close

2018 Winter Woodbury’s Excite: Henry Vettel ‘18 Emerges Victorious

Once again the Woodbury Finals brought an entertaining and enlightening chapel to the Belmont Hill community. Seniors Jack Murphy, Henry Vettel, and John Markis addressed the students and faculty on Friday, February 23. Each one of them did a great job, both in writing thoughtful speeches and then delivering them in an engaging manner. Congratulations to all the students who participated in the Spring Woodbury Semi-Finals and Finals.

The first to speak was Jack Murphy, who talked about his experience in Little League baseball and how it relates to pursuing life goals. Jack described his first year of Little League, in which he showed promise in the field yet struggled at the plate. After finishing with just one hit the entire year, and a forgettable hit at that, Jack resolved that he would hit a home run sometime in his last two years of Little League. His dream seemed unlikely since Jack weighed just 65 pounds and had cut out his role on the team as the leadoff hitter, not a power hitter. However, one day Jack did hit a home run, at least according to the umpire: the left fielder claimed it was a ground rule double. Jack’s message to the audience was that if you put in the necessary time and commit yourself to a goal, you can find success no matter how unfavorable the odds may seem.

Henry Vettel spoke about how in a time where he struggled to find himself as a sophomore at Belmont Hill, his acting helped him adjust to the change in circumstances. Eugene Jerome, a character he was playing in an adaptation of  Brighton Beach Memoirs, was very confident and carefree, which Henry aspired to be. Playing the role helped Henry through a difficult sophomore year, and this story shows the importance of extracurriculars in the Belmont Hill Community as a way to express oneself.

Finally, John Markis ended the chapel with a talk about coaching young girls in basketball and coaching his team to a championship. This comedy-infused, fun-loving performance also referenced some staples of previous John Markis Woodbury performances, notably his love for politics. With many hilarious anecdotes from his time as the coach, John Markis captivated the audience with his story of navigating through life as a basketball coach, an experience which not many Belmont Hill students have experienced. All in all, the three finalists and the other three semi-finalists did an excellent job of captivating the audience with their performances. For the judges, however, Henry Vettel stood out, earning him the win and a prestigious award at the upcoming Prize Day.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Story Page