2020 and 2021 Reunion

While everyone missed the opportunity to gather in person on Williams Hill for reunions in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic, more than 400 alumni from classes ending in 0s, 1s, 5s and 6s participated in a virtual Reunion 2020 and 2021 on March 12-13. It included virtual class gatherings, a campus update, a chapel and memorial service, a campus tour, panel discussions, faculty-taught classes, videos and slideshows. Reunion committees worked hard to make the weekend special.

A highlight for most alumni were the 28 class-specific Zoom gatherings that allowed classmates from all over the country and around the world to connect and engage with each other. Some of the calls lasted for hours and allowed alumni to come together as a community during unusual times to celebrate their experiences, accomplishments and friendships on Williams Hill.

During a Meet the Martlets panel, Sixth Form Dean A-men Rasheed moderated a discussion with five Sixth Formers on the Prefect Board: Izzy Bailey, Nathalie Charles, Olatunji Osho-Williams, Will Rizzo and Casey Winslow. After sharing information about their school activities, the students responded to questions about their favorite aspects of school life, the one thing that tied them to Williams Hill from the very beginning, the challenges and rewards of attending Westminster away from home, their favorite class, the role alumni can play in supporting students, favorite school traditions and what they will miss most after they graduate.

Members of the Prefect Board participate in a discussion moderated by Sixth Form Dean A-men Rasheed.

In a chapel service and memorial service that was prerecorded in Andrews Memorial Chapel, the speaker was Sixth Former Olatunji Osho-Williams, the Westminster Alumni Association Scholar, who talked about the power of names and the power of names to evoke feelings. He said he grew up feeling uncomfortable with his first name “not because my parents gave me a unique name but because of me.”

Below, Olatunji Osho-Williams ’21 gives the chapel service talk and, right, Cris Gomez ’10 reads names during the memorial service.

He explained how it showed him he was different, and he didn’t want to feel different. “I wanted to fit in,” he said.

He recounted a summer camp experience that forced him to confront what he was doing and how his older sister had proclaimed her name. “I realized I had nothing to be ashamed of when I said my name,” he said. “I could not love my culture and my family with only half of my being. I had to love my whole self.” He described how he began to take his sister’s lead and got better saying his own name. “Introspective thinking made me realize why I didn’t have to alter my name anymore,” he said. “It is a part of me that I knew was essential to my sense of self. Names stick. They evoke feelings and whenever I say my name now I feel pride.”

During the memorial service, Director of Alumni Relations Cris Gomez ’10 read the names of the 41 alumni who had died since May 2019, and the Chamber Choir sang “The Lord Bless You and Keep You.”

Head of School Bill Philip began a campus update by saying that while the campus looks different with many new buildings, it continues to maintain its ethos and focus on people and community. He talked about the work of Equity and Inclusion at Westminster — a coalition of trustees and faculty that is addressing all aspects of the Westminster experience for students and alumni regarding racism — the success

of the Soar Together Campaign and about how the school had to reimagine all aspects of campus life during the 2020-2021 academic year because of the pandemic. “It was a year like none of us ever imagined,” he said. He also introduced Elaine White, Westminster’s ninth head of school.

Elaine spoke about her early introduction to the school during the search process and how she had been participating in transition meetings via Zoom with members of the school community. “I can’t wait to be able to meet with more alumni, and I am excited to hear your stories and to come to understand why you love Westminster as much as you do,” she said.

Dean of Admissions Miles Bailey ’94 explained how the Admissions Office had to recreate its admissions process due to the pandemic and that the school had received approximately 1,000 applications for about 130 spaces for fall 2021. He said it had been a rewarding year, and Westminster competes at the highest level for students.

Similarly, Director of College Counseling Greg Williams described how Sixth Formers had to get to know colleges in a new way because most colleges did not offer campus visits during the pandemic. He also talked about the test-optional policy that many colleges had recently adopted. He shared that the Class of 2021 had prepared 999 applications to 233 colleges throughout the world. “It has been a really good year for students going through the process,” he said.

Lastly, Director of Advancement Operations Shannon O’Shaughnessy and Director of Advancement Newell Grant ’99 talked about the efforts of the past year to keep alumni engaged with Westminster through online classes, networking events and class Zoom meetings, and thanked alumni volunteers who helped make that possible. They also gave an update about the Soar Together Campaign. “We are very eager to get you all back to campus,” said Shannon.

In a webinar about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Associate Dean of Faculty Lee Huguley outlined how over the course of the school year, Westminster had developed and launched several DEI initiatives driven by an institutional need to address the issues confronting Westminster’s faculty and students of color. He also mentioned the creation of the coalition Equity and Inclusion at Westminster. He then introduced a chapel service from Feb. 19 in which eight student members of the Black Affinity Group shared their experiences as a Black person at Westminster, in the U.S. and in the world at large. The students included Priscilla Ameyaw ’22, Nathalie Charles ’21, Gabe Charleston ’21, Daniel Edwards ’24, Jamai Miller ’22, Olatunji Osho-Williams ’21, Ariel Seidu ’22 and Andrea Warrick ’21.

Artwork in the Alumni Art Show by Jeff Sturman ’71, on the left, and Charlotte Bloome ’81, on the right.

This year’s Alumni Art Show took the form of a slideshow of works by 23 Westminster alumni who are artists. The works included images of watercolors, oils on canvas, acrylics on canvas, rock art, wood, sculpting models, stained glass, pen and ink, mixed media, beaded jewelry, photography and architectural design.

Replacing the traditional open house in the Westminster Archives usually held during reunion, Westminster archivist Scott Reeves P’03, ’05, ’05 prepared a slide show of items from the archives involving Westminster’s early history, the school crest, athletics, school leaders, campus buildings and historical artifacts. Among the items were a concert program from 1891, trophies, building renderings and models, and the first issue of the Martlet.

Those participating in reunion were able to attend four online classes that included “Should I Buy an Electric Vehicle” taught by science teacher Greg Marco P’08, ’11; “The Rise of Stoicism” taught by lead civic engagement teacher Todd Eckerson P’09, ’11, ’17, ’21; “The Rise of Cities” taught by history teacher and executive director of Hartford Partnerships and Horizons at Westminster Kathleen Devaney P’19, ’22; and “New Works From the Artists Collective: Stories, Poems, Essays and Songs by Westminster Teachers” taught by former English teacher Michael Cervas P’96, ’01, ’10.

While Reunion 2020 and 2021 did not offer the customary gatherings on campus, the march of alumni, class photos and in-person tours, it did offer an opportunity for alumni to reconnect and learn about current life at Westminster.