Parents’ Weekend is billed as a time for parent/ teacher conferences and reunions with their children, but Gunnery’s parents managed to have some well-deserved adult time and to simultaneously support the school at the 2007 Gunnery Parent Auction on Friday, October 19th. Up for bid were items covering the gamut of 21st century life: electronics, travel, sports entertainment, household, personal, and Gunnery-specific privileges. Auction Co-Chairs Laurie Ryer and DeeDee Hill joined by Gunnery Parent Council Co-Chairs Leigh Graham and Dana Dayton led an enthusiastic group of parent volunteers in collecting and presenting numerous items donated by alumni, parents, and friends of the school. [continued]

The fifteen members of The Gunnery’s Outdoor Club are oiling their hiking boots, cleaning their water bottles, and poring over their maps as they prepare to accept the Steep Rock Challenge. The Challenge, which is open to all, involves the payment of $36 and the commitment to hike each of the 36 miles of Steep Rock trails in the Reservation: Steep Rock, Hidden Valley, and the Macricostas Preserve. Those who complete the trails receive a Steep Rock cap. [continued]

Imagine a world where the average human life span is 45. Picture a place where it’s common to have flies go into your mouth while speaking. Now imagine, if you will, that even under these and other horrendous living conditions, the inhabitants are happy and content and carry a strong sense of humor. Dara Schlesinger ’86 learned this on her recent trip to Ethiopia as a member of Save the Children, an independent organization creating real and lasting change for children in need around the world. Dara, one of thirty Board members, handles the strategic planning and nominating for this humanitarian group. [continued]

Russ DeGrazia ’10 has certainly beaten out Charlie Brown in the search for the Great Pumpkin. On Friday, September 28th, Russ brought his “personal best”, as he termed it, to The Gunnery so that his dorm mates, coaches, and teachers could see what 648 pounds of pumpkin looked like. It took eleven men to load the delicate vegetable on the back of the family pick-up. “You have to be very careful when you move them,” he said. “It’s very easy to develop splits when they’re this size.” [continued]

Where did the bell that rings in the start of class come from and where is it now?

The bell with its cupola was transferred to Gunn Dormitory when it was constructed in 1928 from the “Old School” building which was torn down. The International Time Recording Co., a division of International Business Machines (IBM), built the tolling mechanism and Seth Thomas built the timekeeper. Bruce Block, resident electrical guru, was able to get the old mechanism to work this summer, but its unreliability forced the school to resort to modern methods to avoid badgering late students unnecessarily. Mark Lowell ’74 wrote in to say that he and some friends stole into the bell tower and rang the bell for 30 minutes when the Vietnam War ended.

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On The Go is produced by the Alumni & Development Office. Todd Santa Maria is our editor. Please feel free to email or call Todd at (860) 868-7334 ext.275.