<p>keylyme -- I don't know much about college recruiting at the D1 level. The little I've learned is that some boarding schools have very strong programs in specific sports. For example, Blair has traditionally had the #1 wrestling team in the country. Mercersburg has an outstanding swim program. The Masters School and Lawrenceville are strong in fencing. I've heard the Kent is strong in crew. And so on.... As a result, I think that there are boarding schools that excel in D1 recruitment for specific sports. Anyone with D1 potential should look for schools that have a history of excelling in that sport.</p>
<p>For sports like fencing and crew, I guess a bs program might be okay....although, I'm not even sure about that as a friend of a mine has two children who fence and she takes them all over the country and they regularly go to nationals. I would think this would be better than a hs program. As far a more "mainstream" sports like soccer, lacrosse, hockey....if you have a strong club, it will definitely surpass any hs program. I believe the kids with the best shot at a strong D1 program are the ones who continue to maintain an affiliation with their club in addition to their school team. Many sports need to be played year-round for a kid to really be competitive in them; that is why bs can make it difficult and really is a compromise in some cases, as it is in ours.</p>
<p>Keylyme,
Your comment "if you have a strong club, it will definitely surpass any hs program". This absolutely does not apply to all bs or bs sports. Traditionally, boarding schools have provided a large number of Division 1 athletes in a wide variety of sports. Rowing/lacrosse/hockey/squash are all collegiate sports which draw very heavily from boarding schools, just look at any D1 roster. True, playing football at a traditional bs is probably not the "fast track" to USC glory but for a number of sports bs is a much stronger option than sticking with a club program.</p>
<p>Hola,
I did say I was referring to "mainstream" sports; I don't think fencing, squash, and crew can be considered such. Even with a strong bs sport like ice hockey, an affiliation with a high-level club team is important. I think goaliedad might have a comment about this.
My daughter is an athlete at a university which has one of the country's top D1 mens hockey programs (she does not play hockey....however, she knows many of the players). The roster includes three bs students, two of whom my daughter knows and they both continued with their club programs....which were affiliates of the local professional league. They all came up through strong club programs. I know goaliedad's daughter continues to play for her club while at bs. A good friend of our's has a son who is a talented lax player at Andover; he knows that while Andover is good, his son has to continue with his club program to really get the recognition of the top schools.</p>
<p>Fair enough. I looked through your posts and saw you were discussing your son's soccer. Certainly many bs programs can't produce DI caliber boys soccer talent (although there are exceptions). I also agree that keeping a club affiliation is important, especially in the summer months at camps for lacrosse, field hockey etc. when a great deal of recruiting takes place. However, as far as D1 placement, if you find one of the top bs programs, you shouldn't be sacrificing that much if you also keep up his summer work. I understand anecdotal evidence is important (the hockey players at your daughter's school and friend's son at Phillips) but we could list players back and forth who came through bs to D1 in a variety of sports and obviously, those who went D1 without bs. The point being, a boarding school experience and high level athletics are not mutually exclusive if you do your homework and find the right program/coach. Not trying to argue but I've worked with some amazing athletes in boarding schools and feel that few would have said the experience was "sacrificing a bit".</p>
<p>Bad news for Loomis. I am saddened by this senseless behavior. </p>
<p>Windsor Police Investigating 2nd Bias Incident at Loomis Chaffee</p>
<p>WINDSOR, Conn. (AP) _ Windsor police are investigating what
appears to be the second racially charged incident in a month at
the exclusive Loomis Chaffee boarding school.
Police Capt. Thomas LePore says authorities learned Monday that
a racial epithet was written in an area visible to students at the
private co-ed school.
In late September the photographs of six black female students
were defaced at a dormitory. The person responsible for that has
not been found.
Headmaster Russell Weigel held a meeting with faculty and staff
this week about the latest incident and has also notified parents
and trustees. Weigel says the school will not tolerate such acts
and suggests it is unlikely that someone outside the school is
responsible.
The 133-year-old school includes grades nine through 12. Tuition
and board are nearly $40,000 a year.</p>
<pre><code> (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
</code></pre>
<p>Wow--bad news indeed. Interesting as well since Loomis is Diversity/PC Central.</p>
<p>Article has the School's age wrong. Loomis may have been "founded" 133 years ago but it opened the doors in 1916.</p>
<p>Living in the South in a place where racial issues have flared up, I have to say that the Loomis Headmaster has taken the right approach:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Headmaster Russell Weigel held a meeting with faculty and staff
this week about the latest incident and has also notified parents
and trustees. Weigel says the school will not tolerate such acts
and suggests it is unlikely that someone outside the school is
responsible.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This is out in the open and exposed to the world as intolerable behavior. There are no excuses or defenses offered up. In fact, he says it's not likely that this is from someone outside the school. The message to the perpetrators (and anyone who might think their behavior is cool) comes in no uncertain terms: you're wrong and we're going to stop you.</p>
<p>What would be really terrific is if the students rallied together in support of the students who are being harassed and attacked by this intolerable and poisonous thinking.</p>
<p>Open expressions of prejudice and hate are buoyed by an impression among the perpetrators that they are safe and supported by others. The Headmaster has taken a positive step to countering that mentality. The real impact, however, comes when the perpetrators' peers are equally bold and forceful in negating and countering the toxic actions visited upon their community.</p>
<p>You're not going to stop hate from festering within the minds of ignorant people. But you can put the brakes on it before it leeches out of their minds and soils your community. You do this by giving no aid or comfort to the perpetrators and perpetuators of ignorance. Loomis' students have a choice right now: be silent and let some hate-filled student speak for them or be vocal and take control over the message that the school sends out. </p>
<p>Speech is actually very democratic. Right now one or two people have "voted" -- and their vote has been cast for hate. Will the rest of Loomis' students cast their votes against hate and show that their capacity for love will triumph every time? If every act of hate is met with a 500-fold countermessage of love, the messengers of hate will soon realize that they're doing little more than providing a catalyst for a message of love...and, if they don't get caught first, they soon slink back under the rock from which they have crawled.</p>
<p>So, let's see what happens next...</p>
<p>By the way, it's not just in the South and it's not just about racist hatred and there IS something that anyone and everyone can do to counter these messages of hate:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8AlCoLKGek%5B/url%5D">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8AlCoLKGek</a></p>
<p>For Loomis, this is one of those moments where they can control their own image or stand silent and let a few speak for them. It's really up to the students to define their school. This is more important than winning the big football game or Ivy League matriculations. This can be a moment of triumph or a black mark for the school.</p>
<p>Just FYI for everyone on this board, the student body did in fact rally around the individuals who were the subject of the attacks (for they can be seen as nothing less than outright attacks) with public displays of support. Additionally, there have been all school meetings and follow up discussions by class to address the issues and concerns raised by these kinds of incidents. But, as D'yer pointed out, the best thing is that Dr. Weigel and the rest of the faculty and administration have been very forthcoming about what has happened and how it is being handled.</p>
<p>You know, it is a sad truth that these things still happen, even at a school that tries as hard as Loomis does to be sensitive to diversity issues. The best that can come from situations like this is that the school (grown ups and kids alike) realize that a successful community is something that must be worked at and not just taken for granted, and I think Dr. Weigel has laid the groundwork for that kind of lesson by being as straightforward as he has been.</p>
<p>D'yer Maker, good posts and good video. I got all teary-eyed. I hope the six girls at Loomis get as much support from their community as the victims in Billings did.</p>
<p>(After writing the above, I saw smile dog's post. I'm glad to hear the student body did rally around the individuals who were the subject of the attacks.)</p>
<p>A similar incident occurred at Exeter last month. I never heard a follow-up piece on our local news.</p>
<p>From Loomis website. I have heard Weigel speak on several occasions. He rarely speaks from a script; you can tell that his words are his own and he speaks how he feels. </p>
<p>Warning: Lexima prepare for more teary eyes. Loomis is a great school - I'm sure that those girls are not alone.</p>
<p>School Community Responds to Racial Incidents </p>
<p>On a bulletin board in Harman Hall, one of the schools 10 dormitories, there was a photograph of all of the girls who live in the dorm. On September 28, someone, who is still unidentified, used a magic marker to cross out the pictures of the six African American girls. Then, on October 22, a racist remark was discovered on the door of an African American resident of Carter Hall, another girls dormitory. Head of School Russell H. Weigel consulted with police and began an internal investigation after the first incident, and on Monday he asked the police to begin an investigation of both incidents.</p>
<p>Immediately following both incidents, dorm heads, deans and the director of multicultural affairs joined the dormitory residents and faculty members who live there to discuss the events. Emails were sent to parents, faculty, students and staff shortly after each of the incidents as well. </p>
<p>Following the September 28 incident, Student Council leaders and student members of PRISM, the schools multicultural organization, launched plans to work together in combating racism and bias and in building a stronger school community. Today, PRISM asked the Loomis community to wear red as a sign of solidarity and support, and many students and faculty members responded. </p>
<p>We will not be complacent nor tolerate such behavior, which is an affront to all we stand for as a community. Rather, we are cooperating fully with the police investigation, Mr. Weigel said in a letter sent to parents immediately following the October 22 attack. </p>
<p>Loomis is a friendly, inclusive community, but we are not immune to troubling societal issues, Mr. Weigel later said. We will continue to work to combat racism and ignorance and to reinforce mutual respect in our community and in the wider world, he said. </p>
<p>We are committed fully to protecting and celebrating the dignity of all of our students, and to having our students understand the opportunities that they enjoy, living in a community that appreciates and affirms the value of diversity.</p>
<p>Back </p>
<p>Residents of Carter Hall put this sign on their dorm after the October 22 incident</p>
<p>Click for Zoom...</p>
<p>The whole thing really just disgusts me to no end. I can only hope that some how these incidents can become a blessing in disguise. Not just an opportunity to the school but the students who are the school and open their eyes to witness something that they may have thought was benign in their existence but actually thriving amongst them which they cannot and should not ignore and instead take those tools which are their hearts and minds and squash and expel such stupidity from not only the campus but henceforth with all that they may do in life.</p>
<p>Loomis is a great school and I know that it will prevail as all or most of these schools do when confronted with such challenges.</p>
<p>He issued statements to numerous constituencies after EACH of the incidents. (In other words, he didn't need to wait to see a pattern; the first incident crossed a line all by itself.)</p>
<p>He brought in police after the first incident and asked them to conduct their own investigation. (At how many institutions -- not just academia -- would the response be that "this is an internal or 'family' matter" as a justification for not letting it become public or losing control over the process?)</p>
<p>I share the shock and disgust, but I see far more good rising to the top to feel despair. You wish this wouldn't happen at all, and I do not want to sound like anyone should pay the price that's been exacted here, but considering that it did happen, the lesson seems as though it's likely to be as monumental as ops hopes it will be. Awareness, vigilance and refusing to remain silent...there's some good stuff going on at Loomis. Let's hope the positive lessons from this continue and that they are ingrained and never forgotten.</p>
<p>NewsTimes.com</a> - Police: Student asked to leave boarding school over slur
[quote]
Police: Student asked to leave boarding school over slur
The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 11/08/2007 11:45:32 AM EST</p>
<p>WINDSOR, Conn.A student who reported a racial epithet scrawled on a door at the Loomis Chaffee boarding school last month has agreed to leave after admitting she wrote it herself.
Windsor police had been investigating what appeared to be the second racially charged incident in a month at the exclusive boarding school. </p>
<p>Now they say a black student has admitted to writing the slur on the door of another black student. </p>
<p>
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Anyone else have the feeling that there was someting a little fishy about this story?</p>
<p>Today's column by Clarence Page was prescient:</p>
<p>CLARENCE</a> PAGE: Beware of hate crime hoaxes -- OrlandoSentinel.com</p>
<p>Now you hope that the positive lessons learned aren't diminished.</p>
<p>Whether it's a hoax or the real deal, it's all for attention. And the people who use hate as a vehicle to advance their interests and goals all need to suffer the consequences.</p>
<p>on Dyer's first point: I'm trying to find a positive lesson with no luck. This will only make people only more cynical.</p>
<p>On the second point: Ditto. But where are the consequences (for instance) for the hate mongers on the Duke faculty who viciously attacked the Duke Three, and used race openly as a reason for assuming and assigning guilt?</p>
<p>I would think that coming together, as the students apparently did, to take a stand against hate was appropriate. Seeing the headmaster act swiftly and decisively and strongly and openly...also very appropriate. These are good lessons that I hope aren't dismissed as foolish or mistaken because the impetus was a fabricated event.</p>
<p>Even at Duke, some lacrosse players (including one singled out as being especially sleazy -- not one of those later acquitted) participated in a "Take Back The Night" rally on campus. Good for them. You can still support your falsely accused teammates while taking a stand against rape. Right?</p>
<p>Speaking out and taking a vocal stand against hate is good -- even if it later turns out that the excuse for standing up for what's right is a false allegation.</p>
<p>What happened at Loomis was a response to hate -- not a backlash against accused people. That's good stuff and there were good lessons from that. What happened at Duke was a rush to judgment of individuals. That's bad...and one hopes there are some hard lessons learned from that route. There's nothing wrong or misguided about responding to false allegations by saying the community won't tolerate hate, or rape, or murder...etc. As for specific vengeance against the individuals accused, that seems to be best left to the province of the judicial system. </p>
<p>The lesson from today's news is that we should distinguish between taking an unequivocal stand against hate/rape in its abstract form as opposed to trying to put a face on these crimes by taking a stand against specific individuals...as if locking up a few cretins will end the larger problem.</p>