Derryfield Today, Winter 2005 by The Derryfield School

today

Derryfield

NEWS FROM THE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL

WINTER 2005

Teaching Politics We Made It: Now What? Budget Boutique

Beauty and the Beast see details on page 6

contents Table of

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dianne Connolly Chair Windham, NH

DERRYFIELD TODAY

John Allard ’83 Manchester, NH

Annie Branch Editor

Bradley Benson ’78 Derry, NH

Griffin Bodi Krause Design

James Cahill Concord, NH

Puritan Press Printing

Steven Burke Treasurer, Corporate Secretary Bedford, NH

Jim Davis New Boston, NH

CONTRIBUTORS

Pamela VanArsdale Secretary Bedford, NH

William Davis II Hopkinton, NH

Bruce Berk History Department

Nigel Donovan Bedford, NH

John Bouton Chair, English Department

Dr. Louis Fink Bedford, NH

Dudley Cotton History Faculty

Teaching Politics

Terry Flahive Bedford, NH

Danielle de Pazzis Foreign Language Faculty

by Bruce Berk

Joseph Horton Manchester, NH

Randy Richardson Head of School

Budget Boutique

Maria Holland Law ’75 Bedford, NH

Chuck Sanborn Retired Faculty

Paul LeBlanc Manchester, NH

Naomi Turner VanderWolk ’74 & Jeff VanderWolk ’74

Donna K. Lencki Candia, NH

Ariana Hodes ’04, Maura Speigleman ’04, Eric Speirer ’06, Marty Topol ’06, Victoria Starr ’05, Isaac Wheeler ’06

Arthur Coviello Vice Chair Hollis, NH

WINTER 2005

features FEATURES

We Made It: Now What?

by Chuck Sanborn

Randle Richardson Head of School Concord, NH

Democracy’s Cornerstone

by John Bouton

20 28

by Naomi Turner VanderWolk ’74

David Lockwood Manchester, NH Lourdes Maldonado Hooksett, NH Eric Nickerson Windham, NH Jeffrey Pollock Manchester, NH Chris Cikacz ex officio Chester, NH

ADVANCEMENT

2005 Distinguished Alumnus

departments DEPARTMENTS

Message from the Head

Gail Gordon Advancement Assistant

Around Campus

Alice Handwerk Director of Advancement

Celebrating 40 Years

Tracey Perkins Director of Alumni Relations

Cougar Athletics

Jen Pierce Director of Annual Fund

Summerbridge Spotlight

Derryfield Today is published by the Advancement Office at The Derryfield School. If you note errors, please notify us at 603.669.4524 ext. 123 or send an email to abranch@derryfield.org. Correspondence may be addressed to: Director of Communications, The Derryfield School, 2108 River Road, Manchester, NH 03104-1396. The Derryfield School welcomes students of any race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin. The School does not discriminate in its hiring, admission policies, or programs on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, or disabilities.

Rich Sigel ’81

Annie Branch Director of Communications

FRONT COVER: Governor John Lynch speaking at the 40th Anniversary Forum in February. INSIDE FRONT COVER: Tyree Robinson ’06 and Jacob Keefe ’06 in a scene from Beauty and the Beast. BACKGROUND: Snowboards racked up, ready for practice. TOP: The entire school assembled for a dodgeball tournament during Winter Carnival.

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& Jeff VanderWolk ’74

Update on Alumni Life After Derryfield Alumni Profile

2 4 12 16 18 24 28 33

head

Message from the

Creating Positive Citizens hen Governor Lynch came to speak at Derryfield as part of the 40th Anniversary Forum Series, he helped spark a valuable discussion about the role of education within a democracy. He quoted Thomas Jefferson, who felt very strongly about the interdependence between a good education and a successful democracy. As Jefferson said, “I know of no safe repository of the ultimate power of society but the people. And if we think them not enlightened enough, the remedy is not to take power from them, but to inform them by education.” While it would be comforting to simply quote one of our founding fathers and forge ahead with this broad educational mandate, it is not so simple.

“...it is not the existence, but the nature of our school and of the students themselves that enables us to help them become active and positive citizens.” Shep Melnick, who is the Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. Professor of American Politics at Boston College and was part of a panel that followed Governor Lynch’s comments, thankfully made sure that we would not rest on our laurels. He pointed out that, despite greater levels of educational attainment in the United States in the last few decades, political participa‑ tion is actually down. More education is not translating into the people necessarily taking advantage of their educational and political power. Professor Melnick challenged all of us in the audience to think about why.

There are many answers, but I have thought a great deal about the importance of creating and maintaining a true intellectual community based on a quest for truth. The edu‑ cation of our citizens does not guarantee a thriving democ‑ racy. The danger of assuming that education is good in and of itself is illustrated by the fact that the following statement was written by Bernhard Rust as Nazi Minister of Education: “Teachers are directed to instruct their pupils... and to awaken in them a sense of their responsibility toward the community of the nation.” Politics and education have frequently been used to control rather than enlighten. Modern educational critic, John Taylor Gatto, argues in one of his more provocative statements that, “The truth is that schools don’t really teach anything except how to obey orders.” While this is clearly an overstatement, it highlights the fact that it is not the existence, but the nature of our school and of the students themselves that enables us to help them become active and positive citizens. The Derryfield School is blessed with teachers, students, and families that understand the importance of true intellec‑ tual debate and engagement. It is reasonable and necessary for our students to actively question the value of political involvement, but most importantly they are still asking questions and, in fact, often challenging the answers. By embracing this kind of true intellectual discourse, Derryfield is helping our students to become constructively critical and active citizens.

Randy Richardson Head of School

Derryfield Today – Winter 2005

APRIL – JULY

events VIEWS OF DERRYFIELD For more photos, visit our online gallery in the ‘What’s Happening’ section of www.derryfield.org.

calendar APRIL Admission US Ice Cream Social

Senior Dinner

Admission MS Ice Cream Social

Classical All-State Music Festival

7-9

Parents’ Association Auction

Founders’ Day

Middle School Dance

Summerbridge Saturday

Admission MS Pizza Party

MAY Prom

Middle School Musical

13-14

Classic Tennis Tournament

Spring Concert

Gallery Opening

Summerbridge Saturday

Awards Day

JUNE All-School Assembly and Picnic

Middle School Send-Off

Commencement

Summerbridge Faculty Training Begins

CELEBRATE

2005 commencement Clockwise from top right: Nick Nardini ’05 and Jenna Bee ’05 in a scene from Beauty and the Beast. n Ellie Freedman and David Ruedig speaking on the panel at the 40th Forum. n Tyree Robinson ’06 performing in the Moose Review. n Julia Maldonado ’08, Weslee Aristor ’10, Mallory Rinker ’08, and Kerlyne Desire ’08 dancing during Winter Carnival week. n Kendra Decelle ’05 getting two points closer to the 1,000 point mark. n Jennifer Cox ’06 distributing stuffing for the Thanksgiving Baskets.

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Join us as we honor to The Derryfield School Class of 2005. Commencement exercises will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 11, 2005 in the Performing Arts Auditorium.

campus

Around

STORIES

Tracks and Scat

Winter Carnival

“Wonders can be found within the clues left behind from the tracks of the snowshoe hare being chased by a lynx. If you are lucky enough, you may discover what hap‑ pened. For the next several weeks, you are going to uncover these little mysteries in your own backyard.” Students in the sev‑ enth grade Diversity of Life class were thus introduced to the challenges of their winter field study project. They took advantage of an extremely snowy season, conducting weekly field research and gathering data on signs of wildlife, including identifying the tracks of seven different species and collecting ten animal signs (scat, browse, bones, etc.). The classes, taught by Mr. Hettler and Mrs. Robichaud, took a field trip to Bear Brook State Park on January 22nd and spent the whole day gathering data for their project, which included a field journal and presentation of the mys‑ teries they discovered in their backyards.

Tracks and Scat Coaching Hall of Fame A ‘Special’ Season

Beauty and the Beast

Members of the Pink Daddies working on their t-shirts.

Community Service Update

Winter Carnival

Artists Honored

School President Alexa Warburton and senior class officers Carolyn Goodwin and Victoria Starr added an extra competitive twist to the annual Winter Carnival festivi‑ ties this February. The traditional Maroon and White teams were divided up into eight teams, each with their own name, mascot, and t‑shirt color. These teams, cre‑ atively named Arctic Bullwinkles, Mark’s Sharks, Pink Daddies, Red Tomatoes with Antlers, Albino Blueberries, Twinkies, White Chocolate Moose, and Moose Hunters, competed against each other in a lively dodgeball tournament, a t‑shirt design contest, and a silver and gold change drive to raise money for Tsunami Relief. Everyone dressed up according to the theme of the day, students showcased their talent in the Moose Review on Wednesday, and Maroon came through with a surprise victory on Friday, its second victory in the nine years of Maroon and White Games. The competition continues!

Model United Nations

The Meeting SMASHing Results Heating Things Up State Geography Bee Website Honored MS Design Project Golf Tournament Romania-Bound DID YOU KNOW? n

Kate Starns has done the 9-mile Grand Portage in Minnesota twice.

Nancy Cataño took Flamenco dance lessons for six weeks in Salamanca, Spain.

Jim Speigel wrote a novel, Bluegreen, based on his experience working and swimming with two dolphins on the Cape.

James Donovan ’10 makes his own tracks as he investigates winter ecology.

Derryfield Today – Winter 2005

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Ed Lemire, Coach of the Year and Hall of Famer.

Coaching Hall of Fame Four Derryfield Coaches who have coached New Hampshire high school athletes for a minimum of 25 years were inducted into the New Hamp‑ shire Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame on March 20th. In addition, sev‑ eral other coaches were recognized for 10, 15, 20 and 30 years of coaching. Dick Anthony, Dudley Cotton, David Haight, and Ed Lemire joined Dennis Holland, the only other Derryfield coach already inducted into the Hall of Fame. Also honored were: Michelle Coombes, Kathy Hill, Andy Moerlein, Chuck Sanborn, and Jack Sanford for 10 years of service; Rob Bradley, Bob Cole, and Terri Moyer for 15 years; Bruce Berk for 20 years; and Dick Anthony and David Haight for 30 years. This remarkable group of veteran coaches has amassed amongst them‑ selves a total of 225 years of coaching.

A ‘Special’ Season After David Haight’s retirement broke up a 20‑year coaching team that included six appearances in the state finals, some might have worried about the future of Derryfield girls’ varsity

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basketball. Not this team, and certainly not Head Coach Ed Lemire. The 2005 Class S Coach of the Year teamed with Assistant Coach Michelle Coombes, and both were confident that they had a winning team on their hands. Accord‑ ing to Lemire, “This year’s team was a nice mixture of veterans and newcom‑ ers, posts and guards, quickness and strength. These elements only blend well if the players gel into a team, which this group did as well as any group of athletes we have had over the years.” The team started off the season with a loss to Sunapee in their second game, but rebounded with a fury to finish the regular season with a 17‑1 record, ranked first in Class S. They had the opportunity for sweet revenge against Sunapee on February 9th, the second‑ to‑last game of the season. Both teams came into the game with a 15‑1 record, and tied for first place in Class S. With an enthusiastic crowd filling the Derryfield gymnasium, the teams bat‑ tled hard throughout the game. The Derryfield girls extended their lead to a high of 16 points in the final quarter, then held out against a Sunapee drive to win the game 53‑46. As an added bonus, Kendra “Special K” Decelle entered the game against Sunapee with 997 career points, poised to be the third girl to score 1,000 points in the School’s history. She hit a three‑ pointer in the last five minutes of the first quarter to reach the milestone. Decelle, who finished the season with 1,094 points, joins Mya Mangawang ’91 (total 1,529 points) and Becky

The Derryfield girls’ varsity basketball team finished their regular season ranked #1 in Class S.

Gallagher ’89 (total 1,457 points) in the 1,000 point club. Coach Lemire cites Kendra as, “the engine that tied togeth‑ er the talented players we had and made this team perform at such a high level. Her tireless effort and her pas‑ sion about the game were infectious.” The Cougars continued their win‑ ning streak through the state championship play‑ offs, where they once again found themselves face to face with Sunapee in the finals. Unfortun‑ ately, Derryfield came out on the losing end of that hard‑fought faceoff, but can be proud of a win‑ ning season. The team loses seniors Tory Starr, Kendra Decelle, and Katt Bolduc, but will surely thrive under the leadership of next year’s captains, Molly Lyford ’06 and Rachel Romanowsky ’06.

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The enchanted servants in Beauty and the Beast (from left to right): Cogsworth (Wright Smith ’05), Lumiere (Alex Rolecek ’06), Wardrobe (Stephanie Kruskol ’05), Mrs. Potts (Beth DeBold ’05), and Chip (Philip Melanson ’10).

Beauty and the Beast The Derryfield Players took a distinct change of pace from last year’s perfor‑ mance of the classic, Les Misérables, with a stunning presentation of the new Broadway hit, Beauty and the Beast. The cast and crew took on a new set of challenges to bring a professional per‑ formance to the Derryfield stage. The March 10th opening of the Walt Disney musical was the first high school pro‑ duction of Beauty and the Beast ever in New Hampshire. Only two other schools are planning the show for this year. The cast was the first to perform in the spectacular costumes, which were designed specifically for Beauty and the Beast.

The Silly Girls (Mary Marciniak ’06, Paige Herlihy ’06, and Ashley Travis ’05) swoon over Gaston (Tyree Robinson ’06).

According to Director Jim Speigel, the extra couple weeks of practice allowed by the new performing arts schedule helped to smooth out the whole process. “This was a complete and total team effort from every aspect of the production. Everyone had their own specific job and creative assign‑ ments to complete, and it all worked like clockwork. I couldn’t have been more proud of the tireless hours and creativity that everyone devoted to the show.” Other challenges included a complex musical score composed for Broadway professionals. The 23‑per‑ son orchestra, which included the 14 members of Rob Fogg’s Classical Ensemble class, mastered the music for the performance. Fogg believes that “many of the young students grew from the process of learning the difficult music, as well as from playing with profes‑ sionals.”

Jenna Bee ’05 was stunning as Belle, torn between the comfort of her father (Nick Nardini ’05) and the adventure of life with the Beast (Chris Kiley ’05). While we will be losing the talents of seniors Bee, DeBold, Kiley, Kruskol, Nardini, and Smith this year, the per‑ formances of several talented juniors bodes well for the future of Derryfield productions. Jacob Keefe’s hilarious performance as LeFou was the perfect comic foil to Tyree Robinson’s egocen‑ tric Gaston. Alex Rolecek (Lumiere) and Sarah Umberger (Babette) kept the audience entertained with their cease‑ less French flirtations. The youngest member of the cast, Philip Melanson ’10, played a charming Chip. “At first, I was a little nervous... but right away the whole cast was extremely open and kind to me, and now I’ve made so many new friends.” His talent served as a positive sign for the Middle School production of Peter Pan coming up on May 13th and 14th.

Derryfield Today – Winter 2005

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Community Service Update

Winter Carnival Party

Community Service Coordinator Kathy Hill has been hard at work this winter finding opportunities for students to lead meaningful service projects. Two of the largest endeavors this season have been the creation and delivery of Thanksgiving baskets for needy Manchester families and the planning of a Winter Carnival party for local youngsters. Both projects were done in response to needs identified by repre‑ sentatives from Child Health Services (CHS).

Derryfield finished off Winter Carnival week with a special event for needy Manchester families. A team of Key Club students organized a winter party for children from Child Health Services on Saturday, February 5th. The party was changed from the tradi‑ tional Christmas event in an effort by CHS representatives to spread good‑ will out over the year. Kathy Hill com‑ mended the students for their hard work. “This event requires teamwork and good will, which our students offered abundantly, displaying effec‑ tive planning and gracious manners. They were friendly and eager to make the children and their families feel spe‑ cial.” A large group of senior boys gathered for the second year in a row to cook a hearty brunch for the guests. Jenna Bee ’05 organized the menu and the shopping for food, while Trevor Mathes ’05 coordinated the efforts of the enthusiastic chefs. After breakfast, Saym Mastrogiacomo ’06, Marissa Pellegrini ’06, Carolyn Goodwin ’05, Charlotte Evans ’08, and Alexa Warburton ’05 ran crafts activities with the children. The entire group took advantage of a warm, sunny afternoon to go for a snowshoeing adventure on the campus, led by Derek Boelig ’05. Later, there were a few “friendly” snowballs thrown, and the visitors ran around on the field, checking out snow sculptures and building some of their own. Positive feedback was received from all at CHS, who hope to continue to develop new projects for Derryfield volunteers.

Thanksgiving Baskets Meredith Milnes '06 and Kate Richey '06 organized the collection of food by advisory groups and the assembly and delivery of Thanksgiving Baskets in November. Sixty families in the Manchester community received baskets full of holiday food, including a turkey, all the fixings, and helpful recipes. Once again, the Lindner Family donated the sixty turkeys that were distributed. Summerbridge also organized the distribution of several baskets to families involved in their program.

A Subaru filled with Thanksgiving baskets, ready to be delivered to hungry families in Manchester.

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Charlotte Evans ’08 snowshoes with some new friends during the Community Service Party.

SUPPORTING

tsunami

relief

This January, the Derryfield community pitched in to raise money for tsunami victims. Fund‑raisers inluded a dress‑ down day, an Excerpt raffle, and a bread and soup luncheon, whose profits were matched by Southern New Hampshire University. A total of $1600 was raised and matched by Derryfield parent Betsy Warren’s company, BAE Corporation, bringing the total contribution to the American Red Cross Tsunami Relief Fund to $3200. In addition to this total, the 7th and 8th grades later organized two tsunami relief lunches, which raised $370 and $386 for the Tsunami Relief Fund.

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Artists Honored

Self-Portrait, Julie Grimm ’05

Self-Portrait, Emma LeBlanc ’05

Bench by the Pond, Claire Churchill ’05

Four senior artists have had their work displayed in selective art shows this winter. Photographs by Claire Churc‑ hill and Andy Warren were on display at the New Hampshire Scholastic Art Awards exhibit, which featured over 1500 entries from students throughout the state. Churchill’s Bench by the Pond received an Honorable Mention and Warren’s Broken Dream received a Silver Key. Self‑portrait drawings by Julie Grimm and Emma LeBlanc were dis‑ played at the 2005 High School Drawing Juried Exhibition at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. The show included the work of over 800 high school students. Derryfield musicians demonstrated their talent at the Jazz All‑State Music Festival in February. Connor Garstka and Nick Nardini sang in the Honors Jazz Choir, Jenna Bee and Alex Rolecek sang in the Jazz Choir, and Tyree Robin‑ son performed in the Honors Jazz Band. Musicians will have a second opportunity to perform in April at the Classical All‑State Music Festival. Bee, Garstka, Rolecek, Chris Kiley, Stephanie Kruskol, Rob Lemire, Mallory Rinker, and Kathy Stull will sing in the All‑ State Chorus and Robinson and Nick Stepro will play in the All‑State Band.

Model United Nations

Broken Dream, Andrew Warren ’05

This past December, nine Derryfield students and faculty advisor Danielle de Pazzis attended the Harvard Model U.N. Conference in Boston. This is Derryfield’s third year attending the Conference at Harvard, but we have a

Members of Model UN at the Harvard conference.

long history of over fifteen years of Model U.N. excellence. Secretary General Chris Pellegrini and Under Secretary General Chris Kiley served as delegates on the Security Council, Derryfield’s first appointment to this illustrious position at Harvard. After over 26 hours of committee sessions over three days, and letting off steam at the delegate ball, the Security Council was awoken at 1:00 a.m. to attend to “an arising crisis in the Taiwanese Strait.” Fortunately, war was adverted and we were allowed to return to our rooms at the early hour of 5:00 a.m. The full delegation includ‑ ed Eric Spierer in Historical GA, Taylor Scott in Legal, Claire Churchill in World Health Organization, Ashley Travis and Jess Pritchard in SPECPOL, Alan Raff in Disarmament and Inter‑ national Security, and Doug Lindner in Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural. This year was a great success and we hope to further our fine reputation in the world of international diplomacy under the leadership of next year’s offi‑ cers, Secretary General Taylor Scott and Under Secretary General Eric Spierer. – Danielle de Pazzis

Derryfield Today – Winter 2005

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The Meeting In a unique celebration of Martin Luther King Day, The Derryfield School was treated to a fascinating play based on a fictional meeting of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. The opportunity to experience living history is a privi‑ lege and an invaluable aid to teaching. The Meeting was based on an histori‑ cal photograph, and took the form of a hotly contested discussion in a hotel room. The lively exchange of ideas was scripted from various speeches and texts of each man, although they never actually met. The chairs, tables, and bed of a modest hotel room served as the basic setting for the dialogue, and in the distance was a door to a balcony that represented the freedom each one fought for and the risk each man took to achieve it. There is a tension in the meeting prefaced by lines from an early conver‑ sation between Malcolm (Jim Spencer) and Rashad, his bodyguard (Chris Robinson). “All the forces in the country couldn’t protect their own President. You think

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it makes a difference not to be able to breathe the Harlem air?” said Malcolm X. Their paranoia is palpable as Dr. King (Baron Kelly) arrives. There has been a recent fire bombing of Malcolm’s home. As the dreamer speaks with the rev‑ olutionary, Dr. King argues “Violence never stops violence, Malcolm.” In his response, Malcolm X ironically describes a dream he had. “We had been dead for some time... the time it takes to miseducate the average American… Young black men and women didn’t know who we were… They knew nothing about the move‑ ment. It was as if it had never hap‑ pened...” Malcolm and Martin cannot agree that they want the same thing. Each wants to “fight against injustice and to prove hate less powerful.” Malcolm X states clearly, “Aggress‑ ion in the name of self defense is not violence... It’s honor. We have to begin to think for ourselves. To do for our‑ selves… not let the ‘man’ shape our values for us… We aren’t the ones in power, Martin. And we won’t be until we gain control of our own lives, our own thinking.” Dr. King responds, “You want to free blacks. I want to free America. It’s the only way any of us can be free, Malcolm.” Malcolm asserts, “…I’m afraid your quest for integration will be

Rashad (Chris Robinson) tries to get through to Malcolm X (Jim Spencer).

the white man’s solution for control.” After the exchange of more argu‑ ments, a gift from Dr. King’s daughter to Malcolm’s daughter, and the sharing of more ideas, Dr. King closes with a message. “We all have to give more. Malcolm... More than we thought we needed to. Even then sometimes it’s not enough.” Their mutual respect is clear in the contest, featuring both arm wrestling matches and lively debate. In closing they both reach out to shake hands, and instead choose to embrace, know‑ ing they may never see each other again. Malcolm X says, “Martin?...If you’re around longer than I am, tell them we climbed one mountain, together.” “And we saw the promised land,” says Dr. King. Students study many words and countless great ideas. The Derryfield School has a long history in honoring the life of Dr. King. This was one of the very best in my experience. The exchange of The Meeting is the rare privilege to experience the ideas of these two revolutionary men in a con‑ versation out of the pages of history. ‑Dudley Cotton

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SMASHing Results The Derryfield math team won the small school division at the fourth meet of the NH‑SMASH league, held at Merrimack High School on February 9th. Allison Fink is currently in 1st place out of 9th graders from all divi‑ sions, and David Batchelder and Brett McLarnon are in 1st and 2nd place out of seniors from all divisions. The Derryfield team is winning every divi‑ sion except the one for large schools, and after all four meets the only school in the entire league with more points for correct answers than Derryfield is Manchester West High School. The following students participated at the fourth meet: Allison Fink ’08, Jesse Grodman ’08, Nathaniel Moore ’08, Akash Vadalia ’08, Hilary Hamer ’07, Megan Tsai ’07, David Batchelder ’05, Brett McLarnon ’05, Linda Paiste ’05, and Nick Stepro ’05. The team fin‑ ished its regular season on March 30th.

Heating Things Up As the temperature outside is finally beginning to rise, so are the oversized thermometers at the entrances to the upper and middle schools, indicating positive trends in annual fund support. As of April 1, we are at 95% of our overall annual fund goal of $365,000. A very special thank you to the 100% of faculty, staff, trustees, and Alumni Council, 65% of parents, 23% of past parents, 14% of grandparents, and 12% of alumni who have given so generous‑ ly. Please help us continue to “heat up” the Annual Fund and reach our goal by sending in your donation today.

The Advancement Office would also like to remind you of a very special birthday. This year, Derryfield is cele‑ brating 40 years of preparing students to excel in life. While the Annual Fund remains the School’s top priority, we are asking the Derryfield community to also consider contributing to a sepa‑ rate endeavor to raise funds for the School’s endowment in honor of our 40th anniversary. Please join in this important initiative that will have a lasting impact on Derryfield’s legacy. You may use the contribution enve‑ lope in the center of the magazine to give to the Annual Fund and/or the 40th campaign, or you can give online at www.derryfield.org. We know we can count on your support. Your gen‑ erosity and commitment mean a great deal to Derryfield and our students.

State Geography Bee When the 6th grade finished up its challenging Geography Bee Competi‑ tion for 2005, Kaitlyn Fink ’11 emerged as the winner. After a spirited battle with Michael Larson ’11 in the champi‑ onship round, Fink earned the chance to move on to the next step in qualify‑ ing for the State Geography Bee. Having successfully completed a 100‑ question exam, Fink will be represent‑ ing Derryfield at the State Geography Bee to be held at Keene State College on Friday, April 1, 2005. Winners of the state competition head to Washington, DC, in May to compete against other state winners at the National Geogra‑ phy Bee.

Website Recognized NH.com has awarded the Derryfield website, www.derryfield.org, second place for Best Education Site as part of their 2005 New Hampshire Internet Awards. The website was designed by the Bedford‑based educational web company, WhippleHill Communica‑ tions, in 2002. The judges commended the site as having an excellent design with a clear purpose. While the School is proud of this recognition, we contin‑ ue to strive to make the website a more valuable resource for the community. Recent upgrades have included the addition of the Career Advisory Network, available to both parents and alumni in search of networking oppor‑ tunities, and the conversion of the monthly parent newsletter to an elec‑ tronic format, which allows this publi‑ cation to be timely and save on print‑ ing and postage costs for the School. This fall will bring further changes to the site that will increase interactivity and improve usability. Keep an eye on your mailbox for a Derryfield commu‑ nications survey this summer. We need your input to shape future changes.

2005 New Hampshire Internet Award-winner www.derryfield.org.

Derryfield Today – Winter 2005

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Rex and Vanessa Rodanas’ plan for landscaping the area around the Middle School entryway.

MS Design Project Derryfield recently sponsored a land‑ scape design contest, with the idea of beautifying the area to the right of the Middle School entrance by the large stone retaining wall, making use of the existing terrain. The winning submis‑ sion, from Rex ’08 and Vanessa ’10 Rodanas, includes the creation of walk‑ ing trails, the installation of a foot‑ bridge and a pond with circulation waterfall, and the planting of wild‑ flowers and several birch trees. Aspects of the runner‑up proposal by Katherine Franklin ’11 will be incorporated into the plan, as well. The project, which has a budget of $5,200, will be imple‑ mented this summer with help from students, and a brass plaque will be mounted in the area with the winners’ names.

Golf Tournament Save the date for the Alumni Association’s 11th Annual Kick‑off Classic Golf Tournament, held this year on August 19th at Candia Woods Golf Links. An anticipated group of more than 150 people, golfers and non‑ golfers alike, will meet to celebrate the last few days of summer and to kick off the 2005‑2006 school year. The pro‑

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ceeds from this fund‑raiser go directly toward student financial aid. Last year, the tournament raised $18,550, enough for one full tuition. Alumni, parents, teachers, and friends of Derryfield are welcome to take part in the tourna‑ ment, as both sponsors and players. For more information on attending or becoming a tournament sponsor, please contact Tracey Perkins, Director of Alumni Relations, at 603.669.4524, ext. 136 or at tperkins@derryfield.org.

Romania-Bound This February, school counselor Jo Davidson returned to the small town of Bieus, Romania, as a member of a team of professionals from throughout the United States. This was her sixth humanitarian trip, whose efforts include gathering both medical and personal‑care supplies, as well as need‑ ed monies to support a private orphan‑ age, foster‑care program, and outreach to impoverished families. The 2005 ini‑ tiative raised over $8,000, which was put toward supporting the 20 aban‑ doned children living at Casa Iosif Orphanage and the foster care families who are caring for 18 orphaned chil‑ dren. The loss of income from interna‑ tional adoptions has placed a financial strain on this private orphanage in Romania. The result has been that some staff in the orphanage and foster parents have had to go without pay. This sacrifice impacts their own quality of family life, but clearly demonstrates their commitment to these children. In addition to meeting the children’s basic needs, Davidson strives to work with

the staff and children to minimize the impact on the orphans of growing up in an institution. She consults with the staff at the orphanage throughout the year, but most values the personal time she has with the children during her visits. The Derryfield community pitched in to donate items and funds to the cause, and the girls’ varsity and middle school soccer teams organized a soccer equipment drive to provide recreation‑ al equipment for the children. Davidson’s response to these efforts was enthusiastic. “What an amazing community! Every time I came to the office, someone had dropped off a donation.” The group has prioritized collecting pediatric and adult medical supplies, toiletries, and financial dona‑ tions. Davidson is planning another trip to the area in July, and is looking forward to holding each child again. “This year was a tremendous sucess; we were able to create a pre‑school of three separate rooms to minimize the chaos of one large playroom. The sound of happy children still echos in my ears!”

Children playing with blocks in a newly built preschool classroom.

years

Celebrating

LONG-RANGE PLANNING

We Made It: Now What?

by Chuck Sanborn

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS: n

The governance of the school should be

extended “to include a strong, effective School Government in which students and faculty have a voice… and allow student participation in substantive matters that the Committee recommends for the future.” n

Develop a flexible approach to curriculum

and scheduling; extend use of community resources; develop ties with local colleges; develop interdisciplinary approaches to learning; establish an ongoing curriculum committee; and explore an academic work/study program. n

Provide in-service training opportunities

for faculty, establish a sabbatical program, and expand the role of teacher as advisor. n

Maintain a student body that encompass-

es a diverse socio-economic background; expand student recruitment program, reaching into outlying areas; increase enrollment to 300-325; and explore adding grades 5 and 6. n

Expand student responsibility in running

co-curricular programs and encourage students to become involved in volunteer community service. n

Develop intramural sports program and

add fields and tennis courts. n

If the decision is made to expand the stu-

Derryfield opened the 1975‑76 school year with 225 students; expanded physical facil‑ ities (Center for Student Activities/ Gym); a faculty “capable in their respective fields of study, competent as coaches… deeply com‑ mitted to the education of young people, imaginative in approach… sensitive to and supportive of our purposes as a preparato‑ ry school”; 1 and a dedicated Board of Trustees. In earlier years “the school was mainly concerned with staying alive,” 2 but now there was confidence that Derryfield had made it, and the time was at hand to look in depth at the question, where do we go from here to ensure that Derryfield offers the highest quality education possi‑ ble for young people in the Merrimack Valley? To this end, a long‑range planning committee was appointed in April 1976 to develop and submit to the Board of Trustees a blueprint for Derry‑field’s next ten to fifteen years. In its report, the com‑ mittee stated that “To remain vital and pro‑ gressive, the School must have a schedule according to which it moves toward a well defined set of objectives.” 3 The fact that this committee was at work stands as a tribute to the Trustees, faculty, students, and parents who had labored together in

the vineyard for ten years to create a future for Derryfield. The Long‑Range Planning Committee, chaired by Trustee and Founder, Dr. Barbara Stahl, was appointed “to thorough‑ ly explore what kind of school Derryfield should be in 1990, why it should be that way, and steps for getting there.” 4 Com‑ prised of trustees, parents, faculty, and an

“...where do we go from here to ensure that Derryfield offers the highest quality education possible?” alumna, the committee met every two weeks for over a year, studying all aspects of school life – governance, academic affairs, the nature of the faculty and the student body, personal development of stu‑ dents, extra‑curricular activities, physical education, facilities, and finance. An effort to add two students to the committee did not pass muster, but a questionnaire com‑ pleted by faculty and seniors provided important voices to committee delibera‑ tions. A final report was submitted to the Trustees in September 1977.

dent body, establish a committee to study 1. Headmaster Sozzafava, Lamplighter, V8, #1; 2. Headmaster Scozzafava, Lamplighter, V9, #2; 3. Long-Range Planning Report, physical plant needs. 9/1/77; 4. Derryfield Today, June 1976.

Derryfield Today – Winter 2005

C E L E B R AT I N G 4 0 Y E A R S

Elevation drawing for the school building from a 1966 viewbook.

Within the framework of some ‘givens’ such as: “Derryfield will con‑ tinue to be a college preparatory, co‑ educational day school… the location of the school is established for the next ten years… admissions and hiring poli‑ cies are entirely non‑discriminatory,” the committee prepared a statement of purpose that “embodies the School’s founding concept and recognizes the power of humanistic education” to guide its deliberations. The final report included a series of recommendations for the administration, faculty, trustees, and students to examine and pursue (see sidebar). The report also included a number of financial models projecting the impact of growth in student popula‑ tion on tuition, operating income, and operating expenses during periods of incremental growth. The administra‑ tions of Heads of School William Pfeifer, Marc Hurlbut, Nancy Boettiger, and Randy Richardson have addressed issues posed by this committee. The creation of the Long‑Range Planning Committee marks a water‑ shed in Derryfield’s history. Look around the School today and you see the fruits of the labors of this commit‑

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tee. Its legacy includes planned growth and development, rooted in the concept of Derryfield as a dynamic institution meeting the educational challenges of an ever‑changing cultural environment. Later long‑range/strategic planning committees carried on the work of the 1976‑1977 Committee, refining and pri‑ oritizing goals, developing new finan‑ cial models, and recommending new initiatives in the context of new reali‑ ties. It is also interesting to note that Derryfield is still wrestling with issues that were key in 1976‑1977, such as how to develop an effective school

government in the decision making‑ process, expanding interdisciplinary learning opportunities, professional development, faculty as advisors, and use of community resources. These challenges, connections, and self‑study make Derryfield an exciting, challeng‑ ing, and dynamic place.

SAVE THE DATE

plans for

celebration

The Derryfield School community will wrap up the 40th Anniversary celebration on the weekend of September 30, 2005. The final event of the forum series will discuss educational policy, and there will be student and community celebrations mixed in with Country Fair and Reunion. It promises to be an exciting weekend! Come cele‑ brate 40 years of Derryfield teaching our students to excel... in life.

Thursday, September 29 40th Forum Series, 7:00 p.m. Friday, September 30 Service Day, 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Student Celebration 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Saturday, October 1 Country Fair 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 40th Celebration 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Reunion Class Parties 9:00 p.m.

C E L E B R AT I N G 4 0 Y E A R S

Democracy’s Cornerstone For the first time in the School’s histo‑ ry, a sitting governor visited Derryfield to deliver remarks on the importance of education to the state’s quality of life. As part of the School’s 40th Anniversary Forum Series, Governor John Lynch spoke to about 200 in attendance in the Nancy S. Boettiger Theatre on February 17th. He then turned the podium over to moderator Jack Herney, teacher of history at Phillips Exeter Academy, who guided a panel discussion of educational experts on the future of public education. Lynch is no stranger to firsts. The Hopkinton Democrat, seeking his first elected office, was also the first person in recent memory to deny a sitting governor his second term in office. Lynch defeated incumbent Republican Governor Craig Benson in the general election in November. Inheriting antici‑ pated revenue shortfalls as he pre‑ pared the biennial budget, Lynch faces a number of challenges from the

Republican‑controlled Legislature. According to Head of School Randy Richardson, “We know that education is at the top of his list of priorities sim‑ ply by the example of his life.” Intro‑ ducing the governor, Richardson cited Lynch’s having coached youth sports as a testament to his interest in educa‑ tion, quipping, “We have openings at Derryfield if you’re interested.” Upon taking the podium, Lynch recognized the appreciative and “warm” crowd, responding, “After dealing with a three hundred million dollar budget deficit, the legislature, and school funding, I think a coaching job at Derryfield sounds very, very attractive.” Lynch focused his remarks on the role of education in preparing a citi‑ zenry ready to safeguard its liberties and to prepare for full participation in democracy. Offering the example of Lyndon Johnson, U.S. President at the time of the founding of The Derryfield School, Lynch discussed the role of

Panelists Ellie Freedman and David Ruedig listen to comments from Shep Melnick.

by John Bouton government in promoting education. Lynch said, “Johnson recognized what we all know to be true: our democracy and our culture can’t function without a strong educational system.” Acknow‑ ledging the explosion of information and questions of credibility both with‑ in the media and within government, Lynch asserted, “A quality education gives our citizens the ability to assimi‑ late information, to sift fact from fic‑ tion, to make sound judgments based on the facts that are presented to them. That’s the type of education that Derry‑ field has been providing for 40 years.” Lynch also touched upon the need to invest in public education as a means to improve quality of life for citizens. Drawing on his experience in the Executive Branch, Lynch said, “Ask any governor, which I have done, what the single most important economic development investment that they can make is, and that governor would say, ‘education.’ Our economy demands a highly skilled and educated work‑ force.” Lynch described education as preparation for economic success, observing, ”The earnings disparity between college educated workers and non‑college educated workers is actu‑ ally growing exponentially. How much you learn is often how much you earn.” Lynch articulated values he had campaigned on, declaring, “I believe strongly that we have a fundamental responsibility to make sure that we’re giving our children the opportunity for

Derryfield Today – Winter 2005

C E L E B R AT I N G 4 0 Y E A R S

quality education, regardless of where these children live, regardless of their economic background. It’s important.” Lynch closed his address by lauding the example of Summerbridge Man‑ chester, aligning it with the best of the American Dream. “At the end of each summer, here in this auditorium, the Summerbridge program provides a moving tribute to the American Dream of educational opportunity. At the end of the summer session, fifth and sixth graders from Manchester, from differ‑ ent cultures, from different socio‑ economic backgrounds, stand on this very stage and tell the standing‑room‑ only crowd about their ambitions. They proudly announce that they will be doctors, or lawyers, vets, and actors, business executives and marine biolo‑ gists. Because of Summerbridge, many of these children will go on to do just that. Much of the success of that pro‑ gram depends on the high school and college students who spend twelve hours a day, seven days a week, teach‑ ing and mentoring and worrying about their Summerbridge kids. We need to provide that same inspiration to more New Hampshire kids, encouraging more of our children to finish high school, encouraging more of them to go on to college.” He discussed his own success with a program that he engineered for UNH students and the Northwest Elementary School in Man‑ chester, “to get more young people to believe that they can go on to higher education,” a goal he has established for the state under his leadership. “This is about our core commitments

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as a nation; it’s about making sure that all children have the educational opportunities they need to achieve their own ambitious goals. Nothing is more important than education.” After Lynch left the stage, modera‑ tor Jack Herney introduced a panel of distinguished experts in the field of education and public policy: Ellie Freedman, Derryfield Founder and public school advocate; David Ruedig, Chairman of the New Hampshire Board of Education; and R. Shep Melnick, Thomas J. O’Neill Professor of Political Science at Boston College. In their opening remarks, the panel gathered consensus on the hopeful public perception of schools: Ellie Freedman called public schools “the unifying glue bringing together a diverse country,” while David Ruedig noted parents’ hopes that schools “will give their kids a leg up.” Shep Melnick pointed out that today’s 25% college graduation rate is closer to the 40% who graduated high school in the World War II era, with “the average college graduate [of today] know[ing] what the average high school graduate knew in 1940.” Turning around, in the words of Herney, “these outcomes deleterious to democracy,” became the important topic of the panel, with talk of magnet and charter schools, vouch‑ ers, funding for the arts, and top/down vs. bottom/up imperatives for change dominating the balance of the panel’s remarks. As the floor opened to questions, the panel heard inquiries about alter‑ natives to college as a rite of

passage, changing behavior and expec‑ tations of schools in an era of two par‑ ents’ working, the role of local control versus state funding for education, and tracking. With approximately a dozen questions from assembled students, teachers, parents, and visitors, conver‑ sation was lively around these issues, a testament to Shep Melnick’s observa‑ tion that “What makes politics interest‑ ing is controversy.” Charter schools, magnet schools, and tracking got the most attention, as Ellie Freedman observed that “I’ve never heard of a voucher that would pay the tuition at Derryfield,” and David Ruedig argu‑ ing that “Vouchers create a lower tier of universal education.” The panelists agreed that it is difficult to have “the omniscience to determine future lead‑ ers in grade eight,” which proved to be the final word on the question of track‑ ing and magnet schools. Ultimately, as the panel suggested, informed and engaged parents are the best architects of their children’s education; the diffi‑ culty lies in engaging the public to look at education beyond the costs associated with this investment so criti‑ cal to a healthy democracy.

athletics

Cougar

ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE The New Hampshire Commission on the

Winter wrap-up

Status of Women recognized seven Derryfield seniors for achieving academic

Boys’ Varsity Basketball

and athletic excellence at the 18th

Season Record: 10-12 Derek Boelig ’05, All-Conference (2nd team) Christian LaCroix ’07, All-Conference (2nd team) Andrew Warren ’05, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 Award

Annual New Hampshire High School Women’s Athletic/Academic Award Program. n Jenna Bee (field hockey, lacrosse) n Amanda Kutz (softball, crew) n Christina Nyquist (alpine skiing, field

hockey) n Heather Schofield (field hockey, tennis) n Victoria Starr (basketball, softball) n Emily Fritch (alpine skiing, soccer) n Alexa Warburton (field hockey,

lacrosse, alpine skiing)

The New Hampshire Athletic Director's Association recognized three senior boys for their academic and athletic excellence. n Derek Boelig (golf, hockey, baseball) n Doug MacKenzie (cross country, tennis) n Trevor Mathes (soccer, hockey, lacrosse)

Girls’ Varsity Baketball Season Record: 20-2 NH Championship Finalists (Class S) Katt Bolduc ’05, All-Scholastic Kendra Decelle ’05, Co-Captain, All-State (1st team), Senior All-Star (GS and Class S), All-Conference (1st team), Class S Player of the Year, Twin State Classic Team, All-Scholastic, Class of 1970 Award Stephanie Foote ’06, All-State (Honorable Mention) Molly Lyford ’06, All-Scholastic Rachel Romanowsky ’06, All-State (2nd team), All-Conference (1st team) Tory Starr ’05, Co-Captain, Senior All-Star (GS), All-Scholastic

Girls’ Varsity Alpine Skiing 3rd at NH State Championships Julie Clark ’09, 5th (Slalom) and 8th (GS) at NH Championships, New England High School Championships Qualifier Emily Fritch ’05, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 Award Kayla Delahanty ’07, 3rd (Slalom) and 2nd (GS) at NH Championships, NE HS Championships Qualifier, Eastern Junior Olympics Alpine Qualifier Christina Nyquist ’05, Co-Captain, All-Conference, 10th (GS) at NH Championships, NE HS Championships Qualifier, Class of 1970 Award

Boys’ Varsity Alpine Skiing The requirements for both programs state that students must have maintained a B+ average, lettered in two varsity sports, and been involved in leadership or community service.

4th at NH State Championships Michael Kane ’07, Co-Captain, 8th (Slalom and GS) at NH Championships Kurt Schuler ’06, Co-Captain, 7th (Slalom) and 12th (GS) at NH Championships, NE HS Championships Qualifier, Class of 1970 Award

Varsity Nordic Skiing Girls: 4th at NH State Championships Noah Harwood ’06, All-Conference, 7th (Skate) and 10th (Classic) at NH State Championships, 5th at Manchester Invitational, Class of 1970 Award Katherine Myers ’06, All-Conference, 6th (Skate) and 12th (Classic) at NH State Championships, 1st at Manchester Invitational, Class of 1970 Award Katherine Richey ’06, All-Conference, 5th at Manchester Invitational

Derryfield Today – Winter 2005

C O U G A R AT H L E T I C S

excel

Clockwise from below: Cooper Cunliffe ’05 makes a drive with the ball in a varsity basketball game. n Coach Dudley Cotton drops the puck in a faceoff during a Maroon and White game. n Kurt Schuler ’06 in position on a run at Pat’s Peak. n Rachel Romanowsky ’06 jumps for the tipoff in a varsity basketball game. n Noah Harwood ’06 pushes off at the start of a nordic ski meet. n Emily Fritch ’05 takes a tight turn in an alpine ski meet. n Kat Myers ‘06 sprints to win the Manchester Invitational Meet.

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spotlight Summerbridge

A BREAKTHROUGH

PROGRAM

HOMESTAYS: A way to support Summerbridge During Summerbridge Manchester’s 15th summer session, several out-of-town college students will teach in our program... and each one needs a place to live! We strive to build a faculty that has a good balance between local and out-of-town teachers; therefore we need to find housing for the majority of our out-of-town teachers. As a program, this is one of our greatest needs, and this is a unique aspect of Summerbridge Manchester within the Breakthrough Collaborative. No other site is able to offer so many homestays to talented teachers from across the country. In the past, we have been extremely fortunate because so many Derryfield families have hosted teachers for one or more summers.

Please think about opening your home to an out-of-town college student who will join the Summerbridge and Derryfield communities this summer. To learn more, call Kate Erskine at 603.641.9426 or e-mail kerskine@derryfield.org.

School-Year in Full Swing What do Aztec ball games, sauerkraut, marshmallow architecture, and vegetable oil spills all have in common? These and many more topics have been the focus of an exciting year of the Summerbridge School‑Year Session. In just four Saturdays so far this year, students have sampled world cuisine, created colorful tessellations, discovered the causes and effects of pollu‑ tion runoff, played a game with over 80 people that demonstrat‑ ed equilibrium in the food chain, and that’s just the beginning. Four teams of school‑year teachers have planned and taught exciting workshops around the themes of: world cul‑ tures, water, art in math, and Native Central America. This year we are fortunate to have 23 creative and dedicated students from Derryfield serving as teachers in the Summerbridge Saturday program: Victoria Benech ’06, Derek Boelig ’05, Natalie Coviello ’07, Jennifer Cox ’06, Nguyen Doan ’07, Gabe Durán ’05, Glen Frieden ’06, Laura Gelinas ’06, Sabina Khan ’05, Dakyung Lee ’07, Rob Lemire ’06, Hale Melnick ’06, Kristie Migliori ’07, Meredith

Milnes ’06, Kristen Moran ’06, Kat Myers ’06, Molly Platt ’06, Kate Richey ’06, Alex Rolecek ’06, Jordan Silversmith ’07, Anna Sims ’06, Kayla Sirkin ’06, and Alice Townsend ’07. School After School, the other element of the School‑Year Session, meets weekly at the Beech Street School where Summer‑ bridge 6th, 7th, and 8th graders come together to work in small groups on math and English skill enrichment. Two Derryfield students serving as teachers for this program are Carolyn Goodwin ’05 and Whitney Powers ’07. This year, Summerbridge Manchester is piloting the Junior Great Books program which is used in schools across the nation. Junior Great Books describes its program as, “Proven to help students develop the essential literacy skills of reading carefully, thinking critically, listening intently, and speaking and writing persuasively.” Despite the widespread use of Junior Great Books in kindergarten through 12th grade classrooms, Summerbridge Manchester is the first Breakthrough program to use the curriculum in an after‑school enrichment format. Preliminary feedback from both students and teachers has been positive. The stories are engaging and accessible for middle school students and the structured lesson plans and unit ideas have been help‑

Derryfield Today – Winter 2005

SUMMERBRIDGE

ful to high school‑aged Summerbridge teachers in their planning. Both Summerbridge Saturday and School After School continue meeting through May. If you are interested in seeing the program in action, please contact us at 603.641.9426 or at summerbridge@derryfield.org. We always enjoy having visitors!

Cultural Events This winter, Summerbridge was fortu‑ nate to receive discounted or free tick‑ ets to two local theatre performances. These generous donations allowed stu‑ dents to experience exciting cultural events in our community. On February 4, eight Summerbridge students ventured to The Dana Center at Saint Anselm College in Manchester to see a professional production of My Soul Is a Witness. This stirring off‑ Broadway tour addressed the history of the Civil Rights Movement as well as exploring the current state of civil rights in America. Students were impressed by the professional acting company and the thought‑provoking message of the show.

The new Summerbridge Manchester website, http://summerbridge.derryfield.org.

summerbridge.derryfield.org

The Peacock Players’ recent Nashua production of Children of Eden was a huge hit among the fifteen Summer‑ bridge students who attended. This production was particularly exciting for current Summerbridge students because two cast members, Tyree Robinson ’06 and Marcel Robinson ’09, are Summerbridge graduates. Students were on the edge of their seats throughout this exciting production and they continued raving about the show all the way back to Manchester. We are always on the lookout for opportunities to expose Summerbridge students to cultural events around New Hampshire. If you know of events or exhibits that students might enjoy, please contact us.

Launch of New Website At the beginning of March, Summer‑ bridge launched its newly designed website: http://summerbridge. derryfield.org. The result of a year‑ long project with locally based WhippleHill Communications, Inc., the new website provides academic resources for students of all ages as well as information about Summer‑ bridge relevant to the wider Manchester community. Modeled after the website of The Derryfield School, the new Summerbridge website strives to encapsulate the program’s energy, rigor, and diversity. A few of the new elements of the website are Summer‑ bridge event listings, high school and college planning resources, volunteer options, and the capability for online giving to the program.

ABOVE: Marcel Robinson ’09 prepares to present a traditional Mayan dance. OPPOSITE: Catalina Benech ’11 creates a 3-D fractal with Natalie Coviello ’07.

Annual Fund The Summerbridge Annual Appeal was sent out at the beginning of December and we have already received a strong response from indi‑ viduals in the community. We do not solicit the entire Derryfield community because many families prefer to direct their giving to the Derryfield program. However, many individuals also choose to participate in the separate yet complementary mission of Summerbridge Manchester in addition to giving to Derryfield. Summerbridge relies on support from foundations, service clubs, corpo‑ rations, and individuals to help pro‑ vide this educational program for Manchester students. Please contact Kate Erskine at 603.641.9426 or at kerskine@derryfield.org for more infor‑ mation about giving to Summerbridge.

politics

Teaching

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Education: Investment and Change

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C AT E G O R Y

he Derryfield School’s Statement of Philosophy reads, “…we are committed to purposeful involvement in the world outside our school in both the local and global community.” A number of courses and activities at Derryfield reflect this outlook, and encourage students to engage in experiences beyond themselves. For example, the middle school Builder’s Club and Civic courses open students to both the opportunity and the theory of effecting change. The upper school Holocaust and philosophy electives promote students to realize their power in relating to others and in the society at large. Other courses stretch students to think beyond the confines of New Hampshire to consider the perspective of cultures from Asia to Africa to Europe. In all cases, the School’s intent is to plant seeds of curiosity, concern, and commitment. For many graduates, these ideals lead to service to others in the fields of education and medicine. For others, their chosen path is to effect policy change in state and local government. In all cases, a student’s time at Derryfield should be a platform to understand the relationship between education and government, and plant a desire to contribute to change. Derryfield Today asked a few students and recent graduates to write about the impact that this relationship has had on their life and education. ‑Bruce Berk

Isaac Wheeler ’06 In the last election, only twenty percent of people under twenty‑one voted. Pundits, prophets, and polls all seem to indicate that youth are apathetic, more concerned with Nelly and Gwen Stefani than the events of the world. But that isn’t what I’ve seen at Derryfield. In the fall of my sophomore year, I founded an independent politi‑ cal newspaper, the Age of Reason. Our mission statement promised that we would strive to create a more vibrant intellectual and political culture at Derryfield. I expected to run into a blank, ignorant wall, and have all my efforts appeal only to the “elite” of the school. But every time I circulated through the school with my stack of issues, I would see everyone reading it

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and discussing it. Even people I had never imagined were political were happy to think and have their ideas challenged. With the right level of encouragement and education, youth involvement in politics is not an impossible dream. My political activity, from distribut‑ ing my newspaper to reading my polit‑ ical poetry on street corners, has taught me how important these experiences were. Every person has the latent energy I have seen at Derryfield, the sleeping potential to think and ques‑ tion. The focus of much of my political life has been trying to inspire youth to use the immense power that words and ideas have in a democratic society. The single most important way we can make American democracy

stronger and more alive is to teach every inhabitant of this country to be an informed, thinking, questioning citi‑ zen. I would like to close with words I said at the assembly before election day. “Listen, think, and decide. This is our generation’s moment.”

Isaac Wheeler ’06 at work in the Derryfield library.

T E AC H I N G P O L I T I C S

Maura Speigleman ’04

Eric Speirer ’06

I now see the world through my own political lens. When I hear about an issue, I try to efficiently educate myself about it, aided by the wide variety of sources that are easily available through the internet. I read articles and background information, and I do my best to articulate an informed position on the issue. I read commentary, listen to others’ points of view, engage in dis‑ cussion, and then refine my opinion. After a problem is identified in a soci‑ ety, politics is the act of trying to solve it. It is this process that I truly love. Political campaigns work to improve the quality the receptivity of our repre‑ sentatives. Congressional staffers write legislation to better the lives of citizens. The ideal lobbyist is someone who con‑ vinces politicians to take a particular stance on an issue based on its merits (sadly a dying breed among lobbyists, who increasingly equate money and power to just causes). At its purest sense, politics is working to improve quality of life.

In my study of politics and work in federal and state government jobs, I have come to understand that through the organization of democratic govern‑ ment, American society flourishes. President Lincoln remarked, “A gov‑ ernment of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.” Through my employ‑ ment in the Senate Page Program and in the New Hampshire State Capitol, I viewed how everyone works for the system, and for everyone the system works. The Senators and all Americans are doing their part to better the orga‑ nization. The system is by no means perfect, but the organization is a work in progress. Government and politics no doubt have had strong influences on many aspects of my life. I have every inten‑ tion of supporting this institution in my years beyond school. It has paid me in money and social capital, in return for the time and effort I have given. Passivism is the death of this government, and through education and voicing my opinion, the system is strengthened. Lincoln’s vision of the continuation of government shall remain true as long as American citi‑ zens do their duty to ensure the suc‑ cessful progression of this democracy.

Maura Speigleman ’04 with Presidential candidate Howard Dean in 2003.

Senate Page Eric Speirer ’06 with Senator Judd Gregg last summer.

Ariana Hodes ’04 Working on a political campaign showed me that I could never work in politics. Trying to reach through all the garbage and convince people that you’re not just another salesperson (when in fact you are), and that what you’re selling has value to them is just too frustrating. What I find most dis‑ tasteful is that campaigning has become an accepted form of manipulation. Yet I still believed in my candidate. Here I am, traveling for five months, not having paid any attention to poli‑ tics since November, and I find myself buying an International Herald Tribune. Something about it keeps drawing me back. After my experience this fall, I find myself making more of an effort not to wax cynical. I know that there has to be something else there, or else I would be able to give up politics entirely. I always come back to this answer: hope. There’s always the hope that a candidate may be the one in ten scoundrels who is actually trying to talk about the issues, who is actually trying to do something constructive.

Derryfield Today – Winter 2005

T E AC H I N G P O L I T I C S

There’s always the hope that people will do the right thing – the honorable thing. It’s this hope that most people latch onto. Despite all the corruption in the political world, this spark remains in my mind. It’s this spark that keeps me thinking about the paradox that is politics and the world in which we live.

Marty Topol ’06 There are many ways in which Derryfield students can participate in activities designed to involve them in the outside community. As a Derryfield junior, I can say that I have found the various forums held at school to be the most engaging. These forums, held by the history department, have covered topics ranging from the politics of a presidential election to the economic impact of Wal‑Mart on a local and global scale. These forums are open to the entire student body, both middle‑ and upper‑school, and the majority of those students attend. It is not unusual for the chair of a department to ask the panel one question, which a sixth or

Marty Topol ’06 representing President Bush in the mock debate.

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seventh grade student will follow up on next – or vice versa. It says some‑ thing about the students here that the history forums are so well received. In an environment as busy and full as Derryfield’s, it is truly impressive that the student body is willing to devote a significant amount of its spare time in the pursuit of further knowledge about the outside world. I cannot think of a better example of how Derryfield encourages its students to participate in the outside world.

Victoria Starr ’05 speaking as Senator Kerry at the debate hosted by the history forum.

“Passivism is the death of this government, and through education and voicing my opinion, the system is strengthened..”

Victoria Starr ’05 When I first heard John Kerry speak in the spring of 2003, I had only vague ideas of the political process. His words inspired me to help him in his campaign for President. I worked part‑ time in his Concord office during the summer before the Primary, where I learned all about the Primary and the hubbub that comes with it. I helped out at events, made hundreds of phone calls, and canvassed door‑to‑door. That summer was particularly exciting for me, as the media was less involved and I thus was able to meet and talk with some of the candidates. The summer before the election I volunteered again for the campaign, and was able to see the excitement

from an insider’s perspective. I met many respected politicians and was able to establish great connections in the political world. There was so much work to be done as the election drew closer. Emily Fritch ’05 and I organized a group at Derryfield to volunteer peri‑ odically at the Manchester office. The days and weeks before the election were incredibly nerve‑racking and high‑stress, but I loved every minute. The campaign opened my eyes to the issues that face our nation today, issues that I am still passionate about. The time and energy I invested in John Kerry’s campaign was beneficial even though my candidate did not win; it taught me to work for what I believe in.

alumni

Update on

IN MEMORIAM ALISON BARKER, former Derryfield faculty member, passed away on December 28, 2004. Over 30 years she taught classics at

The news contained in this section covers the period of December 1, 2004 – March 23, 2005. For more recent news, or to post a note, please visit the Alumni Community at www.derryfield.org.

Special Counsel in the IRS Office of Chief Counsel in Washington, DC, where he will be working on international corporate tax matters.

1972

1981

Leslie Welch Wagner reports, “I will be away on location shooting photography for L.L.Bean from February through the end of April, then again from August through October. I travel to Sonoma, CA, and Sun Valley, ID, in the winter and all over Maine in the summer. It’s a nice gig, but extraor‑ dinarily time consuming without any weekend breaks. (Is that legal? They didn’t warn us about that when Derryfield trained me to be an independent over‑ achiever!) Look for the occasional Stonyfield Farms Yogurt containers used as props when the opportunity arises... a nod to fellow classmate Gary Hirshberg!”

The December 22, 2004 issue of The Concord Monitor mentioned that, “Governor‑elect John Lynch has named Rich Sigel as his chief of staff. Sigel was a top advisor to for‑ mer Democratic governor Jeanne Shaheen, serving as her chief of staff during her six years in office and as campaign manager for her unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate in 2002. More recently, he worked as a lawyer for Shaheen and Gordon, the law firm run by Shaheen’s husband, Billy.”

several independent schools, including Derryfield in the 1990’s. She received her BA from Wellesley College and a MA from the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Barker was a member of the Classical Association of New England. She traveled extensively in Europe, and spent her free time on Heron Island in Maine.

AMIE NIXON ’79 died on January 4, 2005. She received her BA from Mount Holyoke College and a MA in French from Middlebury College. Ms. Nixon spent several years teaching at New England schools, and always sought ways to help troubled youth. Most recently, she was a counselor at the high school in Stowe, VT, and was the director of substance abuse programs for the State of Vermont. She loved animals and enjoyed skiing and horseback riding.

JAMES RICHARDS ’89 passed away on Friday, March 11, 2005, of complications from a motor vehicle accident ten years ago. He was studying mechanical engineering at the University of New Hampshire at the time of the accident, which left him a quadriplegic. He loved fast cars and going on adventures with his friends.

1974 Jeff VanderWolk and Naomi Turner VanderWolk bought a townhouse hotel in London last summer and have been work‑ ing on its refurbishment while keeping it running as an operating hotel. Jeff is also changing jobs – he has been appointed

1983 Danielle Currier reports, “I finished my Ph.D. in sociology and will complete my graduate certificate in women’s studies in May 2005. I am an assistant professor of sociology at Radford University in Radford, VA.”

Derryfield Today – Winter 2005

U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

1986

1987

1988

Eileen Haletky Cavallaro reports that, “On February 1, 2005, I opened a shop at 79 Amherst Street in Milford, NH, called The Garden Party Floral Boutique. We are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. I offer beautiful, garden‑style flower arrangements and locally craft‑ ed gifts. One of my specialties is floral photography – I make framed prints and cards. Our flowers come from our Cut Flower Farm in Wilton, NH, dur‑ ing the growing season. I will also be teaching classes in flower arranging. I am a member of New Hampshire Stories, supporting the ‘Made in New Hampshire’ theme. In 2004, I started, and continue to hold, the position of Market Manager for The Amherst Farmers’ Market, which runs Thursday afternoons from June through October on the Amherst Village Green. I am also a member of the New Hampshire Farmers’ Market Association. My hus‑ band, James, and I just celebrated our son’s (Anthony James) 5th birthday.” n Cathy Sanborn Street and her hus‑ band both work at Vanderbilt for their ‘day jobs.’ JJ plays drums with various bands in the area, and they have just started Street Theatre Company (www.StreetTheatreCompany.com) which is in rehearsal for its first pro‑ duction, Schoolhouse Rock Live!

Class Correspondent: Kathleen Rutty-Fey

The ‘Your Business’ section of the January 9th Concord Monitor reported that the Devine Millimet law firm has promoted Paul Kfoury as one of five lawyers to officer. n Scott Clow reported, “I work as a Water Quality Specialist for the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe in southwestern Colorado. This entails testing water quality for streams, rivers, lakes, and ground water resources on their reservation; undertaking specific projects to pre‑ vent water pollution and enhance aquatic ecosystems; writing and administering grants to accomplish these goals so the Tribe doesn’t have to invest a lot of their own financial resources to do it; representing the Tribe’s interests in local, regional, and national water quality issue forums; and assisting Tribal members with their water quality and environmental concerns.”

krutty@derryfield.org

Constance Frey writes, “My life is incredibly full and vibrant. I graduated from midwifery school three years ago, and joined a busy practice. It is an honor to support women during a sacred and powerful time in their lives. My children are quickly becoming teenagers – Tevon will be 15 soon, and Munyo is 11. We spend as much time as we can skiing, rock‑climbing, and enjoying the wilderness of the Cascades and the Olympics.” n Cathleen Grotton Craven reported to Kathleen Rutty‑Fey, “Our little Lydia Cathleen Craven was born Thursday, February 10th at 8:47 p.m. She weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces and is the sweet‑ est thing.”

The photograph from Melanie Fillios ’92 and Andrew Howell’s surprise wedding announcement.

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U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

1990 Kimberly Knight Ellington reported, “Our first daughter, Danielle Elizabeth, was born on August 27, 2004, and I’ve been a full‑time mom since then. Two years ago we helped start a non‑profit children’s charity based out of Louis‑ burg, NC, called Youthville, USA, that has recently spread to Memphis, TN. It started as a foster care agency but has grown to be far more inclusive. The website is www.youthvilleusa.org.”

1992 Ellie Cochran ’69 reported that Scott Dolan is working as a writer and pho‑ tographer at The Union Leader. n Kimberly Morine writes, “It is with great sadness that I share the death of Jim Richards ’89 on Friday, March 11, 2004, after a long struggle with injuries sustained in an auto accident. If you

would like to make a donation in memory of Jim’s life, please do so to the Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire, or The Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center.”

1993 Katherine Hurlbut Chappell reports, “My husband, Andy, and I are in our eighth year of teaching at Roxbury Latin. We are having the best time with our 20‑month‑old son, Brady. He’s active, happy, and the best thing that has ever happened to us. We are also hoping to finish our master’s degrees at Dartmouth this June.”

A large Derryfield contingent was present at the wedding of Becca Jones ’96 to Keith Martin. First row (L to R): Julie Davis ’96, Kristen Pearson ’96, Dana Gomez ’96, Keith Martin, Rebecca Jones Martin ’96, Brenda McCandliss ’96, and Kayla Sirkin ’06. Second row (L to R): Helen Gemmill ’96, Lindsay Hurd ’96, Carver Woodbury ’96, Josh Rubinstein ’95, Michelle Lauer ’96, Joanie Taube ’69, and Jenna Sirkin ’00.

1994 Class Correspondent: Avery Holland avery_holland@hotmail.com

Cam Brensinger was on NHPR’s Front Porch radio program on January 18, 2005. In an episode entitled ‘Extreme Designing,’ Cam Brensinger was fea‑ tured as an extreme outdoorsman, a NASA space suit designer, and a designer/manufacturer of inflatable tents. He told host John Walters how he applies his understanding of art and science to all three endeavors. Cam’s company, Nemo Equipment (www.nemoequipment.com/home.asp), has garnered awards for designs it has yet to put on the market. n Ashley Burr had the following to report on her classmates: Mary Janca graduated from the University of Southern California School of Cinema Television, cum laude, in 1998. After graduation she lived in Hollywood for a few years, trying out this and that (worked as a Video Producer for Zap2it.com, assisted with some independent productions, worked as a script supervisor) but decided it wasn’t for her at the time and went to Taiwan to try her hand at teaching English as a Second Language. Mary did that for three years and just returned from Asia last March. She is currently trying out a new place, North Carolina, as well as experiencing gen‑ eral repatriation to America. She has recently been hired to teach special needs children at a high school as a full‑time film production, writing, and drama teacher. Peter Lemire passed the Massachusetts Bar Exam and is

Derryfield Today – Winter 2005

CONGRATULATIONS

alumni slated to begin work as an Assistant District Attorney for Suffolk County very soon. He also serves on the board of directors for the Catholic Order of Foresters (insurance) and the New England Credit Union Heritage Foundation and still resides in the Beacon Hill area of Boston. Congrat‑ ulations to Jonathan Kfoury, who has recently been engaged to Elena Gadient. They will be busy in 2005 planning their wedding. n Ellie Cochran ’69 reported that Jamie Sidore and his wife had a baby, Maxwell (Max), three months ago. They are living in Reading, MA.

1995 Scott McAuliffe and Theresa Daniels were married on September 25, 2004. n Jessica Oas is engaged to Eric Valen‑ tine, and an August 28, 2005, wedding is scheduled. Anne Bickford ’95 will be Jess’s maid of honor, Kim Mueller a bridesmaid, and Dan Oas ’96 and Clinton Oas ’06 groomsmen.

1996 Ellie Cochran ’69 reports that Kate Shaka was hired by Special Olympics NH as their new special events coordi‑ nator. n Rebecca Jones was married on September 5, 2004, to Keith Martin in Orleans on Cape Cod. About 25 Derryfield alumni returned for the fes‑ tivities. n Faculty member Andy Moerlein reported seeing Todd

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Hamilton when he was out for Valentine’s Day dinner. Todd is a bar‑ tender at Concord’s fast establishing Barley House on Main Street. He fin‑ ished college in California and is living in the Concord area. n Brian Stewart writes, “Hi‑ho. I live. And I’m curious what honey pots you’re all sticking your muzzles in. Only one year until the 10th Anniversary of our gradua‑ tion. I wonder who will show up? I wonder who will know what I know about knowing what they know? I’m at work now. This is my fourth job since last time we spent a few minutes going over the contents of my skull. Rather than be cool and leave you all guess‑ ing, I’m here to say I live in New York. Did you know Don has a cat? Can you even imagine that? I’ll save the life’s story for the reunion so we have some‑ thing to actually talk about. That is, if I haven’t signed my life away to head up a deep sea exploration by then.” n Jared Silverstein reports, “I am intern‑ ing at Childrens’ Floating Hospital at New England Medical Center in Boston. My future wife (the wedding is in June 2005) will be graduating Tufts Medical School in May. I graduated Tufts Medical School last May.”

parents

To David Tyrie ’83 and his wife, Sally, a daughter, Reese, in 2004. To Cathleen Grotton Craven ’87 and her husband, Ricky, a daughter, Lydia Cathleen, on February 10, 2005. To Alexandra Terninko ’88 and her husband, Ben, a daughter, Xxxxx Xxxxxx, on Friday, March 18, 2005. To Christopher Koerber ’89 and his wife, Amy, a daughter, Sierra Eve Koerber Marx, in June 2004. To Kimberly Knight Ellington ’90 and her husband, Derek, a daughter, Danielle Elizabeth, on August 27, 2004 James Sidore ’94 and his wife, Jessica, a son, Maxwell Louis, on November 23, 2004. To Jed Cahill ’97 and Katy Reis Cahill ’97, a son, Rowen James, on February 12, 2005. To faculty member Derek Lautieri and his wife, Erin, a son, Tyler James, on December 24, 2004.

CELEBRATING

alumni

weddings Melanie Fillios ’92 to Andrew Howell on October 14, 2004, in Scapperia, Italy. Scott McAuliffe ’95 to Theresa Daniels on September 25, 2004.

1997

Rebecca Jones ’96 to Keith Martin on September 5, 2004, in Orleans, MA.

T Coviello reports, “Up until about two weeks ago, I was working in Senator John Kerry’s Senate office in Washington, DC, and going to law school at The George Washington

Gerard Murphy ’98 to Elizabeth Kay on December 31, 2004, in Topsfield, MA.

continued on page 30...

LIFE AFTER DERRYFIELD

e have a hotel in London at the edge of Kensington Gardens… It doesn’t have quite the same resonance as “I had a farm in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills.” But we probably know as much about farming coffee as we do about running a hotel. Despite that minor handicap, the Britannia Court Hotel is thriving. Our guests are from every‑ where. Tonight, for example, we have Mongolians, Australians, Japanese, Norwegians, Italians, South Africans, Greeks, and Egyptians. Although we’ve decided that we should call it a Budget Boutique Hotel, that’s about as far as our marketing strategy has gone. Even the website is still unfinished, as we have been unable to decide who our target guests should be. We’ve thought about aiming for Chinese artists, then dog owners, aca‑ demics, Japanese tourists, and back to the Chinese. Marketing is something we have to figure out. Besides, our favorite types of people change from day to day. Sometimes it’s Swedes, sometimes Aussies, sometimes Russians – it depends a lot on who we like that day. Some of our guests are quite extraordinary. We’ve had Russian opera singers, Nigerian politicians, Mongolian hip hop artists, Greek judges, Australian mayors, Irish histo‑ rians, and even a Swiss‑Cameroonian economist. It’s just a matter of time before we have Inuits from Botswana. The handful of Americans we have had are amazingly demanding. We’ve developed a technique for dealing with them, which we call Aggressive

Distinguished company on the balcony of Britannia Court.

Budget Boutique by Naomi Turner VanderWolk ’74 and Jeff VanderWolk ’74 Five years after a move from Hong Kong to London, Naomi Turner VanderWolk ’74 and Jeff VanderWolk ’74 bought a townhouse hotel in London and have been working on its refurbishment while keeping it run‑ ning as an operating hotel. The Britannia Court is a 15‑room town‑ house situated on the north side of Kensington Gardens, one block east of Queensway. Jeff has since taken up a trans‑Atlantic commute, having been appointed Special Counsel in the IRS Office of Chief Counsel in

Washington, DC. He works on interna‑ tional corporate tax matters. The VanderWolks took a moment to enter‑ tain us with the trials and tribulations of starting from scratch in the hospital‑ ity industry.

“...we probably know as much about farming coffee as we do about running a hotel.”

Derryfield Today – Winter 2005

LIFE AFTER DERRYFIELD

Contrition. We ruthlessly and aggres‑ sively tell our complaining guests that we are hopelessly incompetent, wholly unprofessional, and totally clueless. We try and beat them to the kill. The goal is to get them defending the hotel and trying to persuade us that we really are not quite as incompetent as we make ourselves out to be. We had a victory the other night when one of our American guests was berating us for not telling him he should bring a sweater to London. After using our Aggressive Contrition technique on Jeff with the resident dog outside Britannia Court.

him, he ended up telling us he was going to recommend the hotel to all his friends. What distinguishes the Britannia Court from other hotels? Well, we are probably the only hotel in London, maybe the world, to have our own poet in residence: Elvis McGonagall, a poet from Perth who wrote a poem for the hotel. Elvis has just won the UK title for best slam poet. If we had phones in the rooms, you could in the‑ ory dial nine for poet and get a poem delivered by room service. We also have a historian in residence, a film‑ maker in residence, and a writer in res‑ idence. We even have a resident dog. Our tolerance for people’s idiosyn‑ crasies has grown. At the same time we expect that the guest has a small responsibility to entertain us, and in return we will treat them as family. How has it changed us? Well, we will never stay in a hotel again without making the bed. Chambermaids are immeasurably grateful for those guests who do not make their work harder. It’s also made us appreciate how diffi‑ cult it can be for people who are desperate to see so much and yet not know the language, the transport sys‑ tem, where to eat, etc. Seeing how exhausted our guests sometimes are from running around all day, hunting and gathering information, transporta‑ tion, food, and the like, I feel sorry that all I can offer them on their return is a comfortable bed and a cup of tea with cookies.

I don’t stay at The Waldorf I don’t sleep at The Savoy I don’t care for The Hyatt I don’t like The Oberoi Raffles simply baffles Fawlty Towers is the pits The Holiday Inn is out, out, out I’m putting off the Ritz I don’t wanna go to Chelsea To that boho-ho hotel I refuse to wear a shower-cap In the Bates Motel Four Seasons? No! No,no,no! Malmaison? Non merci! Gleneagles? Stick it up yer kilt! The Dorchester? Phooey! I will not, cannot live it up At The Hotel California I won’t book a room at Claridges Or a suite at The Astoria Radisson, Ramada Marriott and Mandarin Sheraton and Shangri-La Check-out but don’t check-in Don’t go Intercontinental Bypass five-star-struck Park Lane One shouldn’t be impressed by the trouser-press Recommended by the Hilton chain Who gives two hoots for Caesar’s Palace? Tu-whit tu-whoo Brute? A mini-bar at The Peninsula Is terribly passe Best Western and Great Eastern They’re both a last resort There’s only one hotel for me And that’s Britannia Court So let’s sing ‘Rule Britannia,’ Britannia waives each rule God save the Queensway hostelry The reigning king of cool!

-by Elvis McGonagall, poet-in-occasional-residence

www.derryfield.org

U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

The Black Rhino Derryfield alumni gathered for drinks at The Black Rhino in Boston on the evening of Wednesday, March 9th. Aside from catching up with former classmates, attendees had the opportunity to win Red Sox tickets as part of a Derryfield raffle. Keep an eye out for future events.

Amanda Fiedler ’97, Kate Davis ’99, and Stacey Starner ’99.

...continued from page 27

University Law School part‑time. My job title in Senator Kerry’s office was Legislative Correspondent. I recently transferred to the full time program at George Washington.” n Jed Cahill and Katy Reis Cahill welcomed Rowen James Cahill on February 12, 2005. He was 6.5 punds and 19 inches long. n Katherine Stanley writes, “Hi, class of ’97. After three years in Arizona with Teach for America, I am now living in San José, Costa Rica, and working as a reporter (with politics and education as my primary beats). It’s an amazing place to live, but with plenty of corruption, scandals, and other intrigue to keep me busy. Hope you’re all doing well... if anyone drops by on vacation, let me know!”

1998 Faculty member Andy Moerlein talking with Alex Moerlein ’01 and Chris Norwood ’99.

Steve Sideris ’00 and Zach Learner ’00.

Gerard Murphy was married on New Year’s Eve to Elizabeth Kay. He has plenty of news to report on his class‑ mates: Andy Young and his wife, Robin, have just bought their first home in Fitchburg, MA. Dana Green is working at Shearman & Sterling in New York City as an intern. She hangs out with many friends at the United Nations. Nate Wicklow has just moved into an apartment in Wellesley, MA, and is working for a Boston‑based property management company. Peter White has graduated from Bucknell and has moved into an apartment in Pittsburgh, PA. He plays in several Ultimate Frisbee tournaments a year.

Derryfield Today – Winter 2005

U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

1999

2001

2002

Daniel Levenson writes, “I celebrated the one‑year anniversary of my gradu‑ ation from Cornell yesterday by announcing my resignation from my job in New York City. I have been offered and accepted an English teach‑ ing job in Valladolid, Spain. I have wanted to do this since high school, and now it seems the time is right. I move in early January. I will miss New York and my friends here, but this opportunity is too good to pass up.”

Dianne Connolly reports that Rebecca Connolly is excited to have accepted a job at Morgan Stanley in New York City starting on June 25, 2005. Dianne also noted that Stephanie Wallace has accepted a job at Ernst and Young in New York City to start following her May graduation from Fairfield University.

Jamie Feinberg writes, “I’ve accelerat‑ ed at Smith College and will graduate with a music major in the spring. In my last semester, I’m both directing and musically directing the show Songs For A New World.”

2000 Ellie Cochran ’69 reports, Steve Sideris is living in Boston with Zach Learner, and working for Ernst and Young in their tax department. Ellie also reported that Brinie Dunlap has been accepted at Northeastern for law school and is waiting to hear from her other choices. n Faculty member Paul Keiner reports that John Butler is in his first year at Tulane law school. n Laura Hunter writes, “Hey Derryfield! Just a quick note to say hi. Clare McCallum and I just moved to Somerville, MA, near Davis Square about four weeks ago, and life is great. Anyone can reach me through e‑mail (hunterl@dickinson.edu) and we can grab a cup of coffee, or half a dozen martinis; whatever!”

2003 Kate Davison earned a silver medal at the annual World Indoor Rowing Championships in Boston on Sunday,

SAVE THE DATE!

reunion

information

Reunion will be held for the classes of 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995 and 2000 on September 30 and October 1, 2005. This year, in honor of our 40th Anniversary, we will be combining many events that will allow alumni, students, parents, and friends to take part in the celebration for Derryfield. Please join us for a reception on Friday night and then return on Saturday to cheer for the Cougars on the play‑ ing fields and to attend Country Fair! On Saturday evening, there will be a gala event to celebrate 40 years of “preparing students to excel... in life.” Individual class events will be held off‑site following the event. The following is a list of reunion chairs: 1970 Martha VanderWolk (mvanderwolk@earthlink.net) 1985 Cathy Thomas Kaplan (kaplan4@comcast.net) 1990 Kim Knight Ellington (kim@ellington.net) 2000 Laura Hunter (lhunter@dickinson.edu), Morgan Melkonian (melky20@hotmail.com), and Lori Evans (evans_lori@hotmail.com) We are still seeking reunion chairs for the classes of 1975, 1980 and 1995. If you are interested in helping to plan your reunion, please contact Tracey Perkins in the Alumni Office at 603.669.4524, ext. 136 or at tperkins@derryfield.org.

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U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

February 13, 2005, finishing second among Collegiate women with her per‑ sonal best time of 6:57.3 for the 2000 meter race. Only Olympian Caryn Davies bested our Derryfield crew vet‑ eran. Kate is training for her sopho‑ more spring at Dartmouth College. n Stephanie Fiebrink is spending the spring semester studying engineering in Dresden, Germany.

2004 Class Correspondent: Joe Guerra joeskjmusic@yahoo.com

Cara Bishop’s father reports that Cara made the Dean’s List at Hobart William Smith College. n Shalini Patel wrote from Syracuse University, “I’m having a blast making art and hopefully pur‑ suing a major in communications design. So far this semester, I have my own radio show, and have been cast in a musical made up of freshman non‑ drama‑majors.” n Michael Moran

writes, “From the academics to the social scene, living in Philadelphia has been full of new and exciting experi‑ ences. I have had a great time here so far and I’ve enjoyed meeting so many new people. I will admit though that many times in one of my 100+ student lecture halls I’ve longed to be back in one of the tiny classrooms at Derryfield. On a completely unrelated note, I’m currently pledging the fraternity Alpha Chi Rho, which includes Derryfield alumnus Ben Kaplan ‘01, who is now a senior. The Derryfield presence on campus is small but strong.” n Drew Moerlein is riding in the AIDS/ LifeCycle benefit ride this summer in California. From June 5th through 11th, he is joining 2,000 other riders on a seven‑day, 585 mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. His goal is to raise money towards stopping the world pandemic of AIDS and HIV infection. He also hopes to raise aware‑ ness of the threat AIDS and HIV continue to pose to our world’s popula‑

Gerard Murphy ’98 and his wife, Elizabeth, on their wedding day.

tion. Donations are welcome and can be made online in Drew’s name at www.aidslifecycle.org/5903.

Former Faculty Nancy Boettiger writes, “I’m having a wonderful time in retirement, and have kept busy with friends and family, and two stimulating jobs – Director of the Chocorua Public Library and a consul‑ tant with Gregory Floyd & Associates. I’m a Trustee of the Sandwich Library, and a volunteer with the local outdoor club, and an enthusiastic piano student. I think of you all often and fondly.” n Bryan Duff writes, “Talk about home‑ sick! Hardly a day passes that I do not think fondly, wistfully of teaching at Derryfield. I miss you guys and hope to see you at commencement in 2006. I told this year’s juniors that if they don’t invite me, I will show up in a counter‑ feit cougar costume and crash their party!”

(Left to Right): Nate Wicklow ’98, Tim Sidore ’98, and Andy Young ’98 giving an inappropriate, but very funny, toast to the couple at the wedding of Gerard Murphy ’98 to Elizabeth Kay on New Year’s Eve 2004.

Derryfield Today – Winter 2005

T H E D E R R Y F I E L D S C H O O L 2 0 0 5 D I S T I N G U I S H E D A L U M N I AWA R D

profile

Alumni

Richard Sigel ’81: Perennial Public Servant ich Sigel has dedicated his life to serving the citizens of the State of New Hampshire by impacting political and social change in the community, earning him recogni‑ tion as The Derryfield School 2005 Distinguished Alumnus. He was the son of Derryfield Founders, Saul Sigel and Selma Deitch Sigel, two active community members with a vested interest in the future of The Derryfield School, and later, Summerbridge Manchester. His mother was also a children’s health advocate and founder of Child Health Services. Rich Sigel has clearly taken the example set by his parents and become a distinguished public servant in New Hampshire and United States politics. During his six years at Derryfield, Sigel actively developed his leadership skills, serving as President of the school government for two years and taking an active interest in mentoring younger students. He was inducted into the National Honor Society his sophomore year and received the R. Philip Hugny Award, as well as the alumni and rotary awards, and community awards in drama and service his senior year. Chuck Sanborn remembers Sigel’s curiosity and interest in politics as his

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class explored U.S. History. “His mind was always working, inquiring, and searching. It is not surprising to me that he is doing what he is doing today, and doing it so well.” After graduating from Derryfield in 1981, Sigel went on to study at Tufts University. While pursuing a major in political science, he was actively involved in the political process, serv‑ ing on the McEachern for Governor staff. Sigel worked again for McEachern after graduating from Tufts, and later staffed the presidential campaigns of Gary Hart and Mike Dukakis. He received his JD from George Washington University Law School in 1992, and spent three years as an asso‑ ciate attorney with Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering in Washington, D.C., special‑ izing in securities enforcement litiga‑ tion. Sigel returned home to New Hampshire in 1995 to practice law with Devine Millimet, but took a leave in 1996 when Jeanne Shaheen asked him to manage her campaign for governor. Sigel continued to work for Shaheen as chief of staff for six years, and then as manager of her 2002 senatorial cam‑ paign. Sigel returned to the law in 2003, working as attorney of counsel at Shaheen & Gordon, P.C.

Rich Sigel speaking about his mother, Selma Deitch Sigel, at a spring assembly in 2004.

Sigel served as the chief architect of and senior advisor to John Lynch’s 2004 campaign for Governor. Upon Lynch’s election, Sigel was named chief of staff, because, in his words, “Rich brings a passion to public service, along with deep understanding of state govern‑ ment and the political process. He shares my love for New Hampshire and commitment to making progress for the people of our state.” Sigel lives in Manchester with his wife, Sarah, and their two children, Anna (9) and Eliza (6). He will be presented with the 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award during Founders’ Day on April 15, 2005.

Dodgeball! Trevor Mathes â&#x20AC;&#x2122;05 takes a shot at his white opponents in a lively game of dodgeball during Winter Carnival.

Parents of alumni: If your son or daughter no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Advancement Office at 603.669.4524 of the correct mailing address. Thank you.

2108 River Road Manchester, NH 03104-1396 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID MANCHESTER, NH PERMIT NO. 290