Irish Exchange Program by Patrick Ryan ‘18 Parts of Boston
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The WALRUS The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things: Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings. - Lewis Carroll Vol. LXIX No. 5 St. Sebastian’s School March 2016 Finding Me Lucky Charms: Irish Exchange Program By Patrick Ryan ‘18 parts of Boston. Whether it was fast-paced sports such as rugby and driving around on trolley tours that hurling. Also, Ireland does not even For the past few years, St. visited historical landmarks or play- have ice hockey―they only have Sebastian’s sophomores have partici- ing on the frozen pond in the parks, field hockey―so once again they pated in an exchange program with everyone was enjoying their Monday got to watch and learn about a new students from St. Michael’s College mornings. A few families even went sport. The game ended in a 2-2 tie in Dublin, Ireland. For one week, a to the top of the Prudential building after a scoreless overtime. Seb’s student stays with a host family to eat lunch and enjoy the view. Then Saturday morning was in Ireland as they attend school and everyone met up at Fenway Park in spent relaxing, with each family on go sightseeing in and around the the afternoon to receive a tour of the their own for the day, which included Dublin area. Then the Irish students stadium. For the Irish kids, this was things like final shopping, visits travel to America and stay at the a new experience because baseball is to the Museum of Science, or just house of the host families. Normally, not a common sport in Ireland. The hanging out at the house. Then, on the Seb’s kids go to Ireland first group was able to sit in the Green Saturday night, everyone gathered at over March break, and then the Irish Monster seats, stand in the press the Melley household for a farewell kids come during their Easter vaca- box, and look around the visitor’s Party that consisted of air hockey Trustees:Taken to School tion. However, due to the important clubhouse, which was exciting for the games, watching college and profes- hundredth anniversary of the Easter Irish and American kids alike. After sional sports, eating Blue Ribbon bar- By Cole Aldrich ‘16 rising this year, the Irish kids came wrong in front of a trustee, others fear the tour, the pairs split off to go home beque, and talking about the week to- over first in February, because they the sometimes awkward setting. The and warm up after the cold day mov- gether. Eventually everyone departed, HEAD WRITER wanted to stay for the celebrations preciously loose classroom atmosphere ing around Boston. knowing that the next meeting would On one special day of the and commemorations. can abruptly transform into a quiet and From Tuesday through Fri- be at the airport. year, Mr. Burke’s omnipotence is brief- On Saturday, February 13, painfully relaxed 45 minutes where the day, the Irish students came to school After spending Sunday ly overshadowed. This day is known as teacher does most of the speaking. eight Irish students from St. Mi- with their host and attended classes morning packing and getting ready Trustee Day. On Thursday, March 3rd, The teachers who have chael’s College -- William Farmer, here. According to most of them, the for the flight, the families once again members of the St. Sebastian’s Board trustees usually put a lot of preparation Luc Gray, Tim Keane, Conor Nyland, best part was the “free buffet lunch” met up at the airport to drop off of Trustees made their annual pilgrim- into displaying the classroom’s skills. Lorcan Murray, Tim O’Donovan, served in Ward Hall (apparently they the Irish kids. Everyone said their age to the Seb’s academic building. This usually involves a smooth class Charlie O’Loughlin, and Joe Walsh have to pay each day for food). After goodbyes, knowing that only in a The trustees are somewhat mysterious where the teacher controls the direction -- arrived in the evening after their school on Wednesday, the group few weeks the eight Seb’s kids would members of the St. Sebastian’s com- of the discussion with the obvious goal flight. They were greeted by eight joined Henry’s Corner and supported travel to Ireland to see them again. munity, almost mythical to some. No of impressing the trustee. However, St. Sebastian’s students and their our Varsity Hockey and Basketball As March break draws nearer, the one knows who they are or what they Senior Literature teacher, Mr. Lynch families. Every Irish lad was paired teams as they played hard. During flight to a new and exciting country really do, but we do know that they are had a different strategy. He put all the with one student for the week. The important and without them the school, school on Thursday, Mr. Brendan for most of us is finally becoming pressure on the students. After a rowdy eight students are as follows: James as we know it, wouldn’t exist. These Sullivan brought the eight Irish a reality. Everyone cannot wait to game of Shakespeare trivia, he let the Mooney, Peter Julien, George John- “big dogs”, as some refer to them, kids to go to the JFK Library and visit Ireland to learn about how they students engage in their own discussion, son, Neil Melley, Finn Mulligan, take time out from their normally busy Museum, where they learned about are different yet very similar to us. while he and the trustee just listened. Nick Howell, Patrick Ryan, and Wil- schedules to observe the educational Although this happens all the time in JFK’s history and presidency. On In the past years, students have seen liam Coyne. From the airport, many experience at their beloved school and Mr. Lynch’s class, the strategy seemed Thursday night, a group of a few rugby matches, gone on various tours of the kids went to see the comedy are -- we hope -- very impressed. When risky but the students engaged almost kids went to see a Blue Man Group around Dublin, and even celebrated “Crazytown,” performed by our very the trustees come, they are paired with immediately in deep conversation. In performance, which was a unique St. Patrick’s Day while in Ireland. own drama club. a member from the Cum Laude Society. retrospect, it was a successful class and experience, as their tricks, music, and The exchange has given On Sunday, everyone at- The school wisely does this to give the showed how well Mr. Lynch knew his art are amazing. sixteen students the opportunity to trustees a good first impression before tended a Boston College vs. Syracuse students. On Friday after school, the connect and share their cultures, giv- entering classrooms. This is not to sug- basketball game in the Conte Forum. Behind the scenes, a lot goes whole group of sixteen kids drove ing each other a new perspective on gest that any of my classmates couldn’t The game, although it ended with on in order to make sure Trustee Day into Harvard Square with Mr. Sul- the world. The Seb’s sophomores will handle the task, but isn’t there a saying a double-digit BC loss, was a fun runs smoothly. Mr. Nerbonne leads the livan where Thayer Wade, a Seb’s be able to have a glimpse of what is about “getting off on the right foot”? charge in this respect. He works very and enjoyable sporting event where alumnus and current Harvard student, it like to live in Europe, just as the The day is unusual for the hard for several days before the trustees everyone also had the chance to get offered a quick tour and history of Irish kids who stayed in America, a students at St. Sebastian’s. The whole come to set up a perfect schedule for to know each other. The game was the school. After stopping to eat foreign land to them. With the help schedule is flipped, so students start out each visitor. He looks at what classes followed with a trip to the nearby of Mr. Sullivan, the host families, some delicious pizza from a local with their regular last period classes. and grade level each trustee visited in Shake Shack for some burgers and and the entire welcoming community pizza shop, the group walked to the This situation is devastating for 6th previous years and tries to place them shakes. at St. Sebastian’s, we were able to Harvard hockey stadium to watch period lunch members, who have to in classes that vary from the ones they Because of no school due to receive our visitors from across the Harvard battle against Cornell, one eat at 10:00am. No one likes lunch at experienced last time around. He also President’s day on Monday, the fami- Atlantic, and the eight sophomores of their rivals. The game was an ten in the morning, but it is a sacrifice makes sure trustees see all types of lies traveled into Boston to tour the flying over soon can’t wait for an intense struggle back and forth in that must be made. Aside from the odd classes. As Mr. Nerbonne explained city. Despite the frigid New England exciting week. schedule flip, students often feel uneasy the competitive game. The Irish kids to me, “If a trustee sits in on a middle temperatures that were foreign to the about the elephant (re: big dog) in the enjoyed the fierce style of play on school math class, I want to make sure Ireland natives, they got to visit many room.