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Volume 73, Issue 5
December 12th, 2024
A Student Publlcation of the Belmont Hill School
Major Reich: Mr. George Gives a Tribute to Bravery By T.Z. Snail ’26 Panel Staff On November 11, Belmont Hill’s Mr. George gave the annual Veterans Day chapel presentation, sharing the story of his brother-in-law, Major Stephen Reich. Maj. Reich attended, and later graduated, from the United States Military Academy in New York, after seeing cadets with the same drive he embodied on a trip to the academy in high school. He explained, “You always hear West Point as, supposedly, where the best of the best go. And so, it became a challenge to see if I could do it.” Maj. Reich joined West Point and quickly impacted his peers. He was West Point’s ace in baseball and symbolized leadership. On and off the field, others were drawn to his focus and determination. After Westpoint, he had a chance to play for Team USA and later on the Baltimore Orioles signed Maj. Reich, but after pitching only two games, he was called back to service by the Pentagon. It was not long before he applied for and ultimately landed in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR): also known as the Night Stalkers. In June of 2005, a group of four SEALs encountered contact in a mission on the outskirts of Afghanistan, needing immediate extraction. True to his nature, Maj. Reich wasted no time assembling a crew of SEALs and Special Forces and set out from Bagram Air Base as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Maj. Reich did not return that day, as he
Mr. George Discussing the Inspiring Story of Major C. Reich
BH Communications
along with the other 15 soldiers on board Turbine 33 were killed when a rocket propelled grenade hit their helicopter. Mr. George first presented Maj. Reich’s story in 2006. The speech, given to Form III students, highlighted Maj. Reich’s high school years. In Mr. George’s words, that talk emphasized “helping students recognize that many of the people we, rightfully, hold up as heroes…are really pretty regular individuals who choose to make a commitment and who are disciplined and focused on achieving a certain standard.” With this upcoming summer being the 20th anniversary of the loss of Maj. Reich and his 16-man team, Mr. George saw the opportunity to again share Maj. Reich’s story with the school. Mr. George hoped from his speech, that “students might be a little more aware and attuned to what loss really means.” There was an instance in his speech in which Mr. George could not continue because of the extreme difficulty of the subject. The part discusses
the days following Maj. Reich’s death. During this time, Mr. George and Maj. Reich’s immediate family spent a lot of time at a large land preserve in the town called Steep Rock. On one walk, Maj. Reich’s sister, Megan, reached an old railway tunnel at the same time as a group of horseback riders. One of the horses was spooked by the tunnel, and Megan volunteered to walk alongside as the group went through. Maj. Reich had owned horses throughout his adult life, and had become a very skilled rider. Mr. George and Megan discussed “how upset Stephen would be that he was no longer with the people that he loved and cared about, or the soldiers who he served with.” Walking with that horse through the dark tunnel, towards the sunny trail on the other side, Megan felt a sudden and unexpected connection to Maj. Reich: “I think of that metaphor often, and I certainly don’t walk through that tunnel without reliving it.” Maj. Reich changed Mr. George’s perspective of who soldiers are, empha-
about every veteran to attend Belmont Hill. Smith, Courtney, and Woolbert led the project and designed matching hats for the volunteers with distinctive years stitched across the back, each representing a class of veterans. The trio further demonstrated their dedication to the recognition of veterans during the Veterans Day 5K. With additional support from Mr. George, Mr. Trautz, and Grant Hanser ’26, the 5K was a massive success. Over three dozen
volunteers helped organize and set up the course, hang memorabilia banners, and register runners. The group also included a cooking team led by Chef Joshua Smith, father of Tyler Smith. Participants bought Veterans Day 5K t-shirts and entered a raffle for prizes, including box tickets for a Bruins game. Thanks to the plethora of sponsorships gathered by the Veterans Club, the event achieved high-quality marks, raising over $ 6,000 for the veteran’s association in Belmont.
sized by the Night Stalker creed: “I serve with the memory and pride of those who have gone before me for they loved to fight, fought to win and would rather die than quit. Night Stalkers Don’t Quit.” To Mr. George, while “it’s about battle, it is also very much about brotherhood and the meaning of that community.” In his speech, Mr. George hoped to enlighten the students of this new perspective. His speech, in connection to the 160th’s creed, highlighted Maj. Reich’s long-lasting impact on his family, town, former teammates, and others. Major Stephen C. Reich’s grit and leadership were qualities that Mr. George and anyone around him quickly noticed. Maj. Reich expressed his desire not to miss any opportunity life granted him in an interview while playing baseball: “If there is one thing I am scared of, I am scared to death of looking back on everything and saying to myself, ‘God, I should have done this, I should have taken that extra step, and taken that chance.’ I don’t want to have anything missing in my life when it is all over.” These traits were an essential aspect of Mr. George’s speech and profoundly impacted the students listening in the chapel. Moved by Maj. Reich’s sacrifice, control of situations, and lack of hesitation in the most dangerous scenarios, students and faculty alike clearly embraced Maj. Reich’s character and personality, even in such a short presentation of his life. Mr. George’s speech was received with a standing ovation: a well-deserved conclusion to an inspiring story. ☐
First Veterans Day 5K at Belmont Hill: A Success By Patrick Snail ’28 & T.Z. Snail ’26 Panel Staff Starting last spring, Tyler Smith ’26, Fitz Courtney ’26, and Davis Woolbert ’25 have made considerable strides in raising the visibility and broadening the Veterans Club at Belmont Hill. Recently, the club hosted its inaugural Belmont Hill Veterans Day 5K, with over 100 runners and supporters. Other initiatives on campus have also lent support for Veterans Day, including the Veterans Day wristband fundraiser led by Jack Barrett ’25 and the B-Flats performance at the Beech Street Center for seniors, further exemplifying the ever-growing recognition of veterans at Belmont Hill. Last May, eleven Belmont Hill boys marched in the annual Belmont Memorial Day Parade, carrying banners that displayed information
Over 100 Participants at the Veteran’s Day 5K
A Look Inside The Panel Page 2: 2024 Think Pink Update Brady Paquette ’25 discusses the success of this year’s Think Pink Campaign and the bright future ahead for the non-profit.
Page 5: Faculty Artist of the Issue: Mr. Fiori T.Z. Snail ’26 tracks Mr. Fiori’s musical career and his views on teaching and AI in the arts department.
Page 3: Massachussetts Ballot Questions Tyler Grossman ’27 explores the results of the votes for the Massachusetts ballot questions, and what the impact of each result entails for the future.
Page 9: Athlete of the Issue: Isaiah Langham ’25 Jackson Hurd ’26 and Jack O’Brien ’26 sit down with Isaiah Langham ’25 to discuss his goals as a leader of the varsity basketball team.
Tracy Jolles P’26
Over 100 participants lined up for the main event. Before the gun went off, the competitors took a moment to listen to the national anthem, and Colonel Micheal Callanan, the director of Belmont Veterans Memorial Club, Mr. George, and Tyler spoke about the importance of Veterans Day to themselves and everyone. In a hotly contested race, Eita Fuse ’26 edged out Sam Leviton ’28 by one second to earn first place, and William Walton ’25 stole third place over Mr. George himself. Then, participants and spectators enjoyed a delicious BBQ lunch, which included tender brisket, tasty pizza, and savory sugar cookies. Finally, once everyone finished eating, they gathered in front of the Jordan Athletic Center for the closing ceremony, where Smith, Courtney, Woolbert, Hanser, and Mr. George announced the podium finishers for the race and the winners of the raffles. ☐
Letter from the Editor:
Welcome to Issue 5 of Volume 73 of The Panel! As we began developing the articles for this issue, I noticed that there was an underlying theme for many of them: service. This fall, the Belmont Hill community has made service a priority, and many student-led initiatives have blossomed. This issue highlights many of these projects, from the Veterans Day 5k, to Think Pink, to the Turkey Drive. Moreover, service has found its way into other aspects of Belmont Hill, such as Mr. George’s Veteran’s Day Chapel. Meanwhile, the past month has
watched the seasons turn from fall to winter, a development reflected in the winter season previews that can be found in the sports section. Additionally, this past month, the executive editors of The Banner, Winsor’s student-led newspaper, and The Panel spent a day living in each other’s shoes in a long-standing tradition known as Switch Day. The articles written by both staffs on their experience at the other school can be found in the centerspread of this issue. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this issue, and we hope you enjoy! ☐