Trumbulletin 4-26-19

April 26, 2019

After returning from spring break, time always seems to whip by.  Today is the last official day of classes for the semester.  It’s time for Pamplona in the college, then Spring Fling, then reading week and, finally, finals.

For the moment do relax.  Enjoy the (finally) warmer weather

Regarding Pamplona today, unfortunately, it will rain. We had to cancel some games planned for the courtyard BUT Pamplona will still take place!  It will be in the Buttery (unless it clears).  There will still be activities (giant Jenga, giant checkers, music, tie-dying t-shirts, food) and free gear (t-shirts; stickers).  Join in!

Enjoy Spring Fling as well but do be careful.  It can be a time of too much drinking.    As always, I urge moderation, watching out for each other and calling for help without any hesitation if someone needs help. Also know that some people simply choose not to attend; don’t feel alone if you’re in that category.

We’ll have our usual study breaks (and one Laser Tag break sponsored by our TCC) during reading week and finals.  Most will take place in the evenings but, once again, I know we have early bird studiers too so we’ll open the FARR room and have snacks and coffee to support you prior to the Dining Hall opening each day for breakfast.  (PJs are fine attire for early morning study breaks.)

I wish you all the best for the coming two weeks.  Do get sleep and some exercise.  Do support one another during this time.  Know that it is a period of intensive work for most students so be especially mindful of the fact that we live in close quarters and there will always be people close to you studying even if you are not, so keep things as quiet as possible.   

Thanks!

Thanks to our devoted Trumbull Fellow Bob Sullivan for leading a mixology class for our (over 21!)  seniors in the House.  He arrived early and stayed late.  We all enjoyed his style, good humor, and devotion to Trumbull.  A special moment came when Ben Bartolome (former First Year Counselor to many of our seniors) made an unexpected stop in the House, announced his engagement to be married, and we could all offer him a toast and best wishes. 

Thanks to Deb Bellmore and the TCC for arranging Pamplona.

Thanks to Leah Jehan and Dean Deli for holding things together in the Dean’s Office and to Debbie Rueb for holding things (and me!) together in the Head’s office. 

Also, I want to thank our interim Dean Margaret Deli for all the work she has done in the college.  It is not easy to step into what is a huge role in the college with little preparation time and to do the wonderful job that she is doing.  We’re all grateful.  (Meanwhile I’m keeping in touch with Dean Chandhoke and looking forward to graduation when she will reappear.)

Many, Trumbull congratulations are in order

Dr. Deli!

Congratulations to Dr. Dean Deli who has completed her dissertation and defense with flying colors. Defending one’s dissertation and defending and supporting Trumbull College at the same time is very impressive.  Moreover, she seems to be able to do all this while continuing to consistently smile.

Again, I congratulate the entire college on winning the Gimbel Cup for being the college with the highest collective grade point average.  (I just love that!)  The cup and accompanying letter of congratulations from Yale President Peter Salovey sits in the House.  We’ll be having lots of study breaks during reading week and finals; come over and take a break and gaze at the cup for inspirational purposes. 

Now I can also add congratulations to many of our students for additional individual awards.  

Yale Work Awards:

First, congratulations go to three of our Trumbull students who were selected to be among just ten students (from across all colleges, departments, museums, labs, offices at Yale) to receive Yale-Work-Awards.  They were chosen from among many, many nominations made by work supervisors.  These awards were presented this past Wednesday at a reception held at Dean Chun’s home on Prospect Street.

Trumbull students who have received Yale Work Awards are:

Senior Katherine Brumberg, nominated by her supervisors Jay Emerson and Winston Lin for her outstanding work in the Statistics and Data Science Department.

Junior Joseph Doran, nominated by his supervisors Margaret Clark, Debbie Rueb (with additional input from Karen Eisenman, Deb Bellmore and the Dean Surjit Chandhoke) for his outstanding work in Trumbull College. 

Senior Sarah Siegel, nominated by her supervisor Stephanie Waite for outstanding work in the Office of Career Strategy. 

Trumbull was the best represented college in this award group.  We have many great student workers across the campus and I hope we keep up this tradition.  The university will be releasing announcements of these awards and pictures of winners soon.

Council of Heads, Yale-College-Wide, Awards:

In addition, three of our juniors have received awards from the Council of Heads Awards Committee which considers nominations across all 14 colleges.  (I don’t sit on that Committee. And I am, of course, partial to my own students!   Yet know that all have received these awards on their own merit.)

Congratulations go to:

Junior, James Carrabino who has been selected by the Council of Heads Awards Committee  (who consider nominations across all 14 colleges) to receive the Joseph Lentilhon Seldon Memorial Award.

This prize was established in 1953 by Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Selden, Class of 1912, and is to be given each year to a member of the Junior Class of Yale College whose verve, idealism and constructive interest in music and the humanities exemplify those qualities for which Joseph Lentilhon Selden is remembered.  

James is a junior global affairs and classics major who has excelled in his academic work in global affairs.  To further his experience in public policy James has interned in

Washington D.C. supported by a Doulas Beck fellowship and will do so again in the coming summer in London as a U.S. State Department Intern.   He has studied Arabic, French, German Latin and Greek. James also has excelled in music study and performance.  He received Connecticut’s Evelyn Donar Storrs Piano Scholarship to study and teach solo piano and to perform at the Aspen Music Festival (July-August, 2018).  In his first year at Yale in a blinded competition he won Yale’s annual William Waite Concerto Competition (a very rare feat for a first-year student).  James also volunteers his services to New Haven public school students helping them to learn about government and performs in two concerts a year in Guilford, Ct. helping to raise funds for kidney cancer research and is active in Trumbull College as a Fellows aide. 

Junior, Joseph Doran, who has been selected (by the same committee) to receive the John C. Schroeder Award.

This prize is awarded annually to a member of the Junior Class who, in the opinion of the Committee, “will find his or her place and play a part in the good labor of the world.”  Since Mr. Schroeder was then Head of Calhoun (now Grace Hopper College), it can be supposed that the award is intended to honor contribution to the good life of the residential college community and to express confidence in the recipient’s later contribution to the community (or world).

Joe is a junior economics and global affairs major who has excelled both academically and in his support of Trumbull College.  He has served as an aide in the college supporting work in the main office as well as in the Trumbull House with grace and efficiency earning the affection and respect of all who work alongside of him.  He can be described as going “above and beyond” what’s called for in his work. He is an economics and global affairs major who served as an intern in the U.S. Department of State, been the Herb Scarf and James Tobin Research Fellow in the Yale Economics Department, been the recipient of the Thomas Berry Travel Fellowship to support an internship in Ukraine, received a fellowship from the State Department to study Russian in Eastern Europe and is proficient in Russian, and Ukrainian, Java, C++ and use of R and SPSS for statistics.    Joe is also a stellar swimmer and has been on Yale Men’s Water Polo Team for which he has been elected its captain.  Joe also serves as the Site manager and Head Training Coordinator at the New Haven Public Library for their Income Tax assistance program supporting New Haven Community members.

Junior, Aleyxss Lange, who has been selected (by the same committee) to receive the F. Wilder Bellamy Jr. Memorial Prize

This prize was established in 1939 by friends of F. Wilder Bellamy, Jr., B.A. 1937.  It is to be awarded to a junior, man or woman, who best exemplifies the qualities for which F. Wilder Bellamy, Jr. is remembered.  Bellamy, who graduated from Davenport in 1937, was a person of attractive personality and high spirits.  He was a good competitor and loyal friend who took a great enjoyment in the whole range of college life:  athletics (he played squash and hockey for Davenport, and was manager of the varsity tennis team); social activities (“one of the social leaders of the entry”); and academics.

Aleyxss is a junior psychology major who excels not just in her class work but also in the laboratory running research projects in an efficient and meticulous manner.  Aleyxss plays on Yale’s club volleyball team and participates in community service work in New Haven.  She is active in her church and has been activities chair for Yale’s Mormon students’ group.  She was director of internal affairs for her sorority in her sophomore year and its activities chair in her junior year.  Aleyxss has been a Trumbull Office aide and has volunteered to work buttery shifts.  She participates in Danceworks.   She is mainstay for Trumbull’s College Council as well.  In the latter regard she has helped to run the college’s fall and spring festivals and dances working from well before the start of the events to well after the end, going well beyond the call of duty to make sure the events are successful.

A Trumbull College Fellows Prize for a Junior student

Junior, P.J. Tuckman has been selected to receive the John Spangler Nicholas Jr. Prize for his contributions to the life of Trumbull College.

His prize is named for a former Head of Trumbull College and goes to a junior for good character and leadership in the college.

And, finally, congratulations are due to some Trumbull Chefs: 

Congratulations to Trumbull students, Sophia DeSchiffart, Emma Sargent and Max Leung, our fantastic Trumbull chefs who, working with their counterparts from Ezra Stiles in the Final Cut competition conducted by Yale Hospitality, took first place in the Meme competition and third place overall in the cooking competition winning both a four-hour baking class and the right to bring back all resulting baked goods to the college and a $500 check.

But, but, but —- what about prizes (other than the Yale Work Awards) for our wonderful Trumbull College seniors???

Patience is a virtue.  Don’t worry. We do have senior awards and distinctions to announce. We save a few of these announcements until our senior dinner next week and many more are saved until graduation. (We want your families to join in the pleasure of those announcements.)

 On the other hand, juniors, of course, please let your families know of the prizes you have won.  I’ll present you with the actual awards next week at an event in the House. 

The beginning of what will become many role reversals

Finally, I want to take note of something that will become increasingly common for our seniors as they move on past their undergraduate lives.  It is that you will become leaders and you will move toward positions in which you support others and you grant prizes to others.

In that regard, I would note that Trumbull senior Kevin Bendesky as a member of Phi Beta Kappa helped to select the winner of the DeVane Medal (which goes to a faculty member for distinguished teaching and is selected by students).  Kevin graciously introduced the winner,   John Merriman, and presented him with the prize last week at a dinner in New Haven.  He did a great job.