Pomfret Magazine | Spring 2023

Designing Possibilities

This Is Awkward Nomadland author Jessica Bruder is comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Pomfret’s future science center is beginning to take shape.

Sara Bharwani ’24 and Ed Griffin

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CHAPEL TALK Jack Heroux ’23

ICONOGRAPHY

Helios Greenhouse

Pomfret School

398 Pomfret Street • PO Box 128 Pomfret, CT 06258-0128

860.963.6100 www.pomfret.org

Editor Garry Dow gdow@pomfret.org

Head Writer Corrine Szarkowicz

Copy Editor

Tina Lefevre O’Connor

Class Notes Editor

Deb Thurston dthurston@pomfret.org

Design

Jordan Kempain

Contributing Writers

Jack Heroux ’23

Tim Richards

Photographers

Jay Chin ’24

Aiden Choi ’23

Jim Gipe (Pivot Media)

Jordan Kempain

Quynh Anh Lê ’24

Tina Lefevre O’Connor

Lindsay Lehmann

Rishi Sura-Collins ’23

Corrine Szarkowicz

We Want to Hear from You

Really, we do. These are your stories and this is your magazine. If we’ve inspired, challenged, or disappointed you, please tell us about it.

Our Mission Pomfret School empowers students to pursue lives of purpose and meaning.

Pomfret Magazine is published by Pomfret’s Communications Office © 2023

Pomfret School does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, handicap, gender, sexual orientation, age, or national origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid, or other programs administered by the School.

Shoot the Moon

By Tim Richards, Head of School

On the windowsill in my office, I have a game called Shoot the Moon. The game dates back to the 1940s, and I can attest to it being part of my life since the 1960s. The object of the game is quite simple.

According to the website masterofgames.com, “The ball starts at one end and you grab the handles of the two bars at the other end. You need to move the bars apart to get the ball going and then you have to gradually manipulate them to make the ball roll as far as possible to the other end. The further the ball goes before it drops, the more you score.”

This gravity-defying game has transfixed me for almost sixty years. It can become a bit of an obsession, and I have to admit that after literally thousands of attempts, I have never hit the Moon, which is the best possible outcome. Alas, I have progressed all the way to the Fourth Stage, a respectable achievement, and yet agonizingly close to winning.

To achieve anything meaningful in this wonderfully confounding game demands patience, resilience, and no small amount of dexterity. To successfully move the ball uphill through all four stages to the Moon requires the perfect amount of friction;

if you spread the bars too slowly, the ball goes nowhere. To move the bars too quickly is initially exciting but invariably results in a less-than-satisfactory outcome.

I keep this childhood game in my office both for brain breaks and as a perpetual reminder about progress. The game is a near perfect metaphor for schools. Progress, or change, at institutions like Pomfret, is always and inevitably an uphill climb. It requires patience, adaptability, and agility. I have learned much over the past twelve years about school change. I know that being too deliberate, too slow, or too cautious will result in no forward movement at all. At the same time, as I have seen on more than one occasion, movements that are too quick or hasty can lead to setbacks or even failure.

Back in January 2022, we released a new five-year strategic plan called Change Makers and Problem Solvers . If this is news to you, I encourage you to check it out. It is a quick and easy read, but it conveys a powerful vision for the future of our School. We did not call it Shoot the Moon, but we very well could have. It is an ambitious plan that seeks to create a more aligned, more

inclusive, and more sustainable Pomfret. Easy to envision; hard to accomplish. Sounds like a certain childhood game.

As custodians of the strategic plan, the members of the Strategic Plan Accountability Task Force are the gatekeepers, the traffic cops, and the flight controllers of our institution. Do we want to be bold? Always. Reckless? Never. Pomfret has worked hard, over many years, to build its reputation as one of the best small schools in the nation, and we have a responsibility to be good stewards of that legacy, even as we hurtle headlong — and perhaps even uphill — into the future.

To date, the task force has logged more than sixty actions in service of the strategic plan, demonstrating significant progress in all twelve goal-areas. For a school of our size, this is a remarkable

achievement. Of course, some of our attempts have resulted in less forward momentum than I had hoped, but I know that, like the friction between the ball and the bars in Shoot the Moon, resistance is an essential component of progress.

By and large, we have managed the game pretty well. Long ago, we passed the outer reaches of the atmosphere. Have we reached the Moon? No, not yet. Have we been too slow in some areas? Perhaps. Have we been too quick in some of our attempts to move the ball up the hill? Almost certainly. But with each attempt, each passing day, we get a little closer. It is my belief that if we thoughtfully continue to refine our approach to the “how” of school change, we can, like those skilled gamers who have succeeded at “shooting the moon,” move Pomfret toward its most fully actualized version of itself. I can’t wait. I trust it will happen more quickly than my personal pursuit of the Moon.

“ ”

ON THEHilltop

Over the Board

Chess is all anyone is talking about these days. Whether the buzz is about Netflix’s show The Queen’s Gambit cheating accusations surrounding American grandmaster Hans Niemann, or the report of chess games in NFL locker rooms, the number of people talking about and playing chess is on the rise. Tournaments are being held worldwide — including right here on the Hilltop, in Chess Club.

Seb Lutts ’25 and Magnus Read ’25 have reinvigorated Pomfret’s Chess Club and are sharing their love of the game with their peers. More than fifteen students turned out for the first meeting of the year, and many more have signed up since. Students and faculty go head-to-head, playing over the board and online.

“I love the intellectual aspect of chess,” shares Magnus. “It gets your brain going and requires you to think ten steps ahead.”

Chess Club plans to play against members within t club in mini-tournaments and offer tutorials to teach more students how to play. They have also set up a chess.com page where students can play online games with one another between club meetings. After honing their skills, they hope to take the game on the road and compete against other prep schools.

One for the Books

Family Weekend brought loved ones to the Hilltop for an amazing, fun-filled weekend. There were opportunities to attend classes, enjoy delicious meals, take in lectures and art performances, and cheer for the Griffins under cloudless blue skies. It was one for the books. Classes were filled with families brushing up on their Spanish and French, working through math problems, and painting masterpieces in the Chick Cole Studio. At the Harvest Dinner, they watched music and dance performances and took in the student art on display. The learning continued on Saturday morning with the State of the School update and college counseling, academic, and mental health presentations. Families rounded out the weekend by watching their student-athletes compete in home games and meets.

Quynh Anh Lê ’24

She’s Got Grit

Delia Bousquet ’24 has grit. Whether training for a national triathlon — something she’s been doing since she was five — or writing a book, she will do whatever it takes to achieve her dreams.

Last March, Delia published her first book, Grit. What started as a Humanities II: English assignment — to write a book inspired by Claudia Rankine’s Citizen — resulted in a book available for purchase. “I went into the project intending to get my book published. It’s something I always dreamed of,” she explained.

While training and competing in triathlons takes a lot of grit, it also takes a lot of grit to self-publish a book. Delia’s submission was rejected more than ten times because it did not match the exact formatting specifications. Each time it was sent back, she made revisions. “There were times during the process when my frame of mind resembled competing in a triathlon. I thought, am I going to be able to do this? But the moments when you cross the finish line and when you finish a book are very similar.”

Delia has not had much time to market and promote her book. She devotes her free time to training. Not even the toxic algae could stop her from achieving her goal. When the swimming component of the USA Triathlon Long Course National Championship race was canceled, she quickly pivoted to the traditional run-bike-run duathlon format. Despite the last-minute change, she won the sixteen- to seventeen-year-old age group and accomplished her second dream.

Pomfret’s Social Dilemma

Facebook was launched before most of our current students were even born. It is just one of the plethora of platforms they use to “connect” with one another. With Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, they are constantly fed curated content that reinforces — or misinforms and challenges — their views and opinions. They have grown up in an online world, hyper-focused on likes, views, snapstreaks, comments, notifications, and viral posts, which can have a negative impact on their mental health and self-esteem.

“The way we learn and interact with one another has changed,” said Head of School Tim Richards. “As a society, we have become disconnected from in-person interactions and turned to connecting online. It is the issue of our time and an issue for our school.” Knowing all of these things and in alignment with our vision of inspiring the next generation of change makers and problem solvers, Pomfret is doing something about it.

In September, the School watched the 2020 Netflix docu-drama

The Social Dilemma, which explores the consequences of our growing dependence on social media. After viewing the documentary, the community discussed misinformation, engagement, utilization, and anxiety related to global issues, Pomfret, and their personal lives. In October, the School continued the discussion on technology use and held a challenge to reduce cell phone usage. The conversations about social media and technology have continued throughout the academic year.

/ the social dilemma

Not Your Parents’ Sex Ed

Pomfret kicked off a new program designed to educate and empower students to make informed decisions regarding healthy and mature relationships. The four-part series addresses healthy relationships, sexual health and consent, and general human anatomy.

“Our students are surrounded by sexuality — online and in television shows and movies — whether they’re looking for it or not,” says Art Department Head Lindsay Lehmann, who co-leads the Sexuality program this year. “We hope the program will answer their questions, so they have confidence and understanding to communicate their wants and needs.”

Students will learn how to communicate about relationships and respect their partners. The program will also educate them about human bodies and how they work. The goal of the conversations is to prepare them so that if and when they engage with a partner, they are safe — both physically and emotionally.

Under Winter Moon

As the GriffTones sang of snowflakes dancing in moonbeams, snow gently fell outside Clark Chapel, blanketing the Hilltop in the first snow of the season. Andy Beck’s “Under Winter Moon” was one of many songs the GriffTones, Chamber Ensemble, and Festival Chorus performed for the School and more than one hundred members of the Pomfret community. The snow helped make the return of the annual Candlelight tradition — after a twoyear, Covid-induced hiatus — even more magical.

“Watch the light spread to fill this room. Imagine the ways you are drawn to be light in the world,” Director of Spiritual Life Bobby Fisher remarked before lighting his candle and sharing the flame with the performers and students who read poems containing messages of light and hope. “Recognize the powerful reach you have and each person has as a light to brighten a room, a life, and the world around us.” As those in attendance lit their candles, the Chapel was filled with light.

In thanking the organizers and performers of the Candlelight celebration, in his opening remarks, Head of School Tim Richards said, “you are truly lighting the way for us as we enter these cold, dark, snowy days of the winter season.”

I See Stars

When Theater Director Chip Lamb announced to the Pomfret School Theater group that the high school version of the musical Mean Girls was the winter production, there was a range of chatter — or gossip — throughout the theater. Rumors started to circulate last year that this iconic production was going to be the show selected.

The performers got to work staging the production. With so many songs and moving set pieces, they rehearsed around the clock to bring the musical to life. All their hard work resulted in three outstanding performances of the two-act, coming-of-age musical comedy written by Tina Fey. “What these students were able to accomplish is pretty remarkable,” says Lamb. “We’re a small school. The theater group had only twenty performers. They were able to put on this two-plus hour musical. That’s a significant feat.”

“My favorite part of the show was the final musical number,” shares Kylie Corrigan ’25, who played Cady. The final song — “I See Stars” — and the show have a great message. “It reminded the audience to be themselves. I think that a lot of people have a similar sort of story to Cady’s — about being new and wanting to fit in — and hopefully, that resonated with people.”

Penny’s Flight

In November, at the age of sixteen, Penny Doerge ’25, lost her courageous battle with glioblastoma multiforme, a kind of brain cancer resulting from neurofibromatosis, a disease she had lived with since infancy. Penny never let her illness define her and chose joy, humor, and bravery as her way of life — every day.

Her parents created the Penny’s Flight Foundation to celebrate her life and raise funds for neurofibromatosis research, expand knowledge around the disease, and inspire others to find beauty in imperfection, positivity in the face of challenge, and faith over fear.

Joining schools across the country, Pomfret hosted Be a Butterfly events to support the Foundation, honor Penny’s memory, and remind people to “Spread your wings, shine your light. What is truly important is your wingspan, not your lifespan.”

The More Everyone One Gets

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we explored ways to continue the activism and advocacy for civil and human rights that Dr. King was known for. Akailah Jenkins McIntyre and Kalea Selmon from the Wells Collective, LLC and LGBT+ advocates Jay Potter and Damián Lima guided discussions on how our students can make an impact on the future of a just society.

Students learned about inequality, equality, equity, and justice. They discussed how improving the environment so everyone can flourish would not negatively impact those who previously experienced advantages in life. “Privilege and human rights are not a pie. It’s not that the more we get, the less you get. It’s the more everyone gets, the more everyone gets,” explained Potter. Selmon emphasized that no one will lose if we create a more inclusive society. “It is not just a zero-sum game. If we fix the system, somebody is not going to lose,” she said. “Everybody will be golden.”

Potter and Lima, both transgender men, spoke about the Pomfret Experience and the effect they believe our students will have on the future of society. “You have the ability to be a change maker. This country is going to look to the students in this room to stand up and make a difference,” imparted Potter. “When you leave Pomfret, take the energy we have created today and be a mover and shaker. Take what you have gained today into your career and use that power for good to help the people around you.”

Ser escuchado

At an event held in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the du Pont Library could have been mistaken for La Biblioteca du Pont. The second floor was filled with students who gathered to listen to some of our native Spanish-speaking faculty recite poems, share songs, and read short stories.

World Languages Department Head Pablo Montoro Alonso and Spanish Teacher Natalia Aragón both shared short stories from one of their favorite writers, Julio Cortázar. “Learning about our teachers’ favorite stories was eye-opening,” shared Sarah Pothel ’24. “It inspires me to study more complex literature so I can continue to learn the meaning and the gravity of Pablo’s reading.”

Spanish Teacher Sara Villalba made and shared a photo slideshow of images she has taken since leaving her home country of Spain in 2016, accompanied by the song “Madre Tierra” by Chayanne, a Puerto Rican bestselling Latin music artist and actor. Dean of Enrollment Management Susan Mantilla-Goin finished the program by sharing the poem “AmeRícan” by Tato Laviera and giving a brief history of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican and Nuyorican culture.

Nametags

“It’s not what happens to you. It’s what you do with what happens to you.” If a tour group had walked passed Hard Auditorium during a recent QUEST assembly, they would have heard those two phrases being chanted out numerous times by the entire school. It’s the mantra seven-time Paralympian Chris Waddell lives by and encompasses the work of his foundation’s Nametag program.

Waddell shared his personal journey and encouraged students to look past the nametags and limitations they have been given and create a new label that represents what they want to become. He looked past his paraplegic nametag and became a monoskier. “If I had never had my accident, I would have never become the best in the world at anything,” Waddell said.

After the presentation, students explored resilience, selfawareness, inclusion, and perception in small groups. They discussed the importance of acceptance and being a part of a good team. “Chris’ powerful message motivated me, and my fellow students, to reflect on obstacles in our lives and find ways to not only overcome them but to be inspired by them,” shared Ellis Perryman ’23, a QUEST student leader.

Top of the Hill

For the fourth year in a row, Pomfret has been ranked in the top 4 percent of all independent schools in the country by Niche — the market leader in secondary school rankings. The rankings are based on a rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents. Pomfret received top marks in academics, teachers, college prep, diversity, clubs and activities, and sports.

One recent graduate posted on Niche, “The small class size and the way the teachers approach group discussions allow for a real understanding of topics. I feel very prepared for college. Plus, the community of students and faculty is very welcoming.” Of the students and parents who submitted a review, 100 percent agreed that the teachers genuinely care about the students, and 98 percent of students reported liking Pomfret and feeling happy on the Hilltop.

Pomfret has built a reputation as one of the best small schools in the nation. Bold initiatives and interesting offerings like the Grauer Family Institute, Experiential Travel Program, and Certificate Program have caught the eye of families looking for a school that both pushes and pulls its students to succeed.

Getting It Right

As Pomfret’s fourteenth W.P. Carey Lecture Series speaker, Sam Prouty, director of admissions from Middlebury College, gave tips to help families approach the college process the right way. “If you start with the college and go backward, you’re doing it wrong,” he advised. Instead of thinking about a specific school, students — with the support of their family and college counselor — should approach their college search with the goal of answering three important questions: who are you right now, who are you in the process of becoming, and how is a particular college or university going to help you get there.

Prouty also shared key factors most liberal arts schools are looking for when making admission decisions. He reminded families of the importance of recommendation letters as a great supplement to an application. “When we read those recommendations and student profiles, we’re reading the profile of a student who is deeply known and is represented holistically and thoroughly in the process,” says Prouty.

The lecture series, endowed by William Polk Carey ’48, brings a representative from a renowned college or university admissions office to the Hilltop to address students, parents, and faculty on the latest perspectives on the college search and application process.

5 Cultivates Habits of Wellbeing

5

Learns

Out from the Crowd

Director of Studies Doug MacLeod taped five college transcripts on one side of a meeting room. On the other side, he listed the names of five high-achieving Pomfret seniors. He asked a group of veteran faculty to match the transcripts with their owners. “They couldn’t do it,” MacLeod said. “The classes and grades were the same. It was impossible to tell them apart.”

The Pomfret faculty are not alone. College admission officers are having a hard time telling one top-tier candidate from the next, with more than 60 percent of the grades reported to colleges last year being As. To help give our students the edge, Pomfret recently partnered with the Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC) — a national nonprofit specializing in measuring student growth and achievement — to adopt an official supplement to the traditional college transcript, the MTC Learning Record.

12 POMFRET SPRING 2023

readers a clearer, more holistic snapshot of a student’s unique strengths, interests, passions, skills, and capabilities. The learning record will be a cumulative self-assessment curated by the student, drawing on the totality of their Pomfret Experience.

“The MTC Learning Record does not replace a traditional high school transcript,” says Dean of Enrollment Management Susan Mantilla-Goin. “It’s just one more resource that college admissions officers can use to gauge student achievement.”

Meet and Greet

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont took time out of his busy schedule for a meet and greet with the US Government Elections and Campaigns class. Lamont, who was in the final days of his first re-election campaign, spoke with the class about the importance of voting and serving in their local government or in the military. He also encouraged them to consider returning to Connecticut after graduating from college to take advantage of the thriving job market.

The Magic School Bus

Students in Astronomy I: Earth to the Milky Way’s Edge blasted off in a Pomfret bus down Route 44/169. They were on a mission to understand the size of objects in our solar system and their distance from the Sun on a more familiar scale.

With their pilot, Science Department Head and Director of the Olmsted Observatory Josh Lake, behind the wheel, they launched their mission from the Sun — the traffic light at the four-way intersection of Route 44/169 and Route 97, outside of the Vanilla Bean.

At each stop, students held up a circular or spherical object that represented a celestial body in our solar system. The size of each object was scaled in relation to the Sun, a large yoga ball. They shared three interesting facts and the distance between their object and the Sun in astronomical units (AU) and on the Pomfret scale.

After traveling down Route 44/169 and making numerous stops, the bus turned around, but not before the students learned about two transNeptunian objects. They were shocked to hear how far Pluto was from the Sun but were stunned when Lake shared how close the nearest star, Proxima Centauri, was to the Sun on the Pomfret model — all the way around the Earth plus the distance from Pomfret to Detroit, Michigan.

“The field trip really helped me understand just how much empty space there is in the solar system,” explained Dolan Pols ’23.

The class learned about other examples of the size of the solar system, including permanent displays in Maine and Sweden and temporary ones set up in the desert and on a football field. While the bus ride and their demonstration was not the first scale model of the solar system, it was certainly the most magical.

Josh Lake

They’ve Got the Power

Throughout the fall term, students in Sustainable Campus Energies examined the renewable technology Pomfret has employed to be a green and environmentally friendly school. The class learned about Pomfret’s electrical generation and use by touring the cogeneration boiler system and biomass and micro-hydroelectric turbines.

The students’ exploration set the groundwork for their signature assessment — to reduce the School’s energy consumption, expenses, and utilization of resources. They focused their efforts on the source of most of the electricity usage in dorm rooms — vampire devices. A vampire device is any technology that continues to utilize electricity when plugged in and not in use. For their assessment, the students took initial electrical meter readings before educating the dorm residents about vampire energy and ways to reduce consumption.

“It was amazing to see the students invested in the challenge of reducing energy consumption,” shared Science Teacher Brian Geyer, who taught the sustainability class. “They explored science in their own way and came up with some unique solutions.” Days after their first visit, the students returned to the dorms to take follow-up readings and analyze the impact of their public service announcement. Dorm residents took the challenge to heart and reduced their usage by 17 percent. Now that’s power!

Experiential Travel Fund

During their time on the Hilltop, many Pomfret students choose to travel in the US or abroad. They return transformed by their experience and excited to share what they have learned with others. But experiencing the world can be expensive, and not everyone who wanted to participate in a travel program at Pomfret could afford to do so — until now.

Pomfret is pleased to announce a new fund that will offset the cost of Pomfret’s Experiential Travel Program. “For the first time in our history, the ability to pay will no longer be a barrier to participating in the travel program at Pomfret School,” says Chief Financial Officer Ed Griffin.

Beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year, every three- and four-year student who registers for a travel-based program will have the option to apply for financial relief. Decisions will be based on the family’s ability to pay and financial awards will range from a partial reduction of the program fee to full forgiveness.

Pomfret plans to keep growing the travel program and the fund that supports it in hopes that every student will take advantage of the amazing opportunity to better understand themselves and the world around them.

Pablo Montoro Alonso

On to Bigger Fields

Best of luck to both Dylan Johnson and Nate Watson as they take their academic and athletic games to the next level. On National Signing Day, the pair signed National Letters of Intent to continue their lacrosse careers at the Division I level. Dylan will join the UMass Minutemen, while Nate will play for the Quinnipiac University Bobcats.

During the spring 2022 season, Nate was named a USA Lacrosse All-American. Postgraduate Dylan was also named a USA Lacrosse All-American three times.

Additional Griffins plan to continue to pursue their sport at the collegiate level next year. An event will be held in the spring to celebrate their commitments.

NEPSAC Stars

Ten student-athletes earned individual accolades from NEPSAC this fall for their efforts on the field, court, and course. Boys cross country runners Jack Heroux ’23 and Dolan Pols ’23 were named Division III All-NEPSAC and Adam Tillinghast ’24 earned honorable mention recognition. For their success on the field hockey pitch, Grace Long ’23 received All-NEPSAC Class B honors and Avery Valente ’24 collected an honorable mention nod. On the football field, Matt Steele ’25 was one of only two sophomores awarded NEPSAC Eight-Player Football honors, while his teammate Geno Rovero ’23 received an honorable mention. In soccer, Eva Guidone ’24 and Devin Walcott ’23 earned honorable mentions in their respective NEPSAC classes. For her efforts on the volleyball court, Rosi Martines ’24 also collected honorable mention recognition.

“We are proud of the dedication these students have shown to their team and Pomfret this fall,” said Director of Athletics and Afternoon Programs Mo Gaitán. “This is a great group of student ambassadors who embody what it is to have Pomfret Pride!”

Overtime

After the girls varsity soccer game ended regular play in a tie, Pomfret and Millbrook Schools stood with bated breath on the sidelines as the penalty shootout began. While soccer games often end in ties — this game was different. It was Pomfret / Millbrook Day. It was the final event in the day-long rivalry competition.

On Millbrook’s first penalty kick, Goalie Layla Pini ’25 dove for the ball and made an outstanding save. Shots made by Paige Anderson ’24, Anna Davis ’24, Gracie Needham ’26, and Eva Guidone ’24 all ended with a swish of the net. The Griffins were up 4 to 3 on the Mustang’s final penalty kick. With Layla’s second fantastic save, Pomfret won the game. The crowd of fans, dressed in red and black, and the rest of the girls varsity soccer team flooded the field to celebrate the final win of the Battle for Route 44.

“I’m so proud of our students — both on and off the field — in our convincing victory over the Mustangs,” said Head of School Tim Richards. “Whether they were participating in a game or being fantastic spectators, they carried themselves with dignity and class.”

Wins from football, boys and girls JV soccer, JV volleyball, and JV and varsity field hockey teams also contributed to the Pomfret / Millbrook Day victory. After the win on the girls varsity soccer field, our boys cross country team placed third at the NEPSTA Division III Cross Country Championships and added another point to Pomfret’s winning tally.

It was an exciting bus ride home — east on Route 44, back to the Hilltop — where students continued the celebration by ringing the victory bell.

Fall Dance Showcase

Students in Advanced Dance Repertory wowed the Pomfret School community at the Fall Dance Showcase. Choreographed entirely by the nine student dancers, the performance was the culmination of all their hard work throughout the fall term.

Dressed in white and black outfits that expressed their individual style, the performers displayed a variety of global dance styles and techniques in their routines. Each number — whether it was a solo, duet, or small or full group performance — contained a nice mix of rhythm and musicality. Their love for dance was visible in their movement and the smiles on each of the dancers’ faces as they shared their gifts and talents with the audience.

Legendary Season

This fall, the boys cross country team earned top finishes in numerous invitational races, won many small meets, and had a strong finish at the NEPSTA Division III Championship.

At the first multi-school invitational of the year — the Canterbury Invitational — the team finished first ahead of their nine opponents. Dolan Pols ’23 broke the race tape, followed by Jack Heroux ’23 who finished fifth. Four days later at the Marianapolis Invitational, Pomfret finished second, and Dolan and Jack finished in the top five once again. Pomfret placed second at the Richard Miller Invitational against some top Division II and III teams in their third race in the span of one week.

Of the five dual and small meets Pomfret competed in during the second half of the season, the Griffins won all but one — where they finished a close second. The fast legs of Luke Corrigan ’25, Josh Long ’24, Tim Nazarov ’23, Sean Rhatigan ’25, Jobie-Lewis Rogers ’25, Adam Tillinghast ’24, and Jack Ventresca ’23 helped contribute to the victories. At the New England Championships, Pomfret placed third — only one point behind the second-place finisher.

“Of all the teams that I’ve coached here in twelve years, these young men had the highest Pomfret finish at the NEPSTA Championships,” said Boys Cross Country Coach and English Teacher David Ring. “They are both the legacy of the teams that came before them and the one that future teams will look to for inspiration.”

Jay Chin ’24

Vote

Why do you vote? Photography and digital arts students answered this question through their art. While most of them are not even old enough to vote, this did not stop them from sharing their opinions on issues that appeared on ballots across the country in November and the importance of voting.

The project was inspired by Silver Circle Gallery, a local art gallery in the nearby town of Putnam. The exhibit Every Vote Counts: Why I Vote asked high school students and local artists to submit pieces that express the passion behind their politics. Most students focused on universal issues such as human rights or the environment, while others illustrated the importance of making your voice heard on Election Day. “I was amazed at the students’ response to the call for artwork. The things they were thinking and cared about were a wide scope,” shared Gallery Director Lisa Andrews. “Some of their pieces showed that voting doesn’t have to be about politics — it can be about the future of our country and planet.”

Students in the digital arts class used Adobe Photoshop to create photo composites and Adobe Illustrator to create original illustrations. Most of the photography students captured original photos and added text in Adobe Photoshop.

Concerto at Carnegie

When flutist Hannah Park ’24 stepped onto the stage of Carnegie Hall, she was wracked with nerves. It was an unusual feeling for her. Since 2021, she’d placed in the top three in nine international and national competitions and never felt as nervous as she did in the prestigious New York City concert venue.

But a minute into her performance of A. Mozart’s “Concerto No.1 in G Major,” she began to relax. As she continued to play, she felt more comfortable and by the end of the song, Hannah was proud of her accomplishment. She took in every second, holding on to the moment and experience.

Hannah’s performed at Carnegie Hall as a part of the American Protégé Winners Recital following her second-place win in the Fall 2021 American Protégé International Music Talent Competition. Additional recitals will be held this summer to honor her first-place win in the 2022 American Protégé competition. She will get another chance to perform Mozart’s difficult piece, which has a lot of unique notes and techniques that showcase the skills of the performer. “I know I can improve on some components for my next performance this summer, but I am pretty proud of myself,” says Hannah.

Rishi Sura-Collins ’23

Courtesy Hannah Park ’24

All-Gender Housing Coming Soon

Starting in September 2023, Pomfret will begin offering an all-gender housing option. “The decision to create an all-gender housing option is in direct response to a demonstrated need within our community,” Head of School Tim Richards said. “Over the past several years, a number of students (current and prospective) have indicated a strong desire to reside in a place that aligns with their gender identity, and it is our responsibility to support them.”

In recent years, several peer schools have successfully launched all-gender housing programs. Following their lead, Pomfret formed an exploratory committee last year to investigate the need for and viability of establishing an all-gender housing option on campus. The committee is currently working to identify a location. Interested students will be asked to complete an application and participate in an interview this spring.

Ye Olde Bike Shoppe

The Hilltop was brimming with activity throughout the Project: Pomfret period. For ten days, twenty-five project groups of students and faculty focused on questions that intrigued and perplexed them and aligned with one of the six domains of our Certificate Program.

After learning the basics of bicycle mechanics, the Ye Olde Bike Shoppe group turned the Makerspace into a bicycle repair shop. They began by inspecting each bike and cleaning the parts before replacing brake lines and other necessary components. By the end of the project period, they’d repaired more than fifteen bikes for members of the Pomfret community. “I enjoyed learning the skills needed to repair a bike,” said Max Pertsoff ’23. “It was great to see the finished product and know I made the repairs myself.”

The Project: Pomfret period culminated in a two-day project fair where students presented their findings to their classmates, teachers, and families. Each group shared the memories and artwork they created and the skills and knowledge they learned during the two-week project period. Comment end

Faculty & Staff News

A New Dean in Town

After a nationwide search and extensive interview process with the Dean of Students Search Advisory Group, Charlotte McMahon was selected as Pomfret School’s next dean of students. She stepped into her new role on January 3.

McMahon is no stranger to the Dean’s Office. After joining the Pomfret School community as an English teacher in the fall of 2017, she added the responsibility of form dean the following winter. During her five years in the Dean’s Office, she has worked with the freshman and sophomore classes to ease the transition to a new boarding school, established restorative education approaches to disciplinary hearings, and collaborated with the many school offices to support inclusivity, equity, and student growth. She went above and beyond in her role and established a residential assistant position, increased student leadership opportunities, and initiated the process for developing Pomfret’s new Sexuality program, which was implemented this fall.

“Char lotte was unquestionably the strongest candidate in the pool,” expressed Head of School Tim Richards. “Not only is she well known to Pomfret, having served as an English teacher and a form dean for several years, her credentials and experience, both at Pomfret and in other roles in which she has served elsewhere, made her stand out above a strong crowd.”

In her new role, McMahon plans to increase communication with Athletics, DEI, Admissions, Academics, and Student Activities; revamp the dorm curriculum to provide students access to necessary educational topics outside of the academic realm; and hold regular meetings with each form to connect, gauge happiness, and gain more student input in the decisions that directly impact them. She is committed to connection through open communication, transparency, and accountability.

We give thanks to Associate Dean of Students, History Teacher, and Form Dean Pat Boyd, who served as the acting dean of students during the search.

A New Bundle of Joy

Nurse Emily Carr and her husband Andrew Senecal welcomed their second daughter Saylor Lois Senecal on Friday, November 25, 2022, at 1:29 p.m. Big sister Ella and her parents are over the moon.

Election Night Victory

Associate Dean of Students, History Teacher, and Form Dean Pat Boyd was re-elected as the state representative for the 50th District of Connecticut — a position he has held since 2016. Prior to the start of the 2023 legislative session, Boyd was appointed as the house chair of the Public Safety and Security Committee. He also serves on the Committee on Children and the Committee on Veterans’ and Military Affairs.

Welcome to Pomfret

The following staff members joined the Pomfret team during the Fall 2022 term.

Check Out These Books

Associate Director of Design and Publications

Jordan Kempain recently illustrated two children’s books. Mike & The Magic Marble and Naughty, Cira were written by two Putnam authors — one being Kempain’s father, Stephen Kempain. The books are available for purchase online through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Allard Security Guard

William

Stephanie Kerensky Office Coordinator

Paige

Mador Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement

Alec

Nystrom Grounds Staff

Susan Rich Advancement Associate

WRITTEN BY Stephen Kempain ILLUSTRATED BY Jordan Kempain

“Naughty, Cira” “Naughty, Cira”

WRITTEN BY Rachael Arcand Martel ILLUSTRATED BY Jordan Kempain

STORY BY Corrine Szarkowicz

Catalyst for Change

Over Long Winter Weekend Sara Bharwani ’24 met His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, Her Majesty Queen Máxima, and Her Royal Highness Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, in Sint Maarten, the Dutch portion of the island of Saint Martin. The opportunity came as a result of the children’s book she recently wrote and the environmental work she began when she was thirteen years old.

S ara B harwani ’24

Sara’s was one of several youth entrepreneurs’ exhibitions on the Royal Walk organized by the Cultural Department. The Royal Family stopped for nearly five minutes to speak with Sara about the book she wrote. “I thought they would only talk to me for a few seconds and then continue on their way,” says Sara. “I only had a two-minute speech prepared. But when they stayed longer, I kept talking about my book, and they seemed very interested.” Before departing from Sara’s table, Queen Máxima asked to take a copy of the book home with her. “The whole thing was nerve-racking but great.”

The children’s book Sara wrote is Kim Saves the Ocean In the story, the main character, a young girl named Kim, and her drinking straw friend, Emmy, are on a quest to clean up Sint Maarten. “It’s great for young readers to see someone who looks like them — in places they know, such as the Great Bay and floodgates — having a positive impact on the environment,” explains Sara.

Prior to meeting the Royal Family, Sara held a soft launch party for her book. Young guests heard the audiobook’s narrator, Head of the Department of Culture Clara Reyes, read Sara’s book aloud and had the opportunity to have their books signed by Sara. “Many of the children knew the plot of the book, and one boy in particular was so excited,” reminisces Sara. “That was very fulfilling.”

W hen asked which event from her short trip home during Long Winter Weekend Sara would never forget, she couldn’t decide. “Both were amazing and surreal,” Sara expressed. “I had two major life events in one week. I’ll remember both forever.”

Sara’s experience as a young sustainability champion is what inspired her book. More than five years ago, when Sara was in middle school, Hurricane Irma devastated the island of Saint Martin. The debris from the storm was collected in the dump near Sara’s school and often caught fire, filling the air with toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Sara and other island residents had to wear masks to protect themselves from the

harmful smoke. This frightening and confusing experience motivated her to take a stand.

Sara created the Breathe Better Air Campaign to raise awareness. She raised $1,000, wrote articles for local publications, made videos about the fires’ environmental effects, and participated in her school’s and community’s service fairs. The following year, the fires were extinguished.

Sara could have easily rested on her laurels and gone back to being a regular teenager, but the experience fired her up. “It was pretty cool to be part of something that brought about change. I wondered what was next and thought that advocacy work might be my calling,” shared Sara. Seeing the amount of waste in the dump is what inspired her to take on her new cause — banning single-use plastics on the island. She was quickly becoming a catalyst for change. Sara appeared on local radio stations to talk about the ban on singleuse plastics and presented to a group of environmentally friendly businesses and NGOs. Sara helped gather petition signatures and participated in a multiradio station simultaneous streaming event on sustainability. In the fall of 2020, the Parliament of Sint Maarten approved the ban of single-use plastics, and the implementation rolled out in 2021.

In 2020, Sara received the inaugural Governor’s Youth Award for Excellence in Environmental Protection — the highest recognition on the island. “I was so honored to receive the award,” said Sara. “It led to many opportunities, including serving as a member of the Youth Parliament.”

On the Hilltop, Sara continues to explore how to make an impact on the environment. In March, she traveled to Costa Rica during the Project: Pomfret period with her Global and Sustainable Development class to explore the complex relationships between governments, economies, societies, and the planet’s physical environment. She plans to pursue a sustainability certificate and is considering an independent study to continue her research to investigate the feasibility of a community composting program on the island.

“It was pretty cool to be part of something that brought about change. I wondered what was next and thought that advocacy work might be my calling,”

Ed Griffin

Under Pressure

For the last eight years, chief financial officer Ed Griffin has managed Pomfret’s finances. And for nearly thirty-five years, he has also been officiating ice hockey. Officials must make split-second decisions in the midst of a fast-paced game, while CFOs must make quick decisions in response to changing market conditions or financial emergencies. In both instances, they are under pressure.

WHEN DID YOU START PLAYING ICE HOCKEY?

I was about five or six years old, and two of my best friends wanted to play hockey. Hockey is not something you start when you are thirteen — you have to start it young. And we did. Some of us stuck with it longer than others. One of my friends went on to play at Lake Forest College, and his son is going to play at Air Force Academy — he obviously got the hockey gene that I did not.

IS THERE A PARTICULAR MEMORY YOU RECALL WHILE PLAYING HOCKEY?

In 1980, we had a game on the road. All anyone could talk about was the Olympic gold medal game between the United States and Russia that was going to air later that night. We had to hurry home to watch. I also recall scoring my first goal. My sister made a big deal of it at the dinner table. I played defense, so I didn’t score a lot. It meant a lot to me.

HOW DID YOU START OFFICIATING HOCKEY?

As body checking was introduced, I was too small to compete, and I got cut from my youth team. My mother suggested I try officiating, and I did. I took a break while in college. But after college, I was living in a hockey town and got back into officiating youth hockey. There were a lot of games, and it was a lot to manage. I had a work life, a hockey life, and a family life — a wife and three kids. It was tough sometimes, but it reminded me that I love hockey and being a part of the hockey atmosphere.

HOW HAS BEING A HOCKEY OFFICIAL MADE YOU A BETTER CFO?

I put on my resume a long time ago that I was a member of the Connecticut Chapter of National Ice Hockey Officials of America, along with a description that included the statement “able to mediate disputes.” It has helped me learn to work with others and successfully communicate my side of the decision, under pressure. On the ice, you’re speaking with high school-aged boys and girls, coaches, parents, and administrators. There’s a lot to navigate, just like there is here at Pomfret.

HOW HAS OFFICIATING CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?

When I first started officiating, we were not required to wear helmets. That changed when I returned to officiating after college. There was a time when I was hit near the eye with a puck. It was a bloody mess. After, I decided to wear a half-face shield. Now it is mandatory. That shield has saved me many times from getting a stick or elbow in the face. I am lucky I haven’t lost any teeth.

The spectators have also had an impact on officiating. There has been an increase in the abuse the officials receive and reactions to the calls we make. There is a shortage of officials right now. It’s due, in some part, to the abuse from the fans. The abuse is not at all levels — the older the players, the fewer incidents we experience. It is one of the reasons why I now only officiate independent and public high school games.

WHAT IS AN IMPORTANT SKILL A HOCKEY OFFICIAL SHOULD HAVE?

It is imperative to be knowledgeable about the rule book. Each league has its own. Knowing when to enforce the rules — game management — is also critical. Not every game is the same. Not every period is the same. Not every situation is the same. You need to understand your environment. Sometimes a glancing blow of the shoulder to the side of the head should be a penalty, perhaps a major penalty. It depends on that particular game and where the standards have been set. You need to understand your environment to manage the game effectively and communicate. It’s an essential skill to be a good official.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST MOMENT YOU EXPERIENCED WHILE OFFICIATING?

It is a tie between two. The first was when I was officiating the girls state championship game in 2012. It was just such a great game up and down, and it went to double overtime. There was never any controversy — it was a high-quality game. West Hartford was so excited when they won, and it was fun to be a part of the experience. It’s important to note nobody was talking about the officiating. The fans were there to watch the players, and they wanted the best team to win. If the officials are doing a good job, they are in the background, playing that supportive role.

My second favorite memory was the Hartford Whalers’ final game in

Hartford — but not for the reason you might be thinking. I had been a Hartford Whaler fan my whole life. They used to have youth games between periods or before the game. I officiated the youth game before the final Hartford Whalers game. I was on the same ice as the team on the day of their last game before they moved to North Carolina. There was a lot of excitement around that particular game. It was pretty cool.

HOW MANY GAMES HAVE YOU OFFICIATED?

I don’t keep track. For me, it’s not about the number of games. It’s about the quality of the officiating and doing so to the best of my ability.

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL SOMEONE CONSIDERING BECOMING A HOCKEY OFFICIAL?

The abuse aside, being a hockey official is one of the best parttime jobs any young person could get. You make the same money officiating for three hours as someone who has worked an eight-hour shift at a minimum-wage job. It is a way to stay connected with the sport and stay fit. It is also a way to keep young people involved in the sport. There is such a demand for officials right now — a couple of games were canceled this season due to the lack of officials. I love that I’m doing something so that hockey can continue to be played.

DO YOU PLAN ON HANGING UP YOUR SKATES ANYTIME SOON?

At the end of each season for the last several years, I have thought about it. But I’m inspired by some of my fellow officials. At a game a couple of weeks ago, the crew was me, a fifty-three-year-old referee; my partner, a sixty-two-year-old referee; and our linesman, a sixty-nine year old. I was the young one of the three — which is usually not the case. I wanted to ask the players, “do you realize your linesman is sixtynine years old? He’s out there, on the ice, doing what he loves.” How can I think about hanging it up when I’m only fifty-three? I get sore and hurt here and there, so in some ways it would be a lot easier not to officiate. I know I’ll struggle with the decision to hang up the skates for good. I doubt I will be a sixty-nine-yearold official, but I’ll probably do it for a few more years. I just love hockey, and officiating has been a great part of my life.

Jack Heroux ’23

DELIVERED ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 IN CLARK MEMORIAL CHAPEL

The Pomfret Dictionary

Igrew up my whole life on Ragged Hill Road here in Pomfret, just a few miles away. I passed Pomfret School every day on my way to elementary and middle school. I’d see the students walking to class and the beautiful brick buildings. I thought it looked pretty cool and always wondered what it would be like to go there. Pomfret School was a place so close to home and familiar but, at the same time, very mysterious and unfamiliar. All my friends from my middle school, except Maya Gerum, were going to attend Woodstock Academy. I was venturing into unknown territory. It was pretty scary and exciting all at the same time. Coming in as a freshman at Pomfret, there were so many new terms to learn, places to be, people to meet, and events to attend. I remember thinking: What form am I as a freshman? Is Sundial a place, an event, or both? What is a cosmic bandana? A toaster? The cage? The Tuck? A Pomfret Card? Thirds? Advisory? The Bricks? The Arcades?

D uring my freshman year, I needed some help in engineering. Mr. Lake was on dorm duty in The Arcades and was nice enough to say I could meet him there to get some extra help. I was like, “what are The Arcades?” I learned some helpful information from the upperclassmen. I was tipped off that earning points and joining the “Breakfast Club” was not in someone’s best interest. That explains why the Breakfast Club wasn’t at the activity fair. I soon learned people are really nice, and within a few days all these terms, places, and people became very familiar.

noun

1. a 22-foot horological instrument located on the front lawn of the School Building that measures the arc of the sun and the passage of time

2. a ceremony in which seniors stand on the base of the Proctor Sundial and are surrounded by faculty and underclassmen as a symbol of support

Arcades

ar

• cades \ är-kāds \

noun the basement level of the Bricks dorms, named for the large arches visible on the west side of the building

I lear ned there was no first form. Freshman started at third form . The Sundial is both a place and an event. The cosmic bandana gave you a day off! The toaster was just a small bus. The Tuck had good mozz sticks, you could buy with your Pomfret Card . The cage was where you ran to get equipment before a game to make it to the toaster on time. Thirds was a great way to learn a new sport and have a great time!

(Thanks, Mr. Boyd.) Advisory is a meeting with a small group led by a faculty member, like Mr. Lamb, who really listens, has your back, and treats you to great food — like Moe’s. And the Bricks are just upperclassmen dorms. The Arcades aren’t scary at all. It is just the bottom level of the Bricks, with nicer bathrooms.

By my sophomore year, I’d settled in and started to build some confidence. I’d experienced these things at least once, and now Pomfret was becoming familiar. I met many new people from all over the country, and the world, whom I now call friends. I also got more comfortable with reaching out to my teachers. Once afraid to speak up and ask for help, I was now comfortable pestering poor Mrs. Browne on a daily basis in Engineer Your World. (Thanks, Mrs. Browne.) Also, asking Ms. Aragón to go over the preterite perfect tense just one more time in Spanish. (Thanks, Ms. Aragón.) I realized how great it is to email and GChat your teachers, and they are more than willing to help. The days are busy with class, sports, and activities, but you settle into a rhythm, and the year flies by.

Junior year it all seems to get scary again. The college counselors aren’t scary people at all. They are actually really nice people. It’s just the topic that’s kind of scary. ACTs, SATs, college lists, and college tours. Do I have to start thinking about college and majors? Wasn’t I just asking what a toaster was yesterday? The next step in life was coming into view.

S tarting senior year feels like when you are climbing a mountain. You have reached high enough that you can see the peak of where you are heading. It is both overwhelming — because you have so much farther to go — and exhilarating to realize how high up you’ve come.

Standing in Chapel today feels a lot like the first time freshman year — a little scary and exciting, all at the same time.

As a freshman, there was a feeling of wanting time to pass quickly to get to a more comfortable place. Now, starting senior year, I want things to slow down just a little — to really get to know people, take in the events, and enjoy this time. It’s like being on a roller coaster. There are ups and downs, highs and lows, but you don’t want the ride to end.

Cosmic Bandana

noun a large, colorful handkerchief, the appearance of which signals a Head’s Holiday — a day off from school commitments

OpenAI

THE END OF SCHOOL?

STORY BY Garry Dow and Corrine Szarkowicz

In July 2015, a handful of tech-world luminaries met for a private dinner at the Rosewood Hotel on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, California. The group included Elon Musk, Greg Brockman, and Sam Altman. At the time, Altman was the president of the start-up incubator Y Combinator. Brockman was the former chief technology officer of the e-payment giant Stripe. And Elon Musk was, well, Elon Musk.

When this meeting occurred, transformational advances in computing power had created a real sense of excitement in the field of machine learning. For decades, AI had failed to live up to the hype. But by 2015, a string of revolutionary technical breakthroughs had convinced many people that the long AI winter, as some critics had dubbed it, was finally over.

During the same time, a titanic shift in public attitude was underway. Former Silicon Valley darlings, including Facebook, Google, and Apple, were being criticized for their monopoly-like hold on the market. Everything from teenage depression to the collapse of democracy was being blamed on Big Tech.

Musk, Brockman, and Altman understood that to succeed where others had failed, they would need to do more than innovate, they would need to deviate. On that July evening, one of the most ambitious artificial intelligence labs on the planet was born. They called it OpenAI.

Today, the San Francisco-based company is valued at a staggering $29 billion, but in the early years, OpenAI flew mostly under the radar. Then, in 2020, it released a new program, Generative Pre-Trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3), to a limited number of users.

This breakthrough took place far from the glitz and glamor of the Rosewood Hotel, in suburban Iowa of all places, where 285,000 CPU cores yoked together were playing a kind of game, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It was (and remains) one of the most powerful supercomputers on the planet. But to understand what happens inside the mind of this magic box, and why it matters for the future of education, we first need to take a slight detour.

How generative AI is shaking up the world of education, and why we think that’s a good thing.

As a field, artificial intelligence is currently fragmented into a number of unique specialties, each one trying to solve a different problem. Some researchers are using AI to make self-driving cars safer; others are trying to improve the accuracy of biometrics; still others are using the technology to design novel proteins that may one day cure disease.

All of them rely on an approach called ‘‘deep learning.’’ GPT-3 belongs to a category of deep learning known as a large language model (LLM). If you’ve ever used an

app with an autocomplete feature — a Google Doc, for example — then you’ve already used a very rudimentary kind of LLM. Google, Meta, and a few lesser known companies all have their own proprietary versions. Earlier this year, Microsoft made a direct “multiyear, multibillion-dollar investment” in OpenAI.

These models represent a new generation of conversant machine learning systems that can produce on-demand text, images, and videos based on a vast online database. Much like our brains, these models learn to identify patterns of language through repeated cycles of trial and error, always guessing at the next … right … word. In the process, some of the “neural” connections grow stronger while others grow weaker, a phenomenon neuroscientists call “pruning” and computer scientists refer to as “training.”

Simply by playing this game, over and over again, a trillion times in a row, GPT-3 learned to write original prose with incredible, staggering fluency. It is, as one writer put it, “a freakishly capable tool.”

Just after Thanksgiving, on November 30, 2022, OpenAI released a new product, Chat-GPT, to the general public. This variation of GPT-3 was able to generate tweets, pen poetry, summarize emails, answer trivia questions, translate languages, craft songs, and even write computer programs, all based on simple, intuitive prompts.

When we asked ChatGPT to describe the key difference between itself and its predecessor, here is what the program told us: “In terms of performance, ChatGPT is not as powerful as GPT-3, but it is better suited for chatbot applications. It has been trained on a large dataset of conversational text, so it is able to generate responses that are more appropriate for use in a chatbot context. ChatGPT is also capable of inserting appropriate context-specific responses in conversations, making it more effective at maintaining a coherent conversation.” To which we responded, “Thank you.” To which it responded, “You’re welcome.”

It didn’t take long for other people to notice the difference, too. Within five days of its launch, ChatGPT had more than a million users. One of those people was the actor Ryan Reynolds. Less than a month after ChatGPT hit the mainstream, Reynolds, always an early adopter, came out with a commercial for his company Mint Mobile, written entirely by the program, a kind of meta commentary on the future of advertising. Today, Chat-GPT is averaging nearly 700 million visits per month, making it one of the Top 50 most visited websites globally.

If GPT-3 true believers are to be believed, any company with a product that currently requires a marketing or customer service or tech-support team could use this technology to replace real human beings. And those jobs are just the beginning. In January, news broke that CNET had quietly published dozens of feature articles generated entirely by artificial intelligence on its website. Editors had coyly attributed its machinewritten stories to “CNET Money Staff.”

Even programmers aren’t safe. A few months after the original GPT-3 went online, the OpenAI team discovered, to their astonishment, that GPT-3 had become surprisingly good at computer programming.

Turns out the web is filled with examples, and from those elemental clues, GPT-3 learned to code all by itself.

In the near future, OpenAI is expected to release a new version, GPT-4, which is even smarter than its predecessor, opening the door to even more sophisticated reasoning. Sooner than you think, every person you know could have access to a virtual assistant that will make Siri and Alexa look like antiques. Already, generative artificial intelligence is being incorporated into traditional search engines, with Microsoft’s Bing — that’s right, Bing! — leading the way.

Which begs the question: In a world where AI can write for you and draw for you and code for you, and, perhaps? maybe? some day? think for you — what does it mean to be educated?

If you go on TikTok right now, you’ll find the hashtag #ChatGPT has more than 600 million views. One video shows a bot solving math problems, another writing papers. In one video, a student is shown copying and pasting multiple choice questions into the tool. Some in academia have declared this the “death of homework.” Their fear is not without merit. This technology really is disruptive. It really is an existential threat to the way schools currently “do” school.

This sudden change in the tech landscape has led to an avalanche of commentary. Cheating is the most immediate concern for schools, but many have noted that ChatGPT also has a propensity for spitting biased, toxic language into the air. Even when ChatGPT is behaving, it often spews out wrong or misleading information.

In response, a senior at Princeton University named Edward Tian recently developed a program called GPTZero that promises to quickly and efficiently detect AI. A month later, OpenAI released their own version. Meanwhile, officials at New York City Public Schools have blocked ChatGPT altogether. But Edward Tian and the New York Public School system seem to be outliers in this conversation. Even if the prohibition of AI and the utilization of AI-detection tools succeed in the short term, they will almost certainly fail in the long term. There will always be a workaround.

A

Across the country and the world, high schools and colleges have begun experimenting with this technology, embracing the best, safeguarding against the worst. “This technology is so powerful,” says Pomfret Director of Technology Tie Watkins, “It’s not a question of if it will be used, but how.”

As a start, many schools, including Pomfret, have revised their academic integrity policies to include generative artificial intelligence as plagiarism. Some teachers have also begun adjusting or creating assignments that teach students the critical thinking skills they need to use generative AI in thoughtful and informed ways. Others have begun crafting questions they hope will be too clever for a chatbot to answer. Still others are considering teaching newer or more obscure texts.

“We need to up our game,” says Grauer Family Institute Director Gwyneth Connell, who oversees academics at Pomfret. “Imagination, creativity, and innovation need to be at the center of how we teach and evaluate our students moving forward.”

Aiden Choi ’23 first learned about DALL·E 2, an image-generating cousin of GPT-3, at a business and engineering conference last summer. For his yearlong senior project in Advanced Photography Master Portfolio, Aiden decided to compete against DALL·E 2. He challenged himself to take a weekly photograph that was better than the one the program could create. Aiden says his photographs have been good, but AI may have the edge. “With DALL·E 2, the return is usually better because it has access to all types of images and data. That can be hard to beat.”

PROMPT: A stained glass window depicting a Griffin.

PROMPT:

2D brain comprised of glowing dots and lines floating in the universe.

“ This technology is so powerful. It’s not a question of if it will be used, but how . ”

— TIE WATKINS, POMFRET DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY

Josh Lake, the head of the Science Department, has also begun tinkering with AI In his computer science class, he encourages students to use the tool as a coding assistant. Even ChatGPT’s flaws can become fodder for analysis. ChatGPT is not always accurate, so in Lake’s astronomy class, he likes to use it as a conversation starter. "The AI-generated answers provide an opportunity for students (and teachers) to practice critical thinking. Is the ChatGPT response correct or incorrect? How do we know? How can we check?"

ChatGPT can help teachers as well. It can create lesson plans, generate tests and quizzes, and serve as an afterhours tutor. One Pomfret faculty member told us that she used ChatGPT to evaluate a few of her students’ papers, and that the app had provided more detailed and useful feedback than she would have, in a fraction of the time.

Today’s students will graduate into a world full of generative AI programs. To be good citizens, they’ll need to know their way around these tools. What are their strengths and weaknesses? What are their knowledge gaps? What sorts of biases do they contain, and how can those biases be weaponized?

“AI is going to be a part of the world that our students inherit,” Lake says. “If we are doing our job as a school, we must embrace technology, address the issues head-on, and create assignments that incorporate its application.”

Aiden Choi agrees, comparing the advancement of AI to the printing press or the first computer. “While people were initially resistant to new technologies, the inventions have transformed societies. I believe these tools will be part of the norm in five to ten years. Then we will be on to something even more advanced.“

“ ...If we are doing our job as a school, we must embrace technology , address the issues head-on, and create assignments that incorporate its application. ”

— JOSH LAKE, SCIENCE DEPARTMENT HEAD

Aiden Choi ’23

PROMPT: Beautiful picture of a sunset of a city with a snow-covered mountain in the background.

STORY BY Garry Dow

ARTWORK BY Annum Architects Shawmut Design and Construction

PHOTO BY Corrine Szarkowicz

Designing Possibilities

POMFRET’S LONG-AWAITED CENTER FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND DESIGN IS FINALLY TAKING SHAPE.

A crowd gathered to say goodbye to Monell. Among them in the front row were Project Manager Hector Bermudez and Project Superintendent Chris Kulak from Shawmut Design and Construction, flanked by Associate Head of School Don Gibbs III and Chief Financial Officer Ed Griffin from Pomfret. In the back row, they are joined by Science Department Head Josh Lake, Director of Facilities Brenda Bullied, and Head of School Tim Richards from Pomfret, and Associate Principal Architect Jason Bowers and Senior Collaborating Architect Ann Beha from Annum Architects.

BECKY GRASSI LEANS AGAINST the construction fence. She is the event manager responsible for this photo opp. On one side of the fence, the Ambrose Monell III Science Building stands empty and silent. On the other side, a line of sledgehammers is waiting. Each hammer is four feet long with a solid hickory handle and a heat-treated high carbon steel head. It is a tool for breaking things.

On this late February morning, a sharp wind is blowing across the valley, and the air still has plenty of winter left in it. While Grassi readies the scene, a group of twenty or so spectators pace around, killing time. They have their collars turned up and their hands thrust deep in their coat pockets. Among them is Brenda Bullied, the director of facilities. She is the person most responsible for making sure this project goes well. Beside her is Josh Lake, a smart, cheerful guy who heads up the Science Department. He has been instrumental in helping everyone understand what the new science center can and should be.

Not far away, architects Ann Beha and Jason Bowers are also waiting. They are friendly and engaging. Beha founded Annum Architects more than thirty years ago. They have spent months planning for this moment, and they have imagined it for many more. Finally, there is Project Superintendent Chris Kulak and Project Manager Hector Bermudez, the contractors charged with making Annum’s design a reality. They have all gathered here to witness the death of one building — and the birth of another.

Long before this piece of ground belonged to Pomfret, it belonged to an innkeeper and a New England farmer. Before that, it was a forested hillside home to the Pequots, and before them, the Nipmucks. It is easy to see why so many different people have called this place home. The site commands pretty views in both directions. To the west, terraced athletic fields cling like barnacles to the side of a small scooped out valley with deep-looking woods and a gurgling brook running through the

middle. To the east, there’s a brick terrace, and just beyond the terrace, there’s the School Building and Clark Memorial Chapel, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

W hen Monell first opened in 1958, it contained three laboratories, a large lecture hall, two small classrooms, two darkrooms, a space for electronics, a small animal room, a wood shop, a metal shop, an auto shop, an office, and a space to store equipment. The project was made possible thanks to the Ambrose Monell Foundation, which donated $200,000, roughly half of the funds needed to build a new science center, dedicated to the memory of Ambrose Monell III ’26, who had died in a plane crash decades earlier.

Even after two large scale remodels, Monell still feels like an artifact of the 1950s — a squat, low-slung building with a flat rubberized roof, cinder blocks for walls, vinyl tiles for floors, and large rectilinear windows that tilt open at the bottom. If people ever considered Monell beautiful, they do not anymore. And yet, it has served as the hub of science education at Pomfret for well over six decades, quietly and without fuss. Thousands of students have passed through its doors. Some have gone on to make real and lasting contributions in science and technology, including one Nobel laureate.

F inally, the scene is set. The spectators take their places in front of the camera. They smile big smiles, sledge hammers in hand. No one is sad to see the building go. The shutter clicks. Soon, a bulldozer will rip open a gash across the face of the building. Piece by piece, brick by brick, the old building will be clawed down and carted away. By the end of March, there will be nothing left but a gaping hole in the ground where Monell once stood. Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, “The art of civilization is the act of drawing lines.” On this day, it is also the act of erasing them.

W hen the photo opp is over, everyone hurries inside. No one looks back.

“When the Ambrose Monell III Science Building first opened in 1958, it contained three laboratories, a large lecture hall, two small classrooms, two darkrooms, a space for electronics, a small animal room, a wood shop, a metal shop, an auto shop, an office, and a space to store equipment.’’

IN SEPTEMBER, POMFRET ANNOUNCED Amplify: The Campaign for Pomfret School, a multi-year fundraising effort built around four core priorities: the advancement of teaching and learning, the expansion of access and affordability, the fortification of annual giving, and, of course, the need for a new science center.

Amplify is the most ambitious fundraising effort in Pomfret history. To date, thousands of donors have contributed more than $64 million in gifts, commitments, and pledges — including $20 million of the $22 million needed for the total cost of the science center project.

One of those suppor ters is James Rothman ’67, who won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. “This is a very special design,” he says. “I’ve been in many science centers, as you can imagine, and I don’t think I have ever seen one with such a unique, open, and inviting layout.”

The open and air y design is the brainchild of Annum Architects. Based in Boston, the award-winning, minorityowned firm was founded by renowned architect Ann Beha over thirty years ago. “Our work transforms spaces into timeless places,” says Annum Associate Principal Architect Jason Bowers. “The goal here was to create something that will not just be a center for science, but a center for the whole community.”

Annum clients include leading academic, civic, and cultural organizations like the US Department of State, Yale, MIT,

Harvard, and the Smithsonian. Awards for their work include the Boston Society of Architects Educational Facilities Award, American Institute of Architects Honor Award for Architecture, and the SCUP/AIA-CAE Excellence in Architecture Award.

“Ann is a gifted architect and Annum is a unique practice,” says Chief Financial Officer Ed Griffin, who chaired the selection committee. “They have exceeded our expectations at every turn.”

W hen the new center opens on this spot eighteen months from now, in September 2024, it will transform the Pomfret campus, serving as a hive of activity for science education and a shining example of the School’s commitment to sustainability.

“S ustainability is important to us,” says Griffin. “The architect took great care to design a building that makes excellent use of the site’s natural light and landscape.”

In the drawings, the building sits on roughly the same footprint as its predecessor, following the sloping gradient of the hill, but shifted slightly to the south, to offer more expansive views of Pomfret’s sports fields and the valley beyond. With the setting sun as a backdrop, towering walls of glass are juxtaposed against vertical slats of multi-tonal metal siding, exuding warm tones of red and brown.

“As soon as I saw it, it immediately made me think of chemical spectra and spectroscopy,” says Josh Lake, who heads

the Science Department. “You're probably familiar with the famous image of white light getting split into the rainbow on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album cover. As it turns out, this phenomenon has interesting and scientifically valuable connections across many branches of science: physics, chemistry, and astronomy for sure, and then biology when one understands the link between the elements and life.” Lake shared his idea with Annum and they agreed to incorporate this “secret code” into the building design.

THE THREE-STORY FACILITY is double the size of Monell. Within its walls, more than 350 students each year will get to choose from thirty unique courses taught by ten different faculty members — teaching everything from aquaponics, robotics, and forensics to astronomy, engineering, and environmental design.

The center piece of the building is an airy space called the Hub. Windows stretching two stories high bathe the space in natural light. The floors are polished cement, and the walls are accented with natural wood. Beyond the Hub, the building branches into a labyrinth of classrooms, labs, and community gathering spaces. Every square inch of the building is used efficiently; nothing has gone to waste. This is a place for doing things.

On the upper most level of the building, state-ofthe-art lab spaces are paired with the roof mechanicals needed to support them. At the ground level, a door in the environmental science classroom gives students direct access to the outdoors. Steel reinforced beams allow physics students to measure the trajectory of heavy objects as they swing. Oversized hallways called “commons” are extensions of the classrooms themselves. Everywhere, glass walls create an atmosphere of openness and transparency.

Just to the nor th, a grassy hill has been left open for students to gather and relax. Across the landscape, a large door connects the indoor Makerspace to the outdoor Makeryard,

Steel reinforced beams allow physics students to measure the trajectory of heavy objects as they swing. Oversized hallways called “commons” are extensions of the classrooms themselves. Everywhere, glass walls create an atmosphere of openness and transparency.

The centerpiece of the building is an airy space called the Hub. Windows stretching two stories high bathe the space in natural light. The floors are polished cement, and the walls are accented with natural wood.

giving student-engineers ample room to assemble their creations and store oversized materials.

The company responsible for making this vision a reality is Shawmut Design and Construction, a $1.3 billion firm with offices in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Providence, Las Vegas, Miami, and Chicago, among others. As an awardwinning construction management firm, Shawmut is known for delivering an unmatched client experience that exceeds expectations. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Pomfret on this amazing project,” said Project Superintendent Chris Kulak.

S hawmut is no stranger to Pomfret, having partnered previously on the renovation of Hard Auditorium in 2022 and the construction of our Health and Wellness Center in 2018. Other A-List clients include Boston University, Harvard, Brown, Smith, MIT, UMass Chan Medical School, Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, the Boston Children’s Museum, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Boston Red Sox, and the LA Clippers.

“ When the contract went to bid, Shawmut really stood out from a crowd of qualified contractors,” says Director of Facilities Brenda Bullied.

F irst was its reputation for offering its clients “a better building experience.” Shawmut is 100 percent employeeowned, which means every employee has a vested interest in the success of the company and the success of the project. Second was its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, or what it refers to as a “culture of care.” Over the last several years, Shawmut has taken several critical steps in its DEI journey. In particular, it has achieved 100 percent pay equity. It has also launched a sponsorship program to elevate high-potential, underrepresented employees to the leadership team.

S hawmut estimates the project will take approximately eighteen months to complete. While the building is under construction, science classes have temporarily been relocated to other academic spaces all across campus. “We’ve been talking about this building for decades,” says Lake. “I am thrilled for it to be finally happening.”

“When the contract went to bid, Shawmut really stood out from a crowd of qualified contractors.”

— Brenda Bullied, Director of Facilities

Spotlight

DR. JAMES ROTHMAN ’67

Sterling Professor of Cell Biology at Yale University

Chairman of Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Cell Biology

Director and Founder of Yale’s Nanobiology Institute

Professor James Rothman ’67 is one of the world’s most distinguished biochemists and cell biologists. In 2013, he was awarded The Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for discoveries related to the key molecular machinery responsible for transfer of materials among compartments within cells, providing the conceptual framework for understanding such diverse and important processes as the release of insulin into the blood, communication between nerve cells in the brain, and the entry of viruses to infect cells.

Af ter graduating from Pomfret a year early, Rothman attended Yale College (1971) where he studied physics. He received his PhD in biological chemistry from Harvard (1976) and was a student at Harvard Medical School from 1971 to 1973. From 1976 to 1978, he completed a fellowship in the Department of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

THIS IS Awkward

STORY BY Corrine Szarkowicz

PHOTOS BY Lindsay Lehmann

For more than thirty years, the Schwartz Visiting Fellow program has brought world-renowned experts in their fields to Pomfret School. However, this year’s speaker, Jessica Bruder, does not consider herself an expert. It was a slightly awkward moment in Hard Auditorium when she announced this belief immediately after being introduced as such. But Bruder lives for these awkward moments.

As an award-winning immersive journalist, Jessica Bruder writes about subcultures for publications like the New York Times, WIRED, and Harper’s Magazine, and in her book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century. While much of the world is focused on instantaneous reactions, hot takes, and sharing uninformed opinions, she digs deeper. What most people summarize into simple, easy-to-consume headlines or sound bites, Bruder writes as complex narratives on the topic. As an observer and reporter, she has spent her career learning about others. “I meet people where they are and then spend a ton of time with them,” she explains. “If I were an anthropologist or sociologist, I would call this participant observation. If I were doing this without a professional purpose, I might call it being a stalker.”

Br uder describes immersive journalism as productive hanging out with PDS — people doing stuff. It is very different from PSS — people saying stuff, which is what a lot of journalism is. “When you’re with people doing what they do, you see a side of them that you won’t see if they’re just answering questions and projecting whatever sense of self they want to market,” explains Bruder. “When you are with someone in their environment and living a similar life, you get a real sense of who they are.”

For her book Nomadland, Bruder disregarded the guidance we all heard from a young age — don’t talk to strangers, especially those who live in their van. She did exactly the opposite. And she didn’t just talk to them! Bruder spent months living in a camper van, documenting itinerant Americans who gave up traditional housing and hit the road full time, traveling with them from job to job as they carved out a place in a precarious economy. The project spanned three years and more than 15,000 miles — driving from coast to coast and from Mexico to the Canadian border.

D uring her Pomfret lectures, Bruder told stories and shared photos of her life as a “faux-mad” and “workamper” — picking up litter as a campground host, pulling items off the shelves at an Amazon warehouse as a member of CamperForce, and working hard and dangerous shifts as an employee of the sugar beet harvest. “I don’t want to spend time in places where I feel safe and everyone looks and talks like me. I don’t learn anything new. To learn new things and grow, I need to break out of my comfort zone,” she says. “There’s a certain kind of discomfort that I think is actually healthy.”

Was it always uncomfortable? No. But Bruder knew she was on the right track when she thought to herself, “this is awkward.” And she pushed through the discomfort to get the story. “Can I pet your dog?” was a common icebreaker with the people she wanted to interview. After building a rapport, she was able to uncover the details of their story that most journalists who spent a day or two with the population would never learn and be able to report. “I’m the journalist who shows up, asks to talk to you, and two years later still hasn’t gone away,” jokes Bruder.

Br uder recounted when she first met LaVonne Ellis at the annual gathering of nomads called Rubber Tramp Rendezvous. At first, Ellis was dismissive of Bruder and her work. “You’re going to make us out to be a bunch of homeless vagabonds,” accused Ellis. But after three days, Bruder had not left and Ellis opened up. She shared her life story and how she had come to find herself living in a van. “After sticking around and becoming part of the furniture, people feel like they have a sense of who you are, and the relationship changes. They don’t think you’re just dropping in to get that hot take and then running away,” shares Bruder.

S ome of Bruder’s best stories come when she is away from home for a couple of weeks or months, immersed in

someone else’s life. “We only get to live one life, and I want to slip into as many lives as I can.” Bruder shared how she backed her van — which she named “Halen” after the band Van Halen — into a boulder. She tripped over a different boulder after using a vault toilet in the middle of the night. That boulder was ironically positioned next to the outhouse so no one would back into it. She melted Van Halen’s antilock brake sensors and, once, was bitten by a Chihuahua. And after three years on the road, where she got her van stuck more times than she can count, she still has trouble parallel parking it. All of these funny stories are part of the writing process. “I have come to believe that if things don’t ever go wrong when I’m trying to do a project, I’m not doing it right,” shares Bruder. “Playing it safe is not where the best stories are, and it is not a good way to grow.”

The c hapter of Bruder’s life of living in a van is now over. Nomadland was adapted into a movie — much to her surprise. “It lacks the essential Hollywood ingredients. There is no sex. There are no drugs, no violence, no youth, and no celebrity,” she admits. In her favorite review of the film, one critic wrote, “ Nomadland appeals to the four quadrants of the show business apocalypse: menopausal women, people with life-threatening illnesses, people interested in poverty, and anyone with time on their hands who can’t find the remote.” Despite all of that, the film was named the 2021 Academy Award Best Picture, Frances McDormand won an Oscar for her work as the leading actress, and Chloé Zhao won Best Director.

Now Bruder is on to her next project — a book that expands upon her The Atlantic article “A Covert Network of Activists Is

Preparing for the End of Roe.” She has returned to the front lines with the soldiers fighting for reproductive rights, digging deep and sticking around to shed some light on their story. She believes immersive journalism can create a human connection, help the reader get to know others better, and create a greater world. And as a result, we have all benefited.

“ The beauty and power of close-up stories is that they help us feel beyond the limits of our own small lives,” explains Bruder. “Stories are a powerful weapon against stigma. They push back against prejudice, they value human dignity, and they make us — both tellers and subjects — less alone in the world. You have to admit to yourself just how much it is that you don’t know. That’s what it comes down to, being an expert at not being an expert. I get schooled all the time.”

W hile she doesn’t consider herself an expert, Bruder shared many words of wisdom about life throughout her lecture. To summarize her talk, she shared this piece of advice that she learned while living an awkward life as an immersive journalist.

“ You cannot write the script for what will happen when you report a story or when you work on any long project. Just like you cannot write the script for your own life. What you can do is drive like crazy in the direction that makes the most sense at the time. And if you find that the road has flooded out, or the overpass has crumbled, or the pavement has melted into hot tar — because all of these things will happen — you figure out a way to keep going. What will make you stand apart, no matter what you do in life, is how you adapt to those challenges.”

The Schwartz Visiting Fellow program is the result of the vision and generosity of Michael Schwartz ’66 and Eric Schwartz ’69. Past fellows include animal science professor Temple Grandin; author Bill Bryson; human rights activist Madame Jehan Sadat; historian David McCullough; and journalist, author, and national security analyst Peter Bergen.

“And if you find that the road has flooded out, or the overpass has crumbled, or the pavement has melted into hot tar — because all of these things will happen — you figure out a way to keep going.”

CLASS NOTES 1938-2022

The two faces of John Fiske ’53, who came to Pomfret onJanuary21,2023,toparticipateintheWoodruff Winter Hockey game.

50s 60s

1964

Win Villamora wrote, “My wife, Grace, and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in June 2022 by going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and renewing our vows at Cana, where Jesus Christ performed his first miracle. We also visited places like the Caesarea Philippi; Magdala, where Mary Magdalene was from; the Church of the Nativity; the Mount of Olives; the Church of the Holy Sepulchre;

the Sea of Galilee; the Dead Sea; and Bethlehem. We were not just tourists. We were pilgrims who retraced the travels of Jesus Christ and interacted with the dwindling Christian families in the West Bank, who continue the various religious sites. Grace and I are active in the various ministries of Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago and occasionally appear in YouTube videos of religious events, such as the Simbang Gabi Filipino Christmas celebration this year. It saddens us to report that our daughter’s beloved Filipino restaurant in Washington, DC had to close due to problems caused by Covid-19. She remains connected with the James Beard Foundation in another capacity.”

Class notes featured in this issue were received prior to February 3, 2023. Notes received after this date will be published in the next issue. Class notes are appreciated and may be submitted via your Class Agent, the Pomfret School website, or by e-mail to:

Deb Thurston , Class Notes Editor, at dthurston@pomfret.org

We encourage and welcome appropriate news items and photographs from all alumni and friends. Please note that not all submissions are guaranteed to appear based upon subject matter, photo reproduction quality, and space availability. Also, we reserve the right to edit for consistency and style but we will give every consideration to each author’s individual writing style.

’53 ’53

Grace and Win Villamora ’64

A Philanthropic Life

Daryle Bost ’89 didn’t grow up in a philanthropic family. But with some hard work and guidance, he has dedicated his life to it. He is now serving his second term as a Pomfret trustee. After graduating from Guilford College and working in several positions with Wachovia Bank, Bost started a private bank and had the opportunity to begin raising money. He landed his first fundraising job at Wake Forest as a major gift officer, then went on to John Hopkins University: Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. Bost spent eight years at a law firm before returning to fundraising at Williams College. Last year, he became the associate vice president for presidential advancement.

1965

Art Dielhenn published a book in September 2022 entitled, Get Out of Your Head, It’s A Mess In There! Born as a pandemic project following a twenty-year turn as a career coach, the book includes 101 aphorisms and 101 cartoons to inspire and entertain the reader. It’s already being used in some educational settings and is now an Amazon #1 bestseller.

1970

Ben Bensen wrote, “Go 1970! Our class won the three-way 50th Reunion ‘contest’ for participation last June, coming in ahead of the youngsters of ’71 and ’72. We had a great time together, officially and unofficially! May there be many more. (How and when to be determined!)

While Marshall Eaton and I only covered a few miles of the Long Trail this past year, it’s always good to hike with him — even in the foul weather we had this time.

In a vain effort to become one of the ‘cool guys’ in our class, I had rotator cuff surgery in January. Charley Griswold and Matt Bates, among others, gave me sage advice based on their success with this highly undesirable activity, not to mention the relative pleasures of extended physical therapy. Several who haven’t had their shoulders done opted for knees or hips instead. But my

2004 Honda is long out of warranty but still runs, so I have no excuse, right?

This has been a good but hard year for our class. We lost some spouses as well as classmates along the way, but keeping in touch is a very good thing.”

’70

Marshall Eaton ’70 at the Vermont-Canada border during a hike with Ben Bensen ’70.

’65

A new book by Art Dielhenn ’65

’65

Jim Seymour ’65 took the time to speak to students onSunday,January22,2023,aspartofPomfret’s Networking at Noon series.

Mark Lipman presented two film exhibits in early 2023 at The Museum of Northern California Art in Chico, California. Urban Owl ran from January 26 to March 19. Filmed over a six-month period during the Covid lockdown, Urban Owl follows the growth of three great horned owlets high in a eucalyptus tree in a San Francisco park where the adults have nested for many years. Almost simultaneously, Refuge is a sunrise-to-sunset portrait filmed over three years in the Gray Lodge Wildlife area — a beautiful sanctuary in California’s Central Valley where hundreds of thousands of migrating birds spend the winter. Refuge unfolds slowly without music or narration, offering an opportunity to sink deeply into the experience of birds, water, mountains, trees, and grasses. It can be viewed as a narrative piece, a visual meditation, or a sound poem.

1979

Kathy and Todd Gattoni welcomed their fourth grandchild, Luca Gattoni, on January 10, 2023, at Cape Cod Hospital. Luca arrived at a healthy 10 pounds 9 ounces.

80s

Alexandra and David Murray ’97 of San Francisco, California, welcomed their son, Michael John Murray, to the world on November 7, 2022.

Congratulations to Kenn Elmore ’81 (center), who was installed as the fourteenth president of Dean College in Franklin, Massachusetts, on October 14, 2022. Ginny and Marshall Eaton ’70 were in attendance for the ceremony.

’81

’97

Le Retour de Jim Rees

After teaching at Pomfret for more than thirty years, from 1984–2018, Jim Rees was enjoying his retirement in North Conway, New Hampshire. But after receiving a call from World Languages Department Head Pablo Montoro Alonso, Rees found himself moving back to the Hilltop for part of Fall term.

While back at Pomfret, Rees caught up with some of his colleagues from back in the day who are still teaching, including fellow French teacher Tim Deary ’05, whom Rees also had as a student. He reconnected with other faculty members who were students during his tenure, including Katie Duglin ’01, Josh Wildes ’04, Remy Hatfield ’13, and Jack Lyon ’17. Rees had the opportunity to see children of his former students, including James DeNapoli ’24, the son of Grant DeNapoli ’93; Finn DeNapoli ’25, the son of Ted DeNapoli ’89; and Van Horvath ’24, the son of Laurence Horvath ’89.

Despite t he offer to stay for the winter term, the White Mountains and his wife, Diane, were calling. “We are very busy in the winter snowshoeing and cross-country skiing,” explained Rees. “But, it was fun to come back. I’m glad Pablo thought of me.”

Ringing in the New Year

If you were watching the Times Square Livestream this New Year’s Eve, chances are you saw singer, songwriter, and producer Chelsea Cutler ’15. As the final performer of the evening, she finished the final notes of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” as the sixty-second countdown to the ball drop began. In addition to closing out the show, she also opened it. Five hours earlier, she performed her hit songs “Sad Tonight,” from her freshman album How to Be Human, “Devil On My Shoulder” from her sophomore album When I Close My Eyes, and her latest single “Men On The Moon.”

On Instagram on January 1, Chelsea posted memories from the night along with the message, “Thank you, Times Square NYC, for an incredible opportunity and once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

NEW CANAAN TENNIS

Pomfret alumni, past parents, and friends gathered on November 4, 2022, at the New Canaan Field Club for an evening of paddle tennis. L-R: Stuart Lotz, Paul Fowler ’64, Meg Hecker ’10, Louisa Jones P ’04, Susan Squires, Joan and Andrew Sereysky ’67, Greg Still P ’05, Cooper Hastings ’01, David Still ’05, Kelsey (Hubbard) Rollinson ’89, Kenyon Clark ’67, Alex Bues, Jean (Sinica)

WOODRUFF HOCKEY

Pomfret alumni, parents, and friends returned to the Hilltop to participate in the nineteenth annual Woodruff Hockey Winter Benefit on January 21, 2023. This year’s team was front row, l-r: Remy Hatfield ’13, AJ Bourdon ’12, Sean Driscoll ’06, Steve Woodruff ’77, Rob Campbell ’01, Justin Kemmerer ’06, Matt Goldblatt ’00, Ben Woodruff, Steve Chahanovich. Back row, l-r: Morgan Taylor, faculty member Matt Goethals, Cam Clark ’08, Bryan Kelly ’08, Greg Osborne ’03, Peter Simeone ’17, Willie Cole ’81, John Fiske ’53, Pete Fairchild ’88, Hollie (Stephens) Marinecz ’98, Gary Sosnowski ’77.

1998

Sue Harris announced, “On May 30, 2021, I was married to Rob Dalehite at Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina. More recently, our daughter, Hatton (Hattie) McGee Dalehite, was born on October 5, 2022, in Charleston.”

00s

2002

Summer Wosu reported, “I wrote a book of poetry called Words Unspoken by Summer Reign (my pen name). It is available on Amazon Kindle.

I also started a non-profit organization, based in New Jersey, called Casita Verde Homes, to help bring housing justice and sustainable housing to New Jersey and coastal Puerto Rico.

I have applied to Rutgers University-Newark to continue my studies in Spanish and economics. Ultimately, I am seeking a PhD in Urban Systems and would like to become a professor and high school teacher of both Spanish and economics.”

Alex and Katie (Bell) Bues ’03 joyfully welcomed their third daughter, Reid Charlotte Bues, on December 12, 2022. She joins big sisters Carter (5) and Emory (3).

Rob and Sue Harris Dalehite ’98

’98

Hattie McGee Dalehite, daughter of Rob and Sue Harris Dalehite ’98

’98

’03

Art Connects

Los Angeles-based actress and community organizer Toyin Moses ’98 made a name for herself playing the role of Yolande in the Robey Theatre Company’s production of Knock Me A Kiss. She has also had roles on television shows and in films and commercials. Between productions, she dedicates her time to providing art experiences for disadvantaged youth and incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. Moses works wit h California Lawyers for the Arts (CLA) — a nonprofit that provides low-cost legal services for artists — with the Arts in Corrections initiative. Currently, she is running a reentry program, Designing Creative Futures, that connects formerly incarcerated individuals with paid internships at art nonprofits. She has also worked with Inner-City Arts, a nonprofit in Los Angeles that provides arts education to the underserved youth of the Skid Row area. As school budgets get cut, the first things to go are art classes, and Inner-City Arts fills that void.

In add ition to serving as a class agent, Moses also serves as the AAEC vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is dedicated to creating a connected and caring community. She uses her experience and certificate in DEI from Cornell to bring everyone together. So far this year, she has hosted webinars with guest speakers to discuss bias, language, and identity.

Prep for Life

One of the most valuable lessons Molly Hanson ’00 learned on the Hilltop was how to take calculated risks. The confidence she gained has helped her transition through multiple careers.

After studying economics at Bates and some statistics at Northwestern, Hanson started working for CNN and the Turner Broadcasting System in strategic planning and sales. She leveraged her skill set and transitioned to a position in financial planning and wealth management — a role she maintained for ten years. In 2016, she accepted an invitation to serve on the Pomfret Board of Trustees. A year later, when she was between careers, she had the opportunity to join the Pomfret faculty to teach a one-term financial course. “It was awesome! I remain connected to some of my students to this day,” says Hanson. “It also informed my perspective as a Board member. I know how hard the students and faculty are working every day.”

Hanson is now doing business brokerage, which she absolutely loves. “I’ve had a few different careers and have never been afraid to transition to something new. I attribute that to my Pomfret Experience. My time as a student helped build my confidence and increased my willingness to try new things and take calculated risks.”

VassarPierce[formerPomfretstaffmember]and Laura Keeler Pierce ’03 are thrilled to announce the birthoftheirson,MatthewVassarPierceIII(Percy),on December21,2022.Percyispicturedinhisfavorite blanket,agiftfromJuliaand John Curtis ’58

a road trip around sites in Washington, DC; New York City; and then to upstate New York, where my husband, our children, my brother, and his family all got to meet my dad’s skeleton. I had to wait to deliver my dad’s skeleton to his school because they were out on holiday break. The film crew and I will resume in the next few months to complete the last leg of the physical journey. In the meantime, you can follow along this physical and emotional journey with me on my Instagram account @deaddaddytrip if you’re interested.

‘Life is short. We don’t have much time to gladden the hearts of those who walk this way with us.’ I wish I’d had more time with my parents and that they could have met my children. But I didn’t. My goal in documenting and sharing my story is to encourage us all to spread love, kindness, and vulnerability. Losing people we love is unfortunate, but it is also inevitable. I have learned that being open about my feelings, and being open to finding those moments of hope in the most desperate of times, has made me feel better — and I hope I can inspire you to do the same.”

Ted Cooke wrote, “I may be a little late, but it’s still fun to announce that Sarah Evans ’08 and I were married on August 14, 2021, on the hottest day of the summer, surrounded by family, friends, and 99.98% humidity. The union and celebration took place in Marion, Massachusetts, in Sarah’s grandmother’s garden. Sarah’s parents were married in the same spot, and she wore my family veil, which is over 100 years old. What a way to blend family histories! Sarah was joined by Ali D’Agostino ’08 and Sarah Annicelli ’08 at the altar as her bridesmaids.”

2006

Olivia (Gray) Konrath wrote, “My dad passed away in March 2017. His death wish was to become a skeleton on display in the science building of his high school, St. Paul’s School, in Concord, New Hampshire. It was a multi-year process, during which my mom was diagnosed with cancer (eight months after my dad died). She died while I was three months pregnant with my first child. Then my second child was born. Yet his skeleton has been completed.

W ith the help of my friend and Emmy award-winning director of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Erik Osterholm, I am making a documentary. It is about my dad, as well as about my journey through grief in the wake of the loss of my parents. A film crew followed me along in December 2022 as I picked up my dad’s completed skeleton from the home of world-renowned physical anthropologist Dr. David Hunt. We took the skeleton on

’03

Sarah Evans ’08 and Ted Cooke ’06 on their wedding day in 2021.

’06

Kaitlin Zeek ’07 was married to Jarrod Robinson on August 13, 2022, in Newport, Rhode Island. Pomfret alumni in attendance were (l-r): Andrea Hunter Martone ’06, Micaela Long ’06, Jarrod, Kaitlin, Brian Flynn ’07, Ray Zeek ’11, Jennie Bellonio Male ’06, Taryn Cornelssen ’05

20s

2020

Helen Hale wrote, “I am currently a junior and a politics major at Bates College and just returned from an amazing experience studying abroad in Prague, Czech Republic. Over the summer, I interned with a member of the US Congress and spent the past semester working on their campaign finance team.”

2014

Madeleine Hutchins will graduate in May 2023 with her MAR from Yale Divinity School and Institute of Sacred Music, Worship, and the Arts. Following graduation, she plans to complete a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at the West Haven VA Hospital and then finally return to eastern Connecticut and her partner, Kaiser.

Fresh Eyes on Fresh Ice

Ryan Jackson ’14 made his NHL debut as a linesman during the Chicago Blackhawks vs. Minnesota Wild game on October 30, 2022. He celebrated his first appearance on NHL ice with the traditional solo rookie lap before the start of the game.

After playing two years of junior hockey, Jackson first went to the NHL Exposure Combine in 2016 to learn the ins and outs of officiating. He then played hockey for four years at Manhattanville College before playing in the SPHL with the Fayetteville Marksmen.

Jackson signed an ECHL contract wit h the Maine Mariners, but the team withdrew from the 2020-2021 season at the last minute due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. He was able to play in the SPHL that season for the Birmingham Bulls.

In 2021, Jackson returned to the NHL Exposure Combine, where he landed a job as an AHL linesman for the 2021-2022 season. He now splits his time officiating for the NHL and AHL.

Running for Office A

fter current Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin made his intent to not run for reelection public, Pomfret Trustee Eric Coleman ’69 was the first to declare his candidacy for the role. Prior to announcing his bid, Coleman was serving as a State of Connecticut Superior Court judge trial referee, a position he held for a year after serving as a judge for three years.

Coleman has ded icated his life and career to service and making a difference in the lives of others. Prior to becoming a judge, Coleman served the people of Hartford for thirty-four years as a Connecticut state representative and senator. At the Capitol, he led the effort to repeal the death penalty in the State of Connecticut, enact Connecticut’s medical marijuana program, as well as implement gun safety legislation.

“I am running because I care about Hartford, and I sincerely believe that I have the background, insight, and experience to lead the city through whatever crisis may be,” Coleman said. If elected, Coleman plans to address the issues of public safety, education, economic development, and fiscal stability head-on.

CLASS AGENTS & SECRETARIES

1997

Miriam (Jamron) Baskies

Wheeler (Simmons) Griffith

Katharine (Carnes) Petrycki

Hadley (Weiss) Rosen

1998

Buzz Evans

Kip Hale

Toyin Moses

Livia (Skelly-Dorn) Roustan

1999

Lindsey (Boardman) Duerr

TJ Patrick

2001

Caitlin (Rogers) Connelly

Cooper Hastings

Libby Wood

2002

Christina (Galanti) Dickson

Jo Anna (Galanti) Fellon

John Lindsey

Colton Riley

Chris Watkins

Bill Wentworth

2003

Saleem Ahmed

Chelsea (Weiss) Baum

Laura (Keeler) Pierce

Chris Pike

Mackie (Pilsbury) Spadaccini

Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan

2004

Bob Saunders

Etienne Vazquez

2005

Laura (Dunn) Cona

Tim Deary

Alysia LaBonte-Campbell

Josh Rich

Davinia (Buckley) Selfridge

Bona Yoo

2006

Michelle (Gilmore) Castiglione

Hillary (Ross) Charalambous

Caroline (McLoughlin) Davis

Young Hoon Hahn

Maryam Hayatu-Deen

Greg Jones

Katy (Winogradow) Munno

James Pinkham

Erin (Wolchesky) Schnare

2007

Chris Golden

Else (Ross) Griffin

Travis Holloway

Holly Lorms

Shawn McCloud

Melissa (Stuart) Rogalski

Darren Small

Emily (Detmer) Taylor

2008

Alexandra D’Agostino

Steve Harkey

Emily Johnson

Joanna (Gaube) Nemeskal

2009

Molly Downey

Katie Kramer

Sam St. Lawrence

2010

Maura Hall

Kayla Sheehan

Samantha (Slotnick) Stanton

Ryan Wainwright

2011

Matthew Bourdeau

Kenri Ferre

Daniel Palumbo

Margaret (Thompson) Stevens

Ray Zeek

2012

Allie Bohan

Helen Day

Moira MacArthur

Jack Nicholson

Julia Oswald

Georgia Paige

Sorrel Perka

2013

Alex Adams

Lindsay Barber

Alyson Chase

Hayden Clarkin

Jordan Ginsberg

Lexi Gulino

Dan Kellaway

Dylan O’Hara

Izzie Tropnasse

2014

Isaiah Henderson

Meghan MacArthur

Annie Zalon

2015

K.C. O’Hara

2016

Madison Dean

Abby McThomas

Caelan Meggs

Sofie Melian-Morse

Rhone O’Hara

Chloe Saad

Dave Samberg

Sam Skinner

2017

Olivia Kremer

Mallory McArdle

Brandon Mitchell

Sophie Nick

2018

Abby Conway

Taylor Ettore

Henry Linhares

Naia Medina-Orrantia

2019

Komi Alasse

Jahneh Haylett

Maddy Metcalf

Rory Schauder

Brinton Thomas

Caroline Woodard

Sawyer Zimmerman

2020

Tyler Bourque

Nisan Korkmaz

Colin Kroll

Trina Madziwa

Sarah Miller

Teagan O’Hara

Marcus von Recklinghausen

Candy Vorasadhit

2021

Emmy Gengras

Cooper Lee

Jade Ly

Michaela Nsubuga

Samia Segal

Molly Sullivan

Kevin Wang

David Zhang

Shawn Zhu

IN MEMORIAM

To request a printed copy of full-detail alumni obituaries, call the Advancement Office at 860.963.6129.

Jan C. ter Weele ’53 November 21, 2022

David D. Domnick ’55 November 3, 2022

Ferruccio V. Turek ’55 August 10, 2022

J. Douglas Knott ’61 December 23, 2022

Vincent B. Wickwar ’61 September 27, 2022

Frank J. Weinstock ’56 February 13, 2022

Thomas B. Arnold ’70 October 24, 2022

David I. Hitchcock, Jr. ’46 September 4, 2022

Ralph I. Goodwin, Jr. ’47 February 10, 2023

Peter G. McLean ’48 May 29, 2022

Bruce Lee ’49 October 14, 2022

’53

’55 ’55 ’61 ’61 ’56 ’70

’46 ’47 ’48 ’49

Rush K. Abry ’53 February 2, 2023

’53

The Pomfret community and MLB fans around the world mourned the loss of Roger Angell ’38, a legendary, elegant, and thoughtful baseball writer for The New Yorker. He was considered among the best American sports writers and received the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, the Baseball Hall of Fame’s honor for writers in 2014.

James A. Gans, Jr. ’71 January 29, 2023

Delores “De” Morissette January 25, 2023

Andrew Tomecko February 16, 2023

Roger Angell ’38 May 20, 2022

’71

James C. Woodruff ’71 November 30, 2022

’71

Penelope Doerge ’25 November 10, 2022

Chester P. Avery, Jr. September 8, 2022

’25

History Teacher 1960-1963

School Nurse 1982-2014

Security Guard 1997-2023

’38

A Community Greenhouse

Pomfret’s Helios Greenhouse is an 850-square-foot passive solar aquaponics Ceres greenhouse built and managed largely by students in Sustainable Engineering: Aquaponics. It is open from September through May for anyone on campus who wants to help in its operation or just visit and enjoy.

How It All Began

The idea to bring aquaponics to campus was born from a project group during the first ever Project: Pomfret in 2013. In 2015, another Project: Pomfret group picked up where the first had left off, and aptly named the endeavor “The Helios Project,” for the Sun god in Greek mythology. A $50,000 grant from the E.E. Ford Foundation made the project possible.

Helios Greenhouse

In the fall of 2017, students in Lindsay Lehmann’s photography class photographed greenhouse components. Some of the photos were modified by students in digital graphics, while others were painted over by students in painting and drawing. The images were combined into one multi-media mural which adorns the north exterior wall of the greenhouse.

It Takes a Village

While students in Sustainable Engineering are focused on researching and building aquaponics systems, others volunteer their time as interns to help plant and harvest the produce and care for the fish. Over the last six years, more than twenty-five students have dedicated their time and talents to help maintain the greenhouse and its plants, fish, and systems.

Art and S cience Collide

A Multi-Generational Project

The Helios Greenhouse and its aquaponic systems serve to inspire and engage the next generation of environmentally literate and socially aware scientists and engineers. It is a multi-generational project that allows future generations of students to pick up where the last generation left off.

Gone Fishing

In addition to supplying fresh produce, the greenhouse and its aquaponic systems have been home to more than 500 tilapia over the years. At the end of each spring, volunteers and Helios interns spend several days filleting and packaging the fish to be distributed among members of the school community.

Helios’s aquaponic systems help supply both local food banks and the School’s dining hall with fresh, organic produce grown right here on campus. Crops include lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and kale, as well as fragrant herbs like basil and cilantro.

Still Growing

Over the course of thirteen terms, students have designed and built three complete aquaponic systems. After investigating several designs for a new system, students have begun building an aquaponic tower system that will make it possible to grow strawberries in unused vertical space.