Applying to a new school is difficult as it is. Adding a global pandemic to this equation only adds to the complexity and stress of it all. This year we had a record number of eager-to-be Mounties apply to become a known, valued, and treasured student on the hill of Logee Street. 

Usually, Mount holds an Accepted Students Day to celebrate the prospective Mounties and their families. However, amidst this catastrophic year we are enduring, Mrs. Polseno, our adored librarian, was driven to get creative.

Gathering each accepted student’s interests and a group of current student and teacher volunteers, Mrs. Polseno organized Google Meet recordings to welcome these potential students to our school community. She offered her insight to us about why she chose to undertake this massive task: “Usually we have several opportunities to meet prospective students: open house, accepted students day, and even other events that we open up to the general public. This year everything is different because of the pandemic. One of the things that I hear over and over from both students and families is that what initially drew them to Mount was that small, tight-knit-family-feel. What keeps them here is the fact that that tight-knit-family-feel isn’t a marketing scheme. It’s the real deal. I thought by creating these casual, congratulatory videos, prospective students could get a glimpse at something that cannot be captured in a brochure or an advertisement. These videos were largely unscripted and from the heart. Several even included some banter between…ahem…a particular music teacher and his students. It is fun and it is real - and it is Mount. I hope that’s what families feel when they open up their emails.”

For students who expressed excitement about math, Mrs. Polseno contacted students from the Math Team who were able to give short blurb regarding the group and its accomplishments. She did the same thing for athletes, musicians, writers, history buffs, and artists. Her efforts to connect students goes to show how Mount can cater to each individual’s passions while offering opportunities to try new things.

This endeavor is the epitome of what being a Mountie truly means. Despite the circumstances, we continue to collaborate and develop ideas to make that beloved Mount connection. 

Katarina DaSilva ‘21 & Samira Lakhiani ‘21

Sterling Cooke, a senior from Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a student and dorm prefect at Mount. This summer he had the liberty to play for the Next Gen All Minority Hockey Team in the Beantown Classic Hockey Tournament. Take a look at what Sterling Cooke had to say about being a member of the first all players of color hockey team that won the championship in the Beantown Classic.

Q: How did you specifically prepare for the tournament?
A: “I practiced all summer and lifted weights to get stronger and prepare as best as I could.”

Q: What challenges did you and or your team face in ultimately winning the tournament?
A:  “We had to come together after one practice and connect and build chemistry. We also had to figure out all the different play styles and build a line to match our strengths. We had to battle through adversity in the championship game after being down by a goal to win.” 

Q: How did winning this tournament affect you personally?
A: “It felt great and impacted me deeply because I won many tournaments but this group was so special to me. We all experienced racism in this sport and together we felt free and to be ourselves which was so special.”

Q: How did you feel about being the first all players of color team to win the tournament?
A: “Great, We were the start of something special and hopefully got more black and brown kids into the sport. Also, we showed all the existing players we are here to stay and good enough to play at any level.”

Q: At that time, there were many Black Lives Matter protests. Did you feel that that was even more of a reason to show everyone that your team could win?
A: “Yes, absolutely. We felt like as a group it could uplift many black people in hard times.”

Q: How do you feel about playing a sport that is made mostly up of people that are white?
A: “I feel like I play the role as an ambassador. I believe that hockey is the best sport and I want to be that teen who shows young kids they can play hockey and be successful even though they won’t look like their teammates.”

Q: What advice would you give to your twelve-year-old self? How would you apply this advice to yourself today?
A: “I would say sacrifice more, you can be great and embrace the grind. I would tell myself to work twice as hard to be great in the future and play college hockey!” 

Sydney Senerchia ‘24

The power is out, water has stopped running, and many are left without basic necessities.  Other regions of the country, such as New England, are well equipped to handle the sort of emergency Texas has been battling; however, our friends in the south are not. 

Our human friends are not the only ones feeling the effects of this unprecedented cold snap; thousands of sea turtles were also caught off guard. The waters off the coast of Texas are home to tens of thousands of sea turtles. As cold-blooded reptiles, turtles have no way to regulate their body temperature when water temperatures drop below 50 degrees. (National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration.) Over 5,000 turtles were left “cold-stunned,” a condition resulting in decreased heart rate, decreased circulation, shock, and even death. 

Despite their own battles against the frigid temperatures, hundreds of volunteers have dedicated long days to rescuing the sea turtles. Only a day after news struck about the hypothermic animals, over 3000 turtles had already been taken to safety by volunteers working with Sea Turtle Inc.- an organization of South Padre, Texas. 

Many civilians took it upon themselves to load dozens of turtles into their SUVs and pickup trucks and bring them to warmth. The mission was made especially difficult due to the animals’ size and the lack of utilities at the nonprofit’s facility. One of the rescued was a turtle estimated to be over 200 years old and weighing over 400 pounds, which required six people to lift and an entire kiddie pool to himself. Along with some of the kiddie pools and tarps that have been made home to many turtles, Elon Musk’s SpaceX donated generators large enough to keep the lights on and water heaters running throughout the storm. SpaceX also brought turtles into their facilities when Sea Turtle Inc. ran out of room. 

Without the rescue, decades of conservation efforts would have gone down the drain.

As of February 24, the turtles have begun to make their way back to the ocean. Many of them are still under observation and receiving treatment. Staff at the facility hope to have nearly all of the turtles released by the end of this week.

Donations are being accepted at https://seaturtleinc.org/shop/give/donations/ to help repair damage from the storm and keep the facility running. 

Savannah Horsfield ‘22