Francisco E. Castillo

Soccer Team Easily Defeats VT State Champ

May 9, 2019 by Francisco E. Castillo

The inaugural year of Black Rock Residential Academy at Northwood soccer is coming to an end, and it’s been a successful season. Recently, a mixture of U17 and U19 players traveled to Vermont to face Black Watch Premier, the current champion of their section in Vermont.

Alvaro Garcia ’21 in action earlier this season (photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge).

Home field advantage wasn’t enough to stop the Black Rock team. Black Rock had a good start in the game where they scored 3 goals in the first 20 minutes and then the goal differential kept getting bigger. The score at the end of the first half was 6-0. Then in the second half, the Black Rock team changed its strategy and the final result of the game was 7-2.

Goal scorers included:

Alvaro Garcia ’21 with two

Luke “Smudge” Smith ’21 with two

Cory Booth ’19 with two

Matias Valenzuela ’19 with one

Filed Under: Sports

Review: Marvel Avengers: Endgame: “Worth it or Wasted it?”

May 9, 2019 by Francisco E. Castillo

Eleven years have passed since the first movie of the Marvel Comics Universe premiered on the big screen. After twenty-two movies, the Infinity saga has come to an end. The epic started with Iron man and then Captain America, and continued to introduce new characters until the team of Avengers was assembled. Now, the “Endgame” will put an end to the Avengers series. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Opinion, Real World

Soccer Players Try Skiing

April 30, 2019 by Francisco E. Castillo

As the winter came to a close, Black Rock FC had an exciting time skiing at the top of Whiteface. Many of the international students who had never seen snow before enjoyed learning how to ski or snowboard with help from their teammates. Here are what some our soccer players thought about their experience:

Mr. Kelvin Martinez (right) with Mr. Jamie Welsh on Excelsior in the winter of 2018-19 (Photo: Ms. Marcy Fagan).

Pedro Paggi ‘19, who skied for the first time, said, “It was unbelievable how one experience can change your life. I had such a great time doing another sport other than football, and I loved it. In my first minute, I almost had a really awful crash when I couldn’t break. I almost stopped in a tree. It was unforgettable.’’

Alex van Schalkwyk ‘19, a first-time snowboarder, commented, “[Learning how to snowboard] was an amazing experience. It was difficult at the beginning, but as time went on, it started becoming easier. By the end of the day, we all went down from the summit, which was crazy. I ate a lot of snow, but it was worth it. I’d definitely do it again.”

Mateo Rodriguez ‘20, an experienced skier, said, “We had a great time skiing. At first, it was quite challenging for those of us who already knew how to ski well. Although at first, some of the first-time guys struggled, they soon started to gather up confidence in themselves and began going down the hill more comfortably! Not only was it a truly fun activity in which we got to spend time with our close friends in a very different environment, but it was also a great team-building exercise for the group as a whole.”

Anton Johansson ‘20, who had skied before, was also surprised at the progress his teammates made throughout the day. He said, “We all had a great time at the mountain. The first couple of hours, a lot of the guys had a hard time. But after a while, they started going down the slopes without a problem. We ended up having a wonderful day with a lot of laughs.”

Kelvin Martinez, the soccer coach, was proud to see his team trying a new sport. “When we first announced the trip, there was a lot of hesitation. Many players preferred holding our usual soccer training, but in the end, their first question was, ‘When can we go again?’ It was great to see our players doing something outside of their usual routine, something many of them have never done in the past. I think that twenty years from now, this will be one of the experiences these young men will talk about: the time their soccer team, comprised of players from nineteen countries, went to take on Whiteface Mountain,” Martinez said. He added, “Many of them have committed to keep improving their skiing abilities on their own. Overall, it was a great day for the soccer team at Northwood. The boys truly enjoyed spending the entire day at the mountain.”

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Soccer Has Mixed Results on Philadelphia Road Trip

March 7, 2019 by Francisco E. Castillo

In late February, both soccer teams traveled to Philadelphia to play two games in a showcase and another game against Philadelphia Union Academy.

U19: Weekend record 2 wins and 1 lost.

Saturday the team played against Philadelphia Union Academy and lost 2-0.

Sunday they played two games in a showcase. IN the first game against West Mount they won 5-0. Goals were scored by:

Diego Dutilh ‘19 (2)
Pedro Paggi ’19
Lucas Rodriguez ‘20
Own goal by a West Mount player

The second game was against Penn Fusion, and Northwood’s offense exploded to win the game 9-1. Goals were scored by:

Diego Dutilh ‘19 scored a hattrick
Chris Athanasiadis ‘19 (2)
Alex van Schalkwyk ‘19 (2)
Cory Booth ‘19
Pedro Paggi ‘19

U17: Weekend record 0 wins and 3 losses.

They first played against Penn Fusion and lost 4-1. Alvaro Garcia scored the only goal for Northwood.

Next up was West Mount and the team lost 2-0.

ON Sunday, they played the MLS Academy team, Philadelphia Union and lost 2-1. Luke Smith ’21 scored the only goal for Black Rock Residential Academy at Northwood.

The soccer team heads to a major showcase/tournament in Las Vegas this weekend.

Filed Under: Sports

Black History Month at Northwood

February 28, 2019 by Francisco E. Castillo

Black History Month started in 1926 after Carter G. Woodson, the leading scholar of African-American life and history at the time, called the second week of February the “Negro Week.” Black History Month is a celebration of the accomplishments of Black Americans. In the United States and Canada, Black History Month is celebrated in February. In the United Kingdom it is celebrated in October. Mr. Woodson’s goal with this celebration was to not only commemorate Black people’s accomplishments, but it was also to show White America and the world how important the Black race is to the founding and history of the United States.

Black History Month is celebrated in multiple ways, depending on who is celebrating. Some schools have plays or watch movies about some major Black historical characters. Nike and other clothing brands even release signature Black History Month Collections.

The new Black Student Union has taken the lead on celebrating Black History at Northwood and hopes that the celebration of Black history will continue all school year. Director of Multicultural Affairs Kelvin Martinez said, “At Northwood, our Black Student Union utilizes film as a means to bring community members together to view and discuss. Recently, BSU sponsored the viewing of Selma, which resulted in a meaningful conversation with members of our community. Next will be PBS film series “The Rise of Jim Crow” and a speech by Dr. King titled “Your Life Blueprint,” one of his rare speeches directed to school-age students. BSU does not intend to restrict this celebration to February, and I am in full agreement with their stand.”

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World

Humans of Northwood: Karli Lafferty ’19

February 13, 2019 by Francisco E. Castillo

“I am Karly Lafferty, I am from Cape May, New Jersey. What I like the most about Northwood is how there is so much to do. I have tried things that I never thought I will do. I have done ice climbing, rock climbing, skiing and so many things that I think I’d never do in another prep school. I came to Northwood because of the girl’s ice hockey program and the many things you can do in Lake Placid. I am on the Girls’ Hockey team. In the off-season I like going skiing, which I learned last year. After Northwood, I want to play college hockey and travel all over the world and keep doing all the fun stuff I learned here.”

As told to Francisco Castillo ’19

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Humans of Northwood: Morgan Broderick ’19

February 13, 2019 by Francisco E. Castillo

“My name is Morgan Broderick I am from Lake Placid, New York. I am Northwood’s only dancer. I skip a lot of classes because of training and rehearsal for modern and ballet. After Northwood, I hope to become a professional dancer, in New York City, preferably in a modern company. I chose Northwood because it is very close to home. I had the ability to do two of my favorite things — skiing and dancing — plus I could be in a high-academic school where I could challenge myself and succeed. What I like the most about Northwood is how the students make the school and how the faculty interacts with us. They are amazing. I have lived some of the best experiences in my life with other Northwood students. ”

As told to Francisco Castillo ’19

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

10 Things You Might Not Know About the Alpine Ski Team

February 7, 2019 by Francisco E. Castillo

Audrey Higgins-Lopez ’21 and Gabe Munter ’20 won the open ski cross races at the 2019 Empire State Winter Games.

Reynolds ’19, Dempsey ’19, and Van Slyke ’20 swept the podium at the 2019 Empire State Winter Games (Photo: Northwood Skiing).

Andrew VanSlyke ’20 racing at Whiteface Mountain in 2017 (Photo: Laurie Baumbach/LP News).

Jaden Klebba ’21 at a ski race in 2016 (Photo: NYSEF).

Sarah Bennett ’19

1. Northwood ski racers compete primarily in three disciplines: slalom, giant slalom, and Super G. Some of the older racers train and race in the Downhill discipline. Each discipline requires a specific ski designed for that discipline. Most racers have at least two sets of skis for each discipline: one dedicated for training and another for races. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

Students Cope with the “Triple Life”

February 7, 2019 by Francisco E. Castillo

With more than 200 students, Northwood School is larger than it’s ever been. While there are many good things about having more students, there is one consequence that few students like: more triples.

Students in a triple room in 2016-17 (Photo: Mr. MIchael Aldridge).

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

The Committed Life: Athletes Talk About Getting the Offer

January 11, 2019 by Francisco E. Castillo

Reid Leibold ’20 celebrated his commitment to RPI on Twitter.

You may have seen it on your friend’s Twitter or Instagram bio: “Committed to St. Lawrence” or “Dartmouth Commit.” Or maybe you’ve seen the social media announcements: from the student-athletes, from the colleges or from the athlete’s club or school. For many student-athletes, playing Division I athletics is the ultimate goal, and committing to a college is an important milestone on that journey.

According to the NCAA, “A verbal commitment happens when a college-bound student-athlete verbally agrees to play sports for a college before he or she signs or is eligible to sign a National Letter of Intent. The commitment is not binding on the student-athlete or the school and can be made at any time.” Most student-athletes “become committed” before they even apply to the school, sometimes as early as ninth grade.

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Coach Chadd Cassidy

A player’s coach usually has a big role in the recruiting process. “Coaches help with kids getting committed by trying to identify the right college program for the student and introducing the college coach to the student,” said Junior Team head coach Chadd Cassidy. “The most important part is making sure it is a good fit for the student and the school/hockey program. In my opinion, it is not important for a player to get an early commitment. It is more important to make sure they make the RIGHT commitment,” Cassidy added. “I am always proud and happy when our players find the right school to continue their academic and playing career,” said Cassidy.

Northwood School currently has ten committed student-athletes between the Junior Hockey and Soccer Teams. They are:

Will Arquiett ‘19 (hockey) to St. Lawrence University
Tommy Bannister ‘20 (hockey) to St. Lawrence University
Mark Keiffer ‘19 (soccer) to Colgate University
Jared Lambright ‘20 (hockey) to St. Lawrence University
Reid Leibold ‘20 (hockey) to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Prince Loney-Bailey ‘19 (soccer) to James Madison University
Cody Monds ‘19 (hockey) to St. Lawrence University
Iñaki Rodríguez ‘19 (soccer) to University of Michigan
Alex Van Schalkwyk ‘19 (soccer) to Dartmouth College
Josh Waters ‘19 (hockey) to Dartmouth College

The Mirror sat down with several of the committed student-athletes to learn more about their stories.

“I committed to Dartmouth College in November 2018. It was a long process, and I got a lot of help from my coaches and family. The coaches from Dartmouth saw me play in a tournament, and they asked my coach about me and the possibility my of playing for their team. Then they came to watch me play in Quebec, where I had one of my best games. After that, while I was on Thanksgiving Break, I received a call from Coach Cassidy saying that Dartmouth wanted me to visit campus. My guidance counselor then sent all of my academic records to the coach so he could ask the admissions office if I had the grades and test scores to get in. During the visit they offered me a spot on their roster. After I got commited, I felt relieved because now my future is kind of set up and my life is coming together. Even though I am already committed, school has the same importance to me because I know Dartmouth’s classes will be challenging.”

– Josh Waters ‘19

“I am committed to James Madison University since the summer of 2018. The process started when I was playing for my old team. I was looking for a different school and JMU caught my attention. Their coaches reached out to me and brought me to campus to visit. They ended up giving me the best offer, so I took it. After I got commited my life got easier. Because I already knew where I was going to college, I started to focus on other stuff. I think that I have to keep trying in school because in order to play at a DI school you also have to be a not only a good athlete but also a good student.”

– Prince Loney-Bailey ‘19

“I committed to Colgate in November 2018, It was a long and difficult process. I was first committed to Cornell in the fall of my junior year (2017), but ended up losing it over the summer. And that led me to continue my college search. Colgate had been in touch with me before, so I ended up reaching out to them. They saw me play couple of times and ended up giving me an good offer, which I accepted. After I got commited I felt less stressed about school and my future. I still work hard because I feel that I have to maintain my grades and improve in order to do well in my courses at Colgate.”

– Mark Keiffer ‘19

“I commited to St.Lawrence three years ago during my freshman year. The process started when they saw me play when I was 14 years old. Then I came to Northwood and during my first year, when I was playing on the U16 team, they told that if I keep it up they will offer me in January. They did, and I accepted. Life after my commitment has changed for me and my family: we already know about my future and having a full scholarship helps my parents financially because college is so expensive. With the commitment, I don’t stress a lot about school. But I am just maintaining good grades.”

– Cody Monds ‘19

“I am committed to St. Lawrence since 2016. The process took a while. I was talking to them and a couple of other schools for approximately 6 month, but St. Lawrence was the first one to offer me and I accepted. Now that I am committed it feels nice to know where I am going for my college years. Now I am focused on school and finishing with good grades.”

– Tommy Bannister ‘20