In the first week of May, they took plants that were growing inside under grow lights and moved them outside right next to the building. It鈥檚 starting to turn warmer, and they felt it was finally warm enough to move the plants outside. However, they were next to the building to get some protection, as the young plants couldn鈥檛 risk being suddenly exposed to too many of the elements.

By the second week in May, the plants were finally big enough and hardy enough to move to the garden, making a garden bed home to both lettuce and radish sprouts.

In total, about 64 sprouts were moved into the garden and are starting to take root. The two classes were divided into four groups each, and each had eight plants to put in each square. Half was lettuce and the other half was radish. Along with that, corn seeds were planted along the edges of the squares, which is what is seen in this picture. The students are pushing the corn seeds down into the ground.

Because these are still young plants, a hoop house was erected above the garden bed, which can be seen as the white material in the background. This protects the plants from the elements, like the middle school building did before.

Along with that, the cover crops that the class had planted have started to grow, with both the peas and oats are flourishing. The plants that look like grass are oats, which have long roots, helping to keep the soil healthy. The leaves of the pea plants are round, and the leaves are actually edible, and kind of taste like peas.

Hopefully by the end of the year, we鈥檒l start to see some major growth, as the plants start developing past sprouts.

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The 91大神 Theater is excited to announce the productions for the 2026-2027 school year. The fall play will be Clue: High School Edition, and the winter musical will be Legally Blonde. Both productions will include roles for actors, vocalists, and stage crew. All students who enroll in these afternoon programs are guaranteed a role onstage. Auditions are held at the start of the trimester to determine roles. Students who would like to work on these productions behind-the-scenes can enroll in the tech theater, scenic or costumes, programs.

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1. Gabby鈥檚 New Kicks

Gabby Thomas 鈥�15 has a new title: 鈥渟ignature shoe maven.鈥� This spring, New Balance announced a signature Gabby collection. Will the FuelCell SuperComp MD-X v3 spikes help us run as fast as Gabby? Unlikely, but we still love the hot pink style!

2. Two Snow Days?!

An extra-snowy winter resulted in something rare at 91大神: two snow days. It鈥檚 not the first time, though.听Bill Anthony 鈥�66 remembers the utter delight of Headmaster Phil Stevens declaring a second snow day in the winter of 1966.

3. New Team Room

Thanks to an anonymous donor, Wildcats now have a state-of-the-art team room in the Sabina Cain Family Athletic Center. Equipped with a projector, interactive whiteboard, and stadium-style seats, the room is a hot spot for team meetings and film review.

4. In on the Rivalry

Heated Rivalry is a best-seller in print and a must-watch on TV. For a recent issue of Vogue magazine, Taylor Angino 鈥�09 helped style the outfit that actor Connor Storrie wore. Anyone else feeling a little hot under the collar?

5. Largest Gift in School History!

This spring, Kevin Hoben 鈥�65 made a $10 million investment in the future of 91大神, and the impact will be felt by students for generations as we embark on construction of a new academic building. Read more

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Q&A with a Senator

This winter, students in history classes had the chance to talk with U.S. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. In the one-hour Zoom session, the senator鈥攕peaking from his office in Washington, D.C.鈥攁nswered questions and talked with students about current events as well as a wide range of policy and legistlative issues.

BSU Hosts Filmmaker and Comedian Zul Manzi

During Black History Month, filmmaker Zul Manzi, creator of the animated series The Matumbilas, met with members of the Black Student Union to talk about culture, identity, and how Black culture is portrayed in the media. Zul returned to campus in April to talk about culture and community with the entire school as the keynote speaker for Why Not Speak Day. .

Speech Contest, Round 2

Home was the theme of this year鈥檚 second all-school speech contest, hosted by the English department. All Upper School students took part, and the contest culminated in an all-school assembly at the end of Trimester 2 featuring four finalists. Gabby Kim 鈥�28 took home the golden microphone by giving a gripping speech about being with strangers on a beach in Hawaii during the 2018 false missile alert crisis.

MOMA Conservator Talks Technique

As part of the Grum Project visiting artist series, students heard from Michael Duffy, the Paintings Conservator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. After meeting with AP Studio Art students, Duffy spent time with a larger audience discussing the skills he uses in his work, which he describes as 鈥渁 m茅lange of science, art history, and studio art.鈥� One particular highlight was hearing about his conservation work on a recent Matisse exhibit.

Day Student Pride

Day students and day student alums have been showing up strong this year. In January, the day student squad took first place in the annual Lip Sync contest with their mashup of Justin Bieber songs. One month later, day student alums took first place on the 鈥渄orm鈥� leaderboard during Founders Day. Boarding students had their moment, too, when Mem West won the whole enchilada during Willympics.

The classics are alive and well at 91大神. This year, Hailey Kwak 鈥�30 won the 2026 Classical Association of New England鈥檚 Latin Motto Contest. Hailey鈥檚 winning entry of Vivere est in memoria teneri鈥攚hich translates as 鈥渢o live is to be held in memory鈥濃�攎akes her the third consecutive 91大神 winner of this award.

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An inspiring workshop is helping put pens鈥攁nd thinking鈥攆ront and center in English classes

Walk into any English classroom this year, and you鈥檒l notice something missing鈥攃omputers. While students still use them for homework assignments, in class, the only allowed materials are books, pen and paper, erasable marker on desktops, and discussions.

To support this old-school style of teaching, the English department spent a day in December working with members of Bard College鈥檚 Institute for Writing and Thinking. In an era where AI can generate essays at the push of a button, IWT鈥檚 mission is to slow down the process, and help students focus on critical thinking, analysis, collaborative learning, and revising skills. During the workshop, 91大神 teachers themselves stuck to pen and paper鈥� reading and writing together, sharing ideas about teaching, and responding to one another鈥檚 work. 鈥淥ur entire department got inspired,鈥� said English Department Chair Matt Liebowitz. 鈥淚t was great to spend a day thinking about how to get students writing and thinking on paper and with one another. No computers involved.鈥�

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鈥淓very Sunday, my friends and I have what we call family dinner. We order food, sit in the third-floor common room, watch a show, and talk. We鈥檙e not on our phones鈥攋ust spending time together. It鈥檚 really relaxing and one of my favorite parts of the week.鈥�

鈥擜cacia Nickeo 鈥�27

鈥淲inning the bowl game last year was unforgettable. Beyond the win itself, having such a big crowd and seeing students show up meant a lot. We support other teams by attending games, so having that same energy returned was very special.鈥�

鈥擱yan Elloras 鈥�26

鈥淢y first Willy Gras had a Mario Kart theme. I didn鈥檛 expect much, but it turned out to be one of the most fun experiences I鈥檝e had. Being on the quad with friends, surrounded by water slides, bounce houses, and pure joy, reminded everyone to let go of stress and to just have fun.鈥�

鈥擠aryn Fox 鈥�26

鈥淟ast Spring, at an advisory dinner at Ms. Kokozska鈥檚 house, she cooked Dominican food from her culture, and we sat together in her living room. It felt like a family gathering鈥攚arm, personal, and special. Moments like these have shaped my 91大神 experience.鈥�

鈥擜lia Ghaoui 鈥�27

鈥淧ink in the Rink, especially during my sophomore year, allowed us to play for something bigger than ourselves. We raised nearly $10,000 for a cause deeply important to me and my family, and it truly showed me how supportive and united our community is.鈥�

鈥擬ia Daley 鈥�27

鈥淢y first dance performance was overwhelming in the best way鈥攕o many people showed up, cheered me on, and supported me. It made me feel like I could truly be myself and share my passion without judgment. That moment taught me that I belong here.鈥�

鈥擹h鈥橩y Johnson-Tuzo 鈥�26

鈥淲hen everyone returns after a long break, there鈥檚 a renewed appreciation for 91大神 and for each other鈥攆ull of hugs, excitement, and catching up. It always gives me a fresh perspective and reminds me that this is a place I truly want to be.鈥�

鈥擬aggie Duffy 鈥�27

鈥淥ne of the best moments of my 91大神 career was when our swim team won the Division II NEPSAC championship with an undefeated season. It was such a rewarding experience for the entire team. Seeing Coach K jump into the pool after the win was unforgettable.鈥�

鈥擝rooks Marshall 鈥�27

鈥淥pen mic night takes place before winter break. Everyone gathers in Tandem, a small, cozy space where there鈥檚 hot chocolate, iced chai, and snacks, and we sing favorite songs鈥擲pringsteen, Hamilton, and holiday songs. It鈥檚 truly special.鈥�

鈥擣rancesca Gionfriddo 鈥�26

鈥淥n the 91大神 summer Alaska trip, I roomed with five girls. We spent 12 days disconnected from the internet, kayaking, visiting research sites, and stargazing. It was amazing how quickly we bonded, and the trip helped me realize how much I love science and research.鈥�

鈥擜ddison Perich 鈥�27

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Visual and Performing Arts teacher Natania Hume, who is retiring from teaching this spring, has a highly personal method for tracking her many years at 91大神. 鈥淚 started when my daughter was nine months old鈥攕o in 2004,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淭hat means I鈥檝e been here for 22 years.鈥�

For the majority of that time, Hume has served as arts department head, while also curating the Grubbs Gallery and managing the Grum Project for visiting artists. And when she is not teaching and inspiring 91大神 students, she is pursuing her own career as a studio potter, specializing most recently in embellishing manufactured dishware with colorful overglaze designs, an artisanal approach that aligns with the philosophy of her longtime handmade ceramics business, Slow Studio.

Hume has now begun an undertaking that is a departure from art, though it had its genesis in her classroom. She has returned to school to earn her master鈥檚 in social work (adding to her degrees in fine arts and art education), so she can work with adolescents, whose emotional and mental health needs were often more than she could address in art classes. 鈥淭he art room can be a place where a lot of kids take refuge or want to express what鈥檚 going on in their lives through art,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚 decided I wanted to become a therapist to work with adolescents in a deeper, more specific and focused way. Because there鈥檚 only so much you can do when you鈥檙e just grading their art.鈥�

Hume plans to relocate to West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where she鈥檒l continue her degree coursework and begin an internship in the mental health field. She鈥檒l also continue to develop her overglazing technique, with plans to eventually sell the pieces to local stores or through interior designers. The work involves cutting colorful shapes and designs from glaze sheets called 鈥渨aterslides,鈥� which she then fuses to repurposed plates, cups, and other white dishware in a low-temperature firing.

The process produces something new while also rescuing something old, a benefit with particular appeal to Hume. 鈥淭here鈥檚 just so much handmade ceramics now that, environmentally, maybe we need to deal with what we have and not always be making and buying new stuff,鈥� she suggests. 鈥淣ot that there鈥檚 anything wrong with making handmade ceramics. I鈥檓 just interested in rescuing them, making them more appealing and giving them a second life.鈥�

A concept that Hume is now applying to her career, as well.

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A typical morning in those days went like this: You got up鈥攖o an alarm clock that you had to wind鈥攁nd showered and shaved. Then you put on your trousers, tucked in a shirt, and pulled on your socks and loafers. Rope belts were big then, and it was a mark of pride if you had athletic tape wrapped snugly around the toe of your well-worn loafer. Don鈥檛 ask me why. Then you either wore a madras jacket or, as this was winter, a blue blazer. The last element to the ensemble was, of course, the tie, ideally striped with colors of your college of choice. But here鈥檚 the key: The tie was tied as you ran down the hall and descended the stairs (if you lived in Ford Hall, as I did that winter) and raced into the dining hall, where you tried to reach your assigned table just as you finished adjusting your tie under the watchful eye of the 鈥渕aster鈥� (teacher, in today鈥檚 parlance), who stood at his watch post at one end of the table. You did this, in January or February, mindful of the snow drifting up outside and wishing it to be more generous and praying with several hundred other boys鈥攁nd doubtless many of the faculty鈥攖hat the 鈥淧in,鈥� or the Headmaster (don鈥檛 ask me how he acquired this nickname, I never knew), would, in his benevolence, see the wisdom of declaring a snow day.

Slightly out of breath after the race against the clock to get to your table by 7:30 a.m, you waited for the Chaplain to say a prayer, which was always too long. Then there was a thunderous rattle and scrape of chairs as boys took their seats鈥攐r, if it was your turn to serve the table, run off to the kitchen to pick up a food tray for your table. If you weren鈥檛 a server, you picked up your tumbler of orange juice and drank it in one gulp. That was the minimum: You had to eat something before you could ask permission to be excused (to return to your room and try to read the last pages of your homework or memorize the conjugation of a few German verbs: I sleep, you sleep, we sleep鈥�). Some teachers required that you eat a piece of toast at least. In any case, if it were one of those days when the snows were mounting very quickly鈥攁nd probably when there was some sense on high that we boys and our tired teachers were at the height of our collective winter fatigue鈥攖he Headmaster, still standing for a one-beat after the Chaplain鈥檚 morning prayer, would open his mouth and utter three simple words: 鈥淏oys. Snow day!鈥�

The Headmaster, still standing for a one-beat after the Chaplain鈥檚 morning prayer, would open his mouth, in answer to all of our prayers, and utter three simple words: 鈥楤oys. Snow day!鈥�”

At that point all Bedlam broke loose (look it up: 鈥淏edlam鈥� refers to an infamous asylum in London) with boys chugging orange juice then bolting up the stairs to their rooms or out across the campus, joyfully flinging off our neckties. In an instant we had metamorphosed from (reasonably) well-dressed (semi) serious young scholars to a brigand band of wahoo-snow birds, most of us, as I recall, headed to the slopes over at nearby Mt. Tom. Since my home in South Hadley was but half an hour away, my call (remember, these were pay-phone times) was to my mother, who would drive over and pick up me and one or two buddies and drive us around the mountain to the ski slope, which, by late morning, was crowded with 鈥淲illies鈥� joyfully riding the T-bar up the hill and bouncing around moguls on the way down. Maybe some guys made it to Boston for the day, but you couldn鈥檛 get far because you had to be back by dinnertime, when the reality of homework and delayed tests and quizzes once again loomed heavy.

Most years there was only one snow day鈥攁nd that was that. After all, school started up after New Year鈥檚 and there were really only about seven or eight weeks when you might expect a good heavy snow. And if you thought about it, it was highly unlikely that the Pin would call a snow day the first week back after the Christmas break, so that really left only a five- or six-week window of time when a boy could reasonably expect a snow day. And if you imagined there was any chance of getting two snow days that year, well, logic dictated that the first snow day would have to come very early, say, mid to late January. And if there was to be a second snow day, then it could not follow close on the heels of the first: It had to come in late February, at least three to four weeks after the first one.

So it was, in the winter of 1966, Pin, to our utter amazement and sheer delight, called the historic second snow day of that winter. The gods had smiled on us twice. And perhaps for some of us our faith in prayer was restored.

For the statistically minded reader: it was not possible that there could ever have been a third snow day. The timing would be off because our winters were not long enough. And besides, this was New England, and a third free snow day would have seemed excessive, as though a Congregationalist had joined a Mardi Gras parade. We boys on that Easthampton campus resembled those Allied and German troops who emerged from their battlefield trenches one Christmas during World War I, and gathered in no-man鈥檚-land to celebrate one day鈥檚 respite. And as with those young soldiers, many a cigarette, saved for such occasions, was shared on the slopes. For we were, briefly, alive again, and we savored every moment of it.

William Anthony is a retired professor and author. To read more about him, visit

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The Grum Project, 91大神鈥檚 groundbreaking visiting artist program, turns 10 this year. Named by its benefactors, multi media artist Pat Ingram Bone 鈥�65 and her husband, Steve, the project to date has brought to campus more than two dozen artists鈥攎usicians, actors, visual artists, dancers, and more鈥攆or mini residencies, presentations, and performances that have enriched the entire school community.

Bone鈥檚 inspiration for the 91大神 project was her own experience with an artist-in-residence program she oversaw as the parent-teacher fellowship president at a school in San Juan Capistrano. 鈥淚 saw a large positive reaction in faculty, parents, and students,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淚t confirmed my opinion that everyone is an artist and is ready to try new things or comment on them.鈥�

The Grum Project has had a similar impact on the 91大神 community, allowing students to experience new forms of artistic expression, but also demonstrating that art can be a lifelong passion with a host of personal and professional benefits. 鈥淲e study the arts in our classes, but having practicing and professional artists come here and share their crafts with us makes the manifestations of what we teach tangible,鈥� notes Visual and Performing Arts Department Head and Grum Project administrator Natania Hume. 鈥淚t also allows us to experience art forms and cultures that we would not otherwise be aware of, and enhances our arts programs by connecting the real arts world to our school in new and exciting ways.鈥�

Below you鈥檒l find just a few of the many ways the Grum Project has transformed the 91大神 campus and community in its 10-year run.

They鈥檝e helped us see art as a bridge to others

Singer-songwriter听Matt Butler performed his traveling show听Reckless Son for the school community in 2024, a work inspired by the artist鈥檚 performances in more than 100 jails and prisons across the country. Acclaimed by Spin magazine, which in 2023 named him artist of the year and nominated Reckless Son for album of the year, Butler鈥檚 show is 鈥渁n attempt to humanize and give voice to the incarcerated,鈥� he explained. 鈥淪ongs can penetrate people鈥檚 defenses and generate intimacy and create trust almost instantaneously.鈥� During his visit, Butler toured the campus with his wife, Anna Mohrman 鈥�97. After the show,听 he answered questions from students.

They鈥檝e taught us that art helps us express who we are

During his six-day residency in 2020, Los Angeles鈥揵ased artist Kiel Johnson worked with students to create individualized cardboard trophies that celebrated personal victories, small and large (鈥淚 did the dishes,鈥� announced one. 鈥淚 stayed hydrated,鈥� read another.) Tracing the arc of his own career at an assembly, Johnson recounted how a quirky drawing of all his possessions led to his making cardboard sculptures and eventually work for Uber, Walmart, Disney, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Getty Center. 鈥淟ife is short,鈥� he told the students. 鈥淒on鈥檛 be following other people鈥檚 dreams.听If you pursue your dream 150%, life will open up to you.鈥�

They brought new beauty to campus

During his one-week residency in 2025, muralist Ryan Adams鈥攚ith help from 91大神 students鈥攃reated a bespoke mural on the second floor of the Reed Campus Center. Celebrating the words 鈥�91大神 Creates!鈥� in Adams鈥� signature geometric style, the work was given its final color palette only after a student vote. Adams spoke about his artistic process during an assembly, then worked with students to paint the mural over the next four days, having taped and numbered the sections so all could participate. 鈥淚 love when people can help with the mural, because it鈥檚 their environment鈥攊t鈥檚 their space,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚鈥檝e had people come up to me and tell me that they painted one triangle on a piece. To see that effect and see that people have a sense of ownership over it is so cool.鈥�

They鈥檝e helped us imagine the future

For four days in 2023, Ghanaian-Canadian artist Ekow Nimako brought his futuristic Lego-design work to campus, centered around a provocative question: What will 91大神鈥檚 campus look like in a thousand years? Nimako challenged students and faculty members to think deeply about what they want 91大神 to look like for their descendants鈥� descendants. Students and Nimako then designed and built an answer, using thousands of white Lego bricks. The striking four-foot-by-six-foot model鈥攃ompleted over three days and one long night鈥攊s on display in the Reed Campus Center. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a message of hope for the future,鈥澨齭aid the artist.

They showed us the power of the spoken word

Two-time National Poetry Slam champion Anis Mojgani brought his wit and insight to campus during a three-day visit in April 2018. The author of five books of poetry and an artist who has performed at venues as diverse as the House of Blues and the United Nations, Mojgani captivated students with his stage presence and easy approachability at a special Friday night Spoken Word Festival. In 91大神鈥檚 classrooms he worked with English and Directing students, who prepared for the sessions by reading, watching, and reciting spoken word poems.

They鈥檝e shown how creativity makes us human

In his three-day residency in 2023, singer, actor (his credits include productions of Hamilton and In the Heights), writer, and voiceover artist Daniel James Belnavis worked with the cast of the school musical听Something Rotten!, lectured on creativity and the power of imagination, and then hosted a workshop for Middle School students on creativity and expression. 鈥淚 hope they can take away that it鈥檚 OK to still be figuring it out,鈥� he noted afterward. 鈥淪omething I was stressing with the theater students, and even during the presentations, is how it鈥檚 so important to bring yourself to everything you do, and to be human.鈥�

They inspired us with their dedication to craft

The award-winning a cappella group Pitch Slapped, based at Boston鈥檚 Berklee College of Music, performed at assembly and led workshops with the school鈥檚 choral groups in February 2017. Two-time winners of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, held at Lincoln Center in New York City, the group has appeared on NBC鈥檚 The Sing-Off and America鈥檚 Got Talent and was named one of the top 5 a cappella groups in the country by USA Today.

They鈥檝e shown how art can solve real-world problems

A 2025 visit by Stanford University designer and researcher Charlotte McCurdy introduced students to her thought-provoking research, which focuses on climate change and the development of sustainable materials, in particular within the world of fashion. (On display at New York鈥檚 Metropolitan Museum of Art is a dress she co-created with fashion designer Phillip Lim, made with sea algae sequins.) After an introductory talk at an all-school assembly, McCurdy taught classes in two 91大神 classrooms, challenging students to rethink how clothing is made. 鈥淭hey came up with great ideas in just these 15-to-20-minute exercises,鈥� she noted.

They鈥檝e challenged us to think in new ways

An abstract artist and playwright with synesthesia鈥攕he experiences sound as color, texture, and motion鈥擲arah Kraning brought her distinctive perspective to 91大神 in 2024, discussing her artwork with students and her writing with eighth graders, who were then rehearsing Kraning鈥檚 play听Soundscapes, about a character who shares Kraning鈥檚 sensory trait. After her talk at the Middle School, Kraning was impressed by the questions she was asked. 鈥淗aving a large group of students ask questions about how somebody else perceives the world鈥攖hat鈥檚 a really lovely thing,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a thing we need more of in this world.鈥�

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This March, a group of 16 female students had the chance to step into the professional world, meeting alumnae who not long ago were in their shoes. The Women of 91大神 (WOW) student affinity group, advised by Associate Dean of Students Kate Garrity, took part in a two-day leadership summit, visiting alumnae at their places of business in Western Massachusetts and New York City.

鈥淚 wanted the girls to see all these alums out there in the big world doing great things,鈥� Garrity said. 鈥淎nd know that there is legitimate, genuine support for students among women out there in the workplace.鈥�

The summit grew out of work that began in 2022, when the alumni office marked 50 years of coeducation at the school with Women of Willison gatherings in major cities like Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. Programs celebrating Northampton School for Girls and women in our community have continued since then, and this year, the alumni office, the Dean of Students office, and the student WOW affinity group teamed up to launch the inaugural leadership summit.

Spanning two days, the summit was everything the students hoped it would be and more. By getting the chance to talk to alumnae who also shared the 91大神 experience, students were able to get valuable insights about how to prepare for the professional world.

鈥淭his is my first year at 91大神, but already I feel more pulled into the community, and I was able to see all the different things that people have done as an extension of 91大神. A lot of them connected their journeys back to their time here,鈥� said Gabby Kim 鈥�28. 鈥淎nd I think that was super empowering and something unique to this school, specifically.鈥�

The excitement the students felt was also shared by the alumnae. Kristyna Frantz 鈥�10, who hosted a stop in NYC at her worksite, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, said the decision to participate was almost instantaneous.

鈥淭he alums laid out a clear path and told us that if we鈥檙e determined and putting in the work, we鈥檙e going to succeed.鈥�鈥� Sadie Dripps 鈥�26

鈥淚 had such a positive experience at 91大神, and I鈥檝e stayed connected with my friends and a lot of the faculty and staff,鈥� Frantz said. 鈥淚 want to keep giving back, so I was very pumped to be asked.鈥�

In addition to the stop to see Frantz at the Fed, students also met with professionals in several different areas of work (see the rundown in the timeline, at right). For Sadie Dripps 鈥�26, that bit of show-and-tell really hit home as she prepares to head off to college.

鈥淭hey were very inspiring and reassuring that we鈥檙e going to make it,鈥� Dripps said. 鈥淚 admire these women who are so sucessful鈥攂ut how can I get there? The alums laid out a clear path and told us that if we鈥檙e determined and putting in the work, we鈥檙e going to get where we want to go.鈥�

After the workplace stops, the day concluded with a networking event at the New York Athletic Club, where a dozen mentors鈥攊ncluding those from the earlier stops鈥攎et with the 16 students to talk about a little bit of everything. It was, according to Izzy Jimah 鈥�28, the cherry on the proverbial sundae.

鈥淭he second I walked in, I could feel the energy,鈥� Jimah said. 鈥淭hey took their time and energy to meet us, and they were so willing to talk and were so open about not only their own experiences at 91大神, but their jobs and how it can all tie back to their alma mater. I think that鈥檚 a very special connection.鈥�

With the excitement of the summit still fresh, Garrity and Deleney Magoffin, Director of Alumni Engagement, are already looking ahead to next spring鈥檚 leadership summit and imagining new ways to connect 91大神 women across generations. 鈥淚t was just such a positive experience for everyone,鈥� said Magoffin. 鈥淭he alumnae and students effortlessly found common threads in their experiences, and there was a sense of shared respect and joy throughout the summit.鈥�听 (Interested in getting involved? Contact !)

The Summit Timeline

Dinner at joe鈥檚

The first night of the leadership summit was local, as the group went to Joe鈥檚 Cafe in nearby Northampton to talk with owner/operator Meaghan Sullivan 鈥�01. Sullivan talked about her experience as a business owner and entrepreneur.

Fed Building

The first stop in NYC was the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to see Kristyna Frantz 鈥�10. Frantz gave the group a small tour of the building, then answered questions about her role as a Marketing and Communications Specialist.
lunch and learn

Lunch and Learn

For lunch, the group met up with Miranda Gohh 鈥�13, who is currently working to produce two shows on Broadway. Gohh talked about what she does as a producer and her advocacy efforts in the theater world. 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听

IBM Headquarters

After lunch, half of the students went to IBM to talk with Meaghan Koch 鈥�09, an Associate Partner in Mergers and Acquisitions, as well as Elis Shin 鈥�09, who stopped in to talk about her work as a Deputy Director at Open House New York.

Ford Foundation

The other half of the group went to the Ford Foundation to meet Tolu Onafowokan 鈥�05 and hear about her work as a Global Director of Strategic Communications. While there, the students also met other empowering female leaders at the foundation

Mentor Event

To cap off the day, the group went to the New York Athletic Club for a networking event. Twelve alums, including those from earlier stops, talked with students and gave guidance on how to use their voices and stay open to new opportunities.

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Hot and Cold Layers

The Zamboni works by putting down two layers of water. The first is a cold wash that replenishes the overall ice sheet. Next is the hot (130 degrees) wash that fills in cracks and crevices on the surface. Each time the Zamboni hits the ice, it is carrying a couple hundred gallons of water. Additionally, the machine also stores the 鈥渟now鈥� scraped off by the blades, which is then dumped in a pile outside of the rink.

Ice Thickness

The crew keeps the ice between an inch and an inch-and-a-half thick. Any thicker, and the quality would diminish. Thinner, and the floor underneath could be damaged.

Zamboni Care 101

The Zamboni requires regular maintenance to keep it in tip-top shape. Gould鈥檚 team does a complete greasing of the machine parts once a week to keep the hydraulics in order, and the blades鈥攚hich weigh about 80 pounds each鈥攗nderneath the machine are changed every 40 cuts or so. The lithium batteries also need care, and the machine is charged at least twice a day on busy schedules.

A True Heavyweight

91大神鈥檚 Zamboni weighs in at about 7,000 pounds. The four-wheel drive machine tops out around 14 miles per hour, has special grippy ice tires, runs on lithium batteries, and has a bespoke design featuring all the requisite branding the machine could need.

Mind the Boards

New drivers take about a week to learn how to drive the machine, Gould notes. While it steers with a wheel, the sheer size of the machine makes driving difficult. 鈥淭he hardest part is taking corners,鈥� Gould said, referencing blind spots created by the height of the machine鈥檚 front end.

Unique Back End

There鈥檚 a lot of science behind ice-making, and WIlliston鈥檚 Zamboni features a 鈥渇in鈥� on the back of the machine that sprays water to help make the fresh sheet of ice. Other machines will have a towel on the back of the machine spreading the water. 鈥淭he fin gives you a little bit better ice quality,鈥� Gould says.

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