PALLIUMTHE MAGAZINE OF

CANTERBURY SCHOOL

VOL. 30, NO. 2

In front of an assembled crowd of students, parents, alumni, and friends, Canterbury School dedicated its new turf field as “Sheehy Family Field” on Saturday, April 5, 2014. Canterbury Trustee John D. O’Neill ’57 served as the Master of Ceremonies and saluted the Mulheren and Becker families, whose generous donations made both the turf field and Canterbury’s new softball field possible. The Mulherens and Beckers selflessly chose to name the field in honor of Canterbury Headmaster Thomas J. Sheehy III and his family to recognize the contributions that Mr. Sheehy has made to the School in his 24 years as Headmaster.

Canterbury Trustee Karen Becker Casey ’91 and Dakota Woodham ’03, daughter of Canterbury Trustee Nancy Mulheren, spoke eloquently and passionately about the positive impact that Mr. Sheehy has made upon a generation of students. Mr. O’Neill congratulated the Canterbury Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse team, which had defeated The Gunnery 18-4 in a game on the turf that immediately preceded the dedication ceremony and talked about the two fields’ strategic importance in helping to attract student-athletes to Canterbury and to provide marquee facilities for competition. Mr. Sheehy, on behalf of his family, thanked all in attendance, especially the Mulherens and the Beckersand said how personally honored and grateful he felt to have been recognized in this manner.

Trustee John D. O’Neill ’57,Master of Ceremonies.

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Sheehy Family Field Dedicated

Cover by Heidi Johnson.L-r: Trustee John D. O’Neill ’57, Trustee Karen Becker Casey ’91, Tom Sheehy, Ted Casey, Betsy Sheehy, Trustee Nancy Mulheren, Wyatt Mulheren ’13, Dakota Mulheren Woodham ’03.

Trustee Karen Becker Casey ’91 speaks on behalf of the Becker family.

Dakota Mulheren Woodham ’03 speaks on behalf of her family.

Headmaster Tom Sheehy thanks donors and guests.

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PALLIUMVol. 30, No. 2 2014

PALLIUMA circular band about two inches wide, a pallium is made of white wool and worn over the chasuble around the neck, breast, and shoulders. With its two pendants draping down in the back and front, respectively, a pallium is also marked by six black crosses of silk. The wearing of the pallium dates to the Fourth Century. It was first given to St. Augustine by Pope Gregory the Great, and each successive archbishop has worn one. A representation of the pallium appears in the center of the School seal, as well as in the School’s logotype.

Editor, Photographer, Designer:

Marc Vanasse ’73

How to Reach UsThe Pallium encourages its readers to communicate with the School.Mail: Pallium Editor, Canterbury School, 101 Aspetuck Avenue, New Milford, CT 06776E-Mail: pallium@cbury.org • Fax: (available 24 hours a day): 860-350-4425 Call: 860-210-3800 (Switchboard), 1-800-526-1710 www.cbury.org

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Canterbury Admissions TodayBy Matthew Mulhern ’95, Director of AdmissionsHow the School’s Office of Admission is responding to an ever-changing and challenging landscape.

The Athletics & Admission ConnectionBy Paddy McCarthy ’94, Assistant Director of AthleticsHow have significant changes in the athletic world at large, in the prep school world, and at Canterbury affected recruiting the student-athlete?

Capstone Addresses “Global Voices in 21st Century”By Wright Danenbarger, English Department Co-ChairEnglish class focuses on diverse voices often excluded in the literature curriculum in U.S. schools.

Paying it ForwardBy Paul Dolan, English Department Co-ChairCanterbury influenced Wayne Owens ’77 so much that he founded a charter school based on the School’s mission.

It Takes TimeBy Emily Dolan, Assistant Dean of StudentsWomen of Canterbury is close to a quarter of a century old. The organization empowers the School’s girls, raises important issues, and still has time to perform community service.

Campus LifeNews of the School and photos.

The Canterbury Observer: Lessons Canterbury Taught MeBy Will Finn ’07At the annual ring ceremony, Will reflects on his Canterbury experience.

The Canterbury Observer: PALLIUM Celebrates 30th BirthdayBy Steve Reynolds ’78PALLIUM’s founding editor Steve Reynolds recounts the birth of the magazine and waxes on about min(d)ing history.

The Constitution of the Society of Alumni of Canterbury School/Reunion 2014 ScheduleThe Constitution will be voted on at the First Annual meeting of the Society.

Jean S. Hebert, Legendary Faculty Member, DiesBy Marc Vanasse ’73During a Canterbury career spanning 41 years, Jean served the School as a teacher, coach, Senior Master, Assistant Director of Athletics, and Director of the Choral Club. His impact on Canterbury and students left a significant mark.

Class NotesNews, photos, and more

Graduation DayMay 27

Reunion 2014June 6-8

Mark Your Calendar

Canterbury School, founded in 1915 by Roman Catholic laymen, is a coeducational, boarding and day school of approximately 355 students, grades 9-12. The Roman Catholic commitment of the School remains central.

Canterbury School is a non-profit institution that seeks and admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, and does not discriminate in the administration of its programs and policies.

The Canterbury Observer is a regular feature of the Pallium. It is a forum for any and all alumni, faculty, and friends of Canterbury to share their thoughts and interests. Views do not necessarily express the philosophy of Canterbury School.

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How the School’s Office of Admission is respondingto an ever-changing and challenging landscape.

Canterbury Admissions Today

By Matthew Mulhern ’95Director of Admission

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Canterbury’s Admission team. Seated, l-r: Camille Gangi, Betsy Sheehy, Erin Deshaies ’86. Standing, l-r: Dave LaPointe, Trisha Harrington, Matt Mulhern ’95, Aleka Woods ’08, Ryan Bailey.

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As a 1995 Canterbury graduate, I am honored to return to the School as its Director of Admission and contribute to the upward trajectory of “The Canterbury Brand.” That trajectory is evident in the positive changes that have occurred since I graduated 19 years ago.

Since then, we have transformed our campus with beautiful and strategic facilities including the Higgins ’53 Aquatic Center; new fields; an Athletic Center with the Saxe & Castellini squash courts, a wrestling room, and conditioning center; and a renovated and enlarged Steele Hall. The new South House made it possible to increase the female student population from 37% in 1995 to 44% in 2013. Tom Sheehy and his administrators have assembled a talented and well-educated faculty. Our athletic teams, led by talented coaches, win more championships than ever before in the School’s history. Canterbury’s endowment has increased significantly, reflecting the confidence and loyalty of our graduates and parents. The warm environment, expanded opportunities, and valuable mentoring I experienced as a student is what drew me back to Canterbury to be part of its administrative team.

At the same time, today’s demographics and financial climate have changed the nature of admission offices in independent schools, which must work harder to attract the best and brightest students from around the United States and the world.

Upon my arrival last July, my immediate goal was to assure that Canterbury’s name is known far and wide. To achieve this, we have hit the road in search of talented students, athletes, musicians, and artists. We have saturated major domestic and international markets in search of exceptional students, including new markets in South

America and Mexico. This year, we will have visited more than 100 “feeder” schools, attended more than 50 school fairs in the U.S. and Canada, hosted six receptions, and met with more than 30 educational consultants. We have also held successful Open House and Revisit days on campus, involving faculty and current students.

We still believe in the importance of face-to-face contact with our applicants. In addition, we have launched a newly designed and expanded website this winter and renewed our commitment to using social media to attract new prospective students to the School. With so much information online at the touch of a few keystrokes, maintaining a strong Internet presence for savvy independent school shoppers is critically important. Completing applications

Prospective students and their families tour the campus at this year’s Open House.

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online has become more popular. With a single mouse click, a student may send an application to any number of schools, adding to the fierce competition for well-qualified students.

The Office of Admission manages a strong Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest presence. Many athletic teams now use Twitter to post game updates in real time. Ten years ago, such methods of grabbing and holding the attention of prospective students did not exist. Today, Canterbury embraces these social media sites as an integral part of its overall recruitment strategy.

Canterbury’s Office of Admission is ready to do whatever it takes to join forces with our graduates and parents to promote the School and attract the most talented students possible. If you are interested in collaborating with our office’s Admission/Alumni Initiative, please let us know.

We recognize the challenges of independent school admission in the 21st century, but we believe that with careful planning and energetic execution, the results will be gratifying. The admission team and I are committed to success, sustaining our unique heritage, and ushering Canterbury into its second century as one of the premier New England boarding schools.

We recognize the challenges of independent school admission in the 21st century, but we believe that with careful planning and energetic execution, the results will be gratifying.

Matt Mulhern ’95Director of Admission

Matt assumed his role as Canterbury’s Director of Admission in July 2013.Prior to his arrival at the School, Matt spent nine years as the Senior Associate Director of Admission and Director of Financial Aid at The Hill School in Pottstown, PA. During his tenure there, he also served as the head coach of Hill’s Boys’ Ice Hockey team. He began his independent school career in 2001 at Groton School, where he spent three years as the Associate Director of Admission. Following his graduation from Canterbury, Matt went on to Boston College, where he received a B.A. from the school’s Lynch School of Education. He graduated in 1999 with a degree in Human Development and a minor in English. Matt and his wife, Lindsay, who teaches English, have four sons and live in SouthHouse.

Erin Deshaies ’86Dir. of Financial Aid

Erin Deshaies ’86 joined the Office in 2001. She serves as the Director of Financial Aid and Senior Associate Admission Director. She holds an M.P.S. from Manhattanville College and a B.A. from Boston College. In addition to her duties as Director of Financial Aid, she also interviews prospective students and manages the Office in Matt’s absence. With Matt, she sets financial aid policy, allocates financial awards, and is involved in strategic planning. She is also responsible for monthly and annual statistical reporting, database oversight, and interview scheduling. In the spring, she takes the lead on planning and executing the Office’s Revisit Day Programs. When she is not working, Erin enjoys spending time with her two children, Adam ’13 and Kelley ’14.

Betsy Sheehy, Assoc. Dir. of Admission

Before coming to Canterbury in 1990 with her husband, Headmaster Tom Sheehy, Betsy taught reading and ran the day camp for the Tabor Academy Summer Program. She joined Canterbury’s Office of Admission in 1992. Her responsibilities include handling inquiries and conducting interviews. She assists the Director of RARN (Regional Admission Representative Network), Camille Gangi, and is Canterbury’s Caller Program Coordinator. She assists with many of the Office’s special events, including New Student Cookout, Open House, and Revisit Days. Betsy earned a B.S. from Wheelock College. Outside of the Office, Betsy enjoys spending time with her four children and her nine grandchildren.

Trisha HarringtonAdmin. Associate

Trisha joined the Office of Admission in 1997. She handles inquiries and greets prospective students and their families. Her additional responsibilities include interview scheduling, coordinating international students’ SEVIS paperwork, and supervising application files and decision letters. She also coordinates thank you letters, new student academic file set-up, office appointments by phone and e-mail, admission contracts, I-20’s, and reception invitations. A longtime resident of New Milford, Trisha enjoys spending time with her husband as well as her six grandchildren.

Meet the Admissions Team

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Camille Gangi, Assoc. Dir. of Admission

Camille joined the Office of Admission in 2008. After graduating from Manhattan College with a B.S. in Computer Science, Camille began her career in Merrill Lynch’s Systems Programming Department. Camille’s responsibilities include handling inquiries, conducting interviews, traveling to secondary school fairs, and visiting feeder schools in the local area. She is also the Director of the Regional Admission Representative Network (RARN), a network of volunteers who assist the Office of Admission in reaching out to prospective families at events on and off campus, and with our Canterbury Caller Program. Camille also plans and executes various Admission events on campus such as the New Student Picnic, Open House, and Revisit Day programs. She and her husband, Paul, have three children, twins Ashley ’08 and Nicole ’08 and son Paul ’15.

Dave LaPointe, Asst.Director of Admission

A graduate of St. Lawrence University, Dave joined the Office of Admission in the summer of 2013. Prior to arriving at Canterbury, he spent five years as a commercial real estate agent in Syracuse, NY, focusing on new business development. Dave is a graduate of the Holderness School in Plymouth, NH. His education experience there motivated him to return to the independent school world. His goal at Canterbury is to take his experiences from the business world and transition them into the Office of Admission advisor, mentor, and coach. In addition to conducting interviews, Dave is responsible for advertisement placement and is the Office’s sports liaison. Dave lives on campus with wife Katie and their young son Rudy.

Ryan Bailey, Asst.Director of Admission

In the summer of 2013, Ryan joined the Office of Admission with nine years of experience in independent schools. Most recently, he worked in the Office of Admission and as a history teacher at the Pennington School in New Jersey. At Canterbury, he interviews and is Director of the Ambassador (tour guides) Program. He travels extensively, representing the school locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Ryan also teaches U.S. History and works with the Boys’ Ice Hockey team and Track and Field. He lives in Havemeyer House with his wife, Alison, and son Griffin. He enjoys spending time with his family, running, and reading. A four-year letter winner with the Men’s Ice Hockey team, he graduated from Hamilton College with a B.A. in Government in 2003.

Aleka Woods ’08, Asst. Dir. of Admission

A third generation Canterbury graduate, Aleka earned a B.A. in Government from Franklin and Marshall College. Her responsibilities include coordinating Canterbury’s social media presence (website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest), and representing Canterbury at school fairs. She recently returned from an admission trip to Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. Aleka’s Canterbury connections include, among others, brother Michael ’12, and former Trustees uncle Ed Carney ’79 and grandfather Peter Carney ’49, who received the Canterbury Medal in 2004. Before joining the Office of Admission, Aleka was an intern at Equator Capital Partners and at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Aleka is a dorm parent in Carter House and enjoys playing squash, which she played at Canterbury and in college.

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By Paddy McCarthy ’94Assistant Director of Athletics

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THE ATHLETICS& ADMISSIONCONNECTION

How have significant changes in the athletic world at large, in the prep school

world, and at Canterbury affected recruiting the student-athlete?

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The student-athletes moving through Canterbury’s halls and locker rooms today continue to learn the lessons of perseverance and teamwork. However, since 1994, some significant changes – in the athletic world at large, in the prep school world, and at Canterbury – have occurred. These changes affect our admission process, the experience our students have as they practice and compete, and our college placement.

A significant, obvious change at Canterbury is our updated athletic facilities. The Athletic Center, the Higgins ’53 Aquatic Center, the renovations to the rink and Pigott Arena, the eight new tennis courts, and most recently, the Sheehy Family Field and the new softball fields have enhanced our athletic programs. These upgrades not only provide our athletes with exciting places to compete, but they help Canterbury impress prospective student-athletes coming through

One of the most vivid memories from my years on Canterbury’s Varsity Hockey team was seeing my roommate, Joe Roberto ’94, wrist a shot past the Avon goalie in OT to win the Division I New England Championship. This moment was the culmination of a year during which “Bert” and the rest of the team learned how to persevere through a schedule that demanded each player perform at his highest level every day. We learned that teamwork is as important as talent, and teamwork relies on the individual player’s willingness to be responsible for his role on the team. Now the Canterbury’s Varsity Boys’ Hockey Coach, I am reminded how the important lessons of perseverance and teamwork, learned from my Canterbury athletic experience, helped see me through challenges after graduation.

our Admission Office door. Director of Admission Matt

Mulhern ’95, a former Division I athlete at Boston College, understands the impact facilities have on student-athletes when they decide which private school to attend. “When prospective families make their way around Canterbury’s campus, it is not only about the people they meet, but the facilities they see in comparison to other schools. The addition of the Sheehy Family Field and the new softball field have strengthened our athletic program. I am convinced these additions will make the job of the Office of Admission much easier moving forward.”

The changing trends within youth sports have had a profound effect on athletic programs in prep schools. The pressure applied to youth athletes to “specialize” in one sport at much younger ages is a real phenomenon that is, for better or worse, taking hold in American sports today. For

Mike Urquhart ’13 plays men’s varsity lacrosse at College of the Holy Cross.

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instance, boys’ ice hockey, which used to be considered a winter season sport, now holds tryouts for the upcoming season in the spring, and the season officially begins in the fall. At best, a male youth hockey player can consider himself a two-sport athlete if he chooses to pick up lacrosse, baseball, golf or track in the spring. Summer time is not off-limits from the trend towards specialization. As young athletes grow older, the pressure increases to attend camps and play in summer leagues specifically designed for a particular sport. These overlapping seasons have put the survival of the true three-sport athlete at risk.

Many of Canterbury’s competitors have begun to adapt the specialization trend to their own athletic programs. A number of peer schools have moved to

a two-sport requirement and are offering programs that are attractive to the new youth athlete. Prep school coaches are becoming more visible and involved in out-of-season and summer events that put them in front of student-athletes, while marketing their schools. A common question families ask during their visit to Canterbury is, “What are your athletic requirements?” The answer to this question can sometimes be the key to a family’s decision to enroll or not. Today, Canterbury promotes a three-sport requirement, but the Athletic Department is moving towards strategies and programs that will help Canterbury continue to compete for top student-athletes. Academic programs and financial aid dollars continue to play a large role in the admission process, but the emphasis on American youth

“The addition of the Sheehy Family Field and the new softball field have strengthened our athletic program. I am convinced these additions will make the job of the Office of Admission much easier moving forward.”

New softball field.

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sports today must not be ignored if Canterbury is to compete for top student-athletes.

In this new, more competitive climate, the role of varsity coaches is much more vital to the admission process than it was in past decades. Today, when Canterbury needs to hire a varsity coach, candidates must have experience playing at the college varsity level. Not only does a varsity coach need to be well versed in his or her sport and guide the team well, coaches must recruit actively. Canterbury’s coaches attend showcases and camps that attract large numbers of student-athletes eager to learn more about private schools. Many programs also receive anywhere from 40-60 video clips to help evaluate a player’s level of skill. This piece of the process has become an important part of recruiting. Keeping the outside world up-to-date on team news and highlights throughout the year on the School’s website and team Twitter accounts is also a significant addition to the responsibilities of a Canterbury coach.

Our coaches have embraced the use of social media to meet the standards and demands of the students and our competitors. Once a coach interests a prospective student in Canterbury, a visit to campus by his/her family is the next step. During the visit, a family talks with coaches and learns more about specific programs and the coaches who lead them. The Office of Admission and

Athletic Department understand the importance of this personal, direct contact between coaches and prospective student-athletes.

Follow-up contact is the last crucial piece to position Canterbury for the best possible enrollment yield in the spring. Much like an Admission Officer, Canterbury coaches keep in close contact with prospective student-athletes after the campus visit with e-mails and phone calls. Coaches also participate in the popular Revisit Days scheduled in early April. These days offer coaches a final face-to-face contact before the decision deadlines, and they are a great way to conclude a year-long recruitment of qualified student-athletes.

The expanded roles of the School’s coaches help Canterbury’s athletic teams compete at a high level, while assisting the Office of Admission with enrollment. The work coaches do beyond the bench also helps generate college options for Canterbury’s graduates. In the competitive world of college admission, highly skilled athletes who have also compiled a sound academic record are attractive to top colleges and universities. As student-athletes approach the end of their Canterbury careers, coaches work closely with the college counselors to secure the optimal college admission for each athlete. In the past five years, Canterbury student-athletes have gone on to compete in the NCAA at institutions such as Cornell, Dartmouth, Princeton, St. Lawrence, Syracuse, UConn, Amherst, Connecticut College, Trinity, Tufts, Wesleyan, and Williams. Attracting student athletes to Canterbury not only increases enrollment and improves the quality of team play but it also enhances our college placement.

The following are profiles of several varsity coaches who embody Canterbury’s efforts to attract qualified student-athletes to Canterbury, provide a challenging experience on Canterbury teams, and assist these student-athletes in the college admission process.

In the past five years, Canterbury student-athletes have gone on to compete in the NCAA at institutions such as Cornell, Dartmouth, Princeton, St. Lawrence, Syracuse, UConn, Amherst, Connecticut College, Trinity, Tufts, Wesleyan, and Williams.

Ellie Haines ’13 plays women’s varsity ice hockey at Syracuse University.

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Chris Roberts became head coach of the Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse team in 2003. Chris was a four-year member of the men’s lacrosse team at Princeton University. During his collegiate playing career, he helped the Tigers win four Ivy League titles, four NCAA tournaments, and three National Championships. In 2013, Coach Roberts led the boys’ lax team to a Western New England Division II title by defeating Gunnery in the finals 21-14. He also works with summer and fall youth programs in order to connect with top lacrosse players in the area and introduce these young athletes to the opportunities at Canterbury. Chris understands the importance of working with the Admission Office and getting involved in the application process. “It’s important to talk with players and their families when they are on campus,” says Chris. “Making that contact makes the subsequent e-mails and phones calls more comfortable for the prospective student because he now has a face to go with the name.” Chris also serves as the Chair of the Math Dept. He lives on campus with his wife Sue, Canterbury’s Director of Studies, and their two children, Ryan and Tyler.

Sarah Bednar, Aquatic Director and Swimming Coach, has been involved in competitive swimming for more than 35 years. Since graduating from Purdue University, she has earned a Level II certification from the American Swim Coaches Association and USA Swimming. Coach Bednar continues to compete as a successful open water and marathon swimmer. In 2013, she led the Saints Boys’ Swim Team to the School’s first Division III New England Championship, and in 2014 did so for the Girls’ Swim team. Coach Bednar believes in helping students athletes become their “best self” while always putting the needs of the team first. Sarah attracts future qualified student applicants by running a summer swim camp on campus, volunteer coaching four nights a week with local swimmers, and hosting larger invitational USA Swim meets throughout the year. Sarah comments that, “As a coach, being an active member of the Admission team is critical to attract best students and athletes. Having top-notch student athletes at Canterbury only elevates our individual programs, which in turn elevates the School and its reputation.” Sarah is also in charge of summer programs on campus. Her son, Jack, is a Third Former.

Todd Mathewson, who leads Canterbury’s Varsity Baseball team, joined our coaching staff in the fall of 2013. Todd played collegiate baseball at Clark University where he currently holds the single season and career RBI records; he shares the single season home run record with another Clark alum. Coach Mathewson is the Director/Coach of the New England U16 AAU Baseball program. This gives him direct contact with top- notch baseball talent in New England and should prove to be very beneficial to the baseball program and Canterbury. Coach Mathewson says, “The best way to recruit athletes is seeing them play. I also reach out to as many people within the baseball community as I can. My contacts include professional scouts, college coaches, AAU and youth coaches, and organizations that give private instruction.” Todd also understands that, “By reaching out to high quality student-athletes and creating a positive relationship with them, you can help influence their decision about attending Canterbury over other options.” Todd is also an Academic Counselor and dorm parent in South House with his wife Keiko, who is a member of Canterbury’s Language Department and Director of Community Service. Lindsay Mulhern, who leads the Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse Team, also came to Canterbury in the fall of 2013. Lindsay is a graduate of James Madison University, where she was an all-league defender and two-season captain. She served as the assistant coach to the undefeated United States Under-19 Women’s Lacrosse Team in 2003 and 2007, earning two gold medals in the IFWLA World Cup. She has also served as the Vice President of the Pennsylvania Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association and as a selector for the National Tournament Team. Coach Mulhern plans on launching clinics and camps to attract students to Canterbury’s campus. “I believe strongly in making an impact in the local community and developing the skills of younger girls who will one day make Canterbury their first choice for secondary school.” Lindsay also understands the important role coaches need to play now in the admission process. “I think it is crucial for coaches to meet prospective student-athletes upon their visit to campus. A simple face-to-face conversation can make a huge impact on a potential Canterbury family.” Lindsay has placed more than 30 young women to play at the collegiate level during her coaching career. She states, “Women’s lacrosse has the highest percentage of early commitments in college sports. The process is extremely accelerated, and I am here to help navigate them through what can be a very overwhelming experience.” Lindsay also teaches English and resides in South House with her husband, Matt, and their four boys, Cullen, Quinn, Shea, and Paddy.

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For the past six years, Canterbury School has been offering its Sixth Formers what is known as a Capstone class. A Capstone course is a one-semester class designed to allow students to explore ways in which their education and experiences in high school have prepared them for their lives ahead. To achieve this purpose, a Capstone course is interdisciplinary, presenting course content that looks across the School’s curriculum, and inviting lecturers from those many disciplines to address topics through the lens of their own training and expertise. The lectures take place once a week on Fridays and are delivered to the entire multi-section enrollment of Capstone in the Steele Hall Lecture Room during School Meeting. This course acts as a figurative “capstone” on the “structure” that is their high school education by showing the Sixth Formers just how interrelated the skills and knowledge they have acquired really are.

Thus, the course rotates through four departments in a four-year cycle. It was first taught in the History Department and the subject that year was the 2008 Presidential election transpiring that very fall. I remember it well, as I was invited to interpret the election as an English teacher might see it. I gave a lecture that compared the nomination acceptance speeches of both John McCain and Barack Obama in the manner that my Fifth Form honors students would do as we prepare for the AP English Language Exam – as rhetoricians. Counter-intuitively (or perhaps unsurprisingly) the two speeches were nearly identical in structure, tone, diction, and the use of rhetorical devices. The English Department was tapped as the seat of Capstone in its second year, and we offered a course titled “Literature Since You Were Born,” which investigated some of the best literary texts published in the 18 years that coincided with the lives of the 2010 Sixth Form class.

Capstone addresses “Global VoiCes in the 21st Century”English class focuses on diverse voicesoften excluded in the literature curriculumin U.S. schools.

Juliet Obodo ’01 speaks to Capstone students about her Nigerian heritage as it pertains to the novel “Americanah.”

Mary Fournier, who operates an adoption agency in Connecticut, addresses adoption issues as they appear in “The Book of Jonas” and the world at large.

By Wright Danenbarger,English Department Co-Chair

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To comment on our varied texts, we invited members of the Math Department (Mr. McCabe), the Art Department (Mrs. Doran), the History Department (Mr. Shaw), a trail guide from the Appalachian Mountain Club, a Catholic priest, as well as college professors from Quinnipiac and Western Connecticut State University. The Theology and Science Departments followed in succession, and offered courses titled “Reason and Faith” and “Science and You.”

After the History Department offered a reprise of their course on the Presidential election, updated for 2012 last year, Capstone landed, as scheduled, in our Department again, and we decided to offer a course titled “Global Voices in the 21st Century.” Here is the description of the class we created for Canterbury’s Academic Guide:This is a literature capstone course focusing on diverse voices often excluded in the literature curriculum in U.S. schools. This course will expose students to the complex and diverse cultural and social realities of contemporary American and world society. Students will explore multicultural perspectives through various novels, poems, films, short stories, non-fictional accounts, and plays, and

a weekly lecturer from outside the English Department. Relating their own lives to the lives of the characters and situations, these Sixth Formers will finish their high school careers not only with collegiate English skills but hopefully with a better sense of how they will fit into a diverse world.

We chose five main texts as the platform for our curriculum. The first of these, Americanah, by Chimimanda Adichie, we read during January. It centers on Nigerian immigrants to the United States and Great Britain. (At some point after we had chosen this novel, it landed on The New York Times “Top-Ten Books of the Year” list and was selected as the all-read book for the incoming first-year student class at Penn State.) We invited alumna Juliet Obodo ’01 to speak about her Nigerian heritage vis-a-vis her experience at Canterbury and her professional work in the field of social networking websites. On the ensuing Friday, we were treated to the Science Department’s Cammy Roffe, a former Peace Corps volunteer to West Africa, who talked about the culture, history, geography and demographics of Nigeria.

In February, we read The Book

of Jonas, by Stephen Dau, which narrates the intertwined stories of an orphaned war refugee from an unnamed Middle-Eastern county and the U.S. soldier who conducted a military operation in his village. Much of the novel takes place in Jonas’s adoptive country, the United States, and so we invited Mary Fournier, who runs an adoption agency in Connecticut to speak to us about the challenges of international adoption and adoption with trauma. At the end of February, Jonathan Diamond, Canterbury’s Director of Guidance and history teacher, spoke to the assembled Capstone body about post-traumatic stress disorder as it occurs in The Book of Jonas and in the real world.

The course tackled the other three texts after we returned from March Break. In late March we read The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston, a selection of short stories about the Chinese-American experience, and Canterbury’s Mandarin Chinese instructor, Sylvia Wang, showed us how the fiction of Kingston intersects with the reality of her own family and her life in America. From China, then, to the Soviet Gulag and a novel titled Between Shades of Gray about a Lithuanian teenage girl who is exiled to Siberia during World War II. History teacher Bryan Kiefer brought his inimitable style to Steele Lecture Hall to evoke Stalin’s repressive prison system, and Lithuanian-American Danguole Kuolas explored her history and heritage as it shares commonalities with the novel. The Capstone experience concluded with Louise Erdrich’s award-wining new novel, The Round House. As with all of Erdrich’s work, this new novel takes place on a Native American reservation, and the schedule included experts on Native American culture and history.

To view the lectures, visit www.youtube.com/users/Cburymovies. Scroll through the Capstone section to select the lecture you would like to hear. We hope you enjoy them as much as our students have this spring semester.

Canterbury’s Director of Guidance and history teacher Jonathan Diamond enlightens students about post-traumastic stress disorder as it occurs in “The Book of Jonas.”

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Woman of Canterbury is almost a quarter of a century old. The organization empowers the School’s girls, discusses important

issues, and still has time to perform community service.

It Takes Time

By Emily Dolan,Assistant Dean of Students

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When Women of Canterbury (WOC) was first formed in 1990, it was about time. Time, Sandy Behan thought, was all that the female students needed to form stronger community bonds, develop leadership skills, and collaborate on projects for their own benefit and for the benefit of others. Twenty-four years later, Women of Canterbury is as strong an organization as it has ever been, and despite the increasing demands on Canterbury’s female students, athletes, and leaders, Sandy and co-advisor Cammy Roffe make sure that there is always time each week for Women of Canterbury.

Since time is not easy to find in a Canterbury student’s schedule, WOC meetings must capitalize on the precious minutes the girls have together. Samantha Ostreicher, one of this year’s tri-presidents, feels as though time

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disappears at meetings. “It’s 6:30, I’m so tired, I just want to go to bed, and I have a ton of work to do, but then all of a sudden I walk into a room filled with laughter. At WOC, we are in the moment, having a good time together, and for that moment, we are all best friends.”

Meeting agendas reinvigorate the girls. A recent meeting focused on CoverGirl’s “Girls Can’t” ad, which sparked a laughter-filled discussion of the things the girls have been told they can’t do. Fifth Former Amy Kim found the meeting to be eye-opening. “I could relate to what all the other girls said about what they were told they can’t do,” she shared. “I was always told that I can’t do things by my brother, but I never actually thought about it until that meeting.” In Sixth Former Victoria Rio’s eyes, the discussion “built a lot of camaraderie among the girls. They realized that they had all been told that they can’t. It was a unifying experience.” After the discussion, the group watched Anne Cuddy’s TED talk entitled “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are.” The Sixth Form leaders demonstrated postures that take up space to show the girls how much of a difference body language can

While the girls are laughing, bonding, and working together, they are also opening their minds to the experiences of others. In January, Mrs. Behan invited all Fifth and Sixth Form students to view the film Not My Life, a documentary about human trafficking and modern slavery.

Jen Lee Chandler ’84, with flowers, was Women of Canterbury’s 2013 Woman of the Year. She poses with her two daughters, Kinsey ’13 and Robin ’16, and mom Bev Lee, a veteran Canterbury science teacher.

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2000-2001 WOC president Lauren (Michael) Falcone ’01 claims that WOC “was the most welcoming and accepting environment that I had ever been a part of, and to this day, that still holds true.”

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make. “It was funny,” said Kareen Thompson ’14. “It was awkward almost but important as well. You feel more comfortable in those positions, and they can make you feel more confident.”

Some meetings tackle difficult issues and connect the group to the world outside Canterbury. In February, WOC hosted a “1 Billion Rising for Justice” dance for all female students. The dance, which was filmed for YouTube, connected Canterbury to groups all over the world who danced for female empowerment and justice. Katie Bradley, a Sixth Former, felt that “it brought us all together because we learned all the moves as a group. We felt empowered because of the lyrics of the song and the dance moves.”

While the girls are laughing, bonding, and working together, they are also opening their minds to the experiences of others. In January, Mrs. Behan invited all Fifth and Sixth Form students to view the film Not My Life, a documentary about human trafficking and modern slavery. The presentation included a speaker, Arati Surreddi, founder of The LOTUS Alliance, an organization devoted to combating human trafficking through responsible tourism. “You don’t think about it as happening here,” said Kelley Deshaies ’14. “Kids working in factories, kids sold as labor, people being forced to be nannies.” As Kareen Thompson put it, “We’re not afraid to talk about the tough stuff.”

Women of Canterbury has also historically contributed to the community surrounding Canterbury School. Clothing drives have supported New Milford Social Services and The Women’s Center of Greater Danbury. In recent years, the girls have participated in

the EGGstravaganza project, an initiative connected to Sister Mary Lanning’s Street Corner Gourmet service in Harlem. The girls bought second-hand silk ties and used them to imprint the colors and designs on hard-boiled eggs. The eggs are sent to Harlem, where they are distributed on Valentine’s Day to those in need of social services. “We do it so that they know people are looking out for them,” Bradley explained. “The eggs last for a while. We took the time to do it because we care. And they turned out really cool.”

Every year, the Mr. Canterbury Pageant, sponsored by WOC is a favorite winter event on campus. Sixth Form contestants exhibit a unique talent and answer challenging questions to a packed Maguire Auditorium. A small panel of faculty members judges the contestants and awards one distinguished male student the title of Mr. Canterbury. While the parade of young men competing for the crown is wildly entertaining, the good fun is also for a good cause:

Sixth Formers Kareen Thompson and Jenny Waegelein practice for the “1 Billion Rising for Justice” dance they videotaped and posted on YouTube.

Kim Debacher ’15 and Alana Murphy ’16 work on making a Christmas wreath for a Women of Canterbury Christmas party.

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In recent years, the girls have participated in the EGGstravaganza project, an initiative connected to Sister Mary Lanning’s Street Corner Gourmet service in Harlem.

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the proceeds from the event are donated to the New Milford Social Services. Students pay a small fee for admission and raffle tickets, and faculty members donate raffle prizes to boost the proceeds. Some of the most enticing prizes have included a poetry recitation by Mr. Potter at school meeting, a wild mushroom hunt with Mr. Danenbarger, and various baked goods and dinners provided by talented faculty members.

Much of the influence Women of Canterbury has on the Canterbury community is intangible, but the girls that participate know just how real it is. In Kelley Deshaies’ experience, it’s just about spending time together: “I love going to the meetings and getting together with all the other girls. It’s just a lot of fun. Typically, we all have similar things going on, so we just understand one another.” Samantha Trezza, current tri-president, says that “Women of Canterbury is the only place you can be 100% yourself.”

The time carved out for Women of Canterbury over the course of a Canterbury career fosters connections and feelings that last. 2000-2001 WOC president Lauren (Michael) Falcone ’01 claims that WOC “was the most welcoming and accepting environment that I had ever been a part of, and to this day, that still holds true.” 2008-2009 Co-President Sarah D’Andrea ’08 cherishes the same feeling: “Women of Canterbury created a space for us to connect with each other on a meaningful level, and those connections are still in my life today.”

Every April, I look forward to experiencing a little bit of the positive vibe at the Women of Canterbury Annual Spring Dinner. After a jovial meal shared with students, mothers, grandmothers, and faculty members, a distinguished speaker presents on a topic

pertinent to the lives of young women. A favorite speaker is always Gina Barreca, Professor of English at UConn and columnist for The Hartford Courant. Other speakers have included alumni who are doing important work with female issues, such as Joelle Wyser-Pratte ’87. This year’s speaker was Hilary Duffy ’87. My favorite part of the dinner, however, is when a Woman of the Year is selected from the current faculty and recognized by the Women of Canterbury for “influencing the lives of Canterbury’s young women” and whose “accomplishments reflect her wisdom, compassion, and selflessness.” At the first Spring Dinner I attended, Leila Stepankiew, Canterbury’s Equipment Manager of more than 20 years, was honored with the award. The spirit of celebrating Leila, a woman with those exact qualities – compassion, wisdom, and selflessness, even if shown with her own particular flair – made me feel like part of a strong and worthwhile community.

The Annual Spring Dinner is also the final occasion for the current WOC presidents to address the group as a whole. It gives the girls a chance to reflect on the time they’ve spent together over the past four years. Lauren (Michael) Falcone ’01 remembers her President’s speech as one of her favorite WOC memories: “I don’t remember the speech, but I do remember that I felt ready for college at that moment as I looked out at the younger girls in the audience. I realized just how far I had come, from an awkward little 13-year-old Third Form girl to a 17-year-old young woman. I realized that WOC undoubtedly helped me transform into a young woman ready for what the future held.” And all it took, thanks to Women of Canterbury, was time.

Sixth Formers Sam Trezza, Alice Bouchard, and Katie Bradley show off the results of their dyed eggs for the EGGstravaganza project.

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Presentation of Canterbury Ring Continues Tradition

Honor Society Inducts New Members

At the Mass of January 26, the following students received their Canterbury rings. Front row, Chaplain Fr. Sebastian Leonard, O.S.B., Olivia Steiner ’14, Samantha Trezza ’14, Emily Sammartino ’14, Katherine Hodge ’15, Headmaster Tom Sheehy. Back row, l-r: James “Mac” Stephens ’14, Danielle McBreairty ’14, Paul Gangi ’15, Jeanette Waegelein ’14, guest speaker Will Finn ’07. (Unable to be in the photo: Antonio Capanna ’14, Jack Elsas ’14, Christina Jenkins ’14, Angel Santos ’15.) See page 28 to read Will Finn’s Ring Ceremony talk.

At the school meeting of January 20 in Maguire Auditorium, five new members of the Canterbury Honor Society were inducted. Advisor Bev Lee presented each inductee with a scroll marking their achievement.

The Canterbury Honor Society was founded during the 1989-1990 academic year to advance scholarship and to foster the love of learning at the School. Members must be enrolled in a rigorous academic program, which includes honors and AP courses, in a diverse course of study. Students should challenge themselves with the most demanding courses in at least three disciplines. They must also have established a record of good citizenship in the school community.Front row, l-r: Sixth Formers Michael Decker, Katherine Bradley. Back row, l-r:

Olivia Korth, James Kilberg, Emmett Pooler.

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Pierce Freelon, a musician, professor, and journalist with a passion for creativity and community, addressed students at the school meeting of February 10.

Pierce has taught music, African Studies, and political science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the founder and CEO of the Blackademics, an on-line community of young black thinkers, who discuss their opinions on current events of interest to the black community.

In addition, Pierce is the founder and front man of the jazz and hip hop band The Beast, which has been hailed as a “natural, engaging blend of jazz and hip hop,” by Jazz Times Magazine. An international ambassador of music-based community initiatives, Pierce has worked with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz to bring musical styles bebop to hip hop to youth from Los Angeles to New Delhi.

Pierce is also the co-founder and star of Beat Making Lab, a program that has partnered with PBS to build music studios in internationalcommunity centers. Pierce’s appearancewas made possible throughCanterbury’s Residential LifeCommittee, headed by EJ Soifersmith.

Celebrating Black History Month

Marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day To supplement Canterbury’s celebration of MLK Jr. Day and his message of service, nine students who have excelled at community service addressed their peers. Front row, l-r: Katherine Bradley ’14 (Special Olympics swimming, bowling, and Campaign to End the R-Word), Wanning “Vicky” Xue ’14 (Urban Challenge), Han “Robin” Eul Yoo ’15 (this year’s food drive), Nick Chamberlin ’16 (Save a Sato Program). Back row, l-r: Mary LaVigne ’16 (mentoring at a local school), Paul Gangi ’15 (2013 Lourdes Pilgrimage), Andrew Schmitt ’14 (Children’s Center volunteer), Tyler DeJesus ’14 (Shoes for Morocco), Tristin Izzo ’14 (Penguin Plunge).

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George Hale Exhibits in Duffy Gallery

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Juried Art Show Frames Students’ Talent

Photographs by self-taught photographer George Hale of Torrington, CT, opened in The Edward J. Duffy Family Gallery on January 9. Above, the seats of antique chairs serve as frames for George’s images.

By Hsu-Lun “Aaron” Kan ’16. Self-portrait by Bao Vi Dang ’14.

Photographer George Hale.

Ceramics by Laura Florez ’15 (top) and Margaux Janowicz ’14.

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World Music Concert: The Beat Goes On

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At the Winter Music Concert on February 24, John Bolster, husband of faculty member Kathy Bolster, joins in on banjo. The event featured a program of samba, salsa, bluegrass, calypso, ska, reggae, and African drumming.

Justin Jaeger ’14 plays violin in the Canterbury Orchestra. In the foreground, Song “Kevin” Guo ’16.

Isaac Purdy ’16, a member of the Jazz Combo.

Ashley Berry ’16 plays clarinet in the Chamber Ensemble. The Concert Jazz Band also played.

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Fifth Form Retreat Focuses on Leadership

With the song “Sigh No More” by Mumford and Sons, Quinn O’Brien ’10 opened the Fifth Form retreat. Quinn charmed her audience by relating how Canterbury gave her many opportunities to engage in service and helped her find her life’s passion, which is volunteering. Quinn will graduate this spring from Stony Brook University, where she is involved in the Center for Womyn’s Concerns, an on-campus advocacy group.

Sixth Form Retreat is All About TransitionIn multiple small-group discussions and exercises, 117 members of the Class of 2014 contemplated the transition from Canterbury to college.

Students spent three 45-minute sessions in group discussions in a variety of venues on campus, including faculty homes and apartments. Each group also spent time meditating in the Chapel, where Fr. Sebastian was available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To conclude the retreat, he addressed the retreatants, saying, “Put into practice for the remainder of the school year what you have learned during this retreat.”In the Chapel of Our Lady, Marcanthony Piland participates in one of many of

the retreat’s introspective exercises. The retreat took place on February 19.

Canterbury held its annual Fifth Form retreat Thursday night, January 16. Fifth Formers gathered to dine with faculty members in the Steele Hall. Following dinner, Quinn O’Brien ’10 described her service journey.

After the speech, students broke into small groups for intense discussions about their spirituality and how they can take on more responsibilities by being leaders now and after Canterbury.

Quinn told the students, “Sometimes you have to let go and trust that you’ll be led in the right direction.”

Canterbury’s Theology Department organizes a retreat for each Form each year and an Emmaus Retreat for upperformers.

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“The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi were not just some other games for me to watch on television,” observes Diana Islamova ’14, a resident of Moscow, Russia. “The fact that they were held in a city where I spent most of my summers since I was a little kid, made me extremely proud and happy. When the question arose whether I should go back to Russia to see at least one week of the games, there was no doubt I was going. It is hard for me to describe all the venues and general spirit of the Olympics 2014, because there is just too much to say. The Olympic Park and the Red Valley, where most of the games were held, were full of people from all over the world, holding flags and other symbolic items, and full of volunteers wearing bright colors. I watched two hockey games, including a match between the U.S. and Canadian women’s teams.”

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Student Attends Sochi Olympics

Patrick Wolber ’14 emerged the winner of this year’s Mr. Canterbury pageant, a fundraiser organized by Women of Canterbury (WOC). Students paid a small entry fee, and faculty members donated goods and services, which were raffled during the pageant. Six faculty judges evaluated the contestants’ formal wear, talent, and public speaking skills. Patrick impressed the judges with his singing and won them over with his answers. The event, full of good-natured humor, was held in Maguire Auditorium on February 7. WOC advisors Sandy Behan and Cammy Roffe organized the event. Student volunteers conducted the raffle.

Blood Drive Saves Lives

Han “Robin” Eul Yoo ’15 donates blood at Canterbury’s annual blood drive on February 24. Sixteen students and 15 faculty members donated this year.

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ATHLETES OF THE WEEKGirls’ Swimming Place First in Div. IIINew England Championship

Athletes/Teams Receive Honors

Chelsea Allain ’17 Varsity Hockey

Menghan “Anna” An ’16J.V. Squash

Alec Astorga ’15 J.V. Hockey

Branden Aughburns ’15 Varsity Basketball

Jack Bednar ’17 Varsity Swimming

Mark Bowen ’14 Varsity Hockey

John Calcagni ’16 J.V. Squash

Juan Caldes Rodriquez ’15J.V. Squash

Gabriella Carioscia ’15 J.V. Basketball

Scott Carusillo ’14 Varsity Squash

Emily Ellison ’14 Varsity Swimming

Cole Frederick ’14 Varsity Swimming

Casey Fuller ’14 Varsity Squash

Bryson Grant ’16 Varsity Squash

Koree Hargraves ’15 Varsity Basketball

Liz Helmig 14 Varsity Swimming

Connor Henry 14 Varsity Hockey

Madeleine Holland ’14 J.V. Ice Hockey

Alexandra Limas ’17 Varsity Squash

Sarah McFarland ’14 Varsity Field Hockey

Emily Martino ’17 Varsity Ice Hockey

Sam Portelance ’14 Varsity Squash

Noah Rak ’14 Varsity Wrestling

Alexis Rullo ’15 Varsity Hockey

Christian Short ’14 Varsity Hockey

Rose Skarzenski ’14 J.V. Basketball

Olivia Steiner ’14 Varsity Swimming

Logan Tormey ’14 Varsity Wrestling

Devon Wall ’17 J.V. Ice Hockey

Christopher Wilson ’14 Varsity Swimming

John Wilson ’16 Varsity Wrestling

Powered by a 1-2-3 diving sweep, two 2nds, a 3rd and eight other top-six swims, the Lady Saints won the team title with 310.5 points to out distance 2nd place Hamden Hall with 301.5 and 3rd place Berwick Academy with 241. Fourteen teams participated in the championships, which Canterbury hosted for the second consecutive year.

The diving portion of the event took place on Friday, February 28, with four schools and 12 divers competing. Each diver performed eleven dives, and at the end of the night Canterbury had racked up 51 points from Chesi Piccolo’s 1st place, Emily Keating’s 2nd place, and Sam Ostreicher’s 3rd place.

Sixth Formers Emily Ellison, Liz Helmig, Olivia Steiner, and Casey Yardis swam well in their last competition in Higgins Aquatic Center. Ellison took a 2nd in the 100 Breast and 6th in the 50 Free and had a hand in the 2nd place 200 Free Relay Team’s school record swim of 1.47:39 (Liz Helmig, Courtney Dunham, Ally Eggleton, Ellison). Steiner took 3rd in the 500 Free and an 8th in the 200 Free as well as helping the 200 Medley Relay to a 4th place (Casey Yardis, Helmig, Ellison, Steiner) and the 400 Free Relay to a 5th place which also was a school record in 4:03.05 (Steiner, Yardis, Dunham, Eggleton).

In addition to their legs in the relays, Helmig also contributed a 4th in the 100 Breast and a 7th in the 200 IM while Casey Yardis took 6th in the 100 Back and 13th in the 100 Butterfly. Ally Eggleton swam a 5th in the 200 IM and a 6th in the 100 Free while Courtney Dunham took 4th in the 500 Free and 7th in the 200 Free. Other swims that counted for points were Caroline Stolfi's 11th in the 100 Free and her 13th in the 50 Free, Lauren Winter’s 16th in the 100 Butterfly and Liv Korth’s 16th in the 100 Back.

Christian Short ’14 named one of only two New England All-Star hockey goalies.

Canterbury hosts New England Div. III Swimming and Diving Championship for second consecutive year.

Wrestler Noah Rak ’14 places 3rd at New Englands, ending his career as a three-time placewinner. He was also a WNEISWA champ.

Skylar LaManna ’15 wins 1st place at Phillips Andover Girls’ Wrestling Tournament.

Head Coach Sarah Bednar, right, and her assistant coaches Rhyan Toledo, and Katie LaPointe led the Girls’ Varsity Swim Team to a 1st place finish at the New England Div. III New England Championship on Friday and Saturday, February 28 and March 1 in the School’s Higgins Aquatic Center.

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Students Honoredat Winter Awards

BOYS’ VARSITY BASKETBALLCoach’s Award: Seamus Oeser ’16M.V.P.: Koree Hargraves ’15

BOYS’ J.V. BASKETBALLCoach’s Award: Wylie Walker ’15

BOYS’ THIRDS BASKETBALLCoach’s Award: Dylan Morris ’15

GIRLS’ VARSITY BASKETBALLCoach’s Award: Kareen Thompson ’14M.V.P.: Jeanette Waegelein ’14

GIRLS’ J.V. BASKETBALLCoach’s Award: Sarah Dyott ’14,Rose Skarzenski ’14

GIRLS’ THIRDS BASKETBALLCoach’s Award: Alana Murphy ’16

GIRLS’ VARSITY HOCKEYCoach’s Award: Emma Hannan ’14,Erin McCarthy ’14

GIRLS’ J.V. HOCKEYCoach’s Award: Madeleine Holland ’14

BOYS’ VARSITY HOCKEYCoach’s Award: Christopher “CJ” Grinnell ’14M.V.P.: Christian Short ’14

BOYS’ J.V. HOCKEYCoach’s Award: Thomas Horner ’14

VARSITY WRESTLINGCoach’s Award: Logan Tormey ’14M.V.P.: Noah Rak ’14

J.V. WRESTLINGCoach’s Award: John Cerrone ’16

GIRLS’ VARSITY SWIMMINGCoach’s Award: Olivia Steiner ’14,Samantha Ostreicher ’14M.V.P.: Courtney Dunham ’17,Elizabeth Helmig ’14

BOYS’ VARSITY SWIMMINGCoach’s Award: Aaron Gattinoni ’15M.V.P.: Christopher Wilson ’14,Cole Frederick ’14

J.V. SWIMMINGCoach’s Award: Isabella Capanna ’17

GIRLS’ VARSITY SQUASHCoach’s Award: Alanis Perez ’15,Riley Peterson ’14M.V.P.: Alexandra Limas ’17

GIRLS’ J.V. SQUASHCoach’s Award: Ashley Berry ’16

BOYS’ VARSITY SQUASHCoach’s Award: James “Mac” Stephens ’14M.V.P.: Derek Ng ’15

BOYS’ J.V. SQUASHCoach’s Award: Hsu-Lun “Aaron” Kan ’16

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The Canterbury Observer

Lessons Canterbury Taught MeAt the annual ring ceremony, Will Finn ’07reflects on his Canterbury experience.

Will Finn ’07.

Ten years ago, with knots in my stomach and upset for having to leave my previous school and the friends I had made there, I was dropped off by my mom. Little did I know that four years later I would drive down Aspetuck Avenue with a smile on my face and a tear in my eye, recalling that my time at Canterbury had come to an end. As I began to reminisce about my days as a student for this talk, I was quickly filled with many emotions and memories. I started to chuckle, thinking about my struggle to rid my name from the breakfast check-in list and adjusting to Saturday classes. I recalled hitting golf balls around a makeshift golf course that is now South House, the countless attempts to land softballs on the Sheehan House terrace during Coconut League [an informal spring softball competition that occurs after dinner], and spending time with my peers and dorm parents, many of whom have become lifelong friends.

With the utmost confidence, I can truly say were it not for Canterbury, I would not be who I am today. Through the lessons I learned from my teachers and peers, I built a foundation that helped me overcome obstacles in college and start a career. I would like to share a few of those lessons with you.

First, never be afraid to show your true personality. Canterbury is a diverse community that allows

your personality to shine and mature. I challenge all students to step out of your comfort zone at least once before you leave Canterbury. Take an AP class, learn an instrument, or travel overseas and immerse yourself in a new culture. I remember stepping onto a plane with duct tape on the wings [in Port au Prince, Haiti], clueless that my life would

dramatically change in a matter of only five days. Be sure to approach opportunities like these with an honest and open mind. Lesson learned: be yourself and never be afraid to set your sights on a new life path. You never know how that journey will change your life.

You will learn that compassion, one of Canterbury’s Five Values, is a great tool to have in life. Look around you – the individuals sitting next to you will be some of your best friends for years to come. I guarantee that when you are adjusting to college life or looking for your first job, the friends you made at Canterbury will be the ones on whom you’ll most rely. When my dad passed away during my Third Form year, I would have struggled tremendously were it not for the friendship of classmates, proctors, and faculty. Lesson learned: compassion, one of Canterbury’s Five Values, helps you build friendships, appreciate other cultures, and want to give back to your community.

Realize that about 99% of high school students in this country do not have access to attend a school like Canterbury. Trust your teachers and coaches. Accept the daily challenges they throw your way and improve yourself through dedication to your academics and athletics. No one is more devoted to your success than the adults on this beautiful campus. After walking across the graduation stage, I

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Lessons Canterbury Taught Me

Paul Gangi ’15 receives his Canterbury ring from Headmaster Tom Sheehy. Paul’s father, Paul, also participated in the presentation of the ring.

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Will Finn is an Assistant Vice President at Mizuho Securities USA Inc.

realized my mom had given me the great gift of a Canterbury education. Recognize the sacrifice your parents and siblings have made so you have this opportunity. Lesson learned: show your teachers your appreciation for what they have taught you inside and outside the classroom, and thank your family for the gift of Canterbury.

Be confident each day that your teachers are instilling in you the skills and abilities to be successful in the next phase of your life. No matter how long you have been at Canterbury, each of you has experienced moments of adversity. They will happen again. We all experience them. What matters is how you respond to adversity. If you compose yourself with dignity and learn from such moments, your accomplishments will be all the sweeter. Lesson learned: do not be afraid to fall down or fail – rely on your self-confidence and remain dedicated to your goals.

During your remaining time at Canterbury, I invite you to learn about God’s mission and to reflect on your faith. Take what you have learned in your theology classes, retreats, Fr. Sebastian’s sermons, or in a leadership position to reinforce your spirituality, another of Canterbury’s Five Values. You will experience many moments in your life when your faith will be a tremendous source of comfort and stability. Your bond with God is the strongest there is. Lesson learned:

“Your bond with God is the strongest there is. Lesson learned: through faith, we become stronger individuals and thriving members of

the Canterbury community.”

through faith, we become stronger individuals and thriving members of the Canterbury community.

For those of you receiving your ring today, let it serve as special reminder of our accomplishments and memories. Canterbury is a special place. My hope for you is that one day you will reflect with your friends, faculty, and family, and others outside the Canterbury community on the lessons the School has taught you.

In the beginning, there is a 14-year-old Third Form kid from New Milford who is scared to attend Canterbury. On a morning in September, I, that Third Former, sat cross-legged on the blue carpet in Hume Hall (anyone who attended the School in the ’70s or ’80s should remember that carpet), sketching a gothic cathedral for Sylvia Lahvis’s History of Architecture course.

“What’s that you’re working on?” It was a big voice, stentorian, from the chest, authoritative, but also, somehow, accessible. There were many big voices on campus in those days: Jean Hebert. Bill D’Alton ’42. I had met them in my first month, and already they were heroes of teaching. This voice I had not met, but would later get to know. It was many things, but it was always the voice of history.

“It’s, ah, Chartres, sir.” Rod Clarke ’46, then Director

of Studies, College Counselor, and history teacher stood above me, kids nodding and brushing past. He wore khakis and a navy blazer. I am sure he also donned a characteristic bright tie, maybe one of those wide ’70s psychedelic mango things.

“Well, move that center pillar up

The Canterbury Observer

PALLIUM Celebrates 30th Birthday

PALLIUM’s founding editor Steve Reynolds ’78 recounts the birth of the magazine and waxes on about min(d)ing history.

The PALLIUM’s first cover featured Headmaster Rod Clarke ’46 upon the occasion of his receiving an honorary doctorate from Georgetown University.

Oh, but I was so much older then/I’m younger than that now.– Bob Dylan

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a bit on the left. I was there last summer, it’s closer to the nave.”

“Uh, thank you.” “You bet. I hope when next

year comes, I’ll see you in Modern European History, where we discuss architecture and the people who made it.”

He went off, smiling, voicing his hellos to various other kids coming and going. Such was my introduction to both Rod Clarke and my first inkling of the respect and fascination for history that I began to develop at Canterbury, under Rod’s tutelage, but also through so many others – Messrs. Jim Shea and Larry Tallamy, and our chaplain at that time, Fr. Clement Greenan, OP, teachers across all disciplines, who had a sense of where we were in the place of history, making reference to the past and to how it applied, or didn’t, to today’s lessons. In my English studies over the years, JP Mandler was superb at this. So was D’Alton and others.

In these days of heated educational debate, it strikes me that history doesn’t get its due. The discipline and reference of history – not to live in the past, but to apply it – seems to me a very real component of developing critical

thinking, or as some people used to call it, getting an education. Canterbury stands for that.

I thank God almost every day that the School does. Whatever I get done in a single day at a giant place like Microsoft, I find I am always applying in some way what I would call historicism, deduction from research, the results of previous models.

Little, of course, did I know that about ten years after my first encounter with Rod Clarke, I would receive a chance to apply my Canterbury-bred affection for history and its application, at a place I had come to love. I, of

course, had absolutely no inkling at the time of my cathedral drawing (had no inkling about practically anything, to be honest) that in ten years I would be an unpublished playwright in the East Village looking to earn some cash, and the School would be looking to start an alumni magazine.

To help some of our younger graduates adjust to the world such a long time past, let us just pause to give a sense of the setting.

Duffy was the name of the Head of the Board, as in “John ’59,” and not a dorm, which was there, but then called North House.

Fifth and Sixth Formers could bring in a “Smoking Permission” form from their parents, indicating that they were 16 and had their parents’ permission to smoke.

Steele Hall was brand new.

Today’s South House was not there, but there was a South House, only now it’s called Carter House.

Did you know there was a building called the infirmary? Now Ingleside House and the Health Center.

So you get the idea. In August of ’84, I packed a bag and caught

Rod Clarke ’46 gave Marc Vanasse ’73, a full-time English teacher in those days, and me a sense of what he felt the magazine should be: a regular communication from the School, highlighting news and life on campus, and, important to him, with stories that connected with the education and values of the School.

I threw myself into research and spent many of my days in Canterbury’s archive looking at the School’s history – letters from founders, pictures of JFK sledding, original dinner menus. I was looking to immerse myself, better understand how we could connect all the tradition with the modern course of the School.

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the train to Brewster. The gig was simple enough – I would hang around for six months or so, enough time to shape and launch the first issue of the new magazine, to be called PALLIUM. After that I’d go back to my crime and crack-ridden neighborhood. In those days you could find a decent crime-ridden neighborhood when you wanted one in New York.

Rod gave Marc Vanasse ’73, a full-time English teacher in those days, and me a sense of what he felt the magazine should be: a regular communication from the School, highlighting news and life on campus, and, important to him, containing stories that connected with the educational mission and values of the School. We found a great vehicle for this in the many and varied achievements of alumni. In the first issue, we led with Rod himself, who had been awarded an honorary doctorate that year by his graduate school alma mater, Georgetown. Other issues featured Gerard Smith ’31 who had negotiated the first Strategic Arms Limitation (SALT) Treaty with the Soviet Union; Phil Ruppe ’44, Congress-man from Michigan; and Sargeant Shriver ’34 and his work with the Peace Corps and Special Olympics. We also wanted to keep the faculty in the spotlight, and to showcase the great work so many were doing in enriching the curriculum. I thought up The Canterbury Observer, a guest column.

A challenge one faces when creating publications like this is how to shoot photos at cocktail parties. I had been working at a wire service on Capital Hill prior to all this, and covered House congressional committee hearings and press conferences, interviewed Senators, and more, but I’ll tell you, none of that is as hard as covering a cocktail party. For Marc and me each month was a new cycle of amusement and despair as we dealt with how to most flatteringly crop cigarettes and drinks out of hands, or tried to yet again get a shot of three people so that everybody’s expressions, faces, and angles were

flattering. If you’ve ever struggled to get your family Christmas card just right, imagine doing that over and over every month. And remember, this was all before the digital revolution. We had to make prints, or get them made, from film negatives. With the patience of a saint (one might say), Marc printed his own photos in the darkroom in the basement of Carmody Hall.

I threw myself into research and spent many of my days in Canterbury’s archives exploring the School’s history – letters from founders, pictures of JFK sledding, original dinner menus. I was looking to immerse myself, to better understand how we could connect all the tradition with the modern course of the School. Wags began to comment about my odd-duck presence and assignment. I became “Captain Pallium,” and Marc was, for a time, “Captain Logo.”

Being born of detail-challenged constitution, I managed to misspell “calendar” in the first issue and the last name of a Board member. And I’ll never forget the time our yearbook photo partner supplied the wrong archive picture for a feature on an alumnus who had completed a triathlon. I did not check the photo, and it ran incorrectly. To add insult to injury, the alumnus in the photo was deceased.

I must give credit to Rod, Peter O’Donnell ’70, and graduate parent (Nicole ’86 and Justin ’90) and graphic designer Warren Smith, who each supported the initial work and helped us set the tone and template for the magazine. Warren had designed the new School logo and worked exhausting hours, many donated, to the cause, and was an invaluable source of guidance. Peter O’Donnell, then Director of Development, tried to hold the line on the magazine’s budget, but I blew through that quickly, moving us from one-color covers to four-color covers a year early. But I’m sticking to my guns: I still say that you can’t do justice to cherry blossoms in one color.

A funny thing happened during my six-month gig. I became

PALLIUM FACTOIDS

Founding editor - 1984Stephen Reynolds ’78

First issueFall 1984

Number of pagesin first issue

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First color coverSpring 1985

(students studying under cherry blossom trees)

Second editor - 1986Marc Vanasse ’73

First full-color issueSpring 2004

First and only black and white coverWinter 1991

Person most oftenon the cover

Tom Sheehy (9)

Largest issuesFall 2011, Spring 2013

64 pages each

Most featured buildingon cover

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completely caught up in that moment. Exciting things were happening with Rod as Head. The Board was launching then into the amazing capital improvements that have continued under Tom Sheehy’s headmastership. I also had the privilege of getting to know the Classes of ’86 and ’87, both filled with wonderful human beings who have achieved and will achieve so much. And I got to work further with Marc – one of the best partnerships I’ve ever had in my work life – to cast the PALLIUM more firmly before leaving in 1986. It is a source of pride, I believe, for all of us in the Canterbury community to see the School celebrate both its history and its future on the occasion of the 100th anniversary in 2015-16. I hope that in some way the PALLIUM has connected us to that history over the past 30 years, and that it will continue to enrich its future.

Canterbury School’s logo represents the School’s identity and values. The y-shaped pallium (vestment of a band of white wool, worn over a bishop’s shoulders, with four purple crosses afixed to it), an academic and ecclesiastical symbol, divides the field per pall. The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove graces the top section. The lamb on the lower left represents Jesus, the Lamb of God, holding the cross of sacrifice and salvation. The lion with a crosier on the right represents the resurrection and royalty of Jesus. The dark blue and light blue tincture of the logo suggest strength, courage, and piety; the white indicates integrity and peace.

First four-color cover: Spring 1985. L-r: Myles Byrnes ’85, Charlotte Carter Morgan ’86, Annie Carter Rizzo ’87, Peter Farrell ’85.

Explanation of Canterbury’s Logo

Steve Reynolds ’78 currrently works for Microsoft U.S. Marketing. He holds an AB in English/Film from Boston College and an MFA/MA from New York University. He lives in New York City with his wife Hilary and their son Tynan. Steve is very grateful to his classmates and the Canterbury community for their support of his late sisterErin ’79 during her passing in 2009. A cancer survivor, Steve recently participated in The Haymakers for Hope NYC charity event, which raised $600K for cancer research. In addition, Steve is the author of various unpublished works.

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Jean S. Hebert, Legendary Faculty Member, Dies

By Marc Vanasse ’73

Every school has a legendary faculty member, that larger than life character whose name at once invokes a series of indelible impressions and is synonymous with the institution. For many graduates, “The Bear,” as he was affectionately called, was that legend.

Jean S. Hebert died at his home in New Milford, CT, on March 31, 2014, at age 91, after a long illness. Born in Holyoke, MA, he was the son of the late Alfred Omer Hebert and Aurora Gingras. He attended Middlebury College, earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in both French and Spanish. He later studied in Paris and Mexico City.

Jean’s studies at Middlebury were interrupted by World War II. During the war, he served in the Army Air Corps with Air Sea Rescue

while stationed in the Panama Canal Zone. Following completion of his degree, he taught in Bath, NY, before accepting a position at Canterbury School in 1948. He remained at the School until his retirement in 1989. Over the years, he served as Chair of the Language Department, Senior Master, and Assistant Director of Athletics. He also coached, at various times, soccer, football, ice hockey, and tennis. In 1996, he received the Canterbury Medal for distinguished service to the School.

Jean conducted the Choral Club at Canterbury, and for a time in the 1960’s, he directed the Men’s Choir at St. Francis Xavier Church. He also played the clarinet and saxophone in several local dance bands.

In retirement, he volunteered

During a Canterbury career spanning 41 years, Jean served the School as a teacher, coach, Senior Master, Assistant Director of Athletics, and Director of the Choral Club. His impact on Canterbury and students left a significant mark.

Jean Hebert in 1987.

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Before beginning his teaching career, Jean wanted to be a professional musician. He also wanted to be a forest ranger, probably because he was a Boy Scout and spent a good deal of time in the woods.

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A Remembrance

at the New Milford Hospital, was active in community work through the Lions Club, and was an enthusiastic golfer.

Frances (Conti), his wife of 61 years, sons Jacques ’71, Frank ’73, and Christopher ’75, his daughters-in-law Cynthia, Susan, and JoAnn, and grandchildren Andrew, Erick, Jacie, Anne, Julian, Michael, and Matthew survive him. He was predeceased by his brother Gilles in 1983.

In a PALLIUM interview I conducted in his last year at Canterbury, Jean said, “I saw my father go off to school to work everyday for 37 years, and he rather enjoyed the summer vacations and all the other vacations. I had an aunt who taught music, and there were many other teachers in the family. So I think I came by it naturally. I had other ideas, but sooner or later had to decide what was practical, and teaching rather ran in the family.”

Before beginning his teaching career, Jean wanted to be a professional musician. He also wanted to be a forest ranger, probably because he was a Boy Scout and spent a good deal of time in the woods.

Hired in 1948, three months before founding Headmaster Nelson Hume died, Jean settled in well at Canterbury. In that interview, he recalled a 1959 offer to teach at Deerfield Academy. He turned it down, because he believed that his sons would receive an excellent Catholic private school education at Canterbury.

A language teacher who reigned supreme in Room 8 of the Old

Schoolhouse, Jean demanded much from his students. His assignments were long, his teaching methods were unrelenting, and he was, by his own admission, a hard marker who never minced his words. I should know, I was one of his students. He regularly reminded the students in my French III class in that we were in “section 3, the dummy section.”

On occasion, he would throw out my whole class, because most of the students were unprepared for the day’s lesson. Later, he would seek me out and say, ”Sorry, Marc, that I had to throw you out of class today. I know you were prepared, but those other guys weren’t.”

To know Jean well was to know that under his gruff exterior resided a teddy bear, a sentimental man who possessed a great sense of humor and endless stories about his days in Panama. I had an insider’s look at that teddy bear side of Jean. He and Frances were my parents’ best friends, a friendship that began when my dad took a job at Canterbury in 1960. They socialized often and were frequent visitors at my parents’ house. My father and Jean hit it off immediately. Not only did they teach in the same department and share a love for music (my dad accompanied the Choral Club on piano while Jean conducted), but also they often played in a band on

To know Jean well was to know that under his gruff exterior resided a teddy bear, a sentimental man who possessed a great sense of humor and endless stories about his days in Panama.

weekends. Frances and my mom also shared many activities. Eight months after the couples met, my parents asked Jean and Frances to be godparents to by brother Gerry ’78. My siblings and I called him Uncle Jean, and, to this day, call his wife Auntie Frances.

The School recognized Jean’s significant contributions to the institution by awarding him the Canterbury Medal, and students also honored Jean by naming him the dedicatee of three Cantuarians – 1957, 1962, and 1978.

“In the classroom, his keen mind, his patience,and understanding have led scores of students through the rigorous study of modern languages… His sense of humor has brightened our four years at Canterbury, and his personal aid and counsel have helped many of us…” (Excerpt from 1957 Cantuarian dedication.)

“A gruff word of encouragement, a sincere dedication to his work, and a continual demand for the best – these are his trademarks. An appreciation for study, a knowledge for quality, and an enthusiasm for life – these are his gifts to us.” (Excerpt from 1962 Cantuarian dedication.)

“…As Sixth Formers, we know him as a man of intelligence, dedication, and understanding. He has given us many things: his time,

A language teacher who reigned supreme in Room 8 of the Old Schoolhouse, Jean demanded much from his students. His assignments were long, his teaching methods were unrelenting, and he was, by his own admission, a hard marker who never minced his words.

Jean Hebert, circa 1988.

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his energy, some of his best stories. In the classroom, he has given us a thirst for knowledge. Most importantly, he has given us an example to follow.” (Excerpt from 1978 Cantuarian dedication.)

When asked in the interview what he thought students felt like when they walked into his classroom, Jean responded candidly. “I think that in spite of myself, I’ve developed a reputation that I wish I didn’t have. I surely don’t want my students to be apprehensive. I want them to feel comfortable. But I think too many students have been listening to their peers. And too often, the ones who are willing to do the work listen to the students who really don’t want to work, and they paint a rather bleak picture of what goes on in Classroom 8.”

Later in the interview, he defended his teaching methods. “I think I lay it on the line pretty clearly. I’m the first to agree that I’m not an easy marker, but I think my record proves that I get results. That’s the name of the game.”

When asked to summarize his career at Canterbury, Jean reflected, “As happy a working lifetime as I could have expected. Many more good moments than bad. My family and I have been very happy at Canterbury. Let’s face it, it’s been my life here. In the main, it’s been very satisfying.”

Tributes from Graduates and Faculty

From the 1968 Cantuarian.From the 1951 Cantuarian. From the 1965 Cantuarian.

“He was a jazz enthusiast and played the saxophone. He loved to use his own version of nautical terms for time, lockers, and so forth, and we students enjoyed making fun of this habit of his. He was, all in all, a good guy”–Tim Sullivan ’52

“Tough guy. Big heart. Can’t remember a better role model from the ’50s and ’60s.”–Peter Brine ’60

“Jean Hebert has more to do with my becoming a man than anyone other than my father. I am eternally grateful for his wisdom, guidance, and often very persuasive nudges in the direction of excellence. He was an extraordinary man, a gifted teacher, and a role model for us all.”–Read McNamara ’65

“In the 51 years since those days, I always treasured the opportunity to talk with The Bear at reunions and homecomings. If Canterbury had a Mt. Rushmore, Jean Hebert’s likeness would certainly be part of the tableau.”–Don Speath ’65

“He was my favorite teacher at Canterbury. Once in French class, after a particularly poor pronunciation of a verb by me, he said, ‘Murphy, just keep your head up and your stick on the ice.’ Good advice from a great man.”–Otis Murphy ’66

“The Bear was the best, and by far, the hardest teacher I ever had. He was one

of the core teachers who made a huge impact on my life while at Canterbury. A true legend. The School has lost one of its great treasures.”–George Malhame ’74

“Mr Hebert was a fine and dedicated man. I lived in Hebert House in 1958 and was assistant manager for his hockey team.”–Joe Burke ’60

“Mr. Herbert was one of my favorite teachers. Gruff on the outside, compassionate on the inside.”–Karin Beebe Irwin ’76

“In my first year of teaching at Canterbury [1971], since I was in charge of the dining room, I would be one of the first to arrive at breakfast, though I seldom arrived before Jean. That year, we had breakfast almost every day. It was a great time. He regaled me with stories about students and faculty of the old days. I learned a lot about Jean and about the School in those breakfast encounters.”–JP Mandler, Senior Master

“During the past 24 years, I have met with graduates throughout the country, Without fail they would ask me about Jean Hebert. Very early on it became quite clear that Jean was a beloved educator who had such a positive impact on so many students. He represented all the best that is Canterbury. He will be missed and long remembered.”–Tom Sheehy, Headmaster

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In his great poem “Sailing to Byzantium,” William Butler Yeats wrote:

An aged man is but a paltry thing, a tattered coat upon a stick.

Those who knew and saw my father in his last years knew the truth of Yeat’s observation. Sitting in his wheelchair, staring into space, less and less able to communicate or to care for himself, my father became, at the end, a shadow of his former self, a tattered remnant of the energetic, strong and vigorous man who was his real self: the Jean Hebert we knew and loved.

We were blessed and we were privileged to know and to have our lives shaped by Jean Hebert. My father was a member of what journalist Tom Brokaw called “The Greatest Generation.” Although he grew up during the deprivation of the Great Depression, my father was mostly shielded from its worst hardships, as his own father was never unemployed. Like most of his contemporaries, my father served his country during World War II and again, was shielded from its worst hardships. My father’s war stories were not tales of valor on the battlefield, but humorous anecdotes about the misadventures of a crew that even he said sounded rather like McHale’s Navy. My father was a raconteur, and he loved to share those stories of his time in Air Sea rescue in Panama: about a drunken kitchen steward, a pack of wild monkeys, and the platoon’s most daring expedition which, incredibly, involved rescuing a herd of cattle that had fallen into the canal.

My father had a way with words, didn’t he? You didn’t have to know him long or know him well to know that he had at his disposal a trove of colorful sayings – some a bit too colorful to be shared in this context. But did you ever have the experience of asking my father, “So how are you, Jean?” and get the answer, “Not bad, for a guy my age and in my condition.” Or when he would get exasperated about something and would warn you that, “It’s a good thing I’m such an easygoing guy.” Or his favorite expression of repudiation, “In a pig’s eye,” sometimes, of course, referring to another and lower level of the pig’s anatomy.

And my father knew how to have a good time, too. He loved music – playing his saxophone or clarinet, singing in the choir at the church in Florida, directing the Choral Club at Canterbury or the men’s choir at St. Francis. He loved to play golf. And, as frustrating as it could be for him, he was an avid fan of the

Giants and the Red Sox. I can still hear the noise he made every time he punched the side of his chair when the opposing team scored a touchdown or a home run.

Brokaw wrote that my father’s generation was “the greatest generation any society has ever produced,” arguing that the men and women of his era fought not for fame and recognition, but because it was the “right thing to do.” That, I believe, is my father’s legacy, and what we will remember him for: he knew, and he did the right thing.

He dedicated nearly his entire professional life and career to Canterbury School, for 41 years serving the institution, its students, and the faculty who were his colleagues and closest friends. Sometimes it was difficult for my father to adapt to the changes in the students and in the School, and he stubbornly held to the old standards and the old ways because he felt that it was the right thing to do. But at other times, he was at the forefront of changes, leading with new ideas and new energy as with the construction of the language lab, which was a cutting-edge technology in the 1970’s and the renewal of the athletic store with new merchandise and better marketing when he took over its management as Assistant Director of Athletics. He was even an innovator in his personal life, being one of the first people to join the fitness revolution popularized by Jim Fix’s book on recreational running. All of these things he did because it was the right thing to do.

My father could be rigorous and exacting. His students learned quickly that he could see right through the excuses to laziness, carelessness, or lack of preparation. He had no patience for second-rate work. This was not because he was a cantankerous old bear. It was because holding high standards and insisting on his students’ best efforts was the right thing to do. It is no exaggeration to say that he demanded the best from his students: in the classroom, on the athletic field, and in all those little interactions that happen between a faculty member and a student in daily life at a boarding school. For example, my father insisted that none of the students should slouch with their backside against the pews when they were supposed to be kneeling. “Kneel up!” he used to say – even to my own brother when he was five years old in the back pew of this chapel. My father demanded the best. But my father gave his best.

That, I believe, is his greatest legacy, and that is what he would have us remember and hold onto. Do your best. Don’t settle.

In the Book of Common Prayer, there is a prayer that says “to your faithful people, O Lord, life is changed, not ended,” and that is the reality we gather to celebrate today. Dad’s life is changed, not ended. He lives on not only in the heavenly realms rejoined with his mother and father and brother and so many others who preceded him in death, he lives on within our hearts and minds and lives when we offer our best efforts for those persons and those institutions in which we believe.

Doing The Right ThingEulogy by Frank Hebert ’73(Presented at Jean Hebert’s Memorial Mass in Canterbury’s Chapel of Our Lady on April 4, 2014.)

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Ed Carney ’79, left, hosted two of his classmates, Tim Farrell and Dave Langley, at his Vail, CO, condo for three days of bump runs and reminiscing about their days at Canterbury.

1959Bill Kupersmith is a hospital volunteer and hospice chaplain.1972The law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton won the general litigation competition, which had a hefty 62 entries from the Am Law 200. The firm’s litigators, who include cochair of the Department John Kiernan, are a small but elite group that works seamlessly and handles the most challenging cases. John and the firm’s four other litigators are featured on the January 2014 cover of The American Lawyer magazine.1975In October 2013, Ed Spaeth had a small group of classmates, Chris Carvin, Greg Kiernan, Bill Meehan, and Ted O’Connor, to his home in Mattituck, NY. Ed reports that the group told old stories, grilled steaks, and took a boat ride across the Peconic Bay for a great lunch in Southampton. They are looking forward to their 40th reunion in 2015.

Ed sees Bob Everett ’77 and Twigg Crawford ’77 every couple of months.1990Nasir Naqvi was appointed an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University. He researches neural mechanisms of addiction treatments and teaches clinical addiction psychiatry to medical students, residents, and fellows.1991On September 29, 2013, Matthew Muszala and wife Carolyn had their first child, a girl named Bensley. (See photo.)1998Engineering News Record named Jason Hart as a “Top 20 under 40” in construction for the New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey region for 2014. He is a construction attorney for Peckar & Abramson, P.C., where his primary areas of practice include dispute prevention and resolution, compliance, investigations, and litigation. He regularly counsels construction managers,

general contractors, engineering procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors and developers. Before joining Peckar and Abramson, Jason served as a project manager for Lend Lease for nearly six years, where he helped manage more than $500 million worth of new construction, renovation, and infrastructure work. After receiving his B.S. in Business Management from Babson College, Jason obtained his law degree from Brooklyn Law while working full time in the construction industry. One of Jason’s goals is to further develop preventative practices to identify business solutions to potential challenging legal issues at the onset of construction and development projects. 2000Alyssa Michael married Christian Caram on September 7, 2013, at Glenmere Mansion in Chester, NY. The couple lives in Hoboken, NJ.2003Michael Ciardullo married

Karen Holbert on June 15, 2013. (See photo.)2004Gerren Scoon has been accepted to the Harvard Business School.2005Lindsay Wetmore plans to be married on July 5, 2014.2009Jose Alvarez, who graduated last spring with a B.A. in History from Hobart & William Smith Colleges, is teaching math at MS 206 East Harlem. n

Got News?Send us news/photos about your new job, new baby, grandchild, travels, or wedding to pallium@cbury.org. If submitting digitally, please send a high-quality JPEG file (300 dpi, size: min. 3" x 5"). If submitting prints through the mail, please send a photo-lab quality print. We’d love to hear from you.

L-r: Wayne Rigney ’72, Rob Rigney ’74, Dom Possemato ’74, and Ken Rigney ’82 at Rob’s son’s state wrestlingtournament.

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In the fall of 1914, Nelson Hume, Henry Havemeyer, Ernest Iselin, Alan Ryan, and Clarence Mackay agreed to consider providing capital for a new Catholic boarding school. Encouraged by them to search for a location for the school, Nelson Hume learned that the site and buildings of the Ingleside School in New Milford were for sale. After visiting the hilltop site, he

was convinced New Milford would be the ideal place for the School. Throughout the winter and spring of 1915, Nelson worked and reworked a proposal for the School as he communicated with this group of wealthy New York Catholics. After decisive meetings in New York on St. Patrick’s Day and in April, a corporation was formed to own and operate a school for boys. On May 1, 1915, after Mr. Havemeyer and Mr. Mackay had approved the name Nelson Hume chose, “Canterbury School,” they decided that the School would open in September 1915. This was the same year Nelson Hume received a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Georgetown University.

Dr. Hume spent the summer of 1915 recruiting boys for the new school. Canterbury School opened on September, with sixteen boys and five faculty members in addition to Dr. Hume.

In the hundred years since, Canterbury’s plant has expanded and improved, the enrollment has increased to 345 boys and girls, and Tom Sheehy is serving as the fifth headmaster.

As the Centennial year of 2015 approaches, Canterbury is preparing to celebrate a hundred years of educating young people. In January 2013, a steering committee of faculty and administrators

met throughout the winter and spring to develop preliminary plans. Cathy Halkett of the Alumni & Development Office assumed the leadership of the Centennial Committee in February 2014, and we continue to plan for events and commemorations to be held throughout the 2015-2016 year. The Centennial year will kick off with an all-school reunion in June 2015, with many other events

planned, including a convocation in September and a gala dinner in January 2016.

To give appropriate recognition to Canterbury’s history and to our alumni, we are directing much attention to our archival material. We would welcome the contribution of any artifacts or material relating to Canterbury’s history that would make our Centennial observation more

meaningful. Contributions or queries should be sent to Nancy Florio, Library Director and Archivist at nflorio@cbury.org.

Centennial Plans Underway,Call for Archival Materials

Nelson Hume

Tom Sheehy

Students play football on lower campus in 1920. The large building is Main House, which burned in 1936 and was replaced by Middle House, now Sheehan House. The middle building, the School’s original chapel, is now the Chaplain’s residence, the oldest building on campus.

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Lucas Talarico ’92 married Kristin D’Agnelli on August 24, 2013, in Quincy, MA. Erik Hals ’92 was the best man. The couple live in Belmont, MA.

Snowman made by the daughter of DougFamigletti ’90.

Nell Lennon Williams ’81 Elected to Board

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Nell Williams ’81 is the Senior Vice President of Marriott’s Global Sales and Customer Care organization, which supports Marriott’s sales and customer engagement strategies with more than 36 million contacts from 80 countries with a team of 4,000 associates in 13 offices around the world.

Since joining Marriott in 1985, Nell has held a variety of positions with Marriott in hotels and at Corporate Headquarters in the Sales, Reservations, revenue Management, and Operations disciplines.

Nell holds an M.B.A. in Marketing and Financing from Boston College and a B.A. in English Literature from the Catholic University of America.

She currently lives in Vienna, VA, with her husband, Steve, and their two children, Erin and Owen.

“I consider my time spent at Canterbury as one of the best gifts ever given to me,” says Nell. “It was such a meaningful time where I developed long-lasting relationships and learned so many of the values and skills that I rely on today. This invitation to serve on the Board of Trustees is an opportunity for me to protect and perhaps guide this school so that it will have a long and lasting legacy of gifts to generations after generations of students like me.”

Bensley Anne Muszala, daughter of Carolyn and Matthew Muszala ’91.

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Tom Egan ’99 married wife Meghan in Atlanta, GA, onJanuary 25, 2014. Canterbury graduates in attendance included Jamie Kearns ’98 (groomsman), Greg DeRosa ’99 (groomsman), and Jed Dolce ’01.

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Paige Resto, daughter of Nikyda Scott Resto ’99 and husband Angel.

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Michael Ciardullo ’03 married Karen Holbert on June 15, 2013.

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Katie Heidbreder ’07 in “Ragtime” at the Westchester Dinner Theatre.

Hillary Buzaid ’10 was invited to participate in a private meeting with General Colin Powell, because she was one of the top students in her Global Studies major at Loyola University.

Headmaster Tom Sheehy met with many Korean graduates during his annual trip to Korea in March 2014. He is pictured here with Hyung Tae Kim ’97, Caroline Han ’97 and Hyun-Woo Sung ’98. The Korean Alumni Association presented Tom and Betsy with a facsimile of a Centennial Brick that the group donated.

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CLASSNOTESCANTERBURY PROUD

A passion for entrepreneurshipand fitness have been a winning combination for cousins Kurt ’06 and Warren Garceau ’06. They were standout athletes at Canterbury, both playing football, hockey, and lacrosse. Kurt earned a spot on the Western New England Prep School All-Star team, and his teammates elected him captain of the Boys’ Varsity Hockey team. In addition, his first-rate hockey skills earned him an MVP Award. At the spring athletic banquet in 2006, he and Warren received the Best All-Around Athlete Award. To top off his Canterbury career, Kurt’s peers elected him class president. “This was a great opportunity for me to give back to my class,” says Kurt. Warren served as a proctor in Havemeyer House and as treasurer of his class.

After graduating from Canterbury, Warren went on to Wheaton College, where he majored in economics and minored in psychology. While there, he continued his sports career by playing for the school’s lacrosse team for four years. His teammates elected him captain in his junior and senior years. Kurt matriculated at West Point, where he played lacrosse. “Playing collegiate level lacrosse was a tough but amazing experience,” says Kurt.

Six months after graduating from college, Warren and Kurt opened North Haven CrossFit. From a humble 1,200-sq. ft. facility and a handful of members, the duo worked hard to grow the business. They expanded the business to an 8,000-sq. ft. space and added more than 300 members. “With the success of our first training facility, Kurt and I opened our second facility (Bell City CrossFit) in Bristol, CT, in 2012,” says Warren. Currently, Kurt and Warren are working on opening their third CrossFit gym. “Fitness has always been a part of our lives, and it gives us a chance to give back to our local community,” says Kurt.

Kurt credits Canterbury with preparing him well for college and life after. “Being away from home during high school made me grow up very quickly and learn how to be responsible,” says Kurt. “Everything was on me. There was no room for excuses. I also learned how to manage my time well. Canterbury also taught me how to plan for the next step. Whether in business or in family life, I believe the Five Values the School espouses have stuck with me.” Kurt also cites Chris Roberts, one of his dorm parents in his Third Form year, with guiding him though many tough decisions. “He really knew how to connect with me.” Residing in North Haven, Kurt and his wife, Courtney, have a daughter, Carter Faith Garceau.

Warren comments that “Canterbury did a wonderful job preparing me for college. The School helped me transition seemlessly from prep school to college.” He is thankful that Canterbury fostered in him great leadership skills, which have helped him achieve success in business. “I would like to expand my current small business and diversify into other opportunities.” says Warren. Married for three years, he and wife Casandra are expecting their first child in August.

Chris Garceau ’01, a West Point graduate (B.S. Systems Engineering) and currently a Chinook Pilot in the Washington National Guard, is the proud owner of South Seattle Crossfit. Like his brother, Kurt, and cousin, Warren, Chris excelled in the athletic arena at Canterbury. He played soccer, hockey, and lacrosse and was named Best All-Around Athlete at the end of his Sixth Form year. “Canterbury challenged me by providing a robust array of extracurriculars, athletic opportunities, and intellection stimulation,” says Chris. “I learned how to handle a large workload, which paid great dividends in college.” His memorable and influential Canterbury teachers include the LaVignes, Roberts, Chandlers, Sheehys, Omañas, and Guy Simonelli. “I very much enjoyed my science and language courses, but much of my growth and mentorship came from outside the classroom.”

CrossFit has been a huge part of Chris’s life. “I owe much of the credit to my brother Kurt and cousin Warren for inspiring me to open my own facility, and much of my success is a result of their hard work.” Chris currently lives in Seattle, WA, with his wife McKenzie.

CrossFit has become a family affair for the Garceaus, and they couldn’t be happier.

“Being away from home during high school made me grow up very quickly and learn how to be responsible,” says Kurt. “Everything was on me. There was no room for excuses. I also learned how to manage my time well.”–Kurt Garceau ’06

CO

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Chris Garceau ’01, Kurt Garceau ’06,Warren Garceau ’06.

47

For generations, Canterbury students have walked the path into and out of the Old Schoolhouse as part of the normal rhythm of every campus day. Now you have a chance to place a brick bearing your name, the name of a family member, or a beloved teacher on that very path for future generations to see.

Centennial Path will be a lasting tribute to the students, alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of Canterbury and will help commemorate the School’s upcoming Centennial in 2015.

n Bricks come in three sizes and vary in price – between $250 and $1,000.

n This is a great way to leave your mark on Canterbury’s campus for the next 100 years!

n Construction will begin during the summer of 2014, so all brick orders must be received

by June 30, 2014.

n Order your piece of Canterbury history today by visiting www.brickmarkers.com/

donors/cbury.html

n If you have any questions regarding placing a brick order, contact the Alumni & Development Office at 800-526-1710 or alumnioffice@cbury.org

Centen

nial P

ath

Orders must be received by June 30, 2014.

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CLASSNOTES

In MemoriamJoseph A. Wheelock Jr. ’56Edward R. Englund ’60Rudolph A. Damiani II ’63Harmodio Arias ’75

The PALLIUM invites members of the Canterbury family to submit copies of obituaries, which we will edit for publication. If you wish to share memories of a deceased classmate for possible inclusion in this publication, please send them to the editor.

OBITUARIES

Joseph A. Wheelock Jr. ’56Joseph A. Wheelock Jr, a Canterbury Trustee from 1980-1991, died on December 17, 2013. He was born on July 2, 1939, and was a resident of Williamstown, MA. Joe was related to several Canterbury graduates, including his three brothers, Web ’56, Jim ’61, and Tom ’65, his first cousin Jim Skelly III ’63, and his uncles Jim Skelly ’30, T.M. Skelly ’33, and Charles Skelly ’41.

Joe, together with Canterbury classmates Jim Briggs, Toby Smith, and Mike Mead, graduated from Williams College in 1960. He attended Harvard Law School, and in 1965 joined the law firm of Latham & Watkins. In 1979 he became the senior litigation partner in the firm’s Orange County (CA) office, and in 1997 he retired from the firm and moved to Williamstown.

Joe was a member of the Orange County and American Bar Associations and the American Law Institute. He served as a delegate to the Judicial Conference of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to joining Latham & Watkins, he served as Law Clerk to the Hon. John A. Danaher on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

In addition to his service on Canterbury’s board, Joe served on the Board of Directors of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra from 1988 until 1994 and was its Chief Financial Officer during the period 1991-1993. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Pacific Chorale.

“Joe and I were the best of friends,” said classmate Toby Smith. “He followed me in a clerkship with John Danaher in Washington on the Court of Appeals. I was proud to have been part of that appointment, and Joe and I shared experiences from those years for decades. He was a great Canterbury supporter.”

Edward R. Englund ’60Brother Edward Englund ’60 died on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014. During his 25 years at the Woodside Priory School, a Catholic boarding school for grades 6-12, in Portola, CA. He served in various positions, including Academic Dean, Guesthouse Master, Director of Counseling and Guidance, and Director of the Boarding Program.

Edward and his siblings grew up attending Catholic and Lutheran churches on alternate Sundays, reflecting the beliefs of his mother and father, respectively. When they were teenagers, his father put his foot down and made them choose, and Edward chose Catholicism. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from St. Anselm College. He went on to earn a Master’s degree

in Counseling from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of San Francisco.

When his parents learned of his idea of joining a monastery, Brother Edward said his mother opposed it and never did reconcile with it, while his father let him know that his choice was “fine.” He professed his vows three times, as called for, in 1963, 1966 and 1967. He was “highly respected and loved by the many students, faculty, and staff whose lives he touched,” said Priory Headmaster Tim Molak. “Brother Edward was a significant force in the progress of the Priory, both in affairs of the school and the Benedictine Community”

Brother Edward loved his monastic community and his vocation as a Benedictine,” said Rt. Rev. Mark A. Cooper, O.S.B., the abbot at Saint Anselm. “He worked tirelessly for the students of Saint Anselm College and Woodside Priory School. Brother Edward was preceded in death by his sister Janet and is survived by his monastic community and members of his extended family.

Rudolph A. Damiani II ’63Rudolph “Chip” Damiani of New Haven, CT, died on February 23, 2014. He was the husband of Maria Brancati Damiani, father of Robbin Milici-Ashenfelter, Christopher, and Michael Damiani, brother of Sandra Rearden and Carol Ann Damiani Ericson, and grandfather of Dylan Andreas and Giuliana Grey Damiani.

Chip was born in Waterbury, June 16, 1945, to Rudolph and Jeanette Long Damiani. He was most recently the President of Airtite Home Improvement, Inc. Chip was the well-known and respected drummer for the 1960’s rock band The Remains. Formed in 1964 in Boston, while the band members were students at Boston University, they were eventually recognized as one of America’s finest hard rock bands. Fabled heroes in their hometown of Boston, The Remains appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, and are best known for being one of the opening acts for the Beatles’ final US tour in 1966. Thirty-two years later, in 1998, the band reunited for a European tour, which led to a permanent reunion in 2002. They were the subject of a 2004 off-Broadway musical (All Good Things) and a 2008 documentary, America’s Lost Band.

Harmodio Arias ’75Canterbury learned of the death of Harmodio Arias from his cousin Alvaro “Red” Arias ’75. Harmodio died on February 5, 2015, after battling cancer for several months. Among his accomplishments, Harmodio held the post of Secretary of State of Panama.

a

Joe Wheelock ’56

designated

Canterbury

as a beneficiary

of his IRA

To learn how you can benefit from including Canterbury in your estate plans, please visit cbury.plannedgiving.org or call 800-526-1710.

Profound Gratitude

“I had no idea how

well Canterbury

had prepared me

for college until

I completed the

first semester

of my freshman

year at Williams,

at which point

hopeful expectation

was replaced by

profound gratitude.”

Joe Wheelock ’56.

A former trustee, Joe Wheelock ’56 set the standard for loyalty and generosity to Canterbury. A regular and generous donor, Joe reached beyond his own life and provided for Canterbury in his estate plan.

By naming Canterbury as a beneficiary of his IRA, he obtained substantial tax savings while leaving other, less-tax-burdened assets to his heirs. Making this change cost nothing and was easy to do – he simply added Canterbury to his IRA’s beneficiary form. After Joe’s passing on December 17, 2013, Canterbury received assets from Joe’s IRA tax-free.

“I had no idea how well Canterbury had prepared me for college until I completed the first semester of my freshman year at Williams, at which point hopeful expectation was replaced by profound gratitude,” said Joe.

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PARENTS OF GRADUATES:If this publication is addressed to your son or daughter

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at your home, please notify the alumni office of his or

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www.cbury.org

Late afternoon winter sky.

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