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Alumni
Review #4, Class of 2002 |
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| College
Enrolled |
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Middlebury |
| Home
Town, State (Country) |
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Huntingdon,Quebec,CANADA |
| Years
Attended Boarding School |
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2 |
| Activities
During Boarding School |
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During the two years that I attended Kent I participated in 4 varsity sports: soccer (I switched to football half way through the season junior year), football, hockey and baseball. Along with my athletic career, I also participated in a Talent show playing guitar and was the lead vocalist for a band. |
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| 1.) What do you think makes your school unique relative
to other boarding schools?
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| The combination of athletics and arts in an academically nurturing environment sets Kent apart from a lot of other places. At Kent people aren’t treated as children, there was responsibility and a focused work ethic emphasized by everyone including the fellow students. However, should the rigorous boarding school lifestyle overwhelm you, the safety net at Kent was rather vast thus enabling people to get back on their feet be it from an academic, athletic or social problem. I believe this feeling of support made Kent distinct. |
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| 2.) What was the best thing that happened to you in boarding school? |
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| The unparalleled amount of confidence that I gained from being away from home just seems to transcend every part of my life. From social, academic to athletic I truly do approach things in a more positive and eager manner all because of that feeling of independence that comes with the Kent experience. Oh yeah and beating Avon Old Farms 42-7 in the Class A New England Championship game was noteworthy as well. |
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| 3.) What would you have done differently during your boarding school experience? |
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| I wouldn’t have done anything differently, everything happens for a reason. If you are comfortable with what you are doing, you can’t go wrong. With respect to the application process I would not have applied any ealier than the age I applied at. |
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| 4.) What would you never want to change about your school? |
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| I would never change the little idiosyncratic things that some people may view as faults. For example I don’t wish that I had a less eccentric history teacher junior year. I wouldn’t want the Bedford girls to act any other way. Though it may appear that Kent lacks diversity on the surface let me assure you there are enough things going on to keep one occupied.
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| 5.) What things could be improved about your school? |
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| I think some of the school's policies with respect to alcohol, not drugs, but alcohol abuse should be less severe. The school is losing both student leaders as well as a significant amount of money because of this. In no way am I advocating drinking on campus, simply that if the situation were to arise that the ramifications of such actions from a disciplinary standpoint be a little more understanding. Kent is a journey, to use the football team's analogy, and there are inevitably bumps along the road. |
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| 6.) Do you have any final words of wisdom for visiting or incoming students
to your school? |
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| Ok, so you read all that- now here’s the good stuff. The kind of stuff only a true Kent kid would know.
1) Go to the Chinese restaurant in town, get the Chicken lo-mien – it’s good.
2) Go to the Kent Market to get a Turkey Grinder-it’s good.
3) Don’t let anyone in Kent sharpen your skates- no one has a clue how to do it right.
4) Don’t let the muscle bound hulks in the gym scare you- they aren’t mean.
5) Don’t eat the Mexican food on game days
6) (Athletes only)- go to a concert, play or something artistic and don’t let the stereotype continue.
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| 7.) How was your experience as an international student?
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| As an international student, all the way from Canada, there was plenty of language support. Not that I personally needed it, but a number of my friends who were French Canadians were well accomodated. |
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| 1.)
What did you like best about your school’s academics? |
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| From an academic perspective, I believe Kent was as challenging as you wanted it to be. If you wanted to mess around and not do anything, yes you could graduate. However should you wish to get into the school of your choice, I recommend taking in all Kent as to offer and pushing yourself to the limit. The AP classes are challenging enough for any high school student, regardless of how intelligent they think they are. The student-teacher relationships were also quite sound at Kent, which I felt really aided the learning process. If someone doesn't care about what he or she is doing, it is reflected in their work. |
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| 2.)
What did you like least about the academics in your school? |
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| I believe some of the teachers were almost too lenient at times with certain individuals. However that is not to say that the teachers in general are push-overs, they aren't. |
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What did you like best about your school’s athletics? |
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| I like how the emphasis in Kent sports (specifically on the football team) was put on the journey and not the destination. That phrase struck a chord in me as well as the rest of the team my senior year. In contrast to a lot of other coaching staffs that stress the championships, the Kent philosophy stresses the consistent day after day work ethic.
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| 2.)
What did you like least about the athletics in your school? |
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| Kent seemed to boast the extremes in sports from championship crew and football teams to less than stellar teams in one or two other sports. It just struck me as odd how there didn't seem to be any balance in the overall athletic performance of the school. |
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What did you like best about your school’s art program? |
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| Being a student for only two years I only had the time to take intro classes in both visual arts as well as music. I was quite impressed though with the community atmosphere that seemed to permeate the department.The one thing that did strike me was the vast number of things one could do within the art realm at Kent. The music concerts were also particularly entertaining. |
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What did you like least about your school’s art program? |
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| I wasn’t particularly comfortable “hanging out” in the art rooms. It seemed a bit like a parallel universe at first. However as time wore on, I learned that both “artsy” and “sporty” people could live harmoniously. |
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What did you like most about the extracurricular activities offered
at your school? |
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| I didn't really have time to participate in any because of my academic as well as athletic commitments. |
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| 2.)
What did you like least about the extracurricular activities offered
at your school? |
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| I didn't really have time to participate in any because of my academic as well as athletic commitments. |
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| 1.)
What was the best thing about dorm life in your school? |
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| The dorm life at Kent was worth the money in itself. Where else can you spend all the time you want hanging out with your friends? Everything from helping each other out with homework to the occasional prank, Kent offers the complete boarding school experience. However don’t think that you can just parade up and down the halls at 4am slamming doors and blowing air horns (only in north dorm 3rd floor) there are faculty members living around every corner. |
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| 2.)
What did you like least about dorm life? |
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| The curfew system was a little harsh. When you are 18 years old and you have to be in at 10:30 at night on a Saturday night, you often question what you are doing there.
The visiting hours for girls and guys is only 4 hours a week, which is also a little rough, and you have to keep your door open 10 degrees at all times. You also can’t have food delivered to your dorm which can be a killer if old Ronnie in the Student center runs out of pizza. |
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What was the best thing about your dining arrangements? |
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| The food is manageable, however certain chefs get a little to creative with the pizza at times and you have to question what’s really in it. The salad bar is alright for those who don’t enjoy my carnivorous diet. The strip steak is particularly good. I recommend the d-balls special French fries: French fries with A1 BBQ sauce and a healthy amount of salt.
Formal dinners can get a little bland after a couple months. However if you sneak into the dishwashing area and ask one of the members of the kitchen staff politely you can get some sort of ice cream treat: instantly making you the center of attention at your assigned formal dinner table.
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| 2.)
What did you like least about your dining arrangements? |
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| Mexican food on game days, I don't need to say anymore. |
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| 1.) How welcome did you feel by the other students when you first
arrived at the school? |
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| Fitting in at Kent was never a problem, the moment I walked on to campus I was greeted by a number of really nice people. Playing on a number of varsity sports teams as well as being recognized as a leader on campus also played a role in this smooth transition. |
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| 2.)
Describe the level of diversity and integration of students in your
school: |
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| There definitely seemed to be a number of distinct groups on campus. The athletes seemed to sit in one area of the cafeteria. The artistically as well as electronically inclined individuals occupied another area. |
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Describe typical fun activities you did on a weekend: |
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| Playing some tennis with friends on the school’s tennis courts or playing a little basketball were fun when I wasn’t playing an interscholastic sport. Rockin' out in the senior sand box is also cool. |
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What was the town like? |
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| The town of Kent is a quaint little New England town and is only a hop skip and a jump from school. However you hardly ever have time to go in except on weekends, and even then if you play sports you won’t make it. |
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| 7:00 AM | Wake up | | 7:15 AM | Shower | | 7:30 AM | Breakfast | | 8:00 AM | Chemistry | | 9:00 AM | Math | | 10:00 AM | Morning Meeting with Advisor | | 11:30 AM | English | | 12:00 AM | Lunch | | 1:00 PM | Economics | | 2:00 PM | Theology | | 3:00 PM | Get Ready for sports | | 3:30 PM | Out on the Field | | 6:00 PM | Dinner | | 7:30 PM | Study Hall starts | | 9:30 PM | Study Hall ends | | 9:30 PM | Social Time at the Student Center | | 10:30 PM | Checkin | | 11:00 PM | Lights Out | | 3:00 AM | Fire Bell pulled by disgruntled student | | 4:00 AM | Fire Bell pulled again | |
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| 8:00 AM | Wake Up | | 8:15 AM | Shower | | 8:30 AM | Breakfast | | 9:00 AM | Math | | 10:00 AM | English | | 11:00 AM | Economics | | 12:00 AM | Lunch | | 1:00 PM | Hockey Game | | 6:00 PM | Dinner | | 7:00 PM | Social Time | | 10:30 PM | Check In | | 11:00 PM | Lights Out | |
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