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TheGreen and Gray News and Opinions from the Students of Berkshire School April 30, 2010 Berkshire Elects Teddy Bear By Min Jung Yoo ‘10 In a tight runoff, Teddy Benfield won the race for all-school president over Jack Hughes on April 27. With 253 votes cast, the Mystic, Conn., resident won by 9 votes, 131-122, ac- cording to Dena of Students Peter Quilty, who announced the results at Wednesday’s all- school meeting. A total of 266 students were eligible to vote— everyone but seniors—and 219, or 82%, of these voted. Only 31 teaching faculty, or 49%, went to the polls in the runoff. The first round of voting ended in a virtual tie between Teddy and Jack—familiar names in American politics—with Maggie Fiertz finishing After Monday’s all-school meeting, All-School President-elect Teddy Benfield, wearing his trademark bow tie, gathers with future constituents Cheney Chatwin ’11, Cassidy Walsh ’11, and brother Thomas Benfield ’13. third. The last runoff occurred two years ago, in a contest between Lars Nelson ’09 and eventual winner Kelsey Brown ’09. McCain to the Rescue According to Dean Quilty, the all-school By Colin Puth ’10 president is chosen strictly by the majority of the popular vote. He said that he himself The town of Sheffield has breathed a huge counted the votes twice, then called on cur- sigh of relief as Berkshire School’s very own rent All-School President Kit Landry to count Malcolm McCain recently joined that the votes with him. town’s fire department. Though still in high school, Malcolm has already gone through continued on page 2 all training necessary to be a volunteer member of the squad. “I have always had a huge interest in serving for the fire department, but never thought I would actually be given the opportunity,” the New Sheffield firefighter Malcolm McCain is congratulated INSIDE: by former Sheffield firefighter Bill Gulotta, who wore the continued on page 3 same #36 helmet Malcolm now wears. Gatehouse for sale or rent 2 Dixon Observatory reopens Gulotta returns By Andrew McCarthy ’10 to the diamond 2 Cool Parent: Bill Mason 4 After waiting for almost three years, Berkshire’s astronomy students can once again study the Election reform 5 solar system in Dixon Observatory. The facility, built in 2000 next to the Stewart Pitch, has been Go get the Gorillaz 6 closed due to construction of the Jackman L. Stewart Athletic Center and a broken motor that is used to rotate the dome of the building. Running on empty 7 Astronomy teacher Dan Spear’s class meets in the observatory every Monday night if the The new lady in line 8 weather is good. continued on page 2 Page 2 THE GREEN AND GRAY April 30, 2010 Gatehouse for sale or rent By Dakota Richardson ’10 Driving into Berkshire last fall and no tuition shouldn’t be affected, but rather we shorter shift of about four or five hours. The longer seeing security guards operating the should eliminate some of the extra hours we next guard will take over sometime in the green gatehouse at the bottom of the driveway, were logging in the security office.” middle of the night and work the longer shift one wondered where they might have gone. Mr. Alden said that compared to peer of about 8 hours, but this does vary on some Security is now headquartered in Memorial schools, Berkshire had one of the most exten- nights. The hours that security work runs Hall, and while hours and manpower have sive security programs of all. As a result, he from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., opposed to the old been reduced, “there is nothing different said, “we decided to scale down and employ start. In total they work 12 hours each night about the jobs and the protection on cam- two guards a night, as opposed to the multi- keeping guard.” pus,” according to John Alden, Berkshire’s ple guards who were working from 4 p.m. to “Security is as protective as it ever has chief financial officer 6 a.m., 7 days a week,” said Mr. Alden. been,” said GuardWatch Security employee “We needed to make cuts in the budget as “Now we have a total of four guards that Clay Hall. “We do what we always have done. a result of the economy and the endowment we use in different shifts. There are always We make two nightly checks with the sprin- hit,” said Mr. Alden. “We looked at many dif- two security guards on each night and the klers and all the heating system. We can al- ferent expense points, and determined that shifts generally have the first guard working a ways be of service, even if there is only one guard on duty, because any calls made to the security office will be relayed to our cell Teddy Bear continued from page 1 phones and we can get right on it.” In their office in Memorial, the guards keep The candidates appeared on stage April 26 question. Unlike past years, there were no their logs and spend most of the night when to answer the following question: speeches or other questions. not outside driving around. The gatehouse at If elected to this position, explain three In addition, the three candidates had to an- the entrance to the school is no longer being specific ways that you will help lead Berk- swer two more questions on a written applica- used by security because the primary objective shire to become a better place. Each candi- tion: Why do you want this position? and was not to stop cars. Now security can do date took about a minute to answer the What specific things have you done while you their daily rounds out of Memorial and are have attended Berkshire to make you qualified closer to the dorms and academic buildings. to hold this position? Mr. Alden says that scaled-down security “I am open to any other suggestions that has not changed any of the normal proce- will improve both the election process and stu- dures. dent government at Berkshire School,” said “Security’s nightly procedures consist Mr. Quilty. Published monthly, with special mostly of checking the boilers in each build- editions at the whim of the staff. ing, making sure they are on and working Dixon continued from page 1 properly. The last thing you want in the Staff Reporters Adam Albelin ‘10 morning is to have cold showers. They also Joel Halpern ’10 “So far we have been focusing on the ob- handle access problems. For example, if a stu- Ryan MacDonald ’10 jects in our solar system including the Moon, dent gets in late from the airport, they make Malcolm McCain ’10 Andrew McCarthy ’10 Mars, and Saturn,” he said. “Many students sure the student can get inside safely. They Colin Puth ’10 have used the hand-held controller to locate also check for any lights left on in buildings, Dakota Richardson ’10 objects and have learned how to focus the tele- Ty Roselli ’10 they lock facilities, such as the Jack and Berk- Karina Srb ’10 scope on their own.” shire Hall, and every now and then they will Keith Veronesi ’10 Mr. Spear says he to have a few nights be- Jacob Weiner ’10 stop a suspicious vehicle.” Min Jung Yoo ’10 fore the end of the school year where the ob- With the imminent tearing down of Me- servatory will be open to the entire school. morial, the security team will need to move Sports Editor “For the time being the observatory will be Keith Veronesi ’10 offices, but according to Mr. Alden, no deci- limited to members of the school. However, sion has been made regarding the new office Music Editor once everything is calibrated and connected headquarters. He said the school is also unde- Luke Johnson ’11 for point and click operations, finding objects cided on what to do with the vacant green Faculty Advisor will be much quicker. So perhaps sometime gatehouse. Mr. Harris next year we will have a few nights where it is open to everyone, including the outside com- munity.” Page 3 THE GREEN AND GRAY April 30, 2010 Gulotta returns to the diamond By Keith Veronesi ’10 In the last four games, Berkshire’s varsity After coaching the track team for his first makes us laugh so hard.” softball team has scored 71 runs against its op- three years at Berkshire, Mr. Gulotta coached Aside from getting back into coaching ponents’ 9. A far cry from last September, the softball team for thirteen years. He was shape, Mr. Gulotta has found his pitching when the team found itself in a bit of a then asked to coach the baseball team, which form and is back throwing batting practice. pickle—no pun intended. he did for five years, after which he returned to Mr. Gulotta said he is surprised at what a great Softball coach and college advisor Christine coaching softball for another eleven years be- bunch of girls he has on his team and truly “Twink” Williams suddenly departed for a fore yielding his duties to Ms. Williams. loves being around them day after day. small division III school, leaving the softball When asked what he missed the most dur- This season the Bears are off to a good team suddenly coachless. So Berkshire turned ing his brief time off, Mr. Gulotta smiled and start, with a 4-1 record. In the last two to someone with more than enough experience said, “Nothing.” games the Bears have combined to offen- to step up to the plate: former softball and Mr.