May 2008
 Reunion Weekend is upon us! We are looking forward to seeing you back on campus, Friday, May 16 - Sunday, May 18! This year, we are honoring the classes ending in "3" and "8"; however, all alumnae are encouraged to come back for all of the weekend's festivities.
Check out these important links -
REUNION SCHEDULE
REGISTER ONLINE
WHO'S ATTENDING
GIVE A GIFT
We have many exciting events planned for the weekend, but we'd like to highlight a few you might find especially interesting.
Alumnae Art Show and Reception
Luchsinger Gallery and Jacobs Lobby, Wallace Performing Arts Center
Friday, May 16, 2008
5:30 - 7:00 PM
Mix and mingle with your former classmates and enjoy the beautiful and varied art work of GA's talented alums at one of Reunion Weekend's most popular events. Do not miss the retrospective display celebrating 20 years of Daedalus, the Academy's award-winning literary magazine. At press time, the following alumnae have submitted their work for the show, which will be up the entire month of May:
Roz Lehren Emmons '50
Joan Morris Manning '51
Sonja Gerquest '53
Wilda Harrison Gallagher '58
Marcia Penney Preston '58
Ceci Halpern Morgan '59
Veronica Benning '65
Ferris Cook '68
Mindy Daly Green '72
Stephanie Christman Mcallister '86-alumna curator
Lara Scott '86
Beth Barr '87
Kim Tamalonis '91
Liz Pizzuti '98
Stephanie Staidle '98
Ashley Whittredge Zablah '01
Alumnae Tailgate
Sports Terrace
Saturday, May 17, 2008
2:30 PM
One of this year's new and most anticipated events, join a lively good ol' fashioned tailgate as the crowd overlooks all the action as GA girls take on Loomis Chaffee for a Varsity Lacrosse game. Families welcome.
2.5 Mile MeikleRun
Starting Line at the top of Ruth West Campbell Lawn
Sunday, May, 18, 2008
10:30 AM
Calling all walkers and joggers of any speed! Pay tribute to the Academy's beloved cross-country coach and mathematics faculty member, Elizabeth Meiklejohn at this first annual walk/run in her memory.
10-Year Anniversary of the Wallace Performing Arts Center
Saturday, May 17, 2008
5:30 -7:30 PM
The Wallace Performing Arts Center is turning 10! Join us for a reception and celebration as Greenwich Academy presents retropective performances by alumnae Kaylie Hanson '06, Lucy Van Atta '07, and Allison Williams '06, among other surprises, and a performance by the Madrigals, past and present.
Join us on Saturday, May 17, 2008, at 5:30 PM for a reception in the Alumnae Courtyard and at 6:30 PM in Massey Theater for the Anniversary Performance. Click here to see the invitation and contact Megan Tyre Lindemeyer '88 if you'd like to attend.
Looking forward to seeing you at these and the many other fun happenings over Reunion Weekend. If you have any questions or would like more information, contact Megan Tyre Lindemeyer '88.
UNDER THE COLUMNS Alumnae Gathering in Washington, D.C.
At the seat of our nation's capitol, Washington DC-area Academy alumnae gathered on April 15 to chat about all things politic and GA. Hosted by Courtney Bauer Burnham '81, the Potomac reception drew alumnae from the 1950s through the Class of 2003, and the event centered on a spirited give-and-take discussion with Molly King on academics, campus life and many of the school’s new initiatives. Of note was the large percentage of attending alumnae who majored in college and subsequently worked in technology, mathematics and engineering and currently work in those fields. This prompted an engaging conversation about the Academy's science and math curricula and the national shortage of women in these vital career tracts. Several of the guests spoke of planning trips to North Maple Avenue for Reunion Weekend, including golden anniversary celebrant Susie Atkinson Lukens '58 and this year's Cum Laude guest speaker Ashley Evans '98. A special shout-out goes to Jaye Gregory '02 for rounding up, and providing the wheels for, a lively group of 21st century grads that evening. Charter Day 2008
The much anticipated sun shined brightly last Friday over the Charter Day festivities where the entire campus celebrated GA's 181st Birthday! The all-school assembly was held on the front lawn of Ruth West Campbell, where the incoming class officers were announced and the Pre-Connecting and Connecting Groups sang "Happy Birthday" to GA. As always, the highlight of the assembly was watching Group IV master the Maypole dance. After the assembly and BBQ lunch, the student-run carnival booths were open for business. Games included a doughnut-eating contest, a marriage booth, face painting and of course, the ever-popular decorate-a-cupcake booth, which is organized and run by members of the GA Alumnae Association, who all pitch in by baking dozens of cupcakes and operating the booth during the carnival. Many thanks to everyone who helped to make Charter Day a wonderful day! Filmmaker Neil Burger BR '81 visits GA
On Thursday, April 24, Neil Burger, Brunswick alumnus of 1981 visited GA to talk about his career in film and how he got where he is today. Neil has many ties to the Academy; he is the son of GA alumna Fay Van Riper Burger '49 and brother of Sherrill Burger Kellam '77 whose daughter, a GA Upper School, was in the audience. Neil graduated from Brunswick after attending Greenwich Country Day School for his high school years. He always was interested in art, and at Yale University, he studied painting and drawing and became interested in depicting moving images. Neil also was interested in experimental film but felt it lacked drama and story line, and so, he started writing his own screen plays. His foray into the TV/movie world was in making one-minute ads for MTV promoting reading. His work caught some attention, and he was asked to direct a commercial. Some of his first work were the Michael Jordan commercials for Nike. Although Neil says he was not interested at all in advertising, it turned out to be the conduit through which his career in film took off. Initially living in New York City, Neil decided to move to Los Angeles to be in the film mecca. His first movie was Interview with the Assassin, and his best known so far is the critically acclaimed The Illusionist. He is working on two films right now, The Lucky Ones and Dark Fields.
The GA and Brunswick film students were particularly interested in hearing about what goes into making a movie. The Illusionist, a two-hour movie, took forty hours of shooting, six initial weeks of editing and another ten to twelve weeks of editing. Six months after the film was shot, it went to Sundance Film Festival (hopefully his first of many to make it there!) He also explained that oftentimes, movies are filmed off-location. For example, The Illusionist takes place in Vienna, but since modern-day Vienna does not resemble at all the old city he wanted to portray, it was filmed in Prague. Neil also discussed how actors and actresses are selected for films. He explained that the goal is always to have a famous, bankable actor or actress to get the money to back the film, but you also need to think about the personality of actor/actress and how their personalities will juxtapose one another artistically. In The Illusionist, Edward Norton, for example, is a quiet and pensive person, almost, as Neil explained, to the point of being mysterious, which worked well with Jessica Beil's enigmatic and bold personality.
Neil also discussed how the culture he grew up in is far different from the culture of today. He was not constantly bombarded with marketing and media. These were the days before MTV. There was much more quiet time to be still and reflect, or as Neil, explains, "to sit and stare at a wall." For Neil, these moments of boredom were the prime opportunities to reflect and be creative. Although today's media geography is much different than it was when Neil was a student, he did say that resources such as YouTube have been helpful for his work. While he was working on The Lucky Ones, a film about a road trip three soldiers share when they return home, he was able to log on to YouTube and get real-life footage and interviews with the soldiers in Iraq.
Neil encouraged the students to be willing to fail and always to have a plan for how to accomplish their creative goals but not be too rigid. He finished by saying, "The people you're in school with today, you have no idea how you'll circle back with them in life." It is these connections and networks that have proved to be invaluable assets and stepping stones for Neil. Remember When. . .
We've had such fun coming across these photos of yesteryear, and we hope you enjoy them, too! Do you know who these GA alums are? If so, email Angela VanMoorsel with your guess.
Do you have an old photo you want to share with the ENews? Want other alums to guess who's in the pic? Click here to email your photo for future ENews "Remember When . . ." segments. Last Month's Photo
Dede Alexander McCormack '85 (left) and Mary Elizabeth "Meg" Gallagher Hock '85 (right)
|
