Colleen Flynn '05
"I've always known I wanted to be in the military," said Post Graduate
Colleen Flynn '05. "My uncle and cousins were active, and I think it
would be a great honor to serve my country." Sponsored by the Naval
Academy Foundation Program, Colleen arrived at the Gunnery last fall
to prepare herself academically, physically and mentally for the
intense Naval Academy program.
At age 13, she moved from her home in Pennsylvania to a village south
of Cairo, Egypt. "My father relocated for work," she said, "Since I had
never ventured out of the States, I was very excited." The first few
months were a tough adjustment. Upon arrival, her family's home wasn't
complete so they lived in a hotel. She attended the Cairo American College,
a school with 1500 students (K-12). "My experience in Egypt has taught me
to never take anything for granted. I loved it there."
"I had heard about The Gunnery through the Foundation Program," she said.
"I was won over by the academic and athletic programs." Upon arrival, she
immediately became involved within the school community. She rowed on the
crew team and played alto saxophone in the Chamber Music Ensemble Group
(she has studied the sax for 11 years). In addition, she was the first
(and only) female on the wrestling team. "She was not overly sensitive by
being the only girl." said wrestling coach Peter Pappas P '03, "In some cases,
she knew more than some of the boys. She was very helpful to them."
Colleen will face a similar situation this fall when she enrolls into the
Naval Academy since only 15% of the class is female. However, that doesn't
seem to faze her. "This is what I've always wanted to do. As for my family,
they had the normal first reaction that you would expect from any parent
hearing that their child wants to serve in the military. However, they
support me 100%."
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Contact Us:
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Highlander Highlights is produced by the Admissions Office. Todd
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or comments about our newsletter.
The Gunnery · 99 Green Hill Road
Washington, CT 06793
(860) 868-7334
admissions@gunnery.org
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From Shakespeare to Vonnegut: The Gunnery English Department
"Our discipline," said John Alter, English Department Head, "allows us to
help the student find his / her own voice." The Gunnery English Department
introduces their students to classics that cover the entire literary spectrum
and provides them with the proper tools to maximize their creative potential.
Recently, the faculty has been working overtime to establish a first-rate
college preparatory writing program with equal emphasis on expository and
creative writing. "I feel both are equally important," said John, "and
these days, most people (not just students) don't know how to write."
Members of the department feel that a mastery of these skills and a true
interest in literature will open the minds of their students. "We want
to see that they understand the material," said John, "We don't want them
to be generators of fluff." Nick Benson's class has just completed Dante's
Inferno. "We took the themes from that work and applied them to modern
life," said Nick. Other inspirations for the students include the visits of
working writers to the classrooms: Mark Wertheim '03 and Jake Page '53
came to campus recently.
John, Nick and the rest of the department are preparing for National
Poetry Month in April. "On our campus," said John, "it will be Creative
Writing Month." Nick will continue to head the Student Reading Series.
"This is a discussion group where everyone reads and participates," he
said. "This is for the few, the proud and the determined." Poets,
writers and musicians are also welcome to the Coffee House, another
open forum for students and faculty to present their work. Poetry will
also be read at school meetings, and guest speakers will continue to make
class visits. As in past years there will be a poetry contest, the winner
of which will be determined by a working poet judge.
Sports Announcer George Grande '64:
Remembering Gunnery Baseball
"You can learn a lot about yourself through athletics," said George H.J.
Grande '64. "The principles that I live by today were instilled in me
while I played baseball at The Gunnery." A 35-year veteran of the
broadcasting business, George has been the sports announcer for the
Cincinnati Reds on Fox Sports Net Ohio (FSN Ohio) since 1993. He has
covered Major League Baseball since 1965 and has been broadcasting Major
League Baseball games since 1989.
[continued...]
Founders Day Update
Founders Day, the second largest New England Rowing Regatta, second
only to the N.E.I.R.A, has been scheduled for Sunday, May 8, 2005 from
8:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. "This gives our younger kids a chance to compete at a high level,"
says crew coach Rob Reinhardt. "It's very competitive." Founders Day has
grown in popularity over the years and has doubled its numbers in participation.
This year, several schools, in addition to The Gunnery, will participate
including: Kent School, Salisbury, Pomfret, The Taft School, Choate and
Miss Porters, just to name a few.
For more information on this event, click here:
www.gunnery.org/gunnery/athletics/founders/founders.aspx?tabnum=1
New Course Offerings for the 2005-2006 Year
"We always look at the needs and potentials of our kids," comments Eileen
Kelly Aguirre, Academic Dean. "Our small school allows us to offer classes
that will make our kids shine as well as hone their skills to be successful
at a university level." The 2005-2006 school year will promise a number of
new additions to the already eclectic curriculum. Below is a description
of some of the new offerings.
The history department will see the most change with the addition of 14
courses including Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to
Sociology, American Government and Law and Introduction to
Investing. "The objective of our department," said Julia Alling,
History Department Head, "is to provide the student with information
sufficient for a fundamental grasp of how our present world and our own
lives have been shaped by past events and cultures." The department has
actively pursued courses that the students can apply to modern-day living.
The 2005-2006 school year will see the return of Operations Research
taught by faculty member, Ed Small. Recently, he offered the class to
challenge students who accelerated in mathematics and maxed out at the
calculus level. The class is designed for kids whose skills are the
equivalent of sophomores in college.
Seniors will have the opportunity to participate in two new seminars. The
American City, headed by Kate Merrit and Courtney Dohman, will address
the historical, present day and theoretical depictions of the American City.
Students will create a definition for "city", discuss the purpose and placement
of cities and learn both the rewarding and difficult aspects of city life.
English Department Head John Alter and Art Department Head Cecilia Marshall
will team teach Mythology: The Nature and Representation of Myth.
"This course will look at themes in myth: fertility, death and resurrection,
to name a few," said Cecilia. "John will focus on myth in literature. I will
focus on myth in art." A studio component will allow students to work on
their own pieces of art. "You don't need to be a good artist to be in this
class," said Cecilia. "We are also working on bringing in musicians, guest
speakers and guest artists. Field trips will also be planned."
Other departments are also preparing new classes for the fall. Faculty member
and former environmental consultant, Seth Low, will introduce a class in
Environmental Science to the science department. "I aim to have the students
leave with an understanding of sustainable development and how they can impact
conservation and preservation as they move forward in their lives," said Seth.
History of Rock and Roll, Applied Music and Aural Comprehension
will be added to the music department's curriculum. The English Department
will offer Language and Composition taught by Bill Chase.
Senior Seminar Trip to Wall Street
The Senior Seminar class, Mathematical Economics, along with faculty members
Jarrod Sisk and Chad Cookingham recently went on a trip to the financial
district in New York City. The idea for this trip was born from an in-class
exercise. "Since we had mock-up stock exchanges in class," said Chad, "we
thought it would be great for the students to have some first-hand experiences."
[continued...]
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