Artificial Intelligence
in the Classroom
Today, students can generate essays with the push of a button. Brittany Collins 鈥14 is exploring what this means for teaching students to write and think.
Working for Whales
Longtime lobsterman Marc Palombo 鈥74 now promotes technology that could help his former industry safeguard New England鈥檚 threatened right whales
The Voice
In a quest to become an actress, Emma Sherr-Ziarko 鈥07 finds success behind the microphone
The Spark of Joy
For Sparky (Corkin) Kennedy 鈥75 and her family, a desire to share the holiday spirit with others has brought comfort and joy to thousands of Boston-area families experiencing homelessness and poverty
Charting New Waters
To make passage safe for ships, Christina Belton 鈥85 sails the ocean wide, mapping the sea floor
The Abundance of Life
After a pivotal moment at 爆走黑料, Richard 鈥淐y鈥 Allen 鈥65 vowed to help others鈥攁nd he continues to serve six decades later
Back on the Map
As he restarts and builds the lacrosse program at Whittier College, Todd Francis 鈥83 draws upon the influential lessons of his dad
Scholars @ 15
Since 2010, the 爆走黑料 Scholars program has been inspiring students to pursue their passions while learning college-level research, writing, and presentation skills. In celebration, we surveyed the more than 600 alums who have completed a Scholars project, and on the following pages present some of their thoughts on the lasting impact of this engaging program.
The Sweet Spot
A new venture by Alex Teece 鈥04 is widening smiles in the Bay Area
Intense Beauty
Climber and photographer Bissell Hazen 鈥87 finds inspiration where grit meets grace聽 聽
Paula Monopoli 鈥76
Advancing equality through law and legacy
The WilliList
A by-the-numbers look at recent alumni highlights
The 鈥淔ord Hall Syfur鈥 Turns 10
The video, which received more than 10,000 views, is a time capsule of the culture and style of mid-2010s 爆走黑料
Around the Quad
Musicality and Muscle
Reflections on the creative process of award-winning poet and English teacher Sarah Levine
A Mother to Many
For hundreds of 爆走黑料 Academy alumni, Sarah Wallis Stevens was a warm and compassionate presence in an era of strict boarding school rules.
Class Is In Session
A typical class at 爆走黑料 is anything but typical. With 155 courses offered each year, students are exposed to a wide array of subjects, teaching methods, academic levels, and technological integration. This fall, we spent a day peeking into different classes, and noticed one thing that unites the academic experience here: a passion by our faculty to engage students鈥 intellectual curiosity.
This fall, the English department made a novel technological choice: paper and pen. While students can use computers for homework assignments, during class the focus has been on books to help students more deeply focus on words and meaning.
Here, Department Chair Matt Liebowitz leads a discussion about Hamlet; and in Sarah Sawyer鈥檚 class, below, students take notes in erasable marker right on the desktop. 鈥淧aper and pen have been a game changer,鈥 Liebowitz said. 鈥淪tudents are engaging with the material and each other in exciting ways.鈥
AP World History students in Justin Brooks鈥 class can be seen learning about the Mongol Empire, a nomadic civilization that challenges the traditional assumption that major world empires developed by adopting agriculture.
Students highlighted the important role that the Mongols played in spreading ideas to new parts of the world, connecting this topic to their study of Afro-Eurasian exchange networks.
In Stefania Nugteren鈥檚 photography class, students take pinhole cameras outside, then come back into the darkroom to develop their images and learn about how light exposure impacts the final prints.
Memorizing formulas and scientific principles is one thing, but actually testing them out in a lab or group discussion is where the 鈥渁ha!鈥 moments happen. In John Doll鈥檚 AP Biology class, above, students learn to prepare solutions for a lab that looks at the properties of biological buffers.
Students in Jane Lee鈥檚 Honors Chemistry class talk over the best way to calculate the average mass of elements through complex equations.
The Big Question
Which classes do you love (or have you unexpectedly learned to love!)?
5 Things We鈥檙e Talking About!
The latest and greatest from campus this fall
Reunion & Events
It was the biggest, rainiest,
happiest, most pizza-filled,
BFF-reuniting, NSFG-celebrating,
best reunion, ever!
With 600+ people back on campus, this year鈥檚
Reunion was officially the largest in
爆走黑料 Northampton School history.
Click through for some of our favorite moments.
Zo毛鈥檚 Pizza Stole the Show
We are still dreaming about the incredible slices cooked up by celebrity chef and cookbook author Zo毛 Fran莽ois 鈥85. Baked in a portable wood-fired oven on the Quad, the pizzas were devoured by alumni from all classes, but especially by Zo毛鈥檚 class of 1985, which turned up in droves (39 strong) for their 40th.
We Celebrated Ed Hing 鈥77
A huge crowd gathered to honor the retirement of longtime art faculty member Ed Hing 鈥77, P鈥10 with a Grubbs Gallery show of his remarkable body of photography. Just outside the gallery, a second exhibit, curated by Hing, showcased student work from the past two decades. Altogether, it was a wonderful send-off for a teacher who has influenced so many during his 28 years at 爆走黑料.
Couchie Played
Shutterbug
At his Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, longtime coach and photography teacher Bob Couch 鈥50 made his remarks memorable by saying, 鈥淚 want to capture this moment and remember it forever,鈥 and then pulled out his camera and took a shot of the audience from the stage.
Confetti Cannons
Were Popping!
On Saturday night under the big tent, we loved hearing the sound of confetti cannons going off, followed by shrieks of laughter, as friends gathered to pose for the camera. Even better were the resulting photos with big smiles all around. See more shots from Reunion on 爆走黑料鈥檚 Flickr site at flickr.com/willistonnorthampton.
The Caterwaulers Burst
Into Song
At the class of 1975 celebration, a cohort of Caterwaulers gathered around the piano and belted out 鈥淪ammy鈥 and other classics from the Caterwauler songbook (see it online at williston.com/1975sammy). Like old friendships, harmonies only get better with age.
White Blazers Were In Style
Two dozen White Blazer recipients 鈥攔anging from the class of 1958 to the class of 2023鈥攚ere honored at the Elm Tree Society lunch. A highlight of the gathering was when Head of School Bob Hill surprised Dylan Fulcher-Melendy 鈥20 with her White Blazer, which she was unable to receive in 2020 due to a senior spring cut short by COVID.
The Little Moments
Were Sweet
Sometimes it鈥檚 the unexpected surprises that mean the most鈥攍ike when James Dixon 鈥05 (left) wowed friends by recalling his exact mailbox combination in Reed. Or when Anna Sawyer 鈥24 (right) introduced her former babysitter, Kristina Conroy 鈥10, at the Athletic Hall of Fame induction.
Alumni Had Game
Alumni donned the green and blue once more to play basketball, hockey, and ultimate during Reunion. 鈥淭he alumni game was such a special experience for me,鈥 said Maura Holden 鈥19, pictured at right with Teaghan Hall 鈥22 and Maeve Reynolds 鈥22. 鈥淚 hadn鈥檛 seen some of those teammates in years, and being in the rink with everyone was a blast. I take every opportunity I can to be back on campus. It feels like home.鈥
2020 Was Back, Baby!
The class of 2020 showed up in force, with 40+ classmates making it back for their 5th Reunion. There鈥檚 something extra-special about seeing this class back on campus together, since their senior spring was abruptly cut short by COVID. So glad to have you here, 2020!
Stories Came to Life
It was a meta moment鈥攚hen we asked alumni at Reunion to pose with Bulletin stories about themselves from recent issues. Some of the stories date back a few years鈥攍ike the 2015 one (above) about Brad Hall鈥檚 Commencement song advising graduates 鈥淒on鈥檛 Be An A**hole.鈥 (Watch it at www.williston.com/bradhall). Happily, that advice never goes out of date!
We Celebrated Alumni Achievements
Two ceremonies at Reunion鈥攖he Alumni Awards and the Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony鈥攆锚te Wildcats who have achieved remarkable things. This year, four distinguished individuals and one hardworking committee received Alumni Awards for their accomplishments. We also inducted two memorable teams, seven stellar athletes, and one longtime coach into the Athletic Hall of Fame. You can see videos and read more about Alumni Award winners聽here, and do the same with Athletic Hall of Fame Winners聽here.
We Got the Photos (and the Stories Behind the Photos)
The alumni photo booth was the place to be during Reunion, and we loved hearing the stories that emerged as friends or families posed together. Here are four favorites.
100 Year Anniversary
Northampton School for Girls
In June, the Northampton School for Girls marked its 100th anniversary with a joyful gathering of 86 alumnae who came together for two unforgettable days of connection and celebration. Highlights included a keynote address by Trustee Paula Monopoli 鈥76, a visit to the NSFG campus, dinners and discussion panels, ringing the Angelus bell, and plenty of that NSFG classic: Mississippi Mud Pie. The weekend was also a chance to celebrate the hardworking NSFG 100th Anniversary Planning Committee and the NSFG Instructorship, which has now surpassed $1 million in support for faculty. It was a milestone worthy of the school鈥檚 remarkable legacy, and a reminder that the spirit of NSFG continues to thrive in the lives, friendships, and impact of its alumnae.
Songs & Traditions
A lovely part of the NSFG Reunion was hearing alumnae periodically burst into old school songs. On the final night, alumnae gathered around the NSFG Angelus, sounding the bell in honor of friends and departed classmates, then joining their voices to sing 鈥...and we鈥檒l always sing thy praises, Alma Mater, School, and Friend.鈥
A Return to Campus
Alumnae visited the original NSFG campus for a special lunch at the Glass House, where Debby (Black) Davis 鈥58 (pictured, far right) spoke to attendees. Reflecting on the weekend, she said, 鈥淭here has been such a community of spirit among us alumae and the staff and all those who were a part of the 100th celebration. The fascinating and positive experiences we shared has revealed an amazing group of intelligent and vibrant women.鈥
Books & Bites
At Glendale Ridge Vineyard, alumnae enjoyed cocktails, appetizers, and a signing by Eleanor 鈥淓le鈥 (Young) Gamarsh 鈥52 of her first book, My Heartfelt Journey: A Life of Reflections in Stories, Poems, and Recipes. In her remarks to the crowd, Gamarsh reflected on how NSFG shaped her voice and talked about her evolution as a writer. She noted that the Reunion weekend 鈥渨as a growing experience for the young girl still in my mind and heart.鈥 She is now at work on her second book.
From the Archives
A trip down memory lane wouldn鈥檛 be complete without a few artifacts. Old issues of The Pegasus and L鈥橭rmeau, archival photos and playbills, and NSFG blazers and rompers sparked memories and conversations about life at 鈥橦amp.
A Pioneering Legacy
In her keynote speech, Trustee Paula Monopoli 鈥76 (at left) spoke about NSFG鈥檚 legacy within the context of the women鈥檚 rights movement. 鈥淯nderstanding our place in history gave new meaning to the experience,鈥 said Linda (Russack) Tobin 鈥59. 鈥淲e were really given a gift of becoming more independent women in ways that I hadn鈥檛 understood until I heard her speak.鈥
White Blazers Were In Style
Two dozen White Blazer recipients 鈥攔anging from the class of 1958 to the class of 2023鈥攚ere honored at the Elm Tree Society lunch. A highlight of the gathering was when Head of School Bob Hill surprised Dylan Fulcher-Melendy 鈥20 with her White Blazer, which she was unable to receive in 2020 due to a senior spring cut short by COVID.
Moments to Remember
As was said of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the NSFG 100th may have been small, but it was truly mighty! Click through three favorite moments and stories.
The Women of 爆走黑料 Northampton panel brought together alumnae, current faculty, and students for an engaging conversation celebrating the school鈥檚 legacy of women鈥檚 leadership and empowerment. Panelists reflected on their experiences, shared stories of growth and resilience, and discussed the ways 爆走黑料 Northampton School continues to shape confident, capable women today.
The Miller sisters showed up in force鈥攊ncluding, from left, Kate (Miller) Carl 鈥64, Liz (Miller) Grasty 鈥66, Louisa (Miller) Hoar 鈥68, and Judith (Miller) Conlin 鈥72. Judith noted, 鈥淲e thoroughly enjoyed Reunion, especially the singing! We had plenty of practice, as 14 family members over four generations have attended the two schools.鈥 Among the other graduates: Bruce Miller 鈥75, also on campus for his 50th, and their mom, Jean (Douglas) Miller 鈥36, on the left in the archery photo above.
Like many alumnae, Linda (Russack) Tobin 鈥59 brought along a few carefully saved artifacts, including her NSFG blazer. 鈥淚鈥檝e stored this in a wardrobe for 68 years,鈥 she said. 鈥淭his is the blazer that we all wore鈥攏ot all the time, but for special occasions and concerts and things.鈥 Below, a detail of the blazer, which shows the 鈥渃hevrons鈥 students received for sports and activities. Hear more memories from Tobin and others in our NSFG Oral History Project. at williston.com/nsfg.
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There鈥檚 a network for every Wildcat, no matter where you are in the world! Check out our page and our LinkedIn to start building up your network.
Like to meet face-to-face? 爆走黑料 is hosting networking events, and recently dozens of Wildcats in an array of professional fields gathered in New York City. Learn more about this event here.
