Spring 2022
Westminster Bulletin
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
Westminster Bulletin
SPRING 2022
FEATURES
16
42
Celebrating 50 Years of Coeducation
Remodeling the Barnes-Bristow Observatory
46
Creating Optical Illusions with Photography
DEPARTMENTS 2 Head of School Message
56
Martlets on the Move
3
Hill Headlines
60
Class Notes
11
Athletics
62
In Memoriam
50
Supporting Westminster
66
Closing Thoughts
55
From the Archives
On the cover, photos from Westminster’s 50-year history of coeducation. On opposite page, a scene from “Something Rotten!” Spring 2022
1
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
THE FIRST LESSON Dear Members of the Westminster Community, It was clear during that first game of the season that the 2021-2022 Junior Varsity Girls’ Basketball team had some work to do. While there were a small handful of girls who had played before, the majority of the squad had never dribbled a ball. Some of them had never seen a basketball game, and when they found themselves at the top of the key about to receive a pass from a teammate, they cringed as the ball came at them. Most girls turned away from at least one pass during the course of that game; several yelped or even laughed a bit when they did try to catch the ball. It wasn’t an easy game to watch. None of the girls seemed to be enjoying themselves, and they were very aware of the crowd, which was trying to balance its response between loudly cheering on the girls and not laughing too loudly at their mistakes. The fear of embarrassment kept many girls from trying, and with the exception of a few players, there was no sense of competitive spirit among our Martlets. They just wanted the game, a 14-39 loss to Deerfield, to be over. I feared it was going to be a long season. Enter Nick Cary — history teacher, Varsity Boys’ Tennis coach, and pickleball tournament organizer extraordinaire — and some feisty and determined Sixth Form captains — Nina Ahl, Kara Dominick and Paris Pescatore. Sprinkle in enthusiasm and energy. Add laughter. Practice. Practice. Practice. Embrace the team nickname — The Splash Sisters — and this group of young women and their wonderful coach created the perfect recipe for both the winter doldrums and the raison d’être for the afternoon program. Their first win did not come until mid-January, but by then the more seasoned squad had found their groove. They were gritty and feisty, not afraid to take the Canterbury Saints to the floor. While Marleigh Monroe ’24 scored 14 points in the 18-14 win, it was a team effort that got her the ball. And by their next win against Williston, Paris Pescatore, who had scored her first basket of the season in the Canterbury game, combined with Kara Dominick for 21 points in the first half! Our Martlets were on a roll as they added three more wins in their march through February, including a 21-19 win over Kent with a clutch basket — practically a buzzer beater — from Alexi Haimes ’23. The highlight of the season came in the last home game. It was senior day, the underformers had decorated the gym for their senior teammates, and as the team took on a strong Suffield team, the stands were full of fans. These girls were the essence of everything that they had not been in their first game — they were confident and competitive, gritty and determined. They had improved their skills immensely, and they clearly took pride in their accomplishments.
2
Westminster Bulletin
The moment came in the third quarter as Blessing Kieh ’24 handled a hot pass, stepped back and Splash! Her first basket of the season. While the crowd went wild, the team on the floor, the coach and the bench went even wilder! The other four girls on the floor ran to Blessing, as Suffield took the ball up court, and the bench cleared to join Blessing in the victory hug, for which the team promptly earned a technical foul. It was a glorious moment. Every member of that team shared in the joy of Blessing’s basket; they were genuinely happy for her, and that moment captured their entire season. Westminster School exists both for and because of the Junior Varsity Girls’ Basketball team, and the growth of that team over the course of a season represents the ethos of Westminster. This is a school where students can involve themselves in a new experience, and because of their constant engagement with caring adults and peers, they can triumph. They can hit the shot from the corner or nail the solo onstage or write the award-winning essay; they build skills and confidence and learn grit and grace on this journey, and that journey is not a solo trip. It never is here at Westminster. It is a journey with friends, with faculty, with a corridor or a class or a cast, with a band of brothers, and with a team of Splash Sisters. With Grit & Grace,
Elaine White Head of School
HILL HEADLINES
Class of 1939 Has a New Member Graduating from Westminster School wasn’t on Dr. Stanley Teale’s bucket list, but that’s exactly what he did — at 100 years of age. Dr. Teale came to Westminster as a First Form day student in the fall of 1933. He attended Westminster through his Fourth Form year in 1937, but a change in the enrollment policy at Westminster made the school too expensive for him to continue. Dr. Teale finished his secondary education at Simsbury High School. Following graduation from high school, Dr. Teale attended Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, and completed medical school at Dalhousie Medical School in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After earning his medical degree, he and his wife moved to Connecticut where he completed his residency in mental health and neurology at the state hospital in Middletown. After an internal medicine residency at Springfield Hospital in Springfield, Mass., he was appointed as a cardiology fellow at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston. Following a long and successful career as a cardiologist, Dr. Teale and his wife retired to a farm in rural Vermont in 1983. Westminster reconnected with Dr. Teale when Director of Planned Giving
Dr. Stanley Teale at his home in Vermont.
Jennifer Keyo was researching the school’s oldest known living alumnus. Once Dr. Teale was discovered, Head of School Elaine White wanted his to be the first diploma she would sign as head of school. A small group from Westminster went to his home in Vermont in February and presented him with the diploma. There was sparkling cider, cupcakes,
Director of Advancement Newell Grant ’99, Director of Planned Giving Jennifer Keyo and Head of School Elaine White celebrate with Dr. Teale following his receipt of his Westminster diploma.
a Westminster blanket and a delighted Dr. Teale — an official member of the Class of 1939 — at the center of the celebration. “Stanley Teale is the epitome of grit and grace,” said Head of School Elaine White, at the diploma presentation. “I feel so honored and blessed to present this remarkable man with a diploma from Westminster, a school that he loved and believed provided him with the foundation that he needed to pursue an even greater education in order to become a cardiologist. He is what I want every one of our students to become — articulate, thoughtful, passionate, gracious — even in the face of disappointment. He wanted to graduate from Westminster, but his parents’ financial situation precluded him from doing so. He made the very best of the hand that he was dealt, and he found the means and determination to continue his education. He valued every opportunity. This is a man who reveres education, who believes in its power to change the world. His parents instilled that belief in him, and he passed it on to his own children, and he embodied that belief in all that he has done with his life.”
Spring 2022
3
HILL HEADLINES
Martlets Participate in Two Model U.N. Conferences More than 30 Westminster students headed to Hartford Dec. 3 for a two-day Connecticut World Affairs Council (CTWAC) Model U.N. Conference, which hosted 650 students at Dunkin’ Donuts Park. This was the first time Westminster Model U.N. delegates were able to participate in person for a conference since January 2020. It provided an opportunity for veteran club members to climb back in the saddle of debate and discussion. Many of the delegates were new to the program, and this was their first experience with Model U.N. at Westminster. The CTWAC went to great lengths to make sure the conference happened in person, and the Martlets couldn’t have been more appreciative of the chance to do Model U.N. live. Their enthusiasm for the experience was overwhelming, with many of them taking leadership roles in their committees and practicing their public speaking skills. They also made new friends with delegates from schools in the region and appreciated the trips off campus. Two Westminster Sixth Formers, Qifei Min and Gabby Palmowska, were chosen to be moderators for their respective committees. This involved training sessions before the conference in order to perfect Model U.N. protocols. Both Min and Gabby worked tirelessly in their committees to manage the debate and promote healthy discussion. The next Model U.N. opportunity for the academic year was when a group of Westminster students attended Yale Model United Nations virtually Jan. 20-23. Students were in committee meetings for four days with counterparts from around the world. 4
Westminster Bulletin
And while it did not match the excitement of participating in person, the Westminster delegates who committed to participating had a great time and gained valuable experience. “We are all hopeful to return to New Haven in person next year,” said Betsy Heckman, the group’s advisor and Westminster’s director of studies.
Top and above, Westminster’s Model U.N. delegates attend the Connecticut World Affairs Council Model U.N. Conference in Hartford.
HILL HEADLINES
Winter Performing Arts Concert Members of the Concert Band, Jazz Band, String Ensemble, Dance Ensemble, Westminster Belles, Chamber Choir and Chorale took to the stage in Werner Centennial Center March 3 for the Winter Performing Arts Concert. Students, faculty, staff and parents were in attendance at this final event before spring break.
Spring 2022
5
HILL HEADLINES
‘Noises Off’ Dramat’s production of “Noises Off” took place Nov. 11-13 in Werner Centennial Center. The farce, which was written by playwright Michael Frayn and has appeared numerous times on Broadway, presents a manic menagerie of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called “Nothing On.” The plot of this hilarious and classically comic playwithin-a-play features doors slamming, onstage and offstage intrigue, and an errant herring.
‘Something Rotten!’ Dramat’s production of the musical comedy “Something Rotten!” brought abundant laughter to audiences Feb. 18-20 in Werner Centennial Center. Stuck in the shadow of a Renaissance rock star known as The Bard, two brothers, Nick and Nigel Bottom, set out to write the world’s first musical. But amid the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self — and all that jazz — in this hilarious mashup of 16th-century Shakespeare and 21st-century Broadway.
6
Westminster Bulletin
HILL HEADLINES
Photography Students Win Awards in Statewide Competition
Aniela Apteker ’24 and Bryan Carey ’24 with their award-winning photography.
In December, Westminster art and photography students submitted close to 30 works of art and photography to the Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards program, which is an affiliate of the Scholastic Art Awards/The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. The program recognizes the work of talented young artists in grades seven to 12 and is the nation’s longestrunning, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Student artwork is juried by professional artists and university art faculty, and is selected on merit. Winners of Gold Key designations have their artwork submitted to the national-level awards competition. This year, two Westminster students, Aniela Apteker ’24 and Bryan Carey ’24, who submitted works in the photography category, received Gold Key awards in the state competition. They, along with other students in their Photography class, accompanied their teacher, Jane Toner P’02, ’21, to the exhibit of the regional award-winning artwork Jan. 18 at the Silpe Gallery at the University of Hartford. A virtual awards ceremony took place Feb. 12.
Welcome Home, Alumni! | Mega Reunion 2022 | June 10-12, 2022 We look forward to celebrating classes ending in 2 and 7, and welcoming back those alumni who missed an in-person reunion (classes ending in 0, 1, 5 and 6). Don’t miss the chance to reunite with classmates and faculty, reconnect with friends and teammates, and relive your high school days on Williams Hill! Register and learn more at www.westminsterreunion.org. Questions? Contact Thea Leach, Director of Advancement Programs and Events, at (860) 408-3724.
Spring 2022
7
HILL HEADLINES
Above, “Out of the Blue” performing in Werner Centennial Center; above right, Richard Batchelder P’16 introduces the group.
‘Out of the Blue’ Gives Rousing Performance The spring term at Westminster got off to an upbeat start with a March 24 performance by “Out of the Blue,” Oxford’s internationally acclaimed a cappella group, which gave a rousing performance for the school community in Werner Centennial Center. Members of the group are undergraduate and graduate students studying a variety of fields at Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University. They were on a tour of the East Coast. The group’s visit to Westminster was sponsored in part by former Westminster history teacher Richard Batchelder P’16, who introduced the group. “It is great to be back here at Westminster,” he said. “I have the great privilege of helping sponsor the tour of ‘Out of the Blue.’” The concert included 10 songs — ranging from “Never
Too Much” to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” to “How Deep is Your Love” to “California Gurls” — that brought enthusiastic applause from the students and faculty in the audience. Following the concert, the group conducted a workshop in Andrews Memorial Chapel with members of Westminster’s Chorale. After beginning with stretching and warmup exercises, members of “Out of the Blue” taught members of Chorale the song “Levitating” by Dua Lipa. They broke into groups to rehearse various parts and then reassembled to sing a fun-filled version together. “Out of the Blue,” which was founded in 2000, has performed on the West End in London and on Broadway, reached the semifinals of “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2011 and toured around the world.
Students Participate in All-State Music Festival Two Westminster students participated in the Connecticut All-State Music Festival at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford March 31 to April 2. After auditioning virtually in early February, Mason Zottola ’23 and Catherine Graves ’24 were accepted into the festival. Mason sang bass in the All-State Mixed Chorus of more than 200 voices, and Catherine participated in the AllState Band on trombone. Both were able to work with nationally known conductors for over two days and participated in a final concert of music April 2, which was attended by Director of Music and Head of the Visual and Performing Arts David Chrzanowski. 8
Westminster Bulletin
Left, Mason Zottola ’23 and Catherine Graves ’24 at the Connecticut All-State Music Festival and, right, members of the All-State Mixed Chorus.
HILL HEADLINES
Learning About the Life of an Astronomer “Staring Into Space for a Living” was the title of the talk Meredith Hughes, an associate professor of astronomy at Wesleyan University, gave to students and faculty at Westminster April 8 in Werner Centennial Center. She discussed her career as an astronomer and how she got into the field. Professor Hughes explained that about onehalf of her time is spent teaching and the other half on research, studying planet formation Astronomer Meredith Hughes, above and below, discusses planet and star by observing the disks of gas and dust around formation, radio astronomy and lessons learned from the Orion Nebula. young stars using radio interferometers. She travels to conferences, participates in panel discussions and research groups, spends time programming, outreach, including at the Museum of Science in Boston and writes grant proposals and communicates extensively with Bryce Canyon National Park, and learned she could have a broad students and the broader world. but limited impact in such settings and preferred to have a more Growing up, she did not know what she wanted to do for sustained impact as a university faculty member. “I wanted a a career but knew she liked science and math, and had many deeper educational purpose and long-term relationships with other interests. She told the students in the audience that it is students,” she said. really import to explore different things at their age. It was her She described the challenges women face in astronomy and participation in a summer science program in high school that said that while some progress has been made, real work needs to opened her mind to the possibility of becoming a scientist and be done to make science an equitable field for women. showed her that “normal people” could do such a job and maybe She also shared the things she loves about being an she could too. “I met scientists and students who wanted to be astronomer, including discovering new things about the universe, scientists,” she said. teaching scientists and nonscientists, traveling to conferences and She ended up completing additional summer internships in telescopes, and sharing the universe with others. college that involved conducting research and found out how “Astronomy has taken me to amazing places around the rewarding it is to discover something about which nobody else world,” she said. “Being a scientist is wonderful, and whether or in the world knows. not you are interested in a scientific career, I hope you will think She explained how earning a Ph.D. involves getting paid about the science that is going on all around you. It has been in to do science for five to six years and becoming an expert at our faces the last two years because of the pandemic. What better something. Not knowing if she wanted to become a professor time to think about how important science is to everyday lives.” with her advanced degree, she first did some science education She concluded by saying, “Astronomy is more like poetry, where it requires us to reflect and think about our place in the universe.” Following her presentation, Professor Hughes met with students in two astronomy classes that are taught by Head of the Science Department Lee Zalinger. She discussed planet and star formation, radio astronomy and some lessons learned from the Orion Nebula. Professor Hughes graduated summa cum laude from Yale University with a B.S. in physics and astronomy, and went on to earn A.M. and Ph.D. degrees in astronomy from Harvard University. She was a Miller Fellow in the UC Berkeley Department of Astronomy before joining the faculty at Wesleyan University in 2013. Her research investigates the structure and evolution of circumstellar disks across the evolutionary sequence. Professor Hughes is the recipient of the Harvard Astronomy Department’s Fireman Fellowship for outstanding doctoral thesis and Bok Prize for research excellence by a Ph.D. graduate under the age of 35, as well as a Cottrell Scholar Award, recognizing outstanding teacher-scholars. Spring 2022
9
HILL HEADLINES
Grandparents Attend School for a Day About 125 grandparents of current students visited Westminster April 13 to spend the day with their grandchildren. Grandparents attended classes and chapel, ate lunch in Armstrong Dining Hall and viewed afternoon athletic contests. Grandparents Day was especially joyful this year following two years in which it could not be held due to the pandemic. The day kicked off with Head of School Elaine White welcoming everyone. “This is one of our favorite days on campus,” she said. “Both faculty and students love having grandparents on campus.” She also thanked the grandparents for attending, saying: “I know you are going to have a wonderful day with your beautiful grandchildren. Thank you for blessing us today with your presence.”
Urban Bush Women Dance Company Gives Performance Urban Bush Women (UBW), which is based in Brooklyn, gave a performance for the Westminster community in Werner Centennial Center April 15 as part of the Graham Gund ’59 Visiting Artist Series. Founded in 1984 by choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, who was named a 2021 MacArthur Fellow, UBW seeks to bring untold and undertold stories to light through dance. The show featured a modified version of its program “Legacy + Lineage + Liberation,” which celebrates the power of women+ in a collection of classic works that transcend genres and amplify the voices of women+ of color. The works included performances of “I Don’t Know, but I Been Told, If You Keep on Dancin’ You Never Grow Old,” which is an energetic mashup of different dance forms that came out of Black neighborhoods and features a live drummer; “Give Your Hands to Struggle,” which lyrically honors leaders from the civil rights era; “Girlfriends,” which treasures the bonds women+ share in friendship; and “Women’s Resistance,” which fuses power and grace in a call to collective action around truths that bind everyone. During the performance, members of the company talked about how they got involved with dance, invited the audience 10
Westminster Bulletin
to practice some movements and responded to questions. Following the event, Westminster dancers participated in a workshop with the performers. Members of the Gund Family established the Graham Gund ’59 Visiting Artist Series fund in 1991 in honor of Graham Gund ’59 at his 50th birthday. Income from the fund underwrites the cost of bringing outstanding artists to Westminster to enrich students’ understanding and appreciation of the performing arts.
///// A T H L E T I C S /////
Fall Season Highlights Girls’ Varsity Cross Country Fall 2021 was a building year for Girls’ Varsity Cross Country. The team was victorious in a meet against Berkshire and Suffield in a memorable race. All season, a positive atmosphere and supportive environment existed among team members. The team looks forward to building on the successes of the season, especially the founding of a strong team culture.
Boys’ Varsity Cross Country
Janessa Yan ’22
Boys’ Varsity Cross Country competed in nine scored meets, with almost all varsity and junior varsity athletes setting personal records throughout the season. Captains Oliver Fenner ’22 and Spencer Kwan ’22, both named All-Founders League athletes, led the team through six invitationals and three dual meets, racing their fastest times of the season against Kingswood Oxford and Suffield midseason when the course offered flat, fast and stable terrain. Up and coming runners such as Jay Henry ’23 broke the sub-19minute mark for the first time, while others, like Sam Bradley ’23, aced consistency throughout the race season. The team continued to move the needle in the right direction throughout the dual meet season, and the boys entered the Founders League and New England Championship meets spry and strong. The team closed another fall building upon progress from the past.
Olivia Fernandez ’23 Spencer Kwan ’22
Varsity Field Hockey Varsity Field Hockey completed a successful 2021 campaign after not competing at all during the 2020 season. Co-captains Margaret Sadak ’22 and Bennett Ghriskey ’22 did a phenomenal job leading the team with 15 players new to the roster. The team captured the 2021 Founders League Championship before earning the No. 4 seed in the NEPSAC Class A Tournament. Mckenzie Bloom ’23 and Olivia Fernandez ’23 were named WNEPSFHA All-Stars, while Mckenzie Bloom and Dylan Bloom ’23 were named to the All-New England Team, and Caroline Pratt ’22 received Honorable Mention.
Spring 2022
11
Girls’ Varsity Soccer Girls’ Varsity Soccer put together one of the finest seasons in school history, finishing 14-3-1 and making it to the NEPSAC Class A Tournament semifinals. After a season lost in 2020 due to the pandemic, the girls were hungry throughout the fall. The 14 wins included victories over Choate, Loomis Chaffee, Hotchkiss and Taft. The girls qualified for the NEPSAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed and defeated Choate in the quarterfinal round 5-1, before falling to Worcester Academy on the road in the semifinals. Highlights of the year included coach Kelly Wosleger being named Connecticut Girls Soccer Coaches Association Prep Coach of the Year and Jillian Gregorski ’23 being named a United Soccer Coaches Association All-American. Gregorski and Bianca D’Onofrio ’23 were named to the All-NEPSAC Team, and Gregorski, D’Onofrio and Elizabeth DiBlasi ’23 were named All-State. With a bulk of the roster returning for 2022, the future is bright for Girls’ Varsity Soccer.
Elizabeth DiBlasi ’23
Boys’ Varsity Soccer Boys’ Varsity Soccer had one of its best seasons in 30 years, posting a 13-4-3 record and making it all the way to the Class B New England Championship game. The team was led by co-captains John Picard ’22 and John Clofine ’22. Picard was named to the All-Founders League Team, a WNEPSSA All-Star and received an All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention. Jonah Prentiss ’22 was also named to the All-Founders League Team.
Keegan Bankoff ’22
Varsity Water Polo
The Martlets have a very talented Fifth Form class coming back next season, led by All-NEPSAC and WNEPSSA team members Lawrence Taylor and Boniface Fatohou. Fourth Former Ronaldo Fatolou also received recognition as a WNEPSSA All-Star and All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention team keeper.
Although Varsity Water Polo does not measure seasons by record quite yet, it was nice to beat Deerfield again in its final match of the 2021-2022 season. For Rich Mugler ’22, Keegan Bankoff ’22, Max Larock ’22 and Charles Perks ’22, it was a great way to close out the season. And for Mugler, Bankoff and Larock, it was a fitting finale to four years in the pool. The season opened with players new to the sport feeling a little outmatched, but the improvement and steady growth this season were remarkable. Both Eaglebrook and Wilbraham & Monson, programs that have been steady competition for the Martlets in the last few years, posed little difficulty for the Martlets. The team was characterized by stalwart defensive play and superb goaltending. Players earned more scoring opportunities as the season progressed, but the foundation was in their own half of the pool. A match against Loomis in the middle of the season proved a turning point, where even veterans felt they could compete against the more established teams in the league. The Martlets played competitive matches with teams from Williston Northampton, Suffield and Hopkins. Wins against St. John’s Prep and Deerfield late in the season were reminders that hard work pays off in dividends. John Picard ’22 12
Westminster Bulletin
///// A T H L E T I C S /////
Winter Season Highlights
Boys’ Varsity Basketball Although Boys’ Varsity Basketball was usually the underdog against most teams, that didn’t stop the Martlets from competing. The team opened the season with a solid win against a competitive St. Luke’s ballclub in a scrimmage and went on to make it to the finals in the KIT Tournament hosted by Kingswood Oxford over the holiday break. Jason James ’23, Davis Wallon ’22 and Marcello Demerski ’23 made the All-Tournament Team. After the break, the Martlets played the heart of the schedule and competed against several high-level teams. Throughout the season, several players stood out: Ray Liu ’22, Cooper Kistler ’22 and Jim Breen ’22 all started most of the season and contributed on both ends of the court. The team managed to pick up several more wins against Watkinson and Kent School. Jason James and Kelechi Okworogwo ’22 both carried a heavy load for the Martlets all season long.
Jason James ’23
Girls’ Varsity Basketball Although Girls’ Varsity Basketball had to deal with adversity related to health issues early in the season, it persevered, kept spirits up and competed hard for 32 minutes on game day. The team had three solid wins against evenly matched opponents, lost one or two games they could have won and stayed close in a lot of games against opponents that had just a little more depth and skill. Coach Bryan Tawney appreciated the effort everyone gave the team all winter, with special thanks to four-year players and tri-captains Samantha de Kanter ’22, Margaret Kennedy ’22 and Isabella Tawney ’22.
Isabella Tawney ’22 Spring 2022
13
Boys’ Varsity Hockey Boys’ Varsity Hockey wrapped up the regular season with an overall record of 14-9-2 but finished with an impressive 6-1 record in the Founders League with wins over Loomis, Kent and Taft. The team finished second overall in the Founders League and made the New England Tournament as the No. 3 seed in the Small School Tournament. Captains Danny Judge ’22, Luke Holyfield ’22 and Daniel Lurie ’22 did an outstanding job of leading the team through the season, and Jacob Osborne ’22 was fantastic in net for the Martlets, finishing his year with a .927 save percentage. Osborne played in all but one game this year for the Black and Gold. In addition to some excellent wins at the Flood Marr Tournament against Andover and Hotchkiss, wins against Brunswick and Kent stand out as superb team efforts. With snow forcing rescheduling, the latter weeks of the season found the Martlets playing 10 games in 17 days, out of which they emerged 6-3-1, which was an exceptional feat and gave them the opportunity to play in the New England Tournament. Governor’s Academy played a strong, consistent game in the tournament game at Jackson Rink, and despite finding a way to even the score late in the game, the Martlets came up short in the end. Daniel Lurie ’22 was named to the All-NEPSAC Team.
Jacob Osborne ’22
Girls’ Varsity Hockey Girls’ Varsity Hockey reestablished its culture and routine after a season off in 2020-2021. Sixth Formers Cammi Ahern, Kayla Ireland, Caroline Pratt and Margaret Sadak led the team as they helped bring along more than half of the players, who had never played in a Westminster jersey. Highlights included third place at the challenging Harrington Tournament and an exciting win over Lawrenceville in the final game of the season. This is a committed group that looks to build on this momentum next season.
Julio Palomino Perez ’23
Kayla Ireland ’22
Boys’ Varsity Squash Boys’ Varsity Squash finished the winter right around the .500 mark. The season started with a big road win at Salisbury and included wins over Loomis (twice), Berkshire and Trinity-Pawling. The Trinity-Pawling match took a mere 38 minutes and was the fastest match in coach Peter Doucette’s time at Westminster. Another highlight of the season was the play of Julio Palomino Perez ’23, who was named All-NEPSAC.
14
Westminster Bulletin
Girls’ Varsity Squash Girls’ Varsity Squash concluded its season with a trip to Philadelphia to play in the High School National Team Tournament. Playing in Division 4, the team went 2-2 on the weekend, including a close loss to the eventual champion. This year’s team was relatively inexperienced, with only two players with previous varsity experience, so the emphasis was on improvement. For next year, four players will return, including No. 1 Nicole Smith ’23.
Boys’ Swimming and Diving
Chandler Green ‘23
The small but mighty Boys’ Swimming and Diving team made some noise in its championship meets this season, led by Charles Perks ’22 and co-captain Max Larock ’22. Perks set new school, Founders League and New England records in the 200 and 500 freestyle races, earning All-America consideration in the 200 and automatic All-American in the 500. Larock set school records in the 50 and 100 freestyle races, adding a Founders League record in the 100 freestyle. Both boys won their respective events at the New England Championships and teamed up with Mason Zottola ’23 and Owen Huang ’23 to break the school and New England record in the 400 freestyle relay. Zottola, Huang and co-captain Spencer Kwan ’22 each contributed top eight finishes at New Englands in their individual races as the team placed fourth overall. Larock capped his Westminster career by winning the Babcock Award, voted by the coaches as the outstanding athlete of the meet. Despite having just six swimmers on the team, the boys raised eyebrows and rewrote record boards all season long. Charles Perks ’22 Margee Mahoney ’24
Girls’ Swimming and Diving Girls’ Swimming and Diving finished the season with spectacular performances at the Founders League and the New England Championship meets. Co-captain Lucy Benoit ’23 led the team with wins in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke in both meets. Her times in those events set new school, Founders League and New England records and earned her All-American consideration. Benoit teamed up with Chiamaka Kanu ’23, Hayden Schneider ’25 and co-captain Margaret Breen ’23 to break school records in the 200 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay at the Founders League Championships. The girls provided a flurry of best times in the championship season as they capitalized on their preparation in and out of the pool all season, including their training trip to the Florida Keys over Long Winter Weekend. Breen, Kanu, Schneider, Riley Vincent ’23, Margee Mahoney ’24, Cecily Belford ’24 and Grace Tyler ’24 all finished in the top eight individually at New Englands, and the team placed third overall, with Benoit winning the Robertson Award, naming her the outstanding swimmer of the meet. With just one girl graduating, the girls are poised for a tremendous 2022-2023 season.
Spring 2022
15
Women of Westminster
Perspectives on Coeducation at Westminster
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
Coeducation began at Westminster in fall 1971 with the enrollment of 12 female day students. That same year, the first full-time female teacher was appointed, and the first woman was named to the Board of Trustees. In 1977, Westminster admitted 30 girls as boarding students, and girls eventually constituted one-half of the student body.
As part of Westminster’s yearlong celebration of 50 years of coeducation, members of the Westminster community offer their perspectives about the school’s history of coeducation. They include alumnae, current and former school leaders, current and former faculty members, and current and former trustees.
16
Westminster Bulletin
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
Embracing Coeducation
1971–2021
Don Werner P’79, ’82: sixth head of school 1970-1993; faculty member 1960-1993 “The fact is that schools that went coed did it for practical reasons. The economy and cultural shifts in the late ’60s demanded it. Schools wanted to improve their student bodies, double their admissions pools by taking women. Some schools had empty beds. Some thought they were reaching too far for students who would meet their standards. The phenomenon was universal. It was Yale, Harvard, Amherst, Groton, Hotchkiss and Exeter. At that time, few schools had a long-range plan for education, and the decision had very little to do with equal opportunity for women or creating a more ‘natural’ learning environment. The result of the decision was phenomenal. All schools had a dramatic upward trajectory after going coed. It was undoubtedly the right thing to do but not fundamentally a noble gesture.”
Early Female Students Susan Wilcox White ’74, P’05: trustee 1986-1993, 2004-2010 “I was in the second class of girls when I came to Westminster my junior year, after about five weeks attending another school. Westminster seemed like a good fit right away. During my interview, the teachers and the people giving me the tour were very welcoming. The fact that there weren’t too many girls didn’t concern me. “We were not treated any differently in the classroom or around the sports teams, and most of the girls felt the same way. They were confident with themselves and in being in an environment where there were not many girls around.”
Spring 2022
17
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
Wendy McKinley Uvino ’75, P’05, ’14: trustee 1994-2007 “Because it was a small group of girls, we formed really strong bonds, and it wasn’t just within our own class. It was across the entire group of girls who were going to Westminster. We had a girls’ lounge, which was upstairs in Cushing Hall. After classes were over, it was where the girls would come together, and we had a great time talking. “I was very happy to be at Westminster. We knew that we had some things to do, particularly in athletics where there were not really enough girls to field teams. We came into this situation thinking it was going to be very much every opportunity for girls that the boys were having.”
Dick Adams P’93: faculty member 1970-2013; dean of faculty 2003-2013 “Frankly, I never asked the first girl students why they chose to come to Westminster. I don’t think I was comfortable enough as a faculty member to ask. I often wondered what would motivate somebody to do that, but they genuinely seemed excited. And from the schools they were coming from, this was brand-new, so they were learning things every day and they seemed to really relish that. “I think we’ve grown to appreciate that those first classes of women were extremely brave. They were strong coming into this environment. They were not great in numbers, so they had to depend a lot on themselves. And it was a big leap of faith for them.”
Ann Gilman P’78, ’80: 45-year tenure beginning in 1956; faculty member 1972-2001 “Coeducation was a huge turning point, and I am glad Westminster did not put it off any longer. I felt it was the only choice. “The attitude of the girls was wonderful. They worked hard to be natural and friendly, and participated so well and so eagerly. “At first for the choral groups, I arranged the pieces to fit in the girls’ voices, but it was not long before we had enough girls participating to cover the regular parts.”
18
Westminster Bulletin
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
Early Female Faculty Barbara Adams P’93: faculty member 1995-2011 “I think the school recognized that it needed to recruit good female role models. When Dick and I arrived in 1970, it was an all-boys’ school with no female faculty. But there were the faculty wives, and what we did was arrange flowers in the chapel and pour tea at faculty coffee and roles like that. I think it would have been good for the boys to have female teachers to see women in professional roles, so they could envision seeing them as leaders and people that they might want to talk to. When there were more female faculty hired, and it was very gradual, it benefited both the girls and the boys.”
Ann Gilman “I came to Westminster in 1956 when my husband, Larry, was appointed music director and an English teacher. I don’t think I was ever actually hired. I was just part of a team. “When they considered me part of the faculty in 1972, it didn’t really make any difference in my responsibilities. I still did all of the keyboard work, served as choral arranger and helped direct the musical aspects of Dramat productions. It was a busy time for me. I was having my own children and balancing that with the chapel services and the rehearsals. “But, you were not there just as a teacher. You were there as part of a family, which made quite a difference. We were neighbors, we were friends and we brought up our children together. Westminster was my home.”
Spring 2022
19
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
Joan Howard P’00, ’03: faculty member 1977-1981, 2000-2016 “I was first hired in 1977 to teach English half time and to do admissions half time. And then I was also the coach of first field hockey, first basketball and first softball. It was certainly a pioneering adventure. In 1977, there might have been two or three of us who were full time and others filling in various part-time roles for women. Most of the teaching women were not coaches, and there was always that struggle early on if we were really sort of legitimate if we didn’t also coach as most of the men did. It was a great job for me. I loved coaching. I loved teaching. “For the students and the faculty, it was heady at times, and the pioneering part of that was fun and important. But it was a slog at times. It took a lot of energy to fight some of the battles that we fought. Much to Westminster’s credit, while I don’t think there was a great system in place for welcoming or embracing women, they just folded us in for better or for worse, which was good, and you found your way.”
Tally Briggs P’01, ’05, ’07: faculty member 1977-1998 “There were very few full-time female teachers when I first got to Westminster in 1977, many more who were part time. The young female faculty members would get very close. You would socialize outside of the classroom and share about teaching and everything else. As a young mother, the school community was fabulous. For those of us who were part time, you would see each other a ton, basically helping raise each other’s children and talking about all sorts of issues.”
20
Westminster Bulletin
Women of Westminster
Serving as Head Prefect
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
1971–2021
Suzanne Daglio Armstrong ’94: head prefect 1993-1994 “When I was named the first female head prefect, I was very excited. It was an honor because it was a vote by peers. It felt like a big responsibility. Part of it was a little bit like a deer-in-theheadlights scenario but also that people trust that you are going to help move things forward, represent the school, set a good example, speak for the students and be a liaison between students and faculty. “It takes some time to figure out what the role is and what it means. As a high school student, I think you have a lot of other competing priorities, but it was a real honor. A lot of the female faculty members and the females in the class above me were so supportive, and people were screaming and cheering. It was memorable when it happened. “I don’t know if I brought anything new to the position, except for the fact that people knew that a female could be head prefect. Up until that time, maybe they did not think that was possible because people just did not vote for females. It can happen, and down the road, it happened again.”
Meg Rittenhouse ’20: head prefect 2019-2020 “The head prefect is a major role model piece for the school because coming into a boarding school is very different from regular public school like I went to before. It is someone you can talk to if you are younger and someone you feel comfortable with, not only for the students but for faculty as well. “A male head prefect already has a step up on the female head prefects because males, in general, usually get more respect than females. As I grew from my Third Form year, I gained more respect from all my peers. The girls younger than me could see that you can get respect from males and from the females, and that you are good enough and you can do it.”
Spring 2022
21
Women of Westminster C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
1971–2021
Coeducation and Life as a Student Moy Ogilvie ’86: trustee 2003-2021; trustee emerita 2021 to present “I grew up in the 1980s, so having close to 50% girls at school seemed like a normal thing. Westminster was well into coeducation and appeared to do it well in the first decade of women because I had no idea of the history. “At Westminster, I received the lesson that you can do anything you want regardless of your gender. You can go to whatever school you want. You can compete for any position that you want. You need to push yourself and put yourself out of your comfort zone. It took steps to do that, particularly for girls, but I think the school tried to expose girls to opportunities that they may not have otherwise thought of or shied away from.”
Eleni Tebano ’13: former captain of Girls’ Varsity Hockey “Part of going to prep school is to help you prepare for college. And being able to have the opportunity to go to a boarding school and have that coeducation experience in the classroom, on the field or in social settings prepares you for college, whether you realize it or not. “The girls who played sports at Westminster while I was there were all highly competitive and very driven, and that has only grown. If something were to have been given to a guys’ team over a girls’ team, there would have been some chatter about it. But, overall, we were pretty well supported. A lot of times, we wanted more people at our games because we would see the full stands at the boys’ games, but faculty members always attended. Throughout my four years, I felt that support for girls’ sports grew, especially for those big games under the lights on Hovey Field or any big rivalry matchups. I think the beauty about this community is that no matter what you are interested in, you have support — big or small.”
Yvonne Pruitt ’14: former member of the Prefect Board “In my sophomore year, I started a women’s empowerment group called Girls of Today, Women of Tomorrow. We made it an environment where women could go and be celebrated, talk and debate different issues or question things. “Female empowerment is so important. Having females in the room, in the classrooms giving answers and being the smartest person in the room is really great to see. We should see it more in every aspect of our lives, including at Westminster. “I would not have been at Westminster if coeducation had not happened. I am thankful for that because I think I have taken a lot from the school. Being able to have those opportunities has made my life better and made the projects and institutions that I have been a part of even better.”
22
Westminster Bulletin
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
Advancing the School Graham Cole H’09: seventh head of school 1993-2010; faculty member 1993-2010 “I was not at Westminster in 1971, but in my view, coeducation generally makes a school so much stronger. The quality of the student body improves, and it enriches the educational experience in so many ways. Most importantly, it is what we need to be doing to educate young people for this modern world. Coeducation was relatively new for independent schools in the 1970s, and Westminster was one of the first schools to take this step, coming at a time in this country when schools really needed to make a statement that boys should be educated with girls and vice versa, and when boys needed to get used to seeing girls as their superiors in various ways and to seeing women in leadership roles.”
Bill Philip P’06, ’09: eighth head of school 2010-2021; faculty member 1983-2021 “Many of those early female students still have a deep emotional connection to the school. They remain involved, and they continue to care about the school. Some of them have sent their children to the school, some of them have been trustees and some of them have been on the faculty. It was a really important moment for them personally, and I’m sure many of them would say for their lives. But that does not mean that their courage was any less. They saved the school. Westminster would not be what it is as a boys’ school. Nothing close.”
Dick Adams “I think coeducation is essential to good learning because it just brings so many different perspectives. It just opens up a lot of conversation. And with any commitment to diversity, it is essential, especially from the viewpoint of educators, that students are exposed to a lot of differences because that is what they are going to face when they go out in the world. It was essential to the education at Westminster.”
Spring 2022
23
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
Serving on the Westminster Board of Trustees Susan Wilcox White “The first time I was asked to join the Board of Trustees as the first alumna trustee, I was only 28 years old and was petrified. Living in California, I didn’t know how I was going to get to Westminster. I also didn’t know what to say that would be of value, so after sitting quietly in the back row for the first few meetings, I figured out how a board operated. Over the course of the first few years, it became easier to be more outspoken in how things could possibly be changed. I eventually found myself on the Executive Committee, but needed to work up to that. And since then, there have been many women on the board, and they have all been great assets to its work. They have been accomplished and have offered a good perspective of what the school is all about.”
Wendy McKinley Uvino “The Board of Trustees is really an incredibly important leadership component of the school. I was so honored to be asked to join the board. I felt I could particularly contribute to the Faculty Committee, which I served on, and do things for the faculty. My father had been a faculty member, so I felt like I was giving back to the school in a great way. I also have had a career in human resources, so a lot of the things that came up in terms of faculty I could talk about. “When I joined the board, the makeup of the board was becoming much more diverse. There were more women being appointed, and the board experience further connected me to the school.”
Moy Ogilvie “When I first started on the board in 2003, there were fewer women trustees. Now, I see at meetings many women trustees who are alumnae, parents and others. It is important that women are at the table in that regard and helping the school develop and be run. Just seeing that significant change in the time that I have been a trustee is really exciting, and I know it will continue.”
24
Westminster Bulletin
Women of Westminster C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
Coeducation Today and In the Future
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
1971–2021
Elaine White: head of school 2021-present; faculty member 2021-present “The young women in the early years of coeducation at Westminster had to carve out a place for women on campus and had to find voice, so that the rest of us coming after them were able to walk in those paths and keep going. “It has been 50 years of coeducation at Westminster, but at the same time, it has been 50 years of progress. And as we think about the next 10, 20, 25 or even 30 years at Westminster, what we know is that there is always continued progress. We have this foundation of inclusion and collaboration, and we will continue to build on that as we move forward.”
Jessica Keough: faculty member 2008-present; dean of faculty 2020 to present “Like anything that is transformative, coeducation started to create a ripple that has continually pushed the boundaries of what we think Westminster should be. Even today in the conversations I have with young women, we are working on creating a space for ourselves in this tradition and that is an exciting opportunity. It is always a means to better our community and the experience of all of our students.”
Moy Ogilvie “I hope that from this coeducation experiment that has gone on for decades at places like Westminster and at other institutions that everyone realizes the potential of women, the power of women and that women are a great resource and can help change the game, whether it is in the workplace or elsewhere. We have reached a point where society is realizing women can accomplish a great deal and have so much impact.”
Spring 2022
25
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
Where Are They Now?
Clockwise from top left: Susan Gossling ’75, Heidi Grinold ’75, Meriwether Hardie ’05 and Shirene Brown ’87.
The following are profiles of four alumnae in Westminster’s history of coeducation. Two were members of the first group of students admitted in fall 1971, one is the first recipient of Westminster’s Richard K. LeBlond II Honor Award and the fourth is a recipient of Westminster’s Wilbraham Bowl. In this look at where they are now, they share their personal stories of what brought them to Westminster, to college, to their careers and to their present lives.
26
Westminster Bulletin
Women of Westminster
A New Day for Westminster
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
Susan Gossling Walters ’75 was introduced to Westminster School by former faculty member Charlie Dietrich, who tutored her brother — a Watkinson School student — in math at their family home in Bloomfield. Susan eventually became a babysitter for the Dietrichs at Westminster, which provided her an opportunity to get to know the campus. “When the time came to talk with my family about ninth grade, my parents wanted me to go to a private school,” said Susan, who had been attending public schools in Bloomfield. “Being part of the first class of girls at Westminster was one of the factors to consider compared with other options, but, ultimately, the family environment at Westminster and my familiarity with the campus made the decision.” She entered Westminster as a Third Former in fall 1971 as a member of the first group of 12 female students, who were affectionately called the Dirty Dozen, after a 1967 war film.
Top right, Susan Gossling Walters ’75; above, Susan, top row left, with other students in the girls’ lounge.
“I had a lot of spirit and wasn’t intimidated by it,” said Susan. “I liked the challenge and the ‘firstness’ of it. I felt there would be enough support and the familiarity piece was important. Also, being a day student meant that my family was close by, and they could come to all the games and special events.” But there were challenges. “Westminster was not 100% prepared for that first group of girls,” she said. “They did the best they could, but one of the challenges was that the 12 of us were not all in the freshman class cohort. We were spread across the forms. Also, there were not female mentorship adults in place. Some of the faculty wives stepped in as best they could, but it wasn’t until the second year or so that a girls’ lounge was created. And the coaching staff was not permanent.” Sports equipment was also in short supply. “When I played lacrosse that first year, there was no girls’ lacrosse equipment for the goalie,” she explained. “Playing goalie, I had on a baseball catcher’s shield on loan from the boys’ team, the field hockey leggings and a boy’s helmet. But I tied a pink bow in the back, so I would be recognized as female.” She added that the second year more girls were admitted and created a stronger identity for the girls. The number of female staff members also increased. Early in her tenure, Westminster’s black-tie tradition for new students was in effect, requiring boys to wear black ties all of the time and girls to wear something that resembled a black scarf. “They didn’t fit with anything that we were wearing,” said Susan. “We would tie it around the waist Spring 2022
27
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
28
like a belt or wear it as a tie or headscarf. But there was a revolt, and we all got together in Baxter Academic Center and put all of our black scarves in the waste can, signifying we didn’t want to do this anymore.” Despite these early challenges, being one of the first female students appealed to Susan. “Nobody sugar coated it,” she said. “It was a new day at Westminster to have girls on campus and to matriculate. And I am sure the administration knew it was going to change the school forever and it has. It Girls’ Lacrosse in 1973 with Susan in the back row, third from the right. was safe enough for me because I knew teachers and Westminster enough to not feel I was venturing into unknown territory.” Girls quickly assumed leadership roles on the yearbook, nonprofit sector and started her own small public relations the newspaper and as prefects. “I didn’t feel like I was being company. She also worked for Goucher College as the editor held out of any opportunities,” she said. “Another saving of the school’s magazine and at the Johns Hopkins School of grace for me was the role of Mr. and Mrs. Gilman and the Public Health before starting her current 15-year career in chorus program. They really got the best out of everybody the marketing department of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), who was in the chorus. And then there were the Millers the one of the largest international humanitarian development Adamses and the Hoveys, with family members all present at agencies in the world. She has traveled to Africa, Latin the games and in the dining hall. Their sense of partnership America and Madagascar, as well as around the U.S. “When was impressive and another role model.” I visited CRS programs, we traveled deep into villages and As a Martlet, Susan played soccer, lacrosse and squash, met farmers, teachers, community organizers and many and participated in skiing, Dance, Dramat, The Westminster religious leaders who were working to improve health, News, the Dance Committee and the education and incomes,” she said. Curriculum Committee. “I have had exposure to things I never When it came time to apply to could have imagined. It has been Westminster was not colleges, she initially wanted to stay in lifelong learning.” New England and have a coeducational Susan lives in the northern 100% prepared for that experience. But after meeting some part of Baltimore County, with her representatives of Goucher College at husband, Chris, and their extended first group of girls. They a college fair, she changed course and family includes three daughters did the best they could, ended up in Baltimore at Goucher, and grandchildren. She has visited a women’s college at the time. She classmates while traveling and keeps but one of the challenges majored in arts and ideas, a combination up with others via social media. of English, philosophy and studio art. Reflecting on the 50-year was that the 12 of And while there, she completed an anniversary of coeducation at us were not all in the internship with the Baltimore Sun, Westminster, she said: “I certainly where she covered the police, fire, city didn’t go into being a student in that freshman class cohort. hall and crime beats. “I really saw first group of girls thinking there would Baltimore up close and fell in love be this giant legacy. We should welcome We were spread across with the city,” she said. these opportunities to look back and the forms. Not wanting to become a journalist, see where we have come from and Susan completed a professional evaluate what is past. If there was a certificate program in writing for public group today, and they were called the relations at Goucher a year after earning Dirty Dozen, I am not sure what the her bachelor’s degree. “That really put me on my career track, response would be. Context really does change. Westminster which has been wonderful,” she said. has a great tradition, and there are parts that are completely Living in the Baltimore area for nearly 40 years, Susan recognizable to me today and there are parts that have has worked for the city’s redevelopment agency, been in the changed. It is 2022.”
Westminster Bulletin
Women of Westminster
Lucky to be Part of the History
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
As one of Westminster’s first 12 female students, Heidi Grinold Derbyshire ’75 did not set out to be a trailblazer in the school’s history. In fact, she visited the school with her younger twin brothers when they were applying. “My mother heard Westminster was taking girls, so I went along for the ride,” said Heidi. At the time, Heidi was attending middle school in Granby, Conn. Heidi did apply to Westminster, was accepted and arrived on campus as a Third Form day student in fall 1971, the first year of coeducation. Her biggest adjustment was feeling unprepared for the academic challenges. “I really didn’t know how to study,” she said. “But I liked that it was cool to work hard, which was freeing because I was a good student. Previously, I had never had two-and-a-half hours of homework a night, and I was surprised by how much I needed to learn in terms of studying.” Heidi did not give much thought about being one of Westminster’s first female students. “It just wasn’t a big deal to me,” she said. “It was a little sparse, but I think they were not sure it was going to work. I was so happy to be at a great school that I didn’t think about it. We were told there would be more girls the next year and there were. Classes were small, so I wasn’t one of 20 in a classroom, and the boys were awesome. When more girls arrived, we could have teams.”
Top, Heidi Grinold Derbyshire ’75 and, above, Heidi as Girls’ Tennis captain warming up.
But Heidi felt the school was not fully prepared for the arrival of its first female students, who were all day students. One of the challenges was that there was no location on campus for the girls to take a break. “I think it was the second or third year before they made a girls’ lounge in the main building,” she said. “The faculty wives were extremely supportive, not that the men were not. Once we got friendly with the faculty wives, we totally had a place to go, and it was only a couple of weeks before we figured that out. We felt welcome at anyone’s house, and if we had to stay late at school, we could always spend the night at a faculty home, which was really helpful. I never felt unwelcome.” Heidi played field hockey, was captain of Girls’ Tennis, managed the Third Boys’ Hockey team and skied one semester. She also served as a class officer, chair of the Curriculum Committee, an officer of Dramat, and a member of the Choir, the Dance Committee and SPHERE (Supplementary Program for Hartford in Educational Reinforcement and Enrichment). “The school did as much as it could to get us involved in everything,” she said. With SPHERE, she tutored students in Hartford once a week during the school year and five days a week during its six-week summer programs. “I ended up teaching as an Spring 2022
29
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
Students who participated in tutoring in Hartford, including Heidi, front row, fifth from the left.
assistant to a preeminent teacher and Twelve years ago, Heidi made a that was pretty cool,” said Heidi, who career shift and started a home sewing also completed a Westminster senior business called HGD Designs, for which Once we got friendly project, teaching reading skills to she produces home decorations, linens middle school students in Hartford. “I and curtains. She has had a lifelong with the faculty wives, knew the school and knew some of the interest in sewing and started her children from the SPHERE program,” business when her mother-in-law gave we totally had a place she said. “I went to Hartford every day her a cutting table and other sewing to go, and it was only a after spring vacation until graduation, equipment. Heidi initially went to trade and then I would come back to shows and fairs to gather business but couple of weeks before Westminster and do afternoon sports. now limits her work to clients who It was an awesome opportunity.” contact her. “It’s been an awesome thing we figured that out. We After graduating from during the pandemic,” she said. felt welcome at anyone’s Westminster, Heidi attended Wells Heidi has kept in touch with some College, where she majored in English former faculty members over the years house, and if we had to literature with a minor in education. such as Joan and the late Jonathan “I liked Wells because the classes were O’Brien, Alan Brooks ’55 and Tally and stay late at school, we like seminars with about 12 women Peter Briggs ’71. She has also maintained could always spend the in a class,” she said. She still finds it close connections with former classmates ironic that she selected an all-women’s Susan Gossling Walters ’75 and Jocelyn night at a faculty home, college, at the time. Kurosky Vallieres ’73, with whom she Heidi aspired to be a teacher after which was really helpful. and her family have vacationed in the graduating from Wells, in part because summer. Heidi’s two sisters, Melinda I never felt unwelcome. of her Westminster experience tutoring Grinold Bicknell ’79 and Alicia Grinold students in Hartford. She embarked on Hamblett ’81, are also Westminster an 18-year teaching career that took graduates. her to Michigan and Boston, where she Heidi lives in Little Compton, earned an M.Ed. in teaching reading R.I., with her husband, Ralph, and from Lesley University and served as an adjunct faculty member has two children and a foster daughter. Reflecting back working with student teachers. She has taught at the elementary about Westminster’s 50 years of coeducation, she said, school, high school and college levels. “I kept feeling I had to get “Westminster was the best place for me, and I was pretty the students earlier to make a difference,” she said. lucky to be part of that history.”
30
Westminster Bulletin
Women of Westminster
Paying the Guidance Forward the first recipient of the Richard K. LeBlond II Honor Award at commencement in 1987. The award, which is given annually to a Sixth Former who exemplifies dedication to academics and loyalty to the school, was a surprise. “I had my shoes off because it was a hot day,” she recalled. “I was tickled and honored to get that award. My grades were not the best, but I was dedicated to making sure they were good. I took them seriously and loved the school.” But Shirene’s positive feelings about Westminster were not immediate. During her first couple of weeks as a Fourth Form boarding student from Hartford, she didn’t feel it was a good match for her. “I went from being in a predominantly Black educational setting, even though my teachers may not have been, to a predominantly white setting,” she explained. “It was a totally different learning environment. While I had been an excellent student at Weaver High School, there was a learning curve for me when I got to Westminster, both socially and academically. It was also pretty much the first time I had been away from everyone in my family.”
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
Shirene Brown ’87 became part of Westminster history as
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
Soon her experience started to improve. “I had some people take me under their wing and teach me how to adjust to boarding school,” she said. “I learned to adapt and have fun. Previously, I had not received the education I deserved, and all of a sudden, I had to work harder to get the same grades I had earned before. After that, I had a ball.” She credits the Eckersons, the Ilzarbes and the Adamses as some of her faculty mentors. Shirene also decided to pay the guidance she received forward. “A lot of us came from different places, so for the next class that came in my junior year, I took the girls under my wing,” she said. “And when I graduated, I passed the torch on to them to make sure the next students adjusted.” Shirene participated in numerous student activities. “I have always liked to be involved and well-rounded,” she said. “I wanted the educational aspect, but I also wanted the entertainment aspect because I think it all goes together. It taught me different levels of scheduling and organizing things. Everything was fun.”
Top, Shirene Brown ’87; and, above, Shirene, second row, fourth from left, with student participants in SPHERE. Spring 2022
31
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
32
Shirene was a co-head of SPHERE (Supplementary Program for Hartford in Educational Reinforcement and Enrichment), and a member of Black and Gold, John Hay, Chorale, Dramat and the Spanish Club. She also played soccer and basketball, managed boys’ basketball and participated in Dance. She especially enjoyed tutoring students in Hartford through her involvement in SPHERE. “It was my way of giving back,” she said. “My father and mother were both educators.” At the time, her father was assistant director at the University of Connecticut Center for Academic Programs, and her mother served on the Connecticut State Board of Education. Growing Shirene receiving the Richard K. LeBlond II Honor Award at commencement in 1987. up, Shirene lived in-residence at UConn for many summers, along with her father, where she took part manager for a pediatric dental group for 16 years that owned in Upward Bound, a six-week summer program that gives several practices. students the experience of college life. Living in Greensboro for the past 30 years, she has been a Following graduation from Westminster, Shirene real estate broker since 1999 but spends most of her time now attended Colgate University, where she majored in Latin working for her own business, Naturally Made by Shirene American studies and African American studies. While there, LLC, where she designs and sells T-shirts, jewelry, wooden she served as vice president of the Black Student Union, items and skincare products online. was a DJ with a group called WeFunk and for the campus “I do a lot of different things,” she said. “I promote radio station, and sang with a band. Her work with the vegan food and cook it locally, and I started a farm called Black Student Union involved bringing prominent speakers Brown Naturally Made Farm where I grow vegetables. I lease to campus to give lectures, including Angela Davis, for the land but hope to eventually own land. whom Shirene, who loves to cook, I am also a master herbalist. I love the was delighted to be able to prepare a freedom of working for myself and the vegetarian meal. chance to be creative.” Shirene felt well prepared for Social media has allowed Shirene college. “Westminster taught me life A lot of us came from to reconnect with Westminster friends lessons about adapting to different and faculty members she never thought environments,” she said. “There was different places, so for she would be in contact with after her no big adjustment going to college. the next class that came Westminster graduation. On the social side, I was much more “Westminster taught me a lot about advanced than a lot of my friends in my junior year, I took the real world and life,” she said. “It was because I had already been out of a great experience for me.” She thinks the house, and academically, I had the girls under my wing. Westminster’s celebration of 50 years experienced a college-like schedule. I And when I graduated, of coeducation is a milestone not to be was very balanced and well-rounded missed. “A lot of times, women don’t when I got there.” I passed the torch on to get the acknowledgement that we need After finishing college, Shirene and deserve,” she said. “It is important moved to North Carolina, thinking them to make sure the that we know the history and that for so she would attend graduate school but next students adjusted. many years Westminster was an all-boys’ changed her mind. She has worked in school. And when the women came along, loan servicing and mortgage lending, they improved it because, obviously, we and earned her real estate broker did. And we did it well.” license. She also was a business Westminster Bulletin
Women of Westminster
Distinguished and Loyal Service to Westminster
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
For someone who thrives on involvement at all levels, Meriwether Hardie ’05 was inspired by the multitude of activities in which she could participate as a Westminster student. “The individual independence I could have, especially as I got older, and the organized structure around different sports and academics were so important to me,” she said. As a boarder from Vermont, Meriwether played soccer, hockey and lacrosse, and was a member of the Prefect Board, the John Hay Vestry, Seniors as Sisters, Chamber Choir, Chorale and Dramat. She also served as a corridor proctor, a class officer, co-president of the Spirit Club and was selected to attend the National Young Leaders Conference. Added to this full slate of activities, she secured an equestrian exemption that allowed her to bike 10 miles round trip each day to ride her horse at a local stable. Meriwether Hardie ’05 hiking in Alaska. Not surprisingly, Meriwether was named the recipient of the Wilbraham Bowl at commencement members with serving as important in 2004. The award is given to a member mentors, including Kathleen Devaney of the Fifth Form who best embodies P’19, ’22, who was her history teacher At Westminster, the qualities of Geoffrey Wilbraham, and coach. “When playing varsity I developed an interesting lacrosse, I was never the strongest who gave distinguished and loyal service to Westminster from 1959-1994: high athlete on the field, but she really helped combination of seeking personal standards, consistent respect for me learn some of my strengths,” said others, unswerving commitment to the group activities while also Meriwether. “I remember how she common good, steady insistence on fair would thank me for my positive energy continuing to explore my and do it in a way that made me really play and abiding human decency. “The award was unexpected proud to show up, to show who I was own individuality. and an honor because oftentimes you and to feel I was a valuable part of the don’t get recognized for those things,” team. It was very rewarding to be both a said Meriwether. “At Westminster, I student in her classroom and on the field developed an interesting combination of with her.” seeking group activities while also continuing to explore Some of Meriwether’s other faculty mentors included her my own individuality.” advisor, Peter Ulrich P’09, ’10, Peter Newman ’80, P’16 and Meriwether grew up hearing about Westminster from Brian Ford. “I was not a good writer, but I had a lot of raw Tom McCargo ’82, P’21, her uncle, who had served as head passion about it,” said Meriwether. “Mr. Ford really taught prefect. “He talked about Westminster with such love, so me how to take that energy and turn it into powerful words. when I was looking at schools, I was drawn to it,” she said. That is something for which I am grateful and a tool I use She was further convinced it would be a good match after every day.” some standout conversations with some Westminster teachers. Meriwether attended Colorado College because of her Looking back, Meriwether credits a number of faculty love of big mountains and open sky. “I have always been Spring 2022
33
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
happiest and healthiest when I’m outside,” she said. She majored in environmental science with a minor in journalism and wrote her senior thesis on the carbon market. She later earned a graduate degree from Harvard Business School. Today, Meriwether runs BioLogical Capital, which is based in Denver. Its mission is to transform how land is valued, developed and protected. The company works with investors and landowners to design, build, conserve and manage diverse Meriwether, second row, fifth from the left, with members of the John Hay Society. land-based projects in urban and rural environments. Northwest where we traversed through the Olympic National “The whole premise around the company is to work on Park. I do this because I learn so much about leadership and how humans live on this planet and how to do it in a way that how to reach different types of people, and then I bring it into is regenerative versus extractive,” she explained. “We look at my business world.” food, water, energy and land use, and come up with business Before her work with Bio-Logical Capital, she was models that put more in than they take out.” employed by Rainforest Alliance. She has traveled all over Meriwether’s passion for the outdoors was further the world and serves on the board of directors of NPR, the propelled by her participation in the Outdoor Leadership Vermont Land Trust and some local agriculture organizations Club at Colorado College and then her work as an instructor in Colorado. “The question I have been asking my whole life for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), a is how do we take care of landscapes and acknowledge that nonprofit wilderness school that takes students of all ages and we need to use them for resources, but we also need them in a experiences into wilderness classrooms around the world. way that is in balance with the resources that are there,” she While working at NOLS, she was awarded a yearlong explained. journalism fellowship where she rode a horse through the Meriwether believes it is important to celebrate 50 years Tierra del Fuego archipelago in Patagonia, writing about the of coeducation at Westminster. “Since I was a student, I think conflict of conservation. it has become a lot more pronounced in terms of how we “I still take vacation days to go lead NOLS courses,” recognize, how we cultivate and how we provide additional she said. “Last summer, I led an amazing course in the Pacific tools to help female leaders,” she said. “It is so important that we are calling more attention to these areas. I love that Westminster is doing this both internally and externally and think it will lead to stronger mentorships and support for female leaders and participants.” Over the years, Meriwether has remained in contact with a close group of Westminster friends and some faculty members. “Westminster was truly the time where I realized that you could develop friendships with people of all different ages,” she said. “I feel grateful for my time there, including the academics, the long-term friends I developed, my relationships with teachers and playing sports. It was a great fit.” Members of the 2004-2005 Prefect Board with Meriwether, second from top on the left.
34
Westminster Bulletin
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Coeducation
Women of Westminster 1971–2021
A daylong celebration of Westminster’s half-century of coeducation took place on campus April 22 and was attended by alumni, current and former heads of school, current and former faculty members, current and former parents, trustees, fellows and guests. Events included campus tours, a panel discussion, an art exhibit, presentation of the Alan F. Brooks ’55 Distinguished Alumni Award, remarks from the head of school and a dinner in Armstrong Dining Hall. The day culminated special programming that took place throughout the 2021-2022 academic year in recognition of the 50th anniversary of women at Westminster.
Spring 2022
35
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
Martlet Talks During a panel discussion moderated by Director of Studies Betsy Heckman in Gund Reading Room, a group of alumnae and students shared their thoughts about their Westminster experiences. The panelists included Betsy Blumenthal ’76, Dr. Gena Carter ’76, Qifei Min ’22, Amy Dana Myzie ’75, Catherine Rodrigues ’23, Bella Tawney ’22, Bella Ursano ’23 and Janessa Yan ’22. After introducing themselves, the panelists fielded questions from Betsy and the audience about their favorite parts of their journey at Westminster, moments when they felt change happening on campus, what would surprise current students and alumni about their time at Westminster, whether there was a time or a person who had a profound effect on them at Westminster, any great words of wisdom they had received, favorite school traditions, what they hope for the next generation of Westminster students 10-15 years from now, notable recent changes on campus, one piece of advice they would give new students and how having girls on campus changed connections with boys.
Top, three alumnae and five students respond to questions during a panel discussion; above left, Janessa Yan ’22; above right, Gena Carter ’76, Amy Dana Myzie ’75 and Betsy Blumenthal ’76.
Alumnae Art Exhibit
Above, art teacher Kerry Kendall and Siobhan Ulrich P’09, ’10 view the art exhibit and, below, works of art by Yilun Zheng ’17, Tricia McLaughlin ’82, Jennifer Keeney-Bleeg ’95 and Alex Boyden ’82.
36
Westminster Bulletin
The opening of an art show featuring the works of nine alumnae artists was held in Baxter Gallery in Armour Academic Center. The show will be on display throughout the spring. The works included mixed media on paper and canvas, a gelatin silver print, acrylics and oils on canvas and paper, and photography. The contributing artists included Sarah Alibrahimi ’16, Alex Boyden ’82, the late Gretchen Cummins Hupfel ’82, Jennifer KeeneyBleeg ’95, Tricia McLaughlin ’82, Tori Pizzuto ’10, Ali Reboul ’01, Susan Wilcox White ’74, P’05 and Yilun Zheng ’17.
Women of Westminster
A program to pay tribute to the anniversary celebration took place in Werner Centennial Center and began with a welcome by Shannon O’Shaughnessy, director of advancement operations and co-chair of the 50th anniversary of coeducation celebration. “We have had the opportunity to gather alumnae from across the country in a series of panel discussions, to collaborate with students and faculty members, and now to share this moment of celebration, reflection and forward momentum with all of you,” she said. She then introduced David Chrzanowski, head of the Visual and Performing Arts Department, who led a performance of “When the Chips are Down” featuring Margot Douglass ’22, Tomasina Pearman ’23 and Catherine Rodrigues ’23. The next speaker was Trustee Renée Lynch Carrel ’84, P’19, ’21, also a co-chair of the coeducation celebration. “I arrived on Williams Hill in September 1981, exactly one decade after Westminster welcomed
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
Celebration Program and Presentation of the Distinguished Alumni Award
1971–2021
Left, Shannon O’Shaughnessy welcomes everyone to the celebration and, right, Margot Douglass ’22, Tomasina Pearman ’23 and Catherine Rodrigues ’23 perform “When the Chips are Down.”
its first female students to campus and four years after the first female boarders took up residence in Westminster House,” said Renée. “I have to admit I had absolutely no idea that I was entering Westminster in the early stages of coeducation. I was definitely focused more on what lay ahead than what had come before. “Forty years later, however, as an alumna and mother of two daughters who have graduated from Westminster, it’s been incredible to reflect on the coeducation journey that started with those first 12 young women 50 years ago and has been filled with so much growth, grit and grace. Those first classes of trailblazing women paved the way for me, my daughters and so many other Westminster women.” Renée then introduced Seema Nanda ’88, the 2022 recipient of the Alan F. Brooks ’55 Distinguished Alumni Award, saying, “I think we can all agree that the Class of 1988 got it right when they voted Seema ‘most likely to succeed.’” The award, which was established in 2011 by the Class of 1966, is given annually to a former student who exemplifies in thought, word and deed Westminster’s mission and its core values of community, character, balance and involvement. Seema, who earned a B.A in history and international relations from Brown University and a J.D. from Boston College Law School, is the solicitor of labor at the U.S.
“Forty years later, however, as an alumna and mother of two daughters who have graduated from Westminster, it’s been incredible to reflect on the coeducation journey that started with those first 12 young women 50 years ago and has been filled with so much growth, grit and grace.”
Trustee Renée Lynch Carrel ’84 presents the Alan F. Brooks ’55 Distinguished Alumni Award to Seema Nanda ’88.
Spring 2022
37
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
38
Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., where she heads up a 650-person legal office that enforces over 150 labor laws throughout the country. She previously served in leadership roles at the U.S Department of Labor in the Obama and Biden administration, including chief of staff, deputy solicitor, and deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to the secretary. Seema has led the now-named Office of Immigrant and Employee Rights Section of the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and worked at the National Labor Relations Board and as an associate in private practice. She has also served as CEO of the Democratic National Committee and as chief operating officer and executive vice president at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. She was a fellow at Harvard Law School’s Labor and Worklife Program. While Seema was a Westminster student, she received the Trinity Book Prize and the History Essay Prize, was a staff writer and editor-in-chief for The Westminster News, was a class officer all four years, was a member of Black and Gold and Chorale, and performed community service at a local nursing home. She played on Girls’ Varsity Soccer, Varsity Volleyball, including captain her Sixth Form year, and Girls’ Junior Varsity Lacrosse. In accepting the award, Seema, said, “It has been quite an experience being back at Westminster, reliving memories and experiences that feel like a lifetime or two ago.” She added that it was extra special being back with her sister, Renu Nanda Goyle ’85. Seema talked about first visiting Westminster as an 11-year-old. “Westminster was, in nearly all ways, where I grew up, though in retrospect, I of course had so much more growing to do,” she said. “Nothing was easy about Westminster. The classes were rigorous. The teachers cared deeply about us, but could be very intimidating. Saturday classes followed by games were a lot.” She also discussed some of the challenges of her classes, saying: “You belong, just word hard, is a theme that reverberated throughout my Westminster days and certainly throughout my life. … But slowly, I became me. With bad tests and missed homework, there were no redos at Westminster. … But there was heart, there was community, there were shared values, caring, always.” She recounted a story about rewriting an already graded Fifth Form U.S. history paper at the behest of her history teacher, Bill Philip, who also told her about “a newfangled thing the kids were all using called an Apple computer.” She described how she spent endless hours and several months rewriting the paper — learning to write, rewrite and edit — and to use a computer. “But it epitomized to me the grit that Westminster taught me,” she said. “You belong, work harder.” She also talked about some of the faculty members
Westminster Bulletin
Seema Nanda gives remarks.
who had an impact on her and how she didn’t think that during her time at Westminster there was another Asian American. “If I think back to my experience, my sister and I were really the outliers and not in the data set. We were the exception and not the rule. But Westminster made a home for us, and I would like to think that Westminster benefited just a little from our perspective.” She mentioned her career and how she has been lucky to hold a number of positions in Washington, D.C. “But the lessons I took from my time at Westminster grounded and propelled me,” she said. “First, nothing worth anything happens without a lot of grit. And it doesn’t always work out even if you do have grit. But it makes you feel OK about how it worked out. You can control the input, not the outcome. Second, our community matters. Showing you care what happens to people matters. Westminster created a community first and foremost, and it still does today, with its values and norms, many of which probably desperately needed some updating in the 1980s. But that’s happening, I can say today, and the caring was always in spades. And third, the grace with which you handle things — success, failure and actually most of life — matters a lot more than the outcome. As I’ve come to know the school again, it’s a pleasure to see Westminster growing, learning, daring and, dare I say, even doing some reckoning.” In closing, she thanked the school for honoring the 50th anniversary of coeducation and mentioned her admiration of the faculty past and present. “And I thank you for this award,” she said. “I am very humbled by it and do like to think that unemployed or not, I’d still be standing here accepting this award, because perhaps Westminster has helped instill in all of us that it’s not always about the results, the grades, the scores, the big paying jobs but really about the grit and grace that we bring to all of it.”
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
Coeducation Film Screening
1971–2021
Following the award presentation, Shannon introduced a film about coeducation by saying: “We started this year by connecting with individuals who helped to create culture and community, including current and former faculty and the four living heads of school, as well as those who bravely drove the onset of coeducation as students in the 1970s and women who have continued to evolve our notions of equity and belonging in the decades since. One artifact we leave at this 50th anniversary mark is a brief film.”
Head of School Remarks “It is a rare moment that one gets to have the final word on the final word,” said Head of School Elaine White as she began her remarks about the celebration. “And so, I say, Amen. It is the word that ends a prayer in Jewish, Christian and Islamic worship, and it seems most appropriate in the wake of that wonderfully affirming video. “What incredible change, growth and progress for this little school on Williams Hill. What a moment to bask in all that is right in the world and celebrate our success. Amen is the perfect punctuation to this momentous year of celebrating 50 years of coeducation at Westminster. “It is a word derived from Hebrew, which translated, means I believe. It is true. Let it be so. As I listen to the people in the video recall the brave girls and women upon whose shoulders we stand and the progress that Westminster has made, all three translations resonate. “Amen. I believe in the vision, determination and relentless courage of the many women and men who over the course of the past 50 years have dedicated themselves to ensuring that all students, regardless of gender, have access to the full experience of a Westminster education. “Amen. It is true that Westminster School has been made infinitely richer and wiser and more joyful by its inclusion of girls. “Amen — let it be so. That is the third translation. It is a prayer upon a prayer. Right? That last translation — let it be so — is not exactly a sure moment. In this translation, Amen confers a hope that what has happened and what has been said are true and will always be true. Amen. Let it be
so. It is that last translation that we must embrace because it both celebrates our accomplishments of the past 50 years and outlines the work of the next 50 years.” She spoke about an essay written by Francesca Carnovale ’23 for an English Department writing contest related to the coeducation celebration and Francesca’s interest in pursuing aerospace engineering and astrophysics. “Francesca will be a rocket scientist,” said Elaine. “Fifty years ago, when Beth-Ann Gentile ’72 bravely crossed the
Top, a screening of a film about coeducation at Westminster and, above, Head of School Elaine White gives remarks.
Spring 2022
39
Women of Westminster CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
1971–2021
stage and accepted her diploma as the first female graduate of Westminster, she held the door open for generations of Francescas to dream about being rocket scientists.” Elaine then referenced a March celebration of Women’s History Month, when Molly Rubin and Janessa Yan, Sixth Form co-presidents of Westminster’s All for One Feminist Alliance, reminded everyone: “Fifty years ago, 12 women entered our school with hundreds of boys and leaned into the discomfort. They navigated sports, dress code and social life, so that we could someday call Westminster a school of coeducation.” “Fittingly, Molly and Janessa urged all of us in the audience that day to continue to lean into that discomfort to make this campus a more welcoming and diverse place,” continued Elaine. “They asked us: ‘What can you do that in 50 years will make Westminster a better place for the newest kids on the Hill? The answer isn’t always to create immediate, radical change, but we encourage you all to try to support changes in this community and others, even if it means uncertainty.’ “Francesca, Molly, Janessa and their fellow students drive the work forward,” said Elaine. “Westminster has created the space for these young women to be heard and valued. That has been the work of the past 50 years, and it is what we celebrate tonight. It is work that has been wrung from the hands, hearts and minds of many — women and
men alike — and it is work that has demanded incredible sacrifice, courage and resilience. While we have had a lovely year of celebration and many avenues by which to celebrate — apt readings, unique assessments, interesting assignments, and intriguing speakers and talented performers, we also have had the newest generation of young Westminster students on our heels, demanding more change and continued progress. Amen to that!” Lastly, Elaine spoke about a recent presentation given to the school community by Meredith Hughes, an associate professor of astronomy at Wesleyan University. “She is the real deal,” said Elaine. “She is just what Francesca Carnovale hopes to be one day.” Elaine highlighted Professor Hughes’ discussion of how for the first 25 cycles of Hubble Space Telescope proposals, those written by women were systematically ranked lower by reviewers than proposals written by men until cycle 26, when they took all the names off the proposals. “Our job, as we move forward and continue the legacy of coeducation, is to make sure that Francesca Carnovale, as well as every other young woman, can proudly put her name on her research and be judged by the content of her findings and the clarity of her thinking,” said Elaine. “Let it be so. It is up to us — all of us — in this room, on this campus, associated with Westminster — to accept the torch as it is passed to us and work together to make it be so. Amen.”
Celebration Dinner The day’s events concluded with cocktails and dinner in Armstrong Dining Hall. Head of School White thanked Renée for her work on the yearlong celebration and recognized some alumnae in the audience who graduated in the 1970s: Betsy Blumenthal ’76, Dr. Gena Carter ’76, Irene McCormack ’74, Amy Dana Myzie ’75 and Jamie Slimmon Somes ’76. After Dr. Carter gave the blessing, conversation at many of the dinner tables was about the day’s events and how nice it was to share the celebration in person, following two years of campus safety protocols due to the pandemic.
40
Westminster Bulletin
Top left, former heads of school Bill Philip P’06, ’09, Don Werner P’79, ’82 and Graham Cole H’09 with current head of school Elaine White; top right, the dinner celebration in Gund Dining Room; and above, recognition of alumnae who graduated in the 1970s.
Women of Westminster C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT WESTMINSTER SCHOOL 1971-2021
Snapshots from the Day
1971–2021
Spring 2022
41
Westminster students are learning to explore the universe just like professional astronomers, thanks to the recent remodeling of the school’s Barnes-Bristow Observatory. The modernization of the two-level facility and its equipment was made possible by a gift from an anonymous donor.
42
Westminster Bulletin
“Anytime we take education out of the classroom is good,” said Lee Zalinger P’05, ’07, ’09, head of Westminster’s Science Department and holder of the Robert F. Bynum ’69 Chair in Science. The astronomical observatory’s top level houses a main telescope and a small viewing platform, while the lower level provides a setting for a class or visitors to view images from the main telescope on a large screen. A vertical hatch in the dome can be opened and rotated for telescopic observations of a selected area of the sky. Located on a hilltop in the northeast part of the campus, the observatory was originally dedicated in May 1986. Its design was based on drawings by students in the school’s advanced architecture course at the time.
John Clofine ’22, Agee Peters ’22 and Boniface Fatohou ’23 using the portable binocular telescope.
State-of-the-Art Equipment The observatory’s new equipment includes three state-of-the-art telescopes. “There have been two very nice telescopes in there since the observatory was built,” said Lee. “The one we just took out needed to be replaced or repaired, but the manufacturer is in receivership, so repair was not an option. I consulted with two different telescope shops to select the most up-to-date equipment.” The new main telescope, which was installed in December, is a five-inch refractor that is mounted on a concrete pier and is equipped with its own computer and two high-tech digital cameras. Viewing is not done by putting an eye to an eyepiece but rather by viewing images on a computer screen. Software, which is called Nighttime Imaging “N” Astronomy (NINA), controls the computerized mount and guide camera and can keep a celestial object, even if it is very dim, centered in the telescope by counteracting the Earth’s rotation. This permits accurate tracking of the object with long-exposure,
sequenced photography. Those images can be seen on a computer screen and projected onto a larger screen or captured for analysis and future observation. The second new telescope is a portable binocular telescope affixed to a tripod that optimizes wide-field viewing. Unlike the main telescope, viewers put their eye to an eyepiece, and there is no camera. The portable telescope allows for very bright images with great depth of field. A flexible mounting on the tripod permits easy height adjustment without losing the aiming point. Since the mounting is not motorized to follow the Earth’s rotation, the telescope is unable to track objects in the sky. “It is essentially a giant pair of binoculars,” said Lee. “It is very easy for beginners to use and is great for moon and planet viewing. Because it is so portable, we can take it anywhere, especially if we are seeking darker sky conditions. The Westminster campus and the greater Simsbury area have expanded significantly over recent decades causing worsening light pollution.” The third new telescope is a portable coronagraph that includes a digital camera and is designed for safely viewing the surface of the sun. With two tunable filters, only one wavelength of light, the hydrogen-alpha (H-alpha) wave, reaches the eyepiece. H-alpha light is emitted by hydrogen atoms, which are the most common element in the sun. “By using this one red light wave, viewers are protected from the dangerous ultraviolet light that is extremely damaging to eyes,” said Lee. “We are able to view sunspots and solar prominences. The sun goes through 11-year cycles, so it is always changing.”
On opposite page, top, the main telescope in the Barnes-Bristow Observatory and, below, astronomy students outside the recently remodeled observatory. Left, Peter Miller ’22, Hannah Schuler ’22 and Amelia Jansing ’22 using the portable coronograph. Spring 2022
43
Left, Head of the Science Department and astronomy teacher Lee Zalinger with the main telescope in the observatory and, right, students working with the software that controls the main telescope.
Other upgrades to the observatory included exterior and internal cleaning, replacement of guardrails in the nearby parking lot, paving of a path from the parking lot, and installation of laminate flooring and high-efficiency red and white lighting. Red lighting helps to protect night vision.
Two Approaches for Teaching Lee uses the observatory with students in his two sections of Astronomy 1 course and with a smaller group of students who have a strong interest in science and technology and have been learning how to operate its equipment. “Sometimes good teaching is getting out of the way of bright students,” he said. “We have been looking at planets and comets because they are less affected by the local sky glow,” said Lee. “We also search for deep-space objects through long-exposure photography because they are not bright enough to show up in any detail. We can take a picture every minute or so over a period of hours, and the computer software will align them vertically and provide enough light to produce an image.” But capturing an astrophotography image and processing it can be challenging. “We have a system that gives us room to grow,” said Lee. “I got involved with astronomy because I want to go into astrophysics, so astronomy was a good start,” said Francesca Carnovale ’23, who is in Astronomy 1 and plans to take an independent study in astronomy next year. She took AP Physics as a Fourth Former and is hoping to continue intertwining astronomy with physics and calculus in the future. “I started learning about the telescope from my astronomy class, but I go to the night classes to get more hands-on experience,” she said. “We have been learning how to set up the telescope, so it can track a star or object in the sky without outside assistance. This provides a bit of a challenge, having to learn how to work the programs on the computers. The rewards have been great pictures of the moon in detail.” In his independent study in astronomy, Isaac Mullin ’22 has also been learning about the software and firmware that control the main telescope. “The software is full featured, but that gives
Lee Zalinger meets with students in Advanced Photography to discuss digital image processing related to the main telescope. 44
Westminster Bulletin
it an incredibly steep learning curve,” he said. “It is satisfying to get a picture of something after a lot of work. It is a fascinating way to learn about astronomy and astrophotography.” Although he is not taking an astronomy class, Wills Erda ’24 has been working with the main telescope to establish a good focus on space objects. “I have always been interested in cosmology and high-level physics, so it has been very interesting to get a real, hands-on look at what the universe is like,” he said. “I have read articles and watched videos about what is out there, and now I am interested to see some of it for myself. Using the telescope can help bring abstract ideas you learn about into real experiences. The chance to look beyond our small little piece of this world and into the vastness of space can have a profound effect on someone.”
Balancing Learning Approaches Often there is a tension in teaching astronomy between eye-toeyepiece viewing through telescopes in the traditional manner versus the high-tech use of computer technology that captures images digitally for viewing and analysis. The former is often seen as maximizing student engagement, and the latter approximates what real astronomers use for research. “The Barnes-Bristow Observatory allows for both approaches,” said Lee. It also provides an opportunity for students in other courses to get involved, such as students in Advanced Photography, who have served as a resource for digital image processing related to timelapse photography, in particular resolution and output formats.
Left, an image of the moon taken by the main telescope and, right, a large screen on the lower level of the observatory where students and visitors can view images from the main telescope.
Augmenting Observatory Observations with Planetarium Learning Westminster’s astronomy curriculum is further enhanced through classroom use of the Class of 1957 Planetarium, which is housed on the ground level of Armour Academic Center. It has a hemispheric domed ceiling onto which a projector with specialized software can project images of stars, planets and other celestial objects. “There are things you can see in the planetarium with its computer projection that you cannot see from the telescope,” said Lee. “The planetarium can be set for any date in the history of the world and any latitude and longitude. If we wanted, we could get it to center over Stonehenge on the solstice.” Lee sometimes uses the planetarium to augment what is viewed through the observatory’s telescopes. “We can project in the planetarium what is in the sky above campus at any given time and then view it later in real time in the observatory.” The planetarium is also used as part of the physics curriculum. “I initially started using the planetarium to add to a lesson on the concept of gravity,” said physics teacher Susie Bailey. “My students enjoyed the planetarium so much that I now incorporate a visit for a physics concept lesson once a term. This past winter, we used the planetarium to bring to life our class discussion of the topics of universal gravitation and black holes.” She also thinks giving her physics students, who are usually
Third Formers or Fourth Formers, access to the planetarium early in their Westminster career gives them information about astronomy should they like to explore it further. “Physics at Westminster is a student’s first high school science experience,” she explained. “Physics provides the foundation for our students’ science education, and it’s important to provide real-world connections to science often. Our planetarium is a wonderful tool that we have to not only draw connections with physics concepts but to also pique a student’s interest, which might propel them to pursue more opportunities within the science curriculum. It is also important to expose our students to the amazing equipment and facilities we have on campus early in their career at Westminster.”
Community Outreach Lee looks forward to developing a community outreach program for the observatory that is similar to one he created for the planetarium. “We have had Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts visit the planetarium to get their astronomy badge,” he said. “We have also had preschoolers and other groups visit.” His goal is to make the observatory a valuable resource not only for the Westminster community but also for the greater Hartford community. “The gift that made the modernization of the observatory possible is going to have wide application for a long time, and we are grateful for that,” he said.
Left, physics teacher Susie Bailey teaches a physics lesson in the Class of 1957 Planetarium in Armour Academic Center and, right, Lee Zalinger and his Astronomy 1 class in the planetarium.
Spring 2022
45
Creating Optical Illusions with Photography
46
Westminster Bulletin
HOW DO YOU CREATE A PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE WHERE LARGE THINGS LOOK SMALL AND SMALL THINGS LOOK LARGE? VIEWING IMAGES NOT BASED ON REALITY CAN BE MIND-BOGGLING. Students in Westminster’s Photography and Advanced Photography courses learn how to create optical illusions in their photographs through a technique called forced perspective. “To do this, students must be well versed in how different camera settings affect their images,” said Jane Toner P’02, ’21, who has been teaching photography at Westminster since 2003. “The forced perspective assignment follows a number of previous assignments where we study the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO. This project is a study in aperture. Students explore how changing the size of the aperture, which is the opening of the lens diaphragm, not only allows for more or less light to pass through the lens but also affects what is referred to as depth of field. Depth of field is the amount of distance that is acceptably sharp in an image.” Students in both courses completed an assignment using forced perspective last fall. They worked in small groups using interior and exterior campus locations.
Exaggerating Scale and Space “In forced perspective, the students are compressing and/or expanding space within a scene while experimenting with various aperture settings to maintain sharp focus of the subjects in the foreground and the background,” explained Jane. “This creates an optical illusion by visually compressing the distance between subjects, making large things look small and small things look large.” Students also learn how the human eye and brain decipher the scale of subjects in an image. “Everyone is familiar with the size of a human and a building, and we know the building is bigger than the human,” said Jane. “But when we reverse that relationship, it is readily accepted by the viewer because they already have a previous knowledge of the scale of those subjects.” For this assignment, first-year photography students use their understanding of depth of field and aperture settings to arrange their subjects within the frame to line up accurately. Second-year advanced students must use the technique to create a photographic essay or story by creating a series of images much like a short film. And because Jane wants her students to learn from experimentation, the students create a PowerPoint showing images where the technique did and did not work, including an explanation about why their images were or were not successful. “Repetition is key in learning photography,” said Jane. “It is very important for them to learn how the camera captures light and how their images are defined by the relationship of aperture and shutter speed.” Students are not permitted to use manipulation tools such as Adobe Photoshop to alter their images for the assignment. “I want the image to be created in the camera frame, so they can only use minimal sharpening and processing tools,” said Jane. “The assignment can be difficult but fun.”
Opposite page and top two photos above were created by Nora Davis ’24 and Bryan Carey ’24. Above, Catie McGuigan ’23 in a photo created by Kalilah Akbar ’23, Aniela Apteker ’24 and Kaitlin Koch ’24. Spring 2022
47
“I enjoyed the creative aspect of the forced perspective assignment,” said Bryan Carey ’24, a student in Photography. “The assignment had lots of room for personalization and creativity, which made every group’s project and every one of our photos unique. The biggest challenge was getting the forced perspective effect to work. This included lining up objects, lighting issues and keeping two objects far apart in focus. The assignment taught me about the importance of focus and composition of photos, making photographs interesting and getting the viewer to think.” He hopes to take a higher-level photography course next year and wants to keep exploring photography outside of the classroom. “I liked the forced perspective assignment because we were able to take creative liberty, while learning what we needed to do on both sides of the camera to make the photo work well,” said Nora Davis ’24, a student in Photography who worked with Bryan on the assignment. “The biggest challenge was communication, whether it be matching the camera with the setting or guiding your partner or model to line up just right with your idea. We learned a lot about making the camera settings work, most importantly the aperture. Understanding how the aperture helped influence how realistic the photo was helped me in my future photography.” Forced perspective is a technique that is often used commercially by photographers and filmmakers. “It is all about scale, and oftentimes there is a familiar object of reference in the image to indicate the scale,” said Jane.
Seeing the Camera as a Tool Jane’s overall goal in both courses is to make her students understand that the camera is a tool. “I tell them they are the creative force behind it all, and these settings are choices they can make to create a thoughtful, well-composed and high-quality image,” she said. “Just like an artist has brushes, pencils or clay, the camera is their tool. They learn that they do not simply take photographs but are making photographs.” The Photography course, which is for beginning students who have never used a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera,
Top, Bryan Carey ’24 and, above, Nora Davis ’24 taking photographs during class field trips. 48
Westminster Bulletin
provides students with a variety of photographic skills. They take an in-depth look at many of the historical, technical and aesthetic areas in both traditional and digital photography. They also learn how to properly expose and process both film and digital files, and how to print from film negatives in the darkroom and from digital files in Adobe Photoshop. In Advanced Photography, students explore still life photography, advanced digital manipulation and strengthen their experience with studio portraiture and various lighting techniques. They grow their portfolios, create a significant body of work and write an artist statement. They also complete an original photo essay for exhibition. “Advanced Photography is more of a self-directed course and includes delving into genres of art,” said Jane. “We study artists who have developed new techniques in photography and find inspiration from artists such as Salvador Dali, Piet Mondrian, David LaChapelle and David Hockney.” Students in Advanced Photography also served as a resource this past winter and spring regarding the technical aspects of digital photography for those using a new telescope in the school’s Barnes-Bristow Observatory. (Please see related story on page 42.) Students in both photography courses learn how to use a professional portrait studio, which is set up in the lower level of Andrews Memorial Chapel, and they help with campus sports photography for the yearbook. They also take their cameras off campus to photograph different landscapes and subjects. Last fall, Jane took her classes to a local farm to get images of animals and to a waterfall to photograph motion. Learning about photography is a life skill students can carry with them. “They gain a better appreciation of photography and art because we spend a lot of time on the principles of design and how these elements work to create strong composition,” said Jane.
Photography teacher Jane Toner in the photography classroom in Cushing Hall.
At the end of the year, students in both courses travel to Smith College Museum of Art for a final field trip where they are given a private showing of 12 to 15 original 19th and 20th century photographs from the museum’s private collection. Many of the photographs are chosen to coincide with photographers the students have studied throughout the year. Students also view early historical photographic examples such as daguerreotypes and stereographs. The work of Westminster’s student photographers is often entered into area competitions and exhibited in the school’s Baxter Art Gallery and Fearn Hall. “We frequently have students who receive regional and statewide recognition for their work in the courses, which is very rewarding,” said Jane. “They should be very proud of their work.”
Looking Back at a Photography Career at Westminster Jane is retiring from her 35-year career at Westminster at the end of the current academic year. In addition to working at Westminster, she has had a parallel career as a professional photographer, which began in Providence, R.I., for such clients as Reed & Barton, Hasbro, Swarovski Crystal and Towle Silversmiths. She first came to Westminster in 1987, when she began working part time in the College Counseling Office, while still maintaining her photography business. She eventually directed her photography focus toward events, including some special event photography for Westminster. In 2003, she was appointed to the Westminster faculty and has taught Photography, Advanced Photography, AP 2D Art and Design, and independent studies in photography over the years. She also continued working as director of college resources in the College
Photography students at the Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards exhibition at the University of Hartford.
Counseling Office until the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. Jane and her husband, Gerry, who is retired from a 36-year tenure working for the Town of Simsbury and has also served in recent years on the Westminster boys’ hockey coaching staff, live in Simsbury and are the parents of Evan ’02 and Alisa ’21. While Jane is looking forward to retirement, she knows she will miss Westminster and teaching photography. “I have absolutely loved teaching photography at Westminster and continue to be amazed at the photographic vision each student brings to class,” she said. “With Westminster’s diverse and exceptional student body, I have enjoyed experiencing a rich and varied expression of art from every student with whom I have worked. I have always felt that I was the one learning and appreciating our time together as much as the students.” Spring 2022
49
Supporting Westminster
Boston Holiday Reception A holiday reception was held at the Harvard Club of Boston Nov. 16.
Margot Frank ’15, Dave Hovey ’78, P’09, ’11, ’14, Tricia Daly Frank ’77 and Michael Frank P’11, ’15, and Leigh Hovey P’09, ’11, ’14
Carol Gould Vietor ’85 and Julie Morris Ogden ’82
Ellie Deveaux ’14, Kate Treanor, Emily Mell ’14, Nancy Urner-Berry ’81, P’11, ’16 and Katherine Berry ’16
Emma Beck ’08, Kelly Cheng ’08, Kathleen Devaney P’19, ’22 and Chris Beck P’08, ’13
50
Westminster Bulletin
Jeff Cook ’66, Hilly Ebling ’69 and Catharine Ebling
Susan Doran ’84, Elaine White and Renée Lynch Carrel ’84, P’19, ’21
Supporting Westminster
New York City Holiday Reception A holiday gathering was held at the New York Yacht Club Dec. 13.
Alex Gould ’11, Stuart MacKenzie ’11 and Greg Lafaire ’11
Spencer Haimes ’90 and Lauren Haimes P’23, and Melissa and Craig Rosenbaum P’23
Cooper Bellet ’17, Julia Carter ’16, Manny Meltzer ’17, Arthur Renehan ’17 and Brian Smyth ’16
Newell Grant ’99, Andrew Lazarus ’74, Melinda Shumway and Chris Beck P’08, ’13
CC Lynch ’15, Rachel Chan ’14, Jackie Mendia ’14, Susie Carter ’15 and Annie Mayer ’15
Stephen MacKenzie ’76, P’11 and Lars Noble ’80, P’18, ’20
Spring 2022
51
Supporting Westminster
Young Alumni Events Kelsey O’Brien ’11, director of Westminster’s Young Alumni Program, visited numerous colleges and universities during the fall and winter to host dinners and luncheons for recent Westminster alumni.
University of Richmond — Laura Velez ’20, Carter Henshaw ’20, Will Lynch ’20, Kieran Laurie ’19, Riley Wood ’19, Charlie von Stade ’21, Harrison Lehman ’21, Ryan Szykowny ’18 and Spencer Organ ’18 met for dinner Dec. 9 at Mosaic in Richmond, Va.
Northwestern University — Alex Buerck ’21 and Olatunji Osho-Williams ’21 met for dinner Jan. 31 at Trattoria Demi in Chicago.
Wesleyan University — Chloe Sealy ’18, Ral Reyes ’21, Ola Szopa ’20, Steve Bray ’18, Riley Larsen ’18 and Andrew Doucette ’18 met for dinner Feb.16 at Krust in Middletown, Conn.
Brown University — Daniel Chey ’18, Cecilia Raymond ’20, Adrian Enchill ’18, Allie Masthay ’21, Gemma Green ’21 and Nick Wee ’18 met for dinner Dec. 6 at Flatbread Pizza in Providence, R.I.
Boston College — Justin Parsons ’20, Indira Marzbani ’18, Eddie Shin ’21, Paul McNamara ’18 and Zach Blest ’21 met for dinner Oct. 18 at Cityside Tavern in Boston.
Trinity College — Jenny Guider ’20, Betsy Winslow ’21, Tatum Constant ’21, Gabe Grimeh ’19, Emma Alpaugh ’18, Max Brigham ’18, Aly Tolba ’18, Ned Blanchard ’20 and Scott Wilson ’19 met for dinner Oct. 8 at J Restaurant Bar in Hartford.
52
Westminster Bulletin
Supporting Westminster
University of Denver — Tatum McBreen ’21, Isabelle Niles ’18, Annabelle Smith ’21, Malcolm Kleban ’20 and Max Brownback ’21 met for dinner Feb. 23 at Kaos Pizza in Denver.
Southern Methodist University — Ian Broadbent ’18, Ben Ferrell ’21, Nate Londal ’19, Cameron Jury ’19, Grace Montgomery ’20, Dylan Vincent ’21, Susannah Van Leuven ’20 and Charlotte Carrel ’21 met for dinner Nov. 14 at Pie Tap Pizza in Dallas.
Lehigh University — Mia Stevens ’18, Ella Varano ’21, Jane Burke ’18, Quinn Armstrong ’20, Roman Mitchell ’20, Lauren Way ’20, Kyani Jemmotte ’20 and Jordy Nelson ’21 met for dinner Dec. 1 at the Brick in Bethlehem, Pa.
Middlebury College — Elton Paintsil ’18, Ellie Suit ’20, Katie Kosior ’18, KK Newton ’20 and Alex Hu ’19 met for lunch Oct.14 at MisterUps in Middlebury, Vt.
Georgetown University and The George Washington University — Jack Feingold ’18 (Georgetown), Nikola Kostic ’18 (Georgetown), Porter Girty ’18 (Georgetown), Allison Kijanka ’20 (GW) and Sofia Kuusisto ’19 (Georgetown) met for lunch Dec.10 at Clydes of Georgetown in Washington, D.C.
Tulane University — Alex Biedron ’18, Finn Gerry ’20, Chloe Ferro ’20, Rebecca Sargent ’20, Stacia McBreen ’18, Hamilton Stuart ’19 and Liza Lennox ’18 met for dinner Dec. 8 at Pizza Domenica in New Orleans. Spring 2022
53
Supporting Westminster
Choosing Westminster at Every Turn Alexis Van Der Mije McAndrew ’98 chose Westminster School for the first time at age 14. She had planned to attend a different boarding school where her older brother was a student and her twin brother was soon to follow. After a tour, Alexis knew the school was not the correct fit for her. With the encouragement of a school counselor, she applied to Westminster, was accepted and, after touring the campus, knew it was the right choice. After a year had passed, Alexis’ mother thought Westminster was too strict and took her to interview at a school in Massachusetts. A determined Alexis walked in and told the school’s dean of admissions she had no intention of leaving Westminster. She had made her choice. Alexis was a bit of a daredevil in her early years on Williams Hill but saw that faculty members were serious about consequences. “They taught us valuable life lessons about the decision-making process by walking us through our decisions and the consequences,” she explained. Because she wanted to stay at Westminster so badly, she changed her path and met the high expectations of the faculty. She graduated knowing she had made the right decision in attending Westminster School. After college, Alexis chose Westminster again. In her estate planning, her first will included the school as a beneficiary, and she has maintained it with every modification, including after getting married and having two children. Her reasoning is simple: “Westminster has such a strong place in my heart, and I believe you should give back to the places that gave to you.” Alexis Van Der Mije McAndrew ’98
You, too, can choose Westminster School. Honoring your Westminster experience by including the school in your estate plans can be easy. Some options include: • Beneficiary of your IRA or 401(k)
54
For more information, contact:
• Add a bequest to your will or trust
Jennifer Keyo
• Start a charitable gift annuity
Director of Planned Giving
• Beneficiary of a donor-advised fund
jkeyo@westminster-school.org or (860) 408-3039
Westminster Bulletin
From the Archives The Barnes-Bristow Observatory at Westminster was dedicated May 17, 1986, with faculty, trustees and donors in attendance. It was funded in large part by two grants from the Barnes Foundation in Bristol, Conn., and was named for Louise Barnes Adams, treasurer of the foundation; Carlyle F. Barnes, chair of the Executive Committee of the Barnes Group Inc. and president of the foundation; and Aurelia Barnes Bristow P’76, vice president of the foundation, and her husband, William S. Bristow P ’76, who was a trustee of Westminster at the time. Bill and Re Bristow’s son, Bob Bristow ’76, had served as head prefect. (Please see related story on page 42.)
The classroom in the observatory in 1986.
The following photos appeared in the summer 1986 Westminster Bulletin:
Below, the Kistler 14-inch Celestron Telescope, which was a gift to the school from Wendy Kistler P’87, GP’22 for her husband, Phil ’56, P’87, GP’22, on the occasion of their 25th wedding anniversary.
Faculty member Dave Warner explains special features of the telescope to Phil Kistler ’56, P’87, GP’22.
A view of the observatory in 1986.
Chair of the Barnes Foundation Carlyle Barnes, thanks Head of School Don Werner after the unveiling of a plaque announcing the observatory’s name.
Spring 2022
55
Son’s Illness Helps Identify a Need in the Consumer Marketplace As president of Papamarkou Wellner Asset Management, a multifamily office and merchant banking group in New York City and Palm Beach, Thorne Perkin ’93 already had a day job when he launched OLIKA, a boutique hand sanitizer company in 2015. OLIKA means “differently” in Swedish. The previous year, Thorne’s son had a series of staph infections, the worse of which required surgery in a hospital. “It was scary and awful,” recalled Thorne. “While there, I saw doctors using hand sanitizer all of the time. I knew that I had not seen hand sanitizer 10 years earlier, and then it was everywhere but harsh on the skin. I questioned why there was no premium product.” His son recovered well, and Thorne drew on his observations to enter the consumer products arena, although he had no experience in the field. He raised money around the boutique sanitizer concept with a goal of producing a natural, premium product. His cousin, whom Thorne describes as a serial entrepreneur, joined the project. “We outsourced marketing, sales, industrial design, public relations — all of it,” said Thorne. “As an entrepreneur, there were a lot of sleepless nights about OLIKA running out of cash. We eventually brought in Alastair Dorward, formerly of consumer products brand Method, as CEO, and things changed overnight. We went from sleepless nights to happy days.” OLIKA was developed as a sustainable, hydrating and all-natural product. “You can pronounce all of the ingredients,” said Thorne. Its fragrances are derived from essential oils, and its distinctive bird-inspired dispensers are refillable, eliminating single-use plastic. Soon, OLIKA was being sold at national retailers. When the pandemic began in 2020, OLIKA’s entire annual supply sold out in two weeks, and the company gained attention from consumer venture capital firms and from public biotech company Amyris, which purchased OLIKA in 2021. “In the spring of 2021, we had the choice of continuing to fund our growth with the support of our venture capital and angel investors or to join Amyris’ clean beauty platform,” said Thorne. “The access to Amyris’ Lab-to-Market platform of innovation was so compelling. It was impossible to turn down their offer for our shareholders, and I was thrilled to make money for our investors.” As a student at Westminster, Thorne played soccer, hockey and lacrosse, was a tour guide for Black and Gold and president of the Latin Club. He also participated in Amnesty International and the Outing Club, and volunteered at Governor’s House, a Simsbury skillednursing facility. Thorne’s brothers, Chris Perkin ’91 and Rich Perkin ’99, are also Westminster graduates. “I chose Westminster because Chris went there,” said Thorne. “As a 13-yearold, there was not a lot of calculus.” 56
Westminster Bulletin
Following Westminster, Thorne graduated from Colgate University with a B.A. in history and joined the banking program of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ), which would later be acquired by Credit Suisse. “DLJ was a very happy place,” said Thorne. “But when the merger with Credit Suisse happened, things changed. DLJ operated under a very scrappy American model, and Credit Suisse was more structured and global. I wanted something more entrepreneurial.” He moved from Credit Suisse to Papamarkou Wellner in 2005, leaving a firm of 75,000 for a firm of five. “I was ready to build business as part of a young, growing team,” he said. “At Papamarkou, we have 175 family office clients, about half of which are offshore. It’s a great collection, both geographically and across industries, from consumer and materials to financial technology. No two days are the same.” Thorne met his wife, Tatiana, at a benefit for the Museum of the City of New York in 2005. They married in 2008, and have two children. The couple are active in numerous philanthropic organizations, including the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, The Boys’ Club of New York, the Central Park Conservancy and various children’s charities. Thorne said that with the sale of OLIKA completed, he hopes to have more time for continued engagement with Westminster. “For the past six years, OLIKA has been the equivalent of a second full-time job.”
Thorne Perkin ’93 and, top, the hand sanitizer OLIKA.
Inspiring Students to Engage in Social Enterprise Laura Toscano ’01 stands by the premise of a chapel talk she gave at Westminster: you don’t have to know what you want to be when you grow up. As associate director of social entrepreneurship at the University of Virginia (UVA) Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, she advises some 125 students in their pursuit of careers with social impact. “Students are looking for careers that combine what makes the world a better place with how they can make a living,” she said. “Often one of the greatest challenges is understanding that you can do both.” Laura advises students minoring in social entrepreneurship; oversees student research and service partnerships with UVA faculty, nonprofits and policymakers; develops internship and fellowship programs; and guides students to careers with social enterprises and impact investing firms. She also advises students creating their own startups by helping them participate in startup competitions and access investment opportunities for their own social enterprises. Social entrepreneurship is comprised of businesses, nonprofits and impact investors working at the intersection of sustainable earned revenue and positive social change. “The social enterprise model is a more sustainable way to change the world than the traditional nonprofit model,” said Laura. “It’s a niche field that is growing quickly.” Laura came to Westminster as a day student from Avon. “I was looking for a place where I could become more well-rounded,” she said. “I had never played sports and started on a thirds team.” Eventually, she earned positions on the varsity soccer, squash and lacrosse teams. She also participated in Debate Club, Chorale and The Westminster News, was editor of the Spectator and the Martlet, and was president of the Art Club. She was a National Merit Scholar Finalist and the recipient of the Outstanding Scholar Award, the Yale Book Prize, and the Excellence in Physics, English and Spanish awards, among others. Laura was encouraged to apply to Yale University by former faculty members Douglas Allen and Molly Woodroofe, who were both Yale alumni. “Mr. Allen gave me a lot of wonderful advice, and Ms. Woodroofe took me to visit Yale,” recalled Laura. Laura was accepted at Yale, and while there, studied abroad at University College London and also participated in an internship with Ashoka, which is a pioneer in the field of social entrepreneurship. After earning a B.A. in philosophy from Yale in 2005, Laura joined KABOOM!, a Washington, D.C.,-based social enterprise that builds playgrounds for children in under-resourced communities. She supported efforts that resulted in the construction of over 400 playgrounds and was able to participate in construction of several, including on the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina. “In the not-for-profit environment, young people are given a lot of responsibility,” she said. “After studying something as theoretical as philosophy, I wanted to build something real. I enjoyed learning how to spark action in communities through social media, and coalition and movement building.”
In 2010, Laura was named manager of skills-based volunteering and capacity building programs for the Washington, D.C., chapter of the HandsOn Network, where she managed pro bono projects and worked to recruit and train a diverse group of professionals to serve as board leaders. She then joined The Campus Kitchens Project as its director. The organization engaged college students in recovering wasted food from dining halls to be used in preparing meals for others. “We recovered food from more than 100 colleges with the help of tens of thousands of student volunteers,” she said. “That’s what led me to working in higher education at UVA.” Laura was recently engaged to Tom Steffes during a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula. They live in Charlottesville, Va., where Laura is part of a group of local artists who make wood-fired pottery in a traditional Japanese method. “I always wanted more time for art, even at Westminster,” she said. “Art is a wonderful balance to offset work.” Laura hopes her work at UVA will result in more people using business to create positive change. “When we think about where the world is and where we want it to be, it can be demoralizing,” she said. “I came to UVA because the next generation inspires me and keeps my hopes for change alive.”
Laura Toscano ’01
Spring 2022
57
Chance Meeting Changes a Life “A chance meeting changed my life,” said Sean Navin ’03. While home in Simsbury for a visit from Hamilton College when he was a student there, Sean happened upon Westminster history teacher Rob Rodney at Fitzgerald’s market. Their encounter would lead Sean to expand his course of study at Hamilton College and to a career and family in Hong Kong. “I told Dr. Rodney that I was majoring in economics and religion,” said Sean. He replied: ‘Challenge yourself. Learn Chinese or Japanese.’ I thought he was crazy, but I looked up the Chinese language program at Hamilton and learned it is one of the best in the country. I enrolled, and on the first day, my professor told me, ‘You are going to learn Chinese, you are going to go to China and it’s going to change your life forever.’” Her words would be prescient. Sean participated in a Mandarin language study abroad program in Beijing his junior year and completed his senior thesis entirely in Chinese. After earning Bachelor of Arts degrees in economics and Chinese in 2007, he joined the Goldman Sachs analyst program in Hong Kong. He has lived and worked in Hong Kong since, as an associate, vice president, and now managing director and co-head of Asia ex-Japan high touch sales trading. He leads a team of some 30 Goldman Sachs securities traders who work on behalf of institutional clients, including state and sovereign wealth funds. The ex-Japan market comprises a broad swath of Asian countries, markets and cultures, and Sean said Goldman provides continuing cultural education, coaching and classes, as well as ongoing Mandarin study and access to family networks. A 2014 Goldman Sachs sponsored LGBT education forum inspired Sean to take a leadership role in promoting diversity on the firm’s equity floor. “The goal was to bring light to diversity and other people’s experience,” said Sean. “When people do not bring their full selves to work, they are at a disadvantage in work relationships. It becomes hard to fit in and grow relationships, and productivity goes down 18-20%, on average. We can’t all have the same background. Diversity in the workplace changes diversity of thought and strengthens our strategy and decision-making.” Goldman Sachs’ Pink Friday, an annual event that raises awareness for the LGBTQ+ community, was borne from Sean’s experience at that forum and a desire to challenge the thinking at work. “I had shirts made with checkboxes that said, ‘I am an ally’ or ‘I have a LGBT family member,’” said Sean. “The goal was to take a physically invisible diversity and make it stand out. Everyone on the equity floor wore one. Four weeks later, I got a call from higher-ups, and the event was replicated across the entire firm in Asia. It went from one floor to every office in the Asia Pacific region.” The event has since grown beyond Goldman Sachs to include 87 different corporations in Hong Kong. In recognition of his work, Sean was awarded the Community Business’ 2020 LGBT+ Inclusion Ally Award and was named to the OUTstanding LGBT+ Role Model List by Yahoo Finance. Sean met his wife, Kelly, who also works in the financial services sector in Hong Kong, in 2007. Originally from Shenzhen, China, she
58
Westminster Bulletin
Sean Navin ’03
moved to Hong Kong for her university studies. They married in 2013 and are parents to two daughters, Faith and Athena. Sean came to Westminster as a Fifth Former. He was elected a senior prefect, was a member of Black and Gold and Serving Our Neighbors, and was the recipient of numerous academic awards. He played varsity baseball and junior varsity soccer, and was the varsity hockey captain as a Sixth Former. Hockey drew Sean to Westminster. When he was a student at Simsbury High School, he played competitive regional travel hockey. “God bless my parents for their time, commitment and love,” he said. “I was traveling from Maine to New Jersey every weekend and life became going back and forth to games. At Westminster, hockey was built into school. This combination of hockey and academics created an environment where I grew not only on the ice but, more importantly, in the classroom and as a young man.” He continued playing hockey at Hamilton and has also found high-level hockey in Hong Kong. Sean has stayed connected to the Westminster community. Before COVID, he attended school receptions in Hong Kong, and Julian Chow ’03 is a business connection. Sean typically travels to the U.S. twice a year, and his brother, Kyle Navin ’05, lives in Connecticut. “When I’ve returned to campus, Kyle and I have used the hockey rink, and I bring my children to see the school,” he said. “Westminster is always near and dear to my heart.”
Bringing Stories to Life Minjea Yoon ’08 has taken on the role of “distance boss” at Oonsai, Francisco, South Korea was open. She was able to see art, attend art her sustainable wallcovering design company, now based in South fairs and visit cultural sites for new inspirations for her next collection. Korea, which she founded two years ago. “Your environment shapes your mind,” she said. Oonsai was launched out of her apartment in the Mission District Minjea keeps a rigid schedule, rising early to paint and to touch of San Francisco in 2020. The word “oon” means luck, and “sai” base with her team and clients who are mostly based in the U.S. She translates as being among — a feeling she hopes her clients will feel also sees her family frequently, which is new, since she had lived in a at home: happy and blessed. different part of the world from them in recent years. Her parents, Launching during the pandemic had its logistical challenges, her sister, Minha Lea Yoon ’06, and her brother, Sungsoo Patrick and after moving to Seoul, she’s managing sales and overseeing Yoon ’12, all live less than a mile away. production across multiple time zones. Though she had been living While at Westminster, Minjea enjoyed participating in sports in the U.S. for more than half of her life, her designs are inspired by and activities, but she’s most grateful for her friends. “I really love and her South Korean heritage. cherish my Westminster friends,” she said. “They are special to me, and “I bring stories to life and offer them to other people’s spaces,” it’s been wonderful to see them thrive.” said Minjea. “It’s an honor to be invited to be a permanent fixture in Minjea came to Westminster from Seoul. “I always knew I someone’s home.” Her first collection, wanted to study art, and the Westminster titled Folklore, features painted motifs community encouraged that,” she recalled. frequently found on “chungja” (traditional “My first ‘paycheck’ for my art came from Korean vase) such as dragons, vases and Westminster in the form of the Gretchen flowers. “The colors are endemic to the Hupfel ’82 Art Purchase Prize with $100 in San Francisco Bay Area and are inspired an envelope, which I never spent.” by the palette of the city,” she added. “I As a boarding student from South developed the collection while learning Korea, she appreciated how nice it felt to to surf, and a lot of the blues capture the be in a “good space.” “I didn’t know much whimsy of being in the water.” about interior design then, but I gravitated Minjea is dedicated to creating toward my friends’ rooms that felt cozy with products that do minimal harm to the good lighting,” she said. “The coziness felt environment. Her primary paper vendor comforting, which was a feeling I craved is located in Litchfield County, Conn., since my actual house was much farther and was chosen for its ability to print her away than almost everyone else’s.” designs digitally on FSC-certified paper Though she no longer resides in with water-soluble ink, a method that uses California, Minjea continues to volunteer less water than screen printing. with the San Francisco Asian Women’s She opened the Oonsai online store to Shelter when it needs assistance with the public in July 2020, and within weeks, translation work. “As an Asian woman living received the first order from a prominent in San Francisco, I knew that we were only as San Francisco interior designer who chose strong as the weakest link in the chain,” she an Oonsai original for her family dining said. “I wanted to be part of a community room. Since then, Oonsai designs are now that lifts women in troubling domestic part of homes all over the map. violence situations.” Minjea earned a B.F.A in visual arts at New designs have been in the works Syracuse University and studied abroad at for Oonsai. “This time around, I found Parsons Paris. Trained as a surface pattern inspiration from everyday objects that have artist, her first job out of college was to been in my family for years, such as an design prints for swimwear. Since then, heirloom chest and a mother-of-pearl inlay she has explored stationery designs and, jewelry box,” Minjea explained. “I also eventually, landed on home products, incorporated themes found in architectural where she aspired to run her own business elements from historical sites.” and create what she wanted to see in She returned to the Bay Area recently the market. to finalize the color palette. “I feel lucky Minjea’s return to Seoul has been to be able to create what I want to create refreshing. Unlike the pandemic-induced and am looking forward to sharing my next Minjea Yoon ’08 and, top, a selection from her collection of sustainable wallcoverings. lockdown that she experienced in San collection soon,” she said. Spring 2022
59
Class Notes Send alumni news and class notes via email to Cris Gomez ’10, Director of Alumni Relations: classnotes@westminster-school.org Send updates to contact information to spierson@westminster-school.org
1966
1972
Dick Stewart writes: “I serve on the Nauset Regional School
Rob Douglass writes: “My wife, Shelia, and I are blessed to be
Committee: appointed in 2017, elected in 2018 and reelected in 2021. I am on the budget and finance committee. I was involved in outreach for voter support for a $132-million renovation to Nauset Regional High School. It passed with 80% of the vote in March 2021. I served on the search committee for a school superintendent, which was successfully completed in January 2022.”
celebrating our 28th anniversary this year. Our son, Jeremy, will be getting a promotion to lieutenant junior grade and is serving onboard the USS Milius (DDG-69) in Yokosuka, Japan. Shelia and I are looking forward to my 50th reunion celebration.”
1969
1994 Courtney Stacks writes that she lives and works in Stamford,
Conn., and is director of innovation at Henkel Corporation.
1996 Rebecca Brooks coached her Brewster Academy girls’ basketball
team to its first-ever divisional New England Championship in March. This was Reb’s fourth New England title, the previous three coming while she was coaching at Pomfret School. In a special ceremony on reunion weekend in June, Pomfret will be inducting Reb and her 2010 New England Champion team that went 28-0 on the season into its Hall of Fame.
1997
A mini Class of 1969 reunion was held at the home of Chris Burr ’69. Hilly Ebling, Caleb Rossiter, Chris and Michael Monagan.
1970 Bill Denison writes, “I recently moved from Hartford, N.C., to
the charming town of Beaufort, S.C., where we can enjoy the water and traveling by boat.”
60
Westminster Bulletin
Gretchen Unfried-English ’97 and Alan English welcomed daughter, Catherine, Sept. 10, 2021. Gretchen writes: “Older brothers George and Everett are very proud! We are celebrating life as a family of five!”
2000
2006
2011 Former faculty member Whit Powel married Andy Holmes June 26, 2021, in Charlevoix, Mich. The couple met in Charlevoix when they were just toddlers and have, with their families, spent weeks every summer there since. Despite one postponement and one down-size of their wedding due to the pandemic, a few Martlets — both alumni and current and former Westminster faculty members — came to Charlevoix to celebrate.
Jaye Starr served as lead editor for a
collection of essays by fellow Muslim chaplains titled “Mantle of Mercy: Islamic Chaplaincy in North America” now out from Templeton Press.
2016 Preston Eppler graduated from Santa
Emmaline and Henry Clouse, the children of Julia Rubicam Clouse ’05 and Andrew Clouse.
Alex Lavoie ’06 married Monica Ceragioli July 24, 2021, in Lake Tahoe, Nev.
2005
2007
Clara University in 2020 but celebrated his graduation last October, and Brian Smyth, Dave Gollenberg and Ben Sudduth attended. Preston is currently an account executive at Cloudflare in San Francisco.
Julia Rubicam Clouse, her husband,
Andrew Clouse, and their daughter, Emmaline, welcomed Henry Raymond Clouse Sept. 21, 2021. They reside in Dublin, Calif. Faculty member David Pringle was honored at the sixth annual Robert Saulsbury Invitational Feb. 2 at Wilbur Cross High School, where he attended. David is head coach of Boys’ Varsity Basketball at Westminster, where he spent a postgraduate year.
Francesca Giacco’s ’05 debut novel, “Six Days in Rome,” was slated to be published May 3.
Olivia Robinson Reighley ’07 and C.C. Webster Marrone ’05 got together to celebrate their daughters, who are “best buds,” turning 2. Carter Reighley, left, and Crosby Marrone celebrating their second birthdays.
Whit Powel ’11 married Andy Holmes in Charlevoix, Mich.
A number of Westminster alumni and current and former faculty members attended the wedding of former faculty member Whit Powel ’11. First row, Kelly Babbidge, Margaret Berry ’11, Nancy Urner-Berry ’81, P’11, ’16 and Scott Berry P’11, ’16; second row, Kerry O’Malley Hanson ’89, Whit, Peter Ulrich P’09, ’10, Christine Werner P’10, ’11, ’16, Stacy Ciarleglio and Siobhan Ulrich P’09, ’10; and, back row, Steph Werner ’11 and David Werner ’80, P’10, ’11, ’16.
Spring 2022
61
In Memoriam OBITUARIES
1944 James Hinchman Goodenough died Sept.
29, 2021. Jim grew up in Woodbridge, Conn., and attended Yale University after Westminster. He took a job at his fatherin-law’s specialized business magazine company, Cleworth Publishing, in Cos Cob, Conn., rising to publisher of several magazines, and then vice president and treasurer. He is survived by his wife, Gloria; his four children, Sandra Schulhof, Janice Callan, Andrew Goodenough and Elizabeth Goodenough; six grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and his brother, John B. Goodenough, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on lithium-ion batteries. Fred Grave writes: “I met Jimmy at Westminster at least 80 years ago. He’s been a warm and wonderful friend ever since. He was a gentle and extremely friendly person who endeared himself to everyone he met. I recall many golf and tennis dinners with him and his family with great pleasure. He will be missed.”
1951
1964, having nowhere to play tennis in the winter, he and three friends founded Burlington Indoor Tennis Inc., or Twin Oaks, which was renamed The Edge and currently has four indoor tennis and sports facilities in the Burlington area. Andy was known throughout his community as generous, kind and adventurous, often flying off in his seaplane, a Grumman Widgeon, with his trusty co-pilot and wife, Birgit, to remote destinations or wherever children or friends needed them. Andy was most comfortable in the air, whether at the stick of his Piper Cub, behind the yoke of his Widgeon or DC-3 (a World War II-era cargo plane) or at the controls of a Cessna Citation. He remained a loyal member of the Westminster community, serving on multiple reunion committees and as a trustee from 1972-1985. His son-in-law Stuart MacKenzie ’76, his niece Deirdre Painter ’82 and his grandson Stuart MacKenzie ’11 all attended Westminster. Andy is survived by his wife of 50 years, Birgit Nielsen Deeds; his six children, Diane Stebbins, Lisa Mackenzie, Andy Deeds III, Susan Griffis, Martha Deeds and Jennifer Huff; four stepchildren; 23 grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren.
Edward A. Deeds II died Feb. 28 in
Peter G. Loomis died Feb. 23. Following
Charlotte, Vt. Andy attended Denison University, where he was the captain of the tennis and football teams. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and spent two years on active duty at Craig Air Force Base in Selina, Ala., as a squadron adjutant. As a young man, he developed what would become a lifelong love of flying and flight. In 1961, he combined that passion with his business acumen when he founded Northern Airways, a fixed-base operator at Burlington International Airport. Ten years later, he founded Air North, a regional air carrier that provided commuter service through Washington, D.C., Boston, New York City and upper New York state. He was an avid polo player, sailor, skier and tennis player. In
Westminster, he attended Williams College and pursued a lifelong career in banking. Peter held many executive positions at Bank of Boston, working as a loan officer, branch manager and later serving as vice president in charge of compliance. He made world headlines when he was accidentally “deposited” in the bank’s airtight vault, resulting in efforts to make sure he had sufficient oxygen and a phone line. All ended well when Peter emerged with his typical warm smile. An avid sailor, he enjoyed sailing in Buzzards Bay and working on his sailboat, maintaining it to perfection. Peter and his wife, Judy, also enjoyed their travels with family and friends, retirement on Wings Neck and spending time in the beautiful gardens they created together. In addition to Judy, Peter is survived by his son,
62
Westminster Bulletin
Andrew Loomis; his daughter, Gretchen Cass; his son-in-law, William Cass; and grandchildren Sandra Loomis, Matthew Loomis, Alyssa Cass and Andrea Cass.
1953 Otis Smith died Dec. 22, 2021. Jerry
attended Middlebury College, where he met his wife, Gay Nelson. They married in 1958, and he went on to receive a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon. He served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1957 and was honorably discharged. He moved to Weston, Conn., in 1961 and resided there for more than 30 years. Jerry was an executive in the television and entertainment industry, working for the BBC, 20th Century Fox, ABC and World Vision. He retired in 1984 and was an avid golfer and fisherman. Jerry is survived by his wife; his daughter, Gigi Schofield; his half-sister, Susan Smith Rubin; his half brother, Clay Smith ’77; his nieces, Kimberley, Elizabeth, Abigail, Courtney and Carly; his great-nephews, Justin, Jared, Ian and Owen; and greatniece, Isabelle.
1958 Philip W. D’Arms died Feb. 3. Phil
attended Princeton University for two years, then transferred to the University of New Mexico, earning his bachelor’s degree as a political science major. Early in his professional career, he worked at SUNY Stony Brook as an assistant to the dean of students. At Stony Brook, he met his wife, Betty. They moved to Syracuse, N.Y., so he could further his education, and he subsequently earned his master’s degree in higher education administration from Syracuse University in 1972. After serving as assistant director of student activities at Upstate Medical School, he served as director of student activities at Onondaga Community College until his retirement in 1993. After retiring, Phil enjoyed time with family and friends and pursued his hobbies of tennis, gardening and watching
baseball, especially his beloved Boston Red Sox. He served as chair of the Town of Elbridge Democrats, and after moving to Manlius, N.Y., he was active with the Manlius Democrats, serving as town chair. He worked as an elections’ inspector for many years, considering it his apolitical civic duty. He also worked part time at Eastside Racquet Club in Manlius and at Drumlins Tennis Club from which he retired. Phil enjoyed traveling, exploring new places and the familiar. He is survived by his wife and son, Steve. Thomas Hart Loomis died Feb. 13.
After high school, Tom dabbled in many different occupations: working in an office, traveling the country selling feltcovered slate for pool tables, and selling and servicing truck engine brakes. One career move changed his life; he started a company in Connecticut making bows and arrows named Outdoor Sports, which did well until a recession in the 1970s and he had to make a quick pivot. Through a friend who worked in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Tom sold his company’s machinery and equipment to the Lakota Sioux on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Part of the deal was that Tom went with the equipment to help set up the business and get it running. He fell in love with South Dakota and wanted to improve conditions on the reservation by providing gainful employment, so he worked hard to get the arrow factory up and running. Later, he turned the operation of the factory over to the tribe, and he happily remained in Martin, S.D. Around age 70, Tom hit his stride and found and married Sharon, and adopted her three children. He leaves her, his three siblings, and his children, Jennifer Loomis, Elizabeth Loomis ’87, Christine Loomis, Sam Loomis and Aspen Loomis. Michael Shapiro writes: “Although Tommy was a part of my Class of 1958 for only his freshman and sophomore years, I remember him with great fondness. I want to note three things I remember about him: He excelled on the athletic field by dint of his amazing arm. He was the only one in the school
who could throw a football 50 yards and throw a baseball all the way to the catcher from deep center field on the fly. I also remember the sociolect he inherited from growing up on a farm in Canton, Conn. Having picked up a broad array of farming vernacular, on more than one occasion, apropos of nothing going on, one of the things he would shout was, ‘Hold her Luke; she’s headed for the rhubarb!’ Finally, I can still picture his perpetual winning smile; it was not dimmed the day he told me that the grade of 60 he received in his mechanical drawing class was his highest mark that term. Rest in peace dear sweet Tommy.”
1959 R. Bennett Day died Jan. 18. Ben was
born in Connecticut and both his birth family and the family who adopted him when he was a toddler endowed him with a great set of skills and opportunities. Both families produced more than the average share of ministers, teachers and advocates for social justice. Ben was especially proud that his father used his position on the Yale Corporation to convince the school to award Martin Luther King Jr. a well-deserved honorary doctorate. Raised in New England, Ben loved the ocean and the natural beauty of each of its states. He had a passion for sports, boats, motorcycles and cars, all of which he enjoyed until just a few months before he died. Everyone close to him marveled at his tenacious spirit and dry wit. Ben received a degree in library sciences and delved into photography and multimedia productions. He learned a lot, too, from his marriages: From his first wife, he learned a deep appreciation of the Spanish language. From his second, he gained a greater appreciation of the nation’s national parks. From his third, he learned the joy of world travel and the pleasure of parenting. At the tender age of 66, Ben adopted his adult stepchildren, Marnie and Matt. After he moved to Plymouth, Mass., he enjoyed the opportunity to help coach the girls’
tennis teams at both Plymouth North and Plymouth South high schools. It filled him with endless pride to don the titles “dad” and “coach.” Ben is survived by his wife, Roxie, their two children, and his older brother, Jonathan. Lee Dunham writes: “Ben and I both prepared for Westminster at progressive schools, he at Shady Hill in Cambridge and me at Foote in New Haven. So, we both approached with skepticism some of the traditional aspects of Westminster. I distinctly recall our being admonished for misbehaving at a tea the first weekend at school in 1955. After that, I towed the line, but Ben’s independent spirit was not extinguished. He was a fearless competitor and skilled player on the soccer field and an equally aggressive player of hearts in our dorm. And as the years passed, Ben became an active and loyal Westminster alum and member of the Class of 1959. Art Gilliam writes: “I came to Westminster in 1956 from Memphis, Tenn., which was in the heavily segregated South, as the only Black student in the Class of 1959. The headmaster, Peter Keyes, knew exactly whom he would ask to consider rooming with me. It was Ben. And without hesitation, Ben said, ‘Of course I will.’ I later told Ben that he had answered before he even met me and that after he met me, it was too late because Keyes wouldn’t let him change his mind. Ben and I, as roommates, often chided each other with a little wellintended sarcasm. Some years later when we had reconnected, I asked Ben and his wonderful wife, Roseann, to come to Memphis to meet my fiancée, Dorrit, and they agreed. Dorrit had never met Ben before, so she asked me what he was like. I told her I did not know anyone quite like Ben, but she insisted that there must be someone. I told her ‘think Robin Hood.’ She said ‘Robin Hood?’ I said, ‘Yeah, he’s an irrepressibly merry guy who is a bit mischievous at times but usually in pursuit of noble causes.’ Indeed, Ben had those traits, but toward the end, as he faced some extremely difficult challenges, the traits he exhibited even more were his enormous reserves of grit and grace. I
Spring 2022
63
In Memoriam admired that, and I will miss him. He was my roommate and my good friend, and I was privileged to be one of the Merry Men.” Charlie Zimmer writes: “Really sorry to hear about my classmate Ben Day. I remember him as a quiet guy, a good friend and a member of the infamous Class of 1959.”
1961 Richard M. Hoyt died Feb. 18. A graduate
of Yale University, he had a fierce love and loyalty for his family, friends and his employees at The Chapin & Bangs Co., where he worked for more than 50 years. He relished his time both on the water and in the woods of Connecticut and New Hampshire. Dick was selfless and ethical in everything he did. He made everyone feel valued because they were. Dick navigated life with remarkable humor, intelligence and perspective. Most recently, he served as a director of People’s United Bank in Bridgeport. He had been on the board of the Yale New Haven Health Systems, as well as a director of Bridgeport Hospital for many years. He served on the board of the YMCA including Camp Hi-Rock Mortgage Club. He also served on the Board of Lakeview Cemetery Association. In addition to his wife, Janet, Dick is survived by his children, Kendall Hoyt ’89 and Taylor Hoyt; a brother, Stephen Hoyt ’64; Larry Hoyt; and Anne Hepner. Dick remained a loyal member of the Westminster community, serving on multiple reunion committees. Buzz Ahrens writes: “Dick was a warrior through all this ... always the bright cheery smile … made folks feel happy and peaceful in spite of torments. Sad.” Malcolm Douglas writes, “We have all lost a dear comrade.” Sam Gawthrop writes: “Dick and I have been close friends since our teenage years water skiing on Candlewood Lake, through our years at Westminster and then Yale. Jackie and I have continued that friendship with Janet and Dick over the years, meeting them at various places 64
Westminster Bulletin
including their home in Connecticut and their beautiful mountain retreat in New Hampshire. We will miss him terribly!” Nathan Hayward writes: “Dick was a very fine and hardworking professional and a truly generous friend to many of his Westminster classmates and other students. He was one of my favorite classmates while we were on Williams Hill. We will all miss him.” Tom Turton writes: “Cathy and I are so sorry to hear about Dick’s death. … but also recall well what a really nice guy and friend he was to us through our Westy years.”
1962 Edwin H. B. Pratt Jr. died Aug. 25, 2021.
Ted served as Marion, Mass., selectman and board of health member. He was active on town and regional committees, including the Old Rochester Regional School District Financial Advisory Committee, the conservation commission and Tobey Hospital Board of Trustees, among others. He was a founder of the Buzzards Bay Action Committee. An avid motorcyclist and collector, he ran Pratt’s Vintage Motorcycles in Greenwich, England, in the 1970s and in Marion after. He was a lifetime Harley owners’ group member. Ted served as president and board member of the National Association of Local Boards of Health, eventually moving to Washington, D.C., as the organization’s government liaison. He later became town administrator of Garrett Park, Md., in 2002 and retired in 2013. He moved to St. Augustine, Fla., in 2015, where he was a board member of Ayla’s Acres No-Kill Animal Rescue and was active in the Sunshine Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America. He is survived by his wife, Page, his sister, Charlotte Sudduth, and his brother, Andrew Pratt ’64. Ted’s father, Edwin H. Pratt, was as a member of the Westminster faculty from 1937-1943 and remained involved as a trustee for many years. Pratt House, where the head of school currently resides, was named after the Pratt family.
1967 Arthur S. Lane III died Dec. 15, 2021. Art
attended the Independent Day School in Middlefield, Conn., and then Westminster. He attended Ithaca College and college in Boston where he graduated from a radio and television program. He also earned a degree from the Ward School of Electronics at the University of Hartford. Art began his cellular career working for Motorola as a field service engineer, which took him all over the country. Before retiring, he worked as an engineer at AT&T in Washington, D.C. Art had a passion for music that began while attending Westminster and continued to bloom. He was especially a fan of the Beatles, Jimmy Hendrix and blues music. He was a talented electric guitar player. In his years at Westminster, he sang in the Harmonaires, played electric guitar and sang in a local band called The Misfits. For his 73rd birthday, he was given a blues harmonica, which he immediately picked up and played. Art was always the life of the party and enjoyed spending time in the Adirondacks. Most of all, he loved his family and friends. In addition to his wife, Susan, he is survived by his sons, Zach Lane and Geoff Lane, who worked at Westminster from 2005-2007, and his brother, Edward Lane.
1968 Albert Lee Floyd died Dec. 28, 2021. At
Westminster, Al was an active participant in all aspects of campus life, especially sports. He excelled in basketball but also enjoyed playing lacrosse and football. He made a host of lifelong friends at Westminster and always looked forward to returning to the Hill to attend class reunions. Following Westminster, he attended Trinity College, where he was captain of the basketball team and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering in 1972. He began his professional career in the aerospace industry at Hamilton Standard in Windsor
Locks, Conn., a division of United Technologies Corporation (UTC), where he worked for the next 27 years. He pursued his master’s degree in business administration at Western New England College in Springfield, Mass. He also acquired his referee license and refereed basketball games and played on the basketball league at UTC. Al continued his career at Pratt & Whitney, also a division of UTC, located in East Hartford, where he worked for seven years before retiring. Al dedicated his life to service, especially mentoring youth and served as former chairperson for the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Foundation, president of the Scout Hall Youth Center Building Committee, member of the board of trustees and former chairperson for the Warehouse Point Library, member of the American Heritage River Commission, former assistant scoutmaster troop No. 17, and former coach for boys’ and girls’ youth sports in East Windsor. He received the Hartford Courant Outstanding Volunteer Award in 1996, East Windsor Rotary Club Citizen of the Year in 1999 and was elected to the East Windsor Board of Finance in 1999. He cherished spending quality time with his family, enjoyed golfing and was an avid fisherman. He is survived by his wife, Sharon; his children, Gregory L. Floyd, Ronald K. Floyd and Kimberly D. Floyd ’00; his mother, Arrie P. Floyd; and his brother, Louis E. Floyd. He was predeceased by his father, John Lee Floyd; his sister, Annie Jo Floyd; and his brothers, James F. Floyd and Howard L. Floyd. Michael R. Flynn died Sept. 2, 2021.
An accomplished carpenter, craftsman and quiet philanthropist, he had a compassionate heart that focused on making life a little better for the less fortunate. He will be severely missed,
and his memory will be held in honor by many. In his passing, he precedes one sibling, sister Reidy Georgina C. Flynn. At the time of his death, he was living in Ireland. Charles Porter Berry writes: “Our beloved brother Michael Flynn died on Sept. 2, 2021. He lived and died with grit and grace.” Robert Haymes writes, “Grieving the loss of my dear old friend Mike, the beautiful soul with whom I shared many an adventure in the days of our youth.”
1969 Michael Fales died June 30, 2021. Richard Porth writes: “I was
saddened to learn of the passing of my roommate and dear friend Michael Fales, from the great Class of 1969. Mikee was complicated for sure, but he was one of the kindest and most generous souls on the planet. I will remember Mikee for the sunny spring days when he would say, ‘Hey Flick, let’s grab some blankets and go to the athletic fields to catch some rays!’ We also spent countless hours in the boiler room of Memorial building enjoying some tobacco, along with others whose names shall remain anonymous. But of course, Michael is iconic at Westminster for his midnight climbing of the water tower. I joined Michael and Fred Mann late in the evening at the base of the tower. Mike and Fred made the climb, but I chickened out. Mikee saved my honor by assigning me the job of lookout. I did fend off a security guard by bribing him with some smokes. He left Westminster for Franklin Pierce, and then spent his professional career with Thule. Mikee is survived by his Westminster family. He will be missed!”
2000 Robert Christopher Schmidt died Feb. 22.
R.C. grew up in Buxton, Maine, attended high school at Cheverus High School in Portland for one year and then Westminster. He attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and then furthered his education at Hobart and Williams Smith Colleges. He moved to New York City in 2005, where he worked until 2016 as a successful commodities trader. In 2005, he met his wife, Mandie, whom he married in Italy in 2010. R.C. and Mandie had the opportunity to live in London, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Amsterdam and Italy. R.C. loved hockey and played from a young age through his college years. He had a passion for life; loved sailing, the beach, reggae music and his dog, Rolo; and traveling the world. He is survived by his parents, his sister and his wife.
Members of the Westminster Community Lea Ann Gostyla, who worked in the
Westminster Health Center for many years, died Feb. 23. She was a registered nurse for over 40 years, in the U.S. Army, schools and operating rooms. She was employed for a short time at Saint Francis Hospital, Bloomfield High School and was the nursing director at Westminster. She finally worked and retired from UConn Health Center, where she left behind an unforgettable legacy as a lead surgical nurse. Lea Ann is survived by her husband, Thomas Gostyla, and many family members.
Spring 2022
65
Closing Thoughts
The Importance of Creating Relationships By Priscilla O. Ameyaw ’22 President of the John Hay Society Westminster Alumni Association Scholar
ADAPTED FROM A CHAPEL TALK SHE GAVE SEPT. 10, 2021
Let me begin by telling you a little about myself. I am a Sixth Form boarder from Techiman, Ghana, who was raised by two powerful single women, my grandmother and my mother. As a young girl born into a society with significant gender inequality, I consider myself very lucky. Growing up, there were a lot of expectations for me. I was allowed to focus on my education and nothing else, and there was no time for play with friends. My mother worked a double job, so she could give me the best education she possibly could while also providing for our family. I spent a lot of my time outside the classroom with my grandma and not much time with my mom because of her jobs. I always wanted to play soccer and other sports just like Priscilla Ameyaw ’22 the boys in my neighborhood, but my mother refused to let me. She would say, “Sports will not let you focus on education up. He told me there would be a trial for the Right to Dream because you will spend too much time playing.” She wanted me Academy coming up in which he wanted me to take part. The to focus on school only because she did not get the opportunity Right to Dream Academy is a boarding school in Old Akrade, to do so. My grandma knew I wanted to be involved in sports Eastern Region, Ghana, that focuses on academics, soccer and just like she had when she was young, so she supported me, but character development. she also understood the importance of being educated. One of I was excited to hear this news, but my mom’s rules was never to step in order for me to go, I needed my mom’s foot on a soccer field, but I could not “Leaving home at the age consent, and I knew this would be very resist playing, so I would sneak out tricky to get. I told my grandma about the whenever I could. I had to play the of 10 to pursue my dream situation, and she said she would talk to game I love. of playing soccer and going my mom. It took my grandma and several But I was not the best at hiding other people to convince my mom to let my soccer stuff from my mom who to a better school was hard, me go for the trial, and even after she said would always find out when I had “yes,” I knew she was not happy. been playing soccer. In my house, but, by leaning on strong I was nearly 10 years old the day there are consequences when we break relationships with the people I went to the trial, competing against a rule. I won’t go into the details, but mostly teenagers. I was scared because I will tell you that my mom did not I met along the way, I was I had never played in such a big arena want me to play soccer, and I did not want to stop playing soccer. None of able to survive the obstacles.” with so many other players. I felt as if I was frozen and could not play the way I the consequences could stop me from usually did. Still, my coach told me to go chasing my dream of playing soccer. out and just have fun, and I made the first cut. Because there was not a girls’ team for my age, I got At the second trial, there were 80 of us from all over Ghana, introduced to an all-boys’ soccer team. And, because there are yet only nine of us would be awarded the scholarship. I kept still so many social stereotypes in Ghana, I got picked on by the getting more nervous each time a group was sent home, but I was boys who did not want me to play with them. The boys called me really more worried about my school absences and how my mom names and said things like “girls belong in the kitchen.” was going to react than if I would make the cut. I did think of quitting the team because of how mean the other players were to me, but the coach convinced me not to give
66
Westminster Bulletin
Luckily for me, I was one of nine people who received the scholarship, and I was the youngest one. I spent five years at the academy, and during my time there, I traveled to places in the world that I might not have such as England, the U.S, Sweden and Denmark. I built great relationships with some of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life. And, most importantly, after a lot of hard work and determination, I got the opportunity to come to Westminster, a place full of love and kindness. I want to emphasize how strongly I feel about the importance of creating relationships. Leaving home at the age of 10 to pursue my dream of playing soccer and going to a better school was hard, but, by leaning on strong relationships with the people I met along the way, I was able to survive the obstacles. At the academy, I kept to myself for a long time because I was very introverted. I had self-confidence issues that affected me both on and off the soccer field, but my confidence level began to grow when I started opening up to people and building important relationships. My mentors encouraged and supported me through everything I did. When life became difficult at the academy, they stood by me. They made me the person I was when I came to Westminster and taught me that those friendships are long-lasting. When I arrived on William’s Hill, the first two people I met were my soccer captains, Blake and Georgia. They made me feel at home right away, and all the nervousness and pressure went away. Still, my Third Form year was pretty much a disaster. I spent a lot of time at the Health Center for a variety of reasons and had 65 class absences. In one of our early games against Wilbraham & Monson Academy, I sprained my ankle, one of many health issues I was battling that fall. That ankle injury had begun at home in Ghana, then I reinjured it and then I did it again, a third time, this time badly in our game against Taft. As a result, I had to spend the rest of the season watching from the bench. I remember talking to Mrs. Kelly Wosleger, our coach, and saying, “I don’t even know what to do; I am here to play soccer, and I can’t play!” I remember so well what she said to me: “Priscilla, you are more than just a soccer player.” Looking back now, I have to thank Mrs. Nancy UrnerBerry, Mrs. Wosleger and Mrs. Kelly Curtis for all their time. I also will be forever grateful to Mrs. Rebeccah Tuscano-Moss for all the time I have spent with her and her family during vacations. These four remarkable teachers made the impossible seem possible and for that, I am eternally thankful. But I also want to thank all of you for helping to make me who I am today. So many of the relationships I have developed at Westminster have helped me become a better person. Relationships are important because they make life worth living every day. Westminster is my home, and you all are my family. Every one of you holds a special place in my heart that will be there forever. Thank you for everything. Priscilla competing in soccer for Westminster. Spring 2022
67
FACULTY INSPIRE
At Westminster School, inspiration happens around the clock and across the campus. Faculty members, who make a vocational commitment to the school community, play a vital role in the health and success of our students. Between early mornings in Armour Academic Center and late nights in the dorm, they engage in advisor meetings, family-style lunch, team practices, rehearsals, club meetings and dinner with their own families. By modeling Grit & Grace through their commitment to young people in all that they achieve and sacrifice, faculty members inspire Westminster students to live and learn with Grit & Grace. Gifts to The Westminster Fund support the learning opportunities for students in the classroom, on the fields and in the dining hall while also providing opportunities for faculty members to focus on their own personal and professional growth. Your gifts make these transformational opportunities possible and fill our community with Grit & Grace.
To support the The Westminster Fund, visit www.westminster-school.org/2022 68
Westminster Bulletin
TRUSTEES 2021-2022 Madeleine Ekholm P’19, ’20 Greenwich, Conn.
Ian M. Morton ’87, P’22 West Hartford, Vt.
Elisabeth M. Armstrong P’04, ’06, ’07 Emerita Dallas, Texas
Joseph L. Gitterman III ’55, P’86, ’86, ’90, GP’24 Emeritus Washington Depot, Conn.
Moyahoena Ogilvie ‘86 Emerita Bloomfield, Conn.
Jeffrey H. Artis ’72 Alpharetta, Ga.
Eunice J. Han-van Vredenburch ’84, P’21 Rye, N.Y.
Stephen W. Bailey ’89, P’21 McLean, Va.
Powell W. Holly III ’82 Fredericksburg, Va. David H. Hovey Jr. ’78, P’09, ’11, ’14 Chatham, Mass.
John S. Armour ’76 Emeritus Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.
Elisabeth Gailun Baird ’98 New Canaan, Conn. Christopher M. Beck P’08, ’13 Ex officio Harpswell, Maine William L. Beckford ’89, P’23 Baltimore, Md.
Martin R. Irani ’83 Encino, Calif. Martin Kelly P’22 New York, N.Y.
Alison P. Pappas P’22 Ex officio New York, N.Y. William Pappas P’22 Ex officio New York, N.Y. Mary Minns Peck ’90 Denver, Colo. C. Bradford Raymond ’85, P’19, ’20, ’24, ’24 Chair of the Board New York, N.Y.
William D. Brewer P’17, ’21 New York, N.Y.
Katherine B. Kelter ’14 Ex officio San Francisco, Calif.
Christopher J. Campbell ’91 London, U.K.
David W. Kistler ’87, P’22 Tiburon, Calif.
Renée Lynch Carrel ’84, P’19, ’21 Boston, Mass.
Jane Kessler Lennox ’88, P’16, ’18 New Albany, Ohio
Edward V. Dardani Jr. P’14, ’18 Waccabuc, N.Y.
Bryan Martin ’86 Larchmont, N.Y.
Samuel Thorne ’46, P’74, ’76 Emeritus Bedford, Mass.
John H. Davis P’05 Emeritus Longmeadow, Mass.
Thomas W. McCargo ’82, P’21 Sewickley, Pa.
Kirsten Sichler Webb ’98 Greenwich, Conn.
Andrew D. McCullough Jr. ’87 Houston, Texas
Elaine White Head of School Ex officio Simsbury, Conn.
Harvey C. DeMovick III ’90, P’24 Westerly, R.I. Lori P. Durham P’13, ’15 Denver, Colo.
T. Treadway Mink Jr. ’77, P’11 Emeritus Greenville, S.C.
William C. Egan III ’64, P’92, ’95, ’00, ’02 Emeritus Jackson, Wyo.
Jakub B. Mleczko ’00 Ex officio New York, N.Y.
Westminster Bulletin
This magazine is produced twice a year by the Marketing and Communications Office.
SPRING 2022 Published by:
Westminster School 995 Hopmeadow St. Simsbury, CT 06070 (860) 408-3000
Send Class Notes
via email to Cris Gomez ’10, Director of Alumni Relations: classnotes@westminster-school.org In keeping with our support for a diverse community, Westminster abides by all applicable federal and state laws and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic, including race, color, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry and/or disability.
Thomas D. Sargent II ’77, P’10 West Hartford, Conn. Gary L. Simpson P’24 Water Mill, N.Y. Helen Sun Lin P’24 Hong Kong
Sara L. Whiteley ’91 West Chatham, Mass. Benjamin D. Williams IV ’81 Carpinteria, Calif.
Editor
Darlene Skeels Director of Communications and Publications dskeels@westminster-school.org Director of Marketing and Communications
Jeff Kennard P’19 Photography
Seshu Badrinath, Jeff Kennard, David Newman, Darlene Skeels, Spencer Sloan, Jane Toner and Tyler Wosleger Design
John Johnson Art Direction & Design Riverton, Conn.
The Trustees of Westminster School, Inc. 995 Hopmeadow Street Simsbury CT 06070
www.Westminster-School.org
A spring view of the Talcott Mountain ridgeline from the gardens outside Pratt House.
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Avon, CT Permit #9