around the POND
in brief Summer Fellowships Kilbourne Summer Enrichment Fund in the arts
Bulletin Wins Bronze The Council for the Advancement of Support of Education recognized the Taft Bulletin with a bronze medal for excellence among Independent School Magazines.
Natalie Bell ’12--------------------------------------------Architectural design, Columbia University Katerina Rosen ’12-------------------------------------------- Creative writing, Columbia University Oliver Salk ’13----------------------Summer camp for film and acting, New York Film Academy Cassie Willson ’13-------------------- Music, Center for Creative Youth at Wesleyan University Sam Lamy ’14-----------------Photography, Center for Creative Youth at Wesleyan University Kasey Pietro ’13---------------- Musical theater, Boston University Summer Theatre Institute
Meg Page ’74 Fellowships
A.J. Fields ’12---------------------------------------National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine Paige Rogers ’12-------------------------------------------- Biology course, University of Richmond Zinhe Zheng ’13-------------------- Biomedical Research Academy, University of Pennsylvania
Robert Poole Fellowships
Brazen Brass Collegium’s 15th annual concert at St. John the Divine was packed with family, friends and alumni. The program, entitled Brazen Brass, featured music for choir, brass and organ including Renaissance music and contemporary Paul Halley tunes. As always, all Collegium alumni were invited to join in singing the final piece, Freedom Trilogy by Halley. “It continues to be a glorious close to our Collegium Musicum concert season,” said music director Bruce Fifer. Collegium also performed Brazen Brass at the final Music For a Great Space concert in Woodward Chapel on campus.
Teens and Sleep “We looked at recent research on the sleep patterns of adolescents and realized that a later start time would bring academic benefits and make for healthier, better-rested students,” said dean of academic affairs Jon Willson ’82. So after much debate, the faculty voted in favor of a schedule change for next year that moves the start of the class day from 7:50 to 8:15 am. Nearly 70 percent of the faculty voted for the change. 16 Taft Bulletin Summer 2011
Christopher Browner ’12------------------------------------------Waterbury Police Activity League Everett Brownstein ’12-------------------------------- Helambru Project, Omprakash Foundation Katie Drinkwater ’11------------------------------------------------------- WISER, Muhuru Bay, Kenya Ben Johnson ’12---------------------------------------- Helambru Project, Omprakash Foundation Grace Kalnins ’11----------------------------------------------------------- WISER, Muhuru Bay, Kenya Claire Moore ’12-------------------------------------------------------------Trinity Yard School, Ghana Mai Nguyen ’12---------------------------------------------------------------------Tinkuy program, Peru Carl Sangree ’14------------------------------------------------------------- AMC teen crew work, N.H. Blake Turner ’12---------------------------------------------- Immokalee Guadalupe Center, Florida Lily Tyson ’13-----------------------------------------------------------Rustic Pathways program, India Irene Villafane Sanz ’13---------------------------------------------------------- Travel to Teach, China Dima Yankova ’12------------------------------------------------------------------Tinkuy program, Peru Will Ziesing ’12-------------------------------------------------------Wetlands remediation, Wyoming
Comedy of Errors Helena Fifer’s advanced acting class presented William Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors in the Black Box in May. While the original plan was to perform outside in front of Congdon, the weather did not cooperate. “This production was definitely an ensemble effort, with many of the actors playing multiple roles, changing costumes—and genders—at breakneck speed,” said Fifer. “We performed with no set but great lighting and sound, and the students did a stupendous job.” The cast included Maggie Alisberg, Katherine Carroll, Elias Clough, Liz Demmon, Charlie Garcia, Jack Kenyon, KC Pietro, Cassie Willson and Erin Wilson. Special guests were
Nick Auer, Jake Cohen, Molly Tuohy and Ebony Easley. Fifer is eager to work with the English Department next year as they introduce more Shakespeare and performance work into their curriculum. “I know my students are going to be the experts when it comes to reading, understanding and coming up with innovative ways to perform Shakespeare,” said Fifer.
Walk MS A team of over 30 students and faculty participated in the 2011 Walk MS in Litchfield, raising more than $1,300 to support multiple sclerosis. This is the second year that Taft has participated.