suffield academy fall 2012alumni magazine

suffieldfall 2012

Copyright © 2012, Suffield Academy, Suffield, Connecticut 06078

EDITORIAL STAFF Charlie Cahn, Hillary Rockwell Cahn ’88, Linda Colo,

Tobye Cook ’88, Thomas Foote, Maeve Ryan

CREATIVE DIRECTORTobye Cook ’88

ART DIRECTOR Hillary Rockwell Cahn ’88

CONTRIBUTORS Lee Baldwin ’88, Joan Brodie, Charlie Cahn, Thomas

Foote, James Fuller P’05, ’06, Emily Johnson, Gerry

LaPlante, Erika Picciotto, Phil Riegel ’87, Maeve Ryan,

Ron Schildge

PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS Bill Butcher, Hillary Rockwell Cahn ’88, Tobye Cook ’88,

Lee Baldwin ’88, James Fuller P’05, ’06,

Jesse Lirola ’00, Phil Riegel ’87

SUFFIELD is published by the Marketing and

Communications Office of Suffield Academy for

alumni, parents, and friends of the school. All

publications rights reserved. Contents may be

reproduced or reprinted only by permission of

the editor. Opinions expressed do not reflect

the official position of Suffield Academy.

COMMENTS

May be addressed to Maeve Ryan

[email protected]

SUFFIELD is printed by Allied Printing Services, Inc.

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www.suffieldacademy.org

MISSION

Suffield Academy is a coeducational, independent secondary school serving a diverse

community of boarding and day students. Our school has a tradition of academic excellence

combined with a strong work ethic. A commitment to scholarship and a respect for individual

differences guide our teaching and curriculum. We engender among our students a sense

of responsibility, and they are challenged to grow in a structured and nurturing environment.

The entire academic, athletic, and extracurricular experience prepares our students for a

lifetime of learning, leadership, and active citizenship.

NON-DISCRIMINATION Suffield Academy does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, creed,

national or ethnic origin, citizenship, physical attributes, disability, age, or sexual orientation.

We administer our admissions, financial aid, educational, athletic, extracurricular, and other

policies so that each student is equally accorded all the rights, privileges, programs, and

facilities made available by the school.

TRUSTEES President Daniel R. Tisch ’69, P’02 | New York, New York

Vice President Jackson W. Robinson ’60 | Boston, Massachusetts

Secretary Frederic B. Powers III ’83, P ’14 | Mamaroneck, New York

Headmaster Charles Cahn III | Suffield, Connecticut

Susan W. Autuori P’06, ’08, ’10, ’13 | West Hartford, Connecticut

Paul Blakeley P’07, ’10, ’13 | Orleans, Massachusetts

Nancy A. Brooks ’87 | Boston, Massachusetts

Dennis W. Chalke P’08, ’12 | Longmeadow, Massachusetts

Andrew C. Chase | Deerfield, Massachusetts

Kate O. Cleary ’88 | Cambridge, MA

Michael J. Daly ’59, Trustee Emeritus | Longmeadow, Massachusetts

George B. Daniels ’71 | New York, New York

Guy L. de Chazal P’10 | Brookville, New York

Andrew Fabricant P’14 | New York, New York

Samuel S. Fuller ’41, Trustee Emeritus GP ’04, ’05, ’06, ’08, ’09 | Suffield, Connecticut

Robert C. Graham, Jr. P’11 | Stamford, Connecticut

Valisha Graves ’81 | Brooklyn, New York

Matthew W. Greene | Wilton, Connecticut

Walter Harrison | Hartford, Connecticut

Kathy G. Hoffman, P’13 | Avon, CT

Christopher M. Houlihan P’05 | New York, New York

Christopher T. Jensen P’07, ’09, ’11 | Riverside, Connecticut

Karen L. McDonald P’12 | New York, New York

Jeffrey K. McElnea ’67, P’12 | New York, New York

Patricia Q. Moore P’09, P’14 | McLean, Virginia

Tracy Orr O’Keefe ’85 | Westfield, New Jersey

Steven R. Sheresky P’12 | Rye, New York

Hope G. Smith P’12 | Locust Valley, New York

John M. Tremaine ’66, P’94, ’03 | New Canaan, Connecticut

H. P. Van Ingen, Jr. P’06 | New York, New York

Suzy B. Vogler, P’11 | San Francisco, California

Jeffrey White ’65 | Westport, Connecticut

Jacqueline R. Williams P’04, ’07, ’08 | New York, New York

28 The fall athletic season is highlighted by a New England Football championship.

FALL 2012

2 Headmaster Charlie Cahn writes about the essence of Suffield Academy.

41 SUFFIELD chats one-on-one with four faculty members.

HIGHLIGHTS

CAMPUS NEWS

Campus Construction

The First 100 Hours

Class Agents

Reunion 2012

Parents’ Weekend

2012-13 School Theme

Fall Chapel Speakers

Student Summer Ventures

CLASS NOTES

Alums from the classes of 1939 to 2012

tell us what they have been doing.

PROFILES

ALUMNI PROFILES

Lee Baldwin ’88

Jesse Lirola ’00

CLASS AGENT

Bob Churchill ’83

LEGACY PROFILE

The Stanleys—Bob ’79,

Jordan ’13, and Olivia ’16

18 Several guests speak to Suffield’s resilience theme.

2 | www.suffieldacademy.org

A long-time friend called me last spring, asking about a postgraduate year for his son. Now headmasters, my friend and I were previously competing admissions directors, recruiting many of the same families to our schools. His son ultimately headed to college this fall—passing on the PG year—but I kept a note my friend sent me that makes me proud of Suffield.

Charlie,My wife and I are still surprised that, in the end, our son decided to pass on the postgrad year, especially after we kept pushing you for a spot at Suffield. The fact that he knows several students there made that choice even more logical. But you and I did admissions work for too many years to be surprised by a surprising ending.

Thank you for everything you and your team did to support a nervous mother and father. I told our son—and he felt it clearly—that the perception in our independent school world is that Suffield is the school that has moved itself the most over the past decade, now emerging among the best schools in the United States. He heard this from his friends and then he felt it himself. One of my disappointments, frankly, is not getting to be part of the school for a year and watching how Suffield does it. I wanted to steal some secrets.

So how has this happened? Why, in a time of challenge for so many organizations, are we thriving?

First, Suffield succeeds in large measure because we have not strayed from what works. We deliberately reach backwards—into our history—to embrace ideas that strengthen our community and help our students. In short, we agree on fundamentals. We know a lot about the things we don’t want, and that’s not a bad thing to be clear about.

We emphasize accountability, high standards, and respecting our surroundings. We are not budging on dress code, sit-down lunch, required study hall, physical activity for each student, the core liberal arts curriculum, Saturday morning classes, weekly school meetings, and consequences for irresponsible conduct. A major reason for our strength right now is we all seem to understand and embrace what Suffield is all about.

There is, however, an opposite and equally important idea. This one captures another part of who we are and why we are successful. It is about marching forward with a clear sense of purpose and openness to the future. We have the courage to be creative and take appropriate risks.

, We have the foresight to create a Leadership Program and require it for every student here.

, We have fabulous new facilities for college counseling, athletics, the arts, health services, and residential life that enhance the quality of the school. These were all funded by gifts, and a new science building will soon be part of this list.

, We have embarked on several new curricular initiatives over the past few years, including a regional studies program that broadens the teaching of history to include culture, art, and business.

HEADMASTER’S COLUMN / CHARLES CAHN III

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SUFFIELD IS ABOUT HELPING STUDENTS THROUGH THE PEAKS AND VALLEYS OF ADOLESCENCE BY BLENDING HIGH STANDARDS AND GENUINE SUPPORT“

“

Fall 2012 | 3

, We have established true academic and residential quads, and there can be no doubt that the sense of beauty and clarity of our campus enhance the experience of our students.

Yet the essence of why we have so dramatically strengthened Suffield is tied to positioning. We have found a space in the independent school world that is in demand: an academically rigorous program with an encouraging, supportive environment. We embrace all of our students where they are when they join us and help them move great distances during their years on campus.

This commitment is unwavering, and my biggest mission as headmaster has been to surround our community with people—parents, faculty, trustees, alums—who share fundamental values for the school. Suffield is about helping students through the peaks and valleys of adolescence by blending high standards and genuine support. Quite simply, this clarity about our central mission rests at the heart of Suffield’s momentum and strength. It permeates the atmosphere on campus and has led to unprecedented levels of applications and charitable giving.

Suffield’s future will be shaped by our 2011 Master Plan and steadfast commitment to our core values. The plan is based on remaining at our current enrollment level (410 students) while continuing to aggressively invest in our people, campus, and endowment. The execution of the plan will certainly depend on continued passion and commitment.

The landscape of independent boarding schools is competitive, yet Suffield is fortunately in demand and ambitious for its future. For these reasons and more, it sure is an exhilarating time to be part of this story.

WE HAVE FOUND A SPACE IN THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL WORLD THAT IS IN DEMAND: AN ACADEMICALLY RIGOROUS PROGRAM WITH AN ENCOURAGING, SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT“ “

HEADMASTER CHARLIE CAHN WAS RECENTLY HONORED FOR HIS DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE HARTFORD YOUTH SCHOLARS FOUNDATION. CHARLIE WAS APPOINTED IN 2003 BY THE MAYOR OF HARTFORD TO A BLUE RIBBON EDUCATION COMMISSION FOCUSED ON HELPING MORE HARTFORD STUDENTS ATTEND FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES. TWO YEARS LATER, THE HARTFORD YOUTH SCHOLARS FOUNDATION WAS ESTABLISHED. CHARLIE WAS RECOGNIZED FOR HIS NINE YEARS OF BOARD SERVICE TO THE ORGANIZATION DURING A LEADERSHIP BREAKFAST AT THE HARTFORD CLUB. Among other goals, the foundation implements a rigorous academic enrichment program for Hartford students to help them gain access to the region’s finest independent schools. The three-year program, called the Steppingstone Academy Hartford, requires students to meet after school and on Saturdays, as well as dedicate their summers to academic programs and standardized test

preparation. It is located at Trinity College. Since 2005, the program has grown from serving 26 students to 139 scholars. The first group of graduates attended college this year. The student population is 58% African American and 29% Latino. Sixty percent of the program’s graduates have enrolled at independent schools, while others attend 19 different Hartford public schools. Former Board President Karl Krapek and Connecticut State Representative Kelvin Roldan presented Headmaster Cahn with the award and named him as an emeritus trustee of the foundation. Mr. Krapek stated, “Charlie has been with us since the beginning, and we are a far stronger organization because of his probing questions and insights, clear thinking, and hard work.”


ON CAMPUS WHAT’S NEW?

DEVELOPMENT OFFICE RENOVATED

SUFFIELD’S DEVELOPMENT OFFICE IN FULLER HALL RECEIVED AN EXTENSIVE RENOVATION THIS SUMMER AS PART OF THE SCHOOL’S CONTINUED CAPITAL MAINTENANCE ENHANCEMENTS.

The previous space (approximately 2,600 square feet) consisted of three offices and open space with various storage areas. As part of the renovation, all of the interior ceilings, non load-bearing walls, doors, and windows were demolished and removed. Many structural improvements were made, and the new design consists of five offices—all of which have access to natural light—an open workspace area, several storage areas, and a formal reception space in the entry way. The interior finishes mirror those of the adjacent Hoffman College Counseling Center, combining exposed brick of the original building with new, divided light glass windows and doors. The HVAC system has been upgraded to provide both heating and cooling. Headmaster Charlie Cahn noted, “The bottom floor of Fuller Hall is now fully renovated and set for the next era of Suffield’s history. In keeping with our overarching goals for the Suffield campus, the Development space is attractive and practical.”

Fall 2012 | 5

NEW BLEACHERSNew bleachers adorn the Suffield campus adjacent to the David R. Holmes ’60 Football Field and Meade Alcorn ’26 Track.

The new Alum-A-Stand heavy duty aluminum bleachers replaced Suffield’s long-standing wood bleachers in this area. There are 420 seats in seven rows, six wheelchair spaces, as well as a ramp and two sets of stairs.

The bleachers feature Suffield’s orange color and make for a great sight from Bell Hill. The brick base offers an attractive finish that enhances the overall look of the football field and track.

A cooler atmosphere greeted Suffield students in Brewster Dining Room this fall. Four large ceiling fans were mounted in the space during late August.

For several years the school considered options for helping cool Brewster Dining Room, particularly for the late spring and early fall periods of the academic year, and for the many campus summer programs, including Suffield’s Summer Academy. The cost estimates for air conditioning systems were prohibitive, in the range of $500,000.

In mid-June, Headmaster Charlie Cahn and his wife Hillary took their daughter Peyton to summer camp. When they arrived at registration in the main building, they saw one of these ceiling fans. Headmaster Cahn said, “We were immediately struck by the size and quality of the fan, and we spoke with the camp director to get more details.”

A few days later Phil Cyr (physical plant director) arranged for the vendors to visit Suffield. They measured all of the specs of Brewster Dining Room and came up with the design the school ultimately chose of four ceiling fans that reach all parts of the space. The project—which cost just over $40,000—was funded by various gifts to the school. The fans function in near silence. As English teacher Joan Brodie observed, “It’s not only cooler but also quieter. The old floor fans were a lose-lose-lose situation. One: they produced a lot of noise. Two: if you weren’t sitting directly in front of one, you were too hot. Three: if you were sitting in front of one, you were getting blown out of your seat. I like this new win-win-win scenario: no noise, not hot, and not in the path of hurricane winds.”

Jay O’Brien ’13 simply said, “They are awesome and necessary because the dining hall gets exceptionally hot.” In strong agreement with Jay, students all over campus appear very pleased with the new ceiling fans and thankful for the thoughtfulness and effort put into making the dining room a more comfortable place.

NOW THOSE ARE FANS!

THE FIRST 100 HOURS @ SUFFIELDSUFFIELD WELCOMED 143 NEW STUDENTS

TO THE SCHOOL THIS FALL BRINGING THE

TOTAL ENROLLMENT TO 412. THIS FIGURE

IS CONSISTENT WITH THE SUFFIELD

ENROLLMENT FOR PAST 10 YEARS. MORE

THAN 1,000 STUDENTS INTERVIEWED FOR

A SPACE AT SUFFIELD THIS YEAR, AND

STUDENTS CAME TO CAMPUS FROM 22

STATES AND 24 COUNTRIES. THE SCHOOL

YEAR BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 7, 8, AND

9 WITH A THREE-DAY ORIENTATION. A

GROUP OF FIVE STUDENT MENTORS, LED

BY STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT PAUL

METSCHER ’13, WELCOMED THE NEW

STUDENTS TO CAMPUS. BELOW ARE SOME OF

THE EXPERIENCES THAT ACCOMPANY A NEW

STUDENT’S FIRST 100 HOURS AT SUFFIELD.

1 / REGISTRATION

3 / MET MY ROOMMATE

2 / LOADED MY TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE

4 / FIRST DORM MEETING

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8 / TIGER GAMES

6 / CAMPUS SCAVENGER HUNT 9 / MET MY FACULTY ADVISOR

5 / TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES

7 / FIRST ATHLETIC PRACTICE 10 / CONVOCATION

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Alumni Class Agents... Thank You

1946Sandy MacNabb

1948Gene Spaziani

1949Bob Harrison

1950Charlie Roberts

1951Sam Marks

1955Al GeslerBob King

1956Bob Houghton

1957Ralph Jennings

1958Mike Sheridan

1959Paul Grimmeisen

1960David HolmesAl Walden

1961David IsaacsonJerry KargmanMike Menzies

1962Paul ConnorAndy Spector

1963Sandy Prouty

1964Tom Webster

1965Tim HemingwayBill Kelly

1966Charlie ClaggettBruce FletcherChris Frost

1967Chris Harlambakis

1968Brian HerseyBob Morris

1969Greg Putnam

1970Kit WarnerChris Weeden

1971Pierre GenvertLeo LetendreDoug Rebert

1972Chip SpearJohn Therriault

1973Jody CranmoreJim Knight

1974Blair ChildsBud HancockTom Leonard

1975Carey FiertzMark Teed

1976Scott CraigMolly Debevoise RennieSharon Fischer Grubaugh

1977Ed KaplanBeth Tyler

1978Ben DavolLisa LongoEd Palomba

1979Matt CartmellSteve DutcherRuth KennedyBob Stanley

1980Jim HaganGraham LewisLinda McCullagh O’LearyJoe Palomba

1981Valisha GravesMark McCullaghDavid SpitzlerAlison Welch Davee

1982David CarangeloJohn CookMargaret Figueroa HernMadeline Phillips

1983Bob ChurchillMarybeth DiBuono-Riley

1984Shelley Frazier PelletierKerrin Fuller RowleyLisa Paolini Schmidt

1985Andy GloverMichelle Hashioka LordJinnie Lee Schmid

1986Sean FederowiczBrinley Ford EhlersKristin Hostetter PanditNiko Mosko

1987Betsy Coughlin TodJeff MartiniPhil Riegel

1988Beth Buoniconti FernandezKate ClearyPat DorseyKiernan Flynn

1989Tom BurtonMichelle Motta StewartJed NosalAimee Scherer Hodgkins

1990Kelli Chamberlain TosonePeter DaPuzzoAmy Newman VaughnCourtney Wilson Nixon

1991Kim Ames IdePat KennedyAndy Roebuck 1992Marigrace Canter MorrisNtsekhe MoiloaWadiya Peterson Wynn

1993Alexa Economou RicePam EisenLauren Roginski-StrelecMarla Zide

1994Alison Kennedy AucielloScott SartwellChris Saven

1995David AsinasLeigh MurphyBryson Tillinghast

1996Tabitha Bliven HeidornRyan DowdSarah Knapps Saven

1997Amy Blake CookLewis DunnBrian HetzelDanielle Therriault

1998Mickey AllenSarah FletcherSarah HotchkissMeghan Liljedahl

1999Steven DarlingMaura DeedyLarry Griffin Mark SoticheckPatrick Stone

2000Michael ColemanCarmine PetroneAndrea RichManny Simons Meagan Ward Jenkins

2001Paige DiamondKate DineenGreg HearnRuss HearnAshton Jones

2002Sari BiddelmanAlison CareyHilary Golas RouseLynx LaCroixErin Orr Ligay

2003Lindsey PellLydia PillsburyLindsay RousseauEric Yale

2004Kate BradenJake McCombAlex NaboicheckAnthony RousseauAndrew ScullyWilliam Taylor

2005Rick DevlinDan FisherSteph ShakerCasey Shanley

2006Alison LeonardEric LitmerJen MaisLuke McCombGina PetroneChris Stafford

2007Mike DiPietroSydney GreenbergKaty HeydingerCharlie HuckMatt JonesHarry MelendezCatherine MisErik Osborne Meredith RarusTyler St. PierreRob Zammito

2008Becca BathrickKirsten ChalkeThomas Drummond-HayBarbara KaplanKaela KeyesLindsay Life

2009Cordie BradyTom CaseyRosemary ChandlerCharles FergusonLiz MontySam Stone

2010Ben AdamsMichelle AutuoriJustine de ChazalMariah GonzalezTom Leonard Alyssa PalombaLucas Traber

2011Emily AikenJoe BegleySerge DerbyKachenta DescartesColin E. DowdKaroline HegbomDidi McDonaldJoe PalombaJames ParkShamier SettleLester Taylor

2012Reed BarbeKatherine BattleColin E. DowdWilliam EvangelakosJameson EverettJosh GalantDavid HuangTaylor JettConnor KaplanCaroline LeonardIzzy McDonaldAlex PorterCarly Smith


THIS PAST YEAR 214 ALUMNI HAVE VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME TO HELP THE SCHOOL. These Class Agents come from 63 graduating classes spanning 1946 through 2012. Our Class Agents are full-time professionals, retirees, stay-at-home parents, and students, but they still find time to give back to Suffield Academy. Class Agents play a vital role, contacting classmates to communicate school news, encouraging them to submit class notes, asking for Annual Fund support, and thanking them for their contributions.

A heartfelt thanks to our 2012-2013 Class Agents:


2012

1st row: Shawn McConnell II, Elise Reigel, Catherine Mis, Matt Capone II, Lexi Walston, Lilly Clark, Harry Melendez III, Steve Marangos, Mike DiPietro, Cassie Daniels; 2nd row: Sean Caddigan, Bill Cargill, Matt Capone II, Aerin Parish-Toscano, and Rob Zammito III; 3rd row: Matt Jones, Julia Imbelli, Erik Osborne, Khaya Leary, Greg Lynch; 4th row: Sydney Greenberg, Meredith Rarus, Bianca Molta, Anna Childs; Top to bottom & left to right: Isabella Comstock, Chris Pugliano, Joe Martini, Brian Uszakiewicz, Zeke Donnelly, Emily Nissensohn, Greg D’Aleo

2007

1st row: James Cramphin, Greg d’Otreppe, Jeff Depelteau, Nick Oleksak, Kip Moncrief, Sara Kerin, Alison Carey, Rich Tyson, Dane Carillo; Top to bottom & left to right: Alex Beinfield, Matt Bernstein, Chris Collins, Ryan Sample, Nina Lutwick, Tim Cleary, Kylene Westerholm, Alyssa MacMeekin, Elizabeth Pace, Tara Klevay, Sari Biddelman, Hilary Golas Rouse, Susan Korte, Sarah Rabbett, Lynx LaCroix, Billy Simons, Paul Wagner, Kellyn McGarity, Marc Cusumano, Chris Collins

2002

Suffield Alums return to campus in record numbers on a beautiful autumn weekend

Fall 2012 | 11

1st row: Scott Gunn, Shelly Reveruzzi O’Neil, Jeff Martini, Dave Lovely, Phil Riegel; 2nd row: Mark Tenerowicz, Dave Godin, Mark Howat; 3rd row: Elise Adib-Samii Riegel, Kim Delfino Mellekas, Krista Radziewicz Colthup, George Getz, Andrea Plakias DuFresne; 4th row: Marion Pattillo, Nancy Brooks, Kristen Federowicz Sullivan; 5th row: Kathryn Giles Jones, Diane Cullen Page 6th row: Pam Thomas Lundgaard, Martin Boehm; 7th row: Neil McCullaugh, Wendy Birmingham Allerton, and Amy Werner Fox

1987

1st row: Dan Doyle, Nicole Pisapia Doyle, Elise Grady Carrier; 2nd row: Andrea Lembo Ericksen, Diya Peterson Wynn

1992

Brian Hetzel, Ali Thunayan Al-Ghanim, Danielle Therriault, Alison Moncrief Bromage, Megan Lawler

1997

1st row: Bill Murdza, David Carangelo; 2nd row: Madeline Phillips, Margaret Figueroa Hern, Kelly Kinne Patterson, Gerry LaPlante

1982

1st row: Sara Whitaker, Ed Kaplan, Beth Tyler, Chris Childs, Mary Pohanka Scott; 2nd row: Chuck Alfano, John Geary, Debbie Dyer Leroux, John Routh III, George Katsoulis; Top to bottom & left to right: Scott McEwan, Bob Clark, Richard Tuttle, Mark Palomba, Tom Landers

1977

Top to bottom & left to right: Jim Watson, Leigh Harrison, Bill Chisholm, Nemo Neimann, John Therriault, Bobby Byrne, George Vann, Mickey Ahearn, Chip Spear, Joe Shaw

1972

Thomas Hart III, Leon Lombardi, Chris Harlambakis

1967

1st row: Bob Adams, Phil Collins, Bob Hynes, Paul Connor; Top to bottom & left to right: Bob Jehu, Dick Jones, Al Neally, Harrison Monk, John Fuller, Bob Melvin, Donald Livingston, Con O’Leary, Arthur Victor II, Andy Spector

1962

Coe Hawkins

1952

Gary Godin

1957

TUCKER TAFFE ’97 DEDICATION

At the 2012 Reunion Suffield dedicated the indoor climbing wall at the Courtney Robinson ’88 Leadership Center to Tucker Taffe ’97. More than 30 alumni supported this project, which was spearheaded by classmate Brian Hetzel. Tucker passed away following an accident on Mount Rainier in May 2011.

Tucker came to Suffield in 1993 after graduating from the Dutchess Day School in Millbrook, New York. He was particularly inspired by Suffield’s SOLO Program which led to his passion for a variety of intense wilderness pursuits in Utah, where he lived for more than a decade.

Ali Al-Ghanim ’97Liz Anthony Wild ’93Richard Anthony ’63Sam Anthony ’96Paul Bernon ’96Marc Bertinelli ’97Amy Blake Cook ’97Elizabeth Boardman ’97Caitlin Burch ’97Charlie and Hillary CahnAnne Carr ’97Carlos Centurion ’97David Cirelli ’97Jesse Clark ’97Lewis Dunn ’97Wei Wei Gao ’97Brian Hetzel ’97

Katie Kispert ’97Katie Kuyper ’97Megan Lawler ’97Meaghan Leahy Palmer ’97Carlos Machado Tinoco ’97Megan Mack-Theisen ’97Kristin McCurdy ’02Shinya Nagase ’97Takafumi Nishimura ’97Megan Pohorylo Tucker ’97Brian Romer ’97Katiana Siatras Dillon ’97Jamie Tatum ’97Danielle Therriault ’97John Therriault ’72Johanna Trout Szczesiul ’97VMWARE Foundation

DONORS

REUNION 2012

PARENTS’ WEEKEND

At the age of 10, my mother gave me her old Kodak box camera. My first picture was of an old maple tree. It was a disappointment; the image of the tree I saw in my head that day was so majestic and alive, yet, the small photograph that came back from the drug store days later looked so small, so gray, so dead. Since then, I’ve been trying to bridge that large gap between vision and execution. Moving to large format photography brought with it increased richness of tone and detail but also a slower, more deliberate way of seeing and making images. I like to explore the way the camera converts a color-filled, three-dimensional world into a black and white (and a whole bunch of grays too), two-dimensional image. I try to honor and celebrate the natural world and respond to what I fear will not last. With this in mind, I donate half of the proceeds of my photographs to The Nature Conservancy. In my other life, I teach eighth grade English. This acts as a vibrant, if somewhat crazy, counterpoint to the solitude of many hours in the darkroom, under the dark cloth.

Jim Fuller is a resident of Suffield. He has a long connection to Suffield Academy as parent of three alums: Ted ’05, Jane ’06, and Nancy ’06. Jim’s wife, Melinda Fuller, is a member of Suffield Academy’s Visual Arts faculty. His parents, Sam and Jane Fuller, have served as Suffield Academy trustees for many years.

The parents and families of Suffield students were on campus from October 11 to 13 for Fall Parents’ Weekend. Members of the Suffield community enjoyed the spirit of camaraderie and the beautiful New England weather. Parents had the opportunity to meet with teachers, advisors, and college counselors, then cheer on their children in Saturday afternoon athletic contests.

Black + White PhotographyJAMES FULLER P’05, ’06, ’06

Photography exhibit in the Tremaine Visual Arts Center

Top left: James Reimer ’13 and Ellen and Eric Reimer; bottom left: Amanda Leonard ’14 with Toby Leonard; right: Lucy Zimmermann ’13, Hannah Williams ’13, Christian Wilkins ’15

Fall 2012 | 15

WHAT DOES RESILIENCE MEAN TO YOU?

WE SURVEYED THE SUFFIELD ACADEMY COMMUNITY AND ASKED THEM TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION IN SIX WORDS OR LESS. HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THEIR ANSWERS...


When Suffield chose this year’s concept, no one could have predicted that a hurricane would leave its most devastating mark on the East Coast since 1888. News reporters used words like “unprecedented,” “catastrophic,” and “life altering.” Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy announced during a televised news conference, “the best information we have confirms my worst fears.” The New Yorker’s Hendrik Hertzberg, while describing “the largest tropical storm system in the recorded history of the Atlantic Basin” even referred to it as “deceptive.” The personification of Superstorm Sandy gave it more power—and us more anxiety—than we knew what to do with. Sandy was already a legend, folkloric enough to be one of the natural disasters Gabriel García Márquez wrote about in 100 Years of Solitude.

What we were faced with that day was more than a meteorological nightmare. It was the frightening realization that we were powerless in the face of natural catastrophes, both literally and figuratively. The psychological impact of preparing for “the worst” seemed impossible when some schools, homeowners, and businesses hadn’t even finished repairing the destruction caused by last year’s Hurricane Irene and massive October snowstorm. Suffield was as prepared as ever but I, for one, had never repaired the hole in the roof of my shed. It was like leaving the orange parking ticket under your windshield wiper: evidence that you’ve already been selected. Dear Mother Nature, no need to strike again.

The events of that day tested our resilience as individuals and as a nation, in more ways than one. Some people understood—as emergency crews rescued them from their homes—that resistance and resilience are not the same thing. Others heeded warning to evacuate their homes and days later, they showed their resilience by going back to powerless places and making the best of it with blankets, bread, and gratitude. People everywhere were in awe of what nature could do in

such a short amount of time. We understood what biologist Dr. David Haskell talked about in The New York Times article, “Finding Zen in a Patch of Nature” when he referred to science—the observation of nature—as a way of deepening our intimacy with the world. We saw how nature is undoubtedly similar to humanity; it is a continual balance between conflict and cooperation. Resilience, at the core, is what makes us impervious to the conflict.

Diane Coutu wrote a Harvard Business Review piece titled “How Resilience Works” and highlighted three defining characteristics. She claims the first trait of resilient people is a “staunch acceptance of reality” that is not always a sense of optimism, but rather a down-to-earth view of what matters for survival. The second is that resilient people find meaning in adverse times, remembering that life is meaningful. Lastly, Coutu argues that resilient people are creative, making do with what is at hand. Coutu’s central point is that resilient people and places, like Suffield, have clear and steadfast organizational values. As Charlie Cahn said on the opening pages of this edition of SUFFIELD, these values translate to a safe, challenging, and supportive school with dynamic programs and an encouraging environment.

As the Suffield community has again realized over the course of the fall term, resilience is about overcoming adversity, pushing through obstacles, and accepting one’s current situation. Acceptance—the final step in the grieving process according to the late psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross—is the key to resilience.

Resilience has proven to be a timely theme for the 2012-2013 academic year, further strengthening life at Suffield. The aftermath of natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy reminds us of yin and yang, darkness and light, and an understanding that what was destroyed will be rebuilt.

For the past eight years Suffield Academy has identified a school theme for the community to investigate over the course of the year. A coinciding community text is chosen, and the theme’s complexity is examined through programs in academic departments, a film and discussion series, and several guest speakers in the chapel program. Suffield chose resilience as the 2012-13 theme, beginning with a community reading of Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain.

RECOGNIZING RESILIENCE BY MAEVE RYAN

Fall 2012 | 17

Strength. Perseverance. Determination. Grit. Elasticity. Toughness. -Amanda Hendrickson ‘15

Never giving up despite adversity. -Cheryl Kuo ’13

Facing life’s challenges and moving forward.

-David “Rocky” Rockwell ’58 (faculty)

fall chapelSeveral guest speakers visited campus during the fall term to

help explore Suffield’s year-long examination of resilience.

Fall 2012 | 19

William Fowler is the former director of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and a distinguished professor of History at Northeastern University in Boston. He is the author of Empires at War: The French and Indian War and the Struggle for North America; Jack Tars and Commodores: The American Navy, 1783-1815; Beacon Hill: A Biography of John Hancock; and Samuel Adams: Radical Puritan.

Professor Fowler’s talk centered on the end of the American Revolution, highlighting the two years following the Battle of Yorktown. His central point was that while many think this battle signaled the end of the Revolution, the years following were extremely traumatic. During that period, the Revolution was more at risk of failing than at any time in the previous half dozen years, as the British still held several areas and controlled the seas. Professor Fowler added that, with members of Congress in disagreement, the army was on the verge of mutiny.

Professor Fowler described the work and passionate commitment of General George Washington, who met several times with Congress to implore it to help find ways to support the army. He used all his ingenuity to keep the army cohesive and focused. Professor Fowler vividly recounted this crucial period of American history, culminating with Washington’s famous 1783 speech to his troops in Newburgh, New York, which ended a possible rebellion that would have jeopardized America’s government and future. He concluded by noting that one of the principal reasons America’s Revolution was successful was because “we had George Washington.”

William Fowler’s recent book, An American Crisis, chronicles the dramatic years following the Battle of Yorktown. Following his talk, he presented copies of the book to several Suffield students in S. Kent Legare Library in front of the Steinberg Colonial History Collection. This donation was made possible by Arline and Harvey Steinberg, presidents of Suffield’s Grandparents’ Association.

Professor William Fowler Jr.Bill Fowler and Paul Metscher ’13


In 2007, Lieutenant Colonel Darling retired from a very distinguished career in the United States Marine Corps, with over 20 years of active duty service. He flew attack helicopters in Desert Shield and Desert Storm during the first Gulf War and in Somalia, Africa, in support of Operation Restore Hope. In October 2000, he was selected to work for the White House Military Office in the Airlift Operations Department. In this role, Lt. Col. Darling supported the President, Vice President, and National Security Advisor in the President’s Emergency Operations Center.

On the unforgettable day of September 11, 2001, Lt. Col. Darling was working in the White House Military Office. He was initially asked to coordinate an airlift for President Bush to an undisclosed site. However, he was quickly recruited to provide his military expertise and help the Vice President, National Security Advisor, and the Pentagon with key decisions. During the next 24 hours, he received real-time information from numerous government agencies and worked directly with the National Command Authority to respond to the terrorist attacks. Lt. Col. Darling saw in a first-hand way the enormous crisis America was facing and the challenging decisions the President had to make on behalf of all Americans. His chapel presentation gave students insight into the events that transpired in the highest levels of government on 9/11.

Lt. Col. Darling is now the president of an aviation company in Virginia, where he lives with his wife and two sons.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Darling

Lt. Col. Darling with Headmaster Cahn and the Chapel Committee

Fall 2012 | 21

Garth Stein’s novel The Art of Racing in the Rain, Suffield’s 2012-2013 community text, was required summer reading. The annual community text is part of the school theme program, which also incorporates guest speakers, Friday evening films, and various initiatives in the Suffield curriculum.

This year’s school theme is resilience, something that Stein knows well. He shared with the community the many challenges he faced in the publishing industry and how The Art of Racing in the Rain was initially rejected by several agents. When his agent told him that a book narrated by a dog would never sell, two words popped into his head proving just how resilient he could be. He looked at his agent and said, “You’re fired.” He then sought out an agent who believed in him and his story.

The Art of Racing in the Rain is narrated by a dog named Enzo and focuses on the life of Enzo’s owner, Denny. Stein calls it a fable, a story using animals to illustrate the human condition. Like a fairy tale, this story has a hero, a lofty goal, and a happy ending, but it also portrays archetypes in order to show us what does not work.

Stein spoke about his affinity for racecar driving and how his own racing taught him a valuable lesson: be aware of your surroundings so that you can take responsibility for yourself and your actions. He also emphasized to Suffield’s students and faculty the importance “taking the detours in life” and not being in a rush to get to our destinations. Life is full of interesting possibilities and opportunities, Garth said, and we miss out on great possibilities if we don’t open our eyes and stay patient.

Garth closed his talk by giving advice on how to read text for clues. Good reading, he said, is about anticipation and drawing conclusions. Suffield’s students and faculty were fortunate to hear directly from Garth Stein as they will continue discussing The Art of Racing in the Rain during the 2012-2013 academic year. The novel is now published in 33 languages, and there are plans to make it into a movie starring Patrick Dempsey.

Author Garth Stein


The Leishman Energy Efficiency Prize was created in 2007 by Dave and Janet Leishman, parents of Meg ’09, Emily ’11, and Haley ’14. The award is given to a Suffield student who demonstrates knowledge and commitment to using less energy through conservation strategies or the recommendation of installation of energy efficient technologies. The goal is to improve Suffield’s environmental management and inspire students to focus on saving natural resources and reducing carbon and greenhouse emissions.

Michael did an extensive project which proposed that Suffield put light shelves on the exterior of various campus buildings to save electricity. In the summer, when the sun is high, the shelves block sun from entering the building, keeping buildings cooler and reducing cooling costs. In the winter, when the sun has a lower trajectory, the sunlight is directed beneath the shelves and helps provide more heat. Michael met with the architect of Suffield’s new science building and with several school leaders to review his idea and findings. “Michael put a lot of energy and strong thinking into this project,” said Headmaster Charlie Cahn. “His work does exactly what Dave and Janet wanted in establishing this prize—helping Suffield reduce energy and be creative in our approach to campus efficiency.” Michael will enroll at NYU in the fall of 2013.

The Fichtenholtz Prize recognizes a student who identifies a moral or ethical issue that needs to be addressed and takes action. The recipient should be a person of conscience, who, acting on his or her own beliefs, attains an uncharted accomplishment in the moral sphere. The award, a fountain pen, is to be of unique and lasting value. The award was established by Barbara and Ted Fichtenholtz, parents of Harlan ’96, in recognition of his wonderful experience at Suffield. Suffield helped Harlan develop self-confidence and

academic and social skills that have supported his high level achievement personally, academically, and professionally. Harlan graduated from Oberlin College in three years and earned his Ph.D. at Duke University in Cognitive Neuroscience. He now teaches at Yale and at Fairfield University.

Headmaster Cahn noted that Anna has shown a deep commitment to issues surrounding women’s studies and concern about domestic and sexual violence. She has volunteered at the Holyoke Women’s Shelter for three years, seeking to offer care and compassion in her work. She has also written extensively about the issues of sexual assault and rape. Anna has done just what Ted and Barbara Fichtenholtz sought to recognize—she identified and acted on an important issue. Anna will head to Wesleyan University in the fall of 2013.

acknowledgements

ANNA STRZEMPKO ’13 was awarded the Fichtenholtz Prize by Barbara Fichtenholtz P’96 and Headmaster Charlie Cahn.

MICHAEL SIMMONS ’13 was awarded the Leishman Energy Efficiency Prize by Janet Leishman P’09, ’11, ’14 and Headmaster Charlie Cahn.

Fall 2012 | 23

Summer Ventures


SO

LO The 2012 Suffield Academy SOLO trip was a 10-day adventure where students began with

four days and three nights of backpacking in the northeastern part of the Smoky Mountains. Students carried their packs over 25 miles (gaining over 6,000 ft. of elevation), visited two old fire watch lookouts, and saw their first bear of the trip.

The group then moved west where they enjoyed day hiking to Ramsey Cascades—the largest waterfall in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park—and had a close encounter with yet another bear. SOLO students spent the day enjoying the local flavor of Tennessee, including eating some tasty BBQ, tubing down a lazy river, and visiting a local cavern.

Other highlights of the trip were whitewater rafting on the Pigeon River (including Class III and IV rapids) and biking Cades Cove—a 12-mile, paved loop around an area of the park where the first settlers lived. Toward the end of the trip, students hiked to another backcountry campsite in the eastern part of the park and enjoyed the sights and sounds of nature.

The students gained a variety of camping skills such as fire starting, backcountry cooking, bear safety techniques, and map/compass reading. The participants also learned a great deal about themselves, each overcoming physical and mental challenges throughout the trip. Overall, the 10 days were an incredible experience for all involved. Special thanks are due to Dave Rockwell ’58 and the SOLO program for their support.

Solo Trip (L-R): Caroline Vianney ’14, Amanda Baildon ’15, Kira Demitrus ’16, Denny Smythe ’14, Olivia Poulin ’13, Josh Hillman ’14, Jimmy Quinn ’14, Charlotte Hinrichs ’14, Eliza Mathews, Alexis Page ’12, Shenna Bannish ’12, Jenny Erwin

Student Summers

“It was fantastic taking our experiences from the SOLO Program to a new level. It was fun being with friends and teachers in such beautiful settings, and seeing special parts of the great outdoors.” -Livy Poulin ’13

Andy Guo ’15 and Frederick He ’15 spent time in China this summer, but as teachers rather than students. Working through the program Hand-in-Hand Rural Education, Andy and Frederick spent two weeks in June teaching in West Wulanbulang, a small town in the Inner Mongolia region of Northern China.

Andy and Frederick taught third and second grade, respectively, and focused on English and reading skills. They made a big difference in classrooms with upwards of 30 students, many of whom have special needs. The students Andy and Frederick taught have few links to the outside world and often little knowledge of life outside Inner Mongolia. “We wanted to show the students education is the key to a good future,” Andy said.

The program, which last year involved approximately 40 students from American boarding schools and colleges, is expanding, and Andy and Frederick are taking on leading roles. Starting this winter, they will be responsible for organizing and preparing new teachers, when an inspired Frederick will make his first return trip to Inner Mongolia.

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ICE “It’s important for me to go back because the kids really want to learn, and they haven’t had many opportunities.” -Frederick He ’15


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Micaela Martini ’15 spent last summer at the inaugural Women’s Academy for International Leadership Development at Mount Holyoke College. Micaela and 23 other students from all over the world spent four weeks studying different aspects of leadership in academia and society. Weekly topics included science and sustainability, business and finance, and general humanities and interdisciplinary exercises.

Guest speakers visited and shared their knowledge with the participants, and Micaela welcomed their expertise. “I had a chance to speak with so many women who are leaders within their workplaces or communities,” Micaela said, “and I learned a lot about being a leader as a woman.”

Group and individual projects at the end of each week honed students’ public speaking and presentation skills. Micaela particularly enjoyed the opportunity to read autobiographies of successful individuals and think about how she could apply their examples to her own life. Weekends were dedicated to college visits throughout the Northeast in New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Overall, Micaela said the program was “really intense, but it helped prepare me for junior year and beyond.”

Over the summer, Jay Prasad ’13 participated in a National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program sponsored by the U.S. State Department. NSLI-Y provides scholarships for high school students to immerse themselves in foreign languages, and Jay was one of just 30 students selected to participate in the highly competitive Mandarin program. While in the midst of a fully-funded six-week stay in Shanghai, China, an experience that included two weeks of living with a host family and a month at East China Normal University, Jay reported that his “Mandarin has improved dramatically,” and that he was eager to share more of his experiences when he returned to Suffield in the fall.

A highlight for Jay was meeting Robert Griffiths, the Consul General for the United States in Shanghai. The ranking member of the American Consulate, Mr. Griffiths has a lifetime of experience serving the United States government abroad, and Jay was grateful for the insight Mr. Griffiths provided into the Foreign Service. Jay also had the chance to visit the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Great Wall, just part of what he calls “the best trip of my life,” and one that “will never be forgotten.”

Jay’s Chinese teacher at Suffield, George Fernandez, had his own excursion to China over the summer, but he took some time to comment on Jay’s travels. “I am very proud to hear that Jay had a great experience in China and that he took in as much of the culture as possible. One of the most difficult things about a foreign language is making the learning acquisition process real. There is only so much we can cover in the classroom each year, but programs such as the one Jay was in greatly encouraged his future development in the language.” Jay will head to NYU in the fall of 2013.

Student Summers

Fall 2012 | 27

Grandparents’ DaySuffield Academy welcomed more than 125 grandparents to campus on October 2, 2012. Amidst beautiful

autumn weather, they shared a typical day in the lives of their grandchildren on campus. Under the leadership of Harvey and Arline Steinberg GP ’09, this marked the seventh year of Grandparents’ Day at Suffield. Events began in the morning as grandparents visited classes, and the day ended with a presentation

by Headmaster Charlie Cahn and lunch in Centurion Hall.

Jack Patterson ’13 with Zita and Dennis Kinne

Jamie ’13 and Gray ’15 Johnson with Ted and Nancy Hissey

Frances Bingham ’15 with Jan and Channell Wasson, Ali Walsh ’15 with Patricia Walsh, Diana Wallace ’15 with Diana Plunkett and Edward Pollack

Jordyn Gonsor ’15 with John and Beth Gonsor

Riggs McDermott ’15 with Richard and Laura McDermott

Oliver Martin ’15 with Terry and Marion Martin


FALL SPORTS

CAPTAIN BRICE MCALLISTER ’14 WAS HONORED AS THE NEW ENGLAND CO-PLAYER OF THE YEAR, AS WELL AS THE COLONIAL LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR.

Fall 2012 | 29

FOOTBALLThe Suffield Academy football team won its fourth New England championship in five years under Coach Drew Gamere with a 34–16 victory over Proctor Academy. The 9–0 Tigers used a stout defensive effort and an explosive offense to capture the Norm Walker Bowl and complete a perfect season.

Captain Brice McAllister ’14 scored four touchdowns in the championship game, and the junior racked up 28 scores on the season en route to New England Co-Player of the year. McAllister benefited from the dominant all-senior offensive line of Harry Farr, captain Stephen Leo, captain Paul Metscher, Dave Brzozowski, and Chad Woodfine. Captain Jake Lazarus ’13 threw for 11 touchdowns and nearly 1,100 yards on the year, many of them to CJ Moore ’14 and captain Christian Wilkins ’15.

Defensive standouts for the Tigers included leading tackler Mickey Keating ’13 as well as Wilkins and Woodfine, who combined for 13 sacks. Moore also returned interceptions for touchdowns in three straight games. Moore and Wilkins both joined McAllister on the All-New England team, while Leo and Woodfine were first team All-Colonial League selections. Brzozowski, Keating, Lazarus, Metscher, and Farr earned second team All-League honors.

Suffield bids goodbye and thanks to an excellent senior class of Cole Hills, Stephen Leo, Paul Metscher, Harry Farr, Alton Sioussat, Dave Brzozowski, Mickey Keating, Jake Lazarus, and Chad Woodfine. Over the last four years, the Tigers compiled a 32–2 record, three Colonial League titles, and three New England crowns.


BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRYThe boys’ cross-country team ran to an 8–3 record on the swift feet of captain Kaison Ifill ’15 and Gustaf Lidfeldt ’14. Lidfeldt’s individual victory pushed the Tigers to first place at the Avon Old Farms Invitational, while Ifill led the team at the season-ending New England championship race. Sweeping Berkshire and Taft on Parents’ Weekend, when Suffield took the top four overall places, was a highlight for the squad. The Tigers, who lose only Max Axelrod ’13 and captain Jay Fields ’13 to graduation, look to return next season even stronger.

GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRYThe girls’ cross-country team recorded an 8–2 dual meet mark and finished second at the New England championship. Jillian Haywood ’14 and Filippa Brandolini ’13 both placed in the top 10 at New Englands, earning them, along with Haley Leishman ’14, All New-England honors. The Tiger harriers won the second annual Gordy Glover Invitational and placed first in the Six Schools Meet at Williston Northampton. Suffield, 34–14 over the last four years, will lose seniors Brandolini, Anna Strzempko, Hailey Burke, Wynn Mason, Sarah Berchuck, Olivia Fiallo, and Lucy Zimmermann to graduation.

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Fall 2012 | 31

BOYS’ SOCCERThe boys’ soccer team went 8–7–2, including big wins over Deerfield, Westminster, and Northfield Mount Herman. Jordan Glassman ’13 and Jack Patterson ’13 led the team in scoring with 11 goals each, while defender Chris McCormick ’13 held down the back line. Glassman and McCormick were honored with spots on the WNEPSSA All-Star Team, while Patterson, Jamie Johnson ’13, and Zach McCormick ’14 were All-NEPSSA selections. Seniors for the squad, in addition to Glassman, Patterson, McCormick, and Johnson, were Nick Hudson, Ryan Tettemer, Emilio Rocha, and Andres Fernández Vílchez.

GIRLS’ SOCCERThe young girls’ soccer team saw its season highlighted by wins over Miss Porter’s and Ethel Walker, as well as a hard-fought draw with Deerfield. Captains Mary Franco and Val Schwein were the squad’s only seniors, and the future of the program certainly looks bright. Abby Blyler ’15, the team’s leading scorer, partnered with Millie Valero ’14 in the midfield, while Marysa Massoia ’15 and freshman Emma Tryon Repka provided a dangerous forward combination.

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WATER POLOThe boys’ water polo team went 7–6 and reached the New England Tournament play-in game. A sweep of Loomis Chaffee and victories over Phillips Andover and rival Williston Northampton were among the Tigers’ big wins this year. Seth Magoon’s outstanding goaltending buoyed Suffield and earned the senior captain a starting spot representing the Northeast region at the Eastern All-Star Game. Sam Prout ’13 and Geoff Lowe ’13 joined Magoon on the All New-England team while leading Suffield on offense and defense, respectively. In addition to Magoon, Prout, and Lowe, the Tigers lose seniors Austin Cunningham, Bryant O’Connor, Jay O’Brien, and Logan Barer.

FIELD HOCKEYA youth movement was afoot on the field hockey team as a squad with no seniors showed resiliency in the face of difficult early-season results. Captains Stevie Eagan ’14, Denny Smythe ’14, and goaltender Jackie Nicoletti ’14 led the Tigers. Smythe and Nicoletti were honored as Western New England All Stars and will help lead next year’s team build on the momentum of their exciting season-ending victory over Kingswood-Oxford.

VOLLEYBALLThe volleyball team’s season was highlighted by a mid-year seven game winning streak that included victories over rivals Berkshire and Williston Northampton. The Tigers also shut out Wilbraham and Monson Academy and Cheshire Academy during the impressive run. Angelina Massoia ’13, Kenya Stewart ’13, and Alexis Sarris ’14 were named NEPSAC All Stars. Massoia and Sarris led the Tigers’ defensive corps, while middle hitter Stewart was a top offensive player. The squad graduates just Massoia and Stewart, and looks poised for a breakout year next season.

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Hartford, Conn. Trinity football has undoubtedly carved its place in NESCAC history as a force to be reckoned with, especially at home on Jesse/Miller field, where the Bantams have won every game since 2002. In the past decade, the team has lost only eight games and finished with a perfect 8-0 record an impressive four times. This fall, Trinity celebrates the 10th anniversary of the 2002 season which gave the Bantams the first of six NESCAC titles in the last 10 years. However, Trinity football found itself in unfamiliar territory at the turn of the century, having posted a 15-17 record over a four-year stretch between 1998 and 2001. Jared Carillo ‘04 joined the team as a freshman in the fall of 2000. In the two years prior to Jared’s arrival, the Bantams finished 5-3 and 2-6, respectively. For the first two years of Jared’s career as a Bantam, Trinity football posted a final record of 4-4. “The first two years were kind of painful. The success that we did experience was almost by chance,” said Carillo.

Trinity Head Coach Jeff Devanney, an alum of the College himself who joined the staff in 2002 as defensive line coach, also spoke to Jared’s timely entry into the program. “Jared was one of those guys who came to Trinity when Trinity wasn’t in the middle of what it is now,” said Devanney, who also noted that the program was lucky simply to have Jared on the team. “Athletically and due to his size and strength, Jared was being recruited by bigger schools,” said Coach Devanney. “The last school that my mother forced me to visit was Trinity. She pulled me aside and told me to go to the best school that would accept me,” remarked Carillo.

Though his path to Trinity may not have been direct, Carillo’s presence on the team was felt immediately. Carillo exemplified the qualities that the team values most today. Said Devanney, “He and his classmates began the work ethic we have now as a team. He wanted to be good and he put in the extra time it took to be good.” The dedication paid off, and in his final two years the team finished 7-1 and 8-0, respectively. Said Carillo of the success, “It just started to click junior year. When we lost to Williams it was demoralizing because we worked so hard. Still, we had a palpable feeling that we were walking into a successful and rewarding opportunity. Then we went on to win the next six games.”

JARED CARILLO ’00During his four years at Suffield, Jared Carillo ’00 was a student who excelled in all areas of school life. He and his brother Dane ’02 are loyal Suffield alumni. Jared went on to Trinity College after graduating from Suffield, where he was a four-year member of the Trinity football team. Suffield has several alums on this year’s team at Trinity, following in Jared’s footsteps. The following article was posted in October on the Trinity College website, and SUFFIELD received permission to reprint.


NEW TRUSTEE

ANDREW FABRICANT P’14

JARED CARILLO CONT.

Carillo did not reserve his hard work just for the football field. Following the passing of his father, he took over his father’s insurance business earlier than expected. Devanney, who considers Jared a friend after years of coaching him and coaching alongside him while Carillo earned his master’s at Trinity as a graduate assistant coach, observed, “Jared has actually grown that company. I’ve been impressed with how he handles that business as a young person.” Carillo, jokingly wishing he had a head coach to instruct him in the business world, said he does draw on many football euphemisms on a daily basis, especially when speaking to his employees about their career goals. Personally, he relies on the same principles [sic] that were and remain key to the success of the Bantam football program. Carillo focuses on “supporting the things that work and knowing the things that have to change.” The Trinity football program is certainly something that works right now. And in keeping with that philosophy, Carillo supports the team in each and every way he can.

“Jared donates in a lot of different ways. He was taught by his dad to always give back, and he stands out because he is very young,” said Devanney, who emphasized that support is more than simply financial. “Jared is present for almost every football alumni event, where he donates his time and shares his knowledge with other alumni and current players. Said Jared, “My dad was a huge fan of the program and gave in different ways as well. When I stepped out of school I always said to myself I would like to give the way my father did. It is nice to get help, even when you’re not asking for it.”

Four-year team member and returning starter at cornerback Nick Campbell described the impact alumni like Jared have on the team. “The Trinity football program is based on a foundation of family and brotherhood. I experienced this the moment I stepped on campus and nothing exemplifies these values more than the alumni support we receive day in and day out. Whether it’s financial support to improve the program or career opportunities through alumni connections, Trinity football would not have the same success without this fraternal relationship.”

When asked about his key to success in football and life after Trinity, Carillo’s reply was concise, yet strikingly appropriate. Whether it is football, business, or maintaining connections with a team he so deeply appreciates, he says simply, “Commit your time, and commit your effort.” Jared and his wife Morgen, Trinity Class of 2003, recently welcomed their second daughter into the family.

written by Emily Johnson ’14, Trinity College

Andrew is a partner at Richard Gray

Gallery, located in New York and

Chicago. Founded in 1963, Richard

Gray Gallery is a leading dealer in

modern and contemporary European

and American art. Richard Gray built

a strong reputation for excellence,

integrity, and discretion. Andrew is

a graduate of University of California

Berkeley, and he lives in New York

with his wife Laura Paulson, who

is Deputy Chairman of Christie’s

Americas. Andrew and Laura’s

daughter, Alexandra Fabricant, is

in Suffield’s Class of 2014.

Fall 2012 | 35

CLASS AGENT BOB CHURCHILL ’83

When Bob was in high school, his parents moved from Canada to Australia. Since his family was originally from Connecticut and his grandparents still lived in the area, Bob sought out New England boarding schools. While it was Suffield’s beautiful campus that initially attracted him, it was the people and the culture that won him over. “Everyone at Suffield,” Bob says, “was true. They were good people who wanted to see everybody succeed.”

Bob came from a public high school with 2,500 students where, he says, he “breezed through with little work and average grades.” He quickly learned that was not the way things worked at Suffield. Instead, Suffield was “small, intimate, and personalized.” Bob describes Mr. Gorman’s Latin American History class, which had just three students, as being just one example of the high standards and close care of Suffield faculty members.

Bob is quick to rattle off a long list of faculty members who had a positive influence on him while he was at Suffield. He has fond memories of Mr. Cleary and his state capitals tests, had “a great time” in Mr. Nye’s English class, and describes working with Mr. Rockwell as “fantastic.” His memories of riding in cross-country vans with Mr. Glover (“when he was driving, you took your life in your hands”), though, were decidedly more mixed. Through their influence, Bob learned what he calls the most important of his lessons from Suffield: “With a little bit of discipline,” Bob says, “you can pretty much achieve anything. It’s amazing what discipline did, not only for my schoolwork but absolutely for life.”

After graduating from Suffield, Bob went on to Syracuse University, and he is now a successful financial advisor in the Chicago area. Married with two children, Bob has served as a Class Agent for the last seven years. “It’s nice to give back,” he explains. “Suffield did a lot for me: I arrived as what you might call a wayward soul, but a lot of what I achieved in life is directly attributable to the values I learned at Suffield.” With the class’ 30th Reunion coming up, Bob calls on his classmates to “represent,” and he hopes to see a great turnout next October.

A STROKE OF FATE BROUGHT BOB CHURCHILL TO SUFFIELD ACADEMY, BUT THE SENSE INSTILLED BY SUFFIELD THAT HE WAS IN CHARGE OF HIS OWN DESTINY HAS GUIDED HIM EVER SINCE.

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How did you find your way to Suffield?Suffield was recommended to me through a prep school guidance counselor in Westport, Connecticut. I was in search of a small, nurturing, and diverse community.

What are some memories you have of Suffield?The list is long, but what stands out the most are the deep level of friendships that were cultivated among students and the mentorship between faculty and students. During the formative years of high school, there is nothing like being surrounded by an intimate community that is connected on a multitude of levels.

Are there things you wish you had done differently while at Suffield?I wish I had been a little less consumed by social issues and more immersed in my studies, but I think that is something that came with maturity in my last two years at Suffield. However, when I got to college it was evident that through my academic experience at Suffield, I was prepared for intense coursework on both the undergraduate and graduate college levels. Suffield inspired me to grow intellectually and to be challenged academically.

Who are some individuals at Suffield who had a major impact on you?As an incoming freshman, the late Mr. Vincenti reignited my interest in the arts that began as a young child but had waned during middle school. Soon after, Bill Butcher became my mentor—his expertise and encouragement guided me through years of painting, drawing, and photography. His ability to allow me to expand creatively was a true gift. Undoubtedly, Bill’s influence in my life at that time led me to pursue a career in interior and jewelry design. Brad Gooch’s command of art history also had a profound impact on me. I continued to study art history in college and beyond. My art history studies have served me in both my personal life and my professional career.

Tell us a bit about what you are doing now.In 2010, I co-founded 3-om jewels, a jewelry-design company in Southport, Connecticut. My partner and I created the company as a sustainable way to contribute funds to support Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Fragile X Syndrome—two genetic childhood diseases that have greatly impacted our lives and loved ones. Each bracelet is hand-strung using elements that exist in nature such as wood, bone, and semi-precious and precious stones. The beauty found in these objects reflects the inner beauty in all of us. We believe the intention and energy infused in each piece offer protection and guidance, with the potential of lighting the way for individual journeys. We are currently in the process of launching 3-om gold—our unity collection—which includes spiritual symbols in the form of charms that we offer in rose, yellow, white, and green gold. In addition to 3-om jewels, SMA inspired me to direct and produce a short documentary called Invisible Heroes: The Fight Against Spinal Muscular Atrophy which can be seen on YouTube at http://tinyurl.com/invisibleheroes.

Next year I will be embarking on a journey in yoga teacher training with an amazing woman who lives in Martha’s Vineyard and has studied all over the world. My goal is to deepen my practice of yoga, as well as to delve into its philosophical aspects. I want to travel to India, where I plan to continue my study of yoga, as well as directly source my materials and production of jewelry. Ultimately, I would like to identify and employ members of a village so our company can give back both at home and abroad.

Lee lives in Southport, CT, with her three daughters, Wilson, Eva, and Sloane, two French bulldogs, and two aquatic turtles.

lee baldwin ’88

Lee and her 3-om jewels business partner, Kate Melnick.


performing arts showcase

left to right: Jasmine Brooks ’14, Fall Performing Arts Showcase featuring the Chamber Singers, Women’s Choir, and the Advanced Vocal Techniques & Staging class, Aphra Benitz ’13

one act: the trips

left to right: Jesse Phillips ’15, Joe Islam ’16, Jay Hutzler ’16

performing arts

Fall 2012 | 39

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Bill Butcher, the chair of Suffield’s Visual Arts Department, was recently awarded a solo exhibition at the Mystic Art Center in Mystic, Connecticut. The show ran in conjunction with the 56th Annual Regional Invitational Exhibition that was originated by the Mystic Art Center and attracts artists from around the country. After many months of preparation, the show opened in August 2012 with 25 of Bill’s paintings and drawings. Bill’s exhibition included, in his words, “a cohesive series of paintings that explore the mysterious and illusive spiritual nature of human life.” In his work he strives to search and explore the meaning of human existence to “discover who and what it is we are and where we are going.”

In Bill’s comments for the exhibit brochures, his passion for teaching at Suffield is clearly evident. He remarks, “The most important and valuable and favorite aspect of my teaching is witnessing and being part of the excitement a young person experiences when they first discover a talent they did not realize they had. What equals that is when the young artist makes their first connection with their own artistry and begins to understand and identify what imagery is truly their own.”

On Saturday, November 10, 19 Suffield Academy students traveled to Avon High school for the Connecticut Northern Region Festival auditions. Students work for months to learn the solo piece, the scales and to practice sight reading exercises in preparation for the event. Auditioning students come from private and public schools throughout Connecticut’s Northern Region, and each musician chosen for the band, orchestra, jazz band, or choir has met the high cutoff score for their part. This year, six Suffield students earned spots in the coveted ensembles: Seung Ho Hyun ’15 will play clarinet in the band, and Denison Smythe ’14, Jun Park ’14, Logan Barer ’13, Harrison Moore ’14, and Clare Guerriero ’14 will represent Suffield in the choir. These students will travel to New Britain High School on January 18 and 19 for intensive rehearsal sessions and finish the weekend off with a rousing concert that Saturday afternoon.

northern regionals

Logan Barer ’13, Clare Guerriero ’14, Denny Smythe ’14, Harrison Moore ’14, Jun Park ’14, and Seung Ho Hyun ’15.


ENTER TO WIN 2013 AUDI Q5su

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• Tickets cost $100 each• Drawing to be held on Friday, April 27, 2013, at 9:00 PM at Suffield Academy

• Winner need not be present• Tickets are limited to 800 and will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

• All ticket monies received after the 800 will be returned to purchaser.• All federal, state, and local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the responsibility

of the winner and must be paid before winner takes receipt of the car.• Winner is responsible for vehicle transfer and registration.

CAR NOT REDEEMABLE FOR CASH

Number of tickets ________________ @ $100 each = $

Name _____________________________________________________________________ Phone (state regulations require one name only)

Address

City ___________________________________________________________________ State ____________ Zip

P Check is enclosed (payable to Suffield Academy)

P Charge my P VISA P MC P AMEX P DISCOVER

Card # _____________________________________________________________________________ Expiration Date

Name on card (print)

Billing Address

Signature

PLEASE MAIL TICKET REQUEST TO: Auction Committee Suffield Academy 185 North Main Street Suffield, CT 06078

FOR ALL RAFFLE INQUIRIES OR TO ORDER TICKETS BY PHONE: please call Penn Sullivan at 860.386.4465 or [email protected]

Fall 2012 | 41

ONE ONEON


RON SCHILDGE

WHAT INFLUENCED YOU TO WORK AT A PRIVATE SCHOOL, AND WHY SUFFIELD ACADEMY IN PARTICULAR?When I was about 13 years old, my father told me, “When you choose a profession, pick a job that you want to do when you wake up in the morning.” For a long time after that, I imagined myself either as a doctor or teacher. During high school and college, almost every doctor I spoke with dissuaded me from the profession because of insecurity in the medical insurance industry. At the same time, every teacher I spoke with showed a deep commitment to his or her work and passion for education. When I graduated from Middlebury College, my girlfriend’s (now wife’s) father, Richard Parker ’72, really sold me on the private school world. I was lucky to have attended an excellent public magnet school, so I was a little suspect at first. However, I also knew that many private schools were leading the way in innovative, engaging educational models. Richard also really valued the experience he received at Suffield enough to commit his own life to teaching and administration in private schools. With this guidance, I took my first job as an intern at a private school in New Hampshire, the Holderness School.

Since then, I served in the Peace Corps, worked at Proctor Academy, and taught at the renowned United World College in India. When I considered returning from India with my wife, I again listened to Richard’s advice and also the opinion of his other daughter, Ellie Parker, who was working at Suffield. She couldn’t say enough positive things about the school. Among the many alluring aspects of the school, I was impressed with the faculty to student ratio and the percentage of international students. I felt also that my experiences would complement the Suffield’s successful Leadership and outdoors programs.

FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT MAKES THE SUFFIELD ACADEMY EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE SPECIAL?The Suffield students make this school what it is.

HOW DID YOUR PREVIOUS EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND OR WORK EXPERIENCE LEAD YOU TO SUFFIELD? TELL US ABOUT YOUR UNIQUE HISTORY AND THE LIFE EXPERIENCES THAT YOU BRING TO THE CLASSROOM.Sleeping on mud floors in the Peace Corps taught me the value of a bed, and I spent enough time buying food in a village market to appreciate grocery stores. These experiences help me understand how we can only see clearly when we can put a little distance between ourselves and our busy world. In the classroom, I aim to create that distance.

WHAT IS YOUR HISTORY AT SUFFIELD? WHAT COURSES AND DEPARTMENTS HAVE YOU TAUGHT IN, AND HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TEACHING STYLE/PHILOSOPHY?This is my sixth year at Suffield. My first year I taught senior English electives on post-colonial authors and prison literature. I also taught World History to 9th graders and Philosophy 101. Since then, I’ve also co-taught Environmental Philosophy with David Rockwell, U.S. History both to U.S. and international students, and our current junior courses, European and Latin American Studies. I’ve also taken a Spanish class with Anna McCarthy to better understand the perspective of our students and improve my language skills. Outside the classroom, I’ve coached lacrosse, soccer, winter fitness, SOLO and cross-country. I am currently the Varsity boys cross-country coach, and I love this responsibility. It is great to see the improvement in our runners, both in their speed and also in the maturity they develop from the sport. One of the most important lessons cross-country teaches is delayed gratification. They put in the work during practice and in the races to appreciate the sweet taste of victory as a team.

TELL US SOMETHING WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM?I am the faculty head of the Philosophy Club, Political Action Club, and TREE, the environmental group on campus. All three of these subjects really excite me. Philosophy Club hosts some great discussions over tea about happiness and the meaning of life. The Political Action Club is holding a mock election and encouraging students to watch the presidential debates. TREE holds the Green Cup Challenge every winter and Earth Day in the spring to help our students value the limited resources of our planet. Most of all, these clubs build students’ awareness about issues they will confront as adults. I want to build students’ passions so they can confront the challenges of this world wisely.

Appointed 2007 / History Department B.A. Middlebury College, M.A. Dartmouth College, M.B.A. University of Massachusetts

Fall 2012 | 43

JOAN BRODIE

WHAT INFLUENCED YOU TO WORK AT A PRIVATE SCHOOL, AND WHY SUFFIELD ACADEMY IN PARTICULAR?Actually, a “who” was the influence. After I graduated from college, I was playing on a women’s recreational softball team. The assistant coach was the registrar at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY, and he asked me to work for him in the registrar’s office. Before long, I was an associate director of admissions at the college and met my husband Rex, who had a business as a designer and maker of fine furniture in Northampton, MA. When I moved to New England, I first found work as a director of special events and direct mail fundraising at a private school, then in college admissions, and later as a director of college counseling. When friends from our house faculty days at The Ethel Walker School who had moved to SA told Rex about a part-time woodworking teaching position at the Academy, our relationship with Suffield began. Rex loved working with his colleagues in the art department and thought it would be fun to live in a house dorm when that was offered to him. So, we moved into Montgomery Street House in 1999 and spent six happy years living in this community.

FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT MAKES THE SUFFIELD ACADEMY EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE SPECIAL?Since moving back to Suffield, I’ve been impressed by the girls in the house dorm and the caring, competent “keepin’ it real” faculty. Both Rex and I love the community, and I’m able to teach to a range of student abilities. Suffield has all the programs of the very best independent schools; it is comprised of well-balanced, well-meaning people; and its status as a co-ed boarding and day school provides students with a globally diverse yet close-knit community.

HOW DID YOUR PREVIOUS EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND OR WORK EXPERIENCE LEAD YOU TO SUFFIELD? TELL US ABOUT YOUR UNIQUE HISTORY AND LIFE EXPERIENCES THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO BRING TO THE CLASSROOM. Well, I’ve pretty much told you how my work experience led me to Suffield. Educational background, unique history, and life experiences? Hmmm… I only practiced speech pathology and audiology for a short time in the public school system, but I think the diagnostic skills I developed as I earned my Bachelor of Science and the grounding I got in language and brain development have helped me a great deal as a classroom teacher. I also think the years I spent teaching at a girls’ school, a boys’ school, and a highly selective, co-ed day school in a major metropolitan city gave me a better understanding of teaching methods that work well for adolescent girls, for adolescent boys, and for gifted students.

WHAT IS YOUR HISTORY AT SUFFIELD? WHAT COURSES AND DEPARTMENTS HAVE YOU TAUGHT IN, AND HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TEACHING STYLE/PHILOSOPHY?During the summers of 2003 and 2004, I taught public speaking at Suffield’s Summer Academy. Last year, I taught English I and English III. This year I am teaching English I, English II, and English III. I absolutely love teaching literature and discussing the big questions in life that literature addresses, but I don’t think I have the right to simply engage my passion for literature in the classroom. I feel as if high school English teachers also owe their students a solid grounding in grammar, vocabulary, and reading and writing skills. Those things won’t be taught in college. Students who go to college with a strong skill base are able to take full advantage of what their professors have to offer. I must say that I’m often in conflict with myself as a teacher. I feel as if I have to present valuable information in an efficient, effective way, but I also believe that incredible learning takes place in my classroom when I more fully embrace the following sentiment expressed by essayist and poet Mary Oliver: “Let me keep my mind on what matters, which is my work, which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.”

TELL US SOMETHING WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM?I’m not sure if I model more after the nuns who taught me in high school and college or the 60s and 70s free thinkers that influenced my youth. I see myself as a “hippie nun,” which is a rather unusual combination. I often want to “peace out” and live in a hut in wild nature, but I’d miss my navy blue pumps and Dyson Ball DC41 Animal Vacuum.

Appointed 2011 / English Department B.S. Nazareth College, M.A. Trinity College


GERRY LaPLANTE

WHAT INFLUENCED YOU TO WORK AT A PRIVATE SCHOOL, AND WHY SUFFIELD ACADEMY IN PARTICULAR?After earning my BS in Biology at Trinity College, my immediate goal was to attend graduate school and get my master’s in wildlife biology. When I did not get into the program I desired, I had to make other plans. Having been positively influenced by teachers and coaches in both high school and college, I began to consider education as a career. I applied for and received a graduate fellowship at Trinity. I served for two years as the sports information director, while earning my MA in Education and coaching freshman football and varsity lacrosse. My experiences in education classes, coaching, and teaching in the Upward Bound summer program convinced me that education was the right career path for me. My fiance Nancy was two years into her elementary school teaching career in Granby, CT. She had worked very hard to find that job in a very tight market, and she was not about to give it up, so she told me to restrict my search to the local region, which I did. My candidacy received some interest from several local private schools, and I had interviews at Avon Old Farms and Suffield, both right in the acceptable geographic region. Having grown up in Westfield, MA, before attending Trinity, I was familiar with the beautiful Academy campus in the cozy little farming town called Suffield. After my interview, in which I was given the opportunity to teach one of Bob Powell’s chemistry classes, Ken Lindfors offered me the job, and I happily signed on. Having received solid advice from the dean of faculty during my Avon Old Farms interview about the wisdom of getting married before the school year started, Nancy and I were married in August of 1978 and arrived at Suffield a week later. I started my career teaching chemistry and biology, coaching football and lacrosse, and serving as a dorm parent in Fuller Hall.

FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT MAKES THE SUFFIELD ACADEMY EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE SPECIAL?Having worked at Suffield for 35 years now, I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to work with and help hundreds of young people develop the academic, athletic, and personal management skills which have allowed them to build their own successful lives and careers. In my experience, the hallmark of Suffield has been to promote well-rounded students, who work hard to make the most of their potential and take advantage of every opportunity that comes their way. The personal relationships that Suffield students build with their peers and with faculty members are the essence of this place. Nancy and I appreciate the great experience that our two daughters had at Suffield, and we are proud of their own personal journeys, which have led them into their own teaching careers. The best weekend of the school year for me is Alumni Reunion, when we see the alums return to campus, and when we can learn more about their unique success stories and histories after graduating from Suffield.

WHAT IS YOUR HISTORY AT SUFFIELD? WHAT COURSES AND DEPARTMENTS HAVE YOU TAUGHT IN, AND HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TEACHING STYLE/PHILOSOPHY?I have had three careers during my years at Suffield, sandwiching 18 years of business administration between two teaching gigs. My teaching has been in the sciences, with a balance between chemistry and biology. In addition, I have taught a little physics and senior electives such as Genetics, Anatomy & Physiology, Botany, and Advanced Topics in Modern Science. I taught freshman Leadership for one year and have taught three intriguing interdisciplinary courses with my colleague Bill Sullivan—Pandemics, Climate Change, and Water. My coaching experience has included football, boys’ lacrosse, volleyball (I started the program in 2002), girls’ basketball, boys’ squash, boys’ and girls’ water polo, and fitness. I served as dorm parent in Fuller Hall for two years and as dorm head of Spencer Hall for 11 years. I have been the advisor to the academic quiz team for over 30 years.

I enjoyed my years in the business office, but I always knew that I would go back to the classroom full-time at some point in my career. I valued the opportunity to support the entire school operation, to bring our staff personnel to new levels of respect and importance in the school community, to manage the construction of 11 new buildings and the renovation of many others, and to help integrate a forward-thinking computer initiative into the Suffield experience. As much as I enjoyed the administrative phase of my career, being back on the front lines of our school mission, getting students excited about the sciences and the natural world, and helping them reach their athletic potential has really re-energized me over the last 11 years.

TELL US SOMETHING WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM?I have a diverse range of interests: road cycling and cycle touring, bicycle maintenance, playing squash, traveling anywhere, cultivating house plants, baking bread, hiking, fishing, managing finances, singing in a church choir, and attending theatre and concert events. High on the list of chosen activities is spending quality time with family. I like being busy!

Appointed 1978 / Science Department B.S. Trinity College, M.A. Trinity College, M.B.A. Western New England College

Fall 2012 | 45

ERIKA PICCIOTTO

WHAT INFLUENCED YOU TO WORK AT A PRIVATE SCHOOL, AND WHY SUFFIELD ACADEMY IN PARTICULAR?For me, it’s not so much what influenced me, but who. After college, I decided to spend a year teaching abroad in Namibia. Though I decided to go abroad mainly to travel and understand Africa a bit better, I really enjoyed my time teaching. I came back in December 2007 and as I got readjusted to life back in the States, I spent a lot of time watching my sister play water polo for Middlebury. At the time, Gerry LaPlante’s two daughters were also on the water polo team, so we got to know each other pretty well. As I struggled to figure out my next step in life, he and his wife Nancy kept suggesting I look into working at boarding schools, especially Suffield. I finally took them up on it, sent in my resume to Suffield, and, as fate would have it, they had an opening in the Languages department. I still wasn’t sure I wanted to work at a boarding school, but I came in and interviewed anyway. It didn’t take long to see how special a place it is. Gerry is responsible for introducing me to Suffield Academy, but I have stayed for five years because I enjoy working here and strongly believe in what we do.

FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT MAKES THE SUFFIELD ACADEMY EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE SPECIAL?What most impresses me about Suffield is how well we know our students. We get to know them in our classes, of course, but we also learn so much about them from coaching, advising, and living with them. A student who may have trouble in my classroom could be one of the most dedicated, focused, and talented athletes on my sports team. When we are able to see each kid as a whole, it allows us to work with him or her so much more effectively. Whether it’s motivating them, helping them through a challenging time, or pushing them to succeed, it’s all easier because as a faculty, we have such great relationships with our students and understand them so well.

HOW DID YOUR PREVIOUS EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND OR WORK EXPERIENCE LEAD YOU TO SUFFIELD? TELL US ABOUT YOUR UNIQUE HISTORY AND THE LIFE EXPERIENCES THAT YOU BRING TO THE CLASSROOM.It seems that throughout my life, I’ve always been drawn to teaching jobs. It started when I was barely in high school. At 14, I got my first job, which was teaching gymnastics in the afternoons at the gym where I trained. On the weekends and in the summers, I did educational outreach work for the New England Aquarium. At the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), I tutored international graduate students struggling with English, while studying linguistics and Asian studies. I already mentioned my work in Namibia, and the summer before I started working at Suffield, I was a surf instructor—all roads led to teaching! Being able to teach ESL and Chinese after majoring in linguistics and Asian studies is a dream come true, but the other non-traditional teaching jobs, as well as teaching abroad, have influenced my work in the classroom. Since I’ve worked with kids, I feel like I have a good understanding of how they operate and what they need in order to learn. In general, I really love working with students. It’s not always easy, but it’s always interesting.

WHAT IS YOUR HISTORY AT SUFFIELD? WHAT COURSES AND DEPARTMENTS HAVE YOU TAUGHT IN, AND HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TEACHING STYLE/PHILOSOPHY?I’ve worked solely in the Languages department and have loved working with my fellow colleagues. Specifically, I teach lower levels of Chinese and ESL. This year I am teaching Chinese II, and two levels of ESL. Basically, my goal is to make all my students feel comfortable in my classroom. We laugh and joke around and get to know each other, especially at the beginning. With language, it’s all about communication and creativity, and everyone’s bound to make mistakes and look and feel silly at times. If students feel nervous or self-conscious, it’s harder for them to feel free to express themselves. I like structure in the classroom, but I don’t feel that in order to learn, we all have to be serious. In fact, I believe that students learn more and learn better when they’re enjoying themselves. Also, since I teach the lower levels of language, it’s really important to foster enthusiasm for the language, be it Chinese or English. I want students to want to learn a language because it’s fun and interesting, not because it’s required.

TELL US SOMETHING WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES, AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM?Well, I really enjoy surfing when I can, and as I said before, I was a surf instructor for a camp called MBX in Easthampton, NY for two summers. It turns out it was a special place because I met my fiancé four and a half years ago through the camp—he was a fellow counselor! Also, this year, one of our first campers is a freshman at Suffield, which is a little strange but very exciting. Aside from surfing, I love to swim, run, and spend time with my family and friends. I run a half-marathon with my dad and sister every fall, and for the past two years, some of my friends from Suffield have joined us! I also think it’s important to note that I’m a huge fan of the show, The West Wing. Watching the show is a form of relaxation for me!

Appointed 2008 / Languages Department B.A. University of Michigan

BOSTON left to right: Diane Douglas P’14, Maura Egan P’16, John Egan P’16, Gerry LaPlante P’04, ’06, Amy Pentz, Jason Aronson ’04, Betsy McComb P’04, ’06 Ruth Kennedy ’79, Neil McCullagh ’87, Matt Jones ’07, Susan Autuori P’06, ’08, ’10, Harry Melendez III ’07, Michelle Autuori ’10, John Cone ’61, Josh Cohen ’92, John Rodgers ’58, Andy Lowe P’11, ’13, ’15; top to bottom: Headmaster Charlie Cahn, Linda McCullagh O’Leary ’80, David Teitelman P’16, Lisa Keney Rarus ’80, Phil Riegel ’87, David Issacson ’61, Elizabeth Pace ’02, Hilary Golas Rouse ’02, Barbar Ramirez-Kerecz P’16 Kristin Hostetter Pandit ’86, Sarah Birmingham Drummond ’89, Elizabeth Rodgers-Hebner ’87, Kate Cleary ’88, Shaun Pandit, Shane Cranmore ’10. BERMUDA left to right: Albert Moura P’08, Debbie Moura P’08, Seamus Durkin ’99 JeanAnne Hart P’10, Roger Marshall P’15, Casey Shanley ’05, Catherine Marshall P’15, Barbara Johnson P’88, Kathy Lines P’08, ’10, Allison Morrison P’08, ’12, Nick Lines ’08, Mickey Johnson P’88, Gail Miller P’11, Annette Budge ’86, Derek Singleton P’99, Phil Riegel ’87, John Singleton ’99, Sallie Singleton P’99, Jennifer Rego, Buddy Rego P’07, Michael Budge. NEW YORK top left photo: Brinley Ford Ehlers ’86, David Eckhardt ’86, P’16, Tracy O’Keefe ’85 top right photo: Kim Wiggin P’06, Khadim Diouf ’07, Becca Joslow ’08; bottom left photo: Michelle Aaron ’04, Susan Korte ’02, Katie Hoffmaster ’03; bottom right photo: Charlie Cahn, Steven Sheresky P’12. JAMAICA bottom: Lexie Bicknell ’13, Amanda Hendrickson ’15, Neelam Mahtani ’14; middle: Kyle Barrett ’16, Jessie Bicknell ’15, Andy Bicknell ’16; top: Sean Atkins, Nick Hudson ’13, Ricky Warren.

Allison and Ernest Morrison P’08, ’12 hosted a Suffield reception at their home in Bermuda on September 27. Suffield alums were joined by current and past parents to celebrate their strong connections to Suffield. Director of Development Phil Riegel ’87 and Assistant Director of Admissions Casey Shanley ’05 represented the school at the event. They were also in Bermuda for an annual boarding school fair for prospective students and parents. Phil commented, “We always love seeing our many alumni and friends in Bermuda, and Allison and Ernie were great to host us again at their wonderful home.”

Board President Dan Tisch ’69, P’02 hosted a Suffield reception at the Regency Hotel in Manhattan on November 15. One hundred sixty people attended the event, including over 80 alums and many parents and faculty members. Dan Tisch and Headmaster Charlie Cahn spoke about Suffield’s positive momentum and thanked guests for their generous, consistent support of the school. Headmaster Cahn noted, “This reception was uplifting for everyone involved. It was a celebration of the school and of the very special bonds formed through Suffield. We are so grateful to Dan for hosting and for everything he does for our community.”

Linda McCullagh O’Leary ’80 and her husband Stephen hosted a Suffield reception at their home in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, on September 20. The event brought alumni together with current, past, and prospective Suffield parents. Headmaster Charlie Cahn and Linda O’Leary spoke at the event, with Linda describing the important impact Suffield had on her life and her genuine affection for the school. Linda serves as one of the Class Agents for the Class of 1980.

PARENT / ALUMNI RECEPTIONS

Suffield parents and prospective families gathered for an admissions reception on November 13 at the home of Anita and Chris Bicknell P’13, ’15, ’16 in Kingston, Jamaica. More than 30 people attended the event. Associate Director of Admissions Sean Atkins talked about the school and the admissions process. Several parents joined the Bicknells in speaking about Suffield, including Steven and Coco Hudson P’13 and Shelley Hendrickson P’08, ’15. Sean also showed a video (made by Jay O’Brien ’13 and Jono Nelson ’14) featuring comments from all of Suffield’s current students from Jamaica and a montage of Suffield photos. Following the reception, Sean joined nearly 20 boarding schools at boarding school fairs in Kingston and Montego Bay. Yoly and Gobind Mahtani P’14 were particularly helpful to Sean in covering the Suffield table at the fair in Montego Bay.

JAMAICA

BOSTON

BERMUDA NEW YORK

Fall 2012 | 47

SUFFIELD ACADEMY

GOLF OUTINGAnother successful Suffield Golf Outing took place on October 5, 2012, at The Ranch Golf Club in Southwick, Massachusetts. The golf committee was again led this year by Ed Kaplan ’77, P’08, ’12, Mike DiPietro P’07, ’11, Bob Clark ’77, P’06, Tom Landers ’77, and Beth Tyler ’77, P’05. This year’s tournament winners were Jim Knight ’73, Jon Medwid ’96, Tom Landers ’77 and Barry Cleary P’02, ’05. The outing, played in a scramble format, was held on a gorgeous autumn day.

ACE!

Above, left to right: Ken Switzer P’11, Jared Carillo ’00, Patrick Booth P’12, ’14, Jim Trask P’08; Ted Keyes P’08, ’10, ’12, ’14, Lisa Rarus ’79, P’07, ’11, John and Martha O’Brien P’12, ’14; Below, left to right: Hillary Rockwell Cahn ’88, Wendy Bingham P’16, Tapley Sheresky P’12, Tricia Merrick P’14; John Routh ’77, John Geary ’77, David Teed ’77, Charlie Alfono ’77.

James Michel P’12 highlighted the day with a hole in one.


Sustain the MomentumSHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY CONTRIBUTING TO THE 2012-2013 ANNUAL FUND

WWW.SUFFIELDACADEMY.ORG/DONATE

YOUR DONATION THIS YEAR SUPPORTS EVERY ASPECT OF THE SCHOOL’S OPERATING BUDGET, INCLUDING: ACADEMIC PROGRAMS, FINANCIAL AID, CLASSROOM SUPPLIES, FACULTY COMPENSATION, PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT, ATHLETIC UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT, PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS, STUDENT LIFE AND ACTIVITIES, MAINTENANCE OF THE BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS—EVERYTHING THAT MAKES A SUFFIELD

EDUCATION ONE OF THE FINEST IN THE WORLD.

“I want to express our collective gratitude for the continued generosity and loyalty of the extended Suffield Academy family. We have much to celebrate, and as always, great ambition for the future. Our giving percentages have become the envy of peer schools . People have made it a priority to ensure their name is on our list of supporters—at any level—and this is more helpful than you can imagine in emphasizing Suffield’s strength.” -Headmaster Charlie Cahn

Fall 2012 | 49

IN THE NEWSALUMS

TOM GREENE ’87 Author: The Headmaster’s Wife

Tom Greene’s ’87 new novel, The Headmaster’s Wife, will be published in October 2014 by Thomas Dunne of Thomas Dunne books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press. Previous novels include Mirror Lake (Simon & Schuster, 2003), I’ll Never Be Long

Gone (Harper/Collins, 2005), and Envious Moon (Harper/Collins, 2007). Tom is a native of Worcester, MA, and currently lives in Montpelier, VT, with his wife and daughter. He is the founding president of Vermont College of Fine Arts. www.vcfa.edu

BEN VAN RENESSE ’06, TYLER BABUSHKIN ’07, JACK HASKELL ’07, AND WILL WILCOX ’07 A Wild Suffield Connection: Jungles

These four Suffield alums have composed a band called Jungles. Ben plays the synth; Tyler is on the guitar; Will brings the bass; and Jack is the drummer. Performing at album release parties and many venues throughout New York City, Jungles has created buzz as an emerging band. After performing at the CMJ Music Marathon in October, CMJ said, “They were easily the biggest surprise of CMJ 2012… Jungles played a manic set that took the listener

on a journey through multiple genres, and they did so with a fury that was addictive… I never wanted them to stop.” Jungles has played multiple shows with alums Pam Autuori ’08 and Philip Williams ’08. With music available at www.soundcloud.com/junglesmusic, you can also keep up with their next appearances on Facebook at JunglesMusic.

CHRISTINE PATTILLO PAPE ’84 AND RICHARD ROMEO ’74Town of Suffield Hall of Famers

Chrissy Pattillo Pape ’84 and Rich Romeo ’74 were inducted into the Suffield Athletic Hall of Fame this fall. A swimmer here at the Academy, Chrissy was recognized for her record-setting performances in the pool throughout her Suffield career. Romeo was an all-conference soccer player and still holds records in the long jump

and triple jump at Suffield High School, which he attended before coming to the Academy. http://tinyurl.com/suffieldinductees2012

TIM MERCER ’89 Musician

Tim Mercer’s band, Daphne, was a four-piece rock and roll band based out of Brooklyn, NY. When his cousin, Seth McFarlane, needed music for his new movie Ted, starring Mark Wahlberg, it was a no-brainer to use some of Daphne’s tracks. The movie helped catapult Mercer’s career and his new Portland-

based record label, Mercer Records, to a whole new level. Mercer gives back by giving 75% of the money raised from sales of Mercer Records to charity. http://tinyurl.com/timmercermusic

MADDY CARPENTER ’11 In It to Win It

Now playing field hockey at Northwestern University, Maddy Carpenter ’11 had a stellar sophomore season keeping goal, opposing teams to a stingy 1.69 goals per game. Maddy, who was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on October 16th after her efforts in two back-to-back shutout wins against Indiana University and Central Michigan, backstopped the Wildcats to a 16-4 record and a #10 national ranking. http://tinyurl.com/maddycarpenter


Why Suffield?

Bob: Growing up in town, I had always thought that Suffield was a college (big brick building, guys in coat and tie, some mystique). In eighth grade, when my parents asked me about applying, I was amazed to learn that an educational opportunity as significant as SA was so close to hand. After I interviewed and toured, I knew this was where I wanted to be, and it never occurred to me to visit another campus.

Jordan: For my whole life I knew I would go to Suffield Academy. My dad remembers some of his favorite moments happening here, and my parents both worked here, so I had a good idea of what the community would be like. It was something I did not want to miss out on.

Olivia: I chose to apply to Suffield Academy because my family loves this school. My dad went here when he was in high school; both of my parents worked here; and my sister is enjoying her experience as a senior this year. I decided to go because of that, and when I came for a tour of the campus, it seemed like a genuinely close-knit community and I wanted to take part in it.

The Stanleys have a long relationship with Suffield Academy as Bob ’79, Jordan ’13, and Olivia ’16 have all studied here, and Anne served as a member of the school’s admissions and college counseling offices.

legacy profile | the stanleys

Fall 2012 | 51

What is the best part of the Suffield Academy experience?

Bob: The relationships, so many of which have come to last a lifetime. Faculty who took the time to understand me and who challenged me and supported me; classmates who became important sources of friendship and inspiration; teammates and coaches who knew how to enjoy athletics while always doing our best to win.

Jordan: The most beneficial aspect of Suffield is how akin to the “college experience” it is. From the campus to the classes and independence, I feel that the way this school functions and forces the students to function has readily prepared me for college next year.

Olivia: The best part of the Suffield Academy experience for me so far has been the opportunity to make friends with people from other parts of the country and the world. I also loved playing on the junior varsity field hockey team because my coach was excellent and we had a tight-knit team.

What was your most memorable experience at Suffield?

Bob: There are too many from which to choose. Perhaps, however, it was returning as a faculty member and spending 13 years on campus as an adult. It was an opportunity to contribute and to return the gift that had been given to me at such a crucial time in my life. It is also particularly meaningful to be president of ASSIST and lead the organization that Paul Sanderson founded as a Suffield faculty member. Suffield led the way in becoming a global school, and ASSIST continues that tradition in Sandy’s memory.

Jordan: I have had so many memorable and self-defining experiences that I could never chose just one. Suffield has helped me discover many facets of myself that I never knew existed, and after three years now seeing myself, a nearly finished product, I am thankful for all the experiences along the way.

Olivia: Too soon to tell!

Who has been the most influential faculty member?

Bob: The list is too long to single out one mentor. However, as a current parent, it has been very meaningful to have Jordan and Olivia take their freshman Leadership course with Rocky, who was my advisor, and who thought enough of me to give me some tough—and timely—advice my senior year.

Jordan: I’ve had the privilege of being Mrs. Pentz’s student for both freshman and junior years. I have always looked forward to her English class, and she has helped improve and mature my writing in substantial ways. She really cultivated my love for English and drove me to better myself.

Olivia: Again, too soon to tell.

What is/was your favorite place on campus?

Bob: Oddly enough, it is the rickety stairway on the north side of Bell Hill. I’ve sat there to contemplate, run up and down to get in shape, and just loved the timeless beauty of sitting there, looking into the west and appreciating all that Suffield has done for me.

Jordan: Hands down the dining hall. The circular tables are perfect for grabbing a cup of tea and some cereal during free periods and then congregating with friends for dinner at the end of a long day.

Olivia: One of my favorite places on campus is the Union because it’s very social and you can see your friends there all day.

Did your mother/father share with you any great stories about Suffield Academy?

Jordan: One of my favorite stories that my dad has shared with me about his own Suffield experience was his senior year performance of OMASA. Apparently he and his friends wrote their own script and performed a play in front of the school. I can’t imagine my dad as an actor, but it’s certainly something I wish I could have seen.

Olivia: Yes, my parents have shared many great stories, but one that stands out in my mind is when my dad and his friend, Andy Rarus ’79, got to present a play their senior year.


Jesse Lirola ’00Jesse’s first days at Suffield coincided with my own return

to the school in 1998. He lived right across the hall from my

apartment in Fuller, and I took an instant liking to him. Jesse

was somehow more mature than the average high school

student; this young man appeared to march to the beat of a

different drummer. It was clear he had come to Suffield with

a purpose and was quietly determined to do well.

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by Phil Riegel ’87

Fall 2012 | 53

Prior to Suffield, Jesse attended the Educational Center for the Arts High School in his hometown of New Haven, Connecticut. While he chose to attend this public high school because of an honors track that was offered in writing, writing was the only aspect of his education that captivated his attention, and his other subjects suffered.

After some soul searching and discussion with his parents, Jesse decided to try a different track and enrolled at Suffield Academy as a repeat junior.

“I liked it from the beginning,” Jesse recalled. “Although I found Saturday classes bordering on barbaric, my education interested me again. At my previous high school it was only about the writing, whereas at Suffield I experienced great faculty members who cared. It felt good. I grew as a person at Suffield and established relationships with adults that were meaningful. My advisor, Vince Durnan, instantly ‘got me,’ and I also connected with Charlie Cahn on the lacrosse field, the Riegels in the dorm, and Rex Brodie in the art studio.”

Jesse thrived at Suffield, and when it came time to move on, he matriculated at Beliot College in Wisconsin. True to his independent nature, Jesse picked a school that only one Suffield graduate had attended before him and is little known on the East Coast. Jesse commented, “Beliot had a great English department and offered me a significant scholarship. It was pretty rural though, so I spent many weekends in Madison and Chicago.” In writing this article, I learned that Beloit is one of only 40 schools featured in Colleges that Change Lives by Loren Pope. Pope writes, “If product research had ever been done in higher education...Beloit, and a few others like it in this book, would be at the top. Since record-keeping was started in 1920, Beloit has consistently been one of the fifty colleges producing the highest percentage of the nation’s future scientists and scholars. That also applies to achievers and contributors to society.”

Jesse’s current trajectory as a photographer is a testament to Pope’s words. Complex Magazine recently recognized Jesse as “one of America’s most talented music photographers.” It continued, “Jesse Lirola shoots mostly in black and white and at music festivals. His work specializes in being sharp, candid, and dramatic. Off-stage, he expertly captures intimate moments between bands and artists. It’s no surprise that his portfolio also contains a ton of stunning portraits of musicians when they’re not performing, too.”

Jesse graduated from Beloit with a double major in creative writing and literary studies. While there, he became acquainted with Dr. Evermor, a local artist widely known for his scrap metal sculptures and the creation of Forevertron, the largest scrap metal sculpture in the world. Through one of his professors, Jesse was allowed to receive art and writing credit to document the artist’s work. He planned to begin his career as a writer with a book on Dr. Evermor’s life and work after graduation. However, Dr. Evermor’s untimely death changed Jesse’s plans and his career trajectory.

Jesse moved to Chicago to work with some friends who all were involved with the video aspect of photography. Jesse had always been interested in music but did not want to write about it, as he disliked the role of critic. After a trip to Spain, where Jesse had an epiphany of sorts, he returned home to focus on photography. Both of Jesse’s parents are photographers, and they were very supportive and helpful with his decision.

Jesse comments, “Photography satisfies my artistic drive, but there is a technical side that fascinates me as well. I also like that it gives me a reason to be in places and situations that interest me. In thinking about my time at Suffield, I realize that I apply much of what I learned in my two years there to my work today. It’s inevitable that I run into some very well known people while taking pictures at a concert, Manchester United event, or Fashion Week in New York. I learned at Suffield that people are just people. I developed a confidence that enables me to talk to anyone. I also learned how to write, work like hell, and not stop until the job is done.”

Jesse acknowledges that breaking into the world of photography in music, sports, or fashion has been very difficult, but that it has gotten better every year. He has photographed Fashion Week for the Billy Farrell Agency for the last five years and is a well-established music photographer. This past summer Jesse added a new dimension to his portfolio when he accepted a job photographing the English Premiere League’s most well-know team, Manchester United, on their off-season tour of South Africa and China. He was hired by Aeon, who sponsors Manchester United and has its creative office in Chicago.

Jesse is one example of the talented artists Suffield Academy is known to produce. I, for one, will keep a sharp eye on his burgeoning career.

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ALUMNI SPORTS DAY

Suffield’s boys’ soccer team prepared for the 2012 season with an exciting trip to Jamaica. Twenty-four players and four coaches—led by Head Coach Ricky Warren—took part in this trip from August 26 to September 1. Coach Warren is a Jamaican native and was very pleased to bring the team to Kingston. Several current and past Suffield parents helped organize the trip and support the team with meals and lodging. They had memorable meals at the homes of Anita and Chris Bicknell P’13, ’15, ’16, Coco and Steven Hudson P’13, and Janette Stewart GP’13. The players stayed at the Pegasus Hotel, which was organized by Jackie and Kevin Hendrickson P’12 and Butch and Shelley Hendrickson P’08, ’15.

In addition to several practices, the team competed against Norman Manley High School, Barbican FC, and St. George’s, the top club team on the island. They also had the good fortune to spend time with Jamaican resident Kimani Robinson ’92, who reflected in detail on his days as a Suffield student-athlete. In addition to these scrimmages and several practices, the team had a chance to see some terrific sites, including the famous Devon House (constructed in 1881) and Olympic Champion Usain Bolt’s restaurant Tracks & Records. It was a successful and memorable experience for these Suffield athletes.

Members of the Norman Manley High School and Suffield Academy soccer teams in Kingston, Jamaica. Suffield Academy soccer players enjoying the sites in Jamaica.

SUFFIELD SOCCER TRAVELS TO JAMAICA

WATER POLO top: Theresa Lamontagne ’04; bottom: Ciara Beaulieu ’12, Kristen LaPlante ’06, Jen Lamontagne ’04, Theresa Lamontagne ’04, Michael Pohorylo ’00, Charlie Green ’11, Brian Swider ’93; on deck: Andy Lowe, Charlie Cahn, Dennis Kinne ’89, Gerry LaPlante, Greg Lynch. SOCCER front row: Michael Wallace ’92, Justin Pepoli, Patrick O’Brien ’12, Michael Mackey ’83, Mallorie Nai ’08; back row: Raj Ghosh P’15, Solomon Seck, Eddy Akel ’75, Joe Ford ’89, Will Cooley ’08, John Corallo ’85, Charlie Cahn. CROSS-COUNTRY Members of the cross-country teams with alumni.

Class Notes...


1939ERNEST BALLNow age 92, living alone, but still active socially. Still enjoy walks on the beach. I have nothing but wonderful memories of my year at Suffield!

1941JUNE MONTGOMERY PARKERI am doing great! I lost my husband about a year ago, but I am so glad to be all settled here at Trezevant Place in Memphis. It is a wonderful place, and I am on the Trezevant Board so I give to it whenever I have a funeral of a friend. I will be 90 on my next birthday. I have five children, 14 grandchildren, and four great grands! I play golf, swim laps in the pool each day, and ride my bicycle five miles a day. Life is good!

1946CL ASS AGEN TSandy MacNabb | [email protected]

SANDY MACNABBAll is well. My son-in-law Jimmy is heavily involved in the Broadway production of Animal House. Animal House: The Musical will be directed by Casey Nicholaw (Book of Mormon), with music by the Barenaked Ladies, and book & lyrics by Michael Mitnick. Coming to Broadway in the near future. My daughter Helen, who is the vice president of Special Olympics International, was joined by my grandson Alexander in South Africa for the Unity Cup. Helen was in charge of the event that was held in Cape Town this past July.

1949CL ASS AGEN TBob Harrison | [email protected]

HENRY BAHREI am celebrating 50 years of being a real estate broker, and I am the owner of Henry J. Bahre Real Estate.

EDMUND SKELLINGSI retired from Florida Institute of Technology in April 2011. My archives can by found on Google.

1953PHILIP KABACHNICKI will never forget the beginning of my senior year at Suffield. It was September 1952 and the beginning of Ap Seaverns’ reign as headmaster. At that point Suffield was made up of two front buildings, one of which had the headmasters’ office and dining room. The second building consisted of classrooms and sleeping quarters. There was a very high flagpole in front of the first building. The flag got tangled up and wouldn’t move up or down. My roommate Janvier Medina shimmied up the pole and untangled the flag. Needless to say, Ap was not pleased. As a matter of fact, he was quite upset. The lunch crowd waiting to go into the dining hall was amazed and quite excited. That was a great welcome to Suffield for our new headmaster!

REMEMBRANCES: BILL KOTCHEN CLASS OF 1960

It has been 10 years since Bill died at age 60. Bill was president of the Suffield Board of Trustees from 1994 until his death on the Thanksgiving weekend of 2002. I had not met Bill until I joined the Suffield board in 1993. What was extraordinary about our friendship was we shared the same experiences at Suffield, albeit eight years apart, and our passion for rebuilding Suffield. When David Holmes, Class of 1960, became headmaster in 1992, Suffield started its textbook turn-around. Bill, as president of the Board of Trustees, and David, as headmaster, were Suffield’s “dynamic duo.” David’s and Bill’s skill sets complemented each other’s for the daunting task at hand.

David, Bill, and I discussed all the time how Ap Seaverns rebuilt the school in the 50s. Suffield had fallen behind its competition in the 1980s, but the core strengths of Suffield remained intact because so many of the teachers we had were still at Suffield. They were the repository of Suffield’s values. Competitive positioning theory is as applicable to a boarding school as it is to any company in any industry. Educated risks were taken and the parochial culture of the school was changed for the better.

So much of the strength of Suffield today is due to the leadership and the incremental decisions that Bill and David recommended and successfully implemented from 1994-2002. Charlie Cahn and Dan Tisch are taking the school far beyond a place I ever imagined, and I know that Bill would be very proud of their accomplishments.

On this Thanksgiving 2012, I just wanted to say thank you, Bill, for being my friend and for what your leadership accomplished at Suffield. I miss you.

Louis Hornick IIClass of 1968

Fall 2012 | 57

1955CL ASS AGEN TSAl Gesler | [email protected] King | [email protected]

PAUL TEICHWe are very proud of our grandchildren, former students Andrew ’06 and Brendan Teich ’10, as well as current student Jennifer ’15. Suffield Academy has prepared them well for college and, most importantly, life.

1956CL ASS AGEN TBob Houghton | [email protected]

BOB HOUGHTONMy “high school sweetheart” Marcia Potter and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary on September 30th. We had a family dinner at Ponte Vedra Lodge and will take a cruise after hurricane season.

1957CL ASS AGEN TRalph Jennings | [email protected]

DAVID SZYMANSKII am still practicing dentistry and maintain 72 acres of land for deer and wild turkey hunting in Winchester, Connecticut. I mow 15 acres with a Ford four-wheel drive diesel tractor with a 60-inch mower.

1960CL ASS AGEN TSDavid Holmes | [email protected] Walden | [email protected]

DAVE CUMMINGSI will never forget the fall season at Suffield and being on the “work crew” led by my favorite teacher “Wasky.” Who would have thought it could be so much fun to rake leaves?

1961CL ASS AGEN TSDavid Isaacson | [email protected] Kargman | [email protected] Menzies | [email protected]

THOMAS WESTI am pleased that at a time when many of our age group are in retirement, my work (and personal mission) still seems to be gaining interest in various parts of the world.

1962CL ASS AGEN TSPaul Connor | [email protected] Spector | [email protected]

DICK JONES It was good to revisit the Academy for reunion weekend and see many of my classmates 50 years after we graduated. Although I was impressed with how much the physical plant has been improved, my best memories of the weekend will be the friendliness of the

faculty, students, and staff I met. It surely is the people that make the Academy such a great place.

KEN KIRKI’m still working on cleaning up our nation’s waters and having fun. I enjoy Santa Fe where we have what will someday be a “retirement” home. I see Con O’Leary and David Holdrige quite a bit!

TIM MADISON I’m in my 20th year as a certified financial planner. Again this year, I was voted as one of the top 4% of financial advisors in the metropolitan Atlanta area. In my time off, I enjoy three children and 18 grandchildren and do some traveling.

GARRY MEADEI live on the north fork of Long Island. I have retired from 33 years of law enforcement services with the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation. I also retired from the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. I am currently enjoying retirement as a freelance media sports photographer and fishing light tackle for striped bass on the flats of eastern Long Island.

ANDY SPECTORReunion weekend was terrific! The Suffield staff and faculty did a fantastic job, and I was sad to leave on Sunday. I had not seen two of the fellows who were in attendance since we graduated. We all promise to come back for the 55th.

1964CL ASS AGEN TTom Webster | [email protected]

PETER ARANGOI am enjoying my 43rd year of teaching in independent schools and am very happily ensconced at Cate School, where I hold the Littlefield Chair in Humanities. Who knew I would be paid to read, talk, and enjoy the company of extraordinary kids from every corner of the globe? I’m just back from a blissful summer in Bellingham, Washington, where

Greg Putnam’s ’69 granddaughter Sophia


I enjoyed a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities in the study of Native American Literature at Western Washington University.

Western Washington is one of the under-appreciated colleges and universities I profile in America’s Best Kept College Secrets: An Affectionate Portrait of Outstanding Colleges and Universities, newly updated and revised. Six weeks in Bellingham and at Western Washington only reinforced my conviction that exceptional opportunities abound outside the small circle of commonly considered college options.

Two of my novels remain somewhat viable. The Christmas Quilt is an oddity—a novel that came to me in in its entirety, and Memory’s Door, set in a boarding school, includes this acknowledgment: “I am grateful to Alan Fuller, Mason Nye, and Paul Sanderson—true schoolmen who gave an ungainly boy a second and third chance at Suffield Academy.”

PETER SYMASKOI visited Ahmad Tijan Sallah in Senegal recently on my way across Africa. He says hello to all from his hammock slung between two palm trees in Casamance. He’s enjoying the life of a retired diplomat.

1965CL ASS AGEN TSTim Hemingway | [email protected] Kelly | [email protected]

TIM HEMINGWAYIt has now been four years since I “retired” from what I had been doing for decades. This year I was able to once again visit with Larry Hyde in New Mexico, and we did some hiking out West in the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley. His golf game is still a work in progress. I just returned from a wonderful trip to the Amalfi Coast in Italy with all my siblings and my wife’s siblings; what a beautiful part of the world. I am still active with the local Boys & Girls Club, and I serve on the board of our municipal utility. I try to get out and visit with other members of the Class of 1965.

RAY KOLSTADI recently sold my income tax business so I am now totally retired. I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family.

1968CLASS AGENTSBrian Hersey | [email protected] Morris | [email protected]

DINO DEANThe Dean Family is growing. We have two beautiful grandsons, born in December and August. Our son’s family resides in New London, CT, and our daughter is in Madison, WI. I am working as an artist and photographer, while my lovely wife continues her audiology practice in Worcester, MA. Next May we will celebrate our 40th anniversary, (Marcia was my high school sweetheart). My interests include cooking, exercising, and sports. Last fall I had a lovely visit with Betsy and Ken Lindfors at their home in New Hampshire. I also reconnected with classmate Bob Morris, and we exchanged our books. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his autobiography. This summer my family attended the Red Sox game with Harry Melendez III ’07 and crew. We enjoyed meeting Amy Groszyk ’99. While the Sox played poorly (as they did most of the season), the game was fun and it’s always a treat. Harry is a wonderful organizer and Suffield rep. Please feel free to visit my website at http://exploreanddiscover.com

BRIAN HERSEYIt has been a year of two noteworthy events. First, I lost my wife of 38 years, Regina, in January to colon cancer. Second, watching our daughter, Kathleen, make her second consecutive Olympic swim team in July. Kathleen then became the American record holder and finished 4th in the 200 Butterfly in London. She is completing her senior year at the University of Texas-Austin. I continue to enjoy an active retirement life in upstate SC.

DON S. COHNI still reside in North Miami Beach, Florida, with my wonderful wife Beth and our dog D.J. I am also finishing my first term as a county court judge and was re-elected for another six-year term in August of this year in a contested election.

1971CLASS AGENTSPierre Genvert| [email protected] Letendre | [email protected] Rebert | [email protected]

BRIAN MORRISI just started a new job at a division of CBS called EcoMedia. I’ll be in charge of their brand strategy and business development. I will be doing a good deal of traveling, including lots of time in NYC. I would love to reconnect with my East Coast Suffield friends. Email me at [email protected].

Mike Viniconis ’75 and Paul Hugo ’76 Mary and Peter Arango ’64 in California

Fall 2012 | 59

1972CLASS AGENTSChip Spear | [email protected] Therriault | [email protected]

RON RIVARDThis was my first Reunion. It brought back many good memories of my time at Suffield; it shaped my life, to some degree, and I am very grateful for this. I saw a few of my classmates and I had a great time. It was good to see you all and I wish the best to you. Go, Suffield. What a beautiful campus. Thanks to all of my classmates who have been so generous to Suffield. See you next time.

1974CLASS AGENTSBlair Childs | [email protected] Hancock | [email protected] Leonard | [email protected]

DWIGHT CAMPBELLMy last three films were Hidden Worlds, a 3D Nat Geo Imax film, Coffeetown, an independent, and Look to Love, another independent film heading to the festivals.

RICHARD ROMEOI was in Suffield on November 17 at Suffield High School. I was elected to Suffield’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

1975CLASS AGENTSCarey Fiertz | [email protected] Teed | [email protected]

CHANDLER HILLIt has been a busy year with a fair amount of business travel. Fortunately, I was able to make time to be an assistant coach for the JV lacrosse team at Bishop Ireton High School and also assist on my son’s AAU basketball team. In fact we are traveling down to Memphis, Tennessee to compete in the AAU National Basketball Tournament in a few weeks. By the time anyone reads this note it will have been completed, but whatever the result, I am sure the boys will have had fun competing on a national level. All the best to the Class of 1975.

1976CLASS AGENTSScott Craig | [email protected] Fischer Grubaugh | [email protected] Debevoise Renniel | [email protected]

JENNIFER CARTMELLI’m busy pulling down and putting up walls in my 200-year-old Cape and enjoying the vision of finished rooms! I am playing lots of tennis and gardening as well. I spent the summer weekends up on Squirrel Island. Please stop by if motoring or sailing through Boothbay Harbor next summer! I had lunch with Molly Debevoise Rennie recently in Portland—it was great to see her and catch up!

1977CLASS AGENTSEd Kaplan | [email protected] Tyler | [email protected]

SCOTT MCEWAN I am the proud papa of twin boys, John and James, born in June 2012.

1979CL ASS AGEN TSMatt Cartmell | [email protected] Dutcher | [email protected] Kennedy | [email protected] Stanley | [email protected]

MOHAMMAD GOODARZIAs times goes by, I realize how important the top quality education I received at Suffield Academy has been in shaping up my life. After graduating from SA in 1979, I earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Bucknell University. Without attending Suffield, it would have been very tough to get in and graduate from Bucknell. I am sure generations of Suffield alumni still cherish the blessing of having taken courses with Mr. Samii, Mr. Powell, and Mr. Rockwell, among many other blessings. I have been in Tehran since 1985. I have held several jobs ever since. I started with teaching English as a Second Language at the former Iran-America Society, and my last job was working as a translator and journalist for the Iranian English language newspaper Iran Daily for some 15 years. It has been very hard and miserable to live in Iran for all these years; however, in this time span I have done

Jennifer Cartmell ’76 and Molly Debevoise Rennie ’76 in Portland, ME Mark Palomba ’77, Joe Palomba ’80, Ed Palomba ’78, and Gerry LaPlante P’04, ’06


my best to stick to a mathematical orientation, no matter what, and pursue the humanitarian values I learned to follow as my motto in life at both Suffield and Bucknell.

SARA-JANE OLEKSAK GRIFFINI am still teaching at a Catholic school outside of Boston. I received my master’s in Education last year. I also am a cycling official at various cycling and cyclocross events in Massachusetts. My best to all the members of the Class of ’79.

KIM VARDAKAS CLIFTONStill living in Maryland. My youngest son graduates in June. Hurray!

1981CL ASS AGEN TSValisha Graves | [email protected] McCullagh | [email protected] Spitzler | [email protected] Welch Davee | [email protected]

ALISON WELCH DAVEEMy sons are growing up so quickly. Jake is now 17 and is beginning to think about college. Will is going to be in high school next year. Both are very active in organized sports all year with soccer, hockey, baseball, and lacrosse. In addition, since we live five miles from the Camden Snow Bowl, they both spend quite a lot of time on the slopes in the winter. Jake is planning on working for the Junior Ski Patrol this winter at Sugarloaf, and Will recently earned his USA Hockey Official’s certification, which now allows him to referee hockey games. This year marks my 20th year teaching French at Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, Maine, and my 26th year teaching high school students. Yikes! Time sure flies. I stay busy caring for my two horses and keeping them in shape for competitions. I would love to see any Suffield folks, so if you’re in the midcoast Maine area, let me know: [email protected]

1982CL ASS AGEN TSDavid Carangelo | [email protected] Cook | [email protected] Figueroa Hern | [email protected] Phillips | [email protected]

HELENE LANDERS TOOMEYI was sorry to miss our 30th Reunion, but it’s difficult to get back to Suffield from Los Angeles with kids still in school. I stay in touch with Margaret Figueroa Hern who informed me it was a fun weekend. Here in Los Angeles, I’ve connected with John Cook who kindly gave my children (Gray, 13 and Cypress, 11) a tour of the audio world of TV and movies at NBC-Universal. It was fascinating to realize all the steps involved in producing a finished product. It’s also nice to have Vinny DelNegro ’84 in Los Angeles, turning the Clippers into a threatening basketball team. He kindly gave my kids a behind-the-scenes look at how he works his magic in practice to build the chemistry and motivation to create a winning team. He’s changed our allegiance from the Lakers to the Clippers! Watch out for them this season! My son’s football teammate, classmate, and friend is my classmate Tor Peterson’s nephew. Further proof that those SA connections run deep, and the world is quite small! Speaking of classmates, Jorge Inchaurregui was a classmate with my husband, David Toomey, at Claremont McKenna College. We realized that when we connected at a SA Alumni event here in Los Angeles. Suffield Academy was such a life enriching experience for so many of us, we seem to pick up right where we left off when we reconnect. I caught up with Robbin Coates Banks ’81 when she was out here and visited my sister Tracy Landers ’79 who also lives here in Los Angeles. Laura Usifer Riccio lives on the West Coast and we try to stay in touch when we can. Wish I could get back to more Suffield events to see more old friends and their offspring now attending! Anyone passing through LA, I’d love to hear from you!

BILL MURDZAI have begun working at a new company—Biogen Idec—as a network engineer. Biogen Idec researches, manufacturers, and markets drugs that help people with multiple sclerosis. My son Andrew just got bumped up to the 8th grade—he loves learning.

MADELINE PHILLIPSI greatly enjoyed Reunion Weekend and the Class Agents Meeting. The campus remains beautiful, as always, and I am excited about the renovations to Holcomb Science, Brewster, and several other buildings. Headmaster Cahn spoke eloquently of the Academy’s history and

Andy Rarus ’79 represents Suffield while running a marathon on Cape Cod, with Joanna Penta and Lisa Rarus ’80

Alison Welch Davee ’81 with Jake and Will

Fall 2012 | 61

opportunity to remain competitive in the future. Yet, he underscored the commitment to balance change with tradition. I have been with Pfizer for five years. I spent the first three as a credit analyst supporting Pfizer Animal Health. Currently, I am responsible for the calculation and payment of Medicaid rebates for standard and supplemental state programs. In my free time, I am helping some friends start a kilt manufacturing entity in Memphis. Also, I volunteer for Smith College and a few local community organizations, including Memphis in May. Additionally, I thoroughly enjoy cycling, jazz music, and sporting events. Go, Celtics! If you are ever in Memphis, look me up!

1983CL ASS AGEN TSBob Churchill | [email protected] DiBuono-Riley | [email protected]

BETSY BURNHAMI remember Suffield when field hockey was played on real grass in kilts, with no goggles, and no mouth guards. Losing the ball in the hem of your skirt was not unusual! What a classic! My daughter, Millicent Valero (Millie), is attending Suffield this year. She’s a junior. She loves it! During Parents’ Weekend, I was able to catch up with Fred Powers, Charlie (a headmaster with a finger on the Suffield pulse!), Dave Godin, Bill Butcher, and Rocky! It’s as if time has stopped all these years. I’m a special education teacher at Cushing School in Scituate, Mass. I’ve just moved back to New England after living in sunny California for 22 years! I have an older daughter, Madeleine, who attends Massachusetts College of Art and Design. I’m looking forward to our 30th Reunion, guys!

ARTHUR SHETTLELiving in New York City with my wife Sheila, and our 4-year-old son, Piet. We recently spent two months in India with my wife’s employer, Doctors Without Borders. Piet loved every minute of it. He will be accompanying me to Germany this summer, where I will be directing a production of Brecht’s Threepenny Opera. The theater bug I got at Suffield is still going strong. Looking forward to our 30th Reunion.

1984CL ASS AGEN TSShelley Frazier Pelletier | [email protected] Fuller Rowley | [email protected] Paolini Schmidt | [email protected]

KERRIN FULLER ROWLEYMy husband Stod of 19 years and I have four kids: Kendall 18, Stod Jr. 16, Tucker 13, and Briggs 10. I cannot believe it; we are hot on the college pursuit for our daughter Kendall. They are going to start to fly from here. I have been back to SA and I am so impressed with all it offers and how great the students are. I’m still in real estate in Hingham, MA, and the South Shore of Boston—I love it! I hear from Dave Moore, Brinley Ford ’86, and Denise Choquette from time to time!

1985CL ASS AGEN TSAndy Glover | [email protected] Hashioka Lord | [email protected] Lee Schmid | [email protected]

JINNIE LEE SCHMIDI thought fondly of Suffield just last week. We had a few mornings here in Atlanta that not only “felt like fall” but reminded me of the beautiful fall season in New England, which has a “feel” all its own that is rarely replicated anywhere else I’ve lived. I’m happy to report

Kerrin Fuller Rowley ’84 and family at Vero Beach

Luis Zerpa ’85 at Rectory School

Madeline Phillips ’82


that I’ve signed on as a Class Agent so I’ll be getting in touch with many of my friends personally in that role. I’m looking forward to catching up! My work is in flux right now, since I resigned from my job with Emerson Consulting when my grandmother Beth Keiller (who many of you know raised me and sent me to Suffield with John Keiller ’29) had a crisis that I thought might be the end of her life. I manage her care and wanted to be available to her at that time. She’s made yet another amazing recovery, so now I’m thinking about what to do next. I will still do something in my field of learning/organizational development/performance improvement, but it remains to be seen whether I’ll go back to a “real job” or launch my own consultancy. For now, I’m doing some interesting contracting work and enjoying some down time, too. Happy fall and holidays to all until we speak in person!

STACEY ORBEN GLAZIERBusy year down here in DC getting ready for the election—our girls Grayson, 5, and Karsten, 2 1/2, are loving school. Keeping in touch with Cinnamon Williams Cowan and Kerri Meredith Grotto. Please call or email if any classmates are visiting DC—would love to hear from you!

LUIS ZERPAStarting my first year at The Rectory School in beautiful Pomfret, CT. This is a joyous and vibrant community with a long tradition of excellence and educating kids from all over the globe. My daughter Isabella joined the seventh grade and is having the time of her life. ¡Saludos a todos!

1986CL ASS AGEN TSSean Federowicz | [email protected] Ford Ehlers | [email protected] Hostetter Pandit | [email protected] Mosko | [email protected]

KRISTIN HOSTETTER PANDITRecently attended the wedding of classmate Dominique Smookler Estlund and Bjorn Estlund in Portland, Oregon. It was a blast!

NIKO MOSKOI have been appointed on the Board of Directors of St. Andrew’s School here in Nassau (the school I attended prior to Suffield), which is the top school here. I have also been appointed to the Bar Council of the Bahamas Bar Association for the third year running, and, finally, I have been awarded my first cap by the Bahamas Football Association for representing the Bahamas in soccer.

1988CL ASS AGEN TSKate Cleary | [email protected] Dorsey | [email protected] Buoniconti Fernandez | [email protected] Kiernan Flynn | [email protected]

AYA MURATAThis summer I had such a blast at our SA girlfriends get-away. Kirstin Muller (CA), Bess Lumpkin Celio (IL), Tracy Hays Kroll (SC), Cindy Fontana (GA) and I (living in MA) had an awesome trip to Carmel—the five days were spent wine tasting, site-seeing, eating, shopping, and just enjoying hanging out together. What a special testament to the enduring friendship (over 25 years), which began at Suffield. Otherwise, all is well in my household—I am wrapping up my eighth and final year as one of the deans (oversee 225 students and 35 faculty) and looking forward to pursuing some other line of work at Phillips Academy (I am in my 21st year at Andover). My boys just started a new school this year (fourth and sixth grades), so the fall has been one of transition. This August, Mike and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. Hope all is well with classmates near and far.

Kathleen and Lucy Ehlers, daughters of Brinley Ford Ehlers ’86

Karsten and Grayson Glazier, daughters of Stacey Orben Glazier ’85

Penry Price ’87, Scott Martin ’86, and George Getz ’87 at Camp Dudley

Fall 2012 | 63

1989CL ASS AGEN TTom Burton | [email protected] Michelle Motta Stewart | [email protected] Jed Nosal | [email protected] Scherer Hodgkins | [email protected]

OREN D. LEFF Still living in Shreveport, LA, on Barksdale Air Force Base. I leave in January 2013 for a six-plus month tour in Afghanistan. All is well with my family—Gloria and our two girls are preparing for my time away. We will be visiting Disney World soon—this should lessen the strain a bit. Hope all is well with everyone. Would love to hear from folks. Feel free to write me at [email protected]. Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season.

1990CL ASS AGEN TSKelli Chamberlain Tosone | [email protected] DaPuzzo | [email protected] Newman Vaughn | [email protected] Wilson Nixon | [email protected]

STEVE CANTERI am still in Fairfield, Connecticut with my wife Courtney and daughters Genevieve (5) and Fiona (3). I look forward to my next Suffield Academy visit. If you are in Fairfield, please stop by.

1993CL ASS AGEN TSAlexa Economou Rice | [email protected] Eisen | [email protected] Roginski-Strelec | [email protected] Zide | [email protected]

JAMIE HOFFACKERI have been living in San Francisco, CA, since moving out West after college. I am about to celebrate 10 years of marriage to a San Diego native I met in SF, and we now have two energetic young girls (ages two and four). I am currently working as a computer engineer at Google, designing next-gen imaging systems for Google Streetview, etc. I have been back to Suffield a few times in the last few years to visit my family and can’t believe how much things have changed! Hope everyone from ’93 is doing well. It’s been a few years since I have caught up with anyone from Suffield, but I still read the class notes. I don’t use Facebook (or Google+ really), but you can always drop me an email at [email protected].

CHRISTOPHER MOSKOHoping to be on campus next year for my 20th Reunion. How time flies, huh? I am still living in Nassau, Bahamas, and am in the family business. I have opened up my own company; building custom docks called Slipfinish. I have been married now for seven years and have three beautiful boys. My oldest son Brandon is going on six. Tristan, my middle son, just turned two, and we were just blessed with a third son, Mayson, on September 23, 2012. Samantha and I look forward to coming back to Suffield and seeing all the wonderful upgrades that Suffield has made since my graduation. I want to wish all my classmates of ’93 all the best and good wishes. I hope to see you all either at the reunion or here in the Bahamas. My door is always open. Suffield Academy has always had a place in my heart and my entire family. We want to say congratulations to the staff at Suffield, old and new, for an amazing job they have done restructuring the school and letting the world know how wonderful the school truly is. Lots of love from the Bahamas!

Aya Murata ’88, Cindy Fontana ’88, Tracy Hays Kroll ’88, Bess Lumpkin Celio ’88, Kirstin Muller ’88

Diya Peterson Wynn’s ’92 sons Micah and Noah at Suffield reunion

Megan Lawler ’97, Ali Al-Ghanim ’97 and Danielle Therriault ’97 at reunion watching classmate George Colli ’97, reporting on television for FoxCT

Elisabeth, Millicent, and Bryson Tillinghast ’95 with Hillary Rockwell Cahn ’88 and her children Harrison and Peyton


1995CL ASS AGEN TSDave Asinas | [email protected] Murphy | [email protected] Tillinghast | [email protected]

CLINT BAWCOMClint and his wife Taylor welcomed a baby boy, Bo Bawcom, on July 2. He joins his sister Emmy who turned two on July 30.

JORGE VARGASMy wife Tamara and I welcomed our first child, Aiden Joseph Vargas. He was born on April 18, weighing 8lbs, 10 ounces.

1998CLASS AGENTSMickey Allen | [email protected] Fletcher | [email protected] Hotchkiss | [email protected] Meghan Liljedahl | [email protected]

AMANDA ROMAN AL-MASRIAmanda and her husband Shareef had a baby boy named Sam on July 22. The three are living in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Shareef is stationed with the United States Air Force.

2001CL ASS AGEN TSPaige Diamond | [email protected] Dineen | [email protected] Hearn | [email protected] Hearn | [email protected] Jones | [email protected]

BEN POLLOCKI recently received my master’s degree in international economics and am working in China.

2002CL ASS AGEN TSSari Biddelman | [email protected] Alison Carey | [email protected] LaCroix | [email protected] Orr Ligay | [email protected] Hilary Golas Rouse | [email protected]

SARI BIDDELMANI am the learning specialist for a special education middle and high school in New York City, where I am still living. I stay in touch with lots of Suffield alums and had a blast at our 10th Reunion. It was so good to see everyone!

SUSAN KORTEIt was so great seeing everyone at the 10th Reunion and all of the wonderful changes Suffield has made since we graduated! I am still living in New York City and bought my apartment last February. I still work at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center as a research coordinator in the Department of Medicine with the Solid Tumor Head & Neck Medical Oncology group. One of my studies was recently published in Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology, and I have two more which are going to be published in the next few months in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (and a fourth which we are currently writing). I am planning on eventually going back to school for nursing. I just have to finish my prerequisites before I can apply. Needless to say, I am keeping very busy!

2003CL ASS AGEN TSLindsey Pell | [email protected] Lydia Pillsbury | [email protected] Lindsay Rousseau | [email protected] Eric Yale | [email protected]

KEVIN KUOVisiting Suffield was definitely the highlight of my 2012. For alumni, nothing is better than seeing that your alma mater keeps getting better and better. These are powerful memories; the Suffield experience is always one that I am proud to share with friends. I know I will be back to the campus again in the near future!

CLARK SHAWI married Jolien Lagezane on November 10, 2011; she works in NYC for Ralph Lauren. My sister Carrie ’05 graduated from NYU and ICE

Top row: Chris Sonberg ’12, Byron Bailey P’12 ’16, Lee Vardakas ’82, Stacy Nath-Vinick ‘81, John Killeen ’82; Bottom row: Rob Dahms ’83, Beth Bailey P’12, ’16, Alice Dahms P’83, GP’12, ’16, and Dan Bailey ’12

Hillary Rockwell Cahn ’88, Will Powers ’05, Brad Crescenzo ’05, Casey Shanley ’05, Matt Shifrin ’05, David Appleby ’05, and Charlie Cahn

Fall 2012 | 65

Culinary School and is now studying business at ICE to learn how to run her own restaurant.

2004CL ASS AGEN TSKate Braden | [email protected] McComb | [email protected] Naboicheck | [email protected] Rousseau | [email protected] Scully | [email protected] Will Taylor | [email protected]

KATE BRADENOn November 4, 2012, I will be completing the ING NYC Marathon for the second year in a row. I did it as a mentor through team-in-training again this year and helped 20 teammates achieve their fundraising goals for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I raised $3,000 in honor of my friend who is in remission for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It was a truly rewarding experience. I am also still working as a buyer for Macys.com in New York City. My sister, Ashley Krauss, just opened a bridal boutique in Darien, CT, called A Little Something White Bridal Couture, so all of you MA, CT, NY, and NJ brides should make sure to check it out! She does bridal gowns, bridesmaid, mother of the bride, flower girl, ring bearer, and graduation dresses. She has an incredible selection of designers, including Nickie Macfarlane who designed the junior bridesmaids dresses for the royal wedding, as well as Coren Moore who is a Darien native! www.alittlesomethingwhite.com. Hope everyone is doing well!

EVAN FAULKENBERRYEvan is very busy working as a mechanical engineer designer/consultant at Robert Derector Associates in NYC. He has just begun participating in a competitive swimming program and possibly water polo in the city. Perhaps some other Suffield alums will join him. He was co-captain of Suffield’s swim team.

JENA GREASERThe day after moving to our new home in Ketchum, Idaho (some of you may be more familiar with Sun Valley), I informed Ryan that after a delicious ice cream cone at the town square and listening to an hour of free bluegrass music by Dewey, Pickette & Howe, we were going on a hike up Proctor Mountain, which has a 7,798 foot elevation, and watch the sunset. We were both extremely tired from travelling 2,700 miles across the country in six days, but he was game for the adventure. The hike itself is only 40 minutes, since it goes straight up the mountainside. This hike is also very special because the first chairlift in the world was placed on this hill. It is not longer in operation but sure makes for an amazing site to see. We get to the top, take in the amazing view, realize how lucky we both are and what a powerful place we are in, and I read Ryan a letter and poem, asking him to marry me. Of course he said “Yes!” The ring is made of recycled gold and sustainably harvested organic coyol seed with the inscription inside reading “You are the best.” This has been Ryan’s special saying to me since the day we first met.

BOBBY LALLYIt was great being on campus this past weekend to watch football and see a lot of friendly faces. I didn’t realize that it was Reunion, so there were a lot more people around than I expected, but that made the visit all the more fun. Not to mention, all the great food. It was great catching up with James Daddario, too. If anyone is ever in Boston, drop me a line and I’ll tear myself away from studying for a little bit. It would be great to see some more people from the great Class of ’04!

Ethan Wood ’07

Peter Snedeker ’02 with son Isaac ringing Bell during Family Weekend

Kevin Kuo ’03, Charlie Cahn, and Li-Mei Su P’03


2005CL ASS AGEN TSRick Devlin | [email protected] Fisher | [email protected] Shaker | [email protected] Shanley | [email protected]

RICK DEVLIN I recently started a new job as an associate on the Public Equity team at Stanford Management Company. SMC manages Stanford’s $20 billion endowment. I hope to make it back to Suffield in the near future.

2006CL ASS AGEN TSAlison Leonard | [email protected] Litmer | [email protected] Mais | [email protected] McComb | [email protected] Petrone | [email protected] Stafford | [email protected]

JOHN MILLSI will be attending Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in August of this year.

CHRIS STAFFORDI am still working in vessel operations for Fairfield Chemical Carriers in Wilton, CT. This past summer I spent a few weeks in Seattle, WA, training aboard the USNS Mendonca for my annual training with the Navy Reserve, and received my promotion to LTJG upon completion. I also moved from Fairfield, CT, to Norwalk, CT. Recently had Sarah Brislin crash on my couch when she was in town visiting before going off to get her PhD at Florida State University; and I see Britt Rock often in NYC (cannot believe she is a teacher!). I also keep up with Melissa Carey, who moved to New Jersey to start a master’s program at Seton Hall University.

JEREMY ARNOLDI am working successfully as a consultant for Deloitte in Stamford and NYC. My best to the Class of 2006.

2007CL ASS AGEN TSMike DiPietro | [email protected] Greenberg | [email protected] Heydinger | [email protected] Huck | [email protected] Jones | [email protected] Harry Melendez | [email protected] Mis | [email protected] Osborne | [email protected] Rarus | [email protected] St. Pierre | [email protected] Rob Zammito | [email protected]

HANA GOSNEYI currently live in Portland, OR, and am enjoying life. I am in the process of looking at graduate schools in NYC and in San Francisco to study graphic design. I am interning at a non-profit called Port City Development. I work in a wood studio with mentally challenged adults, and we create whatever their creative minds come up with. We also build birdhouses, bat houses, and cutting boards and sell them at local stores. It is fun and I love giving back to the community. I am also going to be traveling to Asia to see my family in Singapore, and we will take a trip to Thailand and Italy for some great adventures. Hope all is well. Go, Tigers!

Katy Heydinger ’07 and Will Doar ’06 rafting the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho this summer

Jena Greaser ’04 and fiancé Ryan O’Hara in White Cloud Mountain Range

Annie Nao ’09, Ann Selvitelli, Hannah Chang ’09

Fall 2012 | 67

MATT JONESHi, Suffield! I just attended my 5th Reunion with my ’07 classmates, and it was beyond epic. I had an amazing time catching up friends and many of the other Suffield graduates. It was great to see the school thriving and in such high spirits. I am coming up on my first full year with Oracle and could not be happier. I am always very busy during the week and love working in such a big, fast-paced environment. I travel a lot on the weekends to visit college friends and to attend concerts and music festivals. I live in Boston; for any fellow alum in the area, give me a ring anytime. As always, I hope the Class of 2007 is great, and I look forward to seeing many of you in the upcoming months and at future Suffield reunions!

ERIK OSBORNEI am currently working at Bryant University in their Admission Office and living in Boston, where I regularly see fellow 2007 graduates Ben Rego, Emily Nissensohn and Isabelle Comstock. The past year has certainly been a wild ride! I returned from my year in Perugia, Italy, in May of last year. During my year there, I visited 15 countries in Europe and had the time of my life. I loved it so much that I am going back to visit friends over Thanksgiving! Over the summer, I was fortunate enough to return to SA and work with some other alums as a Summer Academy TA. Being there made me remember why I love Suffield so much; the community atmosphere is still great and campus is as beautiful as ever. Right now I am applying to international post-graduate service programs. Cross your fingers... hoping I get in to my first choice (in India!) and good luck to the rest of the Class of ’07 on figuring out the “real world” after graduation!

2008CL ASS AGEN TSBecca Bathrick | [email protected] Kirsten Chalke | [email protected] Drummond-Hay | [email protected] Kaplan | [email protected] Keyes | [email protected] Life | [email protected]

LINDSAY LIFEAfter graduating early from George Washington in December, I moved to San Francisco to work in technology public relations. I’m currently an account associate at an agency called LaunchSquad, working with startups like American Giant, Hello Music, Okta and EVault. I’ve run into Alex Mendelsohn ’07 and Allie Thrall ’07 in the city and Kaela Keyes came out and visit me earlier this year. The “West Coast, best coast” mentality certainly is contagious, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see more Suffield alums out here soon.

2010CL ASS AGEN TSJustine de Chazal | [email protected] Gonzalez | [email protected] Tommy Leonard | [email protected] Palomba | [email protected] Traber | [email protected]

MICHELLE AUTUORII spent my summer in London, taking classes at the London School of Economics with Tyler Arnold and Evan Ciecimirski. It was an amazing experience, and I was able to go to a couple of the Olympic events, including the U.S. vs. Japan women’s soccer final. Right now, I am back in Boston and having a great semester at Northeastern. I just accepted my second co-op to work in the Tax Finance/Global Banking department at Merrill Lynch. I will be leaving Kim Autuori ’06 in Boston to join Pam Autuori ’08 in NYC this January. Hope all is well at Suffield! I hope to visit soon.

ALYSSA PALOMBAHi, everyone, Middlebury has been great! I just switched my major from physics to political science. I am still playing on the Middlebury lacrosse

Mike Buddness ’11, Emily Jensen ’09, Amber Rodgers ’09, Frankie Walsh ’09 and Kyle Vigneault ’09

Ginny McDermott ’10, Melanie Watson ’10 and Alyssa Palomba ’10 abroad together

Justine de Chazal ’11 Kitty de Chazal P’11, Peyton Cahn, Harrison Cahn, Hillary Rockwell Cahn ’88, Charlie Cahn, and Guy de Chazal P’11, Trustee


team, and I get to play Melanie Watson, and Kate Pistel ’09 every year, and hopefully Mary Mitchell in the tournament next spring. This semester I am studying abroad at Goldsmiths, University of London. Many of my former Suffield classmates are studying abroad as well. I was able to see Melanie Watson, Taylor Walston, and Ginny McDermott in Germany at Oktoberfest. Hopefully I will be seeing Pooja Kothari while visiting Spain. My brother Joey ’11 is at BC and loves it. He has recently gotten my dad Joe ’80 into cycling, and they have gone on a few bike rides with Mr. LaPlante. I miss everyone at Suffield and have been thinking about Suffield a lot lately. I hope all is well!

BRIDGET WALSHI will be heading to Santiago, Chile, to study abroad during the spring of 2013. So excited!

TYLER ARNOLDI am thriving at Northeastern. I look forward to catching up with some of my classmates in the near future.

2011CL ASS AGEN TSEmily Aiken | [email protected] Begley | [email protected] Derby | [email protected] Descartes | [email protected] Dowd | [email protected] Hegbom | [email protected] McDonald | [email protected] Palomba | [email protected] Park | [email protected] Settle | [email protected] Taylor | [email protected]

JUSTIN ROBINSON-HOWEAfter redshirting my freshman year, I am now seeing playing time

as a linebacker for Bryant University. School is definitely tougher than freshman year, but I am managing my time and doing well in the classroom. I hope all is well back at the Academy and hope to visit soon.

TREVOR NIEMANNAll is well and I am enjoying playing football at Penn!

2012CL ASS AGEN TSReed Barbe | [email protected] Battle | [email protected] Dowd | [email protected] Evangelakos | [email protected] Everett | [email protected] Galant | [email protected] David Huang | [email protected] Jett | [email protected] Kaplan | [email protected] Leonard | [email protected] McDonald | [email protected] Porter | [email protected] Smith | [email protected]

IZZY MCDONALDI am missing the beautiful fall in Suffield a lot and remembering sitting on Bell Hill and smelling the fall air outside with my friends. But, I am enjoying another beautiful New England campus, just a little more north. It is so nice to see some smiling Suffield faces around Bates. From what I have heard, all of my classmates are enjoying their new adventures at different colleges but most definitely still feeling the loss of our classmate Parker Regan. Suffield provided us with such a close knit family that we will always be able to return to. I can’t wait to come visit!

Billy Regan ’12 and sister, Alex, at Mt. Kilimanjaro Izzy McDonald ‘12 and Billy Regan ‘12 together at Bates College orientation

SUBMIT CLASS NOTES FOR THE WINTER EDITION OF SUFFIELD Send your class notes and photographs to Harry Melendez III ’07, Development Associate

E-mail: [email protected] -OR- Mail to: Harry Melendez, 185 North Main Street, Suffield, CT 06078

The deadline for winter submissions is March 1, 2013.

Note: If submitting digitally through e-mail, please send a high-quality JPEG file (preferrably 1MB or larger to [email protected]).

If submitting prints through the mail, please send a photo-lab quality print.

Fall 2012 | 69

To AMANDA ROMAN AL-MASRI ’98 and SHAREEF AL-MASRI ’98, a son Sam Al-Masri, July 22, 2012

To CLINT BAWCOM ’95, a son, Bo Bawcom, July 2, 2012

To JARED CARILLO ’00, and wife Morgen, a daughter, Catherine Reimer Carillo, August 1, 2012

To PALMER DEPETRO ’01, and wife Diana, a daughter, Reagan DePetro, May 23, 2012

To KARLY DAVID GRIFFIN ’01 and husband Sean, a daughter, Stella Grace Griffin, October 31, 2012

To LISA DEEDY HORAN ’03 and husband Eric, a daughter, Audriana Rose Horan, August 22, 2012

To LEO MARIANI ’93 and wife Angie, a son, Max Rocco Mariani, July 28, 2012

To SCOTT MCEWAN ’77, twin sons, John and James McEwan, June 2012

To CHRIS MOSKO ’93, a son, Mayson Mosko, September 23, 2012

To LEIGH MURPHY ’95, a daughter, Miriam Roisin Murphy, May 28, 2012

To CHRIS SAVEN ’94 and SARA KNAPPS SAVEN ’96, a son, William Richard Saven, Semptember 14, 2012

To KATHARINE SCHELLING SLOCUM ’98, a son, Kai Hudson Slocum, February 18, 2012

To MEGAN POHORYLO TUCKER ’97, a son, Colin Brian Tucker, October 18, 2012

To JORGE VARGAS ’95 and wife Tamara, a son, Aiden Joseph Vargas, April 18, 2012

birthsDianne Mariani Burke ’91, twins Anthony and Nicky Burke

Diya Peterson Wynn ’92, son NoahHowie Leung ’01 and wife Colleen, daughter Kailyn Elizabeth

Bryson Tillinghast ’95, daughter Millicent Reed

KATIE FLATH ’00 to Matthew Carr PAYAL JHAWAR ’00 to Nishan Shah MATT DOW-ALLEN ’02 to Pamela Adams

MATT WEAVER ’03 to Kristen Budney HARRY MELENDEZ ’07 to Kimberly VelezERICA SIVER ’08 to Alexander Taupier

engagements

weddings

Chris Diamond ’07, Alex Mendelsohn ’07, Robert Zammito ’07, Pat Donohue ’07, Michael DiPietro ’07, Steve Marangos ’07 at Pat Donohue’s wedding

Shaun Pandit, Joey Pandit, Kristin Hostetter Pandit ’86, Bjorn Estlund, Charlie Pandit, Dominique Smookler Estlund ’86, and Scout Roberts

Erin Leech ’04 and Richard Simon Dan Beaudette ’98 and Carissa Meyer

Gregory Shultz ’03 and Christine Ryan

Tobye Cook ’88 and Solomon Seck

Geoffrey Rockwell ’82 and Christine Zufferey Hilary Golas ’02 and Dave Rouse

DAN BEAUDETTE ’98 to Carissa Meyer on June 23, 2012TOBYE COOK ’88 to Solomon Seck on August 26, 2012 DEBORAH DYER ’77 to Ken Leroux on April 7, 2011HILARY GOLAS ’02 to Dave Rouse on November 3, 2012JORDY HART ’03 to Bella Feldman on June 23, 2012 JACKIE BARRIEAU ’06 to Drew Iacovazzi on August 11, 2012ERIN LEECH ’04 to Richard Simon on June 2, 2012

LINDSEY LEECH ’06 to Frederick Gerber IV on November 3, 2012JAMES OBERG ’05 to Laura Siever on August 18, 2012 GEOFFREY ROCKWELL ’82 to Christine Zufferey on July 9, 2012 CLARK SHAW ’03 to Jolien Lagezane on November 10th, 2011GREG SCHULTZ ’03 to Christine Ryan on September 22, 2012JASON WEISS ’01 to Andrea Norton on April 14, 2012

Fall 2012 | 71

VIVAN E. MITCHELL ’48 passed away on July 12, 2012 ELLERY A. FRARY ’49 passed away on August 27, 2012 EUGENE F. ANTONUCCI ’53 passed away on October 9, 2012CONRAD N. BOYER ’54 passed away on April 21, 2012FRANK HEERY ’62 passed away on September 23, 2012

CLYDE YOUNG VENDERBROUK ’65 passed away on October 26, 2012 GEOFFREY L. CALLAHAN ’68 passed away on September 2, 2012 WILLIAM W. ELLSWORTH ’79 passed away on October 9, 2012 HYEON-SEOK (HARRY) YOU ’07 passed away in September, 2012

in memoriam

Andrew Pape ’84 passed away on November 7, 2012. He was the husband of Chrissie Pattillo Pape ’84, and they met while students at Suffield Academy. Two of their daughters—Caroline and Annabelle—are in Suffield’s Class of 2016.

Andrew grew up in Middlebury, Connecticut, and was a graduate of Tulane University. He was vice-president and assistant treasurer of American-Republican, Incorporated and was director of operations of the newspaper and its subsidiaries. He was also general manager of the StepSaver publications. Andrew was a governor of the Madison Beach Club and a past commodore of the club. As commodore, he was responsible for preparing the boats and docks of the club for Hurricane Irene and for the recovery afterward. He was a former officer of the Mattatuck Museum and a director of the former Waterbury Club. He was also active with the Anderson Boys Club. He was a life member of the National Rifle Association. Andrew loved sailing and working with Chrissie on caring for, furnishing, and decorating their home. In addition to Annabelle and Caroline, Andrew is survived by daughter Alexandra and son Jamieson.

Parker Regan ’12 passed away on August 3, 2012, in a vehicular accident while vacationing in Montana. An avid outdoorsman, Parker was an honors student and varsity athlete, helping lead the golf and squash teams. Parker spent three years at Suffield after graduating from Rumsey Hall School. He was to begin his freshman year at Gettysburg College in the fall. Headmaster Charlie Cahn commented, “Parker was a wonderful young man. He was talented, thoughtful, and very engaging, and everyone at Suffield loved him. He was a major success story here.”

David Rockwell ’58, Parker’s advisor at Suffield, praised his work ethic in the classroom and on the playing field, noting that “he knew what he needed to do, and he did it.” While Parker’s life ended prematurely, he was at one of his brightest moments, having enjoyed a wealth of rich experiences and accomplishments. He loved fly-fishing, scuba diving and above all, spending time with his family.The pond by Suffield’s Courtney Robinson ’88 Outdoor Leadership Center will be named for Parker following the 2013 Suffield Commencement.


START OFF THE NEW YEAR WITH FRESH

SUFFIELD GEAR

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CUSTOM Suffield Academy

BLAZERSFOR SALE

Suffield Academy185 North Main StreetSuffield, CT 06078

Thank you for making our community better 2011-12 Annual Report

suffield academy fall 2012alumni magazine

Documents

new yorksamuel

new yorkguy

p02 new york

editorial staff charlie

james fuller p05

contributors lee baldwin

thomas foote

trustee emeritus longmeadow