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.