News Archive 2009-2018

By Alvin Hall ’74 First, does the story have a human arc? Readers, listeners, and viewers are almost unconsciously open to stories that embody a journey into some aspect of humanity. The story doesn’t have to be about actual people. It can be about polar bears in the Arctic, about a changing landscape, about the change […]

By Sarah Horn ’07  Just because they can eat it doesn’t mean they should. Many common household items can cause potentially life-threatening illness if ingested by pets. Grapes, chocolate, avocado, onions, garlic, and sugarfree gum (sweetened with xylitol) are all toxic when ingested by certain pets. For a more comprehensive list of common household toxins […]

By Courtney Reichert ’06 Promote the importance of math. At some point during your schooling, you may have muttered under your breath, “Why do we need to learn this?” I get it! But try to emphasize that even if your student doesn’t plan to factor trinomials every day, math problem solving is a great way […]

By Kate Adams ’89 First of all, this is not easy. Collaboration, stubbornness, compromise, and love will all come into play. My strongest advice is to be proactive—there are many more choices that way. Getting help in the home, modifying a home, finding alternative transportation—initial safeguards are much easier than dealing with a fall down […]

By Nathaniel T. Wheelwright Cultivate Curiosity. Becoming a good naturalist is mostly a matter of being attentive. Why not try to learn something about the natural world every time you take a walk outside?   Learn the names and taxonomy of plants and animals around you. Start with plants and animals that you encounter nearly every day. […]

  By Joan Benoit Samuelson ’79 For me, mental toughness comes through the art of storytelling—thinking of a story that motivates me to get out there and shoot for a goal, and then writing the story through action. For instance, the fortieth anniversary of the New York City Marathon coincided with the twenty-fifth anniversary of my Olympic […]

By Joe Tecce ’55 Nonverbal communication makes up about 80 percent of what we “say.” The speaker is typically conscious of verbal expression and has it under his or her control, but body language is usually not in someone’s awareness or under their control. The most-read body language is in the face, and there is […]

By Rebecca Knapp Adams ’88 To start, let’s define “treasure.” The odds of discovering an Old Master drawing or signed first edition with a $5 price tag are not in your favor. If you’re looking for good quality and value at a yard sale, however, here are some pointers. Furniture Think “wood.” Craftsmanship of the […]