Red and White @ Silver

To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, “Red & White @ Silver” is thrilled to welcome a classmate who spent post-graduate years in Mexico: Nathan Paluck! He Zooms with the RWS trio to fill us in on everything he’s been up to for the last 25 years. How does a physics major at Fordham turn into a teacher in Honduras and bartender/salsa dancer in Oaxaca and a journalist in Hartford and the president of a chess club? Nate is like the Dos Equis guy: the most interesting man in the world.Then, after victorioso in a bit of Mexican history trivia, Nate has profound reflections on his time at the Norwich Free Academy. He reflects on our beautiful campus, his myriad of extracurricular activities, his valued NFA friendships, and he also becomes the latest guest to flatter Zack’s mom. Among Nate’s most cherished high school memories was working with a handful of classmates, including Jim and Zack, to record a song called “Brown Bananas” – a fawning ode from Dave Fan to a certain fellow 2001er. After listening to this episode, you’ll not only know to which classmate the song was dedicated (hint: her name rhymes with Banana), but you’ll also get to hear a 25-year-old recording of the masterpiece. You don’t want to miss it.His name is Nathan Paluck, and he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

This week, “Red & White @ Silver” listeners are in for a treat. First, RWS gives you a peak behind the curtain. Unbeknownst to Ian, Zack, and our guest, our A/V guru Jim was recording audio before the official start of the interview. Therefore, in lieu of our typical short cold open, you’ll hear several minutes of arguing and guest-prep.The bigger treat comes afterward: our articulate and charismatic guest, Brett Levanto. You’ll hear how Mr. Levanto goes to Washington to study at GW, and to bartend, and to meet his future wife. You’ll also hear about some of the challenges that come with being married to a deployed sailor. Brett eventually nestled into a career, had two kids, and even began working as a high school football referee on the side, an unsurprising development considering he’s legally blind in one eye. He dazzles in his trivia segment where Ian offers him challenging football scenarios where referee Levanto needs to make the right call. (Brett would like to issue a correction about the yardage in the second question: it should be 4th and 15 and not 4th and 5. He’s admitted to this mistake having kept him up in each of the 668 nights since we recorded.) Brett finishes with profuse praise of our alma mater, including shouting out teachers and reflecting on his time with the Student Advisory Board and NFA basketball.His name is Brett Levanto, and, as he tells you several times in various ways, he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

Have you ever wondered who has the biggest heart on Earth? Well, you can stop wondering. We found her. It’s our fellow Class of 2001er, Becky Majewski. Just how big is her heart? Listen to some of the jobs she’s held since high school. After becoming a UConn nursing major, she has since worked at a nursing home, in hospice care, and at the Oncology Department at Backus Hospital. One listen to this interview and you’ll realize how lucky her patients have been.Becky also shared some very exciting news with the RWS trio: she has a daughter at NFA! You can imagine the guys’ reaction. Becky is clearly thrilled that her daughter is there, as you can hear in Becky’s voice the pride and appreciation she has for our alma mater, and she shouts out several memorable teachers. The highlight of the episode’s reminiscing was each member of the panel trying to remember their Spanish names, though honorable mention goes to smelling the dissected cats on the top floor of Tirrell. Finally, Ian tries to turn the episode into a hot take sports talk show, but our guest wisely defuses the situation.Her name is Becky Majewski, and she’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

In another Day One recording of “Red & White @ Silver,” we have one of our earliest guinea pigs, the brave Kevin Brunetti. How brave was he? Try joining the military one month after 9/11 brave. In this episode, we hear about his time in the Air Force working as a mechanic, including being stationed in Germany for some time. Joining the military at a young age also meant he just retired from the Air Force after 20 years, which made teachers Zack and Ian look at each other and do the math on still having 20 years ahead of them.In this wide-ranging interview, Kevin and the RWS trio lament the difficulties of staying in touch with old friends, wax poetic about the golden age of comic strips and cartoons (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, anyone?), and talk about a bunch of movies with film fanatic Kevin. Finally, Kevin remembers his time at NFA, with Mr. Merrill stories once again stealing the show. We also need to issue a correction: Nicholas Cage did not, in fact, win an Oscar for “Snake Eyes.” (A travesty, we know.) That mistake slipped by our guest, who seemed to know everything else about movies, books, and so much more.His name is Kevin Brunetti, and he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

In the beginning of April, 2001, Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese position player in Major League Baseball; a young Tiger Woods won his second Masters Tournament; and one of the Norwich Free Academy’s best students, the great Amy Rygielski, barreled toward her high school graduation. In this episode, after Zack insists on talking about Samuel Huntington School for nine consecutive minutes, we learn what happened next for Amy.And boy did things happen! It started with some Acorn Acres campground fun with the likes of Pierce Grogan and Brett Levanto. Then she went to URI; traveled to Australia, southeast Asia, and Europe; taught at NFA(!); and earned her PhD. It’s about time someone classes up the joint. Amy is now married with three kids, and she’s still at URI, now on the other side of the desk, teaching teachers and future principles. Listen as Amy, Ian, and Zack talk about how their perspectives on teaching have changed since becoming parents, and also how becoming teachers has shifted their perspective on parenting. Meanwhile, Jim makes a terrible assumption about what the Elephant Man was all about.Amy also has plenty of great memories about our alma mater, not least of which was a heroic effort AFTER graduation to get everyone a picture in the yearbook. We are all grateful to her. She is a brilliant, well-spoken guest in this must-listen interview. Her name is Amy Rygielski, now Amy Correia, and she’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

Toward the end of March in the year 2001, WCW lost to WWF in the wrestling companies’ famous Monday Night Wars. Watching it all happen was one of America’s biggest wrestling fans, the senior Wildcat Chris Larsen. You may have known him more for another sport, however: bowling! Listen to hear about some of his bowling achievements, not least of which was his family acquiring our hallowed Norwich Ten Pin bowling alley.Chris now owns his own business and is a father. In this episode, you’ll learn how missing a baseball thrown by his son probably saved his life. You’ll also get to hear Chris tackle some Wrestlemania trivia, fresh off his own trip to Wrestlemania XL. The episode closes with our guest remembering his time at the Norwich Free Academy. Do you know which teacher’s parking spot he regularly parked in? Listen to find out.His name is Chris Larsen, and he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

In the first few days of spring 2001, the space station Mir fell into Earth’s atmosphere, Apple released its Mac OS X operating system, and Krista Barcomb marched closer to her Norwich Free Academy graduation. What happened to her after she left the football field and began her new chapter?After bouncing between a couple academic institutions, it turns out she would one day enter into a field that the “Red & White @ Silver” cohosts called “the most interesting job” they’ve heard yet. What is that job? We’ll give you 50 guesses. Sorry, they were all wrong. She looks into money laundering! Suffice it to say, we had many questions (asking only for a friend, of course). Her interest in craft beer left the teetotaling Ian at a disadvantage for trivia, so he passed the responsibility to Zack, who rose to the occasion with aplomb. Krista closes with some NFA memories, at least until Zack wanted to start talking about beer again. Importantly, she gives Voluntown some overdue representation on the podcast; RWS has now had guests from Norwich, Sprague, Franklin, Preston, Lisbon, and Sterling, with Canterbury upcoming. Krista was a fascinating guest, giving us one of our best episodes. Don’t miss it.Her name is Krista Barcomb, and she’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

On St. Patrick’s Day 2001, Dublin had to delay its parade on account of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Luckily the Senior Wildcats of the Norwich Free Academy were safely an ocean away wearing not only green, but plenty of red and white. Among them was the great Dave (Wei Li) Fan.He now Zooms with us from San Francisco, California. How did a Norwich kid turned Boston University student end up out there? You’ll have to listen to find out. And then explain it to us, because biomedical engineering was involved so we don’t understand. Dave is now a fancy Mr. Manager at some fancy something-or-other. He oversees Gen Z employees, prompting a conversation about how we Millennials are basically the best generation. Now married with a son, Dave is a success by any metric. He thinks back to what about NFA set him on this trajectory, while Zack reflects on how he and Dave were proud “Alpha Males.” Ian also has some trivia about Lake Tahoe, which wasn’t easy because he sounds like he’s dying.It’s a wide-ranging RWS episode with yet another impressive Wildcat. His name is Dave Fan, and he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

In mid-March 25 years ago, the Norwich Free Academy’s class was just three months from its graduation. Among its five hundred students was the talented flutist Janelle Handy.In this episode, we learn how a flute-playing math major ended up in the most selfless of careers working for United Community & Family Services. Listen to learn how Janelle’s refreshingly blunt approach (or, in her words, acting as a “2 by 4”) has made her so valuable to her Connecticut clients. Janelle is now married with kids and living in Ledyard. “Red & White @ Silver” cohost Ian is also a Ledyard resident, which necessitated trivia about their new home town (although somehow listing Henry VIII’s wives make their way into an RWS episode for the second time in three weeks). Janelle’s episode closes with a reflection on her time at NFA, including her memories of being in the great NFA marching band and unforgettable classroom experiences courtesy of, who else, Mr. Rourke. Janelle also gives our podcast a 4.5-star rating, a personal best for RWS.Her name is Janelle Handy, now Janelle Turley, and she’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

The month of March 2001 began with “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” leading the box office and it ended with Chris Batten having just a single marking period left in his high school career. Now we hear what happened to Chris when there were no more periods left to mark.For example, we learned that Chris’s post-NFA journey was a unique one. After earning a degree, he began his career with the state’s Department of Corrections. It’s his side hustle, however, that really animates him: he became a world class knifemaker! (BirchCustoms.com) Both career and hobby make for interesting discussion topics in this fascinating episode.Ian’s trivia about knife-making was, like some knives, rough around the edges, but Chris took most questions as an opportunity to sharpen everyone’s knowledge. Chris closes with an insightful retrospective about what makes NFA so valuable, including a couple of Delta Unit teachers who made a big impact on him.His name is Chris Batten, and he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

Finishing off Lovebird February is Elizabeth Brown, but do you know which 2001er she’s lovebirds with? Listen to find out.You should also listen because Elizabeth proved to be one of RWS’s most articulate and insightful guests. In this episode, you’ll learn about her outdoorsy first summer after high school before joining Ian and Zack pursuing and then excelling in the field of public education. Elizabeth offers incredible insights into being a reading instructor, particularly in an era of evolving technology offering both opportunities and distractions, the latter of which, as you’ll hear, gets under Jim’s skin. Once you hear Elizabeth’s approach to teaching reading, you’ll wish she was in every school in America.Because she likes musicals, Elizabeth (and listeners) also has to steel herself against Ian’s unique trivia, where each of our co-hosts hums famous musical numbers to see if Elizabeth can guess where they came from. It wasn’t pretty. Finally, Elizabeth recounts her time at the Norwich Free Academy, including how a certain 10th grade English teacher saw something special in her, marking a turning point in her life as a student. Who could it be? Oh, and Ian asks about horses on highways.Her name is Elizabeth Brown, and she’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

In our 25th episode of looking back on 25 years, we have the gregarious Joe Ruffo. Listen to hear how his NFA work ethic carried him into his first post-diploma summer, where he balanced two jobs, a golf habit, and American Legion baseball. His go get ‘em attitude eventually led him to a successful career for a local business, rising to manager of a 13-million dollar store. We never get tired of hearing these Wildcat success stories.Joe is now married with kids. Since it’s still Wildcat Lovebird Month here at “Red & White @ Silver,” you’ll need to find out which fellow 2001er he married. Joe is also a massive Patriots fan. As such, he had to field some tough trivia questions about the table’s favorite team. (Little did they know their squad was just one year away from returning to the Super Bowl!) He also has plenty of fond memories about the Norwich Free Academy that he shares with us, including remembering some of our dearly departed classmates.His name is Joe Ruffo, and he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

It’s Valentine’s Day Week! And what better way to mark it than having as guests the NFA Class of 2001’s Class Couple! That’s right. They stayed together all these years later. What a story!In this episode, we learn how it all went down. Hear how they met, where they went after NFA, how Mike proposed, and where their family has ended up. Ian also uses this unique pair of guests to do a unique round of trivia–the first ever “Red & White @ Silver” Newlywed Game! Mike and Danielle also share their memories about the Norwich Free Academy. Although many teachers received a shoutout, perhaps the most memorable was some life advice from Mr. Merrill–advice that our guests fortunately ignored. The guests and hosts also put their heads together to piece together the words to the NFA Alma Mater. Do you remember all the lyrics to the first verse? It’s a fun episode from our delightful Class Couple.Their names are Danielle (Dunn) and Mike Lavallee, and they’re members of the NFA Class of 2001.

As we kick off the romantic month of February, “Red & White @ Silver” has lined up four episodes where our guest NFA Wildcat married another NFA Wildcat! That starts with the great Eric Beit. Do you know what alum he married? Because as you’ll hear, Ian clearly didn’t.What else has Eric been up to? In this episode, we learn he went into the family business, but even our brilliant and well-prepared classmate could not prevent market forces from ultimately shuttering the beloved Beit Brothers grocery store. The resilient Eric pivoted, largely thanks to his wise words (“never burn your bridges”), and you’ll learn the nimble Wildcat ended up just fine. Eric also needed to endure two categories of trivia, one a lightning round about famous brothers, the other about Eric’s favorite musical genre. He also heaps some heavy praise onto the Norwich Free Academy, and you can hear the pride in his voice when he describes being “part of something multigenerational.” The reminiscing reaches its height when he recalls a lengthy and detailed memory of Mr. Novakowski’s freshman biology class. Oh, and Ian rants against Samuel Huntington. Not the school. The guy.His name is Eric Beit, and he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

That’s 21 episodes down, 21 to go for “Red & White @ Silver.” To kick off the back half of RWS, we have a first: TWO guests! Join us to catch up with Amber Desrosier and Class Secretary Debby Allard, two BFFs who have been inseparable since meeting while freshmen at the Norwich Free Academy nearly 29 years ago.One listen to this episode and you’ll realize how two friends can walk separate paths yet remain together. Listen to hear where those paths took them. One left the state, one stayed close to home. One entered the field of marketing, the other education. One is proud of the other, while the other is even prouder. Even more delightful is what they have in common. Both have kids who call the other Auntie. Both have jobs that led to visits back to the beautiful NFA campus. And both dominated “Famous Duos” trivia.Oh, and there’s another first for the podcast: our first ever live Ad Read! We hope you’ll enjoy that and all the sidesplittingly funny memories our hilarious guests share with us about their time at our alma mater. Their names are Amber Desrosier Berg and Debby Allard, and they’re members of the NFA Class of 2001.

On January 20, 2001, George W. Bush was sworn in as America’s 43rd President. SPEAKING OF PRESIDENTS… this week’s guest needs no introduction. She was the President of the Norwich Free Academy’s Class of 2001: Morgan Miller!In this episode, we learn what her post-presidency was like. Did she write a memoir? No. But does she have a library dedicated to her? Also no. Still, that’s not to say she hasn’t had an impressive life. She shipped up to Syracuse for all sorts of education before returning to her home state, recently becoming a Director of Marketing. In that capacity she’s testified at the State Capitol, showing our great President still has political blood running through her red and white veins.Morgan also shares some of her hobbies, including hiking, an activity that once led to a chance hilltop encounter with a fellow 2001 grad who upon seeing her promptly kneeled and paid his respects with a “Madam President.” Listen to find out who this zany, mystery Wildcat was. Morgan also recalls her time at NFA, including teachers, coaches, and classes that left an impact. Finally, she withstands not one (hiking), not two (Election 2000), but three (NFA) rounds of trivia! (Sorry. It was our first day of recording and we were still finding our way.)Her name is Morgan Miller, and she’s the President of the NFA Class of 2001.

“What’s it like going to a school where your parents DIDN’T teach?” So begins Zack Lamothe’s recontextualization of the question he’d been asked a thousand times at the Norwich Free Academy. As listeners of this podcast know, our cohost’s parents were the universally beloved Mr. and Mrs. Lamothe, who taught math and English, respectively. (We hope Mrs. Lamothe approves of that sentence structure.) In this episode, we learn how this unusual circumstance affected Zack’s trajectory at the Norwich Free Academy.We also learn what happened to Zack after high school. Like his legendary parents, he too became an educator. He’s also published five books, which is five times more than Ian and infinitely more than Jim. Meanwhile, as the author of BackyardRoadTrips.com, Zack had to withstand Ian’s trivia about Zack’s own website. Then, catching the two of them off guard, Jim surprised both history teachers with a “history-off” – trivia questions about early(ish) American history. Which cohost won the best out of five?We’re sure you’ll agree Zack’s turn in the hot seat made for one of our best episodes. His name is Zack Lamothe, a host of Red & White @ Silver, and a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

On January 6, 2001, Congress dutifully certified George W. Bush as the winner of the 2000 presidential election, ending another of our country’s long, national nightmares. Sleeping peacefully, in contrast, was the future Reverend Adam Coletti, a senior at what he 25 years later would call “one of the best high schools in the country.”In this episode, Adam sits with Ian, Jim, and Zack to catch listeners up on his interesting life. He worked various jobs at the casino, in the process interacting with a slew of celebrities (some of which he name-drops here!) before landing a job working for the federal government and becoming a family man. We also learn of his experiences as a member and Vice President of a non-profit motorcycle club, the Renegade Pigs. (As a responsible leader he erects barriers between the club and informal applications from Red & White @ Silver’s hosts.) Adam also handles himself well under some tough motorcycle trivia questions before finally sharing his many positive feelings about Norwich Free Academy, in the process setting the record for most mentioned teachers. We also learn that Adam’s nephew is a 10th grader at NFA, prompting a debate between the panel: did you call them “sophomores” or “lowers”?His name is Adam Coletti, and he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

In the last couple days of the year 2000, as nerds debated whether we were about to finish the first year of the 21st century or the last year of the 20th, NFA Wildcat Aleeya Stewart prepared to turn the calendar into the back half of her senior year. That senior year ultimately launched Aleeya on a post-graduate academic career that earned her not one but TWO Masters degrees, effectively matching the education of all three “Red & White @ Silver” interviewers combined.In this episode, learn how Aleeya’s life took her from Norwich to Baltimore, which of course prompted Ian to ask our latest Zoomer some Maryland trivia. She also shouts out several NFA teachers that made an impact on her, including some from her and Jim’s freshman year Gamma House.Her name is Aleeya Stewart, and she’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

Twenty-five years ago today, the Class of 2001 began its final holiday break as students of the Norwich Free Academy. Among them was the affable Andrea Pedersen, a student who brought holiday cheer to all corners of the campus no matter the time of year. We were lucky to be classmates with Andrea, too; just to attend the best high school in the state, she traversed presumably hundreds of miles of rough terrain to and from Sterling, CT.But the travel didn’t stop with a diploma. In this episode, we learn that after graduation Andrea became quite the globe-trotter and even lived in South Korea for two years! She now joins Red & White @ Silver in a Zoom call from the American west coast to catch us up on the last 25 years of her life. She then recalls NFA memories, including sharing an art class with the subject of our previous episode, Andrew Burnett, though she does have a caveat about his award-winning pottery. Ian, Jim, and Zack dig deep into the controversy, in the process either creating a rivalry or a potential romantic match. We also get to hear from Andrea’s two birds, Icy and Hideaway, for the first 10 minutes of the episode, much to the guys’ delight.Her name is Andrea Pedersen, now Andrea Low, and she’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

It may come as a surprise to loyal “Red & White @ Silver” listeners, but we were not always the well-oiled machine you’ve come to know, love, and cherish. We made the decision to publish our episodes out of order, and so far you’ve heard only our organized and refined episodes. (Admittedly, we may be stretching those adjectives’ definitions.) What you’re about to hear, however, is our very first recorded episode – Production Code 001, if you will. Please bear with the malformed episode as Ian, Jim, and Zack find their way.Luckily, our guinea pig was among RWS’s most thoughtful and articulate guests, Andrew Burnett. Three years ago(!), he sat down to talk about his high school memories, his personal demons after high school, and then his rally to becoming the world’s greatest uncle and the proud owner of Drew’s Honeybees (www.drewshoneybees.com). With a bee expert at the table, Ian couldn’t help but generate some trivia questions on the birds and the bees – family appropriate, of course. Finally, if you’ve ever wondered what that world’s worst Winnie the Pooh impression sounds like, Zack is very happy to satiate your curiosity.His name is Andrew Burnett, and he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

On December 9, 2000, the Supreme Court told Florida to stop its recount of the Gore v. Bush election, but nothing could stop Yajaira Baez from continuing her senior year at the Norwich Free Academy. Nor could anything stop her after graduation!In this episode, the guys learn about Yajaira’s fascinating life bouncing between casinos dealing Black Jack, ultimately landing in Philadelphia and rising to… wait for it… pit boss! After coolly mastering the casino world, Yajaira then made a career switch to Merck Pharmaceuticals, quickly earning promotions in yet another Wildcat success story. It’s an inspiring episode. The RWS team asks for the listener’s understanding with our second Zoom episode’s periodic audio issues, most notably hearing Ian’s every unmuted breath as if you lived in his mouth. It’ll be worth it just to hear Yajaira wow you with her knowledge of 90s hip hop trivia.Her name is Yajaira Baez, and she’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

In a first and last for Red and White @ Silver, Ian, Jim, and Zack welcome an elected representative, four-term State Representative Brian Lanoue! Many of our classmates can attest that Brian has been a political junkie dating back to high school. In fact, in mid-November during our senior year, Brian Lanoue and fellow politico Ian sat in Ms. Binder’s Intro to Politics class, still waiting for the decision on who the next President of the United States would be. Twenty-five years later, these two students recount watching that strange election night with their class in the NFA Library. Jim and Zack also pull a fair amount of interesting stories from the agreeable Representative, including how he set a weightlifting world record. Finally, much to no one’s delight but his own, Ian devised the most diabolical trivia yet, forcing Brian to combine knowledge of weightlifting and presidential politics for each question; Brian’s performance should make proud the entire Connecticut legislature.His name is Representative Brian Lanoue, and he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

On November 25, 2000, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” kicked off the holiday season atop the box office; the Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in the Bush v. Gore case in the STILL GOING election dispute; and Scott Sinay just kept swimming through his senior year at the Norwich Free Academy. And what a swimmer he was!But he was much more than a four-year swimmer for NFA. In this episode, we learn that his interests stretch miles. We also learn how a major car accident shortly after graduation redirected his focus and passions. He now finds himself in Pennsylvania, a practitioner of yoga, and a frequenter of pub trivia. But how does he do in Ian’s trivia about pubs? You’re about to find out in Red and White @ Silver’s first Zoom episode. His name is Scott Sinay, and he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

In mid-November 25 years ago, we still didn’t know who the next President was going to be, but we DID know Ali Wininger continued to brighten up the NFA Campus during her senior year. In this episode, we learn where she took her sunshine after graduation. Listen to find out how this Wildcat graduated early from college, her experiences as a counselor, and her important messages about mental health. The panel also breaks down the universal parenting paradox: that we always feel too busy and yet know someday we will miss it. The listener may also be interested in Ali’s side hustle, whelping Great Danes and French Bulldogs (www.highrhodekennels.com), which prompted Ian’s attempt at Great Danes trivia. Her name is Ali Wininger, now Ali Corey, and she’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

Welcome to Red and White @ Silver’s “very special episode.” This week’s guest is co-host Jim Wheeler’s twin brother: Dave Wheeler! And ladies, wait until you get to know Connecticut’s most eligible bachelor. He’s a fit volleyball player, a fireman, a public servant, a savior of tree-topping cats, and if you show him a leaf he can tell you a story about it. His appearance on the podcast made Jim proud, and it made Zack and Ian swoon. Tune in to find out where life took him after NFA, what he remembers about his experiences at our alma mater, and how he does in tree trivia. His name is Dave Wheeler, and he’s not only Jim’s brother, he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

In the first week of November 2000, Americans went to the polls to decide between Bush and Gore, and we’re still not sure what they said; astronomers discovered four new moons around Saturn, which was much more preferable than discovering four new Saturns around the Moon; and Jim Wheeler began the second quarter of his final year at the Norwich Free Academy. And now, after much demand from our guests and listeners, you finally get to hear what one of Red and White at Silver’s co-hosts have been up to!Tune in to find out how exactly Jim created “Norwich’s first drive-in movie theater.” Listen as Jim recounts a woman spamming a panic button at the mere sight of him. And what apology does Jim make to the entire NFA Class of 2001? All of that and more as we finally interview one of the RWS trio. His name is Jim Wheeler, and he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

As the month of October wound down in the year 2000, the Yankees finished off the Mets in the World Series; the International Space Station received its first residential crew; Christina Aguilera invited us to “Come On Over, Baby”; and Kelsey Iovino wrapped up the first quarter of her senior year at the Norwich Free Academy.Seemingly ingrained in every aspect of NFA culture, it was perhaps inevitable that Kelsey would one day return to the school for her career. When did she return? What job does she hold there? Are the rumors true: did she REALLY get married on campus? She sat down with Ian, Jim, and Zack to answer these questions and more. Considering her deep ties to the school, Kelsey also endured being subjected to NFA trivia. Her name is Kelsey Iovino, now Kelsey Klaeson, and she’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

As early October evolved into late October back in the year 2000, Al Gore and George W. Bush engaged in a series of presidential debates, much to the benefit of Saturday Night Live’s Darrell Hammond and Will Ferrell; the Yankees and Mets engaged in their “Subway” World Series, complete with Roger Clemens throwing a broken bat at Mike Piazza for reasons beyond understanding; and Andrea Chappelle continued her all star career as a Norwich Free Academy Wildcat.Listen to find out what her parents did to ensure she attended the best high school in Connecticut. And do you remember in what track and field event she broke the state record? Finally, learn what job she took at NFA years after graduation and everything else she’s been up to, including personifying yet another NFA success story, now running Niantic’s successful Lux Pilates Studio. (luxepilatesct.com) Her name is Andrea Chappelle-Pinnock, and she’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

Twenty-five years ago, the movie “Meet the Parents” owned the top spot at the box office thanks to a performance of the up-and-coming actor Robert DeNiro; NASA launched the 100th mission of the space shuttle program, one of many awesome things we don’t do anymore; and Andy Koniecko continued being one of the coolest seniors at the Norwich Free Academy.Do our fellow Wildcats remember what Senior Superlative he won? How about what Shakespearean play he re-wrote for Mr. Sullivan’s class? Or what fellow NFA grad he married? And guess how many post-graduation hours it took until Andy ended up in a police cruiser? (Hint: it was less than 24.) Tune in to hear Ian, Jim, and Zack get answers to these questions and so much more. His name is Andy Koniecko, and he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

In the first week of October 25 years ago, the Sydney Olympics closed, marking the last time Americans thought about Australia; a revolution finally overthrew Yugoslavia’s Slobodan Milošević after years of him being just the worst; and Laurie Pasteryak kicked off the second month of her senior year at the Norwich Free Academy. In this episode, we learn how a lifetime of saying “Yes” to every adventure and job offer led to Laurie’s diverse experiences, including traveling to the remotest destination of any of our guests. We also hear how Laurie became enamored by local history, which included involvement with NFA’s hallowed Slater Museum. Listen to find out what our museum expert thinks is “the best museum in the country,” how she does in Indiana Jones trivia, and which NFA coach once yelled at his players, “Pain is weakness leaving the body!” And if you listen very carefully, you can hear Ian wince when Laurie launches a full assault against Dead White Guy History. Her name is Laurie Pasteryak, and she’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

As September 2000 came to a close, the 3 Doors Down hit “Kryptonite” bumped out Destiny Child’s “Jumpin’ Jumpin’” from the top of the American Top 40, effectively ending Beyoncé’s career; a plucky but doomed search engine called Google celebrated its second birthday; and Nikki Pensis wrapped up the first month of her final year at the Norwich Free Academy. In this episode, the guys learn which fellow NFA grad Nikki ended up marrying, what advice she has for high school graduates who aren’t sure about what to do next, and what sandwich she co-invented in the NFA Cafeteria. We also hear Zack technically sing a song by Des’ree, Ian struggle to pronounce “brewery” more than a few times, and Jim watch all of this in horror. All that and more on this excellent episode of Red & White @ Silver. Her name is Nicole Pensis, now Nicole Reynolds, and she’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

Twenty-five years ago this week, the cheerleading movie “Bring It On” climbed into the box office top spot before impossibly spawning six sequels; Team USA’s Vince Carter dunked over a 7’ 2” Frenchman at the 2000 Olympics in a soaring achievement the withering French press dubbed “Le Dunk de la Mort”; and the gregarious Josh Saari bounced around the Norwich Free Academy early in his senior year. In this episode, Ian, Jim, and Zack learn that somewhere else on campus was Josh’s future wife… so who was it? We also hear about Josh’s career in the food industry, including what it was like to feed students on a college campus during the height of the Covid pandemic. Hint: it wasn’t fun. Ian also subjects Josh to heartbreaking trivia about his beloved but snakebitten Boston Red Sox and Buffalo Bills. His name is Josh Saari, and he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

In mid-September, 25 years ago, the Sydney Olympics heated up; Madonna returned to the top of the charts with her vaguely titled album “Music”; and Kimberly Lee… was NOT at NFA yet! Tune in to find out what school she DID attend for her freshman year, and why for her sophomore year she transferred to the best school in the state. Full disclosure: for an all-too-brief few months, Kim and Ian were 8th grade boyfriend-girlfriend, a relationship Jim and Zack gleefully (and relentlessly) bring up throughout the episode. Fortunately for Kim, she moved on to greener pastures, including a husband, twin stepsons, and her daughter, Sophie. You may bump into her as the manager of a local Stop & Shop, yet another example of the Norwich Free Academy setting up a graduate for success. Her name is Kimberly Lee, now Kimberly Lee Medberry, and she’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

In September’s second week 25 years ago, Venus Williams won her first US Open, forever retaining bragging rights over her little sister; the musical “Cats” lapped up its last milk saucer; and Craig Demars continued his senior year at the Norwich Free Academy. The following June, diploma in hand, he left the school’s beautiful campus and ventured out into what became a beautiful life, one in which he got married, had kids, and joined the noblest of professions. In this episode, Craig joins Ian, Jim, and Zack to fill in the details of where life took him. He also fondly recalls his NFA experience, including telling us which teacher, when Craig was home sick from school, went above and beyond to deliver assignments to his house. Our guest also made sure to keep alive the memory of the genial Jamie Shaughnessy. His name is Craig Demars, and he’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

Twenty-five years ago, in the first week of September back in the year 2000, the Nokia 3310 mobile phone was released (and no phone has since bested it); Texas Governor George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore found themselves in a tight race for the presidency two months before Election Day swiftly resolved it; and most importantly a young woman named Emily Gauvin began her senior year at the Norwich Free Academy. Just over nine months later she earned her diploma, exited campus, and entered what adults insisted was “the real world.” But what happened to Emily after that? Where did she go to school? Who did she marry? She has HOW MANY kids?! And wait until you hear about her selfless endeavors. Like so many of our fellow graduates, Emily turned into an impressive person, one whose memory is still sharp enough to reminisce about her high school experience as we approach our silver anniversary. Her name is Emily Gauvin, now Emily Gauvin Shrader, and she’s a member of the NFA Class of 2001.

'Til the seas become abated...sing it with us! Join us each week as Ian Cheney, Zack Lamothe, and Jim Wheeler catch up with fellow members of the Class of 2001 during their 25th Reunion year.