wanted to be,” he said.

“Russia would benefit from

appreciating gays,” said Petel.

“To me, gays are usually kind,

talented, genial, creative, and I

feel sorry that they’re leaving.

It’s not civilized. I think it will

be back to normal again in 10

years, but the new young gen-

eration should come to power

and change the laws. Maybe

we’ll see the first Russian gay

president in a couple years. Or

maybe it will be a woman.”

In the meantime, there have

been widespread calls for boy-

cotts and protests of the 2014

Sochi Olympics—including a

vodka-dumping demonstration

in Los Angeles. The gay rights

group, All Out, has delivered a

petition with hundreds of thou-

sands of signatures denounc-

ing Russia's stance on gay

rights. So far, however, Russia

has not changed its laws.

Sources: CNN, CBS News

A n t i - G a y A t t a c k s o n t h e R i s e i n R u s s i a

https://www.allout.org/en/actions/russia-attacks



Volume 9, Issue 6

By Henry Liu ’15

Teenagers who have suffered a

history of concussions are

three times more likely to ex-

perience depression than those

who have not suffered from a

concussion.

Sara Chrisman, M.D., a pedia-

trician at Seattle Children's

Hospital, is leading an impor-

tant study that sheds light on a

particular matter that affects

many parents and students.

“What this study suggests is

that teens who have had a con-

cussion should be screened for

depression,” she says.

Mild traumatic brain injuries

like concussions can also

cause serious psychological

problems that usually escape

detection during early stages.

But as of right now (the study

is still in progress), the 36,000

teenagers ranging from years

12-17 that the study based

itself off of have yet to enter

adulthood, so for now the

study has only defogged part

of the matter regarding this

phenomenon.

However, the study does high-

light that teenagers of 15 years

and older, who are living in

poverty or who have a parent

with mental health problems,

are more likely to be depressed

than other teens.

“But what was surprising was

when we took those factors

into consideration, it didn't

take away from the association

between depression and a his-

tory of concussions,” says

Chrisman.

Jeffrey Max, M.D.,a psychia-

trist who specializes in the

psychiatric outcomes of trau-

matic brain injury in children

and adolescents at the Univer-

sity of California at San

Diego, coauthored the research

with Chrisman. Max stated

that the actual brain injury

associated with concussions is

probably a major cause of de-

pression in the first few

months after the occasion of

the injury.

“In the clinic,” Max explains,

“we've certainly seen cases

where within hours [of sus-

taining a concussion], a kid

who's never had depression

before is suddenly depressed

and suicidal. One of our stud-

ies found that the brain images

in children with traumatic

brain injury and depression

were actually quite similar to

those seen in adults who de-

velop depression as a result of

traumatic brain injury.”

This study affects Holderness

greatly, for many of our ath-

letes have experienced at least

one concussion. For those who

have experienced multiple

concussions, please consider

contacting Mr. Laurence for

help and guidance at nlaur-

[email protected].

Teenage Concussions Greatly Increase Risk of Depression

Science News

World Sports By Thomas Chau ’15

Soccer: On January 10th, 2014, 28-year-old midfield/forward Cristiano Ronaldo received the 2013 FIFA Ballon D’or, end-

ing Lionel Messi’s three-year streak. The FIFA Ballon d'Or, or "Golden Ball," is an association football award given annu-

ally to the player who is considered to have performed the best in the previous year. It is awarded based on votes by

coaches and captains of international teams, as well as journalists from around the world. Although Ronaldo’s Real Ma-

drid’s performance was not great, his goals and assists were proven to be the most valuable to his team, especially when all

Real’s strikers and wingers could not score in important matches. With 69 goals scored in the year 2013, Ronaldo broke

his own record of 63 goals in 2012. This second FIFA Ballon D’or allowed him to equal his record to those of Franz Beck-

enbauer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Kevin Keegan, and Alfredo Di Stefano.

Tennis: The 2014 Australian Open officially kicked-off on Monday, January 13. While most of the Western world was

enjoying snowy, cold weather, Australia was holding the hottest tennis contest in the hottest region of the country with

awesome matches between the top competitors in the world. Despite the 100-110 degree temperatures, many top seeds

such as Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams quickly made it through the first rounds of the first Grand Slam of the year.

With 13 days remaining, who will make it to the top of this prestigious tournament?! The answer will be in the next Pica-

dor edition.

The Picador

Boston Celtics: The sliver of hope that Boston Celtics

fans were holding onto has officially disappeared, as the

Celtics have continually gotten worse while the rest of

the Eastern Conference has steadily improved. The return

of Rajon Rondo, however, at the end of this week should

give them a much needed boost after a winless trip to the

West Coast which extended their losing streak to nine

games. But most fans would agree that this losing streak

is actually beneficial for the team, as it will only increase

their chances of getting a top pick in next year’s draft

lottery. With this season looking like it’s already over for

the Cs, many Bostonians are turning their attention to the

college world where several strong prospects are emerg-

ing. Duke’s Jabari Parker or Kansas’s Joel Embiid look

like solid foundations for Boston moving forward into

the near and far future. If all goes as planned, the Celtics

are only a couple years away from being another peren-

nial winner in the NBA. But for now, we must all suffer

as they continue their downward spiral.

- Joey Casey '14

New England Sports

Patriots: Last weekend was filled with amazing foot-

ball games across the board including the Seattle’s win

over New Orleans, San Francisco’s win in Carolina, Den-

ver’s win over the San Diego Chargers, and most nota-

bly, the New England Patriots’ win over Indianapolis.

With their most recent win over Indianapolis, the New

England Patriots are heading to Denver for a winner-take

-all matchup. The last time these two met was over

Thanksgiving, when it came down to overtime, and the

Patriots won. This matchup is often viewed through the

images of the two rival quarterbacks, Tom Brady and

Peyton Manning. While these two future Hall of Famers

have been fierce in competition before, this will be the

best meeting the two have ever had because of the aston-

ishing season they have both recorded this year. Manning

has spent the season breaking and setting new records

and shows no sign of letting anything hinder his stride to

a second Super Bowl. Similarly, Brady has built a team

that has been able to live up to the abilities of every team

they have competed against. With new adapted connec-

tions, he hasn’t needed Hernandez, Welker, and Gron-

kowski. This match will be legendary and will surely

give us something for the history books.

- Drew Houx ’14

Bruins: The Bruins started off the new year with a visit

from Nashville on January second. The game was a fa-

vorable match-up for the B’s even with a powerful 2013-

14 Western Conference team visit. The highlight for

many fans at TD Garden that night was not only witness-

ing a 3-2 overtime win, but watching prospect goaltender,

Niklas Svedberg’s NHL debut. Two days later Boston

took on the Winnipeg Jets in a 1:00 matinee. The

matchup included some familiar faces, as former B’s

Mark Stuart and Blake Wheeler returned to Beantown.

Rookie defenseman Torey Krug led the Bruins past the

Jets, who claimed a 4-1 win that afternoon. This game

sent the Bruins off on their annual California road trip.

The trip featured some tough games for Boston including

matches against San Jose, Los Angeles, and the league-

leading Anaheim Ducks. Announcer Jack Edwards called

these teams “The Iron of the West,” as these clubs argua-

bly hold three of the top five NHL spots right now. The

Bruins lost two straight to Anaheim and LA, before tak-

ing a 1-0 shutout win over San Jose to close the trip out.

The Bruins returned home Tuesday to take on the To-

ronto Maple Leafs. Ever since the epic comeback in

game seven last year, Toronto vs. Boston has been a “pay

per view event,” or in other words, a must see. The Bru-

ins dropped this game 4-3 after an attempted 4-2 come-

back in the third period. Boston’s record has moved to 29

-15-2, tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place

in the Atlantic Division.

-Connor Marien ’14 with input from Bruins Insider

Jack Sullivan ’16

Volume 9, Issue 6

The Dorm Report

Rathbun: Evenings are the

best in Rathbun. While Jack

Finn and Ted Mello are enjoy-

ing their beds, Jack Kinney

and Harrison Alva are discuss-

ing a fine point in a football

game. Luke Randle is sleeping

on the couch next to the fire

pit, and Peter Hastings and

Luc Chanren make dumplings

in the middle of evening study

hall. Oblivious to the real

world around them, Will

Prickett and Zac Chernin are

trying to kill each other in the

virtual world. Brett and Tom

are talking to each other in

their dreams, and Lewis is

sleepwalking to the bathroom

without waking up Michael

Page. Chance and Ian are

asleep after a long day of

work, but they have to suffer

the screams of Young Soo,

who just solved another Multi-

variable Calculus problem.

Gregory has already finished

his first dream, but where is

James? He is still out on a

walk-back! A guitar rings at

midnight from Michael Yu’s

room and wakes Ziang up,

who thought there was a ghost

outside of his door. And Wil-

lem? He is sleeping soundly

after Skyping with his girl-

friend.

- Zihan Guo ’14

Webster: It seems that Web-

ster dorm this year is filled

with gentlemen and scholars—

high-class men with only the

best intentions. In Webster

dorm we treat each other with

respect and integrity. We are

lovers, not fighters, and we

demonstrate this with pride.

Ladies, we aren't afraid of

spoiling you and making you

the happiest you've ever been.

Some say that we like to sweet

talk; truth is, that's all we do.

Remember, smiling is our

number one quality: “Webster

dormitory is the life of the

parties we don't attend.”

Love, the Men of Webster

dorm.

- Alex Spina ’14

The Hill: We believe in three

things: academics, socializing,

and the betterment of society.

Some examples of this in-

clude: leaving Christmas cook-

ies for security, donating

money to charity, and bright-

ening the lives of many young

women around campus. Aaron

Harmatz holds it down in Ca-

sey dorm with his gaming

skillz (thanks xbox). The good

looking men of Flinders dorm

are closer than ever thanks to

Harrison, and Barton dorm is a

group of single studs

(excluding Chris Sargent).

Besides getting straight As

(Big Al) and playing varsity

sports, we have accomplished

all sorts of things this year.

Shoutout to Hedi Droste for all

the Monday night dates with

Flinders dorm. Shoutout to

Mr. Casey for the cookies.

Shoutout to A$@P Rocky for

the beats and the inspired life-

style. If any lonely ladies are

interested in a walk back, con-

sult Gillis.

- Drew and Gabi

Day Boys: This week featured

a plethora of exciting activities

in the day boy rooms. On

Monday there was a very com-

petitive game of egg toss with

Nathan Sampo and Brian Tier-

ney coming in second; their

prize was one half of a used

leather couch. On Tuesday we

did arts and crafts deep into

the night hours. Joey “Kitty

Kat” Casey was very proud of

the paper mache house that he

will probably live in during the

winter months. Wednesday

consisted of singing carols

such as “I’m on a Boat,”

“Baby got Back,” and

“Blurred Lines,” down at the

Senior Center; Scott Merrill

sings a positively beautiful

soprano. Thursday, as you all

know, is chess night! Things

got particularly heated when

Connor Marien achieved

checkmate on Noah Thompson

in only 132 moves. On Friday

we will be building homes for

the homeless: us. We look

forward to resting and recuper-

ating over the weekend. Small

reminder: Bible club is now at

2:30AM on Sunday, and yes, it

is BYOB.

- Kaelen Caggiula ’14

Day: Since the snow fell, there

have been many exciting mo-

ments in Day dorm. Some of

the highlights include, but are

not limited to, Precious seeing

snow for the first time; Henry

and Charlie Day scoring their

first varsity hockey goals on

the same night; and what we

believe was Fred completing

his first full sentence in Eng-

lish. Rory “Pipes” Macleod

can often be found in the gym

doing his daily curls for the

girls, while his more reserved

roommate, AJ Chabot, prefers

to spend his time attending

extra help sessions and hoping

for a shot at the school record

for eight excellent efforts. In

fact, the only time he has ever

been confused was when an

undisclosed teacher told him

to leave a study session be-

cause he wasn’t a member of

the class. Day dorm looks to

retake the Winter Carnival as

they did in 2012; early scout-

ing reports list them as one of

the teams to beat.

- Ben Coleman ’14

Niles: Due to recent falling

outs, Niles morale has been

pretty low at the moment. We

recently held a talent show in

which James Sullivan never

ceased amazing us with his

flexibility and his Runescape

skills. A number of Runescape

accounts have been hacked, so

young Sully is currently going

through withdrawal. The dorm

is now working out more due

to the recent supply of whey

protein and Creatine from AJ

Jarabek who has more protein

than every guy on campus.

Late nights with the upper-

classmen include intense

games of PGA and FIFA ac-

companied by the blaring

sounds of “Wagon Wheel” and

the midnight barking of Chew-

bacca in the Heyward apart-

ment. Overall Niles is getting

back into the swing of things

and is ready for the third quar-

ter.

- John Swidrak ’14

Sargent: The ladies of Sargent

are in full Winter Carnival

prep mode. Emma has been

lifting and eating nothing but

straight protein powder to bulk (Continued on page 8)

The Picador

Learning the Ropes: New Faculty Train for Out Back

By Ms. Wolf

On the first Saturday in Janu-

ary, nine faculty set off into

the White Mountain National

Forest in Rumney for an Out

Back training trip. I am an

experienced camper and hiker,

but I had never done any win-

ter camping. By the time we

got to our campsite, it was

getting dark, so we quickly set

up camp and built a fire.

On Saturday night I sat by the

fire and listened to countless

stories about past Out Back

experiences, both good and

bad. As I watched the tem-

perature drop on my 99-cent

keychain thermometer that my

dad gave me for Christmas, I

wondered how I was going to

handle 11 days of it. But

quickly I learned that there is

no reason to be cold. As the

temperature dipped below

zero, I got up, took a walk, cut

some wood, and got my body

moving. My sleeping bag was

very comfortable, and I was

not cold at all while I slept. A

Nalgene full of hot water

helped to keep me toasty

warm.

The next morning, we woke

up, made another fire, and

started breakfast. We were not

too far from a brook so we had

access to plenty of water. Af-

ter we ate, I learned a few dif-

ferent ways to set up a solo

shelter and the many knots that

I will need for Out Back. Dur-

ing our short hike that morn-

ing, Mr. Pettit’s daughter

faked an injury, and we had to

use our Wilderness First Aid

training to figure out what had

happened. We talked about a

few different scenarios we

might face as leaders, then

packed up camp, and headed

back to campus.

Another group of faculty will

complete very similar training

on January 25 and 26. I am

very glad that I did this train-

ing. I am no longer worried

about being cold in the woods

and feel ready to head out on

Out Back at the beginning of

March.

up for her role in the lip sync.

Gryzwacz and Stowe have

been watching Rambo videos

nonstop to up their intensity

for the Barton Olympics. And

the freshmen have been stalk-

ing every faculty member at

school in order to determine

who they will impersonate.

Look for us on ESPN 8 next

week; we'll be in the winners’

circle.

Sincerely, Your Worst

Nightmares

Pichette: All is well on the

other side of campus, though

many (mainly myself) have

suffered injuries on the

dreaded mini-ice rink right

outside our door. Although all

of us are still feeling weary

after being thrust back into the

Holderness lifestyle, we still

find time to gather for a late

night snack in the common

room. We love food. Things

are looking up as Winter Car-

nival approaches; new comers

and old timers alike are slowly

becoming jittery with excite-

ment. Keep your eyes peeled -

- Pichette is on the prowl for a

win. Thanks!

- Sarah Garrett ’14

The Day Girls: The day girls

have a well rounded group of

females this year, who have

actually begun migrating to

other crevices in Weld due to

the fact that there are only

eight seating options, exclud-

ing our three broken chairs.

Freshmen such as Logan Kil-

foyle and Liz Casey have been

killing it since day one; mean-

while, all of our seniors have

made it into college and are

beginning to have withdrawal

when they think about leaving

the day girl life behind. During

walks from the parking lot, it

has gotten down to a record

breaking temperature of -9

degrees, so the petition for day

student parking on campus is

still being pushed. Get ready

for our lip sync, people; it's

gonna be stellar.

-Caroline Mure ’14

Pfenninger: Pfenninger dorm

is never boring. One can al-

ways find Maggie Roberts

capturing beautiful snapchats

and CJ waking up the front

hallway with Midnight Memo-

ries (1D's latest album). A

bucket of animal crackers

won't last more than three

hours in room three. Grace

Lawrence has been reeking

havoc, and her roommate,

Moti, has yet to share her feel-

ings on the increased energy

level. SJ got a new pair of slip-

pers over the break, and she

recently discovered that they

even have a tail. If you want to

be serenaded, Claire Caputi is

your girl. You can also reach

out to a recent alumnus, Phil,

who is often spotted on Face-

Time with President Droste.

Allie Renzi is becoming a

yoga princess in the back hall-

way and has a newfound liking

for frozen Clementines.

-Allie Solms ’14

(Continued from page 7)

Volume 9, Issue 6

Doppelgangers Doppelgangers. We all have them, but it is a bit more surreal when we meet them face to face or see them on TV. Lea Rice has

put together another collection of photographs of students on campus and matched them with their look alikes. Who knew we had

so many famous people on campus?

Counter-clockwise from top left:

Mr. Bean and Scott Merrill

Jack Finn and Anna Soderberg

Jack Brill and Napoleon Dynamite

Maggie Cunha and Carson Holmes

Ron Weasley and Kelly Attenborough

The Picador

Breaking the Invisible Boundary and Embracing Discomfort

Student Opinion

By SJ Kim ’15

The bell rings. It is lunchtime.

After getting food, you sit at

the table with your friends, but

you notice that several Asian

students are sitting in the cor-

ner of the dining hall.

It seems there is an invisible

boundary between American

students and Asian students.

When faculty members ask

students why they do not sit

with certain groups (usually

people from a different cul-

ture), American students usu-

ally answer, “Asians don’t

seem to want to be friends

with us. We would welcome

them if they came to sit with

us.” But, on the other hand,

Asian students reply,

“American students do not

welcome us when we go to

their tables. We would love to

sit with them, but they give us

uncomfortable looks and ex-

clude us from conversations.”

It’s not the fault of one par-

ticular group; it comes from

cultural differences that make

it hard to understand each

other’s behavior. For instance,

in Asia, being quiet and hard-

working in school is consid-

ered polite and diligent, but in

America, those behaviors are

often associated with being

shy and nerdy.

One study found that Asians

have “a hard time fitting into

American culture, and this

‘adjustment fatigue’ can lead

to isolation” (“Minority Stu-

dent Response to the Anthro-

pology of Asian Black Popula-

tions,” Phillipine Quarterly of

Culture and Society, Decem-

ber 1982). This is not just a

social problem; it can affect a

student's performance in aca-

demics and sports. Charles P.

Warren goes on to say

“participating in learning com-

munities is uniformly and

positively linked with stu-

dents’ academic performance

[and] engagement in educa-

tionally fruitful activi-

ties” (ibid.). Students who

limit themselves to single

groups in school have fewer

opportunities to be engaged in

positive school activities.

Then, which group is responsi-

ble for solving the isolation?

My answer is both. The isola-

tion does not occur because of

either group's lack of ability to

understand cultural differ-

ences. It occurs because both

American and Asian students

do not try to get out of their

comfort zones.

It is human nature that people

want to spend time with others

who come from similar back-

grounds. Humans in general

do not like awkward situa-

tions; they are afraid, uncom-

fortable, and shy about talking

to people who are really differ-

ent from them whether it has

do with race, language, class,

gender, or age.

The authors of an article in

Research in Higher Education

say, “The developmental the-

ory literature encourages edu-

cators to design learning envi-

ronments [that] both challenge

and support students to move

to higher levels of intellectual

and psychological develop-

ment” (“Adding Value: Learn-

ing Communities and Student

Engagement,” March 2004).

When people are exposed to

different environments, every-

thing they do is a new experi-

ment; they need to contem-

plate, be challenged, and com-

pete. At Holderness School,

getting out from your comfort

zone and sitting with different

groups of students with whom

you never have talked will be

not only an ideal way to solve

the isolation, but also a great

opportunity to seek challenge.

It will be difficult; you will get

uncomfortable looks and not

be able to understand what

people are talking about. But

after that, you will find the

beauty of cultural differences

that you used to think weird.

Please get out from your com-

fort zone and sit with a totally

different group; sit with Asian

students or American students,

male/female students, faculty

members, faculty children,

visitors, hockey players, field

hockey champions, staff mem-

bers, actors, introverts, and

extroverts. Then one day, you

will be comfortable sitting

with anyone and you will learn

a lot about the world and your-

self.

Congratulations,

Mr. Heyward!

Welcome to Holderness,

Ms. Heyward!

Volume 9, Issue 6

Horoscopes

By Caroline Mure ’14 and Sookie Liddle ’14

Aries (March 21-April 19):

Something has been bugging

you lately, but you can’t quite

figure out what it is. Think

about what you’ve done in the

past week to see if anything

seems out of your “norm,” and

soon you’ll figure out that pest

on your shoulder.

Taurus (April 20-May 20):

You’ve been doing extremely

well in one of your classes

lately. Be sure to keep on do-

ing your homework and not let

the hype of springtime get in

the way of your “A”.

Gemini (May 21-June 21):

You’ve been feeling kinda

blue lately, whether it’s about

school, a crush, or the end of

your favorite TV show. Sur-

round yourself with the things

you love and the people you

love to be with. Don’t fret the

little things.

Cancer (June 22-July 22):

You have the ability to do eve-

rything you seek to do in life,

but the only problem is you’ve

been feeling the winter blues.

Don’t let the poor weather get

in the way of your motivation,

because you are capable of

doing anything.

Leo (July 23-August 22): It’s

not too late to ask that certain

someone to the formal. Build

up the guts and do it, because

otherwise you’ll regret it.

Times a tickin’!

Virgo (August 23-September

22): You need to fall back on

someone close for a little as-

sistance. It may be easier for

you to ask ahead of time, but

sometimes you have to just

accept that things aren't going

to go your way.

Libra (September 23-

October 22): The progress

you want to make is happening

more slowly than you antici-

pated. But good things come

in good time; keep pushing

through because glorious

things are bound to come.

Scorpio (October 23-

November 21): Too much

good energy can be over-

whelming at times, so your

energy needs an outlet. Take

time this weekend to explore

something new so your energy

is balanced and relaxed.

Sagittarius (November 22-

December 21): You may feel

that you have mixed feeling

towards a close friend or rela-

tive, and though you know this

person well, you need to take

the time to figure out those

feelings.

Capricorn (December 22-

January 19): Someone is tak-

ing a situation far too seri-

ously, and though you’d rather

lean back and let the whole

situation play out, you need to

step in and make sure you

know what you are getting

yourself into.

Aquarius (January 20-

February 18): There is a

problem you are having that

appears to be physical, but you

will soon learn that it is noth-

ing but emotional. Once you

discover these emotions, they

can easily be controlled and

made sense of.

Pisces (February 19-March

20): Sometimes when weird

situations occur, we hold on

and try to make sense of them.

This time, you just need to let

go and not over think the

situation, because over think-

ing drags the situation out

longer than necessary. Just

relax and enjoy the ride.

Overheards Collected by Parker Densmore ’15

Please email [email protected] if you hear any-

thing that you think should be shared.

They should do studies on you.

In my theater class, I have to spend two entire minutes

imitating the way Jake Renzi eats cereal.

I am so excited for pantry.

I’ve drunk better tasting urine.

YES! Apple Zings are my fav.

I am going to take my chem class to go watch someone

imitate the way Jake Renzi eats cereal.

In and Out

Katie Remien ’15 and Racheal Erhard ’14

IN: White Out

Winter Carnival

Broom Hockey

Sadie Hawkins

Chewbacca

Half an Arm

OUT:

Music

Study Hall

Iditarod

Hegemony

Auggie

Half a Face

The Picador

Would you rather be fluent in every single human language

or be able to speak to animals?

Zihan Guo: I want to speak to animals!

Lea Rice: Speak to animals.

Eleanor Celeste Holland: Speak animals.

Sarah Michel: I would love to be able to be fluent in every

language.

Chares Hagen Harker: Speak to animals.

Would you rather eat every single donut that is sold after

Friday assembly, or eat the wafers and drink all of the wine

in chapel?

ZG: Drink the wine in chapel (I’ve always want to do that).

LR: Wafers and wine.

ECH: Eat the wafers and drink all of the wine in chapel.

SM: Donuts!

CHH: Wafers and wine in chapel.

Would you rather change gender every time you sneeze, or

have a family of birds constantly roosting in your hair?

ZG: Change gender every time I sneeze.

LR: I hate both of these. Birds I guess.

ECH: Have a family of birds constantly roosting in my hair .

SM: I would rather have birds in my hair.

CHH: Family of birds in my hair.

You're on a desert island with a beautiful mermaid or mer-

man. Would you rather have them be top half fish or bot-

tom half fish?

ZG: Bottom half fish.

LR: Bottom half fish, because otherwise I feel like it would

look like a confusing fish monster, not a merman.

ECH: Bottom half fish.

SM: I would rather just not. Fish are my biggest fear. I guess

bottom half fish.

CHH: Bottom half fish.

Instead of your dorm room, would you rather live alone in

the chapel basement, or live in Weld with the entire school?

ZG: Chapel basement.

LR: Weld with the entire school. Entertainment, food, and bet-

ter places to sleep.

ECH: Live in Weld with the entire school.

SM: In Weld with the entire school. I need people.

CHH: Weld with the entire school.

Would you rather swim in the Frog Pond today or go to

your sports practice in only a bikini?

ZG: Go to sports practice in only a bikini.

LR: Definitely not swim in the Frog Pond. I don’t want to be

exposed to radioactivity.

ECH: Anything but the Frog Pond…

SM: I don't do sports. So I'd take a dip in the Frog Pond.

CHH: Swim in the Frog Pond.

Senior Editors

Zihan Guo

Celeste Holland

Sarah Michel

Lea Rice

Junior Editors

Parker Densmore

Charles Harker

Faculty Advisors

Ms. Magnus

Mr. Solberg

Section Writers

Joey Casey

Tommy Chau

Racheal Erhard

Andrew Houx

Becca Kelly

Seo Jung Kim

Linh Le

Sookie Liddle

Henry Liu

Connor Marien

Caroline Mure

Katie Remien

Allie Solms

Contributors

Alex Spina

Gabi Posada

Kaelen Caggiula

Ben Coleman

John Swidrak

Sarah Garrett

Ms. Wolf

Contact Information

Holderness School

Chapel Lane

P.O. Box 1879

Plymouth, NH 03245

Phone Number: 603.536.1257

Fax: 603.536.1267

Email: [email protected]

Would You Rather... Got a long bus ride to the mountain ahead of you? Or perhaps a long, cold afternoon in the dorm with nothing to do? Playing a

game of “Would You Rather…” might just get you through. Below are the Picador Editor’s answers to a few rounds. How do

your answers compare? Thanks to Parker Densmore for organizing!

Shout Outs By Allie Solms ’14

PW + MB = This hockey couple is unstoppable on and

off the ice.

AS + CC = This duo of winter sports captains still loves

to laugh.

RM + LH = Junior year has nothing on these two.

CH + HB = These ski bums continue to enjoy each

other's company.

The Picador: Volume 9, Issue 6

Documents

Transcript of The Picador: Volume 9, Issue 6