NMH Magazine : Winter 2006

Leading Lines

Recently an old-fashioned winter storm dumped over a foot of snow on the campus. Before the storm hit, a decision had to be made whether or not to proceed with classes. For NMH, it was a new type of decision. Since we no longer have to run buses between two campuses, and 580 of our students and most of our faculty live on campus, it made sense to hold classes as usual. During that snowy day, veteran NMH students and teachers were reminded of what it means to trudge across campus. Undoubtedly newcomers entertained thoughts of boarding schools in the Caribbean.

In his poem “Fire and Ice,” New England’s poet laureate Robert Frost plays upon several lines from Canto 32 of Dante’s Inferno:

Some say the world will end in fire.
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

It’s clear to me that Frost wrote this poem reflecting upon a very cold New Hampshire winter.

This morning at dawn, I went to feed my family’s chickens on the NMH farm. It was a stunningly beautiful morning. Mists hung cottony above the Connecticut River, wisps of steam rose from the compost pile, and sparkling frost appeared heavy on the fences. I took it in for as long as I could, until it hit me how cold it was. Water in the coops had frozen solid and buckets of feed and water had to be hauled over fences and across the snow. Back at the house, my trusty Subaru failed to turn over. Winter days help us feel alive, yet they also can be humbling, reminding us of our need to brace ourselves for hard work, accept the shining moments, and prepare for the unexpected.

Now that winter has settled in at NMH, it’s clear that our hard work as a newly gathered school community continues. A roll-up-the-sleeves spirit carried us through the autumn months and allowed us to finish unpacking. This fall we were able to test drive an adjusted schedule, feel comfortable all together in Alumni Hall, open two new dormitories, build two additional athletic fields, and continue planning for the visual and performing arts center.

Winter now moves us into the hard middle part of the school year and of our overall transition. A final round of faculty and staff reductions occurred in January. We must make tough choices on campus master planning. Work must go forward replacing underground infrastructure systems before more building can occur above ground. Efforts to market the Northfield campus continue. Preparation for our ten-year accreditation study process is about to be launched. Students who sought the anonymity of the two-campus system are chafing somewhat given increased accountability on one campus. Recently a number of NMH students of color organized a silent protest to highlight their concerns that the school environment is not as supportive and sensitive as it could be to minority students. The senior class is navigating how to lead the school while adjusting to so much change. And all of us feel pangs of sadness whenever we allow ourselves time to miss Northfield.

Given the subzero temperature this morning, I borrowed my wife’s down parka to gather eggs before they froze and cracked. In my haste I forgot the collecting basket. For the short walk back to North Farmhouse, I improvised and tucked eight eggs into my pockets. Trudging home, I slipped and fell on a patch of ice. Lying there on my back on another beautiful and very cold winter morning, Frost’s lines about ice came to my mind. Then I thought about Richard III’s quip from Shakespeare regarding the winter of his discontent. And then I remembered the eggs I’d placed in the pocket of Gina’s favorite coat. Remarkably, the down coat protected every egg! Boarding school work and winter in New England provide us all with hard work, daily challenges, and welcome surprises.

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