s p r i n g 2 017
The Magazine of Wilbraham & Monson Academy The Global School ®
ACADEMYWORLD
Where We’ve Been also in this issue:
From the Archives News from the Hill Alumni Events
by brian p. easler Head of School
perspectives
contents
Marking the Road Forward This year we celebrate the Bicentennial of Wilbraham Academy, founded in 1817, just 13 years after the founding of Monson Academy in 1804. These two remarkable schools, the bedrock of our merged Academy, have, through those centuries, weathered many storms and withstood periods of great difficulty and adversity. With the dedication and support of alumni, families and friends, however, Wilbraham & Monson Academy persevered and is now solidly moving forward. It is a perfect time to prepare for the future, from a position of strength, as we have been doing in our recent work engaging in a campus master planning process. This process, to create an intentional facilities roadmap, was broken into three phases, represented by three different weeklong workshops on campus. Each workshop satisfied a unique and successive step in the planning process by asking one of three questions at each workshop: what facilities needs must we satisfy to support our mission; where should our facilities, existing and new, be located on campus; in what priority should we focus on them, given the necessary financial planning and the program needs of the school. We have been engaged in this process throughout the spring with our master planning firm, Flansburgh Architects, and we have benefitted from the involvement of students, staff, families, friends and alumni at every step. The process has infused the WMA community with the promise of what lies ahead and the confidence that, given time, intention, hard work and the financial support of those who have come before, we will become even stronger. The master planning process will also prepare us to meet adversity as admirably as we have in the past. We are gliding into a national era of declining birth rates and a resulting reduction in the market of school-aged children. Data from The Association of Boarding Schools reveals that all domestic boarding students who attend all North American boarding schools enroll from a very specific and limited number of states and cities, basically the upper eastern seaboard with pockets in Southern Florida, Chicago, South-Central Texas and Southern California. If you then overlay this demographic map with U.S. birth rate data from the U.S. Census Bureau, it becomes obvious that the states and cities from which all domestic boarding students hail are also the areas of the lowest and most rapidly declining birth rates in the nation. Because WMA is in one of those states, it means that this decline in the student population will affect boarding and day students alike. In recent years, and for all schools, a gradually increasing international student presence has balanced a slow but steady decline in domestic boarding. Recently, however, the international market is beginning to plateau. The Association of Boarding Schools has embarked, with member schools, on a national marketing campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of boarding school and to increase interest from a broader cross section of the potential market. WMA has taken a leadership role in that endeavor. Despite the promise of these efforts, these circumstances will inevitably intensify competition between North American boarding schools during the years that lie ahead. We have an opportunity, as a result of this market challenge and the promise of an intentional plan to move forward, to guarantee the health of Wilbraham & Monson Academy long into the future. With the help of alumni, families and friends, as in decades past, we will map a road forward that will allow us to weather this storm and strengthen the community as a result of having done so.
Editor
Teddy Ryan Associate Editors
Russ Held Bill Wells Advisory Board
Mark Aimone Brian Easler Dawn Hines Don Kelly Erik Kindblom Elizabeth Mitchell-Kelly ’04 Janet Moran Contributing Writers
Mark Aimone Christina Cronin Brian Easler Russ Held Dawn Hines Richard Malley Elizabeth Mitchell-Kelly ’04 Janet Moran Teddy Ryan Elizabeth Squindo Bill Wells Photography
Paul Bloomfield Dr. Kathy Gorski Russ Held John Jurkowski Teddy Ryan Bill Wells
Chase Fountain, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Various contributing photographers Stoltze Design Printing
Starburst Board of Trustees
Scott B. Jacobs ’75, Chair James E. LaCrosse ’50W, Vice Chair Mark R. Shenkman ’61M, Vice Chair Donald J. Stuart ’73, Treasurer Krista Hanson, Secretary David J. Callahan Robert S. Edmunds ’01 Bonnie Faulkner Ryan ’82 Caitlin S. Flynn ’06 K. Ivan F. Gothner Linda B. Griffin Judith A. Knapp Barry M. Maloney ’85 Timothy J. Marini Kent W. Pecoy David A. Reeves Craig A. Rubin ’63W
24 Feature Story
Departments
24 Wilbraham Academy Bicentennial
4 12 54 57
Trustees Emeriti
Eric W. Anderson Richard S. Fuld ’64W William E. James ’64W Parents Association
Brenda Labbe
Supporting WMA 2
Alumni, we’d like to hear from you! Send your current contact information and news to alumni@wma.us. “Academy World” is published in the spring and fall for alumni, parents and friends of the Academy. Please direct comments and letters to: Wilbraham & Monson Academy Marketing & Communications Office 423 Main Street Wilbraham, MA 01095-1715 marketing@wma.us Our Mission
Wilbraham & Monson Academy is a transformational experience where students become challenge-seeking citizens and leaders of an evolving world. Wilbraham & Monson Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, military status, gender identity and any other categories protected by federal, state or local law.
Don Stuart ’73
Alumni in Action
News from the Hill Titans Victorious Alumni Events Class Notes
In Memoriam 56 Bob McCray ’43M 65 We Remember
38 Kent Karosen ’84 40 Alex Debelov ’06 42 Richard Taylor ’62W
Pieces of History 30 Heads of School Through the Years 34 Former Faculty 44 A Metal Detector’s Findings 50 Malley House Dedication 66 Burning of the Bow Tie
get social with us! wilbrahammonsonacademy wilbrahammonson
Follow the Head of School’s blog at www.wma.us/hos
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Design
wilbrahammonsonacad @theglobalschool qqid: 2306006424
on the cover A shot of a Wilbraham Academy Class of 1969 ring, found by John Jurkowski via metal detector at Fountain Park in Wilbraham, Mass. The ring sits on the Senior Bridge over the Rubicon with the iconic Rich Hall in the background. Story on pages 44–45.
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by RUSS HELD Manager of Electronic Communications
Supporting WMA
Don Stuart ’73 Finds Calling After Renewed Connection with WMA
He was asked.
He thought. And he responded. Donald J. Stuart ’73 had been out of the loop . . . with family, career and the rest of his life in full gear. But when Wilbraham & Monson Academy came calling a dozen years ago, Mr. Stuart answered. “It came out of the blue,” Mr. Stuart said. “I had been away from the school, mentally. There were other commitments, raising kids, aging parents, the business world . . . “But I was asked, and it took about a year before anything happened. But I was asked, and I thought and I responded. And I was happy I did.” So, too, is Wilbraham & Monson Academy. Mr. Stuart’s response has turned into an 11-year run on the Academy’s Board of Trustees and his invaluable presence again within the WMA community. “This is my primary cause, this is my personal interest,” the Wilbraham native said. “I’m not one to be on six boards and in all these different places. There is a lot to be said about focus. And my focus is here.” Don Nicholson ’79, the Academy’s Director of Alumni & Development at the time, said targeting Mr. Stuart was no accident.
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“Looking to recruit new trustees, his name popped up with us as we vetted possibilities and he was a quality guy,” said Mr. Nicholson, now WMA’s Director of Athletics. “We just knew he’d be a huge piece of the financial part of our board.” Mr. Nicholson, then Head of School Rodney LaBrecque and Mr. Stuart first met at Cannondale Associates headquarters in Wilton, Connecticut, Mr. Stuart’s place of business, to start the discussions, and the renewed relationship has worked out well for both parties. “He is truly one of the great trustees from that era, when we were looking for WMA guys,” Mr. Nicholson said. “The board had been dominated by Wilbraham (Academy) guys and times had changed, especially in the ’70s. I really feel that this was one of the best things I did here (in that role), bringing in Don Stuart.” “It was a good ask, they were clear with what they wanted and needed from me,” Mr. Stuart said. “And right now with the Board, you have so many great people; people like (Chairman) Scott Jacobs (’75) and (Head of School) Brian Easler. Mr. Stuart’s role has included involvement on numerous committees, with current responsibilities ranging from treasurer of the Board to chair of its finance committee. His presence on and value to the Board is not lost on Mr. Easler, who said: “Don Stuart is the consummate trustee. His love of WMA, demonstrated through his commitment of time and resources, is deep and meaningful. This is supplemented with the clarity of his leadership
“My experience here, it was an investment for the future. Your past is tied to the school and I’ve been able to carry out its mission in my own life.” don stuart ’73
through thoughtful and rational contributions to Board discussions and decisions that ably guide WMA forward . . . I have trouble imagining our Board without him on it.” And as much as Mr. Stuart gives, he says he receives more in return. “I want the school to thrive, not just survive,” Mr. Stuart said. “I’ve found that I have gained just as much on the Board as I received as a student here.” The scope of Stuart’s experience as a fouryear student at the Academy began in ninth grade. The school structure began as Wilbraham Academy for his first two years — as an all-boys school as a freshman and a “little bit of coed” as a sophomore — and finished as Wilbraham & Monson Academy for his last two. “We were right there with Kent State, (social activist) Jerry Rubin and all that was going on in the world. It was a different time,” Mr. Stuart said. Mr. Stuart, 61, credits the Academy for instilling in him “a different style of thinking. It allowed me to grow and I also grew up while I was here. It helped me do both, although I wasn’t close to realizing that at the time. “My experience here, it was an investment for the future. Your past is tied to the school and I’ve been able to carry out its mission in my own life.” Outside the WMA classroom, Mr. Stuart enjoyed swimming more than his seasons playing soccer or competing in track & field. “Had I not had the swimming background, maybe I don’t end up with the triathlons in my 40s and two Ironmans in my 50s,” said Mr. Stuart, who enjoyed the freestyle and backstroke events in Cowdrey Pool. “The experience helped with the balance in my life. The seeds were planted then and I never found the school to be cliquish. It was a very comfortable atmosphere.” Beyond WMA, his educational journey took him to St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, for a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He later earned his master’s in Business Administration at Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth (N.H.). “I had no clue where I was going with my career after leaving here as a student,” Mr. Stuart said. “I took an economics class, my last term, with Mr. (Fred) Watts. He was much-beloved here
and it was an inspiration for me. I became an economics major and my 38 years in the business world have been in marketing or marketing consulting.” Today, Mr. Stuart is a managing partner at Cadent Consulting Group, LLC in Wilton. His career has centered on working with major consumer manufacturers on how they sell and market to retailers. “I grew a company (Cannondale Associates) to 100 people and later sold it to WPP, a $19 billion British firm,” Mr. Stuart said. “But I knew I couldn’t sit around, so I started another and much of that success has come about because of the basic skills I learned at WMA. You learn how to work with people, and that foundation was built at WMA and enhanced in college.
“And like everything in life, it’s about balance. It’s important to have purpose, community and structure in your life and it goes back to my time at WMA.” Mr. Stuart grew up near the Sixteen Acres side of Wilbraham and his late parents — Donald and Nancy — raised him and his sister Nancy S. Rinker (who now lives in Maryland). He lives in Fairfield, Connecticut, with Susan, his wife of 35 years. He and Susan, a native of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, met in business school at Dartmouth. Mr. Stuart does not hesitate to call the birth of his now 30-year-old triplets — Donnie, who lives in Los Angeles, Sally (New York) and Jennifer (Connecticut) — as his “biggest life event, without a doubt.”
He stays active with triathlons, likes to read and ski, and his passion for travel has taken him all over the world and to 49 states. “I’m missing Alaska, and there’s a joke that we’ll take that Alaskan cruise when we get old,” Mr. Stuart said. And it’s a safe bet he’ll take a little of WMA with him. left Donald J. Stuart ’73 below Head of School Brian Easler, left, and Board of Trustees member Donald J. Stuart ’73 are all smiles while looking at paperwork during a conversation in Mr. Easler’s office.
departments
News from the Hill Julia Diderich ’17
3 WMA students have photos displayed in Boston
Students Skype with Pulitzer Prize winner Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Dean of Curriculum Meg Hutcheson was a fan of Anthony Doerr long before he became a best-selling author. After reading his latest novel, Ms. Hutcheson used a connection to have WMA’s AP Literature students Skype with the 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner. Twenty-three students and four faculty members enjoyed an hour-long video-conference session in the Mark R. Shenkman Trading Center on Oct. 14 with Mr. Doerr, who thoughtfully and thoroughly answered questions from his home in Idaho. “I’ve been reading him for years because he’s my brotherin-law’s friend from college,” Ms. Hutcheson explained. “Fifteen years ago, my brother-in-law gave me his collection of short stories: ‘The Shell Collector.’ When I read it I told my brother-in-law his friend was ▼ Students Skyped really talented. I’ve been tracking with Anthony Doerr in and reading his stuff for the last 15 years. the Mark R. Shenkman When he came out with this novel Trading Center.
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I was astounded how far he had come with his writing.” Mr. Doerr’s latest novel, “All The Light You Cannot See,” is set in Nazi-occupied France in the 1940s. Along with the Pulitzer Prize, the historical fiction piece earned the 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. “When ‘All The Light You Cannot See’ came out, I read it right away and realized how amazing it was, and many people were reading it also so I kept hearing his name from other sources,” Ms. Hutcheson said. “I was happy to hear he had broken out. Mrs. (Royale) McCormack asked if I had read ‘All The Light You Cannot See’ and I said I loved that book. We agreed to have the book be the AP Literature read. Then I tried to get him.” The AP Literature students worked repeatedly on asking a detailed question, and their efforts were rewarded as Mr. Doerr responded with engaging answers. “Those were their questions,” Ms. Hutcheson said. “We did not feed them anything. They pulled them from what they analyzed and their personal questions, and they formulated what I thought were great questions. They had an opportunity to speak to a Pulitzer Prize winning author and I asked them to ask detailed questions. The level and sophistication of his answers were a result of the sophistication of their questions.” Along with the novel, Mr. Doerr explained the process of writing a book. “All The Light You Cannot See” took him 10 years to complete, which included extensive research and traveling to Europe. More than 50,000 words were deleted from his original version. He also delved into the stereotypes of Hollywood. “It was wonderful to have the kids see how generous a successful person can be and how real they can be,” Ms. Hutcheson said. “One of the big takeaways was the kids realizing he’s just a real human being just trying to follow his passion. He loves to write and he shared his love of literature. He was an English teacher’s dream: He was promoting reading. I loved it when he said the best way to be a human being is to get into the shoes of another human being. That’s what literature offers.”
Wilbraham & Monson Academy Fine & Performing Arts Chair Paul Bloomfield remembered the first time he had his artwork displayed and how meaningful that was to him. “I was 5 years old and the principal hung something I did outside his office for the entire school year,” Mr. Bloomfield recalled. Many years later, Mr. Bloomfield saw an opportunity for Academy students to have their art displayed, knowing how motivational this could potentially be to a budding artist. Three WMA students — Peter Labbe ’17, Julia Diderich ’17 and Noah Kantor ’19 — had their photographs selected and on display at the State Transportation Building in Boston as part of the 2016 Massachusetts High School Photography Exhibit in the fall. The event was sponsored by the Massachusetts Art Education Association. “That external recognition can have a deep impact on whether the student feels they are successful in that area or not, and they might not otherwise get that opportunity to receive that feedback if they don’t do something like this,” Mr. Bloomfield said. “If they don’t apply or try these things, they will literally never know. But those students who do, the potential is great, and I don’t want to say it could be life-changing, but it could be really impactful.” Peter, Julia and Noah were honored to have their photos displayed. For each of them, it was the first time any of their work had been shown at a public exhibit. Peter was in Newport, R.I., when a parked vehicle caught his attention. A Ford pickup truck was situated in front of a massive American flag that was draped over a building on the Fourth of July. “There was a lot of Americana in one picture,” Peter said. Julia received a camera as a birthday gift soon before she came to WMA and was eager to take photographs. “My sister said I could take a picture of her and she was posing so I took some pictures for fun before I came here to go to school,” Julia explained. Noah, meanwhile, was visiting New York when he came across an open book on the sidewalk. “It’s a picture of a Hebrew Bible in Brooklyn,” Noah explained. “My parents and I were walking to the Brooklyn Bridge and the book was on the ground. Some of the pages were torn and I thought it looked interesting, so I took a picture.”
▲ Peter Labbe ’17
Noah Kantor ’19
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departments: NEWS FROM THE HILL
Daniel QinDong ’17 presents at international conference
State writing contest honors 5 WMA students Words carry deep meaning for Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Erika Convery ’19. She chooses her words carefully, especially in the written form. She keeps a journal and spends extra time with teachers working on improving her writing skills. “Writing is a way for me to get all of my thoughts out in a way I can go back and reflect on later, which is why I write journals,” she said. “I feel sometimes teenagers aren’t aware of what words can mean. Sometimes they can be hurtful and sometimes they can be meaningful. I try to channel that meaning from words and make something out of it.” Erika made something out of her two submissions to the Boston Globe Scholastic Writing Awards, earning a Silver Key and Honorable Mention at the state level. Her flash fictional work, “Blind,” earned Honorable Mention, and her poem, “Forsaken,” which she has worked on for years, took a Silver Key. “I want people to know not every teenager is naïve, ignorant and oblivious to the real world,” Erika said. “That’s one thing I’m passionate about — getting people to understand that teenagers aren’t mindless.” Four other WMA students also had writing pieces recognized. “I Won’t Forget,” a memoir by Emily Dromgold ’17, earned a Silver Key. Emma Kindblom ’17 (poem, “Ode to a Quaking Aspen Tree”), Celina Rivernider ’19 (above) (memoir, “Love Is Not Gone”) and Isaias “Ikas” de Brito Trindade ’17 (critical essay, “The Eternal Fate of Tyranny”) won Honorable Mentions.
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Forsaken By Erika Convery ’19
Ode to a Quaking Aspen Tree By Emma Kindblom ’17
I Won’t Forget (excerpt) By Emily Dromgold ’17
The Eternal Fate of Tyranny (excerpt) By Isaias “Ikas” de Brito Trindade ’17
In spite to wrench away a lover’s hand By raze and greed to filch another’s heart In mute, confine a love in death’s remand In mourn shall both subside and woe apart
Quaking and shimmering you dance with the wind. Your beautiful greens have morphed into stunning silvers.
In dark as those who’ve lost to hope stand blind As rains of sorrow fall from eyes of part Adieus mislaid as membrance falls from mind Each lover’s fury numbed by broken heart
The blues peak through the gaps you leave, but it only adds to your mesmerizing nature. And then he stops, your dance ceases.
But each shall wait in deadened passion’s thought And all forever melts to past in wait As time’s own sense of worth is never brought Eternal lonesome breath is found by fate
From not so far away I hear your partner rushing back to you. Running over the tops like a mad man. Two gorgeous leaps over the clearings and he’s back.
The last time I saw Eka was her eightyfirst birthday party. It may have been her eighty-second. Eka’s daughter arranged a small party for her at an Italian restaurant in Longmeadow. I stopped by after a tennis match. I made it just in time for cake. A fruit filled piece was passed to Eka first. She looked at me and smiled. Her eyes were glazed but her joyful personality hadn’t changed. At the end of our visit, my mom said goodbye to Eka after I gave her a hug. Eka’s expression wavered as her memory of my mom was lost.
The African continent has seen the tragedy of Julius Caesar reenacted many times during the second half of the twentieth century. However, it was not plays. Outside of the theaters of the African cities, many conspirators have slain tyrants in the name of freedom, and heroes have fallen because of the malice of men. Many saviors have risen, to later grow mischievous and drown in an ocean of egoism. Africa’s postindependence years were characterized by military coups, presidential assassinations, civil wars; and a Marxist-Leninist wave that established single-party states all over the continent — from Ethiopia in the North, to Angola in the South. Some countries like Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania were founded on those socialist values. Contrastingly, countries like Ghana and Kenya were founded on democratic values. Thus, similar to Ancient Rome, tyrannical actions were perceived as a danger to the foundation of the country’s political ideology. All these misfortunes that afflicted the continent, are somewhat interconnected. For example: the establishment of a single-party state may lead to a coup, which in its turn may lead to a civil war. These events occurred from the late 1960s, to the early 1990s — and as Ghana’s President John Mahama described, these were the “lost decades of Africa.” During this period, in lands far south of Rome, many Caesars have been seen in states newly born. The similarity with the story of Kwame Nkrumah, makes it hard to deny that Julius Caesar is “Shakespeare’s African play.”
For true does zeal lie stark against all loathe Yet darkness finds its pall and strength in both.
You are back. Reunited in a rustley embrace. And you resume, because a dance is simply unsuccessful without your partner. There is no quake, or shimmer, no silver, or glimmer. You lie still, and wait. For him to come sprinting back. He always does. In the fall it hurts him to watch you leave. In the winter all he does is cry. In the spring he flies with angst. In summer his joyful rustle leads your dance. And with that you begin the vicious cycle all over again. Quaking and shimmering your beautiful endless dance continues.
There is nothing I can do. I cannot bring Eka’s memory back. I can only try to sustain my own. Eka’s warm heart may be the same as before but she is hollow. We were two halves of a heart and I am the only side left. My love for Eka will not change. In fact, it will continue to grow as it colors in the missing half of my heart. I won’t forget.
The International Conference on Political Science, Sociology and International Relations drew university professors, government officials, business leaders and college graduate students from throughout the world to its sixth annual conference in Singapore . . . and Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Daniel Qin-Dong ’17. And Daniel wasn’t at the global conference as a member of the audience — he was a presenter. Daniel gave a 20-minute presentation Sept. 26–27 on his interpretation of “Midnight’s Children” to professors, researchers and graduate students from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. “It was an experience I probably won’t do again in a while — presenting a paper to researchers and professors and grad students,” Daniel said. “This was a very valuable experience to have as a high school student. “It was different being in a room with people who presented ideas and research that went on, almost like a lifetime of research, years of work. A lot of the jargon I didn’t understand but it was good to be thrown into that situation and be in a real conference where your ideas can be shared on a global scale and impact the field. It was cool to do that.” Daniel’s presentation was an extension of an assignment he did for former English Department faculty member Sean McGrath ’07 in Honors English 10. “Literally, it was an analysis on the book,” Daniel explained. “I pursued the research further because my dad said this was something that could be developed. I kept on researching it. My dad is a sociology professor and he knows about a lot of the conferences and he said I could submit this paper and see what happens. Since I started working on it I wanted to do a presentation.”
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departments: NEWS FROM THE HILL
4 WMA students earn state art awards
WMA ranked #1 . . . again
Yibo “Canna” Zhang ’18 has been fond of heart shapes since she was young, so when it came time to submit a project to a state art contest, she knew just which one to choose. Canna’s foam puzzle, cut in the shape of a heart and painted various red colors, earned a Gold Key for the 2016–2017 Boston Globe Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Contest. Canna was one of four Wilbraham & Monson Academy students recognized by the Boston Globe. Jiaming “Martin” Mao ’17 had two pieces earn awards, taking a Silver Key and Honorable Mention. Daniel Qin-Dong ’17 and Peter Labbe ’17 both made the Honorable Mention list. For earning a Gold Key, Canna’s submission automatically advanced to the national level. Martin’s Silver Key, for his digital art item, qualified for the regional competition. Canna’s submission emerged from her interest in hearts. Where her creativity was brilliantly shown came not only that the heart could be put back together again after being broken, but also in the multiple shades of red. “I wanted to show people that hearts have different phases,” said Canna, who finished the project for Mr. Paul Bloomfield’s AP 3D Art class. “One part might be very kind and another part might be selfishness. “I’m fascinated with the heart shape. Also, teenagers may have problems with a broken heart about school or love, so I wanted to do a heart piece.”
Who’s the best? Well, when it comes to private schools in Western Massachusetts, Wilbraham & Monson Academy is the best — again. For the second year in a row, the Academy was voted the Top Private School in the region in the Reader Raves Contest, which was run by The Republican and Masslive.com. “Winning it for one year was really nice and was a wonderful affirmation externally what we already feel internally: that we’re a fantastic school,” Head of School Brian Easler said. “But winning it two years in a row, that solidifies it in my mind that the external community feeling of this school is that it is a fantastic school and that it’s headed in the right direction.” WMA received its award at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke Oct. 19. The poll was conducted for a month during the summer.
▲ Photography by Peter Labbe ’17
Digital Artwork by Jiaming “Martin” Mao ’17
Mariel Picknelly ’20 releases “Epic” single
Artwork by Daniel Qin-Dong ’17
▲ A heart foam puzzle by Yibo “Canna” Zhang ’18
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Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Mariel Picknelly ’20 isn’t a national music sensation just yet, but she sure is headed in that direction. After months of performing at summer camps, Mariel released a single, “Epic,” in midOctober. The song was part of an EP (mini album), “Make It Epic.” “It’s really cool,” she said. “This was my second album that I released but there was more effort put into this one. I was eager for it to be released. I kept waiting and waiting. It was pushed back several months, but when it was released it was really exciting.” And that excitement was shown by her fans, with more than 36,000 views on the “Epic” music video in the first three months. On social media, Mariel has 98,000 followers on Musical.ly, 21,000 on Twitter and more than 5,000 on Instagram. She has more than one million likes on Live.ly.
2 students selected for Worcester Youth Symphony Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Chanling “Lily” Bai ’18 and Ashley Bradway ’18 played with some of the state’s most talented teenage musicians in mid-October when they performed with the Worcester Youth Symphony Orchestra. With Ashley playing oboe and Lily on the harp, they played with approximately 60 other high school students at Mechanics Hall in Worcester Oct. 18. The audience included the mayor of Worcester. “It’s a great youth orchestra,” said Mr. Thad Wheeler of WMA’s Fine & Performing Arts Department. “They get to play with a very large group of students, which is a good opportunity. They play with a 60 or 70 piece orchestra so it’s a great experience for them to have the sonic environment they can experience on their instruments.”
▲ top
Ashley Bradway ’18 ▲ bottom
Chanling “Lily” Bai ’18
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departments: NEWS FROM THE HILL
Jaehyuk “Sean” Chung ’18 wins regional business competition
Junhao “Mark” Xu ’16 named AP National Scholar
Jaehyuk “Sean” Chung ’18 thought the best way to grow the club he initiated at Wilbraham & Monson Academy was to do well at a competition. Sean did what he sought out to accomplish, and then some, taking first place at the 2017 Massachusetts DECA District 7 Competition Jan. 13 in Boxboro. Competing against 21 other students, Sean won the category of Principles of Business Management and Administration. By placing in the top six, he advanced to the state competition, which was held in March in Boston. DECA, which consists of international high school and college students, as well as teachers, has a focus on all forms of business, such as finance, sales and marketing. Club members Georgii Chichua ’18 and Daniel Voronin ’17 also fared well at the competition, which drew 500 high school students. Georgii advanced to the state event by placing in the top six in the Principles of Finance category, while Daniel took eighth in the Principles of Marketing division. ▲ Daniel Voronin ’17, Jaehyuk “Sean” Chung ’18 and Georgii Chichua ’18
Mr. Bloomfield leads state art conference With a broadened scope, along with some help from Wilbraham & Monson Academy, Fine & Performing Arts Department Chair Paul Bloomfield has become one of the leading advocates in Massachusetts for adjusting how art and global issues can be taught to high school students. Mr. Bloomfield was a presenter at the Massachusetts Art Educators Association Conference Nov. 13 at Lesley University in Boston. The theme of this year’s conference, which drew more than 100 teachers from throughout the state, was “Redefining Art Education.” Mr. Bloomfield has been teaching art for 12 years. During that time, his view on how art should be taught has changed to now encompass local and global issues students feel strongly about, particularly current hot topics. “In the early part of my art education,” Mr.
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Bloomfield explained, “I thought art should speak to the individual about self-expression . . . expression in terms of abstracts and more esoteric parts of how we think and believe, perhaps even spiritual. “Then I slowly began realizing that is just one aspect, and there’s another aspect that has meaning and maybe a more tangible approach
10 selected for Western Districts to get people connected to what they are doing, so their choice of colors all relate to how they build the picture, which is how they communicate that message. The choice of the background, the text color . . . all of these things lead to a message that you can start to transmit ideas that you think are important.” Mr. Bloomfield was awarded a Global Educators Grant from WMA to travel to Cambodia in the spring of 2016. There, he met with non-governmental organizations and documented artwork with a goal of showing how transformative art can be in the lives of young people, particularly in economic and socially challenged areas. After displaying his art from Cambodia in Boston as a member of the MAEA, which was intrigued by his approach, the organization asked Mr. Bloomfield to be a presenter at its 2016 conference.
Wilbraham & Monson Academy was well represented in January at one of the biggest high school musical performances in the state. And at the next level, the Academy will be in attendance as well. Wenjun “Happy” Chang ’18 and Yujia “Cynthia” Zhang ’17 were invited to participate in auditions for All-State, which serves as the apex for high school musicians in Massachusetts. Happy and Cynthia earned the right to audition following their performance at the Massachusetts Music Educators Association Western Districts, which was held Jan. 14 at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst Performing Arts Center. In total, 10 WMA students were selected to perform at Western Districts following two rounds of auditions.
Wenjun “Happy” Chang ’18, alto saxophone Nicolas Dubois ’18, tenor vocal Risa Fugetsu ’18, soprano vocal Brycen Harris ’17, bass vocal Moonsu “Jackson” Kang ’20, tenor vocal Jack Kaiser ’17, bass vocal Phong “Justin” Ngo ’18, bass vocal Won Geun “Allen” Park ’18, violin Lars Strudwick ’18, bass vocal Yujia “Cynthia” Zhang ’17, alto vocal ▲ above Wenjun “Happy” Chang ’18 and Yujia “Cynthia” Zhang ’17
For the second year in a row, Wilbraham & Monson Academy had a student earn the distinction of AP National Scholar, the highest academic award given by the College Board’s AP Program. “That fact that one of our students has earned this honor, for the second year in a row, symbolizes not only the hard work and determination of these students, most recently Junhao “Mark” Xu ’16, but all of the hard work that our students and faculty pour into their endeavors here at WMA,” Head of School Brian Easler said. “It makes me very proud.” Mark joined YoungSeok “Justin” Jang ’15, Brian Kennedy ’15 and Robert Taylor ’15 as WMA students to recently earn the AP National Scholar honor, which requires a student to score a four or higher on eight AP exams, as well as an average of 4.0 or better. “I’m honored to be named an AP National Scholar, which to me is an award for my academic achievement throughout high school,” said Mark, who graduated cum laude and is attending New York University in Abu Dhabi. “The AP Program encouraged me to explore different disciplines, from literature to mathematics to humanities. “The diverse and flexible curriculum at WMA gave me the valuable opportunities to explore and take all kinds of classes. The resources and experience of the teachers here are amazing and helped me significantly in being named an AP National Scholar. I would not be where I am now without them.” Along with Mark, 55 WMA students earned recognition from the College Board for their performance on this year’s AP exams. Twenty-three students were named AP Scholars of Distinction (score of three or better on five or more exams with a 3.5 average or better); seven AP Scholars with Honors (score of three or better on four or more exams with an average of a 3.25 or better); and 24 AP Scholars (score of three or better on three or more exams).
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departments
Titans Victorious Field Hockey records best season in school history The 2016 Wilbraham & Monson Academy Field Hockey team had its best season in program history, setting multiple school records on its way to the best record since the sport began at the Academy. “The girls bought-in early and worked hard throughout the season,” first-year Coach Bill Wells said. “We got off to a good start and that built some momentum.” The team set school records for goals scored (25), shutouts (seven), wins (eight), and for the first time scored more goals than allowed (25–24). The Titans’ 8–8–1 record was the first time the program didn’t have a losing season. Three players set individual single-season records: Jennifer English ’17 for goals scored (10); Zoe Bloomfield ’18 for assists (10); and goalie Emma Stoll ’18 for shutouts (seven).
Archery a bull’s-eye for Gene Kang ’20 Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Gene Kang ’20 has a skill, and he is exceptional at his skill. Following an indoor archery season that saw him compete in 13 events, Gene is ranked 12th nationally in the 15–17 Cadet Division. “The indoor season was very productive,” Gene explained. “I saw a big increase in my scores this year. I think that’s because I’ve been practicing more.” Gene capped this indoor season at the Junior Olympic Archery Development National Indoor Championships and the 48th annual National Indoor Championships, which were held in Fiskdale, Mass., Feb. 24–26. Against a field of archers from throughout the country, he placed second in both events. “It was nice that indoor nationals was the high point of the indoor season, score-wise and form-wise,” Gene said. “Indoor Nationals, on the JOAD day, I shot a personal best. And the day after was the beginning of the indoor championships and I shot another personal best.” Gene will head to elite competitions in Arizona, Florida and Southern California, as well as compete at the JOAD and National Outdoor Championships in Indianapolis during the outdoor season. Gene Kang ’20, “I hope to qualify for the national team,” said Gene, right, won the who won the 13–14 outdoor national age group and took Bay State Games second indoors for the 2015–16 season. competition.
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Lukas Stanton ’18 wins two prep diving championships Here’s an easy question: What’s better than winning a championship? Answer: winning two championships. Five days after claiming one prep school title, Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Lukas Stanton ’18 won another. Lukas posted the high score Feb. 24 at the Bud Erich Swimming and Diving Championship at Hopkins School in New Haven, Conn., then took first at the New England Division III Championship March 1 at Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Mass. “It was very satisfying, knowing all the hard work I did during the season,” he said. And Lukas did plenty of work during the season. Since there’s no diving held at WMA, Lukas traveled to Springfield College 3 to 4 times a week. On weeknights, he would stay at school before heading to his 6:30–8 p.m. practice. On Sundays, he would practice for two hours. He occasionally also practiced Mondays and Fridays as well. Lukas entered the season with a career high of 208 for six dives. He broke the school record in the second meet of 2016–17 and finished the regular season with a high score of 227. Lukas treated the two championship meets like any other competition, and that coolness proved to work. He won the Bud Erich event, which served as the Western New England championship, by nearly 27 points with a score of 337.10. He won the New England meet by 35 points with a score of 367.35.
Records fall for WMA Swimming Once again, Wenjun “Happy” Chang ’18 was all smiles after a day in the pool. Happy won two individual events and took part in four school records at the Bud Erich Swimming and Diving Championship Feb. 25 at Hopkins School in New Haven, Conn. The event served as the Western New England championship, regardless of division. Happy touched first in the 200-yard individual medley (two minutes, 2.95 seconds) and the 100 breaststroke (1:00.21), topping the previous school marks of 2:04.61 in the 200 IM and 1:00.38 in the 100 breast. Happy joined John “Jack” Wilson ’19, Alex Ravelli ’18 and Cole Hansen ’17 to win the 400 free relay in 3:23.27, bettering the previous record (3:30.82) by seven ▲ Wenjun “Happy” seconds. In the 200 free relay, Chang ’18 broke Happy teamed with Daniel the school record Voronin ’17, Jack and Cole to in the 100-yard place third in a school record butterfly in time of 1:33.89, which was .13 December.
faster than the old mark (1:34.02). “I knew I could get the (individual) records,” Happy said. “I had been close to them. In the breaststroke I had done the school record time but it was a non-school meet. I hoped to go fast in the 100 breast — I was hoping to break one minute.” Ania Axas ’19 set a school mark as well, breaking her previous record in the 200 free by .98 with a 1:55.82 to place second. Ania also placed third in the 500 free in 5:18.01. “I’m pretty proud of myself,” said Ania, who swam the 200 free before the 500 free. “I wasn’t really expecting it. I wanted to do a 1:54 because that was my best time in a relay but my best time on my own is 1:56 so I’m really glad I beat it.” At the New England Prep School Division III Swimming Championship March 4 at Deerfield Academy, WMA had six champions: Happy won the 100 butterfly (53.08, school record) and 100 breaststroke (1:00.38); Ania touched first the 200 IM (2:10.46, school record), Cole Hansen sprinted to a win in the 100 backstroke (57.92), Lukas Stanton earned the highest score in the diving competition (367.35); and the Boys’ 200 medley relay team of Cole, Jack, Happy and Alex Ravelli finished first in 1:43.01.
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departments: Titans Victorious departments
Girls’ Volleyball makes tournament
Lainey Gilmartin ’22 wins national title at horse show
The Wilbraham & Monson Academy Girls’ Volleyball team qualified for the postseason for the first time in six years, earning the #6 seed for the New England Class B Tournament. The Titans fell to #3 Newton Country Day Nov. 16 in a quarterfinal, finishing the season 11–7. “This was our goal,” Coach Donna Barone said. “We had a couple rough matches where we had to sit down and decide what our goal was, and the girls decided their goal was to make the playoffs. They then were able to regroup after a couple losses and truly regroup as a team. We saw that.” The Girls’ Volleyball The last WMA Girls’ Volleyball team to reach team qualified for the the postseason was the 2010 squad, which was led by postseason for the Coach Barone’s daughter, Jeannette Viens ’11. first time in six years.
Wrestlers score medals at New England Championships A pair of Wilbraham & Monson Academy wrestlers finished their 2016–17 seasons in impressive fashion — with hardware. Adam Kugelmass ’19 and first-year wrestler Kizuki Koyasu ’20 both earned medals by placing in the top eight at the New England Prep Wrestling Championships and National Qualifier at the Hyde School in Bath, Maine, Feb. 17–18. Adam took seventh in a 19-wrestler field in the 113-pound weight class, while Kizuki finished eighth among 15 competitors in the 106 bracket. “The boys did very well at the tournament,” Coach Drew Shea ’08 explained. “There were about 49 schools and almost all-full brackets. Both made it into the top eight. Adam was able to make it a couple of matches further than he did last year so this was a step in the right direction. Kizuki, as a freshman, is a tough kid and a great learner. He was able to take eighth place while wrestling some really good competition. “Both hit some speed bumps but they were able to keep their mental fortitude, make it to the top eight and show everyone who they were. I’m looking forward to taking them and a few more back to the tournament next year and hopefully to nationals after that.”
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Wilbraham & Monson Academy’s Lainey Gilmartin ’22 faced a difficult decision in the fall — attend the Middle School trip to Maine or compete at a world horseback riding competition. The ultimate factor in her decision was her horse, Buddy. “I wanted to go on the school trip to Acadia National Park but I decided I had a really good year of riding,” Lainey explained. “It was my first year going and this might be my last year showing Buddy because he’s getting a little old so I decided to go.” And Lainey didn’t just go — she won. Competing against riders from throughout the United States and Canada, Lainey and Buddy were twice decorated for their performances at the 2016 Morgan Grand National and World Championship Horse Show in Oklahoma Oct. 9–13. “I was pretty nervous but when I got there it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be so I relaxed,” Lainey said. “I thought because it was nationals people might be competitive or rude, but the people were pretty nice.” After winning three classes at the New England Horse Show, Lainey competed for four days in Oklahoma. She was named the Grand National Champion for Hunter Seat Equitation 11-year-olds, and the Reserve (second place) World Champion in Hunter Seat Equitation 10–11-year-olds. “It was really nice,” Lainey said. “I’m glad I went. People from all over the country and outside of the country went. It was such a big competition. It was my first time going, and on my first time going I got to wear roses. When you win a championship or get second place, they put roses around your horse. “The first class I won, I didn’t expect to win. I just felt really happy about my ride and that I rode my best. When I won, it was a shock to me. I was really happy.”
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departments: Titans Victorious departments
Girls’ Basketball repeats trip to tournament The Wilbraham & Monson Academy Girls’ Basketball program continued its upward climb, reaching the postseason for the second season in a row. The Titans, who won 15 of their final 17 regular season games, finished 16–4 prior to the postseason and earned the #3 seed for the New England Prep School Class C Tournament. The Academy finished second in the Sailor Points System but was seeded third for the tournament. “For me and our program, we’re going to recognize ourselves as second because to take over a program that three years ago was 22nd, the legacy of these seniors will be changing a program,” Coach Durelle Brown said. “They’ve changed the perception of the program. For that, I’m really proud of them. That second place, we earned that and that means a lot to us.” The Titans beat Kimball Union 56–41 in a quarterfinal in front of a big crowd at WMA March 1 before losing at St. Andrew’s School 66–43 March 4 in a semifinal. The Academy capped its regular season with a 63–47 win at home vs. Suffield Academy.
2016 super for WMA Football
Riflery caps undefeated, memorable season The playoff format for the region’s riflery tournament is a little complicated. Still, in the end, there is one champion, and this season’s one champion was Wilbraham & Monson Academy. Perfectly completing a storybook season, the Titans won the Connecticut High School Riflery League Shoot Off, topping four opponents at Blue Trail Range in Wallingford, Conn., Feb. 22. “I am extremely happy for the team, Riflery program and the school,” first-year Coach Bill Passy said. “The team worked so hard this season and it showed with our results. We met and exceeded every single goal we set at the beginning of the season. I’m happy for the program because, not too many years ago, the Riflery program was not very competitive. And I’m happy for the school because it has another team to be proud of. Watching those kids ring the Monson Bell (when we got back to campus after the match) was magical.” The championship came just two days after WMA finished its regular season 8-0 and winners of the Quinnipiac Division. At the Shoot Off, WMA took on Central Division winner Xavier
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High School of Middletown, Conn., as well as three wild card teams in Bunnell High School of Stratford, Conn., Suffield Academy and North Haven High School. The Titans won with a total of 953 points (out of 1,000), topping favored Xavier by two points. Dan Wesson ’18 again led WMA, firing his season average of 195 (out of 200). Zihan “Leo” Liu ’18 and Meng “Maggie” Hsiao ’17 both recorded scores of 191, with Maggie’s performance being a career high. Yitian “Janice” Zha ’18 and Nick Spellman ’19 rounded out the scoring, both posting scores of 188. Coach Passy, who led the team to a new standard in just one season, modestly diverted any praise toward him elsewhere. “I have to thank past Coach Deb Finley for keeping the program alive during those thin years,” Coach Passy added. “I have to thank Mr. (Brian) Easler for reviving the program and giving the program his full support. And I have to thank Mr. (John) Lombard for his two years of mentoring and entrusting me with the program. Without any of these people, the team would not have had the success we had this season.”
The season finale for the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Football team didn’t finish as the Titans would have hoped. However, considering WMA was one of only 12 of the more than 100 prep school teams in New England invited to play in the last week of the 2016 season, that alone makes this year’s Football team very special. The Titans, in a Super Bowl for the first time since 2007, lost in the Fleming Bowl 41–23 at host Belmont Hill Nov. 19. “It was an amazing season,” Coach Jeff Vartabedian said. “I love this group — the guys and the coaching staff. I think we had a lot of good players, but collectively we were a great team. Our guys played as a team and had great chemistry. Our roster size was usually smaller and size-wise we were usually smaller but how hard we played, and the heart and talent we had . . . The growth and improvement from the beginning of the year to the end of the year was really remarkable. The guys showed up every week, stayed hungry and wanted more. It was a great accomplishment for our guys to get to a bowl game.”
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departments: campus events
Family Weekend 2016 1
Homecoming and BBQ & Beers with Brian
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Oct. 22, 2016 Alumni and parents gathered under the tent behind Morrow House for a Homecoming BBQ & Beers with Brian during Family Weekend. It was a cool, damp day but everyone had a good time. 1 Alessandra Mele ’09, Steff Robbins ’10 and Brooke Mele ’11. 2 Current parents Jim and Terry Adams (parents of John ’20). 3 Sean Cox ’86, Keith Fuller ’86, Phil Esempio ’84, Guy DeWolf ’84 and Doug Turley ’83. 4 Alumni parents John and Jean Venditti, Carly Venditti ’16 and Allie Collins-Anderson ’16. 5 Lee Lathan firing up the grill. 6 Science faculty member Tom Iannacone, Dean of Students Liz Squindo and current parent Thensia Hernandez (mom of Basem ’19). 7 Jeremy Woo ’04, Head of School Brian Easler and Justin Woo ’03. 8 Kerry Power ’07, Brittany Batterton ’08 and Steff Robbins ’10. 9 Tracy Viola ’84, Phil Esempio ’84, Dean Rohan ’84, Sherri Esempio and Doug Turley ’83.
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6 1 Semen “Simon” Andreichuk ’17 readies to pass during a match against Cheshire Academy. 2 Girls’ Soccer celebrates after a goal against Kimball Union. 3 Mr. Wheeler directs Academy Singers during the Family Weekend Concert. 4 Titans Football celebrates a play during their win over Williston. 5 The Titans bum drum kept people warm during Family Weekend and Homecoming festivities. 6 Emma Kindblom ’17 takes the ball down the turf during a game against The Gunnery.
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by Sommer Mahoney ’11 Faculty, Middle School Humanities
departments: campus events
Opening of School
Matriculation Address
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3 1–3 New students and prefects gathered to play games and work on team building during Orientation. 4 Assistant Director of Admission Melissa Bacon, Tatiana Slugina ’20 and Elizaveta Biryukova ’19 at the New International Student Reception. 5 Mr. Easler instructs Katharine Hoag ’19 where to sign in the Matriculation book. 6 Isaias “Ikas” de Brito Trindade ’17 served as the student speaker at Convocation. 7 Jeanette Du Plooy ’18 and her family with Head of School Brian Easler. 8 Selen Ekinci ’19 signs the Matriculation book. 9 Liam Etti ’20 shakes hands with Head of School Brian Easler during Matriculation.
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photos by paul bloomfield
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I grew up around here; I’m from Springfield, which is right down the road. And when I graduated from middle school, we had yearbooks. And in it they had “class superlatives,” you know, like “Best Hair” and “Most Likely to Succeed,” that sort of thing. Well, when I was in eighth grade, my classmates voted me “Most Likely to be President of the United States.” But when I graduated from WMA, we also had superlatives, and this time my classmates voted me “Most Likely to Lead a Political Rebellion.” And I really think that exemplifies the kind of growth I experienced at Wilbraham & Monson. Let me explain: The president is a political leader, yes? And “leader” of a “political rebellion,” that speaks for itself. The difference is that, presidents operate within a pre-defined role — they hold an office, the highest office. They offer their followers change within the structure. Rebels operate on the outside, questioning the structure itself. The very role of the presidency limits the president. The very definition of political rebel insists that the person who aspires to claim that title be free of the limitations of structure. To be free, you have to ask questions.
And that’s what WMA taught me. (I should pause here and note that Wilbraham & Monson Academy does not promote political rebellion.) What they taught me was: How to ask questions. Every aspect of our life here is geared toward provoking questions. WMA offers you every adventure a student could want: a robust curriculum; one-on-one time with teachers; varsity sports for a chance to excel; activities for a chance to try something new; top-notch drama and music programs; a Tinkering lab; a trading floor; countless study abroad programs. The hope is that, the more you learn from all of these classes and activities and conversations, the more curious you will become. And then once you are curious, you will ask more questions, deeper questions. And the more you will chase all that which you do not yet know. These are the kinds of experiences that shape a person, that make a person. What you choose to do and try here will become the foundation of your ideals, your values, your view of the world around you, the questions you ask. But how can you possibly choose? How do you discern what questions to chase, what knowledge is worth pursuing? How do you choose between Advanced Art and Advanced Stats? JV Soccer or Yearbook? How will you achieve this monumental task of cultivating your own mind? I can tell you. I know the secret. Let me tell you a story: When I was a student here, I had the best advisor. Well, he was the best for me. His name is Mr. Cook, and someday he will read this and shake his head because I’ve mentioned him. Anyway, he was the best for two reasons. First, was his classroom. Mr. Cook guides, pushes and challenges his students, yes. He is a master teacher. But what he did for me was he saw through my academic persona and educated the person behind all those straight A’s. His classroom was the place where I was introduced to the hard questions that still get me fired up. That’s where I confronted ideas like justice and discrimination, war and peace,
respect and ignorance. He taught me how to develop a moral compass, and he gave me the support I needed to defend my morals, and then he became the sounding board as I practiced fighting for my ideals. But the other thing Mr. Cook did right was he tried to teach me how to say “no.” All those options and opportunities that I listed earlier? They can be overwhelming! And I wanted it all. As I have come back here to teach, three people have already warned me to say “no,” they’ve warned me not to overextend myself, to maintain some balance, some semblance of a personal life. But here is my deal, and I encourage you to take it to heart: Know your limits, respect your limits, but push your limits. The secret is to say “yes,” to whatever you can. And maybe even a little more than what you think you can. The best gift we, the faculty, can give you is enough information and enough experiences that you get to pick and choose the best way to be the most free. The only thing you have to do is be brave enough to accept this gift. Say “yes” to whatever you can. Try it all. Apply to be a Global Scholar. Try out for a varsity sport. Take the honors or AP class. Audition for Academy Players. You must, must, must read every single thing your teachers put in front of you. Work all throughout study hall, and then keep working even after study hall. Give 100 percent during practice. Chat with your teachers at lunch. Talk to as many people as you can. Hold your friends close and have all the fun you possibly can manage — because all of this is fun. All of this is work, and all of it is fun. This is the good life. This is freedom — freedom to choose, freedom to become whomever you want. And only by experiencing, by learning, by developing a habit of asking questions, will you ever be free and only then you can be good. One day during Mr. Cook’s AP U.S. (History) class, he announced, “Sommer Mahoney will never become President of the United States, because she has too many morals.” He was right. This community made me — and hopefully will make you — the kind of person who questions everything, the structure included, because I am always seeking something better, something beyond me. My wish for you, this year, is to embrace all the questions you have, all that you do not know, and go chase that knowledge. Go seek your freedom. Join me with the rebels; and make all of us proud.
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departments: alumni events
Bangkok: ‘100 years WMA-Thai Legacy’ 1
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The Wilbraham & Monson Academy Thai Alumni Association held a gala on August 16, 2016, to celebrate 100 years of Thai student enrollment. The “100 Years WMA -Thai Legacy” Gala Dinner was held at the Centara Grand Hotel at Central World in Bangkok, Thailand. Head of School Brian Easler and his wife, Dr. Stephanie Easler, were in attendance. Guests were treated to videotaped messages from former Heads of School Rodney LaBrecque and Dick Malley as well as one from former longtime faculty member and interim Head of School Fred Watts. 1 Some alumni from the ’90s — Tarnoros Jeerungsuwan ’99, Vanjak Bunnag ’94, Thanawat Kraisakdawat ’98, Kamolsut Dabbaransi ’95, Thapana Sirivadhanabhaki ’95, Udomchai Panrattanamongkol ’94, Tanakrit Athijalearnluck ’94, Thanawan Kitrangseewiboon ’94, Jitiphon Devahastin ’92, Aeh Usvisessivakul ’97 and Juti Songthai ’98. 2 Group photo 3 Arsa Sarasin ’55W addressing the crowd. 4 Head of the Thai Alumni Association Sakapan Eamegdool ’72 and Head of School Brian Easler. 5 Permpoon Krairiksh ’71W, Chalermpong Cheosakul ’69W, Sakapan Eamegdool ’72, Stephanie and Brian Easler, Korn Dabbaransi ’64W, Piyabutr Cholvijarn ’69W and Chukiat Ungsavotai ’71W. 6 Piratas Sirikietsoong ’08, Pirapong Sirikietsoong ’05, Badin Durongkapitaya ’08 and Chalothorn Durongkapitaya ’07.
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10 7 Kraisak Choonhaven ’67W, Arsa Sarasin ’55W and Korn Dabbaransi ’64W. 8 Poompat Sivara ’83, Lilly Ngamtrakulpanit ’85, Lina Ngamtrakulpanit ’86 and Pol. Col. Tarawat Chanarat ’83. 9 Chatupong Phornphiboon ’02, Korakot Songthai ’04 and Pasit Leesakul ’02. 10 Kamolsut Dabbaransi ’95, Kritapone Dabbaransi ’92, Aeh Usvisessivakul ’97, Kanitta Wigraisakda ’98, Tarnoros Jeerungsuwan ’99 and Saranya Lertsumitkul ’04. 11 Michiharu Honda ’81, Policy Secretary for the Japanese Parliament, came from Japan to be with his Thai classmates. With him is Kamtorn Sheepchaiisara ’81. 12 Benjamat Kitrangseewiboon ’96, Udomchai Panrattanamongkol ’94 and Jitiphon Devahastin ’92. 13 Thai Gala Committee members with Brian and Stephanie Easler. Back row: Tarnoros Jeerrungsuwan ’99, Saranya Lertsumitkul ’04, Aeh Usviessivakul ’97, Kanitta Wigraisakda ’98, Jitiphon Devahastin ’92, Prapatpong Weeramon ’89, Paradon Nitaya ’93 and Kamolsut Dabbaransi ’95. Front row: Kritapone Dabbaransi ’92, Lilly Ngamtrakulpanit ’85, Dr. Stephanie Easler, Head of School Brian Easler, Sakapan Eamegdool ’72, Chayapha Rangsiyothai ’88.
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feature story: BICENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY
BY JANET MORAN Associate Director of Archives
Bicentennial Anniversary From Wesleyan to WMA — The Founding (1817–1824)
Wilbraham & Monson Academy has a long and storied history, one that includes the founding 200 years ago of Wesleyan Academy in New Market, N.H. Named after John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, Wesleyan Academy was the first private Methodist secondary school in the United States. On Sept. 1, 1817, it opened its doors with one teacher, Moses White, and a student body of five girls and five boys. Wesleyan Academy was established during an era in which there was no public education in the United States. The organization of the Academy by the New England Conference of the Methodist Church sought to fill that void. The first principal, Martin Ruter, brought credibility and scholarly focus to Wesleyan Academy during his tenure as principal from 1818–1820. When he left to accept a position heading the Methodist Book Concern in Cincinnati in 1820, Mr. Ruter was succeeded by White. The first seven years had been a learning experience for Wesleyan. Despite their best efforts, the difficult financial and geographic conditions in New Hampshire necessitated a major shift in the future of the Academy. Nonetheless the seed had above right been planted. Enter The Pieria Club room Wilbur Fisk and the move at Wesleyan Academy, to Wilbraham. circa 1890.
above A drawing of Wesleyan Academy, as it looked after moving to Wilbraham in 1824.
right Wesleyan Academy seal, 1885
Bicentennial Timeline
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Martin Ruter, Moses White serve as principals
1817 1800
Wesleyan Academy founded in New Market, N.H., as first private Methodist secondary school in the United States
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Minor Raymond named as principal
1825 School moves to Wilbraham, with Wilbur Fisk serving as principal until 1831; Old Academy building opens
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1850 Fisk Hall opens
The Wilbur Fisk Years (1825–1831)
In need of an exceptional individual to shepherd the Academy in its new home of Wilbraham, Mass., the trustees unanimously elected Wilbur Fisk the first principal of Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham in 1825. An honored graduate of Brown University, by way of Middlebury College, Rev. Fisk oversaw the beginning of a new campus in Wilbraham with the construction of the Old Academy building in 1825. That first building, which still stands today at the top of “the hill,” housed classrooms and served as a chapel and laboratory. During Rev. Fisk’s tenure, the Academy’s student population grew immensely. When Rev. Fisk opened the Academy, there were seven students. When he left five years later, he had seen 1,150 students pass through
First boarding house is built
Rich Hall is built
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Opening of Binney Hall, named in honor of former Board member, president and financial contributor Colonel Binney
its doors. Students arrived from all over the United States and Canada. In its first years, the majority of boarders at the Academy lived with local families. Rev. Fisk, though, cognitive of the need for housing for the Academy’s expanding student population, was integral in the planning for and construction of a true boarding hall. The Academy purchased and enlarged the old Warriner’s hotel and tavern, which was at that time located just across from the Old Academy building. The completion of the boarding house proved a popular selling point for the Academy and, upon its completion, its rooms were full. Rev. Fisk left the Academy to become the first president of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., in 1831.
George M. Steele begins 13-year tenure as principal
1870 Completion of Alumni Memorial Chapel
1879
1896 Smith Hall, named after Trustee Horace Smith, opens as gymnasium
1900
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BICENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY
left The Wesleyan Academy baseball team, shown here in an undated photo, used the Concord Stagecoach as transportation. above A Centennial greeting from U.S. President Calvin Coolidge.
The Centennial
“Education serves two purposes: the good of the individual educated and the good of the world.” wilbur fisk, 1831
A centennial celebration was held in November 1925 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Old Academy building, the first building erected at Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham, and to celebrate a century of history and success at what became Wilbraham Academy in 1912. The Wilbraham Academy community also took the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the Academy’s beloved first principal, Wilbur Fisk, who was instrumental in the construction of Old Academy, and in establishing the framework for the Academy’s success.
Charles L. Stevens starts longest stretch of service as headmaster, serving until 1955
Re-opening as Wilbraham Academy, a college preparatory school for boys, under Headmaster Gaylord W. Douglass
1911 Wesleyan Academy closes, for reorganization and construction purposes
1912
Old Academy was remodeled and rededicated to commemorate the momentous occasion. A bronze tablet was placed on the first floor of Old Academy by Dr. Everett O. Fisk (Wesleyan Academy Class of 1869), which listed the principals of the Academy from its inception in Wilbraham with the following inscription: “Principals of the Academy during the period when this building was used for regular class purposes.” The fourth-floor rooms of Rich Hall were also remodeled and refurbished, at a cost of $25,000, in conjunction with the anniversary
1929 Ralph E. Peck serves as headmaster
1932 The Atlas newspaper is founded
1935
1947 Senior Stone and Rubicon Bridge traditions begin
to provide proper boarding for an increasing student population. Old Academy was christened as part of the centennial celebration in a service presided over by Bishop William Burt. Due to inclement weather, the service took place in a full chapel in Fisk Hall. It had been planned to be held on the stairs of Old Academy, where Principal Fisk had delivered his first address in 1825. In his sermon, Bishop Burt praised Rev. Fisk, delivering the following words: “[Rev.] Fisk died February 22, 1839, the best beloved and widely influential man in our great Church. What a glorious life was his and what a rich heritage he left in the lives of young people who had been so fortunate as to come under his influence.” A commemorative coin had been specially designed in honor of the Centennial, with a portrait of Wilbur Fisk on the front. The back reads, “Wilbraham Academy Anniversary 1825– 1925.” In addition, a worthy and worthwhile fund — The living Fisk Memorial Fund — was set up for the benefit of Wilbraham Academy. It was established to honor and perpetuate the
Introduction of Student Project, a one-year scholarship program funded by students
W. Gray Mattern begins headmaster role through 1971
1948
1955
1952 Fred Watts, later interim head of school in 1988–1989, joins Academy faculty
spirit and service of the Academy’s first principal. This philanthropic enterprise was also known as Wilbraham Academy’s “Loyalty Fund.” An anniversary luncheon was held in the gymnasium, attended by many famous and influential alumni and contributors. One attendee, Principal Henry F. Cutler, principal of a sister secondary school, the Mount Herman School, lauded the quality of the state of Wilbraham Academy with the following kind words on the occasion of the Centennial celebration: “The galaxy of headmasters is remarkable. Steele and Newhall, whose attention to duty and whose capacity for service were unsurpassed.” Mr. Cutler noted that, while a number of other New England academies had failed to survive, Wilbraham Academy, one of the original academies, had prospered and was “now facing a future of great accomplishments.”
Francis M. Casey serves as headmaster through 1988
1971 Wilbraham & Monson Academy, created after Board of Trustees agrees to merger between Wilbraham and Monson academies, opens with 200 coed students; Arthur F. Tuttle is headmaster
1973
1989 Richard C. Malley serves as head of school until 2002
left The cover of the 1913 yearbook, “Del Todo,” the first at Wilbraham Academy. below The first carved Senior Stone, 1947. bottom A 1943 photo of the basement of Smith Hall, used then as a campus center.
Rodney J. LaBrecque begins 12-year tenure as head of school
Brian P. Easler begins as head of school
2002
2014
2007 Dedication of new Athletic Center
2017
Don Kelly begins his 41st year at the Academy
2025
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pieces of history
Did you know that Rich Hall has an elevator/dumbwaiter?
Did You Know?
When Rich Hall was first built, the Academy was a coed school known as Wesleyan. There was a staircase in the center of the first-floor lobby that went straight up to the cupola. The ladies lived on the south side and the gentlemen lived on the north side. The four pillars in the lobby are structural reminders today. At the top of the cupola, you can still see the remains of a beautiful railing. Behind Atlas was a meeting room used by all. You can still see signs of a lovely wallpaper of the time.
1825
Tuition per term, per subject cost
$3–5
Lodging was
$1.25/week
1912
The Academy had its own dairy farm and a piggery. 1896 The two window seats in the front of Rich Hall lobby were once the entrance doors into the school; ladies on the left (walking into the building) and gentlemen on the right.
Wilbraham Academy opened with 30 students and eight faculty. The motto of that time was, “A School That fits Boys for Life.” A five-year plan was recommended, and the eighth graders were called sub-freshmen.
Smith Hall was completed as a gymnasium with an elevated track, bowling alley and spa in the basement, and a barber shop on the second floor.
1920s
The school’s library — named The Benjamin Gill Memorial Library in honor of the longtime teacher of Old Wesleyan — was located on the second floor of Rich Hall.
The Academy once had a fishing club, with rainbow and brown trout stocked in the upper and lower reservoirs.
1930s The Atlas newspaper began, with English Department Head Roger Nye Lincoln as advisor.
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pieces of history
Head of School Timeline W. Gray Mattern Wilbraham, 1955–1971 Leadership marked by physical, educational and social expansiveness. Considered an educational visionary.
Wilbur Fisk Wesleyan, 1825–1831
responsible for:
• First headmaster on Wilbraham campus • Saw student enrollment grow from seven students (at start) to having 1,150 pass through its doors before his departure • Oversaw construction of Old Academy and first boarding house
• Cowdrey swimming pool • Smith gym transition to a dorm • Gill Library renamed and moved to the Alumni Memorial Chapel • Chamberlain Hall (current Middle School) • Groundbreaking for Mattern Science Center
“A course of education was designed to produce habits of intellectual labor, mental discipline, the love and practice of method in the use of time and physical exercise, elevate the moral tone, and lead to virtue and practical religion.”
“I would hope that ever afterwards, you would have three things: a sense of purpose to your lives . . . an openness of mind . . . and finally, a charity spirit.” “The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas. The only source of better ideas is wisdom. The surest path to wisdom is a liberal education. We are all responsible for choosing this government and for understanding and judging its policies. We believe in equal opportunity. The proof of equal opportunity is mobility, and the key to mobility is education.”
Rev. Wilbur Fisk, 1825–1831 (Wesleyan)
Charles L. Stevens Wilbraham, 1935–1955 Longest serving headmaster responsible for:
“Wilbraham Academy should retain the small school philosophy that this is a place for the individual to grow and to have a place of importance and responsibility in the life of a closely-knit community.”
• Greenhalgh Gym • School infirmary • Major remodel of Alumni Memorial Chapel • Hodgkins House • Senior Wall (1947), Student Project (1948) “You are to make an indelible record. Acquire and practice good manners; learn the value of courteousness, the necessity for punctuality; develop a desire for high scholarship. If you do these things you will be seizing some of the opportunities offered you at Wilbraham Academy.” — Opening of School 1943 “The future will be built on foundations firm and sure; for the best the past has given will eternally endure; we pledge our best endeavor that her work may stand secure; our Alma Mater dear.” — Upon retirement from the Academy W. Gray Mattern, left, with Charles L. Stevens, headmasters who combined to serve from 1935–1971
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“To discipline the mind to a love and practice of method in a diligent and profitable improvement of time.”
Francis M. Casey, 1973–1988
mural above the door to head of school office, rich hall W. Gray Mattern, 1955–1971
Francis M. Casey Wilbraham & Monson, 1973–1988 Educator and teacher for more than 40 years • Settled tremendous amount of inherited debt • Enrollment increased from 193 to 470 in 10 years • Interviewed each and every applicant “There are times in your life when you meet someone who will change the course of your life. Headmaster Francis Michael Casey was certainly one of those people for me. When I first came to the Academy as a student, Mr. Casey, I never could call him Mike, also taught classes. I had him as an English teacher and he was one of the greatest teachers I ever had. He was brilliant in the classroom and made all topics interesting. Whether it was poetry, literature, grammar and composition, history, etc., he presented it with such energy and flair that you could not help but learn from him. His wealth of knowledge, and the range of that knowledge, seemed endless. “After college, I returned to the Academy as a teacher, coach and dorm parent. I taught my own classes in history, but I was Mr. Casey’s assistant with the postgraduate English course. As a mentor to me as a teacher, he was the specific individual who gave me the teaching bug and propelled me into making education my profession. It was through him that I learned methodology, preparation and certainly presentation within the classroom. Mr. Casey also taught me the value of what we were doing as educators and why working with teenagers was so critical to shaping their lives. He also instilled in me a firm commitment and dedication to Wilbraham & Monson Academy, which I still hold to this day. I will be forever in appreciation of this great man and all he did for me.” — Don Nicholson ’79, former Director of Alumni & Development and current Director of Athletics
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Rodney J. LaBrecque
pieces of history
Wilbraham & Monson, 2002–2014 • Spearheaded and established the Center for Entrepreneurial & Global Studies, the Global Scholars and the Travel Program • Significant improvement of all academic and athletic program quality measures • Integral role in new Athletic Center, rubberized track and field complex, turf field, tennis courts, renovated Campus Center and Lak Dining Hall renovations • Establishment of Grade 8 boarding program, and central to construction of the resulting Rodney & Shirley LaBrecque House (dormitory) • Key player in branding WMA The Global School® and expanding countries represented in enrollment • Addition of the Mark R. Shenkman Trading Center, Shenkman Admission House and the LaBrecque Academic Gate • Endowment and AP course enrollment nearly tripled under tenure • Facilitated an era of renewed institutional pride
Richard C. Malley Wilbraham & Monson, 1989–2002 • Saved Academy from financial collapse • Traveled extensively, rebuilding alumni confidence • Championed and raised money for the creation of Heritage Courtyard • Remodel and expansion of Chamberlain Hall to Blake Middle School • Remodel of the Campus Center under Lak Dining Hall to snack bar and activity center • Worked with Tim McEvoy ’68W and Dave Hoxeng ’68W to wire dorms for Internet • Helped found the Academy Repertory Company (ARC) • Spearheaded last full master plan (1994) “People were attracted to his drive and what he believed in. He was very generous with a big heart.” “He worked non-stop 10 hour days; was very committed to the Academy. He gave great effort to everything he did.” “Dick’s hallmark was his service to the Academy and instilling in his students the importance of giving back.” — Sandy Shoppe, former administrative assistant for two decades
“The outside world knew little about the Academy (in 2002), and . . . now that the Academy stood on solid footing, Rodney was faced with the question: ‘Where should we go?’
Rodney LaBrecque, 2002–2014
“Rather than trying to play by the rules of other prestigious boarding schools, Rodney wanted to change the game. Rodney . . . set about charting a new and unique path for Wilbraham & Monson Academy.” — Scott Jacobs ’75, Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Brian P. Easler Wilbraham & Monson, 2014–present
Current Head of School Brian P. Easler
• Hired by Dick Malley in 1998 and served Malley and Rodney LaBrecque as Dean of Students and Associate Head of School • Has begun repositioning the Annual Fund from sustaining the Academy to moving it forward • Leading creation of campus Master Plan and intentional focus on deferred maintenance and capital needs • Exterior renovation of Rich Hall, including new standing-seam copper roof (complete) and new front portico (summer 2017) “I stepped into this new role at WMA humbled by the trust placed in me and honored to dedicate myself to it fully . . . one unique advantage of my internal transition to Head of School is that I benefited from working closely with and learning from both of the most recent former Heads of School.”
Richard C. Malley, Head of School 1989–2002,
with wife, Kathy (Faculty, English Department)
Headmasters wesleyan academy 1818–1820 Martin Ruter 1820–1823 Moses White 1825–1831 Rev. Wilbur Fisk 1831–1832 Rev. Williams M. Bangs 1832–1834 Rev. John Foster 1834–1841 Rev. David Patten 1841–1845 Rev. Charles Adams
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1845–1848 Rev. Robyn Allyn 1848–1864 Rev. Miner Raymond 1864–1874 Rev. Edward Cooke 1874–1879 Rev. Nathaniel Fellows 1879–1892 Rev. George M. Steele 1892–1908 Rev. William R. Newhall 1908–1909 Rev. C.M. Melden 1909–1911 Rev. Charles Davis
wilbraham academy 1911–1929 Gaylord W. Douglass 1929–1935 Ralph E. Peck 1935 George Plimpton 1935 Harold Dresser 1935 Howe S. Newell 1935–1955 Charles L. Stevens 1955–1971 W. Gray Mattern
wilbraham & monson academy 1971–1973 Arthur F. Tuttle 1973–1988 Francis M. Casey 1988–1989 Frederick D. Watts 1989–2002 Richard C. Malley 2002–2014 Rodney J. LaBrecque 2014–present Brian P. Easler
monson academy 1806–1807 Rev. Simeon Colton 1807–1813 Rev. Levi Collins 1813–1816 Rev. Joy H. Fairchild 1816–1818 Rev. Frederick Gidley 1818–1820 Robert Riddle 1820–1821 Rev. William Hunt 1821–1830 Rev. Simeon Colton 1830–1832 Rev. William S. Porter 1832–1835 Rev. Sanford Lawton
1835–1839 Rev. David R. Austin 1839–1841 Rev. Charles Hammond 1841–1842 Rev. Samuel A. Fay 1842–1843 Rev. James G. Bridgeman 1843–1844 Rev. Frederick A. Fiske 1844–1845 Rev. Daniel H. Temple 1845–1853 Rev. Charles Hammond 1853–1859 Rev. James Tufts 1859–1862 Rev. William J. Harris 1863–1878 Rev. Charles Hammond
1878–1881 D. Newton Putney 1881–1885 George J. Cummings 1885–1887 C.C. Gove 1887–1893 Dana Marsh Dustan 1893–1899 Arthur N. Burke 1899–1909 James F. Butterworth 1909–1916 Henry F. Dewing 1916–1917 Seth G. Haley 1917–1919 Alexander M. Blackburn 1919–1922 Joseph M. Sanderson
1922–1923 1926–1935 1935–1966 1966–1971
Charles M. King Bertram Strohmeier George E. Rogers Arthur F. Tuttle
We realize this is the Wilbraham Academy and Wesleyan Academy Bicentennial, however, we want to also recognize the Monson Academy Heads of School.
wma spotlight: former faculty
BY bill wells Director of Student Promotion
Fred Watts: A True Legend as a Man of Many Roles “I suppose you have to be happy where you are to give it the best you can . . . I was always happy at Wilbraham.”
▲ Fred Watts, soon after he began teaching in 1952
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During his 40 years at Wilbraham & Monson Academy, Fred Watts just about did it all. What’s remarkable, though, is Mr. Watts just about did it all not only all at the same time, but also before anyone else had done it. Starting in 1952 at Wilbraham Academy until he retired in 1992, Mr. Watts served as a teacher of English, mathematics and geography. Along with his additional duties as a soccer coach and fred watts dorm parent, Mr. Watts also held positions of History Department Chair, Dean of Students and Head of School, and took alumni relations to a new level. “That’s something I’m very proud of because “I enjoyed everything to do with prep school it was unique,” said Mr. Watts, who recalled life,” said Mr. Watts during an interview in July bringing in students from Hungary, Germany of 2016. “I did not find it restraining or limiting of my social life, and I think being fundamentally and South Korea, as well as a Native American. “Phipps was exploratory like that as well. We curious about other cultures is what kept me were interested in getting the kids to do things. occupied at Wilbraham. I’ve always been interested The Student Project was a remarkable thing. in other cultures, and I found that rewarding I appreciated the headmaster agreeing with most at Wilbraham.” of the things we did to promote that.” After serving in the U.S. Navy and graduating Also, soon after arriving at the Academy, from the University of Virginia, Mr. Watts Mr. Watts started doing alumni and development was offered a teaching position at his alma mater, work . . . on his own accord and terms. When the Cushing Academy. He turned it down because school had extended breaks, he would buy a train or “my father had a standard ruling that you don’t get bus ticket and visit whomever he wanted to see. your first job in the family.” “When I first got involved in the Alumni Office, The Cushing head contacted Wilbraham schools and Wilbraham never really had much Academy Headmaster Charlie Stevens because he heard the school was looking for a history teacher. of an Alumni Office in that regard. I was cutting it the way I saw it,” said Mr. Watts, who often After meeting in Boston, Mr. Stevens hired would not notify the people he was going to visit. Mr. Watts for $1,800, including room and board. “I think I learned surprise was on my side. I did “I liked Wilbraham because of the element that a couple times and it was wonderful, and it of the foreign students, and of course we got was with graduates I knew well.” more and more as time went on,” Mr. Watts said. During his time at the Academy, Mr. Watts “I got to like the place. It was very comfortable.” knew the school as well as anyone. Along with Mr. Watts dove in right away, and soon made teaching and working as the Alumni Director a profound impact. He was actively involved (1977–1991), he served as the Dean of Students for in the Student Project Association with fellow 16 years. teacher Allen Phipps in the mid-1950s, helping “I never received a threatening letter, so that bring students from throughout the world to was a success for the Dean of Students,” Wilbraham through fundraisers. The school had he quipped. some students from Thailand and few children Mr. Watts coached what he called “trash of foreign diplomats, but that was it. Long before can soccer,” and he started the Debate Team. being global was a “thing,” Mr. Watts helped turn When the school found itself in a pinch in 1988, the Academy into a global school.
Mr. Watts agreed to step up to be the interim head of school so the Academy could do a thorough search. “I could have been head of a school long before but I never wanted to be head of a school,” he said. “But someone had to do it when a situation came up at Wilbraham & Monson, so I did it. I was asked to be ‘acting’ head of school. When you him at his campus residence at any hour. Often, teach or hold a role, you’re not acting. So it was Mr. Watts and faculty members would stay up changed to interim.” into the wee hours of the morning, then bounce Mr. Watts took all of his roles seriously. If he was going to take the time to do it, he was going right back and teach a full load of classes the next day. It takes a special person — specifically, to do it well. He also always had time for people. a person with a special perspective — to do that. Often, Mr. Watts could be seen on the first floor Upon his retirement in 1992, nearly 300 of Rich Hall, sitting in a comfortable chair facing people attended a dinner in Lak Dining Hall in the door, with a cigarette in hand and a book in his honor. his lap, and music playing in the background. He “I suppose you have to be happy where you loved talking to students as they entered or are to give it the best you can,” Mr. Watts said. exited the building. “For some strange reason, I was always happy at And, Mr. Watts had a standing rule that any Wilbraham.” faculty member was welcome to come see
above Fred Watts, outside Rich Hall at the 1989 Commencement, as interim head of school. top For most of his four decades at the Academy, Fred Watts was a presence in any Academy classroom.
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WMA Spotlight: Former staff
BY bill wells Director of Student Promotion
Lak Family Served up Home-Cooking for 6 Decades at Wilbraham & Monson Academy his entire life isn’t much of an exaggeration. Starting in 1931, as a 16 year old who needed a job and a place to live, Mr. Lak worked in the dining hall until he unexpectedly passed away in 1975. The Academy’s dining hall was named in his honor in 1976. “He treated the boys like family,” said his widow, Bertha, 98, who lives in Florida with their daughter, Lucy. “He loved working there. He loved the Academy. It was his home.” What many people don’t know is the Laks nearly departed the Academy in the 1950s. Only a bold move by the Bertha Lak, widow of school’s young head of Billy Lak, and their school, Gray Mattern, daughter Lucy, right, have kept them on campus. fond memories of all Upon Lucy’s graduation three being a big part of from the High School the Academy’s history. To say Billy Lak worked
of Commerce in 1955 (girls weren’t allowed to attend the Academy at that time), the family planned to leave, largely due to their living arrangement above the kitchen in Rich Hall. “(Gray Mattern) said he wasn’t going to let us go,” Bertha recalled. “He called a second meeting with the trustees and they said they would build us a house on campus. “They wouldn’t let him go. They would have done anything to get Billy to stay. Gray Mattern said he could leave but my husband couldn’t because he was holding up the school. So we stayed.” With the board’s blessing, the school built a house on Faculty Street for the Lak Family. Mr. Lak suggested the location. The house is still on campus, between the dining hall and athletic center. What followed were decades more of dedication to the Academy from the Laks. Mr. Lak’s work ethic is legendary. Every day of the school year,
he was in the kitchen. He worked breakfast, lunch and dinner, only taking Wednesday and Sunday afternoons off. His start came after attending culinary school, when he was hired to be the school’s head chef. The only time he stepped away from the school was during World War II, when he worked at a local firearms manufacturer. Even then, he still worked at the Academy once a week. “We worked 10–12 hours a day, and he worked seven days a week,” said Bertha, who also worked in the dining hall. “But he liked it. He went out of his way to do things for the kids.” “Even though they were working all the time, I always knew where they were,” added Lucy, who started babysitting for faculty children when she was 9. “We didn’t go anyplace much. On Saturday nights we went to the movies on campus, and Wednesdays when they had time off sometimes we’d go into Springfield or see family.”
left Billy Lak, right, serving food to Thai students, an international segment of the Academy for which he had a particular affinity.
In the summer, Mr. Lak worked for the maintenance department on campus. If a conference was being held, he headed back to the kitchen to prepare meals. Mr. Lak would make special meals for kids, and he especially looked after the students from Thailand. While the Academy was a leader in accepting students from Asia, the school wasn’t as robust internationally as it is today. “He was nice to them because he knew what it was like to not see your family for a long time,” said Bertha of her husband, whose family was from Poland. Mr. Lak died during Thanksgiving break in 1975 when he suffered a heart attack helping a family member build a house. Bertha left her position in the dining hall but soon returned,
staying until a hip operation in 1995. She started working at the Academy in 1946. “It was interesting work,” she said. “There was never a dull moment.” One of the Academy’s most respected honors, the Billy Lak Prize, is presented annually at Commencement. The award is given to a senior who, along with intentions of attending college, best typifies the traits of Mr. Lak. Head of School Brian Easler said, “The Academy has so much respect for the legacy of Mr. Lak and his dedication to the school and his students that every year we award a prize to a student, in his honor, who best typifies the personal characteristics of Billy Lak’s selflessness in devotion to the Academy and perfection in devotion to duty.”
above Billy Lak, left, and wife Bertha, second from left, were a big part of the students’ lives during 60 years of service in the dining hall at the Academy.
In Memoriam “Billy left the teaching of books to those of us on the hill, but the rest of the school was his. His honest wrath of sloppiness and lack of concern was quick and explosive, but his grin healed all wounds.
“The Academy has so much respect for the legacy of Mr. Lak and his dedication to the school and his students that every year we award a prize to a student, in his honor, who best typifies the personal characteristics of Billy Lak’s selflessness in devotion to the Academy and perfection in devotion to duty.” head of school brian easler
“Death should come quickly to all of us, but particularly to men like Bill. He was not made to slowly waste away; he loved life too much. It is hard for a close family to have so quick an ending, but Bertha and Lucielle can know at least that Bill left with the respect of all of us.” Excerpt from Roger N. Lincoln, Former Faculty member
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BY christina cronin
ALUMNI IN ACTION: KENT KAROSEN ’84
The ‘Need to Give of Myself’ Inspired Kent Karosen ’84 to Greater Good had stopped to vote in the New York primary election on his way to work on Sept. 11, 2001. He was running about 10 minutes late to his job as managing director and partner at Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald, whose offices were located on floors 101–105 of One World Trade Center. Just as he stepped into the building and was waiting for the elevator, terrorists crashed a plane into the tower, killing 658 of Kent’s 969 coworkers in their offices. From that moment, Mr. Karosen has dedicated much of his life to helping people. His focus is on the families of his coworkers and organizations and causes that touch the lives of people closest to him, and wherever he believes he can make a real difference. Mr. Karosen recognizes that 9/11 impacted and changed his life in a extraordinarily difficult way, and he realizes that he could have moved to a very dark place. Instead, he made a Kent Karosen ’84
Bloomingdale’s New York dedicated window space to celebrate the release of the book “Why Can’t Grandma Remember My Name?” written by Kent Karosen ’84.
different choice: He honors the light in the world through his work. “I was always a person who gave back. This tragedy just amplified the need to give of myself,” he said. On each anniversary of 9/11, Mr. Karosen organizes a sizeable event for the families of Cantor Fitzgerald’s victims to honor his colleagues and bring some comfort to their loved ones. He also works hard to support his synagogue and schools, like WMA. He is the president & CEO of the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation. It was founded in 1995 by philanthropists David Rockefeller and Zachary Fisher, whose wife, Elizabeth, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. “The Fishers were good friends of mine,” Mr. Karosen said. “I watched Elizabeth go from dancing on the dance floor to not being able to speak. That really spoke to me.
“It drove me to want to help find a cure for Alzheimer’s and take the helm of the Fisher Foundation, working nationally and internationally to raise awareness and funds to support research by more than 50 internationally renowned scientists, including Dr. Paul Greengard, a Nobel Laureate in Medicine in 2000, who are making paradigm-shifting scientific breakthroughs. And now some solutions may be on the horizon.” In the fall of 2016, Mr. Karosen, with children’s book author Chana Steifel, wrote and published a book that helps families discuss, understand and cope with the heartbreak of Alzheimer’s disease. “Why Can’t Grandma Remember My Name?” juxtaposes paintings and drawings created by children with those created by Alzheimer’s patients. It tackles a child’s questions such as “How can I have fun with Grandma?” and “Will Grandma get worse?” The
book offers advice for families coping with the illness. All royalties benefit the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation. The book was recently recommended as a tool to help children cope in the Dec. 12, 2016 edition of Time magazine. “Tragedy aside, I give back because my parents raised me the right way, and Fred Watts, my teacher at Wilbraham & Monson Academy, taught me the right way,” he said. “It is simple. You support things that you and your family care about. You take care of the needs of others. You work hard at it. It is just what you do.” Mr. Karosen credits Mr. Watts for helping instill in him a strong work ethic and the persistence it takes to work for something you believe in and care about. A former WMA Trustee, Mr. Karosen has been a loyal supporter of the Academy. In 2001, he donated money to support the Academy’s endowment fund and created a bench in honor of Mr. Watts, a former head of school and faculty member. He asked that the bench be placed in front of Alumni Memorial Chapel because of Mr. Watts’ love for the library. “I owe a lot to my friend and mentor Mr. Watts,” Mr. Karosen said. After his book was in print, Mr. Karosen sent Mr. Watts a copy, and it was from Mr. Watts that Mr. Karosen received the best review of all. Mr. Watts wrote, “I couldn’t be more thrilled. Look what he did. A book. My student Kent wrote a book! I am so proud.”
“You support things that you and your family care about. You take care of the needs of others. You work hard at it. It is just what you do.” kent karosen ’84 above The book “Why Can’t Grandma Remember My Name?” includes artwork by children and Alzheimer’s patients. left Former faculty member and Head of School Fred Watts holds a copy of Karosen’s book.
for more information about alzheimer’s and caring for those who have it, go to alzinfo.org.
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ALUMNI IN ACTION: ALEXANDER DEBELOV ’06
BY bill wells Director of Student Promotion
Millions of Reasons for One Big-Time Success Story of WMA Alumnus
Alex Debelov ’06 delivers his speech at the Academy’s 212th Commencement in May 2016.
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Ten years after graduating from Wilbraham & Monson Academy, Alexander Debelov ’06 addressed the 97 members of the Class of 2016 at Commencement. Mr. Debelov, a young multimillionaire of a flourishing international company, did not celebrate his company’s success during his speech at the Academy’s 212th Commencement. Instead, he was honest. Along with speaking of his love for WMA, the Russian-born blonde pointed out his struggles as a new entrepreneur in the professional world, describing how he ran out of money and was on the verge of becoming homeless. However, his determination to start and lead a successful business eventually won out over his many challenges, and he is now the CEO and founder of a video promotional company worth millions upon millions of dollars. “When you read and see success stories, it’s easy to look at the final score or glorify someone,”
explained Mr. Debelov, who spent three years at WMA. “But a lot of people don’t know what the person went through and the challenges that person faced, so I wanted to share a real story of something that happened to me, where there was a defining moment in my life where I had to give up or keep fighting. “It was real to me and I wanted to share that with the graduates because some of them are going to be ambitious and go out and chase their dreams, and they’re going to face challenges and hit rock bottom. They might face the same decision I faced, and it’s a hard decision. If you make the right decision, it can come with the right payoff and benefits, and it can lead to many great things.” In a very short amount of time, and starting with nothing more than an idea, Mr. Debelov built a company that brought a new element to the video industry. Virool, founded in 2012, is a video distribution service. In short, Mr. Debelov’s company promotes videos of other companies. San Francisco serves as headquarters, with offices also located in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, London, Toronto and St. Petersburg, Russia. “Four years ago I was thinking it would be great to make some money so I could afford an apartment, and now I’m being offered $150 million for a business,” said Mr. Debelov, who served as Wrestling captain and Class President his senior year at the Academy. “It’s kind of surreal when I look back on it, but living dayto-day, I focused on the next goal.” Since Virool launched, Mr. Debelov has been named to Entrepreneur magazine’s 2013 Top 5 Emerging Entrepreneurs, as well as the Forbes 2016 30 Under 30. “We still have a lot of challenges to accomplish and things to figure out, but today we are 80 people,” said Mr. Debelov, whose company had four employees when it originated. “We had three acquisition offers last year, including one for $150 million. We turned it down because we want to build something much larger. It’s
cool to look back. For me, when I come to work every day, I’m very thankful, but I’m focused on what’s next. Can we get to a point where we have 1,000 people, or be even bigger? Virool’s 200,000 advertisers include an array of international companies, such as Turkish Airlines, Volvo and Sony. So many of Mr. Debelov’s global experiences began at the Academy, giving him a foundation for dealing with people from throughout the world. His closest friends at WMA were from Germany and Mexico, and his roommate was Korean. “You learn how to deal with different cultures and, in my company today, one of our largest investors is Yahoo! Japan, which is the largest tech company in Japan,” he said. “It’s the equivalent of Google. I’m able to do business internationally and relate to them on a personal level because of the experiences and relationships I had at WMA. “The biggest thing for me — going to WMA and coming from Russia — being in a different environment and not knowing anyone, I became very comfortable making friends, regardless of background.” Mr. Debelov’s WMA background served him well at Babson College, where he earned the school’s top prize for entrepreneurship upon graduation. In 2010, he was selected by Entrepreneur magazine as a Top 5 College Entrepreneur after founding the Kairos Society, the world’s largest student entrepreneurial organization. “For me, the Academy is very special,” he said. “I came here when I was 14 years old from Russia. It was a very different culture, and this place molded me from someone who came from a very different place and a boy who hadn’t seen the world to a person who came out with a worldly view and someone who has grown up to be a leader, and for that I am grateful.
“When I was invited to speak at Commencement, for me it was a great honor to share that experience and share what I’ve been able to do based on the foundation I received here at the Academy.” “Alex’s Commencement address was every bit as bold and energetic as you would expect it to be from someone who made the Forbes Magazine 30 Under 30 list and wrangled himself an impromptu personal audience with Vladimir Putin,” Head of School Brian Easler said. Mr. Debelov’s address at Commencement was filled with positive energy. He takes that spirit to work every day, with workdays lasting sometimes up to 16 hours. With that in mind, it’s no surprise who his favorite faculty member was during his time at the Academy.
“Mr. (Charlie) D’Avanzo was great because of how he taught,” said Mr. Debelov, who had Mr. D’Avanzo in physics and chemistry class. “His enthusiasm was contagious. It wasn’t what he taught, it’s how he taught, and that’s inspired me. When I’m a CEO and I hire a person to do marketing and sales, I can share my enthusiasm the same way, and it becomes infectious.” top left Alex Debelov ’06, as seen in the Academy’s Yearbook “The Hill,” as a senior. above Alex Debelov ’06 named by classmates as “Most Talkative” of the senior class.
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ALUMNI IN ACTION: Richard Taylor ’62W
BY christina cronin
Lifelong Affair with Environment Began at Wilbraham Academy purchased Blue Mountain Peak Ranch in the tiny, rural Central Texas town of Mason with his late wife Sally in 2001, they knew a challenge lay ahead. The Taylors had successful careers in the technology field and were ready to do something new and exciting in their retirement, but the ranch needed work. Invasive blueberry juniper had taken over and the land had been overgrazed. It was their dream to restore the land to the way it was before European settlement: bringing back grasses, live oak and the brooks and streams that had vanished over time. Sixteen years later, the land is flourishing through the hard work of Taylor and Suzie Paris, Mr. Taylor’s longtime friend and now his partner. So much so that Blue Mountain Peak Ranch was recognized as the recipient of the prestigious 2016 Leopold Conservation Award for the State of Texas. The award, presented by the Sand County Foundation with the support of Texas Parks and Wildlife, recognizes agricultural landowners actively committed to a land ethic. The foundation is the nation’s leading voice for private land conservation. Both flora and fauna have thrived at Blue Mountain Peak Ranch under Taylor’s management. A series of prescribed fires removed the invasive species leading to increased ground cover that reduced soil runoff and erosion. As a result, wildlife habitat improved and species such as vireos, Texas horned When Richard Taylor ’62W
Photos by Chase Fountain, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
lizards and spot-tailed earless lizards flourished. Managed hunting controls the population of deer and wild pigs on the property enabling plant life to stabilize, and the management of the population of cowbirds brought back songbirds that had long vanished from the ranch. In addition to their work at Blue Mountain Peak Ranch, the Taylors co-founded The Conservation Agency, a scientific nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of natural biodiversity. Education is a large part of the work Mr. Taylor and Ms. Paris undertake. Texas Tech University uses the ranch as a study site for multiple, graduate-level projects. Education is an important aspect of the ranch. School groups and scout troops regularly visit the ranch to learn about the environment. Mentoring young people is one of the most rewarding parts of the work of Taylor and Paris. Part of Mr. Taylor’s passion for the environment has its roots at Wilbraham & Monson Academy. Fishing and hiking at the Upper and Lower Reservoir at Wilbraham Academy was a life-changing experience for Taylor. “For the first time in my life, I was free to explore nature,” Mr. Taylor said. “I grew up in an urban setting in Framingham, Massachusetts. Being at Wilbraham exposed me to the natural world. I began my lifelong love affair with the environment. It was a small part of my Wilbraham education, but it had a huge impact on who I am today.” Mr. Taylor also credits Wilbraham for helping him become his own person. He learned to take risks and to experience things outside of his comfort zone. “Wilbraham helped me see that there was a life beyond my hometown of Framingham. I was exposed to so many different types of people. It helped me to work with and respect people from all walks of life. I also learned how to learn and how to ask questions, skills that really helped me when I jumped into ranching with both feet. I wouldn’t be where I am today, out here on A look at the this wonderful ranch landscape of Blue without all I received at Mountain Peak Ranch the Academy.” in Mason, Texas.
Richard Taylor ’62W has continued his lifelong love affair with the environment at Blue Mountain Peak Ranch in Mason, Texas.
Richard Taylor ’62W and partner Suzie Paris, left, share the same passion for the environment at their home at Blue Mountain Peak Ranch in Central Texas.
“ Being at Wilbraham exposed me to the natural world. I began my lifelong love affair with the environment. It was a small part of my Wilbraham education, but it had a huge impact on who I am today.” richard taylor
a beautiful video about blue mountain peak ranch was produced by texas parks and wildlife. you can view it here: youtube.com/watch?v=plx18bHO-rc
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pieces of history
BY RUSS HELD Manager of Electronic Communications
Local Man’s ‘Obsession’ Digs Deep Into Academy History joy,” Mr. Jurkowski said. “I’ve probably found 150 to 200 things there and what better place . . . ” Digging up the history of two centuries of The Springfield native estimates that he has Academy life can help tell a story or two, thanks to spent hundreds of hours during the last two years the interest of and discoveries made by a local retiree. Generations have left behind memories — waving his $1,600 metal detector across campus. John will often stay as long as six hours, weather and a whole lot more — across the 350-acre permitting, and he sometimes maps out his coverage grounds along Main Street. area through aerial and topographical research. Everything from early 19th century musket “I like the original grounds — Winchester Field, balls to class rings to loose change and pullthe (flagpole) area across from the front of Rich tabs have been unearthed on campus thanks to Hall, the ball field (behind Smith Hall) where the Wilbraham resident John Jurkowski. old wooden track used to be.” “The people are long gone . . . it makes you It is from here that he has found the likes wonder what they were doing, why did they lose of coins from the 1700s, class rings and a penny that (item) there,” Mr. Jurkowski said. “What was struck by a bullet. their story? What did it mean to that person and And in great spirit, John donates his findings — were they even aware that they lost something?” save for any particulars needed to complement Mr. Jurkowski, self-described and known to his own coin collection — to WMA. “The first WMA folk as “the metal detector guy,” has time he brought us a load of stuff, we were transformed a boyhood interest into a hobby and blown away,” Head of School Brian Easler said. now a passion. “I’d probably call it an obsession,” Mr. Jurkowski, “He had so much, and some of it was really, really old. He also did a lot of research on the items 63, joked. and wrote a small book (“Wilbraham & Monson: And it has helped uncover snapshots of decades History Beneath Your Feet”), with photos, of life on what has been the campus of Wesleyan, explaining the relevance of the items historically Wilbraham and Wilbraham & Monson academies and to the school.” since 1825. There is no dressy term for what he does. “What he finds? It tells a story,” WMA archivist “It’s metal detecting,” Mr. Jurkowski said of an Janet Moran said. “Something small can tell interest that dates back to his teenage years. you about the day in the life of someone here, all “I remember reading in a comic book, about how those years ago. Old keys, eyeglasses, jewelry. Just imagine a young suitor, giving to his beloved you could ‘find a buried treasure.’ That’s all I needed to hear. I built a Heathkit (brand metal a special piece of jewelry . . . ” detector) on my own and have loved it ever since.” “I just like to find old things, that’s my greatest Mr. Jurkowski estimates that 50 percent of what he has dug up at WMA is trash, which added up to almost 15 pounds last year. He is An 1817 Large Cent, well-versed in the cleaning process of the “keepers,” found near the a big part of the preservation of his finds, and entrance to Rich Hall he is diligent in not leaving a trace on the grounds. “I’ll cut a small ‘u’ shape, leaving the roots of the grass intact, and I’ll pile any dirt on a cloth,” Mr. Jurkowski said. “When I’m done, you wouldn’t know I was ever there.” His time at WMA dates back decades, as he spent some of his early days with the hobby on parts of the campus before embarking on a 28-year career as a quality inspector for the Defense Department.
Colonial shoe buckles found next to the LaBrecque Academic Gate
If these grounds could talk . . .
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Wilbraham resident John Jurkowski has used his metal detector to find hundreds of artifacts on the Wilbraham & Monson Academy campus during recent years.
Penny hit by a bullet
“I worked for a civilian component of the Air Force, checking things like weapons systems,” he said. “I worked with NASA, the space shuttle . . . traveled a lot throughout New England.” The 1971 graduate of Minnechaug Regional High School has retired from full-time work, but continues to work in the same field on a parttime, contract basis. He was married for 17 years but has lived alone since his wife, Michelle, passed away in 2009. His open schedule allows for more hobby time, but it does not come without occasional odd looks and comments from people. “You definitely get your people . . . I’ll be on the beach and hear people say, ‘He’s looking for pennies, just give him some money.’ And there are many times people have been quick to call the police. Even if I’m in a public place minding my own business, people sometimes don’t want you to be there.” Mr. Jurkowski’s resiliency has paid dividends, at least twice. Two times he was asked — politely, he adds — by WMA security to leave the private grounds of campus. “I never thought that I wouldn’t go back, I just came back and asked Brian for permission,” Mr. Jurkowski said. Mr. Easler, who has worked at the Academy for nearly 20 years, recalled his first encounter with Mr. Jurkowski. “I saw him out on Winchester Field, and went out to see what he was doing. I also wanted to give him some guidelines for being on campus when we are in session, etc.,” Mr. Easler said. “We had a great talk about his hobby and his passion
and that is when he shared with me that he would give everything he finds back to the school.” “With the exception of any coins he does not already have in his vast collection (he has yet to find any), he gives WMA everything he finds. We only ask that he stays away from the residences and that he limits his detecting to when we are not using the fields, etc.” Mr. Jurkowski said his next endeavor is to explore the dirt basement of Alumni Memorial Chapel, where there is lore of the “underground railroad” and the allure of discovery underneath “all those cracks in the floorboards.” As Mr. Jurkowski writes in his “History Beneath Your Feet” about his findings at WMA, “every artifact retrieved is the opening of a time capsule, a glimpse into the life of those that have gone before.”
Civil War Cadet button from an Augusta Military Academy uniform found on Winchester Field
A 1770 Spanish half Reale, the oldest coin Jurkowski has found Musket ball from the early 1800s, flat on one side after hitting “something hard”
A crotal bell, found next to the Rubicon, used to warn others approaching via horse-drawn travel
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traveling titans: hubbard faculty travel grant
BY ELIZABETH FONTAINE SQUINDO Dean of Students
Two Individuals Exploring the Global Community my husband, Michael, and I were very fortunate to receive the Leverett Marsden Hubbard Sr. Family Teaching Faculty Sabbatical Travel Fund grant. With this grant, we traveled to Italy and Croatia. For a history and anthropology major and food lover, Italy is the perfect combination destination for me. My husband’s family is from Croatia, and adding it to our itinerary gave us another perspective on European life. On our adventure, we planned to gain firsthand knowledge of how ancient cultures developed into contemporary cultures, and thankfully our trip provided us this and many more experiences. The trip enhanced my Global Studies 1 curriculum. Yet more importantly, it reinforced my understanding of the connectedness of our global An over-thecommunity and the diversity shoulder view of us as individuals. of Florence, Italy
Over the summer,
Our trip ebbed and flowed from the bustle of major cities to the relaxed pace of suburbia. During the span of 16 days, we visited Venice, Pula, Zadar, Split, Rome, Perugia, Florence and Mirano. We chose all of our locations and accommodations based on their proximity to ancient attractions and their ability to connect us to local communities. Avoiding tourist and chain hotels, we spent our time in a 15th century building alongside a canal, apartments in Croatia, a 19th century British hotel, a 13th century countryside castle and an upscale tent. Our trip began with us getting lost among the canals of Venice, a theme we learned would continue throughout our trip. We joined in the throngs of tourists deciphering foreign bus schedules and constructed our path with subjective maps. Growing up in Wilbraham and going to college in rural Maine, I did not learn the life
skill of reading a bus or train schedule. With public transportation being the swiftest way around Italy, understanding these maps was my first lesson. Traveling to Italy and Croatia immersed us in ancient history. Walking along the canals of Venice, gazing at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, setting foot in the Coliseum and experiencing the works of Michelangelo, Botticelli and other European artists proved to be transformational. At times, we were typical tourists with maps folded haphazardly, visiting sites and museums. But the best times were not the tourist lines or ticketed attractions. Our favorite moments were those when we felt connected with local people and had opportunities to hear their stories. Driving with local B&B owner Mathilde from Mirano to Venice’s airport was one such experience. Listening to how her family’s love
for hosting friends on their small property led to an international bed and breakfast business brought the trip to life. Whether with tour guides, hosts, servers or taxi drivers, it was amazing to hear everyone’s perspectives on Italy and their favorite parts of their hometown. Whenever possible we put away Trip Advisor and took recommendations from our new friends. The best meals and experiences of the trip were always those gleaned from conversations with locals. These connections to the people helped to bridge our historical knowledge with the contemporary culture of the region. As a history teacher, I have scratched the surface of understanding and I have been excited to continue learning since my return to WMA. Last summer I gained insights into Italian and Croatian history and culture, and I recognize that I have much more to learn. While textbooks provide us an opportunity to explore another culture, the words in the book do not provide a tangible experience. Perhaps the most impactful words and important lesson of the trip came from our tour guide, Marco, who said, “There are no Italians in Italy. There are only Romans, Venetians, Sicilians and so on.” As we reflect on his words, we embrace the importance of understanding and being able to identify ourselves within the above right A side-street view of greater community, and the Duomo in Florence concurrently we need to maintain our sense right of individuality Visiting the Coliseum and self-worth. in Rome
The Leverett Marsden Hubbard Sr. Family Teaching Faculty Sabbatical Travel Fund provides grants of $5,000 to full-time teaching faculty members who have taught at the Academy for five years. The grant’s purpose is to help faculty become more aware of the interdependent world in which we live and to develop an understanding of different countries, especially those from whom our nation has derived our culture and heritage.
“Our favorite moments were those when we felt connected with local people and had opportunities to hear their stories.” WILB R AHAM & MONSON AC ADEMY
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CAPITAL PROJECTS: Rich Hall Roof & Portico
BY MARK AIMONE Director of Advancement
Rich Hall Continues to Shine as Signature Building on Campus and continues to be, such an important part of Wilbraham & Monson Academy. As the sun shines on the newly discovered bronze globe of Atlas and the recently completed copper roof, the majesty and history of this signature building come into focus. However, we have yet to fully realize this vision and this spring we will have taken another step toward our goal with the restoration and renovation of the front portico. This summer, Phase II of the Rich Hall renovation project will begin. The maintenance department was to dismantle the existing portico roof, and the balustrades and columns were to be removed in preparation for the full removal following Reunion Weekend in June. The new portico will be raised almost nine inches so that it will be situated at the same height as the front entrance to Rich Hall. This, coupled with a new ramp and automatic doors, will make the first floor of Rich Hall fully handicap accessible. Additionally, the walkway from the steps to the sidewalk on Main Street will be redone, and the stone seal Rich Hall has been,
2016 will be replaced with granite. The columns and the roof will also be redone and made to match the architecture of the period. The new columns will be square in the Italianate style that matches the rest of the building. It will be covered with a sloping roof of standing seam copper that will match the new roof on the rest of the building. Additionally, we will add “Wilbraham & Monson Academy” on the fascia of the portico letting folks passing by know where they are. Be assured that we do not intend to rest after Phase II. During Phase III, we will methodically replace the windows on the front of the building and work our way around to the Annex. During this process, all of the paint will be changed to the color that is more in keeping with the original color scheme of the building. There is no more prominent symbol of WMA than Rich Hall. These renovations and restorations of this majestic and historic building send a resounding signal that, thanks to all of you and your enduring support, we are continuing to move forward.
An aerial view of Rich Hall after installation of its copper roof.
Rich Hall, as it looked in 2015 prior to the roof renovation project.
2015 2017
A photo from 1886 showing Rich Hall with doors at both sides of today’s main entrance.
1970s
1886 Rich Hall as it looked during the 1970s.
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An architectural rendering of Rich Hall, upon completion of the roof and portico repair and renovation.
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Malley House Dedication
BY LIZZY MITCHELL-KELLY ’04 Faculty, English Department
Bulkley Road House Dedication Honors Legacy of Dick & Kathy Malley “ (The house) honors the accomplishments not of a person or a couple, but of the tremendous efforts and good spirit of all the people with whom we had the privilege to work.” dick malley
of Oct. 14, 2016, former Head of School Dick Malley and his wife, Kathy, stood on the lawn of 8 Bulkley Road in Wilbraham, surrounded by friends, alumni, past and current faculty, staff and trustees. The group had gathered in celebration to formally dedicate the Academy’s newly acquired property to the couple whose legacy made it possible for Wilbraham & Monson Academy to exist as the thriving institution it is today. The home would henceforth be known as Malley House. Roughly a year prior, Head of School Brian Easler sat down to lunch with Trustee Emeritus William “Wilber” James ’64W and his wife On the warm afternoon
Janet. The conversation quickly turned toward fond reminiscing about the “Malley Years” (1989–2002), when the incredible efforts of Malley and the Board of Trustees he worked with, along with the titanic generosity and support of Pres and Helen Blake, revitalized the thenstruggling Wilbraham & Monson Academy. Mr. James says of Mr. Malley: “He was one of the most doggedly determined human beings I’d ever met in my life. (He was) a man of conviction, of passion, and he, together with amazing people like Eric Anderson, Fred Rothery and Doug Hannah (’71W), worked through some lean and tough years.” He added that “had the Malleys not been there, and had
Brian P. Easler welcomes guests to the Malley House Dedication in October. Dick and Kathy Malley stand
on the porch of Malley House with Mr. Malley’s official Head of School portrait.
the Blakes not joined forces” with them and with the Board of Trustees at the time, “the school would be greatly diminished. It may not even exist.” Mr. Easler left that lunch with Mr. James’ sentiment fresh in his mind, and returned to the task of hiring a new Director of Advancement for WMA. The role is of such vital importance to the progress of a school that it is the industry standard for a school to provide the person who fills that position with housing. Just as the hiring committee was making its final decision, the house at 8 Bulkley Road came up for sale. Not only was the home lovely and well situated, but it also came with nearly seven acres directly abutting the WMA campus. Mr. Easler called the coincidence of these events a “miraculous convergence.” He contacted Mr. Blake and proposed raising funds to purchase the house in Malley’s name. Mr. Blake was excited about the idea, offered his assistance and suggested that Mr. Easler contact other potential donors, who quickly pledged their support for creating a lasting tribute to the Malleys’ legacy. Now living in Malley House is the Academy’s Director of Advancement, Mark Aimone, his wife Megan (Stuart ’85), and their two daughters, Kayla and Claire. Aimone, being new to the community, found it truly extraordinary how alumni and donors came together to purchase the home in the Malleys’ honor, and how consistently the mention of that name inspired excitement, respect and generosity. He said he is “honored” to live in the newly dedicated home, and he looks forward to helping the Academy host future functions there. Mr. Malley said of the dedication, “I was floored when Brian told me this was going to happen.” What he found especially touching was that the house was not being named for him alone, but for both him and his wife, Kathy, who served as a longtime member of the WMA English faculty and whom he credits for making “enormous contributions to the school and keeping (him) on an even keel.” Mr. Malley also echoed the idea of teamwork, which became the central theme among those
who weighed in on the extraordinary impact Dick Malley had on the Academy. While those who worked with him credit him for their inspiration, Mr. Malley credits them for his success: “When any organization is successful, especially a school, it’s all due to people — how they work together, how they respect each other, how they learn to listen to each other and work together, and we had extraordinary people who knew how to do that.” The house, he said, “honors the accomplishments not of a person or a couple, but of the tremendous efforts and good spirit of all the people with whom we had the privilege to work.”
Dick Malley, at podium, speaks at the Malley House Dedication. (Left to right) Helen and S. Prestley Blake, Kathy Malley and Brian Easler look on.
Malley House Made Possible Through the Leadership and Generosity of: S. Prestley & Helen Blake
William Faulkner ’57W
Mark ’61M & Rosalind Shenkman
Brian & Stephanie Easler
James ’50W & Patricia LaCrosse
Bruce Ferguson ’67W
Peter Lincoln ’55W
Erik & Anne Kindblom
William “Wilber” ’64W & Janet James
Peter ’61W & Pamela Plumb
Michael & Jan Flynn
Lenita McCallum Witherspoon &
Carol Relihan ’73 & John Arthur
David Witherspoon
Scott ’75 & Leslie Jacobs
Stoughton & Gail Smead
Jonathan Sperling ’57W
Richard Morgan ’59W
Craig ’63W & Randy Rubin
Richard & Claire Goldman
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DISCOVERING WMA
BY TEDDY RYAN Director of Marketing & Communications
Atlas’ Globe: Bronze Making a World of Difference A Happy Accident
a simple “facelift” turned into a serendipitous circumstance during Phase I of the Rich Hall roof renovation. As part of the Rich Hall roof replacement during the summer and fall, the trim around Atlas and detail work from the roof down was to be repainted to a more authentic color of the time the building was constructed in 1861. East Coast Contracting of Norwich, Conn., was doing the work to remove lead paint and Atlas appeared to have metal underneath various layers. Director of Facilities Chris Reed and Head of School Brian Easler decided to have ECC strip the paint, and then Atlas’ globe, in all its glory, was revealed. The globe was buffed, and WMA Facilities member Bill Ciosek and some of the maintenance crew scaled the scaffolding to do some fine polishing. There are two to three coats of metal preserver on the globe now. It was believed to be the original paint. “If you look at it, it was hammered and it’s got some welds in it, so it wasn’t one piece of metal,” Mr. Reed said. “You can see how they made it.” Curious to see what the metal was, if it indeed was copper like the new roof, Mr. Easler enlisted some help to test it. It didn’t have the same look or feel as copper and was not the same color. The Academy was lucky enough to have some experts already in place. What was supposed to be
The Science of It All
Dr. Kathy Gorski, Chair of the Science Department, presented the problem to her fall Design Fellow team. With experience from Honors Chemistry the previous academic year, Dylan Derose ’18 took on the challenge. “It literally started with Dr. Gorski asking me if I was afraid of heights,” he recalled. He had been working on a 3D Printing project as a Design Fellow, but then the opportunity presented itself and took up the rest of the trimester. He will probably be the last student for quite some time to be able to get that up close and personal with Atlas and the roof itself. The only thing standing in the way of testing: Did the Academy have the facilities and materials to be able to run a test without damaging the globe? Dr. Gorski spent time researching older methods of testing metals. To start simple and then expand to more complicated, she and Dylan decided to begin with flame tests. “Dr. Gorski assisted in the lab and we were shocked we had enough materials to have it work,” said Dylan. To begin the process, Dylan donned a hard hat and made his way up the scaffolding surrounding Rich Hall. He was able to sand a bit of the globe and then used filter paper to catch the metal dust. Multiple samples were
obtained and with each sample he combined concentrated nitric acid (HNO3). The final concentration was of five milligrams per milliliter. To put the samples in perspective, “a half a teaspoon of water is about 1.5 grams. We had 1,000 less than that for our sample — we had microgram levels,” shared Dr. Gorski. “I would have liked to have had at least a couple of micrograms . . . I would have liked to have had 1,000 more than what we had because we haven’t been able to do a confirmation test.” Flame tests were conducted but Dr. Gorski explained there should always be another form of testing to back up results of the first test. “However, I am very confident because of how strong our results were.” Observations were made when acid was added to each sample, and then Dylan conducted his flame tests. They hypothesized if the metal was not pure copper, it could be brass or bronze. Brass is an alloy made up of two elements — usually copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). Most common brasses contain approximately 30 percent zinc. Bronze is a combination of copper and tin (Sn). Twelve percent tin Today’s look is most common; bells of Atlas, with are usually about the bronze globe 23 percent tin. above
far left The lab work of Dylan Derose ’18 and Science Department Chair Dr. Kathy Gorski helped determine Atlas’ globe is made of a bronze alloy. above Dylan Derose ’18, right, and Head of School Brian Easler examine Atlas’ globe while standing on scaffolding used during the Rich Hall roof renovation. left A close-up view of Atlas and the painted version of the globe, situated above the Main Street entrance to Rich Hall.
observations: • The globe produced a sound that was not a
thud (which is expected if it’s pure copper) • The sound was not as rich as a typical bell • The actual color of the globe had more pink than pure copper, but not as yellow as most brasses are • The dust samples looked more like dust with no real noticeable color expected lab results:
• Cu, Zn and Sn will dissolve in 8 M HNO3
at low levels being used in testing • If Zn is present, it would fizz when acid
is added • Flame test would not be useful; no noticeable
color is produced in the cone of a Bunsen burner flame • If Sn is present, it would take time to dissolve • The flame test for Sn produces a bright blue/white light • The flame test for Cu produces a pale blue/green light
Is It Copper?
Dylan and Dr. Gorski concluded, following the results, the globe is made of a bronze alloy due to the presence of Sn and the absence of Zn. They would like to be able to run more conclusive spectroscopic tests in the future to confirm results. For Dylan, taking Honors Chemistry culminated in a real-world experience. The duo would be open to working on other artifacts or items on campus if the opportunity presents itself in the future. “I’m all for it,” Dylan said. “I’m available. Whatever mad science projects Mr. Easler has . . . ” Dr. Gorski has been working on sound tests in the gymnasium, however that’s a story for another issue.
“It was a beautiful day, the beginning of the school year, we were up on the scaffolding and there’s this amazing discovery that’s been hiding for decades above Atlas’ head and then to be up there with the son of an alumnus, a science student, running tests . . . It was just this really special moment.” brian p. easler head of school
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departments: alumni events
Young Alumni Gathering 1
Alumni Events
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Boston: Nov. 30 Alumni were hosted by Demetri Tsolakis ’01 at Committee, a restaurant he owns in the Seaport District of Boston, for a reception. 10 World Languages faculty member Don Kelly, Bill Lane ’83, Ann-Marie Lawlor ’84, CEGS faculty member Gary Cook and Kelley McCormick ’84. 11 Tim McBride ’78, Bill Lane ’83 and Sanjar Azar ’78. 12 Shawn Slattery ’83 and John TenBrook ’88. 13 Carl Miner ’81 and CEGS faculty member Gary Cook. 14 Ayano Konakamura ’10, Congyi Qian ’09, Genevieve Zhang ’11 and Jefferson Lee ’10. 15 Jefferson Lee ’10, Congyi Qian ’09 and Nick Nikolaou ’94. 16 Alex Ely ’05, Diana Van Leeuwen ’05 and Head of School Brian Easler. 17 Steff Robbins ’10, Will Bourgeois ’10 and Colin Akerly ’09. 18 Lindsey Leduc ’00 and Katie Sinclair ’08. 19 Josh Binney ’07, Director of Advancement Mark Aimone and Symin Charpentier ’07.
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Jan. 5, 2017 Young Alumni joined faculty members at Morrow House for a reception. 1 Lauren Willis ’16, Lili Brook ’16, David Little ’16, Colin O’Brien ’16 and Allie Collins-Anderson ’16. 2 Anike Tella-Martins ’16 and Morayma Linarez ’16. 3 Jordan Payne ’16, Marcus Klebart ’15 and Michael Caine ’14. 4 Emily Zeno ’15, Emily Carson ’15, Jessica Smith ’14, Carly Venditti ’16 and Carolyn Cross ’15. 5 Mary Callahan ’15, Sara Burke ’15 and Andrew Dasco ’15. 6 Anike Tella-Martins ’16, Ally Faulstick ’16, Thomas Quinn ’16 and Sydney Liptak ’16. 7 Steven Ragnauth ’12, Max Rankin ’12, Dean of Curriculum Meg Hutcheson, English/History faculty member Teresa Kennedy ’12, Fine & Performing Arts faculty member Wendy Decker and Heather Little ’13. 8 Peter Caine ’16, Netiwat Phukhachee ’15, English faculty member Lizzy Mitchell-Kelly ’04, Jordan Payne ’16 and Asaiah Edwards ’16. 9 Andrew Faulstich ’15, CEGS faculty member Gayle Hsiao and former Math/Science faculty member Allen Hsiao.
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Texas: Sept. 21 On Sept. 21, Alumni were invited to a luncheon in Dallas, Texas.
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21 Director of Advancement Mark Aimone, Jeannie Kwon, YD Kwon ’88, Head of School Brian Easler, Chris Mortensen ’07, Courtney Petrone-Autry ’07 and Mark Christensen ’89.
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New York: Nov. 1
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Alumni gathered at the Yale Club of New York City for a reception. Graduation years of the attendees ranged from 1955 to 2016. 20 Group photo of alumni in attendance at the Alumni Yale Club of New York City event.
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in memoriam
BY DICK MALLEY Former Head of School, 1989–2002
Class Notes
Bob McCray ’43M: A True Inspiration to All Who Knew Him their schools had merged. It was a marriage of necessity; both schools had a proud history and had served their students well. But like many private boarding schools in the late ’60s, both schools had suffered enrollment losses and neither school had sufficient endowment to make it on its own. Mr. McCray was Board of Trustees president when the schools merged. When I first met him, he stated that he believed that agreeing to the merger was the worst decision he had ever made. It became clear to me that the loss of the Monson Academy identity had been devastating to Bob and many of its faculty and alumni. When I first tried to meet Bob, he told me he needed more time. When we finally met, we immediately liked and respected each other. Mr. McCray’s love for Monson Academy had everything to do with the profound influence of several of his teachers such as Henry Benton, George Morrow and Headmaster George Rogers. He understood that the merged school was experiencing the same challenges that forced the merger. He encouraged me to make contact with key alumni that he felt would want to be reconnected to the school and could be helpful. Time and again, Bob’s direction proved to be right. As successful as Bob was in business, his personal values that were celebrated by the faculty and the Cushman Award were always at the root of Bob’s success. Mr. McCray saw the best in people, and they responded by doing their best. He never lost touch with his Monson roots. He recognized that the values that his Monson teachers had instilled in him were central to today’s school.
1948 Wilbraham
Bob McCray, as pictured on the cover of Monson Academy Quarterly in Feb. 1969
Bob McCray ’43M was presented with the Frank Chapin Cushman Memorial Award. It was established by Mrs. Cushman to honor a member of the graduating class who, in the judgment of the faculty, best represented the ideals — “Live Clean, Speak True, Work Hard, Play Fair” — of Rufus Cushman. I never met Rufus Cushman, but I had the privilege of knowing Mr. McCray. Those words capture the essence of Mr. McCray perfectly. After graduating from Monson, Mr. McCray continued his education at RPI and Harvard Business School. He taught for one year at Monson Academy, worked with his father at a Chevrolet dealership and then became a sales engineer for Worcester Forge Steel Valve Company. This company had the good sense to take advantage of Mr. McCray’s knack for thinking outside of the box. He had a tremendous ability to find creative ways to make products better; he designed a “three piece design” ball valve that became one of the most copied designs in the industry. He became the company’s president in 1958. Mr. McCray started serving as a Monson Academy Trustee in 1957 and continued until 1973. When I became Head of School at Wilbraham & Monson Academy in 1989, I met few Monson or Wilbraham Academy alumni who were happy that At his graduation ceremony,
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Bob McCray, shown during his later years, was an invaluable part of the Academy’s history.
departments
lacrosse league, honored Lee at a 2016 MLL semifinal at Fairfield University. Lee played lacrosse at Wilbraham Academy, continued playing at Cornell University and has given back to the sport throughout his life. As a commercial farmer, he dedicates a portion of his land to playing fields for recreation and club teams. Lee is a regular player at our annual alumni lacrosse game each year. Congratulations Lee!
in their 1955 Jaguar XK 140 convertible, along with another dozen-and-a-half classic British car enthusiasts. They joined Bill and Janet, along with fellow Wilbraham 1964 classmates Bob Armell and Andrew Petkun, before returning to England. Pictured in the photo, clockwise from bottom left, are Bob Armell’s wife Judy, Sir Hampson, Janet James, Bob Armell, Lady Angela Hampson, Bill James and Andrew Petkun.
1 Lots of great memories and laughs were shared on Aug. 17, 2016 as former Faculty Member Emeritus and Interim Headmaster Fred Watts was surprised at lunch by some former students, including: Back row: Win Dodge ’58, Charlie Pettee ’57, Brian Pettee ’89, Ron Alley ’57, Bill Faulkner ’57. Front row: Fred Watts, Gary Beauchamp ’78.
1960 Monson
1965 Monson
3 Richard Harrington stopped by former Monson Academy Headmaster Dr. George Rogers’ grave at Island Pond Cemetery in Harwich, Mass. Dick said that it brought back a “flood of memories.”
1958 Monson
4 On Oct. 14, 2016, Bill James and Janet James hosted a farewell dinner for Sir Stuart Hampson and Lady Angela Hampson in Boston. The Hampsons had just finished a 7-week, 10,500-mile tour of the United States
5 Tom Crafts married Donna Desmond on Oct. 8, 2016, on the island of Boca Grande off the west coast of Florida, just south of Venice. Tom writes: “The ceremony occurred on Banyan Street which we had closed for our 50–60 friends and families. Casual attire (guys were in white shirts, khaki slacks and flip flops with ladies in white or tan dresses and “big” hats). Donna Desmond is a graduate of East Longmeadow (Mass.) High School in 1967. Her sister is four years older and graduated in 1964 with my late wife, Beverly. They were best of friends.
Marshall Solomon writes, “I live in Boca Raton, Florida, for six months and Swampscott, Mass., for six months . . . so if anyone is in the area, pick up a phone book and give a call ’cuz I’d love to see you, especially members of the Class of 1948, or thereabouts.”
Bob McCray, during his time as a Monson Academy Trustee
Mr. McCray relished the role of mentor. When he moved to New Hampshire, he started a manufacturing company, Cirtronics, and turned it over to his protégé, Gerardine Ferlins. Cirtronics was far more than a successful product manufacturing organization; its commitment to sustainability and its community is at the forefront of their business model. In later years, he became an “angel investor” and looked to connect people with ideas that would help all involved thrive and achieve their fullest potential. Each year Bob invited WMA students to visit with him and to learn about a most innovative company. When Mr. McCray passed away Aug. 9, 2016, his friends at Cirtronics wrote: “Bob lived an exemplary personal life and was a consummate professional throughout his business career. He was loved, respected and admired by all who knew him. His lifelong passion was to pass along his knowledge and insight to young startups and make the journey into entrepreneurship exciting and gratifying.” In this respect, Mr. McCray was very much like Mr. Benton and Mr. Morrow. Their passion was to pass along their knowledge and insight to young people on their journey from adolescence to adulthood. Mr. McCray lived clean, spoke true, worked hard and played fair, and his example was an inspiration to the people who were fortunate enough to know him.
1957 Wilbraham
2 Retired Hampden County Sheriff Mike Ashe was presented with the key to the city of Springfield at a luncheon in his honor. After 42 years as sheriff, Mike retired in January 2017. Started under his leadership, the Community Restitution Program has a 22-year history which is well respected across the nation. The program provides inmates with work skills that include landscaping and horticulture, painting and maintenance, carpentry, roadside debrushing, litter cleanup and custodial work. There are now 10 crews working within Springfield.
1964 Wilbraham
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Donna’s father (Al Desmond), at 95, walked her down the aisle on Banyan Street. He was the chief of police in East Longmeadow. DD’s mom, at 92, also was at the ceremony. They live in Punta Gorda now. We honeymooned in the mountains near Blowing Rock, N.C., where we rented a mountain cabin in late October and will now live in North Port, Fla., near her mom and dad.”
1965 Wilbraham David Cooper writes: “Enjoying retirement in the Southwest. Much travel and exploration of American Indian culture. Glad to visit Santa Fe for its symphony and museums. All these interests began at Wilbraham.”
1969 Wilbraham Rick Meehan writes: “I’m retired from The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company after spending 35+ years and ending my career as Vice President of Labor Relations. My wife, Donna, and I are the proud grandparents of three beautiful little girls.
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1959 Wilbraham Lee Pinney was honored by Major League Lacrosse on Aug. 13, 2016. MLL, the premier professional outdoor
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departments: class notes
We live at The Pinehills in Plymouth, Mass., and I very much enjoy a round of golf. I would love to reconnect with former classmates from the Class of ’69 at Wilbraham and would like to attend our 50th reunion. I would also like to nominate our 1969 New England Class B Basketball Championship team to the Wilbraham Athletic Hall of Fame. What a treat that would be to get those from our team back together at our 50th reunion.”
biggest trading partners. He served as Korea’s Ambassador to the United Nations from 2007 to 2008 and was elected Vice President of the UN Economic and Social Council in 2008, where he worked towards achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. From 1999 to 2003, Hyun was a senior lawyer in the WTO’s Appellate Body Secretariat and Legal Affairs Division, where he worked on cases related to IPR, services, TRIMs, safeguards and subsidies/countervailing measures. Recently, Hyun oversaw patent and anti-trust litigation with a major Korean corporation and is currently a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, where he focuses on trade law and trade policies.
TV show! “Moving Forward” with Gayle Suzanne is a 30-minute show airing once a month on TV9 in Seekonk, Mass. The show is about pressing through challenges and being triumphant! Gayle has guests and interviews. It airs the third Wednesday of each month.
7 Charlie Weisberg was up from Phoenix and stopped by campus this past August with his children Sam (fourth grade) and Asher (sixth grade). They were taking in the sights in Boston, Providence (R.I.) and at Six Flags (Agawam, Mass.) before the kids went back to school.
1987 & 1989
6 Eddie Shore III entered his first power-lifting contest in 2016. He raised money for the Shriners Hospital for Children with a final pull of 340 pounds. Way to go Eddie!
Maura Griffin, a nationally recognized financial planner, brought her Manhattan-based Blue Spark Capital Advisors firm to the Berkshires fulfilling a dream she’s nurtured for many years. Named a “Top Financial Leader” by Forbes magazine and honored with the Women’s Choice Award for Financial Advisors for the past three years, Maura opened her downtown Lenox office last November, while maintaining her original Madison Avenue presence, where Blue Spark began to catch fire five years ago. Maura’s guidance includes planning for college costs and how to handle inheritances through death or a divorce. “It’s often angry money or sad money.” Her goal is to “help address those emotions, take them apart and turn them into a tool, because money is a tool to help you do what you need or want to do.” Learn more about Maura’s “holistic” approach at www.bluesparkfinancial.com.
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The World Trade Organization has named former Ambassador Hyun Kim a member of the Appellate Body for a four-year term. The former WMA Trustee received his bachelor’s, master’s and juris doctorate from Columbia. Hyun served as Trade Minister for Korea from 2004 to 2007, during which time Korea negotiated free trade agreements with more than 40 countries, including Korea’s
Michiharu Honda was interviewed by i24news, an international news channel based in Tel Aviv, Israel, about Japan’s aging emperor hinting at abdication. Michiharu is the Secretary for Policy in Japan’s House of Representatives.
After 16 years being a licensed real estate salesperson, Tracy Viola has become a real estate broker. She opened her residential real estate company, Thompson Real Estate, in September 2016. Tracy proudly lives in the Sixteen Acres area of Springfield, Mass., and has two grown boys, a daughter-in-law and two cats. She travels often to Maine as well as to Florida.
9 The annual ’91 WMA lunch at The Fort was one short this year. Don Kelly, honored guest, joined Paul Sullivan, Andy Roebuck and Mike DeNucci at the downtown Springfield, Mass., establishment in mid-December. Due to his recent move to Texas, Tino Ricci was unable to make it this year. Andy said they’ve been getting together for lunch before the holidays for the past seven or eight years!
1973 Charles S. Feinstein writes: “My wife Christiane, is a French Immersion Kindergarten teacher at a local public school. I have three children and six grandchildren. My son, Jeremy Feinstein, has three children and is living in Virginia Beach, where he is a sales manager at a music store and my daughter, Sheri Feinstein Powers, is living in Mobile, Ala., with her three children and is a Coast Guard family. I am a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) and help people come to, stay, study, work and more in Canada. I have been a permanent resident for a few years and plan to become a (dual) citizen in a year or two. Life is good here in the Prairies of Central Alberta.”
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1978 Scott Seaman is celebrating his second year as Material Management Director for Divine Savior Healthcare in Portage, Wisc.
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1982 Gayle Dragicevich now has her own
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8 Mike Swift ’87 and Bill Guerin ’89 are sharing a photo of the next generation of hockey players. On Jan. 15, 2017, in Pittsburgh, Pa., their sons faced each other on the ice. Zach Swift (No. 14) plays for the Delaware Ducks U16AA and Liam Guerin (No. 9) plays for the Pittsburgh Arctic Foxes U16AA.
1989 Chef Jonathan Lundy opened Corto Lima, a Latin-inspired restaurant in downtown Lexington, Ky., in February 2017. The menu of small plates, streetstyle tacos and entrees brings the cuisines of Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America as well as the American Southwest to Lexington. Jonathan, a James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef in the Southeast, will also continue to run Jonathan’s Events, featuring upscale catering and special events.
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10 While in Hawaii for work, Matthew A. Estes ’92 met Miyuki Noji ’93 for lunch in Honolulu.
12 Yashar Yaslowitz and his wife, Margo Eberlein, welcomed a daughter into their family. Clara Adeline was born on May 3, 2016, measuring 7 pounds, 7 ounces and 20 inches long.
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Walter Duncan’s company, Quick Key, a mobile assessment software that improves student performance and eliminates hand grading, and Teach For America have partnered to implement the timesaving and meaningful tool to delve into the student learning experience. Quick Key is a rapid mobile feedback solution that transforms mobile phones into optical scanners to grade quizzes, tests and surveys. The app eliminates hand grading of assignments, allowing educators to focus on students. For more information, visit get.quickkeyapp.com. Matt Koziol traded in his suit and tie for jeans and boots and couldn’t be happier. Matt heads up Clover Springs Farm in West Brookfield, Mass., where a couple of hundred grass-fed beef cattle roam the 500acre farm. Clover Springs’ FDAcertified organic beef can be found in the local Wegmans grocery store, five area farm stands and Worcester-area restaurants like Bull Mansion. Check them out at www.cloverspringsfarmstand.com.
1994 11 Congratulations to Andrea Stanley, No. 19 on Fortune Magazine’s 2016 list of Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink. Andrea is owner/maltster at Valley Malt, a micro-malthouse offering base malts for local brewers. They bring an innovative twist to many traditional malts.
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1996 Arlene Goodman, M.D., is Pediatric Concussion Specialist at St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J., and engaged to be married in August 2017.
1998 13 Bernardo Araujo showed his WMA pride in Rio during the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
1999 Audra Graziano’s contemporary paintings can now be found on the walls of Jack and Marcel in New York City. Located in the Interior Design Building, Jack and Marcel specializes in European lighting, furniture, ceramics and accessories from the 1940s to the 1970s. Audra is a visiting assistant professor at the University of Arizona School of Art. Dr. Jonathan Insler is teaching physics at Rowan University in New Jersey. He is continuing his postdoctoral research at Drexel University as well.
2001 There was a great write-up on Frank Antonacci and his brother Philip Antonacci ’13. Harness Racing Update said, “Lindy Farms of Connecticut is not only one of harness racing’s great farms, it is a forward-thinking, thirdgeneration operation built by the Antonacci family with equal parts
passion, practicality and pride.” Lindy Farms was featured in a three-part series in the September 2016 issue of www.harnessracingupdate.com. 14 Andrew Nepomuceno and his wife, Emma, welcomed a son into their family. Hugo was born in July 2016.
2002 15 Rachael Gagnon and her husband, Matthew, welcomed a daughter into their family on Oct. 21, 2016. Oneyear-old big brother Cutler can’t wait for his little sister, Zelania, to play with him!
2003 16 Julie Duffy has been named head coach of Women’s Lacrosse at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass. Julie spent five seasons leading the University of Findlay’s women’s lacrosse program, and prior to that she was head coach at Division III Ohio Wesleyan University. Merrimack College Director of Athletics Jeremy Gibson stated: “We are very excited to welcome Julie to Merrimack College and to our women’s lacrosse program. She has demonstrated the ability to develop and lead a program that will succeed on the field, in the classroom and in the community.” Andrew Leichthammer and his business partner are open for business! Good Measure Brewing Co., located in Northfield, Vt., opened their tasting room on Dec. 16, 2016, offering draft pours and growler fills of their beers along with some merchandise. Check them out at www.goodmeasurebrewing.com.
2005 17 Saori Nakamura Kusumoto and
her husband, Tetsuya, welcomed a little girl into their family. Lily was born March 23, 2016.
2006 18 Joe Martin and his wife, Nicole, welcomed a son into their family. Owen Joseph was born Nov. 6, 2016.
2007 Alexandra Johnson is at NYU, in the Jazz Performance and Composition Masters program. She is also an adjunct instructor at NYU in trumpet and piano. Michelle Majkut is beyond excited to finally be a (Washington) D.C. barred attorney! She recently celebrated her two-year anniversary at Clutch Group. Michelle primarily works in e-discovery and data analytics for regulatory investigations within the financial/banking industry. She credits her seven years at WMA for her work ethic and determination. 19 Lino Palatino married Mayumi Yamasaki on Sept. 18, 2016, in Kochi, Japan. Lino and Mayumi are proud parents of baby Tina.
2008 Lauren Brodeur received her state license and is now an official sonographer. She’s working at Saratoga Hospital, but is hoping to move back to live and work in Western Mass. Pat Callahan, his sister, Mary ’15, and their aunt have launched NiceboxGives.org — a community betterment project that partners with shelters to provide everyday essential items to the homeless.
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departments: class notes
Nicebox is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose goods are distributed through three area shelters. There are different Niceboxes you can donate towards — a TidyPack with a washcloth, toothbrush, toothpaste, hair and body wash and more, or a WinterWarmUpPack with gloves, hat, socks and more. 20 Brigi Palatino has been named head coach of the Mount Ida College Women’s Soccer program. After four seasons as the assistant coach at her alma mater, Connecticut College, Brigi will now lead the Mustangs in Newton, Mass. Double-majoring in psychology and environmental studies as an undergrad, Brigi took home dean’s and high honors, as well as earning All-Academic and National Psychology Honor Society accolades while playing four years of women’s soccer for Connecticut College. She holds both a National and Advanced National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), and also got her U.S. Soccer Coaching Certificate National “E” license in 2013 at the Soccer Champion’s Coaching Clinic in Uncasville, Conn. “I am thankful for the opportunity and honored to be named the Women’s Soccer Head Coach for Mount Ida,” Palatino said. “The decision to become a Mustang was a natural fit. In line with the mission and philosophy of the college, my role is to prepare student-athletes to be successful on and off the field.”
2009 21 Chelsea Goldrick and Ellis Backman have welcomed a little girl into their family. Ryker Lily Backman was born July 26, 2016. Proud auntie
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Molly Goldrick ’07 was the first to take beautiful photos of little Ryker. Caitlin Mitchell was part of a twoperson team that earned top honors in Elon Law’s annual Intramural Moot Court Competition. Caitlin, an Elon Law Leadership Fellow, also received awards for her oral arguments in both the preliminary and final rounds of an intramural contest that is the largest to date in the nine years of competition.
2010 22 Ayano Konakamura stopped by campus and posed for a photo with Mrs. Scott. Ayano will finish medical school at Peking University Health in Japan this July and was in the U.S. doing a five-week rotation at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Mass. Rickey Moore Jr. is busy finishing up his M.B.A. After WMA, Rickey went to Sacred Heart University on a football scholarship and finished with his bachelor’s in marketing. He then received another athletic scholarship to Urbana University to play his last year of eligibility and pursue his M.B.A. After that year, he took some time off from school and moved to San Antonio, Texas, where he has been working as a senior account specialist for Enterprise Truck Rental. Rickey is now finishing his M.B.A. online at Franklin University. 23 Yunseong Nam is officially Dr. Nam. In May 2016, Dr. Nam completed his Ph.D. in Physics at Wesleyan University. Nam stopped to visit his WMA Physics teacher, Allen Hsiao, on his way to the University of Maryland where he has accepted a research position.
2012 24 Melody Liu got a surprise when she went to a Simon Sinek book signing! He listened to her story about YEMS and how she started with the “why” and then asked her for a copy of the YEMS memory book. He even insisted that she sign it!! Melody says “Simon Sinek’s books and TED Talk had a huge impact in shaping my vision for my nonprofit YEMS project.”
2013 25 Philip Antonacci was back on Australia’s Gold Coast during his winter break from the University of Pennsylvania. Having spent last summer interning with Gai Waterhouse, a thoroughbred training powerhouse, Phil returned to learn more from Gai’s methods during the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Racing runs deep in the Antonacci family, Phil is part of the third generation at Lindy Farms in Somers, Conn. He’s hoping to apply for Godolphin Flying Start when he graduates college. The two-year, full-time international thoroughbred leadership program incorporates horse management with business management within the thoroughbred industry. Pictured, left to right, are Adrian Bott, Phil Antonacci and Gai Waterhouse at Magic Millions. Alexandria F. Cerpovicz of West Springfield, Mass. was awarded a St. Lawrence University Fellowship for a summer 2016 research project. Allie is a member of the Class of 2017 and is majoring in geology. Her project is titled “Magnetic Susceptibility Profiles as a Tool for Correlation: A Case Study from Upper Ordovician Red River Fm.” 26 Ivy Durepo recently received an
official citation from the Massachusetts State House for her quick action in saving a man from drowning. Ivy had finished her shift as a lifeguard at Dunn State Park in Gardner, Mass., and was helping clean up inside when a woman came in frantic that someone needed help. An 18-year-old man started drowning in the middle of the lake. Fully clothed, Ivy jumped in and swam to the middle of the lake and saved him with no rescue tube. He was unconscious but regained consciousness shortly after and made a full recovery. Great job Ivy! 27 Brielle Robinson, goalie for the University of New England Nor’easters, had a great year, posting a 9–6–2 record and 0.83 goals against average. During the nine-game Commonwealth Coast Conference slate, Brielle was ranked first in shutouts (six), second in wins, and fourth in GAA (0.63). Her First Team CCC award was a repeat distinction from 2015 for the threetime all-league performer. Brielle was selected to play in the NEWISA Senior Bowl, to the NSCAA All-New England Region Third Team and to the NEWISA All-New England Second Team. 28 CJ Woloshchuk was awarded a prestigious Provosts Award from American University for her research on the effects of MDPV pre-exposure on the aversive effects of MDPV, cocaine and lithium chloride and its implications for abuse vulnerability. She is continuing with the next step in this research. CJ also had the honor of being the first undergraduate published in the Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence. This past summer CJ was part of the UTEP research program, where she worked on a project regarding fish oil as a treatment for the negative health consequences of eating a high fat diet. She is currently in her senior year at
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American University — majoring in psychology with a minor in biology — where she remains active in her pre-med fraternity, Phi Delta Epsilon, and PEERS (Peer Educators for the Elimination of Relationship and Sexual violence). She will take the MCAT in April and begin applying to medical schools in May 2017.
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2014 Jessica Smith was accepted into the bachelor’s/master’s program at NYU in the Institute of French
finish my bachelor’s with a major in the Global Liberal Studies program called Contemporary Culture and Creative Production as well as a minor in CAS in French and a minor in Stern/Tisch called Business Media Entertainment Technology.”
2016 29 Sophia Tosato was featured in a marketing piece for Danzarteatro in Padua, Italy. Sofia can be seen on posters and billboards! Beautiful!
We Remember
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Mr. Raymond H. Beach Jr. ’45W
Mr. George Megas ’51W
Mr. Donald C. Beers Jr. ’48W
Mr. M. Scott Mitchell ’57W
Lt. Col. Robert W. Bliss, USAF Ret. ’39W
Mr. R. Peter Mochak ’58W
Mr. Joel H. Brown ’49W
Mr. David K. Morway ’62M
Mr. Robert F. Cebula ’46W
Mr. Graham J. Nelson ’48W
Mr. Theodore A. Cupak ’57M
Mr. Joseph A. Pizzi ’51W
Mr. John M. Dooling ’46W
Mr. Newton K. Pratt ’40W
Mr. William J. Farnan Jr. ’61W
Mr. David P. Robert ’82
Mr. Mark J. Fitzsimmons ’79
Mr. Frederick S. Scott ’48W
Mr. Francis J. Gamari ’50W
Mr. Paul C. Snow ’55M
Mr. Lloyd N. Hoover ’43W
Mr. Robert B. Stone ’64W
Mr. Rudolph E. Kivior ’47M
Mr. Daniel P. Sullivan ’59M
Mr. John F. Maloney ’60M
Dr. William H. Warren ’42W
Mr. Robert C. McCray ’43M
Mr. M. Scott Wood Jr. ’68W
Mr. Robert B. McKay ’46W
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Studies Department. The accelerated master’s program allows her to complete half of her master’s before she receives her bachelor’s degree. After Jessica’s year abroad ends, she will stay in Paris for two months this summer to take two courses toward her master’s at NYU Paris. Jessica says: “The Master’s is in French Studies and focuses on French history and culture. I decided to change my double major in French into just a minor in order to fit all of these extra courses in my schedule senior year. So now I will
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Mr. Wayne A. Walton, Current Grandparent
Dr. Samuel J. Brendler, Alumni Parent
Mr. John Wilson, Former Staff
Ms. Eileen Cebula, Alumni Parent
Mrs. Mary Ann S. Olsen, Alumni Spouse
Mrs. Sue Goldsmith, Alumni Parent
Mrs. Doris H. Roberson, Alumni Spouse
Mrs. Joan M. Kennedy, Alumni Parent
Mrs. Frances J. Shaw, Alumni Spouse
Mrs. Ann Marie Morin, Alumni Parent
Mrs. Margaret M. Shore, Alumni Spouse
Dr. Ahmed Mouchantat, Alumni Parent
Sister John Brigid, Friend
Mr. Murray J. Ross, Alumni Parent
Ms. Sara Jo Danforth, Friend
Mrs. Carol J. Sorensen, Alumni Parent
Mr. Giorgio Cambi, Alumni Grandparent
Mr. David M. O’Connell, Alumni Parent
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history
by JANET MORAN Associate Director of Archives
From the Archives Bow Tie Tradition Symbolic of Freshman Year
Freshmen at Wilbraham Academy were required to wear bow ties as part of their uniform, in accordance with a rule established under Headmaster Charles Stevens in 1941. It was widely seen as a bonding measure for the freshmen. Of course, it was seen as a matter of hierarchy to the upperclassmen. There were other rules, and unspoken rules as well. The freshmen and underclassmen were never allowed to cross the senior bridge, this being considered a senior privilege. They had to use Broad Walk at all times, and the use of Broad Walk only made the freshmen sitting ducks to the senior pranksters. It has been said that if you were a smart freshman, you would always carry two bow ties at all times, in anticipation of the prank of having your bow tie ripped off by a senior — just before entering class. This would result in an embarrassment at a minimum and perhaps a detention. Another unspoken tradition was practiced at the last time a freshman would need to wear his bow tie. This was called the “Burning of the Bow Tie” and it would take place throughout campus while trying not to get caught. As the story goes, a few brave and cheeky freshmen actually burned and left the bow ties on the Senior Bridge! No names have been associated with that prank. This tradition lasted until 1970, before the merger with Monson Academy in 1971. ▲ Members of Wilbraham Academy’s Class of 1943 and their bow ties, outside of Rich Hall An original freshman bow tie, on the Senior Stone of its owner Steve Gray ’70W
Robert Rapisarda and Tim Gay ’70W take part in the “Burning of the Bow Tie” tradition at Wilbraham Academy.
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AC ADEMY WORLD SPRING 2017
Wilbraham & Monson Academy Heritage Society
preserve our heritage . . . invest in our future
The WMA Boarding Student Legacy Scholarship A $10,000 merit-based scholarship for domestic boarding students in Grades 8 - 12 who are children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews of Academy Alumni.
Profiles in Planned Giving
Former trustee Francis M. Austin Jr. ’46W and wife, Virginia, endow $100,000 scholarship fund at Wilbraham & Monson Academy
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For more information, contact Kate Gaw, Director of Admission & Financial Aid, at kgaw@wma.us. www.wma.us/giving
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Francis Austin ’46W is a caring philanthropist 1 who has shared his time and talents with Wilbraham & Monson Academy in a variety of capacities for many years. He served on the Board of Trustees from 1983– 1989, and he and his late wife, Joan, hosted alumni events in New York City. In 1998, he received the Academy’s prestigious Service to the Community Award, which honors those who are making significant contributions to their community through their time, actions, talents and dedication. Francis supports many other causes and has been a longtime supporter and trustee at the March of Dimes. Most recently at WMA, he has volunteered as steward of the Benedict LeStrange Scholarship, which was created by his friend Joseph Sirotkin. This year, he took his involvement with the scholarship program a step further by creating www.wma.us his own fund: The Francis M. Austin Jr. ’46 Scholarship Fund. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide financial assistance to a student with 2 3 solid academics, who participates in a varsity sport. Francis played soccer, baseball and basketball while a student at Wilbraham Academy. Development Office Francis is the third member of Wilbraham’s 423 Main Street Class of 1946 to generously support our scholarship Wilbraham, MA 01095-9983 program. Alan Hale established a scholarship in memory of his father, James D. Hale (Class of 1913), and Donald Joffray established a scholarship in honor of his mentor, faculty member Phil Shaw. The three knew each other since they were boys growing up in the same neighborhood in Longmeadow, Mass. Address Service Requested We are grateful to Francis and his classmates for the difference they have made in the lives of our students and their families. If you would like more information on creating a scholarship fund or contributing to an existing scholarship fund at WMA, contact Mark Aimone, 1 Francis Austin ’46W and wife Ginny Weldon enjoying the outdoors. 2 Francis Austin ’46W, left, with former <[Full Name]> Director of Advancement, at 413.596.9134 or at Headmaster Francis Casey, center, and Richard Fuld ’64W at a 1985 Reception at the New York Athletic Club. <[Street 2]> 3 Senior photo of Francis Austin ’46W. maimone@wma.us.
<[Street 1]> <[City]>, <[State]> <[Zip]>
AC ADEMY WORLD SPRING 2017
Your gift to WMA matters.
Wilbraham & Monson Academy 423 Main Street Wilbraham, MA 01095-1715 www.wma.us tel: 413.596.6811 address service requested
non profit organization us postage paid permit no 88 enfield ct
save the date: reunion 2017 june 9–10 all alumni are invited as we celebrate the classes of . . .
1942 | 1947 | 1952 | 1957 | 1962 | 1967 | 1972 | 1977 | 1982 | 1987 | 1992 | 1997 | 2002 | 2007 | 2012
To see the schedule and to register go to www.wma.us/reunion. Contact Dawn Hines, Associate Director of Alumni Relations, at alumni@wma.us or 413.596.9118.