NEWSPAPERS IN EDUCATION PART 2
Foxcroft Academy students contribute
to David Mallett’s latest album
DOVER-FOXCROFT — With an album deadline looming earlier this winter, legendary Maine singer-songwriter David Mallett called upon his alma mater for a hand.
Photo courtesy of Foxcroft Academy
IN THE STUDIO — Foxcroft Academy senior Aaron Provost, left, and junior Berk Tezguler work the controls while Susan Ramsey plays her fiddle for an album by David Mallett. Several students from the Foxcroft Academy Rock Band class contributed to Mallett’s album — Mallett is a member of the Foxcroft Academy Class of 1969.
As he neared completion of “The Horse I Rode in On”, his first studio album since 2012, Mallett — a 1969 graduate of Foxcroft Academy — needed his go-to fiddle player Susan Ramsey to contribute to a track called “Old Swimmin’ Hole.” The problem was that Ramsey, who has run a string program for the Foxcroft Academy music department since 2008, would be unable to make it down to Portland in time because of her busy teaching schedule.
Mallett decided to reach out to FA music director Josh Guthrie, who quickly assembled a team of students from his Rock Band class. Peter Boyer ‘15 and Andrew Miles ‘17 got everything ready in the band room’s sound-proof recording studio, Ramsey arrived with her fiddle, and Aaron Provost ‘15 and Berk Tezguler ‘16 drew upon their knowledge of sound reinforcement to engineer the overdubs while she played the tracks Mallett was missing.
The students interacted with Mallett over the phone throughout the process, and they then evaluated Ramsey’s work to decide which tracks would be best to send digitally. “It was cool to be part of the recording process and see how a professional musician goes about the process of recording music,” said Provost, who has now taken Guthrie’s Rock Band class three times.
Mallett was pleased with what he received and added their work to the track. “It made the tune work,” he said. “I’ve imagined being able to do remote recording for a long time, and it’s a great development when you are crunched by time or weather. I’m so glad to find the capability right here at FA.”
Guthrie decided to turn the project over to his students because he viewed it as an invaluable learning opportunity with real-world application. “It was a cool opportunity for them to actually work on something that was a real job,” he said. “They were able to provide a much-needed service for a nationally-known and highly-successful musician who happens to also be an FA alum.”
Best known for his authorship of “Garden Song,” Mallett has produced 16 albums and written songs for more than 150 artists over a career that has spanned four decades. He was recognized by the Bangor Daily News as one of the 58 most memorable Mainers of the 20th Century, and his sons Luke ’01 and Will ’03 lead the Mallett Brothers Band, which won both Band of the Year and Album of the Year at the 2014 New England Music Awards. The Mallett brothers have performed at two of the last three Foxcroft Academy Alumni Weekends, and David has thrilled the crowd by joining them on stage for a handful of songs.
Guthrie took over the Foxcroft Academy music program in the fall of 2012 and added Rock Band to the curriculum in the spring of 2013. Students rely heavily upon iPads — to research music recordings, find charts and lyrics for songs they wish to learn, track their progress, and film themselves in order to develop a stronger stage presence — and cap each semester’s class by performing a live rock concert at Dover-Foxcroft’s historic Center Theatre. The innovative class helped Foxcroft Academy become an Apple Distinguished School in November 2014.
Photos courtesy of Melissa Mallett
PI DAY PIE — SeDoMoCha Middle School fifth-grader Benjamin Johnston won the “Best Overall Appearance” in the Pi Day contest, which was announced during the annual celebration at the Dover-Foxcroft middle school on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 11 (several days before March 14, which this year is 3/14/15). Johnston made a “Strawberry Cheesecake Brownie Pi Pie” for the contest (pictured below).
Jing Guo, Foxcroft Academy junior
The bench reacts during a Jan. 17 overtime win
vs. Caribou, 68-66
Oh, how stressful it can be: How seniors approach the college application process
By Fern Morrison
Foxcroft Academy senior
The Class of 2015 is beginning to realize that the college application process is more than just filling out paperwork and writing essays. Students began preparing for SATs their sophomore year and searching for and researching different colleges and universities their junior year. Most of them are currently visiting campuses, getting ready for life-changing interviews, and finalizing their essays.
Thirty random seniors were surveyed. The results showed that 96.6 percent of these seniors plan to attend a college or university. Those who have decided that college is not what they’re looking for said that they would like to attend a technical school. Overall, all participants have expressed their hope for a better future for themselves, and college is, according to them, a big part of that future.
All seniors said that they want to get good jobs after high school graduation. Research conducted by Georgetown University shows that by 2018, approximately 63 percent of all the job openings will require a college degree. It is a no-brainer that having graduated from a college opens more doors into the job market.
So when asked about some particular examples of desired schools, seniors have mentioned highly selective liberal arts school, like Swarthmore College and Oberlin College; big and small public universities, like the University of Rhode Island and the University of Maine at Farmington; and a few community colleges, like Eastern Maine Community College and Flathead Valley Community College. There are many different schools that the seniors are interested in, many different majors that they would like to declare, and many different things, like location and cost, that they need to consider. However, there is one thing that all seniors have in common: the application process.
Daniil Grishko, Foxcroft Academy junior
Alli Bourget scored the game-winner
Students are not alone is this process— the school’s guidance counselors have held senior conferences with most of the seniors by now, and they have helped students find the right schools, fill out the required forms as well as just talk about interests and hopes. A senior conference is a one-on-one meeting that allows the guidance counselor and student to work together in identifying specific goals, create a list of potential colleges or work opportunities to meet those goals, and then demarcate the steps needed to complete applications.
A few words from the staff working in counseling services: “The college application process can be exciting and daunting at the same time. Our goals as school counselors are to make the process go as smoothly as possible and to facilitate a best-fit match between our students and their post-secondary institutions.”
Foxcroft Academy’s counselors Angela Smart-Davis, Kandi Martin and Lee Pearsall continue to support students throughout the application process, which many find frustrating and worrisome. In addition to taking students on six to eight college trips all over the country each year, the counselors spend countless hours researching information, contacting admissions representatives and facilitating the interview, writing, and recommendation processes. We thank them for their endless efforts and generosity.
At this point in the process, the senior class has gained valuable insight and information. To the underclassmen, listen to the following words submitted by anonymous seniors. They are words of wisdom from experience. They include advice not only about preparing for the college application season but also about your high school experience and reasons to get involved. Listen carefully and don’t get caught by surprise when you are facing the end of your high school career, staring down the tunnel of college applications.
“Start early! Fill out the common app during the summer between your junior and senior year.”
”Make sure you have been looking into and visiting colleges throughout all of your high school years. Don’t wait until you are a senior.”
”Keep your grades up and get involved, but don’t forget to still have fun.”
“Take the ACT and the SAT at the beginning of your junior year. Find which one you like and score better on, and then continue to study for that test only. Almost all colleges will accept either the ACT or the SAT.”
“Don’t join clubs and such just to put on your resume; get involved in extracurricular activities because you really enjoy them and see a reason for them. Being passionate and truly involved is more important that having an extensive list of clubs you have been a member of. You passion will shine through in your application and essays.”
In conclusion, the college application process is just that — a process. When seniors were asked to describe this process in a single word, their responses included stressful, tedious, important, overwhelming, and intense. When asked about how many hours they spent on the college application, answers ranged from “zero so far” to “200” to “too many.” The college application process is an important rite of passage, a definitive portion of a senior’s life; this decision will potentially dictate their future career path. Underclassmen, do not take this lightly and begin thinking and preparing now. Below, Foxcroft Academy graduates offer some more advice.
Lucy McDermott, Class of 2012. Lucy attends the University of Vermont and currently prepares to spend a semester studying abroad in Florence.
“As for advice I would tell students to not only focus on a school’s academic rating, but to also look at the extracurriculars the school offers as well. College isn’t just about academics — it’s about finding your passion and pursuing it. At UVM I’ve been lucky enough to find a club that allows me to grow not only academically but personally as well. The education you get outside the classroom in college is just as important as the one you get inside the classroom. Base your decision not on academics but on your passion.”
John You, Class of 2013. John currently travels globally working to build his résumé by collaborating with different companies and artists in both advertising and fashion.
“If you have any interest in things you’ve loved to do and enjoy doing, now is the time to explore it. Don’t take time off right after you graduate from high school. Take college and the advantages it gives you to become the most amazing version of yourself. College is a great opportunity to build lifetime relationships, so make the most of it. And last but not least, don’t be proud of the college you attend, make the college be proud to have you. I’ve seen many who fail and give-up to go for that extra mile, and most of them regret that they didn’t contribute more to their college while they had the chance.
“While all the pressure you’ll get from college will make you feel overwhelmed, lonely, and frustrated from time to time, keep in mind that college is also a major time of transition. Just know that you are not the only one who is experiencing that — everyone is in the same boat as you. In fact, all the things you experience and experiences that you get from college are the ones that you will probably value the most and will become most valuable to you later on.
“Finally, maintain a college budget for yourself, and less is more when it comes to packing for college.”
Alex Stevens, Class 2013. Alex is enrolled at RPI and is majoring in chemical engineering.
“When it comes to applying to college, my advice to any high school student would be to apply to as many colleges as you can. It might cost a little bit extra or take a little more work to send applications to as many schools as you want, but with more applications sent out it gives you a chance to apply to more reach schools and still have a few less selective schools as a safety net. Then you’ll be sure that you’re making the best choice in the end and all the stress will be worth it.”
Angie Chen, Class of 2013. Angie speaks about her experiences applying as an international student; she is currently enrolled at UC-Irvine and is majoring in Psychology and Social Behavior.
“I can say that applying for colleges was the busiest period in my life. In order to be outstanding among all the applicants, it’s very important to have not only great scores on SAT, TOEFL, and AP tests, but also to have great application essays and personal statements. Therefore, on top of the plenty of time I’ve spent on tests, I had to spend time going over my essays again and again as well rewriting and editing at the library with Mrs. Wentworth. Since English is my second language, all these requirements became the weakest parts of mine. I must put more efforts on extracurricular activities, such as track, math team, and film media. So during those three months, basically I spent all my time on the process of college applications.
“I got accepted into University of California, Irvine. I like everything about it except for the quarter system. We have 10 weeks per quarter and most courses have two midterms, one final and weekly quizzes. Thus, we usually don’t have time to review. I struggled for the first year, but now I am getting used to this fast-paced system.”
Hunter Law, Class of 2014. Hunter speaks about alternative options to the traditional college experience. He currently resides in Georgia, where he works to hone his artistic skills.
“I chose to take an alternative avenue rather than college. Although post-secondary school is a very efficient and effective way to land a job or career, I was becoming bored with typical mainstream education and thus decided to try my luck at tattooing. I have just recently started my apprenticeship and enjoy every learning minute, but the true winnings come from my travels, new experiences and the people I meet every day. If I had to give someone one piece of advice from my personal experience, it would be, ‘Don’t be afraid to do something different; don’t be scared to live.’”
Observer photo/Mike Lange
CREATIVE MINDS — Three of Jane Daniels’ art students enjoy a lighter moment during the NIE class. Pictured, from left, are Abrille Kemp, Jewell True and Sarah Gray.
Observer photo/Mike Lange
LOOKING OVER THE RULES — Pictured, from left, are Lauren Robinson, Sara Mae Miles and Sydney Grenier checking out the guidelines for the NIE ads.
Observer photo/Mike Lange
COACHING — Volunteer and substitute teacher Susan Emery helps Anthony Germano with his NIE ad.
Observer photo/Mike Lange
MAKING A MESSAGE — Pictured, from left, are Kayleigh Nadeau, Melissa Demmer, Shylah Moniz and Cadence Clukey creating Valley Grange NIE ads.
Photo courtesy of Mary Lightbody
Macie Melvin, DRHS senior
graphite
Photo courtesy of Mary Lightbody
Makayla Smith, DRHS junior
graphite
Photo courtesy of Mary Lightbody
Keri Giles, DRHS senior
zentangle owl, black pen
Photo courtesy of Mary Lightbody
Regan King, DRHS sophomore
snake, graphite
Photo courtesy of Mary Lightbody
Peyton Webber, DRHS sophomore
graphite
Photo courtesy of Mary Lightbody
Julia Wentworth, DRHS senior
conceptual self-portrait, graphite
Photo courtesy of Mary Lightbody
Rebecca Wallace, DRHS senior
watercolor
Photo courtesy of Mary Lightbody
Rebecca Wallace, DRHS senior
watercolor
Photo courtesy of Mary Lightbody
Hannah Farrar, DRHS sophomore
Violet State of Mind, acrylic on canvas
Photo courtesy of Mary Lightbody
Arielle Carlow, DRHS junior
stoneware bowl, sgraffito
Photo courtesy of Mary Lightbody
Regan King, DRHS sophomore
Fan art, phone, marker
Photo courtesy of Mary Lightbody
Regan King, DRHS sophomore
Fan art, nightwatch, marker
Photo courtesy of Mary Lightbody
Anna Handy, DRHS senior
Corinna Maine, acrylic on canvas
Photo courtesy of Mary Lightbody
Phoebe Phillips, DRHS junior
colored pencil
Photo courtesy of Mary Lightbody
Regan King, DRHS sophomore
Fan art, Vincent, marker