Life before Mar. 11 (that date when events in large scale were postponed suddenly across the nation and when we learned the pandemic was not going to be something that would go away before summer) and life after Mar. 11.
Before Mar. 11, events, activities, get-togethers, sports games, dinners, and reunions were humming along from season to season. After Mar. 11, what was normal and what had been taken for granted ceased abruptly.
Because they had discovered (or rediscovered or became better acquainted with) Zoom, Yale alumni groups, including YWAA, still found ways to resume some Yale activities--without assembling on campus in Commons or on Old Campus, without meeting at Yale Clubs (of New York), without gathering in person at local hotel ballrooms or garden clubs.
In abbreviated form, YWAA continued some activities after Mar. 11. The year in review is covered below.
Redhot and Blue in February
Yale's oldest co-ed a cappella group Redhot & Blue performed in concert in nearby Greenwich Feb. 22. The Yale group was joined by Greenwich's Off Sounders at the Christ Church.
Redhot and Blue, which turned 43 in 2020, has sung in the Westchester-Greenwich area regularly in recent years. The group was featured in concerts in Rye in Dec., 2015, Feb., 2017, Mar., 2018, and in Oct., 2018, at the Osborne Auditorium and at the invitation of late YWAA director Bill Nightingale '53.
Yale Harvard hockey at Madison Square Garden
It wasn't supposed to pan out the way it did. This was supposed to be the third renewal of The Game on Ice at Madison Square Garden, having been titled "Rivalry on Ice" by non-Ivy League organizers. After Yale won the first two Rivalry games at MSG in front of excited, large crowds in 2014 and 2015, the Midtown Manhattan, right-after-the-holidays showdown went on hiatus for various reasons.
Organizers decided to try it again in 2020. Bring the euphoria of the The Football Game to men's ice hockey. Over 10,000 Yale and Harvard fans (mostly Yale) filled just about all of the lower bowl of the Garden and prepared for a fierce confrontation. Both schools brought their bands and their raucous cheers and laced the Garden in crimson and blue and the requisite "Y" or "H" banners and sweaters.
Munguia has also been involved in Yale alumni activities for many years. Currently a YWAA board member and vice president, she has led many projects and events involving Yale, Yale alumni and Yale students. In recent years, she has organized Yale music events in the area, including inviting a cappella singing groups from Yale to perform in Westchester.
Feb Club Emeritus, 2020
Tyler Miles '20, YWAA summer intern
As part of an annual sponsorship by YWAA, Tyler Miles '20 completed an internship this past summer shortly after his graduation from Yale. Each summer YWAA funds a designated Yale student who performs an internship in community service.
A native of Wilmington, Del., and a member of Yale's Saybrook College, Miles worked this past summer as an intern at the Bronx Defenders MOIA ("Mentorship, Organizing, Investigation and Advocacy"). The organization is an advocacy group involved in public defense work.
Before Mar. 11, events, activities, get-togethers, sports games, dinners, and reunions were humming along from season to season. After Mar. 11, what was normal and what had been taken for granted ceased abruptly.
Because they had discovered (or rediscovered or became better acquainted with) Zoom, Yale alumni groups, including YWAA, still found ways to resume some Yale activities--without assembling on campus in Commons or on Old Campus, without meeting at Yale Clubs (of New York), without gathering in person at local hotel ballrooms or garden clubs.
In abbreviated form, YWAA continued some activities after Mar. 11. The year in review is covered below.
Redhot and Blue in February
Yale's oldest co-ed a cappella group Redhot & Blue performed in concert in nearby Greenwich Feb. 22. The Yale group was joined by Greenwich's Off Sounders at the Christ Church.
Redhot and Blue, which turned 43 in 2020, has sung in the Westchester-Greenwich area regularly in recent years. The group was featured in concerts in Rye in Dec., 2015, Feb., 2017, Mar., 2018, and in Oct., 2018, at the Osborne Auditorium and at the invitation of late YWAA director Bill Nightingale '53.
It wasn't supposed to pan out the way it did. This was supposed to be the third renewal of The Game on Ice at Madison Square Garden, having been titled "Rivalry on Ice" by non-Ivy League organizers. After Yale won the first two Rivalry games at MSG in front of excited, large crowds in 2014 and 2015, the Midtown Manhattan, right-after-the-holidays showdown went on hiatus for various reasons.
Organizers decided to try it again in 2020. Bring the euphoria of the The Football Game to men's ice hockey. Over 10,000 Yale and Harvard fans (mostly Yale) filled just about all of the lower bowl of the Garden and prepared for a fierce confrontation. Both schools brought their bands and their raucous cheers and laced the Garden in crimson and blue and the requisite "Y" or "H" banners and sweaters.
The Crimson scored a first goal. And then a second, a third, a fourth...The Bulldogs, coached by Keith Allain '80 (who presided over Yale's NCAA championship in the past decade), were shell-shocked. To their credit, most Yale fans stayed until the end, just hoping their team would plant one puck in the goal to avoid a shutout. Final score, Harvard 7, Yale 0. A Game to forget.
BK Munguia honored in Scarsdale
For their many years of service to the Scarsdale and Westchester communities, the Scarsdale Scarsdale Foundation announced in January it would honor YWAA board director B.K. Munguia '75 and her husband former Scarsdale mayor Jon Mark with the Scarsdale Bowl. They were joint recipients. The Foundation has given out the Bowl annually since 1943.
The award is given to a Scarsdale resident, who, according to the Foundation, "has given unselfishly of time, energy and effort to the civic welfare of the community."
Munguia was honored for decades of service in Westchester, including her volunteer work at Scarsdale Heathcote School, the Scarsdale School Board, the Girl Scouts, and the Scarsdale Teen Center (where she served as president until its recent closing). She also chaired the Scarsdale Citizens Non-Partisan Campaign Committee.
BK Munguia honored in Scarsdale
For their many years of service to the Scarsdale and Westchester communities, the Scarsdale Scarsdale Foundation announced in January it would honor YWAA board director B.K. Munguia '75 and her husband former Scarsdale mayor Jon Mark with the Scarsdale Bowl. They were joint recipients. The Foundation has given out the Bowl annually since 1943.
The award is given to a Scarsdale resident, who, according to the Foundation, "has given unselfishly of time, energy and effort to the civic welfare of the community."
Munguia was honored for decades of service in Westchester, including her volunteer work at Scarsdale Heathcote School, the Scarsdale School Board, the Girl Scouts, and the Scarsdale Teen Center (where she served as president until its recent closing). She also chaired the Scarsdale Citizens Non-Partisan Campaign Committee.
Mark served two terms as a Village Trustee and as mayor of Scarsdale. He has had leadership roles at the Scarsdale Citizens Nominating Committee, the Scarsdale Forum and the Non-Partisan Campaign Committee.
Munguia has also been involved in Yale alumni activities for many years. Currently a YWAA board member and vice president, she has led many projects and events involving Yale, Yale alumni and Yale students. In recent years, she has organized Yale music events in the area, including inviting a cappella singing groups from Yale to perform in Westchester.
Feb Club Emeritus, 2020
Over the years, informal Feb Club gatherings at pubs, bars and local clubs around the world have become a favorite event for Yale alumni--including those in Westchester. Westchester alumni hosted two Feb Club events in 2020. They were, believe it or not, real, live, in-person events before the pandemic engulfed us.
There was a Feb Club happy hour event for area alums in Irvington, N.Y. on Feb. 26 at La Chinita Poblana restaurant. Jen Kasoff '95 of Irvington and Krista Madsen '95 of Sleepy Hollow co-hosted.
Feb Club Emeritus went to Pleasantville at the Westchester Table Tennis Center Feb. 21. Susan Kaminsky '86 hosted.
There was a Feb Club happy hour event for area alums in Irvington, N.Y. on Feb. 26 at La Chinita Poblana restaurant. Jen Kasoff '95 of Irvington and Krista Madsen '95 of Sleepy Hollow co-hosted.
Feb Club Emeritus went to Pleasantville at the Westchester Table Tennis Center Feb. 21. Susan Kaminsky '86 hosted.
Feb Club in 2021? Expect another year of globally scattered, lively Yale alumni gatherings--but likely online.
YWAA Book Awards
Yale Westchester continued its tradition of celebrating outstanding high school students in the county by presenting its annual Book Awards this spring. YWAA board members awarded to students from dozens of area high schools.
Each participating high school selected a junior deserving of the award. The broad criteria include excellence in academics, contributions in the community and outstanding participation in extracurricular activities. Students who receive the award do not have to express interest in applying to or attending Yale, but many choose to do so.
In 2020, each student received either the Yale Book of Quotations (Fred Shapiro, editor), Mapping the Heavens (Yale professor Privamvada Natarajan, author), or A Better Planet (Yale professor Daniel Esty, editor).
Tim Mattison '73, YWAA president, and Peter Santhanam '85 Ph.D., YWAA board member, organized the program in 2020. Other YWAA board members coordinated with participating schools.
James Nicholas '19 seeks to go pro
In his bid to launch a professional golf career, Scarsdale native James Nicholas '19 in early June qualified for a Korn Ferry tour event. The event permits golfers like Nicholas to qualify over time for the PGA Tour. During a period of quarantine this spring, Nicholas spent his time in Florida preparing for the Korn Ferry events and practicing in Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.
The Korn Ferry Tour identifies and develops young golfers to prepare them for the PGA Tour. About 75% of current PGA professionals graduated from the tour, established in 1990. The top 25 finishers in the Korn Ferry Tour each year qualify to play at the PGA level the following year.
Nicholas is best known in Westchester athletics circles has having been the area's top high school golfer while attending Scarsdale High School. At Yale, he started out in football and golf, but eventually settled on a storied four-year golf career in New Haven. He accumulated bundles of titles, trophies and honors. He earned Ivy League player-of-the-year honors in his junior and senior season and competed for NCAA titles.
YWAA Book Awards
Yale Westchester continued its tradition of celebrating outstanding high school students in the county by presenting its annual Book Awards this spring. YWAA board members awarded to students from dozens of area high schools.
Each participating high school selected a junior deserving of the award. The broad criteria include excellence in academics, contributions in the community and outstanding participation in extracurricular activities. Students who receive the award do not have to express interest in applying to or attending Yale, but many choose to do so.
In 2020, each student received either the Yale Book of Quotations (Fred Shapiro, editor), Mapping the Heavens (Yale professor Privamvada Natarajan, author), or A Better Planet (Yale professor Daniel Esty, editor).
Tim Mattison '73, YWAA president, and Peter Santhanam '85 Ph.D., YWAA board member, organized the program in 2020. Other YWAA board members coordinated with participating schools.
James Nicholas '19 seeks to go pro
In his bid to launch a professional golf career, Scarsdale native James Nicholas '19 in early June qualified for a Korn Ferry tour event. The event permits golfers like Nicholas to qualify over time for the PGA Tour. During a period of quarantine this spring, Nicholas spent his time in Florida preparing for the Korn Ferry events and practicing in Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.
The Korn Ferry Tour identifies and develops young golfers to prepare them for the PGA Tour. About 75% of current PGA professionals graduated from the tour, established in 1990. The top 25 finishers in the Korn Ferry Tour each year qualify to play at the PGA level the following year.
Nicholas is best known in Westchester athletics circles has having been the area's top high school golfer while attending Scarsdale High School. At Yale, he started out in football and golf, but eventually settled on a storied four-year golf career in New Haven. He accumulated bundles of titles, trophies and honors. He earned Ivy League player-of-the-year honors in his junior and senior season and competed for NCAA titles.
Tyler Miles '20, YWAA summer intern
As part of an annual sponsorship by YWAA, Tyler Miles '20 completed an internship this past summer shortly after his graduation from Yale. Each summer YWAA funds a designated Yale student who performs an internship in community service.
A native of Wilmington, Del., and a member of Yale's Saybrook College, Miles worked this past summer as an intern at the Bronx Defenders MOIA ("Mentorship, Organizing, Investigation and Advocacy"). The organization is an advocacy group involved in public defense work.
During the summer, Miles worked on projects in community organizing and in LGBTQ+ defense. He also contributed research for a national LGBTQ+ conference on rights of trans and gender non-confirming prisoners (Lavender Law). Some project activity involved preparing "Know Your Rights" and training materials.
YWAA Years in Review
Click the year to review summary highlights of events, performances, and activities sponsored by YWAA in the past.
Tracy Williams
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