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A Public Forum For News, oPiNioN, ANd creAtive thought oF the goverNor’s AcAdemy

In thIS I SSue

ed ItorIalSThe Impetus for Change ..................2A Necessary Evil ...............................2Still Waters Run Deep ......................2

opInIonPolitical Debate .................................3Mind of Myles ...................................4 SOPA/PIPA ........................................4Apathy ................................................4Ignorance ...........................................5Last Name ..........................................5Guns ...................................................6Arts Banquet .....................................6

FeatureSQuimby Reflection ...........................7First Conversations ..........................7The Memorization Question ...........8Starcraft ........................................... 10Fashion ............................................ 10Faculty Spotlight ............................ 11 Behind the Scenes Spotlight ......... 11

artSMusical ............................................ 12Dance .............................................. 12Tech ................................................. 12

revIewSMusic Debate ................................. 13Glee .................................................. 13Music Mashups .............................. 13

SportSSuper Bowl ..................................... 14Boys’ Hockey .................................. 14Winter Sports Update ................... 15

humorHumans vs. Zombies ..................... 16Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? ............................................... 16Alfriddles ........................................ 16

awardSStudent Recognition ...................... 17

poetryParents Poem.................................. 18

ShutterbugPhotos ............................................. 19

back pageBirthdays ......................................... 20Parents’ Weekend Schedule .......... 20

This issue of The Governor is printed on 50% recycled paper.

February 17, 2012 volume 53, issue 6

Brett Bidstrup ‘13

Not for self, but for othersHannaH rauscH ‘12

On Tuesday, January 26, Father Paul O’Brien, founder of Cor Unum meal center in Lawrence, came to speak to the school community as a part of the “What Matters to Me and Why” convocation series. Listening to his “irreverent humor” and passionate words made it easy to see why students sitting in the same seats six years ago were so moved by Father O’Brien’s mission that they rallied to create a lasting service opportunity for Gover-nor’s students at Cor Unum.

The Academy’s relationship with Cor Unum began in 2006, when former headmaster Marty Doggett asked Fa-ther O’Brien, who was just beginning to serve the first meals at Cor Unum, to speak as a part of the Spirituality con-vocation series. Doggett chose O’Brien

because he admired his passion for ser-vice, and he felt O’Brien’s personality would appeal to students and motivate them to feel just as passionate about helping those in need. At the time, the only service opportunity for students was the food bank. While Doggett is quick to commend the food bank as “a very worthwhile enterprise,” he and the students felt that a more personal form of community service would be beneficial. The speech had a “galva-nizing effect,” according to Doggett, and students were more than willing to look into spending a few Sundays serving at Cor Unum. “At the end of the day, community service is all about social justice,” says Doggett, “and it has always been my belief that devel-oping a social conscience is one of the

key components of a good education...Looking to the future, I would like to think that [having a social conscience] will be the earmark of a Governor’s graduate.”

With experiences like serving at Cor Unum, this is entirely possible. Those who attend Cor Unum come back with a sense of gratitude for their good fortune, and a better sense of re-sponsibility for those less fortunate. Unlike the Food Bank, where students load cans into boxes and never actually see any of the people they serve, at Cor Unum, students find themselves face-to-face with the harsh reality of pover-ty in a place that is, for some, very close to home. Many students and faculty who attend tend to notice the alarm-ing number of

...Continued on Page 5

govs turns 250The next academic year marks the

250th Anniversary of The Governor’s Academy. It was almost 250 years ago when Master Samuel Moody taught the first class of 28 students of “Dum’r Charity School” in the Little Red Schoolhouse. Due to Lieutenant Gov-ernor William Dummer’s generosity and spirit, here we are now—249 years and thousands of graduates later—en-joying the Governor’s Academy expe-rience. In 1763, he and his wife Cathe-rine donated their home and farmland to create a school where students lived on campus, thereby creating the first boarding school in New England.

As many of us are working away just trying to make it through the win-ter, a group of people is looking ahead to next year. September marks the be-ginning of the 250th Anniversary of The Governor’s Academy, and we are starting the year off with a bang. To-wards the end of that month, we will have the kick-off gala weekend. This weekend includes a full day of home sporting games followed by a tailgating cookout. Later that evening, an elegant Dinner Gala will be held on campus for alumni and other adults. There will also be a fireworks show overlooking Morse Field along with other activities for the students.

The next event on the schedule is

the National Community Service Day. This is a day dedicated to upholding the school motto, non sibi sed aliis—“Not for self but for others.” While everyone on campus volunteers at the Special Olympics, alumni will partici-

pate in other projects for charities in the spirit of giving back.

Later in the year, on March 1, we will celebrate Founder’s Day. Found-er’s Day marks the official opening of our school – the Academy’s birthday so to speak. To celebrate the anniver-sary, there will be a reenactment of the Revolution, a special lunch, a keynote speaker, art receptions and a concert that night. Part of the day will be des-ignated to learning more about the school’s history.

There are a few major projects to commemorate the 250th Anniversary.

Next fall, In Byfield Days…the History of the Governor’s Academy, 1763-2013, by Webster Bull will be published. This book contains a complete history of the school including many pictures from its earlier years. There are also two films to celebrate the history of our school; the first video is a documentary by Jean Bower who is part of the 250th graduating class. The second film, by Crowley and Davis, commemorates the past and looks towards the future of The Governor’s Academy. This film will be released at the Dinner Gala.

If that’s not enough, there is still graduation weekend. Events are in the planning process for the weekend, but the 250th graduation also marks the 100th Anniversary of the Morse Flag Ceremony. There will surely be other special festivities during that week-end and alumni reunions that follow later in June. As a lucky member of the 250th graduating class, I am more than excited for the special festivities. It is very exciting that we all get to share this watershed moment in the school’s history. If William Dummer were alive to see it all, he would surely be so proud of what he started here a quarter of a millennium ago. Next year marks a thrilling milestone in The Governor’s Academy’s history.

the governor 2editorials

February 17 2012 volume 53, issue 6

the goverNorA Public Forum For News, oPiNioN,

ANd creAtive thought oF the goverNor’s AcAdemy

edItorS- In-chIeF :Rachel Cabitt ‘12John Damianos ‘12Lauren LaBrique ‘12

managIng edI -torS : Mei Li Johnson ‘13Tina McGrath ‘12Myles Badger ‘13

photography edItorS :Christine Lee ‘12Jean Bower ‘13Jaicey Bang ‘13

maSthead:Abby Matses ‘11

advISorS :Elaine WhitePeter Mason

StaFF wrIterS :Elisabeth Bogart ‘12Alfred Cerrone ‘12Andrew Coleburn ‘12Pearson Dresser ‘12Amy Hoopes ‘12Maya Martignetti ‘12Chad Martin ‘12Katie McKay ‘12Hannah Rausch ‘12George Tourkakis ‘12

Tamara Wong-Azaiez ‘12Joe Benson ‘13Brett Bidstrup ‘13Tom Canaday ‘13Molly Fulton ‘13Lindsey Harrigan ‘13Neil He ‘13Jimmy Monroe ‘13Natalie Sullivan ‘13Bryce Turner ‘13Dan Capobianco ‘14Alex Curran-Cardarelli ‘14Emilie MacDonald ‘14Johnny Nickodemus ‘14Lucy Purinton ‘14Abby Katz ‘15Garth Robinson ‘15

the impetus for change

tina mcgratH ‘12

joHn damianos ‘12

This past summer I worked in a lab at Children’s Hospital Boston studying possible treatments for spinal cord in-jury. My dad has been a quadriplegic for most of my life, so this field is a particular interest of mine. The doc-tor I worked with tested the effects of a protein on healing injured mice. While I was encouraged and interested by all of the extensive research I witnessed in the lab, I often felt uncomfortable working with the mice. Most of the re-search involved procedures that were painful and sometimes lethal to the mice. One procedure we went through regularly was testing the genotypes of different litters; this involved cutting the tips of their ears and tails off to get DNA samples. Another procedure in-volved cutting the spinal cords of these mice so they lost all feeling and move-ment in their lower bodies. My most gruesome task, however, was running a substance through the veins of the mice to make their tissue firm enough for dissection. This felt suspiciously like murder.

Although I knew the work in the lab was for a good cause, I felt horrible watching the animals suffer. Every night when I got home from work my mother was horrified as I described the events of the day. The part of the lab that contained the mice was enor-mous; there were rows upon rows of containers filled with thousands of mice that would never see the sunlight or venture out of their cages. They would sit there for weeks and inevita-bly be killed by one doctor or another

and used by researchers filling out lab reports and journals. The lab was so contaminated that in order to enter, humans had to put on full body pro-tection gear (a hair net, a mask, two sets of booties, two sets of gloves, and two paper suits). These defenses were used to protect against the diseases in the lab, and many of the mice died of various sicknesses before they even had the chance to be killed.

When I asked Katherine, the doc-tor I worked with, how she felt about working with the mice, she often de-scribed the same sense of discomfort that I felt. The mice she worked with were her own; she would breed them, feed them, and check on them several times a day, but after several weeks she would have to injure them and eventu-ally take their lives for her project. She regretted this part of her job, but she acknowledged that it was, in fact, part of her job. She also explained that these procedures were all used to test vari-ous treatments for spinal cord injury that could eventually help humans, and the only way to truly try them out was to practice on live animals. Every day her results and those of her co-workers seemed more encouraging, and they seemed to be stepping closer to the cure.

Although I hated watching the mice suffer, I agree with Katherine. There has to be some way to test these treatments out, and running initial trials on humans would be much more devastating (and, not to mention, highly illegal). While I do not advocate

Every year, Time Magazine hon-ors someone as the Time Person of the Year. This honor has gone to presidents such as FDR, JFK, and Barack Obama, world leaders such as Churchill and Gandhi, dictators such as Hitler and Stalin. But for the year 2011, the edi-tors at Time bestowed this annual tribute to a collection of people: The Protester. This was rather appropriate; after Arab Spring, the subsequent up-risings, and the Occupy Movement in the States, it seemed that the esprit de corps of protesting had swept over the world like a wave.

We witnessed history last year. I’ll never forget sitting with my family watching Anderson Cooper on CNN track the toppling of Gaddafi’s regime, the destruction of thirty years of op-pressive rule. It was glorious to see the triumph of democracy, a blazing beacon amidst bellicose brutality. The most magnificent part of these truly revolutionary events, however, was in-deed the protesters. What all of these uprisings had in common were people standing up for what they believe in. Libyans were tired of conservative authoritarian rule and were ready to usher in a new era of liberal democrat-ic governance. And so they protested. Citizens came together as one and demonstrated against tyranny. It is this sort of protest that spurs change, and I expect to see more and more in the upcoming years. With this kind of successful and efficient protesting, the Middle East can eventually rid itself of all dictatorial rule and the oppressive theocracies of Sharia Law.

Here in the U.S., we saw our own version of protesting with the Occupy Movement. Beginning with Occupy Wall Street, similar demonstrations erupted in cities throughout the coun-try. But our protests, unlike those in Libya and Egypt, failed. Analysts can find countless reasons why they failed – lack of organization, differing ide-ologies, etc. – but it can all be boiled down to one sole explanation: laziness. The Occupy protesters had a valid aim:

to fight against economic inequality and close the ever-increasing cleavage between the ultra-rich (the 1%) and everyone else (the 99%). But the pro-testers did not protest effectively, and this can be attributed to technology. People thought it sufficed to post a sta-tus about class discrepancy on Face-book. People thought it sufficed to post an update about the unfairness of the 1% on Twitter. People thought it suf-ficed to text each other about the con-centration of wealth in the financial sector. This only accomplished aware-ness – which, of course, is important – and nothing else. The Libyans were not freed by posting “Gaddafi’s kill-ing me! (Literally!)” on Facebook; the Egyptians were not liberated by post-ing “Enough with Mubarak! #time-forchange.” They got out and rallied. Indeed, they came together as one and fought for a single cause. And it paid off.

The problem is inertia. People hold strong beliefs but don’t want to do any-thing about them. This holds true at Governor’s. Students complain about everything; they don’t like how dis-cipline is dealt with, they don’t agree with school policy on drugs. And yet, they do nothing about it. They post statuses on Facebook and Twitter, they talk amongst themselves, but this ac-complishes nothing.

I was inspired by the movie Iron Lady, when Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher says “If you want to change the party, lead it! If you want to change this country, lead it!” It is time we take actions, my fellow students. If you want to make change, make change! As adolescents, it may seem like our actions hold little to no gravitas, but on the contrary, we are all vessels of change, armed with knowledge, and we can make change happen. It was protesting that brought about the Civil Rights Era. It was protesting that earned the Middle East democracy. It is protesting that can rid all injustice from our future.

A Necessary evil

jean Bower ‘13

“Do they, like, even float? Don’t they just drown?” My eighth grade classmate asked me. I had just ex-plained to him that I was a coach for the Special Olympics swim team in Lawrence. I looked at him, the igno-rance of his question looming in the air. “No,” I replied, “No, they don’t just drown.”

This February, I am embarking on my fourth year as a coach for that same swim team. Many of the athletes I worked with my first year are still members, and I look forward to teach-ing them every year. The group is com-prised of male and female adults with a variety of disabilities. They are some of the most talented swimmers I have ever seen. They have mastered things in the water that anyone can have diffi-culty with (like the movement of one’s hips during butterfly) while simulta-neously overcoming challenges specif-ic to their disabilities. One of the first athletes I worked with one-on-one, Colleen, did not have full mobility in her legs. I was assigned to teach her the breast-stroke kick, one that requires a

“swinging” motion of both legs at the same time. After weeks and weeks of meticulous practice, she finally did it. It was incredible. She was thrilled, and so was I!

Every Sunday when I walk on to the pool deck and greet the athletes, my mind flickers to that day in eighth grade. I wish I could go back, intro-duce my classmate to these amazing men and women, and show him how unbelievably talented they are. I wish I could show him how wrong he was. I realize, however, that this is not fea-sible. H. Jackson Brown Jr. once said, “The greatest ignorance is to reject something you know nothing about.” My former classmate held that ig-norance. He passed judgement on a group of individuals he did not know at all. That memory will forever be in my mind, serving as a reminder of the ignorance present in our society. I sincerely hope that someday it will not be so prevalent, for the benefit of my classmate, the athletes I work with, and all others facing prejudice around the world.

still waters run deep

...Continued on Page 5

the governor 3Op/Ed

I know what you’re going to say, Andrew. You are going to say that marijuana is no more dangerous than drugs or alcohol, so there is no reason to keep it il-legal. I will concede that marijuana is not as dangerous as other drugs such as heroin or cocaine; however, the effects it has on the user can be harmful, not just to the user, but to others also. Because of this great potential for injuring others, there are many reasons why pot must remain an illegal drug.

Marijuana is a relatively mild drug. Its effects (both short and long-term) are neither as dramatic or dangerous than those of other drugs; indeed, the high induced from pot consists of a change in percep-tion and mood, short-term memory loss, and a decrease in both heart rate and blood pressure. It is for this reason, therefore, that many drug abus-ers begin with marijuana. It is a “stepping stone drug,” one that people use as a springboard into harder drugs like heroin and cocaine. By legal-izing marijuana, we are essentially leading people into drug addictions, people like college students, for instance. Should we be giving college students the opportunity to become drug addicts?

There is a big difference between smoking to-bacco and smoking pot. Tobacco does not lead to a high; it may make the user feel more relaxed, but it does not alter his or her mental state like marijuana does. Because marijuana does have these types of effects, legalizing it would lead to dangerous activities such as driving high. Drunk driving is already a problem, and stoned driving would be very similar. While driving high may not be exactly as dangerous as driving drunk, it is still a po-tentially dangerous action. Pot slows reflexes, diminishes concentration, and im-pairs judgment; these are truly the antithesis of safe driving. We can’t afford to have people driving high, with their minds not focused on the road. Moreover,

with the effects of short-term memory loss and impaired judgment, people are more likely to commit serious crimes.

In the United States, we are constantly struggling to find the best ways to keep tobacco and alcohol out of the hands of children. Through life skills classes at school and aggressive education campaigns, we have made significant prog-ress, yet kids still get a hold of these substances. By legalizing marijuana, we are increasing the chances of kids getting pot. There is a reason why marijuana is illegal: it affects the brain. The human brain is not fully developed until about

the mid-20s; thus, substances such as marijuana can impair brain development. This is about the safety of our children; we cannot afford to put our future in jeopardy.

It is simply too dangerous to legalize marijuana. There are too many risks, too many dangers, too many possibilities. It is a stepping stone drug, helping people ease their way into harder drugs; legalizing it would see an increase in stoned driving; children would have an easier accessibility to the drug. There are other reasons too: consider the dangers of second-hand smoke or the possibility that legalizing marijuana could be the impetus to legalizing all kinds of drugs. This isn’t about infringing upon personal rights, this isn’t about being a “goody-two-shoes;” this is about the safety of our society.

weed didn’t start the FirejoHn damianos ‘12

andrew coleBurn ‘12

First of all John, I would just like to point out the irony of you (the liberal) arguing against marijuana legalization and me (the conservative) arguing for it. Second of all, you have read my arguments like a book. I’m glad we can agree that marijuana is no more dangerous than legal alcohol and tobacco; it is in fact much safer. And sure, there may be some “harmful” effects, but what actions don’t have any harmful effects? Really, it boils down to relatively simple cost-benefit analysis.

You are right, marijuana is a mild drug, and perhaps, with the way things are now, some marijuana users go on to use harder drugs. However, this is not an effect of marijuana itself, but rather an effect of the personalities of those disposed to illegal drug use. This is a societal issue, fueled by the stigma of the substance, which has been created around its illegality. Let me be clear, I am not in favor of marijuana legalization because of its recreational use; I am in favor of legalization because the benefits for individuals and society could be immense.

Right again, John! There is a HUGE difference between smoking tobacco and smoking pot. Pot doesn’t give cancer to the user and to those around them. People do not get addicted to smoking pot. Pot does not ruin (and take) lives. Here’s where you are drastically wrong though: studies have shown that marijuana users actu-ally make the roads safer! I kid you not! In fact, studies have observed that stoned driving is more dissimilar to drunk driving than it is alike. Stoned drivers tend to drive slower rather than faster, they take fewer risks, and they are at least aware of any possible impairment affecting them. Another theory suggests that marijuana users “just don’t go out as much.” Whatever the reasons, it seems that marijuana users actually make the roads safer. As for your theory that marijuana users are more likely to commit serious violent crimes, I say this: stoners typically aren’t struck with homicidal rages, if you catch my drift. Alcoholics however? Well, just look at the rate of domestic violence.

Now, I have a harsh reality for you. Children and teenagers will always get hold of substances, legal or not. It’s going to happen. We can attempt to control it as a society, and sure we can be moderately successful, but we cannot eliminate that issue. Legalizing marijuana will have no effect on this issue. We’ve got a smoking age, and a drinking age; just set a toking age! This will limit underage use in the most effective manner that we know how. If you can come up with a better system, please, suggest it so we can use it on all legal substances.

John, it really isn’t dangerous to legalize marijuana. Like I said, it comes down to some relatively simple cost-benefit analysis. Here are the costs: increased (how-ever not harmful drug use). Actually, that’s really the only actual cost I can think of. Here are the benefits. 1.) Decreased criminal activity, violence, and revenue for organized crime. Think about where all the pot comes from now, when it is illegal. There won’t be violence over bad pot deals if there aren’t any deals to begin with. Also, with the resources freed up from chasing the marijuana supply chain, law enforcement can focus their energies (and the hard earned money of the tax payers) on cracking down on drugs that are actually harmful and a danger to society. 2.) Increased tax revenue; some estimates place the number at over $100 billion per year in possible tax money for the government. 3.) Regulation of an already widely used substance: it’s already safer than tobacco and alcohol (not to mention hoards of pharmaceuticals); with legalization and regulation it could be made even safer. 4.) Medical benefits: studies have shown over and over that marijuana can be an effective treatment for patients with depression, anxiety, multiple sclerosis, cancers, ADHD, migraine headaches, Alzheimer’s, PMS, glaucoma, epilepsy, Tourette’s, Crohn’s disease, and many more, not to mention that it is much safer than many legal, government sanctioned pharmaceuticals.

The truth is, John, marijuana is only illegal because it is surrounded by a social stigma that it does not deserve, a stigma that creates some of the problems that you blame on the drug itself. Legalizing marijuana will not lead to the legalization of other, harder drugs, because they do not have proven benefits with few detri-ments as marijuana does. You’re right again John, this is about the safety of our society. But our society could be safer and better with the legalization of marijuana.

pHoto BY cHristine lee ‘12

Source: http://www.balancedpolitics.org/marijuana_legalization.htm

Do you buy this? Think these guys are ridiculous?

E-mail us at john.damianos@govsacademy.org

the governor 4OP/ED

I was going to dedicate this week’s article to cov-erage of Newt Gingrich’s planned moon base, but as I was trying to think of a snappy pun that combined the name of a cheesy sci-fi movie with Gingrich’s name (2012: A Space Gingrich and District Newt were both early cast-offs), I stumbled onto Facebook, and sud-denly I realized what I was going to write my next article about. Our societal addiction to social media is killing us, and like Narcissus, the figure of Greek legend, all too many people have begun to fall in love with themselves to the degree that they feel it neces-sary to extol their every move, no matter how point-less, to the world.

The Internet is one of humanity’s crowning achievements. It unites the world in almost incompre-hensible ways, but at the same time, it’s given birth to a kind of aggressive narcissism never before seen in the history of the world. Now even the lowliest of persons is ensured that somewhere in the world, there is someone interested in their every lowly movement. Sadly, this is a far cry from truth, but it’s human na-ture for us to buy into an idea like this. It’s the reason why the Pharaohs build the Pyramids, and why most celebrities have taken to tweeting their every action. People want to be remembered, and at their most basic, statuses and tweets are small monuments, the sort of things that kings and generals used to build after fighting major battles.

But herein lies the one point that most people fail to recognize. Thanks to

21st century technology, we are able to create digi-talized messages to the entire world at the touch of a button, wherever and whenever we like. But unlike us, the great men and women of antiquity had a finite supply of stone to set their messages in, and therefore had to be more discerning on what to commemorate to the ages. We do not have this issue, and because of this newfound excess, we have become a society obsessed with commemorating everything, with no restraints put on the practice.

Today, we all walk around with devices capable of addressing the entire world in our pockets. The Internet is a podium, a global forum, yet from most of the statuses on Facebook, one might mistake the place for a sort of eternal open mic night, where no one is ever thrown off stage. Do yourselves a fa-vor, and think before you type. No one cares what you’re eating as you update your status.

But to conclude on a completely different note, as I write this, I am eating what may be the world’s best turkey sandwich.

mind of myles: like my statusmYles Badger ‘13

BrYce turner ‘13

Our generation is the internet generation; the Internet is the backbone of our way of life. Google and Wikipedia dominate our flow of information. You-Tube and Facebook serve as our entertainment and socializing, Megaupload and Megavideo for music and videos. However, Megaupload and Megavideo, the Internet’s equivalent of the black market, are rightfully dead. These were forums through which users uploaded files, often pirated, for others to download at no cost. This is unquestionably theft, an action prohibited under U.S. law. Why then, are so many protesting Megaupload’s death? If a merchant on the black market was caught, he would be throne in jail, no questions, no protests, but what is the difference? Why is it acceptable to steal movies but not jewelry? Why is it not okay to pass legislation that protects from theft on the Internet? Is it be-cause Americans condone theft?

The aim of SOPA and PIPA is to protect the intellectual property of others by eliminating forums such as Megaupload. SOPA and PIPA would have been pro-tecting American rights, not infringing upon them. Websites such as Techdirt, Lifehacker, and Wikipedia claim that SOPA and PIPA are filled with ambiguous language; however, it is unquestionably clear that the aim is to block Internet sites dedicated to infringing activities. The bills themselves define the term “In-ternet site dedicated to infringing activities” as a site that has no significant use other than engaging in, enabling or facilitating the reproduction, distribution, or public performance of copyrighted works. It is these sites that these bills are attacking. They do not tamper with our freedom of speech or our freedom of expression; they cut down on piracy.

To be sure, SOPA and PIPA would have put pressure on file sharing sites to regulate their content, but is this abnormal? For decades, the United States has protected the inventions and creations of its citizens through copyrights and patents. However, when the same such rules are applied to the internet, there is a whole sale rebellion. This is hypocritical and wrong. It may mean that to watch Man on a Ledge or put Kanye West on your iPod, you will need to pay. But then again, isn’t that the American way?

soPA/PiPA: in defense of American rights

An AlarminglyApathetic Age

neil He ‘13

Of all the things that keep me up at night, one in particular returns to haunt me every late January. No, it’s not the anxiety of knowing that I haven’t fin-ished my homework, and yet my sleep is more important; it’s not fear of the cold weather that is sure to chill me the next morning; it’s not even the misery of catching a cold. No, no. The terror that strikes me every January and deprives me of my precious sleep is the trepidation I inevitably suffer pondering my genera-tion’s future in wake of the recent State of the Union address.

Why does the State of the Union address trouble me so? It’s not so much the actual speech that worries me but the response—or, as it seems to be in the case of my peers—the lack thereof.

Yes, it’s true; we’re busy at the Academy. Late January usually means the end of Quarter 2 and Semester 1, when our teachers dutifully stockpile us with quiz-zes, tests, and papers. But why is it that not even the best and brightest students of our school, the ones who will debate politics and controversial issues with you for hours on end, can’t take a single hour out of their year to listen to this annual address straight from our President to us?

The American people have grown disenchanted with Congress and its par-tisan bickering, risky gambling, and seeming lack of progress of late. I, on the other hand, have grown disenchanted with the American people and their lazi-ness, apathy, and tendency to scapegoat Congress.

Granted, I’m not fully satisfied with our current political system, either. The world of Washington DC is one so far removed from its constituents—when was the last time you sent a letter to your representative in Congress without being required to by your Civics class? Aside from the recent issue of SOPA, I’m will-ing to bet that you haven’t written, called, or protested about anything since that Civics letter in freshman year.

And of course, don’t get me started about SOPA. The fact that the Internet webizens rose up in such stanch and furious protest about a law that Congress was seriously considering goes to show the corrupt nature of our political system so heavily warped to the aid of big-money lobbyists like the RIAA and other massive media corporations who conceived of the Internet-stifling bill.

But the fact seems to be that, aside from this anomaly created by one of the worst-written bills in recent memory, no one cares about politics anymore. Cyn-icism, you say? How else would you explain the fact that no one else in my AP

...Continued on Page 7

pHoto BY cHristine lee ‘12

features the governor 5

dangerous ignorance tamara wong-azaiez ‘12

Salma Hayek, Jerry Seinfeld, Sha-kira, Wentworth Miller, Paula Abdul, Steve Jobs, and Vincent Vaughn. What do these people all have in common? These people, all prominent figures in society, are Arab.

“Arab,” from what I have learned from my classmates in Middle Eastern History, is a word usually associated with turbans and terrorists. But what about the people who actually live in the Middle East? Are they all turban- wearing terrorists? And if that is true, am I, a globally diverse person with a stamp on my passport issuing me as an Omani and Tunisian – an Arab – a terrorist too? If so, should we live in fear of people like me? Most Arabs may talk differently but they wouldn’t be able to be singled out in a crowd. From my experience, living in two Arab countries and growing up with a mother who holds the most fun-damentally Tunisian (and therefore Arab) beliefs has not been bad. I have not been brought up to drop bombs on countries, and I don’t like or tie up my turban like a professional (besides tur-bans are from India!).

Arab, by definition, means some-one who comes from the Middle East: it does not imply that they are crazy, evil, turban-wearing freaks who want to drop bombs everywhere. They are just a group of people trying to shed the stereotype of terrorist that a very small minority of Arabs have thrust upon them. Did anyone know that an Omani man (Nabil Al-Busaidi) last year climbed Mount Everest and is now beginning an expedition the North Pole? Or that Amy Adams spent

her childhood in Oman, attending my public school? Or that Steve Jobs’ bio-logical father was Syrian? We live in a community where we are essentially stuck in one place months on end, un-aware of what is going on in the world around us. In just a few short years, it will not just be Arabs in our coun-try scaring us, it will be multicultural people living across the street from us, going to our children’s schools and, by then, we will have to realize that these people whom we know nothing about aren’t all that bad and are, in fact, just like us. The issues facing us will be big-ger than who hooked up with whom or who made the lacrosse team.

As teenagers, we tend to steer away from and turn against topics we know nothing about, so Arabs to our society are people we see on the news and wit-ness in the media as bomb-dropping sadists who hate America. This notion is so utterly false. Isn’t there a person in every race and culture who is a black sheep? Maybe it’s just people like Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Lad-en who give us Arabs a bad reputation, but I think we should all be viewed as equal.

We’re ignorant. In the Govs bub-ble we live in, we are shielded behind a protective screen of high school drama. But this hurts us. We know ab-solutely nothing about the world out-side the campus premises. If we don’t change our ways and become more globally aware, we are going to have to pay.

OP/ED

my Name, my identity

“How do you say your last name?”“That is such a long last name!

Where’s it from?” I’m used to hearing phrases like

those. My last name, Vijayaragha-van (Vi-JAY-ra-GAH-van), is quite a mouthful. With 14 letters and five syl-lables, it’s one of the longer ones out there. My last name is a part of me and is, essentially, my identity. Thus, when I heard that my parents were planning on changing our family name, my re-action wasn’t what they were looking for.

The reason for changing my last name was, for the most part, because of a simple blank for my family: Fam-ily Name. My family is Indian, and we were all born in a foreign country. I’ve lived in the United States for over 10 years along with my family and my parents decided to apply for citizen-ship. As my parents filled out the ap-plications for us, they were stuck on one spot: the “family name” spot.

Our traditions and culture have a different system of names, unlike those in most other countries. One’s last name is their father’s first name. My last name, therefore is my dad’s first name. His extremely long first name. The same logic applies to my mother, father, and brother. In my close fam-ily, only my brother and I share a last name, because we are the only ones with the same father. It’s a unique sys-tem that seems simple but is prone to conflict. So when we have to give our family name, we have three unrelated last names to choose from.

Here’s the question that’s been cast upon us for over a year now: What last name do we deem our family name? If

we went with the common worldwide system of keeping one’s ancestral last name, my ‘family name’ would be Iyer. Historically, Iyer is more significant than Vijayaraghavan because Iyer goes back many generations, whereas Vi-jayaraghavan only goes back one. Iyer is also ten letters shorter than my cur-rent last name, which is a lot less on the hand when writing papers. My family could also choose my dad’s current last name, Balasubramanian, which is my grandfather’s first name. The most reasonable choice to my parents was Iyer, because it was shorter, had more meaning, and a good last name for us to all have. But here’s a question for you: Would you change your own last name?

The question for me was easy to answer: Not a chance. Why should I change my last name, all 14 letters of it? I love the uniqueness of my last name, and every letter in it. Sure it’s a lot more to write on a paper or the SAT, and it may raise a lot of questions but I love answering questions and telling people about my heritage. Of course, I enjoy watching my teachers hesitate and stutter when they come to my name, either giving up or tak-ing a whack at pronouncing it. My name is something I’ve had for 14 and a half years and I want it for as long as I can have it. Although my parents have already changed their last name to Iyer and I’m going to have to change mine soon, I will always consider Vijayaraghavan my real last name. Whenever someone asks me, I’ll tell them my last name is Vijayaraghavan, no matter what it becomes on paper.

Hansika VijaYaragHaVan ‘15

...A Necessary Evil Continued from Page 2

children at the meals, many of whom are alone. Statistically, this seems under-standable, as 49.9% of children under age 18 in Lawrence live on households be-low the poverty line, and approximately 75% of school-age children in Lawrence qualify for government-subsidized meal programs. For many Governor’s stu-dents, though, it seems hard to imagine having peers who cannot afford food.

During his most recent Convocation speech, Father Paul asked the stu-dents in the audience, “How do you think it would affect you, spending every day feeling hungry?” Some shrugged, thankfully unaccustomed to the feeling. Jakob Cronberg ’13 mused, “I probably would not be able to concentrate on any-thing else all day.” The powerful effect of hunger on its victims can, indeed, take away focus in school, and even self-control in daily life. As Father Paul pointed out in his talk, a teenager may be more likely to steal from a store to feed himself and his siblings or to get in a fight due to the heightened agitation which comes from starvation. By providing over 250,000 meals a year, Father O’Brien hopes to curb not only customer’s appetites, but also their hunger-fueled crimes.

While the Governor’s Academy’s relationship with Cor Unum sends 16 stu-dents to serve at the meal center most Sundays, the community involvement

needs not stop there. As a full-service restaurant dedicated to providing quality food to those who truly need it, Cor Unum needs any and all community as-sistance. Senior class president Cecilia Reyes recently began a drive for supplies, such as canned goods and kitchen products, and donations of funds or service are always welcome. A list of needed items and information on how to volun-teer are available at http://www.corunummealcenter.org.

...Not for Self, But for Others Continued from Page 1

cruelty toward animals, I do believe that some forms of animal testing are cru-cial in the medical field, especially when they can have such beneficial effects. For my entire life I have dreamed of seeing my dad walk again and breathe on his own, and with the work of doctors like Katherine this dream is inching closer to reality.

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the governor 6OP/ED

Campus snapshots

boys’ hockey andres Saenz ‘12 “the risk of pleasure”

“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie: deliberate, continued,and dishonest; but the myth: persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.”-John F. Kennedy

John, I believe a common goal that all rational people have is to reduce sui-cide and murder rates. Murder and suicide, however, trace back far before the invention of guns. Your argument in your previous article was based on many facts that are either entirely false or very misguided. My aim in this piece is to debunk some of the myths that you have perpetuated in your previous article.

John says that “I don’t think of defense first, and I believe it safe to speak for most people.” Many people fear guns because that is the reaction elicited by anti-gun organizations. They show guns as being an evil weapon against other hu-mans. In fact, guns are far more than implements of “war, school shootings, and gangs.” Gun ownership is a tradition in United States of America that extends back to the beginning of out great nation. A vast majority of gun owners (myself included) use guns for sport. People use guns not only to hunt, but to participate in sporting events and competitions. Trap, three-gun, and marksmanship are all sports that require guns. To label all guns as only killing machines is what many anti-gun organizations do in order to alarm people.

Another tactic employed in my peer’s article was playing to the emotions of the reader. Nobody likes death, whether it is suicide, murder, or an accidental death. Blaming a gun for these things is like blaming a pencil for writing a paper. John says “Insecure teenager returns home from a bad day at school and blows his brains out.” When this does happen, it is unfortunate every time, however, is the gun to blame? If somebody wants to end their life, they will find a way even in a home sans guns. Are we going to control the purchase of rope so people do not hang themselves? Numerous studies have shown the presence or absence of a firearm does not change the suicide rate.

Accidental deaths due to firearms are tragedies that sometimes do happen. These unintended deaths caused by guns are very few and far between. You are five times more likely to burn to death, seventeen times more likely to be poi-soned, and 68 times likely to die in a car accident than be killed in a gun acci-dent. Medical mistakes kill 400,000 every more year which is 286 times higher than the amount of accidental gun deaths. This means one in six doctors will cause an unintentional death as opposed to one in 56,666 gun owners doing the same. So by John’s logic, we should ban doctors.

John also mentioned the overused anti-gun media term “assault rifle.” A true assault rifle is a fully automatic or select-fire firearm chambered in a rifle caliber. Pro-gun control groups have thrown out this definition and created their own. Now, when a news anchor or a group figure head speaks of “assault weapons” they are not referring to assault rifles. Interestingly, the civilian own-ership of these real assault rifles was heavily restricted by 1986’s Firearms Owner Protection Act. Therefore it is uncommon for today’s average gun owner to have it in their collection. “Assault weapon” is simply an old term that is now being

the truth About gunspearson dresser ‘12

Pearson is responding to last issue’s political debate column by John Damianos and Andrew Coleburn concerning gun control. Specifically, he is countering John’s

argument calling for more stringent gun control laws.

what About us?During Parent’s Weekend we find ourselves amidst a high point of artistic

activity, with the upcoming dance show, the production of Singin’ in the Rain, the sale of ceramics to benefit Soup’s On, and the art still hung on the walls from the Inside Out show. The students at the academy have worked hard to create these productions and art works. The actors, actresses, dancers, and artists, as well as the tech crew and the pit band, are provided the opportunity to showcase their hard work. However, what recognition do they receive in return? There’s the thank you email from Mrs. McLain, which is highly appreciated, and there’s the small but enthusiastic turnout for the art show, but other than that, these ac-complishments and achievements will soon fade and be replaced by the glory of end-of-season winter games.

The recognition of these athletic achievements comes in the form of a well-prepared meal with an exclusive invitation—varsity athletes only. Together at the banquet the winter sports teams celebrate their wins, rehash the stories of great victories or memorable plays, and receive awards. While some students at the Academy will never experience one of these banquets, those who do may notice that the only other time they eat such a meal is at the student-faculty din-ners, annual events that extend their invitations to each class. The only other meal comparable with the varsity dinners are the biggest meals of the year. The banquet is the school’s way of saying ‘thank you,’ ‘good job,’’ keep up the hard work.’ The athletes are rewarded for their dedication, and certainly they are de-serving of the recognition—however there is more than one way to earn respect.

The standard moment for students involved in visual or performing arts to receive due recognition is the Fine Arts Awards ceremony at the end of the year. However, this ceremony lacks the prestige of the varsity banquet—there is always relatively low attendance, and nobody is required to dress respectfully, let alone in a sport coat and tie. In addition, the only students who receive recogni-tion are the ones who actually win the prizes (generally one student per grade for each category) while just receiving an invite to the varsity banquet is a reward in and of itself. In this way, participants as well as outliers are celebrated and rewarded at the Varsity Banquet, unlike the Fine Arts Awards. After all, sitting in your sweatpants in the audience watching someone else receive the chorus award is hardly recognition.

Personally, I believe the performing and visual arts should have their own banquet. It would be a way to truly celebrate the talent, work, and time that goes into these productions and these creations. Students involved in the arts can slip under the radar quite easily, while varsity athletes know that after the long sea-son they at least have the banquet waiting for them. As a school, we should strive for balance, and the disparity between the amount of recognition and respect that athletes and artists receive creates a disharmony.

katie mckaY ‘12

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the governor 7features

Campus snapshots

wrestling austen hemlepp ‘13 “beneath the eyes”

As the 249th senior class at the Academy took the traditional picture atop a beautiful Mount Monadnock peak in the midst of the day long hike, students and faculty alike knew that this upcoming school year would be one to remem-ber. The Quimby family moved into Mansion house, and both returning groups, faculty member and the senior class, had a weight on their shoulders to help the community adjust.

The school year started as usual for the students, and senior Katie McKay noted that “it felt like Dr. Quimby had been the headmaster for years. His ad-justment seemed effortless and it was apparent from the start that he was not a newcomer to the community.”

But Mr. Pirie, science teacher, lacrosse coach, and current parent, recalled that our new headmaster’s start at the Academy was not as smooth one may think. “This fall has been incredibly challenging for our new headmaster. He has faced everything from freak winter storms causing power outages to intrud-ers on campus, a broken toe from racing in an inflatable obstacle course, a ten-year accreditation process with NEASC, a water main leak in a dorm, heating systems failures, and so on.

“Despite these numerous challenges our headmaster remains incredibly up-beat and optimistic. He has infused this school with a feeling of excitement as we enter a new era and begin a new voyage. The faculty is excited about the new initiatives being launched while many of the students feel this has been their best year on campus.”

Director of Afternoon Programs, Mrs. McLain, also commented on how the afternoon programs have been going so far. “Athletically the year has been out-standing. Not only have teams been winning a lot, but they’ve been representing our school wonderfully. I expect the musical will ‘wow’ our community over the weekend and our dance production the following week will be outstanding as well. All in all, the tenor of the campus has been great, support for our teams outstanding, and our students have been performing on the athletic fields and stage tremendously!”

As the community counts down the weeks until the start of spring, let me remind everyone to think about the qualities of our school that we love, whether it is being with friends in the dorm or being able to have real conversations with teachers who are also coaches and dorm parents. Don’t forget what has made this year so special and to appreciate it. We are all here for a reason and it would be a waste not to take advantage of every day we are a member of this community.

the dawn of a New eramaYa martignetti‘12

I know that all of us remember the day we first saw Dr. Quimby. For sophomores, juniors, and seniors, it was during chapel in spring. We sat in our pews while a Stephen Colbert look-a-like (Mrs. White thinks he’s Eddie Munster with facial expressions of Beaker from the Muppets) sat in front of us, hands clasped, waiting to speak to us. (If you didn’t see the resemblance then, you will now.) But when did Dr. Quimby and you have your first con-versation?

I went down to the basement of Mansion house and smoked him in ping-pong, so he had to beg for a rematch! (Chad Martin ‘12)

Dr. Quimby asked me where I was from, and I told him I was “geo-graphically confused.” (Anonymous)

When I arrived at my first advisor meeting, and Dr. Quimby chatted about “This one time at Princeton…” (Elisabeth Bogart ‘12)

He took a bullet for me, and then gave me a hug and drove himself to the Duncan-Phillips Health Center. (Matt Kelley ‘12)

He surprised me out of my chair—literally—while I was in “Da Govna’’ office. (John Damianos ‘12)

Unity Days at the schoolhouse, he told me “Welcome back.” (Colin Bin-nie ‘15)

I walked around carrying a large nerf gun; Dr. Quimby ask me if it was real. (Pearson Dresser ‘12)

I walked up to him in my formal dress, shook his hand, and introduced myself. (Alfred Cerrone ‘12)

Dr. Quimby and I started talking during an aggressive game of spoons at Brantwood. (Charlie O’Conor ‘12)

Who is he again? I haven’t met him…just kidding! (Anonymous)

elisaBetH Bogart‘12

Modern European History class watched the speech last year? I was stunned; those classmates were some of the brightest and most politically passionate I’d ever worked with, and yet they didn’t watch the State of the Union address.

I worry for my generation not because the government has grown so large that it is inaccessible to the American people; I worry for my generation because the American people no longer care about the government, and have allowed it to deviate from the will of the people. Who, from our generation, will be the leaders of the future, and what kinds of policies will they uphold, when the vast majority of us—even at an academically motivated school like The Governor’s Academy—have become apathetic to our representatives in government and the issues we face as a nation?

...An Alarmingly Apathetic Age Continued from Page 4

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the governor 8featuresthe memorization Question

In the last issue of The Governor, Science Department Chair Judy Rokous wrote an ar-ticle titled “The Shifting Paradigm of Teaching in this Information Age.” In it, she addressed the role of memorization in the modern classroom. At the end, she opened the discussion

to the school community.

“What tools should comprise a graduate’s toolkit when he or she jumps the proverbial wall, and how are these tools best acquired?”

Your article raises timely questions of pedagogy that I would guess every teacher contends with in the digital age. During my secondary school years, memorization was central to the learning process, but, in many ways, it was also a profitable exercise.

You might be amused to know that in Bob Anderson’s superb senior biology class it was his style to write on the board, in detail, what he was teaching on a given day, and told his students to absorb this outline as it would consistently be the source of quizzes and tests. I took this to heart and wrote everything down in a very organized fashion (while totally par-ticipating in the class discussion) and then at night in my room I would type the notes on my Olivetti typewriter and add each page to a looseleaf notebook. I would memorize the outline every night and then when quiz or test time came along, I felt I was a bit ahead of the game. When it was time for the final exam, I had memorized the entire notebook verbatim and since the exam basically required that level of knowledge, I was in the chips! An A+, and when I showed Bob the notebook after the fact, I think he gave me an extra + on the grade. Clearly, the highest grade I had ever received, and it all had to do with total memorization.

I would say, though, that beyond the rote memorization, the class came alive because of his personal teaching style and the dissection and other experiments that made the whole experience truly a scientific ex-ploration. That memorization skill was also critical in the various lan-guage classes I took, and with other courses requiring a knowledge of dates and events, all of which I probably have since forgotten.

So, I would agree with you that the digital world can obviate the need for this pure rote memorization, but I would wonder if there isn’t a dis-ciplined skill set involved with that mental exercise that will be helpful later in life. I am thinking here, for example, of the ability to present a speech in a public setting without the need to read it. I have found over the years that I have been able to develop a way to present a short speech without notes that probably has its roots in my earlier exposure to com-mitting material to memory. I know that for me the skill of being a com-fortable public speaker I learned from Art Sager is the most valuable aca-demic lesson I gained from GDA, or at least the one I can still remember!

I am sure your students contend with both sides of this argument, especially when the information they need is so accessible on a smart phone. But I would be equally sure that their ability to present their find-ings verbally in front of a group is in many ways just as important a skill for later life. Isn’t this the definition of what it is to be a good teacher: knowing how to impart knowledge and experience to your audience in a way that they will remember, even without notes?

jeFF gordon ‘69, president oF tHe Board oF trustees

I enjoyed your article and I thought that it made some very important points associ-ated with the fact that this era is so concerned about technology. I think that technology is a very important tool in our everyday lives but at a point, high school and college stu-dents have to realize that technology can not get them through life. You will always have to write and analyze without a computer or a smart phone by their side. SMART team uses technology to build proteins and without that technology, SMART team would not be the same. Technology is clearly very important, but being able to accomplish tasks without a computer is something very important. -Megan Sommers ‘12

I am inclined to agree with your article, especially on the point of memorization. Having students memorize information helps on assessments, but not necessarily in the real world. The most important tool students should posses when they graduate is the ability to analyze and respond. The problems that life throws at us are not like the ones students find in the textbook, and so the ability to adapt and solve is much more valu-able than the ability to memorize masses of information. -Mac Bogart ‘12

I believe that memorization is an important tool needed in order to retain the steps of a complicated process or equation, however, memorizing definitions is useless be-cause one will probably forget the definition and will have lost much time remembering it. I believe that the most important tools for a student are time management and the drive to do something. I really enjoyed reading your article! -Lauren Bogioukas ‘12

I think each graduate toolkit should be different for each individual depending on what direction their education is going in. I think all toolkits should involve not only some rote memorization but also experience and doing actual work like the students do in the Catalyst program. All education before graduate school should be taught in many different ways so a student can be able to adjust in college and in work if they find themselves with a boss or professor teaching in a way that they aren’t necessarily used to. -Erin York ‘13

Mrs. Rokous asked her AP Biology students for their opinions on the topic of memorization. Here are some of their responses.

Anybody can memorize. In fact, we can teach chimpanzees to memorize. Mrs. Rokous is absolutely correct in asserting that memorization is often (and incorrectly, I may add) synonymous with learning. Too often – and this is greatly the fault of the American educational system – students rely heavily on rote memorization to haul them through high school. While this may harbor aes on science and vocabulary tests, it ends up hurting in the real world. In the fast-paced, technology-based, free market economy that we live in today, memorization means nothing. Problem solving and the ability to gather information efficiently and quickly work with it are the essential keys to today’s business world. With these tools, the students of today will become the leaders of tomorrow. -John Damianos ‘12

What tools do we need? I think creativity, logic/problem-solving ability, and the capacity to form original opinions/ideas are more important than being able to spit back vocab words or the names famous scientists. These skills are best learned though discussion, writing, and debate for the social sciences and through practice problems, more complex to make up for the lack of formula memorization, and the invention or conduction of experiments in the technical sciences; also, a greater emphasis on arts and interdisciplinary studies would help give students not only the creativity they need but also the ability to make connections and apply their skills more practically, two more important ‘tools.’ Assignments like the thesis paper, or the Govs Go Green assign-ment that Mr. Rokous gave his AP English juniors, or Mr. Falconer’s forum assignments that are written in Spanish about current events are the ones that allow students to develop multiple skill areas at once while connecting many different ideas and bodies of knowledge-which is what you actually do in the workplace, you don’t sit around recit-ing the quadratic formula or being quizzed on the Spanish word for ‘lintroller.’ -Katie McKay ‘12

Memorization is only rote when there is no desire to learn. The Catalyst program, SMART team, and AP bio students that you are working with stand apart from oth-er students because we have an immense desire to learn. If you desire to learn about something, memorization does not become strenuous, but second nature. I don’t think memorization needs to have a negative connotation, but context. If the information has context, it is not just step by step memorization, but creates connections to other things you have learned in the past and present. -Richie Aversa ‘12

I think that your article is very interesting, and it is an issue definitely worth con-sidering. As far as my answer to the question posed at the end of your article: I don’t re-ally know. In my opinion, a straightforward application to all situations answer doesn’t exist for this issue. Some professions need memorization more than others, like be-ing a lawyer. Interactive activities and hands-on teaching are good for the innovative and problem solving aspect that is required by many professions, but memorization fills in the gaps and holes that these methods alone leave. With the current nature of our schooling system I feel like we’re stuck with memorization being the most logical way of learning, at least until college where specialized programs are more suited and focused in on professions and their specific needs for preparing individuals for those roles. -Jimmy Monroe ‘13

I truly feel that the pressure put on students in the classroom is one of the reasons why we sometimes rely on memorization. It’s an easy way out-you don’t have to really understand something to memorize a definition and write it on a test or quiz. However, with things like Catalyst or SMART Team, the pressure of grades and tests isn’t there - the kids are there because they want to be, and if they don’t understand something they can say so, rather than just worrying about memorizing facts for an upcoming test. -Jean Bower ‘13

I liked your article, although I thought that a lot of people who haven’t taken Biol-ogy or are not in SMART team probably didn’t understand it as well as us biology stu-dents. I believe that a graduate’s toolkit should be very simple because of the technology of our time. The Internet can provide an infinite amount of information spanning every topic imaginable, so I do not believe that a graduate student needs much else than the Internet. If that is not sufficient, libraries contain countless volumes of books filled with information. While being interviewed by a Tufts alumnus, he gave me advice that made a lot of sense to me. He said in this day and age, it is crucial to take writing classes in college because information is always at hand but writing skills are something one must hone. -Frank Barba ‘12

I think you are right, that actually learning and understanding a subject is more useful, and leads to having more confidence, than memorization leads to. I do think that some memorization can be really helpful for things like tests, because later on as you learn more about a particular subject the fact you memorized may be explained or use-ful in understanding the whole picture. The example of how the SMART team learns by researching and then trying out different possibilities is really good because I think that is the best way to learn. In a situation like that you are not afraid to fail or get it wrong, which is really helpful. -Nora Hamovit ‘13

I thought your article spoke the truth about how students absorb more material and get a lot more out of a class when it isn’t just straight memorizing. They also take in more when it is outside of the classroom because it is more about understanding and discover-ing rather than memorization just to repeat the information back on a test. I think that students who are in a class because they have an actual interest and not just because its a requirement naturally have a better grasp of the content. -Hannah Abbe ‘13

The two most important things for high schoolers to graduate with would be a sense of self and skills required for problem solving. Their sense of self would give them the confidence (not arrogance) to express their solutions to problems and make a differ-ence. -Mei Li Johnson ‘13

the governor 9features

Your article brought to mind a quotation that is often attributed to Einstein: “Never memorize something that you can look up.” Although he didn’t have easy access to the vast amount of information we have today, Einstein had the right idea. Frankly, memorization is a practically useless skill outside of academia. The volume of knowledge available on the Inter-net renders any information we store in our brains obsolete. Aside from the convenience of knowing something and not having to look it up (which really only takes seconds nowadays), there are only a few rare cases where memorization of a large amount of material will prove useful. So, why are we forced to memorize in high school? You mentioned in your article that members of the smart team “knew” the answers to questions that would be asked of them; but what’s the difference between “knowing” and memoriz-ing? For example, I know that the area of a circle is πr2. If you asked me whether I have memorized that or just “know” it, I would say that I know it, because I understand both its derivation and its application in a wide range of scenarios. But at some point (5th grade, maybe?), I DID have to memorize it, because there was no way that I could possibly understand its use without ever having seen it before. But how did I go from memorizing this equation to “knowing” it? That’s a harder question to answer, and my only thoughts are that it takes a combination of familiarity and frequent application to turn facts into knowledge.

Addressing your question, I think that the most important tools we need after we jump the wall are critical analysis skills, communication skills, and discipline (not sure if this one’s really a tool). Now when I say discipline, I’m sort of tying in time management skills with that, because what I think most people usually consider an inability to manage time is really a lack of discipline to just sit down and do work. While I certainly can’t speak for ev-erybody, boarders often do a better job of doing their work in a timely man-ner because of specified study hall hours. Obviously this isn’t universal, but I think that by creating these study hall hours as well as restricting Internet times our school has done at least a decent job of encouraging students to just get their homework done. Critical analysis is practically the opposite of memorization; you could learn everything there is to know in the world, but it wouldn’t help you if you don’t know what information you need to use and how you have to apply it in a specific problem or situation. Similarly, the ability to communicate thoroughly and efficiently can’t be “learned” by memorizing an essay formula/outline. For both critical analysis and com-munication, information is simply a variable, and there’s no one “right” way of applying these skills in any situation. The usefulness of these tools is de-rived from that fact that, once they are mastered, they can be used to tackle a wide variety of problems that is rarely restricted to a single set of informa-tion. However the ability to learn these skills varies from person to person, and therefore it can be difficult to find just one universal method of teaching them to different people. Working with students one at a time seems to be the best method of developing each individual’s ability to analyze situations and communicate their ideas, but until there are enough resources to teach each and every student individually, making us toil over hundreds of math problems and pages of essays will have to suffice.

george tourkakis ‘12

mr. mark gerrY, matH teacHer

Since reading the article about teaching written by Mrs. Rokous in the last issue of The Governor, I’ve been giving a fair amount of thought to my own views of education and my responsibilities as an educator. In her article she con-cluded with, to me, a rhetorical question with an obvious answer – the tools our students should have are much more complex and consequential than the skills needed for or resulting from memorization. As a mathematics teacher, I am well aware of the role memorization has as an aid to learning. But memorization by itself provides a very shallow understanding of information or especially of ideas.

Let me step out of the realm of my math classroom to offer an example. I was once told by the folks at the Human Engineering Lab in Boston (www.jocrf.org) that a person’s vocabulary is the best measure of intelligence as it is com-monly understood. It makes sense: the more words you have at your command, the better you can communicate your thoughts to others and the better you can understand what others are communicating to you. So, do the 100 Word Vocab Tests given by our English Department make our students smarter? Well, not immediately. These tests are just an introduction to the words, to the tools that can increase someone’s intelligence. I wouldn’t say that I know someone after meeting them for the first time, nor would I say that I know a word after simply memorizing its definition. I’d have to get to know the word by reading it in context, hearing it spoken in conversation, and by using it accurately to com-municate. I remember the first time someone threw the word fungible at me. I nodded in agreement, feigning understanding, then proceeded to corroborate that there were no substitutes. Oops. I need to experience a word, perhaps even misuse it once or twice. When I understand its nuances, its precision, its mean-ing, that’s when I’ve learned, when there is a joyful shift, an exciting sense of more.

Winston Churchill said, “I am always ready to learn, although I do not al-ways like being taught,” highlighting a profound contrast between learning and being taught. Consider the implied, contextual meanings (not the definitions) of learning and being taught. Being taught is passive, receptive, lethargic; learning is dynamic, creative, stimulating. So, I wonder what my role is as a teacher, and I wonder if our students might feel as Churchill did. When a student chooses to attend Govs, does he or she come here expecting to be taught or hoping to learn? I would ask the same question of parents regarding what they want for their children. With the wisdom of hindsight I know how I would have answered that question had it been asked of me long ago. But now, I am on the other side of the desk, in a position to provide my students with the chance to learn, not just to be taught.

In the courses I teach, I have made a conscious decision to do a lot less teach-ing while providing my students opportunities to do a lot more learning. Inde-pendent and collaborative problem-solving is more of the focus in our student-centered approach in the classroom. Rather than me telling students what they need to know, they are given greater responsibility to use what they already know to uncover techniques and discover concepts, that is, to learn further. During classes, students take the initiative to work out problems at the board, to lead discussions where questions are asked, alternative perspectives and methods are suggested, insights are offered, and connections are made in a supportive, respectful, and provocative manner. Mindful of Oscar Wilde’s sentiment that “nothing worth knowing can be taught,” I try to be much more judicious about any instruction I offer to fill in the gaps or to provide a catalyst. If I am patient, more often than not the kids discover they are able to solve the problem them-selves, or at least to make good headway. This approach is challenging for the students (and for me), but, while there have been some minor growing pains, the students seem to appreciate, mostly, not being taught; and indications are that they are learning well.

Learning can be an awakening that stirs access to further growth. It should not sit idle, remain static, or lie dormant. A few weeks ago I was among a group of faculty discussing the proposition that students at Govs tend not to be risk-

takers intellectually. The premise was that many, if not most of our students prefer to play it safe. Perhaps they are worried about grades, or maybe they have never been asked to challenge convention, or they see their peers being herded along following the norm. It was suggested that our students aren’t interested in or don’t know how to ask for or to seek more than what they are given, often given too easily. We wondered if we teachers do enough to create and sustain a school culture that nurtures, values, and rewards less conventional ideas, unique ways of thinking and being, or originality. We try, but we can be uncertain, su-perficial, sporadic in our efforts. It’s hard.

Evidence that our students are not great risk-takers comes in the form of two questions that are, unfortunately, familiar to most teachers: “When will we ever need to use this?” and, “Do we have to know this for the test?” These questions are devastating, instantly deflating. My reaction when hearing these questions is that the students have stopped wanting to learn. They no longer want to explore, discover, dig, work. They don’t want to take a chance. They want to be taught, told the minimum so they can get by, move on. I have practiced responses to these questions, but I admit that I can fall victim to them, giving in. But I don’t feel good about it, especially when I consider the poet Yeats’ sentiment that “edu-cation is not filling a pail but lighting a fire.”

I don’t want to fill pails, and I believe most Govs students would resent the comparison. The goals are to become better problem solvers, to follow inspira-tion, to dare to try, to improve on mistakes, to think critically, to listen care-fully, to reconsider, to appreciate alternatives, to apply understanding to new situations, to create, to communicate clearly and concisely, with confidence, and authority. If we’re lucky, the journey to reach these goals will kindle the soul. Pursuit of these goals provides our students with the tools they need, tools that will enable them to learn actively, to rise above being taught. Learning is not a fungible experience.

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the governor 10Features

“Leenock! Leenock! Leenock!” The crowd is uproarious. Incessant chanting pervades the open halls of the convention center in Providence Rhode Island. My friend Leland and I have our arms in the air cheering for what may have been the best upset of the year. The continuous Leenock chant is heard as the pudgy fifteen year old Korean boy (Leenock) comes out of his booth. He flails his cute and chubby little arms in the air with a giant grin on his face. He had done it. He dethroned the great IM-MVP. MVP was his opponent in this tournament in Providence. Hosted by MLG (Major League Gaming), these two were some of the greats squaring off in this nearly five hundred person tournament. It seemed surreal to think that there were thousands of other nerds in a big crowd just like me who loved this game of Starcraft and could appreciate the nuances and greatness of this video game as a competitive activity.

Allow me to rewind a little bit. When I was about sev-en years old, my two older brothers used to play this video game called Starcraft Brood War. They introduced it to me and it was one of the first video games that I came to enjoy and play. I never played it a lot or thought much of it for about eight years. It turns out that during these eight years, Starcraft Brood War developed and came to be one of the most popular “sports” in South Korea. There were and still are dozens of professional teams with legitimate sponsors. There are also leagues that host competitive play in the clas-sic one versus one Starcraft format. Some of the greatest players, such as Boxer and Flash, are millionaires with nu-merous endorsements and national celebrity statuses. In fact, there are two television channels in Korea that are dedicated to broadcasting, with professional commentators and analysis, Starcraft Brood War games. After these eight years Blizzard Enter-tainment (creator of Starcraft Brood War) released a sequel game: Starcraft Two. I was very excited for this game and after a few months of obsessing over it and playing, I found out about the Starcraft community, tournament and what truly makes Starcraft Two and Brood War so special.

Starcraft Two (and Brood War) is a sci-fi fantasy game in which you can choose to control one of three different races. Terran is a human race. Zerg is a slimy alien race using biological functions as weapons, and Protoss is another alien race that is more technologically advanced and religious. Starcraft is an RTS game. This stands for Real Time Strategy. The basic principles of Starcraft (played on the computer) involve a specific and delicate balance of resource man-agement and military production and control. It can be broken into two ma-jor categories: Macromanagement and Micromanagement. Macromanagement

is the broad scope of how many workers you create to harvest resources, bases you manage, and production facilities you make to create military units. Micro-management is your ability to manipulate and control your army on the ground. There is a massive skill-cap for this Micro ability allowing you to make your units up to two to three times as effective based off on how good you are at manipulat-

ing them with a mouse. An additional aspect of Starcraft is APM. This stands for Actions Per Minute. Every time you tap a key on your keyboard or click your mouse it counts as an action. Many Korean Programmers in the Brood War scene reach three hundred to four hundred APM. That is considered the standard to win any respectable tournament or have moderate success. The number of strategies and scenarios that can occur within a game is in the hundreds of thousands. This allows Starcraft to be a game that re-quires the intellect and mental precision of a chess grand-master and the physical aspects of an amazing musician. Korean Professionals live in team houses that are paid for by their teams. They, along with upwards of a dozen team-mates practice, work out, eat and sleep together. The stan-dard for practice is about eight to twelve hours each day. The best professional players make around a hundred thou-sand dollars each year.

I’ve learned all of this about Starcraft over the past year or so by visiting one of the major community websites Team-liquid.net daily. There are always dozens of livestreams in which tournaments are broadcast or professional players show their daily practice. Either simple entertainment or knowledge can be gained by viewing these. I’ve also been playing a lot of Starcraft (as you may presume). I try to play during a lot of my free time, mostly on weekends but some-

times during schooldays. It has taken a lot of hours, but I have gotten to the point where I have beaten some of the foreign (non-Korean) programmers in unofficial circumstances. There is a “ladder” (ranking system) run by Blizzard Entertain-ment and I rank in the top 450 consistently in the western hemisphere and I also play on the Korean server (Top 1.5%). There are a few million people globally who play Starcraft. I have beaten some people ranked in the top one hundred in the western hemisphere. I have not had much opportunity to participate in tourna-ments but I plan to. Starcraft has become part of my life as a recreational activity, but sometimes as something I can take seriously. It is as intellectually challeng-ing as any subject matter in school, and just as competitive and intense as any sport offered. Starcraft is a great thing that I think many people would enjoy, as shown by the mainstream popularity in South Korea.

my life of starcraftjimmY monroe ‘13

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racHel caBitt ‘12

Send your mind back to the first day of seventh grade. It’s the first day of mid-dle school, the first day of the rest of your life as a “big kid.” Elementary school is in the past and you’re ready to walk down the locker-lined hallways suited up in your brand new back-to-school clothes. But what happens when you notice that everyone has ditched the what used-to-be-cool elementary clothes for a more expensive and “older” wardrobe?

That was the question that raced through my head my first day of seventh grade when I showed up in my brand new Aeropostale clothes, which at the time I had thought were the coolest clothes out there. My excitement to show off my perfectly planned outfit soon diminished as I saw my peers adorned in Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch tees and jeans. I stuck out like a sore thumb. Little did I know that the transition from elementary school to middle school involved dressing older than what I was comfortable with.

The first time I stepped into an Abercrombie & Fitch store I was greeted by two half-naked models displayed across a ceiling tall poster. Loud music shook the store as a strong aroma infiltrated my nose. Short skirts and tiny bikinis lined the racks, priced at fifty and sixty dollars a piece. I didn’t understand why girls my age found these clothes attractive, but I did know that if I wanted to fit in, I was going to have to act older and more ma-ture to wear these clothes.

Looking back now, I realize that I, like many other adolescent girls, was one

of the many victims of media propaganda. Ads in magazines and shows on televi-sion always cast individuals who appear to be perfect, always dressed in the most stylish clothes with not one flaw on their body. Sixteen year olds in high school are played by twenty two year old celebrities on television. The media industry pictures us teenagers as older and sexier than we really are. And this expectation

that it holds over our heads brings many teenagers to believe that it is actually something that they need to live up to.

And that is the reason why I found myself shop-ping in stores like Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollis-ter, stores that were meant for eighteen year olds, not young and naïve thirteen year old girls like my entire seventh grade class. Everyone wanted to fit in and be “cool,” and the only way they thought they could be that adjective was to dress sexier. But while seventh grade for me was five years ago, this same problem is still alive in middle schools all across America. The aspect that is different with this generation is that they have even more pressure to be perfect. Tech-nology and the media have changed drastically, with more reality TV shows than ever before. Shows like Jersey Shore convey that wearing short tight dresses

is the only way to be beautiful and Keeping Up With the Kardashians suggest that plastic surgery is a girl’s and guy’s (ehem Bruce Jenner) best friend. Our youth is stuck in a egotistical, media driven world. Being beautiful as you truly are is losing meaning.

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great expectations

features the governor 11

Faculty SpotlIght:

dr. AlexThis week I talked to Katherine Alex, Ph.D.,, a new

science teacher here at Govs. She has just recently arrived and has already begun making influences in our commu-nity.

TG: What was your life like before coming to Gover-nors?

A: Before coming to Governors, I had been working at Oberlin College, which is in Ohio, and I had been in Ohio for ten years where I knew a lot of people, as well as having the job of teaching Neuroscience at the college level, where I was doing research with students as well as teaching classes.

TG: What made you decide to teach here?A: I decided I wanted to teach High School rather

than college. The teaching part of my job was what I was most passionate about and I wanted to teach younger stu-dents, especially things other than Neuroscience, such as Biology and other sciences. I picked this school, and even though I did not know much about Boarding Schools or anything about the area, I just felt that the community here was amazing, everyone was accepting and progres-sive. There are a lot of smart people who are always trying to improve, and I liked it a lot when I visited.

TG: What classes do you teach?A: I teach a Freshman Biology class, and now I’m teaching freshman honors

Biology. I also teach a regular Biology class and Forensic science. I don’t teach Neuroscience because we don’t offer it-but we may soon offer Neuroscience.

TG: Who is your role model in life?A: I don’t know that I have a role model. I think I’ve always been a self-critical

person, and a critical person in general, so that applies to me as well as others, and I sort of emulate that quality in other people. So I don’t think I have an indi-

vidual role model, but that would be the quality I would be looking for in a role model.

TG: Do you coach any sports?A: I do! I coach JV Field Hockey, and now I am one of

the coaches for Winter Track. TG: What is your life like outside of teaching and

coaching?A: Well I don’t have that much of a life outside of

teaching and coaching yet because I work hard on my teaching and coaching! I do a lot of running, and I have a partner in Florida that I go to visit whenever I can, and I just try to stay in touch. I guess I don’t have a lot of con-nections in the community outside of Govs since I just moved here, so it’s really important to me to maintain my connections with family and friends outside the area.

TG: What would be the perfect day for you?A: I’d definitely sleep in…That’s important…I’d

probably need some coffee too. I’d do something outside, either snowboarding or kayaking or hiking or something fun outside that I don’t get to do all the time, and then I would get together with friends, make dinner, and play board games.

TG: If you could sit down and have coffee with literally anyone (alive, dead, fictional, celebrity, etc) who would you choose?

A: I think maybe I would say John Kennedy, JFK, because I’m a little too young to have actually experienced him, but I’m just old enough so that every-body who’s older than me really respected him and were so upset by his death. I’d love to experience him first hand.

TG: If you could describe your life in one word, what would it be?A: New!

dan capoBianco ‘14

pHoto BY jean Bower ‘13

behInd the SceneS SpotlIght:

mrs. oliverjoHn damianos ‘12

Hidden in the basement of Phillips in a small corner office sits Ellen Oliver, Director of Annual Giving here at Govs. Mrs. Oliver graduated from Bridgewater State University with a BA in speech communications and an M.Ed. in coun-seling. She then went on to work at a variety of non profits, a Boston based PR and advertising agency, as well as several secondary schools and colleges before coming to Governor’s in December 2007. Today she lives in Byfield, a mile from campus with her husband David, a systems architect, thirteen-year-old son Michael, and eleven-year-old twin daughters Maggie and Lizzie.

Mrs. Oliver is an administrative faculty member with the title Director of Annual Giving. She is re-sponsible for raising the money for the annual fund, though she is quick to say that she is not the sole carrier of the responsibility. Along with Jeff Gold, Associate Director of Annual Giving; Jane Piatelli, Director of Parent Programs; and all of her col-leagues in the development department led by Ann Wardwell; Mrs. Oliver works to reach the previously determined goal for the Annual Fund, which this year is at $1.85 million. The Annual Fund is critical in the school administration. Once the goal is deter-mined, CFO Hugh McGraw and Headmaster Peter Quimby formulate the budget and present it to the Board of Trustees for approval. The Annual Fund provides approximately 11% of that approved oper-ating budget. According to Mrs. Oliver, “You’ve got to deliver to the school, to Dr. Quimby, to the stu-dents.” Indeed, the revenue from the Annual Fund is used to improve our community; it is used for finan-cial aid, faculty compensation, preservation of our historic campus, and academic and extracurricular programs that affect the daily lives of students.

Her favorite part of her job is working with alumni. They are, in her words, “bright, interesting, and committed people who just love their school.” She spends her days talking to alumni on the phone and in person, learning about them and

their Governor’s experience; she views each alumnus not as a transaction, but as a story, a conversation with a unique individual. This way of thinking was solidified by working with two of her mentors here at the Academy. Former Headmaster Peter Bragdon and former Director of Parent/Alumni relations Mike Moonves

taught her how to treat alumni and to embrace the importance of stewarding the institution. But she learned what it truly means to be a Governor’s alum-nus from the Classes of 1967 (The GREAT Class of ’67) and “The Boyz” of GDA ’68. After working on the 40th reunion of the class of 1968, (and her first working at Govs), she understood why alumni are so proud of their alma mater and particularly about their relationships with their classmates and former teachers.

Mrs. Oliver’s personal philosophy about giv-ing back is simple. “When students graduate, their hands are outstretched for a handshake, not to give money.” What she means is that instead of giving students a brochure about how to donate along with their diplomas, she leads with “magic of the Acad-emy,” and lets the connections among faculty, stu-dent and school do their work. Students give back, she says, because of their experience as members of a caring community. After graduation, Mrs. Oliver’s job is to continue building the relationships with students, now alumni, to let them know that they are always welcome at their school and to encour-age them to participate in the future of the Academy through their support of the annual fund.

To graduating seniors she advises, “Don’t be a stranger. We are always here to welcome you home. If your Governor’s experience transformed your life and inspired you to make good choices in your life,

then it is important for you to give back and to give those future Governor’s stu-dents that same amazing opportunity that generations of alumni have given to you. We can’t do it without you.”

pHoto BY jean Bower ‘13

the governor 12Artstalking Pictures and yellow umbrellas

amY Hoopes ‘12

This winter’s musical production, Singin’ in the Rain, chronicles the life of Don Lockwood, a famous actor living in Hollywood during the 1920s and the transformation from silent films to talking pictures. Don works alongside his obnoxious costar, Lina Lamont, who is challenged to make her voice suitable for film. Unexpectedly Don finds a solution to Lina’s terrible singing when he meets Kathy Selden, an aspiring actress. In the Governor’s Academy production of this show di-rected by Mr. Wann and Mr. Drelich, Myles Bad-ger ‘13 and Amy Corman ‘14 have been working tirelessly to perfect their roles as Don and Lina. Alongside them is Jenna Nee who plays the role of Kathy. These three actors are well suited for their parts, and their vocal and theatric talent is noticeably portrayed through the characters they impersonate.

When asked why this musical was chosen during an interview with Mr. Wann last week, he said, “Drel and I felt that it was time to do a “throw back” musical. Plus, after we decided to do Singin’ in the Rain, the movies Hugo and The Artist came out and we knew we were on the right track.” But what else makes this specific show so special? Despite it’s serious plotline, it is filled with slapstick comedy and entertaining puns. Eddie Holmes captures this aspect of the show spectacularly, playing Cosmo Brown whose role is quite literally to “Make em’ laugh.” Many of the cameo roles serve a comedic purpose as well, and the cast has enjoyed working with the script which is littered with humor for all ages.

Added to this humor are the films that have been incorporated into our set. Mr. Brace and his lighting crew who worked in locations such as the auditorium, the Phillips library and outside around campus filmed these two short movies which will be shown at the appropriate moments during the show. In accordance with the technology of the 1920s, these movies were filmed in black and white,

and all the actors depicted in them are part of the cast. This is one of the first times that videos have been incorporated into the set of a drama production at Govs, which will add a new and exciting feature of the performance.

Another large component of this musical production is, of course, the mu-sical numbers, and the cast has been working hard with choreographer, Brian

Dillon, to learn the intricate dance steps charac-teristic of the early 1900s. “We could not ever ask for a better choreographer,” said Mr. Wann. “Not only is Brian a great dancer and brilliant choreographer, he is also a kind and effective teacher.” Brian is a senior musical theater major at the Boston Conservatory; this his second year working with the Govs cast.

Part of the set this year includes forty yel-low umbrellas, which make a vibrant appearance towards the end of the show. Additionally, it is impossible to miss the giant cake, which rolls its way onto stage somewhere during Act One. Many of the costumes for this show mirror the fashion statements made during the Flapper movement, which erupted during the 1920s. A special thanks goes to Bonnie Jean and the tech crew without whom the making of these props

and costumes would not be possible. The number of freshman and sophomores in the musical cast this winter

outnumbers that of juniors and seniors, and many of these underclassmen carry lead roles. This is an optimistic sign for future performances, as well as an incen-tive to come support our young actors at the opening performance on Friday, February 17.

“I have never seen such a focused, dedicated and talented cast,” said directors Wann and Drel after a particularly intense rehearsal last week. This confidence and shared positive energy can only be an indication that next week’s perfor-mance of “Singin’ in the Rain” will be a successful and enjoyable one.

pHoto BY jean Bower ‘13

Just dance

When we tell people that we dance, we get a lot of questions, like “So what do you do everyday?” Or “What types of dance do you do?” We are now used to these type of questions, but the truth is that most people really don’t know what we do, and you really wouldn’t know unless you asked. Un-like most other teams, we are secluded in the black box every day, and for the most part the only thing people see is the perfected show at the end of the season. Truthfully there is much more that goes into the show.

Our dance season starts in late Novem-ber, and from the first day we are already working towards our performance. We practice for two or more hours a day, six days a week and, as Pam Smith, Director of the Dance Program says, every member of the team is expected to give “110%” in ev-ery class no matter your level of dance experience. Mondays through Thurs-days we learn and rehearse Hip-Hop, Modern, Contemporary and Ballet. Fridays we take Pilates, and Saturdays are for general rehearsal. Aside from our scheduled rehearsals, we have seven weeks to choreograph, costume,

and establish our own student pieces, which make up a majority of the show.

All these things make dance sound pretty awful. Dance is a lot of work, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun. While we do often find ourselves com-plaining about the tedious techniques of ballet or the repetition of some sec-

tion we just can’t seem to get, we make the most out of it. In bal-let, Pam could tell you we do a glissage jeté into a pas de bourrée à la second, but instead we find ourselves re-membering it because, in Emilie’s words, “it resembles that Kung Fu Panda kick, along with exaggerated arm move-ments, and the attitude of a puma.” The funny

part is she is nearly right. That just goes to show that even ballet is what you make of it.

Through our seven weeks of re-hearsals, we are dive-bombing, Kung Fu Panda kicking, and puma leaping our way to the show, and finally we are nearly a week away. Pam calls it “our Super Bowl” for a reason. We don’t have games or competitions; instead we work all season for our one mo-ment on stage when all our hard work pays off.

emilie macdonald ‘14 and lucY purinton ‘14

One of the most undervalued pro-grams here at Govs is, ironically, one of the most important. While most have heard of tech, not many truly know what we actually do. The short answer is everything, seriously. While the actors, dancers, or any other types of performers are out on the stage, we techies are responsible for ensuring that nothing explodes, collapses, mal-functions, or in any other way mars the performance.

The majority of the tech season is spent in preparing for the play at the end of the season, which this winter is Singin’ in the Rain. Technical Director Joe Repczynski states that his goal for tech is primarily to have “a group of students that work together to become a team through the process of putting on a show.” Thus far this season, he has been successful in this goal. All as-pects of tech have meshed in a slightly discordant synchronization to pro-duce the final show.

Starting with Stage Manager Ali Bozzuto ‘13, a 5th season techie, ev-erybody in tech has worked tirelessly to bring Singin’ in the Rain to life. Ali’s job is “to direct all scene changes in the show. Also the stage manager must ensure that all props and actors are ready to go onstage.” Without Ali to coordinate, every aspect of the show would disintegrate into a befuddling quagmire of chaos.

Sound Designer Anthony Sosa ‘14 is in charge of all the audio for the show. It is his job to place microphones to cover all of the stage, as well as to decide how loudly each should amplify the actor’s voice. He is also in charge of all of the sound effects during the show, such as doorbells and ringing phones. If not for Anthony, people in the back rows of the audience would not be able to hear the show at all.

Lighting Designer Alexa Horn ‘13, a 3rd season-and-then-some techie, is in charge of “basically all the lights of the show from house lights to coor-dinating spot lights to the lighting of actual scenes. The lighting is very im-portant because it helps set the mood of a scene.” If it were not for Alexa, we would not be able to see the set or the actors and much of the mood would be lost.

Scenic Designer Jessica Titus ‘14 is in charge of the entire visual aspect of the show. She explains how she “re-searched, drew, and designed the en-tire set for the musical.” Jessica “chose what each set looked like and where on the stage it should be placed.” Were it not for Jessica and the creative efforts of the scenic design team, the actors would have neither props nor sets with which to perform.

Despite a techie’s official title, ev-eryone works in the carpentry and painting departments, constructing

tom canadaY ‘13 and alexa Horn ‘13

the Force behind it All

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...Continued on Page 13

the governor 13Reviewsthe internet

alex curran-cardarelli ‘14

A music group by the name Odd Fu-ture Wolf Gang Kill Them All can grab an audience’s attention just by their original choice of title, yet they steal you away with their music. OFGWKTA, also known as Odd Future, is a group of rappers and sing-ers created in Los Angeles, California who produce alternative hip-hop albums.

One of these groups, consisting of Syd tha Kyd and Matt Martian, goes by the name The Internet. Recently on February 1st, this group released their new album by the name “Purple Naked Ladies,” which in-cludes fourteen of their new songs. The In-ternet’s genre of music has been described as a type of electric R&B, which creates a very relaxing atmosphere. The singing in most of these songs is light and subtle, with not much variation in volume, while many back-ground sounds interchange throughout. This style of music may not grab your attention right away, but it acts as great background music to a calm environ-ment.

Although many of the songs in this album are similar, one in particular that grabs my attention is She Dgaf. This song delicately includes some interesting and controversial lyrics and incorporates variant beats. Another absorbing song is ‘Lincoln,’ which unlike She Dgaf, keeps a steady beat but a more present voice. Though there are many opposing fans of The Internet, I support their music and hope for a better and improved album in the future.

The Internet, composed of members of rap collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, seems set on showcasing a new side of their peers. “Purple Naked Ladies,” their debut album, is a swirling mix of electronic beats and hazy vocals. Unlike better known OFWGKTA member Tyler, The Creator, they shy away from direct, complete thoughts and instead focus on creating what sounds like a curse-inflicted nightmare. At times, this image becomes truly frightening and intense, while at oth-ers, it only drags the listener into boredom.

While Tyler is known for his creative, honest, often ludicrous rhymes, and other OFWGKTA artist Frank Ocean for his slick, smooth soul, The Internet strains to be like their electro brothers. On “Purple Naked Ladies,” the best songs are

the ones that take note from Ocean’s work; Ode To A Dream is a heartfelt trib-ute to a lost fantasy, and Visions has a quiet melody, complimented by the dark, seething music behind it. However, on songs like the album opener Violet Nude Women, Partners in Crime, and Web of Me are dull concoctions of noise and broken vocals.

On “Purple Naked Ladies,” The Internet attempts to show a new side of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them. To make a successful album, however, they need to focus and keep a consistent, strong sound. Hopefully, they take some advice from Tyler and Frank.

gartH roBinson ‘15

Alex Curran-Cardarelli and Garth Robinson are both music enthusiasts. As much as they enjoy listening to tunes, they can never seem to agree on good music. Now they have brought their debate to the public stage!

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Grade: B+ Grade: C

gleefully AmazingaBBY katz ‘15

Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. on FOX, a show that has been on air for a few years plays: Glee. Glee is one of those shows that you don’t have to follow to pick right up on when you see it. Each episode starts with a really exciting musical perfor-mance that gives you a taste of the episode. It is easy to see that each actor and actress is an amazing singer in addition to his or her superior acting skills. As a cast, they really bring the stories of each character to life.

This show is great because it shows that all the clichés about high school are real. I feel like no one believes that, but it’s true. I mean, let’s face it, we all want high school to be this glorious experience, but it isn’t all the time. Watching Glee regularly gave me a rather in-depth understanding of different kinds of people in high school. Watching the show, I had the opportunity to step into the lives of other people and a chance to feel what it would be like to be in their situation.

I don’t want to say that Glee is a show that appeals to everyone, but I feel that most people will be entertained by the music/dance numbers. I love watching the cast perform renditions of many types of songs. All the characters that are on Glee have incredibly individual singing voices, so as a viewer, you are exposed to many genres of music. As a show choir, the “New Directions” at McKinley High also incorporates some great choreography in each performance, some that I am really shocked by. Some of the cast members were previously back up dancers.

As Glee evolves, it seems to be getting better and better with each episode. I am rather upset that I haven’t been able to keep up with it. Many surprising things have happened (none of which I will give away, just so I don’t ruin it!) in the story, and, by the looks of it, we can expect more in the future. Tune in to Glee on FOX, Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. and give the show a chance. It might just amaze you.

molly & lindsey’s music mashups

mollY Fulton ‘13 & lindseY Harrigan ‘13

Runaround sue- G-EazyAlex V.-AftermathFor Everything a Reason- Carina RoundMy Heart With You- The RescuesYou Know Video Games- Mighty MikeAlmanac- The AcornTongue Tied- GROUPLOVEHearts a Mess- Gotye

Something new could not come at a better time. Both a change of pace at the Academy and the newest set of songs never hurt. Relax and enjoy this mix of new music to celebrate Parents’ Weekend! We hope that you guys all enjoy this playl-ist and allow it to break up the monotony of a seemingly never ending February as well as help you to enjoy the company of your parents. Hope you like it!

pHoto BY cHristine lee ‘12

the sets that scenic design envisioned. The majority of a techie’s efforts are spent in carpentry. Every single set piece and wooden prop was built by a techie. It is important, too, for all of us to work together. Everyone is always there to lend a helping hand if someone needs it. If we do not work together, the technical as-pect would fall apart.

Behind every good show is a strong tech crew. The actors may think that the show is about them, but we techies know it to be different.

...The Force Behind it All Continued from Page 12

the governor 14SportS

unfamiliar territory

Super Bowl 46? For many Patriots fans, it may have

just as well been Super Bowl 42 and a half. In a remarkably similar game to the

heartbreaker in Phoenix four years ago, the Patriots had a crucial pass dropped in the fourth quarter, saw a miraculous com-pletion made right over their defenders’ heads, and suffered a go-behind touch-down in the final minute.

Did I mention that this was all against the same team, the New York Giants?

On February 5, 2012, after two weeks of hype, predictions, and hourly updates on Rob Gronkowski’s left ankle, the game was finally played in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and it did not disappoint. To the shock of Patriot Nation, the Gi-ants were up, 9-0, at the end of the first quarter. Two of those nine points were scored on a Justin Tuck-forced safety on the Patriots very first offensive play.

Not exactly the ideal start for the team in blue.However, after a 29 yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal and a four yard Dan-

ny Woodhead touchdown catch, the Pats, now up 10-9, appeared to be in good shape heading into halftime.

After a halftime show that had its own fair share of controversy, the Patriots received the kickoff and wasted no time in driving 79 yards downfield, capped off by a twelve yard Aaron Hernandez touchdown grab to make the score 17-9, Patriots. It appeared that the Patriots, behind an extremely determined Tom Brady, were going to run away with the game.

As New England fans young and old have now seen three times in the past four years, we can never guarantee that to happen against the Giants.

Eli Manning led his team down the field for three more points after a Law-rence Tynes 38 yard field goal, cutting their deficit to five. After a Patriots three-and-out and another Tynes field goal, the Giants found themselves down by just two points going into the fourth quarter, the score 17-15.

Oh, the fourth quarter. Will the Patriots (or their fans, myself included), ever be able to live down what has occurred in crunch time in their past two Super Bowl appearances?

What made it so bad, so terrible that many New Englanders did not sleep on Sunday night? Here are a few of many examples:

• Tom Brady underthrowing a wide open Gronkowski, who with a good ankle, may have at least broken the pass up, if not caught it.

• An Ahmad Bradshaw fumble that somehow, someway was recovered by the Giants deep in their own territory, which would have almost certainly led to a Patriots touchdown.

• A wide open Wes Welker drop-ping a crucial pass late in the game on an, at best, mediocre throw by Tom Brady.

• Mario Manningham channel-ing his inner David Tyree by catching a miracle pass from Manning that spurred the Giants to…

• Ahmad Bradshaw falling into the endzone for the game-winning score with 57 seconds to go.

Sigh. Excuse me while I take a few deep breaths to recover from going over all of that again.

I wish I could say that Patriot fans will be scarred for life after that sequence, but we have already learned from the Giants’ miracle win in Arizona. This is not the first time that we have been teased with the hope of a Super Bowl ring only to have it snatched away at the last second by Peyton Manning’s kid brother.

And now, what can we do? This may have been the last great chance for the Brady/Belichick duo to win the Big Game, and, looking ahead, our defense is showing no signs of desperately needed improvement.

Here is what we can do: Move on.Move on from Manning, Manningham, Bradshaw, Cruz, Gronk’s ankle,

Brady’s passes, Welker’s drop. Move on from something we cannot change. The Patriots are by no means done as a contender, and, aside from all of the fourth quarter wackiness, a healthy Gronkowski may have made the game completely unreachable for the Giants.

I know next season sounds far away but, New England fans, we will be back. We will have a better defense, we will keep all of our key players, and we are, as always, a near lock to make the playoffs. If it makes anyone feel any better, the early Las Vegas odds on next year’s Super Bowl winner have the Patriots as 5 to 1 favorites.

Until then, as local comedian Paul “Fitzy” Fitzgerald has always repeated after many a big Pats loss:

Keep Calm and Brady On.

different year, same storyjoHn nickodemus ‘12

Http://www.inQuisitr.com/wp-content/2011/10/super-Bowl.jpg

joe Benson ‘13

The boys’ varsity hockey team has hit a rough patch as of late. Consider-ing the team’s success over the past few years, especially last year, these recent struggles have put the boys in a temporary state of perplexity. It is a fact that any and all good teams go through slumps, and with the team’s work ethic, skill, and tenacity in mind, I do not expect these woes to stick around for much longer.

Much of the varsity hockey team remained intact for the 2011-2012 season, losing only a few seniors from the previous year. The team saw some minor changes with the acquisition of a few underclassmen, and also one major change: the addition of Coach Leon Hayward. Much anticipation built for the beginning of the 2011-2012 season with regard to how the team would look under a new coach. I asked fourth-line scrapper Cam Laughlin ’13 how the team has adjusted to having a new coach thus far. He said, “It was hard at first to adjust to the new defensive schemes, but once we got those down it started to pay dividends. That’s why we were able to go on such a long winning streak.” The boys were able to go on an 8-0-3 run which started at the beginning of winter break with a win over Hill School and ended in late January with a win over Cushing. After this remarkable stretch of games, the team was bound for a loss, or losses. After an exhilarating victory over their nemesis Cushing, the boys were right back at it the next day, on the road, against ISL rival St. Sebastian’s. Playing back to back games was a large contributor to their first loss in over a month. The 4-2 defeat to St. Se-bastian’s marked the first of a five game losing streak that the boys would go on to endure for the next week and a half. This loss was followed by losses to Lawrence Academy, Dexter, Brooks, and St, Paul’s. Goaltender Brendan McMenimen ‘13

(“Mr. Universe”) commented on the state of the team during this rough stretch. “Well you know when teams go into a slump players started playing as individu-als. It was not just one of us, it was all of us. During these rough times, we started to do more team-related activities. It’s not just about being a team on the ice; it’s also about being one off of it. And we figured out that playing as a team is when we succeed and have the ability to take down top teams in New England. That’s for sure.” It sure looked like Govs was able to come together as a team shortly after their fifth straight loss, beating Thayer 4-3 in a back and forth game on February 4. Brendan McMenimen’s thesis of team unification was implemented in this game as the boys were able to keep their heads up after surrendering the lead twice. I suspect that this emotional victory over Thayer has given the team in the right mindset to host New England’s top team in Nobles on Wednesday the 8th. Blossoming center Ryan Scarfo, ‘13, would agree with me. “After a tough stretch of five games, I think any win is big, especially on the road. Picking up a win against an ISL opponent was big on getting us back on the right track. Going forward we just have to stick together as a team on and off the ice which will win us games and hopefully give us a spot in the tournament at the end of the year.”

Over the course of a season, it is inevitable that a hockey team will experience extreme ups and extreme downs. Hockey is nothing less than a roller coaster; a roller coaster of emotions, that is. It is tempting to be pulled up by thrilling highs and to be dragged down by frustrating lows. The best hockey teams, however, are the ones that are able to stay the course and retain composure in the face of both prosperity and adversity.

the governor 15SportS

Congratulations to Kat Fogarty!

Kat scored her 1,000th point as a member of The Governor’s Academy basketball team in a

game against the New Hampton School.

Boys’ BasketballCaptains: Frank Barba, Todd Moores, Duncan RobinsonThe season to date has been great. We are having the best season within the past few years. We love the support that we’ve been getting from the community.

We really appreciate the school spirit. As of right now, we are looking at sealing up a middle seed for the post season tournament.

Girls’ BasketballCaptains: Katie O’Book, Ceci ReyesWe struggled getting off to a good start this season, because we faced many powerhouse teams like New Hampton and Cushing, however we are all starting

to play as a team, and are improving every day at practice with our defense and offense. We’re 500 right now, and we believe that record will improve, and that if we continue to play like we have been, we will make it to postseason. We have put in a lot of hard work at practice, and it has been paying off. Throughout the season we’ve really grown together and have become comfortable playing with each other as we spent a lot of time together before and after practices. It is start-ing to hit us that there is less than a month left in the season, and we are definitely going to miss playing basketball at Govs next year.

Boys’ HockeyCaptain: Connor CostelloAssistant Captains: Alex Minter, Bryan SullivanWe started off the season very strong, not losing in over ten games during the month of December. We hit a rough patch where we lost five in a row but we

are starting to rebound back. We have been in a lot of close games with a few high-end teams, some of which we should have won. Looking ahead to the playoffs, we believe if we can finish the year strong and beat some ISL teams we have a shot to be in the top eight. Not only do we think we could be in the top right but we could go a lot further than anyone thinks we can.

Girls’ HockeyCaptain: Sara AlonardoAssistant Captain: Natalie SullivanFrom the very beginning of our hockey season we had one goal in mind: to be the best team we could be while having as much fun as we possibly could.

After losing our very talented first line and our goalie, many people had doubts about the success of our season. One of the greatest feelings so far has been prov-ing those doubts wrong. It is no secret that it is difficult going from the top of the pack to the middle, but as a team we have dealt with this change and made the best we could out of this situation. So far our record is 8-4-4 and we have six games left in this season. It is the toughest set of games we’ll face so we are hoping to end it strongly. Our hockey team is more than just a group of girls who play hockey; we are a family who has their fair share of ups and downs. At the end of the day there’s nowhere else we would rather be than laughing on the ice with our coaches and best friends.

Boys’ Indoor TrackCaptains: Neil He, Sam McDavittWe don’t have the numbers for the guys’ team to compete against large schools like Exeter and Andover, but we have enough heart to win individual events.

Our record this year is 2-7. We have four runners going to Harvard for the USATF championship race where we will be competing against some of the best kids around NE. We have Neil He going for 60m hurdles, Sam McDavitt going for 400m, and Zach Larkin going for the 800m. Our small team of nine has done better than we imagined.

Girls’ Indoor TrackCaptains: Lauren Bougioukas, Maria Leone, Caroline StroussThe Girls’ Indoor track team has had a solid season with an overall record of 5-4. We travel on Wednesdays to compete against the Phillips Andover and

Phillips Exeter Academies, teams that were more than twice our team’s size. For postseason, some runners, who qualify, will run at Harvard University on 2/19 for the USA Track and Field N.E. Championships.

WrestlingCaptains: Chris Cowie, Kirk RyderIn the Graves Kelsey Tournament on February 11, the wrestling team had a lot of successes. Freshman Mike Dik was the league wrestling champion. Run-

ners-up were seniors Kasey Carollo, Kirk Ryder, and junior Mike Gallagher.

used to coin “scary looking guns” with an intimidating name. These guns pose no higher threat to society than the threat people pose to society because: in 1994 (the year the Federal “Assault Weapons” ban started) you were 11 times more likely to be beaten to death than killed by an assault weapon. Even a spokesperson for one of the most involved gun control groups in America, Handgun Control Inc., agrees: “Most ‘assault weapons’ have no more firepower killing capacity than the average hunting rifle” and “they play a very small role in overall violent crime.”

Here are some of the facts about how just the presence of guns can lower crime rates. Guns prevent an estimated 2.5 million crimes a year or 6,849 every day. Often the gun is never fired and no blood (including the criminal’s) is shed. When Texas started allowing citizen to carry a concealed weapon, the crime rates dropped. Com-pared to the national average murders fell 50% faster, rapes 93% faster in the first year and 500% faster in the second year and assaults fell 250% faster in the second year. In states that disallow the right to carry, violent crime rates are on average 11% higher.

For those of us who have bought a gun, we know that there is an extensive back-ground check in place. We know it is not easy to get a gun legally. We cannot let myths be spread about the right to bear arms. We should educate society about fire-arms and let them make their own decisions, not scare them into what to believe in. Let’s do everything we can to protect our citizens and our 2nd Amendment rights.

...The Truth About Guns Continued from Page 6

Sources: http://gunfacts.info/, February 7, 2012, Guy SmithMedical death statistics, Gun deaths, Dr. David Lawrence, CEO Kaiser Permanente, CDC

report 1993House Panel Issue: Can Gun Ban Work, New York Times. April 7, 1989. P. A-15, quoting

Philip McGuire, Handgun Control, Inc.,Targeting Guns, Dr. Gary Kleck, Criminologist, Florida State University, Aldine, 1997 Bureau of Justice Statistics, online database, reviewing Texas and U.S. violent crime from

1995-2001.FBI, Uniform Crime Reports, 2004

Http://www.tHegoVernorsacademY.org/page.cFm?p=357&newsid=191

the governor 16Humor

mYles Badger ‘13

dummer of the dead: A satirical Account of the second Zombie war

BYFIELD- The ground is still stained with blood and mud, and as a Global Disease Assessment Agency helicopter does its third patrol of the hour around campus, Joseph Rokous sits on his porch, an aging pump-action shotgun resting on his lap. A recently downed zombie is sprawled a few feet in front of him on the steps of the porch, and a still-warm shell casing lies next to his foot.

“When the first wave came, we’d been prepared. We’d known what to ex-pect. But when the second wave hit, it hit hard,” the 16-year-old junior recounts. “Before, we could get by with using bats and knives…” He picks up the gun with one hand, and rests the stock on his thigh. “But the wave two zeds were smarter, stronger, more organized. One good shot to the head, and you could down one, but they were fast. And after a few days, they started coming in packs.” He puts the weapon to his shoulder, and a blank stare forms on his face. “We lost a lot in the first few days alone, and by the time we drove them off, we had changed.” The downed zombie on the stairs suddenly lurches forwards, and without hesitation Joseph fires a shot, sending the creature sprawling backwards into the slushy mix that has built up on the Rokous’ lawn.

Throughout the interview, Joseph’s eyes have been darting around, and his hands are shaking slightly as he places the weapon down, and gestures towards the now-deceased Zombie. “The Agency claim that the war’s over, but occasion-ally we’ll get late bloomers. Zeds that got lost in the woods or bogged down in the marsh’ll come lumbering into campus… Judging by the mud on this one’s boots, he was probably one of the latter.” He rises from his rocker, and gently taps the zombie on the shoulder with the barrel of the shotgun. A thin layer of dirt comes

off the creature’s filthy clothes to reveal a crimson bandanna, still tied to what remains of its arm. “We took to tagging the infected during the first outbreak. A guy would get bitten, then an hour later he’d start foaming at the mouth, and that was it. Lost more guys to the infected than to the actual zeds… it was so damn hard to tell who had been bitten and who hadn’t, and the damn gestation period

for the virus is an hour if you’re lucky, so we started tagging them. Hoped to give people a heads up.” Again, a blank stare has formed on Joseph’s face.

“Hell of it was that once they got infected, they got… smarter. It was like they knew we were watching them. And they communicated. I don’t know how, but I swear, they had some kind of con-nection to one another.”

He glances off down towards the tennis courts, and we watch as the G.D.A.A. helicopter descends onto the courts, and four men in red hazmat suits emerge forth, all carrying assault rifles.

Two of them hurry towards Farmhouse, while the other two head for Cottage. Jo-seph scoffs, sneering slightly as he sees the soldiers. “Damn Agency. They’re being more trouble than the Zeds ever were. They flew in a few days ago and ‘liberated’ us,” Joseph raises his hands to make air quotes as he says this, “and what’s the first thing they do? They ban us from carrying our guns around!”

He slams his hands down on the arms of his rocker in anger, and again we watch as the G.D.A.A. agents emerge from Farmhouse, both men carrying black crates marked “CONTRABAND”. “They say they’re being careful so that they don’t have to find out if the infected can use firearms. I say they’re being fascists. First they take the guns. Then, they take everything else. It isn’t fair.”

Http://www.HumansVszomBies.org/HVzlogo.jpg

Mr. Gosse: Chickens have been crossing roads ever since the sev-enth century. By the way, did you know that a monkey equals a chicken and two equals three?

Mr. Leavitt: Now by “chicken,” do you mean former Red Sox leg-end Wade Boggs, nicknamed “Chicken Man” by Jim Rice?

Dr. Brayshaw: To get to the other side.Mr. Searles: It saw a female chicken.Doc Scheintaub: I don’t really know; I’m just so excited for baseball

season! Mr. Melese: What chicken? Where is this chicken you speak of?Mrs. Adams-Wall: To get to Boynton to drop off its college-coun-

seling packet. Doc Bradley: Did the chicken really cross the road or did the road

move beneath the chicken?Mr. Drelich: Are you talking about the Family Guy chicken?Mr. Hunt: To score a touch goal.Mr. Long: It was a good calf workout. Every English Teacher: The “road” could mean something on two

levels. It could be either figurative or literal. Which road do you want me to talk about?

Dining Hall Services: We missed one?Dr. Quimby: The real question is, “What did that chicken believe it

was crossing the road for?”Mr. Wann: Shakespeare once said, “Boldness be my friend.” That

chicken was simply being bold.

So why did the chicken cross the road? Literally no one

knows.

cHad martin ‘12

AlfriddlesalFred cerrone ‘12

pHoto BY cHristine lee ‘12

1. A poor man is at a bar. He sees a rich man take 50s out his pocket to pay the cashier. The poor man says to the rich man, “I know all the songs known to man.” The rich man laughed and said, “I bet you all the money in my pocket that you can’t sing a song with my daughter’s name in it, Sarah Lee Greyson.” The poor man ended up going home with all the money. What song was it?

2. A man was found dead in his study with a gun in hand. There was a cas-sette recorder on his desk. When the police entered the room and pressed the play button on the tape recorder they heard: “I can’t go on. I have nothing to live for.” Then there was the sound of a gunshot. How did the detective immediately know that the man had been murdered and it wasn’t a suicide?

3. A bus driver was heading down a street in Colorado. He went right past a stop sign without stopping, he turned left where there was a “no left turn” sign and he went the wrong way on a one-way street. Then he went on the left side of the road past a cop car. And yet, he didn’t break any traffic laws. Why not?

Answers:1. Happy Birthday.2. Someone must have pressed rewind on the tape.3. He was walking.

Sources: http://www.trickyriddles.com/riddle/3657-Feeling-Poorhttp://www.trickyriddles.com/riddle/1482-Homicidal-Suicide/show/answerhttp://www.trickyriddles.com/riddle/1780-Bus-Driver/show/answer

the governor 17awards

This year, Governor’s artists won 28 awards with five Gold Key Awards, seven Silver Key Awards, and 14 Honorable Mentions. In the last

three years The Governor’s Academy has led all independent schools in art awards two times.

Gold Keys: Jaicey Bang ‘13 (Ceramics) Mei Li Johnson ‘13 (Photography) So Hyun Lee ‘14 (two for Painting) Andres Saenz ‘12 (Photography)

Silver Keys: Austen Hemlepp ‘13 (Ceramics) Austen Hemlepp ‘13 (Painting) Rachel Cabitt ‘12 (Photography) Emily Shea ‘12 (Painting) Jaicey Bang ‘13 (two for Ceramics) Shu-Hui Wee ‘13 (Ceramics)

Honorable Mentions: Cassie Clavin ‘14 (Ceramics) Boong Chamnanratanakul ‘13 (two for Drawing) Boong Chamnanratanakul ‘13 (Painting) Kyler Ross ‘15 (Photography) Nathalie Hirchak ‘14 (Photography) Jesse Bissell ‘13 (Painting) Austen Hemlepp ‘13 (Ceramics) Katie McKay ‘12 (Painting) Katie McKay ‘12 (Drawing) Kate Duval ‘14 (Photography) Christine Lee ‘12 (Painting) Rachel Cabitt ‘12 (Photography) Katy Maina ‘15 (Ceramics)

“giggles” Boong cHamnanratanakul ‘13

This past September, ten members of the senior class were selected as Member-Designates to the Cum Laude Society. The minimum selection standards require a minimum 3.3 weighted GPA at end of junior year, and that less than or equal to 10% of the class can be taken. Additionally, social and behavioral standing with the Academy “must be worthy of the honor of Cum Laude and reflect credit upon the Chapter”.

Elected as Member-Designates in September were:

Reina ArakawaLauren M. BougioukasJohn A. DamianosChristine LeeChristina K. McGrathKatherine R. McKayGrant B. O’BrienHannah W. RauschPeri H. SchautGeorge S. Tourkakis

Seven Governor’s writers this year received awards for their creative writing.

Gold Key: Megan O’Connor ‘12 “Splurging on Seconds”

Silver Keys: Julia Healey ‘12 “Saturday Morning”Ariana DiCroce ‘13 “This I Believe”Jean Bower ‘13 “To Hell in Clogs”

Honorable Mentions:Myles Badger ‘13 “Blood, Sand and Plastic”Jaicey Bang ‘13 “The Final Sting”Ariana DiCroce ‘13 “Beauty or Beastly?”

John Damianos ‘12 of North Hampton, NH won the Cum Laude Society Paper award, anually given by the Cum Laude Society to recognize outstanding scholarship in its member schools. Each year, Cum Laude member schools are invited to submit the best piece of scholarship from a student that year. Submissions are judged blindly, meaning that the read-ers have no information that would reveal the writer or the school. Since the prize’s inception in 2003, a Governor’s student has won now six times. John’s paper, Words of Fire: The Truman Doctrine, Greece, and Beyond, was recognized as the winner for District I, which includes 52 schools in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

He concludes his paper:

The campaign for Greek and Turkish aid transformed the United States into the mythic Prometheus, taking the fire of democracy and giving it to the dark world. But, because of the hubris with which the U.S. has sometimes used fiery rhetoric and the force of its economic and military powers, the United States has found itself chained to a rock, where the vulture of unwin-nable war gorges on its vitals.

John’s 37-page paper on the Truman Doctrine and its implications thereafter was his junior year history thesis for William Quigley’s AP Unit-ed States History class.

Http://www.Horacemann.org/uploaded/Horacemann/images/news/2011-2012_news/cumlaudeseal.jpg

the governor 18Poemhow to survive Parents’

weekendnatalie sulliVan ‘13

If your family was to visit on parents’ weekend day,You should probably clean your room and put your clothes away.

Make your bed as though it has been made before,And make sure that you vacuum all the crumbs off of your floor.

The key to impressing your parents is to make the dorm seem clean,By the time it’s spotless it will be absolutely serene.

Make sure you hide all your candy, sweets and junk food,Because you don’t want your mom starting a family feud.

Clean out your fridge and spray a whole lot of Febreze.You don’t want your dad commenting on the stench of moldy blue cheese.

Now try to look pleasant, maybe with a blazer or dress,With parents around campus you certainly need to impress.

Don’t wear your sneakers, your yoga pants or jeans,But wear your Sperries, khakis, and polos by all means.

On this day, parents will be coming from far and near,While some teachers are relaxed, others quiver in fear.

Your parents will be so enthusiastic to follow you to class,So pretend that you’re actually interested about inertial mass.

Ask lots of questions and participate more than you normally doYou want to seem engaged and determined in your parent’s point of view.One thing that you should probably know before parents weekend is here;

Teachers usually give back assessments, so you better kick it into high gear.There’s nothing worse than receiving a “D” on a difficult math test,

Except, when your parents are there and say, “Was that really your best?”Make sure your homework is completed the night before,

Unless you want to be in supervised on the library’s second floor.Just so you know this day will not be full of ordinary classes,

You’ll feel like the day is going by as slow as molasses.

Now there are different categories that your parents can be placed,But do not take anything personally, there’s no need to be disgraced.

First we have the parent, who wishes he were back in school,He’s the one that answers all the questions because he thinks he’s really cool.

Another sort is the mother, who doesn’t pay attention to the classes at all,She just sits in her chair knitting a sweater with a maroon yarn ball.

Next we have the father, who walks into class wearing a trench coat and tie,He means no harm but he sits in the corner with a band-aid under his eye.

Lastly there’s the mother who tells jokes on the double,But you are the one who the teacher deems in trouble.

I hate to say it, but it is certainly true,There is nothing in particular that you can do.

Parents will be embarrassing and down right absurd, Deal with it the best you can, because they can’t be cured.

Go through the day with a goal of coming out alive,And I’m sure that you will most certainly be able to survive.

Now I’ll let you in on a secret, for it might be important to know,Your parents won’t come to classes unless you ask them to go…

Http://www.opuzendesign.com/images/zoom/greekkeY2.giF

the governor 19Photos

shutterbug:Featuring megan mullin ‘12

the governor 20the back page

No man ever steps into the same river twice.~heraclitus~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN FEBRUARY!Sen i orS

Christine Lee .......................2/3/93Max George .........................2/1/94Caroline Strouss .................2/7/94Chris Cowie ......................2/15/94Katie McKay ......................2/16/94Maya Martignetti .............2/26/94

Jun i orSBen Stafford .......................2/23/94James Murphy ...................2/27/94Ian Freedman ......................2/2/95Michael Gallagher ............2/12/95Boong Chamnanratanakul ...2/15/95Stephen Basden ................. 2/17/95Izzy Hulseman ..................2/20/95Hannah Abbe ................... 2/24/95Madison Everett ...............2/25/95

SophomoreS

Tucker Quinlan ..................2/3/95Jong Ho Choi ......................2/9/95Scott Miller ........................2/12/96Chris Mucci .......................2/13/96Noah Seely .........................2/12/96Jenna Nee ...........................2/15/96Ashlyn Bedard ..................2/16/96Peter McGrath ..................2/28/96

FreShmen

Jie-Ling Ngo ..................... 2/20/96Larsen Bidstrup ................2/25/96Derek Yan ..........................2/28/96Tim Quimby .......................2/8/97Tyler Harrington ..............2/14/97Terri Costello ....................2/20/97Katherine Maina ..............2/20/97Katie Hanlon .....................2/23/97

Quotation of the issue

Parents’ Weekend ScheduleFriday, February 17, 2012

7:45-8:00 Morning Meeting8:05-8:50 A Block8:55-9:40 B Block

9:45-10:30 C Block10:35-11:20 D Block

11:25-11:45 L111:45-12:05 L212:05-12:30 L3

12:35-1:20 E Block1:25-2:10 F Block2:15-3:00 G Block

The Governor’s Academy Drama Presents:

Singin’ in the Rain

7:30 p.m.

Performing Arts Center

Friday, February 17

Saturday, February 18

Http://www.lHs210.net/assets/1/perForming_arts_center/ singinintHerain.jpg

The Governor’s Academy Dance Company Invites You to Attend:

The Winter Dance Show

Performing Arts Center

Friday, February 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, February 26 at 2:00 p.m.