Kimball Union Magazine Spring/Summer 2022

Kimball Union

views

SPRING/SUMMER ����

Features

A Focus on Community Wellness

Tong Meltzer, the director of wellness and counseling services, speaks about mental health among teenagers.

“We’ve Laid the Groundwork”

Three faculty retire after a combined 83 years of service to the Academy.

MOLLY BOURNE STEFFEY ’92, P’20, ’22

KARLA RADKE P’21

GLENN POGUST, JD P’13

New London, NH

PETER SCHIEFFELIN ’96

DAVID ALLYN ’86, P’17, ’25

DAVID BARRETTE ’05 Hanover, NH

JENNIFER BORISLOW ’78, P’07, ’10 Methuen, MA

NEERAJ GARG P’25 New York, NY

ROBIN GRONLUND ’81, P’11 Shelburne, VT

VIVA HARDIGG P’21, ’23 Hanover, NH

EDWARD G. HILD, J.D., ’88 Washington, DC

DONALD LOWERY ’73 New York, NY

CLYDE NEVILLE P’20, ’22 Dracut, MA

SETH SHORTLIDGE P’15, ’22, ’25 Delray Beach, FL

JADI TAVERAS ’03 Haverhill, MA

STEPHEN TAYLOR Meriden, NH

CHRISTOPHER P. YOSHIDA ’96 New York, NY

Head of School

A Mix of Memories and Dreams

As campus quiets down in the days after our culminating events, and we rewind the year in our heads, there are so many moments of transition that made this a unique year for us on The Hilltop. As excavators, construction crews, and our own housekeeping and facilities staff set to work on improvements the summer months afford us the opportunity to catch up on, a quiet early morning walk through campus is filled with a mix of memories of our past year together and exciting dreams for the future.

Much of what we enjoyed this spring could simply be captured as the joy of returning to face-to-face engagement with one another. Our large-scale events returned to familiar locations, as our graduation ceremony was conducted on a hot, beautiful day in the quad and reunion weekend returned with big numbers after a two-year hiatus. As meaningful and welcome as those moments were for all involved, it is the everyday emergence from behind our masks and the ability to congregate in tight groups of friends throughout campus that allowed a tension to dissolve. Having parents and friends return to the sidelines and activities and students freely connect and socialize across their campus restored a healthy, familiar rhythm to the student experience and community life this year.

As you will read in this issue of Kimball Union, we benefited from a year of tremendous student leadership and a senior class that leaves a great legacy, as captured in the voice of Libby Kotei-Fearon ’22, one of our all-school co-presidents. In addition to our seniors, this is a year of transition for some

iconic members of our faculty. Flickinger’s stage and dance studio had 59 cumulative years of both individual and collaborative leadership from David Weidman and Kay McCabe, and Brian McMahon taught his final rocking chemistry lab in Fitch after a quarter century of service to KUA. Our board experienced transition as well, as Chris Burns ’83 stepped down as board chair following a period of record enrollment, fundraising, and fiscal stability for KUA.

Working with our remarkably passionate and engaged students, we see so many encouraging signs for the future. A walk through our seniors’ capstone projects this spring offers an encouraging commitment to the global issues of our times and gives us confidence students are armed with a sense of purpose and the integrity to make meaningful change. On campus, we remain grounded in our history, but are also looking to the future and building out plans to ensure KUA will thrive for generations. As we programmatically lean more deeply into our mission, we will spend the summer refining the programs and services that will enrich our students, including the Gosselin Center for Teaching and Learning, our STEM offerings, and a complete ninth-grade experience. Amid transitions, we also see and remain committed to our growth as an institution.

Have a wonderful summer, and we look forward to seeing you soon back at KUA. K

TYLER LEWIS Head of School

“Having students freely connect and socialize across their campus restored a healthy, familiar rhythm.”

HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY

Saying Goodbye

The community celebrates three long-serving faculty members—Kay McCabe H'22, David Weidman H'22, and Brian McMahon H'22—who retired this year.

MARC MAGGIORE ’14

“Kay McCabe: Through the countless dance and yoga classes and smiles on campus you were such an amazing teacher and person at KUA. Truly a blessing. I will never forget when I came to you stressed out about finals week and you took the time to lead me through a yoga session. Your kindness was unmatched. I am so happy to have met you and learned from you. Mr. Weidman, you always had a difficult job (at least when I attended) but you were always very fair, empathetic, and understanding. You always tried to see the best in students.”

BRETT SILLARI ’08

“Brian McMahon, you were one of the best coaches I’ve had! We won the rugby championship because of you and your leadership! Thank you!”

MORGAN EMANUELE ’18

“You are absolute legends and an integral part of my KUA experience and who I am today— from the rugby pitch to touring India with the theater crew.”

HINDI DURANT ’93

“Mr. Weidman was such a big part of my KUA theater experience. The school won’t be the same without you!”

ANDREW JONES ’21

“I cannot imagine being who I am today without all three of them. The passion, love, and dedication each had to their students is something that can never be replaced.”

REED BROZEN P’24

“I’m so glad that Isabel had you as teachers and support at least half of her years at KUA. You will be missed.”

JULIET BANFIELD ANNE TAYLOR ’08

“I will always be grateful for Mr. McMahon’s patience with my lack of chemistry skills, Mr. Weidman for making me a better performer, and Kay for her inspired choreography in all our musicals.”

ERICA HASEL STARK FORMER FACULTY

“Each time I go to a high school or community theater production, I always think of the amazing shows David Weidman directed. His talent was unparalleled, and he was an amazing colleague. I remember a particular dance piece Kay choreographed to Charlotte Perkin Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Another great talent retiring. Finally, Brian was an amazing teacher and all-around wonderful coach and supportive colleague. It was so nice to be part of such a welcoming and social group! I am thankful for the opportunity to work with all of you early in my career, and I wish you the best of luck as you head into retirement!”

GEORG FEICHTINGER H’02, P’89, ’96

“It has been a privilege to have shared the teaching at KUA with these fine teachers for many years. They certainly have been a mainstay for all faculties through the many years they have served diligently and with great integrity while I was there. I am in awe of how much they gave of themselves to this great school..”

XAVIER MANNING ’19

“Wow! All three were integral parts of my KUA experience. The campus definitely has some big shoes to fill in the theater and on the rugby field.”

“I cannot imagine being who I am today without all three of them. ”

—ANDREW JONES ’21

Hilltop

NEWS FROM CAMPUS

CLASSROOM

Sun Sines

The most frequently asked question in many high school math classes is, when will I use this in real life? Math teacher Natalie Lynd met this inquiry directly this year when she asked her geometry class to com plete a feasibility study for a solar panel array on the newly relocated Kimball Barn. The barn moved this fall from behind Rowe Hall to the lower playing fields, where it will serve as a welcome center and visitor team locker rooms.

Students determined the physical possibilities of whether and how the barn could support solar panels, then estimated how much energy those panels might generate from the roof of the barn. They met with Ter ry Donoghue P’18 ’21, an engineer from Norwich Solar Technologies who installed many of the solar panels currently on campus, for context around solar projects and advice on how to maximize panel productivity. “We went outside and used trigonometry to find the height of trees to see if they would shade the panels from the sun,” says Lulu Staiano ’25. “I think it’s so cool that we were able to help with that and apply math in real-life situations.”

At the close of the project, students presented their proposals to a panel including Donoghue, architect and Chief Operating Officer Hunter Ulf P’05 ’09, and Dean of Faculty Julie Haskell P’13. They found that not only was a solar array feasible on the barn roof, that roof is one of the most ideal locations for solar panels on campus. K

80,000

words read by Ms. Springhorn while evaluating 20 first drafts of The Merchant of Venice literary analysis papers for Honors Global Literature.

1Beaver moved into Chellis Pond

The Cullman Scholar distributed masks and hand sanitizer in her Ghana hometown.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Libby Kotei-Fearon ’22

Libby Kotei-Fearon ’22 is a student who knows all the people, does all the things, and will still pause to ask about your day or pick up stray dishes left on a table at Doe Dining Hall. Her smile is infectious and her en thusiasm for even the most mundane parts of school life is remarkable.

As a sophomore coming from an African nation, she arrived on The Hilltop and in small-town New Hampshire with skepticism and a healthy dose of culture shock. While her mother resided in the United States, Kotei-Fearon spent her early childhood growing up in Ghana’s capital of Accra. In Meriden, her zest for life and consideration for others instantly ingrained her into the community.

This year, she rounded out her time at Kimball Union as all-school co-president while balancing a heavy course load with STEM Scholars, Con cordians, Selects, the Winter Musical, softball, and serving as an international student proctor. In her leadership roles, she advocated for all students and worked to ensure the voices of students of color and female-identifying students were heard.

“The best part of my experience is seeing students come up to me, smile, and talk to me about how their day is going,” she says of her time at KUA. “A big smile on someone’s face means everything.”

Like her classmates, Kotei-Fearon found her high-school years impacted by COVID-19. But on a trip home to Ghana during winter break in 2020-21, she learned what others faced during the pandemic. “In Ghana, people were confident that COVID-19 was not real,” she says. “I decided to give back to my

community by educating people on the dangers of COVID-19 and how to keep themselves safe.”

Kotei-Fearon used her personal savings to buy masks and hand sanitizer and distributed them to her community and local public schools. “I was here at KUA not worrying about food or masks or toiletries. I had everything I needed. I wanted to focus on the needs of those who needed help—that is the community that raised me.”

Determined to continue helping others, she returned to school and applied for a Cullman Scholarship. In the summer of 2021, she embarked on her Cullman Scholar program, pairing work in a “Foundations of Neuroscience” class through the Harvard University Summer School with research in epilepsy at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

“During quarantine I realized I could’ve basically died, and there were so many things I could’ve done but didn’t get the chance to,” she says. “So I just put myself out there and tried all those things. I do not want to sit on my couch 80 years later and say, ‘I wish I had done something.’ I have yet to have a moment where I wish I had done something more.”

Kotei-Fearon heads to Connecticut College in the fall with hopes of eventually becoming a pediatrician—a goal she’s nurtured since childhood. “I love kids and think doctors are cool,” she says. “On a more advanced level of thinking, I can see how kids back home in Ghana are treated. Kids are told they need to follow the advice of an elderly person and that their opinion doesn’t matter. I want kids to know they’re appreciated

loved.”

and they’re

K

“The best part of my experience is seeing students come up to me, smile, and talk to me about how their day is going.”

—LIBBY KOTEI-FEARON ’22

Hilltop

VISUAL LEARNING

COLLABORATION

Teaching with Art

Faculty tap into museum’s expertise on indigenous art and culture

Kimball Union’s faculty con stantly endeavor to bring more informed teaching methodol ogies to The Hilltop, and in this process, they often find a great resource in nearby Dartmouth College.

Jenny Blue P’24, ’26, English teacher and Dart mouth alumna, and Deb Springhorn P’17, history and English teacher, regularly participate in workshops provided by the college’s Hood Museum of Art that empower them to use the museum’s extensive Indigenous art collection as a catalyst for conversation in the classroom.

Last fall, Blue and Springhorn participated in a workshop called “Teaching with Indigenous Art and Culture,” which was shaped specifically with Upper Valley high school teachers in mind.

“The workshop incorporated visual art, poetry, and Indigenous speakers, including one of the curators, who is an Indigenous person,” says Blue. “The final project was to develop an application of the work to be used in our own classrooms. I had the Hood’s teaching specialist Vivian Ladd come in for a digital field trip that dovetailed with what the class was reading at the time, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexy.”

Following the workshop, Blue challenged her students to sharpen their critical thinking skills in discussions and writing assignments connected to Indigenous sculptures from the Hood Museum collection. She found their responses to this style of teaching to be both invigorating and inspiring.

The museum’s workshop resonated with Springhorn as well.

“Vivian and the staff at the Hood Museum are amazing at teaching non-arts experts how to teach with art,” explains Springhorn. “The Indigenous art workshop took it to the next level, using art to force us to scrutinize our own biases and ways of communicating. In the past I would focus on the injustice, violence, racism, and Eurocentricity of colo nialism in literature and history, but I have come to see that this still centers the Europe an actions instead of centering the voices of those bearing the brunt of the oppression.”

Blue plans to pursue future workshops with the Hood Museum and is grateful to have access to such a tremendous resource. “The museum is eager for a relationship with KUA, and we’re eager for a relationship with them” she says. “Most especially, the students being able to access this museum is a big deal.” K

KUA faculty use the extensive Indigenous art collection at the Hood Museum at Dartmouth College as a catalyst for conversation in the classroom.

TOP LEFT: HOOD MUSEUM OF ART, DARTMOUTH: BEQUEST OF FRANK C. AND CLARA G. CHURCHILL; TOP RIGHT: HOOD MUSEUM OF ART, DARTMOUTH: GIFT OF GLOVER STREET HASTINGS III

CLASSROOM Mastering the Art of Teaching

Kimball Union and seven other independent schools are partnering with the Dartmouth College Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) program on a pilot project designed to recruit promising candidates from underrepresented populations and help them prepare for successful high school teaching careers.

Students in the Dartmouth Fellowship for Aspiring Educators program will join the faculties of the participating schools while enrolling in MALS full-time for at least three summer terms, earning their master’s degrees from Dartmouth’s Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.

KUA joins Dublin School, Cardigan Mountain School, Hold erness School, Kents Hill School, New Hampton School, Proctor Academy, and Vermont Academy in the consortium.

“Our hope is that between these Lakes Region schools, the new faculty in the MALS program find a supportive cohort as well as achieve a world-class Ivy League master’s education,” says Dean of Faculty Julie Haskell. “For KUA, it brings new voices and perspectives into our community and strengthens our student experience.” K

30,000

New honeybees joined the KUA hive

48

Oak pegs used to hold the sugarhouse together

229

Students participate on a varsity team

OBJECT LESSON

A Homespun Journey

Every so often, Archivist Anna Olson receives correspondence from someone out in the world who stumbled across a fascinating piece of Kimball Union memorabilia. In September of 2020, Kenneth Thompson was cleaning out his attic in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, when he discovered a steamer trunk of family keepsakes. Included inside was a piece of linen fabric with a note handwritten by his grandmother: “Hand-woven sheet. Made by Madame Kimball—of Kimball Academy Meriden—New Hampshire. Friend of Wingate Family.” Madame Hannah Kimball helped found Kimball Union along with her husband, Daniel, in 1813. Benjamin Wingate, Thompson’s greatgreat-grandfather, lived in Meriden in the 1850s, when he operated a general store. His three children—Charles, Albert, and Emily— attended Kimball Union until the family relocated to Rockford, Illinois, in 1855.

Along with the linen, Thompson sent a Kimball Union flyer from 1892 and a postcard of Rowe Hall with a note that the building sat across the street from Wingate’s store. Today, after making the journey back to Meriden, the items safely reside in the Kimball Union Archives. K

“The MALS program brings new voices and perspectives into our community and strengthens our student experience.”

—DEAN OF FACULTY JULIE HASKELL

Hilltop

NEWS FROM CAMPUS

TRUSTEES Christopher Burns ’83

Chair of the Board Chris Burns has stepped off the Kimball Union Board of Trustees after 10 years of service. He served as Chair for three and a half years, helping lead the Academy through a critical time in its history.

“Chris’ legacy includes onboarding a new head of school, navigating through our shared global pandemic, stepping off the board with the school in the strongest financial and enrollment position in our history, and always being at the center of good fun for the board and the community more broadly,” said Head of School Tyler Lewis.

Burns found his way to KUA as a student after attending a large public high school where he felt “lost in the shuffle.” During his time on The Hilltop, he played football and lacrosse and participat ed in wresting and recreational skiing. He says his decision to join the board came after reflecting on “things that were meaningful in your life, changed you, and set you on the right direction.”

“Chris’ love, support, and leadership was always grounded in his own extremely positive experience as a student, his parallel perspective of helping his own children navigate their teenage years, and a deep understanding of sound and responsible fiscal management,” says Lewis.

Burns said he’s proud of how the school has managed COVID-19 with a robust on-campus experience, created a roadmap to implement a strong sense of belonging for the community, and profes sionalized the external offices to ensure the school is full – and full of mission-appropriate students.

“Every kid should feel safe and that’s a big thing I always pushed in my time here,” said Burns. “Keep the kids in focus and you can’t go wrong. Everyone needs to care. Bringing in the right kids and making them feel safe and comfort able will help them learn better and help them be more complete humans.”

Burns is succeeded by Molly Bourne Steffey ’96 P’20, ’22 who became Chair at the April meeting of the Board of Trustees.

“It was a very meaningful experience for me for sure,” said Burns. “I also feel like it was the right time and place for me and now it’s at a place where someone with a different skill set can move the next steps forward. I feel good about where the school is.” K

A PASSION FOR POWDER

Burke Ryder ’23 joined Team USA alpine skier Andrew Kurka in Colorado’s Winter Park in December 2021 to film a commercial for the launch of Toyota’s first-ever sit-ski designed for use by U.S. Paralympics Alpine Skiing in Beijing, China. Ryder, a single amputee, was an active skier, biker, and climber until a diagnosis of osteosarcoma. He took up sit-skiing to continue his love of the sport and spent a day with Kurka, who’s working with Toyota to inspire the next generation of sit-ski athletes.

College Destinations

The Class of 2022

Student-athletes will play junior hockey

Student will take a post-graduate year

1Adelphi University

Amherst College

Pennsylvania State University *

Pomona College

Student entering the workforce

1

Student completing a gap year in Sweden

Assumption University * Bates College * Bentley University * Boston University

Brandeis University * Brown University

Bucknell University

Carnegie Mellon University

Chapman University Clarkson University Colby-Sawyer College College of Charleston Colorado College

Concordia University (Montreal)

Connecticut College Elon University *

Prairie View A&M University

Purdue University (Main Campus) *

Queen’s University

Rhode Island College

Rochester Institute of Technology * San Jose State University

Savannah College of Art and Design

St. Lawrence University * Stetson University

Stonehill College

Syracuse University * The Ohio State University

The University of Alabama

1Student entering military service in South Korea

Emory University

Endicott College Florida Atlantic University Fordham University

Franklin & Marshall College George Washington University * Goucher College

The University of Texas at Austin Tufts University Tulane University Union College University of Arizona University of California (Irvine) University of California (Los Angeles)

Students are enrolling at a college where a KUA student has not enrolled from the five most recent classes.

Harvey Mudd College Indiana University (Bloomington)

Lafayette College Le Moyne College

Lehigh University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Merrimack College * Miami University (Oxford)

Michigan State University

Middlebury College *

Montana State University

Nazareth College * Northeastern University *

Occidental College Oklahoma State University

University of California (Santa Barbara)

University of Denver University of Massachusetts * University of Minnesota (Twin Cities)

University of New Hampshire * University of Redlands University of Richmond University of San Francisco

University of Southern California * University of Vermont *

University of Washington

Utah State University

Wellesley College

Westminster School

Worcester Polytechnic Institute *

“Every kid should feel safe and that's a big thing I always pushed in my time here.”

Hilltop

CAMPUS LIFE Future Pursuits

Members of the Class of 2022 take diverse paths as they depart The Hilltop.

1. Adeon Muyskens moves on from Pope Field to study entrepreneurship and play soccer at Franklin & Marshall College.

2. With a camera always in his hand, Alastair Man plans to study film at Occidental College.

3. A regular on Flickinger stage, Kathleen Parkhurst will continue her love of dance at Adelphi University.

4. Silas Nowlan plans to take a gap year in his mother’s home country of Sweden.

5. Basketball player Olivertt Okoh heads to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she hopes to help other athletes by studying kinesiology.

6 Lucie Turcotte aims to study sports management and play hockey as part of the inaugural women’s hockey program at Stonehill College.

7. Khang “Kevin” Tran will study jazz when he heads west to attend San Jose State University.

1

“I’m excited to go to Sweden to experience the culture with my family. After settling in, I plan to go to university in the beautiful country I soon will call home.” —SILAS

Hilltop

COMMENCEMENT

A Huge Life Milestone

For the first time since 2019, Kimball Union was able to return to a Commencement Ceremony that had all the pomp and circumstance of a pre-COVID event. On May 22, 120 graduates in the Class of 2022 donned robes and mortar boards and processed onto the Quad before friends, family, faculty, and alumni to mark their time and contributions on The Hilltop.

“We gather here today with the humility to know that this day, this moment in time, is meaningful as a moment to honor and acknowledge that—from the height of euphoria to the depth of the struggles you’ve embraced—you are achieving a huge life milestone,” Head of School Tyler Lewis told graduates on an unseasonably warm morning.

COVID-19 curtailed an entire spring for the Class of 2020, which celebrated its graduation over Zoom. Last year’s ceremony, while held in person, took place on Pope Field to allow for room for distancing.

Co-valedictorians David Cutler ’22, who spoke at Commencement, and Helena Heckman ’22, who addressed graduates at Baccalaureate, each touched upon the impor tance of not only accepting but also embracing change.

“We must seek to embrace the uncertainty ahead of us and live not to fear it,” said Cutler, who plans to attend Tufts University in the fall. “We, of course, are not only our own futures but also the collective future of all humanity. There is no group on this planet that I know that will see this done better.”

Heckman, who will attend the University of Southern California next year, said, “We are not so much a part of Kimball Union as it is a part of us. There will be many classes after us just as there have been many before. As we move forward with our lives, I hope you find a place like KUA: a place where you belong, a place where you can grow, and a place where you become alive.”

Honorary degrees were bestowed on this year’s three retiring faculty members—Physics Teacher Brian McMahon, Dance Teacher Kay McCabe, and Director of Theater David Weidman. With a combined 83 years of service, they were recognized for all their remarkable contributions to KUA.

Weidman, who served as this year’s Commencement speaker, offered graduates 32 lessons from his 32 years working in high school—from trying something new, to respecting everyone and celebrating difference, to owning mistakes.

“I can relate to all those feelings,” he said, acknowledg ing the mixed emotions of the Class of 2022, “because after 32 years on The Hilltop, helping eight full generations of KUA students walk across this stage, I am also graduating from Kimball Union this year.” K

“We gather here today to honor and acknowledge that you are achieving a huge life milestone.”

—HEAD OF SCHOOL TYLER LEWIS

“We

it.”

—DAVID

Hilltop

SPORTS

A Different Ballgame

Softball team brings joy to the field in 10-5 season.

If softball coach Matt Underhill had to pick one word to describe how this year’s team approached each game, it would be “joy.”

When Underhill, who also teaches English, took on the coaching position a few years ago, the team had no travel or club players and no athletes who aspired to play after high school; they went 1 in 14 that season.

“If this team was going to work, we needed to get a solid pitcher,” says Underhill. “I worked with admissions, hit the road, and met with as many potential players and parents as I could.” Eventually, he recruited a talented pitcher whom he credits with getting the team on its feet. Underhill suspects that pitcher, Lulu Leppard ’24, may be the best batter in New Hampshire.

Now, when the Wildcats take the field it’s a whole different ballgame—but this is still New England, and the weather thinks for itself. During the six-week softball season, there are times when games are rescheduled and suddenly the girls are playing four out of five days of the week. All this happens alongside strength training sessions, practice, and time spent analyzing game videos. These girls just don’t quit.

ON PAR

Teegan Duffy ’24 was the first KUA golfer to compete in the Pippy O’Connor Independent School Girls Golf Championship. Duffy, a three-sport varsity athlete, finished 21 out of 61 golfers, earning an honorable mention from the event organizers.

“I was surprised that even when playing softball for two hours or more every day, it never gets boring or repetitive,” explains Leppard. “The team provides an energy that makes you want to work hard and improve. I have learned that it is okay to have an off day, and there is always someone there to support you. There is no team on campus like the softball team.”

The game against Proctor Academy this past season was one of the biggest highlights of the season.

“It was a weird game and we didn’t play well at first, but we tied going into the final inning,” explains Underhill. “Lulu hit a home run and we won the game. The absolute joy was just fantastic to see. This is a group that rises to the occasion, and with the players we’re bringing in next year, we’re in a great spot.” K

TOP NHL PROSPECT

Adam Fantilli ’21 was selected in April to repre sent Canada in the 2022 International Ice Hockey Federation U18 World Championship in Germany. Fantilli plays with the Chi cago Steel and in August committed to the University of Michigan. He’s consid ered one of the top 2023 NHL draft prospects.

SIGNING INTENT Defenseman Jordan Harris ’18 signed a two-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens after captaining the Northeastern University Huskies in his senior season. Harris scored his first NHL goal on April 29 in a win over the Florida Panthers.

SELECTED Bleyton Hopps-Thompson ’25 was selected to play for the Iroquois National U15 Development Team in the Heritage Cup, an event held for U.S. lacrosse players to promote international competition. The team is composed of Native players who compete in international lacrosse competitions as a nation.

“The team provides an energy that makes you want to work hard and improve.”

LULU LEPPARD

BIG LEAGUE

Coach Underhill led his team to a record 10 wins this season.

HOME COURT Abby Kelly ’15 will return to her alma mater of Bowdoin College, where she was named assistant coach of the women’s basketball team. Kelly is one of the most decorated players in the Polar Bears' history.

BE WELL Director of Sports Medicine Bob Hyjek P'20 '20 says good bye after 25 years on The Hilltop.

Hilltop

THE ARTS

ARTS NEWS FROM CAMPUS

Tapping Into Tradition

Students learn the sweet rewards of timber framing.

Sometimes the best way to understand a proverb is to put it into practice. The expression “Many hands make light work” took on new meaning when the woodworking class undertook the building of Kimball Union Academy’s new sugarhouse, located behind Flickinger Auditorium with easy access to KUA’s maple trees.

Students, taught by Darrell Beaupré ’86, worked together to carry dozens of hemlock beams into a makeshift work shop on Akerstrom Arena’s dormant hockey rink. With more than a dozen people shouldering the weight of the hemlock beams, they were able to make quick work of the task.

In the first timber-framing course offered at KUA, students dedicated several months to practicing the art of erecting a building without a single metal nail. Traditional timber framing utilizes carpentry practices brought to the United States by colonists and relies on a self-supporting network of timbers inserted into one another.

“I wanted to know how timber fram ing worked, how the wood locks together without nails or screws,” says Leo Barta ’25. “It’s a complex process and all of the measurements and cuts have to be precise for the building to fit together.”

Once the lumber was sourced from nearby Hartford, Vermont, and arranged on the floor like an oversized Jenga set, Beaupré introduced the class

to the architectural plans and tradition al tools used in New England timber framing for centuries. One lesson they quickly learned was that once wood has been carved or drilled away, it can’t be replaced.

Beaupré honed his instructions based on students’ individual response to the task. While some students embraced structural work and easily envisioned the steps ahead of time, oth ers questioned each step of the process. Regardless of approach, each student gained new appreciation for the adage, “measure twice, cut once.”

“Seniors are leaving a legacy behind through this project,” he notes, “And first-year students are excited they’ll have it for the next three years.”

“I’m glad to be able to leave a phys ical mark on this school,” says Aidan Davie ’22. “I’ve enjoyed being a part of something that will entertain kids for years to come, while also helping the school become more sustainable.”

The 14-by-16-foot sugarhouse, which will house the Academy’s evapo rator, was erected on time in mid-May with the help of many students, faculty, and friends who came out to support the project. In the coming years, plans for two additions—a cider room and a wing for firewood—are on Beaupré’s mind, but for now, everyone is looking forward to an exceptionally sweet sugaring season in 2023. K

46People danced in the Spring Concert, a KUA record

AWARD WINNING Alice Pan ’23 won a silver medal at the national level in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for her oil painting Human or Trash?

THE SOUND OF MUSIC Music teacher Demitrios Papadopoulos was named conductor of the South Royalton (Vermont) Town Band. Outside of KUA, Papadopoulos plays with numerous community bands and the Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble.

ON DISPLAY

ON TOPIC Shannon Moran ’22 completed a painting in her AP Art course that explored nature’s relationship to man in a post-apocalyptic world.

THE RISING Students worked together to erect a new sugarhouse.

“I’m glad to be able to leave a physical mark on this school.” —AIDAN DAVIE ’22

Kate Gao ’22 and Briana Angelli ’22 received the KUA Permanent Collections Award this year. Gao’s oil painting of a self-portrait and Angelli’s pieces were selected by the all-school co-presidents and the head of school and will remain on display in the KUA collection.

A Focus on Community Wellness

Tong Meltzer, M.S.W., joined the Kimball Union community in 2020, having worked at the Dartmouth College student wellness and counseling centers for four years and the Mountain Valley Treatment Center in nearby Plainfield. A native of China, where her family still resides, Meltzer first came to the United States as an international col lege student. She lives off-campus with her husband, Dustin Meltzer ’05, associate director of marketing and communications at KUA.

Tell me about your role at KUA. I see my role as two different yet connected parts. One part is to focus on overall community wellness in a proactive way. The other is providing counseling services on a day-to-day basis. I meet with students and parents and work with outside support systems. If students need a higher level of care, I’ll provide case management with their providers. I also coordinate with dorm parents, advisors, and coaches when a student needs extra support.

How do you proactively work on mental health? I work closely with the Student Life Office to map out the year and determine the areas where we need more awareness of topics critical to our student community. One area we’re focusing on right now is the ninth grade. We’re launching a new program for those students, and as part of that we’re using an online educational program that will offer well-being basics before kids even set foot on campus. We tested this with our current ninth-graders to see if it would be helpful and got tremendous feedback that helped us understand the topics that felt most relevant to them. In addition to offering an intro to mental health and common diagnoses, students will learn about topics such as coping skills, how and where to ask for help, and to how to help friends.

How receptive are students to discussing mental health? Students’ openness and willingness to discuss mental health falls on a spectrum. Some prefer to keep everything to themselves, and others are very open and vulnerable about their experience and want to help debunk the stigma around mental health and initiate conversations with their peers. A small group of students are trying to bring a chapter of Bring Change to Mind, a national nonprofit that encour-

ages dialogue about mental health, to KUA. Some students have personally gone through a lot and don’t want others to feel alone on their own journey. They’re trying to be that someone they needed.

What issues are you seeing the most when it comes to teenagers and mental health?

The two major things I see among teenagers are anxiety and depression. These are the most common mental-health diagnoses anywhere, and it’s the same for our students. We’ve seen increas ing numbers of kids who are having panic attacks or experiencing symptoms of depression but don’t understand what is happening to them or why they feel that way. We’re also working with kids who struggled at schools where they were relying on Zoom during COVID and are sorting through challenges with their social environment, such as how to make meaningful connections with others. We also see a lot of common high school issues as students try to figure out who they are, who their people are, and how they can feel accepted and liked. Teenagers are always sorting through a lot of interpersonal dynamics and experiencing different developmental stages.

Are there other impacts you’re seeing due to COVID-19? I’ve been seeing a lot of kids coping with family deaths through the pandemic, and everyone has different ways of dealing with grief. Grief is not the classic five stages. It’s a messy process and our kids deal with grief in various ways and at their own pace. I always let them know I’m a resource when they’re ready to talk about it. The whole world and the country are going through some collective trauma and grief, and we can’t expect teenagers to just “figure it out.” That has a huge impact on their view of themselves and their relationships with others. I’m also seeing kids “languishing”—a term coined by sociologist Corey Keyes during the pandemic, which is defined as “apathy, a sense of restlessness or feeling unsettled, or an overall lack of interest in life or the things that typically bring you joy.” A good number of students are expressing the feeling of just being exhausted all the time and having little motivation to fulfill their daily tasks.

How do you work with faculty, coaches, and other adults to support kids who are in the Academy’s care 24/7?

Tong Meltzer, the director of wellness and counseling services, speaks about mental health among teenagers.

The nature of our work in boarding school is that we have built-in skills of knowing how to talk to kids in a relatable way. Many adults are really invested in students’ lives beyond just the class room interactions. They take time to know the students as unique individuals and care about their well-being just as much as their academic performance. We have a group of faculty from different areas of campus who meet weekly to identify students in need of support. We will also bring in other experts. For instance, we worked closely with a nationally recognized psychotherapist who specializes in working with anxious children and their parents. We all walked away with lots of new tools in our toolbox. Our faculty know they can direct kids to me and often I will give them a heads-up if a kid is dealing with challenges or needs a little extra TLC.

Is there advice you’d give to parents on how they can support their children’s social and emotional health?

The first step is to keep communication open and honest. Having a collaborative relationship with a teen is important. They appreciate being valued and they like to have their own agency. Trust feels good to them. Build an alliance with them so it feels good for them and for the family. It’s also important that as adults and parents we model the things we want our kids to do. When we’re exhausted and burned out, we can be impatient and may not be at our best. We’re all human and have our strengths and weaknesses, but be mindful of how you take care of yourself before you take care of kids. When you’re feeling off the first step is to go back to the basics: Are you sleeping? When was the last time you had a nutritious meal? Are you drinking water? Fill your cup before you fill others.

What if a kid is sleeping and hydrated but something is still wrong?

Don’t be afraid to seek professional support. Sometimes information coming from a different person trained to work on these issues can help them and help you. Remember that your perception of seeking professional health will help them and their willingness to receive help. That alliance is important. Make a practice of checking in and communicating that it’s okay not to be okay sometimes. K

“The nature of our work in boarding school is that we have built-in skills of knowing how to talk to kids in a relatable way.”

TONG MELTZER Director of Wellness and Counseling Services

“WE’VE

THE STAGE IS SET “KUA is in such a terrific trajectory going forward,” says dance teacher Kay McCabe.

At right: Brian McMahon and David Weidman

LAID THE GROUNDWORK”

Three faculty retire after a combined 83 years of service to the Academy.

fter dancing with a modern dance company in New York City, Kay McCabe came to KUA in 1996 to teach dance, growing the program steadily through the years. One of her more notable achievements has been bringing students of all ability levels and areas of interest to the studio and the stage. “One thing I firmly believed then and I believe now is that dance is for every one. Dancing is joyous and everybody is meant to move,” she says.

McCabe often collaborated on the stage for the Winter Musical with colleague David Weidman, who arrived at KUA in 1990 as the director of theater. He has served many roles during his time on The Hilltop, turning nearly every task into a “Weidman Produc tion.” Throughout his tenure he also served as academic dean, dean of faculty, assistant head of school for academic af fairs, assistant head of school, and most recently, director of strategic initiatives. He has built many KUA memories with his husband, Assistant Head of School Tom Kardel.

Chemistry teacher Brian McMahon also departs this year, after first stepping foot on campus in 1998. McMahon’s love of the sciences is matched by his passion for football and rugby. He lived and played rugby in England and Turkey before putting down roots in Meriden. He is a notable presence, often riding around campus on his orange bike in a well-loved KUA Athletics jacket with his trusty pup Celty close behind.

McCabe, Weidman, and McMahon look back on their time at Kimball Union and talk about what lies ahead— for them and for KUA.

What did you enjoy most during your time at KUA?

MCMAHON: I think in terms of the classroom what I enjoyed the most is having been blessed with students who came in and wanted to push themselves. I was lab-oriented, and we spent a lot of time doing experiments. Honors and AP classes were a good challenge for me and for them. I worked to deliver a program

where chemistry made sense. One of my goals was to make sure that the study of the sciences at the next level was an option for all kids, at whatever level they were currently at.

WEIDMAN: I have loved my colleagues and I have loved the spirit of being all-in. I am a real passionate person and I love to work hard. When I’m in, I’m in. I love the rural environment and I love the seasons and the school and the setting. I love the Flickinger Arts Center, and the collaboration that happens—particularly in the musical—is beyond compare. I love the students who do it all. I was privileged to work with a lot of really smart kids, and I also love working with kids who discover the theater by accident.

What are you most proud of?

MCCABE: I’m really proud of the Arts

“I LOVE THE FLICKINGER ARTS CENTER, AND THE COLLABORATION THAT HAPPENS— PARTICULARLY IN THE MUSICAL —IS BEYOND COMPARE.”

—DAVID WEIDMAN

Scholar program I did with Julie Haskell. It’s a fantastic program and it’s great to see kids dive in deeply. It lets them feel that sense of agency and accomplishment with their capstone project. To find your voice and learn how to use your voice is a great ability to have before you go to college.

WEIDMAN: I had many memorable moments. One of the most moving and important works we did was on The Laramie Project, which was about the murder of Matthew Shepard. It was a

play that was written on site.

MCMAHON: When I think back to teaching there are always moments in the classroom you flash back to, usually in the lab. Those moments when a small group is working through a problem and students are arriving at the answer are so cool. When I think of football, some of my finest memories come from Carver Field. We had been on a losing streak for six or more years in a row to Vermont Academy and in my first year as coach we finally beat them. You usually asso-

ciate memories with championships, but some of the best moments may have even been losses. It was just how the players show up and play out of their minds. And rugby, just the fact that we were starting up the program was magic. When I was playing in England before KUA, we would fly to Paris or Cairo on the weekends for a rugby tournament. Here we’re driving three hours to Connecticut, and it’s just as good because it’s always about the game.

ALL-IN SPIRIT Weidman says “the collaboration is beyond compare.”

What will you miss most?

MCMAHON: My previous record working was four years at one school. I was uncomfortable with connections. Without realizing it, I developed so many connections here. I suffered a lot of loss and had medical issues of my own and it’s amazing how people come out to help you. Sometimes you don’t realize how great that is. I just found a note from a student in a box I was packing, and it was so uplifting because when you hear some of their comments it just makes you feel really good. The ones who had bad things to say just kept it to themselves!

MCCABE: I’m going to really miss walking down that hallway of Flickinger—that sense of busyness and purpose that happens there. It will be strange not to do that. You spend so much time working with your body – the sensation of your feet on the floor or the stage. There’s this whole process you do every time. I always owned shoes I could take on and off as I moved between the dance studio, the hallway, and the stage.

David, Flickinger Arts Center has also been more than a building to you, hasn’t it?

WEIDMAN: Yes, I went into the theater and had a little quiet moment to honor the space for what it was for 32 years. I laid my hands on the floorboards. For an actor and a performer, the floor is important because it’s stable and secure, and when you’re nervous, you can rely on it. They’re replacing the floor this summer, and so I put my hands on the stage floor and said thank you for all the memories and the changed lives that floor had experienced.

Brian, you’re known for starting your classes with music. How do you decide what to play?

MCMAHON: It’s just what comes to me, although I always started the first day of class with “Fluorescent Adolescent” by the Arctic Monkeys. Back in the day I would play CDs on a boombox in the fitness center or the classroom. Then I moved onto Sirius and today I can play videos on the Smartboards.

How has this campus and this community changed during your tenure?

MCCABE: It has changed tremendously since I’ve been here. The spirit on cam-

pus is greater than it used to be. There’s a sense of positivity. Kids want to be here. The academic program is much stronger and the whole social-emotional health of students has changed. The idea of leadership has also changed in a positive way. Kids have in the forefront of their minds how to take chances and have agency and take care of one another.

MCMAHON: When I was coaching football, the practice field was a roughly 60-yard field with a portable goalpost and pine trees cutting through it. It’s amazing when I look down there now and how much athletics has changed. The fields with turf and lights are one of the most sweeping changes. There’s something about playing a game under the lights.

WEIDMAN: It has changed a lot. I was telling one of the finest actors I’ve

“THE

—KAY MCCABE

ever worked with about how the KUA student experience has changed. They’re more worldly and cosmopolitan. They’re ethical and care a whole lot about one another.

Do you have a wish for KUA as you depart?

MCCABE: I really just want the art department to bust out of the halls of Flickinger and see more kids do more art. I want art to be in everyone’s life. Even the hockey player needs art. I certainly hope for the school to continue to be more diverse. Kids are getting to be more accepting of difference, and I want that to grow as well. I feel KUA is in such a terrific trajectory going forward. There’s a lot of excitement about what’s going on and the faculty feel it. You strike the stage after the show, and you leave it with so much potential. I feel we’re leaving it that way—we’ve laid the

groundwork for the next people and what they’re going to bring to the kids.

WEIDMAN: I feel we’ve had the strongest team we’ve ever had. The school is in good hands, and I feel confident. I’m not worried about the school and its success. All these things we’ve been yearning for are coming to fruition. I want the strategic plan to fly. I want the arts to continue to be a risk-free environment where kids can experiment and participate. I would like the importance of the arts and theater in the central life of the students and community.

So, what’s your next act?

WEIDMAN: I’m a very type A personality, and I told myself I was not going to be type A in retirement. I’ve been procrastinating important decisions about what I’m going to spend my time doing. I will be visiting my family during the start of

school. It would be hard to be here for the start of school. I’ll also return to India, where I’m fluent in Bengali but can’t read and write it. I’m going to finally learn it.

MCMAHON: I’m moving to Massachu setts, and I’ll take the summer to rethink things. The summer before I got here, I wrote a short story and part of me wants to go back and edit that story I wrote years ago. Back in the day I was in Cyprus, and I told myself, when I stop working I’m going to move to the coast of Cyprus. I might go visit and travel more.

MCCABE: You grow into the job, and you make it larger and larger. It’s exciting to think about it as a new baby. My own life is like that, too—I have to transition into what that new baby is. Right now, it’s really in utero.

I want to spend more time taking pictures. I’m also looking forward to seeing where that goes. My husband and I own a piece of property with my son. He has a farm and there’s 200 acres to be managed. There’s so much potential for for us and our lives. K

ON THE LINE

McMahon says some of his finest memories come from Carver Field. (second from right)

CREATE YOUR KUA LEGACY

Join the Daniel and Hannah Kimball Society, a group of forward-thinking individuals who support Kimball Union by combining charitable giving goals with estate and financial planning goals. Planned gifts are an inspiring way to support the Academy in the future while providing for your own and your family’s financial security at the same time.

“

I HAVE WATCHED KUA GROW AS AN INSTITUTION FOR THE LAST 50+ YEARS. NANCY AND I ARE IMPRESSED WITH THE ACADEMY’S LEADERSHIP AND LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING SECURE ITS BRIGHT FUTURE.

”

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PLANNED GIVING CONTACT BROOKE HERNDON AT BHERNDON@KUA.ORG OR 603-469-2129.

—DAVID POND ’64 DANIEL AND HANNAH KIMBALL SOCIETY MEMBER

COMING HOME

Reuniting never felt so good. After a two-year pause on in-person Reunions, alumni returned to The Hilltop to reconnect with one another and the Academy. More than 160 alumni, their families, and the campus community came together to celebrate shared moments from the past and create new memories. Alumni—from as near as Meriden and as far as Europe—gathered to catch up with one another and learn more about KUA today.

Save the Date Reunions 2023: June 9-11, 2023.

Alumni from all classes are welcome to attend, with special celebrations taking place for classes ending in 3 and 8.

NEWS FROM ALUMNI

Middle Left: Tony Brockelman ‘53, Ted Johnson ‘52, Scott Philbrook ‘59, Jeff Cutts ‘73, Head of School Tyler Lewis, and Woodie Haskins ‘69 gather for lunch in Florida, 2022.

Bottom Left: Georg Feichtinger H’02, P’89, ‘96 with Cory Tusler ’74,the men’s winner from the 2022 Fei Cup

Bottom Right: From the Class of 2017: Tianjin Luo, Ogulcan Gorulu, Esme Juros, Zülal Özyer, Emu Haynes

Top: The Classes of 1981 and 1982 gather outside the Barrette Campus Center at Reunion 2022.

Bottom Left: Brittany Kainen ’17 and Caitlin Doyle ‘17 reconnect at Reunion..

Middle Left: Former faculty Chris Bossie and John Farnsworth with Bossie’s daughter Taga at Reunion.

Near Left Top: Cynthia Howe H’20 P’06, ‘14 and Ogulcan Gorgulu ’17

Near Left Bottom: Rob Ludin ’81 and Joe Thibert ‘81, P’17

“KUA friendships truly do last lifetimes, and I hope you can keep in touch with your favorites!”

—MELISSA LONGACRE ’89

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Shooting High

Coach Nadine Muzerall ’97 leads the Buckeyes to their first NCAA championship.

. When Nadine Muzerall ’97 took over the Ohio State women’s hockey team in 2016, she inherited a program that had never qualified for the NCAA tournament. On March 20, she coached the Buckeyes to their first-ever national championship with a 3-2 defeat of Minnesota Duluth. The Buckeyes “looked brilliant,” Muzerall says. “This was one of the best hockey games they played all year.”

It’s a sport in which she has excelled on both sides of the glass. The Mississauga, Ontario, native first picked up a hockey stick at age 3 and recounts the days she and her brother spent preparing to play. “We flooded our backyard for days and days, thumb to hose to spray water on top of the grass, pack down more snow, switch fingers, and then he’d take a turn while my two thumbs thawed out.” When KUA Coach Peter Bartlett came calling, Muzerall’s mother urged her to consider the academic and athletic opportu nity. “She was thinking big picture, of course, now that I’m a mom I understand,” says Muzerall. “I needed the individual attention of 10 to 12 people in class. And the personal relationships with the faculty and students and the feeling of family and support was much appreciated when I was a 13-year-old away from home.”

In Meriden she played hockey and soccer—winning New England championships in both sports—and ran track. She went on to play at the University of Minnesota, where she was a two-time All-American and her record of 139 goals still stands. There, she also studied adolescent behavior and wondered how to combine her desire to work with young adults with her passion for sport. “That’s where [KUA Coach] Lori Charpentier came in,” says

Muzerall. “She told me Northfield Mount Hermon was looking for a hockey coach and a soccer coach.” But the transition from player to coach was challenging. “You can’t control the outcome. You can only prepare them as best as you think, and it’s then something that you pass on and hope that they execute.” Muzerall eventually returned Minnesota as an assistant coach and scored the distinction of winning multiple national champion ships—2000 and 2001 on the ice; 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016 behind the bench.

Then came the job offer from Columbus. In 2018, Muzerall says, when she took the head coaching job, she set a five-year goal to match her initial, five-year contract: to make a Frozen Four. When she made that goal in two years, she refocused on other goals. Muzerall has now coached her team into the NCAA tourney four times, reaching the Frozen Four in all three that were ultimately played. She has earned conference Coach of the Year hon ors three times in five years and hit various program milestones, including a the 32-win season that smashed the previous record of 24. And in an international testament to her coaching talent, three of her student-athletes represented their respective countries in this year’s Beijing Olympics, with one winning gold with Canada, another earning silver with Team USA, and a third backstopping the Swiss to the bronze medal match.

Now that the Buckeyes have completed one of the most improbable turnarounds in women’s college hockey history, Muzerall can take a moment to enjoy being on top. “This is something that’s forever,” she says. “The amount of pride that you left a legacy—it does feel very sweet.” K

“You can only prepare them as best as you think, and it’s then something that you pass on and hope that they execute.” .

TAKING A MOMENT Head Coach Nadine Muzerall of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts after the Buckeyes defeated the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs 3-2 during the Division I Women’s Ice Hockey Championship held at Pegula Ice Arena on March 20, 2022, in University Park, Pennsylvania.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Don Lowery ’73

Don Lowery ’73 is captivated by the evolving landscape of media consump tion. For almost two decades he has tracked the transition from network and cable television to streaming, which now rivals traditional viewing, at rating giant Nielsen. “I have been right in the middle of the digital revolution,” he says. “It has been exciting and challenging to be part of this massive change.”

Much of Lowery’s early work with Nielsen involved introducing elec tronic technologies to more effectively track what audiences tuned in to watch. “When I joined, a significant part of our measurement was done asking viewers to complete handwritten diaries,” he says. “That seems almost unbelievable today.”

Now senior vice president of community engagement, Lowery uses information gathered at Nielsen to connect communities with creators. “I establish relationships with a variety of stakeholders—including public officials, business and community leaders, advocacy and industry organizations—to keep them informed so they can feel confident that our reports are accurate and inclusive.” Efforts to confirm what audiences want prompted Lowery to engage with leaders in communities of color. This outreach has provided more reliable data to companies developing content for viewers traditionally underrepresented in media measurement.

His push to expand access and equality goes beyond the numbers. “At Nielsen we have a robust program to encourage diversity in media mea surement, and I am in regular contact to promote these efforts,” he says. Lowery also serves as an executive sponsor of Nielsen’s employee affinity group, Sustaining Active Black Leadership and Engagement, and is a fellow with CEO Action for Racial Equity, which advocates for public policies that improve healthcare, education, economic empowerment, and public safety.

His impact on the future of media stems from his interest in history. “I have always been grateful that Steve Bishop taught me that history was much more than dates and places,” says Lowery of a favorite KUA teacher. “Histo ry requires thinking much more broadly about all of the circumstances that preceded particular events and the long-term consequences.”

He applied this circumspect approach as a reporter and editor at the KUA student newspaper, then as a reporter at the student newspaper and radio station at Wesleyan, where he earned a degree in economics. Lowery honed his reporting chops at The Arizona Republic and The Boston Globe, earning a Pulitzer as part of a team covering desegregation of Boston public schools. He moved on to WHDH-TV (CBS) in Boston to write and present editorials—and develop partnerships with local businesses and community organizations for a series of public affairs campaigns. “I worked for almost 10 years in local television in Boston, and I loved its incredible ability to inform, educate, and entertain,” he says. “I have great respect for all of the profes sionals and the work they do, so it’s very important to me that we provide the industry with a high-quality product.” K

Nielsen’s senior VP shapes the future of media.

Behind the Scenes

When Chase McGough ’15 is behind the scenes at a major awards show, it’s in a very literal way. In March 2022, McGough was working as a technical designer with Hudson Scenic Studios in Yonkers, New York, when he was tasked with creating the stage design for the biggest night in cinema–the Oscars.

“We received the initial drawings and started working the same day our bid was approved, which is abnormal,” he explains. “Usually there’s more lead time and I’m collaborating with other designers, but in this case, we started immediately because there were so many design constraints.”

The first challenge was time; size and weight presented additional challenges. The 94th Academy Awards set was designed and built in New York, but the 70-by-40-foot set need to be broken down into pieces and shipped to Hollywood’s Dolby Theater for assembly. Furthermore, the components needed to be light enough to hang from line sets at the event facility. McGough designed a fanned set of fins that mimicked a loose spiral and used the lightest materials on the market to ensure the build went smoothly.

“Two of the biggest things I took away from doing theater at KUA were speed and confidence in what I was doing,” says McGough, who went on to study at Ithaca College. “Anyone can learn to do what I do,

but to do it at this speed is a totally different story. I knew how to cut lumber and nail things together, but it takes thousands of hours to master a craft and build confidence. One of the most valuable things about KUA theater was putting in those hours. Without that, I probably would have ended up working in IT.”

He fondly recalls working on KUA’s dance concerts alongside dance teacher Kay McCabe. The freedom he enjoyed while producing events with the dance program em powered him to learn more about program ming lighting. This experience afforded him a broader understanding of how to translate the artistic visions of clients into plans that are feasible to build onstage. This is the back bone of his work to this day.

“You learn that the number of fingers in the pie grows exponentially when you’re doing commercial work,” he says. “Producers, owners, builders, designers, and the accoun tant all speak a different language, but they all need to be happy. Meanwhile, you’re still trying to create something viable.”

With the Oscars wrapped for this year, McGough is now tackling technical designs for Trading Places: The Musical, as well as several projects for Broadway, Disney, and Universal Studios. No matter the project, his ability to align numerous moving pieces ensures every project has a satisfying ending. K

“Two of the biggest things I took away from doing theater at KUA were speed and confidence.” —CHASE MCGOUGH ‘15

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Chase McGough ’15 helps Hollywood set the stage on its biggest night.

Class Notes

DISPATCHES NEWS FROM ALUMNI

1955

Warren Huse (603) 524-6593 warrenhuse1@gmail.com

Bruce Whitney writes from Sanborn ton, New Hampshire: “Things are quiet around here; we have kept a low profile and stayed clear of COVID. Mud season was bad this year and the road is finally getting back to normal. We have not set a date for the boat launch yet. Last year it was in the water, but we never sailed just used it like a cot tage, swimming and socializing. We will see how the summer develops. Maybe a Navy reunion in Septem ber in Baltimore. Hope all is well with you; we see your notes in The Laconia Daily Sun.” (This is a reference to my history pages, which appear weekly in the local Laconia, New Hampshire, newspaper.)

Howie Goldberg wrote he “had an appointment for an annual physi cal at 8:30 [in May] and got there to find out the doctor is home with COVID. Thus, a little time right now before my exercise class. I guess you now get a feel for how exciting life can be. Regarding grandkids, we had a great time re cently attending our grandson’s graduation magna cum laude (unlike his grandfather) from Northeastern in architecture. Part of the festivities was a visit to the archi tecture studio to see what he, and other department mates, including Ph.D. candidates, had done. It was mind-blowing to me. The actual

ceremony took place at Fenway Park. The speaker was very good but made the same points too many time, keeping the kids and the rest of us out in the sun and heat too long. Another highlight for me was a great conversation with Byron Koh It was wonderful to catch up with By and Fran. Before COVID we used to get out to Lenox for music, art, and theater, and on the way home we would stop and have lunch and great conversation with them. It’s been too long since we have been able to do that. I felt like we were back on The Hilltop discussing something from Mosh’s class. We also discussed his time with you [Warren] and others at Cardigan. As in the past, George Place and I get together for lunch about once a month. It’s always great having time together. We are going to see the Worcester Red Sox play in early June with a non-KUA friend. I’m not much of a baseball fan, but the camaraderie is always good. George and I are going up to, and looking forward to, the dedi cation of Al Munro’s portrait in the Munro House in June.”

George Place, as usual, has been supporting the Academy. In ear ly May he attended a meeting in Boston with Head of School Tyler Lewis, some KUA staff, the board chairman, and some alumni for a brainstorming session about stra tegic planning. George said he was “very impressed by Tyler’s commit ment to pursuing innovative ways to improve the educational expe

rience of the students and not ac cept the status quo of any aspect of Kimball Union’s mission.” George noted that, although not a reunion year for 1955, the portrait of Allan Munro would be officially presented to the school and hung in the Munro House following a cere mony during reunion. In late May George weighed in with, “I recently bought an investment property, and it has diverted my focus away from my class agent duties!” George talked to Ron Harrison recently, “and although he is experiencing some health issues, he is upbeat and ac tively teaching art lessons to a full class of students. I received a call from Joe Dickinson, and we are re scheduling a lunch date in June. The date of the Munro dedication is June 4, a Saturday. As I’ve indicat ed to our class members, I will send a copy to all of my remarks at the ceremony. Carolyn, Sheila, How ard, and I will be traveling to school for the event. Oh yeah, I called Dick Rose to see if he could attend, since the portrait was his idea, and he declined—a health issue being the culprit.”

I’ve had a couple of phone calls from John McIntyre ’56, who was a Laconia boy. He’s doing well and still skiing.

The latest address list from the alumni office indicates that Doug Dodge is now in Hinsdale, New Hampshire, instead of in North Carolina as previously listed.

I have continued my routine of Zoom meetings and getting a sec

ond COVID-19 booster shot. The Laconia Historical and Museum Society has taken on several new projects, along with which I con tinue to produce a two-page history section for the local newspaper each week. In the “25 Years Ago” section there have been several references recently to that thennew phenomenon, the Internet. I remember it was only a couple of years before that when the Laconia newspaper had introduced personal computers—with color screens and a mouse! Prior to that, everything was keystrokes for commands— and yellow letters on a dark-green screen. Back to the present, the his torical society has been posting on Facebook, which seems to generate a lot of interest. (It can sometimes be a bit disconcerting, of course, when the discussion turns to cur rent politics and personalities!)

1961 Bill Hager

whagar467@comcast.net

In early March I received a call from Lee Goodwin, a long-lost member of our class. It was great to be in touch with him again after all these years. Lee still resides in Swampscott, Massachusetts, and has been deep ly involved in auto racing through the years in Sanford, Maine, and Epping, New Hampshire. I twist ed his arm hard to get to the 2022 reunion. We will see what happens.

My contact with Chris Abajian found him residing at an assisted

living facility in Essex, Vermont. Chris stays quite busy with chil dren and grandchildren nearby and maintains contact with many of the UVM Medical Center staff with whom he worked for so many years. Recently, he enjoyed lunch and cribbage with Norma Jean, who was his work wife at UVM Medical.

I am also sending a photo of a “mystery classmate,” and hope others to take their best guess on identification.

1975

Gwendolyn Star gwendolyn@mobyfnord.net

It’s Kimball Union I reach out to first after what feels a lifetime. Hel lo, I am here, and I am well That, and you have the same class recorder again. I stayed in touch a bit with Rick Silver and Pete Swallow We took one final sailing trip late last century on Dabbler. Then we kind of got busy.

Seeing as I’m in Chicago for a couple days, I write to my former advisor, George Harmon, professor emeritus at Northwestern Univer sity Medill School of Journalism. He replies: “I remember looking with amazement at the WSJ on the day after 9/11. What a fascinating career you have had.

“As a publisher I converted a small newspaper from letterpress to offset and computer typesetting. We thought at the time it was a big deal, and maybe so, but now it seems to me that we were only

at the tail end of the Dark Ages of publishing. You’ve been through multiple iterations more compli cated than that.

“You are enjoying a remarkable career. It’s always exciting for Jon [Ziomek] and me to learn of the success of our graduates and how their working lives took turns that none of could have imagined at graduation time.”

I’m retired now, and still with the same bass I took to the Mu sician’s Institute in 1981. There’s enough time to play it now.

We’re about midway through Ari Cap’s 2022 “Music Theory for the Bass Player” winter cohort. It is a 40-week class, and every student has a coach. I’m one of three volunteer roving coaches—a coach to both the coaches and their stu dents. I’m still studying with Ari and also with multi-instrumentalist Kristin Korb.

I’m holding the groove and would love to hear from you.

1979

David Coffin wrote in to share, “Rac ers Chip Allen, Coffin, and Jay Stewart skied again at Pats Peak 44 years after the KUA team won the Lakes Region Prep School Championship hosted at Pats.”

1987

Mark Hamill wrote: “Just wanted to put a little something in the Class of ’87 notes for the next issue of the Kimball Union magazine. After

a 10-year run in Roanoke, Virginia, my family and I moved to Omaha, Nebraska, in June 2021. Soon af terwards I started as an associate Professor and trauma surgeon and surgical intensivist at the Univer sity of Nebraska Medical Center. I’m treating patients, teaching, and generally having a great time. My wife, Bridget, is doing some educa tional consulting remotely. Daugh ter Cora is now 9 (going on about 19), son Mark Jr. (‘Teddy’) is 7 and some days will be lucky to make it to 8—100-percent crazy, fearless boy! I’ve been active in surgical research—had several papers published in the last couple of years as well as two book chapters and was the coeditor of a textbook on crit ical care medicine. It’s been a busy year! I hope to make it to The Hill top for the reunion in June—we’ll see what happens. Best wishes and I hope everyone is staying safe!”

1989

Melissa Longacre mlongacre@myfairpoint.net

I received a nice note from Jim Jonas He is a grandpa again, this time to a baby girl! He and his wife, P.J., caught up with Kyle Fenn ’88 and family at Kyle’s daughter’s wedding. Jim writes: “My third grand, a girl this time, was born this month. I also attended a wedding hosted by Kyle Fenn and his wife, Laura, for their daughter. I feel I overshare compared to our classmates, but I can’t imagine serving as you faith

fully have for so long and having so little input from others. Thanks for keeping our class updated!”

Here are a couple of Facebook gleanings.

Todd Jones is still filming epic skiing—including that of his son, Kai.

Andrea Bueno Keen now has two children at KUA and is at KUA often watching them play and per form!

Kyle Drummond’s art will be fea tured at the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center at a show, Sawdust, Slag, and Sweat, in June.

Doug Grady continues to share the gift of traveling the world with his kids. (Great job, Dad.) And apparently fell into the lake!

Lots of you had kids going to prom and getting into college. How time does fly!

I’m still running Gardener’s Supply in Lebanon, New Hamp shire, and try to take in a KUA performance or two each year. My neighbor is Katie Bishop Sheehan ’85 (Ellen’s sister), and we attended her daughter’s graduation party and got to spend some time with Mr. and Mrs. Bish! Fun to see them and catch up. Mr. Sheehan (Jim) was also there, and I chatted with him about his upcoming retirement from teaching. I also see Cynthia Howe quite frequently, as she is an avid gardener and a member of my book club! I also was able to catch up Robyn Sachs Carpenter this winter when she and her daughter were up to do a little skiing and take in the Feichtinger Cup.

“Another highlight for me was a great conversation with Byron Koh. I felt like we were back on The Hilltop discussing something from Mosh’s class.”

—HOWIE GOLDBERG ’55

Class Notes

•

1. Class of ’79 racers Jay Stewart, David Coffin and Chip Allen reunited to ski at Pats Peak 44 years after the KUA team won the Lakes Region Prep School Championship.

DISPATCHES NEWS FROM ALUMNI

1

KUA friendships truly do last lifetimes, and I hope you can keep in touch with your favorites! Drop me a line sometime or friend me on Facebook so I can catch a glimpse of what you are up to!

2004

From Lyn Lord P’04, who continues to teach history at KUA: “My daughter-in-law, Adessa Yeager Morano, and Kalin Gregory Davis ’08 got placed as doctors from the University of Vermont (UVM) this spring. Adessa will be staying at UVM for pediatrics and Kalin is going to Brown for obstetrics and gynecology.”

2008

Tia Nixa Peterson nixatai@gmail.com

Nick Millette is the product develop ment merchant for Smart Home at Home Depot. Nick lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Sarah, and son Jack and is expecting a baby girl in October. Zach Dayno and his wife, Laura, moved to Burlington, Vermont, where he has started work ing at a law firm since finishing up clerking. Zach and Laura recently adopted a new dog, Storm, who is a bundle of energy and enjoys all types of outdoor adventures.

Alexander Gray is starting a oneyear term as a federal law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida follow ing a successful five-year stretch as a litigation associate at Foley Hoag LLP in Boston. He and his 2-yearold Spanish water dog, Isabella, are adjusting well to the South Florida heat and humidity. Alex remembers

fondly his time on The Hilltop and wishes his former classmates and teachers all the best. His email is ahgray25@gmail.com.

Sarah (Cutts) Roberts and Evan Roberts ’07 welcomed baby girl Florence Virginia to the family. She was born on April 17, 2022.

Brett Sillari still lives in Somer ville, Massachusetts, and is working in real estate. He is based in Cam bridge at Century 21 Avon and cov ers the greater Boston area.

Juliet Taylor continues to reside in the Southie neighborhood of Boston with her rescue dog, Bronn. In November 2021 she changed roles to join California-based company SOCi working in Sales Enable ment for their Business Develop ment team, focused on onboarding new reps and continued trainings for the whole team.

Finally, my husband, Conor, and I welcomed baby girl Verona Fawn Peterson to the family on November 8, 2021. Besides becoming a mother, I have been busy dancing. In 2022 I will be performing in Farm to Ballet and The Quarry Project, a site-specific piece being performed in the Wells Lamson Quarry, one of the oldest, deepest granite quarries in the country. I also serve as a board member at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier, Vermont. I live in central Vermont and am excited to explore the outdoors each season with my family!

2011

Former staff Marie Stansfield wrote: “Sheldon Stansfield and I wel comed Theodore ‘Teddy’ Wackerle Stansfield on May 12, 2022.

Births

Class Notes

Obituaries

Former Trustee Frederick Brewster Whittemore ’49

Frederick Brewster Whittemore passed away on May 30, 2022, following a lengthy illness. He was 91.

Born and raised in Pembroke, New Hampshire, Whittemore enrolled for a postgraduate year at KUA, where he was involved in debate and Student Council and competed in j.v. football, basket ball, and tennis. He then earned his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth and an M.B.A. from its Tuck School of Business.

Following graduate studies at Oxford University and service in the Navy, Whittemore began a

 Whittemore walks in a KUA graduation ceremony to the left of Head of School Thomas Mikula.

noteworthy career with Morgan Stanley & Co. in 1958. He rose to partner in 1967 and managing director in 1970, and his clients included the governments of the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand as well as many large corporations. He also served as a board member of the Aspen Insti tute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, inter national president of the Pacific Basin Economic Council, vice chair of the American Stock Exchange, and a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Whittemore’s support of ed ucation is legendary. As his father before him, Whittemore served as trustee of KUA, a responsibility he held from 1976 to 1980. During his tenure, the Academy completed its first capital campaign, an effort he spearheaded as a member of the

Campaign Executive Committee. He also held the role of Trustee Emeritus. He continued to serve KUA as chair of its newly formed National Advisory Council. KUA’s Whittemore Athletic Center was named after him and dedicated in December 1988. The Univer sity of New Hampshire (UNH) Whittemore Center is also named after him, and he was a founding director of the UNH Foundation and honorary co-chair of its capital campaign. At the UNH Whit temore School of Business and Economics, founded in 1962 and named for his father, Whittemore served as executive director and regularly hosted a group of M.B.A. students at his offices in New York City as part of the school’s Wall Street residency program. In his “retirement,” Whittemore continued to serve as mentor to

those who sought his advice.

He was predeceased by his wife of 51 years, Marion. He is survived by sons Laurence III and Edward and their wives and five grandchildren..

Earl E. Devaney ’66

Earl E. Devaney, one of the U.S. government’s most aggressive internal watchdogs, died April 15, 2022, of complications following a heart attack. He was 74.

He was born June 8, 1947, in Reading, Massachusetts, and after graduating from KUA competed as an offensive lineman while earning a bachelor’s in government at Franklin & Marshall College. He began his career as a Secret Service agent, guarding Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and developing his investigative talents with the financial crimes unit.

In 1991 he moved over to the Environmental Protection Agency, where he led the criminal investi gation unit before becoming the Interior Department’s inspector general from 1999 to 2009. There, he led efforts that helped uncover neglect and wrongdoing through out the department, ranging from

appalling conditions in tribal jails operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to drug use, sexual encounters, and the influence-peddling and tax evasion schemes of lobbyist Jack Abramoff. “If you want to be popular, the IG job is not the one to have,” Devaney told National Journal in 2007. “Every day someone is going to be mad at you. The trick is to come to work in the morning and not be a poodle or a Doberman pinscher, but to strike a balance.”

When Devaney prepared to

retire in 2009, he was invited to a meeting with then Vice President Joe Biden to discuss monitoring the financial recovery program that was at the heart of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Biden escorted Devaney into the Oval Office, where President Barack Obama asked him to lead the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board. Devaney took on this final challenge of curbing waste in the roughly $800 billion federal aid package. Helped by other inspectors general and a staff

of about 40, Devaney adopted analytical tools from law enforce ment and intelligence agencies to develop a comprehensive database that accounted for every dollar spent in the recovery act—still considered one of the federal government’s boldest steps toward transparency.

He retired from federal service in 2011 and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Judith; sons Matthew and Michael; and five grandchildren.

Richard Aitson ‘73

Clinton A. Bean ’63

DeathsRichard F. Carolan ’54

Paul T. Cullman ’43

Earl E. Devaney ’66

Justin D. Good ’01

William R. Palmer ’45

John H. Per-Lee ’47

 Cullman is front row, second from left. Taken in 1941.

“The trick is to come to work in the morning and not be a poodle or a Doberman pinscher, but to strike a balance.”

EARL E. DEVANEY ’66

Paul Cullman ’43 passed away in 2021, leaving behind a quiet but powerful legacy at Kimball Union. As a student, Cullman was involved in various activities, including Debate Club, Dramatic Club, and the Boy Scouts. Cullman departed prior to his graduation in March 1943 to join the Air Corps, where he served until 1946. He went on to graduate from Colorado College, began his career as a crop duster, and never gave up his love of flying and aviation. Following college Paul remained out west, living most recently in Ferndale, Washington.

Thank you to the more than 1,000 alumni, parents, students, employees, and friends who answered the call this year in support of Kimball Union.

The KUA Fund met this year’s goal raising more than $1.4 million and setting a new record thanks to YOU!

Worth Writing Home About

Before the advent of social media and the internet, smart phones, or in fact, any phones at all, a postcard was one of the easiest ways to share with your location with friends and family.

Kimball Union’s archive holds a treasure trove of several hundred of these snapshots in time. Vintage post cards, cataloging Kimball Union and Meriden from the turn of the twentieth century to recent years, capture the exciting to the mundane of life on The Hilltop. What was worth writing home about? Everything from typical teenage requests for a weekly allowance and the cost of textbooks in the 1900s to notes about baking donuts and blueberry pies and even a lament of the “red hot” heatwave of 1942.

George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and the Statue of Liberty grace one-cent stamps. Most of these postcards originate on The Hilltop with their final destinations covering the entirety of New England and reaching beyond to Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and New York City. It seems no matter the year, the KUA experience has always been one to write home about.