QUORUM JULY 2022
THE GRADUATE
Looking at what is ahead for our Class of 2022
TAP NIGHT
We welcome Q '23 as our sixth class of the society
ALUMNI NOTES
As we enter Fall 2022 as a society, we share some updates from our alumni
TABLE OF CONTENTS Summary on Q '22 An Update from Pierson Broadwater '18
Spring Quorum Highlights Quorum in the Military
Quorum at the U.S Open
The 1st Quormal & Senior Masquerade
Tap Night 2022
President's Farewell Summer Plans for Q'23
This publication is released to the audience of alumni, current members and friends of the Quorum Senior Society. Any reproduction or redistribution of this document requires expressed permission from the society's board. For more information, contact andrew.song@yale.edu.
A Farewell from the
Quorum President
I hope you are having an amazing start to your summer! As the fellow
for the class of 2022, I am excited to reflect on how far our class has come since tap night on our annual farewell newsletter. Instead of going through all of the fond memories that I hold with Quorum, which include the various parties that we’ve attended and the various bios that we’ve been captivated by, I would like to briefly reflect on only the tap process that we’ve been through. I believe this series of events to be a shining example of our love for each other and for Quorum as a whole. Coming into tap season, we all had ideas on how to ensure the future success of Quorum. With a unified goal and vision for Quorum, every single Quorum member took an active role in the tap process. It was heartwarming to see our class eagerly make interview invites, conduct interviews, and plan events for the new tap class. I believe this to be indicative of the magnitude of our love for our society, if it already was not obvious through all of our get-togethers and through the
The commencement is a bittersweet event. I am super sad to say goodbye to many of my closest friends that I've made through Quorum, but excited that this isn't the end. I am excited for the next time I will get one on one meals with many of them as working adults, excited for the next big Quorum HY party, excited for what my friends in Quorum will accomplish, and excited for the new class to make unforgettable memories. With that, I'd like to end with a quick thank you to Quorum for another family. vov
Sebastian Tsai
President (2021-2022)
QUORUM | JULY 2022
openness to share about our lives in extensive detail in bios.
Summary on Q'22 13 graduates 16 Majors 9 states _______
English History Chemistry Economics Religious Studies Political Science Global Affairs Astronomy Philosophy Computing and the Arts Mechanical Engineering Classical Civilization Applied Mathematics Computer Science Molecular Biophysics & Biology
46% of Q '22 are Californians! Quorum '22 earned: Summa Cum Laude Magna Cum Laude Cum Laude Phi Beta Kappa Distinction in Major
9 Residential Colleges
a.k.a. New Jersey Hate
Montana Love POLITICAL SCIENCE & RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Montana has stated that she is looking forward to spending the next couple of years in D.C. working as the Supreme Court/Appellate Practice Researcher at Hogan Lovells. She's incredibly grateful for the friends, family, and professors who have supported her over the past four years, and she can’t wait to see what the future will bring. She is a recipient of the following awards Montana is our Quorum scholar!
John Addison Porter Prize Given for a written work of scholarship in any field in which it is possible, through original effort, to gather and relate facts, principles, or both, and to make the product of general human interest.
Percival Wood Clement Prize Awarded for the best senior essay in support of the Constitution and the First Ten Amendments.
Richard Dobbs Spates Prize Awarded to a graduating senior in Grace Hopper College who “best exemplifies human values and high moral standards,” in recognition of that senior’s extraordinary service to the college.
a.k.a. Money Man
Ross Parish MECHANICAL ENGINEERING (ABET)
As a recipient of the Toshizo Watanabe Fellows Program, Ross will be attending the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies (IUC) for a full year of intensive language classes. The first two months are remote, so he'll have time to spend with friends and family in NorCal before leaving for Yokohama in August. Eventually, he wants to work in transportation engineering or urban planning, but what happens after next year is still wide open.
Favorite Memory: What stick with me most are the moments when I could zoom out and realize how solidly established we are for such a young society. Those were chatting with alums at H-Y and tap night, as well as Quormal, which was an original idea that went over perfectly.
Effect on Senior Year: I never had a ton of close friends in my class year, and I came into Quorum after a gap year. So, I approached the group with arms open, and I am so glad to have been able to bond closely with this fascinating group of people. It is not too far at all to say that Quorum gave richer meaning to my Yale experience.
a.k.a. Microinfluencing mod
Xiaoying Zheng CHEMISTRY
Although this school boasts a 2.1% acceptance rate, Xiao will be attending the...
New York University Grossman School of Medicine Class of 2026
Favorite Memory: Tap Night & Seeing Different Generations of Quorum Come Together
a.k.a. Passenger
Chad Palmer COMPUTER SCIENCE & MATH
This summer, Chad will return to his hometown in Maine to enjoy a couple months of rest in the company of friends and family. He will then be moving to Chicago in late August to start work at Optiver, a market maker and proprietary trading firm. As a software engineer, he is very excited to design, develop, support, and maintain trading systems, tools, and infrastructure for the firm.
Effect on Senior Year: Being a member of Quorum this year was a joy. It was lovely to meet so many kind, thoughtful, and fun people during my final year at Yale. I felt particularly close with my fellow members during our retreat in Milford, where we had the chance to spend an entire weekend away from the stressors of the university, enjoying the company of one another and savoring the sand and sun. I will treasure these memories and these newfound friends for a lifetime.
a.k.a. Silver Surfer
Robbie bickerton ENGLISH & ECONOMICS
The day after graduation, Robbie drove across the country from New Haven to Los Angeles with her brother. There, she will be a showrunner’s assistant to Oscarnominated screenwriter Paul Attanasio. She is excited to learn the ropes of the TV/Entertainment industry and to surf a lot in Santa Monica.
Effect on Senior Year: Robbie is so glad she got to be in Quorum her senior year because as someone originally from the class of 2021, Q allowed her to meet a group of amazing people in her new class. Quorum provided an instant party squad and an instant family all at the same time.
Favorite Memory: Robbie’s two favorite Quorum memories are fall semester retreat and the epic party that Q threw for pre-tap night. The former was a time of bonding at the beach and getting to know one another, and the latter event really showed how far the society had come and how much love Q’22 had for each other because we were able to host an amazing party that impressed all the pre-taps.
a.k.a. Neopolitan
Neo khan ENGLISH & ECONOMICS
Neo will be residing in New Haven for a year, working remotely as a software engineer at Zwift, a tech start-up based in Long Beach, California. He is planning on still being involved at Yale in some capacity, such as dancing and choreographing with groups on campus. He is also hoping to explore more of his interests in software engineering, specifically web development, and create fun projects that people will be able to use
Favorite Memory: My favorite memory of Quorum is tap night because it was so fun getting people to come together. Large group gatherings where we all play games and have fun together are some of the best ways to bond and foster connection in a community
Effect on Senior Year: Quorum became a family to me. During my senior year, I was not expecting to get so close to a group of strangers I had not met before. I was completely focused on my current friends and my future post-Yale, but life always has nice ways of surprising you.
a.k.a. Bait and Switch
Sami Fleischman CLASSICAL CIVILIZATION
While Sami walked at graduation this spring, she will still have one semester left and will be returning to New Haven in the fall to finish up. She was at home in Connecticut for first weeks of summer working on her senior thesis and moving into her apartment for the fall. In late June, she will head to Rome for six weeks to work on an archaeological site right outside the city. She is enjoying some good eating, visit a few museums and other archaeological sites and spend some time on the beach while she's there.
Favorite Memory: Way back in November, after the publication of the first newsletter, we all went to House of Naan for dinner. It has often been hard to get all of us in the same room but I think we nearly did it that night. I just remember having such a fun time chatting, catching up and eating a whole lot of good food. What I have loved most of all about society was just getting to spend time with each other in really fun and easy ways. I think that night exemplifies that for me.
Effect on Senior Year: Quorum has been an absolutely wonderful part of my “senior” year. We have a class of amazing people and I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to get to know them. This year often felt a little hectic and spending time with Quorum often made me feel a whole lot better. So thank you to the Class of 2022 for being the best 🙂
a.k.a. Rockert Racoon
jack dunn HISTORY & ECONOMICS
Dunn, who is our loving Guardian Angel and Quorum Athlete of the Year, is now working as an associate at the PR-firm, Keybridge Communications, in Washington D.C.
Just a few of his athletic accomplishments this past season: Finished 13th in hammer throw at Ivy League Heptagonal Outdoor Track and Field Championships...Won Yale Springtime Invitational in the hammer throw with a No. 7 Yale all-time mark of 183’5”…Finished 13th in hammer throw at Ivy League Heptagonal Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Favorite Memory: My favorite Quorum memory was by far Quormal. It was such a great time to see everyone at the end of the semester having a blast. Effect on Senior Year: Being in Quorum made my senior year so much better because it introduced me to so many new people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. Getting to have Thursdays and Sundays just to hang out with great people is a great time.
a.k.a. Frequent Airport Visitor
Ryan ofman ASTRONOMY & PHILOSOPHY
Ryan will be working as a Machine Learning Engineer for DeepMedia AI which detects deepfakes. He is currently traveling all over Europe.
As a fellow Tap Chair, everyone in Quorum knew that Ryan had the best questions. Here are some of the questions that were asked by him and our Hubert Pach duo: "If you were a Pinata, what would come out of you?" "How would you start a campaign to let people know that Gavin Newsom has got to go?" "The year is 2008 and the recession will begin soon. You are transported to this time days before the crash. With the knowledge you have from The Big Short, will you choose to warn people or profit from this impending recession?" "Let's say you turn into a snail. What will you do to let people know that it's you?"
a.k.a. Going into Finance
NANKI CHUGH MOLECULAR BIOPHYSICS & BIOLOGY
Nanki will be pursuing a two-year masters in violin performance at Rice University beginning this fall! Nanki states that Quorum has been such a welcoming family for her senior year. She wanted to say that the community is incredibly supportive and every night we spent together, whether a bio or a social event, felt incredibly meaningful.
Favorite Memory: I think that tap night for the class of 2023 was particularly unforgettable! Effect on Senior Year: It was really fulfilling to welcome a new class of taps and witness the excitement that we in the class of 2022 experienced coming in the year before. The preparation, the efforts to maintain decorum during the ceremony (I’m not totally sure if we succeeded), and the spontaneous dancing and conversation during the celebration brought out the spirit of Quorum in a beautiful way.
a.k.a. Q Hoe Sheeran
Andrew Song GLOBAL AFFAIRS
Andrew will be reporting to Naval Nuclear Power School in October to begin his submarine officer training in Charleston, SC. He is excited to live in the Lowcountry and to remain involved with Quorum as an alum.
Favorite Memory: Being the historian, organizing tap night and having to see the new class come together, knowing how much work and our tap chairs put into the process. Effect on Senior Year: I was extremely honored to hear the life stories and biographies of my fellow Quorum members. This was also a space where I could be vulnerable with people. I'll never forget how valuable this senior society experience was, and how these people changed my Yale world.
a.k.a. The Joker (Goblin Mode)
Hubert pach HISTORY & ECONOMICS
Hubert will return to his beloved home city of Chicago, IL to spend some time with his family and hometown friends. After this brief moment of respiration, he will then travel to Los Angeles where he plans to begin a career in scripted TV alongside his great ally Robbie Bickerton or "Silver Surfer."
What others said about him: "The funniest lad I know. His humor is of the highest class" "His biography was amazing and it gave me a newfound appreciation of poland and his kindness." "Hubes was the mvp of myrtle. Undisputable." "i love hubert pach" "Hubert Pach for President"
a.k.a. Weather Boy
Sebastian Tsai PHYSICS & APPLIED MATHEMATICS
This summer, after spending a week vacationing around New York City with his family, Seb will travel around Portugal and Spain, namely through Lisbon, Seville, Madrid, and Barcelona. This will be Seb's first experience traveling internationally and he is excited to try life outside of America! After the trip, he will settle into New York City as he starts work in early July, which he is super excited/nervous about!
Favorite Memory: The tap process. It was so fun to see all of our creativity and excitement channeled to the new class. Whether it was for the interview, and how we would fully decorate the background and ask absurd questions, or for the tap night, and how we collectively conntributed many different ideas, it was clear that everyone loved Quorum and that made me love this family even more. Effect on Senior Year: Quorum has given me a new family outside of all of my current friend circle. I am so glad that I got to be a part of this society because I’ve met so many remarkable and cool people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise!
2022
THE
Spring Quorum H i g h l i g h t s
A
s the university started to relax health mandates, Quorum was able to participate in many more exciting in-person events and traditions, which strengthened our class.
These activities included the return of Feb Club, in which every Quorum member had attended and partied together. Quorum seniors also traveled to Myrtle together during senior dead week. In addition, the delegation was able to have a fun tap night process that involved months of planning by our tap chairs and the contribution of every senior. The society also hosted the inaugural Quormal, which had Q'22 and Q '23 celebrate before finals week. Seniors were able to go to masquerade as well as dance together at Last Toads and Last Chance.
Sami was by far our leader in the tap process. We are so thankful to her for spearheading ideas and interview scheduling. Thank You!
Quorum Tap Night 2022
The 1st Inaugural Quormal & Return of Senior Masquerade May 2022
e m o c l e W 3 2 ' Q
Alejand ro Simons
Alejandro is doing research at Cornell University developing new neuron imaging techniques using light microscopy. Right now he and his team are imaging mice neurons at the cellular level and are working on being able to image more neurons with a larger field of view. Alexia is spending a few weeks in New York working for a media consulting firm. She's exploring NYC cinemas, comedy clubs, bars, and bookstores. Afterwards, she is taking a short trip to study military/strategic history in Holland before relaxing in San Diego (her hometown) for a month.
ALEXIA BUCKHOLZ '23
QUORUM AT THE U.S. OPEN After winning the U.S. Open Qualifier in Massachusetts, Ami Gianchandani played at the 2022 U.S. Women's Open in June hosted at the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in North Carolina. Ami was the Ivy League Player of Year for the 2nd year in a row, a First-Team All-Ivy, and won the Ford Invitational in the spring.
In addition to a few more big golf tournaments coming up in Chicago and back in North Carolina, Ami is working as a software engineering intern at Swoop and developing her golf stats app startup, Accel Golf. Ami also attended the NCAA summer committee meetings as the Vice Chair of Division I SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) and Ivy League Representative in Indianapolis.
QUORUM IN THE MILITARY Updates on Quorum's Servicemembers
ENS Andrew Song '22: Andrew just commissioned into the U.S. Navy as an Ensign after graduation. He is temporarily stationed in New Haven, CT until he reports to Naval Nuclear Power School in Charleston, South Carolina to begin his training as a submarine officer. 2nd Lt. Valente Hernandez '21: Val just completed seven arduous months with the Marine Corps' Basic Infantry Officer course in Quantica, Virginia. He is now stationed at his specialty school in cyber operations, where he will learn fundamentals in signals intelligence and cyberwarfare. LT (j.g) Josh Hano '20: Josh is currently stationed at Training Air Wing 5 in Naval Air Station Milton, Florida. He is currently flying the T-6B Texan II, in preparation of becoming a pilot in the strike fighter jet community. He was recently promoted from Ensign to Lieutenant Junior Grade. He is Quorum's own TopGun! QUORUM
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The editor saw this photo this past May at the Brady Squash Center in Payne Whitney Gymnasium. #throwbackthursday
UPDATE FROM A FOUNDING FATHER PIERSON BROADWATER '18
Pierson will be leaving Roivant Sciences, where he has worked since 2019. He will be attending law school at NYU this coming fall. He was selected as an Institution for International Law and Justice Joyce Lowenstein Research Scholarship as well, which aligns with Pierson's interest in international affairs and international law. Prior to matriculating, he's planning on taking some time off to travel in Italy,
Josh & Xiuya
Fellow Quorum Alum Josh Hano '20 is engaged to his Yale sweetheart , Xiuya Yao '20. Pictured together here at their commencement ceremony, the two first met in freshman year through Naval ROTC. Xiuya is now a Naval Reactors Engineer Officer in Washington D.C. while Josh is a Naval Aviator in Milton, Florida.
Congrats New
QUORUM
ALUMNI!