Our final issue of the 2020-2021 school year is dedicated to the Senior class and their achievements. While we are separated physically, we can still celebrate the Class of 2020 by virtually joining the Diploma Day Ceremony. Congratulations, Seniors! We wish everyone a great summer.

- The Record Editorial Board

Annie Xu ’22

Class of 2020 College Matriculation

Kiki Henry ’22, Sander Kuijs ’21, & Isabel Su ’22, News Editors

Class of 2020 By the Numbers – Congratulations, Bearcats!

A Fond Farewell to Departing Faculty and Staff

Kiki Henry ’22, Sander Kuijs ’21, & Isabel Su ’22, News Editors

The Record would like to recognize and thank the following faculty and staff, who are departing or have departed this year, for their work and contributions to the school.

Dorm Heads Committee Announces 2020-2021 Proctors

Kiki Henry ’22, Sander Kuijs ’21, & Isabel Su ’22, News Editors

Each year, the Dorm Heads Committee selects proctors with input from academic advisors, dorm faculty, and current proctors. Before applicants are offered proctorship, their candidacy is reviewed by the dean of students, the dean of community life, the head of school, and class deans. Proctors are chosen based on six main criteria: being role models, demonstrating initiative, being trusted by and communicating well with peers and adults, being good listeners, and being inclusive. Due to the uncertain nature of housing plans as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the proctor selection committee, made up of the dorm heads and various deans, will wait until the details of returning to campus are more clear before assigning proctors to specific dorms. If the community is unable to reconvene on campus in the fall, proctors for the 2020-2021 school year will still have a role in creating a sense of community for students virtually.

Arhan Chhabra ’22

Advice From Seniors

Sydney Goldstein ’22 and Eric Jin ’22, Features Editors

Q&A with New Class Presidents

Sydney Goldstein ’22 & Eric Jin ’22, Features Editors

This spring’s class elections took place over the past few weeks as candidates gave their speeches via Zoom during Class Meetings and students voted through Google Forms. The interviews have been lightly edited for clarity.

Arhan Chhabra ’22

School Honors Class of 2020 Cum Laude Inductees

Sydney Goldstein ’22 & Eric Jin ’22, Features Editors

According to the Cum Laude Society Handbook, “The major purpose of the Cum Laude Society is to recognize scholastic achievement in our schools while simultaneously striving to encourage qualities of excellence, justice, and honor.” Hotchkiss elects up to 5% of a class at the end of the Upper Mid year and the remainder at the end of the third marking period of the Senior year, including no more than 20% of the class.

Parting All-School Presidents Offer Advice

James Yae ’23, Staff Writer

Maggie Ottenbreit ’20, a four-year Senior from New York City and Luke Kalaydjian ’20, a two-year Senior from Montreal, have been leading our Hotchkiss student body as All-School Presidents for the year 2019-20. Maggie and Luke have put in their strongest efforts to help and sustain the community over the course of the school year. Below is their parting advice as they pass on the torch to our new All-School Presidents, Keren Mikanda ’21 and Cyrus Farman-Farmaian ’21. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Community Voices: Four the Seniors

Alex Cheng ’23, Staff Writer

Community Voices is a section started and run by the Features section that gives community members the opportunity to submit personal vlogs, blogs, journal entries, poems, etc., relating to their lives off of the main campus. Alex Cheng ’23 celebrates the Class of 2020 with the final entry in his poetry series.

Don’t Wait Until Your Senior Spring

Carter Moyer ’20, Contributing Writer

Since I was a Prep, I have heard of the fabled “Senior Spring,” a time when grades and test scores and eye-catching extracurriculars would no longer have to be chosen with college applications in mind. I soon developed my own “Senior bucket list:” swim across the lake, act in a black box, give blood and not faint, have a picnic on Senior Grass or Bissell Quad. Those never happened.

We Are One Community

Ryan Perrenoud, Contributing Writer

Upon my arrival at Hotchkiss in the summer of 2011, as the spouse of an incoming math teacher with three small children, I realized this was to be an eye-opening experience. I grew up in a smaller conservative town on the West coast and had voted Republican my entire life. I have been politically active as long as I can remember, with one of my first politically meaningful experiences working on the Bob Dole presidential campaign during college. I had passed on an opportunity to work on another presidential campaign right before I arrived at Hotchkiss.

Seniors Share Favorite Memories

Yihan Ding ’22 & Stephanie Ge ’22, Arts & Leisure Editors

This week, Seniors shared a few of their favorite things with the Arts & Leisure section.

Christine Owen

Seniors in Ceramics Say Farewell

Isabella Wei ’23, Contributing Writer

What is better than an ice cream party for an emotional farewell? Before departing for Spring Break, students enrolled in the winter Ceramics co-curricular held a Senior farewell party, celebrating the end of the season.

Jen Li ’20

Athlete of the Issue: Jen Li ’20

Hannah Goldberg ’22, Sports Editor

Jen Li ’20 is a four-year Senior and captain of both Girls Varsity Tennis and Girls Varsity Cross Country. Last spring, the Girls Varsity Tennis team earned the 2019 Founders League title. Li was positioned to be the number one seed for this season. Teammate Tara Bhandari ’21 said, “Jen is probably one of the most determined tennis players I have ever known. Her commitment to tennis is outstanding, and her positive attitude always drove the team to success.”

Obi Okoli ’20

Athlete of the Issue: Obi Okoli ’20

Carrie Cao ’23, Staff Writer

Obinna Okoli ’20 is a Senior and a four-year member of Boys Varsity Squash and Boys Varsity Track and Field. On the squash team, he played as the #3 seed this year; on the track team, he runs the 110 m and 300 m hurdles. His squash teammate John Nicholson ’22 said, “Obi is extremely reliable, on and off the court. In terms of his athletic ability, he had the best record on the team. Whenever he stepped on court, we could count on him to win, which is invaluable in the world of squash. Off the court, Obi was a great friend – easy to talk to, and a great listener.”

Communications

Athlete of the Issue: Jacqui Rice ’20

Margo Donohue ’22, Sports Editor

Jacqui Rice ’20 is a four-year senior and co-captain of Varsity Sailing. She has been sailing on Lake Wononscopomuc since her Prep year at Hotchkiss and also served as a Fairfield Farm Ecosystems and Adventure Team (FFEAT) leader for the fall season. Teammate Nicole Morikawa ’21 said, “She is the most thoughtful, considerate, and hard-working person I know. Even though our season [this year] was nonexistent, she would have made a great captain because of her innate kindness. I remember when I first joined the team, I was so nervous. Jacqui was one of my first and best friends on the team, and she was always there to offer support and advice.

Senior Athletes Reflect

Margo Donohue ’22, Hannah Goldberg ’22, & Rachel Mokriski ’21, Sports Editors

The Sports Editors asked athletes to look back on memories of their time at the school. Reflections were lightly edited for grammatical accuracy and clarity.

Bearcats to Play Sports in College

Rachel Mokriski ’21, Sports Editor

After leading Hotchkiss teams to many successes, these 39 Seniors plan to continue their athletic careers in college.

Classes May End, But Community Continues

The CXXII Executive Board

On behalf of The Hotchkiss Record, we would first like to thank the Seniors for all of their dedication and leadership during their time at the school. While this year has ended in a way we would never have expected, community members have worked hard to end the year on a strong note.