Category Archives: Student Life

A Passion for Film: Charles Frank ’13 Aims for Sundance

Junior year at The Williston Northampton School is a busy one under the best of circumstances for most students, but it is particularly hectic for Charles Frank. At 17, Charles is already an accomplished filmmaker with an impressive resume. And if things go as planned, he will celebrate senior year with other filmmakers at the Sundance Film Festival.

Charles’s short film, “Breezless” won best picture at this year’s Williston Northampton, an honor he received last year, as well. The festival, which received entrants from both independent and public high schools, is an annual event that began in 2007 and continues to grow every year.

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Mental Athletics with Robots: Williston Team Heads to FIRST

6938478305 78038985da oThe silver robot bumped gently against a wall, reversed, and then ran over a blue racquet ball, where it lodged, rocking slightly. Chris Berghoff sighed.

“If it really shuts down when it hits one of the balls, and there’s going to be 100 of them, I’m pretty sure that’s a problem,” he said to his teammates, who were typing at computers around the room.

“Come along, robot,” Berghoff said, plucking the machine off the ground and carrying it into a workroom. A hacksaw could soon be heard grinding away.

None of the team members appeared very concerned by this. When you’re preparing for a state-level robotics competition like FIRST Tech Challenge, there’s a lot of tinkering involved.

See a full gallery of the team at work.

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Message from Coach Derek Cunha: Long Live the Mohawk!

On Monday, February 27, much to the amusement of the Williston Northampton School community, Boys Varsity Ice Hockey Coach Derek Cunha showed up for work with a thick mustache and newly shaven Mohawk.

The history behind Coach Cunha’s mustache and Mohawk dates to November 2011 when he and several of the boys hockey team grew mustaches in support of “Movember,” an event to raise awareness about men’s health.

Coach Cunha remembered it was fun seeing how their facial features changed by the day, in what he acknowledges wasn’t always the most attractive way.  During “Movember” the team had two pre-season games in which they beat Academy St. Louis and South Kent. On December 1st the razors came out and the mustaches were gone.

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Students Organize Blood Drive on Sunday, February 12

Williston’s Community Service Club needs your help. Every year this student organization joins forces with the American Red Cross to sponsor blood drives on campus. On Sunday, February 12 Williston will host a drive from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. in the Athletic Center. Student leaders have asked for support from the parent community. Please consider giving blood, and encourage your friends and family members to join you. All eligible donors are welcome to attend the blood drive and appointments can be made online.

New Dormitory Changes for 2012-13 Year Announced

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Next year there will be a new dormitory configuration on campus, the result of a number of years of discussion and a recommendation to Head of School Robert W. Hill III.

Beginning in the 2012-13 school year, boys will live in Ford, Hathaway, 194 Main, Conant, and Logan. Girls will live in Memorial East and West, John Wright, Clare, and French. This transition has been in the planning stages for the past few years. The change will make housing more equitable between the genders in terms of the number of singles and doubles and the quality of housing.

Students learned about the changes from their dorm heads in meetings shortly after the Winter Break. While the school recognizes this is a change, it is one that will bring new opportunities for students and dorm parents.