The Picador

Volume 9, Issue 4 November 15, 2013

A PUBLICATION BY HOLDERNESS STUDENTS

FOR

THE HOLDERNESS SCHOOL COMMUNITY

By AJ Chabot ’16

As fall closes and the field

hockey team heads off to the

NEPSAC semi-finals, other

athletes have already started

warming up for the winter sea-

son.

The nordic team will start with

some dry land training. The

team won't just be running, but

will also be playing games of

capture the flag on the trails,

learning how to roller ski, and

practicing balancing drills. The

team has steadily grown over

the past couple of years and

will have numbers in the mid-

thirties at the beginning of the

season.

A camp during the first few

days of Thanksgiving break

will be held in Craftsbury, VT.

Captain Celeste Holland is

excited about the trip because

their nordic center, “has guar-

anteed snow!” The team may

end up skiing loops around a

one or two-kilometer course,

but it will still be great for

them to get onto snow.

Captain Drew Houx believes

the season “should be fun, and

we are all ready to get started

with a really young team.” The

other trip over Thanksgiving

will be to Stowe, VT where

racers will spend half the day

working out or skiing and the

other half enjoying the other

attractions that Stowe has to

offer.

The girls' varsity hockey team

has been set back slightly be-

cause of the field hockey play-

offs, but those who can prac-

tice will definitely be on the

ice Thursday and Friday. They

will be joined by the boys'

varsity hockey team as well.

The teams will prepare as well

as they can for a pair of tough

opponents on Wednesday: St.

Paul's for the girls and Ver-

(Continued on page 2)

Warming Up for the Winter Athletic Season

By Becca Kelly ’15

It’s 9:50 pm. You’re in Weld

for study hall, and it’s time to

go. As you begin to pack up

your things, you see someone

coming your way. You smile.

The person smiles back. And

then you both stand there and

just sort of look at each other

until, finally, one of you says,

“So, uh…Can I uh…Walk you

back?” What do you do? Do

you avoid a likely awkward

ten-minute situation, or do you

do an internal happy dance and

nod?

Last week, 30 random students

-- 15 girls and 15 guys (most

of whom will remain anony-

mous) -- were asked four ques-

tions about the infamous walk

back to help you the next time

you find yourself in a situation

such as this.

First of all, let’s get straight

what you should not do. There

is a huge variety of pet peeves

all over campus, and you don’t

want to annoy anyone, right?

The most common complaint

from the guys focuses on walk

back conversations. Guys pre-

fer girls who do not talk too

much and listen more; how-

ever, they don't like one-word

answers either. They also find

it rather obnoxious when peo-

ple whistle and make other

noises when the walk back

activities are taking place. Let

the couples be! And then, of

course, there are guys like

Alex Spina whose only pet

peeve is “saying goodnight

and letting her go.”

On the ladies’ side, one com-

mon complaint did not have

anything to do with being

walked back, but rather with

having to “walk behind walk

backs when they are being

“flirty” and pushing each other

and being loud and annoying. I

don't know whether to awk-

wardly pass or keep my dis-

tance.” It’s an unfortunate,

situation that not a single per-

son on campus likes to experi-

ence, and there is not much

that can be done to prevent it.

(Continued on page 2)

Walk Back Etiquette: The Difference Between

Awkward Silences and Internal Happy Dances Science Fiction

Made Real:

Scientists Create

an

Invisibility Cloak

Page 5

Quick: Who Do You Know

Who Owns a Hedgehog?

Flip to Page10 to Find Out!

Ridiculous Laws

Part 2

Page 12

Art

In

The

Afternoon

Visits the MFA

Page 3

Page 2

The Picador

Another anonymous source

said she doesn’t like it “when

it's really cold out and I want

to go inside while I can still

feel my butt cheeks, but I also

don't want to be rude.” If you

keep the interests of other peo-

ple in mind while on a walk

back, things should go swim-

mingly.

For those who have received

walk backs this year, there are

many favorite moments. One

girl says her favorite part of

the tradition is “when we get

to stand face to face and gaze

longingly into each other’s

eyes under the sweet New

Hampshire moonlight as a

breeze tickles my cheeks.”

The guys were a bit less poetic

and said they just like asking

someone for a walk back.

Others were more sarcastic in

their responses. An anony-

mous guy said, “The best part

is the ending because walk

backs are wicked awkward.”

An anonymous girl said, “My

favorite part is watching all the

couples stand literally five feet

away from each other, while

each one is trying to make

theirs seem better than the

others.”

Admittedly walk backs are

often awkward and cold; many

students commented on these

drawbacks and many more.

One person said, “My least

favorite part is that it is always

negative one million degrees

when my walk back just hap-

pens to be the world’s slowest

walker.” And it goes without

saying that none of the guys

likes walking back to his

dorm, “alone and cold,” after

the walk back is over. And

then there are those of us who

are “watching all the walk

backs and not getting any but

wondering what it’s like to

have one.” One day, people,

one day.

Along with the 30 students, 20

teachers were also included in

the survey (all of whom will

remain anonymous). The most

common complaint was sum-

marized nicely by one partici-

pant in particular: “When kids

are late for check-in, I have the

awkward responsibility of

breaking up that last tender

moment of the evening.”

A few faculty also pointed out

the fact that girls, for some

reason, don’t walk back the

guys: “In this day and age, we

still encourage and support

this boy/girl/heterosexual/male

-dominated courtship ritual.”

It is a point that is not brought

up as frequently as it should

be. It’s not really something

that would be particularly dif-

ficult to change, however.

And then there are a few select

faculty who don't like to talk

about walk backs; "In fact, I

prefer not to know anything

about the students’ dating

lives,” shared on faculty mem-

ber. While in the minority, one

teacher also shared this:

“There’s something quaint and

old-fashioned about walk

backs, and I find them kind of

charming, frankly. I am not

crazy, however, about the non-

sense, the ridiculous antics that

can occur around them. The

'hiding' and giggling behind

the recycling shed and electric

box in order to spy on couples

– that, I could do without. But

I suppose that’s part of the

tradition, too.”

Most faculty, however, would

agree with the following:

“Overall, I feel that walk

backs are a little dated. Do we

really see our girls as being

vulnerable on campus?” An-

other teacher explained, “I

know that we do not have

much time for such things, so I

am sympathetic, but I don’t

like the gossipy culture that

grows in the dorm following

the walk backs.” Generally,

the teachers, as a whole,

“wouldn’t miss them at all if

they all of a sudden disap-

peared.”

However, it’s fair to say that

walk backs are “a unique so-

cial part of Holderness that no

other school has” and that they

have become a part of the

“Holderness Tradition.” And

while most would say walk

backs will never amount to

much, it is not always the case.

One alumnus said, “I have a

couple friends who are now

married with a young child. It

all started on a walk back at

Holderness 13 years ago.”

Just imagine the possibilities!

Walk Backs (Continued from page 1)

mont Academy for the boys.

After that, the girls' team will

have one more practice before

playing NEWHL on Friday

and then they’re off on break.

They'll be returning early from

Thanksgiving break for prac-

tices and scrimmages, ready to

dive into the season.

Captain Hedi Droste optimisti-

cally states, “It's a busy start

but we couldn't be more ex-

cited about it!”

The Eastern men’s ski team

captain, Clark Macomber, is

excited for the annual sand

slalom training on the Water

Tower hill, along with other

dry land exercises including

capture the flag and of course,

fitness testing. The older skiers

head off to Mammoth, CA

over the Thanksgiving break,

while the U16s and young

U18s fly to Copper Mountain,

CO. Both trips should be great

kick-starters to the season, and

will hopefully help all the ski-

ers rekindle their “ski-legs.”

A plus for the skiers heading

out to Mammoth will be their

special overnight Thanksgiv-

ing dinner on top of Mam-

moth. After eating Mammoth-

style turkey, and sleeping at

the peak of the one of the best

ski resorts in the country, our

skiers will have the first tracks

down the mountain early in the

morning with ski patrol.

The girls' and boys' varsity

basketball teams will have

tryouts starting Thursday and

plan on having their first prac-

tices on the 18th. The girls’

first scrimmage is against New

Hampton on the 21st, which

Caroline Mure believes to be,

“really quick into the season

but a good start.” After

Thanksgiving, the teams will

return a few days early (the

30th) to begin practicing for

their first official game against

Deerfield on Wednesday.

Caroline is confident enough

to say that “we hope to win

some more this year, and it is

definitely possible.”

Ballet for Athletes (Continued from page 1)

Page 3

Volume 9, Issue 4

Art in the Afternoon at the

Boston MFA By Minh Tran ’16

Page 4

The Picador

World News

By Linh Le ’15

According to Slate magazine,

Typhoon Haiyan is one of the

strongest storms ever to make

landfall, flattening 20,000

homes on Friday. The Philip-

pine government estimates

about 9.5 million people have

been affected by the typhoon;

nearly 2,200 are dead and

580,000 people are missing.

“We have bodies in the water,

bodies on the bridges, bodies

on the side of the road,” said

Richard Gordon, chairman of

the Philippine Red Cross.

Four days after the typhoon,

aid organizations and nations

around the world were able to

deliver food and water to Ta-

cloban, Philippines. Due to the

heavy rain, however, transpor-

tation elsewhere has been a

serious issue; it has made de-

livering supplies really diffi-

cult.

“The whole scene is like

something fresh out of a

movie,” said Maelene Alcala,

a CNN iReporter. “It is like

the end of the world… Survi-

vors are walking everywhere

carrying sacks of goods they

were able to get.”

The lack of food and water has

made the survivors very anx-

ious. Typhoon Haiyan left “the

city in ruins and its population

of more than 200,000 in des-

perate conditions.”

The office of the United Na-

tions High Commissioner for

Refugees said, “Women and

children are begging on the

streets for donations, exposing

themselves to abuse and ex-

ploitation. With power lines

still down, the lack of lighting

has made women and children

at home and in evacuation

centers more vulnerable, espe-

cially at night.”

Source: CNN

Typhoon Haiyan Strikes Philippines, Leaving a Path of Destruction

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

Rachael Erhard

Andrew Houx

Becca Kelly

Seo Jung Kim

Linh Le

Sookie Liddle

Henry Liu

Connor Marien

Caroline Mure

So Min Park

Katie Remien

Allie Solms

Stephen Wilk

Contributers

AJ Chabot

Minh Tran

Thao Nguyen

Annie Hayes

Liesl Magnus

Jake Barton ’13

Contact Information

Holderness School

Chapel Lane

P.O. Box 1879

Plymouth, NH 03245

Phone Number: 603.536.1257

Fax: 603.536.1267

At Left: A Red Cross map in which Typhoon Haiyan is superim-

posed over the United States.

Volume 9, Issue 4

Page 5

By Henry Liu ’15

Recently, the world has been

bombarded with news about

the creation of something that

was once regarded as science

fiction, until now. As seen in

Harry Potter, invisibility

cloaks shield people or objects

from the view of another.

However, the invisibility cloak

recently created is not an ac-

tual cloak, nor is it made of

any fabric or flexible material.

And instead of using magic,

the newest “invisibility cloak”

uses science, specifically

physics.

Previous attempts to create an

invisibility cloak mainly in-

volved the use of meta-

materials to create a thick shell

around an object. However,

this time scientists, specifi-

cally Professor George Eleft-

heriades and his PhD student

Michael Selvanayagam at the

University of Toronto, decided

to surround an object with a

layer of tiny antennas.

“It's very simple,” Prof. Eleft-

heriades explains. “Instead of

surrounding what you're trying

to cloak with a thick meta-

material shell, we surround it

with one layer of tiny anten-

nas, and this layer radiates

back a field that cancels the

reflections from the object.”

Normally, light waves bounce

off an object and human eyes

pick up the waves, giving the

object distinction. However,

the magnetic field created by

the tiny antennas prevents

light waves from bouncing

away from the object, so hu-

man eyes do not detect the

object/s if the antennas are

active.

This system is not only capa-

ble of creating invisibility, but

it can also make an object ap-

pear bigger, smaller, and shift

in space!

“It's just a matter of technol-

ogy,” says Professor Elefthe-

riades. “You can use the same

principle for light, and the cor-

responding antenna technol-

ogy is a very hot area of re-

search.”

So if you are still looking for a

topic for your Senior Thesis,

antenna technology might just

be for you. Imagine all the

technology that can evolve

from this seed -- armor with

these tiny antennas inside

could create an invisibility

field and force fields could be

created at the press of a button.

Things that we thought were

science fiction might not be

anymore.

Invisibility Cloaks: They’re Not Just for Harry Potter

World Sports Tommy Chau ’15

Soccer: On November 11, 2013, Manchester United defeated Arsenal for the second time this year, with only 1 goal from

former Arsenal’s striker Robin Van Persie. According to David Moyes, head coach of Manchester United, the precious

goal from Van Persie allowed the team to narrow the difference with Arsenal, who has been at the top of the Premier

League table since October, from 11 to eight points. The goal not only narrowed the difference but also strengthened the

shattered morale of both players and fans, who have been appalled by the team’s poor performance since the beginning of

season. With only eight points to go, will Manchester United be able to gain momentum and move up on the table?

Tennis: The 2013 ATP World Tour has proven to be a super tournament for world number-two ranked Novak Djokovic.

On November 12, Novak successfully defended his ATP World Tour Finals title after beating world number one Rafael

Nadal in two sets with scores of 6-3 and 6-4. In addition to the championship, Novak officially claimed seven major titles

this year, including four ATP World Tour 1000 titles from September to November; he also raised the number of titles

since the beginning of his career to 41. Not only can he claim personal success, Djokovic has also narrowed the point dif-

ference with Nadal to 1000 points. Will Djokovic be able to re-claim the number one spot from Nadal? The answer lies in

his performance in the 2014 ATP World Tour.

Page 6

The Picador

By Jake Barton ’13

The smell hit us like a brick,

sent us stumbling backward

for cover, fresh air, a can of

Febreeze, anything.

“Shut the door!!” someone

yelled from behind as one

brave soul reached forward

and pushed hard on the handle.

As it swung shut, we let out a

sigh of relief – but too soon;

the hallway had, much to our

horror, captured the scent now

seeping, it seemed, through the

walls.

In a second we were outside,

gulping down the cool breeze

as quick as our lungs would

allow. We exchanged worried

glances and asked ourselves

the same questions. First, what

was it? Whose milk had gone

bad? Who left the banana in

the corner? Then, what do we

do with it? Call our proctor?

Campus services? The EPA?

We had no idea.

With shirts pulled high over

noses and mouths, we poured

back into the room, four

strong, searching high and low

for the smell that made Tank’s

sock drawer seem like the

Southside flower garden.

Oddly, we couldn’t find it in

the trash. Hurried looks into

the fridges proved inconclu-

sive, and it wasn’t behind the

couch either. No, it was on the

way out, on the windowsill, in

the beating sun, that we found

the source.

A week into school, back in

August, the campus program

for sustainability had hosted a

study-break in the dining hall

– a chance to socialize, relax,

and get some free stuff. At a

table in the middle a few peo-

ple were handing out mugs,

and into them, for those who

asked, they poured smoothies.

Banana, Strawberry, Blue-

berry, Kiwi. Yum.

At some point that same night,

one of us had decided we were

finished and screwed the lid,

tightly, back onto our mug.

The sealed container made its

way from the brain-break back

to our room and, in the interest

of conserving precious food

“for later,” had been left on the

windowsill. Who knew such

an unassuming, baby-blue cup

could cause our dorm proctor

to leave town?

Weeks of direct sunlight and

heat transformed that once

delicious treat into something

so vile that words like

“abominable,” “atrocious,”

and “horrendous” can’t even

begin an introduction to its

description. Armed with a ten-

foot pole (literally), we

reached through the doorway

and hooked our chalice of

doom by the handle. With a

cheering procession of dorm

residents, the mug was carried

around the building to the

closest trashcan. Apparently, it

was far too central, as later in

the day we looked out the win-

dow to see the charged spray

of a power washer focused on

the can.

This is college. A world domi-

nated by 1 am walks back

(NOT walk backs) from the

library, 2 am episodes of The

Office, and 3 am trips to

McD’s - if there were a McD’s

near campus. There’s a lot to

do, and even more time to do

it in. But the days, invariably,

fly by. It’s pretty easy to get a

little lost.

As tough as the packed weeks

at Holderness are, they’re in-

valuable as you head toward

college where your schedule is

completely what you make it.

Seniors, that responsibility is

fast approaching. Juniors, it’s

a bit like solo (kidding! – not

nearly as cold). There’s no

better time or place to hone

your management skills; write

that paper now so you have

time to build your next potato

cannon this weekend (totally

worth it). Try not to let any-

thing slip through the cracks.

If you do, just don’t let it be a

smoothie. They get smelly.

Life After Holderness: Barton Reports from the Other Side

Jake Barton this fall at Harvard with Young Soo Sung ’14

Got a Story to Share?

A Poem to Publish?

A Portrait to Print?

Submit

Your Best Work

to

Mosaic!

Page 7

Volume 9, Issue 4

New England Sports The Celtics: After beginning the season with four consecutive losses, the Celtics rebounded in dramatic fashion, beating

the winless Jazz, the cocky Heat, and the reeling Magic (twice) to give the team a glimmer of hope at a successful season.

They have been led by first-year starter Jeff Green, who hit the game winning three to beat the Heat last Saturday. With .6

seconds left in the game and the C’s down by two, Dwayne Wade was fouled and sent to the line for two free throws. He

missed the first and intentionally tried to miss the second to prevent the Celtics from getting any time to shoot the ball. But

his shot not only missed the basket but also missed the rim, a violation, and Boston had a new life. Gerald Wallace in-

bounded the ball, lobbing it across the court to Green who spun around and hit the shot before falling out of bounds and

shocking the Miami crowd.

A new era in Boston has begun, yet success is still years away. The depth is generally weak at this time, as their starting

lineup consists of last year’s bench combined with middle-of-the-first-round draft picks. The roots are set, but until Rondo

comes back and the rest of the team matures, the Celtics' successes will be few and far between. Even now three of their

wins were against sub .500 teams, and the Heat’s core was slowed down due to injuries. - Joey Casey ’14

The Boston Bruins: The Bruins have dominated November, and with a record of 4-1-1 this month, the B’s are continuing

to pick up speed. They started off the month with a battle against the New York Islanders. Although it ended in a 3-1 loss,

it would be the only regulation loss in November. After the loss against the Islanders, they then faced off against former

Bruin Tyler Seguin and the Dallas Stars. The game went into overtime and then into a shootout, where the Stars ultimately

won with goals from both of the former Bruins players, Rich Peverly and Tyler Seguin.

Even though they lost both games within only a margin of two, this was unacceptable for the Bruins. They have since

gone on a rampage, winning the last three games by two or more goals. They played a multitude of former Bruins includ-

ing Tim Thomas of the Florida Panthers and Phil Kessel of the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, a highlight thus far this

month is definitely the Veteran’s Day matinee game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Veteran’s Day game started off with the Bruins warming up in specialty camo jerseys in honor of the troops. Both

teams were deadlocked with zero goals at the end of the first period, but the Bruins exploded out of the locker room in the

second period with two goals from Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille. The game ended 3-0 with a final goal from Jarome

Iginla in the third period, shutting out the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa Bay, unfortunately, was plagued by the injury of

top goal scorer Steven Stamkos, who slid awkwardly into the net thus breaking his tibia; he is out of the game indefinitely.

- Connor Marien ’14

Good Luck Field Hockey!

We’ll Be There to Cheer You On!

Saturday, November 16

at 2:00 on the

Turf

Go Bulls!

Page 8

The Picador

By So Min Park ’14

What will happen to Senior

Thesis now that it is a required

course for all seniors? Will the

quality of the presentations

decrease or will the creativity

just increase?

I don’t know. I don’t think

anyone does. This is the first

year Senior Thesis is a re-

quired course, so it will be an

experiment. Even if the results

are undesirable, we won’t find

out until we try -- a lesson

from Mr. Ford’s Holderness

cheer.

Despite the controversy and

doubt mandatory Senior The-

sis has received, I have a good

feeling about this. Although I

would have chosen to do a

senior thesis even if it wasn’t

required, I know that some

people would have preferred

to do Senior Colloquium in-

stead.

However, a lot of people are

getting inspired, and ideas for

this independent project are

sparking up all over the place

with the help of family, friends

and teachers. After all, it is a

time and opportunity for us to

explore and work hands-on

with a topic we are truly pas-

sionate about. If you think

about it, when else will you

have a whole month to go out

and research something you

actually care about? The

school is giving us time off,

the teachers are supporting us,

and we will enlighten our-

selves with the knowledge we

create.

Seniors, even if you dreaded

going into the first Senior The-

sis meeting, your opinion

probably changed as soon as

you saw the crayons and

Mexican-themed food waiting

for you to devour. Ms.

Macomber created a fantastic

way to start off Senior Thesis,

feeding us her contagious opti-

mistic energy and open-

minded approaches to topics.

And even though I wanted to

participate, I know I was

scared for Senior Thesis at

first: What would I research?

I, personally, encountered the

problem of having too many

topics to choose from. I

wanted to explore all of them,

but which one did I love the

most? Thankfully, Ms.

Macomber’s meetings, that

taught us how to choose an

appropriate topic and create an

essential question, empowered

and motivated many of us to

explore even deeper into our

passion of choice.

Senior Thesis is a big step to-

ward independence. We basi-

cally choose the topic of study

for an entire semester and

spend our March breaks living

with the topic. What better

way is there to learn about a

subject than working with it in

person?

It’s a big change for Holder-

ness. Only we get to decide

whether it will be a good or

bad change. Since we have the

time, support, and opportunity

to explore something we love,

the way we want to, why not

take advantage of this?

Change Is Good: The Senior Thesis Requirement

By Annie Hayes ’15

What did you do this week-

end? Thanks to our weekend

activities crew, there are al-

ways activities planned for

Saturday nights and Sundays.

Whether there is a movie on

the Quad, a scavenger hunt, an

off-campus trip, or a dance,

weekend activities are an awe-

some way for students to take

a step back from their school-

work and hang out with

friends.

According to the majority of

students here at Holderness,

dances are a favorite weekend

activity. The loud music and

dancing are especially appeal-

ing. However, dances cannot

take place every weekend;

other activities need to occur

as well.

Since September, our awe-

some crew and the weekend-

duty faculty members have

planned a multitude of activi-

ties for our enjoyment. These

specially thought out events

range from apple picking in

northern New Hampshire to

movies in Weld, from brown-

ies at the Head’s House to

ping-pong tournaments in

lower Weld. All of these ac-

tivities are put in place so that

the students do not need to sit

in their dorm rooms all night

playing video games and

watching TV. They are an ex-

cellent excuse to round up a

few friends and make the most

out of your time here at Hol-

derness.

A lot of times, weekend activi-

ties go unnoticed by a large

portion of the student popula-

tion, leaving the planned ac-

tivities with low attendance

records. But any activity can

be fun if you get a good group

of friends involved. Rather

than sitting in your dorm

rooms doing nothing and com-

plaining about being bored, try

gathering up a few buddies

and trying out a new activity;

even a pick-up game of indoor

soccer, floor hockey, or bas-

ketball can be fun during open

gym on Saturday nights.

With the warm weather behind

us, we are looking ahead into

the cold and gloomy winter

when people will no longer

have a desire to spend any

more time outside than they

absolutely need to. Nonethe-

less, the weekend activities

that are planned for those days

when you just can’t seem to

get yourself out of bed are

some of the most entertaining

activities that take place

throughout the whole year. In

(Continued on page 10)

Student Opinion

Weekend Activities: They are What You Make of Them

Volume 9, Issue 4

Page 9

Entertainment: The Weekend Survey

The process by which weekend activities are chosen is a mystery to some people on campus. Who chooses them? Who decides

which activities will get funded and which ones will remain just ideas? And who comes up with the ideas in the first place? Is

there ever an opportunity for the general community to have input?

In order to find out what the community really wants, we asked students and faculty to respond to a survey and describe their

ideas for fun weekend activities. Responses that were very popular are noted (*).

Sunday buses to Loon, Waterville, and other nearby ski ar-

eas*

Sidewalk painting

Casual open mike nights/coffee houses, where anyone can

perform and there’s no need for huge preparation

Book clubs

Swimming at PSU

Fan buses to away games more often

Quidditch*

Overnight camping (OB cabin and AMC huts)*

Boston trips*

Trips to sledding/tubing hills

T-shirt designing with plain t-shirts, spray paints, stencils,

and other materials

Flea market and farmers’ market trips

More movies, chosen by students*

Finger painting in Weld

Holderness cooking battles, cooking clubs, food appreciation

groups

More opportunities to hang out in a central place with food

and music, not necessarily with another planned activity at-

tached

More dances*

More cultural meals

Movies and desserts in faculty homes (this is a widely forgot-

ten activity during which students sign up ahead of time to

watch faculty members’ favorite movies with them and eat

dessert)

Laser tag and assassin

Bring back cultural weekends (a whole Friday night through

Saturday night event that includes trips to Boston and on-

campus cultural programs for the whole school)

More days like Super Sunday where the whole school com-

petes

Karaoke night in Hagerman using the big screen

3v3 basketball tournaments -- only one varsity player al-

lowed per team

Campus-wide hide-n-go-seek games

Snow golf

Hockey skills competitions

Wiffle ball

Knitting, painting, and making other small crafts or dorm

decorations

Creative writing workshops

At least one paintball trip per season

Snowman making

Tea, cookies, scones, and some kind of small activity and a

fire in the West Wing at 3 on Sundays

Mr. Holderness Pageant

Capture the Flag*

Page 10

The Picador

Caroline Mure: How did you hear about Holderness?

Ms. Merchant: I grew up in Laconia so I knew about it. I also

heard about the school through my art teacher.

CM: Do you live on campus?

AM: No, I live in Meredith.

CM: What is your favorite part about Holderness so far?

AM: So far, my classes and my students. They are great.

CM: Will you be coaching any sports this year?

AM: I will be doing Art in Afternoon in the winter and helping

with rock climbing in

the spring.

CM: How are you lik-

ing the assemblies and

the overall schedule?

AM: They flow nicely. I

like the current events

and how assemblies are

partially student-run.

CM: Be honest, how is the food here?

AM: The food is good; I like the fact that I get free food. I

don’t have to go grocery shopping as often.

CM: How often do you go home?

AM: I try to balance home and school as much as I can.

CM: What college did you go to?

AM: I spent a year at the University of New Hampshire and

then transferred to the Rochester Institute of Technology.

CM: What is your favorite book?

AM: One of my favorite books is The Host by Stephenie

Meyer. But the movie was awful.

CM: Fun facts about yourself?

AM: I have a pet hedgehog named Dodger, and I used to be

part of a roller derby team when I lived in Colorado for the past

two years. They called me “The Artful Dodger.” Um, my first

car was a pink truck, and now I have a blue Mini Cooper. Oh,

and I used to have a motorcycle.

CM: Have you always loved art? When did you know you

wanted to pursue art as a career?

AM: My mother was an artist, and so is my sister, so I grew up

with art. From the moment I could hold a crayon, I was writing

all over the walls, so I have always loved art.

Faculty Profile: Allison Merchant

Yipee, Holderness School has five new faculty members! In each issue of The Picador this fall, we will take the time to introduce

them to the Holderness community. This week it is Allison Merchant’s turn. Thank you , Caroline Mure ’14, for taking the time to

interview her.

Shout Outs By Allie Solms ’14

VFH - Good luck in the playoffs!

AJ - Wishing you a fast recovery.

DH + GE = Tall, blonde, and Spanish-speaking.

CS + LR = She may have many shut outs, but CS has

surely scored.

MM + AH = Potential prom dates?

LO + CD = That haircut did LO well.

past years, weekend activities

in the winter have included

square dancing, floor hockey,

and even a carnival in Bartsch,

complete with a bouncy castle

and a mechanical shark.

Another thing that is going to

be brought back this winter is

the Whiteout Dance. Lower

Weld gets covered in plastic

tarps and black lights, and eve-

ryone wears white.

If there are any other ideas that

appeal to you, the weekend

activities crew would love to

hear your suggestions. They

come up with the activities for

your entertainment and would

love to plan them so that they

can cater to your desires.

Have an entertaining weekend

and try an activity that you

haven’t done yet this year.

Then make sure to thank the

people in charge of planning it

for making it so great.

Weekends (Continued from page 8)

Volume 9, Issue 4

Page 11

Horoscopes

By Caroline Mure ’14 and Sookie Liddle ’14

Scorpio (October 23 - No-

vember 21): You and you-

know-who are planning on

hanging out. You don’t know

if it’s considered a date or not,

but whatever it is, start to spice

things up; otherwise your sig-

nificant other may become

uninterested.

Sagittarius (November 22 -

December 21): This has not

been your week. You’ve been

dealing with the stress of

school, the drama of your

friends, and the complications

of an oncoming cold. Start to

warm up your life by reaching

out to new people and taking

deep breaths.

Capricorn (December 22 -

January 19): This is your

month for positive communi-

cation. Your social energy is

just right for getting others to

see what’s in your collective

best interest. Voice your opin-

ions and don’t be ashamed.

Aquarius (January 20 -February 18): You are drawn

toward a specific someone like

a moth toward a flame. It's

okay to let your mind wander,

but don’t let him/her consume

your entire thought process.

Keep your love life in perspec-

tive.

Pisces (February 19 - March

20): You deserve to have extra

“me time” this week; your

birthday is still a long way off

and you need to give yourself

more credit. Buy yourself

something nice, or spend a

chunk of time doing stuff you

love. Then spread the love!!!

Aries (March 21 - April 19):

You have been getting frus-

trated very easily lately. Stop

judging everyone and try see-

ing things from other people's

perspectives; this will help you

reign in your anxious feelings

and get along better with oth-

ers.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20):

You have been distant with

your family lately. Remember

that they are the reason you

are here. Take more time to

appreciate them this week and

make plans with them for

Thanksgiving break.

Gemini (May 21 – June 21) :

You have been hearing a lot of

mixed messages lately, and

unfortunately it is your job to

clear them up. Find out the

whole story; then share the

information with those around

you.

Cancer (June 22 - July 22):

Find time for fun; your energy

is too good to waste on pro-

jects and activities that don’t

relate to you. You have been

working hard, and you need a

break.

Leo (July 23-August 22):

You have encountered several

difficult situations today that

require creative solutions.

Keep your options open and

don’t be afraid to jump at new

opportunities that could help

solve this problem of yours.

Virgo (August 23 - Septem-

ber 22): You may have felt

lost today, and you are con-

fused about a situation that

once made perfect sense. Stop

focusing on your losses and

making a big deal out of them;

let them go or handle the situa-

tion like a mature adult.

Libra (September 23 - Octo-

ber 22): Make sure to show

the world that you can adapt to

any situation, for that is where

you find the most success.

Proving them wrong will help

prove your actions right.

Overheards Collected by Parker Densmore ’15

Please email pdensmore@holderness.org if you hear

anything that you think should be shared.

Big Cups are now on National Geographic’s Endan-

gered Species List.

Are the varsity COD tryouts on Thursday or Friday?

Who shaved my pumpkin?

Is Milmoe in college?

I heard our art team is rated #2 in the country by ESPN.

Free General Gao’s? Turn up!

Tabor’s water machine doesn’t work either.

We would have won if the math team competed at Ta-

bor Day.

What is this “free time” you speak of?

In and Out

Katie Remien ’15 and Rachael Erhard ’14

IN:

Saturday Sleep-ins

Dead Week

Playoffs

Friday Night Freedom

Bean Boots

OUT:

8:15 Classes

Spirit Week

Regular Season

10:30 Checks

Sandals

The Picador

A miracle

comes in front of my eyes,

A trip to the long forgotten past.

I saw that person

who I have always loved and respected.

His memories

which he has told me since I was small.

Fun and enjoyable.

That was what I thought.

In the very last minutes of the trip, when I saw his

love for me, I suddenly realized,

Why am I such a bad girl?

I tell people I care for him, but I never remember

his birthday,

I tell people I like listening to his advice, but I

ignore what he says.

I hurt him a lot, but he always stays silent

and looks at me with his brown eyes

warm like fire.

Tears came from my eyes non-stop,

as I was filled with regret.

“I can’t fix the past,” I murmured to myself.

At that moment, an angel, with his pure white

wings, appeared,

hugging me gently, then smiling at me.

“Don’t worry, you still have time,” he said, and

he gave me five little stars.

And then I woke up.

It was just a dream.

I sighed,

“At least I learned my lesson.”

But then I noticed

a picture of five little stars on my laptop screen.

I could feel these stars looking at me with their

warm eyes

just like that person, my only grandfather in this

world.

They were the gifts from that mysterious angel,

who showed me

one lesson I would never forget.

“Treasure your beloved ones.”

I chuckled happily

as I started my new day.

Five Stars, One Lesson By Thao Nguyen ’15

Missouri: Single men between the ages of twenty-one and fifty

must pay an annual tax of one dollar.

Montana: It is illegal to have a sheep in the cab of your truck

without a chaperone.

Nebraska: Drivers on mountains should drive with caution

near the right hand edge of the highway. (Um, there are no

mountains in Nebraska).

Nevada: It is illegal to drive a camel on the highway.

New Hampshire: You may not run machinery on Sundays.

New Jersey: It is against the law for a man to knit during fish-

ing season.

New Mexico: Idiots may not vote. (How do you define idiot?)

New York: The penalty for jumping off a building is death.

(‘cause you might not be dead yet.)

North Carolina: Elephants may not be used to plow cotton.

North Dakota: It is illegal to lie down and fall asleep with

your shoes on.

Ohio: It is illegal to mistreat anything of great importance.

Oklahoma: Dogs must have a permit from the mayor in order

to congregate in groups of three or more on private property.

Oregon: In Klamath River, it is illegal to walk down a side-

walk and knock a snake's head off with your cane.

Pennsylvania: Dynamite is not to be used to catch fish.

Rhode Island: No one may bite off another’s leg.

South Carolina: Horses may not be kept in bathtubs.

South Dakota: It illegal to lie down and fall asleep in a cheese

factory.

Tennessee: The definition of “dumb animal” includes every

living creature. (So, humans too, right?)

Texas: When two trains meet each other at a railroad crossing,

each shall come to a full stop and neither shall proceed until the

other has gone. (Huh?)

Utah: Birds have the right of way on all highways.

Vermont: At one time it was illegal to tie a giraffe to a tele-

phone pole.

Wyoming: Citizens may not take showers on Wednesdays.

What Not to Do: Driving Camels and Dog Party Permits In between study sessions, ninth grader Liesl Magnus discovered a vast catalogue of ridiculous laws in states across the Union.

Below is Part II for your reading pleasure. Be careful out there; you never know what you might get arrested for!