2025 October – The Mirror

MSC Attends Elementary School Geography Night

October 28, 2025 by Yosef Spear

Northwood’s Multicultural Student Club visited Saint Agnes Elementary School, which serves grades pre-K through 3^rd, for their annual Geography Night, where students learn about a diverse mix of countries and cultures. Dominica Sarandeva ‘26, one of the club’s leaders and also a St. Agnes School graduate, arranged the visit with Profe. Coss to have a better understanding of the cultures within Lake Placid and introduce us to the Lake Placid community.

Lucas Smith said, “The event turned out well. I think their annual Geography Night was a good learning experience, and I learned a lot about other cultures’ foods. We also got to eat many different foods, and they all tasted amazing. It was nice to see people like Yosef and Tziyon being like older brothers to the younger kids, and everyone was just having a good time helping the kids with anything.”

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“It was nice to experience the unique cultures that are in the Lake Placid community, and I enjoyed learning about all the different cultures that are represented in the elementary school,” Mohammad Ahmed ‘26, the MSC’s social media manager, said.

Alex Darby ‘26, another MSC social media manager, was impressed. “The event turned out well; it was inspiring to see kids wanting to learn so much about different cultures.”

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World

Burger Review: Big Slide Brewery

October 28, 2025 by Cody Betsch

Hey Northwood community! This is Cody Betsch ’26, and I’m excited to welcome you to another in our series where my good friend, classmate, and teammate, Parker Thompson ‘26, and I review all of the burgers in the town of Lake Placid. We’re here to give you all completely honest reviews of Lake Placid’s burgers on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the best thing we have ever tasted and 1 being absolute garbage.

Big Slide Brewery. Photo: LakePlacid.com

The burger we chose for this week is from a restaurant just outside of town, Big Slide Brewery and Public House. This is a sister restaurant to another very popular spot, The Lake Placid Pub and Brewery, so expectations were pretty high.

Unfortunately, I am not joined by Parker Thompson ‘26 this week. However, I brought two other burger fans with me, Henry Kress ‘26 and Charles Pigeon ‘26. All three of us got “The Burger,” a Donahue Farm patty, house-made burger sauce, bib lettuce, heirloom tomato, Vermont Cheddar, bacon, and onion jam, stacked on their homemade Bake Placid bun. It had a pickle on the side and French fries.

The burger and fries at Big Slide Brewery. Photo: Instagram/Big Slide Brewery.

The burger came in at $18, very standard for a Lake Placid burger. This burger lived up to expectations and even exceeded them for me. I thought the onion jam was great, and the bacon was a great addition, something new compared to the other burgers. I give it an 8.3 out of 10.

“The burger was super juicy and had really good flavor,” said Henry. He rated it a 7.9 out of 10. “Every bite brought me joy,” said Charles, who gave it a 7.8 out of 10.

“The Burger” at Big Slide Brewery and Public House. Photo provided.

Overall, Big Slide offers a great burger option in Lake Placid. The service was great, and it being outside of town gives it a little more of a quiet atmosphere. This was a great burger, and I would definitely recommend not only this burger but this entire restaurant.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Opinion

A Visit to “The Rez:” Teammate Shares His Roots

October 28, 2025 by Casey Morrissey

Left to right: Casey Morrissey ’26, with Parker Thompson ’26 and Anton Stackow ’26 at a recent formal dinner. Photo provided.

During one of the few fall weekends without hockey, I had the opportunity to visit my teammate Parker Thompson’s hometown. Parker invited me and another teammate, Cody Betsch, to spend the weekend with him at his home in the Akwesasne Nation, a place he proudly refers to as “The Rez.” I asked what being a part of the community is like, and he answered, “I am proud to be from the Rez, and I love the tight-knit community, and it is a lot like Northwood in that way.”

Our first stop was Parker’s home, where we were welcomed by his family. For many Northwood students, teammates become like family, yet most of us never see where they come from. We might know the names of our hometowns, but we rarely experience the communities behind them. Visiting Parker’s home offered a glimpse into the tight-knit environment that shaped his character both on and off the ice.

Later that day, we attended a game played by Parker’s father’s hockey team, which he owns. The energy in the rink was electric, filled with pride and community spirit. It was clear that hockey isn’t just a sport in Akwesasne; it’s a tradition that connects generations.

The visit was more than just a weekend away from school; it was a window into a culture deeply rooted in family, teamwork, and pride. Seeing where Parker comes from gave me a new appreciation for his perspective and for the sense of identity that “The Rez” brings to those who call it home.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Varsity Fries Rice in 3 Game Series

October 28, 2025 by Colten Murphy

The 2025-26 Varsity Hockey team at the Olympic Center in September 2025. Photo by Jacob Slagel ’25.

This past weekend, Varsity hockey traveled to Rice for its last two games of a three-game series versus the Knights. The first game was played at home, while the other two were at the Knights’ rink in Burlington, Vermont. Varsity ended the three-game series with a sweep: a 6-3 win in the first game, a 7-1 win in the second game, and a final hard-fought battle that ended with a 4-3 win. Three new Northwood students scored their first goals: Jett Travis ‘27, Matthew Kernan ‘27, and Colten Murphy ‘26.

The expectations for the weekend were high. You know, we’re playing Rice, who we just beat six to three. The games before, historically, we played pretty well at their arena, so we felt good going into the game,” Head Coach Jeff Miller said.

Miller was happy with the team’s consistency and discipline. “The highlights for this weekend certainly were how we played on Saturday,” Miller said. “We had all four lines rolling. We played very disciplined hockey. We didn’t have that many penalties, and the boys played together as a team,” added Miller.

The team is on a roll, and the coach is happy. “I’d say collectively on the weekend, we’re very pleased with how the team performed,” Miller said. “Anytime you go on the road, they come out with two road wins. It’s a big accomplishment. This is our fourth win in a row, and the boys are playing really well. They worked really hard for this sweep this weekend, and they deserve all the credit,” Miller added.

Overall, it was a great weekend for the Varsity hockey team. Can’t wait to see how they do next. GO HUSKIES!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Winter Clothing Drive Is in Session

October 28, 2025 by Nate Benjamin

The Winter Clothing drive at Northwood is a great opportunity for the school to give back to the Lake Placid community. Under all of the touristy, rich, and scenic landscapes, there is, of course, some poverty in the Lake Placid community.

“The winter clothing drive at Northwood is trying to help reduce many of these concerns for Lake Placid residents by giving away coats and cold-weather clothing,” said Florence Richard ’26, one of the leaders of CARE, Northwood’s Community Service club. This makes Northwood’s clothing drive very beneficial to the surrounding community.

The winter clothing drive is a part of a greater effort in Lake Placid. There are many places where you can drop off your old winter clothing, such as St. Agnes Church, St. Agnes School, the medical center, and the high school. It is a vast community-wide effort.

At Northwood, the donations are handled through Ms. Wint and CARE. They take the donation bin from the faculty office and then deliver it to Thrive and Thrift in Lake Placid, NY. With the donations Northwood brings in, 50-200 people stay warm in the cold weather of Lake Placid.

There are many more great ideas we, as a school, can offer to help the community. Flo has a suggestion for students. “So, you know that some people have more wealth and can help the cause. In the fall, many people like to clean out their closets to fill them with the new trendy clothes for the upcoming winter season. Instead of throwing these clothes out, they can put them in the bins and help the community that way.”

I think this is a great idea to give back to the community and help many people in need during the winter season.

CARE has some great plans for this year, with the Northwood clothing drive, and we are excited to see what comes out of this later this year. Hopefully, this community can help a large number of people with the clothing drive, and Northwood can be a main contributor to Lake Placid Thrive and Thrift.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World

Burger Review: Generations Tap and Grill

October 28, 2025 by Parker Thompson

Hello and welcome back to another segment of Burger Reviews where we review all the burgers in the town of Lake Placid. We’re here to give you all completely honest reviews of Lake Placid’s burgers on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the best thing we have ever tasted and 1 being absolute garbage. Unfortunately, Cody Betsch ‘26 could not join me this week, so I will be reviewing it myself.

Generations Burger. An 8oz Donahue’s farm burger, Generations secret sauce, lettuce, tomatoes & red onion, served with fries and a pickle. Photo: Google reviews.

This week, I decided to try Generations Tap and Grill. The restaurant’s location is great. It is at the start of town, and you can see the Olympic center as well as the mountains in the distance. The burger was really good. The bun was well toasted, and the patty was juicy. It also came with a side of delicious, crunchy fries, which I believe is what makes or breaks a burger.

The burger was everything you expect from a restaurant like Generations. It may not be fancy, but you definitely feel like you are at a very good restaurant, and it definitely did not disappoint me. For this rating, I’m going to give it a good 8.3 out of 10. This is a burger I look forward to having again; they never disappoint with their burgers. This was a great review, and we look forward to the next one with Cody joining me to give our honest reviews.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Opinion

Students Mourn the Loss of Starbucks

October 28, 2025 by Jack Kroll

On October 2^nd, 2025, Northwood students lost their favorite coffee and study spot when the Lake Placid Starbucks closed its doors for the last time.

The closure follows an internal review by the company as it seeks to reshape itself and realign its corporate goals. “Our goal is for every coffeehouse to deliver a warm and welcoming space with a great atmosphere and a seat for every occasion,” said Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol in an announcement made on September 25^th, 2025. He went on to say, “During the review, we identified coffeehouses where we’re unable to create the physical environment our customers and partners expect, or where we don’t see a path to financial performance, and these locations will be closed…Partners in coffeehouses scheduled to close will be notified this week.”

The Lake Placid Starbucks was one such location.

A note is left on the front door of the Starbucks in Lake Placid, letting potential customers know that the shop is now closed. (Adirondack Daily Enterprise photo by Chris Gaige)

Employees were given 3-day notice before the final closure on October 2^nd. Many were left scrambling for jobs on short notice.

The students were also given short notice. In a 3-day period, a beloved staple of the Northwood experience was taken away.

“I used to go there to study. It was a comfortable environment, and it was easy to focus,” Anja Robertson ‘26 said. “It was a good escape from campus. I haven’t really found a replacement for it yet. I also used to go for walks around the lake and stop at Starbucks. Now I have less motivation [to walk the lake].”

Riley Ward ‘27, who was at a ski camp in Chile when news of Starbucks’ closing came, said, “I was very shocked; it was my favorite coffee place in town. I get my chai from Origin or Big Mountain Deli and Creperie now.”

Overall, students miss their coffee shop, but Lake Placid does have alternatives. Local businesses like Origin, Capisce, and the Big Mountain Deli and Creperie now don’t have to compete with a global chain for customers. One common criticism is that the local shops don’t have the same consistent hours and days open as Starbucks did; however, now the local shops may be incentivized to change that to capitalize on a less competitive market.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Senior Earns Pilot License

October 28, 2025 by Lucas Smith

Aston Ferrillo ’26 has spent the past couple of summers getting his pilot’s license, and at just 18 years old, he has received it. Come along on this unbelievable journey with him.

Aston Ferrillo ’26 with his family’s CIRRUS SR20-G2. Photo provided.

“I started flying about 3 years ago and have loved it ever since. Being able to fly a plane will be able to help me in so many aspects of life, like college, work, and just social life in general,” Ferrillo said.

Aston is from Saratoga Springs, so in recent years he has been able to go home most weekends and do his pilot’s lessons.

Aston Ferrillo ’26 (left) with his dad. Photo provided.

On weekends, Aston flies a CIRRUS SR20-G2, his current plane, and he loves it. So far, he has been able to fly with his girlfriend and his dad by himself, which is a huge accomplishment.

“Since 8th grade, I have wanted to go to the Air Force Academy, and planes have always struck something with me, so when I got the opportunity to start, I jumped at it quicker than my driver’s license,” Aston said about his entrance to flying. “I do not want to become a commercial pilot. I enjoy the feel of the smaller planes and may want to go into private aviation, but nothing in the commercial world of flight,” Aston said about his future in flying.

“Of course, I want to fly bigger planes, but something like a G4, not a Boeing 787. I hope to one day be able to fly my own private jet places with my whole family,” Aston said about the current plane he is flying, and if he wants to change to something different or maybe bigger.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Top Story

Dorm Room Tour: Harry Vant ‘26 and Jack Pitts ‘27

October 28, 2025 by Justin MacLeod

Photo by Justin MacLead ’26.

Welcome to the room of Harry Vant ‘26 and Jack Pitts ‘27. Harry is a two-year senior and plays on the 18U Varsity hockey team, and Jack Pitts is a two-year junior and plays on the Prep hockey team. They both live on Second East in one of the biggest rooms, and they really made it feel like home.

Harry and Jack’s room is one of the best rooms in Main, with many people going in and out to chill in it. These two boys always keep their room neat; they make sure nothing is lying around, and their room looks professional.

Harry and Jack really brought their personalities into the room with them. Besides hockey, they love golf. They have a putting green in their room, so they can work on their game anytime and anywhere. There is a secret, they have under the carpet is a stickhandling tile for them to work on their stickhandling so they can bring it into the ice. Anyone who takes a step into Harry and Jack’s room treats their room with respect.

Photo by Justin MacLead ’26.

These are Harry and Jack’s beds. Harry’s bed is on the right, and Jack’s is on the left. They both make their beds every morning to start the day fresh with a new page. Harry said, “I can’t see my bed being all messy. I need to make my bed to start my day, as it has become a routine.” Mattress toppers are key to Jack’s comfort. “I always like to sleep with maximum comfort, and having two mattress toppers gives me that comfort.”

Photo by Justin MacLead ’26.

Next are Harry and Jack’s desks; they both always keep them organized and neat. “These desks are the best places where we can focus and complete all homework,” they said. They both have essential day-to-day items on their desks, including supplements, snacks, schoolwork, water bottles, chains, etc.

Under Jack’s desk is a machine that changes hockey for the better: an at-home skate sharpening machine. Jack was able to start a mini business with $5 for a skate sharpening.

Photo by Justin MacLead ’26.

Lastly, their closets are neat and organized. Harry’s closet is on the right, with his T-shirts, suits, and sweaters hanging, and many bins filled with things like snacks, clothes, towels, and bedding. Jack’s closet is on the left, with his suits, shirts, sweaters, and coats hanging where he likes them. It’s also full of bins with clothes, shower stuff, bedding, snacks, and towels.

Overall, this room is amazing, with plenty to see and do. People say that their room is the best room in Second East.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Humans of Northwood: Joachim Neverdal ‘26

October 28, 2025 by Cody Betsch

“I first found out about Northwood because of all the times that I had visited Lake Placid with my dad. I knew I loved the area, and when my dad and I were doing research into schools and everything, we found Northwood. It checked all the boxes for me and felt like a no-brainer.

“I would say that my favorite part of the Northwood experience is the sense of community with not only the sports teams but also all of the students and faculty. I think that Northwood does a great job making you feel at home, and it is definitely a high point of my experience at school.

“My plan for next year is to hopefully go play hockey in a good junior league, but I think that Northwood has prepared me well for the next steps in my life, like applying to colleges and eventually joining the workforce.

“Something that I will never forget and take with me after Northwood is the way that school felt. It feels like a family here, and that makes getting up, school, sports, everything, much easier.

“The advice I would give to the students on campus is to savor every moment while you’re here. Northwood is really a special place, and it goes by really fast. These last years have been highlights in my life, and the thought of it coming to an end is sad. I’ll miss everything about this place.”

As told to Cody Betsch ’26. Photo provided.