Colby-Sawyer Magazine ~ Fall 2015

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FALL 2015


table of contents

FEATURES

IN THE LOOP

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2 Letter from the President; Data Driven 3 Price and Graduation Guarantee 4 Editor’s Inbox 5 Alum Elected Trustee; Congress in Your Corner; Department Chairs Appointed 6 Faculty Promotions; 15th Annual International Festival 7 Phoenix Pact; Faculty Fellow; Tap-a-palooza Victory 8 Black Lives Matter; Students Compete at Symposium 9 The Pub at Lethbridge Lodge; Sabbatical Salon 10 Scott Cooper ’17: Racing to New Heights 11 What the Client Wants; Presidential Blue Key Society; Service in the Sun

THE POWER OF TOGETHER

Colby-Sawyer Launches Its Biggest Campaign Ever

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WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

Ethan Casson ’96

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AROUND THE WORLD

Stephanie Guzzo ’07 and the Harlem Globetrotters

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EVERY DROP COUNTS:

Living and Learning in the Arid West

We accept letters to the editor and reserve the right to edit and condense them. Please send to editor@colby-sawyer.edu or to: Kate Seamans, Editor Colby-Sawyer College 541 Main Street New London, NH 03257

on the cover: Nearing the end of a four-day float trip down the Green River in Utah this May with the River Communities class, Daniel Keane ’16 takes a moment during a lunch break in Gray Canyon to reflect on the experience and soak up the scenery so different from that of his hometown of Wilmington, Mass. Photo: Michael Seamans on this page: Members of the River Communities class enjoyed this view from their campground in Utah’s Arches National Park in May. The next morning, they flew out of Moab to Desolation Canyon to start the float trip portion of their Western adventure. Photo: Michael Seamans

editor Kate Seamans associate editor Kellie M. Spinney Production Manager Edward Germar class notes editors Tracey Austin Mike Gregory graphic design Nancy Sepe printing R.C. Brayshaw & Company Warner, N.H.


ON THE HILL

OUT + ABOUT

SPORTS

12 Many Adventures Await: President Galligan Prepares to Move on 16 An Assessment of Assessment 18 The Unpredictable and Mystical Commencement of 2015 20 The Black Middle Class: Antithesis of the American Dream

21 Beyond the Map: Building a Future in Nepal 23 After Earthquake, Colby-Sawyer Rallies for Nepal 24 Portfolio 26 30 Years of Nursing at Colby-Sawyer: An Interview with Susan Reeves ’88 28 Sense of Place 35 Think Outside the Class 45 Walking Our Talk: When Half as Much is Twice as Good 46 Creativity + Hustle + Passion = Happiness for Peggy Van de Wetering ’93

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The Season in Sports Athletic Advisory Council Award Winners Three Coaches Achieve Milestone Wins

CONNECTIONS 55 56 76 77 78 80

Alumni News Class Notes In Memoriam In Fond Memory From the Archives: 25 Years of Coeducation Epilogue: The Feel of that Ol’ Rougarou


in the loop

DEAR FRIENDS, Change is good. And change is inevitable. For the past nine years, I’ve preached that message as the president of ColbySawyer College. We’ve talked about the change in the college’s demographic makeup as we’ve become a more international and culturally, racially and ethnically diverse place. We’ve talked about the changes that resulted in more academic programs, a larger full-time faculty, online learning opportunities and more. We’ve enhanced our facilities with Windy Hill, a renovated student center, the Sally Shaw Veitch Track and Field, and Victor the Charger. We added a pub, built a sustainable classroom, installed solar panels and a wind turbine, and moved the nursing lab to a bright new space in Colgate. Yes, there has been a lot of change since I arrived in 2006. Now, as my tenth year as president begins, it’s time for me to listen to my own message. It’s time for Susan and me to chase our next adventure. Conse­ quently, we’ve announced to the community that our tenth year at Colby-Sawyer will be our last. Decisions like these are always difficult. We will miss the college; we will miss New London. I will miss working with our incredible faculty and staff. And I will leave having benefited from the most fantastic board and board leadership any president could dream of. Time flies when you are having fun, and the past nine years have flown by. When Susan and I arrived, we had two children in college, one in high school and one entering high school. Now they are all college graduates and adults of whom we are proud. As a teacher, I feel the same way about my students.

data driven

And that is what I will miss most—working with our students. Colby-Sawyer is a wonderful place in so many ways and yet what ultimately justifies its existence is one thing—the education it

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A CAPPELLA GROUP on campus. CSC Riffed gave its debut performance on Feb. 6 at the Colgate Hall Open House, which celebrated the first-floor renovations. They sang “Royals” and “All About That Bass” and received a standing ovation.

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YEARS that Colby-Sawyer has hosted the N.H. Clothesline Project to raise awareness of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

provides. In the classroom, in the lab, in the studio, in the field, in the garden, in Sue’s Sugar House, in the residence hall, in a student government meeting, in another country, and for the rest of their lives, our students learn. And we teach. Talk to anyone who ever worked at Colby-Sawyer, and he or she will tell you that the most amazing thing she or he sees in students over four years is growth—intellectual growth, ethical growth, personal growth and more. It is imperative to continue that rich and worthy tradition. To do that in a world of upheaval for higher education will require the faith, support and investment of our alumni and friends. We are two years into the most significant comprehensive campaign the college has ever undertaken—the $60 million Power of Infinity Campaign. It is my goal over the next year to talk to as many of you as possible about supporting that effort. When you give to Colby-Sawyer, you make a powerful, positive impact on a student’s life, and you make it immediately. Giving is the best way to celebrate the past and ensure the future of your college and what it does best. So, as I begin to think about what is next on my own horizon, I say thank you for giving me the honor of being your president. Sincerely,

Thomas C. Galligan Jr. President and Professor of Humanities Read more about the presidential transition on page 12.

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POUND TUNA that environmental science major Geordie Sousa ’14, a deckhand out of Gloucester, Mass., helped land. Read more on page 72 and watch him in action on National Geographic’s “Wicked Tuna” at cscma.g/gsousa14.

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FACULTY, STAFF and STUDENTS gathered for a candlelight vigil and moment of silence the day Nepal suffered a 7.8 earthquake. See p. 23 for more.

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BROADCASTS of NHPTV’s “Windows to the Wild” featuring Colby-Sawyer’s Mountain Day. The 27-minute show was produced by Carla Gordon Russell ’90. Watch it at cscm.ag/mtnday14.

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COLBY-SAWYER BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION MAJORS were featured on the CNBC website talking about why they want to work on Wall Street. See cscm.ag/cscwallst.

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DOLLARS raised at the third annual Relay for Life at ColbySawyer College by 28 teams with 201 participants.

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SECONDS that history and political studies major Van Son ’15 appears in Hillary Clinton’s campaign launch video.

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YEARS Colby-Sawyer has celebrated seniors’ scholarship with the Susan Colgate Scholars’ Symposium. With employers putting an increased level of importance on critical thinking, project-based learning and the ability to innovate, the symposium is a demonstration of Colby-Sawyer graduates’ readiness to enter the workforce.


IN THE LOOP SHORT STORIES VICTOR/VICTORIA ▼ In January, the name Victor was selected for the Charger statue outside the Dan and Kathleen Hogan Sports Center after a naming contest. What we did not know then is that the kangaroo mascot that represented Colby Junior College was called Victoria—archivist Kelli Bogan turned up a letter from 1958 that shows we have happily, and accidentally, continued a tradition of winning mascots.

▲ Colby-Sawyer is featured in the article “Saving the Earth One New Hampshire Town at a Time” in the spring issue of Kearsarge Magazine. Amy Mackechnie writes about our sustainable classroom, our organic garden, the LEED-certified Windy Hill School, our many dining hall initiatives and the wind turbine, plus the college’s overall commitment to sustainability and our goal to be carbon neutral by 2050. Read more about the efforts of Colby-Sawyer and our neighbors in the Kearsarge region (including our brewing partner, the solar-powered Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille) at cscm.ag/kmags15.

COLBY-SAWYER COLLEGE ADDS TWIST to FIXED-PRICE TREND with GRADUATION GUARANTEE Colby-Sawyer’s Price and Graduation Promise Program launched in March and offers opportunities for eligible students to hold the same tuition and room and board rates for four years, and to take any remaining classes at no additional cost if they don’t graduate in four consecutive years. The college implemented the Price and Graduation Promise Program to reward students for committing to their education and for being active, engaged members of the Colby-Sawyer community. The program encourages academic planning by asking students to enroll in the program upon admission and meet with an adviser to create a four-year curriculum plan. It also supports the college’s efforts to create an enjoyable and engaging academic and residential experience for students who wish to grow as individuals and contribute to the educational environment. The Price Guarantee portion of the program gives eligible full-time residential students the ability to pay fall 2015 tuition and room and board fees for their consecutive remaining academic years at Colby-Sawyer. Merit scholarships awarded by the college at the time of first matriculation will also remain the

same throughout consecutive terms, as long as the student continuously fulfills the minimum requirements for those scholarships. The Graduation Guarantee component states that students who meet the program’s requirements for their remaining consecutive academic years but do not graduate by the end of their fourth year at Colby-Sawyer may take the additional required coursework at Colby-Sawyer to complete their baccalaureate degree at no additional cost. “What makes Colby-Sawyer College’s Price and Graduation Promise Program unique is that we not only freeze tuition rates but room and board costs as well,” said President Thomas C. Galligan Jr. “Colby-Sawyer is proud to offer our students and their families the comfort and security that comes with being able to plan for the financial and time investment of their college experience, without any surprises.” Learn more at cscm.ag/pricegrad. – Jessica Chabot fall 2015

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|editor’s inbox

DID IT AGAIN Incredible magazine! Just when I don’t think the last one can be topped, you do it again—congratulations! Peg Andrews ’85, New London, N.H.

SHORT & SWEET Another great issue! Susan Wright, Sunapee, N.H.

INSPIRING Each issue of the magazine is better than the last. This time, upon reaching the back cover, I found myself buoyed up with an old, familiar feeling of optimism and anticipation for the bright promise of Colby-Sawyer’s future. Having worked here for almost 17 years, it’s great to have this feeling again. As we take on the challenges facing us, it’s nice to get the regular doses of inspiration provided by the magazine. So, thank you, and keep up the good work! David Levine, Bradford, N.H.

ONE OF THE BEST Just finished a page-by-page study of the recent issue of Colby-Sawyer. I consider this to be the best I’ve seen. I was wowed (good Scrabble word) by the images; the photography is beautiful. The writing is not only consistently excellent, but the variety of contributors is impressive as well. I also love how the designer brings the wellorganized sections together. The graphic design is elegant and of a high and creative quality. I don’t think the magazine could be any better than it already is, and I’m sure it will eventually be recognized as one of the best college/university magazines extant. David R. Morcom, Wilmot, N.H. Colby-Sawyer welcomes letters to the editor and reserves the right to edit and condense them. Please send your letters to editor@colby-sawyer.edu or to: Kate Seamans, Editor Colby-Sawyer College 541 Main Street New London, NH 03257

Send address changes to alumni@colby-sawyer.edu or to: Colby-Sawyer College Office of Alumni Relations 541 Main Street New London, NH 03257

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right:

Jinyang Li ’16 performs her piece “Wind” in the dance show “Fifth Position.” Li is a business administration major from Shenyang, China.

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PHOTO: MICHAEL SEAMANS

in the loop

BREATHTAKING I just wanted to drop a line about your spring 2015 magazine. As you undoubtedly know, you can be very proud of this issue. Photos, layout, text and printing are topnotch. And the content would be the envy of schools many times your size. The unusual and varied things your students have been encouraged to do are breathtaking. Keep it up! Richard H. Meyer Jr. (husband of Jean T. Meyer ’50), Cleverdale, N.Y.


Anthony “Tony” H. Librot ’94 Elected as Trustee Colby-Sawyer’s Board of Trustees elected Anthony “Tony” H. Librot as a member of the board to serve a three-year term that began July 1. Librot earned a B.S. degree in business administration from Colby-Sawyer in 1994 and an M.S. in finance from Suffolk University in 1997. He is a certified public accountant in Massachusetts. In 2002, Librot signed up with Waldron H. Rand & Company, PC, one of the oldest public accounting firms in Massachusetts. Librot was previously a supervisor in the audit department of KPMG, LLP, where he gained national firm experience serving Internet, communications and software companies. Earlier in his career, he was an accountant for a privately held stock brokerage firm.

As an undergraduate at Colby-Sawyer, Librot took a leadership role in campus life and served as the co-president of the Student Government Association, the student representative to the Board of Trustees, and on the Community Council. A member of the first coed class to graduate from the college, he was also a community service volunteer and competed on the men’s tennis team. A frequent speaker to industry groups, Librot is active in the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants, where he serves on the Accounting and Audit Committee. He’s also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. In addition, Librot sits on the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Leadership Council in support of its mission to advance Dana-Farber’s research and patient care initiatives through financial support, advocacy and leadership. An avid golfer, Librot is a current member and past treasurer of the Spring Valley Country Club in Sharon, Mass. He and Susan live in Sharon with their sons, Harrison and Brandon. – Linda Varnum

A former Colby-Sawyer Alumni Council member, Librot serves on the President’s Alumni Advisory Council. Several times a year, he’s a guest lecturer in accounting and economics classes in the Business Administration Department. He also lends his expertise to the Managerial Communications and Business Senior Seminar courses as a mock interviewer. In addition to his work with students, Librot is an alumni leader serving on class reunion committees, and he and his wife, Susan, hosted a campaign feasibility event in June 2014. In recognition of his service to Col­bySawyer, Librot received the Young Alumni Achievement Award in 2009.

Congress in Your Corner On April 6, Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH-2) came to campus for a town-hall style discussion on how best to increase college accessibility and affordability. Congresswoman Kuster was impressed with students’ thoughtful and informed questions about federal loan interest rates, the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act, and the fact that 45 percent of Colby-Sawyer students are first-generation college students. Congresswoman Kuster was joined by panelists Ed MacKay, director of the N.H. Division of Higher Education; Tom Horgan, president of the N.H. College and University Council; Tara Payne, vice president of College Planning and Community Engagement at the N.H. Higher Education Assistance Foun­dation; and Colby-Sawyer administrators Kim Sauerwein, director of Retention and Student Success; Todd Emmons, vice president of Finance and Operations/ Treasurer; and Thomas C. Galligan Jr., president and professor of Humanities. Photo: Greg Danilowski

DEPARTMENT CHAIRS APPOINTED Three academic departments have new chairs this fall. Academic Vice President and Dean of Faculty Deborah A. Taylor, Ph.D., appointed Professor of Exercise and Sport Sciences Jean Eckrich, Ph.D., as chair of the Exercise and Sport Sciences Department and Associate Professor of Humanities Melissa Meade, Ph.D., as chair of the Humanities Department. Martin Green, Ph.D., joined the college as an associate professor and chair of the Business Administration Department.

“I am confident that these chairs’ work and counsel will advance the priorities of the academic area and the college as a whole, and I welcome their addition to an already talented and experienced academic leadership group,” said Vice President Taylor. “In the challenging and rapidly changing environment of higher education, shared information, perspectives and governance are critical requirements for progress.” Read more at cscm.ag/deptchairs15. – Jaclyn Goddette ’16 fall 2015

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In recognition of excellent teaching, service and scholarship, the college’s Board of Trustees approved the promotions of Tom Kealy, Ph.D., to professor of Humanities and Hilary Walrod, M.F.A., to associate professor of Fine and Performing Arts at its February meeting.

PHOTO: KATE SEAMANS

▲ Winter Wonderland Abbey Hall sparkles in the sun on a mid-winter afternoon.

The following individuals were granted tenure and promoted: PHOTO: MICHAEL SEAMANS

The (Tiny) Circus Comes to Town ▶ The community-based organization Tiny Circus came to Colby-Sawyer in March for a three-day workshop open to all students interested in learning how to use stop-motion animation to create and tell stories. In this example of hands-on, engaged learning outside of class, 60 students worked together to create “Portals,” a mind-bending time travel experience through paper, clay, drawing, animation and … donuts. See the final result at cscm.ag/portalsvid.

In May, the board voted to confer the status of professor emeritus on Professor of Social Sciences and Education Joe Carroll, Ph.D., who retired in June.

Celebrating Diversity at 15th Annual International Festival College and community members packed Wheeler Hall in the Ware Student Center on Saturday, March 7, as more than 100 students representing more than three dozen countries participated in the 15th Annual International Festival.

Michael Jauchen, Ph.D., to associate professor of Humanities; Joan Loftus, Ph.D., to associate professor of Nursing and Public Health; Harvey Pine, Ph.D., to associate professor of Environmental Studies. Also granted tenure were Associate Professor of Natural Sciences Christine Bieszczad, Ph.D., and Associate Professor of Social Sciences and Education Kathleen Farrell, Ph.D.

Sponsored by the Cross Cultural Club, the festival invites international students to share their home countries’ clothing, food and culture. Hundreds of students, staff, faculty and community members of all ages partook in the wide variety of food and enjoyed conversations with the international students. The evening’s program included a fashion show that displayed students’ traditional attire. A 13-act talent show featured everything from fan dancing and spoken-word poetry to a romantic pas de deux. Colby-Sawyer’s 142 international students represent 10 percent of the student body.

The Board of Trustees grants tenure to longstanding faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding work in several areas. According to Academic Vice President and Dean of Faculty Deborah A. Taylor, Ph.D., the decisions of the Board of Trustees acknowledge and support the excellence of the college’s faculty now and in the future.

Read more at cscm.ag/intfest15. – Cindy Benson

PHOTO: MICHAEL SEAMANS

in the loop

COLBY-SAWYER AWARDS FACULTY PROMOTIONS

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“[These promotions] are indications of the collective recognition of the ongoing excellence of the faculty members’ teaching, service and scholarship and creative work,” said Vice President Taylor. – Jaclyn Goddette ’16 and Anurup Upadhyay ’15


Colby-Sawyer Named Success College by Phoenix Pact Colby-Sawyer College has joined The Phoenix Pact with North Lawndale College Prep (NLCP) in Chicago to help low-income minority students graduate from college. The Phoenix Pact allows qualifying NLCP graduates to attend approved colleges where they are most likely to succeed rather than just where they can afford. Colby-Sawyer’s track record of graduating minority students and its commitment to keeping loan costs manageable has distinguished it as one of The Phoenix Pact’s “success colleges.” The program is a three-way partnership among students who commit to graduate high school with a 3.0 GPA or higher; colleges that ensure at least half their minority students earn a degree;

“TAP-A-PALOOZA” VICTORY EARNS DOLLARS Colby-Sawyer won Food & Water Watch’s nationwide “Tap-a-palooza” contest, earning the college $1,500 to implement additional water refilling stations. From March 22 to Earth Day on April 22, members of Sustainability Core gathered signatures from students who pledged to choose tap over bottled water. With 426 pledges from 31 percent of the student body, Colby-Sawyer received the most signatures per capita and placed third overall among 37 institutions of higher learning that included the College of William and Mary and New York University.

and The Phoenix Pact Fund, which will cover any financial gap between the cost of attendance and available financial aid. Of the 15 colleges that have signed the pact, Colby-Sawyer is one of only three outside the Midwest. Colby-Sawyer established a relationship with NLCP in 2009 through the college’s Progressive Scholars Program. Psychology major Lanell Johnson ’19 will be the first student to attend Colby-Sawyer through The Phoenix Pact. He is among more than 40 of the charter school’s graduates to receive scholarships from the program in its inaugural year. Colby-Sawyer Director of Admissions Anna Miner was in Chicago to support Johnson at the program’s kickoff in May. Much like the Colby-Sawyer Capstone experience, NLCP students conduct yearlong research projects and present their work to the community. Miner attended the senior colloquium, where Johnson spoke about his research on how the definition of family has changed throughout history. Later in the event, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the new initiative with NLCP President John Horan. After revealing that more than $18 million had been raised to fund the program, Horan presented a video that featured Colby-Sawyer and two other colleges that have been successful in this regard. Miner and Johnson, along with other students and representatives of their chosen schools, were welcomed onstage with applause. “Signing on with The Phoenix Pact deepens Colby-Sawyer’s collaborations with other schools,” said Miner. “It enhances our commitment to making education accessible to deserving students.” – Jaclyn Goddette ’16

Professor Selected as 2015 NCAA Division III FAR Fellow Ben Steele, Ph.D., professor of Natural Sciences and Colby-Sawyer Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR), was selected as one of the 2015 NCAA Division III FAR Fellows by the FAR Fellows Institute Planning Committee. The institute, launched in 2010, aims to increase the effectiveness of Division III FARs at the campus, conference and national levels. The professor will participate in a three-day professional development program in October at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis. Professor Steele has served as Colby-­ Sawyer’s FAR for three years. In that role, he ensures student-athletes meet both the NCAA’s and Colby-Sawyer’s eligibility requirements for practice. Student-­ athletes also recognize him as a source of information and an advocate for their well-being. Learn more at cscm.ag/farfellow. – Jaclyn Goddette ’16

– Jaclyn Goddette ’16 fall 2015

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CSC For Racial Justice Promotes Conversations and Awareness

in the loop

CSC for Racial Justice hosted Black Lives Matter: A Panel Discussion on Race and Justice during the spring semester. The session featured a series of short talks by faculty, staff and students accompanied by an open forum for participants. The discussion sought to continue conversations about race and justice in America, educate participants about matters of discrimination, promote campuswide awareness of current events, and help those involved strategize for action. The event also provided an opportunity for everyone to share ideas and shine a light on the many factors contributing to racism. “We hope to embody the spirit of W.E.B. Dubois when he wrote that the cost of liberty is less than the price of repression. In recent events, young African-American men have paid this price with their lives, and we seek to honor them by advocating for change,” said participant and Progressive Scholar Leah Daniels ’16. “With this event as our first step, we hope to educate our peers on how to create the change we wish to see.” CSC for Racial Justice was formed by a group of faculty, staff and students in 2014 to help bring local awareness to the issue of racism and elicit social change. The group joined Black Lives Matter, a national movement that arose in response to the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner and others, in order to fight anti-black racism. “Black Lives Matter is an important event brought about by the hard work of a campus-­ wide coalition of faculty, staff and students who seek to open a meaningful dialogue at Colby-­Sawyer regarding the tragedy of racism and violence. It is a conversation about making the world a better, more just place,” said President Thomas C. Galligan Jr. – Kanika Jackson

Students Present, Compete at Regional Athletic Trainers’ Symposium Fifteen athletic training and exercise science students presented their research at the 2015 New Hampshire Athletic Trainers’ Association (NHATA) Student Symposium hosted on April 19 at Plymouth State University. Students also competed in the symposium’s Quiz Bowl; the team of John Laviolette ’16 and Daniel Murphy ’15 placed first, while Madison Hamilton ’17 and Emily LeBlanc ’17 placed second. “The NHATA Student Symposium provides the rare opportunity for the presentation of undergraduate research,” said Assistant Professor of Exercise and Sport Sciences Theodore Smith. “For the presenting Colby-Sawyer students, it helps to enhance their understanding of the importance of the Capstone process and for our underclassmen, it serves as a spark to starting the process of developing topics for their own Capstones.” Get the full story at cscm.ag/atsymposium. – Jaclyn Goddette ’16

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front row: Arianna Curley ’18, Meghan Castellano ’17, Meghan Clark ’15, Dan Murphy ’15, Pat Wyman ’16, Matt Hunt ’15, Jenn Mailhiot ’16  second row: Zac Kershaw ’16, Emily LeBlanc ’17, Jessica Monday ’17, Stephanie Vecchio ’15, Jackie Keating ’15, Jay Laviolette ’16  third row: Maddie Hamilton ’17, Amanda Matuszek ’18


Lethbridge Lodge Adds Pub, Commits to Sustainability On what may have been the most anticipated Friday the 13th in Colby-Sawyer history, The Pub at Lethbridge Lodge opened in February. Faculty, students and staff gathered around the shiny new bar topped with the floorboards that were removed to make way for the Lodge’s latest feature. The four local brews on tap, including Inaugurale, created by students in the Science of Brewing class, sold out an hour before closing time, but there is much more than beer three nights a week to bring students to the Lodge. With an enlarged kitchen and walls now painted brick red, the Lodge is the comfortable home of a cook-to-order café with a sustainable lunch and dinner menu that features many ingredients originating from within a 100-mile radius. Diners can choose from offerings that include locally sourced meats, eggs, honey, breads and cheeses such as the The Kelsey Burger, a six ounce Maine-raised beef burger served on a locally baked bulkie roll with Vermont cheddar; the Vermont Bean Company’s bean burger; and The Windy Hill Grille with North Country Smokehouse bratwurst, peppers, onions and local stone-ground mustard. “Not only has Colby-Sawyer’s commitment to sustainability led the Lodge to introduce better, fresher menu items, but the overall upgrade of the space and the introduction of the pub provide an improved social experience for everyone,” said English major Ge Huang ’15. “I’m glad to have experienced the change before graduating.”

FACULTY RESEARCH SHOWCASED IN SABBATICAL SALON Five Colby-Sawyer professors showcased their research during a Sabbatical Salon held Wednesday, May 6. Kerstin Stoedefalke, Ph.D., professor of Exercise and Sport Sciences, discussed her sabbatical in “Exercise Down Under,” a three-pronged presentation that covered multiple research interests. Associate Professor of Business Administration Jody Murphy, Ph.D., presented “Financial Education: Inside and Outside of the Classroom.” Associate Professor of Humanities Melissa Meade, Ph.D., discussed “Sonic Women and Cyberfeminists: A Year of Feminist Scholarship and Community.” Chris Kubik, D.B.A., associate professor of Business Administration, presented “Engaged Learning: Professor as Student.” Associate Professor of Humanities Ewa Chrusciel, Ph.D., presented “Translation, Mistranslation, and Contraband of Hoopoe.” Learn more at cscm.ag/sabbaticalsalon15. – Jaclyn Goddette ’16

PHOTO: GIL TALBOT

– Anurup Upadhyay ’15

fall 2015

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SCOTT COOPER ’17: Racing to New Heights in the loop

by Mary McLaughlin

ACCORDING TO SCOTT COOPER ’17, when you’re a college student, you can have a social life, you can pursue athletics, and you can excel at academic work. Alpine ski racers, however, really need to choose two of the three. For Cooper, a Reno, Nev., native who started skiing at age two and racing at six, the choice of where to focus was easy. In addition to following a rigorous schedule with the college’s ski team in the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association, the most competitive league in collegiate skiing, Cooper is a history and political studies major pursuing minors in business administration and legal studies. Cooper’s dedication to athletic and academic excellence earned him a spot on the prestigious National Collegiate All-Academic Ski Team this year, along with his teammates Diana Abbot ’18, James Marshall ’18, Morganne Murphy-Meyers ’17 and Kenneth Wilson ’17. The honor is awarded to skiers who maintain a minimum 3.5 grade point average and compete in one of three National Collegiate Athletic Association conferences.

It was the ski program and the easy accessibility to the training facilities at Mount Sunapee that really drew Cooper to Colby-Sawyer. The dedication and commitment required to earn such an achievement predate Cooper’s arrival at Colby-Sawyer. When he was 15, Cooper earned the rank of Eagle Scout after completing an extensive community service project in which he reversed the effects of bee colony collapse in Reno’s parkland areas. During his last two years of high school, he attended Sugar Bowl Academy in California, a college preparatory high school for competitive skiers, where he trained for four hours every morning before heading to four hours of classes—and he maintained a full competition schedule.

PHOTO: MICHAEL SEAMANS

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After high school, Cooper took two gap years. He skied fulltime the first year with Sugar Bowl Academy, competing across the country and around the world, spending the summer in New Zealand, and, as he says, chasing winter. He spent the next year competing with Ski Club Vail, then decided it was time to apply to college. Cooper was familiar with Colby-Sawyer, having spent childhood summers at a family home in Andover, but it was the ski program and the easy accessibility to the training facilities at Mount Sunapee that really drew him to the college. During the college ski season, Cooper trains on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; travels to competitions throughout the Northeast on Thursday evenings; and competes on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. He takes a break from skiing on Mondays. He spent last summer in Oregon, training on Mt. Hood and working in a Völkl ski shop. Cooper’s short-term goal is to finish college while skiing and competing, but he has longer-range plans, too. “There’s a certain point where you compete in college, and then there are other things you move on to in life,” he says. “I’m looking to apply to grad schools, try to get my J.D. and then go from there.”  ® Mary McLaughlin is director of Residential Education at Colby-Sawyer. She holds a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire and an M.Ed. from the University of Vermont.


What the Client Wants

PRESIDENTIAL BLUE KEY SOCIETY

Windy Hill School wanted a set of icons for its four classroom groups that would foster a sense of identity; function as a system but be distinct; and be age appropriate, engaging, scalable, versatile, simple and high contrast. Graphic design majors in Associate Professor of Fine and Performing Arts Hilary Walrod’s Identity System Design class took the job, and Windy Hill School staff selected this winning design by Rebecca Strout ʼ15.

toddler

The Presidential Blue Key Society (BKS) will welcome its inaugural class of 10-15 members during Alumni Fall Festival in October. BKS is a revival and expansion of the Admissions-based Key Association, which provided Colby-Sawyer visitors with the best possible campus experience, while expanding its mission beyond tours and admissions. Members of BKS will embody and inspire the learning spirit of Colby-Sawyer on campus and beyond. Applicants must maintain a minimum GPA; document at least 30 hours of voluntary service for or on behalf of Colby-­ Sawyer; and demonstrate their commitment to the mission of the college in an essay.

toddler

Members will be called upon to represent Colby-Sawyer for Admissions, Advancement and other departments hosting events that demonstrate the always-learning spirit of the college. They will also be paired with alumni mentors who will offer personal and professional guidance.

nursery

pre-k

– Kim Whitney Sauerwein

Service in the Sun Over Spring Break, the Colby-Sawyer College Community Service Club teamed up with the nonprofit Rebuilding Together Miami-Dade on a home rehabilitation project for a Korean War veteran. Seventeen Colby-Sawyer students and two staff members helped with scraping, painting and cleaning.

Learning didn’t stop at the work site, though. Excursions to beaches, the Miami Seaquarium, a Cuban restaurant and a harbor cruise gave students a taste of a culture quite different from their own. – Michael Clark

PHOTO: TRAVIS RENVILLE

“It was incredible to see how much we did in five days for someone who needed our help,” said Maddie Hallett ’18 of Hyde Park, Vt. “It was pretty emotional to look at the pictures from the first day on the last day, and to see the homeowner’s reaction to what we had done.”

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PHOTO: MICHAEL SEAMANS

on the hill

MANY ADVENTURES AWAIT:

President Galligan Prepares to Move On by Kate Seamans with President Thomas C. Galligan Jr.

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Colby-Sawyer President Thomas C. Galligan Jr. announced Sept. 1 that he will step down after 10 years in office when his second term ends on June 30, 2016. He made the announcement at the all-campus meeting for faculty and staff after informing the Board of Trustees in February. “I’ve had a wonderful nine years, and I’m sure I’ll have a busy and wonderful tenth,” said President Galligan. “The whole time I’ve been at Colby-Sawyer, one of my themes is that change is good, and inevitable. You have to live your message, and the institution, as always, will benefit from fresh ideas.”


P

resident Galligan was dean and professor of law at the University of Tennessee College of Law when the Colby-Sawyer Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name him the college’s eighth president in 2006 for his first fiveyear term. The keen intellect, analytical mind, respect for campus and community constituencies, and enthusiasm for Colby-Sawyer’s liberal education program that search committee members noted a decade ago were put to the test as President Galligan led the college through the toughest economic times the country has faced since the Great Depression. He never wavered in his belief that Colby-Sawyer would not only survive but would thrive as a college that integrates a strong liberal arts education with professional preparation. According to Tom Csatari, chair of the Board of Trustees, President Galligan’s legacy is a college that is better prepared for its future than it has been in many decades, with an expanded full-time faculty, a student body of talented and diverse young people, improved facilities, enhanced support from alumni and friends for the college’s mission, and strategic planning that will lead the way forward. “Tom Galligan’s leadership has inspired our students and faculty to reach new heights while drawing out every ounce of talent and wisdom from the Board of Trustees to serve and enhance Colby-Sawyer College’s future,” said Chair Csatari. “But Tom Galligan is first and foremost a talented educator. Who will forget how he can hold a group spellbound with his Socratic verbal skills, whether it be students in a classroom, faculty at a committee meeting, or the trustees while discussing daunting challenges?” A search committee chaired by trustee Pete Volanakis and composed of board members, faculty, staff and students will work with the firm AGB Search to identify candidates and manage the process of appointing the college’s ninth president. The Board of Trustees hopes to announce President Galligan’s successor in February.

In this first of a two-part farewell to President Galligan, he contemplates his decision to move on and his future, as well as what comes next for the college he has loved and served so well.

The average length of a college presidency is seven years. Did you consider a third term? I’m not quite sure there’s ever a right time for a transition like this, but my contract is ending and, as my wife, Susan, will tell you, I’m a rolling stone. As people read this, I’ll be 60. So for my own life cycle, it seems now is the chance to reinvent myself again. Professionally and personally, though, it was a hard decision. I’m emotionally attached to the institution, and we love New London. I love the people I work with. I believe in the institution and what it stands for—I’m a preacher for its mission. I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish, and it was also a hard decision because there’s still wonderful work that will be done at Colby-Sawyer. The college’s potential really is infinite. What are your plans for life after Colby-Sawyer? I got into higher education because I wanted to teach, and teaching remains the most rewarding thing I get to do. I hope to devote myself even more fully to it. I was a law professor before; maybe I’ll go back to a law school environment. We’ll see. What will your successor inherit? A really wonderful place that continues to innovatively integrate teaching and learning in the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation. I’ve been saying that for nine years, but every day I believe it more. It’s imbued in who we are. My successor will come to a place that believes in that mission and does it better than any other place I’ve been to or seen. He or she will have something to cherish and foster. The new president will see a place where experiential opportunities for learning have increased in recent years.

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The maple sugaring and brewing courses, the permaculture and organic garden courses, the field studies courses, the course on designing a college bookstore, the Student Managed Investment Fund, the evolving partnership with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center—all of those exemplify learning by doing and enrich the Colby-Sawyer experience. They are fantastic things the next president will be able to work with and look at through the Colby-Sawyer prism, but also through his or her own prism. And, the next president will join a much more diverse and inclusive community than existed 10 years ago. The Progressive Scholars Program and our initiatives to internationalize the student body have changed the face of Colby-Sawyer College. My successor is going to come to a small, wonderful town that is not so diverse in terms of race and culture, but this college is a microcosm of a much broader world. Hopefully, he or she will build on that. What do you want to accomplish before you say farewell? At the top of the list is to keep the Power of Infinity Campaign moving along. We launched it in April and started out incredibly well. We raised more than $20 million in the silent phase, and I want to see that pace continue through my tenth year. One of the campaign’s focal points is the health professions. As we speak, we’re creating new ways to provide an even sharper, more public identity for our nursing, public health and other health professions programs. We have a fantastic relationship with Dartmouth-Hitchcock, and I want to continue to foster it so my successor can inherit an even stronger connection to that institution. In terms of soft spots in my heart, it really gets back to diversity. It matters to me that we were able to increase the number of students from underrepresented populations. Our financial aid is phenomenal, and the average student pays a lot less than the posted price, but some of the students who have come to Colby-Sawyer and benefited from it can’t afford anything near even a 50 percent discount. So when I think about programs like Progressive Scholars and the college’s internationalization, I want them to survive, and the most effective way is for us to find funding sources for those programs. That’s another thing I’m going to emphasize as I do my campaign work. I would hate to come back in 20 years and not see these programs alive at Colby-Sawyer.

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In 2006, Colby-Sawyer was looking for a president who would sustain a consultative community; enhance revenue streams in support of the college’s people, programs and facilities; provide visible leadership and creative management; and promote diversity, which you just spoke about. Have you achieved those goals? Yes. Any goals for a president are institutional goals and depend on the community’s ability to come together to support the initiatives. I think we’ve done an awful lot. We mentioned diversity. We’ve nearly doubled the number of our majors. We’ve increased the size of the full-time faculty and the percentage of courses taught by full-time faculty to a level of which we can be proud. We built a new Windy Hill School and expanded and renovated the Ware Student Center. We improved other facilities. We managed to get through the worst economic period in American history since the 1930s. We’ve created a Presidential Fellow Program that provides recent alumni with a gateway position to their careers. We’ve seen fantastic growth in the Wesson Honors Program. We revamped, in record time, our liberal arts education requirements and accomplished a curriculum conversion that shifted courses from three credits to four. We started online education programs. We added athletic teams. We’ve opened our campus to outside events to generate revenue. When my ethical standards wouldn’t allow us to continue in our old athletic conference, we acted. At Board Chair Tom Csatari’s urging, we’ve undertaken the college’s most significant marketing campaign in its history. We’ve had a good relationship with the town. We continue to try to educate each other on what a dynamic 21st century college needs to survive and thrive in an affluent, relatively traditional New England town. We’ve also tried some things that haven’t worked out, and that’s okay, because you can’t be afraid to fail. Just as much or more will happen in the next 10 years because we’re at a time in the history of American higher education when we’re not quite sure what tomorrow will look like, but we’re doing our best every day to do what we know is best for our students based on the past and our best guesses about the future, and the future is never quite what we expect. What qualities do we need in our next president? We’re an attractive place and will get great candidates. We need somebody who’s creative, innovative and inspirational. Someone who is willing to try new things but isn’t afraid to fail, someone who understands what we are and what we’ve done and where we come from.


The end of your term coincides with the end of Board Chair Csatari’s. How will the college community handle this multifaceted transition? The new chair will come from within the board, so it will be someone the board trusts. I’ve been lucky to work with two incredible chairs, Anne Winton Black ’75/’77 and Tom Csatari. They have been partners in this. They listen to me. They understand the issues that face the college. They hear more about the day-to-day things that I deal with than the whole board. They’ve been mentors. They’ve had great ideas. They’ve been confidants and inspirations. I have every confidence that the next chair will be fantastic. Any time there is a leadership change, other people may decide it’s time for them to move on as well. That is just the life cycle of an institution, and we’re attuned to that. Regarding the presidential transition, I’m sure there are people who are ready for a change. There may be others who are nervous, but my advice to them is you’re going to have a say in the process. You’re going to have a chance to meet and talk to people. Have confidence in yourself to know what feels right and to communicate that to the key decision makers. When it comes down to it, the president’s really not an expert in much of anything. She or he has to rely upon the folks who are the experts in their areas. When people are scared about transition, they have to realize they’re the brains of the institution at what they do—they need to relax and have confidence that the institution is going to be fine.

to do and what Susan is going to do and where we’re going to go, but at the same time, there are only so many adventures in your life, and I’m curious to see what the next one will be. What advice do you have for your successor? Listen, just listen. You don’t have to agree to everything, but just listen. Also, keep smiling and get out and walk around because it’s a beautiful place. One more thing. Those of us in traditional higher education—particularly faculty, but also many staff—we did not choose the world of business, of profit and loss. We wanted to live our professional lives in a world devoted to education and a world devoted to what for us seemed like a higher calling. The challenge for us in higher education today is that it has, in many ways, become a business, but the people who are tilling the soil in higher ed never wanted to be businesspeople. So we’re living with that tension. But how do we realize that being smart in a business sense is key to our ability to survive and provide an education students can afford but also maintain our commitment to not being ruled by profit and loss? How do we take those two discordant tunes and make them one melody? We find ourselves in a business where the realities of the current marketplace demand certain business skills and acumen so that we can do what we love even better. What has it meant to you to be Colby-Sawyer’s president?

You’re really not very worried about this. I’m concerned about the future of the college, but I’m not concerned that it’s not going to be fine. I just want to do everything I can to give my successor everything she or he needs to be able to succeed and to make Colby-Sawyer even better. I’m concerned about making sure I do the right things to make that happen, but I have every confidence that this institution has an incredible ability to find the right match. There were wonderful presidents before me; I think Colby-­Sawyer probably wouldn’t exist today if it hadn’t been for Peggy Stock. She was the perfect person at the time. And then Anne Ponder was the perfect person for her time. This institution and its community will find the right person to fill this role and lead the college. No, I’m not worried about that.

You’re calling for serious reflection! It’s been rewarding. It’s been challenging. It’s been the most wonderful job I’ve ever had. It’s been the hardest job I’ve ever had. It opened my eyes to the history of a wonderful institution and a microcosm of a part of American educational history. It gave me a wonderful education. I would say that I’m a trees person. I can see the forest, but I start with the trees. I can answer that question better in five or 10 years when I look back on the arc of my career. But it has indeed been my great good fortune to be the president of Colby-­Sawyer College.  ®

On the personal side, I like change, but it’s kind of scary. I’m never going to have a better commute. I’d be amazed if I’m ever going to face quite the level of creative opportunity and challenges that we’ve been through over the past 10 years. One of the wonderful things about Colby-Sawyer is there’s always a surprise just around the corner. I’m going to miss that a lot, and I’m kind of wondering about what I am going fall 2015

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an Assessment OF Assessment on the hill

by Craig Greenman YOU’RE READING a college magazine, so you’re likely to be an alumna or alumnus—or another member of our community— interested in history. Maybe you’re curious about how your classmates and professors have changed, who has gray hair now and who’s gotten married. You’re probably also interested in the future: What’s new on campus? What are the latest initiatives and developments? To be a human person is to have a history, connected to places like Colby-Sawyer College or, as some of you knew it, Colby Junior College for Women. But history is a tricky thing. Henry Ford famously said in a Chicago Tribune interview: “History is more or less bunk … We want to live in the present, and the only history that is worth a tinker’s damn is the history that we make today.” So history is bunk. All of us, even Native Americans, have forebears who came from elsewhere. “Don’t give us history!” our ancestors cried. “Build us automobiles to take us somewhere else!” So things change. But is change just “change”—one thing after another—or is it progress? Could it be repetition? How about regression? Many battles are fought over inter­ pretations of history.

The first problem here is that life, including education, is richer than a set of outcomes. Kisses aren’t goals. Neither are sunny days nor heart-to-heart conversations. As a professor, I’ve belonged to a single institution—the “academy” (as it’s been called since Plato founded his Academy in ancient Athens)—for most of my adult life. So, in a sense, my career is one big college magazine. My discipline, philosophy, reaches back thousands of years, and I spend my time regularly with folks who have been dead for millennia. Sometimes I feel trapped by all this history—I’m an American, too (and, like Henry Ford, from Michigan)—but we all belong to histories— families, neighborhoods and workplaces—and they couldn’t disappear without us disappearing. Since I came to Colby-Sawyer, some things have stayed the same—we still teach philosophy—but some have changed. Some have changed for the better—we have new majors like sociology and new minors like mathematics, as well as new intellectual and cultural opportunities for students—but some have changed for the worse. I’d like to write about something that has gotten worse in the academy and at Colby-Sawyer, too, which is part of the academy. (Alas, my discipline and Midwestern upbringing often incline me to talk about problems rather than triumphs.) 16 colby-sawyer college magazine

Here it is: assessment. Like the phrases “absolutely,” “not a problem” and “moving forward,” “assessment” has become ubiquitous. We’ve assessed for a long time—I assess my students when I grade their papers, and I often think of ways to improve my courses—but this contemporary kind of assessment I’m talking about is rather more intense. It’s the systematic evaluation of everything we do. It’s difficult to summarize, so I’ll borrow a bit from Dr. Trudy Banta and Dr. Catherine Palomba’s Assessment Essentials: Planning, Implementing, and Improving Assessment in Higher Education: “Assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving learning and development.” Assessment is the constant evaluation of what we do in the attempt to do it better. In practice, this “systematic collection, review, and use of information” involves translating everything we teach into a set of outcomes and then demonstrating—preferably by using quantitative data—whether or not these outcomes have been met. The first problem here is that life, including education, is richer than a set of outcomes. Kisses aren’t goals. Neither are sunny days nor heart-to-heart conversations. Likewise, thinking creatively and critically—one of our learning “outcomes” at Colby-­ Sawyer—isn’t just an outcome. It’s a complex landscape of perception, reflection, the “self” and “other” (already simplifications), and a million other intricacies. Thinking creatively and critically, like a kiss or a song, is rich. It may be a goal, but it’s much more than that. It’s as thick as life. To discuss it primarily in terms of outcomes—to make the goal the primary way that we conceptualize the action itself—undermines its richness. We shouldn’t define the race simply in terms of the finish line. Recently I was chatting with a physician and learned that he, too, deals with assessment. He spends half his time not taking care of patients but documenting their visits. He’s required to transcribe their maladies into a digital matrix that misses many of his diagnostic nuances. It’s a strained, bureaucratic language that impoverishes reality and leaves him less time for his primary job of healing. Like the physician’s matrix, assessment is a standardized, bureaucratic map, thrown over the rich landscape of teaching and learning. In our classrooms—if all goes well—we create, discuss and experiment. Most of all, we think. If we’re lucky, we end not with an outcome, but with a new perspective. We see orange where before we only saw red and yellow. And we see it in a way that isn’t easily measured. (This is a recurring problem in the academy: What we “produce” is ephemeral. How one sees isn’t easily seen. That’s why it’s so easy to cut education: It’s hard to tell the difference when somebody is thinking and when she’s just sitting there.) So assessment isn’t about doing something—we were already doing it when the assessment began—but demonstrating we did it, with a poor model that impoverishes the action itself.


Granted, we’ve always used models in education; we make partial maps of the world all the time (in controlled experiments, for example). But the different disciplines in the academy historically have countered and corrected each other’s maps—for example, psychology has corrected philosophy and been corrected by it—just like friends correct each other’s perspectives. In the academy, this mutual correction is called “liberal education.” But assessment is, in a precise sense, “totalitarian”: Every discipline is asked to fit one overarching model, the measurable “outcome.” It’s also a key way that government and private grant money is awarded. I don’t oppose quality control. I was the editor of Colby-Sawyer’s 2015 accreditation report for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Accreditation, a peer-review process, guarantees a minimum level of academic quality and allows for an institution to tell its story. It involves a narrative, too, which, even if it doesn’t capture 90 percent of what happens, is relatively rich and nuanced. Accreditation takes place once every 10 years (for a comprehensive report) or once every five years (for an interim report). Assessment, on the other hand, doesn’t involve a narrative, is expected to go on constantly and, due to its “totalitarian structure,” subsumes peer review—and collegial dialogue—into a largely bureaucratic process. Come with me to a committee meeting. I’ve submitted five outcomes for a new philosophy course I want to teach. I’ve already had to simplify my course to create my outcomes, but the committee will not approve it because one outcome says that my students will “understand” x, y and z. “Understanding” isn’t

NUMBER OF: kisses heart-to-heart conversations 100

% sunshine per day over 10-day period

10

50

5

1 0

measurable enough. I’m required—after a lengthy nego­tiation with good, well-intentioned people (my colleagues and friends)—to accept a new, more measurable version of my outcome. This takes a long time, for me and for them—dealing with my intransigence isn’t easy!—and during all that time, we’re not doing our primary job: teaching. The irony here—back to history—is that 40 or 50 years ago, when some of you were in college, assessment didn’t exist. There were no outcomes, in the contemporary sense, and sometimes there weren’t even syllabi. Yet, shockingly, unbelievably, education happened. Some might even say it happened well. But history is bunk! We must innovate! Some things do need innovating—one of the recent positive changes at Colby-Sawyer has been our increased student diversity—but some don’t. We’ve educated at Colby-Sawyer for a long time; even if we haven’t done everything well, making our teaching more bureaucratic isn’t an innovation worth the cost. American colleges were “the envy of the world,” as the cliché goes, long before contemporary assessment, and Colby Academy, the secondary school that became our college, predated assessment. So if assessment does two things—turns a rich educational landscape into a poor map and reduces the time for education (giving it over to the demonstration of education)—whence comes this unwelcome guest? My own theory (it’s really more of a joke, because there are others who can answer the question better and more seriously) is that it’s a product of Republicans who never saw a liberal professor they didn’t (not) trust and Democrats who never saw an organization they didn’t want to bureaucratize. Ultimately, it may be a poor solution for an old American problem: How do we trust people who come from different places and who don’t share our ideas, our religion and our politics to actually do their jobs? The solution I’d prefer—it used to be more in vogue in the academy—is to hire good people and give them their freedom. Everyone I know at Colby-­ Sawyer—administrators, faculty and staff—joined the academy not from greed, but from love. We’re motivated actors. Fund us, leave us alone, and you’ll get an amazing result. Indeed, what better way to honor our American history than to value not bureaucratic assessment, but academic freedom? Such a solution would preserve more of the unseen, unspoken and unassessable triumphs in this little “college magazine” I call my home.  ® Associate Professor of Humanities Craig Greenman, Ph.D., joined the Colby-Sawyer faculty in 2004. He holds a B.A. from Valparaiso University and an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Loyola University Chicago. His articles and short stories have been published in a number of journals and magazines; his book Expression and Survival: An Aesthetic Approach to the Problem of Suicide was published in 2008.

ILLUSTRATION: NANCY SEPE

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on the hill

The Unpredictable and Mystical Commencement of 2015 by Kellie M. Spinney

THE FAMILIAR WHITE TENT STOOD PROUDLY on the college’s front lawn. Beneath its peaks, the hum of music intermingled with the buzz of friends and family sharing stories while awaiting their beloved graduates, devices fully charged and tissues at the ready. The warm day brought record pollen counts and sandals and sundresses—a far cry from the umbrellas and layered looks of recent years. It soon became apparent that weather wasn’t the only thing that had changed: The tent was larger, with 700 more seats than the year before; the flowers stood taller; and the media presence was heavier. Eyebrows shot up as the New England Brass Quintet changed their tune from the traditional processional to the Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias.” It was Saturday, May 9, and it felt like anything was possible. As graduates filed into the tent and took their seats, the feeling of expectation and curiosity turned to nostalgia as Professor of Social Sciences and Education Joseph Carroll gave his final call to order as co-marshal of the college—he retired this June after 38 years. He yielded the microphone to Alpha Chi Award recipient Serene Chua ’15, devoted member of the Voices of CSC and the CSC Singers, and she offered a heartfelt performance of the national anthem. President and Professor of Humanities Thomas C. Galligan Jr. welcomed the audience and delivered his Charge to the Class of 2015, during which the reason for the quintet’s unusual music choice became clear. Describing the feeling of time standing still, President Galligan blurred the line between the rational and the mystical, citing lyrics made famous by the

l to r: Serene Chua ’15; Associate Professor of Humanities Michael Jauchen; Aomi Mochida ’15 and Anurup Upadhyay ’15, winners of the David H. Winton Baccalaureate Award. Photos by Gil Talbot.

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Dead and challenging graduates to live in the moment. “Life is usually neither as predictable nor as simple as it is in that kind of song,” said the president. “And in the end, our protagonist in ‘Scarlet Begonias’ has to let the girl pass by. In the song, they do not end up happily ever after. But, while it seldom turns out the way it does in a song, I suggest that you should keep your head up, keep your mind open, keep your heart open and keep looking at things in fresh new ways.” President Galligan’s message especially resonated with those graduates from Nepal. Just two weeks before, time seemed to stand still as their homeland was shaken by a series of devastating earthquakes. Mentions of the unfolding disaster were woven throughout the ceremony as 15 Nepali graduates and many of their families sat with much on their minds and in their hearts. One such graduate was co-recipient of the David H. Winton Baccalaureate Award Anurup Upadhyay ’15. “My parents and I were grateful for the acknowledgments during Commencement,” he said. “We took it as a gesture that Nepali students are appreciated for the differences they make at Colby-Sawyer.”

Unpredictability is life’s default setting. – Associate Professor of Humanities Michael Jauchen And then a storyteller in academic regalia appeared. In the way that only a beloved literature and writing professor could, Associate Professor of Humanities Michael Jauchen mesmerized the crowd with lyrical magic. The Jack Jensen Award for Excellence in Teaching recipient took one last opportunity to teach his students with his Commencement Address, “The Feel of that Ol’ Rougarou.” With a dash of advice, a pinch of


wisdom and a heaping spoonful of permission to embrace the unknown, Professor Jauchen offered graduates the gift of a word: rougarou. The moment it melted from his mouth, the Cajun French word meaning “the thing that is about to happen” infused the day. “I love this energy at the threshold, right before you cross,” said Professor Jauchen. “It’s so mysterious, ramshackle, electric and fun.” (See page 80 for more of Professor Jauchen’s message.) As Krista Peace ’15 took the lectern, the audience emerged from Professor Jauchen’s spell just in time to straighten up and say “cheese.” The Senior Commencement Speaker charmed the crowd by going off-script in “the most efficient place she could be to get a selfie with almost everyone in her class.” Peace, a history and political studies major known for her political engagement, delighted the audience with her address, “Striving for Excellence.” Reflecting on Colby-Sawyer’s commitment to excellence in academics, citizenship and diversity, Peace sent her fellow graduates into the world with an assignment: “Appreciate the fact that examples of excellence have not been a surprise to us because we are part of a community where excellence is simply a habit,” she said. “Most important, remember to maintain these habits as we begin the next chapters of our lives in the ‘dynamic, diverse and independent world’ that we have spent the last four years at Colby-Sawyer preparing to thrive in.” With the investiture of the inaugural Sonja C. Davidow ’56 Endowed Chairs in the Fine and Performing Arts; 10 awards presented to outstanding students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends; and degrees conferred upon 312 graduates, the 177th Commencement came to an end. Colby-Sawyer’s Class of 2015 emerged from the tent, and its members became the protagonists of their unpredictable and mystical new lives.  ® Commencement program and full transcripts of speeches available at colby-sawyer.edu/commencement/index.html. Kellie M. Spinney is the communications and online content coordinator in College Communications.

AWARD WINNERS Recognized at Commencement GRADUATES Colby-Sawyer Award Jesse Socci Commencement Speaker Medal Krista Peace David H. Winton Baccalaureate Award Aomi Mochida and Anurup Upadhyay

FACULTY, STAFF, ALUMNI AND FRIENDS Jack Jensen Award for Excellence in Teaching Associate Professor of Humanities Michael Jauchen Nancy Beyer Opler ’56 Award for Excellence in Advising Professor of Exercise and Sport Sciences and David H. Winton Endowed Teaching Chair Jean Eckrich Town Award Anne Baynes Hall ’67 Gown Award Associate Professor of Business Administration William F. “Bill” Spear P ’07 Susan Colgate Cleveland Medal for Distinguished Service Sonja Carlson Davidow ’56 and William H. “Bill” Davidow Distinguished Alumni Award Debra “Debbie” Bray Mitchell ’77/’79 Judith Pond Condict ’62 Award for Excellence in Service Director of Group Exercise Anne Poirer Inaugural Sonja C. Davidow ’56 Endowed Chairs in the Fine and Performing Arts Professor Bert Yarborough and Professor Jon Keenan

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THE BLACK MIDDLE CLASS: Antithesis of the American Dream by Omari Jackson In my research, I examine the inner-class differences among middle-class individuals based on race. The scholarly examination of the black middle class is important because, unlike any other group, it is downwardly mobile, and that is anti­ thetical to the American Dream. I am especially interested in differences between middle-class blacks and whites. An important distinction between these groups is that blacks are less likely to be members of the upper middle class. Upper middle-class individuals are more educated than their middle-class counterparts, which correlates with higher pay and employment level. And these higher levels yield the social networks needed for continuous upward mobility. There is a compounding of resources, and education remains the initiator of all resources. My research highlights the educational disparities between middle-class blacks and whites. I study the relationship between educational aspirations and attainment, and I’m interested in students who attend and complete college. In terms of educational attainment, we know middle-class blacks tend to attend college at lower rates than middle-class whites. Accordingly, many blacks’ aspirations to attend college are unrealized.

Many lower middle-class black parents in Generation X did not see the need to save for their children’s college education because they expected their children to attain the same well-paying manual labor positions they held. In some instances, lower middle-class blacks earn as much or more than upper middle-class whites. How is this possible? Colonial America was economically based on manual labor. Until the Great Recession, our economy was still rooted in such jobs that provided a stable middle-class living. These workers, however, lacked education and upwardly mobile social networks. Our current economy is rooted in service jobs that have displaced many manual laborers. It’s almost certain that the remaining manual labor jobs will not be an option for the next generation, yet the next generation has not been resocialized to prepare for college.

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Preparation for college is a lifelong task. Many lower middle-­ class black parents in Generation X did not see the need to save for their children’s college education because they expected their children to attain the same well-paying manual labor positions they held. For those who recognized the transformation in our economy, it was difficult to pull together enough money to pay for college even if they started saving before their children were born. Even if money isn’t an issue, social and cultural capital plays a major role. While many middle-class whites possess social capital, many middle-class blacks don’t know highly educated or professionally employed individuals. Additionally, many middle-class blacks lack cultural capital, and parents lacking cultural capital might not understand the school system’s bureaucratic nature. Furthermore, less educated parents are typically less confident advocating for their children, who may in turn fall through the cracks; studies show that teachers attend to students’ needs most when parents hold teachers accountable through regularized interactions. In addition, many manual laborers have inflexible work schedules that preclude them from attending parent-teacher conferences that usually occur during work hours and require more time off than a laborer can sacrifice. Those who make less money but have more flexible schedules are better able to prepare their children for college by monitoring their children’s educational progress and taking advantage of educational resources that could lead to scholarships and offset the parents’ lower incomes. Part of the American Dream is expecting our children to sur­ pass our own success, but black middle-class children are typically faring worse than their parents. My research is timely because we have the opportunity to implement first-­ generation college student programming in schools to combat this social phenomenon. Advocacy programs exist for poorer citizens to help attain a college education, such as education policies and financial aid, but few exist for middle-class citizens—it is assumed they don’t need assistance because it is assumed they are financially successful. As rapper Jay-Z says in the song “Swagga Like Us,” “You can pay for school, but you can’t buy class.”  ® Assistant Professor of Social Sciences and Education Omari Jackson joined the faculty in 2013. He holds a B.A. from The University of Michigan and an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Wayne State University.


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BEYOND THE MAP: BUILDING A FUTURE IN NEPAL by Jaclyn Goddette ’16

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s a dense fog receded into the Nepali jungle, 60 students, teachers and volunteers from Maya Universe Academy gathered before the school day to participate in a game of dodgeball—students versus adults. The playtime followed the delivery of morning announcements and recitation of original student poems. When I and three other members of the Wesson Honors Pro­gram volunteered at Maya, we were welcomed into the community, which means the kids did not hold back—they pummeled us in every round. We were there to help provide Nepali children with greater access to educational resources and to strengthen a burgeoning relationship with Maya as the second Colby-Sawyer group to visit. Last year, after much planning and guidance from Professor of Humanities Ann Page Stecker, Nishchal Banskota ’15 and three other Wesson Honors students received funding to travel to Nishchal’s home country and build a bamboo classroom for Maya. This January, Deepesh Duwadi ’17 of Nepal; Ge Huang ’15 of Nanchong, China; Banskota and I helped continue the work at Maya. Joined by Professor of Fine and Performing Arts Jon Keenan, our mission this time was to transform an empty building into a library and establish a water filtration system. Maya is in the rural district of Tanahun, more than 125 miles west of Kathmandu. To reach the academy, we boarded a bus

PHOTO: JON KEENAN

that barreled along a serpentine highway that jutted out of the Annapurna mountain range. After five hours, we reached the last city on the map and traded our bus for the Jeep that makes the hour-long ascent to Maya once a day. Maya means love in Nepali and it is this, rather than money, that the academy uses as a medium of exchange. The remote nature of villages like the one Maya serves means that its young people have little access to quality educational resources, and the academy’s founders developed a radical model to meet the community’s needs. Maya means love in Nepali and it is this, rather than money, that the academy uses as a medium of exchange. Instead of paying tuition, parents volunteer at the school two days a month. With the additional help of volunteers, such as Colby-Sawyer students, Maya offers some of the world’s most brilliant children the education that they deserve.

A FLEXIBLE FUTURE Time moves differently in Nepal. Our journey there propelled us forward through nearly 10 time zones, but I also sensed a more subtle shift. As we walked through Patan Durbar Square’s red-tiled courtyards just three months before they were ravaged in the April earthquakes, I marveled at the towering pagodas, reminders of a distant century that now serve as romantic backdrops while young couples snap selfies. Nishchal and Deepesh reminded me that time is flexible in Nepal. It explains the confluence of past and future at Maya. During our tour of Maya’s facilities, a long-term volunteer led us to a large patch that served as the organic vegetable farm. Off to the side, children played on a swing while chickens and goats grazed nearby. The parents maintain the farm and sell the produce to generate revenue for the school, and it jumpstarts lessons on agriculture and economics. At Maya, children are taught to value local skills and traditions.

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PHOTO: GE HUANG ’15

Challenges, even those that originate from the state, are opportunities for people to come together and solve problems.

Guests share other knowledge as well. Professor Keenan delivered 10 ceramic water filters to the school and taught the students how to use them so that they no longer have to hike the mile to a freshwater spring in the jungle twice a day.

many problems facing their country. Since the monarchy dissolved, Nepal has run on an interim constitution, unable to draft a rule of law that appeases all political parties. If anyone can find solutions to the political unrest, though, it’s the children we met at Maya. Ge and I taught four English classes, and before the lessons we asked each group of fifth graders their names. Without prompting, they included their dream jobs, as if their goals are intrinsically tied to their identities: “My name is Manish, and I want to become an engineer.” “My name is Bishnu, and I want to become a doctor.”

After dinner, when all the boarding students had gone to bed, Maya co-founder Yoon welcomed us with a brief speech. “This,” he declared, gesturing widely to indicate the school, “is what I believe in.” He explained that the education the students receive at Maya will ensure they grow up to be creative and compassionate enough to alleviate structural barriers in Nepal.

PHOTO: CHELSEA SUMMERSALL

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At the same time, living at Maya was like glimpsing the future, and in fact, according to the country’s traditional calendar, it was the year 2071. As we sat down to a special dinner that included chicken, a rarity at Maya, multiple languages filled the air. In addition to learning Nepali and English, the children pick up French, Korean and Chinese from the volunteers.

It’s a tall order—Nepal has a host of challenges. By coincidence, all four of us had taken Associate Professor of Social Sciences and Education Eric Boyer’s course on revolutions in the semester leading up to the trip. Nischal and Deepesh had taught the class about the 22 colby-sawyer college magazine

While we taught English, Professor Keenan held an art class and tasked his students with creating an ideal global village out of clay. They molded temples, schools, rivers, roads, farms, cell phones and soccer balls. “When students encountered a technical issue, such as building a bridge or temple,” Professor Keenan said, “they learned how to problem solve, cooperate and rebuild.” The lesson allowed them to envision an ideal Nepal and how to make it a reality. GIVE AND TAKE The education model at Maya is reciprocal. Visiting a foreign country where I was ignorant of the language and way of life encouraged me to adopt a new perspective. Before our trip, I had to navigate the bureaucracies of the U.S. Department of State and New Hampshire DMV in order to renew my passport with an expired driver’s license. I saw this obstacle as a “Turn Back Now” sign and was sure my paperwork would be denied. But in Nepal, uncertainty is embraced.

For example, local strikes over the constitution shut down traffic on our first of six days at Maya, so Nischal walked back toward the city for several hours until he found an open shop to secure supplies. The rest of us spent the day painting the boys’ boarding room and completing miscellaneous chores. By the time vehicles were allowed to run again, it was night. We unloaded the paint and boards in the dark and set to work after breakfast the next day. By the end of our visit, we filled the library we helped create with nearly 100 picture books we had brought with us, thanks to donations from local organizations and community members including Sally Williams Cook ’74. The global village the children created in Professor Keenan’s class is on perm­anent display in the center of the room. During the strikes, Ge and I taught our English classes about Freytag’s pyramid, a concept in literary theory that presupposes all stories have the same basic structure. Of course, authors have challenged this idea, just as people have challenged our concept of time, and of borders. After visiting Nepal, all these constructs seem more malleable. We planned an activity at the end of each lesson to inspire the students to create their own stories. In one class, a young girl raised her hand. “Miss, I’ve already written a story,” she said, and she recited a whimsical tale about a man falling asleep under a chilaune tree. I like to think that all people, including her, are in charge of their own stories and capable of rewriting their futures.  ® Jaclyn Goddette ’16 is an English major from Newport, N.H., and was an intern with College Communications. She vows to return to Nepal as soon as possible.


AFTER EARTHQUAKE, COLBY-SAWYER RALLIES FOR NEPAL IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR WORD TO SPREAD on the morning of Saturday, April 25, that Nepal had been struck by a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that ultimately killed more than 8,700 people and destroyed more than 50,000 homes and historic sites. ColbySawyer’s 40 Nepali students were flooded with inquiries from faculty, staff and friends about their families’ safety, and eventually it was confirmed that everyone’s immediate families were alive. “It was a lot of chaos Saturday morning here because everyone was trying to get in touch with everyone and because there was no electricity (in Nepal) ... and some of the cell phones had died,” Anurup Upadhyay ’15 told the Valley News. “It was a challenge in the beginning.” It also didn’t take long for the college community to rally in support of the alumni and students who call Nepal home. Later that same day, 100 Colby-Sawyer community members gathered outside Ware Student Center for a moment of silence for the small Himalayan nation and to collect funds for Oxfam International. They also filled posters with multilingual messages of hope, reminding the Nepali students that Colby-Sawyer is another home for them in the world. A message from Maya Universe Academy brought good news: Everyone was alive and the school was still standing strong, though “it was pretty frightening to have something as certain as the earth throw you about so violently.”

One American dollar will feed a person in Nepal for a day. By Monday night, students had raised more than $3,700 at fundraisers on campus and at New London’s First Baptist Church and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church that offered live music and henna tattoos. Several students also led a discussion at the Rotary Club of New London on May 1 and raised funds to build toilets, provide masks and ensure clean water for the affected region. “One American dollar will feed a person in Nepal for a day,” Jenisha Shrestha ’14 told the New Hampshire Union Leader. “The power to make a difference is substantial.” Prithul Jung Karki ’16, Anup Nepal ’11, Nawaraj Shahi ’17, Nishchal Banskota ’15 and Pawas Manandhar ’16 were also featured in the Union Leader’s article about Colby-Sawyer students’ efforts.

Meanwhile, in Nepal, their families were sleeping outside among the rubble because of relentless aftershocks that threatened to send more buildings tumbling to the ground. It rained every night. “It’s not a big country, so I have been to most of the affected places,” said Nepal. “Just seeing the images of all the buildings and the monuments fall, I think that just brings everybody sadness ... it’s definitely hitting hard.” Phurchhoki Sherpa ’14 saw her home and village of Simigaon destroyed, and she immediately focused on raising funds to rebuild her village’s primary school and temple. She has collected more than $15,000 at gofundme.com/t494ck. “I am not sure if my tiny, isolated village will even get any relief from the government amid all this mess,” she writes. Despite its struggles, Simigaon is sharing shelter and food with 100 people from three neighboring villages. As of July, roads to the village remained impassable, and people were still living in fields and tents, and under tarps, with monsoon season approaching. Pradipti Bhatta ’14 is collecting aid for a school in Rasuwa District. In the days immediately after the earthquake, she volunteered with Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital and the Red Cross while she and her family camped outdoors. Bhatta’s inability to do more than collect data from different areas in Kathmandu for the Red Cross led her to create her own initiative. Through her Facebook page, Rebuilding Nepal Together, people donated tents, food, clothes and medical supplies, which Bhatta and friends have distributed to affected villages. After graduating in May, Banskota returned to Nepal and brought the momentum to rebuild his country with him. With an international team of medical and engineering graduate students, he distributed rice, salt, clothes and soap in the rural village of Chepang. Banskota is also teaming up with Writing for Recovery, a charity that helps children process trauma through journaling, and Kids of Kathmandu. “People who have been affected need not only donations, but also a sustainable way of leading their lives,” says Banskota. “This disaster—though unfortunate—had a reason, and it is to rebuild Nepal.”  ®

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Sean Ahern ’09 wrote an article about the Dropkick Murphys published in Hardcore, Punk and Other Junk: Aggressive Sounds in Contemporary Music last year. In 2013, Ahern contributed a piece to Popular Culture in the 21st Century published by Cambridge Scholar’s Publishing. Mary “Mimi” Stewart Baird ’58 had her first book, He Wanted the Moon: The Madness and Medical Genius of Dr. Perry Baird, and His Daughter’s Quest to Know Him, published by Crown in February. Author Pat Conroy (The Prince of Tides) writes that “He Wanted the Moon is one of the most disturbing and profoundly moving books I’ve read in years, and one of the great father-daughter books of our time. It will take its place as a classic in the literature of breakdown … The brilliant Dr. Perry Baird’s memoir lets you see up close what it is like to go through the most manic phases of bipolar disorder—it is a nightmare, but this book is a damn wonder. Through it, Mimi Baird has finally given her father the credit he was due.” Associate Professor of Natural Sciences Nick Baer, Ph.D., and Presidential Fellow Jenisha Shrestha ’14 gave the talk “Mercury bioaccumulation in Lake Sunapee tributaries, linkages to terrestrial food webs, and the influence of water chemistry” at the joint New England Association of Environmental Biologists/N.H. Water & Watershed Conference: Partnerships for Environmental Progress in March. Asher Ellis ’06 released The Remedy, a horror novel, as an ebook in April. Ellis, who holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine, is an adjunct faculty member in the Humanities Department. Artist in Residence David Ernster, M.F.A., accompanied Harriet Ketchen ’17 and Lauren Morrocco ’17 to the National Council on Education for Ceramic Arts Conference in Providence, R.I., in March. 24 colby-sawyer college magazine

Ernster, a juried member of the League of N.H. Craftsmen, was an exhibitor at the League’s annual fair in August, and he was featured in the summer issue of SooNipi Magazine. For two years, Iris Fischer-McMorrow, D.V.B., assistant professor of Natural Sciences, has collaborated with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and The National Marine Life Center to bring computerized tomography scans of stranded marine mammals to the college for evaluation. Three students have worked with these scans; Allison Hayes ’15 presented her work on seal ears at the Eastern New England Biological Conference at Simmons College this spring. Fischer-McMorrow presented her work at the American College of Veterinary Pathologists meeting in Atlanta. Associate Director of International and Transfer Recruitment Christy M. Fry, M.A., wrote the chapter “International Transfer Credit Evaluation and Methodology” in The Transfer Handbook: Promoting Student Success, published by The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

representation of Romani communities in literature at a Modern Language Association meeting in Toronto. He’ll also incorporate his research into a multinational grant at the University of Texas at Austin as part of a Mellon Foundation-supported project. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) selected Kealy as a Summer Scholar to attend a four-week institute “The Alhambra and Spain’s Islamic Past” in Granada. The NEH grant will jumpstart his research on the history of literature in Al-Andalus, the topic of Kealy’s 2015-2016 sabbatical work. Research Consultant and adjunct faculty in Humanities Elizabeth Krajewski, M.Div., presented a paper on theological interpretations of the seventh-century life of St. Brigit of Ireland at the International Congress of Celtic Studies in Glasgow in July. With nine students from his Investment Management class, Associate Professor of Business Administration Chris Kubik, D.B.A., attended the ENGAGE International Investment Education Symposium

Assistant Professor of Fine and Performing Arts Nick Gaffney, M.F.A., exhibited his “Sunday” photo series at the Vermont Center for Photography in February. Associate Professor of Nursing and Public Health Judith Joy, Ph.D., R.N., published the article “Contract anesthesia: The good news and the challenge” in the April issue of Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing. Joy also coauthored the article “The SEARCH Project: Acquainting students in the health professions with interprofessional care” published in the summer edition of Journal of Allied Health. In May, Professor of Humanities Tom Kealy, Ph.D., chaired a panel and presented his research on the

In March, ceramic works created by Professor of Fine and Performing Arts Jon Keenan, M.F.A., were included in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Ikebana flower arrangement demonstration.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JON KEENAN

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This spring, Associate Professor of Fine and Performing Arts Hilary Walrod, M.F.A., collaborated with composer Stephen Lias of Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, to design CD packaging for his two new releases.

held in March at Wayne State University in Detroit. Students also participated in a stock pitch competition and a portfolio management competition. While there, Luke Aspell ’16 and Duc Trinh ’16 were interviewed by CNBC about market growth and why college students are interested in the finance industry. Chair and Associate Professor of Humanities Melissa Meade, Ph.D., serves on the Legacy Council of Third Wave Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to gender justice, and brought students and alumni to an April Fund event at Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass. In May, Meade delivered her co-authored and peer-reviewed paper “From ‘Do it Yourself’ to ‘Doing With Others’: #feminism Across FemTechNet” at the Union for Democratic Communications Conference in Toronto. She also published the chapter “Queering the Dollar: Third Wave Fund and the Politics of Feminist Philanthropy” in LGBTQ Politics: A Critical Reader. A photo of hand-etched maple snowflake ornaments created by Sarah Pelletier ’08 was the Instagram Favorite in the December/January issue of Martha Stewart Living.

In collaboration with colleagues from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Chair and Associate Professor of Nursing and Public Health Susan Reeves, Ed.D., R.N., co-authored the chapter “The Compelling Need for Education Reform: A Futurist’s View of Health Professions Education” published in The Transformation of Academic Health Centers: Meeting the Challenges of Healthcare's Changing Landscape (2015).

McGowan Fine Art in Concord, N.H. His show “Recent Paintings” was at artSTRAND in Provincetown, Mass., from July 17 to Aug. 5, and his “Monotype from the Figure” workshop ran at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown in August.

Assistant Professor of Humanities Paul Robertson, Ph.D., presented his paper “Constructing Selfhood in Depictions of Hell: Ancient Myth, Modern Comic” at the Illustration, Comics and Animation Conference held at Dartmouth College in May. Robertson was also selected to participate in a week-long seminar on “Song Culture of Athenian Drama” at the Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, D.C. Associate Professor of Social Sciences and Education Courtney Stein, Ph.D., was instrumental in arranging for Colby-Sawyer to host the New Hampshire Psychological Association’s annual Academic Convention in April. Close to 100 students and faculty from colleges and universities across the state attended. Students presented their research, attended workshops about graduate school and learned about employment opportunities for those with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Assistant Professor of Social Sciences and Education Kate Turcotte, Ph.D., produced the chapter “Boys Aren’t Taught Anything Anymore! The Role of Gender in Native Subsistence, Work Patterns, and Aspirations in Northwest Alaska” published in the 2015 anthology SLiCA: Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic. Professor of Fine and Performing Arts Bert Yarborough, M.F.A., had spring exhibitions at Aidron Duckworth Art Museum in Meriden, N.H. and at

“100: Head/Heart/Feet” by Hammer & Saw Films, owned by Michael Mooney ’02, William Peters ’06 and Ben Watts ’03, follows ultrarunner Zak Wieluns ’02 on his third attempt to finish the 2013 Vermont 100 Endurance Run. Since its 2014 premiere at Colby-Sawyer’s Windcrossing Film Festival, “100” has shown in more than 20 film festivals and racked up awards. A DVD of the film was re­ leased in May at the VT City Marathon. The documentary was filmed by a crew of 20 Colby-Sawyer students, alumni and faculty; Associate Professor of Humanities Donna Berghorn, Ph.D., is the film’s co-producer and executive producer. The film focuses on Wieluns’s intensive training regimen and its impact on his friends, family and wife Lenka Wieluns ’02 while exploring the reasons why he’s dedicated to his goal. “100” also tells the stories of handlers, pacers and crew members while exploring the dynamic between Wieluns and his best friend, Kevin Kerner ’01, as they prepare for the race. Learn more about the film at hammerandsawfilms.com.  ®

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The Convergence of Health Care and Higher Education: 30 Years of Nursing at Colby-Sawyer interview with susan reeves ’88 by Eric Boyer

the first class of colby-sawyer nurses received their degrees in 1985. What began as a small program with four faculty and 11 graduates has grown and adapted to the ever-shifting landscapes of both higher education and the health care industry. To commemorate 30 years of nursing at Colby-Sawyer, I sat down with Dr. Susan Reeves ’88, chair of the Nursing and Public Health Department, associate academic dean for Dartmouth-Hitchcock Partnership Programs and Gladys A. Burrows Distinguished Professor of Nursing.

Tell me about your path to Colby-Sawyer. There was more than one. Years ago, nurses were trained in hospital-based diploma programs founded on an apprenticeship model. In the late 1970s, this model started to change as nursing came to be seen as a discipline and a profession. Preparation shifted to institutions of higher learning at either the associate’s or baccalaureate degree level. This is the backdrop to my first path to Colby-Sawyer. I entered the Mary Hitchcock Hospital Nursing Program knowing it would close with my graduation in 1980. Fortunately, the hospital’s forward-thinking CEO, Jim Varnum, and the director of nursing, Marilyn Prouty, saw both the need for nursing to be housed in an institution of higher learning and for the hospital to develop a relationship with a nursing program. Jim contacted Colby-Sawyer and proposed creating a four-year baccalaureate nursing program, which was developed by Doris Nuttelman, Ed.D., R.N. She still lives here in New London and returns to campus every spring for our pinning ceremony. The program launched in September 1981; I graduated in the Class of 1988. And your second path to Colby-Sawyer? That started in 2003. I am a cancer nurse by clinical training, but since the late ’80s, I have been in administration. In fall 2003, I was an operating vice president for the hospital. I loved my job but felt something was missing, and then I happened to see that Colby-Sawyer was looking for someone to teach biomedical ethics. While I taught that course, the program chair left—Colby-Sawyer was expecting more than 60 entering students who had declared an interest in nursing and had no permanent chair for the department.

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This was a time of tremendous growth, challenge and opportunity for the program. Rapid growth meant the program needed faculty, classroom space and clinical opportunities, so they contacted the hospital for assistance. As an alumna who had also taught, I was asked to take on the role of half-time chair for 2004-2005. By 2007, I was the full-time chair and building health care programs that would meet the needs of our students while breathing new life into the partnership with the hospital. Why does a nurse need a liberal arts education? I am a strong believer in liberal arts education. It is critical; all the skill sets that are developed are what nurses will continue to need in their work. Critical thinking, for example, is an essential skill for a nurse. It is not enough to know anatomy and physiology—you need to be able to critically think if you are going to discern how different conditions present themselves in a patient. Have you seen this interdisciplinary partnership in action? One of my favorite stories to illustrate the value of a liberal arts education comes from a visit by our program accreditors. The team went to Dartmouth-Hitchcock to talk to students in their clinical classes about the ways in which their liberal arts education impacts their clinical work. My job was simply to take the team around and say nothing; my heart was in my throat as I wondered who the surveyor would talk to and how the students would respond. In the pediatric unit, we approached a student caring for a child after a surgical procedure. The child was in a significant amount of pain, and the surveyor asked, “How do you use your liberal education in the arts and sciences to help you with a situation like this?” Without missing a beat, the student responded, “It is


interesting that you ask that because I am using skills developed in a drawing course I took to distract the patient from the pain.” This student’s integration of nursing and art is emblematic of what we cultivate in our program. Our nurses are never done learning; they think deeply about the issues they will confront and how their core skills will ground them as they work through challenges. Many health care professionals have noted that higher education is going through a period of rapid change similar to what their industry went through a decade ago … what might higher education learn from the health care industry? Like health care about 15 years ago, the public views higher education as a commodity, one that must be evaluated according to the same criteria as any other commodity. This commodification created three forces that converged on health care and are now converging on higher education: a public intolerance for high cost, a demand for greater transparency around quality and a critique of long-held practices that are seen as good for the guilds in higher education but not for the public. Regarding the first and second forces, we have to analyze the relationship between price, cost and quality. It is nearly impossible for a consumer to understand and make decisions about either health care or tuition bills. The difficulties continue when the public asks questions about quality; the health care industry

went through this already, and the public’s relationship to the health care system has shifted from one of trust to one of increased transparency and mandated data-driven quality assessment from regulatory bodies. Now, when a patient needs a procedure, they ask questions about the best hospital and physician for the procedure; they demand the information they need to make this choice. A similar push for assessment is being felt in higher education. Where does higher education stand now in this push? Higher education is still in the early stages of responding to this public intolerance for high cost and demand for transparency around quality. Rather than challenge and change these pricing strategies, colleges are providing the tools that a consumer needs to figure out what they will actually pay. On questions of quality, those in higher education have to move past critiquing proposals for measuring quality. To a public fed up with current practices, it just doesn’t matter that the data being used is not nuanced enough to capture the complexity of higher education. Regarding the third force, we have to analyze the practices in higher education that are not good for a public demanding lower costs and increased transparency. Like physicians who reacted in horror when they were referred to as employees and judged according to performance indicators, our initial reaction in higher education to these converging forces is, “We are not a commodity; we are a profession and you can’t demand this of us.” We must realize that this is not enough. We must follow the lead of health care and show a willingness to ask difficult questions and propose tough answers. We have to satisfy a public that is demanding a different accountability framework. What is the way forward then?

PHOTO: MICHAEL SEAMANS

It is so jargon filled that it has almost lost meaning, but the way forward is in this discussion on value, where value is defined as quality divided by cost. We need to change this equation so that higher education, and Colby-Sawyer itself, is always increasing our value. We are going to have to figure out how, with less cost, to deliver more quality where quality is defined by the consumers who want to invest in our product. I know we can do this. We are a community that has consistently shown itself to be committed to doing things right and well. It is the culture of Colby-Sawyer to be resilient in the face of adversity, to persevere with the resources we have, and to continue to provide the best possible value to our students and their families.  ® Associate Professor of Social Sciences and Education Eric Boyer joined the faculty in 2008. He holds a B.A. from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.

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sense of place FIELDS OF DREAMS With its northeast view toward Ragged Mountain, the 30-acre Kelsey Athletic Campus is home to ColbySawyer’s very own fields of dreams. This spring, the Sally Shaw Veitch Track and Field was the site of the college’s inaugural North Atlantic Conference (NAC) outdoor meet, which was also the first women’s track and field championship held by the NAC. And, in their first game of a home-field doubleheader, the baseball team gave Head Coach Jim Broughton his 300th career victory. Read more about our Chargers’ winter and spring seasons on pages 48–54. Photo by Michael Seamans

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OUR OURPOWER POWERTO TOCHANGE CHANGETHE THEWORLD WORLDHAS HASNO NOLIMIT. LIMIT. When Whenyou yougive givetotothe thePower PowerofofInfinity InfinityCampaign, Campaign,you you support supportour ourcommitment commitmenttotoananactive, active,immersive immersiveeducation. education. The Theresult? result?Alumni Alumniwho whoare areready readytotoparticipate, participate,totolead lead and andtotoinfluence influencethe theworld worldinininfinite infiniteways. ways.

ON APRIL 23, Colby-Sawyer College launched The Power of Infinity Campaign, the third and largest comprehensive campaign in the college’s history. The Power of Infinity Campaign, with a goal of $60 million, captures the Colby-Sawyer philosophy that education should go much further than the classroom and demonstrates the limitless power and benefits of working together. After a 21-month silent phase and the public launch, commitments to date are just over $22 million.

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THE POWER OF TOGETHER There are five primary areas of investment for the campaign: health professions, business, the arts, always learning and sustainability. These priorities reinforce the college’s belief that a curriculum isn’t just learned, it’s lived. The campaign is a dedicated effort to provide resources to support these highest priorities of the Colby-Sawyer community. “The Power of Infinity Campaign reflects the great potential of Colby-Sawyer College and our students. Its success relies on our belief that education is the collaborative achievement of the greater Colby-Sawyer community, including alumni, family and friends,” said President Thomas C. Galligan Jr. “Innovation and change are essential to the future of Colby-Sawyer and our nation as a whole. We are thrilled by the opportunity to face this challenge head on, knowing that our community embraces our vision and is helping us make it happen.” The April launch celebration in Wheeler Hall included a conversation between Ethan Casson ’96, chief revenue officer for the San Francisco 49ers, and President Galligan; reflections from alumni, trustees and faculty; and formal remarks from President Galligan. Casson, said President Galligan, was an excellent example of an alumnus who graduated ready to lead and to influence the world in infinite ways. (Read more about Casson’s inspirational story on page 34.) Board of Trustees Chair Tom Csatari, via a video presentation, applauded the undertaking. “A campaign is a very public acknowledgment of an institution’s success, and a profound belief in its future,” he said. “A campaign is a dedicated effort to bring extraordinary resources to an institution’s highest priorities. For us at Colby-Sawyer, these priorities emerged with input from all of us. They represent our shared vision. The Power of Infinity symbolizes the limitless impact we can have when we work together as a community, and it’s the power we have to benefit Colby-Sawyer students with our financial support.” Trustee Peter Volanakis, retired president and chief operating officer of Corning Incorporated, spoke in wonder about how quickly this institution, with which he had no prior connection before joining the Board of Trustees, has won his heart. “There's a tremendous pride of association with this school among faculty, staff, students, the other trustees—it’s not like anything I’ve ever seen,” he said. “There’s a total commitment and a willingness to engage. The ability and willingness of the people here to change goes back more than 175 years. I think it’s in the DNA of the institution. It would not be here today had it not gone through many changes over the years. So this is what makes it, as a trustee, a fun, rewarding, challenging and interesting place with which to be involved.”

top to bottom: Trustee Peter Volanakis; Jeremy Casson ’97, President Thomas C. Galligan Jr., Lisa Casson, Ethan Casson ’96; Associate Professor and Chair of Environmental Studies Laura Alexander, who offered examples of the power of philanthropy within her department and imagined what the campaign might mean for future students. Photos by Gil Talbot.

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CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES: YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE Investments in the Power of Infinity Campaign are arranged around five priorities. Each priority represents an opportunity for the college to play from a position of strength and to expand excellence in areas we believe will be essential for student success now and in the future. Gifts for use now, gifts to grow the endowment and planned gifts are all a part of this campaign and will help secure ColbySawyer’s place as an educational leader for generations to come. Everyone who contributes to the Power of Infinity Campaign makes a difference, no matter the amount. Please join us by investing in the areas of interest to you. VISIT campaign.colby-sawyer.edu to explore the options.

PHOTOS: MICHAEL SEAMANS

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HEALTH PROFESSIONS

BUSINESS

Our society needs more healthcare professionals than ever, but not just anyone will do—we need well-educated, compassionate, innovative health care professionals. In this campaign, we’ll enhance our proven track record in this area.

Successful, innovative, socially concerned businesses are critical to our economic future. We want our students to thrive in any business environment— small or large, for-profit or nonprofit, entrepreneurial or established. We must extend global learning experiences.

How we’re investing in health professions: • World-class nursing facility • More health care programs • Deeper affiliation with DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center

How we’re investing in business: • Expanded business majors • Professors with extraordinary field experience • More travel and internship opportunities

The Power of Jen Holl ’06 Registered Nurse Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Assistant Professor Colby-Sawyer College

The Power of Ethan Casson ’96 Chief Revenue Officer San Francisco 49ers

As a bone marrow transplant nurse with nearly a decade of experience, Jen collaborates with doctors, therapists, social workers and families to provide the best care for her patients. “As a student at Colby-Sawyer College, I directly benefited from donations made to the Nursing and Public Health Department. Now that I'm a faculty member, I understand the value of fundraising even more. It is imperative to prepare our students to meet the challenges of the current health care environments and create leaders that will carry nursing into the future.”

The 49ers needed a new stadium naming rights partner, and Ethan pursued Levi Strauss, an iconic Bay Area brand established during the Gold Rush era. Using his liberal arts education to connect history and business, he was able to negotiate one of the NFL’s largest naming rights deals. Today, Ethan manages the 49ers’ multi-million dollar revenue budgets and 100 employees. “Don’t take for granted where your journey began. With all the things happening in your lives, don’t forget where your journey began, and don’t forget about that emotional connection that made you decide to go to Colby-­ Sawyer in the first place.”


THE ARTS

ALWAYS LEARNING

SUSTAINABILITY

A strong arts program allows students to think, explore and contribute to society through music, dance, acting, painting, design and more. It also opens up the creative side of the brain, whether the student is an artist or an accountant. We are dedicated to keeping our students inspired, and this campaign will provide resources for the construction of new facilities.

We need to find new ways to prepare students for a world that will be very different from what it is today while ensuring that a liberal arts based education is still attainable. Investments in this area will ensure that we preserve access to higher education. A college degree is the gateway to a better world and better lives for generations to come.

We are all responsible for our planet. At Colby-Sawyer, we lead by example and educate students on the impact that every choice has on our lives and our world. At Colby-Sawyer, we walk our talk. It is our responsibility to keep our planet alive, and at Colby-Sawyer, we are doing something about it.

How we’re investing in the arts: • New facilities • Increased internship opportunities with local businesses • Summer art workshops The Power of Farah Rizvi Doyle ’05 Senior Designer Nomad Communications Originally from Pakistan, multilingual Farah says that design is another way to help her communicate. She tells her clients’ stories through logos, websites and brochures. She’s also part of a Vermont-based team that creates educational books for children. “Education is very important to me and a big part of who I am. I consider myself very lucky to have gone to Colby-Sawyer. The faculty and staff helped me be a more well-rounded and confident person by caring and supporting me and providing me with the tools I needed to excel.”

How we’re investing in always learning: • Teaching spaces and integrated technology • Additional scholarships • Grants for faculty and staff to redefine the liberal education model • Alternatives to manage college revenue The Power of Aaron Cinquemani ’05 Principal Hanover Street Elementary School For 10 years, Aaron has shaped the academic lives of New Hampshire students. He pushes for innovation, like incorporating neurology into teaching and using interdisciplinary study units. “I’m always asking, ‘How can I best support learning and social opportunities for my students?’ I’ve learned that student learning and achievement is impacted by the gifts given to our school. These gifts are used and loved and in return, over time, given back or paid forward to the next generation. Colby-Sawyer has felt that power. I felt it myself. Students here have wonderful and enriching opportunities that mold the culture and pride of Colby-Sawyer.”

How we’re investing in sustainabilty: • A carbon-neutral campus by 2050 • On-campus programming about healthy living and sustainable choices • Environmentally conscious purchasing decisions The Power of Drew Drummond ’02 Business Development Manager Clean Energy Fuels Drew was drawn to his work because fueling vehicles with natural gas instead of gasoline or diesel reduces their carbon footprint. In addition to handling sales for New England, he speaks about sustainability at events like Yale Univer­ sity’s Odyssey Day and Clean Cities Coalitions. “Colby-Sawyer was an incredibly important part of my life, and the memories I carry have been critical to my success. It’s very satisfying to give back to Colby-Sawyer so that others can have similar experiences.”

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Where It All Began by Kate Seamans His success didn’t come easy, though.

FOR ETHAN CASSON ’96, college is not just a phase in life that is completed and forgotten. A determined student-athlete who was relentless in pursuing his professional goals of working in the sports industry, he knows that his time at Colby-­ Sawyer set the stage for the rest of his life. Now the chief revenue officer at the San Francisco 49ers, he relies on his liberal arts based education to inform his business decisions. He’s reached the point where he’s reminded daily of his power to enhance someone else’s experience. He’s also reminded that all the things he gets to do day in and day out started at Colby-Sawyer. It’s time, he says, to give back and pay it forward.

“I come from a loving family with parents who never missed a practice or game, but they struggled financially. When my dad lost his job at the beginning of my Colby-Sawyer career, the college rallied around us,” says Casson. “They understood what was happening and how important it was for me and my twin brother, Jeremy, to stay here.” After graduation, Casson stuck with his decision to enter the sports world on the business side. He lived on credit cards and in extended families’ spare rooms in order to take relevant internships, still intent on making a name for himself and earning a full-time job. It took two years, but ESPN hired him.

Born in Connecticut, Casson grew up in tiny West Chesterfield, N.H. He and his brothers excelled at basketball, but he was realistic enough to know that while he might end up working in professional sports, it wouldn’t be as an athlete. His criteria for his college was that it must offer a sport management major and the opportunity to play ball.

It was a good job, but it wasn’t with a professional sports team, something he was determined to secure. Casson coldcalled every NBA team in his spare time and finally talked his way into an entry-level position with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He stayed 11 years, piling up promotions while a new goal was born in him: to be president or CEO of a professional sports team.

Colby-Sawyer fit the bill, and Casson was Coach Bill Foti’s first recruit for the inaugural men’s basketball team. The two underdogs relished the chance to build something together, and they did: Casson held the assist record for 16 years, was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame last year, and will be inducted into Colby-­Sawyer’s Athletic Hall of Fame in Oct­ ober. This year, when the men’s team ruled the conference but championship rings weren’t in the budget, he made sure the players got them.

In 2010, an executive recruiter called with the daunting task of building a stadium in California, the first in 50 years, for a team that had struggled on the field for nearly a decade. It was another chance to create something special. That team was the San Francisco 49ers, and today they play in Levi’s Stadium, a $1.2 billion venue that Casson was instrumental in building, inclusive of a $220 million naming rights deal with Levi Strauss. “We sold partnerships that revolutionized the way a new stadium development project works,” says Casson, “and we did it with two of the most iconic Bay Area brands.”

PHOTO: MICHAEL SEAMANS

Casson still has goals and there’s no knowing what will come next, but he does know where it all began.

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“More than 20 years ago, it began with a question: Do I have what it takes to work in professional sports? It manifested itself in the classroom, the library, during summer internships, and amongst my friends and teammates. So more than ever, I have nostalgia for Colby-Sawyer,” says Casson. “I take a great deal of pride in where I went to school, and if I can contribute to the education of students who have a dream and put their plans in place—if I can participate indirectly, directly, financially, with a call, with an internship, whatever it might be, I want to be involved in that. None of us should forget or take for granted where our journeys began.”  ®


O

THINK OUTSIDE the CLASS

ur students burst beyond the four walls of a traditional classroom to make the world their classroom. Even before they graduate, they know the power of their education and its lifelong potential because they’ve put it to the test in their required internship. They’ve stood up in front of an audience to present their Capstone research. They’ve applied for grants and organized events and asked What If. They don’t stop learning when class ends. They think outside the class because they’ve made the most of their opportunities in class.

When Colby-Sawyer and its Brand Stewardship Task Force joined forces with research and creative partners to launch the college’s biggest branding campaign to date, the theme of Always Learning emerged as the essence of who we are. Always Learning isn’t a tagline—it’s our soul, and it’s become our internal mantra. But every college is about learning, or should be. How do we show high school students that Colby-Sawyer is different, that our culture is about Always Learning and they’ll love that way of life? We dedicate new resources to show them how we think outside the class and show them firsthand when they visit campus. But first we have to get them here.

The spirit of the engaged, immersive education that Colby-Sawyer offers is captured in a new publication, Think Outside the Class. It is meant to evoke an emotional reaction and speak to high school students who think big in and out of class, who are leaders or emerging leaders, and who want their education to involve every facet of their being. The brochure demonstrates that a Colby-Sawyer education is an active experience where learning is a way of life driven by innovative faculty and students who want to satisfy their curiosity, ambition and desire to make a difference. See the piece at cscm.ag/ thinkoutsidetheclass. When students receive the print piece, they’re invited to see more examples of life at Colby-Sawyer at thinkoutsidetheclass.com, a curated microsite that draws on Instagram posts and tweets with the hashtag #thinkoutsidetheclass. It shares the brochure’s goal of connecting with, and inspir­ing, high school students to learn more about Colby-Sawyer by visiting campus.  ®

How did you think outside the class while at Colby-Sawyer? Share your experience and how it affects what you do now by posting your thoughts and images with #thinkoutsidetheclass on Twitter and Instagram.

A new Admissions website, brochure and microsite capture the spirit of Colby-Sawyer to communicate with smart, motivated high school students who seek a rich, transformative college education. The website is the college’s most important marketing tool. It’s moved into a modern Content Management System and the multiyear, in-house project of redesigning and updating is under way—take a look at cscm.ag/admissionsredo.

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AROUND THE WORLD

with Stephanie Guzzo ’07 and the Harlem Globetrotters by Kate Seamans photos by Michael Seamans

STEPHANIE GUZZO ’07 NAVIGATES the cinderblock labyrinth of the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine, like she’s been there a hundred times, though it was just the night before that the Harlem Globetrotters’ caravan of an 18-wheeler, a 20-foot truck and two tour buses pulled into town for a March afternoon game. After three months on the road, she’s gotten used to orienting herself quickly so she can focus on her job. Guzzo has never played basketball, but since joining the Har­lem Globetrotters’ extended North American tour on Christ­mas Day as the Red Unit’s athletic trainer, she’s lived and breathed the game. Hours before the exhibition game against the Washington Generals begins, the players are seeking Guzzo and her mobile athletic training room, a steel cart packed with everything from tape, markers and medicine to gum, shoelaces and

tea. “Hey, Guzzie,” they greet her as they climb onto the taping table with sore shins, knotted calves and tight shoulders. Like all the athletic trainers that came before Guzzo, the second female athletic trainer in the Harlem Globetrotters’ storied 89 years, she takes care of her 30 players’ medical needs, whether it’s taping ankles at lightning speed, dispensing ice packs and medicine or rehabilitating them. It’s very simple for her: The Globetrotters are professional athletes who are also really good at entertaining families and making kids laugh. They have acute and chronic issues, but it’s their job to get out there and play a game. It’s her job to make sure they can.

My number one responsibility is my athletes’ health, safety and well-being.

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A MAGIC CIRCLE The crowd of Maine families cheers when the Globetrotters’ familiar theme song “Sweet Georgia Brown” fills the arena. Guzzo heads for the bench with a giant duffle full of basket­ balls and extra sneakers while her players take the floor to form the famous Magic Circle. She keeps an eye on them as they spin basketballs on one finger and pass the balls almost faster than the eye can follow, and she gets a shout-out when the players are introduced.

MAKING IT HAPPEN Though Guzzo likes certainty and is a planner, these days she lives out of a suitcase and maintains that flexibility is the key to a life of constant travel. She entered Colby-Sawyer with the goal of earning a degree that would lead to medical school and a defined career, but then she fell in love with athletic training. “Talk to anyone who knows me, and they’ll tell you I’m probably the most passionate athletic trainer you’ll ever meet,” said Guzzo. “I love my job; the Globetrotters are absolutely my family, and they’re so much fun that work doesn’t even seem like work. My number one responsibility is my athletes’ health, safety and well-being, and that’s what I do. I’ll always stay certified as an athletic trainer.” An internship with the Dartmouth College football team cemented her love of athletic training, and Guzzo’s convinced the experience helped her get into Indiana State University, the country’s top graduate program for athletic training. As far as Guzzo is concerned, she wouldn’t have had a chance with Indiana State if it weren’t for Colby-Sawyer. “I love Colby-Sawyer, and it prepared me 100 percent for graduate school, especially the Capstone project because I had to do a lot of research,” says Guzzo, whose graduate thesis on active muscle cooling was published in the November 2014 issue of the International Journal of Athletic Therapy and Training. “I learned from professors in the field who still practiced every day, and you don’t see that often. Colby-Sawyer prepared me not just for graduate school but also for the world. I got a really good education.” Her work with the football and women’s soccer teams at Indiana State led to her first job as an assistant trainer at Becker College in Leicester, Mass., where she was head athletic trainer for the football team. Her experience with the Division III college led to a four-year stint at St. Mary’s College in Maryland. When the Harlem Globetrotters were looking for two new athletic trainers, she was hired out of a pool of 200 applicants and hit the road for tours around the United States, Canada and South America.

She collects the players’ warm-up gear as they dance their way into the beginning of the game, then takes a seat next to the court, ready, if needed, to use her athletic training expertise but knowing it’ll be a good day for her road “fam” if she isn’t called on for anything more than water, ice and enthusiastic support.  ®

GUZZO WANTS YOU TO KNOW us athletic trainers, not trainers. Athletic trainers q Careallallied health care professionals. We’re the ones who see an injury right when it happens. We do the initial evaluation diagnosis and are a huge asset at any sporting event. don’t have to go to the hospital if you sprain w You your ankle. Even athletes make this mistake. A sprained ankle doesn’t require emergency care. Just make an office appointment with your doctor. sporting event needs an athletic trainer. e EIfvery you’re planning an athletic event and can’t afford an athletic trainer, you can’t afford to hold the event. You don’t know what might happen, and athletic trainers offer immediate care. We know how to deal with concussions, ankle injuries, sunburns, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, for example. We can actually save lives because “walk it off” doesn’t always work. “When in doubt, sit it out” is better advice, and we’re the ones who can decide if an athlete is done for the day. Younger athletes, in particular—and their parents—don’t want to hear that in the middle of a big tournament, but we’re looking out for them, and we know what we’re talking about. you ice an injury, place the ice directly on the r When skin for 20 minutes. Ice will melt before it gets cold enough to give you frostbite. If you use a gel pack, however, put something between it and your skin. your hamstrings. A lot of people have pain t Sontretch the front of their knee, which is the patella tendon, and it’s usually because their hamstrings are tight.

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EVERY DROP COUNTS: Living and Learning in the Arid West by Olivia Jones ’17 photos by Michael Seamans

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it was may 10, but flurries sprinkled the Colorado Flatirons rock formations with much-needed precipitation. Fresh off the plane from Boston and reveling in the beauty of our first hike, my group of Colby-Sawyer travelers paused beneath a stone arch to watch the snow welcome us. For the next 11 days, the great outdoors was a classroom for me and the other 11 students in ENV 334 River Communities. Led by Associate Professor of Natural Sciences Nicholas Baer and Professor of Environmental Studies Leon-C. Malan, we journeyed across Colorado and Utah to learn about water use in the arid American West and even spent four days rafting on the Green River. Professor Baer created this biennial field studies course in 2007, three years after he joined the Colby-Sawyer faculty. “I wanted to design a field course based on water resources,” he said. “I envisioned meeting with stakeholders and trying to build this idea of understanding how Western waters are used.” Over the years, Professors Baer and Malan have built a network of contacts in the region who tour Colby-Sawyer students through hydro facilities, farms and goldmines. The visits turn classroom topics into firsthand experiences, as environmental studies major Emily Earnshaw ’16 of Warwick, R.I., explained. “I’m a visual person,” she said. “I learned all about goldmines, but I had no idea what it was really like until I saw [one here]. We don’t have goldmines in New Hampshire, so I never would have gotten to experience that otherwise.” this page:

After disembarking from small planes, members of the River Communities class hiked 1.5 miles to the Sand Wash Launch Point on the Green River for a four-day float trip in Utah.

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EAST MEETS WEST We quickly learned that water in the West is being pulled in all directions. Farmers use it to irrigate crops, miners to extract fossil fuels, and cities to meet the demands of rapid urban growth—all while countless other species need it for their survival.

We learned about the drastic diversions that transfer water from the West Slope, where 70 percent of the annual precipitation falls, to the East Slope, where 70 percent of the population lives.

below: Journals in hand, the group discussed the events of the day and recorded their reflections.

While in the Uncompahgre Valley, a region in western Colorado reliant on agriculture production, we toured three sites: Randy Meeker’s farm, a prize-winning Black Angus ranch, and the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association’s irrigation system. Meeker uses techniques considered progressive in his region. One example is his recent addition of a collection pond to capture irrigation runoff that would otherwise be wasted. Meeker then applies the salvaged water to his fields. We gathered around Meeker for an eyeopening discussion about the pressing issues that are associated with growing food in a nutrient-rich but water-poor region. “It was interesting to hear people arguing for Monsanto—especially one of the farmers— just so passionately, as if he doesn’t know that there are serious repercussions [to genetically modified crops],” said history and political studies major Benjamin Abrahamovich ’15 of Lexington, Mass., as he processed a different perspective on the multi­ national agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation.

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The Colorado River’s average annual flow is decreasing while the population depending on it continues to grow, which makes water allocation increasingly complex. Each stakeholder we visited helped us put Western water limitations into perspective by offering a unique view of the situation. For students accustomed to the water-rich East Coast, the discussions about water spurred shocking realizations. “I had no idea the drought was this bad,” said English major and Rowley, Mass., resident Rebecca Garibaldi ’17. Talking with representatives from both Denver Water and Western Resource Advocates, we learned about the drastic diversions that transfer water from the West Slope, where 70 percent of the annual precipitation falls, to the East Slope, where 70 percent of the population lives. “It’s nice to have students understand how urban development impacts the water resource needs in the area and how folks here deal with a finite amount of water and a growing population,” said Professor Baer. “What I like the students to learn is that residents and ranchers have to buy up agricultural water rights or have to recycle water and try to do innovative things because they’re limited as well.”


clockwise from top left: Center-pivot irrigation circles use water more efficiently than large spray guns; Evan Dalton ’17, Professor Baer and Emmy Rioux ’16 stopped to identify evergreens on a hike near Boulder; part of an elk’s jawbone found in the Holy Cross Wilderness; the Shoshone Generating Station in Lakewood, Colo., depends on water diverted from the Colorado River instead of a reservoir.

The care of rivers is not a question of rivers, but of the human heart. – t anaka shozo, politician and conservationist (1841–1913)

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I liked listening to each stakeholder and understanding what they’re going through; trying to think of solutions was one of the hardest parts of this whole course. – daniel keane ’16

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BECOMING EXPERTS Prior to the trip, we broke into six pairs to study and become experts on an aspect of life in the West, such as mining, agriculture and water allocation. The assignment required us not only to gain an in-depth understanding of our topics but also to develop an engaging way to teach the information to our classmates. In doing so, everyone took on the role of student and teacher. The goal of this course is not merely to open our own eyes as students but also to bring knowledge back to friends, family and the Colby-Sawyer community. Take environmental studies major Lea Taylor ’17 of Newburyport, Mass., for example. “My topic was the precolonial people of the Colorado Plateau, and we decided to do a personality quiz based on the tribes in the area, which were the Navaho, Apache, Hopi, Pueblo and Ute,” she said. “Everyone was into our presentation; we were creative and learned a lot from that experience. We saw a lot of cool things that our classmates made, like clay pottery and a teepee.” In addition to our own creations, we encountered Native American artifacts such as petroglyphs etched onto rock faces and granaries hidden on the sides of plateaus. We even viewed the remote Ute reservation from the sky when we piled into seven-­ passenger planes on our way to Desolation Canyon, the starting point for the rafting segment of our trip. The flight provided

views of wild horses and buffalo grazing on the undeveloped land. The Utes were a nomadic tribe, constantly moving across the territory we know as Colorado, Utah and their neighboring states. For this trip, we also adopted a nomadic lifestyle and called six campsites and three hotels home. Setting up and breaking camp became as routine as brushing our teeth. Meals were also a lesson in communal experiences; everyone, for example, assisted in cooking and cleaning. Several times, we even tried fishing for our meals, though not always successfully. Fishing was just one of the many skills we gained that weren’t specified in the course syllabus. In addition to becoming experienced campers, we learned to slow down, separate from the never-­ ending demands of the 21st century, and truly connect with our surroundings. “My favorite part of the trip has probably been just being away from everything out in the wilderness and not having to worry about anything besides what we’re doing,” said environmental studies major and Slatersville, R.I., resident Evan Dalton ’17. “It allowed me to just be there in the moment and respect all my peers and everybody around me and develop better relationships with people I didn’t really know.”

above:

Evan Dalton ’17 and a string of cutthroat trout he pulled from Sylvan Lake in Colorado for dinner. opposite: A stop along the hike to Delicate Arch in Arches National Park.

above:

Even with minimal water, Opuntia polyacantha—the Prickly Pear cactus—finds a way to show off its beauty. below: Students paddle their way down the Green River in Utah.

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ON THE RANGE OUTSIDE CELL RANGE Much of our field study took place in areas beyond the reach of cell towers. Our flight to Desolation Canyon, for example, dropped us 100 miles away from the nearest town. Though we couldn’t text or tweet, it wasn’t long before most of us learned to appreciate the absence of technology because it allowed us to find different methods of documenting our journey. To encourage us to record our experiences, Professors Baer and Malan presented each of us with a waterproof notebook and a pencil at the beginning of the trip. Along the way, we were expected to take notes, respond to prompts, and to reflect. “A journal helps you reflect; to physically write something down while it’s in the moment, that connection with your head and your hand makes something stick in your mind,” Professor Malan told us. Throughout our studies, our professors reminded us of the responsibility that comes with such a unique trip. Each moment brought a new adventure, and each adventure unveiled new knowledge.

Field studies courses are opportunities to network with experts across the nation to open gateways for discussion, collaboration and change, and they exemplify Colby-­ Sawyer’s ideology of always learning and thinking outside the class. “I liked listening to each stakeholder and understanding what they’re going through; trying to think of solutions was one of the hardest parts of this whole course,” said environmental studies major Daniel Keane ’16 of Wilmington, Mass. “We don’t live out here, but someone has to be thinking of a solution. Probably the biggest takeaway is my understanding of the issue of water usage and applying it to New England because it will probably become a problem for us, too.” In fact, the issue of water in the West already affects East Coasters because Western agriculture provides food for most of the nation. When people on the East Coast sit down to enjoy Black Angus steak from the Uncompahgre Valley, they’re increasing Western water demand without even realizing it. “We need to focus more on the environment because we’re oblivious to the fact that we're harming it,” said Garibaldi. “Being on the river made me realize that I need to be more cautious of how much water I use and how I affect the environment even if I’m not living in Colorado or Utah.” On May 21, we boarded our plane and headed home. As the Colorado landscape disappeared beneath us, we bid farewell to the land that had become a part of us. “Students will find a connection to a place, and it may not be this place. But folks at an individual level will learn the value of a strong connection to a spiritual home,” said Professor Malan. “If people have a connection to a place, I’m hoping that one of the takeaways would be that they would do something about that. It’s okay to sit and write about it, but if people don’t do something about it, nothing will happen.”  ®

Three hours west of Denver, Sylvan Lake State Park in Eagle, Colo., provided a break from the region’s aridity.

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Olivia Jones ’17 is an environmental studies major and media studies minor from Biddeford, Maine.


WHEN HALF AS MUCH IS TWICE AS GOOD by Jennifer White ’90 Five years ago, Colby-Sawyer committed to reducing the college’s carbon emissions 50 percent by 2015, 70 percent by 2020 and 100 percent by 2050. We have met our 2015 goal, and the college has already accomplished 65 percent of the actions from the 2015-2020 timeline, as well as 50 percent of the actions slated for the 30 years after that. How did we reach this milestone? The most inspiring and successful initiatives at Colby-Sawyer are student driven, and the college’s commitment to sustainability is no exception. In 2006, the Community-Based Research class established GreenROUTES (Redirecting Our campUs Toward Environmental Sustainability), conducted a Campus Sustainability Assessment and recommended we become a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. The next year’s class completed our first Greenhouse Gas Inventory to establish the benchmark by which we will always measure ourselves. With that crucial data in place, we mapped out a whole-systems approach to sustainability, which recognizes there are inter­related personal, social, economic and environmental drivers that must be simultaneously addressed in order to have a positive, long-term impact on quality of life. The GreenROUTES Climate Action Plan was approved by the Board of Trustees in May 2010 as a 40-year strategy with 88 recommendations that were divided into categories of energy; transportation; water and biodiversity; food; waste and recycling; and culture, curriculum and investment. The plan also called for the three carbon-­ emissions milestones. Since our initial inventory of 8,500 MT eCO2 for 928 students, 107 faculty and 178 staff in 2009, we’ve seen a 40 percent growth in our population numbers, as well as an increase in the conditioned square footage of our buildings, which means more energy usage, water consumption, waste and, potentially, more emissions. The good news is that our gross emissions at the end of 2014 had risen only to 8,584 MT eCO2. Through behavior change initiatives, reductions in resource use, local food initiatives, doubling our recycling diversion rates and investments in efficiency measures and renewable energy systems, we tempered that potential increase. When we factored in our Renewable Energy Certificates, our net emissions were only 5,091 MT eCO2, which represented a 40 percent reduction in our net emissions and a 57 percent

Since 2010, Colby-Sawyer has cataloged several firsts. Our sustainable classroom is the first commercial building in New Hampshire to incorporate straw bale insulation into a wall system and, thanks to student initiatives, we are home to the state’s first certified chapter of Sodexo’s Food Recovery Network, and we’re the first private college here to achieve Fair Trade Certification. Our Windy Hill School earned LEED-Silver Certification and, when installed, our 127 kW solar photovoltaic system was one of the largest in the state. For five years, the college has run on green energy through the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates. We also met our goal in large part because our work has been well supported through grants and donations. We received a $384,000 grant to enhance our environmental programs; the N.H. Public Utilities Commission awarded us $100,000 for our 517 solar panels; and we received $150,000 from the N.H. Pay for Performance initiative for our campuswide efficiency project (which has a return of more than $160,000 annually). Other benefactors have helped make possible additional projects that have transformed our campus into a sustainable living laboratory. These include a tree nursery and organic permaculture gardens, energy monitors in residence halls, and ZeroSort recycling. Students continue to lead and inspire us. More than 730 of them signed a petition requesting that 20 percent of the food in the dining hall come from within 100 miles; not only did we exceed that, but about 60 percent of the food served in The Pub at Lethbridge Lodge is local. Summer interns working in the organic garden grow food for the dining hall and share the surplus with faculty and staff. The Science of Maple Sugaring and Brewing Science classes yield syrup and beer to sell. Our Permaculture Design class has certified 22 students and 39 community members since its inception in 2011, and volunteer groups have helped plant more than 500 native trees and shrubs on campus. The student-led sustainability effort has benefited from the creativity, intellect, persistence and support of the entire Colby-­ Sawyer community, and our students have been engaged in their learning in a way that links them to the world and creates a sustainable campus and future for us all.  ® Jennifer White ’90 is Colby-Sawyer’s director of Sustainability and an assistant professor of Environmental Studies. She holds an A.A. from Colby-Sawyer College, a B.A. from Colorado College and an M.A. from Naropa University.

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out + about

colby-sawyer cuts carbon emissions by 50 percent

reduction in our emissions per full-time student. CO2 emissions from study abroad programs and transportation of campus fleets and employees are considered unavoidable by many institutions, but we developed a policy to purchase verified carbon offsets that guarantee emissions reductions via certified carbon mitigation projects and support a range of renewable energy projects.


out + about

CREATIVITY+ HUSTLE + PASSION Peggy Van de Wetering ’93 discovered that the family business combines all three … and equals happiness by Rebecca Sherman photos by Mike Richter

On a blustery mid-November day on Long Island, wholesale nursery Ivy Acres is awash in the fragrant greens of balsam, noble and Fraser firs. As far as the eye can see, row upon row of brilliant red poinsettias perch on nursery shelves or hang from ceiling hooks, shimmering like a wintry mirage. Sweet-scented wreaths fill dozens of tables, where workers dip bunches of ruby red berries and shiny balls in vats of melted glue before fastening the decorations to boughs. Miniature boxwood shrubs, trimmed and shaped like Christmas trees, are potted and festooned with ribbons.

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The day’s rawness is working in Ivy Acres’ favor, keeping carts of lush holiday greens and wreaths cool before they are shipped. With inventory exceeding the nursery’s refrigerated space, Vice President of Marketing and Merchandising Peggy Van de Wetering ’93 couldn’t be more pleased with the bite in the air. If this were the North Pole and not the Baiting Hollow, N.Y., headquarters of her family’s business, then Van de Wetering would surely be head elf, for she’s been thinking nonstop about the holiday season and planning for its arrival since the end of last year’s holiday season.

NONSTOP HOLIDAY During the months preceding November, in addition to attending to normal nursery operations, Van de Wetering must navigate her preholiday checklist at Ivy Acres—from determining how the nursery will provide Home Depot’s Black Friday Doorbuster sale and tracking the height of the poinsettias that began

growing in June, to teaching nursery workers how to assemble the door swags she designed and flying to China to connect with suppliers at the Canton Import and Export Fair. Even the weather can’t be overlooked. While most holiday weather-watchers want to know about airline delays or icy roads, Van de Wetering needs to keep an eye on storms heading to Canada. She recalls a storm in 2013 over the Bering Sea that shut down northern Canada’s cottage industry in wreath making. Deep snow meant the machinery used to cut balsam brush couldn’t operate, leaving villagers without enough supplies to make wreaths. Of the 100,000 wreaths Ivy Acres had booked for production, the nursery received only 12,000. Van de Wetering worked with her broker and went south in search of product. “That meant there were more Fraser wreaths than balsam that year,” said Van de Wetering, “because the mountains of North Carolina could supply Fraser.”


While the holiday season is always a time of increased activity, Ivy Acres hums year-round. The wholesale nursery has grown to include two more facilities in New Jersey and a rose-growing operation in Pennsylvania. In season, Ivy Acres employs about 700 people at its five facilities and merchandisers.

GROWING THE FAMILY BUSINESS Through it all, Van de Wetering thrives on the pace and scope of her work at Ivy Acres. Her father, Jack, and her late uncle, Peter, started the family business in the early 1960s when the brothers began growing tomatoes and other vegetables. When they realized there was more profit in bedding plants, they changed course. Ivy Acres added a second location in the mid-1980s as well as a nursing-plug facility that grows seedlings for transplant. By 1986, the brothers had split the operations, with Jack overseeing Ivy Acres and Peter starting Van de Wetering Greenhouses to continue producing plugs and other plant material. Though her uncle died in 2013, the two businesses continue to work together. The torch has since been passed to Van de Wetering and her brother, Kurt, though their father still comes in from time to time.

Ivy Acres has also nurtured a special relationship with Home Depot and has supplied its stores in Long Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and the greater Westchester County area of New York since 1993. Ivy Acres not only meets Home Depot’s need for holiday greens and plants, but it also furnishes a full complement of vegetables and flowers to the stores. Ivy Acres also provides product for select BJ’s Wholesale Club locations and K-Mart stores, and it works with other growers to supply plants they may not have the capacity to produce. “We happen to do a good job with a particular kind of rose that a lot of people want, so other growers come to us for that variety,” said Van de Wetering. “We have a competitor out there that is very good at growing hydrangeas and azaleas, so we buy those plants from them.”

A LIVING, BREATHING CASE STUDY Van de Wetering believes her decision to come to Colby-Sawyer and pursue a business degree provided her with a solid foundation for tackling the nursery’s concerns. Prior to attending Colby-­ Sawyer, she spent a year at Michigan State University pursuing a two-year plant industry program, but Michigan State started to feel too big. After looking at several small New England schools, she knew Colby-Sawyer was a good fit. Van de Wetering says, without hesitation, that she’s applied what she learned at Colby-Sawyer to her work; in fact, she did so while still in college, often using Ivy Acres as a living, breathing case study.

was a project writing a business plan or something else.” While Peggy was at Colby-Sawyer, Ivy Acres was outgrowing its identity as a young, small company. Her father found that managing a larger operation and keeping the lines of communication open was getting to be a challenge, but then Van de Wetering took a business behavior class taught by Bob Stock, husband of then Colby-Sawyer President Peggy Stock. Van de Wetering was sure the professor could help the nursery overcome its growing pains. “I remem­ ber telling my dad we were missing something Professor Stock was talking about, and that he needed to meet my professor,” she said. From that first meeting, a relationship blossomed that has included many visits by Professor Stock over the years. Dur­ing that time, he helped the nursery establish effective formats to encourage open communication among a growing team of managers and workers. “We still talk with him,” Van de Wetering said.

“THIS IS IT” Van de Wetering’s real-world education prepared her for working alongside her father, and now with her brother, as well as company president Dave Foltz, who came aboard in 2011. She hasn’t looked back since deciding to join the family business. Asked what she loves about her work, Van de Wetering replied, “Oh, my goodness, the ability to be creative, and that [the work] is a moving target; there’s a lot of excitement within that.” “I get up every day, and I’m happy,” she said. “For me, this is it.”  ® Rebecca Sherman is the assistant director of Donor Relations and Communications at the MIT Sloan School of Management in Cambridge, Mass.

“I always thought I’d come back and work at Ivy Acres,” Van de Wetering said, “so I used the nursery as the example for nearly everything I did, whether it fall 2015

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THE SEASON IN SPORTS WINTER/SPRING 2015

Wilson led the Chargers with five top-25 finishes including his best finish, a 10th place in the giant slalom at the EISA Championships held at Whiteface Mountain in New York.

The lone senior on both the men’s and women’s teams, Courtney Troxell (Salt Lake City), had a stellar season, finishing in the top-28 four times, including the leading result for the women’s team, a 20th place finish at Smuggler’s Notch. First-year students Diana Abbott (Truckee, Calif.) and Jamie Marshall (Carrabassett

Cooper turned in five top-40 finishes, including 23rd in the slalom at Smuggler’s Notch for his best finish. Marshall had his best finish in the slalom at Stowe (Vt.), placing 29th. Murphy-Meyers led the women’s team on several occasions with 10 top-35 finishes and a pair of 26th place finishes in the extremely competitive EISA. Her best weekend came at the Middle­ bury Snowbowl, where she placed 26th in the giant slalom and 33rd in the slalom. Abbott came away with her best finish in the giant slalom at Stowe, placing 40th in her second weekend of EISA competition.

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records in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. Estrada and Welch teamed with Dumont and first-year student Anna Gaskill (Brattleboro, Vt.) for a record in the 400-medley relay. Welch also had a record in the 200 backstroke. Banos set three new standards in the breaststroke events (50, 100, 200), while first-year student Mason Amitrano (West Greenwich, R.I.) set records in the 100 and 200 backstroke. Junior Devin Uhlman (Norwell, Mass.) came away with a record time in the 500 freestyle.

PHOTO: GIL TALBOT

Competing against institutions in all three divisions, the women’s team came away with a pair of sixth-place finishes and two seventh-place finishes, despite not earning any points in the Nordic category.

Courtney Troxell ’15 had the best finish on the team as the lone senior.

SWIMMING AND DIVING Under first-year Head Coach Signe Linville, the men’s and women’s teams enjoyed a successful season that saw 20 members compete at the New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association (NEISDA) Championships.

Valley, Maine) and sophomores Scott Cooper (Reno, Nev.), Morganne MurphyMeyers (Truckee, Calif.) and Kenny Wilson (Canyondam, Calif.) were named to the 2015 National Collegiate All-­ Academic Ski Team, as announced by the U.S. Collegiate Ski Coaches Association. Cooper, MurphyMeyers and Wilson were honored for the second straight season.

Krystyna Estrada ’15 exits ColbySawyer with four individual records and as a member of five record-setting relay teams.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (16-11; 12-6 NAC) Senior forward Kelsey Cahill (Cumberland, R.I.) was named North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Defensive Player of the Year and helped lead the team to double-figure conference wins for the 19th time in 20 seasons. The Chargers finished with a 16-11 record

In addition, seniors Justin Banos (Essex Junction, Vt.) and Krystyna Estrada (Lebanon, N.H.), juniors Alex Dumont (Sanford, Maine) and Elaine Miller (Windham, Maine), sophomore Meghan Mamlock (West Barnstable, Mass.), and first-year student Makenzie Welch (Torrington, Conn.) competed at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships hosted by the University of Pittsburgh.

Kelsey Cahill ’15 was named North Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Six new women’s records were set this season, and the men also set six new records. Estrada set a pair of individual records in the 100 and 200 freestyle and was a member of three record-setting relay teams. The team of Estrada, Miller, Welch and Mamlock set

PHOTO: JOHN QUACKENBOS

ALPINE SKIING Under second-year Head Coach Jake Fisher, the team showed progress again in its fourth season with the most competitive league in collegiate skiing, the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA).

PHOTO: DUSTIN SATLOFF

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by Ryan Emerson


Along with sophomore Lexi Iannone (North Haven, Conn.), Cahill earned All-NAC Second Team accolades and was the first Charger since Lisa Cole in 2006 to be named Defensive Player of the Year. She was a consistent threat on the defensive end of the court and ranked second in the league in blocks (42) and steals (74). Cahill earned three or more steals in 14 games this season and led the league in defensive rebounds with 158. Also an offensive threat, Cahill was second in the league in field goal percentage (46.9), sixth in points (323), and she finished her senior season averaging 12 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. In her Colby-Sawyer career, she ranks second in steals (256), third in rebounds (886), fifth in blocks (137), sixth in free throws (270), seventh in points (1214) and seventh in field goals (472). She also was named to the NAC All-­ Academic team for the second straight season. Iannone was second on the team in points with 9.9 per game. She led the team, and was fourth in the conference, with 53 made three-pointers. Iannone led the NAC with a 38.4 shooting percentage from beyond the arc in all games and an impressive 41.7 percent in league games. She made at least one three-pointer in 23 of 27 games. Iannone also scored double figures 13 times this season, including a career-high 23 points against New England College.

First-year student Amanda Calvo (South Deerfield, Mass.) earned an NAC Rookie of the Week award in her first week of collegiate basketball. She played in 26 of 27 games and was second on the team with a 36.2 three-point field goal percentage. Calvo poured in a career-high 23 points on 9-15 shooting in the NAC tournament first-round victory over UMaine-Farmington. Sophomore Kristin Ellis (South Easton, Mass.) was named a NAC Player of the Week. She led the team with 8.2 rebounds per game and became only the second Charger to grab 20 boards twice in a season. Ellis had 10 games of double-digit rebounds and was second in the NAC with 212 total rebounds. Defense was once again an asset. Colby-Sawyer finished fourth in the nation in field goal percentage defense (31.2) and held its opponents to 50 points or fewer 14 times. MEN’S BASKETBALL (19-7; 15-3 NAC) The team won its fourth conference title and first NAC crown since joining the league in 2011-12. The Chargers finished the season with a 19-7 overall record and was the top team in the NAC with a 15-3 record. The team ranked 15th in the nation in scoring margin (12.3), 10th in offensive rebounds per game (15.08), 22nd in rebounding margin (7.0), 25th in steals per game (9.7) and 27th in turnover margin (3.7).

game with 13:45 left in the second half. The game was tied at 53-53 with 3:12 left to play until a pair of Trinity layups and three free throws proved too much, allowing Trinity a 60-55 victory.

Colby-Sawyer earned the top seed in the NAC tournament after recording 15 conference wins for the second time in four years. Earning a firstround bye, the Chargers made Hogan Sports Center home to both the semifinal and championship games.

Junior Peter Donato (Portland, Maine) had one of the best individual seasons in ColbySawyer men’s basketball history. He led the Chargers in scoring (14.9 ppg), rebounding (6.8 rpg) and blocks (1.46 bpg) while shooting an astounding 58 percent from the floor, ranking him 30th in the nation in FG percentages. He ranks seventh in career blocks with 77. Donato was recognized by the NAC with the rare distinction of being named both the Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year and joins last year’s Defensive

In the NAC semifinals, the Chargers hosted fourth-seed Castleton. The Spartans led by seven at the half, but ColbySawyer charged back to tie the game with less than a minute to play, sending the game to overtime. Each team scored seven in the first extra frame, leading to double overtime. The Chargers were able to knock down some crucial free throws in the final moments to secure a 79-76 win. In similar fashion to the game with Castleton, the Chargers were trailing by seven at the half of the NAC championship game to second-seed Husson. In the second half, ColbySawyer came out clicking on the offensive end with 55 percent shooting, holding a comfortable lead before clinching the championship 86-73. Junior Wol Majong (Manchester, N.H.) was named Tournament MVP, and senior Mike Dias (Carver, Mass.) was named All-Tournament. The Chargers made a fourth trip to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament, their first since the 2002-03 season, to face Trinity College for the second all-time meeting between the teams. The Chargers held a 30-23 lead at the half on the Bantams’ court, but the home crowd helped Trinity fight back and take its first lead of the

Peter Donato ’16 earned the rare distinction of being named NAC Player and Defensive Player of the Year.

PHOTO: JOHN QUACKENBOS

and a 12-6 mark in conference play, leading to an appearance in the NAC tournament semifinals.

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In addition to being named NAC Tournament MVP, Majong earned a nod to the All-NAC Second Team. He ranked in the top-10 in the NAC in numerous categories, including fourth in free-throw percentage (85.2), fifth in assists (94), fifth in steals (44), seventh in three-point percentage (39.7) and eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5). Majong was second on the team in scoring at 14.1 points per game and led in assists (94) and three-pointers (56).

Senior catcher Rob Wallace (Tewksbury, Mass.) threw out 13 base stealers, giving him 44 for his career and making him the all-time leader by surpassing the 35 mark set by Brandon McFadden ’11.

At Senior Day on Feb. 21, Koang Thok (Portland, Maine) became the 16th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. He finished his career with 1,047 points. Senior Kyle Nelson (Milford, N.H.) ended his career tied for ninth in career blocks with 52. Head Coach Bill Foti was named NAC Co-Coach of the Year. BASEBALL (5-31; 3-21 NAC) This year’s team was comp­ osed of three seniors, four juniors, seven sophomores and 14 first-year students. The Chargers went 5-31 overall and 3-21 in the NAC while fielding a daily lineup of mostly underclassmen. Although missing out on the postseason, the Chargers won

Seniors TJ O’Connor, Brett Emmertz and Rob Wallace celebrated their final season with the team’s second straight NAC Team Sportsmanship Award.

Sophomore Nathan Frongillo (Haverhill, Mass.) led the team with 30 hits (.300 avg) and ended the season with a 12-game hitting streak. Frongillo also had a team-best nine stolen bases on nine attempts.

PHOTO: COLBY-SAWYER ATHLETICS

the NAC Team Sportsmanship Award for the second straight season.

Dias finished his career ranked seventh in career points (1429), fifth in rebounds (702), sixth in field goals (579) and seventh in free throws (271).

PHOTO: COLBY-SAWYER ATHLETICS

Nathan Frongillo ’17 led the team with 30 hits (.300 avg) and ended the season with a 12-game hitting streak.

First-year student Chris Hood (Manchester, N.H.) hit .368 in 38 at-bats and drove in a team-high 10 RBI on 14 hits. He led the Chargers in slugging percentage (.447) and on base percentage (.455). Hood also logged 20 innings on the mound in five starts. Senior Brett Emmertz (Falmouth, Maine) was second on the team in hitting (.306 avg.), slugging percentage (.361) and on base percentage (.390). Senior TJ O’Connor (Bethel, Maine) was named to the NAC All-Academic team for the second straight season.

The 2015 Colby-Sawyer Athletic Advisory Council Award Winners (left to right) MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Jesse Socci ’15 of the men’s indoor/ outdoor track & field teams WYNNE JESSER MCGREW SCHOLAR ATHLETE: Kelsey Cahill ’15 of the women’s basketball team OUTSTANDING MALE ATHLETE: Peter Donato ’16 of the men’s basketball team OUTSTANDING FEMALE ATHLETE: Rachel Quaye ’18 of the women’s soccer and indoor/outdoor track & field teams 50 colby-sawyer college magazine

PHOTO: COLBY-SAWYER ATHLETICS

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Player of the Year, Stephen Thorpe ’14, as the only two Chargers to win the award. Donato also earned All-NAC First Team accolades, was named to the D3hoops All-Northeast Region Third Team, and was recognized as an ECAC Division III New England Men’s Basketball Third Team All-Star. Donato is only the second Charger to be honored by D3hoops.com since the award’s inception 14 seasons ago—Andrew St. Clair ’06 was named All-­ Region three times in his career.


MEN’S TENNIS (12-11; 6-0 NAC EAST) The team won its fourth straight NAC East Division title and third consecutive NAC/ NEAC (North Eastern Athletic Conference) crossover championship. Colby-Sawyer earned a berth to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament for the third time in program history. The Chargers won the NAC East Division with a 9-0 victory over Green Mountain in the semifinals and a 5-0 sweep over Thomas in the finals. Sophomore Dean Boodakian (Burlington, Mass.) was named NAC East Division Tournament MVP and Player of the Week after winning all four of his matches in the semifinals and finals. Senior Sergio Spassof (Pallini, Greece) won all three of his matches and was named to the All-Tournament Team. The team went on to play NAC West Division winners, Penn State Abington, in the crossover for the second straight season, defeating the Nittany Lions 7-2 to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Colby-Sawyer dropped a very close and competitive match to Yeshiva University, 5-3, in the NCAA Tournament first round hosted by Amherst College.

After falling in the program’s first two NCAA appearances by a score of 5-0, the Chargers nearly came away with the five points needed to clinch the match. Boodakian was responsible for the first point recorded by the men’s tennis program in an NCAA tournament match. He won at No. 6 singles 6-0, 6-0. Spassof and first-year student Andrew Peloquin (Greenville, R.I.) also won singles matches. The Chargers finished the season with a 12-11 overall record and a 6-0 mark in conference play. Colby-­Sawyer has won all 22 NAC matches since joining the league in 2012. First-year student Rico Bailey (Mattapan, Mass.) and sophomore Cass McCann (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) were named to the All-NAC Singles First Team. The duo also garnered All-NAC Doubles First Team accolades as the conference’s top doubles combination. Bailey, a two-time NAC Rookie of the Week, went 3-1 in conference matches at No. 2 singles. McCann was 4-1 at the top flight. Bailey and McCann teamed to play at the top doubles spot and went 5-0.

PHOTO: COLBY-SAWYER ATHLETICS

The men’s tennis team earned a third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Three Coaches Achieve Milestone Wins Head Men’s Basketball Coach Bill Foti reached 400 career victories on Dec. 13 with a Chargers’ 75-56 win at home over Lyndon. During Foti’s 23 seasons at Colby-Sawyer, the Chargers have claimed four conference championships and subsequent automatic bids to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament, as well as eight Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) tournament appearances, including a 1997-98 season New England Championship win. Coach Foti has earned four Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Coach of the Year awards and was North Atlantic Conference Co-Coach of the Year this season.

Head Women’s Basketball Coach George Martin joined the 400 win club with the team’s 90-34 victory over Thomas College at home on Jan. 30. Martin, who is in his 21st season, became the first women’s basketball coach in New Hampshire to reach 400 wins. He has led the Chargers to seven conference championships, seven NCAA tournaments, seven ECAC tournament appearances, and has been named Conference Coach of the Year five times.

On April 27, the men’s baseball team defeated the University of Maine-Farmington 4-1 in the first game of a home-field doubleheader. The win gave Head Coach Jim Broughton 300 career victories in his 21st season leading the Chargers. Under his direction, the Chargers captured CCC titles in 1998 and 1999 and were the runners-up in 2000. He was CCC Coach of the Year in both of the championship years and took the 1999 squad to the ECAC Division III New England Tournament. fall 2015

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Pinard and junior Julius Graefe (East Longmeadow, Mass.) were named to the NAC All-Academic team. Pinard was named for the second straight season. Senior Clay Allen (Massena, N.Y.) graduates with 48 career single wins to rank tied for fourth all-time. EQUESTRIAN The team, which competes in the fall and spring, had six riders qualify for the spring Regional Championship held at Dartmouth. Sophomores Tori Delaney (Centerville, Mass.), Anna Werge (North Grosvenordale, Conn.) and

Tori Delaney ’16 showcases her Reserve Champion ribbon from regionals.

Kristin Lambert (Lyman, Maine), along with juniors Juli Lovington (Guilford, Conn.), Amy Blazej (Windham, Vt.) and Brianna Fortado (Beverly, Mass.) each qualified. Delaney was called back to test over an abbreviated course in Novice Fences and had an exemplary ride. She secured her position in second place and was pinned Reserve Champion. Delaney then competed against the Champ­ ion and Reserve Champion riders from all five regions at Zone 1 Finals held at the Mount Holyoke Equestrian Center. With an outstanding ride over fences, Delaney placed fourth. Lovington competed in Intermediate Flat and Fences at Regionals. She was called back in the fences class in a tie for second place, but after a small chip at the final fence, finished third.

Members of the equestrian team at the jumps course before a show at UVM.

Several other riders won ribbons throughout the season and pointed out of their divisions. WOMEN’S LACROSSE (10-6; 6-2 NAC) The team reached the NAC semifinals for the third time in four years and recorded the second most wins in a season, finishing with an overall record of 10-6. The Chargers also completed the best turnaround in conference play in program history. After going 1-5 in the NAC last season, Colby-Sawyer finished with a 6-2 record in 2015, losing one game by one goal. The Chargers ended the regular season with six straight wins and made it seven in a row with a 17-4 victory over intrastate rival New England College in the NAC tournament first round. The tournament’s third seed, Colby-­ Sawyer defeated the sixth-seed Pilgrims in the postseason for the second straight season. The team’s winning streak and season ended at second-seed Thomas College. The Terriers protected the home field with a 9-7 victory in the NAC semifinals.

PHOTO: COLBY-SAWYER ATHLETICS

Seniors Alyssia Janak (Bourne, Mass.) and Michelle Upham (Chelsea, Vt.), as well as firstyear student Nicole Lavigne (Berlin, Vt.), were named to the All-NAC First Team.

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Janak, who was named NAC Player of the Week once this season, led the Chargers with 56 points on 28 goals and a team-best 28 assists. She also

PHOTO: COLBY-SAWYER ATHLETICS

Peloquin and senior Justin Pinard (Essex, Vt.) were named to the All-NAC Doubles Second Team after recording a 4-0 record at the No. 2 doubles spot. Pinard exits Colby-Sawyer ranked sixth in career victories (80), third in doubles wins (43) and tied for tenth in singles victories (37).

Senior Megan Raymond (Waterbury, Vt.) and junior Sara Berry (Bowdoinham, Maine) were named to the All-NAC Second Team.

Sophomore Jenna Boillotat (Etna, N.H.) was named Reserve High Point rider at Colby-Sawyer’s home show at West Meadow Stables. She took first in Intermediate Fences and Intermediate Flat.

PHOTO: JOHN QUACKENBOS

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Peloquin and Spassof were named to the All-NAC Singles Second Team. Peloquin, a two-time NAC Rookie of the Week, went 3-0 in singles with wins at Nos. 1, 2 and 3. Spassof was 4-0 in NAC singles matches. He won once at No. 2 and picked up three other wins at the third flight.

Alyssia Janak ’15 led the Chargers with 56 points and 28 assists.

led the NAC in assists per game (1.75) and was second in assists, ranking her 72nd and 75th in the nation, respectively. The 28 assists tied for the second most in a single season in program history. Janak finishes her career with 113 points on 70 goals and 43 assists. She ranked fourth in career assists. Upham anchored the ColbySawyer defense that allowed the second fewest goals in conference play this season. She was third on the team with 16 caused turnovers and collected 18 ground balls. Upham also had nine goals.


Berry earned her second straight nod to the All-NAC second team. She led the team with 33 caused turnovers, which ranked her 25th in the nation with 2.54 per game. Berry was second on the team with 43 ground balls and 36 draw controls. She collected 22 points on 17 goals and five assists. Berry was named to the NAC All-Academic team and All-Tournament team. Raymond was an instrumental part of the Chargers’ defense that ranked 23rd in the nation in scoring defense (7.81 gpg). She started all of ColbySawyer’s games this year and picked up the third most ground balls (32). Sophomore goalie Meghan Castellano (Wallingford, Conn.) tied the program record for wins in a season with 10. She logged 900 of the team’s 960 minutes in 2015. Castellano ranks tied for fifth in career victories with 11, and she finished the year with 7.8 goals against average, which ranked her 17th in the nation. Junior Caitlyn Whearty (Hampstead, N.H.) was named to the NAC All-­ Tournament team. She led the team with 36 goals and

was second with 41 points. Junior Sarah Harlow (Putney, Vt.) earned a nod to the NAC All-Academic team. Seniors Carly Baker (Beverly, Mass.) and Nichole Danehy (Billerica, Mass.) ended their careers tied for ninth in career assists with 31 apiece. TRACK AND FIELD It was a special season for Colby-Sawyer track and field. The Chargers competed in an indoor track and field season for the first time, composed of five regular-season meets and two post-season meets. In its inaugural season, the ColbySawyer indoor track and field team sent 10 men and four women to the New England Championships. Representing the women’s team was senior Paige O’Malley (Dedham, Mass.), sophomore Emily Lopez (Lincolnville, Maine), sophomore Rachel Quaye (Westminster, Mass.) and senior Heather Faasse (Jefferson, N.J.). Quaye finished eighth in the pentathlon and earned All-New England honors. Representing the men’s team at the indoor championship was junior Al Sayce (Pembroke, Mass.), junior Rasheed Foster (Sandy Bay, Hanover, Jamaica), senior Jessi Socci (Wilton, Conn.), firstyear student Karl Nyholm (Concord, Mass.), sophomore Brandon Legendre (Waterford, Vt.), junior Ben Bunnell (Barnet, Vt.), senior Hayden Bunnell (Barnet, Vt.), senior Chip Keeler (Nashua, N.H.), first-year student Curtis

Warren (Morrill, Maine) and first-year student Matt Carl (Kingston, N.Y.). Hayden Bunnell placed eighth in the 3,000-meter run to earn All-New England honors. The Chargers sent five men and one woman to the ECAC Championships at the Armory Track & Field Center. Quaye earned All-ECAC honors by finishing eighth in the pentathlon. The men’s distance relay team of Legendre, Keeler, and Ben and Hayden Bunnell also earned All-ECAC honors with a seventh-place finish. Quaye also competed in the shot put with Socci. The Bunnell brothers competed in the 3,000meter run. Hayden placed fourth and Ben finished sixth; each earned All-ECAC honors. The 2015 outdoor season also proved notable. This spring, Colby-Sawyer hosted its first outdoor meet at the Sally Shaw Veitch Track and Field in conjunction with the NAC Championship. The NAC sponsored the women’s track and field championship for the first time in conference history. Because the NAC doesn’t yet sponsor men’s track and field, the men’s teams competed in an invitational. In a competitive women’s meet, Husson University squeaked by the Chargers by a half point. Nevertheless, the meet resulted in numerous personal bests and several school records. Each event winner was honored as a NAC champion. First-year student Emmani Robinson (Newburgh, N.Y.) had an impressive performance in the shot put. The previous school record set by

PHOTO: MICHAEL SEAMANS

Lavigne, who earned three NAC Rookie of the Week awards, had one of the most impressive rookie seasons in program history. She played and started in every game and finished third on the team with 38 points on 32 goals and six assists. Lavigne led the Chargers in draw controls (71), ground balls (44), game-winning goals (3), and had the second most caused turnovers with 21.

Rasheed Foster ’16 ended the season with records in the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash.

Colby-Sawyer Hall of Famer Stephanie Roy ’02 was 12.23 meters. Robinson had three throws that eclipsed that number, with the farthest being 12.51 meters to win the event. Lopez smashed the previous school record in the 3,000meter steeplechase. She finished second with a time of 12:26.68, beating the sevenyear-old record of 14:00.1. Lopez also won the high jump (1.54m). Faasse set a school record in the 400-meter dash, placing third in the event with a time of 1:01.65, besting the previous mark of 1:01.67 set by Cara Tremblay in 1998. Faasse also fall 2015

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won a tightly contested 400 hurdles race by .02 seconds in 1:11.80.

sports

First-year student Kate LaPorte (Montpelier, Vt.) took top honors in the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.15. Sophomore Kylee Parker (Winterport, Maine) came away with the top spot in the 5,000 with a time of 20:15.28. The relay team of O’Malley, Lopez, Faasse and junior Courtney Figucia (Wilmington, Mass.) won the 4x400. Quaye took a pair of wins in the discus (34.55 meters) and the javelin (37.93 meters). The men cruised to the title in the NAC Invitational with 123 points. Foster won the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. Hayden Bunnell took the 5,000-meter run. Legendre came away with top honors in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:02.97. The

4x400 relay team of Legendre, Sayce, Carl and senior Matt Hunt (Milton, Mass.) triumphed with a time of 3:37.15. Socci won the shot put (14.05m) and the hammer (32.69m). In the discus, Nyholm took home first place with a mark of 38.10m. Other winners included Hunt (400m), junior Sean Kelly (Walpole, N.H.) (110m hurdles), Ben Bunnell (3,000m steeplechase), Carl (400m hurdles), junior Cullen Robinson (Sanbornton, N.H.) (triple jump) and Warren (pole vault). Colby-Sawyer sent 21 competitors to the New England Outdoor Championship at MIT. The men’s team was represented in individual events by Foster (100m, 200m), Sayce (100m, 200m), Warren (pole vault), Nyholm (shot put), Socci (shot put) and Robinson (triple jump).

competed. Foster and Sayce joined Keeler and first-year student Scottie Bonneau (Methuen, Mass.) to race in the 4x100 relay. Sayce and Keeler also raced in the 4x400 relay with Hunt and Carl. The 4x800 relay team featured first-year student Kody Frye (Keene, N.H.), Legendre, and Ben and Hayden Bunnell. The men’s team set four records at the championship. Foster came away with a pair of new standards, breaking the four-year-old school record of 10.94 in the 100-meter dash with 10.87. Foster also broke his own 200-meter dash record of 22.31 with a new time of 22.07. Also setting school records were the 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams. The 4x400 team raced to a combined time of 3:30.24 to beat the previous school record set in 2009 by .25 seconds. The 4x800 relay team had a record time of 7:58.76.

Colby-Sawyer sent eight student-athletes to the ECAC Outdoor Championships hosted by Springfield College. Quaye (javelin, heptathlon) and Robinson (shot put) represented the women’s team, while Foster (100m, 200m), Hayden Bunnell (10k, 4x800 relay), Socci (shot put), Ben Bunnell (4x800 relay), Legendre (4x800 relay) and Frye (4x800 relay) represented the men’s team. Quaye earned All-ECAC honors by placing eighth out of 27 with a distance of 38.32 meters in the javelin. Quaye also earned All-ECAC honors in the heptathlon by finishing in third place with a school-record point total of 4159. Robinson set a record in the shot put, breaking her previous mark of 12.51 meters with a distance of 12.68 meters. She placed seventh in the event out of 30 competitors to earn All-ECAC honors.

In addition, three relay teams

Emmani Robinson ’16 earned All-ECAC honors after a school-record throw of 12.68 meters in the shot put.

Junior Becca Hashem (Webster, N.H.) (discus, hammer), Lopez (high jump), Quaye (javelin, heptathlon) and Robinson (shot put) represented the women’s team in individual events. Lopez joined teammates Faasse, O’Malley and Figucia to compete in the 4x400 relay.

PHOTO: MICHAEL SEAMANS

The women’s team came away with a pair of school records. Quaye scored 4,039 points in the heptathlon to beat the previous total of 3,851 set in 2001 by Addy Danaher ’02. The 4x400 relay team set a record time of 4:08.71, surpassing the previous mark by nearly six seconds.

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Foster earned All-ECAC honors by finishing seventh in the 200-meter dash.  ® Ryan Emerson has been ColbySawyer’s Sports Information Director since 2008. He holds a B.S. from Western New England University and an M.B.A. from Providence College.


NEWS from Alumni Relations Alumni Fall Festival will take place Friday, Oct. 16-Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015. Make plans now to join the campus community for a weekend of fun and camaraderie. There’s something for everyone on the schedule: tour the campus, attend a workshop, support the Chargers’ athletic teams, sample some student-­crafted brew in the college’s pub, and much more!

See the full schedule and register at colby-sawyer.edu/alumni/fallfestival. Reunion celebrations will take place for the Classes of 1940, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010. SAVE THE DATE NOW! Alumni Fall Festival 2016: Oct. 14-16.

COLBY-SAWYER CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF NURSING May 1985 saw the first pinning ceremony and graduation of nursing students at Colby-Sawyer. In recognition of 30 years of nursing, the college will host an event for all nursing graduates and former nursing faculty members. The event will take place during Alumni Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 17, and feature a luncheon, a prominent nursing leadership speaker, and an update on nursing at the college. For more info, contact the Alumni Office.

JOIN US FOR A COLBY-SAWYER EVENT NEAR YOU Alumni events are a great way to stay connected to Colby-Sawyer and to network with alumni and friends who live in your area. Visit colby-sawyer.edu/alumni/events for details. COLBY-SAWYER THANKS THESE RECENT HOSTS Nancy Schaffer von Stackelberg ’72 in Duxbury, Mass. Sandra Couch-Kelly ’87 in Falmouth, Maine Debbie Bray Mitchell ’77/’79 in Hanover, N.H. REFER A STUDENT TO COLBY-SAWYER As an alumna/us, you know firsthand the impact of a Colby-­ Sawyer education. The college relies on our alumni to be among our best advocates. If you know a high school student who would benefit from a great Colby-Sawyer experience like yours, please let us know by contacting the Office of Admissions at admissions@colby-sawyer.edu. Thank you in advance for supporting your alma mater by spreading the word about Colby-­ Sawyer and helping us to recruit the next class of Chargers! WE ♥ HEARING FROM YOU Starting with this issue, you’ll notice the Class Notes section looks a little different. We are thrilled to have such an engaged group of alumni and love hearing from everyone (keep it up!), but never knowing how many pages of Class Notes and photos we will receive complicates layout and printing. So, we have decided to cap the section at 20 pages—a healthy percentage of an 84-page magazine! Your class correspondents’ columns will be top priority, and we will be more selective about which photos to include. All photos, however, will be uploaded to: cscm.ag/classsnotesphotos Please enjoy them online and keep sharing your interesting, high-resolution photos with captions. Connect with the Alumni Office: alumni@colby-sawyer.edu 603.526.3722 800.266.8253 facebook.com/colbysawyeralumni twitter.com/colbysawyer linkedin.com/groups?gid=143715

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Come back to New London for Colby-Sawyer’s biggest alumni event of the year.


connections

class notes 1942

BARBARA BOYD BRADLEY 865 Central Avenue Apartment I-203 Needham, MA 02492-1380 Edie Doe Ballard is happy in her country home outside Ashland, OR. Edie says, “Last year, at 91, my daughter talked me into going zip-lining, but I doubt I shall try it again this year!”

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JEANNE “PENNY” LOSEY BOLE djbole2012@gmail.com Mary Root Mollica ’44 MT is an avid volunteer: at the hospital, in her library’s history room and, during the summer, in downtown Bennington, VT, welcoming visitors. She is a devoted watcher of Saturday night TV, especially British sitcoms. Janet Peters Gardiner and her husband, Dick, have lived in Palos Verdes, CA, for many years, and in a retirement home for the past 5. Jane MacCabe Kelly had her 90th birthday; she and her partner, Tim, enjoyed wintering in Venice, FL. Jane is now a great-grandmother and Linda Kelly Graves ’72 is the grandmother. Lila Latham Touhey celebrated her 90th in Bermuda. She still summers in Essex, NY, on Lake Champlain, and misses having family to visit, as the grandchildren are grown. Myrtle Furbush Mansfield had a surprise 90th party. She still drives and plans to stay in Alfred, ME. I smiled when Myrtle wrote, “We’re getting old!” Betsy VanGorder Minkler still lives in her home and is content with visits from friends, neighbors

and family. She keeps in touch with Jane MacCabe Kelly. This year Betsy had a fabulous 90th birthday party, with 45 of her extended family attending. I had a fantastic chat with Martha Miller Hyatt, who is lucky to have 2 children in the area. Martha volunteers at an animal rescue and gives her time to church work and helping women in need. Summertime, she goes to Cape Cod. Martha still drives and enjoys life! Ann Tilton Carpenter and I had a wonderful phone chat. “Tilly” is still in her own apartment in Concord, NH. She plays bridge weekly with friends and each summer she and Jane MacCabe Kelly meet for lunch. Kay English Kipe has lived in PA in an independent care facility for 5 years. She loves walking the gardens when weather permits, and keeps busy. Cynthia Alexander Carlson winters in FL and summers in WI. Last year she fractured her hip but had a successful rehab. Ann Norton Merrill has a lovely new friend, who was her deceased husband’s friend, and they enjoy special times together. Shirley Merz Bryant resides in NC, near Winston-Salem, for the winter, and summers in Lake George. Activities of all sorts fill her schedule and, despite reaching 90, she lives a full life. Gloria Hirsch Flanzer is still in her apartment and a student at the Botanic Gardens. Her son, Peter, and his daughter, Julie, played in the USTA National Senior Father/ Daughter Championship at Chestnut Hill, MA. This summer brought 2 family weddings and the arrival of her first great-grandchild. I, Jeanne “Penny” Losey Bole, still volunteer with the homeless, hospice, Salvation Army and our local hospital.

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Life is good–may it be so for all of you. Congratulations to all who have passed the 90-year mark! It is a milestone.

1945

RUTH ANDERSON PADGETT ruthlajolla@aol.com Anne Heuer Lewis sums it up: “White hair, a few joints replaced, hobble with a cane, live in a retirement community, love bridge, jigsaw puzzles, travel and getting together with family.” Anne has 5 children. Her family owns an 8-bedroom Victorian on Martha’s Vineyard and invites any of us to join her and Ted rocking on the porch! Shirley Glidden Splaine is busier than ever with church, gardening and getting ready for her 2nd great-grand. Her 1st is now 8 months and, of course, is the smartest and cutest in the universe. There are 6 babies in her family! “Shal” is planning to be at Reunion this year; who will join her? Doris Peakes Kendall wonders how much news we can cough up at 90. She keeps busy volunteering at her senior center and recreation dept. Suzi Curtis Smythe is upright and ambulatory, living at the lovely Chapline House. Her daughter graduated college and works in Baltimore. Her son, a captain in the Air Force, has returned from the Middle East. Suzi hears from Mary June Troup Kingsbury, her good friend for 72 years. Elizabeth Bryant Parker lives alone at home but is considering assisted living. She has 5 greats. She says her pacemaker is working, but her brain is slowing. Barbara Macaulay Watkins is in MS but may move to MA, where she has 4 greats and another on the way. (Barb, you need to be near your family…and I don’t charge for advice!) Joy Waldau Hostage has resigned from boards she served on for 20+ years. She now keeps busy with the usual 90ish activities: bridge, pool exercises, League of Voters, Cheshire Democrats Women’s Club. June Mitchell Douglas-White does staged readings, rents her Cape Cod house for

the season and enjoys her writing group. Suzanne Needham Houston can’t believe she is going into her 8th year at Wake Robin, a retirement community in Shelburne, VT. She has her paintings in 2 galleries, which she says is a great feeling. This winter I talked with Nancy Dean Maynard, who was housebound with 27” of snow; when I talked to her again a couple weeks later she had 72”! Between our calls she risked life and limb and took her 4-wheel drive to the store. Seems the old wine cellar was getting low, so it was worth the risk! As for me, Ruth Anderson Padgett, my exciting news is that I am going to be a great-grandmother for the very 1st time! So many of you have several great-grands, but I’m sure you remember how exciting the 1st was. Remember, without your help, there would be no column, so next time you’re asked to check in, please do, if only to say, “Hi! I’m still here.”

1946

RAMONA HOPKINS O’BRIEN 54 Texel Drive Springfield, MA 01108-2638 Mary Phinney Crabbs says her greatest blessing has been having her daughter, Nancy, come to live with her. “She is from MS and still employed there, but her company has graciously allowed her to work from here in FL, which has been wonderful for both of us. She is a big help since my husband, Bob, passed away last year.” Mary works as an escort (pushing wheelchairs and running errands) at her local hospital twice a week. She also volunteers at her church. Her hobby is collecting and working on dollhouses. She enjoys reading, playing the piano and keeping in touch with family and friends. Mary and Nancy were going on an Alaskan cruise with the seniors’ group at church. Priscilla Beardsley Glenn writes, “The Glenns are proving age is only chronological! We work out twice a week with a trainer and eat out on Tuesday date night. I paint and show my work, and Russ keeps our large yard beautiful. We have


10.5 acres in ME near our son’s cabin to remind us of our true homeland. Our oldest son in Canberra, Australia, teaches doctoral students, military personnel and does research at the U. Our son in Portland, ME, has The Glenn Financial Group with Baird Investments. We see our youngest the most. A successful entrepreneur in Mt. Pleasant, SC, he sells designer door mats and Mexican handpainted pottery. We are blessed with a family that loves one another! Maybe it helps that every other year we take them all on a cruise, this year from Barcelona to Lisbon. They tell us, ‘If you didn’t do this, we would never know our cousins!’”

1947

CORRESPONDENT NEEDED Marion “Nicky” Nickerson Paulson has been at an independent living facility in Duxbury, MA, for 8.5 years. “It is in the town where I have lived for the past 52 years,” she writes, “and where I am secretary of the Residents’ Association. Believe it or not, the shorthand skills I learned at Colby Jr. have served me well!” Nicky visits with friends in town, belongs to a luncheon group, participates in a book club and attends church. Her 3 children and their families live nearby. Her 3rd great-grandchild was born Apr. 21; she also has 7 step-great grandchildren (soon to be 8) around the

country. She went to a memorial service for Ruth Dresser Paulson ’48, who was married to Nicky’s husband’s cousin, and has been in touch with her former roommate, Shirley Holmes Dunlap.

1948

PHYLLIS HARTY WELLS lesmase@gator.net Fran Wannerstrom Clark spent Thanksgiving in the Big Apple and enjoyed last-minute tickets for “Jersey Boys” with her son. They also watched the UCONN Huskies women’s basketball team play Notre Dame before returning to UCONN for a Boston Pops Christmas Concert. Then it was off to FL for Christmas with her family! Fran had fun with the Covenant Village hiking club, which took on an upscale indoor mall. 7 gals bravely “hiked” for about an hour and discovered new shops. This past year, Fran got involved with local HS students through Taste and Talk Together. Twice a month, 2 residents and 2 freshmen lunch together in the CV dining room. The “kids” seem to enjoy this and the residents are delighted to have them! Madelon “Maddy” Pennicke Cattell was interested in hearing about our new digs at Oak Hammock and says our activities sound much like those at State College, PA. Maddy is well except she is legally blind. She has 11 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren

l to r: Barbara “Punkie” Hunt Peirson ’47, Olga “Oggie” Wells Dalton ’47 and Martha “Marty” Worth Oberrender ’47 enjoyed each other’s company in July. Oggie passed away Aug. 8.

to keep her on her toes. She’s grateful she and Newton moved there when they did. It’s been over 9 years since Newt died. Marilyn Belding Hilly still lives in the Mad River Glen area of VT and still teaches skiing. Bully for you, Marilyn! Barbara “Bobbie” Schulz Watts keeps in touch with Sybil “Billie” Adams Moffat. Billie walks a lot on the Wake Robin campus and enjoys the many Osher lectures given at the CCRC. She keeps close tabs on Paul, who is on oxygen. Carol “Shoe” Shoemaker Marck and Chuck spent part of July in their Snowmass, CO, condo with their daughter, Christy, and Shoe’s pug, Lily. The Marcks had a quick visit with Cornelia “Nini” Hawthorne Maytag in Colorado Springs before returning to PA. They observed their 60th anniversary at their Poconos place. Their “kids” planned a lovely time with boat picnics, games and plenty of s’mores by the fire. The Marcks spent Christmas in Bethesda in their old house, which her daughter, Christy, and Michael MacCormack now own. Nini keeps in touch with Emily “Emmy Lu” Simson Croke. They occasionally meet for lunch in Denver. Emmy enjoys life in her CO mountain home in quaint Empire. Nini says Priscilla “Pan” Irish Demos and George have moved to Colorado Springs. We haven’t had news from Pan in a while so hope Nini will urge her to send some. Jane Maynard Gibson is happy to be in touch again with Jean Klaubert Friend. They go way back to elementary school. Jean has had a rough time this year but seems happy residing at Parkside Village, which is close to her daughter’s home in OH. Jane and Jack have been at Vicar’s Landing for years but still find stuff to get rid of; it’s difficult as everything brings fond memories! Anne Smith Jeffus sent an interesting Christmas letter. It was part of her mother’s memoirs written when she was the same age as Ann at Christmas 2014: “As I approach my 86th birthday, I am more aware of all the blessings God has bestowed upon me and just how much I have to be thankful for.” Ann says the words are

timeless and she will cherish them. Sarah Hecht Phillips’s daughter, Sally, has a daughter, Alexandria, who graduated from Tulane. Sarah’s son, Jamie, and his wife, Susan, have 15-year-old triplets. Ann Wyllie Jarrett says her art opportunities were numerous in 2014. One class was on collages, which she’d never done before. 2 are framed and hanging while another, a complete failure, was trashed! She had an art show at her CCRC, Kendal Community, showing 10 paintings and selling 3. Ann’s son Bill and his family visited in Apr. Ann took the gang to Chadds Ford, PA, home of painter Andrew Wyeth. Lots to see there, including the Kuerner Farm where Wyeth painted a number of his famous Helga series. Ann had the opportunity to paint in the Kuerner barn 8 times last fall. Quite a thrill for anyone who loves to paint! One day, it was so cold that Karl Kuerner brought her a pail of hot water to thaw out her fingers. In May, she was at Mt. Hebron HS in MD with her son, Andrew, and his wife, Kim, watching her only granddaughter in a dance recital. Ann’s only daughter, Sara Jane, invited Ann to CO for 1st grandson, Wyllie’s, graduation from Aspen HS. Wyllie’s brother, Conor, is now an A & B grades sophomore. Ann’s second son, David, had a scary experience in late summer. After a terrible pain in his head and really high blood pressure, a CAT scan revealed a huge hematoma. The neurosurgeon was worried, but David came out of the surgery quite well. He needs to watch stress and blood pressure, but, as Ann says, he got a second chance at life. Barbara “Bobbie” Hamilton Hopkins was in New London for the President’s Alumni Advisory Council meeting and was the oldest alumna there! She came away so proud and committed to the college and its mission. We are all welcome to go to one of the 2 yearly sessions, and if you are interested in joining the council, contact the Alumni Office. Bobbie says she’ll provide lodging at her vacation house in New London! She also asked that you always read the latest issue of Colby-Sawyer

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Magazine to get a sense of what is taking place. Her 8 grandchildren are thriving: the 5 college graduates are employed, one graduated in May, another will this spring, and Hannah is 11. Bobbie took her first jaunt out of the country since Rich died, spending a wonderful time in Antigua. She has full days as real estate is still a part of her life as well as a lot of community activities: she’s a deacon at the First Congregational Church of Greenwich and a board member at Edgehill, a CCRC. Fun times, too, at the bridge table, tennis, and theater trips to NYC. She misses the sailing adventures she shared with Rich for so many years. Bobbie sent her best greetings to you all! Mase and I, Phyllis “Les” Harty Wells, enjoy life at Oak Hammock at the U of FL, a CCRC. We had an early spring this year and enjoyed summer in north FL. I wish more of you would write a short note to me. Email is such an easy way to do this. After you’ve read this news, please go to the computer and drop me a few lines about life in our 80s. It has its moments!

1950

KATHLEEN VALLIERE-DENIS OUILETTE nanapa@beeline-online.net After 60 years in VT, Ann Bemis Day now lives in an independent cottage at RiverMead, a continuing care community in Peterborough, NH. It’s an hour from Concord, so it’s much easier to get together with her sisters and the Bemis family. She writes her weekly column, “The Nature of Things;” publishes her annual Poetry and Photo Engagement Calendar; and hopes to do a lot more writing. She has started a poetry group and joined the NH Poetry Society and The Monadnock Writing Group. Her granddaughter, Meg, lives in Brisbane, Australia, with 2 children in school. Her grandson, Haven, is in Seattle, WA; he runs marathons and leads weekly

hiking trips for an international tour company. Ann’s son Alan’s twin daughters are in NC finishing college and saving the Earth. They have a family reunion every 2 years; this year it was a week in June in HI. Marilyn “Lynn” Wellenkamp (my daughter, Lynn’s namesake!) has had an interesting career: producer for TV, films, Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and more. After marrying and returning to NJ, Lynn pursued a career in interior design, eventually becoming owner and designer for Chilton Associates. Upon the death of her husband, she returned to Los Angeles and became owner-designer for LJ Designs, Inc. During the next 5 years, she purchased and sold 4 homes before returning to the East Coast. She continued purchasing, renovating and selling homes and reactivated Chilton Associates. In Aug. 2009, she moved to Goshen, CT. Jane Grayson Slover wrote: “In Dec., George and I moved into a retirement home near our neighborhood. It isn’t finished, but I love not having to cook or pay utilities or call outside for repairs, etc. So many of our friends live here, it’s almost like a party. One of my neighbors has a daughter who went to Colby-Sawyer. Small world!” Jane keeps active and is president of her investment club and in several book clubs. Joan Smith McShane wrote that once you move into an active retirement community (Broadmead in Cockeysville, MD) and marry for a 2nd time, life can be very busy. “John and I have planned a trip to Sea Island, GA. Memorial Day weekend we plan to visit my daughter and go to my oldest granddaughter’s college graduation and, a couple days before, see a younger grandson have a lead in the school play. In July, we are considering a trip to Steamboat, CO, to visit 2 of my husband’s children.” She is also involved in several volunteer activities and spends a lot of time playing bridge. Maxine Morrison Hunter writes, “I am 84 but hopefully will be 85 in May. Jean ‘Je-Je’ Harding Pierce ’47 has a son close by. We are both in Boca Grande, FL,

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for the wonderful weather. I am leaving tomorrow for Chicago, but we live close by in Lake Forest, IL.” Barbara “Bobbie” Bishop MacLean writes that 2 years ago, when she signed up for the Colby-Sawyer trip to Spain, the tour director paired her with a woman around the same age to room with. She was not an alumna but lives in New London. When Bobbie goes to PAAC meetings, she stays with her, and the 2 have signed up for a trip to Santa Fe led by author and artist Tomie dePaola. In Apr. her daughter-in-law had a 50th birthday and her son, Scott, sent her, her mother, sisters, Bobbie, and several girlfriends to NYC for the weekend to enjoy afternoon tea, dinners and a Broadway show. Jean Finley Doughty and I connected this spring and she said there were still snowbanks in Wilton, ME. Our conversation did include mention of her not having heard from Betty Alden Parker or Virginia Murphy Sarno for a long time. As for me, Katie Valliere-Denis Ouilette, I produce/direct 2 television programs, have authored a book that is a true family story, and am a weekly columnist for our China, ME, publication, The Town Line. My daughter Lynn is the comptroller for a successful ME/NH pulp company. I hope you are inspired when reading Colby-Sawyer Magazine. So much has changed at the “campus on the hill,” yet we are fortunate to have had a great introduction to our futures!

1951

ROBERTA GREEN DAVIS 107 Columbia Avenue Swarthmore, PA 19081 Ellen Duane Stumpf has lived 20 years in SC and is in a friendly place. She retired from teaching after 41 years but volunteers as a teacher for special children. Her hubby had a hip replaced and she has her share of COPD, vascular neuropathy and arthritis in her neck. Ruth Gray Pratt and Mary Loudon Eckert came from New London to see Joanie White Snively in Scarborough, ME. Anne

Rantoul Conner writes that their grapes did splendidly last fall, their 6th year. People bought jam, apple cider mix and kombucha. Ruth Gray Pratt reports, “We had our Apr. 2014 vacation on Manasota Key in FL, where Ari and Joyce live. The CO grands came for several days, so it was a wonderful reunion. We regret we gave up our vacation in Brewster after 33 years but found a condo near the beaches of York, ME, close to home. Cyndi and Amanda were with us for a week of sun, beach time and a visit to the Wild Kingdom, where I had rides on the merry-go-round and Ferris wheel. A real high! From July to mid-Sept. we lived at Perkins Pond. Ari and Joyce spent 4 days with us and we had lots of pitch games on the porch. In Oct. Ben came from CO to visit us, especially his grandpa, who gave him great memories of fishing trips from Bakers Island. Together they looked at photo albums and reminisced. Paul has not been well for quite a while, so our days are pretty quiet. Last Oct. we celebrated our 56th anniversary and are still grateful for every day we can be together.” Maryann Henry von Dwingelo retired as association executive at Darien Board of Realtors 4.5 years ago. She enjoys her 11 grandchildren. One just completed boot camp for the US Coast Guard, following in his father’s footsteps. Others have graduated from UPENN, UCONN, Hofstra, RIT. Another is at St. Lawrence and one’s heading for U of TX. Her 2 daughters and 1 son live nearby in CT, and another son lives near Atlanta. Barbara Mandelstam De Paolo lives in Delray Beach, FL, and looks forward to daughter Susan moving there with her husband. Barbara keeps busy with friends attending 2 Socrates Cafe discussion groups each week and going to theater, movies and concerts. She had lunch with Ryna Greenbaum a few years ago. Barbara would love to hear from her roommate, Mary Ann Reigle, and Ruth Armstrong McGlathery and Dorothy “Dorrie” Ernst Bean. She invites any classmates in South FL this winter to come for a visit.


1952

MARILYN WOODS ENTWISTLE mainewoodsie1@roadrunner.com In Apr., Sarah “Sae” Bond Gilson ’53 MT and Ben left winter in Hanover, NH, and found spring blooming in Paris, where they spent 12 sunny days on a Road Scholar trip to study Impressionist painters, visit their haunts and see their work in museums. After a long winter, Ingrid Mellgren Davidge echoed the sentiments of many, saying she was still waiting for spring. She sent, via Mary Anne “M.A.” Lutz Mackin, the sad news that Doris Smart Sandstrom had died, and just a few weeks later, more sadness when Ingrid reported that M.A. herself had died. A much happier surprise was Nan Norton Wasniewski’s summary of her busy life since graduation: a B.A. from Tufts in ’54 (Jo Murdock Johnston was her roommate); marriage the same year to Ira (Bob) that led to a family of 5 children, 6 granddaughters and 1 grandson. Nan spent 20 years as Colchester’s social services director and has played every possible role at her Westchester Congregational Church, from baking cookies to preaching an occasional sermon. Undeterred by a new knee, she swims and kayaks in the summer, does winter water aerobics, and hosts family gatherings. Betty Carlson Salomon, Nancy “Shum” Shumway Adams and I got together for 2 days of skiing, one at Shawnee Peak and a sensational day at Cranmore with great conditions, lovely weather, no lines, and featuring 3 old gals in perfect form! In late 2013, Sally “Itchie” Hueston Day could no longer give her husband, Richard, the care he needed for his advancing Alzheimer’s, so she found a place for him nearby. As a result, she has been traveling to see her many grand and great-grandchildren, from MA to MI, Seattle, Vancouver, BC, Amsterdam, and this past Dec. to Chicago for her grandson’s wedding, after which she flew to Puerto Rico for the holidays with both families and the bride and groom. Marny Scruton Green flew home to Oakland,

Ontario, in Apr. after her usual winter in Lido Key, FL, a busy one this year with lots of company. She drove to NC twice to see her ailing brother and was glad that the second trip gave her a few days with him before he died. Judy Fowle Hinds is back in NH after her 27th winter on her Man-O-War island in the Bahamas. Shum forwarded news about Joyce Miller Titus, who lives in Wolfeboro, NH, and winters at her condo in Waterville Valley, where she is an avid cross-country skier and enjoys socializing with the “Silver Streaks” and a late Sat. afternoon literary group. Shum also sent a note from Nancy Garland Menchetti’s daughter about Nancy’s death in Jan. and how she always spoke fondly of her classmates and her years at CJC. Mary Jane Fritzinger Moeller had a nasty fall this winter that broke 2 ribs. Ann Doyle Gramstorff ’52 MT says that even after the hard winter she is still happy with her relocation north to South Setauket, NY. Lastly, Bob and I were delighted to see our actor (just accepted at Emerson) grandson Robert MacKay interviewed about his HS play competition by Rob Caldwell, the Portland TV host of “207,” who was once a kindergarten student of Shum’s in Simsbury, CT. Fond regards to all, Woodsie.

1953

NANCY OBER BATCHELDER earlebatchelder@comcast.net Barbara “Bobbi” Johnston Rodgers writes, “My roommate, Tricia Dobbs Montgomery, lives in Denver, CO, and I live in Blue Bell, PA, making it difficult to get together for lunch! So, we have a solution, which is to travel together with our husbands. In early Oct. we had our 5th cruise together, which took us up the Hudson River, through the Erie Canal, and up the St. Lawrence River as far as the Saguenay River and fjord. The fall color was beautiful for this 14-day cruise and we had 10 land excursions with excellent guides! This was a Blount Small Ship Adventures cruise, and I discovered that the president is Nancy

Blount Palumbo ’72! Thanks, Nancy, for a great trip!”

1954

JO-ANNE GREENE COBBAN jjcobban@ne.rr.com Anne Batchelor De Grazia in Augusta, GA, wrote, “We are doing well, with nice neighbors, and we enjoy doing things together, plus have a fun Welsh Corgie dog.” Helen Johnson Sargent and Dick winter in SC and summer in ME, and have family, friends, and neighbors, churches, bridge groups, symphony and Newcomers events in both places. She keeps in touch with Nancy Paige Parker and Carol Nelson Reid. Margot Thompson volunteers at the Botanic Gardens and has become a master gardener. She spent 3 weeks in Italy in 2014 and plans a cruise from Lapland down the coast of Norway. She celebrated her 80th birthday with friends and family in Santa Fe, NM. I, Jo-Anne Greene Cobban also celebrated my 80th after a heart valve repair, and gave another 80th birthday phone call to Blenda Covill in Fairhaven, MA. We were members of the alto CJC chorus who sang on the Boston Pops Symphony Hall stage. Ann Rosenbach Scott celebrated her 80th birthday and said she and Roger would celebrate their 60th anniversary with the family in fall 2015. They took a cruise from Boston to Labrador, Iceland and Greenland and a few ports in Europe. Wintering in The Villages, FL, they returned to 5 ft. of snow in NH. She added, “Our son, Greg, a pilot with Delta Airlines for 15 years, is now a captain in Atlanta,

Barbara Dennett Howard ’54 and her husband, Bob.

following in his dad’s footsteps with the same airline.” From Yarmouth, MA, Barbara Dennett Howard wrote she and Bob will sell their home on the Cape and move to a retirement home in Charlton, MA. Anne Lewis Benedict has lived in a retirement home for the past 8 years. She wrote, “It is built on 100 acres in the middle of an arboretum, and I enjoy taking photographs. The place is beautiful in every season. I still have my home at the NJ shore, which was damaged by Hurricane Sandy. It is back together; my 3 children and 8 grandchildren love it.” Nice to hear from Sally Clickner L’Huillier in Brownville, NY, who wrote, “My husband and I have retired, but we are busier than before. We spend most of our time near home, and at our 2nd place in Cape Vincent, NY. We used to travel a lot but now don’t seem to have the time. We do get up to Lake Placid, NY, frequently, with our daughter and her husband, and sometimes to Ottawa, Canada, for short vacations.” Barbara Rogers Berndt and her husband, Ed, have moved from NC to an assisted living apartment in Trumbull, CT, and are now closer to most of their family. Their son, Ed, lives 5 minutes away; both Dan and Mary Beth are much nearer, and Matthew and wife Monica travel for business, so frequent flyer miles assist with visiting. Barbara gets to see grandchildren and great grandson, Mason, now 16 mos., more often. Congratulations are in order for Jane Doherty Johnson, who received a Heart of Hospice Award from Family Hospice and Palliative Care in Mt. Lebanon, PA. She has volunteered since 2001 after this group took care of her and her husband during his long illness. Dorothy “Dottie” Colburn Holstine’s family celebrated her 80th birthday, organized by daughter, Deborah, and her daughter, Matanah, and sons Sage and Harold. Dorothy retired as office manager from an IP law firm in 2006 and gladly made time for the caring of grandchildren when needed, feeling blessed to have them close in VA. Dotty and Jon remain active in Alexandria, where

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she still sings in the church choir; she was trained in the CJC choir. Sidney Faithfull Van Zandt traveled with her husband, Sandy, her son, Doug, and his girlfriend, Maureen, to White Salmon, WA, overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. They enjoyed cross-country skiing on Mt. Hood’s Tea Kettle area. They live in Noank, CT, on the Mystic River, an area of open space providing a lot of snowshoeing for them. Sidney continues to work with the Groton Open Space Assn., an organization she helped found in 1963. She led hikes on many sites on CT Trails Day in June. Barbara Ritter Peterson remembers her CJC years with great fondness. She visited campus a few years ago and enjoyed seeing all the changes, particularly the spectacular library. Her husband of 50 years died 7 years ago; she keeps busy with a home in Wallingford, CT, and a lake cottage in the NW part of the state. She writes, “My daughter and her family live in CO, and my son is nearby in CT. I’ve kept in touch over all the years with Sara-Lou Munroe Skar and Sally St. John Faulkner, until her death in 2011. After CJC, I went to Simmons College in Boston, but Colby and New London have remained very special in my thoughts.” Liz Margeson Harrison writes, “I will be in the Colby area for the first time in years for my granddaughter’s graduation from Dartmouth. She is taking a year off before attending Dartmouth Medical School. Her brother, Scott, will go to Colby College in ME this fall. It will be nice to have the family in New England even though it is far from home.” Thank you all for helping to put together our column.

1955

GRETCHEN DAVIS HAMMER gdh777@earthlink.net It has been nice to hear from so many of you. Hopefully, we will all see each other in Oct. to celebrate our 60th Reunion! Joanne Holden Miller writes—echoing what many of you said—that she cannot believe she had a BIG birthday this spring! Her family has been so

supportive, helping her through the death of her husband, Jim, 2 years ago. She recognizes that changes are ahead, as living in a 10-room house is overwhelming. Joanne is looking forward to being in New London for our Reunion. Liz Gunter Visvis and her husband have moved from CT, where they raised their children, and now live 7 months of the year in Wellington, FL. She feels fortunate to have escaped the ravages of this past winter. Liz has continued painting and studying art, beginning first with Dr. Holtz on the third floor of Colgate! Her husband has always encouraged her work, as well as “paying for all those hundreds of frames!” Another of our classmate-artists, Stephanie Brown Reininger, sent me pictures of her beautiful watercolors, which were published in last spring’s issue of Here In Hanover. Stephanie teaches for Osher at Dartmouth and the AVA Gallery in Lebanon, NH. Check out her website, theplayfulpainter.com. Carole Binney Haehnel ’55 MT who lives in White River Junction, VT, took a wonderful trip to Madison, WI, to meet her 10th great-grandchild, Elijah. Carole remains busy with her volunteer work. Hope to see you at Reunion, Carole! Connie Valpey Deschenes, still in the Marblehead, MA area, writes that life has slowed as her husband, Ed, has had several strokes. They still get to NH and ME to visit their children; she swims twice a week at the YMCA; cross-country skis with her family; and is a guide at the town’s historic home—the Lee Mansion—during the summer. Alethe Laird Lescinsky in NY’s Adirondacks spends as much time as possible outdoors hiking, cross country skiing, canoeing, etc. Because 2 of her sons live in Australia, there aren’t many opportunities to have the whole family together, but they are planning a 2016 family reunion in Tahiti to celebrate the 80th birthdays of Alethe and her husband. They have rented a house on Moorea Island, where all 14 of them can stay and swim, snorkel and explore! Marcia Symmes Harmon had a serious back operation and has been in

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rehab ever since. She is now in an apartment in a senior facility in Kennebunk, ME, where she undergoes therapy and is in an electric wheelchair. Best wishes, Marcia. Janice Spurr Titus and her husband have left CT for Portsmouth, NH, where, Janice says, the cost of living is lower and the state more hospitable. She extends best wishes to the beautiful gals in the Class of ’55 and hopes we all stay safe and well. Barbara Harmon Sawyer, who lives in Hampton, NH, with husband Jerry, tells of a business they share with their 3 daughters and sons-in-law: They plant vegetable seed for 3 local stores—55,000 plants in 2 greenhouses! And they have done this for 20 years! They also have 3 granddaughters who work for insurance companies, and 2 grandsons who graduated from college last spring. Wonderful hearing for the first time from Nancy Demme Nichols, who has lived in Texas since 1972. 2 of her children live in Austin. Her son moved to Portland, ME, last year and loves it, despite the harsh winter. Nancy visits with Georgia Hubbell Sorensen at least once a year. Last year, Nancy, her husband, and Georgia and her husband enjoyed a cruise around the British Isles. Nancy also came to New England last July and met up with Fran Roberts Wilson in New London. They have known each other since kindergarten! Fran took Nancy for a tour of the campus, and Nancy was very impressed. Nancy is now recovering from a hip replacement and hopes to get back to traveling soon, adding that she has quadruplet grandsons, now 21 years old. I bet they’ve kept the family busy! Last, but by no means least, is the upbeat and delightful Rosie Carhart Keenan. She won’t be at our Reunion; as much as she wants to, she cannot drive to New London by herself. She added that she hibernated a lot and had nothing to report of interest. So Rosie-like! As for me, Gretchen Davis Hammer, Ken and I have had a busy year. After formally closing my office 8 months ago, I now see very few clients and am spending more time with husband,

children and grandchildren. We did get to see several of them in FL in Apr. when we escaped the cold Northeast. I am looking forward to Reunion and hope to see many of you there!

1956

NANCY HOYT LANGBEIN enlangbein@gmail.com Sally Marker Hayward has 3 children scattered around the US and a daughter in Trinidad. She and Don went to their 60th HS Reunion in 2014. Sally also sold their condo in NC and is staying put in PA. She would love to reconnect with Marilyn Lewis Hobson. Betty Coleman Lincoln and Bob have moved into an assisted living facility in Hingham, MA. Marcia Copenhaver Barrere spent last Thanksgiving with their son in CA. She still does her needlework and is into yoga. Sarah Rudy Terhune reports, “Frank and I have just become great-grandparents, and he is adorable, of course. He, along with his parents (our granddaughter) and our son and daughter, will all travel to NH this summer for a few days. My sister-in-law, also a Colby grad, lives in New London, so we will visit there as well. The school looks as lovely as ever.” Arlene Annan DeMoss keeps busy and enjoys her grandchildren, who range from 5 to 30. Arlene is the 1st to email me news. Yes, your Class Correspondent has come into the 21st century, so now everyone can send news!

Diane Shugrue Gallagher ’57, at right, caught a foul ball at a Red Sox game in June.


1957

JILL BOOTH MACDONELL jillphotoart@yahoo.com Betty Kendig Eastman lives in Akron, OH, next door to her son, David, and his wife. She says, “This is a big help, as he does all the mowing and plows the driveway.” Betty has 2 granddaughters; the oldest, Natalie, graduated from UConn in May and plans to get her master’s; the youngest, Kelly, goes to Kent State U. I had a knee replacement and am getting along with therapy.” Metza “Kim” Yaksha Whitely would like to round up 60 classmates for our 60th reunion. She wants to know who has the book with the names of the 50th reunion people. I, Jill Booth Macdonell, continue to photograph the homeless, write stories wherever there is a story, look for the truth and am learning to be older.

1958

CYNTHIA GRINDROD VAN DER WYK cindy@colorthewind.info Mary “Mimi” Stewart Baird is proud to announce the publication of He Wanted the Moon: The Madness and Medical Genius of Dr. Perry Baird, and His Daughter’s Quest to Know Him. The reviews have been positive, and I encourage our classmates to read this account of mental illness in the WW2 era. Mimi lives in Woodstock, VT, and enjoys visits from her 4 grandchildren. Last Aug. Sandy Clare Fessenden moved from NM to a retirement community in CO. She writes, “We decided we would be closer to our son and his family, who live in Crested Butte. It is taking some time to get used to it, but we have decided it is the best place for us at this time in our lives.” This Sept. they are going on a cruise from Amsterdam to Barcelona. Sandy would love to hear from anyone around the Denver area. Sally Heyn Short and her husband, Phil, have lived in Montgomery, TX, at Walden on Lake Conroe for almost 18 years. She says, “It’s a lovely community with golf, the lake,

tennis and other activities, including some very nice friends. We have 2 daughters in Dallas. They are both married, and 1 daughter has our 2 grandchildren, Abby, 15, and Andrew, 17.” Sally and Phil regularly vacation on Bailey Island, ME, and occasionally see Sandy Powell Durling and her husband there. As for me, Cindy Grindrod van der Wyk, my youngest daughter moved to Denver in June, and I miss her terribly. One granddaughter and her husband moved to TX. Even though communication is much better now, seeing your family move away has its emotional challenges. A grandson is graduating from Vanguard U and demonstrates his grandfather’s great sales skills for Nordstrom’s. I am still active in the flag and banner business (Color The Wind Flags and Banners), and I am the leading manufactured home sales agent for JnR Homes, which tells you that a sales professional can be the best at any age!

1959

MARSHA HALPIN JOHNSON marnamhj@gmail.com Marlene Nelson Allison writes of her wonderful travels beginning with a Road Scholar trip through Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria and Iran, where she found the people warm, friendly and open in expressing opinions. A late fall trip took her to the Sultanate of Oman. Staying closer to home, which is mid-coast ME, she plans to travel to VA to study Jefferson, Madison and Monroe. She extends an open invitation to visitors. Sheila Emslie Carrassi is another traveling alumna—to Italy and New Zealand. She lives in Manchester, MA, and is enjoying volunteering and keeping in touch with old friends. I continue to enjoy New London and my connection to Colby-Sawyer, particularly with the international student population which now numbers more than 140. They bring the world to our neck of the woods. Bruce and I enjoy traveling and this winter spent 3 weeks in Chile and Argentina, the highlight

being Patagonia. In June, we headed to China with a granddaughter graduating from college. Please send me your news and make plans to return to your college for a visit. You won’t recognize it! In the last issue, Diane Taylor Bushfield’s husband was listed as Don. His name is Frank. The Alumni Office apologizes for this error.

1960

PATRICIA CANBY COLHOUN pccolhoun@gmail.com Sue Barto Monks and family took a trip to Africa, visited 5 countries, and took a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti Desert, where she sprinkled some of Bill’s ashes. She spent time at the shore, and at Roque Island. She took a cruise to the Caribbean for Christmas and went to London in mid-Jan. The rest of the winter was snow and cold. Charlene Wolcott Gray is happy to have reconnected with Sharley Janes Bryce and Barbara “Bobbie” Taeffner Kulp. They visited Charlene in beautiful Torch Lake in northern MI. Then she visited Bobbie and Tom in Yardley, PA, as part of an East Coast historical tour. They saw where George Washington crossed the Delaware River and the memorial to those who lost their lives on 9/11. Charlotte Heyl McLaughlin lives in Princeton, NJ, and will continue to travel until not able. 2 of her 6 granddaughters are 21; young Charlotte is a sophomore at Princeton, and Sammy is a junior at the U of Miami, Coral Gables. Charlotte keeps in touch with Julie Dornemann Steck and Diana Curren Bennett ’61 MT. She says hello to all the gals in Best and wishes everyone well. Linda Read Stewart curled on 3 teams in Scotland and came to ME for the summer. Ann Parsons Klump looks forward to our 55th reunion. She took a 15-day cruise from Boston to New Orleans last Nov. She is enjoying her grandchildren (9, 11, 12 and 13). Judy Johnson Gibbs wrote that her son and daughter-in-law live in CO with 2 children adopted from China—a girl, 10, and a boy, 6.5. After visiting,

they took a trip to NM. Judy’s oldest son and daughter-in-law live in Georgetown, MA, with 2 girls, 9 and 8, and a boy, 4.5. They have gone to Disney World and have taken a Disney cruise with them. The gang from CO comes to ME each summer. Judy and her husband have a French Brittany Spaniel, Jack, with whom they hunt grouse. They also visit the Bahamas for fishing and R&R. Judy and her husband are retired but keep busy; he continues to write freelance and Judy volunteers at the ME Medical Center. Ann Hoar Floyd ’61 MT, ’77 writes from Martha’s Vineyard, where she enjoys retirement by keeping busy with the Marine Communities program. Conserving her land on Chappaquiddick became a dream come true when she sold a large portion to the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank. The fields, forest, fresh and saltwater ponds, and a long, sandy beach will never be built upon. Thanks, Ann! Hannah “Haydi” Caldwell Sowerwine works with her husband, David, on their nonprofit Village Tech Solutions. They have worked on Looma, an educational device for developing world schools without power or Internet access. Haydi took 4 of their 12 youngest grandchildren to Disneyland. Then they went skiing in Sun Valley for 17 days, where they watched 2 grandchildren race on the Olympic Development Team. Haydi and David used to live in Nepal, so our hearts went out to their friends who were in the earthquake last Apr. Judy Butler Shea has been working on the Ice Out Benefit she runs for the Ambulance Service. Nancy Lucas Sheridan enjoyed a trip to Eastern Europe, including a riverboat cruise from Budapest to Bucharest. They will have 4 grandchildren in college. Julie Dougherty Egenberg returned to Naples, FL, after a lovely 10-day trip to the Netherlands, where the tulips were in full bloom. She visited with 5 members of her host family from 58 years ago. Julie splits her time between Naples and Stowe. Carol Sherman House took a wonderful cruise through the Mediterranean Sea, visiting Greece,

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Italy, Monaco, France and Spain. The highlights were Taormini and Greco Roman Theater in Italy; Angels and Demons of Rome, inspired by Dan Brown; and the scenic St. Paul De Vence in Monaco. Ann “Meri” Skeels Nielson became a great grandmother. Her little girl’s little girl had a little girl. Congratulations! Susie Frank Hilton and I, Patty Canby Colhoun, had a fantastic lunch in Sarasota last Apr. We had not seen each other since graduation. It was a wonderful 2.5 hours. Susie is a docent at Artis-Naples, home of the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Baker Museum of Art. Through the Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church, Susie is a Stephen Minister. When time allows, she and her husband, Dick, enjoy golf and traveling. Susie’s mother lives nearby and was 101 last Aug. Susie’s son, Eric, 52, is a Hollywood filmmaker and Jonathan, 49, is a Washington, DC, lobbyist. Susie has lived in Naples for 25 years and loves it. I, Patricia Canby Colhoun, took a Viking River Cruise from Munich to Budapest over Christmas with my daughter, Ann, who lives in Versailles and works in Paris. She visited me in The Villages in Mar. I visited my sister who lives outside Vancouver, and both visited me in East Boothbay, ME, in Aug. I continue to be the AED coordinator for my Bonita Villas, in FL. I love to garden, hook rugs, play golf and work with my therapy dog, Charlie. We work at 2 schools with children with reading difficulties. I have the best of both worlds by going 6 and 6 between Boothbay and The Villages. I know many of us have had health issues. I wish you good health and happiness in the coming year.

1961

Thank you to Susan Olney Datthyn for her many years of service as Class Correspondent. If anyone is interested in taking over this duty, please contact the Alumni Office. Susan Colcock Mitchel writes, “Kent and I continue to split our time between our farm in Sandwich, NH, and house in Chatham, MA, in an unusual way. We spend Apr.-June in Chatham (to escape mud and black fly seasons) and again Oct.-Dec. (a raw cold season with too many hunters outside). This leaves us the summer for gardens, Squam Lake and hiking, and winter for skiing. Not a bad life with lots of friends and family visits and a little time for traveling.” Sue Romer Ladouceur visited Colby-Sawyer last fall and had a lovely time seeing the Tomie De Paola exhibit in the gallery. She writes, “The Alumni Office was most gracious in our private viewing. What fun to share the campus with my husband!” Sue lives in CA and is retired after being an artist most of her professional life, along with 19 years as a children’s librarian. Her daughters live on the East Coast. Robin is a dean at the Yale Graduate School and Lynnea worked for the NIH in AIDS grants international and is now mother to Sue’s precious granddaughter, who is almost 3.

1962

GAIL GRAHAM LEE gailcracker@comcast.net Ellyn “Lyn” Whitney Townsend sent me her life story in a nutshell, saying, “It’s been a wonderful ride.” She and Norm married in the fall of 1962, and after living in CA, NH and MA, they are enjoying an active retirement at The Villages in FL. They are blessed with 3 sons and 7 grandchildren ages 7-19. 2 are in college, 1 at MIT and 1 at Villanova. Lyn works part-time for a sales rep in The Villages and golfs as much as she can. If anyone comes her way, please let her know ahead of time, and she can arrange a few

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holes of golf! Lauren Piercy Looney’s husband of 45 years passed away in 2013, so she moved to a condo closer to all her volunteer jobs at a thrift store, museum, library, theater, AARP Tax service and the local zoo. She visited her brother in ME in June. Joan Maclaurin Kearsley finished a BA at Tufts and a master’s at BU before teaching grades 1-4 on the East and West Coasts and becoming the librarian at an elementary school in the Seattle area. After retiring, she became a full-time ski instructor in Crested Butte, CO, where she still works. She has joined several organizations, including Global Volunteers, English Language Institute of China, Answer Nepal, and now, TinTin in Nepal, where she will teach this summer, as well as in Bosnia in Aug. Her daughter is an ophthalmologist in San Francisco. Colby got her off to a great start! Sally Campbell Thomas transferred to the U of Denver after Colby, majored in elementary education, joined the Delta Gamma sorority, and met her husband, Breck. She taught school in Denver while Breck completed his MBA. They went to TX for basic training in the Air Nat’l Guard, and then to IL, where Breck began his 30-year career with Caterpillar. For 15 of those years, they lived in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Hong Kong and Geneva while they raised 2 daughters and traveled a lot. While overseas, Sally did some substitute teaching, studied Ikebana and started a HS basketball program in Geneva. In 1986 they returned to the States, built a home in Peoria, IL, and became involved in the Fine Arts Society, the Garden Club, and the local yacht club. Now retired, they spend winters on their boat in Guatemala, Honduras and Belize, and the warmer seasons visiting their daughters and families in Hingham, MA, and Lake Tahoe, CA. They are grandparents to 3, whom they enjoy to the max! Karen Loder Davis is busy as ever. After wintering in Dunedin, FL, she was headed back to VA to see her grandson graduate from HS, then to Cape Cod in June, then to Puerto Rico, then an auto trip to PEI and

Nova Scotia, and finally a month of volunteering with the elderly thru Cross Cultural Solutions in Salvador, Brazil. This year, Barbara Greenspan Jacobson and her husband took back-to-back cruises to New Zealand, Australia and Fiji. It was truly a trip of a lifetime, but after 5 weeks away, they were happy to be home. In Aug., she is taking her daughter, son-in-law and grandson to the Galapagos Islands. They welcomed a new granddaughter, who is an absolute delight. As for yours truly, Dick and I spent another delightful winter in FL before heading to Cape Cod. As always, stay well and have fun!

1963

DONNA DEDERICK WARD hungrytrout@comcast.net After a wonderful winter in the Florida Keys—relaxing in our tiki hut, watching the manatees, deep sea fishing, entertaining friends and family—Cliff and I have returned to our farm in Shaftsbury, VT. We had a good maple sugaring year and I’m planning wonderful maple treats for our guests. It’s the 10th year operating Meadowood Farm, and we now offer morning and evening food service. Tora Aasland writes, “I have retired from the job as a county governor in Rogaland, Norway, and I am now president of the Norwegian UNESCO-commission. I was in MA in Dec. 2014 to visit a good friend and former Colby student, Mary Lee Kingman Natti ’38, and her family. I really appreciate the friendship. I am also engaged in a Norwegian/TX cooperation, based on the little town Clifton in TX. We are arranging a conference in Oct. 2015 to present new findings and research results from Norwegian immigration to TX in the late 1800s.” Bea Campbell Kempster and her husband, Jack, are surprised to find themselves passing the 13-year mark in Lakeland, FL. She writes, “As an Army brat and Army wife, and having moved so often, I find it strange to be so ‘permanent.’ With sister Nancy Campbell Harris ’62, sister Kitty Allen, and our son Ross living


just minutes away, we feel settled in with family all around us.” Bea and Jack hosted their family in Lakeland last Christmas and by next year they’ll have 8 grandchildren. Deborah Landon O’Kain writes, “We love condo living, as we have a huge terrace with water on 3 sides! Our views are amazing. We are off to Rome May 2 and are very excited.” Frances Lee Montgomery says that it was a tough winter in Cambridge, MA. She was heading to her favorite spa in Mexico in Apr. She writes, “I am trying to sell my beautiful old farmhouse up there in the Mad River Valley. Time to downsize and rearrange my life.” Kerry Arnold retired last year and moved to Pinehurst, NC, after years in CT. Kerry has traveled the world, most often in the company of Stephanie Townsend ’64, who resides in London and is retired from book publishing. Karen Archambault Hubbard and her husband, Skip, spent the winter in Marco Island, FL, fishing, kayaking, and walking on Tiger tail Beach. In June they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with family in San Francisco. Carol Davis Bonazzoli says she and Fred were happy to leave Hopkinton, MA, on Jan. 1, just as it began snowing, to enjoy 4 months on Captiva Island, FL. They still see Sandy Newbert Fitts and her husband, Jeff, but not often enough, says Carol. This summer they traveled to Paris and London.

1964

KATHRINE CONATHAN REARDON kathyr1230@aol.com Lee Norris Gray and her husband, Rick, had a wonderful winter in Bonita Springs, FL. They were thrilled to miss the 7 feet of snow this winter in NH. They had 2 grandsons graduating HS this year. Kellen, the oldest, will go to UMass on a swimming scholarship. Josh lives in Seattle and will go to WA State. Nancy Woodring Hansen and husband Roger’s big trip was to Vail for Dartmouth Carnival. They have been going for about 15 years, and while Roger skis, Nancy

spends time at the spa and tours towns around Vail. Her granddaughter, Ashley, and partner bought a fixer-upper in Keene, NH. His parents and Nancy’s family have been busy working on the house. Nancy and Roger celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Memorial Day Weekend. Diana Tripp spends all her time with her art—painting, showing and the business part of her gallery. She loves it, and I urge all of you on Facebook to friend Dini and look at her beautiful creations. Susan Patricelli-Regan has hosted the public access TV program “CT Valley Views” for 5 years. She covers a wide range of subjects that includes regional and national politics, education, finance, health, business and societal issues. Watch her from afar at www.ctvalleyviews.com. Jean Howell Vose’s husband, Dick, passed away in Jan. She plans to stay in her house in ME. Her family, friends and especially her church have been a great support. In Oct. 2014, she and Dick were named the ME State Beekeepers of the Year. They have kept bees for almost 30 years and were founders of their ME beekeeping chapter. Jean and Dick were married for 35 years and had 5 children and 9 grandchildren. All our sympathies to Jean. Valerie Taft West writes, “My husband and I have had a wonderful 2015 full of golfing vacations. We just returned from Sedona, AZ, a remarkably beautiful place. We are going to the British Isles for golfing and the British Open. We are capping off the year in St. Kitts for sun and more golf.” As for me, Kathrine Conathan Reardon, Jack and I went to Geneva in May to visit our daughter Janet for 2 weeks. She was transferred there last year, and we loved seeing her new life in the Swiss Alps. Please email me any time with your class news. One thing we mentioned at last year’s Reunion was the wish to hear from more classmates!

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Cathleen Earl Kostamo writes, “After 40 years in the wine industry, I have relocated from TX to Santa Fe, NM, a small city immersed in American Indian/Mexican history. My sister, Connie Earl ’62, will relocate here next spring. If any Colby grads come this way, please get in touch...it’s been many years since I have visited New England and I’d love to show off NM spring colors!” Ann Hodgkinson Low is looking forward to our 50th Reunion this fall. She writes, “Cal and I (happily married almost 45 years) live in Weston, VT. We still ski, and in the summer we garden, kayak, hike and play golf. We used to spend spring and fall in a wonderful golf community in Dataw, SC, but we sold it a year ago. I have taken up watercolor painting, a medium I had always avoided but love now! Our 2 sons live out West: 1 in Napa with his wife and 2 boys, 10 and 12, the other’s outside Boulder, CO, with a 13-month-old girl with another in the oven! I know a few Colby alumni in our area, and a few years ago I hosted a reception–President Galligan gave a great presentation. Hopefully, we have a good turnout in Oct.”

This past winter was 1 for the record books. Even as a native New Englander, it was tough to take with the very cold weather and lots of snow. At least I didn’t have to drive into work, since I retired almost a year ago from DHMC. My life now revolves around working with the Hanover Garden Club, attending a genealogy class with Adventures in Learning at Colby-Sawyer, volunteering with local libraries and taking time to enjoy life in ways I couldn’t when I was working fulltime. I got a nice note from Tina Hewitt Morrison, who writes, “While my husband of 46 years and I sit out a rain storm down here in Islamorada, I’ll try to put a few thoughts together. I am enjoying my older years by playing volleyball, traveling, bicycling, traveling, boating and enjoying my 1st grandchild (which involves traveling). I live in the beautiful hills of east TN, just north of Asheville, NC. I’ve been quite active over the past 10 years, participating in the Senior Olympics. I’ve played volleyball at the state level and also at the National Senior Olympics in San Francisco, Houston and Cleveland. This summer I will go to the MN games. It’s always fun since I travel with a few friends and teammates, and there are always interesting places to visit along the way. I stay active in my

CHRISTINA MURRAY MCKEE ctmckee@tds.net

SUSAN E. WEEKS weeksie1228@gmail.com

l to r: Dianne Wilson Wiggins MT ’67, Susan Ittner Rock MT ’67 and Diane Stentaford Davison ’66 met in Lancaster, PA, this spring for their third annual lunch gathering. They are already looking forward to next spring’s lunch together!

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| spotlight connections

IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO? Ellie Goodwin Cochran ’71

PHOTO: CHERYL SENTER, COURTESY OF THE N.H. CHARITABLE FNDTN.

Growing up in Manchester, N.H., Ellie Goodwin Cochran ’71 was encouraged by her parents to be active in her community. “If you live in Manchester,” they told her, “you better get involved.” Cochran took that advice to heart and has served on many boards, volunteered for a wide range of Manchester-based nonprofits, and been a true champion of her city and state. For her tireless devotion, the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) named her the 2015 Citizen of the Year.

“We suffer in this country because people are so busy, and they aren’t volunteering like they used to.”

In the 60-odd-year history of the GMCC award, only eight women have received the honor. Cochran said it was a complete surprise, but the self-described “networker extreme” estimated that she knew about 99 percent of the past winners, many of whom are friends and mentors. Cochran attended The Derryfield School before Colby-Sawyer, and she’s served as a trustee for both institutions. Both have honored her with alumni awards. Cochran returned to The Derryfield School and spent 17 years in the development office; she was with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation for 10 years and retired as director of philanthropy. Outside work and inspired by her developmentally disabled daughter, Cochran became involved with the Special Olympics and served on the U.S. Leadership Council. Name a Manchester nonprofit, and she’s likely volunteered for it: N.H. Institute of Art, YWCA, Granite United Way, Easter Seals, NH Food Bank, Moore Center. Asked how she has managed to find the time for so much community activity, Cochran said, “You make the time, because if you don’t, who will? We suffer in this country because people are so busy, and they aren’t volunteering like they used to. I’ve had a wonderful life here in this community, and I really want it to be the best place it can be. We’re having a real renaissance with young people coming back to town. Manchester is a great place to raise a family, and New Hampshire is a phenomenal state.” – Mike Gregory, director of Advancement Communications

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community of Kingsport with board duties for the Literacy Council of Kingsport. Mostly, I have been chairman of the fund raising committee, which among other activities involves putting on the annual Savvy Scrabble Social, and we’ve hosted coffees or luncheons with nationally known authors. I am feeling my age a little more this year with the partial replacement of my left knee in Jan. I was able to resume my volleyball with limited ability after about 9 weeks.” Please, I would love to hear from more of you—just a simple line or 2 would be appreciated!

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SIS HAGEN KINNEY kinivan06@gmail.com Prudence Hostetter’s son graduated HS and is headed to college. Her 50th HS reunion took place the same weekend as her son’s graduation. Prue sold their farm last year and is considering a move to Jacksonville, FL, now that she is retired from her 3rd career as a pilot, having previously taught HS and waited tables. She’s also considering taking off to visit friends! All right, Prue, come visit us in the NC Mountains; we’ll take you hiking and you’ll love it! Hanneke Frederik Jevons thanks the art faculty at CJC for giving her the confidence to follow her artistic dreams, especially in retirement. Now retired in Palm Coast, FL, after 40 years in education as a counselor, administrator, and HS art teacher, Hanneke enjoys being part of the Colored Pencil Society of America in St. Augustine, FL. She was accepted into the 23rd International Colored Pencil Society of America’s Exhibition, held at Oglethorpe U Museum of Art in Atlanta. Hanneke continues to teach privately at the Ormond Memorial Art Museum, and she can be found on Facebook and at www.hannekejevons.com. She says hello to all, especially to Babs Huntington Larsen, and encourages the continuation of the creative arts in education! Whitney McKendree Moore and her husband, Barry, both retired, took their “1st Ever Great Big Fat Road Trip


South” this past winter, leaving the snow and ice behind in Old Saybrook, CT. They drove 4,000 miles, visiting New Orleans, MS, AL and the FL Panhandle, thinking they would scout out areas in FL for a potential move. But when they drove up the coast to Charleston, SC, they fell in love and are now considering a move anywhere between Charleston and Savannah, GA. Having recently moved from the low country of SC myself, Whit and I had some interesting conversations about that. Whitney also said this road trip was like being back in college, and they loved it! She also said that son Ned is heading to Columbia U for his MFA in Dramaturgy. Emily Waterman Mooney has retired from teaching driver’s ed at Oxbow HS in Bradford, VT, but she continues to teach part time at Rivendell Academy in Orford, NH; she’s in her 41st year of teaching! She also has her own gardening/property management business in the spring, summer and fall, and in winter is a ski instructor at Suicide Six in her hometown of Woodstock, VT. So, she really has not retired! Em also reported that she plays tennis 4-5 times a week and golfs during the summer. Both sons are lawyers; the elder, Kit, is in Boston and her younger son, Alex, is in DC. Kit has 2 children: Aliki, 6, and Finn, 2.5. Ruthie Hendrick Wentzel retired in Jan. after 25 years at a law firm in

Whitney McKendree Moore ’67 with husband Barry and son Ned.

Portland, ME, where she was a legal assistant, manager of professional development, and finally the marketing manager. She said she hasn’t looked back! Since retirement, she’s managed a bathroom renovation; a trip to “the other Portland” to visit her daughter and her family in OR, including 2 grandsons; tended her flock of chickens through a horrible winter; attended her grandsons’ sports events in Brunswick, ME; and played lots of pickleball—Ruthie was appointed ambassador for the BrunswickTopsham area by the USA Pickleball Association. She looked forward to gardening as well as at least 1 lunch with Suzanne Eberhard Gabriel, who also lives in ME. Pat Maher Christodoulou is getting a good response to her real estate staging business. She said that 2 of the houses she staged were featured in the NY Times “Exceptional Properties” section. See for yourselves at www.stageandsell1.com. Pat would like to reconnect with friends from our class. Anne Baynes Hall has lived in New London, NH, for 3 years now. She is verger at her church and volunteers as a receptionist at the bishop’s office and at Colby-Sawyer’s Advancement Office. A stress fracture in her ankle meant wearing a boot for 3 weeks, then a brace, and then strength exercises. As for me, Sis Hagen Kinney, in Feb. my husband, Bobby, and I bought a home in the small town of Fuquay-Varina, NC—about 20 minutes SW of Raleigh. We still have our beloved little NC mountain cottage in Linville Land Harbor, but now we are closer to our grandchildren! I had fun helping our eldest son, Kenny, and his wife, Lauren, by watching their 15-month-old while Lauren trained to work from home. After getting the house set up, we had a housewarming party and were joined by my Colby “big sister,” Linda-Britt Redland Klemmer ’66, and her husband, Phil. Bobby and I enjoy bike riding and hiking and kayaking in the mountains. From what I’ve heard from you, and what I know, it seems every one of us loves retirement. I love getting news from all of you. The deadlines for receiving class notes

from now on has been set as May 1 and Nov. 1, so keep those emails, cards and letters coming!

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CORRESPONDENT NEEDED Christine Ade Carvalho has been enjoying retirement since Apr. 2014 and hopes to move to ME soon. Deborah Larus Doolittle is a self-employed cactus and succulent grower and creator of unique dish gardens. She has 2 Dalmatians and 2 Labs and is in Spot Savers, a Dalmatian rescue. She writes, “Planning to retire sometime soon, not sure when.” Jean “Gusty” Lange reports, “My 20-year-old daughter, Chelsea, is a sophomore at Oberlin and active in food co-op, improvisation, environmental issues, etc. She will do a sea semester in New Zealand in the fall (marine bio). My 25-year-old son, Dylan, is a drummer in the band Mothers and is exploring his path through part-time jobs. My husband, Steve, is involved in community issues in Brooklyn. The book he co-authored, INGREDIENTS, which originated from his exploration of food in his book, Twinkie, Deconstructed, will be published in the fall. I am finishing my 30th year teaching Graduate Design at Pratt and am not ready to stop, though politics and change encroach. Ventures to ME and kayaking are the summer pilgrimage, although spotty with Brooklyn obligations.”

1969

DEBORAH ADAMS JOHNSTON navypub@aol.com As autumn colors the hills surrounding CSC, we all remember Mountain Day and wonder when the bell will toll to declare it! Oh, to be young again. How many of us could make that climb without huffing and puffing? As our classmates get older, the more we think of our college days, and we wonder what has happened to those old friends. Share YOUR news so that we will know what you’ve been up to! Meredith Bennett ’70 MT and

husband, Tom, are retired in Free Union, VA. She is active in the hand weaving community, focusing on a tapestry technique called eccentric weft. They have a poodle, Tallulah, who takes up a lot of their time and ensures they walk many miles every day whether they want to or not! Martha McDowell McJacobs moved to Portland, OR, in 1980 and loves it. She and husband, Wade, celebrated their 29th anniversary in Aug. 2014. They had the true joy of adopting 2 beautiful children from China, son Devon in 1995 and daughter Annie in 1998. Devon will be a college sophomore and Annie will enter college this fall. Martha and Wade are practicing being empty nesters and enjoy biking, cross country skiing, hiking and traveling. She retired from teaching in 1995 to raise their kids full time. She now leads meetings for Weight Watchers and volunteers as an Aspire mentor, helping HS seniors navigate the college application process. JoAnn Franke Overfield ’68 MT was on campus at the end of Apr. for a meeting and to attend the Power of Infinity Campaign launch event. She hopes her classmates have a chance to visit campus and see the wonderful things that are happening there. JoAnn says, “No excuses, after all, I live near Seattle!” Of course, it was spring in New England, so it did snow a little!

1970

GAIL REMICK HOAGE gail@michaelsschool.com Our 45th Reunion will be held Oct. 16-18. Please attend! We had a super turnout at the 40th Reunion, and it looks like we will be an even larger group this time. Our class has made its mark at these reunions with our enthusiasm, fun and renewal of friendships. You don’t want to miss it! We will have an informal gathering/potluck Friday night at Maple Hill Farm, just minutes from campus. This is our “informal” class gathering spot. Some have already reserved rooms there; contact maplehillfarm.com. We will also be joined by some of the Med Tech Class of ’71—looking

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forward to seeing you and catching up! I have notes from Mary Pat Desmond Cox & Beth Roland Hunter so I am hoping to see them for sure. I will do my usual vacation with 6 other lovely Colby ladies in Stowe, VT, in June and will keep you posted on the fun.

1971

ELLIE GOODWIN COCHRAN elliegc@myfairpoint.net Marjorie Johnston Denton reports her husband Douglas Ross Denton passed away June 13, 2014, and she has retired. Bonnie Adamski Lewis ’71 MT retired this year after 15+ years at CSC. She was the lab manager of the Colby-Sawyer/Lake Sunapee Protective Assoc. satellite laboratory and said it was a wonderful experience to have been employed by our alma mater. Janet Baynes Benzie lives in the UK with her husband and daughter and returns to her hometown of New London every summer to catch up with family and friends. Her daughter Lora attends the U of Nottingham and last year studied law at the U of Texas, Austin. 5 years ago, Jan attended Alumni Weekend and ended up in Mass General Hospital with Lyme disease. She had to learn how to walk again before returning to the UK. Thankfully, she is recovered and continues to bake her fabulous cakes. Beverly Bethell Dolezal and husband Ed will celebrate 43 years this Dec. and are thoroughly enjoying life in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. They have 3 adult children (Patrick, Laura and Kathy) and 6 grandchildren! The youngest grands are twins, and Roxanne Daleo visited FL this past Dec. to be at the baptism. 2 kids and 5 grands live in Palm Beach Gardens and 1 daughter, Kathy, and grandson Colton live in Auburndale, MA, so Bev visits the Boston area when it’s not too cold! Candice Corcoran Raines represented the US at the Pan American Target Archery Championships in Rosario, Argentina, earning a silver medal. Archery is a sport that does not discriminate based on age. If you can pull

Karen Siney Fredericks ’71 enjoys trips to CO to see her daughter and 2 grandsons.

enough draw weight to shoot 70 meters, you can continue to participate at an advanced level. Candi and her husband, Thayer, celebrated 30 years as owners and directors of Roaring Brook Camp for Boys in Bradford, VT. They both have left Green Mt. College in Poultney, VT, and now teach at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, NH, but still reside in Rutland, VT. Mary Lou Sibley Wolfe and family spent 2.5 weeks in Mexico over winter holiday break. Mary Lou married Cory 22 years ago; their son Alex is 20 and at the U of WA. Mary Lou volunteers and works part time in market research. It was great to hear from all of you. I hope more of you will send news next time. I stay busy and was honored as Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year for 2014. It was quite a shock but a great excuse to get the kids home. Retirement is far busier than I imagined but always interesting. A highlight has been participating with my daughter in a theater group for developmentally disabled adults. She loves it, and they all enjoy putting the show together. Take care and stay in touch.

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This spring Sue Rich Daylor ’71, Jennie Kroll Hollister ’71 and Jean “Taz” Bannister ’71 (L to R) enjoyed a long dinner in Somerville, MA. They had a great time reminiscing, trying to remember names and singing bawdy songs!

1972

LINDA KELLY GRAVES dikeroka@aol.com I was on the Colby-Sawyer campus this spring. I found patches of snow, and it dared to deliver a snow shower while I was there! How rude! While there, I caught up with Diane Hallock Robbins. She and her husband have formally retired to their home near Lake Sunapee. Diane was in alumni relations and development at Simmons College and then Wheaton College for many years. She loves retirement and has found lots to keep busy with in the Sunapee region and at the ski slopes. Jodi Serling wrote that it was a horrible winter in Ithaca, too. Hopefully in 2 years when her husband retires, they will move out West! Jodi is working with her Golden Retriever, Emma, in Cornell Companions. They visit nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospices; the dogs provide good therapy and comfort for those they visit. Jodi’s son in LA is a broker for commercial property. She visits him a few times a year and sees her mom as well. Jodi has a menagerie of animals in Ithaca: 2 Rottweilers, the Golden retriever, and 2 cats! She has been retired from nursing for 4 years now and animals fill her life. Jodi keeps in touch with Nancy Neustadt Barcelo. Martha Cary Shuster writes, “Steve and I had a wonderful spring getaway to Woodstock, VT, and NH in Apr. While in Woodstock, we had the good fortune to pull into the parking lot of

an old mill building on a VT back road and collide with glassblower Simon Pearce. He invited us to come into the mill where his son, Andrew, makes beautiful wooden bowls. Another highlight was the Infinity Campaign Kickoff at Colby-­ Sawyer. I walked away prouder than ever of my beloved alma mater. Ethan Casson ’96 gave the most inspiring talk with President Galligan, speaking of the many challenges he faced along the way to landing his dream job. I wanted to pump my fist and give him a standing O! Steve has been retired for 3 years and is active with a land conservation group in South Dartmouth, MA. I mentor a 5th grader at a wonderful charter school in New Bedford, serve as a trustee at my children’s old day school in Dartmouth, and am active in the Caregiving Ministry of my church. I thoroughly enjoy being on the President’s Alumni Advisory Committee at CSC. While I can’t run anymore, I enjoy biking and exercising indoors during the winter to stave off old age. I would love to hear from any classmate who is in our neck of the woods. And please, support the CSC Infinity Campaign. Wonderful things are happening at Colby-Sawyer, and your participation is greatly needed and appreciated!” Lydia Biddle Thomas continues to be busy in NYC with her business, Power Thru the Clutter, helping others organize their homes, businesses, and lives. She recently was in Sausalito, CA, and had a great visit with Burpee housemate Kate Dixon-Rose. I joined Lydia and Kathy Norris this spring at our 45th HS reunion—yikes! Kate Dixon-Rose writes, “We wanted to let people know that we have opened up Cooking at Kate’s at our home on Cape Cod. Visit cookingatkates.com for more info.” Deborah Ross Chambliss, Nancy Bianchi Miller and I had a mini reunion in Sanibel, FL, at the end of Mar. The warm weather and chance to relax and laugh with old friends was sheer heaven. Deb had just returned from a trip to Africa with a volunteer group that provides medical care for Silverback gorillas in Rwanda. She also included a safari


or 2 on this trip of a lifetime. Hope this finds you all well and happy and healthy. Don’t forget to share your news and to remember all that Colby Sawyer has done to make you the fine person you are and think about how different your life would have been without the Colby-Sawyer experience!

1973

NANCY R. MESSING nrmessing@aol.com We are officially empty nesters! Our son, Peter, heads to Boston College this fall; we’re thrilled he will learn his way around Boston. He’s in for a big surprise, as he’s worn shorts to school for 12 years. Alyssa Lederhos is headed to Wagner College, making parents Anne Lederhos and Dave Butenhof empty nesters as well. Alyssa starred in many HS plays, so finding a college a stone’s throw from Broadway seems logical. Janet Gilfoy Stark loves to spend time with her granddaughter, Sienna. Janet is an ER nurse at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA, and was in the medical tent again at the Boston Marathon. Jane Haslun Schwab shared sad news of her husband of 37 years, William, who passed away after a 3-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Jane wrote, “The girls and my nieces (Nancy Haslun Wall’s 2 girls) organized a team, “Willie’s Warriors,” for the Purple Stride Run for the Pancreatic Cancer Network in NYC on Apr. 11, and they raised over $10,000 in his name.” Condolences also go to Pattie Crowell Mitchell, who lost parents 12 days apart. Beth Hammond-Robinson and husband, Stu, have retired to Prescott, AZ. Picture them sitting on hay bales with cocktails, enjoying the desert colors, and routinely taking sunset horseback rides. Home on the range, indeed!

1974

SUSAN BROWN WARNER warners@optonline.net Patricia Brink writes, “Living in Southbury, CT, by way of Mystic; Washington, DC; Salt Lake City; and Manhasset, Long Island. It’s been years, but I’d love to hear from anyone! Email me at patricia_a_brink@sbcglobal.net.”

1975

JILL MCLAUGHLIN GODFREY Jillgodfrey25@gmail.com Victoria Strand Weaver writes that she retired Mar. 1 from Owens Community College after 30 years as admin assistant to the Dean of the School of Health Sciences. She says, “Looking forward to spending quality time with my husband, Frank, daughters Megan and Tatyana, and granddaughter Mackenzie Isabella. Megan and her husband, Keith, live in Rossford, OH also.” Paulette Guay Stelmach’s daughter, Suzanne, was married on May 9 at the Salve Regina U Mercy Chapel; she is a 2010 graduate and the groom is a 2007 graduate. Paulette is busy managing laboratory sales in pathology and molecular diagnostics.

1976

JANET E. SPURR spurr1@msn.com Colby-Sawyer continues to be a special place in my heart. I was led there through a HS friend, Melinda Miller Sexton, with whom I’m still in touch through Facebook. I recently caught up with her and was excited to hear that her mom went to CSC as well! In the last issue, it was reported that Melinda had passed away. The Alumni Office is happy to know she is alive and well in Hopewell, VA. We regret the error.

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Thank you to Wendi Braun for her many years of service as Class Correspondent. If anyone is interested in taking over this duty, please contact the Alumni Office. In July 2014, Margery Hudson Dumaine and Kim Spence Honig ’79 got together at Margery’s vacation home near Reno, NV. They explored museums, ancient petroglyphs, the ruins of a Pony Express station and enjoyed a day in old Virginia City. Margery spends summers in NV and the rest of the year at home in RI, where she is an elementary school librarian. Kim lives outside NYC and works for HBO. Andrea Clifton Harper and her husband, Gary, traveled to Costa Rica and met a good group of people through the Road Scholar program. They stopped in San Jose and viewed the Poas volcano, then traveled to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica to Tortugero, where sea turtles lay their eggs. They enjoyed sea kayaking, hiking, rafting, zip lining and incredible opportunities to see a variety of animals and birds. Andy and her husband will spend the summer in Flagstaff, AZ. Suzanne Voth Gorman lives in Nashville, writing and singing her songs. She also writes for pitching purposes for TV and film. She has been an extra on the TV show “Nashville” for the last 2 years. She recently played a show in Philadelphia, performing her new CD “Hold Me Still,” which is on iTunes and all online digital download stores. She will move to Orlando, FL, to pursue music and other adventures and to help take care of her mother. Kathy Brown Teece and her husband, David, celebrated their 35th anniversary last Sept. Their eldest daughter, Erica, who turns 30 in Nov., works in NYC at a photo op company as the assistant to the president. Alex, 29, lives in Honolulu and works at the Bank of HI. Their daughter Samantha, 25, also lives in NYC. She recently completed her master’s in public health and is the diabetes and wellness coordinator at the American Indian Community House. Wendi Braun and her husband moved to

Marlborough, MA, after 22 years in Lexington, MA, where they raised their 2 children. Wendi’s children attend Elon U (stats major, junior) and U of Denver (microbiology grad student). Wendi was promoted last year to a senior director of leadership development at Fresenius Medical Care and is creating a new leadership education infrastructure for the company. She and her husband enjoy their 2 new kayaks and are grateful the winter storms are over.

1978

JODY HAMBLEY COOPER jcooper323@aol.com Rebecca Reeves ’78 MT lives with her husband, Greg, in Stockton, NJ, but they also have a home in Cape Cod and try to spend as much time there as possible. Becky is still with Ortho Clinical Diagnostics after 23 years but is now part time, allowing her time for “organizing her life and perfecting her yoga practice!” Becky keeps in touch with Linda Tanoian Doherty ’78 MT and Molly Cutting Werner ’79. Victoria Gallucci is president of her company Get A Wife Personal Assistant Services. In her spare time she paints and she is writing a memoir. Victoria says she lives a life of quiet contentment with her dachshund, Pennylane, and stays in touch with CSC alumni on Facebook. I only heard from a couple of you this time—hope a few more will send news so that we can all catch up!

1979

DEBRA BRAY MITCHELL dbraymitch@gmail.com Heidi Caswell Zander is a painter/ gallery owner of Tidal Edge Gallery in Rockport, MA. She met her husband, Erik, while in Berlin, Germany, teaching art for the German government. Her fond memories of CSC have inspired her to reconnect with our classmates, so please check in with Heidi at www.tidaledgegallery.com. Kimberly Dahl Hoag has moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, with no

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regrets of leaving the snows of 2015 behind, but has not yet retired. 9 years ago she co-founded a very preppy business; Just Madras and its best-selling collection sailor-sailor. Check it out at www.justmadras.com. Now that she is an empty nester and Brittany (25) and John (23) are off on their own, Kimberly keeps busy with skiing, yoga, entertaining, travel and paddle boarding. Patty Joy Stewart ’80, Karen Griffiths Smith ’78, Kay Kendrick Reynolds ’78 and Karen Huntley Freeman ’79 MT send an open invitation to all Abbey alumnae of ’79 and ’80 to attend Colby-Sawyer’s Alumni Fall Festival. They all had a great time last fall and plan to meet again Oct.1618. Mark your calendars! A quick update from yours truly: Bill and I changed our residency to UT last May, although we are keeping a little piece of “God’s Country” in New London, NH, for extended summer visits and my “happy” place in Ft. Myers, FL. As a result of the move, I was able to ski 48 days before a fall on St. Patrick’s Day made me hang my skis up for the season. We have a great home in the Park City, UT, area that is perfect for guests both summer and winter, so let us know if you are in the area.

1980

NATALIE JACKSON THRASHER LifeGrd121@aol.com Natalie Jackson Thrasher is in England and married a wonderful Englishman with her 4 daughters and his 3 on Mother’s Day. Darlene Chamberlain is a certified flagger with New England Traffic Control Services, Inc. She had been a front end team member with Target for 8 years, which provided the safety skills that led to her new job.

grocery stores, cafes and bakeries. My husband teaches online and in-house courses in pharmacology. Here in the Upper Valley, I enjoy practicing yoga, attending classes at warm-water aquatic centers, and accompanying my grandchildren to community events.

1984

DIANE PLACE STATKUS d.statkus@comcast.net In the fall of 2014 an Abbey Hall reunion took place at Lake Sunapee. front row l to r: Mary Beth Cosgrove ’80, Kim Hamilton Schwartz ’80, Helen Smith Gorman ’83; second row l to r: Carol Campbell Mokler ’79, Laurand Donnelly Bryant ’79, Terri Presutti Campbell ’80; third row l to r: Sara Prouty ’82, Marcia Brodhead ’82, Jenny Lubrano Clayton ’82; fourth row l to r Lisa Hayward Lalumiere ’82, Ellen Demers O’Kane ’83, Ali Scarry ’87, Nancy Breen ’80, and Virginia “Sis” Clarke ’79.

1982

SUSAN HOLDERNESS CUSACK sehchoy@aol.com In June I attended a CSC alumni gathering in beautiful Hanover, NH, hosted in a 1907 arts and crafts home on the Connecticut River. I was delighted to meet “new” alumni, including the daughter of the family who built the house and a lovely lady who graduated from the college the year I was born. President Galligan gave an energetic speech on the amazing things going on at our alma mater. I am proud the college is teaching its students, in a hands-on way, how to be entrepreneurs in a manner that supports our environment. A highlight was meeting the HR director at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Clinic, who is a CSC board member and committed to a closer connection between New England’s finest medical clinic and Colby-Sawyer’s health care and science graduates. My daughter and her husband have their own bagel company in NH’s Upper Valley. Their thriving company provides artisanal bagels to Dartmouth College and local

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Lauren Smith Hoffer and family live in Maplewood, NJ. Her husband, Eric, is self-employed and works at home. Lauren has been designing and making jewelry for 6 years. Her business, sparkL designs, focuses on crocheted bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings. She and Eric stay in shape with CrossFit. Her daughter, Jennifer, attends Skidmore and studied in Italy; her son, Gregory, is an upperclassman in HS, plays soccer and is beginning his college search. Brigid Rice Gunn is the director of operations and HR at C.M. Smith Agency in Hartford, CT. Last summer, a group of classmates and their daughters met up at the home of Karen Walles Wilber ’83 on Winnisquam Lake in NH. Present were Brigid Rice Gunn, Sharon Blount ’82 and Jennifer Enos Iacopino ’85. In Apr., Marion “Quinny” Quinn McElwee and Theresa Grella celebrated a family birthday at Martingale Wharf in Portsmouth. Marion and Theresa see each other often, as Marion’s brother lives near Theresa’s realtor job at the Bean

Group in Amherst, NH. Theresa and her daughter, Amey, run lots of road races together and volunteered at this year’s Boston Marathon. Robin Gagne-Wright lives in Derry, NH ,and has her own law practice in MA. You can sometimes catch her on TV as a public defender for the state of MA. She has 2 grown daughters and 1 son and keeps active taking care of her house and doing some pretty intense stress relieving exercise. She writes, “I am doing a few Spartan races and a 1/2 Marathon to prep for my goal to run my 1st marathon.” As for me, Diane Place Statkus, I’m a project manager at IBM in Littleton, MA. My husband, Mike, and son Michael, 18, help me with my real passion as a weekend puppy raiser with the organization NEADS, which trains dogs for the deaf and disabled. I’ve been with them for 4 years and am working with my 3rd service pup. I also keep busy managing volunteer events at IBM and was one of 12 worldwide recipients of the 2014 IBM President’s Volunteer Award for leading large volunteer efforts with the New England Center for Homeless Veterans in Boston, MA. Keep the news coming. Friend me on Facebook and let me know how you are doing!

1990

JANETTE ROBINSON HARRINGTON janetteharrington13@gmail.com Tracy Howe Chiaverini ’89 and her husband, Paul, live in North

l to r: Brigid Rice Gunn ’84, Karen Walles Wilber ’83, Jennifer Enos Iacopino ’85 and Sharon Blount ’82 enjoying a summer 2014 get together at Karen’s home on Winnisquam Lake.


Smithfield, RI. Their daughter, Sophia, is enjoying school and activities and will start 2nd grade this fall. Eileen Cremin Urquhart’s oldest daughter, Emily Urquhart ’15, graduated from Colby-Sawyer on May 9, 25 years to the month after we did! She earned a BS in health promotion and minored in education and women’s studies. She plans to pursue a master’s to become a registered dietician. Eileen’s brother and Emily’s uncle, Neil Cremin ’94, also attended Commencement.

1991

GRETCHEN D. GARCEAUKRAGH redsoxfan78210@yahoo.com Kimberly “Schroeder” Steward purchased a nearly 100-year-old home in Intervale, NH, at the end of 2013; she and her boyfriend, Keith, continue to discover its wonders. From spring floods raging through the basement and disintegrating electrical work to frozen chimney dampers and finding walls with no studs, it’s never-ending excitement. Nonetheless, she enjoys her short commute to work in North Conway at White Mountain Oil & Propane. She has been with them for more than 4 years, having concluded a 21-year career with the Appalachian Mountain Club in 2010. After working in remote Pinkham Notch for so long, she also loves that she can go home for lunch. Schroeder continues to serve on the Jackson Fire Department and as a J.P. for the State of NH; she’s performed approx. 600 weddings. She returns to Colby-Sawyer a few times a year for the President’s Alumni Advisory Council; she catches up with campus friends, faculty and staff and enjoys seeing the campus evolve. Tammy Hoyt Wysocki resides at the Berkshire School with her husband, Marc Wysocki ’94, and their 11-year-old son, Keenan. Marc is entering his 14th year at the Berkshire School and is the head athletic trainer, assistant AD and community service coordinator. Tammy is the director of the

childcare center on campus that serves faculty, staff and community families. Keenan is passionate about lacrosse, soccer and especially hockey. Tammy gets together with Jodi Dow Bonewald, Katie DeWolfe Gardner and Stefanie Baker for an annual girls’ weekend away.

1992

ELIZABETH BRYANT CAMP ecamp@colby-sawyer.edu JENNIFER BARRETT SAWYER jjmasawyer@comcast.net Janel Mcdonald Lawton and family relocated from NC back to NH and have taken over the family general contracting business, Lawton Company. Based in the White Mountains, they are busy building beautiful vacation homes and small commercial projects. Visit thelawtoncompany.com.

1994

JULIE A. CAMP camp_julie@hotmail.com STACEY BANKS NIEMAN sniemana@gmail.com Matt Reed has been busy with kids’ activities and work but did find time to get out with his wife, Corey. They have spent a lot of time in Boston hitting museums and visiting neighborhoods and have also taken trips to ME, NH and NYC. Last time in NYC they visited the Guggenheim and watched a “Tonight Show” taping. They got home just in time to flip on the broadcast and see Corey grab Jimmy Fallon for a big hug. Patty Randall Berry and Dan Berry live in Mattapoisett, MA, with their 3 children ages 7, 9 and 12. Dan is executive director of the Emilson YMCA in Hanover, MA, having worked at the YMCA for 20+ years. Patty is happily serving the Mattapoisett Congregational Church as the Christian Education director. She is also studying to be a commissioned minister and recently became a published poet.

1995

CAROLINE HERZ carolineherz@gmail.com Peter Noonan married Dr. Elizabeth Sullivan Noonan (DVM Cornell ’03; UNH BS, ’98) at Wentworth-Coolidge mansion in Portsmouth, NH, in Sept. 2013. Chris “Koz” Kozlowski was kind enough to offer his restaurant in Dover for some awesome food services. Elizabeth and Peter also bought a house in Manchester— the day before the wedding! Business is great for Peter; his graphic design and magazine illustration clients keep him busy. He was even commissioned to paint an official oil portrait which now hangs in the NH State House! Elizabeth enjoys being a veterinarian and making the world a better place for cats and dogs. Jill Rivers is in her 5th year in Singapore. Jill continues to enjoy the tropical weather while teaching grade 2 at the Canadian International School, and she remains busy in many other academic areas. Although there are still a lot of places on her bucket list, travel highlights for this year include Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Vietnam, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Laos, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, to see the proboscis monkeys and orangutans. During the summer of 2014, Jill had a great visit with Sara Gilderdale Morcom and Julie Bradstreet in ME. Jill is looking forward to our 20th reunion! Congratulations to Kerrigan Stone

Christen Wallingford Kozlowski ’96 and Chris “Koz” Kozlowski ’95 enjoying The Big Easy with their boys Gabriel and Dominic.

Peter Noonan ’95 and Elizabeth Sullivan Noonan on their September wedding day.

Marcum on the birth of her daughter, Madison Noelle Marcum, on Dec. 10, 2014! Amy Henderson writes, “I won my 4th National Motorsports Press Association writing award this year for my 2014 columns, which appear on www. frontstretch.com. I have previous NMPA awards in 2010, 2012 and 2013 for columns and NASCAR race coverage. I live in the Charlotte, NC, area and freelance for a few outlets, including Athlon Sports’ Racing Annual magazine.” Chris “Koz” Kozlowski’s restaurant, The Orchard Street Chop Shop & Flat Iron Catering Company, is going into its 11th year. Koz is starting a Woods-To-Table movement to build a greater awareness for chefs, hunters and foragers to learn how to live and cook from the bounties of our forests. Christen Wallingford Kozlowski ’96 is still plugging away at real estate in ME. She and Koz were about to celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary! Koz saw

Jill Rivers ’95 and Sara Gilderdale Morcom ’95.

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connections

Justin Doan ’97 and Alexandra MacKenzie Doan ’96 at the Chop Shop and hopes to catch up with classmates at the 20th Reunion this year. Stefan Schwarz is in Fairfax, VA, but now works for Computer Sciences Corporation as a principal test engineer on a federal Intel contract. His daughter will attend Frostburg State U in MD in the fall to play field hockey and study nursing. His son graduated from his tech institute and is working in electronic tech, building medical equipment. Stefan writes, “Hard to believe I have a 21-yearold son, and that we’ve been living in VA for 13 years. I was up at Colby-Sawyer in 2013 for Alumni Fall Festival, on college visits for my daughter. The campus has certainly changed and grown. I look forward to seeing everyone at our 20th reunion this fall!”

1998

JAMIE GILBERT KELLY sportsmassage01@hotmail.com CHRISTOPHER G. QUINT christopher.quint@gmail.com Sam Hamilton sends greetings from sunny VA. He was named Teacher of the Year for Bayside HS and Health Science Academy. He continues to enjoy teaching and working in the athletic training room.

2000

performance at U of MI, and they look forward to raising their son, Jaxon, in a close-knit community. They are not looking forward to re-collecting winter clothes. Tara Strand Balunis and her husband, Dan, welcomed their 2nd child, Daniel III, on Apr. 7. He joins 3-yearold sister Elizabeth. Rachel Bratter wrote, “I graduated from New England College in May 2014 with my MEd and was hired as a special ed case manager/teacher in Seabrook, NH. I have been running, something I never thought I would do, and my goal is to run a marathon within the next 2 years. I came close in 2014, but a few medical things got in my way. I recently visited with Jodi Lambert Meader ’98 in ME. My kids and I took a few vacations this past year with Lori Shetler Ernfridsson ’99 and her son, Andrew. Myrtle Beach, ME and PA—it was an eventful year with our kids.” Hayley Cozens Buonopane and her husband, Joe, were married on Jan. 31. Her church service was in East Boston, and the reception was at The Topsfield Commons. It was a gorgeous white wedding! Kate Lovell, Kerry Fleming, Kelly Sargent Feciuch, Mike Feciuch ’01, Greg Hooven ’99 and his wife, Lynsay, and John-Paul “JP” Sanieski attended. The couple honeymooned in Aruba. As many of you have heard, we lost our classmate Catherine “Anne” Raeburn this spring. I’m sure you join me in sharing our condolences with her family and friends.

TARA SCHIRM CAMPANELLA taracampanella@hotmail.com JENNIFER PRUDDEN MONTGOMERY jprudden@yahoo.com

2001

On Mar. 7, Jen Prudden Montgomery welcomed daughter Taylor Bryer Montgomery. She and her big brother, Davis, are doing well. Kurt Svoboda and family have relocated to Ann Arbor, MI, following 2 short, wonderful years in the weather paradise of Palo Alto, CA. He will oversee external communications for the U of MI’s athletic dept., similar to his roles at Stanford and Harvard. His wife, Joanna, will pursue her doctorate in flute

Tracey Guarda Perkins is now an alumni resources officer at St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH. Making the choice to leave CSC was hard. She says, “I miss seeing the fantastic faculty and staff of the college on a daily basis. I will always be a Charger fan, but I am thrilled to start a new adventure.” Tracey and Keith Perkins ’99 are busy with their children, Abbey (6) and Ben (1), and always find time for an adventure or New England road

trip. Julie Tyrrell Olsen writes, “I am director of instructional support for a So. ME school district, and I am completing a DEd program. My sons Gavin (8) and Patrick (5) keep my husband and me busy and happy.” Sara Hammond says, “I am still at the Middlesex Probate and Family Court in Cambridge and living in Jamaica Plain.” Sarah Outten Horan and her husband, Mike, celebrated Brody’s 1st birthday on Mar. 26 in Naples, FL. He brings such happiness to the family and has a big personality with lots of laughter and love. Sarah received her MBA from UMASS Amherst in May. Grace Gravelle LaChapelle writes, “I married Scott LaChapelle on Oct. 10, 2014! We had a lovely, intimate ceremony with our immediate families at the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, MA. We still happily live and work in Cambridge, MA.” Heather Cole reports, “Still living in Wapiti, WY. Entering my 3rd year as a tour guide in Yellowstone National Park, my 3rd year as a partner in a fine art photography gallery and working as a veterinary assistant for an equine hospital. “

2002

NICOLE FOWLER MARTIN nicole.martin3@gmail.com CHERYL LECESSE RICHARDSON cheryllecesse@gmail.com Randi Everett Korona and her husband, Tim, welcomed Kaden Everett into their family on Dec. 3, 2014. Kaden joins big sister Maya. Brett Gaede is a tennis pro at The Country Club in Brookline, MA, and spent his summer in Seal Harbor, ME, as director of tennis at The Harbor Club. Brendan Carney and Jennifer Buck Carney own a home in Topsfield, MA, with their 2 boys, Baxter and Tristan. Brendan writes, “We enjoyed Colby-Sawyer ski day at Mt. Sunapee and also attended the men’s basketball conference championship game. A thrill to see another championship by Foti and team! … In 2014, I completed training to become a manual trigger point therapist by Myopain Seminars in Washington, DC. I am the only acupuncturist in New England, and one of several in the country, to pursue this certification that draws heavily on pain sciences. I am working on a 3-year post-graduate level certification. This summer I am headed back to DC to train with CRAFTA, a cervical and facial pain course. One of the best things about my career is the ability to continue to learn. Loving life!” Stephanie Roy Ziniti finished her

KIMBERLY MORRISON MILLER morrisonkimberly@hotmail.com

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l to r: Ethan Betts ’03, Grant Kelly ’03, Brendan Carney ’03, Calen Paquette ’03 and Adam Tuttle ’02 cheered on Colby-Sawyer’s men’s basketball team as the Chargers won the NAC title.


1st year as a special ed case manager in the Nashua NH School District; she loves it! Derek Flock and Heather Billings Flock had a beautiful baby, Grayson William, on Jan. 16. Heather shares, “He makes us so happy! Derek got a new job as a PTA at a skilled nursing facility. I work part time and spend the rest of my time with Grayson.” Debbie Panza Brenner and David recently bought a home in East Concord, NH, and discovered that they are neighbors with Grant Kelly and his wife, Karla, who live a few houses down with “the most adorable little kiddos.” Debbie’s twins are 2.5 and love life at the YMCA daycare. Debbie still works at Second Start and David is enjoying life at DYN in Manchester. Seems like life is good for the Class of 2002! As always, we love hearing from you! Keep those updates coming.

2003

LISA NOYES HARDENBROOK litha81@hotmail.com Kerstin Swenson Flavin lives in Ketchum, ID, teaches kindergarten, and enjoys everything the community has to offer. She caught up with Jenny Tooley over the winter when Jenny was working in ID. Kerstin said it was great to see Jenny before her next adventure in HI. Jess Wilfert is a personal trainer at Forever Fit in Watertown, MA, and specializes in corrective exercise. Jess was inducted into the CSC Athletic Hall of Fame last fall for soccer and lacrosse. Jess writes, “It meant the world to me, the whole experience, and having my immediate family, teammates, coaches, mentors and friends in attendance.” Jess was touched that Meredith Buzzi traveled from OH to present her at the induction ceremony. As for me, Lisa Noyes Hardenbrook, my husband, Adam, and I had a very busy winter. On Nov. 30, 2014, we welcomed our 1st child, Lucy Elise, and we are enjoying everything that comes with parenthood. In Dec., I celebrated 10 years of working for Core Physicians, a division of Exeter (NH) Hospital. I am also looking someone to help me compile our

class notes. If you are interested, please email me!

2004

ERIC J. EMERY ericemery6@msn.com Mary Lougee Lambert welcomed a new family member on Oct. 10, 2014: Gideon Lambert joined big brother Giacobbi and big sister Bianca. Sarah Crete Sawyer married Brett Sayer (CSC volleyball coach) on June 14, 2014. Lauren Kovach was a bridesmaid. Brett and Sarah live in Boscawen, NH, at her family farm. On Apr. 24, 2015, they had twin girls, Zoey Jane and Livia Catherine. Alex Darrah and Jessica Price Darrah were thrilled to see friends at last year’s 10th Reunion. It was a great turnout and Alex was thrilled that the roommates, Christopher “Topher” Plimpton, Greg McGown and Susanna Jesser McGown ’02 and Chris Adams, were all together. Jessie writes, “With our 2 boys, Fletcher and Lincoln, we have been busy but love spending time with friends, family and enjoying watching our kids grow up in a place we have called home for so many years. Hard to believe it was 15 years ago that we walked onto the campus! Lisa Maggio Crowley’s group of CSC friends had a whirlwind summer filled with weddings and get-togethers. Shawn Crowley, Erin Sawler Massa, Becca Groene Lowe, and Lisa traveled to Aspen, CO, for Melissa Leitch’s wedding to Chip Fey. A month later they all met up again at Sunday River in ME for Lisa’s wedding to Shawn Crowley…which is thanks to a CSC 5-year reunion! Along with Becca, Melissa and Erin, Tim Morin, Stacey Fraser-deHann, Joe Page, Jeremiah Chila, John Marsh and Jason Feitelberg were all in attendance for the weekend.

Jordan Bernard ’06 married Taren Lewis on Apr. 24 in Columbia, SC.

2005

2006

In Nov. 2014, Cody O’Leary joined the marketing department at Revision Military. She finds it very rewarding to work for a company that makes equipment to protect our armed forces. Cody and her boyfriend bought their 1st home in Apr. She looks forward to seeing everyone in Oct. for our 10-year Reunion! Life in NC is going well for Kristin Green Cheeks. She has been married for 2.5 years and they welcomed a little boy on Apr. 13. Kristin works for Piedmont Hardware Brands and recently accepted a new position on the finance team. Emily Horvitz Breguet traveled to NC for a nice weekend visit. I, Monica Michaud Miller, and my husband became parents in Dec. 2014 to a happy, healthy boy. Motherhood is everything I had hoped for and so much more!

Asher Ellis is an instructor in the Humanities Dept. at Colby-Sawyer and recently published a horror e-novel, The Remedy, available via Kindle, Nook, Kobo and iTunes. His website is www.asherellis.com. Jordan Bernard wed Taren Lewis on Apr. 24 in Columbia, SC. Tarren Bailey was married in June. Signe Linville became CSC’s Aquatics Director and Head Coach of the Swimming and Diving Team in Fall 2014.

MONICA MICHAUD MILLER michaud_monica@hotmail.com

KARA JEAN BORDEAU kjbordeau@yahoo.com

2007

STEPHANIE JAQUES GUZZO stephanie.guzzo@gmail.com MELISSA FERRIGNO PAGE ferrig015@hotmail.com ASHLEY RODKEY rodkeyah@yahoo.com Adrienne Robbins Deters and her husband, Levi, welcomed their 1st baby, Rosamond Ailine, in Sept. 2014. “Rozi” was born in Spokane, WA, where they live. Garrett Husband was promoted in Apr. 2015 to operations manager for the Referral Management Office at Mass General. He also received a 2014 Partners in Excellence Team Award

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| spotlight connections

WICKED FISHERMAN George “Geordie” Sousa ’13 “It wears on you; it’s a long grind, but as soon as we get in, we just want to turn around and go right back.”

If you know your maritime reality TV, you know “Wicked Tuna.” Airing on the National Geographic Channel, the show chronicles commercial bluefin tuna fishermen in Gloucester, Mass. One of those fishermen is Geordie Sousa ’13. “My dad used to tuna fish in the ’70s and ’80s,” said Sousa, who started tuna fishing just before coming to Colby-Sawyer in 2008 to major in environmental science. During college, he spent each summer on the SV-Tuna.com, captained by Dave Carraro, one of the show’s colorful characters. Since graduation, Sousa has been a regular on the show; he’s on the water full-time from June through mid-November. In the winter, Sousa is the ski coach at Proctor Academy. Reality TV gets a bad rap for being, well, less than real, but Sousa was adamant that this isn’t the case with “Wicked Tuna.” “It’s our job. It’s us out there catching fish,” he said. “The drama gets a little played up, but truthfully, that’s what we do.”

PHOTO: COURTESY OF GEORGE SOUSA

With days that can start at dawn and end at midnight, and trips that can last five days, the life of a tuna fisherman isn’t easy. “You come in, you offload your fish, turn around and go right back,” explained Sousa. “It wears on you; it’s a long grind, but as soon as we get in, we just want to turn around and go right back.” Sousa said he carries his environmental science training into fishing. He noted that, contrary to popular belief, the stock of bluefin tuna in the North Atlantic is healthy, possibly even on the rise. “The biggest thrill,” he said, “is watching that rod bend. Watching it swing around, bend over, and the drag starts screaming. That’s the rush that we’re all out there for.” – Mike Gregory, director of Advancement Communications

for his part in a population health initiative. Stephanie Jaques Guzzo is an athletic trainer with the Harlem Globetrotters and touring the country and South America with them.

2008

SARAH HEANEY PELLETIER sh.heaney@gmail.com Zac Lamas is a full-time beekeeper, working from GA to VT. Chris Rafferty and Cristiana “Laura” Nitu Rafferty ’07 had a girl, Adriana Isabelle, on July 19, 2014. Chris also has a new position as an assoc. sales development rep at Deltek, Inc. Liz Gross Morency wed Joe Morency on May 31, 2014, in Cresco, PA. She is a psychiatric RN in the Stroudsburg, PA, area. Kris Ramsay and Anna Clark Ramsay ’07 welcomed daughter Ruby Thia on Mar. 27. Malcolm Smith has been traveling and had the chance to see Chris Reed (former CSC Director of Annual Giving) at the USA Sevens Rugby Tournament in Las Vegas. Meg Pilling received her doctorate in clinical psych from Antioch U in May. She is an adjunct prof at Greenfield Community College and has a doctoral internship at LUK, Inc, working with children in foster care. Betsy Berkenbush ran the Boston Marathon with the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team to raise funds for basic cancer research. Zack Irish and his wife, Christine, welcomed their 3rd child, Dylan, in Jan. In Feb., Zack became director of Community Standards at Mount Ida College. Ashley Marsh Dion was married to James Dion.

2009

NICOLE POELAERT COSTANZO npoelaert@yahoo.com ELIZABETH CRESSMAN ecressman1986@yahoo.com In May 2014, Jeanine Audet received her MEd in early childhood intervention and family support from UNC-Chapel Hill. Missing the Northeast, in Feb. she started teaching at the Children’s

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Center at BU, and she has enjoyed reconnecting with CSC alumni and exploring all that Boston has to offer! Elizabeth Cressman started teaching in a new child care center, joining a couple of former supervisors who opened the center in Sept. 2014. She loves her new work environment and the opportunities it has presented. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing and exploring the state parks when the weather cooperates. Casey Ford and Tava Sternberg adopted a mini dachshund, Tiki. I, Nicole Poelaert Costanzo, and Rob had our 1st child, Colton James Costanzo, on Feb. 5.

2010

BRITTANY MAILMAN bjmailman@gmail.com Eric Ciccone lives in Denver, CO. His band, Rastasaurus, has recorded an EP and opened for legendary reggae band Steel Pulse at one of Denver’s biggest venues. Adam Clay received his master’s from Northeastern U and works as a pediatric nurse practitioner in a NH pediatric intensive care unit. Lainie Kennedy received her MFA in Visual Arts from VT College of Fine Arts in 2013. She married Cory Brown on June 8, 2014, and they honeymooned this past May in Belize. Lainie’s art has shown around Western MA. She works as a job coach with adults with disabilities. Amanda Jones Doucette and Brian Doucette ’09 welcomed Camden Robert Doucette to the

Chris Huyler ’08 and Danielle Bowen Huyler ’10 with their daughter, Hadlee.

family on Feb. 22. Danielle Bowen Huyler and Chris Huyler ’08 welcomed Hadlee in Oct. 2014. Danielle has been at Dartmouth-Hitchcock for 4.5 years as a transport nurse in the intensive care nursery. Jess Galaid received her BSN from Northeastern U on May 7. Amy Hebert lives in Tilton, NH, and works at SNHU as a graduate academic adviser. Sarah Zirnkilton is a paralegal in Portland, ME, and feels fortunate to be able to see CSC friends often! Abbie Morse Roop started a job with Boston Properties in the Prudential Center as a graphic designer. Rachel Bourne traveled to Singapore and loved it! She received her master’s in Organizational Leadership and Graduate Certificates in HR, Marketing and Social Media; she is now a marketing research project manager at a BayCoast Bank. When she moved into her new house, she found 2 Colby-Sawyer mugs in the kitchen!

Lainie Kennedy ’10 married Cory Brown in June 2014.

Rachel Kuiken ’13 and Corey Rondeau are enjoying life in CO. Rachel is pursuing a degree in holistic nutrition therapy. Steve Borchetta has lived in Burlington, VT, for 4 years. He is a digital marketer at Outdoor Gear Exchange, a large retailer, and loves being outdoors in his free time. Shayln McEntire and Max Johanson live in Rockland, ME. Shayln works at Athena Health in Belfast as a CCP ops associate. Justin Varney is the asst. program director at PenBay Indoor Turf and Community Hub in Warren, ME. Lauren D’Allessandro is a phlebotomist at Cape Cod Hospital and was completing her 1st year of nursing school. I, Brittany Mailman, completed the U of So. ME certificate in HR Management and now work in Portland, ME. I also bought a condo in South Portland with fellow alum Trevor Davis ’08. Thank you to everyone who submitted a note, it is wonderful to hear how everyone is doing!

2011

JAYCEE MCCARTHY johnmccar.11@gmail.com

Amanda Jones Doucette ’10, Brian Doucette ’09 and their son, Camden.

Sarah Lewis received her MS in project and program management from Brandeis U. Jackie Brambilla Balaga ’12 and her husband welcomed their 1st child, a baby girl named Priyanka Laasya Balaga, on Feb. 17. Alyssa Langlois and Elise Tremblay had an amazing experience in Italy and France. Alyssa is a

lead ABA therapist helping autistic kids at a private school and is also working on a master’s at Endicott College. Last fall, Kim Peters bought a condo in Atkinson, NH. She is an RN at Lawrence General, is taking classes toward a BSN and MSN, and skating with NH Roller Derby on their travel team. Ashley Blais still works in HR for Bimbo Bakeries USA and will finish her MBA from SNHU in Dec. Ashley Godin moved to Boston this year and loves working for nonprofit Journey Forward. Ashley Jette graduated this past Dec. from the NH Police Academy, where she lived for 14 weeks in a paramilitary environment. She now works in an emergency ops center with a local government company contracted with the Dept. of Defense. Alison Rataj earned her MSW last year and works for the Institute for Health Policy and Practice and the Center for Aging and Community Living at UNH in Durham. She is a research associate on 2 large-scale federal grants to rebalance NH-state funding so more citizens can live in the community of their choice, rather than in an institution. Katie Murray lives in Burlington, VT, and is a certified clinical research coordinator in adult oncology at UVM Medical Center. Emmanuelle Menos is still in Haiti, working in public health with GHESKIO Centers, which provides free health care and other services to people with HIV, TB or other infectious diseases. In July 2014, Carissa Caron relocated from Lancaster, NH, to Burlington, VT, and she continues to work as a clinical case manager for NAFI/NFI, a mental health agency for children, adolescents and their families. Katie Lee teaches 6th grade in Burlington, VT, is working on her MEd in special ed at UVM and plans to start a doctoral program in Jan. 2016. Kelsie Lee is a graphic designer and marketing specialist for Country Houses Real Estate in New London, NH. Kayleigh Flynn teaches 2nd grade in Concord, NH. Julie Morrissey started her own massage business in Sept. 2012, and is also a massage instructor at NH Institute for Therapeutic Arts in

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JUST ADD THE ONES YOU LOVE The best days of your life happened here. Let us help you create new memories at the place you already love. colby-sawyer.edu/functions/weddings ♦ 603.526.3720


an early intervention mental health agency for kids ages 0-7 with developmental delays and other disabilities. She has her master’s in mental health and is working on her BCBA to be considered a specialist for children with autism as well! Andrea Lynn Phillis is a continuing substitute social worker for the Nashua school district.

Katelyn Stravinsky McPherson ’11 married Jeff McPherson in June 2015. Pictured with the happy couple are (L to R) Steph Larpenter ’13, Director of Athletics and Women’s Basketball Coach George Martin, Emma Pasquale ’09, Kali Coleman ’09 and Haley Gisonno ’13.

Hudson. Amanda Knightly works in the financial industry, helping others with retirement. Her other job comes from her hobby. She was recently invited to be a guest at the 4th largest anime convention in North America. She will host workshops, give presentations, and get to meet more amazing people. Ashley Finethy is working on an MS in IT at Harvard with a concentration in digital media arts and instructional design. She continues to be part of the digital marketing team at HBS. Gina Leone has been an RN at DHMC since 2012. Just over a year ago, she made a switch and started her dream job in the pediatric ICU. Shannon Denton is a teacher at Headstart in Brockton and plans to go for her master’s. Alison Eko is a sr. organizational advancement analyst for The Timken Company, and will soon complete an MBA with a concentration in HR. Last summer, Averie Zdon received her MS in clinical psych and is now completing her doctorate at Antioch U New England. Averie works at Greater Nashua Mental Health Center providing psychotherapy and psychological assessment services. Her dissertation is a qualitative study of older adults and subjective well-being. Arianna Dawley Anton is a staff nurse in the adult ICU at DHMC and has completed her master’s in nursing ed. She is also a clinical instructor for CSC! Jill Dunn is working on her PhD in higher ed administration; her dissertation is on intertwining

governance structures. Aimee Cates is transitioning from compliance to asset management at a financial services firm in Portland, ME, and is almost done with her MBA. Andrea Hoyt is graduating this year from Curry College in Plymouth, MA, with her MEd with a licensure in elementary education. In Jan., Sheehan Milam received her master’s in community mental health and is now a child and family therapist at Riverbend in Concord, NH. She looks forward to starting her supervision hours and working toward licensure. After being on the road for 8 years, Xanthe Hilton ’12 hopped off. Last year she was in GA working for Senate Candidate Michelle Nunn but now is in PA doing development work at a small boarding school. For now, she enjoys the change of pace. Kelly Vigneault works in Lowell, MA, as a behavior analyst/mental health specialist for

2012

COURTNEY PIKE courtney.e.pike@dartmouth.edu KASSANDRA PIKE kassandra.pike@gmail.com Mallory Rapalyea and Kate Bjorklund live in NJ. Mallory is taking prerequisites toward a master’s in occupational therapy and works at Bayada Home Health Care. Jayme Severance ’12/’14 writes, “Since graduating, I’ve started volunteering as a copy editor for the sustainable science nonprofit organization, Remineralize the Earth. Specifically, I copy edit scholarly articles translated from Portuguese to English about the water quality of Brazil, which I’ve heard from a native is terrible.”

2013

MARIA CIMPEAN mcimpean.09@my.colby-sawyer. edu Genevieve Lockerby is pursuing her DVM at Ross U School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts. Katie Kelly is working on an MEd in

school counseling at Rivier U. Since Aug. 2013, she has been a case manager for West Central Behavioral Health in Lebanon, NH, where she works with 22 adults/ week with a variety of mental illnesses. Alex Fusco has been working for the Boston Red Sox as part of an athletic training assistantship since Mar. He is the asst. athletic trainer for the Portland Sea Dogs, AA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, in ME.

2014

CORRESPONDENT NEEDED David Kinne ’14 and Sarah Fischer ’14 wed on Feb. 21. They live in Corpus Christi, TX, where David is a crisis worker at a suicide hotline and Sarah has a small studio and is part of the local art scene. In Apr., she was in a group show titled “Garden of Earthly Delights.” Ashley Miller writes, “In Sept. I began a new job as the crisis counselor at Stevens HS in Claremont, NH. My role is to implement prevention strategies with struggling students and provide intervention through the de-escalation of crisis situations. I am thrilled to be using my education to assist students with a variety of issues.” Amanda Kimball is a team leader with Merry Meeting Behavioral Health Associates, managing in-home support for children in So. ME, writing treatment plans and directing her staff.  u

CONNECT GET THE LATEST ALUMNI NEWS /colbysawyeralumni FOLLOW US /CSC_alumni COLBY-SAWYER ALUMNI GROUP linkedin.com/ groups?gid=143715 Rachel Kuiken ’13 and Corey Rondeau ’10 are enjoying life in Colorado.

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connections

| in memoriam friend and legend DORIS W. IVEY

trustee WILLIAM J. “JAY” WILSON

DORIS W. IVEY, 89, passed away in her sleep on Thursday, Feb. 19, in New London, N.H.

WILLIAM J. “JAY” WILSON died on Sunday, March 22, at his home in New London, N.H.

Born in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 1, 1925, Doris was the youngest of Ernest and Agnes (Brown) Winters’s six children. In her early career, Doris worked for the FBI, where she had the opportunity to serve tea at the White House to Eleanor Roosevelt. This sparked her love for entertaining.

Born in Minnesota in 1936, Jay earned an undergraduate degree from Yale University and an M.A. equivalent in his­torical studies from Corpus Christi College in Cambridge, England. He did further graduate work at the University of Vienna.

Doris and Curtis L. Ivey were married on Oct. 1, 1943. Doris was a devoted wife and mother of eight, and she was known for her kind and loving nature. She was dedicated to her faith and was a former president of the Catholic Guild at the St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Greenwich, Conn. Doris was an enthusiastic bridge and cribbage player. Formerly of Greenwich, Conn., and Naples, Fla., Doris and Curtis relocated to New London to be closer to their family and their beloved log cabin on Lake Sunapee. Doris was involved with the Lake Sunapee Yacht Club and New London Hospital. The Ivey family philanthropically supported Colby-Sawyer College, New London Hospital, the Lake Sunapee Protective Association, the Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice, and the Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples. Doris and Curtis recognized the college’s need for a new science center and made a significant investment in the college. The 33,000-square-foot Curtis L. Ivey Science Center was dedicated in 2004 and since then, it has been the academic home to hundreds of students, especially those in the Natural Sciences and Environmental Studies Departments. Doris is survived by five children: David W. Ivey of Naples, Fla., and Sunapee; Alan B. Ivey of Sunapee; Andrée Ivey Fontaine and Andrew P. Ivey, both of Weston, Mass.; and Kathleen Ivey Carrara of Charlotte, Vt. She is also survived by 18 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband Curtis in 2011; her children Curtis L. Ivey Jr., Elizabeth Ivey Roy Jurgenson and Arthur John Ivey; and five siblings.  ®

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Jay was elected to the Colby-Sawyer College Board of Trustees in 2012 and began his three-year term as a member of the Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management committees. He also lent his expertise and support to the college’s largest branding and marketing initiative to date, and he served as a member of the Brand Stewardship Task Force and Alumni Opinion Research Planning Group. Jay and his wife, Gabi, both supported the college with generous gifts to the Colby-Sawyer Fund. A man with a quick wit and generous smile, Jay was also quick to act in the name of benefiting Colby-Sawyer students when he saw a need. Strong in his convictions, he even persuaded friends to contribute gifts to advance the students’ and the institution’s goals. Jay left his professional mark on many companies, institutions and organizations and will be remembered for his incredible loyalty and his generous encouragement to those who worked with and for him. He ended his 40-year career at Roper Starch Worldwide, an international company he had built virtually from scratch, but remained active and interested in consulting work and served on various corporate boards. He is survived by his wife, Gabi; children Amanda Wilson and Barbara Livingston ’82; Heather and Ned Saunders; Adam Coatsworth; Helenka Coatsworth; Fred Wright and Bertie Wright as well as grandchildren Natalie, Ellie, Madelyn, Max, Annabel and Charlotte. Memorial contributions to the W. Jay Wilson Memorial Scholarship Fund may be directed to Vice President for Advancement, Colby-Sawyer College, 541 Main Street, New London, NH 03257.  ®


| in fond memory 1921 Doris Shepard Plummer March 19, 1992 1932 Helen “Dody” Reese French Dec. 28, 2014 1937 Freela Crosby Field Nov. 16, 2012 Dorothy Rodgers Dexter March 24, 2015 1938 Inez Gianfranchi Snowdon March 3, 2015 1939 Marjorie Moore Curtis Nov. 24, 2014 1940 Bettie Lou Klein Bullard 1988 Marion Holland Hall Dec. 5, 2013 Helen Tripp Davies Jan.12, 2015 Kathryn Richman Bourland March 31, 2015 1941 Charlotte Cuddy Pozniak May 6, 2014 Lillian Anken Harris Jan. 15, 2015 Nancy Hanks Marshall May 2, 2015 1942 Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Jacques Stevenson Dec. 1, 2014 Elizabeth Thompson DeGuzman March 26, 2015 Mary Cody Reed April 1, 2015 1943 Natalie Cordery Naylor Jan. 1, 2015 Mary Hollister Holliday Jan. 28, 2015 Margaret Degraff Hotaling Feb. 28, 2015 Virginia Mack Gregory June 16, 2015

1944 Jane Ford Burns Feb. 2012 Gloria Constantine Blauhut July 17, 2013 Constance Brailey Ackroyd Oct. 23, 2014 Patricia VonSchmid Kelley Jan. 2, 2015 Dorothy W. Sears Feb. 24, 2015 Jean Ferguson Wilcox March 22, 2015 1945 Jane H. Alexander May 8, 2013 Betty Southwell King July 3, 2014 Mollie Miller Tanner Dec. 19, 2014 1946 Martha Wiley Emmett Feb. 7, 2015 Louise Stevens Lee April 22, 2015 1947 Anne Franklin Cook Jan. 9, 2014 Joan Curtis Hall March 29, 2015 Shirley Holmes Dunlap April 1, 2015 Olga “Oggie” Wells Aug. 8, 2015 1948 Barbara Witte Baron Jan. 6, 2015 Charlotte Hopkins Morneau May 1, 2015 Ann Powers Leskowitz May 24, 2015 Elizabeth Forrest Annis June 7, 2015 1950 Ethel Rozefsky Pais Dec. 22, 1990 Virginia Maykel Bardwil Sept. 19, 2005 Martha Jane Bell Hock Feb. 28, 2015 Marcia Boulton Allen March 5, 2015 Josephine Carlson Clark March 23, 2015 Deborah Rosenblum Shapiro June 18, 2015

1951 Carol Williams Perkins 1990 Evelyn Bickford Miller Oct. 26, 2014 Marilyn Asbury Taylor Feb. 26, 2015 Muriel Hubbert Wood April 13, 2015

1958 Shirley Waters Sept. 5, 2013 Sally Bennett Wells Dec. 16, 2013 Judith Braun Forbus Aug. 17, 2014 Roberta Anderson Massey May 24, 2015

1952 Doris Smart Sandstrom March 3, 2015 Mary Merrow Paden March 24, 2015 Mary Anne Lutz Mackin April 29, 2015 Marion “Penny” Pennock Calhoun May 12, 2015

1960 Sandra Lewis Thayer May 12, 2013

1953 Patricia Blake Sayles Sept. 30, 2014 Meredith Nail Stevens May 1, 2015 1954 Doris Ruprecht Carlisle Oct. 17, 2014 Jean Samuels Stephens Feb. 13, 2015 Barbara Schaff Blumenthal March 17, 2015 Jane Duryea Fuller May 26, 2015

1961 Mary L. Grant Nov. 14, 2008 Susan Eaton Allman Nov. 26, 2014 Sandra Deschenes Chaput March 17, 2015 Elizabeth “Betsey” Burbank Sink March 25, 2015 1962 Carole Davis Sigler April 12, 2015 1963 Cynthia Meehan Bartlett May 15, 2008 Ruth Bulkeley Miles May 21, 2015 1964 Janet Morse Hills March 14, 2015

1955 Julia Snyder Fink Feb. 23, 2015 Bryce “Margaret” Loudon Ten Broek April 20, 2015

1974 Pamela Rutkus Vernon April 16, 2015

1956 Barbara McIntire Haskins Feb. 12, 2015 Lynn Shepherd Nicols May 1, 2015

1995 David Bruce Martin May 11, 2015

1957 Sally Matherson Carlson Jan. 16, 2015

1975 Catherine E. Talty May 23, 2015

2000 Catherine “Anne” Raeburn March 25, 2015

CORRECTION: Melinda Miller Sexton ’76 is alive and well, contrary to her name’s appearance on this page in the spring 2015 magazine.

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25 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT COLBY-SAWYER archives

by Meghan Burrows ’15 with Kelli Bogan

I

n the fall of 1990, Colby-Sawyer College opened its doors to men and officially became a coeducational institution. Twenty-­five years later, it’s hard for our current students to imagine a time when the college wasn’t coed. In 1989, however, when the idea first arose, it alarmed faculty, students, alumnae and even community members. What many didn’t realize was that this was not the first time the institution had reinvented itself, nor would it be the first time male students had been a vital part of the institution. WHAT IS PAST IS PROLOGUE Colby-Sawyer College, founded as New London Academy (and later known as Colby Academy), began as a private secondary school that educated male and female students. It was not until 1928, in the face of financial hardship and education’s shifting landscape, that the institution became a two-year women’s college and changed its name to Colby Junior College for Women. By the 1920s, public high schools had been erected in towns all over the state, decreasing demand for private academies. At the same time, most of the buildings on campus were in disrepair. Colgate Hall was built in 1911, but the institution’s other facilities, still on the Old Campus where the Town Common is now, had been built between 1837 and 1895. To stay afloat and make repairs, nonessential properties were rented out to help raise funds, and donations were solicited 78 colby-sawyer college magazine

from alumni and friends of the school. The academy managed to postpone the construction of a high school in New London by offering reduced tuition to New London students. Despite these efforts, the school needed to change, though it was hotly debated among academy trustees what that change should be. The academy formed a committee in 1924 to look at all possible options, and in 1927, it decided to turn Colby Academy into an institution for girls that would offer two years of preparatory school and two years of college, beginning with the fall term in 1928. Despite their unanimous decision, the trustees, most of whom were academy graduates, had mixed feelings about the change. Some alumni said they could never feel as if they belonged to a girls’ school, but in the end, the difficult decision proved to be the right one for the institution. Colby Junior College for Women grew into one of the premier twoyear women’s colleges in the country. It thrived under its new identity and five buildings were constructed over the next 10 years to accommodate students. THE MORE THINGS CHANGE … In the 1980s, the college found itself in a situation remarkably similar to its 1920s predicament. With a student body of only 450, the institution confronted the daunting task of increasing enrollment in the face of a number of challenges that included a decline in college graduates, especially in the New England area; a shift in fields of interest for incoming students; high


offer the best preparation (academic and otherwise) for career success or the real world.” Or, as one board member put it, “if we make the best buggy whip in the world, what good will it do us if the world doesn’t drive buggies anymore?” In the end, it was a decision for survival, and one that again seems to have benefited the college. In the fall of 1990, just 16 months after the decision was made, 67 men arrived at Colby-Sawyer. The student body rose to 525 members. Although protests had continued through the 1989-1990 academic year, female students welcomed the men when they arrived, and many students who’d protested said that, although they weren’t happy with the choice, they’d grown to accept it. As in the 1920s, this change brought growth and three dorms were built in the 1990s.

tuition; and financial aid constraints. As in the 1920s, the institution’s facilities were in desperate need of updating and buildings were sold to help stay afloat. Growth was at a standstill; the newest building on campus was already nearly 20 years old. There was a sense of déjà vu as the college again faced a difficult decision: Would it reinvent itself or try to survive in its current state? The data the institution had gathered was daunting—statistics showed that between 1979 and 1995, the number of graduating high school students would drop nationally by 23 percent, and that percentage would be even higher in New England. Other data showed that the women’s college market was declining; only 2.8 percent of women were considering single-sex colleges. This drop in graduating high school seniors would hurt all colleges, but administrators felt that Colby-­Sawyer College was particularly vulnerable.

Today, Colby-Sawyer College faces new but related challenges to those it has encountered in the past. The number of graduating high school seniors is again on the decline, tuition nationwide continues to rise, enrollment numbers have dipped—and we’re still in a beautiful but rural location. As we face these challenges, it’s helpful to look to at our history of reinvention and know that, as an institution, Colby-Sawyer College is not afraid of change.  ® Meghan Burrows graduated in May with a B.A. in creative writing. Kelli Bogan is the Colby-Sawyer archivist. She holds a B.A. from the University of Vermont, an M.A. from Boston College and an M.S. (LIS) from Simmons College.

In 1986, the college formed a task force to examine the possibility of going coed, and the group began consulting with other institutions that had considered the same option. In the spring of 1989, the school announced to the larger community that coeducation was an option, and it held meetings with all the constituencies to discuss the possibility. Even though it wasn’t uncommon for local male students to attend the college, particularly after it became a four-year institution in 1973, parents, students, faculty and even community members reacted to this possible change with concern. They sent letters to the college, and students staged marches, rallies and sit-ins, shutting down Colgate Hall on several occasions with arguments that admitting men would make women second-class citizens and that the institution would lose its identity. Ultimately, in April 1989, the college decided to go coed because, as then President Peggy Stock explained, “Parents and their daughters do not believe that women’s colleges can l to r: The Class of 1929, which never got to graduate (photo taken in 1927); The first coed graduating class in 1994; A protest image from the 1989 yearbook.

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by Michael Jauchen One of the great joys of being a Colby-­Sawyer professor is seeing students you’ve worked with cross the stage at graduation. As families gather on the front lawn, the morning takes on a unique kind of energy. A real sense of potential builds in the air as the students sit at the threshold of whatever awaits them in their lives after college. In May, I gave the Commencement Address to the graduating class, and I talked about this energy. For the students, that Saturday morning was fraught with many feelings: excitement, happiness and hope. A sense of loss that the years had gone by so quickly. Maybe—if the students were anything like me when I graduated—they were a little apprehensive and worried about the future, too. There’s a great word for this energy. It comes from the swamps of Southern Louisiana, where I did my graduate work. Southern Louisiana is a world away from rural New Hampshire, but strange as it might sound, there’s a distinct feeling in the air down there that’s close to the energy I feel on Commencement. When you drive around the sugarcane fields or cypress swamps, the atmosphere is charged. You hear the buzzy talking of cicadas, and you wonder what they’re saying. You stare out at the still water of the swamp, and you sense things are moving out there, even though you can’t see them. Southern Louisiana just has that kind of feel. A good friend of mine once told me there’s a Cajun French word for this feeling of things being on edge like this. He said it’s called the rougarou.

More commonly, the rougarou is the name of a mythical swamp werewolf who prowls the bayous around New Orleans. It’s rumored he eats naughty children and hunts down bad Catholics who break Lent. But some Cajuns also use this word to describe the ineffable potential you can feel in the swamp. And when it’s used like this, rougarou can be translated roughly as “the thing that is about to happen.” I’ve loved this word from the moment I first heard it. It’s got mystery, and because it’s connected to the swamp werewolf, it also feels a little scary, a little dangerous. And for the graduates getting ready for life after Colby-Sawyer, it perfectly captured their emotional mix of happiness and worry and doubt and elation and fear. At its heart, the rougarou is about the deep unpredictability that hums beneath all our lives. It’s all those things about to happen that we can feel are out there in the future but that we just can’t picture exactly. As I mentioned to the graduates, many of those rougarous are going to be fantastic: love, fulfilling work, travel, the joy of longterm friendship. But in those “things about to happen” also lurk the darker events we might not like to think about as much but that we know are out there as well: disappointment, loneliness, loss, perhaps even catastrophe. A few weeks after my friend told me about the rougarou, Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans, leaving his home in the Ninth Ward submerged in water. In the days leading up to Commencement, news hit of the earthquake in Nepal, an event that affected a number of students on campus. How many Nepali families could have imagined the pain, devastation and heartache they now endure? Of course, this feeling of the rougarou is heightened on threshold days like college graduations. But that’s not the only time it exists. That on-edge feeling never goes away completely. It’s just kind of life’s default setting. We prepare and prepare, and life still finds endless ways to surprise us. New excitements. New triumphs. New hurts. New fears. No matter where we are in life, the rougarou lurks. By now the graduates of the Class of 2015 have scattered to discover the amazing, life-altering things awaiting them across the globe. Those amazing things are waiting for all of us, no matter where we are in life. And even if we don’t know what they are, it’s so fun, so life affirming, to bask in the feeling of the rougarou. It’s an incredible reminder of just how mysterious and incredible it is to be alive.  ® Associate Professor of Humanities Michael Jauchen teaches creative writing, American literature and experimental fiction. At Commencement on May 9, he received the Jack Jensen Award for Excellence in Teaching, the college’s highest faculty award. He earned a B.A. from Wheaton College (Ill.) and an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of LouisianaLafayette before joining the faculty in 2009.

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ILLUSTRATION: NANCY SEPE

epilogue

THE FEEL OF THAT OL’ ROUGAROU


Plant a Seed and Help us Grow! You can make a significant impact through a gift that costs nothing in your lifetime. “ Our college means so much to us. So when it came time to think about our will, we were happy to be able to include Colby-Sawyer in our plans. Knowing that we can leave a legacy to benefit future generations of Colby-Sawyer students is incredibly satisfying. We are truly honored to be members of the Heritage Society.” – Nate Camp ’98 and Beth Bryant Camp ’92 Learn more about the Heritage Society and planned giving, and how it can benefit you as well as the college, by visiting colby-sawyer.giftplans.org or contacting Peg Andrews ’85 at pandrews@colby-sawyer.edu or 603.526.3726.


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