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2 - The Bell October 2007 Editorials Letter from the Editors What’s HOT and What’s NOT Shea Clark ’08 & Garrett Lasnier ’08 HOT NOT Dancing like no one is watching Soullja Boy Tell’Em Soul Patch Moustache Generic Tee Shirts Walking Advertisements Dressing like a pirate Dressing like a hippie on Pirate Day Class of ‘85 (ask a senior) Already knowing how to juggle The Tune Squad The Monstars (Space Jam 1996) Casual Determinism Defeatism Borderlands Everywhere else “That’s what she said” Mature jokes Fozzie So we’re back to school. It is always nice to return to Suffield after a long summer. There are the familiar things we have missed and then there are so many new things to discover. Perhaps it is the budding Philosophy Club or an AP class that you take on. College applications, for example, are always a fun thing to add to the to-do list. Although The Bell has been familiar to us for the past few years, acting as editors-in-chief is completely new for us. That is what the beginning of the year is all about. Trying out new clubs or sports, taking on what may seem like a frightening task, meeting new people: all things that are essential for the start of a new year. So enjoy it! The beginning of this year has certainly started of with the same vigor that we left off with in the spring. For those of us who are Juniors and Seniors there is the added responsibility of going from member of a sports team to Captain, as well as leader of an extra-curricular group or two. In retrospect, we will probably think back on these days as the fun, carefree days of high school. But for now, keep up the hard work! Nick, Lindsay, and Tsuneko illustration: Christina Frazerio ’07 I am Fozzie, the ubiquitous observer of the community. The Bell usually portrays me as a Bear of some sort (perhaps a distant cousin of Smokey, Winnie, Baloo, or Yogi). While I usually have a strong opinion about the prevailing big idea on campus, this year I am paralyzed and unable to start sharing my ideas right away. I have only come to the conclusion that I do not known anything, and neither do you. While my opinion about the return of B-week (SAT and ACT testing on the Saturday “off”), this year’s school theme (“borderlands” which is supposed to be real deep and influence the way we think on a regular basis), or weekend activities (or to some lack thereof) may seem perfectly logical to me, it does not necessarily mean it is more “true” or “right” than anyone else’s opinion. Disagreement, about anything, occurs from either a lapse in logic (usually illogical people) coupled with the fact that everyone has different motives and self-interests they are trying to fulfill. Everyone has a different purpose or motive for their lives, therefore a different purpose for Suffield, and therefore different opinions about Suffield. What do you think is the purpose of Suffield Academy? One has to acknowledge that it is a business, like all other independent schools. It uses resources (students, food, ping pong tables, flowers) to create a product that parents are willing to buy. The product is usually a combination of several sale pitches about a beautiful campus, prospects of getting into an elite college, competitive athletics, the Leadership Program, and small class sizes. The selling of this product creates revenue which is then invested back into improving the product. Is the purpose of Suffield Academy strictly business related? Is our goal to have the prettiest buildings and largest endowment? Do we want to be able to buy 14 turf fields and sell filet mignon at the snack bar? Most would argue (especially those who run the school) that this is not the ultimate purpose of Suffield Academy, although they cannot deny in actuality it remains a business. The Suffield Academy Mission Statement (see Suffield Academy Handbook) outlines several “good” things that the school does and seeks to do. And, I do not deny the fact that, to some extent, it accurately describes Suffield and what it tries to do. However, I do want students and faculty to think critically about their existence and that of Suffield. How well is Suffield working towards its purpose? What is wrong with society that does not allow this to happen? Is the purpose to get students to suppress their natural curiosity about the world around and teach them out of a textbook? Is the purpose of Suffield Academy to have students who will do anything to make the grade so they can get into an elite college? Is it to teach students to conform to the rules of society? Is the purpose of our school to have kids that would rather be sleeping than in a classroom? I’m going to eat some imaginary berries that I do not even eat. Editors In Chief Tsuneko Jarris ’08 Nick Jung ’08 Lindsay Life ’08 Layout Editors Connor Kirschbaum ’09 Verona Tam ’08 Jason Thompson ’09 Photography Editors Agnes Lee ’09 Kenny Lim ’08 Anne McGovern ’09 Isy Zellweger ’08 Poetry Editor Sam Cohen ’08 Features Editors Shea Clark ’08 Garrett Lasnier ’08 Will Preston ’08 News Editors Xiao Ning Xue ’08 Hae Rin Yoon ’08 The Suffield Bell Sports Editors Maysie Childs ’09 Sam Robson ’09 Contributors Jen Armenta ’08 Rosemary Chandler ’09 Shelly D’Aleo ’09 Madison Graney ’09 Adam Grasso ’09 Yusuke Ito ’08 Becca Joslow ’08 Harry Land ’11 Isi Montero ’08 Adam Pistel ’08 Chapman Root ’09 Katherine Sacco ’10 Jump Sosothikul ’08 Sroaj Sosothikul ’10 Courtney Thrall ’09 Ali Vicino ’09 Faculty Advisor Elizabeth Stowe Suffield Academy does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, physical attributes, disability, age, or sexual orientation. We administer our admissions, financial aid, educational, athletic, extra-curricular, and other policies so that each student is equally accorded all rights, privileges, programs and facilities made available by the school.
Features I Get It Bumping: DJ Aaron Scheinblum ’08 Shea Clark ’08 & Garrett Lasnier ’08 “Music is God’s gift to man, the only art of Heaven given to earth, the only art of earth we take to Heaven.”- Walter Savage Landor. Aaron Scheinblum does not sing your favorite songs, no -- he has a higher calling; he clicks a button hooked up to speakers that plays them really loudly, and for this the world is grateful. Aaron is not only a senior, but also a disc jockey on the rise. “I started in March 2005 just for fun” because “I’ve had a fascination of music since I was little, and being around music all the time is something that I really enjoy doing.” However, what started out as a casual hobby for Aaron soon became an actual business. Aaron realized that the DJs in his town were being overpaid and were still in great demand. He recalls, “One day without telling me, my Dad took a loan out in my name, and we went to the D.J. store and bought all the equipment.” The rest is history. Aaron’s business Bumpin’ Entertainment now performs at Another new year means new classes, teachers, friends, and for most boarders a “new” or different dorm to live in. But this year for some lucky junior and senior girls, New actually means New! I spent the majority of my sophomore year trying to figure out -- Is New Dorm 6 going to be for girls or guys? Is it actually going to be finished for the fall? How big are the rooms going to be? When I got my letter saying that I was going to be living in ND6, I was so excited, but then excitement turned into hesitation and then a lot more questions about this place that I had been watching under construction. Coming from Kotchen my freshman year, I had to wonder -- were the rooms the same size? Which side would my window face? How big were the closets? This was something that was very important after living in Barnes House with a huge closet to a variety of functions in the Greater Hartford and Western Massachusetts areas. While Aaron’s gigs range anywhere from bar-mitzvahs to sweet sixteens, he mainly enjoys doing gigs with kids his own age. While Suffield was blessed with Aaron’s DJ services at the Halloween and Luau dances last year, his latest triumph has been the “GLO dance.” For the “GLO dance,” Aaron asked everyone to wear white t-shirts so that the black lights installed for the dance could create the glowing effect. All songs were student requested by email in advance, making sure everyone had a say in what was played. Between the music and special effects, it created an electric atmosphere that few can remember in any previous dance. When asked about his future as a DJ, Aaron says, “I want to keep my options open, but it would not surprise me if I continue my career as a DJ. Bumpin’ Entertainment is not going anywhere.” Aaron says he looks forward to continue “working with people such as Mahk (Mark) Shannon, he is the man.” When New Means New! Rosemary Chandler ’09 myself. Now, I have moved into my room in ND6, and I couldn’t have asked for a better arrangement. My room overlooks the quad; the rooms are bigger than those in the other new dorms. The closet -- it’s even bigger than those in Barnes. I have a great roommate, amazing dorm parents, and I can finally control the heating in my room. Coming from someone whose heater was broken for most of sophomore year, I couldn’t be happier. The bathrooms are nice, the halls are nice, the common room is amazing, and everything you could want about this dorm is fantastic. I feel privileged that I am one of the first to be able to live here. I’m discovering the secrets of it, like how how to get your key out of the lock and how to open the door from the side staircase. Living in this dorm is amazing. New beds, desks, closets, floors . . . new everything. PAC = Verona Academy Xiao Ning Xue ’08 On November 8th, 9th, and 10th at 8pm, the school fall term drama production Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare will be on shown in the PAC. Director Mr. Galvez spoke with The Bell about his reasons for choosing the play and his vision for producing it. Mr. Galvez only produces plays he is passionate about. With Romeo and Juliet Mr. Galvez wants to expose students to Shakespeare: “I want Shakespeare’s play to come alive for students.” Of the many Shakespeare plays, Romeo and Juliet stands out as a drama that deals with relationships between teenagers and adults and with the idea of young love. The play demonstrates extremes of love, hate, and violence and how they affect a community. A special reason for choosing Romeo and Juliet is because it was the first play staged at the PAC. What’s unique about this version of Romeo and Juliet is that there will be a lot of modern elements added to the play. Actors and actresses will be wearing modern clothing; there will be hip-hop music and original music written by Pam Autuori. “This play is timeless and exists in a world of its own,” said Mr. Galvez. “The play is contemporary for our community.” He is moving the setting of Romeo and Juliet to a boarding school named the Verona School. The two rival families in the original version of the play, Montague and Capulet, become two different dorms in the Verona School. Romeo and Juliet are the children of the rival dormitories’ dorm parents. Mr. Galvez pointed out, “we will maintain the integrity of Shakespeare’s play,” meaning that the original themes, language, humor, conflicts, and fight scenes of the play will not be changed. The staging is going to be special, too. The audience will sit on three sides. Action will move beyond the traditional stage area. Mr. Galvez also promises that there will be some special lighting designs with the new light board that the PAC received last year. Mr. Caginalp, Mr. Butcher, and Mr. Yi are all contributing to the production. Mr. Caginalp is the technical director, who oversees all the backstage, design and construction of the stage. Mr. Butcher is the artistic supervisor, whose visual art talents will be demonstrated in the set. Mr. Yi is in charge of the dancing in the play, and he will teach actors and actresses some hiphop dance during their rehearsals. “Acting is very physical and emotional,” said Mr. Galvez. He wants the community to understand and respect how much effort students and teachers put into the play. There are about twenty students in the cast who rehearse five to six times each week, and each rehearsal lasts for about an hour and a half. Some of the cast members are taking acting class or have had previous stage experience; on the other hand, some of them are totally new to the stage. There’s a good combination of students who are new and more experienced. The twenty cast members include freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Members of the stage crew also assist by building the set and running the show. Mr. Galvez says his biggest concern is the limited rehearsal time from now until November 8th. But he really enjoys working with everyone and feeling their commitment. Finally, with the unique interpretation, the special stage arrangement, and the effort of faculty members and students, Mr. Galvez anticipates a successful production. Math Club Hae Rin Yoon ’08 Since 2007 Math club has provided math-related competitions, extra help. challenges, discussions, and fun. Math Club proves that math is a fascinating thinking process, helping people develop crativity and logic. There are no definite answers to the problems that Math Club explores. The problems are open-ended, depending on what you prove and think is correct. It’s about being confident. 3 - The Bell October 2007 New Advice Column: Dear Tigger Hello Suffield!!! Have you ever wondered how to tell your roommate that they needed to wash their clothes more often? Is there really such a thing as not having an uncomfortable talk with a teacher about grades? Do you want to be more social than finding everything out via Facebook? The Bell is starting an anonymous advice column. Send your questions about anything to The Bell folder with the subject line reading, “Dear Tigger.” I will answer all your questions anonymously and have your answers posted here in The Bell!!! Also, please know that your confidentiality will not be broken. Model UN Jen Armenta ’08 TTFN, Tigger For those who have seen the pre-teen movie Winning London starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, the concept of Model UN is no foreign affair. But for those who are unfamiliar with this school group, allow me to elaborate. Model UN is a club dedicated to participating at local, state, and national conferences “modeled” after the United Nations. This program is intended to teach students about peacekeeping, foreign affairs, and crucial global issues. Model United Nations, a relatively new school group, was co-founded by Hannah Frank ’08 and Taylor Williams ’08 last year. Hannah decided to begin the group in order to have experience in her desired future career as a member of the United Nations. The group meets on Thursdays during L Period in Tisch. The goal of the Model UN is to prepare for a conference in January at Yale University where students will act as delegates and discuss actual United Nations issues. “Model UN is a big commitment, but it is worth it. You get out of it what you put in to it,” Hannah explained. Do not be daunted by the perception that Model UN is all work and no play. Members that have a true passion, and even for those who do not, for delegation will find every moment of this club fascinating. Students learn the rich history and culture of a foreign nation through first hand experience. As Model UN members, students put themselves in the place of a representative from a nation the team chooses to represent, and the group must actually delegate as in the United Nations. Model UN, unlike other clubs, allows students to be engaged on world topics in a completely hands-on manner that enables team members to learn much more about society. In essence, Model United Nations is an intellectual school group that studies international affairs and lauds the value of peaceful negotiations. Model UN is “a great opportunity to travel, meet new people, learn. It’s an extracurricular activity, and its fun. It is a culmination of everything,” Hannah said. So if you have an interest in Model UN -- come to the next meeting. It is definitely worth your time! Amnesty International State Meeting at Wesleyan Jen Armenta ’08 & Hae Rin Yoon’08 Several Suffield students joined students from other schools at an annual meeting at Wesleyan University on September 29th where we heard about the national priorities this year for AIUSA and the core actions for our region. We have already worked on some of the issues. We’ve been lucky to have our recent prisoners of conscience released. Now we’ve been assigned a prisoner in Libya. We shared experiences and ideas with kids from other schools. We’re more excited than ever about Jamnesty, the holiday card action, and our other activities at SA.
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Page 7 and 8: News Goodbye Berkshire Day… Bring

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