Hotchkiss Magazine | Spring 2022 by The Hotchkiss School

Spring 2022

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF GOVERNORS

AS OF JULY 2021

Robert R. Gould ’77, Co-President Elizabeth G. Hines ’93, Co-President Robert Chartener ’76, P’18, Vice President Rebecca van der Bogert, Vice President David B. Wyshner ’85, Treasurer Roger K. Smith ’78, P’08, Secretary Charles Ayres ’77 Anne Matlock Dinneen ’95 John Grube ’65, P’00 Brooke Harlow ’92, Co-President, Alumni Association, ex officio Alex Hurst ’97 John Khoury ’95, President, The Hotchkiss Fund, ex officio Annika Lescott ’06 Nisa Leung Lin ’88 Cristina Mariani-May ’89, P’23,’25 Raymond J. McGuire ’75, P’21 Paul Mutter ’87, Co-President, Alumni Association, ex officio Carlos Pérez ’81 Thomas S. Quinn ’71, P’15,’17,’19 Christopher R. Redlich Jr. ’68 Thomas R. Seidenstein ’91, P’24 Timothy P. Sullivan ’81, P’13,’16 Rhonda Trotter ’79 Richard M. Weil ’81, P’23 U. Gwyn Williams ’84, P’17,’19

EMERITI

Howard C. Bissell ’55, P’82 John R. Chandler Jr. ’53, P’82, P’85,’87, GP’10,’14,’16,’22 Thomas J. Edelman ’69, P’06,’07 Lawrence Flinn Jr. ’53, GP’22 Dan W. Lufkin ’49, P’80,’82,’88,’23 Robert H. Mattoon Jr. Dr. Robert A. Oden Jr. P’97 Kendra O’Donnell Jean Weinberg Rose ’80, P’18 John L. Thornton ’72, P’10,’11,’16 Francis T. Vincent Jr. ’56, P’85

Natalie Boyse ’09 Rafael Carbonell ’93 Weijen Chang ’86, P’22,’24. VP and Chair, Admission and Engagement Committee Ernesto Cruz III ’01 Nathalie Pierrepont Danilovich ’03, VP and Co-chair, Diversity and Inclusion Committee Marita Bell Fairbanks ’84 Danielle S. Ferguson ’97, VP and Co-chair, Diversity and Inclusion Committee Carlos Garcia ’77 Whitney Gulden ’12 Brooke Harlow ’92, Co-President of the Alumni Association Cameron Hough ’09 Julia Tingley Kivitz ’01 Robert Kuhn ’75 Barrett Lester ’81, VP and Chair, Communications Committee Keith Merrill ’02 Nick Moore ’71, P’89,’01,’06, VP and Chair, Nominating Committee for Membership Paul Mutter ’87, Co-President of the Alumni Association Honey Taylor Nachman ’90, P’21,’23 Daniel Pai ’19 Mark Pierce ’67, P’13 Blake Ruddock ’12 Bill Sandberg ’65 Marquis Scott ’98, Vice Chair Adam Sharp ’96 Richard Staples ’74, P’10,’12 Tom Terbell ’95, VP and Chair, Nominating Committee for Awards Whitney PakPour Zeta ’04 EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Cover photo by Scott Barrow taken during the winter performance of Mamma Mia! in the newly renovated Walker Auditorium.

Craig Bradley, Head of School Tom Seidenstein ’91, P’24, Past President, Alumni Association Robert R. Gould ’77, Co-President, Board of Trustees Elizabeth G. Hines ’93, Co-President, Board of Trustees John Khoury ’95, President, The Hotchkiss Fund

SPRING 2022 FEATURES

M A G A Z I N E

Enduring Gratitude

How an Athlete Found His True North

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Craig W. Bradley

CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Hope Reisinger Cobera ’88, P’24

A Sparkling Performance

LEAD EDITOR

Mamma Mia! Premieres in the Newly Renovated Walker Auditorium

Catherine Calamé EDITOR

Wendy Carlson

MAGAZINE DESIGNER

Julie Hammill

Engineering Our Future

CONTRIBUTORS

Julia Elliott, Jeffrey Hinz, Roberta Jenckes, Dan Lippman ’09, Erin Reid P’01,’05, Nancy Somera

Student and Alumni Futurists and Visionaries

PLEASE SEND INQUIRIES & COMMENTS TO:

The Hotchkiss School 11 Interlaken Road Lakeville, CT 06039-2141 Email: magazine@hotchkiss.org Phone: (860) 435-3122

The Hotchkiss School does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, religion, race, color, sexual orientation, or national orientation in the administration of its educational policies, athletics, or other School-administered programs, or in the administration of its hiring and employment practices. Hotchkiss Magazine is produced by the Office of Communications for alumni, parents, members of the faculty and staff, and friends of the School. Letters are welcome. Please keep under 400 words. We reserve the right to edit and publish letters.

Alumni Comics Take Center Stage IN THIS ISSUE 2

From the Head of School

From the Board of Trustees

22 Appointments and Awards

Enduring Gratitude

26 Progress Toward Equity

Alumni Award

50 Class Notes

Campus Connection

10 Community Service Award

67 In Memoriam

72 Parting Shot

Alumni Giving Back

SPRING 2022

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

All the World’s a Stage A

color, the show ushered in the next phase of Walker Auditorium. The renovation of the auditorium was made possible by a generous gift from the family of Robert R. Gould ’77, co-president of the Board of Trustees, in the name of his mother, Jean Gould, for whom the stage is named. Members of the Classes of 2019 and 2020 and many other donors also made substantial contributions (see p. 16). Before the show, the cast and crew were treated to a congratulatory message from Meryl Streep P’98, star of the 2008 film version of the musical, who graciously wished them “good cheer and a lot of broken legs on your opening night inaugurating this beautiful theater!” In thinking about the enduring significance of Walker to this community, I was reminded of Shakespeare’s famous

PHOTO BY SCOT T BARROW

N T I C I PAT I O N I N T H E A I R . A hush of darkness. A few shuffling feet. The tension is broken by the delicate sound of a single, a capella voice: “I have a dream… a song to sing…” And in that moment, hundreds of spectators in the newly renovated Walker Auditorium are willingly swept into the world of theater, about to experience the delight of the HDA’s winter production of Mamma Mia! The word theater itself comes from the Greek and means a place for viewing. The magic of theater, however, comes from this experience of being transported. Mamma Mia! debuted at Hotchkiss in the depths of February, with snow still on the ground and spirits wearied by two long years of pandemic. With a burst of light and song and dance and

“While Hotchkiss is not the only stage in our lives, we are, all of us, transported by the experience of being part of this community.”

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words in As You Like It: “All the world’s a stage/And all the men and women merely players…” In this oft-recited speech, the character Jacques famously describes seven stages of life, from infancy to old age, and likens the experience of passing through them to that of being on stage in a play. Each individual plays many parts; each life is full of entrances and exits. These entrances and exits are equally true at Hotchkiss. A new teacher arrives thinking that Lakeville may be suitable for a year or two on the path to something else and retires 35 years later after a lifetime of entirely unpredictable professional and personal reward. A prep who may enter stage right homesick and bewildered exits stage left four years later as a senior who is confidently striding toward an unscripted future full of promise. This year we had the most competitive admissions cycle in Hotchkiss’s history, with nearly 2,400 applicants for only 144 available spots. For the Admissions team it was a challenging season, but for the talented few selected to become part of this community, it is a triumph. Hundreds of families returned to campus for revisit days in late March and early April, and we look forward to welcoming an outstanding group of new Bearcats in the fall.

LET TERS TO THE EDITOR

There have been many other high notes during the winter and early spring, among them Hotchkiss boys varsity basketball’s victory in the 2022 NEPSAC Class A tournament, a first in the program’s history. A number of other sports had strong showings as well (see p. 18). A highlight of a different variety was the State of Connecticut’s lifting of the mask-mandate for all schools in the State on February 28, enabling members of this community to see one another fully again. As I think about the metaphorical Hochkiss stage, every individual enters, exits, and re-enters at different times in their lives. In the many years after graduation, children are born, careers, discoveries, and laugh-lines are made, and loved ones inevitably pass away. Life is made up of entrances and exits. Yet every member of this community has the opportunity to find new parts to play in the story of the School. It is thanks to gifts from so many of you that the excellence of Hotchkiss endures. Among the most joyful moments to be experienced in Walker Auditorium—for students and for me—is announcing a Head of School holiday. On February 24, I announced a winter holiday in honor of the cast and crew of Mamma Mia! and all who contributed to the renovation of Walker Auditorium. Deafening doesn’t describe the sound in the room! I invite you to scan the QR code below for a brief window into a few moments of unfettered joy. For alumni, I trust it will bring back a warmth of memories. While Hotchkiss is not the only stage in our lives, we are, all of us, transported by the experience of being part of this community. I wish you a joyful spring! All the best,

Craig W. Bradley

A Grateful Alumna I have been dutifully reading this magazine since I graduated in 1983 and appreciated the window into the news and evolution of Hotchkiss. I just wanted to say this most recent issue may be the most vibrant I have ever received. Not sure what has changed technically, if anything, but it feels like such a high-quality publication and is a pleasure to receive and look at! I imagine boatloads of work go into producing it, and I don’t know how often you all receive thanks, but I just wanted to say the care is really evident! Thanks for this rich contribution to alumni life! DEBORAH NEWLEN ’83

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Because There is No Planet B BY JULIA ELLIOTT

P H O TO G R A P H Y B Y W E N DY C A R L S O N

“To love a place is not enough. We must find ways to heal it.” —ROBIN WALL KIMMERER, BRAIDING SWEETGRASS: INDIGENOUS WISDOM, SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE, AND THE TEACHINGS OF PLANTS

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FALL 2021

Sharing Important Content I commend the magazine staff for the articles in the Environmental Stewardship section ‘Because There is No Planet B.’ I want to share these articles with a number of environmentalist and educator friends. The articles are inspirational in showing how interdisciplinary teaching can excite students. Good job! I am looking forward to more in 2022! JOHN BRADLEY ’59

I loved your articles on the Fairfield Farm and biomass heating. Although I am still practicing medicine at 85, my wife Pat and I organically farmed in Rhode Island for years and also raised sheep and goats for wool and mohair. To see Hotchkiss morph from a smallish all boys prep to your current status is very refreshing in the crazy world we are in politically and educationally. (I’m not sure Mr. Parsons would agree with my syntax.) FRED (FRITZ) VOHR ’54

SCAN TO WATCH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE HEAD OF SCHOOL HOLIDAY.

SPRING 2022

A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES BY ROBERT CHARTENER ’76, P’18

With the Omicron variant of COVID-19 looming across the country in late January, the Trustees met by Zoom. Committee meetings and board meetings took place over two weeks. Walker Auditorium – Though COVID-19 prevented most of us from actually seeing it, Walker Auditorium was ready for the opening performance of Mamma Mia! on February 10. The space had remained virtually unchanged for over 50 years since it was originally built in 1967, resulting in inadequate acoustics, poor lighting systems, and outdated seating. The renovation includes extending the stage apron, updating sound and lighting technology, and improving the auditorium’s ancillary areas. The project was completed within budget despite supply-chain issues, and it is a beautiful modernization of an important existing space on the campus. Communications – Hope Cobera ’88, P’24, chief communications officer, led an extensive review of communications activities at Hotchkiss. The School’s website will receive a major facelift over time, and social media strategies, such as Facebook and Instagram, have been updated. Video storytelling, which has

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become an increasingly important part of conveying the value of Hotchkiss, will be expanded. There is a renewed focus on a long-term communications effort, starting with admission and continuing with lifelong learning. Greenhouse Emissions – Josh Hahn, assistant head of school and director of strategic initiatives, updated the Trustees on Hotchkiss’s carbon emissions. Thanks largely to the wood chip-burning central heating plant, the School has reduced its emissions by about 47%, and it ranked highly in a recent assessment of schools and colleges. The School will continue on a path towards net carbon neutrality. Investment Performance – For the first six months of the 2021-22 fiscal year, the endowment returned 3.6%, led by gains in private partnerships. This followed the extraordinary return of 31.7% during 202021. The endowment is well diversified and designed to weather a variety of economic and political conditions. Diversification and higher levels of cash vs. the policy target have benefited performance during the current period of elevated market volatility.

Budget – Treasurer David Wyshner ’85 presented a preliminary budget for 202223. While the trustees remain committed to moderating tuition increases, there is significant pressure to grow financial aid and keep salaries competitive in an inflationary labor market. The board approved a 3.1% tuition increase to $65,490; the financial aid discount rate was set at 33%, and a salary pool increase of 4.4% was also approved. New Trustees – Two people were elected in January to trustee terms that will begin on July 1. Joseph Baratta P’24 is the global head of private equity at Blackstone Group and is actively involved with Georgetown University as a member of its board of directors. Michael Mars ’86 is a founder and principal of mTerra Ventures, which focuses on a sustainable global economy, and formerly managed various business units of Mars Incorporated; he is a loyal and engaged Hotchkiss alumnus. We welcome both to the Hotchkiss board.

ENDURING GRATITUDE

How an Athlete Found His True North Scott Meadow ’73, P’02 had a rocky start at Hotchkiss, but he left Lakeville confident in his talents and his future. His teachers and coaches played a crucial role in guiding him along the way. Today, as a professor of entrepreneurial finance and private equity at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, he is helping graduate students chart their own paths. B Y W E N DY C A R L S O N

COTT MEADOW HAD NEVER HEARD

of Hotchkiss when he was growing up in Dayton, OH. As a freshman in high school, he had lackluster grades, and he was struggling to find his true north. His parents offered to send him to a summer camp in Cornwall, CT, near Lakeville, hoping the change might turn him around. He agreed to go, but only if he had access to a facility where he could pursue his passion of weightlifting. The owner of the camp, Howard Greene, secured permission for Meadow to use Monahan Gym at Hotchkiss, a serendipitous turn of events that would prove pivotal for Meadow by summer’s end. As a young boy with no knowledge of private schools, Meadow was impressed with Hotchkiss the moment he set foot on campus. Toward the end of that summer, without even discussing it with his parents, he asked Greene, who was also an educational consultant, if he could arrange interviews for him at boarding schools in the area. Unbeknownst to him, Meadow had already met Peter Adams ’63, Hotchkiss’s admission SPRING 2022

ENDURING GRATITUDE

director, at Monahan. The two had actually talked on many occasions. So when he walked into the Hotchkiss admissions office for his appointment, he was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face. Meadow was accepted by all three schools to which he applied: Salisbury, Kent, and Hotchkiss. But it was Hotchkiss’s financial aid package that influenced his final decision. His parents weren’t thrilled about having their 15-year-old son move away from home, but they realized it was a wonderful opportunity and one they couldn’t have afforded without the School’s generous offer of a scholarship. Meadow received the Otto F. Monahan Scholarship, which was established in 1939 in the name of Hotchkiss’s director of athletics from 1896 to 1938. It seemed as if his transition to Hotchkiss as a lower mid would be perfectly seamless, but that was far from the case. Meadow arrived in Lakeville just when The Wall Street Journal published an article about the decline in the quality of applicants at prep schools nationwide. At one point during the summer, a reporter interviewed Greene about the private school application process, which led to an off-the-cuff interview with Meadow. The article concluded that given Meadow’s mediocre grades and the fact that his parents were not prep school alumni, his applications to boarding school amounted to “shots in the dark.” “To my embarrassment, the entire Hotchkiss community read the article, including many alumni and the trustees,” recalls Meadow. For weeks after, the administration had to field angry calls from alumni and parents questioning why he was admitted. “To make matters worse,” he says, “because my prior experience had not prepared me academically for Hotchkiss, I almost lost my position on the football team and nearly flunked out of school.” The silver lining in that discouraging first year was that Meadow discovered he had a love of history, which led him to win a history book prize. Along the way, he also received encouragement from

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supportive faculty members, including his football coach and English instructor Blair Torrey ’50, P’74,’80, history instructor James Marks, math instructor Stephen Bolmer P’72,’73, and biology teacher and wrestling coach Ted Davis. The summer after his lower-mid year, he was determined to become better prepared, both physically and academically. He enrolled in college classes, and he transformed himself physically. By the following fall, he had lost 50 pounds and placed in the Mr. Teenage Ohio bodybuilding competition. When Meadow returned to campus, he had changed so much physically that at first his coaches didn’t recognize him. During his upper mid and senior years, he captained three varsity sports, including an undefeated football team. Academically, he soared. He went on to win the Ely Prize, awarded to an upper mid for outstanding combined excellence in character, athletics, and conscientiousness in study; and the Jadwin Trophy, awarded to the best athlete in the senior class. “Blair Torrey was like the Wizard of Oz—he literally showed me that I had a brain,” he says. In English class, when Torrey asked students to write a two-page paper on a unique event in their life, Meadow wrote about what he imagined it was like to be in utero before he was born, which earned rare praise from Torrey. “Hotchkiss changed my whole life,”

says Meadow, upon reflection. Overcoming obstacles early on at Hotchkiss built his confidence and prepared him for challenges he would face in college and in his career. “At Hotchkiss, I learned that I had value as a person, how to study, to trust my creative intuition, and to persevere,” says Meadow, who went on to achieve great success in the business world as well as in higher education. During his senior year at Hotchkiss, Meadow set his sights on applying to Harvard. Despite discouragement from his college advisor, Meadow persisted. During his Harvard interview, when Meadow was asked what he enjoyed, he talked about his love of poetry—and bodybuilding. The admission interviewer seemed intrigued, so Meadow decided to try something totally unorthodox. For competitions, he had often set his bodybuilding routine to the music of Antonín Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B minor. So, without a second thought, he climbed on top of a chair and began humming the concerto and performing his routine. After that, he received an A-rating from the Harvard admissions office. Torrey also wrote a letter of recommendation to Harvard, which Meadow has framed and keeps on his desk at Booth. Torrey wrote, in part, “As a person, Scott is the finest. He has that rare combination of strength and sensitivity. He is mature, loving, and charming, and no one has more vitality. In short, he is everything I would want a son to be, and we are fortunate to have him here.”

Meadow (center) is pictured with teammates on the 1973 wrestling team.

“The first half of my life was focused on the time value of money, and the second half is focused on the money value of time.”

Meadow graduated magna cum laude from Harvard in 1977 with a major in British History and Literature. Throughout college, he continued to compete in bodybuilding competitions and won the Mr. New England title, Mr. Northern States, and Collegiate Mr. USA. After graduating from Harvard, he decided to pour his competitive energies into business. He applied and was accepted to Harvard Business School. Soon after, he married his wife, Brenda, whom he met his freshman year of high school. They went on to have three children. His daughter, Dana Meadow Faello ’02, followed him to Hotchkiss. Several years after receiving his M.B.A., Meadow joined a newly-formed venture capital group at William Blair and Company, where his Hotchkiss connections surfaced again. Coincidentally, the firm’s managing partner, Ned Jannotta P’84, GP’12,’14,’14, had played football with Blair Torrey at Princeton and had sent his son to Hotchkiss. Meadow eventually became a partner in the firm, and after 10 years would join The Sprout Group in 1995, the private equity arm of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ), where Dan Lufkin ’49, P’80,’82,’88,’23 served as one of the founders. After more than 25 years of working in private equity, Meadow has approved hundreds of equity financings, been active in fundraising, and originated, or created, more than 60 investments, including two dozen healthcare services companies and more than a dozen consumer services and retail companies. In 2005, he began his association with The Edgewater Funds of Chicago, where he remains an associate partner. He has been recognized by Venture One

as one of the top healthcare investors in the industry and is also a testifying expert witness. Among the many accomplishments of his career, he is most proud of his involvement with Sunrise Assisted Living, which started an assisted living movement across the country that has brought improved geriatric care to many. In 2011, he was awarded the Richard J. Daley Medal for his work in entrepreneurial ecology. In 1999, a colleague who was on sabbatical from the Booth School of Business asked Meadow if he would teach his summer course. He took a liking to teaching and readily accepted an invitation from the university to continue at Booth as a clinical professor, teaching what he practiced. As he puts it, “The first half of my life was focused on the time value of money, and the second half is focused on the money value of time.” Since then, Meadow has won multiple teaching awards, notably as one of the top entrepreneurial professors in the world in 2015 and 2021, and as the recipient of the University Faculty Excellence Award in 2010. He is a four-time recipient of the student-nominated Phoenix Prize for displaying exceptional commitment to students. His classroom style has been described as a “mix of no-nonsense Jack Welch and raconteur Walt Disney.” As one of his graduate students describes him: “You forget that you are learning, as you feel like you are just listening to a really great story. Then, when the tables are turned, and it’s time for students to speak, he holds no punches. He expects students to provide thoughtful questions or comments that really contribute to student learning, or they will get cut off.”

In shaping his own teaching style, Meadow often looks back on his own Hotchkiss education and those who mentored him. When he is asked for advice for students, he reaches back to his upper-mid English class and paraphrases a poem by Robert Browning, “What I aspire to be and am not, comforts me.” H

Meadow credits Hotchkiss with helping him find his own road to success. In gratitude, he has given generously to the School. He supports the L. Blair Torrey ’50 Chair in English and two scholarship funds, including the Rodgers Family Scholarship to honor his classmate Peter Rodgers. He has also given to The Hotchkiss Fund for nearly 30 years.

SPRING 2022

ALUMNI AWARD

Thomas C. Werner ’67 to Receive Hotchkiss’s Highest Honor T

HOMAS C. WERNER ’67 has been named the recipient of the 2022 Alumni Award, the School’s highest honor. Werner is an award-winning television producer, a member of the Television Academy Hall of Fame, and currently serves as the chairman of Fenway Sports Group, which includes ownership of the Boston Red Sox, the Liverpool Football Club, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. “I am honored by this recognition. I owe so much to the education Hotchkiss gave me, and I consider it the foundation for everything I achieved afterwards. Mr. Gurney would be surprised and delighted at my receiving this award as he gave me a 63 grade in English Literature,” Werner said upon learning of the award. (Richard Gurney taught English at Hotchkiss from 1935-1971.) After graduating from Hotchkiss, Werner received an A.B. from Harvard. During his time in Cambridge, he began his career as a documentary filmmaker, including directing a film about Fenway Park. His award-winning films include a historic documentary about Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run for president. Later, Werner joined ABC, where he developed a number of hits including Mork & Mindy, Three’s Company, Taxi, and The Love Boat. He cast Robin Williams in Mork & Mindy, and he provided opportunities to then-

Thomas Werner has executive produced more than 1,500 half-hours of primetime comedy. He is part owner of the Red Sox and helped establish the Red Sox Foundation.

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Werner, center, in a Film Society club photo published in the 1967 Misch, along with classmates Christopher Little ’67 and Eliot Osborn ’67.

“I owe so much to the education Hotchkiss gave me, and I consider it the foundation for everything I achieved afterwards.”

unknown actors Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies), Danny DeVito, and Tony Danza (both in Taxi). Following his career at ABC, Werner executive-produced more than 1,500 halfhours of primetime comedies, including Roseanne, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Cosby Show, and That ’70s Show. Werner is currently producing The Conners, in its fourth season at ABC, and a spinoff of That ’70s Show on Netflix titled That ’90s Show. Werner received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Producers Guild of America. His company, CarseyWerner, has produced shows that have garnered 24 Emmy Awards, 11 People’s

Werner, second from right in the front row, flanked by members of Taylor soccer.

Choice Awards, 10 Golden Globes, and numerous others. In 1998, he joined forces with Oprah Winfrey to launch Oxygen, a 24-hour cable channel. Most recently, he teamed up with Sara Gilbert to launch the production company sara+tom. Werner’s career in baseball dates back to 1990, when he became managing general partner of the San Diego Padres. There, he introduced the concept of expanded playoffs and the wildcard format. In 2002, he joined with John Henry to acquire the Boston Red Sox, the only bidders to make saving Fenway Park a cornerstone of their proposal. His infatuation with the Red Sox dates back to 1967, when he was a freshman at Harvard. The New York native was caught up in the team’s “Impossible Dream” journey to the World Series. Under his tenure, the Red Sox have won four World Series. Aside from the team’s on-field success, the Red Sox play a meaningful role in the community. The Red Sox Foundation, which Werner was instrumental in establishing, has become one of the largest team charities in Major League Baseball. He also spearheaded the creation of Home Base, a partnership between the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital, that operates the largest clinic in the country treating the invisible wounds

of war, including post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. It has provided life-saving interventions for more than 30,000 soldiers, veterans, and military families. In March 2021, Werner received the Secretary of Defense medal for Outstanding Public Service from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, at a ceremony at the Pentagon. Werner followed his brother, Peter Werner ’64, to Lakeville from St. Bernard’s School in New York. At Hotchkiss, Werner was involved in numerous extracurricular activities and participated in club soccer, hockey, and golf. Known for his excellent memory and sense of humor, he excelled academically. He was editor of The Record, a member of the Press Club, and organized the Hotchkiss Film Society, serving as its first president. Along with several classmates, he produced his first film while at Hotchkiss. H Since 1931, the Hotchkiss Alumni Association has honored notable alumni with the Alumni Award. Selected by the Nominating Committee of the Board of Governors, recipients have brought honor and distinction to themselves and Hotchkiss through their achievements. Werner was honored in Lakeville during an All-School ceremony in May 2022. SPRING 2022

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

A Champion for Para Athletes Chutinant “Nick” Bhirombhakdi ’76, P’09 Named 2022 Community Service Award Recipient B Y W E N DY C A R L S O N

HUTINANT “NICK” BHIROMBHAKDI ’76, P’09 is this year’s Community Service Award recipient, selected by the Hotchkiss Alumni Association. A lifelong athlete who holds a black belt in karate, Bhirombhakdi has dedicated much of his spare time to various sports and athletic associations and federations. In particular, he has been a strong supporter of para athletes, advocating for their rights in the world of competitive sports. Bhirombhakdi is also president and CEO of Boon Rawd Brewery Co., Ltd., and chair of Singha Estate PCL, both based in Thailand. For more than 17 years, he has been involved with sport activities for athletes with impairments, and he has been a fourtime president of the Paralympic Committee of Thailand. Along with working with the Paralympic Committee, Bhirombhakdi also serves on committees for the Sports Authority of Thailand and the National Sports Development Fund, and he is the former vice

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chairman of the country’s Sports Reform Committee. He was the charter president of the Thailand Karate Association and advisor to Thailand Lacrosse Association. In 2019, he was nominated to serve as a member of the board of trustees of Agitos Foundation, the leading global organization developing sport activities for people with impairments. “I am tremendously honored to be selected for Hotchkiss’s Community Service Award,” says Bhirombhakdi, crediting Hotchkiss and his family for igniting his passion to help others. His grandfather, who founded Boon Rawd Brewery 88 years ago, impressed upon him the importance of helping others in whatever way he could. “So, as a family we have always helped those in need,” he says. Of all his volunteer efforts, he has found his work with the para athletes the most rewarding.

Bhirombhakdi is pictured in the 1976 edition of Misch as a member of the lacrosse team. Athletics have remained a very important part of Bhirombhakdi’s life; he enjoys a variety of sports and taught karate at Columbia University.

“When the committee invited me to be manager of the team when it competed in the Philippines in 2006, it was the first time I came into daily contact with the athletes themselves. I became very close to many of them, and I am inspired by their drive and passion,” he says. Through his involvement, Thai para athletes have made a mark in the world, winning many world championships in their respective sports. In the Paralympics Tokyo 2020, Thai para athletes won five gold medals, five silver medals, and eight bronze medals, achieving a 25th ranking in the world.

Bhirombhakdi also developed a program to recruit Thailand’s disabled and injured former-military persons as para athletes to represent their country. He worked to change the laws governing sports by seeking parity in prize money for para athletes and in training facilities. Born in Thailand, Bhirombhakdi came to Hotchkiss as a lower mid from the Cardigan Mountain School, where he currently serves as a trustee. His son, Naiyanobh (“Toy”), is a member of the Class of 2009. He knew the minute he passed through Scoville Gate that Hotchkiss was the fit for him, he said in an Alum of the Month article in 2016. “I came to Hotchkiss with Robert Chartener ’76, P’18, who was at Cardigan Mountain with me, and our friendship continues to this day. In Lakeville, I learned discipline and graduated with very good writing abilities. I have many Thai friends and family members who went to other prep schools, but none of them came out with writing skills as good as mine,” he says. After graduating from Hotchkiss, Bhirombhakdi attended Boston University, where he took up what would become a lifelong interest in karate. “Karate teaches you to resist instant gratification and to focus on long-term and meaningful goals,” he says. After graduating from college, he began

a career in banking at European American Bank in New York City before returning to Thailand in the ’80s to run Boon Rawd, Thailand’s largest brewery. Athletics continue to remain a very important part of Bhirombhakdi’s life. Up until he was 51, he played lacrosse for the Thailand National Team. He still practices martial arts, skis, and scuba dives––and he has even driven his Harley-Davidson across the continent. H Hotchkiss honored Bhirombhakdi during an All-School ceremony on April 8, 2022. Presented annually, the Community Service Award honors the service contributions that Hotchkiss graduates have made to their respective communities, whether local, national, or international. The award recognizes individuals who, in the estimation of the Nominating Committee of the Board of Governors of the Alumni Association, demonstrate through their volunteer and/or vocational endeavors an exemplary sense of caring, initiative, and ingenuity.

SCAN TO WATCH THE TRIBUTE TO BHIROMBHAKDI shown at the Community Service Award ceremony on April 8, 2022.

SPRING 2022

ALUMNI GIVING BACK

Lance Beizer Appointed Head of Town Hill Society

F Y O U A S K T H E Rev. Canon Lance Beizer ’56 why he chose to become a member of the Town Hill Society, he answers without hesitation. Beizer, who has just been appointed the Town Hill Society Chair, follows the late Frederick Frank ’50 in the post, serving as the School’s chief gift planning representative and advocate. “My wife, Ann, and I started doing an estate plan in 2013,” he says. “That is when I set up the planned gift, a charitable remainder annuity trust. Why do I give? I think back to the experiences I had as a student at Hotchkiss, and I look at what is happening now at Hotchkiss. And I am impressed.” Beizer moved back to Connecticut after 50 years in California and a law career in which he served in the district attorney’s office, first as a prosecutor and then as an advocate for children in abuse cases, before retiring to begin a new career in the ministry. Living in nearby Canaan, CT, he became active as a Hotchkiss volunteer and served for six years on the Hotchkiss Board of Governors (BOG). “I had the opportunity to sit in on some classes and to meet other members of the BOG,” he says. “I was impressed by the alumni I met on the Board. And in the School, I found differences of socialization and cooperation among the students. Hotchkiss was very good intellectually when I was there. Dr. Allan Hoey (Classics instructor from 1941-1972) captured my imagination. We read the Iliad and discussed the issues there. He encouraged

thinking about ethics and morality. “Now there is an emphasis on ethics, but also on working cooperatively. Students have a lot more opportunity to speak in class, as well as in discussions and debate. It was all-male when I was there. As I recall, there were only two Black students at the time, and they didn’t overlap. You went back to your room to study until the lights were turned off. You studied individually. Now there’s just a very different mix of students, and it’s coed. I’d love to be able to go to school there now,” he says. Beizer is among 212 living members of the Town Hill Society, according to Brent Alderman Sterste, director of gift planning. The oldest member is an alumnus of the Class of 1938, and the youngest is a member of the Class of 2012. The total value of known planned gifts is $35.5 million; 149 gifts have an unknown value. On average, realized planned gifts account for five percent of gift revenue for the School each year. To show the powerful effect of planned giving, Alderman Sterste shares the example of the third capital gift made to Hotchkiss. It was a bequest of $20,000 in 1919 from Gerald Hinckley ’10. His bequest is now worth approximately $5 million of today’s endowment. “In the same way today, planned gifts of all types and sizes continue to have a profound, long-term impact on the School,” he noted. “Hotchkiss will remain strong for generations to come, due in large part to the generosity of the Town Hill Society members.” H

“Why do I give? I think back to the experiences I had as a student at Hotchkiss, and I look at what is happening now at Hotchkiss. And I am impressed.” —REV. CANON L ANCE BEIZER ’56

To learn more about the Town Hill Society, go to www.hotchkiss.plannedgiving.org, or contact Brent Alderman Sterste at (860) 435-3263.

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DAY

Thank you

to everyone who helped to make 1 Day for Hotchkiss on March 3, 2022 such a huge success! Your support of The Hotchkiss Fund affects each student, faculty, and staff member and affirms the meaningful role of our donors in the School’s tradition of excellence and philanthropy.

1,138 Donors $799,732 Raised DONORS BY CONSTITUENT GROUPS

657 235

ALUMNI

167

CURRENT PARENTS

ALUMNI CLASSES WITH MOST DONORS BY DECADE 1. 1930s 1935 6. 1980s 2. 1940s 1943 7. 1990s 1944 8. 2000s 3. 1950s 1953 9. 2010s 4. 1960s 1967 10. 2020s 5. 1970s 1972

Reunion Class Challenge:

CUSTOM T-SHIRT WINNERS!

FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS

PARENTS OF ALUMNI, GRANDPARENTS, AND FRIENDS

RANKING OF DESIGNATIONS IN ORDER OF MOST SELECTED

1987 1991 2002 2018 2021

1. 2. 3. 4.

GREATEST NEED FINANCIAL AID ATHLETICS DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Most Dollars Raised: Class of 1977 $51,825 (7 Gifts)

DAY OF GIVING AROUND THE GLOBE USA 46 STATES! Canada, Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia, India, Bahamas, Jamaica, Aruba, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore Republic, Sweden, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates

5. 6. 7. 8.

ARTS ACADEMICS FACULTY SUPPORT CONSERVATION & ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES

Most Donors: Class of 1987 $23,373 (38 Gifts)

CURRENT PARENT PARTICIPATION BY CLASS

2022 73 2023 76 2024 74

2025 64

SPRING 2022

Volunteers Share Why They Love to Give Back DAVE BALDERSTON ’72, P’07,’12,’14 LEAD AGENT AND

CALDWELL HART ’87, P’16,’20

50TH REUNION CHAIR

I find that many of my classmates agree that their education at Hotchkiss was the best they received at any level. That is worth supporting so that others coming after us can continue to experience the same thing. Day of Giving created a nice opportunity to compound my giving with that of others. I was pleased that we had a really great response among the class!

RUTH GODIN P’25

PARENT AGENT

When you see an institution striving for excellence and doing exceptional work in that process, it should be supported in any way possible. Hotchkiss has created this beautiful tapestry of a community we should all be proud of, and the entire parent community can empower Hotchkiss to continue its work. Hotchkiss’s rating on niche.com (where we were placed as the #2 boarding high school in the country) is in part due to the confidence parents have shown in the School and what it has promised and delivered to our children.

CINDY SCHMIDT SOFTY ’77, P’07,’09

CLASS AGENT

I enjoy staying connected with the Hotchkiss community and our Class of ’77. As one of the first girls to attend Hotchkiss, the energy and excitement with the change to being coed was amplified, and we have an extraordinary class to show for it. Volunteering is an easy way for me to give a little bit back to the school that had the greatest impact on my life. Not only did Hotchkiss enrich my life, but both our children (Schuyler ’07 and Ben ’09) flourished here. I support The Hotchkiss Fund to help ensure current and future students can also take advantage of these extraordinary opportunities.

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As an alumnus, former Board of Governors member, and parent to two graduates, I feel it is important to support Hotchkiss so we continue to recruit faculty, students, and have the resources to evolve. Establishing the financial resources for the School ensures that we have safe and modern facilities, a strong and committed faculty, and diverse students working in concert in the pursuit of knowledge and personal growth. I choose to increase my personal outreach on the Day of Giving to remember our son, Peter Hart ’16. He is no longer with us but had good friends in his class, coaches/faculty like Mr. [Pierre] Yoo, Mrs. [Christy] Cooper, Mr. [Tom] Drake, and others who made an impact.

ABEL ACUNA ’07

CLASS AGENT

Volunteering for The Hotchkiss Fund is a small way to express my gratitude for Hotchkiss and everyone who contributed to my experience at the School. Serving others and making a positive impact on the world are principles we’ve all learned from attending Hotchkiss, and volunteering for The Hotchkiss Fund is a natural practice of those lessons. I have to congratulate the team at Hotchkiss for implementing new online tools that enable every participant to become a leader. These new tools make it easy for everyone to feel included, visible, and effective during times of giving. The more we can empower others around us to lead, the more they’ll take ownership and drive results!

AARON ’92 LEAD AGENT AND ALICIA OBERMAN P’24 We know how impactful a Hotchkiss experience can be, and we want to be able to support the School so they can offer that experience to the most people possible. Our class got a late start but has been making great strides giving back. We thought issuing a challenge would be a good way to get more people involved.

Courage Garden IN OCTOBER, HOTCHKISS WILL UNVEIL a beautiful new addition to the campus: Courage Garden. Dedicated to those impacted by sexual abuse during their time at Hotchkiss and beyond, Courage Garden will provide an enduring place of comfort, beauty, and peace. It will come to life this summer thanks to extensive work on the part of committed alumni who are dedicated to creating a space on campus for healing and contemplation. This work has been led by Martha Bryan ’77, Carolyn Eaton ’77, Margaret Simpson ’77, Anne Owen Armfield ’77, Andy Luke ’77, and Fred Wacker ’77, among numerous others. Upon announcement of the project, gifts of more than $200,000 poured into a restricted fund created for the garden, and the School committed $175,000. In recent weeks, alumni have generously provided additional gifts to complete construction funding. The garden will be located on the hillside just north of the 6th fairway of the golf course where it will have a spectacular view of Lake Wononscopomuc. It will feature a beautifully designed selection of trees, shrubs, grasses, native plantings, and stonework that will complement the existing landscape and enhance the campus.

Courage Garden will be located north of the sixth fairway on the Hotchkiss Golf Course.

Landscape architects Mariani Landscape have completed the garden’s design. Construction is underway and will continue throughout the summer. Please mark your calendars to join us for a special dedication ceremony in October. H DEDICATION CEREMONY: OCTOBER 1, 2022 • 1 P.M. Please look for more information on the construction of the garden in the summer issue of the Hotchkiss Magazine. Details about the dedication event will be communicated closer to the date.

There is an ongoing need to support Courage Garden care and maintenance. Please contact Ninette Enrique, chief advancement officer, at nenrique@hotchkiss.org, if you are interested in making a contribution to support this important and enduring enhancement to the School. SPRING 2022

CAMPUS CONNECTION

A Sparkling Performance of Mamma Mia! in the Newly Renovated Walker Auditorium P H OTO S B Y S C OT T B A R R O W

acoustics, and lighting all shone for the premiere of Mamma Mia! as it marked the opening of the newly renovated Walker Auditorium. The feel-good musical, which included four HDA performances in February, marked the reopening in grand style. In total, more than 50 students performed in the show, with another 15 helping with lighting, sound, set building, and other production work. Prior to the Feb. 12 performance, Head of School Craig Bradley offered thanks to the Board of Trustees, the families of the Classes of 2019 and 2020, and many other donors who helped make the renovation a success. In particular, he expressed gratitude to the Gould family for making a critically important leadership gift. Robert R. Gould ’77 serves as the Board of Trustees’s co-president. The Gould family gift was made in honor of Jean Gould, Bob’s mother, and the stage is named for her. To the delight of everyone in attendance, Academy Award winning actress Meryl Streep P’98 (who starred in the film version of Mamma Mia!) sent a congratulatory video to the cast and crew. Shown prior to the show, the audience was thrilled by the surprise, which sparked high energy and excitement for the entire production. “Sending you so much love and congratulations to all of you,” Ms. Streep added, before signing off by singing the musical’s famous chorus line, “Mamma mia, here we go again!” Walker was constructed in 1967 with a gift from Shaw Walker ’33, P’81,’83,’86,’87 as a venue for theater, dance, and musical performances. Since then, Walker has evolved to be much more than an event space; it is a touchstone of community life at Hotchkiss as it enables excellent teaching and supports vital community and arts programming. Walker will be a place of fun and enjoyment now and for generations to come. H HE CAST, CREW, MUSICIANS,

SCAN TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM THE PREMIERE!

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SPRING 2022

CAMPUS CONNECTION

Boys Basketball Wins New England Title T

varsity basketball team made history this season, capturing the 2022 NEPSAC Class A tournament title for the first championship in the program’s history with a hard-fought 65-62 victory over #3 Belmont Hill. As the final buzzer sounded, players and fans for Hotchkiss (23-1) spilled onto the court in jubilation, celebrating the culmination of head coach Yassine Talhaoui’s vision since taking over the program five years ago. Emblematic of the team’s cohesion and generosity, the day’s effort featured four players in double figures but an individual high of 14 points by starting guards Kenny Noland ’22 and Brandon McCreesh ’23. Dean Hogans ’25 and Nosa Okunbo ’22 would prove essential bench contributors, with Hogans hitting two clutch threepointers and Okunbo corralling a teamhigh 13 rebounds, competing inside against a big, physical Belmont Hill squad. But it seemed at first as though the visitors, who had upset #2 St. Sebastian’s HE TOP-SEEDED BOYS

by 20 points in the semifinals, might be headed for another dominating victory. For most of the first half, the Bearcats battled to cut into the lead, only to see the Sextants push the margin back out again. Hotchkiss finally closed the half on a 7-0 run to take a slim 28-26 lead into the break. In the second half, momentum seemed to switch sides, and this time it was Hotchkiss who managed to hold onto a narrow lead despite several Belmont Hill charges. Slowly, methodically, Hotchkiss pulled away from the visitors, opening up its largest lead at 54-44 with four minutes left to play. Belmont Hill proved they were not going down without a fight, cutting the margin to five points with a pair of free throws and 1:33 left. The final 60 seconds featured frantic, intense play from both sides as Belmont Hill hit a two-pointer, stole the ball off the press, and made another inside basket to cut the lead to just a single point.

Top: Brandon McCreesh ’23 drives to the hoop Bottom: Ceremonial net cutting with Dean Hogans ’25

But the drama would not be finished just yet, as Belmont Hill hit a three-pointer with four seconds remaining and McCreesh hit one of two free throws to give the visitors a glimmer of hope. But after inbounding the ball at midcourt, the Sextants were not able to get off a shot, and the Hotchkiss team erupted in celebration as the horn sounded. Following the game and trophy presentation from Co-Athletic Director Danny Smith, players and coaches cut down one of the nets, and Talhaoui gave a short speech praising the team for their hard work and their character throughout the season. H

SCAN TO READ THE FULL STORY! Coach Talhaoui was named the NEPSAC Coach of the Year following this season’s spectacular showing by the boys varsity basketball team.

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Athletics Round-up Swimming Places Third at Founders

Kasturi ’22 Second at Diving New Englands Meera Kasturi ’22 concluded a remarkable high school diving career with a second-place finish at the New England championships, her best place ever at the event. She adds another podium place to her Hotchkiss diving legacy, which includes three Founders League titles, three topfour New England finishes, and both Hotchkiss girls diving records.

Swimmers for both the boys and girls teams concluded their seasons in memorable fashion, with both teams finishing third in front of a spirited home crowd in Hixon Pool on Feb. 26. Each team won multiple events, with the boys scoring a total of 392 points and finishing third behind champion Choate and runner-up Loomis. The girls finished with 322 points, with Loomis and Choate swapping the top two spots. On Saturday, fellow captain Emily Bukowski ’22 added to the team’s haul with two event wins of her own in the 50-yard freestyle (24.96) and the 100yard breaststroke (1:07.18). For the boys, Carter Levine ’22 and James Yae ’23 each won a pair of titles on Saturday. Levine captured the 100yard backstroke (54.16) and Yae won the 100-yard breastroke (1:00.09). The two also combined with Ryan Tse ’23 and Alex Tolis ’23 to win the 200-yard medley relay (1:38.90).

Wrestling Sends Five to Nationals Five Hotchkiss wrestlers earned trips to the 2022 National Prep tournament by placing in their weight classes at the New England championships. Ben Johnson ’22 placed fourth at 195 lbs. and Sean Donovan ’23 placed fifth at 220 lbs. in the open division, and Kadie Singh ’25 (120 lbs.), Sadie Salter ’25 (126 lbs.), and Aimee Carrasco ’24 (132 lbs.) each placed fourth in the girls division to book their trip to Maryland.

Additional Winter Teams in Playoffs

Squash Competes at Nationals The boys and girls squash teams traveled to Philadelphia to compete in the 2022 U.S. High School Team Squash Championships on Feb. 25-27, finishing fifth and tenth, respectively.

Enjoying a renaissance this season, the girls varsity basketball team (10-8) returned to the tournament for the first time in nearly a decade. The Bearcats qualified as the eighth seed for a neutral-court matchup against top-seeded Thayer. The two teams did not play against each other this season. The final score: Hotchkiss 37 – Thayer 47 On the ice, the girls varsity hockey team (8-9-1) also punched its postseason ticket entering the bracket as the sixth seed against third Choate. The final score: Hotchkiss 2 – Choate 1. Advancing to the quarterfinals, Hotchkiss played second Buckingham Browne & Nichols. The final score: Hotchkiss 1 – BB&N 3.

SPRING 2022

CAMPUS CONNECTION

Hotchkiss Debaters: Continuing a Tradition of Excellence Current Team Sweeps Seven Tournaments and Heads into Spring Season B Y R O B E R TA J E N C K E S

OTCHKISS DEBATERS HAVE SWEPT

all seven of the league’s parliamentary debating tournaments this past season, continuing a tradition of excellence that dates back to the 19th century when the School launched its inaugural debating club, the Areopagus Society, a year after Hotchkiss opened. At that time, the School placed great importance on public speaking, awarding the student giving the best English oration a prize of $25 in gold. Some well-known Hotchkiss alumni— including Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Archibald MacLeish ’11 and Time Inc. founder Henry Luce ’16—were debaters. Like their predecessors, the School’s 21st-century teams consistently have shined, winning regional events and sending outstanding orators into the international and world championships. If there is any difference with the School’s current debaters, it may be a matter of style. Today’s group of 30 members, coached by David Conti P’18,’22, instructor in classics, and Dr. Thomas Fisher, instructor in history, philosophy, and religion, shares much in common with an athletic team. “They work together to make cases,” says Conti. “The captains train new students, and they celebrate wins as a team. Everyone works together to prepare for a competition. In debate, the advanced team can win, but the novice team needs to win as well for us to win a tournament. This connection between the groups helps develop an especially cohesive team—the advanced debaters are invested in the development of the novices, and the novices are always looking forward to the time when they can

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This year’s outstanding debaters include (from left): Elizabeth Abelow, Maadhavan Prasanna, Aaliyah Wang, Spencer Humes, Vanessa Guerra, Max Salzinger, Lisa Berlizova, Beatrice Conti (Co-captain), Peter Berlizov, Rahul Kalavagunta (Co-captain), Stella Ren (Co-captain), Meilan Antonucci, Jaden Morgan, Ben Who, and Caroline Block.

move up to the advanced division. There are lots of individual awards, but the team is most pleased when we take home the team trophy. “Students say they like the competition, the ability to construct a fantastic case and to systematically dismantle the other side’s case. Dr. Fisher and I try to balance this desire to win and dismantle the other team’s case with a focus on building a strong affirmative case and hearing what the other side has to say,” Conti says. Rahul Kalavagunta ’22 agrees with his coach and sees debating as a valuable experience for every student, even though he recalls being “a little hesitant” about joining speech and debate as a lower mid. “I’ve always been afraid of public speaking, and especially of debate,” he says. “But after a few meetings, I came to realize it was something I could truly enjoy. Debate then became a way for me to face my fear of public speaking, and I started looking forward to practices and competitions. By

being forced to defend a side objectively and interacting with many different ideologies and forms of argumentation, debaters learn how to clearly and respectfully discuss their ideas and understand the views of others. Especially given how polarized and opinionated our society has become in recent years, these skills and the tolerance they build are essential.” Captain Beatrice Conti ’22, who joined speech and debate in her prep year, has qualified to represent Hotchkiss at the World Championships this spring. She also qualified as a lower mid and an upper mid, the only Hotchkiss debater to qualify three times in more than 10 years. A student qualifies for World’s either by performing well at a fall international competition or by winning a league-wide tournament at the advanced level. She looks forward to competing in the virtual event this spring. “As a captain, I provide instruction and support for the younger members on the team. At meetings, you can find me practicing with my partner, helping newer debaters

A Look Back on the Hotchkiss Debate Club build cases, or providing feedback to novices after rounds. I love that our team consists of students from all four grades and that every member is equally important to the team. I’ve met many mentors on the debate team and now have the wonderful opportunity to mentor new members,” she says. Meeting fellow debaters from schools around New England and the world has been a rewarding feature of the students’ experience that has changed due to COVID19 restrictions. “The switch to virtual for our league started in spring of 2020,” says Coach Conti. “And we’ve been refining online competition for every tournament. We’ve got it down now, and the debating experience for our students is very good. One benefit is more participation—the league is offering more competitions because of the ease of hosting. Hotchkiss has hosted two tournaments each year for the last two years after only hosting one for many years. This means more opportunities for more debaters to compete. We’ve also had online debate practices with peer schools, but everyone is looking forward to the time when we can be together in person again.” “I have so many wonderful memories from my time on the debate team,” adds Beatrice. “In my lower-mid year, I attended the International Independent Schools Public Speaking Competition, held in Boston that year by co-hosts Hotchkiss and the Buckingham Browne and Nichols School. After one long night of competition, all the competitors went to a Boston Bruins game together. The entire weekend was filled with opportunities to get to know students from all over the world who also love public speaking, but that evening spent huddled in the stands in business-formal attire, cheering on the Bruins and chatting about global nuclear disarmament with peers from England, Canada, South Africa, and South Korea was certainly a highlight for me.” H EDITOR’S NOTE: The following funds at Hotchkiss

support speech and debate or public speaking: the Lightcap Family Fund for Speech and Debate; the Foran Speech and Debate Fund; and the John S. Reed ’35 Public Speaking Fund.

1903

The Oratorical Competition awards $25 in gold to a Senior who writes and pronounces an English oration in the best manner.

1907

1956-1961

Engraved with the results of the Triangular Debate between Hotchkiss, Taft, and Choate from 1956 to 1961, this sterling silver bowl is believed to be given in memory of John Joseph Piel ’36.

1968

The debate team took on the faculty to debate whether Hotchkiss should admit girls. The students, who sided against it, won.

1974

Hotchkiss opens its doors to girls. Female students become more active members of the debating team.

1980

Malcome Baldrige ’40, a member of the Debate Union while at Hotchkiss, becomes Secretary of Commerce.

1914

In August, Classmates Archibald MacLeish ’11, Poet Laureate of the U.S. and recipient of three Pulitzer Prizes, and Douglas Stuart Moore ’11, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and one of few American opera composers, return to the U.S, on the Lusitania from a trip to England.

1923

1991

Model UN participant Jessica Harley ’92 is elected school president and becomes the first female student to assume the role.

2001

Kate Vavpetic, debate coach (far right), jumpstarted the debate team after years of dormancy.

In March, the first issue of Time magazine is produced by former Hotchkiss debaters Briton Hadden ’16 and Henry Luce ’16 (pictured far left in the 1916 Debate Team photo below).

2015

The Team wins Best Large Delegation at the Yale Model UN.

1933

Potter Stewart ’33 was a member of the Debate Union. In 1958, he was nominated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

1945

2019

Hotchkiss hosts the International Independent School Public Speaking Championship in Boston.

2022

Hotchkiss sweeps all seven of the league’s parliamentary debating tournaments.

James Alexander Linen III ’30 becomes publisher of Time magazine. He was captain of the Angora Debating Team while at Hotchkiss.

SPRING 2022

APPOINTMENTS AND AWARDS

Claudia McGuigan Appointed Associate Dean of Faculty

Serena Oh Castellano Appointed New Director of College Advising Office

N FEBRUARY, CL AUDIA

MCGUIGAN , an inaugural Walter J. Crain fellow, was appointed associate dean of faculty, effective immediately. This latest responsibility continues to build out her Hotchkiss résumé, which includes teaching math, serving as associate director of faculty recruitment, interviewing student applicants for admissions, coaching girls cross country, and being a member of the dorm team in Coy. “I am incredibly grateful to be afforded this opportunity to serve as associate dean of faculty,” says McGuigan. “It has been a privilege to work alongside such incredible colleagues, and I’m looking forward to deepening my bonds and relationships with the talented and passionate Hotchkiss faculty. It’s an exciting time to be part of the Hotchkiss School community. I have learned so much in my short time here—it’s truly been humbling.” While relatively new to Hotchkiss, McGuigan is not new to the boarding school world. Before moving to Lakeville, McGuigan taught languages at Westminster School where she also co-advised the student newspaper, served as faculty advisor to multiple affinity groups and clubs, and was a dorm parent. Previously, she taught at Watkinson School and Kingswood Oxford School. Prior to her teaching career, McGuigan was a merchandise planner at ASOS. As a Walter J. Crain Fellow, McGuigan will begin coursework for her master’s degree in independent school leadership at the Klingenstein Center, Teachers College, next summer. She will also complete her M.B.A. at the University of Connecticut this year. She holds a B.A. in French and Spanish as well as marketing from the University of Northumbria. She also studied at the Université de Bourgogne, majoring in Modern Language in Business. She lives with her husband, Ryan, and their five children in Millerton, NY. H

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ERENA OH CASTELL ANO

will join Hotchkiss as director of college advising on July 1, as Rick Hazelton P’19,’22, who has led the College Advising Office for the last 16 years, begins an exciting new role with the School as the director of the Center for Global Understanding and Independent Thinking (CGUIT). Oh Castellano brings a great depth of experience and enthusiasm to her new role, having held leadership positions in admission, financial aid, and college counseling throughout her career in education. She comes to Hotchkiss most recently from the Convent of the Sacred Heart in New York City where she has been director of college counseling since 2008. Prior to this, she served as an associate director of college advising at St. Paul’s School, at Wellesley College as both an associate director of admission and earlier in her career as the associate director of financial aid, and at Princeton University as an associate director of admission. She holds a B.A. from Wellesley College and a master’s in higher education administration from Stanford University. “Hotchkiss is a school I have admired for a long time as both an admission professional and a college counselor,” says Oh Castellano. “I am thrilled to be joining this wonderful community where we live together and actively learn from one another. A college advisor has the distinct privilege of learning each student’s individual story at a pivotal point in a young person’s life. The fact that I get to continue the work that I love in a community that values excellence and generosity is truly a gift.” This summer, Oh Castellano will move to Lakeville with her husband and their children. H

“The fact that I get to continue the work that I love in a community that values excellence and generosity is truly a gift.”

Week of Gratitude Recognizes Faculty and Staff T

returned from spring break marked a celebration of gratitude. From posters highlighting employees who have served from five to 35 years to a bulletin board where students, faculty, and staff wrote the reasons they are grateful to Hotchkiss, the entire week was designated as one of giving thanks. The Anniversary Awards Ceremony, held with all students in attendance during Community Time, recognized the winners of the Margot Hooker Award and the Robert and Candice Barker Staff Recognition Award. “Running this School is a tremendous undertaking,” said Head of School Craig Bradley in opening the ceremony. “Hotchkiss’s 335 employees have collectively provided 3,102 years of service. These colleagues contribute day in and day out to assure the excellence of the Hotchkiss experience.” HE WEEK THAT STUDENTS

STAFF RECOGNITION AWARDS Dennis Smith Receives Margot Hooker Award James “Dennis” G. Smith III, assistant grounds supervisor, received the Margot Hooker Award, which was established in September 1996 in memory of Margot Hooker, a 28-year member of the Hotchkiss staff. It is presented annually to a member of the staff who best exemplifies those traits of character which distinguished Margot Hooker: thoughtfulness, reliability, attachment to the institution, cheerfulness, kindness to one’s co-workers, and the example one sets for others.

Lisa Brown Receives Robert and Candice Barker Staff Recognition Award Lisa Brown, director of events and special projects, received the Robert and Candice Barker Staff Recognition Award, established in 2017 to recognize a staff member who, through personal commitment, dedication, loyalty, and willingness to go beyond the call of duty, has enhanced the sense of community at Hotchkiss. The award is sustained by the permanent endowment of the Robert and Candice Barker Staff Recognition Fund and honors Robert and Candice Barker, whose work for four decades exemplified dedication to the School. Robert taught history at Hotchkiss, with great distinction for 39 years, holding the E. Carlton Granbury Teaching Chair for two decades.

MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY HONOREES 25 YEARS OF SERVICE Jim Kennedy, golf course manager in the Department of Student and Auxiliary Services Richard Kirby P’08,’09,’14,’15, The Independence Foundation Chair, instructor in chemistry

Alan Simon P’09,’10, instructor

in jazz piano in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts

Charlie Tokarz, instructor in

saxophone in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts

Additional Milestones 35 YEARS OF SERVICE

Joe O’Connor P’10, Manager of Auxiliary Services

30 YEARS OF SERVICE

Chris Burchfield P’08,’10,’18, the L. Blair Torrey, Jr. ’50 Chair, instructor in English Ana Hermoso P’16, the Audrey Meyer Mars Teaching Chair, Spanish program coordinator, instructor in Spanish Letty Roberts P’12,’15, the George and Jody Stone Teaching Chair, instructor in mathematics

20 YEARS OF SERVICE

Iris Mortman, Health Services, registered nurse Danny Smith P’18,’20,’24, co-director of athletics Anju Taneja, P’04,’09, instructor in physics

SCAN FOR A FULL LIST OF CELEBRATIONS!

SPRING 2022

APPOINTMENTS AND AWARDS

From Kentucky to Lakeville to Award-Winning Writer How Daily Themes Inspired Prize-Winning Author Whitney Martin Collins ’91 B Y W E N DY C A R L S O N

to be a game changer for prize-winning author Whitney Martin Collins ’91 when she was a student. The writing practice, which dates back to the mid-20th century at Hotchkiss, takes place over a two-month period during which all lower mids are required to write up to 20 short essays. Collins had arrived straight off the farm from Kentucky, and she struggled academically and in sports. “It’s a minor miracle I’m here today,” the alumna joked to students when she visited campus in February through the Nalen Writing Program. Putting her pen to paper for Daily Themes, however, transformed her Hotchkiss experience and set her on a path to becoming an aspiring writer. The turning point came when she received an A+ and high praise from English Instructor Geoffrey Marchant P’93,’07 for one of her essays. “He handed the paper to me and said, ‘You’re going to be a writer.’ That was huge for me,” said Collins. “So when your teachers tell you you are good at something, listen to them.” The Nalen Writing Program was established by Skip Nalen ’48, P’79, GP’13,’15 as a gift to the School in appreciation of the writing instruction generations of graduates have received at Hotchkiss. Visiting Nalen writers inspire students and instructors in the art and practice of writing through classroom time

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and an evening reading with a Q&A. Collins, who lives with her family in her native Kentucky, holds a B.A. from Hamilton College, where she majored in English and creative writing. She earned an M.F.A. at Spalding University. Prior to pursuing her graduate degree, she spent nearly 15 years working as a freelance writer for trade magazines before making the plunge into fiction writing. Over the years, her work has garnered numerous awards, and her fiction has appeared in many literary publications, including The Southeast Review, The Pinch, and Lumina. She is the recipient of a 2020 Pushcart Prize. Big Bad, her collection of 13 stories, was the 2019 winner of the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction. In 2021, she placed first in Grist’s ProForma Contest for her story, “Cray.” Her story “Rocks 4 Sale,” is a nominee for the 2022 Pushcart Prize. Her writing has been described as “magical realism,” a literary genre that interweaves realistic fiction with fantastic moments. Sometimes her stories have an element of horror juxtaposed with dark humor. Her writing in this style was already evident in the Daily Theme that earned her an A+. The prompt for the theme was to write about a fictional new head of school in an ordinary location. Collins chose to write about a seemingly affable and helpful man in a grocery store who turns sinister at the end of the story.

“I always try to leave the ending with a little bit of potential for redemption, transformation, mercy, or justice. So, there is hope; I just don’t serve it up to you.” Sage Advice for Students When she encounters writer’s block, she told students, she picks up a book by a writer she loves and reads, or she will force herself to sit down and write. She offered similar advice to lower mids who find Daily Themes daunting. “Sit down and write five lines. When you think about it, you tell stories to each other verbally all day; so now, just write them down. You are all storytellers,” she said. “Just have fun with it.”

Author Whitney Martin Collins inspired students in February as part of the Nalen Writing Program, telling them, “When you think about it, you tell stories to each other verbally all day; so now, just write them down...have fun with it.”

transformation, mercy, or justice. So, there is hope; I just don’t serve it up to you,” said Collins. “I want my story endings to feel like I am giving you a meal, but there’s one thing missing from the plate. What would you put there? What do you think happened?” H

P H OTO: T H E M I S C H

Bits and pieces of her own memories of Hotchkiss have played into some of her fiction. She often draws inspiration and ideas through eavesdropping on conversations or by simply observing situations in everyday places like airports, motels, or parking lots and adding her own suspenseful elements. “You have to open yourself up to life’s oddities, those very normal situations where something unintentional and unexpected happens,” she explained. Typically, her stories end in a way that is not thoroughly satisfying for the reader. “But that is the beauty of fiction,” she said. “If I tie everything up in a nice bow at the end, the reader doesn’t have much of a personal connection to it.” Big Bad is a collection of stories about scrappy underdogs who are trying to overcome an obstacle, whether it is a person, a situation, or a condition. To readers, the plight of the characters can seem hopeless, but that is intentional. “I always try to leave the ending with a little bit of potential for redemption,

While attending Hotchkiss, Collins was inspired by the world around her and parlayed those experiences into her writing. SPRING 2022

PROGRESS TOWARD EQUITY

In the Rotunda A Provocative Exhibition Poses Questions About Our Past

L A C K H I S T O R Y M O N T H was celebrated in February with a thoughtprovoking exhibition in the Rotunda that asked the Hotchkiss community to consider how the School’s relationship with generosity, justice, race, and gender over the past 131 years influences its present. “In a school like Hotchkiss, a generation is four years. Nonetheless, even decisions made a century ago influence our present,” noted Curator of Special Collections Joan Baldwin P’03, who created the exhibition, in her exhibit statement. Using the Rotunda’s four walls as blackboards, “Generosity & Justice” devoted two panels to highlighting Hotchkiss programs and actions between 1891 and the present. Subjects included St. Luke’s Society, the School’s oldest student club; Hotchkiss’s 25-year relationship with social reformer Jacob Riis and the Henry Street Settlement House; student contributions to sponsor 11 students from Hampton University, a historically Black university, between 1900 and 1923; the Greater Opportunity Program (GO), an intensive summer learning program launched by Hotchkiss with a grant from the Ford Foundation in 1964 to serve boys from urban school districts; the Locke Lord Report, which investigated historical sexual misconduct on campus; the creation of the Office of Diversity & Inclusion in 2018; and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the Board of Trustees, established in 2020. A third panel illustrated the ways students and alumni have channeled their feelings into action, while the final panel was a blackboard with chalk and sticky notes. Students and community members were encouraged to add their thoughts about what the School continues to carry forward and the changes they would like to see. “I worked hard to create an exhibit that

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posed questions rather than being purely didactic,” said Baldwin. Eight placards with powerful quotations from writers, thought leaders, a Hotchkiss student, and a former head of school hung in the Rotunda skylight. “The exhibit grew out of my participation in Doing the Work, an online reading and discussion group formed in 2020 and sponsored by Hotchkiss’s D&I office,” Baldwin explained in her exhibit statement. “Doing the Work resumed in a smaller working group during the fall of 2021. Led by Dr. Carolyn Corrado, adjunct professor of sociology at SUNY New Paltz, the group was charged with designing a project that pushed the boundaries of antiracism within their own sphere of influence. It’s no surprise I chose to do an exhibit. As curator of special collections, I utilize the School’s collections in three to four exhibits annually. What was different about this one was the degree of collaboration. I worked with Archivist and Records Manager Rosemary Davis, as well as D&I Director Yassine Talhaoui, and D&I Associate Director Dr. Lisanne Norman, and my Doing the Work colleagues.

“I utilized the work of two individuals in preparing this exhibit: Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, whose book From Generosity to Justice argues that maybe generosity isn’t enough—or as Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, ‘There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they are falling in.’ I also relied on Aletheia Wittman, a museum consultant from the Pacific Northwest, whose work on institutional genealogy created a five-step framework for interrogating institutional history to help organizations identify legacies of inequity and exclusion and how to engage with them today. “Each of us knows our own Hotchkiss, whether we are a prep, a lower mid, a fouryear senior, a Walter J. Crain Fellow, a longtime faculty member, a new staff member, or the head of school. Those experiences are as different as the Hotchkiss community. The goal of this exhibit was to assemble a landscape of ideas to help us interrogate and ultimately understand today’s Hotchkiss.” H

New Co-Directors of Diversity & Inclusion Office

Walter J. Crain Fellowship Enters Second Year with New Director

Kinyette Henderson and Lisanne Norman ’94 Take the Reins in Fall 2022

INYETTE HENDERSON AND DR.

have been appointed co-directors of the Diversity and Inclusion Office for the coming school year. Henderson joined Hotchkiss this year as an inaugural Walter Crain Fellow. She teaches English, has served as the assistant director of diversity and inclusion, and she has been part of the admissions team. “I’m excited for the opportunity to continue the work started by Yassine Talhaoui and the rest of the Diversity & Inclusion team,” says Henderson. “In this role, I hope to zone in on the student experience to continue to build an institution where students feel as though their identity has a space on this campus,” says Henderson. “Diversity can’t just be numbers to boast, but it needs to also live within the culture and fabric of the school. We are beyond privileged to be surrounded by so many representations of the world around us, so let’s ensure that those differences are acknowledged, protected, supported, and celebrated. It’s the many voices that make us one Hotchkiss.” Henderson earned her B.A. in sociology from The George Washington University and her master’s in educational leadership from Boston College. This summer she will pilot a DEI-focused Summer Portals class titled “Equity is the Work,” and next summer she will begin coursework on a master’s degree in independent school leadership at Columbia University. Henderson lives in Flinn dorm with her partner, Corey, and their son, CJ. LISANNE NORMAN ’94

Lisanne Norman ’94 began teaching at Hotchkiss in the spring of 2021 with her course “Honors African American History: From Frederick Douglass to Colin Kaepernick.” She served as associate director of diversity and inclusion before recently being named co-director. She is also part of the Dana dorm team. “It’s been wonderful to see the strong commitment that Hotchkiss has made to diversity and inclusion and the ways in which the office has grown over the past year. This is a big reason I decided to return to Hotchkiss to teach and to be a part of helping the School create an environment in which every student feels safe, seen, and heard. I look forward to working in partnership with Kinyette and our awesome dream team to ensure that we prepare our students to be contributing citizens in our wonderfully diverse global society.” Norman has also been named director of the new Hersey Scholars Program, named in honor of John Hersey ’32. The program gives selected students the opportunity to conduct archival research with a focus on history, politics, cultural studies, economics, and philosophy. Students will undertake work at Harvard University’s research libraries. In addition, effective in July, she will serve as director of the Walter Crain Fellowship Program. She holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University in African and African American studies and social anthropology. She has led teams of user experience researchers for small consultancy agencies, startups, and large enterprises. H

OTCHKISS L AUNCHED THE

Walter J. Crain Fellowship in the spring of 2021 with a $1 million commitment. The fellowship, which is offered through collaboration with the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College, Columbia University, is an immersive, fouryear program that supports participants in preparing for a future in independent school leadership while working at Hotchkiss and earning a master’s degree. Named for Walter J. Crain P’86,’89 (d. 2017), Hotchkiss’s first Black member of faculty and a beloved teacher, coach, and dean of students, the fellowship serves as a lasting tribute to his legacy. In addition to the new responsibilities noted to the left, Dr. Lisanne Norman ’94 has been named director of the program, succeeding Erby Mitchell, dean of admissions. “Dr. Crain was such an important and integral part of my time at Hotchkiss,” says Norman. “As a young Black woman in the early nineties, it meant the world to me to know that there was a Black faculty member who had seniority here and was so well-respected by his colleagues. He was part father/part disciplinarian/ part teacher/part tutor but all love for a multiplicity of students across all grades.” Looking ahead, she adds, “I’m looking forward to continuing this program and bringing more underrepresented faculty members to this community to ensure that all students feel that kind of support and sense of belonging when they look to our faculty and our school leaders.” Kinyette Henderson, also featured to the left, is one of two inaugural Walter Crain fellows who became part of the Hotchkiss community in the fall of 2021. Claudia McGuigan also joined in the fall as an inaugural fellow, serving as associate director of faculty recruitment and instructor in mathematics.

Applicants interested in the Walter J. Crain Fellowship can find more information and apply here: hotchkiss.org/our-school/careers-athotchkiss/walter-crain-fellowship SPRING 2022

PROGRESS TOWARD EQUITY

Restoration, Renewal, and Resilience Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

N J A N U A R Y, the Hotchkiss community honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a series of inspiring workshops that explored the program’s theme of restoration, renewal, and resilience. The two-day celebration kicked off with a soul food dinner followed by virtual community conversation hosted by the Black and Hispanic Student Alliance (BaHSA). The activities continued virtually with a screening of the powerful documentary The Road to Justice, André Robert Lee, executive producer of The Road to Justice. followed by an address from the executive producer and keynote speaker, André Robert Lee. The Road to Justice follows a group of Black middle-school students and a group of older, mostly white Americans on a civil rights tour of the American south. The film posits that to heal as a nation and confront systemic racism, we must first confront our nation’s history. Change is hard, Lee told students. “It is your job to step up and to find your way in your own community to push for equity and justice. We have serious work to do to shift this world and to follow the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” In the afternoon, community members had an opportunity to continue the conversation with Lee and to attend other workshops and affinity spaces, many of which were led by Hotchkiss alumni and students. Shameeka Smalling ’98 and Sheria Smith ’01 hosted “Sista Time,” an affinity space for Blacks girls and women only, and a group of students—Cooper Roh ’22, Jack McGlinn ’22, Yihan Ding ’22, Huck Whittemore ’22, Alex Tolis ’23, and Elliot Marken ’24—ran “Civil Rights Trivia.” Other workshops included “Traveling While Black,” hosted by Dr. Lisanne Norman ’94, and “The Memories That Shape Us,” facilitated by Benjeil Edgehill ’94. Edgehill shared, “I am honored to participate in any event that recognizes the sacrifice, effort and commitment Dr. King had to racial, economic, and social justice. It was a pleasure to have an honest discussion with students, who are our future leaders, about resilience, mental health, and self determination.” Chris Cowherd ’96, who was a panelist for the “Traveling While Black” workshop, said, “It is great that Hotchkiss is creating opportunities to share meaningful stories from alumni of color that hopefully provide insight into our experiences and connects to the experiences of current students.” H

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Judge Jay Bryan ’66 Gives People a Voice to Express Themselves In a workshop titled “Reflections from the Bench: Procedural Justice,” Judge Jay Bryan ’66 explained the importance of non-judgmental questioning in his role as a judge. Using a case example, he invited workshop participants to compose questions that would address facts in the case but with language that avoided bias or conclusions. Bryan has spent his life working to ensure that the law is applied equally and compassionately to all individuals. After graduating from Hotchkiss and Yale, Bryan earned his law degree from North Carolina Central University in 1977 and began practicing law in Chapel Hill in 1978. He was appointed judge of North Carolina’s 15B Judicial District in 2012 and served until his retirement in 2020. During his years in the courtroom, he came to appreciate the importance of giving people a voice to express themselves. He also emphasized the need for neutrality, respect, trust, helpfulness, and listening to evidence, which he incorporates in his current work in mediation law. Numerous students, faculty, staff, and alumni were involved in planning for the MLK Day celebration. Originally conceived as a multi-day in-person event, the planning committee made swift changes to transition to a primarily virtual commemoration due to the School’s COVID-19 protocols upon returning from winter break. Thinking is already underway for MLK Day 2023. H

Eilen Itzel Mena ’13 Returns to Hotchkiss for Tremaine Art Gallery Exhibition and Artist Residency

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welcomed artist Eilen Itzel Mena ’13 as artist-in-residence for two weeks in February. Itzel Mena conducted workshops with students in the studio art program, participated in programming led by the Office of Diversity & Inclusion, and also spent time with student affinity groups. Itzel Mena is an Afro-Dominican American artist, writer, and community organizer originally from the South Bronx. Her visual arts practice synthesizes abstract expressionism, surrealism, and African diaspora spiritual frameworks through interdisciplinary work. In describing Holding Self-Regard, Itzel Mena felt a sense of homecoming. “When preparing for this exhibition, I had to create new pathways to find a way back to a place of deep self-regard,” she wrote. “The journey involved asking myself questions surrounding beauty, love, support, and connection. How do I see beauty and pride within myself and my community? How does spirit, family, and community support my expression of self? My artwork became the answer to these inquiries.”

“Beauty and adornment were omnipresent in this exhibition,” she added. “They remind us that in order to truly be seen we have to see ourselves in high regard first. We must feel safe and protected to exhibit authenticity.” Her compositions reflect dreams, emotions, and spiritual experiences. The color combinations are inspired by different African indigenous cultures, with visual language expressed through a lexicon of repeating shapes, figures, inversions, and forms such as rainbows, swords, flowers, and smiley faces. Exploring the dream realm in her compositions, in particular, allows for the re-envisioning of reality and expansion of what is possible in our social and environmental interactions. In her social practice, Itzel Mena serves as a co-director and creative collaborator for Honey and Smoke, a global artist community and platform focused on creating space for artists to meditate on the important themes of our time through

Spiritual Relationship, 2021

themed seasons. She is also a principal member of Zeal, a Black artist cooperative, creative agency, and studio that creates infrastructure for Black artists to thrive. Itzel Mena has exhibited work in New York, San Francisco, Miami and London and has been covered in numerous publications, including The New York Times and Vogue. H Follow Mena on Facebook (Eilen Itzel Mena), Twitter (@eilen_itzel), and Instagram (@eilen.itzel.mena).

Hotchkiss Celebrates the Year of the Tiger

endless trays of dumplings, and a crazy chopstick competition were all part of the two-day Lunar New Year celebration at Hotchkiss. The School marked the start of the Year of the Tiger with a series of activities, beginning with a Lunar New Year feast in the Dining Hall on Jan. 31, followed by games and activities in the Student Center. Dozens of red lanterns were strung around Senior Grass, and students capped off the evening’s celebration by lighting sparklers at the outdoor fire pits. Aiden Wang ’25 and Yixi Zou ’25 emceed the event, which provided opportunities for attendees to learn more about the Asian countries that celebrate Lunar New Year. WIRLING SPARKLERS,

“For me, the most exciting part of the School celebration is seeing people who are not familiar with our culture trying activities that are totally new to them and seeing their faces light up,” says Marcus Lam ’23, who hails from Hong Kong. “In the Dining Hall, people were tasting authentic Korean or Chinese food that they may have never had before.” On Feb. 1, the official date of the Lunar New Year holiday, the community gathered in Elfers Hall to enjoy stunning performances by members of the Peking Opera as well as music and dance performances by students. Three internationally renowned artists, Jiǎ Yǒngóng, Zhōu Yì, and Miào Yīmín,

performed a range of traditional music and dance. Pianist Oliver Chen ’22 played a Chinese folk song, several Bearcats sang a humorous rap song, and a group of Hotchkiss dancers offered their interpretation of the holiday through dance. “From a parent’s perspective, it was wonderful to join with the Hotchkiss community to support and share the special Lunar New Year celebration,” said Lucy Lu P’25. “We are grateful to the many parents, students, faculty, and staff who made the event a success.” H

SPRING 2022

The Hotchkiss Health Center: A Community of Care and Support B Y J U L I A E L L I OT T

Health Center staff: Jared Zelman, Iris Mortman, Danielle Shippey, Cay Hosterman, Zach McClain, Mary Seymour, Angie Moro, Crystal Marks, Patti Lynch-VandeBogart, Cristin Rich

Health Center has long been the destination for those on campus with a nasty cold or a twisted ankle, for Director of Health Services Danielle Shippey, the Health Center long serves as something more: a place of respite that comes with some TLC. “Our hope is that students feel it’s a place they can come to if there’s something they’re struggling with— whether it’s a rough day or a significant medical issue—and we can help navigate what they need for support.” During the pandemic, this place of respite, located at the bottom of Wieler dormitory, took on an outsized role in the safe operation of the School. For two long years, the Health Center has done extraordinary work to keep the Hotchkiss community healthy and safe. “The lengths that the School went to in order to keep everyone safe were unbelievably impressive,” says Zach McClain, M.D., who joined as the School’s medical director in the fall of 2021. Shippey and McClain serve as members of the School’s COVID-19 Steering Committee, providing crucial medical insight and ensuring that COVID-19

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policies and procedures are grounded in science and remain current as pandemic conditions evolve. “We have a wonderfully supportive administration that listens to our medical advice, and that’s really important,”says McClain. In order to provide recommendations, Shippey and McClain spend a significant amount of time tracking data, sifting through research, collaborating with colleagues and neighboring schools, and digesting volumes of new information. Their meticulous attention to detail has positioned the School to respond swiftly when new safety information becomes available. “During COVID, the Health Center made a tremendous effort to create a strong culture of kindness and helpfulness on behalf of students and each other, to respect confidentiality, to make sure our practice was up-to-date, and to be diligent in developing efficient processes,” remembers Jared Zelman, M.D., who retired as medical director last summer. “What a joy to treat kids in an environment like that!” For the Health Center team, guiding the School through the challenging days

Health Center staff: Kathleen Rogers and Ashlea Tamburrino

of COVID-19 in this way has meant a transition of their own, from providing largely reactive care to taking on significant leadership responsibilities. “Because of the pandemic, we are guiding students how to live their lives outside of the walls of the Health Center, and that’s an entirely different role for us,” says McClain. Fortunately, within Health Services, the medical and counseling departments share physical space and collaborate with a shared mission. Bringing the two specialties of physical and mental health together organizationally strengthens the Health Center’s ability to meet students where they are and understand their needs.

Using Their Strength to Support the Community Overall, the Health Center is powered by a nurse practitioner, a team of registered nurses, two administrative support staff, a part-time driver, and five mental health counselors, in addition to Shippey and McClain. Currently, the Health Center employs 10 full-time, one part-time, and eight per diem nurses.

Even before the pandemic hit, says McClain, “the nursing staff in particular was such a powerful force in taking care of students. When they don’t feel well, these kids need that reassurance, that band aid, that little extra TLC that mom or dad would give, and that really comes from the nurses.” Not only did staffing needs change during the pandemic, the Health Center also had to expand its physical space. Before COVID, four overnight beds were more than adequate. To increase capacity and to have the ability to isolate patients, the Health Center took over 11 rooms on the first floor of Wieler. They also built a COVID-19 testing center in the common room that includes a negative pressure room, which keeps potentially contaminated air from flowing into uncontaminated areas. “Building a COVID-19 testing center with a negative pressure room is significant,” says McClain. For comparison, at McClain’s previous job, one of the top children’s hospitals in the country often had just one negative pressure room per floor of the hospital.

Keeping Infection Rates Low In the 2020-21 academic year, during most of which the vaccine was not available, the level of infection on campus was extremely low. While the arrival of the Delta and Omicron variants did bring more cases in the fall and winter of this year, there has not been a single case of severe illness, and Hotchkiss’s positivity rate has remained far below that of many peer schools. One of the protocols upon which the School has relied is testing, and the massive testing operation overseen by the Health Center has evolved dramatically from the fall of 2020. At that time, it took four days to nasal swab the entire community. By the winter of 2022, everyone on campus could be tested in a single day using saliva testing. As of the March break, the Health Center has administered more than 12,000 tests this academic year. Vaccination is another critical factor in the School’s success in operating amidst the pandemic. Vaccination is mandatory for students and campus adults, many of

As of March break,

was based on local conditions whom have also received the Health Center has administered more than and is subject to change as a booster. To date, the warranted. Health Center has 12,000 TESTS As the pandemic continues, overseen six vaccination this academic year. Health Center staff will continue and booster clinics. to face moments of caution every Working in close time the Hotchkiss community partnership with the Health returns after a break. “It involves a lot of Center is a team of campus contactcoordination,” says McClain, “a lot of testing tracers. Over the many months of the and a lot of anticipation. So, Danielle and I pandemic, this team of faculty and staff have a lot of sleepless nights.” members has worked tirelessly with What keeps them going, Health Center flexibility and compassion—often through staff say, is working every day with Hotchkiss the night—to track down close contacts. students. “I think sometimes we see students With data on the spread of the virus at their hardest moments,” says Shippey, “but providing new insight, the number of then to go see them on a stage or in a sports individuals who qualify as “close contacts” venue or playing music and shining, that’s just of a positive case has thankfully declined. so much fun. To see them do well and succeed “When things get busy, everybody is great. I give them the credit for what they’ve buckles down and works together,” says come through and for their resilience.” Shippey. “We’ve always had a really positive team spirit here in the Health Center, but I think it’s been accentuated Wellness and Well-Being by the pandemic. Everyone jumping in are Top Priorities and doing what needs to be done is what’s made this successful.” This supportive, Even amidst improved COVID-19 can-do attitude is deeply rooted in every conditions, the Health Center continues to aspect of the Health Center’s practices. deal with a national emotional and mental At the conclusion of the winter of health crisis, one that has hit teenagers 2022, COVID-19 case numbers were particularly hard. down dramatically. On February 28, the On a national level, data show that State of Connecticut relaxed its mandate teens’ mental and emotional health have that all schools require masking. After been negatively affected by the pandemic. assessing local conditions, McClain and Earlier this year, the American Academy of Shippey advised the COVID-19 Steering Pediatrics declared a national emergency in Committee that it was safe for the campus child and adolescent mental health. to be mask-optional. As with all decisions “This is consistent with what we have related to COVID, this determination observed this year in the Health Center,”

SPRING 2022

says Jodi von Jess P’19, director of counseling services. “We have seen more students seeking mental health services, an increased sense of responsibility among students for the well-being of others (for example, referring friends for help), and more signs of stress and anxiety.” The increase in the number of students taking advantage of the School’s counseling services has meant an increase in clinical significance as well as volume for the School’s counselors. von Jess is grateful that the counselors at Hotchkiss are “highly skilled clinicians who strive to understand teenagers and support them for the little things, the medium things, and the big things. We appreciate where the students are developmentally, and what their needs are at different stages.” The Hotchkiss counseling team includes five licensed and highly-skilled counselors with a combined expertise and professional interest in delivering culturally grounded, trauma-informed psychotherapy services to all students. After two full years under pandemic conditions, it is not a surprise that adolescents across the country and around the world are having a hard time. “Having a trusted adult is one of the most important and protective factors in an adolescent’s life,” von Jess explains. “Focusing on teens’ strengths and their ability to adapt and change can support young people in feeling empowered.” The good news is that the adolescent brain is in the process of changing and maturing, and it is highly flexible and resilient. Thus, when teens have the support they need—including caring, meaningful connections with adults and ideally with at least one peer—they can and will recover from distressing experiences.

Keeping Up with Student Needs One way Hotchkiss deepens its understanding of the experience students are having on campus is by asking them, using a completely anonymous survey tool. The High Achieving Schools Survey (HASS) was created in partnership with Authentic Connections, a nationally recognized organization comprising leading scientists and clinicians focused on helping schools quantify, track, and improve 32

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Counseling Center staff: Jodi von Jess, Christina Miranda, Kristen Lazarus, Natalie Lewis

“I think the whole community has helped foster an atmosphere where we are all responsible for caring for each other.” J O D I VO N J E S S, D IR EC TO R O F CO U NS E LING S E R V I C E S

student well-being. (Visit authconn.com for more information.) The HASS survey was first administered in the fall of 2020 and will continue to be fielded twice a year. Its findings provide insight on behaviors and experiences including teacher interactions and students’ overall perception of adult support; homework volume; relationships among peers; use of social media; substance use; school climate; and student perceptions of inclusion and equity, among others. The results are compared to data from a pool of more than 17,000 students at high achieving schools across the country. Findings are shared with faculty, students, and parents, and they provide insight into school climate, student culture, and family support. The counseling team values the opportunity to work closely with parents. “We understand what it’s like not to be with your kids,” says von Jess. “We partner with parents to offer developmental guidance and support as we all work to remain connected with teenagers during these important years.” To provide an added sense of comfort for students and space for distress tolerance, the Health Center has created the “Lounge,” a room filled with comfy furniture, soothing lighting, and sensory objects like coloring books, wall chalk, and a water feature machine. It’s a place where

students can go to take a pause, destress, and manage their emotions. One way the Health Center has worked to address mental health on campus has been by including students as resources for each other. Roughly 40 seniors and upper mids participate in the Peer Listeners Committee (PLC). These students are trained by School counselors to be empathetic listeners, and they make themselves readily available to their peers on campus. Other student organizations include a Hotchkiss chapter of “Bring Change 2 Mind,” which is a national organization working to destigmatize mental health, and ROCILO, an affinity group for Relatives of Chronically Ill Loved Ones. Empowering peers and trusted adults to help one another has been a crucial component in creating what von Jess calls a community of care. “Often when students share their own experiences about counseling or mental health, it can destigmatize asking for help,” von Jess explains. “Providing holistic care is not just about hiring more counselors or creating a meditation space. I think the whole community has helped foster an atmosphere where we are all responsible for caring for each other.” In summarizing the experience of working with students, von Jess puts it simply: “They are amazing!” H

ENGINEERING OUR FUTURE MEET SOME STUDENT AND ALUMNI FUTURISTS AND VISIONARIES

ome Hotchkiss students are finding it easier than ever to imagine the future, exploring architecture and engineering courses while taking advantage of resources in the Class of 2017 Engineering, Fabrication & Exploration (EFX) Lab. In the process, they are learning to apply new skill sets to actual, hands-on projects. Motivated by a desire to create, forward-looking students are getting a head start on innovating products that help people (NICOLE OCAMPO MONTOYA ’23), designing spaces that encourage sustainable living (LUKE LOUCHHEIM ’22), and experiencing real-world architecture team dynamics (TESSA STERN ’23).For inspiration, these students need only to look to four Hotchkiss alumni who are envisioning how evolving cities can become more enjoyable and equitable places to live and work. MICHAEL CHEN ’07 foresees the deconstruction of large cities, where traffic is reduced, making way for better, healthier communities. AMANDA WALKER ’11 promotes coexistence between urban infrastructure, people, and plants through her designs. She maintains there is a need for this deep connection to the human condition and for equitable and environmentally conscious cities. FRANCESCA BIRKS ’93 , a global insights leader for a worldwide architectural firm, has combined her creativity and her sense of social responsibility by positively influencing the everyday experiences of communities through design. Fascinated by urban spaces, BRUNO CARVALHO’S ’00 study of urbanization renews our sense of possibility and reminds us that unimaginable transformations have occurred throughout history, thus providing hopeful perspective on serious issues like climate change.

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NICOLE OCAMPO MONTOYA ’23: UPWARDLY MOBILE AND FOCUSED ON MOBILITY B Y C AT H E R I N E C A L A M É

Colombian-American who hails from Queens, NY, NICOLE OCAMPO MONTOYA ’23 is an upper mid who already has her sights set on post-college plans that will drive change for girls in her native country. “I want Colombian girls to get out of the stereotypical roles that society creates for them,” says Ocampo Montoya. “I can help elevate them in two ways: I will create an English language program so they can broaden their opportunities and build bridges globally; and I will teach them about the many avenues for success in STEM fields, particularly mechanical engineering, which is my passion. All of my experiences at Hotchkiss fit perfectly into my future plans thanks to the engineering courses I’ve taken.” Ocampo Montoya’s passion is elevated by two engineering courses that inspired her to develop a modified scooter, something she originally intended as a way to get across campus. As she took more courses, she mastered her design skills (CAD modeling, electric circuit building, and coding) along with hands-on fabrication skills (working with woods, metals, and composites). This project then led her to creating a modified scooter for physically challenged children. “Originally, I wanted to create something practical that I could use on a day-to-day basis. But I decided to challenge myself and take on a more creative project so the scooter would be a ride-on vehicle with modifications to allow for a full range of locomotion. Overall, I wanted to breach the often restrictive nature of vehicles and explore what it looked like to make these

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machines more interactive. And then I found another use for modified vehicles, thanks to Mr. Boone.” Mike Boone, director of the EFX Lab and instructor in physics and engineering, connected Ocampo Montoya with Dr. Michele Dischino of GoBabyGo, which creates modified vehicles to help differently abled children become more mobile. “I think it is important for students to realize that they can use their abilities and skills to make the world a better place,” he says. “Any application of these design and engineering skills to a real project brings

it to life. When that project is for the improvement of someone else’s life, it takes on an even greater meaning.” When asked how she believes Hotchkiss is preparing her to achieve her goals in the realm of mechanical engineering, Ocampo Montoya answers, “That’s simple: honors courses in science and mathematics. Beyond the technical skills I have acquired, I have learned how to troubleshoot and intertwine logic and creative-based thinking proficiently to expand my problem-solving views. I am definitely getting a good idea of what I’m growing into, and I couldn’t be more excited.” H

Nicole Ocampo Montoya is working with Mike Boone in the EFX Lab to create an accessibility vehicle for children. Here, they are modifying a Fisher Price Power Wheels truck so the company GoBabyGo can help differently abled children become more mobile, thereby helping them improve their socialization opportunities and develop their cognitive abilities.

Luke Louchheim works hand-in-hand with Brad Faus, The Marie S. Tinker chair, program director of studio art and art history, and instructor in art and design. Louchheim says he chose Hotchkiss specifically for the architecture program.

LUKE LOUCHHEIM ’22: BUILDING A FUTURE VIA ARCHITECTURE

—Luke Louchheim ’22

B Y C AT H E R I N E C A L A M É

UKE LOUCHHEIM ’22 of Sagaponack, NY chose Hotchkiss specifically for architecture. “I have been interested in architecture since a very young age, and I wanted a more formal way to learn about the field. This program was one of the main reasons I came to Hotchkiss,” says Louchheim, who studies under Brad Faus, Marie S. Tinker chair, program director of studio art and art history, and instructor in art and design. In the fall, he will continue his studies at Yale. Taking Faus’s class has cemented his interest in the field. “While researching different architects and learning how to draft, we are constantly asked to think creatively as part of a team in the studio environment,” says Louchheim. “Architecture is a combination of one’s artistic expression and logical thinking, and this course embraces both of those simultaneously.” Faus enjoys the collaborative nature of his classes, building content and meaning into

“IT WAS INCREDIBLY FUN TO SEE OUR DESIGNS EVOLVE FROM START TO FINISH. TURNING ELEVATIONS AND FLOOR PLANS INTO A REAL, PHYSICAL MODEL WILL ALWAYS BE ONE OF MY FAVORITE HOTCHKISS MEMORIES.”

every project while engaging with students. “Luke is an incredibly motivated, self-directed, and accomplished design student, and during his career here, he has assembled an impressive portfolio,” says Faus. “This kind of relationship is why I continue to be excited to work closely with students at Hotchkiss.” Ensuring the challenge is top of mind for Faus. “We try to make this an open-ended problem-solving class,” he says. “We start with a discovery process where students conduct research on a project or an aspect of architectural history. They brainstorm, create a sketch, and then create a presentation model. We’ve had great results by offering courses over two semesters: the second semester is more practical, but it is the first semester where students really discover how to think in three dimensions.” This year’s Solar Decathlon project is an example of the program’s focus on experiential learning. Each student was asked to design a 1,000 square-foot structure anywhere in the world that relies only on

renewable energy. Students conducted research on different kinds of green energy, then chose what they believed to be the best solution for their chosen location. “After working through many different iterations and ideas, factors like building materials, predominant wind direction, and the angle of sunlight all played into the final result,” Louchheim explains. Students learned how to use SketchUp and other design software to create renderings of their designs. Next they worked in the EFX Lab with a laser printer to create components for scaled models. Louchheim shares, “It was incredibly fun to see our designs evolve from start to finish. Turning elevations and floor plans into a real, physical model will always be one of my favorite Hotchkiss memories.” H

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TESSA STERN ’23: DIVING INTO ARCHITECTURE ONE INTERNSHIP AT A TIME B Y C AT H E R I N E C A L A M É

of New York City has elevated her Hotchkiss experience through internship opportunities with regional architecture firms. “I have always loved design, and I welcomed the opportunity last summer to intern at Kevin O’Sullivan and Associates in Bridgehampton, where I learned so many aspects of how architects work.” Wanting to dive deeper, she later joined Faus’s architecture course, where he proposed the idea of working at a local architecture firm. With Faus’s help, she landed a position at the firm Churchill Building Company in Lakeville, CT. “My main project was to work on a garage that the firm was designing and building. The garage needed to hold a dozen motorcycles, a truck, and a car. It was my first time building a 3D model from an AutoCad file, and it was a huge accomplishment for me. There were certainly some frustrating moments, but the end result was the ultimate prize,” shares Stern.

Tessa Stern, who is fluent in Portuguese, says that being a member of realworld architecture teams has given her invaluable experience and insights.

ESSA STERN ’23

“IT IS THRILLING TO TAKE MERELY AN IDEA THAT LIVES IN YOUR MIND AND GIVE IT A PLACE ON THIS EARTH, WATCHING IT EVOLVE INTO A SKETCH, A MODEL, AND FINALLY, A LIFE-SIZE CREATION.” —Tessa Stern ’23

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“My internship definitely sparked a greater interest in architecture. One of the most amazing moments was watching a design come to life. It is thrilling to take an idea that lives in your mind and give it a place on this Earth, watching it evolve into a sketch, a model, and finally, a life-size creation.” “I came out of this experience with numerous takeaways. Not only was I able to dive deeper into the specifics of architecture, but I also experienced the dynamics of an office space. Being able to be part of a team in the real world has given me insight that I know I will be able to apply to various facets of my life.” When it comes to her plans after high school, she says, “I am sure design and creativity will play a huge role in my future. I’m so grateful for my time at Churchill and Hotchkiss, and I am excited to see what the near future holds for me.” H

“I FIND I HAVE UNITED MY AVOCATION WITH MY VOCATION.”

Marie S. Tinker Chair, program director of studio art and art history, and instructor in art and design, has built the architecture program over 34 years by focusing on the product as much as the process, welcoming students with a variety of interests who are ready to learn how to be discerning three-dimensional problem solvers. “We don’t require a prerequisite, and we attract students with an interest in ‘pursuing open-ended design challenges’” says Faus. “We focus on operating at a high level conceptually while manipulating simple materials in a thoughtful and inventive manner.” Last year, without the ability to bring guest speakers to campus, Faus coordinated several virtual visits with alumni, including Nader Tehrani ’81, an award-winning architect, dean of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at The Cooper Union in New York, and 2021 recipient of the Hotchkiss Alumni Award; Tyler Hinckley ’99, a senior associate in the Boston studio of Perkins & Will and an adjunct instructor at Boston Architectural College; and Charlotte Leib ’09, a landscape architect with a focus on modernist urban landscape design who is currently a doctoral student at Yale. He paraphrases Robert Frost in describing his career at Hotchkiss. “By committing to immersing myself in a place that is as special as Hotchkiss, I find I have united my avocation with my vocation,” says Faus, who maintains an active art life outside the classroom, exhibiting his mixed media works regionally and nationally. “Making a daily and ongoing difference with students of this age group is the most rewarding and essential practice of my professional life.” H RAD FAUS,

Participating in internships helped spark a greater interest in architecture for Tessa Stern, shown here working in the SketchUp program at Churchill Building Company, a local architecture firm.

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MICHAEL CHEN ’07: BULLISH ON CITIES, WITH MANY FEWER CARS B Y W E N DY C A R L S O N

“THERE ARE SOME PARALLELS WITH THE ENDEAVOR I LAUNCHED AT HOTCHKISS AND MY INTEREST IN COMMUNITY WORK IN SAN FRANCISCO TODAY. I STRONGLY ADVOCATE THAT MORE PEOPLE BECOME CIVICALLY AWARE AND PARTICIPATE ON A LOCAL LEVEL, TO USE THEIR SPARE TIME TO HELP THEIR COMMUNITY.” —Michael Chen ’07 Micheal Chen is based in San Francisco and travels throughout the city by bicycle to help reduce his carbon footprint. He has been championing a ‘car-free’ lifestyle through a partnership with the local government.

ince the start of the pandemic, MICHAEL CHEN ’07 has been working remotely as a data engineer for Meta (formerly Facebook) in San Francisco. He doesn’t own a car; he can walk, bike, or ride a bus or cable car almost anywhere he needs to be. It’s a “car-free” lifestyle that he’d like to see become more the norm in San Francisco and other cities, an idea he has been championing through his involvement in local government.

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The UPenn graduate chairs the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Citizens’ Advisory Council for his district. Last year he was elected as one of 14 delegates representing his state assembly district in the California Democratic Party. These incremental steps, he believes, are crucial to enacting change in his city on a grassroots level. “I think that local government is an area where you can start to have the most influence; you can see the most tangible

outcomes immediately in your very own community,” he says. He envisions large cities in the future deconstructed into “urban villages” where everything people need is within a 15-minute walk, and public transit makes the entire city accessible in less than 45 minutes. Drastically reducing vehicle traffic in large cities isn’t an outrageous concept. In Berlin, an effort is underway to create the largest carless district in the world, an area that would

equal the size of Manhattan. A charge to reduce private automobile use in London’s city center has existed since 2003. Paris has committed to investing 250 million euros through 2026 to make the entire city bikeable. Chen has witnessed how reducing traffic can build better, healthier communities. During the pandemic, the City of San Francisco closed a 1.5-mile section of road in Golden Gate Park to private automobile traffic to allow more people access to the outdoors. Elsewhere in the city, a two-mile stretch known as the Great Highway was temporarily closed. City officials eventually reopened the highway to traffic Monday to Friday, but on weekends, the Great Highway has continued to be a popular destination to take in the city’s coastline by foot, bike, skates, or scooter––a reflection of how our values have shifted during the pandemic. A good public transportation network is also key to reducing traffic, says Chen, helping people connect with each other and ensuring access to healthcare providers, parks, and exercise. As chair of the advisory council, Chen deals with a multitude of transportation issues: Are the sidewalks wide enough for groups of people to pass? Is it safe for 12-year-olds to bike to school? How do we make streets safer for people? What is the driving speed in dense areas? The city’s transportation system is interconnected, and how well his district’s transportation system flows affects the entire Bay Area transit system. “In the United States, our reliance on cars for transportation forces us to drive to work, to school, to shop. More than one half of transportation emissions in the United States come from light vehicles like cars,” he says. “There are, comparatively, very few neighborhoods where people can do all those things without a car. We know there is a high demand for these sorts of neighborhoods because they are so expensive. I’d like San Francisco and the United States in general to invest in

GOAL:

more of these neighborhoods and for more people to have the opportunity to live in these neighborhoods. And selfishly for myself, more walkable neighborhoods would put downward pressure on my rent!” Chen says. In his ideal car-light city, there would have to be allowances for commercial vehicles, public works trucks, emergency and delivery vans, etc., and a number of limited permits for private cars. Today, San Francisco has the largest trolley and bus fleet of any transit agency in the United States and Canada that is almost entirely pollution-free, since the electric power comes from the city’s hydroelectric system. The city’s goal is to have a 100 percent all-electric trolley and bus fleet by 2035. As impressive as that sounds, Chen notes that there is still a lot of work to do. More than half of households in San Francisco own a car, particularly in the less dense outer neighborhoods with less transit access.

100% ALL-ELECTRIC TROLLEY FLEET IN SAN FRANCISCO BY 2035

“As the city becomes more densely populated, we are confronting challenges of geometry,” he adds. “You can only have so many cars in the footprint of the roads and parking that we have. Urban real estate is very expensive: we need to ask ourselves should space go toward parking and road space for one car? Or to more economically productive uses like commerce or housing?” H

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT At Hotchkiss, Chen helped the School participate in the Folding@Home project, which involved using idle computer power for biology research to help understand and treat diseases. While the Hotchkiss program no longer exists, the Folding@Home project is ongoing and is focused on using computer power to fight SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. “There are some parallels with the endeavor I launched at Hotchkiss and my interest in community work in San Francisco today. I strongly advocate that more people become civically aware and participate on a local level, to use their spare time to help their community,” he says. Two books that have inspired Chen to become involved in local politics are: Politics is for Power by Eitan Hersh, on how we can use politics to better our communities and live our ideals; and Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam, on the decline of community organization, trust in government, and social capital in the U.S..

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AMANDA WALKER ’11: A CHAMPION FOR MORE EQUITABLE GREEN SPACE B Y W E N DY C A R L S O N & C AT H E R I N E C A L A M É

ost landscape architects agree that developing new green spaces— where trees, shrubs, or other vegetation can flourish within a welldesigned infrastructure––is critical to making our city neighborhoods more livable. Yet the question remains: how best to do it? According to AMANDA WALKER ’11, project designer at the Boston office of OJB, a landscape architecture and urban design firm, Americans spend an average of 93 percent of their time indoors, so it’s important for her to design ways for people to get outdoors and to interact with nature. “The design of outdoor spaces can greatly impact how you feel in a space and how you feel about a place. The presence of trees and lighting, the scale of sidewalks, the types of furniture—these elements can affect whether a city feels safe or inviting,” she says. In addition to acting as a buffer to stress, improving air quality and creating inviting places for physical activity, greener spaces also revitalize ecosystems, add natural beauty, regulate temperature, and aid soil nutrient cycling, while sequestering carbon. Walker looks to the native ecology and regional materials for inspiration when creating outdoor spaces and considers the balance between offering passive spaces for rest and repose with active spaces for recreation and fun. But not all urban residents have access to welcoming natural spaces, and Walker has set out to rectify that challenge. Amanda Walker is dedicated to revitalizing ecosystems and sequestering carbon by creating greener spaces in urban landscapes.

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BRIDGING THE DIVIDE THROUGH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Originally from Jamaica, Walker is passionate about creating equitable landscapes that foster diversity, inclusion, and well-being for everyone. If green spaces are distributed unequally and focused more on high-income areas, she says, historically underserved neighborhoods won’t reap the same health benefits. Low-income residents are more likely to live in hotter, more crowded neighborhoods and be exposed to higher levels of air pollution than those living in more affluent areas. Walker has taken the lead as one of the co-creators of OJB’s first Equity in Design Committee, which helps to recruit talented urban designers. One of the roles she has taken on is community engagement and student outreach. This involves volunteering to speak to students in underrepresented communities about landscape architecture as well as partnering with Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) to offer opportunities for scholarship, mentoring, and internships. She was recently appointed a committee member on the Black Landscape Architects Network’s Young Professional Council. EQUITY TAKES WORK

Through college and graduate school as well as her first years in the workforce, Walker says she was often the only Black person in the room. As a person of color and as a woman, she would ask herself, “What does that mean in a profession where you are often responsible for advocating for communities and creating spaces for people? How can we design equitable spaces—spaces that reflect

and respond to everyone’s interests and needs—if everyone responsible for designing these spaces is white?” “Children need to see more Black architects and landscape architects; they need to be exposed to these professions; they need to see that their experiences and their ideas are valuable to the profession at large,” she says. Additionally, she notes, the pandemic has underscored the need for employees in all levels of the workforce to have equal access to the outdoors, particularly in urban areas. “Our freedom to move, to socialize, to exercise, to learn, and to work has been challenged by COVID, and because of those limitations, corporations have been driven to invest more in creating outdoor spaces,” Walker says. HOTCHKISS HELPED HER BELIEVE IN HERSELF

Walker credits Hotchkiss with giving her the environment and the support that allowed her to develop her creativity and self-confidence. “When I graduated from Hotchkiss, I was a completely different person. I finally believed in myself and went on to graduate magna cum laude with a double major in architecture and art history from Hobart and William Smith College,” she said. The experience she had studying in Copenhagen and Rome her junior year further shaped her career path. After she returned for her senior year, she enrolled in Harvard University’s Landscape Architecture master’s program. “While in Denmark, I was introduced to the concept of social sustainability and how it relates to the design and planning of cities. The architecture program at DIS (Danish Institute for Study Abroad) is heavily engaged with its urban context—

“I BELIEVE IN THE PROFESSION AND ITS RELEVANCE AS A LEADER IN THE BATTLE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE AND AS A VOICE FOR MORE EQUITABLE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS CITIES.” —Amanda Walker ’11

teaching you how to visually analyze systems of water, systems of waste and systems of people,” she said. From her time in Denmark, she learned to look beyond the four walls of architecture and examine how urban infrastructure, people, and plants coexist. Today, she sees the role of landscape architecture deeply connected to the human condition and the importance of community. “Landscape architecture involves the shaping of the natural and built environments. The profession challenges you to be sensitive to the ecological context of a site, to respond to the socioeconomic conditions of a community, to find sustainable and resilient design strategies that can help combat the effects of climate change, and to ultimately create a sense of place. I believe in the profession and its relevance as a leader in the battle against climate change and as a voice for more equitable and environmentally conscious cities. There is still so much I have to learn, and I welcome the challenges to come.” H

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FRANCESCA BIRKS ’93: BUILDING A BETTER WORLD THROUGH DESIGN B Y W E N DY C A R L S O N

n the broadest sense, FRANCESCA BIRKS ’93 is a futurist, though she doesn’t spend her time gazing into a crystal ball to make predictions about what the future might hold. Instead, Birks searches for trends based on qualitative and quantitative data, informed by research and cultural insights, that may affect how our built environment––cities, urban spaces, parks, architecture, and infrastructure––evolve over time. Her work is forward-thinking because, as she explains: “We need to start thinking critically about the future, positioning ourselves in that presumably far-off place and using those insights to guide our decision making today.”

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Birks lent her design vision to the creation of Lassonde Studios, a student entrepreneurship facility at the University of Utah that combines residential and maker spaces to bring ideas to life. In 2017, Architecture Digest recognized it as one of the nine best education buildings in the world.

Birks’s official job title is global insights leader for Woods Bagot, a global architectural firm based in South Australia. She often compares her work to that of an archeologist digging through dirt and rubble to uncover fossils: “I examine a variety of sources––ethnographic, spatial analysis data, industry research, interviews with experts, and so on,” she says. She is also the editor for the Woods Bagot Journal, a publication that focuses on how design can play a role in addressing the issues of sustainability, equity, and inclusion. For example, a recent article focused on urban car congestion and the firm’s proposal to reduce traffic in Sydney by closing off a portion of streets

and transforming the spaces into parks, playgrounds, and market gardens. The journal also examined the transition to electric vehicles and Wood Bagot’s “Re-Charge LA” proposal to use electrified mobility as an opportunity to reinvigorate and re-energize urban communities. To that end, Birks is currently working with architect, urban planner, and filmmaker James Sanders on Renewing the Dream: The Mobility Revolution and the Future of Los Angeles. This publication features a roster of well-known contributors and focuses on how innovations in transportation could meet the challenges Los Angeles is facing, including growing concerns over climate change and equity. Not stopping at Los Angeles, Birks is also working with EDA, a Salt Lake City architecture and design firm, to create a vision for a new interdisciplinary facility for the Physics & Astronomy and Atmospheric Sciences Departments at the University of Utah. The intention of the work is to highlight an educational focus on climate change and how the sciences can

contribute to solutions locally and globally. Birks also lent her design vision to the creation of Lassonde Studios, a student entrepreneurship facility at the university. In some ways, Birks’s curiosity about the world began at Hotchkiss, where she first embarked on her journey of selfdiscovery. Her family is from Montreal, Canada. She followed her sister Alexandra ’90 to Hotchkiss. One of the more memorable experiences she had at Hotchkiss was an opportunity to listen to civil rights activist Maya Angelou during an all-school meeting. Angelou’s words had a profound effect: “She reminded me of our privilege and our responsibility to do more, given all of the opportunities we had,” Birks says. After graduating from Hotchkiss, Birks earned a B.A. at Brown and an M.B.A. at the University of Toronto. The business degree balanced her creative side and helped land her a stint as a strategic planner at an advertising and design firm before eventually joining the Foresight & Innovation team at global engineering firm Arup. There, she had an opportunity to combine her creativity and her sense of social responsibility by positively influencing the everyday experiences of communities through forwardlooking discovery and design. “Our engineers are accustomed to thinking longerterm about the potential eventualities and contexts in which their work would

emerge. Many engineering projects used to take anywhere between 10 to 20 years to design and construct, and so having longterm strategic and creative thinkers to explore future scenarios makes a lot of sense,” she says. She is a devotee of Jane Jacobs (19162006), an activist in urban design, whose writings advocated a fresh, communitybased approach to city building and who also railed against the car-centered approach to urban planning. She is also a major fan of Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan who encouraged his students to be cognizant of the impacts, both positive and negative, of technology on culture and our everyday lives. As she looks toward the future, Birks hopes to create new pathways for designers to grapple with the many socioeconomic and environmental challenges ahead. “Some would say there has never been a more challenging time to be a designer,” she says. “Faced with the collective threats of global pandemic, economic recession, social upheaval, and climate change, it’s easy to despair of our abilities as design professionals, let alone as humans, to work our way out of this maelstrom. “We need to start thinking critically about the future, positioning ourselves in that presumably far-off place and using those insights to guide our decision-making today. “I think we are all starting to discover that strategy is the easy part, and it’s the execution that’s hard,” she says. “Now more than ever, we need to create alliances and commitments to move towards a more equitable and livable future.” H

“WE NEED TO START THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT THE FUTURE, POSITIONING OURSELVES IN THAT PRESUMABLY FAR-OFF PLACE AND USING THOSE INSIGHTS TO GUIDE OUR DECISION MAKING TODAY. Francesca Birks, based in Ardlsey, NY, focuses on how design can play a role in addressing the global issues of sustainability, equity, and inclusion.

—Francesca Birks ’93

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BRUNO CARVALHO ’00: LOOKS TO THE PAST TO INFORM THE FUTURE B Y W E N DY C A R L S O N

is a professor of romance languages and literature and co-director of the Harvard Mellon Urban Initiative. He is a native of Rio de Janeiro, where he was fascinated with urban spaces. He became more interested in studying cities as an undergraduate at Dartmouth College, and his current work lies at the intersection of urban and environmental design. He has written op-eds for The New York Times on the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, and he is currently working on a book on how people have imagined urban futures since the 1790s. RUNO CARVALHO ’00

HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED

TELL US ABOUT THE BOOK YOU

IN URBANIZATION?

ARE WORKING ON. HOW DOES

As a kid, cities taught me how life exceeds the sum of its parts. They were places of possibilities. Each street corner could reserve a surprise. And chance encounters could offer lessons in how the world is bigger and more complex than it might seem. Growing up in Brazil, stark urban inequalities made clear that the versions of reality that I got from religion, school, or family, often left a lot out. Years later, at Hotchkiss, I’d arrive in the early morning at JFK airport and walk around Manhattan all day waiting for the evening bus to Lakeville. Spending time with classmates from very different parts of New York also exposed me to how the same city could contain a huge range of backgrounds and aspirations. Over time, as I began to make a profession out of trying to understand social and cultural dynamics. Studying urbanization became a natural progression.

YOUR CURRENT ACADEMIC WORK

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Bruno Carvalho is helping to build an urban studies program at Harvard University through an interdisciplinary approach that brings students and researchers to the same table.

RELATE TO IT?

People did not walk around medieval Paris or the Amazonian forest imagining that their surroundings might look unrecognizable to the next generation. In modernity, that changed. The expectation that the future will be radically different from the past emerged as a defining trait of urban life. The book is called The Invention of the Future: A Transatlantic History of Urbanization. It’s about cities as expressions of the notion that humans can reshape the planet as well as their own destinies. It tells the story of the evolving aspirations of urban planners and of the people that made cities, often seeking to escape roles assigned to them based on gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, and class. It asks questions like: How did people imagine urban futures? How do they see their own futures in cities? How did their expectations shape developments, even when they were frustrated?

WHAT IS THE HARVARD MELLON URBAN INITIATIVE, AND HOW DOES IT TIE INTO THE AREAS OF ACADEMIA IN WHICH YOU WORK?

We are trying to build an urban studies program at Harvard. Cities and a liberal arts education at their best universities share certain characteristics: they allow for multiple ways of being and belonging to thrive; they push people to step outside of themselves and contemplate multiple perspectives. Urban studies can provide common denominators in our increasingly siloed schools. An ethnographer and a computer scientist might debate the potentials and blind spots of big data or GIS (Geographic Information System) mapping. Understanding cities requires many disciplinary approaches, and urban studies can bring very different students and researchers to the same table.

“WE’LL NEED SERIOUS CHANGES TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT UNIMAGINABLE TRANSFORMATIONS HAVE HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF URBANIZATION.” —Bruno Carvalho ’00

CAN YOU TELL US SOME OF THE WAYS THAT PEOPLE IN THE PAST IMAGINED CITIES OF THE FUTURE?

People tend to envision innovations in a steep ascending line, though they often plateau after taking off. So, for example, after cars came about, flying vehicles seemed right around the corner. At the same time, many of our current problems result from the unintended consequences of technologies once hailed as solutions, like the car. On the flipside, many of those that confidently predicted fantastic inventions would be shocked at actual social changes—in gender relations, for example. Overall, our foretelling record is mostly unimpressive, but my book shows how predictions can be a powerful political tool. There are also many instances of authoritarian plans that sought to segregate and exclude. Many worked, but only partially. Against the odds, those deemed undesirable or inferior often appropriated spaces not meant for them. So, rather than succumbing to doomsterism or techno-boosterism, we should renew our capacity to envision and pursue large-scale transformations.

COVID-19 UNEXPECTEDLY CHANGED OUR CITIES, (MORE REMOTE WORK, A POPULATION SHIFT, SOCIALIZING CHANGES). GIVEN THOSE CHANGES, HOW DO YOU ENVISION OUR CITIES OF THE FUTURE?

One lesson from my research is that we can only predict the past. In retrospect, it is clear that reasonable expectations have tended to underestimate the range of potential outcomes. Of course, much of what happens now will depend on what we do. My own hope is that we invest in more compact and democratic cities. Dense cities are much more environmentally viable than sprawling suburbs; so paradoxically, antiurban pastoral fantasies can be ecologically harmful. There will be many readjustments, and certain sectors like commercial real estate might suffer, but cities will keep attracting people. Of course, relatively few jobs can be done remotely. Even in those cases, the pandemic has taught us about both the possibilities and the perils of remote work. It can be less rewarding, more exhausting. And we can’t discount what sociologists call “weak ties” which are those in-person settings that foster chance encounters and unexpected interactions between acquaintances or colleagues. These can sometimes lead to meaningful relationships and outcomes.

serves as a reminder for us to accept the limits of what can be known about the future. At the same time, study of the past can help to loosen up the perception of apocalyptic scenarios as inevitable and renew a sense of possibility. We’ll need serious changes to tackle climate change. The good news is that unimaginable transformations have happened throughout the history of urbanization. HOW DOES YOUR INTEREST IN THE RAINFOREST INTERSECT WITH YOUR INTEREST IN URBANIZATION?

Most of the Amazonian population is urban. And cities don’t end at their boundaries, once we consider systems of energy, capital, culture, and so on. Deforestation is linked to political pressures and investments centered in cities. It can also have consequences for metropolitan areas, leading to changes in rain patterns and water scarcity, for example. BY THE WAY, WHERE DO YOU LIVE? HOW DOES THAT FIT INTO THE CONTEXT OF YOUR VISION OF URBANIZATION?

I live in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The city is improving its bike networks, which is a crucial measure to reduce emissions and increase safety, health, and fun. It’s a great place to live. I only wish we built more housing, so more people could afford to live here. H

HOW CAN CITIES OF THE PAST INFORM CITIES OF THE FUTURE?

As the famous Faulkner line goes: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Today’s wealth gaps are direct consequences of racist housing and lending policies, for example. I also think the study of the past can be humbling. Urbanization can never be reduced to a set of variables. A mostly urban world will continue to confound our ability to understand and foretell. This study of how we got here SPRING 2022

ALUMNI COMICS TAKE CENTER STAGE

Proving Laughter Truly is the Best Medicine B Y D A N I E L L I P P M A N ’08

TOM ALLEN ’09 only focuses on the important things in life: asking the San Clemente City Council to put up a Paul Walker statue, spreading “stoke,” and demanding a second July 4th holiday, just because. (Allen defines stroke as a feeling of ultimate excitement.) Allen first became famous after he posted an online video in which he and his comedian partner in crime, JT Parr, asked during an otherwise routine Los Angeles local government meeting for the right to party, since “we heard it was under attack.” In the 2017 video, which got more than a million views, he tells the government

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officials with a straight face: “According to our sources, an attempt has been made to suppress the right to party. Not to get too lawyer-y on you, but this is in direct violation of the Constitush.” Allen has become a fairly active member of participatory democracy, regularly attending government meetings where he and his friend float ridiculous motions to get a reaction from the bemused politicians. People are mostly excited when he shows up, he said, “because I think the rest of the meeting is so boring. We just bring some levity. And I think they love our causes as well.”

Because local governments film their meetings for public-access TV, Allen clips the parts that he stars in and releases them on his YouTube page. Some of his most popular videos get around five million views across YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Such viral attention landed Allen and Parr a booking on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2019, where DeGeneres introduced them by telling the audience that her guests “make me laugh so much.” In the interview, Allen and Parr talked about their next big cause: to make scooter-riding an official Olympic event, leading DeGeneres to present them with monogrammed scooters with the

Comedian Tom Allen ’09 is on a nationwide tour this year, with stops scheduled so far in Texas, Michigan, Washington, D.C., and Arizona.

Team USA insignia. (Unfortunately, their campaign was not successful.) Beyond their viral videos, Allen also does stand-up comedy and produces a podcast called “Going Deep with Chad and JT,” in which he and Parr conduct interviews and give advice to young people who write in with questions about relationships and life goals. “How do I increase stoke while I’m at college?” is one of the typical questions. The podcast, which reaches roughly 50,000 people per episode and has a variety of sponsors trying to reach its predominantly young male audience, is “sort of like LoveLine for bros.” Allen is on a nationwide tour this year, with stops scheduled so far in Texas, Michigan, Washington, D.C., and Arizona. The hardest part of being a comedian, he said, is maintaining momentum. “It requires self-motivation to just keep pushing forward and progressing. I think it’s easy to sort of become complacent and not write new material. But you have to keep developing new stuff and keep evolving.” Allen, who credits his Hotchkiss English classes with making him a good writer, has been a comedian his whole adult life. After attending Santa Clara University, he moved to Los Angeles to teach surfing during the day and do comedy at night. Telling jokes in front of people was anxiety-inducing at first. “I was really nervous, but when you walk out on stage like that, the energy there is so positive and just sort of in your face that you can’t help but smile,” he said. H

“WHEN YOU WALK OUT ON STAGE LIKE THAT, THE ENERGY THERE IS SO POSITIVE AND JUST SORT OF IN YOUR FACE THAT YOU CAN’T HELP BUT SMILE.”

Tom Allen ’09 Follow Tom on Twitter @chadgoesdeep

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When ALEXIS GAY ’09 first started making humorous videos as a budding comedian, her fan base consisted of just two people: her then-boyfriend and her best friend. Now she gets recognized on the streets of Manhattan by fans who want to take a selfie with her. Gay’s videos poking fun at Silicon Valley and San Francisco have struck a chord with people who pay attention to the tech world. Her top video, about how every party in San Francisco has the same conversational themes, has racked up three million views. She was recently profiled on ABC News’s “Nightline” and has garnered more than 100,000 followers for her Twitter account, which she started in 2009 in the Hotchkiss Library computer lab. In fact, she began her career in the field she now roasts. After graduating from New York University, she worked at a startup that built technology for live entertainment ticketing. She later worked in business development at the cloud company Twilio.

But living and breathing tech 24/7 took its toll on Gay, leading her to take improv classes as a hobby and as a way to follow her passion for drama and acting. “The first time I got a laugh onstage from doing improv it was like a bolt through the heart. Oh, I’m addicted,” she said. “When I make you laugh, you didn’t choose to laugh. And with people in an audience, it’s just this raw moment where I get to feel deeply connected to strangers. Because in that one moment, I shared something about my human experience.” Gay realized she could make a living as a comedian after running the creator partnerships team at Patreon, a platform that lets artists and entertainers sell subscriptions to fans. Once the pandemic hit and live entertainment evaporated, she threw herself into writing jokes and challenged herself to make a one-minute video every week to post on Twitter and Instagram. That led to a steadily increasing

social media following, which now includes many top journalists, CEOs, and other influential figures in tech and business. At the end of 2020, she quit her job to focus full-time on comedy, both online and in-person stand-up shows. In a return to her radio roots as co-president of WKIS during her senior year at Hotchkiss, she also started a podcast called “Non-Technical,” in which she interviewed business leaders, she said, “about everything except their résumés.” “Maybe I sound like a Pollyanna, but I am motivated by bringing as much joy to people as possible,” she said, adding that reading people’s comments on her videos—such as, “This is so accurate, this is me!”—makes the hours of preparation worth it. “It just feels so good to know that for that little moment in time, whether it’s the laugh or the like or the share, people got to have a nice moment.” H

“IT JUST FEELS SO GOOD TO KNOW THAT FOR THAT LITTLE MOMENT IN TIME, WHETHER IT’S THE LAUGH OR THE LIKE OR THE SHARE, PEOPLE GOT TO HAVE A NICE MOMENT.”

Alexis Gay ’09 Follow Alexis on Twitter @yayalexisgay

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“I was just born hilarious,” jokes CHLOE LABRANCHE ’07, a standup comedian and host of the “News 4 Women” YouTube show. But before she could make a living doing stand-up in New York City and across the country, she did lots of odd jobs—babysitting, teaching in a spin studio, and even mastered ax-throwing. In fact, when LaBranche was starting out in comedy, she would sometimes only get paid with drink tickets. Even though she was scared at first of performing in front of a live audience, LaBranche promised herself that she would get on stage by the time she was 25. In her waning months of being 24, she went to an open mic night and was immediately hooked. “There’s nothing more fun than making people laugh. If you’re at a dinner party and you crack a joke, and it kills, you just feel like you’re awesome. Imagine getting to do that every night.” She particularly likes that she can make people feel less alone in the world by talking about difficult issues, like mental health. “There are a lot of things that people are afraid to say. Humor can be used to say these things,” she said. “In order to open up people’s darkness with things, it’s sometimes easier to shed light on it [with comedy].” She cherishes the many messages she’s received from fans, who thank her for helping them laugh when they were in a bad place. LaBranche, who studied film at Marymount Manhattan College, started doing two-minute comedy routines at comedy clubs. This often involved sitting in basements with 30 other aspiring comedians and waiting for two or three hours until her name was called. After a couple of years, she started building a fan base and getting booked on more shows as a headliner. Like many comics, she often uses her own life experiences as material for her standup routine. Recently, in a performance at Caroline’s on Broadway, she joked: “I just got out of a relationship. So I’m like, ‘Oh, I feel like I’m Neo in the Matrix. I’ve just been dodging bullets.’”

“THERE’S NOTHING MORE FUN THAN MAKING PEOPLE LAUGH. IF YOU’RE AT A DINNER PARTY AND YOU CRACK A JOKE, AND IT KILLS, YOU JUST FEEL LIKE YOU’RE AWESOME. IMAGINE GETTING TO DO THAT EVERY NIGHT.”

Chloe LaBranche ’07 Follow Chloe on Twitter @ChloeLaBranche

She’s also had to navigate the ways that changing political mores affect even the famously no-holds-barred comedy scene. “In Brooklyn, everyone’s super-woke. So you have to be a lot more PC, or people get offended,” she said. “Whereas at certain clubs in Manhattan, you can kind of do whatever you want.” LaBranche would also like to have a TV or talk show one day and is working on a film script to pitch to networks. More recently, she’s started touring as the opening act for famous comedians and podcasters in places like Austin and Chicago. Her travel schedule doesn’t make her social life easy. “Unless you date [another] comedian, which is just a recipe for disaster,” she jokes. H Daniel Lippman ’08 is a reporter covering the White House and Washington for POLITICO. He can be reached at daniel@ politico.com.

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Alexis Gay ’09

CLASS NOTES

Appearances v Reality in 1967 Hotchkiss audiences adored this spring 1967 production of Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (The Prodigious Snob). Written in the late 1600s by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, this five act comedy satirizes the pretensions of a social climber and compares what people see versus reality. Pictured in the chair is Hotchkiss teacher Peter Beaumont. If you can identify any of the other players, please email magazine@hotchkiss.org.

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PHOTO: WENDY CARLSON

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

The Board of Governors is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s alumni awards: ALUMNI AWARD Thomas C. Werner ’67 has been named the recipient of the 2022 Alumni Award, the School’s highest honor. Werner is an awardwinning television producer in the Television Academy Hall of Fame and currently serves as the chairman of Fenway Sports Group, which includes ownership of the Boston Red Sox, the Liverpool Football Club, and the Pittsburgh Penguins (see p. 8).

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Chutinant “Nick” Bhirombhakdi ’76, P’09 is this year’s Community Service Award recipient. He is president and CEO of Boon Rawd Brewery Co., Ltd., and chair of Singha Estate PCL, both based in Thailand. Bhirombhakdi has dedicated much of his time to advocating for para athletes and is four-time president of the Paralympic Committee of Thailand (see p. 10). SAVE THE DATE

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022 • 5:30 P.M.

Retirement Dinner honoring John Cooper P’08,’11 Instructor in mathematics and The Independence Foundation Chair

Letty Roberts P’12,’15 Instructor in mathematics and The George and Jodie Stone Teaching Chair

Buffet dinner, casual attire, and fun at Fairfield Farm. TO REGISTER:

hotchkiss.org/alumni/event/2022-retirement-dinner

Call for Nominations Alumni Award

The Alumni Award recognizes individuals who, through personal achievement, have brought honor and distinction to themselves and the School. The Nominating Committee seeks candidates who have made significant contributions within their fields, and in so doing have earned the recognition of their peers on a national or international level.

Community Service Award

Presented annually, the Community Service Award honors the service contributions of one or more of its graduates to their respective communities, whether local, national, or international. The Award seeks to recognize individuals who “in the estimation of the Nominating Committee of the Board of Governors of the alumni association, demonstrate through their volunteer and/or vocational endeavors an exemplary sense of caring, initiative, and ingenuity.”

Please visit our website to submit your nominees electronically at hotchkiss.org/alumni/notablealumni-and-awards.

Get Connected with Alumnet! hotchkissalumnet.org DOWNLOAD THE APP OR USE THE DESKTOP VERSION!

For security reasons, your previous Hotchkiss alumni database credentials have not been transferred to the new platform. You can register as a new user by linking your Facebook, Google, or LinkedIn accounts, or using your email and a password you create.

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IN MEMORIAM

JAMES MORRIS SHIPTON P’75 , of Silverdale, WA, died peacefully of natural causes on January 15, 2021, at 96, after a lifetime of devotion to family and friends. Born in Pittsfield, MA, he attended Hotchkiss from 1940 until graduation in 1942. He then studied at Williams College and earned his B.S. (electrical communications) from MIT. He later studied at Cornell and received his Ph.D. (social psychology) from Harvard. During the World War II era, as a U.S. Navy officer, he supervised the installation of radar on ships at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and then worked in communication security in the Pacific. In Seattle he met and married Mary Elizabeth (“Polly”) Cornu. On the Harvard Graduate School of Education faculty in the early 1950s, he taught administration to superintendents of schools and college deans and directed research on public opinion. He then went on to hold senior management roles at General Electric, first directing its Management Development Institute at Crotonville, NY, and then, in GE’s Manhattan headquarters, working in human resources and marketing and public relations. Later he served as the senior officer for human resources and communications at the Dayton Hudson (Target) Corporation in Minneapolis and then at the First National Bank of Chicago (BankOne). He was chairman of the Conference Board’s Advisory Council on Management and Personnel Research. After he and Polly retired to Hansville, WA, in 1981, they traveled widely, and he worked as a volunteer for educational and environmental organizations. He served two decades as the steward of the Foulweather Bluff Preserve of The Nature Conservancy (once being named the nation’s volunteer of the year); tutored reading at a local school; and was a docent for the Point No Point lighthouse and member of the board of the Greater Hansville Community Center. He was known for his personal warmth, probity, and keen intellect. From his Berkshire Hills boyhood, he retained a 65-year passion for skiing, as well as love of math and history. He was predeceased by his wife of 41 years and a sister. He is survived by two sisters; his son and two daughters, including Elizabeth ’75; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

FREDERICK CHARLES PAINTON (“FRED”) , 95, died on December 16, 2021, in Charleston, SC. Born in Indianapolis in 1926, he attended Hotchkiss on a scholarship and later studied at Yale on the GI Bill. He began his career as a wire service correspondent and earned awards

for covering the Korean War. He is credited with naming the battle of Pork Chop Hill. His wire service years landed him in Paris in the early 1950s, where he joyfully chased the notorious playboy, Porfirio Rubirosa, across the Riviera and drank with Humphrey Bogart at the Plaza Athenee. When he returned to the United States, he was hired by U.S. News and World Report and sent back to Europe, this time as Rome bureau chief. From there, he chronicled the Hungary uprising, the war of independence in Algeria, and the chronic political fits of postwar Italy. By the early 1960s, he was posted to Paris, where he reported on the rise of De Gaulle and early stirrings of the European Union. He eventually was hired by Time magazine to help write and edit its new European edition, based in Paris. In that job, he continued to document every twist in Europe’s joyous (and sometimes treacherous) road back from war. Throughout his life, he was a great raconteur, a citizen always claimed by the culture in which he settled, mastering not only its language but also its patois. He was dapper and handsome, admired everywhere he went. He had the imagination that enjoyed tracking down the best sauerkraut in Paris, but also that loved figuring out the key to Francois Mitterand’s political resilience. He never stopped being curious and embracing the surprises of life and its people. He is survived by his beloved wife, Patsy T. Painton of Charleston; his two daughters and two grandchildren; and his stepchildren. His first wife, Patricia High Painton, died in 1996.

ROBERT GAFFERS HOWL AND (“BOB”) , 93, of Loudonville, NY, died peacefully at home after a sudden illness on December 10, 2021. Born in Troy, NY, he spent his early years in Mechanicville, NY, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts. After graduating from Mechanicville High School at age 15, he attended Hotchkiss and graduated from RPI in 1950. He then began his career working for the family’s business, John S. Tilley Ladders Co., in Watervliet. In 1950, he was sent to Davenport, Iowa, to open another ladder manufacturing plant. While living in the Midwest, he met the love of his life, Ann Haase. They were married in December 1951. From 1952-1954, he served in the U.S. Army in Denver, CO. They subsequently settled in Loudonville and raised their family. Throughout his life he embraced the Boy Scout Oath of duty and remained active in Boy Scouts as a leader and then commissioner of the council. He served on the boards of Union National Bank and Vanderheyden Hall and for a time on the church council at First

Lutheran Church. He was proud to be the fifth generation of the oldest ladder manufacturer in the U.S., established in 1885. Through his years in the industry, he saw many new developments in ladder manufacturing and was instrumental in the origination of Safe Step Insurance. In 2004 he retired and closed the business, and he and Ann enjoyed traveling throughout the U.S. and world. Over the years they attended many of the sporting events of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and never missed a graduation. They enjoyed times spent in their Fla. apartment, especially when accompanied by their children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Ann Howland; his two daughters and two sons; nine granddaughters (his baseball team, as he would say); and 12 great-grandchildren; and his dear cat, Boo. DAVID BERNARD THORNE STEFFEN (“DAVE”) ,

age 93, of Berkeley, CA, passed away on November 7, 2021. Born on January 18, 1928, he attended Hotchkiss from 1942 until his graduation in 1945. He graduated from Yale in 1950 and from the University of Virginia in 1953. His former employer, Pillsbury Madison & Sutro, in San Francisco, CA, was ranked in 1999 as the nation’s 33rd-largest law firm. In 2000 it merged with a New York firm. He had one son and a daughter.

GLEN MILLER SMY TH JR., business leader, entrepreneur, and family man, passed from this life on February 3, 2022, surrounded by his wife and children at his home in Westlake Village, CA. He was 92. He spent his early years in Plainfield, NJ, as well as on his family’s farm, the Clover Forest Plantation in Bristol, VA. He graduated from Hotchkiss in 1947 and earned a B.A. at Yale in 1951. He served two years in the Army during the Korean War and then earned a master’s degree in industrial psychology at Rutgers. He embarked on a career in HR management at Celanese Corporation, which included national and international human resources. After similar responsibilities at General Electric International, Norwest Banking Corporation in Minneapolis, MN, and CalFed in Los Angeles, CA, he established his own consulting firm, Smyth Fuchs & Company. Headquartered in Los Angeles, his company specialized in senior executive career transition. The company grew to have five additional satellite offices across the country. In 2002, Smyth, Fuchs & Company was sold to a competing consulting firm, which he was asked to continue to manage until his retirement in 2005. In addition to Smyth’s many

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IN MEMORIAM accomplishments, he was an invited speaker at the National Foreign Trade Council, where he held a variety of leadership roles beginning in 1966. He was a frequent contributor to several professional journals and an active member of the American Psychological Association and the Human Resource Planning Society. He also proudly served on the board for the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) and as a board member at Saint Patrick’s Episcopal Day School of Thousand Oaks, CA. Beyond all of his accomplishments, his first love was his family, which includes his beloved wife of 54 years, Lilian Edgar Smyth, his six children and their spouses, 11 grandchildren, and one greatgrandchild. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Valerie, and son, Cameron, who died shortly after birth in 1975. GEORGE OSBURN WITWER (“CORK Y ”) , publisher emeritus and principal owner of KPC Media Group Inc. of Kendallville, IN, died on January 20, 2022, at his home in Key West, FL. He was 92. Witwer came to Hotchkiss from South Bend, IN, and earned his bachelor’s degree from Yale in 1951. He had a brief stint with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), where he met his future brother-in-law and close friend, Ambassador James R. Lilley. He worked for several years on the east coast as a journalist before becoming editor and general manager of The News Sun, Kendallville, in 1962. He purchased Kendallville Publishing Co. (the forerunner of KPC Media) in 1969 and led the dramatic growth of the company over the years. Under Witwer’s leadership, KPC Media grew and became the media company with the largest reach in northeast Indiana, with three daily newspapers, five paid weekly newspapers, four free weekly newspapers, a regional business journal, four news and information websites, a commercial printing operation, and direct mail operations. He retired as publisher in 1996 but remained active on the company’s board of directors. A longtime community leader in northeast Indiana, Witwer served on numerous civic and community boards and was named Kendallville Citizen of the Year in 1998. In 2007, he received the Hoosier State Press Association’s Charlie Biggs Commitment to Community Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1989, Witwer and his wife, Dorothy, made Key West, FL, their second home. They were active in Reef Relief, an organization focused on saving coral reefs through research, education and political action. In addition, they were involved with Samuel’s House, a nonprofit organization for homeless and/or battered women and children. He was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, the former Dorothy Lee Booth,

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and his brother-in-law, Ambassador Lilley. Surviving are four children and their spouses, 14 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren; a sister and brother-in-law, and a sister-in-law.

DAVID ELGIN DODGE P’89 , apprentice to the celebrated 20th-century architect Frank Lloyd Wright and himself a Taliesin architect, died on December 30, 2021, at age 91. Earlier in the fall, the Taliesin Fellows had announced that Dodge was the recipient of the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In announcing the award, the fellows noted: “David Dodge has been a very devoted, and unwavering source of inspiration to hundreds of architectural students and design professionals through the years for the Cause of Organic Architecture.” Dodge was born in April 1930 in London, England, to Muriel and Horace Elgin Dodge Jr. After graduating from Hotchkiss in 1948, he attended Oberlin College in 1949, majoring in music, but was told that his sense of the visual was better than his sense of the acoustic. It was his mother who originally suggested that he join the Taliesin Fellowship, and he sent in his application in April 1951. He visited Taliesin that August, where Wright reviewed his drawings and accepted him into the fellowship. Over the years Dodge had many experiences at both Taliesin and Taliesin West, including working on the Taliesin Birdwalk and living for 17 years in a triangular, Wright-designed tent. In 1966, while the Fellowship was in Switzerland, he met his wife-to-be, Anneliese. They married and lived in Switzerland for 10 years, where their son, Alexander, was born. During that time Dodge worked with former Taliesin apprentice and Swiss architect Ernst Anderegg. In 1977 the family returned to the U.S., though they still spent summers in Switzerland. In Arizona, David and Anneliese were hosts to the fellowship for frequent parties and invitations to musical events around town (including a Stravinsky opera with Igor Stravinsky in the audience). Dodge composed numerous symphonies and other musical works, which were performed in the home he designed for himself north of Taliesin West. He worked with the Taliesin Architects on many projects, including Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium and, one of his favorites, a house and stables for his sister. He is survived by his sister, Diana, his son, Alexander ’89, and son-in-law, and two grandchildren; and he will be missed by the entire Taliesin community. HENRY WHITING FERRIS JR. (“WHITEY ”),

of Natick, MA (formerly of Madison, CT), passed away on February 18, 2022, one month

short of his 91st birthday. Born in New York City to Marie and Dr. Henry W. Ferris ’17, he was a naturalist, prolific painter, printmaker and sculptor, passionate gardener, lover of birds, languages, learning, and an inspiration to all. He graduated from Hotchkiss in 1948 and Yale in 1952, and served in the U.S. Army in Korea as a medic. He then completed an advanced degree at Thunderbird in Arizona, where he and a friend were inspired to pursue a 7,000-mile, one-year and one-day, canoe adventure down the Amazon and its tributaries. After marrying Anne Jussel, he continued his adventures by traveling extensively around the world during his career. He ran two small businesses: Troll Stuen in Deep River, CT, and Ferris Art Center in Guilford, CT. In his art, he created abstract acrylic paintings and welded steel sculpture. During his 31 years in Madison, he devoted his time and skills to the Menunkatuck Audubon Society, Shoreline Alliance for the Arts, Guilford Art League, SARAH, Madison Conservation Commission, Planning and Zoning, and the Saint George Food Pantry Garden. He was funny, gentle, and kind, and loved creating flower bouquets from his garden to give away for any occasion. He was predeceased by his wife of 61 years, Anne. He is survived by a son and daughter, a brother, three grandchildren, and two nephews.

DR. WILLIAM OVERINGTON REID (“BILL”) , born on March 5, 1931 in Detroit, MI, died at age 90 on October 18, 2021 in Naples, FL. He graduated from Hotchkiss in 1949, Swarthmore College in 1953, and the University of Pennsylvania in 1957, where he received his medical degree. He was employed at South Chicago Community Hospital and had a distinguished career in the field of pathology, including his publishing breakthrough research in the treatment of hemophilia. He retired after 31 years of surgical and clinical pathology to pursue an active retirement. He served on the boards of several organizations, including a Minnesota lake association, the American Numismatic Society, and Rotary International. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Ute Busemann Reid, in 2018, and his brother. He is survived by his son and two daughters; his sister; and seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He had a passion for life, traveling, classical music, antiques, shells, tennis, coins and reading. He was a member of Hotchkiss’s True Blue Society.

ROBERT SCOT T BRIT TINGHAM (“BOB”)

died November 6, 2021 in Albany, TX. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 28, 1932, to Lucile and Harold Brittingham ’12. After graduating from Hotchkiss, followed by Yale University in 1954, he worked for Doubleday Bookshops, wrote copy for Bantam Books, sold some short stories, and held executive positions at Lambshead Ranch and Lumber Industries. He always said the two things in life he was good at were poker and swimming. He was preceded in death by his parents, his two sisters, and his brother, Thomas Brittingham ’41. He is survived by his beloved Louann George, his brother John “Britt” Brittingham ’48, and many nieces and nephews, along with their children and grandchildren and many cousins and friends. His nephew, Tom Brittingham IV is a 1975 alumnus, and a cousin, Scott, is a member of the Class of 1980. Brittingham died a happy man, grateful for a long and interesting life and for the love he received during his life. DR. RICHARD DECIO PERERA (“DICK”)

died peacefully at home in Pittsfield, MA, on Dec. 3, 2021, at 88. “Rich” to his childhood friends and family, “Dick” since college days, and “Dr. P.” to his extended family in the medical community, he was a beloved Berkshire County physician, devoted family man, and gifted amateur musician. Born in New York City, he was raised in White Plains, NY, and spent summers at Lake Dunmore, VT. After his education at Hotchkiss, Princeton University, and New York Medical College, in 1962 he joined Berkshire Medical Group in Pittsfield, where he practiced internal medicine for over 50 years. He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1967-69, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He served on the staff of Berkshire Medical Center and as assistant professor at U. Mass. Medical School, and was widely admired as a teacher and mentor of medical students and residents. “Dr. P.” was ever-modest, but his many awards and distinctions—and the love and gratitude of countless patients and colleagues—attest to his kind, gentle nature and dedication to his profession. He was known for lingering with patients, giving them his full attention far beyond today’s rushed medical encounters. He loved his work and retired only reluctantly, after a stroke, at age 80—the same year he was honored as Community Clinician of the Year by the Massachusetts Medical Society, Berkshire District. Another of his great loves was music. He played the trumpet from boyhood through college, sang for 25 years in the Oratorio Choir in the Berkshires, and took up the cello at age

52, becoming a valued member of the Pittsfield Community Music School Orchestra, Pittsfield Symphony, and Stockbridge Sinfonia. An avid photographer, he developed and printed his own work, which was published in outlets including The Berkshire Eagle. He loved bicycling, competing for over a decade in a local triathlon (bike, canoe, run). He served on the boards of the Berkshire Museum and South Mountain Concerts, and as chair of the BMC Institutional Review Board. His devotion to Evelyn, his wife of nearly 55 years, during her long decline from Alzheimer’s was an inspiration to many. He kept her active and involved in the community and insisted that she remain at home, under his loving care, until her passing. He is survived by his three children and their families. He was predeceased by his sister and brother-in-law and leaves three generations of nieces and nephews.

RICHEY SMITH P’83 , age 88, died unexpectedly on February 1, 2022, following a fall in his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Born and raised in Akron, OH, he attended King School, followed by Hotchkiss and Lawrenceville School. He graduated from the University of Virginia McIntire School. As a member of the Navy from 1956 to 1960, he served first on the USS Salem, homeported on the French Riviera, and concluded his service as a lieutenant on the USS Saratoga. While on leave, he met Sandra Roe, his future wife of 60 years; they married in 1961. He had three business careers, all related to manufacturing. First in New York City, he began working in sales for Sun Rubber Company, a family business, located in Barberton, OH. In 1963, the Smiths moved to Akron, so he could help to run the business and later succeed his father as president. Sun made injection-molded products for the auto industry as well as toys, including Disney products. After the company was sold, Smith worked in the Cleveland office of A.T. Kearney for 10 years. In 1987, he founded Richey Industries in Medina, OH, which manufactured Great American Woodies outdoor furniture and Competitor swimming equipment. He loved running his own business, retiring at age 80. He was a founding member of the Friends of Metro Parks and the Corporate Council of the Cleveland Museum of Art and served on the boards of several Akron organizations. One of his most rewarding roles was being a member of the Hotchkiss Board of Governors. He was a permanent fixture at Portage Country Club from the age of three until his death; he served on the board, and he and his father won the club’s first father-son golf tournament when he was 14. From childhood,

he had a passion for the outdoors: from working in the yard to skiing in Colorado, trout fishing in Tierra del Fuego, bone fishing in Mexico, and weeks spent at the St. Paul Salmon Fishing Club in Quebec. In his 80s, he began going to the gym and worked out weekly. Generous and outgoing, he would talk to anyone, no matter their station in life. He had a true zest for life. He will be greatly missed by his wife, Sandra; two children, including daughter Mason ’83; four grandchildren; and a sister-in-law and niece and nephew.

FRED WILLIAM DIEFFENBACH IV (“FRED”),

88, of Manchester, VT, died January 14, 2022. Born in New York City, he graduated from Hotchkiss in 1952 and attended the University of North Carolina. During his working life, he was a sales representative for a number of companies, including the C.V. Mosby Publishing Company, Sherago Associates, Eaton Publishing, and most recently for the Manchester-and-the-Mountains Chamber of Commerce. He traveled extensively during his career and forged many lasting friendships. Locally, he was a longtime member of the Dorset Field Club and a number of other organizations. Throughout his life, he maintained a diverse range of close friendships with people with whom he worked or knew from his days growing up in northern New Jersey and southern New York, as well as many individuals from the Manchester-Dorset community. If you knew Fred, you know that he had a knack for making otherwise mundane events memorable. He was an avid golfer, an accomplished swimmer, and a devoted fan of the Boston Red Sox. He is survived by his son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren; as well as two brothers, a sister in-law and brotherin-law, and three nephews and five nieces. He was predeceased by a daughter and a brother and sister. HERBERT A. SAVAGE JR. (“BERT”) , 87, of Dunedin, FL, went peacefully to be with the Lord December 24, 2021. He was surrounded by his family. He was the loving husband of 62 years of his deceased wife, Jeanne M. Savage. He was the loving father of Jimmy, Judy, Bobby and Brett; and loving grandfather of Jessica, Chase, Jackson and Luke. He attended Hotchkiss from 1951-52 and later attended Georgetown University. He retired as second deputy commissioner of Nassau County Police Department after serving 26 years. After retirement, he worked with Clearwater for Youth, owned a seafood restaurant, and worked for the Kansas City Royals baseball team. In his later years, he battled Parkinson’s by participating in the Rock Steady boxing program and became a passionate chess player. He was and is a “heart full of love.”

SPRING 2022

IN MEMORIAM

RUSSELL KEELY (“RUST Y ”) died on November 30, 2021. After graduating from Hotchkiss in 1953, he graduated from Stanford in 1957 and the Thunderbird School in 1960. His deceased brother, Charles C. Keely Jr. (“Charlie”), was a member of the Class of 1952. There will be no obituary for Mr. Keely, as was communicated to the School by his family.

HENRY S. LEVIN died on November 21, 2021, at age 85. Born in Boston, MA, he grew up in Weymouth and had lived in Hingham since 1965. After graduating from Hotchkiss in 1954, he went to Boston University School of Management, where he played varsity hockey as a goalie. After graduating in1958, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the army, serving during the Berlin Crisis. After active duty he remained in the reserves in civil affairs for seven more years before retiring as a Captain. He graduated from law school at Boston University in 1960 and went into law practice with his father in Boston. He practiced law at the law firm of Levin and Levin for 61 years, which he started with his father and which grew to include his brothers, sons and nephew. The law firm has a general practice, and Henry specialized in real estate and corporate law. He played hockey for Boston University from 1955-1958, and was a member of the team’s first Beanpot Championship in 1958. He continued to play hockey once a week up until a few years ago and held season tickets for the Patriots for many years. He was a longtime member of Congregation Sha’aray Shalom in Hingham and served as its president for two years. He was a former president of the Quincy Chapter of Probus, a professional and businessmen’s group supporting the mentally retarded and handicapped. He served for many years on the board of Work, Inc., a non-profit organization that employs mentally retarded and handicapped individuals. This organization specializes in janitorial services and is the largest non-union employer company doing work for the U.S. government in the Northeast, maintaining many buildings, such as the JFK Library. He was the beloved husband of 61 years of Minna G. Levin; loving father of three sons, all of whom are lawyers; and dear brother of two brothers who survive him; and a brother-in-law. He was the proud grandfather of eight grandchildren and great-grandfather of two, and is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

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THOMAS MAER YAMIN (“TOM”) passed away on November 1, 2021, at age 83, surrounded by his loving family. Raised in Toledo, Ohio, he graduated from Hotchkiss in 1956 and Yale University in 1960. For the majority of his working years, he was a partner at Eastdil Realty, a real estate investment banking firm operating all over the U.S.; at various times, the firm was self-owned or partially owned by Eastman Dillon, Nomura Securities, and then Wells Fargo. He retired in 2003 after 31 years. He served as a volunteer for several organizations, including at the Harlem Day Charter School and the Special Olympics of CT, and as member of the education committee of the City Center (NYC) Theater. He was warm, generous, and loved by all. He was devoted to his family and community. He is survived by three children; Patricia Schulte, his wife of 18 years, and her children; and many grandchildren.

PETER DEMAREST ADAMS , 77, died peacefully at home in Ashfield, MA, from Parkinson’s disease on December 24, 2021. Born in New York City in April 1944, he moved with his mother and sisters to Hartford, CT, when he was just shy of six years old, following his father’s sudden death and his mother’s remarriage. He attended Hotchkiss from 1959 until his graduation in 1963, serving as president of the class and winning the Treadway Prize. He earned a B.A. in 1967 from Brown University and then returned to Hotchkiss, where he soon became director of admissions and financial aid. He held this position until 1980, when he left Hotchkiss for graduate school. Motivated to help teenagers and their parents navigate both adolescence and education, he pursued his M. Ed. from Harvard University and opened his educational counseling practice in 1981, work he continued until he retired in 2011. Always one to think resourcefully and thoughtfully, he helped hundreds of students find ways not only to enhance their education, but also to broaden their dreams for a future they might not have considered possible. He particularly enjoyed working with students for whom education was a challenge and not always a linear track, teenagers who felt they didn’t fit anywhere. Creative in making a match of the most appropriate schools for a wide range of students, Adams co-founded I-Way, a consulting firm in Germany, which helped European students experience American independent schools and colleges. He had a unique, compassionate understanding of adolescents’ diverse learning

styles and a calmness that built trust and confidence in the families he came to know. Every person he met was someone he wanted to listen to, to learn about, and to help thrive. During his career he sat on the boards of The Ben Bronz Academy, The Cobb School, and ASSIST Inc., all in Connecticut; and A Better Chance in New York, NY. He was a genuine altruist, intuitive, curious, insightful, gracious, kind, and positive. He felt at home in the outdoors, whether in a canoe or on a beach or ski slope, in the garden or on a dirt road, or just reading the paper in the shade on a summer afternoon. Most of all, he loved his family, and his bright blue eyes sparkled when he was with them. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Henderson; two daughters and two sons; three sisters and two brothers. A memorial service will be held in the Chapel at Hotchkiss at 2 p.m. on June 19, 2022, Father’s Day. EDGAR MCCOOK REED (“GAR”) passed away peacefully on November 9, 2021. His loving wife Eileen, “The Dream,” was by his side. He succumbed to MDS, a blood disorder and was part of a clinical trial at Moffitt Cancer Center. Born in Philadelphia, PA, in 1945, he attended Hotchkiss from 1959 until graduation in 1963. He served in the Marine Corps until 1968, working with NSA in intelligence and radio communications. He received shrapnel wounds but refused the purple heart. His second language was Thai, and he was stationed in Thailand for part of his service, which included two tours of Vietnam. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1971, attended Temple University, and received a master’s in economics from Rutgers. With this, he worked in health care administration for 45 years and finished his career with wonderful people in Watson Clinic in Lakeland, FL. He pursued an interest in the martial arts that started with Judo training in the Marines. He studied other styles throughout his life, becoming an instructor and achieving black-belt level in Kung Fu. He also enjoyed listening to, playing, and writing music. He loved blues and rock and roll and passed that love of music to his family. When he moved to Florida from the Pennsylvania-New Jersey area, he was known to chant “Go Bolts,” being an avid hockey enthusiast and attending many Lightning games. Above all else, his hobby was to spend time outdoors with Eileen, enjoying the natural beauty of the world. They became Florida Master Naturalists through the University of Florida program and helped to preserve natural habitats. Their love of birding took them on many journeys through Central and South America. He is survived by a daughter and son and two stepchildren; his two sisters; and four

grandchildren. He also leaves his cousin, John Kipp Jr. ’62, P’95. He will and is missed by many, especially for his quirky dry humor and quick wit.

ALEXANDER STEWART LORD (“SANDY ”)

and Scottish Highland athletics. Quick to make friends, he enjoyed sharing his sunny disposition, sense of humor, and love of good food with all. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Linda Zulch Morand; a son; and three siblings. He was preceded in death by his sister Denise.

died unexpectedly on January 30, 2022, in Pittsfield, MA. Born in New York in March 1949, he attended Hackley School and graduated from Hotchkiss. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His passion for nature, music, and sailing developed during childhood and grew throughout his life. He discovered his love of performing while at Hotchkiss through the a cappella group, the Blue Notes. Sailing with his father and family as a child on Waquoit Bay developed his love and respect for the water. He could often be seen sailing alone, or with his father or others on Waquoit Bay. In 1969 he sailed in the Transatlantic Race from Newport, RI, to Cork, Ireland—a highlight of his life. Taking his last plane trip ever, he returned to the States just in time to make it to Woodstock. Life took Lord from Irvington to North Carolina to Cape Cod and finally to his home of the last 45 years in the Berkshires. He was devoted to his home on Mount Washington, which he shared with his wife, Mary Beth, whom he lost in 2004. He worked diligently to try and save land through a land trust and through service on the Local Conservation Committee. He loved the community, volunteering his music at the annual Mt. Washington Fair, and he taught guitar at Hotchkiss for several years. An avid birder, he was often seen wandering with his binoculars around his neck. Always watching, he had an extensive life list and regularly contributed to the Christmas Bird Count. He could be seen running on the mountain, or just standing, talking to one of his many friends. He was the wild man of the mountain, with his long hair, not cut since 1970, and a bushy mustache. He was truly just the person he wanted to be. He worked as a carpenter, a caretaker, and a grip on the movie “Judge Dred.”

On October 3, 2021, L AURA KATRINA KEEFE , beloved daughter to Terri Lee Young and Francis Edward Keefe and beloved sister to Gerald Francis Keefe ’89 and Judith Johanna Frost, passed away at the age of 51. She was born on January 14, 1970, in Exeter, NH, to Terri and Francis. From the time of her arrival at Hotchkiss in 1983 until graduation in 1987, she was active in school activities, as a member of St. Luke’s Society, tour guide, and flutist in the chamber orchestra. In sports, she participated in cross-country, diving, and track. She graduated from Yale University in 1991 and lived thereafter in New Haven, Boston, New York, and finally in Los Angeles, involved in various creative pursuits. She forayed briefly into investments, music and dance, but principally spent her time writing. She was a loving aunt to her nieces, engaging, thoughtful and kind, and brought a sophisticated presence to her visits. She drew them to John Langstaff, Tasha Tudor, and centerpiece crafting rather than allowing them to “dissolve in front of the television,” as she put it. Talented at virtually everything she touched, including mathematics, languages, sciences, music, art and creative writing, she ultimately committed to a life spent in pursuit of peace for her soul. Tragically, this proved elusive for her on earth. Despite missing Laura deeply, her family finds solace in the knowledge that she has at last found the peace she sought. She is survived by her mother, Terri; her father, Francis, and his wife, Joan; her brother and sister-in-law; and her sister and brother-in-law; and by six nieces. A memorial service will be held at the Hotchkiss Chapel on July 15, 2022 at 11 a.m., and a reception will follow immediately after.

PAUL RAYMOND MORAND , 71, of Rohnert Park, CA, passed away on January 25, 2022. Born in August 1950 in Los Angeles, CA, he grew up in Marin County and graduated from Hotchkiss in 1968. He went on to attend California Institute of Technology, where he earned a B.S. degree in biology. He worked in medical research at Children’s Hospital of San Francisco, followed by 31 years of photonics research and development at Deposition Sciences, Inc. of Santa Rosa. His hobbies included gardening, writing,

FORREST D. RORABACK , 35, of Collinsville, CT, passed away unexpectedly at home on Jan. 26, 2022. “Fo,” as he was affectionately known to family and friends, endured a lifelong struggle with bipolar disorder and is now at peace. Born in Torrington, CT, he attended local schools and began ski racing at Mad River Glen in Waitsfield, VT, which he adored and at which he excelled, winning many races over the years, including the MRG family race. During the summer, he enjoyed swimming, tennis, and

golf at the Litchfield Country Club. During his years at Hotchkiss, from 2001 until graduation in 2004, he twice won the computer science award; his passion for computers and technology remained a lifelong love. After attending UVM, he co-founded an investor-backed technology startup. Following that effort, he continued work in the IT profession as an independent consultant. He had a deep appreciation for nature, loved animals of all kinds, and particularly enjoyed long walks with his devoted and beloved, four-legged black lab companion, Annika. He enjoyed other outdoor pursuits such as skiing (his lifelong passion), golfing (a lifelong challenge), tennis, and the occasional ice fishing or fishing session at Woodridge Lake, where his parents live. An enthusiastic and accomplished cook, he loved to spend his spare time cooking with friends and family. He was an avid fan of the New York Giants and Tottenham Hotspur. He also enjoyed challenging his mind with crosswords, Sudoku, and his personal favorite, the Daily Jumble. He leaves behind his parents, Louisa and Charles E. Roraback ’76 of Goshen, CT; siblings Taryn L. Roraback ’00 and Charles Roraback ’02; grandparents Molly and Charles W. Roraback ’51; along with aunts Margaret Roraback ’79, Paula Lobe, and Elizabeth Fowler ’83 and her family, and uncle Andrew Roraback ’78 and his family. He was particularly fond of his cousins Andrew ’07, Pierson ’10, and Catherine Fowler ’11, and Andrew Kevin Roraback. Full of life, love and enthusiasm, Forrest was a brilliant and engaging son, brother, nephew, cousin and friend. He will live in our hearts forever.

Former Faculty and Staff JOSEPH KREMER, a former member of the Alumni & Development Office staff, died in March after having battled brain cancer since 2018. For the past few years, he had been working at Pomfret School, where he was senior associate director of admissions and international enrollment. He also served as Pomfret’s basketball coach. He is survived by his wife, Julie; their children, Nate and Olivia; and his mother, Anne Kremer. DAVID A. WHEELER SR. , 84, died Feb. 3, 2022, in Canaan, CT. He worked at Hotchkiss as a custodian for 33 years, retiring in 2000. He was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Evelyn (Schufelt) Wheeler. He is survived by his four children, 11 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren, as well as his brother and sister. His nephew, John Wheeler, currently works at Hotchkiss.

SPRING 2022

PARTING SHOT

Earning Her Water Wings Meera Kasturi ’22 is brilliantly captured in her element by Ed Guo ’19. On Feb. 24 Meera won the Girls Diving title in the Founders League championship, setting a new Westminster pool record. Guo created a gelatin silver print using a Nikonos V underwater film camera with flash and 35mm Ilford HP5 film. The camera was donated to the Photography, Film, and Related Media program by Richard Davis, dean of academic life and instructor in classics.

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SPRING 2022

Save the Dates! CLASSES OF 2010, 2011, 2015, AND 2016 JUNE 10-12, 2022 CLASS OF 2020 JUNE 14-15, 2022 CLASSES ENDING IN 2 AND 7 JUNE 17-19, 2022

CLASSES OF 1967 AND 1972 SEPTEMBER 23-25, 2022 CLASSES OF 1960, 1961, 1975, AND 1976 OCTOBER 7-9, 2022 CLASSES OF 1955, 1956, 1990, AND 1991 OCTOBER 14-16, 2022

A NOTE TO THE CL ASSES ENDING IN 0, 1, 5 OR 6: We remain committed to scheduling in-person Reunion events for your classes before your next milestone celebration. Please stay tuned for details in the coming months.

Visit www.hotchkiss.org/alumni (Events & Reunions) for updates. For more information, please contact Rachel Schroeder Rodgers ’09, assistant director of alumni relations, at (860) 435-3124 or rrodgers@hotchkiss.org.

Hope to see you in Lakeville!

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID

11 Interlaken Road Lakeville, CT 06039-2141 (860) 435-2591 HOTCHKISS.ORG

PERMIT NO. 36 PITTSFIELD, MA

Hotchkiss Magazine | Spring 2022

Articles inside

Appointments and Awards

Alumni Award

Alumni Giving Back

Enduring Gratitude

From the Head of School

From the Board of Trustees

Community Service Award

Campus Connection