Early College
Decisions Announced

The Gunnery is pleased to announce that a number of seniors have accepted Early Decision at the following schools: Colby, Gettysburg, Bentley, Boston College, Cornell, Guilford, Hamilton (2 students), Ithaca, the University of Pennsylvania, Skidmore and Tulane (3 students). In addition, students have already been accepted at the University of Maine, Arizona State, the University of North Carolina, Florida Institute of Technology, Sacred Heart (2 students), Georgia Tech., Purdue, Indiana University and the University of Vermont.

"This is a good round of early decisions," says Emily FitzHugh, College Counselor. "We've had more acceptances than deferrals. It's going to be a great year for matriculation." The remaining college decisions will be announced by April 1^st.

The Gunnery Raises Money For Tsunami Victims

Since January, different groups at
The Gunnery community have been organizing numerous benefit events to help the tsunami victims in Southeast Asia. An initial all-school drive headed by Assistant Head Nick Carter raised $1000 for the Red Cross International Relief Fund.
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Spotlight: The Gunnery Music Department

"The kids take music education very seriously now," says Jennifer Wojcik, Director of Music. "They work harder, and they see excellent results." Over the last few years, that hard work has paid off. The student chorale has doubled in size, new music groups have been created and more students have taken an initiative to expand their musical knowledge beyond The Gunnery classroom.

Although a successful chorale was already in existence, a number of students wanted a vocal group that could shine singing a capella. Under Jennifer's guidance, the student-based vocal group, the Troubadours, was born. At first, there was no time allotted in the daily schedule for this program. "We would rehearse early in the morning at 7:30a.m.," says Jennifer. "The kids were really passionate about this group." Eventually, it became an Independent Student Project, and this year, has become a class. Currently, the Troubadours are hard at work on a Cole Porter music revue and an interpretation of Vivaldi's Gloria.

The interest in private lessons has also increased. One-on-one coaching in voice, piano, guitar and other instruments is available to the students. Upon Jennifer's arrival in the fall of 2002, in total, 11 private lessons were offered. Today, 58 private lessons have been scheduled. "Each year, the number grows," she said. "I think the kids are gaining more of an appreciation for this craft. It gives another outlet for students to express themselves." Music department events include three concerts (including The Holiday Concert, a Gunnery community favorite) and solo recitals.

"The program has really grown," says Joe Bouchard who offers private lessons in guitar. "The involvement of students has more than doubled. They bring lots of variety to this program." Recently, for the first time, two Gunnery students performed with the Connecticut Regional Chorus Music Festival.

James Perse '91: Rising Star, Classic Guy

Fashion designer, manufacturer and merchandiser James Perse '91 is a rising star in the world of designer clothing. His company has grown from a one-man operation to being a mainstream producer of a line of clothes distinctive for its stylish informality, its comfort and its quality of manufacture.

James grew up in Los Angeles where his father, designer Tommy Perse, would take him to work at his high fashion boutique, Maxfield. He would spend hours playing with sales reps and customers, and in the process, gained a wealth of knowledge about the fashion industry. A passion for athletics served as the inspiration for James's design of "the perfect baseball hat" for Maxfield. "I could never find a hat that I liked," says James, "so I designed my own." His creation was a success in the LA fashion scene; and it established a client base from which, in 1996, he started his own business, James Perse Enterprises, Inc.

Another early success for James was his "reinvention" of the cotton t-shirt. He designed a shirt that was so soft and comfortable, it was "like wearing nothing" according to model Amber Valetta. Although he had extensive creative talents, he realized he needed to become adept on the financial side. "I met an accountant and learned from him," he said, "This knowledge gave me the eyes to see what is going on. The more I learned, the more control I had over the business."

Currently, James is hard at work on opening new shops in New York City and Malibu. He is also producing and designing products for the Fall 2005 line, which will put focus on heavy constructive outerwear such as sweater knits and coats. He will also introduce his interpretation of suiting. Ultimately, James wants to create fresh basic styles that have longevity. "I'm always striving to be that classic guy," James told W Magazine, "where it doesn't matter how old you are or who you are; people want to wear you."

In September 2004, James visited The Gunnery for the first time since graduating in 1991. He met with Head of School Susan Graham, visited faculty members, toured the campus and watched a soccer game. He commented on the physical changes and technological advancements made on campus. "When I was there, no one had a computer. We had word processors."

"It was great to be back," he said. "It reminded me of how much fun I had there."

Gunnery Goes To Asia

For the first time in over a decade, Head of School Susan Graham, along with Tommy Adams, Director of Admissions, and Tom Hollinger, Director of Development, ventured on a trip to China, Taiwan and Korea to visit alumni, current parents and prospective parents. » continued...

Students Relive a Piece of Social History

Imagine a history course where you are asked to study what people ate, wore and bought. Faculty member Paula Krimsky is offering her class a look and taste of social history in The Gilded Age in America (1876 - 1915). This senior elective not only allows the students to explore a period in depth, but it exposes them to college-level material and historiography. "We examine the society's core social values and how they influenced the way they lived," says Paula.

"In a time of visual and tactile experience, it's better to show; not tell," she said. Paula took the students on a trip to Cogswell Tavern in Washington, CT, a 250 year old house where they experienced a morning in the life of Gilded Age society. After researching the foods, table service and salon customs of the period, the students were served breakfast, wore the clothes and read the newspapers and books - all in the style of that era. "We tried to recreate the moment with as much authenticity as possible," she said.

At the end of the course, Paula will ask the students to compare this age with their own age, which she dubs as "The Information Age." She feels that both periods are very similar in terms of the profound and rapid changes occurring in the society. "This exercise reinforces my argument that the study of history is not about an unfathomable past, but a living document of the human present," she said.