The Gunnery Bulletin

THE GUNNERY

SPRING 2016

B U L L E T I N

the gunnery SPRING 2016

Susan G. Graham House Construction 4

Letter from Head of School

Chris Baudo: A Fond Farewell 6

On Campus

South Street Fields Open 9

New Faces Arts

2

10 18

20

Athletics

23

School Store Trustee News

27 28

Supporting The Gunnery Recommended Reading Class Notes

34

Bequest Society

40

30 32

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND SCHOOL OFFICERS

TRUSTEE EMERITI

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT BOURNE ADVISORY COUNCIL

GUNNERY COUNCIL

PARENTS FUND CHAIRS

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE CONTACT

ALUMNI AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE CONTACT

ADMISSIONS OFFICE CONTACT

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

a few words

from the Head of School

“We are excited about the school’s ongoing progress and work hard to continue it.”

4

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

Susan G. Graham House Construction Underway The Gunnery’s beautiful, historic campus is getting a facelift on the school’s entry drive. Construction is now underway to enhance the campus with Susan G. Graham House, a dormitory with room for 22 students and three faculty apartments.

T

he building will mirror the Tudor architecture of the adjacent Bourne Hall. The Bourne estate, which was the first summer cottage in Washington, was originally a shingle cottage built by Edward Van Ingen in 1879 and remodeled to its current iteration by Alfred Bourne in 1928. The estate came to The Gunnery in 1958. This expanded Tudor-style campus includes the Virginia Hamilton Solley Dining Hall/Student Center (formerly the Bourne 18-car garage), the Buxton Alumni Center (2000), Bourne Hall, and now the Susan G. Graham House forming a new area for outdoor relaxation and enjoyment on the south side of the campus.

The new dormitory represents the latest findings on the best use of space in a residential community such as ours. The dorm will have a two-story common room and separate study rooms, as well as a faculty study in each faculty apartment to ensure accessibility for faculty and student meetings. One of the school’s objectives is to provide areas beyond dorm rooms for the integration of our day students into the life of the community.

bulletin |

THE GUNNERY

“We are thrilled to have construction started on the dorm,” said Peter Becker, The Gunnery’s Head of School. “Having the dormitory adjacent to Bourne Garden will revitalize a beautiful, underutilized part of campus. We would like to thank all of the donors who made this possible.”

The plans for this dorm began when the Tisch family offered a $1 million fundraising challenge designed to honor Susan G. Graham’s 21-year career as head of school, during which she stewarded Frederick Gunn’s vision and made it relevant today. As such, The Gunnery decided to recognize her faithful and transformative leadership by naming this new dormitory the Susan G. Graham House.

Investors in The Gunnery’s current Strategic Leadership Initiative, together with other generous supporters, were able to bring the dormitory project to fruition and continue the realization of this vision of a Tudor quad begun by some of The Gunnery’s most generous early philanthropists, Edward Hook Van Ingen (1839-1920), Alfred Severin Bourne (1883-1956), Katherine Lilly Conroy (1891-1974), and Virginia Hamilton Solley (1917-2008).

The dormitory is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2016-2017 school year.

It will open a new area of the campus, in addition to the central Colonial Revival-style quad which was begun under headmaster Hamilton Gibson in 1925 and the eastern campus with the athletic facilities: the Ogden Miller Memorial Gym and the James Haddick Field House and the Linen Rink and the arts’ buildings: Emerson Performing Arts Center and the Marian Woodward Center for the Visual Arts.

5

6

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

Chris Baudo:

bulletin

bulletin

bulletin |

THE GUNNERY

South Street Fields Opened for Play On a beautiful fall Saturday, October 24th, in front of alumni and parents, the Boys JV Soccer team took the field against Pomfret at the newly opened South Street Property.

The opening of the fields was the culmination of a decade-long effort to create additional playing fields to improve the quality and flexibility of afternoon programming during the fall and spring seasons. The addition of the new fields will allow the school to rotate the use of fields for practice and games, letting them recover properly during the off-season.

Above: Peter Becker Head of School, Former Head of School Susan Graham H’12, Val Prevedini ’69, Peter Slone ’73 P’11, Bob Ullram P ’96 ’99 and Jim Graham Former Major Gift Officer

9

10

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

ONcampus Outdoor Club Carries on the Traditions of Gunnery’s Founder

T

he founder of The Gunnery, Frederick Gunn, was known in the 19th century as an educator who believed in the salutary effects of a thorough knowledge of the outdoors. In a departure from Victorian rigidity, he was wont to declare a holiday from the classroom when the weather was particularly nice

and lead his school through the highways and byways of nearby nature, teaching the names and characteristics of its many plants and creatures. The school has chosen to follow his example. For many years there was a special prize handed out at graduation for having caught the biggest fish in the Shepaug River. At different times,

the students have learned such skills as orienteering, archaeology, canoeing, and camping.

Rod Theobald P ’09 ’14, the current adviser of the Outdoor Club, has sought to reinvigorate the natural skills that were taught in bygone eras. He began with his personal favorite, fly-fishing. The fall

Gunnery Families and Students Spread Cheer at Holiday in the Depot

T

he unseasonably warm weather during the Holiday in the Depot festivities on December 11th in downtown Washington encouraged large crowds of families and children to join in the old-fashioned holiday atmosphere.

Whether it was sitting on Santa’s lap, taking a ride in the wagon with the big black horses, sampling the wares and treats of the many participating town businesses and non-profits, or voting for your favorite gingerbread house displayed at each venue, it was a receptive group that was wished well on its way by the strolling Gunnery Troubadours under the direction of

Jennifer Wojcik, Director of Diversity and Performing Arts Chair.

Jay Coombs at the Washington Supply had his popcorn machine working overtime and a pictorial review of the gingerbread houses scattered all over town to help the folk cast their ballots. Suddenly, several of the familiar red Troubadour jackets came through the doors. Although it was just a few members, they obliged the expectant crowds with an impromptu carol. A new exhibit of antique toys under the tree and a raffle for some beautiful outdoor decorations were the new addition to the festivities from the Gunn Memorial

Museum. The latest children’s books from Washington’s writing and illustrating duo, Wendell and Florence Minor, were available for personal dedication at the Hickory Stick and Clifford, the Big, Red Dog showed customers the way.

In addition to the volunteers and musicmakers from Gunnery, who were actively contributing to the event, many faculty children and parents were there to see Santa and visit the many participating businesses. Youngsters working off a sugar rush doing cartwheels on the Bryan Memorial lawn were indicative of the feelings of holiday cheer and good will abounding.

campus |

ON

In the absence of fishable waters and with the conversion of the Bourne reflecting pool to a quiet park-like area, the Outdoor Club members brought their poles to Washington Green on several afternoons. The gentle whishhh of the lines and the determination in the eyes of the students informed observers this was serious business.

(L to R) Outdoor Club advisor and English Teacher Rod Theobald P ’09 ’14, Tanya Mittal ’16 and Jamie Lamy ’16

session was disappointing because the Shepaug and other nearby rivers were suffering through a substantial drought.

However, they had several chances to fish the Housatonic. “The students learned to read the river, and the hatches,” Rod says.

“I could tell when they became fishermen; they developed a new set of eyes.

When we drove over a river they would talk about pools and flow… notice things they never saw before.” One of the reasons Rod and his wife, Karoline, chose to come work for The Gunnery 18 years ago was the proximity of several excellent flyfishing rivers.

It wasn’t only fishing they explored. One whole afternoon they spent climbing the towering rock walls of the Roxbury iron mines. “They had great fun,” says Rod. “Scaling real walls (instead of indoor constructions) is stimulating. It truly tests your mettle and your grasp of the safety precautions.”

Mr. Theobald is working to build up the Outdoor Club’s reputation and capability to exploit this beautiful area in keeping with the tenets of environmental conservation including the addition of kayaks and canoes both on the rivers and the lake. He is passionate about imparting his love of the outdoors to the students in his group.

Row 1 : (L to R) Taisiia Latypova ’18, Sabryna Coppola ’18, Eva Jones ’17, Katherine Nemergut ’19, Claire Geagan ’16, Sylvia Wang ’18, Cayetana Roca de Togores ’18, Gabrielle Lescadre ’18, Tessa Mackey ’16; Row 2: Brendon Vejseli ’17, Oliver Williams ’17, Connor Lemieux ’17, Sean Douglas ’19, Maximilian Italiaander ’17, Timothy Fisher ’16

11

12

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

Katrina Radke visits The Gunnery as part of Speaker Series

By Peter Alexis - The Gunnery Media Club

(L to R) Craig Badger, Laura Donorfio, Katrina Radke and Peter Becker

O

n the evening of January 12, 2016, The Gunnery faculty and student body filed into the lower gym at 7 PM for the second speaker of this year’s series. The first snow of the new year dusted the campus earlier that day, finally bringing the feeling of winter to the community. Following Travis Roy’s speech in November, the theme of health was continued when Katrina Radke visited.

World Languages Chair Mrs. Donorfio fondly introduced Mrs. Radke. The speaker had been her High School swim coach.

Mrs. Radke was greeted with a warm reception from the crowd as she began to give the background on her life.

Born on December 17, 1970, in the small Minnesota town of Moore, Mrs. Radke was swimming for as long as she could remember. She was intrigued from a young age watching the older kids swim at the local YMCA. During one of her elementary

school years, her father took a hiatus with his job and the family spent a year relocated in Australia. It was here that Mrs. Radke’s swimming interest turned into a fascination. She woke up at 4:30 in the morning to watch future Olympians train and she was taken under their wing, learning as much as possible. Quickly becoming hooked on the sport, she begged her parents to move to Minneapolis after returning to the U.S. where she could further pursue her lofty goals. In her middle school years, her commitment to swimming was tested by relationships with friends. After much thought, Mrs. Radke decided that it wasn’t worth it to give up her big dreams just to fit in with a group, and she had more important plans to focus on. Attending boarding school in Germantown, Pennsylvania, her dedication was once again questioned by injuries, parties, boys, and other social influences.

Her coach made sure these distractions

wouldn’t derail her from the road to success, sometimes in an overly intense manner.

Mrs. Radke went on to receive numerous accolades in the swimming world.

She attended the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics at the age of 17, and was on the U.S. Swim Team for seven years, and won four medals in major international competition. However, her ambitious desire to be the best, coupled with years of extreme training, ultimately led to harsh consequences that drastically changed her life. She became sick in her high school years with undiagnosed ailments and began a decade-long uphill battle attempting to fight mono followed by chronic fatigue syndrome. Her extensive work and hours in the pool made her body very sick for years as she struggling to overcome the debilitating illness. She graduated from UC Berkeley, but not without the struggles of her disease, which relegated her to disabled parking and unable to do the physical activity she used to cherish.

Against all odds, she fought back and conquered the obstacles that held her back, and returned to the swimming world she loved. Ascending back into the world ranks and qualifying for the 2004 Olympic trials were a true testament to her undefeatable character and extreme perseverance.

Sixteen years after her Olympic appearance, she came all the way from the despair of her sickness to get back into peak fitness, a feat few have tried and even fewer accomplished. Mrs. Radke proved that her constant striving to be the best had paid off once again, and she didn’t have to collect any medals to know she had won in life.

Mrs. Radke wrote a book about her comeback experience entitled Be Your Best Without the Stress that she released in 2012.

She spent the entirety of her teenage years preoccupied with her personal burden; uncertain if she could reach the top and achieve her swimming goals. While she accomplished her goals and was extremely

campus |

ON

proud of the triumph, it was at the expense of her health. Mrs. Radke emphasized the importance of living a healthy and happy life, as well as finding the motivation to prosper in everyday tasks. In her speech to The Gunnery community, she addressed the many factors that go into finding success on and off the athletic fields. “Getting rid of stress and finding a balanced routine

go a long way to attaining the benefit we desire without overworking ourselves or shouldering the pressures society places on us,” she says.

Speaking afterward to students and teachers, it seemed to me that the sentiment of Mrs. Radke’s speech was overwhelmingly positive. The guidance she was able to

give from her varying experiences struck a chord with the vast majority of the school, and everyone was very thankful to have had Mrs. Radke come and speak with us.

It is safe to say that it was time well spent, providing enlightening advice to the pursuit of athletics and academics alike.

The Gunnery Town Party Thronged with Well Wishers

T

he Gunnery kicked off the holiday season on November 21st, welcoming a record number of Washingtonians to help honor Sheila Anson, Washington’s Town Clerk and Vice Chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission. But those titles don’t begin to tell Sheila’s story as cheerleader, keeper of the legacies, volunteer, town hostess and supportive friend to myriad town institutions, newcomers and long-standing citizens alike. The party was held in Virginia Hamilton Solley Hall, which was festively decorated for the occasion. In recent years, the school has established a tradition of honoring people of Washington who have contributed to the well-being of the town through their volunteer efforts with a “Friend of the Green” Award.

Head of School Peter Becker welcomed the guests, acknowledging with gratitude the interdependence of Washington and The Gunnery. Introducing Sheila as a descendant of John Gunn, brother of Fredrick Gunn, and the daughter of graduate Harold Anson ’45, and her brother Jim Anson ’70, Mr. Becker spoke of her family’s many years of service to the town and the school, including her aunt and great aunts, as predecessors in the Town Clerk’s office. He referred to the many guests who knew Sheila through her many activities such as the Bootcamps for Fitness and the upcoming Holiday in the Depot festivities.

For her part, Sheila, with customary humility hastened to include her colleagues and friends in the Town Hall as she counted her three blessings: the past when her family, her town, and her roots, set wonderful examples of service and support for her and her brothers; the present when she looked out into the crowd of guests and saw the many people who inspired her every day with their volunteering and support for the town and its citizens, and the future when she was privileged to work with and be a role model for the wonderful young people in Washington.

Past winners of the Friend of the Green Award include town volunteers and employees of Washington, including Laurie Lamarre and the Institute of American Indian Studies (2014), Joanna Torti of the After School Arts Program (2013), the Fire Department and Washington Town Hall employees with First Selectman Mark Lyons and Fire Chief Mark Showalter accepting (2012), Kirsten Peckerman, board member of Steep Rock (2011), and Phil and Gretchen Farmer, board members of the Gunn Memorial Library and Museum (2010).

Head of School Peter Becker Named to Connecticut Magazine’s 40 Under 40 List As the 11th head of school for The Gunnery, a 166-year-old coed college preparatory boarding and day school in Washington, Peter Becker has brought a passion for education that has inspired staff and students alike,” cites Connecticut Magazine. “He is a board member of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools and Washington Montessori School, and is also the youngest member of the Executive Committee for the North American Boarding School Initiative, which was founded by The Association of Boarding Schools to develop the association’s advocacy for the value of boarding-school education.”

13

14

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

Student Engineering Project Produces STEM Center Proposal

(L to R) Aidan Bond ’16, Ataman Ugur ’16, Evan Johnson ’16, Jeremiah Yoon ’16 and Mr. Blaustein

E

xperiential education at The Gunnery took a big leap forward last September when a team of four seniors, Evan Johnson, Ataman Ugur, Jeremiah Yoon, and Aidan Bond began work on a year-long independent study program in engineering with Mr. Blaustein as their adviser. The idea had come from the students and, in August, Academic Dean Chapin Miller had approached Mr. Blaustein who embraced the idea and began planning a rigorous curriculum of research and exposure which might result in an immediately useful engineering product. Having been offered a few alternatives, the students chose to focus on proposing a redesign of the current Science Building, originally built in the late 1960s. The new building would be the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Center at The Gunnery. Their goal was to produce a detailed request for proposal with floor plans that could be handed to an architectural/engineering firm to produce working plans for the building, thereby creating their first savings on the project.

The replacement of the Science Building had long been part of The Gunnery’s strategic planning process. The creation of a technology center to replace the science lecture hall in 2005 was considered a stopgap measure. The students, however, adopted the premise that a well-thought-out makeover might be less expensive and allow savings which could be applied to more environmentally sound design elements and more useful (and more expensive) laboratory outfitting. They visited Taft and Berkshire to talk to students, faculty, and designers about their experience with their new STEM buildings. They came away determined to probe deeply into the needs and wishes of the ultimate users, the faculty and their students. “The idea was to include all their big dreams as well as the little annoyances in the possibilities so that we could accommodate as much of the users’ ideas as possible,” said Mr. Blaustein. “We wanted to show that investing more at the outset would result in much greater savings over time and, at the same time, improve the delivery of STEM education for The Gunnery’s students. At the moment it looks like the payback would be about a year and the lifetime of the building is 50 years.”

Once, they determined what elements they wanted to include, such as an 18-person conference room and a 72-person meeting room as well as a greenhouse and a terrace on the third floor, the students created plans with movable blocks so they could determine the best way to fit all their wants and needs into the new space. At Parents’ Weekend in October, senior Evan Johnson presented to an appreciative group the early findings of the students. But it wasn’t until their initial drawings were seen by the trustees at their January meeting that a sense of the true scope and usefulness of the project became apparent. Planning to present at the April board meeting, the students went into overdrive to establish financial estimates to support their plans. Mr. Blaustein arranged for a visit to the office of a professional engineering firm and the production of renderings to illustrate the student work for the board.

“This program is similar to our Gunn Scholar program in that it allows more creativity and initiative than is usually possible in high school courses,” said Evan. “There is nothing as practical as engineering. We had a chance to learn to think like an engineer and to engage in actual real-time problem solving.” The students divided into teams to research different specifications and vendors of the design elements: one group did HVAC (electric, heating and air conditioning) and another, windows and insulation. The students met once a week to compare notes. “There are so many time constraints on seniors: AP courses, college applications, leadership positions, and varsity sports,” Evan avowed. “It’s difficult

campus |

ON

to find the time such a large and complex project requires. I don’t think this kind of project is for everyone, but I had great fun.”

The young people also had to learn the limitations of the real world, such as the fact that town zoning said that the school had already covered its entire allowable footprint which meant that the only way to expand in a neutral manner was to build up. “The plans we had for the original 1960s construction indicated that it had been structurally engineered for a third story, but that has not been looked at for quite some time,” Evan explained.

number of options. The man who is doing our renderings showed an easy fix to improve the facades of the building which have been one of the driving factors in the decision to tear down the building altogether. However, we don’t want to choose the aesthetic.”

Stay tuned; the new generation is testing its wings and we wish them every success.

Their next hurdle will be when they meet the people who will help secure the funding for the project. They are justifiably proud of their plan and do not want to consider too many compromises. “I would certainly like to see us get LEEDS certification and have been looking into strategies to obtain it including consultations with Sharon Waldron (wife of the school counselor) who has experience,” said Evan. “Energy efficiency is key to this plan. We want to provide a

Making Waves in Scientific Circles The article delineates the results and findings of his research into the neurons of tadpoles and the complex content would cause most general readers to lose interest immediately. Indeed, even the short abstract of the article needs its own dictionary. However, one of Dr. Ciar’s, as he is called by his biology students at The Gunnery, gifts as an educator is his ability to communicate the sometimes arcane elements of scientific studies in understandable, articulate English to high school students. Indeed, it is a mission of his teaching on the high school level.

T

he Gunnery’s community of science teachers were excited to hear of the honor accorded one of their own, Dr. Chris Ciarleglio, when his post-doctoral research article was accepted for publication by the prestigious e-LIFE scientific journal.

The article is entitled, “Multivariate analysis of electrophysiological diversity of Xenopus visual neurons during development and plasticity.”

On the first day of his AP biology class at The Gunnery, he traced the series of misinterpretations of his own previously published work from a publication for scientists where it was recognizable science through to a TV headline which confirmed, completely incorrectly, that he had proved the truth of astrology. “And that’s why you need to be able to communicate and share your discoveries when you participate in the ongoing research of your chosen field,”

he announced to the enthralled class.

Dr. Ciar graduated from Swarthmore with a B.A. in biology and a minor in ancient history. He received a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in neuroscience in 2011. Dr. Ciar came to The Gunnery in the fall of 2015 from a position as a postdoctoral fellow at Brown University, where he was an adjunct lecturer at Brown and Rhode Island School of Design and taught pre-college students in the summer. eLife Sciences describes itself on its website as: “a unique, non-profit collaboration between the funders and practitioners of research to improve the way important results are presented and shared. The open-access eLife journal is the first step in this initiative to make science publishing more effectively benefit science and scientists. You can read Dr. Ciar’s research profile at http://www.researchgate.net/ profile/Chris_Ciarleglio his publication list http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/?term=ciarleglio+cm* and his recent article http://goo.gl/nLeaS7.

15

16

|

bulletin

THE E GUNNERY

North American Boarding Initiative (NABI) Goes Boldly Together

W

hen in the spring of 2014, Head of School Peter Becker received the call from The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) to join an Executive Committee of Heads, enrollment leaders, and other advisers to discuss the landscape of domestic boarding students, he didn’t hesitate for a second. The issues to be examined were exactly those he had been addressing at The Gunnery and he had examined a number of initiatives that he hoped would bear fruit in the near future.

The Executive Committee was tasked to review the current market conditions that all boarding schools face. The committee was formed in response to a 2013 survey that TABS conducted as part of the association’s strategic plan, in which school leaders expressed their feelings that TABS should help connect schools to qualified domestic boarding students.

Unlike historic enrollment challenges during times of economic, social, or political strife to which boarding schools have always adapted and survived, the steady decline of mission-appropriate, full pay, domestic, boarding students in the last decade and a half shows no sign of reversing. Conversations with school leaders confirmed that attracting domestic boarders is their most strategic priority.

During the course of analyzing the data, several themes and patterns began to emerge. Perhaps the most important of the commission’s findings was that all boarding schools were facing the same challenge and the problem did not appear to be related to the 2008 recession.

Some other points that emerged were: • Full-pay domestic boarders now represent less than 50% of overall boarding enrollment.

• Successful independent day schools are penetrating markets of historical importance to boarding schools. New charter, online, magnet, and homeschool options have intensified the competition for families seeking high-quality academic preparation.

• Because of the difficulty enrolling full-pay and missionappropriate classes, TABS member schools have a very high acceptance rate among full-pay domestic boarding candidates with the exception of a few unusually selective institutions. This affects the composition of the student body, the predictability of net tuition revenue, and the ability of our schools to fund their missions and operations – including the critical work of expanding diversity.

• Demographic declines, potential disruption on the larger educational landscape, and price pressures in higher education are also challenging the boarding school marketplace and business model.

• The traditional mechanisms for offsetting softer demand – e.g., expanded financial aid subsidies, international outreach, and day student growth – are showing signs of diminishing marginal utility and/or counterproductive secondary effects.

• Boarding school enrollments have been declining by 400 students, or $15,000,000 in net revenue, a year for the past decade and a half.

Out of these meetings was born the plan, “Boldly Together: 2020 by 2020,” which was approved in September 2015. The goal is to increase the number of enrolled boarders from U.S. and Canadian families paying all or most of tuition by 2,020 students, or 10%, by the year 2020. To do this, the group realized that they must first stem the decline and stabilize enrollment and then generate sustainable growth and improved enrollment health for the sector.

Key elements of the plan include improved market intelligence to help schools in their outreach efforts; organized, word-ofmouth efforts to include parents, alumni, faculty, and friends in the marketing effort, and improved communication of school innovations and improvements which have worked to create powerful learning value for students.

The Gunnery has already embarked on an ambitious Strategic Plan directed at overcoming these challenges and securing the financial wherewithal to execute the necessary initiatives to secure our future. Stay tuned for progress as we go forward.

campus |

ON

Twenty-Six Gunnery Students Participate in Model United Nations

F

or the first time in many years, 26 Gunnery students participated in the Harvard Model United Nations, a four-day international relations simulation held annually in Boston, Massachusetts.

Three thousand students from 200 high schools around the world participate; spending four days wrestling with modern diplomatic issues, listening to each other’s presentations, debating the intricacies of resolution language, and voting on solutions.

Representing two countries, Tajikistan, and Comoros, The Gunnery students worked to pass resolutions which they believed would be beneficial from the perspective of these two nations and tried to halt the passage of resolutions which they believed these nations would be against. The Gunnery received a Verbal Mention for Comoros on the Islamic education, scientific and cultural committee.

Assistant Head of School and Model UN Faculty Supervisor, Chapin Miller, said, “We got involved in Model UN because we wanted to create additional intellectual outlets for our students. While we have courses that are challenging enough for any level of ability, some of our students clearly were excited about more cerebral challenges outside of the classroom as well.

We knew that Model UN would challenge

The Gunnery’s delegation at the Harvard United Nation Ceremonies

Front Row (L to R): Arthur Li ’16, Lori Dai ’16, Anthony Cochrane ’18, Jeremiah Yoon ’16, Stephanie Jung ’18, Sabryna Coppola ’18, Christian Kummer ’18, Seli Gadese-Mensah ’17, Philippa Solf ’17, Tessa Mackey ’16, William Townsend ’18, Laura Begler ’17, Justin Hong ’17, Wyatt Cicarelli ’19, Song Kim ’17, Rain Ji ’19, Mark Choi ’18, Allison Madow ’19, Juliet Perry ’19, Lily Mandl ’18, Patrick Mullen ’17, Max Ryan ’16; Top Row (L to R): Gunny Lee ’16, Ataman Ugur ’16

our students in a number of different ways.

We initially chose to apply to the Harvard Model UN because it was one of the oldest.

It is also one of the most challenging and has 3,000 students from all over the world.

The Harvard Model UN was all of those things and more. It was challenging in a way that was exhilarating, but it was also great fun.”

GeonEoy Lee ’16 said, “I could feel how diplomats would feel when they make decisions for their countries; it is a lot of pressure, and you are always brainstorming. I learned to think, behave and talk like a diplomat. Everyone was trying hard to make a resolution beneficial to their countries, and it was interesting to see how hard each delegate tried to put favorable clauses in the resolutions.”

Dana Ross ’17 came away from the conference with knowledge and some new friendships, “The Harvard Model United Nations was an incredible experience. We got to represent a country, work on drafting resolutions, building coalitions, and finally, being a diplomat, but there was so much more to it. The conference brings together around 3,000 students; we are known as delegates at the conference, and each of us got a chance to get to know people

from all over the world and even make some friends.”

The teams assembled for the first time in November and spent the winter working on learning parliamentary procedure, basic debating skills, and current events. In the days leading up to the conference, they met by country and put together “country books” for each committee with pertinent research, position papers, speeches, potential resolutions, and lists of rules and parliamentary procedure for review while in committee meetings.

Said Mr. Miller, “The students worked very hard in preparation for the conference.

There were a lot of nerves leading up to the conference because this was our first attempt and we were going up against some very big guns with considerably more experience than ours, but the kids have taken this first attempt very seriously and performed marvelously. I can’t wait to return next year.”

The Harvard Model UN conference is staffed by more than 200 Harvard University undergraduates, and also features tours of Harvard University, as well as presentations from Harvard professors.

17

18

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

NEWfaces The Gunnery Announces New Dean of Students Dr. Jessica M. Matthews Comes to The Gunnery from Cornell University

T

he Gunnery has appointed Dr. Jessica M. Matthews as the school’s next Dean of Students, effective July 1, 2016. Dr. Matthews joins The Gunnery from Cornell University where she served as Lecturer and Head Resident at the university’s program in Washington, D.C.

Christopher Baudo, for his leadership and commitment to The Gunnery: “Chris and his family have been pillars in our community for the past 15 years. I thank him for his efforts in building and leading the great team in the Dean of Students Office and for his partnership in leading the school.”

In an announcement to the campus community about her appointment, Head of School Peter Becker said, “Jess cares deeply about students, learning, and school culture in residential academic settings. She brings expertise in creating and leading teams and programs that strengthen the student experience, developing programs that support student growth, and cultivating a vibrant and inclusive campus community.

I am excited to see how she brings her experience and talents to bear on Mr. Gunn’s school and our intentional approach with each student.”

Before her time at Cornell in Washington D.C., Dr. Matthews was a instructor and graduate teaching assistant at Cornell University and Assistant Dean for the Secondary School Program at Harvard Summer School. While she was completing her dissertation, she served several roles at Stanford University Summer Session, including as Associate Dean and Director.

Dr. Jessica M. Matthews

“I am so thrilled to be joining The Gunnery family.”

Dr. Matthews was selected after an extensive national search that included talented and experienced boarding and day school teachers and leaders. The search team included faculty, students, parents, alumni, staff, and administrators.

In announcing Dr. Matthews’ appointment, Mr. Becker thanked current Assistant Head of School and Dean of Students

“I am so thrilled to be joining The Gunnery family,” said Dr. Matthews.

“From my conversations with students, parents, teachers, and the leadership team, I can see what a caring community exists, and I am looking forward to learning more about what has created this atmosphere as well as to contributing to it and strengthening it.”

Dr. Matthews earned an A.B. from Harvard University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in education from Cornell University.

faces |

NEW

Alumni Engagement Director Hired at The Gunnery

B

arbara C. Burt joined The Gunnery as the first Director of Alumni Engagement in December.

Barbara comes from Yale University, where she had worked with the Association of Yale Alumni since 2004.

Among her responsibilities, Barbara helped plan reunions and mini-reunions Barbara C. Burt worldwide, worked closely with alumni volunteers, and assisted the Communications Department. As The Gunnery’s alumni activities expand across the country and, indeed, the world, Barbara’s role will be crucial to the Alumni and Development team’s success in building our community and the Alumni Association.

A resident of Woodbridge, CT, Barbara has been interested in the planning, budgeting, and organizing of major and minor events throughout her career. Of her new position, she commented, “I am very excited to be a part of this new and wonderful chapter of alumni engagement at The Gunnery. My goal is to strengthen and expand alumni ties, and, in doing so, help make the school an even more prestigious institution. By helping alumni find ways to give back to the school through time, talent, and treasure, everyone benefits.”

Director of Alumni and Development Sean Brown says, “Barbara will be a terrific addition to the community and we’re happy to have her aboard. She brings great skills from a much larger organization, but understands the uniqueness of The Gunnery. In her first year she will work closely with key alumni to grow and refine the Alumni Association, and we all look forward to seeing the alumni response to these new engagement opportunities.”

New Member of Marketing & Communications

M

any of those in our broader community have noticed an uptick in The Gunnery’s presence on social media. Chalk it up to the newest member of the Communications Department, Jessica (Volpe) Baker, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications. An Jessica (Volpe) Baker energetic and enthusiastic addition, a can-do person, Jess undertook and solved the issue of the eNewsletter On the Go: photographs in the Gunnery Detective section which were too small to identify.

Jess graduated from Northeastern University with a BA in Journalism and a minor in Women’s Studies. She comes to The Gunnery from Ability Beyond in Bethel, CT, where she was the Community Outreach Coordinator and designed marketing and communications material in addition to handling internal and external communications. In her relatively short career thus far, Jess has experience working with publicists, all aspects of social media, planning media campaigns, and working with branding.

Writing is one of Jess’s first loves and she has embraced The Gunnery community, writing for and managing the website and various publications and mailers. Jess is a tech guru and has already become invaluable as the community adjusts to the new website. She even finds time to help technologystressed faculty when necessary.

Newly married to Chris Baker, Jess has recently welcomed a roly poly German Shorthair pointer puppy into her family.

19

20

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

GUNNERYarts Two Gunnery Students Accepted into CT Regional Scholastic Art Awards Show

E

mily Williams ’16 and Anh Quoc Pham ’17 were accepted into the CT Regional Scholastic Art Show. Their work was exhibited in the Silpe Gallery of the University of Hartford from January 17 through February 5.

Emily received an Honorable Mention in the Drawing and Illustration category for her picture, Elephant, and Anh Quoc received a Silver Key in the Digital Art category for his piece entitled City on a Whale. A national jury will choose works for exhibit in the National Show held in June 2016.

Visual Arts Chair Andy Richards with Morgan Small ’16, Alyssa Cooke ’16, Miranda Yang ’17, and Emily Williams ’16

City on a Whale by Anh Quoc Pham ’17

Elephant by Emily Williams ’16

Gunnery Participates in the ASAP Fifth Annual Celebration of Young Photographers

O

n Saturday, December 5, 2015, the After School Arts Program Fifth Annual Celebration of Young Photographers took place at the Litchfield Historical Society. The contest highlighted student work from schools all around Connecticut in grades 3 to 12.

Phil Liu ’19

The works of two Gunnery participants: Miranda Yang ’17 and Phil Liu ’19 were chosen out of 250 submitted to form part of the 55 photos on display. Miranda Yang’s photo, titled Qinghai received an honorable mention in landscape.

Miranda said, “I visited this small town in Qinghai Province in China this summer. Located in northwest

China, this area is not very developed, but people there were friendly and warmhearted.” It was also the second time her photo has been chosen in this program.

Phil Liu’s work in black and white was untitled.

As stated on their website, “The After School Arts Program (ASAP) is a nonMiranda Yang ’17 profit organization dedicated to providing young people with opportunities to create beautiful and meaningful works of art in a creative and collaborative environment.

By inspiring the next generation to discover and embrace their own creativity, ASAP hopes to not only enrich lives, but to change them forever.”

arts |

THE GUNNERY

And Then There Were None Presented by The Gunnery Drama Society

T

he Gunnery Drama Society presented the Agatha Christie play, And Then There Were None, in the Lemcke Theater in November.

The poem foretelling the coming demise of each character was well illustrated by fallen soldier statues spotlighted on the mantle. Assisted ably by the talented acting group, Director Elizabeth Dayton ’08, in her first appearance as head of the drama department, kept the action moving and the tension building throughout the performance.

The story played to full audiences partially because of the publicity photo of the cast on the Bourne terrace taken by Production Manager Zoë Cameron ’16. It was the perfect setting for a story of an ominous weekend at a British “great house,” as was the set in the Lemcke theater built by Technical Director Al Chiapetta. Terry Hawley arranged the spot-on 1930s costuming of the British eccentrics, Oksana Protenic was the Production Director and the Stage Manager was Will Townsend ’18.

Each character contributed to the building tension: Brendon Vejseli ’17 was appropriately and specifically vague as the organizing butler of the manse. Sabryna Coppola ’18, both skittish and terrified as his wife, the maid/cook, was an early victim. Claire Geagan ’16, who played the thoughtless, high-living Antoinette Marston, was the first victim, unmourned. Clare Costello ’18, in her first drama (although not her first stage production), was the boatman who brought the guests to their deaths. Alexis Nanavaty’s ’17 character Vera Claythorne avoids annihilation through trickery and therefore is required to show increasing terror culminating in a series of piercing screams. Christian Kummer ’18, the hero, credited Dr. Anna Carew-Miller with the success of his portrayal because of her detailed analysis of the play they read freshman year. Sam Johnson ’19 has always been interested in theater and in this, his first Gunnery production, he maintains his character, William Blore’s, untenable position as one after another of his pretenses evaporates under scrutiny. Lucas Gosman ’18, a newcomer to both The Gunnery and the stage, had the perfect posture and affect of the aging WWI veteran, General Mackenzie. Eva Jones ’17 played the selfrighteous spinster Emily Brent with true rigidity and haughty disdain.

Oliver Williams ’17 as Dr. Armstrong provides the “red herring” of the tale with the disappearance of his body. Gabby Lescadre ’18, the “hanging judge” and true villain of the piece, held the audiences in thrall with her denouement at the end of the play. Max Italiaander ’17, and Jerry Cheng ’18 were the executioners who kept the grisly deaths orderly, crossing off the transgressors’ names.

Published in the U.S. in 1939, And Then There Were None is one of Agatha Christie’s best-known mystery novels, widely considered her masterpiece and described by her as the most difficult of her books to have written. Agatha Christie herself adapted the novel to the stage in 1943.

Above: The Tale Unfolds

Executioners Keep Track

Below: (L to R) Lexi Nanavaty ’17, Christian Kummer ’18, Claire Geagan’16, Gabby Lescadre ’18, Ollie Williams ’17, Eva Jones’17, Brendan Vejseli ’17, Sabryna Coppola ’18, Sam Johnson ’19, Clare Costello ’18 and Lucas Gosman ’18

21

22

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

The Gunnery Drama Society Presents Shrek: The Musical

A

lthough the winter musical productions are always free to the public, The Gunnery has seldom had to turn away enthusiastic theatergoers for lack of standing room. Shrek: The Musical was such a show. It built a reputation on campus and in surrounding towns during the weeks of rehearsals as a fun show with an enthusiastic cast. The resultant crowds of students, faculty and faculty children, and townspeople enjoyed a rollicking evening with some spot-on comedic timing, fun and funny characterization, a 21st century set, some wild costumes, and an appealing story.

The Broadway production of Shrek: The Musical was based on the Dreamworks film for Disney Productions released in 2001. The musical, with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay – Abaire, ran on Broadway from 2008-2010. It was based on a 1990 book written by William Steigs. The Gunnery’s production was directed by Elizabeth Dayton ’08, produced by Sarah Albright, with music direction from Oksana Protenic. Al Chiapetta was the Technical Director and Set Designer, and Terry Hawley was in charge of costumes and props. Zoë Cameron ’16 was the Stage Manager and Lexi Nanavaty ’17 and Brendon Vejseli ’17 were the choreographers. The stage crew, some of whom were also extras in the show, included Sean Dowd ’16, Marcus GuerreroGomez ’18, Ross O’Connor ’18, Sean Tronsen ’18, Connor Lemieux ’17, and Tim Tscheppe ’19. The play’s poster was designed by Jingqiong (Miranda) Yang ’17 and was photographed at the railroad tunnel in Steep Rock.

Director Elizabeth Dayton said of her cast, “This group of students I had the honor to direct is incredibly supportive of one another, and the students truly embrace the show’s mantra, ’What makes us special makes us strong.’”

Many members of the cast were already seasoned Gunnery performers, some with Halo nominations under their belts. These included: Gabby Lescadre ’17 (Fiona with a Broadway voice), Tim Cervera ’17 (Thelonius), Eva Jones ’17 (the Dragon), Brendon Vejseli ’17 (Pinocchio), Lexi Nanavaty ’16 (student director/Queen Lillian/Wicked Witch), Jamie Lamy ’16 (Fairy Godmother), Max Italiaander ’17 (King Harold/Knight/Farquaad’s dad), Three Pigs (Sam Joslin ’16, Jack Kolpack ’16, and Harrison Howell ’16) and, of course, Ollie Williams ’17, the inimitable Shrek. This year Ollie Williams and Lexi Nanavaty were accepted into Russell Sage’s Theater Honors Program.

Lena Mak ’16, a senior in her first Gunnery show, said, “I hope to be one of the best Mama Bears EPAC has ever seen.”

(L to R) Sabryna Coppola ’18, Sean Tronsen ’18, Katie Nemergut ’19, Eva Jones ’17, Brendon Vejseli ’17, Ollie Williams ’17, Sean Douglas ’19

(L to R) Tim Cervera ’17, Sabryna Coppola ’18, Christian Kummer ’18

Some of the best contributions came from freshmen and sophomores, new or nearly new to the Gunnery stage and insuring future Gunnery successes: Sabryna Coppola ’18 (Gingy), Lucas Gosman ’18 (Mad Hatter/Knight), Sean Douglas ’19 (Papa Ogre/Big Bad Wolf/Knight), Clare Costello ’18 (Mama Ogre/Peter Pan), Katie Nemergut ’19 (Ugly Duckling/Teen Fiona), Christian Kummer ’18 (the hilarious Lord Farquaad), and Sam Johnson ’19 (Donkey), whose impeccable timing kept the audience in stitches.

Two of Gunnery’s faculty children played significant roles: Luke Martin, a 6th grader at Washington Montessori, played the little Shrek, and Mary Carew-Miller, a 7th grader at Shepaug Valley, played young Fiona. Mary had played Fiona and Little Red Riding Hood in other Shrek productions.

athletics bulletin |

THE GUNNERY

GUNNERYathletics

I

n early October, The Gunnery and Millbrook School announced plans to start an eight-player football initiative among New England preparatory schools. The goal of the initiative is to provide a viable, long-term alternative to the game in its traditional form. Since the initial announcement, Pomfret School and Forman School have agreed to participate and play will begin in 2016.

Eight-player football is full-pad, full-tackle football and is popular among West Coast independent schools, and in small towns – towns with small high school populations – around the country, including Texas, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Eight-player football preserves all the football-specific experiences of the eleven-player version, but requires a smaller roster and is played on a slightly smaller field. High school participants in eight-player teams have gone on to compete in college and even professional football.

and life lessons of teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship that are possible through eleven-player football – all the reasons our schools instituted sports as integral parts of the curriculum in the first place. As evidenced by its success among relatively small, coed independent boarding and day schools in California, Thacher and Cate among them, eight-player football can create on campus the same school spirit and community enthusiasm as the sport’s eleven-player form.”

This initiative is a response to declining interest in football in the pre-collegiate years and the trend toward sport specialization, both of which make fielding competitive teams difficult for many independent schools. Eight-player football is a creative solution that allows schools to maintain football and the many traditions surrounding it.

The Gunnery’s Head of School Peter Becker said, “Eight-player football returns the sport to the roots of sport in prep schools.

Students of all ranges of experience and size can contribute meaningfully as the more wide-open format depends on athleticism, fitness, and finesse. Participating on an eight-player football team can develop in students the same character traits

Highlander Signs National Letter of Intent In front of family and friends, The Gunnery’s Mikayla Michals ’16 signed a National Letter of Intent to play Division I Field Hockey at Providence College.

Mikayla, co-captain of the 2015 Highlander team, was a three-year starter, two-time Most Valuable Player Award winner, and two-time member of the Western New England Girls’ Field Hockey All-Star Team in 2014 and 2015.

Said Head Coach, Tanya Nongera, "Mikayla is a driven field hockey player who pushes her limits on the turf everyday. Her broad range of skills and versatility on the field make her a valuable member of the team. Her passion for the sport and the love she has for the team makes her a joy to coach."

23

24

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

Gunnery Field Hockey Struts its Stuff

T

he annual Play4TheCure field hockey game against Westover in support of cancer awareness was played under the lights at Barnes Field in October. This year, the team, under cocaptains Mikayla Michals ’16 and Jan Silverman ’16, as well as their fans and supporters, went over the top to produce a successful fundraiser and show of school spirit.

The Highlanders won the game 4-0 and finished their regular season 10-5-1. Their first game in the playoffs was against Newton Country Day in Massachusetts on November 18.

Said Ms. Silverman, “I thought that we played one of our best games that night. We really worked well together and left it all out there on the field. The fans were incredible. The whole school supported us, and so far we’ve raised over $2,300, and money is still coming in through our fundraising page online, which is great.

This season has been a great time, we’ve been really successful on and off the field.”

Head Coach, Tanya Nongera, a former member of the junior national team of Zimbabwe, had whipped up enthusiasm by giving frequent reminders, and teaching the school a Zimbabwean war cry. Ms. Nongera’s powerful messages of strength and perseverance echoed around campus.

The girls on the team worked hard to collect donations this fall on campus in hopes of reaching their goal of $2,000. Ms. Nongera created a CrowdRise webpage to enlist the help of Westover and Gunnery families and faculty. Both Westover and Gunnery had bake sales and candy jar competitions. There was also a halftime competition to add to the coffers.

Seated (L to R): Ashley Judson ’16, Grace van Tartwijk ’17, Jan Silverman ’16, Lena Mak ’16, Mikayla Michals ’16, Olivia Ogden ’16, Tabitha Franceschini ’18 Standing (L to R): Coach Nongera, Miranda Levin ’16, Juliet Perry ’19, Eleni Kolpak ’18, Philippa Solf ’17, Sarah Kelly ’17, Allie Paster ’17, Brittney Longo ’16, Mya Berretta ’17, Coach McMann

But probably the most unique and compelling competition was a commitment to the shaving of heads if the girls reached their goal.

Although no girls signed up, a substantial number of boys and male faculty stepped up to the challenge. The whole community was reminded daily of the need for cancer research, as Mr. Balben, Mr. Gorman, Mr. Baudo, Mr. Cabrera and Mr. Badger from the faculty, and Chad Varney ’16, Gunny Lee ’16, Trevin Koslowski ’16, Connor Dahlman ’16, Kevin Sun ’16, and Brett Dooley ’16 proudly sported buzz cuts, which were performed by students to the delight of schoolmates and friends.

World Championship of Women’s Ice Hockey Gunnery sophomore and two-year member of the Varsity Girls’ Hockey team, Noemi “Nemo” Neubauerova was selected to play for the Czech Republic National U-18 Women’s Ice Hockey Team, which competed at the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship from Jan. 8-15 in St. Catherines, Canada.

Ms. Neubauerova, who competed in the U-18 IIHF’s last season, was named Team MVP for the Czech Republic team that won the gold in the Wickenheiser World Female Hockey Festival that was played in Calgary.

“I am very proud to represent my family, my country, and The Gunnery at the U-18 World Championships.

I know this experience will help me grow as a person, student, and hockey player,” said Noemi.

Her Gunnery coach, Kiernan Joyce, added, “This is a tremendous opportunity for Nemo to showcase her abilities on a big stage. We’re so proud of Nemo – and all our student-athletes, for their continued success in and out of the classroom. It’s a great honor for her and The Gunnery.”

athletics |

THE GUNNERY

Boys’ Varsity Hockey Captures New England Championship

A

fter losing in the New England Championship Elite Eight quarter-final Round in 2015, the 2016 team entered the season with an experienced defense and depth at every position; expectations were high, to say the least. In an instant, those expectations changed when starting goalie Trevin Kozlowski ’16 broke his thumb during the first practice of the year. In the ensuing weeks under the direction of coaches Badger and Gorman, the senior captains, Connor Dahlman, Chad Varney, and Kozlowski rallied the troops and kept their spirits high during a tough opening stretch that featured the difficult Avon Holiday Tournament, and games against traditional foes, Berkshire and Kent.

The team emerged from the opening part of their schedule 4-4-1 and entered the Watkins tournament in a tough bracket, facing Thayer, Dexter-Southfield, and Culver Military Academy. Trevin Kozlowski returned to action in the first game, and the team took off, beating all three teams in their bracket and Cushing in the final.

Since their .500 start, the team won 22 of its last 24 regular season games, only losing road games to Avon and Salisbury along the way, and for the seventh time in the last eight seasons earned an invitation to the New England Championships Elite Eight, this year as the #5 seed.

In many ways, this team resembled the 2014 team that lost in the Elite Eight Finals against Salisbury. The 2014 team entered the playoffs as a lower seed, played all their games on the road against teams that seemed to have “their number,” rolled four lines of attackers that fiercely forechecked, and rode a hot goaltender

Bottom Row (L to R) Keelan Ulnick ’17, Zak Kinard, McKay Flanagan ’16, Taylor Slade ’16, Alex Wilkins ’17, Zach Pellegrino ’18; 2nd Row (L to R) Riley Brennan ’18, Lucas Prestamo ’17, Daniel Haider ’16, Trevin Kozlowski ’16, Josh Gagne ’16, Sean Kelleher ’17, JR Robert ’16; Top Row (L to R) Jack Cary ’18, Cam Donaldson ’16, Matt Danner ’17, Connor Dahlman ’16, Ziki Mroz ’17, Al Washco ’17, Noah Williams ’17, Evan Johnson ’16, Chad Varney ’16, Assistant Coach Chris Gragnano, Gustaf Westlund ’17, Assistant Coach Shane Gorman ’10, Head Coach Craig Badger

to the finals. Unlike the #7 seed 2014 team that blitzed #2 Kent 7-3, steam-rolled #6 seed Berkshire 5-3, and played valiantly, but lost in overtime 3-2, against #1 seed Salisbury School, the 2016 team played two hard fought games against the two winningest programs in New England Prep School Hockey, winning both, on their way to the Elite Eight Championship against #6 seed Milton Academy.

In the quarter-final round, the team traveled to #4 seed Salisbury School, with about 100 student fans in tow and came away with a 3-2 victory. With the win, the team earned the right to play the #1 seed Avon Old Farms Winged Beavers in the semi-final round. Avon was ranked first in New England for most of the year, and featured a first line that had no trouble skating through, or around, defenses all season. Bolstered by more than 200 students and countless Highlander fans, some of which were standing four-deep on the glass, the Highlanders would be tested, but would show poise and resilience. The game featured everything you would want in a game, excellent skating, open ice hits, back and forth action, solid forechecking, and great goaltending. Many in attendance describe the Highlander 5-3 victory as an “instant classic.” The victory secured a meeting with #6 seed Milton Academy in the finals.

Boys Varsity Ice Hockey Captains Connor Dahlman ’16, Chad Varney ’16 and Trevin Kozlowski ’16

The match-up with Milton featured two teams unfamiliar with each other. While they have some common opponents, they haven’t played each other in over a decade. The Mustangs started continued on next page

25

26

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

Hockey continued from previous page the season ranked first, but went through a rough patch in earlyy Januaryy and found themselves in a similar position to The Gunnery, needing to win to get into the playoffs. Once in the playoffs, theyy beat #3 seed Phillips Exeter 5-2, and then #2 seed Kimball Union 3-1 to advance to the finals.

The game started slowlyy with both teams feelingg each other out and lookingg to get their legs back from the games the dayy before.

The Gunneryy took two penalties in the first period, but Milton was unable to convert on their opportunities, and Kozlowski made several excellent saves to keep the game scoreless after the first period.

Milton continued to attack in the second period, and at the 14minute mark, theyy were able to put one in after Kozlowski made three point-blank saves in succession to take a 1-0 lead. As was the case in the Avon game, The Gunneryy used the goal to start their own pressure, and two minutes later, Cam Donaldson scored on a pass from Evan Johnson ’16 to tie the game at 1-1. The next 10 minutes saw the pace pick up and both teams generate offense, and, with two minutes left in the period, Evan Johnson scored with assists from Daniel Haider ’16 and Chad Varneyy ’16 to put the Highlanders up 2-1.

In the third period, the Highlanders again used their forecheck to keep the playy in the Milton zone. The team cycled well and generated an opportunityy that Daniel Haider ’16 capitalized on.

Haider took the pass from Chad Varneyy and beat the goalie for the eventual game winning goal with 15 minutes left in the third

period, putting The Gunneryy up 3-1. Milton then launched a counter attack and after Kozlowski made several acrobatic saves, scored with 10 minutes left in the period to make it a 3-2 affair.

Final minutes were a frenetic blur, with both teams skating hard and generating chances that were turned awayy byy quality goaltending. With a minute remaining, Milton pulled their goalie for an extra skater. The Gunneryy was unable to clear the zone but played great defense and, Kozlowski made his 25th, and final, save off the night with 4 seconds remaining to secure The Gunnery’s first Division I New England Boys Hockeyy Championship.

FALL 2015 TEAM RECORDS

WINTER 2015 TEAM RECORDS

Cross Countryy – Boys Varsityy 7-2

Basketball – Boys Varsityy 4-13

Cross Countryy – Girls Varsityy 0-7

Basketball – Boys JV V 5-13

Field Hockeyy – Girls Varsityy 10-6-1 y

Basketball – Boys 3rd ’s 6-7

Field Hockeyy – Girls JV V 3-6

Basketball – Boys Highlander 1-7

Football – Boys Varsityy 1-6

Basketball – Girls Varsityy 8-10 y

Football – Boys Highlander 2-2

Basketball – Girls JV V 8-4-1

Soccer – Boys Varsityy 3-10-2

Ice Hockeyy – Boys Varsityy 27-6-1 z

Soccer – Boys JV V 11-1-3

Ice Hockeyy – Boys JV V 8-6-0

Soccer – Boys Highlander 8-6-1

Ice Hockeyy – Girls Varsityy 9-13-2 y

Soccer – Girls Varsityy 3-8-1 y = Advanced to New w England Championships z = Won New w England Championship

Girls’ Basketball, Girls’ Hockey Advance to the New England Championships The Girls’ Varsityy Hockeyy Team, the #7 seed played at #2 seed St. George’s. The girls entered the playoffs with a five-game winning streak against Division II opponents, but lost 2-1 in triple over-time to the eventual champions.

Girls’ Hockey team

The Girls’ Varsityy Basketball Team, the #7 seed played at #2 seed Bradford Christian Academy. The team entered the playoffs riding momentum gained during the second halff off the season, but lost to the eventual champions.

Girls’ Basketball team

bulletin |

THE GUNNERY

w e N s ’ W hat tore

Beachcomber

ool S h c S e h t at

Bag

Golf Divot Tool Camelback Eddy

Women’s Rain Jacket

Charlie Bear

27

28

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

TRUSTEEnews William G. Bardel

retired as Associate Headmaster and Chief Financial Officer of the Lawrenceville School in 2006. Bill was previously a Managing Director of Lehman Brothers, and served in London, England, as head of the firm’s Government Advisory Group, which provided financial market guidance to developing nations in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, South America and the Middle East. He has acted as a financial consultant to a number of educational institutions since 2006. He has been a Director of Black Stone Minerals LLC since 2004, and serves on the Boards of a number of non-profit organizations, including the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, the American Friends of the Royal National Theatre, and the Steep Rock Association. Bill lives in Washington, CT, with his wife, Penny, and is a graduate of Yale University. He has a Master’s Degree from Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and holds a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.

Omar Slowe ’97

has been a part of The Gunnery Council since its inception and an active member of The Gunnery alumni community. He is a New York City native and also an alumnus of Prep for Prep, St. David’s School and Columbia University. He remains actively involved on the Columbia Alumni Recruitment Committee by interviewing applicants to the college. Omar began his career in finance while still at Columbia, where he worked as an analyst at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, and later, at its successor, Credit Suisse First Boston, until 2005. After eight years in the boutique leveraged finance and emerging markets investment banking space, he founded Aristeia Global Advisors, an independent sponsor and advisory firm focused on alternative and impact investments. AGA sponsors lower middle market companies and project finance sponsors seeking restructuring, trade finance and growth capital in the U.S. and Sub-Saharan Africa. Omar lives in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, with his wife, Abena, and daughter, Nia (3).

bulletin

Download The Gunnery Alumni mobile app today One of the best things about boarding school is no doubt the connections that we make with friends and faculty. By just being here you have a built-in connection, a common bond. As the years pass, we stay in touch with some people and lose touch with others.

Is an Alumni Weekend on the horizon and you’d like to reconnect with old friends?

Are you moving and long to see a familiar face in a new town?

Ever wonder who else is in finance, marketing, education or engineering?

Whateverr yourr reason forr reaching out, now w there’s an easy y way y to do it.

The Class of 2013, through their Senior Class Gift, has made possible a Gunnery Alumni app. This will be the go-to place for locating and connecting with fellow alumni.

The app is available by searching for “The Gunnery” in the Apple App store and Google Play. It is compatible with iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

For a detailed guide to downloading and using the app, please visit the alumni portal of our website.

30

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

SUPPORTINGthe gunnery A MESSAGE FROM THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 2016 is shaping up to be an exciting year for The Gunneryy and its alumni body. The strategic plan is being rolled-out, the new Director off Alumni Engagement is in place and our Alumni Association expansion plans are underway.

Subcommittees are being formed that will focus on various aspects off our alumni community and its needs. These sub-committees will be chaired byy current members off the Gunnery Council but will need volunteers to fill out the ranks and make the initiatives happen. These sub-committees are intended to give all Gunneryy alumni more opportunities to get involved: in our events, byy creating new and exciting programs, byy increasing and strengthening alumni-toalumni contact, and giving back to the school in new and exciting ways. The final preparations for this roll out are being completed this spring. You will hear more from us about this during this year’s Alumni Association meeting on Saturday, June 11, during Alumni Weekend and throughout the coming year. To find out more, or volunteer, contact one off us or Barbara Burt, Director off Alumni Engagement (burtb@gunnery.org or 860-350-0185).

Laura Eanes Martin ’90

This is your opportunityy to make a difference, at anyy level. So please consider joining the conversation and getting more involved with your fellow alumni and our amazing school.

Warmly, Laura Eanes Martin ’90, President, Alumni Association

Omar Slowe ’97, President, Gunnery Council and memberr off the Boardd off Trustees Omar Slowe ’97

CALLING ALL GUNNERY ALUMNI! Have you everr wanted d to become more involved d with your fellow w alumnii and d the schooll butt didn’tt know w how?

Find out how you can be a part of our expanding Alumni Association by coming to the annual Alumni Association meeting during Alumni Weekend, Saturday, June 11 at 11:30 am.

Can’tt make the meeting g butt wantt to find d outt more orr sign up?

Contact Laura Martin ’90 – President of the Alumni Association or Omar Slowe ’97 – President of the Gunnery Council and Board of Trustee member, any member of the Gunnery Council, or Barbara Burt, Director of Alumni Engagement (burtb@gunnery.org or 860-350-0185).

the gunnery

GUNN

200

32

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

RECOMMENDEDreading MIKE MARICH Director of Marketing and Communications

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History by y Brian Kilmeade and d Don Yaeger This is the littleknown storyy off how a newlyy independent nation was challenged byy four Muslim powers and what happened when America’s third president decided to stand up to intimidation.

When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801 America faced a crisis.

The new nation was deeplyy in debt and needed its economyy to grow quickly, but its merchant ships were under attack. Pirates from North Africa’s Barbaryy coast routinelyy captured American sailors and held them as slaves, demanding ransom and tribute payments far beyond what the new countryy could afford.

Over the previous 15 years, as a diplomat and then as secretaryy off state, Jefferson had tried to work with the Barbaryy states (Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco).

Unfortunately, he found it impossible to negotiate with people who believed their religion justified the plunder and enslavement off non-Muslims. These rogue states would show w no mercyy – at least not while easyy moneyy could be made byy extortingg the Western powers. So President Jefferson decided to move beyond diplomacy. He sent the U.S. Navy’s new

warships and a detachment off Marines to blockade Tripoli – launchingg the Barbary Wars and beginningg America’s journey toward future superpower status.

SETH LOW Assistant Head of School, Director of College Counseling, Director of Co-Curriculars

Serve Them All My Days by y R.F. Delderfield To Serve Them All My Days is the moving saga off David Powlett-Jones who returns from World War I injured and shell-shocked. He is hired to teach history at Bamfylde School, where he rejects the formal curriculum and teaches the causes and consequences off the Great War. Eventuallyy David earns the respect off his students and manyy off his fellow teachers, against the backdrop off a country struggling to redefine itself. As David falls in love and finds himselff on track to possiblyy take on the headmaster role, he must search to find the strength to hold true to his beliefs as the specter off another great war looms.

To Serve Them All My Days is a brilliant picture off England between the World Wars, as the countryy comes to terms with the horrors off the Great War and the new forces reshapingg the British government and society.

JESS BAKER Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead byy Brené Brown “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer off deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actuallyy in the arena, whose face is marred byy dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; …who at the best knows in the end the triumph off high achievement, and who at worst, iff he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” – Theodore Roosevelt Everyy dayy we experience the uncertainty, risks and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable or to dare greatly. Based on 12 years off pioneering research, Dr. Brené Brown dispels the cultural myth that vulnerabilityy is weakness and argues that it is, in truth, our most accurate measure off courage.

Brown explains how vulnerabilityy is both the core off difficult emotions like fear, grief, and disappointment, and the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, empathy, innovation, and creativity. She writes: “When we shut ourselves offf from vulnerability, we distance ourselves from the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives.”

We look forward to welcoming all graduates to

ALUMNI WEEKEND 2017

SAVE THE DATE Friday, June 9-Sunday, June 11, 2017 Please mark your calendars now!

34

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

CLASSnotes

Russell Sturgis Bartlett (1942 -1945)

A

fter an illustrious career as a physics professor at Yale and Phillips Exeter Academy, Russell Sturgis Bartlett came to The Gunneryy in 1942 from the Newark College off Engineering, where he had worked on the revision off the College Boards which resulted in the institution off the SAT’s and the multiple choice achievement tests.

He succeeded Tertius van Dyke, who had taken the headship off the Hartford Seminary.

Dr. Bartlett came just in time to lead the school through World War II with all its ramifications both at home and abroad. As part off shepherding the school through the war, he arranged for accelerated graduation byy instituting a six-dayy week and a summer session to accommodate students directlyy affected byy the new draft law. He also introduced courses in meteorology, navigation, gasoline engines, semaphore and Morse code, and cartography to prepare the students for war service. As headmaster, he taught some off the science classes, including navigation, when some off the science facultyy left to serve in the war. He marshalled the students to help replace men from Washington in the military, creating

a volunteer firefighting unit and helping local farms with their plantings and harvests. His daughter remembers going with her father and student volunteers to East Street for plane spotting.

The Gunneryy had its own “Victoryy Garden” (mostlyy tomatoes, peas, and beans) in the land between the headmaster’s house and the school driveway.

His daughter, Beatrice, is a professor emerita off Yale, where she taught Chinese historyy and was a member off the History Department the Department off East Asian Studies from 1983-2005.

A friend off The Gunneryy in its current iteration (2015), Beatrice said this about her father’s time here: “Myy father enjoyed Gilbert & Sullivan and walking/hiking, enthusiasms that he passed on to his children. I know that he particularlyy loved living in Washington because off the beautiful countryy with lots off hills and places to walk. The last photograph I took off him was on a walk in Steep Rock. As head master at The Gunneryy he felt stronglyy about physical fitness. I remember seeing him leading some boys in doing push-ups – he could do more than anyy one off them! … As he spoke French, myy father sometimes said grace before dinner in the old school dining room in French. I still remember one off them: “Benissez la nourriture que nous aurons prendre.”

Sadly, the vigorous headmaster fell mortallyy ill in 1944, maintaining his strength and appearance off health until 1945 by sheer will power. He left his scientific libraryy to The Gunneryy as a

notes |

CLASS

precious legacy. The student newspaper obituaryy also noted that his home library “included the finest products off the human imagination, and among these were books he particularlyy cherished for purposes off relaxation, collections off light verse, keenlyy satirical or whimsical, gracefullyy fanciful or merelyy nonsensical.”

Born in 1896, Dr. Bartlett studied at Taft and Yale, Class off 1917, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude.

Having developed a love off the water, sailing in Long Island waters, he joined the U.S. Navyy and served as Lieutenant j.g. in command off submarines during WWI. He stayed in Europe after the war and enjoyed hiking in the Pyrenees.

Having received his Ph.D. from Yale in 1924, he returned to England where he studied with Nobel Prize winner and discoverer off the electron, Sir J.J. Thomson, at Cavendish Laboratories and Trinityy College at the Universityy of Cambridge. Dr. Bartlett was a member off the British Royal Scientific Society and studied also at the King’s College, London during his three years there.

In 1927, he married Emilie Jeannette Daggett (1899-1986) off New Haven, Connecticut, in Paris, France. Theyy had three children: Beatrice “Betsy” Sturgis Bartlett (1928- ), William Mayhew Bartlett ’48 (1930-2013), and Susan Leigh Bartlett (Bull) (Mrs. Frederick K. Bull) (1935-1987).

1953 Bonita Springs, Florida, provided an enjoyable evening with Harry Jones and Ted Koven for Kiersten Marich, Director off Leadership Giving, who commented, “Always wonderful to hear the stories off ’back in the day’.” They both continue to spend some off the winter months on Sanibel Island. They joined current grandparents Myles and Jane Dempsey GP ’16 (Connor Dahlman) and Mae Jonges GP ’16 and her daughter Diane Butchko (Cam Donaldson) for dinner.

1954 Hugh F. Fitzpatrick is enjoying life and keeping in touch with classmates like John Fisher and David Miller. He and John are old primary

school friends.

1956 60th Reunion 1957 Kiersten Marich had lunch with Fred Fields ’57 and Dave Bancroft ’55 in San Francisco.

Fred retired from law in December off 2015, “am loving itt and have never looked back.”

He and Dave both spend time att Sea Ranch in Northern California.

Barry Protage wrote for the Class off 1957 newsletter: “After The Gunnery, graduated from Cornell. Married 52 years, with 3 daughters and 6 grandchildren – 4 boys and 2 girls, ages 5-24. Wentt into the Regular USAF for 5 years, gott outt as a Captain. Into the Hotel and Restaurantt business for the next 35 years. Held differentt positions as General Manager off several hotels, Director off Training, Regional Director off Operations, Vice President off Operations, and “Turn Around” Specialist.

Lived all over the US, and retired in 2000 to Southern California.”

Class of ’57

talk 2016 Election Outlook by Charlie Cook and a panel discussion reassessing the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq with Bob Woodward and Steve Hadley were the highlights off the weekend.”

Sandy and Charlie Smith and Cindy and Lou Allyn attended the presentation off Gunn Scholar Qi Xu “Setting the Pace: Mr. Gunn and School Athletics in the 19th Century.”

The program owes much off its success to the supportt off the Class off 1957.

1960 Randy Richmond is on a questt to go to all the

national parks and monuments (a little over 400). “I’m halfway there. The 408 is a total and I have been to aboutt 260 in the lastt 6 years, almostt all in the West, some in Alaska plus the Civil War sites in PA & VA and Revolutionary War sites in PA, NJ butt nott MA yet. Partt off the draw is seeing parts off the country thatt many people never see. I have a picture off what appears to be 10 feett off snow with plowed roads butt itt was taken when the temp was 96 att White Sands, NM. Justt one off many intriguing places. My favorites so far are Crater Lake - fascinating geology and beauty - and Mountt Stt Helens - awe inspiring. The western parks tend to be natural areas and the eastern tend to be historical.”

Charlie Smith spoke lastt June with Ben Hagyard who had recently moved to Montana.

Bruce Butler III writes thatt he is still working

He invited classmates to stop by the Lewis and Clark Visitors Center where he is a volunteer lecturer.

att PBS in St. Louis in Development/Corporate Underwriting, after retiring from commercial television management.

Jane and Dick Hart and Cindy and Lou Allyn attended a three day Yale ’61 Mini-Reunion in Washington, DC. “We toured the congressional office buildings in addition to the Library of Congress, the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Hillwood Mansion and Gardens. A

Jeff Farrington continues to be an active

volunteer with a Christian Ministry in the inner city off San Francisco, called CITY IMPACT, helping to provide spiritual and physical services to the homeless, low income and less fortunate.

35

36

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

Eastt Coastt visiting his family. He enjoyed coming to the 2015 reunion and had so much fun reconnecting with others – he and his classmates are hoping to gett a bunch of ’85ers to come back again for the reunion June 10-12, 2016.

2

1986 30th Reunion 1989 Brian Hawkins mett with Kiersten Marich in Naples. Brian is the Employer and Alumni Relations Director att Hodges University. He loved his time att Gunnery and shared an old photo off himself, Laura Eanes Martin and some other classmates.

George Krimsky says he is working on a

novel aboutt a small-town mystery thatt he hopes “won’tt gett me drummed outt off town” (Washington, CT).

1991 25th Reunion

1961 55th Reunion 1996 20th Reunion 1966 50th Reunion 3

Jesse Terry had some excitementt in his life

1971 45th Reunion 1976 40th Reunion 1979 Ann Lipham is working att the Hotel Ritz in

Boston.

2 Dawson Hunter ’00 and his bride Kristen Louk (now Hunter) were married on June 27, 2015 in Chestertown, Maryland. They had a nice ceremony in a small early 18th Century church followed by a reception on a nearby farm.

3 Dakota Indigo Seitz, daughter of Amanda ’00 4 Tricia Lincoln ’01 with her son, Leal

1997

1981 35th Reunion 1985 Kiersten Marich broughtt news of Derick TeeKing who still has a thriving consulting practice. Derick has been frequently on the

which earned him the Hanson Award from US Sailing for his partt as member off the crew on the Blackwatch which saved Wandertrain in the 2014 Newportt to Bermuda Race, hosted by the Cruising Club off America and the Royal Bermuda Yachtt Club. The Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal is awarded to any person who rescues or endeavors to rescue any other person from drowning, shipwreck, or other perils att sea within the territorial waters off the United States, or as partt off a sailboatt race or voyage thatt originated or stopped in the U.S. The medal was established in 1990 by friends off the late Mr. Hanson, an ocean-racing sailor from the Chesapeake Bay, with the purpose off recognizing significantt accomplishments in seamanship and collecting case studies off rescues for analysis by the Safety att Sea Committee off US Sailing for use in educational and training programs. Itt was awarded in November 2015 att Indian Harbor Yachtt Club in Greenwich, Conn.

notes |

CLASS

1999

2004

Head Coach Melissa Schomers lett us know that Drew Combs who has often helped outt at the Founders Day Regatta in the pastt will be bringing his team from Norwalk High School as a new entry this year.

Jen Wojcik sentt along an inspiring story submitted by Stacey Roque “I work for an international organization called One Challenge International. I started working in their HQ in Colorado Springs in 2012.

In the fall off 2014, I moved to Romania to work with the team on-the-ground. We work in national church development, leadership training, nextt generation training, and social projects. I work att the church I attend in an after-school English tutoring class for children, I lead a 20-something’s group, I am involved in the national church research project, and I am re-doing our website. On an ad hoc basis I write articles and makes shortt videos. My team wentt to Serbia a few weeks ago so we could serve the refugees and other volunteers.

We wanted to respond in a practical, helpful, and loving way to those fleeing war and hopelessness. We are all Christians on my team and have decided to work for the church and God’s glory. The firstt year in the new country, for me thatt means this pastt year in Romania, new workers focus on language and culture learning. We believe itt is important to come in as a learner instead off coming with “solutions.” Romania is in the bottom 5 poorestt countries in the EU. Itt has one off the largestt diasporas in the world. Mostt people leave Romania because they see no viable job and income – and therefore no future. It’s very differentt than America. Butt I have learned more in the pastt year than I ever thought. I hope thatt paints a better picture off whatt I do and a bitt aboutt why.”

2000 Amanda Seitz and her husband, Lawrence Milburn, welcomed Dakota Indigo Seitz Milburn on Augustt 23, 2015. They live in Washington, CT. Amanda owns J. Seitz & Co. in New Preston, CT, and Lawrence is a film maker and runs Milburn Media Arts.

We apologize to Dawson Hunter who sent an accountt off his lively wedding which was mentioned in the last Bulletin, butt we neglected to include the photo off the lovely couple.

2001 15th Reunion Tricia Lincoln is living in northern Michigan

with her husband and son, Leal, who justt turned four. She teaches literature at Northwestern Michigan College and serves on the gala funding board att her son’s Montessori school, The Children’s House.

2003 Nulte White lives in Manhattan and has a WPP

company which is working with Brand Union.

5 Otoja Abit with his director Roland Emmerich and co-star in Stonewall whick premiered in New York in September 2015 Chas Hollinger is having his Masters Thesis Exhibition from the Western Connecticutt State University School off Visual and Performing Arts att The Blue Mountain Gallery in New York City from June 21-July 9.

Catching up with Max Sirkin through his mother att the reception for classmate James Walsh: Max is a trauma surgeon att Fortt Bliss in El Paso. He wentt to the University of Richmond and completed his medical degree att Virginia Commonwealth.

Providence, RI, has a new board presidentt for Habitatt for Humanity, Mark Rhoads. He has recently moved to Deloite Consulting to work on projectt managementt with a public sector specialty in Health Technology.

Andrea Marron is the co-founder off Ragtrades,

Christine Steiner and Kiersten Marich had several people in attendance for a casual eventt att the Sir Francis Drake. Caleb Elston ’05 and his friend Dassie came up from Palo Alto, Mandy Conto ’94 and Bob Betes ’88 were in attendance. Mandy is a nurse and Bob is a cheff in the Bay area. Van Wilshire ’89 attended the event, he, Rachel (Wynn) ’88 and their kids are living north off San Francisco and he is working for Citi Group. Walter Fuller ’64 and his wife were recently visiting their son for 6 weeks in Australia. Chris Jackson ’85 and Bob Houser ’85 enjoyed catching up with each other for the first time in several years. Bob and his wife continue to work on their “farm” in the Oakland Hills and capture amazing images behind the lens. Fred Fields ’57 came sporting his wool Gunnery letterman’s jacket, classmates Sev Marstead and David Oberweiser also came for a bit. Vijay Selvaraj ’00, came outt to join us for his first San Francisco event, too. Wonderful turnout.

Inc. a data company specializing in the fashion industry.

Jackie Effren gave us an update when she

answered the Gunnery Detective Question in February. “Ms. Alling took a group off us to the New Hampshire primary in 2004. Great class and greatt trip. I now work for the House Minority Leader in the CT state legislature butt I did spend time in DC working for a Congressman.”

2005 Michelle Sisk alerted faculty and employees to her brother Dan O’Brien’s (stage name

“Reece”) appearance in March on the CBS series Elementary, which features a modernday Sherlock Holmes.

37

38

|

bulletin

THE GUNNERY

New York based designer Naeem Khan, and interviewed him for CasaLife.

Heard about Clai White from his mother at the James Walsh ’04 reception. He married Amanda Sibley in Old Lyme in August 2014.

They are living in Gloucester, MA, and Clai is working for Graham Banks Building Supplies.

Heard from Kyley Cheever’s mother that she partnered with Warren Chui to found a lunchbox delivery and catering service specializing in farm-fresh meals service, Bonbite, in NYC.

6 Megan Salerno ’14, Ian Riley ’13, Erin Sullivan ’13, Tommy Burger ’13, Tristan Kishonis ’13

Congrats are due to Nolan Titcomb who got his Masters in Business Administration from the University of St. Mary in Kansas.

Vinnie Marron’s sister, Andrea ’04, reported

that Vinnie was working at a hedge fund in Chicago and has taken a year off to travel the world.

Seth Mahler is still working in Israel as a lacrosse coach. His brother Brad is a practicing

attorney and “still” a photographer.

2006 10th Reunion

2007 Colin Thompson was saluted during the

Heather Lincoln de Castillo is working as an Editorial Coordinator and Guest Editor for Casa de Campo Living. She continues to be part of the Dominican Republic fashion scene, attending shows by Badgley Mischka and Jean Paul Gaultier. Most recently, she sat down with

James Walsh ’04 Launches Book at Good News Cafe in Woodbury

broadcast of the Capitol Flyer hockey team’s game on February 7th. He is stationed with the 101st Pathfinders at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. He has served two tours in Afghanistan, and lives with his wife, Kayla, his son, Cohen, and his daughter, Presley. He is planning to go to Rangers’ school in June.

The parents of Elizabeth Calderoni wrote, “Elizabeth enrolled in UConn Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) graduate program.”

In February, well-wishers from throughout his life abounded at The Good News Cafe in Woodbury when investigative reporter and New York magazine editorial staffer, James Walsh, launched his book Playing Against the House at a reception given by his parents. In addition to his parents, sister, and grandmother, Helen Donato, friends, schoolmates, and their parents came from all over the Northeast, and teachers arrived to toast his success. Classmates at The Gunnery included Mark Rhoads ’04 and Andrea Marron ’04, as well as parents of classmates, Mr. and Mrs. David Cheever, parents of Alex ’04, as well as Jessica ’02 and Kyley ’06, Mr. and Mrs. Ed White, parents of Nulte ’03 and Clay ’06, and Mr. and Mrs. Sam Sirkin, parents of Max Sirkin ’04.

Austin Smith sent along his congrats when

Mr. Walsh modestly took the opportunity to thank by name all those who had inspired and supported him on his path to the launch, including his teachers at Chase Collegiate and at The Gunnery. Jarrod Sisk, his economics teacher at The Gunnery, as well as Tom Hollinger and Paula Krimsky, school archivist, were there to see the outcome, having heard about the project as it developed over the past few years.

Peter MacKenna is in 2nd year law at Georgetown. His proud mother reports that this fall, Peter was the unanimous winner of the best oral argument given at the 46th Annual William E. Leahy Moot Court Competition in October. The case argued by the contestants was State of Georgetown v.

Grayson.

The book is a study of union organizing at Miami casinos, which Mr. Walsh researched during a year-long undercover project as a “salt.” Neither the casinos nor the union knew of his intentions to write about his experience. Dave Eggers in a book jacket review says of the author, “He humanizes the issue, deftly rendering everyone involved – from workers to management – and in the process has created a necessary text that also happens to be a page-turner.” James’ work has appeared on the websites of the New Yorker, Esquire, and GlobalPost.

Gunnery won the Div. 1 New England Championship “to my old Prep School team @GunnHockey1850 It’s crazy to think we got the ball rolling 10 years ago!” From Wikipedia: Austin Smith is an American ice hockey player currently playing for Ravensburg Towerstars in the German second tier league DEL2. He was selected by the Dallas Stars in the 5th round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

2008

From the Georgetown Law website: “In the case description on Counsels for Respondent Grayson were Dennis D’Aquila and Peter MacKenna, who argued for the motion that Respondent Grayson’s Fourth Amendment

notes |

CLASS rights were violated when a police officer asked for his identification and ran a check for outstanding warrants, and also evidence subsequently discovered during a search incident to arrest should be suppressed Arguing for the petitioner, Peter MacKenna focused his argument on whether there was reasonable suspicion for Officer Sullivan to conduct the stop check.

Each contestant was given 15 minutes, during which time they were constantly questioned by the judges based on their respective propositions.

After careful considerations, the judges unanimously awarded Peter MacKenna as the prevailing advocate in the final.”

John O. Vazzano is currently coaching in the

N.Y. Islanders organization and involved in the family business.

2010 Scott Aranha studied photography when he

was at The Gunnery and has subsequently made his name in underwater photography. He brought his work to Connecticut where it was exhibited at Marty’s Cafe gallery in Washington in October 2015. The Hartford Courant wrote, “Scott was one of the youngest certified divers in the Bahamas at the age of 9, and later spent time as a photographer for shark dives the Bahamas. In 2011 at age 18, he went to Indonesia to dive for two months in Pef, Raja Ampat, the following year he returned to Indonesia and dived in Cenderawasih Bay with the Whale Sharks, as well as spending a week tagging Leatherback Turtles. While in the area he climbed the rice paddies and slept in the huts with the local farmers and their kids, looking for the Vogel kop Bower Bird who decorates his nest with brightly colored berries and objects he finds to entice his sweetheart to become his wife! Scott loves diving in his native Bahamas; every island has a reef that brings him a new experience. He now runs his own boat maintenance and charter business based in Nassau. Scott has many of his pieces in collections around the world including the US, England, Switzerland, Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, and South Africa.”

Lexie Lipham has graduated from Simmons College, according to her mother Ann Lipham ’79.

2011 5th Reunion

7

From a Twitter post, “On an off day for Luongo, Florida Panthers ticket staffer Bobby Segin joined the team for practice in Coral Springs.”

2013 Kayla Meneghin is the leading scorer on the Plattsburg State Cardinals women’s hockey team who had a 24-1 season this year. Matt Daylor sent in the article from the Burlington Free Press.

A few short weeks into the hockey season, Danbury Titan goaltender, Alex Vazzano was called up to the Reading Royals of the East Coast Hockey League. He is recently engaged to Brianna Formicola.

2014 Three members of the Hamilton College women’s hockey team have been named to the 2016 NESCAC All-Conference Team. Forward Hannah Bartlett(Marshfield, Mass. / St. Mark’s School) ’16, defender Sara Taffe (Maple Grove, Minn. / Benilde-St. Margaret’s School) ’17 and goaltender Samantha Walther ’18 (Gambrills, Md. / The Gunnery [Conn.])each earned second-team honors. The Continentals’ three all-NESCAC selections were a school record and no other team had more players receive all-conference recognition.

Washington College Varsity Athletics announced on their website in November that six of their varsity soccer players including Skylar Clark qualified for the Academic Honor Roll of the Centennial Conference. Skylar, who was a sophomore midfielder, is doing a double major in Biology and Chemistry.

2015 Storm R. Donovan’s mother reports, “Storm

is adjusting, settling into school at JCU Singapore. He joined the rugby team. Thank goodness it’s touch Rugby, given Storm’s history with fractures and accidents.”

7 Madeline Ann Lord

near the ocean (about a quarter mile from the intercoastal).

Johnson Wu, founder of the Mandarin

program at The Gunnery, is in touch with a group of faculty here with hopes to schedule a trip with middle-school-age Chinese students during the last week of July. He wants to introduce his daughter Jacinda and wife Linda to as many of the Gunnery community as are around at that time.

Lauren Lord, DOS Assistant, reported the birth

of Madeline Ann Lord, who “finally arrived on February 22nd after 41 weeks. She weighed 7 lbs 14 ounces and 20 inches long.”

Paige Decker, one of the assistant coaches for

the girls ice hockey team at The Gunnery, as well as for girls’ lacrosse and field hockey, passed along a link to her blog: “I’ve started to blog about my experience after suffering a concussion during my senior year on the women’s hockey team at Yale. I’m hoping to raise awareness for an injury that is not well understood and verbalize a struggle that is very often suffered in isolation.” Here is the link: www.theinvisibleinjury.net

IN MEMORIAM The Gunnery community is saddened by the loss of many cherished sons this past year and sends its condolences to their friends and families: Mr. Vincent Quist* ’46 Mr. Paul P. Raymunt* ’52

CURRENT AND FORMER FACULTY Bill Chase, school librarian, English teacher

and composer, reports that he misses the winter weather, but loves living in the south

Mr. Alexander Longolius* ’53 Mr. James K. Page, Jr.* ’53 Rev. David B. Borthwick* ’68

39

40

|

bulletin

THE E GUNNERY

BEQUESTsociety Estate Planning Can Make A Huge Impact

S

econdary schools, colleges, and universities all over the world will point to estate gifts as among their most generous and meaningful. The Gunnery is no different.

One of the earliest and most impactful bequests came from the Bourne estate. Over a century later we still benefit in large ways and small from the generosity of alumni, parents, and friends who have chosen to leave a legacy through the Willets-Underhill Society.

Seth Holcombe

One recent example is Seth Holcombe, who graduated from The Gunnery in 1937 and went on to Trinity College. He lived in North Granby, CT, with his wife of 50 years, Lucy, until he passed away in 2009. After Seth’s death, Lucy continued to support the school annually, in Seth’s memory, by giving to The Gunnery Fund.

When Lucy passed away in early 2016, they left the school a lasting legacy.

Another recent bequest came from T. Roderick Dew ’59, who chose not to stipulate the allocation, but rather leave it to the school to direct the funds where they are needed most.

Mr. Dew’s gift will be directed largely to the Susan G. Graham House. Additionally, we’ve established a Gunnery Fund endowment in his name to ensure that Mr. Dew will be forever recognized as an annual leadership donor to The Gunnery Fund.

The Holcombes chose to direct a portion of their estate to the school to benefit students, faculty, and programs.

Some Memories Live Forever By making a planned gift, you become a member of the H. Willets and Samuel Jackson Underhill Bequest Society.

We are deeply appreciative of these individuals for their thoughtful generosity which will help to ensure the future strength of The Gunnery in the years to come.

There are a number of ways you can use your estate plans to benefit both your family and your alma mater.

For more information on the Bequest Society, please contact Sean Brown, Director of Alumni and Development at browns@ gunnery.org or (860)350-0183.

–R RALPH WALDO EMERSON

“Iff wee encounterr a man off raree intellect, we shouldd ask him what books he reads.”

–P.J. O’ROURKE

“Always read something that will make you look good iff you diee in thee middlee off it.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID MIlford, CT Permit No. 80 Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History

99 Green Hill Road Washington, CT 06793 (860) 868-7334 Fax: (860) 868-7816 E-mail: alumni@gunnery.org

Address Service Requested

Serve Them All My Days

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

2016-2017 Events Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History

Serve Them All My Days

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

DATE

VENUE

LOCATION

September 9

CONVOCATION

On Campus

October 1

DEDICATION OF SUSAN G. GRAHAM HOUSE DORM

On Campus

October 1

HOMECOMING

On Campus

October 4

FREDERICK GUNN’S 200TH BIRTHDAY Y CELEBRATION

On Campus

October 14 & 15

PARENTS WEEKEND

On Campus

November 19

TOWN PARTY

On Campus

May 7

FOUNDERS DAY Y REGATTA

Lake Waramaug

June 9–11

ALUMNI WEEKEND

On Campus