FROM THE EDITORS Have a nice spring break at hot springs so that you can spring back up for final exams.

“Wir Dienen We Serve” Asheville School, Asheville, NC 28806

Volume LXXXI NO. 5

Thursday, March 1, 2012

World Awareness Day will contemplate environmental issues

By ISABELLE SMITH

PHOTO BY DANNY CHUNG Romeo (Jack Gregory) makes his final soliloquy before killing himself in front of his lover Juliet (Madison Fiedler). Look to Page 6 for a student review and more pictures of the winter production of “Romeo and Juliet”

What future lies ahead for Asheville School? An extensive interview with Asheville School’s Headmaster Mr. Montgomery gives insight into controversial questions

By IAN VAN WYE

Recently, I had the privilege of sitting down with Asheville School’s headmaster, Mr. Arch Montgomery, for an interview regarding the institution’s strategic planning process, a subject that has inspired much discussion amongst students and teachers alike of late. Talk has run the gamut from rumors of a new iPadbased teaching platform to potential dormitory upgrades, though it has been difficult to separate fact from fiction. What are the school’s objectives for the near future, and what changes can we as current students anticipate in the coming years? It is the aim of this article to elucidate these questions, though you might find many of the answers surprising.

W hat th e trustees do

Prior to beginning the interview itself, Mr. Montgomery wished to clarify the role of Asheville

Te c h n o l o g y a n d t he c ut tin g edge

School’s board of trustees, currently under the leadership of Mr. Oliver “Gil” Prince, whom we heard address the school on Civil Rights Day this past January. Contrary to popular belief, the board operates almost exclusively in the fiscal realm; they have little input in the daily affairs of the school (including the oft-bemoaned sartorial policies), and only approve the budget and oversee the general direction in which the school is heading. Rather, it is the headmaster who is tasked with ensuring that the school adheres to its mission as defined by the trustees. As Mr. Montgomery put it, “They [the board] hire, evaluate, and either retain or fire the headmaster. They delegate all operational things to the headmaster and his team.” The trustees, in other words, depute all of the everyday decisions to a head of school of their choosing.

It is Mr. Montgomery, then, who is effectively charged with working to ensure that the school continues to provide quality instruction and a community conducive to learning in as sustainable a manner as possible. A component of this job, as one might imagine, is to invest (where appropriate) in technology that allows the school to remain competitive in an increasingly modern world. Regarding the idea of a “paperless” (i.e. tablet or laptop-based) classroom model as it pertains to the future of Asheville School, Mr. Montgomery said, “We’re really at the front end. We don’t know where we’re going to wind up with this, but we do know that we need to take very seriously this whole idea of the changing problems, and opportunities, inherent in technology.” The headmaster has appointed a committee to

before the student’s freshman year and concludes the summer before their senior year. The Morehead-Cain summer experience includes outdoor leadership, public service, inquiry and exploration, and private enterprise. When asked what he was looking for in a college, Waller answered that he was “looking for a southern college, preferably in North Carolina, with strong academic programs. UNC Chapel Hill met those criteria.” Waller was drawn to UNC Chapel Hill when he

toured the campus last summer. “I was impressed and felt I could see myself there.” Waller’s nomination as finalist for the scholarship is extremely impressive considering the rigorous and highly competitive application process. All finalists must possess qualities of integrity, empathy, bravery, maturity, and generosity. They must also demonstrate a love of learning and scholarship, physical vigor, and leadership. According to the Morehead-Cain website, the scholarship covers full tuition, student fees, hous-

investigate how best to go about organizing a preliminary effort to integrate some technology into the classroom. “We don’t want to be on the cutting edge, because people on the cutting edge make mistakes and they cost all sorts of money,” he said, noting the rapidity with which much technology becomes obsolete. Mr. Montgomery also stated that he must determine the “best uses of technology given the importance of relationships at this school,” citing the potentially adverse effects that the concept of a wired classroom could have on teacher-student and peerpeer interaction. While any significant changes to the technology policy may be a thing of the future, proposed updates are being investigated right now.

Continued on Page 3

AS senior selected as finalist for Morehead-Cain Scholarship

By BRENNAN HARLAN

Sixth Former Lawrence Waller was recently named a finalist for the prestigious M o r e h e a d - C a i n Scholarship at UNC Chapel Hill. Established in 1945, the scholarship was the first merit based scholarship in the United States. Today the scholarship covers full tuition, student fees, housing, meals, and textbooks as well as a unique and lifechanging four year summer program. The summer program begins the summer

Spring is the time of the year when the environment puts on its greatest show: crisp air, budding flowers and warm rains. After a long term in this cold, dreary winter, everyone looks forward to the warmth of spring. What better way to get ready for spring than to learn about the environment, society and the world? World Awareness Day, this Friday, does exactly that; it encourages students, says Mr. Maggart, “to be more aware, educated, concerned, and involved with important cultural, environmental, social, and political topics” that one does not typically experience at Asheville School.

Students often only associate World Awareness Day with SEA and the environment. However, this special day is about more than protecting the environment. World Awareness Day is about educating yourself about the things that are going on outside of the “Asheville School Bubble.” The Friday, March 2 schedule will start at 8:30 a.m. with speaker Nora Barger from Living Roofs Inc. discussing methods of creating environmentally friendly houses. Living Roofs Inc. builds roofs covered in vegetation that have positive environmental impacts. Expect innovative ideas and modern architectural concepts. Continued on Page 4

The Admission Office Report about prospective students for 2012-13 academic year By DANIEL DO

On February 21 and 22, the Asheville School Admissions Office reviewed the applications for the upcoming 2012-13 academic year. According to Mr. Morgan Scoville, Director of Admission, and Mr. Mac McCallum, Assistant Director of Admission, the number of applicants has increased by ten percent over last year. “[The number of applicants] is going up,” Mr. McCallum said in his interview. “Every single year it is getting more and more difficult to get into Asheville School.” The admission officers stated that there were 68 applicants for early decision for the upcoming academic

year. Additionally, though there were only 15 available spots for new day students, there were nearly 40 day student applicants. Chris Boehner’ 02, who currently lives in China and is fluent in Chinese, is interviewing many prospective Chinese students for the admission office. Additionally, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Thorsen, and Mr. McCallum have all visited many countries around the world to look for prospective students over last couple years. Mr. McCallum identified three favorable qualities that the admission office seeks in a prospective student. Continued on Page 4

INSIDE THE ASHNOCA Page 2 | OPINION -Technology vs. Tradition at Asheville School

Page 4 | NEWS -World Awareness Day 2012 Page 6 | ARTS & CULTURE -Winter Play Review -The Comment of ModernArt

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAWRENCE WALLER

ing, meals, books, laptops, travel,

Continued on Page 4

Page 3 | Poll of the Issue Spirit Dress Vs. Classroom Dress Page 7 | SPORTS Athlete of the Issue Ryan Shiver ‘13

Page 2 | Opinion

Staff Editorial

Juniors and Seniors Need More Time

Editors-in-Chief Larry Kim, Danny Chung Sports Editor Kenny Hong

Design Editor Amber Lin

Opinion Editor Mary Han

Arts Editor Jolie Gonsoulin

Cartoon Editor Erin Crawford

Senior Columnist Lawrence Waller

Senior Staff Writer Brennan Harlan

Proofreader Ian Van Wye

Photographers Ting Yi Daniel Li

Columnists Claire Hansen Ben Fiedler Ellie Cohn

Staff Writers Tobi Shannon Wes Upham

Contributors

Jody Anderson, Amrit Bal, Claire Coward, Daniel Do, Shirley Duquene, Madison Fiedler, Jonathan George, Avi Goldstein, Jules Gonsoulin, Ben Groh, Perla Haney-Jardine, Emma Kussrow, Jay Lee, Brandon Liang, Liz McKee, Erin Scannell, Isabelle Smith

Faculty advisor Mr. Gardner

The Ashnoca welcomes all letters to the editor. Letters can be about a variety of topics, from national politics to school policies, and should be under 300 words. The Ashnoca reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and concision.

Correction

In the February 17 issue, we misspelled the name of talk show host Glenn Beck. The Ashnoca regrets the error.

Asheville School is a college preparatory school, and college application process starts during junior year. At first, students have mandatory SAT study sessions starting first semester, where they learn some strategies to do well on both reading and mathematics sections of the standardized test. The second step of the college application process starts after the SAT meetings are over during the second semester. Students are informed of how to fill out

From one point, the college meetings for juniors and seniors begin to be repetitive, and students lose their focus.

Common Applications, receive teacher recommendations, use Naviance, etc. In short, college meetings thoroughly cover everything students need to know for the application process. Well, maybe too thoroughly. Yes, college meetings are very informative; however, from one point, the college meetings for juniors and seniors begin to be repetitive, and students lose their focus. From the second semester of Junior year to the Senior year, students meet on Tuesday every other week to talk about what to do and how to do it.

One problem of these meetings, however, is that students are given tips on how to do college applications, rather than the actual time to work on their applications. So how can we make the college meetings more effective? Start meetings earlier, so that students are not bombarded with so much information during junior year. Instead, have short meetings before junior year starts, and discuss in general about what students should be mindful when going into their junior year. Another advantage that students earn by having meetings earlier is that they realize that college applications are not something far away, and that they need to start preparing before the start of their senior year. Having been informed about the college application process before, when students actually have time, could make a lot of difference. Then, during senior year, students will be able to start and finish their college applications, rather than having to take extra time later on and get stressed out because of the lack of time. Having preparations for college application process much earlier is a win-win situation for both the college office and the students since both can all use some free time to focus on the actual college applications.

Should Asheville School chase after the imminent technology world?

One of the many issues the Board of Trustees faces is how to bring Asheville School into the modern era while still preserving its traditional values. When the school reaches a point where a change is possible it takes some deliberation whether or not this change will fit into the school. Recently the school has planned renovations of the old buildings in order to accommodate new technologies. During my three years here, new technologies have quickly become incorporated into our classes. Classrooms are becoming better equipped, as the number of teachers who are also Smart Board experts grows. A few teachers are testing iPads to see whether they can be incorporated into future classes as easily as the Smart Board. The renovations to the science floor are just the first steps in an attempt to modernize Mitchell Hall and the other buildings on campus. The decision to renovate the science wing first shows our school’s dedication to providing its students with the best possible education available. The problem I see, however, is that the worlds of tech-

By PATRICK WOOD

nology and science are growing and changing at a rapid pace. The iPad may seem like the greatest thing out there now, but by the time the school has bought enough and figured out how to incorporate them into the curriculum it’ll be too late; the iPad will be obsolete. I think a safer and better

like a classic car. While most classic car owners keep theirs in a garage and polish it on occasion, ours has been running almost nonstop for a hundred years. It’s about time it had some parts replaced and a new paint job. As a school we’re better off investing in things we

ILLUSTRATION BY AMBER LIN

PICTURE COURTESY OF LEE JAMES PANTAS

place to invest in order to improve our education would be the dorm rooms, particularly Anderson. Anderson dorm, the oldest building on campus is much

know aren’t going to change in the next five years; the facts that teenagers need sleep, a balanced diet, and exercise to learn. Carol Hotchkiss-Eliot, a speaker

who visited with the Prefects, Proctors, and Faculty members before school started, emphasized the importance of sleep and how new technologies are disrupting sleep patterns especially in teens. Her talk is just one small example of how much more we know about how people learn and what the best possible environment for learning is than the architects who built Anderson Hall a hundred years ago. Imagine a dorm that incorporates more natural light. Imagine a dorm where the furnace does not sound like a troll hitting the pipes with a wrench at four in the morning. Imagine a dorm that is energy efficient and has a very low carbon footprint. Imagine a dorm that is much sturdier and fire retardant instead of being full of dried wood paneling. It is far more likely that the students who attend Asheville School five years from now will be much more similar to their current counterparts than the technologies on the future market. We should move to make a more lasting change to our school versus one that will quickly become outdated again.

March 1, 2012

Where Did It Go? By LAWRENCE WALLER Senior Columnist

A cryptic question from one of my recent scholarship applications captures the essence of my time spent at Asheville School: “Where did it go?” The past four years have indeed been a blur. My commitments to Young Republicans Club, Kung Fu, Language Club, LOGOS, running, guitar lessons, Ancient Greek lessons, Microfinance Club, Honor Council, my classes, and the Ashnoca join forces during the week and take away my free time. As I enter the last third of my senior year, I pause now both to acknowledge just how busy I am and to reflect on this idea of time. All human experiences are inherently finite, and the concepts of time and possession weigh greatly on us greatly as a species. As a result, the question “Where did it go?” is universally applicable to the human experience. Hand a foodbesmeared four-year old an empty ice-cream carton and observe his response. Ask a wizened patriarch in a rocking-chair to tell you about childhood. Look down at the book you’ve been reading and realize you’re on the last page. Take a date to a nice restaurant and open your wallet when you get home… The other day, Mr. Buddy was trying to explain the difference between the past and present tenses to our class. “What is the present? When I snap my fingers, is that present?” he asked con-

templatively. The depressing conclusion to this philosophical argument would be this: all events end before they even begin. As Descartes might observe, all that is certain is the instantaneous spark of life, of existence. I, on the other hand, find the concept of time to be comforting. Endings represent completion and progress. New opportunities, friendships, experiences, and skills build on previous ones. Every day I study the that Constitution, I am more eager to vote against Barack Obama in the next election. Endings lead to forgiveness and to second chances. In my role as Student Chair of Asheville School’s Honor Council, I have conversations with knavish students to try to help them learn from their past mistakes. As a fellow Honor Council member explained to me, it’s an educational rather than a punitive process. So don’t waste a minute of these next few months. Asheville School is chockfull of opportunities, clubs, and activities just waiting to be seized or created. I believe that one can examine the human condition best by asking two questions. One reflects on the past: “Where did it go?” The second looks towards the future: “What is coming next?”

The Government of Sports: Do We Embody Good Leadership Qualities? By JULES GONSOULIN

As a junior this year, I have read and analyzed thoroughly the writings of Machiavelli, particularly, The Prince. For those who have not read it, it is simply a how to guide on being a leader of a nation, written by one of the greatest political scientists of all time, Niccolo Machiavelli. An exercise we, as a class, often did was to apply Machiavelli’s teachings to modern situations at Asheville School. Leadership titles came up constantly such as prefect, headmaster, head of the board of trustees, and dorm dean. However, one that did not show up, much to my surprise was “coach.” Months after reading The Prince, during a wrestling practice, Coach Arbor informed us (warned us, one could say), that we can take up our problems with one another, but when it came down to being disappointed in the coach, we could not defy him. Essentially, every wrestler is equal to the next, but the coach is one step above in the chain of command. This makes sense, since the coach of any team normally has more years of

experience with the sport, and certainly has more years of earthly knowledge. I did not think much about this conversation Coach Arbor had with the team because I had come to expect that kind of respect from myself, as I assume was the case with my teammates. However, as the season concluded, I became interested in the ways of coaches. The truth is, Coach Arbor’s way of demanding respect and having the ability to make tough decisions are qualities of a leader expected from Machiavelli. The question is, do all coaches at Asheville School embody that same kind of leadership? That is a hard question for me to answer because I have not had every coach here; however, I do know one thing. By making us all read The Prince as juniors, Asheville School is preparing us to be great leaders when we are long gone from this school. Therefore, we, as a student body, will all be able to embody the Machiavellian style of leadership; minus the numerous executions, of course.

March 1, 2012

I n t e r v i e w w i t h M r. M o n t g o m e r y Continued from Page 1

Dorm s, la bs an d cla ssroom s

According to Mr. Montgomery, dormitory and classroom renovations are currently a much larger priority for Asheville School. Over the summer of 2013, the school will

This year’s third form class can therefore look forward to a higher standard of dormitory life by the time they reach the sixth form.

embark upon a series of projects designed to update laboratories and science classrooms on the first floor of Mitchell Hall. Subsequent to these improvements will be an effort to renovate Anderson and Lawrence Halls over the course of several summers, providing that sufficient funding is secured. These renovations, however, will be largely structural rather than aesthetic. New plumbing and heating systems will be installed, and bathrooms will be completely modernized. This year’s third form class can therefore look forward to a higher standard of dormitory life by the time they reach the sixth form, and both third and fourth formers will enjoy improved science facilities as the school works to ameliorate the aging classrooms of first Mitchell.

Features | Page 3

Sc hool t rad ition s an d t he fut ure

Mr. Montgomery also noted that Asheville School is an outlier amongst other comparable institutions due to its strict observance of many of the same traditions such as classroom dress and seated meals that defined it from its very inception. However, this only makes the school more desirable to prospective applicants, according to the headmaster. Asheville School is one of the few boarding schools in the Southeastern United States to have retained a traditional, predominantly residential character, something that along with the strength of the community is a major draw for students. “Looking at the last one hundred years, there are a lot of things that have changed that people couldn’t have imagined changing,” said Mr. Montgomery. “I think, and I hope, probably more to the point, that what that will happen is that there will be a lot of things that change on the surface, but the fundamentals, of relationships, of close relationships between faculty and students, high academic standards, attention to our core values, integrity and perseverance and compassion…those kinds of things are so fundamental to the human condition that they won’t change. “I hope the core of what we care about, our very self, our respect for one another,

POLL OF THE ISSUE

Spirit Dress VS. Classroom Dress

respect for ourselves, is going to be fundamental to Asheville School, because if we lose those things there is really no reason for us to exist, it seems to me.” More apposite to our own lives will be the state of the school in ten years, and the headmaster also outlined his desires in this regard: “I see the school, I hope, with a very similar tone and feel [as] it has right now…I see people coming back and saying ‘oh yeah, well this is the Asheville School I

We’re not necessarily big innovators . . . because so much here is already sound. Much of what we do is preserve the school for the next generation.

remember;’ invisible, though, will be buildings with no deferred maintenance, a much better endowed financial aid program, perhaps an international studies program, a faculty development budget which is much more generous…and improved facilities in the sense [not of] fancy new buildings, but taking the facilities we have and just upgrading them. So much of what we are going to do, I hope, will be invisible to the naked eye.”

A steward in th e g olden a ge

My interview with the headmaster ended on a more personal note. I questioned Mr. BY CLAIRE COWARD

64% 36%

The best part about Monday nights is the ten seconds before bed I spend planning my outfit for the next day, simply because it only takes ten seconds. I like knowing that (if I wanted to) I could put on a tshirt on Monday night, go to school in it, and then wear it to afternoon activities, I do not have to spend time changing before school, after school, and after afternoon activities. That adds up to a good amount of time saved not having to decide on a wardrobe change. However, are these few minutes that are saved by wearing spirit dress worthy of sacrificing the nice and classy look of classroom dress? This issue’s poll aims to answer that question. Also, this poll hopefully will shed light on Student Council’s recent proposal to the faculty of having spirit dress on academic Saturdays. When asked, “Do you do better work (higher quality, more focused, etc.) in spirit dress or classroom dress?”, the majority responded with a stronger inclination

Montgomery as to what he wished his legacy to the school to be, and he replied, “We [the headmasters] are stewards of the place. I would like my legacy, and I think every leader of the school feels the same way, that we’re leaving the school a little more stable than we found it…We’re not necessarily big innovators and changers, because so much here is already sound. Much of what we do is preserve [the school] for the next generation.” He reiterated: “We are really blessed, because we seem to be going through a golden age of Asheville School. Asheville School has had many good ages, but we right now, the students seem happy to be here, the faculty seem happy to be here, we seem to be an upbeat place…It’s incumbent upon us [however] to leave the place a little better than we found it.” Golden age or not, Mr. Montgomery did state without a hint of facetiousness that he believed the school would be better off with Saturday classes every weekend as well as seated meals and chapel services every day, all in the name of community building. He admitted, however, that his ideas were perhaps a bit unrealistic–most students, I imagine, would agree with this assessment. Regardless, this interview was a highly revealing glimpse into the world of school leadership for me and, I hope, for the Ashnoca readership as well.

toward comfort over professional presentation. In fact, 35.4% (45 out of 127) of a sample of students and faculty said that they work better and more efficiently when they are wearing spirit dress. On the other hand, 62.9% (80 out of 127) said they work better in classroom dress. On a completely different hand, Coach Kern said, “I’m efficient no matter what I’m wearing.” Also, Carter Boone jokingly remarked that he works better when he is naked:

If we didn’t have classroom dress, where else could you wear your collection of knee-length, wide-strapped, high-cut dresses?

“Sometimes I just come to class—pants off.” But does our comfort really affect our efficiency? When we look at the results of the poll, it seems as though what we wear has a significant effect on our

work, especially when we look at the numbers of those who answered “classroom dress.” More boys answered “classroom dress” than girls. Liz McKee said that classroom dress is distracting, and that she, like many other girls, is constantly worried about whether her dress is riding up or falling down—problems with which most guys are probably unfamiliar. Similarly, the majority of teachers answered “classroom dress,” although it should be noted that “classroom dress” for teachers simply means looking “professional,” and doesn’t include all of the specific stipulations as students’ classroom dress code. The majority of the school can agree that spirit dress is easier and more comfortable than classroom dress. We appreciate comfy Tuesdays and days when we are rewarded with the privilege of wearing a tshirt to school. But if we didn’t have classroom dress, where else could you wear your collection of kneelength, wide-strapped, high-cut dresses, or your different tie on every day of the year?

WOR LD AWAR ENES S D AY 20 12

Page 4 | Features / News

March 1, 2012

World Awareness Day to feature off-campus speakers and several workshops

Tracing the history of WAD By AMRIT BAL

In 1983 Ed Maggart arrived at Asheville School, and only two years later, in 1985, he took direction over the preexisting Environmental Club. Under his supervision, that club became the Student

Students from SEA are now hugely responsible for organizing this event and do everything from arranging guest speakers to leading workshops.

Environmental Awareness Club, popularly known as SEA. It seems that with this mere cosmetic change to the title of the organization, World Awareness Day took a turn as well. During the early ‘80s the Environmental Club put together a day similar to World Awareness Day called “Spring Rights Day,” which was held the day before spring break. Spring

Rights Day incorporated two workshop activities and speeches given by guest speakers. However, this day was mostly a large service assignment for students to stop and give back to the earth. During the late ‘80s following the creation of SEA, the club decided to shift the focus of Spring Rights Day away from service to a day students could where become more involved in important projects. Now World Awareness Day educates Asheville School community about the environment while incorporating current topics such as politics and economics. One of the biggest changes from the past World Awareness Days is involvement. student Students from SEA are now hugely responsible for organizing this event and do everything from arranging guest speakers to leading workshops. “The most crucial thing is the students’ ownership,” Mr. Maggart says. “I try to get out of the way as much as possible.” Because of increasing student ownership of World

Continued from Page 1

ILLUSTRATION BY AMBER LIN

Day, Mr. Awareness Maggart says the “thrust [mission of the World Awareness Day] has moved from one time projects to ongoing ideas.”

The importance of sustainability will surely be highlighted on March 2, the 2012 World Awareness Day.

Month-long Green Cup Challenge concludes, but AS fails to meet the goal

By SHIRLEY DUQUÉNÉ

For four weeks starting January 8, Asheville School competed against other regional schools, such as Greensboro Day School and Cary Academy, in the Green Cup Challenge to see which school could reduce its electricity consumption by the greatest percentage. SEA (Students for Environmental Awareness) hit the ground running. From posters around campus to free florescent light bulbs, SEA was eager to spread awareness about energy usage. Unfortunately from the first week to the second, our community, as a whole experienced a 2000-kilowatt-hour increase. Anderson Hall and the Skinner Library used less energy while Kehaya stayed about the same. However, Lawrence, Mitchell and the Rodgers

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4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

PHOTO BY DANNY CHUNG Jonathan George, member of SEA, turns off the light

Memorial Athletic Center had a slight increase in energy usage. With more announcements and an attempt to reach out to the faculty and staff, SEA hoped to get our numbers back down. Students, faculty, and staff alike turned off the lights in the dining hall, the athletic

center, and the library when the natural lighting was good enough or lights were not necessary. There were constant reminders to turn off the lights in the dorm rooms and unplug idle appliances. Hall parents jumped on board by turning off the hall lights during the daytime.

When a visitor asked Sonya Robinson, a 6th former, why the lights were off, she answered saying that it was a way to show how the Asheville School community can come to together to achieve a common goal. The sponsors of the Green Cup Challenge offered the winner a cash prize, and students of Asheville School were promised a day of spirit dress if the school was to meet the goal of a general 4% drop by the end of the four weeks. Even though the school did not quite reach our goal, Mr. Maggart says that wasn’t the overall objective. “Winning wasn’t important. What I hoped this challenge would do was make students more cautious of their own energy usage. I believe we achieved this to some level,” Mr. Maggart said.

AS TALENT SHOW 2012

Madison Fiedler- singing Ben Fiedler- piano JP Finn, Gabe O’Friel, Nabiel Abuyazid, Avi Goldstein- band Emily Soule- dance Sarah Rutland- singing Avi Goldstein- bass solo Lawrence Waller- Kung Fu Kevin Zhao- movie Kyle Deprater- guitar Gunnar Hamilton, Win Over holser- Beatles recognition

11.

12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

Roy Kim, Gunnar Hamiltonmusic Win Overholser- Bad Jokes Tobi Shannon- singing Kendall, Cleo- movie Jeff Park- piano Darrah Johnson, Tobi Shannon, Kyla Barkley, Jasira Swintondance Stuart Chae- Beatbox

Later, the second speaker, Vicki Meath, will discuss the different aspects of the economy in Asheville. Meath is the executive director of Just Economics, an organization that works towards a sustainable economy. By lunch students will have a new view on the poverty surrounding us in WNC and the trials of our local economy. Inspired faculty and students will be presenting workshops throughout the day. This year there is a plethora of interesting workshops, including Bee Keeping, a traditional tea ceremony, making Iphone apps and a nature walk. These workshops will help increase the understanding of far-off cultures or the appreciation of the beauty of the local environment. Students will attend the first workshop before a seated meal and then go to another afterwards.

Between the two sessions of workshops there will be a seated lunch in the Dining Hall. However, this is not simply a seated meal; it is an introduction to the local foods of the mountains. Look forward to local goat

World Awareness Day is about educating yourself about the things that are going on outside of the “Asheville School Bubble.”

cheese, Brussels sprouts, focaccia bread, peach tea and a variety of other local treats. Unlike last year, there will not be a band performing at the end of the day. The workshops have been lengthened in order to allow the teachers to cover all the knowledge and do fun interactive activities. There will be entertaining video clips during the convocation in between the speakers.

Waller’ 12 competes against 124 other finalists for the Morehead-Cain Scholarship Continued from Page 1

a four-year Summer Enrichment Program and other aspects of college life for all four years. Waller’s nomination is, however, not very surprising considering his accomplishments at Asheville School. Waller was selected as the Ranking Scholar of his class during both his freshman and sophomore year, and selected as the Ranking Scholar of the school his junior year. Also, he is the recipient of the Yale Book Prize and a member of the Cum Laude Society of Asheville School. Recently, he was named National Merit Finalist

along with PJ Eckerd’ 12. He is currently the student chair of the Honor Council, president of the Young Republicans’ Club, and editor of the LOGOS. Past fall, he ran as a member of the Blues Cross Country Team. Also, he is an active member of the Ashnoca as senior columnist. In the past week, Waller attended a four-day competition with 124 other Morehead-Cain Finalists, a group comprised of 60 instate students, 55 out-ofstate students, and ten international students. Of these finalists, approximately 55 will emerge as Morehead-Cain Scholars, only three percent of the original applicants.

Admission Office Report

Continued from Page 1

“First, we are looking for students who are going to be a good fit to our academic program,” he said. “Also, because we are a small school and we offer tons of things for students to do, we want students to get involved in a lot of different things. For some students, that means playing soccer if you have never played soccer, wrestling on the wrestling team if you have never wrestled, singing in the a capella group if you have never sung before. So we need highly motivated kids to be here and try all these different things.” Lastly, he added that “the third thing is how much a prospective student wants to be a part of a small community, a small boarding school, how much they are going to want to build rela-

tionships with their peers and faculty.” When asked whether athletic ability is one of the main factors that the admissions office considers, Mr. Scoville firmly replied “Absolutely not.” Mr. Scoville added that “We [the admissions office] are trying to build well-rounded classes. Yes, there will be kids who are really adept at athletics, very talented, but also though we want some real scholars, and we also want some real performers and artists. We also want some community members.” Both admission officers emphasized that the most important quality of a prospective student is his or her academic record, though athleticism remains one of the many attributes that make students stronger applicants.

March 1, 2012

Hope For The Helpless

Fourth formers volunteer at Brother Wolf, a non-kill animal shelter. By MADISON FIEDLER

Six to eight million cats and dogs are taken into shelters annually, and four million of these–about one every eight seconds–are euthanized per year. Whether the reason is physical disabilities, illness, aggression, or simply overpopulation in the shelter, the fact is that most of these animals could be saved. At Brother Wolf, an animal rescue center, putting down the cats or dogs that they rescue is not an option. A non-profit organization that has found homes for more than 4,500 animals in the past two years alone, this shelter houses dozens of cats and dogs that have been abandoned or surrendered from their owners. While all of the animals are eventually adopted, it is still a heart-wrenching experience to see so many cats and dogs lacking a home. As part of the fourth form service project, Asheville School offers the option of volunteering at this shelter. While many other service activities consist of work that could be considered tedious, this one is anything but boring. For those who love interacting with animals, this is the perfect activity: it mainly consists of walking, petting, brushing, and bathing the animals, and filling up the water and food for the many cats and dogs that

live at Brother Wolf. This year’s service group for Brother Wolf, led by Mr. Tyler Montgomery and Ms. Alexa Caldwell, consists of sophomores Katherine Koon, Laura Rincon, Edward Tak, Watts Shumate, and Jolie Gonsoulin. Most of the participants’ justifications for joining this

Dozens of cages lined the room, filled with dogs of all ages and breeds: beagles, labs, retrievers, hounds, collies, terriers, and more

group were due to a love of animals, which is certainly necessary to be a part of this activity. “Probably the puppies, or the sweet older dogs,” Ms. Caldwell said when asked to explain why she chose this activity. “You hang out with different animals, and play with them,” Katherine Koon explained. As the group entered the shelter on February 7th, a cacophony of barks, both shrill and deep, greeted us. The shelter is divided into two sections, one filled with cats and the other with dogs. Being particularly partial to the latter, the majority of the group entered the canine section first. Dozens of cages lined the room, filled with dogs of all ages and breeds: beagles,

Humane Society rescues pets By EMMA KUSSROW

Many students here at Asheville School have some sort of pet at home, and they love their pets as if they are family. However, we also know that lots of adorable animals in Asheville are abandoned every day. (Now, this isn’t an ASPCA commercial featuring Sara McLachlan, so I’ll try not to make anyone cry.) This is where the Humane Society steps in. In the spacious and pristine new facility of the Humane Society located on Forever Friends Lane, Asheville School 4th formers take in and care for these animals. Fourth formers Hannah Beacham, Abbie Thigpen, Becca Buchanan, Margret Anne Munday, Elizabeth Ballew, Jessica Kuehl, Ashton Ward, and Connor Richardson stop by every Service Tuesday to help the Humane Society with all the hard work that keeps this place up and running. On February 7, I traveled with them to see what they do there. As we drove up, Abbie told me that “the [new facility] is really nice.” It was. The building is large and airy, with separate areas for the cats and dogs. The building was also cheerful and clean, perfect for keeping the animals happy. The first thing the fourth formers do upon arrival is check in. Then they choose the animal they

want to work with, either a cat or a dog. Lastly it’s off to play, walk, cuddle, and have fun! I asked a few fourth formers what the best thing about Humane Society is. Elizabeth Ballew said that she enjoys “just being able to bond and play with all the different animals.” Jessica Kuehl said, “I like being able to pet and play with the animals when they’ve been rejected, so they know they’re still loved.” I worked with Becca Buchanan, who introduced me to the procedure for handling cute kitties. First, you choose the cat you want to play with. Next, you sanitize your hands to remove any germs that might make the cat sick. Then you walk around to its cage and use a towel to remove the cat, mostly to protect the handler from scratches and bites. If the cat’s cage is on an upper shelf, you need to use a stepstool to get it. Lastly, each cat has a clipboard with its information on it. You check off the things you’ve accomplished, for example feeding, socializing, or cleaning, and then place a clip on the clipboard to let other volunteers know that the cat has been taken care of. Finally, you get to take the kitty to a “Visitation Room” where you can play and cuddle with it. Of course, you must sanitize your hands before

labs, retrievers, hounds, collies, terriers, and more. Puppies, soft and clumsy, stumbled over each other as they rushed to the edge of the cage to greet us with yelps of delight. Older dogs, more cautious, gazed at us hopefully, wagging their tails slowly. Few chores needed to be done today; instead, the group rubbed the bellies and heads of nearly all the dogs and led others on walks around Biltmore Village. While this may seem like more fun than work, it helps the shelter and the animals themselves enormously; after all, dogs love to exercise, but are seldom given the chance at shelters such as this. The feline section of the shelter required even less work; the group used the many toys available to play with the cats that lazed around in their cages. Service activities are extremely beneficial to the community, but are often dreaded due to their tedium or lengthiness. Volunteering at Brother Wolf is neither uninteresting nor time-consuming, and helps both to support a non-kill shelter (the largest in North Carolina, in fact) and to save and brighten the lives of animals. Jolie Gonsoulin summarized the group’s work: “I like knowing that I’ve helped to give animals a better opportunity for life.”

you play with any other animals, so as not to spread diseases. Now, I didn’t spend much time with the dogs, but the procedure is pretty much the same, except you can also walk and play with the dogs outside as well as inside. However, the Humane Society doesn’t just take care of cats and dogs. They also take in smaller animals such as bunnies, rats, and ferrets. However, the Asheville Humane Society is run completely off of volunteer work, so if you have a chance, stop by and help them out! Becca and I played with a cat named Princess, and I interviewed Becca about her opinion of this Service Project.

What is best about the Humane Society Service? Becca: “I like watching the animals get good care, and a whole new chance to be treated well. I have pets at home, and I couldn’t imagine them being without food or a loving home.” Do you prefer cats or dogs? Becca: “Dogs. But I’m biased, I have my own!” This is a tough question, but what is your opinion of kill shelters? Becca: “I wish they didn’t have to exist, but of course, they have to. I mean, we can’t keep all the animals in the world alive.”

Living Off The Land: The Vegetable Gardening Service Project

AS third formers hard at work!

By ERIN SCANNELL

Living off the land and farming have organic become common in the past couple of years. Asheville School has begun to yield to this virtuous trend. Mountaineers or equestrians from last year may have noticed the patch of land near the Ireland Ring completely overgrown with weeds. This area, thanks to the Vegetable Gardening Service, is thriving. The collaboration of the group has resulted in an assortment of fresh, organic greens including arugula, lettuce and several others growing on our campus. They have completed two harvests and plan to continue gathering the greens until the end of February. The Vegetable Gardening Service, led by Mr. Seth Buddy, Dr. Mike Hill, Ms. Karen Cianciulli and Ms.

Mary Elizabeth Martin, clearly has a lot of work on their hands, but has accomplished quite a lot since the beginning of the school year. Due to the fact that the service group was just initiated this year, they were burdened with the task of reclaiming the entire plot area. However, the group managed to hand-plant all of the beds and has already provided the dining hall with fresh vegetables several times. The vegetable gardeners have also created miniature green houses in order to keep the greens alive during the harsher cold weather. “Hoop-houses,” as Mr. Buddy refers to them, help maintain warmer temperatures during the frigid winter. The vegetable gardening service is not only helping save the environment, but

News | Page 5

PHOTO BY ERIN SCANNELL

each member is being affected as well. In the words of Marc Brunton, “vegetable gardening builds character by interacting with our peers and hard work.” Many college graduates are starting their own additive-free farms. It may be difficult to fathom the idea of living off of the land, and many may wonder why these young people strive for such an unusual ambition rather than trying to attain a “real” job. However, their reasons are discernible when it is brought to one’s attention that farming was a huge factor in our development as a species. Our roots as humans often manifest themselves, even in this day and age, and the ability to obtain that kind of perspective on one’s existence is very appealing.

Students learn the science of composting

Composting is a process very much influenced by temperature. It begins with mesophilic bacteria, which live in moderate temperatures of less than 40° C. As the bacteria feed and digest nutrients the temperature quickly rises, reaching the thermophilic phase in around two days. During this phase the compost may reach temperatures as high as 65° C, and only extremophilic bacteria (bacteria that live in extreme conditions) can survive. Eventually most of the nutrients are consumed by the bacteria, and the temperature drops, allowing the mesophilic bacteria to take back over. The end result of this process is fertile soil, allowing for excessive plant growth. The compost provides a habitat for arthropods including Collembola (springtails) and Isopods, which eat the bacteria and fungi in the compost. Other organisms such as rodents occasionally pick through the compost to find arthropods to eat. Compost benefits the ecosystem by putting less material in landfills, and allowing for less use of fertilizers. Luckily, Asheville School

By JODY ANDERSON

has its own compost service project, composed of Ally Bo, Isabel Bonner, Will Campbell, Catherine Eckerd, Maddie Harms, Joey Kriegler, Olivia Ostlund, and Max Weinbrenner, and led by Mr. Kegg and Mr. Lambert. The composters provide the vegetable garden service project with fertile soil who in turn provide Asheville School with the home-grown lettuce which sometimes appears in the salad bar. The composters not only meet every service Tuesday, but also each go on one shift a week, during which they take the scraps left over from meals and put them in the compost bin. Approximately every three months the composters have a day where they turn the compost over, moving it to a different bin and watering it. “Is it raining?” was Will’s clueless response when Isabel Bonner began to water the compost. Watering the compost provides the bacteria with a good environment to break down the compost to nutrients suitable for fertilizer. The compost is also sprayed with compost ‘tea,’ a disagreeable smelling

mixture of water and compost juices. (One of the composters who shall go unnamed mentioned that a good April Fool’s joke would be to exchange the compost tea for the tea in the pitchers at seated lunch, so be forewarned!) The compost is turned at first by a backhoe, which they use to move the compost from one bin to another, thus putting the compost that was on top on the bottom, and vice versa. Then the composters, donning surgical masks and boots turn over the compost manually with shovels. Turning the composts allows oxygen in, which is required by aerobic bacteria, and exposes all parts of the compost to the high temperatures at the bottom of the pile, effectively killing all of the pathogens. The last bit of compost remaining in the original bin is moved by shovel and wheelbarrow to the other bin. After the compost is turned over, it must stay at 135 degrees Fahrenheit for ten days for it to be sanitized. The compost volunteers put in lots of work to benefit both our school and the environment.

Page 6 | Arts & Culture

ARTS & CULTURE

Winter Play Review: Romeo and Juliet

March 1, 2012

The Components of Modern Art Asheville School students visit High Museum of Art Atlanta By JOLIE GONSOULIN

Mr. Pharr and Mr. Plaehn, who appear as Capulet and Montague respectively, get ready for a fight

One of my pet peeves as an enthusiastic art student is the phrase, “I could do that,” when referring to the Cubism, Expressionism, and Pop Art movements. I usually respond to these misguided critics with the ever-so-witty, “Yeah, well you didn’t.” I don’t go into detail about how much thought really went into these masterpieces of their time, but it’s an interesting concept. Fortunately, I was able to see fourtns. These artists were chosen

Shock value is no longer uncharted territory

Jack Gregory and Madison Fiedler face each other during the famous balcony scene.

By JONATHAN GEORGE Tristan Wall, Rogers, On February 16 Emma Kussrow, and even and 17, the Asheville School special appearances from Drama Department graced Mr. Pharr and Mr. Plaehn. the school community with The story is a classic: Romeo and a great per— formance of I was certainly taken Juliet Gregory and one of the on an excursion of F i e d l e r , most famous plays ever sadness and melan- respectively—are starwritten: choly. crossed Romeo and by William lovers of two feuding famiJuliet, Shakespeare. Directed by lies, the Montagues and the Mr. Peter Savage of Capulets. This famous love Western Carolina entanglement was porUniversity, this play boast- trayed in an almost cute ed powerful performances manner, although someby Madison Fiedler, Jack times a bit risqué in the Gregory, Hallie Veteto, Cori realm of Asheville School Patrick, Jeff Park, Anna performances.

Within and Without:

A Chillwave masterpiece echoes famous tale of the Lost Generation By BEN GROH

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the narrator, Nick Carraway, a wealthy bondsman in his mid-20s, meditates on his outlook on life. He states, “I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.” Washed Out’s first full length album, aptly named “Within and Without,” seems to share the sentiments of the ever-floating Lost Generation in which Nick and his compatriots included themselves. The hazy synths and Ernest Green’s atmospheric, ethereal cries layer on top of one another, mixing with the blips and sighs of samples to create an intricately textured, vast, and mournful sound that echoes and fades. It embodies solitude with melodies slipping forth like snippets of thoughts and personal memories and then dissipating into a

dreamlike state (“A Dedication”). Starting with a simple repeating line of notes that sound as if they

From left to right, Mary Chamberlain Harlan, Madison Fiedler, Emma Kussrow, perform a bedroom scene from Romeo and Juliet

One could sense the true conflict and deep pain from Fiedler’s performance, while Gregory was an almost cold-blooded killer. Possibly one of the more surprising roles of the night was Mr. Pharr, who portrayed the abusive and at times absolutely furious character of Capulet, the father of Juliet. The lesserknown yet equally divided character of the friar, depicted by Tristan Wall, was excellently portrayed as one of the few sympathetic characters. Ironically enough, the friar’s actions directly lead to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. In gen-

torted, floating on in abstraction as Green’s voice tilts to the cascades of noise. The melancholy achieved is at once deeply personal, lush, and haunting, showing a life of beauty and riches, but also of emptiness and discontent so trademark of the roaring twenties. Listening to “Before,” one cannot help but imagine a

He describes a character so similar to the Carraways, Gatsbys and Buchanans of Long Island: men and women who appear to be so happy, elite, and carefree on the outside, but in reality are remote to others. had been plunked out by a 3rd grader at his elementary school piano recital, the nostalgic melody reverberates and becomes dis-

disconsolate Jay Gatsby, sitting at the edge of his white marble pool in West Egg, blurred and blinded with the summer light.

PHOTOS BY DANNY CHUNG

eral, every character had a specific conflict within the play, all revolving around the two lovers. The play’s actions seemed to mesh together very well to set a dark veil of tragedy over the Walker Arts Center. Not only did I feel my heart crack because of Juliet’s desperation to find her lover’s corpse, but also at the amount of guilt within the two families as the dark realization arrived that both of their children were dead because of the feud. I was certainly taken on an excursion of sadness and melancholy. Bravo, performers!

Within and Without highlights the same outer numbness present in the Lost Generation, yet the inner turmoil that fractures relationships not just with others, but also with oneself. On “Far Away,” Green sings, “You said no words as you walked past / You said it was alright / You left your world exposed, long gone / You left your voice inside.” He describes a character so similar to the Carraways, Gatsbys and Buchanans of Long Island; men and women who appear to be so happy, elite, and carefree on the outside, but in reality are remote to others, suffering their sins and loneliness in silence and denial in the presence of millions. Diplo, founder of Mad Descent records, tweeted that Washed Out needed to add some starch to its “washed out” sound. But this “washed out” sound he speaks of so derisively is what makes it a great record. The music creates open, sometimes desolate expanses of sound, but it also brings a faded beauty, reminiscent of the grainy footage of an 8 mm camera, making one reminisce over a golden past that never really existed.

because they not only revolutionized the premeditated notions of art of their time, but also created art genres of their oeen of these groundbreaking artists’ works on February 18 with Ms. Arbor’s student activity to the Atlanta High Museum of Art. The title of the exhibit was “Picasso to Warhol,” and the exhibit featured the works of Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Constantin Brancusi, Piet Mondrian, Fernand Léger, Marcel Duchamp, Giorgio De Chirico, Joan Miró, Romare Bearden, Alexander Calder, Louise Bourgeois, and Jasper Johwn. What we know

today as Pop Art was the brainchild of Andy Warhol. Jackson Pollock is responsible for the idea of “splatter painting.” Picasso and his contemporaries are the inventors of Cubism. I could go on, but the main idea here is that each artist had the same plan in mind: changing art as we know it, and creating something beautiful in the process. In today’s society, shock value is no longer uncharted territory. Despite this, artists of the 21st century still strive to make people think, as Miró, Matisse, and Pollock did decades ago. A great example of this sort of independent thinker is a graphic artist and painter named Brian Donnelly, also known as KAWS. KAWS’s career began as a graffiti artist, but has evolved to include sculpture and acrylic painting. What caught my eye about Donnelly’s work were the vivid colors he uses, as well as pop culture references that he slips into the ten-foot-long canvasses. In discussions of modern art, KAWS is a name to remember as he continues to blur the border between fine art vernacular style. and Perhaps one day in the future, Brian Donnelly will join the likes of Bourgeois and Duchamp, and their work will continue to inspire and spark new ideas of the modern artist.

Campbell's Soup Cans by Andy Warhol

Companion by KAWS

PHOTOS BY JOLIE GONSOULIN

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March 1, 2012

BLUES SPORTS

ATHLETE OF THE ISSUE

RYAN SHIVER’ 13

WRESTLING

PHOTO BY SUA YOON Ryan Shiver’ 13 was selected as the Athlete of the Issue for his dominant performance throughout the wrestling season. As the captain of the Blues Wrestling Team, Shiver finished the season with the record of 27-1 and the only loss coming from his opponent from Cherokee High School. Recently, Shiver claimed first place in the heavyweight class at the State Tournament and advanced to Nationals and finihed 11th out of 32. Congratulations!

Q: What is your favorite sport? A: My favorite sport is football, and wrestling is my second favorite.

Q: Who is your favorite athlete? A: My favorite athlete would be William Perry, a former pro football player.

Q: What made you choose football/wrestling? A; I chose to play football when I was young and have been playing my whole life; next year will be my 13th year. I began wrestling my 7th grade with a group of friends in order to stay in shape for football and I never quit. Now I have become fairly good at the sport; I started to like it more and more.

Q: What do you think when you’re on the field/mat? A: When I’m on the field/mat i think it’s a business trip, like Coach Harris said.

Q: What do you like to do before games? A: Before a game I always like to take some

time to my self and get my mind right and concentrated for the event.

Q:What type of music/movie/snack do you like? A: For music, I like rap/hip hop, classic rock and some techno. For movie, I liked The Rundown. My favorite snack is beef jerky. Q: Do you have any good luck charm? A: No, I don’t.

Q:Do you have any hobbies? A: I love to be outside, riding dirt bikes, fourwheelers, swimming, sports.

Q:What made you choose Asheville School? A: I chose Asheville School because of its great academic background. Also, I love the sports facilities and my teammates.

Q: What is your ultimate dream? A: My ultimate dream is to be able to play professional football one day.

BLUES SPORTS UPDATE

New coaches to supervise and help Blues spring sports teams The 2012 Spring Season has arrived at Asheville School. The school enjoyed fabulous fall and winter seasons, with several broken school recordsand numerous teams going to state championships, among other notable achievements. The school is now preparing for a strong spring season, to the success of which many new coaches will contribute over the coming months. Mr. Weeks, humanities instructor, will be one of the coaches for Boys’ Lacrosse. “I started playing my junior year in high school,” said Weeks. “I started coaching after I graduated college. I liked lacrosse because it was similar to some of those fast tempo sports like basketball and football, so I started playing.” In regard to his plans for the season, he said: “I picked up some coaching strategies from lacrosse and coaching camps, so I’m using different strategy for

By KENNY HONG

different teams; I’m being flexible with that.” When asked about how he feels about the season, whether he feels nervous or not, he replied: “Well, I’m not nervous, but the players are the ones who have to be nervous.” It looks as though the Boys’ Lacrosse team should prepare themselves for some difficult practices. Ms. Caldwell and Mr. Montgomery “the younger” will be coaching Girls’ Club Lacrosse. “I started playing lacrosse [in] seventh grade,” said Coach Caldwell. “I was a 4 year Varsity player in high school. I played in Brown for 4 years, was a 4 year starter, and was the captain in my senior year. I coached in the summers, in camps mostly. Since this is the second year of the program, we are going to focus on how to play lacrosse and how to be the best team and teammates. We are going to go slow, figure out the team identity and work hard.” When asked about his

experience and reasons for coaching Girls’ Lacrosse this season, Coach Montgomery said, “My father and my brother played lacrosse so I could watch it, and I played in high school. I have helped out with coaching Men’s Lacrosse, but it is my first time actually coaching a team. I like lacrosse; there are few games that are more fun than lacrosse. Also, it was something that I could help out with, and I wanted to offer something for this school, so I decided to coach it.” Both coaches are looking for athletes who are willing to work hard. “I look for those who are ready to work and are focused; those who show up, ready to have fun and be concentrated.” said Coach Caldwell. “I expect some grit, get-up-and-go, and enthusiasm from players,” added Coach Montgomery. Continued on Page 8

Sports | Page 7

SWIMMING Blues Dynasty continues at NCISSA State Championship with three school records broken By BRANDON LIANG

The Blues swimming team gave the school another surprising result at the NCISAA State Swimming Championships on Monday, February 21. Third Formers Kaylee Pierson and Joey Kriegler broke school records in their events, and so did the Boys Medley Relay team that included freshman Joey Kriegler, junior Patrick Wood and seniors Zach Smith and Gunnar Hamilton. Additionally, Zach Smith made it to the finals in the100 fly, finishing 6th overall. In terms of team rankings, the boys finished 7th place out of 21 and the girls finished 15th out of 19. Varsity Swimming is known for its demanding practices, which contributed greatly to its recent success. “We swim one and a half to two hours every day,” said Mr. Kriegler, head coach of the Swimming Team. “Generally, we do about 4000 yards in a practice. We had a few practices in which we did about double that. Our practices are designed for good aerobic conditioning, in addition to working on technique and speed.” Enthusiasm is also a key component of success. “Seeing everyone come together and really support each other was awesome, and winning for the first time in a while made the experience more memorable!” said Team Captain and 6th

PHOTO BY KENNA SLOAN Joey Kriegler’ 15 performs his breaststroke

Former Madison Willingham. Willingham also emphasized the importance of unity and teamwork: “Every single person swam their best in this meet and we couldn't have [done as well] without the contributions everyone made by working as hard as they did.” “Swimming is a sport in which you get out what you put in,” said Mr. Kriegler. “I hope that swimmers recognize this and continue to work hard for the personal satisfaction they get when they improve their times.” Captain Willingham did not forget to give some advice for younger swimmers. “Do not get intimidated by what you hear about how hard it is,” said Willingham. “Swimming is hard work, but it is also a lot of fun.

One thing I would encourage the team to remember for next year is to stay positive and just remember to have fun!” Coach Kriegler and Captain Willingham expressed their hopes and expectations for the future of the team. “In the future I want to keep working to build the culture of the team so that the swimmers realize they can be contenders at the state level, and not just at the conference or county level.” said Coach Kriegler. Willingham added: “I think that the swim team is really going to excel in the next couple of years. We have a very young team this year and I expect to hear great things about them in the future!”

WRESTLING

Blues wrestlers finish strong at the state tournament and Shiver’13 advances to the nationals

By JULES GONSOULIN

While most Asheville School students were working hard in class on Friday, February 17th, the Blues Wrestling Team was making a name for itself on the mat at Charlotte Country Day School in the State Tournament. The Blues entered the tournament with a sour taste in their mouth after finishing with a record of 312 in the regular season. The team entered the tournament with some big-time competitors, ready to go far in the contest and place in the state. These wrestlers include Sam Kelley at the 115 lb weight class, Otto Putzath at the 120 lb weight class, Stuart Chae at the 126 lb weight class, Ben Willis at the 195 lb weight class, and finally, the captain, Ryan Shiver at the heavyweight class. Since the team was lacking wrestlers in the mid range weight classes, it was challenging to rack up enough wins to place high in the team rankings. The Blues were off to a slow start at first, with several wrestlers losing their first contest. However, in the second round of the tournament, many Blues wrestlers fought hard and

won, propelling them into the second day of the tournament. Meanwhile, Captain Ryan Shiver won both of his first day matches with ease. The Blues saw much success on the second day, with Kelley, Chae, and Putzrath placing 5th in the state, and Willis placing 3rd. Ryan Shiver topped off the Blues’ success by winning the heavyweight state championship in the final match of the tournament by pinfall. “My favorite part was seeing Ryan and Ben face their toughest matches of the season and come out on top,” Head Coach Christopher Arbor said. “They really embody the spirit of Blues wrestling.” Furthermore, when asked

about the wrestling squad for next year, Coach Arbor said, “We're a very young squad; I fully expect next year to be more successful than this year, and the following year to be even more successful than that. We've got a lot of potential state champs on our roster.” Shiver’ 13 and Willis’ 12 qualified for competing at Nationals. Shiver’12 decided to continue his journey at Nationals. On February 24, Shiver won his first match, but lost his second match of the day, and headed to the Consolation Finals. Even though he lost the third match, he finished 11th out of 32 wrestlers at Nationals. Congratulations to our Blues wrestlers!

Ryan Shiver’13 stands to receive his medal

PHOTO BY JARED HOFFMAN

Page 8 | Sports

New Season, New Coaches

Continued from Page 7

From left to right: Dr. Riva, Mr. Tyler Montgomery, Ms. Caldwell, Ms. Lewis, and Mr. Spier (Not pictured: Mr. Weeks)

It also seems that both coaches are seeing signs of a good season. “We recently had our first practice together, and I found out that everybody was enthusiastic,” said Coach Caldwell. “They were taking what they learned and applying them. I think it’s going to be a fun and great season.” Coach Montgomery also showed his excitement for the team: “I could see that the girls were better than I thought they would be when we met recently. I’m excited for this season.” It seems that the future of Girls’ Club Lacrosse will be bright under the direction of these two young, enthusiastic coaches.

Dr. Riva will be the Assistant Coach for Varsity Girls' Soccer. “I am not a soccer player; I only played for a few years as a young child,” said Coach Riva. “I was around soccer for my brother played growing up, but I have never coached soccer before. I will definitely be following Head Coach Mr. Mettee’s lead. I am planning to do what I can to help him achieve his vision for the team.” Although she has never coached soccer before, she will doubtless be an asset to the team. Mr. Speier will be the new coach for JV Boys’ Tennis. “Although I have never New coaches are pretty serious about their upcoming season.

PHOTOS BY TING YI

coached before, my two youngest sons played tennis, and I am an avid fan of tennis,” said Coach Speier. “I like tennis because unlike other team sports like basketball, tennis is one against one or two against two so that you cannot hide. I like that aspect of tennis. Also, there is an ATP(Association of Tennis Professionals) in Mason,

“I’m excited about the season. It’s going to be a great learning experience for me. Both the students and I will be able to gain something from this season and become better.” - Coach Lewis

Ohio, where I live, so I often watched professional players’ games. Watching those games, I could see how exciting those games could get.” When asked about his feelings and plans for this season, he replied: “I am excited, not nervous. I would like to get out there and start playing right now. I am planning to focus on playing against one another, practicing strokes, and getting serves in. We will work on fundamentals.” It looks as though the JV Boys’ Tennis will be having a great year for fundamental skill development.

March 1, 2012

Ms. Lewis will be one of the Track coaches for this season. “I was a manager and statistician for Track in high school,” said Coach Lewis. “And I was an Assistant Coach for jumping for a while. I like running; it’s fun, and since the events for Track and Field are races against each other, they are intense. I like that intensity, and I thought Track was the sport I could be the most influential in, so I decided to coach it.” In regard to her idea of the most important qualities that an athlete should have, Coach Lewis stated, “I think it’s really important how much one believes in oneself, how much one is determined, wanting to try and work; the positive attitude is important.” Coach Lewis also expressed her excitement for the season: “I’m excited about the season. It’s going to be a great learning experience for me. Both I and the students will be able to gain something from this season and become better.” The passion and energy of the new coaches is great; they are ready for action, and are looking forward to the coming season. All the spring athletes should therefore prepare themselves for some hard work and get ready to contribute to yet another splendid season.