From the Head of School

A Year of Renewal

ONE OF MY FAVORITE TREES

is the ginkgo tree. A geologically ancient organism, the gingko is sometimes referred to as a living fossil. There are a few gingkos on campus, including a magnificent old beauty next to the entrance to the Luke Foyer and Dining Hall. One of the fun facts about ginkgo trees is that they shed their leaves synchronously following the first heavy frost of the season. The first heavy frost arrived late this fall. One morning last week, following that frost, I encountered a small group of students and some younger faculty children standing under that magnificent tree catching (or at least trying to catch) ginkgo leaves as they fell in a steady shower to the ground. The ginkgo’s fan-shaped leaves are hard to catch because of their zig-zagging movement as they fall. Superstition holds that catching a ginkgo leaf brings good luck.

Amidst these moments that signal the end of fall, I find myself feeling a spring-like sense of joy and good fortune, similar to the joy on the faces of those fortunate young people as they caught ginkgo leaves. In every chilly breeze and swirl of falling leaves there is a deeper appreciation of the simple, no-longer-take-for-granted reality that students, faculty, and staff are on campus together at Hotchkiss enjoying all aspects of school life. Many of these were unavailable during the pre-vaccine stage of the pandemic. This fall has been a joyful time of reinvigorating traditions and celebrating the pleasures of community.

In September, we returned to live music in Katherine M. Elfers Hall with a truly

PHOTO: WENDY CARLSON

remarkable event. International piano virtuoso Lang Lang visited Hotchkiss at the invitation of his student and friend Oliver Chen ’22. The afternoon’s program included a performance by Lang Lang, who was joined onstage by Oliver and Fabio Witkowski, head of the visual and performing arts, as well as a master class for Hotchkiss students Kenny Zhang ’22 and Ricky Shi ’23. The caliber of musical performance combined with live instruction showcased Hotchkiss at its best (see p. 14).

Another highlight of the fall took place early in October when I announced the first Head of School Holiday of the year. What a thrill it is to say those magic words! The euphoria of students is awesome (in the original sense of the word). Alumni will surely remember the incomparable feeling of a Hotchkiss holiday.

I called the holiday in honor of a dear friend to the School, Trustee Emerita Jeannie Weinberg Rose ‘80, P’18. Jeannie is securely in the Panthéon of remarkable leaders in the history of the School. She served 23 years as a Trustee, eight years as president of the Board, and she is now in her second year as a Trustee Emerita. During her years as president, some of which were challenging for the School, she led the Board with clarity and without trepidation. Upon her retirement from the Board in June 2019, Trustees adopted a Resolution of Tribute in her honor. Hotchkiss is forever in her debt (see p. 13).

Just a few weeks ago we welcomed hundreds of visitors to campus for Family Weekend. While conferences with advisors and teachers were held virtually for reasons of safety, families were able to attend events, visit their students in dorm rooms, watch sports, and more. It was a lovely weekend and heartwarming to see families in person.

In mid-November we enjoyed yet another Hotchkiss tradition, Spirit Week, which culminated in Taft Day. The community dove into a full week of themed student activities, dressing up, food, and fun. On November 13, we welcomed busloads of student athletes and spectators from Taft as well as Hotchkiss alumni and parents for a day of sport, spirit, and fun. While the skies opened in

the afternoon, rain pelted down, and some games were suspended due to thunder and lightning, Hotchkiss nevertheless carried the day, winning 6 games to 5!

As we continue to engage in the traditions and fun that make Hotchkiss special for us all, we remain mindful of the gift this School represents to those of us who are fortunate enough to spend time here. The beauty of the campus and surrounding area is one of the defining aspects of Hotchkiss, and the School has a long tradition of engaging with the natural world. Yet the natural world is changing, as reflected by the ginkgo tree dropping its leaves so late in the fall.

We witness the natural world in this area changing in various ways, ranging from severe summer storms flooding basements in campus buildings that have been dry for decades, to an extended fall foliage season, to thunder and lightning storms on Taft Day in mid-November. As is the case with the pandemic, we are adapting to a new normal.

How do we respond? Our commitment to stewardship of the environment, from engaging in leading sustainability practices to the breadth of a curriculum that spans environmental science, climate change, conservation biology, limnology, agroecology, and environmental economics, is foundational to who we are and the difference Hotchkiss graduates can make in the world. I hope you will enjoy reading about some of the School’s work in this issue (see p. 30).

On the heels of Thanksgiving, I give thanks for the opportunity to be part of the Hotchkiss community, a community to which all of you belong. I wish you a safe and happy holiday season. I hope you and the children in your lives catch a few ginkgo leaves this fall.

All good wishes,

Craig W. Bradley

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Champion Swimmer Dives Deep

As I read “A Champion Swimmer Dives Deep” in the summer issue, I was thinking how much my husband, Thomas A. Ferretti ’65, would have enjoyed your article. Tom died from prostate cancer in 2019. There are quite a few similarities. Tom’s parents did not attend college and were not wealthy. Tom and his brothers attended public high school in Waterbury, CT, and learned how to swim in the many lakes around Connecticut and the local YMCA. It was fortunate for Tom that Hotchkiss noticed the potential in him and recruited him to apply and transfer to the school to join the swim team. According to his past academic school records, he had been a good student. Tom told me he had a rude awakening and struggled with his courses during his first semester at Hotchkiss. Math wasn’t the math he knew, and his English papers bled with red corrections. He was away from his family for the first time and didn’t know any of his classmates. But like Dr. McMaster, he got help from his Hotchkiss instructors and coaches, made friends with his new roommate/teammates/classmates, and he persevered. Tom stayed active in a variety of sports and also loved fly-fishing. Hotchkiss prepared him for his college years. Tom went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and, of course, was on the swim team. I don’t know how many times he was on the Dean’s List. Tom was drafted into the USMC after graduation (1969) and returned to UNC-CH for his dentistry degree. He worked at the VA Dental clinic in Durham, NC, had a general practice in Pensacola, FL, and probably because of his lessons learned at Hotchkiss (to excel), went back to school, this time to UCONN at Farmington, CT, to specialize in endodontics. He was board-certified and ran a successful specialty practice in Pensacola. Tom was always appreciative at the opportunity that was afforded him at Hotchkiss. It did make a world of difference in his life.

ANN FERRETTI

NOTEWORTHY

Former Head of School Honored

A new academic building on the campus of Kenyon College in Gambier, OH, has been named in honor of Robert A. Oden Jr. P’97, headmaster of Hotchkiss from 1989-95. Oden Hall recognizes his work during the seven years he was president of Kenyon, from 1995-2002. The dedication plaque also credits his wife, Teresa Johnston Oden, an author and researcher.