Poet Gregory Pardlo Is This Fall’s Bingham Visiting Writer
“Everyone is going to get something different from a poem, so I just have fun with it and let the world take it from there,” said Pulitzer prize-winning poet and memoirist Gregory Pardlo, who was “street testing” some new work during the Bingham Visiting Writer assembly.
Mr. Pardlo’s new poems explore ideas of faith. His visual, at times humorous, writing explores the death of a professional wrestler, the highs and lows of a long marriage and the personal relationship between father and son. After finishing with a couple of older poems from his collection Digest, Mr. Pardlo answered students’ questions about his writing process.
“I don’t believe in writer’s block,” said Mr. Pardlo. “When I feel myself saying I’m blocked, I’ll say that’s BS. It means there is something I want to say, but I haven’t given myself permission to say it yet.”
“Creatures Great and Small” Outside the AMC
Two birds in flight, a swimming shark and a fanged fish are just a few of the sculptures that make up the “Creatures Great and Small” exhibit outside of the Art and Media Center (AMC). Each of the eight pieces is done by a different artist in materials such as bronze, granite, steel and resin. Pamela Tarbell of PR Tarbell Fine Art curated the exhibit, which is on display throughout this school year.
One of the pieces, “The Understudy,” by local artist Bob Shanahan, is housed inside the AMC. The sculpture, built out of natural materials such as bark and twigs, depicts a Diatryma, a dinosaur that roamed New England millions of years ago.
The other pieces line up in front of the AMC. Morris Norvin’s “Piscator II” is the largest —steel, painted gray and bent into the shape of swimming shark. The smallest is the sleek “Epoxy Cheetah” by Wendy Klemperer. New visual art faculty member and Netso Gallery director Shirin Adhmai says a favorite of the younger students on campus is “Toothed Fish,” composed of granite and quartz by artist Thomas Berger.
Impressive Season for Varsity Football
Each week, their opponents get tougher, but the varsity football team continues to dominate on the field with an undefeated season (6-0). Last Saturday, it was 48-25 victory against Belmont Hill, a team that also came into the game undefeated. The home game in front of a Parents’ Weekend crowd showed the deep depth of Milton, led by team captains Kalel Mullings ‘20 and Jake Willcox ‘20.
An exciting win (20-14) in overtime against Governor’s Academy the previous weekend saw wide receiver and defense back Mitchell Gosner ‘20 blocking a field goal to tie up the game and then scoring the winning touchdown, catching a stellar throw from quarterback Jake.
Before that game, Head Coach Kevin MacDonald anticipated that it would be a challenging game. “We are a pretty well-rounded team. Usually a high school team will have at least one glaring weakness. But, we are playing other teams that are also well-rounded and loaded with talent.”
“School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play” is This Fall’s 1212 Play
This fall’s 1212 play, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, is a comedy that tackles issues of colorism, colonialism, beauty standards, and the social hierarchy among teenage girls.
“Our play immerses the audience into the world of black girls, something that never happens,” says Nyla Sams ’20. “It also tackles societal problems that are, for the most part, ignored by everyone other than the group they affect. It is so exciting to bring this conversation to Milton, and on top of all that, it’s a fun play.”
A Q&A with New Academic Dean Heather Sugrue
Heather Sugrue, who this summer became the new Upper School academic dean, has witnessed two decades of Milton Academy as a math teacher, house head, and most recently, math department chair. She replaces Jackie Bonenfant, whose role has transitioned to dean of academic initiatives. In a recent interview, Heather discussed the joy of teaching math, her excitement for her new position, and what makes Milton students so special.
A Day in the Life of the U.S. Senate
It’s one thing to learn how a bill becomes a law. It’s another thing entirely to step into the shoes of a lawmaker.
American Government and Politics students spent Tuesday morning at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston, where they shed their student personas and became U.S. senators, poised to act on a comprehensive immigration reform bill.
“It’s helpful for them to have hands-on experience with the process,” said Perin Gokce, the history and social sciences faculty member who arranged the trip. “It gives them a better understanding of all of the competing demands that senators grapple with before they go into a vote: their party’s interests, their state’s interests, and their personal viewpoints.”
“Class IV Follies” Explores the Masks We Wear
This year’s Class IV Follies, a revue highlighting the performing arts talents of the Class of 2023, follows the theme of masks, director and performing arts faculty member Eleza Kort says.
The production, which opens on Thursday night of Parents’ Weekend, features pieces related to the masks people wear and the six universal facial expressions: happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger, and surprise.
The performing arts department shifted its fall production schedule this year so a limited run of the Class IV Follies is scheduled for Parents’ Weekend. The show runs Thursday, October 24, and Friday, October 25, with both performances at 7:30 p.m. in King Theatre.
Kalel Mullings ’20 Selected for All-American Game
Milton’s varsity football linebacker and running back, Kalel Mullings (I), has been selected for the 2020 All-American Bowl, joining an elite group of athletes who have played in the all-star game. Surrounded by his coaches, teammates, family and friends, Kalel was presented with an honorary game jersey, commemorating his selection, during a ceremony in the FCC on Tuesday.
Kalel began his varsity football career as a 13-year-old freshman, playing against 18- and 19-year-olds in one of the top leagues in New England. He will attend and play at the University of Michigan next year.
“One would surmise that all this attention and notoriety would affect Kalel,” said Coach Kevin MacDonald. “However, he has never changed. He has continued to be the same kind, affable, humble and outgoing young man he has always been. Yes, Kalel is an outstanding football player with a bright future, but he is an even better young man who has left an indelible mark on our school.”
Learning About Local Environmental Justice Work
Poor air quality, asbestos dumping, and lack of green spaces are just a few of the environmental issues that residents in lower-income city neighborhoods face on a daily basis. Twenty-two students from the Activism for Justice in a Digital World class and two sections of Science in the Modern Age went on the Toxic Tour of Dudley Square in the Boston neighborhood of Roxbury to learn about environmental justice initiatives.
David Nolies, from Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE), a nonprofit based in the square, was their guide. “We are the voice for the people that don’t have a voice,” he told students. David grew up nearby in a government housing project and has been involved with ACE for 22 years, since he was 15 years old.
As he walked students around to different spots, he explained how Roxbury’s childhood asthma hospitalization rate is nearly six times higher than the state average; how developers would raze buildings and leave behind toxic debris; and how the neighborhood train to downtown Boston was replaced by an inefficient and polluting bus system, making access to jobs more difficult.
Collaboration at Play: Student Musicians Visit Grammy-Nominated A Far Cry
Strings players from Milton’s Chamber Orchestra watched members of A Far Cry, the Grammy-nominated string ensemble, play a few measures of a Haydn minuet before a pause in the action. One musician suggested a slight change to the speed of the melody while others nodded in agreement. Another chimed in with a reminder about the dynamics of a section. They started again, the adjustments made.
“The unique thing about A Far Cry is that they don’t use a conductor,” said Milton’s music department chair, Adrian Anantawan. “They’re a fully democratic orchestra and they make decisions as a group. The leadership is shared.”
