|
|
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
The Boston Latin School Association wishes the entire Latin School family a joyous holiday season and a happy and healthy new year!
At this special time of year, we'd like to express our heartfelt thanks to all of our dedicated alumni who have given back so much of their time, treasure and talents to Alma Mater. Fiat omnibus pax!
FOOD BANK VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
BLSA will host its first alumni community service project on Wednesday evening, December 6, at the Greater Boston Food Bank. Kick off the holiday season by joining together to do something for those less fortunate in our community. The Latin School family will inspect, sort and repack products that are then distributed to hunger relief agencies. Volunteers must be 16 years or older. Click here to register.
END-OF-YEAR GIFT GIVING
'Tis the season for giving to others and this year we hope Boston Latin School is high on your list of organizations to support. Unrestricted gifts help enhance the educational experience for Latin School students by providing for support programs, such as the Saturday Success School and the College Resource Center, as well as Athletics. Your unrestricted gifts also help provide the resources necessary to ensure our students continue to have the best in computer technology. To make your gift today, please click here or
e-mail Director of Individual Giving Kate DeForest.
ALUMNI DINNER 2006 - A SPECIAL NIGHT FOR ALL
What a wonderful night it was! The 2006 Alumni Dinner took place on Tuesday, November 21 at the historic Boston Park Plaza Hotel with an unprecedented number of guests in attendance. More than 350 alumni spanning several generations and current students gathered to salute this year's Distinguished Graduate of the Year Andrew J. Viterbi ’52 and Recent Graduate of the Year Rebecca Galeota ’92. Bill Sinnott '75, corporation counsel for the city of Boston, presented two proclamations for Head Master Emeritus Michael Contompasis '57, one from Mayor Thomas Menino P'85 and one from the City Council, in recognition of his more than four decades of service to Boston's school children. Thanks to Michael Lynch '76 and the city of Boston cable office, a video of the event will be available online in the coming weeks. View the photos in the BLSA Online Photo Gallery by clicking here and be sure not to miss this special event next fall.
LOYALTY FUND EFFORT RESULTS
The Alumni Dinner marked the closing of the first-ever BLS Loyalty Fund effort. This volunteer-centered giving drive, designed to secure early Head Masters' Circle commitments of $1,000 or more, had a wonderful first-time outing. Under the supervision of Loyalty Fund Chair, John Ganick '57, 22 volunteer solicitors saw more than 116 generous alumni either commit to or fulfill their leadership gifts in support of BLS. Ranging from the minimum $1,000 to more than $250,000, these commitments will be used to enhance all areas of Alma Mater. Thank you for your generosity. For more information about the Head Masters' Circle, please e-mail Director of Individual Giving Kate DeForest or call BLSA at (617) 450-0004 for assistance.
WOLFPACK V-I-C-T-O-R-Y
Wind-swept rains did not keep away the stalwart Wolfpack fans who came out to root for the Purple and White. Thanks to a "bend-but-don't-break" defense BLS reigned victorious with a 14-0 win over English High. It was a successful day, also, for the Home and School Association as BLS parents helped raise $1,800 for BLS with raffle and concession stand profits.
GET INVOLVED WITH SCIENCE DAY
Mark your calendars for the BLS Science Day on Saturday, February 3, 2007. Science Day includes the 61st Science Fair where students, who have done individual research projects, will be vying to earn a place at the city and regional competitions, a competition that has really heated up since the introduction of the mentorship program that teams BLS students with professional scientists from the community. One of the newest features is a Science Expo. The Expo is a chance for students who love science, but can't commit to a research project. It is a great opportunity for students to demonstrate their enjoyment and engagement by participating in student-led interactive presentations designed to demonstrate some of the scientific principles they have found most interesting in their classes. Last year, more than 200 students participated as Fair candidates or Expo presenters. The Expo takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Science Fair projects will be open to the public from 11:50 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. Science Day culminates in the BLS auditorium at 1:00 p.m. with a presentation by keynote speaker Elizabeth Chen '81, president of The New England College of Optometry, followed by the presentation of the science fair prizes, including the coveted Doc Shea Award for Excellence in Chemistry and Richard Spillane Award for Excellence in Physics. Alumni are invited to participate in this special day as judges for the Fair. For more information, please e-mail Science Program Director Alexandra Montes by December 23, 2006.
RECENT REUNION EVENTS - PHOTO GALLERY
We have posted the photos we received from two post-Thanksgiving reunion events held in Boston. Click here to view our Photo Gallery with images of classmates and friends from the classes of 1996 (10 year) and 1987 (20-year kickoff). Have photos to share? Feel free to
e-mail photos to BLSA for posting online in Class Notes or for the Bulletin as well.
UPDATE ONLINE COMMUNITY INFORMATION
We need your help in making the Online Community as dynamic and
up to date as it can be! If you have already registered, thank you and please make sure that the contact information that we have for you is the most current. If you have not yet become a registered member, click here to join the Online Community by using your Unique ID: XXXX and simply follow the prompts on the page. Reunion classes ending in “2” and “7” don’t let your class be left in the dust! The reunion class that has the most success with new registrations by Tuesday, May 1, 2007, will enjoy a complimentary cocktail reception during its celebration banquet on Saturday, May 12, 2007. Join now!
| SCHOOL NEWS |
The BLS Fall Show, Neil Simon's “Rumors,” an audience participation murder mystery, will take place in the BLS Studio Theatre on Friday, December 8 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. and on Saturday, December 9 at 3 p.m. The production — with a cast made up of 10 students in grades nine through 12 — is directed by theatre arts teacher and company director, Christa Crewdson with help from Chris Campbell-Orrock ’09. For more information, phone (617) 635-8895, ext. 335 or visit online at www.bls.org/drama. |
| On Friday, November 3 the BLS girls' volleyball team claimed a 3-0 victory over East Boston in the preliminary round of the Division 1 Central/East tournament. |
| Boston Latin’s Home and School Association hosted their annual auction on Saturday, November 18, with all proceeds to benefit scholarships for graduating seniors. Three live auction items sold for more than $1,000, including lunch with Mayor Thomas Menino P’85, front row seats on graduation day and a day as head master of BLS, which prompted a bidding war between two parents. To solve the problem at hand, Head Master Cornelia A. Kelley H’44 offered a second day to share her role in the school’s Main Office, thereby doubling the gift and keeping all involved content! Last year, funds raised through the auction, as well as the annual Music for Scholarships night in April, provided $800 scholarships to at least 85 seniors last June. “The parents should be commended for all of their hard work on this auction effort,” said Kelley. “It is an extraordinary event each year!” |
Hui Feng '07 is part of Teens Leading the Way, a group of 23 Massachusetts youths who believe prevention is key when it comes to the best approach to mental health issues. With help from the Public Policy Institute, Health Care for All, and The United Teen Equality Center, they have initiated their own legislation to create statewide mental health drop-in centers. Feng advocated for the need for more community supports in a recent Boston Globe editorial, "These centers would increase treatment availability to those who need it and reduce stigma by placing services in already established youth or community centers. After all, the act of soliciting mental health services should be normalized, not stigmatized. In order to bring the issue of stigma into the open, we even named our campaign Statewide Teens Initiating Greater Mental Health Awareness or STIGMA." |
| The Friends of BLS Crew are working on a history of the school's team and invite any alumni who have knowledge of the its development to e-mail Sharon Germana P’08 or call (617) 731-1858. |
| ALUMNI NEWS |
John Paul Russo ’61 has received the 2006 Thomas N. Bonner Award for his book "The Future Without a Past: The Humanities in a Technological Society" (University of Missouri Press, 2005). The award is given for the best new work on the theory and practice of the humanities, with special emphasis on the relation between the humanities and the sciences.
|
Dr. Gerald Rubin '67, a researcher who works to understand the genomic structure of the Drosophila melanogaster, or common fruit fly, has been named R&D Magazine’s 41st Scientist of the Year. Rubin is also Vice President and Director of the Janelia Farm Research Campus, the recently opened research facility of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD.
|
| Cecilia Chan '81 has been selected as the Ron Brown Economic Development Award recipient by the MIB Foundation. The award will be presented at the 11th Annual Multicultural Prism Awards Gala in Universal City, CA on December 10, honoring outstanding achievements and contributions of arts and entertainment, entrepreneurship and corporate diversity in the US. |
Elizabeth Chen '81 was featured in the Boston Business Journal's "Spotlight" section for her recent appointment as The New England College of Optometry's sixth president, the first woman ever to serve in this role, and in the Boston Globe as an example of a classic immigrant success story. As a teen she set her sights on attending BLS as it was "the best school possible." |
On Thanksgiving morning, Father Paul O'Brien '82 was featured on NBC's Today show for his work in Lawrence, MA, with the Cor Unum Meal Center, which he founded on the grounds of St. Patrick's Parish. Cor Unum, which opened in September and serves more than 700 meals a day, is the result of O'Brien's efforts to better serve the people of Lawrence, one of the poorest cities in the state where three out of four children under the age of 18 are at risk of hunger. For more information about Cor Unum or how to help, visit www.labelsareforjars.org. Join us at the BLSA Speakers Series on February 27, 2007, when Father O'Brien will be discussing his perspective on poverty today. |
| Click here to submit news of your own. |
BLS HISTORY - POINTS OF PRIDE CONTEST
What's in a name, you ask? We do not want to give the impression that we are trivializing any of our alumni's accomplishments so we are testing a name change from the "Test of Trivia" to the "Points of Pride Contest." Let us know what you think by clicking here.
Congratulations go to Brian Pastore '04 who knew that it was Major General George William Casey '41 who was killed-in-action while commanding the 1st Cavalry (Airmobile) when the helicopter he piloted crashed en route to visit wounded troops in South Vietnam. This son of Alma Mater was one of the youngest major generals in the United States Army during his tenure.
December's question:
One of the more recently added traditions at Latin School creates quite a buzz with outside-of-the-classroom learning. The Extracurricular Activities Fair attracts more than 75 clubs and organizations, from ballroom dancing to ultimate frisbee, each fall not to mention hordes of eager students looking for opportunities to make them even more well rounded. Which Latin School alumnus/a gets credit for creating the
Extracurricular Activities Fair at BLS?
BLS history buffs seeking a free T-shirt should send responses — including name and class year — magna cum celeritate via e-mail. Note: Alumni may win only once during an academic year.
CONTACT US
101 Huntington Avenue, Suite 200, Boston, MA 02199
Phone (617) 450-0004 Fax (617) 450-0284
Web www.blsa.org
E-mail blsa@blsa.org
|
