Northwood Life – The Mirror

Entrepreneurship Class Provides Challenge and Opportunity

November 1, 2023 by Lea Lambert

How would you feel if you became a person who organized and operated a business and took on greater financial risk? Wouldn’t it feel exciting and inspirational? That’s how Northwood Entrepreneurship students feel every day. Entrepreneurship is a Peak Pathway led by Mr. Thomas ”Brody” Broderick.

What really is Entrepreneurship? Why do students enjoy this class so much? What made me so captivated by this class? For this, I needed to write down my thoughts because I couldn’t find the exact little thing that made me excited to go to class every day.

Brody at the Hub. Photo: Lea Lambert ’24.

Students at work. Photo: Lea Lambert ’24.

Teegan Wardlaw ’25 at work. Photo: Lea Lambert ’24.

The Northwood School Innovation Hub on Main Street. Photo: Lea Lambert ’24.

After some reflection, I’ve concluded that it challenges me. In my life, never have I had the task to either create a project on my own, build a brand, or start something that could make the world better. The idea that we can change something gives me a purpose to keep my ideas going further. I was having a challenging time finding an idea at first. I tried creating an avalanche rescue kit but failed. I then tried cut-proof speed suits for racers, but it still wasn’t the one. When I went back home for Family Weekend, I had a Thanksgiving dinner with my family. We brought the subject up and that’s when I realized, I found my idea, and ever since, nothing has changed my mind about it.

In the first week of school, Brody asked us a question. I asked Teegan Wardlaw ’25 what challenges her the most in the entrepreneurship class, she said, “Thinking of an idea and sticking to it is hard because I often don’t have enough self-discipline.” Wardlaw also mentioned that the independent class felt different than a teacher-led class. Teegan is one of only two girls in this class with me, but that doesn’t bother her. She knew she would be out of her comfort zone, but most of the time, that’s a good thing.

I think this class only brings benefits for students. It will help students develop their entrepreneurship knowledge and, who knows, maybe one day we will be following the story of a Northwood entrepreneur.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

Seven Hockey Players Committed to Colleges

November 1, 2023 by Mitchell Baker

Six girls’ hockey players are committed to colleges already. Photo of a recent lineup card by Mitchell Baker ’25.

As the 2023-24 school year has commenced, the hockey teams are off to a record-breaking start. Four girls have committed to top Division 1 and Division 3 programs that will put them on a positive trajectory in life. On the boys’ team, the first commit of the new year is Ritter Coombs ‘25. Ritter has committed to Providence University, a Division 1 hockey powerhouse.

“Committing” is a major goal for many athletes at Northwood. The most common answer to the question “Why did you come to Northwood?” is “to further my academic and athletic ability and one day attend a top university.” Coombs started his Northwood journey last year as a sophomore with the ambition to one day play Division 1 hockey.

“Committing to Providence and a Division 1 school is something I’ve been dreaming of my whole life. It means a lot to me and my family. All the money, time, and effort spent has paid off.” In men’s hockey, players commonly play a year or two of junior hockey before starting college. Committing as a junior in high school means Ritter could take his first step on campus any time in the next five years.

“I’m not exactly sure what’s next,” Coombs said. “I seem to have an opportunity to play in Dubuque next year for the Fighting Saints of the USHL. I could also come back to Northwood and play for Coach Mallaro. I am not sure when I will go to Providence. It depends on how I progress on the ice.”

Girls’ Hockey has four new commits, making a total of six committed players on its team. The two commits from the 2022-23 school year are Scout Oudemool ‘24 (Harvard University) and team captain Halle Mules ‘24 (Saint Lawerence University). The new commits are Katie Demers ‘24 (SUNY Oswego), Hilary Wilkin ‘25 (University of Vermont), Kristen Kiggen ‘24 (Long Island University), and Sofia DeAnzeris ‘25 (University of Vermont).

Demers is a 3-year senior who plays a crucial leadership role at the school on and off the ice. “The commits so far this year have been great for the program,” Demers said. “Sophia and Hilary are great pickups for UVM. I know they are looking forward to playing there. Kristen’s commitment to Long Island University is also a big deal. I don’t know much about LIU, but Kristen will do well anywhere. She plays an important role in our team culture, and I am sure she will thrive,” Demers added.

Demers was humble when she spoke about her own decision. “I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to play at SUNY Oswego. I have dreamed of playing hockey in college and can’t wait. I am thankful for everyone at Northwood and am now focused on putting my jersey in a better place for those who will come in the future.”

These major commitments continue to grow the reputation of both Northwood School and its hockey program.

Despite the positive news, a commitment to a university does not guarantee that a student will attend that college. A commitment to a program is verbal and is not legally binding, which means that, technically, either party can de-commit. When athletes commit, they have committed to the sports team at the program, meaning they still must apply for the school like everyone else. Many athletes, particularly at Division 1 programs, get a recommendation from the athletic department, meaning their grades don’t have to be on par with the average admitted student at that college. It is rare for a college to de-commit a player based on poor athletic performance. Colleges avoid this because it develops a poor reputation that will heavily impact them in later recruiting classes. The most common reason for a college to de-commit an athlete is when they drop their grades or conduct themselves poorly online or away from athletics.

Another misconception about committing is that the student-athletes can relax until they start college. This is not the case. The five hockey stars will have to continue to work hard on and off the ice to solidify their spot at their chosen university.

Northwood is so proud to have helped these students achieve their dreams and are optimistic for their future.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports, Top Story

Generations Tap and Grill Offers Good Food and Atmosphere

November 1, 2023 by Gavin Kruger

Generations Tap and Grill on Main Street. Photo provided.

With its unique and relaxed atmosphere, Generations Tap and Grill is hidden at the end of Main Street. The diverse, high-quality menu has some delicious offerings. This laid-back restaurant makes you feel at home.

After sitting down, I took in the surroundings. The open, spacious format was unlike other restaurants I have been to. Tables were spread out, leaving a lot of open space. At first, I was surprised by the setup; it felt like they could seat more people. The format played into the relaxed feel of the restaurant.

The service was great. The server was accommodating and came back frequently to see if I had decided on my order. The fantastic menu ranged from German soup and 8-ounce burgers to meatloaf. Generations had it all. I ordered the German dip, a sandwich that contained thinly sliced roast beef, caramelized onion jam, Swiss cheese, and roasted garlic aioli on a hoagie roll. In addition, the sandwich came with fries and a delicious onion jus dip. It enhanced the flavor of my dinner. The meal was appetizing, but it left me wanting more. Also, the fries could have been better. Overall, the food was good, but not amazing. It is a very good option if you’re looking for a bite to eat on a night out. It was priced at 17 dollars.

With good food and a great vibe, Generations is a restaurant everyone should dine in at least once. Personally, I will be returning to try some more of their food. I am looking forward to trying one of their burgers.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World

Humans of Northwood: Sophia Schupp ‘24

November 1, 2023 by Lea Lambert

I’ve always had big goals in mind, and Northwood has helped me accomplish so many of them. I was not even two years old when I started skiing at Windham Mountain in southern New York. I knew right away I wanted to be a ski racer.

Skiing is and will always be the thing that makes me feel the most myself; I just feel so alive when I ski. Skiing has brought me opportunities that I will forever be grateful for, like traveling to such cool places and meeting friends who have always been there for me and quickly became my second family. I will always remember our long rides traveling to races and then stopping at Stewarts, where I would always get some cheese and some pickles.

When I came to Northwood as a freshman, I didn’t know at all what life had in store for me. I just knew Northwood was the right place. Now, as a senior, I know that college will be challenging, but I am fully ready to live it. Next year, I would like to attend a good university where I will be able to enjoy myself, pursue my education, and prepare for my future life.

One of the people who had an impact on my life during my time here at Northwood is Masie Crane’23. Masie graduated from Northwood last year as a four-year survivor, something I am looking forward to. Masie has always brought positivity to my life and always looked out for me just like a big sister does for her little sister. Even though she’s not here anymore, she is always there to support me.

As told to Lea Lambert ’24. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Humans of Northwood: Parker Asbridge ‘24

November 1, 2023 by Lea Lambert

I’ve always dreamed of attending High School in the United States, but I’ve never expected it to be as life-changing for me as it has been. When I first arrived at Northwood, everything was new for me. A new country, new hockey team, new teammates, everything was just unknown to me.

But it didn’t take long before I felt at home. One of the people who has marked my time here was Junior Happi ’23. I remember Junior welcoming me in Berg when I first got to campus. His positivity made me feel warmly received.

Before playing hockey, my parents decided to sign me up for gymnastics class. I enjoyed it, but it was not the sport for me. I needed something more active. That’s when my passion for hockey started. At age five, I got my first pair of skates back home in Halifax. Since then, I’ve been on the ice almost every day. Hockey has such an important place in my life, when I’m in the locker room with all the guys and we’re playing some music before a game, that’s when I feel the most myself and it’s something I’m going to miss next year.

Being at Northwood opened my eyes and made me realize how grateful I must be for the people around me when I’m so far from home. Having a second family here helps me keep my attitude and mindset right, and it helps me focus on my goals in life. One of my main goals is to play hockey at a good University in the United States. That way, I can pursue my education and reach my best potential in hockey and in life.

As told to Lea Lambert ‘24. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Humans of Northwood: Ahmed El Ganainy ‘24

November 1, 2023 by Hamish Riddell

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. My name is Ahmed El Ganainy. I am on the Soccer team, I am a senior, and this is my second year at Northwood. Growing up, my life was very nice. I lived in Cairo my whole childhood, but my family is originally from a small city called El Sharqeya.

I love to cook whenever I am bored, and I have acted in the Arabic version of Saturday Night Live. Not many people know that about me. Before Northwood, I attended the British International School of Cairo for 11 years, and my previous soccer club was Called Zed FC and was considered one of the country’s best soccer teams.

I decided to come to Northwood because of the world-class soccer program and good academics. My goal is to attend the best university I can. I’ve enjoyed my time at Northwood immensely, and getting to know people from all over the world has been, and still, is, remarkably interesting to me.

Being a part of the U17 soccer team last year, I enjoyed the time I had. I was injured for most of the season, but those unfortunate events did not stop me from being with my teammates and making sure I still had that team bond.

This year, my relationships with all my teammates are good, and we have an amazing group. I hope we can win our league this year and play some good soccer. After my Northwood career ends, I plan to study Sports Management in college whilst continuing my soccer career to achieve my dream of becoming a pro soccer player. If this dream does not work out, another dream of mine would be to become a worldwide agent and scout for young players and teams.

As told to Hamish Riddell ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

CARE Builds Community Through Service

November 1, 2023 by Maegan Byrne

This year, a popular club at Northwood has been upgraded to a co-curricular offering, allowing them to achieve more than in previous years. CARE, Northwood’s community service organization, focuses on supporting the Lake Placid community through small but impactful gestures.

CARE students in service activities. Photo provided.

This year, CARE consists of seven active members that provide leadership, including Griffin Beam ’25, Brian Brady ’25, Nora Fitzsimmons ’25, Emma Hathaway ’24, Jenny Tran ’25, Teagan Wentzel ’25, and JT Wint ’25. Ms. Lisa Wint is the adviser.

In September, CARE gathered and sorted a surplus textbook inventory and then sold or donated books no longer used on campus. Over Family Weekend, despite the cold temperatures and rain, CARE had a successful bake sale fundraiser to support Lake Placid’s local food pantry. Students baked cupcakes, cookies, Rice Krispie treats, dog treats, and sold hot chocolate, coffee, and Gatorade. Jenny Tran, ’25, says, “I love giving back to the community.”

CARE has also been involved in helping with the community coat drive run by Mrs. Wright and the Adirondack Community Church. They have advertised, collected, sorted, and delivered coats to the town nursing home and will continue supporting this cause through the official event date in November. CARE is also actively looking for local people, friends, and school neighbors who could use help doing chores around the house, like stacking wood and raking leaves. Their first task was to help an elderly man pack and move some bulky items when he moves to a new apartment.

Looking towards the future, CARE is getting ready to kick off a Halloween Candy Gram fundraiser to help support the Backpack Program, which provides food for local children over the weekends and holidays when they do not attend school.

“I’m excited to see our students getting involved and giving back to our community. My hope is that they develop a life-long love for volunteering and helping others,” says Mrs Wint.

Filed Under: Northwood Life

Cobble Trail Receives Major Upgrade

November 1, 2023 by Jordan Shullenberger

The Cobble Hill trail has become more popular with the public. Last year, it was estimated that around 10,000 people hiked Cobble. With the increasing abundance of hikers, a new trail is being created to keep the hikers off the Northwood property and other private property, boost the Northwood profile, and create a trail that is more hiker-friendly while also being more nature-friendly.

The view from the top of Cobble (Photo: Jordan Shullenberger ’24).

The upgraded Cobble Hill trail (Photo: Jordan Shullenberger ’24).

A trail marker on the updated Cobble Hill Trail, October 2023. Photo by Mr. John Spear.

Cobble is a small rock-faced hill on the Northwood campus. Driving up to the school entrance, Cobble lies to the right of the school, and behind the grass lawn. It’s a short 20-minute hike with a nice view. Websites and nature journals posting about Cobble have increased the popularity of the trail. A new trail is being created to make it easier for people from the public to climb the hill without them being on school property and private property and damaging the existing trail. The school owns the property that the trail is on, and the goal is to close parking access next to the classroom building and push visitors to the wooded area of the campus.

I had a chance to talk about the trail with Mr. Thomas Broderick, Northwood’s Associate Head of School for External Affairs. He has overseen the production. We had a good conversation, and he showed me the old blueprints of the school property and explained the decision-making.

Cobble Hill trails saw a spike in traffic a few years ago. “The world changed. The most-hiked small hike in the Adirondacks got a new owner, and they closed it down,” Broderick said. That trail was predominantly used by young families. So, we saw an increase in people coming [to Cobble], and it started to swell, and by unofficial estimates, we get close to 10,000 visitors a year.”

At the same time, school safety started to become an issue nationwide.

“The school board, led by the safety committee, started to question why we were inviting 10,000 visitors on campus,” Broderick said. “If you live in Berg, you see people parking in that lot and walking into the woods. When the pandemic hit, we closed public access to our campus. Those signs are down, and we still say there’s no parking, but until we rectify the access at the bottom of the road, people continue,” he continued,” Broderick added.

There were several incidents this summer of people wandering around on school property. Over the summer, a woman walked into Mr. Spear’s apartment in the Bergamini dorm looking for a bathroom. Also, just recently, a couple parked their car on the Northwood front loop, and wandered their way to the pavilion looking for the trailhead, following directions on a out-of-date website.

“During the pandemic, we also closed off the access to the Cobble trails across from the Berg parking lot,” Broderick remembered. “The problem was that with so many visitors, the trail started to get wider and deteriorate. So, about two years ago, I spoke to the Adirondack Land Trust, who was concerned when we closed it down during COVID. They wanted the trail open again and said, ‘we need to redesign this trail,’” recounted Broderick.

“So, the Cobble Hill Trail Organization, consisting of the school, which is the lead because we own the property, neighbors, BETA, and invested partners have all gotten together to ask what we can do to make the trail better,” said Broderick. “The Adirondack Land Trust has raised $500,000 to renovate the trails,” he added.

The trail renovation has 4 phases to completion. 2 of the phases have already been completed, and Mr. Broderick estimates that all 4 phases will be completed in the next year.

Broderick says he hopes the trail can also be used as an outdoor learning space that also promotes the school to visitors of the trail.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World

Humans of Northwood: Brac Kelley ‘24

November 1, 2023 by Hamish Riddell

My life growing up was pretty average, I would even go as far as to say it was a little bit boring. As a public-school kid, my life leading up to Northwood, I had zero exposure to private school life and being a boarding student. The three main sports I played growing up were Football, Lacrosse, and Hockey. Football was my favorite sport as a child, and I miss it a lot.

I like to say I am a copy of my older brother. I have been a part of every sport he played and every class he has taken.

Before Northwood, I played hockey under Russian coaches, one of the coolest things I have been involved in. They know hockey like no one else. I played on my first girls’ hockey team for an AA travel team during my freshman year. We were given a vague indication about prep schools and a little insight into them. We did some research. One of the schools was Milbrook, another was the North American Hockey Academy, and finally Northwood School. I came to Northwood for a tour in January of my freshman year. I loved the school and instantly decided to come here.

My time at Northwood has been a roller coaster. My first year was completely different because of COVID, and I had to adjust to that. I would say that my junior year (2021-22) was my best. We were still getting hit by small COVID blasts, but overall, that was my best year.

My relationships with my teammates have been up and down. Every year is different, every girl is different. You will make a best friend every year, but that has nothing to do with how next year will pan out. With new girls coming every year, no year is the same, so it is always something to change and adjust to.

Looking to the future, I plan to attend a Division 1 school for hockey and hopefully get into physical therapy afterwards, but no one can predict the future so who knows what it holds. I have loved my time here at Northwood and look forward to what’s to come.

As told to Hamish Riddell ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Students Make the Most of Family Weekend

November 1, 2023 by Lea Lambert

Why is family weekend so important for Northwood’s community? Family weekend is a tradition here at Northwood. Students get to receive their parents on campus, show them around, talk, and reconnect with them.

Last weekend, approximately 70 families came to campus for Family Weekend. The annual event is the perfect opportunity for parents to come around and see what their kids’ daily lives look like, eat breakfast and lunch with their children, and experience the community. Family Weekend is highly anticipated by parents.

In the days before Family Weekend, every student is tasked with preparing a student-led conference — a PowerPoint presentation on their goals and progress so far this school year. For parents, it’s the perfect time to have deeper discussions with their kids about what’s coming next in their lives.

Katie Demers ’24 during Family Weekend (Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge)

Lea Lambert at a mountain bike World Cup race. Photo provided.

Fall foliage during family weekend. Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Devin Shakar ’24 during Family Weekend (Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge)

Devin Shakar ‘24 said he played two home games against Stanstead College at the 1980 Olympic Arena. The first one was on Thursday, October 5, and the second one on the following afternoon.He said he was really excited to see families around campus during the weekend.

Katie Demers ’24 also had home hockey games. Her parents drove up to her games and took her home afterward. She said she had a blast riding her dirt bike at home with her brother and spending time with her friends.

Edouard Brochu ‘24 enjoyed his family weekend. His parents came to school, and they had a great time walking around campus. Later that day, they drove to Clarkson University to tour the campus and visit with his friend Pedro Gonzalez ‘23, who is a first-year student there. After his visit, Edouard went back home with his family to observe Canadian Thanksgiving and watch the Mont-Saint-Anne World Cup Mountain Bike Downhill Race, which was about 2 minutes away from his house.

Jacob Brunton ‘24 also had plans for the weekend. He received his parents on campus on Friday and played a game at noon in the Olympic Arena. After the game, he went to his home in Ontario and celebrated Thanksgiving with his family with a nice dinner.

Personally, I think Family Weekend was great, and having a chance to go home was a welcome break. We enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving dinner with some family members and watched the mountain bike downhill World Cup. Family Weekend also made me excited to go back to school and see my friends again.