Won Ho Chang Bath '10 recieves Performer of the Meet award at Maine Class B State Swimming Championships.

Hyde-Bath senior Won Ho Chang demonstrated continued growth in both leadership and performance this winter 2009-2010 varsity swim Season.  Chang made a splash individually and as an invaluable member of his highly competitive team, setting the bar for standards in both performance and attitude.

Chang qualified for all individual swim events (of which he held the top seed in five!) heading into the Class B state meet. Showcasing his hard work and dedication to the sport, Chang set a meet record in the 100 butterfly, astonishing competitors, coaches, and officials alike with his record time of 51.06 seconds.  He also won his 500 freestyle event, and anchored two sensational relay teams, one of which (the 200 Free Relay) he pulled into an unbelievable first place finish with a time of 1:34.86, a team best and #1 Class B finish in the state this year.

As a Bates-bound college swimmer and a qualifier for the Korean national team, Chang has led his team in spirit and talent.  His professionalism and generosity were key factors in the success of the team this winter, as he spent hours of his time assisting teammates with their skills and technique, helping them to be the best swimmers they could possibly be.  Chang was an invaluable asset to his team and coaches this winter, leading through his performance, humility, hard work, dedication, and generosity.

Congratulations, Won Ho, on an incomparable swim season!  You have made your school proud, and we wish you continued strength and commitment as you move forward to the next phase of your life at Bates.

—Coach Mercer

Students scribe headstones for athropology research.

This past Saturday, September 26, 2009, Ken Grant drove his second period AP Environmental to a cemetery in West Bath, ME to conduct their first lab of the year. Intrigued by the beautiful surroundings, the students found themselves with their lab partners exploring the outskirts of the cemetery.

The students were given a lab to record the age of death, one part for births predating 1900 and for births that occurred after 1900. Grant separated the cemetery into several different sections and assigned a group of student to each one. During this time, they recorded every age of the death of the people that were occupying the cemetery. However, there was a profound effect on the students. Among the deceased were a three year boy, a three week old girl, and a girl who had recently been buried in the past several years. She was 18. Ken Grant also holds a special connection to the cemetery, because both of his parents are buried there.

Coming out of the field lab, the students had a newfound respect for life. Upon returning to class the next Monday, there was discussion on how being at the cemetery had a special impact for the students. It brought them a new sense of understanding of the length of life, and got them thinking on how they were living their own lives.

Out of most science classes, there are labs that occur, and field trips taken. This was one out of the ordinary, but nonetheless, an unforgettable one.

Dr. John Peacock shares with Hyde-Bath students and faculty.

The Leaders & Learners workshop series kicked off this year with Dr. John Peacock, a college professor, who shared his story about how he discovered his Native American heritage. Peacock spoke to the school community with a strong voice full of conviction. Students and faculty were captivated by his personal story.

Dr. Peacock was 50 years old when he discovered he is one-quarter Dakota-Sioux. Before that time he explained he had lived his life slowly, just going through the motions.

After his discovery, he found a new sense of purpose in his life. His mother, who is ½ Dakota-Sioux, told him that he is a descendent of the Spirit Lake Dakota Sioux, which resides in a reservation in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota.

Peacock told of several instances in his life when he was challenged by fellow Native Americans. Several students, he explained, brought a new understanding of the Native American culture and a vibrant sense of passion to education.

One inspirational moment in Peacock’s life involved an incident at a Sundance in North Dakota this past summer with his son, Sean, a senior at Hyde School in Woodstock, Connecticut. Though he and Sean had been invited to the Sundance by Tribe elders, they were asked to leave the first night. Peacock responded to the man in the Dakota language and was surprised when the man replied that he did not speak the native tongue. This incident gave him a new sense of understanding. He concluded that language, or the ability to speak it, and physical appearance are not what makes one a Dakota.

Peacock was also surprised to discover that many of the Dakota beliefs and the Hyde School philosophy, such as the Five Words: Courage, Integrity, Leadership, Curiosity, and Concern, are very similar and embrace the concept of Truth, Humility, and Compassion.

Discussions about what it is to be a leader and a learner led many students to ask themselves how the qualities that comprise both apply in their own lives.

Senior Olivia Chance said of her experience in the Leaders & Learners session: “The fact that Dr. Peacock had the curiosity and motivation to immerse himself in the Native American culture…even learn the language… is inspiring. It makes me want to research my own heritage and discover who I am and where I came from.”