Category Archives: Upper School

172nd Williston Northampton School Commencement

“The essence of our school is founded on community,“ said Head of School Bob Hill in his opening remarks on Sunday at the 172nd Williston Northampton School Commencement, and that sentiment was at the center of this year’s ceremonies.

Traditions are a part of a school’s “perpetual current,” said Mr. Hill. This year, for the first time, underclassmen attended Commencement to celebrate the Class of 2013 as they bid farewell to their teachers, coaches, and friends. A representative from each class carried a banner that featured traditional Williston icons such as the lion, the Victory Bell, and a lamppost. Matt Freire ’13, the student body class president, carried a banner designed by senior Keely Quirk.

“I urge the classes of 2014, 2015, and 2016 to enjoy this moment and cheer for your friends, but also to project forward and imagine yourself on this stage in a year, or two, or three hence and consider what you have to do to get here, like the seniors before you have done so successfully,” said Mr. Hill.

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Commencement 2013: Senior Awards

The Williston Northampton School celebrates the outstanding members of the senior class during two celebrations at the end of the year. Two prizes are presented during the Athletic Awards Ceremony, held on May 24, 2013; The George Denman Award and Alumni Bowl celebrate “general participation in athletics, with a special emphasis being placed upon faithful training, good sportsmanship, helpful spirit, and loyal devotion to the best interests of the school.”

The recipient of The George Denman Award was Andy Pierce.

The recipients of Alumnae Bowl were Amanda Cronin and Karly Simpson.

Other prizes, including Williston Northampton’s top three awards (Galbraith prize, the White Blazer award, and the Valedictory prize) are voted on by the full faculty. The following are the Senior Prizes, awarded each year at Commencement, as voted by the full faculty. The awards were presented on May 26 by Head of School Robert W. Hill III.

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

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

A Conversation About Tobacco: UMass Expert Speaks at Williston

Dr. Tom Schiff began the special morning assembly at the Williston Northampton School with a personal admission.

“I’m also a former smoker,” he said. “It’s a very hard thing to quit. So part of why I talk to people is that it is much easier to never start than it is to quit.”

As a health educator at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Dr. Schiff works on such issues as men’s health, violence prevention, and leadership. On April 24, though, he spoke to Williston students about another area in which he specializes—tobacco education and cessation.

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Chattman and Zide at Photographers’ Lecture Series

Braden Chattman

A pair of photography instructors who approach the natural world from vastly different perspectives will visit the Williston Northampton School for the final in this year’s Photographers’ Lecture Series. The event, held in the Dodge Room in the Reed Campus Center on Tuesday, April 23, at 6:30 p.m., is free and open to the public.

Braden Chattman and Michael Zide, both instructors at the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls, will speak about their work, how their approaches have changed over time, and how others can explore their own authentic voices.

While Mr. Zide looks to capture what he describes as “moments of wonder in the landscape,” Mr. Chattman combines photos he takes over time to form landscapes of his own.

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