THE CIRCLE VOICE
Features
Long-form storytelling and in-depth reporting from The Circle Voice.
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Food & Friends: The Dining Hall Culture at Groton
BY YE '28
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Summer Grants Recap
BY DOCTOROFF '28 AND LENG '28
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Culture Day
BY DOCTOROFF '28
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Word on the Circle: Truthfully, What is Truth?
BY DANIELS ’30 AND WU ’30
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Many Traditions, One Community: Groton’s Holiday Season Unwrapped
BY BAY ’27
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Support for Int’l Students
Twenty-four—that is how many countries are represented by Groton students. Fourteen—that is the international student population percentage. The community may be small, but it is certainly one of the most connected and culturally vibrant. Traditions and customs are some of the many ways students, up to thousands of miles away from home, stay close to...
BY SAANVI RAI ’29
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Prep: A False Racial Reflection of Groton
On September 29, Groton School gathered in the Campbell Performing Arts Center for the first Circle Talk of the year. The speaker? Curtis Sittenfeld ’93, the bestselling author of Prep, a novel about a young girl, Lee Fiora, who attends “Ault,” a fictionalized New England boarding school based in part on Sittenfeld’s experience as a...
BY SUSAN ADELAKIN
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COED 50: Questions for Charlotte West ’28
What does your typical day at Groton look like? I am a morning person, so I typically wake up early. I start my day with an hour of work, then I make a coffee, and head to chapel. I usually have a pop quiz in chemistry, laugh too much in math class, and get a...
BY THE CIRCLE VOICE
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Building Bonds and Skills: The Impact of GRACE 2025
June 22nd was a sweltering day, and despite the scorching heat, the largest class in GRACE history gathered on the Circle to embrace the Groton Accelerate Challenge Enhance program (GRACE). With a slew of academics, team-building, and late-night camaraderie ahead, longtime director Cort Pomeroy set the tone in his opening remark: “GRACE, not grades.” Now...
BY ALEX DOCTOROFF '28', LIAM STEPHAN '28'
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Holmes’s Home
As we enter into a new school year with new responsibility, we adjust to the unfamiliar demands of our schedules. Ryan Holmes, head coach of the Girls’ Varsity Tennis team and assistant director of Admission, finds himself in a similar situation as he steps into the role of a dorm head. When asked about adjusting...
BY ERIC LIANG '26
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Beyond the Bagels: Meet Miss Gwen
The bagel stand, a favorite spot on campus, is a highlight of Groton. Whether looking to grab a dough-lightful breakfast after a rushed morning, a midday snack, or a warm mug of hot chocolate, students flock to the bagel stand whenever they get a chance. After the departure of our last beloved bagel-lady Adri, we...
BY SUNNY MA '28
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Lyons’ Legacy and the New Era of Groton Football
At the beginning of preseason this fall, a variety of new faces dotted the Circle, particularly within the Groton football team. However, one familiar face on the field and in the classroom was notably absent: John Lyons. This year marks the first of Mr. Lyons’ retirement from Groton and his impact on the school resonates...
BY NICCO SAMSON '27
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2024 Faculty and Fellows
DESMOND GOODWIN Desmond Goodwin, a scholar with a knack for all things historical, is an incoming Foundations of Global History and Modern Global History teacher. Her passion for history comes from the important role history informs how we see and understand our world today. She stated that “the historical discipline has been weaponized by those...
BY AISLING KENNEDY '27
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A Farewell From Your Former Editors
To the community: With the arrival of Prize Day, we find ourselves amid a strange mix of emotions: the relief of finishing our twelve-page Reunion Weekend issue, the pride of watching next year’s editors take over, and the nostalgia of writing our last piece for The Circle Voice. Just a year ago, we published...
BY ALISA GULYANSKY '24
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A Historic Goodbye: Ms. Lamont’s and Mr. Lyons’ Retirement
This Prize Day, we bid farewell to two out of the five beloved teachers retiring this year: John Lyons and Tommy Lamont. After decades of teaching at Groton, they will embark on new adventures away from the Circle. While we will miss their presence both in the classrooms and on the fields, we are grateful...
BY ANNA DUGGAN '25
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PRIZE DAY 2024
On June 2, the Form of 2024 will finish the final words of their Groton chapter. They will close the pages filled with memories, wisdom, and connections, opening a new chapter with blank pages. They may even leaf back through the cherished moments with teary eyes before going well and tossing their boater hats into...
BY ELLA FARAHNAKIAN '25
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Bidding Adieu to the French Exchange Students
During spring break, from March 7–19, eighteen Groton students traveled to Paris and Angers in France as part of a Global Education Opportunity (GEO)—the biggest group that had ever gone to the France GEO in Groton’s history. After a few days exploring Paris, the GEO took a train to Angers, a small city in France,...
BY BRENDA LI '25
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A New Era For Seniors: Groton 2024 College Recap
This past fall, as red leaves littered the circle, Groton seniors prepared for the final leg of the college admissions process. The process of college admissions had begun long before these students entered Sixth Form, though, having experienced a whirlwind of essay writing, college tours, standardized tests, and interviews prior to the fall. Now that...
BY PHILIP HOLLAND '27
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A Groton Embrace for Reunion Weekend 2024
Heralded by the arrival of spring is Groton’s annual Reunion Weekend. From May 10–12, graduates from years ending in four or nine will return to the Circle and reunite with their formmates, teachers and campus. There are approximately 500 alumni attending this year, with the youngest coming from the Form of ’19 for their five-year...
BY OLIVIA DING '26
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Inclusion and Engagement: Reflecting on a Day of D&I and GCE
On April 18, Groton’s held its inaugural Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) and Groton Community Engagement (GCE) Day to broaden students’ education from the classroom and see the greater goal in our Groton education: to lean into the values of our school motto, Cui servire est regnare, “For whom to serve is to rule.” As we...
BY SUSAN ADELAKIN '28
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Faculty Child of the Issue
In addition to the staple Athlete and Artist of the Issue features, The Circle Voice is highlighting another renowned community member in this issue: faculty child Linley LeRoy. The daughter of Timothy LeRoy, Dean of Student Activities, and Mathematics Department Co-Chair Kristen LeRoy, Linley attends Florence Roche Elementary School in Groton. A girl of several...
BY ELEANOR TAGGART '24
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Mr. Belsky and Ms. Dennison’s Next Chapter
After four decades of dedicated service in teaching, coaching, and advising, Stephen Belsky and Kate Dennison bid a heartfelt farewell to Groton School as they embark on their retirements in Pittsburgh. Fondly known as the “Dynamic Duo,” they share a mix of nostalgia and contentment as they reflect on their years wrapped within the institution’s...
BY NINA KARP '25
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Groton’s Springtime Playlist
Spring has arrived on the Circle, bringing with it the typical wave of spikeball nets, discarded eclipse glasses, cornhole bags, and sit down dinners. And with a new season of time comes a new season of songs packing our playlists. As seniors prepare for their next step, this playlist of songs from all parts of...
BY MICHAELA HANSON '24
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New Author on Campus: Ornithologist Charles Rogers `24
Every morning around the Circle, the songs of house sparrows, blue jays, and American robins fill the campus. While for many students, this music is simply part of the surrounding natural background, avid birdwatcher Charles Rogers ’24 has harbored a passion for the birds of Groton. After several years of hard work, his efforts have...
BY CHEYENNE ZHENG '26
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History of Surprise Holiday
The moment we were all waiting for. At 9 p.m. sharp on January 29, the senior prefects confirmed the rumors circulating throughout the Circle, donned green tutus and capes, and announced that the next day would be Surprise Holiday. Cheers filled the Forum as students scrambled to get a donut of their choosing, and all...
BY SOPHIE ZHU ’25
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What Do We Do With 24 Blocks of Tofu?
When you are staggering into the Dining Hall after a long day of majors and afternoon activities, the greatest comfort in the world is sitting down with a plate of steaming hot food. Dazed with hunger, all you see is heaps of the beautifully laid out, buffet-style food. But how much is there that we...
BY ROSE LEE ’27
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The Secret Lives of Faculty Pets
Groton’s closely intertwined community of students, faculty and staff hold a collective admiration for the adorable faculty pets. Everyone knows which animal belongs to which teacher and loves seeing them around school every day, whether strolling around the Circle, strolling by the football field, or playing in the Forum. Varying in species, sizes and especially...
BY SUNNY MA '28
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D&I: Past, Present, and Progress
Behind every community gathering, workshop, and Circle Talk stands Groton’s Diversity & Inclusion committee. Focused on community building and fostering a sense of belonging, the D&I committee spearheads Groton’s mission statement of inspiring members “within a diverse, inclusive, and close-knit community.” As we reflect on the recent MLK Day, it is worth taking a look...
BY CHLOE HAN '25
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Smiling Faces and Relaxation: New Wellness Manager Dr. Carvalho
Earlier this year, the Wellness Center welcomed a new face, Keri Carvalho, PhD. Dr. Carvalho is Groton’s Wellness Program manager, and she can typically be found across the hall from the main entrance of the Wellness Center. Although new to Groton, Dr. Carvalho is far from new to the world of wellness and is thoroughly...
BY ANNA DUGGAN '25
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Forgotten Stories and Lost Traditions: the Groton School Archives
In a small, locked room below Hundred House are the Groton School archives, a collection of artifacts dating back over a century. Hundreds of faded blue boxes with historical Groton administrative records line one of the walls. Along another wall are neatly stacked, leather-bound ledgers from before the 20th century. Yellowed maps cover the wooden...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ERIC GE '24
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A Groton Goodbye: Farewell to Suki
Bagels are a Groton classic. Walking into the Forum after a long morning of classes, the tantalizing smell of freshly toasted bagels wafts over from the cafe as students rush to grab a quick bite before class. Faces brighten up and smiles are shared during these brief moments thanks to Suki, who has been a...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, LINDY ZHANG '25
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A Community Member Striving to Make a Difference: Arianna Werkun ’24’s Fundraiser for the Ukraine Crisis
Arianna Werkun ’24 has taken the initiative to organize a fundraiser to donate medical vehicles to Ukraine. Arianna is working with an organization called Terenówka Medyczna Dla Ukrainy, which raises money to purchase SUVs and turn them into medical vehicles. These vehicles are packed with medical equipment and other necessities before being sent to Ukraine. ...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ELLA FARAHNAKIAN ’25
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From Sweden to South Africa: Groton Faculty Summer Highlights
While Groton students savored their summer breaks away from the busy academics of campus, many faculty members also led diverse and engaging lives off the Circle. Unlike what some students may have thought, our teachers do not actually spend their summers devising nefarious multiple-choice questions. Rather, their summers are comprised of an eclectic mix of...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ERIC GE ’24
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Poodle Travels and Writing Projects: Teachers on Sabbatical Next Year
At the end of each school year, after a decade of hard work on the Circle, a few of our teachers take a yearlong break away from Groton. From lecturing in southeast Asia to archaeological work in the Middle East, Groton teachers pursue a variety of personal projects and travels during their sabbatical break. This...
BY ERIC GE '24
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So-Long to a Student Favorite: A Goodbye to Miss Colleen
Walking into the servery after a long plus-thirty, smelling lunch as steam dances in the air, hearing Miss Colleen yelling across the dining hall to ask a student about their day—it’s a feeling most of us know well. Unfortunately, at the conclusion of this school year, Colleen Davrieu will no longer be a staple of...
BY ISABELLA GARDNER '24
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A Fond Farewell to the Form of 2022
BY SOPHIA BAY
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Finding Paradise in Poetry: Coats and Stripes 2022 Competition
The idea of paradise might not occur everyday to Groton students. It is hard to come by when we are constantly being caught up in schoolwork, living amidst a pandemic, and reading daily about a possible Third World War. However, paradise is precisely what the Poetry Club and Library chose as the theme for the...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, AGATHE ROBERT ’24
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Space Shuttle Musings from a Former Astronaut
Have you ever wondered what one does aboard the space shuttle? How exactly do astronauts spend their time in space? To find out, I interviewed my grandfather, former NASA astronaut Richard Covey. Covey served as a US air force operational fighter pilot before being selected to be a part of the first Space Shuttle astronaut...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, HANNAH MITCHELL ’23
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Groton's Home Chefs
Although Groton’s dining hall provides the community with a wide variety of meals every day, students often miss food from home. Here are some of the dishes students and faculty members enjoy at home. Kenji’s Osechi For the New Year dinner, Kenji cooks for family and friends. He enjoys making osechi, a collection of colorful...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, JESSICA LEE ‘24
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The Spring Finale: Tutorials Ranging from Research, Russian Literature, and More.
Calculus-Based Sports Data Analysis With the guidance of Mr. White, Aidan Armaly ’22, Huck Jamison ’22 and Tommy Giroux ’22 are pursuing their passion of sports and math. They are going to use advanced analytics and statistics to make conclusions about players and teams and predict successful outcomes. Additionally, they will investigate the decision-making behind...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ELLA FARAHNAKIAN ’25
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Wisdom and Words: Ayi Kwei Armah ’60 and the Impact he Made Through Writing
Ayi Kwei Armah is a notable Groton alumnus but is often forgotten when remembering Grotonians who have made an impact on the world. Ayi Kwei Armah, form of ’60, was born in the port city of Takoradi in Ghana. He spent most of his childhood in Ghana and later moved to the United States in...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ELLA FARAHNAKIAN ’25
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Perseus, Persuasion, and Prisoner’s Dilemma: Winter Electives to Look Out For
From Classical Arabic to Playwriting, a wide range of term-long electives are offered for students to challenge themselves and delve into their interests. However, most students only learn of these courses in their Fifth or Sixth Form years, when they take fewer year-long classes. To make lower-schoolers more aware of the many possibilities of these...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, JESSICA LEE ’24
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A Rich History of Groton Olympic Rowers
Did you know that the second building ever built at Groton was the boathouse, built in 1885? From the beginning of Groton, crew has been a significant and integral part of the school’s character; Groton’s founder Rev. Endicott Peabody himself was a rower. Since Groton’s founding, 14 Groton alumni have rowed in the Olympics. ...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, NINA KARP ’25 AND MIMI KOVRIGA ’24
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Lifting Up Women: The Creation of All-Women's Open Lift
Walking into the weight room can be intimidating for everyone, but girls often find themselves more afraid to go inside. This issue is by no means new — a Circle Voice article from 2017 discusses the problem as well. To help alleviate the issue, Maya Varkey ’22 has created an all-women’s open lift to foster...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ELIZABETH WOLFRAM ’23
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Should I Be a Day or Boarding Student at Groton?
Perhaps after living in the Groton dorms, you may have wondered what it’s like to commute to school. Or for those on the other end: what “dorm life” is all about. Groton can be a different experience for day and boarding students outside the classroom. To illustrate some differences, I will provide some personal insight...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, JULIE XIE ’23
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The Return of Groton Holiday Traditions
Last year, with the cancellation of in-person classes during the two weeks between Thanksgiving and winter break and stringent Covid-19 restrictions, Groton cancelled most of the holiday traditions that make winter term so fun. In fact, only this year’s Fifth and Sixth form were on campus for the last pre-Covid-19 winter, meaning most of the...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ELIZABETH WOLFRAM ’23
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Macroeconomics, Miles Gloriosus, and More: This Fall’s Tutorials
In their senior year, Groton students have the opportunity to create a tutorial with a teacher, enabling them to explore a specific subject of their interest in greater depth and create a final project or presentation. Some of this year’s fall tutorials are highlighted below. Plautus’ Miles Gloriosus and Roman Comedy John Rogers ’22...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, AGATHE ROBERT ’24 AND ELIZABETH WOLFRAM ’23
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Behind the Dining Hall: Comfort Cookies
We all have comfort foods and snacks that we hold dear and close to our hearts. They provide well-being and satisfaction when we are feeling stressed, down, lonely or just plain hungry. According to an article published by the Psychological Science journal, there is a strong correlation between comfort foods and the comfort we...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ARIA NAHM ’25
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Reflections on a Virtual Groton
Due to the pandemic, many students attended Groton remotely last year. This was a new way to communicate and connect with the Groton community without actually being in contact with one another. We conducted interviews with students who were remote last year to gain their perspectives on a virtual Groton. Numerous students expressed that...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ELLA FARAHNAKIAN ’25 AND NINA KARP ’25
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Rising Star on Campus: The Astronomy Club
Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered if you were looking at a star or a planet? The Astronomy Club can help you find out! Every other week or so, on a clear night, heads Ian Bayliss ’22 and Theo Gillibrand ’22 and Co-heads Griffin Johnson ’22 and Josh Poulin ’22...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, AMELIA LEE ’22
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Harvard History Professor Tiya Miles To Speak At Fall Circle Talk
“The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future,” said Theodore Roosevelt. Implemented soon after Mr. Maqubela’s arrival in 2013, the Diversity & Inclusion team at Groton sought to start serious conversations within the community. From all-school community gatherings to discussions in history classes, topics of conversation have...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, MAYA GITE '22
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Get to Know New Groton Faculty Members!
Melissa Cahl joins the Circle as a mental health counselor as she finishes her doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Outside of her work in mental health, she enjoys spending time with her three-year-old daughter, “cooking and baking vegan food…running, riding [her] Peloton, and doing yoga.” She can’t wait to form close relationships with students and faculty...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ELIZABETH WOLFRAM ’23
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Listen Up: The Circle Voice has a Podcast!
The Circle Voice has long been known for its articles on community news and hot takes. However, as the new year starts, the publication is introducing an exciting new initiative: a Circle Voice Podcast! Editor-in-Chief Tyler Weisberg ’22 thought of the idea when he came across the podcasts of the South China Morning Post,...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, AMELIA LEE ’22
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Letter from Your Former Editors
What a year it has been! With the pause afforded to us by the yearly passing of the torch to the next team of capable editors, we finally have some time to look back on what has happened. So much has changed this year and The Circle Voice has changed along with it. We took...
BY TYLER WEISBERG, ZOE COLLOREDO-MANSFELD '21 AND DEREK HU '21
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Mr. Brown and His Retirement: Seeking Joy and Sticking With it
After five decades of teaching and attending Groton himself, Mr. Brown is retiring from the Circle. As he looks back at his years at Groton, he expresses a sense of joy which he has associated with the Circle. In addition to experiencing joy, Mr. Brown projected it back to the Groton community. When asked about...
BY ALLISON JIANG, ELIZABETH WOLFRAM
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Giving Voices to the Voiceless: Anthony Borden ‘79 and the IWPR
How diverse is today’s reporting on foreign conflicts, terrorism, and oppression? Groton Alum Anthony Borden ’79, founder and director of the Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR), emphasizes that “local voices are really not heard,” expressing that the issues he founded IWPR to combat thirty years ago are prevalent more than ever today. Borden...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ISABELLA GARDINER ’24
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Dr. Reyes: A Classic Figure with a Spontaneous Life
As Dr. Reyes prepares to retire from teaching at Groton, he looks forward to finishing up (and starting some new) exciting projects. He will work on finishing two manuscripts that he started with distinguished archeologist Judith McKenzie, continuing his work with C.S. Lewis’s writing, and many more projects that he has been working on for...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ELIZABETH WOLFRAM '23
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Alumnus of the Issue: Ginger Cutler ’07
Groton has a lengthy list of alumni with impressive and interesting careers. Ginger Cutler, form of ’07, fits right into this group. However, her path was a little different. Instead of showing up from nine to five daily to sit at a desk, Ginger cruises thousands of feet in the air expertly flying Osprey planes...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ELEANOR TAGGART '24
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Smiles and Bagels: Suki and her Motherly Wisdom
It’s been a rough week. You’ve had lots of majors and have skipped lunch multiple times to study. Whenever you do so, you always get a quick bagel from the cafe before heading back to the stacks. On the third day of this routine, you turn to find Suki Johnson with her beaming, smiling face,...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, ELIZABETH WOLFRAM '23
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Major Weather Report: Winter Storm Jacques
In his first year at Groton, Jacques Dy ’25 has already made a name for himself in the Groton community. A student with an eclectic range of interests, Jacques loves to snowboard and surf, as well as study astronomy. However, ever since he could remember, Jacques has also had an affinity for meteorology. Growing up...
BY DIGITAL EDITOR, SOPHIA-NICOLE BAY '23