Award Winners Honored during Virtual Reunion
Groton hosted a virtual reunion presentation in early May to commemorate the weekend when the forms ending in 0 and 5 were originally scheduled to gather on campus.
Alumni tuning into the May 8 webinar heard Headmaster Temba Maqubela present two alumni awards, the Cui Servire Est Regnare Award and the Distinguished Grotonian. This year's Cui Servire recipient, Natick (MA) Police Chief James Hicks ’80, was honored for his dedication to public service, commitment to leadership with empathy, and willingness to stand on the frontlines.
The Distinguished Grotonian, Professor John Bannister Goodenough ’40, a recent Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, was honored because his contributions to the fields of mathematics, physics, and chemistry have had enormous positive impact on human life. Professor Goodenough is the brains behind the battery technology that powers our phones and computers.
During the virtual reunion presentation, the headmaster announced that Reunion Weekend for the forms ending in 0 and 5, along with the forms ending in 1 and 6, will be held June 11–13, 2021. "We like the idea of combining these two reunion cycles on campus—in what will be a first for us—and we look forward to seeing all of you then,” he said. Earlier in the program, Mr. Maqubela had provided an update on the school during the COVID-19 pandemic, including its approach to virtual learning. “We don't lose the vitality and dynamism as we conduct our lessons virtually," he said.
He spoke to Groton’s dynamic equilibrium between change and tradition. "Chapel, Roll Call, and St. Mark's Day are timeless traditions,” he said. “The Circle is not a fixed entity and it is as relevant today as it was in your time.”
The Distinguished Grotonian, Professor John Bannister Goodenough ’40, a recent Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, was honored because his contributions to the fields of mathematics, physics, and chemistry have had enormous positive impact on human life. Professor Goodenough is the brains behind the battery technology that powers our phones and computers.
During the virtual reunion presentation, the headmaster announced that Reunion Weekend for the forms ending in 0 and 5, along with the forms ending in 1 and 6, will be held June 11–13, 2021. "We like the idea of combining these two reunion cycles on campus—in what will be a first for us—and we look forward to seeing all of you then,” he said.
He spoke to Groton’s dynamic equilibrium between change and tradition. "Chapel, Roll Call, and St. Mark's Day are timeless traditions,” he said. “The Circle is not a fixed entity and it is as relevant today as it was in your time.”
Lydia Cottrell ’88, president of the Groton Fund, shared a fundraising update and thanked Groton's teachers and students for dedication and creativity in their approach to virtual teaching and learning. Merrill Stubbs Dorman ’95, president of the Groton School Alumni Association, presented Groton's Athletic Hall of Fame 2020 Inductees: Nicole W. Piasecki '80, the 1979 boys varsity football team, the 1980 girls varsity crew's first boat, and Claudia Asano Barcomb '95.
The presentation finished with a blessing from the Reverend Nathaniel Pierce ’60 and the singing of the school hymn.
Following the presentation, forms from 2015 through 1955 gathered in virtual meetings ranging from twelve to forty people, catching up for varying lengths of time, from forty minutes to over four hours.
"While sad that we couldn’t join in person,” said Adam Gordon, form secretary for the Form of 2000, “I think a lot of people felt like seeing everyone’s face was an emotionally uplifting experience.”—Allison MacBride
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