Zebra Tales
2019-20
Trey '21
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Groton activities: Boys varsity hockey captain, Color Guard head, Young Republicans head, Admission prefect, Communications prefect, peer counselor, Circle Talk Committee
Most surprising when you first arrived at Groton: Coming at the time from a small, Alaskan farm town, I had no idea what boarding school life was going to be like. I was an outsider—an Air Force brat with a mild fishing addiction—so when I showed up on campus, the sheer diversity and inclusivity of the student body blew me away. Now—after two years on the Circle—my closest friends come from across the globe, and while I will always be an Alaskan, I’m equally proud to be a Grotonian too.
Favorite classes: Mrs. Wallace’s term-long electives on U.S. foreign policy were fantastic. With a focus on diplomacy in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Iraq, she brought the history to life and coached us on everything from negotiation to geopolitical strategy. She invited experts from around the earth—ambassadors, veterans, and journalists—to speak to our class and introduced us to the wild world of international relations.
Most memorable Groton moment: In last year’s hockey playoffs, Tilton scored four goals on us in four minutes, and to our fans in the stands, an early exit from the tournament seemed imminent. However, we never quit, and slowly we chipped away at Tilton’s lead until we evened the score at 4–4 in the third period. At this point, the building was electric! Students were jumping up and down. Players on the bench were yelling. You could just feel the excitement mounting, and when one of our defensemen launched a puck into the back of the net, the arena erupted. It was so loud that we nearly knocked the roof off the O’Brien Rink. We would go on to win the game 6–4 and advance to the semifinals, but that game was the highlight of my time at Groton. I was so proud of my team!
Favorite Dining Hall food: The Philly cheesesteak/waffle fry combo is unmatched!
Favorite place to study: I love the outdoors, so the benches in front of the Schoolhouse are my go-to spot. With a view of the Circle, St. John’s Chapel, and Hundred House, the benches have one of the best vantage points on campus.
List of 13 news stories.
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“How ’bout them Zebras!”
Read MoreNever in my life have I been so proud of a team. -
Peer Counseling: Coming Full Circle
Dropping the red circle into position, Tommy glances in my direction–flashing a grin from his beanbag. Seconds away from a Connect Four victory, we both start giggling as Arianna and Eleanor realize what’s about to happen. “Oh no,” Eleanor chuckles. “We’ve been bamboozled!” Shuffling Tommy another chip from the box, he places the piece into the middle slot, and with a satisfying click, the win is ours!Read More -
#WinFo2020
After months of creative proposals and hilarious roll call announcements, Winter Formal, one of Groton’s major school dances, recently took place.Read More -
A Hot Start for Hockey
As the ref blows his whistle—ending the timeout—Thomas ’21, Luke ’20, Marc ’20, Ronan ‘21, and I skate toward the faceoff circle. Fourteen seconds remain on the clock, and as the bright lights blind me, I line up—shoulder-to-shoulder with a Roxbury Latin forward.Read More -
Lessons & Carols: A Groton Tradition
Adjacent to the doorway of the Chapel, I fiddle with my red tie as students begin to flow in. The boys—clad in sport coats and khakis—and the girls—dressed in skirts and sweaters—take their seats.Read More -
Lincoln’s Dorm: The King of Spirit Week
Gathered together in the common room for check-in, the nineteen boarding members of Lincoln’s Dorm and a few of our day student affiliates excitedly chat with one another. After a highly competitive Spirit week, we anxiously await the results of the inter-dorm contest. A “feed” for the victors—which is a meal catered from off-campus—is on the line. Boooooom! The ten o’clock tintinnabulations ring out from the school bells. Sixty seconds later, another set of rings captivates the common room. On each of our phones, we receive the same alert—an email from Spirit Committee head Elizabeth Girian, entitled “SPIRIT WEEK WINNERS.” I open it and scan for a dorm name. Sure enough, in bold print, the email reads: “Spirit Week winners! LINCOLN’S & CHUNG’S!!”Read More -
Surprise Pizza Party!
Dim at first, the headlights grow brighter as the Lazy Mary’s delivery car creeps toward Hundred House. The smell of six giant party pizzas wafts through the air as the driver stops the vehicle—taking the keys out of the ignition. Checking the receipt, he announces, “Umm, I have an order for. . .the Fifth Form?” Excitedly, I reply, “Yes sir, I can take them.” After piling the massive rectangular boxes into my arms like the blocks in a Jenga tower, the driver takes off, and I begin waddling toward the student center. A few minutes later, I arrive at the doors—where Gracie ’21 and Sam ’21 walk out to meet me. The party was about to begin.Read More -
A Seminar on the Philippines
“Trey, it’s your turn to pick,” Ms. Wallace says. I smile, nervously, as I draw a slip of paper. Hoping for Mahan, a proponent of U.S.-Naval superiority before the Spanish American War, I examine the name in my hand: Mark Twain. “Oh no, anyone but Twain!” I laugh. Following my pick, the teams for our in-class debate, or seminar, split in two. Half of the students walk to the pro-imperialism side of the room, and the other half to the opposition corner; I move my books to the anti-imperialist table.Read More -
Public Speaking: The Chance to be an Extrovert
The light almost blinds me as I take my seat—adjacent to Mr. Leroy and across from Ambrey ’20—on the CPAC stage. Nearly four hundred guests sit in attendance as we pass Gracie ’21 and Caleb ’21, who just finished their section of Groton’s Open House presentation on athletics. We smile, and Mr. Leroy begins, “Today, we would like to touch base on student life here on the Circle.”Read More -
A September Stroll
Walking alongside Peabody Street, Cornelia and Magnus beckon to me before disappearing into an opening between two maple trees. The tips of the maple leaves, a tell-tale sign of the coming autumn, look as if they have been dipped in a red paint. Looking through the canopy, the sunlight filters through onto the path ahead—sending splotches of light onto the forest like a Jackson Pollock painting. All we can hear are the sound of our footsteps as the five of us step, in sync, through the sylvan trail. The scenery is beautiful, and smiling I try to take it all in.Read More -
Challenge Trivia: A Battle of the Wits
Read More“It’s the blockade runner, it’s the blockade runner!” Magnus shouts.“No, it’s gotta be the eagle,” Mike retorts. “The Millennium Falcon literally has the word ‘falcon’ in it. An eagle is a bird, so maybe they just switched the name before production.” -
Politics in the Last Frontier
“We have a lot more in common than we don’t,” said Alyse Galvin, an independent candidate for Alaska’s sole U.S. Congress seat. It was the final day of my internship with Alyse’s campaign and, waiting on an order of eggs Benedict with a few strips of bacon on the side, I sat down with my candidate and her campaign manager, former Groton house prefect Allie Banwell ’12, to have a conversation.Read More -
USA Hockey National Camp: My Week on the Ice
Skating across the blue line, I slash to the middle—in between two defenders—and jerk my head to the left. Cross Hanas—a forward from Dallas—glides into the zone and rifles a pass my way. The puck—floating through the legs of a rival player—meanders through a crowd of people before finally landing on my stick. Glancing at the goalie, I snap a shot on net, and a second later, my teammates and I celebrate on the glass as we take a 1–0 lead in our game against Team Navy at the USA Hockey National Player Development Camp.Read More
