Fall/Winter 2017 by BB&N

Fall/Winter 2017

bulletin

(page 2)

bulletin Fall/Winter 2017

Events Calendar Ja nu ar y

Community News

Incoming Head of School for 2018-19 visits BB&N, Saturday Knight Lights, New Master Teacher Chairs Announced, Fall Sports, Bivouac, and more

Features We Got Next: Four Alumni/ae Under the Age of 30 Poised for Success Ellis ’11: Weathering the storm as a 16 Lindsay young reporter

Thursday, January 11 BB&N in Boston Reception

Boelitz ’08: Diving into the 20 Luke documentary business

Fe br u a r y

Lewis ’06: Resident DJ takes her 22 Tiana talents to Pandora streaming music service

Monday, February 12 BB&N in Los Angeles - Eastside Reception

Simpson ’13: A young inventor 24 Ryan considers the next step

Tuesday, February 13 BB&N in Los Angeles - Westside Reception Thursday, February 15 BB&N in San Francisco Reception

A pr i l Tuesday, April 17 BB&N in Washington D.C. Reception Thursday, April 19 BB&N in New York Reception

May Saturday, May 5 Circus Lower School Campus, Cambridge Friday, May 11- Sunday, May 13 BB&N Strawberry Night & Reunion Weekend Upper School Campus and Harvard Square, Cambridge For more information about alumni/ae events and programs, visit www.bbns.org/alumni For more information about School events, visit www.bbns.org/news-events NOTE TO PARENTS OF ALUMNI/AE: If this Bulletin was sent to your daughter or son and they have updated contact information, please send us their new address and email. Thank you! Please send updates to: alumni_programs@bbns.org or Alumni/ae Programs, Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, 80 Gerry’s Landing Road, Cambridge, MA 02138

Advancing Our Mission Parents Kick Off the Year, 26 Senior BB&N Fund Set to Make an Impact, BB&N 1974 Leadership Society Celebration

Alumni/ae News & Notes

30 34 Golden Alumni/ae Luncheon 54 NYC Art Weekend to the City Boston 58 Welcome and New York Events Alumni/ae News and Notes

62 BB&N at the Head of the Charles 66 Milestones

Director of Communications Joe Clifford, Editor Associate Director of Communications Andrew Fletcher, Senior Editor Communications and Website Coordinator Hadley Kyle, Editor Contributing Writers Whitney Dayton Brunet Joe Clifford Cecily Craighill Davis Peter DeMarco Kelly Fantegrossi Andrew Fletcher Sharon Krauss Janet Rosen Audrey Wallace Contributing Editors Cecily Craighill Davis Kate Radlauer Janet Rosen Tracy Rosette Katie Small Alumni/ae News & Notes Cecily Craighill Davis Kate Radlauer Tracy Rosette Design & Production Nanci Booth www.nancibooth.com 781-301-1733 Photography/Artwork/Design Andrew Fletcher Sharon Krauss Eric Nordberg ’88 Shawn Read Joshua Touster Adam Richins Stephen Yang

Board of Trustees, 2017-2018 Officers Bracebridge Young Jr., Chair Charles A. Brizius, Vice Chair Erica Gervais Pappendick, Vice Chair Bob Higgins, Vice Chair/Treasurer Members Leslie Ahlstrand ’08 Jeff Barber James T. Berylson ’00 Agnes Bundy Scanlan Tim Cohen Karen Donovan Diala Ezzeddine Mary Beth Gordon Christtine Gross-Loh Jason P. Hafler ’00 Katherine Kargman Holden ’01 Freddie Jacobs Kenneth W. Lang Peter K. Levitt ’84 Bridget Terry Long Tristin Mannion Stevie Olson Leslie Riedel Emma Sagan ’10 Matthew Sidman ’90 Stephen Spaloss Janet M. Storella ’74 David J. Thompson ’85 Charlotte Wagner Fan Wu ’98 Head of School Rebecca T. Upham Front Cover:

Luke Boelitz ’08 shooting with his Mamiya RZ67 camera in Brooklyn, NY. (Photography courtesy of Maxine Builder) Correction: In the last edition of the Bulletin, faculty emerita Kathy Dorkin’s book recommendation on page 88 should have been, The Rational Optimist, by Matt Ridley. Correspondence may be sent to: Office of Alumni/ae Programs (alumni_programs@bbns.org or 617-800-2721) or the Office of Communications (communications@bbns.org or 617-800-2403), 80 Gerry’s Landing Road Cambridge, MA 02138-5512

: FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT

www.bbns.org

Community News 1

Incoming Head Dr. Jennifer Price Visits Campuses

The BB&N Board of Trustees announced in September that Dr. Jennifer Price will become the fourth Head of School beginning in July 2018. Price was unanimously appointed by the Board to succeed Rebecca T. Upham, who will complete a lauded 17-year tenure at the end of this school year.

PICTURED:

x 1 x Dr. Price answers a question from Jaden Young ’21 during her visit.

x 2 x Head of School Rebecca T. Upham and Dr. Price share a laugh during Price’s visit.

x 3 x Third Grader

Antonio Santos used Dr. Price’s visit as an opportunity to ask about her plans for BB&N next year.

During a visit to BB&N on Friday, September 22nd, Dr. Price was welcomed by students and faculty from all three campuses. She relished the opportunity to address the community, especially the students, from whom she fielded a range of questions including, how she started in education and which of the BB&N motto’s three core values is her favorite. Price also stressed her belief in the essential role a Head of School plays in establishing and maintaining a strong community.

Price earned her bachelor’s degree in public policy from Princeton University, her master’s in educational administration from Boston College, and a doctorate of education from Harvard University. Speaking to students and faculty, Head of School Selection Committee Chair Jason Hafler ’00 noted the exceptional fit that the committee recognized between Dr. Price and BB&N.

“Frankly, the most important things that happen in school every day happen in classrooms, offices, and fields between students and their teachers, counselors, and coaches,” Price said. “Yet, I want to push on why this moment is important to BB&N… the Head of School is instrumental in fostering a community. In a time in our nation’s history when community could not be more important, my job will be to nurture, support, strengthen, and even expand our sense of community.” Dr. Price will join BB&N after serving in an impressive array of leadership and teaching positions. She currently serves as Superintendent of North Andover Public Schools, overseeing eight schools and 4,800 students. Prior to that, Price served for nine years as the principal of Newton North High School, four years as a housemaster at Lincoln-Sudbury High School, and

in the late ’90s taught history and coached softball and field hockey at Maynard High School.

“The search committee has worked incredibly hard over the past months, listening to the community and learning what we were looking for in a next Head of School. After meeting all these candidates, I’m delighted to say that we have found the right person to lead the next chapter of our great school’s history.” In a September 22 letter to the community, Hafler and Board of Trustees Chair, Bracebridge H. Young Jr., hailed Price’s qualifications and spoke to the selection process that brought her to BB&N.

“Everyone who met Jen during our search process was struck by her collaborative nature, her strategic expertise, her charisma, and her passion for fostering environments where students and teachers can thrive,” Young and Hafler wrote. “Moreover, she is able to merge that compassionate human touch with a data-driven, strategic leadership philosophy—a combination that has made an outstanding impact on every school and system she has been involved with during her 23-year career in education.” Dr. Price will begin her tenure on July 1st, 2018.

Community News BB&N Shines at Saturday Knight Lights Family Fall Festival Alums, students from all three campuses, and parents gathered this fall for an evening under the lights. Featuring food trucks, family entertainment, and the football team’s 42-12 drubbing of Tabor Academy, the community came alive beneath the glow of the lights on Nichols Field. See below for a taste of the action.

2 2

3 PICTURED

x 1 x Ben Ross ’18 fires up the crowd. x 2 x Head of School Rebecca T. Upham

4 4

and her dog Leo enjoy the festivities. x 3 x Mike Bulman ’18 takes the field. x 4 x Keesha Theodore ’21 helps out with some face painting. x 5 x BB&N students of all ages enjoyed the myriad activites. x 6 x Nyla Tennermann ’31 embraces the spirit of the day. x 7 x Zach Cyr ’19 takes the handoff.

7 5

Community News Sophomore Mia Bawendi Ascends to Top 10 at Climbing Worlds by Sharon Krauss

Once you know sophomore Mia Bawendi ’20 at all, it will strike you as utterly fitting that she has a couple of pet geckos, lizards known for deftly climbing even the smoothest of walls. Using some “holds” for hands and feet, Mia herself can scale a 15-meter wall (by comparison, 40 percent taller than a telephone pole) in under 10 seconds. As the reigning national champ in her age division for speed rock climbing, Mia raced for Team U.S.A. at the International Federation of Sport Climbing Youth World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria, at summer’s end. Of the 77 girls competing in the Youth B (those born in 2002 and 2003) Speed Championship, Mia finished ninth overall in the world. Although her time, 9.95 seconds, was actually fourth fastest of the top 16, a tough pairing against Daria Potapova of Russia, who went on to win silver, eliminated Mia in that punishing knockout round, which pits two competitors against one another, not against the clock. In that final group of competitors— including six Russians, two Italians, one Ukrainian, one Korean, one Czech, one Iranian, and one French climber—Mia had the fastest time of the three Americans, though one placed higher in the final standings, thanks to a more favorable pairing. “I am extremely happy to have finished the competition with a clean run,” Mia says, “and I can’t wait go back next year.” Mia earned her berth at the Worlds by winning the National Speed Rock Climbing Championship, held in Kennesaw, Georgia, in July. The top four there qualified for the Worlds and also for the PanAmerican Youth Climbing Championships in Montreal, Canada, where Mia will chalk up her hands in early November.

Mia Bawendi ’20 at the Climbing Worlds in Austria (photo by Becca Saag)

In Austria, her first time competing in a global arena, Mia enjoyed being part of the small community of athletes united by their common interests and abilities, despite their disparate backgrounds. “It’s pretty cool because we’re really not different at all—we’re going through the same things,” she says. “Everyone was really friendly.” In the qualifying round, she was paired with a girl from Great Britain. “We were both kind of nervous, so we were talking a lot in line.” Mia got a kick out of trading jerseys and sweatshirts, a tradition among competitors. “I have a French jersey, and one from Great Britain, and a Russian long-sleeved shirt,” she says. She even drew on her French classes in the process: “I was going to trade my jersey with someone and had to figure out

where she was, so I went up to the French team and asked,” she says, smiling. Mia also appreciated learning about the disparity in resources and training conditions among the different countries. “Russia has schools just for speed climbing, and then I was talking with people from South Africa, and they don’t even have a speed wall in their country—and this is the first year they went to the Worlds because they got funding,” she says. Although Mia has also competed in other climbing events that aren’t scored by time, speed appears to be in her genetic makeup; she has proven herself a talented runner, too, on BB&N’s fall and spring teams. “I think that being a runner actually helps a lot with speed climbing because it’s just basically running—up,” Mia says with a laugh. “On the wall, you have to just keep pushing down with your legs. It’s basically more about legs than arms, so I think that cross country and especially sprinting for track really help me with that.” It also helps that Mia apparently has an aptitude for the sport’s mental component, which requires in the climber a good sense of spatial relations when she’s contemplating possible routes up the wall’s holds. “I think it’s really fun to figure out the fastest way to climb it—because there are multiple ways.” At Central Rock Gym in Watertown, where she started rock climbing four years ago, she practices with her coach on a wall designed exactly like the wall competitors will confront at an upcoming championship. Mia has discovered that several of the skills climbing has taught her also have valuable application in other parts of her life. “I’ve learned that to succeed at something, you have to be really focused, to stick with it, and to train really hard. Sometimes it’s kind of boring to do the same thing over and over again,” she says, but she’s motivated by her efforts and accomplishments. “If you get a new best time, it’s really rewarding. Or when you have a perfect run, when you don’t slip at all, it’s really fun.” Next year, when Mia turns 16, she will be competing in the lower tier of a new age bracket, so she expects that “will be a lot harder.” Her goals include making the national team once again and bettering her personal best, which is now 9.87 seconds. Until then, you can bet that Mia will continue to make great strides—and swiftly, too—on both vertical and horizontal planes. (Editor’s Note: As this issue went to press, we learned that Bawendi recently bested an international field to become the speed climbing champion in her age bracket at the PanAmerican Youth Championship in Montreal, Canada.)

Community News BB&N Welcomes New Trustees for the 2017-2018 Year Karen Donovan P’18, ’20 Parents’ Association President Karen and husband Doran reside in Arlington with son Trevor ’18 and daughter Elise ’20. Karen is a Principal with MedPharma Partners LLC, a biopharmaceutical and healthcare consulting firm. She has volunteered extensively in both the MS and the US.

Celebrated poet Naomi Shihab Nye with Middle School art work inspired by her poetry.

Award-Winning Poet Visits BB&N Speaking to both Upper and Middle School students at separate assemblies, celebrated poet and writer Naomi Shihab Nye visited BB&N the week of September 25th. Born to a Palestinian father and an American mother with German roots, Shihab Nye is often noted for her exploration of cultural differences in her works, but in her dialogue with students, the acclaimed poet focused on the power and form of the medium as much as the literal content. Shihab Nye read a variety of her works, many anecdotal, stressing how an examination of a moment in time can lead to incredible insight. And she pointed out that inspiration often comes from simply “paying attention” and “respecting the little things and ideas” that are encountered every day. A recitation of one poem, “How to Paint a Donkey,” illustrated a moment in fourth grade when Shihab Nye discovered that an art teacher had been using her painting of a donkey as an example of how not to make art. The poem turns on an empowering moment when an embarrassed and sad little girl crumples up her painting, deemed unrealistically large, and throws it into the wastebasket, only to realize: “Maybe this is what I unfold in the dark, deciding for the rest of my life, that donkey was just the right size.” Moments like this seemed to resonate with Middle School students, who welcomed the opportunity to ask questions and partake in a poetry workshop with the writer later in the day. In the workshop, or “playshop” as Shihab Nye termed it, she encouraged students to write down three small observations each day, pointing out that by month’s end, “You will have 90 moments that will give you insight into the rich tapestry of your life.” As much as students enjoyed Shihab Nye’s visit, the admiration was mutual. The poet was deeply moved by a series of Middle School art pieces inspired by Shihab Nye’s work. “I wish I could take these home with me!” she exclaimed to Middle School librarian Beth Brooks during her visit.

Christine Gross-Loh P’19, ’21, ’25, ’28 Christine and husband David reside in Cambridge with children Anna ’28, Mia ’24, Daniel ’21, and Ben ’19. Christine is a journalist and author focusing on issues in education and global parenting. She has been published in The Atlantic, The Guardian, and VOX. She is the author of: The Path, What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us About the Good Life, and Parenting Without Borders: Surprising Things Parents Around the World Can Teach Us. Kathryn Kargman Holden ’01 Chair, BB&N Alumni/ae Council Kathryn resides in Boston where, following law and business schools, she has joined her family’s real estate business. She previously was a member of the Iraqi Women’s Democracy Initiative. As a BB&N volunteer she is Chair of the Alumni/ae Council, has served as a co-chair for her 10th-year class reunion, and was a member of her 15th-year reunion committee. Her husband, Richmond Holden III, graduated BB&N in 2001.

Freddie Jacobs P’15, ’17 Freddie resides in Boston with his wife Nikki. Daughter Lauryn ’17 is a freshman at Providence College, and son Nicholas ’15 is at Tufts University. For three years, Freddie has served as the co-chair of the BB&N Multicultural Parent Alliance (MPA), a Parents Association Group. Freddie is a Vice President with Northeast Retirement Services. Tristin Mannion P’16, ’22 Tristin resides in Boston with husband Marty. Her daughter Lily ’16 is at Princeton University and daughter Natalie joined BB&N’s 8th grade this year. Tristin is a Trustee at Phillips Academy Andover, Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art, and Strategic Grant Partners. She also serves on the Board of Dean Advisors at Harvard Business School. She is an attorney. Emma Sagan ’10, Young Alumna Trustee Emma resides in Washington, D.C. She is a Principal Product Manager for Capital One Labs, where she leads a team of designers, engineers, and analysts. She is a 2014 graduate of Stanford University, where she earned a Stanford Award of Excellence. In 2016 Emma was a speaker at SXSW and the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. While at BB&N she was awarded both the Head’s Citizenship Prize and the Walters Science Prize, was the photo editor of The Vanguard, played varsity soccer and ice hockey, and

participated in the Robotics Club. She was a member of her BB&N 5th-year Reunion Committee. Matthew Sidman ’90, P’22, ’24, ’25 Matthew resides in Boston with wife Lori and children Lily ’22, Ethan ’24, and Dany ’25. He is the managing partner and CIO of Three Bays Capital. Matthew previously served on the BB&N Board from 2006-2012. During that time, he was on the BB&N Trustee Executive Committee as chair of the Facilities and Real Estate Committee. He also served on the Investment, Fundraising, and Diversity/ Education Committees. Additionally, Matthew served on the BB&N Opening Minds Campaign Steering Committee. Matthew has also served as a BB&N Fund and Reunion volunteer. Stephen Spaloss P’24 Stephen resides in Dorchester with wife Lisa Fortenberry-Spaloss and son Malik ’24. He is an Executive Director of City Year (Regional VP) and was a member of the City Year Boston Corps as a youth. Stephen was a parent representative to BB&N’s Financial Aid Summit, is Co-Chair of the BB&N Parents of Black & Latino/Hispanic Student Alliance (PBLSA), and is incoming co-chair of the BB&N Multicultural Parent Alliance.

Middle School Artists Display Sculpture in Cambridge Park Pedestrians in Cambridge this October may have noticed a change in their neighborhood. Affixed to the wrought iron fence that surrounds Central Square’s Sonnet Park stood a four-foot tall and 24-foot long sculpture, courtesy of Middle School students and art teacher Sasha Bergmann. The sculpture, a giant plywood rendering of the word “EMPATHY” was assembled, painted, and lovingly adorned in old shoes by students, with the intent of reminding viewers to “walk through life with empathy.” “The idea was inspired by the quote, ‘Don’t judge a person before you walk a mile in their shoes,’” says Bergmann, who conceived and oversaw the project. Begun last spring, and completed this fall, the art piece was made possible by a BB&N Urban Connections Grant, which supports collaborations between the School and the surrounding urban communities in the greater Boston area. At the public installation of the art work on a windy October morning, nine Middle Schoolers smiled proudly as Middle School Director Mary Dolbear and Bergmann helped them erect the sculpture. The work stayed on display through the week of October 16, providing an aesthetic boon to the community, and hopefully, an opportunity for introspection among passersby. 8

Community News Ninth Graders Thrive at Annual Bivouac

Cabaret Night Hits All the Right Notes

In a classic harbinger of the school year, smiling BB&N ninth graders boarded buses this September and headed north for the School's 65th annual Bivouac. The 12-day wilderness immersion helps the freshmen to form bonds and glean lifelong lessons from “nature’s classroom” in the New Hampshire woods.

Ample measures of spirit, pluck, and talent were in the house as seventeen Upper School students and teachers braved the spotlight at the annual Cabaret Night in late October. Musical selections ranged from 18th-century opera sung in Italian to classic Broadway show tunes to contemporary pop and folk songs. Performances brimmed with professions of love and longing, declarations of selfworth, and dreams of success.

In addition to ropes courses, latrine digging, orienteering, and shelter building, students learn about sustainable agriculture, how to cook over an open fire, and of course...how to brave the frigid early morning swims in Silver Lake. The smiling faces upon their return proved that neither rain, being outside of their comfort zone, nor (gasp!) the lack of smartphones could curtail the resilient members of the Class of 2021.

History teacher Suzy Glazer, a classically trained soprano, treated the audience to two Broadway hits, and Chorale director Joseph Horning, who organized and hosted the popular event, opened the evening with a rousing rendition of an Oklahoma! favorite. He later performed a duet with voice teacher Adriana Repetto and provided some piano accompaniment throughout the evening, along with Valerie J. Becker P’15 and sophomore Henry Goddard.

1 PICTURED x 1 x Lana Tilke ’19 performs “Can’t Help Falling in Love” with Upper School Chorale director Joseph Horning accompanying. x 2 x Henry Goddard ’20 (on piano) accompanies Myles Nadeau-Davis ’20 in a version of “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.”

Tower Gardens Enhance First-Grade Curriculum

BB&N first graders are utilizing an exciting new piece of technology as they undertake their food study curriculum this year. Rachel Stevens, Robin Morrow, and science teacher Maria Elena Derrien have introduced three tower gardens into their classrooms this fall. The nearly six-feet tall, cylindrical planters feature a cutting-edge aeroponic growing system that allows plants to grow in an air or mist environment rather than soil.

The tower gardens will be used by students to grow cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, basil, and peppers (just to name a few), and tie into their study of how plants grow, where food comes from, and other socio-agriculture issues such as who has access to food and how the food chain can maintain sustainability. The benefits of the aeroponic system include taking up less space, using much less water, and avoiding issues of soil contamination. Students first plant seeds in rock-wool—a material made from spun minerals—then transfer the seedlings into the planter where they are fed by a slow trickle of mineral rich water and special lights. If all goes well, the young plants will be transferred to the Lower School garden this spring.

PICTURED x 1 x The infamous Bivouac climbing wall x 2 x Claudia Cortell ’21, Kimia Monzavi ’21, and Deviyani Patel ’21

4 10

x 3 x Alex Wu ’21 and Sam Rabieh ’21 x 4 x Patricia Halliday ’21 and CeCe Garvey ’21 x 5 x Nikhil Datta ’21 and Yau-Meng Wong ’21

Santiago Winter ’29 and Emily Ashton ’29 plant seedlings in their classroom tower garden.

In addition to augmenting their studies, the hope is that the tower gardens will lead to some delicious, healthy snacks for first graders later this year. Bon appetit!

3 11

Class Notes Hogan and Jamison Honored with Endowed Master Teacher Chairs Leigh Hogan has been named as the third recipient of The Jeanette Markham Master Teacher Chair, which honors the founder of The Buckingham School in 1889 who also served as its first Headmistress until 1901. The Markham Chair recognizes senior faculty for excellence in teaching and faculty leadership and acknowledges established faculty members who have made exceptionally valuable contributions to the life of the school. Hogan joins previous Markham Chair recipients Margaret Hardy ’61 and Bill Hritz. “Master Teacher” is an apt descriptor for Hogan. He has been a bedrock member of the Upper School History & Social Sciences Department since 1983, when he first started teaching at BB&N.

Now in her 18th year as a member of the Middle School English Department, Jamison is a remarkably innovative teacher. A colleague describes her as “someone who is never satisfied with the status quo, someone who is always pushing to find new, inventive ways to reach the students in her classroom.”

Hogan’s classroom was distinctly “global” in character long before globalism became in vogue in academia. He has always placed great priority on fostering discussion and the sharing of perspectives. As Upper School Director Geoff Theobald points out: “Leigh is highly valued by students for his ability to share world views and his unending desire to help students understand the world better.”

This pioneering mindset is demonstrated in Jamison’s creative use of technology as a teaching tool. In 2013, she developed a comprehensive and entertaining grammar website to assist students as a writing and grammar resource. In addition, more than a decade ago she was the brainchild of what has become one of the School’s most beloved assignments: the multimedia writing project for 7th graders known as the Radio Essay.

“‘Master Teacher’ is an apt descriptor for Hogan. He has been a bedrock member of the Upper School History & Social Sciences Department since 1983...”

Rachel Jamison has been named the third recipient of The Paideia Master Teacher Chair, which takes its name from the ancient Greek noun paideia meaning “education” or “training,” and comes from the verb paideuo, which means “to teach.” The Chair reflects the importance of the life of the mind, and the essential role that BB&N faculty play in the life of the School by training young minds for the future. Jamison joins previous Paideia Chair appointees Rob Leith and Bill Rogers.

Mr. Hogan meets students where they are. He sees them as individuals, and endeavors to be supportive and offer many opportunities for fulfillment and success. He has a calm, gentle manner but also challenges his students. Perhaps the most underrated factor contributing to Hogan’s teaching acumen is the fact that he is such an insatiably curious learner himself. He delights in developing his knowledge of global issues and history through organizations such as Primary Source. And he relishes the opportunity to jump into new teaching experiences, such as the Religious Studies course he led a few years ago. He is equally valued by his fellow faculty members. Hogan chaired the History and Social Sciences Department for seven years, from 2002 to 2009. Theobald says, “He is a trusted colleague and mentor in developing curriculum and keeping student interests always at heart.” In the past, Hogan also coached baseball and JV hockey at the Upper School. Additionally, he served as head baseball coach at his alma mater, Harvard, from 1990-1995. He had been an outstanding student-athlete for the Crimson in the mid-1970s, starring in both baseball and hockey.

Her innovative style also benefited the Middle School during the planning for its massive renovation two years ago, as she was a passionate advocate for, and tester of, exciting advances within the new classrooms on campus. She is a demanding teacher who sets a high bar for her students. In fact, for the first few weeks that students have Ms. Jamison as their teacher, they might be somewhat nervous about these expectations. However, those nerves quickly disappear when they recognize how much she really cares about them and believes in them. “In the course of any day, she’s virtually impossible for me to find,” jokes Middle School Director Mary Dolbear. “But that’s for the all right reasons—because she’s invariably tucked away in some corner on our campus, helping kids, meeting with them, offering extra help.” In addition to teaching and advising, Jamison also acts as coordinator of additional programming for the Middle School, which includes overseeing the elective program and Community Time. “Rachel is the connective tissue of so much that happens at the Middle School,” notes Mary. “She’s a tremendous resource at Sparks Street for kids and faculty alike. For the past few years, she has become an extraordinary mentor to new faculty at the School.”

“A colleague describes her as ‘someone who is never satisfied with the status quo, someone who is always pushing to find new, inventive ways to reach the students in her classroom.’”

Community News BB&N Fall Athletics Snapshots

Upper School Fall Play

BB&N athletes strutted their way to another successful season on the fields, trails, and court this fall.

Upper School students took to the stage this fall with a performance of poet Ann Carson’s Antigonick, a modern interpretation of Sophocles’ famous Greek tragedy, Antigone. Directed by Mark Lindberg, the stark, affecting production featured deep, emotional turns from all of the actors and actresses, as well as outstanding set and costume work, leaving viewers with abundant (albeit, somber) food for thought.

5 7

PICTURED x 1 x Molly Griffin ’20 works the ball downfield. x 2 x Tori Huang ’21 controls the ball during a game. x 3 x Becky Kendall ’18 rises up for a spike. x 4 x Desmond O’Mahony ’18 battles

PICTURED x 1 x Charlotte Gifford ’19 and Max Ambris ’19 x 2 x Avi Madsen ’18 and Jeremy Tang ’18 x 3 x Tayseer Chowdhury ’18 x 4 x Liam McGourty ’20 and Joe Murphy ’20 lift Rebecca Mironko ’19. x 5 x Charlotte Gifford ’19 and Cordiana Cozier ’19 x 6 x Tessa Haining ’19, Sam Moscow ’19, and Alyse Bierly ’19

defender and the weather on a run play. x 5 x Henry Parente ’18 and Harry Druker ’19 (both in blue) set the pace during a race. x 6 x Isabella Kennedy ’18 set the BB&N Fresh Pond course record this year with an outstanding time of 18:44. x 7 x Joshua Kim ’18 gets up for a header.

6 14

6 15

LINDSAY ELLIS ’11:

WEATHERING THE STORM AS A YOUNG REPORTER by Sharon Krauss Houston Chronicle reporter Lindsay Ellis ’11 had her hands full last August. The hot topic on her beat, higher education, was the debate about Confederate statues—a dispute that intensified nationwide following the deadly confrontation between white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, VA. She wrote about some Texas universities’ decisions to remove statues, as well as the University of Houston’s renaming of a dorm, and she was on scene when authorities searched the home of a man subsequently charged with planting explosives at a public-park statue of a Confederate soldier. Later that week, though, Ellis turned her attention to another big story that had been building—the impending landfall of Hurricane Harvey. On Friday, August 25, Harvey arrived, slamming the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, and although it downshifted to a tropical storm as it moved inland, over four days it would dump nearly 52 inches of rain on Houston, setting the record for a single storm in the continental U.S. The storm and associated flooding claimed 36 lives in Harris County, including Houston and its 2.3 million residents, and dozens more in the surrounding region, for a total of 82 fatalities. Damages are estimated at $180 billion. Two days before the storm hit Houston, Ellis filled a plastic-lined backpack with water bottles, some food, a change of clothes, and toiletries. In another plastic bag, she put her reporter’s notebooks and pens. Her car was gassed up and parked on a garage’s second level. She and her colleagues had been reading about previous hurricanes Houston had seen so they would know what to expect. But all that preparation didn’t quite brace her for what was to come. “On Friday night, I was starting to feel a little anxious,” she says. “On Saturday night, I heard bursts of rain hitting my windows hard every few minutes. I’d never heard thunder and seen lightning back to back so frequently and for so long.” At 6:41 Sunday morning, August 27, Chronicle managing editor Vernon Loeb emailed the staff. In part, his note read, “We are heading into a severe flooding emergency and everyone on the Chronicle editorial staff is activated. . . . Assess the roads in your community, begin reporting there and await further instructions.” Loeb would later tell a reporter for poynter.org, “Nobody covers hurricanes at this paper full-time, and now everyone is covering hurricanes at this paper full-time.” In two days, it would be a year since Ellis started working at the Chronicle as a Hearst Fellow. After graduating from Dartmouth in 2015, the two-year Fellowship took her to The (Albany, NY) Times Union, where she covered business, and then to Houston. Just a couple weeks before Harvey hit, Ellis finished her fellowship and began as a regular staffer, continuing on the higher education beat she had asked to try upon her arrival. Now, though, she put on her knee-high rubber boots, hoisted her backpack, and started walking through the flooded streets in the drenching rain.

Ellis in the newsroom of the Houston Chronicle

From 7 a.m. to noon, Ellis sloshed around her neighborhood, Tweeted photos and information about deluged streets, and listened to people’s stories. “One woman who needed medication couldn’t get inside her apartment complex,” Ellis says. “I gave her one of my bottles of water and talked to her but just didn’t know what else to do.” 16

Ellis wanted to walk to the Chronicle newsroom by 2 o’clock, the start of her regular eight-hour Sunday “cop shift,” a rite of passage for all young reporters. “You track the crime and mayhem and fires and gas leaks and basically take on whatever comes up,” Ellis explains. On this Sunday, though, she was part of a skeleton crew who could actually make it to the office. “People had been working round the clock, and I was just really happy that I could be there and take over the little stuff so that they could get some sleep and then start on the big stuff,” she says. Reporters had set up an online rolling story—relaying the latest information about roads, schools, fatalities—which Ellis then updated hourly until 6 AM Monday, while also monitoring social media for more details of people’s experiences. After a three-hour nap on the Advertising Office couch, she continued in her supporting role until 4 that afternoon.

1. Ellis in the office of BB&N’s student newspaper, The Vanguard, in 2011. She served as the editor-in-chief, a position she later held at Dartmouth’s daily newspaper. Other points along her career trajectory include internships at The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Wall Street Journal in Atlanta.

The reports from those out in the field were astounding. “All around the city,” Ellis says, “there were highwater rescues going on by city agencies and also by volunteer groups. One called the Cajun Navy was coordinating rescue calls on an app and sending civilians in boats to help people out of their homes. I was sitting at the desk, updating the feed so that readers could go to a centralized place to learn the latest.” Covering her first catastrophic weather event, the young reporter felt she had “the same mission as always but on a very, very large scale,” she says. “Our obligation as journalists is to readers—to get them accurate information in a timely manner, stories that aren’t always easy.” Ellis also found that her job mitigated the helpless, wheel-spinning feeling that she shared with so many, not knowing what Harvey’s toll would ultimately be. “It was lucky that my job provided a way for me to focus my energy and actually contribute something,” she says. Quick to praise the work of the field reporters, as well as the “amazing responses” of those who took people into their homes and helped others access services, she says, “The events have made me feel really proud of the city and proud to live here.” As the days went on, Ellis wanted to write about the storm’s effect on the campuses she covered, but each time she entered the office, Harvey’s impact had dictated a different assignment for her. “You do whatever’s needed, and you go wherever you need to go,” says Ellis. On Wednesday, August 30, she was dispatched to the recovery site of a van that on Sunday night had skidded off a flooded bridge into a swollen bayou. The driver had managed to escape and was later found clinging to a tree, but six family members—two elderly adults and four children—perished in the van. Ellis and a colleague, who had coincidentally met a relative of the family in a shelter, collaborated on that heart-wrenching story. The day before, a police officer had died in floodwaters, and she contributed to an article on his life and service. On Thursday, August 31, Ellis was sent to Crosby, where flooding had knocked out power and a now-overheated container of volatile chemicals had exploded. She and a colleague broke the story Friday morning that a “popping noise” indicated additional explosions were imminent. “Every day, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen—where I was going to be, how long I was going to be there,” says Ellis. After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, she was even sent to the island for a day to cover Houston’s donation of medical supplies and other items unused in the Harvey relief efforts. After returning to a fairly normal work routine, Ellis was very much aware that Harvey’s full effects would unveil themselves only in time. Thousands of Houstonians are still living in gutted homes or cheap hotels or with family and friends. “I felt that there needed to be a place online for people to discuss the ways the storm is still impacting their lives,” she says. So she and some colleagues created a private Facebook group that allows Chronicle readers to share their Harvey-related stories and concerns—and to access a team of local reporters who can answer questions. Ellis continues to help moderate the site and keep the discussion going, as Houston takes on post-flood problems with public services, rebuilding, and health issues.

2. Two feet of rain fell in the first 24 hours of Hurricane Harvey’s landfall. At the storm’s peak, one-third of Houston, the nation’s fourthlargest city, was underwater— and in some places, the water was eight feet deep. (Melissa Phillip/©Houston Chronicle. Used with permission.) 3. Houston Chronicle reporter Lindsay Ellis on the scene of a “special assignment” responded to by Police, the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), and the FBI. (photo by Steve Gonzales)

That desire to inform helpfully and communicate with people is the key inspiration for Ellis’ career in journalism. “At a very basic level, a more-informed society can hopefully make better decisions and can understand what’s shaping and what’s existing in the world around them. I want to be part of that,” says Ellis. “To be able to contribute to that process, I think, has always been important to me.” a

LUKE BOELITZ ’08:

Breaking into the Doc Biz by Peter DeMarco Luke Boelitz ’08 had been on a safari before, so he knew the No. 1 Rule: Never, ever, get out of the vehicle. But when one signs up to become a documentary film maker, and your assignment is to film wild rhinos being stalked by hunters, some rules are made to be broken. “We spent a lot of time out in the bush, not close to cars or any particular potential safe haven,” says Boelitz. “What we were told by the guides was that most of the rhinos were friendly…but they do occasionally charge people. In that case, you have to run up the nearest tree.” The movie Boelitz was working on is called Trophy, which takes an in-depth look at the businesses of big-game hunting and breeding in Africa. Released this September, it was nominated for best documentary at both the Sundance and South-by-Southwest film festivals, giving it an outside shot at an Oscar nomination this January. Was Boelitz chased by a rhino? No—though a fellow camera operator was charged by a buffalo. (Yes, he ran up a tree.) “To get a really exciting or outstanding piece of footage, you’re usually going to have to put yourself through a certain amount of pain,” Boelitz says. “If it were easy, everyone would do it. That’s sort of the cost of doing business.” Boelitz, 28, got into documentary films three years ago, hooking on with Brooklyn-based Reel Peak Films. Video camera in hand, he’s shadowed a fledgling hip-hop band on all-night rides from one Northeast bar to the next. He’s filmed a group of inner-city rock climbers, called the Brothers of Climbing, bent on breaking the stereotype that African-Americans aren’t into the great outdoors.

Luke Boelitz ’08 on location in Bela-Bela, South Africa gets “wild” filming the documentary, Trophy.

He’s edited footage of astronauts and cosmonauts for TIME Magazine’s documentary series “A Year in Space,” nominated for an Emmy, too. The keys to making a great documentary? Bond with your subject, Boelitz says, to the point you essentially become invisible. Have the patience to wait out the perfect shot. Lean on luck—when “the” moment happens, hopefully, your camera is on. And of course, as every filmmaker knows, there’s nothing more invaluable than a steady hand. “Adrenaline—ideally it’s very minimally part of being a photographer,” Boelitz says. “There are a lot of things you need to keep track of—getting the shots you need, having the camera pointed in the right direction, and focused. But also, there is a physical component where we want to be holding the camera steady. If your hands start to shake, or you’re breathing heavy, that’s going to show up in the final product.” Boelitz got his first camera when he was five years old, and was a regular in BB&N’s darkroom, taking photography teacher Parrish Dobson’s classes. His junior year, a BB&N alum named Rob Meyer ’94 came to the Upper School recruiting students to help with his film-school thesis project. Boelitz and a friend joined the crew, mostly fetching donuts, but gaining a valuable feel for a film set, too. 20

At Tufts University, Boelitz found a passion for photojournalism, spending a month shooting illegal day-laborers in Arizona, and a summer in South Africa, where he interned as a breaking-news photographer for the Mail & Guardian newspaper. South Africa was a trial-by-fire experience, and when Boelitz didn’t nail the shot, he heard it from his editor. “He’d say, ‘I need to feel the emotion in this. It’s too still. Too basic,’” Boelitz recalls. But being pushed to embody feeling in whatever he shot, no matter how little time he had, was the best lesson possible.

As Reel Peak was putting the finishing touches on Trophy, the director realized he was missing a vital piece of material for one of the main characters, a rhino breeder named John Hume. Boelitz and one other staffer boarded a plane back to Africa, with just two days to film the missing piece. “The day that we went out with him there are storm clouds and it’s incredibly windy. He’s out walking around outside of his truck with the rhinos—shots we sort of had to get, not a lot of second chances,” Boelitz says. “The conditions worked out to make it feel sort of haunting. You just feel a lot of emotion from the visuals. One of those moments when everything happens just right.” Boelitz joined Reel Peak as an accomplished still photographer—he shoots commercial work and weddings as well, to pay the bills— but with little documentary experience. In the past three years,

he’s worn just about every hat possible: researcher, photo editor, camera operator, producer, on-the-fly cinematographer. All the skills needed for Boelitz’s ultimate goal: directing his own documentary film. To that end, he’s struck out on his own, leaving Reel Peak in August to discover what story he most wants to tell. Whether it follows one of his passions—live music, sailing, South Africa, or even French fries—or something completely different, all Boelitz can say is, stay tuned. “I’ve always had that curiosity to understand what’s not getting said out loud. What’s between the lines,” he says. “The power of documentary film is sharing stories that need to be seen to be believed. That’s what I would hope my work communicates to the audience.” b 21

TIANA LEWIS ’06:

Resident DJ by Peter DeMarco

Tiana Lewis’ friends at BB&N were never short on music. Fail a math test, and Lewis would slip you a CD she’d burned of uplifting tunes. Get your first car, and Lewis would bring over a CD of road-trip songs. Prom night, big dates, birthdays—pretty much any occasion, Lewis says, was fodder for one of her famous mixtapes. “I was like the resident DJ,” says Lewis ’06. “It’s always been who I am.” Lewis, now 29, is still picking out songs for people—albeit, a slightly larger audience. As head of Pop programming at Pandora, an internet radio company, Lewis’ music choices are heard by millions of listeners each month, around the world. Pandora burst on the music scene more than a decade ago, gaining notoriety for its use of sophisticated, computer algorithms to create custom playlists based on users’ individual listening habits. Listen to “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond, and Pandora’s “Music Project Genome”, as it’s called, might select “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison as your next song, thinking you’ll probably like that, too. But Pandora’s computers alone can’t make all the music magic. That’s where Lewis comes in. “I oversee all things Pop, from programming playlists, to really kind of digging into data to discover that super new artist who may not be ‘discovered’ yet. So, I’m hand picking music using all kinds of data along with intuition and an understanding of cultural relevance,” she says. “We have programmers for every genre, from pop to hip hop to Latin to country, rock, and metal. Computers only know so much, they have no idea that Beyoncé will be the next Beyoncé.”

Tiana Lewis ’06 at Pandora headquarters, where her career and passion for music have intersected to

Lewis, indeed, is always listening for that next big artist. In terms of live shows alone, she says she’ll attend hundreds this upcoming year. But her curation at Pandora goes way beyond the songs she listens to. “It’s more than just, ‘I like Rihanna, so I’m going to program Rihanna,’” she says. “There’s a timing component. Then there’s how does it fit with what the consumer is in to? How does it fit with the landscape of music today? What’s my intuition on it? “Some stuff ’s a no-brainer: you’ve got those A-list artists who are going to do well,” she says. “As cliché as it may sound, it really is just a mixture of just different information, data… different playlists, different stations. It’s just kind of figuring out everyone’s place in that while you’re programming.” Lewis joined Pandora this October moving from New York to Los Angeles for the job. But her resume—“Marketing maven, pop culture & music enthusiast who just gets it,” it reads—is that of a music-industry veteran. Lewis has worked for MTV, BET, VH1, Atlantic Records, and Creative Artists Agency. She’s done everything from book dates for Kanye West, to manage college marketing campaigns for Sony Music Entertainment. She’s selected music videos for networks such as MTV Hits and BET Jams, set up bands at Bonnaroo, and coordinated logistics for the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), BET Awards, and VH1 Hip Hop Honors. (Among her jobs, assigning the right seats to celebrities in the crowd.) 22

shape what people listen to.

Lewis got her break in music as an unpaid college intern for Warner Music Group while at Fordham University. “It was like the 17th internship I’d applied for,” she says. From the start of her music career, hours have been long, road trips, numerous, and grunt work, a constant. But Lewis has learned the industry from every angle: how record producers think, how record companies market artists, what it’s like to tour with a band, how radio stations operate, advertising’s role, social media’s role, YouTube’s role, and how online music services such as Spotify, Amazon, and Pandora influence what we hear.

“Everything is a piece of a larger puzzle,” Lewis says. “I’ve never been the person who was okay with, ‘Because.’ The answer ‘because’ doesn’t work for me. I’ve got to unpack it, I’ve got to really understand it. How is it that the manager keeps telling me no? Or, how is it that the agent decides (on this) for a tour? For me as a young professional, just a curious kid, really, it was about taking the time to figure that out.”

“When I was 11 years old, and everyone was listening to the Back Street Boys, I really wanted to listen to the Beatles or Bone Thugs-N-Harmony,” Lewis says. “I was in a different place. I always say, my ear ranges from 1950, to today.”

Now, Lewis brings all that knowledge to Pandora, and its 78 million monthly listeners. And an incredible ear for music, of course.

“Music defines where you are in the moment. It varies from next Wednesday to next Friday,” she says. “Last night I got home about 1 AM from a show, and I put on this ’80s and ’90s rhythm and blues mix I’d read about. I’ll usually fall asleep to music, assuming my phone or speaker hasn’t died.” b

From the time Lewis was a little girl, she sang along to her dad’s classic rock songs, knowing tunes after hearing a single beat. Her mother’s mixtapes of golden-age rhythm and blues and 1990s hip-hop songs were simply “unmatched,” Lewis says.

Whether she’s at work, in the car, or at home, chances are, Lewis will be listening to music. There’s nothing she’d rather do.

RYAN SIMPSON ’13:

A Portrait of the Entrepreneur as a Young Man by Andrew Fletcher Ryan Simpson ’13 is at a crossroads. With a provisional patent in his hand for a potentially life-changing technology, the Yale alumnus and current graduate student at Tufts University is mulling over three options: sell his product idea to the highest bidder, incorporate and attempt to form a business, or link up with a university to help bring the product to market. All three have drawbacks: option one would relinquish control over his idea, option two would be a harrowing path requiring big investors and no guaranteed success, and option three would hand over partial control and unleash a cavalcade of red tape and bureaucracy within the university system. “It’s tough,” says Simpson. “I came up with an idea. The idea happened to work. And people happened to support it at the right moments. And now here I am with this device that could help a ton of people…but I need to the find the best way to get it to market and make certain it is used in a what I’d like to be a humanitarian way.” The idea is stunningly small—a faucet attachment that can disinfect water through ultra violet light—but the implications are huge. There are medical applications in hospitals, water purification solutions in developing countries, the ability to stop source contamination in at-risk areas for waterborne bacteria—and the list goes on. When Simpson enrolled in a course called Environmental Technology in the Developing World during his senior spring at Yale in 2017, he never imagined he would be entering the most tumultuous and exciting three months of his life. Working on a partnership with Water Health International in Hyderabad, India, Simpson was assigned to investigate the usefulness of UV-light water disinfection systems. The problem, as Simpson discovered, was that it took hours for UV light to disinfect water, and required a tremendous amount of space. “Most disinfectant systems right now are the size of a room, and cost thousands of dollars with elaborate lighting structures.” Struggling for inspiration, and fretting a bit about having to present his findings at an April 21st conference in New York City, Simpson found himself sitting alone in a laboratory one evening at four AM in front of a computer. It was then that Simpson dropped his pencil, and experienced a eureka moment. “As I was picking up my pencil, I looked up and noticed my screen saver—a piece of DNA. When I looked at it sideways I was like, holy crap, this kind of baffling system might actually work!” Simpson realized that a translucent baffle coiled around a UV-light source might allow enough time for water to be disinfected quickly before it leaves the spiral. “My thinking was, ‘What if we connect something like this to the end of a faucet? This could be a game changer.’” His first assumption was that someone must have thought of this before, but in checking around, there were no such devices or ideas in the field, so Simpson began to pursue the idea in earnest, and serendipity intervened. Directly next door to a farm at Yale where Simpson had been working was a company called Light Source Incorporated, the largest ultraviolet germicidal lamp manufacturing company in North America. “Turns out they had just patented a mini, submersible, germicidal light with a prong that can latch in and out,” Simpson recalls, still incredulous at the timing. “So if you combine that with the model I was working on, it would actually create this system that could be utterly 24 22

Ryan Simpson ’13 with some preliminary schematics of his water purification device

powerful in its capacity to disinfect water coming out of a faucet.” Realizing he was going to need some help to pull the project off, Simpson invited two of his friends at Yale, Paulina Kaminski and Allec Willis, to help him out. Together, the three began fleshing out long-term applications and shortterm plans, reaching out to investors, attorneys, and professors, and within ten weeks they had designed a 3D model that was generating immense excitement. Then things got very hectic. “It was the last two weeks of a threemonth process, and all of a sudden we’re sitting there with this looming conference in New York where I’m going to present our findings,” Simpson says. “We realized that we need to patent it soon so no one takes the idea. Time was of the essence.” As Simpson and his friends discovered, this was no easy task. They would have to

investigate all similar patents filed in the past 20 years, providing evidence as to how theirs was different. They would have to define every aspect of their device, including calculations used in creating it. They would have to outline every potential application for the device in order to ensure rights to any modifications and uses in the future. And they had three days to get it done to allow time for their patent attorney (courtesy of an angel investor) to file the application prior to the conference. Perhaps channeling his competitive soccer goalkeeping experience, Simpson notched a sprawling save. “Both Paulina and Allec had midterms, but I didn’t,” recalls Simpson. “Saturday, Sunday, and Monday that week, I didn’t sleep. I stayed in the same space pretty much for the entire three days—with them bringing food to me—and I wrote an 80-page patent application.” On Friday, April 20th, at 5 PM, Simpson received an email from his attorney saying that the patent was in and was going to be reviewed. “‘You’re safe,’ he said. ‘You can present the findings tomorrow at the conference.’ In twelve weeks, it evolved from a kid with a project to this whole other thing,” Simpson says. “We were shocked. I came home from the conference and we had a patent. This huge opportunity presented itself and we had no idea what we were going to do with it.”

Simpson realizes that the hardest part is yet to come. Finding a company to manufacture the parts to build his device costs money, and finding a lab to test it is extremely difficult and expensive. But in typical Simpson fashion, he isn’t sitting on his hands. He is currently pursuing two master’s degrees at Tufts University, one in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition, and the other in Public Health and Infectious Diseases. His device has led to a classified project with the U.S. government around the subject of infectious disease forecasting, which may potentially allow Simpson another avenue to apply his technology, as well as provide a route toward a Ph.D. “Water is the nexus of so many issues in the topics I’m currently studying,” says Simpson. “In a perfect scenario, my device could make a huge difference…but right now I need to pursue further education.” So that’s what he’s doing. For now, his invention may still be just an idea, but it’s a big, important idea that has investors, companies, and the U.S. government intrigued. In that respect, the device and its inventor are very much alike: coiled with potential and poised for the next big step. b 25

Advancing Our Mission

Class of 2018 Launches Senior Parents’ Gift Drive

Class of 2018 Senior Parents’ Gift Committee

This year’s Senior Parents’ Gift program was officially kicked-off by Co-Chair Ken Lang at the Senior Welcome Dinner, where seniors and their families came together to celebrate the start of their milestone year.

Julie and Greg Auclair Parents of Olivia ’18, Tynan ’15

As it has done for more than 25 years, the Senior Parents’ Gift program provides an opportunity for parents of the senior class to leave a lasting legacy at the School. Historically, the Senior Parents’ Gift has been in support of one of the School’s highest priorities; and this year is no different. Thank you to the Class of 2018 Senior Parents’ Gift Committee for enthusiastically endorsing financial aid as the designation of the gift!

Each year, BB&N parents, alumni/ae, past parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends receive mailings, emails, and calls reminding them that their participation and support of the School is deeply valued. This year more than 30 volunteers are reaching out to our BB&N community on behalf of The BB&N Fund. Providing nearly 7% of the budget each year, The BB&N Fund is critical to sustaining the excellence of the School, faculty, and programs.

Kristen Bowden Parent of Lauren ’18, Nicko ’16 Agnes Bundy Scanlan and John Scanlan Parents of Sophia ’18 Christina and Tim Cohen Parents of Kaitlyn ’18, Matthew ’23

This year’s BB&N Fund Volunteer Committee includes current parents and alumni/ae who are reaching out to encourage as many members of the BB&N community to participate as possible. We greatly appreciate and welcome the participation, volunteer time, and support of each member of our community in the way that best fits their time and ability.

Karen and Doran Donovan Parents of Trevor ’18, Elise ’20

BB&N is steadfast in its belief that the socio-economic diversity of its students is mission critical: the BB&N experience is only as interesting, dynamic, and educationally vibrant as the students the School attracts. Financial aid helps make that experience possible. The generosity and hard work through this year’s Senior Parents’ Gift drive will have a positive influence on the School and its students for generations to come.

Rachael Goldfarb Parent of Lucy ’18 Marcia Head, Co-Chair Parent of Caroline ’18

Executive Committee

Vicky and Ken Lang, Co-Chairs Parents of Christopher ’18, Julia ’20, Grace ’22, Marin ’16

Thank you to the members of the Class of 2018 Senior Parents’ Gift Committee for their dedicated efforts over the past weeks and coming months!

Co-Chair Charlie Gifford P’17, ‘19 Co-Chair Stephanie Price P’21

Wei Lucy Qiu and Haiying Liu Parents of Angela ’18, Will ’16

Parent 1974 Leadership Society Chair Ken Lang P’16, ‘18, ‘20, ‘22

Susan and Charles Longfield Parents of Tim ’18

Parent Engagement Chair John Hanselman P’27

Kate McCarey ’81 and Kevin McCarey Parents of James ’18, Caitlin ’13, Fiona ’15

Upper School Chair Mary Pforzheimer P’10, ‘14, ‘19

Jennifer and William McKinley Parents of Emily ’18, Katie ’18, Annie ’21

1 PICTURED x 1 x Members of the Class of 2018 and their families gather to start the new year. x 2 x Eve Grimshaw ‘18, Joe Chung P’09, ‘11, ‘14, ‘15, ‘18, ‘19, ‘22, Former Trustee, Lucy Chung P’09, ‘11, ‘14, ‘15, ‘18, ‘19, ‘22, Scott Friend P’15, ‘18, ‘26, ‘28 x 3 x Doran Donovan P’18, ‘20, Wei Qiu P’16 ‘18, Karen Donovan P’18, ‘20, Trustee

Answering the Call: The 2017-2018 BB&N Fund Volunteer Committee

Middle School Chair Pam Baker P’23, ‘25, ‘28

Meredith and Christopher Shachoy Parents of Brooke ’18

Lower School Chair Shep Perkins P’27, ‘27, ‘29

Nathalie and Stanley Tabor Parents of Elisa ’18, Philip ’21

Alumni/ae 1974 Leadership Society Chair Susan Herzlinger Botein ‘91, P’23

Pamela and Jimmy Tang Parents of Jeremy ’18

Alumni/ae Participation Chair Bryan Falchuk ‘97 Young Alumni/ae 1974 Leadership Society Chair Eliza Appleton ‘09

Alice and Francis Wang Parents of Jocelyn ’18, Nick ’20, Cassie ’24

Alumni/ae Engagement Chair Kathryn Kargman Holden ‘01

Lilly and Ted Yun Parents of Alex ’18, Lauren ’19 We sincerely apologize for the omission of Michael and Amy McGrath P'22 from the list of Grade 8 Parent Donors in our recent 2016-2017 Report of Giving.

Grade Captains Kindergarten

Michael Cirami P’30

1 Grade

Beth Azano ‘95, P’29, Debbie Gelb P’29

2 Grade

Kimathi Foster P’28, Greg McCullough P’28, ‘30

3 Grade

Towne Williams P’25, ‘27, ‘30

4 Grade

Melissa Reilly P’26

5 Grade

Darla Jelley P’25

6 Grade

Jeanne Hagerty P’24, ‘27

7 Grade

Michelle Lev P’23, Allison Wade P’15, ‘23

9 Grade

Pratima Abichandani P’21, ‘23, Thomas Behenna P’21, Andrew Bernstein P’21, Christa Hawkins P’21, Meg Macri P’21

10th Grade

Kate Brizius P’19, ‘21, ‘24, Rachel Loughran P’20, Kim Druker Stockwell ‘86, P’20, ’22

11th Grade

Ken Baily P’19, ’24, Todd Boudreau P’17, ‘19, Amy Goebel P’19, ’22, ’24, Pierce Haley P’19

nd rd th th th th th

The 1974 Leadership Society Fall Gathering — Celebrating Our Leadership Supporters

Advancing Our Mission

More than 130 members of the 1974 Leadership Society gathered at Naco Taco in Kendall Square, Cambridge, on October 12, 2017. Hosted by alumnus and restaurant owner Alex Tannenbaum ‘05, the beautiful fall evening reception brought together alumni/ae, parents, past parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends who demonstrated leadership support for the School during 2016-2017.

Alex welcomed the group and described his journey from BB&N to the launch of Naco Taco. “When I think back to the six years I spent at BB&N, appropriately the word ‘leadership’ comes to mind. My School groomed me to be a leader. In the fall of my freshman year, I attended Bivouac, a life-changing trip. Bivouac was such an important part of my high school experience that I returned twice as a junior guide. At different times throughout high school I led the Film Club, the Jewish Cultural Club, the Investment Club, and perhaps what I’m most proud of: I was co-president of the Student Admission Board, interviewing young applicants.” About the challenges of opening a restaurant, he said, “My education taught me that I could tackle those early issues head on, problem solve, learn from mistakes, and eventually lead this great team to success.”

2 4

Board of Trustees Chair Brace Young P‘14, ‘14, ‘17 began the evening by saying, “Thank you, thank you, thank you! Without the support of 1974 Leadership Society members, BB&N would be a very different place.” Head of School Rebecca T. Upham echoed Brace’s gratitude and shared her focus this year on two important aspects of BB&N’s strategic direction: enhancing students’ global connections and empathy, and increasing BB&N’s diversity through financial aid.

7 7

BB&N is grateful to leaders like Alex Tannenbaum and 1974 Leadership Society members who continue to make BB&N a priority and demonstrate their belief in the School through their strong and generous philanthropic support.

1974 Leadership Society Membership Levels: Renaissance Associates — $100,000 and above Cantabrigian Associates — $50,000 – $99,999 Comitas Associates — $25,000 – $49,999 Litterae Associates — $10,000 – $24,999 Honestas Associates — $5,000 – $9,999 Founders — $2,500 – $4,999

“BB&N is where I am my best self.”

PICTURED x 1 x Stephanie Price P’21 and John Hanselman P’27 x 2 x Arup Datta P’19, ’21, Kay Kane P’14, ’17, Former

Membership Levels:

1974 Young Alumni/ae Leadership Society Membership Levels:

Associates — $1,000 – $2,499 Civis Associates — $1,000Civis – $2,499 (Graduates of last two decades) (Graduates

of last two decades) Affinitas Associates — $100 – $999 (Graduates of last decade)

Affinitas Associates — $100 – $999 (Graduates of last decade)

Trustee, Freddie Jacobs P’15, ’17, Trustee x 3 x Alex Tannenbaum ‘05 x 4 x Lilly Yun P’18, ’19, Ted Yun P’18, ’19, Ken Lang P’16, ’18, ’20, ’22, Trustee x 5 x Nikki Jacobs P’15, ’17 and Karen Kalina ’81, P’21, Former Trustee x 6 x Raymond Chang P’23, ’23, Tiffany Chang P’23, ’23, Weitong Ji P’20, Jie Liu P’20 x 7 x Kate and Chuck Brizius P’19, ’21, ’24, Trustee, Chair Elect x 8 x Tristin Mannion P’16, ’22, Trustee and Rebecca T. Upham, Head of School

Making the BB&N journey possible for all, The BB&N Fund supports all aspects of the School.

BB&N hosts 10 administrative social media accounts between The Alumni/ae Office (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn), The Communications Office (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), Athletics (Facebook and Twitter), and the Lower School campus (Twitter).

At last count, the School’s Facebook accounts had 2,099 alumni/ae followers. That’s 35% of the School’s alumni/ae community!

Ab Th o in So u t B g s ci B at al M & N BB ed : &N ia

Unrestricted

The pulse of BB&N comes from students’ brilliantly diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and sensibilities. BB&N students carry a vibrancy and vitality that light up the school, filling the campus with a contagious energy to learn not only from their teachers, but also from each other.

Academics

BB&N social media accounts don’t just report news, sometimes they break it. This summer, the community heard it first on Instagram that Katie Burt ’15 had been drafted number one overall to The Boston Pride of the National Women’s Hockey League.

“Overall, BB&N has provided me the tools to make the best of myself. Each day, I look forward to walking through the double doors and using those tools to construct the best me. I recognize that BB&N’s education will guide me into a good college, which will provide me with further opportunities to become successful and independent. BB&N has opened the doors to a great life. Thank you for helping me walk through them.” Graduate, Class of 2016

Faculty Support

“One thing we have learned from our time at BB&N is that individuals have the power to do many great things. There’s the power of a teacher, who can open a child’s mind and heart with a dash of new perspective, and give them the knowledge that will last a lifetime.” Student, Class of 2022

Financial Aid “I have formed wonderful friendships with students from many different backgrounds and towns, who are similar to me in their drive to succeed. I cannot express how thankful I am for this opportunity to be the best me every day.” Student, Class of 2018

Two intrepid alumni from The B&N Class of 1946 have the impressive honor of oldest followers on Facebook. On the flipside, 14 members of The Class of 2017 share the distinction of youngest alumni/ae followers.

Beginning this year, BB&N Upper School students have been “taking over” the School’s Instagram account for one week at a time to give a first-hand perspective to followers.

“The main qualities my coach instilled in me were hard work and competitiveness. Over the course of my four years at the Upper School, he was my head football coach, head baseball coach, and academic advisor, constantly holding me to a high standard and always pushing me to improve.” Graduate, Class of 2006

Want to stay informed? Follow any of the School’s social media accounts: Facebook: @bbn.alumni @buckinghambrownenichols @bbnathletics Instagram: @bbnschoolalumni @BBNSchool Twitter: @BBNAlumni @BBNSchool @BBN_Athletics @BBNLowerSchool LinkedIn: BB&N Alumni/ae Association

Athletics

Arts

“Our trip to Venice brought the art that we had been studying to life. I felt like a global citizen, exploring a culture in its streets and churches and not on a slide show. Seeing the art in real life reinvigorated my passion for art history that has not waned since. The class changed the way I look at the world and the trip to Venice put those skills to work.” Graduate, Class of 2015

We are grateful for the support of the entire “Knight” Community each and every year! www.bbns.org/donate

Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Worcester, MA Permit No. 2

Buckingham Browne & Nichols School 80 Gerry’s Landing Road Cambridge, MA 02138-5512 www.bbns.org

JANUARY 1/11 Boston • Alumni/ae Networking Reception

FEBRUARY

BB&N Alumni/ae

STAY CONNECTED

IN 2018!

2/12 Los Angeles/Eastside • Regional Event 2/13 Los Angeles/Westside • Regional Event 2/15 San Francisco • Regional Event

APRIL 4/17 Washington, DC • Regional Event 4/19 New York • Regional Event

MAY 5/11–5/13 Cambridge • Strawberry Night & Reunions 2018

JUNE 6/13 Boston • Alumni/ae Networking Reception www.bbns.org/donate