ALUMNI BULLETIN
Setting the Stage Summer 2014
PAUL SIMON LIVE AT GFA Over 400 alumni and spouse/partners attended the open-air concert on the Front Lawn on May 10, an extraordinary opportunity for the entire community to come together. After the concert, almost 100 alums gathered at The Horseshoe for an after-party hosted by Alumni Relations.
The ALUMNI BULLETIN is an interim publication created to share news with the alumni community in place of the spring issue of the Greens Farms Academy Magazine. The Magazine will resume a regular publication schedule in the fall. EDITOR and WRITER: Mary Warner McGrade Director of Alumni Relations PHOTO EDITOR: Natalie Gagnon ASSISTANT EDITOR: Sara Glidden
CONTENTS www.gfacademy.org/alumni
04 GFA News
A roundup of news and events
08 Alumni Events
Highlights from an exciting year
10 GFA Community
Class notes and news to share
15 Milestones
Greens Farms Academy 35 Beachside Avenue PO Box 998 Greens Farms, CT 06838-0998 (203) 256-7523
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Dear GFA Alumni, What a spring we have had, although the weather took forever to turn. We have been busy with speakers, the World Perspectives Symposium Day, AP exams (remember?), plays, concerts, art shows, and of course, the Paul Simon concert on May 10. Through many of these events, I have been impressed and gladdened by the participation of so many wonderful GFA alumni back on campus in many different capacities. At our recent Senior Transition lunch, Ben Paul ’02 and Iona Thomas ’97 talked about how they entered their professions (medicine and the foreign service), and how GFA had prepared them for the workplace. Then Michael Rintoul ’84 in his multi-layered role as alumnus, current parent, and trustee talked about the importance of networking with alumni when looking for work. I am again reminded of how important our alumni community is to the health and strength of the school. I want to make sure you mark your calendar for Reunion next fall on Friday and Saturday, October 17-18. We welcome you all back to campus to hear about the state of the school, to enjoy games, and to connect with teachers and friends. The campus is particularly beautiful in the fall, and we look forward to enjoying it with you. Kind regards,
Janet Hartwell Head of School
the buzz
GFA NEWS
Deirdre M. Daly ’77 addressed juniors and seniors at the Career Assembly. She is the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Her nomination was confirmed in May by the Senate. Daly will serve a four-year term as the 51st U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Alumni gathered at a reception for Deirdre Daly ’77: Jane Dean ’52, Martha Gates Lord ’74, Deirdre Daly ’77, Michelle Levi ’01, Kate Morrison ’83, Michael Rintoul ’84
State of the School GFA will hold its first State-of-the-School address on Thursday, October 2, 2014. This will become an annual opportunity for the community to come together to learn more about the vision for the future of the school. There will be a special presentation of the address on Reunion and Alumni Weekend, October 17-18, 2014.
The World Perspectives Program (WPP) is a series of K-12 curricular initiatives that instills a deep understanding of the issues facing our local and global communities, particularly those related to health, climate, and population growth. The third class of WPP scholars presented their theses and science research projects in the World Perspectives Symposium held at GFA on April 23, 2014.
Janet McCobb Wales ’52 September 29, 1935 - July 9, 2013
Born in Sumatra where her father, Harry McCobb was managing the oil fields, Janet and her mother, Louise, were evacuated to the U.S. prior to the invasion of the Japanese in 1942. Until then, it had been an idyllic life, her first large pet being a baby elephant. Evacuated to Connecticut after the outbreak of WWII, Janet attended The Bolton School where she evolved into a gifted athlete, winning the Connecticut Junior Tennis Championship at age 15. By the time she was 17, Janet had blossomed into a great beauty and was on the cover of Vanity Fair. To her classmates, she was an exotic creature who had been dropped into their midst and worst of all, had brains and was the ne plus ultra in sophistication; dashing up to Yale for college weekends or into Manhattan for modeling assignments. In 1957, she married Gwynne Wales, also of Southport, who was then serving as a Navy pilot in the Mediterranean. Years later, after living abroad in Belgium and Turkey and having four children, Janet picked up golf at 40, and sported a 7 handicap. She also had a passionate love for football, baseball and hockey, often wagering bets with any willing takers. She also loved horse racing. Elegant and beautiful Janet had a great sense of style and she wore it well. She loved Yves St. Laurent, Dior, Chanel and Givenchy. If her spirit is stopping anywhere, it’s probably in Paris or the south of France.—Mickie MacKay ’52
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Sean Obi ’13 announced that he is transferring from Rice University to Duke University. He has committed to Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke University Blue Devils. The Nigerian native averaged 11.4 points and led Conference USA in rebounding (9.3) as a freshman at Rice University this past season. Obi decided to transfer from Rice after the school fired Ben Braun last month.
Christiana Whitcomb ’10 won the top Elie Wiesel Essay Prize with her first-place essay, “The Ethics of Intrusion”. Christiana examined her role as a white outsider from Connecticut who drops into a Native American reservation in South Dakota. In the small prairie town of La Plant, Whitcomb interned for two summers (and part of a third) with an outside nonprofit that runs a summer camp for children, builds durable homes for families, and hosts community events. Check www.gfacademy.org/ alumni or call the Office of Alumni Relations at (203) 256-7523 for the most up-to-date calendar of events. Please be sure we have your most current email address! Send it to mmcgrade@gfacademy.org
young alumni
Dan Chase ’11 addressed the seniors at the Senior/Alumni breakfast
Next year’s alumni react to Dan Chase’s comments
In February 2014, Reed Krakoff ’82 unveiled his new collection, his first since leaving his post as creative director of Coach (and buying back his own label from the company) after 16 years.
ALUMNI CALENDAR OF EVENTS OCTOBER 17-18, 2014 ALUMNI WEEKEND, REUNION, AND HOMECOMING NOVEMBER 26, 2014 ALUMNI PUB NIGHT DECEMBER 2014 COLLEGE-AGE ALUMNI REUNION FEBRUARY 2015 LOS ANGELES ALUMNI GATHERING MARCH 2015 NYC ALUMNI GATHERING
return to campus
Ally Paul ’11 returned to campus to work with students on a rewrite of her play
ALUMNIBULLETIN | 05
alumni weekend
gfa reunion
homecoming weekend
Oct 17–18, 2014
Three great reasons to return to campus to see friends and faculty. All alumni and non-graduates are invited back to campus for a weekend of events including Fall Homecoming, Alumni Association meeting, a State-of-the-School Update, Athletic events, and Alumni gatherings.
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Honoring Classes
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GFA COUNTS ON YOUR SUPPORT Your gift will support financial aid, academic offerings, faculty development, arts, and athletics. Please be part of the experience, support your school, and attend alumni events.
Why I give to GFA: “I give to GFA for field hockey games, Harbor Blues, student council, and English classes overlooking the sea.” OLIVIA NEWHOUSE ’06 Go to gfacademy.org/giveonline Every gift matters.
2013
We Thank You
2014
ANNUAL GIVING | It All Starts Here
Annual Giving is a recurring yearly fundraising effort that runs from July 1 through June 30 of each year and supports the current year’s operations. The school relies on these funds to make up the difference between the tuition income and the actual cost of a GFA education. All of the money raised by Annual Giving goes directly toward the current year’s operating budget to support and enhance the educational experience for every GFA student.
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Events
Parents packing Valentine’s Day care packages for the Class of 2013
GFA
Former faculty Patti Hiller and OJ Burns greeted alumni at Alumni Pub Night
Alumni Pub Night
Alumni
Alumni at the Turkey Trot, Southport, CT
Record-breaking attendance at Alumni Pub Night
Ed Denes and Katie Welling ’01 take the mic for karaoke at the Alumni Gathering in NYC Prash Akkapeddi ’92 and Judd McArthur ’82 take in the scene
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GFA Alumni pack the Pig ’n’ Whistle Lynne Laukhuf and Janet Hartwell take their turn at the mic
Karima Hassan ’9
Reconnecting at Alumni Pub Night
Jane Dean ’52, Nancy Fishkin, Lynne Laukhuf and Dianne Schlosser at the reception before Fiddler on the Roof at the Westport Country Playhouse
Alumni reception before Java Jam concert celebrated 25 years of the Harbor Blues and honored Betsy Bergeron
Rose Ann Martinez, Clay Garner ’13, and Shelly Garner ’83 at Alumni Pub Night at the Southport Brewing Company
92 and Rebecca Brock Dixon ’95 hit the high notes
Stephen Stout and Kendall Crolius ’78
Alumni Council members Nikhil Ramchandani ’95 and Jimmy Bebon ’83 prepare to brainstorm on alumni engagement in front of a view of Long Island Sound
Drew Rider ’10 and the Trinity Pipes
Nikhil Lai ’11 and Grace Bomann ’10 and the Wesleyan Notably Sharp
Java Jam on stage Jennifer Levi ’03 and Martha Gates Lord ’74
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Greens Farms Academy
35 Beachside Avenue, PO Box 998 Greens Farms, CT 06838-0998 T. 203.256.7523
Email. alumni@gfacademy.org
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senior transition lunch speakers At the inaugural Senior Transition Lunch on April 30, alumni speakers shared their thoughts and experiences with the Class of 2014: (l to r) Trustee Michael Rintoul ’84, Benjamin C. Paul ’02, Iona Thomas ’97, OJ Burns, and Jon Matte