23 minute read
800 CHATHAM HALL CIRCLE: CAMPUS NEWS
from Chat Spring 2021
by Chatham Hall
Intramural Sports
This year, Chatham Hall’s athletics schedules looked a little different than normal. Rather than home and away games against Blue Ridge Conference (BRC) rivals, the sports teams’ schedules were all home games, and all against fellow Turtles with the exception of a basketball game against Virginia Episcopal School. “We committed to keeping the same standards that we would if we were playing interscholastic games,” said Laura Clay, dean of athletics. “We asked our coaches to train our teams with the same intensity and prepare as if we were competing with other schools. We wanted to develop skills so that each individual athlete wouldn’t lose anything this season in terms of speed, strength, or understanding.” The Athletics Department put in place a variety of precautions for student-athletes, including daily uniform cleanings, daily equipment sanitizing, personal water bottles, and more. “It’s turned out to be a fulfilling alternative,” said Clay. “I can’t image this being a program that we or any school would implement regularly, but for now it is a safe and reasonable alternative.”
Peace Pole Dedicated
Chaplain Beth Barksdale officially dedicated a peace garden as part of the Chapel, and memorialized the event with the campus’ new Peace Pole. Twenty-three students participated in the service and flags from seven different countries were displayed. “We hope today’s service will remind all who pass by to stop, if only for a moment, and consider what is required for the world to be at peace,” Chaplain Barksdale said. Located in the Hilltop Garden across from Pruden lawn, the Peace Pole is a guidepost for those who might like to think about, reflect on, and pray for peace. It is also a new addition to the campus Touchstones, outside contemplative locations that invite meditation and reflection.
New January Term Beginning In 2022
In her winter letter, Rector Rachel Connell announced the addition of a January Term beginning in 2022. This new, required term will allow students to explore courses that are not currently part of semester curricula, as well as offer ample opportunity for co-curriculars, to meet graduation requirements, and/or to undertake courses for personal growth. More details on this program will be forthcoming, and Rector Connell is excited about the possibilities a January Term brings to Chatham Hall. “Among other things, in the years ahead I see January Term as a time in which studentalumnae connections are able to expand via guest experts, shadow opportunities, and internships,” she wrote. “I see every student graduating from Chatham Hall with a command of personal finance that will lay the groundwork for supporting their hopes and plans, and I see students able to better control their time as they explore their interests and passions.”
Riding
On Feb. 27, Chatham Hall’s Riding Program hosted the Interscholastic Equestrian Associations (IEA) Region 9 Regional Finals with both School and IEA COVID-19 protocols firmly in place. Five high school and three middle school teams participated, as well as numerous individual competitors. Throughout the day Chatham Hall riders competed in both teamdesignated classes and as individuals. Individual riders moving on to Zone 3 Finals included Vance Luster ’23, Kensington Nelson ’22, and Annabele Whitehead ’22. At the end of the day, Chatham Hall’s team also topped the leaderboard and emerged as champions. Riding for the team at Zone Finals will be Sophie Croker Poole ’23, Vance Luster ’23, Caroline Hall ’21, Kensington Nelson ’22, Zoey Horn ’22, and Annabele Whitehead ’22. Zone Finals will be held in Spotsylvania, Va. on March 27 and 28. The Chatham Hall Riding Program has also been able to safely compete at some open hunter/jumper shows as well. Five riders traveled to the Virginia Horse Center for the Spring Welcome “A” Show, and the team hosted a Southwest Virginia Hunter Jumper Association show on campus in April. The Riding Program is committed to educating student riders to be good horsewomen, and with that in mind will host a clinic with USHJA President Mary Knowlton on May 8-9.
International Students Remain Turtle Strong
When Virginia school campuses closed last spring, it was the first of many unique challenges for Chatham Hall’s international student community. “Last year I was planning to spend Spring Break in Miami and then do some college visits,” said Vanessa RenHan ’21, of Beijing, China. “When that wasn’t possible, I thought I would stay on campus. But then Virginia mandated that all schools shut down. My roommate invited me to stay with her for as long as I wanted to. It was a great time with her family. I spent the summer with them because I knew that if I went home to China then I wouldn’t have the chance to come back. I am a senior, I wanted to complete my college applications in the States because of the network here and work with Dr. McHugh. I also wanted to finish my entire high school career here, I wanted to have the entire high school experience.” For Gloria Guo ’22, returning to campus this year was not an option. Instead, she took advantage of the School’s remote classes. “I really didn’t want to transfer to another international school in Shanghai as a junior or former overseas student,” she said, when asked about her decision to go remote. “And I did not want to waste my opportunity to be a part of this amazing community.” Sunny Xu ’23, also of Beijing, China, was able to return to campus only after a two-week quarantine in a third country. With two other Turtles, she quarantined in Dubai, United Arab Emirates before returning to Chatham and quarantining at Gilmore House. “I didn’t want to have classes via Zoom,” she noted. “Being on campus meant that not only could I be with my friends but I could also absorb knowledge in the classroom from my teachers.” Unlike RenHan, Guo, and Xu, Lou Riedel ’22 was not returning to Chatham Hall this year but rather arriving as a new ASSIST Scholar, brought to the School from Berlin, Germany, by the U.S.-based nonprofit organization that matches academically talented, multilingual international students with American independent secondary schools for a one-year stay. “I wanted to spend a year abroad not only to improve my language skills but also to learn about the culture,” she explained. “Obviously this was a pretty crazy year to do this, but I’m still glad I did it. It was definitely a tough decision, especially because COVID was a lot worse in the U.S. than in Germany. But I think what reassured my parents was that Chatham is a small community, the School doesn’t have that many students, and that the School had a very clear plan for how they were going to handle it.” In the 2020-2021 school year, Chatham Hall enrolled students from 10 countries including Bermuda, Cayman Islands, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Russia, South Korea, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, and the United States. Throughout the year faculty members welcomed into their classrooms remote learners from across the globe. The dedication of these students to attending classes and remaining involved has allowed the School to maintain a global community, ensuring a rich diversity from which all community members benefit.
“SINCE CHATHAM HALL HAD A PLAN AND WAS ABLE TO KEEP US SAFE WE WERE ABLE TO DO A LOT OF THINGS, SPORTS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT REALLY HELPED ME FIND FRIEND GROUPS. CHATHAM HALL MANAGED TO ENABLE US TO DO A LOT OF ACTIVITIES DESPITE
THE VIRUS.” -LOU RIEDEL ’22
Stella Liu ’21, Anna Song ’21, and Jessy Lu ’21 flew to China in November 2020 in full PPE for safety during their travels.
DEI Update
An update of Chatham Hall’s 2020-2021 diversity, equity, and inclusion action plan is now available at www.chathamhall.org/dei.
Asare ’22 Reflects on Student Diversity Leadership Conference
In December 2020, Velda Asare ’22 and five other Chatham Hall students attended the virtual National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). The conference is a multiracial, multicultural gathering of high school student leaders from across the world. According to the conference website, “SDLC focuses on selfreflecting, forming allies, and building community. Led by a diverse team of trained adult and peer facilitators, participating students develop cross-cultural communication skills, design effective strategies for social justice practice through dialogue and the arts, and learn the foundations of allyship and networking principles.” Here, Asare reflects on her experience. Before attending the conference, I knew I would have the opportunity to gain a great deal of information to bring back to my community, Chatham Hall. While this is undeniably true, little did I know how much of an impact this experience would have on my emotional well-being. Upon attending this conference I met some of the coolest people. While I saw several faces through a screen and we were not all physically present with one another, I felt that the connection I experienced with the community was profoundly memorable. Attending this event is something I will simply never forget. I have gotten to meet amazing people, some I am still in contact with. SDLC was an experience that opened my eyes and deepened my knowledge. Over the course of the four days, we unpacked several topics about racism, classism, privilege, pain, identity and numerous others. One of the first topics that was discussed was identity. Everyone created their “molecule” which depicted portions of who they were, such as their gender, race, family structure, and more. Identity played a huge role in this conference. At the beginning, these aspects of who we were were rated, meaning that we were supposed to write if we felt positively or negatively about each of them. By the end of the conference they wanted to know if we felt the same about each aspect or if our rating had changed which happens frequently. Identity is something that may be a struggle, a burden, a privilege, or a blessing to various people. We talked about how these things affected everyone in society and how they made our feelings change. I even learned how to use better language when addressing people, and my mind was exposed to more issues and topics.
One portion I fell in love with in this conference was my affinity group. I got the opportunity to see so many beautiful and successful Black people in one place. We shared experiences, struggles, obstacles, and I had never gotten to relate to so many people before. With so many intellectual individuals, we were able to discover ways on how to bring back change to our own communities. We talked about some of the most common issues such as performative activism, being stereotyped, discriminated against, and disrespected. We came up with ways we could instill change such as getting people uncomfortable, keeping people accountable, calling people out, making changes in the overall curriculum, and more. I got to hear the ideas and contributions from a vast number of people. We even talked about ways we could make our own communities better by discussing colorism and by talking about how some Black people feel excluded. Diane Nichols, one of the leaders of the affinity group stated, “rewrite the narrative of Blackness to include all of us.” This meant that at the end of the day, we are all facing the same problems and the only way to overcome them is as one body. One unit. Attending SDLC 2020 was an experience I will never forget. I am so glad I got to participate in the event. I learned so much and met people that I connected deeply with. People who were funny, smart, strong, and were all concerned about making a difference. A difference that benefits everyone. This conference took me through the experiences of others. This meeting not only initiates change, but it creates a home-like feeling. Everyone is accepted and loved. Throughout this meeting I heard powerful and influential words from great individuals. The experience was memorable and encouraging.
Faculty Housing Renovations
By Susan Johnston Taylor
Faculty members are an integral part of Chatham Hall. As a boarding school community, it is important for the School’s faculty members to live within the campus grounds, enabling them to forge meaningful relationships with students as teachers, coaches, and mentors. Within a recent strategic planning process, the School identified the need to improve its living spaces. Shortly thereafter, a facility assessment study conducted by the Stone House Group, commissioned in 2017, validated this need. “This project speaks to the idea of enhancing and fortifying our residential community and attending to not just our students, but also our faculty,” said Chief Advancement Officer Christine Cutright Knight, P ’19. Now, a multi-year renovation project will address the needs in 25 facilities on campus, including apartments, duplexes, and single-family residences. In all, 30 faculty members live in these homes and ultimately the School would like to be able to house more of its faculty on campus. Improving faculty housing will not only help with retention but will aid in recruiting top-tier faculty in the future. “Part of our competitive position is the talent that we have,” Knight said. “It is important to be able to attract talent and retain them for that quality of school and educational experience that we want to provide at Chatham Hall.” The current initiative will attend to the individual residences throughout campus. The School’s recently hired director of facilities will work with selected contractor, Blair Construction, and oversee the project. Managing around COVID-19 has required additional flexibility. Renovations were recently completed on the stable apartment and Brush House renovations got underway in the winter. Because the faculty housing is so varied—the original part of one home dates back to 1777, while two garden apartments were added to Holt academic building in 2004—the scope of the renovations on each will vary. “Every home has its own story,” Knight said. Some spaces require foundation work and upgrades to the plumbing and electrical systems. In addition to addressing deferred maintenance needs, the renovations will also include cosmetic improvements such as updating kitchens and bathrooms. The project’s lead donor is anonymous. “[She] really understands and appreciates the need to not only protect her investment, but to ensure that the School has resources available for ongoing care and maintenance,” Knight said. “So, ten percent of her gift and every gift for this effort will go towards an endowment fund to ensure that we are generating funds for ongoing care and maintenance.”
GIRLS’ Day 2021
Chinese medicine. Jiu jitsu. Mardi Gras. Saving the oceans. GIRLS’ Day 2021 had it all. A day devoted to students becoming the teachers, GIRLS’ Day is a unique opportunity for Chatham Hall community members to learn more about each other’s passions. “We ask students to fill out a proposal about what they might like to share, how they might like to share it, why it’s meaningful to them, and what they think the community will get out of it. It always starts with the girls,” said coordinator Kirsten Blaesing. In total, students offered 10 workshops and this year an alumna even joined the line-up with Imani Brooks ’16 speaking to the School on her involvement with Girl Up, a movement to advance girls’ skills, rights, and opportunities to be leaders, and founding the Chatham Hall Girl Up club. She also discussed the stepping stones of her life that have brought her to where she is now, and graciously answered questions from students, faculty, and staff. Maggie Gilluly ’23, a first-time GIRLS’ Day presenter, co-hosted “Beads and Bling: It’s a Mardi Gras Thing” allowing the community to learn about and experience a little of the Mardi Gras season. “I think GIRLS’ Day is so cool. I love having a chance to switch things up again so that students get to teach something, and faculty and staff get to learn something new. It’s a great thing the School offers,” she said. “I’m definitely learning presentation skills, including how to engage a crowd and how to get everyone excited and motivated for what I’m presenting. It’s super fun.” When members of the Tutu Turtles, Chatham Hall’s FIRST® Tech Challenge robotics team, learned that they would be competing in a purely intramural season this year, it would have been easy for them to feel discouraged. Instead, they opted to look at the valuable opportunities that had just become available. The team was divided into two sub-teams, the Bumble Botz and the Fireflies. This meant building two robots and having twice as many positions available to students. In this year’s “Ultimate Goal” game, robots were expected to move around the playing surface, collect rings, and be able to shoot them into goals of various heights. In order to complete all of these tasks, each team needed a programmer, a driver for the wheels of the robot, an operator for the shooting mechanism of the robot, a human player, a coach, and a scout. “This year we are not able to compete in person with other teams, but we had the opportunity to compete against each other,” explained Fireflies captain and four-year team member Quiana Rodriguez ’21. “It’s really interesting because we don’t feel rushed, so we’re able to guide the younger girls into learning about different positions on the team and get to know what they are passionate about. It’s really nice to be able to take this time to focus more on their individual skill sets.” While the Fireflies eventually won the Feb. 20 competition with a final record of 3-1-1, all members of the Tutu Turtles came away as winners. The team trophy acknowledged this year’s two intramural teams, but also the overarching Chatham Hall team.
Mission: Valentine
After hearing about Chaplain Barksdale’s mother’s tradition of making and delivering Valentine’s Day cards to her local community, members of the Spiritual Life League decided to put together their own project for the town of Chatham. “We wanted the Chatham community to feel special this Valentine’s Day during these troubling times,” said Caroline Keating ’24. “We know some people have not been able to see each other, and to get out very much. We wanted to make Valentine’s cards to deliver to them to make sure they felt loved.” More than 150 cards were made by the Chatham Hall community for Mission: Valentine. On Feb. 14, morning and afternoon groups of School volunteers spread out across town to hand-deliver Valentine’s Day cards to front doors. While students were unable to present the cards directly to local residents, knowing that they had delivered well wishes was enough.
OUT & ABOUT alumnae profiles
Throughout this year we highlighted a few of our alumnae contributing to a variety of communities, causes, and careers. Here are the stories of how just a few of them took their Chatham Hall education and used it as a firm foundation for personal success. Full stories can be found at www.chathamhall.org/alumnae.
Talmadge Ragan ’69
Always an avid reader, Talmadge Ragan ’69 moved from stage and screen to the audiobook scene in 2010 with the narration of her first audiobook, The Sign of the Salamander by Eugenia Miller, and won the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award. Since then, she has gone on to record more than 80 books and even has a professional recording studio in her home. “There is no typical day,” she says. “My schedule is my own depending on everything else I’m doing. People are intrigued with audiobooks and I enjoy doing them as an avid reader myself although there is a lot of work involved that people don’t realize. Besides reading the book and making character notes, I need to occasionally mark up the script to prep for the recording. That being said, getting a chance to read “Appreciate the school and every moment you have at Chatham! The girls you know now will be for fun before I go to sleep is a women who will always be delight I do nightly!” your friends, care about Ragan credits Chatham Hall with having a major influence you, and be there for you. There is a special bond, on her life and work. an understanding of each
other that comes from sharing such formative years together. Treasure that. I always do.”
S.Y. Mason-Watson ’76
Having earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology, a master’s degree in public affairs, and a juris doctor degree, it is safe to say that S.Y. “Sharyl” Mason-Watson ’76 is a woman of varied interests. With a career that has included resident advising, healthcare consulting, Senate staffing, presidential campaigning, and of course the law it seems there is nothing Mason-Watson can’t do. “Relish the time that you So how much of this came have to discover yourself, from her time at Chatham what you enjoy, what you Hall? want to build upon, what “Are you kidding? you want to take with you Notwithstanding all that out into the world,” she was already instilled in advised. “Don’t be afraid me by my parents and to speak up, cultivate your curiosities, find your voice and let it be heard. Take it with you when you leave and spread it out into the family - I had a strong sense of self, even at thirteen - how could I have accomplished all of the above without Chatham Hall’s influence? Strength, world.” courage, perseverance, self-awareness, selfconfidence, etcetera. My feminist flag was already flying high when I got to Chatham, but it flew even more resolutely after my experience at Chatham Hall.”
D’Metriss Bannerman Holmes ’95
Since graduating from Chatham Hall in 1995, D’Metriss
Bannerman Holmes has been busy. Very busy.
“After Chatham, I matriculated to Babson College, the number one entrepreneurial college in America for twenty-five consecutive years where I graduated with honors with a dual major in entrepreneurial studies and marketing alongside an “Harness the power and independent study minor in pride of attending an all- African American studies,” said girls school and allow it to Bannerman Holmes. propel you to be a woman “Upon my graduation from who contributes to the Babson, I worked in event world.” marketing for several years at an Omnicom subsidiary company,
GMR Marketing, which counted Microsoft, Mercedes
Benz, and Miller Brewing company as clients. Upon the
Internet bubble burst, I shifted careers and became a
New York City Public Schools teacher. I have now been teaching for more than seventeen years, primarily math for first through eighth grade. I earned my first master’s in elementary education from Mercy College and earned my second master’s in school building leadership from
Teachers College, Columbia University. In my time off, I often freelance using my writing, marketing, and event planning skills.”
Mia Vega Tovar ’06
When Mia Vega Tovar ’06 arrived at Chatham Hall it was one of her first times away from her family’s home in Texas. “There were many faculty members who supported and influenced me at Chatham Hall,” Tovar says. “My sister, Lorena, and I were far away from home for the first time ever and so many people helped us make Chatham Hall home. “Mrs. Muradi was always there with anything we needed. I “Chatham Hall gave me the skills to be a strong woman,” she says. “It remember going to her taught me that I was house and learning how capable of more and that to cook. Ms. Jackson all I needed to do was take helped us bridge home charge. It provided me to Chatham Hall with a safe space to be who I Spanish classes, and wanted to be and explore even created a Spanish literature class so that we could have a more advanced option. Dean Hughes was my advisor more possibilities. It gave me the confidence that I could do what I set myself to do. Being at Chatham senior year and he Hall really helped me definitely supported believe in myself.” me in making a college choice. He challenged me and guided me with thoughtful questions that made me really think about what I wanted to do after Chatham Hall.”
Taylor Nyberg Taliaferro ’06
“Chatham Hall made me the person I am today.” For Taylor Taliaferro ’06, this statement encompasses much: a degree in biology from the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), a career in sales and marketing, years spent in medical school culminating in May 2021 with a dual MD/ MBA degree from “La was my Advisor Dell Medical School and boy did we have and McCombs the best advisee group School of Business lunches and dinners! She at UT Austin, not to mention marriage and the birth of her son, Walker. Underlying all of always made our time together memorable and special, even helping me celebrate my birthday these achievements in the summer with a and milestones is the Funfetti birthday cake in firm foundation of the mail,” she said. “La Chatham Hall. ensured that I always “I married my felt supported and loved husband, Tim, in and, of course, reminded 2014 with seven of me to call home every my closest Chatham once in a while. She Hall girls next to embodies what I love so me,” said Taliaferro. much about Chatham: “Chatham gave me lifelong friendships that I cherish every acceptance and unconditional love.” day. It taught me to not be afraid to speak up against injustice and to seek higher purpose in my life. I learned how to be confident and pursue my dreams.”
Maddy Hicks Wiles ’10
When Maddy Hicks Wiles ’10 graduated from Chatham Hall, she indulged her love of travel with a gap year in the United Kingdom. Upon returning home, she turned to her other love, engineering, to create a path forward. She earned an associate degree in “Chatham Hall was such a engineering from Danville great learning experience Community College followed for me. It really instilled by a B.S. in mechanical a sense of self-worth engineering from Virginia and confidence that I Tech. Following her studies, don’t think I would’ve had otherwise. I felt more prepared for the world after graduation. I also she accepted a position as a hybrid calibration specialist with General Motors (GM) in Michigan. still maintain contact with many of my classmates and have lifelong friendships with them for which I am so thankful.” “My current project at GM is working on the propulsion system for the Hummer EV,” Wiles said. “My job is to calibrate the software that controls the electric motor and battery pack.”
