Winter 2007 - Williams School, The

Ambassador
The Magazine for The Williams School Alumni, Parents, and Friends
Winter 2007–08
Reading, Writing & Renovation
Taking It to the Next Level, pg 8
Harry Potter & The Paradoxical Alumna, pg 12
Paths to Success, pg 16
Alumni Authors, pg 18
NYC, Boston, Soccer & Arts Reunions pg 21
Reading, Writing,
and Renovation
Ambassador
6
The Blueprint
Excerpts from Award-winning Newspaper
Board of Trustees
Steven G. Daren, President
K. George Mooney, Vice President
Moira Cowell Daniells ’73, Secretary
Thomas Wing, Treasurer
Marc Bokoff ’83
Louis Camerota
Brian Carey
Holly Hayes Cheeseman ’72
David Cook
Jill Corr
Christopher Cox
Gary Dayharsh
Susan Duncan
Norman Fainstein
Scott Gibson
Felix Kloman
Kathleen Maher
Ellen H. McGuire
Carol Patterson
Amy L. Perry
Edward Potter
Charlotte L. Rea
Mary Ellen Roberts
Tammey Rooney
Jane Scheide Schellens ’76
8
Taking It to the Next Level
Strategic Plan 2007–10
Winter 2007–08
The Ambassador is published for alumni,
parents, and friends of The Williams School.
Questions about the Ambassador? Please
contact The Williams School
182 Mohegan Avenue, New London, CT 06320
Main Phone: 860-443-5333
Website: www.williamsschool.org
E-mail: [email protected]
School Administration
Charlotte L. Rea, Head of School
Mark Fader, Assistant Head of School
Gayle A. Holt, Director of Admission, Interim
Middle School Coordinator
Meghan Ryan, Director of College Counseling
Ellen G. Spring, Director of Development
Kathy Trammell, Business Manager
Development Office
Laura Evans, Director of Major Gifts and
Annual Giving
Timothy D. Reitz, Director of Communication
Barbara Schmidt, Associate Director of
Alumni Relations and Data Management
Sheila Wheeler, Alumni Associate
12
Harry Potter & the Paradoxical Alumna
Profile of Janet Johl Weissman ’58
16
Paths to Success
Alumni Share Career Advice
18
Alumni Authors
Dreams Come True in Print
21
Alumni Arts & Athletics
22
Boston Reunion Scrapbook
Catching up with Beantown Alumni
24
New York City Reconnect
Multi-class Reunion in NYC
On the cover: Trustees and Campaign Co-chairs Marc Bokoff ’83
and Brian Carey review plans for the exciting new Student Center,
the centerpiece of Embracing Excellence: The Campaign for
Williams which officially launches in February 2008.
Departments
2
Window on Williams—School News Briefs
19
Alumni News Briefs
26
In Memoriam
26
Class Notes
Message from the Head
As our means of communication
become ever faster, I thought
it prudent timing to focus on
careful, thoughtful Reading and
Writing—two parts of the classic
triumvirate of educational goals—as
my themes for this school year. While
Williams certainly does not give
short shrift to the ’Rithmetic portion
of the age-old “3 R’s” equation, I
have altered the formula for this
Ambassador to express another
timeless aspect of school. Reading,
Writing and Renovation reflect
important facets of the Williams
experience that have been in place
Charlotte L. Rea, Head of School
since the School’s founding in 1891.
Harriet Peck Williams believed not
only in a classical education, but also in
recognizing the intellectual capacity of
young women by emphasizing math and
science instruction at a time when such
progressive thinking was hardly in vogue.
Her vision has seen the School through
117 years, two campuses, and myriad
refinements to both the programs and
the facilities that support them. While
always staying grounded in our classical
education, the School does not stand still.
It evolves at a healthy pace, renovating
and adapting to the realities of the rapidly
changing world outside.
While always
staying grounded
in our classical
education, the
School does not
stand still.
It evolves at a
healthy pace,
renovating and
adapting to the
realities of the
rapidly changing
world outside.
Reading these pages, you will see that
Williams can be proud of its people,
from our lauded student writers to our
accomplished, engaged alumni. As Marc
Bokoff ’83 noted at Parents Night this past
fall, we also can be proud of how far we’ve come as a school.
He recalled the excitement associated with the building of
the Bulkeley Gymnasium in the early 1980s and marveled at
the renovations since then. He highlighted the addition of
home team turf at our Athletic Complex five years ago and
now the rows of exercise equipment
in the gleaming Dayharsh Fitness
Center as some of the advances in
the athletics arena alone. Classroom
and arts spaces also have been
renovated or expanded throughout
the decades so that today’s science
wing is jokingly referred to as the
“New New New Wing” when we give
alumni tours of the school.
Campus changes march hand-inhand with other enhancements
of the core curriculum, such
as additions to the canon of
literature taught in English class or
introduction of the latest research
findings in science class (Pluto not a
planet? Now we know better.) Williams’
Board of Trustees looks to the Mission
to sort through the dizzying array of
what is new to identify what is right and
best for the School. The results of their
thinking are crystallized in the Strategic
Plan and brought to fruition in part
through the annual Fund for Williams
and Comprehensive Campaign.
Williams is emerging from a phenomenal
leadership phase of the current
comprehensive fundraising effort,
with exciting news to be announced in
February. Trustees asked: What are the
attributes of a first-class independent
school? Through the soon-to-be-launched
Embracing Excellence: The Campaign
for Williams, the community answers
this question by eschewing mediocrity
and advancing the School’s positive momentum to prepare
students for college, a lifetime of learning and active
participation in a changing society.
w ind ow on w il liams
Ambassador Winter 2007–08
Head of School News
The Williams School
2
Mark Fader Selected
Successor to Head of School
The Williams School Board of
Trustees voted unanimously to
install Mark Fader as Head of
School upon the retirement of
current Head of School Charlotte
L. Rea at the end of this school
year. Currently Assistant Head of
School, Mark Fader will become
the tenth Head in the school’s 117
year history. Board President Steven
Daren cheered, “I am pleased to
announce that Mark Fader, who
has been an administrator, teacher,
and coach at Williams for four
years, has accepted the position
of Head of School, beginning on
July 1, 2008.” Mr. Fader was the
Dean of Students at Providence
Day School in Charlotte, NC,
as well as teacher of History,
a scheduling coordinator, and
Varsity Lacrosse coach. A graduate
of Hampden Sydney College,
where he majored in History and
French, Mr. Fader also holds a
Master of Arts in Education from
the College of William and Mary.
A vice president of the CT River
Student News
Lacrosse Association, he resides
in Old Lyme with his wife, Susan,
and three children. He already
has made an indelible mark on
the Williams community with
great dedication and expertise.
The Board of Trustees began the
search for a new Head of School in
April 2007, after Head of School
Charlotte Rea announced that she
would join her family in California
at the end of the 2007–08 academic
year. Steven Daren explains, “With
regret, I accepted her notice that
this current year will be her last at
Williams, after a wonderful decade
leading the School.”
The Write Stuff
This past year, publications and
organizations around the country
have recognized the enormous pool
of talent represented by Williams’
student writers. Some examples
include:
• James Geoghegan ’07’s poem
“Hookah” and Noah Simon ’07’s
poem “I Left School Early Today”
both earned Honorable Mentions
in the Claudia Ann Seaman Poetry
Award program.
• Kate Gibson’07’s piece “Untitled”
and Julie Neusner ’07’s “My Friend
from the Summer” appeared in
the University of Connecticut’s
Connecticut Student Writer.
Susquehanna University’s The
Apprentice Writer “annually features
the best writing and illustrations
from nearly 5,000 entries” received
from secondary schools throughout
the United States. The 25th issue
includes three members of the
Class of 2007 among the 40
authors published: Noah Simon
’07 (“I Left School Early Today”),
Laura Steel ’07 (“Describing a
Photograph”), and Kate Gibson
’07 (“Untitled”). Many previous
winners have gone on to publish
and become famous. This is a
wonderful honor for these young
writers.
• Nine Williams writers were
selected as New London County
finalists in the 2007 IMPAC
Connecticut State University
Literary Awards for Young Writers.
Anne Muenchinger ’08 was
selected in the Prose category.
David Burnham ’07, Abaigeal
Caras ’07, Greg Elperin ’07,
Elizabeth Evans ’07, Grace Fisler
’07, Kathleen Hangac ’07, Annika
Ljungberg ’07, and Julia Neusner
’07 were selected for the Poetry
category. Mr. Gleich attended the
celebratory reception with students
at Eastern Connecticut State
University.
• Emma Schaeffer ’08 has had two
poems published in a Mississippi
poetry journal.
• Participating in National
Novel Writing Month, Ainsley
Pinkowitz ’09 was featured by
The Day newspaper. The annual
exercise, known as NaNoWriMo
to its participants, is a challenge
to write 50,000 words toward a
novel in one month. As The Day
reports, “The crux of NaNoWriMo
is quantity over quality, mining
your brain for any and all things
creative while insisting your
internal editor take the month off.
Editing is left for December. Ainsley
Pinkowitz, a Williams School
junior, said she created a character,
‘an angsty teenage boy in Alice in
Wonderland,’ and then just let him
loose to see what he does. ‘Any time
I start with the ending in mind,
I can’t get to it,’ she said.” Ainsley
cites the “power of deadlines” as the
driving force behind the prolific
output NaNonWriMo requires.
• Williams student journalists were
lauded by Columbia Scholastic
Press Association and Quill &
Scroll, the International Honorary
Journalism Society for High
School Journalists. See details and
newspaper excerpts on pages 6–7.
3
w ind ow on w il liams
Student News continued
Ambassador Winter 2007–08
Chamber Honors Williams
Student Leaders
The Williams School
4
The Greater Mystic Chamber of
Commerce honored Caitlyn Shea
Malcynsky ’07 and Sara Sargent ’08.
Caitlyn represented Williams at the
annual Education Breakfast. From class
officer, performer and field hockey
captain to National Merit Commended
Student, Caitlyn involved herself
wholeheartedly in all areas of school
life and did so with finesse. Selected
as a New London Scholar, Caitlyn
enjoyed taking an Anthropology
course at Connecticut College. She
won the Prize for Distinction in
Dance and the Leonora Hayes Arts
Award, a scholarship for distinction
in voice, theater and dance. Her
involvement in Mock Trial earned her
the designation of “best lawyer.” Sara
was honored at the breakfast as well
and also by the New London Rotary
Club for her community service
work. As a co-leader of The Williams
School’s Service Committee, she has
been instrumental in organizing the
Hungry Country Lunch Day and the
Thanksgiving Can Drive, among other
projects. A passionate defender of
the environment, Sara was involved
in planning a full day of activities to
recognize Earth Day 2007 at Williams,
which focused on the theme of global
climate change. She is an honors
student and won the Smith College
Book Prize for demonstrated academic
excellence and concern for others.
Not Horsing Around
Katie Tyler ’11 was one of 45 riders
to compete for the jumping aspect of
the National Championship Horse
Show in Saratoga Springs, NY. The top
fifteen riders were invited back—Katie
finished in eighth place, an amazing
performance for one of the youngest
competitors at the event. Katie
finished first in 12-14 Equitation (on
the Flat) class, second in other classes
Welcome to Our Newest Alumni—Class of 2007
on both her horse and other ponies
and eighth in the ASPCA-Maclay
Championship. What was particularly
impressive about her performance was
the fact that her eighth place finish
was against sixteen and seventeen
year olds who had been participating
in this event for many years. Katie
balances a demanding six-day-a-week
riding schedule with her work here at
Williams. What an impressive young
woman!
The Williams School graduated its
116th class on June 7, 2007. Elected as
speaker by his class, Dave Burnham
spoke to the topic “You’ve got to
be Kind.” The class chose Williams
history teacher John Knudsen to
give the Commencement Address.
His remarks were framed around
“Reflections on American History.”
Noah Simon ’07 performed Prelude
No. 5 by Heitor Villa-Lobos as a guitar
solo.
Talented Youth
Brian Abbiati, Stetson
Lydia Beebe, Harvard University
Ian Benton, St. Anselm
Thad Bochain, Quinnipiac University
Meghan Bowden, Hobart and William
Smith
Ross Bratin, New York University
Shannon Breor, Loyola-New Orleans
David Burnham, Oberlin
Kristen Butler, University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill
Abby Caras, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Doug Cheeseman, Virginia Tech Honors
Program
Trevor Klee ’11 was honored in The
Johns Hopkins University Center for
Talented Youth National Ceremony
in Baltimore, MD. The ceremony
honored eighth grade students who
achieved at or above a 750 on one of
the SAT’s; or a 32 or 33 on the ACT
math and reading, respectively. The
ceremony was held on the Johns
Hopkins University Campus on June
10, 2007.
Molly Cox, Elon
Maxx Delaney, West Virginia University
Samantha Dolat, University of Connecticut
Elizabeth Eddy, Yale University
Andraya Ehrlich, University of New
Hampshire Honors Program
Greg Elperin, Union College
Elizabeth Evans, Wesleyan University
Victoria Fallon, University of New Hampshire
Corey Fast, University of Aberdeen
Caitlin Fearon, Allegheny
Grace Fisler, UConn Honors Program
Andy Forin, Drexel
Nate Funk, Bates College
James Geoghegan, PG year at Northfield
Mount Herman
Kate Gibson, St. Andrews
Jasper Goodrich, Skidmore
Page Greenleaf, Rollins
James Hallberg, Ithaca
Katie Hangac, New York University
Lucas Hertweck, Champlain
Davis Knox, Union College
Annika Ljungberg, Suffolk
Caitlyn Malcynsky, Columbia
Madiha Malik, George Wahsington
Emily Maxwell, Boston College
Darcy McCarthy, University of Maryland
Tom McKeon, University of Vermont
Conor McNeill, West Virginia University
Emlyn Mooney, University of Edinburgh
Sarah Mullen, McDaniel
Julie Neusner, New York University
Roman Opalacz, Boston College
Danny Patterson, University of Colorado at
Boulder
Stephen Quallich, Rochester Polytechnic
Institute
Carter Quinn, College of the Holy Cross
McLean Quinn, College of the Holy Cross
Ryan Quinn, College of the Holy Cross
Melissa Ramirez, University of Connecticut
Caterina Riccardi, Wheaton
Clark Robertson, University of Richmond
Carlos Salguero, New York University
Natalie Sawyer, Smith
Madeline Sayet, New York University
Matt Shannon, Franklin & Marshall
Danny Shiling, University of Maryland
Noah Simon, Oberlin College
Laura Steel, Lesley
Matt Stern, Haverford
Jason Wadecki, Eastern CT State U
Stephen Watts, Boston University
James Wholean, University of RI
Oliver Wine, Lake Forest
Molly Zemmel, Endicott
5
Ambassador Winter 2007–08
The Williams School
6
Williams’ student newspaper,
The Blueprint, has experienced a
renaissance under the deft direction
of English teacher Mrs. Kim Belair
and her Journalism and Advanced
Journalism students. Organized with a
professional mindset, members of the
class divide the school into editorial
beats and produce a publication that
has earned great notices from the
Columbia Scholastic Press Association
(CSPA) and the Quill & Scroll, the
International Honorary Journalism
Society for High School Journalists.
Mrs. Belair submitted the paper to
both organizations with an eye toward
garnering helpful feedback for future
issues and came away with prizes from
both. CSPA gave the Gold Medalist
award to Williams (one of only 11 out
of 1,860 entries). The judge’s summary
highlighted The Blueprint’s writing
and layout as “top notch.” Quill &
Scroll awarded The Blueprint with
International First place honors for
2007. Not ones to rest on their laurels,
Blueprint editors Whitney Douglas ’08,
Marissa Pulaski ’09, Bridget Biddle ’09
and Jaimie Wolman ’09 attended the
National Journalism Conference with
Mrs. Belair in Philadelphia to keep
up with the latest developments in
journalism.
The following are excerpts from the
November 2007 issue.
Williams’ Cafeteria
Ready to Expand
Ms. Buffum Goes to
Washington
by Kristina Mazzola
by Morgan Haronian ’08
R
M
enovations , expansion and
demolition are due to begin for the
Williams cafeteria this March, and are
expected to be complete by the beginning
of the 2008 school year. The current plans
for expansion will cost approximately
$1.3 million, but will hopefully improve
the flow of the lunch line and clear the
path to the tables. This way everyone can
arrive much faster and safer, which as of
now proves to be a challenge. The plans
for renovations consist of extending the
cafeteria walls to the courtyard outside
the conference room, knocking down the
walls, and adding a new spacious kitchen.
Dubose, the hired architect, believes that
all this work will be done by September
2008. All Williams needs now is to receive
bids from the contractors, and hopefully
the plans will be finalized by the end
of November. Williams looks forward
to seeing completely new furnishings,
possibly a skylight or two and an easier,
quicker and safer path to lunch.
essengers behind the scenes in
Congress help keep our legislative
branch ticking, and currently one of
our own students from the Williams
community is serving a semester in the
Senate. Mallie Buffum ’09 is serving as
a congressional page, or messenger, to
Connecticut Senator Christopher J. Dodd
in Washington, D.C.
The Congressional Page Program has
been functioning for over 150 years, with
about 100 pages selected each term. It
is a highly selective process. Ms. Everett,
Buffum’s advisor, said, “Mallie did all the
research to get into [the Page Program].”
She found the program online, contacted
Senator Dodd, and applied. In order to
work as a page, one must be sponsored
by their Senator or Congressman and be
accepted to the program. There are only
twelve Democratic pages selected for the
Senate.
Days start early and end late for a
page. “We arrive at the Capital Building
an hour before session starts or around
ten, whichever comes first,” said Buffum.
Session opens with a prayer and the
Pledge of Allegiance. Page duties are wideranging, everything from “getting the
Senators water on the floor” to “running
amendments to 17 different rooms in the
Capitol Building,” said Buffum. She then
added, “We are on four hour shifts at a
time, and the other hours we…do our
homework.” “All her classes are early in
the morning, and it takes a lot of work to
adjust to that schedule, and adjust back
to Williams,” said Ms. Everett of Buffum’s
school schedule. As a page, not much time
during the day and evening is allowed for
schoolwork, but each page is expected to
keep up with their lessons at the Senate
Page School. “[Mallie ends up doing] a
lot…on her own,” said Ms. Everett. “There
are no Spanish classes, so she is tutored
on Sundays and Sra. Ramirez just sent a
packet to her.”
It is rarely dull in the Senate, and
Buffum has learned a lot just “listening
to all the Senators speak so avidly about
an amendment.” She recently witnessed a
passionate debate about “the expansion of
a children’s health care program,” which
she found “interesting to see both sides.
Everything is crazy because everyone is
talking to each other on the floor, trying to
get people to vote for their amendment.”
Sometimes session will last late into night,
and pages stay the whole time, waiting to
be called to run amendments.
Buffum has received support from
the Williams community, especially her
advisor group, and loves receiving mail.
Pages are isolated in the Capitol,
without cell phones or email addresses.
Anything sent to a page must go first
through security, and is often delayed
upon delivery. Ms. Everett said, “We [the
advisory] sent her a packet of various
notes which she got after a long day in
Senate session and loved. We also have a
Mallie Board in our classroom where we
put her updates.” Buffum loves any letters
from home.
The Congressional Page Program is
available to any high school junior in good
academic standing who is over the age of
sixteen. Buffum has enjoyed her experience
working in the Senate so far, and her work
has inspired others at Williams who are
interested in government.
Caroline Standke ’08, a Government
student and Harvard Model Congress
participant, said, “I’m so jealous of Mallie.
It’s really cool that she gets to meet
all those people.” Mallie is having the
experience of a lifetime in Washington,
DC, and inspiring her peers back home.
Study Abroad Programs
by Alexandra Ivemy ’10
icture yourself, walking through
a school different from your own,
laughing and talking with new foreign
friends and experiencing a different
culture for the first time.
This is an experience that fourteenyear-old Andrés Gómez Trocaola ’11,
a study abroad participant, recently
began. Studying Abroad is a program
that Williams offers to select students in
grades nine through twelve. The program
is organized by the school and allows the
specific candidate to spend up to a year
in a foreign country, studying at a new
school. All countries are open for students
to visit, though the most popular countries
for Williams’ students to travel abroad are
Spain and France.
In early February of each year, Mr.
Fader makes an announcement and
informs the students of the program.
When wanting to apply to travel to a new
country the applicant will have fill out a
series of forms and be interviewed. It is
also required for them to write a paper
describing why they would considered a
good foreign exchange student.
Additionally, the applicant must
maintain good grades throughout their
Williams School career, receive teacher
recommendations and approval of the
location. Currently we do not have any
students abroad; however we are hosting
an exchange student at Williams.
Trocaola is one of the lucky students
who was accepted in to the school.
Tracaola, originally from Madrid, decided
to come to Williams to study abroad after
spending a month and a half in Stonington
last summer. It was here that he sailed and
played tennis at the Wadawanuck Yacht
Club. He arrived in America on September
2, 2007 and is planning on leaving in early
June.
Trocaola is staying with a host family in
Stonington who he met with his mother.
The main reason Trocaola decided to come
to America was to improve his English
vocabulary. English is a mandatory class in
P
Spain. “That is one of the main differences
from here and Spain,” he said. “In Spain
we don’t get to pick our classes they assign
them to us.”
Even though he is leaving behind his
parents, eleven-year-old sister Paula, and
his country, he is happy to be here. “So
far the hardest part for me is speaking
English. It is pretty easy to understand, but
it is frustrating when you can’t say what
you want to because you don’t know the
words.”
When it comes to sports, Tracaola
loves to play soccer. Though this is his
first experience playing on a team, soccer
is one of the most enjoyable activities he
participates in here and in Spain, “In Spain
people are usually not playing on a team
they are usually just playing for fun,” he
said.
Exchange students such as Trocaola
have to work through the Student
Exchange Visitors Information System
(SEVIS) and take an English exam to
see how well they speak and understand
the language. Depending on their exam
results, SEVIS then contacts Williams to
see if they want to accept the student.
Last year we had two students study
abroad. Catherine Schrage ’09 went to
France, and Gabriella Neusner ’09 went
to Spain. Both girls left in the beginning
of the second semester and returned to
America in July. Williams also hosted
Allesandro Boffa ’08 who stayed for the
whole year. Having foreign students
around the school isn’t a problem for
people either, “It’s an exciting experience
for us to meet people from other countries
as well as giving us a chance to learn about
other cultures, rather than just our own.”
Danielle Briggs ’10 who has had a few
conversations with Trocaola.
Those students who are interested in
becoming a foreign exchange student
should talk to Mr. Fader and obtain the
paperwork that needs to be filled out.
According to many other abroad students
they had an amazing time in the other
country and would definitely go back.
7
It to the Next Level, The Strategic
Plan 2007–10, outlines the resulting
strategic imperatives on which the
Board will focus, including goals,
responsibilities and measures of
success of the plan for the coming
years.
By K. George Mooney, Chair
Board of Trustees Strategic Planning
Subcommittee
W
taking
it to the
next level
The Williams School Strategic Plan 2007–10
hile firmly rooted in a
tradition of excellence, The
Williams School keeps its eye on the
future. The Board of Trustees has
updated the 2003–08 Strategic Plan to
re-focus on four Strategic Imperatives
which the Board views as the highest
priority in the coming years:
• Increasing selectivity and diversity
• Continuing excellence in education
and teaching
• Launching and conducting a
comprehensive campaign for Williams
• Providing effective communication
to parents and other stakeholders,
apprising these key audiences on
Strategic Plan progress
Decade of Groundwork
In 2003 the Williams School Board of
Trustees established a comprehensive
Strategic Plan for the school, which
built upon the success of the 1997–
2002 Capital Campaign, Building for
the Future. The 2003–08 Strategic
Plan was designed to prepare for key
strategic challenges facing the school
in the future. As with all attempts
to assess the more distant future, a
plan needs constant refinement and
updating to remain consistent and
relevant to contemporary issues. The
Board, therefore, asked the Strategic
Planning Subcommittee in June 2006
to update and re-focus the current
plan around its key priorities. Taking
Healthy Discipline
Every organization, whether for-profit
or non-profit, must continuously
assess its future, where it wants to
go and how it intends to get there
against the Vision and Mission it has
A Strategic Plan is
a living document
containing coordinated
sets of actions or tactics,
which are designed
to jointly achieve the
organization’s overall
mission against the
priorities and resources
it needs to support it.
set for itself. This thinking is usually
summarized in what is termed a
Strategic Plan. Typically these plans
attempt to look 3, 5 or 10 years ahead
in order to assess the probable future
environment and the decisions and
actions the organization must take in
order to remain true to its Vision or
“Reason for Being.” Hence, a Strategic
Plan is a living document containing
coordinated sets of actions or tactics
designed to achieve the organization’s
overall priorities and provide the
resources it needs to support it. The
plan should also lay out measures
of success to enable evaluation of
progress and any corrective action
by the Board. From such a plan, the
Board builds a budget and an annual
operating plan to enable the school to
meet its long-term, strategic goals.
Preparing for the Future
The real value of a strategic plan is
that it forces the school to ask “what
if ” questions, both negative and
positive (e.g. What if enrollment
in the school drops or increases
significantly or what if the school is left
a significant, unanticipated legacy?).
If the school does not have a plan in
place to answer these questions, then
the Board will lack direction and the
cohesion necessary to face these future
challenges or benefit from arising
opportunities.
Staying Ahead of the Curve
During the periods described earlier,
Williams concentrated its strategic
plan activities on the following
priorities:
a. Capital Investment to grow and
maintain the school facilities
b. Review of the Curriculum
c. Encouraging Diversity of the
student body and staff in order to
broaden the culture of the school
d. Ensuring Educational Excellence
through attracting and retaining top
talent.
Having made substantial progress
toward the first two goals, Head of
School Charlotte L. Rea and the Board
of Trustees seek to redouble efforts on
the latter two goals.
9
Ambassador Winter 2007–08
The new Strategic Imperatives are
divided into two primary “whats”
and two primary “hows,” in planning
parlance. It is important to note that
this does not detract from the excellent
progress on the goals and action
plans from the 2003–08 plan, which
are largely implemented and being
monitored by the Board.
The Williams School
10
Strategic Imperative One
Increasing the selectivity and diversity
of the student body and maintaining a
strong enrollment balanced with sound
fiscal policy.
The demographics of our area are
changing in terms of potential
students joining Williams in the future.
The number of students and families
needing financial support to attend
Williams has risen in recent years, but
endowment funding is limited. Broad
diversity, high academic standards, and
a selective student body are paramount
to the Williams mission and culture.
To accomplish this goal, the School
will:
• Survey parents to gain input and
suggestions.
• Increase the Outreach Committee’s
already considerable efforts to attract
additional interest in Williams.
• Highlight students’ success in
working with community and civic
organizations.
• Review financial aid policies in line
with growth of endowment funds.
• Use programs such as international
exchanges and sports to expand
potential applicant pool.
Strategic Imperative Two
Continuing enhancement of excellence
in education and teaching by attracting
and retaining top talent, facilitated
by fair remuneration and broad,
professional development opportunities
for teachers and staff.
The success of the school in providing
excellent education to its students
is driven primarily by the quality,
dedication, professionalism and
experience of the teachers. Many of
the outstanding teachers have and
will be retiring over the next several
years and the next generation of
leaders from within the school must
be identified, nurtured, and developed
according to their career wishes and
educational passions. Remuneration
of teachers and staff needs to be
constantly reviewed and increased
in order to compete with the local
public schools and peer independent
schools. Professional development
opportunities for teachers and staff
have dramatically improved over the
last three years because the School
aggressively sought grants and funding
opportunities.
To accomplish this goal the School
will:
• Evaluate all teachers and staff
annually against goals set prior to the
beginning of the academic year.
• Adopt a succession plan for the
next generation of senior faculty and
administration and update it regularly.
• Continue to increase faculty salaries
equivalent to 90% of local public
school salary scales.
• Contine to increase professional
development opportunities for faculty
and staff.
Williams’ emphasis on faculty
development helped secure
Edward E. Ford Foundation
Grants. History Department Chair
Ben Ladd used his grant to study
African history and the slave trade
by traveling to Ghana in summer
2007. He gained invaluable
knowledge of the culture and
a historical perspective that he
shared with students and peers
alike.
Strategic Imperative Three
Launching a comprehensive campaign
for Williams, involving Capital, Annual
and Endowment fund growth to enable
Strategic Imperatives One and Two.
Strategic Imperative Four
Providing effective communication with
the Williams community on the progress
of the School’s Mission and Strategic
Plan.
Past campaigns, focused on building
and upgrading facilities, have proved
highly successful (e.g., $2.5 million
for the new wing in 2000–02). The
current comprehensive campaign for
Williams coordinates all fundraising
efforts in order to cultivate major
donors from alumni, the community,
and parents in order to boost capital,
annual and endowment funds. Capital
improvements such as a Student
Center, Fitness Center and renovated
Art Wing will increase Williams’
competitiveness with peer facilities.
Endowment growth is crucial as the
majority of the School’s operating
expenses are met from tuition income.
The Strategic Plan and the Campaign
for Williams represent the future
direction for sustaining the high
standards of the School and the
Williams community. More parent
involvement and participation is
essential to gain support and make
this Strategic Plan work but it also
involves bringing the impact of the
largely untapped alumni body and its
potential to bear in the plan.
To accomplish this goal the School
will:
• Build upon the comprehensive
campaign’s “Leadership Phase” with
a public launch to reach the target of
$2.5 million by December 31, 2008.
Setting the example, the Board has
committed to contributing 35% of the
goal.
• Increase focus on programs that
build the endowment.
• Increase annual giving to meet the
demands of the operating budget in
the years ahead. The Fund for Williams
was highly successful in 2006–07 in
garnering support from alumni, the
majority of families, and all faculty to
exceed its annual goal.
To accomplish this goal the School
will:
• Continue to work closely with both
the Parent and Alumni Associations.
• Host events to cultivate community
and encourage contributions to the
Campaign for Williams.
• Discuss the Strategic Plan and its
progress in School communications
to ensure parents, alumni and
stakeholders are well-informed.
• Use internal and external media
to reaffirm and exemplify Williams’
values and their translation into
school accomplishments academically,
athletically and throughout the
community.
The Future
These new plans are all based on
enduring ideas. The School’s Mission
describes the ethos of the school—
its raison d’etre—and provides a
touchstone to a culture traceable
back to the grand vision established
by Harriet Peck Williams in 1891. To
succeed, we must vigilantly examine
our plans, implementation and
performance against the Mission.
An exciting highlight of the leadership phase of Williams comprehensive
campaign has been the creation of the Dayharsh Fitness Center. Gary
and Margaret Dayharsh’s modesty belies their generosity. “It was
something we could do,” explains Gary of his family’s gift. The Center
enables Williams’ comprehensive fitness program to focus on improving
endurance, flexibility and strength through regular exercise and activity.
At this pivotal point for young people, the Dayharsh Fitness Center
helps build habits to remain with them for a lifetime.
11
r
e
t
t
o
P
Hanad rthre yPa r a d o xic a l
Camera-shy cut-up,
whimsical pragmatist and
frugal philanthropist,
Janet Johl Weissman ’58
is a study in
contrasts.
J
Al u m n a
anet Johl Weissman ’58 generally eschews
the fantasy genre, yet she and her husband
Bob are some of the most fervent fans of the
Harry Potter series of books. Preferring to read
mysteries and thrillers, Jan was slow to
warm to the first Harry Potter book,
but soon discovered a voracious
appetite for the series. The layering
of magical minutiae, secrets and
character progression across the seven
books dovetailed perfectly with Jan’s
keen love of detail, which normally
finds outlet in her collecting,
quilting…and collecting of
quilts.
The mischievous twinkle in
Jan’s eye and her quick and
hearty laugh might lull one
into thinking that she is all fun
and games. But woe to the
author who is not accurate with
grammar, spelling, and especially
facts. Jan reserves a particular
indignation for errors in print
and “reintroduced” herself to her
alma mater in 2003 by a phone
call regarding a mistake in the
Ambassador. Though chagrined
at the error, the alumni office
was delighted to know that an
alumna was reading the magazine
so closely. The conversation
rekindled a connection with
the dynamo who has been
instrumental in keeping her class
together after five decades.
a modern, larger Student Center. The project has a
poetic resonance as Bob and Jan themselves met at
the University of Connecticut Student Union.
As demonstrated by their generous
support of their alma maters,
including Babson College,
Worcester Academy and Williams,
education is the Weissmans’ top
philanthropic priority. Extremely
modest, Janet would prefer to
be “She-Who-Must-Not-BeNamed,” but Williams celebrates
their leadership and is working
to emblazon the new Student
Center with the Weissman
name. Jan’s first preference
would be to dedicate it “To
those who like to talk and to
eat!”
In making their historic
gift, the Weissmans were
particularly enthusiastic
about the opportunity
to work some “magic”
(perhaps cafeterius
transformo in Potter
parlance?) by updating
the ’50s era cafeteria into
a modern, larger
Student Center.
Her renewed relationship with
the school also has led Jan and Bob to make the biggest
gift in Williams’ history—$750,000 to Embracing
Excellence: The Campaign for Williams. The Weissmans
were particularly enthusiastic about the opportunity to
work some “magic” (perhaps cafeterius transformo in
Potter parlance?) by updating the ’50s era cafeteria into
Just who is this generous
daughter of WMI? The Sorting
Hat of Potter fame might
turn itself inside out trying to
classify the delightfully hardto-pin-down alumna. A quick
biography would show that she
is wife of businessman Robert
Weissman, a mother of three
(now grown) boys—Greg,
Chris and Michael—and
grandmother of seven (five girls
and two boys). A peek into the
1958 Legenda, however, reveals
broader brush-strokes of a
personality portrait: “Constant
talker…Fickle…Griper…
Good sport…Quick wit…
Spontaneous laugh.” A summer visit at the Weissman’s
Shelburne, MA home confirmed that Jan’s yearbook
profile provides an enduring glimpse into her
character (and that she still merits her class’s “Cutest
Dimples” superlative).
“C o n s t a n t t alker?”
Janet’s lively conversation is the stitching that
holds together a patchwork quilt of friends
and family. She acts as “den mother” to Bob’s
college reunion chums, serves as Ambassador
agent for the Class of 1958 and is perennial
hostess for her Williams reunions. As Margot
Colton Bernier ’58 explains, “You might say
she’s the magnet that brought us together and
continues to hold us together.”
Classmates didn’t name Jan “Friendliest”
member of the class for her reticence. Her
interests are varied, her knowledge deep, and
her opinions passionate. One particularly
memorable chat sparked a conversation
that has lasted for 47 years of marriage. Bob
Weissman was chief engineer for a Putnam,
CT radio station and subletting a room on the
UConn campus where Jan was a sophomore.
They met in the aforementioned UConn
Student Union. Bob spilled a cup of coffee
and jokes that he was simply waiting for it to
dry before leaving. Knowing how Jan can keep
a person engaged and talking, though, one
suspects he fell under her spell long before the
coffee dried.
“F i c k l e? ”
Describing her fluid interest in particular
collections, Jan explains, “When I get into
it, I’m in over my head.” Her passion for
collecting began with cloisonné, then moved
on to exquisite paperweights, dollhouses,
quilts, seashells (a nod to the Weissman’s
winter home in Florida), and now Harry
Potter memorabilia. As Bob points out, “Jan
commits serial collecting!” She jokingly
explains that “three of anything is a collection”
and attributes the collection bug to genetics,
explaining that, “in the ’40s my mother was a
leading authority on dolls and my father was
an expert on cancellations [stamps].”
While her interest in acquiring more pieces for
a collection may wax and wane, Jan retains an
encyclopedic knowledge of all her treasures.
She knows the backstory of each of the literally
thousands of pieces in her various collections.
Her enthusiasm for the details is contagious, as
she celebrates each quilt, dollhouse inhabitant,
or glass creation. Fickle? Certainly so in terms
of which collection captures her heart most in
the short term, but far from it in her long-term
attachment to that which she values.
“Griper?”
Janet is jovial and congenial, but also toughminded with well-reasoned and steadfast
opinions. It’s no coincidence that she played
the Judge in her sophomore class production
of The Trial of Charles Darnay, based on A Tale
of Two Cities. For example, furious with the
New York Times this summer for printing an
early review of Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows, she amusingly remarked: “These are
the kind of folks who would line up three-yearolds and debunk the Easter Bunny and Santa!”
Her high standards and critical thinking were
honed at WMI. Margot Bernier concurs, “We
often reflect on the great education we received
at WMI—good, solid subjects taught by
wonderful teachers.”
“Good sport!”
WMI lore has it that Janet laid the cornerstone
of the new home for WMI in the early
1950s. She does remember taking part rather
reluctantly in a ceremony having to do with
the new school building, but thinks that the
timing was unlikely for the actual laying of
the cornerstone. During the Weissman’s visit
to Williams last spring, Jan gamely scoured
the school exterior in search of the elusive
cornerstone marker. On an unrelated quest,
she also fearlessly went “spelunking” under the
Daren PAC balcony to determine where the old
gymnasium floor ended.
Top to bottom: Jan covers up with one of her quilted creations; paperweights add a dash of light and color to Jan’s
collecting; detail of a quilt by Jan; Jan and Bob enjoyed a special encore performance of the Enviro II dance piece
set in the Williams cafeteria; the Noah’s Ark room in Jan’s miniature folk art store.
“Quick wit!”
“Spontaneous laug h! ”
The once-upon-a-time member of the WMI
Winter Formal Committee is not much
concerned with white-glove propriety. “I
don’t even know how to spell neat and clean,”
she jokingly protests, and her kitchen has
proudly featured a “Martha Stewart Doesn’t
Live Here” sign. (Despite her assertions to the
contrary, their home is still as lovely, warm,
and welcoming as it must have been in its prior
incarnation as an inn for travelers between
Albany and Boston.) Jan’s wit is especially
sharp when aimed at any who take themselves
too seriously.
Quick to share an anecdote from dating Bob (“I
chased him until he showed up.”) or her glee at
discovering antique quilt hunting on eBay, Jan
finds a way to pepper every conversation with
liberal doses of laughter. Fittingly, tucked into
the Weissman’s screen door is a sign proudly
proclaiming membership in TADAH!—The
Association of Delightfully Alive Humans.
Of all the clues to decipher this remarkable
woman, it might be the most revealing. One
need only enjoy a lunch of hamburgers, onion
rings, and great belly laughs with Jan and Bob
to understand the meaning of “Delightfully
Alive.” The Weissmans’ gift to Williams will
invite students into this “club” for generations
to come, celebrating the power of good
conversation and communal living.
Paths to Success
Dr. Janine Feng ’84
“Leave your options open
and be flexible based on your
experiences.” This piece of
Ambassador Winter 2007–08
wisdom was the overall message
16
of the five alumni spanning
classes from 1963 to 1995 who
returned to speak with tenth
through twelfth graders at
Williams Career Day. Each
Leslie Powell ’86
speaker shared his or her
Director of Outreach and
External Affairs for the
Yale World Fellows Program
particular career progression
The Williams School
and all demonstrated how
passionate they are about
their work. Following the
assembly, alumni continued
their discussions in-depth in
classes appropriate to their field.
Alumni parents joined with
the Career Day speakers at a
luncheon that completed the
day. Four representatives of the
Class of 2007—Julie Neusner,
McLean Quinn, Madeline
Sayet, and Stephen Watts—
spoke with alumni about the
Williams of today.
Leslie credited Rick Dauer with
shaping her interest in Russian culture
during a class she took with him on
Russian History. After graduation from
college she went to Leningrad and
was there when the wall came down.
“I didn’t know right away about the
fall of communism because it was
not immediately reported there.” Her
strength with languages, primarily
Russian, significantly shaped her
“rambling” career path. Her translation
work for NASA convinced her to go
back for a PhD in political science
from Columbia. She was then hired by
Eurasia Group, an international risk
consulting group focused on business
interests in emerging markets. Her
experience and language abilities
helped her advise clients about
navigating the unstable political
climate while conducting business in
these countries.
By contrast to Leslie, Janine felt her
path was somewhat predestined to be
in the sciences. Her parents were both
scientists and the specifics of their
careers were often dinner conversation.
She also credited science teacher
Sue Lundgren as further inspiration.
“While at Wellesley, I always considered
myself to be pre-med.” Eventually,
she delivered over 100 babies and
assisted in countless surgeries but felt
somehow unfulfilled. “I was not seeing
these patients through and my role
felt intermittent in the scope of their
care.” She assumed she would be an
internist but was frustrated by repeat
patients. “I felt that the medical culture
doesn’t look at the bigger picture.” She
found her calling during a residency
in the pathology lab. Although
patient contact is limited, “I feel my
overall contribution to their health
is stronger.” Once she completes her
second residency (in nuclear medicine)
she will return to a full partnership at
Ventana Medical Systems in Arizona.
Margaret Borner ’95
Manager, Special Events and Public
Relations at Cartier, NYC
Peter Mitchell ’88
Public Defender
Ever the advocate, Peter advised the
students, “always demand an attorney
if you’re ever in the unfortunate
position of being arrested and do not
say a word.” He shared tales of people
accused of crimes they did not commit
and of too-easily incriminating oneself
into unfathomable situations. Law
was not his original goal, however.
His early focus at Williams and at
Harvard was on acting. He ultimately
found the New York theater scene
somewhat disappointing and he was
feeling unfulfilled personally. He and
his family were always politically and
socially active. “I went to law school
almost because I couldn’t think of what
else to do to satisfy my acting desires. A
trial is a lot like a stage and my acting
skills have benefited my performance
during trials.” As a lawyer, he is very
fulfilled and knows he is helping
people.
Maggie is responsible for promotions
in New York and all stores west of
Chicago. She studies the regional
cultural differences and tracks trends.
Her work entails a healthy dose of
glamour, bringing her to the Golden
Globes, America’s Cup and events at
celebrities’ homes. It’s not all glitz,
though. She shared an early experience
that she was later able to turn into
an opportunity. While at one of her
first jobs she was asked to collect
loose change from employees’ desks
as the auction house was moving to
a new location. Clearly disappointed
with the assignment she said, “I tried
to do it with a smile and use it as an
opportunity to meet people.” Years later
she was recognized by the person who
gave her this task and she was hired for
the job she ultimately had desired.
Elaine Slosberg Andersen ’63
Professor of Psychology, Linguistics and
Neuroscience at University of Southern
California
Elaine had a great experience at
Williams and even named her son
after former Williams science teacher
Scott Mason. Elaine took a circuitous
route to becoming a scientist from her
beginning as a French major. She spoke
of the challenges of being a “woman
of science” in a male dominated
profession but was pleased to share
how many more opportunities are
available now. Her lengthy curriculum
vitae catalogs an impressive roster
of research, teaching positions,
honors, fellowships, publications and
conference lectures.
17
s
r
o
h
t
u
A
o
w
A Tale of T
The Valley Courier profiled
centenarian Gertrude
Thompson ’25, who
shared delightful stories
from a theatrical career that
spanned decades. “I’ve had
a marvelous life. I will never
retire.”
As befits our curriculum focus on reading and writing,
Williams has traditionally produced a number of
accomplished alumni authors. Gladys Hartman Olsen
’38 and Candace Davis Sanford ’66 recently joined their
esteemed ranks with historic stories, one delightful, the
other thrilling.
Gladys Olsen’s book, Moose on the Loose, has been more
than 40 years in the making. She first read the true story
of a moose gone romping throughout New London in
1965. Gladys wrote and illustrated a handmade book of
the amusing tale, which she shared with local elementary
school children in the 1970s. She always hoped to publish it
professionally someday. Her dream came true last year. As
she explained to The Ledger of Lakeland, FL, “A lot of people
wouldn’t expect this happening to a lady my age, but it has.
It’s like I wake up and go to bed with a permanent smile on
my face.” Gladys kindly sent a copy for The Williams School
Library. To purchase a copy, contact her at (863) 644-1370.
Alumni News Briefs
Candy Sanford ’66 (center) signed copies of Captain
Nathaniel Brown, A Maritime Pioneer at The Williams
School Annual Book Fair. She credits the classes she took
at Williams for planting the seeds of a life-long interest in
History and English and in particular remembers faculty
members Mary Reagan, Katherine Oakes, Noel Gerson
and Elsie DeWitt fondly. Candy relocated back to her
childhood town of Stonington because of their love of the
sea, sailing and appreciation for the history of the area. “I
was fascinated to learn that in 1820 Nathaniel Palmer, a
native of my hometown, had been the first person to see
Antarctica,” she explains. Captain “Nat” as he was called,
was a seal hunter, blockade runner, sailing captain and
ship designer—a fascinating character. The commander
of a Russian fleet exploring the area acknowledged the
discovery made by the brave young captain and declared
the new territory “Palmer Land.” Candace was surprised to
realize how little was known about this maritime pioneer
even in his own community. Often finding the lives of real
people much more interesting than fiction, Candace saw
a story in the making in young Captain “Nat”. Her book
is geared toward young people and illuminates a time
in American history when port towns like Stonington
were central to our young country’s emerging economy.
Candace’s book is published by Flat Hammock Press and
is currently available at Bank Square Books in Mystic and
www.flathammockpress.com as well as at The Stonington
Historical Society.
The Day featured
reminiscences from Edna
Porsini Osinki ’36 of
Raiders Roost Restaurant,
the famous New London
eatery she and her late
husband, Anthony, built
in 1947. The paper walked
down memory lane with
Edna as new owners,
with great respect for the
establishment’s history,
reopened the restaurant.
Eastern Connecticut State
University’s School of
Continuing Education
named Eileen Roche
Ramus ’51 one of its
“Alumni Stars” featured
on the university’s website
and in The Day last
spring. The paper noted
that she “stands out with
her smile and her story.”
She was elected to “Who’s
Who” among students
in American universities
and colleges, accepted
in the Omicron Delta
Kappa honor society, and
named one of the 2001 All
American Scholars.
Virginia Ashburn
Romano ’53 made the
cover of fiftysomething
magazine, which featured
her efforts to share the
Native American culture
with children of the Gulf
Coast. The profile of
“Running Water” Romano
highlighted her experiences
growing up in the Mohegan
tribe.
In June, The Day profiled
Linda Stevens Cordero
’69 and Robin Crandall
’69, who found themselves
bonding over shared
musical interests again after
four decades. The article
detailed their original
introduction and their
current efforts “to build
the strings program in the
Groton elementary schools.”
In July, The Day profiled
Cindy Sleeman Gibbs
’73’s impressive sailing
career, from her Women’s
National Championship in
1975 to her participation
this summer in the Women’s
Series at Duck Island
Yacht Club in Westbrook.
She has been a longtime
sailing instructor and yacht
salesperson. She returned to
Williams to coach. “Sailing
is more than just a sport,”
she says. “I never get sick
of it because every day is
different—every boat and
every breeze.”
In March 2007 Rand
Cooper ’76 appeared at
Real Art Ways in Hartford,
CT as part of their Writers
and Readers series. The
evening’s theme was “Baby
Talk.” Rand writes a twicemonthly internet column
for Wondertime, a parenting
magazine owned by Disney.
The column, called “Dad on
a Lark,” relates some of the
pratfalls, triumphs, comic
disasters, insights, afflictions
and delusions that beset
the late-life father…and his
poor wife and daughter, too.
The U.S. House of
Representatives Committee
on Energy and Commerce
reported that David
Cavicke ’80, who has
served the House Energy
and Commerce Committee
as Republican general
counsel and deputy chief
of staff has been named
Republican chief of staff.
Said ranking Republican
U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, RTexas, “In his 12 years with
Energy and Commerce,
David has done everything
but sweep the floors,
and done each job with
grace and success. He
brings diplomacy, humor
and a powerful intellect,
and I’m pleased to have
him with us.” Prior to
his becoming general
counsel in 2005, Cavicke,
45, was the chief counsel
for the Subcommittee on
Commerce, Trade and
Consumer Protection.
On the Committee he
helped author the GrammLeach-Bliley Act and led
congressional investigations
into financial fraud at Enron
and Andersen.
In spring 2007, Gail
Lowney Alofsin ’80,
Marilyn Lowney ’87 and
Dr. David Fahey ’78
appeared in a WNLE TV
News story on the Haitian
Health Foundation. David
and Gail joined Marilyn on
her quarterly trip to rural
southern Haiti. David, an
MD, spent the week in
HHF’s rural health posts,
diagnosing and providing
treatment for these poorest
neighbors. Gail has been
an active volunteer for
the poor for 25 years and
travels at least once a year
to volunteer her time and
talents in Jeremie. Marilyn,
whose first trip to Haiti was
at age 14, is the Executive
Director of the charity. The
Haitian Health Foundation
provides health care,
development, and the hope
of a future to over 200,000
of this hemisphere’s poorest
people with an overhead
of only seven percent.
For more information,
please visit www.
haitianhealthfoundation.org
19
Alumni News Briefs continued
Ambassador Winter 2007–08
Gretel DeRuiter ’83
was highlighted in The
Philadelphia Inquirer
for her participation in
the newspaper’s Sudoku
National Championship.
A Middle School English
teacher at Springside
School in Philadelphia,
Gretel shared her passion
for sudoku with the paper,
saying “It’s like cleaning my
drawers and my cupboards:
It’s about putting things
in order. Of course, my
drawers and cupboards are
not in order, because I’ve
been doing Sudoku.”
Alyssa Cramer Cohen
’91, an account manager
The Williams School
20
at Parents magazine, and
daughter Hannah were
featured in the magazine’s
round-up of kid-tested toys.
The Norwich Bulletin
profiled Danielle
Friedman ’92’s bowling
alley bridal shower in
March, 2007 as part
of a series on bucking
convention at bridal events.
Noting that she “isn’t into
frills or formality” the paper
explained that Danielle,
a nurse practitioner
at Children’s Hospital
Boston, “has always played
sports, including tennis,
softball, field hockey and
racquetball.”
The Day profiled Laura
McCabe ’93, owner
of Just Let Me Bead in
Mystic, whose work was
also featured in Ornament
magazine. In addition to
a thriving online business,
Laura is a writing a beading
how-to book.
According to US Sailing,
Williams Blues were well
represented in the U.S. Team
Racing Championship. Dr.
Graeme Woodworth
’93 and his team
WHishbone made it to
the intense three-day
finals against longtime
rivals NYYC Silver
Panda at the U.S. Team
Racing Championship at
Seawanhaka Corinthian
Yacht Club in Oyster Bay,
NY in October. Though
ultimately taking second,
WHishbone gave a thrilling
challenge, winning the
first of three races. Among
the other championship
participants were Henry
Maxwell ’02, who
captained the Mystic River
Mudheads sailing team
which included older
brother J.R. ’99, Meris
Tombari ’04 (who was
part of the Play One team)
and Jack Field ’04 (who
was part of the Operation
Stonewall team).
Allison Thorp ’96’s
work as Creative Director
on the 2007 Lawrence &
Memorial Employee Talent
Show earned her a nod in
the hospital’s First Hand
newsletter.
The Day reported that Matt
Buck ’01 joined cyclists
riding 383 miles along the
Connecticut River from
the Canadian border to
Saybrook Point to raise
$2,000 for the neonatal unit
at Lawrence & Memorial
Hospital.
Union College reported last
spring that coxswain Kate
Domnarski ’03 and her
Varsity Crew team won
their season debut against
Rochester Polytechnic
Institute. Kate went on
to be named one of the
Collegiate Rowing Coaches
Association’s scholar athletes
for the 2007 season.
Mystic River Press featured
muralist Briahna Wenke
’04, who has carved
out an artistic career in
commissioned paintings
and murals from Great
Harvest Bread Company in
Groton to nurseries around
the state. Her work may be
viewed as www.BriahnaArt.
com.
In May, The Day reported
that Joe Rini ’05 pitched
for the New England College
baseball team in spring
2007, going 0-2.
After seven races sailed
in Club 420s on Lake
Pontchartrain, Emily
Maxwell ’07 and
teammate Kelly Stannard
triumphed over 35 teams
in a hotly contested finale
to capture the U.S. Junior
Women’s Doublehanded
Championship for the Ida
Lewis Trophy. During the
three-day regatta, the young
women racing at this event
were schooled in conditions
that try the patience of the
very best sailors: the vagaries
of light air. On the final
day of this US SAILING
Championship, the top
teams in this national fleet
were tested even further by
a points situation that had
escalated into a lethally close
battle. A win for Maxwell/
Stannard in the last race
cinched their victory on
a slim two-point margin.
Maxwell finished sixth at
this regatta last year, but
this was the first time she
and Stannard campaigned
for this US SAILING
Championship together.
According to Maxwell and
all those who watched this
team sail, these two young
women with little time in
the same boat together
clicked extremely well.
Hot off the success of the television
show Damages with Glenn Close,
Noah Bean ’96 starred in the offBroadway show Yellow Face by David
Henry Hwang. A satirical play about
cultural identity involving “family
politics, international intrigue and
Senate investigators all in pursuit
of the ever-elusive truth. After
inadvertently casting a white actor in
the Asian lead role, the author finds
himself in an embarrassing, ironic and
hilarious position that takes the PC
out of PC.”
Faculty and New York-area alumni
gathered Saturday, December 1 to see
Noah in performance and then catch
up with him after the show at BBar &
Grill. Pictured above: Ken Dooley ’94,
Assist. Alumni Dir. Barbara Schmidt,
Xander Kaplan ’98, Liz Frankel ’97,
Director of Development Ellen Spring,
Noah Bean ’96, Sheila Wheeler, drama
teacher Jane Martineau, Ross Erin
Martineau ’00, and science teacher
Nancy Spillane. Beth Edelstein
’90 also attended the show. Mrs.
Jane Martineau declared Noah’s
performance, “Spectacular!”
Alumni Arts & Alumni Athletics
On a brisk Saturday morning,
November 24, alumni braved the
cold to face the Boys Varsity Soccer
team at Williams Athletic Complex.
No doubt fueled by leftover energy
from the Thanksgiving feast, the
participants all made a spirited
showing, and the Varsity team won
the day. Alumni parents relived fond
fandom memories from the sidelines.
Organized by K. George Mooney, the
third annual Alumni Soccer game
built beautifully on the success of
the past two years, garnering a record
turnout. Pictured below are: (back
row) Paul Hamilton ’04, Spencer Esty
’11, Jacob Lefker ’08, Adam Skiff ’06,
Ethan Schmidt ’08, Tripp Cottrell
’11, Adam Collins ’13, Gabor Hajos
’10, Zach Agostine ’10 (front row)
Coach Tyler Leach, Stephen Watts
’07, Chris Fortin ’04, Andy Fortin
’07, Andres Gomez ’11, Davis Knox
’07, Thad Bochain ’07, Rob Dow ’08,
Trevor Spring ’06, Andrew Mooney
’05, Diptesh Soni ’06, Jeff Zollshan
’04, Jeff Patterson ’04, Chris Belknap
’06, Harry Bradford ’04, Alex Belknap
’04, Josh Hayford ’04, Lucas Lundgren
’03, Michael Lesnik ’00, Brett Grob
’01, Bryan Watts ’03, and K. George
Mooney. Not pictured: Laura
Marcinek ’06, who also played.
Ambassador Winter 2007–08
Boston Reunion 2007
Even if Charles
Glassenberg ‘90 ha
d not
wanted to come to
the
reunion and leave hi
s wife
and young family at
home
he certainly did no
t want
to be outdone by si
ster
Jacquie who had gr
aciously
hosted the N YC re
union!
Ann Dickson ’49
caught up with her
former students
(and now fellow
alumni).
Broo
ke Gr
a
w
id
v
a
i
t
D
s
h
the M nt came
Newlywed
was d
urics
Taylor
d
n
a
and
e
ic
r
l
u
i
ghted
M
t
h
—
a
7
’9
t
t
o
ic
she is
tell u
Heyl Mur
r
t
e
o
g
t
in
t
k
u
r
he Co
o
rning s
w
is
r
lo
y
a
T
as a service ast Guard
le
o
H
s
d
o
o
at W
a tea after a s
.
t
is
g
lo
cher.
tint a
Marine Bio
s
Alex Polidori ‘96 had
just been in touch with
her career news—she
is now Operations
Manager for John
Hancock Fund’s Private
Client Group.
Evan
Bi
very b enstock’92,
a
us
lawye y corporat
r,
e
had hi doubtless
s
in his Blackberry
po
classm cket and lik
a
e
was w te Diane Bo
o
n
his inf ndering abo o
ant at
ut
home.
to
d
o
o
g
ery er’93.
v
s
a
t
It w hil Por father
P
see o is the by.
o
a
He t young b
of a
22
The Williams School
Co-ho
st
Carte ess Heidi
r
enthu Pearlson
s
w
schoo iastic abou as
l
t
and e she remem the
man
xpres
l
b
l
e
i
r
s
G
sed h
wish
asia is a
er
that
t
s
a
W
were
An en ’99 r and
close illiams
eyd l write her
her n
enoug
L
ew ho
h
ing
ica
me fo to
childr
med onsider st
r her
en to
ill c for po
Bur
t
—
s
3
a
o
t
8
’
t
s
e
w
k
ke R
f
n
n
t
r
f
d
o
o
i
o
.
f
t
k
o
w
p
o
‘
athb
9
t
o
e
m
3
B
n
t
a
i
c
i
a
l
re
s
l
r
u
i
a
a
Tess
Wakim
’98
performs
w
d
p
ell p un Zolo
M
ra
her
s, W oard
nt
g
t
e
n
r
ositi
e
r
sh
wor
around the Boston area
o
a cu ms stud ‘11, a B
k
S
n
e
a
f
d
or t
ndoe
a
y
he C in
with Baroque and Early
Willi d Hilar n active ly
A
p
g
o
tent
ency
arne
t
n
a
i
a
Music groups and was
t
‘09 a er, and eloquen
l
m
o
new
emb
poin y
b
e
p
k
u
m
o
e
o
f
t
e
p
rs in
acul
about to leave with Boston
m
of t
s—s bled gr 07
u
t
n
t
y
h
he d
eW
alum e assem ol in 20
Conservatory singers on a
i
l
l
i
a
o
ms S irection
h
h
.
t
c
e
s
o
r
t
u
e
choo
performing tour in Italy.
t th ight fut
u
l.
o
b
a
r
b
s
it
and
illis
Elizabeth W
has her
2
’9
n
o
s
p
m
o
h
T
store
own apparel
ing
and was look
r final
radiant in he
gnancy.
month of pre
Diane B
on
HR rec o Sampson ’92,
rui
an
encoura ter, exchanged
gin
fellow m g words with
om Liz
Thomps
on.
Mrs. Wheeler’s Scrapbook
New York
City
Reconnect
Ezra Hug
’90, another
returnee
to the East
Coast came
along with his
girlfriend Lisa.
By Sheila Wheeler
Recognizing that we make
friends and connections across
grades, Jacquie Glassenberg
Hemmerdinger ’91 and Hunter
Tura ’90 decided to co-host a
New York City Reconnect in
spring 2007. They welcomed
New York area Williams
alumni to a private room with
scintillating mirrored bar in the
Maggie
Immordino
Borner ’95
(below)
brought
along former
classmate
Bridget Mazour
Rutherford ’95
(right).
very hip SoHo House.
Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler joined
alumni for an evening of
reminiscing. Williams Trustee
Carol Patterson and her
husband Bruce were attending
a wedding reception at the
location and made a surprise
visit.They reacquainted
themselves with Jacquie and
also with the Edelstein sisters,
one-time babysitters for their
children Gil ’02, Lucy ’04 and
Danny ’07. Their presence and
enthusiasm for the school in
the 21st century gave alumni
attendees invaluable insight
to the continued health and
excellence of The Willliams
School.
Jacquie
Glassenberg
Hemmerdinger
’91, our
gracious
hostess,
regaled us with
stories of her
twin girls Elllis
and Jordan.
Architect
Hunter Tura
’90 brought
along former
Williams history
and geography
teacher Bill
Heinzen.
Dr. Lori Stetz
’90 and her
husband Chet
Schaedler
braved the
hazards of I-95
to drive to and
from their Old
Saybrook home
in the same
evening.
Ken Newman
’85 is an
attorney in New
York City in
the investment
banking
industry.
Barry Junker
’94 is now
happily settled
as a lawyer in
the city
Dr. Reva
Edelstein Snow
’88 (above)
journeyed from
Maryland to
join sister Beth
Edelstein ’90
(right)
Jackie
Holtzman ‘88 is
back East now
and had lots of
news of brother
Jason ’88 and
sister Mada as
well as her own
plans to attend
graduate
school.