The Trinity Reporter WINTER 2021 STORYTELLING WITH A VIEW A Q&A with cinematographer Rob Sweeney ’76 CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS 02 VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT 03 ALUMNI EVENTS 04 CLASS NOTES 36 IN MEMORY 40 ENDNOTE THE TRINITY REPORTER Vol. 51, No. 2, Winter 2021 Published by the Office of Communications, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 06106. Postage paid at Hartford, Connecticut, and additional mailing offices. The Trinity Reporter is mailed to alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of Trinity College without charge. All publication rights reserved, and contents may be reproduced or reprinted only by written permission of the editor. Opinions expressed are those of the editor or contributors and do not reflect the official position of Trinity College. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Trinity Reporter, Trinity College, 300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106 The editor welcomes your questions and comments: Sonya Storch Adams, Office of Communications, Trinity College, 300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106; [email protected]; or 860-297-2143. www.trincoll.edu ON THE COVER Cinematographer Rob Sweeney ’76 towers above Arizona’s Grand Canyon as he shoots an episode of HBO’s Entourage. For more on Sweeney, please see page 18. PHOTO: SKIP MCCRAW ON THIS PAGE Pa Sukhum ’22, foreground, and Charlie Olson ’21, right background—wearing masks and practicing physical distancing— focus during their fall 2020 “Development Economics” class. The course was taught by Chitra Jogani, assistant professor of economics and international studies, in her first semester as a Trinity College faculty member. For more about how Trinity continued its mission during the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit commons.trincoll.edu/Reporter. PHOTO: NICK CAITO HEAD About this issue You may notice that what you’re hold- ing in your hands feels a little lighter than usual. Due to the pandemic and its attendant financial strain on the college, we needed to make cuts to the magazine budget. Rather than go back to a digital-only version (most of the comments we received from you about that were negative), we found savings by limiting this winter issue to the content that, according to the recent reader survey, you most like to read. In these pages, you’ll find alumni stories—in the Volunteer Spotlight and Q&A columns—and Class Notes. You’ll also find the In Memory sec- tion of obituaries for those who have passed away. In addition, this issue includes our usual Alumni Events, as well as the Endnote, a let- ter from Trinity President Joanne Berger-Sweeney. We’re planning for a full spring issue that includes all of the above plus the longer feature stories you’re used to receiving in each magazine; we hope that this abbreviated issue is a one-time occurrence, but, as with many things affected by the pan- demic, we just don’t know for sure. I hope that you enjoy this winter issue. As always, I invite you to send feedback on content to me at [email protected]; I may include your letter in a future issue of the magazine. —Sonya Storch Adams WINTER 2021 1 VOLUNTEER SPOTLGHT perspective or guidance to perspectives offered by each someone who is going through speaker. “Whether they are it today.” graduates from Trinity or from Russell, who played football another institution, each of their at Trinity, mentors Bantam foot- stories is different and unique ball student-athletes of color. in its own way. From that, we His involvement started about are always able to take a valu- 16 years ago, when Jerry Hansen able life lesson away from the ’51, former director of alumni dinner, as well as expand our relations, connected him with network and learn from their newly named Head Football experiences.” Coach Jeff Devanney ’93. The Russell, who met his wife pair agreed that Russell would of 31 years, Roberta Goganian come to campus to have dinner ’80, at Trinity, says he values with student-athletes of color to what he learned as a college talk about their experiences at athlete, including the impor- Trinity and to offer thoughts on tance of commitment, hard his time at the college. “I believe work, and teamwork. (Their I would have benefited from two sons, Derek and Sam, also having somebody like that,” learned the same lessons play- Russell said. “As for the dinner, ing college football, at Yale and we closed the doors and talked Brown, respectively.) Russell about everything.” says corporate America should Since Russell spoke that first be seeking new employees who Macey Russell ’80 year, he has continued to bring understand these important other successful Black speak- life lessons. BY SONYA STORCH ADAMS ers to campus every September “What I would say to those for what Devanney now calls alums who say they can’t find Of the many lessons Macey Ogden, Russell says, taught The Macey Russell Dinner. diverse talent is that they ought Russell ’80 learned at Trinity him that when it comes to writ- (The 2020 event was moved to to look to their own alums,” he College, one involving Professor ing, you have to focus on what October—and Zoom—thanks to says. “These are students who of English Hugh Ogden and you know and what’s important the pandemic.) Russell, a part- are sitting in the same seats a junior year poetry class to you. Fast forward to 2010, ner in the law firm of Choate, where they sat at Trinity. … stands out. when Russell did just that and in Hall & Stewart in Boston, also Diversity is good for business. “What I remember about the process won a Burton Award has been active as an alum over If I had a wish, it would be for it kind of goes hand in hand from the Burton Foundation in the years through service with our alumni to find a way to reach with Black students in the ’70s association with the Library of the Board of Fellows, the Trinity out to our minority alumni pro- from urban backgrounds, who Congress for an article he had College Alumni Association fessionals and provide guidance were trying to adjust to going written about training the next Executive Committee, and the and mentoring. to a school like Trinity,” recalls generation of minority lawyers. Trinity Club of Boston, as well “After George Floyd, people Russell, who majored in political “It’s the highest award you can as by hosting Trinity events. are asking me, ‘What can I do?’ ” science and then earned a J.D. receive in the legal profession as Devanney says he sees he says. “If people could be from Suffolk Law School. “When a writer,” he said. “It was a long Russell as a role model, one reflective of certain advantages we would read poetry or short way from Trinity to winning who makes himself available they had compared with others stories, I was unable to con- that award.” year-round to offer advice to growing up and think OK, what’s nect with the writer. What am Russell notes that he sees Trinity student-athletes of the one thing I can do tomor- I supposed to get from this poem volunteering at Trinity in much color. Devanney says, “He brings row? Can I pick up the phone about a tree? Is this what people the same way. “You have to a lot of truth to our guys, and and call somebody? Can I offer sit around and think about? I find what is important to you,” then he tells them, ‘You can do it. to mentor or be an adviser to couldn’t gain any insight from he says. “Alums have to find You can become successful.’ ” someone at Trinity who didn’t that. I couldn’t culturally relate an experience that they had, Dakota Foster ’21 says grow up like me? That would be to what was written.” and then they can offer some he appreciates the varying a start.” 2 THE TRINITY REPORTER ALUMNI EVENTS While life on the Virtual Long Walk (VLW) isn’t quite the same as the real thing, it has allowed us to bring accomplished alumni, [1] parents, faculty, and students to you. More than 5,000 of you have participated in at least one event since the VLW programs launched in May 2020, and almost 700 of you participated in virtual Homecoming events. The programs continue to receive rave reviews, and they are available for you to watch or listen at any time via the VLW website at bit.ly/VLWArchive. Thanks to all who have suggested topics or speakers! Keep them coming to steve. [email protected]. JULY 16 The Supreme Court in a Polarized Age with Professor Kevin McMahon; moderated by Maura Thompson ’21 JULY 28 Women’s Leadership Council Virtual Networking 101 with Ann Newman VIRTUAL Selvitelli ’91 HOMECOMING 2020 OCTOBER 1–5 AUGUST 27 Trinity Athletics in a COVID OCTOBER 1 World with Director of Class of 1955 Athletics Drew Galbraith Virtual Reunion and Coaches Paul Assaiante P’06 and Rachael OCTOBER 1 Schroeder; moderated by Teaching History through Kevin Smith ’87, P’21 Comic Books: A Conversation with SEPTEMBER 10 Andrew Aydin ’06; [2] Alumni Leaders Building moderated by Vivian Stronger Communities [1] Nabeta M’11 with Rhoden Monrose ’09, Karraine Moody ’01, and OCTOBER 2 OCTOBER 3 Marvin Pierre ’06; Recruiting for the Future: Diversity, Equity, and moderated by Professor The Next Class of Bantam Inclusion Student Abby Williamson Athletes with Director of Organization Reunions Athletics Drew Galbraith SEPTEMBER 17 and Coaches Emily Garner, OCTOBER 5 Going Places: A Matthew Greason ’03, M’10, Looking at the Past, Conversation with Kayak and Kevin MacDermott Preparing for the CEO and Founder Steve Future: Emeriti Faculty Hafner P’22; moderated by OCTOBER 3 Reflections [2] with Executive Director of International Student/ Emeriti Faculty Leslie Student Success and Career Alumni Mixer Desmangles P’91, ’99, Development Joe Catrino Henry DePhillips P’82, ’83, OCTOBER 3 ’88, Joan Hedrick, and Judy OCTOBER 14 The College Admissions Dworin ’70; moderated by The Transformative Legacy Landscape in a COVID-19 Borden Painter Jr.