Northwood Life – The Mirror

Humans of Northwood: Luke Hurlbut ‘26

December 5, 2025 by Andrew Sherland

“I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my uncle, Mike Hurlbut ‘85, and sister Grace Hurlbut ‘25. Being so close to home, Northwood has always seemed like a great option for school and hockey, so I wanted to give it a try and see what it’s all about.

“The faculty and coaches at Northwood are key role models who will go above and beyond for you, so surrounding myself with people like that has been crucial to my success in academics and athletics. My teammates have had such a profound impact on me, and I know that when I leave Northwood, I will be leaving with lifelong friends and brothers.

“My favorite Northwood experience to date is Costa Rica LEAP. I also got a souvenir, a Costa Rica beach ball! We had such a great group, and we made so many memories that we still talk about this year. Getting to experience and learn about another culture while making new friends is something I truly value and will carry with me forever. My favorite hockey game so far at Northwood was against South Kent last year, when I played lights out, and we won big.

“To be honest, the best thing about Northwood, especially hockey, has to be the culture instilled in everyone from day one. The respect and accountability that is harped on has really made everyone so much better, and that is what I love about Northwood and its community. There is truly no other place like it, and I will be very sad when I have to leave. However, I plan to make the most of my time here and leave with as many friends and memories as possible. In the wise words of the great Theo Ghanime, ‘Who’s to say, huh?’”

As told to Andrew Sherland ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Three Northwood Girls Compete at 18U Canadian Nationals

December 5, 2025 by Anna Monette

St-Pierre, McLean, and Lachapelle at the Provincial Championships. Photo provided.

In the weeks before Thanksgiving Break, three Northwood girls’ hockey players were away from campus for a very special reason: they were selected to play for their Canadian provincial national teams. Loelie Lachapelle ’26 and Penelope St-Pierre ’27 represented Team Québec, while Summer MacLean ’28 represented Team Atlantic.

The annual tournament brings together the best young female players across Canada, offering a chance to showcase their skills on a national stage. For these Northwood athletes, it was not only an opportunity to compete at a high level but also to represent their provinces—and the school—with pride.

“This was definitely a life-changing experience. I was one of the younger girls on the team, which scared me at first, but once I got to know everyone, I really liked the team and we all clicked fast,” said MacLean. MacLean’s team not only made it to the final game, but it was also the first time in history that Team Atlantic had ever reached the championship. “Being a part of a team where we were able to make history is something I’ll never forget. And for the final, since it was in Newfoundland, we had a lot of fans who were really rooting for us to win. Since it was technically our home ice, it was really loud in there—and I loved it,” she added. MacLean and her team finished the tournament with silver medals.

“Winning gold in this tournament after participating for three years in a row and coming up short with a silver medal was surreal. Being able to represent my province and make history was one of my biggest goals, and I finally made it come true,” said Lachapelle, who has been at Northwood for three years and has represented Québec at this tournament each year. “Not only did I win a gold medal, but I also found a second family. My teammates and coaches were always there. When I was going through a rough day, they were going through a rough day. Everyone was a part of a puzzle, and it was what made us so successful in the end. I cannot put into words how proud I am of every single player on my team, and I truly am grateful for the experience.”

“From the very start of the tournament, I could tell we had a winning team,” said St-Pierre. “There was definitely a lot of pressure on me with it being my first time attending this tournament, and because the team had lost in the finals the past two years in a row. That made the feeling of winning even better, and I hope that next year I get invited back and we can bring home the championship again.” She added, “Northwood prepared me well for this tournament, and although this was a life-changing experience, I missed Northwood and am ready to be back and play some Husky hockey.”

These three girls continue to represent the Northwood name with pride.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Sports

College Application Season Ramps Up

December 5, 2025 by Andrew Sherland

Photo by Inspirit AI.

As college application season reaches its peak, Northwood seniors are navigating a hectic yet career-defining process. Everyone’s college journey is different, as students at Northwood have a wide range of priorities. Many athletes are hoping for a prestigious commitment and scholarship, while others are simply casting a wide net to keep their options open.

“It was stressful at the beginning and transferring from a different school, but I got it figured out and settled down. I am trying to play ACHA hockey next year, so I applied to schools with strong club programs and academics,” said first-year goalie Ethan Nau ’26. He applied to a handful of schools, including College of Charleston, George Mason, Ohio State, Elon, and South Carolina. “I wanted to apply to a variety of schools to give myself options. I am intending to major in finance.”

“I applied to Babson, Villanova, Colgate, and Queens,” said soccer player James Martin ’26. “The process was straightforward for me. What took the most time was revising the supplemental essays and questions, but Reno did an excellent job assisting me. I plan on majoring in business.”

“I am playing junior hockey next year, but I still applied to schools as a backup plan. I applied to Canadian universities Carleton and Queens—one for education and one for business law. I am still working on applications to American schools such as St. Lawrence University, Clarkson, Hamilton, and Arizona State University,” said second-year goalie Owen MacLean ’26. “The process was less stressful for me because I viewed it as more of a contingency plan, but I still took it seriously and applied to schools with a balance of athletics and academics.”

As the Class of 2026 waits eagerly for decisions to roll in, uncertainty mixes with excitement about where they will spend the next four years of their lives. Forty percent of seniors have already submitted applications, and the total number sent is approaching 200. There will surely be articles later in the year covering acceptances—so stay tuned!

Filed Under: Northwood Life

Hartford Wolfpack Practice in Lake Placid

December 5, 2025 by Owen MacLean

Photo: Hartford Wolf Pack.

After the morning practice on November 5th, the Boys Prep and Varsity teams got a massive surprise on the 1932 rink, when the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack came on the rink after them to practice. The Prep team had the chance to watch the Wolfpack practice before heading back to school.

“I just really liked seeing how skilled everyone was, and they were all extremely dialled. They did not make any mistakes,” noted Charles Pigeon ‘26

The team’s reason for practicing in Lake Placid is unknown, but professional teams have been known to come into town to play on the Olympic rinks to try to break their losing streaks. The Wolfpack have started the season with a losing record of 3-6. So maybe this was a special trip to our local area to try to help out their season. Or it may be because they were making their way north to Montreal, Quebec to play the Laval Rockets on Friday night.

The Hartford Wolfpack is the AHL farm team for the New York Rangers. The team is pretty young, with several really well-known former junior and NCAA players on the Roster. Parker Thompson ’26 is a close family friend of Carey Terrance. “We always grew up together. Our parents are very close. We train together in the off-season, and I hang out with him a lot back home,” said Thompson. Terrance was the captain last season for the OHL’s Erie Otters and gold medal winner at the 2025 World Junior Championships for Team USA. Former OHL champion with the Peterborough Petes and 2023 World Junior Champion for Team Canada, Brennan Othmann, was also on the ice. As well as Gabe Perrault, last year’s Hockey East Champion with Boston College and teammate of Terrance on Team USA at the 2025 World Junior Championships. Perrault would be called up to the New York Rangers later that week.

The opportunity to watch these players up close is a unique experience. Thompson noted, “The main difference between their practice and ours was the nonstop communication between guys. They could also just do things at a lot higher pace.” It’s an opportunity to see up close what it takes to make it to the next level in pro hockey.

While their practice at the Lake Placid Olympic Center did not break their losing streak. The Wolfpack ended up losing 4-2 to the Laval Rocket on Friday night and 2-1 to the Belleville Sens on Saturday night, it hopefully was a fun experience for their players to get a taste of Lake Placid and learn a little bit about the history of the rinks.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

Dorm Room Tour: The Triple on Second East

December 5, 2025 by Cody Betsch

Welcome to Adam Sherman ’26 , Hunter Bridges ‘26, and Max Stracar’s ‘26 room. All three are seniors here at Northwood, and they have some experience living together. Adam and Hunter are longtime friends who grew up together in Saratoga. They met Max two years ago and previously lived in a billet house with each other. Max is from Syosset, New York.

Having three people in a room can definitely make it hard to keep the room neat. When I took this picture, though, they were packing for the upcoming weekend. It is usually cleaner here, with plenty of space to hang out. The boys bought Christmas lights and a Christmas tree to get into the holiday spirit.

These are their jerseys from the former team that they played on together. These jerseys bring back many great memories for them from the last two years of playing and living together.

This is Hunter’s side of the room. He bought a carpet because it looks nice and because the floor can get cold in the morning. He added a bean bag so that friends would have a good spot to hang out. All three boys have gaming consoles. They like to play NHL with each other, but also enjoy gaming on their own and with friends from around school and back home.

Despite the messy room, the boys like to keep track of what’s to come for them. Whether that’s upcoming assignments, tests, trips home, meetings, hockey, etc. The board is empty in this picture because the week was over for them, and they wanted to have a clean board for next week.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Seniors Reflect on Their Four Years at Northwood

December 5, 2025 by Nate Benjamin

We’re approaching the halfway point of the school year, and seniors are preparing to apply to colleges and universities—or are already finished applying. Everyone is excited to be in “the best grade.” Students are working hard and having fun during their last year at Northwood. Some four-year seniors shared their thoughts on their final months at school.

Slagel this year. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Slagel in 9th grade. Photo by Mr. Michael Adridge.

“I’ve spent these four years of my life in this place making friends, colleagues, and living in the Adirondacks as well,” said Jacob Slagel ’26. “Now, with college coming soon, everything is going to change as I move on to the next steps. But all I can do is make the most of the time I still have at Northwood,” Slagel added.

Spear this year. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Spear in 9th grade. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Yosef Spear also reflected on his time here. “Yeah, this year is bittersweet—with huge leaps forward, but also having to leave all the great moments and memories from these past four years.”

As they reminisce about their time at Northwood, seniors are still focused on their academics. Slagel added, “I still do all my work and haven’t missed any classes yet. But I mean sometimes, like, let’s say we’re on the bus, I do like claiming that single seat.” This shows that senior year is both academically focused and a time to enjoy small traditions before graduation.

Another question seniors felt strongly about was their favorite teachers. While some said they liked all their teachers, the majority agreed that Mr. LeBlanc is their favorite. He is known as an excellent teacher, and I agree with that sentiment as a four-year senior myself.

The senior class has already been through more than three months of the school year, which feels surreal. Soon, we will be ringing the bell and saying our farewells to Northwood for the last time.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Cookie-Baking Contest a Success

December 5, 2025 by Yosef Spear

Ben White ’27 and his group had a chance to win – until they used baking powder instead of baking soda – in their recipe. Photo provided.

Northwood held a weekend cookie-baking contest before Thanksgiving break. It was a quiet weekend on campus, with only the girls’ hockey team, a few skiers, injured soccer players, and independents at school. There were many creative cookie designs.

The contest winners have not been announced yet, but it is expected that one of the girls’ hockey teams will take the top spot. Benjamin White ’26, who won the last competition, did not perform as well this time.

White’s team attempted to bake sugar cookies with Hershey Kisses in the middle. The team had hoped to defend Ben’s title as champion, but they unfortunately used baking powder instead of baking soda. Reflecting on the mistake, team member Tziyon Morris ’26 said, “I think we would have won if we had used baking soda. No one really stood a chance, but it was just a little laziness that got to us that night.”

Student bakers took over the kitchen for the event. Photo provided.

“Yeah, I had a long day and forgot to use baking soda, but I honestly think the cookies were good either way,” White added.

The girls’ hockey team entered several baking groups with different cookie designs, and one of their teams ended up creating the best cookies. Cora Major ’27 said, “It was very fun but stressful making the dough. We could never tell whether we had the right amount of something, but the cookies still came out well. It was a nice activity for a boring weekend.”

Filed Under: Northwood Life

Northwood Care: Thanksgiving Fundraiser

November 20, 2025 by Justin MacLeod

Mrs. Lisa Wint (left) and Florence Rochard ’26 staffing the Thanksgiving fundraiser table. Photo by Justin MacLeod ’26.

Northwood CARE’s Thanksgiving fundraiser aims to raise funds for the Food Pantry this November.

The sale consists of $1 cans of Vegetables and Fruit; $2 each of Cranberry sauce, Gravy mix, and Rice pilaf; $3 each of Apple Sauce, sweet potatoes, and Stuffing mix; $5 each of a bag of potatoes and a dessert Pie; lastly, $15 for a Turkey.

Will Wong ’27 said, “The way we collect money is by Vemo and cash, but if a student does not have any Vemo or cash, then we can charge the student’s account.” Will added, “The reason why we are doing this is that it’s going to a good cause for people and families in need.” Will said, “My goal for this fundraiser is to beat last year’s money raised.”

“This is my first year of care, and everything I have done with them has been a blast. Donating to people or families in need has been amazing, which always brings a smile to my face,” Will said.

This Thanksgiving fundraiser is raising money for people and families in need, with Care and the Food pantry working together to ensure they have the best Thanksgiving possible.

Florence Richard ’26 said, “Mrs. Wint has been doing this fundraiser for many years now, and each year it’s been increasing. As the Food Pantry relies on us, we are happy to help.” Flo added, “The goal is to raise as much money for a good cause, but a big goal is seeing people involved in this fundraiser as much as possible, and it makes it more meaningful.”

Flo said, “The money raised, we go grocery shopping, and we buy what the articles have been asked for, or the Food pantry requests, then we bring the groceries back to the Food pantry.

“The Thanksgiving fundraiser is one of the many fundraisers we will have this year,” Mrs. Wint added.

For a Thanksgiving tradition, Flo added, “I am thankful for the opportunities given to me and the sacrifices my family made for me.” Will said, “I am thankful for my family supporting my studies at Northwood and the friends I made along my way.”

This fundraiser is still underway, with many days left. Right now, they have reached halfway to last year’s money raised, and they will continue to go up for the people and families in need.

This is an excellent event for the Northwood community, and there will be many more to come.

Filed Under: Northwood Life

Thanksgiving Traditions

November 17, 2025 by Kevin Betsch

As Thanksgiving Break approaches, the excitement of going home is evident in many students around campus. Many students have unique family traditions and ways of celebrating the holiday.

“I am going home for Thanksgiving Break!” said senior Mark Tverskoy. Tverskoy is from Ivanovo, Russia, and will be taking a long trip home for the holiday. He is flying out of Boston, connecting in Turkey, and then making a final stop in Moscow. Although he is traveling home, Tverskoy noted that Thanksgiving is not traditionally celebrated in Russia. “In Russia, Thanksgiving is not celebrated by many people, but I do think that the idea of Thanksgiving is growing. Thanksgiving is my favorite American holiday because I just love the idea of people celebrating how thankful they are for everything they have!”

Senior Hunter Bridges is heading home to Saratoga, New York, for the break. When asked about his Thanksgiving traditions, he said, “My entire family from my dad’s side goes to my grandparents’ house each year. I just really love spending time with my family members, and after being away from home for a while, it’s nice to catch up.” Bridges also shared his favorite Thanksgiving foods: “My aunt makes this really good sugar cookie cake every year, but my favorite food is the stuffing for sure.”

“I usually go over to my best friend’s house with my family,” said senior Henry Kress when asked about his plans for Thanksgiving. Kress is traveling home to California for the break and is excited for the warmer weather and the California sun. “My mom’s pumpkin pie is my favorite thing for sure—make sure to add the extra whipped cream. I also love the mac and cheese my friend’s mom makes.” He added, “It will just be so nice to go home and spend time with my friends and family, whom I haven’t seen in a while. I’m also excited to see my dog, Po.”

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Exploring Meaning in Photography

November 14, 2025 by Jacob Slagel

Photos do more than show a scene. They ask us to feel something and to decide what matters. As students and faculty discussed the meaning of a photo, their answers converged on the same idea. Images hold emotion, and that emotion helps us remember, connect, and sometimes change.

Dr. Scott Campbell, a faculty member, highlighted how the mind processes pictures over time. He noted that younger people tend to hold onto negative images longer than older people. “There is a difference in how we remember images,” he said, adding that some researchers think it is adaptive. Young people may be more alert to risk, while older people may not process the same images in the same way. His point set a tone for the rest of the conversation. A photo is more than pixels. It lands in a person with a history, a mood, and a body.

Campbell also brought up accuracy. “Memory is not ever an accurate recall,” he said. We rebuild moments with bias and feeling. A picture can act like evidence because it freezes details that our minds might change. At the same time, a photo is not neutral. Choices about light, timing, and framing shape what we see. That tension makes images powerful. They can preserve what happened, and they can guide how we feel about it.

Students kept coming back to emotion. For Aidan De Hartog ’27, the strongest meaning is the chance to relive a moment that would otherwise pass. “Sometimes in the moment of certain situations, a photo is a way to relive that moment,” he said. He talked about sports and the way a single frame allows an athlete to return to an action that is gone the moment it ends. Aidan also thinks photos surprise us. You expect to feel one thing, but when you see the image, a different feeling arrives. “Photos can bring different emotions to people,” he said. That surprise is part of the meaning.

Max Mortimer ’29 focused on perspective. He sees meaning working on two levels. There is a personal meaning that ties to your own life, and there can be a broader meaning that sits above any one person. Max thinks our beliefs and experiences shape what we notice. “Everyone has a different perspective,” he said. One person might read a photo as happy, another might read it as sad. He also believes that some images can still convey emotion even without a backstory. You can look, guess what the photo is trying to show, and feel something honest.

Will Wong ’27 connected photos to memory in a simple way. He takes pictures to remember what is beautiful and what matters to him. Family gatherings and travel opportunities arose immediately. He described seeing a view that exists only in one place and wanting to record it so he can carry it with him. That idea is not complicated, but it is the root of why many people point a camera at anything they see. A photo keeps a moment close.

Across all the interviews, a pattern emerged. People respond to photos that resemble them, and they also react to photos that do not. Campbell put it this way. We gravitate towards what we recognize, and we are also drawn to what is new. That mix gives a photo room to teach. Images can confirm what we believe, and they can shift our worldview when they show us something we have not encountered before.

There was also an honest question about presence: Does taking a photo pull you out of the moment? Dr. Campbell said it can be hard to be present from behind the camera. At the same time, paying close attention can almost feel like a form of meditation. Many student photographers know that balance. Sometimes, the act of making the image is how you notice more. Other times, you need to put the camera down.

If there is a single lesson to be learned from these conversations, it is that meaning lives on both sides of the lens. The photographer chooses what to honor with attention. The viewer brings a self to the picture. The meeting point is where the action is. That is why the same image can comfort one person and unsettle another. It is also why some photos last. They carry enough open space for different viewers to find a way in.

What, then, makes a photo important? The answers here suggest a few tests. It holds a feeling that stays. It helps you relive a moment you care about. It preserves details your memory might blur. It allows you to see a person or a place more clearly, or to see yourself more clearly. None of that requires a famous subject or a perfect composition. It does require attention, though, from both the photographer and the viewer.

A photo cannot reveal the complete truth, and memory cannot either. Together, they get us closer to it. That might be the work of photography in our lives. We carry images so we can carry meaning, and we return to them when we need to remember who we are, what we value, and where we hope to go next.