The Academy at Charlemont: Everyone Learns, Everyone Plays, Everyone Matters
Vox
Gratias, magister, tibi maximus agimas!
A newspaper for the community of The Academy at Charlemont Fall 2013
Welcoming Interim Head of School Nell Todd
Photos and memories of Macbeth
An interview with Jack Styles on Teaching Abroad
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pages 8-9
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VOX • Fall 2013
Eric Grinnell, Founding Head of School Finding Ways to Celebrate His Legacy
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By Arcadia Rom-Frank ’13
n March 28, divided into our daily chore teams, the entire student body of The Academy at Charlemont filed onto buses, ready to be deployed to various locations for a morning of community service. In
seven different locations, from Shelburne Falls, to Heath, to Plainfield and even the school itself, students scrubbed, swept, built, mopped, and painted to help out local organizations. All morning, with the focus on the surrounding community, Academy students lent a hand to anyone who could use one. In the afternoon, after eating a brown-bag lunch with team members, we boarded the buses again and headed back to The Academy to change into sheets and grab pillows. Though this description brings to mind a slumber party, we were in fact preparing to enjoy faux dormice, personal honey cakes,
and live music at the all-school Roman Banquet. This, of course, was all part of Founders’ Day. During the day, as I scrubbed solidified popcorn oil from the wooden floor of Memorial Hall, I thought how easy it could be to forget why we were here. I don’t mean here as in Memorial Hall, I mean here as in The Academy. Founders’ Day serves to remind us that there was not always an Academy, and that, like most things we enjoy, it was created with great care and intention. The Academy, now in its 33rd year, was founded on
the brave and daring idealism of six Mohawk Trail teachers and community members: Maggie Carlson, Lucille Joy, David McKay, Patricia McKay, Dianne Grinnell, and, of course, founding headmaster Eric Grinnell, who passed away this past Christmas. The six founders, according to Dianne Grinnell, would periodically get together to discuss and plot the concept of a school that “would bring quality education to the local area with an affordable tuition.” Those were the idealistic grounds that inspired
The Academy's founders, pictured here in 2001. From the left: David & Patricia McKay, Maggie Carlson, Lucille Joy, and Eric & Dianne Grinnell.
Eric Grinnell in the late ’90s the founders to start their own school. In the first September of the school’s history, after having recruited 24 students two months earlier, The Academy at Charlemont became a school. Mr. Grinnell, who became the school’s first headmaster and remained so until his retirement in 2002, later reflected, “The realest thing in the room that first morning of the school was the doughnuts.” There are now doughnuts every first day of the school year, but so much more is real, much of which is thanks to Mr. Grinnell and all the other founders of the school. In Mrs. Grinnell’s words, “Founders’ Day was always a big celebration. One year the whole school went to a special viewing of the movie Gandhi to return to an Indian feast.” There is still much to celebrate: The great school that we attend, and the risk and commitment that went into establishing the school, such as the founders’ leaving the stability of a paying job within a public institution. “When honoring a group of people, I think that putting up a new plaque or having a ceremony can be a nice way to remind everyone of past achievements and important milestones, but a day of service was really the
most fitting way to pay homage to The Academy’s founders, who were so community-minded,” says Patrick Dowd ’13. And it was definitely the most fitting way for the school to honor its founders, particularly Eric Grinnell, this year. Not only was Mr. Grinnell a lover of all things Latin—and highly inspired by community and active involvement—he knew that tradition was one of the things that would keep The Academy strong. In her elegy for Eric Grinnell, Emily Todd ’85 pointed out that “Mr. Grinnell made sure that we started to see ourselves in history, as building on a past. We established tradition, with our school colors … and the Honor Code and Roman feasts.” Though community service has always been an essential part of The Academy’s identity, this year’s Founders’ Day featured more extensive service learning than the school has participated in for some time. As for the Latin banquet, there was a clear justification for that, as well: “Eric didn’t just believe Latin was a vital part of this secondary-school foreign language curriculum. He also LOVED it, and his love for dead languages and classical antiquity was part of his very being,” observed Jeff
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page 3 Potter ’84. Just days after Founders’ Day, a large group of friends, family, alumni, and faculty gathered at the school for a formal celebration of the life and legacy of Eric Grinnell, complete with beautiful opera music and a champagne toast. One of the speeches offered that afternoon was by former headmaster Todd Sumner, who noted, “Eric’s life was both ordinary and extraordinary, but it was remarkably consistent in that he never let convention stand in the way of an adventure, a good idea, or
Clockwise from above: Eric Grinnell reclining at a Roman banquet with members of the classes of ’03 and ’04; Grinnell in Greece in the late ’90s; a portrait of Eric by his dear friend John Brace (Jay) Latham; Eric and Dianne Grinnell at their home in Heath, MA.
Vox
Published annually by The Academy at Charlemont 1359 Route 2 • Charlemont, MA 01339 (413) 339-4912 • fax (413) 339-4324 • academy@charlemont.org Editor, Design & Production: Nora Bates Zale ’00 Editing Support: Charlotte Meryman P12, Cornelia Reid P01, Martha Tirk P07 Contributing Writers: Katherine Anderson ’16, Stephen Arnold ’13, Cassandra Bigelow ’16, Allen Gabriel ’16, David Epstein ’Grace Engelman ’15, Samantha Hersh ’15, Nate Manwell ’14, Tristan Peltenberg ’13, Elizabeth Purington ’14 Arcadia Rom-Frank ’13, Christina Secor ’16 Contributing Photographers: Grove Staff, Nora Bates Zale ’00, Noah Dirks ’14, Peter Engelman P13, 15, Lorena Loubsky P16, Elizabeth Purington ’14 The Academy at Charlemont does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, handicap, national origin, sex, or sexual orientation in its education, admissions, and financial aid policies, or in any other programs and policies administered by The Academy.
a vivid expression of who he understood himself to be.” These qualities are what made The Academy survive and become the school it is today; they also are inherent in any and every event, ritual, or custom in which The Academy participates. By preserving the traditions that are as old as the school itself, and by initiating new ones, The Academy continues to pay homage to its history while simultaneously making way for new directions.
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VOX • Fall 2013
Nell Todd ’93 Appointed Interim Head of School for 2013-2014 By David Epstein ’ 87
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ell Todd, Academy Class of ’93, will serve as Interim Head of School this coming year. One of the finest attributes of The
Academy is the loyalty and commitment of its many
accomplished alumni. Nell has agreed to assume this new role after six years of service as a trustee, and she brings to it her wide experience in organizational life. She has been granted a leave from her position as a senior manager at Deloitte Consulting. The Board has asked Nell not only to provide overall leadership this year, but also to work with the entire Academy community in shaping the school’s future, with the goal of creating a five-year strategic plan. Additionally, she will help to refine our internal processes and procedures, which will strengthen and enhance all that makes The Academy an extraordinary institution. Nell will work in close cooperation with Stephanie Purington, who will be responsible for the daily operations of the school. Nell has asked Stephanie to serve as Dean of Faculty, in addition to her current roles as Academic Dean and Registrar. The Board is grateful for Stephanie’s outstanding leadership this past year, and she will be invaluable in helping to make this transition a smooth one. Nell grew up in Ashfield and, like her sisters Emily and Maisie before her, spent grades 7-12 at the school. She has a BA in political science from Carleton College and a MS in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon Univer-
sity. Upon graduating from The Academy, she interned for Senator Kennedy and worked on the passage of the National Service Trust Act, which established AmeriCorps. Throughout college, she helped promote that program. After college, she served in the Peace Corps in Ghana for two years. While in Ghana, Nell lived and worked with a rural community to provide water and sanitation infrastructure, raising the funds within the region to do so, as well as raising additional funds to build a school. Since the Peace Corps, Nell has managed several USAID-funded projects focused on strengthening local governments in Eastern Europe and Africa and has spent the last eight years at Deloitte Consulting advising various agencies including the State Department, World Bank, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, and the General Services Administration. Nell’s focus at Deloitte is with strategic planning and the transformation of agency operations. She led Deloitte’s learning program for her practice, and she recently completed an intensive workshop in negotiation for women leaders at Carnegie Mellon. Nell is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Nell is married to Mike Beach, and they have a one and
Nell Todd ’93, her husband Mike Beach, and their son Theodore, enjoying a walk in their DC neighborhood. a half year old, Theodore. Mike is the deputy district public defender for southern Maryland. He also plays keyboards in a local DC band, No Second Troy. Nell and Mike enjoy hiking and camping. They are a little be-
hind in their goal of ascending all 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks by their fifteenth wedding anniversary, having completed two in the last three years! The year 2025 will be a tiring year with a lot of hiking. They spend
much of their free time going on walks closer to home with Theodore, who stops every few feet to explore sticks, rocks, and construction vehicles.
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The Evolution of Class Trips By K atherine Anderson ’16 A N D C A S S A N D R A B I G E L O W , ’16
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lass trips have changed, evolved, and thrived throughout The Academy’s past. The freshman Cape Cod trip and the senior
trip to Martha’s Vineyard are the school’s oldest class voyages; the sophomore and eighth-grade trips have become well-known and exciting traditions as well. All trips, though, continue to evolve in their own ways. At the beginning of May, the seventh-graders and their faculty chaperones, Doug Forbes, Sabine Mauri, and Rachel Merrell, spent two adventurous days together. On the first day, they journeyed to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, where they observed sea life up close; they saw blue whales glide through the water and touched live stingrays with their bare hands. The following day, the lively bunch ventured up Todd Mountain in the Mohawk Trail State Forest and returned with enough en-
ergy for a refreshing swim in the river and a handful of games. The seventh-grade trip has become a yearly tradition—though with ever-changing details along the way, and this year’s excursion was a definite winner. Despite some mechanical issues upon the return trip (read: an unhappy Suburban on the side of the New York State Thruway), this year’s eighth graders continued the famous Gettysburg journey for yet another year. Though it entails an eighthour car ride to and from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, students quickly become aware of what a great complement the trip is to their reading of The Killer Angels, a fictional account of the Battle of Gettysburg by Michael
The Academy's class of 2017 in Gettysburg. Photo by David Chalfant.
Shaara. With Nancy Henderson, Dave Chalfant, and Peter Lodi as their faculty chaperones, they camped on the battlefield for two nights, precisely where Confederate soldiers once slept. During the day, they explored the battlefield park and visited important locations and monuments of various soldiers and generals. In addition, they read the final chapters of the book at the place and time of day in which it is set, making this trip an unforgettable experience. On their traditional adventure in Cape Cod, the freshmen, along with chaperones Molly Gayton, Caitlin Scudder, and Michael Cardozo, both enjoyed and The Academy's class of 2018 on their hike up Todd Mountain. Photo by Rebekah endured the Boyd-Owens P18 elements on
the coast. On a whale watch, they were treated to a very rare sighting of massive right whales spraying water from their spouts and ostentatiously flipping their famous two-pointed tails. When the chilly, windy weather became too brisk, many students headed inside the boat to play a rousing game of cards. That evening, they took a barefoot stroll through the sandy coastal dunes, then shared blankets around a blazing seaside fire. With the help of Mr. Cardozo, they cooked their own burgers and then munched on toasty, heartwarming s’mores. The next morning, the group visited the Herring Run, a man-made stream that provides a migration route for herring. They then took shelter from the frigid air inside the Cape Cod Visitors Center, which doubled as an interactive place to learn about the use and making of the Cape Cod Canal, which allows efficient travel directly through the hook of the Cape. This active and informative trip was full of laughs, though the ninth graders were all happy to return once more to the comforts of home. For their excursion, the sophomores spent three days
exploring the streets and sites of New York City with Stephanie Purington, parent Bill Hersh, Nora Bates Zale, and Synphany Bates Zale. Some of the numerous places they visited included renowned museums such as MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the 9/11 memorial. They strolled along the High Line at dusk and took a walking tour of old tenement buildings downtown, stopping for classic, barrel-brined pickles and hunts through the bevy of thrift stores for which the area is known. The group enjoyed meals at a burger joint on the Lower East Side, The Boathouse in Central Park, and Little Italy, where they ate mussels, pizza, and pasta. It’s safe to say that the Class of 2015 had a fantastic three days, complete with treks through sun-soaked city streets and adventures on jam-packed subway cars. In the past, juniors have embarked on a flight to our nation’s capital, Washington, DC. However, this year they took a different approach to learning and spending time together. Instead of crossing state lines, the class, along with chaperones ...continued on next page
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...cont'd from previous pageNeale Gay, Alex Merrill, and Martha Tirk drove east to the greater Boston area. There, they visited Walden Pond, where some students caught fish with a homemade fishing pole, and wandered through Sleepy Hollow cemetary in Concord, paying homage to the graves of the transcendentalists. They also took in the dinosaur display and other intriguing displays at the Boston Museum of Science, as well as fantastic art exhibits at the Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem. Sitting through the dark but witty play Beowulf, students were engaged in the Medievalbased plot. Overall, this trip was a relaxing, pleasurable class outing. As usual, this year’s senior class enjoyed four days on
Martha’s Vineyard, in celebration of their final weeks at The Academy. Accompanied by Tom Brown and Kerlin Conyngham, the seniors were free to enjoy themselves as they wished on one of the longest-enduring Academy class trips. Class trips have not always been a part of the year for each grade. Years ago, they were reserved for only the freshmen and senior classes. Now, to the pleasure of the students, all grades are given the privilege to venture outside the classroom together during the first week of May. This freedom helps support our curriculum in an enjoyable way, while also strengthening each class by providing quality bonding time. The class of 2015 soaking up the early May warmth of Central Park. Photo by Nora Bates Zale.
Supporting Justice and Diversity The Two New Councils at The Academy By Grac e E n g e l m a n ’ 1 5
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tudents here really care about what is happening in this world,” remarked Nora Bates Zale, assistant director of Admissions & Advance-
support exchange students while creating a safe environment in which they can share their cultures and to allow a group of students, both American and international, to join together in
educating the community about other cultures. About once a month, the CEC made an announcement at morning meeting regarding different holidays or traditions from each country
represented by this year’s exchange students. From these announcements, we learned about the Chinese Moon Festival, the Thai Vegetable Festival, Christmas and Hanukah traditions
ment and a dedicated leader of the newly founded Social Justice Council. We had been discussing the success and impressive achievements of the council in the past year. From spreading awareness about National Coming Out Day to the way women are perceived in the media, the Social Justice Council has supported the student body in understanding and figuring out ways to discuss the uncomfortable, sometimes difficult to tackle, injustices of our world. The Academy has always found ways to link students across grades and classes. At the beginning of each school year, we designate a few members of each class to join specific councils that interest them. Students from all grades unite
to discuss pressing topics on councils concerning sustainability, athletics, community service, and the upholding of the Honor Code. This year we added two new options: the Social Justice Council and the Cultural Exchange Council. Both have greatly contributed to strengthening the close-knit, accepting community that The Academy has always been. The Cultural Exchange Council (CEC) came to life when post-graduate student Tenzin Gyalpo wanted to support the school’s exchange students as part of his senior project. With help from French teacher extraordinaire Sabine Mauri, Gyalpo designed a new council with two major goals: to
The 2013-2013 Cultural Exchange Council. Photo by Grove staff.
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New technologies at The Academy
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By Tristan P eltenburg ’13
he 2012-13 school year has been an amazing
ers themselves, there is an even more thrilling change on the horizon. If estimations are correct, one in so many ways. Technology-wise, this The Academy will have access to Verizon’s lightning fast FiOS has been a great year. Desktop computers at network early on in the 2013-14 school year. The FiOS network serves speeds up to 300Mb/s— to their next destination when The Academy were aging and more than sufficient to meet the were limited in their operations. ninth grader Riley Brown had school’s online needs. It was decided that these old an inspired idea: If a different Not only are we happy to computers would be donated to operating system was uploaded a good cause, and new comonto the computers—one that is have the revived PCs and the puters purchased. This was much easier on system resources anticipation of more efficient online access, but the school definitely necessary, though it (Ubuntu Linux, in this case) — community is enjoying yet anwould have cost at least $10,000. they would be functional again other step in to a more technoThe old computers were already for daily tasks at the school. logically-savvy realm. The entire loaded into Plant Manger Bob In addition to the increased library checkout system has White’s truck ready for delivery functionality of our comput-
been digitalized, with the help of many students and faculty, and is even accessible online! If users want to check quickly whethera book is available, they need only visit The Academy’s website and log in to the library. If a book is available, it can even be reserved online. Every student gets their own library card, and by way of scanning their card and book can easily check out or return items without having to search through hundreds of index cards, as the old system required. All in all, it’s an exciting time in the technology realm at
The Academy, and we all look forward to seeing these new systems in place. Of course, as is the case with all technologies, we’ll probably just be getting used to the new-and-improved state of our resources when yet another upgrade possibility appears on the horizon.
It all started with Mrs. BZ’s vision of providing a safe space for students across the grades to explore and consider these topics together. With help from first-year teachers Neale Gay and Caitlin Scudder, Mrs. BZ developed a council that would increase awareness of social justice issues. Throughout the year, the SJC hosted three roundtable discussions for the student body to talk about National Coming Out Day, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and the UN’s
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They also invited John Willis, professor of photography at Marlboro College, to give a presentation to the whole school regarding his book Views from the Reservation, which both addresses the unjust way indigenous peoples of our country are treated and provides a stunning window into their everyday lives. This served as a reframing of mainstream Columbus Day recognition. SJC senior Kate Mieher ’13 and honorary council members Tristan Peltenburg ’13 and Isabelle Allen ’13 encouraged the school to participate in a day of silence to recognize LGBTQ social silencing and to wear purple in support of National Coming Out Day. Finally, thanks to the dedication of Sequoia LeBreux ’16, the SJC held viewings of the documentary Miss Represen-
tation, which centers on the inequitable portrayal of women as sex symbols in the media. During this film screening, SJC students noted mentions of the documentary Tough Guise, which confronts the issue of defining manhood as violent and masculine, and then hosted a follow-up viewing of that film as well. What is next for these councils? In the coming year, Madame Mauri hopes to increase the welcome committee for exchange students, using Gyalpo’s leadership as a model. The SJC will continue to educate students and bring new topics and issues to discussions and presentations; in fact, they’re already in discussion with volunteers at the Northamptonbased Prison Birth Project to have a speaker come to campus in the fall. This year, we have all been grateful for these two new councils that expand our understanding of other cultures and current events. In a small, rural community, it is easy to assume that people are sheltered. But here at The Academy, we are given the opportunity to open dialogues about worldly issues and cultures outside of our own.
in Germany (which included a delicious, traditional holiday dinner), the Dutch Queen’s Day, and the Tibetan New Year called Losar. Each exchange student led the announcement regarding their culture, with help from council members of all grades. Madame Mauri credits Gyalpo with the success of the council. He helped ensure that all exchange students felt quickly integrated as members of The Academy, teaching them about the school and making himself
available as a friend and advisor. As Madame Mauri explained, “reaching out to people who need support comes naturally to him.” Gyalpo not only worked tirelessly to create the CEC, but also put the CEC’s objectives into practice by becoming a role model for welcoming exchange students into the community. In a similar way, the Social Justice Council (SJC) helped create a safe community for discussing topics such as sexuality, gender equality, and racism.
The 2013-2013 Social Justice Council. Photo by Grove staff.
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VOX • Fall 2013
What’s done cannot be undone Macbeth at The Academy By A llen Gabriel ’16
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n February 28 and March 1 and 2, 2013, an Academy cast performed Macbeth by William Shakespeare for eager and exThe author, in his role as Malcom. Photo by Peter Engelman P13&15
cited audiences. The production of Macbeth was directed by Neale Gay, teacher and college counselor, and co-directed by two students, Molly Walsh-Warder and Kellie Rainville. The large cast included students from grades seven through 12. Gay, new to The Academy this year, was thrilled. “I appreciated how there was strong participation from every grade,” he said. “That really sums up what The Academy is for me.” The lead parts were played by Ben Miller ’13 (Macbeth), Waverley Engelman ’13 (Lady Macbeth), Stephen Arnold ’13 (Macduff ), Emma Picardi ’13 (Lady Macduff ),
Waverley Engelman ’13 as Lady Macbeth. Photo by Peter Engelman P13&15
Karina Feitner ’14 (Banquo), Kate Mieher ’13 (Duncan), Michaela Lindsey ’17 (Ross), and Allen Gabriel ’16 (Malcolm). Everyone involved put their heart into Macbeth and made it a production we will never forget. The play was staged in The Academy’s Recital Hall. The audience was seated in a U-shape with a wide and shallow stage. This arrangement permitted actors to enter from all sides and made the production more dynamic, despite the limited space. The set was simple and effective: two movable platforms
served as tables, battlements, and a bathtub. Mark Efinger, the head of school, proved invaluable to the set construction and technical aspects of the show. Mr. Efinger was also a great support to the actors, with his many years of directing experience. His suggestions and input were immensely helpful, as he was able to encourage each actor and actress to really become their character and be alive in their body. The dim, stark lighting was designed by parent Jim Neeley and run during the show by Jaromil Topolski ’18. Music for the production was provided by Andrew Dickinson (bagpipes) and Morgan Labrose (tin whistle and percussion), both ’18, and it added flair and excitement to the scene transitions. The Celtic music transported the audience to Scotland. “I loved how there were opportunities for everyone to participate, even without acting in the show,” said Mr. Gay. The strong dance performed by the three “weird sisters” (witches) and Hecate (Manuela Rojas ’17, Nellie Boyd-Owens ’18, Claire
DiLeo ’15, and Heidi Zhu ’13) gave the show a wild side and was certainly a highpoint of the production. Academy parent and choreographer Christina Gabriel said, “The dancers rehearsed for hours in Calliope to learn how to embody the writhing, mysterious, all-knowing qualities of their characters. When Mr. Gay said the dance was ‘really creepy’ we knew we had it right.” Macbeth is a dark tragedy set in Scotland. It deals with themes of corruption, loyalty, and ambition. The king of Scotland promotes Macbeth, a hero in battle, and names him Thane of Cawdor and Glamis. At the same time, three weird sisters prophesize that he will become king of Scotland. When his wife hears of this, she urges him to murder the visiting King Duncan in his sleep. This act of violence sets off a string of increasingly brutal murders and a descent into madness for both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Ultimately, Macduff kills Macbeth when Duncan’s son, Malcolm, returns to Scotland
at the head of an English army. During the play, it is never quite clear whether Macbeth is made to commit these atrocities by the sisters or by his own or his wife’s vaulting ambition. This tension, brought to life by Ben’s and Waverly’s dynamic acting, kept the audience holding their breath until the very last line. The seniors who participated brought their special energy and life to this production, and they will be sorely missed. The upcoming classes, however, show great promise for the future of drama at the school. “I love that about The Academy, how everyone really plays,” said Mr. Gay. “I hope to someday get every student involved in drama, whether it is in the large production, a one-act play, or even just scenes.” With his blunt humor and serious can-do attitude, Mr. Gay has the ability to make every actor want to do their very best. He made each moment in Macbeth unforgettable for everyone involved.
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Clockwise from right: Emma Picardi ’13 and Renna Earp ’16; Stephen Arnold ’13; Hannah Streeter ’17; Waverley Engelman ’13, Pear Poompuang ’14, Lilah Feitner ’18, Emma Gould ’18, Zell Goleman ’17 and Michaela Lindsey ’17; Kate Mieher ’13, Allen Gabriel ’16 , and Calvin Hill ’18; Ben Miller ’13 and Waverley. Below: Karina Feitner ’14 as Banquo's ghost
All photos on this page by Peter Engelman P13&15, excepting the image directly above, by Nora Bates Zale, featuring the Weird Sisters and Hecate: Manuela Rojas ’17, Claire diLeo ’15, Nellie Boyd-Owens ’18 and Heidi Zhu ’13
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Students as Studio Block Teachers By Samantha Hersh ’15
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tudents and teachers [have] very different roles. One needs to take the initiative and think of ways to teach things better, while the other
needs to pay attention and absorb the knowledge." So spoke Yan Fang ’13, on the experience of teaching her studio-block class on the Chinese language. The Academy has always had a tradition of doing things, well, let’s just say outside of the box. Since last year, The Academy has allowed students, mainly seniors, to create, teach, and run their own studio blocks. It began with a senior project by Beatrice Bompani ’12, a student from Italy who taught an Italian language class. This past year, we had a whole slew of seniors who singlehandedly taught or assisted in teaching studio blocks. So, what do these student teachers actually do? “We snack,” said Kellie Rainville ’13 an assistant teacher in the mosaics course, looking guilty. Zoe Neeley ‘13, who is also helping teach mosaics, did not approve of that response. “We meet with Mrs. BZ a few times a semester to discuss students’ progress, to talk about what we can do better as teachers, to plan fieldtrips,” she said. “Students come to us with any questions they have, and having done mosaics for so long, we’re able to answer them.” The arrangement began when adjunct faculty member and mosaics instructor Nora Bates Zale ’00, took on the full-time position of Assistant Director of Admissions & Advancement and Kellie and Zoe offered to help out in the studio. Mosaics is not the only studio block to have fallen into the capable hands of the seniors. Classes in Dutch and Chinese language and music record-
ing, and an entirely new R&B band, have all been created and implemented by the seniors this year. “My goal was to create a fun studio block that focused both on language and culture,” Tristan Peltenburg ’13 said of his class Dutch: Language and Culture. Dana Kendall’s Recording studio block utilized the new recording studio (built as a senior project last year by Eamon Wick ’12) and is meant to familiarize students enough with the facility so that they can show others how to use it next year. These studio blocks also give the students an opportunity to understand the life of a teacher and take on responsibility for something they may not have realized required so much work. “When I am a student myself for the rest of the week, I can understand better the pain and gain of my own teachers at moments,” shared Yan. Yan also hopes that, since she inherited the Chinese studio block from Ge Zhou ’12, , the language will become a “traditional class” for the school and will continue to be taught by other Chinese exchange students. These experiences not only enriched the learning of the student teachers and their students, they also set a great precedent for Academy students to come. There is certainly no finer test of one’s own knowledge than having to convert it to lessons for others, a fact to which the many students who taught classes this Top: Kellie Rainville ’13 and Zoe Neeley ’13 —co-teachers of a mosaics studio block—at Spring Exhibition. Above: Tristan Peltenburg ’13 presenting on The Netherlands to the school community. year can most certainly attest. Photos by Nora Bates Zale.
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Reflections on the 2013 Model UN Conferences By Nat e M a n w e l l ’ 1 4
M
odel United Nations Conferences are events created for high school students in order to experience a mirror of the United
Nations. These conferences take place at colleges and
universities, and usually at prestigious ones. In most schools, Model UN is a club, but at The Academy, it is a class. Each school submits a list of which which students will take on which delegate and committee roles. For example, at my first Model UN, I was the delegate for Ecuador in UNESCO. At my second Model UN, I was John McCain in the Joint House and Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations. Among the participants are some students who have attended Model UN conferences since elementary school, and some schools have clubs that attend up to five conferences in a year. For the most part, however, students who take Model UN seriously usually join a club their freshman year of high school and attend two conferences per year. Whatever the individual situation of the
Not Just Visit... Revisit! Accepted Students Invited Back to Campus By C h ris t i na Sec o r ’ 1 6
W
hen students are in-
terested in becoming a part of the Academy community, they visit for a day. They are each assigned a student as tour guide and spend the day shadowing them. But for me, at least, the day was spent watching the people around me and trying not to run into someone in the halls, rather than engaging in the ongoing classes. The Admissions and Advancement staff—namely, Martha Tirk and Nora Bates Zale—have solved this problem with revisit days, offering accepted students an afternoon to convene at the school
together. The event, held on two Friday afternoons (March 29 and April 5), kicked off with some Academy musicians performing “Little Talks” by the band Of Monsters and Men and “Home” by Phillip Phillips. “Home” certainly brought some tears to listeners’ eyes and really warmed the atmosphere. During “Little Talks,” visitors were invited to join in from their seats and shout “HEY!” during key parts of the chorus. We then dispersed and went to classes. Students selected two 20-minute sample courses to attend. During the English class, everyone was a little shy at first, but eventually faculty member Alex Merrill got them talking about the meanings behind Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. Finally, we all reconvened in the Recital Hall and ate
participants, Model UN is an intense and competitive academic experience. At The Academy, Model UN is a pass/fail class, open to juniors and seniors. Often, this group attends the Harvard Model UN. This year, however, the seniors — accompanied by two juniors, Paul Sperry-Fromm and myself — went to the Dartmouth College conference. A week later, the juniors headed to Cornell University. Almost all of this year’s juniors and seniors took the course. The Academy’s high participation rate sets it apart from most schools, at which only a small percentage of the student population is involved. In keeping with the character of Dartmouth itself, the Model UN conference there was small and competitive. The number of participants was small, in the low hundreds, but many came from internationally renowned schools. Some even came all
the way from California and from the intimidatingly named “League of Creative Minds.” Despite the competitiveness — and the cold — it was a challenging and enjoyable weekend. To add to the fun, the trip was punctuated by unexpected romps, including a trip to Model UN teacher Neale Gay’s house and a midnight visit to a Mexican restaurant. Gay and Molly Gayton accompanied the group. Cornell Model UN was wholly different from the Dartmouth experience. There were many more participants, and it was significantly more competitive. It was a long and exhausting four-day competition, requiring a six-hour trek each way, compared to the brief hour and a half it took to get to Dartmouth. In spite of the intensity, there were interludes of laid-back fun, including a dance inside The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art. As an added bonus, the trip allowed the rising seniors
a unique bonding opportunity that would be unimaginable at a school larger than The Academy. The group was accompanied by Gay and by Nora and Synphany Bates Zale. Model UN conferences have long been an established opportunity for Academy upperclassmen. More important than padding transcripts or giving our students glimpses at impressive college campuses, these programs offer an intricate look at the functions of the governing bodies of our world. In keeping with the way Academy students approach most tasks we take on, we bring great dedication, critical thought, and perseverance to the adventure that is Model UN.
however. Parents were invited to attend the sample classes and watch their children participate, as well as answer a question or two. It’s not very often that parents get to see their children in a class. Afterwards, parents could ask questions about the curriculum or teaching goals in general. Overall, this was a successful experience. Ms. Tirk and Mrs. Bates Zale felt the event helped to solidify some accepted students’ decisions about attending The Academy. By providing a more intimate, yet also more communal, time to “revisit” the Our resident aardvark and a sampling of promotional materials. idea of becoming an Aardvark, the Office of Admissions and popcorn, strawberries, and M one out there with a funky sense Advancement imagines that and M’s, making for some very of style.” This is a prime example those of us who participated in welcoming these visitors truly colorful handshakes. of what The Academy is about: did help to, as Phillip Phillips My sister Alegra, now a mem- the importance of people feelsings, “make this place [their] ber of the class of 2019, was at ing like they’re not alone out home.” the revisit day, and when asked there and knowing our comher what her favorite part about munity is a place for them to be the day was, she said, “I told a themselves. Revisit Day makes girl that I liked her pants, and this possible by providing a she said she liked my Wicked forum for discussion between shirt. It was a really positive current students and teachers experience with someone my and prospective students. This age— I felt like I wasn’t the only day was not just for students,
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community over the course of two Wednesday afternoon F block periods—a time in the school’s schedule reserved for council meetings, advisories, or special presentations. Samantha B S H ’15 T P ’13 Hersh ’14 interviewed seniors Waverley Engelman, Kellie Rainville, Fangzhou (Heidi) Zhu, his fall the senior class wrote and presented and Zoe Neeley. “My idea came from a backup to the community "This I Believe" speeches. college essay idea, which was to This was a new project initiated by Humani- write about how my name is a unique name,” explained Waverties teacher Nancy Henderson, ley. “‘Wave’— which is like the chronicled through our books, based on a pre-existing project, and featured in weekly podcasts. ocean— but also ‘waver’ which described thus: The project is based on the pop- is to be unsteady and weak, and “This I Believe is an internaI don’t consider myself to be ular 1950’s radio series of the tional organization engaging same name hosted by Edward R. those things. Through my senior people in writing and sharing project research about women’s Murrow.” (thisibelieve.org) essays describing the core values From this website, the seniors health and feminism, I comthat guide their daily lives. Over either read or listened to a bined the ideas into a speech 100,000 of these essays, writabout names and what my name number of essays. They then ten by people from all walks of has meant to me.” embarked on their own essaylife, are archived here on our Kellie Rainville’s speech was writing journeys and eventually website, heard on public radio, about complaining, and she said presented these to the school
This We Believe
A New Project in Senior Humanities
T
Senior Projects That Leave a Legacy B
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ach year the seniors at The Academy at Charlemont present their final senior independent projects publicly at the annual Spring Exhibi-
tion and privately at their individual triad meetings. The
senior project is an integral part of The Academy’s 12th grade curriculum and requires a year’s worth of time and work. In spite of its impact on a senior’s life, the only impact the projects generally have on the rest of the school community is on birthday-poem quality and chore-team treat frequency, which can decline sadly in response to the critical times of senior project deadlines. Aside from a book placed in the back of the library, senior projects do not often leave any sort of legacy, and aside from the occasional survey, they usually do not require any involvement from the student body.
This year, however, two students’ projects promise to leave a legacy for years to come. At the end of last year Eamon Wick ’12 had finished building a recording studio in the piano practice room for his senior project. While the studio facilities are an enormous gift, there were only a few people who knew how to use them. Dana Kendall decided to pick up where Eamon left off and base his senior project around the studio. For Dana, this was as much about learning to record music as it was about teaching other students. “Here was my trifecta of goals: to teach a recording class at Charlemont,
to gain personal experience with the studio, and to leave a legacy in current students who know how to use the studio.” Dana began his studio-block recording class at the start of second semester, with a goal to teach as many students from the younger grades as possible so that after he graduates, those students will be able to teach others. He also created a written manual on how to use the studio. Classmate Richard Selleck had a similar idea about students educating one another: For his senior project, he created a student-run tutoring program. Having noticed how often students would help each other with homework assignments, Richard saw an opportunity to design a system in which students could sign up for tutoring appointments with (mostly senior) volunteer tutors during free periods. He believed that senior tutors would be more effective than younger ones for their experience and knowledge. Over the course of the year, several students signed up to be tutored, but Richard sees plenty of room for improvement and hopes that students will use the
she “wrote down when it’s okay to complain and what things it’s okay to complain about.” She got her idea in Humanities class when her peers were complaining about something and she thought, “There are far more important things we could be talking about.” Instead of voicing her feelings to the individuals concerned, she wrote a spot-on, hilarious speech communicating this to the entire school. Fangzhou (Heidi) Zhu spoke about traveling because, she said, it is one of the things she believes to be important in life. “This has been a really amazing experience for me, because it was fairly early in the year so I wasn’t very comfortable about my English, but it turned out well. It was really fun, and the audience was very nice and not judgmental.”
Zoe Neeley, who wrote about her relationship with her mom and how she got into lifeguarding, recalled being very nervous when reading her essay to the entire school. “We did the speech a series of times, to four people in the class who helped us through the process,” she said. “Then we had to present our speeches to the whole class, and that got me all freaked out again.” After doing this a couple of times, the seniors were ready to present their excellent speeches to the wider school community. Nancy Henderson hopes these speeches will become an Academy tradition. It is a great project, one that not only forces students to take a close look at themselves and truly consider their own beliefs, but also serves to educate the entire community.
Dana Kendall ’13 and Addie Barron ’13 in the recording studio. framework he has set up for future tutoring programs. Both Richard and Dana agree that the continuity of these legacies remains up to the community. For the tutoring program Richard says this means “future seniors will have to take up the mantle,” organizing the program and offering their services during their free periods. Dana hopes the students he has taught will be able to realize his vision of the recording studio as a
student-operable facility similar to the photography darkroom. “I think it is in the school’s best interest that the studio remains … an outlet for creative activity.” While only time will tell exactly what effect these two projects will have on the school in the long term, they certainly have had and will continue to be of immediate benefit to The Academy.
VOX • Fall 2013
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The Academy's 32nd Commencement With Gratitude—and Humor—The Class of 2013 Graduates B Y E L I Z A B E T H P U R I N G T O N ’14
I
f the Academy’s 32nd commencement could be described in just two words, they would be “Thank
they put in. As Head of School Mark Efinger said, in reference to The Wizard of Oz, “Here, today, we will signify the quality of your brains, your hearts, your
courage, and the contributions you have made to this community, by bestowing on you the diplomas you have earned.” Beyond being an important piece
of paper, proving that these individuals have successfully completed high school, these diplomas are our way of saying “Thank you.”
you!” While many larger and grander words were
used throughout the June 1st ceremony, those two words seemed to echo the loudest. It was the seniors’ valedictory remarks, in particular, that expressed their immense gratitude—to their families, friends, teachers, and school. In the true spirit of this senior class, each speech was as unique as the student giving it, interspersing fond memories, math jokes, profound revelations, and obscure metaphors among an abundance of thanks. Senior Stephen Arnold took advantage of the sweltering heat to make several rather amusing jokes and informed us that “today’s ceremonies are ninety-nine percent perspiration and one percent graduation.” He then went on to say that, despite his lighthearted tone, he “learned a great many lessons over the course of [his] three years at this school,” including lessons about friendship, diligence, discipline, and calculus. Classmate Addie Barron opened his speech with a humorous Princess Bride reference and joked about being “thrown into a pit with twenty classmates and told to duke it out,” but his ultimate message was also one of love and gratitude: “I hope that my classmates know how great they all are. I hope my teachers know that they have been pivotal in my growth.” Although the seniors’ thankfulness was the most obvious, the audience was able to say “thank you” as well. We were not given a microphone and a minute to do so, but we were able to clap and shout and laugh our appreciation, in true Academy style. When Bob White, the
school’s anything-and-everything handyman/plant manager, was given the Will Sparks Community Service Award for his outstanding contributions to The Academy, the entire audience expressed “thank you” with thunderous applause and a standing ovation. This spirit of celebration continued throughout the ceremony, after every award, certificate, diploma, and speech was presented. For audience members, these were children, grandchildren, friends, and students being recognized, and we were proud. We could only clap, but in our heads, we were saying, “Thank you for letting me be a part of your life.” In her speech, Waverley Engelman summed up the impact that The Academy can have on one’s life: “This love of learning and curiosity about life is what The Academy taught me from day one; it is what I have been able to and will infuse in all of my roles, past, present, and future, and I will never stop being grateful for that.” The students under the familiar greenand-white-striped graduation tent have all experienced this amazing quality firsthand, and their friends and family have undoubtedly noticed it, too. The Academy is a special place, and we are all thankful to be a part of it. And so, as we said goodbye to these 21 incredible seniors, we hoped they understood that they are part of what makes The Academy special. What they got out of it—all the lessons they learned and friends they made—was only equal to what
The Class of 2013. Photos by Elizabeth Purington ’14
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Thoughts for the Junior School Graduates B
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Nancy Henderson delivering her speech to the class of 2017. Photo by Noah Dirks ’14. I should have known that the last field trip of 7th grade would be an indication of what this 8th grade class would be like. That trip was a surprise going away party for John Schatz, and the instructions I gave the class were to, well, surprise him. So imagine my shock as I emerged from my classroom at the appointed time to find that poor man hogtied on the hallway floor, blindfolded, wearing a crown, and surrounded by his gleeful captors. I keep reminding myself that the thing about teaching 8th grade is that I need to get used to having whiplash, a frequent occurrence when you take as many road trips as we did. There are the days when I wonder how much longer I can take the incessant giggling over everything remotely, and I mean remotely, sexual, and the iPod, iPad, iPhone, iEverything and that One Direction they are currently adoring. Then there’s this speed bump when everything slows down, and I realize with a screech that those who didn’t know what a deadline was in 7th grade haven’t missed one in months. There’s the boy who never, ever, wanted to write
a paper who just last week gave up an entire Friday afternoon free period to sit alone in Erato writing away, and when I asked, “why are you taking this paper so seriously?" He replied without any hesitation, “because I LOVE poetry.” Or there is this snippet of verbatim advice from a peer writing conference between two students: “This is weird. Do you see why this is awkward? What do you mean here? He implies? he is suggesting? he means to imply? he means to suggest? what do you mean?” And here’s the conversation the morning of spring exhibition when the class was not only presenting the fruits of their research on a current event in health that evening, but simultaneously putting on a huge lasagna supper to pay for our trip to Harlem. This is what the negotiation sounds like when this class signs itself up to do work . “Do you want to clean or serve?” “Oh, I’ll clean.” “Do you mind serving?” “No. Sure, but I can cook too if that’s easier.” “I can do something other
than subbing, if you need me to work.” I try to understand these selfless and unpretentiously generous conversations as I juxtapose them next to the things we all read about middle school students these days, that they are sedentary and self-absorbed, buried in abbreviated prose produced by their thumbs on personal devices, and I just keep on getting whiplash. Take the 6th hour of the 8 hours to Gettysburg. Having narrowly escaped listening to one more profane and misogynistic Eminem song, I turn the music down and wonder where the conversation will go now. I listen as my passengers talk about their views on the development and meaning of profanity and misogyny in music, as they relate this to the roles of family in our culture, to Eminem’s family, to their families. This topic morphs into a discussion of how technology is changing everything, about how technology interferes with sleep and finally the conversation lands on dreams. There is much laughter amid the sharing of weird and funny dreams and
some analysis of that dream we all have, the one in which we are falling and we suddenly wake up, and then there’s this as a girl in the back seat says, “did you know that the reason we fall in dreams is because millions of years ago when we had only evolved to the species Australopithecus , we slept in trees. That falling in our dreams now is just a trait that is left over in our atavistic subconscious?” Well, no, I did not know that, and I continue on down Route 81 in awe of my passengers’ evolutionary acumen. And it’s not just acumen. There’s spontaneity, too. I thought I had seen it all at that tree on Cemetery Ridge in Gettysburg, the place where I have sat fifteen times on the last night of our class trip to read the very last chapter of Killer Angels. Some classes have refused to leave the place, some classes have sat there letting the rain wash their faces, some classes have wept as the sun sets on that spectacular golden field of Pickett’s Charge. But this class, no, this class spontaneously read the very last paragraph of the book we had
The class of 2017. Photo by Elizabeth Purington ’14.
been reading since February in unison, each word of that text, each breath pausing at each comma in step with each other. You left me speechless at your camaraderie, your magnanimity, your silent knowing each other so well that you read in one voice. Now you weren’t perfect. You flat out told a teacher that, “Chewing gum helps me breathe better.” You say way too much on Facebook. You talk better than you listen. You rely far too much on your unending charm and, most egregiously, you can find sexual innuendo in absolutely EVERYTHING! But your 8th grade road trip has now come to an end. Your willingness to work hard, to take responsibility for your choices and to think of other people first will take you a long way down the rest of the road. Just remember, to paraphrase The Talking Heads, “you’re on a road to paradise. ” Thank you for letting me travel with you on this leg of the journey.
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Clockwise from top left: The class of 2013 walking in to the ceremony; Ben Miller ’13 singing his speech, accompanied by Music Director David Chalfant; Addie Barron ’13 shows off his diploma just after the ceremony; Students, faculty and alums alike sing 'Ripple'; Head of School Mark Efinger, addressing the class of 2013. Photos by Noah Dirks ’14 and Elizabeth Purington ’14.
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VOX • Fall 2013
The GRADUATES Addison Barron, of Northampton, took part in many Academy bands,
Isabelle Allen, of Whately, participated in soccer and lacrosse and was co-captain of the basketball team during her Academy career. A founder of the school’s R&B band, she sang and played the saxophone in many other bands, including jazz, rock, a capella, klezmer, and acoustic. Isabelle was also a photography student. Her senior project was entitled: “Food: The Experience.” She heads off to the University of New Haven’s Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences this fall.
Stephen Arnold, of Greenfield, points to his participation in The Academy’s music program as a highlight of his time at the school. He played piano, harmonica, and stand-up bass, and sang vocals in several different bands. Stephen also participated in drama and baseball, and his senior project was creating a Conceptual Guide to Wind Power. He will attend The George Washington University.
creative writing workshops at the Franklin County Jail. He will attend Grinnell College. was co-captain of the basketball team, played Ultimate Frisbee, and was a recipient of the National Latin Exam Summa Cum Laude award. His senior project, “Learning to Fly: A Quest for a Homemade Aircraft,” involved planning and constructing a flying machine. Addie will attend The University of Chicago.
Chinese course, playing basketball and Ultimate Frisbee, and serving on the Community Service Council as her most memorable Academy experiences. Her senior project explored the relationship between China and Tibet. Yan heads off to McGill University this fall.
Tenzin Gyalpo lives in Greenfield and Hawley. While at The Academy, he enjoyed playing baseball, Waverley Engelman, participating in creative of Conway, cites serving writing and the R&B as the student represenband, and completing his tative to the Board of Trustees and participating senior project, for which he founded the Cultural every year in the drama Exchange Council and program as some of her
Jesse Cohen, of Conway, enjoyed being cocaptain of the basketball
team, as well as playing guitar in innumerable Academy bands and serving on the Sustainability Council. For his senior project, Jesse built an archtop guitar. He will attend Wesleyan University. Patrick Dowd, of Greenfield, participated in baseball, basketball, the Community Service and Social Justice Councils, and played guitar in the school’s Celtic and rock bands. Patrick’s senior project entailed teaching
Academy highlights. She served on the Honor Council for all six of her years at the school, and also received the Honor Council award. Waverley was editor in chief of the school’s literary magazine and co-captain of the lacrosse team. Her senior project was entitled: “Push: Monologues on Childbirth.” Waverley will attend Barnard College. Yan Fang, of Chang Sha, China, and Shelburne Falls, points to teaching a
explored the international experience at the school. Tenzin will attend Marlboro College. Dana Kendall, of Amherst, is renowned as the school’s most dynamic drummer and has proven his worth in more than a few Academy bands. He also participated in basketball and Ultimate Frisbee. For his senior project, he taught students how to use the school’s new recording studio (the product of a 2012 alum’s
project), and created a manual for future student recorders. Dana will attend Emerson College.
novel Right Ho, Jeeves. Ben will attend study sound recording technology at UMass-Lowell.
Kate Mieher, of Northampton and Montague, enjoyed participating in two Shakespeare productions, taking photography, singing in the a capella group and playing her violin in the chamber ensemble. As a junior, she took a year abroad to attend The Woodstock School in India and traveled to Nepal. Her Nepalese sojourn prompted a year of research about that country, culminating in a series of lessons she taught to the seventh grade. Kate will attend Tufts University.
Zoe Neeley, of Shelburne, points to playing Ultimate Frisbee, lifeguarding, and teaching swim lessons as an independent athletic activity, starting a knitting club, and co-teaching a mosaics course her senior year as her favorite Academy experiences. Her senior project was entitled “In Their Own Words,” a transcription of oral histories from her family members. Zoe will attend UMassAmherst.
Benjamin Miller, of Shelburne, cites founding the Celtic band and participating in many other musical groups, theater, soccer, and Ultimate Frisbee, as well as serving on the Athletic Council, as important highlights of his time at The Academy. For his senior project, he recorded an audio book of the P. G. Wodehouse
burne Falls, participated in soccer, baseball, and the Cultural Exchange Council. Tristan built an alternative to the current school website for his senior project. He will attend the Grafisch Lyceum in Rotterdam this fall.
Tristan Peltenburg, of Hekelongen/Spijkenisse, Netherlands, and Shel-
Emma Picardi, of Shelburne Falls, points to her instrumental and
VOX • Fall 2013
vocal participation in many Academy bands as one of her highlights. She also enjoyed serving as co-captain of both the soccer and lacrosse teams, taking several years of Latin, and participating in many drama productions. Emma’s senior project was experiential research about the art of sheepherding and working with stock dogs. She will attend Middlebury College.
page 17 Kellie Rainville, of Conway, enjoyed coteaching a mosaics course, starting a knitting club with her peers, taking photography, and serving as stage manager and student director of the winter drama production. Kellie’s senior project was entitled “Professional Photographers: A Window in to the Life.” She will attend Emerson College. Ezekiel Reffe-Hogan, of Northampton, cites the arts, creative writing, photography, film, and an independent athletic activity of hiking, as the highlights of his time at The Academy. Zeke’s senior project, entitled “What Lies between Experience and Expres-
sion,” was a series of video projects. He will attend Deep Springs College.
ticipated in basketball and Ultimate while at The Academy, and played in several bands. His
Arcadia Rom-Frank, of Northampton, points to her experiences in photography, writing for Vox, being co-captain of the basketball team, serving on several different coun-
cils, and playing Ultimate and tennis as some of her most enjoyable activities at the school. Arcadia’s senior project involved writing, producing, and directing a short, satirical, body horror film. She heads to Oberlin College this fall.
senior project entailed starting a peer tutoring program at the school, leaving the school with a valuable legacy that will serve students for years to come. Richard will attend UMass-Amherst. Langston SorensenHoberman, of Shelburne
Falls, shares that participating in the literary magazine, the Community Service Council, and the chess club have been some of his favorite Academy experiences. His senior project was entitled “Modern Revelations of Ba’hai.” Lang will take a gap year to work and travel, and then will attend Reed College. Molly Walsh-Warder, of Shelburne Falls, cites her participation in yoga, stage managing and directing the winter drama production, and helping with the Knitting Club as memorable moments in her Academy career. Her senior project was to research, experience, document, and provide information on
the process of following a vegan diet. She will attend Goucher College. Fangzhou Zhu, of Shenzhen, China, and Heath, enjoyed participating in last winter’s production of Macbeth, taking ceramics and a psychology-based course called
“Becoming Helpful,” playing Ultimate Frisbee, and taking part in Model UN. Fangzhou’s senior project was to create a recipe book detailing the many possibilities of cooking with rice. She heads to Hampshire College in the fall.
Richard Selleck, of Shelburne Falls, par-
A note from David Chalfant, Director of Athletics The 2012-13 year brought us the best of Academy athletics. With each season our athletes tallied new triumphs, overcame challenges, mastered new skills and, most of all, had fun. Many of our Aardvark squads had excellent seasons. The Girls Varsity soccer team had a winning record and made it to the semi-finals of the RVAL tournament, while our Boys' Varsity basketball team went undefeated at the Cowell gym. In the spring our Girls' Ultimate team won their division at the NMH tournament and our Boys' Varsity team made it to the finals at the RVAL tournament. As we look to the coming year, we're excited to welcome our newest Aardvarks to the Academy community.
The Academy's 2013 Girls Ultimate Frisbee team—with their coach Devon Ingraham-Adie ’08—after a tournament at Northfield Mount Hermon. The athletes were named Division Champions and earned an award for Spirit of the Game.
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Teacher Mr. Bean, Using Songs and Games with Thai Students An Interview with Jack Styles ’07 on Teaching Abroad By Nora Bates Z ale ’00
J
ack Styles responded to a request posted on The Academy's Facebook page for alumni updates, wondering if news of his experiences teaching abroad in Thailand would be of interest. He was so kind as to indulge me in a full-fledged e-
interview. Our correspondence follows.
Where are you, and what are you doing there? I work in Lopburi, Thailand, a small city about two hours north of Bangkok. My pink cement house is on a quiet, shady street populated by lazy, stray dogs, only a three-minute walk from the dark statue of King Narai. While Lopburi might not be a bustling metropolis, it is unique in that it is home to hundreds of Macaque monkeys, who live around the ancient monkey temple in the middle of the city. These furry residents are a point of pride for the local Thais, especially in November
during the Monkey Festival, but they do hang around outside of the 7-Elevens (yes we have 7-Elevens here, with the Slushie machines and everything) itching to steal entire bags of groceries. I teach conversational English and English phonics through the company English & I, and am based at Banjongrat Primary School four days out of the week and Banjongrat Kindergarten School every Tuesday. I work with six other foreign teachers, four from America, like myself and one each from England and Australia. Our
program also employs 11 Thai teachers, semi-fluent in English, to assist us in the classroom. They help organize activities, demonstrate language usage, and aid the students with their worksheet activities. Check out English & I’s website if you want: english-and-i.com What does a typical work day look like for you? On my busiest day, I’ll teach six classes, so after I get a coffee across the street, I go to my classroom to prepare my board and organizing materials for the class. During my morn-
Jack teaching the "m" sound to his students as fellow teachers look on. Photo submitted by Jack.
ing routine, all of the students have assembled in the school courtyard to recite the national anthem and their prayers. Then the students thunder upstairs, and lesson begin. After three classes, I head to the canteen to talk with the other teachers or the students while I eat lunch. It’s amazing to hear a hundred students at a time recite their Buddhist prayers before touching their meals, and near deafening once they begin eating, talking, laughing. After another three classes, my time with the students is done for the day, but now is the time to talk to the Thai teacher I’ll be working with the next day. Our discussion about the next lesson could cover simple things, like the logistics of a game we want to play, or something more difficult, like how to translate a concept that seems natural to us (like verb tenses; the Thai language doesn’t have them) in a way Thai students can understand.
An interesting fact about Thai culture: Almost every child I’ve met has a ‘nickname’ that they use far more often than their formal name. As western culture creeps ever more into the daily life of these Thai families, more students have English nicknames. I have many students nicknamed Ploy, Bai Toey, and Praewa, but more with nicknames like Boss, Nice, and Gun.
What are or have been your greatest struggles in this experience? What are some of the easier or more joyful components? English & I is a company founded on the principle that the best way for children to learn a foreign language is through games and songs. In every 50-minute lesson, we try to fit in at least three games in which the students practice the new vocabulary, chorally practice the target language (especially for the younger students, it can be intimidating to begin using the new language all by Tell us about your students: themselves immediately), and finally, work at individually usWho are they (how old, what sort/s of community/ ing the language. Not only do all these games encourage the kids ies do they come from)? to engage and have fun with How do you keep them engaged in the lessons that English, they create an environment of amiable competition you’re teaching? that helps the students push Every day I teach a different group of students; certain days I themselves. As fun as we try to make the teach three different age groups experience of learning English, in three hours. Banjongrat is the children we work with are a private school and privately young, and some days leave funded and run, so their attitude towards physical discipline me exhausted. I’ve never had (typical in Thai public schools) serious behavioral problems with my students here, but they is not aggressively enforced. can drive me crazy some days. There is a large military base I think that the most difficult in Lopburi, so in the mornthing about being a foreign lanings I see many of my students guage teacher, I would imagine dropped off by parents in full any kind of teacher, is at the end uniform. This also means that there are sometimes helicopter of the day you always wonder if you could have done better. flyovers in the middle of a lesWhen my students have their son. The students I teach at the primary school range from age ‘light bulb moment’ in which everything becomes clear, or 6 to 12, and the Kindergarten when I hear my students talking students are 4 and 5.
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to each other in the hall in English, I feel like I really am succeeding. Yet still I wonder: how can I help the students who struggle and still stimulate my brightest students? If I had made even a small change here or there, would it have conveyed the idea more effectively? Does your history as an Academy student impact your teaching? My history as an Academy student is hard to relate to this sort of life. The Academy was small, insulated, and highly personal in every way. Schools in Thailand are run based on a vestige of military rule, thoroughly regimented and less than empathetic. If I can say one thing about how my Academy experiences impact my teaching, I might say that I already knew that caring about the happiness of my students in and out of my class (some students call me Teacher Mr. Bean for silliness outside of my classroom)—and the fun and active learning style of my lessons—are more effective and emotionally sensitive than the ‘sit still and memorize or else’ tactic of most Thai teachers.
a movie in English, buy books at the English bookshop, and eat burritos or sandwiches. Every once in a while the other teachers and I will have a long weekend because of some What do you do when you’re not in the classroom? holiday; school will be canceled for Buddhist holidays and the Outside of school, I tend to important days commemoratspend my time with the other foreign teachers of Lopburi and ing the lives of the royal family. On these occasions, we have the a few Thai friends I have made. Some days I’m a student myself time to venture out of Lopburi to the islands in the Gulf of in Thai class, or sweat in the Thailand, with the beautiful already relentless heat from a white beaches and peacock blue vicious match of ping pong. A typical late afternoon might in- water. I’ve already traveled to volve hopping on my motorbike Chiang Mai, a beautiful northand heading to an open market ern city with a unique community, and lived for a month on to try some new food. My weekends usually include the wild island of Phuket. a trip to the lake or a pool, big What advice would you delicious meals, and relaxing give to someone considwith a book. My little projering a teaching-abroad ects include writing, cooking, experience? and taking walks. When I feel It may seem obvious but ambitious, I’ll catch the train to the most important aspect to Bangkok for a day or a night. traveling is respect. Becoming These excursions to Bangkok part of a different community put me back in closer contact with western culture; I often see with its own culture is reward-
Jack debriefing with a colleague. Photo submitted by Jack.
ing beyond words, and to do this a traveler has to respect the customs and ideas of their host country. Far too many times I’ve seen tourists behaving disrespectfully when dealing with Thai people or in sacred places. Why someone would visit a foreign country with a closeminded attitude continues to baffle me, as they’re robbing themselves of unexpected and wonderful experiences. Granted, it can sometimes be hard not to be judgmental when confronted with an especially alien idea or occurrence, but these often make the best stories or deepen understanding of the culture.
Jack's practical tips for anyone considering teaching in a foreign country: 1) Bring lots of books, as literature in our native tongue can be very difficult to find outside of major cities. 2) As a teacher, try to be patient with your students while pushing their limits. I still have to remind myself sometimes that the English language is absurdly complex, and appreciating that helps me set reasonable expectations for my students. 3) Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Once you have it, the feeling of autonomy abroad is amazing, but no one can do it all themselves. 4) Try to do as much of the tedious paperwork involving immigration, work permits, certificates of clean health etc. before you arrive. In a country like Thailand, rules about legal immigration change all the time, and processing paperwork can take ages or completely fall through the cracks in the system. Though it is an experience, hopping a train to Laos a day before your visa expires makes for a nerve-racking trip. 5) Be a representative of your own culture. Little interests the Thai people I’ve grown close to, young and old, more than pictures of snow, a song they’ve never heard, or stories about home. Living abroad brings so much into the life of a traveler that they should feel more or less obligated to give back however they can.
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VOX • Fall 2013
2012 – 2013 ANNUAL GIVING
T
he Academy at Charlemont gratefully recognizes the following donors who made voluntary contributions during the 2012-2013 fiscal year (July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013). Donors are
listed in these categories: Headmaster’s Circle ($5,000 and above), Founders’ Society ($2,500 - $4,999), Charlemont Society ($1,000 - $2,499), Patrons ($500 - $999), Scholars, ($100 - $499), and Friends (up to $99). Headmaster’s Circle David ’87 and Angela Epstein Marc Fromm and Beth Sperry P11, 14, 19 Winston Healy Charlotte Meryman and Benjamin Thompson P09, 12 Bo ’90 and Katherine Peabody Cornelia and Wallis Reid P01 Oliver ’88 and Toni Stebich
Founder’s Society Kerlin Conyngham Rarie Dye Elinor Todd ’93 and Michael Beach Andy and Nancy Smith P06
Charlemont Society Anonymous (2) Heidi and Glenn Arnold P13 Ms. Lorna Baldwin Jeanne and Jeffrey Barron Kathleen Becker and Linda Enghagen P07 Verne and Gail Bissell L. Adlai and Karen M. Boyd GP18, 19 John and Lou Conyngham Peter Engelman and Kendall Clark P13, 15 Dr. Daniel Goleman GP17, 19 Diane and Ned Gray P16 Bill Grinnell P12 James Hardigg Hartford Foundation for Public Giving David and Margaret Howland Andrew LeBlanc Bruce Lessels and Karen Blom P14 Joanne Levenson and James Manwell P14 John and Pauline MacLean P89, 92 Christine McCormick and David Scherer Sarah and Mark McKusick P07, 10 Stuart Mieher P13 Jean and Lynn Miller GP13 Gina anLiam O’Brien P17 Mrs. John B. Ogilvie Stephanie and David Purington P11, 14 Mary Quigley and Mollie Babize P06 Karen and Jonathan Rehmus P10, 14 Ronnie Rom and Donald Frank P13
Herman and Lenore Rottenberg Foundation Jaka ’90 and Gadi Saarony Charles Savage Jim Schaefer William Schusser Deborah and Robert Shriver P03 Peter Stevens and Linn Bower Todd Sumner P04 and Mark Melchior Douglas Telling John Thayer and Natalie Rioux P17 Martha and Ted Tirk P07 Tony and Gisela Walker GP17 Sara Wein and Neal Anderson P16 Missy and David Wick P12 Beverley and Robert Yoon P08, 10
Patrons Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Anderson GP12 Mary Averill P13 John D. Baldwin and Martha M. BallouBaldwin Mr. Alfred Barkan GP13 William and Priscilla Chester GP 07, 10 Mr. and Mrs. David Clark Jr. GP 13, 15 Nathaniel Cohen and Jody DeMatteo P13 Frederick Cowan and Richard Gardner Mark and Cindy Efinger Chris Farley and Juliet Jacobson P12 Ellen and Michael Feld P12 Jerrilyn Hall GP18 Dr. and Mrs. William Hutchinson GP12 Megan Kendrick ’99 Mr. Michael Lioce Jr. GP15 Thomas McCrumm and Judy Haupt P97 Candice Reffe and Ed Hogan P13 S. Richard and Susan Todd P85, 89, 93 Marguerite Willis
Scholars Elizabeth Adams David Adie P08, 12 Cynthia and Shawn Allen P13, 15 Carolyn Asbury and Peter Ranney P06 George and Harriet Baldwin Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bartlett P07, 10 Diane and
Ken Bigelow P14, 16 Ruth Black Barbara and Adam Blacksin P09 M. Jennifer Bloxam P10 Sydney Brown GP11, 16 Sally Miles Bruns Horace and Shirley Burrington Milka Burstein GP09, 13 Katharine Butler Glenn and Colleen Caffery P06, 08 Joseph and Marcia Caldwell GP13, 15 Carly L. Carey ’05 Calvin and Janis Carr David Chalfant and Katryna Nields P19 Paul Cohen GP13 Michael Cohen and Chia Collins Loren Cole and Jason Cooper P08 Audrey Collins-Watson ’93 Jill Ker Conway Creative Concepts, Inc. Carlotta Crissey Chandler Drs. Sean ’88 and Jessica Dacus Jayne and Robert Dane Andrew Dickinson P18 Bill and Jean Dickinson GP18 Leanne and Edward Dowd P13 Nicholas Feld ’12 June Ferrin GP12 Larry and Susan Flaccus Mr. and Mrs. Frank Flaherty GP 16 Douglas Forbes and Lida Bihun-Forbes Julia G. Fraker ’04 Ian Gillingham ’86 Erica and Govinddass Goleman P17, 19 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Gould GP15, 18 Peter Gowdy ’85 Jane and Stephen Grant P92, 94, 96 Charles Grant ’92 Mr. and Mrs. Edmund B. Greene GP14 Bob and Cheryl Handsaker P14 Mr. James Harkins GP16, 19 Ana Maria Harkins and Jonathan Secor P16, 19 Lisa Harvey and Jonathan Ginzberg P14 Donald and Patricia Henderson Ken and Laura Huff GP 18, 19 Mary Irwin and Jack Harrison P11
Peter A. Jaros ’04 and Anna Leue ’02 Joy Johns P18 Dr. Wayne Johnson GP14 Greg Kendall and Connie White P13 Cornelia Kittler Susan Kranz William and Wanita Laffond P93 Jerry Levine and Julie McCarthy P01 Brendan Levine ’01 Ms. Patricia Lioce GP15 Vera and Jean-Paul Maitinsky GP16 Kate Marmaras Ann McNelly Ms. Rachel Merrell Mr. Stephen F. Mershon Mrs. Mary L. Meryman GP09, 12 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Meyer GP11, 14, 16 Craig Miller P13 Mrs. Irene Montague GP10, 15 Samar and Gabriel Moushabeck P14 Elizabeth Muraro Hague ’90 and Scott Hague Zoe A. Neeley ’13 Peggy Sloan and Eric Nelson Gary and Deborah Niswonger P90, 092 Cassie Nylen Gray ’93 Mrs. Kate O’Brien GP17 Damian Odess-Gillett ’92 Kathy and Ben Osborne P18 Eric and Marion Overgaard P06, 09 Katharine Overgaard ’06 Charles Parham and Roxanne Schneider P11 Alice Parker Karen Parmett ’86 and Barak Barnoon William and Margaret Peabody P90 Theodore and Lorraine Penick Maggie Perkins ’89 Deborah Phillips P07, 09 Jim Picardi P13 Hazel Porter Richard and Mary Potter P84, 00 Jeffrey ’84 and Susi Potter Herbert and Barbara Purington GP11, 14 Mr. and Mrs. Jack Ramey Tanya Rapinchuk and Kamal Souccar, P10, 16 Patricia Rapinchuk GP10, 16 Simon Reid ’01 Mr. and Mrs. Donald
Robinson Donald Rosenfeld Conrad and Shirley Rouleau Heather and Peter Row P14 Robert Savage P02 Ms. Anne Saxe GP13 Glenn Seberg The Reverend Neale Secor GP16, 19 Margaret Seiler and Leonard Melnick P10 Cortland Shurtleff and Sarah Millner P93, 97 Joan and Stuart Sidney Rachel Simpson and Chris Hellman P17 Elizabeth Slowinski ’98 Leland and Jared Smith Wilder Snodgrass Judith Goldman and Sheldon Snodgrass Mr. Mac Snodgrass and Ms. Enedina Garcia Snodgrass Brenda and William Stafford GP04 Eric and Mary Sumner Ketesah A. Surgies Trudeau ’99 Kipp and Esterlina Sutton Vicki Sutton P90 Emily Todd ’85 and Liam Harte Margaret Todd Wallick ’89 Phoebe Walker and Dennis West P17 Jacqueline Walsh and Graham Warder P13, 16 Sandra Warren and Jim Locke Guy and Deb Wheeler P97 Todd Whitney ’03 Leah Wiedmann Gailey ’93 and Christopher Gailey Jonathan Wittig ’88 Masako Yanagita Peter and Melanie Zschau P98
Friends Kathleen E. Alford ’07 Isabelle Allen ’13 Katherine Allis-Paredes ’94 Stephen Arnold ’13 Peter Atkinson and Judith Wermuth Isaac Baker ’10 Peter Barnett P90 Shelley Barnett ’90 Addison Barron ’13 Mr. and Mrs. Dave Bartlett GP07, 10 Jeannie Bartlett ’10 Nathan Bartlett ’07 Rylee Bethea ’10 Cynthia and George Bluh P84, 86, GP16 Rebekah and Patrick Boyd-Owens P18, 19 Shane Brenizer and Cynthia McLaughlin P17 Virginia Brooks Mellen ’07 Thomas Brown and
Deborah Felix P11, 16 Ms. Patricia Brown GP14 Mackenzie Brown ’11 Gerard Bueno ’01 Jacquelyn Burgin P07 Martha Bushey Mathew Bussler ’98 Emily Caffery ’06 Michael Cardozo Jesse Cohen ’13 Ms. Rebecca Cooper ’07 Pamela Cothey Jeffrey Coulson and Betsy Evans P90 Joseph and Sylvia Davenport Clare Donohue-Meyer ’11 Patrick Dowd ’13 Stephen Earp and Cynthia Snow P16 Rita C. Egan Waverley Engelman ’13 Yan Fang ’13 Herbert and Christine Forgey P01 Donald and Margaret Freeman Charles Fusco GP06,08 Virginia Gabert ’84 Neale and Christina Gay Molly Gayton Gerald and Roberta Goldman Rebecca Gonzalez-Kreisberg ’08 Colin Grinnell ’12 Elizabeth Grybko P03 Tenzin Gyalpo ’12.PG’13 Grace Hall ’12 John Harrison ’11 Erna Herzig GP04 Julia Horton ’08 Deb Hoyle P05 Devon Ingraham-Adie ’08 Aurie Ingraham-Adie ’12 Allen and Ann Irvine Luke Jacobs ’95 Liz and Matt Jacobson-Carroll P14 Rita Jaros and Wes Talley P88, 90 Jenny Jaros Friedl ’88 and Lawrence Friedl Dorothy Johnson GP15 Dorothy Keddy GP16 Dana Kendall ’13 William and Susan Kincade Zachary Kolodin ’03 Anna Krutsky ’88 and Eric Blaisdell Kate and Roland Lapierre P09 Saralinda and Jeremiah Lobrose P18 Peter and Elise Lodi Robert Mahler and Lisa Enzer P00 Sabine and Michael Mauri P18 Abel McDonnell ’03 Gerard and Brenda McGovern P07
Rhys McGovern ’07 Emma McGowan ’06 Jessamy McKay Ackerman ’89 Elizabeth Mead Sightler ’88 Theodore and Lisa Merrill Alex and Alexa Merrill Katherine Mieher ’13 Benjamin Miller ’13 Varis Mohler ’00 Shoshana Moriarty ’11 Robert and Judy Oakes P98 Pat and Ellen Owens GP18, 19 Sal and Ann Pace GP15 Dr. and Mrs. Richard Parmett P86, 88 Ruth Parmett ’88 Sarah J. Peck ’03 and Sean Morrison Sara Pedrosa ’96 Mr. and Mrs. Homer Perkins Emma Picardi ’13 Ryan Pirtle-McVeigh ’03 Zoe Plakias ’04 Pamela Porter and Brian DeVriese Jesse Porter-Henry and Amy Scully Alexandra Post ’10 Carol Purington Katy Purington ’11 Gloria Jean Purinton Kellie Rainville ’13 Sue Reed Zeke Reffe-Hogan ’13 Camilo Rojas and Catalina Arrubla P17 Arcadia Rom-Frank ’13 Susan Samoriski John Schatz Katja Schneider ’12 Mrs. Gloria Schuster Caitlin Scudder Jill and Victoria Selleck P13 Richard Selleck ’13 Patricia Serrentino and Alexander Haro P11 Laura Sheridan P17 Benjamin Shields ’97 and Patricia Parker John P. Shriver ’03 Janice Sorensen and Michael Hoberman P09, 13 David Specht and Clare Pearson Cathy Stevens and Juliette Meeus Lisa Styles and Larry Parnass P04, 07 Rachel A. Sumner ’04 Rick Taupier and Beth Haggerty P03, 05 Madeline Thompson ’09 Sawyer Thompson ’12 Nathan Tirk ’07 Susan and Charles Titus Mrs.Virginia Turin GP12 Donald and Kathleen Upton Ms. Elisa M. van de Kamp ’03
Ms. Joan Walsh GP13, 16 Molly Walsh-Warder ’13 Claire Washer ’09 Eric and Elise Neumann ’03 Forrest Webler ’11 Laurie Wheeler ’82 Priscilla White P86 Bob and Sandy White Meredith Williams Sokol ’07 Joan Wilson P82, 89 Edwin Wolf Jennifer Wood ’01 Stephanie Yoon ’10 Alexander ’98 and Aimie Zale Ellen and Peter Zale P98, 00, 06 Nora ’00 and Synphany Bates Zale Heidi Zhu ’13
Matching Gifts Callaway Golf Company Foundation Eileen Fisher General Electric Foundation MassMutual Matching Gifts Program Select Equity Group Foundation
Honorary and Memorial Gifts In Honor of Elijah Rottenberg Ronnie Rom and Don Frank In Memory of Suzanne Barkan Ronnie Rom and Don Frank In Memory of Eric Grinnell Peter Atkinson and Judith Wermuth Kerlin Conyngham and Douglas Telling Rita C. Egan Jane and Stephen Grant Luthando Maphasa John and Pauline McLean Kate Marmaras Donna Brace Ogilvie Alice Parker Theodore and Lorraine Penick Ryan Pirtle-McVeigh Hazel Porter Deb Porter and Brian DeVriese Gloria Jean Purinton Cornelia and Wallis Reid Sam and Marie Bartlett Ruth Black Sally Miles Bruns Martha Bushey Katharine Butler Calvin and Janis Carr Charles Savage William Schusser Cortland Shurtleff and
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2012– 2013 ANNUAL GIVING Sarah Milner Eric and Mary Sumner Todd Sumner and Mark Melchior Martha and Ted Tirk Donald and Kathleen Upton In Memory of Dora Harkins Ana Maria Harkins and Jonathan Secor In Memory of Win Healy Academy at Charlemont Board of Trustees Sally Collier David Ellis Elisabeth Ellis Larry and Susan Flaccus Bob and Cheryl Handsaker John and Elinor Klem Mary Ann Milewski and Edward Muszynski Nancy and Stewart Smith Joseph Peter Spang Robin Stone In Memory of John and Elizabeth Hobbs Larry and Susan Flaccus In Memory of John Brace Latham Mrs. Donna Brace Ogilvie In Memory of Zephyr Rapinchuk Meg Seiler and Len Melnick In Memory of Genie Zeiger Ann McNelley Joan and Stuart Sidney Andy and Nancy Smith
Gifts to the Senior Legacy Fund in Honor of the Class of 2013 Cynthia and Shawn Allen Heidi and Glenn Arnold Jeanne and Jeffrey Barron Jody DeMatteo and Nathaniel Cohen Leanne and Edward Dowd Kendall Clark and Peter Engelman Connie White and Greg Kendall Mary Averill and Stuart Mieher Craig Miller Charlene and Jim Neeley Jim Picardi Ellen and Michael Rainville Ed Hogan and
Candice Reffe Donald Frank and Ronnie Rom Ellen Saxe
Gifts in Kind Cynthia and Shawn Allen Mary Averill Jeanne and Jeff Barron Richard Bishop Joseph Cincotta and Julie Lineberger Cummington Supply Doug and Jodi Dean and Family Paul DiLeo and Cynthia Poirier David Epstein Susan Jablon Mosaics Vera Maitinsky Juliette Meeus and Cathy Stevens Eric Overgaard Timothy Smith Bob White John Willis Special thanks to Attorney Richard Bishop for more than 32 years of help and support.
Special Event Support 2012 Cornucopia Auction, Special Thanks Doug Wilkins, Auctioneer Underwriters: Peoples United Bank Borawski Insurance Sessions Repair, Inc. West County Equipment Rentals, Inc. Wohrle’s Foods, Inc. Zoar Outdoor Florence Savings Bank Fosters Market The Recorder Richard D. Smith 2012 Cornucopia Auction Donors A Notion to Quilt Academy Students and Faculty Academy Knitting Club David Adie, P08 & 12 Alina’s Ristorante Cynthia and Shawn Allen, P13 & 15 Katherine Anderson, ’15 Catalina Arrubla, P17 Artspace Community Arts Center Ashfield Hardware Ute Bargmann Berkshire East
Berkshire Outfitters Outdoor Specialists Berkshire Theatre Group Diane and Ken Bigelow, P14 & 16 Linn Bower Rebekah Boyd-Owens, P18 Bread Euphoria, LLC Gail Callahan, The Kangaroo Dyer Molly Cantor Pottery Dave Chalfant Chez Albert Kerlin Conyngham Crabapple Whitewater, Inc. Walter Cudnohufsky Cummington Supply, Inc. Jayne and Robert Dane Shelburne Falls Wine Merchant Suzanne Delesdernier Dana Blackburn & Jonathan Diamond, P18 Andrew Dickinson, Jr. ’18 Double Edge Theatre Stephen Earp, P16 East Heaven Hot Tubs and Paradise Spa Elmers Store Peter Engelman and Kendall Clark P13 & 15 MASS MoCA Ellen Feld, P12 Christina Gabriel, P16 Kiki Zeldes and Susan Galereave, P18 Jonathan Ginzberg, P12 & 14 Jane and Stephen Grant, P92 & 96 Green River Ambrosia Greenfield Imported Cars, Inc./Northern Bus Sales, Inc. Tenzin Gyalpo ’12 Hagers Farm Market Hair By Hana Hancock Shaker Village Bob and Cheryl Handsaker, P14 Harley Enterprises, LLC Heavenly Chocolates Tamra and Bill Hersh, P15 Elisabeth Hill, P18 Hardy Hill Laura Hill Hilltown 6 Potters Deb Hoyle, P05 William Hutchinson, GP12 Bob and Sherell Jacobson, GP14 Noah Jacobson-Carroll ’14 Joy Johns P18 Francis Joy Gayle Kabaker, P12 Erin Kelly-Dill Ken Kipen Christy Knox, P14
Kuhn Riddle Architects Hannah Lessels ’14 Brenda Linnell J.R. Lobrose, P18 Magpie Andrea Keins, P15 and Vera Maitinsky, GP15 Manny’s TV & Appliance Center Sabine and Michael Mauri P18 Robert and Mary Merriam Mesa Verde Restaurant Metaphor Yarns Kurt Meyer, P11, 14 & 16 Ewan and Arlene Mikolajczuk Craig Miller, P13 Mohawk Trail Concerts, Inc. Matt and Barbara Morse Mo’s Fudge Factor Mountain View Farm Samar and Gabriel Moushabeck, P14 Natural Roots Neeley Seat and Basket Weaving, P13, 15 & 19 New England Cheesemaking Supply Katryna & Nerissa Nields Bart Niswonger (’92) and Eliza Lake Gina and Liam O’Brien, P17 Onalie Arts Kathy Osbourne, P18 Oui Bag Jim Picardi, P13 Emma Picardi ’13 Pieropan’s Christmas Tree Farm Pine Hill Orchards Pioneer Valley Ballet Pothole Pictures Precision Driving School Monica Pulci and Daniel Delesdernier, P15 & 16 Carol Purington Elizabeth Purington ’14 Stephanie and Dave Purington, P11 & 14 Carol Purington Rachel Simpson & Friends Tanya Rapinchuk, P10 & 16 Candice Reffe, P13 Rowe Camp and Conference Center Jill and Victoria Selleck, P13 & 15 Shiva Shakti Gary Shaw Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters Shelburne Falls Yoga Studio JH Sherburne Fine Art Side Hill Farm Rachel Simpson, P17 Janice Sorensen, P13 Thomas McCrumm and
Judy Haupt, P97 Stephen L. Stange Gerhard Stebich, P88 Storey Publishing Sweet Bananaberry, Darcy Rosner Nathalie Rioux and John Thayer, P17 They Might Be Giants Thornes Market, Rachel Merrell Richard S. Todd, P85, 89, 93 Tregellys, Ed and Jody Cothey Walkandgather.com WEBS - America’s Yarn Store Sarah Wein, P15 Tricia Wells, P18 Prudence Wholey Hilltown Hybrids, Jamie and Roberta Wooldridge, P15 YMCA of Greenfield Beverley and Robert Yoon, P08 & 10 The Sow’s Ear Bettie Zakon-Anderson, P17 Ellen and Peter Zale, P98, 00 & 06 Aimee Zale Kiki Zeldes, P18 2013 Benefit Concert Erin McKeown Dave Chalfant and Academy musicians Memorial Hall Jim Neeley Dan Richardson Plants for Pleasure Gayle Kabaker Rachel Simpson Patricia Donohue Sara Wein and Neal Anderson Rachel Simpson Diane and Ken Bigelow Raffle Donors: Bromley Farms Green River Festival/ Signature Sounds Christy Knox Donohue & Lessels families Plants for Pleasure Shelburne Falls Wine Merchant Zoar Outdoor
These listings are based on gifts recorded as of June 30, 2013. We regret any errors or omissions, and welcome notification thereof.
The Charlemont Legacy Society As of June 30, 2013, the following donors have made their legacy giving intentions known to The Academy. We are grateful for their forward-thinking commitment to our mission. Anonymous Carlotta Crissey Chandler Loren Cole and Jason Cooper P08 Jayne and Robert Dane Don and Marilyn Freeman Eric* and Dianne Grinnell Russell and Mary Henne* Ernest Hofer* John William Hoth* John Brace Latham* Elisabeth B. Leete* Mrs. Rolf Merton Todd Sumner P04
If you have made bequest provisions naming The Academy at Charlemont as a beneficiary of your estate, we would welcome the opportunity to honor such an expression of confidence by including your name in this listing in the future. *deceased
The Academy’s 2013-2014 Annual Fund campaign is under way. We are grateful for the support of alumni, families and friends, and we rely on your generosity to sustain our programs. We look forward to hearing from you. Donations can be made by mail or securely online at www. charlemont.org. Thank you for supporting The Academy at Charlemont.
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2012– 2013 ANNUAL GIVING
GIVING TO THE AC ADEMY Types of Giving • The Academy relies on the generous, annual support of our community of alumni, parents, families and friends to sustain our programs. Annual Giving supports all of the Academy’s programs, including financial aid. A NNUA L G I V I N G
• An investment in The Academy at Charlemont through a bequest provision or any other planned gift vehicle is a meaningful contribution that demonstrates a strong vote of confidence in the mission and value of an Academy education. Common forms of legacy giving include: • A bequest of cash, stock, personal or real property via a will, or beneficiary giving via a trust, retirement plan, or life insurance • Life income plans such as a Charitable Gift Annuity • Charitable Remainder Trust Donors are encouraged to discuss their charitable giving plans and needs with their own financial and legal advisors. Our Development Office welcomes inquires and notification of intent in matters of legacy giving.
Academy to Receive Significant Bequest From Longtime Friend
J
ohn Brace Latham, a longtime patron of The Academy who died in 2012, has left a substantial bequest to the school. As a
L E G AC Y G I V I N G
RESTRICTED GIFTS • Restricted gifts are those that are designated for specific capital projects or programs. Please contact our Development Office for more information. E ND OW M E N T G I F T S • Endowment gifts are permanently restricted to support the Academy’s programs, including but not limited to financial aid, and help sustain the Academy over the long term.
Ways to Give
close friend of founding Head of School Eric Grinnell since their teen years, Mr. Latham was a strong believer in and supporter of Eric’s vision and the mission of The Academy. Inspired by Eric’s commitment to provide a rigorous and classical education to curious and deserving students, Mr. Latham contributed generously to the school’s scholarship fund each year. This dedicated support benefited many students, and was a testament to his profound respect for his friend. His extraordinary generosity continues. When the estate is settled, Mr. Latham’s bequest of just over $1 million will be the largest legacy gift ever received by The Academy, and the largest lump sum gift of any kind. Mr. Latham’s kindness toward and concern for our school and the students it serves is an inspiration, and The Academy is deeply grateful for the long-term impact of his giving.
The Academy accepts gifts by check, money order or AmEx/MasterCard/Visa and gifts of appreciated securities. O NL I NE G I F T S • Please visit www.charlemont.org to make a secure online gift with a credit card. Online gift processing is available for onetime or recurring gifts.
• The Academy can process a recurring monthly gift with credit card information from the donor, either online as above or manually with the donor’s signature on file. Donors may indicate the beginning and end date of the pledge. R E C U RR I N G G I F T S
M AT C H I N G G I F T S • Many companies match or multiply charitable contributions made by their employees. Be sure to check with your personnel office about your company’s matching gift policy, and please provide our development office with necessary forms in order to maximize your support for the Academy. P L E D G E S • Donors may make pledges to the Annual Fund. Pledges must be paid by June 30th, the end of the fiscal year. GI FT S O F A P P R E C I AT E D S E C U RITIE S • To make a gift of stock to The Academy, please have your broker contact the Academy’s Business Office for instructions about transferring the shares directly to our brokerage account. Stock gifts to the Academy are tax deductible. G I F T S B Y M A I L • You may mail your gift to us at: The Academy at Charlemont Development Office, The Mohawk Trail, 1359 Route 2, Charlemont, MA 01339
For more information about giving to The Academy at Charlemont, please contact the Development Office at the address above. You may reach us by phone at 413-339-4912 or by email at developmentoffice@charlemont.org.
John Brace Latham Photo supplied by Dianne Grinnell.
2012-2013 Annual Fund Alumni Challenge Academy alums were tasked with an extra challenge during this past Annual Fund cycle – to achieve a 25% giving participation rate from all former students and graduates. The challenge was put forth by late trustee Win Healy, who pledged to give $500 to the Annual Fund for each class that achieved the goal. The final results are shown in this graph, which mirrors the graphics used on our Facebook page to chart the progress along the way. The Academy is grateful for Mr. Healy's generosity, and to all alums that contributed during the 2012-2013 Annual Fund cycle. We look forward to a sustained commitment from our alumni in the coming years.
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2012– 2013 ANNUAL GIVING
Why I Support The Academy By Z achary Kolodin ’03
I
t sounds rote at this point to say that The Academy is a special place to get a high school education, but there is really no way around it. Getting an educa-
tion at The Academy is a singular experience—one that others were depending on me impacts the way that I engage for leadership—something I had only those very close to me certainly never considered at would suspect still informs my age 13. approach. I think one of the hard things The Academy taught me about being a student at The what it meant to be a part of a community that depends on the Academy is that nothing goes unnoticed. At another school, participation of every member, my foray into teenage vandalism and from which each member would have almost certainly slid can draw strength. My first day was in September of 1997, and I under the radar. At The Acadwas a kid who really could have emy, it was impossible to hide. This wasn’t always pleasant, gone any number of directions. especially when I started datI had been diagnosed with ADD the previous fall, and wore ing my first girlfriend; finding places to hide seemed like a reit like armor to protect myself ally excellent idea. But the effect against fear of failure. Shortly after arriving I began to test the was to create a stronger ethical awareness. Developing a keen boundaries of what I could get ethical sonar was a survival skill away with. For example, I was at The Academy. suspended in seventh grade The Honor Code played for defacing a photograph of an important part in making another student. that happen, I’m not and so did quite sure “The civic enthusiasm the presence what I was expecting to The Academy imbued me of ethical exemplars like happen in headmasters retrospect, with remains a defi ning Eric Grinbut I certainly nell and Todd wasn’t expectfeature of my approach to Sumner. I took ing to feel an intuitive more a part sense of the of the school the world.” responsibility community to tell the truth, and to behave in the wake of that incident. To as though others were dependmy surprise, that’s exactly what ing on me, to the workplace. It happened. has proved invaluable there, and My teachers responded with I think played no small part in disappointment, but also with my decision to practice law. encouragement. They had Many institutions try to higher expectations of me than incorporate civic education I had for myself, and they let into the curriculum, but few me know it. More importantly, succeed in actually fostering they didn’t stigmatize me, but civic enthusiasm among their rather made me feel as though
Zacahary Kolodin and his wife Hilary Doe at their 2013 wedding. members. There is no doubt that The Academy was successful in this respect. In 2002, inspired by great thinkers like Thoreau and Madison whom Todd Sumner had introduced me to in his History and Literature course, I launched a campaign to institute annual ratification of the Honor Code by the student body. I had come to believe so strongly in The Academy as a democratic polity, not just a
school, that it seemed to me completely natural that the students be able to explicitly re-affirm every year the ideals that The Academy embodied. I would never have pegged myself a civics geek, but that trend continued in college, where I became student body president, and in law school, where I have made the law of government agencies my specialty. The civic enthusiasm The Academy
imbued me with remains a defining feature of my approach to the world. Community responsibility. Ethical awareness. Civic enthusiasm. Not to mention a set of truly lifelong friends—five of whom stood by my side as I got married this summer. These are the enduring reasons I support The Academy. I am truly grateful to the place that imparted these essential values to me.
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CLASS NOTES for Social Work. She shares a historic duplex in Shelburne Falls with her brother Andrew ’00, and manages to convene gatherings of fellow alums from time to time.
1999 Dale (Alford) Burns writes: “We moved up to Hudson, NH at the end of March and were able to celebrate our boys, Christophers and Benjamin’s, first birthday in our new home. Jenny Jaros Friedl and her family. I am still teaching second grade for Lowell Public Schools in Amy Mason and her daughter Samantha. but my post-stumble staggering Lowell, MA, and am looking Social Media and Communica- forward to a fun summer with around has amazingly led me to cally farming produce with a 75-member CSA, and thirrd tions for Bliss Spa. She sends her my husband, Chris, and the this spot, and I am so incredyear of Farm It Forward, a love to everyone at AaC [AAC?] boys!” ibly grateful. And exhausted. Jeff and Susi Potter are still partnership program to give and looks forward to visiting And happy. You know how it is. living the good life in Shelburne children at risk of Type 2 Diafellow alum Liz Slowinski this Right now is a really good time. ” Megan Kendrick and her Falls. For the past few years, betes access to our veggies and summer. husband Brian Murphy welJeff has edited The Commons, a a cooking class with their family comed baby William to their nonprofit weekly newspaper in to learn how to use the veggies.” Amy (Waterman) Mason new home in Austin, TX this nearby Brattleboro, which has writes: “I have had a busy and summer. won 14 awards in Vermont and Dan Tuttle writes: “I am cur- exciting year with lots of big Olga Peters writes: “Not New England, including best rently starting my third quarter changes! Josh and I welcomed nondaily newspaper in Vermont much to report here. Still staff at Life University College of our first child, Samantha Marjoand top honors for its editorial/ reporter at The Commons, a Chiropractic in Georgia. There rie, into the world on November non-profi t newspaper serving commentary section. 19, 2012. She is such a joy, and Windham County, VT. Jeff Pot- are 16 quarters in all. It’s a lot of hard work. I am also doing we are so lucky to have her! ter ’84 is our brave editor.” research there on the effects of Also, my first book— a collecchiropractic on brain function.” tion of poems titled Lessons in Letting Go—will be released in Jenny Jaros Friedl writes: August by Finishing Line Press, “I am living in Arlington, VA selected as a semifinalist out of Nick Papananias writes: “I with Lawrence, my sweetheart submissions to the press’s New started working at a new photo of 11 years, and our three Mat Bussler writes: “Hello Women’s Voices Poetry Contest. agency called Redux Pictures young children (in order in the Academy community! I’ve been There’s also a new job on the on January 1st. We work with picture: Tyler, age 3, Porter, 5, thinking about The Academy horizon for me: I’ve accepted a a roster of 30 photographers and Lindy, 3). I am a teacher a lot the last few months. After position as Teacher of Students and represent them for assignWilliam Kendrick Murphy by trade but for the last four the celebration of the life of with Visual Impairments with years I have been home with our ments for magazines like Stern, Eric Grinnell, I went straight Ludlow Public Schools and will Time, People, etc. My job is in Bekah Lynes graduated from kiddos, which has been (and to a rehearsal of Hamlet, which be starting this summer, after the Archive and Syndication Skidmore College in 2009 with still is) an incredibly rewarding, having been home with Sam Department; I review portfolios, of course reminded me of my a degree in Classics. She is relentless, crazy, snuggle- (and junior year. I teach acting in for awhile. Finally, we’re getting currently living in Providence, bring new photographers in, struggle-) filled circus. I have Springfi eld at the Drama Studio, ready to move back to Western and we represent their archives RI, working as the Executive Ashad some stumbles in my life, which is a small acting conserMassachusetts in the fall to be for distribution. I sistant and Associate Financial vatory program that resembles closer to work, friends, and fam- Representative to the Managing look at photos all day, and that is what The Academy in that it’s a place ily in the area.” Director at Northwestern Muwhere everyone treats each othI love.” tual. Bekah also works part-time er with respect and fairness. It’s Maureen Oakes writes: “I’ve as a Marketing Coordinator for a blast teaching teenagers and settled stateside and left the Ben Shields the New England Revolution. sports industry. I’m now workwrites: “Patricia and hearing what their schools are Says Bekah: “I have the most like, reminding me how lucky I ing at Smashbox Cosmetics as I will be married wonderful rescue dog named was to go to Th e Academy. Durthe Director of International here on the farm Sofie.” ing the summer months I work Marketing, and I live in Venice, on October 5th this at Camp Kinderland, which, like California gathering freckles acyear. We also have Wilder Sparks is living in the The Academy and the Drama companied by ‘72 and sunny.’ ” a wonderful and woods and has devoted his life Studio, is a small community amazing baby boy, to the Goddess. He has emerged that is supportive and respectElizabeth Slowinski has Elliott Ernst Parker from the darkness with joy in left her post of nine years as Shields, born July 9, ful.” his heart and a song on his lips. Program Support Manager at EF 2012. We are now Lisse Grullemans is living in Foundation for Foreign Study to in our fourth Patricia Parker, Ben Shields and Elliott. New York City and working in enroll in Smith College School year ecologi-
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CLASS NOTES Ketesah (Surgies) Trudeau sent in her update in the form of a survey: Known As: Ketesah, Tessa, Tess, abluephoenix Age: 32 College: Commonwealth College at UMass, with a brief stint in Oviedo, Spain Career: Senior Project Manager at Gravity Switch in Northampton Career in a Better Alternate Universe: Novelist Lives In: South Hadley
workshops of new plays. He is a regular critic and feature writer on DC Theatre Scene, an online theatre site, contributes to American Theatre magazine, and is a member of the American Theater Critics Association.
2000 Anna Drakulich writes: “I’m still in California and am a Spanish/Art/Music Appreciation teacher at a private elementary/middle school. Absolutely love it, and have Señora Grant to thank for my career choice.” Caitlin Feury writes: “I’m living in Los Angeles with my husband, and I just completed my first year of teaching art at Vaughn International Studies Academy. VISA is a charter school in Pacoima, CA. At VISA I have been fortunate enough to be able to continue to serve students from lowincome neighborhoods, while being supported in my endeavor to develop a socially minded visual arts curriculum. This summer I am presenting my curriculum at the International Studies Schools Network’s annual conference.”
2001
Rachel Sumner offers the following 4 haiku for her update: Wrote master’s thesis defended it, what a bore. On to cool research! Maya Rocke and her parents. MA with her fiancé, Eric, and their two geriatric cats. She earned her license as a Speech and Language Pathologist in Massachusetts earlier this year. Maya and Eric will be married in Maine in September, and look forward to the birth of their first child in November.
2003
second year of law school at NYU and worked as a summer associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. He is looking forward to his final year of law school and (finally) sharing an apartment with Simon Reid ’01 in Brooklyn. The two plan to host many dinner parties.
2004
CJ! Toby! Jed! I’d never watched West Wing why?! Thanks a bunch, Netflix. Went on NPR told tale of Ecuador, my leg, bat, rabies shots. So excited for good times, aardvarks, cake, dancing: Sarah/Ian’s wedding.
2005
The class of 2003 gathered on campus for a ten-year Hunter Styles has worked Carly Carey writes: “I just reunion. Their enthusiastic in the arts in Washington, finished my fourth year teaching Zachariah Chornyak writes: planning generated this event. D.C. since graduating from middle school geography and “After graduating from The Look for photos and more Georgetown in 2008. He curcoaching high school lacrosse Academy, I went to engineernews in the next issue of Vox. rently manages publicity and Ketesah and Justin Trudeau at an independent school in ing school at UMASS Amherst, community relations at SignaDayton, Ohio. I absolutely love graduating in ’06. I went right Zachary Kolodin writes: “I ture Theatre in Arlington. On Guilty Pleasure: Owning ALL to work at Tighe & Bond as it. I was also able to do some married Hilary Doe in Benton off-hours he runs the downtown the boots. traveling this year. I went to a Civil and Environmental Harbor, MI, on June 8, 2013. non-profit Artists’ Bloc, writes Superpowers: Hearing the Cambodia for two weeks, where Engineer. In 2011 I passed We just moved to a lovely new plays (with two being produced toilet running from miles away. the Engineering exam and am I worked in a clinic in a remote apartment in Red Hook, Brook- this summer), and directs Making it rain. fishing village on the coast. I now a Registered Professional lyn. All are welcome Love of Her Live: Justin Engineer in MA. Meghan and to visit. I am currently Trudeau: long-haired, boot-clad, I were living in Southampton a Summer Associate motorcycle riding gamer. Also fixing up a house as a flipper at Cravath, Swaine & Bid Coordinator at Valley Com- from 2007 to this past DecemMoore, in New York munications in Chicopee. ber, and have recently bought City, and will be returnSuperpowers: Rolling 6 every our dream home in Huntington, ing to NYU Law School time. Making it NOT rain. MA. Meghan and I got married for my third and final Inventing words. last July 7th, and were lucky year. They Met: In 2005. She was enough to take an entire month wearing all white at a goth club off work for our honeymoon in Ian Leue is workThey Married: In 2009. He the White Mountains and then ing for Appboy, a tech wore a kilt, she wore boots and in Bermuda. In general, we feel startup in NYC, as a flowers. very fortunate and life is real software developer. He They Honeymooned: In Eng- good.” loves working with good land, where they stayed in the friends in a great city. He “Old Piggery” at a 400 year farm Simon Reid has been teachalso continues to make and visited lots of gorgeous old ing English in Moscow for the and explore great music. piles of rocks. past three years. He will return Look in 2005 notes Craziest Endeavor Yet: Buyin August, and plans to for details on Ian and ing a house in Belchertown this Alumni/ae friends at Zachary's wedding: Back row: Simon Reid ’01, share an apartment in Brook- Sarah's wedding. summer Zachary Kolodin ’03, Van Kolodin ’08, Chris Manchester ’05, Caleb lyn with Abel McDonnell ’03. Kids: Soon Ward ’03, Rachel Risser-Sperry ’03. Front row: Abel McDonnell ’03, Kate Abel McDonnell Cats: Sumi, Ohki, Minerva, Maya Rocke lives in Everett, recently completed his (Branson) Savich ’03, and Ryan Pirtle-McVeigh ’03. and Sif
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AmeriCorps in ing to take Spanish immersion the high desert classes in Central America, then of New Mexico, complete a TESOL certificate in making bacon order to teach English abroad. I for a sustainable am very excited to practice my meat company Spanish and travel to many new in northern Cali- countries! fornia, inventing the blue corn strawberry jalapeno doughnut in Santa Fe, NM, Nathan Tirk writes: “I just and finally, land- started the second year of a twoing my dream year Masters Degree program job working as in Civil Engineering at UVM. an engineer for In addition to being a teaching a regenerative assistant and taking classes, I design firm. New conduct research on bridge hobbies include design codes. I’m investigating cross country the applicability of the most road trips based recent American Association of entirely around State Highway and Transporfood (bbq featur- tation Officials bridge design The many alums present at Sarah Hartshorne and Ian Leue's wedding: Hunter Styles ’04, Sam Hale ’05, Maggie White ing as a central codes to the State of Vermont. ’04, Peter Jaros ’04, Carly Carey ’05, Rachel Sumner ’04, Emily Caffery ’06, the bride and groom, Jackie Drakulich ’05, theme) and The project involves using backpacking (the structural analysis algorithms Micah Surprenant ’04, Maddy Leue ’06, Sunil Leue. Back row: Ryan Pirtle-McVeigh ’03, Kurt Wigmore ’03, Anna grand canyon in to analyze large amounts of Leue ’04, Anne Nelson ’02, Katie Overgaard ’06. the spring).” truck data, collected over more concentration), I went to Duke also took a group of middle than a decade. A comprehenschool students for a week University to take on another BS Hannah Smith writes: “For sive statistical analysis of the sailing trip in the Bahamas! Andegree in the accelerated nursthe last 3 years I’ve been living results is a key part of the projother adventure: Dan Leyden ing program there. I graduated in New York City. I lived with ect. There’s still plenty of time to Maddy Leue and her hus’05 was in Dayton this year. … from that program in 2011 and another Academy Alum, Ericka ski and explore the backcountry band, Jay Pietrewicz, welcomed Dayton may never be the same.” baby girl Calliope Mary Pietrehave been working for HeartBurgin ’07, and we’ve had a terrain during the Vermont winters. I’m also enjoying hiking wicz into their family this April. land Hospice in Durham, as An very fun time as roommates. I On July 6th, Sarah B. RN case Manager. This work has worked at the YAI Network as a and boating on Lake Champlain Maddy attributes Calliope’s Hartshorne and Ian Leue ’03 been so inspiring and rewarding Community Training Specialist in the summer. This summer I name to her Academy-fostered were married in Colrain, MA. and I will never forget my many and taught adults with develtraveled to Israel, where I visited love of antiquities, and also The wedding was intimate and patients and their families. I am opmental disabilities. I loved with friends and family and shares that she is working as a beautiful: close friends, famalso pursuing my Master’s Demy job; it was exactly what I participated in a Birthright social worker in Central MA. ily, and delicious nachos. The gree at Duke and will graduate wanted to do after graduatprogram. During my travels, I in August 2014 as an Adult and two have been dating since ing from Skidmore College in rode a camel through the desert, Mary May Pratt writes “I 2003 and tied the knot on their 2010. However, I am moving to swam in the Dead Sea, and am living in a little house in the Geriatric Nurse Practitioner. 10th anniversary. They’d like Drew is a research scientist Costa Rica this summer and, spent time in the West Bank.” woods of Hillsborough, North to thank everyone who had to at Duke University in envitherefore, leaving New York City Carolina with my wonderful watch them make out in high ronmental engineering and at the end of June. I am gofiancé, Drew Haerer and our school. Sarah is working as a two dogs, Brewer and Huck. We also a professional kayak bass model and comedian in NYC. fisherman and part time fishing have a busy life with studying She was recently featured in a guide. and working full time but we Palmer’s commercial, an Intel We are looking forward to a love to cook, fish and explore commercial, and was the first vacation in August to a family these southern woods. woman to win the Inspired Since graduating from Ithaca cabin in the foothills of the BigWord Comedy Slam. College in 2010 with a BS degree horn Mountains in Wyoming. in Gerontology (with a pre-med After that it is the final push Rob Ramlow-Sachs writes: toward completing my master’s. “After finishing at Pitzer ColI have been asked to be a clinical lege in Claremont, CA in 2010, instructor at Duke for the spring I spent a year skiing and rock semester. climbing in the mountains We are planning our wedding of the west. I am now enterfor September 2014 and will be ing my third and last year of relocating back to the area. We architecture school at UMass, hope to build our dream home and loving living in the Pioneer up high on our hill in Ashfield.” Valley again. I plan to look for a design/build job somewhere in Emma McGowan writes: Class of 2006 alums aplenty at Glen Sawyer's wedding. From left the southwest.” “Since graduating from Johns Hopkins three years ago I to right: Leah Decker, Willy Zale, Glen Sawyer, Hannah Smith, have been enjoying a series of Dan Quigley, Katie Overgaard, Sam Goldberg-Jaffee. Back row: adventures all over the country. Nick van de Kamp. Calliope Mary Pietrewicz Highlights include a year of
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2010 Alice McKusick writes: “This summer I am spending two months just north of the Maasai Mara Reserve in Kenya. I am with 5 other Prescott College students and two teachers. We are staying at a camp that Prescott College professors have created with Maasai friends 7 years ago, which hosts one building run by solar panels, a rain water catchment system, and many tent sites. This summer semester is based around learning processes about community activism. We are learning from and with fellow Maasai students about colonization in Kenya, specifically, how land was taken during this time. We are studying this history so that we can join their current social movement that is appealing to the
page 27 Kenyan court system to reclaim the land that was stolen from them. We are helping out by doing various research projects that we then share at large presentations to the community. We are also working on a documentary about this struggle; we are hoping it will be feature length in 2 years. While here, we are also enjoying access to the Maasai Mara to learn about the wildlife. In a few weeks the Wildebeest migration will be in full throttle, and then we won’t even have to leave our camp to witness it!” Sophia Rehmus writes: “I just completed my second year at Pitzer College in Claremont, CA, where I am majoring in Anthropology with a Spanish minor. Aside from taking classes, I worked as a cook and food preparer at The Shakedown Cafe, a student-run eatery
that specializes in local and organic food, and volunteered at The Prison Library Project, a nonprofit organization that provides free reading materials to inmates. I was also heavily involved in music! I continued to sing for my a capella group, The After School Specials, with whom I performed at a capella festivals in San Diego and at Pomona College in Claremont. I also performed frequently as part of a four-person folk band called Sugarpine. This coming semester I am living with a host family in Ecuador to continue my Spanish learning.”
2011 John Harrison writes about his experience as a Production Assistant on the set of ‘The Judge’: “It was a pretty exciting experience, and a lot of
work! I was working at the bottom of the proverbial ladder, getting coffees and doing crowd control, and such. I got to talk to quite a few people, including several Academy students and alums, while trying to keep bystanders from walking into the middle of the shot. It was pretty interesting to be working on set and observing all the professionals doing all of their different jobs, and seeing just how much work can go into a single shot.”
2012 Nick Feld, who attends Assumption College, has started working at an auto-mechanic facility in Hadley, and attributes this to his Academy senior project! Colin Grinnell writes: “I spent my winter break and much of my
spring semester helping a woman named Sara Conklin open a restaurant in Brooklyn. I helped her with graphic design projects, interior decorating, as well as learning about all the intricacies of opening a restaurant. There are many rules and many permits to acquire and abide by! The restaurant opened last month in the neighborhood called Greenpoint. It’s called Glasserie, and the food is delicious.” Katja Schneider writes: “Since I left the US last summer I have been visiting high school all over again here in Germany, but I have also been travelling the world quite a bit, which has been amazing. In addition, Sawyer and Sarah (both ’12), have visited me, and I got to show them around; if anyone else would like to come stay with me, you’re more
than welcome to! After spending this summer in Guatemala saving baby turtles, I will graduate next spring and hopefully come visit you all next summer! Lots of love and keep up the great work. Love, Katja.”
Katja and Sawyer at the Eiffel Tower in 2012.
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