We have NO Friends in High Places

Amidst the excitement of Obamania last night (Tues 3 June), TheCHIMP.net sadly reports the defeat of a Deerfield candidate.

Kate Whitman (Deerfield ’95, Wellesly ’99) sought aU.S. Congress seat repping NJ’s 7^th Congressional District. (Springfield, Edison, Union Township), her second campaign in a year. We trust Kate will eventually follow her ex-governor mom in to New Jersey public life sporting a red jersey.

Whitman '08

Edwards? Obama? or Hillary? We're supporting Whitman.

Kate Whitman (Deerfield ’95, Wellesly ’99) is running for U.S. Congress from NJ’s 7^th Congressional District. (Springfield, Edison, Union Township), her second campaign in a year. Kate follows her ex-governor mom in to New Jersey public life sporting a red jersey.

"I bring a fresh perspective,” she said. “I think politics as usual is the last thing New Jersey voters want. Not having elected experience is not such a bad thing."

According to a political website, Kate raised $200,000 in the last 5 weeks of 2007 alone. You can give up to $2300 here, and support Deerfield candidates.

Deerfield Walks the Catwalk on "Project Runway"

Marcia Mitchell (Deerfield '01, Tufts '05) debuted as one of the new models on Bravo's smash fashion designer competition, Project Runway, last night. (Thurs, 11.15).

Marcia consistently mentions D.A. in her press, saying she credits Deerfield for "giving her the steely reserve required to make it in the fashion industry."

Marcia, welcome to the newest Deerfield extra-curricular: Hit TV Show Club. Other members? The Deerfield duo killing it as adversaries on LOST, Nestor Carbonell (Deerfield '86, CBS's Cane 'current) and Matthew Fox (Deerfield '85, Party of Five '98). Coincidentally, they also worked together on "Smoking Aces".

189 Alumni Welcomed to AA? - DA Graduation '07

Deerfield Academy ushered its 189 newest graduates (DA '07) in to the alumni-sphere with a graduation speaker listed as "Bill White" on Sunday (27 May) At first glance, we thought the Academy had finally gotten to the liquid core of a Deerfield Education - “Friends of Bill W” is...uh.....“shhhhh” …..codename… for A.A.

Sometimes events listed on schedules for out of town gatherings (like say, corporate retreats and boarding school parents’ weekends) are listed as "Friends of Bill W." and serve as an adhoc church basement session. It did appear to be a final admonition to the 18 year olds before sending them off to drink out of kegs in the woods and sleep in SUV backseats. Turns out it was a different Bill W. - Bill White (Mayor of Houston ' current, DA Parent '07). Daughter Elena White (DA '07) walked the stage
To maintain the Massachusetts/Texas balance of power over the weekend, TheCHIMP.net re-located to Austin, TX. We sent our Massachusetts stringers, “The Springfield Republican” Newspaper to cover the Deerfield Academy 2007 Commencement/Graduation festivities. Here is their filing from the 'field.

Required Summer Reading:

• Deerfield’s Official Coverage of Commencement ’07
• Greenfield Recorder Coverage a short cab ride down the internet...here.

LT Outplays A Billion Dollars of TV Experience

Congratulations to LT Thompson (Hickory, North Carolinian 'current, Financial Advisor 'current) who outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted 8 television industry professionals from LA to win the Spring 2007, Survivor Fiji Pool. (Sister Blog "Who is Out" covered the intense pool drama all season long)

LT beat out 5 professional reality casting directors, an executive producer, 2 couples, a pair of artsy brothers, and 3 USC film school diplomas (over a billion dollars in TV output) in bullseye'ing Earl Cole (Millionairre '07), with the 1st overall pick of the draft and riding him for 14 weeks to victory.

We would add a picture of LT here, but we cant see through the wall-to-wall babies over at LTandLela.com. We must sub him out with a preppily monikered newborn ("Winslow") pulled at random from the spring crop that is sprouting over at our #1 referrer website.

Be advised that this hereby expends the once-a-year exemption to the TheCHIMP.net's strident "no baby news" policy. Interested in playing the fall edition of the Survivor China pool? Throw your torch in the ring here.

Whitmans Can't Win Every Close One

The CHIMP.net sadly reports that Kate Whitman (Deerfield '95, Wesleyan '99) narrowly lost an election for Freeholder for Sommerset County, New Jersey on Thursday, March 29. Kate, a three year girl at DA, and her brother Taylor (Deerfield '97) come from strong NJ genes - as children of national moderate republican icon Christine Whitman (Wheaton '68, Gov of New Jersey '94-'01, EPA Administrator '01 - '03).

We're blaming it all on her campaign manager - despite him being a former Governor of New Jersey. The early election serves as the Republicans' tidy "primary before the primary", to prevent internecine squabbling and bleeding to ensure only one candidate enters the general election. We now await the next Deerfield Candidacy, Sherlock Grigsby (Deerfield '94, MTV Spring Break Hard Body award '95, Yale '98, Enterprise, MS 'current).

Deerfield School Meeting in LA

The Kaufmann Era Checks In: Kelly Turner '93, Pat Duncan '93, Annabelle Richardson '94, Judas Hicks '94, Cynthia Richards '94, Martina Love '92, me (Mikey Glazer '94)

The Deerfield Community of Los Angeles met the new Headmaster, Dr. Margarita Curtis O'Brien (formerly of Andover), on Wednesday night, March 7. In typical DA meal style, there was some hanging around in the lobby talking, followed by a everyone herding in to a room, and then the newly monikered "Head of School" spoke from a dais and a microphone.

Bulletin Items picked up:

• The Gilbane built science center was finally opened in February and appears to have some sort of Greer Store rival tucked inside.
• King Abdullah (DA '80, King of Jordan 'current) opens his own Academy this fall. DA Teachers Suzanne Hannay and John Palmer are going to teach English there for the inaugural year.
• During the Q&A, Max Williams ('92, Harvard '96) asked the new Head if she would consider moving school meetings down to the river. (Seriously)
• I got my Scroll subscription renewed. Just in time to read the story on p.4 "How Faculty Couples Fell in Love".
• Martina Love Harris ('92) turned her nose up at an early '90s photo (above), saying that the Class of '92, with a trustee already, was superior to her peer classes.
• Pat Duncan ('93), famous as "that hippie guy", was ironically totally unrecognizable in class dress, with wife Meredith.
• Also in attendance but not pictured: John Antonini ('92, Senior Party DJ '94, Duke '96) and lots of members of the class of '98 and '01.

RELATED: Sam Sheridan (DA '93, Harvard '97) trains himself in every gruesome violent fighting style and writes a book about it, "A Fighter's Heart". Sam appeared on The Daily Show on March 1.

DA Wrestling captain Chris Harrick (DA '94, BC '98, Berkley MBA '05) comments "had Sam discovered his latent talents earlier in life, co-captain Wes Battle would have been JV Captain with Ed Amorosi." Ouch.

Deerfield '09 - An Academy Award?

Deerfield Sophomores ('09) use their 200 year old dorm and a colonial village to produce comedy ...as an alum who did nothing of the sort, where do they get the time?? (I guess they must not drink)

Check out Deerfield's Class of 2009 burning up You Tube with a hit. Click Here.

Also from "Deerfield in Hollywood":

• Hayes MacArthur (Deerfield '95) - Forthcoming movie "The Game Plan" co-starring with The Rock
• Matthew Fox (Deerfield PG'89, Columbia '93) - ABC's Lost
• Sam Weisman (Deerfield 'unknown) Director, "George of the Jungle"
• Michael Suscy (Deerfield '91, Georgetown '95) , Writer/Producer of the upcoming "Grey Gardens" starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange..wow.
  

TheCHIMP.net Top Stories of 2006

Thank you for following the ridiuclousness of red carpet events, famous friends, Deerfield Academy and prep school news, and personalities in transition. Here is Ryan Seacrest's Countdown of the top 5 most viewed items of the year.

5. Kevin Gottehrer ...swallows Heather Oakley in to the prep school network (May)
4. Grandma Shirlee Glazer Passes On - the very last story of the year (December)
3. Greg Lowry and Andrea Bleau - Till Death do Us Part (August)
2. Jeannete Jenkins and Queen Latifah Break Up ?? - Perez Hilton outs more celebs (December)

and the number one story of 2006.....is.......

1. Tyler Goes Pro - Fingerpainting roommate opens an art show and sells like crazy (August)

Congratulations Tyler Ramsey.

Hope that 2007 is even better for everyone than 2006.
Stay tuned for a major professional step forward for TheCHIMP.net coming in January.

MG

My Prom Date Goes All the Way

Congratulations to my prom date for making a great decision: Annabelle Richardson ’94 is engaged.

Annabelle (Cedar Rapids H.S. ’90-91, Deerfield ’94, Boulder ’94-95, Hamilton ’98, Imaginary Forces ‘current) may best be known as the only person to go from public school “pom-pom and pigtails” cheerleader to turn to sweater/megaphone/socially selective senior “cheerleader”….and a rare Iowa’n at prep school.

In the spirit of this news, please enjoy these photos of this year’s Choate Day Banners in the run up to DA’s “thumping” of Choate 31-6 (word of the month - Nov ’06) AT Choate on Saturday, November 11.

Elements of what appears to be an expanded spirit week included: “Everybody Wear Green” Day and a baffling Deerfield orchestrated re-baptism of Choate with some type of pig nick-naming..curious.

If anyone can shed light on the deal with the Choate pig thing, please email me.

The full wedding announcement is here.

UPDATE 12.10.06: Is a pep rally bonfire supposed to look like a terrorist attack? Weird.

A Marathon of Misconceptions

Sometimes people who are the same age, who pursue the same exact profession, and who share the same social profile, have different notes of their similar personalities muted or blasted.

A casestudy:On a recent "Send/Receive" session in Outlook, I received emails from two friends...and I will blast them both.

LT Thompson (Deerfield '94, Williams '98, Insight Express '99, Capitol Concepts '01): First to the altar, first to change a diaper, first alumni cheerleader to be banned from his prep school campus, only friend of TheCHIMP.net to own a oft ridiculed piece of sitdown lawn machinery, LT Thompson remains the pinnacle of productivity.

LT's news: Deerfield Tri Team Captain LT completed the 26.2 mile course of the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC in 4:25 with energy and spirit to spare on Sunday, October 29. After, he showed off the Georgetown Campus (steeples pictured at the top) to his wife and daughters.

Meanwhile.....

Criminal's News:
From the Miami wing of TheCHIMP.net readership, Criminal realizes significant misconceptions he has given his maid - an unintenional self-indictment. The email text reads:

There's no question that my cleaning lady either
a) thinks I'm crazy
b) thinks I'm gay or
c) thinks all of the above.

Here's what she finds when she cleans my place:
Multiple wigs
Rocket launcher
Kite
Caveman bone
Pink Shorts…socks, headband, etc. In my room, several other random costumes ... Makeup in my bathroom (Cleveland Indians eye black) ... Cut up fur vest ... Rabbit ears .... Picture of me naked in shopping cart (which she nicely placed on my nightstand) .... Pictures of me on an oil rig .... A stuffed animal ....baby chimp (which she always places on my bed nested upon the pillows) .... Other men's clothing .... Lots of empty liquor bottles Condom wrappers (btw not mine...they're for sailors) And a box of candy that says "I'm not a tranny"

MORE to on this topic in future posts.

The Amazing (Disg)Race

Each television season, a group of intrepid Deerfield adventure fans join together for a small stakes fantasy reality pool – drafting teams in pairs and supporting them on their race around the world. Reflecting the diversity of the cast, we have a geographically diverse field of contestants for this fall’s edition:



LT and Lela – Married with 3 daughters (2 pictured) from Hickory, North Carolina
Ted and Serena – freshman participants - professional singles from Manhattan
Greg and Andrea – newlywed lawyers from Austin, Texas
Chris and Tania – cultured MBA educated parents from San Francisco
Mikey and Melissa – LA Faker Douchebags

Well, the last description hasn’t been “network approved” per se, but considering the hasty dispatch of the duo, it does seem appropriate. As LT called it, “Team Hollywood” got expelled curtly. One of only 2 people that luckily got 3 teams instead of two, all 3 teams got eliminated in the first 2 episodes ... a near statistical impossibility.

While The Amazing Race has won the reality Emmy every single year since its introduction, maybe one day when accepting a reality casting emmy, I will point this out in the way high school coaches share this cliché.

Feedback UPDATE:
"This is akin to LT getting beat at a lawnmower riding competition." - Greg Lowry

Kurt Angle, Wes, and LT - All Pennsylvania Olympians

Deerfield Triathlon Team Captain LT Thompson inducted Wes Battle for the 2006 edition of the annual North Carolina race on Saturday, August 13.

While the inaugural 2005 edition reeked of some weekend warrior abilities, Wes' presence characteristically raised the stakes - this time to Olympic distances. The race:

1 Mile Swim
27 Mile Bike
6.2 Mile Run

LT (Deerfield '94, Williams '98, Insight Express '99, Hickory 'current) and Wes (Shady Side Academy '89, Exeter '93, Deerfield '94, UVA '98, US Navy OCS '02, Navy 'current) made colorful reports.

Newly 30, LT ran 3:05 to scorch last year's "29 year old guy" time by 7 minutes.

In what I believe was his virgin encounter, Wes got dealt some clumsy fortune: 2 flat tires, a dropped bike chain, and the distracting shock and awe of the fringe divisions. Yet he finished in 3:30 and filed a coloful report that begins....

“The race went as predicted in some ways and others did not…. After awaking at 4:30 to hear from LT that he had already taken two dumps, we drove in a monstrous rainstorm to Wilkesboro, about 45 minutes from Hickory, with LT’s buddy Hank, a fellow Clydesdale competitor (+200 lbs.) I was impressed, by the way, that LT’s friend Hank is a college educated and could complete full sentences….”

Read the full email by running your mouse down to the jump link below -->

I would like to congratulate LT for putting up a strong effort and beating his last year’s time by over 7 minutes and beating me soundly. The race went as predicted in some ways and others did not.

After awaking at 4:30 to hear from LT that he had already taken two dumps, we drove in a monstrous rainstorm to Wilkesboro, about 45 minutes from Hickory, with LT’s buddy Hank, a fellow Clydesdale competitor (+200 lbs.) I was impressed, by the way, that LT’s friend Hank is a college educated and could complete full sentences. (just kidding: great dude) Anyway, so we arrive in the pitch black deluge at the race and LT is complaining that he is going to deuce himself so he takes off in a sprint when we park, locking us out of the car so I cannot get my ID from my bag and meet him at the registration as planned. Anyway, LT would go on to take his 4th pre-race #2 about 15 minutes prior to the race, this time in the woods as the Porta-potties are jammed. My race drama increases 20 minutes before the race when my rear tire goes flat on me but I am able to get it fixed by a bike guy in 10 minutes…whew!

LT starts the swim 9 minutes ahead of Hank and me, making a compelling dynamic of the whole race. As predicted, I come out of the 1 mile swim 3:30 ahead of LT (still 5:30 behind him on the course) LT beats me by 1 minute in the first transition (By the way this is all post mortem analysis as we have no idea where we are in relation at the time) Then, as I am hopping on my bike, I notice my front tire is flat: unbelievable. I am devastated and I luckily have a spare and fix my front tire in exactly 10 minutes but know, that for all intents and purposes, my race is over but can hopefully take some satisfaction in finishing within 19 minutes of LT now.

But I could not have predicted the severity of these hills. They were brutal and crushed me. I have not trained in the mountains. Jax is very flat and I was very unprepared. I ended up losing an additional 20 minutes to LT on the bike. LT put another 8 minutes on me in the run to win by 37 minutes or 27 if you deduct 10 for the flat. Everything went as expected, I beat LT by 3:30 in the swim, he beat me by 2:30 in the transitions, he beat me by 8 in the run but the real surprise was the ass kicking on the bike.

A side note: LT’s buddy Hank is a stud, finishing in 2:50, placing 2nd on the podium in the Clydesdale division. LT was at 3:04 and I was 3:41.

It was an awesome challenge, so much fun and hope you guys would consider joining in a future year. I know I will be training harder and will come back next year to the Bandits Challenge.

This is the 2005 team picture. John Hansel, LT, and I running the wimpy "Sprint" division....or resting afterwards.

Lowry Brand Extension Continues

Greg Lowry continued the rapid expansion of the Lowry Brand on Saturday, August 5 by marrying Andrea Bleau at the Yacht club on Macinac Island, Michigan. Andrea (UT ’97, UT Law ’01) joins an exploding Lowry youth division that in the last 18 months has touched all Lowry siblings: Suzie (2 babies), Mathew (just engaged), Gus (just married), and Greg (marriage). More on this later.


9 months to the day of a DVD proposal, Lowboy (Eaglebrook ’91, DA ‘ 94, Texas A&M ‘ 98, UT Law ’01, Segal McCambridge ‘current) and Andrea had a backyard style wedding on the tiny island of Macinac.

True to Lowry form, the island was a 273 mile road trip from Detroit, an afternoon jaunt for a family that drove from San Antonio to Massachusetts every September and June from 1985 – 1994 shuttling prep school children. Maybe the reason the Lowrys became so smitten with Macincac island??? On Macinac there are no cars …..or even golf carts allowed (Take that Sichol and the 2001 Ocean Reef Club island nuptials) There are lots of horse carriages. As a result, it is very quiet …and untrafficky ….and smells like horsecrap everywhere. There is also actual horsecrap everywhere, which leads to a lot of walking around with your head down.

We did manage enough “head up” time to notice the following:

This wedding had many unique features - a keg, solo plastic party cups, a bike rack, flip flops on the groom, and a mid-ceremony performance by musical duo Genie (mother of Greg, St. Louis ’60 something) and Matthew (Deerfield ’91, Boulder 7 years, Boulder Law ‘ 02, and Rocky Mountain School ‘current). At DA, Matthew was a Mellow D and was the missing member of Vertical Horizon. He’s still got it…and also a new fiancé, Heather. She is the cousin of Timo Weymouth (DA’91), they met at Timo’s wedding, and they currently live on Campus as faculty at the Colordao Rocky Mountain school, the mountain time zone’s answer to the Chewonki Maine Coast Semester. I was very proud to learn that she is currently reading Prep.













More salaciously, there was some guy there in a Hot Rod shirt. During the dinner speeches, as Greg approached him for the public post-speech hug/cheek kiss he audibly told Greg dead seriously “Kiss me and I’ll break your neck”. Here is the shirt he was wearing. Here he is eyeing someone’s neck. Looks like it was on his mind.

Lots more individual DA News on Sichol, engagements, and other events on the Social Calendar after the jump....Click below.



The aforementioned Adam Sichol (DA’94, Hamilton ’98, Tuck Business ‘ 06, Chicago ‘current) showed great effort driving up 5 hours and ferrying solo as wife Lowey babysat the twins. Sichol has relocated to Evanston, IL and begins a new job in the real estate world on August 14.

Gus Lowry (DA ‘ 93, Texas A&M ’97, UT-San Antonio Med ’02, Anethesia ‘current) got married in June to Jenny from Louisiana. Here is a photo.

Staying in the 01342, here are some events on the upcoming Deerfield Social Calendar:

• The now Annual “Boys of ’94 - NFL Fantasy Football Draft Weekend” – Lake Tahoe, August 12-13
• The second incarnation of the DA Triathlon Team’s Race – August 2006
• DA Class of ’94 reunion – June 2009 (Sadly, the next widespread social event on the calendar)

Full Kodak Gallery of Photos Here.

My Writing Actually Gets Published by Deerfield

On May 18th, we had a cocktail party at Memphis here in LA for young Deerfield Alums. Hayes MacArthur '95 galloped in with his head up despite a tough upfronts week to just drink, Hanley Baxter '96 came over from Endeavor, and a great co-committee of Annabelle Richardson '94, Trevor Mullen '92, and Martina (Love) Harris '92, made us feel like many other spring Deerfield eves....thirsty

My write up actually made the D.A. Website:

Deerfield Alumni Gather in Los Angeles

Mikey Glazer '94 Reports...

Ring-leader Mikey Glazer '94 surrounded by a few friends!

May 24, 2006 On Thursday night, May 18, I joined a
reputable group of early 90s alumni (Martina Love Harris '92, Trevor Mullen’92
and Annabelle Richardson ’94) to revive the long overdue “Deerfield in Los
Angeles Cocktail Night” that has lain dormant for the past few seasons.

At the new southern inspired lounge, "Memphis in Hollywood", young and young(ish)
alumni from the classes of 1985 – 2001 got together to show off two things we
have learned Deerfield alumni to be exceptional at: cocktails and “war stories”.

Read the full story here (right from the official Deerfield Website) or just skip right to the photo gallery

P.S. The after party at newly relaunched Standard Lounge was unbeknownst to me, the new Thursday promotion of publicist Leland Drummond (Choate '00)