Portsmouth Abbey Church Talk:  Yuefeng Wu '15

Yuefeng Wu '15 gave the Church Assembly Talk Thursday, September 18. He spoke to his fellow students about coming to realize the real meaning of the word "diversity" -- in one's perspective, opinions and experiences, rather than simply in the color of one's skin or the country of one's origin.  Following is the transcript of Yuefeng's talk.

Check out the video of Yuefeng's talk here.

"Diversity – I've heard it over and over and over again, before coming here, during my years at the Abbey, and especially when applying to colleges. This word has been stressed and reinforced for so many times, and in so many occasions, that it has become such a cliché. Bringing people from different states, different nations – this seems to be what all boarding schools and colleges are doing – filling their community with as many colors as possible: white, black, yellow, green, greenish brown, indigo… whatever. OK, I get it. Thanks to that policy, I am here, and will go, hopefully, to some college in the US. But, you see, I never really understood what it means to be in a diverse community, and what diversity really has to offer. I didn't even bother to think about it. I guess it is just the kind of word that the more people use, the less they actually reflect on it.

"Then there was this one incident last year that really incited me to meditate on this topic. It was spring term, in AP US History. We were covering the post-WWII era, when Mr Gittus said: '1949 was a bad year for us. In that year, we lost China.' Hey now! This was so different from what I used to hear back home, when history teachers proudly acclaimed the 'glorious founding of the People's Republic of China.'

"Well, this is not the first time I've experienced a cultural shock, but this one impressed me the most. I suddenly realized that I should never consider anything from only one perspective – my perspective. You know, this thing, it could be correct, could be not, but more often, there's simply no 'correctness' in an affair.

"From that I learned never to take anything as a simple fact. I must always, always, look at it from different perspectives. What would a person from Iraq think of the war there? What would a guy from the American South think of the North? I mean, yeah, our wonderful Head Boy who can answer that question, but you see, I began to constantly ask myself questions like these. And this is precisely where diversity can help: when it allows us to know more 'kinds' of people. The more we know about different people, the better we get at seeing through their eyes, and the better we are at imagining how they might think about any given issue. So in 1949 America lost China to Communism, when the People's Republic of China was founded. I guess it is perfectly reasonable for American history textbooks to say "we lost China," but I also can't find fault with the Chinese Communist government for their propaganda about the glory of its rise to power. These are just different perspectives. I must always remind myself to remain open minded – open to all plausible possibilities.

"What diversity offers are new ways of looking at things. Things that we take as a matter of fact might not be the same elsewhere. I actually began to wonder what the British might think about 1776, the year they 'lost' the United States. But here we celebrate the day and the year that frees America from what we call 'British tyranny.' Is July 4^th, 1776 a symbol of victory or defeat? You see the shift of perspective there? But with diversity, and with all the different people around us, hey, they are the innumerable perspectives, so many windows that look out to the globe! So gradually, using these kind of thought experiments, I learned to think as if I were someone else. Sometimes I can come up with things or ideas that even I might consider weird or immoral or even blasphemous. It's not that I would do these things or believe in these ideas. I simply accept them as possibilities.

"I think this open mindedness is really something that separates us from them – them being many people out there, who believe that they are absolutely right. So they judge this and judge that, hate this and hate that, and despise all ideas that differ from their own. But we, you and I, are different. We are enjoying this great, diverse community that celebrates different ideas. For example in Humanities we read Saint Augustine and Sigmund Freud, we read John Locke and Karl Marx. I personally found it amazing that in such a Roman Catholic boarding school we are also reading extremely atheistic works. Now is that not diversity? Is that not open mindedness? And all I hope is that we all seize upon the opportunity, be open to different ideas and, as I said right here a week ago, truly utilize the rich resources of diversity. I know, breaking through our pre-conceived notions is not easy, but if we really step back and look at things in a broader way, from a global perspective, we can see the world more clearly, and we will understand a lot more about it than we can possibly imagine.

"So, this is my take on 'diversity.' It might be right; it might be wrong. You might like it; or you might well hate it. But it could be, as I said, a possibility. I mean, it could be true. So, hey, you might wanna think about it.

"Thank you." 

Portsmouth Abbey School Sixth Former Doug Lebo, of Portsmouth, RI, has been named a Semifinalist in the 2015 National Merit® Scholarship Program.

Doug is among 16,000 academically talented high school seniors chosen from an initial group of 1.4 million high school juniors from more than 22,000 high schools across the USA who entered the prestigious competition by taking the 2013 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which serves as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

Doug now has the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must advance to the Finalist level of the competition by fulfilling several requirements.

Congratulations, Doug! 

Portsmouth Abbey Church Talk: Keri Heuer '15

Keri Heuer '15 gave the Church Assembly Talk Thursday, September 25. She spoke of how she had hidden, literally and figuratively, behind her eyeglasses for years until they broke, forcing her to face her insecurities and step out of her comfort zone.  Following is the transcript of Keri's talk.

December 18, 2012: the day I got contact lenses. Most people probably don't think much of getting contacts but for me, it was a big deal. Getting contacts was something I had put off for years, despite the fact that I had wanted them for a while. Whether it was because I worried that people wouldn't recognize me without glasses, which always happened in the summer at the beach, or because putting them on had become routine, I couldn't imagine life without them – and I mean really couldn't imagine life without them. After the basketball game where I broke my glasses, I called my mom and begged her to drive to the eye doctor's to see if they had an extra pair for me. Number one reason? Because I couldn't see without them? Nope. It was because Semi-Formal was the next day and I refused to go without glasses.

I admit that was absolutely ridiculous – all my friends told me I was being totally unreasonable at the time. But I did have my reasons. My glasses had become something with which I felt safe. It was something to hide behind. I've always been a somewhat shy and timid person and I wanted that to change in high school. I wanted to make a lot of friends, to be a social butterfly. But that was just too scary for me. Whenever I tried to go out and talk to people, I felt uncomfortable. I didn't want people noticing the awkwardness radiating off my face though so I tried to hide it by playing with my glasses. I would push my glasses up or reach behind my ears and pull the arms down. Extremely nerdy but no one really thought too much of it. Playing with my glasses was my way of dealing with insecurity. Extremely self-conscious, I always thought people were judging me or staring at me and so I felt awkward around people I wasn't particularly close with. But for some reason, I found comfort in the few centimeters of glass separating me from everything: they made the world feel smaller and less daunting.

But then my glasses broke and that shield was gone. My parents, who loved the fact that I now played sports after 14 years of being the wimpiest kid around, then told me I had to get contacts because they were safer. It's kind of funny that my parents, along with my coaches and eye doctor, thought that glasses, which I looked to for safety, were dangerous – and I guess in the end they were in some ways, just not physically. So when the day came to finally get contacts, I didn't know what to do. I never realized that I hid behind my glasses until I didn't have them anymore. Without my glasses I felt bare. Exposed. Vulnerable. I found safety in them and that was something I didn't want to give up.

But it's not just me: we all experience this. Everyone seeks shelter and protection in their own ways. And they aren't always big ways either. Maybe you sit in the back corner of every class. Maybe you part your hair a certain way every day. Maybe you order food instead of going to the Dining Hall and sitting with people you don't know. Maybe you stay in all the time and watch Netflix in your room. Maybe you only take History classes because that's what you're good at. Or maybe you only eat bagels at every meal.

These things we do because they're routine, safe? They become a crutch. It's human nature to stay away from change and the unknown because things can be scary. Life is scary. And that's okay. But that shouldn't stop you from anything. So maybe we should drop those crutches. Take that AP class. Sign up for Debate Club. Pick up that new sport or instrument. Go sit at that table. Do Poetry Out Loud. Climb the wind turbine. Take off those glasses, because when I did, I opened up and started to see everything differently. Perceiving how complex the world was and how everyone was in the same position as me, I opted to be a host family and have a foreign student over for long weekends and holidays. Instead of worrying about what others thought of the things I did, I played in the school orchestra. Understanding that reservations we have shouldn't hold us back from the things we want to do, I signed up for Model UN despite my fear of public speaking. Realizing that we often take ourselves too seriously, I started to show my true self and actually joke around with people instead of being quiet and reserved. Without a black frame around the world in front of me, I was no longer stuck in a box. Whether it was finally being able to go all out in sports or simply looking up and talking to people with confidence, my life started to change – slowly but surely. It's these little things that shape our life in a way that defines who we become. I'd like to end with a quote from Max Depree: "We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are."  

Portsmouth Abbey School Headmaster Daniel McDonough has announced that seven Portsmouth Abbey students have been named Commended Students in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program.

The students are:

Alexander Barlow '15, of Warren, RI

Dylan Bedford '15, of Bristol, RI

JooSeung Lee '15, of Seoul, Korea

Helen Nelson '15, of Austin, TX

Tiernan O'Rourke '15, of Mercersburg, PA

Jedrzej "Jeremy" Slupski '15, of San Diego, CA

Olivia Wright '15, of Portsmouth, RI

The seven Abbey students are among approximately 34,000 high school students from around the country being recognized for their exceptional academic promise.  The Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2015 competition by taking the 2013 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

Congratulations to these students!

Aidan Cain '15 addressed the student body at Church Assembly Thursday,
October 2. He spoke of the value of having a hobby or interest and shared the positive impact that ice hockey has had in his life.
Following is the transcript of Aidan's talk.

Hey Guys -- for those of you who don't know, I am Aidan Cain, and around here I am kind of a big deal... so enough with this introduction; let's cut to the chase.

A lot of these church speeches in the past have been about deaths and overcoming hard times, but I am here to talk about something a little happier than that today. Not that any of you are listening right now because if you're anything like me, you already fell asleep. And even though I won't know if you're listening or not, I know Mr. McDonough can clearly see all of you dozing off while perched upon his rich mahogany throne up there.

I want to share with you all about how sports and, more specifically, hockey has impacted my life in a positive way. Everyone of you guys has some sort of hobby in your life, whether it is some sort of sport, instrument, or collecting beanie babies like John Falvey. For me, hockey has always been one of the most influential activities in building my character, along with the development of relationships with teammates that could never be replaced. Hockey has given me memories that I will have with me for the rest of my life. Memories of all types, ranging from hard loses to the Miraclesque championship runs. From those early-morning bag skates, where your legs are on fire and you feel like it will never end, to all the trash-talking and other locker room activities that cannot be discussed in Church. Praise God.

If it wasn't for hockey, I would not be who I am today. My work ethic, passion, and competitiveness would be non-existent, or at least not strengths that I possess. I think that every person needs something; it doesn't have to be a sport like it was for me, but just having something we can hold onto and care about no matter what the situation is, is vital to our existence. Having love for something is one of the great things in life that nobody can take away from you. Whenever we face adversity in our lives, whether it is major or minor, we can depend on these passions to help carry us through hard times when it seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. For me, hockey and my teammates have always been a major source of strength, throughout my life, during both good times and bad.

Early in my high school career I went through a lot of hard times, but I don't want to focus on that part. What I want to focus on is how any time I was feeling down, I had hockey to lean on. My team became my family. There was one time when my team got together and threw a little shindig just for me to help lift my spirits. I know that this may seem like such a small thing, but it made a world of difference. Knowing that I have such a strong brotherhood with somebody leads to friendships that I know will last me a lifetime. And if that wasn't enough to clear my mind, when ever I step on the ice it feels like the whole world around me shuts off: all the drama from the outside world just goes away. Things like, "Hey, did you hear Cindy Lou Who cheated on whomever," or, "Did you see what so and so put on the twitosphere?" None of that seems to matter anymore. My head becomes clearer with every breath I take of the crisp, cold rink air and with every save I make.

If there is one thing I want for you all to take away from this talk today, it is that each of you should find some sort of hobby and stick with it. I beg, nay, I implore, all of you to hold onto the little things in your life like a hobby that make you happy, and don't let anyone take that away from you. That is the best advice I can give to anybody. Being a senior, I realize that this will be my last year of high school hockey, but there are rumors that I am going to get drafted next year... but don't worry, when I'm famous, I promise I will remember you all, especially you Ethan Richardson. But seriously, underclassmen, I wish somebody had told me this as a freshmen or sophomore, so I will share it with you now: take full advantage of everything in these four years of high school, and I know it sounds corny, but really high school flies by faster than you think. Take it from me, I am a fifth-year senior and I still think high school was too short. You are all blessed to be at this great school, full of great people, and I am really going to miss all of you after I graduate. Even though it's potentially my last year of hockey, I know everything will be okay because I will have Jeff Walters super-fanning me at every game. I hope that you all took something from this talk today. I'll see you all at the hockey games this winter. Thank you, and stay classy, San Diego. 

Fiona Conway '15 addressed the student body at Church Assembly Thursday,
October 9. She encouraged her fellow students to allow their own individual qualities to shine through, even while following the many rules and policies of Portsmouth Abbey School, by simply being themselves.

Following is the transcript of Fiona's talk.

I'm sure those of you who know me probably think I'm going to be talking about how to turn ugly silver crutches or bright pink casts into wardrobe accessories. And while I don't want to disappoint you, anyone interested in that topic can meet me after assembly.

I didn't get my ears pierced until the day before my eleventh birthday. Until then I had to make do with clip-ons. On the morning of my first day of second grade I walked down stairs with dangling red hoops clipped on to my ears, ready for the start of yet another big year. Immediately my dad looked at me and exclaimed "Fiona, you're not wearing those to school!" I quickly replied "Yes I am!" My dad said very sternly, "No, you're not." Frustrated and upset I pulled the red hoops off my ears and said "FINE!" I stomped out the door to catch the bus.

Later that day my dad was waiting for me in the driveway where the bus dropped me off, eager to hear about my day. I stepped off the bus proudly wearing the red hoop earrings. He looked at me with utter shock, and exclaimed "Fiona Elizabeth Conway come over here right now! I thought I told you that you could not wear those earrings to school!" I marched right past him, and confidently said, "You did, but you didn't say I couldn't wear them on the bus."

Portsmouth Abbey, even more than most communities, has a lot of rules and regulations. We are required to follow seemingly endless rules, from the dress code, to check in's, to study hall, to "sign outs," Saturday classes, room inspection. . . and even to being told when we have to go to sleep. Locked in the framework of all these rules and regulations, sometimes it is hard for our personalities to shine through. However, I'd like to share four examples of people who, while following the rules, manage to be themselves.

First, Dean Bessey. Dean's persona is characterized by his unique hair styles, colorful wardrobe, leopard-print suspenders, and his undeniably witty remarks. When it comes to the dress code, you might say that while Dean colors inside the lines, he's always coloring with the wildest crayons. Dean finds a way to stand out in the crowd. His carefree personality and self-expression is a breath of fresh air around campus, and he is a joy to be around.

Second is Curry Fisher. True to her name, Curry's personality is spicy. She has a lot of self-confidence, never takes herself too seriously, and is not afraid to speak her mind. While many of us worry about how people perceive us, Curry doesn't let the crowd influence her and this is something we should all learn to recognize and practice.

Third is Gabe Carter. You all know Gabe—if not personally, then from seeing him in the gym or as a co-captain of the football team. During football season of our fourth form year, Gabe injured his knee, preventing him from playing. But true to his character, it would take more than a knee injury to keep Gabe away from football and his team. Gabe's positive outlook and his determination in the face of adversity shows us how to lead by example—and how to be a standout even when we're not on the field.

Finally, at a recent assembly we watched a video about treating others nicely. That video was made by Sydney Welch, and it wasn't a homework assignment, a club duty, or a favor for the Admissions office. It was Sydney's own project, just a way for her to express something that's important to her and important to the community.

That's the thing about self-expression. It doesn't mean you have to be a rebel or outrageous. Just as Yuefeng told us a few weeks ago, real diversity means different points of view, different ways of being an individual. Each of these students have managed to set themselves apart in a community where rules and regulations often make us feel more alike than different. By expressing themselves creatively and positively, individuals add variety, value, and interest to the community, and make that community worth belonging to.

Although I may no longer wear red hoop earrings, taking advantage of loopholes is something I'm going to continue to do. Loopholes are just creative ways of following the rules, but in your own way. I hope each of you can find your own Portsmouth Abbey loopholes and set yourselves apart. I'd like to end with a quote from Project Runway's Tim Gunn, someone who even wrote a book called Gunn's Golden Rules, but who always stands out in a crowd…"MAKE IT WORK!"

View Fiona's Church Talk here.  

Ryan Conroy '15 addressed the student body at Church Assembly
Thursday, October 23. 

Ryan spoke about the many lessons he has learned during his four years at the Abbey and encouraged his fellow students to be open to the lessons that they, too, will learn as they go through life. 

Following is the transcript of Ryan's talk.

View the video of Ryan's Church talk here.

Learning. We often foolishly restrict this concept to textbooks and pens and papers. While none of these are excluded, learning covers a much wider area of our lives. In fact, learning is all we really do on earth. We learn what we like, what we dislike, who we love, and most importantly, we learn who we are. Every year at the Abbey I have learned something. Let me quickly cover what I learned with a moment handpicked from each year.

It's Thanksgiving break of my third form year. I sit at my dinner table, listening to my parents talk while I eat my second serving of chicken pot pie. I am trying to force as much home cooked food into my stomach before returning to school. My parents talk while my younger brothers argue over something stupid like TV channels, a usual backdrop to any situation in my home. My mother begins running over her schedule with my father, telling him the temporary hours she will be working as a result of picking up extra shifts. I watch my mother as she talks and I begin to notice multiple gray hairs. I notice dark rings under her eyes. I notice how tired she is. My parents have been working extra hours , stressing themselves and filling their schedule, just for me. An immense wave of appreciation runs through me, something that would remain throughout my whole Abbey career.

Fourth form year. Some of you may hear legends and tales of the original Mrs. Bonin's Creative Writing class. I am a proud member of that esteemed group. It may be hard to believe, but I started off quite humble, writing was just a thing I liked to do, and my grandma said I had a good imagination. So I signed up for the course. Gradually, my classmates recognized my talent, then proceeded to blow it way out of proportion. At one point, they called me Shakespeare, claiming that my thoughts were in iambic pentameter. As my head swelled with confidence, I began writing more and more. I started helping others with their writing assignments. When a friend needed help with an essay, I would rather help them then finish mine. They would show me show me their grade after, and I would be just as happy as them. A rare phenomenon at my age, I had found what I want to focus my life around, writing and teaching others the beauty of the language.

Fifth form year, I arrive at my most important lesson, so everybody wake up. When my parents told me they were getting divorced, I immediately remembered words from a past Church Talk by Kevin Jantz. He said, "You never think it's going to happen to you." I am alone in my dorm room, listening to really graceful classical music. My hands shake as I send a text message to my roommate, Hugh Lee. He calls me in confusion, and I remember he is with his girlfriend. But I explain to him anyways, and without further questions, he says "Hold on," and hangs up. All my problems overwhelm me and toss me into a pit of despair. I sit there on my couch, and I do something I haven't done in a long time; I cry. I just sit there and I cry.

Hugh rushes in the door and sits next to me on the couch. I stumble through words, going over everything as if it will make me feel better. Hugh pauses briefly thinking of what to say. Finally he says this, "Wow, that sucks. But you'll move on and you'll be fine." Blunt words, but not cold words. The music goes on. Hugh was right. I picked myself up, thought about what happened, came to peace with it, and moved right on. Hugh is my friend and my brother. Even more, I could have picked any other contact in my phone, and another friend would be right there on that couch.

Lastly, sixth form year. Now, obviously there is a limited amount of time I have to choose from. Yet, so far one moment stands out. Ever since third form year, I spent house meetings in the Pit, looking upwards at the prefects, sitting on their thrones. However, at the first house meeting of my last year, I sit where so many leaders before me sat. As a prefect, there is a certain self-conscious mindset required of me. I think about who I am, how I act, and what I need to change. Yet, during this self examination, I look at the person who stands before you today, the kid who started off as a incoming third former. The kid used to doing his eighth grade homework a few minutes before class. The kid who after school, went home and played Call of Duty till dinnertime. The kid who had no idea how he was accepted into a boarding school, miles away from the city he seldom left. The kid watching his parents leave, only to turn to a swarm of unfamiliar faces, faces he would soon call his family. And as I go over all the moments that lead up to the present, I see a change. I see all the lessons, the ones I just told you and many, many more. It is is gradual change, and it may not be complete. But I see the result so far, and I am content. It is a sensation that people search for their whole lives. I am happy with who I am.

These lessons transformed a naive and immature person into an older, smarter, and thankful person, who's still a bit immature. Here's my advice to anyone struggling, whether it's your first year or your last year. Take a step back, and look at everything you have learned. Look at everything you have. If you feel incomplete, be patient. You still have many lessons left to learn. Thank you. 

Dr. Mario Enzler, former member of the Swiss Guard under Pope John Paul II,
poses with Classics Department Head Ms. Lizzie Benestad
following his lecture titled, "I Served a Saint."

Portsmouth Abbey School's first Dom Luke Childs lecture of the 2014-15 academic year took place Monday, November 3, as Dr. Mario Enzler gave a talk titled, "I Served a Saint." Dr. Enzler recollected his life in the Apostolic Palace with Pope John Paul II as a member of the famed Swiss Guard and shared how the Pope helped to deepen his faith and his appreciation for the priesthood.

Dr. Enzler is currently headmaster at the New England Classical Academy, an independent, coeducational K-12 school in New Hampshire. Prior to working in education and having a successful career in corporate finance and international tax law, Dr. Enzler was a member for four years of the Swiss Guard, an elite branch of the Swiss Army whose sole responsibility is to protect the Pope and guard the Apostolic Palace. He served in the Swiss Guard from 1989 to 1992 for Pope John Paul II, who was recently canonized.

Dr. Enzler captivated the students with numerous personal and humorous anecdotes about his experiences with the Pope, life in the Vatican, and visiting heads of state and other dignitaries. He also spoke of Saint Pope John Paul's message of serving others and his deep, abiding love of Christ, saying that while many world leaders may have visited the Pope at the Vatican, "I learned that the biggest leader in the world is Jesus Christ."

View the video of Dr. Enzler's talk here.

Olivia Wright '15 addressed the student body at Church Assembly on Thursday, October 30. She spoke about being labeled a "try-hard," what that taught her about herself, and why the term actually represents positive attributes.

View the video of Olivia's talk here. Following is the transcript of Olivia's talk.

"Can I have some candy?"

"No."

"Can I have some candy?"

"No."

"Can I have some candy?"

"No, Olivia, you cannot have some candy, dinner is in an hour."

Oh, really?

The phone rings, attaching my mother to the corded handset, her back turned. Grrrch, grrrrrch, grrrrrrchh. The only sound was a chair being dragged clumsily from the dining room to the kitchen.

"Olivia Jeanne Wright!! What do you think you're doing?!"

She hung up the phone and turned to see my two-year-old-self at the top of our 12-foot kitchen cabinets: the hiding place of leftover Halloween candy. The place I wasn't supposed to be able to reach.

Clearly, "no" has always been an optional term in my vocabulary, but my tenacity manifested itself in ways other than scaling kitchen cabinets like a mountain goat, as well. This brings me to the second grade. My older brother was placed in the gifted and talented program at our elementary school, something he was quite proud of. I, too, desperately wanted to be selected for the program, but to my dismay, I was only selected for the "pull-out" program, which didn't really count according to Evan. It became my mission to prove that I could be just as smart as my brothers, despite what childhood testing seemed to suggest. I had to convince everyone that I wasn't stupid, because although my mother tried to assure me otherwise, I didn't believe she meant it.

I was positive that this inherent stubbornness pegged me as the cool, rebellious kid. However, I found that it instead labeled me a nerd. I wasn't nearly as cool as I thought I was. It took me a while to catch on. . . .

The first time I heard the term "try-hard" I was flattered. It tickled me pink that someone noticed how hard I was working. Apparently, I didn't know what "try-hard" meant.

Try-hard. Noun. Derogatory. A person who puts in excessive effort, usually to compensate for a lack of skill, intelligence, or talent, to fit a certain image or goal. [Urban dictionary] Upon reading this, I was slightly shocked to discover not only how people really saw me, but also the depth of my own naivety. It hit all too close to home, because my tenacity was trying to compensate my self-perceived lack of inherent talent.

The effort of giving all nine of my bugs for the biology project names (Jesús, Albert, Julio, Xavier, Winston, Richard, Francis, Reginald, and Stephanie), or my arsenal of nerdy pickup lines and puns didn't amuse my peers as much as it amused me. It embarrassed me, so I began to vehemently swear that I was not a try-hard. But the truth is, I am. And so is practically everyone one in this room.

How many of you have ever studied for a test? Well, congratulations that makes you a try-hard.

Ever practiced an instrument? Try-hard.

Done your homework, just once? Try-hard.

Put in all your energy to win a sports game? Try-hard.

Memorized a poetry recitation so as not to embarrass yourself in front of a class? Try-hard.

Purchased SAT study materials instead of winging it on test day? Try-hard.

Put in extra effort to get ready for a dance? I'm looking at every female student in the room because I know for a fact it takes at least 5 hours, not including the salon prep that starts three days beforehand. Again, try-hard.

But why is putting in effort to succeed, rather than winging it with raw skill such a bad thing? It's true that effort, or caring about something makes us vulnerable. If we fail at something that we care about, it hurts terribly. So instead, we put on our apathetic armor, because if we don't care about anything, than nothing can disappoint us. We try to be strong, unbreakable, invincible even, all of which seem to be admirable qualities. However, while apathy saves us from failure and disappointment, it keeps us from being happy. That wonderful sense of meaning and accomplishment in life can only be attained through hard work and passion.

Third Form year, our all-school summer reader was Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers. Which, by the way, if you read, you're a try-hard. Anyway, one chapter explained the 10,000 rule, meaning that every master or expert in their field got to where they are by practicing their trade, on average, for 10,000 hours during their lifetime. Therefore, an outlier is, by definition, a try-hard. But no one uses that term for Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Tom Brady, Vermeer, or Mozart to say what a nerdy try-hard loser they are.

Passion and effort are two key ingredients for success and happiness. Everyone has raw, natural talent, but it can't be used as a crutch for one's entire life; it is only useful if it is practiced, honed, and loved. Being a try-hard shouldn't be shamed; it should be praised. You have to put yourself out there, and care about something even if it leads to failure and disappointment, because that pain will pale in comparison to the joy and success that will come.

Do something. Anything. Do it because you love it, because it makes you happy, and practice it because you care. Don't let fear of failure keep you from caring about something or make you apathetic, calling anyone who does care about something a try-hard. Because by apathetically shaming try-hards, you'll never fall, but you'll never live.

Thank you.

The Boys' Varsity Soccer Team has been selected for just the second time to compete in the Ne England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class C Championship Soccer Tournament.

Seeded seventh among eight teams, the Ravens will travel to Westport, Conn., tomorrow, Nov. 12, for a quarterfinal elimination match against Greens Farms Academy, the number-two seed in Class C. Semi-final games will be held Saturday, Nov. 15, and the championship game will take place Sunday, Nov. 16, at Loomis Chafee School in Winsor, Conn.

The Ravens had a solid season, finishing with a 7-4-7 record and placing third in the Eastern Independent League (EIL).

"I'm particularly impressed with this team's determination," said Head Coach Bowen Smith. "Despite a pair of disappointing losses to the EIL's top team, the lads rebounded with results against quality sides over the last two weeks and vaulted over them in the New England rankings. We went into our final match of the preseason against a strong Pingree squad assuming we needed a win to have any chance to qualify for the tournament. Urged on by a big, vocal Abbey crowd, we did everything but score in the final frantic minutes and had to settle for a draw. So, it was a great surprise and relief to learn that the strong play of the last couple weeks had impressed the selection committee.

"We enter the tournament for only the second time in school history and as underdogs facing the #2 seed," he added. "But when it comes to losing, we're slow learners!"

This is the first invitation the Ravens have received to the NEPSAC Boys' Soccer Tournament since 2011, when the team enjoyed its most successful season in 60 years, going 14-1-3 in regular-season play and recording the most wins in Portsmouth Abbey boys' soccer history dating back to 1947. The 2011 squad made it to the semi-finals of the NEPSAC tournament that year.

Congratulations to Coach Smith, Coach Calisto and each team member on a great season!

GO RAVENS!! Good luck Wednesday!

Wednesday, November 12: First-round Games and Seeding

#1 Tilton (NH) vs. # 8 Hebron (ME) at Tilton

#4 Wheeler School (RI) vs. #5 Millbrook School (NY) at Wheeler

#3 Beaver CDS vs. #6 Holderness (NH) at Beaver

#2 Greens Farms Academy (CT) vs. #7 Portsmouth Abbey at Greens Farms

Saturday, November 15: Semi-final Round

Winner of 1 vs. 8 vs. Winner of 4 vs. 5

Winner of 2 vs. 7 vs. Winner of 3 vs. 6

Sunday, November 16: Championship Game at Loomis Chaffee

Winslow Wawro '15 addressed the student body at Church Assembly
on Thursday, November 6. He discussed how much he learned about himself
through his arduous summer job experience.

View the video of Winslow's talk here. Following is the transcript of Winslow's talk.

One part of summer that I always liked was unplugging my alarm clock, or setting it on very rare occasions. Last summer, it was quite a change to have mine plugged in, and set to 5AM for nearly all of June and July. It was even more strange to be on a bus at 6:30 every morning, riding to work at the Newport Tent Company.

For the first few weeks of work, I was terrible at my job. Putting up and taking down tents requires carrying huge amounts of weight on your back, in the form of anything from massive center poles to rolled up pieces of canvas to heavy wooden tables and stacks of chairs. Many of you have probably witnessed the construction of the graduation tent here, or at least sat under it at some point. Basically, I helped put up and take down tents like that (both smaller and larger) for all of June and July.

At first, the whole experience was plainly demoralizing. Every muscle of my body was so sore I felt like I was doing permanent damage. It would take all the concentration I had to not drop some of the objects I was assigned to carry. To make matters worse, my coworkers (who were mostly middle-aged men that had worked manual labor jobs for their whole lives) would find amusement in watching me struggle, and would sometimes be downright malicious towards me. It was quite a reality check to come from the Abbey (where every adult wants to see you succeed) to the Tent Company (where most adults were utterly indifferent, and some even aggressive). My schedule was day to day, so that I never knew if I was working the next day until I punched out. The length of the work weeks would vary, but in the beginning it was 8-11 hours a day, six days a week. By the time the bus would drop me off in the afternoon, I had time to do nothing besides make my lunch for the next day and go to bed. It is hard to convey the overwhelming despair I felt during those first weeks of June. My life had become nothing but time spent at a punishing job that I hated every minute of. It was hard to see how things would get better.

With time, my outlook brightened. The physical demands became easier as time went on, and I started to actually enjoy spending time with the people I worked with. At first, this was no easy feat. In fact, when we were getting into the Navy Base in Newport to put up a graduation tent, I was among 3 of a 20-man crew that passed a background check. The rest were kicked off the base for felony drug and assault convictions. Over time, though, I came to see that most of them were really nice, funny guys that had an incredibly positive outlook on life, despite some of their situations. Their attitudes made it harder for me to feel sorry for myself.

Another aspect of the job that became easier to bear was the frustration. Initially, I would deal with flashes of uncontrollable anger because I was bad at what I was doing. One day, as I tried to grab a cinder block off of a pile, two of them fell on my foot. The pain was almost unbearable, and I found myself furiously looking for someone to blame. I grabbed the cinder blocks and walked over to the truck, my mind racing to find an outlet for the anger that built with every step. But as I heaved the cinder blocks into the truck and turned around to get more, I knew there was no one to blame but myself. I came to realize that that was true about my job too. I was there by my own choice, and I could leave if I wanted to.

I slowly started enjoying learning new skills. I mastered tying the wind knot, which holds the side poles and tent together, an important part in making sure the tent doesn't blow away. Driving in stakes with a sledgehammer was impossibly difficult at first, but by the end of the summer I got the hang of it and actually liked doing it. Honestly, I never really looked forward to going to work, but by focusing on simply learning the basic elements of my job, the harder parts became significantly easier to bear.

In less than 7 months, those green trucks with the white Newport Tent decal will drive up to the holy lawn, and guys I've worked with will get out and put up the graduation tent. That tent will be the last thing we walk into as Portsmouth Abbey students. As I sit under that canopy of canvas, I will surely think of the mornings spent carrying stack after stack of chairs, and the afternoons spent tying wind knots and swinging sledgehammers. But more importantly, I will appreciate the maturity and confidence those experiences have given me. Most of you have learned similar values from other events in your life, and those times and places that transformed you as a person will surely run through your mind as you sit there. Just as the tent is a portal through which you enter a high school student, and then step out alone into a brave new world, so it is a symbol for life. Construct your tent badly, and it will sag and eventually collapse. Construct it well, and you can make something that will endure.

Ravens' Boys' Golf Coach Shane McCarthy has been named the Eastern Independent League's (EIL) Coach of the Year for the Fall 2014 season. Under McCarthy's tutelage, the team finished with a 12-1 record this year, a second-place league finish, and the league co-championship, which the Ravens shared with Berwick Academy. Coach McCarthy has been with the Portsmouth Abbey golf program since 2001.

Congratulations, Coach McCarthy!

Fourteen students from Portsmouth Abbey attended the Brown University Model UN on the weekend of November 7-9. The conference included five sessions of debate, resolution, and simulated foreign policy. The students, representing specific countries or historical individuals, attempted to work together with students representing other countries and individuals in order to solve or improve some of the world's major problems and terrible situations.

Many of the students, including Katelyn Heuer '17, Sid D'Silva '16, Amber Liao '17, Caitlin Cao '17, George Sturges '16, Robin Xue '16, Finn Arends '17, Kate Kelley '17, and Kevin Jiang '17, had the interesting challenge of representing the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) in various committees of the General Assembly. They had to balance their own interests as members of the North Korean government with the goals of cooperation inherent in the United Nations.

Other students took on the personas of actual historical (past and present) figures. Ross Powell '15 played the part of Chief Edem Duke of the Nigerian People's Democratic Party. Eve Zhang '16 was Cardinal Peter Turkson of the Third Vatican Council. Jerry Lin '16 and Emmalene Kurtis '17 stood on opposite sides of Operation Condor as Emmalene played Hortensia Brussi of the Chilean Opposition while Jerry represented Colonel Gustavo Stroessner of the Paraguayan Government.

It was both a fun and challenging weekend, and the students were able to explore the Brown campus and try some of the interesting restaurants on Thayer Street.

-- Nick Micheletti '04, Model UN Faculty Advisor

Portsmouth Abbey Squash Coach Mike Riley has been named in the current issue of Squash magazine, published by the U.S. Squash Association, as #26 on the "Top Fifty" list of the most important people in the game of squash. Mike is the only certified world pro squash referee in the USA and is a top-ranked player in his age bracket. He has coached Ravens' squash teams for a number of years.

Congratulations, Mike!

Meghan McCarthy '15 addressed the student body at Church Assembly on Thursday, December 11.
She spoke about how special it has been to grow up on the Abbey campus
and what her life here has taught her about giving of herself.

Following is the transcript of Meghan's talk.

My parents moved from North Carolina to Rhode Island to become teachers when I was just three years old. My earliest memories are sitting at the kitchen table drawing with crayons while my parents gave extra help to their students. I would often run out into St. Hugh's common room in my footie pajamas to talk to Abbot Caedmon and some students, showing them my artwork. Because I got to know international students from places like Colombia and Korea, the world never seemed too big. Going to the Dining Hall was always a favorite part of my day because I loved to talk to Ms. Betty, as she would often sneak me a bubblegum lollipop. Dinner couldn't be eaten fast enough by us faculty kids, because we always had plans afterwards to play games like "Fire in the Jungle." When I started school, I would check mail and tell Ms. Pauline about my day as soon as I got off the school bus. Then I would run home as quickly as possible to play Borg, explore the woods, or ride my bike down by the bay with the other faculty kids. When we took a break, we would go into one of our homes for hot chocolate or popsicles, depending on the time of year.

The life of an Abbey kid includes many holidays that typical kids don't have. The Opening of School picnic, the Headmaster's Run, Springfest, and the opening night of the Abbey's latest drama productions were talked about for weeks on end. Even traditional holidays seemed extra special because of Brother Joseph's hayride for Halloween trick-or-treating and the McDonough's Annual Easter Egg Hunt on Easter morning.

Growing up, I always knew that the Abbey was a pretty cool place, but I never realized exactly how special it is until I became a student here. Of course, it has some disadvantages, too. People often find out about your slightly embarrassing childhood nicknames—like my brother, who is often called "Baby Shane." Your parents are constantly aware of how you are doing in all of your classes through conversation over lunch with your teachers. Nevertheless, I believe that being a student at the Abbey led to the biggest realization in my life.

Two summers ago, I went on the Lourdes pilgrimage. Tony was the first Hospital Pilgrim that I met. Though he speaks through a voice machine and is wheelchair bound, he has an amazing outlook on life and always loved to joke around with everybody. Mia, a ten-year-old girl, was my favorite Lourdes patient. Even though she suffered from cerebral palsy, she always had the biggest smile on her face when we played games together. One day, instead of going to Mass, I stayed back to have tea with an elderly man who was unable to go out that day, and he spent hours telling me about his life and incredible faith.

Last summer, I went to Chile with five other Abbey students and my mom. For a week, we camped in a school and prayed five times a day, from singing Lauds when we first woke up, until eleven pm, when we sang Compline. We also helped an impoverished family by building a small, pre-fabricated home, called a mediagua. The first day, it rained and we were covered in mud from head to toe as we dug holes for the foundation posts. When we got back to the school that day we could look forward to cold showers and more prayer. The mediagua was much more than a physical shelter though: it was an offering of friendship and hope to the family. During that trip, one Bible verse stayed with me: "Without cost you have been given, without cost you are to give."

Going so far away, to Lourdes and Chile, helped me discover what means the most to me here at the Abbey. As we approach the Christmas season and Advent, I realize how important it is to reflect on how much I have, and to understand the spirit of giving. During my family's first years on campus, a man named George worked at the dining hall. At Christmas time, his soulful rendition of "Silent Night" to the school could bring tears to your eyes. On one snowy Christmas morning, he drove to campus, all the way to our house, to leave presents at the doorstep for my brother and me. As I look back on it, I realize that this act of giving was much more than the packages that he brought us. What he truly gave was his thoughtfulness. He gave himself.

Mother Teresa once said, "Don't think that love, to be true, has to be extraordinary. What is necessary to continue to love? They are the small things from everyday life: the joy, the generosity, the little good things, the humility and the patience."

I know that I have less than a year before I go off to college. I know I must leave my home and the Abbey. But I will always cherish the friendship, warmth and generosity that I have felt during my time here.

Thank you.

Dr. Flanigan, at a hand-washing station in Monrovia


Dr. Timothy Flanigan '75, back home after spending two months in Liberia helping to train medical professionals in the fight against Ebola, addressed an overflow audience at Portsmouth Abbey on Saturday, December 13, about his experiences.

Flanigan, a member of Portsmouth Abbey's Board of Regents, a Catholic deacon, an infectious disease specialist at the Miriam and Rhode Island hospitals, and a Brown University professor of medicine, returned home on November 28 after spending two months in Liberia volunteering through the Roman Catholic Church's Ebola Response Team in Monrovia. Read the Providence Journal's account of his work in Africa and beyond.

Visit Dr. Flanigan's web page and blog, which details his transformative visit to Liberia: http://www.timothypflaniganmd.com/.

Portsmouth Abbey Athletics Awards

Fall 2014

Cross-Country, Boys'

Coaches Award: Jon Campau '16

MIP: Barrett Xiong '16

Captain-Elect: Jon Campau '16

Overall Record: 7-5 (EIL): 4-2

Cross-Country, Girls'

Coaches Award: Annie O'Donnell '17

MIP: Gabi Blaine '15

Captain-Elect: Joy Loftus '16

Overall Record: 8-4 (EIL): 5-3

Field Hockey

Hannaford Trophy: Taylor Lough '15

MIP: Jane Jannotta '18

Captains-Elect: Emily Bredin '17, Maddy McCann '16

Overall Record: 9-6 (EIL): 7-4

Football

John M. Hogan Football Trophy: William Behnke '15

Coen Award (MIP): Teddy Fenton '16

Captains-Elect: Kevin Ellicks '16, Seamus O'Connor '16, Chris Weiss '16, Jacob Mercier '16

Evergreen Division Record: 2-5 Overall Record: 2-5

Evergreen League Sportsmanship Award

Soccer, Boys'

Williams Franklin Sands Memorial Soccer Trophy: Ben Vergara '15

MIP: Tristan Howlett '15

Captains-Elect: Finnian O'Farrell '16, Anthony Christian '16

Overall Record: 7-4-8 (EIL): 5-3-6

Selected to the NEPSAC Tournament

Soccer, Girls'

Girls' Soccer Trophy: Maggie Stark '15

MIP: Molly Joyce '17

Captain-Elect: Carly Johnston '16, Jenny Yates '16

Overall Record: 4-12 (EIL): 2-10

Boys' Golf

Boys' Golf Trophy: George Sturges '16

MIP: George Sturges '16

Captains-Elect: Stephen Vye '16, George Sturges '16

EIL Record: 12-1 Co-Champions, EIL

Portsmouth Abbey Fall 2014 Junior Varsity Awards

The Portsmouth Abbey Junior Varsity Award is given to the athlete who best demonstrates the spirit of Abbey athletics. The award recognizes hard work, individual improvement, sportsmanship and a willingness to do what is best for the team.

JV Boys' Cross-Country: Christopher Chow '16

JV Girls' Cross-Country: Min Ji Lee '16

JV Field Hockey: Grace Fink '17

JV Football: Daniel Sliney '18

Boys' JVA Soccer: Nicholas Velcea '17

Boys' JVB Soccer: Chris Motta '16

Girls' JV Soccer: Maddie Villareal '16

Portsmouth Abbey School Athletics
Fall 2014 Post-Season Honors

Boys' Cross-Country
EIL All-League: John Billings '17, Jon Campau '16
EIL Honorable Mention: Dylan Bedford '15, Frank Loughran '15

Girls' Cross-Country
EIL Honorable Mention: Annie O'Donnell '17, Johanna Appleton '17

Field Hockey
EIL All-League: Taylor Lough '15, Maddy McCann '16
EIL Honorable Mention: Grace Jannotta '15

Football
Evergreen All-League: Kevin Ellicks '16, Chris Weiss '16, Ben Wilson '15
Evergreen Honorable Mention: Will Behnke '15, Jacob Mercier '16, Seamus O'Connor '16

All-New England: Ben Wilson '15

Evergreen League Sportsmanship Award

Boys' Golf
EIL All-League: Oliver Ferry '17, Harry Wall '15, Steve Vye '16
EIL Honorable Mention: Davis Kline '17, George Sturges '16

EIL Coach of the Year: Shane McCarthy

Boys' Soccer
EIL All-League: Juan Manuel Brenes '15, John Falvey '15, Ben Vergara '15
EIL Honorable Mention: Aidan Cain '15, Patrick Carlson' 15

NE Prep School Senior All-Star Game: Juan Manuel Brenes '15, Eduardo Alforo '15

Selected to the NEPSAC Tournament

Girls' Soccer
EIL Honorable Mention: Maggie Stark '15

The Portsmouth Abbey Varsity Football Team was recently named the recipient of the Evergreen League Sportsmanship Award for the 2014 season. The team finished with a 2-5 record and placed 4^th out of 6 teams in Bonneford Division of the league. The Ravens were chosen for the award from 11 teams in the league.

Captain Ben Wilson '15 said of the award, "The team went into the season with the mindset that we would act like gentlemen on and off the field. The Sportsmanship Award is a tribute to our success in accomplishing that goal."

Congratulations to the football team and coaches!

Alumnus Conor Bohan '86 was recently featured in The Sunday New York Times ("The Gift of Education," Nicholas Kristof, Dec. 20, 2014) for the inspiring education work he is conducting in Haiti through the Haitian Education and Leadership Program (HELP). HELP's life-changing programs match deserving high school graduates with sponsors to make a university education possible.

Conor founded HELP in 1998 while teaching in Haiti. HELP's mission, as stated on its website, is "to create, through merit and needs-based scholarships, a community of young professionals and leaders who will promote a more just society in Haiti." Since its inception, HELP has provided a wide range of resources for hundreds of promising young Haitian women and men to attend Haitian universities; to date, more than 60 have graduated, and 95 percent are currently employed or pursuing graduate studies.

Conor gave a Dom Luke Childs Lecture to Portsmouth Abbey students, discussing his work with HELP, in December of 2009, just weeks before a devastating earthquake decimated much of the country.

We salute Conor and his team for their work.

The Portsmouth Abbey School community, through its annual Clothe-A-Child effort, raised $10,605 this year to help clothe local children and teens in need. Since the program began in 1990, $133,248 has been raised by Abbey students, allowing the School to purchase enough winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves and other items to clothe 4,117 children.

The funds, raised primarily by the students through a wide variety of on-campus, grassroots fundraising initiatives over a one-week period, allowed the School to purchase the clothing for underprivileged youth throughout Newport County and in Fall River, MA, and Central Falls, RI. The campaign takes place every December, and students undertake numerous activities to raise as much money as possible for the cause. The effort is spearheaded by student members of S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and the Medical Services staff.

In order to raise funds, the student residential houses hold hamburger, taco, ice cream and grilled cheese sales, sing "Carol-grams" delivered to surprised and delighted recipients, hold raffles, and have a school-wide "dress-down day." This year, students and houseparents in St. Brigid's House subjected themselves to a "polar plunge" in the frigid waters of Narragansett Bay, all in the name of raising funds for the campaign. School faculty, staff and parents also pitch in to help.

Area social services agencies receiving the clothing include: the Salvation Army in Newport, RI, and Fall River, Mass.; the Boys and Girls Club of Newport; Lucy's Hearth (a transitional shelter for homeless women and their children); two elementary schools in Central Falls, RI; Job Corp. (a federally run school that provides job training for adolescents) in Exeter, RI; Hathaway School in Portsmouth; the Portsmouth Middle School; and the Martin Luther King Center, in Newport.

Kudos to the Portsmouth Abbey students, led by representatives of S.A.D.D., and the Medical Services team for another a great effort this year, and thanks to the entire Portsmouth Abbey School community, including current parents and alumni, for your generosity. Special thanks to the Florence Burden Foundation and the Monastery for their contributions as well.