Spring 2000 Taft Bulletin by Taft School

IN THIS ISSUE Barclay Johnson ’53 Retires 䊏

A Tribute to the Wynnes 䊏

Students at the New Hampshire Primaries

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Bulletin Staff Editor Julie Reiff Director of Development Jerry Romano Alumni Notes Karen Dost Design Good Graphic Design Proofreaders Nina Maynard Robin Osborn Karen Taylor Photography Craig Ambrosio Leslie Manning Archives Jarrel Price ’00 Peter Reardon ’00 Julie Reiff Camille Vickers Vaughn Winchell Gail Wynne Jessica Wynne ’90 Mail letters to: Julie Reiff, Editor Taft Bulletin The Taft School Watertown, CT 06795-2100 ReiffJ@TaftSchool.org Send alumni news to: Karen Dost Alumni Office The Taft School Watertown, CT 06795-2100 TaftBulletin@TaftSchool.org Send address corrections to: Sally Membrino Alumni Records The Taft School Watertown, CT 06795-2100 TaftRhino@TaftSchool.org 1-860-945-7777 http://www.TaftSchool.org This magazine is printed on recycled paper.

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An exclusive club: Of this group, photographed together in the faculty room but a few short years ago, only Yen-Lung Liu and Joe Brogna will be at the opening faculty meetings in September. The rest will all have retired. From left, Barclay Johnson, Bill Nicholson, John Wynne, Yen, Jol Everett, Joe, and Bob Boothby. Photo by Gail Wynne.

BU L L E T I N SPRING•2000 Volume 70

Number 3

SPOTLIGHT Most Beloved Barclay .................................................. 4 The Legendary Mr. Johnson ’53 Retires

By Debbie Phipps Ten Things to Be Ready for When Returning for Alumni Day ................................................................ 9 By Bonnie Blackburn ’84 and Steve Penhollow The Power of the Wynnes ......................................... 10 A Personal Tribute in a Medley of Voices

By Barclay Johnson ’53 Primary Sources ........................................................ 16 Students gain firsthand political experience

By Julie Reiff Taft Alumni Weekend ............................................... 25

DEPARTMENTS Alumni in the News .................................................. 18 History books, furniture designs, the Board’s new chairman, and urban landscapes on canvas.

Around the Pond ...................................................... 20 Early decision results, alumni games, Paula’s parents, and campus happenings in brief.

Sport ......................................................................... 22 Winter Wrap-Up and Big Red Scoreboard

By Steve Palmer Alumni Notes ........................................................... 23 Reunion Crossword .................................................. 36 Milestones ................................................................ 55 On the Cover Forward Ryan Shannon ’01 in the New England quarterfinal match against Avon. The boys’ varsity squad went 20-0-3, their best regular season record ever. Story on page 21. Photo by Craig Ambrosio. The Taft Bulletin is published quarterly, in February, May, August, and November, by The Taft School, 110 Woodbury Road, Watertown, CT 06795-2100 and is distributed free of charge to alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of the school. E-Mail Us! Now you can send your latest news, address change, birth announcement, or letter to the editor to us via e-mail. Our address is Taft Bulletin@TaftSchool.org. Of course we’ll continue to accept your communiqués by such “low -tech” methods as the fax machine (860-945-7756), telephone (860-945-7777), or U.S. Mail (110 Woodbury Road, Watertown, CT 06795-2100). So let’s hear from you! Visit Taft on the Web to find the latest news, sports schedules, or to locate a classmate’s e-mail address: www.TaftSchool.org or www.TaftSports.com. The password to access alumni or faculty e-mail addresses—or to add your own—is dutton.

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Beloved

This spring, Barclay Johnson ’53 gave his final Morning Meeting speech; not coincidentally, it was the last Morning Meeting required for seniors, who like to claim Barclay as one of their own, the Class of ’00. Dressed in his “wedding suit”—a revelation that brought laughs from his appreciative audience—Barclay modestly acknowledged the generosity of spirit that led senior Emily Blanchard, upon learning of his impending retirement, to respond, “Cool. You can graduate with us.” It’s an invitation many former classes might have proffered, had anyone been able to imagine Barclay’s retiring: it’s not that it’s hard to picture Barclay without Taft, but that it’s nearly impossible to conceive of Taft without Barclay. An inspiring teacher and mentor, a caring and inspirational colleague, and an old-fashioned, loyal friend, Barclay was “introduced” by Lance Odden as the “most beloved” of Taft faculty members, the person about whom alumni most often ask during Lance’s travels. He’s become a legend—although as the vocabulary maven of the English Department, Barclay would be quick to correct that title, citing that a legend is literally the story of the life of a saint—and he’s far from a saint, he’d add with a smile. He tells students that in his day, the “tower crows” and “basement rats” had to “make our own fun,” that when he arrived at Taft in 1961 to join the faculty—together with another new faculty member Lance Odden—they were different and yet similar: “While I could see the past, he could see the future, but we both liked parties.”

Barclay, here coaching the javelin in the 1960s, “has an unusual knack of finding a way to help kids drive themselves to be the very best they can,” says Steve McCabe, “and at the same time, he’s just eccentric enough so that they find him fascinating.”

He’s quick to laugh, a loud, uninhibited, eager guffaw as he tilts his chair back and crosses his right leg over his left. His voice is a fixture at faculty gatherings; I’m not sure who will announce that “dinner is served” at the headmaster’s opening dinner next fall. And a saint, he’s not; he’s simply too fun-loving to wear that mantle. A self-described “loose cannon,” Barclay seldom misfires. He points out that as a teacher, he has “more personal relationships than doctors have patients or judges have criminals.” He talks about “circuits of connectivity” in the community, cites

Left: “Barclay is well read and has a good b a c k g ro u n d i n t h e classics,” says longtime fellow English teacher Bill Nicholson. “He also keeps up with recent literature. There was no one in the department with whom I more enjoyed discussing books than Barc. He’s the one I turned to when I needed another reading of an exam question that affected a student’s final grade. I respected his judgment and knew I would get a straight answer.” Photo by Vaughn Winchell.

Barclay By Debbie Phipps

“His stories, handed down for generations of Tafties,… have become part of the lexicon of every new student, every teacher.” One of my favorites is how a grateful hitchhiker gave him the Mustang in this photo from 1969.

candid commentary on their work—“cut it in half and it might be readable”—and his fabulous mispronunciations of their names. An alum calls him “a force of nature, a madman, a mongoose, a George S. Patton of the English language,” words that seem more true each year. Chuck Crimmins ’99, one of Barclay’s New England Championship hurdlers, tells the story of running into Coach Johnson with a friend one night. “He introduced me as ‘the hurdler I was telling you about.’ For a second I felt pretty good—my coach was talking to his friends about my hurdling. Then he added, ‘You know, the one who could break the school record if he’d only stop falling over the damn hurdles.’ Coach has a knack for making people laugh, but his bluntness also motivated me, at times by

“…they certainly don’t catch all of his references, but they respect the impetus and thinking and know they’ve been in the presence of a teacher like none they’ll meet again.” the School as something of a paradise that allows teachers to stay young while their students grow up. We believe him when he says, “I feel young enough for a second life. Thank you all.” Still, this gentility and modesty and precision of expression are not the stuff of legends. Yet a legend he is. His stories, handed down for generations of Tafties, personify Webster’s definition: “…popularly believed to have a historical basis, although not verifiable;” they have become part of the lexicon of every new student, every teacher. We tell tales of Barclay’s tremendous appetite, which inspires Steve McKibben to comment, “Have you ever seen the guy eat? He eats five meals a day and his lunch tray sags precipitously under his entrees, the soup, a salad platter, a variety of colored beverages, and several desserts. Two or three napkins are 6

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conveniently within reach as he samples from each dish as he eats, talks, gesticulates, and laughs.” About his coaching Willy MacMullen ’78 writes, “Ever watch him in track coaching hurdles? How old is he? He is massive in every way. He still strides that field up there like a twenty-year-old, bigger than anyone, and in glorious shape, his cholesterol notwithstanding, and he yells for two hours: praising, cajoling, criticizing, analyzing. How has he stayed that young?” (Barclay would enjoy that each of these English teachers began his response with a rhetorical question designed to draw the reader in, and ended with a series of verbs to paint a vibrant picture of someone who’s always in motion.) His classroom technique is similarly dramatic: students tell of his crazed readings of Macbeth’s dagger speech, his

making me downright angry. I fed off of his challenges, and that gave me the ability to perform at a level far above my apparent potential.” Steve McCabe, head track coach, adds, “Imagine you come up to the track in the spring and kids are running here and there. Then you see this lean, tall, wispy gray-haired guy in a sport shirt, khakis, and tennis shoes demonstrating how to go over the hurdles. Even in his 60s, Barc doesn’t hesitate to show his kids how the trail leg action is supposed to go.… He has an unusual knack of finding a way to help kids drive themselves to be the very best they can, and at the same time, he’s just eccentric enough so that they find him fascinating and want to come back.” Barclay has led the ISP program for most of its 35 years with the same passion. An award-winning writer him-

self—most recently for his poem “Heirlooms of War”—he advocates for students’ opportunities to express themselves seriously. Gail Wynne notes, “He drops into the studio to see the works in progress, and although some of the comments he makes mystify students at times, they usually understand his meaning five minutes or five years later.” He stands guard—the 6’2”, 220-pound former college tight end—at the door at ISP concerts, “like a sentry protecting the artist from interruption.” A recent convert to computer use, Barclay now accepts ISP applications via e-mail, but insists that students see him personally for progress reports; I can hear him from my office next door, drilling them like the former first lieutenant of an armored tank division he is; afterwards, he congratulates them on their contributions to the program. The dazed—and relieved—ISPers leave his office, only to tell their own tales and add to the legend. But it’s in the classroom that Barclay becomes his legend most, the stuff of great verse and drama, as committed to the idea of the tragic hero as to the necessity of clear mechanics. Every one of his students can cite Barclay’s favorite sentence for teaching correct punctuation of a nonrestrictive clause: “My father, who has only one eye, is the best shot at the gun club.” Steve McKibben, who has cotaught Barclay’s “Experiments in Writing” course for three years, describes each class as an adventure: “Students need to strap themselves in for the ride because it could be ethereal, it could be bumpy, but it is always exhilarating.” Students walk out of his class and know they have seen someone doing what he loves; Willy MacMullen imagines an “intellectual chef stirring it all up in front of them—a dash of Macbeth here, a pinch of Brontë, a tossing in of current events, a mention of Falstaff, a glance toward track season, an analysis of Camus.” They may not know what to make of him, they certainly don’t catch all of his references, but they respect the

impetus and thinking and know they’ve been in the presence of a teacher like none they’ll meet again. For his colleagues, he’s the teacher we can turn to for advice on a nineteenth-century novel we’ve never read or a line of poetry we simply can’t decipher; he’ll stop everything to expound on Fitzgerald’s manipulation of time in The Great Gatsby, the importance of clear

cussion of paper assignments on Macbeth. Bubbling over, he offered a spirited analysis of a piece of criticism he’d just read, in which the writer declares that Lady Macbeth’s demise results not from guilt but from her disappointment at confronting her own failure to become masculine. We stayed an extra half-hour, listening to Barclay’s ideas, appreciating that although he’s taught the play over

“…it’s not that it’s hard to picture Barclay without Taft, but that it’s nearly impossible to conceive of Taft without Barclay.” verbs in mid writing, the necessity of a precise vocabulary for expression. McKibben adds, “His mind is a marvel; to listen to him lecture is to be taken on a tour of a literary library, which no one in the department can match.” Last week, Barclay blustered into a meeting of the tenth-grade English teachers, a little late—a privilege of being a senior member of the department—and interrupted our necessary but slow dis-

thirty times, he’s still reading about it— and sharing the fruits with us. For many, he’s that “brilliant, wacky college roommate” who knows everything; his work with young teachers has encouraged many to stay in the profession. It’s as an inspiration, however, that Barclay is most legendary. “For me,” Lance Odden says, “Barclay very definitely represents the connectedness of Taft over generations, through his understanding

Barc’s sons share his love of military history. Son Paul ’83, left, teaches mechanical engineering at Vermont Technical College. Son Matt, right, is a Navy Seal. Together they toured the USS Intrepid, now a museum in New York, last summer.

Taft Bulletin

of the traditions of the place and his pride in its evolution. In the life of every institution, there are people who are—of the essence—schoolmasters. Barc is one of these, imbued with the tradition of the place and the best of its evolution. In Barclay there is the joy of a little boy;

ity, or that I become stagnant. Barc embodies the best of what teachers can offer—creativity, knowledge, empathy, collaboration, and inspiration. I want to be like Barc.” Willy MacMullen adds, “How can any of us carry that passion and love and energy so long? When he

“Barclay very definitely represents the connectedness of Taft over generations, through his understanding of the traditions of the place and his pride in its evolution.” he’s one of the true characters, with spectacular devotion to the kids.” Steve McKibben describes Barclay’s struggle with the stubborn technology of the computer age. “Barc was indefatigable in his pursuit of mastery and, though frustrated at times, never stopped believing that the computer would help his teaching and research. This is Barc’s legacy to me: I never want to be so rigid that I can’t embrace the future, that I can’t take risks that will stimulate my creativ-

I “In Barclay there is the joy of a little boy,” says Lance Odden, “nervous when he has to speak in public at times, but it’s that same boy that allows him to connect to the kids and their journey. I remember living on Barclay’s corridor in the ’60s; he was beloved by the kids.” Here, Barclay and his first wife, Sabra (the first woman on the faculty at Taft), visit with some boys from their hall.

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leaves it will be a much quieter place.” When I moved three years ago to my office outside Barc’s classroom, A201, I signed on for an education overheard through his F-block lectures on modern poetry and his first-period sessions on editing. The inadvertent eavesdropping works both ways, as I found after I had flubbed a particularly tough conference last fall with a senior angry about a paper grade. Frustrated, I looked up to find Barclay at my door, characteristically hesi-

tant; ever polite, he never enters without an invitation. He handed me a second edition of Pride and Prejudice, gruffly offering that “I know you like Austen,” and left. It’s that friendship—knowing just what to say to motivate, to correct, to care, and not a word more—that I will miss. For years, Barclay has graded solely in green, a color that is particularly significant in one of his favorite novels, The Great Gatsby—a connection I’m not sure is conscious, but which students note each spring. It’s that novel I most associate with him, perhaps because the green light on the dock, the one to which Gatsby reaches out his arms each night as though to capture his dream, is so real for Barclay. He believes in possibility as much as anyone I know; he reminds us all of the absolute goodness of people if we just look hard enough. Taft will be a quieter place without him, yes, but I imagine next year’s new students walking by A201, wandering up to the track, editing a sentence, and telling tales of a Mr. Johnson they haven’t met, yet somehow know—no saint, but definitely the stuff of legends. Debbie Phipps is head of the English Department at Taft.

Ten Things to Be Ready for When Returning for Alumni Day By Bonnie Blackburn ’84 and Steve Penhollow 1. It’s one of the few sober opportunities you’ll have to wear a styrofoam hat with a reasonable amount of confidence. 2. A current student, who reminds you of that cute upper-mid who sat in front of you in Tuozolo’s biology class, will smile at you before calling you “Ma’am.” 3. You will discover that a loose collection of variously dressed people shambling to the top of a hill can be called a “parade.” 4. The level of coolness demonstrated by the Big Men On Campus way back when will be in direct proportion to their current level of baldness. 5. Women who had trouble keeping a cactus alive when you roomed with them in Congdon will arrive with six kids confidently in tow. 6. You can be sure you will run into at least one total stranger who will claim to have been your best friend. Contrary to popular belief, the name tag won’t jog your memory at all. 7. Pop hits of your youth will be piped in to the dinner dance. Instead of feeling nostalgic, you will wonder at what point cutting-edge rock became Muzak. 8. The people you shunned in school will seem surprisingly interesting, and the people you once worshiped will seem a tad dull. You will assume that this is because they’ve changed. Actually, it is because you have. 9. It may seem a good idea to dig out your old Annual to remind yourself of your classmates before returning for Alumni Day. You will realize when you get to your senior page, however, that your classmates will bear as much resemblance to their former selves as you do. 10. No matter how dull and unrewarding your life seems to you, there will be someone there who envies it.

Bonnie Blackburn ’84 is a writer for The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Ind., where she spends most of her time with her cat and her boyfriend, Steve Penhollow, who contributed most of these ideas after attending Bonnie’s 15th Reunion last May.

Alumni are invited to submit humorous or lighthearted essays on any topic for this column. All should be structured in a list of ten items and contain no more than 750 words. Writers will receive $50 if their essays are published in the Taft Bulletin. We regret that manuscripts cannot be returned, so please do not send originals. Taft Bulletin

The POWER of the WYNNES A —A Personal Tribute in a Medley of Voices— By Barclay Johnson ’53

while ago, Editor Julie Reiff propositioned me to write one last retirement article, while I still had it in me—or before I myself retired. “To the Wynnes,” she said. That was a relief, but only for a moment. How could one brief article do justice to Taft’s original, full-time teaching couple: Both Gail and John have been giants of accomplishment for thirty-five years. “Do them together,” Julie said, with a tender chuckle. “And I’ll find someone to do you.” As a colleague and personal friend to each of them from the beginning, I had the authority, perhaps, to treat them as individuals, but who could presume to know them as a couple? Then, too, each was remarkably independent. For example, in all their trips abroad together, they had traveled, at least once, to destinations several thousand miles apart—Gail to India; John to Siberia. 10

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Jessica Wynne ’90

Rather suddenly it struck me that I had seen something beautiful about the Wynnes, besides Gail. It was their special style of living and teaching. For all their differences in background and personality, the Wynnes brought to mind the partners in poems by John Donne. Despite the facts of life, they were never really apart. Therefore, while other voices praised the Wynnes for their impact as individual teachers and as shapers of programs vital to a modern school, I would focus on what I saw to be the common source of their com-

mon power. At the same time, I would show myself that I knew something about marriage, after all.

• • •

A guest in their house on many occasions, I had enjoyed the Wynnes, with evidence of their private closeness: the worldly art and beautiful books that spoke to both of them; the other guests of all ages, talents, and nations—even an astronaut; Gail’s and John’s conversations with everyone, which impressed me as the key to their effective teaching.

The idea that they taught in the same style led me to imagine that the Wynnes shared more than values, humor, and character. Quite possibly, they prevailed with a common nature: dignified yet informal, ambitious yet modest, private yet quietly outgoing. Emotionally, of course, they had to be different. Recently, when I remarked to Gail how peaceful she looked while walking to work around the pond in the sun, she replied, “Thank you. I internalize problems—the kind that John throws off.” Taft Bulletin

G M Gail Wynne has been my friend for over 30 years. Few teachers are more devoted to their students than she. She was busy raising children when I was a student, but John and Gail treated me like family. Being 3,000 miles from home, I was then— and continue to be—grateful for their caring nature. She is personally responsible for slowly swinging the focus at Taft toward the arts. Something the school is so proud of today. —Parker Mills ’69 When I came to Taft in 1971, Gail was the only female teacher on the faculty. I came to know a soft-spoken woman with a passion for art and a deep love for teaching. I also learned that this genteel lady was one of the fiercest voices to be reckoned with in committee meetings. When it seemed a student’s fate was sealed, Gail would proceed to praise the student’s work in the art room. —Anne Romano

Then she said, “That’s probably a good thing.” Of course, there was still another good thing. If the Taoists will forgive me for reducing their symbol of universal duality and balance to a human sphere, the Wynnes had exchanged dots. Beyond their interlocking curves of affection, each contained a part of the other’s sensibility. For instance, who would expect to find a bull in Gail’s art studio several times a week—or a fairytale princess at every wrestling match she could get to. In other words, John is an artist; Gail is a fighter. (Co12

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Mrs. Wynne has a love for art that is contagious. She always has a smile and laugh to offer and a genuine sincerity to encourage her students. She was my teacher and advisor, but most of all, my friend. —Lisa Campbell Hartmann ’81 In her teaching, Gail Wynne administered just the right mixture of guidance and complete encouragement. Her classroom stands still in my mind as the nurturing place where I started dreaming about art and art making. I owe my understanding of color to the batik work I did with her, and she is a model for my own approach to teaching. —Jon Carver ’83 Mrs. Wynne’s old art room near Bingham was always a refuge and inspiration for me, not only because of all the possibilities of materials and processes offered there, but also for the generosity of spirit and innate grace that she always brought to her interactions with each student. I learned one of the most essential creative and teaching precepts of my life from Mrs. Wynne, that the important thing in creating is not some ideal of inherent talent, but instead a careful nurturing and freedom. —Jane D. Marsching ’85

incidentally, they had met in an art class at Syracuse University; then, again, at a varsity wrestling match in which a mutated beargorilla lifted John, at a mere 200 lbs, and threw him toward her.) Is anyone surprised that they have reinforced each other’s work in vastly different arenas—a quarter mile apart. It was a privilege, then, to “do the Wynnes” together.

•••

Had they arrived at Taft when Lance and I did in 1961, the Wynnes might well have

left—thirty-five years ahead of time. The school was too formal, too austere, and far too military for them. The faculty and students had little or nothing to say to each other, in or out of class. The importance of creativity and confidence—to say nothing of service to others—had hardly been an issue, even at Vespers. Certainly the boys needed discipline, but no one seemed to know what else they needed. When the Wynnes arrived, for instance, Taft had no Independent Studies Program and no girls to challenge the dress

Gail Wynne had a tremendous impact on me during my time at Taft. Her enthusiasm, patience, and love of working with students were evident every day as she stepped in the art room. She demanded the highest quality of work from her students, but at the same time made learning a rewarding and enjoyable experience. —Dave Hinman ’87

Camille Vickers

It was an odd atmosphere in Mrs. Wynne’s room, very much removed from the regular workings of Taft. One student painted pictures of the sun on the seat of a stool, while another dyed batik cloth. You could smell the dried clay from the pottery wheel in the next room. It was as bohemian as Taft got for me during daylight hours, and Mrs. Wynne fostered that kind of open environment. —Nick Frankfurt ’94

Mrs. Wynne is one of the most kind and patient teachers I have ever had. Although I am certainly no artistic talent, she still encouraged my interest in batik to the point that I completed an ISP. I was able to explore a creative side that I had never really used until then. It was outside the artistic realm, however, where she and I had the most interesting conversations. She, like Mr. Wynne (who was my lower-mid advisor), was very supportive and interested in all my endeavors—not just art and history— and gently encouraged me to give my best at all I did. —Lauren Hickey ’96 Even after I graduated from Taft, Mrs. Wynne continued to be an inspiration for me. Everything that she taught me made a large impact not only in my own art, but also on the way that I view the world. —Melanie Royster ’98 She always knew, more than anyone, how to bring a smile to a student’s face, whether it was leaving a fresh batch of homemade brownies at the P.O.’s or holding the annual croquet-tea party for advisees at her house. —Danielle Perrin ’99

code or break the chill of silence. In fact, the old fortress hadn’t changed since my day as a “tower crow” or “basement rat,” except for the air-raid shelters, where the kids now produce every kind of music. From the beginning, John taught the accessibility of history and immediately became the head coach of wrestling. Two years later Gail, the artist-mother, succeeded my wife, Sabra, as the complement to Mark Potter. No creative effort in any field escaped her attention. ISP burgeoned like milkweed, each

project catching the air like a floating seed. As head of the Arts Department, she was determined to raise the status of the Arts to parity with that of sports—or, at least, as a requirement for academic credit. (In my day, of course, no one expected a crusader of aesthetics to say much more than “Good morning” to the director of athletics—let alone live with him.) Before long, it became obvious that the nature of their work was a perfect fit for the Wynnes’ special way of teaching. What could

be more difficult for teenagers than to go head-to-head, in public, with a New England champion or a lump of clay? The wrestling mat is not unlike an empty cloth waiting for art, which helps to explain the camaraderie among wrestlers and between young artists. Gail and John’s treatment of individuals explains the rest. They are as empathic as they are calmly demanding, both having been where they teach students to go. Of course, the bursts of laughter make it hard for an interloper to hear their quiet words. Taft Bulletin

W J John knew that commitment, over time, would lead to success. He never gave up on any of us, and as a consequence, we learned never to give up. As a 110-pound 14-year-old, I couldn’t have seen the profound effect which that man and that sport would have on my adolescence and my life. Wrestling was an uncomplicated metaphor for life in the mind of a young person; John was a wonderful guide. —Paul Klingenstein ’74

Wrestling is a pretty awful sport. Occasional blood, lots of sweat, a few tears, and huge amounts of pain are involved. A coach who is a taskmaster cannot possibly display the beauty of the sport to teenagers. John’s wit, wisdom, and perfect sense of timing show his wrestlers how passionate he is about the sport, and how they can improve, as people, by dedicating themselves to it. At age 62, he is still the smoothest wrestler in the room. —Al Reiff ’80

When I was looking at boarding schools, Coach Wynne’s reputation was one of the reasons I chose Taft, and his influence on his wrestlers and wrestling is far reaching. I remember writing to him during my freshman year of college when I made the starting line-up. Now that I’m coaching, our daily warmup includes the chancery sit-through drills we did every day at Taft. —Emerson Wickwire ’91

In looking back over the last 25 years of my life, I must say that my wrestling experiences under Mr. Wynne’s tutelage had a substantial impact on my personal development. He had a profound ability to nurture and instill the importance of self-reliance, commitment, perseverance, integrity, independence, and teamwork. —Jonathan Albert ’79

Neither gives a speech or flings a decree. Nevertheless, I have watched both of them make their point. Gail takes a pencil and shows what she means; then she says, “Now you do it your way.” Meanwhile, three fields and twelve tennis courts away, John takes his rebuilt knee to the mat and almost wrestles again—in his sixties. (No one is surprised that their four adult children are either artists or conservators of the wild.) Finally, beyond their pleasure working with kids, Gail has become Taft’s most publi14

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Maybe I shouldn’t tell John anymore that he can’t retire. I was just anxious for my son Charlie ’02 to have him in history and wrestling; time was running out. Coincidentally, Charlie has John for both now. But this spring I lose my golf partner and best friend at Taft. —Scott Serafine

cized teacher, from Manhattan to Cape Cod, for her own work; and John, as past head of the History Department and past director of the summer Educational Center, nationally established primarily for advanced placement teachers, may well know more teachers than anyone in the country. What still amuses me is that both of them literally operate like business owners— meticulous yet expedient. John, as the athletic director, keeps the buses running, with all teams ready to go. I call him the

eternal claims adjuster, first, because, like myself, he once worked briefly for an insurance company; then because he either knows every policy, benefit, and cost—or he finds out fast. On the other hand, Gail is the eternal supplier, setting up or cleaning up her studios like Whitman’s “noiseless, patient spider.” She has everything that anyone could need for visual expression. In relative seclusion, they both do their own thing and seem to get whatever they want for young people. No wonder that their modern facilities,

I met John Wynne when I was in 7th grade. My father and he were terrific friends, and the three of us drove to Lancaster, PA, to see the College Easterns. I knew by the time we got there that I wanted to wrestle for John; his sense of humor had me laughing the entire trip. I also remember how he talked about his time in India and about his wife Gail. When I met her, I completely melted. He had said that she was talented and charming, but one of the most beautiful women... too much. In four years I ate at the Wynnes’ table every night; John and Gail let me join their wonderful family. In the past two years I have adopted them as my surrogate parents. Any time I am feeling blue, I pick up the phone, talk with John, and then feel terrific. —Slade Mead ’80

Coach Wynne showed me how to remain humble amidst great success. I don’t think Coach ever blew his top, but you could always tell when he was upset. I remember feeling sorry for the person who occasionally slacked and had Coach show a new move on him. That was Coach’s style, very easy going and calm. He would often disappear at tournaments before the final scores were read. After we won, Coach would reappear and ask, “So, how’d we do?” After teasing him and showing him the trophy each time, he would say, “Alright! Congratulations, guys.” —Robert A. Carrillo ’95 It was rare that we would have a practice when Mr. Wynne didn’t mention a Taft wrestler from the past. Often he would teach a move or technique, mention a past wrestler who used it well, and then tell some off-the-wall story about him. It always gave us the sense that we were part of a larger tradition, both within the program and the school as a whole. —Tony Pasquariello ’95

John’s teams have gone undefeated (1995), won the Western New Englands (1995), and won the New England Tournament (1996). In 1996, John received the Outstanding Coach award from the New England Wrestling Association. Thirty-two of John’s 35 teams finished at .500 or above, including the last 29 seasons.

which they helped to design and equip, fill up with kids who seldom leave, until all the shadows of twilight converge.

• • •

I will miss the Wynnes, as will everyone in the area who has known their friendship, intelligence, and service to Taft. Gail, John, and I have shared the same interest and parts of the same work, cried with relief over the triumphs of many of the same students, and laughed at everything else—including our own mortality. How

can they go to the Cape without me? Although no one can comprehend Gail’s journey of development—back and forth to India—, John’s career and my own have run as parallel as the rails of the old Lehigh Valley line, along which we both lived as teenagers. Thereafter, we attended nearly identical schools, married thriving artists, traveled behind the iron curtain—on and on. It has been said that we even look alike from above. I will always picture him at breakfast and lunch, eating his training meal, then sit-

ting back with a pickerel smile, ready with a quip of noncombative sarcasm, hands folded, thumbs wrestling. So here we go—the three of us—the first to retire with a foot in each of two centuries, since the days of Horace Taft. While I had the voice, the Wynnes had the style. Barclay Johnson ’53 is a member of the English Department and chairman of the Independent Studies Program. He also retires this spring (see page 2). Taft Bulletin

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Primary Sources By Julie Reiff

New Hampshire voters are a privileged few. Presidential candidates lavish time on the tiny population in the hopes of swaying the nation. On the snowy eve of the New Hampshire Presidential primary elections, Andrew Bisselle, with fellow history teacher Mark Traina, took both sections of his Advanced Placement American Government course to Keene and Nashua, NH, to see the campaign up close. 16

Spring 2000

Chatting privately with John McCain outside his bus for some 15 minutes after a rally (thanks to parent Tony Helfet), students said the brush with fame was exciting, but not nearly as interesting as the chance to see in action all that they had been reading and studying. Later, they attended a Bill Bradley town meeting where several students had the rare opportunity to have the

candidate answer their own questions. “Seeing the students get energized by the electoral process—as it came to life before their eyes—was one of the great thrills in my years as a teacher at Taft. Hands-on experiences often offer more enduring educational memories,” said Andy. Hailing from all over the world, students share their responses to the experience with the Bulletin.

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Bill Bradley has swayed me left. —Head monitor Price Bell ’00, Lexington, KY The trip to New Hampshire painted a clear picture of the attitudes of civilian voters. It was interesting to hear each candidate’s own voice rather than hearing them through the voices of the reporters. The trip extended the class’s great interest in current politics and elections. I was most impressed with Bradley’s eye contact. I felt as though he were giving the speech directly to me—that is something you don’t get from C-SPAN. —Kate Helfet ’00, Kentfield, CA Most government classes must look longingly at those people who get to stand with the candidates on TV. We were those people. Our trip reminded me that only so much of a person’s character can be shown on television or expressed on the radio. The rest must be gained through experience. I shook the hands of two men who are vying for the most important elected position in the world. I shook their hands before they signed great bills, sent American soldiers to battle, and before they were sullied with scandal; it is an experience I will never forget! —Jarrel A. Price ’00, Woodbury, CT

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I think the trip to NH was the best learning experience I’ve ever had. To actually leave the classroom and engage in the political process is something I’ll never forget. I think my life will be changed forever because before I vote I will always HAVE to meet the candidates in person. It really changes a voter’s entire perspective in unexplainable ways. —Demetrius Walker ’00, Bronx, NY

夹 1. AP American Government students revel in the political process in Keene, NH.

The trip afforded us an amazing opportunity to experience direct politics with the people. The atmosphere was gripping because there was genuine contact between the people and the candidates at the events we attended. —David Wisner ’00, New York, NY

夹 5. McCain addresses voters at a rally in Keene, where Taft students joined him on the bandstand.

I was very impressed by the articulateness of Bill Bradley after he gave an in-depth response to my question about how he, as president, would open China completely to trade with United States and meanwhile help China to improve human rights conditions and embrace democracy. —Paul Zhang ’00, formerly of Beijing, China

Photos by Jarrel Price and Peter Reardon.

夹 2. Senator John McCain shakes hands with Christina Coons ’00 as the press looks on. 夹 3. Seniors Venroy July and Demetrius Walker do some campaigning. 夹 4. Peter Reardon ’00 meets McCain.

夹 6. Jarrel Price ’00 talks with presidential candidate and former senator Bill Bradley after a “town meeting” in Nashua.

Taft Bulletin

ALUMNI IN THE NEWS

Alumni IN THE NEWS

John Vogelstein ’52 Heads Board of Trustees John Vogelstein, Class of 1952, was unanimously elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees at its winter meeting in New York, succeeding Don McCullough, Class of 1942. John was first elected Trustee in 1982 and has served as a member of the Finance and Investment Committees. In recent years, he has been Vice Chairman of the Board as well as Vice Chairman of The Campaign for Taft. John’s first position after Harvard was with Lazard Freres. He joined E. M. Warburg & Company in 1964 and has been Vice Chairman of E. M. Warburg, Pincus & Company since 1982. He is currently a director of ADVO, Journal Register Company, and Mattel. John is President of Prep for Prep, an organization which helps New York City youngsters prepare for admission to independent schools, and serves as a trustee or director of New York University, The Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Rand Graduate School, The Jewish Museum, and New York City Ballet. 18

Spring 2000

Roots of the English Garden City

The latest work from historian Standish Meacham ’50, Regaining Paradise: Englishness and the Early Garden City Movement, has been called an “entertaining and authoritative account.” The book examines the British social reform movement at the beginning of the twentieth century through the lens of the garden city movement—with its plan to build new communities on open land that would provide a healthy, aesthetically pleasing environment free from many of the ills that plagued urban housing—the roots of modern suburbia. Regaining Paradise looks at the attitudes of the social reformers of the day. Their vision of society was based on an ideal of “Englishness” that Standish labels “hierarchical and reactionary.” To him that vision was a “weak alternative to ‘more democratic alternatives,’ ” according to the Contemporary Review. Standish argues, wrote The Virginia Quarterly Review, “that the movement’s progressive impulses were subverted by rural idealism and suburban high-mindedness.” Critics praise Standish’s “fascinating descriptions” of the origins of Letchworth (the first garden city), its architects, and later work at Hampstead Garden. Choice magazine wrote that he did an “excellent job of following all of [the] strains in garden city development” and highly recommends the book for all library collections. A graduate of Yale, Standish studied at King’s College, Cambridge, for one year, and served in the Army as first lieutenant from 1955 to 1957. He completed his doctoral work at Harvard in 1961. Some of the many books he has published are Henry Thornton of Clapham, 1760–1815; Lord Bishop: The Life of Samuel Wilberforce, 1805–1873; A Life Apart: The English Working Class, 1890–1914; Toynbee Hall and Social Reform, 1880–1914; and The Search for Community. Standish is also co-author of W.W. Norton’s Western Civilizations: Their History and Their Culture. Regaining Paradise was published by Yale University Press in 1999. Standish is Sheffield Centennial Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin, where he was dean of the College of Liberal Arts from 1989 to 1991 and was also two-time chair of the History Department. He retired in 1998.

ALUMNI IN THE NEWS

Bill Hudders ’82 with “New Mexico Landscape,” oil on canvas

Landscapes from Life Bill Hudders’ landscapes have been described as art with an environmental bent. “My work is all created from direct observation,” Bill said, “which I have found to be consistently unpredictable and challenging. It has enabled me to create paintings in a way that satisfies both the intellect and the eye.” “I am not an activist artist,” Bill told the Allentown, PA, Morning Call. He believes too many artists today think

the way to succeed is to provoke, startle, or annoy their viewers. “I like to think I paint good, quality landscapes and that is enough to get me noticed,” he said. The Morning Call also said that his work has a “warm, hyper-real style” that “celebrates the environment.” Last year, he had shows at the Home and Planet Gallery in Bethlehem, PA, and the Chappaqua Library Gallery, NY. His works were also exhibited at the S.A.C.I. Gallery in Florence, Italy; Linda Tseng Gallery, NYC; Camino Real Gallery in Boca Raton, FL; and the National Juried Fine Art Exhibition at the Open Space Gallery in Allentown, PA. He was chosen as artist-in-residence by Yaddo, the prestigious artists’ colony in Saratoga Springs, NY, in 1998. Bill is living in New York City and teaching at Seton Hall University in New Jersey and Moravian College in Pennsylvania. He received his MFA from UPenn and his undergraduate degree from Rhode Island School of Design. He plans to have an open studio this June; all are welcome.

Designing Woman Redecorating your home or office this spring? Want something functional and attractively modern? Then take a look at two designs by Annick Magac ’95, whose chaise longue “Eve” attracted some attention at the Milan International Furniture Fair—the “world’s most prestigious furniture design event,” according to the Washington Post. The “Sagesse” table by Annick More recently, Annick’s “Sagesse” table Magac ’95 (pictured) has appeared in Interior Design and blends form Surface magazines as well as April’s House & and function. Garden. The exterior pieces of the table, covered in rubber-coated metallic silk (her own creation), slide open on linear bearings to reveal a brightly colored acrylic storage box. Surface praised the table for its “sleek mechanics [that] are incorporated into the aesthetic of the high performance piece.” “My design sensibility is driven by my interest in materials, functionality, and beauty,” Annick said. “Function is huge for me. I believe that things should work flawlessly. I am also obsessed by materials and their potential new uses for products and environments.” Annick, who was graduated from Parsons School of Design in 1999, works at the architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill LLP. “An architect from SOM saw the piece [Sagesse] and offered me a job in the Interiors department as the first furniture designer,” she said. “But, I also design independently for myself.”

Cover Boys David Jenkins ’97 at UVA and Brett Chodorow ’96 at Harvard adorned the covers of two recent athletic publications. David is pictured winning yet another face-off against Hopkins in the semifinals of the NCAA Division I lacrosse tournament. UVA went on to defeat Syracuse in the finals to win the 1999 title. Jenkins was ranked second nationally in face-offs. Brett was the subject of a profile in the Harvard Men’s Hockey News, “From Jersey to Bean Town.” In it, Brett praised his former coach, Mike Maher, calling him “a genuine guy who is a great mentor. He helped us find our way, while really pushing us at the same time.” You can read the article online at http://www.harvardhockey.org/ mfeatures_17.html. See an article about a classmate or fellow alum in the news? Perhaps an article about yourself? Please send a copy to Julie Reiff, Editor, Taft Bulletin, Taft School, Watertown, CT 06795. Or e-mail reiffj@taftschool.org. You can also send a fax to 860-945-6538. Taft Bulletin

AROUND THE POND

pond Alumni Game for Victory

Anyone for squash? Bob Campbell ’76, Bill Morris ’69, Dave Morris ’99, Will Morris ’97, and Andrew Bogardus ’88.

On Sunday, January 9, many of the usual suspects, and a few fresh faces, returned to Watertown to test their mettle against Taft’s student hockey and squash teams. Faculty made up the majority of the alumni squash team, but the matches were very much enjoyed by a sizable crowd and played with tremendous energy and enthusiasm. There was also much loud cheering and applause for the alumni hockey team, who won 4-3 in overtime. A number of

The Men’s Alumni Hockey Team: (back, left) Gary Rogers ’83, Dave Forster ’62, Muchie Dagliere ’94, Mike Powers ’69, (mystery man), Mark Traina (faculty), Lance Odden; (kneeling, left) Chad Bessette ’74, Scott Whitney, Peter Maro ’83, Jerry DeLeo ’82, Todd Mills ’90.

“aches and pains”-type complaints were heard from the alumni team during the break, yet there was a real determination to prove that they still had it in them to win—and they did! All worked up a big appetite for the luncheon that followed in the Blue Room.

In Brief Connecticut Northern Regional Music Festival Six outstanding musicians recently participated in the Connecticut Northern Regional Music Festival, the first step in the All-State competition. Competing in the orchestra were Josh Einstein ’01 on trumpet, and Foster Chiang ’01 and YoungJae Lee ’00 on violin. Sara Jacovino ’01, on trombone, was selected for competition in the jazz band. Jason Donahue ’00, singing bass, and Bryan Moore ’00, singing tenor, were selected for the Festival Choir.

Paula Murphy Retires Paula Murphy will retire this spring after 17 years as director of the Parents’ Fund. Her tenure marks an era of unprecedented parent giving that is, according to Annual Fund Director Olivia Tuttle P’98, ’00, “unmatched by any other secondary school in the nation.” “Paula single-handedly developed the Parents’ Fund program,” Olivia said. “Reaching 94 percent participation on an annual basis is no easy feat. Paula’s attention to detail, eloquent writing style, and gracious manner have made the Parents’ Fund the success it is today.” “Paula is so helpful and encouraging, and has a sense of the right way to approach every situation gracefully,” said Joan Goodwin, who chairs the Parents’ Committee this year with husband John. “She is delightful and fun to work with. She makes working on the Parents’ Committee a real pleasure and something any parent would want to do.” “ ‘Attention to detail’ is a phrase that gets batted around quite a bit,” said Development Director Jerry Romano, “but when you work with Paula, you soon learn what these words really mean. She has an amazing capacity for concentration and can focus on a task in situations where others would easily be distracted. I remember there were several of us staying at the Harvard Club in New York for the Telethon. At three in the morning, the fire alarm sounded, and we all emptied into 44th Street in the freezing cold. Most people were shivering in their bathrobes. There on the sidewalk stood Paula, shivering like the rest of us, but clutching her Parents’ Fund folders.” Paula and husband Dick are relocating to Cape Cod. She is the mother of Amy Ostrander ’89 and Roger Ostrander ’87.

Early Decision Goes Well A particularly successful early decision round left many seniors happy with their future college choices. More than half of the seniors who filed early decision or early action applications were admitted to their first choice school, with the following results: 4 to Harvard, 3 to Brown, Georgetown, Middlebury, Princeton, and Yale, 2 to Boston College, Cornell, and Trinity, and 1 each to Babson, Bucknell, Colgate, Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, Hamilton, Lehigh, Stanford, Vanderbilt, and Williams.

Gospel Singer Theresa Thomason, world famous gospel singer, joined Taft’s Collegium Musicum on March 2 for an afternoon concert that “blew the roof off” Bingham Auditorium, according to Arts Department Head Bruce Fifer.

Readying for the Rink Groundbreaking for the school’s new Olympic-scale ice hockey rink happened in mid-March. A completion date is set for mid-November.

ISPs Continue to Thrive In its 36th year, the Independent Studies Program offers students the time and resources to pursue an original piece of work of their choosing outside the classroom. An abbreviated list of current projects includes various musical recitals, oil painting, a poetry collection, a novel, Celtic dance, batik work, the building of a wood-fiberglass boat, sign language, film and play production, the study of Odysseus as a modern day hero, WRED (school radio station) programming, and quantum computing and teleportation. Obviously, the projects cover a wide range of interests and topics. Still, the greatest benefit to the school is the vast array of wonderful work that is shared with the community at the end of the term.

Time to Travel • Collegium Musicum went to Spain for eight days of singing and sightseeing in Barcelona and Madrid over vacation, with concerts scheduled in Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, and elsewhere. • The 24 members of Chamber Ensemble went on a tenday tour of Hungary and Austria over March break. • The girls’ varsity ice hockey team spent 12 days in Scandinavia over spring vacation, visiting Helsinki and Stockholm. • Varsity baseball and the boys’ and girls’ lacrosse teams traveled once again to Florida for spring training over the March vacation, gearing up for another competitive season. • In the works: The Jazz and Dance Ensembles will combine their talents for ten days of performing in England at the end of the school year. They plan to stay at Oundle School, with hopes that its’ students will make a reciprocal visit to Taft. Look for more details in the summer issue. Taft Bulletin

sport Winter Sports Wrap-Up by Steve Palmer Girls’ Squash

Girls’ & Boys’ Skiing

The team finished the season at 7-6, 4th in the league and a surprising 6th at the New Englands. Taft couldn’t knock off the top three teams (Greenwich, Choate, Hotchkiss), which accounted for their six losses, but did win every other match during the season. Kristin Wadhwa played solidly in the number 1 spot all season, while Sarah Persing (#2) and Pranisa Kovithvothanaphon (#3) made great strides in one year, winning nearly every match this season. Certainly the strongest team play came on the final weekend where five players reached the quarterfinals at the New Englands, helping the team to tie Choate for 6th out of the 16 “A” Division teams.

Both ski teams enjoyed solid seasons this winter, once the snow arrived, though there were few occasions when all the top skiers put together their best runs on the same day. A relatively deep girls’ team was led by upper-mid Courtney Krause and lowermid Lizzie Davidson, but the 7th place finish at the N.E. Championships was due to solid team performance down the line. While the boys’ team was not as deep, seniors Christof Pfeiffer and Nick Ryan enjoyed very strong days at the Berkshire League Championships and the New Englands. Christof placed 8th out of 65 skiers in the slalom in New England, leading the team to a 6th place slalom finish. He then won the slalom event in the league race, closely followed by Nick in 4th place.

Girls’ Ice Hockey

Squash captain Ryan Byrnes ’00 had a spectacular season, losing only one individual match, to the #1 player in the nation. Photo by Vaughn Winchell

Spring 2000

This year’s varsity squad finished the winter with a respectable 12-10-1 record, though there were many chances for the team to garner a few more victories. In the end, Taft competed tenaciously with the best teams in New England, only to come up just short in most of those contests. Those crucial 3rd period goals never materialized for this scrappy, physical team, and this inability to finish off opportunities haunted Taft in close games

versus Hotchkiss, Cushing, and Berkshire, the three top-ranked prep school teams. Yet, there was some remarkable scoring prowess from senior co-captains Nicole Uliasz and Kelly Sheridan, along with a very solid season for senior Emily Smith in the net. Sheridan, a gifted forward and playmaker, set a new standard for assists in one season (34), while Uliasz’ team-leading 25 goals propelled her to the career record of 108 goals in four years, just passing Sara Coan’s (’88) 106. Coach Patsy Odden closes out her exceptional 25-year career with 371 wins, 99 losses, 13 ties, and 3 N.E. Championships.

Boys’ Squash The Taft boys’ squash program appeared to have all the advantages from the beginning of the season: spectacular new courts, a string of three undefeated championship seasons, and a history of respected sportsmanship going back for years. The undefeated 1999 team did include 4 seniors in the top 7, but this year’s squad, led in outstanding fashion by captain Ryan Byrnes, once again marched through the winter totally dominating the opposition. Their 15-0 record included a 7-0 shutout of #2 ranked Brunswick and a 6-1 victory over Philadelphia powerhouse Chestnut Hill. At the N.E. Championships, Taft swept all five draws, as they did in 1998,

Girls’ Basketball

Christian Jensen and Ryan Shannon, both upper-mids, were two big reasons Taft went undefeated in the regular season this year. Photo by Craig Ambrosio.

to post a perfect 155 points. Taft’s amazing streak of success is perhaps most evident in the records of captain Byrnes and fellow senior Ross Koller; in four years, Byrnes lost only one individual match, to the #1 player in the nation, and Koller was undefeated throughout three full seasons.

Boys’ Basketball With five returning seniors, two new coaches, and some new talent, this year’s basketball season was up for grabs from the start. What materialized was a team that came to play every day, regardless of the opposition. There were some inconsistent moments for sure, but the season began with an encouraging 2nd place at the Middlesex Tournament and ended with an 8-14 overall record and one spectacular victory over a very talented Trinity-Pawling team. Having lost by 20 points one week earlier, Taft came out firing at home, dominating top-ranked T-P for most of the game and holding on for an uplifting 65-62 win. Senior leadership was the key for this team, with Thomas Smythe leading in scoring and rebounding, Michael Baudinet 3rd in the league in three-point shooting, Jake Sexton and Adam Zell providing the crucial physical play inside and on the boards, and Brian Sullivan handling the ball and directing the offense. Two-year captain Marc Greggs may have been the team’s best defensive player and has been a leader in points, rebounds, assists, and spirit for two years.

A 13-5 record and appearance in the New England class “A” tournament was not unexpected for Dick Cobb’s squad. With an unusually balanced attack and defense, along with tremendous team unity and hustle, Taft posted a 6-0 league record to take the Founders’ League title. The play of the tricaptains seemed to reflect the overall team balance and approach: Adriana Blakaj led the team in scoring (16 pts. per game), Sarah Payne returned from knee surgery to post 5 points and 4 assists per game, and Kathleen Fenn provided tremendous defense and rebounding while contributing 6 points per game. The highlight of the season came at home versus a very talented LoomisChafee team. With 22 points from Blakaj, the 64-61 win ensured an undefeated league record and Taft’s first title since ’95. With the talent of co-captains-elect Jenn Feffer (9 pts/9 rbs. per game) and Chrissie Murphy, along with a good deal of young talent, the team will look to defend their league title.

Boys’ Ice Hockey All the superlatives, statistics, and awards could not quite capture the special triumph of this year’s hockey team. With a best-ever 20-0-3 regular season record and the #1 ranking in New England, Mike Maher’s fast, united, and powerful team succeeded at the highest level in this most competitive of prep school leagues. The team dominated most opponents with a high-flying offense led by captain Tim Pettit and juniors Ryan Shannon, Christian Jensen, and Ryan Trowbridge. The season began with the Lawrenceville Tournament title—thanks to an inspiring double-overtime victory over Choate in the finals—and included spectacular wins against very talented teams from Deerfield (1-0), Hotchkiss (4-1), and Avon (5-1). While the offense entertained the packed crowds at the Mays Rink, it was also remarkable team defense that held opponents to 33 goals in 23 games, an improbable 1.43 average per game. Juniors Chris Ries and Mark Spadaccini shared the goaltending

duties, while defensemen Ryan Sochacki, John McNicholas, Sean Cronin, Mike Erensen, and Jamie Sifers all had tremendous seasons. Co-captains Eric Dalton and Pettit deserve much of the credit for uniting this very talented team which, despite a first-round tournament loss, accomplished more than the coaches, players, and fans ever imagined. Mike Maher was honored with the Referee Asssociation’s Coach of the Year award.

The referee awards the winning three points to Venroy July ’00, giving him the New England Championship at 189 lbs. Venroy‘s opponent had placed 2nd in the nation the weekend before.

Wrestling Head Coach John Wynne finished his 35year coaching career in characteristic fashion with an 11-4 record, a 3rd place finish at the Western New England tournament, and the complete devotion of a spirited, hardworking team. The season was built around lopsided victories over league rivals Hopkins, Suffield, and Hotchkiss, and included a 9th place finish at the N.E. tournament. Senior tri-captains John McCardell, Shawn McCormack, and Venroy July were the core of Coach Wynne’s final team. McCormack (130 lbs.) was Taft’s only individual Western New England champion, because July went to the Prep School Nationals, where he placed 3rd at 189lbs. Venroy did even better the next week when he won the N.E. Championship. His 32-1 record set a new standard for wins in a season. John Wynne’s coaching career, which includes much more than wins and losses, closes out at 312 wins, 113 losses, and 9 ties.

Taft Bulletin

Winter Big Red Scoreboard Boys’ Basketball

Boys’ Skiing

Head Coach ........................................... David Hinman ’87 Captains ................... Marc Greggs ’00, Thomas Smythe ’00 Record .......................................................................... 8-14 Logan Award ............................................... Thomas Smythe Captains-Elect ........ Tony Piacenza ’01, Scott Tarnowicz ’02

Coach ............................................................. Matt Blanton Captains ....................... Christof Pfeiffer ’00, Nick Ryan ’00 Record ............................................ 6th in Berkshire League Ski Racing Award ........................................ Christof Pfeiffer Captain-Elect ................................................ Jack Parker ’01

Girls’ Skiing Girls’ Basketball Founders’ League Champions Head Coach ........................................................ Dick Cobb Captains ................................................ Adriana Blakaj ’00, Kathleen Fenn ’00, Sarah Payne ’00 Record .......................................................................... 13-5 Basketball Award .......................................... Adriana Blakaj, Kathleen Fenn, Sarah Payne Captains-Elect ....... Jennifer Feffer ’01, Chrissie Murphy ’01

Boys’ Ice Hockey Housatonic Valley and Founders’ League Champions Head Coach ...................................................... Mike Maher Captains .............................. Eric Dalton ’00, Tim Pettit ’00 Record ...................................................................... 20-0-3 Angier Hockey Award ........................................ Eric Dalton Coaches Hockey Award ....................................... Tim Pettit Captains-Elect ..................................... Christian Jensen ’01, Ryan Shannon ’01, Ryan Trowbridge ’01

Coach ............................................................ Rebecca Loud Captains ................... Laura Behrendt ’00, Kelly Ohman ’00 Record ................................................. 7th in New England Ski Racing Award ................................. Courtney Krause ’01 Captain-Elect .......................................... Caroline Clark ’01

Boys’ Squash Founders’ League and New England Champions Coach ................................................ Andrew Bogardus ’88 Captain ....................................................... Ryan Byrnes ’00 Record .......................................................................... 15-0 Squash Award ................................................... Ryan Byrnes Captain-Elect ............................................ Eric Wadhwa ’02

Girls’ Squash Head Coaches .......................... W. T. Miller, Bebeth Schenk Captain ................................................. Kristin Wadhwa ’00 Record ............................................................................ 7-6 Squash Award ............................................. Kristin Wadhwa Captains-Elect .....Caroline Novogrod ’01, Sarah Persing ’01

Girls’ Ice Hockey Head Coach ..................................................... Patsy Odden Captains ..................... Kelly Sheridan ’00, Nicole Uliasz ’00 Record .................................................................... 12-10-1 Patsy Odden Hockey Award ........................ Kelly Sheridan, Nicole Uliasz* Captain-Elect .............................................. Victoria Fox ’01 *Nicole set a new school record with 108 career goals at Taft.

Wrestling Head Coach ...................................................... John Wynne Captains ..................................................... Venroy July ’00, John McCardell ’00, Shawn McCormack ’00 Record .......................................................................... 11-4 Hitch Award ......................................... Shawn McCormack Wynne Award .................................................. Venroy July* Captain-Elect ............................................... Ryan Burns ’01 *Venroy set a new single-season record with 32 victories. He also placed 3rd at Nationals and 1st at New Englands at 189 lbs.

Spring 2000

Taft Alumni Weekend May 18–21, 2000 Thursday, May 18

Saturday, May 20

6:30

7:00–8:00

Cocktails and Dinner Classes of ’40, ’45, and ’50

Friday, May 19 7:50–2:00

Classes Meet • Alumni Welcome

8:00–3:00

Taft Golf Tournament Watertown Golf Club

11:00

Campus Tours, Harley Roberts Room

Class Luncheons Classes of ’33, ’35, and ’50

1:00–2:30

Launching of the Taft Oral History Project Guest: Dr. Ronald J. Grele, Director of the Columbia University Oral History Research Office, Choral Room