Gavin Kruger

Humans of Northwood: Nico Malouin ‘25

January 18, 2025 by Gavin Kruger

“My hidden talent is martial arts. I originally started karate with my father when I was 8. I went from doing kickboxing to Shorin-Ryu, which is a form of art that’s not necessarily about fighting but mostly about technique. To put it simply, It’s like a kung-fu variant. So, I did that up until 16, when I focused solely on football.

“Does pineapple belong on pizza? Absolutely not. I’m not saying it isn’t good, but I would and do keep fruit off pizza. So yeah, no pineapple on pizza.

“Most of you have probably seen it, but I have a big tattoo on my arm. So, there are four Roman numerals depicting the years 1971, 1975, 2006, and 2011. Each of these is for the birth year of my parents, myself, and my sister. Ever since I got this first one, I have kept thinking about the next one so there’s one in the works.

“A piece of advice I’d give to a student-athlete is to be grateful where you’re at. I’ve had a lot of troubles in the past couple of years with different things. Maybe you’re not playing as much as you’d like, but you have to be honest and look at the situation and say, ‘Hey, I’m still here; let’s take matters into my own hands and work.’ So yeah, take the initiative, do what your gut feelings say, and be appreciative.

“I have to credit my dad; he’s been the biggest factor in my success. He’s helped me overcome many challenges, and I definitely wouldn’t be here without him.

“I’d say the biggest area of growth for me since leaving home to go to school in the US is my mental strength. I’ve faced lots of challenges, and those obstacles have helped me grow. So yeah, all the ups and downs have gotten me to a point where I’m well-equipped to face any situation.”

As told to Gavin Kruger ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Students Plan to Form Ping Pong League

November 5, 2024 by Gavin Kruger

Image: iStock

Currently, 25% of the school is interested in joining a new Ping Pong League, and with organizers promising a “Huge prize” to the winner, signups will continue to mount.

The club was founded by four good friends, Hamish Riddell ‘26, Noah Moodey ‘26, Nate Wright ‘25, and Ryan Farr ‘25. The group has created a club that could become a Northwood tradition for years to come.

“I mean, who doesn’t love a bit of ping pong?” said Ridell. He shared the founders’ vision for this league: “So we plan to do a tournament style, as in we will have a round robin and then a set bracket. Once we get to the final four, we hope to host the finals at Donny’s [athletic trainer Andy Donatello] house.”

The combination of competition, fun, and community interaction gives this tournament the chance to turn into a schoolwide annual event in the future. “We would love for this tournament to turn into an annual event, we all feel that it would be such a cool way to bring everyone together year after year,” Riddell said.

Riddell’s desire to contribute to the community stems from his love of the game “I really enjoy ping-pong; I would consider it a passion of mine. I want to have the chance to pair that love for the sport with garnering experience as a founder of something. I just really couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to create my first organization.”

While this new club will certainly be a hit, a couple of logistical obstacles must be sorted out first. The faculty’s two main questions are: 1) Where will this take place? 2) How can you host a tournament with only 1 ping-pong table?

“It took a little time to decide where we would be hosting matches, but we decided it would be on the indoor turf,” Riddell said. “And in relation to the number of tables that we have… we don’t quite have that sorted yet, but we will figure out a strategy soon,” he added.

“So yeah, my final thoughts are just that I hope that this club will turn into a school-wide fun competition. Everyone here is competitive academically and athletically, so we as founders really feel that this can be an awesome talking point amongst the community,” Riddell continued.

If you haven’t decided to join yet, just join! The more people that participate the more fun it’ll be.

Filed Under: Northwood Life

Students Reflect on Self-Directed Study Hall

October 30, 2024 by Gavin Kruger

Northwood’s main goal is to set students up the best they can for their future. To set students up for a bright future, teachers focus on being as supportive as possible, while assigning intense workloads to their students. One of the ways this support is shown is through nightly study halls.

For readers unfamiliar with study hall, here is how it works: every night, from 8 to 9:30, students attend a location on campus and complete all homework and projects; this scheduled time and set location help many students get their work done and avoid procrastinating.

Here is the interesting part of study hall: if a student meets the GPA requirements that apply to their specific grade year (e.g., a Junior), they are placed in a “Self-Directed” study hall. They can also be placed in self-directed by receiving at minimum 3 excellent effort grades. This is a luxury provided to students that rewards them for their hard work throughout the previous quarter. Self-directed study hall means students can study anywhere on campus, whether in their rooms, the dining room, the living room, or in the library. It’s a highly-valued freedom.

At the end of each quarter, the prospect of being placed in self-directed study hall creates a lot of buzz amongst the student body. Here are students’ thoughts and opinions of study hall and the requirements to “get out” of it:

Devin Smith ’25

“I just think the standards should be lowered if you are taking much harder classes,” Said Devin Smith ’25. “Like if you’re taking AP lit and you have a C it should count as a B and therefore you are still eligible for self-directed study hall. I also believe that if you go to Flex or labs for extra help, you get your assignments done on time, and you get decent scores on tests (C+ and up) you should be eligible for self-directed study hall.” [Ed. Note: honors and AP courses are weighted, but not as much as Smith would like: a half-letter grade for AP and Advanced courses and a quarter-letter grade for honors courses.]

Sasha Luhur ’27

“Personally, I don’t mind supervised or self-directed study hall; I feel like I’m usually the same in terms of productivity,” Sasha Luhur ’27 remarked. “Self-directed is nice because it gives me flexibility, and I can study with friends more easily. I think it’s good that study hall placements are determined not just by letter grades but also by effort because a lot of people are working really hard in their classes and deserve to choose where they want to study.”

Alex Randall ’25

“I think that study hall is a valuable part of the education experience Northwood provides,” added Alex Randall ’25. “It builds strong working habits that continue into college. Someone who went through spent their evenings working in high school is going to be in a better position than someone who didn’t spend their evenings working. I think the requirements to get out of study hall are reasonable because they require a good work ethic.”

Machai Davis ’25

“I think that the study hall is reasonable,” Machai David said. “I think that if you put in an excellent effort in the class you take, you should have a good grade.”

Alessandro Lacchi ’25

“I honestly hated going to study in the evening right from the start, especially because my room is in Bergamini, so it’s quite inconvenient,” commented Alessandro Lacchi ’25. “However, I must admit that the hope of doing well at school and being able to avoid study hall really encouraged me to work hard. I also honestly don’t think that putting people who are not able to study independently in a room is not productive; in fact, what you get is just a big distraction.”

Jett Jewett ’27

“Self-directed study hall is better than regular study hall because it offers more flexibility,” Jett Jewett ’27 said. “In self-directed study hall you can choose where to study as well as the flexibility to do other things. This freedom helps you manage your time better and finish your work more efficiently. Additionally, without the strict timeframe of study hall, you can go to bed earlier, which allows you to get more sleep.”

Hudson Marshall ’27

“I think that the study hall requirements here at Northwood are reasonable,” added Hudson Marshall ’27. “I think that between honor roll and effort honor roll, students have a fair chance to meet the self-directed study hall requirements. I think the study hall hours are very reasonable and suitable for everyone living on campus.”

Jacob Slagel ’26

“Over time, study hall has become tedious,” Jacob Slagel ’26 observed. “It can be helpful but some days you are tired or have had a long day and you don’t get work done. In retrospect, [self-directed study hall] is a good idea. I think it’s a good reward for students who work hard to get better grades or get effort grades. However, that can also be difficult with the reduced benefit of taking AP and Honors classes. This is true, especially for the first quarter, where some classes don’t have enough tests to truly portray a student’s academic strengths.”

Filed Under: Northwood Life

New Students Adapt to New School

October 29, 2024 by Gavin Kruger

Northwood is a community that provides students with many unique opportunities. Through the support of teachers and their peers, students have the chance to accomplish incredible things. It takes a unique system to provide these unique opportunities. If you were to ask any student, 99% of them would tell you that school at Northwood is unlike anything they’ve experienced prior to their tenure here. Here is what students from different countries had to say:


“The main difference between school here at Northwood and school in Spain was trying to maintain a healthy balance between school, Football and my social life. When I lived in Spain trying to get a healthy balance between these three things was really difficult as my school workload was rather large, and I’d have to do most of my work in my spare time. Also, after school finished, I would have to go to football training with my club which finished at 9:30 p.m. Here at Northwood, it’s been a lot easier to balance these things. Even though the school workload is similar, the integrated time for training and Study Halls has let me finish my studies or train without cutting into my own personal time.” Lochlan Alexander ‘27 (Spain)	“The differences between the school in China and Northwood: 1. Time spent in school is different. In China, usually the students will stay in the school for the whole day and there will be 8 classes(45min) each day plus three study halls(60min). 2.There’s only three years of high school in China, but you can reclass in high school as long as you can if your family can afford the money and time. 3. The format of the classes is not the same. There are about forty to fifty students who will be placed in a class. These students will continue to live in high school as a group for three years. Similarly, each class has a fixed teacher who instructs the students in a certain subject. They will also be part of the class as part of the group for three years.” Anthony Wan ‘26 (China)


“One difference is that the schedules are way more compact. When school is combined with sports, you get a routine that you do every day. There are not as many tests at Northwood, but a lot more homework. Also, the teachers and the rules are stricter. If you are not a hard-working person, I think that Northwood would be a much bigger struggle for you.” Jonathan Fischer ‘26 (Sweden)	“I think the schoolwork is more difficult because there’s a lot more work. The difference is the classes, like math, In Canada, it’s just math, but in the States, it’s Algebra, Calculus etc.” Sara Martin ’26 (Ontario, Canada)


“I wouldn’t say it’s harder, but the language difference makes it harder for certain classes like Math. The days are a lot different from what my old school used to be. We had 4 classes of 75 minutes from 9 am to 3:40 pm and a cycle of 20 days so our days wouldn’t be the same for 20 days compared to a week here. There is also the difference that I am boarding here, and I wasn’t at my old school, so the day never actually ends until study hall is over.” Florence Richard ‘25 (Quebec, Canada)	“Everyone is really nice, and everyone is inclusive, obviously is different that I live on the campus and there is a better level of academics.” Matias Cruz ‘28 (Ecuador)


“It’s different mostly because everyone’s here for the same reason and has a focus bigger than school. I love that sports drive the students to be the best they can be in many aspects. In my previous school people were there because they had to be, here people want to be present and work their hardest. It’s nice to always be around your teammates and going to practice everyday, before I didn’t have that.” Lily Pratt ‘26 (New York, US)

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Humans of Northwood: Mohamed Ahmed ‘25

October 15, 2024 by Gavin Kruger

“I’m pretty good at making beats. That’s something that I love doing in my spare time. I would call myself a producer. I’m pretty creative. My beats are mostly in line with rnb and plugg. I would say my beats mirror the likes of carti and 1onearm. But to be honest, I’m pretty versatile.

“If I had to play another sport than soccer it would be basketball or track. I’m fast at track and I was a pretty good long-distance runner back in school before Northwood. I also love basketball, and I’m pretty good at it. I’m a point guard, mostly because I’m not that tall. If I had to compare my game to a NBA player I’d say Kyrie Irving. Back home they called me Big Juicy because my handles are juicy.

“I lived in an apartment in Nairobi, Kenya, for the first 3 years of my life. Then I moved out of Kenya for 8 years, again, living in an apartment. And then I moved back to Kenya. I spent most of my childhood outside, swimming, playing baseball, basketball, and stuff like that.

“Advice I’d give is all that time you spend worrying, then you look back and realize you shouldn’t have worried so much because everything turned out ok. Also, be present in the moment and keep grinding for your goals.”

As told to Gavin Kruger ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life

The History of Mountain Day

October 11, 2024 by Gavin Kruger

Don Mellor ’71 rock climbing in the Adirondacks (Photo: Carl Heilman II)

Northwood has many traditions, like monthly formal dinners, Winter Carnival, and Family Weekend. Those are all awesome events, but one dates back many generations: Mountain Day.

Mountain Day is often the source of excitement or misery amongst students each year. Everyone knows it’s a tradition, but few know when and who it began with. I am pleased to introduce you to the man who birthed the idea: former student and teacher and renowned rock climber Mr. Don Mellor ‘71.

I asked him about the origins of Mountain Day. “I started it,” he said, “I think it was fall of 1978. A fellow teacher named Jeff Byrne and I organized it. He suggested the idea, and we set it up.”

I was not surprised to learn that Mountain Day looked slightly different than it does today. “In the early years of Mountain Day, we wouldn’t tell the kids when it was. They would get up in the morning, and Mountain Day would be announced. That was something we used to do,” said Mellor.

“I think another big difference was that we were a bit more careless. Careless about going out in bad weather and other contingencies. Since Bobby (O’Connor) has arrived, we’ve become a lot more mature about our safety outdoors,” Mellor added.

Mr. Mellor shared a very interesting story about the importance of safety. “A tough one was when we lost two kids overnight. They split off from the rest of the group and got lost in the woods. They ended up staying a night in the woods before we found them the next day. This is kind of the way I live my life: When you run into adversity, you learn a lot. That time, we learned a lot about the importance of cooperating with Adirondack park rangers and the importance of having kids listen to the instructions,” Mellor said.

Scene from Mountain Day 2023. Photo: Northwood School (Instagram).

From the summit of Hurricane Mountain on Mountain Day, September 21, 2021 (Photo: Ms. Vanessa Pillen).

Scene from Mountain Day 2023. Photo: Northwood School (Instagram).

Mellor understands that some students aren’t enthusiastic about Mountain Day, and he has some advice for those students. “If you go through life and you don’t try stuff, your life will be flatter,” he said. “Last year, I joined a choir, having no singing background. A big choir, 78 people. And I said, I want to try it. For me, to stand in front of people in a big choir was uncomfortable, and a bit scary,” Mellor said. “But that’s what I encourage people to do. You will not remember sitting on a couch all day, but a day where you step out of your comfort zone and test yourself, you will remember the days you did that,” Mellor encouraged.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Top Story

Max Notley’s ’27 Pre-Game Ritual

October 4, 2024 by Gavin Kruger

Max Notley ’27. Photo provided.

This is part of a series of articles about student-athletes’ pre-game rituals. Read them all here.

On any given morning, while everyone else is asleep, you can expect to find U17 team captain Max Notley ’27 on the field or the turf. The American-Brit winger is a sophomore, who is in his second year at Northwood. He enjoyed a little taste of success last year, playing a smaller role. However, this year, he will be a vital piece for the team’s success. I sat down with him to learn about how he prepares himself for games.

“When I wake up, I’ll eat a good, heavy breakfast. Then I’ll prep my stuff for the game. And then I’ll continue my prep, stretching, getting my mind right, that sort of stuff.”

Max has a rigid pre-game routine. “I listen to music on the bus ride to games, usually English rap. While on the bus and even before I get on the bus, I start visualizing my game, picturing myself out on the wing, receiving passes into my feet, taking people on.”

The hardworking prospect feels that he is doing the right things but isn’t quite at the level that he would like to be. “I work very hard and will continue to do so, you know, getting up early and doing the extra stuff. I feel I am disciplined and have a good work ethic. So, I think I’m doing all the right things, but I’m not at the level I want to be at just yet.”

Max also shared some interesting advice that he would give to student-athletes. “Be in the moment. Because one day, there won’t be any more team meals or bus rides back to school after a win. So embrace it all, soak it in, and don’t take anything for granted. Give 100% every day. The last thing I’d say is to love what you’re doing, whatever your passion is, give it your all.

He also shared that “everyone is on their own path. Don’t worry about comparing yourself to others because comparison is the thief of joy. It’s only a matter of time before your dreams come true.

Filed Under: People, Sports Tagged With: PreGameRituals

Get to know Samuel Andoh ‘28

September 24, 2024 by Gavin Kruger

Samuel Andoh ’28. Photo provided.

Samuel Andoh ’28 is a ninth grader from Ghana who came to Northwood to pursue his dream of playing professional soccer. His peers and teammates recognize him as a hardworking and humble student-athlete.

So far, he is settling into Northwood well. “I’m getting comfortable, but it is stressful. There is a lot of stuff going on.” Andoh also shared the differences between school here versus school back home. “In Ghana, we write in books, we don’t use any laptops; that is too expensive. So, I’m now getting used to using a laptop for schoolwork. I also find the teaching different. Back home, the teachers are less… patient. I find here, I can ask as many questions as I need; in Ghana, it’s not the same.”

Andoh explained to me that back home, his family doesn’t have much. “My family is passing through a lot of difficult times, and sometimes we don’t have food to eat or the resources we need. I left my family at the age of 12 to find a good education and to continue my career [in soccer].”

Samuel Andoh ’28 in the black kit. Photo provided.

I asked Samuel what soccer is like in Ghana compared to here. “It’s very different. We don’t play on turf back home. The ground is rough. When you fall, you get hurt; it’s not like here, where we get to use nice turf.”

He also shared his future aspirations: “My dream is to work hard so one day I can change my family’s lives and the community I’m from.”

He also took some time to share with me his faith in God. “The journey that I’m on is thanks to God. God held my hand from the beginning to today. I believe that with God all things are possible; he will make a way for me.”

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Travel to Uganda and Japan Highlight New LEAP Offerings

September 18, 2024 by Gavin Kruger

The new school year is upon us. Our unique lifestyle at school undergoes constant changes throughout the year, but Northwood doesn’t just look to change things; the community also looks to make additions. Some notable additions this year are the LEAP program’s two newest offerings.

LEAP is a one-of-a-kind program in which students get to experience going somewhere in the world or learning a new skill. LEAP offerings stay mostly the same, with many courses being around for years. There are, however, usually one or two unique course offerings that change every year. This year, those two new options are a skiing and cultural trip to Japan, designed by senior Gus Garvey ‘25; and a trip to Uganda where students will walk with gorillas.

The first of the two new courses is a trip to Japan, where students will get to ski while experiencing Japanese culture. What makes this LEAP so interesting is that it was designed by a student—senior Gus Garvey. Last year, Gus decided to create this course as his PEAK Pathway. PEAK Pathways is a year-long project where students learn about topics they are passionate about, then build a project around those interests. Gus had a passion for creating this trip as he is of Japanese descent and loves skiing. He shared, “This LEAP will be half skiing, half cultural. Students will get to experience Japanese culture from a variety of different perspectives—from the slopes of rural Nagano to the bustling melting pot of Tokyo.” He also shared his excitement to educate his fellow students as part of the trip: “In addition to having an excuse to go to one of my favorite places on earth, I also hope to provide valuable insight and guidance to the rest of the group due to my experience there.”

The second new LEAP is a trip to Uganda. This is possible because of an alumni connection with Lawrence (’93) and Ndhego Zikusoka ‘24. Lawrence Zikusoka’s wife, Gladys, is a world-renowned health and research expert in Uganda. Northwood decided to use this connection and transform it into an opportunity. This LEAP will be led by Ms. Fagan and Mr. Spear.

“We’re going to fly to Entebbe, a city in Uganda. And then, we are going to drive halfway across the country to spend a night in Queen Elizabeth National Park, where we will go on a game drive and meet employees of Dr Gladys’s non-profit health organization,” Fagan said. This trip will focus on discovering the relationship between humans and apes; specifically, how viruses can be transmitted from humans to apes and vice versa. “We will also have a day where we trek in the jungle and follow a troop of gorillas. This is something that you need a permit for, so it’s a really cool and unique opportunity,” said Ms. Fagan.

Students will begin signing up for LEAP courses in the coming weeks.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

Soccer Team Adds Two DIII Commits

May 12, 2024 by Gavin Kruger

Northwood’s soccer program has added two more commits to their list of successful college players. Those two new commits are Sam Knauff and Liam Burke. This article is a dive into why they chose to commit to their respective schools and what they will miss about Northwood.

Sam Knauf ’24. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Sam Knauff ‘24, the PG out of Lake George, is headed to Washington College. The liberal arts school in Maryland offers Sam good-quality soccer and an ideal academic setup for Sam because, as it is a liberal arts school, he will be able to figure out what his area of study will be and not have to go into his first-year knowing exactly what he will want to study. He explained this to me during our conversation: “I plan to go and find my way. I have ideas of what I excel in in school, but I’m just gonna take everything as it comes. Because, you know, it’s a journey.” Regarding the soccer side of college, Sam is excited about getting going with his new team. “My tipping point in deciding I wanted to commit to George Washington was spending a few days with the soccer team. It’s just so diverse. The coaches are great. It feels like they have a great culture, and I will fit right in.” Sam also wanted to mention something he will miss dearly. “What I will miss most is the Clam Chowder soup.”

Liam Burk ’24. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

German Liam Burk ‘24 is headed to one of his dream schools: RPI. As a tech-minded and tech-savvy person, RPI aligns perfectly with his academic interests. During our conversation, he expressed delight and excitement about furthering his academic and athletic journeys at RPI. “I chose RPI because it represented the perfect fit for me. I’m interested in studying computer science and game design, so this school perfectly fits my interests. RPI aligns in many ways, not solely academically. One of my other things was that I wanted to go to a middle-sized school in terms of population, which is the case at RPI. It is also not too remote location-wise, another important factor for me. The tipping point in my decision to go to RPI was when I first contacted the coach. The school was always on my radar because of what I discussed regarding academic alignment, population, and location. So, when they told me they were interested in me, it made me conclude that this is where I want to be. What will I miss about Northwood? If I had to pick one thing, I would say my friends,” Burk added.