Luck was a lady in The Gunnery Drama Society’s winter musical, Guys & Dolls. An all-student cast, crew, and orchestra pit delivered one of the most memorable performances in recent history. The cast members shone in the multiple musical numbers and witty scenes long associated with this Frank Loesser classic.

Joshua Johnston '09 (Sky Masterson), Elizabeth Hawley '08 (Sarah Brown), Peter MacKenna '08 (Nathan Detroit), and Sage Bachmann '08 (Miss Adelaide) delivered layered and disciplined performances, finding the right balance of humor and theatrical pathos. [continued]

The Junior Research Paper resonates for almost every student who has participated in the process. Some view the long, complex project with excitement, others with dread. It is a winter term project for the entire junior class which seeks to meld students' research, thinking, and writing skills developed over an educational lifetime. At the end of the process, the student, if he/she has applied himself/herself to the task, is well-prepared to take those skills to the next level in preparation for college.

Under the tutelage of both a history and an English teacher, each student chooses a topic from American history and American literature, and explores literary works, original historical documents and other historical references about it. Project Coordinator Sean Walsh commented on the benefits, "In fact, by asking students to frame the subject of inquiry within both disciplines simultaneously, I believe that the JRP brings the narrative elements of history "as she is writ" into greater relief and, likewise, makes evident that culture and art, in this case literary, emerge out of a specific place and time." [continued]

The Gunnery's Ski Team did very well at the championship meet for the Berkshire-Hudson League in February. Sam Funk '09 took first place for Men's Varsity both in the championship race and, more impressively, the season overall. Rachael Henne '09 took 3rd place for Women's Varsity for the season. Mike Brice took 1st place for J.V. in the championship. The team placed second out of seven teams for the season, a stellar showing for a first year effort. [continued]

VOLLEYBALL (9-5): In their last match of the year, The Gunnery volleyball team travelled to Greenfield, Massachusetts to take on the Stoneleigh Burnham school. From the start, the Highlanders dominated play with consistent serving. Sophomore Ashley Hill hit sixteen straight serves in the first game, while Senior Lindsay Lincoln had twenty four serves in the match. Senior Bria Oneglia was a dominant force at the net with relentless hits and blocks. Every member of the team played and contributed, and the team cruised to a 3-0 victory 30-12, 30-8, 30-13. The Gunnery coaches were impressed with the scrappy play of the team and with the energy they brought to the last match of the season.

Question for February: Who was the first African American trustee of The Gunnery?

Answer for February: Fred Easter '59 served on the Board of Trustees from 1972-1975. While at The Gunnery Fred was a three-season varsity athlete and captain of the baseball team, a member of the Glee Club, the Gunn Association, and the Current Affairs Club. He was also the first president of the Jazz Club. Having run a non-profit, MESA within the university system to promote mathematics, science, and engineering in California students, Fred retired from the University of California in 1994, and returned to Minneapolis , Minnesota in 2001 to take over City, Inc. which runs an alternative high school with many adjunct enrichment and counseling programs.
(see alumni profile on the website)

The Freshman Trip to Lake Placid is not one of intense academic enlightenment but one of bowling, pizza, and mindless entertainment. Extremely high winds on Whiteface Mountain prevented the 9th graders from skiing. Instead, they went through the Olympic Regional Development Association and they took us on a tour of where the Olympic Athletes train and live. They also toured the Olympic ski jumps and were taught how to luge on "lazer luge sleds" which are designed for use in the snow. Faculty member (and brave soul) Jeffrey Trundy made it about ten yards before flipping off and ending up with a face full of snow.

The trip was originally formed to foster a sense of community amongst the freshman class. "This year, I believe that we were pretty successful in this goal," said faculty member, Craig Badger. "All of the kids seemed to get along very well - no one was left out of anything. What is good about having a class of only 41 students is that every student can truly get to know everyone in the class - I think for most of the kids, this trip helped them in this. All reports have been very positive; hopefully they made friends and memories that will last well beyond their four years here at The Gunnery."

Click here for more photos of the freshman in action.