John Donovan’s Lasting Imprint
Michael Lu ’24
May 31, 2020
John Donovan ’20 is a gifted and passionate artist with talents ranging from stagecraft to painting to drawing. Adding to his many artistic accomplishments, John has recently won this year’s Groton Library bookplate competition with his block print chapel design. Mr. Melchior decided to start this c...
The Show Must Go Online
Allison Jiang ’22, Arts Editor
May 31, 2020
In the midst of theatre shutdowns and a myriad of empty stages, artists all over the world have been locked out of their performance spaces during quarantine. Though confined, they have persevered by transforming their homes into performing spaces, working to create for an audience wit...
Artist of the Issue: Jed Rainey
Allison Jiang '22, Assistant Arts Editor
April 28, 2020
It's Saturday night, and the dance floor under the Dining Hall is lively and crowded, the space covered in graffiti and strobe lights. Tracks blast from the DJ booth. There, you will find DJ Rainfall, more commonly known as Jed Rainey ’20. Jed is a familiar face behind the turntables of Groton dances...
Artist of The Issue: Chioma Ilozor
March 7, 2020
You’ve listened to her songs on Spotify. Under the name Ai Bendr –– inspired by her middle name, Ai Bendors –– Chioma Ilozor '20 has dropped many catchy singles, such as “Stay With Me,” “blue skies,” and “Boy.” In addition, Chioma sings at many Open Mics and for many postludes. Wh...
From Our Perspective: The Winter Recital Series
March 7, 2020
In 2000, the first Groton student recital was held with three performers. Two decades later student recitals are an integral part of our music program here on campus. Musicians at every level get the opportunity to perform as a complementary addition to their music lessons during the year. ...
New to the Circle: Composers Concert
February 12, 2020
Coming up on March 2 is an exciting new opportunity: the Composers Concert, an idea conceptualized and now realized by music prefects (Josh Guo ’20, Alex Schade ’20 and Chioma Illozor ’20), student composers (Andrej Klema ’21, Jane Park ’21, Obinna Nwaokoro ’21, Jasmine Garcia ’22, Griff...
Jazz at the Hard Rock Cafe
February 12, 2020
Covered in neon lights and rock’ n’ roll memorabilia, the Hard Rock Café and its high energy vibe make it an amazing venue for live music. On January 26 Soul Sauce (the Groton School Jazz Band) took their musical talents to the Hard Rock Café in downtown Boston to perform a live gig –– a fir...
Maineland: Film Insight into Boarding School
Emily Li '22 and Annie Pei '22
February 12, 2020
Imagine traveling across the world into an unknown culture during the most rapidly changing time of your life. More specifically, imagine going from mainland China to Maine. In the documentary Maineland, directed by Miao Wang, two students from mainland China embarked on a life-changing experience t...
Legally Blonde: Groton Theater Tackles Stereotypes
Derek Hu '21, Assistant Features Editor
February 11, 2020
If you’re finding the winter long and mundane, you should look out for this term’s musical, Legally Blonde. “Our company is taking on incredibly challenging material… and they are coming at that material with real passion and focus and creativity,” said Director of Theater Laurie Sales. ...
Artist of the Issue: Teddy Deng
Allison Jiang '22, Assistant Arts Editor
February 11, 2020
Teddy Deng ’20 felt an artistic spark during the summer of 2018 as he gazed at the night sky. Inspired by that beauty, Teddy grew into a passionate photographer, enjoying capturing the “natural world’s beauty.” With his beautiful star trail creations (a merging of images capturing the movemen...
A New Approach to Climate Change
Derek Hu '21, Assistant Features Editor
December 20, 2019
Groton School hosted two comedies and two dramas in a series of climate change plays on December 11. Eliza Powers ’20, Zoe Park ’21, Angela Wei ’21, and Sammy Agrawal ’21 each directed a captivating and thought-provoking play to convey the severity of climate change. “I really wanted to do a comedy about clim...
Groton’s Musical Holiday Traditions
December 20, 2019
The first snow at Groton not only marks a seasonal shift, but also cues the start of Christmas and the festive vibe that takes over campus. Trees and lights decorate the dorms, and the Christmas classics make their way onto the Spotify playlists. The holiday season also means a month of rehearsals as various m...
Artist of the Issue: John Donovan
December 20, 2019
John Donovan ’20 is a talented, comprehensive artist who loves stagecraft, drawing, and painting. His recent works include the set creation of Groton theater’s fall play, Antigone, which featured a towering ladder of chairs, a beautifully painted floor, and a huge set of walls. What is your ...
How to Get to Carnegie Hall
Allison Jiang, Assistant Arts Editor
December 20, 2019
It’s a classic New Yorker joke: on the intersection of 57th Street and Seventh Avenue of New York City, a man asks a passerby for directions. He asks, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” Upon closer examination, the passerby turns out to be Jascha Heifetz, acclaimed violinist and virtuoso, who ans...
Groton’s First Open Mic of The 2019 School Year
October 13, 2019
Captivating. Refreshing. Hilariously entertaining. These are just a handful of an endless string of adjectives that could be used to describe what Groton’s first 2019 Open Mic had to offer. Cocooned in the warm glow of fairy lights with the company of fluffy blankets and friends, the Gro...
Parents Weekend Concert
Allison Jiang '22, Assistant Arts Editor
October 13, 2019
Just as the calendar nears the end of October, Parents Weekend begins, opening Groton’s school gates to welcome family and friends to the circle. The doors of the Campbell Performing Arts Center (CPAC) will also open to host the annual Parents Weekend Concert. In one evening of performances, students fro...
First Chinese Mudge Fellow
Jacinta Lopez '22 and Aimee Zheng '23
October 13, 2019
Every winter, an artist is chosen to come and participate in the Old Mudge Fellowship. The artist’s work is displayed in the Brodigan Gallery for around two months and he will come to Groton to work with various art classes and the community for a week. The Mudge Fellow tradition started in 199...
Ancient Greece Meets Trapeze Acts in Groton Theater Trip
Alisa Gulyansky '24
October 11, 2019
Trapeze acts and circus performers illuminated in dazzling lights versus a classic Greek play that was written in 441 B.C.: two seemingly disparate concepts Groton Theater Director Laurie Sales is tasked with connecting. On September 28, Groton theater, currently working on the Sophoclean tragedy ...
Goodbye Gammons, Hola España
Allison Jiang '22, Assistant Arts Editor
September 21, 2019
Following a grueling week of Spring exams, the classical musicians of Groton packed their instrument cases from the music wing to set off on the highly anticipated Orchestra Tour. During the month of June, members of the Groton Chamber Orchestra participated in two weeks of musical performance in their...
Summer Reading Reviews
Amelia Lee '22, Staff Writer
September 21, 2019
This year, faculty picked the following books as required summer reading: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho for Second Form, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas for Third Form, The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for Fourth Form, A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki for Fifth Form, and Educated, A Memoir...
A Review of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Amy Lu '19, Humor Editor
February 5, 2019
Before Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Sony Pictures Animation movies were far from award-show frontrunners in the animation industry. The studio’s most recent release, The Emoji Movie, received a dismal 8% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was thought to be the worst movie of 2017. And yet, during...
Is Beyonce Guilty of Cultural Appropriation?
Sammy Agrawal '21, Maya Gite '22, and Yumin Shivdasani '20
February 5, 2019
Isha Ambani, the daughter of India’s wealthiest man, married Anand Piramal on December 12, hosting the second-most expensive wedding in history, according to Business Insider and Bloomberg News. Attendees ranged from Bollywood actors to famous politicians, but one figure received global attention for...
Artist of the Issue: Andrew Lei
Claire Lee '20, Assistant Arts Editor
February 5, 2019
Who was the man behind the electric bass during the performance of “The Man in the Mirror” on Martin Luther King Jr. Day? Groton’s exceptionally talented bass player: Andrew Lei ’19. He frequents the stage with gigs ranging from band performances at Hard Rock Cafe to accompanying talented Gr...
Alumni Spotlight on Elizabeth Dickson ’15
Grace Oh '21
February 5, 2019
Elizabeth Dickson ’15 was a small girl with big dreams growing up in New Jersey. As a child, she was fortunate enough to go to see Broadway plays such as The Lion King, and “sat in awe” watching the actors perform on stage. Hoping to become an actress herself, she performed whenever she had the chance, put...
Spotlight on Starling Irving ’13
Eliza Powers '20, Assistant Arts Editor
December 18, 2018
Every year, new third formers come to Groton, each haunted with a slight reminiscence of their middle school fashion style. By fourth form, most conform to the staples of a New England preparatory school wardrobe: Patagonia jackets, L.L. Bean duck boots, polo shirts, Vineyard Vines, and Lily Pulitzer....
Art or Stunt?
Isabel Cai '22
November 10, 2018
“The urge to destroy is also a creative urge—Picasso.” Banksy posted this caption along with a video on his Instagram, admitting that he was involved in the destruction of his own painting this October at an auction house. Banksy is an anonymous English street artist, activist, and film director. He...
Drop the Mic: Declining Open Mic Attendance
Katherine Johnson '20 and Kamsi Onwochei '20
November 10, 2018
For the past few years, one of the most popular events at Groton has been Open Mic night. Students and faculty used to regularly pack Gammons Recital Hall, usually exceeding the number of chairs provided. Eager to see friends perform, or peers reveal hidden talents, audience members looked forward to Op...
Welcoming Mr. Chase Back to the Circle
Claire Lee '20, Assistant Arts Editor
November 10, 2018
Groton’s previous interim headmaster Peter Camp, once described Gordon Chase, saying “He looks at the world through Chase coloured glasses, in which there is but one pair.” Classics teacher Andy Reyes added that Mr. Chase “is a truly colorful person. Back in the 70s when the rules were not flex...
Changes to the Dance Program
Hannah Gold '22 and Annie Pei '22
November 10, 2018
This year, Mary Ann Lanier, the Performing Arts Department Head, decided to make adjustments to the dance program in response to student feedback. These changes include new leadership, an emphasis on student choreography, and more opportunities for students to interact with professional artists. Nic...
Artist of the Issue: Julien Alam
Eliza Powers '20, Assistant Arts Editor
November 10, 2018
“Most of my characters have really just been different parts of me,” said Julien Alam ’19. But they are also all different—ranging from a middle-aged grieving father in Scotland to a club owner in World War II Berlin. Julien somehow tackles all of these different characters with equal emotion...
Revamping Visual Arts
October 19, 2018
This year, the Visual Art Department is seeking more opportunities for students and faculty on the Circle to showcase and appreciate artwork. Groton’s art teachers and prefects have come together to refine the platforms, both physical and online, that we use to share art. Ms. Jennifer Ho and Mrs. De Jesus-A...
When Hi-Tech Meets Runway
Isabel Cai '22
October 19, 2018
At Paris’ Palais des Beaux-Arts, on a podium in the center of the catwalk, a model stands motionless under the piercing spotlight, while a stream of water trickles down from the ceiling. The knee-length white jacket that she is wearing starts to fall apart, gradually revealing the golden embroidery...
A Review of Crazy Rich Asians
October 19, 2018
Growing up as an Asian American, most of the faces I saw on screen were white. While I aspired to have their courage, wit, and charm, I rarely saw an Asian character that I could strive to be like. When I did see one, they were either portrayed as a Kung Fu fighter or a nerdy, uncultured character. Neither...
Groton Theater Presents Murder-Mystery, The Mousetrap
Eliza Powers '20, Assistant Arts Editor
October 19, 2018
A guest house. A nursery rhyme. A murder. Ten years ago, a farmer and his wife adopted three young siblings, one of whom died at the hands of their abuse. This morning in London, the farmer’s wife was found strangled and left with a note, “This is the first” and the music to the nursery rhyme...
Artist of the Issue: Charlotte “Chip” Pontifell
Claire Lee '20, Assistant Arts Editor
October 19, 2018
A music prefect and dance captain, Chip Pontifell ’19 has fully immersed herself in the arts at Groton. Not only does she play the organ and the harpsichord––instruments that are not seen often on the Circle––Chip is also a graceful ballerina who has performed with the New York City Ballet...
An Introduction to Groton Arts
Zoe Park '21
September 13, 2018
Choir Choir is a way for students and faculty to express their love of singing. Led by music teacher and organist Daniel Moriarty, choir is a full class and performs every Sunday during Chapel. Students may additionally audition for Chamber Choir. For many choristers, the highlight of the year is Lessons a...
Artist of the Issue: GloMonCho
Claire Lee '20, Assistant Arts Editor
September 13, 2018
Before Travis Scott’s ASTROWORLD entered the music scene, there was GloMonCho’s OffWhite. The album is a product of a Faculty Sponsored Activity (FSA) completed by Gloria Hui, Cho Nikoi, and Montanna Riggs ’19 last winter. Instantly a success, it is currently available on the music platforms Spotify,...
Theater Program Welcomes Andrea Underhill
Eliza Powers '20, Assistant Arts Editor
September 13, 2018
This fall, Andrea Underhill will be taking over for Laurie Sales, who is on sabbatical, as Theater Director for the 2018-19 school year. Andrea began her career in theater as a high schooler. “The theater program at my high school, Merrimack High School, was very strong as we participated in the New E...
A Review of BlacKkKlansman
September 13, 2018
BlacKkKlansman is the newest film by writer-director Spike Lee. It is produced by Get Out’s Jordan Peele. The film tells the true (but often exaggerated) story of the first black police officer in Colorado Springs who, in 1979, successfully infiltrated the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan with the ai...
One Act Play Festival Returns
Grace Oh '21 and Elena Junkala '21
June 2, 2018
The popular One Act Play Festival, referred to as One Acts, marks the end of spring term at Groton. On Saturday, May 27, students excitedly watched their friends shine in a series of short plays. One Acts is a tradition which started before Laurie Sales was the Theater Director. Plays were not student-w...