The 14th Writers’ Workshop Series kicks off with author Lynne Barrett on October 4, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. in the Dodge Room of the Reed Campus Center. Lynne Barrett is the author of three story collections, The Secret Names of Women, The Land of Go, and Magpies. She co-edited Birth: A Literary Companion and The James M. Cain Cookbook. Her work has appeared in Delta Blues, A Dixie Christmas, Miami Noir, One Year to a Writing Life, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Night Train, The Southern Women’s Review, and many other anthologies and journals. She has received the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best mystery story from the Mystery Writers of America and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. She teaches in the MFA program at Florida International University, edits The Florida Book Review, and lives in Miami.

The Writers’ Workshop Series at The Williston Northampton School began in 1998 as an advanced class for aspiring writers. Since its inception, the series has hosted many accomplished authors, including Chris Bohjalian, Arthur Golden, Tom Perrotta, Richard Russo, Curtis Sittenfeld, and Williston parent Tracy Kidder. The series was founded by authors and Williston parents Elinor Lipman, Anita Shreve, and Madeleine Blais.

Three more public presentations by writers follow Lynne Barrett: Andre Dubus III (House of Sand and Fog) on October 11; Nikky Finney (Head Off & Split) on October 27; and Alison Pace (A Pug’s Tale) on November 1.

All presentations are free and open to the public, and take place at 7:00 p.m. in the Dodge Room of the Reed Campus Center at 40 Park Street. For more information, please call 413-529-3311.

The Williston Northampton School celebrated the Convocation of its 171st year on the evening of Friday, September 16 on the Quadrangle in front of the Reed Center. This year, the keynote address was given by Professor Shamus Khan of Columbia University. The program also included a welcome from the Senior Class president, Adrian Mendoza; the awarding of faculty chairs; and recognition of faculty members who have served the school for 25 years. At the beginning of the ceremony, Addison Coley ’12 rang the Angelus before a moment of silence.

Each fall at Convocation, the school recognizes outstanding long-time faculty who have been an integral part of the Williston community for 25 years. This year, the following three faculty members were honored.

Bob Bagley has taught the breadth of the mathematics curriculum. He spearheaded a review of the geometry curriculum and developed a topics course enabling students to have further options in math. Bob has served the school in many roles over the years as dorm head, track coach, graduation marshal, and as a member of the grounds crew for a number of summers.

Peter Gunn is an extraordinary teacher of history and economics who has inspired countless students on their way to intellectually engaged lives, and he coaches students annually in the statewide We The People program. His presence in the wider community is equally impactful; he chairs the Easthampton School Committee, teaches at Smith College, and coaches various youth teams.

Mimi King has made her mark in the Middle School by helping her students discover the math skills that provide a firm foundation for future success. Her pun-filled classroom generates a positive spirit that makes learning fun. She has also been a dedicated dorm parent.

The school also honored the following four dedicated faculty members as recipients of endowed chairs.

David Koritkoski received the inaugural Prigmore Chair in History. “Coach K,” as he is known, is renowned for his engaging presence in the history classroom, his dedication as an advisor, and his passion as a swimming coach. He was elected to the faculty in 1999.

Jane Lucia received the David H. ’35 and Edward J. Goodman ’37 Science Chair. An innovative teacher of life science, Jane is also responsible for the community garden and its integration into her curriculum. This summer she took a graduate course in long-term forest research through Harvard, and her students’ data will be used for that study. She was elected to the faculty in 2005.

Marcia Reed received the Hagedorn Family Faculty Chair. She has come to define Williston’s studio arts program in painting and design, and countless Williston alumni have remained in touch with her over the years as they have pursued their own careers in art. She has taught painting workshops and retreats in Italy, the Caribbean, and closer to home in Maine, and she is the curator of the Grubbs Gallery, which connects Williston to local and nationally recognized artists. She was elected to the faculty in 1978.

Matt Sawyer received the Henry M. ’52 and Judith M. Zachs faculty chair. An English teacher, coach, advisor, and all-around school person, Matt Sawyer has an “enduring quality,” according to former Williston headmaster Denny Grubbs. He was elected to the faculty in 1994.

While academic classes started on Tuesday, September 13, in many ways the real start of school was the Monday before, when the Upper School celebrated the new school year with orientation activities.

From ropes courses to improv, from dodgeball to scavenger hunts (with GPS technology!), each grade at Williston worked together in new ways, welcomed new classmates, and spent time with returning ones. Planned by grade advisors, each of the class activities was organized to help new students integrate into their classes.

All orientation programs are part of the school’s advising program, which works to ensure each student’s success both academically and socially. But we think the pictures show that all those activities were pretty fun, too!

See what Middle School students and ninth grade students did for their orientation adventures.

The Williston Northampton School will host the 43rd annual Hampshire County College Fair on Tuesday, September 27, 2011, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Held in the Athletic Center at 80 Park Street, the fair will feature representatives from more than 165 colleges ready to share information about their schools. There will be a table for the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA), and a number of area guidance counselors will also be available to answer questions. 

This annual event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by The Hampshire County College Fair Association. The college guidance departments at the 11 participating western Massachusetts high schools (Williston, Amherst Regional, Belchertown, Easthampton, Hampshire Regional, The Hartsbrook School, Hopkins Academy, Northampton, Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School, Smith Academy, and South Hadley) invite all interested students and families to the fair. View the list of participating colleges here.

The Williston Northampton School will celebrate the opening of the 171st academic year with a Convocation ceremony to be held Friday, September 16, at 5:00 p.m. in the Quad in front of the Reed Campus Center. Our distinguished speaker this year is Professor Shamus Khan of Columbia University. The program also includes a welcome from Senior Class President Adrian Mendoza ’12, the awarding of faculty chairs, and recognition of faculty members who have served the school for 25 years. 

Shamus Khan is an assistant professor in the department of sociology at Columbia. He was the inaugural scholar in residence at the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy and directs the culture in the social sciences group, the business and politics group, and the elite research network at Columbia University. Khan is currently researching the history of elites in New York City, the structure of fame, and deliberative decision-making in multiethnic groups.

With a primary focus on inequality, Khan’s first book, Privilege, explored the life of an elite boarding school. Khan has also written on the development of gender theory and political decision-making. He is editing a book on research methodology, The Practice of Research (Oxford) and a monograph titled Exceptional: Elite New York and the Story of American Inequality. In 2011-2012 Khan will be in residence at the Cullman Center of the New York Public Library, where he is the Andrew W. Mellon Fellow.

Students are asked to dress formally for Convocation and will be seated by class in Assembly order. Following Convocation, seniors will take part in the traditional Senior Dinner at 6:15 p.m. in the Birch Dining Commons. All other students will attend class dinners in assigned locations.

In addition to their dinner, seniors and faculty members will be addressed by this year’s guest speaker, United States Marine Corps Captain Colin D’Amour, a member of Williston’s Class of 2003. Captain D’Amour served in Afghanistan from March 2010 to February 2011. He will share what leadership means to him personally and in the context of the modern United States military.