Important Admission Dates
SSAT Testing: 11/13, 12/11, 1/8
Applications are due!
October-
February 1: Interviews and tours on campus
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Upcoming
Blair Events
Players Present "Poe-Purri" November 4, 5 and 6
Peddie Day: November 13!
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 Welcome to Around the Arch, Blair's monthly admission newsletter aimed at giving you, the prospective student, a peek into the daily life of the Blair community. In this newsletter, you will learn about recent and upcoming events as well as student achievements throughout the various realms of Blair life. It is our hope that you find Around the Arch both exciting and informative. Enjoy the first issue for the 2010-11 school year, and please contact us if you have any questions.
The Blair Admission Team
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| What's Happening on Campus
 The Blair Big Brother/Big Sister program kicked off in September with a make-your-own ice cream sundae social. Sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs, the Blair Big Brother/Big Sister program matches up each new freshman with a returning senior in an attempt to alleviate some of the anxiety that often comes with starting life at a new school. This year the program is headed up by seniors Amanda and Abby, along with Amy Paul '99 from the Admission Office.
 Ishmael Beah, author of A Long Way Gone: Memoir of a Child Soldier, returned to Blair as the featured Society of Skeptics speaker in September. He first spoke at Skeptics in 2008. Ishmael entertained a myriad of questions from students at the conclusion of his program. Prior to his evening presentation, he spent time on campus, speaking with students and faculty and participating in soccer practice, a sport he has long enjoyed. According to Ishmael's Website, his book is "a gripping story of a child's journey through hell and back."
Ishmael noted that he is hard at work on a second book. His Website explains much about his life. "There may be as many as 300,000 child soldiers, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s, in more than 50 conflicts around the world. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them. He is one of the first to tell his story in his own words...At the age of 12, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By 13, he'd been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. Eventually released by the army and sent to a UNICEF rehabilitation center, he struggled to regain his humanity and to reenter the world of civilians, who viewed him with fear and suspicion."
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Measures of Excellence
In early October, violinist Mikhail Simonyan performed for Blair students and faculty in the DuBois Theatre as part of the 2010-11 Bartow Concert Series. Later this spring, Mr. Simonyan will debut as soloist with the NewYork Philharmonic. During his visit to Blair, in addition to his school-wide performance, Mr. Simonyan conducted an open rehearsal with Blair's Orchestra and later taught a master class on violin technique.
Since beginning his career at such a young age, Mr. Simonyan has earned numerous accolades as a soloist, including first-prize awards at the All-Russia Competition in St. Petersburg and the Salon di Virtuosi in New York. He is a recipient of the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation Award. Recent career highlights include his debut performances with the New Jersey Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic, the Vienna Tonkünstler Orchestra, and his recital debut at Lincoln Center in December of 2009.
The mission of the Nevett Bartow Series is to expand the artistic experiences of Blair students by bringing professional performers from far and wide to the Blair stage, including such offerings as Rockapella, Solid Brass, Loudon Wainwright III, the Cincinnati Boychoir, the David Grisman Quintet, Tom Chapin, Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie, and visiting lecturers.
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Blair on Stage
 The Blair Academy Players presented two one-act plays, The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of Where Babies Come From and Wanda's Visit by Christopher Durang in the Chesnutt Chapel of Clinton Hall in late October.
Wanda's Visit portrays Jim and Marsha, a very bored married couple, who have their lives turned upside down by a visit from Jim's old high school girlfriend, Wanda. In The Hardy Boys, brothers Joe and Frank Hardy are determined to solve a mystery about their friend Nancy Drew and the "bun in her oven." Their sleuthing leads to a run-in with the crazy school nurse, Ms. Ratched, and revelations about the mysteries of life from their father.
 Wanda's Visit and The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of Where Babies Come From were co-directed by seniors Rebecca and Dan. The cast features Abby '11, Mikal '11, Kiana '11, and Jordon '12.
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 Athletes in the Spotlight
The Blair girls' tennis team is currently 15-0 and shows no signs of slowing down. Just this week the girls took home the prep state championship defeating a tough Pingry squad. With three matches left, the girls are gunning for an undefeated season. This success is no fluke; head girls' tennis coach Laura Brantley believes that their record is attributed to the hard work the girls have been putting into practice. "This is the type of group that really makes coaching exciting, as each day the team comes ready to improve and they have fun while doing it." There also may be a little gender rivalry. Last spring the boys' tennis team went undefeated bringing home prep states and the MAPL championship. All of us at Blair want to recognize this team's great accomplishment this season and wish them the best as they close out what has been the best girls' tennis season in Blair history. GO BUCS!
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A Closer Look at the Community
Accompanied by art teacher Rita Baragona, a group of Blair students traveled to The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City for a day of art appreciation. One of the highlights of the day was the opportunity to view a special exhibit, "Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917." The exhibition, which concluded October 11, included approximately 120 paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints, primarily from the years of 1913-17, in the first sustained examination devoted to the work of this important period. The exhibition travels from New York to The Art Institute of Chicago.
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 We hope this edition of Around the Arch provided you with an informative glimpse into the Blair community. We have ejoyed meeting and interviewing many of you and look forward to reading your applications as they come in. Sincerely,
Mr. Pagotto, Mrs. Eckert, Ms. Paul, Ms. Machabanski, Mr. Smith, Mr. Clavel, Mrs. Klein and Ms. Tillman
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