Spring 2011 Loomis Chaffee Magazine by Loomis Chaffee

M AG A Z I N E

S P R I NG 2 0 1 1

Revolution, Oil Spills, and More | Financial Foursome | From the Ground Up

Spring 2011/ Volume LXXIII, No. 2 ON THE COVER Senior Riker Jones, science teacher Jeffrey Dyreson, and senior James Crawford work the soil near the compost center, where Loomis Chaffee sustainability has taken root. ON THIS PAGE Sophomore Ryan Springer-Miller, a student in Photo II Digital this winter, photographed well-worn shoes for an assignment requiring multiple images that would work together as a group. EDITOR | Louise D. Moran MANAGING EDITOR | Becky Purdy CLASS NEWS | James S. Rugen ’70 OBITUARIES | Katherine A.B. Langmaid CONTRIBUTORS | Mary Coleman Forrester, senior V.P. Dao, Jeuley Ortengren, senior Jacqueline Mishol, D. Mercedes Maskalik, and Marc Cicciarella DESIGNER | Patricia J. Cousins PRINTING | Finlay Printing SUBMISSIONS/STORIES AND NEWS Alumni may contribute items of interest to: Loomis Chaffee Editors The Loomis Chaffee School 4 Batchelder Road Windsor CT 06095 860 687 6278 or 6811 magazine@loomis.org

With the environment in mind, we print this magazine on Finch Casa Opaque Bright White Smooth, made with 30 percent postconsumer waste fiber. The paper is certified by SmartWood to the Forest Stewardship Council™ as a well-managed timber product.

Printed in the U.S.A. Postmaster Send address changes to The Loomis Chaffee School 4 Batchelder Road Windsor CT 06095

INSIDE

LoomisChaffee

3 | REVOLUTION, OIL SPILLS,

AND MORE

New interdisciplinary courses and departmental electives broaden Loomis Chaffee’s curricular offerings.

18 | FINANCIAL FOURSOME Henry Kravis ’63, Robert Kaiser ’60, Diana Farrell ’83, and Harry Broadman ’73 discussed the question of Wall Street’s relevance and other economic matters in a forum in New York City.

20 | FROM THE GROUND UP With involvement across the campus, the school’s sustainability effort is growing like a pumpkin vine in a compost heap, literally.

Photo: John Groo

DEPARTMENTS 2 | HEADLINES | SELF-RELIANCE 3 | AROUND THE QUADS

6 | THE BIG PICTURE

11 | ISLAND ARRAY

13| OF NOTE | FACULTY & STAFF

14| ATHLETICS

Visit Loomis Chaffee online at loomischaffee.org for the latest school news, sports scores, and galleries of recent photos. You also will find direct links to all of our social networking communities. Scan the QR code at left with your smart phone and instantly link to the magazine or go to loomischaffee.org/magazine.

HEADLINES | BY SHEILA CULBERT

Fostering Self-Reliance

T a Loomis Chaffee reception this past year, a parent approached me and asked if I would please check on her son. Every time she had tried to contact him recently, he apparently was either unavailable or, if he did answer the telephone, too busy, explaining that he would call her again later — which he never did. Adolescents, most often boys, are not always good about keeping in touch with their parents. When I returned to campus, I talked to both his dormitory head and his advisor and found out that the student was doing very well; he was engaged in school activities, was excelling in his classes, and had made a close group of friends. The advisor had a quiet word with him to suggest that if he would just spend some quality time on the telephone sharing all that was going so well for him at school, his parents would be less anxious and would call him less often. At the other end of the dependency spectrum are students and parents who are in touch with one another two, three, or even more times a day. Parents may call in the morning to get their son or daughter out of bed; they may check in mid-morning to remind them to take their laundry over to be collected or to pick it up; they may want to talk over a test or quiz; or they simply want to catch up on an athletics contest or some other aspect of their child’s life at school. What is the right amount of contact between students and their parents at a boarding school?

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Clearly the first young man was just a bit too casual about his family responsibilities, whereas the young people who are hearing from their parents every day may not be developing enough independence and self-reliance. This is a great question, one that I suspect parents have been asking for as long as there have been boarding schools and to which the answer has changed with every generation. Alumni from the 1960s to the early 1990s, for example, talk about leaving the one pay phone in the dormitory off the hook so that parents could not get through or simply because they were frustrated with its ringing all the time, while alumni from an earlier era often relied on the occasional letter. Today, of course, we live in an age of hyper-connectivity. Almost all students have cell phones and computers and multiple ways of being in touch with their families — as well as other relatives and friends. Surely a multitude of benefits comes from the ability to be in touch with friends and family almost instantaneously. But surely, too, something is lost. One of the most important skills that we try to teach our students at Loomis Chaffee is self-reliance. By the time they graduate, we want our students to have enough faith in their own skills and abilities, in their values and core principles, that when they are confronted by a difficult decision — whether personal or professional — they will know what is the right thing to do. SELF-RELIANCE | continued 48

“

Photo: John Groo

By the time they graduate, we want our students to have enough faith in their own skills and abilities, in their values and core principles, that when they are confronted by a difficult decision — whether personal or professional — they will know what is the right thing to do.

”

AROUND THE QUADS

Revolution, Oil Spills, Darwinism, and More

OOMIS CHAFFEE will offer four new, interdisciplinary courses and a host of new elective courses in 2011–12 as a result of a schoolwide curriculum review that began last year.

The one-term interdisciplinary offerings will be available only to seniors and will cover such subjects as the American Industrial Revolution, the economics and statistics of human behavior, Darwinism, and the scientific and legal outcomes of oil spills. Dean of Faculty Ned Parsons says the creation of the interdisciplinary offerings grew out of the findings of Curriculum Review subcommittees on interdisciplinary teaching and learning and the 11th- and 12thgrade experience. Both subcommittees recommended providing opportunities for students “to explore subjects of interest to them in a way that expands the reach and scope of the learning,” according to Ned. The groups found that seniors especially could benefit from interdisciplinary courses as a “capstone experience.”

Another outcome of the Curriculum Review is a proliferation of electives, many of them term courses, for students in all class years. The Science Department, for instance, has broken down its full-year, regular-level Environmental Studies course into term electives in ecology, human population, water, energy, and sustainable agriculture. The department will continue to offer the year-long Advanced Placement Environmental Studies course. Astronomy, traditionally a full-year course, now will be offered in two independent parts, Astronomy I in the fall and the twoterm Astronomy II in the winter and spring. In the History Department, students still can take AP Economics, but they also will have the option of taking a term course called

Introduction to Economics and additional term electives that build on the introductory course, including Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Applied Microeconomics: Current Issues and Policies. The department also has added AP European History, a year-long course for sophomores only; a course in government and politics that will prepare students for the AP tests in U.S. Government and Politics and in Comparative Politics; the term course Culture Wars, focusing on the social history of the United States in the 20th century; and a term course on revolutionary movements around the world. The Mathematics Department has realigned some of its courses and has added a term course to its statistics offerings.

rations address one of the main goals of the Curriculum Review: “flexibility for students so that they have more opportunities to take advantage of the rich curricular offerings here.” Director of College Guidance Webster Trenchard endorses the greater flexibility. His office advises students to pursue the five main academic disciplines throughout their high school years, and now students can continue to show colleges their academic breadth while also pursing electives in their keenest interests. To see the Loomis Chaffee Course Offerings & Descriptions book, go to loomischaffee.org/magazine.

Ned says the new course configu-

The courses are optional, and administrators are waiting to see how many students sign up for each class before deciding their exact format. “We went into this saying that it might be interesting for us to offer some opportunities for kids to learn in a college-style lecture course, so we might consider that if there’s enough signup,” Ned notes. He adds that interdisciplinary learning is a growing part of secondaryschool education, and each of the courses is designed to be taught through a combination of disciplines, not in segments looking at the subject matter through singular lenses. Photo: John Groo

loomischaffee.org | 3

AROUND THE QUADS

The Intersection of Art and Science

Language Students Visit Chinatown

ORTY-NINE students in Chinese classes, accompanied by Chinese teacher Bo Zhao, traveled to Chinatown in New York City on Sunday, January 30, to see how ChineseAmericans celebrate the Lunar, or Asian, New Year, which this year fell on February 3.

Jeff Lieberman, the host of Time Warp on the Discovery Channel meets with a photography class after his convocation talk. Photo: Patricia Cousins

“T

ECHNOLOGY allows us to see the beauty of things that we can never perceive directly,” said Jeff Lieberman when he spoke at an all-school convocation on February 17. Jeff, who is the host of Time Warp on the Discovery Channel, illustrated that beauty in his talk with a series of fascinating high-speed, high-definition photos and video clips that he created for the show, capturing incredibly fast actions — such as popping bubbles and water drops hitting pools of water — which are impossible to see with the naked eye. A physicist, musician, roboticist, and artist, Mr. Lieberman’s career defies easy categorization. In all of his work, he makes connections between art and science to try to inspire wonder and to help people further their understanding of the human place in the world. When he was a child, Mr. Lieberman loved math and science and

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“played with Legos and did art,” but art and his math-science fascination remained separated. Over time, he began to realize that the two disciplines could aid each other and that a person could have “an emotional experience with science as art before you had an intellectual one.” It wasn’t until he began work on “Cyberflora,” a robotic flower garden at MIT that senses and responds to people in a lifelike manner, that those two worlds began to come together for him. He continued to explore the intersections of art and science through “Absolut Quartet,” an unusual music-making machine, and other projects. In addition to speaking at the convocation, Mr. Lieberman visited a photography class and a physics class. When asked for feedback on some of the student photography he saw, Mr. Lieberman’s advice was: “more. Show me more. Keep trying things. Keep pushing.” He also warned the students not to

let the technology always drive the artistic process. During his visit to an advanced physics class, he shared some footage from Time Warp involving electricity and circuits, topics that the students were exploring in class. Mr. Lieberman also stopped by the robotics lab to see the robot that the Loomis Chaffee team was building. Full of questions about the robot’s design, Mr. Lieberman told junior Jarrod Smith, one of the lead designers on the robotics team: “Your robotics skills are already 10 years ahead of mine. It’s amazing to imagine what you will be able to do in another 10 years.” Members of the Greater Hartford community had a chance to hear Mr. Lieberman’s talk at a public lecture in Gilchrist Auditorium the evening before his convocation. His visit was part of the Hubbard Speakers Series.

The “Spring Festival,” as it is known in China, is the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese calendar and the Year of the Cat in the Vietnamese calendar. The trip included a stop at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where students saw artifacts from China as well as other artworks from various parts of the world. The group then proceeded to Chinatown, where they took in the sights of many Chinese and Asian shops. Some students bought inexpensive toys while others tried their luck at the local barbershop. Each student then was instructed to taste an unfamiliar Chinese dish at one of the many restaurants in Chinatown. The bravest and boldest went as far as trying chicken feet, an East Asian delicacy. Others selected more traditional Asian fare. The trip was a fun getaway and an opportunity for the students to try out their Chinese language skills with the many native-speaking Chinese in New York City. — Senior V.P. Dao

Near the Sikandra Mosque in Agra, some Indian women asked to have their photograph taken with the group of Loomis Chaffee students. Pictured students are freshman Keara Jenkins, sophomore Rekha Kennedy, junior Kimberly Casillas, senior Anisa Knox, junior Ellen Cui, senior Audrey Sze, sophomore Paige Kerman, senior Claire Kokoska, senior Thomas Barry, and senior Jahee Son. Photo: Betsy Tomlinson

Students Travel to India and Miami for Service Projects

HIRTY-NINE students and six faculty members devoted part of their March break to community service projects organized through Loomis Chaffee. One group ventured to India, where they helped to construct a rainwater harvesting system at a rural school. Another group traveled to Miami, where they helped build houses with Habitat for Humanity. The two-week trip to India included a week of service work at the Fabindia School, a school founded by William Bissell â&#x20AC;&#x2122;84 and his father, John, in the rural village of Bali, Rajasthan. The English-speaking school aims to provide high-quality education to young people in an area where literacy rates are very low. Nearly 600 boys and girls from villages within a 20-mile radius attend the school. The 16 Loomis Chaffee students and two faculty members on the India trip dug trenches and otherwise helped in the construction of the rainwater collection system at the school, located in a desert region of the country. They also assisted in the classroom and played at least one lively game of cricket.

During the sight-seeing portions of their trip, the group visited the Taj Mahal, went on a leopard safari, toured temples, hiked, and spent one very long day and night on a bus that took them the 365 bumpy miles from Delhi to Jodhpur. The faculty chaperones for the India trip were Director of International Students Elizabeth Tomlinson and science teacher Benjamin Norland.

The children at the Fabindia School, shown here with LC sophomore Grace Denny, welcomed the Loomis Chaffee visitors. Photo: Betsy Tomlinson

The Miami trip took 23 students and four faculty members to the Florida city for a week of community service. The hard work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day tired out the group, but they found some energy to enjoy the warm weather during their down time. The student leaders of the Habitat for Humanity Club, senior Casey Macdonald and junior Alexandra Kendall, organized the trip, and faculty members Patricia Chambers, Frederick Seebeck, Dennis Robbins, and Elizabeth Yale-Loehr chaperoned. To see more images from the March break trips, go to www. loomischaffee.org/magazine.

Outside a house they helped build in Miami, some paint-splattered members of the Loomis Chaffee Habitat for Humanity crew take a break: junior Jamil Hashmi, junior Elizabeth Schimenti, sophomore Caroline Landy, sophomore Shannon McCabe, junior Alexis Ditomassi, junior Natalie Brown, junior Elizabeth Titterton, senior Nicholas Fainlight, junior Katheryn Hewitt, junior Alexandra Kendall, senior Fred Fang, and junior Olivia Olender. Photo: Fred Seebeck

loomischaffee.org | 5

AROUND THE QUADS | THE BIG PICTURE

SNOW DIAL A record-setting 86.4 inches of snow fell on the Island this winter, delivering a fresh supply every few days and leaving little for the Rockefeller Quadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sundial to do except embrace the snow and wait for a sunny spring. Photo: senior Justin Zheng To view more campus photos from the winter, go to loomischaffee.org/magazine.

’ ʹ* aretη

AROUND THE QUADS

 For the third year in a row, the senior class achieved 100 percent participation in the Annual Fund. The Class of 2011 gave $839 and, with matching gifts from Douglas Lyons ’82, raised a total of $6,679 for the school.

Study of Arabic and Arab Culture Makes Timely Arrival on the Island the department over to a language that was playing an increasingly critical role in emerging political, economic, and social issues around the world,” Nick reflects. “Along with Chinese, Arabic is classified as a ‘critical language’ by the U.S. government, and I’m delighted that we have designed a program that offers two of these key languages. … Ultimately, our goal is effective and genuine communication that will provide better access to and understanding of the people, cultures, and regions that speak this language.” This year the department offers Arabic 1 for freshmen and sophomores, and the sequence will continue into Arabic 2 next year, thus developing the program. Arabic teacher Lucy Thiboutot helps freshman Keara Jenkins with an assignment. Photo: Patricia Cousins

S websites, newspaper headlines, and social media have reverberated with the recent revolutions in the Arab world, Loomis Chaffee students have followed these stories with especially keen attention thanks to new faculty member Lucy Thiboutot, who was hired this year to teach Arabic and Arab Culture. Lucy not only is teaching the Arabic language, but also is helping students to understand the region’s linguistic, religious, cultural, and political heritage. Drawing from her own experience of living and learning in the Arab world, she has provided perspective as popular uprisings have unfolded in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, and other countries in the Middle East this winter and spring. When protests intensified in Egypt

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in February, Lucy helped organized a student-led discussion program on campus called “What’s Going On in Egypt?” A second forum on the American intervention in Libya and the changes in Bahrain and Yemen took place on April 1 and included the firsthand perspective of a student from Bahrain. In light of recent events, Loomis Chaffee’s decision to begin offering Arabic this year seems prescient. In fact, the Modern and Classical Languages Department discussed the idea of teaching Arabic for seven or eight years before adding it to the curriculum this fall, says department head Nicholas Pukstas. “When it was clear that German would begin to sunset within the last few years, the school recognized an obvious opportunity to move that part of

Lucy, who grew up in Minnesota, came to Loomis from Damascus, Syria, where she completed a U.S. Department of Education fellowship program in advanced Arabic. Her in-depth study of Arabic and Arab culture began at Williams College when she heeded an advisor’s suggestion to take a class on the Arab novel in translation. After learning Arabic in an independent study in college, she headed to Lebanon and taught for two years at the American School in Beirut. She then earned a master’s degree in Arab Studies from Georgetown University before heading to Syria for the fellowship. “My goal always was to teach Arabic and Arab culture,” Lucy says, “and I am very happy to be able to teach at a school like Loomis Chaffee, which has been so encouraging in my teaching of Arabic.”

 Students representing Loomis Chaffee at this year’s All-Connecticut Music Festival in April in Hartford included six violinists, a double bassist, and a mallet percussionist.  Five seniors were named National Merit Finalists for 2011. Cecelia Coffey, Erin Cohn, Charles Dorison, George Jiang, Maria Pylypiv, and Justin Zheng earned the honor through their performances on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test and their high academic standing.  Team HAX, the Loomis Chaffee robotics squad, topped 20 teams from high schools around New England in a FIRST Tech Challenge regional qualifier in February in North Andover, Massachusetts. With the victory, Team HAX qualified for the Massachusetts Championship on March 12, where the team and its robot advanced to the semifinals. The team was a finalist in the Connecticut Championship on March 7 and won the Innovate Award for unique and successful design.  In the Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards Show this winter, the art work of four LC students won awards, including a Gold Key Award for a sculpture by junior Hayley Root.  A large delegation of Loomis Chaffee students participated in the 37th Yale Model United Nations in January. The conference draws 1,300 students from around the world. At the closing ceremonies, five members of the Loomis delegation received honors for their diplomatic work.

* areté: Greek for “excellence of any kind”

AROUND THE QUADS

Boy-Oh-Boy Friend

HARLESTON-ING chaps and beach bunnies filled the Norris Ely Orchard Theater’s stage in February as the winter musical The Boy Friend took over the Island’s cozy theater. From dancing by the sea to highkicking at a masquerade ball, the NEO’s production of Sandy

Photo: Wayne Dombkowski

Wilson’s musical set in the Roaring 1920s had the campus tapping its collective toes. The cast and crew of student thespians, directed by theater teacher Neil Chaudhary ’05 and aided by a team of experienced professionals, prepared for the show for three months. A parody of 1920s musicals, the

show was filled with pokes at traditional musical theater. “The actors are really funny and creative,” noted choreographer and dance teacher Katharine Loughlin just before opening night. “They seem to make new ‘discoveries’ of their characters each night, which really brings

the show to life and keeps it from getting stale. I’m very proud of them.” To view more photos of The Boy Friend, go to loomischaffee.org/ magazine. — Senior Jacqueline Mishol

“Man in the Middle” Talks to Students About Identity

EST-SELLING author, psychologist, and former NBA player John Amaechi called on his personal experiences to convey the value and power of words this winter at a convocation during the school’s annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Drawing from his youth, growing up mixed race and 11 inches taller and quite a bit heavier than his teachers, and his adult experience of being openly gay in the NBA, Mr. Amaechi rooted his discussion in personal events surrounding identity, self esteem, and principle. Mr. Amaechi pressed students to “choose and use” their words wisely, cautioning that, “tiny interactions can shape the way people think and feel and can change the course of people’s lives.” After retiring from basketball — he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, and Utah Jazz — Mr. Amaechi pursued a doctorate in psychology, co-authoring a paper on self-esteem, goal setting, and personality. Published in 2007, Man in the Middle chronicles his life and work and provides distinct

lessons for anyone who has ever been told he or she wasn’t capable of doing great things. He shared several lessons with his Loomis Chaffee audience, including one from his adolescence at a preparatory school he described as, “like Hogwarts, without the magic.” His peers at the school and one teacher in particular tormented him about his size. The wounds of adolescence have never quite healed for Mr. Amaechi, he said, noting, “The way you talk to each other and interact with one another is like footprints in wet cement.” To truly honor Martin Luther King, according to Mr. Amaechi, one must first be a “full-time person of principle … never stepping cruelly in other people’s wet cement.” He asked students to understand that they are likely to go on to shape the politics and culture of their world, as many LC alumni do. “You have more responsibility because you have more power,” he said. “Embrace the power you have, and embrace the responsibility.”

John Amaechi

loomischaffee.org | 9

AROUND THE QUADS

May We Interest You in Some Gel Electrophoresis?

OR the second year in a row, science teachers Simon Holdaway and Scott MacClintic ’82 presented a hands-on workshop on biotechnology instruction and lab techniques for public and private school teachers during the Head’s Holiday Weekend. Twenty-four teachers attended the daylong course at the Clark Center for Science & Mathematics. The workshop included discussion of the biotechnology methods that research scientists use and participation in laboratories demonstrating those methods. Simon and Scott,

who have taught microbiology since 1993, developed the workshop to share their combined experience with other teachers. Their goal, Simon said, is “transforming the teaching of biotechnology.” The prevailing teaching methods — and many of the textbooks — for molecular biology differ greatly from current research methods, Simon said, and he emphasized the importance of teaching students lab techniques that they will use in college and beyond. Hands-on labs during the workshop included “TURBO Transforma-

tions,” “G-Bioscience Competent Cell Prep, Plasmid Mini-Pres,” and “Plasmid DNA gel electrophoresis.” Several LC biology students and recent alumni assisted the teachers in their labs. Helpers included juniors Krishna Ragunathan, Erin Currey, Abigail Adams, and Alexander Lafrance; Neil Chaudhary ’05, who is an LC theater teacher; and Margaret “Peggy” Bermel ’09, a biology major at Columbia University. In addition to learning new ways to teach using biotechnology, the conference attendees headed back to their schools with bacterial colonies

that their own classes could use as well as links to several websites that could help them to save money and time for their schools and students. “We want to encourage you to become self-sufficient so you don’t have to spend money on expensive kits, and to learn the shortcuts to help you create fun and interesting labs,” Simon said in closing the conference. “We want you to leave today with the feeling of ‘Wow! I can’t wait to try this with my own students.’”

Advanced Genetics Class Designs Own Syllabus

to select the topics, which will be the basis of the next unit. I imagine one- to two-week chunks of material over the course of the term.

ENETICS students will decide the direction of their study in the advanced biology class taught this spring by Scott MacClintic ’82, science teacher and director of the Loomis Chaffee Center for Excellence in Teaching. In a conversation with Loomis Chaffee Magazine, Scott discussed his plans to experiment with the course design as well as his thoughts on some likely topics of study. Q: The students taking this course will have more decision-making power with regard to topics studied and discussed than in most other classes on campus. How will this student-led pedagogy take shape, and what do you hope will come out of it? A: Self-determination, choice, and relevance are huge factors that help to motivate people to learn something new. There are a number of topics related to genetics that are incredibly interesting and could be included in a one-term course, so why not let the students decide what topics we pursue?

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Q: What do you look forward to most about teaching this class? A: I am eager to see how this model of course design will work out. I teach kids, not courses, so it does not matter what course it is; the joy is the interaction with the kids as they grow and develop as learners. Scott MacClintic ’82 helps senior Mary Cornelia “Nell” Pinkston analyze lab results. Photo: Patricia Cousins

I plan on posting “teaser” articles or news stories that touch on a wide range of topics in genetics and asking the students to look through them and see what piques their interest. There are so many personal connections that can be made with genetics that it is not hard to find a topic that is of particular interest. The kids will have to lobby their peers for the topics they want to pursue and make their case to the class. I will use some kind of yet-to-be-determined way

Q: This course studies the recent advances in genetics. Will it cover any political and/or ethical implications? A: I imagine the kids will be interested in the topics that involve political and/or ethical components; so, yes, we will go there. We will, of course, look at the issues as students of science. I hope a few of the kids have taken Moral Development or Ethics [courses taught in the Philosophy, Psychology and Religion Department] so that they can see the crossover.

Q: The genomic revolution is one of the biggest issues of the century and is just in its infancy. In what ways do you think we should be cautious? Jubilant? A: We need to be cautious that the research does not outpace the discussion of the ELSI issues — the ethical, legal, and social implications of the work and knowledge. We also need to be cautious of overhype when it comes to new “discoveries.” Good science takes time to make it from the lab bench to the pharmacy shelves, so to speak. How could any biologist not be excited about the wealth of information we are learning in such a short period of time? It was only in 1953 that we even figured out the structure of DNA, and now only a little more than 50 years later, we are talking about the ability to sequence an individual person’s entire genome and use the information to make medical decisions.

AROUND THE QUADS | ISLAND ARRAY

Winter happenings, night and day, inside and outside, at Loomis Chaffee INSIDE

Young Alumni Brunch: Sharene Hawthorne-René ’10, Talia Angelitti ’10, Morgan Lee ’11, Elisabeth Day ’10

Senior Elise Petracca posts a praiseful note on the Kindness Club’s Compliment Day. Dance students perform for Martin Luther King celebration.

Seniors David Fischer and V.P. Dao enjoy Games Night.

Faculty member and magician Barry Moran performs at the Warham Coffee House.

Visiting Artist David Love works on monoprints during his residency.

Fac brats Quincy Williams, Erin Howe, and Molly Forrester build a robot in a program partnering with LC robotics team members.

Swim team member Hannah Shushtari shows spirit before the Pelicans face the Suffield Tigers.

“Mac Music 2010,” photograph at art opening for Keith Johnson show at the Richmond Art Center

DAY

College fair in the Olcott Center

Snow removal, with help from a crane, on the roof of the Athletics Center

Cold temperatures and falling snow surround Evelyn Longman Batchelder’s “Youth Eternal Fountain” outside the RAC.

NIGHT

Lindsey MacDonald and Bronwen Gregg deliver Senior Kisses to Doron Shapir.

Students snowshoe on the dusky Meadows.

Winterfest it was!

Light writing photo assignment “Snowbathing” Amy Ward in Rockefeller Quad

The snow got thigh deep this winter.

Photos: senior Run Banlengchit, Patricia Cousins, senior Alexandra Crerend, Mary Coleman Forrester, junior Jay Kim, Alexandra Muchura, Jeuley Ortengren, Elizabeth Tomlinson, senior Matthew Weicker, James Yocius, senior Justin Zheng

OUTSIDE loomischaffee.org | 11

AROUND THE QUADS

Wisenheimer Alumnus Addresses LC Debate Tournament

ORE than 150 debaters from 14 schools competed at the 29th Annual Loomis Chaffee School Debate Tournament this winter, and during the tallying of scores, debaters enjoyed a lively discussion with writer and former LC debater Mark Oppenheimer ’92, author of the recent book Wisenheimer: A Childhood Subject to Debate.

The tournament format consisted of three rounds of debate in both the novice and advanced divisions on the resolution: “Resolved that the federal government of the United States of America should develop and institute policies to reduce the domestic production and consumption of meat.” Over the course of the day, each two-person team debated on both sides of the resolution. Loomis Chaffee’s debaters placed second overall in the tournament, based on the combined 10-2 record of the school’s top advanced and novice teams. “I think our debates went pretty well,” said senior Ye Dam Lee on her team’s performance. “Because we prepared for affirmative more, negative was harder.” For freshman Leah Ruben, cross examination was the most challenging aspect of the tournament. “You really don’t know

Loomis Chaffee debaters gather in Founders Chapel at the end of the tournament: freshman Sophia Dong, junior Alexander LaFrance, freshman Leah Rubin, junior Krishna Ragunathan, Mark Oppenheimer ’92, junior Isaac KornblattStier, faculty advisor Curt Robison, senior Anisa Knox, junior Paul Han, senior Ye Dam Lee, junior Kelvin Gonzalez, senior Justin Zheng, senior Levi Shaw-Faber, freshman Quinn Schoen, and freshman Seyun Kim. Photo: Jeuley Ortengren

what they’re going to ask you,” she commented. “You’re not as prepared as you are for the rest of the debate.” Mark spoke to the assembled students and judges in Founders Chapel after the final competitive debates and before the exhibition round. A successful debater as a Loomis Chaffee student and later as a Yale undergraduate, Mark took his audience back to a time not so long ago — the 1990s — when researching for debates involved intensive study in the library, writing letters to state senators and anyone else who could help, and using the postal service for research correspondence. The Internet was not available as a source of information, and people did not have email, cell phones, and smart phones for communicating and researching. During the question-andanswer session, Mark was asked about the key to his success as a debater. “I was never nervous,”

he replied. “I didn’t care if I failed. For me, I loved debate, irrespective of if I won.” Mark also read passages from Wisenheimer, which chronicles the significance of debate in his youth and the role it played in helping to shape his identity as he transformed from precocious, verbal smart aleck to committed debater. He dedicated the book to Loomis Chaffee teacher and debate coach, then and now, Curtis Robison. Mark, who earned a doctorate in religious studies from Yale, has written several books, and he writes for The New York Times Magazine, Slate, Mother Jones, Tablet, The Forward, and other publications. He is an editor of The New Haven Review and an occasional commentator on NPR, and he launched a new radio program on literature for WNPR, Connecticut’s NPR station, in February. Mark also lectures in the English and Political Science departments at Yale.

Endowment’s Return on Investment Tops Ranking

HE Loomis Chaffee endowment ranked No. 1 in overall return on investment among all 40 independent schools in the Association of Business Officers of Preparatory Schools during the three-year, four-year, and five-year periods analyzed most recently by the association.

As of June 30, 2010, the school’s endowment stood at $178.3 million, which ranked 10th in size out

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of the member schools. The association evaluated the performance of each school’s endowment based on the return on investment over several time spans. Over the three years, four years, and five years ending on June 30 of last year, Loomis Chaffee had the best return. Over two-year and one-year spans, the endowment’s return on investment ranked seventh out of the 40 schools’ endowments.

Nathan Follansbee, associate head of school for external relations, lauded the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees for its excellent management of the endowment investments. “When you look back at the last five years and what’s happened not only with the domestic economy, but also with the world economy, what our Investment Committee has done is really remarkable,” Nat says.

Photo: Robert Benson

AROUND THE QUADS | OF NOTE | FACULTY & STAFF

 Four members of Loomis Chaffee’s development team presented at the 2011 conference of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education/National Association of Independent Schools. With more than 1,000 attendees, the event is the largest annual conference for independent school advancement professionals. Associate Head for External Relations Nathan Follansbee chaired the two-day preconference forum, Applied Advancement: An Intense Course for Newcomers, during which experienced advancement professionals discussed critical facets of fundraising, communications, and constituent relations for those new to the field. During the conference, Director of Development Timothy Struthers ’85 and Director of Alumni & Parent Relations Thomas Southworth, alongside boarding school education consultant Rich Sherwood, spoke about the challenges and opportunities of international fundraising in an independent school environment. And Director of Development Operations Lisa Salinetti Ross teamed up with a colleague from Concord Academy to share experiences on the topic of Annual Fund challenge gifts. The conference took place in Chicago in January.

Jessica Fenner has joined the Office of Alumni/Development as the associate director of the Annual Fund/associate director of reunion giving. A graduate of Wilbraham & Monson Academy, Jessica most recently served as the deputy finance director for Congressman Chris Murphy, where she helped to facilitate a $3 million fundraising effort for the Connecticut congressman’s successful 2010 campaign. Jessica also serves as the board president of the Connecticut chapter of the National Organization for Women.

Jessica earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Connecticut. A native of Windsor, she lives in Farmington.  Director of Public Information Mary Forrester presented at a National Association of Independent Schools conference in Inner Harbor, Maryland, in February. Mary, who is also the school’s webmaster, contributed her expertise to a session titled “Next Generation Websites: Where Form Meets Function.”  Kelly Hasenbalg joined the Loomis Chaffee community this winter as human resources director, a new position on the faculty. Kelly previously worked in human resources at Avon Old Farms School, and her career has included social work with abused and neglected children and recruiting. She says relationship-building is her favorite part of human resources work. “HR isn’t just about policies; it’s about people. That’s why I love and chose this career,” she comments. A native of Woodbridge, Connecticut, Kelly earned a bachelor’s degree from Worcester Assumption College and a master’s degree in social work from Boston College. She and her husband have two preteen daughters, Samantha and Meagan.  English teacher Laura Richards Milligan ’99 and her husband, dorm faculty and coach Chris Milligan, welcomed their first child, Oliver, into the world on December 28, 2010.  Physical Plant employees Thomas Raupach and Robert Wheaton retired in February. Tom concluded 22 years of work on the Island and celebrated with several weeks of vacation in Florida with his wife. Bob, who worked at Loomis Chaffee for 11 years, plans to spend retirement time in Aruba, where he and his wife have a timeshare.

“

HR isn’t just about policies; it’s about people. That’s why I love and chose this career.

”

— Kelly Hasenbalg Human Resources Director  Gregory Walters joined the faculty this winter as the new director of the Physical Plant. Greg, a mechanical engineer who graduated from Union College, served in the Navy for 11 years and was stationed on the submarines USS Hartford out of Groton, Connecticut, and USS San Francisco out of Seattle, Washington, and Guam. After leaving the Navy in 2008, he worked for Westar Energy in Kansas as a plant support engineer at the company’s natural gas and coal power plants, but he wanted to return to the school environment he knew from his youth. Greg attended Sewickley Academy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and both of his parents worked at the academy. The Physical Plant director position at Loomis Chaffee was an ideal opportunity, he says, and he is glad the school saw the value of his experience and skills. Greg is waiting for his house in Kansas to sell before buying a home in town; so for now, he and his German shorthaired pointer, Heidi, live in an apartment a few miles from campus.  Former faculty member Gregory Buckles, director of admissions at Middlebury College, visited the Island in February as a panelist for a

college program for parents of Loomis Chaffee juniors. Before joining Middlebury in 2008, Greg worked in admissions at Kenyon College for seven years. Greg taught English at Loomis from 1984 to 1989. His wife, former LC teacher Liz Honea Buckles, teaches English at Hotchkiss, and the couple has four children.  Former faculty member David Goff teaches French at the Belmont Hill School in Belmont, Massachusetts, where he also coaches tennis and skiing and works as an advisor to the school newspaper. He leads summer trips to France for students. “I miss LC’s frozen yogurt machine in the dining hall,” he writes. David and Jessica McGovern were married in March, and a number of Loomis people attended the ceremony.  Former art faculty members Walter and Marilyn Rabetz recently formed their own publishing company called QTR Publications using createspace.com, and they already have published a number of books. Their interest in self-publishing, along with their most recent book of glass-plate studio photographs by Nantucket photographer Josiah Freeman, was featured in an article on the Huffington Post Book Page titled “Stop Kvetching. SelfPublishing Is Here To Stay — And Vaulting Ahead” (March 3, 2011). Walter and Marilyn also offer design and editorial services to others who are interested in publishing books at qtrpublications@gmail.com.  Former faculty member Ludy Söderman is director of the Multilingual Family Support Office for the school district of Philadelphia. She married Paul Spencer on December 11, and they live with her sons Yilmaz, 19, and Nazim, 18. Several former faculty members and LC alumni attended the wedding. loomischaffee.org | 13

AROUND THE QUADS | ATHLETICS | BY BOB HOWE ’80

Selfless Play of All, Game-Changing Play of a Few

ood teams are made up of unselfish role players, and teams come together when their members accept and embrace their roles. At the same time, successful teams rely on a few dominant players who greatly influence the character and unity of the team. These two aspects of good teams, the selfless play of all and the game-changing play of a few, may seem like opposing qualities, but good teams led by thoughtful coaches understand that combining the two aspects can bring great success. Many of our Loomis Chaffee teams demonstrate this ability to unite individuals and excel as a whole. And many exceptional and unselfish student athletes played on our teams this winter, but none stand out more than Samantha Pierce, Stephen Michalek, Alexandra Stevenson, and Caleb Harris. The accomplishments and recognition that these four students earned, coupled with their sense of team and commitment to others throughout their winter season, are remarkable. Samantha is a junior, and already her accomplishments in the pool are legendary on the Island. This winter at the New England Championships, Samantha won gold in both the 100- and 200-yard freestyle, helped two relay teams to topfive finishes, and received the Grace Robertson Award for most outstanding competitor. This is the third year in a row that Samantha has won the 200 freestyle title at New Englands. As a sophomore, she also won the 100 butterfly. In 2010 Samantha earned All-America

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status in the 200 freestyle, and her time in that event this year earned her All-America consideration again. Head girls swimming coach Robert Deconinck says Sam is one of the hardest workers on the team. She leads by example with a work ethic that matches her successes in the pool. And with a year still to go, Samantha already holds 12 individual and relay school records. Senior Alexandra Stevenson

Junior Samantha Pierce

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Senior Caleb Harris

Senior Stephen Michalek

These four outstanding student athletes provided leadership and commitment to their teams this winter.

”

Steve, a senior, has been the goalie for the Pelican boys varsity hockey team for the past three years. Although the hockey team has not produced the winning records that some of the other teams at Loomis have enjoyed, Steve has played incredible hockey and has kept his team competitive. This winter Steve played in 1,203 minutes and gave up only 91 goals. He recorded more than 1,028 saves, the most of any goaltender in the New England Prep School Ice Hockey Association. He finished the season with a .918 save average, and the coaches association elected Steve to the first team All-New England. As his coach, I was most impressed by Steve’s ability to remain mentally strong and produce at a high level game in and game out. This extraordinary athlete has had a remarkable year. As a member of the U.S. Under-18 Select Team, Steve played in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial World Tournament, held in Breclav, Czech Republic, in August 2010. In the final preliminary-round game, Steve started in goal for Team USA. The team won the game 5-2, and Steve was selected as the U.S.

player of the game. In the medal round, Steve helped Team USA to defeat Team Sweden in the semifinal, and he started in goal in the final against Canada, stopping 23 of the 24 shots he faced. (Canada won the game 1-0, and Team USA earned silver.) After graduating this spring, Steve will play for Harvard University next year. Alexandra also is a first team All-New England selection, and she too will head off to play Division 1 college hockey, at Holy Cross, after graduating this spring. Alexandra has been blessed with athletic ability, but in her two years at Loomis Chaffee, she has demonstrated much more than pure talent. She has been the backbone of the Pelican girls hockey program. She led the team into the post-season for both of the last two years, and her coaches, Elizabeth Yale-Loehr and Charles “Chuck” Vernon, describe her as the ultimate team member. She never complains, works harder than most players every day, and challenges herself and her teammates at every opportunity. Alexandra does not have imposing size, but she plays big. She comes out at the last minute to cut down angles and can recover back to the crease because of her excellent skating skills. Her athleticism, her coaches say, far exceeds that of other goalies they see. Along with talent, hard work and consistency have been the ingredients for success for this athlete, and she loves the game enough to be the first one on the ice and the last one to leave. Caleb finished an extraordinary

wrestling career at Loomis this winter by placing fourth at the nationals, held at Lehigh University. Caleb thus became only the ninth New England prep school wrestler since 1930 to be a three-time All-American. He joins a prestigious list of high school wrestlers that includes Michael Powers ’06, who won the All-America honor four times. “Caleb gets the most out of everything he commits himself to,” writes Andrew Hutchinson, one of Caleb’s coaches this winter. “He represents himself, his family, his team, and the school exceptionally well in all that he does.” Wrestling all season in the 215-pound weight class, Caleb won individual titles at the Canterbury Invitational, the Loomis Chaffee Duals, the Class A Championships, and the New England Championships. Despite all his successes, Caleb went about his business on campus this winter as though nothing had happened. He never voluntarily talked about himself, but he would recount in lengthy detail how six or seven other members of his team had fared in a match. A fierce competitor and loyal teammate, this young man is a great example of excellence in Loomis Chaffee’s programs. Caleb will head to Colby College in the fall and plans on playing football for the White Mules. These four outstanding student athletes provided leadership and commitment to their teams this winter. They possess great skill in their individual sports for certain, but even more impressive are their strength of character and willingness to put team first. ©

SPORT

RECORD

Boys Basketball 11-10 Girls Basketball 14-6 Boys Hockey 3-20-2 Girls Hockey 15-9 Boys Squash 11-5 Girls Squash 7-11 Boys Swimming 2-8 & Diving Girls Swimming 6-4 & Diving Wrestling 12-5 Skiing 7-4

ACCOLADES New England Class A Quarterfinalist New England Class A Quarterfinalist New England Division 1 Quarterfinalist 5th at New Englands

Founders League Champion 5th at New Englands 4th at Class A New England Tournament 3rd at Canterbury Invitational 3rd at LC Duals 9th in New England Class A 2nd in Berkshire Ski League Giant Slalom 4th in Berkshire Ski League Slalom

Senior Jared Roberts

Sophomore Theodora Cohen Photos: Tom Honan

Junior Cris Margaret Frias

loomischaffee.org | 15

AROUND THE WRITE THE STUFF QUADS | BY JAMES RUGEN ’70

Featured Author: Dana Reinhardt ’89

N her five novels to date, Dana Reinhardt ’89 displays compelling narrative tension, dialogue that rings true, and a deep understanding of adolescents. She writes for and about teens, but the power, depth, and truth of her work remind us that good Young Adult fiction offers rewards for older readers as well. Dana’s first novel, A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life (2006), was a finalist in the Young Adult Fiction category of the Cybils Awards. Simone, 16 and adopted, narrates the moving story of how her life changes after meeting her birth mother. In Dana’s second novel, Harmless (2007), best friends Emma, Anna, and Mariah experience the destructive consequences of deceit. In How to Build a House (2008), Harper, the Californian protagonist and narrator, grows in understanding and experience through her volunteer work in Tennessee, building a house for a needy family in the aftermath of a destructive tornado.

In her next novel, The Things a Brother Knows (2010), Dana presents a riveting story through the voice of a teenaged boy, Levi Katznelson, whose older brother, Boaz, returns from combat in the Middle East, reclusive and barely functional. Levi tries to make sense of new realities, and the novel concludes with a walking journey the brothers take toward a mysterious destination known only to Boaz. This poignant novel has been highly honored: the American Library Association Top Ten Best Fiction for Teens list; the Sydney Taylor Book Award, presented by the Ameri16 |

can Jewish Library Association; Kirkus 2010 Best Books for Teens; School Library Journal 2010 Best Books of the Year; Booklist Children’s Editors’ Choice; and National Public Radio’s choice as one of the five best teen books of the year.

“

Photo: Chelsea Hadley

When you start reading a Dana Reinhardt book, it’s like discovering a new friend. By the time you’ve turned the final page it’s like saying goodbye to your best friend, and I can think of nothing better to ask of a writer.

”

— Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief

Dana says that of all possible genres, Young Adult fiction is what comes most naturally to her. “I spent four years at Loomis Chaffee, the same four years I tend to write about in my novels, so that’s the material I have to draw on. Though I haven’t written anything yet that’s truly autobiographical, the emotional reality of adolescence — the confusion, the isolation, and also the excitement that comes with new discoveries — all of that stuff that I went through is in the books I write. “I have a book coming out in July called The Summer I Learned to Fly. It’s about a girl who hangs out at her mom’s cheese store and the boy who collects the day-old bread from the alley, and what happens when they find each other. It’s about taking risks, embracing life, and searching for miracles. “Teen readers can smell inauthenticity a mile away, and once they do, they’re likely to give up on the book altogether. So it’s a challenge to make sure you know the right details about things like clothing and music and language — but I believe the emotional truths are universal and haven’t changed since I was a teenager. The most difficult part of it all for me is how to handle technology. When I was in high school, we didn’t

have cell phones or email or texting, any of the vast array of ways kids disseminate information. There were still secrets and mysteries. This endless interconnectedness really does change storytelling.” A native of California, Dana is a graduate of Vassar College. She attended N.Y.U. Law School and has worked with adolescents in foster care, as a magazine factchecker, and as a documentary film researcher. She lives with her husband and two daughters in the Bay Area. Dana adds: “I certainly owe a debt of gratitude to the wonderful English teachers I had at Loomis Chaffee and at Vassar for helping shape the writer I would become.” Dana’s growing readership eagerly awaits her next venture. ©

AROUND THE QUADS

Books by Alumni Authors Recently Published or Recently Added to the School’s Master List For a full list of books by Loomis Chaffee authors, go to loomischaffee.org/magazine. Alumni may send additions and corrections to magazine@loomis.org.

Miriam Brooks Butterworth ’36 Just Say Yes William J. Gehron ’43 Ramble: A Memoir John Foster ’51 Chuckles — Verses to a-Muse Jim Loomis ’54 All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide (third edition) Myra Yellin Outwater ’60 (with Eric Outwater) Advertising Dolls Allentown Remembered Antique Garden Tools and Accessories Cast Iron Automotive Toys Florida Kitsch Floridiana Garden Ornaments and Antiques Judaica Ocean Liner Collectibles Susan Sobuta McMurry ’60 Study Guide and Student Solutions Manual for McMurry’s Organic Chemistry (seventh edition) David L. Celio ’61 Twelve Principles of Effective Parenting: Surviving the Tween Years Owen Nee ’61 The Phoenix is a Strange Bird Ralph Sawyer ’63 Ancient Chinese Warfare

Sajed Kamal ’65 The Renewable Revolution: How We Can Fight Climate Change, Prevent Energy Wars, Revitalize the Economy and Transition to a Sustainable Future Richard Rapaport ’70 (with John Lund Kriken and Philip Enquist) City Building: Nine Planning Principles for the Twenty-First Century

DeDe Lahman ’89 (with Neil Kleinberg) Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook: Breakfast, Brunch, & Beyond at New York’s Favorite Neighborhood Restaurant Kita Helmetag Murdock ’92 Francie’s Fortune Chris Schonberger ’02 and Tory Hoen ’02 (with Stuart Schultz) Gradspot.com’s Guide to Life After College Samuel Amadon ’98 Like a Sea

Sarah Shea Smith ’74 They Sawed Up a Storm: The Women’s Sawmill at Turkey Pond, New Hampshire, 1942 David Pratt ’76 Bob the Book Geoffrey Wawro ’78 Quicksand: America’s Pursuit of Power in the Middle East William Nanda Bissell ’84 Making India Work Terry Jacobs Walters ’84 Clean Start: Inspiring You to Eat Clean and Live Well with 100 New Clean Food Recipes Stacey L. Katz ’81 (with Carl S. Blyth) Teaching French Grammar in Context: Theory and Practice Cathryn J. Prince ’87 A Professor, a President, and a Meteor: The Birth of American Science

loomischaffee.org | 17

Financial Foursome Former faculty member James “Grim” Wilson moderates the panel discussion among Robert Kaiser ’60, Henry Kravis ’63, Diana Farrell ’83, and Harry Broadman ’73. Photo: Lisa Berg

Expert Panel of Alumni Considers Wall Street’s Future By Alison E. Hard ’08

HAT is the relevance of Wall Street today? That was the topic of an economics forum hosted by Henry Kravis ’63 and moderated by former faculty member James “Grim” Wilson in New York City on February 15. About 100 Loomis Chaffee alumni who work in the field of economics came together in the elegant but intimate Peterson Hall in The Harold Pratt House on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. On stage was an expert panel of LC graduates: Henry, co-founder, cochairman, and co-CEO of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Company; Robert Kaiser ’60, senior editor of The Washington Post; Diana Farrell ’83, former deputy director of the National Economic Council; and Harry Broadman ’73, senior vice president of Albright Stonebridge Group and chief economist of Albright Capital Management.

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After welcoming remarks from Head of School Sheila Culbert and panelist introductions, Grim kicked off the discussion by evoking the Federalist Papers and the civility of political debate in that time period. “What a rare treat it is to talk about weighty issues in an objective way and focus on the issues and not the personalities,” he said. With that, he presented the question of the evening: Has Wall Street lost its relevance? He explained that he chose this topic in consideration of four factors: the increasing globalization of all markets; the recent financial meltdown; the apparent or perceived change in behavior in financial firms, including more lending and more trading; and the growing disconnect between Main Street and Wall Street. Although the speakers offered different perspectives on the cause of the financial crisis and where the United States can go from here, panelists agreed on this point: Wall Street is absolutely still relevant. “Wall Street’s relevance has never been greater or more important, but its credibility has never been lower,” Diana said. In her view, the crisis is the responsibility not only of Wall Street, but also of the government. “The Federal Reserve was asleep at the switch,” she said, and she described what credit card companies were allowed to do as appalling. “There is no question we have to keep the financial system going,” said Henry, who invited audience members to consider what the United States would be like without a stock market, bonds, or 401(k) plans. Henry pointed out that the responsibility for the financial crisis extends beyond Wall Street; Congress, the Federal Reserve, rating industries, and others made bad decisions and undertook unnecessary risks. His sentiment was echoed by Bob, who blamed the financial meltdown on the human belief that somehow, just once, rules could be suspended. “All we can do is to mitigate the impact of these human mistakes,” he said. Exactly how to mitigate these mistakes — with regulation or otherwise — was a hot topic for the evening. From the panelists’ perspective, a more crucial question than Wall Street’s relevance was what should be done to move the United States forward economically. They acknowledged that

The panelists emphasized the importance of education to rebuilding the U.S. economy and moving it forward.



some financial regulation was necessary, but all four said that reform in sectors like education, immigration, taxation, and infrastructure will be indispensable to progress. They also agreed that it is unreasonable to try to create a so-called risk-free system. “Business cycles are endemic both to the United States and the world economy,” Harry commented, even though the most recent crisis was avoidable. Both Henry and Harry warned that too much regulation could stifle innovation, and they stressed how important it is for the United States to be an attractive home for new business. Diana noted a mismatch between our political system, which she called “local” and “not civic-minded,” and our globally-conscious society. “Any one senator can hold a reform bill hostage,” she said. The United States also faces the problem of growing income inequality, the panelists noted. Economists have typically dismissed this question as a moral one, Harry said, “but if you look at the data, there are significant costs to society of the dramatic increase in income inequality.” He pointed out that in 2008, the top 1 percent of Americans accounted for 80 percent of the national income growth. Henry later asserted that economic growth would help to solve much of this inequality. He cited development in China as an example, and he added that the individuals who make up the top 1 percent of Americans are changing. “Who had heard of Mark Zuckerberg 10 years ago?” he asked.

The panelists emphasized the importance of education to rebuilding the U.S. economy and moving it forward. “Education is number one, two, and three in my mind,” said Henry, who also advocated encouraging high-achieving foreign students to stay and work in the United States after graduation. Bob also pointed to problems in the American education system. When asked what he saw as the United States’ greatest obstacle to economic progress, he cited the country’s educational culture, which he said does not value education as highly as other countries, including China. Improving education in the United States is not a question of money, but rather of fixing a cultural failure, he said. Looking to the future, Harry said that emerging markets are the greatest competitive threat to firms in developed countries. Sixty percent of Gross Domestic Product growth across the globe comes from emerging markets with rising middle classes and governments that are in a better place to regulate than the United States, he said. To keep up with these markets, the United States must invest in infrastructure, which means spending $2.2 trillion to comply with recommendations from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). President Obama’s recently proposed budget of $93 billion per year for infrastructure makes up about one-fifth of the ASCE recommendation, but still will be hotly debated, Harry said. At the conclusion of the panel discussion, Henry took a moment to acknowledge his former economics teacher, a triple threat at Loomis from 1959 to 2009, in whose honor the event was held and who ably moderated the conversation. “I’m sure many of you came here because of Jim Wilson and the impact he had on you at Loomis Chaffee,” Henry said. Grim handed out Vermont maple syrup, made by a friend, to the panelists as a token of his thanks. Said Grim, “I love my new life in Vermont, but the one thing I do miss is the daily interaction in class, talking about ideas. This has been a wonderful evening for me.” © Alison Hard ’08 is a junior at Columbia University.

loomischaffee.org | 19

From the Ground

Cultivating a Sustainable Campus By Becky Purdy

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HE richest soil on Loomis Chaffeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campus occupies a 40-by40-foot plot behind the Clark Center for Science & Mathematics. Tucked away next to the Science Departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greenhouse, the plot of fertile soil pushes up bumper crops of pumpkins as well as the occasional tomato plant and bean stalk that find their way to the square of soil nirvana. Just about anything will grow there. Standing sentry between the garden plot and the greenhouse is a shed partitioned into four wooden compost bins. It is in these bins that garbage is turned to gold, or at least paydirt. Every weekday, student workers wheel a 50-gallon barrel of fruit and vegetable cuttings from the dining hall to

Senior Riker Jones wields a pitchfork to add leaves and sawdust to the compost mix in bins next to the school greenhouse. Photos: John Groo

loomischaffee.org | 21

the compost bins, where the students mix “green” food waste with “brown” wood chips, leaves, or sawdust. They follow a recipe of three parts green to one part brown. Once a week, students stir the bins with a pitchfork to allow oxygen to reach all of the material, helping it to break down faster, and eventually they work the compost into the dirt on the adjacent plot. Each spring, environmental science students plant pumpkin seedlings in the soil, and by fall, there are jack-o-lanterns aplenty for the campus — as well as seeds to plant the following spring. Some of the compost also goes into the greenhouse, where, among other things, students grow basil that they harvest weekly for the dining hall’s use. And so everything comes full circle, from food waste to compost to pumpkins and herbs and around again. The cycle is a central tenet of sustainability, and the plot of fertile soil is the flagship of Loomis Chaffee’s rapidly expanding sustainability effort. The effort draws from every constituency on campus — students and teachers, Physical Plant staff and the CFO, the food service vendor and the housekeeping crews. All have a stake in making the campus function as sustainably as possible, and interest is spreading from a core group of motivated participants to the broader school community. Backed by the school administration, the effort has gained enough momentum to warrant the appointment this year of a sustainability coordinator, science teacher Jeffrey Dyreson. 22 |

Jeff keeps track of the various initiatives and ideas for a more sustainable campus; acts as a liaison among the students, faculty, and departments working toward this aim; and keeps the efforts moving forward. Jeff’s goal is to make his position obsolete. “If the community takes ownership of [sustainability on campus], then there’s no need for a person like me,” he explains. For now, though, there are plenty of ongoing and upcoming initiatives for a sustainability coordinator to manage.

No Cold, Dark Caves The central message of the sustainability efforts on campus — and one of the reasons the efforts have gained traction — is that sustainable living enhances a community. “That’s why I do it,” Jeff says, “because I think it’ll improve my life. It’s not about sacrifice.” James Yocius, head of engineering in the Physical Plant Department and the veritable wizard of sustainability on campus, puts it this way: “Being sustainable isn’t about living cold, dark, and shivering in a cave.” It is, he says, about better using what we have. A case in point can be heard rumbling and humming deep in the Powerhouse, where the school operates its own co-generating energy system. Installed in 2004, the co-generator uses natural gas to produce electricity for all buildings on campus inside the Loop Road plus the Savage/Johnson Rink. In the process, the generator gives off heat and steam that

“

The effort draws from every constituency on campus — students and teachers, Physical Plant staff and the CFO, the food service vendor and the housekeeping crews.

”

typically would go up the Powerhouse smokestack. But most of the heat that this generator emits is recaptured and channeled into heating campus buildings. During the summer, steam from the exhaust powers the air-conditioning chiller for three of the campus’ largest buildings. “Co-gen,” as it is familiarly called, is 82 percent efficient, says Jim. That means that for every dollar of natural gas that the school uses to create electricity, the campus recoups 82 cents in additional power in the form of heat. “The school is cutting-edge in what it does for sustainability,” says Jane Phillips who teaches Advanced Placement Environmental Science. She ranks cogen as the most significant step the school has taken toward a sustainable future in the 10 years since she started teaching at Loomis. In addition to co-gen and composting, sustainability projects under way or in the planning stages include: •

Revamped lighting throughout the campus to use more energy-efficient bulbs, fixtures, and settings.

•

Testing of low-flow shower heads, with the goal of installing the fixtures throughout the campus.

•

Expanded composting to include food waste from faculty homes.

Krypton bulbs, which use 45 percent less energy than standard bulbs, illuminate Head of Engineering James Yocius amidst the lunchtime whirl in the Loomis Dining Hall. Photo: John Groo

loomischaffee.org | 23

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•

Student analysis of waste management on campus, with a proposal for a new waste management system this spring.

•

Annual energy challenge, aimed at reducing electricity use, with plans to expand the scope of the challenge next year.

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Creation of the environmental proctor position, a student leadership post for five to 10 selected students beginning next fall.

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A proposal to display live information on campus energy use in a central location.

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A proposal to install window quilts, a type of insulating shade, in windows across campus.

Using resources more efficiently, rather than suffering for the sake of saving energy, was the philosophy behind the school’s recent work to install energy-efficient lighting in all of the dormitories, classrooms, and public spaces on campus. Incandescent lights were switched to compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), and big overhead lights now use lowwattage long fluorescent bulbs. The savings was significant. In the Athletics Center, where some lights were switched to lower-wattage bulbs, others were converted to LEDs (light-emitting diodes, which are even more energy-efficient than CFLs), and some lights were connected to motion Co-generation of energy churns from the heart of the Powerhouse, where new Director of the Physical Plant Gregory Walters offers a tour. Photo: John Groo

“

Installed in 2004, the co-generator uses natural gas to produce electricity for all buildings on campus inside the Loop Road plus the Savage/ Johnson Rink.

”

sensors, the 130,000-squarefoot building went from using 362,271 kilowatt hours a year for lighting to using 133,119 kilowatt hours per year. Jim says there has not been a single complaint about the different lights. If anything, the lighting is better in the building, he asserts, and the large rafter lights in the Olcott Center’s double gym and convocation center, Erickson Gymnasium, and Hedges Pool turn on faster and create a more even light than the older fixtures did. “The point we keep trying to get across is we’ve just got to do it smarter,” he says.

Adding It Up In some cases, seemingly small changes have had a big impact. Several years ago, the school’s overhead classroom lights used 34-watt fluorescent bulbs. As technology advances to create increasingly lower-wattage bulbs, the work crews replace blown tubes with the more efficient bulbs. With the next cycle of replacements, Jim says, all the overhead lights will have 26-watt fluorescents. An eightwatt difference may not seem like much savings, but multiply that amount by the approximately 10,000 bulbs on campus, and the 80,000-watt savings takes on some import. As Jim puts it, “the onesytwosies make a difference.” And he knows. In his office, a computer monitor displays live data on energy use in almost every building on campus, and another screen tracks the total amount of energy the campus is drawing from co-gen. When students depart for March

break, the meters show that electricity use on campus is cut in half. The only change during students’ absence is that lights, stereos, computers, cell phone chargers, dorm laundry appliances, and the like remain off all day and night. These small draws on electricity — the “onesy-twosies” — add up, a point Jim impresses upon students who believe they can’t make a difference just by remembering to turn off their lights when they head out the door. Saving water, particularly hot water, is another “onesy-twosy” initiative on the Island. The Physical Plant is testing new low-flow shower heads in a couple of dorm showers and faculty houses in the hopes of identifying the best models and installing them across campus. Low-flow shower heads have existed for years, but newer versions use even less water — as little as 1.5 gallons per minute compared to 2.5 gallons per minute with the earlier versions — and reportedly deliver more comfortable showers — a pleasant, sufficiently strong spray rather than the older versions’ stinging mist or halfhearted trickle. Installing the new shower heads will save not only water, but also the oil and gas it takes to heat excess water. The composting project is another effort making a big difference in small steps, and the project continues to expand. Jeff says the composter handles 20,000 pounds of waste in the nine months of the year that it is operated, using just the prep room cuttings from the dining loomischaffee.org | 25

hall. Faculty families soon will receive five-gallon buckets that they can fill with vegetable and fruit scraps and coffee grounds from their own kitchens and drop off for composting. Jeff and others also have been working to encourage use of the compost beyond the greenhouse and adjacent plot. Faculty gardeners in the know stop by the compost bins during planting season and, with permission, cart off piles of the dirt like ’49ers secreting away their panned gold. And word is spreading word to all Loomis employees, even if they live off-campus, that the compost is available for their use at no charge. Environmental science students are working toward further improving waste management on campus. This year they are auditing the waste stream, including food waste, trash, and recycling. The goal, Jeff says, is to propose a system for managing all food waste on campus in a sustainable way. The classes aim to have a proposal ready this spring, and they have enlisted the help of Thomas Gilbert ’96, executive director of the Highfields Center for Composting in Vermont. Possible solutions include composting all food waste from the dining hall, not just the cuttings from the salad bar preparations that are composted now, or processing the food waste through a “digester,” a machine that turns organic waste into a sludge that can be used as fertilizer. Jeff says Lawrenceville Academy in New Jersey has installed a digester behind its dining hall to handle all of the school’s food waste. The LC environ26 |

mental science students also will use data they gathered on the amounts of trash and recycling the campus produces to educate the community about waste reduction and recycling. Students this year already have created two public-serviceannouncement videos on recycling and waste reduction for the town of Windsor, which plans to broadcast the videos on the local-access cable station and in other venues.

Science in Action Students take an active role in many of the sustainability projects on campus, both in their course work and in their extracurricular involvement. Sustainability figures prominently in all of the school’s environmental science curriculum. The AP course could be called “World Sustainability,” Jane says. From fishing to climate change, sustainability factors into every topic the course studies. “It is the overarching concept in everything we talk about,” she says. Environmental science classes also use the greenhouse, compost area, and garden as an outdoor laboratory. In addition to growing seedlings from last year’s pumpkins, for instance, the students this year will try cross-breeding the different pumpkin varieties that were harvested last year. A new set of environmental science electives to be offered next year will look closely at particular aspects of a sustainable existence. One of the courses, Energy and Sustainability at Loomis Chaffee, will examine the science and practicalities of reducing one’s carbon foot-

“

Faculty gardeners in the know stop by the compost bins during planting season and, with permission, cart off piles of the dirt like ’49ers secreting away their panned gold.

”

print, using efforts at the school as a focal point. The elective Sustainable Agriculture will study the science of plants; look at the biological, physical, and chemical indicators of soil quality; and investigate land use and agricultural practices historically and in today’s world. Other new environmental elective courses are to include Ecology, Human Populations and Impact, and Water: A Limited Resource. For all of these courses, the Island provides ready laboratories, from co-gen to the composter to the surrounding wetlands. The effort to conserve energy on campus unites students through the annual energy challenge. The Green Cup Challenge is an interscholastic competition aimed at reducing electricity use on high school campuses across the country. During the challenge this year, which took place from January 21 to February 18, Loomis Chaffee reduced its electricity use by 1.5 percent compared to the school’s baseline, the average electricity use during the same month in the three previous years. (This year the school’s baseline was 395,100 kilowatt hours of electricity, and the school used 389,282 kilowatt hours, a reduction of 5,818 kilowatt hours.) Loomis has participated in the Green Cup Challenge for the last six years, and since the competition measures each school’s electricity use compared to its own baseline, achieving Environmental science teacher Jane Phillips and her dog, Tenner, enjoy the campus as a venue for walks as well as the outdoor classrooms the Island provides. Photo: John Groo

loomischaffee.org | 27

Pruittiporn “Pat” Kerdchoochuen ’07 and two of her Yale University classmates help operate an organic farm and market stand in New Haven. Photo: Courtesy of Pruittiporn “Pat” Kerdchoochuen ’07

nal choice of a college but plans to focus on environmental studies or environmental science at the school he attends.

a sizeable reduction requires more concerted effort with each passing year. An Interdorm Challenge coincides with the school’s participation in the Green Cup. The dorm competition tracks electrical consumption in each of the 10 residence halls on campus, with the best-performing dorms winning cash for their dorm funds. Harman Hall won this year’s top prize for the lowest electricity use per person, and Taylor Hall captured first place for the largest per-person reduction in electricity use over the course of the five-week challenge. The contest categories were slightly different than in previous years — comparing per-person rates of electricity use and rewarding weekly progress — to allow more parity between older buildings (some dorms are nearly 100 years old) and newer ones (Harman and Kravis were built in the 1990s) as well as larger dorms (with more than 40 students) and smaller ones (with as few as 11 students). The Island’s energy challenge likely will expand next year. The Sustainability Committee, an umbrella group of administrators and department heads with the common aim of a 28 |

sustainable campus, plans to broaden the challenge to include the entire campus, not just the dormitories, and the challenge would last the full year, not just four or five weeks. The committee also plans to include the use of all energy resources, not just electricity, in measuring progress. Through the energy challenge and other initiatives, two extracurricular student groups have played particularly active roles in sustainability efforts on campus. The Darwin Club, an outdoors group, built the composter next to the greenhouse and, through many of its activities, engenders respect for the natural world, especially the back country. Founded by former faculty member Donald Joffray decades ago and now advised by Peter Gwyn, the Darwin Club builds trails; helped construct a cabin on the school’s wilderness property in Barkhamsted, Connecticut; and sponsors outings to the cabin on weekends. Seniors James Crawford and Riker Jones, members of the club throughout their years at Loomis Chaffee, found voice and direction for their environmental interests through their Darwin Club participation and,

by extension, through their involvement with the Sustainability Committee. With guidance from Jeff, James and Riker this year helped develop the new student environmental proctor positions. “E-proctors,” as they are being called, will serve as student ambassadors for sustainability on campus, helping with campus events, carrying out new initiatives, and communicating with student and community groups. E-proctors’ work program assignments will dovetail with their other responsibilities, so they will assist with recycling, the coveted — really! — trash truck work job, composting, and greenhouse and garden maintenance. Beginning in the fall, a total of five to 10 selected sophomores, juniors, and seniors will begin serving as e-proctors, and students already have shown strong interest in applying for the positions. Riker and James, who are hoping to move along several additional campus sustainability projects before they graduate, both plan to study the environment in college. James has decided to attend College of the Atlantic, a Bar Harbor, Maine, school with one major: human ecology. Riker has not made a fi-

Like the Darwin Club, the student organization Project Green has played an active role in environmental efforts on campus in recent years. Although the group’s interests encompass a broader geography, including national and international environmental causes, Project Green has worked to promote sustainability on the Island as well. Last year, then-Project Green president Olivia French ’10 helped bring environmental activist Judy Bonds to campus for a discussion of mountain-top coal mining. While that topic does not directly affect the Loomis campus, Ms. Bonds’ visit sparked thinking about environmental stewardship among school community members. In another consciousness-raising effort, Project Green launched a 350 Day event last spring, gathering bags of garbage from around campus to form the figure “350” in the middle of Grubbs Quadrangle during Earth Week. The number represents what scientists say is the highest safe level of carbon dioxide, in parts per million, in the earth’s atmosphere. The planet’s atmospheric carbon dioxide in February 2011 was 391 ppm, according to the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration.

Raising Awareness While not all students are as outdoorsy as James and Riker or as activist-minded as Olivia and Project Green members,

During a visit to campus this winter, Thomas Gilbert ’96, executive director of the Highfields Center for Composting in Vermont, talked to students and local community members about building sustainable food systems. Photo: senior Eugene Cho

for most students, concern for the environment is a fact of life. “I would say the students are coming in with more awareness than they were 10 years ago,” Jane observes. Today’s Loomis Chaffee students see things like energy-efficient bulbs as realities, not concepts, she says. After all, when today’s students were toddlers, compact fluorescent lightbulbs cost $19 apiece, but by the time these students were old enough to read price tags, the bulbs cost closer to $5 apiece. And it’s not uncommon today to find CFLs for less than $2 each. Perhaps that is why students readily embrace changes such as relighting the campus and installing low-flow shower heads. “The kids are great about it, but it’s our generation that are horrible about it,” Jim says, bringing to mind a talk he heard at a conference about environmental consciousness. The speaker advocated changing behavior at the college level because the youngest generation of adults quickly accepts a more sustainable lifestyle as the norm while their parents already are set in their ways. After hearing the talk, Jim wondered why behavior couldn’t change even earlier than college — on a boarding school campus. Raising awareness of the benefits that environmentallysensitive behavior brings to a community as well as to the planet is an important part of the Sustainability Committee’s work. Toward that end, Jeff and the committee bring a guest speaker to campus every term. Pruittiporn “Pat” Kerdchoochuen ’07, a senior at Yale and the former president of Project

Green, returned to campus this fall for a public screening of the documentary Fresh and discussion of her work in sustainability at Yale. Tom Gilbert ’96 visited during the winter term. A founding member of the Center for an Agricultural Economy in Hardwick, Vermont, Tom helps lead communities in the Hardwick area in redesigning their local food system using composting. During his visit to the Island, he worked with students, met with the Sustainability Committee, made a presentation on building sustainable food systems, and spoke at an evening meeting open to the local community. He is continuing to advise the committee as well as assisting with the environmental science students’ waste management analysis. And in April, the Alliance for Climate Education is scheduled to present an all-school convocation about climate change. Members of the Sustainability Committee also want to display energy meters for the campus in a central location. The whole community, then, could see and find motivation in the kind of real-time information that Jim Yocius sees on the monitors in his office. In the not-too-distant future, committee members also hope to see LED bulbs in all outdoor lights on campus and window quilts in most buildings. Both innovations advance the argument that sustainability can enhance people’s quality of life, their advocates say. LEDs are the next wave in energyefficient lighting, Jim notes, and because they switch on to full brightness, LEDs would work well as motion-sensored

outdoor security lights in places such as parking lots. When no one is in the parking lot, the lights could stay off, cutting down on light pollution and saving energy. LEDs would use 75 percent less electricity than the existing metal halide outdoor lights. Although not on motion senors, the outdoor lights around Founders Circle have used LEDs for the last two years as a pilot program. Window quilts, retractable shades that insulate windows from the inside, improve people’s quality of life by keeping rooms warmer in the winter while also conserving energy, Riker explains. A couple of particularly drafty dormitory rooms already use window quilts, and during the conversion of Longman Studio into Longman House dormitory last summer, the school installed the insulating shades in the building’s large windows to conserve energy and keep the rooms at a comfortable temperature. At about $50 apiece, the window quilts are a significant expense for the school, James acknowledges, but he hopes the school will invest in them, particularly for the single-paned windows of the campus’ older buildings.

Deep Roots The idea of sustainability is not brand-new to the Island. After all, cows once grazed in the Meadows, and students worked

in the barn where Chaffee Hall stands today. Hay still grows in fields at the south end of campus, providing feed for a local farmer’s cattle. The cycle of soil to crop to food to compost and around again is part of the school’s heritage. Innovative energy use also has roots on the Island. A bank of solar panels installed behind the Powerhouse in 1975 helped heat water on campus until about three years ago, when the fluid that transferred the generated heat leaked out of the system. Replacing the fluid would have cost more than $50,000, Jim says, and co-gen can fully heat the campus’ domestic hot water and pool water. The thermal solar panels preheated the water, which then needed additional power to reach full temperature. The school looked into making the panels photovoltaic, Jim says, but the angle is wrong, and more than half of the height of the bank of panels is in the flood plain, which was acceptable for the thermal panels but is not safe for solar panels that make electricity. Like the solar panels, co-gen was ahead of its time when it arrived on the Island in 2004. Edward Kirk, former head of the Physical Plant Department, was the moving force behind co-gen, Jeff says. Motivated by the two-fold aim of saving the school money and doing right by the environment, Ed and former Chief Financial Officer loomischaffee.org | 29

30 |

Christopher Wejchert founded the Sustainability Committee three years ago. The group of key players now includes Ed’s and Chris’ sustainability-minded successors, Head of Physical Plant Gregory Walters and Chief Financial Officer Richard Esposito. The future of sustainability on campus holds many possibilities as new innovations advance and more ideas emerge. Tom Gilbert, the alumnus who develops sustainable food systems, envisions a long-term future for Loomis Chaffee’s composting system that would harken back to the Island’s agricultural roots. His idea is to use egglaying chickens as the composting mechanism, Jeff explains. The chickens would eat food waste that now goes into the compost bins, and the chickens’ manure would naturally fertilize the soil. The chickens also would lay eggs that the dining hall could use to feed the school community. And the cycle would continue. There are, of course, all kinds of logistical and other questions — where? how? who? to name a few — to consider before the “layer chicken” program could move even from pie-in-the-sky dream to long-term proposal, but Tom, Jeff, and others believe the idea could work on the Island. As the campus community continues to move toward a sustainable future, the Island’s past could rise to meet it. ©

Pea seeds await germination in an environmental science classroom in the Clark Center for Science & Mathematics. Photo: John Groo

“

The cycle of soil to crop to food to compost and around again is part of the school’s heritage.

”

BOOK REVIEW The Renewable Revolution by Sajed Kamel ’65 By Jeffrey Dyreson Science teacher and sustainability coordinator

AJED KAMAL presents a comprehensive overview on renewable energy that does not disappoint in his new book The Renewable Revolution: How We Can Fight Climate Change, Prevent Energy Wars, Revitalize the Economy and Transition to a Sustainable Future (Earthscan 2011). Readable for a broad audience, it does an excellent job of introducing current technologies and techniques with an emphasis on solar energy, such as photovoltaic panels and solar ovens that can be implemented immediately. Sajed addresses the major issue of economic feasibility very well in his book and gives concrete examples of what is being done in local communities, including, for example, producing individual electricity and heat, which not only has short pay backs but also can enhance communities by providing jobs and decreasing dependence on foreign energy. He illustrates visions of the future that range from huge paradigm shifts to wind generators, from shallow- and deep-well geothermal and photovoltaic panels on varying scales to individuals taking action with their own homes anywhere in the world. He offers a message of excitement and hope that is backed by science. I enjoyed the book and Sajed’s visit last summer during Reunion 2010 Weekend, when he was a guest panelist for a climate change discussion, so much that I plan on making this book part of the required readings for the new Sustainable Energy course offered in 2011–12. I am hopeful that Sajed will return to the Island to share more of his knowledge and passion.

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OBJECT LESSONS | BY KAREN PARSONS

John Mason Loomis: A Colonel in a Kepi Hat

HE will of Mary Hunt Loomis, dated 1910, reveals possessions that she and her late husband, John Mason Loomis, had kept in their Chicago home. Among these were a collection of Civil War “army souvenirs, personal and historic” including “a cannonball that fell within a few feet of Col. Loomis and the fragments of a shell which killed a horse on which the Colonel was mounted at the battle of Missionary Ridge.” An oil portrait of Loomis wearing his Union officer’s uniform hung in the home’s front hall, and a large framed photograph of the colonel was displayed in the library. This image, almost four feet tall and three feet wide, was taken between 1886 and 1900 by well-known Chicago studio photographer William Louis Koehne and shows Loomis in his military dress overcoat and, curiously, wearing a kepi hat, the flat, slouching cap issued to enlisted Union Army infantry men. John Mason Loomis was the youngest and perhaps most adventurous of the Loomis siblings. As a young man he sailed with the merchant trade to China. In the mid-1840s he moved west, settling in Chicago. Early battles of the American Civil War inspired John, now 36, married, and well established in business, to raise a regiment for the Union army. The 26th Illinois Volunteer Infantry was mustered into service in August of 1861 with Loomis as its colonel. Regiment histories note that he expected much of these men — “unyielding in his requirement of honest 32 |

and faithful service” — and earned both the respect and affection of soldiers who “honored him and loved him as a father and trusted leader.” He resigned almost three years later having “greatly overtaxed his powers of endurance.” He had led his men in 57 skirmishes and battles and had marched 6,931 miles with them. The 26th participated in decisive campaigns, including the late November 1863 battle at Missionary Ridge, Tennessee. The Union Army moved to take this strategic elevated location, and although the northern forces eventually prevailed, fighting was sometimes grueling. Loomis’ regiment found itself surrounded by intense artillery fire when it emerged into a valley with no protective cover. Years later General Roger Q. Mills, a Confederate officer at Missionary Ridge, recalled: “[A] Federal brigade came through the woods and out into the open field. There the troops re-formed their lines. The officer in command was perfectly cool. He took his time, and the troops formed as if they were on dress parade. They were within easy range and we fired into them. They broke and went back into the woods. In a few minutes they came back and formed again in the same deliberate way. When the officer in command had got them formed to suit him, he made them lie down, while he rode up and down the front, as if waiting for orders.” Mills’ commanding officer ordered his men to stop shooting, saying that it was “murder”

A 19th-century photograph of Colonel John Mason Loomis. Photo: William Louis Koehne

to continue firing on soldiers in such vulnerable positions. More privately, Mills and others believed that the order came out of respect for the bravery that Loomis and his men displayed under such desperate conditions. In early December of that year, Mary received a letter from John. He wrote, “my dear wife, The battle is over, we have whipped & driven the rebels off Missionary Ridge. … My Brigade lost 450 — behaved with great gallantry. I am safe & well. … I am writing in the saddle on Pen Stanley’s back. My horse was wounded under me yesterday all right. I shall write you from the first station — all look bright.” Mary made handwritten copies of this letter and mailed them

to John’s siblings. After the war, Loomis did much to support veterans’ groups and regiment reunions. It was undoubtedly during this time that he was photographed in Koehne’s studio. Informal photos of this time, taken of Loomis during winter retreats to Jekyll Island, Georgia, show him on horseback, seated in a Union Army saddle. He wears the kepi hat of his infantry soldiers in these images, too, suggesting the power of such an object to connect him to a meaningful past. © Karen Parsons is archivist and teaches history.

ALUMNI NEWS | EDITED BY JAMES RUGEN ’70

’32

Leila Daw, Northeast Seas Exploration, Fragments, 2010, mixed media on silk, 12' x 5'

1932

Charles Edward “Ted” McConnell will be honored at Loomis Chaffee in May and through the Reunion Weekend (May 3–June 11) when his daughter, Leila McConnell Daw, an artist who shows her map-influenced works internationally, will be exhibiting in the Mercy Gallery. She is dedicating the show, “… better to travel than to arrive …,” to him. Daw says, “It’s a lovely coincidence that I would be invited to show at his alma mater, and the dedication seems appropriate: He gave me my first paintbrush and let me slop red oil-base paint on the swing set he built for my brother and me. Also, I want to celebrate his determined recovery from a fall, broken arm, and pneumonia. In four months, he has moved through the hospital, a nursing facility, assisted living, and lots of continuing physical therapy, and is now back in his own apartment, living independently — all this at the age of 96. I hope

I have his genes. And I look forward to his return to Loomis to see the show!”

1936 | Reunion

Miriam Brooks Butterworth looks back at her experiences in her new memoir, Just Say Yes, published by Antrim House. Acting president of Hartford College for Women, a delegate to the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and chairwoman of the Public Utilities Control Authority under the late Gov. Ella Tambussi Grasso, Mims has devoted her life to public service, education, and political activism. The memoir includes more than 250 photographs as well as drawings by her late husband, Oliver Butterworth, the author of the children’s book The Enormous Egg. “Another exciting year,” writes Hugh Thurnauer. “In October 2010, I climbed the Great Wall of China. At age 92, I am blessed that God has given me a good set of genes. I’m still bowling;

SAVE THE DATE |

I walk two miles daily and am involved in theater, opera, and volunteer work. Hope to see some classmates at the 75th (wow!) Reunion though I may attend my granddaughter’s high school graduation.”

1937

News from Elliott M. “Eric” Bates: “My younger son, Dan, has hauled me down to their concrete dome in Kennebunkport, Maine, for geriatric reasons. Made 90, though! I see many of my 11 grandchildren as they pop in and out. There’s a great-grandchild coming in June in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. Best regards to classmates, who aren’t writing in very much.” Irv Walsh plans to attend his 70th Reunion at Princeton the last weekend in May.

1938

Zach Hirsch recently won first place, with a month’s free rent

and a trophy, in a talent competition at his senior living community. He is still active on the Boy Scouts board.

1939

From Shepherd Holcombe: “I’m doing as well as expected although I’ve been through many patches — I assume it goes with the territory. Two times a week, I go to pulmonary rehab classes; I use oxygen on the elliptical trainers. I play paddle tennis (tennis when it warms up) with a fanny pack with oxygen! I’m on numerous boards: Connecticut Historical Society, Mark Twain House, Hartford’s Ancient Burying Ground. I get all this disturbing mail about Obama trying to let the United Nations take us over and give all the illegal aliens citizenship and Social Security and medical benefits. I hope we can keep our Constitution in the future. Best to all.”

REUNION 2011, June 10–12

Classes ending in 1 & 6: This is your year! Mark your calendars now and encourage your classmates to join in the celebration.

Scan the QR code at left with your smart phone and instantly link to more information about Reunion 2011, or go to loomischaffee.org/reunion.

loomischaffee.org | 33

ALUMNI NEWS

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1940

Jean McKay Eckhardt writes: “After seven months in hospitals and six months in two nursing homes, I have surfaced from the depths. I now live in a pleasant assisted-living home in Peterborough, N.H.”

1941 | Reunion 1942

William Bayliss sends his best to his classmates. He has served for six years as a senior examiner with the Baldrige Award through the Department of Commerce and National Institutes of Standards & Technology. He continues to work at Duke University and enjoys his 10 grandchildren. “We are living in Thirwood Place Retirement Community in South Yarmouth, Cape Cod, Mass.,” writes Douglas Dorchester. “It is an excellent facility on 40 acres surrounding Flax Pond, and the services are extraordinary. We recommend it highly.”

1943

Ramble: A Memoir by William J. Gehron is available from Amazon.com or Lulu.com. It touches on life at Loomis, 1942–43. Dorothy Schoenfuss Howell writes: “I talk to sister Lee Schoenfuss Smith ’40 and brother Art Schoenfuss ’35 often. All are well — just older!”

1945

“I would never have accomplished all I have at Skidmore College or here in Illinois without the rigorous, disciplined education I received at Chaffee 34 |

in my four years there,” writes Jean Parmelee Sodaro.

1946 | Reunion 1947

A sample of paintings by Eleanor Young Lord can be seen at www.eleanorlord.com. Judith Munch Pinney moved back to West Hartford after 32 years in Avon, Conn. She is a Hospice volunteer, and she still enjoys downhill skiing and tennis.

’53

Nate Putnam writes: “Met the Sam Blumenthals in Winter Park, Fla. Toured Rollins College. Tuition is 50 grand now!” From Edward C. Rhodes: “I am in relatively good health. Still playing bridge, poker, and cribbage with friends and neighbors. One grandson is married and working for Boeing; another is on his way to New Zealand; my granddaughter is at the University of Oregon.”

1948

Last summer, Carol DeMar Mulready and Shirley Thrall Hugot had a “delightful renewal” (as Carol puts it) with Marcia Moore Bain and Martha Lyon Braun.

1950

Raymond Bagg retired last August, receiving an appointment as professor emeritus, Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Texas Tech Health Science Center, Paul Foster School of Medicine, El Paso. James Didriksen moved to Atlanta, Ga., into the Dunwoody Dogwood Forest Community

Tom Wilson ’52 stands next to a mahogany sideboard he made for his dining room in Birmingham, Ala. Class of 1953 graduates Phyllis Gould Johnson, Barbara Griffin Cox, Betty Jane Townsend, Gloria Barnes Harper, and Francine Berth Myles enjoy a December 2010 gathering at Gloria’s home in New York City. Stanley Johnson, Bob Myles, and Nelson Harper also attended.

for assisted living. He writes: “I am doing well here and just completed left- and right-eye cataract operations that worked out well. Marianna, my wife of 43 years, passed away in November 2009.”

Poetry — or — Probing for the Humerus.” John plans a May visit to the Island to present his latest two volumes of poetry to the Katharine Brush Library.

Bert Engelhardt still works part time as an editor for SAIC in Reston, Va. He has a consulting business, Engelhardt Cross Cultural Services.

From Dale Andrews come greetings from sunny Florida.

1951 | Reunion

John Foster, author of three books of poetry (so far), has been selected by the Florida State Poets Association to present a workshop on humorous poetry at the association’s annual convention. His workshop title: “The Funny Bone in

1952

Bill Thompson is in his 51st year of teaching U.S. history and political science on the college level.

1953

Richard D. Crutchfield writes: “I was delighted to read Mr. Scanlon’s [Jeffrey Scanlon ’79, head of the Loomis Chaffee English Department] very appropriate comments in an Annual Fund solicitation re-

garding the goals — and importance to young people — of the Loomis Writing Workshop. It was in Morris Brown’s class 58 years ago that I began to understand the power that literature and learning to write have in awakening young people to the awesome journey of discovery of who they are, their calling, and their unique gifts. That is what education is all about: not just to prepare us for college and success beyond but for the journey within and its expression. The vital role of literature and writing skills has now a special meaning for me, for both of my children, John and Lillian, are writers in the above sense — my greatest tribute to English classes at Loomis.” “After spending 33 years in Florida, including military service, working, and some retirement,” writes John D. Little, “I finally returned to New England and ‘the way life should be’! In 2002, we built a house, mid-coast Maine, on Penobscot Bay; and we’re enjoying the change of seasons once again. Hope to see many classmates at our 60th Reunion in 2013.” “I’m literally running around a lot these days,” reports Francine Berth Myles. “I take care of my 22-month-old granddaughter, Paige Daley, while her mother, my daughter, Robin, is at work teaching. So far, I’m faster than Paige, but those days are numbered. It’s fun, though. I love it — and her. I’m still involved with the NYC women’s theatrical group The Snarks; I acted in a play last year and produced their last two. I’m currently producing A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters, starring two acting friends. Right now, we’re performing at several Westchester libraries, touring the provinces. Interested?” Richard Goldman is semiretired in radiation oncology and provides locum tenens coverage to other physicians. At the time

of his note, he was awaiting the arrival of his first grandchild.

1954

From John Roach: “Still splitting our time between San Diego and Palm Desert, Calif., and six weeks RV-ing or travel overseas. We (our generation) are so blessed, not least in having had the chance to attend Loomis.”

1955

Robert A. Keller writes: “I enjoy having lunch with Georges Peter. Busy with choral singing, mentoring, tutoring math at a Boston public school and adult education at Brandeis.”

1956 | Reunion

From Bruce Burnham: “A great Middlebury College 50th Reunion last summer: Bob Hall, Bill French, Lee Vancini, Art Myles, John Howard, Lee Bishop Howard ’58 with Bob Ray ’55 and Tony Garcia ’55 in attendance as spouses of our classmates. Missed seeing Linc Clark and Dick Atkinson. Last October I visited Burnham, England (near Windsor). Our beer is better! A wonderful trip to kiss the earth of my forebears.” Reg Regestein pens this report: “This first morning back from the Christmas family reunion, I am trying to retire my mail, review a journal article, reorder my prescription medications, find out what ‘probability density functions’ means, give to charities before the year ends, and do my back-stretching exercises. But a blizzard in Boston got me to work late. The roads were plowed and salted enough and the traffic light enough that I could still make it to the office by bicycle. However, I must leave early enough to get to the liquor store to pick out wine for a New Year’s Eve party. I regret being so detailed, but my life seems to be composed of details.”

Think Ahead N AMING Loomis Chaffee a beneficiary of retirement assets can be one of the most efficient ways to leave a charitable gift to the school. Even if you do not have a will, an easy way to include Loomis Chaffee in your planning is to name the school a specific or residual beneficiary of retirement assets such as an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), Roth IRA, 401(k), or 403(b) account. This can be done without involving an attorney by simply completing a change of beneficiary form online through your IRA administrator.

John Metcalf Taylor Society

To learn more about creating your Loomis Chaffee legacy through your retirement account, please contact Marc Cicciarella, director of gift planning, at 860.687.6087 or marc_cicciarella@loomis.org, or www. loomischaffee.org/giftplanning. TAX-ID # 06-0653119

“

I think of Loomis Chaffee every day. Whether it’s a conversation with an old classmate, a recollection of a moment in class, or simply looking at the calendar in my office, LC is never far out of Keith St. Germain ’96 works in finance mind. When my and lives with his wife, Maureen, and two children Henry, age 3, and wife, Maureen, and their Margot, 10 months, in Washington, D.C. I began making estate plans, we talked about the places and organizations that mean the most to us, and what we could do in order to give back to them. Including Loomis in our estate plan seemed the natural choice and, I hope, will allow others to have the experience I was so fortunate to have.

”

— Keith St. Germain ’96 loomischaffee.org | 35

’61

1957 “My retirement employment is managing our two rental villas in Treasure Beach, Jamaica (www.RainbowtreeVillas. com),” writes Peter Kennedy.

1958

An update from Christopher Sargent: “A big year: I turned 70; son Christopher was married to the lovely Lauren in June; my daughter is now executive assistant to CNN News anchor John King; Anne, my wife, is as healthy and wonderful as ever, even after 41 years of marriage to me; and I figure I will continue running the Sargent Investment Group for at least five more years. Best regards to all.”

1959

“I am a grandma for the ninth time as of August 2010,” reports Janice Hoskins Daire. “I teach archery, and I’ve joined the Minnesota Mycological Society.”

1960

“Retirement is great,” writes Marshall Hoke. “Lots of traveling, visiting family and friends, and volunteer work. Also lots of recreation: cross country skiing, hiking, and canoeing.”

1961 | Reunion

Paulist Press recently published a book by David L. Celio. Twelve Principles of Effective Parenting: Surviving the Tween Years is a practical guide for parents navigating the storms and stresses of raising children in a turbu36 |

’69

Loomis Chaffee senior Thomas Crandall, Tony Kissling ’61, and Loomis Chaffee freshman Brian Crandall enjoy Thanksgiving 2010 in Florida. Tony is a close friend of the brothers’ grandfather. Bill Beckett, Phil Dodd, and Dave Hoke, all of the Class of 1969, convene for a day of February skiing in Jay, Vt.

’72

Sean O’Malley ’72 ascends the Grand Teton for the 15th (approx.) time.

lent world. David is a clinical psychologist whose practice has guided parents for more than three decades. From Barbara Grimes Staats: “Looking forward to our 50th Reunion in June.”

1963

After 25 years of frequently interrupted effort, awaiting the publication of important archaeological discoveries, and grappling with the archaic language of oracle inscriptions, Ralph Sawyer recently published his 15th book. Ancient Chinese Warfare is the first comprehensive study of its subject in any language. Ralph has provided a copy for the Katharine Brush Library.

1964

Peter Horowitz left the corporate world last spring, and he joined the faculty at Baruch College, City University of New York. “Teaching full time is an exhilarating change,” he writes. Ronald H. Shechtman is the managing partner of Pryor Cashman, a 125-lawyer New York firm. His wife is the Tony Award-winning artistic director

of the Manhattan Theater Club, Lynne Meadow.

1965

Sajed Kamal was honored November 17, 2010, in a benefit for the Fenway Community Development Corporation. The event was held at the Susan Bailis Assisted Living Community, Boston. A Fenway resident since 1965, Sajed is an award-winning poet, artist, translator, psychotherapist, teacher/consultant at Corner Co-op Nursery School in Brookline, and adjunct lecturer on renewable energy and sustainable development in the Sustainable International Development program at Brandeis University. Sajed’s most recent book is The Renewable Revolution: How We Can Fight Climate Change, Prevent Energy Wars, Revitalize the Economy and Transition to a Sustainable Future, a book called by the late Howard Zinn “an immensely important contribution to our understanding of what is happening to our planet and what we can do about it.” (See page 31 for Loomis Chaffee sci-

ence teacher Jeffrey Dyreson’s thoughts on the book.) For his work and his vision, Sajed has received many awards and honors: The City of Boston presented him the 2007 Mayor’s First Annual Green Award for Community Leadership in Energy and Climate Protection; the New England Bangladesh American Foundation conferred on him a Lifetime Achievement Award; AltWheels, a sustainable transportation and energy organization, honored him with its Regional Hero Award; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New England Region, honored Sajed with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Sajed is an international leader in the field of renewable energy. He has organized projects in the United States, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Armenia, and El Salvador; and he serves as president of the International Consortium for Energy Development, as a board member of the Boston Area Solar Energy Association, as a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists, and as founder and coordinator of So-

ALUMNI NEWS | EDITED BY JAMES RUGEN ’70

’71 Steven Siegel ’71 exhibited his piece “Biography” at Marlborough Chelsea, NYC, January 27–February 26. Steven reports of the exhibition: “It will continue to grow to the left for the foreseeable future.” For more information, go to www.artsjournal.com/artopia/2011/02/steven_siegel_the_sculptor_fro.html.

lar Fenway, a committee of the Fenway Community Development Corporation.

1966 | Reunion 1968 “Still hiding in plain sight in Vermont,” reports David Powsner.

1969

“Two kids out of college, one to go!” writes John Jenkins.

1970

City, and Los Angeles, respectively — and doing well! Sorry to hear of the passing of Glover Howe ’48.”

1973

Stephen Cushman writes: “During the fall of 2010, I sailed around the world with University of Virginia’s Semester at Sea program. Among my students were Veronica Bacher ’08 and Jack Caldwell ’08. They were both excellent shipmates, and they confirm that LC is still turning out the best.”

David Margolick’s new book, Elizabeth and Hazel, inspired by a famous photograph from the Little Rock schools crisis of 1957, will be published by Yale University Press in October.

From Scott MacLachlan: “Now 25 years here in Poultney, Vt., with Kris and Heather, dogs, cats, and horses. The garden sleeps, and more snow is on the way.”

From John Stiner: “We just returned from a week in Park City, Utah, with our sons who are in the film business in Los Angeles. Skiing and Sundance Film Festival — a great combination!”

Jacqueline Harris Taback and her daughter, Rachel, now in college, both compete in track and field … at a very high level. Rachel, a two-time Connecticut champion and top-five-inNew England discus thrower at Newtown High School, taught her mother discus- and hammer-throwing technique. Subsequently, mother and daughter each won two gold medals at the Nutmeg Games at Veterans Memorial Stadium, New Britain, last August. Jacqueline also set Nutmeg Games records for women in the 50–59 age bracket.

1971 | Reunion 1972

“I have sold Rendezvous Engineering, the civil engineering firm I started in 1997, to my partners,” reports Sean O’Malley. “I am now the Teton County engineer and am enjoying the switch to the public sector — it’s new and challenging. My wife, Mia, and I continue to bike, ski, and climb in the Tetons when time permits. We usually travel back to Maine several times a year. Brothers Terry ’65, Kevin ’69, and Michael ’74 are in Boston, Park

1974

Susan Tracy Moore has moved to Boston, where she works as director of case management at Spaulding Rehab, Cambridge.

A recent book by Sarah Shea Smith, They Sawed Up a Storm: The Women’s Sawmill at Turkey Pond, New Hampshire, 1942, tells the true story of a group of women who were part of the salvaging and milling effort that dealt with the enormous quantity of felled trees from the 1938 hurricane. With the labor shortages brought on by U.S. involvement in World War II, women ran the sawmill at Turkey Pond, the site of the largest deposit of logs salvaged from the hurricane. Much of the milled lumber was used for ammunition boxes, crates, and materials in support of the war effort. Sarah is an extension professor and specialist, forest industry, at the University of

New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. She holds a bachelor of science degree in forestry and a master’s degree in occupational education. She and her husband, Peter, live in Newmarket, N.H.

1976 | Reunion 1977

News from John Yost: “Greetings. I am in the process of getting ready for my next medical trip to Nepal, where I volunteer with Himalayan Healthcare (HCC). This NGO provides medical care and community education to remote villages of Lapa, Shertung, and Tipling in north central Nepal as well as a rural community hospital in

Chaffee

BOOK

CLUB The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa Andrew Matlack Head of Mathematics Department Wednesday, May 4, 2011 Burton Room in the Athletics Center Buffet Dinner — 6:00 p.m. Book Discussion — 7:30 p.m. Information: 860.687.6273 or nicole_jamieson@loomischaffee.org

loomischaffee.org | 37

’78 Classmates from 1978, John Lese, Margot Tamoney Marenakos, Chuck Cummings, Cass Morgan (front), Jim Hewitt, Carrie Elliott McManus, and Hugh Quinn celebrate the longevity of their friendship during a Chicago weekend last June. Cass says: “We credit the school for introducing us to each other 35 years ago. The bond between us is inseparable.”

’76

’77

Mt. Monadnock (N.H.) glistens in the February sun in this photo by Rex Joffray ’76. He summitted the peak in the morning and then visited Jane Mackay Howe ’49 at her home in nearby Marlborough, N.H., in the afternoon. Dr. John Yost ’77 is assisted by Bim Maya, a Lapa village health provider, as they aspirate the knee of a patient in Nepal.

the southeast village of Ilam. Typically, our medical team departs from Kathmandu until the winding roads end, followed by two- or three-day treks between villages. We have a great support crew of over 40 porters as well as local villagers who provide continuity of care once the medical staff departs. My lower-altitude employment is as a staff physician at DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center, where I specialize in adult and pediatric rheumatology and [serve as] assistant professor of medicine at Dartmouth Medical School.”

1978

Cathy J. Ellis writes: “Our daughter, Sarah, has joined the high school swim team. … Nothing like the smell of chlorine and a swim team cheer to bring back many fond memories of LC swimming!”

38 |

Gerard Senehi, the ExperiMentalist, recently married a longtime friend and relocated to New York City. He’s developed a new program for his performances, called Expanding Possibilities, which weaves ideas and questions to inspire people “to reflect on the power of not already knowing and considering possibilities we had not considered before.” He goes on: “The program helps make more conscious a more essential creativity that arises when we are willing to question fixed ideas and assumptions of limitations.” Gerard is working on his first book, about the power of asking boundary-breaking questions about life and the nature of reality. It will include experiences from Gerard’s life as a performer as well as interviews with experts in the field.

1979

Professor of Creative Nonfiction Mary Collins was recently named the winner of the Central Connecticut State University Excellence in Teaching Award. A rigorous selection process involving student nominations, committee review, written statements of philosophies of teaching from the can-

didates, presentation of syllabi, and extensive class observation narrowed a large field to Mary, who describes the experience as a highlight in her career. Following her work at Johns Hopkins, where she taught graduate students, Mary is pleased to be working with undergraduates, many of whom have never had advanced writing courses. Mary praises the university for its support and recognition of effective teaching skills, rather than merely of research. Mary’s most recent book, American Idle: A Journey Through Our Sedentary Culture, is a grand prizewinner for nonfiction in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Mary writes that she saw Joan Saddler recently: “She’s living in New Haven and a macrobiotic food expert.” Mary’s daughter, Julia, is a senior at Loomis Chaffee.

1981 | Reunion 1983

Following self-employment at a designer clothing business, Johan Westenburg decided to pursue a master’s degree with Vanderbilt University’s Graduate Program for Economic Development. He has made it his project to alleviate poverty

in the challenged area of Buena Vista Heights, 10 miles from the university’s Nashville campus. Working to develop the university’s presence in the neighborhood, Johan and other students in the program work to educate local residents, to assess the needs of the community, to promote efficient energy use, and to best allocate resources. Johan is well known among the residents of Buena Vista Heights, and he is committed to helping them improve their lives. His efforts have gained media attention.

1985

Peter R. Knight was recently elected a partner in the law firm of Robinson & Cole. A member of the firm’s Environmental Practice Group, he focuses on defending clients in litigation matters involving all manner of environmental issues. Peter regularly counsels manufacturers and other corporations on environmental remediation, regulatory and corporate compliance, and sustainability issues. His litigation practice focuses on environmental cost recovery and complex multiparty CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Com-

’83 ’79 ’85

pensation, and Liability Act) matters and class actions. He also represents companies and individuals in connection with government investigations by state and federal environmental, utility, and financial regulators; and he represents clients in defending civil and criminal enforcement actions. Peter also represents commercial shipping interests in responding to governmental investigations and developing and implementing environmental management systems.

1986| Reunion

“Hoping to make it to Reunion in June,” writes Philip Rudnicki, “but will be visiting campus this month to bring my oldest son for an interview for the fall 2011 entering freshman class. Can’t wait to see all the snow. We don’t get much, most of the time, in Georgia.”

1987

In her latest book, A Professor, a President, and a Meteor: The Birth of American Science, Cathryn Prince Saldinger tells the story of a fiery meteor crash that lit up the early-morning sky in Weston, Conn., in 1807. The event sparked the curiosity of Benjamin Silliman, a chemistry professor at Yale. His investigation started a chain of events that brought American science to international prominence.

Mary Collins ’79, recipient of the Central Connecticut State University Excellence in Teaching Award. Photo: Paul Cryan

’91

Enrique Irizarry ’83, Wally Gonzalez ’71, and Etienne Totti ’63 enjoy an LC cocktail reception hosted by Enrique at his home in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, on January 26. School development officer Marc Cicciarella attended. Peter Knight ’85 was elected a partner at Robinson & Cole.

1988

Michele Golden writes: “On October 8, 2010, Alex Jay Hoyden and I were married in Tucson, Ariz. While the state doesn’t recognize our marriage because we’re both women, this is marriage in its deepest sense. I’m looking forward to spending the rest of my life moving and learning with my beloved wife.”

1989

After serving as editor and writer for Sunset Magazine and as food editor of Boston Magazine, Amy Traverso has rejoined Yankee Magazine and Yankee Publishing as senior editor lifestyle: food, home & garden. She had been food editor at Yankee for three years, 2002–05. Amy’s book, The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, will come out in the fall. Amy lives in Brookline, Mass., with her husband, Scott, author of The Future of Web Video, and their son, Max.

1991 | Reunion

’85

1994

Kerry and Temp Keller announce the arrival of their daughter, Kendall Elizabeth Keller, December 27, 2010. “We couldn’t be happier, nor more humbled,” writes Temp. Michael Edward Olson, the son of Will Olson and his wife, Alison Perine, was born January 7. Will is a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Frauds Section. Alison is a special agent with the Washington field office of the FBI. The family resides in Alexandria, Va.

1995

Daryn Morgenstein Sundheim and her husband, Doug, welcomed their first child, Eli Riley Sundheim, into their lives May 19, 2010. Daryn looks forward to showing Eli the Island some day soon.

’93

Stephen Paul ’85 and Todd du Boef ’86 catch up at the Superbowl in Dallas on February 6. Sarah Case-Gilbert ’91 and her husband, Christopher, pose with son Jack, 2, and daughter Carlin, who arrived October 3, 2010. Sarah reports: “We’re all doing great!” Lucy Vivienne Shield arrived January 25, 2010. The daughter of Claire and Dan Shield ’93, Lucy joins sisters Chloe, 5, and Sophia, 3.

loomischaffee.org | 39

’97

Julie Costales Gooding and Nate Gooding ’97 were married July 10, 2010, at Asylum Hill Church, Hartford, Conn. Nick Bozzuto ’97 served as a groomsman, and among those in attendance were John Wedeles ’97, Chris DeLucia ’98, and Sarah Hickey DeLucia ’01. The reception was held at The Society Room, and the newlyweds honeymooned in Paris. They make their home in Norwalk, Conn.

1996 | Reunion From Amy Haberman Mahoney: “My husband and I welcomed our son, John Finney Mahoney, called Jack, in December 2009. What a joy! Six months later, we picked up and moved from northern Virginia to northern California for my husband’s residency at Travis Air Force Base. I’m learning that home is where the Air Force sends us, and I’m enjoying California while we’re here.”

1997

Megan Allyse Fuller-Deets, also known as Megan Allyse, is a post-doctoral fellow at the Center for the Integration of Research on Genetics and Ethics, a National Institutes for Healthfunded initiative located within the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics. Her research focuses on the political stabilization of technology, comparative civil ideology, and forms of constructive technology assessment.

’96 Lee Saunders Raynes ’96 and Josh Raynes welcomed the recent birth of their first son, Michael. Lee reports: “He is a big boy and hopes to lead the Pelicans to victory one day — and bring back the Spoon.”

40 |

She is particularly interested in inter-cultural normative dialogue and the socio-cultural impacts of emerging technologies. In recent years, she has carried out field research in China, Japan, Hong Kong, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Megan is working on a book based on her doctoral research exploring the political stabilization of oocyte contribution to human cloning research in China, California, and the United Kingdom. Megan is the past recipient of a Wellcome Trust Biomedical Ethics Studentship Grant and a member of BIOS, a Chinese-European collaboration on the ethical governance of biological and biomedical research. In 2009–10, she was a visiting scholar at the Center for the Study of Law and Society at Berkeley Law School. She conducted her doctoral and master’s degree research at the University of Nottingham in England and received her undergraduate degrees in international relations and communications from Stanford.

1998

Former Loomis Chaffee Communications Department assistant Beth Sigman Somerset recently was named assistant

director of alumni relations at Williston Northampton School. Previously, she coached cross country and track at Mount Holyoke College.

as did Ashley Wade and Lucy Cox-Chapman ’02.

Oliver Milligan was born December 28, 2010, to Laura Richards Milligan and her husband, Chris. Laura is a member of the English Department at Loomis Chaffee.

Molly Flanagan Larkin writes: “It was great to be back on the Island for the graduation last year of my sister-in-law, Jean Larkin ’10. I saw lots of familiar faces and look forward to returning in June for Reunion. My husband and I remain in New York’s capital region, and I continue to work on the renovations and historical restorations of the roof, skylights, and interior of the New York State Capitol.”

1999

2000

John J. Callaghan is doing his second-year medical residency in New Jersey, specializing in orthopedic surgery. He lives in Hoboken and loves his career.

2001 | Reunion

Olivia D’Ambrosio recently appeared in the role of Abigail Williams in the Trinity Repertory Company (Providence, R.I.) production of The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. Olivia is a thirdyear student in the Brown/ Trinity Rep Master of Fine Arts Acting Program. She holds a bachelor’s degree in theater and dance from Amherst College. Olivia’s former advisor and dormitory head, Loomis Chaffee faculty member Betsy Tomlinson, attended a performance,

Lynn Kelly lives in Washington, D.C., and works for the Office of General Counsel of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

2002

Nell Casey is an intern at Gothamist, the New York City e-zine (www.gothamist.com), for which she recently interviewed actor Richard Thomas. Additionally, Nell is researching bars, restaurants, and venues for a “Best of NYC” weekly feature. She emcees a live band karaoke group, Rock Star Karaoke, every Thursday night — and sings an occasional rock tune.

After an internship in the book department at Christie’s in London and work for Bloomsbury Auctions in New York City, Zoe Mindell moved to Philadelphia last year to work for a rare book dealer specializing in pre-1800 continental books and manuscripts.

2005

Bill Cutler is in Florence studying hospitality management, having received his culinary arts degree. Domenic Savides graduated from Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, on December 9, 2010, with a bachelor of science degree.

2006 | Reunion

Hannah Belsky graduated in May 2010 from Smith College with a major in economics and a minor in study of women and gender. Having completed an internship in Israel for Search for Common Ground, she now heads to Leadville, Colo., to apprentice at the High Mountain Institute.

2007

Claire Galiette and Kyla Woodhouse finished their collegiate soccer careers last fall at Amherst, having first played together for two years at Loomis Chaffee. At the end of the season, the Amherst team presented Kyla with the Peter Gooding Award for “playing the game the way it was meant to be played.” Claire received the Friends of Amherst Athletics Award; she was voted by her teammates as the “unsung hero.” Jeff Roberts reports that he’s enjoying his senior year and lacrosse season. He hates to leave Washington & Lee University,

N IT • O W O

Our Shared Experience ALLEN CHSchool R G Our U Our Legacy % Our Challenge N IT • O W O

“I have been accepted into the Peace Corps,” writes Brian Sheffer. “I will be serving as an HIV/AIDS and children’s health volunteer in Honduras until February 2013. My interest in the Peace Corps began as a result of an opportunity to volunteer at a children’s TB hospital during my semester abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, in the spring of 2009. I look forward to the adventure and the challenges that await me!”

34% = $2 5 E •

Last November, Riverfront Family Church in downtown Hartford licensed Liza Butler to preach the gospel, a preliminary step towards ordination in the American Baptist tradition. Liza is a student at Yale Divinity School, and she teaches a world religion course at Taft School. Liza’s mother, the Rev. Nancy Butler, started Riverfront Family Church, the third welcoming and affirming American Baptist church in Connecticut.

Every gift is important, especially yours. 0 • LET’ S 0,0

2004

A video network producer for Forbes Magazine, Brian Petchers has filmed a number of rap videos in the inner-city landscapes of Bridgeport, Conn. His first was for Bridgeport’s Krayze for his track “On the Go,” which earned the attention of Clyde Nieves, the manager of the city-based hip-hop collective Take Charge Entertainment. Work with emcees such as Alumanis and Bori Puro followed. Visit http://brianpetchers.com to see Brian’s work.

HALLEN C G UR

34% = $ 2 5 E •

David Linz and Rebecca Feldman were married June 19, 2010, in Palm Beach, Fla. Michael Bogino served as best man. David will graduate from Tufts University School of Medicine this year, and Beca is a practicing attorney in Wellesley, Mass.

Kristofer Chenard graduated from Washington University, St. Louis, last May with a bachelor’s degree in biology/ neuroscience. He lives in Chicago and attends the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.

0 • LET’ S 0,0

2003

Please give to the Annual Fund today. www.loomischaffee.org/giving but he’s looking forward to his upcoming position at Deutsche Bank in New York City. Rebecca Wentworth graduates this spring from Union College with a degree in mechanical engineering. She is an active member of Hillel and Engineers without Borders, and she has been on the crew team for four years.

2008

Christina Lawrence is an art history major with a minor in poverty and human capability studies at Washington & Lee University. As a Shepherd Alliance intern last summer, she worked at TRUCE, a summer program in art and media that is part of the Harlem Children’s Zone, a community-based organization dedicated to reducing the problems of truancy, vio loomischaffee.org | 41

A stalwart group of alumnae hoops players took to the court against the girls varsity team on January 14 for the annual Alumnae Basketball Game. No score was kept — winning or losing wasn’t really the point anyway. The two squads enjoyed themselves so much that they played three periods instead of the customary two halves. Picture here is the alumnae squad: (front) Missy Pope ’04, Beckie Pope Aderholz ’02, Kate Zdrojeski ’03, and Chelsea Ryan ’10; (back) Cassie Donnelly ’02, Sam Tweedie ’06, former coach Lisa Salinetti Ross, assistant girls varsity coach Nancy Cleary, Taisha Grant ’08, and Kim Fisher ’08. Missing from the photo was Kate Bonnell ’08.

lence, foster care, pregnancy, poor school performance, and lack of self-esteem among highrisk New York City youth. Bucknell junior Charlie Streep was named to the Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-America Third Team in November. A premier offensive performer, Charlie has played both midfield and attack at Bucknell, and he was the 2009 Patriot League Rookie of the Year and a 2010 Second Team All-Patriot League selection. Last season he produced 35 points on 23 goals and 12 assists. He scored a point in each of the final 13 games of the season, with a high of seven points coming on four goals and three assists in a victory over Jacksonville. He also had a four-goal game against Hobart and three goals apiece against Ohio State and Army. In two seasons at 42 |

Bucknell, Charlie already has 48 goals and 19 assists for 67 points. Bucknell was ranked No. 20 in the Inside Lacrosse Preseason Poll. The Bison are coming off an 8–6 season and return eight starters and 27 lettermen in 2011. In March, Charlie was one of 59 men’s college lacrosse players named to the Tewaaraton Award watch list. The award is presented annually to the national player of the year. Veronica Bacher and Jack Caldwell appear in a newsnote from Stephen Cushman ’73.

2009

Wesley Fantini was recently named a First Team All-Conference selection by the Collegiate Water Polo Association in the Division 1 Club New England Conference. He has also been selected as a Division III

Honorable Mention All-American. Wesley was voted captain of the Wesleyan University squad for next season.

was eighth in the conference. Andrew’s interceptions-pergame average of .75 places him 13th in all of Division III.

Sophomore Linnea Fulton enjoys Bates College very much. She is on the dean’s list and plays varsity lacrosse.

“Having a great time studying theater arts at the University of Vermont,” reports Dana M. Lerner. She is a newly-initiated member of Kappa Alpha Theta.

2010

Last December, Andrew Kukesh was selected by the New England Small College Athletic Conference to the All-Conference football team as a second team defensive back. He was the only Bates College freshman to earn AllConference team honors and is the first Bates freshman to be selected to an All-Conference team in football since 2003. He had six interceptions, which was second in the conference in this category, and contributed to eight passes defended, which

Don’t Forget to Write! SHARE NEWS IN THE MAGAZINE with classmates and friends! Job promotion or change … Higher-education news … Marriage or babies … Travel … Mini-reunions with classmates … Awards … Organizations … Creative projects … Retirement, relocation … Launch of a second career … Email updates to magazine@loomis.org

IN MEMORIAM

1928

Allen Morgan Anderson, at home in hospice care, on January 23. Allen was a four-year student from Warehouse Point, Conn. He received his bachelor’s degree from Yale and worked for Pratt & Whitney. He is survived by his cousin, Ruth C. Tuller ’38. A memorial service was to be held at Emanuel Lutheran in Hartford in March or April. Douglass Brownell Wright, on December 18, 2010. Douglass was a four-year student from Hartford. He was active with the Chess Club and participated on the tennis and junior basketball teams. Douglass was a recipient of the College Preparatory Prize. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a law degree from the Hartford College of Law, which later became the University of Connecticut School of Law. After two years at Aetna Life, Douglass went into private practice at the Hartford law firm of Davis, Lee, Howard and Wright, currently known as Howard, Kohn, Sprague & FitzGerald. It is the oldest law firm in continuous practice in the United States, having been founded in 1786. In 1952, Douglass became an assistant state’s attorney for Hartford County. He served as prosecutor in the murder trial of Benjamin Reid. The jury imposed the death penalty, which was upheld, after appeals, by the U.S. Supreme Court. On the day of Reid’s scheduled execution, Douglass went before the Connecticut Board of Pardons and pleaded for Reid’s life on the basis of his youth. The board reduced the sentence to life imprisonment — only hours before the scheduled execution. Douglass was appointed to the Connecticut Circuit Court bench in 1959 and to the Connecticut Superior Court bench in 1966, where he served until 1982. He also served for many months on the Connecticut Supreme Court, where he authored several opinions. He served as a judge-referee until age 85. Douglass was an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law for 46 years. Two murder trials over which he presided were made into national books: A Great Fall

Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

and The Wheels, and in his retirement he assisted author Gerald Demeusy in describing the Mad Dog Killers, who terrified the Connecticut countryside in 1955, in the book Ten Weeks of Terror. He also authored several bar journal articles and legal textbooks. Douglass gave freely of his time to Connecticut area organizations, serving as president of the American School for the Deaf and on the boards of the University of Hartford, Newington Children’s Hospital, Connecticut Boys Club of Hartford, Hartt College of Music, Visiting Nurse Association, and Hartford Time Farm. Douglass served on the Loomis Chaffee Board of Trustees from 1963 to 1968. He was also president of the Loomis Alumni Association and the University of Connecticut School of Law Alumni Association. He and his musical group, known as Judge Wright and the Five Wrongs, frequently contributed their musical abilities to charitable events, where Douglass played the piano.

An avid enthusiast of racquet sports of all kinds, particularly tennis, Douglass and his brother, the late Arthur S. Wright ’26, were formerly New England senior tennis doubles champions. Douglass was an avid bridge player. He was predeceased by his wife, Ann, and, later, by his wife, Jane. Douglass is survived by his five children, Jane C. Wright, Douglass B. Wright Jr., Hamersley S. Wright, Elizabeth W. Temple, and Arthur W. Wright; 12 grandchildren, including Anthony W. Wright ’83 and Douglass P. Wright ’84; and 11 great grandchildren. A memorial service was to be held at Duncaster Lifecare Community in Bloomfield on January 15.

1932

Herbert Corlies Brinckerhoff Jr., peacefully, on August 31, 2010. Herbert was a four-year student from Mt. Vernon, N.Y. Herbert served as vice president of the senior class and on the Student Coun loomischaffee.org | 43

IN MEMORIAM

cil, Publications Board, and Senior Dance Committee. He was a member of the board of The Log and was involved in the Darwin and Political clubs. Herbert participated in football, track, Wolcott hockey, and Wolcott baseball. He received a bachelor’s degree from Williams College and served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Herbert was predeceased by his wife, Mildred Foster Brinckerhoff, and his brother Clarke Brinckerhoff ’38. He is survived by two sons, Clarke and Robert; a nephew, Peter C. Brinckerhoff ’70; and two granddaughters, Lucy and Rosie. A memorial service was to be held at the Methodist Home of the District of Columbia.

1937

William Bradford Hastings, on November 13, 2010, at VNA Hospice House in Vero Beach, Fla. A four-year student from Longmeadow, Mass., Brad was active with the Endowment Fund Executive and the Senior Dance committees and with the Darwin Club. He served as chairman of Loomis Peace Action. He participated in a variety of athletics, including first wrestling, first football, Allyn senior football, tennis, and track. He was captain of the gym team and coach of freshman gym class and was a cheer leader. Brad attended Amherst College and earned his degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He then went on to study law at the University of Virginia. Brad served as a lieutenant commander for the Navy during World War II as an experimental test pilot and was first to fly the Corsair, Hellcat, and Wildcat. Brad went on to follow his love for boats by building Admiralty Yacht Storage and Repair Corporations in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and was instrumental in the beginnings of Bradford Yacht. He sold the yard in 1969, retiring at the time. He and his wife then enjoyed many happy years cruising the waters of the Bahamas and Maine. Brad is survived by his wife of 42 years, Susan; two daughters, Martha Hastings and Constance Hastings; and two grandsons. A memorial service was to be held at Community Church Chapel in Vero Beach, Fla. on November 22, 2010.

1939

Leonard Babcock Johnson, at his home on October 16, 2010. Len was a three-year student from Norwich, Conn. He served as photo editor of The Loomiscellany, president of the photographic division of the Darwin Club, and photographer for The Log. Len earned a bachelor of arts degree from Bowdoin College and a bachelor of science degree from M.I.T. He was a World War II Army Signal Corps veteran. During his career as an electrical engineer, Len worked at Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, Mass., on the Apollo project. While there, he led the team of engineers that developed the radar that allowed the astronauts in the lunar module to land on the moon and successfully return to the command module. In retirement, Len combined two lifelong interests: the American Southwest, an area of the country he loved to visit and explore; and photography. He was also a pipe organ enthusiast, restoring 44 |

and installing a Wurlitzer theater pipe organ in his home, which he later donated to the Strand Theater in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Len is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Louise; and four children, Stephen W. Johnson ’66, Philip H. Johnson ’71, Cynthia J. Vatter, and Beatrice J. Handy. He also leaves behind seven grandchildren and three nieces and nephews. A memorial service was to be held on October 29, 2010, at the New North Church in Hingham, Mass.

1942

David Smithson Stewart, peacefully, surrounded by family on February 10. A one-year student from Rochester, N.Y., David was active in the work program, on the Spring Dance Committee, and in the Rifle Club. He also participated in Ludlow senior football. Following graduation, David attended both Haverford and Swarthmore colleges, where he met his wife. He earned a medical degree from Albany Medical College in 1948. He completed his medical internship and residency at Rochester General Hospital and was an attending physician at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y. David practiced internal medicine with a private group practice from 1954 to 1972. During this time, he was also attending physician at Rochester Friendly Home and medical consultant, psychiatric service, Monroe Community Hospital, and he held teaching appointments at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He had been a fellow of the Rochester Academy of Medicine and served three years on its Board of Directors. David was a veteran of both the U.S. Naval Reserve and the U.S. Army Medical Corps. He was a longtime member of First Unitarian Church of Rochester. David was an avid home winemaker and enjoyed membership in the Rochester Chapter of the American Wine Society for many years. He also loved birding and spent many hours in his retirement bird watching throughout the Rochester, N.Y., region. David survived his beloved wife of 64 years, Elizabeth, by just three weeks. He is survived by their children, Christine Stewart, Judith Stewart Gohringer, Elizabeth M. Stewart, and Andrew Stewart; three grandchildren; and one step-grandson. A memorial service was to be held at First Unitarian Church of Rochester at a later date.

1944

Albert A. Getman Jr., peacefully, on October 20, 2010. A two-year student from Syracuse, N.Y., Albert was active with the Endowment Fund, the Chess Club, the Log Board, the Military Drill, and the Dining Hall Committee, and he was a volunteer medical aide. He also participated in Allyn senior basketball, Allyn senior tennis, and Allyn senior soccer, in which he earned a varsity letter. A loyal alumnus of Hamilton College, Albert served in World War II and was a career educator. His teaching career included Pebble Hill School in Syracuse, N.Y.; Maumee Valley Country Day School in Toledo, Ohio; and Canton Country Day School in Canton, Ohio, where he was the founding headmaster. Albert loved bridge and continued 46

IN MEMORIAM: Glover Elbridge Howe Jr. ’48 | 1929–2010 Glover Howe died December 16, 2010, at home in Marlborough, N.H., following a period of failing health. In 38 years at the school, as student and faculty member, he exemplified the best self and promoted the common good. At Glover’s retirement dinner in 1989, Associate Headmaster Aaron “Woody” Hess asserted: “Glover is the most revered man of his generation at the school.” A service for Glover was held at the Federated Church of Marlborough, December 22, 2010, drawing a standing-room-only gathering. Glover is survived by his wife of 55 years, Jane Mackay Howe ’49, who served as dean of students at Loomis Chaffee; their children, Cynthia E. Howe ’74, and her husband, B. Murray Dewdney; Kenneth G. Howe ’77, and his wife, Michele; Robertson R. Howe ’80, athletics director at Loomis Chaffee, and his wife, Amanda; and Judith Howe Gobbi ’83, and her husband, Patrick; 10 grandchildren, including Tyler R. Dewdney ’07; several nieces, including Susan B. Howe ’68, Tracy Howe Welling ’75, and Kimberly Mackay-Pearson ’80; several nephews, including Peter E. Howe ’71; and several cousins. Glover was predeceased by his brother, Edward R. Howe ’40; his sister, Jane Thornton; and a nephew Edward R. Howe Jr. ’66 A boarding student from West Hartford, Glover earned the nickname “Wheelie.” He was president of the Student Council, president of the senior class, and president of the Glee Club. He served on dormitory and entertainment committees, the Athletic Council, the Endowment Fund, and the Senior Executive Committee. A club football, basketball, and tennis player, he managed first team tennis, coached club football and basketball, and was a member of first team track. Glover’s leadership earned him the Gwendolen Sedgwick Batchelder Prize for Industry, Loyalty, and Manliness in 1948 and his class’ accolade: “Done Most for Loomis.”

Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

Glover earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver and served in the U.S. Navy, 1952–55, during the Korean Conflict. He then joined Loomis in 1956 as assistant business manager, and was later appointed director of Physical Plant and Services, associate director of Admissions, director of Admissions (1966–1975), and administrative dean and alumni secretary. He served as dormitory head of Mason Hall, 1961–1975. In 1985, Glover was presented the Swan Award of the WALKS Foundation for “outstanding development of character and leadership in young men and women.”

Jane had a very big influence on me. He was always kind, gentle, and nurturing — what I now know I needed at that time in my life,” writes Tracey McKenzie ’79. Duncan MacLean ’90 adds: “Glover’s most memorable advice was to keep my hands in my pockets, his way of reminding me to stay focused.” Donald Milbier ’70 remembers: “He had respect for, connection with, and a sincere interest in all students. He could take a situation ‘of concern’ and make it into a lesson in life.” In a note of appreciation to Glover, Headmaster Frederick Torrey wrote: “You have been more important in the lives of more boys than anyone I know.”

Glover’s intention was “to be of use.” He served on all important committees, managed nearly every aspect of school keeping, and was asked by Headmaster John Ratté “to strengthen the guidance of the school.” Glover frequently assigned himself between 12 and 18 advisees — all usually needing special attention. Additionally, he was active in civic organizations in Windsor.

Glover’s legacy extends, as well, through his family. His son Kenneth writes: “I find it a testament to Dad’s character, his involvement as a parent, and his loyalty to LC that all of his four children have ended up as administrators in independent schools.”

Glover enjoyed an active retirement; he was a member of the Federated Church of Marlborough and served as town selectman for a number of years. He was the recipient of the Marlborough Interfaith Humanitarian Award in 2004. For innumerable alumni, Glover made the difference. “Glover and

Elizabeth Richmond Schulman ’80 offers this remembrance: “Glover touched so many young people with his soft, kind energy. He gave guidance and assurance to generations of teenagers who entered adolescence under his watchful eye and emerged self-assured, independent, secure young men and women, in large part due to his thoughtful, sweet, yet strong words of encouragement.”

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IN MEMORIAM

continued from 44

music. He was predeceased by a brother and a sister. Albert is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Connie; three children, Judy Cheney, Bill Getman, and Margot Giblin; and eight grandchildren. A memorial service was held on November 6, 2010, at the First Presbyterian Church in Cazenovia, N.Y.

1948

Marcia Moore Bain, peacefully, on January 26. “Mardi” was a four-year student from Windsor. She served as president of her freshman, junior, and senior classes and was voted the student with “Most Poise.” Following Chaffee, Mardi earned her bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College. She lived an active and culturefilled life in New York City, where she enjoyed a career in public relations before raising her three children. She enjoyed the last few years of her life at Applewood at Amherst in Amherst, Mass. Mardi was a member of Calvary/St. George’s Episcopal Church in New York City and First Congregational Church (UCC) in Amherst. She was an avid collector of folk art and enjoyed ballet, art, and travel. She was a committed community volunteer, serving as a member of The Stuyvesant Park Neighborhood Association and the Union Square Community Coalition. Mardi was predeceased by her husband, Donald; a brother, William T. Moore ’49; and a sister, Eda. She is survived by her children, Thomas S. Bain, Gail E. Tobias, and Susan M. Bain Bellak ’85; five grandchildren; two step-grandsons; three step-great-grandchildren; and a brother-in-law, William. Funeral services were held on February 13 at First Congregational Church in Amherst.

1949

Russell Lawrence Rhodes, of natural causes, on December 29, 2010. A four-year student from New Britain, Conn., Russell was active on the Senior Scholarship, Senior Entertainment, and Library committees and was a cast member in The York Nativity. He also was a puppeteer, participated in the Chess and Classical Music clubs, and served on the editorial board of The Log. Russell participated in Wolcott tennis and Wolcott soccer as well as first soccer, in which he earned a varsity letter. He was a four-year honor roll student and recipient of the Book Prize Award. A noted advertising executive and author, Russell earned his bachelor’s degree from Yale and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He then joined Procter and Gamble in Cincinnati in its marketing department before embarking on a career in the advertising world. He spent a decade in England and France with Norman, Craig & Kummel agency and Ogilvy & Mather. He subsequently moved to New York City with Ogilvy & Mather, where he held senior positions on such accounts as American Express, Avon, and Cotton Inc. During this period, he found time to write five novels of the spy/thriller genre, including The Herod Conspiracy and The Styx Complex. He retired after 20 years of service to Ogilvy & Mather and spent his retirement enjoying traveling and friends. Russell is survived by his 46 |

Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

brother, Edward Rhodes ’47, and seven godchildren. A memorial service was to be held at a later date.

1951

Robert Joseph Malone, unexpectedly, on November 26, 2010. A four-year student from West Hartford, Bob was active in the Political, Chess, Nautical, and Jazz clubs. He also served on the Junior Foreign Policy Association, as supervisor for kitchen patrol, and as proofreader for The Log. Bob participated in Wolcott intermediate football and Wolcott tennis. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree in theology from Holy Cross College at the Catholic University of America. He made his first profession of religious vows in the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1955 and his final profession in 1958. He was ordained a priest in 1961. Bob served most recently as chaplain

at Madonna Manor Nursing Home in North Attleboro, Mass. He served as both an alumni volunteer and as a reunion volunteer for Loomis Chaffee. He is survived by his step-sister, Barbara Escobar. A Mass of Christian Burial was to be held on November 30, 2010, in the Chapel of Mary on the campus of Stonehill College in North Easton, Mass.

1952

George Randolph Crossley, peacefully, on January 6. George was a four-year student from West Hartford. He served on the Senior Path and Senior Entertainment committees and was active with the Glee, Press, and Jazz clubs and with kitchen patrol. George was also a member of the Pelicans. He participated in Wolcott track, first track, and first basketball. He earned varsity letters in first football and first baseball and served as captain of the first baseball team. A veteran of the U.S. Army, George earned his bachelor’s degree from Amherst College. Upon graduation from Amherst, George was employed at Aetna, where he met his wife, before having a career spanning 30 years in the financial services industry. He was last employed by Shearson Lehman. George was a member of the First Governors Food Guard and American Legion Post of West Hartford. He was a dedicated volunteer for the West Hartford Republican Town Committee, a justice of the peace, and a coach for West Hartford Youth baseball and football teams, and he received several community service awards. He enjoyed spending time with his family, sailing, reading, woodworking, gardening, and watching his beloved Red Sox and UCONN Huskies basketball teams. Along with his wife, Diane, George leaves two daughters, Lisa Crossley Newton and Susan Crossley; two sons, David Crossley and Paul Crossley; and six grandchildren. A military graveside service took place on January 12 at Fairview Cemetery in West Hartford. George Chambers Miller Jr. on November 23, 2010. George was a three-year student from Manhasset, N.Y. He was active in the Press, Glee, Photography, Jazz, and Outing clubs. He was a member of the Senior Reception Committee, a typist for The Log, a cheer leader, and a member of the cast of Madwoman of Chaillot. George participated in Allyn senior football, Allyn hockey, and Allyn tennis. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington & Lee University. He worked as a sales engineer for Alcoa and General Electric before becoming a real estate broker. George is survived by his wife, Judy, and his son, Barkly.

1953

Richard Ward Cannon, on January 5 at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Conn., with his family by his side. A four-year student from Windsor Locks, Dick was active with the Rifle and Glee clubs, Loomistakes, the Senior Dayboy Committee, and the advertising board for The Log. He participated in Allyn junior football, Allyn intermediate basketball, and Allyn tennis, and he was a cheer leader. Following Loomis, Dick attended Wesleyan University

and received a bachelor’s degree from Boston University in 1958. He went on to be a stockbroker, real estate broker, and insurance agent, and he last worked, with his brother Phil, as a sales manager at Manufacturers’ Mart Publications. Dick was predeceased by a brother, James E. Cannon. He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years, Louise; and their children, Louisa E. Wilson, Richard W. Cannon Jr., and Genevieve F. Cannon. He also leaves three grandchildren and his brother Phil G. Cannon. Funeral services were held January 10 at the Heritage Funeral Home in Suffield, Conn. A Mass of Christian Burial followed at Sacred Heart Church in Suffield. Burial took place at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Suffield.

1954

Gary Rollander Johnson, from cancer, on October 8, 2008. Gary was a four-year student from West Hartford. Extremely active during his Loomis career, Gary was involved in the Nautical and Glee clubs, and the Chapel Choir. He served on the Day Student, Loomis Development, Chapel and Assembly, Dining Hall, and Reception committees and on the Business Board for The Log. He was a chapel organist and was a cast member in The Mikado, The York Nativity, Emperor Jones, and Our Town. Gary also participated in Ludlow senior football, wrestling, and track. He received the William Cogswell Card Memorial Prize for Music. Following Loomis, Gary earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University. Gary was president and chief executive officer of Leandros Corporation, an art dealership. He was predeceased by his uncle, Howard Doolittle ’27, and is survived by his partner, Charles Z. Candler III.

1960

Timothy Walter Richards on January 4. A two-year student from New Canaan, Conn., Tim was active with the Student Endowment Fund, the Chemistry-Physics Club, and the Senior Scholarship Committee and as a reporter for The Log. He also participated in first baseball, cross country, Wolcott intermediate basketball, and first tennis, in which he earned a varsity letter. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cornell University, School of Engineering, where he was recipient of both the Hamilton Watch and Cornell Engineer awards for best combination of athletics, academics, and activities. Tim was founder and owner of Orchard Hills Athletics Club in Lancaster, Mass., for nearly 40 years. He also was founder and director of the International Health and Racquet Sports Association and founder of the North Central Massachusetts Boys and Girls Club. He was former trustee of the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts and Fitchburg Art Museums, former director of North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, and former director of the Fay Club in Fitchburg, Mass. He had been the recipient of the Philanthropist of Distinction Award by the Association of Fund Raising Professionals of North Central Massachusetts and received the President’s Award from Fitchburg State College and the Service Above Self Award from Mount Wachusett Community College. Most recently, loomischaffee.org | 47

IN MEMORIAM

he received the Nashua Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award for 2007 and the Ginny’s Guardian Angel Award for 2010. Tim ran his first of 17 marathons at age 57, and, at 60, he successfully hiked to the summit of Mt. Whitney in the Sierra Nevadas. Fellow Loomis alumnus and close friend John R. Bogdasarian ’62 describes Tim as “always ready to lend a hand to those in need, and he was considered a strong benefactor in our community.” Tim was predeceased by his brother, Henry Richards. He is survived by his wife, Sheila; his former wife, Sarah; his children, Jennifer Connor, Ken Richards, Camilla Velazquez, and Andrew Richards; six grandchildren; and two nephews. The funeral was to be held in Brandon Funeral Home in Fitchburg, Mass., on January 11.

1966

Robert Keith Millholen, peacefully, at home with his family by his side, on December 14, 2010. Bob was a three-year student from Waterford, Conn. He was active with Senior House and Volunteer committees as well as Pirandello Society. He also served as associate editor of The Log and was involved in the fall play, Humanitas. Bob was active in Ludlow senior soccer and Ludlow hockey. He was coach of Wolcott baseball. The 1966 Loomiscellany described Bob as a “walking, talking, one-of-a-kind guy every class should have and few get.” Following graduation, he began his studies at Tufts University before transferring to Franconia College in New Hampshire, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. He moved to Montana and then Washington state for several years and worked for the U.S. Forest Service and Arrowac Fisheries. While in Washington, he was very active in community theater, acting in a variety of plays to great reviews. He returned to Connecticut, where he worked for the State of Connecticut/Department of Social Services

SELF-RELIANCE | continued from 2

Whether it is William Shakespeare’s “to thine own self be true” or Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “believe your own thought,” well-educated people over the centuries have had a firm core of beliefs and values that helps them to steer a true course through life. We teach those beliefs and values

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by providing an environment where students make decisions for themselves multiple times every day and then live by the consequences of those decisions. The young man at the start of my column surely stands a better chance of developing self-reliance, confidence, and personal maturity than people who never cut the electronic

until he retired in 2008. Bob’s love of books and learning continued throughout his life. He is survived by his wife, Sandy; their son Paul; his sister-in-law; a niece; and two great nephews. A memorial service was held at the First Congregational Church in Willimantic, Conn., on December 18, 2010.

1971

Kenneth Shever Girard, on October 22, 2010, of chronic kidney disease. Ken was a four-year student from Gastonia, N.C. He was active with the Glee Club. He served as a tutor, as a theater and movie critic for The Log, and as a medical aid for Hartford Hospital. Ken also participated in tennis. Following his graduation, Ken attended the University of Pennsylvania. He spent most of his adult life working as an advocate for mentally ill patients at On Our Own, an outpatient facility in Baltimore, Md., and at Springfield State Hospital. Ken is survived by his brother, Frank Girard; two sisters, Susan Girard-Ruttenberg and Marilyn Girard Robinson; five nephews; and a niece. A private funeral service was to be held.

More News

The Alumni Office has learned of the passing of Allen Drew ’33 on March 1, 2011; Ralph Weir Grover ’38 on May 25, 2008; Francis Henry Stites ’38 on January 12, 2011; Thomas Joseph Ryan ’39 on June 8, 2009; James Ernest Siggins ’46 on September 28, 2010; Elizabeth Spafard Degraw ’51 on February 5, 2011; Chapin Sve Holman ’64 on November 15, 2010; and Jonathan Ludlum ’71 on October 25, 2009. More information, as available, will be printed in future issues.

umbilical cord. He may sleep through his alarm one morning, he may forget to turn in his laundry, he may even do poorly on a test because he didn’t study as much as he should have, but each of these instances will provide him with a continuous stream of lessons that will help him become a mature and responsible adult. As parents, we

have an obligation to let our children know that they are loved and supported, but we also need to give them the space and the time to make mistakes, to recover, and to grow into the wonderful young adults we know they can be. To read Sheila Culbert’s blog, go to loomischaffee.org / magazine.

IN MEMORIAM: David A. Haller Jr., Faculty | 1923–2011 | By Anne K. Stetson ’80 David A. Haller Jr. , 87, died on February 1, 2011, in Hyannis, Mass. Dave taught at Loomis for 39 years, coached the boys varsity wrestling team and served as assistant coach of the boys track team, and served as head of Warham Hall for many years. Born in 1923 to Dr. David A. Haller and Louise (Wilson) Haller, Dave grew up in Rochester, N.Y. His lifelong love of travel and adventure was fueled by a chapter driving an ambulance with the American Field Service for the British Army in Burma during World War II. A 1948 graduate of the University of Rochester, Dave began teaching history at Loomis in 1950. He quickly found the school to be his vocational home, and he taught there until 1989. Dave loved history, which provided ample room for his talents as a storyteller, but he loved Loomis more, so when the school developed a need for a mathematics teacher, he stepped into the breach. When he retired in 1989, Dave held the chair as Clark Foundation Mathematics Instructor. Dave shared a love for dogs, nature, and wildlife with students and colleagues alike throughout his life. Peter B. Coley ’81 recalls his teacher and friend as “a kind and generous man with nobility and a great sense of historical facts; Dave knew a great deal about almost everything — of course, math — but his depth of knowledge spanned the subjects of nature, evolution, ornithology, Burma, the First and Second World Wars, geo-politics, St. Croix, East Africa, photography, literature, poetry, New York Times crossword puzzles, the lore of the Loomis Archives and the entire history of the The Loomis Institute like no one else — and so many other broad topics. He was a rare bird from an era of oldschool scholars and prep school masters.” Dave was rarely seen without a white Sealyham terrier close on his heels. Former Loomis Chaffee master Dominic Failla recalls, “My most vivid memory of David was our outing to explore the Italian section of Hartford. This journey provided an opening for David to discuss the loss of his younger sister, who had died as a young child. I felt his profound loss and urged David to establish an ongoing dialogue with her — to talk to her — and give voice to his sense of sadness and loss. It was this conversation that came to represent a binding moment and a moving experience for both of us. I shall always remember David going to his classroom, with [his dog] Peppercorn following him, to do what he loved — teach.” From the banks of the Island, Dave had ample opportunity to explore not one but two rivers in a canoe, from which he could indulge his passion for bird-watching. His prodigious bird-feeders were popular not only with winged creatures, but also with squirrels, which led to an epic chapter of squirrel trapping and redistribution; a lesser mortal would have simply engaged in squirrel management with a BB gun or worse. Dave’s colorful and frequently irreverent sense of humor was inflected by an adventurous spirit that led him to far-flung places throughout his life, whether traveling with renowned bird expert Roger Tory Peterson in Antarctica, going on safari in Kenya, building a bungalow on St. Croix, or photographing blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos. He peppered his teaching with tales of these travels and the characters he met along the way. He was the epitome of the schoolmaster — a disciplinarian with a gentle

“

Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

He was the epitome of the schoolmaster — a disciplinarian with a gentle heart who commanded respect in the classroom through a wellpitched mix of sternness and humor.

”

heart who commanded respect in the classroom through a wellpitched mix of sternness and humor. When he retired from Loomis Chaffee in 1989, it was to Chatham that he repaired, revealing a sympathy with another avid sailor, Herman Melville, who wrote that “life is a journey that is homeward bound.” Dave leaves his nephews Scott Tappan ’63 of Chatham, Mass., and John Tappan of Carrboro, N.C.; and a cousin, Robert McNeece of Boxborough, Mass. Donations may be made in his memory to Loomis Chaffee in support of financial aid or to the Chatham Conservation Foundation, 104 Crowell Road, Chatham MA 02633.

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READERS’ VOICE

Recalling Traditions

but looks suspiciously like an elm in the photo — was cut down in 1960, and a horse hitching ring was found deep within it. Counting tree rings backwards led to a date of 1760 for the hitching ring, and perhaps for the original structure.

enjoyed your recent story about graduation traditions and the Senior Path in the summer Loomis Chaffee. While at LoomisChaffee (sic), my dormmates and I on Warham II were very much aware of the traditions associated with the Senior Path and wished to do something special for our graduation. We began collecting bottle caps in the beginning of our senior year and, under the cover of darkness in the wee hours of our graduation day, arranged them in a “78” as shown in the photo. To our surprise, school officials allowed them to remain for the graduation processional, but [they] were removed soon thereafter. Note from the photo that only the Class of 1977 is bricked in at the time. James A. Hewitt ’78

Phelps House figures large in my just-published autobiography, My Life As I Lived It. The book includes a reproduction of my father’s excellent painting of Phelps House, done in 1940 from an angle similar to the photographer’s. I’ll be donating this painting to the Katharine Brush Library, which stands on the very spot that Phelps House did. Robert B. “Jib” Fowles ’58

Legendary Teams, Legendary Masters

HAT a wonderful [summer] issue of the Loomis Chaffee Magazine. Congratulations on your story “Following a Path of Traditions.” I am so aware of all the time and effort it took to collect all that information. I thoroughly enjoyed reading every bit of it. Fantastic! … There is one minor mistake in the excellent article about reunion. … One name is incorrect in the description of the Chaffee Class of 1950 Class Scrapbooks that we gave to the Archives. … It says that “after graduation, senior class president Sarah Schaffer Martin ’50 maintained the book.” Actually the class president was Sara Shaffer King! Who would have ever thought there could be two Sarah (Sara) Schaffers (Shaffers) in our small class of only 17 girls? … Also, later in the same article when Penny Chittenden is quoted, it again mentions “Sarah Schaffer’s ‘Senior Door Speech.’” … often Chaffee people have confused their names since 1946! F. Evelyn Smith ’50

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really enjoyed reading the summer issue of the Loomis Chaffee Magazine but believe there is a misidentified photo. The class en route to graduation on page 24 is my class, 1954, not 1955. If I am right, Roberta Englund and Peggy Hood are the first in the line. Babs Kleiman Armour ’54

Home Sweet Home

HAT a great, great pleasure to see Karen Parsons’ article and an early picture of my beloved boyhood home, Phelps House, in the winter 2011 issue of Loomis Chaffee. The Fowles family (Lou

Photo: Jerome LeBlond ’78

and Jane, then children Jib, Cap, and Jinnet) lived in the back portion from 1940 until the house was razed in 1968. The bay window on the right in the 1902 photograph was our living room window. Right above it was a bedroom belonging to the front-side residence where occasionally a boarding student was billeted; Ben Sonnenberg ’54 (who I see has recently died) used to throw his soda cans out that window onto our lawn. The window visible on the third floor was to my brother’s attic bedroom; out that window he — mad at Dave Haller’s math homework — once threw his desk chair. … The tree closest to the front door — which in memory was a maple,

read with great pleasure, the article by Bob Howe ’80, in the winter issue of Loomis Chaffee, regarding the 1960 undefeated football team. As the article stated, the entire school was energized by the prospect of an undefeated team. And, the entire school was rightfully proud of that accomplishment. Not to detract from the football team, and not of the same significance, but nevertheless worthy of mention, was that in the same school year, the 1961 track and field team also produced an undefeated season. Don Joffray was our coach and a lasting inspiration to us all. (And, if memory serves me correctly, Pete Cummings ’61 set a couple of school records that season.) William P. Thompson ’61

was very much moved by your most your recent edition. First, I was knocked out once again by the layout and overall graphic presentation. It is first-rate design and production (this, coming from someone who has spent his career(s) in the communications business). It is remarkably sophis-

ticated and certainly surpasses the vast majority of publications I see from colleges and universities, let alone any secondary school that I can think of. Besides the first-rate look and feel, the accomplishments of some of my fellow alumni in the fashion trades are truly remarkable. I am hugely impressed. I was, however, very saddened to read about the passing of Messrs. Spencer, Howe, and Pierson. While I didn’t have any classes with Mr. Spencer, he always cut a distinctive figure on campus. Glover was an early and positive influence. He went out of his way to keep tabs on me throughout my years (ahem, four-plus, thank you very much) at Loomis and to do what he could to make sure that I kept everything in bounds. Each and every encounter left me with the impression that when we spoke I was the only thing that mattered to him at that particular moment. That ability to connect so viscerally is a rare and special gift. Sam Pierson used most of his many tricks on me to finally ignite my distracted, adolescent mind to the joys and power of the written word. He was probably the youngest teacher on the Island at the time but for what he may have lacked in experience (and stature), he more than made up for with a fine mind and an out-sized natural ability to motivate and inspire. He is probably the greatest factor in my decision to major in English at college, for which I will always be grateful. Damn, I am sorry to hear he has gone. Keep up the great work. Stewart Brownlee ’68

Editors’ Favorite

A Favorite Book

Y all time-favorite book is the King James Bible. It is the most beautiful and accurate English translation of the sacred Jewish and Christian scriptures. Able to make a man wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus, the King James Bible feeds the soul, nourishes the spirit, enlivens the conscience, stimulates the intellect, and ravishes the imagination. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “No other book of any kind written in English, perhaps no other book ever written in any other tongue, has ever so affected the whole life of a people as this authorized version of the Scriptures has affected the life of the English-speaking peoples.” The only literary masterpiece ever to have been produced by a committee, it is called by Bartlett “the most influential book ever published in the English language.” Unrivaled for literary excellence, the King James Bible’s cadences rival those of John Donne; its imagery surpasses that of Shakespeare; its penetration of thought and revelation of nature human and divine exceed that of John Milton. Its doctrine was the bedrock of American education for over two centuries. Its rhythms lay behind the genius of Churchill’s speeches. Inscribed on monuments public and private, citations and allusions to the King James Bible fill both British and American literature. No man can be said to be truly educated who has not read the King James Bible. Kenneth T. Brooks ’69

note to congratulate you on the summer 2010 Loomis Chaffee Magazine. Somehow it gotten hidden among other magazines so I’ve only just now read it. It was worth the wait. From the cover shot of the ebullient Jon Rosenthal to the thoughtful reflections of Sheila Culbert on what a school library should look like in an electronic era; from the “boys in the back” photo of seniors on Commencement Day to news of Harkness tables and ēno boards coming to Chaffee Hall classrooms; and from the article on the addition of Arabic to the language curriculum to word that Nat Follansbee has returned to campus as associate head of external relations, the magazine was a feast for alums like me who don’t get to campus very often but like to keep abreast of what’s happening on the Island. I particularly enjoyed the article by Bob Howe on the importance of sportsmanship to Loomis Chaffee athletics. Keenly do I recall the cultural transition I had to make in the fall of 1968 from the “destroy your opponent” mentality prevailing at my former school to the competitive-but-still-gentlemanly air pervading Erickson League contests, where a post-game “tea” with the opposing team was not uncommon. Nice to see Bob Howe continuing the tradition of respect for one’s opponent. Enjoyable as well were the photographs depicting Loomis, Chaffee, and Loomis Chaffee Commencement exercises over the years, and the “sidebar” stories on locations, attire (no caps and gowns for students graduating from an “opportunity school”), flowers, seating arrangements, and processional routes. Major kudos to James S. Rugen ’70 and Timothy C. Lawrence for their clever and appropriate

lyrics to Beethoven’s “Hymn to Joy.” On reaching the piece entitled “Content of the Ceremony,” I was surprised to note reference to my own Commencement in 1971. As the writer notes, our speaker, Congresswoman Ella Grasso, had to cancel at the last minute due to illness. A couple of students — Mary Lou Lombard and yours truly — were hurriedly called in to say a few words. The author was perhaps a bit generous in saying we “rose to the occasion,” but who’s complaining? Can one read Lou Fowles’ waxsealed letter written in 1967, referred to in archivist Karen Parsons’s lovely tribute? Or must that await the centenary year, 2014–15? I had not known that the Fowles living room in Phelps House — Where was or is that? — served as a forum for “coffee and solving world problems.” Then there were interesting Class Notes and photos, including news of theatrical exploits by my classmate Bobby Clements. To top it off, wonderful memorials to John Sterling Beardsley Archer and Gordon Bennett, members, respectively, of the classes of 1926 and 1928, each of whom lived to be over a hundred. Thanks to all those who contributed to a rewarding reading experience. E. Phelps Gay ’71

We welcome and encourage your opinions and reactions. Letters may be edited for clarity, length, and accuracy. Please submit comments to Loomis Chaffee Editors, The Loomis Chaffee School, Windsor CT 06095; or magazine@loomis.org.

loomischaffee.org | 51

THE LAST WORD | BY GLOVER HOWE ’48

Bedtime Rules for the Mason Hall Boys EDITORS’ NOTE: As Loomis Chaffee plans for its Centennial in 2014–15, firsthand accounts from faculty, students, and alumni about their daily affairs at school figure prominently in the historical record of the school’s first 100 years. In each issue of Loomis Chaffee Magazine, “The Last Word” shares a firsthand account from an LC community member.

“

We had a very definite bed time. … I think it was 10 o’clock [for] all the freshmen [and] the sophomores. … The duty man down in the boiler room would pull a big switch, [and] every light in the place went out on those underclassmen quarters. There was no such thing as an electric blanket. Rarely was there an electric clock, and none of these fancy things that needed power all night long. I mean, when those lights went out, those lights went out, and they didn’t come back on, I don’t think, until 6 o’clock the next morning. It was all done by a single man who pulled a single switch.”

Glover, standing, and schoolmates reveal the lighter side of Loomis life in the 1940s. Photo: Archives

“… They didn’t turn the heat off until around 11 [p.m.] because that was when the seniors went to bed. And those dorms, let me tell you, boy, those dorms were quiet. They were very strict about that.” “We used to go in our closets or under the bed with flashlights. And Charles [Pratt, the dorm head of Mason Hall] was marvelous about it because he knew exactly what we were doing. … Every now and then, … he’d walk around the dorm. And, of course, he’d see these flicks of light — he didn’t miss many times — and he’d just go, knock on the door, and there we’d be. He’d catch us even under our own beds because we used to drape our beds with heavy blankets, and we’d study underneath them.

”

— An excerpt from Glover Howe’s retirement interview, conducted by Marilyn Loomis for the Loomis Chaffee Archives on June 6, 1989. Glover, a loyal alumnus and revered longtime faculty member, died on December 16, 2010. (See obituary, page 45.) © 52 |

Lending a hand, Glover delivers balloons for Reunion Weekend festivities in the 1980s. Photo: Archives

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