The ’08-’09 academic year will go down in history as a great year for Saybrook. With Saybrugians earning the positions of YCC President, Democratic candidate for Ward 1 Alderman, and Dean of Yale College, the era of Saybrook’s ascendancy over Yale college was begun. Here’s a look at the highs and lows of this past year:
The Highs:
It all began in the fall, when President Levin announced Master Miller GRD ’81 as the new Dean of Yale College. The first woman appointed to the post, Dean Miller will play an important role in the creation of the new residential colleges and the corresponding increase in faculty size over the coming years. Given her leadership as Master for nine years, scholarship as the Sterling Professor of Art History, and experience as acting director of the Division of the Humanities, we can have confidence she’ll represent Saybrook well in the coming years.
As Miller Time came to an end, Dean Miller passed the torch on to her husband, Edward Kamens, who assumed the post of interim master for the rest of the year. His legacy of making Saybrook the only residential college to subsidize a bus to take students to President Obama’s Inauguration Ceremony will not soon be forgotten. Although Saybrook won’t have their leadership and guidance any longer, we will have a lovely portrait of the two and their cat in our dining hall to commemorate their tenure and keep a watchful eye over us next year. Professor Paul Hudak, an awesome computer science professor, will assume the role as Saybrook’s 9th Master starting this July 1st.
Later, in the spring, the election of Jon Wu ’11 to the office of YCC president gave even more affirmation of Saybrook’s status as the best residential college on campus (as if we needed any). We can look forward to seeing Jon fulfill his campaign promise of, “advocating for financial aid reform, gender neutral housing, and academic minors using the groundwork from last year” His campaign slogan: “I’ve been Wu’d”, Youtube video: “Wu’s the One I Want,” and Facebook profile picture invasion led his campaign to a 54.9% win over JE’s Ryan Beuachamp ’10.
Little did Saybrook know, this triumphant victory would soon be followed by another in the form of the New Haven’s Ward 1 Democratic Committe Endorsement. After one of the most competitive campaigns in recent history,
Mike Jones ’11 emerged victorious on April 17th, earning Ward 1′s Democratic Committee endorsement (putting him in a strong position to win the general election this fall). Carrying 49.2% of the vote, Jones beat out Morse’s Minh Tran ’09 and Berkeley’s Katherine Harrison ’11 to win the nomination. We can look forward to seeing him give a strong showing in the fall election running on a platform to make our streets safer, improve the Board of Education, and help the development of local businesses.
To end the year off, the freshman of Saybrook brought pride and glory to their college with their first place finish* at the Freshman Cup under the awe-inspiring leadership of captains Tara Tyrell, Dalia Terry, Lauren Provini, Yael Zinkow, and Will Bradley. While technically it was a three-way-tie with the freshman of Pierson and Branford, to be determined by a relay race, anagram-solving competition, cartwheeling competition, three-legged race, and a game of flip cup, as far as we’re concerned, it was a tie for first.
As to be expected, Saybrook also earned her far share of glory on the IM fields this year. With undeafeated seasons, we were unstoppable in Men’s Soccer, Men’s Football, Coed Billiards, and C-Hoops. On top of that, we had only a single loss in both Men’s Squash and A Hoops. Saybrook can continue its domination in these sports. We can expect Saybrook’s domination and general unstoppability only to increase in the coming year.
And of course, we’re still waiting for the results of the Gimbel Cup (for highest GPA), which Saybrook has dominated over Yale’s history with a commanding total of 11 wins, with the closest, Ezra Stiles, having a measly 7. The results are expected to come out in this fall.
Things to Improve Upon:
Overall, we had a great year. Here’s a few of the things to improve upon next year:
- Saybrook Seniors had the lowest contribution rate to the Senior Gift out of all the residential colleges, with only 50% of seniors donating. Considering that we’ll have an entirely new batch of seniors donating next year, we can only expect this percentage to improve.
- We finished 8th in the Davies Cup for IM participation. To make up for this below average participation rate, Saybrook finished 6th overall in Tyng Cup for IM sports (the one that actually matters). Our 8th place Davies and 6th place Tyng suggests our talents far outstrips our participation, and with only increased participation, we should be able to place much higher next year.
- Lastly, bed bugs invested Ldub. Of course, those ragamuffins on the Pierson side were the ones responsible, but Saybrook was guilty by association. All reasonable odds point to this not reoccurring next year.
The Lows:
I’d be remiss not to mention Saybrook’s solitary low this past year. Admittedly, it was a big one, but I have strong hopes we’ll be able to make up for it next year.
It all began with the Saybrook’s annual vote on the SCC budget. Much to the dismay of the Saybrook commmunity, the well written, forward-thinking proposal for a Saybrook hot tub was rejected. Kudos to the Deniz Yiliz SY ’11 for standing up for Saybrook’s right to a 6-person hot tub (with speakers). I include an excerpt from her proposal below both for posterity’s sake and the future’s sake, for I fully expect someone to take up the noble mission next year.
SY Spa System
Total: $4,499 (plus shipping, tax)
” …This spa system is large enough for six students, and the opportunity to relax in the Infinity Crown spa would not only improve camaraderie among Saybrugians, but it would also contribute to better grades and students’ physical and mental well-being. I believe the Infinity Crown’s two speaker and subwoofer stereo system, LED perimeter lights, color-changing LED light, and waterfall set it apart as the ideal spa system for Saybrook College.”
Conclusion:
With only one minor hiccup, Saybrook had an undeniably successful year. Just because such greatness is expected from Saybrook by now doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate it.
After all, we earned it.