Northwood Life – The Mirror

Get to Know Mr. Ugochukwu “Ugo” Okolie

October 2, 2019 by Olivia Paul

Ugochukwu “Ugo” Okolie joins Northwood as an instructor in the Science and Math Departments and as a coach for the Boys’ Soccer Team. Ugo grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and attended Mercersburg Academy for one year. He graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA, with a degree in Biology. While there, he was an All-American player on the Varsity Men’s Soccer Team.

That was the brief description of new teacher Mr. Ugo Okolie on Northwood’s home page. The Mirror staff writer Olivia Paul ‘21 tried to get to know him a little better and filed this report.

Mr. Ugochukwu “Ugo” Okolie (Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge)

How did you first learn about Northwood? Why did you decide to come here?

I’m hoping to go to med school in two years, and I wanted to work and make some money before I go. I got offers from two pharmaceutical companies–one in Pennsylvania and one in Illinois. But I wanted to be around soccer because I played it my whole life and soccer is a big part of my identity.

Also, one of my best friends was Jon Moodey [Northwood’s Program Director of Boys’ Soccer]’s player at Berkshire, and he introduced me to Moodey. Moodey suggested that I become a soccer coach and a math and bio teacher here. I want to be a pediatric surgeon later in life, so I liked the idea that I could be around kids. I got a couple of offers from other schools, but I was more drawn to Northwood because I had heard a lot of good things about the school.

I felt that Northwood was the best way to both be around soccer and teach kids.

When you first got here, what was your first impression of Northwood? Has it changed?

One thing that hasn’t changed yet is the cold. When I first got here, I freaked out a little bit because it should never be this cold in the summer. My room was really cold.

Everyone was also very very nice. I had no furniture in my room, so I got a ton of them from faculty who helped me settle in. People have been very welcoming since I got here, and that hasn’t changed. It’s been a great experience so far, I would say. It’s definitely a lot of work, but it’s worth it.

How is Northwood similar or different from the schools you attended?

Before coming to the United States, I expected a view of New York City, just like what you see in movies. My school was definitely in the middle of nowhere, so when I first came to the United States, I experienced culture shock. I also had a thicker accent when I got here, so it was hard for people to understand me. Some people called me by my last name, Okolie, which was not what I wanted people to call me but was the easiest name they could actually pronounce. The accent was a barrier for me but over time at my high school, Mercersburg Academy, the community brought me together and I became a lot more outgoing, confident and outspoken I would say.

What are your hopes for the year? What do you want to get out of this year?

I want to be a better teacher overall. This is my first time teaching, so I want to have a positive influence on my kids. Even if it means not going through every topic but the kids are understanding what we have gone through — that gives me more satisfaction than going through things and leaving kids struggling. I know when I was in high school I definitely did not like to be in that position. I put myself in all of the kids’ shoes and I just hope I will be an effective teacher and get better at teaching because it is my first year so I’m definitely still new to this. I hope I have an affect on the kids’ lives here on and off the field and become a role model here, because everyone needs a role model. I had a role model from my high school and I look up to him and still talk to him today. I just hope to have a good year in soccer and I hope that the kids grasp what’s being taught in my classes.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Senior Spencer Shares Meaningful Advice

September 30, 2019 by Aimee Headland

Speaking in front of over 200 people can be terrifying, but not for Ana Spencer ‘20. She stood up at Friday’s school meeting to talk about her personal experience. Thanks to the Northwood Speaker Series, organized by Mr. Martinez, Dean of Multicultural Affairs, once a week, students have the opportunity to speak to the school about an important message they wish to share.

Ana Spencer ’20 was the first speaker in the 2019-20 speaker series (Photo: Facebook/Northwood School).

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Top Story

Get to Know Mr. Keanu Hilaire

September 30, 2019 by Su Hae Jang

Keanu Hilaire joins Northwood as an instructor in the Math Department and will be helping with the robotics program. He will also work as an Assistant Coach for the Boys’ Prep Hockey team. Keanu grew up in Montreal and attended Kent School for three years. He graduated from Williams College where he double majored in Computer Science and French and was the Captain of the Varsity Men’s Hockey Team.

That was the brief description of new teacher Mr. Keanu Hilaire on Northwood’s home page. The Mirror‘s editor-in-chief Su Hae Jang ’20 tried to get to know him a little better and filed this report.

Mr. Keanu Hilair (Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge).

Tell me a little about yourself.

I’m from Montreal, Canada. I currently live on Second East on campus.

I teach Pre-Calculus and Robotics at Northwood. Both of these are interesting fields of study for me because I studied Computer Science in college. I see Pre-Calc as the beginning of the harder type of math. A lot of students decide whether they like math or not in this course, so I think it’s a really important class to teach. But it’s also a lot of fun because math gets more interesting in Pre-Calc.

Northwood is a familiar environment for me. As a high schooler, I went to a prep school in Connecticut called Kent School. My college was also a very small college with only about 2,200 students. I love tight-knit communities because I feel like what I do matters. After graduation, a lot of my friends went to work for big companies, but I think that those places can sometimes make you feel like a small fish in a big pond. In a place like Northwood, I see the direct impact of what I’m doing. I think that’s important.

How did you first learn about Northwood? Why did you decide to come here?

Every time I drove down to school from Montreal, I saw the sign for Lake Placid. I visited Lake Placid a couple of times because it’s a beautiful and historic place. I was a hockey player in college, so I learned about Northwood from a couple of my friends who had played hockey here. I also had some alumni connections with the school from my college.

When you first got here, what was your first impression of Northwood? Has it changed?

During my orientation, which was before students got to campus, I thought Northwood as a nice, little, quiet, secluded place. Now I know that Northwood is actually a vibrant and exciting place. Everybody is here, and our whole community is together.

How is Northwood similar or different from the schools you attended?

Northwood is a little bit more secluded than schools in big cities, and we have the beautiful outdoors. We can see the stars at night. These aspects of a small community were similar in other places I’ve been to.

However, Northwood is also a little bit different from my elementary school and where I went to for my first four years of high school. I was in Montreal, which is more of a big city with lots of people. Cities have their own type of energy, but sometimes living in one can be a little overwhelming.

How do you expect to expand your hockey career here at Northwood? Are there any differences between being a player and being a coach?

It’s difficult being a coach when you’ve played for so long. You miss that rush you feel when you’re playing on the ice. But I think what’s going to push me forward in my hockey career right now is passing on the knowledge and experience to students who want to get further in hockey and have the same passion in the sport as I do.

What was your favorite day at Northwood so far? What challenges have you faced at Northwood so far?

I also liked Mountain Day, but my favorite day was definitely the first day of classes. Orientation kicked off my career at Northwood, but the first day of classes was what told me that I could do well this year.

I think the biggest challenge for me has been managing my time and workload. I need to make sure that I get work back to my students, go to practice on time, and so on. I don’t think you can get ready for everything that gets thrown at you in a place like this. And I think we all face the same challenges in terms of schedule. We all try to be on time, but the management of both time and work has been difficult. But we’re getting there.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

School Goes Crazy for Nuggets

September 24, 2019 by Mirror Staff

What’s crispy and gold on the outside and tender and warm on the inside? Welcome to Chicken Nugget Day — Northwood students’ most anticipated day of the year.

Graduation, Prom, and formals do not matter as long as we have chicken nuggets on our plate. “I’m very excited about Nug Day. It’s my favorite day,” Anneliese Munter ‘22 said. “Chicken Nugget Day makes me feel whole,” said Miranda Bookman ‘20.

More nuggets, please! (Photo: Miranda Bookman ’20).

Junior Amelia Brady loves nuggets. (Photo: Miranda Bookman ’20).

Nuggets in all their glory (Photo: Miranda Bookman ’20).

As the line winds into the living room, everyone is in awe of what is to come. No matter what country, continent, or planet you are from, the beautiful nuggets bring the Northwood community together. Whether you top the poultry morsels with barbecue, ranch, buffalo, or ketchup, the combinations are endless as you bite into the hot, crunchy goodness.

“Nug day is the most important day of the school year,” said Cian Murphy ‘22.

In contrast to the students, the kitchen staff dreads the stampede and havoc caused by chicken nuggets in the dining hall. “They’re wonderful…Lovely,” the kitchen staff said sarcastically when asked about nugget day.

“Oh my god, I’m so excited! I was having a pretty bad day, but then my friends said, ‘Gabby, it’s Nug Day,’ and I was like ‘Yes!’ I started crying. That’s how much Nug Day means to me,” Gabby Cote ‘21 said.

Reminding kids of Christmas day, Chicken Nugget Day is on the way.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

New Students Take on Northwood Orientation

September 23, 2019 by Luke French

New students arriving at Northwood School for the opening of school experienced various types of emotions. They were nervous, worried, and excited for the next chapter in their life away from home.

A typical orientation at a high school is simply going to school, getting your schedule, and then leaving. But at Northwood, students go through a lot more. First, they attend registration, collecting stamps on their checklists after talking to the Dean of Academic Affairs, the Director of Athletics, the Director of Technology, the school nurse, and so on. Then, they move into their dorm rooms. This means that the time for them to say goodbye to their parents is getting closer, which can be exciting, since they will be on their own, but also sad since they won’t be able to see their family for a long time.

Students participate in Northwood orientation activities in the fieldhouse (Photo: Northwood School Facebook)

As new students settled into their new home, the warm and welcoming community at Northwood gave comfort to many of them. Jack Schlifke ‘20 said, “I really liked how tightly knit the school was.” Marie-Jeanne Prince ‘22 said, “I felt welcomed, like a part of a community.”

Mixed emotions carried on throughout the rest of the orientation. “My parents have done everything that they could do for me my whole life, and it was definitely a little weird seeing them go home after orientation,” Schlifke said. Waking up to the ringing of your alarm clock instead of the yelling of your parents — “You’re gonna be late. Get up!” — may seem daunting at first, but learning to become more independent is one of the many advantages of going to a boarding school.

To help new students fit in, Northwood organized several days of activities for orientation. By the end of the week, the new students felt more comfortable since they were able to meet a lot of new people.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

43rd Mountain Day a Success [Slide Show]

September 23, 2019 by Ryan Combe

With another year in full swing at Northwood, faculty and students prepared themselves for one of the school’s oldest traditions: Mountain Day. Once every year, the Northwood community steps out of the classroom and into a day of adventure on the beautiful Adirondack mountains.

Preparing for the 2019 Mountain Day, Mr. Don Mellor, the English teacher and renowned rock/ice climbing coach, separated students into small groups that would each take on an assigned mountain. Last year, the school walked approximately 1,785 miles total–the distance from Northwood to Dallas, Texas. “The shortest hike is somewhere around four and a half miles,” said Mellor. “Regardless of how short or long the hike is, the most important thing is to have a good attitude.”

Mountain Day has been an annual school tradition for 43 years now, and many alumni look back to this tradition as one of their favorite memories at Northwood. However, students today had mixed opinions on the event. Audrey Higgins-Lopez ‘21 said, “I like Mountain Day because it is a time out of the classroom when we get a great outdoor experience and enjoy the environment we have around us.” Other students stand with Luke Smith 21’. “I feel like a lot of kids don’t like Mountain Day, so there is a negative energy among the students that day.”

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

New Students Add Diversity, Perspective to School

September 23, 2019 by Hadley Swedlund

With 72 new students from all over the world, the farthest one from South Africa, which is 7,970 miles away from Lake Placid, Northwood School continues to be an exceptionally diverse community. Overall, we have 194 students from nineteen states and 24 different countries. This diversity allows students and faculty not only to learn about others’ unique cultures, traditions, and values but also to create lifelong friendships.

New students may feel uneasy or intimidated about meeting different people, but they soon end up feeling at home, learning many similarities among differences.

Luke French ’20 (photo provided)

“I am a post-graduate from Overland Park, Kansas,” said Luke French ‘20. “My hobbies here at Northwood are playing on the junior hockey team and playing senior golf. I decided to come to Northwood to further my hockey career and my education so that I’m more prepared for college and my upcoming years,” said French.

Though Northwood is different from his home in that the school is “in the middle of nowhere,” according to French, he likes that Northwood allows him to meet new people. “I went to a public school before this year, so going to a prep school is a lot different. People come from all over the place, creating more diversity, instead of just a bunch of kids coming from one city. My first impression of Northwood was good because of what I have heard of it. But when I first pulled up [to the school], I was a little bit uneasy. After being here for about a week or so, I got to meet a lot of new people, and everyone has been treating me very well. The way I feel about the community is very great because there are so many open people that can help you with anything you need. I feel welcome here at school,” French said.

Marie-Jeanne Prince ’22 (Photo provided)

Marie-Jeanne Prince ‘22 is a U16 alpine skier who learned about Northwood from her neighbor Sarah Bennett ‘19. Prince said, “I am a new tenth grader from Quebec. I am fifteen years old, and my hobbies are mostly skiing and fitness. I came to Northwood because of the skiing program. Northwood is very different from home because where I am from, everybody is more independent. But here, we are more like a community, which is really nice. My first impression of Northwood was that everybody was super nice and welcoming and included every new student in their group.”

Ben Norton ’22 (Photo provided)

Like French and Prince, Ben Norton ‘22 is looking forward to furthering his athletic career as well. “I am from England, and I am fifteen. I came to Northwood for hockey. Northwood is a lot different from home because there are a lot of different cultures here. My first impression of Northwood was that everyone was very friendly and welcoming. [Northwood] seems like a great place to live,” Norton said.

Though Magdalena Erbenová ‘20 took time adapting to life in the United States, her attachment to Northwood has been steadily growing since she has arrived. Erbenová said, “I am a post-graduate, and I am from the Czech Republic. I am eighteen years old, and my hobbies are hockey, playing piano, skiing, and hanging out with my friends. I came to Northwood because I need to get better at English for my upcoming years at a university. Northwood is very different from where I went to school at home. I usually just went to school then came home instead of spending time with the people at school. So it is quite different that I am on campus at all times.”

Magdalena Erbenová ’20 (Photo provided)

“At home, I had about 14 subjects, but here, I only have five. There was also no dress code at my old school. We could wear whatever we wanted to. My first impression of Northwood was good because I really liked the location of the school, and I really liked that it is a small school with not a lot of people. I really like the community here at Northwood because everyone is very close to each other, and everyone, including teachers, helps each other out. Everyone seems connected to each other,” said Erbenová.

Although there are many differences among the students and faculty at Northwood, the diversity throughout the school continues to create a stronger, more bonded community, allowing new students to feel comfortable and at home.

Filed Under: Northwood Life

Students React to Dress Code

September 23, 2019 by Aimee Headland

Dress code: the most common phrase you hear when walking down the halls at Northwood School. With the next school year just kicking off, the faculty is buttoning down on dress code. It is clear that there are mixed emotions regarding Northwood’s dress code among both new and returning students. Ella Fesette ‘22 said, “the dress code doesn’t let students express their styles and themselves.” On the other hand, Madison Novotny ‘20 said, “I like the dress code as it makes everyone at Northwood look nice, welcoming, and professional.”

Marina Alvarez ’21, Lucas French ’20, and Ella Fesette ’22 demonstrating the differences between what is dress code (center) and what is not.

Northwood is unique in that we have students from over 24 different countries who all have different opinions on the dress code. For Ben Norton ‘22, Northwood is his third school and second preparatory school. “In England, I had to wear a blazer, tie, shirt, dress pants, and black shoes. In Austria, there was no dress code. [I think that] Northwood’s dress code is fair,” said Norton.

Camouflage is one of many styles of clothing against the school’s dress code. But many students, especially girls, find it difficult to understand why. Fesette said, “I disagree with camouflage being a dress code violation because personally, I love to wear camouflage. It is part of my style. [The rule] is taking away my opportunity to express my true self.” However, Magdalena Erbenova ‘20, a new student this year, said, “I don’t mind not wearing camouflage. If I could add anything [to the dress code], it would be denim, hoodies, and t-shirts.” She even believes that the dress code could get stricter. “In my opinion, I prefer uniforms because everyone is equal. And you don’t have to think about what you’re going to wear in the morning,” Erbenova said.

Early in Northwood’s history, students were required to wear formal dress: shirts, ties, and blazers. Over the years, Northwood’s dress code has become more relaxed with only one expectation remaining: looking smart and presentable. According to the Northwood School Handbook, “Northwood believes that neatness of dress and appearance conveys an attitude of seriousness and respect toward academics, ourselves and others, and toward all community activities at Northwood.”

The majority of Northwood students prefer to be more untucked about the dress code, but is a change possible?

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

Junior Team Set to Rebuild After a Successful Season

September 19, 2019 by Olivia Paul

Nate Boak ’20 (Photo: Mr. Mchael Aldridge).

Northwood’s Junior Hockey Team has had a lot of success in the past few years, including ending last season ranked 4th out of 139 teams. Led by celebrated coaches Trevor Gilligan and Chadd Cassidy, the 2018-19 squad made it to the USA Hockey Tier I U18 National Championships but lost in the semi finals.

With only three returning players from last year’s team, this is a rebuilding year. When asked how the team is doing so far, head coach Chadd Cassidy said, “To be honest I don’t know what the potential of the team is yet, because we are just getting started and the players are getting acclimated. We have so many players that aren’t used to the style and the system that we play and haven’t played at this level before. So it’s going to be a learning process in the beginning, but we have three really good returning players that are great leaders for us.”

Defenseman Nate Boak ‘20, one of the returning players, said, “It is different since there are only three returners on the team, but we see it more as an opportunity than a challenge. We will have to battle through adversity at some points and things might not go the way we want all the time but that’s a part of growing,” said Boak. “Just like past years, our team will develop into a family. The most important factor is time, it’s not gonna happen overnight,” he added.

Cassidy, Boak and rest of the team are ready to face new challenges and help this new team evolve into something greater. Boak is optimistic. “Just like past years our team will develop into a family,” he said.

The Huskies lost a 2-game home-and-home against New York State Tier I rival CP Dynamo and this weekend they face stiffer opponents. Husky-watchers are asking: Can they continue the legacy?

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

Northwood Expands Composting Program

September 19, 2019 by Su Hae Jang

Su Hae (Jessica) Jang ‘20 and Imani Hawman ‘20 with a bucket of kitchen waste headed to the composter (Photo: Mr. Tyler Eaton).

Two years ago, two freshmen began transforming food waste from the school kitchen into natural fertilizer for the garden on campus. Collaborating with the kitchen staff, the girls composted two five-gallon buckets of food scraps per week using a small compost tumbler adjacent to the school greenhouse. By their second year at Northwood, they had built an outdoor three-bin composting system behind the Friedlander science building and were composting about 70 to 80 gallons of organic waste every week.

As they begin their senior year, Su Hae (Jessica) Jang ‘20 and Imani Hawman ‘20 look forward to expanding the composting program at Northwood through the giant drum composter behind the Shipman Youth Center here in Lake Placid. “Northwood produces about 40 to 180 pounds of organic waste a day. The three-bin composting system didn’t have the capacity to handle all of that” said Jang, the President of Northwood’s Sustainability Committee. “Now that we have a new composter in town, we’ll be able to compost all of the food waste from the school kitchen and the dining hall, including bones, meat, oils, veggies, what have you,” she added.

The new composting machine is one of the three replicas of a model composter that was built at North Country School three years ago. Funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Cleaner, Greener Communities (CGC) Program, North Country School installed three additional composters this summer–one of each at Lake Placid Central School, Hermon De-Kalb Central School in St. Lawrence County, and The Wild Center, a natural history museum in Tupper Lake. Each composter can handle an input of 300 pounds of food waste each day, year-round.

Northwood was the first to partner with Lake Placid High School. Last Friday, on September 13th, Mr. Tyler Eaton, the faculty advisor of the Sustainability Committee, added the first buckets of food waste along with wood pellets to the composting facility. “The cost is $0.10 per pound of waste, the same cost for waste at the Town of North Elba Transfer Station,” Mr. Eaton said. “Since the Committee will be diverting all food waste from the back of the school kitchen, composting two to three times per week, Northwood’s trash dumpster size and pick-up schedule should decrease.”

As the teacher of Environmental Science at Northwood, Mr. Eaton thinks that students can further the composting efforts on campus by designing an independent study focusing on the impact of composting on sustainability. “It seems feasible that we create a course for composting. We could use half of that course time for actual composting, and use the other half to do some independent research, whether it might be research into the economic side, the environmental carbon footprint side, or the social aspect side of composting. A designated period for the course would be nice to get our compost transported multiple times a week,” said Mr. Eaton. He continued, “The course could be cool, interactive, and hands-on learning, and, at the same time, count toward hours of independent study.”

The problem remaining for the Sustainability Committee and the Northwood community is the lack of student volunteers to transport kitchen compost to the drum composter in town. “We need to find a way to involve more students. Right now, we need at least three volunteers who are willing to transport our food waste to the composter in one of their free periods,” Jang said. “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to compost organic waste locally, engage students, partner with the local community, all while decreasing the school’s carbon footprint. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me,” said Jang.