2009 Spring Issue

Students collect sap during

spring break (click for more photos)

Welcome to Newswire, NMH's quarterly alumni e-newsletter. While most students enjoyed spring break at home with their families, dozens stayed put to work with NMH Farm Director Richard Odman collecting sap for NMH maple syrup, or with Annual Fund Associate Director Tara Carroll phoning alumni during the Student Calling Program. In both cases, the return on the students' investment of time and labor was indeed sweet.

CAMPUS NEWS

The NMH Jazz Combo produced an outstanding performance at the Western District High School Big Band and Combo Competition in Westfield February 24, and several members of the group received top awards. The group took a silver award and netted an invitation to the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Jazz Combo Festival in April.

Vocalist Mackenzie Daigle ’11 (pictured) sang a version of “Stormy Weather” that earned her a full scholarship to the University of Massachusetts Jazz in July workshop. Kai Matsuda ’11 on the alto saxophone, Jamison Williams ’11 on drums, and Martin Jaffe ’12 on bass received Outstanding Musicianship Awards. Kai also earned a half scholarship to Jazz in July and Martin received the Most Valuable Soloist Award. This is the second year the Jazz Combo has competed in this event and won top awards as well as the most valuable soloist award.

Wrestlers Pin Big

Nine NMH wrestlers headed to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania for the National Prep Wrestling Championships February 19. Three returned as all-American wrestlers, one of those earning his second all-American title. NMH placed ninth—for the first time in school history breaking the top-10 at the tournament—the top placement for a New England team.

“We started Saturday with six wrestlers in the all-American round, a great accomplishment in itself,” says wrestling coach Rob Buyea. The round is so-named because it’s the match one has to win in order to place in the tournament and gain all-American status. NMH crowned three all-Americans, the most of any New England team. Ryan Ponte ’11 earned his second all-American title, and first time winners were Juan Stimpson ’09 and Max Wright ’10.

Artist Draws Gold

Alexia Kim ’10 is one of 335 artists, out of some 5,200 applicants, who won a Gold Key from the Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards. She attended a ceremony in Boston and her work was on display at the Massachusetts State Transportation Building until the end of February.

Kim won for two pencil drawings on paper, the first, an abstract self-portrait and the second, an image of a snail with a man crouched in the shell called “Introspection,” which describes, “the repetitive daily cycle of men,” according to Kim. The latter she made for her AP Drawing class.

At NMH, art is only one part of Kim’s passions. She plays violin with the symphony and chamber orchestras; is a member of the debate society; is an editor of The Bridge, the student newspaper; participates in several outreach activities such as Habitat for Humanity and Big Brothers Big Sisters; is a member of the Korean Student Association and the International Student Association; is a leader of FrOMAGE (Francophone Organization for More Awareness of Global Equity); and plays soccer and rows crew.

Delegates Convince

Eight students attended a Model United Nations conference hosted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong this month. More than 400 debaters, most of them college students, most from across Asia, took a crack at tackling the world’s problems.

NMH students served on four committees—Human Rights, UN Development, World Health, and Social/Economic Issues—and two team members earned Best Delegate awards (Hannah Ryan ’09 and Leo Chiquillo ’09). Faculty members Lorrie Byrom and Glenn Minshall led the students: Andre Gobbo ’09, Josh Leslie ’09, Ryan, Chiquillo, Dylan Freehauf ’10, Tassos Bareiss ’10, Johannes Wesselhoeft ’09, and Fallon Winters ’10.

Math Whizzes Score

New England Math League is a series of six monthly math competitions between all high schools in New England—182 of them this year. After the first four rounds, NMH is ranked fourth in New England, racking up 117 points out of the maximum 120. These exact contests are offered (in different league names) across the country, so that thousands of schools in the US participate in this competition. Based on the 117 points NMH has accumulated by the end of the fourth round, NMH is ranked 21st in the nation. On February 24, the team completed the fifth round with another perfect team score. The top and perfect scorers in this round were Jack Chiu ’09, Minh Doan ’09, Seonmin (Will) Heo ’10, MinHyung (Daniel) Kang ’11, and Patipan (Gee) Prasertsom ’09.

ALUMNI IN THE NEWS

Laura Linney '82

In December we reported that Laura Linney '82 had won her third Emmy for her portrayal of Abigail Adams on HBO’s miniseries John Adams. Now she adds a Golden Globe to her collection. She was named best actress in a miniseries or movie made for television for her performance. “With words, but also with eloquent gestures and glances, Ms. Linney delicately evokes Abigail’s humor, loyalty and fierce intelligence,” noted the New York Times when the series debuted last March. Linney was interviewed on Bravo’s “Inside the Actors Studio” in January.

In Business...

William R. Rhodes '53



Padmaja Kumari Mewar '99

NMH's Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus William R. Rhodes ’53, senior vice chairman of Citigroup and chairman of Citibank, received the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in a Warsaw ceremony in December. Rhodes was decorated by the President of Poland, Lech Kaczynski.

Hospitality entrepreneur Padmaja Kumari Mewar '99 was the subject of a New York Times business section Q&A on her family's role in Indian society and its responsibility to serve. The article mentions that Mewar went to NMH before graduating from Tulane University. She now is the joint managing director of HRH Hotels, a collection of about a dozen resorts and former Mewar family palaces and hunting lodges that was founded by her grandfather.

In Sports...

Brian Strait '04



Tony Gaffney '04

Brian Strait '04 was featured in The Daily News Tribune of Waltham, MA, after helping the Boston University hockey team win its 29th title at the 57th Beanpot championship at TD Banknorth Garden, Boston.







UMass senior basketball forward Tony Gaffney '04 made news in Springfield's The Republican, The Boston Herald, and on ABC 40 TV when he was named the Atlantic 10 Conference's defensive player of the year. Gaffney led the conference in blocks and was second in rebounding and steals.

In Public Affairs...

Felix Marquardt ’92



Valerie Jarrett '74

In his column in Forbes Magazine, Felix Marquardt ’92 recalls the pride he felt in his home city of Paris as a child, and how the great city’s reputation in the world fell off after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Marquardt remarks that under President Nicolas Sarkozy and a new generation of younger leaders in parliament and in industry, France’s currency is rising (metaphorically speaking).

Valerie Jarrett ’74, the senior advisor to President Barack Obama, has been named to head a new panel on women and girls. She appeared on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition on March 12 to talk about what the council will do. Jarrett said the group’s first step will be to see what the federal government is currently doing to help American women so that efforts can be coordinated.

In the Military...

Seth Howard '02

Staff Sgt. Seth Howard '02 was one of ten Green Berets to receive the Silver Star in December for a battle fought in Afghanistan last year. Howard and his team from the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group jumped from a helicopter hovering ten feet off the ground in the rocky Shok Valley to kill or capture members of the Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin group, which is allied with the Taliban and Al Qaeda. An Associated Press article and a piece in the Washington Post tell the story of the heroic actions.

FROM THE ADVANCEMENT OFFICE

Making the call: see more photos

Twenty-nine students dedicated their spring break to raise money for the NMH Annual Fund. Initially they set a goal to raise $130,000 in honor of the school's 130th anniversary campaign. After busting that target at the beginning of the second week of calling, they reset at $150,000. They beat their goal again, ending with a total of $168,351 in gifts and pledges from just over 1,000 alumni and friends of the school.

It's not too late to show your support. You can make a gift online now, or call 1-866-NMH-GIVE (1-866-664-4483).

130th Anniversary Campaign Tour Continues

The Honorable Ann Newman Sundt N'54 and Edwin Sundt MH'54, both former NMH teachers, visit with Head of School Sturtevant

Seven campaign events in East Coast cities from Florida to Connecticut are bringing NMH alumni, parents, and friends together–some for the first time since graduation– to share stories and to hear news of the school today. Head of School Tom Sturtevant has been answering questions about the economic climate and assuring the groups that NMH is thriving, while thanking donors for their continued support.

Take a Seat!

Members of the NMH community are invited to name a seat in one of the Rhodes Arts Center performance venues: in the 250-seat Raymond Hall or the 225-seat end-stage-theater ($3,000 each); or in Heffernon Hall or the dance studio theater ($1,500 each, portable seating). The names of donors—or the honoree of choice—will be etched on seat or wall plaques. Surprise a loved one with the gift of a seat.

Click here to see a video tribute to the arts at NMH and to learn more about how to name a seat. Or contact Holly Holloway, assistant to Chief Advancement Officer Allyson Goodwin, at 413-498-3334.

NMH 130th Anniversary Campaign: Ways to Give

With only $3.6 million more to go, we are 95 percent on our way to meeting the NMH 130th Anniversary Campaign goal of $80 million. Please make an investment in NMH today, starting with a gift to the this year's Annual Fund. To learn how, click here. Thank you!

Visit the campaign website for updates, news, and photos.

QUICK LINKS

Alumni are alerted to each Newswire edition via e-mail. If you know of a fellow alum who is not receiving Newswire, please forward this edition and/or tell them about our address update page.

Try This! Admitted Students Envision NMH

Freshman orientation 2008

The admission season is in full swing, and an outstanding pool of prospective students has been admitted for September 2009. The Admission Office is hosting an exciting series of campus events for those families who are making their final decisions: Click on the links below for the inside scoop on NMH and see what they're seeing!

• Envision NMH
• A Day in the Life of Two NMHers
• What our Teachers Say
• What Students Love about NMH

CALENDAR

April 19 NMH in Charlotte, NC: information

April 30–May 2 NMH Trustees meeting, on campus

May 2 Rhodes Arts Center Grand Opening

May 8–10 Alumni Musicians' Weekend: information

May 10 115th Concert of Sacred Music: information

May 24 126th Commencement of Northfield Mount Hermon

June 4–7  NMH Reunion 2009: information