Trumbull Notes 10-14-16

October 24, 2016

I hope everyone, whether you stayed on campus, went home, went to someone else’s home or did a little traveling, had a fall break with opportunities to connect with friends and families, sleep and wake up with no alarm.  I hope all were able to get outside as leaves change and the weather remains good (or perhaps is always good where your home is.)  I hope you got some exercise. 

Many people (myself included) also used the break to catch up on work.  If you feel you didn’t get as much completed as you wished to complete, welcome to the crowd. In talking with many of you yesterday, the comment that you wanted to complete more work than you actually did complete is the most common comment I heard.  Don’t be too tough on yourself.  Do prioritize work now and plan to make steady progress on it.  Work does intensify as the semester moves along.  Be sure to pace yourself, get sleep and exercise, and be supportive of one another. 

I thank Yale Hospitality/Dining for reserving spots on their Saturday trip for Trumbull students.  The weather wasn’t perfect but we were still able to go to Rose Berry Farm in Glastonbury and to Blue Hills Orchards in Wallingford, to be served a great brunch at the first farm and get pumpkins there and then to pick apples at the second one. 

Most interesting to me, though, was to hear the owners of these farms talk about:  a) Weather (it destroyed the entire peach crop last year, it cut apple production way back last year because tree blooms appeared early during warm spells last winter and then froze, b) Their dependence upon and views about immigration, c) the fact that pure organic farming is virtually impossible (outside greenhouses) in Connecticut but that there is a middle ground strategy involving cutting back chemical use based on models developed to predict the likelihood of insect infestations and fungus, and d) their own family and educational background. 

Thanks also to Mackensie Adelberg and Shah Khan for making chocolate chip cookies and popcorn for all Trumbullians – including myself – who stuck around Trumbull at the start of our break and watched the third debate in our Buttery last Wednesday evening.

And finally….a big thanks to our Freshman Counselor, Evy Behling, who led a Trumbull shopping trip for winter gear (and whatever other things people needed) during our fall break. 

Some Big, Fall-Break, Trum-Women-Athletic Successes.   Congratulations!!! 

While many of you were away for a quiet fall break at home or staying here and getting some extra (and likely needed) sleep, many Trumbull athletes continued practicing and competing without a break.

In this regard, eight Trumbull women on four different athletic teams turned in stunningly great performances this past weekend.

Trum-Women, you, did us very, very proud!!!  Here’s what some of our Trumbullians accomplished this past weekend:

In FIELD HOCKEY:  Our field hockey turned in a huge overtime win against University of Pennsylvania, on Saturday.  Yale’s athletic department reported, “A last-minute sequence of plays by senior sisters Emilie and, the Trumbullian member of the pair, Steffi Katz, gave the Lady Bulldogs their first victory over Penn since 2011!”  (Well, to be honest, the athletic department didn’t include “Trumbullian” in their quote.  I added that.  Emilie happens to be in Branford.) 

In VOLLEYBALL:  Also, over break, The Yale Women’s Volleyball team beat Brown 3-1 and continue their undefeated streak of wins at home.   In this regard, congratulations go to Trumbullians, Tori Shepherd, Brittani Steinberg, and Kelley Wirth.

In ICE HOCKEY:   Not to be outdone, by field hockey or volleyball, our women’s ice hockey team began their season with two wins over RIT 4-1 on Friday and 8-2 on Saturday.  Congratulations go to Trumbullians, Laura Anderson and Eden Murray. In the first game, our Trumbull junior, Eden, received recognition for setting up a power play goal in the second period.  In the second game, Eden assisted during yet another power play.  In the second game our Trumbull freshman forward, Laura, scored first career goal at Yale.  Congratulations to both.

And, in TENNIS Trumbull dominated:  The third day of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regional Championships took place in New Haven on Oct. 22.  Two women (both from Trumbull and the only Bulldogs to do so!) advanced to the final 16 players in the singles competition.  Here’s what the athletic department said about Trumbullian Sherry Li: When the round including 32 players took place, “Li fought through a three set match to win 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 against Massachusetts’ Janja Kovacevic.  Li then cruised to a straight-sets victory and overcame Boston College’s Dasha Possokhova 7-5, 6-3.”  And a second Trumbullian, Madison Battaglia, performed well too:  “Battaglia dropped only one set in her 6-0, 6-1 sweep of Ruthers’ Chloe Lee to move on to the Round of 32.  In her next match against Boston College’s Kylie Wilcox, Battaglia once again achieved straight sets victory defeating her opponent 6-4, 7-5.”  (They both are playing again on Sunday as I write this.  I’m wishing both the very best.) 

A bit later Madison will pair up with yet another TrumTennis player, Valerie Shklover, in doubles competition.  I wish them the best as well.

Two Trumbull Teas this week; sign up in the Trumbull’s Main Office for the associated dinners

Tuesday, Oct. 25th Mark Singer from the the New Yorker will speak in the Trumbull House at 4 p.m.

Mark is a great writer and funny guy.  Long before the current election or even the primaries were underway, David Remmick, the editor of The New Yorker, asked Mark to write a profile on Donald Trump (who was, at the time, best known within his home city of New York.)  Mark accepted the assignment and accompanied Donald Trump to many meetings, events at casinos and hotels, and golf course openings.  Mark’s (short!) book on his experiences is available in the office.  Some of his New Yorker articles are available there as well. 

Come hear him speak. All are welcomeSign up for a dinner afterwards if you would like a chance to talk with him personally.  We’ll keep the dinner small so all present can participate in the conversation. (We’ll pick people at random to participate if more people than we can accommodate sign up.)  Sign up TODAY in the office.    

Thursday, Oct. 27th, again at 4 p.m. in the Common Room:  A Trumbull Tea on understanding and preventing genocide with Jim Wallace and Tibi Galis of the Auschwitz Institute.

All are welcome to both Teas. There are no space limitations for the talk.

 The Auschwitz Institute is devoted to understanding and preventing genocide wherever it has occurred, is occurring and may occur.  Jim Wallace has written two books on this topic. 

Note that this topic is about which our former Dean Jasmina Besirevic has studied and often taught.  She’ll be back in Trumbull for this event so it is a chance to see her again too and learn about what she studies and teaches as well. 

Sign up in the main office for a dinner to be held in the house immediately afterwards.   Again, we’ll pick people at random to participate if more people than we can accommodate sign up.) 

Also this week…

Trumpkin Carving Study Break on Thursday, October 27, from 8-10 PM, in the dining hall.  Come enjoy prizes, pumpkin pie, hot chocolate, and a special showing of Halloween Town all organized and hosted by Daniell Williams and Katie Oltman, TC Graduate Affiliates.  Look for e-mails to sign up to reserve your pumpkin!

On Friday, October 28, a Wine and Dessert Reception for the Seniors at the house from 7:30 to 8:30 PM.  Special Halloween desserts and lots of chocolate will be on hand.

An upcoming event which I and Trumbullian Resla Wesonga urge you to attend.

Roshni – a South Asian Cultural Show will be held on November 4th from 6 to 9 in Woolsey Hall.  There will be dance and singing and food.  I saw many of the members of Yale’s South Asian Society perform in our own Nick Chapel recently. They are good.  I truly enjoyed it.

And…..

Get a flu shot.  The flu can make you miserable. Flu can spread quickly through a residential college.  Nobody wants the flu.   Contact the Yale Health Center to find out how to accomplish this. 

Vote on November 8th.   All of you should vote, of course and many of you are from states where your vote is very likely to make a difference.