This year’s Reunion capped off a year of celebration.
It was the seventh and final event. Almost nine months earlier, a group of 200 alumni, parents, faculty, students, and friends had gathered at The Loeb Boathouse in Central Park to launch Amplify: The Campaign for Pomfret School. In between, the Pomfret Events team had crisscrossed the country, hosting gatherings in Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, and Washington, DC. Now, it was time to bring the celebration home.
For Reunion 2023, everyone was invited back to the place where it all began, with an emphasis on classes ending in 3 and 8, and a special focus on the Class of 1973, which was celebrating its 50th Reunion.
On Friday afternoon, a group of about fifty spectators attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the new science building, scheduled to open in fall 2024. Then it was on to class visits, campus tours, and a screening of Pomfret’s newest documentary, In Pursuit of Purpose. Later that evening, many alumni took in a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in the newly renovated Hard Auditorium before heading over to the Reunion Tent for cocktails, music, and dancing.
The next morning, alumni woke up early to attend a Service of Celebration and Remembrance in Clark Memorial Chapel. Then it was off to student presentations and panel discussions; the annual Pomfret School Alumni Association Meeting, which included a State of the School address by Head of School Tim Richards; and home athletic contests and du Pont Cup races.
On Saturday night, Maya Bullied ’23 and Nathan Kikonyogo ’25 kicked off the Amplify Celebration with a performance of “My Man” from Funny Girl by Barbra Streisand. Then Wulf Gooding ’25, accompanied by Director of Music Ryan Burns on piano and Music Teacher Mackenzie Christensen on percussion, wowed the audience with a stripped-down version of “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica.
After dinner, Vice President of the Alumni Association Executive Council Etienne Vazquez ’04 handed out several awards. Legendary New Yorker senior editor Peter Canby ’68 received the Pomfret School Alumni Award, given annually to an alumnus or alumna who has achieved distinction in his or her chosen profession and has demonstrated ongoing interest, loyalty, and commitment to the School. Navy fighter pilot Alexander Holloway ’13 received the Alumni Association Achievement Medal, presented to an alumnus or alumna who has graduated in the last twenty-five years and has demonstrated outstanding service to society and/or excellence in their endeavors. Class Agent Caitlin Hills ’88, P ’24 received the Prescott B. Clement Cup, meant to honor a current class agent who exemplifies the spirit in which Pres Clement ’40 performed his class agent duties for sixty-seven years. And longtime faculty member Louisa Gebelein Jones P ’04, a fan favorite for sure, received the Olmsted Distinguished Service Award, the School’s highest honor.
With the formalities out of the way, it was time for the sweet sounds of fan-favorite party band Unity — a name that truly captured the feeling of the weekend.