SALISBURY GENTLEMEN ETHAN CHEUNG '21 AND
BRYAN TING '21 SHARE THEIR STORIES WITH THE SALISBURY COMMUNITY
AS THEY STUDY REMOTELY FROM HONG KONG THIS TRIMESTER
ETHAN CHEUNG '21
I grew up in Hong Kong and first heard of Salisbury from both friends and from my educational consultant. When hearing the phrase “all-boys school”, I immediately thought of a military-type of school where the teachers have strict rules for their students. I didn't have the best picture in mind of what Salisbury could be, but when I saw it for the first time, it was completely different than what I expected. When I first visited Salisbury, the environment was wonderful and the people there, both the students and teachers, were very welcoming. I was shown many of the great aspects of the school and, once I finished my school visit, I knew it's where I wanted to be for the next three years.
The most important thing I’ve learned during my time at Salisbury is the meaning of community and what it’s like to be in one. The first time I found the meaning of community was when I watched my first hockey game at Salisbury; the support and energy from the students showed me what the Salisbury community is like, and this gave me confidence to engage with the community more. Not only that, my experience with Jazz Band also showed me what the community is like, especially when I had to practice playing my first solo. The encouragement and support from both my teacher and teammates gave me the confidence in my skills to play the saxophone, and, ultimately, I was able to play solos. After my experiences with the Salisbury community, I got the confidence to start giving back to the community, both at home and school. After my first year at Salisbury, I decided to join the Orientation team and also volunteered with some community service opportunities back at home.
One teacher that helped me along my way is my advisor Mrs. Pecchia. She’s one of the first people I met when I first came to Salisbury and when I first met her, I could already tell that she was going to be a great advisor for me. During my time with her, she has shown me a lot of support and is always available to lend a helping hand whenever I have any questions. Not only is she my advisor, but also my college advisor. She’s always there for me when I need help and advice in my college applications and it helped me a lot during the college process. I would like to thank her for helping me so much during my time at Salisbury.
My favorite place on campus is Belin Lodge. I usually go there whenever I have free time after Study Hall or when I have nothing else to do during a Saturday night. I really like Belin because it’s a place where I can hang out with my friends and also get snacks there. It’s a great place for the camaraderie of Salisbury.
My favorite class is different every year, but this year, my favorite class would probably be Mr. Curtis’ Father and Sons Literature. I enjoy listening to Mr. Curtis share his stories about his life and also what it’s like to be a father. Everyday, we have to write journal entries about our thoughts and I find that is a pretty interesting way of doing homework for class; I’ve learned a lot through this process. Currently, we are reading a book called “About a Boy” and I’m looking forward to diving into it.
My favorite sports are probably basketball and tennis. I got interested in playing these sports at a young age and usually play them in my free time back at home. At school, I usually play basketball in the Flood Athletic Center or Toll House with my friends on the weekends.
For my extracurricular activity, I really enjoy being in the Jazz Band. My music teacher asked me if I would like to join the band and play the saxophone for them, which I said yes to. I’m happy that I made the right choice to join the band as I was able to have fun playing songs with my teammates. I’ve learned a lot during my time in the band, especially when I had to start playing solos. Playing a solo was hard to do because I had to improvise everything, but thanks to the support from both Mr. McEachern and my teammates, I was able to learn how to play one.
A Salisbury Gentlemen should have a lot of good features, but the most important ones are loyalty, honor and service. I feel like a Salisbury Gentlemen is someone who is always there to help his Brothers whenever they are in need of support. Not only just helping his Brothers out, but he’s also there to help those who are in need, whether it’s your teacher or your neighbor. I have experienced this every day that I have been at Salisbury. From the community services I have done both at school and at home, I think my actions to help the community help me to define myself as a Salisbury Gentlemen.
BRYAN TING '21
I was born and raised in Hong Kong. I attended a local school until 7th grade and an international school from 8th to 10th grade.
The idea of studying abroad stemmed from a summer program I attended at another boarding school. I loved the boarding experience, and I wanted to develop independence. I was introduced to a couple of boarding schools in New England. From the school list, Salisbury stood out to me the most because it’s an all-boys school, and I thought it’d be interesting to change things up.
During my Salisbury tour, I was immediately attracted to the scenery and the sense of Brotherhood around campus. I, as a photographer, was drawn to the Buehner Media Lab. I was also fascinated by the enormous Flood Athletic Center. The classroom climate was completely different from what I was familiar with. The level of engagement in the classroom was high, thanks to the low student-teacher ratio. I knew I wanted to be here.
I was utterly overwhelmed by the transition to Salisbury. It was my first time truly being away from my family. Salisbury helped me embrace my academics and extracurricular activities, and I turned things around after my second trimester. Fast forward to senior year. I’m an honor roll student and a prefect in South Dorm. Without Salisbury, I would have never thought of achieving such things.
At Salisbury, I learned to appreciate the opportunity to study abroad. This motivated me to do everything with my best effort. I realized that I’m very fortunate to attend boarding school because I am one of only several who can do so. That’s why I‘ve been committed to helping underprivileged children with their education through NPOs — Kids4Kids and Shanghai Sunrise. I volunteered at the “Code and Create” program at Kids4Kids, where students use Scratch to express their creativity. For Shanghai Sunrise, I created a proposal for a fundraising event to support underprivileged youth in Shanghai by providing them access to education with scholarships. I also spent two months volunteering for a local NPO: Giving Love. I had the idea to donate books to a school that the organization had been supporting. I collected around 300 used books within a week. I sorted out the books and sent them out to the school. Knowing that not everyone has the same learning opportunities, I was driven to devote as much time as I can to help underprivileged children with their education.
My tutor, Ms. Lancto, has helped me tremendously along the way. She has helped me with anything related to humanities. Although we are scheduled to meet once a week, I reach out to her whenever I need help. Most importantly, Ms. Lancto picked me back up when I was at my lowest. I was struggling academically and she taught me how to utilize some of the best tools required to excel in school and life. She always emphasizes the significance of time management and organization. She has helped ensure that I stay on top of all my assignments and am not falling behind. Through her guidance, I've achieved a lot at Salisbury. She made me realize that I have the potential to achieve much more. I always look forward to every meeting.
My favorite place on campus is the Buehner Media Lab. I've taken digital photography and graphic design classes there. The media lab allows me to bring out the artistic side of me. I've spent many hours on the workstations transferring and editing my photos, as well as creating unique designs. Moreover, I'm always fascinated by the cool equipment and technology all around the media lab.
My favorite class at Salisbury is Intro to Digital Photography. I'm passionate about photography, and this class allowed me to expand on it. I was able to capture unique angles of everything around campus. I enjoy Mr. J's energy around the media lab. I admire his enthusiasm for everything he does. Whenever I needed a critique on my work or advice on which lens to buy next, I would reach out to him. My favorite sport is varsity skiing. Although this sport is very time-intensive, I had tons of fun during practice and races. I love the adrenaline rush that goes through my body during and after every run of the race course. I also improved significantly as a racer. During my second season, my race times were cut down by a lot and much more consistent. I am where I am today because the teachers and coaches at Salisbury pushed me to be better.
A Salisbury Gentleman is someone who will stand up for his Brothers at all times. A Salisbury Gentleman is committed to everything he does. He is loyal and honest. A Salisbury Gentleman is also devoted to helping the community.
I was encouraged to give back to both Salisbury and the broader community. I’m part of the blood drive team, orientation team, and I’m a new international student orientation leader. At the beginning of the school year, I brought the Salisbury community in Hong Kong together. I invited current students and recent graduates to a meeting with new students in hopes of making their transition as smooth as possible.