News

Graduation 2004

One-hundred-seventy-nine seniors earned a Milton Academy diploma during the School's 203rd commencement exercises June 4, 2004. Austan Goolsbee ’87, professor of economics at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, delivered the graduation speech. [Transcripts and photos]

Students Visit Top HIV Research Laboratory

Students enrolled in the Academy’s Genetics and Honors Biology courses were recently invited by Dr. Bruce Walker, head of the Partners AIDS Research Center, to his Charlestown lab. A group of 20 researchers guided the students through various techniques commonly used in HIV research. In addition to learning about lab techniques such as Elispot and Flow Cytometry, students also learned about the academic paths necessary to become a doctor (M.D. or Ph.D.) and explored possible career opportunities. The field trip was the culminating experience for students in an HIV-focused genetics course, developed last summer by Diane Gilbert-Diamond, science faculty, in collaboration with members of Dr. Walker’s lab.

Jazz Combo and student vocalists celebrate South African Milestone

On Tuesday May 18, the Milton Academy Jazz Combo and student vocalists were featured at South Africa Partners celebration of the tenth anniversary of a democratic South Africa. The guest of honor was South Africa's ambassador to the United States, H.E. Barbara Masekela. The students played selections representative of township jazz and the struggle for freedom as well as Mandela, a tune composed by the Ambassador's brother, Hugh Masekela. The Milton students closed their showcase with the performance of South Africa's National Anthem.

Cherelle Gaines ’04 was recently named a 2004 Toyota Community Scholar. Honored for demonstrating not only scholastic excellence, but also outstanding leadership and dedication to community service, Cherelle was one of 100 Toyota Community Scholars selected from 10,000 applicants nationwide. [Full Story]

Boys' and Girls' Tennis Teams Net Wins

The boys' tennis season came to an exhausting but exciting conclusion this spring. For the second consecutive year the team completed a perfect 18-0 season—winning both the ISL and New England titles. Senior captain Ned Samuelson, ranked 10th in the country, continued his winning ways with his second undefeated season. Ned, captain-elect Alex White ’05 and John Trott ’06 were named to the ISL All-league team and Gavin McCourt ’09 was awarded an all-league honorable mention.

The girls' tennis team, another perennial powerhouse, finished the season 15-0 winning both the ISL and New England titles. The top six girls on the team, Lindsey Dashiell ’04, Annie Schneidman ’04, Missy Greene ’06, Tori Aiello ’08, Lisa Campbell ’04 and Katie Wise ’04 were named to the all-league team.

Undefeated Boys' Lacrosse Team Wins League Title

Tim Daniels ’04 and Ryan Walsh ’05 celebrate the end of the varsity boys' lacrosse team's most successful season to date.

The boys' lacrosse team's 13-7 win against arch rival Nobles on Friday afternoon put the team on top in the league and secured its place in the record book with the first undefeated lacrosse season (15-0) in the School's history. The JV boys' lacrosse team, turned in their own undefeated season with an 11-0 record.

Students Named Scholar-athletes

Milton seniors Omar Longus and Tim Daniels will be honored May 10, as top scholar-athletes at the 29th awards dinner of the Eastern Massachusetts chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. [Full Story]

SPORTS P.L.U.S.

A coed day camp for ages 5-12, SPORTS P.L.U.S. runs late June through late July every year. Two- and four-week sessions are offered, with participation in five sports daily (baseball/softball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse and tennis) and swimming lessons. Learn more about summer programs at Milton.

Curran ’81 to Visit Campus

Emmy Award-winning cameraman, director and cinematographer Tom Curran ’81 will visit with students this week as a Melissa Dilworth Gold ’61 Visiting Artist—the third visiting artist this year in a series presented by the visual arts department. [Full Story]

Seminar Day Brings Role Models, Leaders to Campus
Milton Academy welcomed 20 local, national and international experts in their fields on April 28, Seminar Day. With Upper School students, they discussed current events and issues related to diverse populations seeking common understanding. Student groups — Public Issues Board and Common Ground — organized Seminar Day. This all-day event, first held in 1977, is the creation of faculty emeritus Peter Keyes, a legendary promoter of student interest in political process as well as public and governmental affairs and service. [Full Story]

New Twist On Senior Tradition

Dressed as dinosaurs, astronauts and movie stars, environmentally-conscious Milton Academy seniors peddled, glided and skated down Centre Street during the annual senior parade.

Change-Over Assembly

Head monitors Tom Myers ’04, Buddy Calitri ’05, Gladys Girabantu ’05 and Sophie Suberman ’04.

On Tuesday afternoon, during the annual change-over assembly, the class of 2004 handed over their leadership posts—and gag gifts—to the newly elected leaders of the Class of 2005. The class of 2004 will begin their spring projects this week. A favorite Milton tradition since their inception in the Milton Academy Girls’ School in 1966, senior projects begin taking shape in January of each year, when students submit proposals for a five-week project to replace part or all of their academic work at the close of the school year. The project period is designed to give students the opportunity to pursue interests that have grown out of their Milton experiences.

Milton Alums Take Brown TV by Storm
Barely removed from their famous and frequent “Milton in the Morning” skits, Milton grads from the Class of 2003 have taken Brown TV (BTV) by storm, reports the Brown Daily Herald. The brainchild of Luke Harris, “Thayer Street” is a new sketch comedy show that works through puppet characters to parody the Brown lifestyle. “Harris approached David Dryer, Trey Hunt and Jon Magaziner (all Milton 2003) and the three agreed to work as a production team.” [Full Story]

Student Center Dedication
On Friday, April 23 students, faculty and invited guests filled every corner of two levels of what will now be known as the Schwarz Student Center. In a ceremony highlighted by remarks from the Center’s architects, Robin Robertson, head of school and Fritz Hobbs, president of the board of trustees, Marshall Schwarz, Class of 1954 and his wife Rae Paige Schwarz formally gave the gift of the building to co-head monitors Sophie Suberman and Tom Myers. [Full Story]

SGA Ratifies Constitution

We, the students of Milton Academy, under the grant of power given us by the faculty and the administration of the School, for the purpose of self-representation, discipline and responsibility do hereby endorse this constitution of the Self-Governing Association of Milton Academy Upper School students.

With a few long strokes of a pen, the Self-Governing Association completed their work on rewriting their constitution on Wednesday as head monitors Sophie Suberman and Tom Myers, along side head of school Robin Robertson and Dean of Students Lukie Wells, signed the the Constitution of the Milton Academy Self-Governing Association, 2004. The re-writing process, begun last fall, involved committee work, debate, a "constitutional retreat" among student leaders, a refining period, and finally, a school-wide vote. [Full Story]
[The SGA Constitution]

R. Buckminster Fuller Archives Available Through Stanford University
In 1999, Stanford University acquired the archives of R. Buckminster Fuller, Class of 1913, architect, engineer, designer, poet and polymath. The collection contains over 1300 linear feet of papers and manuscripts, 2000 hours of video and audio recordings, and thousands of models and other artifacts. Since the acquisition of the R. Buckminster Fuller Archives in 1999, Stanford University Libraries has collaborated closely with the Stanford Humanities Laboratory, developing innovative ways to make the vast collection available to students, researchers, and the general public. [Full Story]

Explore the life of Buckminster Fuller at Stanford University’s online archive:
Stanford Library:
http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/spc/fuller/index.html
Stanford Humanities Lab
http://www.stanford.edu/group/shl/research/bucky.html

10 Student-Writers Earn National Recognition from Princeton and Scholastic. 12 National Awards Won This Academic Year
In the tradition of T.S. Eliot, Class of 1906, and scores of Milton graduates since, Milton students show special promise as writers of creative fiction and incisive non-fiction.

The Princeton Poetry Prize is one of the country’s most prestigious contests for young writers. This year, three of the contest’s 23 winners are Milton juniors: Emily Cunningham, Yi Li and Seif-Eldeine (Dean) Och. each won honorable mention in the contest that attracts thousands of entries. (Last year, Claire Tiinguely ’04, won first prize in the contest.) Emily, Yi and Dean are students in Milton’s creative writing program, taught by Lisa Baker and Jim Connolly.

Another seven Milton students won writing awards in the The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2004, which gives about 300 prizes to student-writers nationwide. [Full Story]

Senior Dog Day

Senior Dog Day is a long-standing tradition on the Milton campus. Seniors surprise the community one April day when they bring dogs of every shape, size and breed to campus. Students are always very creative. Students living in the dorms borrow a dog from their house head, a faculty famiy, or an extra dog from another student.

Poet Michael Harper Delivers Bingham Lecture
As part of the Bingham Lecture Series, poet Michael Harper read and lectured in King Theatre to an audience of students and faculty on March 31, 2004.

A former poet laureate of Rhode Island and director of Brown University’s creative writing program, Mr. Harper’s best-known works include National Book Award-nominated Dear John, Dear Coltrane (1970), Nightmare Begins Responsibility (1975), Healing Song for the Inner Ear (1985) and Honorable Amendments (1995). [Full Story]

Installation Art?
An obstacle surprised everyone on the way to class. Plastic cups — exactly half-filled with water, tightly aligned in patterned rows — graced the Student Center grand staircase this morning. Messages about water, “perhaps the most important liquid in the world” were positioned around the installation: where water is on the earth’s surface, how much a human body needs; what a typical person requires for personal and household uses, etc.

Class II students (juniors) were the artists. Fresh from their leadership weekend, last Saturday and Sunday, they decided to emphasize a spirit of fun and devised this show-stopper to put a new wrinkle into a typical Friday.

Motejunas Named ISL MVP
Senior Scott Motejunas’s skiing accomplishments are many – but most meaningful to him, he says, is his designation as this year’s Independent School League (ISL) MVP.

In addition to being named ISL MVP (1st in the league standings), Scott was also named team MVP and selected for "All New England Team" (2nd in Giant Slalom and 5th in Slalom at New England Class B Championships); he captured ISL Council All League Honors for the third consecutive year and finished first in the Giant Slalom at the end-of-the-year ISL Championships. [Full Story]

National Radio Program to Feature Student Musician

Saxophonist Jessica Lawrence ’05 was featured on “From the Top,” a public radio program showcasing the nation’s top young classical musicians, on Sunday, April 18.

Each week, “From the Top”—heard locally on WGBH 89.7 every Sunday evening at 6:00pm and nationally on 250 other radio stations—presents five young performers or ensembles whose stunning individual performances are combined with lively interviews and unique pre-produced segments.

The program is taped before a live audience in major performance centers across the country, such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Symphony Hall, and New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall.

Chamber Singers, Orchestra to Tour Hawaii
The Milton Academy Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Singers will embark on a concert tour to Honolulu Hawaii on March 14. In past years the chamber groups toured Prague and Vienna (1995), England (1998), Beijing and Hong Kong (2000) and Ireland (2002). [Full Story]

Milton Outdoor Club Hosts 6th Annual Climbing Competition

The student-run Milton Outdoor Club (MOC) in conjunction with the Milton Academy Outdoor Program hosted the 6th annual MOC indoor climbing competition on Sunday, February 29. Twenty students, representing schools in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire, competed. [Full Story]

7th Grade Students Launch Online Literary Review

This winter, the students in Kimberly Walker's Class VI English class generated a Web site highlighting their favorite books to encourage other middle school students to share in their excitement and passion for reading.

The 7th Grade Boys' Literary Review Web Site

The 7th Grade Girls' Literary Review Web site

Student Featured at Handel and Haydn Society Concert

Ben Stepner '06 was featured as guest soloist, arranger and composer at The Handel and Haydn Society's "Jazz/Classical Fusion" concert on April 18. Conductor Grant Llewellyn fashioned a crossover program which included Swingle Singer arrangements as well as jazz standards and original compositions played by the Ben Stepner Trio, with singers and instrumentalists from the Handel and Haydn Society orchestra.

Jazz Musicians Tops at Annual Festival
The Milton jazz musicians took top honors at the Berklee College of Music’s 36th Annual High School Jazz Festival last weekend. Berklee's annual event is the largest of its kind in the United States. [Full Story]

Melissa Gold Artist on campus

Gerry Bergstein, head of the Graduate Painting Program at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, is one of this year's Melissa Dilworth Gold ’61 Artists. Mr. Bergstein's work has been the subject of over 20 solo gallery and museum shows in Boston, New York, Geneva and Chicago. His work has been reviewed in ArtForum, ArtNews and Art in American.

During his visit to Milton, March 4-8, Gerry gave a lecture and slide presentation about his work, attended art classes, and enjoyed an afternoon reception with students. [Full Story]

Ken Lee tops at wrestling tournament

Milton wrestler Ken Lee ’05 of Thousand Oaks, California won the 171-pound weight class at the Independent School League’s Graves-Kelsey Wrestling Tournament last weekend. His outstanding performance at the tournament and throughout the entire season made him the coaches’ choice for the coveted Wilbur Storer Award. [Full Story]

Paul Rebuck appointed Dean of Admission

Paul Rebuck, who has been serving as acting dean of admission and financial aid for the 2003–2004 admission cycle, has been named dean of admission, effective immediately. Paul’s leadership ability has been clear to all of his colleagues: His skill in developing strategic outreach, relating to families, cultivating an admission team, and streamlining admission operations has been outstanding. We will rely on these crucial strengths as we complete the rebalancing of our enrollment by reaching parity between the boarding and day populations, and continue to implement a transformative facilities master plan. [Full Story]

Extemporaneous Speaker, National Champion, Milton Phenom

Has the electoral system learned the lessons of Bush v. Gore? That’s the question posed to Josh Bone during the final round of the Montgomery Bell Academy Extemporaneous Round Robin Championship.

With the question in hand, the Milton Academy senior has 30 minutes to research his topic and develop a seven-minute extemporaneous speech. [Full Story]

Middle School Students Raise Money for Easter Seals
Twenty-seven Class V and VI students participated in the annual Easter Seals Basketball Shoot-out in February. Matt Gottesdiener got 39 baskets in two minutes (the most for the boys), and Molly MacDonald got 16 baskets in two minutes (most for the girls).

Girls' squash wins ISL championship
The girls' squash team clinched the ISL championship Wednesday with a close (4-3) victory over St. Paul’s. The win was a particularly sweet victory for the undefeated Milton team considering a loss to St. Paul’s last season kept the 2003 championship just out of reach. The girls will play their last home game of the season on February 25.

"Gilpin" House on the Move
Two new Milton houses are taking shape; they will be ready for students at the opening of the 2004-2005 school year; they enable Milton to increase the number of boarding students to 340. The two new dorms will create a quadrangle with Hallowell House and Centre Street. The relocation of "Gilpin" house to its new foundation at the western end of the quadrangle, facing Centre Street is just one of the many transformations to take place this spring.

Students Honored for Math Achievement
The Massachusetts Association of Mathematics League recently awarded citations to Vincent Chan '05 and Oliver Pechenik '06 for outstanding achievement in the 40th Olympiad Competition. Approximately 3,262 students from 72 New England schools participated; only 108 students were honored.

Student-faculty team creates time lapse video of lunar eclipse
Sam Minkoff (Class III) and Chris Brown (science department) captured the November 8 lunar eclipse using time lapse techniques. Equipped with a VHS video camera and a Panasonic time lapse videcassette recorder, the team observed the eclipse from a south-facing window in Warren Hall. Each second of the video is actually one minute in real time. Download the video

Students fired up for 2004 rocketry challenge
Milton students will once again compete in the 2004 Team America Rocketry Challenge. A group of students launched test flights last weekend in Halifax, Massachusetts to qualify for the challenge. The team took two, Grade-A eggs up to 1,575' and 971' on two successful, two-stage rocket launches. The students on the team will continue to design and test throughout the winter months in hopes of qualifying for the Nationals in May, 2004.

Team Rocketry Challenge 2004, sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry challenges high school students to design, build and fly a two-stage model rocket, holding within it two raw eggs, to exactly 1250 feet. The top 100 teams will compete in a fly-off in Northern Virginia in May.