Always Learning
A hands-on part of the alumnae weekend experience on Saturday were master classes, these continuing education opportunities held simultaneously in the Condon-Hynes Innovation Lab, the art studio, and the Virginia Wing Library.
The lab, with wires and cables strewn along the ceiling and blinking colorful lights affixed to numerous devices on the shelves, immediately conveyed activity and motion to those stepping inside.
“I wish I’d had this when I was here,” confided Katherine Harrison ’98 as she sat down.
The one-hour class was too brief to build a robot or conduct a 3D printing project—lessons and activities that are a part of the current curriculum for Winsor students— said instructor Chris Player, the Science Department head. Instead, he tested everyone’s memory by playing a series of sounds and tones, then asking attendees to recall whether the notes were similar or dissimilar. The discussion-and-participation exercise examined how we retain sound and what can prohibit our memories from recalling certain tones. Player, who is also the STEM integrator and iLab manager, then showed how the vibrations of different musical instruments mimic the vibrations of our inner-ear anatomy, allowing us to hear differently.
While alums in the iLab used their ears, elsewhere others used their hands for an “Intro to Glazing Techniques” class taught by Fine Arts Faculty Mia Tinkjian.
Choosing from a variety of bowl shapes and sizes, alums donned aprons and jumped in to play with underglazes and glazes, transfers and sponges. Their medium was bowls, which were created ahead of Alumnae Weekend by Upper School students in the course “Further Wheel Throwing.”
Tinkjian explained to her newest students that, while a glaze starts as a vitreous substance, it fuses onto the surface of pottery to form a hard, impervious coating. And she offered a piece of advice: “Remember to write your name on the bottom of the pot with a glaze pencil. Otherwise, we won’t be able to send it to you!”
As Ethel Bullitt ’93 set her finished pot aside, she reflected, “I haven’t made anything in a while.”
The glazed bowls would be fired by Winsor students in the kiln during class time, then prepared for transport as a memento to remember each alum’s return to Winsor.
Throughout Winsor’s proud history, the Virginia Wing Library has been a special place for students, and several alums took the opportunity to return there for a master class about its work. New library Director Laura Duncan shared with her guests, “One of the things I love most about this library is how much it is loved by everyone here.”
Duncan discussed initiatives she has undertaken since joining Winsor last August. A new, user-friendly website has made digital library resources more accessible to students and teachers alike. Creating collections that fully represent Winsor’s diverse community and beyond are an ongoing focus and a cornerstone of the Library Department’s work, while new programs—such as a scary-story read-aloud, movie nights, and lunch programming—position it as a gathering place for the student body.
The warmth and vibrancy of the Virginia Wing Library make it a safe haven for current Winsor students and a stalwart keeper of fond memories for the alums. After Duncan’s discussion, there was considerable time for reminiscing.
“I think I might be the oldest alum here,” remarked Patsy Perrin Lawrence ’46. “It’s just such a fantastic place.”
As alums roamed all three floors of the library, they filled the space with laughter, sharing stories of exams, projects, and years gone by.
