Trumbulletin: Feb. 6, 2017

February 6, 2017

Trumbulletin:  Feb. 6, 2017

The semester is now well underway. Schedules are set. I hope you are all happy with your classes.  I also hope that most of you have evaded the flu.  (It is clearly around us.  Be careful, wash hands often, get rest and drink plenty of fluids if you get it.  You can still get a flu shot if you have not already done so.  If you have had the flu or get it, you have my sympathy.)

It’s great to have everyone back.  Over break this place is very, very quiet.  The dining hall is dark at night and the courtyard empty.  No one is in the gym.  No lights are on except for those in the stairwells.  The only noise comes from some maintenance that goes on.  (One morning there was loud clattering in the courtyard and I looked out to see people climbing ladders to the top of the dining hall roof and went out to make sure that the people really were from facilities– but that’s it.)  I like a vibrant, active Trumbull much better.  It’s so nice to have you all back here. 

We took our first Trumbull trip this weekend – to the Metropolitan Opera in NYC to see Rigoletto. Twelve of us boarded a van Saturday morning and went directly to Lincoln Center.  There we watched the show and some of us also went to the Opera Quiz during the second intermission.  (It is sort of an “Wait, wait don’t Tell Me” Quiz for opera buffs. I, myself, could not have answered a single question) during the second intermission.  Afterwards we all met with Charles Urbont (a bass player and member of the orchestra) and Stephen Costello (one of the lead singers – he played the Duke) and we went to dinner, then traveled back here. 

I thank my spouse, Fred Polner, for his initiative in putting this together.  (Long, long ago he and Charles Urbont played in a band together.  They recently re-connected when Charles’ daughter was at Yale.  It was then that they plotted out this trip.  One of these went on to musical success; one became an attorney instead –  but he still plays the drums.)  I also thank Deb Bellmore, our Operations Manager for figuring out all the details – the tickets, the van, the dinner, etc.

Interestingly, whereas none of our ten attendees are pursuing music as their primary focus at Yale, during dinner Charles Urbont asked all if they played an instrument.  I was struck that every one of our attendees did play an instrument.  (Indeed, twelve of thirteen people at dinner played an instrument – I was the exception.)  Trumbullians:  You are a multi-talented group!

Trumbull IMs

This week, as Sara, Sweyn, Zoe, Josh and PJ (our IM leaders) have alerted us is, a huge week for IM’s.  We remain in first place, but other colleges are close behind.  Come out!  Join in!  Have fun!

Last Friday I bowled with our team and Berkeley’s Head, David Evans, was there too. (Berkeley is very close!) I fear he’s was a far better bowler than I am.  So, if you’re a good bowler come out and replace me!!   It was great fun, though and I thank my Trum-Teammates Cam, Adriana, PJ, Josh, and Alex for including me.    

I’ll host a first-of-the-semester study break in the house next week.  Whomever Sara, Sweyn, Zoe, Josh and PJ designate as our “players of the week” for this week get to choose the food for that break next week.

I thank Sara, Sweyn, Zoe, Josh and PJ for all their organizational help and cheering which keeps us going and Sara for leading this team.

Thanks and congratulations

I thank James Carrabino, a Trumbull freshman and fabulous pianist for performing for our   Trumbull Fellows at the opening 2017 gathering.  It was a wonderful performance. Then, shortly afterwards James won the William Waite Concerto competition at Yale.  As the winner James will be featured in a performance with the YSO.  Congratulations!   I’ll alert all when that performance is coming up as, I assure you, it will be well worth hearing.

Congratulations to the Yale Women’s and Men’s swimming teams.

This weekend was a big weekend for the Yale swimming and diving teams.  They hosted Harvard and Princeton at home for a meet that brought their extremely successful regular seasons to a close.

Congratulations to the Yale Women’s Swimming and Diving team for their undefeated regular season. Special congratulations to Trumbullians Michelle Chintanaphol (captain of the team), Sophie Fontaine, Caroline Heilbrun, Danielle Lu and Heidi Vanderwel.  Congratulations to Kendal Brent too. (Kendal is a Morsel, but she’s the niece of Trumbull Fellow Tracy Brent.)

Congratulations to the Yale Men’s Swimming and Diving team for going 9-2 in the dual season. Special congratulations to Trumbullians James Goss (captain of the team), Benjamin Lerude, Anthony Mercadante, Oscar Miao, Nicholas Sehlinger, and Ian Wooley.

Well done!!!!!!!! What an exciting weekend.

Our swimmers still have the all Ivy meet coming up in Providence Feb. 15-18.  Keep cheering for them.

Superbowl

I thank our Dining Hall team, our TCC and our Trumbull Tech Aides, Deniz Saip and Stephanie Spear, and Deborah Bellmore for making last evening’s Superbowl Party happen. 

The dining hall staff made special efforts to decorate for the event, to make a special cake and snacks available.  I’m always truly grateful for those efforts.  They make these special efforts for our community – they are not routine nor required.  Do take the time to thank them for what they do for all of us.

The same applies to our TCC team.  This is an all volunteer group.  They took over for the dining staff as the evening meal concluded making sure that we continued to have snacks through the evening and could watch the game on our big screen.  (The screen and projector, I should note, was a gift to Trumbull from a recent Trumbull graduate, Ellie Lewis.  Every time we use it I think of her!) 

And, special thanks for last evening go to our Trumbull Tech AidesUsually everything comes off smoothly with our events thanks to our big team of people who work on events in Trumbull.  Yet sometimes we have snags. Last night at about 4:30 we hit one of those.  We couldn’t find all the equipment and keys we needed to make the show happen in the dining hall. Yet our aides stuck with us and, after much scrambling, by 6 p.m. we knew it could happen.  I give them my special thanks for their very calm persistence.  

Actually, I always hope that all our crises in the college are small ones of just this sort – that is, ones involving screenings of shows or, perhaps, of a food delivery being late, a computer glitch, too many papers due on a particular day or a lost this or that.

It’s well worthwhile to keep things in proper perspective. I urge you to do that as you hit your own glitches.  Step back.  Think about whether they are truly serious.  Most are not.  Do not worry too much about them; just take a deep breath and tackle them.  Bigger things sometimes do arise.  We need our energy for those.

Oh, and by the way, I’ve noticed that the biggest New England Patriots fan appears to be our own Dean Surjit Chandhoke.  Bet she’s happy today!