Northwood Life – The Mirror

Pink Out Cancer Fundraiser Extra Special This Year

October 21, 2022 by Maegan Byrne

To help show support for breast cancer awareness month, Northwood’s community service club, CARE, organizes a “Pink Out” each year in conjunction with an athletic contest. A Pink Out consists of students going to a home athletic contest, typically a hockey game, wearing as much pink clothing or accessories as they can.

Pink Out is extra special this year because a beloved member of the Northwood faculty is fighting breast cancer. “This year is more meaningful to me and my classmates because we are all rooting for Mrs. Walker during her fight against breast cancer.” Walker is currently in treatment at UVM Medical Center and the entire Northwood Community wishes her well.

This year CARE purchased pink tape so the players can show their support while playing as well. CARE chose Saturday, October 22 to host the pink out. This weekend, all three hockey teams are home as well as some other athletes and independents. Choosing this weekend allows for a larger crowd to come and support. The timing also gives students more opportunities to support each of our hockey teams.

During the game, Care will ask students and parents for donations that go towards breast cancer research and treatment.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Real World

CARE Hopes to Continue Legacy of Service

October 19, 2022 by Maisie Crane

CARE is the longest-running active student club at Northwood. CARE is Northwood’s community service group. The club works on tying the outside community into Northwood. Often the group gathers small fundraisers within the school that benefits needy local organizations or causes. CARE also works to organize small fun events within the school. Some examples of CARE projects include food drives, candy grams, and Pink the Rink.

I had the opportunity to interview longtime former CARE faculty advisor Mrs. Annie Edwards. She led the group for over 20 years. She helped oversee and create quite a few school-wide events organized for the students to participate in, and the money raised was given back to local and national charities. A few examples include Lee Denim Day, North Elba Christmas Fund, Fleece Blankets for Elders, Pink the Rink, Food Pantry, and Candy Grams.

Lee Denim day is a day where students can donate a small amount of money to dress in jeans for the day, and the money goes to a cancer charity. Pink the Rink is an engaging hockey fundraiser where teams of about 4 students pay to compete in a 3-on-3 hockey tournament, which ended up raising about $4,000 dollars for breast cancer research. Candy Grams is more of a fun fundraiser where students can buy small candy bags or flowers to send to a friend around Halloween and Valentine’s Day, the proceeds for this don’t have distinct placement and each year go to different charities.

The group is led by passionate hard-working high schoolers who work to engage the Northwood Community with a more global society. Past leaders have made great strides to improve the school community and this year Brian Brady ‘24 and I hope to carry on this legacy.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

Catching up with David Garvey ’22

October 19, 2022 by Gus Garvey

David Garvey ‘22 is currently beginning his first year at Hobart College in Geneva, NY. When first asked about his time there so far, he was blunt. “I’m a D1 student-athlete. I am a tank. I wake up at 4:30 every morning and hit the wall,” he said.

David has found opportunities at Hobart to pursue his many interests. One of those is continuing to row. Recently, he made the cut for Hobart’s D1 crew program. On the subject of adjustment, he commented, “It’s a big adjustment going from a crew team of 1 person at Northwood to a Division 1 program in one summer, but it’s treating me well. We’re putting in the hours, we’re putting in the meters.”

David adds depth to an already stacked Hobart crew team that is ranked in the top 15 in the country. He is also the first Northwood graduate in the Runyon era of rowing to go straight from Northwood to a D1 crew program. He also said that Coach Runyon, the crew coach here at Northwood, helped a lot in terms of preparing him for the adjustment to collegiate athletics.

He has also found some time to pursue other hobbies, like squash. While crew is too much of a time commitment for him to play squash competitively, he still finds innovative ways to get on the court in his free time. He is the president of Hobart’s squash club and has been improving his game under some of the best coaches in the sport. “I’m hitting the thing around 175 miles per hour,” he remarked. “I’ve got the back corner drop shot down to a science.” He also jokingly mentioned that he should be playing in the U.S. Open, thanks to this alleged mastery of a hard shot.

In terms of academics, David has hit the ground running. He is majoring in Biology and Ecology and is taking Biology, Chemistry, Philosophy, and Science in Fiction. He has also expressed a desire to finish his studies by 2025, and to do various independent work over the summer to pursue his interests in ecology.

When I took the opportunity to tell him about the upcoming Northwood Crew race in Saratoga, which I will be taking part in, the classic banter was not lost on him, as he immediately said: “I hope you fall in. I hate seeing joy in your life.”

David, or “Garvey” as he was commonly known during his time at Northwood, is enjoying the start of his new school year at Hobart.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Varsity Team Sweeps Nichols in SLU Barn

October 19, 2022 by Jackson Smith

The St. Lawrence University Men’s Hockey locker room (photo: Northwood Athletics Instagram)

The Varsity team traveled to Canton, New York for the final contests of September to face off against Nichols in St. Lawrence University’s Appleton Arena. The boys went 2-0 and swept their prep school foe. The Huskies were victorious in the first game in overtime and won the second contest 4-2.

The team started off the weekend with a tour of SLU from Northwood’s Alumni Will Arquiett ‘19. He has been playing at SLU for a couple of years now after graduating from Northwood. He took the team through the facilities and showed them what the school had to offer. At the end of the tour, they made their way into the varsity men’s hockey team’s locker room. The squad was all impressed to see the facilities for players at that level. It was inspiring for all of them, and a great shared moment for the team.

The Appleton Arena at St. Lawrence University (Photo: St. Lawrence University)

“Playing at Appleton Arena was a lot of fun,” said postgrad Bailey Bartholemew. “The rink had a great atmosphere, and I really liked the whole wooden arena. The ice was fast and nice to play on” added Bartholemew. “The rink matches the vibe of the whole campus, a rich old place that was still very clean and nice,” he added.

Hayden Newman ‘24 also enjoyed playing at a collegiate facility. “I think that playing at the SLU arena was an enlightening experience. Getting to step onto the ice and play an actual game was really cool to me because one day I’d like to play at a high level just like what’s held on that rink.”

The entire team was grateful to share such an enlightening and inspirational experience. What a great weekend for the boys. Something they will remember forever.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

Hockey Team Meets Famous Rap Artist

October 19, 2022 by Jackson Smith

While the Boys’ Varsity Hockey team was in Canton, there was news a concert was being put on at St. Lawrence University by the famous rapper Waka Flaka Flame. We had just listened to his music on the way to the hotel and we were excited that he was going to be in town at the same time. On the way to the team’s first game at the Appleton Arena, the Husky players were waiting in the hotel lobby for the buses and one of the boys recognized Flaka. They ran outside and got his attention. They had a conversation with him about the concert and the games. This reporter was one of the players on that team. Wacka Flocka was a great guy, and we loved our short experience with him. We got a picture with him, and he was kind enough to repost it to his Instagram followers.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

Catching Up with Jan Korec ‘22

October 19, 2022 by Aidan Lasky

Jan Korec ’22 in action for Northwood (photo provided).

For those of you who did not get the pleasure of meeting Jan, he was a student and member of Northwood’s Prep hockey team last year. He has since moved to Iowa to play for the Des Moines Buccaneers in the USHL, the top junior league in the U.S. Those who knew him can attest that he had a big impact on Northwood, and it is only right that we see how he is doing now.

Jan is now living with a billet family where his life revolves around playing for the Buccaneers. Jan said, “We are on the ice for 2 or more hours every day paired with intense workouts.” Although hockey plays a big role in Jan’s life, he was also known for taking his academics extremely seriously, so it comes as no surprise that Jan is continuing his education by learning about the fundamentals of coding and computer science. There is no doubt that Jan will be prepared for college when the time comes.

I asked Jan if he felt Northwood prepared him for this next step academically and athletically. He was quick to share that he felt it did. “Northwood has been a very important stepping stone for me to be able to move on and play at this level.” He also felt that the “academic environment helped me get used to college-level courses.” Compliments to both the hockey program and the academics here at Northwood.

Jan Korec ’22 (photo: Des Moines Buccaneers)

Having had the pleasure of playing and being classmates with Jan, I can say he pursued excellence in both areas of life, never letting himself fall behind in either. A true embodiment of the Northwood core values. Jan’s goal this year is to develop in Des Moines and ultimately be ready for Boston College next fall. A goal that will take both his academic and athletic ability to achieve.

Jan was a great role model during his time at Northwood and it is easy to see why. Students now should look at Jan and aspire to follow in his shoes. You don’t have to be an athlete to appreciate the commitment Jan continues to have for his goals. Always taking the extra step to get ahead whether that be stretching in his room or visiting with teachers to make sure he is doing everything he can to get the results he wants. These habits will help Jan excel in his life beyond Northwood.

It will no doubt be exciting to see how Jan continues his journey, in Des Moines and eventually Boston College. I wish him luck with his goals and although I only broke the seal on Jan Korec, I hope you enjoyed Catching Up with Jan Korec.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Sports

Prep Team Continues to Work Out the Kinks

October 2, 2022 by Aidan Lasky

The Prep team takes the ice during a recent game at the Olympic Center (Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge).

The Prep team went into the third weekend of the season hungry to redeem the losses from the previous weekend against Mount St. Charles. The team travelled to Salem, New Hampshire to play Fall Prep U18, Ridley College, and Top Gun U18. This is how week three played out.

Coming off the weekend against Mount, it was evident that work needed to be done in order to meet the team’s potential. Throughout the tough week of practice, the boys were anxious to get back on the road to put another week’s training to the test. The first game on Saturday against Fall Prep U18 posed as a good opener of the weekend. The team played a good game with a few hiccups to tally a 5-2 victory, with a three-point performance by Ritter Coombs ‘25.

The next game, Saturday afternoon against Ridley, was not as dominant. With the boys struggling to send one home, Ridley scored with a heartbreaking 41 seconds left in the final period of the game. A 0-1 loss for the Huskies. “We do not get scored on late in the period,” is a statement that Coach Morris preaches to the team.

With the weekend ending, the team had one more game on Sunday against Top Gun U18. It was necessary for the team to end with a win, because according to his players, Coach Morris demanded a better performance from the team. The Huskies went back and forth with Top Gun until they were able to pull away, resulting in a 4-2 win. This was much needed after the game against Ridley.

Billy Batten ‘23, a second-year senior, said the weekend was “a step in the right direction” for the team. The Prep team must take the weekend and learn from it in order to prepare for what comes throughout the season.

Next weekend, the team will head to Connecticut for the South Kent Fall classic, where they will face another Prep Hockey Conference opponent, South Kent School.

Northwood wishes the boys luck at South Kent; it will be exciting to watch the team as they continue to build throughout the season.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

Humans of Northwood: Mr. Simon Shergold

October 2, 2022 by Anayo Etumnu Jnr

I am from the United Kingdom, and I originally grew up in South London. I moved to Lake Placid last August in 2021. My degree is in History. I’ve got a Bachelor of Arts honor in History with a slant to 20th century modern history. I teach U.S History and A.P History and I am also one of the soccer coaches. I moved to Lake Placid for more family reasons as my wife is from Lake Placid originally. We have been coming here for 20 odd years, and we have a young family so this is a good time to move and build a new life. My favorite activities would be hiking or skiing, although I am not a natural coming from London. My favorite food may well be pizza in Lake Placid, but I enjoy any Italian food and I miss curry a lot as well.

As told to AJ Etumnu ’25. Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Humans of Northwood: Elm Pentinat Llurba ‘24

October 1, 2022 by Anayo Etumnu Jnr

I am from Reus, Catalonia, Spain. I came to Northwood because the previous two years my brother Ïu was at Northwood, and he told me very good things about Northwood. Yes, I am enjoying Northwood, the most enjoyable thing is travelling with the soccer team because we visit new places and bond in the bus together. My goal at Northwood would be to end up at a good D1 college.

As told to AJ Etumnu ‘25 (Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge)

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

LEAP Gets Students Out of their Comfort Zone

October 1, 2022 by Maegan Byrne

Since 2017, Northwood has offered the LEAP (Learn, Engage, Apply, Perform) program. LEAP was created to get students out of a classroom setting to learn. LEAP allows students to connect with experts from fields as well as provides them with more opportunities to get out of their comfort zone.

Before LEAP, Northwood offered a spring program in which they would take kids for 3-4 days on various adventures in the area. When Head of School Mr. Michael Maher began working for Northwood in 2015, he wanted to expand this program. He reached out to one of Northwood’s staff, Ms. Marcy Fagan, to take on this task. Maher wanted a more experiential program for students to be able to enjoy. With that in mind, Fagan then helped design the program we now know as LEAP.

Photos from recent LEAP courses. (Photos provided)

LEAP courses do not just take place in the Lake Placid area. Some courses are held in various places around the world. Typically, LEAP is run in the spring following graduation. However, this year, due to the FISU games, Northwood has decided to run several LEAP courses in January for students who are not traveling with their sport during the extended break. The FISU games have also helped make these January courses much more affordable, allowing more students to be able to enjoy them.

In 2017, LEAP was run for the first time. There were 11 course offerings in the first year. Since then, LEAP has expanded tremendously to 19 different courses offered this school year.

Northwood’s original 2017 course offerings:

Adirondack Farm to Table
Evolution of the Contemporary Circus
Backcountry Search and Rescue
The Power of Water: Dams, Electricity and Rapids
Green Building and Design: Building a Cordwood Cabin
The Art of Fly Fishing
Great Camps of The Adirondacks
Chess: The Royal Game
Cultural Immersion in Quebec
Iceland: A Study of Geothermal Activity and Sustainability
Marine Ecology in the Bahamas

Northwood’s 2023 January LEAPs:

St. Lucia Science, Culture, and Cuisine
NYC Arts
Conquer One of the World’s 7 Summits – Kilimanjaro
FISU Games Volunteer

Northwood’s 2023 spring LEAPs:

Adirondack Farm to Table and Culinary Experience
The Modern Circus
Coastal Vietnam – Sustainable Tourism, Culture, Geography and Cuisine
Geothermal Sustainability in Iceland
Golf – A Swing Back in Time
Introduction to Woodworking
Kayaking from Lake Champlain to Lake George
Mountain Rescue
Muskie Madness
Nutrition and Athletic Performance
Explore the Adirondacks
Canines – Understanding Man’s Best Friend
Board Game Design
Teaching is Easy? Give it a Try!
Fly Fishing in the Adirondacks

This year, there are a total of seven new LEAP courses. “I am excited for all of them and grateful for the faculty for designing them,” Fagan said.

Northwood’s most popular LEAP selection for this year is the Iceland course. Twenty Northwood students selected Iceland as their top choice.

The Iceland course consists of students traveling to Iceland to work and stay at GeoCamp Iceland. While in Iceland, they will explore glaciers, volcanoes, lava tubes, geothermal pools, geysers, and the rift valley. Students will be able to learn more about plate tectonics, climate change and the significance of geothermal activity in Iceland.

Each year, at the end of LEAP, Ms. Fagan sends an anonymous survey to all the students, faculty and parents involved in LEAP. Over the years, she has found that nearly all of the reviews are positive. Most students and staff would agree that they enjoyed their LEAP and would recommend it to others. Marcy Fagan concludes, “I have found LEAP to be very successful!”