The second marking period officially started Monday, so Reserve is buzzing with some additional classes like botany and astronomy. The weather can get pretty dreary, but Green Key mixers and other social events really help keep spirits up. The music department is taking a group of students to the Solo and Ensemble Contest on Saturday, January 26. Good luck!

The most exciting news from the Reserve campus is that we are welcoming three new students this week. Reserve now has three English Speaking Scholars on campus from Argentina, Germany and Great Britain. Their addition to the student body is wonderful!

Exams are coming quickly! But as they approach, we have a busy last weekend. On Friday, the Choir is hosting a sing-a-long to Handel's Messiah in Ellsworth Dining Hall. All are invited. Also on Friday, the school is taking a bus load of students to cheer on our boy's basketball team while they play St. Edward who is ranked #1 in the area. On Saturday, the swim team is going head to head with Hudson High School and Saturday night is the Sadie Hawkins dance! The weekend concludes with Vespers on Sunday. The Choir's Christmas concert takes place on Sunday evening, and is followed by a huge Christmas feast in Ellsworth. There are cookies and carols to follow dinner - this weekend is going to be great! Filled with plenty of things to do as we all gear up for mid-terms.

November marks the beginning for winter athletics. All the teams are gearing up for matches, games, meets, and tournaments. The rifle team is preparing for what looks to be a very exciting season. The basketball teams look better than ever, and with our hockey team full into their game schedule, we are already seeing great results. The boys and girls swim team will travel to Solon on Saturday for our first meet. With all the sports heating up - we are sure going to see some major Green Key Society Spirit! Go Pioneers!

WRA just finished staging Urinetown and I really had a great time preparing for my role as Little Sally. We had a guest appearance on stage by our headmaster, Dr. Flanagan, who played Old Man Strong. And there was a special significance to doing this musical. The original Broadway show was produced by The Araca Group, a company headed by WRA graduate Matt Rego '88.

This past weekend was Homecoming. How eventful! The whole student body and faculty were involved in a pep rally Friday afternoon. That night, there was a bonfire with cider and doughnuts. On Saturday, we had a discussion panel of seniors and recent alumni to talk about Reserve memories, and alumni also offered some great suggestions for the seniors regarding college and how to really take advantage of our senior year. Saturday afternoon there was tailgating, the football game, the girls soccer game, and the pep band came out to support it all. That night, there was a mixer, with lots of fun, games, and food to be had by all! Parents' Weekend is just around the corner - this fall is off to a great start!

We have had a very eventful first week back! The Green Key "Spirit" Society, consisting of the senior class, welcomed all students back to campus on September 4th. The rest of the week we had an opening ice cream social, a bonfire, and a mixer! All were great times to meet new students and see our old friends! With our fall now fully in gear, we have some great sporting events and lots more to look forward too!

I have been working all summer as a lifeguard and swimming instructor in Northern Michigan. I was very pleasantly surprised to find out that Sam Wright '10 has a summer home in Northern Michigan as well. Even better, he had three Reserve students visiting: Nick Hobbs '10, Kent Dunn '10, and Dave Eppig '10. So the four of us got together, ate dinner - followed by s'mores on the lake! Even though school is starting in just two weeks, it was so nice to see them!

Now that we are all off on summer break, Reserve students are relaxing, traveling, and anxiously waiting for the fall to come. My friend Tiffany and I flew to Singapore right after exams, and stayed with my family for a week. This is a photo at a hot tourist spot in Singapore. After Singapore, I went to visit Tiffany and her family at their home in Jamaica! While in Jamaica, Tiffany and I worked for the United Nations Environment Program- more to come soon!

The weekend before exam week the boys of the "A" held an open dorm party. The Jazz Band played all night, there were root beer floats for everyone, and Mr. Doe snapped lots of photos of all the guests on the Athenaeum dorm front lawn. It was a great night for everyone involved! Thanks, boys!

Last Saturday, the girls of Ellsworth Hall threw a big "Willy Wonka" themed party! There was a cotton candy machine, a chocolate fountain, cupcakes, and plenty of candy to go around! It was a great night!