Category Archives: Arts

Williston to Host Youth Genetics Conference

Leave a comment

The latest breakthroughs in the field will be the focus of the day on Friday, September 27 when Williston Northampton hosts a Genetic Update Conference (GUC) presented by Sam Rhine. The external event, which will take place in the Williston Theatre from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., is open to the public and tickets are available at www.samrhine.com.

Mr. Rhine received a B.A. and an M.A. from Indiana University, was a doctoral candidate at Indiana University School of Medicine, and held the Lalor Foundation Fellowship at Harvard Medical School. Mr. Rhine was awarded the Distinguished Hoosier Scholar Award, given to a native Hoosier for outstanding commitment to science education, by the Hoosier Association of Science Teachers (HASTI) in February 2007.

For the past 30 years, Mr. Rhine has spoken to high school students across the country and around the world about the field of genetics. His expertise is taking biology out of the textbook and applying it to real life. During one-day GUCs at schools like Williston, Mr. Rhine presents on, and holds discussions concerning, genetic advances, hot-topic research areas, and career opportunities.

Posted in: Events, Special Programs, Visiting Speakers, Williston Theatre

Academic Awards 2013

2 Comments

“The achievements we honor today are not measured in hundredths of seconds or in won loss records,” Head of School Robert W. Hill III told students and teachers during the annual Academic Awards Ceremony on May 25. Read the full text of Mr. Hill’s welcome here.

“But they do have in common with their athletic counterparts, Purpose and Passion and Integrity,” he said. “It takes really hard work to be good at something—doing good well is not easy no matter what the venue.”

Watch the full ceremony or see the list of award winners below.

Continue reading →

Posted in: Academics, Arts

“That Extra Step” Makes Film Fest 6 Winners Shine

1 Comment
Photo courtesy of Ed Hing

If there’s one thing that Ed Hing has noticed over the six years Williston Northampton School has been holding the Film Fest, it’s that entries are getting stronger—and student filmmakers are getting younger.

This year, the annual film festival accepted entries from more schools than ever before, including newcomers Weston High School, Mount Greylock Regional High School, Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School, and Connecticut IB Academy.

Mr. Hing, a fine and performing arts teacher and festival organizer, included a new music video category, which he said was popular among student filmmakers. For the first time, he also opened the festival to submissions from Middle School students.

Continue reading →

Posted in: Arts, Williston Northampton News

Cortina ’09 wins Student Academy Award

1 Comment
Production still courtesy of "Bottled Up"

When he first read the email last week, Rafael “Raffy” Cortina ’09 thought it was a prank. He had submitted his senior project, a short film entitled “Bottled Up,” to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, but wasn’t expecting to hear back so quickly.

“The announcement came a week early and caught me off guard,” Mr. Cortina said.

What the email announced was that Mr. Cortina’s senior project for Occidental College, a short film called “Bottled Up,” had won a 2013 Student Academy Award—the first such prize for either an Occidental student or Williston Northampton alumnus.

Mr. Cortina was among 16 student winners in five different categories. The filmmakers will find out how they placed during a ceremony at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills on June 8, when they will be awarded gold, silver, or bronze medals.

Created for his senior comprehensive project, Mr. Cortina’s film had a $3,000 budget, a 14-minute running time, and 15 shots that involved green screens. Despite his financial limitations and a tight, two-day shooting schedule, Mr. Cortina said the whole production went “relatively smoothly.”

Continue reading →

Posted in: Academics, Arts, Williston Northampton News

Final Photographers’ Lecture Series Asks ‘Where is the Truth?’

Leave a comment

Photographers Braden Chattman and Michael Zide are so in sync with one another that, during a recent talk at the Williston Northampton School, they finished each other’s sentences.

“The big word at Hallmark is ‘intention,’” said Mr. Zide. “As someone who absorbs photography,” Mr. Chattman chimed in, “that’s what ultimately matters.”

The Hallmark Institute of Photography teachers were at Williston on April 23 to give the final evening talk of this year’s Photographers’ Lecture Series. That afternoon, Mr. Chattman and Mr. Zide had also spent a class period speaking to Williston’s photography students about what a professional career in photography involves.

“Photography is a lot more than a career decision,” said Mr. Chattman. “It’s a lifestyle.”  He described his dream retirement: traveling the country with his wife, who is also a photographer, in a motorcycle with a tripod mounted on its sidecar. That way there would be no glare from car windows. Continue reading →

Posted in: Arts, Events, Photographers' Lecture Series, Special Programs, Upper School, Visiting Speakers, Williston Northampton News