/ class notes /
Sina Sadeghi is studying mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech. He recently recorded a song in the same studio as Beyoncé, Bruno Mraz, and Shakira, and it’s currently in distribution worldwide. His days have been filled with a lot of music and engineering since he left NMH. Andrew Stewart is enjoying life at Hobart College, where he feels that it has changed him for the better. Ricardo Tarraf went to Uruguay to learn Spanish with Bea Garcia’s program, and then went home to Brazil, where he applied to a postgraduate school for one semester and applied to universities to start college in February. He was accepted at Mackenzie Presbyterian University to major in business. Ricardo visited NMH and participated at the international carnival events, helping the SALSA table, and did a workshop in the diversity committee. “It was great meeting everyone, all my good friends and teachers.” At college, Ricardo participated in two music groups and did a leadership program. He believes being part of the NMH community made it possible for him to accomplish so much. Ndeye Khady Thiombane misses her home country Senegal but has decided to keep on learning about the “nomadic” life and acquire as much knowledge as possible to later serve her motherland. She headed to Bremen in northern Germany, where she is majoring in biochemistry and cellular biology at Jacobs University Bremen. She stayed in Germany over the summer to work and travel. Most important, she is having fun and trying out new things. Windsurfing is on her list. Khady is looking forward to seeing NMH alumni joining her on the JUB campus next fall. Olivia VanCott spent her first year in Florida at Stetson Univ. and loved the weather but missed home a lot. She has decided to take a year off and work hard to save money for a trip either to Asia or to backpack through Europe. On the side she will attend Greenfield Community College to take some classes while she plans her trip. Olivia is living back in Northfield and urges anyone who wants to visit to contact her if they need a place to stay. Leigh Winters enjoyed her freshman year at Wake Forest Univ. in Winston-Salem, N.C. She joined Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity, and volunteers at the local magnet school. She plans to study public policy and health policy and administration. She stays in touch with many NMHers and even met Hanson Cheng for lunch in N.Y.C. over the summer.
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NMH PARKER PELTZER 120 Passumpsic Ave PO Box 453 Wilder VT 05088-0453 ppeltzer@gmx.com
faculty notes LYN KELLOM PO Box 1546 New London NH 03257-1546 rbmzkellom@comcast.net
Dean Fusto writes from Bement School in Deerfield, Mass., where he is head of the upper school (grades 6–9) and assistant head (grades K–9). He has led 18 consecutive service trips to orphanages in the Dominican Republic and has two new books: The Next Best Thing to Being There (fall 2011), and Which Way Home, A Teacher’s Guide (fall 2012). The guide is an accompaniment to a similarly named Emmy award–winning documentary. In May ’12 he earned a second master’s from Teachers College, Columbia University. While at Dick’s Wesleyan reunion in May ’12, we encountered Allen Fitz-Gerald. Now a playwright, Allen gave a presentation to his own reuning class sharing “reflections on Wesleyan’s influence on his professional life.” NMH reunion ’12 was spectacular. The sun shone brilliantly. Alums reconnected enthusiastically. The food was unendingly delicious. The programs were appealing. The Rhodes Arts Center awed. From Memorial Chapel burst inspired song. And returning retired faculty and staff attendance was astounding—Carroll Bailey and Elaine Rankin Bailey ’55, Ginny and Ed Brooks, Dave Burnham and Anne Webb Burnham ’44, Ben Carr, Bill Compton ’44, Sally Curtis, Barbara and Joe Elliott, Marion Ellis, Al Higgins ’50 and MaryAnn Efird Higgins ’51, Mark Jander ’50, Lyn and Dick Kellom, Alice Kells, Ronnie and Don LaChance, Ed Lemon, Carolyn Mann, Christine and Don McCollester, Ev Phillips, Jeanne and John Reese, Grace Robertson, David Rowland, Bill Schweikert, Dick Schwingel, Bonnie and Chris Shepard, Pam Shoemaker, Margot Torrey, Lee and Lou Turner, Dick Unsworth ’45 and Joy Merritt Unsworth ’45, Jeanne and Dale Conly ’52, Claire and Richard Mueller ’62, Carol and Nelson Lebo ’56, Bev Bolton Leyden ’53, and Anne Lyman. Can I have missed anyone? My annual “good weather dance” for the Fud Fest did produce blue skies and bright sunshine. It also brought 90-degree temperatures. Nonetheless, a sizable crowd braved the heat and reminisced about times yore and apprised of days present. Gathered on the Kellom hillside were Sara Pilliod Allen, Jeanne and Dale Conly, Sam Greene and Phyllis Gansz-Greene, Barbara Harris, Cynnie and Terry Irwin, Nelson Lebo, Elliot Rowsey, Chuck
Sanborn and Wendy Blackman-Sanborn and Stephanie Blackman Stokamer, Pat and Charlie Tranfield, Mary Lou Treat, Glenn Vandervliet ’56, Mary and Bob Weis, Mary Covey Williams ’45, Barbara Piscuskas, Barbara Richardson, Anne Lyman, Carol and Marv Kelley ’60, Dave and Anne Webb Burnham ’44, Nancy Alexander Randall ’68, and Kristin Kellom Damon ’80. To list and contemplate recent NMH obituaries is overwhelming, both numerically and emotionally. All of these people were colleagues, many were good friends. Their collective years of service to the school are remarkable. Faculty who have passed away include Gail Demaine, 65, “consummate school person,” whose “favorite role was teaching English to sophomores”; Virginia Ferguson White ’30, 101, former NMH trustee involved in multi volunteer alumni endeavors, a gracious lady; Elizabeth “Jo” Dorchester, 93, gentle, quiet dedication to teaching students French and math for 40 years; Glenn Dulmage, 77, a giant in body and mind, director of the ESL program; Kay Rowsey, 71, devoted to family, loyal to friends, an inspiring, demanding, and distinguished teacher; Dr. Carol Gilmore, 71, professor of business at the Univ. of Maine, taught math, history, and sociology at NMH 1969–71; and Ruth Bauer, 87, religion teacher, ever-ready contributor to enriching community life, energetic wife of Fred Bauer. Among staff members recently deceased are Adelia “Dee” Chula, 96, smiling, friendly postmistress on the Mt. Hermon campus for nearly 40 years; Gretchen Caines, lively and efficient secretary to the Holbrook school deans; Joseph Patenaude, 82, stalwart in the purchasing department; and E. Weston Ball, 96, groundskeeper and custodian.
fall / winter 2012 I class notes I 91