A Podium for SJA Jeju
致赠领奖台给SJA韩国济州分校
I admit it. I'm jealous. I never thought I would be jealous about a piece of furniture, but I am.
我承认我嫉妒了。我从来没想过我会嫉妒一件家具，但是我确实嫉妒了。
When I saw the podium that we have since shipped to South Korea as a gift to commemorate the opening of St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju, I was struck with a serious case of podium envy. Made by Academy woodworking teacher Matt Stark and his students, the podium is a replica of the Fuller Hall podium, only made out of American cherry. It's absolutely beautiful—the kind of furniture piece you want to run your hands over: polished, smooth, warm. Too beautiful to just look at, it invites you to touch it.
当我看到送给SJA韩国济州分校开幕典礼的纪念品-领奖台时，我特别羡慕那个领奖台。领奖台是由学院木工老师Matt Stark和他的学生完成的，是Fuller大厅里面领奖台的复制品，只能用美国樱桃木制作。做好的成品光滑、漂亮，让人忍不住想要抚摸。
The podium also has several artistic touches that are a testament to Matt's creativity and careful design, characteristics that made him a prominent furniture maker in Hollywood for clients like Arnold Schwarzenegger. First, the podium has three black bars on each side, representing the three solid bars on the flag of the Republic of South Korea. These bars symbolize heaven, east, and fatherhood. On the front, Matt used three broken bars, also a symbol on the Korean flag, symbolizing earth, west, and motherhood. His message is clear: our partnership with St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju is a transformative event, joining heaven and earth, east and west, male and female in a common venture.
领奖台上也有几个地方的艺术设计凸显了Matt的创造性和精心设计，这些都让他成为好莱坞一位杰出的家具制造商，为像阿诺施瓦辛格这样的客户提供服务。首先，领奖台两侧各有三条黑色的栏杆，代表着韩国国旗上的三个实心杠。这些栏杆象征着天堂、东边和父系。在领奖台的前面，Matt用三根断条象征韩国国旗，分别代表地面、西边和母系。他想要表达的很清楚：我们和SJA济州分校的合作是变革性的事件，将天与地、东与西、男与女贯联衔接在了一起。
The wood Matt chose for these bars is also significant. They are made of Nigerian mahogany, to represent the international nature of both schools, and they are stained a shade of black meant to imitate the color of the volcanic rock for which Jeju Island is so famous. In addition, he found a piece of Vermont poplar, which had both green and white hues, and turned that into a circular seal, upon which appears the St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju seal (depicting the Colby Bell Tower), created in our Maker Space with the help of Science Department Chair Dr. Elia Desjardins. Again, Matt was able to capture some the essential elements of our school in these choices: international diversity, Vermont roots, and comprehensive programming that combines the arts and technology. All of these will be elements of SJA Jeju as they enroll a diverse student population, become intimately connected to their local community, and promote a comprehensive curriculum, including their own Maker Space.
Matt选择做栏杆的木材也是非常重要的。它们是由尼日利亚桃花心木制成的，代表了两所学校的国际性，而且它们被染成了黑色，意在模仿济州岛著名火山岩的颜色。此外，他发现了一块佛蒙特州的杨树，其中有绿色和白色的色调，在科学系主任Elia Desjardins博士的帮助下将其转化为圆形印章，作为SJA济州分校校徽（描述为科尔比钟楼）。同样地，Matt也将我们学院的特别元素融合在这些设计中：国际多样性、佛蒙特州起源以及艺术和技术的综合设计。当SJA济州分校招收不同学生群体时，所有这些元素都将成为链接当地社区、促进课程完善的重要组成部分。
Finally, on both sides of the podium, Matt carved the three planks of our mission (again with Dr. Desjardins' help in the Maker Space) into the beautiful pieces of mahogany: Character, Community, and Inquiry. These three words, which embody the three promises we make to our students and their families, are perhaps my favorite part of the podium and the part that ties our school to SJA Jeju most closely. Both schools promise to do all they can to help young people become the best people they can be and live lives of integrity, compassion, respect, and responsibility; become the best learners they can be and find something they love to learn; and become part of something bigger than themselves as they strive to leave the world better than they found it. Joined in living out these promises, our schools are connected in a profound and powerful way.
最后，Matt在领奖台的两边刻上了我们学院的三个使命（同样在Elia Desjardins博士的帮助下）：角色、共同体和审查。这三个词体现了我们对学生和家长的承诺，这可能是领奖台上我最喜欢的部分，也是我们学院和济州分校联系最紧密的部分。两所学校承诺尽最大努力帮助年轻人成为最好的样子，怀着正直、慈悲、尊重、责任感度过一生；成为最好的领导者，找到自己感兴趣的事，让自己变得更好、更强大。有了这些承诺，我们两所学校以深厚而有力的方式连结在一起。
So I want one of these for Fuller Hall. Matt knew I would; in fact, he said when he presented the podium for me to view for the first time, "You're probably gonna want one of these, huh?" Yup. And more than that, I want to celebrate the work Matt does every day and especially this beautiful testament to his talent and our school's new international partnership. Matt might have made more money as the furniture maker to the stars, but he is making a much greater impact as the furniture maker to the world. I am sure his work will inspire generations of SJA and SJA Jeju students to create meaningful beauty of their own.
因此我想要在Fuller大厅中放置一个领奖台。Matt说当他第一次让我看领奖台的时候，他就已经知道我的想法了，他问我：“你是不是也想要一个？”那是当然。同时我还想要为Matt庆祝他每天所做的工作，尤其是他的设计天赋和我们学校新的国际合作关系。Matt或许通过给明星做家具挣到很多钱，但是他作为一个家具制造商对整个世界的影响是更大的。我相信他的工作会激励一代又一代SJA学生创造属于自己的精彩。
