Avonian - Summer 2008

Spring-Summer 2008

What does it mean to be a good man?

Pete Seeger ’36  Distinguished Alumnus Award  the Callaghans  New England Champions

Ki Ho Suh ’08 works on a wire installation replica of the well-known “Avon Boy” statue outside the Ordway Science building.

2

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

Avon Old Farms School Established 1927

Headmaster Kenneth H. LaRocque

Provost John T. Gardner

Features

Editor Morgan L. Cadwell

Designer Good Design, LLC www.gooddesignusa.com

Alumni Notes Lizabeth Abramson

Photographers Jennifer Almquist Peter Deckers ’90 Jonathan Lester ’63 Spencer Sloan Timothy Stay ’97

Printer Lithographics, Inc., Farmington, CT

Contributors Thanks to everyone who contributed to this magazine.

Special thanks to Lizabeth Abramson, Peter Aron ’65, Timothy Beneski, Joan Brodie, Graham Callaghan ’95, Heather Callaghan, Brian Cugell, Art Custer, Thomas C. Drescher, Peter Evans, Susan Haile, Carol Ketcham, Jim Kirschner, Ken LaRocque, Amy Noonan, Peter Rice ’76, Tim Stay ’97, and Christine Walder.

The Avonian is published for the alumni, parents, and friends of Avon Old Farms School.

It is distributed to approximately 8,000 readers.

All rights reserved.

Avon Old Farms School 500 Old Farms Road Avon, CT 06001 www.avonoldfarms.com (860) 404-4100

Admissions (800) 464-2866 admissions@avonoldfarms.com

The Roving Reporter

by David Hollady ’08

9

Good Men Abound at Avon Old Farms School 30

by Morgan L. Cadwell

Pete Seeger ’36: An American Legend 46 Edited by Susan Haile

This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land 50

by Peter Rice ’76

The Last Word: De Eruditione 67

by Thomas C. Drescher

Athletic Spotlight: Jerome Wilkins ’08 26 Faculty Focus: Heather and Graham Callaghan ’95 38 Student Spotlight: Warden Will Hendricks ’08 42

p38

p42

Spotlights

p46

Departments

Headmaster Village Green Athletics The Elephant Remembers Alumni Class Notes

2 4 16 44 52 54

p50

Alumni We enjoy hearing from you!

Please send us your latest news and notes: Email: abramsonl@avonoldfarms.com Phone: (800) 336-8195 Fax: (860) 675-7135

Email Members of the administration and faculty can be emailed by using the following formula: last name + first initial @avonoldfarms.com. The directory on the school website also includes email links.

Avon Old Farms School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, disabilities, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs

Dear Readers, I am delighted to introduce myself to you as the new editor of The Avonian. It is with great enthusiasm and anticipation that I begin this journey, and I can’t imagine a better way to commence this new position than an issue celebrating the “good men” of Avon Old Farms.

I am proud to take the reins from Tim Stay ’97, who has worked tirelessly over the course of the last three years to provide you with an amazing publication, and I am determined to inherit from him not only his editorial role but also his work ethic, his

passion, and, most importantly, his commitment to you, the readers.

As I get settled into my new routine, I encourage you to share your thoughts and suggestions. I can be reached at CadwellM@avonoldfarms.com, or in my office at (860) 404-4239.

Aspirando et Perseverando, —Morgan If you find any errors in this issue of The Avonian, please do not hesitate to notify us as soon as possible. Despite our many proofreadings, mistakes can sometimes be a part of the process, both in content and in production. We appreciate your help!

Cover photo: Modeled after Norman Rockwell’s “The Golden Rule,” the cover of this edition of The Avonian features many of the good men and women of the Avon Old Farms community (photo by Spencer Sloan).

From

“A

von Old Farms School strives to be the best school for boys by cultivating young men of integrity who honor wisdom, justice, service, and the pursuit of truth. We promote intellectual, creative, and emotional growth by providing a structured, supportive learning environment that encourages self-discovery and social responsibility.”

Our mission statement guides every facet of life at school.

Admissions decisions are rendered, faculty are hired, programs are created, buildings are designed, and activities are planned based upon the goals set forth in our mission statement. This past November, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges sent a committee comprised of independent school educators from throughout New England to Avon Old Farms to assess our school for the purposes of continuing our accreditation. Of course, we officially earned our continuing accreditation, as well as the admiration of the members of the visiting committee, and formally, The Report of the Visiting Committee included several commendations including:

the

Headmaster

by Ken LaRocque

“The Visiting Committee commends Avon Old Farms for the remarkable energy, talent, devotion and commitment of time of its faculty, staff and administrators to working with, forming relationships with, and knowing all of its boys so well; in a word, for living the Mission of Avon Old Farms.”

“The Visiting Committee commends Avon Old Farms for the spirit and pride of its school community, for its overall morale, happiness, and climate of praise for individual accomplishments and varied opportunities for each student to excel.”

I am convinced that the strong school spirit and the enormous pride that we all have in the Avon community result from our focus on our mission. Our faculty, our students, our parents, our Board of Directors, and our alumni know and embrace our mission. We strive to be the best school for boys by helping them navigate their journey to manhood. The lessons our students learn from their teachers, coaches, advisors, mentors, and from each other, provide them with the direction they need in their quest.

“True communities, like Avon, are places in which values are honored and the moral curriculum is a pervasive element of the culture.”

—Headmaster Ken LaRocque 2

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

From The Headmaster

In this issue of The Avonian, we focus on our core values and some individuals who embody these ideals. In order to fulfill our mission and help our boys become good men, we must articulate the values which are central to achieving our goals. A decade ago, our community spent a great deal of time identifying and defining our core values, and during our recent self-study we reaffirmed these values as the tenets of a good man; a Man of Avon. These values are basic, but powerful, and include:

Scholarship

Recognizing that learning is a noble, life-long pursuit that will provide you with insight into yourself and the world around you.

Civility

Thinking about others before you think about yourself; by being one of the polite people in the world you will enrich yourself and those around you.

Integrity

Being honest with yourself and others is a critical component of a good man.

Altruism

Having an unselfish concern for those in need, even for strangers, will provide you with intrinsic rewards and develop your empathic nature.

Responsibility

Standing up for those issues in which you believe develops your fortitude and sense of self. By speaking out against injustice, you develop the moral courage necessary to lead and to make a difference in the world.

Sportsmanship

Learning the importance of playing fair, of working with others to achieve a common goal, of winning and losing graciously. All of these lessons from the arena of sports are transferable to the arena of life.

Self-discipline

Developing your ability to regulate your actions for the sake of improvement. Whether you are facing an academic, artistic, athletic, or social challenge, learning to adapt your life in order to create change is a key ingredient in a successful individual.

Our students and faculty are very familiar with our core values. In classes, at meals, on the playing field, and in the dormitories, our faculty, coaches, and advisors talk about our core values. All of our programs are designed to create an environment that is conducive to sharing our core values with our students. True communities, like Avon, are places in which values are honored and the moral curriculum is a pervasive element of the culture.

We hope by graduation our students have either assimilated our core values into their personalities, or, at a minimum, they believe in our core values and are working to incorporate them into their lives. If we accomplish this goal, then we are fulfilling our mission. In dedicating ourselves to our mission we are committing ourselves to improving our school and our society.

Aspirando et Perseverando! î ˜

Village Green Boar’s Head Festival

The annual Boar’s Head Festival at Avon Old Farms School took place on Tuesday, December 11, 2007. The spectacular feast followed a day of fasting in honor of the school community’s dedication to the Toys for Tots drive, to which the school donated the money saved by not serving lunch that day.

The Boar’s Head Festival is a reenactment of a medieval feast, put on by the members of the senior class, who each have a part in the festivities.

The role of jester, who serves as master of ceremonies, was played by Preston Thompson, while Peter Holst-Grubbe took on the role of Father Christmas.

Warden Will Hendricks, as Saint George, battled and defeated the dragon.

Also included were the Headmaster 1

4

4

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

and Mrs. LaRocque, as Master and Mistress of the Hall. Several parents of the class of 2008 served as Lords and Ladies, and faculty members Heather and Graham Callaghan ’95 and their baby, Owen, played the roles of Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus this year.

Group carols, a traditional candlelighting ceremony, and the sounds of the Riddlers added to the festivities.

The tradition of the Boar’s Head Festival began in the 1950s, originating with Provost Don Pierpont, who enthusiastically embraced the pageantry and tradition that Boar’s Head afforded the students and faculty members.

Now in the hands of Dean of Faculty and History Chairman Art Custer, the festival has continued to impress over 2

the years, and has become a staple of the holiday season to which students and faculty alike look forward every year. Jim Kirschner and the dining services staff work hard to provide everyone with a fantastic meal, and the Nimrod Club provides the Christmas tree. The Parents Association has generously contributed to the growing costumes selections. X 1. Lords and Ladies of the Hall preside over the ceremonies. Top row (left to right): Ned Thompson, Headmaster Ken LaRocque, Heidi LaRocque, Nancy Hodgkinson. Bottom row: Alice DiFiglia, Margot Thompson, John Hodgkinson, Mike Buenaventura, Suzanne Buenaventura, Leslie Underhill.

2. Paul Lee ’08 helps bring the dragon to do battle with Saint George.

3. Jester Preston Thompson ’08 waits for his next line.

4. The Riddlers perform under the direction of Robert Palmer.

3

Village Green

1

Commercial Smoker Oven Heating up Riddle Refectory In April of 2005, the Parents Association generously donated a commercial Cookshack Smoker Oven to dining services, much to the delight of Director of Dining Services Jim Kirschner, who had requested the appliance for the 2005 Giving Tree in coordination with the annual Blue Blazer Ball.

The commercial smoker oven allows for large quantities of food to be prepared, and has enhanced the quality and variety offered to the boys in Riddle Refectory.

The smoker has been used to make the popular pulled pork sandwiches, smoked chicken quesadillas, beef brisket, and even fresh trout that students have caught in Avon’s own Beaver Pond. X

3

2

1. Lenny DeDominicis, Gary Swanson, and Melvin Davis prepare smoked pork for the pulled pork sandwich popular in Riddle Refectory.

2. Jerome Wilkins ’08 and Langley Young ’08 enjoy their lunch.

3. Meats prepared in the Cookshack Smoker Oven spend up to two days cooking.

The Mission Statement for the A von O ld F arms 2007–2008 Parents Association

The 2007–2008 Parents Association Executive Committee

With the concurrence of Avon Old Farms School’s Headmaster And the Avon Old Farms School’s Board of Directors, And in accordance with the School’s philosophy, The mission of the Avon Old Farms Parents Association, As volunteer families and friends, Is to raise funds to enhance the academic, athletic, and Extra-curricular experiences of the “Men of Avon.”

Lori Solomon P’08 & P’10, Co-President Faith Margison P’09, Co-President Doreen Witkiewicz PP’06 & P’08, Co-Vice President Barbara St. John P’09 & P’11, Co-Vice President Maureen Donahue, PP’07 & P’09, Secretary Pharibe Hannan P’09, Treasurer Anne Reilly PP’06 & P’08, Acquisitions & Sponsorships

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

5

Toys for Tots: A Triumph of Community Service The 2007–2008 Toys for Tots drive was a resounding success, led by Warden Will Hendricks ’08, Vice Warden Kevin Sisti ’08, and the members of the student council. The goal of the drive is to raise money to buy toys and clothing for the Center City Churches organization in Hartford, Connecticut, for whom Avon provides tutoring services throughout the year. The Avon community works tirelessly during the two weeks leading up to winter break, and along with the help of generous alumni donations and several school fundraisers, the student body is proud to have been able to contribute up to $20,000 each year. Fundraisers include the Toys for Tots dance, a dodge ball tournament, an Italian dinner, and the popular Toys for Tots raffle, for which faculty members and parents donate prizes such as gift cards to local restaurants, 18 holes of golf at a nearby course, or a pizza party in the student center for a student and three friends.

“The whole experience is great,” notes Sisti, who became involved with the Toys for Tots program his freshman year, when he bought Santa hats for the students at 97 cents and sold them for five dollars each to raise around $3000 for the drive. “All of our hard work pays off on Christmas morning when you actually realize how many people you helped out. The spirit of this school is incredible.”

“Toys for Tots is a perfect example of how much of a tightknit community we are at Avon Old Farms,” agrees Hendricks. “It is truly amazing how we can come together in two weeks’ time to raise enough money to give hundreds of hardworking families a Christmas they deserve. Addressing the school on the day before Christmas break with thousands of dollars of merchandise displayed behind me was a great feeling. It makes me proud to be an Avonian. I hope we never stop giving; it is one of the most important things we can do in life.” X

6

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

1

2

3

1. Warden Will Hendricks ’08 addresses the student body.

2. Students and the toys purchased with funds raised from this year’s Toys for Tots drive. Back row: David Hollady ’08, Kyle Lipkivitch ’08, Chris Wieland ’08, Pat Mullane ’09, Rick Longobardi ’08; front row: Ben LaRocque ’10, Tom Arnell ’10, James Chamness ’08, Preston Thompson ’08, Kevin Sisti ’08, Will Hendricks ’08, Sean Murphy ’08, John Carrabino ’10, Danny New ’08, Lee Moffie ’09, Grant Kerwin ’08, Brandon Moore ’08, Eric LaVorgna ’08, David Menard ’08, Duncan Roberts ’08.

3. Waitstaff for the Toys for Tots Italian Dinner fundraiser.

Village Green

2

1

Christmas Vespers joined voices in carols, and enjoyed performances from the Riddlers, as well as from local musicians including tenor Paul Rudoi, guitarist Joseph Donato, and oboist James A. Smith. Readers included Mr. Tim Beneski, Warden Will Hendricks ’08, boarder Preston Thompson ’08, day boy Michael Reilly ’08, and faculty member Joan Brodie.

Headmaster LaRocque ended the service with the Christmas Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.

Chapel music director and organist Mercedes Featherston de Menéndez organized the Vespers program. X

The term Vespers comes from the Latin vesper, meaning “evening.” In many churches, vespers often includes congregational singing, readings, and a period of silent meditation, contemplation, or prayer. Like some vespers services, the weekly gatherings at Avon Old Farms School are non-denominational, and serve as a time for reflection in the evening.

Christmas Vespers is a time for both self-reflection and the celebration of the togetherness of the community.

Christmas Vespers was held on Sunday, December 9, 2007, in the campus chapel. The community

1. The Riddlers perform during Christmas Vespers.

2. Min-Ho Lee ’09 sings along during the Christmas Vespers service.

Annual Italian Dinner Hosted by The Davinci Society (Italian Club) 4

5

4. Kevin Lin ’10 and Tony Garofalo ’11 serve up plates of ziti.

5. Mark Naclerio ’11 serves Lee Moffie ’09.

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

7

Honoring Tradition: Howard Hunter Speaks of Historic Experience in Marine Corps He told the story of his 1949 train ride to boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina. The train was segregated, and although Hunter was traveling with white recruits, he was not allowed to eat in the dining room with them, and was told to ride in the back of the train.

Once he reached Parris Island, he was taunted during boot camp. Other white recruits threatened to “hang [him] by the end of boot camp.” There were 84 white recruits and four black recruits, and Mr. Hunter recalled frequent fighting, but also that the recruits came to share an understanding of the bond of being a marine—a bond that transcends race.

Through his trials at Parris Island, Mr. Hunter learned not only how to be a marine, but also the desire and discipline

On Tuesday, February 19th, in honor of Black History Month, the Avon community was treated to a talk by Howard Hunter, a former corporal in the United States Marine Corps.

Students and faculty gathered in the Brown Auditorium to listen to Mr. Hunter discuss his momentous fouryear career in the Marine Corps, a career that culminated in Mr. Hunter becoming part of the first racially integrated platoon.

Mr. Hunter began his talk by acknowledging the 23,000 black marines who served before him to make his accomplishments possible, and noted that this awareness of his ancestry helped push him toward his eventual success, but only after much adversity.

1

necessary to be a leader. Unfortunately, there were no opportunities for black marines to become officers, despite the steps made towards change with racial integration. Mr. Hunter left the Marine Corps in 1952 after serving in the Korean War as part of that historic platoon, and became a master electrician.

Commenting on the school’s reputation for producing young men of character, Mr. Hunter observed that there were many potential officers in the audience, and he finished his address with a statement about leadership.

“Strong character, integrity, and high self-esteem” define a leader, he advised, and encouraged Avon students to develop these qualities and aspire to the top of their chosen field. X 2

3

4

1. John Bourgault ’80, a retired marine, pays close attention to fellow former Corps member Howard Hunter’s speech.

2. Students look on as Howard Hunter shares his memories of time served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

3. Howard Hunter discusses his experiences as a member of the first racially integrated platoon of the Marine Corps.

4. Anthony Springer ’10 comments on the importance of Black History Month with a presentation about Martin Luther King, Jr. at morning meeting.

8

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

Student Perspectives What does it mean to be a good man of Avon Old Farms School?

Roving Reporter The

by David Hollady ’08

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1. Normand Allen ’09

4. Terry Gilmore ’11

6. Rob Patterson ’08

“What makes a good Avonian is an even combination of academics, sports, and the arts. Also, someone who fights through hard times to accomplish the goals set in front of him.”

“Well, part of being a man is being responsible for your actions, but being part of a community such as Avon, to be a man you must not only be responsible for your actions, but for the actions of your fellow brothers.”

“A man of Avon shows his real self, and is not afraid to do so. He takes the initiative and leads others not only by example, but also through the recovery of mistakes. He is honest and can be picked out of a crowd because he truly has a passion for everything he does.”

Jennings Dorm

2. Dom Bergeron ’08 Jennings Dorm

“A good man of Avon recognizes and takes advantage of the opportunities he is given—at a place like Avon, there is no shortage of opportunities in any area of interest.”

3. Benjamin Custer ’10 Day boy

“A true man of Avon passionately supports his school and community.

He does anything he can to succeed.”

Jennings Dorm

8

Elephant Dorm

5. Peter Holst-Grubbe ’08 Elephant Dorm

“A man of Avon is someone who values the well-being of others as much as his own. He is a selfless, morally sound man who leads by example. A man of Avon is a student who wears the school colors loud and proud.”

7. JP Rotchford ’09 Eagle Dorm

“A good man of Avon takes a part of the school and makes it his own.

He improves upon that part so future Avonians can enjoy it just as he did.”

8. Benjamin Williams ’10 Jennings Dorm

“A good man of Avon always does what is he is supposed to do, whether it be on the playing field as a good sportsman or in the classroom as a good student.” X

“A man of Avon is someone who values the well-being of others as much as his own.

He is a selfless, morally sound man who leads by example.”

—Peter Holst-Grubbe ’08 The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

9

Community Service Thrives This year’s community service program has been busier than ever, under the leadership of Director of Community Service Heather Callaghan. In March, students returned to North Carolina and Pennsylvania to continue work with Habitat for Humanity. This is the third year that the trip has been offered to Avon students.

In total, 19 students and four faculty members from Avon Old Farms School spent their spring break in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, building houses through Habitat for Humanity’s Collegiate Challenge program. Students worked with local Habitat affiliates along with students from The Ethel Walkers School and Miss Porter’s School during the weeks of March

Empty Bowls 10

at the

at

Avon Old Farms

10–15 and March 16–22.

Several of the students were on their second Collegiate Challenge trip. Will Hendricks ’08, a two-year participant, noted that “The Habitat Spring break trips are a great and affordable opportunity for kids to really feel good about themselves for doing something great! You put in many hours of hard work for an entire week under tough conditions, but the payoff is infinitely more satisfying. The reward one can derive from helping others is such a great feeling and an important thing someone should do throughout their life. Our maturity and work ethic prove that high school students are just as effective as college students.”

The community service program at Avon thrives all year long, with regular

Ethel Walker School

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

commitments to the Avon Health Center and Hands on Hartford, a local soup kitchen, as well as Aphaeresis at the Farmington Red Cross center, where students and faculty members donate blood.

Other initiatives include the Gifts of Love drive, for which students donated linens and funds to help out local families in the midst of a temporary financial crisis, as well as a walk for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in the fall and another walk, for Multiple Sclerosis, in the springtime.

National Lee Denim Day raised money to support breast cancer research, and the Dunkin Donuts fundraiser during Parents’ Weekend and again in February helped support a house that Avon is sponsoring for Habitat for Humanity. X

Habitat for Humanity

Village Green

Perspectives International

in

Ecuador

Unified Sports Day

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

11

The Fourth Annual Chili Cook-Off Sunday, January 27 marked the fourth year of the Avon Old Farms annual chili cook-off. With 14 faculty members participating, students had plenty of different chili variations to sample, providing a delicious study break during the rigor of preparing for exams. This year’s pots included a Jamaican Jerk Chicken Chili, as well as a Mexican Mole Chili, made with chocolate and ancho chilies. Students paid $2.00 for admission to the chili cook-off, and all proceeds were donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Director of Dining Services Jim Kirschner took first place this year, followed by Social Activities Director

Maria Driscoll in second. Tim Stay ’97, Director of Communications, was third. “There was a great turnout this year,” commented Kirschner. “The chilies were all wonderful, some of the best we’ve ever had.” Kirschner, who worked without a recipe, and who claims Guinness beer and pasillo chili powder as his secret ingredients, used a combination of three different meats in his prize-winner: Spicy Italian sausage, diced beef round, and diced chicken.

The annual chili cook-off was started by Major (ret.) John Bourgault ’80 four years ago, when he returned to Avon Old Farms as a teacher, coming from the Marines. “I grew 1

up in California and love spicy foods and have always been fond of chili,” comments Bourgault, who took first place in the contest in both its inaugural and sophomore years before being dethroned by Jamie and Mary Ellen Reece in 2007. “In the Marines, we used to have a traditional chili cook-off, and it was a lot of fun. Just for the heck of it, I thought it might be popular here, as well.” Though starting slowly, with only 10 entries in 2005 compared to this year’s 14, the chili cook-off has gained momentum and is a great new tradition that students look forward to every year come exam time! X

2

Jamaican Jerk Chili

Recipe provided by Tim Stay ’97, Director of Communications—Third-Place Winner

12

Group 1 3 lbs. ¼" cubed beef 16 oz. pork sausage 1 finely chopped medium onion 1½ tsp. garlic powder (sprinkle liberally) 14.5 oz. can chicken broth 5 oz. Jamaican Jerk-style sauce

Group 3 1¼ tbsp. ground cumin 10 tbsp. chili powder 1 tsp salt 5–10 bay leaves (remove if possible before serving) Pinch of finely ground black pepper

Group 2 4 oz. canned green chilies 1 med. whole seeded and finely chopped green bell pepper ½ can Budweiser Beer 15 oz. tomato sauce 29 oz. stewed tomatoes 1 tsp. hot sauce

Group 4 Pinch of cayenne pepper Pinch of dry diced Jalapeño peppers

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

Directions 1. Brown beef and sausage in pan. Add onion, garlic, and chicken broth, simmer 1 hour.

2. After 1st hour, add Group 2.

Simmer 1 hour.

3. After 2nd hour, add Group 3.

4. After 3rd hour, add Group 4 and simmer 15 more minutes.

5. After final simmering, leave entire crock on stove at very low heat setting for 6–8 hours, stirring occasionally.

1. First-place winner Jim Kirschner and family.

2. Ian Parker ’10, JP Rotchford ’09, Jesse Silverman ’09, and Kevin Thomas ’10 sample the goods during the 4th Annual Chili Cook-Off. Proceeds benefited the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Village Green 3

Slam Poet Taylor Mali Kicks Off Annual Poetry Recitation Contest February 5, 2008, marked the kick-off of the annual poetry recitation at Avon Old Farms School, with a performance from four-time National Poetry Slam Champion Taylor Mali. The president of Poetry Slam Inc. (the governing organization for the National Poetry Slam), Mali can also count playwright, sixth-grade math teacher, and Oxfordeducated Shakespearean actor among his many talents. In addition to his live spoken word performances, Mali recently released What Learning Leaves (Hanover Press) as well as two CDs entitled Poems from the Like Free Zone and The Difference Between Left and Wrong.

The presentation began with an introduction by Joan Brodie, chairman of the English Department, and a performance by Preston Thompson ’08, winner of the 2006– 2007 Poetry Recitation Contest, who recited Mali’s “What Teachers Make.”

Preston’s parents, Margot and Ned Thompson ’74, generously funded Taylor Mali’s performance.

Mali then performed his own slam poetry, as well as recited from memory a poem from Poet Laureate Charles Simic, followed by a question-andanswer period.

2

“I was thrilled with Mr. Mali’s performance,” says Joan Brodie. “It was entertaining, informative, and inspiring. Truly, he is an outstanding performer and an intuitive, intelligent teacher. He provided our students with excellent advice about how to choose, memorize, interpret, and recite the poems they choose for our annual poetry recitation contest.”

The Poetry Recitation Contest began on February 19 and culminated on March 4 with a school-wide competition featuring each class year’s individual winner. The winner of the 2007–2008 Poetry Recitation Contest was Giri Suarsana ’11, who recited “How to Write a Political Poem” by Taylor Mali. Honorable mention went to Joseph Ramieri ’09, who recited Tony Hoagland’s “Fortune.” X 1

1. Chairman of the English Department Joan Brodie, Taylor Mali, and Preston Thompson ’08.

2. The four class winners, left to right: Khristian Walker ’08, Joe Ramieri ’09, Nick Palen ’10, and Giri Suarsana ’11.

3. Taylor Mali entertains the Avon crowd with his signature slam poetry.

WAOF Back On-Air at Avon Old Farms The Avon Old Farms School campus radio station, WAOF, has made its return after nearly a decade off-air, with Alvinn Paulino ’08 and Chane Keller ’08 at the helm. Faculty member Seth Zeren advises the group, with help from Art Custer, Art Mehos, and Thomas Drescher.

Former faculty member Bill Kron started the radio station in 1975, and advised the group until a flood in the old science building in 1999 led to its demise. It was Kron who provided

the information and direction to help Keller and Paulino get the program back together early this year, along with generous funding from the Parents Association.

Demand for time is already high.

Paulino is planning to play selections of pop-indie rock during his time slot.

Also planned are music talk shows, school news, contests, jokes, and time for students and faculty members to promote their own musical talents. The

1

2

1. John Froman ’08 and Alvinn Paulino ’08 on-air for WAOF. 2. Alvinn Paulino ’08.

14

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

station is available via podcast, and only on campus, from a link on the school’s website.

Station headquarters are located on the bottom floor of the new Performing Arts Center, and the improved facilities are a great advantage. The room is equipped with internet outlets, microphones, headphones, software, mixers, a portable recorder, and new Apple iMac computers. X

Village Green

Winter Moments at

Avon Old Farms School

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

15

Athletics Varsity Soccer

Overall Record: 16–1–2

The varsity soccer team won the New England Prep School Soccer Championship Class A Stewart Cup for the second time in the past three years.

During the regular season, the Winged Beavers compiled a record of 13 wins, 1 loss, and 2 ties, earning an invitation to participate in the postseason tournament.

This year’s squad was lead by captains Eric LaVorgna ’08, Nick Gantsoudes ’08, Colin Bradley ’09, and Mike Giuliano ’09.

The Winged Beavers posted three shutout wins over Taft, Trinity-Pawling, and Brunswick to open the regular season.

Next, Avon traveled to the Salisbury School and came away with a 2–1 victory.

Next on the docket was another road trip, to the Hotchkiss School, also undefeated.

Hotchkiss found the back of the net first,

but Avon got the equalizer, forcing a 1–1 draw. The Winged Beavers then faced Deerfield going into the middle stretch of the regular season with another 1–1 tie.

The next 4 games—which were all shutouts—drew results that evidenced the team’s hard work and desire to improve.

Avon’s goalkeeper, Joey Kapinos ’08, was an integral part of this success with many excellent saves; the Avon squad scored 10 goals without allowing a single tally from any opponents and remained undefeated.

After the break, Kent traveled to Avon looking to avenge last year’s draw, and came away with a 3–2 victory. The Winged Beavers went on to defeat KingswoodOxford 6–2 in front of a large Headmaster’s Day crowd. Loomis Chaffe was the next opponent, also an undefeated team, and contesting for the top spot in the league.

Ultimately, the Winged Beavers fell to the Pelicans by a score of 1–0 for their first and only loss of the season.

The final three games of the regular season were on the road, with Choate Rosemary Hall slated first. Avon scored with just one minute remaining in regulation to secure the 1–0 victory.

Next up were the Bears of the Berkshire School, whom the Winged Beavers defeated by a score of 4–0. The final contest of the season was at Wilbraham and Munson Academy, and Avon marked the end of an outstanding season with a 2–0 win.

The Winged Beavers earned an invitation to participate in the New England Prep School Soccer Tournament for their fourth consecutive post-season appearance. The first contest was against Worcester Academy, who had defeated the Winged Beavers in last year’s quarterfinal. This year, Avon prevailed with a 2–1 victory in front of 300 dedicated Avon soccer fans, advancing to the semifinal match against Loomis.

Soccer Wins New England Prep School Soccer Championship The Winged Beavers best Buckingham Browne & Nichols in double overtime to capture the title for the second time in three years.

The Winged Beavers celebrate their victory with coaches Ron Nentwig and Peter Rice ’76 (Opposite page) Justin Davies scores the game-winning goal against Buckingham Browne & Nichols to give Avon the New England Prep School Soccer Championship.

16

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

On Sunday, November 18, 2007, Avon traveled to Concord, Massachusetts to play in the New England Prep School Soccer Championship game against the Knights of Buckingham Browne & Nichols. Although both teams had each played three games in the previous five days, the level of play was intense and skilled. Both teams fought hard for 120 minutes, and it was Avon that prevailed, in a dramatic overtime win.

Both teams were creative up top during the first half. Winged Beavers

Colin Bradley ’09, Nick Gantsoudes ’08, and Justin Davies each worked tirelessly to create chances for Avon, while Knight forward Max Walker had several nearmisses that almost put BB&N on the board. Both goalkeepers came up big in net to keep the score tied at zero at halftime.

The second half mirrored the first, with both sides applying offensive pressure; however neither team could capitalize. The defensive efforts from both schools were outstanding, each having allowed only

Athletics

The highly anticipated Founders League match-up between Loomis and Avon was a battle, and the Winged Beavers bested the Pelicans 2–0. With the win, Avon was headed to Concord, Massachusetts to play Buckingham Browne & Nichols in the New England Prep School Soccer Association Class A championship game, which the Winged Beavers won in an astonishing 1–0 overtime victory.

nine goals against throughout the duration of the season. Avon’s defensemen Jayme Kapinos ’08, Mike Giuliano ’09, Jesse Hamilton ’08, Tim Clark ’09, and Connor Mooney ’10 did a fantastic job containing the talented Knight offense, and the second half ended in a draw, as well.

After 90 minutes of scoreless play, the teams headed into overtime.

The first 15 minutes passed without a result, and the teams battled through almost the entirety of the second overtime period before Nick Gantsoudes was able to beat two central midfielders to slot a perfect pass to Justin Davies, who wound up alone in front of the net with just the goalkeeper to beat. Davies

tucked the ball into the corner for the dramatic game-winning goal with 45 seconds remaining in the second overtime to give the Winged Beavers the New England Prep School Soccer Championship title for the second time in the past three years, marking the end of another outstanding varsity soccer season for Avon Old Farms School.

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

17

Varsity Football Overall Record: 5–2–1 The varsity football team finished the 2007 season with a 5–2–1 record, and with a little bit of luck, could have been undefeated. The team was led by three outstanding captains: Dominick Bergeron ’08, Blaise Driscoll ’08, and John Hodgkinson ’08. These three young men were the driving force behind the team’s winning attitude and the never-say-die approach to each week’s practices and games. The seniors on this year’s team were a talented and hard-working group that approached each game and opponent with good sportsmanship and a strong desire to win. They will all be greatly missed next year as they set a high standard for character and discipline as role models for the younger players to strive to emulate as Old Farms football players.

Although the Winged Beavers

Turning Back

the

worked tirelessly all season, Avon lost 14–21 at Salisbury. The following week, the team went down to a very good Trinity-Pawling team, minus a few of Avon’s best players, which was another tough loss, as with a healthy squad, Avon might have come away with the victory. The team regrouped and completed the season without a loss in its final six games and a tremendous victory over Deerfield, knocking them out of the New England Football Championship game.

This group of young men will be greatly missed by the football team and the school next year. They have been positive role models and leaders in the community and we wish them luck and success in all of their endeavors. The future looks bright with some talented players returning next season and with the development of many young men poised to join the varsity from the successful junior varsity and third’s teams.

Clock—1982 “During the 1982 football season, Avon Old Farms certainly let everyone know that 1982 was no ‘fluke.’ The season ended with a 5–2–1 mark and a second-place finish in the tough Erickson League. Led by quarterback Tom DiGeronimo, Joe Nelson, Andy Fisher, and Gerry Deverin, Avon played what some called the finest they had witnessed in a long, long time. There were no stars; better yet, 40 individuals became one and discovered the key to success.”

—From the 1983 Winged Beaver yearbook

1

18

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

1. Left to Right: Coach John Gardner, Coach Todd Holt (kneeling), Trainer Frank “Bud” Gouveia, no. 50 Michael Callaghan ’83, Coach Kevin Driscoll ’72, Coach Tim Trautman ’75, no. 55 Doug Colton ’84, no. 56 John Keating ’83, no. 81 David Smith ’84.

2. Co-Captain Joe Nelson ’83.

2

Captain Avon and Athletics the AOF S pirit C lub

Cross Country Overall Record: 6–3; 11th in New Englands

The 2007 Avon Old Farms harriers enjoyed another resoundingly successful season in many respects. The team, comprised mostly of underclassmen, posted a final record of 6–3 in dual scoring meets under the willful leadership of captains Tully Hannan ’09, Mike Reilly ’08 and Ki Ho Suh ’08 and coaches John Bourgault ’80 and Tom Drescher.

Runners returned to AOF early for preseason training camp, which featured a particularly grueling three-a-day schedule of track workouts, long runs and the notorious 6 a.m. “Humbler” sessions. The boys, many of whom ran independently during the summer, battled their way through the week’s rigors and had a blast as they honed their physical and mental abilities in preparation for competition. Then, having trained assiduously on the daunting inclines leading up to Heublein Tower, the fear-inducing gradients of Hell’s Gate, and the extensive, maze-like trail network around campus, the team began its season in earnest with a multischool invitational meet at Choate.

After testing their mettle at the Choate Invitational, the harriers traveled west to do battle with Trinity-Pawling and Salisbury. Hannan blasted his way to a season personal best time, setting a new course record and earning individual first place honors for the second time in two meets, but the team was outscored on both counts on this soggy afternoon and headed to Berkshire the following Saturday with a disappointing 0–2 record. It was at Berkshire that the Harriers collected their first win of the season, and, having tasted victory, the

boys did not look back. Led by Hannan, Reilly, Suh, Anthony Cusano ’09 and five sophomores—Nick Palen ’10, Ben LaRocque ’10, Max Rusch ’10, Mike Reed ’10, and Bobby Wiles ’10—the team scorched past Pomfret, Suffield and Millbrook in extreme heat to improve to 4–3, then disposed of Westminster and Williston-Northampton in like fashion to close out the month of October.

Incredibly, Hannan remained undefeated throughout dual meet action, having set four new course records along the way, and was gunning for top Founders League honors when an illness sidelined him for both championship meets. Both he and the robust veteran Reilly, who was also stricken with illness and could not compete, continued to lead the squad from the sidelines, while Suh inspired confidence and intensity in his teammates with a consistently quick pace on the course through the final two races. Unfortunately, the losses of Hannan, Reilly and Cusano at the rain-soaked, AOF-hosted Founders League Championships—a superlative event in its own right—hampered the team’s chances of success, and so despite a terrific effort from Nick Palen, the harriers finished in 9th place. One week later, the team returned to Choate, where they earned 11th place honors overall thanks to strong performances from Suh and a cadre of talented youngsters.

The team owes much of its success to the dedicated efforts of its captains, two of whom—Mike Reilly and Ki Ho Suh—will graduate in May, passing on their legacy of courage and determination on the cross country course to Avon’s next generation of harriers. With a formidable crew of up-and-coming racers returning next season, the team will look to build upon this year’s accomplishments in the fall of 2008.

“Captain Avon” Chris Wieland ’08 and “This Guy!” Tyler Eve ’11

Chris Wieland ’08 leads this year’s spirit club as the fiercely passionate and loyal Captain Avon. Donning the legendary cape that has been “passed down for years” as part of his costume, Wieland and his compatriots are fixtures on the sidelines at most Avon athletic events, leading cheers and rallying the crowds in support of their fellow Winged Beaver student athletes. Also part of Wieland’s role as Captain Avon is organizing the weekly skits for Friday’s morning meetings, to encourage students to get excited for weekend events or a big game—especially the Deerfield football game, which Wieland notes gets extra attention, as the long-standing rivalry draws some of the largest crowds. The spirit club is also heavily involved with organizing pep rallies.

Wieland plays for the varsity hockey team during the winter athletic season, and relies on fellow spirit club members John Hodgkinson ’08, Mike Driscoll ’08, and Richard Woodwell ’08 to take the reins.

“I think [the spirit club] is something that unifies all the boys, even if they aren’t big sports fans,” observes Wieland.

“School spirit is something that everyone can take part in, and be proud of.”

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

19

New England Division 1 Prep Hockey

Champions

Varsity Hockey Overall Record: 27–1 New England Division 1 Prep School Champions The 2007–2008 Avon Old Farms varsity hockey team climaxed an outstanding season with a 3–2 overtime victory over St. Paul’s School in the New England Division I Prep Championship game.

During the season, the team achieved a 27–1 record in winning their second consecutive New England title and fourth in five years. Captains Cam Atkinson ’08, James Chamness ’08, and Patrick Mullane ’09 provided the critical leadership that helped to mold the team into champions.

In the opening game of the season, Avon blasted out of the gate with a 10–1 win over Albany Academy. Paul Lee ’08 earned a hat trick. At home against South Kent, Cam Atkinson led the way with two goals in the 3–1 victory. Avon next carved out a 2–1 win at Taft with Stefan Demopoulos ’09 netting the winner with 1:43

20

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

left to play in the game. Traveling to Trinity-Pawling in early December resulted in a 7–1 win over the Blazers.

A physical 6–3 win over Deerfield was punctuated by two goals from Chris Wieland ’08 and outstanding goaltending by Max Fenkell ’09.

The 25th Annual Avon Christmas Hockey Classic tournament opened with a 3–1 verdict over Gunnery as Brad Peltz ’09, Chris Wieland, and James Chamness scored. The second round of the tournament saw Avon whip Loomis Chaffee 7–2 with Brad Peltz and Patrick Mullane each scoring twice. After falling behind 3–0, Avon roared back to defeat Tabor 6–3 behind two goals from both Chamness and Atkinson. Unfortunately, the next day the team dropped a 6–2 decision to a determined Kent team in the championship game of the Classic.

Returning from Christmas break, the team had a return engagement with Taft.

Pat Mullane had a hat trick in the 6–2 win to start the new year. Brad Peltz scored twice in a 6–1 trouncing of Hotchkiss.

Avon next got revenge over Kent 4–2 with Pat Mullane notching two goals and

Mike DiMare ’08 the winner. An 8–4 win against Pomfret saw defenseman Lee Moffie ’09 garner five points. Danny New ’08 led the team with two goals in an 8–2 skate over Northfield Mount Herman. On the road at Berkshire, Cam Atkinson saved the team with a goal with 25 seconds left in the game and then another into an empty net seven seconds later to complete the hat trick and the 6–4 victory. In front of a packed arena at Westminster, Atkinson and Mike DiMare scored two goals apiece to charge over Westminster 7–3.

Josh Dionne ’10 spun a 7–0 shutout over Loomis with two goals from Lee Moffie. Avon then stormed past Choate with five first-period goals in a 7–3 verdict. In completing a perfect January, goalie Parker Milner ’09 whitewashed Westminster 7–0 with Peltz and DiMare chipping in with two goals each.

Returning to school after long winter’s weekend, the team took the measure of Gunnery 8–3 as New and Atkinson both scored twice. A pulsating 6–2 win at Deerfield demonstrated the toughness of the team before a hostile crowd. Ricky Longobardi ’08

Athletics had three points in a 6–1 decision at Choate. Avon then secured a crucial road victory at Salisbury as goalie Max Fenkell sparkled in the tense 4–1 game.

Canterbury was the next team to fall to Avon, by a score of 6–1. In the last regular-season game at home, goalie Mike Buenaventura ’08 backstopped the team in the 7–2 win against Loomis Chafee, marking Coach John Gardner’s 600th career win.

After a 24–1 regular season record, the team was determined to repeat as New England Champions in the prep playoffs. The Jennings-Fairchild Rink was packed to see the Winged Beavers snatch a 5–4 overtime win over Berkshire as Chris Wieland was the hero 1:46 into the overtime period. Wieland repeated his heroics as he scored the winning goal in a 6–4 semi-final win against Belmont Hill. The stage was set for a classic championship game as St. Paul’s had emerged as the top team from eastern New England. More than 2,500 fans at the Icenter were treated to a thrilling 3–2 overtime win for Avon as Ricky Longobardi banged in a rebound 5:26 into the overtime to secure the team’s championship. The huge contingent of Avon students, faculty, and alumni celebrated with the team as they earned a record seventh New England Ice Hockey Championship.

Quarterfinals: 5–4 over Berkshire (OT)

Semifinals: 6–4 over Belmont Hill

Finals: 3–2 over St. Paul’s (OT)

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

21

A Night for Kareem: Kareem Norman ’98 Honored

On Saturday, February 23rd, Avon welcomed family and friends of Kareem Norman ’98 to celebrate his life after he passed away on May 6, 2007. Kareem was a member of both the hockey and soccer teams at Avon Old Farms School, and over 80 guests gathered to honor his memory and great contribution to the school community.

Stories of Kareem were fondly shared at a reception held before the final home game of the regular varsity hockey season, in addition to a moving slide show of images. Students bought red T-shirts, sold the week prior to the event, emblazoned with Kareem’s name and his number 10. A plaque and a glass case showcasing Kareem’s hockey sweater were unveiled in the Jennings Fairchild Rink, and the inaugural Kareem Norman Award was presented by the Delaney family to varsity hockey Captain James Chamness ’08. Avon is proud to honor Kareem’s memory, as his story is sure to inspire future generations of young men.

For more information about donating to the Kareem Norman Fund, please contact Dan Seiden ’00 in the Alumni and Development Office.

1

2

3

1. Friend of Kareem, Greg Kraczkowski ’98.

2. Laurie Delaney 3. The varsity hockey team, Brian Doyle, and the Delaney family.

22

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

Athletics

Avon hockey alumni and current players gather together at the Christmas Hockey Classic.

The 25th Annual Christmas Hockey Classic: Honoring John Gardner Avon hosted the 25th Annual Christmas Hockey Classic from December 13–15, 2007. The school recognized the milestone of the 25th tournament by holding an alumni reception to honor Coach John Gardner on Friday, December 14th. Coach Gardner has been the leader of the Avon hockey program for more than 32 years, and it is his vision, dedication, and effort that

make the tournament and program such an outstanding success. More than 125 of his former players returned to campus to join in the celebration. After the lively reception, alumni hockey players were invited on the ice before the Avon vs. Tabor game and two historic banners were unveiled: one recognizing the 25th Christmas Classic, and another to honor Avon’s six New England Division I Championships under Coach Gardner’s leadership. The Avon hockey team did not disappoint the large crowd, as they fought back from a 3–0 deficit to defeat Tabor 6–3 and earn a spot in the tournament finals.

Avon’s Athletic Director Brian Doyle commented, “Coach Gardner

is truly an incredible educator. He has helped to define Avon Old Farms over the last three decades as a teacher, advisor, coach, and administrator.

His dedication, commitment, and unwavering character have inspired and driven the Avon community for over 30 years. It was a fitting tribute to have so many of his players and friends enjoy the milestone event.

Regarding the tournament, the Hockey Classic represents the best of schoolboy hockey, featuring talented and competitive teams, which exhibit tremendous sportsmanship and exciting play. As a school, we are privileged to be able to serve as a host for this special annual event.”

Coach John Gardner’s 600th Win Members of the Avon varsity hockey team honor Coach John Gardner on February 23, 2008, after a victory against Loomis Chafee marked Gardner’s 600th career Avon win.

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

23

Wrestling Overall Record: 14–7 The Avon Old Farms winged grapplers enjoyed a strong season in which many veteran and novice wrestlers alike met with success. Due to the contributions of first-year grapplers and the willingness of some to move up in weight class, the team was able to wrestle with a full roster for much of the year. Additionally, many veteran wrestlers “turned the corner,” refining their techniques and capitalizing on their strengths as the season progressed. This combination of fresh talent and tested skill proved synergistic and led to an impressive streak of consecutive victories during the second half of the season, culminating in a strong team performance at the Western New England tournament, which was hosted by Avon this year.

The team fought their way to an overall winning season and were especially strong in their conference, the Western New England League, accruing

an impressive 10 wins in 14 matches on their way to a 6th-place finish out of 20 teams at the conference tournament.

Each wrestler gave his all during every match, and many reached personal milestones and earned individual honors throughout the season.

Co-Captain Sears Tiernan ’08 earned a first-place spot at 285 pounds and Jake Bourgault ’09 earned a third in the 135pound weight class at the season opener Canterbury Invitational. Mike Cox ’08, in his first year of wrestling, went 10–1 in the regular season, qualifying him for the New England tournament.

Ben Horowitz ’09 filled in at the varsity 145 and 152 weight class spots at various points of the season, winning a majority of his matches and earning him a spot at the New England tournament.

At the Western New England Tournament, Avon finished 6th out of the 21 schools competing.

Co-Captains Matt Murray ’08 (130 pounds) and Sears Tiernan placed second, while Jake

Bourgault placed third. Andrew Coco ’08 (112 pounds) placed 4th, Mike Cox placed 5th, and Ben Chodar ’08 (at 145 pounds) placed 6th. Murray, Tiernan, Bourgault, and Coco all qualified for the National Tournament, as well.

Overall, it was a great season. With an abundance of young and returning wrestlers, Avon is looking forward to continuing its winning tradition next year. In addition, Jake Bourgault and Cory Cheyne ’09 were chosen by their teammates to be next year’s captains.

Avon Old Farms School Hosts 51st Annual WNEISWA Championship Tournament Avon Old Farms School was honored to host the 51st Annual Western New England Independent School Wrestling Association (WNEISWA) Championship Tournament on February 15th and 16th, 2008. Twenty teams from across Western New England and New York competed for the league title.

Avon finished 6th overall out of the 20 teams that competed, improving over last year’s 8th place finish.

Brunswick School finished in first place, followed closely by perennial powerhouse Trinity-Pawling.

Of the 14 Avon wrestlers who competed, six earned medals and all-league honors. Team Captains Matt Murray ’08 and Sears

24

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

Tiernan ’08 both took home 2nd-place medals. Jake Bourgault ’09 brought home a 3rd place medal. Andrew Coco ’08, Mike Cox ’08, and Ben Chodar ’08 each earned medals, as well.

Many people in the Avon community assisted in making the event such a resounding success, including the Maintenance Department, Food Services Department, Information Technology Department, and the Director of Communications. Athletic Director Brian Doyle and varsity wrestling coaches John Bourgault ’80 and Shane Tutwiler noted that many visiting parents commented on the success of the tournament and all that the facilities offered.

Athletics

Varsity Basketball Overall Record: 13–11 The Avon varsity basketball team entered the season with high expectations and the goal of making the New England Class B Tournament. While the team did not achieve all of its goals, it did have a successful season, finishing with an overall record of 13 wins and 11 losses while playing a traditionally rigorous schedule. Avon competed hard in most every game, and with the exception of losses to two Class A caliber opponents during the Christmas Tournament at The Hill School, only one loss was by more than 10 points. The team continued to fight hard throughout the season and still had an outside shot of making the post-season up until the final night.

While falling short of the initial goal of making the tournament, a winning record and consistently competing hard in most every game makes the 2007–2008 season an overall success.

There were plenty of highlights from both the team and individual perspectives this season. The team had almost perfect bookend highlights to the season, starting off

with a tough win against a Salisbury team that would go on to finish fourth in New England. Then, in the next to last game of Avon’s season, an incredible final play earned the victory versus sixth-ranked Taft.

Trailing by two points with only 3.5 seconds to play, the team executed a final play to perfection. Blaise Driscoll ’08 sent a long pass to Tim Brechbuehler ’09, who then quickly sent another pass to Joe D’Amelio ’08. D’Amelio then took one dribble, pulled up, and drained a three-point shot for a buzzer-beating win. It was the best ending in recent memory.

From an individual standpoint there were also a lot of great accomplishments and moments. Leslie Spalding ’08 was the recipient of this year’s Truman Johnson Award for his dedication to the sport of basketball and to his team, while Captain Langley Young ’08, who played hard and consistently all year while being a leader by example, received this year’s Coach’s Award. Khaseem Greene ’08 was awarded the Game Changer Award, for his ability to singlehandedly turn the momentum of a game in Avon’s favor. Joe D’Amelio played a vital role for the team this year as a both a point-guard and a

scorer. He finished the season first on the team in assists and second on the team in scoring, and was awarded the team’s Most Valuable Player Award. Tim Brechbuehler finished the season first on the team in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots, which earned him the distinction of being this season’s Most Outstanding Player. The team also had three players recognized by the Tri-State League: both Khaseem Greene and Tim Brechbuehler were voted onto the First Team All-League, while Joe D’Amelio was selected to the Second Team All-League.

The team says goodbye to nine of its players: Captain Langley Young, Blaise Driscoll, Joe D’Amelio, Khaseem Greene, Leslie Spalding, Matt Doyle ’08, Ben Riley ’08, Jerome Wilkins ’08, and Blair Campbell ’08.

The coaches want to thank all of the graduating players for their hard work and their contributions to the Avon basketball program and would like to give special recognition to three-year varsity team members at Avon, Langley Young and Blaise Driscoll. The team returns a small but solid nucleus of rising seniors: Tim Brechbuehler, Terrell Whiting ’09, Chris Marx ’09, and Steven Heller ’09.

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

25

Athletic Spotlight

Jerome Wilkins ’08 Jerome Wilkins ’08 has spent years playing all the sports he loves, and during his time at Avon, his commitment to the football, basketball, and track programs has not only enhanced his skills but also fostered some of his most important friendships and taught him valuable life lessons, as well. Jerome’s passion as a Winged Beaver has come to define his Avon experience—something of which he couldn’t be prouder.

Big wins against Deerfield on the football field and Taft with the basketball team this year have been earmarked as the highlights of Jerome’s tenure as a Winged Beaver.

He had never played on a team for either sport that was able to beat those schools, and accomplishing those feats as a senior felt like a big relief of pressure. And while his most exciting moments have been on athletic teams at Avon, Jerome is quick to explain that those big wins aren’t the only payoff from his dedication to sports.

Jerome explains that his athletic experience at Avon has taught him valuable lessons off the field, as well, claiming that he has learned that nothing in life is guaranteed, and that

“Being in a better environment allows me to focus on just the community, not the outside world.

Avon has given me the chance to become a leader, and form so many close relationships.”

26

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

“only through hard work will you achieve your goals. [Sports] have taught me to be more persistent and to work hard every day, not just when games come,” Jerome notes, “and that can be translated into the classroom as well—you have to work hard every day, not just when tests or labs or papers are due.”

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Jerome believes that Avon, in general, is a complete change from what he was used to at home, and credits that change as the reason for his successes here. “Avon has really helped me—playing sports here is different than back home. It’s more structured, more focused on making players better, and my skills have improved.”

He also observes that the extra attention and “peaceful community” have allowed him a chance to excel.

“It’s so different than being in the city,” says Jerome. “Being in a better environment allows me to focus on just the community, not the outside world. Avon has given me the chance to become a leader, and form so many close relationships.”

Varsity football and basketball coach Tim Roller credits Jerome as one of the hardest-working members of this year’s basketball team, observing that “Jerome was a valuable contributor to the team. [He] came to practice every day ready to work hard, and always with a positive attitude.

He was a consummate teammate, and he was always a vocal and enthusiastic supporter of the team.”

The relationship Jerome has developed with Coach Roller while participating in both football and basketball has helped him improve both his skill and his commitment.

“Avon has really helped me—playing sports here is different than back home.

It’s more structured, more focused on making players better, and my skills have improved.”

“Coach Roller is the most demanding coach I have ever had,” says Jerome.

“He’s also one of the most intelligent coaches I’ve ever played for. He helps us understand things from his experienced point of view. He demands a lot of out his players, and you learn to give more than 100 percent every day, every practice. It wasn’t always easy, but I’m a better player because of it, and that’s the ultimate goal.”

Jerome is the president of both the social activities club and the network club. The student body looks to him when they have requests for weekend activities, and he acts as a correspondent between his peers and Maria Driscoll, the student activities director. In his free time, Jerome enjoys spending time in the Hawk’s Nest and playing video games. Jerome plans to attend the University of New Hampshire next year, where he is hoping to pursue a pre-law program and a minor in business.

Athletics Swim Team Overall Record: 2–10 The Avon Old Farms varsity swim team had a good year. Captains Tully Hannan ’09, Adam Kassel ’08 and Michael Mangan ’09 led a young team through a long and difficult schedule to make some incredible progress. Every member of the team recorded personal bests throughout the season, and the team grew tremendously, earning an average of 14 best times per meet.

The team was comprised of students with a variety of swimming backgrounds and athletic experience.

Each was able to meet his goals this year as all swimmers improved throughout the season. The team was young; more than half of the Winged Beavers at the New England Championships were sophomores.

Nick Brogan ’09 led the team in personal bests this year as his work ethic and persistence lead to a startling 17 percent drop in his times over five events. Nick capped the year by dropping an astonishing 6.35 seconds from his best 100 butterfly, and 1.73 seconds in the 50 butterfly as part of the 200 medley relay. He earned Most Improved for the year. Tully Hannan earned Most Valuable Swimmer as he led the

team as captain, led the team in lane eight (usually the hardest practice), was in every A relay, and scored the most points. Adam Kassel earned the Coach’s Award for outstanding dedication to the team as a captain, leadership as one of two seniors, and assistance to the coaches throughout the year.

One senior, three juniors, and five sophomores swam in New Englands and they achieved 15 personal best times. In the 200 IM Comie Stallmeyer ’10 shaved 1.5 seconds off his personal best, and Ian Parker ’10 shaved 1.06 seconds. Ian also improved his times in the 200 freestyle relay as did Nathan Riley ’10. Austin Goetjen ’10 beat his personal best by 1.00 second in the 50 free, an outstanding achievement, which was followed by a drop of 2.29 seconds in his 200 free relay split. In the 100 butterfly, Alex Levy ’10 shaved 1.88 seconds, and Comie Stallmeyer took 0.92 seconds off his PB. Tully Hannan shaved 0.5 seconds on the 100 free.

There were many who reached new heights at New Englands and all supported the team throughout a long weekend of competition.

The weekend before New Englands the entire team competed in the Western New England Championships and earned an amazing 20 best times and 23 ribbons. There were obviously

many highlights, but there was a definite focus for those who were finishing the season. Julio Veluntini ’10 shaved 0.98 seconds off of his PB in the 50 free and 2.37 seconds off the 100 freestyle, and Peter Crampton ’08 beat his best time by 0.47 seconds; both were at New Englands’s to help and support the team. Seung Young Cha ’11 placed first in his heat and took 9.43 seconds off his best time in the 100 freestyle, and his older brother Dong Young Cha ’09 also beat his best time by 1.69 seconds. Min Ho Lee ’09 beat his best by 6.17 seconds and Giri Suarsana ’11 had a good day and took 0.83 seconds off his best time. Gi Hoon Song ’10 continued to improve dropping a whopping 8.27 seconds off his best time in the 500 freestyle.

It was a fun day for all and especially exciting for those who had not been to such a large meet before.

The team began the year in a new facility at Miss Porter’s School, and greatly appreciated the size, support and beauty of the new environment, which afforded a shorter drive and therefore more water time. They also benefitted from the immense size of the pool, eight lanes with a high open ceiling, great natural light, and plenty of deck space. Avon enjoyed tremendous fan support, as well. The stands at the new pool were packed at the meets.

Varsity Squash Overall Record: 5–11 The 2007–2008 season welcomed many new faces to the varsity squash program at Avon. The six players to join the team were Preston Thompson ’08, Braham Wachter ’08, Jared Ciejek ’09, Ford St. John ’09, Casey O’Brien ’10, and Alija Hogans ’11. Returnees Parker Bova ’10 and Captain Robert Patterson ’08 took on the task of introducing the new players to the complexity of the game. This was clearly going to be a “rebuilding” season and the team’s goals were to work daily to improve their skills and to learn the fundamentals of squash. Although

Riflery Overall Record: 3–3

The Avon Old Farms Riflery Team ended its 2007–08 season with a spot in the Connecticut state championship.

The championship consisted of last year’s state champions, Bunnell High School, representing the Central Conference, Xavier High School for the Quinnipiac Conference, and Vinal Tech representing the Pequot/Mohegan Conference. North Haven High School, —continued on opposite page 28

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

the team finished the season with a record of 4–14 and finished 15th in the New England Class “B” Tournament, this does not reflect the effort each player put into the season and the improvements that they have made.

This year’s Most Improved Player award goes to Preston Thompson ’08. Preston’s “never-say-die” attitude on the courts allowed him to get to shots most players would not even consider. His relentless plays also paid off during the New England Tournament, where he defeated some of the opponents he had lost to during the season. Jared Ciejek ’09 was the recipient of this year’s Most Valuable Player Award. Finally, Captain Robert Patterson earned the

2008 Coach’s Award. This season Rob faced many of the best players in New England and always had respectable finishes. A special thank you to Rob for all his hard work this season; he will be missed next year on the courts.

Avon was victorious in competitive matches against Trinity-Pawling, Kent, and Kingswood (twice). These difficult matches showed each member of the team how important it is to keep composure and play levelheaded squash, and gave Avon a taste of what winning feels like. With many promising returnees, there is little doubt that next year Avon’s varsity squash team will improve on its regular season record.

Athletics

Ski Team Overall Record: 21–9 in the Berkshire Ski League The ski team approached this season with an attitude of having nothing to lose. Having lost past stars to graduation, including All-New England and All-Berkshire Ski League racer Mike Haeflich ’07, this year appeared to be a rebuilding one. Of the 19 boys on the team, 13 of them were in either their freshman or sophomore year. In addition, the team welcomed nine new members to the program.

The first two races of the year did nothing to dispel the notion that this would be a rebuilding year. Third place finishes in both races showed the youth of the team but also its promise.

Nevertheless, the team proved to itself in these races that so long as each racer finished both runs cleanly, they would be difficult to beat. This mantra came true in the final regular season race of the season, as the team handed Loomis, the eventual Berkshire Ski League champion, one of only two losses this season.

In the post season, the team also fared quite well. The team earned a ninth place finish at the NEPSAC Class A Championships. Despite a

difficult time completing the slalom course, the team rebounded in the afternoon GS race with Declan Reed ’10 earning a 12th-place finish in that event. The BSL Championships were truly one of the highlights of the season as the team defeated two teams that had beaten it earlier in the season (Suffield and Trinity-Pawling).

Ben Crocker ’11 highlighted the team’s performance in this race by earning a 5th-place finish in GS and a 10th-place finish in the slalom out of a field of 80 racers. The varsity team of Reed, Crocker, Dan Bell ’11, Riggs Brackett ’10, Dan Witkiewicz ’08, Euan Sorrell ’11, captain Jae Woo Lim ’08, and Patrick Birch ’09 worked hard throughout the season, improved a lot, and showed a lot of

promise for next year.

The JV program was also quite strong this year, with enough racers to form two JV teams, the Red and the Blue team. The Red team completed the Berkshire Ski League regular season undefeated, while the Blue team won the JV league championship. The Blue team’s only losses this season were to the Red team. JV racers Brandon Moore ’08, Jason Lally ’11, Max Rusch ’10, Dan Loveland ’09, Patrick Hampton ’10, David Barros ’11, Michael Barros ’11, Jonas Nissley ’10, Connor Bracket ’10, Dustin Nord ’11, and Jason Torey ’09 all had terrific seasons. With sixteen racers set to return from this year’s squad, the future of the race team at Avon Old Farms appears bright.

winners of four previous championships, captured the other wild card.

Each team put two shooters on the firing line for each relay, and shooting shoulder to shoulder. The course of fire was five shots in each of four positions—prone, sitting, kneeling and standing—with a 30-minute time limit.

The maximum score any one shooter can achieve is a 200. A very good score is 180 or better. Each team shoots with 10 members in the championship and the top five scores from each team are added up to comprise the team score.

Avon Old Farms School placed 3rd in the championship, following Xavier High School in first and North Haven High School, who placed second.

This was the highest standing Avon Old Farms has ever achieved.

It was quite an accomplishment to beat last year’s championship team. Individually, the shooters did exceptionally well. Co-Captain Chet Helstowski ’08 and Julian Chung ’11 both fired 190. Co-Captain Yong Bok (Scotty) Lee ’08 fired a 189. Tae Won Kwon ’10 fired one of his all-

time high scores of 188 with a six in standing position. He dropped four points in prone position but then came back to shoot a perfect 50 in both sitting and kneeling positions.

He was the only shooter from all five teams in the championship to shoot a perfect 50 in the kneeling position.

Alex Tynell ’10 rounded out the top five scores with a 184. He shot a perfect score in the prone position.

Sung Jin Jeong ’09 fired a 182, Tae Ik Kim ’10 a 181, and Woo Su Choe ’10 a 171.

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

29

Avon Old Farms School strives to be the best school for boys by cultivating young men of integrity who honor wisdom, justice, service, and the pursuit of truth. We promote intellectual, creative, and emotional growth in our students by providing a structured, supportive learning environment that encourages self-discovery and social responsibility.

Mission Statement

Good Men Abound at Avon Old Farms School

by Morgan L. Cadwell

What does it mean to be a “good man?” To some, a good man knows right from wrong. To others, a good man is one who treats people with consideration, respect, and kindness.

Many believe that a good man dedicates himself to selfimprovement. Perhaps a good man is one who makes the right choice, however difficult, even when no one is looking.

Whatever your definition may be, good men abound at Avon Old Farms School, and they take many forms.

Students, faculty, alumni, groundskeepers, dining services staff...they can be found on every corner of the Avon campus.

Countless “good men” devote themselves to this community with the desire to improve it, and with the unified goal of

30

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

shaping boys into good men as they step out into the world.

Living by the code of the Avon Old Farms core values— Integrity, Scholarship, Civility, Sportsmanship, Altruism, Tolerance, Self-discipline, and Responsibility—they are the people who define this institution and carry on its great traditions. With their character, with their actions, and with their unwavering commitment, they lead by example, and seek little commendation. They are true Avonians, whose pride and dedication to the community resounds in everything they do.

Among these many remarkable individuals who are deserving of the moniker “Good Man,” The Avonian is privileged to recognize just a few.

Art Custer If anyone knows what it means to be an Avonian, it’s Art Custer. A member of the faculty since his graduation from Bowdoin almost 27 years ago, Art’s legacy began with his grandfather, who taught here in the ’30s and ’40s.

His father was in the class of ’43. And when he began his own tenure at Avon, Art discovered that he is descended, on his mother’s side, from some of the original white settlers in the area. His extended family has several centuries’ connection to the town of Avon, and four generations of Custers—including his three sons and his nephew, faculty member Nathaniel, have come to Avon as either students or faculty. “As a historian,” notes Art, “I feel a powerful sense of connection to this place.”

A history teacher throughout the entirety of his career, Art has also enjoyed many significant roles within the Avon community. Now the dean of faculty and chair of the history department, Art is also the advisor to the Student Council, and a member of the administrative, academic, and discipline committees. His profound presence on campus, as a model of so many of the values upon which the foundation of Avon Old Farms School was built, allows him to serve as an example of the type of ‘good man’ he feels Avon so successfully breeds.

“The men in the community serve as role models,” Art explains, “so that we show our students several

different examples of good men all day, every day. We seek to recognize the attributes of good men in our students, and to celebrate them.”

Art cites the many unanticipated “teaching moments” as evidence of Avon’s influence in shaping boys into successful young men. He explains that there are so many incidents—both on campus and in society—that offer the faculty opportunities to connect with the students about the importance of core values and the real meaning of events, or the ramifications of various responses to the events. Integrity, he feels, plays an important part in these conversations.

“If my students listen to me on the question of values, it is because they know that I mean what I say, and that I believe in and try to live the values that I espouse,” he notes. “I try to be honest and fair in my dealings with other people, and I try not to compromise on the principles most important to me.

“At the end of the day, you have to be able to live with yourself, and a lack of integrity makes that very difficult,” Art observes. “I think most of us remember our failures—especially in areas of character—far more clearly than we remember our successes. If we feel that we have been rude or unfair, or that we have treated someone poorly, it haunts us. A good man treats other people fairly and with respect.”

“A good man is conscious of the world around him and the people in it, and they play a role in his thinking and decision making.

A good man is thoughtful and courteous, and he understands and considers the impact that his actions and decisions have on other people. He may be highly successful, but his focus is usually outside himself; his goals involve improving other people’s lives.”

—Art Custer

adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

Integrity

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

31

courtesy; politeness; a polite action or expression.

Civility

Jae Taek Hong ’08

“Being a good Avonian is not about being the top athlete or the top scholar. A man of principle, who holds true to his virtues and values, who cherishes everything Avon has to offer, is the true Avonian.”

–JT Hong ’08

Jae Taek Hong ’08, or ‘JT’ as he is called around campus, has seemingly defined scholarship at Avon Old Farms School.

Striving for academic excellence since his very first days as a Winged Beaver, JT has accomplished much in a very short period of time.

JT has earned academic awards in all the years of his career at Avon, including Headmaster’s List for 9–11th grades, Award for Excellence in English 2 and 3 and in Algebra 2, the Bausch and Lomb Science Award as a junior, the Hamilton Book Award as a sophomore and the Harvard Book Award as a junior. JT has demonstrated mastery in all areas of life at Avon, though he is quick to give credit to his family and to the school itself, stating that “I respect my parents more than anyone else.

They inspire me and support me whenever I need them,” and recalling the “lifelong relationships” he has formed with faculty and friends as reasons for his success.

Though widely known as one of the school’s top scholars, JT is also extremely involved on campus. Athletically, he has been a member of Mr. Beneski’s “Mighty Mighty” 4ths soccer team (undefeated in fall ’07) as well as a thrower for the Track team. JT is also a member of the Elite Jazz Band, Avon Outreach, the International Club, Amnesty International, and the

Investment Club, among others. He also served as a monitor his junior year in Eagle dormitory.

“There is simply no other place like Avon. I am confident that I would never have excelled as much, or met so many great people, had I gone to another school.” JT reiterates Headmaster LaRocque’s statements of community— ‘We are a family here. We work hard and we play hard,’—as motivation in trying to do his absolute best. “I have learned so much, and not just in the classroom… We came here as boys, and we definitely want to leave here as men, as Avonians.”

JT is applying to major academic programs at Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Stanford. And though his initial plan is to pursue a business career, he is willing to reevaluate when he is at college. One thing he is sure of is his decision to attend Avon Old Farms School, and its success in preparing him for the future.

“The four years at Avon have been the greatest years of my life… To me, being a good Avonian is not about being the top athlete or the top scholar. A man of principle, who holds true to his virtues and values, who cherishes everything Avon has to offer, from the classroom to the athletic fields to the community service opportunities, is the true Avonian.”

learning; knowledge acquired by study; the academic attainments of a scholar.

Scholarship 32

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

Chris Campbell ’08 Accepted to the ABC (A Better Chance) program that places minorities from cities into college preparatory schools, Chris Campbell ’08 takes a unique approach to life at Avon Old Farms School, making sure to appreciate both the positive and the negative experiences that come his way.

As a member of the network club and Connecticut forum, a monitor in Jennings dormitory, and a member of the soccer and track teams, Chris has plenty of opportunities to interact with many members of the Avon community, and to witness firsthand Avon’s role in bringing

people together. He also understands the value of civility in this process.

“I think that Avon has taught me to be a more understanding, patient and independent person because of the various circumstances, good and bad, that I face every day,” he observes. “Avon brings so many different types of people together, forcing them to interact. We mature, and learn to accept other people.”

While the conflicts that occasionally result from the diverse population might be challenging, Chris has a firm belief that, through civility, each student can benefit from treating each other well.

“Avon students are challenged every day.

These tests build character,” he explains, noting that he strives to treat others with respect because getting angry at his peers won’t solve his own problems.

“No one wants to be treated badly,” he states simply. “It’s self-preservation to be nice to others—it directly effects how they’re going to treat you.” At the end of the day, Chris strives to improve himself, and not to make the same mistakes twice.

And he credits the many “great role models” at Avon that help to guide each student through difficult periods in their lives on the way to becoming good men.

even though our obvious goal was to beat every team we played, everyone on the ice deserves a level of fairness and proper conduct.” Mike’s positive attitude followed him to Clarkson, where he claims he learned to place the well-being of the team above everything else, stating that “even if it meant that I wouldn’t be in the line-up, it became evident that being selfless and playing a role for my team was the most beneficial.”

“On a team,” he continues, “players with sportsmanship bring a positive spirit to the team and play an important role in its success. It’s a mindset that’s contagious and beneficial to those around you.”

Mike feels that while his experiences in developing a strong sense of sportsmanship stemmed from playing hockey at Avon, those lessons are applying themselves to his everyday life. “I take pride and value in everything that I do…that is something that Avon played a huge role in teaching me,” he says. “I strive

to do everything, from homework to games, to the best of my ability with care and responsibility.”

Mike spends most of his time in class or at the rink, but when he does have some time off, he enjoys watching movies, playing basketball, and cooking. He also mentions that he surrounds himself constantly with friends and family, something he valued most about the community at Avon.

“I’ll never forget the closeness and camaraderie that I felt at Avon, amongst my teammates, classmates, and teachers,” Mike recalls. “I felt that Avon had been made for me. There are people there that I won’t ever forget.”

Mike Arciero ’04 Mike Arciero ’04 is a senior financial information analysis major in the Business School at Clarkson University. He’s planning to begin his career as a financial analyst with Goldman Sachs in Manhattan next year, and eventually, would like to become a portfolio manager for a hedge fund. And while he isn’t planning on pursuing hockey as a potential career path, the lessons he learned in sportsmanship both on and off the ice as a Winged Beaver and as a Golden Knight at Clarkson are sure to serve him well no matter where that path may take him.

As the captain of the varsity hockey team as well as a member of the lacrosse team, Mike credits his involvement with the athletic program at Avon with helping to foster a deep belief in the value of sportsmanship, both on and off the ice. “At Avon, sportsmanship played a huge role in my conduct with my opponents. I learned to respect the opposing teams’ players, and

conduct and attitude considered as befitting participants in sports, especially fair play, courtesy, striving spirit, and grace in losing.

Sportsmanship

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

33

“To be a good person means putting others before yourself, and realizing that you’re privileged; to be a good person is to see what you’ve been given and try to distribute your wealth of opportunities to others, who are just as important, if not more important, than yourself.”

–Brandon Moore ’08

“In addition to promoting Avon’s “core values,” we encourage our boys to get outside of themselves; to commit their energies unselfishly to worthy causes and people who need support.

It’s all about giving and self-sacrifice in a variety of contexts, embracing the notion that “the whole can be greater than the sum of the parts.”

—Dean Peter Evans

Brandon Moore ’08 Brandon Moore ’08 dedicates most of his time outside the classroom to community service. The recipient of last year’s Barnes Service Award, Brandon acts as co-president of Avon Outreach, the community service club on campus, and, as a member, supervises and participates in many of the club’s initiatives. He is the president of the Avon Health Center program, which spends time at a local elder home, as well as president of the Gifts of Love program, an organization that raises money to provide food, clothing, and other household items for local families experiencing temporary financial crisis.

He also volunteers at a local soup kitchen and helped organize a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation fundraiser in the fall.

Additionally, Brandon is the English peer tutoring department head, news editor of the school’s newspaper, a member of Amnesty International, Model UN, and the environmental club, and a member of the ski team.

Brandon’s roots in community service stem from his involvement in the Boy Scouts of America program; he is about to become an Eagle Scout, a position for which he was required to complete a service project. After raising money for supplies, soil, fertilizer, and plants by sending letters to local businesses, Brandon worked to construct two flower beds, which were installed this March, for the Saint Mary Home in West Hartford. His experiences with Boy Scouts encouraged Brandon to continue pursuing community service opportunities at the school.

“I began getting really involved at Avon when Mrs. Callaghan started Avon Outreach, my sophomore year,” Brandon explains. “She offered so many different opportunities, I just tried to seize as many

as I could. This year, I’ve tried to take on more leadership roles.”

Brandon observes that his time at Avon, particularly in relation to his newfound passion for community service, opened his eyes to how much other people might be lacking in their lives. “I think it’s really important for everyone to do their share, rather than being sheltered,” he says. “It would be ignorant not to try to give back, because we’re given so many opportunities at Avon. We could never understand the way less fortunate people live, but at least we can help.”

For as much time as Brandon dedicates to serving others during the school year, he is equally involved during his time off. He spends his summer vacations volunteering at the Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, Connecticut.

During spring break of his sophomore, junior, and senior years, Brandon traveled to San Pablo, Ecuador, where, amongst many other projects, he helped to construct a community meeting center, painted a schoolhouse, cleared ground for a soccer field, and helped teach English to the students and adults of the village.

Brandon’s passion for serving others has brought about much positive change for the Avon community, as well as for those to whom he dedicates his service. Humbly, he is quick to defer credit to his role models and to the opportunities the school has afforded him. “When I first came here, I was shocked at how much I was offered,” he notes. “I feel like Avon has completely changed me because of that—it’s opened my eyes to what’s really important, and what priorities I should have. The school does a great job of showing us what it means to be a good person. The type of people you meet here are the people I aspire to become.”

the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others.

Altruism 34

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

Lee Huguley ’92 Director of Diversity Lee Huguley ’92 has seen a lot of change—both professionally and personally—over the course of his lifetime to get to where he is today, but one thing has never wavered: his dedication to educating people about the importance of tolerance.

Also a member of the English faculty as well as the assistant dean of students, Lee began his career at Avon Old Farms School in the fall of 1997, following his graduation as a philosophy major from Washington and Jefferson College. As a student at Avon, Lee was a member of the varsity football team as well as captain of the track team. He currently acts as a coach for the football team, as well as a monitor in the weight room. Lee is the head of Pelican Dorm, where he resides with his wife, Taz, whom he married at Avon in 1999, and their daughter, Anaya.

He is the advisor to the network club, which is the diversity club on campus.

Lee credits a strong upbringing as the root of his beliefs system, and his understanding of core values, noting that his parents taught him to always view people without regard to race, nationality, or sexual orientation.

“You’re never really sure who someone is until you’ve actually had the chance to have a conversation,” he observes. “I

definitely subscribe to the theory that you can’t judge a book by its cover.”

Though Lee has always understood the importance of tolerance, his eyes were opened in college when he realized just how significant an impact a lack of tolerance could have in society. “My tolerance really comes from intolerance for ignorance and judgment.” Lee recounts his friendship with someone in college who, at first glance, he pegged as prejudiced. Lee later learned that this young man was actually deeply involved in protesting against racism and frequently attended rallies.

“That taught me a valuable lesson,” says Lee, “that you really have to get to know people before you pass judgment.

I’ve learned to really embrace difference, and I’ve made new friends and good connections because of a willingness to extend myself and learn about different cultures and different things. Life is all about experiences, and if you shut yourself off to a group of people, you’re going to miss out on a lot of great experiences.”

Now, in his many roles at Avon, Lee strives to educate students using his own experiences and his solid belief in fostering open-minded, good young men. He feels he is most effective in bringing to light the mannerisms that need to change,

including the use of slurs or how the boys might address women or students of different sexual orientations. “I try to open their eyes to how bad it is,” explains Lee. “They’re young, and they come from different backgrounds, so I don’t blame them. But it’s our role as educators to teach them about different people.” Lee notes that he prefers to think of tolerance not as a statement of “I’ll deal with this,” but rather, “I don’t understand, but I’m willing to learn. True tolerance isn’t just about putting up with someone or something, it’s more about educating yourself.”

Lee is confident that his commitment to the boys at Avon will result in better men going forward when they leave the school.

“It’s not just to teach them arithmetic and grammar and which president was when,” he observes of his goal as an educator. “It’s about what they need to know when they leave this place; to go to college and to enter this world as good people. At the end of the day, that’s all we really have. If we can do that, then I think we’ve done our job.”

“A good man constantly questions his motivations. He is not satisfied with the feeling of success until he has thoughtfully considered whether or not his success has value for the world at large. A good man is humbly proud. He realizes that the talents he has developed contribute to the world, and he exercises them with confidence; yet he is humble in his bearing and grateful for the gifts that allow him to make a positive difference in the world...A good man is a balanced man of integrity.”

—Joan Brodie, Chairman of the English Department

a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, etc., differ from one’s own

Tolerance

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

35

discipline and training of oneself, usually for improvement.

Self-discipline Brad Cooper ’08

“The good man creates the good society; the good society ensures that good men continue to be made…

If we all act according to the minimal expectations regarding each other’s value as a human, recognizing the dignity of each person, the responsibility that the society has to ensure justice for all people, then we are doing good.”

—Reverend Tim Beneski, English and Foreign Language

Brad Cooper ’08 claims that the moment he drove through the gates of Avon Old Farms School, he knew it was the place for him. That instinct served him well, as Brad has never looked back since his first days at Avon, and matured into a young man who embodies responsibility and takes advantage of all that Avon has to offer.

A second-year monitor in Jamerson dormitory, Brad was born in Toronto and now resides in Florida. He actively participates in community service, as well as the network club and Connecticut Chasers. He has been a member of the football, hockey, lacrosse and track teams, as well.

Brad credits the close relationships he has formed with both students and faculty as the biggest factor in his success at Avon. “They surround us with great faculty members,” he explains. “Good faculty members and good students who all have the common goal of success really motivate us to grow and mature into good men.”

Living away from home is another reason Brad feels he has been able to learn so much from his time at

Avon. “I chose Avon most importantly because it’s a place I can fit in well and succeed. Over the four years here, I have grown from a boy to a man. The experience has been great and I have changed a lot. Living away from home helps you mature faster, and learn to be responsible and manage your time.”

Brad notes that learning to be responsible is one of the most important parts of becoming a man. In order to do so, he tries to make choices in his everyday life that he would at home, and that he would when under the watchful eyes of family or faculty.

The skills he has acquired here should lend themselves well to his future plans: Brad will attend the University of Connecticut next year, with a planned major in business.

He’ll also be a member of the UConn hockey team, and while he hopes to pursue hockey as a possible career path, he also stresses the importance of an education. “I hope to play hockey as long as I can, at the highest level I can,” Brad says. “But after that, because I’ll have a good education, I’ll be able to get a good job.”

having a capacity for moral decisions and therefore accountable; capable of having rational thought or action.

Responsibility 36

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

As a Winged Beaver, Brian was captain of the baseball and football teams, editor of the yearbook, a member of the student bar, and head day boy monitor as a junior. He was elected warden his senior year, and made the decision to become a boarding student—and head monitor of Pelican dormitory—in order to fully dedicate himself to the position and the school community. Brian explains that because of his commitment to Avon, he had to learn how to prioritize and focus on what rian onroy was important, skills that followed him to Dartmouth, where he played both football and baseball and graduated with Brian Conroy ’82 is now SVP and a degree in religion. head of global equity trading at Fidelity Brian explains that he eventually made Management & Research Co. He is responsible for setting the strategic direction his way into equity trading through college of both domestic and international trading. friends, who suggested that he might be successful because the career combines The Dartmouth College graduate has teamwork, focus, and competition, similar long embraced the value of self-discipline, to what he experienced and enjoyed at a strength he feels stems from his days Avon and Dartmouth. at Avon Old Farms School, in order to manage his busy professional life, dedication He observes that self-discipline is a strength he has long felt to be to staying active, and keeping up with his the keystone to being a good person, three young children.

B

C

’82

whether as a friend, a family member, a parent, or professionally, and that Avon plays a big part in shaping boys into believers of self-discipline. “There’s a certain degree of success which comes from the ability to focus on what’s important, and not be distracted by temptations that would compromise your success,” he observes. “Avon teaches you to make the right decisions in the face of certain distractions.

Avon taught us that it was okay to get knocked down, but not to stay down.”

Brian is also quick to credit Avon with helping young men maintain a realistic and healthy awareness of the world around them. “Avon is a wonderful place,” he notes. “It allows boys to feel good, and enjoy their opportunities and successes, but also to understand that the world doesn’t necessarily have to be as great as it appears.” And self-discipline, he says, is the key to the balancing act. “Through good self-discipline and the trust of friends and family, one is able to make more consistent decisions.”

The First Annual Avon Old Farms School Distinguished Alumnus Award: Pete Seeger ’36 The winner of the first annual Avon Old Farms School Distinguished Alumnus Award is legendary folk singer and political activist Pete Seeger ’36, who will be honored at the award’s inaugural reception during Alumni Weekend May 9–10, 2008.

The purpose of the Distinguished Alumnus Award is to recognize deserving alumni who have achieved distinction in their professional careers, humanitarian endeavors, or other significant fields. The program seeks to do more than simply honor its recipients. The Distinguished Alumnus Award aims to educate the Avon community by sharing the stories of successful alumni, while also increasing the pride of all students, alumni, faculty, and friends of the school. In honoring the men who embody the core values of Avon Old Farms School, and recognizing alumni who exemplify the qualities that the Avon boy strives to develop within himself during his time

here, the award encourages continued excellence and success throughout all members of this widespread community, and provides strong examples of the man that the Avon boy aspires and has the potential to become.

School administrators, select members of the National Council, and the current members of the student council comprise the Selection Committee for the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Director of Alumni Relations Robert Dowling ’91, who organized the program, commented that the program was created in order to celebrate the alumni in a similar format as the Athletic Hall of Fame.

“We conceived of a program in which we would invite people back, Jennifer Almquist / almquistphoto.com

celebrate their success, and give them an opportunity to share their lives with the current students,” says Dowling.

Once the process began, notes Dowling, “Pete Seeger emerged as a clear choice by our nominators and also within the conversation of the selection committee.

His work as a musician, activist, and man of courage really inspired the people involved in the process.” X

“The Callaghans, as a couple, serve as a wonderful example to the rest of our community. Their commitment to Avon, to our mission, to our students, and to community service is inspiring.”

—Headmaster Ken LaRocque

Heather and Graham Callaghan ’95 with son Owen.

38

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

Faculty Focus

Heather and Graham Callaghan ’95

By Morgan L. Cadwell

M

ost people identify Heather and Graham Callaghan ’95 as fixtures of the Avon Old Farms School community. What they might not be aware of are the careers the Callaghans have to fall back on—Heather was studying to become a veterinarian when she met Graham and plans changed, and Graham, with an appearance as a baseball pitcher in 2001’s Summer Catch, just may have a future in Hollywood, or at least the minor leagues! While Heather and Graham have no plans to leave Avon any time in the near future, the short road they traveled to Avon, and the life and family they have established here, involved hard work, new plans, and a dedication to the life and tradition of Avon Old Farms. And they couldn’t be happier about it.

Heather and Graham met in August of 2003, when Heather was teaching in Massachusetts and living with the parents of Graham’s college roommate, who set them up at a family barbeque. After graduating from College of the Holy Cross in 1999, Heather traveled to Ecuador to volunteer as an English teacher for two years. When she returned, she worked a series of different jobs while taking prerequisite classes in order to apply for veterinary school. When they met, Heather was in the process of trying to establish residency in Oregon, where she was hoping to be accepted into school. Graham, who graduated from Amherst College, also in 1999, had returned to Avon in 2003 as an English teacher. He spent his first year at Avon dating Heather long-distance, until Dean of Faculty Art Custer mentioned that a Spanish teaching position had opened up.

Heather interviewed for the job, and was offered the position.

Though they had only been dating for six months at the time, Heather and Graham decided to go for it, and she postponed her move to veterinary school and packed up for Avon in 2004.

Though she never became a vet, Heather doesn’t regret the change in career plans or the decision to follow her heart and her love of teaching; as for animals, she has their two cats, five fish, and bustling bird feeders to mind.

Graham proposed in August of 2005, following in his cousin’s tradition of writing memorable moments on corks from wine

or champagne bottles. Getting ready to leave for a road trip to California, Graham called Heather’s father while she was out running errands. When she returned, he had set up some wine to celebrate the trip, and asked her to look at the cork, on which he had written “August 1, 2005: Our engagement.” Heather excitedly accepted, and they were married on campus in the chapel on July 29, 2006, in front of many Avon friends, faculty members, and alumni, including four in their wedding party.

A little over a year later, on August 24, 2007, their son Owen Russell was born. Heather decided to take some time off from her position as a Spanish teacher and advisor to the Spanish club, but remains at the helm of the busy community service program as director of community service, a position which she has held since 2005. Heather oversees the many community service initiatives in which the boys participate, and has greatly increased the opportunities available to students. In 2006, she created Avon Outreach, the community service club on campus, which now boasts 90 members who regularly volunteer at a local soup kitchen as well as the Avon Health Center, in addition to organizations such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Connecticut Chasers, Gifts of Love, and Habitat for Humanity. Heather works tirelessly to manage the busy community service schedule.

After four years of teaching junior and senior English, Graham is teaching Advanced Placement English this year, and also helps out with the school newspaper, to which he was the faculty advisor for two years. Next year, he will assume the role of Chairman of the English department. As a former player for Amherst, he is also an experienced coach of the baseball program at Avon. Additionally, Graham has been the advisor to the literary club, a role which he enjoyed due to his own passion for the written word. He has a master’s degree in

Heather and Graham with their wedding party. They married on campus in July, 2006.

1

fiction writing from Temple University, a program which he credits with giving him a “deeper appreciation for literature that lasts,” including his own favorite novel, Salinger’s A Catcher in the Rye, which Graham notes he has read at four different times in his life and continues to enjoy. Graham was awarded the Ludwig Junior Faculty Chair in 2004, a threeyear position allowing him to pursue additional study during the summer vacation. He attended writers’ conferences in California and at Wesleyan University, and also participated in a seminar in Ireland, studying W.B. Yeats and James Joyce.

Though Heather and Graham both mention the difficulty of raising a young child while Graham is busy most of the year teaching, coaching, and working in the dorm, they have little trouble extolling the virtues of family life at Avon, and are excited for Owen to grow up in what they each describe as an amazingly supportive community. That sense of family, as a school, is what they enjoy most about the Avon experience, from the spirit on the athletic fields, to the commitment to community

“The students grow tremendously in their time here…to watch them graduate, and celebrate with their friends and families and know that you contributed to that moment in their life in some small way is a powerful experience.”

—Graham Callaghan 3

2

4 5

service, and to colleagues covering classes for one another when something comes up. Heather explains that the support reaches from baby-sitting each other’s children, to borrowing an egg, to donating maternity clothes, pots and pans, or baby clothes. “And the community extends beyond just the families that live on campus and the faculty and staff,” she continues. “It includes the students, as well. We have 400 built-in baby-sitters; 400 ‘big boy’ role models for our children. The students become just as much a part of this community as the families that live here.”

Graham agrees, noting that the relationships he has formed with both students and his colleagues are deeply gratifying. “You hear a lot about how the faculty members here are intelligent, passionate, and caring, but you’ll never hear it from their own mouths. People are level-headed and personable without pretense, and Heather and I have formed a good number of meaningful friendships since we joined the community.”

While the relationships they’ve fostered in their time at Avon have enhanced their personal experiences, the Callaghans have also found the bond they develop with students to be immensely rewarding, albeit challenging at times. Graham observes that, though fulfilling, investing himself so completely in the school and its lifestyle sometimes makes distance a little tricky. Heather agrees, noting that “when you are so invested in the students here, because you work with them so closely, it’s hard when things don’t work out for them, or they don’t appreciate the help that this school can provide. It’s hard not to feel like you let them down.” At the end of the day, however, as Graham notes, watching the boys mature into strong young men is the ultimate reward,

specifically “being able to sit back and watch on graduation day,” he says. “The students grow tremendously in their time here…to watch them graduate, and celebrate with their friends and families and know that you contributed to that moment in their life in some small way is a powerful experience.”

It’s this commitment to their role as educators, and their dedication to their students, that make the Callaghans such an essential element of the community. As Headmaster Ken LaRocque observes, “Graham is a master teacher as well as a talented coach and an effective advisor. He knows boys and relates to them extremely well in a variety of settings.” Tim Clark ’08, one of Graham’s students, agrees, noting that “Mr. Callaghan really gets to know his students, both academically and personally—that’s what makes him such a great teacher. He is a great role model.”

Brandon Moore ’08, co-president of Avon Outreach, refers to Heather as one of the most selfless people he’s ever encountered.

“She has single-handedly caused the community service program here at Avon to explode,” says Brandon. “She has such a passion for helping others. Her effects on the community are numerous and a powerful gesture of her good will toward the service of the greater good. If you aspire to become an altruistic and generous person, there is no better role model than Mrs. Callaghan.”

Considering that Heather and Graham both find their interactions with Avon students to be so rewarding, it’s not surprising that they hope to enroll their son Owen at the school when that time comes. “It would please me more than anything if, someday, Owen is taught by, coached by, and advised by the people who work here,” says Heather. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.” They are both quick to state their desire to stay at Avon, and hopefully raise more children here. Though they’d like to have another child first, Heather is eager to return to teaching. It is certain that no matter what roles Heather and Graham Callaghan find themselves in at Avon, they will continue to enjoy happiness and success. As role models of the tradition of hard-working good people that thrives at Old Farms, they are a supremely beneficial and loved part of the Avon community which has embraced them ever since they arrived. As LaRocque notes, “they make a tremendous difference here.”  Opposite page 1. Visiting the Eiffel Tower during their honeymoon.

2. Heather and Graham pause to admire the view during a hike outside of Dublin, Ireland, in June 2007.

3. Another stop on their honeymoon was Monaco.

4. Hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains, August 2005.

5. During a spring 1995 trip to Cocoa Beach, Florida with the Avon baseball team. Left to right, with coaches John Couture, Brian Doyle, Peter Evans, Art Mehos, and Matt Treat ’86.

This page 6. Heather and Graham with son Owen, in Vermont, November 2007.

7. Graham with his parents at Avon graduation, 1995.

8. Visiting a rose garden in Portland, Oregon.

9. In Siena, Italy, during their honeymoon.

10. Graham at the Shakespeare and Co. Bookshop in Paris, summer 2006.

11. Heather and Graham with faculty member Tim Beneski, who served as officiant of their wedding ceremony.

6

7

8 10

9 11

1

2

Student Spotlight

3

W

ill Hendricks ’08 knows what it means to be an Avonian, and he thrives in that role. Will is proud to serve as a representative of the school, and to act as the leader of a student body that regards him as one of its most responsible, efficient members. Among his many positions on campus, Will is the school’s warden—essentially the president of the student body—as well as the head monitor in Elephant 3 dorm.

Will is the president of Avon Outreach and writes for the Avon Record. He is also a member of the international club and the nimrod club, and serves as an admissions ambassador. While his many roles on campus take up most of his time, Will heads to the gym to keep in shape during whatever extra hours he manages to find.

Will was also heavily involved in athletics, as a member of the soccer, ice hockey, and track teams, up until the end of his sophomore year, when he discovered that he suffers from a condition known as osteochondritis dissecans, which affects the bone and cartilage in the knee. Though Will has missed several weeks of school over the course of the last two

years—and spent an entire year on and off of crutches—for the three surgeries required to repair his knee, he has managed to maintain an excellent grade point average, as well as excel in his roles as warden and head monitor in Elephant 3 dorm. Last year, he was awarded the Paul Karl Schiller ’78 Award for aspiring and excelling through difficulty.

While one of the more difficult moments in his tenure at Avon, Will’s knee injury allowed for him to turn his attention to community service as well as devote himself to setting an extraordinary example for younger Avonians. Last summer, he traveled to Jordan with Operation Smile, and helped to perform operations on 80 children in just four days. Over the winter break this year, Will and his family went to Peru to help the rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of the massive earthquake in Pisco.

Will’s advisor, foreign language faculty member Brian Cugell, comments that Will has grown immensely over the last several years, “not only as an elite student, but as a leader in the dormitory, helping to run community service projects as well as doing

Warden Will Hendricks ’08 42

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

6

4

7

5

9

8

his best to represent the student body as the warden. I watched Will reinvent himself, particularly in coming back from a major sports injury, and his maturation as a young man has helped define a new side of him.”

Will credits his close friendship with the 2006–2007 warden, Tyler Haddad ’07, as the reason for his involvement with student council. He also emphasizes that leadership is a skill that comes naturally to him, and one which he relishes. “I like responsibility, and I really enjoy being a role model. I like the younger students to be able to come to me with questions or when they have problems.”

Will’s dedication and commitment to the position have paid off, and garnered much respect. “The student council started meeting with the administration more this year,” he explains. “Even if we don’t have anything to propose for them, we just want to let them know how things are going and become more active in their decisions. At the first board meeting, we had a panel and had lunch with the board and they asked us questions. It was a discussion, rather than just a speech about the state of the school, and the board members were really happy with that.”

Dean of Faculty Art Custer, who acts as faculty advisor to the student council, notes that, though Will is a more reserved warden than the ‘high-profile’ boys of the past, “he

leads by example, and is highly effective. The boys respect and admire Will, so his word carries a great deal of weight with them. He has a strong relationship with the administration.”

“Will has fully dedicated himself to becoming a ‘Man of Avon’ who looks to serve the school in any capacity,” agrees Cugell. “He is a leader in the eyes of the faculty and administration as well as by the approval of his peers.”

One of the challenges Will has faced this year is balancing the student body’s desire to impart change on a school that was built upon a solid foundation of tradition. “A lot of times, people hold me accountable for the things they want done; they expect that because they told me what they want changed—such as senior privileges—that it becomes my priority.”

Not that he’s complaining: Will handles his many roles with grace, and enthusiastically accepts the pressure and new challenges that each day presents as part of the job. “It’s been a lot of work, and obviously something you have to be really dedicated to. But I wouldn’t change a thing,” he states emphatically. “I’m thrilled with the way this year has gone. I want to be remembered as someone who loved this school, and tried the best I could to make it a better place. Someone who has done good for Avon. I love that I can set a good example as a role model for this school.” 

Opposite page 1. Will and one of the children he met on a community service trip to Jordan with Operation Smile in 2007.

2. Addressing the student body at morning meeting with proceeds from the 2007–2008 Toys for Tots fundraiser.

3. Will and his family in Peru on Christmas morning, 2007.

This page 4. Visiting Machu Picchu, Christmas morning 2007.

5. Commencement 2007, with fellow Avonians, 2007 warden Tyler Haddad ’07, 2007 Captain Avon Ken Trentowski ’07, and this year’s Captain Avon, Chris Wieland ‘08.

6. Snowboarding the Alps.

7. At Boar’s Head Festival 2007, with his mother.

8. Will and his mom at a San Francisco Giants baseball game.

9. A true Avonian. Will feels the school spirit on the sideline at an Avon football game.

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

43

Elephant The

Remembers…

From

t h e

Compiled by Carol Ketcham

A

rc h i v e s

I

Pete Seeger’s Weekly Newsletter In 1932, in the 3rd form, I tried supplementing my allowance by shining shoes. Slow going. In ’33 I found the school would let me use the school mimeograph machine and I started this weekly “newspaper” in January ’34. (I’d run a school paper in Spring Hill School, Litchfield, two years before).

I collected the news, wrote it up, typed the stencils, turned the crank of the mimeo, collated and stapled the pages, and sold the copies for a nickel and kept the money. Free enterprise.

What I didn’t know till years later, that this was why I was allowed to stay at the school. My family had quite run out of money.

But Mrs. Riddle liked my little paper, giving her informal news of the boys in her school—whereas she probably only got formal reports from Dr. Kammerer.

From the Avon Weekly Newsletter…

January 14, 1934: Sometime within the month the Biology department will butcher the hog, at present living in the foundations of the future farm group on the other side of the garage. Mr. Sperry hopes that they will be able to get a state man from Storrs to come and show them really how to do it. They will make sausages, pigs’ knuckles, and everything that a pig should be turned into, and will smoke the hams and such in the little smoke-house on the slope across from the rabbitry.

January 21, 1934: The winter sports have started off with a bang. Fencing, tumbling, jiu jitsu, wrestling, and—corrective exercises. Those taking jiu jitsu have gotten, by contributing five dollars each, a Japanese expert to come in once a week from Hartford to teach them.

44

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

January 28, 1934: A mistake in the paragraph last week about jiu jitsu was very kindly pointed out to us by Mr. Child. “The expert, whose name is Noguchi, comes from New York City” (not Hartford) “Where he runs a jiu jitsu club.” Also, the price of the lessons is not fixed; it varies with the boy’s ability to pay. Therefore, one boy may contribute ten dollars and another boy fifty cents. The expert will come for the first time around February the 8th.

January 28, 1934: Rather a few boys are looking forward with no small degree of dread towards the evening of February 1st; and evenings after that. For the Commander has decreed and the council has made an ordinance to the effect that from then on the bow ties worn at supper must be tied by hand. It is rumored that one boy solved the situation very neatly by hiring another to tie it for him at the rate of one cent per operation. This is rather a pity though, for the main purpose of this new ruling is educational.

April 8, 1934: Mrs. Riddle has again given expression of her willingness to promote the agricultural and the farm side of the school by presenting 100 Rhode Island Red chicks to be distributed to any boys that are interested in poultry and would like to take care of some chickens. Boys wishing to do so may see Mr. Sperry about it.

April 15, 1934: Much to the horror of certain snake-fearing boys in the school, MacLeish received two gorgeous six-foot snakes from a Texas importing company this week. An Indigo and a Texas Bull Snake…..They are very economical pets. A live mouse presented to them once every few weeks will suffice for their entire diet. After they had arrived from their four-day journey to this school MacLeish had quite a time in trying to find a place where he could house them. Boys would not allow him to keep them in the dormitory, cage or no cage, threatened to shoot it if they saw one in the hall. Neither could he keep them in either the rabbitry or Number Four Building.

They are now being housed in the back room of the lab. X

Paul Child and instructor demonstrate jiu jitsu.

Sow and piglets

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

45

Pete Seeger needs no introduction.

His face—and his iconic music—are known the world over. As America’s most influential folk artist for more than half a century, Seeger is responsible for an astonishing legacy of familiar folk standards, including “If I Had a Hammer” and “We Shall Overcome,” anthems of the social justice and civil rights movements.

With his ubiquitous banjo, Seeger has stirred audiences— and consciences—with his irresistible blend of folksy tunes and bold protest lyrics. His concerts, including a memorable 1997 Avon Old Farms appearance, are inevitably part civics lesson, part sing-along. Seeger’s long career has included more than 40 recordings, numerous books, and several prestigious awards, including the National Medal of the Arts, Kennedy Center Honors, and a Grammy Award.

For Seeger, it’s clearly not just about the music. His deep commitment to peace, social justice, and the environment was obvious decades before such views were fashionable. In 1955 he was called to testify about his communist leanings before the infamous House Un-American Activities Committee; Seeger invoked the First Amendment, arguing his right to free association, and earned himself a oneyear prison sentence (later overturned) for contempt of Congress. He’s been boldly championing causes ever since.

What’s next for the 88-year-old? Perhaps a Nobel Prize; last fall, a grassroots effort got underway to nominate Seeger for the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize.

For all his fame, Seeger’s Avon Old Farms roots may be less well known. We are proud beyond words to claim Seeger, a member of the Class of 1936, as one of our own.

Thus, when the school established the Avon Old Farms Distinguished Alumnus Award, to be presented for the first time during Alumni Weekend, May 9–10, it came as no surprise that the award’s very first recipient would be none other than…Pete Seeger.

Pete Seeger An 46

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

The following interview, about his student days at Avon Old Farms, was excerpted from a conversation Pete Seeger had with Avon Archivist Carol Ketcham when he and his wife, Toshi, visited the campus in 2006.

came out every Tuesday right on time for three years. And that was why I was allowed to stay at the school, because [Avon Old Farms founder] Mrs. Riddle liked the gossip that I put in my newspaper, where all she got were formal reports from the Provost.

Avonian: How did your parents come to pick this school, a brand new, very progressive school, for you?

Avonian: What about the faculty? Did they get copies of your newspaper, too?

Seeger: My parents were split, and the three sons had to go somewhere. The oldest son got a scholarship to Loomis. And the next oldest son, with scholarship help, went to Kent… [My parents] knew a family whose son went to Avon, and they scraped up enough money to get me here, at least the first few months. But they ran out of cash, so they hoped I would get a scholarship. And I did eventually, as you know—an unusual kind of scholarship.

Seeger: If they paid for them.

Avonian: One of the things that encouraged the school to give you that scholarship was the wonderful newsletter that you began.

Avonian: Was there a person, an Avon faculty member or a student, who was particularly encouraging to you in terms of developing your skills as a musician or as a writer?

“[I got] an unusual kind of scholarship…that was why I was allowed to stay at the school, because Mrs. Riddle liked the gossip that I put in my newspaper, where all she got were formal reports from the Provost.”

Seeger: Yes. I first tried to get a little allowance money by shining shoes, but at a nickel a pair, it was slow going.

And I found that I could use the school mimeograph machine and pay for the paper and pay for the wax stencils, and somewhere I got a typewriter. I gathered the news with pencil and paper, typed up the little articles, and published a three-page Avon weekly newsletter. It

Seeger: I attempted to write for my English teacher, Harold Louis Cook. And I liked music… I was in the glee club. Enjoyed singing. Tried to join the jazz band, but I wasn’t very good. Painted pictures in Mr. Child’s art class.

Tried to do a little sculpture. But I confess it was the 3,000 acres of woods that I really loved. I tracked animals there. I slept overnight in my teepee without anybody

’36:

American Legend Edited by Susan Haile

knowing it, because I could go there after lights were out and walk a half mile with a flashlight. Sleep. And I could cook my own breakfast in the teepee.

Toshi Seeger: That leads right to when he married me, and by the time we’d had two children, he decided that we were going to move out to the wilderness.

Seeger: Summers, I spent all my vacations up at my grandparents’ house in the country. I really thought cities were a big mistake. They’re too noisy, and too dirty, too crowded, and unhealthy.

And now I think that if the human race survives, the cities will teach us some of our most important lessons.

Mainly how to live with somebody, next to you or on the next block, who speaks a different language and has a different name for God. In Queens, there’s a newspaper store that sells newspapers in 182 languages. Can you imagine it?

Seeger: One week a year we went down to live for seven days on a small farm… It had some pigs, some sheep, some cows, some chickens, and an apple orchard… And we slept on the farm. We got up at four or five o’clock in the morning to do our chores, and then were driven up in a car or a bus to school and attended our classes. And right after class we went back there to do more chores and do some homework before we went to sleep.

Avonian: There is a lot of information and misinformation that floats around about Mrs. Riddle. What were your impressions of her?

Seeger: It’s interesting that she was very conservative in some ways and very liberal in others. In fact, those two terms are almost meaningless, I now feel, because they mean such different things to different people. After all, the opening sentence in her charter is, “Avon is a school for the sons of the gentry.” Then she went on to have a student council elected by proportional representation.

One of these years, the United States of America will get to be better with that.

I did a double take on her when I came back to visit the school in the ’50s and ’60s and ’70s and realized what truly extraordinary buildings these are. In person, she was not that impressive. She didn’t put on any social airs. Didn’t smile much.

She was really very concerned with her buildings, and she was concerned with the school. But at that time, I saw her as an old woman… I think she was in her 50s or 60s. To a child, that’s getting old. And I felt she was an old woman who had more money than anybody should have.

“I confess it was the 3,000 acres of woods that I really loved. I tracked animals there. I slept overnight in my teepee without anybody knowing it, because I could go there after lights were out and walk a half mile with a flashlight. Sleep. And I could cook my own breakfast in the teepee.”

Avonian: Amazing. So you spent a lot of time in Avon’s woods; isn’t it interesting that you had the time to do that as a student here. You went to class during the day, and then there was time to work on the farm…

2

1. Pete has traversed the path leading from Old Farms Road to the Nimrod Cabin many times.

2. Pete attended the Nimrod Club breakfast during Alumni Weekend 2006. Front row (l to r): Peter Rice ’76, Rust Kessel ’54, Jonathan Crocker, Chris Hartmann ’07, and Pierce Ford ’09. Back row (l to r): Tim Stay ’97, Shane Sigel ’06, Ned Wickes ’36, Francis Madeira ’34, Sean Brown ’06, Pete Seeger ’36, and Alex Cherry ’06.

3. Pete Seeger ’36 and Pete Hart ’36 pause for a snapshot in front of the Dean’s Office during Alumni Reunion 2006.

1

Avonian: So you were a socialist even then.

Seeger: I was getting drawn into the socialist movement at that time.

Avonian: Mrs. Riddle made it clear in her deed of trust that she wanted the boys to experience a simple, more rural America. Do you think that experience gave you any insight that you might not have gotten elsewhere, and do you think any of the things that you learned here in the woods and the fields affected your music?

Seeger: Not directly did it affect my music, but indirectly, all my life I’ve been very concerned about the relationship of cities to country, and I tell people I’m a very conservative person. Before I came here, I was a disciple of Ernest Thompson Seton, the nature writer who held up the American Indian as a role model…

When I got here, I graduated to reading Henry Thoreau, and I got into politics more. I graduated from reading Henry Thoreau, who went to jail rather than pay taxes to help send escaped slaves back to the South. When his older friend, Ralph Waldo Emerson, comes to jail and says, “Henry, what are you doing in there?” Thoreau says, “Ralph, what are you doing out there?” And then I graduated to reading the autobiography of Lincoln Steffens, who was a socialist and a muckraker… He’s the one who got us the famous statement, “I’ve seen the future, and it works.” In the 1950s, I was singing for the veterans of the Abraham Lincoln battalion, and we were in an elevator, and one of them said, “I’ve seen the future, and it doesn’t work…”

But I’ve seen the good and bad, side by side, in all different parts of the world. The Third World and the First World and what they call the Second World, at times. And now the Internet is pulling together this world like never before. I think there’s a chance; I’m more optimistic now than I have ever been in my life, that if we

use the tools of communication, which technology has given us, we may be able to keep the human race from wiping itself off the face of the earth, given the terrible tools that science has also given us. Nuclear weapons.

Biological weapons. Chemical weapons. And so on.

Avonian: After Avon, you went off to Harvard. Did you stay there?

Seeger: I left in April of my second year. I got so interested in politics that I let my marks slip, and I lost the little scholarship I had. About a quarter of the money I needed came from a scholarship, and then I worked for another quarter of the money, and my older brothers, who had jobs now, took care of the other half… So when I lost my scholarship, there was no more money available, and I left. I remember the dean, who later on became a friend, said, “If you ever decide what you really want to study, I hope you’ll come back.” But I was disillusioned by the cynicism of some of my professors, who said, “Oh, you can study the world but don’t think you can change it. What is going to happen is going to happen…”

Avonian: What kind of technology do you have at home now?

Seeger: I’m still living in the 19th century in many ways.

I write longhand now.

Toshi Seeger: And he uses a regular IBM typewriter.

Avonian: But no computer?

Seeger: I don’t know how to use a computer… My local politician said to me, “Pete, if you don’t grow, you die.” At one o’clock in the morning, I thought, “If that’s true, doesn’t it follow that the quicker we grow, the sooner we die?” 

3

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

49

This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land

T

Peter Rice ’76 presented this chapel talk on Thursday, October 11, 2007.

This land is your land, this land is my land. These are the opening words to the well-known American folk song “This Land Is Your Land,” written in 1940 by American folk legend Woody Guthrie. Woody is the father of the more contemporary musician Arlo Guthrie, and he was a close friend of Avon Old Farms graduate and American folk legend, Pete Seeger. Having spent some time with Pete Seeger during his periodic visits here at Avon, I have become convinced that Pete Seeger is a political activist disguised as a musician. Keen eye for the obvious, some might say.

In a New Yorker article published just two years ago, Pete was quoted as saying that when considering the value of a song, one should not ask if the song is good, but rather, what is the song good for? For Pete Seeger, music is a medium through which to deliver a message about matters greater in importance than music alone, including the right to make music, and make public our opinions. I am talking about our First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Pete Seeger is one of many brave Americans throughout our history that you and I should thank for that right, as he and countless others have confronted those who might otherwise restrict that right.

Bruce Springsteen—the Boss—recently stated in an interview on 60 Minutes that he writes songs and still performs at 58 because he still believes that his music can make a difference.

50

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

Alumni

Peter Rice ’76 practices with his guitar

While a graduate student at Cornell, Peter played small gigs in Ithaca, New York.

Peter Evans and Peter Rice rehearse together

Songwriters, he said, write songs because something is eating at them. In his case, he says he writes songs about the gap between American ideals and American reality. Well, that is quite a gap and it will take a lot of songs to fill it. By the way, Bruce Springsteen considers “This Land Is Your Land” as one of the “most beautiful songs ever written,” and he very recently released a set of folk song recordings entitled The Seeger Sessions.

Sir Winston Churchill, the former prime minister of Great Britain who guided his country through the perils of World War II, is credited with once stating that democracy is the worst form of government in the world—except for all the others. Democracy is slow, it is open to fraud and criminal activity, and it is sometimes crippled by compromise.

But democracy affords each of us with the opportunity to make a difference, to affect outcomes, to have some influence.

Democracy not only affords us this opportunity to participate, but, in my opinion, it also requires it. If we do not participate, then the democratic process will fall into the hands of the few.

Edmund Burke is credited with having stated that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Well put. Thomas Jefferson stated that he expected that we would have to re-win our freedoms every 50 years from those who would otherwise undermine them. Witness the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s even though civil rights for former slaves were to have been guaranteed and protected by the 14th and 15th amendments following the Civil War. It took a

century to make significant progress in that area. And even the strides made by women and minorities over the last century are never guaranteed. They must be protected and defended by the vigilant among us.

So this land is your land, and this land is my land. It is ours to enjoy. It is ours to protect. It is ours to define.

New students at Avon hear a message similar to this when they are first addressed by Mr. LaRocque on their

first day at Avon. This is your school.

Make use of it. Take advantage of it.

Participate fully in its life. But take care of it. Respect it. Celebrate it. Protect it.

Create it. Like this country, it is a good place, doing more good than harm, I believe, and full of possibilities. This is your school. This is my school. This is your land, this is my land. We need to care for it, not as a matter of right or wrong, but as a matter of necessity. For if we do not, then who will? X

This is your school. Make use of it. Take advantage of it. Participate fully in its life. But take care of it.

Respect it. Celebrate it. Protect it. Create it.

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

51

Alumni Alumni Receptions

Key Biscayne 1. Front row: Coco Paleologos ’91, Allan Ora ’92, Tony Tattersfield ’81, Seth Mendell ’52, Loring Hinds ’80, Al Rozinsky ’62, Jorge Consuegra ’51.

Back row: Andy Leidner ’87, Johnny West ’07, J.J. West ’04, Tyler Breault ’02, Nick Malinosky ’00, Headmaster Ken LaRocque, Alfredo Arguelles ’82, Andy Consuegra ’80, and Dean Peter Evans.

The Key Biscayne reception was held at the home of Mercedes and Andy Consuegra ’80 on March 13, 2008.

1

2. Alfredo Arguelles ’82 and Allan Ora ’92.

3. Tony Tattersfield ’81 and his wife, Cathy, with Headmaster LaRocque.

4. Miriam Consuegra and Tyler Breault ’02.

2

3

4

5. Ken LaRocque, Alice and Seth Mendell ’52, Peter Evans, Miriam and Jorge Consuegra ’51, and past faculty member Manuel Ramirez.

6. Loring Hinds ’80, Phyllis Mendell, and Andy Consuegra ’80.

7. Jake Bourgault ’09, Alice Mendell, Ben LaRocque ’10, Heidi LaRocque, Jorge Consuegra ’51, and Bobbie Rozinsky.

6

5

7

8

8. Seth Mendell ’52, Alfredo Arguelles ’82, Allan Ora ’92, Al Rozinsky ’62.

Dallas 9. Front row [from left]: Jamie Rhoades ’80, Mary Rhoades, Art Keim ’50, Jeanette Keim, Knick Curtis ’63.

Back row: Dean Peter Evans, Katie and Mark Floyd ’99, Sam Cole ’04, Heather Lange, Kaitlyn Dunne, Jimmy Little ’06, Tom Davey ’80, Nick Kobusch ’83 and a friend, Kurt Sjogren ’93, Kathryn and Lance Cashion ’93, Ken LaRocque, and Mark Masinter ’82.

10. Mark Masinter ’82 and Knick Curtis ’63.

52

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

Alumni 11. Jeanette and Art Keim ’50 kept the Dallas reception moving.

12. K athryn Cashion, Jeanette and Art Keim ’50, and Jamie Rhoades ’80.

Dallas reception, February 19th, at the home of Mark Masinter ’82 9

10

11

13. Peter Evans, Kurt Sjogren ’93, Kathryn and Lance Cashion ’93, and Tom Davey ’80.

14. Katie and Mark Floyd ’99 join Sam Cole ’04, Heather Lange, and Mary Rhoades.

12

13

14

Boston 15. The Boston Reception was co-hosted

by Malcolm Hirsch ’64, Martin Stocklan P’87, and Jon Hartnett ’95, seen here with Headmaster Ken LaRocque.

16. A lively group of alumni and friends enjoyed the performance by The Riddlers in Boston.

17. From left: Rob Dowling ’91, Ken LaRocque, Alex Coates ’01, Bill Begien ’87, Jon Hartnett ’95, and Henry Coons ’71.

About 60 gathered together for the Boston Reception at The University Club November 15, 2007.

15

16

18. Riddlers: Mike Reilly ’08, Kaz Nakamura ’09, Duncan Roberts ’08, and Marshall Kock ’08.

New York City 19. The Riddlers performed at The Harvard 17 Club of New York City. From left to right, back row: Accompanist and faculty member Mercedes Featherston, Bobby Wiles ’10, Anthony Cusano ’09, Michael Weeks ’09, John Kang ’09, Michael Reilly ’08, Duncan Roberts ’08, Marshall Kock ’08, and Dr. Robert Palmer, director of Avon’s Performing Arts Department.

Front row: Grey Spencer ’09, Kaz Nakamura ’09, Mike Buenaventura ’08, and Peter Holst-Grubbe ’08.

18

Seventy alumni, parents, and friends of Avon gathered in New York City on November 13, 2007, at The Harvard Club.

19 20. Nathan Moffie ’01, Scott Kagan ’01, Whit Blanchard ’00, Steve Brengle ’01, and Dan Seiden ’00.

20

21. Marek Krowka ’03, John-Oliver Beirne ’03, Matthew Connolly ’03, and Wes Couture ’03.

22. Ricardo Espina ’67 and current Director Fern Wachter, parent of Brahm ’08.

21

22

23

23. Parents of Dash Flach ’11, Kevin Flach and Marilyn McGregor, with Riddlers Mike Buenaventura ’08, Anthony Cusano ’09, Grey Spencer ’09, and Michael Reilly ’08.

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

53

class

36

Donald R. Hart Jr., Class Agent; Post Office Box 127, West Cornwall, CT 06796-0127 harts01@snet.net

Jill and Tedrowe Watkins ’42, Ken LaRocque, Peter Evans, Marge and Gil Ordway ’44 enjoyed dinner together in Palm Springs.

Donald “Pete” Hart was proclaimed a “Chevalier” of the Legion of Honor by the ambassador to the United States, Pierre Vimont, on January 15.

This award testifies to the president of the French Republic’s high esteem for Pete’s merits and accomplishments, and is a sign of France’s true and unforgettable gratitude and appreciation for his personal, precious contribution to the United States’ decisive role in the liberation of France during World War II. The Legion of Honor was created by Napoleon in 1802 to acknowledge services rendered to France by persons of great merit. Congratulations, Pete!

38 70th Reunion Year 40

Harvey Rubin ’50 and his wife, Sheila, visited North Carolina to see their grandchildren.

George DuBlois ’50 returned to Avon last fall with his sons, Eric and Larry. Henry Coons ’71 gave them a tour and George found the time very meaningful. Many of the old buildings brought back great memories of his time as a student, and he enjoyed seeing all the new facilities. [From left: Henry Coons ’71, George DuBlois ’50, Eric, and Larry.]

54

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

Fayette Plumb stopped in at Avon on the way back from his grandson’s September wedding in Maine. After returning home, Fayette wrote, “For an ex-warden ‘Old Farmer,’ Avon looked fine. The only news I have is that I was elected treasurer of the Historic Society of Whitpain. I guess this was because I followed Evan Jennings in 1938 as treasurer of the student government! I am really thankful for good health at 87, and although my legs are shot, I do a lot of furniture restoration and furniture fabrication, thanks to George Laneri at Avon. I was sorry to hear about Reed Estabrook ’36. He was the only senior in 1935–36 who helped me; he was a really great guy! My wife, Pat, is fine and we plan to be at Milton Academy for Christmas.” Fayette entered Avon in the fall of 1935 when the School was only eight years old. He says his real love at Avon was the cabinetmaking shop under George Laneri, master cabinetmaker, and also “wood crew” under Verne Priest.

42

Russell Hunter, Head Class Agent; Post Office Box 22, Farmington, CT 06034-0022

43 65th Reunion Year 48 60th Reunion Year 50

Harvey Rubin, Head Class Agent; 102 Barbour Circle, Newport News, VA 23606 harvo@cox.net

51

Warren Ford, Head Class Agent; 115 Center Street, Wolcott, CT 06716 jodir@aol.com

52

Seth F. Mendell, Head Class Agent; 28 North Street, Mattapoisett, MA 02739 hekate28@verizon.net

53 55th Reunion Year

Jay Toole, Head Class Agent; 874 Ridgeside Drive, Monrovia, CA 91016 Merrilllee@earthlink.net

54

Rust Kessel, Head Class Agent; 3785 Thistlewood, Okemos, MI 48864 rustkessel@aol.com

55

Andy Treadway, Head Class Agent; 12100 Provincetowne Drive, Charlotte, NC 28277-8438 yrt18519@carolina.rr.com

56

Sidney Greer, Head Class Agent; 354 Tamarind Place, Vero Beach, FL 32962-7349 shjgreer@aol.com

class

Notes

57

James C. Flippin, Head Class Agent; 1311 Old Bernville Road, Leesport, PA 19533-9605 Jflippin@readingeagle.com

58 50th Reunion Year

Austin Chambers, Head Class Agent; 317 Flanders Road, Stonington, CT 06378-2109 Hilltop12@aol.com John Ruddy’s business imports wine from around the world, but when he’s not traveling, home is a 300-year-old house in Newport, Rhode Island.

John’s looking forward to being on campus for his 50th Reunion in May.

Dean Peter Evans enjoyed an afternoon with Kerry Mayer ’54 and his wife, Eleni Hatzidakis, at their mountaintop home in Temecula, California.

Jim Flippin ’57 became a grandfather November 2, 2007. Nolan Hawley Flippin, Class of 2025 at Avon, was born to Alison and Michael Flippin of Boston. Paula and Jim Flippin are enjoying little Nolan.

Jim had been to see the Red Sox play last October with his son.

59

Charles W. Davis, Class Agent; 6905 West 99th Street, Overland Park, KS 66212 cwdavis@waretec.com Douglas B. Marshall, Class Agent; 2 Berkshire Road, Bloomfield, CT 06002 marshalldb@raveisre.com Doug Marshall and his wife, Ellen, visited campus in February for a concert and Hartford area reception.

David McShane ’59 and Mike Finnegan ’04 in Dublin, Ireland at the Ronald McDonald Gala in October 2007.

60

Richard L. Williams, Head Class Agent; Post Office Box 218, South Orleans, MA 02662-0218 Rclumberclan@aol.com

61

George F. Henschel Jr., Head Class Agent; 101 Seminary Road, Bedford, NY 10506 gfhjr@aol.com

Jim Corrigan ’67 with his family: Liz, Carol, and Andrew ’98.

62

Greeley Wells ’62 celebrated his 64th birthday with 20 friends enjoying outdoor games, live music, and great food at his home along Carberry Creek in Jacksonville, Oregon. Greeley wrote that two sets of stairs from his home down to the creek were completed, which fulfilled design dreams for his property along with a new generator, electric water pump, solar panels, and a new inverter. Along with continuing to keep him off the grid, the improvements provide four times his prior amount of power.

Greeley continues to show his artwork, with shows last year in Ashland at the Bohemia Gallery and Hanson Howard Gallery. This card is a black-andwhite charcoal drawing of his first wife, Cathleen, nursing their daughter Bethany in 1970.

Alan D. Rozinsky, Class Agent; Avon Old Farms School, 500 Old Farms Road, Avon, CT 06001 rozinskyb@avonoldfarms.com

63 45th Reunion Year

Richard R. Bennett, Class Agent; 6226 Mori Street, McLean, VA 2210 Bennett@American.edu Thomas K. Curtis, Class Agent; 4306 Pomona Road, Dallas, TX 75209-2822 knickc@fastmail.fm

64

W. B. Harwood III, Reunion Chair; 24 Overhill Avenue, New Britain, CT 06053 wbhtcc@aol.com

JC Wicart ’62.

Current Director Joe Biondo, Peter Evans, Honorary Director Victor Delano, and Current Director Peter Aron ’65 enjoyed lunch at Naples Sailing and Yacht Club in March.

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

55

65

Perry Benson, Co-Head Class Agent; 2135 Naudain Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146 tobikePB2@aol.com Barton G. Barrett, Co-Head Class Agent; 1 Maple Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226-2339 BGBRealtor@aol.com

George Jamerson ’67, his son George Jr., and Hank Coons ’71 enjoyed time together in Richmond, Virginia, at the annual rivalry between Collegiate School, where George Jr. is a senior Cougars football player, and St. Christopher, where Scott, son of Kim Des Marais ’69, plays. Collegiate School beat St. Christopher this year.

66

Michael D. Barker, Head Class Agent; 139 Kirkwood Road, West Hartford, CT 06117-2835 barkermike@aol.com

67

James W. Corrigan, Co-Head Class Agent; 826 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook, NH 03229 ack91@comcast.net William F. Roberts, Co-Head Class Agent; 786 Brownsville Road, Sinking Spring, PA 19608 wfroberts@fast.net

The children of Maria and Kevin Driscoll ’72: Margaret and Blaise. Blaise has committed to Trinity College for the fall.

John Shaw ’64 and Fred Haack ’75 get together regularly each fall and winter for waterfowl hunting on the Chester River in Maryland and other parts of the Eastern Flyway.

The 2007 season was not great, as global warming has started to delay and re-route seasonal waterfowl migratory patterns for both ducks and geese. Nevertheless, it’s always a good time when fellow Avonians get together, no matter what the occasion.

68 40th Reunion Year

George L. Purnell, Head Class Agent; 4822 Brighton Lakes Boulevard, Boynton Beach, FL 33436 glpluvssports@gmail.net Geoff Doughty’s latest book, Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad—Insull’s Road 1948–1969, was published in January. It covers the postwar history of the railroad that was bought in 1925 by utility magnate Samuel Insull, a protégé of Thomas Edison. Insull consolidated the electric and gas utilities in Illinois and elsewhere into an enormous empire, and along the way acquired a number of electric railroads (interurbans) that helped expand transportation to rural communities and helped spawn residential expansion north, west, and southeast of Chicago. The CSS&SB is the only surviving interurban in the United States. Geoff wrote, “I am looking forward to visiting the School in the spring for my 40th reunion. Yikes!”

69

Winston P. McKellar, Head Class Agent; 311 East Rose Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85012-1243 w.mckellar@att.net

70

Harris H. Bucklin III, Head Class Agent; 3004 Margaret Jones Lane, Williamsburg, VA 23185 hbucklin3@aol.com

71

Tim Strauss ’75 and his wife, Penne, visited the Baseball Hall of Fame together in 2007. Tim continues to live the dream of working in professional baseball in the Atlanta Braves organization.

56

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

Henry R. Coons, Head Class Agent; Avon Old Farms School, 500 Old Farms Road, Avon, CT 06001 coonsh@avonoldfarms.com

Tim Beeble invited Brian Davis ’05, a sophomore at the University of Michigan, to join him at the Alumni Association Tailgate, where they enjoyed performances by the men’s glee club, the women’s glee club, the alumni cheerleaders, the Michigan cheerleaders, the alumni marching band, the entire 230-member Michigan marching band, and the Michigan pom-pom girls. Brian was also able to have a oneon-one talk with the University president, Mary Sue Coleman, and the new Michigan basketball coach, John Beilein, who invited Brian to come to the practices and possibly be a manager. The two sat at the 20 yard line with 110,500 other screaming Michigan fans, where Brian taught Tim one of the new football cheers used when the opponents punt. Most of the points, however, were made at Michigan’s end of the field, with Michigan beating Purdue, 48–21. The two topped off the day at a great Mongolian barbecue.

Condolences to Mark Birmingham at the passing of his mother, Nan Tillson Birmingham, who was 85. She was a great supporter of Avon Old Farms School and gave many talks and speeches during Mark’s three years at Avon, including the commencement address in 1971.

72

Dan Carpenter, Class Agent; Grist Mill Capital, Grist Mill Plaza, 100 Grist Mill Road, Simsbury, CT 06070 dancarpenter@usbenefitsnetwork.com

73 35th Reunion Year

Christopher Atkins, Reunion Chair; 415 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022-6482 catkins@nyc.rr.com Ron Protasewich,Co-Head Class Agent; 40 Pine Lake Road, Duxbury, MA 02332-4339 rprotasewich@sensata.com Duncan Broatch and his wife, Susan, sold their beautiful home in Woodstock, Connecticut, and moved to Avon because they wanted their son, Ethan, to attend Avon as a day student. For Duncan, Avon Old Farms was a turning point in his life, which he remembers as a transforming experience when he received more than just an education in a critical time in his development.

Now Ethan ’09 is having an excellent experience and the Broatches are extremely happy with the results. This spring Duncan and Susan look forward to hosting the Class of 1973 for a gathering on Reunion Weekend.

74

George J. Giannoni, Co-Head Class Agent; 36 Twilight Drive, Granby, CT 06035-1212 GGiannoni@cox.net Edward P. Molloy, Co-Head Class Agent, 6 Winhart Drive, Granby, CT 06035 Tmolloy@ArraySoftware.com

class

Notes

75

Bob Applegate, Class-Agent; 622 Hillendale Road, Chadds Ford, PA 19317-9364 rapple@lyonsinsurance.com

76

Alexander N. Worley, Head Class Agent; 20 Shore Grove Road, Clinton, CT 06413 alexworley@sbcglobal.net

77

Jorge E. Consuegra, Head Class Agent; 5 Andrews Road, Greenwich, CT 06830 jorgeeconsuegra@yahoo.com

78 30th Reunion Year

Daughters of Ginnie and Steve Patsos ’75: Sarah (22), Theresa (19), and Stephanie (17).

Lew Smith ’75 and family: Martha (8), Andrea, Sarah (3), Lew, and Claire (5) before Christmas.

Kenneth G. Cloud, Head Class Agent; 8317 Kingsthorpe Terrace, Richmond, VA 23229-7465 kencloud@cloudconsulting.com Neil Mactaggart and his wife Tara Lynn announce the birth of Jackson Auld on January 21, 2008.

79

Anthony M. Gray, Co-Head Class Agent; 6212 Wagner Lane, Bethesda, MD 20816 tgray@tonygray.net

Jaxon, 3-year-old son of Joe Garvey ’80.

Children of Susan and Steve Berson ’76: Sam (11), Jack (8), and Olivia (8). Love those SOX!

Scott B. Linke, Co-Head Class Agent; 116 Eleven Levels Road, Ridgefield, CT 06877-3011 scott_linke@ml.com Bradley Pierce emailed, “Aloha. I’m still on Maui. I never really cared for cold weather.

Although I never saw this as a career path, I work for the county, in wastewater. I guess you never can tell what the future holds. I live in Kihei, which is a small island, so if you ever get over here on a vacation or company trip—drop me a line.”

80

Kenneth H. Blanchard, Co-Head Class Agent; 846 Mountain Road, West Hartford, CT 06117 kenkhb99@aol.com Thomas E. Davey, Co-Head Class Agent; 4816 Sandestin Drive, Dallas, TX 75287 Thomas.Davey@lighting.ge.com Loring Hinds lives in Tampa. He has two stepdaughters—Amanda and Michelle Wein, both in college (Auburn and Florida State), as well as younger children, Connor (13) and Ava (5). He has worked in the financial/ manufacturing side of Porsche for many years.

He attended the Key Biscayne reception at the home of old friend Andy Consuegra, whom he hadn’t seen in 13 years.

Bob Mark ’80 and his family hosted the varsity baseball program for a fun cookout during the group’s recent trip to Florida. The team goes to Port St. Lucie for its “spring training” and has enjoyed visiting Bob and his family in nearby Jensen Beach for several years. With a tremendous spread of food, and plenty of swimming, boating, and relaxing, a day with Bob and his family is a real pleasure. Joining the players and coaches were Avon veterans Kevin Driscoll and Peter Evans. Thanks again to the Marks for their generous hospitality and good humor!

Row 1: Pat Miller ’09, George Springer ’08, Scott Kelleher ’09, Dan O’Brien ’08, Norm Allen ’09, Adam Zabel ’09 Row 2: Graham Garland ’09, Cody Doyle, Tim Brechbuehler ’09, Mike Scali ’09, Brian Doyle Row 3: Graham Callaghan’95, Sam Hebb ’08, Drake Deluga ’08, Kinley Mehra ’09, Tim Clark ’09, Blaise Driscoll ’08 Row 4: John Salamone ’10, Reid Ebersole ’08, Greg Miller ’08, Rob DeCosmo ’11, Tom Drescher, Art Mehos Row 5: Connor Doyle ’11, Tom Kiene ’10, Cael Brockmeyer ’09, Bob Mark ’80, Peter Evans, Jesse Hamilton ’08, David Christoffersen ’08 Row 6: Torrey Proctor ’10 Rob Dowling ’91, Kevin Driscoll ’72

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

57

81

Samuel C. Bookbinder, Head Class Agent; Two Logan Square, Suite 700, 18th & Arch Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19103-2707 samuel.bookbinder@wachoviasec.com

The triplets of Kathleen and Jerry Garvey ’82 are five now: Anna, Lily, and Caroline with Cleo, who was 13 in February and still biting ankles!

Tom Donahue ’82 and his family: Tom, Kim, Brittany (18), and Brendan (14). The Donahues live in Ponte Vedra, Florida.

Mike Symes got together with Dan Fegan and John Franzosa in Florida, where Dan has a place in South Beach and John lives in Miami Shores. Mike lives in Massachusetts with his family and said it was great to visit with the guys in Florida. Mike also visited the Avon campus during the winter.

82

Gregory T. Fish, Co-Head Class Agent; 56 Blue Ridge Drive, Simbury, CT 06089 gtf324@yahoo.com

83 25th Reunion Year

Richard C. Gregory, Head Class Agent; 30 Walnut Farms Drive, Farmington, CT 06032 rick@rcgregory.com Juan Nieves is now a pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox, working with the big league club.

Battle (9) and Hal (11) Boyd, sons of Gay and Hal Boyd ’83, at their farm, a short distance from their home in Memphis, Tennessee.

84

Peter Fish ’84 and his wife, Jodi, enjoyed a vacation on Cape Cod last summer with their son, Bobby (2).

John Gordon, Class Agent; 246 Nacoochee Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30305 John_Gordon@timeinc.com Leland Alper has lived in Hardwick, Vermont, for 10 years, where he continues to paint landscapes, flowers, trees, and an occasional abstract. He tends a garden in the growing season.

85

Sam L. Rubenstein, Head Class Agent; 1143 Chadbyrne Drive, Columbus, OH 43235-1790 sam.rubenstein@ey.com

Ron von Jako ’84 and his wife, Ava, are enjoying life in Saugus, Massachusetts, with their son, Christian Andrew (2), who was born on Labor Day, September 5, 2005.

The children of Heidi and Jim McCormick ’87: Ryan (4) and Meredith (2).

58

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

John Gardner and John Ashe ‘86 joined Brian Leetch ‘86 at Madison Square Garden on January 24th in celebration of Brian Leetch’s brilliant career with the New York Rangers. Brian’s #2 jersey was hoisted to the rafters and retired.

The Beacham family: Hal ’87, Davina, George (8) and Bradford (10).

After his childhood friend, Rob Noonan ’83, died in the September 11th terrorist attacks, Jared Minor embarked on a 3,430-mile bike trip honoring his friend’s memory. Jared biked more than a month, from Anacortes, Washington, to Greenwich Point, Connecticut. “Twelve innertubes, three tires, one bike chain, and several lost pounds later, Minor, 42, arrived at Greenwich Point to make the final stop on the tour. The pair attended Avon Old Farms and Greenwich High School, and did most everything together, Minor said. But in their adult years, they fell out of touch. In August 2001, Minor called to reconnect with his 36-year-old friend and left a message with Noonan’s parents, who were out of town.

Noonan, who worked at a securities firm in the World Trade Center, didn’t get the message before he died a few weeks later in the attacks. Minor said he has since decided not to let his friend’s memory wane as their friendship did. The idea for the honorary trip came two years ago, when Minor completed his first cross-country bike trip

class

Notes

from Virginia to California, during which Noonan often popped up in his thoughts. “When you’re on a bike for six to eight hours at a time,” Minor said, “you have a lot of time to think. The trip is not for self-promotion or personal accolades,” he added. “It’s not about me crossing the country.

It’s about me making sure Rob Noonan’s memory doesn’t fade away,” Minor said. Minor’s recent trip was done solo, with only a small cart of supplies in tow, as he traveled across the northern tier of the country and then dipped below the Great Lakes as he made up his route along the way. On 15 occasions Minor biked more than 100 miles a day, staying in hotels instead of camping to allow more time on the road. There were ups—crossing farm country in Pennsylvania and getting in excellent shape—and downs—climbing the mountain ranges in Washington and overcoming minor leg problems—during the trip he describes as liberating. “It gets you away from everyday, mundane things,” said Minor, who co-owns a property management company. “There’s nothing more rewarding than finding out what’s around the next hill. It’s absolutely surreal.” Minor did find something more rewarding. He’s confident that he’s accomplished what Noonan would have wanted. As a man who Minor found motivational and invigorating, Noonan’s catch phase was “go for it.” “This trip was all about going for it,” Minor said. [From the October 10th issue of Greenwich Time.] Jared Minor is the brother-in-law of Peter Hamilton ’80.

Ron von Jako ’84 is a noted physician, accomplished executive, and research pioneer with more than 18 years in minimally invasive surgical techniques and process-orientated product development. A visionary leader, he has founded two medical device companies, has invented, patented, and licensed numerous leading-edge surgical products, and is currently engaged in the global surgical navigation and integrated x-ray product efforts of a Fortune 10 company’s $500 million surgical device business division. On June 1st, 2007, von Jako was made a knight of the

1,000-year-old Hungarian Knightly Order of Vitez in honor of his father and family history. He is a competitive athlete, mountain biker, free-climber, and an accomplished high-performance Eurocar road racer and autocrosser, as well as a trophied horseman and marksman.

Tom Gordon worked at Lehman Brothers for 13 years in Hong Kong. He and his wife, who is from Boston, live in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Tom left Lehman Brothers to work for another company on an Asian trading floor on Wall Street.

86

John G. Ashe, Class Agent; 50 Edgewood Avenue, Longmeadow, MA 01106-1308 jashe@olyfast.com Sportscasters and athletes gathered on November 30, 2007, for the sixth annual Sportscasters’ Super Ball, benefiting the Cystic-Fibrosis Foundation.

The event raised $160,000 for the foundation and featured dinner, dancing, and silent and live auctions. It was hosted by ESPN broadcasters Joe Tessitore and Kenny Mayne. Brian Leetch, the former New York Rangers defenseman, was honored and awarded the Native Son Award. In late January, Brian’s No. 2 jersey was retired by the Rangers. Before presenting the award, Joe Tessitore referred to Brian as “the best Americanborn hockey player ever to have played the game.”

Drew Graham ’85 and his wife, Margarita, happily announce the arrival of their daughter Amara Angelina on August 28, 2007.

Caitlin Rose Regan (1), daughter of Cynthia and Brian Regan ’88, was born on October 14, 2006. She joins big sister Alison (3).

Children of Jess and Brendan Lynch ’88: Riley (9), Jack (8), Nolan (3), and Maeve (6).

87

William C. Begien, Class Agent; 8 Maple Street, Watertown, MA 02472 wbegien@yahoo.com Harold Beacham wrote, “It was wonderful to visit the school in September. The student center and the new theater are extremely impressive. I would urge my fellow classmates to stop by for a visit. It is still the same Avon we loved, only better.”

The children of Donna and Rob Gryboski ’88: daughter Charlie (6), son Mick (5) and Billy (2).

New York Rangers Retire Leetch’s No. 2

Brian Leetch ’86 accepts the Native Son Award at the Sportcasters’ Super Ball with an Avon hockey jersey as a backdrop. Brian thanked the foundation for the honor of being the 2007 recipient and the first hockey player to be given this prestigious award.

Brian Leetch ’86 was honored in Madison Square Garden as the Rangers retired his number 2 jersey. Jim Daine ’88 emailed, “I had the pleasure of being at Madison Square Garden to see the retirement of Brian’s Rangers jersey. It was a great night and I was very proud to see a fellow Avonian honored in such a wonderful way. I thought I would share the attached photo that I took from my seat.”

Pictured left to right at the sixth annual Sportscasters’ Super Ball, the Avonians who attended in support of CF and to honor Brian Leetch ’86 were: Kevin Driscoll ’72 (who helped coach Brian in hockey at Avon), Peter Evans (Brian’s baseball coach at Avon), John Gardner (Brian’s head hockey coach at Avon), honored guest Brian Leetch, and Art Custer (Brian’s advisor while at Avon). Also in attendance but not pictured were the Lapin family –Dr. Craig and Anne Lapin, parents of Ian ’09.

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

59

Last fall, Warner “Jim” James left his job at Cape Cod Academy for Breck School in Minneapolis (1,200 students in grades pre-K–12), where he is director of admissions. His daughter, Mary (6), is in first grade, his son, Jimmy (4), is in pre-K, and his youngest, Christopher, is 3. He and his wife kept their Cape Cod house in Cotuit and hope to get back for a visit after they are settled into their home in Edina, outside of Minneapolis.

Their move came about because of a fellowship Jim did through NAIS, and he said the family is very happy with their new location.

Shawn Atkinson ’88 and Ed Sheridan, father of Patrick Sheridan ’04, hosted a golf outing for Avon Old Farms at the historic Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, in October. The group enjoyed a morning round and then a fabulous lunch. Left to right standing: John McAuliffe ’95, Peter Evans, Ed Sheridan P ’04, John Gardner, Jon Hartnett ’95, Rob Dowling ’91, and Jason Pagni ’90. Left to right, sitting: Rob Gryboski ’88, Shawn Atkinson ’88, Chris Hetherington ’91, Dan Seiden ’00, Peter Cellino ’97, and Peter Reed ’88.

Patrick Carey ’94 and his wife, Allison, announce the birth of Kendall Grace on October 19, 2007.

The Class of 1988 will gather for their 20th Reunion the weekend of May 9–11. Alumni may view details as they are updated on our website— www.avonoldfarms.com.

Shawn E. Atkinson, Co-Head Class Agent; 667 Madison Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10021 satkinson@atkinsoncap.com

Big sisters Kaitlyn and Margaret proudly introduce Eleanor Mae Hankard, born August 11, 2007, weighing 8 lbs. and measuring 20.25 inches. Proud parents are Kathleen and Sean Hankard ’91.

Kai Thomas Rozinsky was born the morning of December 28 at 7:41, weighing in at 6 lbs. 8 oz. He is the first grandchild and nephew on both sides of their families, so there has been plenty of excitement and fun all around. Mike ’94, Leah, and Kai live in Marblehead, Massachusetts, where Leah owns and operates Leah’s Center for Massage Therapy and Yoga (leahscenter.com). And after eight years in healthcare consulting, Mike has recently joined Interaction Associates (interactionassociates.com, which helps clients solve business problems, drawing on nearly 40 years of innovation in the people and performance side of business in leadership development, change management, HR transformation, team building, coaching, and corporate social responsibility strategy. Whenever you are in the greater Boston area, feel free to be in touch (mikerozinsky@lycos.com).

88 20th Reunion Year

Bill Austin ’92 and his wife, Becky, announce the arrival of their daughter, Beatrix Moore Austin, born October 29, 2007, at 12:14 a.m., weighing in at 7 lbs. 10 oz. and measuring 20 inches. Bill emailed, “Mom and baby are healthy and recovering at the hospital. Beatrix looks forward to meeting you all very soon.”

The children of Alison and John Ruan ’92: Johnny and big sister, Abigail. The Ruans live in Des Moines.

Peter Reed, Co-Head Class Agent; 91 Butternut Lane, Southport, CT 06890 preed@ctnet.com Ben Travers says their three children are keeping them busy. They are still out in Mill Valley, California, and they spend July in Falmouth, Maine. They will not be able to get back for Reunion this year but send regards to the Class of ’88. Ben keeps in touch with Oliver Wolcott and Rob Morrell, among other Avonians.

David Gordon married Teresa Bulit in May 2007 in Tulum, Mexico. The Gordons live in Norwalk, Connecticut, and David works on Wall Street.

Oliver Wolcott and his wife, Wendy, keep busy with young Oliver Jr. (5) and little brother Dixon (2½). Oliver says they have an Argentinean babysitter, and his children are learning Spanish already. Oliver is working with Everlands Life, a club for people who love outdoor sports and travel, which offers access to beautiful destinations in the U.S. and around the globe, while helping to preserve them for future generations. For more information, visit www.everlandslife.com. Oliver keeps in touch with Rob Morrell and Ben Travers and plans to attend the 20th Reunion this spring.

89

Brian Riva, Class Agent; 14 Chatfield Drive, Lakeville, CT 06039 brianriva@sbcglobal.net Scott Butler practices real estate law in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.

Peter Duggan ’91 and his father pictured on the sideline of the Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants game in the fall of 2007. Peter is an executive with the Vikings.

60

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

90

Adam J. Crane, Class Agent; 932 Trail Court, Eagan, MN 55122 adamjcrane@gmail.com

class

Notes

Peter Malafronte has lived in New York City since college graduation in 1994. He worked in financial services for 14 years and for the past two years has worked at UBS. Peter wrote, “I’ve recently reconnected with Nick Einstein and Curt Detweiler and hope to connect with more friends and classmates. I attended a dinner organized by Bill Austin ’92 and others for the purpose of establishing a NYC alumni chapter and am looking forward to getting involved with this group.”

91

Michael M. Mullin, Head Class Agent; 23 Lakeside Avenue, Darien, CT 06840 michael.mullin@db.com

92

Damien J. Egan, Head Class Agent; 56 G Street, South Boston, MA 02127 degan2@hotmail.com Chip Burkhalter emailed greetings to everyone at Avon in early January. After finishing a twoyear posting to the U.S. embassy in Zimbabwe, he was assigned to the embassy in Accra, Ghana, for another two years. Chip wrote, “My wife, Kristin, gave birth to our first son, Edward A. Burkhalter IV, on January 2, 2008.

Both mom and baby are doing well and should be able to return to Africa to join up with me in about six weeks.”

Lee Huguley and his wife, Taz, welcomed their daughter Anaya Laéni into the world on March 2, 2008. Lee is the assistant dean of students and head of Pelican Dormitory; he has also taught English at Avon for 11 years. He and Taz were married at Avon in August 1999.

93 15th Reunion Year

Travis Merritt, Class Agent; 23 Church Street, Flemington, NJ 08822 merritttravis@yahoo.com David Nelson and his wife, Asa, announce the arrival of their first child, August Tommy Nelson, born August 24, 2007. The Nelsons live in Nyköping, Sweden, and spent Christmas with David’s family in Avon.

Mark French and his wife, Meghan, announce the arrival of their daughter, Campbell, born in November 2007.

94

Peter Chelala, Class Agent; 200 Rector Place, Apt. 37M, New York, NY 10280-1175 pchelala@gmail.com Graham C. Fuller, Class Agent; 100 Llanalew Road, Unit 8, Haverford, PA 09041-1564 grahamcfuller@hotmail.com

95

Anthony D. Silvestro, Head Class Agent; 3 Beech Circle, Andover, MA 01810-2901 asilvestro5@hotmail.com Tony Silvestro and his wife, Lana, announce the arrival of their first child, Anthony John Silvestro, born November 4, 2007. Anthony weighed 7.8 lbs. and was 19 inches.

Matt Cheek lives in Breckenridge, Colorado, where he sells real estate by day and plays in a band at night. He and his fiancée, Jessie, will marry in the fall. Check out the band’s website at www.fluxfive.com/index.cfm.

Goalie Jon Quick plays for the Reading Royals. According to the November 2, 2007, article in the Reading Eagle, Jon “has displayed the talent that has generated more buzz in the L.A. Kings system than any prospect ever assigned to Reading.” The Kings took the rare step of sending goaltending coach Bill Ranford and his assistant, Kim Dillabaugh, to Reading. At the time of the article, Quick helped Reading go 3–2 on their road trip. He made 32 saves in each of his wins, including a 3–0 shutout at Pensacola that saw him credited with an empty-net goal.

Capt. Greg Priest is EMS/neonatal operations manager for UConn Health Center Fire Department in Farmington. He is engaged to Kelly Walsh; a fall 2008 wedding is planned.

Mike Hornish ’95 married Alicia Kilcourse; they currently make their home in Avon.

96

Suzanne and Rick Tremble ’92 welcomed Lily Kathleen Tremble, born in Boston January 26, 2008. Lily weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz. and measured 20 inches.

Kyah and Noah Cheatham, children of Megan and Riordan Cheatham ’93.

Mark A. Caruso, Co-Head Class Agent; 17 Cedar Lane, Chatham, NJ 07928-1103 mcaruso@mlp.com John T. Jones, Co-Head Class Agent; 125 Main Street, Apt. 3, Newmarket, NH 03857-1623 Austin Sperry and his father-in-law, John Dane, started sailing together in 2005 in a regatta in the Bahamas, and since then they have won the Western Hemisphere Championship and the Bacardi Cup against 92 boats in Miami. After Hurricane Katrina, Dane moved Trinity Yachts to Seaway Road in Gulfport and bought 100 mobile homes for his workers. Sperry was working at U.S. Marine at the time, building a dry stack storage marina, and helped in the logistical transition.

Dane, in the running for Rolex Yachtsman of the Year in 2007, has been involved in previous U.S. Olympic campaigns: in 1968 (Dragon class), 1972 (Soling), 1976 (Finn), and 1984 (Star). He finished second in 1968, fourth in 1972, third in 1976, and fourth in 1984. Dane is the skipper of the two-man Star keelboat; Sperry is the crew. The tandem competed in Cascais, Portugal, for the ISAF Olympic Class Worlds on June 28, 2007. It was the first qualifier for the 2008 Olympics; 75 percent of countries qualify through this regatta.

The first 12 boats of the Star class qualify for the Olympics. Sperry and Dane sailed 16 races in the Olympic Trials in October and have achieved their goal of representing the United States in the Star class at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Madeline (3) is the oldest daughter of Katie and Peter DiNardo ’93.

Ainsley (7 months) is the newest DiNardo, born to Katie and Peter ’93.

Taz and Lee Huguley ’92 with new daughter Anaya.

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

61

Happy Birthday Louise B. Adams

Honorary Board of Directors member Louise B. Adams celebrated her 90th birthday at Bear Island in Stony Creek, CT with over 100 friends and family members. Peter and Sue Evans and George and Barbara Trautman were all in attendance. Louise’s birthday was also recognized at Avon Old Farms School with the Board of Directors. Louise has been a part of the Board for nearly 40 years, and her husband Paul (deceased 2005) was a member from 1948–66. Their two sons, Edward ’68 (deceased 2007) and Thomas ’64 (Board member from 1972–75), graduated from Avon, in addition to grandson E. Thomas (Tommy) Adams ’01.

Joe Dolcimascolo and his wife, Chrystal, announce the birth of their daughter, Madison Anne, on December 6, 2007. She weighed 6 lbs. 7 oz.

97

Timothy B. Stay, Co-Head Class Agent; Avon Old Farms School, 500 Old Farms Road, Avon, CT 06001 stayt@avonoldfarms.com

Catching up at Vic and Angelo’s Restaurant in Palm Beach Shores, Florida over March break were Paul Gozzo ’94, Peter Evans, and Shawn LaBonte ’95.

Kyle R. Youngquist, Co-Head Class Agent; 60 West 23rd Street, Apt. 950, New York, NY 10010 kyoungquist@msdcapital.com David Jorgenson is engaged to Rachel Lutzker; a 2009 wedding is planned. Rachel graduated from Scarsdale High School and the University of Hartford, earning a B.A. in mass communications. She is a television reporter and traffic reporter for WTIC-TV, Fox 61, and radio DJ for Clear Channel Communications in Hartford. David graduated from University of Florida in Gainsville, where he earned a B.S. in business administration and was a three-year starter for the Gator football team. He is an insurance consultant for The Hartford in New York City.

Austin Sperry ’96 with skipper John Dane prepare to represent the United States at this summer’s Beijing Olympics. The pair won the Olympic trials last October, and they are the sole U.S. Star Class representatives.

98 10th Reunion Year

Geoffrey R. Barlow, Co-Head Class Agent; Avon Old Farms School, 500 Old Farms Road, Avon, CT 06001 spitfiregp34@hotmail.com J. Andrew Corrigan, Co-Head Class Agent; 826 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook, NH 03229 jamesandrewcorrigan@gmail.com

Doug Chasser ’01 is engaged to Jillian Campanella; they have been busy planning a May 17 wedding.

62

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

Jesse Carleton emailed this spring, “I’m currently in an area called the Silver Banks, about 90 miles northeast of Dominican Republic. We’re here with a few expert scientists researching the mating habits of the humpback whale—the same humpbacks that we see in the waters off the Cape in the summertime. It’s all quite interesting as we have the opportunity to get in the water and swim

with these enormous creatures. In fact last night a pod approached our ship about sunset and we were able to swim with them for hours, getting as close as 1–2 feet away at times. We got some incredible photos. After this trip we are crossing the Atlantic on our way to the Mediterranean.”

On February 23, many members of the Class of ’98 gathered at Avon to remember classmate Kareem Norman, who passed away in May 2007.

Among those on campus were Arthur Andrews, Chris Baran, Matt Biscaldi ’00, Kayser Dixon, Craig Evans, Greg Kraczkowsky, Adam LaVorgna ’99, Brian Lemek, Chris Migliore, George Psaras, James Reinhardt, Paul Rhodes, Brendan Riley ’01, Kelvin Roldan ’96, Corey Salvatelli ’00, Neil Sirni, and Drew Stroud.

99

David R. Gryboski, Co-Head Class Agent; 5339 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, FL 34217 dgryboski@tampabay.rr.com Jonathan M. Carroll, Co-Head Class Agent; 1486 Pescadero Drive, San Diego, CA 92107 carroll_jonathan@yahoo.com Brendan Mooney emailed, “I’ve been living and working out on Long Island with my father in Bay Shore. He’s a great partner and I manage the terminal portion of Fire Island Ferries (properties, parking lots, marketing/advertising). It’s going really well. We’re insanely busy for about 10 weeks out of the year, Memorial Day until Labor Day, and after that it dies off rather quickly. For that brief time, however, there’s very little time to relax.

I’m less than five minutes from the beach, but didn’t make it into the ocean this year.”

Adam Stifel moved back to D.C. and works in executive search for the McCormick Group. Adam emailed, “We have offices here and in Boston, so if anyone is looking for work in either of those places, let me know and I will try and help you out.”

00

Michael J. O’Neill, Co-Head Class Agent; 37 Anderson Street Apt. 5, Boston, MA 02114 michael.oneill@fmr.com

class

Notes

Daniel J. Seiden, Co-Head Class Agent; 500 Old Farms Road, Avon, CT 06001 seidend@avonoldfarms.com Dan Pike and his wife, Holly, announce the arrival of their son, Cameron Daniel Pike, born August 23, 2007. He weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. and measured 21 inches. Dan emailed, “Hopefully he’ll want to go to Avon in about 14 years!”

01

Christopher D. Coleman, Co-Head Class Agent; 4464 Greenwich Parkway NW, Washington, DC 20007 christopherdcoleman@gmail.com Nicholas H. LaRocque, Co-Head Class Agent; 46 South Huntington Avenue, Apt. 24, Boston, MA 02130 larocque.nicholas@gmail.com Deon Anderson was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys and earned the starting fullback position before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against the Philadelphia Eagles in week 9. Best of luck to Deon for a healthy off-season and continued success in the NFL. Nate Moffie emailed, “Things are going well right now. I am living in NYC. I am currently trading at a private equity firm called Opus Trading Fund. I live with a buddy of mine from college who is also working in finance. Work takes up a lot of the time and I have not made it home in a while. I have been back to see the new athletic and student center, which is spectacular. I do plan on making it back for Christmas and, depending when I can get days off, I will try and make the Hockey Classic.”

Graham Gill made it into major league lacrosse with the L.A. Riptide. Check out information on Graham online at www.lariptide. com/team/?id=480.

Andrew Matalon moved back to Jamaica at the beginning of the year and works for the financial firm Dehring, Bunting, and Golding.

02

William P. Beatson, Class Agent; Mistfield Farm, P.O. Box 148, Butler, MD 21023 wbeatson@wbff.sbgnet.com Theodore (Teddy) Kim emailed in the fall that he was interning at a Korean company in Shanghai and planned to return to Babson College in January 2008 for his last semester. Teddy wrote, “When I do go back to Boston, I would like to see whoever’s in town, so e-mail me at tkim1@babson.edu.”

03 5th Reunion Year

Jamie Tang, Class Agent; 111 East 80th Street, Apt. 3B, New York, NY 10021 TangJT1@aol.com Ryan Bowen teaches history at The Rectory School in Pomfret, Connecticut.

Steven Chester emailed, “I am finishing up my last semester at Middlebury College. After graduation I am looking to get a job with an urban planning or sustainable design firm, but haven’t landed anything yet. Haven’t seen many Avonians lately, although I was just at the school and the new facilities look amazing. If anyone is ever up in Vermont and wants to do some skiing, let me know.”

Brett Garber is playing major league lacrosse for the Boston Cannons. Brett was a two-time All-New England first team selection, had points in all 14 of his games as a senior, and had eight hat tricks in his collegiate career. A 2007 UMass graduate, Brett was named a second-team All-ECAC performer as a senior, recording 32 points on 26 goals and six assists his senior year. Check him out online at www.bostoncannons.com/team/?id=10619.

04

Luke Archambault, Class Agent; 59 High Street, South Hadley, MA 01075 archlu01@gettysburg.edu Tim Cartland is a senior at Lasell College in Newton, Massachusetts, majoring in marketing and doing very well. Last summer, Tim was able to secure an internship with Enterprise Rent-ACar in the Methuen office; he had a marvelous experience that culminated in a scholarship from Enterprise at the end of the summer. It is the company’s policy to award scholarships to the top two summer interns in a region, and Tim was number two for his area.

Tobias Salmelainen continues his professional hockey career in the Finnish Elite League. Tobias lives in Espoo, Finland, and wrote that he has remained in contact with his classmates.

Evan Bowen graduates in December 2008 with an English degree. He emailed, “The football camp business I started two summers ago actually grew a considerable amount. In our second summer, we doubled in athletes and tripled in profits, which was very exciting. We’re about to be featured on an HBO “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” episode at the end of October 2007. They are doing a story on private quarterback lessons. The business also placed third at the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards Regional in Washington, D.C., which gained us some pretty cool press. In September 2007 I also started a web consulting company called EAB Internet Solutions. Right now I’m working on four website projects for four companies. So I’m keeping very busy.”

Ryan Matalon is a senior at the College of Charleston and took a weeklong course in the United Arab Emirates. He reached out to fellow Avonian Austyn Allison ’97, who is currently working for a magazine in Dubai. Ryan writes, “Nothing better than being able to just meet someone over there from Avon. My two friends were amazed as to how Old Farms works like that.

It truly is brilliant.”

Matt Anderson ’00 married Patricia Elseroad in October 2005. In January, Matt emailed, “I am doing server support for Pfizer as a project for the company I work for, Court Square Data Group. My wife currently is in orthopedic medical device sales. She sells all over New York State from Poughkeepsie to White Plains and Danbury, Connecticut, out to Middletown, New York.” Matt and Tricia moved in February to Abingdon, Maryland.

Kevin Klementz ’02 and Amanda Gifford visited Avon on November 20, 2007. Amanda, who is from Alaska, met Kevin at Colorado State University, where Kevin got a B.A. in business and where he is working on a second degree in turf management.

John Oliver Beirne ’03 graduated from the SMU Cox School of Business on May 19, 2007.

05

Dane Lemeris, Head Class Agent; 38 Chelsea Drive, Cromwell, CT 06416 dlemeris@gmail.com

Ryan Matalon ’04 and Austyn Allison ‘97 at Barasti, a club in Dubai.

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

63

Tim Beeble ’71 sent in this photo of Brian Davis ’05 with the Michigan Pom Pom squad, taken before the Michigan homecoming game against Purdue last fall.

Jason Lavorgna ’04 was drafted by the New York Mets in June 2007.

John Ducci is a junior at Villanova and a management major. He would like to pursue construction management after graduation.

John was back on Avon’s campus this winter playing his guitar and entertaining Avon students and faculty with a band that included other Avonians.

Taylor Wuennemann is a junior at Endicott College and spent the fall semester studying in Madrid.

06

Adam Bauer, Class Agent; 22 Highwood Street, Simsbury, CT 06070 atbgmen@aol.com

07

Matt Beath, Class Agent; 12229 Prince Towne Drive, St. Louis, MO lgbeath@charter.net

Faculty member James Kaehlert and son Samuel.

Casey Coons ’07 with sisters Christina and Brittany.

Chris Canning ’07 and Zachary Barker ’07.

Faculty family from the early ’70s: Dick and Gloria Hitchcock and their two children, David and Becky, with their own families. Dick and Gloria are hoping to work one more year in Georgia before retirement. The Hitchcocks are expecting their fourth grandson.

In November, Hobart College’s online news reported, “Lacrosse Midfielder Ryan Liebel, from Longmeadow, Massachusetts, from Avon Old Farms School, was an All-American and NorthSouth All-Star this past spring. The team MVP and captain recorded 34 goals and 16 assists as a senior. Liebel was a two-time All-New England and all-league selection in lacrosse and also was a member of the AOF hockey team.”

Ryan Butler, a freshman at Saint Anselm’s College, was honored by the Northeast-10 Conference as the men’s ice hockey Freshman of the Week for his performance during the week ending December 9, 2007. In addition, Butler earned ECAC East Rookie of the Week honors for his play. Butler earned the awards after picking up a hat trick in the team’s 7–2 home win over Assumption at Sullivan Arena. Butler is the second Saint Anselm rookie to earn the Northeast-10 freshman award.

Alumni Online Community Former teacher John Couture, and his wife, Louise McCullough, have four children; they live in Avon, CT.

Faculty member Tim Roller and family “shop” for a Christmas tree in the yard of fellow faculty member Michael Stradley, who lives off-campus in Avon, CT.

64

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

The Avon Old Farms Online Alumni Community continues to grow into a popular web destination and forum for alumni. The site allows alumni access to all sorts of information including reunion year homepages, classmate contact info, an online directory search, online donations, eNews archives, personalized contact lists, class notes submissions, a monthly alumni feature article, and up-to-date information regarding any upcoming alumni events in your region. A registration identification number is needed for you to gain secure access. If you did not receive an ID number by email, or if

you have any other problems, questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this resource, please do not hesitate to give us a call in the Alumni Office toll free at 1-800-336-8195 or email us at alumni@avonoldfarms.com. Thank you!

In Memoriam Dorian F. Reid ’33 passed away on January 25, 2008, after a period of declining health. “He was home-schooled and as a small child lived in Sea Wall, Maine, and Gramercy Park in New York City. He attended Avon Old Farms School and later graduated from The Gunnery in 1934. He graduated with a B.A. in chemistry from Amherst College in 1938. He returned each summer to his ‘home’ in Maine and instilled his love of sailing and the ocean in his own children. Angel Flight helped provide him the opportunity to return for one final visit in June 2007. He was a fine wood craftsman and designed and created wood masterpieces throughout his life. He began his career at General Electric, where he met and married Betty Reid, also a chemist there, in 1943.

He later worked in the paper industry at W.S. Libbey and with consumer products at Johnson & Johnson. He then moved into the plastics industry, retiring in 1974. He was preceded in death by his wife; his sisters, Elizabeth Pfeiffer, Madeline English, and Mary McKnight; a brother, Ernest Reid; and a son, Harry Fielding Reid II. He is survived by a daughter, Alice Reid Abbott, and two granddaughters, Laurel Reitman (Jeffrey) and Sally Abbott.” [Excerpted from the Lafayette Journal and Courier, February 14, 2008.]

Christopher Phillips ’39, a state senator and ambassador, died January 10, 2008, at the age of 87. “When he was 7, Phillips stood in for his ambassador father to welcome Charles Lindbergh to Brussels after the aviator completed his historic transatlantic flight in 1927. He would embark on a wide-ranging career of public service and diplomacy, starting as a Massachusetts state senator and continuing with posts in the State Department, the United Nations, and the National Council for US-China Trade. His family traces its roots to 1620 and the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was a direct descendent of John Phillips, the first mayor of Boston, and related to Wendell Phillips, the abolitionist orator, and to the

founders of Phillips Academy Andover and Exeter. Phillips’ father, William, was U.S. ambassador to Italy at the outbreak of World War II and served as undersecretary of state under Franklin Roosevelt. As the child of a diplomat, Phillips attended a variety of private schools, including Avon Old Farms. He said his interest in political life was sparked by his parents’ close friendship with Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and recalled his first visit to the White House when he was 13. He entered Harvard in 1939. He took a year off at the end of his freshman year and enrolled at Montana State College in Bozeman and worked on a ranch as a cowboy. It was in Montana that he met Mabel Olsen. They married in 1943. He then enlisted in the Army Air Corps, serving four years. Phillips returned to Harvard in 1946 and graduated with the class of 1948. He served in the Massachusetts State Senate, leaving in the middle of his third term to join the Massachusetts Eisenhower for President Committee. Soon after, he went to Washington, serving in many capacities with the United Nations and the State Department and, later, with Chase Manhattan Bank and the International Chamber of Commerce. In 1969, he became deputy U.S. representative on the U.N. Security Council. He left in 1973 to head the National Council for U.S.-China Trade. In 1989, the Reagan administration appointed him ambassador to Brunei. Mabel Phillips died in 1995 and Phillips married Sydney Osbourne 10 years ago. In addition to his wife, son, and two daughters, Phillips leaves a sister, two step-children, five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.” [Excerpted from The Boston Globe; February 11, 2008.]

The School has learned that Henry Clay Hodges ’42 passed away in 2006 at the age of 83.

Peter B. Hewes ’42 died November 4, 2007, in Middlefield, Connecticut, at the age of 83. “Hewes was both an active

member of the Middlefield Federated Church and a resident of Middlefield for 53 years. He worked for Safeway Heating elements Company for 31 years and was a veteran of World War II. Besides his wife, he is survived by two sons, Samuel Hewes of Middletown and John Hewes of Vernon; and five grandchildren. He was predeceased by a daughter, Gayle Hewes Thody, and a brother, James E. Hewes, Jr.” [Excerpted from The Hartford Courant.]

Roger Fowler ’44 of Marblehead, Massachusetts, died March 20, 2007, at the age of 82 after a short illness. He had been happily retired from the insurance business. Fowler is survived by his wife, Sally Parker Fowler.

The School has learned that John G. Menzel ’44 passed away in 2007.

The School has learned that Thomas McBride ’55 passed away October 2007.

The Honorable David S. Foster ‘45 of Cashiers, North Carolina, died at his home August 16, 2004, at the age of 77.

“A native of Wilmington, Delaware, he was a retired Louisiana district and state judge. He was a graduate of the University of Virginia and Tulane Law School.

He began his professional career in the petroleum industry and then practiced law with the firm of Voorhies and Labbe.

In 1988, he became a pioneer in the field of arbitration and mediation. He was a member of the American Arbitration Association and presided over a number of national arbitration cases. He served on numerous boards of corporate and nonprofit organizations in Louisiana. A full-time resident of Cashiers since 1993, he served the Church of the Good Shepherd on its vestry and as its outreach chairman, as well as being a member of the board of directors of the Village Green and a trustee of Whiteside Cove Community Church/School. Surviving are his wife of 47 years, Malise Labbe Foster;

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

65

In Memoriam

one daughter, Elise Lander; two sons, Chad Foster and Patch Foster; one brother, Wells Foster; two sisters, Mimi Haskell and Lucia Adams; and three grandchildren.” [Excerpted from an obituary in the August 19, 2004, issue of The Sylva Herald.]

The School has learned that Ralph Harris ’52 passed away January 7, 1997.

James Archibald Fraser ’46 passed away September 1, 2005. James is survived by his wife, Barbara, five children, and seven grandchildren, all of whom live in Canada.

The School has learned that Russell

Dunfrey ’53 has passed away.

Henry T. Wiener ’57 died December 6, 2006, at the age of 67. Hank was the beloved husband of Toni, devoted father of Mindy and Michael, Scott and Lisa, Elizabeth and Jeffrey, and Andrew. His brother, Bill, and grandchildren Adam, Jacob, Nathaniel, Benjamin, and Hannah will miss him also.

Laurence A. Hartley ’57 died on October 2, 2007, after an illness. He had been retired from his sand and gravel business and had been living in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He leaves his wife, Barbara; six children; five grandchildren; and two brothers, Eric B. Hartley ’63 and Alf Hartley ’67. He was predeceased by his parents and brother E. Davis “Duke” Hartley ’55.

William Reilly Leonard ’66, also known as Reilly Leonard, passed away on July 28, 2004. He was 56 years old and was suffering from a degenerative brain disease at the time of his passing. He was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and grew up in Westport, Connecticut. He graduated from Oglethorpe University with a B.A. in English (Cum Laude) in 1971. He also attended Washington & Lee University Law School in 1971 and 1972. His successful career

66

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

in advertising included national accounts such as the California State Lottery, Air New Zealand and Godfather’s Pizza while employed with Dailey & Associates. He resided in Monterey, CA with his beloved dog, Abby, who died just a few days before Reilly’s passing.

Edward Montague Adams ’68 passed away July 13, 2007, after a heart attack.

Born in Hartford, he graduated from Avon and served in the U.S. Seabees from 1969 to 1972. He began his marine electronics career with Brookes and Gatehouse, Ltd., and was founder and president of Custom Navigation Systems Inc. He lived in Killingworth, Connecticut and summered on the Thimbles, on his beloved Bear Island. He was a member and served on the Board of the National Marine Electronics Association, a member of the New York Yacht Club, Cruising Club of America, Storm Trysail Club, and many other sailing clubs. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Leonora Hunter Adams (Lorie); three children, Wendy, Heather and Thomas; and his mother, Louise Barnes Adams, widow of Paul W. Adams; his parents were both longtime members of Avon’s Board of Directors, and Louise is currently an active honorary member of the Board. Ed was a skilled navigator and sailed in many Bermuda and transatlantic races. From early childhood, he was a good sailor and a masterful inventor who loved a challenge, and became known as a man who could fix just about anything.

[Excerpted from Cruising Club of America.]

Mark Granger ’77 died August 5, 2007, after a brief illness. He was 47 years old. After graduating from Avon, Mark attended the University of Connecticut; he was loving, loyal, and dedicated to his family and friends. He was a friend to everyone he met, and was remembered for his sharp wit and contagious sense of humor. To know Mark was to love him; he will be missed by his family and many friends.

Gordon Clark Ramsey ’80H of West Hartford passed away on June 21, 2007; he was 66. Born in Hartford, Ramsey was executive secretary of the Emeriti Association of the University of Hartford, and was for 18 years secretary to the Faculty Senate, and adjunct instructor in English, rhetoric, language and culture, history, and the all-university curriculum. He had also been organist of Second Church of Christ, Scientist, Hartford, since 1983. Mr. Ramsey served as president of the Jeremiah Wadsworth Branch of the Sons of the American Revolution, Hartford. He was past president of the Avon Historical Society and was the longtime historian of Avon Old Farms where he was an honorary member of the class of 1980. Ramsey graduated from Westminster School and Yale College. In the 1970s he was assistant executive director of the Association of Yale Alumni and later director of development at Avon Old Farms School. He was the first biographer of Dame Agatha Christie and the only biographer to have known her. He was the author of Aspiration and Perseverance, the official history of Avon Old Farms School, and also recorded organ music and church solos extensively for the AFKA label. There are no immediate survivors.

The School has learned that John Kenealy Brennan ’94 died suddenly on October 15, 2007.

The Last Word

m

m

De Eruditione Foreign language faculty member Thomas C. Drescher delivered the following chapel talk on Thursday, February 7, 2008.

m

m

m

At Avon, happily, we continue to embrace our traditions, our core values, our educational heritage.

And our experience here is a balancing act: balancing tradition and modernization, academics and athletics, work and leisure; even, more generally, contemplation and action….It is what we seek to achieve on a daily basis at Avon, and it would not be possible without some understanding of our origins and our context, without Greek, without Latin. Mrs. Riddle, I think, would be proud of our efforts in this regard.

balanced, perfectly symmetrical, both in form and content. What is Achilles meant to learn from this simple, poignant expression? That contemplation and action in equal measure is the ideal toward which we all must strive.

It is contemplation which concerns us this morning. Contemplation, or intellectual exertion, is what informs, or what should inform, our actions. Vigorous scholarship of any kind encourages contemplation. Facebook, I’m afraid, does not. But I think we could all afford to be a bit more contemplative at times. Of course, do not abandon action; rather, let action be guided by contemplation.

Scholarship is important—especially classical scholarship—and if you don’t trust me, and you can’t trust a guy with a name like Phoenix, then I’ll defer

m

m

m

I

was asked recently—not for the first time—why I chose to study Latin, and what I plan to do with it. “It’s a dead language! Who cares about Latin! No one studies it and gets a job! What’s the point?”

I’ve been fielding questions like this ever since my sophomore year of college, when I abandoned English and economics in favor of Cicero and Caesar, and by now I have an arsenal of well-rehearsed answers ready at hand. But besides the augmented vocabulary, the SAT score boosts, the legal jargon, and the sheer enjoyment derived from parsing verb forms and quoting Horace at cocktail parties—to the horror of nearby friends and acquaintances—what inherent practical value does Latin scholarship hold?

What about scholarship in general?

It’s easy to see the immediate, functional significance of certain kinds of math, of economics, of Spanish, of business; but what about Latin, Greek, philosophy, art, literature? Can we disregard these disciplines because they won’t guarantee us a spot at an Ivy League school or a job at an investment banking firm, or because it’s 9:45 and Guitar Hero isn’t going to beat itself?

For me, they hold a more subtle, and yet more potent, value. As modern academic subjects, they represent the culmination of thousands of years of human intellectual achievement; they provide us with historical context, and impart the same important lesson which Phoenix taught to the Greek hero Achilles as he sulked in his tent on the Trojan shore: “to be both a speaker of words and a doer of deeds.”

The actual verse, in Homeric Greek, reads μuθων τε ρητηρ εμεναι πρηκτηρ τε εργων and is perfectly

Visiting the Forum in Rome, November 2004

The Avonian Spring-Summer 2008

67

The Last Word to a more dependable source: Thomas Jefferson, who said, “The Latin and Greek languages constitute the basis of good education, and are indispensable to fill up the character of a well-educated man.” Jefferson, a self-professed “zealous

advocate of classical learning,” was fluent in both Latin and ancient Greek. The Federalist Papers of Jefferson’s fellow founding fathers James Madison and Alexander Hamilton abound with classical allusions and Latin phrases.

These were great men, heroes of their age;

68

Spring-Summer 2008 The Avonian

the sort of enlightened classical education to which they were exposed was not uncommon once, and yet it has become so. Can their success be attributed entirely to Latin grammar? Probably not.

But did their scholarly efforts make them more thoughtful, more appreciative of contemplation, and more likely to live rich, fulfilling lives? Absolutely.

At Avon, happily, we continue to embrace our traditions, our core values, our educational heritage. And our experience here is a balancing act; balancing tradition and modernization, academics and athletics, work and leisure; even, more generally, contemplation and action. We undertake internet-based research projects, and we participate in poetry recitation competitions. We hold sports practices in a state-of-the-art athletic facility every afternoon, and we gather in the Refectory every night for dinner and conversation. We drink milkshakes and watch SportsCenter in the Hawk’s Nest, and we squeeze into this chapel twice a week in the spirit of more traditional Avonian camaraderie.

Creating balance and moderation out of these many juxtapositions has its roots in Homeric poetry, in the ethical treatises of Aristotle. It is what we seek to achieve on a daily basis at Avon, and it would not be possible without some understanding of our origins and our context, without Greek, without Latin. Mrs. Riddle, I think, would be proud of our efforts in this regard.

I’m not suggesting that you all sign up for Latin next fall; Mr. Beneski and I already have our hands full. But I do urge you to develop some appreciation for the inherent value of scholarship, especially its more contemplative side, here at Avon.

In a fast-paced world, at a potentially tumultuous period in our nation’s history, we would all do well to balance action with a bit of contemplation.

And with all this in mind, I will stick faithfully to my Latin, which grants me this advice to give: Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito qua tua te fortuna sinet.

Yield not to troubles, but, rather, go boldly wherever fortune permits. 

The Pierpont Endowment

Kathy and William Lyon ’63

Providing Scholarships for Future Generations “Don Pierpont was provost (headmaster) from 1948 to 1968, and during my three years at Avon, he touched my life personally, inspired my self-confidence and believed in me. I am very pleased to be able to ensure his memory with a gift that will keep on giving for a purpose about which he cared deeply—scholarships. I recently designated Avon Old Farms in my will to receive a bequest that will benefit future generations of Avon students through the William W. Lyon ’63 Fund in The Pierpont Endowment. I hope you will consider joining me by adding your gift as well.”

William W. Lyon — Class of 1963

Leave your legacy by making an enduring gift to Avon through your estate.

Bequests and other forms of planned giving will be recognized in Avon’s current campaign: “Honoring Tradition, Forging Ahead.”

Please consider designating your bequest or other form of planned gift to The Pierpont Endowment for Scholarships. This endowment fund will ensure Avon sustains and grows its commitment to being the best school for boys in America.

Named funds within the endowment may be established for gifts of $25,000 or more.

Other funds and giving options are also available.

For further information contact: Henry R. Coons ’71 Director of Planned Giving Phone: 860-404-4226 Email: coonsh@avonoldfarms.com Web: www.avonoldfarms.gift-planning.org

The Avonian Fall-Winter 2007

Jennifer Almquist / almquistphoto.com

I first tried to get a little allowance money by shining shoes, but at a nickel a pair, it was slow going, and I found that I could use the school mimeograph machine and pay for the paper and pay for the wax stencils and I think I even, I don’t know where I got the typewriter, but somewhere I got a typewriter. I gathered the news with pencil and paper, typed up the little articles and published a three-page Avon weekly newsletter. It came out every Tuesday right o n time for three years. And in fact, I wanted to quit at the end of the first year. I said it takes a lot of time but Dr. Kammerer very firmly said “Peter I think you should continue it. Have the issue ready next week.” So I didn’t know exactly why, but that was why I was allowed to stay at the school because Mrs. Riddle liked the gossip that I put in my newspaper...

2008 Distinguished Alumnus - Pete Seeger ’36

Avon Old Farms School 500 Old Farms Road Avon, Connecticut 06001 www.avonoldfarms.com

Address Service Requested

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Avon, CT 06001 Permit No. 12