The Loomis Chaffee Log

Issue CV No. 2 Est. 1915, 4 Batchelder Rd., Windsor, CT March 12, 2021 Remembering Vector Marketing: Secretary George P. Scam or Opportunity?

By HARRY KNIGHT ’21 News Editor Shultz ’38 A SMS alert buzzed its way onto my phone screen, distracting me from my fami- ly’s dinner table debate. “Hi Harry! My name is Hayden T. I work with Matt Tombaugh, and you got highly recommended to me for a position that I am looking to fill,” the text read. My eyes drifted down Hayden’s text, and caught the words “…entry level sales and service position.… speak with our customers and answer any questions they have….$20 base pay…” These enticing words sucked me away from din- ner. Attracted by the thought of making mon- ey over winter break, I wrote Hayden back, starting my interview process and subse- quently entering my position working for Photo by Luke Struthers ’21 Courtesy of Emily Khym ’23 Vector Marketing as a Cutco sales represen- Alejandro Rincón ’21, an ex-employ- tative. During my interview, Hayden made ee of vector marketing selling Cutco Secretary Shultz’s yearbook picture with all the activities he was involved in it clear that as a student at Loomis Chaf- knives to customers. during his four years at Loomis Chaffee. fee, I was in good company as his division sible. cabinet positions under three presidents, With each phone call that I made ask- By EMILY KHYM ’23 in Memphis, Tennessee alone has worked Staff Writer discerns him as one of the most successful with about nine other Loomis students. ing to give a Cutco Demo, I crossed off one politicians in American history. His passing, In the weeks that followed, I attended a name on my list of contacts; a list composed George P. Shultz, a member of the Loom- therefore, deserves a special recognition few hours of training where I learned the of family members (ranging from my par- is Chaffee class of 1938 who served as a for- not only in Washington, but also here, in best way to get references from people on ents to distant cousins), family friends, and mer Director of the United States Office of Windsor, CT where the seeds of his es- my initial list of sales targets and how to parents of friends. Management and Budget and the former teemed career were planted,” John Howley close sales on the biggest set of knives pos- Continued on page 4 Secretary of State under President Ronald ’21 said. Reagan, passed away on February 6, 2021. One of only two people to hold four differ- ent cabinet-level positions during his career in public service, Secretary Shultz left an LC Wrestling Discontinued extensive legacy in America’s history books. Due to his notable works in both the worlds By JULIAN HERNANDEZ ’21 and RI- sion: the increasingly regional nature of the LEY MEADE ’22 sport. of government and business, Shultz had Sports Editors been awarded numerous awards such as the “While there are still regions of the coun- Presidential Medal of Freedom. try where high school wrestling thrives, Secretary Shultz was a highly involved On Tuesday, February 16, 2021, the an- New England is not one. Here on the Island, member of the Loomis community who nouncement went out to the students in- attracting wrestlers to Loomis and fielding was on the honor roll and participated in the volved in the program and their parents that a full roster of wrestlers during the season first football team, first basketball team, stu- this would be the final season of wrestling [has] become increasingly difficult,” Dr. dent council, Mason Dormitory Committee, at Loomis Chaffee. This decision was not Culbert said. and many more activities. Photo by LC Communications made lightly by the Board of Trustees and That region, where wrestling still thrives, In response to his death, a few members Secretary Shultz during his visit back the school, but was ultimately seen as neces- is and has long been the MidWest. There is of the Shultz Fellowship expressed their to the Island in 2017. sary in order to, “meet the goals established a consensus that the best college wrestling sadness regarding his passing, but also a “For any student with political aspirations in our 10-year athletics strategic plan.” programs of all time are at the likes of Penn gratitude for the legacy he left on both the at Loomis Chaffee, having such a monu- In her letter to Loomis wrestlers and their State, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma mental figure in our alumni directory is an parents, Head of School Sheila Culbert, pro- State, and Ohio State, just to name a few. Island and the United States. Continued on page 9 “I feel very lucky that we were able to inspirational reminder that the education, vided insight on a factor leading to this deci- congratulate Secretary Shultz on his 100th experience, and enrichment we receive on birthday and I hope that our discussions will the Island can inform impactful leadership. continue his legacy by creating informed cit- Therefore, as we reflect on Shultz’s effect izens. I’m really grateful that we will be able on the country and our community, we will to remember him and honor the improve- undoubtedly remember him as an example ments America has made with the help of of what we could all become: global leaders,” Secretary Shultz,” Kate Shymkiv ’22 said. John continued. Other students cited the immense impact Secretary George P. Shultz has left his that Shultz has had on American politics. mark not only on the world, but also at “George Shultz was a truly unique figure Loomis. By remembering his legacy and in American politics. The sheer magnitude continuing the Shultz Fellowship program, of his influence, and the multitude of his Loomis students will maintain Schultz’s in- political roles, with a record four different fluence for generations to come. Photo by Stephanie Zhang ’21 Pedro Arellano ’21 looks back upon past generations of Loomis Chaffee wrestlers.

March EDITORS’ CONNECT WITH US! PICKS The Loomis Chaffee Log News (Page 2-3) Class of ’20 Waits for Reunion - 3

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PRSRT STD Sports (9) PAID Who’s the Real G.O.A.T.? - 9 www.thelclog.org Mélange (10-12) @thelclog The Great Vaccine Line - 12 March 12, 2021 The Loomis Chaffee Log NEWS

School Breaks Ground on New Performing Arts Complex

Photo by Stephanie Zhang ’21 By ARTHUR F. BEAUGEARD ’24 the eager theater students who look forward The Norris Ely Orchard Theater (NEO) undergoes construction. Contributor to performing in the space once renovations are complete. Throughout the day, many students are “The renovations will facilitate a grow- intrigued by the drilling and thumping ing interest in theater around campus, and echoing from the now-decrepit NEO The- I believe it’s a step in the right direction,” ater. The NEO, named after former English Brigham Cooper ’24 said. and theater instructor Norris Ely Orchard, Unfortunately, the current seniors in the is currently undergoing an ambitious, 14 to drama program, many of whom have ded- 15 million dollar renovation and expansion icated their time at Loomis Chaffee to the which is set for an early 2022 completion. arts, will graduate before the new perfor- After the renovation is completed, the NEO mance complex is completed. will be incorporated into the new perform- Although the seniors will not have the ing arts complex which will be named the opportunity to utilize the new space, their John D. & Alexandra C. Nichols Center for consistent dedication to the program has Theater and Dance. been one of the driving factors that led to “The NEO Theater is undergoing a mas- the eventual decision to renovate Loomis’ sive transformation to become part of our performance spaces. performing arts program, it’s a combination of all our arts here – dance, music, and the- ater. [We are also] totally revamping the main stage and adding a black box theater,” Courtesy of the Loomis Chaffee Website Mr. David McCamish, the Theater Direc- tor, said. The new and rennovated plan for the John D. and Alexander C. Nichols Center Outside of bringing all the aspects of the for Theater and Dance. performing arts under one roof, the con- struction project will also include a com- plete overhaul of the main stage and the seating area. The lobby will also be enlarged Contact Tracing Pilot Program and gain bathrooms to accommodate the crowds who come to see the numerous shows staged on campus. Launches on the Island All of these changes will drastically in- hours for a total of 17 minutes,’” Mr. Mac- crease the building’s size. Courtesy of Tom Zhang ’21 By CHARLOTTE MILLMAN ’24 “The stage will be approximately the Contributor Clintic said. same size, while the seating capacity will be Lana Breheney ’21 and Tom Zhang ’21 In addition, all of the data in the dongle is increased to 199. And the black box theater performing in The Addams Family In an effort to better protect students encrypted, and the data is only unencrypted will be an additional performance space, Winter Musical. and track the success of our community’s when someone tests positive. The then un- with a little bit of a smaller seating area. “The seniors are thrilled that, because of social distancing practices, a contact tracing encrypted information will be able to more There will also be a full-sized dance studio,” their hard work, they helped to make this program is soon going to be implemented accurately determine who might have been Mr. McCamish said. happen. Every class of actors and perform- around campus. This change will be facili- exposed to COVID-19. With the stage and dance studio being ers and dancers and musicians that have tated by the use of dongles and spearheaded “It would be good to use the dongles be- adjacent to each other, access for perform- come through there, all of their hard work by Loomis Chaffee’s Problem-Solving for cause if Dean Liscinsky were to ask who ers will be much more convenient, while and their drive to do the best work possible the Common Good class, taught by Director you’ve been in contact with, you aren’t go- the expanded seating and lobby will be more with the facility we have, I think, has made of Innovation Mr. Scott MacClintic ’82. ing to remember everyone,” Sam Tishler comfortable for audiences. this possible,” Mr. McCamish said. Mr. MacClintic’s class is working with ’23, a student in the Manufacturing, Prob- “We’ve had many shows where the line In general, the students are quite excit- Dr. Sten Vermund, Dean of the Yale School lem Solving, and Entrepreneurship class, was outside the NEO, people couldn’t get ed about what this means for the future of of Public Health, to bring a contact tracing said. in. This’ll be an opportunity for more of the performing arts at Loomis and how it will pilot program to students, faculty, and staff These dongles will be an important tech- Loomis community — both here on campus attract future applicants with a strong inter- at Loomis in order to assist with Loomis’ nological advancement to contact tracing and from afar — to come and see our shows,” est in theater and dance. current quarantine protocols after a posi- here at Loomis because they will allow for Mr. McCamish said. “I remember going to see The Addams tive COVID result and simultaneously act as more accurate data on who needs to be sent The renovations are not just highly an- Family last winter because my brother was participants in the new scientific study. home; therefore, fewer students and staff ticipated by the theater and dance faculty in it. I loved every second of it, and I believe “Contact tracing is an old technique that will have to participate in unnecessary quar- but are also extremely exciting for many of that night I decided I wanted to come here,” people use when there are infectious diseas- antines. Brigham said. es. The whole idea is to figure out how to “If we have data through something like contain the disease,” Ms. Mary Liscinsky, the dongle, I would be able to make a bet- COVID-19 Coordinator, said. ter informed decision about who should be This contact tracing pilot program relies quarantined,” Ms. Liscinsky said. on participants to wear a dongle— a small, Student’s families have the ability to opt- pocket-sized electronic piece of hardware— out of the program. However, even though that tracks the proximity of wearers. These the dongles do not need a certain number dongles are expected to be given out at the of people to work, it is important that a fair beginning of Spring Term 1. amount of them are carried around campus Some students, including Elizabeth in order for the program to actually be ef- Purdy ’24, were worried about how the don- fective. gle actually works. “The more people that carry them, the “I didn’t know much about it when I first more useful they will be,” Mr. MacClintic received the email, but I thought it was a lit- said. tle scary. I assumed that it would track me At the end of each day, the only thing which seemed weird,” Elizabeth said. students will need to do is open the app that Mr. MacClintic expected this question can be downloaded on their smartphones. and quickly explained that the dongle is not When opened, the app will allow all of the a tracking device. data to be synced into the system, creating a Courtesy of the Loomis Chaffee Website “It doesn’t know an individual’s location. safer Loomis community. The floor plan of the John D. and Alexander C. Nichols Center for Theater All it knows is that ‘this dongle was in close and Dance. proximity to this dongle over the last 48 2 March 12, 2021 The Loomis Chaffee Log NEWS

Senior on the island, John Howley, a large gathering in the near future. said that the situation is “terrible” but that But, it seems like what the class of 2020 “though it’s a tough situation, Loomis is ulti- has an issue with is not the cancelation this mately obeying the law.” He understands the year, but the extensive postponement. Neala decision this year; as COVID is still playing a stated that she is prepared to fight for “the Class of 2020 to significant role in the day-to-day operations earliest possible time we can all be back to- on the island, it would be impossible to have gether safely.” Wait Until 2025 for Reunion

By GAVIN ANDERSON ’22, RYAN FOR- make a really hard decision; the class of 2021 TANI ’22, HARRY KNIGHT ’21 had an entirely abnormal year, whereas the Staff Writer, News Editor, News Editor class of 2020 still had the fall and winter to enjoy. I really want to see the class of 2021 It didn’t take long for the news of Head of be celebrated and understand that our Com- School Dr. Sheila Culbert’s letter regarding mencement needs to be delayed,” Megan the class of 2020’s Commencement cancel- Lam ’20, a freshman at Tufts University, lation to reach the eyes and ears of Loomis added. Chaffee’s student body. During their Senior “What is the point of Commencement? Spring, the Class of 2020 was promised by It is a nice way to have a proper end to my Dr. Culbert that they would receive an on high school career and begin a proper tran- campus Commencement the following year, sition to college and adulthood. Now, not after the coronavirus pandemic was expect- having [Commencement], doesn’t mean my Photo from the Loomis Chaffee Log ed to end. However, due to the continuation transition to college and adulthood stopped, of both social distancing protocols and the nor should it have. So having a Commence- The class of 2020 at the opening dance. pandemic as a whole, the Class of 2020’s ment at any other time would have been un- Commencement has been cancelled indefi- derwhelming because it wouldn’t have felt nitely and they are now expected to only see salient or mattered as much since it wouldn’t each other again during their 5 year reunion have happened at the right time in our lives. in 2025. I would much rather have the class of 2021 Disheartened by the cancellation of their have a proper Commencement because they Commencement and unsettled by some of will need it more,” Aarman Pannu ’20, a the specifics that had come with it, several freshman at the University of Chicago, said. members of the Class of 2020 shared their “I understand that there’s very little that shock, confusion, and disappointment on can be realistically done because of the im- social media. pending graduations for the class of 2021 “Disappointed” is precisely how Neala and following classes,” Makayla McPherson Sweeney ’20, a now-freshman at George- ’20, a freshman at Brown University, said. town, described the realization. “Most of It’s also a concern that Loomis Chaffee’s the 2020s anticipated it,” she said, acknowl- international student body might have trou- edging that a long-overdue reunion for her ble reconvening over long distances. “Loom- classmates was impossible this year. is emphasizes the importance of a tight knit

“It sucks,” fellow Georgetown freshman community,” Neala said, noting the impor- Photo from the Loomis Chaffee Log Minjun Jung ’20 said. tance of close student relationships on The The year 2025 seems “arbitrary,” since, Island and expressing her opinion that they Members of the class of 2020 at the January 2020 winter formal. when they finally see each other, members are still crucial after graduation. of the Class of 2020 will be “24 years old and At the same time, other members of the out of college,” Neala said. Class of 2020 seemed to have already moved Although many of Min and Neala’s peers on from their time on the Island and are fo- were disappointed as well, others voiced cused on their new adventures. their understanding of the cancellation and “People have already moved on. Everyone had come to anticipate it before Dr. Cul- has moved on. Either, you are in college and bert’s email. Many did, however, join the made a new set of friends, had new college Georgetown freshman in wondering why experiences, or are making due with online the 5-year reunion was determined as the classes—it doesn’t feel as salient or import- optimal date for the grade’s next chance to ant as it did before college, back when there see each other. was nothing “better” out there,” Aarman “Oh well, I’m really not surprised. It was said. obvious it’s not going to happen this year. At the same time, the multitude of tradi- I’m just not entirely sure why we need to tional events that the Class of 2020 was de- wait until 2025 if we can potentially have prived of has led graduates to also voice their a reunion earlier. If everything is safe, co- frustration in not having a Commencement rona-wise, why can’t we have that reunion to culminate their already hollow Loomis earlier? I’m gonna be out of college in 2025 experience. Neala voiced her frustration in lol,” Margarita Demkina ’20, an engineering the school’s “lack of commitment” to her student at Columbia University, said. class; this postponement is the third major Photo from the Loomis Chaffee Log “I believe that the Head of School had to event to get essentially canceled. Members of the class of 2020 on the senior path during the first day of school for the 2019-2020 school year. ministration and faculty oversee in the run- with Mr. Matlack and the academic deans ning of the school. as to how they were going to maneuver the At Loomis, there are “ad hoc” committees faculty vote,” Aidan said. Student Council Pushes for formed at the start of the school year. They There were several causes to this push can be credited with the steady advance for student voices that the student council in important installments such as Flagg’s deemed necessary. Student Council repre- Student Representation all-gender housing or the advisor program, sentative Rebecca Fowler ’23 described one both instituted in recent years. Then there concern being that committees “hold a lot year, Student Council members have desig- are long-standing committees that run the of power when making decisions on student nated a task group to evaluate the effective- curriculum, calendar, dorm life, and other life.” ness in implementing student interests into general aspects regarding student life. Beyond that, Aidan shared that student the Loomis Chaffee community as a whole. The Student Council’s goals focus on complaints toward announcements like the “I became president this year and it was adding student perspective to these com- major advisor change two years ago were definitely something I wanted to carry on mittees— one of which is pushing for the mainly due to a lack of information. with,” Aidan Gilles ’21, Student Coun- ad hoc committees to be open to all-stu- Aidan described all-gender housing, a cil President, said. He announced that the dent participation. Student council plans on significant development in Loomis’ board- proposal passed the Student Council vote allowing students to claim seats in certain ing life, as another example. Despite student in a “formal setting” at the start of Winter long-standing committees as well. perspectives being sought out, a majority of Term I. After “a lot of discussions and a lot Mr. Matlack said, “I was able to give the decisions had still been made by faculty, re- of meetings,” the proposal can now be pre- task force some historical context on stu- maining undisclosed until already finalized. sented to faculty at the next faculty meeting. dent representation on committees,” Mr. “I felt like it could have benefited from As of February 22, the proposal has been Matlack said. “I also shared the pertinent more than just a few surveys sent out to the presented to the Head’s Administrative sections on standing faculty committees at student body,” Aidan said. Team (HAT). The Student Council received Loomis from the Academic Guide and the Developing ways to increase student in- responses “eager to see the basic sentiment Faculty Council.” volvement in committee meetings became Courtesy of the Student Council of the proposal implemented for next year,” Much of Student Council’s prelimi- the solution to these issues. “The more rep- The Student Council logo. said Mr. Andrew Matlack, Dean of Faculty, naries leading up to this accomplishment resentation we have, the more students will who helped advise the task group in this ini- By JAIME ZOU ’23 and AMY SONG ’23 were established alongside administration. be happy,” Rebecca said. “It’s always good to Contributors tiative. “Student governance has a long history have a student opinion because these deci- As for next steps, once the academic of- and legacy at Loomis, Chaffee, and Loom- sions are going to be affecting us the most.” Passed by the Student Council in early fice has taken any final actions necessary, is Chaffee,” Mr. Matlack said. “I was able to Students sitting on the task group can January, the proposal to increase student the initiative for student representation will give the task force some historical context additionally “benefit from a powerful ed- representation on faculty committees now soon be up for a long-awaited presentation on student representation on committees. I ucational experience”, gaining a chance to awaits an all-faculty vote after a full year of before the faculty. also shared the pertinent sections on stand- “learn about compromise and see first-hand consistent progress. Regarding the characterization of school ing faculty committees at Loomis from the how difficult decisions are made” while ad- Since the start of the previous school organizations, Aidan explained that there Academic Guide and the Faculty Council.” vocating for the student body’s best interest, are two groups of committees that the ad- An important final step entailed “working Mr. Matlack said. 3 March 12, 2021 The Loomis Chaffee Log FEATURES Vector Marketing: Scam or Opportunity? By Harry Knight ’21 ed to schedule at least three different Cutco News Section Editor Demos each week, completely upending the idea of working entirely on my own sched- Continued from front page ule. Having started working for Vector in the Although I made a few hundred dollars beginning of this past June, Alejandro quit during my time with Cutco and sold over just months later in September because of $3,000 worth of knives, a nagging feeling his busier school schedule. grew within me with each sale that I made. Much like Alejandro, Alex Darrah The feeling revealed itself to be guilt as I ’21 also began working for Cutco in June would wake up each morning after a dream of 2020 after being recommended to the centered around a cold-sweat-inducing sales position by a member of the Loomis Chaf- call. fee class of 2019; however, she did not quit Reflecting on my guilt, I realized that it when school started up again this year. Tak- stemmed from two key facts of working for ing advantage of this year’s less rigorous Vector Marketing: the first being that my course schedule, Alex has racked up over customer base was composed entirely of my $20,000 in career sales and is one of the own acquaintances and the second being my leaders in her division. local manager’s continued pressure to have Although she sees herself continuing access to my contacts so that “I” could refer to work for Cutco this summer because of as many of my peers as possible. the experience and money that she is able Courtesy of LC Communications Given that Cutco’s success relies en- to make, fitting a job working for Vector tirely on the social networks of its teenage Marketing into her busier college schedule Mr. Fred Seebeck smiling while coaching the LC swim team. sales representatives—both in whom they is less certain. “Once I get to college, I do not hire and whom they sell to—I began to ques- think I will be able to continue working as tion the ethicality of their approach. my schedule with classes and field hockey Similar to my own experience, Ale- will require most of my time,” Alex reflects. jandro Rincón ’21 was also referred through “I do not see this as a long-term job for me Vector Marketing’s request of their stu- as I am hoping to gain internships through- Fred Seebeck Awarded dent sales representatives to give out their out college, however during breaks and such friends’ phone numbers and other personal it will always be nice to have the option of contact information. reaching out to my boss and selling a few Despite the company’s enticing prom- more products.” Mentoring Prize ises of “no weekly quotas” and a “flexible As I look at the different experi- schedule” that works while you are at school, ences that Alejandro, Alex, and I have had By Chloe Chen ’22 “When I think of a mentor who helped I found that the reality of the job was not throughout our terms working for Vector Staff Writer me throughout my time on the Island, I im- all that. Much like myself, Alejandro was Marketing, one thing becomes clear: the job mediately think of Seebs. He deserves that promised a schedule completely dictated by is what you make of it. Ultimately, from a This year, recently retired Mr. Fred See- award because he embodies the encour- his own availability and remembers that he personal standpoint, I failed at one key as- beck was awarded the inaugural Lena M. agement of a coach and the kindness of a “pushed back because [of the flexibility he] pect of working for Vector. I consistent- Chen Faculty Prize for Mentoring, which friend (all with a sprinkle of humorous sar- was promised” when he first accepted the ly shied away from pressuring my family is awarded annually to a faculty member casm). Seebs is definitely someone who you sales position. members and family friends into giving me who has tremendously influenced students’ hope to be like,” Andy said. Similarly, while my introduction to more contacts to reach out to. Because of lives outside and inside the classroom. Due “Seebs always had a puzzle in his class- Cutco with Hayden promised that I would this, I watched my list slowly dwindle with to COVID-19 restrictions, Mr. Seebeck has room on the desk and before class everyone only need to make a sale every three weeks, each week’s required Demos while students not been able to come to campus and for- around the Harkness table would be fitting I soon found out that the Cutco training such as Alex have continued to thrive as she mally receive the award, but regardless, it is in pieces and discussing the puzzle. He really script left out some key pieces of informa- grows her list of contacts and embraces the still an honor. encouraged us as freshmen to work togeth- tion. duality of her role as a Cutco sales represen- Also fondly known as “Seebs”, Mr. See- er and be comfortable with one another. While it wouldn’t be the end of the tative and Loomis Chaffee student-athlete. beck has participated in almost all spheres Not only did the puzzles bring us together, world if I had a no-sale week, I was expect- of campus life and held many positions but they brought the class closer together, throughout his tenure here at Loomis Chaf- which goes to show how he cares for his stu- fee. He was mainly known as the Varsity dents,” recalled Pilar. Boys Swimming & Diving Head Coach, a Perhaps the person most surprised when Varsity Boys Water Polo assistant coach, they found out that Seebs had been the one Michele Martinez- and an adored English teacher. to receive the Mentoring award was Seebs Countless students have interacted with himself. this continuously admired figure of the “Honestly, I was totally blindsided when Campbell ’80 : A Career in Loomis community. In fact, many were not Dr. Culbert called me in December. I’m not surprised that Seebs was the one receiving sure what I said to her at the time, but I was Writing the Mentoring Prize. grateful and surprised to receive the award, “When I saw the Instagram post, I was particularly since I am now retired. But I am not surprised at all. Seebs deserves to be the obviously honored with the accolades, espe- By Ashley Valdez Rodriguez ’23 ever, as is the case for many entering col- first recipient of this award because he em- cially as my ultimate motivation every day Contributor lege, she decided to pursue a different path. bodies what an amazing mentor, coach, and of my Loomis career was to do all the good “I took literature classes constantly and teacher should be I could for all the Earlier last month, award-winning mys- read a ton and loved that, probably loved it like,” said Pilar people I could as tery novelist and Loomis Chaffe alumni even more but I just didn’t necessarily see Wingle ’22, one often as possi- Michele Martinez Campbell ’80 came back myself having that career from the get go of Seebs’s former ble,” he said. to Loomis Chaffee virtually to discuss her — I was always really into politics, current English students Seebs also experience as a professional writer. In the events, government and knew I wanted to and member of shared a person- Zoom webinar, she provided insights into go to law school,” Campbell explained in re- the varsity girls al connection to the modern day publishing industry and gards to her legal career. swimming and the Chens, the life as an published author. Her novels, “It’s Always the Husband”, diving team. namesake of the “I have been quite successful as what “The Wife Who Knew Too Much”, and “A Andy Cao prize. I’d call a working author, meaning that Stranger On The Beach,” feature the exten- ’21, member of “If you take a even though I’m not James Patterson or sive knowledge of criminal law she acquired the varsity boys look at our re- J.K. Rowling, I have managed to get pub- as a federal prosecutor. swimming and cord board in the lished eight times and I have another book “Not all endeavors are rewarded equally. diving team, re- pool, you will see coming out in 2022,” Campbell explained It’s very difficult to make a living as an au- members a simi- Michael Chen’s, as she introduced herself to the webinar’s thor. Find careers or work that are mean- lar feeling. Lena’s brother’s attendants. ingful to you that is what I call writing “I was very name, up there,” adjacent,” Campbell said in regard to the happy, yet very Seebs said. “He During her time as a Loomis Chaffee financial stability of a writing career. much not sur- was not only student, Campbell was co-editor in chief of Campbell further explained that she prised, to hear one of the fastest the Log, a committed history and English spends most of her time teaching criminal Seebs won the sprinters I ever student, and an aspiring journalist. How- and constitutional law, while also finding Mentoring Prize. coached, but time for her passion of writing. She suggests He has made one of the most aspiring writers pursue publishing, teach- such a large humble, talent- ing, and law as a primary financial income, impact on the ed, dedicated while maintaining writing as a hobby. Loomis Chaffee student athletes “When people say they want to write I community, and I ever worked think often they do imagine themselves as he has been an with. I’ve known the giant bestseller who’s making all this integral part of his parents ever Courtesy of Neala Sweeney ’20 money. That’s kind of like being on the football team and imagining yourself as Mr. Seebeck with Kelly Eng ’20, Neala Swee- Tom Brady. Or being in a production at the ney ’20, and Virginina Wolfe ’20, members of NEO and imagining yourself as Brad Pitt. the swim team. Maybe there’s a way for you to find work in what makes Loomis a home for so many since he attended Loomis, and he and I have those fields that’s meaningful and makes a people.” Andy said. stayed in touch to this very day. In the con- living without betting the house on becom- Both recalled Seebs as a teacher, mentor, text of receiving the award, knowing the ing the one who’s going to be the multimil- advisor, coach, natural leader, and influen- Chens as well as I do makes it even more Courtesy of Michele Martinez-Campbell’s ’80 press site. lion best-selling author,” Campbell said. tial figure in their time at Loomis. meaningful to me.” A photo of Michele Martinez-Campbell ’80. 4 March 12, 2021 The Loomis Chaffee Log FEATURES

“It’s been pretty good. I like it!” Bowen Residents of the floor agreed that the Bernardin ’21, another resident, said. living arrangement is not that distinct from The dorm’s inclusive atmosphere has in any other on campus. large part satisfied its residents, many of “At the end of the day, we’re just a group All-Gender Housing whom cited a desire to get away from tradi- of people, who live together as part of a tional gender norms as one of the main rea- community, much like any other dorm on sons why they decided to make the switch to campus, and that’s that,” Jasper said. an all-gender environment. However, even though the dorm envi- in Flagg Thrives “I wanted an environment… free from ronment itself is practically identical to oth- your classical norms of boys’ dorms being ers, students within the dorm still have some loud and rowdy, which I was definitely able concerns about the program as a whole. to find in this dorm,” Bowen said. One common issue mentioned by many was To better foster this environment of ac- the application process, which some decried ceptance and to as not transparent accommodate the enough and even needs of all its res- unnecessary. idents, the dorm “I get why they has made some mi- At the end of the day, want an interview nor rule changes. we’re just a group of people, process, especially “For example, in the first year, when we take a who live together as part but at the same shower, we have time it’s very lim- to change within of a community, much like iting, since we the shower itself, don’t know who and there are some any other dorm on campus. gets in out of the other small rules people that ap- that are different,” ply… and we don’t Photo by Olivia Zoga ’21 Jasper said. know how they RAs Olivia Zoga ’21 (left) and Tom Zhang ’21 (right). For a week or so in Fall Term II, the make those decisions,” Jasper said. dorm’s program also uniquely focused “It just doesn’t really make sense. Why By CALVIN PAN ’23 vous about going into it, especially with on the themes of gender and inclusivity, do we have to prove that we… belong in a Contributor the different rules that’d have to come into holding a seminar-esque session on issues dorm that’s supposed to be inclusive?” Bow- play… and what that’d be like in a larger relating to the wider LGBT+ community en said. In its inaugural year, the all-gender hous- dorm setting,” said Olivia Zoga ’21, the resi- as a whole. However, those sessions and Nevertheless, the all-gender housing ing unit on the third floor of Flagg Hall is, by dential assistant (RA) on the floor. any similar programming have since been unit’s environment still makes it a great liv- all accounts, a vibrant yet comfortable living However, those anxieties almost imme- stopped. ing space for many. space, similar in many ways to every other diately dissipated on move-in day for most, “Tom [Zhang], the other RA on the floor, “I’d rate it a solid 9, maybe a 10,” Jasper dorm on the Island. with the students citing the positive envi- Ms. Garvin, and I kind of just sat down and said. Before the start of Fall Term II, many ronment created between the students and really thought about what we wanted this “A solid 10,” Bowen said. residents of the dorm were anxious about faculty who lived in the dorm. floor to be, and ultimately, just concluded “A 10,” Olivia said. the prospect of living in such a new envi- “It’s a really nice space that gives people... that it should just exist as housing, normal ronment, not knowing what to expect upon a good environment that they do feel com- housing… for people who just want to live moving into it. fortable in,” said Jasper Gitlitz ’22, a resident in a dorm that isn’t a boys’ dorm or a girls’ “I think a lot of people were sort of ner- of the floor. dorm,” Olivia said.

Stock Market Game Brings Financial Literacy Initiatives By Brett Donshik ’21 versus fixed incomes? And that game, and “My friends and I look forward to ev- and begrudgingly taking the runner up spot Staff Writer the competition that it produced, is a good ery January. While our success has varied to my close friend and constant competi- juxtaposition to what the Stock Market greatly, it’s been a great experience for all of tor, Chase, I’ve definitely come to consider During the cold winter months, almost Game does,” Mr. DeNunzio said. us. After a month of calling at 3:45 and dis- finance and the stock market as a potential 200 Loomis Chaffee students and faculty Another new feature of this year’s games cussing potential trades and late gainers, the area for me to pursue a career in,” Luke said. members took to the markets, starting with was alumni involvement. Periodically, stock market game helped me immensely in $1,000,000, and participated in the third an- alumni created videos appeared in the Daily how I plan to invest in the future. After be- nual Stock Market Game, culminating in a Bulletin with the intent to educate current ing introduced to the game sophomore year massive victory by Chase Thomson ’21 who students on the Stock Market and other Fi- had accrued over 7.5 million dollars. nancial Literacy topics. This year, the game took place amid the “To have an alum come back and say: Reddit r/WallStreetBets GameStop scandal, What is an ETF? Why should you think which had a profound impact on the strate- about an ETF? What do you thwink about gy of the game. a price to earnings ratio and why is that im- “Because of GameStop’s volatility, I knew portant? Some of that technical analysis you it would be a hot stock to trade,” Chase said. don’t get from the stock market game, but if “Since the value of the stock was overin- students are interested, they’ll watch it and flated and not backed by the performance learn more,” Mr. DeNunzio said. of the company, I knew it was a bubble that Mr. DeNunzio hopes that, for both the was eventually going to pop. I went all in winners and losers, the stock market game taking a short position and waited for the will provide a new interest in both finan- eventual drop of the stock to catapult my cial literacy and economics as a whole, as portfolio millions ahead into first place.” those who made major mistakes will look to Economics teacher and Stock Market learn about how to improve if they try in Game organizer Mr. Matthew DeNun- the real world, and those who found success zio, however, does not believe that the will take to the real markets, knowing what GameStop scandal played a particularly un- may or may not work for them. Second usual role in the game when you look at the place winner Luke Struthers ’21 is someone volatility of the market’s in recent years. who’s success has jumpstarted an interest in “You can say [GameStop] didn’t [affect the real market. Graphic by Stephanie Zhang ’21 the game]. It was obviously a massive fac- tor when you had one stock that was up at $400 and then back down at $40 moving at In her time at Loomis Chaffee, Chan nomic background,” Chan said. 10x a day due to massive influences. I would was on the varsity swimming team for four In conjunction with OFF, Chan devel- say this is nothing new. We saw this with years and a member of the JV tennis team. oped the OWN student ambassador pro- Bitcoin a couple years ago. We’re seeing it She went on to attend the University of gram, which provides teens a “real world with a lot of other crypto currencies. I think Alumni Southern California, majoring in industri- experience of working with a company that there’s this sort of millennial spirit to kind of al and systems engineering. Today, she has helps develop themselves and their fellow ride the wave of influencers or of something become one of the most prominent figures students.” The program represents a “great- countercultural that creates those bubbles,” in Asia—representing Hong Kong in the er platform to disseminate your voice and Mr. DeNunzio said. Spotlight: upcoming World Economic Forum for the opinions,” where students get to “interview Mr. DeNunzio believes such bubbles can second year in a row, and recently selected top professionals” and provide their input be problematic, which is why he has stressed by Cartier as 1 of 24 most influential wom- on OWN Academy’s upcoming projects. the implementation of financial literacy ini- en in the social impact business. In light of her achievements, Chan has tiatives across campus in the recent months. Natalie Chan ’05 Chan says that her business, OWN Acad- credited Loomis as playing a pivotal role in The stock market game has served as a start- emy, aims “to empower young people to be shaping her career. Amongst other enrich- ing point for other programs such as the fi- change makers and problem solvers of the ing memories such as her undying affection nancial literacy TAG meeting. future.” for campus desserts, or her deathly encoun- “To be successful in the stock market By Justin Wu ’22 In the spirit of achieving this ambitious ter with squirrels, Chan credits the skills she game is not really what it takes to be suc- Contributor goal, Chan pioneered OWN Future Fair acquired at Loomis in the eventual building cessful in the real world. You have to take (OFF)—a free career exploration event. The of her successful brand. big positions and big bets and massive Founder and CEO of OWN Academy, two-day event hopes to bring students to- “The confidence that Loomis gave me shorting. The interest in it is what can spur Natalie Chan ’05 has helped thousands of gether with industry professionals, in which through the different opportunities from the conversation about the long run. That students to explore their true passions and managers from Google, Microsoft, Face- being a varsity team leader, to being encour- TAG was all about, What is diversification? take their futures into their own hands. book, and other prestigious companies got aged to speak up, really helped me develop Why is diversification important? What are “We are building a global community of the opportunity to share their personal sto- a critical mindset of always finding ways to the different financial instruments you can young people who want to be changemak- ries—and provide the next generation with improve and take risks,” Chan said. invest in? How much do you think about ers, to support schools in a way that they critical advice to succeed in the real world. If you’re interested in joining the OWN allocating towards savings versus equities can extend their curriculums for students to OFF’s goal is to “provide access to quality Ambassador Program, please contact achieve their goals.” education regardless of students’ socioeco- [email protected] 5 March 12, 2021 The Loomis Chaffee Log FEATURES Director of “The Social Dilemma” Jeff Orlowski Speaks at LC

By CJ Bukoswki ’23, Sandro Mocciolo a pretty big impact on their own self confi- ’23 dence and self worth,” Dean Matzkin said. Contributors With current Loomis students growing up in the midst of the digital age, these prob- Last year, the documentary The Social lems will only become more pertinent. Dilemma put a spotlight on the controver- “It’s a topic that is incredibly germane to sial ethics surrounding the current social the community that we live in, namely of media business model. students, because they are the thing that is Photo by Stephanie Zhang ’21 In response to the documentary’s rising being mined,” Mr. MacClintic said. Pedro Arellano ’21 and Cooper Donovan ’22 sit down in the Student Center for a relevancy, on Monday, February 22, Loomis Beyond Loomis, the societal path forward game of chess. Chaffee welcomed the director of The So- appears to be rather ambiguous. While the cial Dilemma and two-time Emmy winner film clearly outlined the scope of the prob- Jeff Orlowski in an hourlong webinar. The lem, it recognized that the varying solutions event was anchored by Dean of Student Life are not fully fleshed out. Jessica Matzkin and Director of Innovation “The problem is that we need help from Mr. Scott MacClintic ’82, as over 170 stu- our government to make change and I’m not dents and parents alike made up the audi- quite sure the current politicians are ready to Checkmate: Chess ence. deny big business, big tech,” Dean Matzkin “It was interesting just hearing Mr. Or- said, “there needs to be a social movement.” lowski talk because … he has been research- While extensive governmental change ing [the ethics of social media] and has been may seem daunting, the webinar promoted Gains Popularity at involved in this process for around three several community-based solutions that can years,” Ignacio Feged ’23 said. create positive change. “I’m used to a certain extent how … my “As the movie says ... there is no easy data ... is being sold in forms of advertise- solution, and I think the webinar helped in Loomis Chaffee ments, but I didn’t know how predatory saying that there are [many] kinds of steps nor how intense it was ... in a lot of ways, it that we as individuals, as a community, as really is not ethical and should probably be a society, and as a country can take,” Feged reformed,” Ignacio said. said. The current business model of most so- For individuals, a simple solution lies in cial media companies turning off noti- thrives through the fications for apps use of advertisements. financed through As shown through It’s a topic that is advertisement the film, this form of revenue and user monetization hinges incedibly germane to the engagement. This on collecting our data, decision could re- and eventually pre- community that we live in, duce the ability dicting our behavior. of algorithms to The ramifications of namely students. dominate our at- this practice have had tention and add drastic, real-world more balance to consequences. our lives. One of these observed repercussions is “[Turning off many of my notifications] increased polarization. By customizing us- was very liberating,” Mr. MacClintic said. ers’ feeds to agree with their political views, Regarding community, Mr. Orlowski de- social media fosters distrust and adversity, scribed a more drastic change that has been even promoting conspiracy theories. “I can’t slowly gaining traction: transitioning to so- help but think that the events of January 6th cial media apps that respect your privacy. at the capitol … were a by-product of that “I use DuckDuckGo as my search engine,” polarization that is occurring using social Dean Matzkin said. media,” Mr. MacClintic said. “Get your core group of friends ... band Another ramification exists in the psy- together and try something different. Ex- Photo by Sam Tishler ’23 chological toll. “I have, in most of my pro- plore an alternative,” Mr. MacClintic sug- fessional career, been a school counselor and gests, “your generation is most likely going Jacob Berman ’23 and Jacob Oakley ’23 playing chess in the Student Center as Car- have seen firsthand the impact on the emo- to be the one to come out with a better ... ter Bukowski ’23, Ethan Leshem ’23, and Thomas Denaro ’24 watch. tional well-being of adolescence that social product ... But that will only happen if peo- media can have,” Dean Matzkin said. ple are incensed enough that what we have By Samantha Tishler ’23 “When … someone feels excluded, left is wrong.” Staff Writer out, or is seeking gratification—and they’re not getting it from social media—it can have Following the recent release of the Net- ous knowledge of chess but became increas- flix series “The Queen’s Gambit,” chess has ingly invested in the game over this past made increasing appearances on campus. term. During Winter Term I, John Riley ’22 de- “Everyone is really willing to play with cided to start a virtual chess club. you, especially if you’re new. Even people “I wanted to play with some people at this sitting around you will always chime in and school instead of just playing online,” John let you know what move you might want to said. do...It can be kind of competitive, but in a The members used Lichess, an online good way,” Mattie said. chess platform that allows for watching and The wait for an open chessboard has playing games. Students and faculty with steadily risen as more students look to join varying levels of experience participated in into the Student Center chess sessions, and weekly matches over Zoom. many have again opted for virtual games. In The Zoom meetings were originally host- lieu of the standard chess game, students be- ed and led by John Riley. As John becomes gan to play four-player chess on Chess.com. busier, Mathematics Faculty member Mr. While traditional chess continues in the Abraham Schulte will take over the role. Student Center, Loomis students have also “It’s one thing to go [online] and play embraced online platforms. This intellectual with strangers, and that’s fine, but it’s anoth- game of strategy and patience has become er thing entirely to really know who you are a great way for students of all experience playing against and be able to talk about the levels to entertain themselves during these game as you’re playing it,” Mr. Schulte said. strange times. Once students arrived on campus for Winter Term II, the newfound interest in chess translated to its increasing frequency as a Student Center activity. Photo by Sandro Mocciolo ’23 Through chess matches, students could bond over a common interest and learn to- A phone with an unopened Snapchat notification, beckoning to be opened, sits on gether. Mattie Wright ’23 had some previ- the desk. 6 March 12, 2021 The Loomis Chaffee Log OPINIONS Save the Sound Presentation Sees Success very passionate about. My home in Fuzhou, in environmental policy making. Overall, it China, was very environmentally-friendly, was a great event and I learned a lot!” said and it was very moving to see that my new Chau Tran ’23, another participant at the homes–Hartford and Loomis Chaffee–both presentation. share this value. I have always been very passionate about Save the Sound is an organization tar- environmental advocacy, especially because geting climate change, saving endangered I want to ensure that my children and be- lands, restoring ecosystems, legal action, yond can enjoy the best environment pos- and more. In the LCCA webinar, topics sible, and I was very happy to see that many such as how a bill becomes a law in CT, how of my peers became interested in becoming to write and deliver public testimony, steps more active members of LCCA after the to emailing elected officials, and more were event. The slides were very organized and introduced to students through detailed the staff were engaging throughout the slides and explanations by staff at Save the webinar, allowing students to stay focused Sound. Many students found this informa- during the presentation. tion to be very helpful. Overall, LCCA is a very special club with Photo by Dora Lin ’23 “It is critical for younger generations to lots of off-campus work that allows the Loomis Chaffee Climate Action (LCCA) using their voice to discuss how to take understand that they do have a voice. We Loomis Chaffee students to connect with action against the local climate emergency. can leverage our actions to impact govern- local and federal organizations, thus fuel- By DORA LIN ’23 groups for local and federal level lobbying mental policies and to construct a better ing them with an understanding of how Contributor meetings. Some organizations that they are future. I believe that the Save the Sound much power they truly have as they lobby partnered with include the local chapter of presentation in particular conveyed this for change. Believing that all citizens’ voices On February 24th, 2021, the Loomis Citizens Climate Lobby, a national grass- message well,” said Ella Xue ’23, a student at deserve to be represented in government, Chaffee Climate Action (LCCA) successfully roots lobbying organization, and Save the the Save the Sound webinar. I really liked how Save the Sound aimed hosted an event with a local environmental Sound. “In everyday life, I was mostly exposed to to share the knowledge to students–the organization: Save the Sound. Personally, I was recently involved in a information regarding water and air pollu- younger generation–and help them share The Loomis Chaffee Climate Action is presentation to the Hartford city council tion. But thanks to the Save the Sound we- their voices. I know I will be applying many a club dedicated to taking political action about a climate emergency declaration. It binar, I learned about another type of pollu- things I’ve learned from the detailed presen- around climate change. In 2019, the group was a great experience–I had lived in Hart- tion-sound pollution. The event also helped tation in my future efforts at LCCA. hosted a follow-up to the Hartford climate ford for 5 years with my host family and me gain a deeper understanding into how strike that involved over 100 Loomis stu- absolutely love the city, so I truly enjoyed to address issues I’m very passionate about dents. This year, LCCA is splitting into task collaborating with my peers for a cause I’m to the government as well as how to engage A Case for Loosening Dorm Protocols By STACEY ZHANG ’22 Despite the benefits of strict COVID-19 Consider two students: one lives a floor is fairly stable. As long as students still play Staff Writer protocols, dorm heads and deans are not above the positive-case student but has ping-pong in the SNUG, talk about the oblivious to their impact on dorm dynam- barely interacted with them, and another Physics test in the hallway, or pass the bas- While Loomis Chaffee athletes began ic and student experience, especially for the sat a table away from the case in the SNUG. ketball to a teammate, not allowing board- contact practices and battled against the underclassmen. According to Ms. Corman, What’s to say the first student is more of a ers to visit another floor seems to do little Taft Rhinos this past weekend, dorm pro- dorm head of Cutler and member of the close contact than the second one? in terms of limiting the spread, and the floor tocols seem to wander and dwell. LC should Dorm Life committee, allowing students to “bubbles’’ are but droplets freely flowing in evaluate loosening dorm policies to align visit different floors has been a proposal on a pond. more closely with other COVID regulations the table since December. While certain dorm protocols, such as on campus in order to improve the student However, a few of the administration’s Why can’t we go onto “no eating in the common room,” are in- experience and minimize risk in the most concerns seem to halt the proposal from strumental in keeping us safe and align with efficient way. coming to fruition. different floors when we other COVID-19 regulations on campus, Since this fall, Loomis administration has One major concern is the continued pos- sit across each other in the some other dorm protocols demand much done a laudable job in closely monitoring itive cases on campus which, though mini- sacrifice of student experience for minimum and minimizing COVID-19 risks on cam- mal in number, are detected regularly. The common room? risk reduction. pus, resulting in a fairly low number of pos- system of dorm pods helps contain this issue As a good percent of the school popula- itive cases and a relatively safe environment by identifying everyone on the same floor tion is back on campus in Spring Term, per- for faculty, staff, and students. with a positive case as close contacts. If we One unique situation in dorms is the use haps it’s a good time now to reconsider var- To create “pod bubbles” and limit contact were to allow boarders to go to other floor of shared bathrooms, but this risk can be ious dorm protocols, align them with other in the dorm, students are grouped by their pods, the school worries about the necessity easily mitigated by forbidding students to go regulations on campus, and move forward floor as a “pod” and are only allowed to stay to send the whole dorm home for quaran- to the bathrooms of different floors. Dorm with loosening dorm regulations. With ap- in others’ rooms on the same floor. tine. heads also have the power to take away the proximately 600 students congregated on As I reminisce the laughters and tears I We should question this necessity. During privilege of visiting different floors in the the Island in the middle of a pandemic, this have had sinking into my friend’s beanbag in the contact tracing process, COVID-19 Co- event that people are found breaking these will be a game-changer for student experi- her room, I realized that this confusion must ordinator Dean Mary Liscinsksy conducts a limitations. ence and an opportunity for us to form new be voiced: Why can’t we go onto different thorough survey to identify anyone who has Positive cases are also poor indicators bonds, to reconnect with friends, and to cre- floors when we sit across from each other recently spent time in proximity with the of the risks involved with loosening dorm ate memories despite all the challenges we in the common room? Why am I allowed to positive-case student. With the introduc- rules. With day students and non-residen- are facing. travel to Watertown but not to my friend’s tion of contact tracing dongles, this process tial faculty and staff coming on and off cam- door frame on the third floor? will gain even more accuracy and precision. pus, the potential for contracting the virus

Troublesome Times and Topics Make TAG Tiresome

Courtesy of the Loomis Chaffee website The official Thursday Advisory Groups promotional image on Loomis Chaffee website. By LILLIAN CLARK ’24 While the meetings themselves are ben- freshmen did not fall into the category of possible momentum students have for get- Contributor eficial, as discussions about current events “good for new students”. The expectation ting to their work. Not to mention that if and other important topics are necessary, that students would immediately open up you accidentally miss a meeting, it counts as Thursday Advisory Groups, more com- there are not many students who actively about our racial and political identities with an absence. monly known as TAG meetings, have been participate. This lack of participation has a group of other students and teachers we Lunch on Thursdays is in the middle of a regular occurrence this school year. But led to an increase in awkwardness and a de- hardly knew was rather unrealistic. the academic day, which is a great time for was this change beneficial? I don’t think so. crease in interest within each meeting. It must be said that there are plenty of students to complete asynchronous class This school year, there was a shift in the So far this year it seems that there is the benefits to TAG: we started having import- work or get ahead on important projects. advisory curriculum. Instead of the fresh- most amount of student involvement when ant conversations about the Black Lives The required change of mindset is very im- man attending a weekly seminar in the com- simpler and non-personal topics are up for Matter movement, the truth and falsehoods practical for students who are stressed, and mon good, all students now have weekly debate—topics that don’t hit too close to surrounding the election of 2020, global cit- it ends up forcing us to do our work later. If advisory meetings with topics ranging from home. So when the first group meeting of izenship, and other current and prominent the time for TAG was different, perhaps this elections to gender identity. the year jumped right into the heavy topics issues or events. The meetings themselves would be less of an issue. However, in this already chaotic year, surrounding race, there was a lot of dis- are also well-intended and good spaces to Everyone expresses different feelings the meetings take up more time than they comfort about being forced to talk about debrief about important events. towards TAG, and it affects everyone dif- should. Between the heavy workload and your personal thoughts to a group of people However, there are some major draw- ferently. There are both positive and nega- overall challenges with COVID restrictions, you’re not familiar with. backs like timing and commitment. TAG tive sides to TAG, and it seems that if some the extra commitment of yet another Zoom Surely, some concepts are easier to talk happens to be scheduled at one of the worst changes were made to the time and topics, meeting and occasional hour-long webinar about than others. Unfortunately, from the possible times: during the lunch block. This Thursday Advisory Groups could be better is not helpful. very beginning, the topics thrown at the seemingly out-of-the-blue time takes away for all parties concerned. 7 March 12, 2021 The Loomis Chaffee Log OPINIONS

Katharine Brush Fixed Office Hours Library: Social Hour Make Teachers More or Study Hour? Accessible

By EDWARD PARK ’23 cause students can set aside time for their Staff Writer teachers a few days in advance and are better prepared to ask questions. With the COVID-19 pandemic requiring With slightly shortened classes this year all Loomis Chaffee students, at some point and a synchronous-asynchronous class ro- during the school year, to resort to learning tation cycle daily due to the COVID pan- online via Zoom, the LC faculty now offer demic, office hours also make up for a lack online office hours as a resource for students of student-teacher interactions, which are who need extra help outside of class. essential for a student’s success. The roll out of office hours is one of the “Students this year spend around the many school efforts to provide the ideal same time learning from teachers as they do learning environment for teachers and stu- learning by themselves,” said Seth Sukboon- dents. The office hours are a way for teach- tip ’23, “office hours do make up for a lack ers and students to communicate outside of of student-teacher interactions, by allowing the pressured and sometimes hurried envi- students to ask questions and consolidate ronment of a class. The students who tried knowledge, just like in live class.” out the standardized office hours provid- Even students who rarely sought out for ed positive feedback, and I believe faculty teacher’s help in the past academic year re- should continue to offer fixed office hours alized the importance and efficacy of office for the upcoming school years. hours. Before the establishment of fixed office “I see the value of office hours,” said Ma- hours, if a student needed extra help, it was teus Kuo ’22. “It proves itself in my academic common for the student to seek out a teacher performance and success.” before or after class to schedule an individ- While office hours are a valuable resource ual meeting for one-on-one help. Personal- to students, it is not without its flaws. For ly, I found it difficult to schedule a meeting international students who live in different time that worked for both the teacher and time zones, office hours are usually at incon- me. I felt that it would be easier if there were venient times, sometimes past midnight. designated hours where students can check “I see the value of extra help, but I also in with teachers to discuss class materials or do value my sleep,” said Justin Wu ’22, “even related interests. with my teachers offering more than one This year, however, office hours elim- time and date, office hours are still incon- inated the need for scheduling a time and venient.” date to receive help from teachers. Teachers Despite understanding the inconvenience have their fixed office hours posted on their of office hours for some students, I urge stu- classroom homepage on the LC student dents to try out this great new resource at portal. Students simply need to email their some point this year. However, for those of Photo by Olivia Zoga ’21 teacher to communicate that they will stop you who are still unconvinced, keep in mind by or just join the virtual meeting. that office hours are always at your finger- Photo of the Katherine Brush Library, which now serves as a place for Zoom Fixed office hours are very helpful be- tips. meetings and socialization on campus due to various new protocols this year. By MAEVE DOWD ’23 these conversations, but it is small with very Contributor limited seating. Students would rather be on the second floor which has beautiful 60s Loomis Chaffee students strut into the architecture, high ceilings, and an incredible second floor of the Katharine Brush Library view of the Island. with their Canada Goose jackets and North- Fo the most part, students are aware of Face backpacks, either looking for a place others’ studying and adhere to the library’s to finish asynchronous classwork or a place rules for the second floor. Chatting is kept at to make TikToks. The second floor is sup- a low-volume. Occasionally, some students posed to be a silent zone, and most of the are inconsiderate and have copious amounts time, it is. But because of COVID-19, often- of loud, mind-numbing conversation in times students want to spend time up here spots outside of the glass study rooms, which with friends because they do not have any can be irritating to those trying to study. other place to go. But, under the circumstances, this is Although the function of the library has somewhat understandable. As the adminis- changed due to limited places for student tration limits places to socialize, more and socialization on campus, for the most part, more students will come to the library. students make good use of the space. Zoom meetings present another conflict During free blocks and Community Time, with the library. It is difficult for day stu- students often find themselves extreme- dents to find a place to go to Zoom meet- ly bored with nothing to do. Cold weather ings, whereas boarders can easily walk to prevents them from meeting outside, walk- their dorms. Therefore, oftentimes the sec- ing to town is prohibited, and the menacing ond floor of KBL is filled with students in deans will not hesitate to give out Level I’s online meetings with advisors and teachers. to boarders who go into other dorms. The “With the current set up, the physical Student Center (commonly referred to as culture of the library has changed this year,” the SNUG) is usually crowded and closely said Mr. Eric Styles, director of Katharine monitored by stiff, hostile Loomis interns, Brush Library. Hopefully next year the sec- Photo by Edward Park ’23 barking at students to stay 6 feet apart. ond floor will return to its natural silent The library is a great way to escape this state. Photo of Edward Park attending Mr. Dowe’s office hours. This year, office hours chaos, and do schoolwork or have a chat assisted students to seek help more easily and made up for the lack of stu- with friends. The first floor is designated for dent-teacher interactions this year. Monday Morning Study Halls: Harmful and Ineffective By NICHOLAS JI ’22 that MMSHs would keep roughly the same the fundamental purpose of disciplining ishment. As a result, transgression of the Staff Writer length, the sessions would need to begin students who break school rules. Loomis rules may very well continue, and the fail- earlier than 7am in order to get students is a self-described “second chance school,” ures of disciplinary policies may lead stu- In recent weeks, Loomis Chaffee has to class on time. Without even considering giving students a chance to recognize their dents to reoffend, trapping them in a cycle presented Monday Morning Study Halls the time needed to eat breakfast, attending errors and reform their behavior. MMSHs of punishment. (MMSHs) as a new alternative to Saturday a study hall on Monday morning would cut would have the exact opposite effect and re- For these reasons, the school adminis- Night Study Halls (SNSHs). These sorts of deeply into a student’s sleep. inforce the rule-breaking habits rather than tration should scrap MMSHs, which seems work periods are issued for relatively mi- In a tiring year already full of added stress, change them. more poorly scheduled than the SNSH nor disciplinary infractions such as a cer- the loss of sleep that inevitably accompanies If a student perceives the morning study schedule. While the importance of being a tain number of unexcused absences, too this sort of discipline would have a negative halls to be unfair or directly working against good, respectful citizen within the commu- many missed breakfast check-ins (in normal impact on a students’ academic performance their personal aspirations, especially if they nity cannot be overlooked, punishments years), or absences from convocations or and mental health. As a school that prides trust the school to have their best interests that are a detriment to students by harming class meetings. However, the time change to itself on setting its students up for success in mind, it can very easily lead to disdain for their ability to learn fails to remain consis- these study halls will be harmful to the stu- and maintaining a warm, welcoming com- administration and established school rules. tent with our institutions’ values as well as dent body and undermines the whole pur- munity, implementing this change would Instead of being a constructive remind- its larger mission in serving the common pose of discipline in the first place. directly work against the values that we take er to be respectful in keeping obligations, good. In previous years, SNSHs have been made so much pride in. MMSHs could easily be seen as nothing up of two 90-minute sessions. Assuming Furthermore, it is necessary to examine more than punishment for the sake of pun- 8 March 12, 2021 The Loomis Chaffee Log SPORTS OPINION | May 2, 2019

fans and shared their passionate takes about the influence that Jordan ever did,” said Ma- his career. son Chang ’22. “Tom Brady is the GOAT of all sports, I Whether you like Brady or not his nu- Who’s the Real G.O.A.T? believe he has done something that no other merous accolades and accomplishments can human being on the planet has done, he has not be denied. A testimony to his resume has won seven Super bowls... He’s won more been a viral picture posted online compar- than any other person in sports history,” Ol- ing the two halves of Brady’s career. Even iver Vulliez ’23 said. if Tom Brady played for half the years of “Thomas Edward Patrick Brady JR is his entire career, he would be named a first without doubt the greatest athlete of our ballot hall of famer, a very exclusive club for generation. The championships speak for some of football’s greatest players. themselves,” said Nate Amaro ’22. Nate is a A list made by NBCSN Boston after long time fan of Brady. Brady’s New England departure listed all of Another Junior not as fond of Brady, TB12s records. A few of them are regular gave a different take. “The argument for season wins by a starting QB 219; 17 divi- Brady being the goat of all sports is nonex- sion titles; 30 playoff wins; 41 playoff games istent, Jordan is. The GOAT for me is when started; 73 playoff touchdown passes;11388 someone combines championship pedigree playoff yards; 5 super bowl MVPs; 2838 su- winning with influence on their respective per bowl passing yards; 58 game winning sport. Jordan’s influence on basketball, his drives including the playoffs; 505 passing shoe brand, and his character made him a yards in a single Super Bowl and many more. worldwide superstar. Brady does not have

Photo by Julie Chung ‘21 Graphic of Tom Brady, who possesses a record-breaking record of 264-69. LC Wrestling By SAMMY ROSS ’22 performance from Brady and Co., took the Contributor game easily winning: 31-9. Tom Brady’s stat line consisted of an outstanding 73 comple- Discontinued The most recent major league champi- tion percentage for 201 yards and 3 touch- onship, Super Bowl LV featured the most downs. This was Brady’s seventh Superbowl marquee quarterback matchups in recent breaking the record for any player and even history. The highly debated G.O.A.T, Tom any franchise. Brady, vs the newest young face of the NFL, Tom Brady has an outstanding hall of Patrick Mahomes. The reigning Super Bowl fame resume after being selected 199th champion Chiefs vs the hometown Bucca- overall in 2000. He holds many quarterback neers, the first in NFL history that a home records including the all-time passing re- team hosted the superbowl. cord with 79,204 and the completion record The last time the two met, in Tampa Bay with 6778. On top of that, he has the most earlier in the season, the Chiefs won 27-24. games started with 344 and most pro bowls However, many feel like it was not that close at 14. because they scored most of their points in Never having lost a season, he stands at “garbage time.” a record-breaking record of 264-69. His 10 But this game was special; it was one for superbowl appearances is also more than the books. any other franchise’s all-time appearances. The Buccaneers fueled by an electrifying Many students on the island are Brady

Courtesy of John Cunningham The LC Wrestling team huddling before matches. The Loomis Chaffee Log By RILEY MEADE ’21 & JULIAN HER- “Despite the decision, I’m still going to NANDEZ ’21 love wrestling. I still think it builds charac- Issue CV, No. 2 Est. 1915, 4 Batchelder Rd., Windsor, CT March 12, 2021 Sports Editors ter like no other sport and the experiences that I’ve had in the wrestling room for the Editors-in-Chief Julian Hernandez ’21 Amy Song ’23 Continued from front page last years do not compare to any experiences Stephanie Zhang ’21 Riley Meade ’22 CJ Bukowski ’23 I’ve gone through in any sport,” Pedro said. Victoria Che ’21 Sandro Mocciolo ’23 These programs and many others like it, “Even though this was my first year on in terms of relative location, have dominat- the wrestling team, I fell in love with the Melange Section Editors Ashley Valdez Rodriguez ed the sport for years and it is no secret that people, the culture and even after the deci- Managing Editors John Howley ’21 ’23 their talent is home grown. However, wres- sion was made, my teammates and I still go Minjune Song ’21 Andrew Park ’22 Justin Wu ’22 tling at Loomis has no shortage of commit- to practice everyday with great energy. We Kelly Xue ’21 Lillian Clark ’24 ted and talented wrestlers, and those who still have fun, play games, workout and go Graphics Managers Maeve Dowd ’23 have dedicated their years to it on the Island hard. Even though we don’t have a season are extremely disappointed to see the pro- this year or in the foreseeable future, every- Director of Design Danielle Hong ’22 Dora Lin ’23 gram being terminated. body on the team still puts in effort and time Julie Chung ’21 Jenny Pan ’22 Sammy Ross ’23 Dominic Rossetti ’21 is one of those peo- and maintains good spirits. That’s what I re- Mercuri Lam ’24 ple. He has wrestled for Loomis for the past ally love about this team,” Thierno said. Faculty Advisor Staff Writers Isabella Jiang ’22 four years, finished thirds at nationals, and The seniors remain hopeful that in the Jessica Hsieh ’08 Gavin Anderson ’22 Nick Dalesssio ’23 will be continuing his wrestling career at future, wrestling can still exist on the Island. Columbia University next year. “I hope that wrestling could at least be a Chloe Chen ’22 Ethan Song ’24 “When Ms. Cabot sat us down on the club sport so that coaches could still teach Brett Donshik ’21 bleachers and told us what was happening, wrestlers skills and others who came to News Section Editors Will Howley ’23 Graphics Contributers it was an emotional moment for me. I gave Loomis who want to compete or play club,” Harry Knight ’21 Nicholas Ji ’22 Andy Cao ’21 my everything to the program for four years Kennedy commented. Ryan Fortani ’22 Sam Tishler ’23 Joy Liu ’21 and it’s a very sad thing for me not to have a “I am sad that future students won’t have next generation of Loomis wrestlers coming the chance to go through the wrestling ex- Emily Khym’23 Sofia Mansilla ’23 up,” Dom said. perience. Wrestling allowed me to grow Features Section Editors Maria Paula Gonzalez ’22 Olivia Zoga ’21 Multiple other seniors on the team were as a person and even though the program Jordan Korn ’22 Edward Park ’23 Neala Sweeney ’20 shocked by the news. Leaders of the team is gone, I hope that students still have the Hazel Le ’22 Matthew Weng ’21 Tom Zhang ’21 Pedro Arellano ’21, Kennedy Anderson ’21, chance to enjoy [the experience] even if it’s Opinions Section Editors and Thierno Diallo ’21 all gave their insight a club sport in the future,” Pedro said. on the situation. In many ways wrestling on the Island is Lily Potter ’21 Contributors Columnists “We were told that the sport wasn’t pop- the embodiment of “Ne Cede Malis.” All Mercy Olangunju ’22 Arthur F. Beaugeard ’24 Janus Yuen ’21 ular enough but all the students were blind- the way from Mexico City, four year senior Charlotte Millman ’24 sided by the decision and to our knowledge, Pedro Arellano has found a home in the Sports Section Editors Jaime Zou ’23 none of the faculty did either,” Pedro said. program, four year senior Domenic Rosest- Web Edition “I feel like we could have got more mem- ti has fostered his passion for wrestling at bers to join the team, but I did not know of Loomis, female senior Kennedy Anderson Web Director Social Media Managers the decision until I read Dr. Culbert’s email,” has broken records and inspired her peers, Krishnapriya Rajaram ’21 Madison Hua ’23 Thierno said. and newcomers to the program like senior “All we know is that the involvement in Thierno Diallo have been welcomed with Kate Shymkiv ’22 the sport is declining,” Kennedy added. warm arms. This program has left its mark However, the decision has not changed in Loomis history and in the last years has The Loomis Chaffee Log is the official student newspaper of the Loomis Chaffee School students’ mindsets heading into the final remained strong through COVID-19, lower in Windsor, CT. We can be found online at www.thelclog.org, and we can be contacted stretch of this year. engagement, and other adversity. via email at [email protected]. Letters to the editor and op-ed submissions are welcome via email. The Log reservces the right to edit all letters and pieces for brevity and content. The views expressed in the Log do not necessarily reflect those of The Loomis Chaffee School. Unsigned editorials represent the collective views of the Editorial Board.

ADVERTISING To advertise in the Log, please contact the editors-in-chief listed above.

CORRECTION: In our last issue, a portion of an article written by Ryan Fortani ’22 was Photo by Andy Cao ’21 incorrectly published under Jordan Korn ’22. The Loomis Chaffee wrestling team practicing during the 2020-2021 school year Winter Term, before its discontinuation. 9 March 12, 2021 The Loomis Chaffee Log MÉLANGE Malicious Software Strips Gourmet Students of Livelihood with Gavin 4 Ways COVID-19 Has By WILL HOWLEY ’23 Are we not entitled to happiness through Staff Writer nature? Why should we spend 10 hours in front of a computer screen when we could Changed Eating on the Island Picture this: it’s 9 p.m. on a school night, be outside all day long, discovering a new and you are swamped with homework and species of animal or conducting rigorous are on the verge of dropping out (Bill Gates studies on weather patterns? Is that what we being your justification). You look out your will be doing on a snow day? Maybe not. But window to reflect on your sorrows as if you the point is that we don’t have the option. were in this year’s Oscar bait movie. Finally, I ask you, what changed? We had But then you see it: a sweet white sub- the capabilities for online snow days before, stance falling from the heavens in ample so why are we starting now? It’s because of amounts: a beacon of light in your meaning- COVID-19, they say. But I would say that less life. You break into your happy dance; these unprecedented times do not call for surely there is going to be a snow day to- unprecedented snow day depression. morrow, where you can chill out and stop Here’s my quirky little opinion on the the snowballing of your mental health. matter: you may not like this, but I do not You can practically taste the hot cocoa and support the coronavirus. If we have Zoom marshmallows on your tongue. Graphic by Stephanie Zhang ’21 on school days, we are letting COVID-19 And then you receive the email. win. If you don’t think about it too hard, days, we are essentially made to be less than Graphic by Julie Chung ’21 “Classes will be online tomorrow.” animals. Is that the message Loomis wants Zoom is essentially the same thing as the How could the universe be so cruel? Nat- to send to its students? coronavirus—subjecting us to our rooms, urally, you start sobbing uncontrollably. Furthermore, snow is the universe’s way taking away our freedoms, and giving us By GAVIN ANDERSON ’22 Is this what the administration wants? of giving us a break. If we were meant to headaches. Therefore, I do not think it is a Staff Writer Rooms upon rooms of crying children, their have school through a snowstorm, then stretch to say that to have online snow days hopes and dreams crushed by the technolog- why are the roads icy and the power dicey? is to support COVID-19. The ever-hungry Loomis Chaffee stu- ical advancements of the horrible society we Explain that. In a snowstorm, it is simply In conclusion, online snow days are sub- dents have returned for the final three live in? unnatural for kids to have any form of in- human, not in accordance with the uni- “mini-mesters” of the school year, and ad- I don’t think so. What are we, animals? tellectual stimulation. If we don’t go out and verse, and supportive of COVID-19. Thus, justing from eating at home to eating on Animals don’t have to go to online school. build igloos, make snow angels, and have if Loomis Chaffee does not support the pre- campus has revealed some unique variations They go out and play when it snows, scam- snowball fights, we are not doing what the ceding values, I urge the resumption of reg- in how students consume their food. pering through the forests to demonstrate universe wants us to do. ular snow days. their freedom. Therefore, without snow Again, I ask you, are we not humans?

Also 1.affected MEAL by TIMESCOVID-19, the Loomis schedule, now featuring Asyn- chronous school days, has drastically changed when students attend classes with many pelicans not having their first in-person course until 12:55 p.m. Due to this adjustment, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are consistently at- A (Totally Accurate) Summation tended later in the day than in previous of NASA’s Journeys to Mars years.

By JANUS YUEN ’21 & ISABELLA it looked up, and the last thing it saw was Opportunity—that clever boy—was nev- JIANG ’22 the image above: a contingent of Martians, er caught. Instead, it was buried in a dust Columnist, Contributor green like in our imaginations and wielding storm, unaware of the martians’ accurate 2. PLEXIGLASS advanced military technologies. And be- weather report that day. There is no evi- Long ago, on a planet far, far away, NASA yond them, a horde of them cresting the dis- dence that they ever found it. ReturningDIVIDERS from the fall term, the deployed Sojourner as mankind’s first step tant mountains. And then Spirit went silent. But by July 30th, 2020, NASA was ready. Dining Hall and Student Center’s plexi- (roll?) on Mars. It was the dawn of a new NASA realized right then and there that Perseverance was ready for takeoff. Masked glass dividers are still present, allowing era of exploration, of discovery, and of there would be no use in simply exploring as a great advancement for further explora- students to eat with their friends (de- pushing our limits as a country, as a species, the shifting sands any longer. Its rovers tion, Perseverance was developed in con- spite the fact that people can’t actually and as a planet—and that’s exactly what they would microscope the ground no longer. junction with the Army, Navy, Air Force, hear each other). The dividers have also achieved. NASA was conflicted; they had made not and Coast Guard and equipped with state- spurred creative nicknames because on In search of microbial life, Sojourner just the tremendous discovery of life be- of-the-art weaponry and defense systems: their odd disposition, like “the egg car- tons” or “voting booths.” • 2x MK14 Enhanced Battle Rifle • 2x M279 Light Machine Gun • 4x HK416 Automatic Assault Rifle • 1x AWM sniper rifle • 1x M142 HIMARS • 2x Minuteman-III (LGM-30G) 3. LOSS OF THE ICBM Missile Silos • 4x Автома́т Кала́шникова (on PANINI PRESS AND loan from Russia) TOASTER • 6x N-Strike Elite Accustrike Nerf When students descended on the Blaster dining hall in early September, they • 1x Annie (Your Texan Neighbor’s were met with the unfortunate reality Shotgun) that toasters and panini-presses were • 6x 3-inch M1918 Anti-Aircraft Ar- deemed not COVID safe and had thus tillery Gun been removed from their coveted spot • 1x Obi Wan Kenobi’s Big Blue in the corner of the servery. The cre- Lightsaber ative build-your-own-sandwich option • 32x Poké Ball is gone, and Loomis students now await • 4x Master Ball the day that it will make its return. Graphic by Isabella Jiang ’22 & Janus Yuen’21 • 16x RUB83R DUCKY (distraction) was an unparalleled success, surviving and yond Earth, but also that of intelligent life. • 8x Nuclear Banana Peel (escape in- traversing the red rocky terrain for 85 days However, they now faced one of the largest strument) before going dark. Fueled from the high of threats to mankind. • 24x Iron Skillet (projectiles) success, NASA soon deployed Spirit and Immediately, just as the Spirit Rover’s Opportunity, twin successors, with bated undoctored final image began circulating All the above tools/equipment were 4. ICE WATER IN breaths and higher hopes. among the inner circles of government, the equipped for the purpose of deterring any The pair quashed all expectations. Both CIA raided NASA’s JPL in Pasadena and Martian attack on the rover. Yet, NASA PLASTIC were programmed with missions lasting 90 blocked the image’s release to the general was not content with simply building an CONTAINERS days, but lasted far longer, pointing their public. Then began a decade of preparations undefeatable rover; so, they designed the This unexpected and unorthodox microscopes at the ground all the time, flip- for secret interplanetary warfare. Mars rov- Ingenuity Helicopter (lightly equipped with perk of COVID dining is a school-wide ping stones with their pudgy robot fingers, ers were no longer created as tools for dis- 4 M197 Gatling Guns and 2 AGM-119 Pen- hit, as people love the convenience of poopity-scooping for signs of microbial life covery, but rather as instruments of cosmic guin missiles) to provide the Perseverance being able to grab ice water on the go. beyond Earth. domination. with some amount of air support. Making appearances in study sessions But they were looking in the wrong di- Days after Spirit went silent, Opportu- NASA hopes to continue to monitor and and team practices, the ice water served rection. They were lucky. nity was reprogrammed to perform stealth develop new technologies in order to ad- in a plastic cup is undeniably the most More than 6 years after Spirit landed, it reconnaissance. Over the next 8 years, it vance the agenda of human hegemony over significant benefit of the new dining fell victim to one of the classic blunders: camouflaged by day and travelled by night, the red planet. experience. quicksand. As it was swallowed up by the seeking out Martian settlements with its lit- ravenous Martian soil, in its desperation, tle black binoculars.

10 March 12, 2021 The Loomis Chaffee Log MÉLANGE 5. The wasps are released in one great swarm upon the earth. 6. COVID-19 is eradicated and there is a celebratory party for the remaining Vaccine Distribution wasps. It’s as simple as that! That is, if it all goes Proposal according to plan. In the slim chance it doesn’t, we have another trick up our sleeve. By ETHAN SONG ’24 engineers here at Hebetem Corp. Industries Contributor Ltd. where we have developed some truly ingenious solutions. With just $15.4 bil- We have had 28.9 million cases of covid Transportation is one of the biggest is- lion dollars, we plan to distribute the cure Graphic by Sofia Mansilla ’23 in the United States thus far. Taking inspi- sues we face in the process of vaccine dis- in only two weeks! Below are the details of Genetically engineered wasps have been ration from iconic scientists such as the tit- tribution. Therefore, speed and efficiency our plans: all the rage in the science world. At last, we ular character Johnny Test and Dexter from have been heavily prioritized by our leading Wasps: have finally created (mostly) successfully Dexter’s Laboratory, we propose a simple artificial wasps able to spread the vaccine. solution involving the transfer of blood Here’s how it works. from these 28.9 million people to the re- 1. 30 million wasps are kidnapped, maining 300 million citizens. each of which has their venom sack Plans for Weekend Wednesdays replaced with our patented vaccine 1. The previously infected are paid sack. $2,000 to donate one and a quarter 2. The genetically-engineered wasps liters of their blood. lay their eggs in our facilities, which 2. The blood is taken across the coun- undergo a brief rapid-growth incu- try in whatever modes of transpor- bation period. At this time, they will tation available with cooling capabil- expand up to 10x in size (further ities, such as ice-cream trucks. testing needed to control growth). 3. It is then taken to medical and ani- 3. While the eggs develop, the original mal centers wasps are released in selected areas 4. Non-infected people receive about 4. When the eggs hatch, the larvae are thirteen shots of blood per person. trained on how to safely inject the vaccine in our state-of-the-art wasp Note: We are not responsible for any deaths, education facilities. injuries, visual/auditory hallucinations, or su- Graphic by Stephanie Zhang ’21 pernatural effects. By NICK DALESSIO ’23 nightly. Instead of scanning your work and Contributor uploading it to the dropbox two minutes be- fore class, work ahead. To make up for an absence of March va- Sure, you may suffer a self-induced stress cation, we now have no classes every other coma at some point, but at least you’ll be Pandemic Champions League Wednesday. Some may see this free time as ahead in your classes. Despite all the ago- By SOFIA MANSILLA ’23 an opportunity to do something productive, ny and sorrow this may cause, you will be while others just enjoy the rare occasion of rewarded with two unoccupied nights and a free 24 hours on a weekday. Let’s take a extra free periods during the day. look at some things you can do to fill this free time! EveryBREAK day is Aa new,WORLD fresh opportunity RECORD to strive for greatness. Nothing satisfies this Yes, this seems SLEEPcrazy on paper, but it statement better than the accomplishment could provide a lot of benefits. We’ve all had of a new World Record. You can easily make the awful feeling of rolling out of bed and your Weekend Wednesday one for the his- sulking to an 8:30 class after procrastinating tory books. Just imagine the amazing feeling until 1 a.m. Why not catch up on your sleep? of everyone on the Island acknowledging You will definitely feel more refreshed and you as a victor. Picture yourself hanging up energized when you return to classes again. that illustrious plaque in your room with your name on it. The easiest world records to break while HOMEWORK & ASYNCHRO- stuck at school (or home) include most This is basicallyNOUS the WORK opposite of the first t-shirts put on in 60 seconds, fastest time idea. Async work is tough to balance with drinking 500 mL of water, and fastest time the countless hours of homework assigned typing the alphabet backward. Shoot your shot and become a legend. Winter Horoscopes By MERCURI LAM ’24 there. Only problem: you didn’t know any- you know someone like this please do not Contributor thing about ice skating other than the an- You have decidedLIBRA to try your best to en- hesitate to reach out and seek help for them. ime portrayals you’ve seen. It’s no problem joy the wintertime vibe before the snow all This is a PSA.) ARIES though, right? You’ll learn it soon enough melts. But you spent so long trying to decide Baby, it’s cold outside...and you just can’t (after you fall on your face, of course). what to do for maximum winter fun that SAGITTARIUS get enough! The world is your canvas, and you have not noticed the snow slowly seep- More and more assignments have ap- the newest victim seems to be the snow. ing into the ground. Yeah, it’s spring now; peared in your planner, and you have de- From making maple candies (which isn’t VIRGO cided it is time for you to take a break and recommended, FYI, the snow is quite dirty) step outside. But the cold air not only made to the 53 different snowmen you have cre- your head hurt but it also forced you to start ated around campus, the entire school has worrying about the time you’re wasting by fallen victim to your mischievous schemes. walking the loop. It’s alright to take a day Who cares? It’s just winter fun. off, you know.

The winter hasTAURUS been long and harsh on Being from CAPRICORNsomewhere warm, you have your bitter soul. Every morning you wake never experienced the delights that snow up and shiver in fear of stepping out into can bring. Your expressions of shock and the frosty air. But what is life without trial awe were amusing to your day student and and tribulation? Keep braving the cold and boarder friends alike. But soon the snow spring will come soon enough. seems to be too much excitement for you, and you end up quivering in the common room. (Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.) From taking two-hourGEMINI treks along the Farmington River to building the igloo in front of Founders hall, you have dedicated Winter is nothingAQUARIUS more than a lifestyle every minute of your time to the great out- for you, and that’s why it has not stopped doors. Just remember that the project due you from your connection with nature. Monday won’t finish itself… The howling wind was so meaningful to you that you ended up needing to go to the

Graphic by Sofia Mansilla ’23 health center after spending so much time in You’re often seenCANCER disappearing into the its frigid embrace. (Another PSA: do NOT woods for hours on end. Your dorm head is You’ve taken the assignment of Winter better wait till next year… stand in the snow with only a t-shirt.) worried, but you aren’t. It’s not like you’re Morning Walks from the 9th grade English doing anything other than painting the se- async way too seriously, and now you find PISCES rene winter landscape. Just be careful not to yourself regretting it all as you walk in the As the song says,SCORPIO the weather outside Winter is somber, just like your attitude stay in the cold for too long, you (and your woods alone at 7 a.m. in the morning. The is frightful! Because of this, you decide to toward the world. Spending your days read- precious paints) are bound to freeze. signs of hypothermia do not scare you, for spend your time in the dorm. But instead of ing books by the radiator with your Taurus sacrifice is needed for the great words you catching up on work, you were caught up friend has been good for your icy soul. You LEO have written. Are there wolves? Maybe, but on shows instead. Your friends have tried to may not have had a typical winter experi- You decided that the ice rink is the perfect Mr. Purdy (or whoever you have) will ap- remind you that study hall isn’t meant for ence, but hey, now you’ve already annotated place to be for some fun recreational time, preciate the poem. Netflix, but you’re simply too deep inside the books you’ll need for next term. so you picked up your skates and headed the Miraculous fandom to even notice. (If 11 March 12, 2021 The Loomis Chaffee Log MÉLANGE

The Great Vaccine Line of 2021: A Primary Source Analysis

Artwork by Joy Liu ’21

By JANUS YUEN ’21 line in history. ro’s the simultaneous rumbling approaches of a tor- Columnist However, primary sources, especially wicked thorns, I know He holds me close. nado and a flash flood. These once in a century SMS correspondences between participants I know He stands beside me. Have faith. Soon. storms have become the new norm, to the point Edgar C. Pan is an Assistant Professor of His- and family members, friends, and cowork- Soon the cactus will bear its scrumptious fruit. that I find myself doubting whether we will even tory at Obama University whose research spe- ers complicate this narrative by presenting Soon, the rocks will spit sweet Capri Sun. make it to Boston by April. Either way, thank cializes in the history of the “Roaring 2020s” and a diverse range of individual motivations, Mark. Why are you so dramatic you for the package of extra spicy ramen and the Greater Post-Pandemic Era. desires, and strivings revealing that the Vac- We literally drove here from Phoenix yes- Charmin Ultra-Soft™ toilet paper. And don’t you cine Line was much more than a historical terday worry. I’ll be home in no time. I was 15 when I first saw pictures of oddity springing from a logistical disaster Don’t go anywhere. I’ll get you a bottle of Best, the Great Vaccine Line: a gargantuan sin- but a moment that epitomized the zeitgeist water Freddy gle-file line, formed in the Spring of 2021, of early ’20s post-pandemic America. In this Read 3:40 PM The letter described the dramatic effects that stretched from Santa Monica Beach article, we will analyze a string of records, Though the phenomenon was not uni- of climate change on the American land- to Downtown Boston. A massive histori- from California to Massachusetts, travers- versal, the hardships of the pandemic caused scape, from the increased frequency of in- cal event, hidden under dimmed lights in ing the line from end to start. With these a spiritual awakening across the American tensified storms––a prominent example the unvisited corner of the museum, nearly records we will attempt to fill a gap in the Southwest. To the participants of this awak- being the unusually devastating ice storm forgotten. Even then, despite being a puber- historical understanding of this event from ening, the line of people stretching across of February that same year––to the slow de- ty-stricken high school freshman who could the individual perspective, painting a fuller, the desert was a sign. Especially in Arizona, sertification of swathes of western country- only think in terms of “dummy thicc” and more detailed picture of what happened in a state struck particularly hard by the coro- side in a second Dust Bowl. “massive whoppers,” I was fascinated by the the Spring of 2021. navirus, the line was seen as a precursor to The eyewitness account of the infantry- perennial question of why. Starting at the end of the line in San- spiritual deliverance, akin to a Second Com- man foreshadowed the later abandonment Why would millions of people line up for ta Monica, California, a surfer texted his ing. of settlements across the American bread- months across the country, lounging in fold- friend, People flocked to Interstate 10, parked basket, the ensuing ecological disaster, and able chairs in the deserts of cactus-strewn 4:45 PM their cars in the red desert sands, and the end of American food independence. Arizona, sleeping in tents on the windswept yo, dude. Just got off the beach. There’s this climbed onto the highway to join the trek Near the front of the line, in Boston, a prairies of yeehaw Texas, skipping along line formingWanna come? East. Some primary sources, namely Tik- couple’s text messages revealed yet a differ- through the hell they called Mississippi, yo, think its for the vaccine? toks, recorded moments of when the line ent picture. waddling through the purgatory they called yeah dude. Come find me. Haven’t changed broke out into song, ranging from a spiri- 5:57 PM Alabama, through the eerily silent streets of you gonna line up in your speedo? tual “Take Me Home, Country Roads” to babe, im hungry Baltimore, between the towering skyscrap- yeah dude an emotionally charged rendition of “The James. I’m literally near the front of ers of Manhattan––all the way to this sleepy i see someone tryna flex his summer bod Hampsterdance Song.” the line. Can you wait? Or get it yourself for New England city straddling the grey Atlan- shut up. Already here, at the end of the pandemic, once? tic coast? Just for a shot in the arm? At the end of the line, the predominant we could see, demonstrated in plain sight, i just want some chicken nuggies babe The question kept me up at night. It kept mood was that of excitement. This was like- the scale and power of the Southwest Spir- IM LITERALLY ABOUT TO RE- me curious. It motivated me to study history ly due to the demographics of the region. itual Awakening that would dominate the CEIVE THE SHOT in college, and it is the question that brought Santa Monica, a prominent beach town in American consciousness for a generation, but im hungy me to where I am now: the early half of the century, was filled with returning to center stage the normative de- … Here, in this nice mahogany chair. young people overfilled with mirth, fresh bate between religious and secular elements budapest is crying Here, at this grand wood desk stacked and sand-caked from the surf. on America’s relationship to faith. i hate you with books They had partied their way through the An infantryman’s letter from Texas, how many pieces Here, in this office that exhales history pandemic and the vaccine would be the fi- meanwhile, hinted at yet another pivotal 20? from its shelves as much as it does dust. nal nail in the coffin: a return to normalcy, a force in contemporary history. thanks babe :) Here, writing an article that seeks to fi- muzzle on all the party poopers who’d yelled Dear Mother, k now wheres the back of this damn nally answer it all. to “keep their mask on,” to “stay 6 feet apart,” I expect that you have heard by now the cause line So, let’s begin. and to “remember there’s a pandemic going and nature of our cross-country expedition. Delivered *** on.” However, for the sake of clarity, I shall supply Relatively few people actually traversed Historians have long claimed that the The line’s formation to this group, in this here a summary. We received our orders by the full length of the line from start to finish, Great Vaccine Line formed in response to region of the country, meant release. mid-February, and we left our barracks in the and eventually, as the Senate tried and failed the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020 as well as Further east, however, in hard-hit Arizo- Rio Grande valley at noon on February 25th, to resuscitate the Postal Service, people de- the rapid development of vaccines counter- na, people expressed both despair and hope. marching around 27 miles a day across the des- cided to start passing the vaccines from the ing it. The incoming Biden administration To my wife, erts of Western Texas. 6 days ago, we finally front of the line to the back and just have promised at the start of 2021 that it would If you ever find this. saw the first piece of vegetation that was neither people inoculate themselves. distribute 100 million vaccines in its first For forty days and forty nights, I have wan- shrub nor cactus: a tree. We took a rest under it, Yet, by participating in this rare outdoor 100 days, and that by summer, vaccines dered in capturing and cooking the dozens of rattlesnakes event, millions unwittingly witnessed the would be readily available for all adults the wilderness. But on the mountains, in the that attempted to scurry away at our approach. four forces that would drive change across across the country. valleys, I have seen His signs. Burning bushes We slept for the first time in 12 days that night, America over the following decades: spee- However, due to a series of logistical mis- that whisper His words among the sands. though one of us (thankfully not me) was made do fashion, spiritual revival, climate change, haps, chief among which being the abrupt Deliverance will come. We will be saved. to stay up as a watchman. Then we continued to and of course, instant-gratification consum- and permanent shutdown of the chronically Though march onwards, into the heart of the Lone Star erism. underfunded US Postal Service, hundreds of there be no water here but the bitter Tucson State. We passed ghost town after ghost town, millions of doses ended up in Boston, spark- brine, taking occasional rest in rusted horse stables, un- ing the formation of the longest single-file though there be no sustenance but the Sagua- til yesterday, when we were rudely awakened by

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