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VOL. LXXIX NO.1 ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL, CONCORD, NH 03301 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6th 2015 TWELVE PAGES

The PelicanEvery year, The Pelican takes part in the tradition of the "Voices of St. Paul's School" issue. Voices, which

consists of personal pieces from faculty and students alike, strives to highlight the diversity of perspective found here at Millville. We sincerely hope that this issue will be an opportunity to pause, reflect, consider,

and most importantly, celebrate our one-of-a-kind community. We’d also like to take this time to thank the many students and faculty members who contributed their stories.

VOICES

SOPHIE PESEK '16

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To the St. Paul’s School Community:

As members of this year’s Steering Committee, we are grateful to be a part of the over sixty year old history of The Pelican. Since its first issue in 1954, The Pelican has served an important role on campus as the living, breathing record of life at St. Paul’s School. As editors, we aim to continue this tradition. Below, we have listed three guiding principles we hope to uphold over the course of the year.

Honesty - This year’s Steering Committee believes that the fundamental goal of The Pelican is to inform the St. Paul’s School community and provide it with an honest record of life at SPS. Thus, we believe part of upholding our integrity as journalists is to report on every story, difficult or straightforward, positive or negative, popular or ignored, that deserves the attention of our readers. We pledge, therefore, not to shy away from any issue or topic that the SPS community deserves to know about. At the same time, we also pledge to report on any and every story in a fair, accurate and non-biased manner with the utmost regard for journalistic standards.

Dialogue - Since its creation, The Pelican has prided itself on being a forum for discussion. Today, we face a large number of important and controversial debates both on and off campus. Therefore, it is the belief of the Steering Committee that we need dialogue and mutual understanding now more than ever. To increase the role of The Pelican as a facilitator of discus-sion, we first plan on revamping The Pelican’s Opinions section by introducing a full-staff editorial and periodically solicit-ing editorials from SPS community members. We recognize that part of being an outlet for dialogue is ensuring that no one voice dominates the conversation; instead, we aim to nurture an environment where all voices and opinions are respected. Thus, when a topic is discussed in our publication, we will strive to highlight every side of the issue.

Adaptation - The rapid rise of the Internet has drastically altered the media landscape. The Steering Committee believes The Pelican also needs to adapt to changing times. We aim to dramatically revamp our online edition this year, adding more online-exclusive content and increasing our social media presence. We also plan on increasing our use of multimedia by creating videos, podcasts, and polls.

Our hope is that The Pelican will be a publication that is truly connected with the SPS community. We aim to make The Pelican interactive, and we hope you will help us in this pursuit by sending letters to the editor at pelican2@sps.edu, com-menting on our online pieces, engaging with our social media pages, and participating in the various polls and contests we will hold throughout the year. Furthermore, as we strive to meet the various goals outlined above, we hope you will keep us accountable. If you ever feel that we are straying from our principles or failing to be fair or accurate we hope you will let us know. Together, we can make this a great year for The Pelican.

Sincerely, The Pelican Steering Committee

Mission Statement

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3VI FormMalaika Ogukwe

SOPHIE PESEK '16

Coming to SPS was like jumping into a pond without knowing how to swim. Seikei School offered two exchange programs to 10th and 11th graders: one was a year-long program in Cowra, Australia and the other to SPS. I applied to SPS because

I was enchanted by the idea of living on a beautiful campus with friends from all over the world and studying at the highest academic standards. My knowledge about boarding school was close to none and my premature English seemed to promise numerous strug-gles. However, I wanted an adventure. And so I decided to give it a shot. The most important thing I realized after coming to SPS is that I had to think with my own head and explain things with my own words. It is very difficult and I am still working on it. At Seikei, my grades were mostly based on exams, which I could get through with memorization. Cramming several days before the exam week---converting history notes into songs and flashcards to memorize chemical reactions---I was able to get the highest grades. However, I never questioned or interpreted the materials in my own words. Sadly, the knowledge I crammed in left my head within a couple days, too. When I first had to write a paper in Humanities V, therefore, I had absolutely no idea how to write or what to write. It was partially due to my undeveloped English writing skills, but it was mostly because I had little experience in practicing critical thinking. Although Humanities V was very challenging throughout the year, it trained me to think independently. It also taught me the joy of learning history beyond memorization. Similarly, I am encouraged to think not only in classrooms but also in chapel, dining halls, and daily conversations with my friends. What I have never questioned in Japan---from the presence of family to current social issues and my own outlook on and aspiration in life---I am prompted to question here every day.By jumping into a pond, I learned how big the pond is and how much there is yet to explore. I also learned that although the water can be cold and deep, I am capable enough to swim at my own pace. My experience at SPS has enriched me greatly and I truly appreci-ate the opportunities given. Upon the 65th anniversary to the Seikei-SPS program, I hope the relationship between the two schools will continue to be prosperous to the students of both schools.

Lumi Kinjo

SADIE LEE '17

I didn’t know what diversity was until I came to St. Paul’s. Before coming here, I had gone to school with the same people since kindergarten and never really paid attention to the fact that everybody more or less looked the same. It’s just the way things were

and I didn’t find it to be of any significance. I arrived on campus under the false impression that my interactions and relation-ships would resemble the ones I had back home. No matter how hard I tried, the connection felt forced. In my attempt to better understand what I was experiencing, I reached out to a Sixth Former who I was just starting to get to know. He, a black male, gave this as his explanation: black girls did not have a place in this community. Up until that moment, I had never been so aware of my skin color. I’m black, I’m a girl, and most importantly, I’m a black girl. I spent the beginning part of my Fourth Form year bitter and angry. Everybody else seemed to know how to navigate their way around and I couldn’t even figure out the damn map. It wasn’t until I opened up to my Humanities IV teacher that my attitude did a full 180. I could not let myself be defined by others’ perception of who they thought I was. Just as people didn’t know me, I didn’t know many people other than those in my dorm. I made the conscious decision to get to know the different kinds of people that make up St. Paul’s. Over the past two and a half years, I’ve learned so much about cultures I had never been exposed to prior to coming here and have come to appreciate every little bit that St. Paul’s has to offer. Our differences are significant and I am grateful that being here has taught me to embrace them. I’m a black girl who has a place here, just like everybody else. We are all here for a reason and it’s up to us to take advantage of our diverse community. I still have no idea what I’m doing but I’m glad I’m doing it here.

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Henri Champigneulle Amy Torchiana

VI Form

CHRISTINE LEUNG '16

Philip Grayson

on another level. You get me spooled up and I'll tell you the history of human spaceflight, what the current state of the industry is, how many people are in space right now, the exact specifications and defining traits of my favorite rockets, how higher dimensions might work, how relativity works, how gravity works, how close we are to colonizing Mars, what life is like on the International Space Station, what NASA is up to, what would happen if you took off your spacesuit in outer space, what delta-vee is, what a Hohmann Transfer is, how far the nearest few stars besides the sun are, and then I'll stop to draw my first breath. Space is my thing, to say the least. And you'd never know unless you talked to me. Other-wise to you I'm probably the tall blond senior you see around campus. You'd be surprised to find out what lies behind the hundreds of faces you pass everyday, and you'd be surprised how interested they are in what you have to say. They don't bite, but if they do, you hop on to the next one who will smile instead. Hop up and trade your knowledge of space or what-ever awesome thing you love for whatever awesome thing they love.

In Third Form, I wrote a Voices article essentially about how I didn’t want to be the stereotype of the Sassy Gay Friend because I had my own personality, and didn’t want to behave in a certain way just so I could fit into a social niche and not face rejection. I

somehow did all of this without coming out to the community, a feat that still astounds me today. Ha. Like I needed to come out anyway. But regardless, I wrote this article, and it was published, and so many people praised me, telling me it was so candid and honest. The trouble was, after the article was written, I unwittingly proceeded to, well, still portray that same stereotype. I came out, and I think I got even more flamboyant. My flair for the dramatics flourished. My pants got tighter, my hands started flapping affectedly when I spoke, and I’m pretty sure my voice got higher (thanks puberty). The trouble was, I hated myself. I could see myself becoming even more stereotypical, and yet I couldn’t stop myself. I had tons of male friends who were gay without being flamboyant, and I envied them. That’s all I wanted: to be gay, but not a “flamer”. I’m not sure when, but I realized, over time, that I was being a hypocrite. The truth of the matter was that I wasn’t just being a flamer to fit into a stereotype. I actually just was a stereotype. It’s how I was born. I come from a family of actors, musicians, dancers, and performers; I probably popped out of the womb in a costume bedazzled in rhinestones, ready for Broadway. I’m dramatic. It’s just the way I am. Who was I to write an article about “finding my true voice” if I was going to deny a part of my own voice because I thought it made me too much a stereotype? A hypocrite, that’s what. So, if I’ve learned anything between Third Form and now, it’s that it’s okay to be a stereotype, as long as that’s who you truly are. Who you are is a slippery thing, and changes all the time, but if you’re constantly trying to lock a part of yourself away and yet you find you can’t change, it’s because that part is just that: a part of you. You cannot refuse it. And that’s a good thing.

LINDA PAN '17

COURTESY OF PHILIP GRAYSON '15

Everybody at SPS has some-thing that's really unique to them that others don't

always fully realize the coolness of. It can be a personal interest, a personality trait, an ability or talent, anything. In day to day life, it tends to get covered up, and people assume their own awesomeness is nothing special, or that their own interests are actually mundane or common knowledge. But once you get talking to people, their sparks are bound to come up, and one of the best feelings in life is to watch a person light up as they become that defining trait. They're reminded of how unique their understanding of something is, and suddenly they realize how much they wanted to share it. Me, I love space. I love it

What the heck should I say in this? I thought about making it all serious and stuff. “I’m Amy and I think it’s really important to be genuine and authentic with other people...and most importantly yourself!” Meh. I thought about offering

advice. “I’m Amy and I’ve learned that my time at St. Paul’s is precious and not to waste a minute of it!” Nah. Instead, I settled on this: what if I wrote a paragraph that has never been said, written, thought of, or conceived in the history of the entire universe? Once upon a time, almost five minutes ago, there was a microwave. Not just any microwave, but a microwave with beautiful eyes and a striking smile. He was a precocious, little appliance, and could heat up a bag of popcorn in under thirty seconds! “Wow!” the other microwaves said, “He is so gifted and complex!” They were right. But it wasn’t just his abilities that were striking, he had a good natured heart. And on top of that...he had a infectiously beautiful singing voice! “Can he get any more excellent?” the other appli-ances asked. No. As the author of this story, I can tell you that the answer is no. He was the microwave of all microwaves, the be-all end-all of kitchen devices. Boy microwaves wanted to be like him, girl microwaves wanted to be with him. It was hard for him not to be haughty, he was the hottest machine around town. Literally! But he kept his cool, and do you want to know where it got him? Well, all I have to say is he resides in the main kitchen of Oprah’s staggeringly large mansion in Montecito, California. He always remembers to call his mother and never forgets where he came from: Sears, aisle 4, third shelf from the

top. The end. Everyday we are granted the power to do something that’s never been done, say something that’s never been said, or think some-thing that’s never been fathomed. Originality. Spontaneity. Thinking outside the box. Try it out! I guess I’ll leave you with this final ques-tion to ponder...what if this ‘box’ we are sup-posed to think outside of is actually a cheese puff?

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5V Form

Canadian Stereotypes: We aren't always what you think, eh.For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Jamie Denham. I’m a new fifth former and I’m from the world’s most developed and beautiful nation known as

the People’s Socialist Republic of Canada. Okay, I’m kidding, it’s just Canada. Despite what you might think or hear, Canadians are awesome; and we’re not as different as you might think.When I arrived at this school for the first time this past fall, I was unsure of what to expect and the type of people I would meet. Turns out some people were very intrigued that I was from Canada and many bombarded me with questions about my homeland. Although some questions were acceptable, the vast majority of them were ridiculous. Let me share some with you. For confidentiality reasons, I have kept these quotations anonymous:

“So how’s your socialist healthcare system working for you?”“Isn’t your president the Queen?”“Do you have a snowmobile license?”“I have a friend from Canada, his name is George, do you know him?”“You don’t look Canadian.”“Say something to me in French.” “Have you ever eaten moose?”“Do you guys have an army?”

Even though I only live four hours away in Montreal, I was surprised to find out how dif-ferently people think of Canadians and the stereotypical assumptions people make of us. I can tell many St. Paul’s students are curious about Canada and have many ‘intelligent’ questions that they want to ask. So in order to save you the time and the hassle of asking me, let’s go over some of the common stereotypes and I’ll tell you whether they are fact or fiction. These stereotypes range from partially true to absolutely ridiculous.

1. Too cold and snowy - Okay, winter in Canada can be cold, very cold. Some-times, when I go skiing, it can get down to -40 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s damn cold. But it’s also winter, you know, and it should be cold and snowy in the winter. But Canada in the summer is gorgeous and actually warm, unless you’re in the Arctic, I suppose, but that doesn’t count. Stereotype – False.

Jamie Denham

Ellie Parker

Within a group of over five hundred students, competition is inevitable. Everyone at St. Paul’s works hard to earn impressive grades while simultaneously par-ticipating in various extracurriculars. Adjusting to this demanding environment

was not easy for me. I transitioned to SPS from a school where Field Day ended in a tie every year; serious competition was a new concept. As soon as I arrived at St. Paul’s, I realized that everyone around me was desperately trying to do better than everyone else at every assignment, sport, and activity. No matter how hard I tried, there always seemed to be someone else with a slightly higher grade, a few more goals scored, or another impres-sive talent to display.

During my time at SPS, I have learned how to be proud of my own achievements without comparing them to those of my classmates. Some people are disappointed by the same grade that makes other people want to dance around the room. If I do better on one math test than I did on the previous one, I focus on my personal improvement rather than basing my happiness on my classmates’ grades. Earning the highest grade in the class is exciting, and it can be tempting to compare yourself with other students. Since we can’t change the grades of our classmates, it is much easier to work to change our own. Competition is great in moderation, but success does not always need to be measured by comparing ourselves to others.

2. Weird Words - Bring up the words ‘eh’ and ‘aboot’ to a Canadian and watch them cringe. From personal experience, not everyone in Canada talks this way. However, there are a lot of people who do, so I guess it’s partially true. Especially if you visit rural parts of Canada, you will hear these quirks of the Canadian tongue all the time to the point where you find yourself elongating your own vowels. Stereotype – Partially True

3. Canadians wish they were American – Well, this is definitely not true, at least in my case it isn’t. We have stuff like Tim Hortons (which is the best coffee chain in the world) to keep us fed, and celebrities like Seth Rogen to keep us laughing, so we’re all good. Americans certainly make it their mission to laugh at us, proclaiming that Canada is merely the USA’s hat, but Canadians can just sit back, drink some Coors Light, and get free healthcare to fix all the bones we break playing hockey, which those cocky Ameri-cans can’t do down in the land of the free and home of the brave. Stereotype – False.

4. Canadians are Nice – Yes, indeed. Stereotype – True. Although some stereotypes are definitely made up, I must admit that some of

them are based off a kernel of truth. Yes, it’s cold in the winter, and yes, there are a lot of TVs tuned to hockey and curling, but so what? That doesn’t mean everyone in Canada is always drinking beer and saying ‘eh.’ Canada is a diverse, dynamic country that has a lot to offer. So instead of harping on stereotypes, get up there and experience it for yourself, eh?

SIS GIBSON'17

BELLA LU '16

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V FormArthur Zaharko

Music. There is nothing quite as universal as people’s love for music. Come to think of it, I can’t recall meeting a single person who doesn’t like music. There are people who don’t like books, television shows or even movies, but music is dif-

ferent in this regard. Sure, some people like music more than others, but no one can possibly say that they don’t listen to music at all, or for that matter, that they don’t enjoy listening to music. It is in this sense that I believe music is an omnipotent force. Music is something that everyone on Earth can relate to; whether you’re a student cooped up in your room all night doing homework while you listen to classical music, or you’re a Brazilian child on the streets of Rio dancing along to the strum of a Bossa Nova guitar. Music has the power to unify us all with one sweet harmonious sound, and that is why I believe music embodies an omnipotent force.

Music is a common ground for many people, but the particular musical element that draws a person to a song may vary. For some people, a catchy melody can hook them on to a song; for others, a funky bassline will do the trick. For me, rhythm is the most compelling element of music. Rhythm is the foundation of any song; it is the element that gives music its soul, its heartbeat and its breath. Much like the anatomical function of a heart, rhythm enables life in its own system. I find it amazing that something so fundamentally simple, like the tapping of a pen on a wooden surface, can have such profound effects on a song.

People often think of me as that guy that dances foolishly. What they don’t know is what little choice I have in the matter, because when I hear a song with a driving rhythm I move as if it were involuntary. When I hear the right song, I can’t help but dance. It’s a natural reaction for me to dance when I hear a song I like. In many ways, I think of rhythm as my breath. My movements and mannerisms are so intertwined with rhythm that I think of rhythm as one of life’s necessities, like water or air. Just give me a rhythm, and I’ll dance to it.

Abbey Stamats

Over the time that I have been at St. Paul’s School, there have inevitably been a number of problems that have arisen within our community. Among these, I have found there are two substantial issues that impact me most on a regular

basis. With the initiation of an entirely new Dean of Students Office at the beginning of my Fourth Form year, the tension between students and the administration at St. Paul’s grew substantially. I view this not necessarily as a fault of either side, but as a distinct lack of communication between the two. Decisions made by the administration that affect the traditions and environment of SPS leave students feeling like they have no say, and vice versa: decisions made by students leave the administration with no choice but to respond in certain ways. We are chasing each other in circles and have still not been able to find a way to reach a common ground somewhere in the middle. The second issue, which stems more from who I am and where I come from, deals with the lack of environmental awareness present at St. Paul’s. Joining Eco Action has given me insight into how our school has developed environmentally in the past and what else we can do to improve our carbon footprint in the future. While this school has made many strides towards becoming more sustainable in recent years such as constructing the Lindsay Center and increasing our recycling substantially, there is still an overwhelming lack of motivation towards preserving our environment from students and faculty alike. Most advancements Eco Action attempts to make get roadblocked by either a lack of enthusiasm or an inability to accept change by the School.Wanting to explore and discover the roots and solutions of these two issues, I’ve decided to spend a semester away from St. Paul’s this year at a school called Woolman Semester. The school is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas in California and the program focuses on environmental sustainability, peace studies and communication methods. I will spend four months learning about these topics intensively and will have the opportunity to study some of my particular interests such as sustainable agriculture and nonviolent communication. The purpose of attending this program is to expand my knowledge of how we, as humans, communicate with each other, how we affect the environment we live in, and discover more about myself as an individual. Studying how and why people communicate the way they do will help me understand and hopefully ameliorate the issues that I confront at St. Paul’s and in the greater world. Whether those issues involve communicating with an authority figure, expressing my need for others to be more environmentally aware, or just talking with a friend, I’m hopeful that my time spent away from SPS will provide me with valuable insight that I can apply to school come next fall, as well as take with me for the rest of my life.

SUN WOO LEE '16

LINDA PAN '17

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LINDA PAN '17

7IV FormAnvesh Jain

BRITTANY CONG '18

When I stepped off the plane on September 2nd, 2014 and into the crisp sunlight and dwindling summer breezes of Boston, I had many expectations of St. Paul’s School. I expected challenging academics and incredibly high standards. I

expected champion sports stars, brilliant musicians, and genius around every corner. What I did not expect was the struggle of explaining where I came from to Paulies the first two weeks of school. Let me take this opportunity to expel any doubts for good; I was born in New Delhi, India, moved to Calgary, Canada for five years, and for the past nine years I have been living in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Yes, I am a Canadian citizen, no I am not Saudi Arabian, and yes, I identify culturally with India. I had never realized what an inter-esting life I had led prior to coming to St. Paul’s, when, for the first time in my life, I felt international. Coming here, I did not understand Americanisms and quirks of the culture, and for much of my life, I could not fathom that America even had a culture. Now, here I was, experiencing culture shock, which was a truly bizarre and, frankly put, terrifying experience for me. American serving sizes shocked me, unlimited refills on drinks at fast food joints perplexed me, and I was utterly appalled by the horrendous misuse of the word football.

Yet, at the same time, I found something beautiful here at St. Paul’s. I found genuine people. Students and faculty at St. Paul’s School accepted me with warmth and kindness, and a kind of conviviality I had never expected. When rushing between classes on a hectic school day, I sometimes stop and reflect on the circumstances that have allowed me to be fortunate enough to enjoy such an incredible campus, and go to such an extraordinary sec-ondary school. Sharing in the common experiences of my peers at St. Paul’s has convinced me, for the first time in my life, that I have found a home. Now, home to me is not India, Canada, or Saudi Arabia. Home to me is not even the United States. After only five months of attending SPS, I can say with conviction that St. Paul’s School is my home. My only complaint so far has been the disappointing lack of cricket, but I’m sure that we’ll fix that soon enough!

Francesca Walton

One time I blew up a thermometer and a test tube, which created a fire in science class. Don’t worry, this was many years ago, and I have most definitely learned my lesson. It’s fair to say that science and I have an interesting relationship, as a

few months later I found myself up at 1:00am staring into a very large tank containing 72 sea urchins. I was in my basement – I wasn’t going completely crazy. This was for a volun-teer science research class I had signed up for in sixth grade. To be honest, I can’t exactly remember how I ended up there, but I am forever thankful. This project and science in general have taught me to explore the outer limits of my abili-ties, and in turn to never give up on what you love to do. I learned this the hard way when tanks kept leaking, sea urchins would not cooperate with the injections, and experiment results were the opposite of my initial hypothesis. So, I went to my teacher one afternoon and told her that I simply could not continue. She laughed, and then I cried. (I’m pretty sure I did at least, but I suppose a few tears may help you feel better once your face is dry again.) I walked away telling myself that scientists always face problems similar to these (at least, that is what my teacher told me, and I just accepted it.) I was studying the effect of varying water temperatures and salinity levels on the reproduction and growth of the arbacia punctulata, a species of sea urchin. Four months later, I walked up to the podium to accept the 2nd Place plaque at the Florida State Science and Engineering Fair. My hard work and perseverance had paid off, but I had not continued this investigation for the award – which I was shocked to have received to begin with. I wanted to continue because I found that I truly loved what I was doing. Some of those late nights were not that much fun, but it is my understanding of the arbacia punctulata sea urchin that makes me proud. I feel like I know more about sea urchins than most other people my age, and I’m proud that I do. I am eager to continue this project on a worldwide level! After researching the arbacia punctulata sea urchin even more, and visiting locations where the project can be conducted, I have found the Lake Turkana Basin, in Kenya. On my own time, I have blogged and conducted research for the Turkana Basin Institute, and have concluded that working for it would be a dream come true! Already, many of the scientists and officials there have encouraged and supported my goals. All in all, I have kept in mind two things: 1) science is crazy and it will throw you some real curve balls; 2) take those curve balls in stride, and let them carry you to those outer limits of your abilities. Once there, you will surprise yourself.

BRITTANY CONG '18

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Jasmin AnimasI can pinpoint the exact moment when one choice changed my life forever. I was ten

years old, about to be eleven, and in fifth grade on December 17, 2010. After class that day, my two fifth grade teachers pulled me aside; they told me about a small private

school in Manhattan, gave me an application, and encouraged me to talk to my parents. The moment they finished talking, I decided to apply and told my parents. The same thing happened the next year, at that private school, when I learned about the possibility of boarding school. In sixth grade, I decided I was going to apply to them during my eighth grade year. Again, I told my parents and did so. Now, I am here. The night before the first day of my Third Form year, I didn’t sleep. I stayed up all night, making sure I had everything I needed and wanted to take with me, checking what time my train was at, thinking about what my roommate was going to be like, how I was going to make friends, etc. On the first day, everything was perfect; the weather was beautiful, I got to campus without any major problems, my roommate was nice, and the people were welcoming. There was only one issue: I lost my voice that day, making it difficult and embarrassing to meet everyone without it cracking every five seconds. Still, I remember thinking to myself how fortunate I was to be at a place like St. Paul’s. I knew that I had to take advantage of the resources given to me, no matter how much effort it took. A lot of times, I let my wor-ries overcome my desire to join clubs and meet more people. I made a wonderful group of friends, tried out for the Directors’ Series last year (for which I was utterly terrified), and went on a service trip to Kentucky; however, I feel like I could have done a little more had I not let my worries pull me back. Coming into Fourth Form was so different from the previous year. I was so ecstatic that I couldn't sleep the night before the first day, and I was hopeful to accomplish more and give myself greater challenges. I have much more work than last year and it is difficult, but I am glad to be able to take the classes I chose. I have been able to form a club, (the Birthday Club - you should all come), which was challenging because I was extremely preoccupied with the concern that it would fail and be rejected by the community. I even tried out for the fall play (for which I was still frightened of). So far, I have been satisfied with my progress in terms of trying new things and I hope to have the courage to do even more. If you ever find the chance to do something, try it. The worst that can happen is prob-ably a "no".

SERENA LIU '18

Andy Dienes

GABRIEL PATENOTTE '17

Coming to a prep school after being homeschooled for fourteen years was one of my less elegant transitions. There were so many new experiences for me and I had a lot to learn. Academically, of course, but also of the school experience, living in

a dorm, losing sleep, and so much more. The hardest part was probably learning how to manage my time (more) effectively in order to make time to complete all my homework, sleep adequately, and have time for all the new friends I was making.My schedule was vastly different than the one I’ve adapted to here. As I assume most people imagine of homeschoolers, deadlines and start times were very lax. Every day I woke up whenever I wanted, so long as I could start studying at around 8:30 AM. My mom was busy teaching my three younger siblings their respective subjects, and my dad worked all day, so I would go to my room and teach myself math and science for about four hours straight until lunchtime. I would take a half hour break until my mom was ready, and then she would work with me and my brother Tom for our history, English, and sometimes grammar les-sons of the day. Because I didn’t like studying it, I usually skipped language, something I could never get away with here. Following school I had swim team practice, yet when I got home I had no assignments, no homework, no grades, and very little pressure.St. Paul’s, however, has many assignments, many grades, a lot of homework, and a lot of pressure. The stricter schedule was necessary in order to not be completely overwhelmed, and I had to learn how to work efficiently to be able to sleep. Also, the new inclusion of grades brought an entirely new motivation to my studies. Although I have always been motivated to study for the sake of learning, the prospect of being judged on that struck a certain fear into me; I now had a stick behind my carrot. However, grades were not the only new pressure I was feeling.Before I came to school, I would get asked on a regular basis if I ever left my house, or if I found it difficult to find and meet up with friends. Of course, I vehemently denied these “accusations" but it was true: living in a somewhat rural area and having incredibly busy parents meant that I didn’t get to spend as much time with the friends that I had as I would have wanted. This meant - even though I hate to perpetuate the stereotype that all home-schoolers are antisocial hermits - that I didn’t have much practice with large-scale social interaction (besides math camp, but that obviously doesn’t count). I was a little scared I wouldn’t find the right friends, and that if I did that I wouldn’t be able to hold on to them. After a few uncomfortable weeks where I didn’t know how to spend my time and whom to spend it with, my fears were alleviated as I slowly assimilated into ‘my group.’Despite sometimes not sleeping at all, sometimes wanting to hibernate until summer, and sometimes being so buried in work I want to run away (like Forrest Gump), I can always remember: this school has helped me use my time effectively, it has helped me learn how to learn so much and work so hard, and it’s surrounded me with amazing peers to grow with. I love this school. My only complaint is that I didn’t apply sooner.

IV Form

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9III FormHaley Fuller

I’ve always been a streak of color on a black-and-white page. Both of the towns I’ve lived in are on the Preppy Handbook’s list of top towns, which means that San Marino, California and New Canaan, Connecticut, along with people

who live there, are about as original as Bean Boots on the SPS campus (though with that being said, I wear my Bean Boots with pride). Nearly everyone in my town plays soccer and lacrosse, and mothers are constantly driving their three-plus kids to practices and games. Throw in biannual dance recitals, squash clinics, and piano lessons, and you have the schedule of a typical family in these towns. Somehow, these ridiculously busy families can sit down to dinner together every night. It looks like they’re in a movie.

Willa King

When I was three years old, my grandmother died. One of her wishes was for her body to be cremated and her ashes to be spread around the world. One of these places was Antigua, Guatemala. She loved its vibrant city life and rich his-

tory. However, she also witnessed firsthand the immense poverty that plagued the country. Whenever my grandfather took a business trip to Antigua, she tagged along to work with a charity called Common Hope to help the children of the city. It was in her memory that my mother, her five sisters, three cousins, and all their children and spouses traveled there

Throughout the fifteen years of my life, I have never fit this description. First of all, I’m an only child, unless you count stepsiblings. My soccer skills are minimal at best, and my second grade lacrosse career ended remarkably quickly after a two-month attempt. Instead, I’m a synchronized figure skater who used to practice every morning before school, and spent fourteen hours in team practices on the weekends, leaving me with little free time. Another thing that differentiated me from everyone else was that when most of my friends dropped out of my church choir, I never stopped singing until the day I left for Concord. My dad never liked the idea of me being involved in activities different than those of my friends. That being said, my friends always thought it was cool that I was traveling to Figure Skating Nationals in Colorado Springs, and the only thing that bothered my friends about my parents’ divorce is that my mom’s last name has changed so many times that they don’t even know what to call her anymore. But, in my dad’s eyes, I wasn’t living up to the standards set for me because I wasn’t on the student council and varsity tennis team, which my school didn’t have. He expected the eleven-year-old me to talk the administration into starting these programs. For years, I was told that not conforming to the people around me, including my parents, was the worst thing I could possibly do. However, I learned that this is not true. If I followed the paths of my family mem-bers, I wouldn’t be sitting in Kitt III right now. I wouldn’t have been exposed to the amaz-ing students and faculty at St. Paul’s. I would never have spent over 75 hours in Chapel Choir in one term. Sure, I wouldn’t have to deal with -23 degree weather, but I would take the cold over going to school back home in Connecticut any day. All of us here at St. Paul’s share many similarities, but we are also extraordinarily different. I think this leaves us with room to find our passions, whether they’re on the sports fields, in the classrooms, in the art studios, or onstage. Sometimes, being different can have its challenges: being the only vocalist in my Basic Musicianship class, for example, has posed more than a few difficulties. But, more often than not, different past experiences can make for more interesting new ones. Being a figure skater, I was a little tentative to try out for Girl’s JV Hockey, but it has by far been one of the most fun things I’ve been a part of here. I guess all of my experiences have made me a colorful streak on a not-so-black-and-white page.

SADIE LEE '17

eight years ago. It was December 2006: my entire family had spent all day on planes, with eleven children under the age of ten. It was almost midnight when we arrived in Antigua. We had a security escort from the airport to our hotel (my grandfather was friends with the presi-dent at the time). From the back of the big black car, I could see the incredible need that the city had. I still remember the families sleeping on the streets in the frigid night air. The next morning we awoke, well rested after our day of travel, and drove over to the Common Hope center. After our brief introduction to the charity, we split into three groups two of adults, as they would be building houses, and the eleven children. As our parents drove off, we had no clue what we would be doing at the center. Soon, they told us that we would be boxing school supplies for the classes that the charity provided. It was exhausting for a seven year old to be working all day for a week in the incredible heat. It was more work than I had ever done, but I tried to remember I was helping people in worse situa-tions than myself. I did not quite understand why we were doing this, at least not yet. On the final day we delivered the supplies to the classes. I was astonished. I had never seen people so excited over pencils and notebooks. I now understood why we had spent all this time, because even though these items seem insignificant to us, they were vital to those who have so little. Later that day, our parents had finished building the houses, and we were all invited to the blessing of one of the houses. I had ideas in my head of what these houses might look like, yet my parents had told me again and again that this was all the people had and that we needed to be respectful. I just shrugged their reminder off and did not think much of what they were telling me until we arrived at the house. There was one room with a concrete floor, complete with tin walls and a roof. The five-person family met us at the front of the house. Everyone in the family hugged and kissed us. The blessing was in Spanish and I did not know what was happening. But my cousin, older by nine years, told me the essential parts. He told me how grateful they were for their house and how it was the first house they had ever had. I could not comprehend how they could be so thankful for their house; it was probably the size of an average room here at SPS. After a bit of thinking, I finally understood why they were so happy to have been given a small house. For a family living in poverty, the gift of a home was simply invaluable. From this experience, I learned to be grateful for all I have received. I now understand how fortunate I am and why I should be thankful for what I have been given, even on the toughest of days.

YEWON CHUN'17

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I’ve been through many changes in my life, but coming to St. Paul’s has been the biggest one so far. Having been to two middle schools and two elementary schools, I wasn’t particularly frightened at the thought of new friends and teachers. But coming here has

made me feel like I have a new life ahead of me. St. Paul’s set a lot of records in my life: biggest school I’ve ever been to as well as most English spoken in a given period of time. I’m also going to have racked up quite a few frequent flyer miles by the time I graduate. Anyways, despite the big changes, I was off to a good start, and felt I was doing well, but I had one problem. As a cultural oddball from half a world away, it wasn’t easy to fit in com-pared to many of my friends. Things like football and Snapchat were new discoveries for me, and honestly, I got lost from time to time. I couldn’t really get into deep conversations, and I felt I was wandering somewhere in the outskirts. Initially, I thought the best way to solve my problems was to fit myself into the mold. However, this seemed to backfire more times than not. I was a bit discouraged. But as fall term was coming to an end, I came to the obvious realization that I didn’t need to change myself to get along. I was welcome as soon as I acted like who I really was. So, although it’s really embarrassing to say, my year has really just begun. Now don’t get me wrong here. I had so much fun in fall term and the first half of the winter. It’s just that I could have had some more. But I don’t regret it too much. I was lost, and I will be several more times in the future, but I really learned that it’s the effort that counts. After all, isn’t making mistakes one of the perks of being a third former?

10

FacultyI remember vividly my first

visit to St. Paul’s School. I had flown over from London

to be interviewed: it was April and the weather was perfect. Daffodils were dancing in the spring breeze and I fell totally in love with the place. Nobody told me about the winters here: snow is indeed beautiful but, alas, so cold, so slippery. What has kept me here so long? The love of a good man is part of it. The intoxicating fizz of Ameri-can culture certainly too. And

Mr. Pacelli Ms. JonesThe emotion

that keeps returning to

the front of my mind as I think about sharing my feelings is gratitude: First of all, for my family and my health. I am a fortunate man. Next, I am immensely thankful for the people with whom I work each day. You are the main reasons that I sign that contract each year. Having worked at quite a

then the pleasures of teaching Humanities at this richly complicated place. In England I taught at several wonderful schools but usually towards external examination systems, both national and international ones. Hence, it was a thrill to be part of the teams develop-ing the innovative Humanities courses which weave together so many of my passions: art, literature, philosophy, the past. I am also passionate about what I see as the most necessary response to what we are excited by reading and seeing. We need to make our own art and write. It is also therefore very exciting to be involved in the Horae Scholasticae, to mount weeks on the cultures of India and Korea, and to arrange visits by writers in as many fields as I can think of. Another aspect of being here that gives me pleasure is that I belong and yet don’t belong. I am at home here and not at home here. This is so common a fate that we don’t usually think about it. Most of us at St. Paul’s can’t give a simple answer to the “But where are you from?” question. Taiye Selasi’s term for this state of being is multi-local. The dislocation of being at a boarding school precipitates in all of us a kind of constant anthropologizing. We constantly compare how “they” or “we” do things in the various and varied worlds we inhabit. That is sometimes really unsettling as we move to and away from St. Paul’s but it can also be exciting. I flit hither and thither: visiting my son in Germany, and my daughter in England. I spend my summers gardening, building sculptures, and writing in a tiny vil-lage in France. Soon I will be returning to Italy and Japan. My perspectives dance.

few schools, I know how lucky I am to get to work with the students we have at SPS. You help make our classrooms joyful places and you make me look forward to working with you each day. You also make coaching, despite it challenges, a life-giving experience. Hoopsters….I love our team. Finally, I feel blessed to live in such a beautiful place, and this beauty invites me to get outside and enjoy it as often I as can.

I feel it is important to put my gratitude into action. One way I can do this is by sincerely celebrating the successes of those people with whom I interact on a regular basis. It is easy, at least for me, to offer help or condolences when someone is down, but it is also easy to forget to celebrate our community’s successes. When a colleague earns a special recognition or an SPS team does something great or the debate team wins a tournament or something wonderful happens to a child of one of my co-workers, I should remember to celebrate. I will never forget how great it made me feel when two of my colleagues pointed out that they read in the paper that one of my kids made the honor roll. I think our com-munity will be a better place if I, and we, can sincerely celebrate the successes of others..

PATRICK WELSH '16

MEG FEAREY '17

III FormHyun Joon Kim

RUBY CHEETHAM '18

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Faculty

Mr. BetournayGrowing up in New Hampshire, the mountains, lakes, and rivers were always a fascination. I would savor out-

door adventures with my brother and friends as if the days could grow longer if we didn’t return inside. Back-country travel, however, is not without challenges to overcome. One summer, we discovered a standing wave

in the Pemigewasset River on which a skilled surfer could catch a ride as if on an ocean swell. Hours of practice went into kayak-surfing that wave, with shared chuckles when one of us ended up swimming beside our capsized boat. The journey of educating oneself is also fraught with difficulty. I loved being a full time student, but setbacks were com-mon. Starring roles in theater productions were not for me; my understanding of the French language is wanting to this day. I believe, however, that failures can provide the best opportunities to grow. Too slow to race for my college Nordic ski team, I dedicated more time to my studies and nurtured a fascination with learning. Now, I find that teach-ing brings personal fulfillment through contribution to others. Maybe past struggles led me to grow capable of what I love to do.St. Paul’s offers limitless opportunities to take risks, encounter failures, and become stronger in the process. Whether surfing a wave, or being our best in school, I think that the rewards of faltering and getting back up hold far more potential than the risk of not trying at all.

Mr. Pratt

SARAH EVENSON '17

Rev. Courtright

IZZY REID '16

I’ll be the first to admit that choosing a career as a boarding school faculty member was, in my case, pretty much thinking inside the box. My father was

an English teacher at Exeter, and so my childhood was spent playing touch football and tag with other “fac brats,” attending every Exeter athletic event I could and idolizing the students playing, and having the run of a beautiful and sprawling campus as a backyard. Can’t picture it yet? Imagine Chilli Cabot, circa 1974.Both my father’s father and grandfather taught at Middlesex, and so I somewhat sheepishly confess to being a fourth-generation boarding school faculty member. Chalk it up to a genetic resistance to paying utility bills if you will, but in truth, growing up on a campus like this is a special type of utopia, and more than anything, Mrs. Pratt and I wanted to be able to raise our kids in this kind of environment. We’ve never regretted that decision.I’ve been at this now for over 25 years and have worn many hats. I was a full-time classroom teacher for the first 14 years, teaching history at Hebron Academy, English at Tabor Academy, and Humanities here at St. Paul’s. I then transitioned to the College Advising Office in 2003, a tenure interrupted only by a glorious experience in 2008-09 as an English teacher at School Year Abroad in France. (This, too, was right out of the movie Groundhog Day, as at age nine I spent a year in Rennes while my father taught in the same program.) I coached varsity hockey for 17 years at three different schools, and in 2010 transitioned to varsity squash—a sport I took up after college and quickly grew to love. After four years as the head boys’ coach, I was delighted to be able to hand the reins to Chris Smith, a former student of mine at Tabor years ago and a long-time friend. I have also coached soccer, baseball, golf, and tennis over the years and maintain that the fields, courts, ponds, and rinks are some of the best classrooms in Millville.The latest and most exhilarating experience I’ve had here, of course, has been watching our children grow up in such a wonderful and caring community. Devin and Sam now see the School through a totally different lens as students, and Ben—like all faculty kids—watches and learns from you all much more than you likely know. I don’t expect any of them to become teachers themselves, but just last week Ben asked how old he’ll be when Michael Bozek is a student. When I asked why, he said maybe he would be his hockey coach someday. With a Pratt, I guess you can never rule it out.

If you’ve ever been drawn to the outdoors, you know that there can be a kind of pull on your heart, an embodied need to physically place your being outside

its cultivated environment and into a more natural one. Some people have this passion for the moving boundary between sand and sea. I don’t really like to put my head underwater (ears, really – weird, I know), and so, perhaps by elimination, perhaps by upbringing or inclination, the mountains have always been the craggy world in which I find returning and rest. Growing up, I went to a wilderness and character camp for eight years in Estes Park, Colorado, where I spent my summers hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. At a certain elevation, the thick forest, full of pines and the shimmering summer aspen leaves, winnows out to little juniper bushes and tundra wildflowers, and eventually, at

MEG FEAREY '17

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the highest points, to boulder fields and rock scrambles. In order to peak one of the mountains and beat the inevitable afternoon storms, hikes would begin at two or three in the morning, and we’d make it above tree line right before sunrise. The big sky would be this hazy blue, then light purple, until a sliver of the sun crested above the horizon, and the most directionally challenged camper knew without a doubt which direction was due east. There is nothing like the moment when hard work meets beauty and awe and clarity, before the sun is hot above your head, and all you can think about are the dark nimbus clouds coming in hard and fast from every direction, and will you make it to the top in time. For me, those graced spaces are some of the most spiritual times we get to experience, when we’re between the journey behind and the destination ahead, when everything stops, and you are filled with wonder, headlamp turned off, everything quiet. Here at St. Paul’s, writing this reflection in the middle of my first year as a chaplain, teacher, coach, and advisor, I am reminded of those formative hikes I took in my youth, and how many new experiences I have had across these last months that have felt like one of those threshold spaces. From moving onto the beautiful pond-filled campus in August with my husband and dog in tow from Sewanee, Tennessee, to the loving surprise of looking up at my ordination in the New Chapel in October and seeing many of my new students cheering in the pews, sacred “between” moments abound. Though I often find myself longing for the actual mountains, for the unplugged and sacred time in the wilderness away from the filled schedule of academic life, my continued hope for life at SPS is to keep naming and offering a tree line mentality as we move forward as a community, looking beyond the hike itself toward the eastern horizon and marveling at the ever-present miracle of new light.

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12 FacultyMr. Chun

St. Paul’s is ten more minutesTen more minutes of chapelTen more minutes until break

Ten more minutes until halftimeTen more skates on the lakeSix more hours of internetTwo more hours of LINCOne less powder puff football gameFive more COP hours… I think

St. Paul’s is ten more minutes of sharing Ten more minutes of humThat extra hour working on a serveThat third take when you thought you were done

St. Paul’s is love divine, all loves excellingA winter wonderland from November to MayOne treacherous hill near DruryAnd eight more bell tolls until you’re late

St. Paul’s is ten percent luckTwenty percent skillFifteen percent concentrated power of willFive percent pleasure Fifty percent pain And a hundred percent reason to remember to turn in your homework on time, because the difference between an H and an HH is on the line, and that would be an awfully silly reason to have to explain to colleges why you only H’ed that class when all your other ones were an HH…

Hold on. Wait a minute. You’ve got this. Five in, seven out….

St. Paul’s is three secret holidaysThree weeks of spring breakThree terms of sportsAnd at least three friends you never thought you’d makeSt. Paul’s is four years of high schoolFour years of dorm jobsFour… I mean eight hours of sleep And four years of memories that will always be yours So whether it’s your final last night serviceOr your first SATdateJust remember that at St. Paul's SchoolTen more minutes is all it will take.

The Pelican StaffSteering Committee

Editor-in-Chief - Joon Lee Assistant Print Editor - Isabella Pirozzolo

Print Layout Editor - Sam Chase Photo Editor - Mac Taylor

Graphics Editor - Sophie Pesek Senior Editor - Jack Becker

Senior Editor - Belle GibbonsSenior Editor - Muriel Wang

Senior Editor - Nicolas WelchOnline Editor - Marina Hostrop

Online Editor - Arda Keni Business Manager - Webster Thompson

St. Paul's School325 Pleasant St.Concord, NH 03301

GraphicsNicole AscencioRuby Cheetham

Meg FeareyLinda Pan

PhotographersYewon ChunBrittany CongSarah Evenson

Meg FeareySis Gibson

Sun Woo LeeChristine Leung

Serena LiuBella Lu

Gabriel PatenotteIzzy Reid

Patrick Welsh

Faculty AdviserMs. Minet Marrin

WritersMax BaronWill Boffa

Maddy BuffettZoe CarlsonOlivia Case

Alex DreyfusSis GibsonRasika Iyer

Francesca KimJoe Kim

Chloe LeeSadie Lee

Sarah McKeanMarieke NelisAudrey Osborn

Brian O'SullivanCate Von DohlenMacrina Wang

Print LayoutJessica JangWill Jordan

Sarah KaplanHelena KwonMarieke Nelis

Charlotte SilvermanJingyi Zhang

NICOLE ASCENCIO '16