Everyone knows that Mike is going to call a Head's Day mid-February. After all, it's a tradition going back to the days when the whole school packed up busses and went skiing for a break from the winter routine. The later we go--in the calendar--the greater the anticipation.
The email bulletin board known as NEWS becomes a virtual chatroom on the subject (to the irritation of many,) as the days click by. Conventional wisdom has it that the spontaneous holiday can only come on a Tuesday or Thursday, when we're not prolonging a weekend or messing up athletic schedules. But the blood drive was effectively employed as a reason why it could not be today....
The guessing game would be costly for a student who gambles "it must be tomorrow!" and slacks on his homework. The later we go in February, the more intense the anticipation becomes.
Suddenly, to the surprise of few, the announcement came from Mike at 10:05 Wednesday night: no classes Thursday. Sleep late; get caught up; get healthy. Euphoria at last! Thursday morning, some day students and friends built a jump on the hill from the tennis courts.
The lift at the Blackwater Ski Area was scheduled to start at 1:00 PM, but Sam talked some friends into hiking up the slopes after brunch to get the first run.
Five minutes into the hike, some were having second thoughts. It turned out to be a great old-time ski adventure, although it is true that Aleks had to be rushed to New London Hospital for some stitches after a fall on a make-shift jump.
In the evening, things settled back to a regular routine. Dress rehearsal of the winter student-directed production of four short selections from David Ives's All In the Timing and Mere Mortals began at 7:00. This shot, from Variations on the Death of Trotsky fails to reveal the climber's ax that is smashed into the back of Trotsky's skull, as he enjoys a final, civil chat with his assassin.
And this hilarious scene of two mayflies, discovering that they are doomed to mate and die in a matter of hours, is from Mere Mortals.
Congratulations to co-Directors Glenna Ledoux and Olivia Shure, and the cast of the triumphant, hilarious winter production! The show opens to the public Friday and Saturday at 7:00 PM. Don't miss it!
On a very sad note, we are dealing with the sudden, unexpected death of a great friend, Ed Berns. Ed has been a very active and supportive parent, and a leader in the Proctor Academy Parent Association. This is a stunning, very difficult loss, and we can only pray that Toni, Wynn and Taylor gain some support from the community as we share in their grief.
