Spring 2022
KENT Quarterly
KENT
CONTENTS
Quarterly
Volume XXXVIII.2 Spring 2022
Features
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Editor Robert E. DesMarais Jr. (Hon) ’99,’01 Class Notes Editor Cathe Mazza ’76
Producer Steve Petyerak ’89
The Kent Quarterly invites all readers —alumni, parents past and present, trustees, faculty, staff, and students— to contribute to the magazine. We also welcome letters to the editor and look forward to your comments on articles and issues concerning the School as well as suggestions for future articles. Robert E. DesMarais Jr. (Hon) ’99,’01 is the editor for Kent Quarterly. To submit letters to the editor, email desmaraisr@ kent-school.edu. To submit class notes, email alumni@kent-school.edu. To submit changes in address, email Laura Martell at Lmartel@kent-school.edu or mail to her at Kent School, Box 2006, Kent, CT 06757. To reach the Alumni and Development office, please call 877-770-5368.
by Megan Tady
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Design Ann Zipkin | AtoZ.studio Contributors Katy Armstrong (Hon) ’70 Cortney Duncan Ryan Foote Larry Gile ’73 Katherine Herrema ’20 Mike Hirschfeld Heather Holohan-Guarnieri Sacha Kheireddine ’22 Jenna Lynch Laura Martell Ben Nadeau Marya Neary Robert F. Ober Jr. ’54 Geoff Stewart Megan Tady Martin Voss RoseMarie Wallace
Chasing Storms: Weather Channel
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Fr. Frederick H. Sill, OHC, Tote Walker 1919, and the Chorister’s Daughter by Robert Ober Jr. ’54
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Preserving Time: Artist Kaori Yasunaga ’17 by Megan Tady
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Departments
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From the Headmaster
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Between the Hills and River Shore
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Memory Lane
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Kent Authors
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Class Notes
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In Memoriam
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Grace Note
... Kent School adheres to a long-standing policy of admitting students without regard to their race, color, ancestry, national origin, religious creed, sex, disability, genetic background, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected under federal law or Connecticut state law. Kent School also does not discriminate on the basis of any such protected characteristics in administration of its educational policies, financial aid decisions, employment practices, and other School-administered programs.
“If All the Raindrops Were,” by Anna Jang ’22. Read more about this hanging installation on page 10. ON THE FRONT COVER
From the Head of School
Becoming Our Best Selves IN JANUARY, as part of our effort to honor the life and
legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the community heard from the Right Reverend Rob Wright, the Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Atlanta. Bishop Wright used the structure of head, heart, and hands to describe Dr. King’s life and work. His inspiring remarks reminded me and many others of our work at Kent School. At one point in his talk Bishop Wright addressed one of our most human traits—the distance that can exist between what we know is right and what we do. In Bishop Wright’s words, “If you and I pay attention, there is a gap between what we say and how we actually live.” A central challenge, or reality, of adolescence is the process of narrowing this gap. Our work at Kent is to help our students inch ever closer to becoming better versions of themselves. It is the beginning of a lifelong journey. Over the last 18 months, we have been thinking about how to integrate the skills of active empathy, servant leadership, engaged citizenship, critical and creative thinking, and effective communication into our curriculum in its broadest conception. These skills and the values inherent
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in them align naturally with our heritage as an Episcopal boarding school with a strong academic program. One area that is receiving much of our attention is translating the concept of service, which lives so comfortably in our heads and hearts, to use Bishop Wright’s construct, to the more active realm of our hands. We are in the process of moving service from the periphery of our program closer to its center. I look forward to keeping you posted on this effort. This may be presumptuous, but I believe Fr. Sill would approve of our intention to prepare young people to contribute to the common good in the world beyond Kent. Temperantia, Fiducia, Constantia.
Michael G. Hirschfeld Head of School
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Between the Hills and River Shore
MLK Day Observation On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the School presented a program on civil rights for students and members of the faculty and staff, including an optional morning prayer service in St. Joseph’s Chapel and a Zoom session featuring the Right Reverend Robert C. Wright, the tenth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and the first African American to be elected Episcopal bishop in Georgia. Having worked closely with former mayor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young, as well as Coretta Scott King, founder of the King Center, he provided key insights into the civil rights movement and the years following that time. Later in the day, the community watched two documentaries on Dr. King and the fraught times that accompanied the civil rights movement, followed by discussion between advisors and advisees.
New Tapestries Installed During the 2020 winter term, art survey students embroidered individual panels depicting cherished views and programs at the School. The edging of each banner is either blue or green, signifying Ordinary Time. Originally intended to be stitched together to create an altar cloth for use at the Celebration Eucharist for the Rev. Richardson W. Schell ’69 (which was canceled by the pandemic), the students repurposed them as two vertical banners, hung on the eastern wall behind the high altar, with the added intention of celebrating Head of School Mike Hirschfeld’s inaugural year, 2020–21.
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KENT QUARTERLY
Winter Term Dance Recital Reminiscences On Friday and Saturday, February 25 and 26, the Kent School Dance Ensemble presented Homage to Musical Theatre Dance in Mattison Auditorium. The performance presented twentyfour numbers (from A Chorus Line, Moulin Rouge, An American in Paris, Smooth Criminal, and Our Favorite Son, among many others) featuring twenty-seven students who comprised membership in the dance ensemble, jazz dancers, tap and ballet students.
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CHAPEL TALK
Life Is a Fantastic Adventure Excerpt from chapel talk by Joanna Riley ’00 WHEN I LEFT KENT, I thought I would row for the rest of my
life. I so fully identified with myself as a rower. In my junior year in college, at the peak of my career, holding a few records and already training with the national team, I was medically taken out of the sport and never able to row again. When my rowing career ended, so began one of the most important lessons of my life—how to handle transitions and re-create myself. Everything in your life right now revolves around being a Kent student: what grades you get, what sports you play, who your friends are, what college you go to. But one day, pretty soon, you won’t identify as a Kent student. Next, everything in your life will be about being a college student and then maybe being a mom or dad or holding a specific job. One day I was a Kent student, and then I wasn’t. I was a national rower, and then I wasn’t. One day I was in the FBI, and then I wasn’t. One day I was married, and then I wasn’t. One day I was a public company CEO, and the next I was building a new company from the ground up. The only things that have endured through these transitions are people and experiences. So, be careful with how deeply you define yourself by what you are currently doing. Going through hardships and being on the other side of scrutiny, ridicule, and bullying has taught me that most things aren’t what they seem. The only way you’ll find that out is to be genuinely curious. As the quote often attributed to Walt Whitman says, “Be curious, not judgmental.” Please think of the last time 4
you asked someone how they were doing. When was the last time you really listened or really cared about the response? In today’s world, it’s so easy to look down on and criticize people. It is easy to judge or put labels on people. But instead, take the time to connect with people you never thought to connect with before. Be curious and ask questions about people’s stories. Care about their journey. Everyone has something extraordinary in them. I can attribute all my successes and ability to bounce back from my failures to what I believe to be a person’s greatest asset: the network of people around you. When you invest in people, it’s a lifelong asset. When you get out of your comfort zone, you appreciate what you have and become an expert at re-creating yourself. I have found that experiences are more important than accolades, reputation, or money, and people are more important than things. Life is a fantastic adventure, and we have no idea how long it will last or if tomorrow will be good or bad, but it’s yours to do anything you dream. Nobody has been here before. We are all here for the first time, so don’t believe in the status quo, the boxes people try to put you in, or the people who say you can’t; they have no more experience in this thing called life than you do. Joanna “Jo” Riley ’00 is a technology entrepreneur based in San Francisco, California, and serves as the CEO and co-founder of the AI-powered talent intelligence firm Censia.
KENT QUARTERLY
Club Raises Awareness of Breast Cancer Research Last year, Sacha Kheireddine ’22 founded the In Their Shoes Club to promote activism by raising awareness of major illnesses that threaten human health. The club currently boasts twenty members and recently embarked on a project to educate the community about breast cancer awareness and to encourage people to stand as allies and help reduce the stigma surrounding cancer in general. Joined by Ais Bacon Blaber ’22, the club distributed bracelets to raise awareness and begin conversations. The student body responded with vigor, and by the end of the day, not only were students wearing the bracelets, but many had donned outfits in shades of pink to show additional support.
St. Joseph’s Chapel Presents Algonkian Living History As part of the chapel program’s ongoing presentation of faith traditions, Drew Shuptar-Rayvis (Pekatawas MakataweU [Black Corn])—cultural ambassador of the Pocomoke Indian Nation—spoke about Native American spirituality during a weekday service in October. Mr. Shuptar-Rayvis holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology and sociology with honors (cum laude) from Western Connecticut State University and a certificate degree in archaeology from Norwalk Community College. The congregation learned that all creation is holy and that the spirit of the creator is present in all things. Prayer is a way of life, and all prayers are on behalf of “the other.” Thus, before praying for oneself, prayers are offered to the sky via tobacco smoke while keeping the earth, elders, the weak, the ill, and the community as a whole in mind. On hand for inspection following the presentation were several key artifacts, including a cup, leather, and bark baskets.
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5
A Peek into a Classroom
INSIDE Students in Eric Houston ’80’s advanced studies in biology class tested the light reaction of photosynthesis using a dye reduction technique to determine how much light reaction was occurring in a spinach extract exposed to light, an extract kept in darkness, and a boiled extract.
A Member of the Class of 1942 Visits Kent Jay Milnor ’42 visited the School with his sons in September 2021, following his donation of a scrapbook from his Kent days to the School’s archivist, Katy Armstrong. The Milnor family’s connection with Fr. Frederick H. Sill traces back to Hoosac School (before Father Sill founded Kent School) and Jay’s father, Joseph Sr., Kent School Class of 1913. In addition, Jay himself took the iconic photograph of Father Sill that very often appears in the School’s publications. Having attended chapel services eight times per week in the 1940s, Jay’s first destination was a visit to St. Joseph’s Chapel and the gravesite of Father Sill in the chapel garden at the foot of the belltower.
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KENT QUARTERLY
OUTSIDE Hillary Clifton ’08’s (pictured) ecology class went outside to collect data in support of producing a “Kent School Tree Guide.” Students analyzed leaves and bark, using classification criteria and a virtual ID guide to properly identify each tree.
Alumni Q&A Session on Cryptocurrency A large segment of the student population is enthusiastic about the future of cryptocurrency and blockchain. It was with eager anticipation that they attended a recent presentation featuring two alumni working in these spaces, Robert D. “Duncan” Littlejohn ’05 and Wellington “Welly” Sculley ’08, who were happy to discuss their work and answer student questions regarding this industry. The January 9, 2022, Zoom call was organized under the auspices of the Entrepreneur Club and the Alumni and Development Office, with the help of acting director Christina Cumberton.
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Littlejohn is a futures index trader and money manager for personal accounts who also works as a cryptocurrency trader and blockchain consultant at Wolfgang Crypto Assets. Sculley is a cryptocurrency and blockchain expert working at SFOX (San Francisco Open Exchange), a cryptocurrency broker platform, as its head of strategic partnerships.
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Students Medal in Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards Art Department Chair Jenna Lynch announced the results of the 2022 Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards. Gold medals were awarded to Will Biondo ’22 for Arkyve Work Jacket (fashion) and to Chris Kim ’22 for A Drowned Dream (drawing). Both artists’ works will advance to the national competition. Silver medals were presented to Chris Kim for Self-Construction (mixed media) and Coastal Police Station (architecture industrial design) and to Jess Zheng ’22 for Mirage (expanded projects). Honorable mentions were given to Chris Kim for Gran’s Alzheimer’s (sculpture), Philip Choi ’22 for City Hall (drawing), and Brian Sappington ’22 for The Columnar Jointing at the End of the World (photography).
ABOVE Gold medalists Chris Kim ’22 and Will Biondo ’22 TOP RIGHT A Drowned Dream AT RIGHT Arkyve Work
Jacket
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The Rev. Richardson W. Schell ’69 House Is Dedicated On Saturday, October 23, trustees, alumni, friends of the School, and members of the faculty and staff gathered to honor the Rev. Richardson W. Schell ’69’s nearly forty years of service to the School and to celebrate him as the dedicatee of the addition to Old Main, which serves as the Admissions Office. This was the first time since the pandemic’s onset that a large number of visitors congregated at the School for an event of this sort. That fact added to the joyous tenor of the morning and early afternoon. The program included a welcome by Head of School Mike Hirschfeld; remarks by President of the Board of Trustees James A. Lawrence P’15 and Director of Admissions Amy Ober; a tribute offered by Classics Department Chair and Secretary to the Faculty Robert E. DesMarais Jr. (Hon) ’99,’01; a psalm and a lesson offered by the senior prefects for the Class of 2022, Alden Lineberger ’22 and Harry Song ’22; remarks by Father Schell; and a dedicatory prayer offered by Associate Chaplain Brian Cheney. The service concluded with the School Song. The two-story, 5,000-square-foot addition includes a conference room, rest- “ On the plaque on the wall in front of the new building are the rooms, and offices and interview areas to capital letters ‘AMDG: Ad maiorem Dei gloriam,’ ‘To the greater accommodate the recent increase in interglory of God.’ For this new building, for all that it will mean for view visits by potential students and their generations to come, I thank God. Let us give God the glory.” families. Guests enjoyed a tour of the wellappointed new facilities and a luncheon —FORMER HEADMASTER AND RECTOR THE REV. R.W. SCHELL ’69 served outdoors nearby.
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An Artist’s Perspective Anna Jang ’22 created the art installation piece “If All the Raindrops Were” for her advanced studies in studio art class. Of her work, Jang said, “My piece is the beginning of the classic children’s tune describing lemondrops and gumdrops falling from the sky. My hanging installation piece, made of stitched felt pillows and glassy beads on wire, comments on the innocence of coming-of-age friendship. It captures a moment in time where life becomes so overwhelming and fast-paced while still being so young. The linked pillows signify linked relationships and friendships of the people that experience coming-ofage together as they navigate their place in a community. The suspended nature of the piece comments on both the fragility of emotions in relationship building and the desire to keep these moments frozen in time for eternity. The bright palette of color and childlike material choice of felt and beads as well as the mobile-like cascade, evoke a feeling of nostalgia and innocence. The height and scale of the piece emulate growth physically and emotionally. I took inspiration from many female artists who concentrated in hanging sculpture. I loved Cornelia Parker’s prim and proper suspension of destructive found objects. I liked the idea of chaos, or in my case, color, structured and suspended in time. I also drew inspiration from Pae White’s dazzling, colorful hanging masses. The multi-colored individual slivers of paper meshed together into a larger colorful network, which I appreciated in my exploration of community. The network of pillows in my own piece speaks true to this.
Nine Student Musicians Advance In January, Music Department Chair Deborah Pendal announced that nine students had qualified for Northern Regionals and AllState competitions: (top row, left to right) Sunny Chen ’22 (clarinet), Lindsey Cho ’23 (flute), Andrew Hah ’22 (clarinet), Paula Lanius ’23 (voice), Alessandra Nefedenkova ’23 (alto saxophone), Linnea Saxton ’23 (violin), (bottom row, left to right) Harry Song ’22 (voice), Jadon Tong ’23 (clarinet), and Chris Yi ’22 (trumpet).
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KENT QUARTERLY
Two Exhibits in the Walkway Gallery An exhibit featuring embroidered maps created by former art survey students was presented from September 28 through October 28, 2021. Curators of the display included Jackson Smith ’22, Carrie McGuinness ’23, Ayla Ryder ’23, and Art Department Chair Jenna Lynch. The School community answered an open call for a sketch, collage, drawing, painting, photograph, sculpture, or doodle for an exhibit entitled “smiles,” mounted during February 2022.
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Kent Theatre Mounts Two Fall Plays The under-form play (shown above) was presented in Mattison Auditorium on November 5 and 6. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which has appeared on Broadway, was directed by English Department member Ryan Foote. Incidentally, the novel on which the play is based was the summer reading for rising Third Formers in 2020. The upper-form play (shown below), directed by Kent Performing Arts Department Chair Geoffrey Stewart, was presented on November 12 and 13 in the acting studio downstairs from Mattison Auditorium. Rocky Road (by Danielle Mohlman) was actually a world premiere. The cast and production crew enjoyed the opportunity to meet with the award-winning playwright via Zoom and to discuss the not-yet-produced work she developed for a school in Virginia.
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KENT QUARTERLY
MEMORY LANE
Moving Buildings on Kent’s Campus BY LARRY GILE ’73
Inspired to learn about Kent’s traditions, practices and customs—some long lost, some still beloved— Larry Gile ’73 mined the School’s archives and interviewed dozens of alumni to unearth a treasure trove of history and memories. Each issue will unveil one of Mr. Gile’s finds. THIS COLUMN HAS FOCUSED on some of
the many ways Kent School’s core values of simplicity of life, self-reliance, and directness of purpose have been put into action. A clear example is the School’s re-use and recycling of buildings. Four examples follow of historic structures that, following moves, remain on campus. First, a word about how buildings are moved. One of the earliest moves was that of the original Alumni House (located on the site of today’s North Dorm) to a site next to the current Alumni House, to become the Nadal family home. The move was accomplished, according to an April 1946 Kent News article, using simply a “a horse and a piece of heavy rope… rather than a trailer or cable.” A more modern technique was used in the moves described below. First, holes are cut through the foundation and large I-beams are slid through and out the other side. The I-beams are then jacked up and “cribbing” is built underneath, which are crisscrossed towers of four-footlong heavy wood timbers the I-beams rest on. Finally, large, wheeled dollies are attached under the I-beams, the cribbing is removed, and the structure then towed to its new location and placed on top of a waiting foundation. THE OLD MAIN BUILDING
The Old Main Building was the original farmhouse on the Jeremiah Fuller farm, which became the School’s permanent home in 1907. Many additions were added to the building over the next 30-plus years and contained, at various SPRING 2022
THE 1954 MOVE OF THE OLD MAIN BUILDING
times, according to a 1934 Kent News article: “a dining hall, a kitchen, a chapel, a library, a laboratory, a mail room, an office, the stores, school rooms, dormitories, and, last but not least, the Study (Fr. Sill’s).” However, plans were afoot at Kent for a new architectural configuration. By 1947 all the added structures had been demolished, apart from one that was moved north of the varsity football field for faculty housing. A 1954 Kent News article reported the move of the Old Main Building to a new home between what was then the Nadal home and varsity tennis courts. The News reported the one mishap in the move: “a book fell to the floor in the Woods’ apartment.” The Old Main Building continues to house the Admissions Department and is still referred to as “Old Main.” 13
WEST COTTAGE, THEN
THE KINGSBURY/MATTOON/WEST COTTAGE
Long before the architectural harmony of the Kent campus was disturbed (in the eyes of some) by the building of the Frank Lloyd Wright–esque Rectory in 1952, a simple Cape Cod–style cottage stood in that location. Since the Rectory was designed by the School’s new head, Fr. James O. Patterson, and would accommodate his family, the cottage had to find a new home. The School’s Chaplain, the Rev. Samuel West, wrote a humorous account of the move for the News in 1951. Crowds, he said, would gather each day, with
EN THE FIELD HOUSE, TH
THE OLD FIELD HOUSE
The Old Field House, located about where the Boat House is today, was designed by architect and Kent alumus Halsey Wood (1910), and was dedicated by Fr. Sill in 1918. The structure was designed as a dormitory for 22 boys, with locker rooms for 80 in the basement. Over the next two decades,
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WEST COTTAGE, NOW
secret hopes of collapse and calamity, and watch as the cottage was jacked up, slid over soap-greased timbers, and eventually placed on large, wheeled dollies. The workmen, confident of their abilities, placed Coke bottles filled with water on the ends of timbers sticking out from under the house. Apparently, not a drop was spilled as the cottage moved from its hillside foundation to level ground. Heavy equipment then pulled the cottage to its new home on Skiff Mountain Road, where it remains today.
THE FIELD HOUSE, NOW
wings were added on either end, providing housing for three members of the faculty and their families. However, plans for a new Boat House led to the venerable structure’s relocation. The main field house building and appended structure closest to campus were removed and moved to the growing Faculty Village farther down Skiff Mountain Road.
KENT QUARTERLY
THE R.A.D. HOUSE MOVE, 1990
KENT’S ESSENCE
VE, 1990 THE R.A.D. HOUSE MO
THE R.A.D. HOUSE
The move of the R.A.D. House in 1990 was the most recent and, most likely, the last building move on campus. Built as a clinic in 1928, in memory of Robert Alfred Davison, a cousin of Fr. Sill’s who died before entering Kent’s Class of 1916, the building stood next to the School’s infirmary, known to many as “The Hatch.” It also served as Fr. Sill’s home in his later years. The year 1990 brought consolidation of the Boys and Girls school campuses. The Hatch was torn down (it was not stable enough to move), and the R.A.D. House moved from its location on the South Point near the Hatch down the narrow road behind the Schoolhouse building to its new home on the lawn facing the Administration building. The retaining wall above the road running along the Housatonic had to be shored up and as the R.A.D. House squeezed its way between the retaining wall and the Schoolhouse, part of the moving building hung over the retaining wall. It was attached without incident to its new foundation.
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While these moves were clearly driven by financial considerations, I believe more was at stake. A Kent News article dated November 14, 1934, and titled “To Scrap or Not To Scrap” addressed the dilemma posed by building a new Study Hall and possibly tearing down the Old Main Building: To alumni, the destruction of this Sanctum Santorum of Kent would be a crime of the highest order. Associated with it are memories of “bull sessions” supreme, cups of lukewarm tea, and pipes. The very essence of Kent pervades and haunts it, and one can scarce imagine the Lord and Master of The Study in a different lair… We are not sure, but feel that Kent would inevitably lose far more were the Main Building destroyed than could be replaced for many years. In it lies the essence and being of Kent’s soul, and were it removed, Kent would suffer accordingly. Thankfully, these buildings carry the School’s essence and spirit forward. P.S. I would like to thank Florien Palmer of Palmer Construction in Sharon, Connecticut, for patiently explaining to me how buildings are moved.
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All photos courtesy of US Squash
Boys Varsity Squash Captures High School National Title
FOLLOWING A PERFECT, UNDEFEATED SEASON , four
victories over Brunswick School, and winning the New England Championship, the boys varsity squash team won its first Justi Cup on Sunday, February 28, at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia, among a field of 169 teams from Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Missouri, and Massachusetts. With Kent and Brunswick tied
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at three matches apiece, the outcome of the championshipwinning match came down to Brunswick’s No. 1 and Kent’s No. 1 players. David Costales ’22 defeated his Brunswick opponent 12–10, 6–11, 11–6, and 11–5 to clinch the title for Kent. Head and assistant coaches Nikhil Seth and Matt Close lauded the entire rosters of both schools for their superior competitiveness and performance.
KENT QUARTERLY
A Winning Season for Ice Hockey
A Visit From Ibrahim Mutala ’13
THE BOYS VARSITY ICE HOCKEY TEAM culminated a successful 2021–2022
campaign with a win in the Earl/Martin Large School New England tournament. The Lions were 20–8 on the season, the most wins since the 2013–14 season, while stacking up impressive accomplishments, including winning the Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic with a 2–1 overtime win over hosts, Avon. They also won the Hotchkiss-Kent Bowl, earning a season sweep over rival Hotchkiss. Other impressive wins included sweeping rival Salisbury and wins over Loomis and Exeter in the play-offs. The team was led by a core group of eight Sixth Formers, including captain Dante Palombo and assistant captains Cole Watson and Jake Kraft, as well as Geno McEnery, Michael Hurst, Max Resnick, Joey Sciabarra, and Geer Stewart.
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In October 2021, as part of the Athletic Enrichment & Leadership Lecture Series, Ibrahim “Mutala” Mutala spoke to members of the boys and girls soccer programs about his journey to Kent School and fundraising efforts for a cause back home that is dear to him. Mutala grew up in Tamale in northern Ghana, and thanks to a recruitment by the Right to Dream Academy, he came to the United States and matriculated at the School, where he served as Boys Varsity Soccer captain and Blue Key head. Following studies at Connecticut College, he enrolled in the Hospitality Management program at the Culinary Institute of America. In Tamale, Mutala played for his local soccer club, Young Goldfields. His goal is to enlist support in garnering donations of soccer uniforms and other sports equipment for players in his hometown through annual donation campaigns.
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Morgan Clarke ’24
Q&A
Meet All-Star Field Hockey Players Morgan & Matilda BY MEGAN TADY
At the end of the varsity field hockey season, Matilda Vinnen ’24 and Morgan Clarke ’24 were named to the AllStar team. Vinnen, from Germany, was Kent’s leading scorer and the Most Valuable Player. Defender Clarke won New England All-NEPSAC honors and will co-captain the Lions next year. The formidable duo sat down to chat about the sport. What do you enjoy about the sport? MORGAN: I love everything about the sport. I love learning the
game and watching the game. And I really enjoy being part of a team. Some of my best friends have come from my teams. MATILDA: Field hockey is a really big sport in Germany, and
I began playing when I was five years old. And since then, it’s always been my favorite sport.
What important lesson have you learned from your Kent coaches? MORGAN: For me, the most important lesson I learned this year
is that I’m going to make mistakes, and it’s okay. It’s part of the game. It’s part of how you learn, but it’s what you do with those mistakes after that’s important, it’s how you pick yourself back up, and how you move with the game. MATILDA: I’ve learned the importance of being a good team
member. You’re not going to want to be friends with everyone on the team, but communication and being respectful and nice to your teammates is definitely important. 18
KENT QUARTERLY
Matilda Vinnen ’24
Is there a sports memory that stands out from your time at Kent? MORGAN: We had a scrimmage with Berkshire at the beginning
of the season, and we lost badly. When we played them again, we wanted to prove ourselves. We brought it really hard that game, and then we made it to overtime. You could feel the nerves and the excitement from everybody. It was actually pretty close to the end of regulation time, and then we scored. Once you score, the game is over. It was so exciting to see everyone’s reactions. We stormed the field and all came together for a huge hug. MATILDA: I also liked the game against Pomfret because it was
Parents Weekend. I’m from Germany, and my parents obviously weren’t here, but my aunt and grandpa that live here were able to come and watch the game. I had a hat trick that day, and it was a fun game.
MATILDA: I was totally nervous, but I told myself that I wasn’t
going to play well if I was nervous. All the other players were really nice, and it was a great opportunity for me to prove that I could be confident and try my best.
What’s your favorite team tradition? MORGAN: Before every game we come up with a saying, like
“Light up Loomis” or “Crush Canterbury,” and then the captains design posters and decorate them for each player. This year we put baby pictures and funny jokes on them. It was really fun getting to see everyone’s reactions to the signs. MATILDA: After we changed in the locker room, we always
walked onto the hockey field in two lines, turning up the song “Can’t Tell Me Nothing.” We all booted up and turned on our beast mode. It’s an ideal tradition to get focused on the field and to get mentally ready for the warm up and the game.
How did it feel to be named to the All-Star team? MORGAN: Part of me was in disbelief because I feel like every-
thing we did this season was a team effort. I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. They made me better and always had my back. So I really wanted to go and make them proud and just have fun. SPRING 2022
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Fall Athletic Highlights
All smiles for the Kent Varsity Field Hockey team!
Boys Varsity Soccer In 2021, Kent Boys Varsity Soccer fielded a spirited team, with both strong senior leaders and a talented young core. After a disappointing 2020 season, which featured only one competitive match, everyone was thankful and excited to play a full schedule. Captains Eli Rice ’22 and Peter Tantisaree ’22 set a positive tone from the first day of tryouts, and both young men continued to lead capably on and off the field. Early results were promising. The Lions won preseason contests against Millbrook School and Frederick Gunn and continued to show well in both a back-and-forth 2–1 loss to Salisbury and a confident 2–0 win against Canterbury. Vincent Akanbo ’25 came out of the gate firing, scoring three goals in the first four matches and announcing himself 20
as an impact player in the Founders League. The middle of the season proved very challenging. After a string of four losses, including a tight match against Deerfield, Kent rebounded away against Kingswood-Oxford, winning 1–0 on a beautiful late goal by Jack Muirhead ’23. Alas, the Kingswood victory was the last win of the season, though the Lions fought to a draw against Millbrook School and fully earned another tie in a road night game against a highly ranked Hotchkiss squad. Goalkeeper Ben Raskind ’22; midfielder Will Reiland ’24; and defense-men Harrison Stockdale ’22, Luke Mattson ’23, and Sam Booth ’24 all brought their A game in the battle with the Bearcats. The boys were certainly not satisfied with two regular season wins and two ties in 2021, but their steady progress bodes well for 2022.
Girls Varsity Soccer Led by Sixth Form captains El Purnell, Megan Woodworth, and Molly Lennon, the team found its footing midway through the season and played beautiful soccer for the entire second half of the year. While we unfortunately still struggled to get results, coaches at Governors Academy and Taft made a point to reach out to compliment coaches and the team on the crisp passing, smart positioning, and thoughtful combination play that marked their efforts. Highlights of the season included captain and league All-Star Woodworth essentially willing the team to victory against Ethel Walker with a goal and dominant performance in the central midfield. Similarly, fellow league All-Star and captain Lennon shut out perennial powerhouse Taft KENT QUARTERLY
Boys Varsity Soccer
Girls Varsity Soccer
until the final minute. In a tragic ebb and flow of that game, Taylor Jeffery ’22 ripped a shot with two minutes left that was just wide of the frame before opponents earned their 0–1 win with a blast from outside the box that just curled inside the net with seconds to go in the match. The defensive unit, including Sixth Formers Sophia Darras and Drey Dawiczyk, played exceptionally well, but the group certainly missed injured teammate Rebecca Voss, whose torn ACL took some of the luster off the late season improvements. Key players in the sharp possession play of the group were midfielders Mia Espinosa ’23, Celeste Lloyd ’23, and Mcgill Koch ’23, all of whom were elected captains for next fall.
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Boys Cross Country
Boys Cross Country Thankful to be back to a more normal season, which included invitations, dual- and tri-meets, and championships races, we set about training with a focus on personal improvement. With a group of Sixth Formers leading the varsity team, including co-captains Logan Pronovost and Anamu Uenishi, prefect Harry Song, four-year team member Isaac Chen, and Paddy McNamara PG, we had a good competitive core. Improvements over the course of the season were varied, from just over two minutes by faster returning runners to well over nine minutes by some of the more novice team members. Highlights include a final home course effort against Millbrook, in which all but one runner set a personal best home course time, as well as sixth- and seventh-place
finishes by the JV team at the Founders League and New England championships, respectively, both against very strong fields. Varsity finished seventh at Founders, edging out Westminster after an earlier season loss at the RMI, and 12th at New England, ahead of both Westminster and Berkshire, having fallen to Berkshire in a tri-meet earlier in the season. The MVP runner-up was Paddy McNamara, who, after joining the team midseason, quickly took pole position, demonstrating both grit and tenacity. Winner of the MVP was Pronovost for his consistent top-notch effort for Kent this year, always leading by example. The Most Improved award had a lot of runners-up but was most deserved by Jacob Garcia, who, having come from the back of the team as a Third Former, finally broke into 21
Varsity Volleyball
the top-seven varsity, quite a remarkable achievement. The Coaches award was earned by Song for making every day count, never backing down from a challenge, and being a supportive and energetic teammate. We are fortunate to have tri-captains in place for the 2022 season: Jacob Garcia ’23, Jimmy Wu ’23, and Jack Zimmerman ’23.
Varsity Volleyball Kent Varsity Volleyball had a tremendous 2021 season. With a roster of fifteen and a record of 8–8 against both competitive Class A and B teams, the team ended up ranked 13th in the Class A standings. Although some games may not have gone in Kent’s favor, there was never a match that was a washout, with the players always putting up a fight for every point. With seven Sixth Formers on the returning roster, each of them had a role in leading the team through the season. Captains Crosby Brown ’22 and Ava Ehrhard ’22 really stepped up this season as both leaders and competitive outside hitters, with their swings improving greatly in skill and power over the course of the season. Morgan Lee ’22 and Katie Gleason ’22 were the team’s starting middle blockers this season, each racking up kills and blocks up at the net. Winslow Rock ’22 stepped up as a right-side hitter, working on controlling her powerful swing and developing a very consistent float serve. 22
Erin Donlan ’22 held down the team’s defense as the starting libero, playing the position in almost every match. Charlotte Pompa ’22 showed up as the team’s secondary setter, running a 6–2 in the beginning of the season, and she eventually shifted her focus to learning to swing on the right side as well. Grace Backus ’24 was an undeniable asset this season, performing as the team’s starting setter. Starting off the season running a 6–2, she stepped up her game and began running a 5–1 solo in the middle of the season. Both Paula Lanius ’23 and Joyce Hai ’23 helped in the back row, each holding down wing defense and taking out-of-system backrow attacks. Newcomer Lexie Pace ’24 impressed everyone this season, earning a spot as a starting player in the rotation, learning to play as both a right-side hitter and a defensive asset in the back row.
Varsity Football At the start of the season, coaches emphasized resetting the foundation of the program toward effort and accountability, adapting a mantra, “4 to 6/A to B”—that is, going as hard and fast for four to six seconds (average life of a football play) from Point A to Point B (your assignment). The team did a tremendous job of adopting this idea and working hard in the face of very talented teams, often with rosters twice the size of Kent’s. The team was led by five captains selected by the team: Jack Wallace PG, Jordan Benjamin ’22, Aidan Cushing ’22, Tae Suh ’22, and JJ Irizarry PG. Head Football Coach Wayne Clarke said, “While we did not win a game this year, I was pleased with the overall growth of development of the individuals and the team as a whole. The other
Varsity Football
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Girls Cross Country
significant bright spot that occurred this season was that we were able to play several JV games, culminating in a win against Trinity-Pawling School. The JV games allowed our younger players to develop skills and confidence in their abilities, which was necessary toward the end of the season, when many of our varsity starters fell to injuries and the JV players were asked to step into their roles during varsity games.”
Girls Cross Country After a year with no interscholastic competition in 2020, it was exciting for the Kent Girls Cross Country team to return for a season of competition in 2021. After some challenging invitational races in the early season, the girls found their stride in the midst of its dual meet season. Led by co-captains Rachel D’Alessandro ’22 and Isabella Tang ’22, the team had competitive home races with Berkshire and a tough Sacred Heart program before breaking out with a resounding win against Millbrook on October 23. The girls redoubled their efforts and ran some of their best individual races at the Founders League Championship and the D2 New England Championship in November. Many personal records were SPRING 2022
run at Loomis on November 6. Phoebe Foley ’23 was consistently at the front of Kent’s pack and seems primed to return for an even better campaign in 2022, as she hones her big race potential.
Varsity Field Hockey Varsity Field Hockey wrapped up their eighth winning season in a row with a final record of 10–7–1 this fall in the Founders League, playing an extremely competitive schedule against some of the top Class A teams in New England. From last year’s graduation class of 2021, four girls went on to play at the collegiate level, with another girl playing in Europe, so this year’s squad knew it had to work hard to replace the talent lost. The girls bonded quickly during pre-season and had scrimmages against Berkshire and Taft. With the roster finalized, the team focused on developing trust and working together while learning the Kent style of field hockey. After dropping their season opener to eventual New Englands runner-up Sacred Heart, the team found success with a big 4–0 victory over Miss Porter’s and secured its first Founders League win. With momentum building, the team played Berkshire (a rematch from preseason, where they had lost 4–1). Kent was down 1–0 but tied it up with a
goal by Elizabeth Cobb ’24, who scored off a beautifully placed pass by Matilda Vinnen ’24. In the overtime period, it was once again Vinnen who set up the goal by dribbling past a defender and passing to teammate Elizabeth Bonner ’24. The girls stormed the field in celebration. The squad bonded after that victory and found tremendous mid-season success, which included big wins over Choate, Ethel Walker, Pomfret, and Greenwich Country Day School. While the team missed qualifying for post-season tournaments, the team enjoyed its success and has its eyes set on making it next year. Newcomers to the team Elise Payne ’23, Ryann McDonald ’24, and Aylah Cioffi ’23 were all valuable assets in the midfield, while Emily Bell ’25 was rock solid on defense. Sophie Von Seidel ’23 and Philippa von Ortenburg ’23 joined us from Germany and were excellent additions this year. New England All-NEPSAC honors went to defender Morgan Clarke ’24, and she and Matilda Vinnen ’24 both made the All-Star team, where Vinnen netted two goals. Captains Alexis Delmore ’22, Lillie Edwards ’22, and Clarke were exceptional leaders this fall. Goalie Abby Halpin ’22 earned the King-Cote Captain’s Bowl for her spirit and dedication. Elizabeth Bonner ’24 earned the 100% Award for her relentless hustle, and Lauren Ferrari ’24 was awarded the Most Improved Player. Vinnen was the team’s leading scorer and the Most Valuable Player. Jenny Purtell ’23 and Clarke were voted by their team as captains for next fall. In remarking on the season, Coach Cortney Duncan said, “The individual improvement these girls showed was remarkable and they were a tremendous group to work with. Their spirit and grit showed through each practice, and coaching them made for a very special season!” 23
A Steady Grip Celebrating Head Equestrian Trainer Michael Page’s 28 years of service at Kent BY KATHERINE HERREMA ’20
The way a person shakes another’s hand can reveal much about their character. Whether they meet your gaze or stare at the ground; if they have a firm grip or loosely slip their hand into yours—an individual’s personality is directly reflected by all parts of the handshake. Before meeting Michael Owen Page, I didn’t have this key insider information, so when we were introduced, I was merely an amateur hand-shaker. It was my first time visiting Kent School, and after taking the tour and hearing that the school had a riding program, it was suddenly my dream to go there. My parents and I raced up to the barn, and as we sped up the mountain, I did some research into the riding program, only to find that the trainer was a three-time Olympic athlete. Immediately, my heart leapt into my throat. How was I, an average rider at fourteen years old, supposed to talk to a man who had excelled to the limit of the sport that I love so much? 24
When we opened the barn door, a man wearing a Kent ball cap and a navy down jacket with five Olympic rings turned toward us and flashed a grin. He greeted my parents first, as I timidly tried to hide myself from his looming presence. “And who might you be, young lady?” he asked in greeting. My hand went slack, my palms sweaty, and my gaze became fixed on some message on the white board behind him. Observing my lack of proper technique, Michael dropped my hand, took a step back,
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and in a firm voice told me to try it again. As I reached for his hand a second time, he looked me dead in the eye. “I know you can do better than that. You have to introduce yourself properly.” I thought he was talking solely about horses and how I would never be able to progress in my riding unless I had a steady grip on the reins. As the years passed, I came to realize that wasn’t the only point he was trying to get across. Naturally, Michael cares about instructing his team to become better riders, but it goes beyond that. He has coached me on so much more than the proper way to hold my body over a jump or the correct leg position. Michael has taught me about responsibility through his insistence on me personally taking care of his own horse every day. And about the importance of
showing up; at 83 years old, he arrives at the barn every morning at the crack of dawn. By demanding that every student always be honest and respectful of their teammates and their horses, Michael has taught me how vital integrity is. As I’ve now come to understand, a firm handshake demonstrates respect, honesty, and pride. Through their handshake, a person can demonstrate these qualities without uttering a single word. I am so grateful to have known Michael, both as a coach and as a role model in my life. I know I speak for every student when I say Michael has forever changed the lives of every person he has ever known, and although his time at Kent will soon be at an end, his legacy will live on forever.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS OF
Michael O. Page 1994–Present KENT SCHOOL EQUESTRIAN TEAM RESIDENT TRAINER AND INSTRUCTOR
2019 USHJA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
2018 JUDGE FOR HITS, OAKS, FOXFIELD, AND MASSACHUSETTS COMPETITIONS
2014 JUDGE FOR AHSA/ASPCA, NCEA, AND INTERCOLLEGIATE NATIONAL FINALS (SIX TIMES)
2006 INDUCTION TO THE UNITED STATES EVENTING ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME
1986–1992 CHEF D’EQUIPE US 3-DAY TEAM; 2 OLYMPICS GAMES, 2 PAN-AMERICAN GAMES; 2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
1976 COACH: CANADIAN 3-DAY TEAM, MONTREAL OLYMPICS
1958–1968 3 OLYMPICS GAMES: 2 SILVER MEDALS, 1 BRONZE MEDAL 3 PAN-AMERICAN GAMES: 4 GOLD MEDALS, 1 SILVER MEDAL, 1 BRONZE MEDAL
1958 STUDENT OF PAUL STECKEN WITH REINER KLIMKE AT WESTFALISHE REIT AND FARSCHULE, MUNSTER, GERMANY
1957–58 FRENCH CAVALRY SCHOOL, SAUMUR, FRANCE, JACK LEGOFF, MENTOR AND INSTRUCTOR; GRADUATE OF SOUS MAÎTRE DE MANAGE AND COURS DE PERFECTIONMENT EQUESTRE
1956 AHSA MEDAL FINALS WINNER, ASPCA MACLAY 3RD PLACE, MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NYC
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Chasing
STORMS The Weather Channel Producer Steve Petyerak ’89 broadcasts from the frontlines of extreme weather. BY MEGAN TADY
In early February, Steve Petyerak, field producer for storm tracker Jim Cantore at The Weather Channel, was in Boston covering a nor’easter that dropped nearly two feet of snow on the city, flew home to Atlanta for a day’s rest, and then was dispatched to Detroit, Michigan, to report on Winter Storm Landon. But the snow was turning to sleet and rain, so Petyerak, Cantore, and a photographer jumped into a rental car to drive four hours to Columbus, Ohio, hoping the precipitation was fluffier there. “WE FOLLOW THE STORMS , but sometimes science
can’t hone in on the exact mile of where the storms are,” Petyerak said. “It took nearly an entire day to switch over from rain to snow. Around 5 p.m., it was our first live shot, and it had just changed to the fluffy flakes that we love to see and that look so good on TV. And there were three guys who were exhausted, but triumphantly cheering that it had finally changed over.” While other people hunker down in snowstorms or get out of town in hurricanes, Petyerak and his team head straight into extreme weather. “Our job is to be in the thick of it, in the worst of it,” he said. “When people are leaving a hurricane, there’s no traffic for us because we’re going into the storm. Everyone else is evacuating.” Petyerak has produced Cantore’s broadcasts for seven years, and the duo helped the network become Emmy nominated for their coverage of Hurricane Harvey in Houston. When he’s in the field, the job is grueling, demanding, and even dangerous. When he’s home, Petyerak helps to produce the network’s morning shows, which require a wake-up call so early, night has barely begun. “I am logged on and ready to roll from my home at 2 a.m.,” he said. “If I do have to go to the studio, I’m up at about 12:45 to get to that meeting.” Through it all, Petyerak is guided by both a passion for his job and a sense of duty. “If somebody watches my broadcast or my colleagues’ broadcast on The Weather Channel and stays home that day, and lo and behold, there are a lot of accidents on the road—that’s lifesaving information,” Petyerak said. “Those little things energize me when I have to get on another plane for four hours and I’m already exhausted. We’re on the front lines trying to keep viewers safe. Safety is our ultimate
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priority at The Weather Channel, and it drives me every single day.” EVERY SNOWSTORM AND HURRICANE YOU CAN IMAGINE
Petyerak didn’t start out tracking weather. A graduate of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, he landed one of his first major producing roles at CNBC’s Fast Money before he moved on to Good Morning America, where he won two Emmy Awards. He then spent five years producing SportsCenter at ESPN, which dovetailed Kent Alumni Hockey Game with Billy Jaffe ’87 perfectly with his own sports background. At both Kent and in college, Petyerak played hockey, a sport that ultimately introduced him to Jim Cantore. When ESPN began issuing layoffs, Petyerak scanned the horizon for other opportunities, which came in the form of producing sports content for The Weather Channel’s new and now flagship morning show. Petyerak and his wife moved to Atlanta, where the network is based, and he dove into his new producing role. He also lobbied for one specific assignment: covering the National Hockey League Winter Classic on New Year’s Day in Washington, D.C. Cantore was also dispatched to join Petyerak in D.C. to broadcast the hockey game. The meeting was
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FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Petyerak, third from left, on the Boston Common during the Boston Nor’easter, 2022; Live broadcast just hours before Hurricane
Laura makes landfall in Lake Charles, Louisiana, 2020; Petyerak, on right, with Jim Cantore and a staff photographer during the Boston Nor’easter in 2022, Long Wharf
fortuitous. “Jim and I met at the Nationals’ ballpark in Washington, D.C., one cold January morning,” Petyerak recalls. “Later, Jim was moving to mornings, and he was asked to choose a producer to work with him. He said to the network, ‘Steve did a great job in Washington. I want him.’ Now we’re seven years down the road in just about every snowstorm and hurricane you can imagine. We’ve done it all together.” Whether Petyerak and Cantore are broadcasting from a storm or driving to find one, they’ve spent countless hours together, developing a powerful bond. “Jim has become family to me,” Petyerak said. “When you’re in a dangerous situation like a Category 4 hurricane, and you’re wearing flak jackets and bulletproof vests and helmets, there’s no one that I trust more with my safety—and his with me. We’re a team out there, and much of it is unspoken because we’ve been around each other that much.” The admiration goes both ways. Cantore said of Petyerak, “We have a great working relationship, and when needed we pump each other up, as after three days when we are usually both physically and mentally exhausted. He knows how to make me laugh more than anyone. He’s a genuine human being, and over the years he’s become like a brother to me.” When viewers tune in and see Cantore being pelted by sideways rain, for example, Petyerak is right behind the camera—also getting pelted by sideways rain. “I’m the team lead,” he explains of his role. “Everything goes through me. The worse conditions get out there, the more likelihood that something can go wrong, whether it’s a wire or the transmission going
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down, or being too dangerous to broadcast. All of those things are on the table, and I have to bring my A game every single day.” Cantore praised Petyerak’s attention to detail. “I can count on Steve for the countless details that go along with our field coverage. Knowing all this ‘stuff’ is taken care of is priceless—like live shot locations, clearance with authorities, coordination with TWC, ESPN, CBS, and countless radio interviews. Big storms are our Super Bowl, and Steve has what it takes to guarantee our team is successful in the field.” Petyerak was quick to give a shout-out to staff photographers Brad Reynolds, Matt Saffer, and Chris Erickson. “We cannot be on the air every single day without them,” he said. “These guys are holding fifty-pound cameras and keeping them dry.” At this point, Petyerak and Cantore have a well-oiled process every time they hit the road or land in a new city: fuel up and get groceries—even if all they can find is convenience store sandwiches. “We’re always fully stocked on water and dry-good supplies, especially during hurricane season,” he said. “A lot of times, diners or restaurants or coffee shops aren’t even open, so we have to fend for ourselves. It’s almost a ritual to get our supplies. You’ll find Jim and me at a Costco near you wherever we are.” They never know what lies ahead: if the electricity will go out, or if they, along with the residents of their current location, will find themselves stranded. “When the power is out for you, it’s out for us,” he said. “We don’t have any magic wand that we’re waving at hotels that keep the lights or air conditioning on.”
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FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Team Cantore at the base of the Flatirons in Boulder, Colorado, 2021; Two days after Hurricane Michael made landfall in Panama
City, Florida, 2018; Petyerak drops off Keith and his girlfriend to higher ground during Hurricane Harvey, Houston, Texas, in 2017.
JOINING RESCUE MISSIONS
Over the last few years, Petyerak has been shocked by the extreme weather battering the country, with storm after storm. And some, in particular, have deeply impacted him, like Hurricane Harvey in Texas. “That storm was quite emotional for me,” he said. “It was quite a tough one. We went to Rockport, and it looked like a third-world country. There was devastation as far as the eye can see. And then the storm started to train over Houston, so we repositioned there, driving through the rain. We were seeing people getting rescued, getting air-lifted into buckets onto dry highways.” In this instance, as in others, Petyerak was swept up in the rescue missions. In Houston, he joined others to help rescue an injured man stranded in his apartment as the flood waters were rising. With no other means of getting to higher ground, Petyerak volunteered to drive the man, named Keith, and his girlfriend, himself. Keith and Petyerak have remained friends. “What really drives me with this job is there are times in storms where you’re helping pull people out of a flooded apartment in hurricanes, or putting them on rafts, or carrying them into vehicles to get them to safety,” he said. “When that person looks in your eyes and says, ‘Thank you,’ and you feel like you made a difference that day, that’s what makes it all worth it.” BACK AT HIS ALMA MATER
In January 2018, Petyerak found himself back in Kent, Connecticut—this time, on assignment. Severe ice jams on the Housatonic River had flooded homes and Kent School, necessitating evacuations. Cantore and Petyerak
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“ To this day, time management is one of the best occupational tools that I’ve learned. And I can definitely credit Kent School for that.” reported from the banks of the river. Although the circumstances were less than ideal, Petyerak said he was “proud to be able to go back to my alma mater for work.” His time at Kent left an indelible mark, and he still remembers the late Tim Scott, his English teacher who helped Petyerak pivot from “bad grades to high honors.” “He really brought me out of my shell by calling on me in class,” he said. “In those moments, you’re sort of afraid, kind of like the first time you’re doing a live shot, you’re terrified, but at the same time, it’s exhilarating. I shined in that moment.” Petyerak also credits Kent for imparting one skill that he relies on every day in his hectic schedule: time management. “Oftentimes, I’m trying to do a story in 20 seconds,” he said. “Kent had me budgeted down to the second in terms of what I did, how I did it, and when I did it. I will forever be grateful to the school for budgeting me, even when I didn’t want to do it at the time. To this day, time management is one of the best occupational tools that I’ve learned. And I can definitely credit Kent School for that.” Petyerak currently resides in Woodstock, GA, with his wife, Maura, and their rescue dog, Ellijay. He also volunteers his time as board chairman for the nonprofit Athletes For A Better World.
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UNTANGLING KENT HISTORY
Fr. Frederick H. Sill, OHC, Tote Walker ’19, and the Chorister’s Daughter BY ROBERT F. OBER JR. ’54
Fr. Sill and Tote Walker ’19
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at Henley Royal Regatta KENT QUARTERLY
AFTER JOINING KENT SCHOOL following my retire-
ment from the Foreign Service, I became quite close to the then-retired Thomas D. Walker 1919—“Tote” as everyone knew him—the School’s legendary rowing coach who had as warm a relationship with the School’s Founder, Fr. Frederick H. Sill, OHC, as any faculty member during their forty-plus years together. As a student I had little contact with Tote, my single outing in a Kent boat having been a disaster, as I recall English teacher O.B. Davis threatening to toss me into the Housatonic from the boat he was coxing if I didn’t synchronize my oar with my Third Form classmates. Tote coached me later, somewhat more successfully, in club football. Upon my return in 1987, my wife and I grew fond of Tote and his wife, Elise, and often had a drink together at their home in Macedonia Valley or, on occasion, at dinner in town. It was at such a dinner, on October 21, 1988, at a local eatery, The Milk Pail, that Tote said that Fr. Sill had once told him that he was prompted to join the Order of the Holy Cross (OHC) shortly after he had been “rebuffed” by a young woman, the daughter of the Chorister at his father’s church, who, according to Tote, later turned out to be the mother of Jake Beam ’24. I was startled by the comment, but it had likely arisen in the context of my or my wife’s reference to Ambassador Beam, the first ambassador I served under during the first of three assignments in Moscow. Chatting that evening, I had probably alluded to my puzzlement that Beam, while aware of my educational background, had never once mentioned Kent or Pater during my intro-
Letters to Fr. Sill are archived within a glass
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ductory call nor at various other meetings before he retired from that post. Beam was known to be somewhat shy, yet Fr. Sill was such an imposing, even overpowering figure during the 1920s that I thought the ambassador would inevitably mention him or the Father Sill as Co School. During xswain at Colum bia, 1894 my own time at Kent, I had seen Pater daily, at the evening Chapel services and elsewhere on campus, always in his white monastic habit and his wheelchair, until his death just after my Fourth Form year. Tote’s comment so surprised me that, after our gettogether, I wrote a rough note—out of a Foreign Service habit of making “memcons” of important conversations, a note which I would check from time to time in the years that followed. I doubted that I would ever find reason to cite Tote’s provocative comment but, having already written articles for the Quarterly about Pater, it seemed right at
case in the Headmaster’s Study
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Father Sill attending Trinity School in New York City (front row, fourth from left).
last to determine, at least, whether Tote’s suggestion had any discernible plausibility. Could Ambassador Beam’s mother have had any association with Fr. Sill before his initial profession to the Order in 1901? A CHOIR CONNECTION
Even if Tote had misunderstood Pater during one of their many get-togethers, often related to their shared interest in developing competitive rowing, it warranted some cursory research. Ambassador and Mrs. Beam’s only son, Alex, a distinguished writer with whom I have been in contact, has also been intrigued by the possibility. Alex’s grandmother, Ambassador Beam’s mother, was born Mary Prince in 1874, the same year as Frederick Herbert Sill and, according to the federal census of 1880, was living with her brother, John Dyneley Prince Jr., age 12, and their parents, John Dyneley Prince Sr., and
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his wife, Annie, in Islip, on the southern shore of Long Island. John Sr. was described as a “commercial broker.” But John Sr., as it turns out, also had an avocation—not reported in the census—which had landed him, probably in the middle 1870s, at the Chapel of St. Chrysostom’s. Fr. Thomas Henry Sill, Pater’s father, had established this church under the auspices of the famed Trinity Church, in the middle 1860s, really a mission chapel in the heart of lower Manhattan known as Hell’s Kitchen, filled with new immigrants and beset with vice. If John Sr. was indeed a chorister at Fr. Henry Sill’s Chapel as Tote suggested, how to explain the daunting commute that the distance between Islip and Manhattan would have represented, especially in the 1870s and ’80s? There had to be a second home, probably in Manhattan itself, and indeed, online, I did find it, in Phillips’ Business Directory of New York City, 1882, listed among fourscore
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other “Princes” but including Mary’s father: “Prince, John D., Broker, 64 Broadway and 180 Fifth Avenue.” And, unlike all the other Princes listed, beneath that single line was this: “h 41 E-34th Street,” “h” designating “house,” close to the very site of the rented space, West 32nd Street near the corner of Broadway and 34th Street, where the first services of St. Chrysostom had been held. In November 1869, the Chapel would in fact move into a new building, located farther uptown, at Seventh Avenue and 39th Street, a substantial church designed by a famed architect, Richard Upjohn. By this time, streetcars were coursing up and down Seventh Avenue and Prince’s brokerage business, judging from the family’s second home, was flourishing. The enumerator who covered 34th Street in the June 1880 federal census had also found the family at that 34th Street address, ensuring the family’s double appearance in the census that year, which, I suppose, can occur. So, what was Mr. Prince’s relationship with Fr. Thomas Sill, Pater’s father? It had to have been exceedingly close judging from a book published in 1906, written by a one-time organist and a composer at Trinity Church, and entitled A History of the Choir and Music of Trinity Church, New York, From Its Organization, to the Year 1897. Several entries, in the author’s chronology of happenings at Trinity, underscore Mr. Prince’s vital role both at St. Chrysostom’s Chapel and at Trinity. The author introduces Prince first as having supplemented Trinity’s choir by bringing six boys from St. Chrysostom’s to the Church’s Ascension Day service in 1881. Then, on Christmas Day 1882, Prince is said to have brought the Chapel’s entire choir to Trinity for that service, altogether sixty-nine voices (34 trebles, 10 altos, 11 tenors, and 14 basses). Then, on Ascension Day 1883, this shocking statement:
become interested in the work of the Chapel and, with the consent of the Rector and Vestry, had “organized and maintained at his own cost a choir of men and boys of the best material… The head of an important business firm, he devoted his spare time to the study of music and to the training and perfecting of his choir…” Would Mr. Prince’s son, John, then age 15, have been in the choir? One cannot say, but certainly the entire Prince family, including Mary, then age nine, must have been an important presence at St. Chrysostom’s, and young Frederick Sill, of the same age as Mary, could not have been unaffected by Mr. Prince’s sudden death. More than a half a century later, in October 1941, Pater was interviewed for a feature article in the Atlantic Monthly magazine, and its author wrote: “Music fascinated the lad. John D Prince had made the choir at St. Chrysostom’s famous all over town; and frequently the stars from the Metropolitan Opera House, lately built across the street, came in to help. Everyone sang or played; Fred did both, the former as a choirboy, the latter on a fiddle.”
So, Kent’s Frederick H. Sill had been in Prince’s choir.
There was an element of gloom on this occasion: the banner of St. Chrysostom’s was draped in black, in mourning for John D. Prince, the late Choirmaster over whose remains the Burial Service had been sung on the morning of the same day.
The entry continues for a full page, elaborating that Mr. Prince, who was 43 at the time of his death, had
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St. Chrysostom’s Chapel circa 1890. Photo by Robert Louis Bracklow, courtesy of the New-York Historical Society.
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Father Sill, Coxswain for
ty crew
1894 Columbia Universi
TEENAGE YEARS ONWARD
We have no way to know, however, to what extent the Prince and Sill families remained in contact after John Prince’s death, or after Frederick Sill and Mary Prince moved into their teenage years. We do know that young Fred Sill was then in school; according to the same article, Pater was initially tutored by his grandmother, until he was nine, and then attended “Trinity School and then to the Halsey School to get better brushed up for Columbia College.” Presumably, neither school at that time was coed. Mary probably was initially tutored at home, as affluent families often arranged, before attending a nearby private school. She would later marry into a highly academic family, so overall probably received a good education. The sister of Fr. Sill, a year younger than her brother, was sent to a St. Mary’s School at age 10, then to Horace Mann School, before entering Barnard College, which had just become affiliated with Columbia. It is difficult to imagine that Fred Sill and Mary Prince, as teenagers, did not see each other now and then, be it at the Chapel or at the Church, or in their respective neighborhoods. The Sill family resided at 204 West 39th Street, a few blocks from the Prince house. Moreover, Sill’s older brother, Henry Sill, and John D. Prince Jr. ended up as classmates at Columbia University, which is where, three years later, in 1891, Frederick Sill himself matriculated. What we do know from newspaper reports is that Mary Prince was married on June 1, 1898, in Ringwood,
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New Jersey, to Willard Humphreys, 34 years old, a professor of German Language and Literature, and the chairman of that department, at Princeton University. Humphreys had matriculated at Columbia in the same Class of 1888 as Mary’s and Sill’s brothers, later securing a Ph.D. degree there. However, that marriage ended suddenly with the death of Professor Humphreys in September 1902, after he had taken, according to the reports, an “overdose of chloral,” ostensibly due to a painful toothache from which he had been suffering. He never regained consciousness, so there was no opportunity for a further explanation. It was said that he had been “the most brilliant and highly esteemed member of the faculty.” On December 9, 1906, Mary Prince, now the widow Mrs. Willard Humphreys, married Jacob Newton Beam, also with a Ph.D., but from a German university. He was identified as a “preceptor in German” at Princeton, in the very same department which her late husband had chaired. She was “given away” by her brother, John D. Prince Jr., the wedding having been conducted at the Church of the Holy Communion on Sixth Avenue and 24th Street in lower Manhattan. The future Kent student, Class of 1924, the future Ambassador to the USSR and two Eastern European countries, Jacob Dyneley Beam, was born of that relationship on March 24, 1908. UNANSWERABLE QUESTIONS
As for the putative rebuff to Fr. Sill, it probably would have occurred shortly before Mary’s first marriage. Fr. Sill had completed his theological training by then, and was ordained a year later, on May 28, 1899, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. He then proceeded, rather determinedly, to professing himself as a novice to the Order in 1901 and making his final profession a year later. Would he have kept abreast of Mary’s marriage plans? Would he have learned of the misfortune which befell Mary upon losing her first husband? These, to be sure, are unanswerable questions. But what seems clear is that, around the turn of the century, Fr. Sill came to recognize that he had a monastic kind of self-discipline, which would allow him to push aside any carnal ambitions; and while life in a cloister would for him probably have been unthinkable, he soon conceived of an opportunity within the very confines of the Order
KENT QUARTERLY
“ . . . what seems clear is that, around the turn of the century, Fr. Sill came to recognize that he had a monastic kind of self-discipline . . .”
to build a school like no other… not class-based, but open to families of modest means, families such as he came to know at his father’s Chapel. It is said in Greek mythology that when Paris seized Helen, Sparta’s queen, her face “launched a thousand ships,” provoking that tenyear-long Trojan War. If Mary Prince’s putative rebuff had not been delivered, would not the consequences for us, in our real world, have been rather disastrous? If Fr. Sill had not professed to the Order of the Holy Cross, the School likely would not have come into being. As for those countless boats to which Fr. Sill and Tote Walker were so devoted, they never would have been launched. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Those associated with the Kent School archive, full- or part-time, provided helpful information as I weighed Tote Walker’s comments: Denny Mantegani (Hon) ’67, Katy Armstrong (Hon) ’70, and Louisa LaFontan. The Quarterly columnist Larry Gile ’73 tracked down the news articles about the successive marriages of the Chorister’s daughter, enabling me to untangle that conundrum. Included in the School’s archives is a letter (at right) in which Pater attempts to allay his older brother’s, Harry’s, concern that he might be making his profession to the Order without sufficient aforethought. In one letter from Pater, writing as “Fred” to his oldest brother, Harry, then just beginning his teaching career at Cornell, he makes an appeal: “Now, Harry, I want your help and not your opposition. I want you to pray over the whole subject and ask yourself in the sight of God whether you are right in trying to keep me from what I know as my duty…” In the other letter, from Pater’s other brother, James, an ordained priest like Pater at the time, addressed to Harry, James acknowledges that he “used what influence I could to prevent Fred’s joining the Holy Cross Order.” He goes on to recount that he is “not down
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on Orders, but do not approve of the Holy Cross Order,” adding that “I urged Fred not to become a novice at so early a stage in his ministry, but he did not look in the same way as I did at the conditions of life to-day and the prospects for doing the best work in the Church.” Both letters are undated but seem to have been exchanged shortly before Pater made his final profession to the Order in 1902. The fact that Pater was not daunted by his brothers’ concerns speaks to his fearless self-assurance, perhaps his stubbornness, the very qualities which enabled this young priest to bring our School through its fraught first years to the success it today enjoys.
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A still image from Yasunaga’s animated film
Preserving Time Artist Kaori Yasunaga’s latest animated film explores memory and timelessness. BY MEGAN TADY
Born in Tokyo in 1998, Kaori Yasunaga ’17 is a Japanese artist who has always been interested in making art. During her time at Kent, she realized she could combine several media—music, photography, collage, animation—through animated films. Since then, she’s been devoting her time to creating powerful short films with messages close to her heart. Her latest, Ukine-Shima/Island Afloat Asleep, received the best animation award in three international film festivals in Rome, New York, and in Munich. Yasunaga says her “artistic approach is that of making a collage, to create an alternative universe by mixing elements and traces of the world in the way that is not possible in real life.” She attended Rhode Island School of Design, where she earned a BFA in film/ animation/video, and she currently resides in Tokyo. 36
KENT QUARTERLY
What was the inspiration for your new animated film, Ukine-Shima/Island Afloat Asleep?
As I spent so much time abroad, in my mind, I had this image of Japan as my homeland that I had created from my memories of childhood, and from old films, stories, and novels. This vision of Japan that I had created was kind of timeless. Japan was like an island that was just floating in space, far away from this current flow of time. I felt as if these different time periods that I saw in films and novels were still alive. But then actually, when I went back to Japan during my holidays, I felt this very big gap between my idea of Japan and what the country actually is today. I thought I was losing my vision, and I felt the need to preserve it.
The audio is very powerful in the film, like the sound of a woman peeling an apple. How did you collect the sounds? Many of the recordings are from me carrying my recorder everywhere and recording the actual sounds when I was in Japan. The sound adds another level and makes the imagery much richer.
What was the process of making this film? It was very important to me that the place look very alive, and I wanted the island itself to be the protagonist. I wanted the film to have a photographic taste to it. Essentially, it’s like a photo collage. I took pictures of plants that grew in my neighborhood, and the sand that I picked up from the park near my house. And some of the images are also drawings. I scanned everything and animated each image on my computer, including every single plant. And then I layered everything to compose them and create depth.
When did you first become serious about being an artist? Since I was a child, I’ve always been very drawn to art in general. I love to paint. I love to sing, I love theater. Around high school when I was actually at Kent, I thought, “I wonder if there’s a way to pursue all of those things. That would be incredible.” And then I realized that filmmaking is a way where everything could come together.
Still image from Ukine-Shima/Island Afloat Asleep
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Another still image from Ukine-Shima/Island Afloat Asleep
Is there a central theme in your work? There is definitely something that lies underneath all of my work. I’ve always had a hard time accepting the inevitable flow of time that rules everything in the world. And how once something passes, it does not come back. I feel that the only way I can fight this current of time is to preserve it through making films.
What brought you to Kent? Growing up in Japan, I was always very curious about other countries. And when I decided to study in the U.S., I visited a lot of different schools. With Kent, I fell in love with the beautiful scenery and the nature. And growing up in Tokyo, which is a very big city, being in nature and living in nature was something I had never done before. It’s maybe one of the biggest reasons I chose Kent.
How did your time at Kent influence you as an artist? When I arrived at Kent, I did not speak the language super fluently. I had a hard time communicating my inner thoughts, so the way I was able to do that was through making creative works. When I would show my
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drawings or poems to people at Kent, and they liked my works, I felt this joy. I think it was the point where I realized how important art making is in my life.
How does it feel for people to connect with your art? The purpose of making art for any artist, fundamentally, is for this experience of sharing. When people feel a connection to my work, then I feel like I’m also contributing to the purpose of art as this sharing experience. I’m very happy about that.
Do you have any advice for Kent students who are emerging artists themselves? Making art is very difficult and demanding. The only thing I can say is that we need to keep doing it. And that’s the only way you can achieve anything. While making this film, there were so many times when I thought this was an impossible task, and that I would never get to complete this film. I thought it was just too demanding, and it was too stressful. But I just kept doing it until the day when I finally had this finished film. The important thing is that you do it every day, and just keep doing it until you finish it.
KENT QUARTERLY
Kent Authors
A Book and a Magazine Make a Debut Jared Hudson ’98
The Rhetoric of Roman Transportation— Vehicles in Latin Literature Jared Hudson ’98, associate professor of Classics at Harvard University, has written a book entitled The Rhetoric of Roman Transportation—Vehicles in Latin Literature. Published by Cambridge University Press in January 2021, the book explores various modes of Roman transportation, including the plaustrum (a utilitarian wagon), the currus (a triumphal or war chariot), and the lectica (a sedan-chair or litter). PUBLISHER
Cambridge University Press (January 2021)
Audrey Rose Smith ’09 balcony magazine
Vicente Muñoz and Audrey Rose Smith. Photograph by Emiliano Granado
In June of 2021, Audrey Rose Smith ’09 and her husband launched balcony, a print-only editorial journal about artists. Sidestepping conventions of both art criticism and the artist profile, balcony presents the artist’s voice as its primary source, blurring the boundaries between the art world and the everyday. With this editorial venture, they seek to challenge the perspective on high and low culture, as well as our commonplace relationship with art. As a IV Former, Smith was tapped to serve as editor-in-chief of The Cauldron, the School’s literary magazine. After earning a double major from New York University in art history and media, culture, and communications, she went on to work at internationally acclaimed galleries and art fairs and is currently associated with the David Zwirner Gallery in New York, London, Paris, and Hong Kong. The second issue of balcony is scheduled for publication in March 2022.
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In Memoriam
photo by Silvia DeCampos
1946
1952
1961
1980
October 28, 2021
January 11, 2022
February 11, 2022
March 24, 2021
1947
1953
David S. Wellington
1981
November 27, 2021
January 23, 2022
1948
Donald M. Gardner
Robert N. “Chief” Post Sr.
Marc DeVos
John F. Geer
September 17, 2021
1951
James B. Young
November 24, 2021
Jay Edgar Butler
Rodney Farrow
July 6, 2021
1968
Guy Rogers Buzzell
December 19, 2019
December 23, 2021
1954
1970
February 16, 2022
November 4, 2021
1955
1976
December 29, 2021
January 1, 2020
William H. Jones III
H. Pim Goodbody Jr.
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Dr. Timothy DeWitt Carnes Sr.
Emily Williams Draper
Michelle DeKwiatkowski
Vera Maxwell Holder
February 5, 2022
1988
Trevor Herrick
December 1, 2021
1997
Brandon Murphy
January 9, 2022
Elizabeth McMahon
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Photo courtesy of US Squash
Grace Note
David Costales ’22 composes himself during the deciding match of the National Championship final against Brunswick.
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KENT QUARTERLY
Join your classmates and friends on campus to reminisce and experience Kent today!
Schedule of Events Friday, June 17
Saturday, June 18
Sunday, June 19
12:00
REGISTRATION OPENS Dickinson Lobby
7:30–10:00
BREAKFAST Dining Hall
7:30–9:30
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST Dining Hall
1:30–3:00
ALUMNI ROW Rowing guests may check in at 11 AM and will receive separate communication.
8:00–4:00
REGISTRATION for guests not already on site Dickinson Lobby
9:00
DORM CHECK-OUT Marvelwood Campus
9:30
10:00
LESSONS FROM THE EDGE: A conversation with the Hon. Marie Yovanovitch ’76, U.S. Ambassador (ret.) Mattison Auditorium
DORM CHECK-OUT Kent Campus
9:30
MEMORIAL EUCHARIST St. Joseph’s Chapel
5:00–6:30
7:00
100 YEARS OF ROWING RECEPTION All welcome Registration required CLASS DINNERS Class dinner locations will be assigned closer to the event based on the number of registrants per cluster Reunion. Please pay at the restaurant. 50th Reunion classes (’70, ’71, ’72) will be our guests for a cocktail reception and dinner at the field by Cumming House.
12:00–2:00
FOOD TRUCK AND LAWN GAMES FESTIVAL Phillips Field
1:30–3:00
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY Mattison Auditorium
5:00–6:30
COCKTAIL RECEPTION AND CLASS PHOTOS Outside the indoor tennis facility
7:00–10:30
DINNER-DANCE CELEBRATION Indoor tennis facility
10:30–12:00 BRUNCH Dining Hall
Register Today! www.kent-school.edu/reunion-2022
Pricing Options
Please Note
$50 PER PERSON
REUNION WEEKEND PASS includes all activities and meals except for Friday and Saturday evening dinners
$60 PER PERSON
SATURDAY DINNER-DANCE
$120 PER ROOM
ON CAMPUS ACCOMMODATIONS (Kent or Marvelwood) Double occupancy room for the entire weekend • Limit of one room per primary guest • Campus accommodations subject to availability • Shuttle service will be provided continuously on Saturday for guests housed at Marvelwood • Linens provided
All guests will need to attest that they have been vaccinated. Please note, while this is the School’s policy, Kent School cannot guarantee a 100% vaccination rate. Masks will likely be required for all indoor events. For a full explanation of our Covid policies for the weekend and additional information please visit: www.kent-school.edu/ alumni/reunion-2022 Kent School’s policy is that tobacco and other smoking/ vaping products may not be brought onto campus. We ask for your help in seeing that this rule is strictly observed.
QUESTIONS? Please contact Lisa Braiewa in the Alumni Office: braiewal@kent-school.edu or 860-927-6269 MAKE YOUR REUNION GIFT TODAY! www.kent-school.edu/reuniongift
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Hartford, CT Permit #1382
Kent, CT 06757
Have you Registered with Kent’s Online Alumni Directory? ConnectWithKent is the next best thing to being at Kent itself. CONNECT Join now and connect with classmates near and far. Encourage your classmates to join too. VISIT Now you can find all Kent Events in one place! Reunions, Regional Events, and Special Days (virtual and live) will all be posted here. COMMUNICATE Want to know what is going on at Kent today? Have updates to share with us and your fellow Lions? Set a meeting, arrange a chat, or send a message.
VISIT AND REGISTER NOW!
www.connectwithkent.com
