 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. We hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season and a very Happy New Year. The Blair Admission Team
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What's Happening on Campus
On a perfect autumn afternoon in Blairstown, the Bucs reclaimed the Kelley-Potter Trophy posting impressive and somewhat expected victories in girls' tennis (varsity and junior varsity), boys' cross country and football (14-7) and a tie in junior varsity boys' soccer. The surprise was in girls' soccer, where first the junior varsity beat Peddie 1-0, followed an hour later by the Varsity team winning 1-0, the first time in Blair history a girls' soccer team at any level has beaten Peddie. Those victories, combined with junior varsity football team winning on November 8th in the opening contest, gave Blair the Cup.
As the reality sunk in during the remaining minutes of the football game, the Blair crowd surged out of the stands, reflecting a celebration that became a huge outpouring of joy and Blair pride, clearly displaying a pent-up sense that Blair was due to bring the Cup back to Blairstown. Under the lights in the middle of Hampshire Field, Peddie Headmaster John Green took good advantage of the Cup ceremony to honor Blair Assistant Headmaster David Low, who is retiring after a 32-year tenure. Headmaster Green presented Mr. Low with a framed citation, including a  picture. Both school student bodies joined Mr. Green in honoring the longtime assistant headmaster of Blair with cheers and sustained applause. When the Cup was handed to Headmaster Hardwick, he in turn praised Peddie for their great competitiveness, spirit and success, calling the rivalry the best in the boarding school world. As he then handed the Cup to the Blair Senior Class Council, Mr. Hardwick promised the Peddie faithful that Blair would travel back to Hightstown next fall, Cup in hand, to have another day of spirited competition.
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Measures of Excellence
Concert Heralds Thanksgiving Break!
Blair's instrumental and vocal ensembles presented their fall concert in Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts. Over 100 students were involved with the production of the Fall Concert from The Blair Academy Singers to the Jazz Ensemble, Technical Crew to the Wind Symphony. The students practiced for months before the concert and the entire Blair community along with parents and friends of the school gathered to celebrate this very special evening of art and music. .
Photography Students Treated to Studio Tour
Photography teacher Melissa Erne '96 reports that advanced and AP photography students visited the studio of Jim Rimi in November. There they were treated to an in-depth workshop on studio and outdoor lighting and were able to set up their own cameras with the strobes for portrait work. Students also toured Mr. Rimi's darkroom in addition to his wife's pottery studio. Students were first introduced to Mr. Rimi at Blair when he gave an artist's lecture on his book, New York City Underground, in conjunction with his exhibit in Blair's Romano Gallery earlier this fall. Since meeting with him on campus, students have been eager to see him in his studio setting. Mr. Rimi specializes in portrait and street photography (most notably of New York City); students were able to view a wide range of images on their tour of his impressive facility.
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A Closer Look at Community
Locke & Ivy "Brown Bag" It
Dorm Residents Lend a Hand
Paige '14 spearheaded an effort to assist the busy dining room staff when Blair hosted the entire Peddie School for lunch prior to the November 13 Peddie Day c ompetitions. Peddie students and coaches were joined by numerous Blair parents and younger siblings of current students - not to mention the scores of alumni who returned to campus for that important day.
San '13 shared the following about her experience: "I think we sometimes overlook the little things and begin to take them for granted. I'm glad for an activity like this one, because it gives me a heightened sense of appreciation for all of the hard work our lunch staff puts into what they do!"Lizzy '14 added, "Bagging made me appreciate the dining hall people a lot more because those brown bag contents are delicious."
Athlete in the Spotlight
Urban National Champion Darrius '13 battled from behind to win his first squash match of the Blair season. Darrius hails from Staten Island, New York and comes to Blair from the City Squash program, a non-profit, after school enrichment program with an intensive history of squash, mentoring and community service. Darrius is a sophomore at Blair this year and plays number 1 for the Blair Bucs. 
Well into its second decade at Blair Academy, squash continues to be a popular sport both at an interscholastic and a recreational level. Nearly 70 Blair students play organized squash each year, filling out competitive girls and boys varsity, junior varsity and thirds sides in the winter as well as heavily subscribed off-season introductory and developmental programs in the spring and fall. We train and play on seven international courts in Tracy Hall. This winter, Blair will host the New Jersey High School Championships on January 9.
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We hope this edition of Around the Arch provided you with an informative glimpse into the Blair community. Have a great holiday break and we look forward to recieving many of your applications in the coming months!
Sincerely,
Mr. Pagotto, Mrs. Eckert, Ms. Paul, Ms. Machabanski, Mr. Smith, Mr. Clavel, Mrs. Klein and Ms. Tillman
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