The Suffield BellVolume LXXVIII, NO. 3 Established 1835 February 2013

www.suffieldacademy.org EsseQuamVideri

Holcomb in the Works: Construction BeginsThe countdown to a new

and improved Holcomb Hall has begun. Before heading off for the February extended weekend, signs of pending construction had already been seen. Orange cones and signs appeared, a wire fence went up around the construction site, and on many occasions the maintenance staff was spotted removing furniture from Holcomb for temporary storage. But when classes resumed on Feb. 5, things had really changed. Students and teachers could not miss seeing and hearing the large crane that was hard at work breaking up concrete in front of the science building as they scurried to navigate new routes to S. Kent Legare Library, Memorial Hall, and Centurión Hall due to blocked sidewalks and building entrance doors. Holcomb was officially off limits, and science classes had been relocated to different buildings.

Moving classes out of

Holcomb Hall did present some obstacles; but as Academic Dean Sara Yeager pointed out, “The Academy is fortunate to have the luxury of open classroom space in other buildings.” Ms. Yeager is helping dissipate concerns about academic obstacles associated with the renovations. Last year, to accommodate the anticipated science class relocations to Memorial and Centurión, the science department began planning adjustments to this year’s curriculum. Instructional laboratory experiments have been modified based on space and equipment. When asked if the Holcomb reconstruction is a bit of a pain, Ms. Yeager said, “Yes, it’s a pain, but it will all be worth it.”

Many on campus are talking about the green technology that is part of the building renovations. With the assistance of students, experiments were conducted to determine the most

efficient use of natural light. Building designers then used the results. According to Science Department Chair Volker Krasemann, the Academy is using LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified builders and

is “putting in the most energy efficient insulation and windows, etc., that are cost effective.”

All seem to agree that temporary detours, classroom relocations, and modified labs seem to be small prices to pay for a greener, more state-of-the-art

science building.Spring and summer will

come and go quickly; the hassle of detours will end; and, come fall, students and teachers will be busy discussing scientific theory and conducting experiments in a much-improved Holcomb Hall.

Amanda Baildon ’15

The facts are alarming; Suffield is out to change them. On February 14, 2013, Suffield Academy undertook a small role in the international movement to stand up to violence against women as, all across the world, persons took to the streets to raise awareness about the number of women who are victims of abuse.

While flash mobs, dance parties, and rallies took place across the globe, Suffield participated in this major movement as part of its annual Spirit Week. Student Council, under the leadership of Paul Metscher ’13, got on board with the event by dedicating Thursday’s Spirit Week theme to One Billion Rising. SA’s V-Day was a day complete with T-shirts and awareness of the cause behind the dancing.

Though the dancing

associated with One Billion Rising may be lighthearted, the premise behind it is far from it. The idea behind the movement is ending violence against women, as it is estimated that approximately one billion women in the world have been victims. According to 1billionrising.org, “One in three women on the planet will be raped or beaten in her lifetime.” This astonishing fact is unacceptable, and the surprise most people feel upon hearing it speaks to the importance of raising awareness and preventing further abuse.

One Billion Rising has recently been brought to the attention of the world by actress Anne Hatheway, who graced the cover of Glamour Magazine in January. A strong supporter of the movement, Hatheway speaks candidly about bringing this cause into the spotlight and

stopping the worldwide injustice against women. In her interview, she, along with countless others around the world, speaks of her hope that One Billion Rising results in people everywhere “resolving to protect ourselves and our sisters.”

Suffield Academy’s participation in One Billion Rising’s Valentine’s Day event began being publicized a week in advance with lunchtime announcements and T-shirt orders as the main goal of this movement was to raise awareness about women’s issues. This awareness spread when freshmen participated in discussions about women’s violence, led by seniors Anna Strzempko, Livy Poulin, Angelina Massoia, and Paul Metscher in leadership classes.

With the help of Mrs. Depelteau, Mrs. Gotwals, and a group of students dedicated to the cause, SA’s participation in V-Day’s 15th Anniversary became a reality. The group hopes that the school’s February 14th activities are just the start of greater action and awareness about the very real issues facing the women in our lives. Perhaps, one dance at a time our grandmothers, mothers, aunts, sisters, cousins, nieces, classmates, neighbors, and friends will be prevented from becoming part of a startling statistic.

The Student Council is currently in the midst of proposing an activity to replace Dance-a-thon. While no event has yet been set in stone, one main idea has been the center of the Student Council’s focus: a “lock-in.”

Rather than being an overnight winter event, the lock-in is being proposed as a Saturday night springtime event that would last for approximately three or four hours, beginning in the evening and ending after an extended lights out. Over the course of the night, a multitude of events aimed at “providing something for everyone” would be offered throughout Tisch Field House. Of course, there would be open pool and open gym and, consequently, lots of opportunity for pick-up games of volleyball or basketball with friends.

Most importantly, the lock-in, like Dance-a-thon always did, would support

a charitable cause selected through a school-wide vote. When asked about the charitable aspect of the event, Mr. Cahn said, “I think there is tremendous value in a school-wide charitable fundraiser, especially in raising awareness about important non-profits and motivating students and faculty to make philanthropy a priority.”

From the beginning of the search for a Dance-a-thon replacement, the Student Council had some criteria they wanted to follow. They knew immediately they did not want just a dance; as Mr. Lynch said, “That would just be too similar to Dance-a-thon.”

As of right now, the lock-in idea is only a proposal; there is, however, little question that, under the guidance of Paul Metscher ’13 and Georgina Blakeley ’13, the Student Council is sure to generate a great alternative to Dance-a-thon that is enjoyable for all.

Molly Tettemer ’15

Lock-In Proposed as Replacement for

Dance-A-Thon

Dancing for Change: One Billion RisingAngelina Massoia ’13

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Features February 2013 The Bell 3

I must admit I was a bit taken aback by Yo Pal Hal’s “5 Minute Rule.” Certainly, chapel speaker Hal Elrod’s story of his recovery from his car accident was inspiring, but I couldn’t help but have a little trouble grasping his message. Hal preached about letting our problems go after only five minutes of being upset. His “Can’t Change It” motto may be ideal, but can we really adopt an outlook that’s so radical? Yes and no.

Walking around school, I hear a lot of complaining. From “the internet is so slow” to “I hate walking to the fourth floor.” I confess I am just as guilty of these “first world” complaints as anyone else. Certainly, I can buy into the “Can’t Change It” application to these trivial problems.

I cannot understand, however, how someone can truly be expected to get over traumatic experiences–such as the death of a family member–in just five minutes. If it were that simple, would there be any grief in the world? Mourning that lasts five minutes just does not exist, and there is a reason for

that. Everyone responds to grief differently, and that’s okay. So why is Hal suggesting his miracle cure-all system in all situations? The fact of the matter is that the advice of that January chapel, in many cases, remains totally unrealistic.

In light of this, we still can take away some advice from his “Can’t Change It” message. If we apply the “5 Minute Rule” to small, everyday problems, perhaps we will be better equipped to handle the larger problems we are inevitably going to face. We can all make this change to lead happier and more carefree lives, even if it is not 100% of the time.

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ACCEPTABLE

• Milk and juice cartons

• Brown paper bags

• Plastic soda, juice, water bottles &

containers (#1-#7)

• Glass bottles, jars (any color)

• Aluminum foil, pie plates, trays

• Metal cans (tin, steel, aluminum)

• Newspaper, white paper, colored paper

• Magazines, junk mail

•Cardboard

What Can I Put in the Recycling Bins at SA?

Elizabeth Ryder ’15

UNACCEPTABLE

• Plastic bags, food liners

• Unmarked plastics (non-numbered)

• Window glass, light bulbs

• Dishes, Pyrex, ceramics

• Foam packaging, Styrofoam

• Hazardous materials

• Recyclables containing food waste

Here’s what students who responded to poll questions posted on FirstClass had to say about weekend activities:

Do you like the weekend activities? A. Yes 83% B. No 17%

Which weekend activity was your favorite? A. Mind Reader 31% B. Drive-In Movie 46% C. The Big E Trip 0% D. Other 23%

POLL RESULTS

Seniors Getting Into Colleges Kate Middleton’s Baby New Science Building

Pretty Little LiarsHot Chocolate

Sleep-Ins No Winter Exams

Spring Break

Juniors Starting College CounselingKim Kardashian’s BabyMoving All Science ClassesGleeFreezing WeatherSleeping In the Health CenterSATs/ACTs Still Not Summer

HOT or NOTJulie Doten ’14

While the Weather Channel took quite a bit of heat for assigning the cutsie name of Disney’s famous orange and white striped fish to the Feb. 8-9 monster storm that dumped one to two feet of snow across New England (40 inches in Hamden, CT!), students at Suffield Academy couldn’t help but find Nemo to be quite endearing. After all, some of the best SA memories are made during snowy days. Embracing Nemo was no problem, especially when the announcement that Saturday classes were cancelled came in on Friday night! Sleeping in, getting up to the excitement of seeing how much fluffy stuff fell over night, drinking hot chocolate with friends in the Union, and, of course, sledding on famous Bell Hill made the Blizzard of 2013 a real treat.

Something that is often said around campus is that it isn’t fair that we only have a one-day weekend; Nemo, however, brought us a full two-day weekend! The text message from our notification system was a treat that everybody had been crossing

Embracing NemoAmanda Silverstein ’15

their fingers for. On Friday night students were required to stay safe in their dorm rooms, but the rest of the weekend brought snow-filled fun.

On Saturday morning, everybody was shocked by the amount of snow all over campus. Many people tagged @suffield_stripes their instagram pictures of beautiful, snowy Bell Hill; others uploaded to Twitter pictures of huge snowdrifts covering things like signs, cars, and even entire staircases on campus. However, no one stayed outdoors for too long, as powerful wind gusts made it difficult to see and get around. On Saturday night the scheduled performance of a hypnotist, which had built up a lot of hype, was cancelled due to the snow; but that wasn’t much of a problem: students quickly found other ways to stay entertained. A lot of students went down to the gym, where multiple basketball games, involving both girls and boys from every grade, took place. Others bundled up in the Union and watched a movie.

Sunday morning brought bright sunshine and no wind,

finally making it possible to clear pathways through the snow. Finding a bench to sit on was, however, still an impossibility. By mid-day, Bell Hill was loaded with sledders who, when faced with a shortage of sleds, creatively resorted to using the lids of large plastic containers and garbage bags to catch a ride. Fun was had by all, including campus dogs!

The autumn leaves changing colors on Bell Hill are beautiful, and the flowers of spring bring smiles to many faces; but, something about the snow brings the Suffield community happily together.

5 Minute Rule?

Photo by Alex Kang ’15

There’s no conclusive explanation for why people commit mass murders. After a tragedy like Sandy Hook, we search for someone or something to point our finger at and to blame. If we accept that there is no single force behind atrocities—that neither guns nor white men nor a lack of mental health care nor violent video games nor a lack of self-defense nor insanity is the sole cause, but that the cause is a combination of these things and, perhaps, a dash of the sheer senselessness that forces people to kill—then, we can begin to heal this nation. This requires a deliberate, step-by-step process that begins with addressing the immediate danger.

Many say that President Obama’s gun control package, as well as his propositions to Congress, is a mere band-aid for the larger cultural issue that supposedly creates the atrocities. When you are running and cut your leg, you find a Band-Aid to stop the bleeding before you try to figure out which rock caused you to trip. In order to get to the bigger, more ambiguous issues, we must first plug the leak on the more straightforward ones. Adam Lanza killed those children with guns. We are unsure of whether he was autistic or depressed or angry or motivated or into violent video

games or insane, but we are sure he used guns. Before we address the much deeper questions of how we accommodate those in our society who are mentally ill, we must address the weapon used to commit the murder in order to prevent more murder. Though gun control offers no explanation for why a person is motivated to kill children, nor does it help the millions of other Americans struggling with mental illness, it at least takes weapons out of the hands of potentially dangerous people until we figure out a way to get to the bigger issues. It stops the bleeding.

NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre suggests that it is a culture of violent video games that

motivated Adam Lanza to kill. He does not see any need to further regulate guns and, in fact, believes we need to arm more citizens. Changing culture is a hell of a lot harder than putting a definitive law on a tangible thing that is sure to reduce violence. Of course, this is not to say that mental illness and violent video games are not things that need to be addressed: it is important to go back and figure out which rock you tripped on. My point, however, is that it is going to take years of comprehensive research and negotiation to strengthen our mental health care programs and clean up our video games. If we can temporarily stop the bleeding before we tackle the bigger issues, why wouldn’t we?

Anna Strzempko ’13

Our campus was first introduced to the concept of “Live and Let Live” by chapel speaker Marc Elliot. Students seemed to enjoy his speech on the practice of tolerance; but if action is a demonstration of understanding, we have not yet fully grasped the concept.

The principle seems simple: You do your thing, I’ll do mine. Yet such a simple idea, so effective in its use, seems to be difficult to put into practice in today’s gossip-obsessed society. We know how it is: Knowledge is power, and knowledge of controversy is omnipotence. In using this, teenagers have become addicted to responsive laughter and the social acceptance that it embodies—so much so that they will throw their own accepting nature out the window in order to feel included. With a derogatory slight here and a reciprocating giggle there, the central message of Marc’s speech seems to have become a mere memory.

However, what lies at the root

of our inability to “Live and Let Live” is not mean-spiritedness but rather culturally learned conceit. Historically, America’s culture has been molded by the ideology that our nation possesses a God-given right. Today, this ideology has led many members of our country to suffer from a delusional entitlement that leads them to believe that the sheer existence of an opinion vindicates its being shared. The definitions of candid and honest have been severely confused, as the second is now only used as a justification for the first. Teenagers should not misunderstand uninhibited slander for the truth. We are given the freedom of speech, yes, but the founding fathers intended this to liberate expression, not excuse inconsideration, insolence, or bigotry. “The pursuit of happiness” is also a basic American tenet, and how dare anyone feel so self-important as to impede another’s pursuit of happiness by not making a conscious, habit-breaking effort to “Live and Let Live.”

Live and Let Live: An American Responsibility

Jordan Stanley ’13

Today we live in a world of technology, where Americans spend increasingly more hours per day isolating themselves behind a glowing screen where anonymity is a guaranteed safe haven. Twitter and other social media have become outlets to express one’s on-the-spot rage, happiness, disappointments, and, yes, bigotry.

Numerous events occurred this past year that shed light on existing racism, but two made significant headlines and both were “trending topics” on Twitter: Joel Ward, an African American hockey player for the Washington Capitals, scored a winning goal against the Boston Bruins, and President Obama won re-election. The spring 2012 ice hockey incident ignited a riot of racism on Twitter from more than just Bruins fans. Tweets included stereotypes, the N word, and a variety of other vile, discriminatory slurs. All represented one common theme: defining Joel Ward not by his athleticism but by the color of his skin. The fall re-election

of President Barack Obama prompted tweets so charged with racial prejudice that the Secret Service had to get busy investigating tweeters whose postings sounded like potential threats to the President’s life.

At the height of President Obama’s reelection campaign, South Carolina journalist Logan Smith created a Twitter account he named “Yes, You’re Racist.” There, he posts tweets he finds that include the phrase “I’m not racist, but ...” What surprises Smith is that the tweeters, “the vast majority of which appear to be teenagers,” don’t seem to understand that their comments are, indeed, racist: “It’s a generation that never had to grow up during the times of Jim Crow, civil rights marches, or apartheid and has never been confronted by the institutional racism that older generations saw on a daily basis. As a result, many teens seem to think racism simply means active hatred of another race, and not the apparent prejudices and stereotypes displayed by the

people I retweet.” According to Smith, “Until those lessons are learned (and by the looks of things, that might take a while), @YesYoureRacist will continue to expose the comments permeating social media—one tweet at a time.”

As the generation of social media, we should utilize our abilities to retaliate against those who have transformed the privileges of Twitter into an opportunity to discriminate and regress. In order to be on the right side of history, in order to be remembered as a generation of progress, we need to not reach for a keyboard to release our insecurities and angst but, rather, reach for it to achieve the racial equality that we may mistakenly think we have already achieved. It’s as simple as recalling that day-care motto we learned: “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Think about it: If you can’t say it without a computer screen to cower behind, it’s probably best not to say it at all.

Racism on Twitter: Where Do We Draw the Line?

Livy Poulin ’13

2 The Bell February 2013 Editorials

Photo by Hillary Cahn ’88

The Suffield Bell

contributors

writersAmanda Baildon ’15 Kira Demitrus ’15 Julie Doten ’14 Jay Fields ’13 Livy Poulin ’13 Elizabeth Ryder ’15 Amanda Silverstein ’15 Molly Tettemer ’15

PhotograPhersPeter Byun ’13 Hillary Cahn ’88 SoYun Chang ’14 Billy Cordes ’16 Alex Fabricant ’14 Alex Kang ’15Jun Park ’14

layout designersKiley Caravella ’13Julie Doten ’14Sarah Hong ’13

cartoonistCaroline Vianney ’14

editors

editors-in-chieFKiley Caravella ’13 Angelina Massoia ’13

layout Julie Doten ’14

newsAnna Strzempko ’13

FeaturesJordan Stanley ’13

artsBozhou Luo ’13

PhotograPhyPeter Byun ’13Dennis Kim ’13

Faculty adVisorJoan Brodie

Kira Demitrus ’15

Gun Control: A Band-aid to Stop the Bleeding

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Sports

Mrs. Strong’s British Romantic Poetry Assignment:

Relax, clear your mind, allow yourself to fall into a reverie. Let a strong memory overtake you.

Immediately write that memory as a poem.

Whether it’s theIntense colors of Thanksgiving sculptures,Glaring lights of the Christmas trees,Or simply justThe usual, crowded terminal,I notice them all with guarded eyesBefore tears blur my visionAnd take them all away.

“Goodbye.”

Then the spring arrives,And summer too!They are great times,I am so happy, thank you!

But then,Not before long,I end up where I began.

It’s that time again,Where colors are too intense to bear,And lights too bright to glare.I peek at them with fearful eyes,Brace myself for another flight,Waiting,

Expecting,Ready for the tears.Oh, take my vision away.

“Good …”

But then,A calm presence interrupts me.She whispers into my ears:

“See you soon.”

Ah, I’ve forgotten.I leave from here,But I, as well, return to here.My journey ends here,But it, as well, begins from here.

Whether it’s theBright colors of Thanksgiving sculptures,Shining lights of the Christmas trees,Or simply justThe usual, vibrant terminal,I ought to notice them with expectant eyesBefore tears begin my journeyTo return once again.

THE AIRPORT

Senior Premal Faldu, juniors Brittney D’Oleo, Julie Doten, Clare Guerreiro, Amanda Mancuso, Griffin Manos, Briana Matthews, Roger Siver, and Lily Zhou, sophomores Nathan

Rosenkranz and Renee Santos, and freshmen Kevin Doten and Katie Madrak performed in the Winter Guitar Show. With the help of guitar instructor Jeff Giglio and Suffield Academy

Performing Arts Department Chair Thomas Gotwals, these musicians worked arduously twice a week since the beginning of the school year to make the January 19th concert a success.

In wrestling, like any other sport, you either win or you lose; however, if you lose, you can’t blame it on your offense or defense. It’s just you out there on the mat. A day in the life of a wrestler is never easy, but it’s much easier if you know why you’re doing it.

Wrestlers get up before sunrise for extra conditioning and stay late to lift after practice. Wrestlers watch what they eat to make sure they can be as physically fit as possible. Wrestlers don’t mind practicing in a room that makes them sweat when simply standing. We like to win, we like to work hard, and we hate to lose.

The roster at the beginning of the year is almost twice the size of the roster by the time the post-season rolls around. Some can’t deal with the amount of work that is

It’s 5:40 a.m. Most other students are still sound asleep, but hitting “snooze” is not an option for Emily Lowe. There’s no hiding from the coach when he’s your dad. Emily wakes up and gets ready. At 6:00, she dips her toes into the freezing, heavily chlorinated pool, where she will spend the next hour and a half in an optional, extra workout.

These additional morning practices—taking place four times a week—are just another part of the extra dedication it takes to be a swimmer at Suffield Academy. Suffield upholds its strong swimming reputation only with the hard work of its motivated athletes. Regular afternoon practices last from 2 to 2.5 hours. Emily, and her fellow swimmers, can tell you about the “repetitiveness” of the practices, but they can also tell you about their desire

expected. They quit.A wrestler, however, endures the

hour and a half of practice and spends the other twenty-two and a half hours anticipating that moment when his hand could be raised in the middle of the circle to proclaim him the winner. That’s why wrestlers do it: to achieve that split second of bliss. Then, it’s back to the grind all over again.

As wrestlers, we don’t expect anyone who has have never felt the reward of that raised hand to understand why we work to such extremes, but we do have advice we can share: The next time you find yourself complaining about how hard your sport is, stop and ask yourself why you do it. Knowing that makes all the difference.

to push through for the win. After practice is dinner. Typically, a

swimmer can be identified in the dining hall simply by looking at the amount of food on his/her plate. After all, a 2-hour practice can burn up to 2,000 calories.

For Emily, like many SA swimmers, the work doesn’t stop at the end of winter term. Emily swims on a club team year-round.

Swimming is not for everyone, but those like Emily, who show extreme dedication day in and day out, deserve the true respect of the student body. According to Emily, the “frustration” people feel with swimming stems from the hard work with slow results.

It all becomes worth it, however, when the final lap is swum and that record is finally broken.

Why We Do It: A Look Into the Wrestling Lifestyle

A Day in the Life of a Swimmer: Emily Lowe

Jay Fields ’13Angelina Massoia ’13

Please Recycle! Please Recycle! Please Recycle! Please Recycle!

Winter Guitar ShowAll art works selected and photographed by Bozhou Luo ’13Ja

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Emily’s teammate Pure Maleenont ’15 parts the water.Jay Fields ’13 demonstrates a wrestling stance.