Points of Pride

Student Successes in 2008-09
Members of the class of 2009 earned acceptances at the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country, including every Ivy League institution. Read on to learn more about a great year at NMH.

NMH’s VOTES Program Picks Obama
Teenagers in every state and the District of Columbia—nearly 65,000 of them—correctly predicted Barack Obama’s presidential win last fall. With voter turnout at 145 schools reaching 74 percent, high school students made their voices known and learned a thing or two about the democratic process. NMH history teachers Jim Shea and Lorrie Byrom have been organizing this national high school student mock election for 20 years, and students take an active role in campaigning, administering the elections, and covering returns.

NMH on NPR
“From the Top,” the National Public Radio program that features stellar young musicians, was taped at Raymond Hall in the Rhodes Arts Center last fall and aired in January on 200 NPR affiliates nationwide. NMH’s Select Women’s Ensemble (SWE) members were among the talented young musicians featured. The SWE sang a poem by William Butler Yeats set to music, complete with intricate four-part harmonies.
 
NMH Hoop Stars Got Game and Brains
Four NMH student-athletes participated in the Feinburg Academic All-American Classic basketball tournament in Ontario, Calif. The teams were made up of the leading high school basketball players in the country who have also excelled in the classroom. Representing NMH were Mike Marra ’09 (Louisville), Pete McMillan ’09 (Cornell), Ryan Peters ’09 (Lehigh), and Andrew McCarthy ’09 (Brown).

NMH Jazz Combo Makes Sweet Music
The NMH Jazz Combo attended a state-wide competition for top jazz ensembles in Massachusetts at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in April. Fifteen bands competed and the NMH Jazz Combo, led by Ron Smith, came home with a silver award for a second-place finish. Bassist Martin Jaffe ’12 earned an outstanding musicianship award. In February, the combo took silver at the Western District High School Big Band and Combo Competition in Westfield. Vocalist Mackenzie Daigle ’11 sang a version of “Stormy Weather” that earned her a full scholarship to the University of Massachusetts Jazz in July workshop. Kai Matsuda ’11 on the alto saxophone, Jamison Williams ’11 on drums, and Martin Jaffe ’12 received Outstanding Musicianship Awards. Kai also earned a half scholarship to Jazz in July and Martin received the Most Valuable Soloist Award.

Wrestling Big
Nine NMH wrestlers headed to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania for the National Prep Wrestling Championships in February. Ryan Ponte ’11 earned his second all-American title, and first-time winners were Juan Stimpson ’09 and Max Wright ’10. NMH placed ninth—for the first time in school history breaking the top-10 at the tournament—the top placement for a New England team.

Students Stage Hate-Crime Play
In 1999, Matthew Shepard was beaten, tied to a fence post, and left to die by two men in Laramie, Wyoming. Shepard, a gay college student, is widely believed to have been the victim of a hate-crime in a case that grabbed international media coverage. Nearly two weeks after he died, Moises Kaufman and his Tectonic Theater Company interviewed scores of Laramie residents and assembled The Laramie Project, a play based on those talks using the actual words of those in the town. Cam Margeson ’09 and Nicole Dancel ’09 staged The Laramie Project with 21 actors (10 students, 10 teachers, and one alumnus).

Student Art Show at RAC Gallery
For the first time, student work from the NMH Visual Arts Program was hung at the Gallery at the Rhodes Arts Center in April. Nearly 40 students showed work in media ranging from prints to pottery to paintings.

NMH Freshman Runner's Speedy Results
Runner Camille Gooden ’12 finished the season as the undefeated 100m and 200m New England champion, and she set three new NMH records. In May she broke a 31-year-old record in the long jump with her 17’ 4 ½” effort. She broke a 16-year-old record, running the 200 meter in 25.58, a full two seconds ahead of the rest of the field, and she also set a new school record—11.97 seconds—for the 100 meter.

NMH Concert Features Local Composers
A Composers Concert at NMH’s Rhodes Arts Center in March featured a piece by Henry Lawrence ’12. His piece, "Hearts Like Waves," is one of several he’s composed. He’s had his works publicly performed since he was in middle school.

Student’s Drawings Earn Gold Key Award
Alexia Kim ’10 is one of 335 artists, out of some 5,200 applicants, who won a Gold Key from the Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards. She was invited to attend a ceremony in Boston in February, and her drawings were exhibited at the Massachusetts State Transportation Building.

Everyday Fabulousness
It's the everyday work of our faculty and students that makes us most proud. The NMH culture focuses on learning for learning's sake (rather than the kudos, though we don't mind that much). Learn more about our innovative academic program or see our Think Piece features that celebrate the life of the mind. Want to experience NMH firsthand? You can apply here or consider our summer session.

Pictures Worth a Thousand Words
We are also proud of the texture, energy, and passion evident on the NMH campus. We believe in effort in all we do—mountain-biking, essay-writing, looking through the microscope, playing basketball, delivering a soliliquy. Enjoy the photos in our flickr gallery as you learn more about NMH.