The Cupola Archive

Dear EA Community,

Welcome to the first issue of The Cupola for the 2022-2023 school year! I hope this issue finds you well. 

This school year has been marked by a sense of normality following several years of uncertainty in the face of the pandemic. Activities and events on the Hilltop that had gone on hiatus or been modified for safety reasons have returned to campus. The Cupola wanted to celebrate the restoration of lively involvement to our campus community; as a result, this issue primarily features articles about Elgin Academy happenings. Our writers have worked hard to cover such topics, which range from EA athletics to Hilltopper interviews. 

Thank you to the writers and a special thank you to Mr. Raffety, Ms. Goist, and Ms. Moore for making this issue possible.

Finally, thank you for reading The Cupola. I hope you enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Anika Jaitley ‘23

A few weeks ago, the entire Elgin Academy community received notice that the Head of School, Mr. Hanford, would not be returning to the Hilltop for the 2023-24 academic year. Given the news, the Cupola sought to cover Mr. Hanford’s time at the academy. A number of our writers and editors worked together to secure an interview with him, and the entirety of this article is based on that interview.

This fall, we came together on the Hilltop to celebrate the longstanding tradition of Homecoming at Elgin Academy. Homecoming in the Upper School has increasingly become an entire week of celebration. This year, we had five “theme days” throughout the week. Monday was  Country vs. Country Club. On Tuesday, we introduced a Despicable Me theme that featured a plethora of minions as well as Mr. Sept as Gru. Wednesday, we coupled a dress theme of “royalty” with the popular “anything but a backpack” theme. As typical, Thursday was color day, and Friday was super spirit day.

Elgin Academy's theater production performed The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) (revised) (again)! on November 4 and 5. With a company of nine performers, three backstage helpers, and three tech crew members, the two shows were entertaining and impressive.

Throughout October, students in Conceptual Physics learned how to design and build a stable bridge that could withstand certain weight and size requirements. At the beginning, it was very difficult to imagine how such thin wood could be used to design a bridge that could hold even the smallest amount of weight; by the end, it was fascinating to witness the strength of the bridges that the class had designed and to see the seemingly impossible become possible under Mr. Thomas’s guidance.

The Environmental Club continued its annual Homecoming tradition of running a fun, sustainable booth activity. In the days leading up to Homecoming, the club collected used plastic water bottles that were going to be discarded; then, Enviro members worked in harmony to appropriately cut and sand down these bottles. On Homecoming Friday, members of the community were able to stop by the activity booth to paint a repurposed water bottle and then pot a plant in it, thereby creating their own DIY sustainable planter to take home as a souvenir and as a reminder to try to be more environmentally conscious. The Homecoming activity was a huge success due to the high participation of a wide variety of members in our community, from Lower School students to alumni and faculty.

On October 19th, the Elgin Academy Scholastic Bowl team competed in the IHSSBCA Novice tournament at Barrington High School, kicking off the 2022-23 scholastic season. Captained by Sohan Avula and coached by Upper School teachers Jorge Sanchez and Susie Howe, the Scholastic Bowl novice team starred Alex Almazan, Jack Guyett, Ezra Maras, and Quinn Padula.

This year, two seniors, Hisham Shirazi and Kyle Saurer, revived the club using their knowledge of previous Model UN conferences. They garnered increased student participation, and they worked to educate the newer members on debate procedures and the organization of a hypothetical conference. Hisham and Kyle created a mock conference through which the newer members learned more about Model UN as they put their newly acquired skills into action and gained practical experience. The topic of the conference was preventing a possible World War III scenario where the catalyst for the crisis was China’s threats to invade Taiwan.

Thanksgiving is incomplete without a delicious dessert. Here is a simple recipe for pumpkin pie squares that everyone will enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!

In the end… does the Sun fall?

Does it sputter its course and shimmy its descent

Or drop like a dud and bounce up again 

Perhaps it would hit earth 

Perhaps it would break into pieces of glowing gas 

Scattered, chemically, across the solar system 

Like pencil shavings, like liquid glow stick dots 

Then that neon would breathe and march

Like water on a napkin, it would devour

Like skin, it would stick 

The Upper School Girls’ Volleyball Team had a great season this fall. They started their season with a win against Alden-Hebron High School. Then after a loss against Harvest Christian Academy, they quickly recovered and won the next two matches against Schaumburg Christian High School and Francis Parker High School. At an away tournament, Elgin Academy won their first two matches versus Goode Stem Academy and Intrinsic Charter School, and they then tied against Morgan Park Academy. They lost only once in the tournament, in a game against Woodlands Academy. Regardless of victories or losses, the girls’ resilience in the face of challenge made for a memorable season.

The girls' tennis team competed against various schools in numerous matches and tournaments. They played 17 schools this season. As an entire team, they won nine games and lost eight games. At the ISL Conference Tournament, they placed 4th overall. At the IHSA Sectionals Tournament, they placed 3rd overall. As a team in the state, they placed 7th altogether. All of these numbers show that the entire tennis team has beaten several previously set records.

Dear EA Community,

Welcome to the winter edition of The Cupola. I hope this issue finds you well.

The writers and I are so excited to share with you everything that has been happening on campus over the past few months, ranging from J-term to the welcoming of new faculty.

I would once again like to give thanks to Mr. Raffety, Ms. Goist, and Ms. Moore for all their help.

Thank you for reading The Cupola. I hope you enjoy it!

Sincerely,

Anika Jaitley '23

For the first time in Elgin Academy history, there is a computer science class made up of all female students. This class of Programming in Java, the highest level computer science course offered at EA, includes Anika Jaitley ‘23, Talia Horn ‘24, and Cassie Cowen ‘24.

During the month of January, upper school students enter J-term, where students study unique fields of interest not covered in standard classes. This year’s J-term course offering were: Are We Alone in the Universe?, Are You Ready For Some Football?, Picture This: Discovering Digital Photography, A Needle Pulling Thread: The World of Fiber Arts, Literature of the American Landscape, Wild Florida, and Student Internships. We are excited to share our personal J-term experiences with you!

In the previous edition of the Cupola, I reported on a member of our community that was moving on to new adventures. Here, I seek to do exactly the opposite. During this academic year, Elgin Academy has welcomed two new members to our community of Hilltoppers.

Elgin Academy’s athletic department is so excited to announce the addition of a boys’ volleyball team this spring. Given the team’s enthusiasm and commitment leading up to the season, it is clear that this team will make a positive impact on the athletic program and show competing schools what Elgin Academy is made of.

Elgin Academy’s Student Council, led by Kyle Saurer, Hisham Shirazi, Kate Kihnke, Cassie Cowen, and Lily Perez, organized a spectacular Winter/Valentine’s Day dance on Friday, February 10. The dance was a great success, as more than half of the upper school students attended. It was held in the Sears Gallery, which left plenty of space for photos and dancing.

Elgin Academy’s Scholastic Bowl teams played several tournaments in the winter.  Captained by Club President Gary Wang along with Katherine Sept, the varsity team achieved a 10-9 record during the regular season and finished their first playoff series, the Masonic Sectionals, with a 4-1 record.

I’m not angry

I’m feeling sad

I hold starlight till it’s bad 

I’m happy until it’s gone 

That false love, it keeps me warm 

Finally, somebody’s ripped me apart

Looking around they see I’m missing a heart

Um I think it’s here um I feel it’s near

They say in my ear, the same thing last year

Dear EA Community, 

Welcome to the spring edition of The Cupola. I hope this issue finds you well.

With the onset of warmer weather, the Hilltop has become as lively as ever. Student activities are in full swing, spring athletics are well underway, and planning for end-of-year festivities is just beginning. Our writers have worked hard to capture this energy in their articles. The writers and I are so excited to share this edition of The Cupola with you all.

As always, I would like to thank Mr. Raffety, Ms. Goist, and Ms. Moore for their continued support.

Thank you for reading The Cupola. I hope you enjoy. Happy spring!

Sincerely,

Anika Jaitley ‘23

Outgoing seniors historically have been asked to prepare and deliver a speech to the entire upper school community, their close friends, and their families. This year, we are looking at senior speeches in a new light. I seek to lay out a number of predictions similar to “prop-bets” in sporting events about how the speeches will go. 

The Academic Challenge in Engineering and Science (ACES) is a test-based STEM competition between Illinois high schools and students, sponsored by Eastern Illinois University. Elgin Academy’s ACES team competed as individuals and as a team at the regional, sectional, and state competitions in six subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, English, Mathematics, and Physics.

Elgin Academy’s Scholastic Bowl teams competed in several playoff series this spring. After gaining a 4-1 record at Masonic Sectionals, EA traveled to Centennial High School in Champaign for the NAQT State Series. In the tournament, EA won three matches against Barrington C, Triopia, and St. Teresa in a challenging college difficulty question set. Top scoring students, Jack Guyett ‘26 and club president Gary Wang ’23, helped EA place twenty-sixth out of thirty teams in the most competitive tournament in Illinois.

On March 10th and 11th of this year, the upper school held their annual spring musical. This year’s musical was a remake of The Little Shop of Horrors. I went to the show as an audience member and I thought the musical was very impressive and came together beautifully.

The upper school boys’ baseball team currently has a 3-0 record. Their excitement to take on each game is undeniable. They have currently defeated Yeshiva, Momence, and Morgan Park Academy.

Elgin Academy is kicking off the upper school girls’ soccer season after several years. Some of their upcoming opponents include Latin, Lake Forest Academy, and Schaumburg Christian.

Earth Day was on Saturday, April 22nd, this year. To celebrate our planet, here is a fun, simple way to make birdseed ornaments that you (and the birds) are sure to love!

Creatures conversing without stopping

Voices strong but each understands nothing 

One is loud and this one calls for more 

Another cord

Each one knows to follow

A brook ran through the song 

Its mighty vocals belting strong 

With the rocks shaking up the tune

And the wind coming in too soon 

As each one continued

Dear EA Community,

Welcome to the final edition of The Cupola for the 2022-23 academic year! I hope this issue finds you well.

With the end of the school year upon us, the Hilltop has seen a wide range of festivities taking place on campus. This edition primarily serves to reflect on EA happenings this year, highlight moments of celebration, and look into the future. The writers and I are so excited to share this edition of The Cupola with you all.

Finally, as I am a senior, this is my last ever edition for The Cupola, and I would like to take a moment to reflect on my time as a member of The Cupola staff. Writing for The Cupola for three years and serving as Editor-in-Chief and Club President for one has truly been a privilege. The Cupola's evolution over the past few years has been wonderful to see, and I have loved getting to write about a variety of topics. Thank you to all the writers; working with you has been a joy. Thank you to Mr. Raffety, Ms. Goist, and Ms. Moore for your tremendous support. The Cupola could not be possible without you all. I am so excited to see what the future holds for The Cupola.

I would like to give a special thank you to the readers for supporting The Cupola. I hope you have enjoyed reading. Happy summer!

Sincerely,

Anika Jaitley ‘23

Several weeks ago, the Elgin Academy community was notified that college counselor, upper school history teacher, and Cupola advisor, Mr. Raffety, would not be returning for the 2023-24 school year. Mr. Raffety has accepted a position as the Director of College Counseling at the Putney School in Vermont. All those who have had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Raffety know of his dedication to his students inside and outside of college counseling as well as his love for teaching history. He is someone who is always ready for a conversation with a student and someone who is willing to stop what he is doing to answer a question about the college process. Having worked closely with Mr. Raffety for several years, The Cupola staff sought to interview him for the student newspaper that he has advised since 2016. This article is based entirely upon this interview, which truly shows Mr. Raffety’s commitment to his students. 

As the year ends, we start to say goodbye not just to the faculty that will not be returning but also to the senior class who will be graduating from the Hilltop shortly. At this point, the entire class has decided where they will attend school next year. Many know as well what they intend to study. I seek to lay out these plans below.

As the club president, varsity captain, and reporter for the EA Scholastic Bowl program, I experienced a very eventful season in my last high school Scholastic Bowl season. I am grateful for the school’s Scholastic Bowl program. I would like to thank my coaches, teachers, friends, and family for their support in the last two years of my scholastic bowl journey. With you guys, we achieved what we did.

Bump, set spike! EA Boys’ Volleyball has kicked off its season with quite a bang. Although the team is new, many players already have club experience. The team has a winning record of 23-6. I have loved seeing everything our team has accomplished. Thank you for coming out to support us!

Congratulations to the EA baseball team for playing well so far this season. Even though there are a limited number of students on the team, the athletes have worked hard to create a successful season. While balancing school and playing a full-season sport is challenging, the team has prospered and done EA proud!

What is the duplicity of a woman’s stare?

Each gaze, aghast and profound like a spector

That which speaks words both cruel and fair

Drips to feed others' hearts that sweet or bitter nectar

A spot, a light this day’s dawn does wade

A new luminance that prolongs her look