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Island News
Happiness Expert Speaks at Convocation
The author of this year’s all-school read spent a day on campus in September discussing her research into the psychology of happiness, including what makes people happy and how they can increase their enjoyment of life, topics in line with this year’s school theme, “The Pursuit of Happiness.”
As the first convocation speaker of the year, psychology professor Sonja Lyubomirsky delved into the science of happiness, citing findings from studies and examples from her book, The How of Happiness. Through her research and writing, Ms. Lyubomirsky has identified and described both the immediate and long-lasting impact of happiness in people’s lives.
“Happy people experience frequent positive emotions, and they feel a sense that their life is good,” Ms. Lyubomirsky told the audience of students, faculty, and staff. People who report being happy in their lives and with their lives tend to be physically healthier, be better leaders and negotiators, have stronger social support, contribute more to charity, and bounce back quicker from adversity than those who are less happy, she said.
Ms. Lyubomirsky also has studied ways that people develop happiness. We are more likely to find happiness by connecting with people in our families and communities and expressing our gratitude for people in our lives who connect with us, she said.
“Other people matter,” she concluded. “If you want to be happy and if you want to enjoy the benefits of happiness, ... you need to focus, not on yourself, but on other people, on supporting other people and recognizing how other people have supported you.” She warned against looking for happiness through indirect personal connections, such as social media. People tend to be happier when they are not on social media and are instead spending time with other people or helping others directly.
After the convocation, Ms. Lyubomirsky continued the discussion with a smaller group of students and faculty, and she met with a Neuropsychology class and with students in the Chaffee Leadership Institute.
Ms. Lyubomirsky received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Harvard University and her doctorate in social/personality psychology from Stanford University. She teaches courses in social psychology and positive psychology and serves as the Department of Psychology’s vice chair at the University of California, Riverside. According to her biography, she has been recognized with the Faculty of the Year Award twice and has received the Faculty Mentor of the Year Award for her work with students.
Ms. Lyubomirsky’s visit to campus was part of the Hubbard Speakers Series, made possible by a gift from Robert P. Hubbard '47. “If you want to be happy and you want to experience the benefits of happiness, … you need to focus, not on yourself, but on other people, on supporting other people and recognizing how other people have supported you,” Ms. Lyubomirsky said.
Psychology professor and author Sonja Lyubomirsky Photo: Cassandra Hamer
LEFT: History teacher Rachel Engelke, retired English teacher Jane Archibald, and Mark reunite at the event.
BELOW: Students follow along as Mark reads an excerpt from his book.
Photos: Cassandra Hamer
Mark Oppenheimer ’92 Examines Tragedy and Resilience in a Community
Author and journalist Mark Oppenheimer ’92 returned to the Island in November to discuss his latest book, Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood, with an audience of more than 100 students and faculty members.
Squirrel Hill focuses on first-person accounts of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue massacre and examines the resurgence of antiSemitism in the world. The book is about the strength of a community, Squirrel Hill, and its ability to understand and cope with the 2018 tragedy, in which a shooter entered the Tree of Life synagogue and opened fire, killing 11 people and wounding six others.
“It is a sad, terrible story, but an incredibly hopeful book because what you see is the way people come together in a community to help and support each other in the worst of times,” noted Mark, who also read an excerpt from the book for the gathering.
After his talk, the author took questions from students about his writing career. He shared that his interest in communities and how they work began when he was a student at Loomis Chaffee. His involvement with the debate and cross country teams on the Island helped him to form his ideas about how a person lives in a community and led to his later focus on religious studies as one aspect of a community. “A lot of who I now am was forged in my early years, at Loomis,” he reflected.
After graduating from Loomis, Mark earned a bachelor’s degree in history and a doctorate in religious studies from Yale University. He is a lecturer in English at Yale and the coordinator of the Yale Journalism Initiative. He also has taught at Wesleyan and Stanford universities. In addition to teaching, Mark has been a beat reporter for The Hartford Courant; a writer for The New York Times Magazine; an essayist for The American Scholar, Southwest Review, and Yale Review; and a historian of religion. Mark has written five other books, and he hosts Unorthodox, the No. 1 Jewish-themed podcast in English, according to iTunes.
The event, held in the Norton Family Center for the Common Good in Founders Hall, was a collaboration among the Norton Center; the Center for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; and Writing Initiatives. All attendees received a free, signed copy of Mark’s book, thanks to the generosity of the Carolyn Belfer ’86 Fund for Jewish Life and the Dominic S. Failla Speakers Fund.
THE LOVE of THREE ORANGES
PHOTOGRAPHS BY: Anna Zuckerman-Vdovenko
COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE
The vibrant story of The Love of Three Oranges unfolds on the outdoor stage near Chaffee Hall. The play is based on a scenario in the style of the theatrical form commedia dell'arte, which originated in Italy in the 16th century.
A31-member student cast and crew presented the raucous slapstick comedy The Love of Three Oranges during a five-night run in October on both an outdoor stage next to Chaffee Hall and in the Hubbard Performance Hall.
The play, by Hilary DePiano, is based on a Commedia Dell’arte scenario by Carlo Gozzi and tells a classic tale of jealousy, love, friendship, and laughter. The Loomis Chaffee production incorporated references to Island landmarks and used its venues to full advantage with improvisational jokes from the cast and running commentary about the performance spaces as the actors performed.
The show was directed by theater teacher David McCamish and assistant directed by English teacher David Edgar. The cast included senior Aidan Cooper as Tartaglia and, in dual roles, seniors Vanessa Magid as Fata Morgana/Dottore and Benjamin Radmore as Pantalone/Creonta. The stage management team was led by senior Jasper Gitlitz.
“The student actors rose to the challenges of improvisation and comedic acting technique, and the student technicians were actively involved in the creation of the set, lighting design, and building costumes,” said Susan Chrzanowski, head of the Performing Arts Department, which produced the play. Despite moving between indoor and outdoor venues throughout a rain-filled week, the adaptable production team created a unique and entertaining show, Sue remarked.
TOP: Pantalone (senior Benjamin Radmore), King Silvio (junior Arthur Beaugeard), and Princess Clarice (junior Jade Silverstein) MIDDLE: As Fantarello (sophomore Michael Hoffman) and King Silvio (Arthur Beaugeard) somberly watch, Pantalone (Benjamin Radmore), Rope (junior Nathan Ko), and several Zannis (sophomores Audrey Hall, Lauren Sonnenfeld, and Jessica Luo) try to make the king laugh at their comical antics. BOTTOM: Rope (Nathan Ko) holds a directional sign particular to the show’s location.
TOP LEFT: Zannis (Jessica Luo and junior Nandini Ramanathan) TOP RIGHT: Princess Clarice (Jade Silverstein) and Prince Leandro (sophomore Brigham Cooper) break the fourth wall with a fish-face pose. BOTTOM LEFT: Tartaglia (senior Aidan Cooper) carries Truffaldino (freshman Iris Sande). BOTTOM RIGHT: Dottore (senior Vanessa Magid), Creonta (Benjamin Radmore), and Il Dottore (Lauren Sonnenfeld) plot their mischief.
WEB EXTRAS
To see the full list of cast and crew, read the playbill, and see more photographs from the show, please visit www.loomischaffee.org/magazine.
FAR LEFT: Sophomore Mercuri Lam and music teacher Netta Hadari converse about Mercuri’s work exhibited at the opening. TOP RIGHT: Ceramic creations were among the student artwork displayed in the exhibit. BOTTOM RIGHT: Juniors Zoe Alford and C.J. Bukowski read the submissions of Emerging Writers. Photos: Cassandra Hamer
Exhibit Celebrates Student Creativity
WEB EXTRAS
To view the online versions of the Emerging Artists and Emerging Writers exhibits and to see a video from the opening, visit www.loomischaffee.org/magazine. Dozens of Loomis Chaffee students pursued independent work in writing and visual art last summer as part of the Emerging Writers and Emerging Artists programs, and a dual exhibit showcased their work in the Barnes and Wilde galleries of the Richmond Art Center this fall.
At the opening for the show in September, the student artists and writers shared their excitement for their projects.
“The colors represent me,” junior Sofia Mansilla said in describing her painting. The mix of bright and dark colors that she used work together to show the different aspects of her personality, she explained, adding that she found her passion for the visual arts at Loomis.
Junior Julie Kang also said her artwork is part of her personality. “I have something more inside myself that I don’t show to people,” she said. Her visual arts teachers at Loomis Chaffee and the freedom she found to express her ideas at the school inspire her work, she added.
Twenty-seven students participated last summer in the Emerging Artists program, which invites student visual artists to pursue projects independently and submit the completed work for the annual showcase.
Similarly, the Emerging Writers program invites student writers of all inspirations to submit proposals for independent development during the summer. Poetry, short stories, and other written pieces by the 28 student participants were on display in the exhibit this fall.
Senior Aidan Cooper and junior Chinelo Osakwe both shared their written work in the exhibition. “I have always been writing,” Aidan said, “and the culture at Loomis really bolstered my love for writing as well as my ability to write.”
Chinelo said the writing program has enabled her to creatively explore topics and ideas in a different way and “has helped me to become a better writer by teaching me different techniques.”
The faculty directors of the two programs stood by proudly watching the students enjoy the opening.
“I love the creativity and drive of our students,” says Stacy-Ann Rowe ’97, a visual arts teacher and the coordinator of the Emerging Artists exhibition. “Seeing the look on their faces as guests viewed their artwork was unmatched.”
Kate Saxton, director of Writing Initiatives at Loomis, says the Emerging Writers program gives student participants well-deserved recognition for their work. “The act of writing is often independent and personal,” Kate remarks. “I think it’s wonderful that this annual event allows students to engage with their audiences and celebrate with our community.”
Mercy Gallery Features Kinetic Art Exhibition
A solo exhibition of work by christian.ryan, a transdisciplinary artist and teacher in Loomis Chaffee’s Visual Arts Department, was on display in the Sue and Eugene Mercy Jr. Gallery in the Richmond Art Center this fall.
Work Against Grain was an interactive exhibition of 14 different pieces involving sound, simple motors, and sleek figures — all created from reclaimed wood, most of which was sourced from trees recently taken down on the Island. The artist hoped that the kinetic works displayed in the exhibition would encourage interaction and reaction from the student, faculty, and staff visitors.
“A large number of the pieces had their start in a creative research trip that I took to France, which was funded by the school,” christian said. “The work that I do in the studio feeds back into the classroom, and the work I do in the classroom feeds back into my art.”
The exhibition coincided with several other shows in the Richmond Art Center, including the Emerging Artists and Emerging Writers exhibitions of student work in the Barnes and Wilde galleries and the Community Arts Exhibition, featuring works in various media by Loomis Chaffee faculty, staff, and other adult members of the school community.
LEFT: Sophomore Taizo Harada discusses christian.ryan’s kinetic piece “Bare-Throated Oak Warbler” with the artist. RIGHT: christian in the Mercy Gallery Photos: Cassandra Hamer
FAMILY WEEKEND RETURNS
History teacher Rick Taylor meets with David Delcampe and Tammi Dulberger, parents of his freshman advisee Jake Delcampe, during Family Weekend in October. The school community celebrated the reprise of in-person Family Weekend this year after the event was held online in 2020 because of COVID-19.
PHOTOGRAPH BY:
Cassandra Hamer
WEB EXTRAS
Berrie Moos
Retired Faculty Celebrated
Fred Seebeck
Ruth Duell
Candice Chirgotis
Dennis Robbins
Phyllis Grinspan
The school community honored the careers of recently retired faculty members Berrie Moos and Fred Seebeck in a gathering on the lawn of the Loomis Family Homestead shortly before the start of this school year. Between them, Berrie and Fred represent 64 years of teaching, coaching, advising, and leadership at Loomis Chaffee.
Current and former faculty, staff, students, and family members of the honorees attended the celebration to pay tribute to Berrie and Fred, who retired in June 2020. The event had been postponed because of COVID-19. Four other honorees from 2020, Ruth Duell, Candice Chirgotis, Dennis Robbins, and Phyllis Grinspan, were unable to attend this year’s gathering due to family obligations and travel issues relating to the pandemic.
Opening the evening’s festivities, Head of School Sheila Culbert reflected that both Berrie and Fred “made an impact on thousands of students over the years that they have been at the school.” She thanked them for being “faculty members that were easy to look up to, easy to admire, and truly inspirational.”
English Department colleague Andrew Watson spoke in Berrie’s honor, reflecting on their friendship, her dedication to her students, her sly sense of humor, and her ability to form strong relationships with her students. Taking on a variety of roles over her tenure on the Island, Berrie was known by her students for her storytelling, her love of grammar, and her genuine interest in their lives, he added.
“Berrie is intensely curious, deeply knowledgeable, and super-humanly patient,” he reflected. The students in her classes were inspired to go beyond just learning about the literature and language that they were studying; they wanted to “know more and ask deeper questions” about the topic, he said.
In her remarks, Berrie regaled the gathering with humorous memories of students and colleagues over her 28 years of service to the school.
Fred worked and lived on the Island for 36 years, during which he taught English; coached swimming, water polo, and track; worked in admissions; served as a dean of students and a dorm head; and was involved in the growth of the school. He was especially known for his thoughtful mentoring of both students and colleagues.
Associate Director of Studies Robert DeConinck, who coached with Fred, and former Associate Head of School Aaron “Woody” Hess paid tribute to Fred. Bob reminded the gathering of the dedication, commitment, and understanding that Fred brought to his job, and Woody noted Fred’s “unusually genuine interest in other people and students” in the classroom, on the playing fields, and in the dorms.
In his remarks, Fred spoke of Loomis Chaffee’s strong community, the opportunities for personal and professional growth, and the sheer variety of the daily work as reasons for staying on the Island for 36 years.
“The community of friends here has been diverse, interesting, and the friendships that have been made are lifelong,” he said.
Stellar Evenings of Science
Astronomer Lindsay Demarchi leads a Zoom discussion about dead and dying starts. Photo: Matt Ruffle
Supernovae, dwarf galaxies, dead stars, and more were on the menu for participants in a series of evening forums this fall with astrophysicists and expert astronomers, including a Loomis Chaffee graduate.
Astrophysicist Adam Burrows ’71 treated students and faculty to a discussion of the tools created by and for scientists in the study of core-collapse supernovae when he was invited to speak via videoconference at an Evening of Science event in November, organized by Loomis Chaffee’s Physics and Astronomy Club.
Adam’s primary research is in supernovae theory, exoplanet and brown dwarf theory, planetary atmospheres, computational astrophysics, and nuclear astrophysics. A full professor of astrophysical sciences at Princeton University, Adam has written numerous fundamental and influential papers and reviews on these subjects.
During his presentation, Adam shared the excitement of his research and the importance of creating strong three-dimensional models and simulations of a collapsing star. These models, he said, help scientists to better understand the collapse and subsequent explosion of supernovae, or massive stars.
“The explosion and collapse of a supernova are two of the most violent events in nature,” he said. They occur “a few times a second in the universe, but only once in 50 years in our galaxy.” Because these events occur so infrequently in the Milky Way, creating models is crucial for scientists to study and begin to understand their nature, he said.
The explosions are a central player in the evolution and character of galaxies and the universe. When a massive star explodes, the oxygen, iron, fluoride, calcium, and other elements disperse and litter the interstellar medium, he explained.
Adam also spoke about the birth of smaller stars, which form in the wake of the collapse of supernovae, and the creation of black holes. His presentation included images of the three-dimensional models and sound recordings of the explosions.
Earlier in the fall, astronomer and doctoral candidate Lindsay DeMarchi led a discussion about astronomy and her study of dead and dying stars. Describing herself as a “stellar mortician” who works to piece together a star’s life based on the information it leaves behind after collapsing, Ms. DeMarchi studies the moments just before a star dies, the instant that a star collapses and releases gravitational waves, and the electromagnetic processes that occur immediately afterward. She also explained the methods and instruments she uses in her research, and she answered students’ questions and offered advice and encouragement to students considering a career in astrophysics or astronomy.
Ms. DeMarchi, who earned her undergraduate degree in physics from Colgate University and her master’s degree in physics from Syracuse University, is completing her doctorate in astronomy at Northwestern University.
In the third Evening of Science this fall, observational astronomer and astrophysicist Anna Frebel, a professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, discussed the chemical and physical conditions of the early universe and her research into some of the oldest stars in the universe.
Illustrating her talk with detailed visuals, Ms. Frebel told the story of the beginning of the universe and described how the chemicals involved in the initial nuclear synthesis event, or Big Bang, were strewn throughout the universe. These chemicals, or heavy elements, are found in all the stars and planets of the universe.
She also explained the life cycle of a star, including the fact that new stars contain more heavy elements than do older stars. By studying older stars, scientists can better understand the original chemical make-up of the universe, she said.
For their research, Ms. Frebel and her team frequently use the Magellan telescope in Las Camas, Chile. The data that the telescope gathers aided their discovery of seven stars in the ancient, ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Reticulum II.
The three Evening of Science events, all of which took place via videoconference, were facilitated by senior Lillie Szemraj, president of the Physics and Astronomy Club, and Science Department Head Neil Chaudhary ’05.
Artists Guest
Netta performs in the Hubbard Performance Hall. Photo: Cassandra Hamer
GUEST MUSICIAN
Netta Hadari
Violinist, composer, and Loomis Chaffee Orchestra director Netta Hadari performed a series of pieces on the violin during an interactive performance of music and discussion in September in the Hubbard Performance Hall.
The recital, titled The 21st Century Violin, included five pieces by contemporary composers Daniel Bernard Roumain, Roxana Panufnik, Istvan Peter B’Racz, and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson; two original pieces composed by Netta; and a 19th-century work by Niccoló Paganini.
Between musical selections, Netta answered questions from the audience about his compositional process, inspirations, and playing style. Netta’s compositions, “Rise” and “Happy Old Marriage,” were inspired by the work of artists and Visual Arts faculty members Stacy-Ann Rowe ’97 and Jennifer McCandless, respectively. Netta explained that he began working on the compositions as a way to collaborate with his visual arts colleagues. He composed each piece based on the impressions evoked when viewing their artwork, and he said his pieces are musical expressions of those emotions and ideas.
Netta received a bachelor’s degree in music from Southern Methodist University and a master’s degree from the Yale School of Music. In addition to directing the Orchestra, leading the Chamber Music program, and teaching music theory and violin at Loomis Chaffee, Netta helps to run the educational programs at the New Britain Symphony Orchestra, where he conducts the Young People’s Concert. He is also an accomplished solo performer.
WEB EXTRAS
To see the artwork that inspired Netta’s compositions, visit www.loomischaffee.org/magazine.
GUEST MUSICIANS
Rajan Kapoor and Yoshino Toi
Cellist Rajan Kapoor and pianist Yoshino Toi performed an evening of chamber music selections in November in the Hubbard Performance Hall as part of the school’s Guest Musician program.
The recital included a variety of emotional and rousing compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, Cesar Franck, and Claude Debussy.
Rajan, a private cello instructor for Loomis Chaffee students, is an experienced solo, chamber, and orchestral musician who has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. He is pursuing a degree in musical arts at the Hartt School of the University of Hartford. He is a Massachusetts Cultural Council music educator and teaching arts fellow.
Ms. Toi is an associate instructor at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University while finishing a master’s degree in music at the university. She earned her undergraduate degree in music from the Hartt School and has since received top awards in multiple piano competitions around the United States.
The Guest Musician program is made possible by the Joseph S. Stookins Lecture Fund.
Yoshino Toi and Rajan Kapoor perform during their chamber music recital. Photo: Cassandra Hamer
Artists Guest
Landscape artist Nancy Friese spent a week in residence this fall at the Richmond Art Center, where she worked alongside students and faculty in the printmaking studio and spoke about the ideas and inspirations behind her art.
While on campus, Ms. Friese worked in the printmaking studio, sharing her work and discussing her process with members of the Visual Arts Department and their classes. The week culminated with Ms. Friese presenting a demonstration on watercolor monoprints for students in the College-Level Art Seminar and helping students create prints of their own.
“The students enjoyed the process and were pleased with their results,” said art teacher Mark Zunino, who directs the Visiting Artist program.
An award-winning artist, Ms. Friese describes her landscape paintings as “a composite of things seen, remembered, and felt. By studying nature’s phenomena, I tie visual observations to experience,” according to her artist statement.
Ms. Friese earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of North Dakota and a master of fine arts degree in printmaking from the Yale School of Art. She also studied in the graduate painting program at the University of California, Berkeley, and in the graduate program in painting and printmaking at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. She was a recipient of a Yale University Summer School of Music and Art at Norfolk Fellowship. Ms. Friese also was elected to the National Academy Museum and School in New York City and received three National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, including the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Creative Artist Fellowship. In addition, she was granted a Lila Acheson Wallace Giverny Fellowship, a Blanche E. Colman Award, Pollock-Krasner Foundation funding, and a George Sugarman Foundation Grant for painting.
The artist lives in Rhode Island and North Dakota and teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design.
VISITING ARTIST
Nancy Friese
Nancy Friese works with students in the printmaking studio. Photos: Stacy-Ann Rowe ’97
The chamber music recital included a variety of emotional and rousing compositions by Bach, Mendelssohn, Franck, and Debussy.
THAT’S ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!
SOLVING PROBLEMS
Students in the course Problem-Solving for the Common Good this fall conducted market research for the Caring Connection, an adult health center in Windsor that sought help from the class in increasing its client base and brand recognition. The students presented their findings and proposed solutions to Caring Connection representatives near the end of the fall term and planned to make presentations to the Windsor town manager and Town Council as well. Loomis Chaffee Director of Innovation Scott MacClintic ’82 taught the course.
ELECTRIC CHARGES
The school opened its first electric vehicle charging station on campus in November. Operating as a pilot program, the charging station will allow faculty and staff participants with electric cars to charge their vehicles at a rate of 20–30 miles per hour charged, with the hopes that the station will enhance the lives of community members through convenience while reducing the school’s carbon footprint, according to Jeffrey Dyreson, director of environmental sustainability initiatives and associate director of the Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies. Located behind the Katharine Brush Library, the charging station is maintained by ChargePoint, a company working to expand electric vehicle charging stations around the United States. The pilot program, initiated by the Alvord Center, will run at no cost to users through June 1. At least for now, the charge station is open only for LC faculty and staff who have registered for the pilot program.
UP FOR DEBATE
The Debate Society fared well this fall in tournaments around the Northeast. At two large tournaments in a row, the Hotchkiss Debate and Public Speaking Tournament in October and the Phillips Andover Invitational in November, the team earned second-place school awards. At the Vassar College Invitational Debate tournament in October, which attracted a strong field of high school debaters from East Coast and West Coast schools, senior Justin Wu placed seventh and senior Aidan Frazier placed ninth in the advanced division, and freshman Luke Han placed fifth in the novice division. In a Debating Association of New England Independent Schools tournament hosted by Buckingham, Browne and Nichols School, the duo of juniors Michelle Liu and Arthur Beaugeard was the first-place novice team in the parliamentary debate competition, and Michelle won the top speaker award in the field of 64 parliamentary debaters in her division. At the Connecticut Debate Association’s November tournament, junior Eric Sun, junior Dora Lin, and seniors Justin and Aidan combined for a record of five wins and one loss debating the merits of space tourism. Aidan, Eric, and Justin all have qualified for the state debate finals on the merits of their high-ranking finishes in Connecticut tournaments this fall.
INTERNATIONAL TRADITIONS
International students shared some of their home-country traditions and celebrations with the Loomis Chaffee community this fall. With help from parent volunteers, international students filled the Parton Room in the dining hall with mooncakes, Chinese lanterns, and other decorations to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival on September 21. A traditional festival celebrated in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Vietnam as well as by Chinese and Vietnamese communities in the United States, the event is also known as the Mooncake Festival, named after the cakes that are traditionally served as part of the celebration. For this year’s festival at Loomis, international students and parents shared three varieties of mooncakes — with red bean paste, mixed nuts, and lotus paste with egg yolk filling. International students also shared their perspectives and traditions with the community this fall through a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner on October 11, a spoken-word poetry performance at an all-school meeting, and an international karaoke night. The group honored and celebrated the diversity of the community near the beginning of the school year by displaying flags from their 40 countries of origin in the Katharine Brush Library.
HISPANIC HERITAGE
Loomis Chaffee celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 through October 15 with a series of events and activities honoring the history and culture of Latino/a/e and Hispanic Americans. Pa'lante, an affinity group for self-identifying Hispanic and Latine members of the Loomis community, organized the series with support from the Center for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and other campus organizations and departments. The Island celebration included screenings of documentary and fictional films followed by student-led discussions on the Hispanic experience in the United States. Traditional food was shared with the community during the Harvest Fest clubs event, and Pa’lante members, in collaboration with DEI interns, worked on daily “did you know” facts and co-sponsored a Hispanic Heritage Month game for students and faculty. The month-long celebration culminated with Latine Fest, where students enjoyed music, dancing, games, and food inspired by Latine and Hispanic cultures. The Mariachi Academy of New England, an organization that helps spread Hispanic culture through music, cultural education, and performances, provided music for the gathering; senior Kate Shymkiv led a salsa dance lesson; and plaintain chips, hot peppers, and authentic Mexican food were available from the Los Mariachis food truck. National Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15 because it is the anniversary of the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively.
TUBA WINNER
Junior Benson Wang won first place in the International Tuba and Euphonium Association’s (ITEA) 2021 Solo Competition in the 15-and-under age division last spring. ITEA is a worldwide organization with thousands of members, and its competition attracts com-
