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6 - The Bell October 2005 Six of Suffield’s New Faculty Members Compiled by Kristen Bautz ’06, Sarah Brislin ’06, Sarah Ellerton ’06, Jill Furman ’06, Tsuneko Jarris ’09, and Monica Markowski ’07 Photos by Brooke Beatt ’06, Jill Furman ’06, and Erin Meehan ’06 New News Faculty Name: David Eckhardt Birthday: March 30 th , 1967 Sign: Aries Subject: Mr. Eckhardt teaches freshman and sophomore leadership in addition to his duties as the Director of Student Affairs, which, according to him, is a “horrible title, because students should not be having affairs during school. Or any other time, for that matter.” You can find him... In his office in the Union (next to the POD office). Sports: Boy’s junior varsity soccer and lacrosse coach. Interesting Facts: Mr. Eckhardt is in fact a graduate of Suffield. According to rumors that have been well substantiated, his yearbook (1986) is in the library. He also claims to have a reoccurring nightmare about Suffield Academy –– one that involves not being able to open his mail box, or even remember the combination. If he could be one flavor of ice cream, Mr. Eckhardt would be: Ben and Jerry’s Chubby Hubby. Name: Florante Galvez Birthday: November 17 Hometown: New York City, NY Subject: Acting, Technical theater, & Playwriting You can find him: Seaverns Performing Arts Center Previous Job: Working on plays in NYC, recently finished Driving on the Left Side. Clubs: Directing two plays (Laramie Project), and overseeing stage crew. Mr. Galvez will also be advising the Multicultural Association this year. Favorite Music: Reggae (classic) and Latin. Hobbies: Enjoys reading and film (martial arts films). Ice Cream Flavor: Rocky Road, for the journey of being an artist, but Cherry Garcia when satisfied. Favorite Color: Purple Name: Amy Healy Birthday: April 8th Hometown: Wethersfield, Connecticut School: Williams College Official Title: Senior Library Assistant Can be found in...the faculty apartment building when school is out of session Clubs advised: JOS Favorite Author: Douglas Copeland’s Generation X (but she likes all of his work) Favorite sports team: Red Sox Hobbies: Reading, walking with my husband, and visiting with friends and family Unknown facts: I speak Mandarin Chinese (I spent a semester in China in college). I was also on National TV (on 20/20) doing a psychology experiment that I was working with a professor with during college. Name: Tanya Andrysiak Birthday: September 18 Hometown: Painted Post, NY School: Wellesley College, Boston University (Masters) Job: Assistant Academic Dean Previous Jobs: Dean of Students at a private school in MA, started a charter school in Boston, worked in South America at an independent bilingual school teaching English You Can Find Her... In her office in Memorial or in Samii dorm Wednesday and Saturday nights Sports: Coaching swimming and timing girls soccer matches Favorite Music: Classic rock, some pop, country Favorite Sports Team: Red Sox Hobbies: Yoga, camping, hiking What drew her to Suffield Academy: The community feel and enthusiasm of all the faculty Name: Gis-Ximena Nahmens Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela School: Universidad Católica Andrés Bello Subject: Spanish I and III teacher Previous job(s): Human Resources Name: Gerry Guarriello Birthday: June 1st, 1977 Hometown: Portland, Oregon School: Undergrad Oregon State University, Grad School Middlebury Subject: Spanish Favorite Song: “Perhaps Love” by John Denver and Plácido Domingo If she could be an Ice cream flavor: Cookies & Cream Book: To Kill A Mockingbird Movie: Sound of Music Favorite sport: Brazilian soccer Something quirky: enjoys eating French fries with vanilla ice cream You can find him in: Language Department Previous Jobs: ESL in Spain, Italy, and Mexico Sports/Clubs: Football Coach, Baseball Coach, Ultimate Frisbee If he were an Ice Cream flavor he would be: Chocolate and Vanilla (Because he is a Gemini which means split personality) Favorite Sports Team: Yankees His favorite book is: The Never-ending Story
Sports & News 7 - The Bell October 2005 It is evident even to an outsider that sports are a major priority at Suffield Academy, and, consequently, numerous Suffield graduates have gone on to play against higher-caliber competition in college. This summer, a new wave of Suffield students showcased their ambitions for their futures in sports. Rather than idling around their homes for three months, these athletes used their extensive summer vacation to their advantage, both competing in and coaching sports. Laura Monty ’08 has already proven herself to be an integral part of the Suffield golf team. Last spring, as a freshman, she was a solid contributor to the team. This summer she competed in 19 tournaments, along with her younger sister, Liz ’09. The majority of the tournaments were in conjunction with the Connecticut Section Junior PGA and the Sierra Mist Tour. Although Laura played in tournaments for the CWGA (Connecticut Women’s Golf Association) and the Connecticut Women’s Amateurs, making the cut both days in the latter tournament, she truly defined herself as a player in the Sierra Mist tour events. As far as the scoring system, she says, “you build up points at each tournament depending on how you place overall (the girls’ 13-17 division for me).” Her results for the 11 of 15 Sierra Mist events that she played in were phenomenal. “I came in first seven times for my age group, four of them wins for the girls division overall,” she says. As a result of the points she had amassed throughout the summer, she found herself atop the standings at the final event, the Tournament of Champions. She shot an exceptional 77, and earned the title of Connecticut PGA Junior Girls Player of the Year. Meanwhile, her younger sister, Liz, is looking to make a splash on the golf scene as well. Liz and Laura played in the same tournaments, and while Liz did not win any events, her results were impressive. In the Sierra Mist Tour events, she reports that “I came in second and third place a lot, but no wins (for me).” She also made the cut at the Connecticut Women’s Amateurs after two days. Liz finished just behind her sister with a 79 at the Tournament of Champions at Westover C.C. Based on her point totals, Liz placed fourth in the 18-and under division. Runners Brie Beaudette ’06 and Chris Pugliano ’07 participated in the Baystate Games in the track and field category in late June. The Games consist of athletes from all reaches of Massachusetts Suffield Athletes Take Sports to Another Level participating in a plethora of sports. “The spring track season had just ended,” says Brie, “so it was nice to be able to continue to run and compete against new faces.” Brie ran the 200 meter and 400 meter qualifying events, placing second in both races, while Chris participated in the 400. In order to qualify for the Games, the runners had to place in the top four. Despite the fact that she qualified for her events, Brie was rushed to the hospital with heatstroke-like symptoms. Chris was also injured- his feet were badly burned. Brie mused that “although I was unable to make it to the final games in July, I still had an amazing experience. Jeremy Arnold ’06 had an altogether different summer sports experience from the other athletes. He had already worked with the Special Olympics, an annual national event for disabled athletes. During his freshman year, he helped with bowling. It only seemed natural that he would offer his time again this summer. He volunteered two to three times per week, coaching the Special Olympics Softball team of West Hartford. Aside from coaching, he did mentoring, and even played on the team as a partner of the more disabled athletes. Along with the other volunteers, he led his team to a first place finish at an annual tournament in North Brandford. “The adults, children, and coaches were so pleased with our performance, and the disabled players couldn’t have had bigger smiles on their faces,” he says. Even though he was giving something back to his community, the team gave him something back, and he came out of the experience a changed person with a new perspective on life. “It was an amazing experience. The type of experience that makes you feel great about what you’ve done and the people you’ve helped. I learned not to take anything in my life for granted and how lucky I am to have the life I do.” He reports that he plans to volunteer again next summer. Khadim Diouf ’06 is already a standout on the Suffield varsity soccer team, but this summer, he took his game to an entirely different level. He attended the Adidas Elite Soccer Program (ESP) camp at Loomis Chaffee, along with 136 of the most talented high school boys from all areas of the country. When asked if he had been invited to attend the camp, Khadim responded, “How did I get invited? It was because I’m a hardworking player.” He was contacted by a coach from Bayern Munich in Germany to say that he had been brought up as a possible candidate. He began training on his own in New Jersey in order to be in top form for the Kristen Bautz ’06 camp. He reported that, “I was still injured at that time and nervous, because to me that would not be an excuse for not playing well.” Over the course of the five-day camp, the objective is for players to improve their overall skills, test their performance in competitive play, and learn how to manage their time off the field to prepare for life in college and the professional world. It was crucial that players put forth total effort all the time, because, in addition to being under the instruction of elite coaches, upwards of 70 college and professional coaches stopped by for scouting purposes. The participants were divided into teams, and, as is typical at the majority of sports camps, competed in daily games and scrimmages; there was also an all-star game that took place towards the end of camp that served as a showcase for the best players at camp. The teams had a final game on the last day of camp, and then had an instructional period with top international coaches. Representatives from two of the world’s most successful clubs, in Germany and Italy, have headlined the list of guest coaches in the past. Khadim said that the camp was so different from others he had attended in the past because “they were all talented players, which was a great experience for me.” When asked where he hoped to take his soccer career in the future, he profoundly declared, “only God knows where I’m going with soccer. I hope He leads me to the right path.” As for Sydney Greenberg (’07), her summer sports experience found her halfway around the globe, competing in the World Maccabiah Games in Israel. The American version of the Games is comprised of young Jewish athletes aged thirteen to sixteen, and are held annually. Athletes compete in one event each, and the Games are largely modeled after the Olympic Games. Sydney had previously competed in the American Games through her local JCC (Jewish Community Center), but unexpectedly, something out of the ordinary caught her eye last year. “One day, when I was in my JCC, I saw a poster up for the world games and noticed that field hockey was a sport offered.” Sydney has played field hockey since coming to Suffield, and she had genuine interest in competing. However, there was no age limit, meaning that girls from college would be allowed to try out as well. She worried that she would not stand a chance against girls who had been exposed to higher-caliber field hockey. Despite Sydney’s initial qualms, her parents were cautiously supportive. She says that “they tried to make sure I didn’t get my hopes too high. We were all pretty convinced that I wouldn’t even make the team, at best an alternate.” Still, the idea of competing in Israel was very attractive. When asked whether she had had any significant worries about traveling to a region so notorious for its violence, she said that “I really had no worries about traveling. While I do realize that there are a lot of problems in Israel (there ended up being a suicide bombing at a mall located three blocks from my hotel), I really wasn’t worried, because the security was so tight.” “We had to have credentials to go anywhere. At opening ceremonies, they had snipers circling the stadium in helicopters. There were armed guards on our buses, and at least 25 security guards at each of our games.” She is extremely grateful to The Harold Grinspoon Foundation, which was in part responsible for her being able to go on the trip. They provided much of the money needed to pay for it, and the rest came from within Sydney’s community. She is eternally grateful for those who donated even the smallest amount of money. Other than one other girl from her town who participated in swimming, Sydney did not know anyone, and she was one of only three high schoolers on her team. Nevertheless, she said, “the girls and coach were so supportive of me and helped me improve my game ten-fold, and the age gap was no problem at all. It was most definitely a bonding experience.” She still keeps in touch with the girls on her team, and they are hopeful for the chance to play together again. Even though she was not a starter, she still improved and was embraced by her team. Their hard work paid off in the form of a gold medal after facing solid competitors from the Netherlands, South Africa, and Australia. She said that she had significant interaction with the other athletes, both in their hotel and simply walking down streets brimming with Maccabiah Games competitors, identifiable by their credentials. Even though much of her time was spent competing, she had time to reflect on what the experience meant to her. She said that, “by forcing myself to be with people better than myself, I will improve, and I can use this in life as well.” Also, “you pretty much know no one there, and unless you put yourself out there and make yourself open to others, you won’t meet anyone.” She also fell in love with a country and its people. “It’s an amazing country full of wonderful people who were so welcoming. It had a beautiful landscape, and is filled with history.” Camping Out at the TA Retreat Jenny Schnaak ’07 & Brie Beaudette ’07 New Fall Schedule Monica Markowski ’07 What’s better than being a TA and going out to the SOLO barn? A TA retreat at the SOLO barn! The TA retreat brought the junior and senior TAs together in a common leadership experience to prepare for the approaching school year. Over thirty teaching assistants gathered outside the SOLO barn with a handful of faculty members leading the way. The two-day long camping excursion began with ice breaker activities, which the students could later choose to use with their leadership classes. Also, the weekend was filled with scheduled skill-building activities. A lot was learned about giving effective feedback in our classrooms after activities and in homework assignments. The participants learned to create successful lesson plans, while having fun at the same time. Mr. Eckhardt, the Director of Student Affairs and the event coordinator, reflected on the weekend by saying, “It was one of the richest professional experiences of my life.” The future TAs spent the night playing games like flashlight tag and sleeping in tents set up nest to the barn. Erik Osbourne ’07 said, “It was awesome!” The highlight for many participants was climbing the indoor rock wall completely blindfolded while being belayed by a fellow TA. All the students had to come to school a little early this year to take part in the retreat, which took place on September 4 th and 5 th . Several faculty members joined the thirtysix students for the weekend including Mr. Rockwell, Mr. Goodwin, Ms. Ostberg, Ms. Obelsky, Mr. Eckhardt, and Mr. Biederman. All of the TA’s are now better prepared to lead freshman and sophomore leadership classes and they look forward to next year’s retreat. Why was it created? Will it be a permanent change? Is class time really lost? While there are many rumors about the new fall schedule, Mr. Ellerton and Mrs. Riegel assert that this fall’s schedule, including an A and B week, is strictly a test run. Mr. Ellerton explained that “In an attempt to evaluate how staff, faculty, and students alike use their time at Suffield Academy, the Time Committee decided to first tackle our daily schedule.” After collecting close to twenty-five schedules from other schools, faculty and staff members were able and to sift through which schedules might work for our community, and which ones would definitely not work, all the while adding their own opinions to the mix. The resulting schedule’s week B is the key difference from last year. Mr. Cahn says, “In the old (week A) schedule, each class met for 230 minutes per week (two 45-minute periods and two 70-minute periods). Under the Week B schedule, each class now only meets 205 minutes (three 45- minute classes and only one long period). So even though it may feel like you have more class time, in fact, you have less.” (Yes, even continued on page 8 Ask the Trainer Sarah Ellerton and Meara McCarthy with collaboration from Trainer Sue Have you ever had a question that you wanted to ask the trainers, but didn’t have enough time? If you have and would like your question answered, email the trainers at askthetrainers@suffieldcademy.org. We encourage questions that are broad and pertain to the entire Suffield community, not just one individual. We will select several questions to be answered every edition, but even if your question is not published, it will be answered. We need a good amount of participation to make this section of the Bell possible, so help us out! Thanks!
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