When Jacy Good announced she was going to put her hair in a ponytail, the audience in the Phillips Stevens Chapel fell completely silent.
Ms. Good reached up with her right arm, the only one she can use now, swept her hair up with one hand and secured it. It was a simple task—one most people could do without thinking.
Yet for Ms. Good, who was left critically injured after a 2008 car crash, the act of putting her hair in a ponytail is a reminder not only of the accident, and the distracted driver who caused it, but of a hospital stay and the months of rehabilitation that followed.
The Williston Northampton School campus has been slowly filling up with water this spring—of the fresh and purified kind. Over the past few months, the Physical Plant staff has been outfitting buildings and dorms with new hydration stations, which can provide both a quick drink and an easy way to fill up a water bottle.
The Elkay EZH2O stations, some 29 in all, were part of a $25,000 anonymous donation designed to provide a resource that could help improve campus health while making an environmental impact.
Students will be encouraged to fill up reusable water bottles at the stations, keeping themselves hydrated and taking the plastic bottles they might otherwise buy and discard out of the equation.
Director of Parent Relations Rachel Goldberg described the hydration stations as “an awesome thing to add to this campus.”
“We’re going to have them in basically every building,” she said. “It feels like an accomplishment for the school and feels like we’re improving the school.”
All the stations are equipped with counters that track how much water has been used—and how many plastic bottles have been avoided as a result. Maintenance Manager Paul Bricker said that the station in Reed Campus Center, which was installed last December, has saved some 1,200 liter bottles so far.
“I know the students are making good use of it,” Mr. Bricker said. “The ones in the gym are very heavily used.”
In addition to Reed, some 11 stations now in use can be found at the Athletic Center, Ward Schoolhouse, Lossone Rink, Sawyer House, Whitaker-Bement, Conant House, Memorial East, Memorial West, and Scott Hall.
Jeff Tannatt, director of the physical plant, said the plan is to install two additional stations each in the Schoolhouse and Scott Hall over the March break, and then continue installing the rest in campus dormitories over the course of the spring.
In January, when the hydration station across from her office reached a milestone, reading “helped eliminate waste from [1000] disposable plastic bottles,” Meg Valine, director of international student programs, tweeted a picture with the note “Willys care! New water stations across campus are being heavily used.”
“’Up from the meadows rich with corn, clear in the cool September morn, the clustered spires of Frederick stand, green walled by the hills of Maryland.’ My grandfather muttered this as the race horn sounded.”
So begins ninth grader Sophia Schaefer’s tale of wind and weather, of relationships that run as deep as an ocean current, and of charting your own course—even if no one (or everyone) is following you.
Originally created as an assignment for her Williston Northampton humanities class last spring, Ms. Schaefer’s short story, “Great Day for a Race,” was recently recognized by the Boston Globe Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, where it received an honorable mention. The Boston contest is the regional division of a national program that recognizes creative middle and high school students.
Ms. Schaefer’s fictional story, which was based on an interview with her grandmother, was among 20,000 submissions, including 1,750 written pieces, from more than 8,000 students, according to the Boston Globe.
English teacher Doug Niedzwecki said Ms. Schaefer’s story had stood out for its balance of detail and authentic voice.
“I do recall clearly how well Sophia integrated the emotional feeling of how memorable and meaningful the past can be as seen through another’s eyes,” he wrote in an email. “’Great Day For a Race’ is an exceptional short story, and I am especially happy that Sophia enjoyed the writing process so much.”
Diversity Conference 2014. Photo by Matthew Cavanaugh
For the past 13 years, the Williston Northampton School has set aside a special day to celebrate diversity in all its forms through special keynotes and community workshops. This year, the title of the event changed from “Diversity Conference” to “Diversity Symposium,” a nod to how much the event has grown. The symposium, entitled “Finding Your Purpose, Passion & Integrity,” will feature three keynotes and over 40 workshops, including eight with special guests.
“We are excited to have all members of our school community hear presentations directly relating to those three words central to Williston Northampton’s mission statement and strategic initiatives,” wrote Director of International Student Programs Meg Valine, who organized the event with Assistant Director of Admissions and Director of Diversity Michael Shelton.
“[We] encourage everyone to pause, think, listen and reflect on how these three words from the school’s mission statement impact our lives,” she wrote.
Diversity Conference 2014. Photo by Matthew Cavanaugh
The Diversity Symposium will begin on Thursday, February 19, with a keynote address at 7:30 pm in the Chapel. Speaker Thomas Smith, who will be addressing the theme of “Purpose,” is a former ice hockey player and has twice been paralyzed. Through his determination and hard work, he has regained much of his mobility and has since started a foundation to advocate for paralysis victims. He is also one of the individuals responsible for the “look-up lines” appearing in ice rinks across the country. Following his presentation will be a reception.
Friday starts with a series of student speakers addressing “Passion” at 8:30 a.m. in the Chapel. Students and faculty will then attend a morning workshop, meet as an advisory for discussion, have lunch, and then head into an afternoon workshop. The event concludes with our third keynote address on “integrity,” presented by Kerrita Mayfield, Ph.D., a long-time educator.
“The symposium offers a great opportunity for us to stretch ourselves, to learn new things, and to support members of our community,” noted Dean of Faculty Peter Valine.
Read on about the Diversity Symposium’s featured guests:
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced this week that two Williston Northampton School seniors have been selected as National Merit finalists.
Emily R. Peirent and Callum S. Poulin had been named semifinalists in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program in September. The finalist designation means that they are now eligible for a merit scholarship, which will be announced this spring.
Mr. Poulin has received awards in boys junior varsity skiing and Latin; Ms. Peirent received the Asahel Lyman Williston prize in English last year, a commendation for her work on The Log, and was inducted into the Cum Laude Society this fall.
For receiving the finalist designation, Ms. Peirent and Mr. Poulin will be honored during an Upper School assembly on February 18 and will be presented with certificates of merit.
