The Fighting Marmot

Teamwork!

2012-03-06T10:08:00.002-08:00

SBA-TV Reports from Schweitzer

2012-03-05T09:45:00.000-08:00

Project-Based Multimedia Assessment

2012-03-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

Spanish 3 students on the road at races rencently chose a multimedia project in lieu of paperwork. The assignment was to use original images to demonstrate the song's meaning. Enjoy!

Gear!

2012-03-04T19:02:00.000-08:00

Considering all the gear our student/athletes get to schlep around, it is no wonder they are so strong...

Snow = Happy Campers

2012-03-02T18:00:00.003-08:00

The scene at close of classes on 3/1

Spirits are High!

2012-03-01T20:04:00.002-08:00

This is more like it! Spirits were high on campus today with loads of light fluffy stuff on the ground.

- Marmot Man, Powered by BlogPress and iPhone

Scene on Campus Photos of the Day, 3/1

2012-03-01T08:56:00.001-08:00

Quiet Study

In the Kitchen

Palabra del día

2012-02-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

SBA Spanish students are subscribed to an RSS feed in Edmodo giving them a word of the day, with which they can create their own original sentences in the Spanish language. This one in particular seemed well suited to our student population...

Scene on Campus Photos of the Day, 2/27

2012-02-27T14:04:00.000-08:00

Birthday Brownies, With a Smile

2012-02-26T18:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Peter!

Diet Coke Kai

2012-02-25T08:40:00.004-08:00

In this "Get to Know Your Coach" special, Devin Gill and Chris Fitzpatrick learn about Coach "Jefe" Kai's beverage of choice. You'll notice that Devin has been working on a new sign off (Marmot Man tells me he thinks that Devin should add a 360-degree spin between "SBA" and "TV")... Enjoy, and keep an eye out for the controlled chaos in the background!

Bjorkman a "Rock Star" at Snow King

2012-02-24T11:41:00.000-08:00

Multimedia, Project-Based Assessment

2012-02-24T08:17:00.000-08:00

Multimedia, Project-Based Assessment and Mind, Body, Spirit on Display at SBA

Student Art on Display

2012-02-22T17:09:00.000-08:00

Eighth-Grade Advisory

2012-02-21T16:17:00.000-08:00

Marmot Man Productions/High Altitude Films Collaborate for Parents Weekend Movie

2012-02-20T19:41:00.000-08:00

Parents Weekend featured a film made in part by the students of SBA's Action Video Editing Elective.

Enjoy!

Get the video now at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OGMe9L3Nwo !

State Champs!

2012-02-20T15:06:00.000-08:00

From the desk of Coach Schloss comes the following report of Marmot snow-and-skinny-ski mastery:

We had a lot of great racing this weekend and a huge congratulation to our SBA girls, who are the State Champions, and Katrin, who is the individual State Champion! Also impressive was our small boys team on the podium in third for State Championships with Freshman Sam Zabell third overall! Also a huge shout out to Skyler for powerfully representing SBA for the Middle School State Championships with 4th place, only 1/2 second out of third. At the final JNQ this weekend SBA skied super strong and although we don’t know the final naming of the JN team yet, suffice it to say SBA will be very well represented at the Junior National Championships this year. Congrats to Cassidy, Laurel, and Katrin for sweeping the Podium in the 10k skate and to Sam for 2nd in the J2 boys.

Silverbelt Preview, Courtesy of SBA TV

2012-02-19T08:52:00.000-08:00

Scene on Campus Photo of the Day 2/16

2012-02-16T21:01:00.000-08:00

Prepping for Talent Show!

Slavery and States' Rights On Trial at SBA

2012-02-15T15:29:00.000-08:00

Joanne Knox relayed the following comical story regarding the moments leading up to the SBA Summit on Slavery.

Charged with playing the role of President Abraham Lincoln in a mock court session in which slavery and states' rights were on trial, Chris Fitzpatrick was astounded when Owen Wattenmaker - assigned the role of Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth, and scrambling for costume attire - asked the President at lunch if he had an extra tie.

Shaking his head incredulously, Chris responded: "John Wilkes Booth is asking President Lincoln to borrow his tie?!"

The North

Thank you to Joanne for the following details regarding the slavery summit.

SUMMIT ON SLAVERY, 1860

Setting:

It is early December in the year 1860. Abraham Lincoln is the President elect. Tensions between free and slave states have reached a boiling point. Violent protests and even armed skirmishes between local militias in border areas are becoming more frequent. A war between the states threatens to tear apart families and a nation. In an effort to avoid a bloody solution, a group of some of the most influential voices of the time have been assembled to present demands between the divided political factions of this country. The stakes could not be higher nor the issues more contentious. The entire nation is watching and listening to upcoming reports in the newspapers of what this assembled group decides.

Issues to consider:

States rights vs. Federal law
Slavery (economics, morality, etc.)
Balance of legislative power in a growing nation (ex. Kansas entering the union next year)
Legality of Secession

CRUX OF THE SUMMIT:

States’ rights, as outlined by our Founding Fathers, are being trampled by unfair Northern politics. Abolitionist fanatics in the North are forcing this country into war by illegally tampering with the institution of slavery in this country. The South has little choice but to secede and form a new nation grounded in liberty.

WHAT’S AT STAKE:

If the South can articulate and prove their demands are justified, the judges will then find in favor of “The Compromise of 1861” which will force concessions by the North but the bloodiest war on American soil will never take place. On the other hand, if the North is convincing in their presentation of their demands and the judges side with their line of reasoning, the country will enter into Civil War.

Verdict: Southern arguments were persuasive to the judges and thus they won - this means the Civil War has been avoided and a compromise favoring the South that prevents succession has been established.

CHARACTERS

Northerners and/or Abolitionists:

Frederick Douglass = Isaac

Harriet Beecher Stowe = Maya

Henry David Thoreau = Drew

Abraham Lincoln = Chris

Harriet Tubman = Laurel

Harriet Jacobs = Sinclaire

Charles Sumner = Chuck

John Brown = Jack

Southerners and/or Pro-Slavery Individuals:

John C. Calhoun = Conner

Robert E. Lee = Augie

Varina Davis = Taylor

Preston Brooks = Riley

Meredith Calhoun = Brian

Belle Boyd = Katrin

Martha Bulloch Roosevelt = Lizzie

John Wilkes Booth = Owen

Judges: Cass, Grace, Dylan, Kristen, Tracy with help from special advisor Ambrose.

The Judges

"We couldn't be happier with the students' ability to synthesize and argue using content discussed in class over the last six weeks. Student engagement was at an all-time high, with both the North and South delegations rising to the challenge." - Joanne Knox

Drew Hartley, aka Henry David Thoreau

Valentine's Day at SBA

2012-02-14T16:27:00.000-08:00

Student Council President Dylan Murtha, supplying Valentine's Day serenades...

A Valentine's Day serenade from Lew to G:

Hartley, Freeland Take Top Two on Home Snow

2012-02-13T09:02:00.000-08:00

The following report of Marmot mastery of snow comes from Barbara Hartley. Thanks, Barb, and congratulations to Drew, Isaac, and the rest of the SBST gnar shredders!

***

The first stop of the Tahoe Junior Freeride Series took place at Sugar Bowl this weekend. The Academy boys were on fire with Drew and Issac battling it out for first place. At the end of the day on Saturday, Issac was in the lead with a score of 42.5. Drew was running in a close second with a score of 42.25, while the third place competitor was a good two points back.

Drew Hartley's winning runs at Sugarbowl from Starfish Films on Vimeo.

On day two, Issac pulled off an amazing run and it looked like he was going to be taking home the gold. Under blackening skies and increasing winds, Drew managed to stay calm and pulled off the highest scoring run of the weekend, claiming top honors with Issac a very close second. It was a great weekend of competing and super fun to watch our Academy boys go head to head all weekend long. The Freeride team had three other older boys finish in the top ten with Emmett Seely in 7th, Conner Fournier in 9th and Kyle Fowler in 10th.

Drew and Isaac's friendly rivalry is pushing their skiing to new heights! Neither of them would be where they are at without the other. The confidence gained this past weekend should carry right into national competition starting at the end of the month. - Coach Trevor

Sugar Bowl’s Xander Guldman dominated the younger boys age group by taking first place in a very competitive field with a winning score of 40.125, a good 4 points above his next competitor.

Congratulations also goes out to Ali Lawton for taking third place in the girls 15-17 age group and to Carly Gradeff for her 5th place win in the girls 11-14 year age group.

To learn more about the Tahoe Junior Freeride Series go to tahoejuniorfreerideseries.com. The next stop of the series will be at Squaw Valley on February 25th and 26th. Come out and watch a great event! The stakes will be high as the Squaw Valley athletes are going to be working hard to keep Sugar Bowl off the podium.

Survivor - Second Installment

2012-02-12T11:15:00.001-08:00

Nordic Girls Sweep...Again!

2012-02-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

The Nordic girls once again flexed their muscles, taking the top four places yesterday at Auburn Ski Club's combination race. This video clip shows the mid-race ski switch from skate to classic, or vice-versa...

Mulling The Past of Photography

2012-02-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

Here's irony for you: one of SBA's biggest technophiles - the guy who is always making movies with his GoPro cam, MacBook, and Final Cut Pro - has taken a page from what may be fourth-century B.C. photography technology.

Student/Athlete Skyler Mullings has made a pinhole camera for Chris Close's Physical Science Class using an oatmeal canister.

Mullings' make-shift darkroom for cutting 8x10 inch sheets of photographic paper Friday to fit his canister was the boys' bathroom, and visiting prospective student/athlete Daniel Pompa voluntarily assisted in the procedure.

Close said she found the photographic paper at a shop in Tahoe City. Originally priced at $25.59 for 25 sheets, the photography shop pitched in the paper for free.

The next step in the process is to find somebody with the darkroom and chemicals necessary to develop the photo that Mullings took with his pinhole camera on Friday. Suggestions are welcome.

Little-known fact, BTW: Worldwide Pinhole Camera Day will be celebrated on April 29th.

Prospective Student/Athlete Danny Pompa
and Skyler, before heading into pitch black

8x10 sheets of photo paper and the canister

Sierra Sun Coverage of Conner Evans' Scholarship

2012-02-09T07:39:00.000-08:00

Click on the image below to go to the article:

Scene on Campus: Nordic Open House

2012-02-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

Sugar Bowl Academy hosted an open house for some of Truckee's finest young Nordic skiers.

Hannah Halvorsen, Jared Murphy

Carrie Bradley, Syra Fillat

Hartley Publishes Poetry

2012-02-07T11:17:00.001-08:00

Congratulations go today to SBA Student/Athlete Camille Hartley, whose poetry has just been published on CrashTest.

CrashTest is a biannual online magazine "by and for high school students" which strives to publish poetry "that tests limits, asks questions, rejects the easy answers, risks obliteration, believes in failure, is suspicious of scripted success."

Camille's poem is entitled Seattle Moon and is inspired by her grandfather, "one of the best people I have ever known."

The site includes a brief autobiography with some interesting reflections on life as a ski academy student.

Click on the small screen capture of that bio below to see it full sized:

Kudos, Camille!

DeRyk Podiums as Marmot Dad of the Month

2012-02-06T20:07:00.000-08:00

Riley Plant in second!

The following report of Marmot mastery of snow at Mammoth last weekend comes courtesy of student/athlete Riley Plant, who missed the top of the podium at left by a mere 0.02s.

Additionally, based on this report, Marmot Man feels compelled to nominate Carl DeRyk for Marmot Dad of the Month. Do I hear a second to that motion?

***

Although this weekend at Mammoth was tedious and long, the SBA Alpine team pulled together some great results. The weekend kicked off on Friday with a broken Sprinter Van for the men's team. About 3 hours later, we were on the road with the help of Augie DeRyk and his dad, Carl DeRyk. They provided us an extra car and a trailer large enough to fit about 42 pairs of skis and 16 skiers' gear. Thank you, DeRyk family!

In the two preceding two days, 7 races were held, 3 of which were rescheduled from Sugar Bowl a couple weeks ago. On the first day, the men and women ran one Super G race and one Slalom race. Top 15 finishes in the Super G included Brian Francis (6th), Marc Talbott (10th), Dylan Murtha (13th), Owen Wattenmaker (14th), and Julia Bjorkman (9th).

Julia Bjorkman in second!

Later that day, in the Slalom, our women's team crushed it: Julia Bjorkman finished with a strong 2nd followed by Lauren Dunn in 6th, Maya Crosby in 8th, Grace Hutton in 9th, and Alexandra Alvarez and Annika Berg rounding out the tope 15 in 14th and 15th, respectively.

Much of the men's team had trouble with a very tricky first run course, however, some strong results were still shown. Riley Plant was edged out of 1st by just 0.02s. Dylan Murtha finished 5th, Augie DeRyk and Fraser Hannon showed some of their best runs of the year, landing them in 8th and 10th, respectively.

The next day, men and women both raced the final Super G, while the women continued to do one more Slalom race before heading home. The men finished with Brian Francis in 4th and Dylan Murtha in 6th. The women showed strong results from Julia Bjorkman in 5th and Lauren Dunn in 10th. The girls continued to have another great day of Slalom with many top 15 finishes; specific highlights included Julia Bjorkman in 2nd and Lizzie Ryan in 5th.

SBA went home with lots of medals and smiling faces- except those rooting for the Patriots.

***

Thank you, again, Riley, and to the DeRyk family!

J1 Women Sweep, J2 Riggs Tops Podium at Far West JO Classic Qualifier, Mammoth

2012-02-05T17:37:00.000-08:00

One on One

2012-02-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

One of the hallmarks of a Sugar Bowl Academy education on display here: plenty of opportunity to work with faculty one on one.

Hartley and High Fives = Neck Gators

2012-02-02T16:50:00.000-08:00

Today the High Fives Nonprofit Foundation's sporty neck gators were all the rage. Here are a couple of looks that students tried on for size...

Putting the Body in Mind, Body, Spirit

2012-02-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

What is happening in this video? Apparently an art project and some of Kathleen's old skis and boots....

Reno Gazette Journal Covers SBA

2012-01-30T14:45:00.000-08:00

"Make Every Bite Count"

2012-01-30T14:25:00.000-08:00

Evans to Represent the U.S. in Cambodia

2012-01-29T14:15:00.000-08:00

"It is such incredible news that I got selected to be included in this great program and it is truly surreal. I look forward to my travels to Asia and to sharing my experiences with the community!" - Conner Evans

Conner Evans (photo by Andy G)

SBA has had a lot to celebrate in athletics lately, with podiums coming regularly from both the Alpine and Nordic skiing communities.

Today, The Fighting Marmot celebrates academics with a post from Conner Evans, who learned late last week that he is one of only 30 recipients nationwide of a U.S. Department of State-sponsored scholarship to represent the United States this summer in Cambodia.

Congratulations, Conner!

The following is what Conner had to say about the distinction and what will happen leading up to and during his time in Cambodia.

***

The American Youth Leadership Program with Cambodia is a program of the United States Department of State managed by Global Explorers, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire responsible global citizenship by sharing life-changing immersive travel opportunities with students of all abilities and backgrounds.

Since this is a program of the U.S. Department of State, I received a scholarship that covers all airfare and program fees (lodging and meals included). I was chosen as one of 30 students selected from a nationwide pool of 160 applicants to represent the United States this June in Cambodia. The application process was very rigorous and included an interview round where I talked one-on-one with the program director.

This program is meant to immerse students in a completely different culture and to learn about global issues. One of the main themes that we will be focusing on this trip is the environment, climate change, conservation, and sustainable development. Throughout the trip, I will be traveling to multiple regions in Cambodia, from the capital of Phnom Penh to the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat. Some of the activities that I will be involved in throughout the trip will be leadership and service activities, community site visits, and visits to high schools and local cultural activities.

"The application process was very rigorous and included an interview round where I talked one-on-one with the program director. "

There are also pre and post-travel activities involved in the trip. Before I leave in June, I will participate in five video teleconferencing meetings learning about the country of Cambodia and responsible tourism. After the trip, I will be involved in a service project in my community (Truckee) to share what I have learned about Cambodia and the environment. It is such incredible news that I got selected to be included in this great program and it is truly surreal. I look forward to my travels to Asia and to sharing my experiences with the community!

"An awesome day for SBA!"

2012-01-28T07:44:00.000-08:00

Coaches Schloss and Benes report from Soldier Hollow on multiple podiums by Team Nordic! Thanks to Skyler Mullings for all the @SugarBowlNordic Twitter updates (at left) and this video! Rumor is, Coach Ambrose is going to be shaving his beard thanks to Bria!

Role Play Today at SBA

2012-01-27T16:44:00.000-08:00

Joanne Knox submitted the following photo of a Humanities class production. Said Joanne: "Students are reading Mark Twain's Puddn'head Wilson, a story that deals with the bucolic town of Dawson's Landing, Missouri around the time of the Civil War. Students today presented skits incorporating plot elements, characterization, and textual support in costume."

Scene on Campus: Clean and Other Advisory Action

2012-01-26T15:41:00.000-08:00

Prestige Gallery in the making

Chris Fitzpatrick on the palm sander,
Ambrose on supervision

Austin Peña and Spencer Crist on Clean

Sierra Sun Coverage of SBA Alpine Dominance

2012-01-25T17:03:00.000-08:00

SBA Student/Athletes Wade into Political Consulting

2012-01-25T16:56:00.000-08:00

"We picked Romney because we felt he had the largest chance out of all of the candidates since he has been steady in the polls throughout the entire race thus far. The race is getting more interesting!!" - Cassidy Cichowicz

Put in the shoes of hired political consultants for an AP English Language and Composition project, SBA student/athletes Grace Hutton, Dylan Murtha, and Cassidy Cichowicz delivered the advertisement below for Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney.

"Back in December the AP Language students chose Romney as the most likely to win the Republican nomination and the election, based on the various candidates' relative appeals and liabilities," said teacher Ambrose Tuscano. "They did a lot of background research on the primary candidates and watched a bunch of ads to get the flavor of the race, looking at all the details of making an effective, persuasive (campaign) commercial." The objective of this assignment was for students to use the fundamentals of persuasive rhetoric to produce an ad that would appeal to South Carolinian Republican voters in the run up to that state's primary.

"Students did research on South Carolina's Republican electorate and then chose the type of ad they wanted to produce (positive or negative) and the main themes they hoped to touch on," Tuscano said. "From there, each student scripted a 20-second piece of ad that would highlight one or two of the themes the class had chosen to evoke--patriotism, fiscal acumen, etc. The finished product, not surprisingly, turned out to be a lot like some real ads the Romney campaign was running in South Carolina."

After creating their ad, AP Language students will be looking at how candidates prepare for a debate and write a speech. Each step of the process is heavily dependent on rhetoric (or persuasion), which is a primary focus of the AP Language course.

Advisory Prepares for Super Bowl of Paper Football Field Goal Kicking Comp

2012-01-24T20:10:00.000-08:00

"Going to be a Great Season from Now On"

2012-01-23T19:59:00.000-08:00

This stellar SBA Snow Report comes from Video Editing elective...

Eighth-Grade Advisory Films "Survivor" Episode

2012-01-23T07:30:00.000-08:00

Skyler Mullings is the creative genius behind this film. Enjoy!

SBA/SBST Alpine Racers Dominate Snow King

2012-01-21T20:05:00.000-08:00

Snow King Series

By Coach Devin Gill

Riley Plant, Ty Sprock, and Marc Talbott

Even though Mother Nature has not been the kindest old lady to the Tahoe region this year, SBA has still been able to provide good training for the Athletes even if it was in Colorado or California.

But as the New Year approached and Sugar Bowl was being hit with a tough stretch of warm weather, at a very inconvenient time, the SBA FIS team departed for Jackson, Wyoming! The men's team departed on the first day of 2012 and the women's on the second. The race series started on the fifth, however; the teams departed early in order to acquire some full length GS training on the race hill at Snow King.

It is not often that a team is presented with the opportunity to train on the race hill at a race on the road. Said Mens' head coach Guenther Birgmann, “We put a lot of effort into coming here early to prepare for these peak races, thanks to the parents and the school. I think we got rewarded for that today.” And by rewarded he meant witnessing a dominating performance by the SBA Men’s team.

With the women's race going first, the men started their race knowing SBA Women’s FIS team member Julia Bjorkman was sitting in third place after the first run. The men after the first run were occupying the top three positions in the race, along with holding the better half of the thirty athletes in the flip. Just moments after the men’s first run concluded, Julia laid down a great second run to finish in third place on the women’s side. As the second run began, the SBA men’s team was sitting in a great position to have a very successful race, and they were podium hungry after seeing Julia's success.

As the men started coming down and fans and coaches could watch the results on their phone or computers, SBA athletes were consistently putting themselves on the beginning of the results page. Top twenty results were popping in all over the place. SBA senior Dylan Murtha started us off with a seventeenth place finish, with sophomore Marc Talbott just ahead of him. Riley Plant and Devin Davis were just ahead of them at twelfth and thirteenth, respectively. The next five SBA places were taken by PG athletes, Kiwi Finley Neeson put in a seventh place finish and teammate Ty Sprock just ahead of him in sixth place. Sprock combined with Talbott and Plant to complete a sweep of the J2 Podium.

So before the top five athletes even had their second run, SBA already had completed one sweep. SBA newcomer Derek Strand was sitting in third with Dylan Brooks just ahead of him in second and another Kiwi, Adam Barwood, in first. Derek Strand put down a great second run to move just ahead of Brooks into second place while Barwood once again stayed consistent and won the run to finish off the victory.

"Everyone can take something from this race, the young guys can see how the older guys perform, and the older guys can see how close the younger men are getting to them at a series like this." - Guenther Birgmann

Day Two of the GS at Snow King started off for the team knowing that Day One would be hard to follow up. But once again the men’s team showed up with some strong performances by the team members. In Day 2, Riley Plant continued his solid beginning to the year by putting in another second place on the J2 podium. A podium sweep always feels good, so why not go for another on the second day of GS? Dylan brooks had another good performance with a sixth-place finish, and just ahead of him was a newcomer to the podium and another gunner from down under, Finley Neeson in third place. While Adam Barwood was following Day One's win with a second-place finish, Derek Strand secured his first win as an SBA member. In a SBA TV “Podium Talk” interview later on that evening SBA Men’s FIS Coach Jeff Kai said, “Guys are skiing well… basic stuff helps athletes be successful, everybody is working on it, and right now we are seeing some success.”

“With excellent snow and surface conditions during the races it was a great race series for all the girls to gain more experience and confidence for the following FIS races." - Coach Katharina Golik

With the low-snow beginning to the year, SBA athletes have been able to secure good Slalom training in the Race Arena, so the team was feeling pretty solid about moving onto the new discipline. After having one solid GS result, sophomore Julia Bjorkman was the top SBA women’s finisher at seventh place. And once again the men’s team took home nine of the top twenty positions. SBA second year J2 athletes Chuck Klein, Brian Francis, and Marc Talbott took sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth, respectively. Former SBA athlete and current Middlebury Ski Team member, James Clifford put forth a solid fifteenth-place finish with the second fastest time on the second run to move himself into the position. Ty Sprock again took the top spot on the J2 podium with a ninth-place finish; just ahead of him was Finley Neeson in seventh place. SBA graduate Dylan Brooks (2010) was in fourth place. The two winners of the GS races were able to secure the top two spots in first slalom race. Derek Strand was positioned in second place and Adam Barwood took home his second victory of the trip.

Before the respective groups of the SBA teams could head to Colorado and Idaho for the next series of races, the athletes had one more solid in them. The second day of SL featured once again some great skiing from SBA athletes. Julia Bjorkman put in her third top ten finish with an eighth-place result. On the men’s side, they were able to secure ten of the top twenty spots in series final race. SBA senior Dylan Murtha jumped on the board with a sixteenth-place result. Just ahead of him were Brian Francis, Riley Plant, Scott Cooper, and Ty Sprock in fourteenth, thirteenth, twelfth, and eleventh, respectively. Ty and Riley both hopped on their third J2 podium apiece, positioning themselves in second and third. In the top seven places, other teams were able to sneak in just two who weren’t rocking the SBA Blue jackets. Dylan Brooks was in seventh place and Finley Neeson continued his success with a sixth-place finish. Former UNR NCAA athlete and current SBA Men’s FIS coach, Aldo Ballabio came back from a tough first day of SL to be just off the podium in fourth place. Derek Strand continued his solid start as an SBA athlete with a third-place finish. Adam Barwood was SBA’s top athlete on the day throwing down a second-place finish.

With many athletes and groups having different travel and race schedules through the competition season, it is not often that the entire Men and Women’s FIS teams can be in one place. “Everyone can take something from this race, the young guys can see how the older guys perform, and the older guys can see how close the younger men are getting to them at a series like this," said Birgmann. The team atmosphere was on display from everyone who attended Snow King, which was fun and contagious to be around. “With excellent snow and surface conditions during the races it was a great race series for all the girls to gain more experience and confidence for the following FIS races," women’s FIS coach Katharina Golik added about the trip.

We can only hope and be confident that the successes and team atmosphere will continue through the rest of the year!

Sign that Winter is...Here?

2012-01-20T14:58:00.000-08:00

SNOW!!!!

2012-01-19T17:07:00.000-08:00

Skyler Mullings, Luke Rodarte, and Isaac Freeland of Action Video Editing class take a moment to celebrate the strange white stuff falling from the sky.

Scene on Campus Photo/Video of the Day 1/18

2012-01-18T18:59:00.000-08:00

Sign
above
Corbin
Prychun's
desk

New Dorm Parent/History Teacher Corbin Prychun gets a new pair of ski boots, courtesy of Steve Ascher.

Scene on Campus Photos of the Day 1/17

2012-01-17T20:04:00.000-08:00

Scavenger Hunt - Teamwork on Display

Advisory "Survivor" Teammates

Hutt-dog!

Advisory "Survivor" Challenge - more teamwork on display

Home Snow Racing: An Andy Giordano Slide Show

2012-01-16T11:37:00.001-08:00

SBA Racing 1/13/2012 - Images by Andy Giordano
http://andygiordano.photoshelter.com/

Weemaes Dominates on Home Snow

2012-01-15T14:56:00.000-08:00

SBA J3 Alpine racers Pieter Weemaes, Luke Rodarte and Michael Cooper swept the podium Saturday.

Here's an interview with Weemaes and Coach Bryce Hubner (and don't miss the SBA-TV report on SBA skiers in Winter Park and the current strong rankings of SBA/SBST skiers below this video short):

Mind, Bluegrass, Spirit

2012-01-15T10:21:00.000-08:00

After Friday's races, a group of boarding and day students met at the SBA dorm to do some pickin' and grinnin,' working on Flatt and Scruggs' "Cripple Creek" (among other tunes).

Scene on Campus Photo of the Day 1/12

2012-01-12T16:19:00.000-08:00

Sierra Sun Covers Far West Nordic's Success in Bend

2012-01-12T08:21:00.000-08:00

Click on the screen capture below to go to the full article, and congratulations to Skyler Mullings on a great race!

Scene on Campus Photo of the Day 1/11

2012-01-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

Lunch line!

Shredding Marmots Bask Atop Snow King Podiums

2012-01-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

Sugar Bowl Academy/Ski Team dominated the podiums in Snow King. Here are some of the podium shots featuring SBA/ST skiers. Congratulations, Shredding Marmots!

SBA - TV en español

2012-01-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

SBA - TV en español reporters conduct surveys on the following - yes, somewhat random - questions:

*Have you ever skied in Europe?

*Have you ever kissed a frog?

Scene on Campus Photo of the Day 1/8

2012-01-08T18:10:00.000-08:00

Team Nordic Departs for Bend

SBA TV Reports from Jackson Hole, WY

2012-01-07T08:21:00.000-08:00

Scene on Campus Photos of the Day 1/6

2012-01-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

Laurel Fiddler's super cool water bottle

Be the first to name whose computer this is - other than the owner
of the computer - and be Marmot of the Week!

Some in-class statistical sampling, courtesy of iPhone and Polleverywhere

SBST Skiers Sweep

2012-01-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

Scene on Campus Videos of the Day, 1/5

2012-01-05T15:09:00.000-08:00

Scene on Campus Photo of the Day 1/4

2012-01-04T17:12:00.000-08:00

Recovery Earned, Led by Douglas Brooks

2012-01-04T11:21:00.000-08:00

Recovery on the road, with some singing thrown in (if you are on a mobile device the video below may not show up, but, trust me, it's entertaining and merits a visit to your laptop or desktop)...

Thanks, Douglas Brooks!

International Freeskiers Association Showcases SBA's Hartley

2012-01-03T14:39:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Drew Hartley on being selected by the International Freeskiers Association (IFSA) as "The Unofficial Pick of the Week" for this week. I am told that this link will go down after this week to make way for the next Pick of the Week, so here are the screen captures along with a GoPro video that was posted on the site showcasing Drew's mastery of the mountain.

SBA Nordic Team Dominant in First Junior Nationals Qualifier

2012-01-02T18:36:00.000-08:00

The following report of Marmot mastery of snow and skis comes courtesy of Nordic Coaches Schloss and Tuscano...

Bria Riggs (photo by Mark Nadell)

"The snow was only 4 inches deep on the trails of Auburn Ski Club on December 28 for the first Junior National Qualifier (JNQ) race of the 2011-2012 season, but this did not stop the SBA Nordic team from turning in some remarkable performances in the classic sprint race.

"Every SBA J1 and J2 had a qualifying time in the 1.2K preliminary round. There are three more JN qualifiers and these athletes who qualified in this first race only need to qualify in one more of the qualifiers to make the Far West Team for the 2012 Junior National Championships which will be held in Soldier Hollow Utah, March 5-12th.

"The format for the JNQ race included a 1.2-kilometer preliminary loop with each athlete racing against the clock. Next, athletes were ranked by their preliminary race times and the top 20 women and the top 20 men raced in 4-person head to head heats. The top 2 from each heat advanced to a semifinal heat of six racers and then the top two from each semifinal advanced to the final.

"Junior National qualifying was based on the preliminary round only and the Fighting Marmots came out fast. Bria Riggs had the fastest time of all the women followed closely by Katrin Larusson, Cassidy Cichowicz, Laurel Fiddler, Joelle Romo, Savannah Blide, Danielle Nivinski, and Camille Hartley for an SBA sweep of the top 8 places! SBA senior Kelly Habibi qualified in 11th place and J3 racer Olivia Jeffrey was outside the qualifying cut off but skied strong in 19th place.

"In the men’s qualifying round, Joe Piercy had a breakout race with the 8th fastest overall and second fastest junior time. Joe was followed by Sam Zabell in 13th with the fastest J2 time and by Peter Carroll in 20th; all three of these guys easily made the JN qualifying standard. J3s Skyler Mullings and Trent Hommeyer raced strong against the field of older racers placing 28th and 37th respectively.

"In the women’s heats it was again SBA dominating the field again, with the overall win going to Katrin Larusson, with Laurel Fiddler in second, and Cassidy Cichowicz in third. Bria Riggs finished 4th and was the top J2 while Joelle Romo, Danielle Nivinski, and Camille Hartley swept the top spots of the “B” final for places 7-9.

"The men’s heats were highly competitive with several strong college racers and a member of the US ski team and the Canadian Development team on hand to mix it up with the Far West juniors. SBA graduate Austin Meng had one of the best sprint races of his life, taking 3rd while Sam Zabell placed 9th and Joe Piercy 11th.

"All in all it was an extremely strong day for SBA and sets the stage for what looks to be an awesome year for the Nordic squad. Now if it would just start snowing…

Scene on Campus, 1/2

2012-01-02T09:28:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Joe Piercy on his scholarship!

Lost Dodgeball Videos - 12/30 Installment

2011-12-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

Lost Videos of the...Dodgeball Court

2011-12-29T17:55:00.000-08:00

Augie shows off his mitts...

Scene on Campus: New Student/Athletes!

2011-12-26T14:41:00.001-08:00

New student/athletes Austin Peña and Spencer Crist....

- Marmot Man, Powered by BlogPress and iPhone

Scene off Campus: Sam I Am!

2011-12-25T21:43:00.001-08:00

Sam gives downtown Truckee some Christmas spirit...

- Marmot Man, Powered by BlogPress and iPhone

Scene on Campus Photo of the Day 12/24

2011-12-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

Comparando los tres alces en la clase de español 3...

Scene on Campus Photos of the Day 12/23

2011-12-23T09:43:00.000-08:00

Microbiology presentation the day after you return from Alaska? No problem!

Sierra Sun Covers SBA's Foray into World Affairs

2011-12-22T10:56:00.000-08:00

Click on the screen capture to go to the full article...

Ascher Claus

2011-12-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

Merry Merry and Ho Ho Ho from Ascher Claus!

World Cup

2011-12-21T17:25:00.000-08:00

This was the scene on campus at the close of classes today.

With everybody headed home for the holidays and the World Cup on, students gathered around the warm glow of a laptop to watch some alpine ski racing.

Student/Athlete/Artists!

2011-12-20T20:43:00.000-08:00

Skyler Mullings

As Monday's formal Christmas dinner at Sugar Bowl Ski Resort's Village Hall showed, Sugar Bowl Academy is more than a family of student/athletes.

There are among us a number of very talented performing artists, as well.

SBA eighth-grader Skyler Mullings of the Reno Youth Concert Orchestra played a Christmas medley solo on his trombone.

Casey Jobe, Sam Zabell, Lauren Dunn, Camille Hartley

Reno Youth Symphony Orchestra violinists Sam Zabell and Camille Hartley, YCO violinist Casey Jobe, along with Lauren Dunn (somehow still standing after a red-eye flight from races in Alaska), treated the gathering to some stringed Christmas selections, as well.

And, finally, the fledgling SBA Glee Club showcased their singing talents to the current students, faculty, staff, and alumni gathered at Village Hall Monday night.

Head of School Tracy Keller addressed the audience as one fast-growing and tightly-knit family.

Cassidy Cichowicz, Camille Hartley, Erika Klenk, Rollin Atkinson,
Michael Cooper, Maya Anthony-Crosby

Chefs Scott and Dan cooked a tasty traditional turkey dinner and marmot moms Paige Derdowski, Gale Klenk, Mary Beth Larusson, Brenda Nivinski, and Roxanne Romo volunteered their set-up services.

"A special thanks to our awesome marmot moms who moved lots of tables and chairs and set up beautiful holiday dining tables, replete with greenery donated by the Larusson family," said SBA Student Council Advisor Aly Kendall.

Photo of the Day

2011-12-19T21:22:00.001-08:00

Glee performs at formal dinner...

- Marmot Man, Powered by BlogPress and iPhone

Lost Videos of the Performance Training Center, Pt. 5

2011-12-18T19:34:00.000-08:00

Lost Videos of the...Dodgeball Arena?

2011-12-17T18:42:00.000-08:00

Scene on Campus Photo of the Day, 12/17

2011-12-17T18:29:00.000-08:00

Dorm girls at The Mystery Spot

Scene on Campus Photo of the Day, Fri., Dec. 16th

2011-12-16T21:48:00.000-08:00

Team Nordic Gathers Around Coach Schloss

Lost Videos of the Performance Training Center, Pt. 4

2011-12-16T16:19:00.000-08:00

Lost Videos of the Performance Training Center, Pt. 3

2011-12-15T16:54:00.000-08:00

SBA TV Reports from Alyeska, Alaska

2011-12-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

Lost Videos of the Performance Training Center - Second Installment

2011-12-14T19:56:00.000-08:00

Lost Videos of the Performance Training Center

2011-12-13T19:42:00.000-08:00

Scene on Campus Photo of the Day, Tues., Dec. 13th

2011-12-13T19:22:00.000-08:00

Skyler Mullings and Luke Rodarte prepare a box for their advisory's canned food drive

Marmots Storm United Nations

2011-12-12T18:33:00.000-08:00

Solving complex global issues might seem relatively manageable from the comfort of the classroom setting during normal waking hours.

But being awakened at 2 a.m. to react in concert with other countries to an emerging global crisis can be quite another matter altogether.

Eighteen Sugar Bowl Academy student-athletes who recently returned from the International Model United Nations Conference in San Francisco learned how unreachable consensus might seem when all the world’s stakeholders - each with its own competing interests and political agendas - gather to weigh matters that potentially impact all of the planet’s inhabitants.

Chuck Klein, Riley Plant

“I learned a lot about what politicians go through, particularly in solving international crises,” said SBA student-athlete Taylor Elicegui. “Being woken up at 2 am to solve a hostage crisis in the Philippines provided me with great insight to real international affairs.”

Hosted by the Parc 55 at San Francisco’s Union Square, the IMUNA (International Model United Nations Association) Conference ran from December 1-3.

According to IMUNA’s Web site (imuna.org), the goal is simple: "Education through Simulation."

Grace Hutton, Taylor Elicegui

For SBA students, simulation took a variety of forms, even pre conference. In preparation, students were required to write position papers - in SBA Model U.N. Club Founder Conner Evans' case, 7 pages long! - regarding the issues central to their respective committees.

“Through research, discussions and lecture with the SBA History Department faculty and group meetings, Model U.N. members worked to understand complex global issues ranging from human rights of displaced persons to threats of bioterrorism,” said Andy Knox, SBA Social Studies Department Chair and one of three SBA faculty members including Corbin Prychun and Kelly Farrell to travel to the event.

During conference proceedings, SBA students represented the South African and Ugandan delegation in one of seven United Nations committees.

Said Knox: “Students worked in committee to discuss and debate their assigned world issues. The simulation had students using the same language and terminology of the U.N. while additionally following the same protocols as the actual United Nations of moderated debate, drafting resolutions and making amendments to resolutions.

“The Model U.N. experience attempts to simulate real world international discussions. Students must understand and play the role of their assigned country/delegation, form diplomatic alliances with likeminded nations as well as work under real time constraints.

“One of the more extreme, but very real, examples was when two of the seven committees were awakened at 2:00 am Friday morning and asked to dress and report to a conference room to be briefed on an evolving world crisis situation.

“The committees then proceeded to work until 6:30 am until they had successfully dealt with the issues at hand.

“This part of the Model UN experience aims to simulate the reality that - for world leaders and diplomats - a full nights sleep is certainly not guaranteed, and that if and when a crisis should take place that they need to be present to deal with the issue in real time.

“Overwhelmingly the feedback from SBA students was that this was a positive and fun new learning experience. The Model UN Club at SBA is already beginning to think about the next conference to attend.”

Scene on Campus Photo of the Day

2011-12-12T18:15:00.000-08:00

Scene on Campus Photo of the Day

2011-12-09T11:01:00.000-08:00

Scene on Campus Photo of the Day

2011-12-08T16:30:00.000-08:00

Scene on Campus Photo of the Day

2011-12-07T19:04:00.000-08:00

What's Pilar's favorite color, you ask?

10th Grade Advisory's Squash Turkeys

2011-12-06T18:01:00.000-08:00

Value Added!

2011-12-06T15:17:00.000-08:00

Steve's glider pre-retrofit

Talk about "value added!"

In this new TFM series, "Your SBA Tuition Dollars at Work," we see how SBA Meteorology and Astronomy Professor Stephen Ascher has retrofitted the control panel of his new glider with state of the art technology to allow our own students to actually travel up into storm systems or even visit other planets in search of intelligent, hopefully even gnar-shredding life.

Apparently the process does require certain federal agencies to approve the transport of feral Marmots into space, but Head of School Tracy Keller is reportedly on that.

Please visit the following link to see Steve's incredible handiwork:

http://360vr.com/2011/06/22-discovery-flight-deck-opf_6236/index.html

Who knew!!

Marmot Mom of the Month

2011-12-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

Barbara Hartley takes time out from her work
at Keller Williams to attend a faculty/staff meeting.

With December upon us, it's time now to take a quick look back on November and issue a hearty congratulations to Barbara Hartley on being named recipient of the highly coveted yet infrequently awarded Marmot Mom of the Month Award.

Barbara - mother of SBA student/athletes Drew ('13) and Camille ('14) - has stepped in to help fill some free-ride team management needs as the comp season approaches. She will be handling a number of logistical details for the team. The Sugar Bowl Ski Team and Sugar Bowl Academy thank Barbara and welcome her to the team!

SBA TV Introduces Alpine Coach Katharina Golik

2011-12-02T21:07:00.000-08:00

Where has Devin Gill been hiding??

Well, he's back, this time introducing one of SBA's new Alpine coaching acquisitions, Katharina Golik...

American Humanities Students Wax Poetic

2011-12-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Joanne Knox for the following report from American Humanities class...

"Students in the American Humanities class were offered several options for an Honors final project wrapping up Unit 2: 'Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness.' Throughout the unit, each student in class was asked to adopt a historical persona affected by decisions made by the Continental Congress and the writers of the Constitution.

"Several students presented poems or spoken word pieces before the class that encapsulated their character's thoughts during this time. Below Laurel Fiddler presents the ideas of Phillis Wheatley and Rollin Atkinson's poem reflects the feelings of Thomas Paine."

* * *

By Laurel Fiddler

How Is This True When I Am Not Free?

I remember the days when I crossed the ocean

I was not but a young girl

We aimed for a country glorious and independent

I stood by my new master and asked myself

How is this true when I am not free?

They treated me like family

Taught me their language and how to write it too

I still grew up wondering where my real mother was

They may have been kind, but each day I pondered

How is this true when I am not free?

I found my own freedom, I wrote it in poems

When with a pen I was an independent soul

But when a white man saw my creations,

He only saw the color of my skin and I ran out of the office crying

How is this true when I am not free?

I’ve lived my life behind a fence

So they send me to Europe to have an experience

It’s wonderful and all, but I can’t help but cringe

As people remark on my so called home of the free

How is this true when I am not free?

I sat by her bedside, holding her hand

She died in our arms, my cherished friend

She brushed my hair and taught me to sew

I’ve lived a privileged life with her, but I still do the work

How is this true when I am not free?

Her husband tells me that I am now to be free

Can stop picking cotton and go live my dream

I got my works published, but even so

My freedom was never quite real enough for me

I still got looks from people who thought they were better

America will be free when we can stare into another’s eyes and know

We are all just humans and until equality is here

I will keep asking

How is this true when I am not free?

* * *

By Rollin Atkinson

January 29th, 1737
A baby born, a prodigy sent from heaven
An inspirational writer, though often misunderstood and considered irreverent
Would grow up to challenge both religion and the reverend
Thomas Paine born as a gift unto his father
Dad had grand visions, since Tom was a toddler
But at twelve Tom dropped out of school, to go no farther
Didn’t need a diploma to prove he was smarter
He spent years in England, shut down from his true potential
About his family Thomas was never sentimental
He became an apprentice, a seaman, an officer gone mental
Because, to Thomas these roles were nothing but elemental
1772 published The Case of The Officers of Excise
Thomas argued for better pay, and his arguments were precise
In London Tom met Franklin non-believer in Christ
Thomas followed Franklin to Philly, thought a change would be nice
Fame hit Thomas with a career that he loved
It was journalism that did it; fit the man like a glove
Tom gave “Common Sense” to classes below and above
“The Crisis” proved inspirational, like Noah’s dove
“These are the times that try men’s souls”
Although a poor fighter, Thomas had independence-aimed goals
At Valley Forge, the soldiers miserable, their shoes had no soles
But when read “The Crisis” these men became bold
With American ideas tucked away in his past
Tom returned to Europe, home in England at last
Writing and inventing still the most of his crafts
Tomas worked on a candle, a bridge, that couldn’t collapse
Tom still worried about despots and tyrants
“The Rights of Man” another marvelous literary rant
Criticized monarchy, the revolution of France
Became an England outlaw, fled like Guildenstern and Rosencrantz
Once in France, Thomas joined the National Convention
But quickly imprisoned because of Louis XVI Tom didn’t mention
In prison, The Age of Reason was written with contention
For Tom and the Church shared plentiful tension
Freed in 1794 barely escaping execution
James Monroe allowed Tom to bolt without a contusion
Jefferson invited Tom to live under the new constitution
But he saw that they’d eradicated his contributions
Now Tom was too old to make any amends
Tom’s popularity had gone; now unable to contend
Derided by the public and abandoned by his friends
And at the age of 72 poor old Thomas had met his end

Marmot Mom Witnesses History

2011-12-01T21:00:00.001-08:00

Marmot Mom Nancy Talbott witnessed history today and captured it on film. SBA's first Model U.N. delegation arrives in The City...

Said Nancy, "It was fun to see the fleet of Suburbans with ski bags strapped to the top driving in the City. Fish out of water!!"

-Marmot Man, powered by Blogpress and iPhone