Staff Members Set Outstanding Example Students Serve The
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February 8, 2011 The Loomis Chaffee School, Windsor CT Volume XCIII, No. 5 Staff Members Set Outstanding Example Chamber by Rachel Rosenblatt On an Island overflowing with or a smile in Founders. Fletcher competition. Throughout Billera’s “Seeing the tour guides is really Concert potential, hard work, and individ- sees kindness in the Loomis Chaf- six and a half years on the Island, the highlight of my day,” Knight uality, the presence of kindness fee community’s philanthropic his favorite part of the day has said. Knight went on to explain can often be overlooked. Fortu- deeds, such as donating coats to always been his interactions with that she sees kindness at its purest Entertains nately, our campus is graced with Hartford-area children or raising students and athletes. Billera in her experience with the Loomis by Lydia Heinrichs many invaluable ambassadors of money for a worthy cause. In ad- truly lives by his motto, “If you Chaffee tour guides. “When altruism. dition, she marvels at the amount are kind to everyone you meet there is an unexpected tour, or Students, faculty, and parents Roberta Fletcher can always be of kindness and goodwill present daily, you will [have] kindness if someone doesn’t show up, filed into Hubbard Concert Hall found perched behind the desk among all of the students and fac- returned to you one-hundred there is always someone willing for the annual Winter Cham- of the Academic Office, with a ulty members on campus. Mrs. fold.” Outside of Loomis Chaffee, to help fill in when I need them. ber Music Concert on Tuesday, smile on T h a t ’ s January 11. Student groups per- her face, w h e n I formed chamber music pieces a pen in see kind- varying from Baroque to classical hand, and ness most. to Romantic, to present one of the a phone Some- strongest chamber music concerts ringing at times it’s in Loomis Chaffee history. her side. the per- Longtime music faculty mem- Fletcher, son I least ber Aaron P. Pratt, Jr. ’38 began n o w i n e x p e c t , the chamber music program in her eighth and that the 1970s. Described by Head of ye a r o f makes it Music Department Faith Miller working even bet- as “unparalleled in structure and o n t h e ter.” As strength by other private schools I s l a n d , muc h as in the region,” the program, t r u l y she loves in Miller’s words, “provides a loves her h e r j o b unique opportunity [for students] job; when h e r e o n to study and perform music col- a s k e d PHOTO BY JUSTIN ZHENG PHOTO BY EUGENE CHO PHOTO BY EUGENE CHO the Island, laboratively in the secondary a b o u t Joe Billera Roberta Fletcher Debi Knight K n i g h t school setting.” Students are her fa- c l a i m s separated into eight to ten groups v o r i t e t h a t i f and are assigned one of four part of the day, she said, without Fletcher, thank you for gracing Billera enjoys spending time with there were one thing she would coaches from the Loomis Chaf- hesitation, “All of it! I just love it Loomis Chaffee with your kind his son and restoring his 1967 like to see change, it would be fee music faculty. These groups here, especially when students heart and hard work! Ford Mustang. for the students to be less over- work together on one piece for come in.” Fletcher went on to A daily stop at the Cage is a ne- Debi Knight has been working scheduled. She says, “[The stu- eight weeks before holding a final describe Loomis Chaffee as a cessity at Loomis Chaffee to see at Loomis Chaffee since October dents] just always seem so busy.” performance for the school. There family school: “In a family you the smiling face of Joe Billera, to 2002. Beginning her Island career Ms. Knight, you make your job are a total of four eight-week ses- don’t need to like everyone, but pick up a uniform, or just simply in the Academic Office, she moved look easy and we are lucky to sions throughout the year. When regardless you work as a team to say hello. Even on the most to Sellers Hall three years later to have you! not practicing for a recital, the toward common goals.” With a hectic game days, Billera pre- work in the Admissions Office. As you attend classes on the class meets to discuss program- smile stretching from ear to ear, pares all of the necessary equip- Knight manages the endless flow Island, make sure to thank Mrs. reading and basic music theory. she said that it is the small things ment and apparel with astonish- of applications, interviews, and Fletcher, Mr. Billera, and Ms. The program on January 11 that make her day, such as the ex- ing ease. Billera works to ensure tours, while always maintaining Knight for their hard work and began with Johann Christian change of a wave across the quad that we Pelicans are prepared for her genial smile and composure. benevolence. Bach’s “Sonata in G Major for Two Pianos,” performed by Leon An ’13 and Lydia Heinrichs ’11. This Students Serve the Hidden Island performance was the first time that a piece for two pianos was performed at Loomis Chaffee. Community Talents Exposed Previously, “we could not have by Sarah Patrick by Francesca Salvatore included a two piano piece with- out either renting a second piano As the holiday season draws to a houses for families in need on his the RAC, display- or moving an inferior piano into close and the excitement of gift- show Extreme Makeover Home Edi- ing the talents of the Chapel,” said Jim Rugen ’70. giving and receiving fades, the tion) and Oprah Winfrey garner the Loomis Chaffee However, because of the gener- monotonous back-to-school rou- public attention and praise with faculty and staff. ous donations of the Steinway tine begins anew, replacing the their extravagant and generous St ude nt s c a n family, Loomis Chaffee now joy and anticipation that perme- projects, admittedly most people catch glimpses has two Steinway concert grand ated The Island before break. With don’t have the money, skills, or into several differ- pianos that will be used almost two more months to slog through resources to pull off such gran- ent cultures with exclusively for performing. “A snow and confront the cold, many diose feats. Thankfully, Loomis the photographs vast piano chamber repertoire is Loomis Chaffee students with- Chaffee provides its students with of Kathryn Dela- now open to our students,” said draw, focusing solely on school a variety of service opportunities. court, Elizabeth Rugen. work and athletic commitments. Just this year, the Pelican Service Parada, Mara Lytle, Another notable performance However, there is a simple solu- Organization (PSO) launched a and Lucy Thibou- was Johann Joachim Quantz’s tion to avoid becoming stuck in Thanksgiving Food Drive Chal- tot. The culture of “Trio in G Minor,” performed by this winter-induced funk: random lenge, held a candy drive for the Afica, or “the city Rebecca Scanlon ’11, Nina Sayles acts of kindness. Boy’s and Girl’s Club, and volun- of eternal spring,” ’13, Tate Knight ’14, and Sophia Often viewed as a daunting, teered at Peter’s Retreat and Alex’s PHOTO BY EUGENE CHO in northern Chile Dong ’14. This piece included a time-consuming task, community Lemonade Stand. Additionally Martha Hess’s artwork in the Richmond Art Center. shines through contrabass guitar and a marimba, service sadly has become a go-to dozens of students flock to after- Parada’s photo- both instruments rarely featured activity for students in need of school community service projects Every year, Loomis Chaffee looks graphs, while Thi- in classical chamber music. This resume-fillers or ways to deco- Caring Connections and Pelican forward to the much-anticipated boutot captures the lifestyles of mixing and matching of instru- rate their college applications. Al- Huskies, just to name a couple. Community Art Exhibit, which those living in Syria and Lebanon ments, Miller said, is one of the though widely denied, these mo- While Loomis Chaffee prides showcases a wide range of impres- in her work. Oil paintings by the most unique characteristics of tives sully the true goal of service itself on attracting diverse, talent- sive artwork created by many fac- RAC’s own Mark Zunino and Chet the Loomis Chaffee Chamber work: to inspire others and to ed, and good students and people, ulty members here on The Island. Kempczynski are also on exhibit, Music program; not only can induce smiles. While community Henry David Thoreau reminds This year, outstanding photo- as well as ceramic pieces by Jenni- the traditional chamber music service dynamos such as Ty Pen- us, “Be not graphs, paintings, drawings, and fer McCand- instruments nington (an architect who builds simply good; CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 ceramic pieces lined the walls of less.Amaz- CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 such as vio- CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 1 The Log February 8, 2011 OPINI O NS More Artsby IOnzzy Kornblatt The Island Almost every single Loomis these arts outside of school hours to do during study hall. Without Chaffee student participates in makes them a more serious and access to these facilities, motivated the school’s arts program in some engaging avenue for creative ex- artists are cut off from the work- capacity through the roughly 60 pression.