PALLIUM Spring/Summer 2019

spring/summer 2019

PA L LI U M Canterbury School

IN THIS ISSUE 6 10 20

BREAKING GROUND The Canterbury community gathered for the long-anticipated ceremony to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter on the hilltop

LEADING THE WAY The Steers have broken new ground for Canterbury

102ND COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES Canterbury celebrates the Class of 2019

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SUMMER TRAVEL SNAPSHOT

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: PAUL J. HANLY, JR. ’69

Our students and faculty expanded their horizons off the hilltop

An interview with the Co-lead Counsel in the National Opioid Litigation

DEPARTMENTS 5 From the Head of School 12 Hilltop Happenings 36 Athletics 44 Spring Production 52 Advancement 58 Class Notes 62 Retirement 64 In Memoriam

campaign.cbury.org PAGE 1

PA L LI U M SPRING/SUMMER 2019

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER Rick Henderson

2019—2020

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT Jennifer Loprinzo

Mr. Robert H. Steers ’71, P ’11 | President

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Brittany Carlson

Mrs. Rachel E. Stone, P ’23 | Head of School/Treasurer

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS STAFF WRITER Kelly Slonaker PHOTOGRAPHY Rick Giles CONTRIBUTING WRITER Meredith Berry-Toon

Mr. John A. Donovan ’59 | Vice President Mr. Michael R. Carretta ’71 | Secretary Mr. Peter J. Cotier ’86, P ’19, ’2o | Assistant Secretary Ms. Dorothy L. Alpert ’78 Mr. Keith G. Angell ’75 Ms. Carol Lovell Carmody P ’18 Mrs. Karen B. Casey ’91

860.210.3800

CBURY.ORG/ALUMNI

Mr. Harold T. Clark III ’86, P ’22 Ms. Jay Clarke ’84 Mr. Matthew P. Dwyer Jr. ’71 Mr. Douglas M. Famigletti ’9o Mr. Kevin Fee P ’18, ’19, ’21, ’23 Mr. Sean F. Flanagan ’91, P ’23

SEND ALUMNI NEWS TO

DEADLINES FOR CLASS NOTES

Dr. Anna Flik P ’2o

ADVANCEMENT OFFICE Canterbury School 101 Aspetuck Avenue New Milford, CT 06776 kpolsonetti@cbury.org

FALL—DECEMBER 31 SPRING—JUNE 30

Mr. Theodore C. Hollander ’82

Mr. Lawrence P. Fisher II ’77 Ms. Nancy B. Mulheren P ’o3,’13 Mr. H. Nicholas Ragland ’88, P ’21 Mrs. Nicole D’Amour Schneider ’93, P ’2o, ’22, ’23 Ms. Lauren J. Steers P ’11 Mr. Peter J. Tucker ’78 Mrs. Nell P. Williams ’81

instagram.com/canterbury1915 twitter.com/cburynews

Mr. Daniel J. Altobello ’59

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Mrs. Hope Carter P ’86, ’87, ’88, ’91,’95, GP ’09, ’10, ’14

vimeo.com/canterbury1915 PALLIUM is produced bi-annually by Canterbury’s Marketing & Communications Office, 101 Aspetuck Avenue, New Milford, CT 06776 NON-DISCRIMINATION Canterbury School does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, age, creed, national origin, age, sexual orientation or disability in admission or employment in its programs and activities. ©Copyright 2019 Canterbury School. All rights reserved. No content from this publication may be reproduced or reprinted in any form without the express written consent of Canterbury School.

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TRUSTEE EMERITI Mr. James R. Briggs ’56, GP ’12, ’15 Mr. Denis P. Coleman, Jr. ’63, P ’97 Mr. Donn C. Dolce ’63, P ’01 Mr. John P. Duffy ’59, P ’87, ’91 Mr. John D. O’Neill ’57, P ’89 Dr. L. Michael Sheehy ’56

Please recycle this PALLIUM or share with a friend.

Greetings—and big news— from our hilltop!

It is with gratitude and excitement that I share this edition of PALLIUM with the Canterbury family as we celebrate the official groundbreaking of our Hilltop Projects and the naming of the Steers Center. The excitement on campus is electric!

Woven throughout this spirited and transformational moment in our School’s history is a clear, compelling reminder that the story of the Steers Center is a story that is both inspiring and familiar.

In 1940, a young man arrived on campus as a Third Former and began a journey that would shape his life in ways that he could not imagine at the age of fourteen. As a father many years later, he afforded his own sons the opportunity to live and learn on this hilltop as Saints. And then the third generation arrived in 2000. Along the way, this School—an institution defined by a commitment to its students, faculty, faith and fellowship—became integral to this family and to their system of values. Yes, a story that is familiar to many.

In short, Canterbury was the spark. The spark to living with a strong moral code and a commitment to paying it forward. The spark to embracing the invaluable role we play in the lives of others. The spark to making Canterbury a philanthropic priority decades later.

And now, in the fall of 2019, the spark to understanding the needs of this generation of Saints and working passionately to meet those needs. The Steers Center grew from conversations with our students and will now grow with them at the nexus of academic, spiritual, and community life. As Abby Omana ’20—member of the Sixth Form Council, daughter of Julio and Amy ’86, brother of Brendan ’19—said during her remarks on behalf of the student body during the October 4th groundbreaking ceremony: “The Steers Center will embody both opportunity and excellence, not only for many of today’s students but also for every future generation of Saints. The gift of this building will help us achieve our biggest dreams and empower us to be better people. It’s a great time to be a Saint...and it’s only going to get better!”

Indeed—gratitude and excitement.

Stay tuned for details of the fall 2020 ribbon-cutting ceremony!

Rachel E. Stone Head of School

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br e a k i ng

ground The Canterbury community gathered for the long-anticipated ceremony to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter on the hilltop.

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T

he blustery fall morning of October 4, 2019 was filled with excitement and anticipation as Canterbury officially broke ground on its new building and announced its name.

Members of the Canterbury community gathered at the construction site to celebrate the first shovel, signifying the actualization of years of planning for this important project.

Trustees and invited guests were some of the first at the site and were soon joined by all students, faculty, and staff, creating a crowd more than 400 strong of enthusiastic supporters.

Head of School Rachel Stone addressed the community and expressed her gratitude for those who have made the Hilltop Projects possible: “It has been amazing to watch as this new building begins to emerge. From footprint to foundation, we can already see how it will sit at the nexus of our academic, spiritual, and community life. As I walk by each day, I am also reminded that this site is a symbol of growth, promise, and a school that is loved and sustained by many.”

Rachel continued, “Along those lines, I would like to acknowledge the leadership and partnership of our Board of Trustees who,

with steadfast purpose, untiring commitment and generous support, ensured that we would arrive at this moment. I am especially grateful to a small, working group of Trustees— Lauren and Bob Steers ’71, P ’11; Nancy Mulheren P ’03 ’13; Nick Ragland ’88, P ’21; and Kevin Fee P ’18, ’19, ’21, ’23— who shared wisdom and expertise and helped us navigate myriad decisions throughout the process.”

Rachel went on to acknowledge the donors who helped make certain the Hilltop Projects could be realized, including the School’s alumni who have donated 85 percent of the

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“ It has been a privilege for Lauren and me to play a part in making the Steers Center a reality. But our real inspiration is you and future generations of Canterbury students.

Not only what you will achieve within the walls of the Steers Center, but how you will grow and develop during your time on this campus, and, most of all, the impact you will have once you leave this hilltop and live your lives as moral leaders in a complex, secular world.”

— Bob Steers ’71, P ’11 President of the Board of Trustees

The Sixth Form Council proceeds to the podium, where Abby Omaña ’20 addresses the crowd.

the project and thanking the Steers for all they total dollars raised. Mrs. Stone also gave thanks have done—and continue to do—for Canterbury: to Michele and Donald D’Amour P ’93, ’98, GP “The Steers Center will embody both opportunity ’20, ’22, ’23 who generously donated in support and excellence, not only for many of today’s of the new building and for whom the new M. students but also for every future generation & D. D’Amour Center for Faith, Service and of Saints. The gift of this building will help us Justice—situated within the building—will be achieve our biggest dreams and empower us to be named. better people. It’s a great time to be a Saint...and Mrs. Stone then announced the naming it’s only going to get better!” of the building in honor of Trustees and Mr. Steers was then invited to share his life-long Canterbury supporters, Lauren remarks. Addressing the student body, he said: and Bob Steers ’71, P ’11; “In recognition “I sincerely hope that the Steers Center will do of their lead philanthropic gift, their deep care for great things for Canterbury’s future. and investment in our students and faculty, and their invaluable leadership and service on our Board of Trustees, it is my honor and privilege to announce the naming of the Steers Center. This new building will move Canterbury School boldly forward into the future, and so it is truly fitting that it bear the Steers name.”

Members of the Sixth Form Council were then invited to the podium, where Abby Omaña ’20 spoke on behalf of Canterbury’s students, thanking Mrs. Fr. Mark Connell blesses the construction site with the help of Sacristans Justin Stone for including them in Schneider ’20 and Grace LaVigne ’20.

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Clockwise from top: Head of School Rachel Stone and Trustees Lauren and Bob Steers ‘71, P ’11 and Nick Ragland ‘88, P ‘21 break ground on the new Steers Center; Rachel addresses the audience and expresses gratitude to all those who made the building possible; Donald and Michele D’Amour (center) stand with grandchildren Cadence Schneider ’23, Justin Schneider ’20, and Alex Schneider ’22 and daughter Nicole D’Amour Schneider ’93 at the site of the Steers Center which will house the new M. & D. D’Amour Center for Faith, Service, and Justice.

“ In recognition of their lead philanthropic gift, their deep care for and investment in our students and faculty, and their invaluable leadership and service on our Board of Trustees, it is my honor and privilege to announce the naming of the Steers Center. This new building will move Canterbury School boldly forward into the future, and so it is truly fitting that it bear the Steers name.“ — Head of School Rachel Stone

Canterbury’s true greatness lies in its unique ability to instill character and value in young women and men. This School transformed my father’s life and it transformed my life. Lauren’s and my commitment is based on the belief that Canterbury’s mission—to develop moral leaders for a complex, secular world—is more critical now than ever. It has been a real privilege for Lauren and me to play a part in making the Steers Center a reality. It is our very strong opinion that Canterbury has never been in better hands and the future has never been brighter. I feel that you are all very lucky to be in this place, at this time, at this School. Go, Saints!”

Following the speeches, Fr. Mark Connell offered a benediction for the building and blessed the construction site. Lauren and Bob Steers,

Nick Ragland, and Rachel Stone turned the soil on the site while students revealed the Steers Center banner.

The momentous day was made possible by the efforts of several partners who helped guide the master planning process and are directly responsible for the creation and construction of the Steers Center. Rachel Stone and the Board of Trustees extended their gratitude to the following: Geoff Gaunt and S/L/A/M Collaborative, Inc.; Andrew Messinger and Surepath Construction; Justin Giampaolo, Jim Nardi and Burlington Construction; the Oneglia Family and O&G Industries; Mayor Pete Bass and the Town of New Milford; and Tom Gilbane ’65 and Gilbane Construction.

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LEADING THE WAY

Since its inception, the Mission & Momentum Campaign—to raise capital funding for the Hilltop Projects, increase the School’s endowment, and sustain a growing Annual Fund—has raised over $75 million of its $90 million goal. Instrumental to the campaign’s success have been Trustees Lauren and Bob Steers ’71, P ’11.

As two of the School’s most loyal supporters, Bob and Lauren Steers have shown their trust in, and commitment to, Rachel Stone’s leadership and, in turn, have galvanized the School’s progress. Rachel expressed the School’s gratitude for their unwavering dedication, saying, “Simply put, Bob & Lauren Steers’ passion for the values, program and future of the school—in combination with their enduring and unparalleled commitment of time, talent and treasure—has defined this chapter of Canterbury’s story. ” The Steers’ dedication to Canterbury stems from Bob’s, his brothers’, and his father’s time spent there, an experience Bob says profoundly shaped each of their lives. After graduating from Canterbury in 1971, Bob obtained his BS in Finance and Economics from Georgetown University, DC, and MBA from The George Washington University, DC. Bob and Lauren, along with Martin and Michele Cohen, went on to co-found Cohen & Steers, Inc. in 1986—the first and largest global investment manager dedicated to real estate securities. Bob joined the Board of Trustees in 2002 and became its president in 2007, and Lauren joined the Board in 2018. The couple has made significant financial contributions to the School, but even more importantly, they have become integral to its vision.

The couple resides in Rye, NY, and their younger son, JP, also attended Canterbury, graduating in 2011. Lauren’s brother, Philip C. Smith Jr., is also a graduate, class of 1976.

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Photo by JoAnn Cancro

The Steers Have Broken New Ground for Canterbury

Bob shared his and Lauren’s excitement for the new building and for Canterbury’s future. “Lauren and I are committed to making this vision a reality. We have the leadership in Rachel and our Board, and the growing support of our alumni and parents, to successfully fulfill these goals. Most importantly, the Board is committed to ensuring that Canterbury remains a school that instills character and values in young women and men. This school transformed my father’s life. It transformed my life. But Lauren’s and my commitment is based on more than that; it is based on our abiding belief in Canterbury’s

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“MOST IMPORTANTLY, the Board is committed to ensuring that CANTERBURY remains a school that instills CHARACTER AND VALUES

in young women and men.”

mission to inspire students to become moral leaders in a complex, secular world.”

The genesis of the Steers Center actually came from the students themselves. When asked what would enhance their experience at the School, students unanimously requested a space that would serve as the nexus for student activities—a common area where day and boarding students could spend time between classes, students across all grades could bond with one another, classes could work on projects with their teachers, and spiritual growth could be nurtured. A tall order by any account, but one that Rachel Stone and the Board

of Trustees made an immediate priority. As Rachel noted, “I find it hard to believe that many other schools can tell the story of a new building by saying: We asked our students what would make their experience on our hilltop even better.”

The construction of the Steers Center is part of several new construction initiatives—referred to collectively as the Hilltop Projects— taking place over the next few years. The Steers have taken a leadership role on several of these projects and continue to inspire the mission and momentum of the School.

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NEW TO THE HILLTOP Trustee Anna Flik, MD P’20 Anna is an Attending Physician and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Albany Medical College in Albany, NY. She is also the Associate Program Director of the Pediatric Residency Program at the Bernard and Millie Duke Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center. She provides direct patient care to a large pediatric and adolescent population and is responsible for teaching resident physicians and medical students. Before joining Albany Medical College she was a Clinical Instructor at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Center in New York.

She completed her residency and chief residency at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Campus.

Anna holds a BA from Middlebury College, VT, and an MD from the University of Vermont College of Medicine, VT.

She lives with her husband, Kyle, and four children, Katarina, Anika ’21, Maximilian and Lukas in Loudonville, NY. “I am delighted to have been asked to join the Board of Trustees at Canterbury. As a new parent last year, I was introduced to a school community that places tremendous value on its students and families, and I am honored to be a part of it. Canterbury’s core values of honesty, respect, compassion, spirituality and self-reliance direct the School’s culture and set it apart from other college preparatory schools. These values foster students’ emotional and intellectual growth and are invaluable as they navigate the complexities of young adulthood. It is my hope that my experience as a pediatrician working with adolescents and their families can assist the Board in promoting Canterbury’s success.”

Trustee Sean F. Flanagan ’91, P ’23 A graduate of Canterbury’s class of 1991, Sean was a member of the varsity soccer team, the varsity basketball team, and the varsity tennis team, serving as captain for both basketball and tennis. He attended Georgetown University, DC, and received a BA in Business Administration in 1995. After Georgetown, Sean volunteered with World Teach and taught for a year at Pax College, a boarding school in Polokwane, South Africa. Upon his return to the States, he spent two years on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange before resuming teaching at the St. Agnes School in New York City. In 2000, Sean joined the faculty at the Delbarton School in Morristown, NJ, and is now in his 20th year there. He taught various math classes for his first seven years at Delbarton before transitioning to Senior Guidance and

College Counseling. He also coaches the varsity golf team at Delbarton.

Sean resides in Morristown, NJ, with his wife, Sally, and their three children, Molly, Charlie, and Neve ’23. When not working, he enjoys traveling with his family and playing golf.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be invited to join the Canterbury Board of Trustees. My three years as a student had a substantial impact on my young life, and Canterbury will always hold a special place in my heart. I was thrilled when our daughter, Neve, decided to apply, and I am confident that she will enjoy a similar experience. The leadership at Canterbury is doing an outstanding job, and I look forward to joining this exceptional team and bringing my perspective as a lifelong educator.”

Chief Advancement Officer Canterbury is thrilled to welcome Rick Henderson to our hilltop as its new Chief Advancement Officer.

Rick joined the Advancement team in late August and brings extensive fundraising, consulting, and managerial experience to our advancement program. Rick joins us after serving three years as Vice President of Advancement at Fairfield College Preparatory School. During his tenure, he secured three of the school’s top four gifts of all time, including capital for an athletic center, a planned innovation center (science, math and technology), and the first endowed chair in their school history. Additionally, Prep’s endowment has grown from $23 million to $35 million, and

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Rick has played an integral role in the school’s strategic planning process and marketing initiatives. Before joining Prep, Rick was Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving at Choate Rosemary Hall. Prior to that, his entrepreneurial spirit served him well as president of Goal Line Philanthropy, a fundraising consulting firm, and president of Gift Annuity NOW™, a gift planning software company.

Rick shared his enthusiasm for this role and for joining this community: “One of the advantages of advancement is getting to work with faculty, students, alumni, parents, and past parents. What I find most exciting is the opportunity to interact on a daily basis with every spoke in the wheel and every constituent that

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makes up the independent school community.”

He continued, “Another reason why I love doing what I do is to bring vision to life. What excites me about Canterbury is the vision of Rachel combined with an amazing and incredibly talented senior administrative team and faculty.

I look forward to building onto all that Rachel and the team have given the campus. [...] What I hope to achieve for Canterbury is to apply my relentless approach to making sure that there’s no goal or dream that Canterbury feels is impossible to achieve.”

Outside his professional life, Rick is heavily involved in charitable activities in his hometown of Monroe, CT, where he resides with his wife Kim and their two children, Kylee and Cole.

New Faculty Canterbury welcomed five new faculty for the 2019-2020 school year, including two alumni (welcome back!). Spanning several different academic and administrative departments, all new faculty members live and work on campus and most will coach a sport or serve in one of our after school programs.

Stephen Hewston is a member of the History department, Faculty Advisor for Model UN, and dorm parent at Sheehan House. Prior to working at Canterbury, Stephen was a History teacher—in fact, the entire History department—at Academy of the Holy Family in Baltic, CT. He earned his BA in history education at Nichols College in Dudley, MA and is in the process of obtaining his MA in history from Central Connecticut State University, CT. Stephen lives on campus and is passionate about fishing, hiking, and the outdoors.

Amy Milano is the Assistant Director of Academic Counseling and Testing Coordinator,

as well as a dorm parent in Duffy House.

She received her MS in Education from the University of New Haven, CT, and comes to Canterbury with four years of teaching experience in Kindergarten, first and second grade in Torrington and Falls Village, CT. Amy lives on campus and loves spending time with her daughter, Tate, and husband Sean, who teaches math at Canterbury.

Raheem Logan ’12 joins the faculty in the Theology department and Student Life Office, and will also serve as head coach for Boys’ Varsity Squash and assistant coach for Track.

After graduating from Canterbury, Raheem attended Wesleyan University, CT and earned his BA in sociology. Previously, he was the Director of Squash for non-profit, CitySquash, in Brooklyn. Outside of school, Raheem is in the process of completing a children’s book and trained for the 2019 New York City Marathon.

Colleen Cook ’02 returns to Canterbury as the Director of Health Services after spending several years working as a nurse in the organ transplant unit at the Hospital of the University

of Pennsylvania, PA. After graduating from Canterbury, Colleen went on to obtain her BSN from Villanova University, PA, and her MBA from Temple University, PA. She lives on campus with her mini-labradoodle, Charlie, and is actively involved with two organizations based in Togo: Wish Them Well and El-Fazien orphanage. An avid traveler, Colleen has also participated in 11 trips to Lourdes with Canterbury.

Zach Lord brings two years of teaching experience at Rumsey Hall School—and native fluency—to our Language department as the French I, II and III teacher, and will also coach Varsity Football, Boys’ JV Basketball, and Boys’ Varsity Tennis. A graduate of McGill University, Canada, Zach has coached football at the college level and likes to stay active by hiking and scaling peaks throughout the US. He lives with his wife, English teacher Maddie Lord, in Sheehan House.

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Underform Awards Third, Fourth, and Fifth Form students gathered for the annual end-of-year awards ceremony on Thursday, May 23 where they were honored for their academic accomplishments and extra-curricular leadership. Head of School Rachel Stone addressed the community in her opening remarks and referenced several highlights of the year as well as growth exhibited by the entire student body.

Nikky Sherriff ’22 and Alex Schneider ’22 were selected for The Nicholas DiTullio Award ’01, presented each year to a Third Former at the sub-varsity level who has demonstrated a love for and dedication to athletics.

The Edward F. Mack Award was presented in memory of Mr. Mack, a faculty member at Canterbury from 1928-1957, for outstanding contribution in a particular area of school life. Erin Sudbey ’20 received the award for outstanding contributions to community service.

Sacristans Named FOR 2019-2020 ACADEMIC YEAR

Congratulations to the Sixth Formers who were named as Sacristans for the 2019-2020 Academic Year: Grace LaVigne, Justin Schneider, Abby Omaña, Reilly Mahan, Brigida Caruso, Ken Marici, JiWon Lee, Jack Cassidy, Kasey Sarmiento, Erin Sudbey, Kayla Jendras, and CC Poli.

The position of Sacristan is the most respected and highly regarded student leadership position at Canterbury, available for students to apply as they enter into their Sixth Form year. Personal character, demonstrated faith, and leadership qualities define those Sixth Formers who earn a position as Sacristan. Sacristans live a life of faith and service and encourage the spiritual life of their peers through their active example.

Sacristans are expected to contribute to the positive growth of the school community, exemplifying the Five Values and ideals of Canterbury School and that of a sincere Christian. Sacristans at Canterbury lead by their example of faith and charity. The Sacristans help organize retreats, offer daily reflections and prayers at School Meeting, serve at Mass, and encourage others to a life of service. Sacristans, with the support of faculty involved in Campus Ministry, and the Interfaith Council, serve as the most active and vibrant force in the spiritual life of Canterbury.

The Dr. Nelson Hume Speech Competition Awards were presented to the winners of the Underform Speech Competition.

Isabella Carioscia ’22 won for the Third Form, Noah Maximin ’21 for the Fourth Form, Xing Gao ’20 for the Fifth Form, and Max Oeser ’21 as the Overall Outstanding Speaker.

The James D. Higgins ’44 History Thesis Award, awarded to the author of the best research paper written for the US History classes, was presented to one student enrolled in Honors US History and three students enrolled in AP US History. Those recipients were Xing Gao ’20, Jillian Carleton ’20, Katherine Grissmer ’20, and Sabrina Capodicci ’20, respectively.

The James P. Shea Award was earned by Cassidy Hull ’20 and Samantha Jade Brinker ’20 for their improvement in persuasive argument and general appreciation for historical interpretation as demonstrated in their spring semester research project.

Rachel Stone also presented a group of Fifth Formers with book awards: Sabrina Capodicci received the Harvard College Book Award; Brigida Caruso received the Smith College Book Award; Erik Stedman received the Dartmouth College Book Award; Gabe Diamond received the University of Pennsylvania Book Award; Jiayi Wu received the Rensselaer Award; Abby Omaña received the St. Lawrence University Book Award; and Erin Sudbey received the George Washington University Book Award.

Members of the Fifth Form class who earned a cumulative GPA of highest honors were inducted into the Honor Society. Those students included Sabrina Capodicci, Brigida Caruso, Gabe Diamond, Xing Gao, Ryan Greguski, Katherine Grissmer, Abby Omaña, Yitian Sun, and Jiayi Wu. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the Roderick Clarke ’46 Distinguished Academic Achievement Award, given by the Class of 1956 in memory of Former Headmaster Rod Clarke ’46. It is awarded annually to the member of each class with the highest cumulative GPA. Hanyan Cai ’22 received the award for the Third Form, Jia Yi Ji ’21 for the Fourth Form, and Sabrina Capodicci ’20 for the Fifth Form.

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THE MAGAZINE OF CANTERBURY SCHOOL

ALISON BAILEY HONORED AS

Woman of the Year

AT ANNUAL WOMEN OF CANTERBURY BRUNCH

WRITTEN BY MEREDITH BERRY-TOON

O

n Sunday, April 28, the Women of Canterbury (WOC) hosted its annual celebration to honor the 2019 Woman of the Year, Alison Bailey. Alison serves as the Director of the Donovan Center for Learning (DCL) as well as a faculty member in the English Department. She was elected as the Woman of the Year by members of WOC for her warmth, care, and dedication to her students.

Alison attended Taft School, CT, as a boarding student for four years. After graduating, she went on to study at St. Lawrence University, NY, where she focused primarily on humanities. Before joining the faculty at Canterbury, she worked at Fay School, MA, Northwood School, NY, and The Pennington School, NJ. Through her role at Canterbury over the last five years and her specific role within the DCL over the last two, Alison has spent dedicated time working one-on-one with students.

Alison reflects that this work has changed her perspective both on teaching and coaching.

“ I think she is an amazing representation of someone who truly cares for the people around her, and she does so much for the community as a whole.”

In addition to being a teacher, tutor, coach, and advisor, she takes pride in being a mother. “Living with and raising [my son] Griffin on the hilltop has been an extraordinary and special experience for my family.”

“Alison is not only my advisor but someone I have felt close to since Third Form year when I had her as an English teacher,” noted one of the members of WOC. “I think she is an amazing representation of someone who truly cares for the people around her, and she does so much for the community as a whole.”

Alison’s commitment to the development of students as the Director of the Donovan Center is truly inspirational, and her work has helped foster many community members’ success, confidence, and self-sufficiency. While her contributions to the community are endless, they certainly do not go unnoticed. As reflected by all the members of WOC, Alison was chosen as the 2019 Woman of the Year because everything she does, she does with passion, grace, and a smile. “It is an honor to know her and a privilege to have her in our lives,” concluded Whitney Schwitter ’19, WOC co-leader.

Women of Canterbury seeks to develop leadership potential in young women and instill an appreciation of the role women can play in local and global communities. The WOC was established at Canterbury in 1991 by longtime Science Department Chair Sandy Behan, and for the last three years has been spearheaded by Paige Root, faculty member in the Language Department.

The annual celebration brought together all students and faculty as well as mothers, sisters, and other guests to honor the year-long work of the organization. Head of School Rachel Stone introduced the WOC core members who each took a moment to enumerate many reasons why Alison was named Woman of the Year.

Above: Gillian Marma ’20 presents the WOC Woman of the Year Award to Alison Bailey.

Left: Selina Xin ’19 and Jessica Garcia ’19 perform at the brunch.

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College Day

FAMILIES PREP FOR THEIR NEXT CHAPTER Canterbury hosted 96 college representatives during its annual Spring College Fair and Fifth Form College Workshop Day on April 26. Open to Fourth and Fifth Formers and their parents, the fair took place in Pigott Arena and offered an opportunity for students to ask representatives questions and discuss their respective schools. Representatives from colleges and universities across the country were in attendance, including Bucknell University, PA; College of the Holy Cross, MA; Georgetown University, DC; and The Citadel: The Military College of South Carolina, SC.

Honor Society TWELVE STUDENTS INDUCTED

Canterbury hosted its annual celebratory dinner in May for the twelve students who were inducted into the Honor Society following their fall 2018 semester performance.

The faculty Honor Society Committee meets each September and January to review the academic program of eligible candidates in the Fifth and Sixth Form. To be eligible for consideration, candidates must be enrolled in a rigorous academic program—including honors and AP classes—in a diverse course of study. Students must additionally demonstrate academic integrity and consistent engagement as a positive contributor to the academic culture of the School.

Sixth Formers Rachael DeLong ’19 and Eli Taylor ’19 were honored at the dinner along with Fifth Form inductees Sabrina Capodicci ’20, Brigida Caruso ’20, Gabriel Diamond ’20, Xing Gao ’20, Ryan Greguski ’20, Katherine Grissmer ’20, Abigail Omaña ’20, Yitian Sun ’20, Jiayi Wu ’20, and Changxi Xing ’20.

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Fifth Form students and their parents participated in college workshops in the morning, which included mock admissions committees. The exercise allowed students and families to meet with college admission representatives and go through their processes for choosing applications.

“It was a great opportunity for students to meet one-on-one with representatives,” noted Director of College Counseling Sarah Ferland. “And, in turn, the visiting representatives got a feel for the Canterbury campus and community.”

Hunt Hill Farm Art Show TWELVE CANTERBURY STUDENTS SELECTED TO SHOWCASE THEIR WORK

A dozen Canterbury students were chosen to have their work presented at the Hunt Hill Farm Art Gallery in New Milford along with student-artists from area high schools. The show featured paintings, drawings, sculptures, and ceramic work by students in the Fine Arts Department. Fine Arts Chair Kim Tester and faculty member Chas Hollinger selected the best student work from their Spring Semester courses to be on display.

Brigida Caruso ’20 won The Hunt Hill Farm Award for Best Mixed Media 3-D, for a sculpture she created as an homage to New York City while Alexa Esposito ’20 earned the Award for Best Mixed Media 2-D for her abstract charcoal drawing.

Additional students whose art is exhibited in the show included Nova Chen ’19, Sara Stone ’19, Angelina Arceo Ferrer ’19, Mikhail Verozub ’19, Rachael DeLong ’19, Alexa Esposito ’20, Xing Gao ’20, Diqing Xu ’20, Kayla Jendras ’20, Cadence Trach ’20, and Jongoh Kim ’21.

The show was open to the public and ran for three weeks at the Silo Gallery at Hunt Hill Farm.

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END OF THE YEAR

ACTIVITIES Sixth Formers spent their last week as high school students immersed in School traditions and activities that celebrated the bonds they made over their time at Canterbury. The annual Sixth Form Dinner on Monday night bookended the year with a final sit-down in the dining hall and a chance for students and faculty to share their last formal meal together. Tuesday night’s Great Gatsby-themed prom held at the Ethan Allen Hotel in Danbury, CT had Fifth and Sixth Formers dressed to the nines. Wednesday’s Spring Carnival brought the entire School community together out on the fields to enjoy food trucks, face painting, lawn games, and even a faculty-filled dunk tank. Thursday—the Sixth Form’s last full day of classes—concluded with s’mores and reminiscing around a fire pit and the opportunity for students to paint their names on the rock next to the turf before Friday morning’s Commencement.

On this page, clockwise from top left: Alex Luo ’19, Jami Procanik ’19, Jose Mencia ’19, and Sherley Arias-Pimental ’19 pose for pre-prom photos; Sixth Formers enjoying a Canterbury tradition of s’more-making; a group of students channeling Jay Gatsby at prom; Bryce Leckey ’19 adds his name to the rock next to the turf.

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On this page, clockwise from top left: Rachel Stone addresses students and faculty at the Sixth Form Dinner; John Martiska ’19 and Jessica Garcia ’19 pose for pre-prom photos; the annual Spring Carnival hosts food trucks and fun on the athletic fields; Charlotte McCabe ’20, Zachary Ricatelli ’20, Martin McDonald ’19, David Paluch ’19, Haily Santorsola ’19, Schuyler St. Germain ’19, Madison Warne ’19, and Andrew Mancini ’20; Trey Fesperman ’19 and CC Poli ’20 attend prom.

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ix Canterbury Sixth Formers chose to spend their final six weeks of high school exploring what they may pursue next in their academic and professional careers. Sungwon Cho, Aijing (Lia) Ma, Finnegan (Finn) Brown, Olivia (Liv) McCormick, Zhiheng (Tom) Deng, and Yu (Yvonne) Chen all took the opportunity to expand their learning off-campus and presented on their projects once they returned.

Liv delved into her songwriting and performance interests, spanning from New York City to Nashville, where she focused on writing music, learning about the music industry, and going through the process of recording her own songs in a professional studio. In each location, Liv worked with professional producers, photographers, and lawyers, gaining important insight into the field. She concluded her project by recording her own songs and has since released her first EP. Finn Brown also spent time in New York City, working for Endeavor Catalyst, a non-profit built to promote global entrepreneurship. Finn was involved with the selection of companies that showed potential to be the most lucrative and most likely to create jobs and spark economic growth.

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102 nd

COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES INTRODUCTION WRITTEN BY MEREDITH BERRY-TOON

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anterbury School celebrated Commencement on Friday, May 24, 2019. The bright, cool morning was marked with bittersweet moments of nostalgia as the class of 2019 said their final goodbyes as students within our hilltop community.

Underform students lined the walkway between Sheehan House and the Chapel of Our Lady as the Class of 2019 processed up to the hill for their Baccalaureate Mass, some cheering on their Sixth Form friends, others giving a teary-eyed hug. Mass was followed by the mid-morning Commencement ceremony and distribution of the diplomas on the Sheehan lawn where the class of 2019 sat surrounded by Trustees, faculty, family, and friends. Key speakers at the ceremony included Head of School Rachel Stone, Bob Castellini P ’85, ’91, GP ’19 principal owner and CEO of the Cincinnati Reds and chairman of the Castellini Group of Companies, and Valedictorian Gregory McKenna, who all captured the feelings of joy, excitement and gratitude felt throughout the community. Following the ceremony and the time-honored tradition of the facultygraduating class handshake line, Sixth Formers and their families enjoyed final on-campus moments with friends and faculty before departing as alumni.

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COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER Robert H. Castellini P ‘85, ‘91, GP ‘19 was the chosen Commencement Speaker for 2019. Bob is the principal owner and CEO of the Cincinnati Reds and is also chairman of the Castellini Group of Companies, a distributor and processor of fresh produce.

Established in 1896, the firm supplies the fresh produce needs of the food-service and retail industries in the Midwest and Southeast through a broad range of distribution services and value-added products.

Bob earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Georgetown University, DC, and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, PA. He served two years in the US Army, achieving the rank of first lieutenant and received an Army Commendation Medal. He is very active in his community and has served as the chairman of several Cincinnati civic and philanthropic organizations. Bob previously served on the board of trustees for Denison University, OH; Xavier University, OH; and Babson College, MA. Bob and his wife, Susie, have four children and twelve grandchildren. Their two daughters, Elizabeth Castellini Robinson and Patricia Castellini Headley, are Canterbury graduates from the Classes of 1985 and 1991, respectively. Their grandson, Trey Fesperman, was a member of the Canterbury Class of 2019.

Clockwise from top left: Applause for the Class of 2019 graduates; the whole school community, including Trustees, faculty, family and friends gather on the Sheehan lawn for the 102nd Commencement Exercises; diplomas await eager Sixth Formers; Francis (Bailey) deTuro and Manuela Ranzolin smile for their last form photo at Canterbury.

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OPENING ADDRESS FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL RACHEL STONE Good morning, and welcome to Canterbury’s one-hundred-second Commencement Exercises. We are grateful to have an extraordinary cross-section of the Canterbury family with us today: our faculty and staff; trustees, parents, grandparents, relatives and friends; Fr. Mark, Mr. Castellini; and especially, the class of 2019, 38 of whom are diehards.

Last Thursday, as your final day of classes came to a close, I could hear and see a group of you giggling, soaking up the sun, and taking photos of friends on the path between my office and the Hume patio. I had just sat down to begin writing this speech but couldn’t resist a quick hello. As I wandered down the walkway, it was clear that you were a spirited combination of smiles and relief, of “Oh my gosh, we graduate in one week?” and “Oh my gosh, we graduate in one week!” and of pure love for one another. When Raif asked about the theme of my speech, it was right then and there that I decided to focus my remarks on two themes: joy and goodness.

Let’s start with joy. You have heard the adults in this community talk about joy, seen Center for Spirituality, Service and Justice flyers asking “Where have you found joy today?” and perhaps realized along the way that Canterbury is a place where the importance of joy in your lives is recognized and celebrated. During your Fifth Form year, Father Mark explained during one of his homilies the difference between happiness—a temporary state—and joy— something we carry deep in our souls to remind us of what we value, how we can stay centered, and why some people live with a brighter perspective than others.

So where have you, the Class of 2019, found and shared joy? In recent days, your joy has inspired campus-wide games of manhunt; entertaining moments in the pool,

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on the turf, and down a slip-n-slide; lingering conversations in the dining hall and around fire pits; dancing at the prom; cheering on the girls’ lacrosse team to their championship victory; and playing “dark tag” in the library this past Saturday night.

Last September, as the school year was just getting started, I watched Bryan teach Sunfeel and Pluem Fortnite dance moves on the Hume Patio under the bistro lights . . . and just last Friday night, I heard you scream “DIPA!” under those same bistro lights after your classmate’s amazing final performance in Maguire. In the weeks, months, and moments in between, you have carried one another through your senior year with joy. Not always with happiness but certainly with that deeper, enduring sense of gratitude and love for this place. Think about your Sixth Form year and the people and moments that you will now carry with you beyond this place...people and moments that will continue to inspire your joy.

Next —Goodness. In January, we had the privilege and pleasure of welcoming to campus Mark Shriver, CEO of Save the Children Action Network and son of Sargent Shriver, Canterbury class of 1934 and founder of the Peace Corps. Throughout his remarks, Mr. Shriver offered anecdotes that illustrated his father’s life of service centered by family, humility, values, and forgiveness. Time and again, Mr. Shriver referred to his father as a good man. Sargent Shriver’s positive impact on the lives of others and his unwavering commitment to service were the critical ingredients of goodness.

One week later, I attended the celebration of life ceremony for one of Canterbury’s beloved alumni from the class of 1949. I listened to members of his family share stories of this incredible man—a good man, a good person— who raised his children, sustained a loving marriage, and mentored his grandchildren with clear and consistent values. In fact, Peter Carney’s relatives shared their “family code” that afternoon: FISH—Faith, Integrity, Stewardship, and Harmony. Ingredients of goodness. It was an honor to be present that day. (And yes, if you are wondering, members of the Carney family love to fly fish, which inspired their family acronym.)

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Our wish for the class of 2019, then, is simple: that you hold onto your joy— tightly and deliberately!— and that you never lose sight of the good work—the goodness—you can bring to this ever-complicated, everextraordinary world.

So here we are. Mrs. Stone is sharing her favorite anecdotes once again in order to highlight a theme or two. Let’s get to the point.

In my office, I have a copy of a quotation familiar to many: “Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.”

I suppose I could have started there, but it would have made for a very short opening speech. So then, our wish for the class of 2019 is that you hold on to your joy—tightly and deliberately!—and that you never lose sight of the good work—the goodness—you can bring to this ever-complicated, ever-extraordinary world. Joy and goodness.

J.P. Mandler Teaching Award

The Sixth Form poses for a final photo together outside of Sheehan House.

The J.P. Mandler Teaching Award was created in honor of J.P. Mandler, who retired in 2017 after serving the School for 46 years in the roles of English Department Chair, Director of Studies, Dean of Faculty, Director of Technology, Dean of the School, Senior Master, and longest-tenured faculty member. Presented each year to that faculty member who reflects the fundamental commitment to excellence in classroom teaching, this year’s award was received by Cammy Roffe.

The newly named Director of Sustainability, Cammy is a 24-year veteran of the Science Department, beloved coach, advisor, and dorm parent at Canterbury. Sue Roberts, Associate Head of School for Academics, presented Cammy with the award, saying, “Cammy understands the importance of building supportive and collaborative environments. In addition to forming caring relationships with each student, she fosters healthy and mutually respectful relationships between the students.

She knows how to establish guidelines and assign roles to enlist every student’s help and participation. Each student feels like they are not only accepted by the larger group, but that their presence is a necessary ingredient in the classroom culture. Her classroom is like a community where each individual plays a part and feels at home. She has high expectations for her students, but those expectations are both challenging and realistic. She knows what each student is capable of individually and strives to help each one attain their personal best.”

Sue went on to say that, “Cammy always wants to continue learning. Her studies have taken her to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Montana, Acadia National Park and the Gulf of Mexico. Her love of the subject matter inspires her students to learn more, dig deeper, and think harder. She consistently expands discussions with vivid examples, amusing illustrative anecdotes, and relevant facts. On any given day you may find her in the Aspetuck River, with waders pulled high, alongside her students of environmental science; setting insect traps around campus; creating bee sanctuaries; sailing out on the open water with Marine Science for a study cruise; or researching solar, wind, and geothermal energy sources with her water, energy and climate students. She works feverishly to educate our community regarding sustainability and the role we play in this world.”

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VALEDICTORIAN GREGORY MCKENNA’S REMARKS An excerpt from Valedictorian Gregory McKenna ’19 at Commencement on May 24, 2019. Greg was the 2019 recipient of the Roderick Clarke ’46 Distinguished Academic Achievement Award for Sixth Form, and one of six recipients of the Philip H. Brodie Award for exceptional achievement and all-around service to the School. As a Sixth Former, Greg was a Sacristan, celebrated member of the Cross Country team, Honor Society member, and actor in the fall theater production of Peter and the Starcatcher. He is currently enrolled at the University of Notre Dame.

“Thank you, Mrs. Stone.

The class of 2019 is proud to have been the bridge between two great eras of Canterbury’s history. We are not only the final group of students to have known Mr. Sheehey as Headmaster, but we have also had the pleasure of seeing you—and hopefully helping you—lay foundations that will allow your tenure to be just as distinguished as that of your predecessor.

Ever since I found out that I was giving this speech, I have been tremendously excited about this moment, but also a bit nervous. To be quite honest, this is not because I have the honor of addressing parents, relatives, alumni, and trustees, not to mention our beloved faculty and staff. Rather, my mixture of jubilation and fear is really directed at the most incredible group of people I have ever met: the class of 2019. By living and learning among you, I have discovered so much about how I want to live and who I want to become.

The real significance of our Canterbury story—all that we have learned thanks to the dedication and love of our teachers and coaches, and more importantly, the education we received by creating memories with one another—truly starts to be paid forward today. We may be graduating, but our lives as Canterbury Saints are really just beginning.

Sargent Shriver, a member of Canterbury’s class of 1934, tells us that, “In our society that is so self-absorbed, begin to look less at yourself and more at each other. Learn more about the face of your neighbor and less about your own.” Though everyone on the planet could probably do a better job of that, I believe our class has had some good practice. A class of so many talented students, athletes, and artists could easily turn PAGE 24

inward and solely focus on their individual endeavors. However, I have seen four classes of students graduate at Canterbury, and what stands out to me about us is our desire to show up and be present for one another. When Eric Massing practically swatted the poor Avon kid’s “dunk” out of the gym (I know Sherley already mentioned it, but it was iconic enough to say twice), or when Giorgio gave Mr. Dellorco an exceedingly close shave in Sweeney Todd, and definitely when we made sure not to drop Dipa in presumably the first instance of crowd-surfing Maguire Auditorium has ever seen, we were there. We were there, and in so many other places where our peers competed and performed, not because we felt compelled, but because we wouldn’t have missed it for the world. We feel proud and grateful to be Canterbury Saints because we support each other’s passions and are re-invigorated by one another’s success—a trait we can apply for the rest of our lives.

Living an other-centered life, however, means accepting inevitable adversity and failure. As Shriver noted, “the volunteer will find his work to be routine and full of frustration.”

Therefore, we are not only thankful for attending Canterbury because it has been such a privilege and opportunity, but because our time here has not solely consisted of rainbows and butterflies. We have all gotten a test or paper back with a disappointing grade (unless maybe you’re Nova), experienced tough losses (again, unless you’re on our title-winning girls’ lacrosse team), or struggled through some, or perhaps many, personal obstacles. But whatever your most infuriating grade, heartbreaking defeat, or embarrassing moment at Canterbury may have been, we all can be thankful that these setbacks happened here, where we can easily find overwhelming support and guidance from students and faculty alike.

I have one last thing I would like to reiterate to the class of 2019, and an important caveat to boot. Let me be clear, I know most of us can’t wait to move on. However, no matter how much you want to peace out right now, you can never truly leave here.

It is said that “you don’t choose family,” but after spending the past four years at Canterbury, I just don’t buy that anymore.

When you decided to attend this institution, you may not have known it, but you did not just pick a school; you chose an extended family for life.

Graduating is not too dissimilar from winning a championship.

“Why?” because each of us is one of 98 members of the Canterbury class of 2019, which is something that nothing or no one can ever, ever take away from us for the rest of our lives.

Thank you.”

Clockwise from top: Graduates line up to hug and shake hands with faculty; Commencement Awards were given out to members of the graduating class; Rachel Stone and Fr. Mark Connell congratulate students as they come forward to receive their diplomas; Margaret Melich is all smiles as she walks across Sheehan lawn with her diploma.

COMMENCEMENT AWARDS Sixth Form students were presented with awards at their Commencement on Friday, May 24.

of peers, has best fulfilled obligations to the School, fellow students, and self.

Gregory McKenna ’20, the class valedictorian was presented with the Roderick Clarke ‘46 Distinguished Academic Achievement Award at Thursday evening’s prize assembly.

The Richard L. and Mary Catharine Farrelly Award was presented to Alexander Luo and Sara Stone for their quiet but thorough leadership.

Whitney Schwitter and Matthew Martin received the Robert M. Steele ‘72 Scholar-Athlete Trophy.

Gianna Terracino and John Martiska were awarded the Elizabeth (Betty) Burke Award for the Sixth Formers whose time at Canterbury has been marked by cheerful determination to serve God and others.

Sherley Arias-Pimental was named the Class of 1987 Citizenship Award-recipient for her role as the Sixth Former who, in the judgement

Six students received the Philip H. Brodie Award for exceptional achievement and all-around service to the School: Nikki Decola, Jessica Garcia, Raif Harris, Gregory McKenna, Brendan Omaña, and Eli Taylor.

The presentation of awards concluded with the naming of the Dr. Nelson Hume Award-recipient, given this year to Sherley Arias-Pimental, as the Sixth Former whose leadership, character, and achievements have been of the highest order and whose performance embodies the ideals of the founding headmaster.

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SUMMER TRAVEL SNAPSHOT

MONTANA LEADERSHIP TRIP PAGE 26

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STUDENT TRIPS

Canterbury offers several local, national, and international trips each year for students, affording them the opportunity to explore and learn firsthand the history, science, language, art, and culture of a place— along with invaluable insights about each other and themselves. Each trip encourages the students to expand their horizons, embrace different points of view, walk in others’ shoes, and cultivate empathy, understanding and interconnectedness. This summer, students had the opportunity to take part in five different expeditions, including two new trips: Women in Science and Service in Acadia National Park, and a tour of national parks in the American southwest.

Acadia: Women in Science and Service

part of a “bioblitz,” took part in marine debris cleanup, attended a lecture by a Native American about tribes in Maine, and helped weed and mulch around the learning center. Cammy was excited to organize the trip to help promote girls in science and emphasized the importance of being in nature.

“Everyone needs to get in touch with nature—so much apathy comes from not being connected anymore. It was great to see the girls learning and thriving out there.”

All images (pages 26-35) provided by students and faculty.

In June, science teacher and Director of Sustainability, Cammy Roffe, led the inaugural Women in Science and Service trip to the Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park in Maine.

Students Kayla Jendras ’20, Abby Omana ’20, Kate Grissmer ’20, Erin Sudbey ’20, and Katie Hawley ’21 made the nearly eight-hour drive to Mt. Desert Island for the week-long trip. The girls learned about plant phenology and how it is affected by climate change, recorded and geotagged data on the species they observed as

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STUDENT TRIPS

Lourdes,France

This was the 26th year of the ten-day service trip to Lourdes, France—Canterbury’s longest running trip offering. Past and present Canterbury students and faculty work with other volunteers from Italy, France, Spain, England and Ireland to help the malades (people who are ill) who travel to Lourdes to bathe in its healing waters. The trip is run by Our Lady’s Pilgrimage (OLP), a non-profit organization led by Hope Carter P ’94, GP ’10, former President of Canterbury’s Board of Trustees and past parent and grandparent. This year’s trip was led by retired teachers Guy and Viv Simonelli, language teacher Julio Omaña, theology teacher Tracy Garcia-LaVigne, Rich Carter ’94 (Hope’s son) and Doug Bergner ’10 (Hope’s grandson). Attending the trip were students Chiara Vaccaro ’20, Kayla Jendras ’20, Emily Nigg ’20, Lexah Caraluzzi ’21, Maggie Ondrey ’21, and Sebastian Voskericyan ’22; alumni DooYoung Kim ’11, DooA Kim ’12 and Eli Taylor ’19; and faculty Colleen Cook ’02 and Sarah Armstrong. The group

BASILICA OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY

worked and stayed with other schools, including nearby St. Luke’s School, and Julio noted that the students bonded with each other right away. Lexah ’21 shared the impact the trip and friendships had on her: “Working in the city and helping the malades was a lifechanging experience. On the trip, I met so many amazing people and made friendships I know will last a long time. It was definitely the best part of my summer.” Kayla ’20 was particularly moved by the experience, saying, “I really enjoyed working in the baths. I assisted a woman who seemed to be in anguish when she arrived; I will never know this woman’s name, where she is from, or what her story is, but I will never forget the relief and gratitude in her eyes as she thanked me for helping her.”

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U.S. National Parks For the first time, Canterbury offered a trip to Moab, UT, Cortez, NM, Chinle, AZ, and Phoenix, AZ for students to learn about our National Parks and the National Parks System, the history of our native peoples, our natural world, and natural resources. Jilly Carleton ’20, Maeve O’Donnell ’20, Andrew Kessing ’20, Olivia Allen ’20, Sebastian Tseng ’21, Sonia Li ’21, and Sam Alexanian ’21 went on the tenday trip through some of North America’s most incredible natural wonders. The journey started in Salt Lake City before meandering through Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona by way of van (which the group affectionately named Brutus). Highlights included watching the sun go down and stars light up the skies of Arches National Park, rafting level-three rapids in the Colorado River, and learning from members of Southwestern tribes on the state of reservations

in the United States. Maeve ’20 particularly enjoyed the roadtrip aspect, saying, “I am so happy I went on the National Parks trip. Going on all the hikes, learning about how the arches were formed, and discovering more about the Ancestral Pueblo people was amazing, but I especially loved how we were all able to have fun together even when we were smushed into the van for hours.” Jilly ’20 shared how fortunate she felt to experience such beautiful places first-hand and called the trip a “once in

a lifetime” opportunity (though not if you’re a Canterbury student!). Led by English teacher Maddie Lord, French teacher Zach Lord, and science teacher Mike Kennedy, the group also visited Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point, Mesa Verde, Four Corners Monument, and Canyon DeChelly parks. The trip was an enriching experience that truly demonstrated the diverse topography and breadth of priorities and issues within a single country.

ADVENTURE COURSE IN FLAGSTAFF, AZ

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STUDENT TRIPS

Canterbury Institute in Spain

I SPECIFICALLY REMEMBER THAT MOMENT WE ALL CONNECTED WITH ONE ANOTHER DURING OUR WEEKEND TRIP TO CADAQUÉS. WE EXPLORED THE BEAUTIFUL CITY AND TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUR LIVES, BUT REALIZED WE HAD MUCH MORE IN COMMON THAN WE THOUGHT.

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This summer, four students spent two and a half weeks improving their language skills and learning first-hand about Spanish culture while exploring the Pyrenees in northern Spain.

Led by language teacher and well-seasoned traveler Julio Omaña, students Logan Sanford ’22, Katelyn Pizzano ’22, Giselle Bradshaw ’21, and Chiara Vaccaro ’20 spent three days in Barcelona where they visited renowned sites such as the Sagrada Familia, Casa Milla, Hospital Complex of Sant Pau, Church of Santa Maria del Mar, the Gothic Quarter, la Boqueria market, and las Ramblas. They also had the opportunity to meet up with a Canterbury alumnus, Pepe Batlle ’00, a native to Barcelona who spent his Fifth and Sixth Form years at Canterbury. The group then traveled up to the Cerdanya region where each student stayed with a host family in the city of Puigcerdà and was able to immerse him/ herself in the life and language of the region.

Chiara ’20 said that she loved living with her host family and noted how much her Spanish improved over the two weeks: “My favorite part of our trip was on our last night when my host sister and I made crepes and had a karaoke party at her house. At the beginning of the

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trip, our conversations were limited, but by that night we had become close friends and were able to have full conversations in Spanish.”

The students kept busy with language and culture classes in the morning, and spent their afternoons participating in activities such as hiking, mountain biking, and pastry and bread-making. The group took excursions to Girona, Cadaqués, and the Catalan Coast, and also drove across the border to France for some additional mountain views obtained by hiking and ziplining. Logan ’22 shared how much he gained from the experience, saying, “I went to Spain hoping to improve my Spanish speaking skills, not knowing I would make new friendships with amazing people— both from across the world and from my own school. I specifically remember that moment we all connected with one another during our weekend trip to Cadaqués. We explored the beautiful city and talked about the differences between our lives, but realized we had much more in common than we thought. Mr. Omaña provided us with an amazing opportunity and helped me improve my Spanish skills while making me realize how much is out there in the world.”

Montana Leadership Trip The Montana Leadership Trip is a ten-day leadership training trip sponsored and led by Trustee John ’59 and Dana Donovan.

The trip, chaperoned by language teacher Meredith Berry-Toon and English teacher Andrew Houghtalen, is open to select rising Sixth Formers and brings students to Glacier National Park and its surrounding area to learn about the natural environment of the American West. This year, students met with members of the Blackfeet tribe to learn about native culture, explored the politics and social ramifications of the wolf population, and gained valuable outdoor adventure skills. The program encouraged students to return to campus as ambassadors of conservationism. “The Montana trip was amazing. It has shaped what I want to do with my life,” reflected Mary Bridget Horvath. “I knew I was interested in working with the environment, and this trip has most definitely confirmed that. I am so thankful that I was given this opportunity.” Mary Bridget, along with the eleven other Sixth Formers who attended this past August, brought back a renewed sense of environmental stewardship when they returned for student leader training in the fall. Not only do the students engage in learning more deeply about the environment, but they are also able to form closer connections among themselves.

Upon returning to campus in September, the invited Sixth Formers use their newly forged friendships to set a positive and welcoming tone for the upcoming school year. This year’s group included Gabe Diamond, Abby Omaña, MaryBridget Horvath, JiWon Lee, Ryan Greguski, Erin Sudbey, Bella Cotier, Justin Schneider, Nick Vial, Joey Ciotti, Maeve O’Donnell, and Grace LaVigne.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & FACULTY TRAVEL HIGHLIGHTS

A large number of our faculty spent part of the summer focusing on professional development, and several of them had the opportunity to travel abroad. Three highlights were science teacher Bryce Wallis’ time spent teaching in the Swiss Alps, music teacher Hafez Taghavi’s instruction and performances at an Italian music festival, and Director of Health Services Colleen Cook ’02’s volunteerism in Togo.

Leysin, Switzerland Bryce Wallis spent seven weeks teaching and working at Leysin American School (LAS) in Leysin, Switzerland, a resort town in the Vaudoises Alps at the eastern end of Lake Geneva. Bryce describes LAS as a boarding school similar to Canterbury that has a summer program where students from around the world can take classes and activities (and faculty from around the world can teach them). Bryce taught classes, including the Science of Cooking, to students aged 10–18 and was also a Sports Club leader and dorm parent—similar to her duties at Canterbury (though unlike Duffy, her dorm at LAS had a view overlooking the Alps).

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An outdoors-lover from Vermont, Bryce found herself at home in the Swiss mountains and even competed and placed third in an 11.22km trail race on Swiss National Day on August 1.

Bryce loved the experience and plans to return to LAS next summer. Of her time there, she said, “It was an awesome opportunity to travel and learn about other cultures. The students I taught were from all over the world, so I really got a lot of different perspectives. Living in Europe for three months also changed my viewpoints and my outlook. I learned that I am a positive and independent person!”

Acqui Terme, Italy Hafez Taghavi was invited to teach and perform at the InterHarmony International Music Festival held in Acqui Terme, Italy. The festival has been taking place in European and American cities for the past 16 summers and offers students the opportunity to learn from master musicians and attend performances.

A professional violinist, Hafez spent two weeks teaching lessons, coaching chamber groups, and leading a section of the orchestra. He also performed several times at the festival, both as a soloist and with his colleagues. He shared his favorite part of the trip was meeting so many talented people: “It was interesting and enlightening to meet and work with professors and students from all over the world and learn how they teach and run their programs.” Hafez thoroughly enjoyed the experience and has already been invited back for next year.

THIS TRIP, I GOT A CHANCE TO VISIT AND SEE FIRSTHAND THE IMPACT OF THAT SUPPORT AND LEARN ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL NEEDS OF THE ORPHANAGE. I GOT TO PLAY WITH THE KIDS, SHARE MEALS WITH THEM, HELP HARVEST IN THE GARDEN, AND PLANT MANGO TREES.

Togo, West Africa Colleen Cook ’02 had a busy summer of travel before joining us back on the hilltop. In addition to making her 11th trip to Lourdes with Canterbury (she’s made three as a student and eight as the attending nurse), she traveled to Togo in West Africa to volunteer with two organizations that are near and dear to her heart. Colleen spent two weeks with Wish Them Well, which helps provide water access to remote villages in the northern part of the country, and El-Fazien Orphanage. Colleen learned of the organizations and their impact from friend Amina Capaldi, a Togo native and founder of Wish Them Well (El Fazien Orphanage was one of the first recipients of a well from the organization, hence their connection). Colleen spent most of her time with Wish Them Well visiting villages in need of access to clean water, and also visited two villages who were celebrating their newly installed wells. She remarked that it was “overwhelming to see their joy and gratitude.” Colleen also enjoyed her time spent with El Fazien Orphanage, an organization that she and her family have supported for years, helping provide resources to plant a garden and fruit trees, build bathrooms, and ensure food for the teachers. Colleen shared, “This trip, I got a chance to visit and see firsthand the impact of that support and learn about the additional needs of the orphanage. I got to play with the kids, share meals with them, help harvest in the garden, and plant mango trees.” Colleen plans to return to Togo again in the near future and welcomes anyone interested in the causes to contact her directly.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & FACULTY TRAVEL HIGHLIGHTS

ROME, ITALY

THE JOHN P. '59 AND ANNE DUFFY FACULTY TRAVEL AND TEACHING AWARD

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This award, supported by the John P. ’59 and Anne Duffy Endowment, is founded on the conviction that, in a shrinking world, intercultural experiences for educators enhance not only the individual fortunate enough to receive the award but also his/her students. John ’59 and Anne hope that this annual award will help enhance instruction at Canterbury while providing dedicated faculty the opportunity for international travel during vacation periods. Three faculty members were the recipients of the award in 2019.

In August, physics teachers Kevin Conroy and Michael Kennedy ventured to Hawai’i to experience the crisp, high-altitude stargazing conditions of the tropical islands’ peaks. The pair had planned to visit the Mauna Kea Observatories—a number of independent astronomical research facilities and large telescope observatories that are located at the summit of Mauna Kea on the big island. However, the

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observatories were shut for weeks due to protests against the construction of the new Thirty Meter Telescope (they have since reopened). Though not able to see as much outer space as they had hoped, Kevin and Mike were able to enjoy the myriad terrestrial splendors of the big island of Hawai’i.

In addition to their studies in astronomy, they explored and learned about Hawaii’s unique ecology, geology, and biodiversity. Their first stop on the big island offered remarkable topography as they hiked over the lava flows of Mauna Loa—terrain that’s half a century in the making.

They then traveled to Maui to take advantage of Haleakala National Park that stretches from the island’s highest peak to its breathtaking shores.

From 10,000 feet, they viewed planets, galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae through world-class telescopes. Rain forests, beachside coral reefs, and a desert crater populated by thousands of endemic species were also spectacular highlights.

Latin teacher Michael Niu spent ten days in Rome during which time he was able to visit (and revisit) some of his favorite sites, including the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Forum and Palatine Hill, the Baths of Caracalla, and the Vatican Museums. He also spent time at the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, and made it to the top of the famous Victor Emmanuel II Monument in the Piazza Venezia.

Additionally, Michael met up with the director of the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies (ICCS)—a study-abroad center in Rome that he attended while a student at Dickinson College—so that they could discuss organizing a trip through the city for Canterbury students who take Latin and/or may be interested in Art and Art History (stay tuned for more details!). Michael remarked that the food was incredible, and his only regret from the trip was not taking more photos of his meals (they disappeared too quickly).

KAHAKULOA HEAD, HI

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AT H LE T IC S

SAINTS IN REVIEW SPRING 2019

CBURY.ORG/ATHLETICS

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AT H LE T IC S

BASEBALL COACH TODD MATHEWSON PRESENTED THE MVP AWARD TO MAX COTIER ’19 AND THE CLASS OF 1962 BASEBALL AWARD TO CHAZ POWELL ’19.

MAX COTIER ’19 UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

MACK SLOAN ’20

AUTUMN MISH ’20

CHRISTOPHER ROBERTI ’19 STONEHILL COLLEGE

SOFTBALL COACH JULIO OMAÑA PRESENT THE SOFTBALL MVP AWARD TO RACHAEL DELONG ’19 AND THE BARBARA FRANK SHEEHAN SOFTBALL AWARD TO KATE GRISSMER ’19. RACHAEL DELONG WAS ASO NAMED TO THE WNEPSSA SOFTBALL ALL-STARS TEAM.

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CREW COACH SALLY RUDERMAN PRESENTED THE BOYS’ CREW MVP AWARD TO SCHUYLER ST. GERMAIN ’19 AND THE COACH’S AWARD TO ELI TAYLOR ’19.

WILL ONDREY ’19 MARIST COLLEGE

SCHUYLER ST. GERMAIN ’19 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY

COACH MEREDITH BERRY-TOON PRESENTED THE GIRLS’ CREW MVP AWARD TO BRIGIDA CARUSO ’20 AND MARY BRIDGET HORVATH ’20 AND THE COACH’S AWARD TO ERIN SUDBEY ’20.

KATELYN PIZZANO ’22

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AT H LE T IC S

KORBIN PECORA ’19 YALE UNIVERSITY

JACK RUFA ’20

LACROSSE COACH CHRIS ROBERTS PRESENTED THE BOYS’ LACROSSE MVP AWARD TO CARTER FINNEN ’19 AND THE COACH’S AWARD TO MATT MARTIN ’19. ADDITIONALLY, KORBIN PECORA ’19 AND JACK RAFFERTY ’19 WERE NAMED ALL WESTERN NEW ENGLAND DIVISION II. COACH LINDSAY MULHERN PRESENTED THE GIRLS’ LACROSSE MVP AWARD TO CASEY CHIZMAZIA ’19 AND THE COACH’S AWARD TO KATHERINE HESSLINK ’19.

MADISON WARNE ’19 WEST POINT

TORI CONGDON ’20 ISABELLA COTIER ’20

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GIRLS’ VARSITY LACROSSE WINS WNEPSLA CLASS B CHAMPIONSHIP MEGAN LEBLANC ’20

Team boasts 16-5 overall season record Following a successful 13-5 regular season, Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse was named Champion of the Western New England Class B Invitational Tournament Championship. The team was seeded #1 heading into the multi-bracket tournament and earned a home field advantage throughout the playoffs. After beating Suffield Academy, CT, 17-5 in the quarterfinals, the team advanced to the semifinals where they beat Pomfret School, CT, 15-12. The championship game was an exciting rematch against Williston Northampton School, MA, the team to which Canterbury had lost in the finals a year prior. The team was victorious with a 10-5 final score.

“WE WENT INTO THIS SEASON WITH VERY HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR TEAM BUT WITH KNOWLEDGE THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE WITH OUR SCHEDULE,” NOTED COACH MULHERN. “WE ENDED THE SEASON PLAYING 21 GAMES IN JUST SEVEN WEEKS SO THE SUCCESS WE EARNED IS TRULY A TESTAMENT TO THE ATHLETES’ DEDICATION AND HARDWORK.” The season was full of individual and collective accomplishments for the team.

Emma Gambardella ’20 and Charlotte Zapletal ’21 represented Canterbury as players for Connecticut Team 1 at the National Tournament in Baltimore, MD. Emma and CC Poli ’20 were named Western New England All-Stars. Megan LeBlanc ’20 finished the year leading the team in points with 105 (56 goals/49 assists). Bella Cotier ’20 was the leading goal-scorer with 60 goals, while Emma Gambardella ’20 dominated the draw control with 85.

“Our timing just worked this season,” Coach Mulhern continued, reflecting on the team’s success. “We were healthy and the girls peaked at the right time. They were a dedicated and energetic group who were determined to win!”

Five of the team’s 2019 graduates are currently playing for their respective colleges, including: Casey Chizmazia ’19 at St. Lawrence University, Bailey DeTuro ’19 at Roanoke College, Katherine Hesslink ’19 at Bentley College, and both Haily Santorsola ’19 and Madison Warne ’19 at United States Military Academy-West Point. Four of the team’s Fifth (now Sixth) Formers will continue to play at the collegiate level: Isabella Cotier will play for Brown University, Tori Congdon will join the team at Colby College, Emma Gambardella and Megan LeBlanc will play for Iona College and Fairfield University, respectively.

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AT H LE T IC S

GOLF COACH BOB POTTER PRESENTED THE GOLF MVP AWARD TO LUCAS WILLIAMS ’19 AND THE COACH’S AWARD TO OWEN RAMEE ’21.

CHARLES CAMPBELL ’20

OWEN RAMEE ’21

ERIC MASSING ’19

TRACK COACH MATTHEW BIGGART PRESENTED THE BOYS’ TRACK AND FIELD MVP AWARD TO ERIC MASSING ’19 AND THE COACH’S AWARD TO RICHMOND SMITH-BIRCH ’19. HE ALSO PRESENTED THE GIRLS’ TRACK AND FIELD MVP AWARD TO ANNA IMRIE ’19 AND THE COACH’S AWARD TO LORELAI LEE SWANEK.

MALIYAH PERKINS ’20

MADDY HACKETT ’19

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TENNIS COACH MATT CROTTA PRESENTED THE BOYS’ TENNIS MVP AWARD TO JERRY YU ’20 AND THE WILLIAM STEPHANEK ’78 BOYS’ TENNIS TROPHY TO RAIF HARRIS ’19.

COACH NIKHIL SETH PRESENTED THE GIRLS’ TENNIS MVP AWARD TO WHITNEY SCHWITTER ’19 AND THE HORACE E. TENNIS GIRLS’ TENNIS AWARD TO COCO BOOTH ’19.

OSCAR WANG ’20

MOLLY CLANCY ’20

VENESSA OKOROANYANWU ’20

RAIF HARRIS ’19

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SP R IN G P R O D UC TION

SWEENeY TODD This spring, the theater department brought a perfect mĂŠlange of horror, humor, and well-choreographed musical numbers to Maguire Auditorium with the Tony Award-winning Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The performances on May 3 and 4 were delivered to a full house of students, faculty, family and friends.

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From left to right: Nicholas Buonaiuto ’19, Nikki DeCola ’19, Jessica Garcia ’19, Anna Imrie ’20, Giorgo Caripidis Soto ’19, Oscar Wang ’21, Margaret Melich ’19, Neil Yao ’22, Ryan Greguski ’20, Cooper Stepankiw ’21, John Martiska ’19, Autumn Mish ’21, Chiara Vaccaro ’20 on stage in the School’s spring musical production of Sweeney Todd.

The 21-member cast and the technical crew worked diligently to make the show the standout success that it was—and did it within a very short time frame. Co-director Keiko Mathewson noted, “The students auditioned in January and we spent from then until March Break focusing on the music and doing some character development for the major characters. Our set was built over the break, and the cast and crew put the entire show on its feet in just 10 rehearsals. It was basically what a professional theater company would do.”

Keiko and co-director Sarah Armstrong both credited the commitment and capabilities of the talented cast for the quick turnaround time, saying, “They showed up every day ready to

work, and they were long days—the students would come to rehearsal after a full day of classes and sports. We couldn’t have imagined it to be any better—it’s hard to believe that it was a high school production.” She went on to explain that on the nights of the production, the directors are hands-off; everything—from lights to sound to stage cues—is run by the students.

The tale of Sweeney Todd first appeared as a “penny dreadful” story called The String of Pearls which was published in a weekly magazine in 1846-47. Set in the late 1700s, the story follows barber Sweeney Todd (played by Giorgo Caripidis Soto ’19) who has returned to London after several years in exile because of a jealous judge. Sweeney teams up with his landlady

Ms. Lovett (Margaret Melich ’19) to exact revenge on the judge and the city’s inhabitants by killing them and giving Ms. Lovett the bodies to be baked into her pies and sold to unknowing customers. The story was adapted into a play in 1973 by Christopher Bond and into a musical in 1979 by Stephen Sondheim, where it was immediately well-received.

The performances marked the final time on the Canterbury stage for several Sixth Formers, including Giorgo Caripidis Soto (Sweeney Todd), John Martiska (Anthony), Margaret Melich (Ms. Lovett), Nick Buonaiuto (Judge Turpin), Grant Tessitore (The Beadle), Jess Garcia (Johanna), Eli Taylor (Pirelli), Zach Booth (Ensemble), and Nikki DeCola (Ensemble).

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SP P ER RIN F OGRP MRING O D UC ARTS TION

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THE MAGAZINE OF CANTERBURY SCHOOL

AND THE

Halo

GOES TO...

The Halo Awards, sponsored by the Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, CT, honor high school students’ achievements in all aspects of theatre. Over 60 high schools from across the State of Connecticut participate annually in the Award Ceremony, held each year since 2003. Excitingly, in the 26 categories in which Canterbury was eligible, the school earned 16 nominations. The nominations ranged from Best Performance by a Lead Actress to Best Specialty Ensemble and Best Chorus, spanning both the spring musical—Sweeney Todd—and the fall performance of Peter and the Starcatcher.

Close to 30 Canterbury students, including actors and technical crew, attended the red carpet award ceremony held at the Palace Theatre in Waterbury at the end of May. The Canterbury theater program won in four categories: CHIARA VACCARO ’20 earned Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as the Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd.

MARGARET MELICH ’19 earned Best Comic Female Performance in a Play for her role as Betty Bumbrake in Peter and the Starcatcher.

GIORGO CARIPIDIS SOTO ’19 earned Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Classical Musical as the title role in Sweeney Todd.

Impressively, Peter and the Starcatcher earned Best Acting by an Ensemble Cast—an honor that considered the entire cast and crew of the production!

On this page, top to bottom: Brendan Omaña ’19, Eli Taylor ’19, Nikki DeCola ’19, Jess Garcia ’19, Nick Buonaiuto ’19, and Grant Tessitore ’19 went black tie for the red carpet Halo Awards in Waterbury, CT; over 30 students attended the Halo Award ceremony on May 28.

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An Interview with Paul J. Hanly, Jr. ’69,

CO-LEAD COUNSEL IN THE NATIONAL OPIOID LITIGATION ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2019

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As a named shareholder of Simmons Hanly Conroy, Paul J. Hanly, Jr. ’69 is an experienced trial lawyer and litigator who has litigated, managed, and tried numerous complex jury cases throughout the United States in virtually all areas of civil litigation for more than 30 years. He is renowned for his exhaustive trial preparation, imaginative trial strategies, nearly photographic memory of the contents of documents, and tightly controlled and disarmingly effective crossexaminations.

Paul was the recipient of the 1969 Higgins Award for leadership and contributions in school life at Canterbury’s 1969 Commencement. In 1974, Paul graduated from Cornell University, NY, magna cum laude with a BA in Analytic Philosophy, where he was a three-year starter on Varsity Football as well as the recipient of the University Scholar–Athlete award for the highest GPA while playing a varsity sport. Paul continued his education at Cambridge University, UK, graduating with a MA with honors in 1976 and received his JD in 1979 from Georgetown University Law Center, DC. For the first 20 years of his career, Paul was lead national trial, coordinating and settlement counsel to the world’s largest asbestos company in its asbestos products liability cases; in that capacity he oversaw more than 100 local law firms and handled hundreds of thousands of cases.

In the last two decades, Paul has represented plaintiffs exclusively in a variety of mass tort and other complex civil cases and played a leading role in the settlement of thousands of pharmaceutical cases, resulting in recoveries for the firm’s clients in excess of $1 Billion. Paul has also represented plaintiffs in financial class actions and mass sex abuse cases. Recently, Paul was named as Co-Lead Counsel in the national opioid litigation that is pending in Cleveland, OH involving claims on behalf of municipalities from across the nation against the manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioid pain medicines; this federal multidistrict litigation is regarded as the largest and most complex litigation in U.S. history.

We talked with Paul about his experiences in and out of the courtroom, the implications of the case, and his journey to this benchmark litigation.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN HIGH SCHOOL? I was initially only interested in three things: being a great football player (I didn’t really come to appreciate the intellectual side of education until I was a junior at Canterbury and began to think about what I would like to do with the rest of my life); the burgeoning music scene at the time of the mid to late 60s; and girls. [Laughs] DID YOU KNOW THEN THAT YOU WANTED TO BE A LAWYER? It had always been in the back of my mind because I grew up in a political family. My grandfather was a very powerful democratic leader on the east coast, based in New Jersey.

He was always surrounded by lawyers that worked either for him, or for the county or city government (that he basically ran), and I came to admire some of them a great deal. I diverged a little from that original thought when I got to college and came under the influence of a well-known professor of philosophy who got me very interested in what’s known as analytic philosophy. It’s essentially the analysis of arguments and logic and the philosophy of science and mathematics—very highly technical and intense curriculum—and for a time I thought I wanted to become a philosophy professor. When I graduated from Cornell, I won a scholarship to do a PhD program at Cambridge University in England in analytic philosophy. So, I went to Cambridge for a little more than a year and I realized that, while I really loved the discipline around analytic philosophy, I really couldn’t see myself doing it for the rest of my life. I felt that I wanted to do something that made a difference in society, so the only choice for me was to be a lawyer. I cut short the PhD program, took a master’s instead, and went to law school.

WHAT’S ONE THING YOU WOULD YOU GO BACK AND TELL YOUR HIGH SCHOOL SELF? I wish, in retrospect, that I had been a little more patient as a teenager. I was very impatient and would tend to get angry or upset if things didn’t go my way, and that sort of carried through to my first couple of years at Cornell.

But then I grew up and became patient and much more circumspect about my reactions to external stimuli. Apart from that, the Canterbury experience had a huge influence on my life, and I was very fortunate. I became the Head Proctor and was captain of the football team—which was a championship team—and I got into Cornell, so it was all good!

WHAT DOES A DAY IN THE LIFE OF PAUL HANLY LOOK LIKE? First of all, I receive in excess of 1,000 emails a day because of my position as lead counsel of the nation opioid litigation—I have two assistants whose only job is to weed out from those thousand plus emails the ones that I need to see. So I spend an inordinate amount of time responding to lawyers that I oversee pursuant to the judge’s order—about 200 around the country—and go over their requests for my approval, or my input or judgement about strategic issues in the litigation. I’m on the phone with the court usually three to four times per week, and I’m on the road four to five days per week. [Laughs] I actually ought to sell my apartment and just live in a hotel when I come back to New York City because I’m away so much. Depending on the week, there may be court proceedings or I may be participating in a deposition; we’ve conducted over 500 in this opioid case and I’ve participated in quite a number of them.

Hanly ’69 was captain of the football team during his Fifth and Sixth Form years.

When I’m in New York—which is not very often—I try to start every day with a six-mile bike ride around Central Park at 5:30 in the morning. My work day begins after that ride, or around 6:30 when I filter through what I’ve been sent by my assistants, and I’m usually working in one fashion or another until 10:30 every night. They’re long days but they’re very fulfilling.

YOU HAVE A HISTORY WITH CASES AGAINST OPIOID MANUFACTURERS— AND PURDUE PHARMA IN PARTICULAR. HOW WERE YOU APPOINTED TO THIS CURRENT CASE? WHAT WAS YOUR LEGAL JOURNEY? One of my co-partners, who is also a co-founder of my firm— Jayne Conroy—and I effectively invented opioid litigation back in 2003. And what I mean by that is, really there were no lawyers in the country at that time that were suing any of the opioid manufacturers for the havoc they’ve wreaked on America. We were the first lawyers to sue Purdue Pharma on a mass basis. We ultimately came to represent more than 5,000 individuals who had been lawfully prescribed OxyContin, and who had taken it as directed, but had nevertheless become addicted. We litigated against Purdue for three or four years, and during that time we obtained incredible documents from the company—which they resisted giving us—that showed criminal activity on the part of the executives. We then turned those documents over to the Department of Justice, which then, in turn, used the documents to convict Purdue and its executives of criminal misconduct and fined the company $634.5 million. So we were instrumental in that government case, and then, with respect to our 5,000 clients, Purdue ultimately decided that we were too much of a pain and so they paid our clients $75 million to go away.

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That experience made me and my colleagues the most knowledgeable lawyers in the nation—in the world, really— about opioid manufacturing and marketing and all the false representations that have been made over the years.

So when all these counties, cities and communities began to come to us and ask us to bring litigation on their behalf, we did. We started representing them, and then when a huge number of the cases—now 2,600—were assigned to one federal judge, he was looking for the most experienced opioid lawyer in the nation—and it turned out that was me.

HOW DO YOU PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE COURTROOM? I’ve been a trial lawyer for my whole career, which is now approaching 40 years, so it’s become second nature to me. When you’re a young lawyer and you’ve never tried a case or even appeared before a judge, it’s a very daunting experience. It’s very formal, with rigid rules and protocols, and you have to be very familiar with all those protocols, which can differ from state to state and from court to court within a state. I have to be fully cognizant of the characteristics of the judge, and what he or she likes or doesn’t like to hear from the lawyers. Obviously, I have to be totally prepared on the purpose of the court appearance. I rehearse in advance what I’m going to say about different issues and how I’m going to answer questions that I can reasonably anticipate the court is going to ask me. I do not use notes, so I have to have everything in my head; I do that because I’m able to—I have a semi-photographic memory— and also because it projects to the court and to everyone else that I am fully immersed in the case and in the issues surrounding it. It’s like riding a bike, I guess—once you do it enough times you don’t really think about it.

IN THIS FEDERAL MULTIDISTRICT LITIGATION, HOW MANY CASES DO YOU REPRESENT? I represent 2,600 cities and counties, including New York City (in its entirety); Cook County, Illinois, which includes Chicago and its surroundings; about 20 cities in Connecticut; basically the entire state of Wisconsin, and many more.

WHAT DOES PURDUE PHARMA’S BANKRUPTCY FILING MEAN FOR THIS CASE? DOES IT AFFECT THE CASE AGAINST OTHER COMPANIES, AND DOES IT GIVE PURDUE MORE POWER? The bankruptcy filing was inevitable. We knew early on that, ultimately, Purdue would have to file for bankruptcy because the extent of their wrongdoing and the harm that they caused—if you were to equate it in dollar terms—is so incredibly huge. We knew the company would not be able to sustain defending a litigation for a very long time. So we were aware it was coming, and in the weeks and months

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before it happened, we had a number of discussions with Purdue and the Sacklers to reach a framework for the resolution of the claims—which would have resulted in as much as six or seven billion dollars for our clients. That’s sort of been put on hold.

Our firm is very active in the bankruptcy proceedings; our role is to force the company to agree to a plan that will, in some measure, compensate these communities that are just hemorrhaging money dealing with the opioid crisis.

Insofar as the remaining defendants are concerned, it has a very positive effect [on us] because Purdue can no longer be dragged into any courtroom in America without the permission of the bankruptcy judge. Therefore, when we try the cases against these other defendants, there will be one fewer pocket. And what that generally means is that the other companies will be—and, in recent days, have been—

I will tell you that the ferocity of this litigation conducted by my colleagues and me against these companies has changed their behavior forever—because no corporation wants to be subjected to what we’re putting these companies through for their wrongdoing. scrambling around to come up with enough money to satisfy our clients and enter into a global settlement of all of the claims across the nation. So ironically, while you might think that it’s a big blow that you’ve lost this defendant from the litigation, it’s actually the opposite.

DOES THE BANKRUPTCY FILING MEAN THAT MORE PLAINTIFFS WILL BE PAID? AND DO YOU THINK THAT THEY WILL BE PAID THE SAME AMOUNT THROUGH THIS PROCESS AS IF THE CASE WENT TO A LARGER TRIAL? That’s a very good question. It’s always an uncertainty, and we don’t really know what the future might have brought if things had gone differently. I will say, though, that the lawyers on my team are not going to leave any money on the table. They are sworn to do the best job they can for all these communities, and we are bound and determined to

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make all of these companies pay for their wrongdoings to the fullest extent possible.

SEVERAL NEWS OUTLETS HAVE REPORTED THAT THE SACKLER FAMILY HAS ABSORBED THE BULK OF PURDUE PHARMA’S ASSETS, AND HAVE TRIED TO DIVERT AND CONCEAL THOSE ASSETS THROUGH WIRE TRANSFERS AND OFF-SHORE ACCOUNTS. DO YOU THINK THE SACKLER FAMILY OWES PERSONALLY IN THIS CASE? Yes. Part of any deal that we would reach involving Purdue and the Sacklers would require the Sacklers personally to put up billions of their own dollars. As for how many billions, we don’t know yet. We need what’s called “discovery” of the Sackler’s assets, and we intend to trace all of those transfers—which have been made over a 25year period, and flow from Purdue to trusts, foreign bank accounts, Sackler entities and Sackler individuals—so that we have a full understanding of exactly how much money the Sacklers have pulled out of Purdue. We’ve estimated it to be between 15 and 20 billion dollars.

THIS LITIGATION HAS BEEN LIKENED TO THE CASE AGAINST BIG TOBACCO 20 YEARS AGO THAT REACHED A $246B SETTLEMENT AND INCLUDED RESTRICTIONS ON THEIR ADVERTISING, SPONSORSHIP, LOBBYING, AND LITIGATION ACTIVITIES, BUT NO REAL LEGISLATIVE OVERHAUL—DO YOU THINK THIS CASE WILL RESULT IN REAL LEGISLATIVE CHANGE? That’s certainly something we would welcome. I think the difficulty, though, is that—irrespective of opioids—Congress is somewhat broken these days. We would welcome, for example, much tighter restrictions on the dispensing and prescribing of opioids. Our public health experts that we’ve engaged—which include some of the most prominent in the world from Harvard, MIT and other institutions—believe that these drugs should not be prescribed at all for chronic, long-term pain but should be limited to end-of-life cancer pain and acute pain following traumatic surgery. We agree with that.

Apart from that, I will tell you that the ferocity of this litigation conducted by my colleagues and me against these companies has changed their behavior forever— because no corporation wants to be subjected to what we’re putting these companies through for their wrongdoing.

They are all reeling from this litigation; obviously, Purdue is in bankruptcy, and other companies are exploring having to file for bankruptcy as well. We expect enormous jury verdicts when the trial starts. Wall street is already reacting; the stocks of some of these companies are spiraling downward and it’s because of the efforts of this litigation.

We believe that—without trying to sound arrogant—we’ve

made a contribution already, because no company in America is going to do what these companies have done having witnessed what is happening in the court system.

what is in the best interest of the communities and individuals who have suffered, because the trust would exist for their benefit. The trustees might decide to continue the sales of OxyContin for some time under these limited restrictions, or they might decide that the company should

money is the result of their wrongdoing is going to be to their detriment.

HAS THERE BEEN A PLAINTIFF OR VICTIM’S STORY THAT HAS REALLY AFFECTED YOU? They all affect me. I’ve represented so many victims of corporate misconduct over the years, and they’re all very poignant and difficult situations. I’ll tell you an anecdote that sticks in my mind: Several years ago, I represented a number of people who had heart attacks as a result of a pain medication called Bextra (it’s no longer on the market—the FDA pulled it because of the increased incidents of heart attacks). I represented two or three thousand individuals in the case and, ultimately, we had a big settlement. It came time to send checks to all the clients, and a couple of weeks later, I got a phone message from one of them. So I called him back, and it was a man in his 70s who had received $220,000. He told me that this money had changed his life—that he had been on the verge of homelessness—and he asked me if I liked baseball cards. I told him that I’d had a collection as a kid but no longer had any. A week later, I got a box in the mail full of this man’s entire collection of baseball cards. He included a handwritten letter that thanked me and said that he hoped I liked the cards, and if I didn’t, that I would give them to someone who would. I still have that box of cards.

WHAT HAS IT MEANT TO YOU TO BE A CHAMPION FOR THESE VICTIMS?

Protesters outside Purdue Pharma headquarters in Stamford, CT, last year. Photo Credit: Jessica Hill/Associated Press

IF PURDUE PAYS A LARGE SETTLEMENT, DOES THAT MONEY COME FROM EXISTING ASSETS, OR WILL IT BE FUNDED BY CONTINUED AND FUTURE SALES OF OXYCONTIN? I.E., IS FINANCIAL RETRIBUTION FOR PLAINTIFFS ONLY POSSIBLE THROUGH MORE SALES OF THE DRUG? Not necessarily. Here’s what has to be kept in mind: the problem is not OxyContin per se—OxyContin has a very limited but very salutary benefit for stage 4 cancer patients and terrible pain following traumatic surgery or injury.

The problem is the marketing tactics that the makers and distributors of OxyContin used, and that fundamental issue has ended forever—I truly believe that.

In our proposed settlement, what would happen is that the Sacklers, who are the sole owners of Purdue, would be stripped of 100 percent of their ownership. Purdue would then be transferred to a trust with three or five independent trustees that have nothing to do with the pharmaceutical business. It would be the duty of those trustees to decide

be broken up and sold off with all of the proceeds from that action going to our clients.

Either way, the public at large will, in some way—either directly or indirectly—benefit from the resolution of the case on terms where the Sacklers are finished in the pharmaceutical industry and must give up all their ownership of Purdue. They would also be required to sell all of their overseas pharmaceutical businesses, which exist in about 30 different countries, and that money would also flow to the victims and their communities.

There’s a little bit of irony in the notion that Purdue could continue to exist and could, in theory, continue to make and sell OxyContin. But again, keep in mind that if there’s a settlement, there’s going to be a huge cash payment from the Sacklers, and all of that money came from the sale of OxyContin. My job is to maximize the funds available to these communities for use to deal with the opioid epidemic.

We’re going to take all the Sackler’s money—or most of it—and use it to deal with the epidemic. The fact that the

My grandfather was a very powerful politician with a heart of gold. I was his favorite and I was around him a lot. Whenever I was with him—whether it was out walking somewhere, or when he’d take me to an amusement park at the New Jersey Shore—at least two or three people would stop him and thank him for getting them a job, or for getting their family member out of jail, or for some other way he’d helped them. He had that sort of power, but he also had an incredible empathy for the less-advantaged.

So it means a lot to me because I feel like I’m doing my grandfather’s work.

IF THEY WERE TO MAKE THIS CASE INTO A MOVIE, WHO WOULD PLAY YOU? [Pause] Well… I’d really like it to be George Clooney.

[Laughs] He’s way better looking than I am, and younger, but he’s played those kind of roles over the years. The other person who I think would be great is Russell Crowe; he did such a good job in The Insider playing Jeffrey Wigand— whom I know—and he totally adopted Jeffrey’s speech and mannerisms. He could do a great job, too. [Laughs]

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ALUMNI WEEKEND THREE DAYS OF FESTIVITIES AND FUN WELCOME ALUMNI BACK TO THE HILLTOP

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The classic scenes of Alumni Weekend always ring familiar: Cantuarians of the past reuniting with longtime friends and classmates, reminiscing timeworn stories, and rekindling laughter and memories that seemingly transport them to the time when they were fresh-faced students.

On June 7-9, alumni from class years ending in 4 and 9—and all years in between—returned to campus for a three-day Reunion celebration.

The weekend began as graduates from the classes of 1969 and prior were hosted to a luncheon at O’Connor House, the home of Head of School Rachel Stone. This esteemed Old Guard then took part in a Strategic Plan

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Roundtable discussion where Canterbury leadership sought their insight on the strategies and initiatives that are carrying the School into its second century.

The class of 1969 kicked off their momentous 50th Reunion with a celebratory dinner and private reception on Friday evening to honor five decades of friendship and fellowship. Meanwhile, all other alumni celebrated with Spirits at Sheehan, a festive s’mores, libations, and beer-tasting event. The Sheehan patio was lit up with a fairytale-esque glow and firepits to roast golden goodness.

Saturday’s sunny morning was the perfect backdrop for the Parade of Classes, led by the

Pictured on this page:

1. Alumni depart from the Chapel of Our Lady following the Alumni Memorial Mass.

2. Members of the Class of 1969 and Old Guard begin the weekend festivities with lunch at O’Connor House, home of Rachel and Jim Stone.

3. Rachel and Jim Stone greeting Trustee Jay Clarke ‘84 at the Chapel of Our Lady.

4. 1979 Classmates Vicki (Greenspan) Newton, Robyn (Osborne) Hughes, and Denise O’Connor.

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Pictured on this page:

1. Class of 1969 poses for their 50th Reunion photo.

2. 2004 classmates Sarah Powers and Allison Millar.

3. Alumni enjoying s’mores, sweets, and spirits under the glow of bistro lights on Sheehan House patio.

4. 1969 classmates Tony Simpson and Chris Daly.

5. Nick Cabrera ‘09 performs at the All-Class Dinner and Dancing Celebration

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class of 1969, which processed into the Society of Alumni Annual Meeting. The day continued with a barbecue lunch, complete with lawn games, face painting, and a bounce house for the weekend’s littlest Saints. Later, the Canterbury Lacrosse Association hosted their annual game for alumni across the decades (including recent 2019 graduates and future collegiate athletes!) to face off during a friendly competition.

As the sun began to set on Saturday evening, alumni gathered in the Chapel of Our Lady for the Alumni Memorial Mass in remembrance of deceased classmates. Then, all classes dined to a strolling gourmet supper while dancing the night away to a fantastic live band featuring Canterbury’s own Dave Overthrow, Director of Music, and Nick Cabrera ’09!

The weekend concluded with a farewell brunch on Sunday morning—a sunny end to a weekend full of memories, both old and new!

“It’s always a pleasure to welcome and entertain alumni at every corner of this hilltop as they renew their ties to one another and to Canterbury,” noted Jen Loprinzo, Associate Director of Advancement. “We enjoyed three picture-perfect days and, whether one was celebrating their 5th, 50th, or any other Reunion, everyone left this hilltop having rediscovered all that they love about Canterbury.”

Pictured on this page: 1. Parade of Classes

2. Bill Bergner ‘09 playing in the Alumni Lacrosse Game.

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3. Alumni riding in style past Old School House.

4. Alumni ranging from the classes of 2019 to 1974 pose for a group shot following the Alumni Lacrosse Game.

5. Joe Viau ‘79 with his mother, Helene.

6. Chrissy Rubin ‘84 tearing up the dance floor with Scott Kelly ‘74.

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SOCIETY OF ALUMNI ANNUAL MEETING RECOGNIZES AND HONORS OUTSTANDING ALUMNI Paul. J. Hanly, Jr ’69 receives the Thomas J. Sheehy III Distinguished Alumni Award; the Outstanding Young Alumni Award is presented to Nichol Whiteman ’94 On Saturday morning following Alumni Weekend’s Parade of Classes, alumni gathered in Maguire Auditorium for the Annual Meeting of the Society of Alumni (SOA). The SOA Executive Committee and Members-at-Large were in attendance at the event, which included representatives from over a dozen distinct class years. SOA President and Trustee Peter Tucker ’78 delivered introductory remarks to the gathered group, which impressively included a 74-year span, from Bill Morrison, class of 1945, to Brendan Omaña, class of 2019. Other notables included Anthony Simpson, class of 1969, who joined the crowd with the title of having traveled the farthest for the event—from the United Kingdom—while 26 classmates from the class of 1969 were in attendance on the occasion of their 50th reunion.

Central to the meeting’s program was the awarding of the Thomas J. Sheehy III Distinguished Alumni Award and the Outstanding Young Alumni Award, presented to Paul J. Hanly Jr. ’69 and Nichol Whiteman ’94, respectively.

NICHOL (MCKENZIE) WHITEMAN ’94 Established in 2018, the Canterbury School Outstanding Young Alumni Award honors an alumnus/a who graduated within the last twentyfive years, who has made significant contributions to civic organizations and/or a chosen profession, whose life is characterized by creativity, curiosity and community service, and who reflects the highest ideals of Canterbury School. 2019 award recipient Nichol Whiteman ’94 embodies all that and more.

With a relentless dedication to improving the lives of others, Nichol is the Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) where she leads the team’s official charity—an awardwinning leader in sports-based youth development.

The LADF works to significantly impact underserved youth in some of the most challenged neighborhoods of Los Angeles by administering direct programs serving youth and communities at large and providing grants to local nonprofit organizations.

The organization is focused on finding innovative ways to create opportunities for children through programs that engage with kids in sports, help kids PAGE 54

stay active, and promote academic success. Under Nichol’s leadership, LADF launched Dodgers RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities), a youth development program serving over 10,000 youth today. As part of its commitment to Southern California communities, the Foundation completed its 50th Dodgers Dreamfield, created a benefit gala, and increased fundraising by 1,000% with Nichol at the helm.

With a degree in Economics from Spelman College, GA, Nichol was the first in her family to graduate from college and has a passion for education, equity, and diversity. Her unwavering dedication resulted in positions in investment management and publishing before beginning a philanthropic career as VP, Western Region of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. As a child of Jamaican immigrants “in search of a dream,” she frequently highlights the power of diversity in advocating for resources and opportunities for marginalized populations.

As an African American woman in Major League Baseball, Nichol understands the importance of access. She uses her resources to open doors and opportunities for youth regardless of their roots.

In addition to her professional achievements, she mentors countless men and women whom she meets in the community.

The New York native has been recognized throughout the industry for her exceptional contributions having earned the 2018 Sports Business Journal Game Changers Award, AntiDefamation League’s 2018 Deborah Award, Ebony Magazine’s 2017 Woman Up Award, and The Pink Tea Rose Foundation’s 2017 Progressive Leadership Award to name a few. In 2010, Nichol received the Woman of Inspiration Award presented by The THE MAGAZINE OF CANTERBURY SCHOOL

Wave. She was also honored by the National Urban League Young Professionals of Los Angeles and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority for her philanthropic and professional endeavors.

A former member of the Executive Leadership Team for the American Heart Association’s Go Red Campaign, she also serves on the Women’s Leadership Council and is a member of Women in Sports and Entertainment and LA Community Leaders. Nichol holds positions on the advisory and regional boards of Covington Capital Management, A Better Chance, Inc., New Teacher Center, Davinci Schools, the Los Angeles County Office of Education and the Positive Results Corporation.

Additionally, she sits on the board of the Los Angeles chapter of Positive Coaching Alliance.

At Canterbury’s 1994 Commencement, Nichol received The Edward F. Mack Award for Outstanding Contributions to The Tabard and The Hubert McDonnell Award for Excellence in the Study of Theology.

PAUL J. HANLY, JR. ’69 The Thomas J. Sheehy III Distinguished Alumni Award, established in 2014 and named for the fifth Head of the School, recognizes an alumnus/a of the school who, through their professional, community, or public service, has brought distinction to themselves, credit to Canterbury, and benefit to the communities they serve. Paul J. Hanly, Jr. ’69 is a deserving recipient of this award as an experienced trial lawyer and litigator. Paul has litigated, managed and tried numerous complex jury cases throughout the United States in virtually all areas of civil litigation for more than 30 years, and is currently the co-lead counsel in the national opioid litigation.

Read more about Paul and this benchmark case on page 48.

CLASS NOTES

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1966 Chris Kirby and his wife, Terry, spent a good portion of July and early August traveling the east coast following the Hillsdale, NJ, 10 and under Little League baseball team coached by their elder son, Chris, and featuring his son (their grandson), Drew. The Hillsdale squad won the district championship in Westwood, followed by the sectional championship in Morristown and, eventually, the New Jersey state title by upsetting perennial powerhouse, Toms River, in the final, as Drew was the winning pitcher, outdueling the nephew of Mets’ third baseman, Todd Frazier. They followed up their state champi-

team from New Jersey and, if they were 12 and under, they would have qualified for a trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA! “Definitely a top-ten all-time experience,” Kirkby said.

Nick de Alejo, John LaCava, Peter O’Donnell, Stephen Cunningham (front), Lenny Savoie, and David Oneglia (back).

1970 John LaCava, Ed Calhoun, and Peter O’Donnell connected on the slopes!

Classmates Nick de Alejo, John LaCava, Peter O’Donnell, Stephen Cunningham, Lenny Savoie, and David Oneglia reunited at a concert at the Sunset Grille in Norwalk, CT, where John LaCava’s band was performing. Steve Cunningham came from Colorado to sit in with them and Nick de Alejo came from Florida because he loves to partake in a fun evening with friends.

1971 Chris ’66 and Terry Kirby watched their son coach—and grandson play—to a Little League regional title.

onship by winning the Mid-Atlantic region, beating Staten Island (NY), Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware along the way. Drew pitched a 2-0 shut-out against Maryland during pool play and followed that up with a 9-2 win vs previously unbeaten Delaware in the final. Ineligible to pitch in the Eastern Region final against Rhode Island (due to rest rules), Drew went to shortstop and made a standout defensive play in the final inning to assure the 3-0 victory. It was the first championship at this level for a

Frank Hickey has authored another book, Dancing Max Hits Guadalcanal or When in Doubt, Rhumba, his ninth book in his series of Max Royster mystery adventures.

Frank Hickey ’71 published the ninth book in his Max Royster series.

John LaCava ’70, Ed Calhoun ’70, and Peter O’Donnell ’70.

1993 Carrie (Lasar) Green was engaged to Michael Walsh on December 23, 2016. She completed another post-graduate degree in special education and is employed as a special education teacher in Hartford Public Schools.

Carrie (Lasar) Green ’93 with fiancé Michael Walsh.

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Melissa Foerst ’95 and wife Elizabeth welcomed triplets in September.

1995 Melissa Foerst and her wife, Elizabeth, were blessed to welcome triplets on September 6, 2019—Evan James, Isabelle Marie, and Chelsea Rose. All are well and their big sister Juliana is the best helper and loving sister they could hope for her to be.

Gary Michael ’97, Chris Crucitti ’97, Jackie (Hacker) Gaddy ’97, and Marc Lane ’97 attended the 21st Run for Joe event in October.

Patrick Zeller has written a new comedy for Storiation Studios. Packed is a ten-episode web series about five very different fathers sharing a common thread of loneliness. A “dating” app called WulfPak brings them together, but a series of wild events at their elementary school makes them a pack.

Danielle (Enage) Conkling ’97 and her family spent time at a Wyoming dude ranch this summer.

Patrick Zeller ’95 wrote a new comedy called Packed.

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Christina Rotolo ’07 and Brooke Walgreen ’09 donned their Saints gear while enjoying fall by the fire.

Katie (Forster) Randle ’05 and husband Griffin welcomed their son Aiden in January.

1996 Joanne Huestis-Dalrymple and hus-

band Kevin welcomed their eighth child, Lily Winifred, this summer! Lily was born on July 2, 2019.

1997 Danielle (Enage) Conkling and her

husband Joel, Lucas age 10, and Alexa age 6 enjoyed traveling east this summer to Wyoming from California and one of their many stops was at a dude ranch!

Gary Michael, Chris Crucitti, Jackie (Hacker) Gaddy and Marc Lane returned to campus to celebrate the life and memory of Guiseppe “Joe” Leto at the 21st and final Run for Joe event on October 6, 2019.

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Joanne Huestis-Dalrymple ’96 and husband Kevin welcomed their eighth child Lily in July.

2005 Doug Tricarico welcomed a second child into his family. Daughter Taylor Antonia was born April 17, 2019. His first, son Douglas Jordan (DJ), was born November 26, 2017.

Katie (Forster) Randle and her husband Griffin welcomed a beautiful baby boy, Aidan Carney Randle, on January 21, 2019. He is named after Katie’s grandfather who is also a fellow Saint, Aidan Mullett, Class of 1944.

THE MAGAZINE OF CANTERBURY SCHOOL

Ally Eggleton ’17 and her Varsity Rowing teammates at the University of Michigan celebrate their 2019 Big Ten Rowing Championship win.

2007 Christa Rotolo enjoyed catching up with Brooke Walgreen ‘09 in CT in October.

2017 Mary-Grace Cordtz and fellow alums from the class of 2017 met in Munich, Germany for Octoberfest.

Ally Eggleton and her varsity rowing teammates at the University of Michigan took the field of the Big House at halftime on September 7, 2019 during the Michigan vs Army game. The occasion celebrated their recent crowning as the 2019 Big Ten Rowing Champions after she helped her team to their sixth Big Ten Championship title this past May at Time Devil’s Lake State Park in Baraboo, Wisconsin. She and her team rounded off the year as one of the most historic in program history, sweeping the Big Ten postseason awards, recording the second highest total of points in championship history, placing 3rd in the nation at the Division 1 NCAA Championships, and culminating with being named Michigan Athletics’ Female Team of the Year. Ally and her teammates celebrated on the field in front of roughly 110,000 spectators, donning their Big Ten Championship rings.

Fellow Saints Emily Martino, MaryKate Martino, and Sofia Ferguson ’19 at a workout with William Smith College Ice Hockey.

Mary-Grace Cordtz ’17 celebrates Octoberfest in Munich with Canterbury classmates.

Emily Martino ’17, MaryKate Martino ’17, and Sofia Ferguson ’19 all took their passion for hockey to William Smith College.

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RE T I R EMENT

Mary Ryder

“ She cared about each of the children here as if they were her own.”

WRITTEN BY MEREDITH BERRY-TOON

Following 24 years of service in Canterbury’s Health Center and 38 years in total of school nursing, Mary Ryder has retired at the close of the 2018-2019 academic year. “She was the grandmother of each of the students who attend this school,” notes colleague and longtime friend Linda Labet. “She cared about each of the children here as if they were her own.”

Mary’s compassion and empathy is echoed across colleagues and students alike, each noting the thoughtfulness and gentleness through which she served the school community.

“Mary has taken care of the most important piece of people's lives for the last 24 years at Canterbury—their children!—as if they have been her own,” Linda continues. “When School is in session, she's always on. She has been on-call for 24 years.” Mary’s career brought her to Canterbury following a stint as an Emergency Room nurse as well as time at a nearby high school. She transitioned into her role as Director of Health Services two years after she began at the School. In that capacity, Mary helped oversee the transition of the Health Center from how it existed two decades

ago—one nurse on-call to drive students and pick up prescriptions—to what it is now—a multifunctional wellness center with eight team members, including behavioral health specialists, licensed clinical social workers, and licensed therapists. Dr. Anne Diamond and Jonathon Diamond, two members of the Health Center team, upon reflection on her tenure, are quick to note the care she brought to her role. “Her compassionate and empathetic demeanor is part of who she is professionally,” they remark. “She’s guided us and this Health Center with the utmost care and gentleness.”

family-oriented person” (as Linda puts it), Mary has spent the majority of her weekends over the last decade criss-crossing Connecticut, Massachusetts, and beyond to visit her children…and now 11 grandchildren. “I try not to miss any major life events,” Mary remarks. “If my one granddaughter has a school dance and a grandson has a crew regatta, I do my best to make it to both, no matter how far the distance.” While still based in New Milford after all these years, it’s a rare weekend when she is actually home. In her retirement, it will be even fewer as she prolongs her weekly trips to spend additional time with her ever-growing family.

Mary moved to New Milford with her husband Carl as newlyweds in 1966. “We had the intention of staying for one year,” she laughs.

“That was 53 years ago.” Carl worked as a high school teacher at New Milford High School until his retirement 14 years ago. “New Milford has been very good to us,” Mary adds, reflecting on her five children and their happy childhoods here. While her children all grew up in New Milford, most have ventured beyond, settling across New England. As an “extremely

Mary’s demeanor as a family-oriented individual extended beyond her true family to the Canterbury Health Center, as well. Anne and Jonathon both remarked how she made the Health Center feel like a home. “She would give treats to the dogs of the faculty members who live there...little gifts to [a faculty child] when a young, new faculty family moved in. It’s like we shared a true house as one large family.”

Mary reflected on her time in the Canterbury Health Center and her career in school nursing with pride and gratitude.

“For 38 years, I have taken care of other people's children” she notes, “And when I think about that, I think about how blessed I have been to have 38 successful years, it feels like such a gift.

When May 31 comes and this last child leaves, I will know that I have finished my career and, with God's help, have done well by all those students. I have had 38 years that have been such a gift, and it feels like such a blessing to end on that note.”

Mary was the honored speaker at the 2019 Sixth Form Dinner.

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R EMEMBER ING

Lee N. Shaw, JR. ’47 1930 — ±2019

Noel Armstrong, Jr. ’53

francis a. martin, iii ’62

james patrick barron ’65

1934 — 2019

bruce p. comjean ’57 1938 — 2019

1943—2019

1948—2019

gary g. gilbride ’70 1951—2019

Frank k. Taubner ’92

neil g. barber ’93 1974—2019

scott j. porzio ’10 1992—2019

1973-2018

Fr. Sebastian Leonard, O.S.B. It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Fr. Sebastian Leonard, O.S.B. on September 21, 2019. He recently celebrated his 88th birthday and his 67th year of monastic profession.

Fr. Sebastian was Canterbury’s longest-serving resident chaplain; he arrived on campus in 1995 and stayed until his retirement in 2015. Unsure if he would adapt to living with adolescents—and he never adjusted to gum chewing in the Chapel—the story goes that he did not unpack until the second semester. In short order, however, he came to love Canterbury students (and they him) and established close relationships with many faculty and staff colleagues. ­For several years, Fr. Sebastian taught theology and European history at the School. As chaplain, he offered daily Mass, prepared students to receive the Sacraments, and delivered thoughtful homilies as part of Sunday Mass. Fr. Sebastian celebrated his last Mass at Canterbury on September 20, 2015.

Son of Irish-born parents, Sebastian began his path toward the priesthood in Indianapolis and attended both high school and college at nearby St. Meinrad Archabbey. Fr. Sebastian entered Saint Meinrad minor seminary in 1944. He was invested as a novice July 31, 1951, and professed his simple vows on August 1, 1952, and solemn vows on September 8, 1955. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 3, 1957.

Fr. Sebastian received a baccalaureate in sacred theology from The Catholic University in Washington, DC in 1958. Appointed choirmaster for the monastic community, a position he held for four years, he also began teaching history at Saint Meinrad College and the School of Theology.

He earned an MA degree in modern European history at Georgetown University, DC in 1962.

He then studied at Oxford University, where in 1968 he was awarded a doctorate of philosophy in modern history.

tor of Conley Hall. He taught history in Saint Meinrad College until 1976 and in the School of Theology until 1983.

In 1983, Fr. Sebastian was assigned as associate pastor at St. David Church in Davie, FL, where he served for 11 years. He returned to Saint Meinrad in 1994, and the following year took an assignment as chaplain and faculty member at Canterbury School.

Fr. Sebastian was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Ellen Falvey, Winifred Strack and Sr. Delia Leonard, SP; his brothers, James, Joseph and William F.; a niece, Maureen Reeser; nephew, Vincent Maxwell; and cousin, Mary Agnes Spellman. He is survived by a sister, Margaret Maxwell (and husband John); sister-in-law, Patricia Leonard; and nieces and nephews.

Fr. Sebastian will be remembered for his wisdom, warmth, and enduring contributions to the history and Catholic heritage of Canterbury School.

In 1971 he was appointed an associate dean of students in the School of Theology and direc-

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C Save-the-Date

JUNE

5—7 Join us on campus June 5-7, 2020 for Alumni Weekend!

Class years ending in 0 and 5 will celebrate milestone reunions, but remember...all alumni from all class years are invited!

If you would like to be involved in planning your most memorable weekend yet, please contact Director of Alumni Relations Kate Heslin ’96 at kheslin@cbury.org or 860.210.3954

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THE MAGAZINE OF CANTERBURY SCHOOL

CELEBR ATING MILESTONE CLASS REUNIONS

2015 2010 2005 2000 1995

Save the Dates Canterbury Christmas Party

1990

December 10, 2019 Harvard Club of New York

1985

Alumni Hockey Game and Family Open Skate

1980 1975 1970 1965 1960 1955 1950 1945 1940

January 18, 2020

Canterbury Music Festival: Past and Present III March 5, 2020

Saints Giving Day April 21, 2020

Grandparents’ & Friends’ Day April 29, 2020

Admission Spring Open House May 2, 2020

Commencement May 22, 2020

Alumni Weekend June 5-7, 2020

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