Hearth
THE Vol. 96, No. 2
Eaglebrook School, Deerfield, MA 01342
January 31, 2025
Welcome to Winter Carnival! Prescott Zee ’25
At Eaglebrook, tradition is an integral part of our community that has always been apparent in my two years on the Hill. Winter Carnival is a beloved tradition that began a long time ago, making it one of the oldest of its kind in the country. The 100th Winter Carnival will kick off on January 31st, offering a variety of contests, races, and winter sports for students and their families.
Holiday Concert Showcases Student Musicians TK Lee ’25
The 2024 Holiday Concert was held on December 18, and it hosted the String Orchestra, Band, Jazz Band, Piano, Chorus, and Ad-Libs. The String Orchestra had performed two pieces on their own, “Last Christmas” and “The Night Before Christmas.” “The Night Before Christmas” was unlike any other performance as Ms. Luker, our piano teacher who is now also working on the admissions team, narrated a storybook while the String Orchestra accompanied her with sound effects and beautiful songs. The String Orchestra then proceeded to play the iconic Christmas soundtrack, “White Christmas” along with the Eaglebrook Band. When summed up, there were around 80 musicians in the Assembly Area, which sounded magical. The Eaglebrook Band then played “Christmas Swings” and “Christmas Light Fanfare.” “Christmas Swings” is a medley of Christmas carols that have a touch of swing added to their melody and “Christmas Light Fanfare” is a fun, exciting song, with the horns showcasing their beautiful sounds.
Following the Band was the Jazz Band. The Jazz Band performed two famous Christmas carols, “Winter Wonderland” and “Frosty the Snowman”. Both of these pieces required great pitches to create harmony and the Jazz Band did a great job in achieving that. After these performances, the pianists Liam Kim ’26, Daniel Park ’26, and James Lin ’26 performed the iconic carol, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”. Titan Tanihaha ’25 and Kyle Zhou ’25 performed “Carol the Bells”. Both songs needed great collaboration amongst the pianists considering that they weren’t performing by themselves.
The winter spirit doesn’t take long to show itself. Students have started weeks before, building cardboard sleds right after vacation. Students put pride and hard work into the making of these sleds. They are then placed side by side, and the best-designed sleds get to race the famous “Eddy the Eagle” sled, which Mr. Andrew Chase ’73 will ride. Last year, we witnessed cardboard sleds resembling a piñata, a tank, and a minion. I am excited to see what will come up this year. Festivities will begin on Friday, with parents and friends visiting their student’s classes on a fully-scheduled class day. Following that will be lunch,
The Chorus sang two great Christmas Carols, “Let it Snow” and “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer”, where they showcased outstanding harmony among the different parts. The Ad-Libs sang a unique version of the carol “12 Days of Christmas”, that was in a medley format. The song was a combination of the original carol and several other famous Christmas carols.
Winter Play Is An Eaglebrook Original Kaden Song ’27 and Micah Tishman ’28 This year’s winter play is an immersive and amazing experience that has everyone talking. Written by Mr. Jodka and Ms. Syers, the play was based on a school-wide survey, making it relatable for every student. The play takes place at a radio station located in Mayer basement that only broadcasts to students. Our “DJs,” Grant Fan ’25, Nikita Duncan ’25, and James Dorian ’25, run the station, starting their broadcast and receiving calls from Henry Callahan ’28, Ethan Bu ’27, and Minkyu Ko ’28, as ChatGNP Nathan Pang ’25 is booted up. As the story progresses, a series of reports starring Max Newman ’25, Alex Wang ’25, and Jonathan Jiang ’26 accidentally awaken the winter beast, Kaden Song ’27.
Although the actors shine bright on the stage, let’s not forget the rest of the crew members who laid the foundation for the play. Working behind the scenes in crucial roles like sound and lights are Charlie Hutchinson ’25, Alex Wendle ’26 and Austin Yeong ’27. The backstage crew includes Max Fortin ’26, Xavier Berube ’27, Monty Vanderwilt ’28, Adrian Li ’27, Alonso Jurado ’26, and Harvey Syers ’27. Costume design is led by Jack Mahoney ’25, Jack Shaw ’26, Peter Fermelia ’27, Austin Yeong ’27, and Kaden Song ’27, while Titan Tanihaha ’25, Harvey Syers ’27, and assistant director Jeppard Xia ’26 have managed props. The musicians are Kyle Zhou ’25, Chris Jeong ’26, Andrew Hu ’26, Alan Zhao, ’25 Howard Ng ’25, Alex Zhehan Li ’25, Tony Zhu ’25, Sebastian Chen
’26, Evan Chen ’26, James Lin ’26 and Louis Liu ’26. The signers include Siaki Crenshaw ’25, Danny Chu ’26, Grant Fan ’25, Minkyu Ko ’28, Matthias Choi ’28, Tony Zhu ’25, Micah Tishman ’28, and James Dorian ’25. These students, along with the actors, help bring the play to life. One of the most impressive aspects of the winter play is how it has brought everyone together working toward the same goal. It isn’t just a play: it’s an example of teamwork and creativity at its best. Everyone, whether onstage or backstage, has played a key role in making it a unique and fun experience for the whole school. This year’s winter play has been a huge success, and it shows just how hard work and creativity can make something truly amazing.
where the real fun will start, with the lighting of the large bonfire, snacks, and a collection of games. Dorms will compete with each other to get the most points in order to win the Winter Carnival Cup. Points are gained through the various games throughout the huge festival. Dorms will play in games such as the three-legged and Klondike races, which will be the day’s highlights. We are all wondering who will win the Cup this year; Halsted House has been victorious for the past several years. The night of the 31st will end in tranquility, with the Evening of the Arts performing at 6:45 pm. On February 1, parents meet with teachers for parent-teacher conferences after the fun and games. Parents will then follow their children to sports, where they can watch the practices or games scheduled on that day. The students will be able to leave after sports for a well-deserved break to catch up with their parents. Students will return to Eaglebrook on February 3 before 8:00 pm to finish the winter term on a strong note.