BERKSHIRE BULLETIN
Summer 2018
Pro Vita 2018 Collin Vincent ‘19 and a new friend enjoying some downtime on the service trip to Nicaragua. Students visited Nidiri, a small town with a rich connection to the country’s indigenous past, to build houses and explore issues of education, health, and agriculture with the local community.
Photo by co-trip leader and faculty member Mike Dalton
/ Reflection /
SUMMER 2018 OUR MISSION
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Rooted in an inspiring natural setting, Berkshire School instills the highest standards of character and citizenship and a commitment to academic, artistic, and athletic excellence. Our community fosters diversity, a dedication to environmental stewardship, and an enduring love for learning.
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Chip Perkins ‘73, P’14,’14 CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Pieter M. Mulder HEAD OF SCHOOL
Andrew Bogardus DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT
Carol Visnapuu DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
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Bulletin Editor: Megan Tady
On the Cover: Three-star Michelin chef Christopher Kostow ‘95 at work in his flagship restaurant, The Restaurant at Meadowood, in Napa Valley, Calif. Photo courtesy of The Restaurant at Meadowood
FREELANCE EDITOR
Class Notes Editor: Katie Kutney ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT
Design: Hammill Design
Features
Departments
22 To Nourish A curated menu of Berkshire alumni excelling in the food and wine industry
2 Seen Around
38 Feeding the Bears Berkshire dining, past and present
85 Class Notes
52 Bigger Than Basketball Former WNBA player Cori Chambers leads the girls varsity team. 64 Commencement 70 Reunion Weekend 78 Alumni Spotlights
4 Campus News 52 Bears at Play 101 In Memoriam 105 From the Archives Berkshire School admits students of any race, color, religious affiliation, national and ethnic origin and qualified handicapped students to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students. We do not discriminate in violation of any law or statute in the administration of our educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.
Printing: Quality Printing Company Principal Photography: Gregory Cherin Photography, Highpoint Pictures, Risley Sports Photography, and Communications and Marketing Class Notes: classnotes@berkshireschool.org All other alumni matters: alumni@berkshireschool.org Published by Berkshire School’s Communications and Marketing Office and Advancement Office for alumni, parents, and friends of the School.
Go Green! To receive an electronic issue only, let us know at bulletin@berkshireschool.org.
Spring/Summer 2015
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SEEN AROUND 1. A gauntlet of faculty, staff, and students say farewell to overjoyed English teacher Linda Bellizzi as she celebrates the end of a 30-year career at Berkshire. 2. I nspired by Disney’s Moana, the Spurr girls hit the ice during Winter Carnival. 3. Berkshire’s newest Bears bonding during the Third Form Retreat at Camp Hi-Rock in Mount Washington, Mass. 4. A scene from Berkshire’s production of the Tony Award-winning musical, Hairspray
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5. C elebrating a dramatic 2–1 OT win over Taft in the annual Pink Out game played in memory of Lucille D’Arco 6. Head of School Pieter Mulder announces Mountain Day on Halloween.
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Campus News
CARSTENSEN ‘66 LEAVES BOARD, LEGACY AT BERKSHIRE Berkshire’s Board Celebrates Longtime Trustee’s Impact on School On Friday, September 29, Berkshire honored Hans L. Carstensen III ’66 as he stepped down from the Board of Trustees after 27 years of service. His wife, Terry, joined him at a celebratory dinner hosted in Berkshire Hall’s atrium, along with fellow trustees, faculty, staff, and friends. The dinner was filled with revelry and roasts, as fellow trustee and friend of 55 years Vernon Taylor ’66 recalled Carstensen roping him into joining the audit committee. In facing future decisions without this longtime steward, fellow board members joked about adopting the slogan, “What would Hans do?” Amping up the playful ribbing, trustee Jim Hooper ’69 passed out rubber bracelets with the motto.
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Carstensen has had a 55-yearrelationship with the School. In 1966, he was awarded the Berkshire Cup for having “done the most for Berkshire” as a student. He joined the board in 1990, serving and chairing numerous committees, including chair of the board from 2003 to 2010. Carstensen also served as a Reunion committee chair and on the Hail Berkshire Campaign Committee, and he’s a 25-year donor to the Annual Fund. At the dinner, Board of Trustee Chair Alice Cole ’76 was quick to point out that as a trustee, “Hans’s talents have shown most brightly. His perseverance, resilience, and leadership guided the board through a lofty and demanding set
of goals in our long-range plan.” Among his credits, Carstensen was recognized for securing funding for major renovations and buildings on campus, as well as elevating Berkshire’s talent pool of faculty and applicants. At the
Campus News
board meeting on Saturday following the dinner, Head of School Pieter Mulder expressed gratitude for Hans’s “firm directness on what leadership is and what is required of us moving forward, even from our great position of strength.” Among his many accomplishments, Carstensen helped lead the renovation of Berkshire Hall, secured funding for the Jackman L. Stewart Athletic Center, recruited highly qualified faculty, raised the bar of Berkshire’s applicant pool, elevated the School’s financial and academic standing, and built a forwardthinking board. At his final board meeting, Carstensen credited the entire board for their accomplishments over the last few decades. “There is no way in the world that one person could possibly do all the things you have all been kind enough to say I’ve done,” he said. “Without everybody else here, and not here, who has had a hand in this, it never would’ve happened.” In honor of Carstensen’s service, tremendous leadership, and to recognize his passionate commitment to building the School’s financial aid endowments, Mulder announced at the dinner that a group of trustees and friends have established the Hans Carstensen ’66 Scholarship Fund. In just a few short days, the fund reached a quarter of a million dollars and continues to grow, Mulder added. Berkshire’s first fully funded scholarship endowment will support the tuition needs of a talented and deserving student each year. Terry Carstensen shared that her husband’s biggest concern has always been scholarship support, and they were both thrilled that the fund addresses the School’s critical endowment need.
TAKING THE HELM Berkshire Announces New Board Chair In September, Berkshire School named its next chair of the Board of Trustees, Gilman C. “Chip” Perkins, a member of Berkshire’s Class of 1973. Perkins has three children, two of whom attended Berkshire: Lucia and Sam Perkins, both of the Class of 2014. In taking the helm, he is leading the School as it continues to implement the goals laid out in its 2016 Strategic Plan. “I want to ensure that we continue in the direction we have been on for the last 20 years of making the School stronger,” Perkins said, who joined the board in 2003. “And most importantly, we need to continue to build the School’s endowment to support both faculty chairs and student scholarships to ensure that Berkshire is here for generations to come.” Perkins is the founder and managing member of Perkins Fund Marketing, an alternative investment marketing firm. He also served as a marketing and sales representative at Asset Management Services and a manager of software marketing at IBM. Perkins is the founding member of Third Party Marketers Association and the Connecticut Hedge Fund Association. A native of Rochester, NY, Perkins lives in Fairfield, Conn. He enjoys golf, tennis, and skiing, as well as traveling with his children and fiancée, Jayne Millard.
Coming on Board Pablo Calderini P’18,’21 is the president and chief investment officer of Graham Capital Management and a member of the firm’s executive, investment, risk, and compliance committees. Mr. Calderini received a B.A. in economics from Universidad Nacional de Rosario and a master’s in economics from Universidad del CEMA, both in Argentina. He lives in Greenwich, Conn., with his wife, Carina, and their four children, Seve ’18, Amalia ’21, Conrado, and Octavio.
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Campus News
Two New Spaces Honor Berkshire Alums On Friday, September 29, the Berkshire community, Board of Trustees, and friends of the School gathered to commemorate two Berkshire alumni and to celebrate two new spaces on campus dedicated in their honor. The 5,400-square foot Ritt Kellogg Mountain Center was named for Peter Rittenhouse “Ritt” Kellogg, Jr. ’85, an avid climber, skier, and Outward Bound leader who passed away in an avalanche in Alaska in 1992. The Ed Chase ’69 Ski Room was dedicated in honor of Ed Chase, a world-renowned ski technician who lost his five-year battle with cancer in 2015. The two adjoining spaces are located on the north side of Geier Library, on the ground level. Head of School Pieter Mulder presided over both dedications, thanking Peter Kellogg ’61 for his generous gift to renovate the space for the Center, which will serve as the home to the Ritt Kellogg Mountain Program (RKMP). The Kellogg family established the RKMP in 1994 to celebrate Ritt Kellogg’s life. Since then, RKMP has become one of the School’s most beloved signature programs. “The Ritt Kellogg Mountain Program, founded in Ritt’s memory and going strong today, inspires all of us at Berkshire to enjoy, respect, and preserve our natural environment,” Mulder said. Ritt Kellogg’s brother Kirk Kellogg ’87, Kirk’s son, Cooper, and Board of Trustees Chair Alice Ehrenclou Cole ’76 were invited to cut the ribbon outside of the Center. Nadine Lloyd, the director 6
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1985. It reads, ‘If there is no mountain in heaven, may we live forever.’ A fitting testament to the generosity of spirit and love of the outdoors that Ritt brought and still brings to this campus.” The tributes continued outside the Ed Chase ’69 Ski Room, where family,
Ritt Kellogg ‘85, for whom the RKMP is named
of RKMP, was also in attendance, along with RKMP students. The Ritt Kellogg Mountain Center will elevate the program, giving students and faculty a central meeting space where they can hold pre-trip meetings and gatherings. Additionally, the Center allows students to sign out gear and bikes and to access wilderness guides, natural history books, and area maps. The space will store gear for backpacking, climbing, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and more. Longtime Berkshire teacher Peter Kinne, who was Ritt Kellogg’s advisor, remarked that his former student would be “humbled by RKMP.” He shared: “Up the hill, across Buck Valley and left toward the bridge, there is a plaque placed on a boulder by the Class of
Top: Kirk Kellogg ’87 and his son, Cooper, and Board of Trustees Chair Alice Ehrenclou Cole ‘76 Bottom: Seamus McKeon ‘69 with Annie and Paul Redman (Ed Chase’s sister and brother-in-law) and their nieces, Amanda Wheeler Ekster ‘97 and Jennifer Wheeler Del Vaglio ‘95
Campus News
Ritt Kellogg Mountain Center, a home for the Ritt Kellogg Mountain Program, provides space for pre-trip meetings and gatherings and stores gear for backpacking, climbing, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and more.
friends, and members of the ski team celebrated a new space that perfectly exemplifies Ed Chase’s passion and profession. Chase began skiing at Berkshire, and he became a wellrespected figure in the ski world, tuning skis for world champion alpine skiers Phil and Steve Mahre. A pair of skis that were made for Phil, silver medalist in slalom at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, hangs outside the new ski room. Phil chose from among several test skis, including this pair, to ultimately select the race ski he wore to victory. The room houses the boys and girls varsity and JV alpine ski team locker rooms, and it has a large ski storage facility, equipment and video room, and a newly renovated ski tuning facility with customized tuning benches and downdraft tables. Director of Facilities Management Tim Fulco ’78, a former member of Berkshire’s alpine ski team, led the renovation of both spaces with Cam Brown from Hill-Engineers, Architects, Planners, Inc. in Dalton, Mass. Seamus McKeon ’69 spearheaded the fundraising efforts for the room, knowing that his longtime friend Chase wanted to bequeath something to Berkshire, but “didn’t want another silver trophy that needed to be polished.” “Ed learned to ski at Berkshire on trails that his father had cleared with
Ed Chase at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY. Photo courtesy of Seamus McKeon ‘69
a rope tow, and he learned to tune skis at Berkshire,” McKeon said. “This is a recognition of the success and the impact that Ed had in his professional life. And it’s also recognition of where it all started.” McKeon said the Chase family’s history at Berkshire made the dedication all the more special. Chase’s parents, Arthur C. and Alice Ann (Anderson) Chase, were faculty members at the School for 35 years, and two other campus buildings bear their names: Chase House, home of the Admission Office, and the Arthur C. Chase Sugar House. Chase’s sister and brother-in-law Annie and Paul Redman helped to cut the ribbon, along with their nieces Amanda Wheeler Ekster ’97 and Jennifer Wheeler
“Ed learned to ski at Berkshire on trails that his father had cleared with a rope tow. This is a recognition of the success and the impact that Ed had in his professional life. And it’s also recognition of where it all started.” —Seamus McKeon ’69
Del Vaglio ’95. Davis Anderson ’68, Ed’s cousin and a former Berkshire trustee, was also in attendance. “Eddie would have been overwhelmed, humbled, and pleased that the room has his name, and the ski team has such a wonderful place to work,” his sister said. “It was something that he never would have imagined.” There are four photos of Chase that grace the walls of the new ski space, and the one of Ed skiing is Redman’s favorite. “There’s no face like my brother’s when he’s winning a race,” she said. Summer 2018
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ALL IN THE
Siblings & Legacies
Class of 2019 Class of 2018 Front row: Jackson Brex (Sam Cooper ’89), David Lee (Juyoung ’15) Middle row: Katie Hargrave (Tom Hargrave ’81), Layla Tattersfield (Sabrina ’16), Ben Wilson (Annie ’16), Morgan Heilshorn (Madison ’16), Eva Clough (Rawson ’17), Izzy Maher (Sam ’12, Maddy ’13), Hannah Weymuller (E.A. Weymuller ’90), Sophia McCarthy (Maureen ’14), Summer Soffer (Madison ’16), Caroline Sugar (Alli ’16), Charlotte MacKenzie (Nate ’14) Back row: Luke Scarafoni (Matt Scarafoni ’89, Jack ’17), Pedro Alvarenga (Ana ’15), Xander Tillou (Jeff Tillou ’88) Not pictured: Matt Diamond (Jake ’15), Kathryn & Mark Driscoll (Anna ’13, Dan ’16), Chi Nguyen (Lan ’13)
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Front row: Danielle Malarney (Brandon ‘16), Brooke McLanahan (Lara Schefler McLanahan ’86, Georgia ’16, Jake ’16), Sean MacDonald (Bob MacDonald ’87), Marc Sabrià Gabarró (Jordi ’17), Jeffrey McKee (Jimmy ’15), Chi Nguyen ’18 (Lan ’13) Middle row: Sophie Reed (Jen Nichols Reed ’87), Ruby Merritt (Eli ’12, Sam ’14), Elsie Harrington (Natalie ’16), Sydney Wray (Taylor ’15), Sam Bodman (Hallie King Bodman ’90, Jack Bodman ’89), William Blomquist (Viggo ’17), Michael Derrig (Hanna ’16), Brooks Gammill (Barclay ’16), Kat Graham (Hayden ’15), Kat Erazo (Jeffrey ’15), Jennifer Ogaz (Noemi ’16), Bianca Arredondo (Rafael ’17), Cami Kittredge (Kit Kittredge ’85), Nhu Nguyen (Kristine ’17), Kenzie Licata (Mike ’12, Chris ’13, Matt ’15) Back row: Achara Achara (Ifunanyachi ’16), Elise Johnston (Anna ’12) Not pictured: Carter Allen (Andrew Allen ’89, Emily Lyon Allen ’89), Kegan Grogean (Scott Grogean ’91), Shannon Lee (Chris ’94, Josh ’06, Jack ’10), Brendan MacDonald (Bob MacDonald ’87), Chance Perekslis (Sophie ’14, Will ’17), Ben Streett (Carolyn Balch Streett ’83, Jim ’16, Luke ’17), James Walsh (Fred Walsh ’72)
Campus News
FA MILY Class of 2021 Class of 2020 Front row: Connor Robb (John Robb ’89), Christopher Branch (Liza Jane ’15), Brooks Allen (Andrew Allen ’89, Emily Lyon Allen ’89) Back row: Briggs Gammill (Barclay ’16), Oliver Cookson (Spencer ’15), James Welch (Caroline ’15), Henry Quaintance (Charlie ’15, Catherine ’17), Schuyler Coughlin (Kate Cutler Coughlin ’90), Maggie Ewert (Lucy ’16), Jack LaCasse (Jeremy LaCasse ’90), Grace Fitzgerald (Kate Fisher Fitzgerald ’90), Charlotte Dockery (Hannah Honan ’15), Waring Fleitas (Bo Fleitas ’91), Emily Curtiss (Katrina Seidman Curtiss ’93), Tess Haskel (Jim Haskel ’86, Annie Zimmerli-Haskel ’86), Krissy Borowiak (Kristin Schoellkopf Borowiak ’86), Emelina Morris (Erika Sweetland Morris ’88) Not pictured: Kyoti Tavarez (Henry Tavarez ’98)
Andrew Sperl (Sue ’06, Cyndi ’10, Kenny ’17), Jake Blackwin (Everton Blackwin ’87), Silas Bullock (Bebe Clark Bullock ’86, Addie ’14, Liam ’17), Lila Fitzgerald (Kate Fisher Fitzgerald ’90), Mabel Mueller (Hilary Ivey Mueller ’93, Ivey ’16), Bowen Kittredge (Kit Kittredge ’85) Not pictured: Tait Kline (Travis Kline ‘87)
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Campus News
FRESH FACES AMONG THE FACULTY Berkshire was made even stronger last year thanks to the many talents of these faculty members who completed their first year under the Mountain.
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Mary Alindato
Tony Amolo ’13
Spanish Girls J.V. Tennis, Asst. Coach
Science Boys Varsity Soccer, Asst. Coach Boys Varsity Track & Field, Asst. Coach
Recent book you have read: Hamilton: The Revolution by Jeremy McCarter and Lin-Manuel Miranda Favorite song: “Latinoamerica” by Calle 13 Favorite hobby: Drinking coffee
Recent book you have read: The Underground Railroad by Charles L. Blockson Favorite song: I love a lot of songs Favorite hobby: Soccer!
Charlie Bour
Kate Cerruti
Cori Chambers
Spanish Boys Varsity Soccer, Head Coach Boys Thirds Squash, Head Coach
Mathematics STEAM Girls Varsity Cross Country, Asst. Coach
Assistant Director of Admission Girls Varsity Basketball, Head Coach Strength & Conditioning, Asst. Coach
Recent book you have read: Wooden on Leadership by John Wooden and Steve Jamison Favorite song: “La Perla” by Calle 13, a band/group from Puerto Rico Favorite hobby: Traveling with my family
Recent book you have read: The End of Average by Todd Rose Favorite song: “You Are So Beautiful” by Joe Cocker Favorite hobby: Going to new places!
Recent book you have read: I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes Favorite song: “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson Favorite hobby: Going to concerts/music festivals
Berkshire Bulletin
Campus News
Mohammed Hetraf
P.K. Kearney
Justine Lenter
French Boys J.V. Soccer, Head Coach Boys Thirds Basketball, Asst. Coach
History Boys J.V. Lacrosse, Asst. Coach Ritt Kellogg Mountain Program
French Spring Art Option Girls J.V. Soccer, Asst. Coach
Recent book you have read: L’Étranger by Albert Camus Favorite song: “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson Favorite hobby: Soccer
Recent book you have read: The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt’s New World by Andrea Wulf Favorite song: “This Must Be The Place” by Talking Heads Favorite hobby: Biking and skiing
Recent book you have read: Elle et lui by Marc Levy Favorite song: “Belle” by Notre Dame de Paris Favorite hobby: Photography
Derek Murphy
Sandy Perot
Olivia Wheeler
Assistant Director of Admission Boys Varsity Basketball, Head Coach J.V. Baseball, Head Coach
English & History Boys Varsity Cross Country, Asst. Coach Varsity Track & Field, Asst. Coach
Mathematics Girls J.V. Soccer, Head Coach Girls Varsity Lacrosse, Asst. Coach Strength & Conditioning, Asst. Coach
Recent book you have read: Whistling Vivaldi by Claude Steele Favorite song: “The Payback” by James Brown Favorite hobby: Pickup basketball
Recent book you have read: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel Favorite song: “Canon in D” by Johann Pachelbel Favorite hobby: Travel/running/baking (equally shared hobbies)
Recent book you have read: East of Eden by John Steinbeck (4th time—I read it every five years) Favorite song: “Obvious Child“ by Paul Simon Favorite hobby: Mountain biking and dancing
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Campus News
What Did You Eat in Space? And other student questions for astronaut Nicole Stott
In February, retired veteran NASA astronaut Nicole Stott addressed the community at an all-school assembly and visited science classes to speak with students about her experiences in space. Stott tallied two spaceflights and 104 days living and working in space on both the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station. Students peppered her with questions, hungry for first-hand information about her grueling training, her day-to-day life in space, and how she re-entered civilization on Earth.
Q: What was it like to live underwater as part of your training?
We lived for a few weeks in a sealed habitat underwater. It’s a complex, extreme environment. You can’t just swim to the surface if something goes wrong. You have to figure out how to deal with it at 60 feet underwater. We would go on excursions walking along the bottom of the ocean, which we treated like space walks. [Living underwater] is absolutely the best analog to living and working in space.
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Q: Were you ever in a dangerous situation in space?
Some would argue that we’re in a dangerous situation the entire time we’re there. We had several things happen, but they weren’t catastrophic. We train for all kinds of things that can go wrong, but we have three primary emergency scenarios: fire, toxic atmosphere, and a depress, which is a hole in the station. Each time, all the crew members came together exactly how we trained on the ground. The best crew members are the ones that can have a good time, and when it hits the fan they’re going to do what needs to be done to take care of it. Q: How did you spend your days in space?
Every day was a different mix of maintenance, science, and communication with our ground [crew], doing a space walk, or flying the robot arm. Our lives were completely planned out by the ground for the entire mission, down to five-minute blocks of time.
Q: What did you eat in space?
The food is a lot like camping food, which we rehydrated. With our international partners, we had food from Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada as part of the menu. I never felt like food didn’t taste good, but the food itself was not nutritionally very good for us. It was high in sodium and in sugar calories. They didn’t want us losing weight up there. Q: How did you adjust physically and mentally when you returned to Earth?
Coming home, I recovered quickly, but the first day it was like the whole world was moving around. Even the littlest motion got the whole world spinning. I get questioned a lot: “How can anything be better in your life now than going to space?” I worked for almost 28 years for NASA. A hundred and four days of that I spent flying in space. Even as an astronaut, 99.99% of my job is not flying in space. I’ve got to enjoy what I’m doing down here on Earth.
Campus News
UNDERSTANDING THE TICK BOOM Environmental Science classes visited the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in nearby Millbrook, NY, to learn about the neighborhood-level work that the environmental research organization has been doing on ticks. The Institute’s focus since the early ’90s has been studying how expanding tick populations, climate change, and forest fragmentation are contributing to the complex ecology of Lyme disease. Students were able to observe two testing sites that track biodiversity in forests, as researchers have discovered that high biodiversity levels lead to lower Lyme rates. Back in the Institute’s classrooms, students saw how researchers test soil samples for the presence of ticks under a microscope, bringing scientific lab work to life.
SCIENTIFICALLY SPEAKING
REG E N E R O N H O N O R S //
WAT E R WOR K S // Chemistry
Charlie Millard ’18 of Connecticut was named a Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) semifinalist in January. His project with Dr. Shannon Whirledge at Yale University, titled, “Evaluating the Mechanism of Action of Ulipristal Acetate In Uterine Fibroid Cells,” was selected as one of only 300 top high school science research projects in the country, and Millard was Berkshire’s ninth STS competition finalist named in nine years.
Mountain Day is an annual event developed by teachers at the Trail to Every Classroom program and sponsored by the National Park Service. Students track how groundwater changes chemically as it moves from the Appalachian Trail through the Sheffield valley and into the Housatonic River. Both students and scientists outside the community use the yearly data for research, bringing chemistry into a real-world context.
SU PER POWER // The Science Department and Advanced Math/Science Research program received a special treat last summer—the installation of our very own transmission electron microscope. The instrument generates 120 kilovolts (kV) of energy and allows students to visualize sub-microscopic particles such as bacteria, viruses, and large protein complexes.
Summer 2018
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Campus News
SOLVING REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS WITH DESIGN THINKING Every year, fourth-form students participate in a project called SEAVER, which stands for: Synergy, Educate, Analysis, InVent, Evaluate, and Reveal. This design-thinking collaboration asks students to first choose a real-world problem based on the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals to reduce inequalities and poverty, and to tackle climate change. Then, through research and practical development, student teams create a product or service to help a community of their choice. This year, Berkshire expanded SEAVER to a year-long project, which now includes both the history and English departments. History faculty P.K. Kearney and Andrea Dunchus are working with
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English faculty Bebe Clark Bullock ’86 and Callie Carew-Miller to develop a model for SEAVER that uses literature and history as lenses through which to experience our shared humanity. “History class is all about learning about the human experience, seeing connections between events and ideas, and learning about the role individuals and societies have in shaping each other,” Kearney says. “Exploring their SEAVER projects through history will help them understand the context and the ‘why’ behind current situations and challenges.” The faculty involved in the SEAVER project are taking an online course through Harvard University, called Creating Cultures of Thinking, which facilitates the reshaping of classroom culture using the SEAVER project to lead the way. Kearney said the class is helping him understand how to facilitate thoughtful
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thinking in his classroom. “The class has helped me look more deeply at the types of questions I ask my classes and the routines I have or should develop to help my students think more deeply about topics,” he said. “There are no easy answers in the SEAVER project, and helping students to develop these skills will be important in the success of the project.” Students begin the SEAVER project working in small teams with a focus on storytelling, underscoring the concept that every product and service requires a compelling narrative. They then pitch, write, and produce a short documentary on their topics with an eye to informing and investing an audience in their chosen inequality before moving forward. This year, students chose a range of topics, including inequalities in elder care between public and private facilities; in water treatment in Flint, Mich., and in two neighborhoods in Chicago, the North Shore and the South Side.
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“Kids like to do things that are real. They appreciate having their intelligence honored. They want work that’s authentic and that means something.” —Bebe Clark Bullock ’86, English Teacher
Molly Shine ’20 and Paloma Borbón Casasús ’20 worked on their storyboards for their group project, Flint: A Town Poisoned by Its Government.
“The students have to learn how to work together; the only way to get to truly entrepreneurial vision is to look at the same problem from disparate points of view,” Bullock says. “They have to figure out how to collaborate, not dividing the different pieces of the project, and use each other’s ideas, because in order to solve these problems, they must look at them in a new way.” Liedewij Loerakker ’20 and her group focused on PTSD in veterans and eventually honed in on a central topic, titling their project: “Time of Misfortune: Inequality in PTSD Treatment Between VA and Traditional Hospitals.” Their goal was to decrease the waiting time veterans experience at hospitals before they get appropriate treatment, correlating with a decreased suicide rate. Along with learning about the topic, Loerakker says the process uncovered a lot about herself. “I learned to observe and to lead from the back of the
classroom instead of speaking in front of the classroom,” she said. “I took a step back, and I felt the need of wanting to do all of the work slip off my shoulders as both of [my teammates] showed leadership skills and interest in the topic more and more.” By the spring, students form book groups, selecting texts that offer insight into their chosen problem. Student essays are innovative, unique, and thoughtful examinations driven by their desire to discover more about their topics. As they begin to research primary sources, students learn everything they can, while understanding that solving the problem has to wait. First, they use design thinking to question everything, eventually getting to the true root of the problem at hand. Bullock says this hands-on approach is a powerful teaching tool. “Kids like to do things that are real,” she says. “They appreciate having their intelligence
honored. They want work that’s authentic and that means something. Even if they don’t have a solution—and these are the UN Millennium Goals, no one’s figured them out. Kids can approach the problems they choose from a new perspective and figure out what needs to happen on a fundamental level.” Once the root of the problem is uncovered, students create a product or service that best addresses their problems at the most basic level. They then send their products out to be tested, and they adapt and modify their designs based on those responses. In the end, students present their projects for their final exam, the culmination of this project in which they work backwards from a problem that they identify. Ultimately, SEAVER provides students with the opportunity to be innovators, critical thinkers, problem solvers, and collaborators in an everchanging global society. Summer 2018
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Campus News
And . . .
ACTION! Students write, direct, and star in the Performing Arts Showcase
When Sydney Wray ’19 was asked to rewrite a fairytale from the evil villain’s perspective in elementary school, she had no idea the assignment would inspire her so many years later. Determined to write a play while at Berkshire, she remembered the assignment, and then she and Elizabeth Rowland ’19 adapted their story for the stage, titling it, Little Red Riding Hood: The Real Story. Other students joined the production to direct and act in the play, debuting their work at the Performing Arts Showcase in May, which features plays and dances written, directed, and choreographed solely by students. The Performing Arts Showcase perfectly exemplifies Berkshire’s commitment to “student-centered teaching and learning,” which the Art Department embraced last spring with its inaugural showcase. “Right from the beginning of the creative process, straight through to rehearsals, programs, and posters—it’s all been student work,” said dance teacher Amy Keefer as she introduced this spring’s showcase. “We have given students the complete experience of producing a show from start to finish.” Not surprisingly, students leapt at the chance to be in charge. The showcase 16
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featured three dances and two original plays. “For students, a lot of what goes on behind the scenes is unknown,” explained Theater Director Jesse Howard. “So here, they really have to get ‘under the hood,’ and understand how everything works. At first it’s a little scary, and then they come to understand it, and this fascination and awe that they had turns into straight skill.” Rowland said she thoroughly enjoyed the freedom of playwriting for the showcase. “We decided to write this because we both have a passion for creative writing and don’t often get to express it without the analytical demands of a classroom assignment.” Nhu Nguyen ’19, who directed Little Red, said it was, “the most unique and amazing experience I’ve had so far at Berkshire. Directing has always been on my bucket list.” Actor Gigi Brown ’20, who did a bit of directing in the fall production of Brighton Beach Memoirs, had a role as the smitten Grandmother in Little Red and also directed the play Family Matters, which was written by Losseni Barry ’18, a fouryear veteran of Allen stage. “The biggest challenge for me,”
explained Brown, “was definitely being in charge. There is so much that happens offstage in a play that the audience is unaware of: props, costumes, set design, lighting, t-shirts, programs. In addition to that, trying to put my vision into words for the actors was definitely difficult.” Family Matters is an emotional story about a high school senior whose father, played by Barry, abandons his family after depleting his daughter’s college savings account. “In my four years of being here, never would I have pictured myself writing a play and having it performed,” Barry said. “This has definitely been a process that will shape me as a person beyond Berkshire.” Dance students also grappled with the many components of putting on a performance. Daniel Akomolafe ’19 choreographed a dance for seven students to the song “New Rules” by Dua Lipa. In his introduction of the piece, a combination of hip hop, contemporary, and vogue, he explained, “The dance is a representation of leaving things behind—things that you’ve done and things that have happened in your life— in order to birth your best self.” Friends and classmates Mikayla
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McEwen ’18 and Krystal Palmer ’18 saw the spring showcase as an opportunity to challenge themselves before graduation. Not only did they both act in Family Matters, but they also staged their own dance performance for the first time on the Allen stage. McEwen choreographed the performance, and for accompaniment, Palmer chose “I Was Here” by Beyoncé, a song about living a life without regret because it, “had a nice message for us specifically. We wanted to do something to leave our mark, and we figured this dance could be it.” Trying new things beyond their comfort zones has had unforeseen benefits. “I definitely gained a sense of confidence,” said McEwen, who said her biggest take away was: “Not being afraid to put yourself in situations that might be uncomfortable.” That very week, she
found herself more confident delivering a classroom presentation thanks to her experiences in the showcase. “I usually get nervous speaking in front of people,” she said. “But it was nothing.” Akomolafe agreed and added: “I had to let go of needing the dance to look a certain way. It’s trying different things and not being attached to what you envisioned them to be or to look like. That was the biggest challenge, but it brought forth the biggest reward.” Summer 2018
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Photo by Stephanie Berger
Sixth Former Wins Third Place in National Songwriting Competition
The opioid crisis in the Northeast had been on the mind of Tucker Donelan ’18, so he began writing a song about it, “Caleb’s Confession”—one he imagined in a musical in the vein of composer Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) could imagine it, too, awarding Donelan third place for the song at its highly competitive 2018 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge in April. Donelan submitted the song after eight months of perfecting it, and with encouragement from Berkshire School’s music directors, Dr. Tasia Cheng-Chia Wu and Dr. Clive Davis. The national
competition was held in New York City and featured six high school student finalists, whittled down from over 200 applicants, vying for $40,000 in scholarship awards. By finishing third, Donelan earned $5,000 from the Entertainment Industry Foundation. The NEA’s website describes Donelan’s song: “‘Caleb’s Confession’ is about faith amid an epidemic. Pastor Caleb de Silva, who leads the South Boston Baptist Church, is torn between the tenets of his religious beliefs and the devastation he sees around him wrought by the opioid crisis.” A classically trained musician,
Tucker Donelan ’18 (right) holds his prize of $5,000 at the final competition for the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge, held in April in New York City. Pictured with Donelan is Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts Jane Chu (left) and Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing.
Donelan has participated in four musicals at Berkshire and taken chamber music classes all four years. This fall, he’s attending Tufts University, where he hopes to continue to pursue his love of songwriting.
“ I could never have imagined myself to be where I am musically today. The arts program at Berkshire has helped me find my path and prepared me for my future.” —Tucker Donelan ’18 18
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Campus News
IMPROV: MORE THAN JUST LAUGHS In December, students gathered in Allen Theater ready to perform, but not entirely sure what they’d be performing. This is the beauty of the Say Yes Fest, an annual improv festival held in collaboration with Millbrook School, where students showcase their improv chops after a semester of studying the acting genre. The festival is the brainchild of Berkshire’s Theater Director Jesse Howard and Millbrook’s Director of Theater Elaine Lifter. During the festival, student teams were given five predetermined, random variables around which to build a scene, and had about 15 minutes to devise a structure that incorporates them, exhibiting quick wit, mental agility, and physical humor. Along with the laughs that ensued, students had to lean heavily on what they’d learned in class and then rely on improv’s built-in set of rules or “agreements,” as Howard calls them. Improv is known to develop skills in communication, problem solving, and teamwork. “Students will come up against approaches and personalities they are not used to,” he said. “It’s great to get into a group of new people and be able to trust that those agreements are already there.” Logan Renneker ’20, who was a member of the winning group which also included Bianca Arredondo ’19 and two Millbrook students, gave credit to his scene partners for their win. “We talked out the specifics of the scene, holding back no details. From then on, it was off to the races!” he said. As Howard explained, all improv begins with taking an enormous risk and can teach students what lies beyond the anxiety. “If you behave with confidence, you will feel more confident. Those behaviors can be learned and practiced. And once they are applied to a performance, a light bulb goes off that says, ‘Oh! The more comfortable I am making a fool of myself, the less of a fool I appear to be.’ When you experience that firsthand, it translates to everything from inclass presentations and public speaking to social interactions and relationships.” Certainly a benefit that will stay with students for life.
Self-Portrait, by Nhu Nguyen ‘19 (digital art)
An Artist’s Eye Sixteen Berkshire students were awarded for their exceptional writing and artwork this year, earning a combined 20 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Gold Key winners included Eva Bartell ‘20, Nicky Finn ‘21, Henry Kessler ‘19, Nhu Nguyen ‘19, Isabelle Nolan ‘18, and Daniel Tian ‘19. Robert Gallop ‘19 won a Silver Key for his personal essay, and Ashanti Bruce ‘20 earned an honorable mention for her short story.
Untitled, by Henry Kessler ‘19 (digital art)
All-State Singers Izzy Maher ‘18 and Flora Choi ‘20 performed a duet at the annual Vocal Cabaret and were both selected for the Massachusetts Music Educators Association’s AllState Concert at Boston’s Symphony Hall in March.
Losseni, by Nicky Finn ‘21 (digital photograph) Summer 2018
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camp would help dedicated players from across the country reach their potential and also bring talented athletes to Berkshire’s campus. Girls squash coach A.J. Kohlhepp said Matthew has tremendous passion and knowledge of the sport, and he was thrilled that Berkshire partnered with him to host the camp. “His ability to connect with our kids is all the more impressive given that he has spent two decades chasing personal excellence on the squash court,” Kohlhepp said. “It is impossible to understate the impact of Nick’s partnership with Berkshire School.” The summer camp offered match evaluation, squash psychology, individual
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For three weeks this summer, professional squash player Nick Matthew— former world No. 1-ranked player and three-time winner of both the British and World Opens—helped players on campus elevate their games through his Nick Matthew Squash Academy. Matthew and his teaching staff delivered squash instruction and one-on-one guidance to players aged 10–17, while also offering a range of other fun activities that promote character, discipline, and teamwork. In January, Matthew came to campus to work with our girls and boys squash teams, while also leading warm-ups, and observing and instructing during a home match. Both Matthew and Berkshire School agreed that a summer
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and group competition, and fitness training—all in Berkshire’s premiere squash center, which houses 10 squash courts in the Soffer Athletic Center. “Berkshire School instills the confidence in its students to strive, take risks, and ultimately make an impact every day,” Matthew said. “My goal is to reinforce those directives through the sport of squash. The goal of my Academy is to pass on my passion to a new generation of players and maybe even find some future World Champions.” Coaching at summer camps has been part of Matthew’s life for the past 10 years. He runs his academy at home in Sheffield, England, where he works part time with players ranging from eight years old to young professionals in their twenties. “Each player is at a different stage in his or her journey,” Matthew said. “You have to earn their respect, and I don’t mind the challenge. They’re becoming adults. And for me, any way that I can help to smooth that process is great.” When asked about his coaching philosophy, he grins. “The key thing is relationships,” he said. “It’s okay to get the kids to be better at squash, but it’s a total bonus helping them grow as human beings and as people.” As three weeks came to a close, players left camp excited for their upcoming squash seasons and ready to unleash their refined techniques. Of how each player can continue to improve and compete at the highest levels, Matthew said: “I ask that they work hard, listen, and try to take my advice on board.”
Campus News
The Man with the Summer Plan: Chris Landosky
UNLOCKING OPPORTUNITIES Oliver Scholars partners with Berkshire’s Summer Programs Since 1984, Oliver Scholars, a community-based organization, has been preparing high-achieving Black and Latino students from underserved New York City communities for academic success at top independent schools. As part of Oliver Scholars five-week Summer Program, students attend classes full time: four weeks at an independent school in New York and one week at a boarding school. Beginning in summer 2017, Berkshire partnered with and welcomed Oliver Scholars to campus. This summer, over 140 scholars studied at Berkshire. “We cherish our relationship with community-based organizations like Oliver Scholars because they identify students who will thrive in independent educational environments, prepare them for transition to boarding schools, and provide continued support to their alumni long after they have graduated,” said Berkshire’s Director of Admission Dana Anselmi. Many Oliver Scholars graduate from the summer program and attend a boarding school, including Berkshire’s very own scholar, Randi Hinds ’20. Hinds says Oliver Scholars introduced her to boarding school. Initially, she was concerned about living away from home. “The biggest surprise,” she said, “was that I really liked being away. And, I got to meet people who I never would have met otherwise. It’s really opened up my world.” At Berkshire, Hinds has discovered her passion for art. In February, she was among one of the 2018 Scholastic Art Award winners, earning a Silver Key award for her self-portrait drawing in graphite. “I am so appreciative of the teachers here, as they have supported and helped me grow into an amazing student and person,” she said.
Chris Landosky, Berkshire’s new director of Summer Programs, arrived on campus this winter to begin planning the School’s summer camps. Recently, Berkshire made a strategic decision to develop summer programming as a way to introduce 6th–8th grade students to the School, and to offer camps to current students. Landosky’s many years of camp experience made him a perfect fit for the role. Prior to joining Berkshire, he worked in leadership roles for Education, Sports, and Fun (ESF) Camps for over 20 years, including directing youth baseball camps in conjunction with two Major League Baseball Leagues—the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals. He was also a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. The School’s summer programming, Landosky said, allows prospective students to “test drive what Berkshire life is all about.” This summer featured a number of faculty-led day and boarding camps focused on academics, arts, and athletics. “All of our programs point back to the development of youth,” Landosky said. “Each is centered in a positive and caring environment where participants are encouraged to be curious, to try new things in an environment where it is safe to fail, and where diversity and respect are celebrated and perseverance and resiliency are demonstrated—all reflected in Berkshire’s core values.” Landosky is particularly excited about working with Berkshire faculty to continue to develop unique summer programming that accentuates existing signature programs, like Advanced Math/Science Research and Pro Vita. “One of Berkshire’s greatest assets is its talented faculty and staff,” he said. “Over time, my hope is to generate faculty relationships and engagement to help create distinctive program offerings that will balance our summer portfolio between academics, arts, sports, leadership and character building, and wellness and outdoor adventure.”
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To Nourish A curated menu of Berkshire alumni excelling in the food and wine industry
Students leave Berkshire flourishing because the School has nourished their mind, body, spirit, and palette. It’s no coincidence, then, that dozens of alumni have taken up a similar call through food and wine, providing sustenance, decadence, and pure enjoyment. As we attempted to capture these stories, we were in awe by the sheer number of alumni working in the food and wine industry. Think of this section as a curated menu, offering you just a taste of the Berkshire-bred chefs, bakers, vintners, and sommeliers dotting the country. From bustling restaurants to picturesque vineyards to our own dining hall, alumni and Berkshire staff share a common drive: to nourish others as they have been nourished.
To find a list of additional alumni working in the food and wine industry, please visit berkshireschool.org/foodandwine.
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Nourish (v.): to provide what’s needed for life, health, and growth
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A BEAUTIFUL LOCAL CUISINE
in Napa Valley Three-Star Michelin Chef Christopher Kostow ’95 Serves Sense of Place.
By Tina Antolini
In the kitchen of the Restaurant at Meadowood, the flagship restaurant of Chef Christopher Kostow ’95, there’s a pan filled with what looks like tree bark—thin and pale brown, curling at the edges. In fact, it is tree bark, of the madrone tree, which grows near the restaurant in St. Helena, Calif. “It’s a local bark,” Kostow says, as he navigates through the gleaming kitchen, where almost a dozen cooks are busy prepping for the night’s service. “We make an apple cider, but instead of using cinnamon or spices, we use this natural stuff; it’s really perfect.” Kostow is dedicated to foraging the fields, woods, and gardens of Napa County to bring setting to the plate. His ingenuity and talent have earned him accolades from around the country and the world, along with a stack of awards and honors. He’s the third youngest chef to receive three Michelin stars, and the James Beard Foundation named him Best Chef in the western United States in 2013. Kostow is also the author of a cookbook, A New Napa Cuisine (2014), which pays homage to his chosen home. It’s easy to see why Napa Valley has captured Kostow’s imagination. On a fall day, the vineyards of the region are radiant with autumn color, as grape leaves turn varied hues of golden yellow, burnt orange, and brilliant crimson red. Vineyards surround the entrance to Meadowood, the upscale resort that houses Kostow’s restaurant, and they seem to positively glow in the morning sun. Photo courtesy of The Restaurant at Meadowood
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Photos courtesy of The Charter Oak
Kostow opened The Charter Oak in 2017
When Kostow first arrived in 2008 to take up the helm at the Restaurant at Meadowood, he stumbled—almost by accident—into connecting the natural abundance of the region with his cooking. Walking alone with his dog, Charlie, in a marshy area, Kostow noticed miner’s lettuce and radish flowers growing under his feet, and watercress and wild rhubarb in the creek. It was as if the land were coming into focus in a new way, the edible revealing itself to him. “I started having a sense of place visà-vis Napa Valley, which I hadn’t really done before in a food setting,” he says. He pondered: Could these local ingredients help people embark on a deeper relationship with Napa? “I wondered if it would be possible to harness the physical, emotional, and historical power of this place in a new and persuasive way to create a cuisine that is rooted here rather than just happening here,” Kostow writes in his book. “Everywhere we looked were elements that could contribute to a beautiful local cuisine, and we pursued those elements with the fervor and single-mindedness that only true 26
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believers possess.” In reviewing Kostow’s book, Margrit Mondavi, of the legendary Mondavi wine family, praised his hyperlocal approach. “Christopher Kostow is a great chef and an artist, and also a responsible guard of our terroir,” she wrote. “How fortunate we are that he chose Napa Valley in which to create his own style of cooking.” Soon, the food at Meadowood began to reflect the landscape. “We couldn’t do any better than nature did; a beautiful sunset is better than a painting every time,” he says. Long before Kostow became a chef, he gained a reverence for nature as a student at Berkshire School. He grew up outside Chicago and had ambitions to be a professional hockey player, which motivated him to transfer to Berkshire partway through high school. He rapidly retired his hockey dreams, but the School left its mark on Kostow’s sensibilities. “I was very much exposed to the concept of beauty in a way that I hadn’t known before,” Kostow says. “I got very engaged with poetry, with writing, and with setting. I remember taking runs in the morning . . . and being stunned by the beauty of the place in a way that I
don’t think I had been before.” Coming from the suburban Midwest, he reveled in the School’s location at the base of Mount Everett, which he enjoyed hiking. “That proximity to nature was so key.” Kostow didn’t immediately draw a line between his fondness for nature and his interest in food. He’d held a summer job cooking during high school, but he didn’t think of it as a serious professional endeavor until after graduating from Hamilton College in 1999 with a degree in philosophy. He talked his way into a job at a highend restaurant in San Diego and from there bounced between California and Europe, immersing himself in French cuisine in Paris, in Montpellier, and on the Côte d’Azur. Back in California, he worked under world-renowned chef Daniel Humm at Campton Place. Humm lauded Kostow’s culinary sensibilities in a review of his book: “Christopher is thoughtful, deliberate, and respectful in the kitchen, honoring every ingredient he uses; but he also ensures that each and every bite of food is delicious.” After working for Humm, Kostow began making a name for himself crafting tasting menus as the chef of Chez TJ, a
“I STARTED HAVING A SENSE OF PLACE VIS-À-VIS NAPA VALLEY, WHICH I HADN’T REALLY DONE BEFORE IN A FOOD SETTING.” —Christopher Kostow (reflecting on his time at berkshire)
tiny restaurant in Mountain View, Calif. From there, he was offered the helm at the Restaurant at Meadowood. It was in Napa that Berkshire’s lessons of place reemerged. Just as in Sheffield, Mass., Kostow found he wanted to deeply know the land, not just blindly rely on it. He foraged in the woods, built relationships with local farmers and winemakers, and made a deal with the local Montessori School to build a 2.5acre garden on its property, not far from the restaurant. Kostow joins forces with his garden manager, Zac Yoder, to test dozens of varieties of vegetables and experiment with cooking plants at different stages of development, from seed all the way to flower. He talks excitedly about a canapé they make using a whole pea plant, from its root to the sprout, with the crunchy seed, or dried pea, still attached. “We quickly roast them and make a little pea crepe,” he says. “They’re amazing.” Dining at the Restaurant at Meadowood is a refined affair, with a fixed-price menu and delicately assembled dishes: tight curls of fresh abalone, dotted with heirloom beans and dressed in a nasturtium vinaigrette; a strip loin of beef cured in pine, shaved
paper thin, and served with nori made of local sorrel. Kostow recently decided to open another, more laid-back restaurant in the same town, “a place where my wife and kids can just roll in for lunch.” He has two daughters, ages four and two. He opened The Charter Oak with Katianna Hong, his former chef de cuisine, in June 2017, intending it to be a more accessible version of Meadowood while still spotlighting Napa’s fields and forests. Opening the restaurant was a humbling experience for Kostow, and it brought him even closer to the place where he’s lived and worked for nearly 10 years. “I had no idea how little I was actually talking to people until I opened [The Charter Oak],” he says. “They’re like, ‘Oh, that’s the fancy restaurant guy.’” Kostow says he had to practically start from scratch, building new relationships with the local community and proving that his food was relevant to them, too. His dedication is paying off, with both locals and tourists flocking to The Charter Oak’s brick-walled dining room, with its open-hearth fireplace—which Kostow uses to make many items on the menu, from duck leg to slow-cooked eggplant. In April, GQ magazine named The Charter Oak among 2018’s best new restaurants in the United States. GQ food critic Brett Martin wrote, “There are some restaurants where you get the feeling that everybody is at least momentarily aware of how lucky they are to be there, and this is one.” Just like at Meadowood, the menu is an expression of the relationship
between land and food that Kostow preaches. The garden crudité is a riot of greenery and raw vegetables, practically untouched since they were harvested from the garden: chard, baby bok choi, mustards, carrot, radish, cucumber. A fat pair of beef ribs has been glazed with saba, a cooked grape juice made from the unfermented residue of wine grapes. A salad of charred broccoli is rife with textural contrasts: the blackened and crunchy fronds of each broccoli floret; the lightly crisped roasted kale leaves; the slightly brittle puffed rice; and, occasionally, a mellow swipe of ricotta. Kostow says his food has prompted him to become a student of this place, so that he can “become a medium of sorts for what grows here,” from the madrone bark flavoring the cider to the saba glazing the beef ribs. “I really believe that context in food is everything,” Kostow says. “Food, absent the moment, absent the people, absent the setting—it doesn’t have a lot of value. It doesn’t have a lot of impact. That’s why the food we do here—in both restaurants—is grounded in place.”
Tina Antolini is a senior producer for Pop-Up Magazine. Previously, she hosted and produced Gravy, a podcast with the Southern Foodways Alliance, which earned two James Beard Awards, including the foundation’s Publication of the Year Award for 2015.
therestaurantatmeadowood.com Summer 2018
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FISH, SALT, SUGAR,
and Smoke
Jason Marrian ‘96 and Elizabeth Mattes ‘99 carry on the family’s boutique fish smokehouse.
By Michael hayes
Every day, Jason Marrian ’96, wearing a knee-length white coat and rubber boots, rotates hundreds of pounds of fish in and out of custom-made smokers at his family’s boutique smokehouse, Samaki, Inc. After the smoking process, he packages the tender strips of fish for his customers around the country. “Everything we do is all natural,” Marrian says, who runs the business with his wife, Elizabeth Mattes ’99, from Port Jervis, New York. “It’s just fish, salt, sugar, and smoke. There’s nothing else.” The company—Samaki is a Swahili word meaning “fish”—has roots in Marrian’s native Kenya. In the 1970’s, Marrian’s father, Simon, worked as a safari guide in Kenya’s national parks, and he began smoking the yellowfin tuna he caught in the Indian Ocean and supplying it to safari lodges. Now, Samaki produces 800,000 pounds of smoked fish annually, while staying true to its commitment to a high-quality, artisan product. “It started as a hobby,” Marrian says. “During that time, in Kenya, you couldn’t import anything to put on a menu, and the clients were looking for something 28
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Elizabeth Mattes ‘99 and Jason Marrian ‘96
that was made in Kenya but was tasty and different. Suddenly, there was some buzz about [my father’s] smoked tuna.” When Marrian was five years old, his father moved the family to the United States to develop his hobby into a full-fledged business. At the time, and for nearly two decades, Samaki operated out of a cow barn converted into a smokehouse. As food regulations became stricter and the product more popular, the family relocated to its current location: a 17-thousand-square-
foot abandoned meat packing plant located about 90-minutes from New York City. The company now has 25 employees, and Simon Marrian remains involved in the business. Today, Samaki’s customers include gourmet New York retailers like Russ & Daughters Cafe, Zabar’s, and Agata & Valentina, as well as stores in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami. Loyal local customers also buy smoked fish directly from Samaki through its small storefront retail space located at the front of the warehouse on 62 Jersey Avenue. Salmon accounts for about 90 percent of Samaki’s business, nearly all of which is farmed in places like Ireland, Norway, and Patagonia. The company also sells smoked sable, whitefish, trout, and, of course, the fish that started it all— yellowfin tuna. The smoking process itself is fairly simple. The fish, which is always purchased fresh, is first cured in a mix of salt and brown sugar, then brined in a bath of salt water, and finally cold smoked for several hours at a temperature of about 80 degrees using a mix of hardwoods, including oak and maple.
“BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, I HAD BOTH FEET PLANTED IN THE SMOKED FISH BUSINESS.”
Marrian believes it’s the simplicity of the product that makes it so exceptional. “We don’t use any preservatives, and we do everything in small batches,” he says. At first, Marrian never saw himself joining the family business. He wanted to be a pilot (he has his pilot’s license), and he attended flight school after graduating from Berkshire School. He soon realized it wasn’t his ideal career path. “Before you know it, I had both feet planted in the smoked fish business,” Marrian says. The same can be said for Elizabeth Mattes, who took on an administrative role at Samaki before the couple was married in 2013. Now, she handles operations and manages the complicated Food and Drug Administration regulatory process. “It’s interesting to see how you can make a company grow,” she says. “The added bonus is that we’re not making nuts and bolts; we’re actually producing an artisan food.” Elizabeth recalls her time at Berkshire as a place that gave her stamina to get through long days, just as she does at Samaki. “Berkshire gives you confidence,” she says. “It prepares you for life.” Does the couple ever tire of eating their own smoked fish? “We love it,” Elizabeth says. “It’s a nice perk of the job. We’ll even go into [New York City] and taste other people’s smoked salmon against ours and say, ‘Wow, we make a good product.’”
samakismokedfish.com
Photos by Michael Hayes
—Jason marrian ’96
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CAKES
Make THE MOMENT
Jo-Ann Barett ’91 is an award-winning cake designer.
By MEGAN TADY
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Photos by Jen Dessinger
The engaged couple had a unique request for wedding cake designer JoAnn Barett ’91 and her sister and chef, Eileen Barett. Could their cake taste like a Mallomar cookie—with its graham cracker crust, gooey marshmallow center, and thin chocolate layer—and resemble the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York, where they were getting married? While her sister took to the kitchen to whip up a marshmallow buttercream with chocolate ganache, Barett started sketching—something she always does as she discusses cakes with her clients. The couple was ecstatic with the results: a four-tier wedding cake with colorful, edible triangles that looked like the façade of the museum and tasted just like their favorite dessert. “They were the loveliest couple,” Barett says. “I loved knowing that they had their perfect flavor, and it was designed especially for them. It’s just wonderful to be part of that process and of that special moment.” Together, Barett and her sister, coowners of Aromas Boutique Bakery in New York City, use flour, sugar, and ingenuity to create their cakes. The pair has won the Knot’s Best of Weddings award two years in a row, and on any given week, Barett might design a cake in the shape of a tuxedo, several wedding cakes, and desserts for corporate events—for example, a celebration for airline company JetBlue announcing new flights to Cuba. The bakery makes everything from scratch, and the sisters work with flavor and perfume companies to create unique twists, like Szechuan lavender brownies or bergamot meringue. But here’s the icing on the cake: Barett didn’t know anything about cake designing until 10 years ago. “As my friends from college would attest, I knew nothing of food,” Barett says. “That’s why this is so funny.”
Barett had been working as an event planner, and her sister was training as a chef. By chance, the two paired up to plan and cater a large event, and they discovered they liked working together. In 2004, they launched Everyday Gourmet NYC, a home-delivery food business; and in 2012, they opened a café in Harlem, which they closed three years later, as the schedule proved too grueling.
“I GET TO SKETCH, I GET TO PAINT, I GET TO DO WONDERFUL THINGS WITH EDIBLE GOLD AND FONDANT AND EDIBLE CLAY.” —Jo-ann barett ’91
Now they’re focused on what they love to do most—create cakes and desserts. Always an artist, Barett found that cake decorating wasn’t that much different from painting on canvas or drawing on paper. “I get to sketch, I get to paint, I get to do wonderful things with edible gold
and fondant and edible clay,” she says. At the same time, Barett’s work is labor intensive and high pressure— after all, she’s designing cakes for clients’ most treasured moments, and a lot can go wrong. Is there a detour that might cause their van to go over a bumpy ramp? Is the table sturdy enough to support the cake? Is the venue outside or near water? Is it humid? Might it rain? “In most cases, this day won’t happen again, so we want to do our part to make it perfect,” she says. “I like to accompany most of the cakes. I’m still that obsessive about taking care of our customers.” Over the years, Barett has developed strategies to help her keep a level head, such as practicing meditation and attending silent retreats in the Catskills. She also draws on the independent spirit she cultivated at Berkshire School, which allows her to excel as an entrepreneur. “I really found my independence at Berkshire, and I wouldn’t be the type of person that I am if I hadn’t left home at 14 for boarding school,” she says. There was a time when Barett doubted her impact on the world, thinking, “Oh, I just design cakes.” But then she had an epiphany. “For some people, it makes a huge difference to be able to have a sugarfree cake for your diabetic grandparents next to your wedding cake,” she says. “Or you’re gluten-free, and you just want to enjoy cake at your wedding. Or your mother is celebrating a milestone, and you want to make sure she will truly remember it. We get to do all of that, and it’s really wonderful. I take great pride in knowing that people come to us for those moments that matter so much to them.”
aromasboutiquebakery.com Summer 2018
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A Spin on
SHAVED ICE Theo Friedman ’11 introduces New York City to a Japanese dessert.
By Megan TADY
For six weeks this winter, in a tiny stall in the bustling Canal Street Market in New York City, Theo Friedman ’11 embarked on his latest pop-up restaurant adventure, called Bonsai Kakigōri, which serves a shaved-ice dessert popular in Japan. Friedman, who is also the owner of Theory Kitchen, made a name for himself in the city with his elaborate and creative pop-up dinners— temporary, spontaneous events housed in a range of locations—which were written about in the Boston Globe, the Village Voice, and Time Out New York, among other outlets. He’s also a chef for private events. When his business partner, Gaston Becherano, returned from a trip to Japan raving about Kakigōri, they decided to make it themselves. Towering in wooden bowls and served with a wooden spoon, Kakigōri is a delicately flavored version of shaved ice, though Friedman contends, “Nothing like it exists here in the States.” Friedman and Becherano ordered a hand-cranked vintage machine from Tokyo and began experimenting with flavors made from fruit and handmade toppings, like spiced 32
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apple, coconut, and matcha tea. They are dedicated to sourcing from local or seasonal products, often scouring Union Square’s famed farmers’ market for inspiration. “In our opinion, ‘snow cone’ is a dirty word,” Friedman says. “We want nothing more than to never, ever, hear that word. Kakigōri has a really light, fluffy, melt-inyour-mouth, cotton-candy-like texture. You take a bite and it instantly dissolves, and it just leaves you with the flavor.” The pair is seeking a more permanent
brick-and-mortar location, and they are also vendors at the open-air food market Smorgasburg in Brooklyn. Friedman says his goal is to honor Japan’s favorite sweet while putting his own spin on it. “We’re not Japanese,” he says. “We want to be clear that we’re not trying to produce an authentic or a traditional experience. I’m approaching this with a similar mind-set to Theory Kitchen, in that I want to make something that’s as delicious as possible.” Even as a child, Friedman was drawn to adventurous foods and flavors. “Food has always been at the center of my life,” he says. “I was the kid with the really weird lunch, and my favorite snack after school were these little baby octopuses at the seafood counter. I would be eating seaweed, and kids would give me weird looks with their fruit roll-ups. And I liked that. I liked being that weird-food eater.” Friedman graduated from Tufts University in 2015 with a degree in American studies and entrepreneurial leadership, serving a 20-course meal for his senior thesis. And though he wasn’t culinarily focused at Berkshire, he learned how to forge his own path,
Photo by Kelvin Ma/Tufts University
spearheading an effort to ban plastic water bottles from campus. “Berkshire pushed me to think for myself and to think outside the box,” he says. Along with Bonsai Kakigōri, Friedman spends most of his time curating menus and cooking for events ranging from 2 to 1,000 people, though he still occasionally hosts his signature pop-up dinners in a six-story brownstone mansion he found on Airbnb. When he first began, Friedman saw pop-up dinners as a way to break down social barriers. “The idea was maybe you’d bump elbows with a stranger,” he says. “Maybe you’d brush up against someone you didn’t know, and especially in New York, that was such a taboo thing to do.” Now he’s more into simplicity and letting his food speak for itself—though he did find that his Kakigōri had an interesting effect as people paused to eat it while leaning against the counter on Canal Street. “It allows people the opportunity to stop for a second, spend five minutes not running around, and appreciate this dessert, appreciate spending time and sharing it with someone,” he says.
“IN OUR OPINION, ‘SNOW CONE’ IS A DIRTY WORD. WE WANT NOTHING MORE THAN TO NEVER, EVER, HEAR THAT WORD.” —theo friedman ’11
bonsaikakigori.com Summer 2018
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What’s
COOKING? Nine Rapid-Fire Questions for Chef Peter Coenen ’04
1. The last meal I cooked professionally was: Warm gougères (a cheese puff) stuffed with aerated gruyere cheese with pickled red pepper gel and caviar 2. The go-to meal I cook for myself is: Grilled vegetables with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Last spring, Executive Chef Peter Coenen ’04 was too busy running three restaurants for Chicago’s Land and Sea Dept. to think about accolades. Then, in the midst of plating food and planning menus for the Cherry Circle Room, Lonesome Rose, and Lost Lake, Coenen received the news: StarChef had awarded him a Rising Star Award, making him one of the most notable chefs in the city. Coenen began his journey scrubbing dishes in Berkshire’s dining hall (his parents are Berkshire’s Senior Master Amanda Morgan and Chris Coenen, who taught at the School until 2006), and then he attended culinary school at Johnson & Wales in Providence, R.I. Coenen has worked at finedining restaurants in the U.S. and St. Thomas, perfecting a style described as “refined and rustic.” Of the chef’s life, Coenen says, “It gives me a way to be creative and use my hands and mind in a crazy atmosphere.” —Megan Tady
3. One ingredient I can’t live without is: It’s a tie between salt and lemon juice 4. The most essential item in my commercial kitchen is: Another tie—a chef’s knife and a tilt skillet 5. I’m most excited about this food trend: Fine dining in a casual atmosphere and more laid-back kitchens 6. One item you’ll never find on my menus is: Tiny micro-petite vegetables 7. I’m always in the mood for eating: High Five Ramen (in Chicago) 8. The chef that has inspired me the most is/and because: Kirk Gilbert. He always taught me the true basics of cooking and the importance of staying true to yourself. Dining and food will always be influenced and elevated, but rustic, simple dishes will never die. Also, he taught me to always taste my food. 9. My best advice for novice chefs is: Learn the fundamentals before trying to be forward thinking and modern. You don’t need to go to culinary school; immerse yourself in great restaurants with great chefs.
Photo by Clayton Hauck
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CHEF FOR ONE Jamie Sydney ‘90 prepares meals for a famous client. As a private chef for fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, Jamie Sydney ’90 says she loves cooking for people who truly appreciate good food. Sydney, who earned her chef’s certification at the French Culinary Institute in New York City, has spent the last 15 years running a catering and personal cooking business, blogging about food, writing her own cookbook, and appearing on WTNH News 8 in New Haven, Conn., to suggest recipes for viewers. She describes her cooking approach as rustic, simple, and delicious. “I let the food speak for itself,” she said. “Some chefs get too fancy with cooking and presentation, and it covers up the true flavor and purpose of the food. It’s not my style to make a foam out of beets or powder out of spinach.” Instead, she likes to add unique ingredients to traditional dishes, like the caprese salad. “The mint leaves replace the basil and add a bright flavor with the arugula. It’s all about the twist!” —Megan Tady
JAMIE SYDNEY’S SUMMER NECTARINE/ PEACH AND TOMATO SALAD WITH BASIL Serves 6
1 pint of assorted baby heirloom tomatoes 6 nectarines/peaches, sliced into eight pieces 2 tablespoons of olive oil Drizzle of white balsamic vinegar 1 cup of basil leaves, whole, washed, dried 1 cup of mint leaves 1 cup of baby arugula, whole, washed, dried Sea salt and freshly ground pepper Optional: aged balsamic vinegar to drizzle Combine the tomatoes, nectarines/peaches, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Toss gently with a rubber spatula. Add in the basil, arugula, and mint leaves and stir gently. Taste for seasoning and serve.
jamie-sydney.squarespace.com
RELISHING THE CHICAGO DOG Jack Bodman ‘89 leads Vienna ® Beef as it celebrates the iconic hot dog. There are few foods as legendary as the Chicagostyle hot dog. And this year, the company credited with helping launch the famous fare that fed the hungry during the Great Depression—Vienna® Beef— is celebrating its 125th anniversary. Chicagoan Jack Bodman ’89 is co-president of Vienna® Beef, a company whose origins date back to the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 where two immigrants, Emil Reichel and Sam Ladany, sold their very first hot dogs. Bodman says the hot dog, with its standard toppings of mustard, relish, onions, tomato, pickles, hot peppers, and celery, became an inexpensive staple for people during the Depression. “You could buy a relatively low-cost meal, and it had meat, bread, and vegetables,” Bodman says. “It was a mixture of different flavors and traditions from different cultures—a melting-pot sandwich.” Today, the company employs nearly 350 people, including Jack’s four sisters and his brother. As it has grown, Bodman says Vienna® remains focused on the small vendors who helped popularize the hot dog at sporting events and in neighborhoods. Some of the most successful of them will be celebrated in August when 125 vendors will be inducted into Vienna® Beef’s Hot Dog Hall of Fame. This year, the Bodman family generously donated deli meats, hot dogs, and chili for the entire Berkshire community to enjoy. Bodman lives in Chicago with his wife, Hallie King Bodman ’90, and four children, Charlie, Sam ’19, Maggie, and Ellie. —Michael Hayes viennabeef.com Summer 2018
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Q &A
Culinary
ROAD-TRIPPING Food writer and adventurer Susie Norris ’79 takes us on her latest journey.
By LUCIA MULDER
Growing up in Kentucky, food writer and author Susie Norris ’79 always harbored a sweet tooth. Not content to leave the serious business of dessert up to chance, she taught herself how to bake, starting with her ultimate favorite: chocolate cake. A childhood hobby eventually became a second career when televisionexecutive-turned-professional-baker Norris began teaching at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles while running an artisan chocolate business. A woman of many talents, Susie helped Berkshire engage alumni and parents on the West Coast from 2012 to 2015 as a member of the Advancement Office. In addition to creating an award-winning culinary travel blog, Food Market Gypsy, Norris has published two books, Chocolate Bliss (Random House/ Celestial Arts) and Hand-Crafted Candy Bars with Susan Heeger (Chronicle Books). Her next book, A Baker’s Passport: Sweet and Savory Recipes for World Classics, will be available January 3, 2019, on Amazon. How did you satisfy your sweet tooth while at Berkshire?
The dining hall in those days didn’t quite deliver the goods, so I hit the road on my bike and discovered maple penny candy in Egremont, molasses cookies for sale in an antiques barn in Great Barrington, and September
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Norris visited Bergen, a town on the western coast of Norway, while researching the Norwegian waffle cookie “krumkake.”
apples from orchards all along the way. Much later, I got interested in chocolate because of its complex history and its deliciousness. And candy bars are artworks as far as I’m concerned. What was the inspiration for your blog, Food Market Gypsy?
Like many boarding school kids who pack up every six weeks or so, I’ve always been a traveler. Writing and photographing for the blog are a way to capture the food stories lurking in every meal and in every adventure. The blog is also an aspirational persona—it is my freest self! My collaborators are my friends, and we are connected by a creative appreciation of travel, culture, and cuisine. We travel together, sometimes literally and always spiritually. As a cookbook author, which do you prefer: writing or creating recipes?
I think of cookbook writing as a form of teaching. My job is to write the recipe clearly and also describe it meaningfully enough to inspire the reader to create it. When the words don’t flow, I move over to the kitchen to test some recipes, talk them over with myself, and really think about how best to teach them. This usually helps me improve the prose and make the recipes better. It is this dance I enjoy the most—the mental movement between writing, thinking, and baking. Tell us about your new book.
Like the blog, my new book is a road trip through the greatest hits of regional baking— like Kentucky hot browns (comfort food from my home state) and Black Forest cake (full of cherries and local brandy from the Black Forest of Germany). The book covers the cultural context of why a baked item is symbolic of its region. Why are mooncakes so popular in southern China, for instance, and why is shepherd’s pie an English tradition? Breakfast pastries, breads, savories like Quiche Lorraine from France and baked lasagna from Italy—all on the itinerary, as are classic cakes, cookies, and, of course, chocolate. foodmarketgypsy.com
Nordic Salt & Pepper Cookies “Pepparkakor,” snappy ginger cookies common in the Nordic countries, are often served as gingerbread people during the holidays. This version blends several spices for a peppery, aromatic cookie. For the Dough: 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking soda 1 tablespoon pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger 1 teaspoon cardamom 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon table salt) 4 ounces butter 4 tablespoons molasses 1/2 cup corn syrup 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 2 eggs Flour, for dusting
Available on January 3, 2019, from Amazon, Norris’s new book takes readers on a culinary adventure.
Sift the first six ingredients together into a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat the next seven ingredients over medium flame just until melted and blended. Pour the hot sugar mixture into the flour mixture and stir until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or transfer to a zip-top plastic bag) and allow to rest refrigerated overnight (or at least two hours). Once chilled, place the dough on a work surface dusted with flour and roll thin (about 1/4”). Use cookie cutters to punch out shapes, then place each on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for about 7–10 minutes until firm. For the Icing: 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted 1/2 cup cream 1 tablespoon vanilla 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon sea salt Combine all the ingredients and spread over cooled cookies. Top with sea salt.
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FEEDING
the Bears
FLIK fills the bellies of a hungry Berkshire community.
BY MEGAN TADY Photos by Gregory Cherin Photography
On a February afternoon in Benson Commons, hungry Berkshire students crowd around a table to build towering masterpieces: chicken gyros with all the fixings—diced cucumber and tomato, feta cheese, and kalamata olives, finished with a drizzle or heaping dollop of homemade tzatziki sauce, depending on the artist (and the eater). Students who don’t opt for the Grecian special can choose from two homemade soups, a salad bar, or a sandwich bar—food stations that are available during every meal. Students then select their seats at large rectangular tables and tuck into their fare, after which they clear their own plates and set off across campus, full and nourished. Run by a dining services company called FLIK, all nine full-time cooks working in the dining hall help Berkshire achieve its culinary mission: to serve healthy, flavorful, and diverse food options in a family-style environment. Each week, the staff produces
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21 meals to feed an astounding 500 people, including students, faculty, staff, and families—and that’s not just one dish, take it or leave it, but multiple food options for every breakfast, lunch, and dinner to appease all types of diners, including vegetarians; vegans; and those with gluten, dairy, or nut allergies. The food choices, which rotate on a sixweek cycle, are designed to expand students’ palates and introduce new foods—think beets or bulgur wheat—while offering the food comforts of home—grilled cheese, beef ramen, or black bean quesadillas. Every single food item is labeled, helping students make the best choice for their allergies and taste buds. And each month, the kitchen weaves into its rotation one new superfood, spice, and grain. The task, to say the least, is monumental. Nancy Main, Berkshire’s executive chef, has worked at the School for three years, and she calls her mission to feed the Berkshire community a “labor of love.”
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10
FUN FACTS
About Food at Berkshire We compost all food scraps.
We make our soups from scratch.
Nearby farms supply fresh fruit and veggies.
We bake our own bread and desserts.
Our salad dressings are homemade.
We focus on a new herb every month.
We track our food waste.
We recycle our grease.
Our milk is all hormone free.
In one lunch period, we served 4,085 dumplings and 5,000 chicken nuggets!
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“WHAT INSPIRES US IS MAKING FOOD THAT CREATES AN EMOTION. WHEN THE FOOD MAKES [STUDENTS] HAPPY OR IT BRINGS A MEMORY BACK: ‘OH, MY MOM USED TO MAKE THIS.’” —Nancy Main, Executive Chef
“What inspires us is making food that creates an emotion,” she says. “When you open the doors and you see the kids come in, and they’re like, ‘Oh! Oh!’ When the food makes [students] happy or it brings a memory back: ‘Oh, my mom used to make this.’ Just seeing that emotion is how we connect with the students and the community.” Berkshire partnered with FLIK in 2015, and Head of School Pieter Mulder says he’s extremely proud of how Main and her staff sustain the community day in and day out. “Gathering around the table for meals—whether at Advisee Lunch, Community Dinner, or just with a group of friends—is cherished downtime in our students’ busy lives. Food provides us sustenance and so much more. The partnership with FLIK has only gotten stronger over the years, as Nancy, [Food Service Director] Shawn Burdick, and the entire FLIK team have become a central part of the community and enriched it with a fantastic variety
of offerings at our daily meals and at special events on campus.” Thanks to the flexible nature of the partnership, the School can offer FLIK feedback to adapt the menu to best fit the community. The Board of Trustees has undertaken several initiatives through its For Life Committee to help FLIK meet students’ needs, including a weekly themed salad bar, Friday Night Specials with themes such as “Wings and Things,” and Bear Bites, which rotates student favorites throughout the week, like French bread pizza, Thai lettuce wraps, a bagel bar, and a dim sum bar. The committee is also developing the concept of having student and faculty chefs prepare fresh and healthy options for the community. “I really like when we have Asian cuisine, like dumplings,” says Ahria Simons ’18 of Bermuda. “I think it’s important to have meals that everyone loves because we don’t really have an alternative to the dining hall.” Charlotte Childs ’18, from Connecticut, says she looks forward to certain foods that she’s come to enjoy over her time at Berkshire. “There are foods that are unique to FLIK that I tried as a new student and really like today, like the pumpkin whoopie pies and the tortilla soup.” Board of Trustee member Jane Kreke P’12, P’13, P’15, P’21, who chairs the For Life Committee, says quality food at Berkshire is vital to students’ mental and physical well-being. “We take pride in the fact that we are getting great input and positive feedback from our students,” Kreke says. “The future of food at Berkshire will be an ongoing project, and we will work hand in hand with our dining services partner to ensure that we are meeting the everchanging demands of our students and the entire Berkshire community.”
Executive Chef Nancy Main (fourth from left) with her team: David Hunter, Rafael Segura Veras, Ed Milanesi, Kathy Fountain, Randy Higgins, Cathy “Baker” Dougherty, Jon Owen
Everything fresh, everything sustainable
r
Executive Chef Nancy Main works tirelessly behind the scenes in the dining hall, chopping, stirring, and seasoning. She’s at home in a commercial kitchen, where she loves the fast pace and the camaraderie among the staff. After attending culinary school at Johnson & Wales University, Main worked in a series of restaurants, hotels, and conference centers before embarking on a career as a chef for independent schools. Before Berkshire, she spent 12 years cooking at the Gunnery in Washington, Conn., and four years at the Taft School in Watertown, Conn. Now Main says she enjoys cooking with FLIK because the company gives her control and flexibility over the menu. “As we go through the six-week menu cycle, I can make adjustments to get it right,” Main says. “I can see that the kids loved this but didn’t go for that.
Food is a big part of boarding school life, September, when the herb chervil took and we take it very seriously over here.” center stage, Main set up a tasting FLIK’s guidelines include four bar and offered crackers with goat programs that change annually: Food cheese and chervil, homemade pickled Focus, Superfoods, Tastings, and cucumbers with tomatoes and chervil Traveling Flavors. This year’s Food seasoning, and a chervil béarnaise sauce Focus is grilled cheese, and served over asparagus. each month features a And finally, this year’s unique grilled cheese, Traveling Flavors theme was such as smoked gouda “Around the World in 80 or brie, alongside the Days,” featuring food from traditional sandwich. four destinations: Bombay, “We take a regular India; London, England; grilled cheese and Yokohama, Japan; and San knock it up a level, adding Francisco, Calif. different ingredients,” As a contracted employee Shawn Burdick, Shawn Burdick says. “Then Food Service Director through FLIK, Burdick has we pair it with a classic gone out of his way to plug homemade tomato soup, which is into the community so he can best everyone’s favorite. They would chase understand students’ needs. Before me out of here if we didn’t have the Berkshire, Burdick was an executive tomato soup!” chef at Wyantenuck Country Club in Every month, FLIK also promotes a Great Barrington, Mass., and Stoweflake different superfood, including citrus, Mountain Resort and Spa in Stowe, Vt. avocados, and tomatoes. Another “I talk to the kids, and I talk to the monthly rotation, Tastings, introduces teachers,” he says. “I don’t just go to my students to a new spice or herb. Last job every day and go home. I go to the Summer 2018
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soccer and basketball games. My kids go Pittsfield, Mass. The kitchen staff makes to daycare here. It gives me a passion for its own soups and salad dressings from my job, and I really care about who I’m scratch and uses high-quality rubs putting food out for.” and seasonings made just for FLIK. The same holds true for Catering A talented in-house baker whips up Director Denee Danner, homemade breads and desserts. previously an action station “FLIK’s philosophy is cook at the Taft School, everything fresh, everything whose focus was on sustainable,” Main says. “We healthy, locally sourced don’t use a lot of canned vegetarian and vegan goods. You can go into the dishes. “Because of the back of restaurants and ‘live cooking’ I did in the see shelves and shelves of dining hall at Taft, I was cans of potatoes and corn and able to witness firsthand the beans. You won’t see that here. Denee Danner, camaraderie and spirit of the It’s all fresh.” Catering Director boarding school setting, and I Berkshire’s commitment fell in love with it.” to sustainability is echoed in Main, Burdick, and Danner are proud the dining hall, which composts food of the ingredients they use—from scraps and recycles grease. Burdick has cage-free eggs to 100% sustainable partnered with the Ugly Fruit and Veg seafood to regional produce from nearby campaign to serve produce that would farms, including apples from Blue normally be left to rot because it doesn’t Hill Orchards in Wallingford, Conn., meet traditional cosmetic standards. seasonal vegetables from Equinox Farm And all the cooks use a program called and Mill River Farm in Sheffield, Mass., Waste Not to monitor food waste, such and milk from Crescent Creamery in as the outer leaves of a head of lettuce 42
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“I TALK TO THE KIDS, AND I TALK TO THE TEACHERS. IT GIVES ME A PASSION FOR MY JOB, AND I REALLY CARE ABOUT WHO I’M PUTTING FOOD OUT FOR.” —Shawn Burdick, Food Service Director
and the ends of a tomato. Jane Kreke says that the Board of Trustees is thrilled with these green initiatives. “We want our students to be as healthy and happy as they can be.” myschooldining.com/berkshire
BERKSHIRE DINING: BACK IN THE DAY Rewind almost 70 years ago, when the dining hall was in Memorial Hall, and it was unheard of for a student to
anybody worry about dietary needs? No. If you were allergic to peanuts, you didn’t eat.”
request “superfoods” or “gluten-free bread.” Tom Wolf
After dinner, seniors and faculty gathered in a large
’44C recalls that students were usually served meat and
common room with limited seating, where they would
potatoes—and a whole lot of lima beans.
circulate with demitasse—small cups of coffee. “There
“We had a dietician who got a good deal on a carload
really were not many places to sit, so it made sure that
of lima beans, and we ate them all the time,” Wolf says.
you went around with your coffee cup and chatted to the
“The food was mediocre, but I don’t know how much
faculty,” Young says. “It was a wonderful tradition.”
complaining we did about it. Many of us had gone to
Peter Kinne, who began his tenure teaching and
boarding school before we came to Berkshire, so we
coaching at Berkshire in 1980, also recalls the days when
were used to institutional food.”
dining was a stricter affair. “The food has gotten a lot
Wolf also remembers a runny chocolate pudding that
better,” he says. “The kids don’t realize it until they
students called “Mississippi mud,” and a large repository
leave. And the kids don’t understand how much we’ve
of “very yellow” Jelke Good Luck Margarine, thanks to a
loosened up.”
gift from the family of Charles Jelke ’45. During Wolf’s time at Berkshire and for several decades
Before contracting with outside food services in the 1990s, meals at Berkshire were prepared in-house. “Al
after, students dined with “masters” (teachers), and
Johndrow worked in the kitchen for almost 60 years, and
were required to eat everything on their plates, all while
he made the best shepherd’s pie,” Kinne says. “There
displaying their best manners in their formal dress. “No
were two lines, and the server would give you your meal.
elbows on the tables,” Wolf says. There were rarely
They were such characters working there. A server named
women in the dining hall, and never children—a policy
Bob Hosier from town used to call himself the ‘aging
that changed in the seventies.
hippy hash slinger.’ He would hold up the line talking,
Former librarian Susan Young, who served the School
and it was comical.”
from 1968 to 1995, says that in the sixties, a student was chosen as “boy of the week” to lead a blessing before each meal. After the School became coeducational in 1969, this title became “person of the week.” Although seniors weren’t required to attend dinners, they all stormed the dining hall following one memorable blessing from Colin Coyle ’73, who raucously said, “Father, Son, Holy Ghost, fastest hands eat the most.” Young says students had to race from sports to dinner, changing quickly into their formal attire. “It was very traditional, and you were never late, ever,” she says. “If you were going to be late, turn around and go home. Or if the ‘boy of the week’ was saying grace, and you could slide down the three little steps to the lower level as grace was going on, you could sidle behind all the boys still standing up.” She recalls another favorite dessert:12-inch blocks of ice cream—chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla—served on a platter, which would get sawed into 11 equal pieces for each table. As for food allergies, Young laughs. “Did
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From
SHEEP TO IRON TO WINE Two siblings turn to winemaking to keep alive a ninth-generation family farm in Connecticut.
By Megan TADY Photos by Gregory Cherin Photography
On an unseasonably warm October day, Christine (Chris) Adam Granger ’81 bemoans the frost that hit overnight. Temperatures had swung from the mid70s to 29 degrees, leaving the grape leaves on the vines brown and brittle in a field at the Land of Nod winery in Canaan, Conn. She pulls on a shriveled leaf as if she were tugging on an ear and says, “At least the grapes are fine.” Plump and deeply purple, the grapes are a Corot Noir strain from Cornell University. Chris and her team of pickers—mostly family members and friends—have just two weekends to strip the field bare, and they expertly cut heavy bunches and toss them into white trays. Bees swarm, and Chris— thoughtful and reserved—gently bats them away from her face. Just down the road and across from the Blackberry River, Chris’s brother, Bill Adam ’84, welcomes a group of visitors into the tasting room. He is excited to share a new addition to their list: a raspberry wine fermented in a bourbon barrel from their friends at Berkshire Mountain Distillery. The wine is an instant hit, and Bill—a gregarious man with a wide smile—carries a box of it to someone’s car. “We’re a full-service winery,” he exclaims cheerfully. Land of Nod—named by Chris and Bill’s father after a Robert Louis Stevenson poem about yearning for home—is part of the Connecticut Wine Trail, and it’s a stone’s throw from Berkshire School. A bicentennial farm dating back to the pre–Revolutionary War, the land was first a cow and sheep farm and part of the historic Beckley Furnace, an iron blast furnace that produced pots and pans for settlers before making cannonballs and bullets for the war. Chris, Bill, and their two siblings are the ninth generation to
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farm the land—and the winery was a bit of a happy accident. Bill and Chris recall the early days of the winery as they trudge up a steep hill planted with rows of grapes. Down below, cars fill the driveway next to the large white farmhouse where they grew up and where their mother still lives. “You see where those peach trees are?” Bill squints in the sunlight, pointing to the spot near the barn and tasting room where he first planted a few grape vines in 1990. A Geography of Wine class at the University of Vermont was partly to blame for Bill’s sudden interest in wine. “Well, they started really coming in. And then, of course, this was a hayfield. So my father said, ‘Well, why don’t we plant this hill? It has nice [sun] exposure.’ And then all of a sudden we had too many grapes. So the winery was really a way to get rid of the grapes.” When Bill and Chris’s father, Dr. William S. Adam, passed away in 2005, the family had to decide if and how to continue. Everyone had full- or part46
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time jobs, which they maintain to this day—Chris in the floral business and Bill working as a senior VP of data and technology at a data analytics company. They divvied up the roles, and Chris became the vineyard manager while Bill became the president and winemaker. Bill’s wife, Elizabeth Adotte Adam ’85, began designing the labels for the bottles; their children helped by picking grapes; and Chris’s husband, Rick, took a post pouring wine in the tasting room. Most of the work happens on the weekends. Getting up to speed wasn’t easy, and Chris realized she had a lot to learn. In the years since, she’s traveled all over the world, visiting wineries from Sonoma, Calif., to Italy. “I’m mostly self-taught, and I asked a lot of questions. I have no pride; I’ll ask anything. I’ve always liked plants, so it was natural for me to figure out how to nurture them and make them grow.” Contending with unpredictable weather has been one challenge; she’s also had to coax grapes to grow in
inhospitable soil. She kicks a slate black rock on the ground and then picks it up. “The soil here has a lot of slag from the Beckley Furnace,” she says thoughtfully. “Balancing the nutrients in the soil is tricky because there’s so much glass. We use organic mulch from local farmers, which helps.” She’s been tenacious, though, not allowing frosts or faulty soil to stop her—a trait Chris says she developed at Berkshire: “Every semester, you had to play a sport, study, do activities. It kept me very busy. I have a strong work ethic now, and I think that’s partly because of Berkshire.” Increasingly, Chris advises Bill on tannin selections. “I’m a backseat driver with the grapes because I grow them,” she says. Bill, always ready with a joke, quips, “We didn’t know how much work this was going to be. It’s exhausting watching my sister do all this.” Teasing aside, Bill credits Chris for her innovative eye. “She’ll find just the right tannins, so it’s
a palate we’re trying to put together, instead of just crushing grapes and throwing them in a bottle.” The Land of Nod team crushes the grapes and bottles the wine on site, producing an ever-evolving tasting list that includes the bold and spicy Artisan Field Blend; the crisp white Fly Fisher (named for the anglers who flock to Blackberry River); and a peppery red called Ironmaster, which was aged in local oak barrels. The farm grows peaches, pears, raspberries, and even kiwis, which are used for other fruit wines, including the creamy Winter Pear, which pairs well with a Thanksgiving meal. Pressed to name a favorite wine, Bill demurs. “That’s like choosing a favorite kid. And everybody has a favorite; you’re just not supposed to say it.” Chris, on the other hand, is most proud of their medium-bodied Marquette. Outside, guests sit at picnic tables under a white tent, sipping wine and watching the fall splendor. Orange and yellow leaves plummet to the ground. Two cars pull up with weary and hungry grape pickers, and Chris directs them to sandwiches and broccoli slaw in a cooler. A friend of Bill’s hops out of one of the cars. He had volunteered to help pick the grapes, and now he was approaching Bill and Chris with a large grin. “It’s beautiful out there,” he says. “Right?” Bill exclaims. “I told you! You can’t help but relax when you’re out in the field.” Inside the tasting room, decorated with family heirlooms and a large iron stove that their father had used to make maple sugar candy back in the day, groups of visitors taste the fruits of their labors— literally. Bill surveys the scene and nods. “We are stewards of the land, and we want to do some good with it,” he says. “This is a way to keep this a working farm.”
“I’M A BACKSEAT DRIVER WITH THE GRAPES BECAUSE I GROW THEM.” —christine granger ’81
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Q &A
Andrew Allen ’89 is a brand ambassador for Carte Blanche winery.
By CAROL VISNAPUU
Andrew Allen ’89’s family history is steeped in wine, so when his brother, Nicholas Allen, started the Carte Blanche winery in Napa Valley in 2008, Allen’s decision to join the venture required minimal effort. Both he and his wife, Katy, are brand ambassadors for Carte Blanche, helping to spread the word about the winery’s Bordeaux-inspired wines. The couple hosts tastings, pours Carte Blanche wine at local events, and leads tastings at local organizations for wine aficionados. Allen is a senior vice president and wealth management adviser in the Morristown, New Jersey, office of Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He also sits on the board of managers of the Dillon Trust Company, and he has served on Berkshire School’s Board of Trustees since 2011. Allen has four children: Carter ’19, Brooks ’20, Lucien, and Philip. Your family has a long history in the wine business. How did this influence your love of viticulture?
I grew up surrounded by family members who love and appreciate wine. We spent time at the château in Bordeaux learning about the family wine business, Domaine Clarence Dillon. It definitely made me and my siblings have an interest in viticulture growing up. I think that is what inspired my brother, Nick, to start making wine in California in the Bordeaux style. What do you enjoy the most about introducing people to exceptional wine?
My wife and I love to share our passion for wine and teach others about it. When we met, she was in her third year in sommelier school, so she knows even more than I do. Introducing people to Carte Blanche wine is a real treat, since the wines are so exceptional. Everyone comes away loving the wines, and it makes us proud to be a part of it all. There is something very fulfilling about sharing good wine with friends, especially if it is paired with great food.
What wine in Carte Blanche’s portfolio are you most proud of?
The Cabernet Sauvignon and the proprietary red are the big-hitter wines. Those are the ones of which I think Nick is probably most proud. They get the great scores from the wine critics and have a lot of depth and complexity. The two most recent vintages received outstanding critical reviews, including a perfect 100-point score for the Cabernet Sauvignon. Katy and my personal favorite is the Pinot Noir. We love the effervescence on the palate and the yummy cherry notes. It’s the go-to bottle at our house. What was your/the winery’s experience during the wildfires that struck the area this past fall?
Katy and I had just spent a full eight days in Napa and Sonoma, and we left the morning the fires started. We personally missed them by hours! It was very scary for us. Vineyards we had just visited were affected. Restaurants we had just eaten at were destroyed. We were very sad hearing about all the vineyards that were hit. Luckily, Carte Blanche’s winemaking facility at Cuvaison and vineyard plots around the valley came out okay, but it devastated many. How did your time at Berkshire School affect your career path?
I remember my time at Berkshire very fondly. I made a lot of great friends and came away with a lot of good experiences. Most of my days at Berkshire were spent hiking on the Mountain and hanging out with friends. However, I was very motivated out of high school to pursue my career in finance. Berkshire today is superb, and I am very proud to be on the board and part of planning the future of this great school. carteblanchewine.com
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Photo by Katy Allen, Napa Valley
SHARING GOOD Wine
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THE Art OF WINE SERVICE Christie Dufault ’89 trains aspiring sommeliers.
By CAROL VISNAPUU
Following a 15-year career as a sommelier and wine director for many exceptional restaurants, Christie Dufault ’89 had a change in palate. She wanted to teach aspiring sommeliers about how to expertly pair wine with food. Since 2003, she’s been an associate professor at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif., where she reminds her students that “every wine has a story.” In 2012, she coauthored the cookbook Two in the Kitchen: A Cookbook for Newlyweds with her husband, Jordan Mackay. How did you develop your palate for wine?
In college, I studied in France, and I learned to appreciate the approach that the French take to the pleasures of the table. I liked how meals were not rushed and how French people savor their food. I also enjoyed learning about wine because I was curious about travel and geography, and so much about wine is based on where it comes from, or its sense of place. These early introductions created a keen desire in me to learn as much as possible about wine—the stories and people behind the wines as well as how they taste and fit into a menu. What prompted you to teach about wine?
Working as a sommelier was a highlight of my career. I enjoyed working in the wine cellar and conducting service on the floor. I enjoyed the guests and making people happy. I also genuinely liked training the staff. I taught the servers about wine and occasionally held tastings for the chefs. I enjoyed the interaction and the discovery that people make when they taste and study wine together. It seemed like a natural progression to teach about wine.
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“LEARNING ABOUT WINE IS LEARNING ABOUT MULTIPLE FACETS OF THE WORLD...” —Christie Dufault ’89
What are some of the key aspects about wine that you teach your students?
I like to remind students that learning about wine is learning about multiple facets of the world—history, geography, agriculture, economics, culture, and dining. Wine is also about sensory engagement, and it is important in today’s digital and electronic age that students unplug and literally engage their olfactory senses. Not only does this approach teach us to appreciate the sensory elements of wine—sight, smell, flavor, texture—but it can also enhance our learning of other subjects. Lastly, I always remind students that every wine has a story; we should endeavor to learn about the people and the place where the wine comes from. It is an honor and a privilege to taste wines from around the world; it is like going on a journey without getting on an airplane.
What trend are you watching right now in food and wine?
The pop-up scene in many cities across the United States is exciting right now; it certainly forces people who want to dine like that to stay engaged in the who’s who of the restaurant world. I’m also encouraged by the emphasis on plant-based menus, which even the most carnivore chefs are putting out. They are minimizing the animal proteins by taking a quality rather than quantity approach to meat, and cooking the most amazing—and healthy—vegetable dishes. How did your time at Berkshire influence your career path?
Photo by Nichole Perry, courtesy of The Culinary Institute of America
My memories of my four years at Berkshire are filled with friends, caring teachers, and a shared respect for the environment. In college I studied art administration, but it was at Berkshire where I learned to really engage with people. I remember being encouraged by my teachers, being taught to think for myself. The Berkshire community taught me to live a life of meaningful relationships and to pursue goals that I care about, and that a sense of joy and purpose in work are the ultimate reward. Many of my classmates and I remain dear friends, and 30 years later, there is nothing better than sharing a glass of wine and a great meal with them! how do you maintain your own rituals around eating and drinking?
Jordan and I entertain often. We buy produce direct from the farm as well as very highquality meats from heritage breeds. This week, we roasted a Buckeye chicken from a nearby farm, and I made a French-inspired lentil salad with autumn squash and hazelnuts. We had a bottle of nice Beaujolais. I always bake a homemade dessert: a galette or a tart usually, with fruit that is in season. Guests never leave our home hungry or thirsty!
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Photos by Gregory Cherin Photography
Bears at Play
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THAN
BIGGER BASKETBALL From college star to WNBA player, Head Coach Cori Chambers teaches her team lessons beyond the sport. By Megan Tady
The playoff game in late February was a nailbiter, with Berkshire’s girls varsity basketball team trailing Williston Northampton School by a thread. The winner would move up the bracket in the 2018 NEPSAC Class B Girls Basketball Tournament. The Soffer Athletic Center was filled to capacity, and fans were on their feet cheering as the seconds ticked down. The Bears and the Wildcats traded a series of foul shots, and Berkshire edged a point closer to overtaking Williston. On the sidelines, as the girls drove the ball down the court, Coach Cori Chambers leapt up from a crouching position, displaying her athleticism without even trying. Before joining Berkshire in the fall, Chambers coached at the college level, played as a guard for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA for one season, played professional basketball overseas, and was a college and high school standout. “Show me you want it!” she yelled, as her team tried valiantly to tie the game
with a three-point shot. In the end, the ball wouldn’t fall, and Williston walked away with a 56–53 victory, ending Berkshire’s season with a 12–9 record. After the game, Coach Chambers gathered the girls for a moment of reflection, some players fighting tears, and she said something very Cori-like—not placating or soothing, but encouraging and even tough: “Did you do everything you could today to be as effective as you could be? For the most part, most of us can say, ‘No, we could have probably done something a little bit better.’” Then, without missing a beat, she directed her team to pivot to next season. “I asked them to bottle that feeling, emotion, and energy to use it as motivation for next year, and the same went for me as a coach,” she said. Already, Chambers—a fierce competitor in her own right—is setting the bar high for her team and for herself, and she’s using the sport to impart valuable life lessons on and off the court.
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A PATH TO BERKSHIRE SCHOOL Moving to a rural part of Massachusetts wasn’t on Coach Chambers’s mind when she first came to campus in 2017. As the assistant women’s basketball coach for the University of Richmond, Chambers had traveled north to scout Berkshire player Autumn Truesdale ’17, and she sat in the stands next to Director of Athletics Dan Driscoll and Associate Head of School Jean Maher. During the game, she plied Driscoll and Maher for information about Truesdale, not realizing that the duo was in turn scouting her. Impressed with her poise, professionalism, and athletic experience, Driscoll asked Chambers if she might be interested in the varsity girls head coaching position. “I wasn’t looking for a job, but I said, ‘Why not? I’ll go check it out,’” Chambers recalls. “I came up, toured and interviewed, and it turns out I liked it. Fast forward a little bit, I ended up [at Berkshire].” While Chambers settled into Spurr dormitory and a position as assistant director in Berkshire’s admissions office, Truesdale went to play for the University of Richmond. “It was serendipitous,” Chambers said. Driscoll was ecstatic to bring Chambers to campus. “We’re lucky to have her,” he said. “From the basketball side of things, she has all the attributes. But she also has great values, and she’s a great role model, and that’s what really excited us about her.” As basketball season commenced, Chambers and Assistant Coach Clay Splawn chose a lean team of eight players, honing in on individual skill development. “Cori has an intensity and a professionalism about her that I really enjoyed coaching with,” Splawn said. “She made sure that when players were
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there for their two hours, it’s basketball time, and they should do their best to make themselves better and the team better. That was really impressive.” Chambers professes to be a tough yet fair coach who has high expectations for her players. “I’m pretty straightforward and I don’t sugarcoat things,” she said. “I said it to our team time and time again: ‘If you can reach this level—’” she lifts her hand above her head “‘—then I’m going to expect you to do this every day.’ If you’re doing less than you are capable of, there’s going to be a rub. You’re not going to be happy with what you hear from me.” Anika Helmke ’18 says she and her teammates quickly realized that Chambers would demand their very best—every day. Yet Helmke, a forward who was named Class B First Team All-NEPSAC and will play basketball for Bowdoin College next year, wishes she had more time to play under Coach Chambers. “She’s the toughest coach I’ve played for, and there was a learning curve for everyone,” Helmke said. “She uses direct criticism, and a lot of people balance out criticism with a compliment to ensure you are doing okay. Instead, she gets right to the point about where you can improve, and it’s all because she cares so much about basketball. When she’s in the gym, that toughness is out of so much care for what she’s doing.” Helmke recalls one particularly grueling practice after winter break when many of the players trickled into the gym a few minutes late—something Coach Chambers didn’t abide by. The
“ SHE TAUGHT US THAT WE CAN ASPIRE TO BE MORE THAN WE THINK WE ARE RIGHT NOW, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS I GOT OUT OF THE SEASON.” —ANIKA HELMKE ’18
girls spent the practice running sprints, yet Helmke was deeply impacted by the mental and physical challenge. “It was the hardest practice, but what I most gained is how much more I can do physically than what I thought I could do,” she said. “She taught us that we can aspire to be more than we think we are right now, which was one of the biggest things I got out of the season.” Alexis Moragne ’19 echoes Helmke’s sentiments, and said she was most impacted by the effort she saw Chambers deliver day in and day out. “I saw how hard she works, and it made me realize that I need to do the same if I want to be successful in this game of basketball,” she said. “She holds everyone accountable and pushes you to be the best you can be.” For Chambers, that’s exactly what she wants to hear. “I think basketball and sports have a beautiful way of showing you who you are when things are tough, and if you’re able to face adversity and work through that on the court, you certainly can in life,” Chambers said.
Bears at Play
As the season progressed, Driscoll would periodically drop in on practices and watch Chambers coach at games. He was impressed by her ability to be competitive while upholding Berkshire’s values. “Our goal is to build happy, healthy, well-adjusted adults,” Driscoll said. “Our athletic programs are a fantastic way to do that, where kids can learn how to set goals, be great teammates, overcome failure, and understand adversity, and Cori coaches in a way that reflects those goals perfectly.”
BECOMING A BASKETBALL SENSATION For a long time, Chambers didn’t realize she was “good” at basketball. It was just something she did every day after school in Elmsford, New York, a suburb just north of Manhattan. After homework and a snack, Chambers and her cousin would play pick-up basketball in a nearby park, and she was the only girl on the court. All the practicing paid off, and as a senior in high school in 2003, Chambers was named to the McDonald’s AllAmerican Team as one of the top 24 players in the country. “When I got named to that I realized, ‘Oh crap, I’m actually kinda good.’” “Kinda good” translated to excellent, and Chambers, who was a 5’9” guard, went on to be a four-year starter for the University of Georgia’s varsity women’s basketball team. She still holds the school’s career record for three-point shots, and each season Chambers helped her team reach the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, and the Elite 8 in 2004. In 2007, Chambers was drafted in the second round of the 2007 WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun. “You’re sitting in a room with all these people who are hoping to get drafted, and they call one person and another person and another person, and your palms just continue
to get more sweaty, and the anxiety just rises and rises and rises until finally they call your name,” Chambers said. “It’s a very cool, surreal feeling.” In a matter of ten years, Chambers went from shooting hoops wearing a Sheryl Swoopes jersey—her idol—to playing against her. “In the WNBA, these are the best players in the whole world, and they’re bigger, they’re stronger, they’ve been doing it for longer, they’re smarter; they know the ins and outs of the game,” Chambers said. “It’s a super-competitive job.” After also playing basketball in Russia, Israel, and Switzerland, Chambers hung up her professional jersey and pursued a basketball-related career at Marist College as the director of operations for women’s basketball. She also earned her master’s degree in public administration. From 2011–2017, Chambers was the assistant women’s basketball coach at Stony Brook University and the University of Richmond. “There’s so much knowledge that I learned from my coaches,” she said. “If I weren’t coaching, what would happen with all that information? I feel like it’s time for me to share that with other people, and make impacts on people the same way that I’ve been impacted by my coaches.”
“ I THINK BASKETBALL AND SPORTS HAVE A BEAUTIFUL WAY OF SHOWING YOU WHO YOU ARE WHEN THINGS ARE TOUGH, AND IF YOU’RE ABLE TO FACE ADVERSITY AND WORK THROUGH THAT ON THE COURT, YOU CERTAINLY CAN IN LIFE.” —CORI CHAMBERS
DEVELOPING MENTAL TOUGHNESS AS A TEAM Thanks to her time as a player often facing intense pressure, Chambers understands the mental toughness she’s hoping to develop in her own team. She recalls an early practice as a freshman at Georgia trying to earn a spot in the starting lineup, when another teammate—Sherrill Baker, who led the nation in steals— repeatedly stole the ball from her. “I’m trying to drive to the basket, and she takes my ball four times in a row, and I’m like, ‘This has never happened to me in my life. No one has ever taken my ball.’ And coach stops practice, puts me on the spot, and makes me shake her hand, saying, ‘Hey, Welcome to the SEC, Freshman.’” That mental make-or-break moment, Chambers contends, wasn’t in the practice. It was after. “How do you respond?” Chambers asks. “That’s what I’m trying to teach my players. How to respond to that moment when you’re down, you’re tired, you’re getting beat, and you’re playing someone that’s better, how are you going to respond? It’s so easy to give up. Quit basketball. But if that’s the route you choose, it’s going to be a long life. There’re a lot of really talented people out here, especially in the boarding school world. That’s why you go to a place like this: because you want to be great.” As Chambers looks to the future at Berkshire, she’s hoping to continue to build a team culture of perseverance, hard work, and a love of the game. Anika Helmke has no doubt that Chambers will succeed, and that what she’ll instill at Berkshire will be bigger than basketball. “She gives you lessons applicable on the court to use off the court to become a better person,” Helmke said. “Whoever gets to play under her next is very lucky.”
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BERKSHIRE FOOTBALL WINS NEW ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIP Bears secured the team’s first undefeated season since 1978.
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erkshire quarterback Rayshawn Boswell ’19 ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more while leading Berkshire to a 35–28 win over Buckingham Browne & Nichols (BB&N) in the Hugh Caldera Bowl at Williston Northampton School on November 18. The victory sealed a New England Championship for the Bears and secured the team’s first undefeated season, including a bowl win (8–0), since 1978. “I’m overwhelmed. I never pictured this moment in my life,” Boswell said after the game. The New York native finished with 187 yards on 34 carries. The Bears hadn’t trailed an opponent all season but found itself in a hole immediately in the championship game. The Knights returned the opening kickoff 80 yards and scored the game’s first touchdown two plays later. But Berkshire
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answered when Boswell found running back Jahyde Bullard ’18 for a 35-yard touchdown pass with 8:07 left in the first quarter. The score remained tied 7–7 until late in the first half, when both teams combined for 21 points. Following a four-yard touchdown run by BB&N, Boswell connected with Dante Nardi ‘18, who made a spectacular over-theshoulder catch to secure a 49-yard touchdown. Moments later, BB&N answered with a 73-yard touchdown pass to take a 21–14 lead heading into the locker room. On their first possession of the second half, the Bears finished a 15-play drive when Boswell scrambled five yards into the end zone to tie the game at 21–21. Berkshire’s defense, led by Alex Barnosky ’19, Adam Raine ’18, and Michael Derrig ’19, then stopped the Knights on their next possession and gave the Bears the ball in BB&N territory. Boswell gave Berkshire its first lead when he turned a broken play into a 31-yard touchdown run with just 0:28 remaining in the third quarter. The game’s biggest play might have come late in the fourth quarter, however. On 3rd-and-7 from BB&N’s eight-yard
“It’s the pinnacle of coaching—–a perfect season ending with a championship. Seeing the kids’ hard work pay off with what we were able to do makes me happy. I couldn’t be more proud.” —Head Football Coach Mike McCabe
line, Boswell slipped out of the grasp of one defender and threw the ball as he was being tackled by another. Derrig, now playing wide receiver on offense, caught the ball, broke a tackle, and managed to dive to the one-yard line for a Berkshire first down. On the next play, Boswell scored to push Berkshire’s lead to 35–21. BB&N followed with a quick touchdown and nearly recovered an onside kick before the Bears ran out the clock. As time expired on the
scoreboard, two Berkshire players dumped a bucket of Gatorade on Head Coach Mike McCabe. “Every year you picture it being this way,” McCabe said. “I think the kids this year committed to just winning and finding ways to win. Whether we win every game or lose every game, I’m still going to try to take the same approach, but it’s definitely sweeter this way.”
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For more information on all our teams, go to berkshireschool.org/athletics and don’t forget to follow @BerkshireBears on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news and highlights as they happen.
#GoBears!
Boys Soccer Led by Coach Charlie Bour, Berkshire finished as the NEPSAC Class A runnerup after losing 1–0 to Loomis Chaffee School in the second overtime of the championship game. The defeat was the Bears’ only blemish in a 19–1–1 season. Co-captains Mo Omar ‘18 and Ahria Simons ‘18 represented Berkshire in the 2017 High School AllAmerican soccer game.
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Boys Squash
Lexi Fortune ’18 played for Trinidad and Tobago’s U-20 Women’s team in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football Women’s championship in January. Fortune, whose father is from Trinidad and Tobago but was born and lives in Toronto, has played for T&T’s national team since she was 15.
In February, Berkshire’s boys varsity squash team won the Boys’ Division IV title at the 2018 HEAD U.S. High School Team Squash Championships in Philadelphia. The Bears, playing in the largest squash tournament in the world, defeated Conestoga High School (Berwyn, PA) 6–1, Mercersburg Academy (Mercersburg, PA) 5–2, and St. George’s School (Middletown, RI) 6–1, before beating Episcopal High School (Alexandria, VA) 4–3 in the championship match.
Girls Basketball After finishing the season 12–9, the Bears lost in the first round of the NEPSAC playoffs to Williston Northampton 57–53. The team was led by senior forward Anika Helmke ‘18, one of three players chosen to represent the Bears in the Class B All-Star Game, along with teammates Alexis Moragne ‘19 and Madi Gomez ‘20. Helmke and Moragne were selected to the All-NEPSAC First team, while Gomez earned All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention.
Alpine Skiing Alpine ski captains Lyons Brown ‘18 and MacKenzie Hatch ‘19, along with teammate Tait Kline ‘21, earned spots on the 2018 New England Preparatory School Athletic Council’s Class A All-New England team. Kline was also selected to the 2018 U16 CanAms, a collection of the Top-60 U16 racers in the Eastern United States and Canada.
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Nordic Skiing Nordic skiing made a return to Berkshire over the winter after a long hiatus. Racers on this co-ed team competed in the Berkshire Nordic Ski League, which is made up of skiers from both public and private schools in western Massachusetts. When the weather cooperates, skiers practice on groomed trails around campus. Emmet McDonnell ’20 was named to the AllLeague South Division team.
Crew The boys first boat won bronze at the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association Championships in May. In November, Cooper Tuckerman ’18 placed second, but broke the previous course record at the Head of the Charles Regatta (Boston) in the Men’s Youth Single with a time of 18:45.97. He teamed up with Elizabeth Rowland ’19 to earn the coveted fish head trophy after winning the mixed 2X race. This spring, Tuckerman won the USRowing Northeast
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Youth Championship in the single, earning him an invite to Youth National Championships in Gold River, Calif., where he placed fifth in the Men’s Youth Single.
1. From left: Coach Jasper Turner, Cooper Pearce ’21, Tad Koenigsbauer ’20, Karan Dhiman ’19, Andrew Patty ’20, Hussein El Desouky ’19, Peter Koenigsbauer ’18, and Jacob Shaffelburg ’19
Girls Lacrosse
2. Mo Omar ’18 led the Bears to the NEPSAC Class A championship game where they fell 1–0 in double overtime to Loomis.
In the inaugural year of the WNEPSLA Girls Lacrosse Tournament, the Bears earned the No. 3 seed in Division B, where there were 14 teams vying for six spots. After a win in the first round over Suffield Academy, the Bears lost in the semifinals to Canterbury. Katie Hargrave ’18 and Cat Appleyard ’20 were named tournament All-Stars.
Girls Track In the New England Class B Track and Field Championship, the Bears placed third out of 14 teams. Leading the way were co-captain Kathryn Driscoll ’18 with a first-place finish in the 300m hurdles, and Bianca Barth ’20 who placed first in both the 100m and the 200m dash.
3. New England Class B 300m Hurdles Champion Kathryn Driscoll ’18 4. Fans flocked to a packed Duryee Court to support girls basketball in the New England Class B quarterfinal. 5. Connor Appleyard ’18, Jack LaCasse ’20, Alex Buckfire ’18, Cooper Tuckerman ’18, and coxswain Megan Mokriski ’21 at the NEIRA Championships. 6. From left: Coach Dan Cooper, Avery Freund ’21, Emmet McDonnell ’20, Christopher Branch ’20, William Warlick ’20, Jeffrey McKee ’19, Elizabeth Nutting ’19, Emily Liu ’20, Aisha Abdrashitova ’18, Elias Sienkiewicz ’19 7. Jaime Allan ’18 at work against Kingswood over Grandparents’ Weekend
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Champions!
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Ahria Simons ’18 wins long jump and triple jump events for third consecutive year to lead Berkshire Boys to New England Class B title. By Coaches Mike McCabe and Dory Driscoll | Photos by Mark Berghold P’19
Jon Sinclair ’19, Jacob Shaffelburg ’19, Mo Omar ’18, and Nick Berghold ’19 pulled off a must-win 1st place finish in the 4x400m relay to secure a New England Championship for the Bears in the last race of the day.
The Bears came out on top at the NEPSAC Class B New England Championships held at Tabor Academy on May 19. The weather was not ideal—temperatures in the 50s with rain showers—but all of our athletes did a great job putting the elements aside, focusing on competing hard, and contributing to the team. The meet was close throughout between Berkshire and Belmont Hill. When it was time for the 4x400 meter relay, the last race of the day, we were down 10 points and needed two things to happen for the team to win: a first-place finish and Belmont Hill not to place. The relay team of Jon Sinclair ’19, Nick Berghold ’19, Mo Omar ’18, and Jacob Shaffelburg ’19 were able to focus on what they could control and won the race convincingly with a time of 3:30.04. Belmont
Hill did not place in the relay, so the Bears finished the day with a tie for first place! All points and contributions matter in such a big meet, and in addition to the first place finishes, the following Bears earned points toward the team win: William Warlick ’20 in the 110m hurdles (2nd); Gohta Aihara ’19 in the pole vault (3rd); Achara Achara ’19 in the 100m (5th) and 200m (5th); Matt Diamond ’18 in the 110m hurdles (5th) and 300m hurdles (5th); Nick Steed ’19 in the triple jump (4th); Omar in the 800m (6th); Zakiy Manigo ’20 in the javelin (6th); and Gabe Cinanni ’18 in the high jump (6th). It was a great day for all our athletes, and we were very proud of the way they competed in terms of both results and sportsmanship.
Campus News
New England Champions 1st place: 4x100 Meter Relay Achara Achara ’19 Ahria Simons ’18 Nick Steed ’19 Jacob Shaffelburg ’19 1st place: Long Jump Ahria Simons ’18 1st place: Triple Jump Ahria Simons ’18 1st place: 200m Jacob Shaffelburg ’19 1st place: 400m Jacob Shaffelburg ’19 1st place: 4x400 Meter Relay Jon Sinclair ’19 Nick Berghold ’19 Mo Omar ’18 Jacob Shaffelburg ’19
Ahria Simons ’18, three-time New England Champion in both the long jump and the triple jump, at a meet earlier in the year
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Bears at Play
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED Kacey Bellamy ‘05 and Kendall Coyne ‘11 win gold The silver medal simply wouldn’t do. Teammates Kacey Bellamy ’05 and Kendall Coyne ’11 had placed second at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and they arrived at this year’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on a laser-focused mission to bring home the gold. Team USA grabbed the firstplace title for the first time since 1998, beating perennial rival Canada in a nail-biting shootout, which ended 3–2. After the victory, Bellamy posted a heartfelt thank you on Instagram to the coaches, teachers, and fans who have supported her along the way, giving a nod to Berkshire School. Of her courageous teammates, she said: “You are the strongest group of women I’ve had the honor of playing with.” Coyne tweeted: “Olympic Champions! #GoldRush” Photo courtesy of Kacey Bellamy ’05
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Bears at Play
BEARS IN THE NEWS Rebecca Russo ’12 helped the Metropolitan Riveters win the National Women’s Hockey League’s Isobel Cup in March. The Riveters defeated the Buffalo Beauts 1–0. Jill Saulnier ’12 won a silver medal for Canada’s women’s ice hockey team in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. In a 4–1 win over Finland (Bronze), the Cornell University graduate became the first player from Nova Scotia to score a goal in the Olympics. Clementina Davila Tejeida ’14 competed in the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis
Championships for Sewanee. Davila Tejeida earned Female Athlete of the Year, All-Southern Athletic Association First Team honors, and Division III All-American after competing in both singles and doubles competition for the Tigers. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa this spring. Justin Donawa ’15 captured the 2018 Ivy League Heptagonal Championship in the triple jump as a member of Dartmouth College’s track and field team. Donawa also helped the Big Green win the Ancient Eight Crown in men’s soccer in the fall, making him the first Dartmouth student-athlete in two
decades to win a team and individual title in the same year. Jack Harrison ’15 signed with the Premier League’s Manchester City after spending two years with New York City Football Club (NYCFC). The former No. 1 pick in the MLS SuperDraft scored 14 goals in two seasons with NYCFC. Matt Koopman ’16 and Kyle Koopman ’16 helped the Waterloo Black Hawks win the Anderson Cup as the United States Hockey League’s regular season champion. Both Koopmans have been recruited to play next season at Providence College. Sophia Peluso ’16 and the Middlebury College field hockey team won the 2017 NESCAC Field Hockey Championship and NCAA National Championship. Hunter Reynolds ’16 is a member of the Wesleyan University men’s lacrosse team, which won the Division III championship 8–6 over Salisbury College (Maryland).
Clementina Davila Tejeida ’14 was named Sewanee’s Female Athlete of the Year and a Division III All-American in 2018. Photo courtesy of NCAA/Sewanee Athletics
Hunter Reynolds ‘16 after Wesleyan’s Division III NCAA Championship win in Men’s Lacrosse Summer 2018
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COMMENCEMENT
2018
On May 25, Berkshire bid a fond farewell to its 111th graduating class.
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Alumna and three-time Olympic medalist Kacey Bellamy ’05 and member of the gold-winning U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics served as the keynote speaker at Commencement. Bellamy used the moment to tell students that success is often determined by how one responds to failure. “It hasn’t always been success for me. I’ve made mistakes,” she said. “I look at every challenge as an opportunity to learn and to grow.” All-School Co-President Mo Omar ’18, chosen by his classmates as the ceremony’s
winner of the Weil Family Prize for Public Speaking, also addressed the Class of 2018. He shared that the relationships students enjoyed with faculty and staff made “Berkshire the best place on earth.” “Exactly 1,362 days ago, many of us graduating seniors took part in our first day of classes under the Mountain. Was it easy? Absolutely not, but nonetheless, it was in our deepest struggles that we share some of our fondest memories,” Omar said. Both speeches touched on the value of
The Weil Family for Public Speaking Winner Mo Omar ’18 Photo: Highpoint Pictures
resiliency and the enduring benefits of the Berkshire experience. During the Commencement ceremony, Tucker Donelan ’18 and Izzy Maher ’18 performed the national anthem and the School chorus sang the Berkshire hymn. Head of School Pieter Mulder and faculty also awarded top academic and athletic prizes. Summer 2018
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Alanna Smith, Martin Dimo, Sherry Yang, and Peter Dunbar will lead the Class of 2019 as next year’s all-school presidents and head prefects.
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ONWARD See where members of the Class of 2018 are headed this fall.
Aisha Abdrashitova Williams College Insha Afsar Bates College Jaimeson Allan St. Lawrence University Pedro Alvarenga Santa Clara University Tarek Ammouri University of Connecticut, Waterbury Connor Appleyard Colgate University Emilio Aristegui Flores Monterrey Institute of Technology (Mexico) Lukas Atsalis Dickinson College Losseni Barry Bates College Peter Benedict Elon University Jordan Bernier St. Lawrence University Riley Bona Princeton University Mary Brennan University of Denver Jackson Brex Northeastern University John Brown University of Virginia Alexander Buckfire University of Michigan Jahyde Bullard University of New Hampshire Severiano Calderini Bucknell University Charlotte Childs St. Lawrence University Gabriel Cinanni Iona College Eva Clough Wake Forest University Jeremy Cuvelier University of Denver Miles de Loayza College of Marin Matthew Diamond Tufts University Isabelle Doetsch University of Mississippi Tucker Donelan Tufts University Thomas Draper Wentworth Institute of Technology Kathryn Driscoll Providence College Mark Driscoll Hobart and William Smith Colleges Imanuel Familia University of Michigan Grace Federle Lafayette College Alexis Fortune Babson College Henry Giordano St. Lawrence University Ariel Goberdhan Fordham University Bryce Gomez Marist College Claudia Gripenberg Hanken School of Economics (Finland) Devon Halliday Union College (NY) Katherine Hargrave Middlebury College
Gehrig Hauser Morgan Heilshorn Matthew Heim Anika Helmke Colin Hendrickson Ryunki Hong Kevin Hurley Adriana Jovsic John Karras Huy Kieu Yoonjoong Kim Peter Koenigsbauer Allison Kohlkins Caroline Lakryc Chase Landis One Hee Lee Tian Li Oliver Libaek Peter Lorillard Clark Lotuff Jesse Lycan Charlotte MacKenzie Amaal Mahamed Isabelle Maher Brendan Maloney Jack Martin Kelly Maurer Charles Maybury Lydia McBride Sophia McCarthy Mikayla McEwen Sawnie McGee Sydney McGill George McGlade Louis Meeks Charles Millard Dante Nardi Chi Nguyen
University of Maryland, College Park Wake Forest University University of Colorado at Boulder Bowdoin College Sacred Heart University New York University - Stern University of Richmond Lake Forest College University of Gothenburg (Sweden) Bentley University Brandeis University Bates College New York University - Tisch Marquette University Dickinson College University of Southern California Columbia University Plymouth University (United Kingdom) Wake Forest University Villanova University Junior Hockey Davidson College Columbia University Skidmore College Saint Anselm College Northeastern University Quinnipiac University University of St. Andrews (Scotland) Coastal Carolina University University of California, Santa Barbara Mount Holyoke College Southern Methodist University Elon University University of Colorado at Boulder New York University - Gallatin College of the Holy Cross University of Massachusetts, Amherst Carnegie Mellon University
Isabelle Nolan Liam O’Connor Michael O’Loughlin Charles O’Neil Mohamed Omar Krystal Palmer Grace Parker Kevin Persky Johnathn Porter Travis Pruden Adam Raine Sawyer Raith Charles Recchia Frederick Ritz Anastasiia Romanova Alexander Saslove Luke Scarafoni Ashley Scott Matthew Sedgwick Ahria Simons Summer Soffer Jake Stackpole William Stevens Flynn Stewart Garrett Stosiek Caroline Sugar Eddy Suriel Caitlin Swirbul Madison Swirbul Layla Tattersfield Alexander Tillou Samuel Tucker Edward Tuckerman Ekaterina Udodova Hannah Weymuller Henry Wilson William Zegras
Trinity College Pitzer College University of Connecticut Trinity College University of Notre Dame Drew University Union College (NY) University of Denver Southern Methodist University Gap Year Yale University Savannah College of Art and Design Southern Methodist University College of Charleston Carleton College University of Miami Elon University St. Lawrence University Loyola Marymount University Dartmouth College University of Michigan Ursinus College Skidmore College St. Lawrence University St. Lawrence University Sewanee: The University of the South Wheaton College (MA) College of Charleston University of Denver Butler University Emerson College Trinity College Dartmouth College Johns Hopkins University University of San Francisco Colgate University University of California, Los Angeles
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EAT, SLEEP, AND BREATHE YOUR DREAMS
Olympic medalist Kacey Bellamy ‘05 tells graduates how to reach their goals.
I
told myself I wasn’t going to get emotional, but it might be tough today. I’ve literally been waiting fifteen years to be up here speaking. I’m serious. Teachers, you probably believe me if you know me; students you probably don’t believe me. But, I really have been waiting. I remember sitting in those seats my sophomore year listening to the Commencement speaker, and I said, “Someday I want to be up there sharing my journey and my story about just how much Berkshire paved the way for me.” Fifteen years ago, that’s a long time (teachers, I hope I don’t look too old). Let me put it into perspective for you. AOL Instant Messenger was the way we communicated with each other, it was our texting, and away messages were how we stalked our crushes. The internet was shut off in the dorms every study hall, and I didn’t have a cell phone until my senior year. There wasn’t a Jack Stewart rink—this location was where I played softball for four years. The old rink was attached to Benson Commons. Crispin Gordon Rose and MacMillan were brand new, and I was lucky enough to have a roommate who was very, very good
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academically so we always had our first choice in rooms. Mr. and Mrs. Gappa had just started dating (I had to put one in there). Ceramics was under the de Windt dorm and the photo lab was in Godman basement. Let’s just say students did a lot of extra work down there. Things change, we change, that’s how life goes. But I love that some things are still the same. Like the same Bookstore staff greeting you every single day with a smile. Half days on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The omelet and waffle bar at Sunday brunch. Mountain Day. Rainbow flip-flops and boat shoes. Blazers not so much, but I heard girls can wear cardigans now—that would have been a game changer for me. But my absolute favorite is pulling into the driveway and seeing that Mountain in the background. No matter what time of year it is, that Mountain is always home. It hasn’t always been success for me. I’ve made mistakes; I’ve failed. I’ve faced adversity from the day I stepped on this campus. September 11 happened three days into my freshman year. I didn’t know anybody, and I was living away from home for the first time at 14 years old. We had a brand-new headmaster
“I remember sitting in those seats my sophomore year listening to the Commencement speaker, and I said, ‘Someday I want to be up there sharing my journey and my story about just how much Berkshire paved the way for me.’” my junior year, Mr. Piatelli. He was an incredibly humble man who resembled everything Berkshire stood for. He passed away suddenly that fall, but I still take the lessons he taught us in that short time with me every day. Freshman year I wrote my first research paper ever, and apparently I plagiarized the entire thing. I didn’t understand that I had to cite the sources
Alumna and three-time Olympic medalist Kacey Bellamy ’05 served as the keynote speaker. Photo by Highpoint Pictures
at the end. I seriously didn’t know what a bibliography was. My teacher could have easily gotten me suspended, but she actually cared, that’s the difference Berkshire made. She taught me right from wrong and she prepared me for my future. Thank you, Mrs. Bowler. Mom and Dad, I’m still so sorry about this next one. Senior year, I was caught on the Mountain with the wrong crew—guilty by association. I was put on probation and benched for a field hockey game. I let my teammates and my coaches down and put my future in jeopardy. It is still the hardest phone call I ever had to make to my parents. Let’s just say from that day on, I never got caught up with the wrong crew. I was cut from my first ever national team tryout. I’ve lost two Olympic gold medal games, but what I’ve learned is it’s how you respond to failure. I look at every challenge as an opportunity to
learn and to grow, and I believe that great opportunities come to those who make the most of the small ones. You seniors are here today because you’ve made the most of yours. Athletics was always the easy part for me here. We won New England Championships in field hockey, hockey, and softball, and we were always at the top of our division. What Berkshire taught me was how to be a leader and how to be the hardest worker in whatever I was doing. In the classroom, I struggled a lot, a lot, a lot. I’m just now learning that you can’t BS math like you can an essay—there’s only one right answer. But when I struggled I always sought help. I always studied as hard as I could. One semester in my junior year, I finally received a free period for my grades, but I chose to stay in study hall because I knew that was the best decision for me. That’s what Berkshire taught me, the little things. The day in
and day out routine of the small, finite details that filled the big picture. That’s the difference maker in life. I want to congratulate the Class of 2018. Some of you are sitting there saying this day is finally here, but I know most of you are thinking back on the memories and not wanting to leave. It’s such a bittersweet feeling—I know it well, trust me. So, I say to the third, fourth, and fifth formers: take in every moment you have left here. Berkshire was the best four years of my life. You will never again find yourself in the situation where your advisor is your dorm parent, teacher, and coach. My advisor put me in structured study hall for three years and kept an eye on me during common room hours, all while preparing me for the next math test and hockey game. My advisor, along with many others, helped me find my way home. Seniors, wherever you go in life, do it with a quiet confidence. Walk into every room like you’re the least important person and whoever you’re interacting with, treat them like they’re the most important. For me, first impressions are key. Whether it’s a five-year-old or a seventy-five-year-old, I want to leave each person with a lasting impression— not just because I have a gold medal, but because of who I am on the inside. Don’t settle for anything but your best. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone because that’s when you really start living life. Have dreams, and then set goals to reach those dreams. Once you have those dreams, eat, sleep, and breathe them. But most importantly, always stay true to yourself. I have three Olympic medals, but it’s my experiences at Berkshire that shaped my character. As athletes, we say, “Once an Olympian, always an Olympian.” But the pride I feel in telling people that I went to Berkshire is unlike any other because you’re truly my family. So, seniors . . . once a Bear, always a Bear. I hope you hold that close to your heart wherever you go in life. Thank you. Summer 2018
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Herb Roskind ’53 with wife, Laura
Class of 2013: Juan Escobar, Max Hare, Steven Halperin, Sam Sabin, Creedy Acosta, Charlie Yorke
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Class of 2013: Lilly Weil, Karolin Kreke, Eliza Berg, Kyla Rabb, Jackie Pape
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Melissa Hird Rea ’93 with husband, Eric, and Katy Magee Kenney ’93 with husband, Raymond
Former Faculty Fran and Ed Hunt ’61, Geoffrey Myers ’88, Tom King ’88
From left: Mark Richardson ‘73, Robin McGraw ‘70, Board of Trustees Chair Chip Perkins ‘73, League of Bears Chair Bill Drake ‘73, Annie Chase Redman (Arthur Chase’s daughter), and Head of School Pieter Mulder
BREAKING GROUND
Class of 1993: Adam Chait, Heather White Mitchell, Asa Steady Hardcastle, John Holbrook, Kate Stringham Mihalick, Tenley Reed, Richard Lazala, Kim Harvey Lopes, Matt Casey
Class of 1988: Ellie Glaccum, Liz Parker Bohlender, Connie Baker Gillman
A group of alumni known as The League of Bears gathered on the edge of Buck Valley over Reunion Weekend to break ground on the Berkshire Bear Tribute Sculpture. The ceremony marked the next phase of a project to honor legendary Berkshire teacher and coach Arthur “Art” C. Chase, whose 34-year career will be forever honored on campus with a sculpture of a larger-than-life black bear. The League of Bears is also raising funds to establish The Arthur C. Chase Endowed Chair in English. “The sculpture will stand as a symbol for Berkshire, a symbol for Art, and a symbol for the values that he espoused and that we hope to work hard to espouse today,” said Head of School Pieter Mulder. Annie Chase Redman attended the ceremony in honor of her father and called the effort “heartwarming.” The bronze sculpture will be eight feet long and stand four feet high when it’s installed next spring, according to artist Mark Richardson ’73. He said the bear will be “big, powerful, and friendly.” “Mark has done an enormous amount of work and planning to create an art installation that is a tribute to the spirit of our mascot, the spirit of being here, and the spirit of being creative and expressive; to write poetry, to do art, to do dance, to do theater,” said League of Bears Chair Bill Drake ’73. Lead supporter Robin McGraw ’70 also expressed his support of the project: “[Art Chase] had a tremendous amount of compassion, which you didn’t really see when you were a student, but when you got to know him as a person, he was an incredible man. I think that this bear will symbolize the kind of student that we do want to pass through the doors at Berkshire School.” To learn more about Arthur C. Chase’s legacy at Berkshire, visit berkshireschool.org/support/chase. Summer 2018
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2018 REUNION AWARDS
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNAE OF THE YEAR KACEY BELLAMY ’05 AND KENDALL COYNE ‘11 On Saturday, June 9, gold-medal winning Olympians Kacey Bellamy ’05 and Kendall Coyne ’11 were honored with Berkshire’s Distinguished Alumni Award. This award is given annually to “a graduate of Berkshire School who has brought distinction to Berkshire as a result of vocation or avocation, community involvement, or other professional or personal achievements, and who has demonstrated an interest in the welfare of the School.” Both alums accepted the award by video shown during Reunion Weekend’s Alumni Awards ceremony, and they
expressed gratitude for being chosen among the Berkshire community to receive this distinctive honor. Bellamy, a Westfield, Mass. native, attended Berkshire for four years and lettered in field hockey, ice hockey, and softball. In her senior year, she was named team MVP and co-MVP of the New England Prep School Athletic Council Division I, and she finished her hockey career with 30 goals and 80 assists. She ranks third all-time in career points by a defenseman at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), where she earned a bachelor’s degree in
The Distinguished Alumnae with Girls Hockey Coach Sylvia Gappa, who coached both women during their Berkshire careers, and Gappa’s daughter, Katy, with the gold medal, at the SheBelieves Cup in March. Gappa says, “[Both women] have pushed to improve the game for the next generation of girls hockey players.” Photo courtesy of Sylvia Gappa
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women’s studies. In February, Bellamy helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. She has twice won silver, once at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and once at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. “The most amazing thing about Kacey is that through her amazing career at Berkshire and UNH to becoming a gold medalist she has always remained so humble,” says Kat Kollmer Gaudin ’05, Bellamy’s roommate at Berkshire. “To me, she is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. She lives and represents Berkshire’s values in everything she does.” Coyne, a Chicago-area native, scored 77 points (55 goals, 22 assists) during a post-graduate year at Berkshire. Upon graduation, she attended Northeastern University, where she was a three-time All-American and earned the 2016 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award for the top player in women’s college hockey. She recently completed her master’s degree in corporate and organizational communication with a concentration in sports leadership. In addition to winning a gold medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, Coyne is a five-time world champion and Olympic silver medalist (2014). “Kendall has given back so much to the girls hockey community on a larger scale, and she too has pushed to improve the game for the next generation of girls hockey players,” says Sylvia Gappa, Coyne’s former coach at Berkshire.
2018 REUNION AWARDS
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR SKIP MURFEY ’68
Latham W. “Skip” Murfey III ’68 returned to Berkshire in June to mark his 50th Reunion and reunite with 27 of his classmates, the largest semi-centennial gathering in recent memory. During his time under the Mountain, Murfey was active on the crew, cross country, and ice hockey teams. As an alum, he served on Berkshire’s Board of Trustees and the Advisory Board, and this year he served on the 50th Reunion Committee, dedicating much of his free time planning the event. Murfey’s daughters, Clara ’09 and Libby ’02, are also proud Berkshire graduates. While presenting the award, Head of School Pieter Mulder recalled a note written by a faculty member at The Fessenden School where Murfey attended eighth grade, prior to
coming to Berkshire: “Skip is an attractive-looking youngster. He has been in the photography club and on the varsity soccer squad. He likes all sorts of water sports, is interested in raising hamsters, enjoys hunting, too, as well as golf and tennis . . . I think he is a boy of perfectly reasonable promise.” Classmate Davis Anderson added, “This award is a great recognition of Skip and his infectious enthusiasm for Berkshire. He and his family have been supportive of Berkshire over the years, with two of his daughters having attended, and he has really stepped up his involvement in Reunion planning, bringing almost half of the class of 1968 together on campus to celebrate our milestone 50th Reunion.”
After leaving Berkshire, Murfey earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Colorado-Boulder and has worked in the investment industry for over 40 years. He and his wife, Marion, live in Kirtland, Ohio.
HUDDLE UP! Class of 1968 football team reunites at Reunion Weekend Several members of Berkshire’s Class of 1968 football team were back together again at Reunion Weekend, an occasion to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the team’s undefeated season. Team captain and quarterback Rob Hessler ’68, whom Davis Anderson ’68 fondly introduced to a small crowd gathered at East Campus as “God,” recalled that the team was “hardly optimistic” following a 1–5 record the previous year. “Out of the blue, or should I say out
of Minnesota, comes Dick Humleker ’68, otherwise known as ‘Fifi.’ Because of Dick, our coach at the time, Mr. Geer, looked at the capabilities that Dick brought with him, and he said, ‘Hmmm, let’s go with a single-wing offense.’ Dick was right handed, I was left handed, so that approach worked quite nicely,” Hessler said. Berkshire ended the season 6–0, which included a two-point win over Westminster and a 32–20 win over rival Salisbury in the final game. Hessler added, “It was a pretty special
Rob Hessler ’68 is joined by teammates (left to right) Pete Hope, Dave Anderly, David Cox, George Lanman, Tim Spofford, and Matt Reed.
event for all of us who were on the team, and the School rejoiced. It was a big deal. I’m very appreciative to have been a small part of that victory, and to reconnect is special.”
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2018 REUNION CLASSES
Welcome back! 50TH AND BEYOND Front row: Carl Tichenor ’68, Bob Gould ’68, Matt Reed ’68, George Lanman ’68, George Dallas ’68, George Church ’48, Herb Roskind ’53, Rob Hessler ’68, Tim Spofford ’68, John Thompson ’68 Back row: Tom Browning ’68, Stevens Marshall ’68, Jim Fergus ’68, Jay Ogden ’68, Chris Blair ’68, Davis Anderson ’68, Jim Dean ’67, Kim Granbery ’68, David Cox ’68, Art Wood ’68, Keith Reed ’68, Dave Harris ’68, Skip Murfey ’68, Will Morrison ’68, David Connolly ’68, Peter Hope ’68, Chris Johnson ’68, Henry Mendell ’68, Jeff Masters ’68, Dave Anderly ’68, Erik Forsburg ’68
50TH: CLASS OF 1968 Front row: Tom Browning, Carl Tichenor, Bob Gould, Matt Reed, George Lanman, George Dallas, Rob Hessler, Tim Spofford, John Thompson, Dave Anderly Back row: Jim Fergus, Stevens Marshall, Chris Blair, Davis Anderson, Jay Ogden, David Cox, Art Wood, Kim Granbery, Keith Reed, Dave Harris, Skip Murfey, Will Morrison, David Connolly, Peter Hope, Chris Johnson, Henry Mendell, Jeff Masters, Erik Forsburg
68 The members of the Class of 1968 were recognized for their generosity and efforts around the newly named CLASS OF 1968 ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP,
which benefits a Berkshire student each year in perpetuity.
45TH: CLASS OF 1973 Front row: Bill Drake, Michele Robins, John Watkins Middle row: Rex Morgan, Ken Gordon, Chris Groves, Jeff Follert, Jerry Weil Back row: Peter Braman, Alec Wyeth, Chip Perkins, Mark Richardson
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2018 REUNION CLASSES
40TH: CLASS OF 1978 Front row: Kate Schwerin, Barrie Fisher, Nick Jones Middle row: Mark Sullivan, Andrea Willets, Edward Hamilton, Carlin Weidlein Fravel, Marianne Ho Barnum Back row: Bill Harvey, Lance Vermeulen, Johnnie Walker, Peter Jennings, Christie Young, Cam Turner
35TH: CLASS OF 1983 Front row: Elyse Harney Morris, Lani Bernstein Beattie, Denise Saunders, Elizabeth Rutledge Middle row: Kelly Gauthier, John Fletcher, Karen Schnurr Secrist, Mark Zion, Terrence Duffy Back row: Michael Garrett, Catherine Burgunder Robinson, Demi Osborn, Christopher Perry, Engin Bayraktaroglu Not pictured: Eric Blumencranz, Terry Duffy, Nicky McKhann
30TH: CLASS OF 1988 Front row: Marlo Doherty Zarka, Liz Parker Bohlender, Bill Hoelzel, Connie Baker Gillman Second row: Meghan Guarnotta , Julian Vulliez, Katie Kaye, Mari Frasca Tonan Third row: George Mack, Geoffrey Myers, Jamie Watt, Jen Sellon Dyer, Lucette Calas Henderson, Patricia Dean-Thornton Back row: Tony Schwartz, Ellie Glaccum, Tom King, Wally Long Not pictured: Pete Cutler, Kerstin Anderson Marcum
25TH: CLASS OF 1993 Front row: John Holbrook, Hilary Ivey Mueller, Keita Sato, Charlie DuCharme, Tenley Reed, Kate Stringham Mihalick, Sarah Gee ’94 Middle row: Katy Magee Kenney, Melissa Hird Rea, Ellie Peters Manka, Lindsey Pizzica Rotolo, Allison Spooner Linley, Richard Lazala, Heather White Mitchell, Asa Steady Hardcastle Back row: Matt Casey, Kim Harvey Lopes, Alan Pagnamenta, Win Hotchkiss Not pictured: Adam Chait
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2018 REUNION CLASSES
20TH: CLASS OF 1998 Front row: Chris Reichart, Lauren Lareau, Crystal Mendez-Covington, Brooks Ann Heady Burdick, Keaton Marian Sheehan, Sarah Gottlieb, Caitlin Jarvis ’99 Second row: Scott Medvin, Jason Pendrock, Henry Tavarez, Jon Goldberg, Ramana Lagemann Third row: Greg Schappert, Jeff Soule, Dan Morris, Jason Rano Back row: Chris Carboneau, Whit Watts, Marc Massaro, Chris Shouldice
15TH: CLASS OF 2003 Morgan Ralph and Samantha Shaw
10TH: CLASS OF 2008 Front row: Margaret Turrentine, Isabel OrtizMonasterio Borbolla, Chelsea Resnick, Erica Ginsberg Murphy, Abby Tufts Back row: Taylor Stuart, Kate Wagner, Steph Miller, Rachel Hechtman, Shana Grossman, Mary Pace Not pictured: Taryn Blume, Melissa Fogarty, Cait Ward
5TH: CLASS OF 2013 Front row: Ximena Lascurain, Rhi Vanderbeek, Murphy Newman, Olivia Mason, Hattie Waldron, Quin Pompi, Tyler Behring Second row: Kyla Rabb, Juan Escobar, Haley Bolton, Maddie Bricken, Annie Fraiman, Chase Gerber, Sam Sabin, Jackie Pape, Matt Renzi Third row: Lilly Weil, Eliza Berg, Robbie Fiamengo, Maisie Noesen, Allie Bliven, Karolin Kreke Back row: Max Hare, Charlie Yorke, Sam Clougher, Wes Lickus, Creedy Acosta, Cyrus Alizadeh Wright, Eliza Farley, Maddy Maher, Taylor Sorensen, Nick Greco, Steven Halperin Not pictured: Brandon Allen, Tony Amolo, Jesse Hahn, Olivia Mason
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2018 REUNION RUN DOWN
THE WEEKEND LINE-UP ACTIVITIES FOR EVERYONE! 50TH REUNION & BEYOND GOLF SCRAMBLE Alums hit the links! Charlie Berry ’53, John Thompson ‘68, Keith Reed ’68, Art Wood ’68, George Dallas ’68, Davis Anderson ’68, Tom Browning ’68
CAMPUS TOUR Director of Admission Dana Anselmi (driver) led the campus tour for Katy Magee Kenney ’93 and her twins, Chloe and Jaime, Carlin Weidlein Fravel ’78, and Christie Young ’78.
NEW ENGLAND CLAMBAKE Melissa Fogarty ’08, Cait Ward ’08, and Kate Wagner ’08 enjoyed the clambake under the tent.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR
REUNION WEEKEND 2019: JUNE 7–9 SEE YOU NEXT SUMMER!
BERKSHIRE COMEDY CLUB Headliner Gary Vider ‘02 took the stage with fellow comedians Joyelle Nicole Johnson and Keith Alberstadt.
AUTHORS’ DISCUSSION Alums heard from writers Jim Fergus ‘68 and John Thompson ‘68. Summer 2018
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Alumni Spotlight
GROUNDBREAKING PHOTOGRAPHY, 70 YEARS ON Museum displays the work of George Platt Lynes ’25.
A new exhibition about the life and photography of George Platt Lynes ’25 will be on display at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields from September 30, 2018 to February 24, 2019. The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University also organized the exhibition, entitled Sensual/Sexual/Social: The Photography of George Platt Lynes. Lynes was a renowned photographer with an artistic legacy spanning fashion and portrait photography in the 1930s–1950s, and his work was published by Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country, and Vogue, among others. A gay man, he also became both celebrated and stigmatized for his photographs of male nudes and intimacy between men; many of the images were kept hidden while he was alive. Of the photographer, Newfields said, “Lynes’ visionary work catapulted him to notoriety as a New Yorkbased commercial fashion and ballet photographer, but resulted in his drift from the spotlight when it was revealed that he photographed male nudes as well. Lynes also turned his lens on his social circle—the artistic and literary minds of the mid-20th century—who accepted him as a gay man during a period of harsh anti-LGBT laws in America.” The collection, said Newfields, allows visitors to, “Learn about Lynes’ groundbreaking work with lighting and darkroom manipulation and his personal
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Berkshire Bulletin
Self-Portrait, 1952 From the Collections of the Kinsey Institute, Indiana University
Alumni Spotlight
Left: Jean Babilee in L’Amour et son Amour, 1951 Below: Igor Stravinsky, 1947 From the Collections of the Kinsey Institute, Indiana University
passion, the male nude, considered taboo and illegal in the 1930s and ’40s.” Lynes was born in East Orange, New Jersey, and while at Berkshire he served on the boards of The Green & Gray and The Dome. A four-year member of the Camera Club, the editors of The Trail described Lynes in the yearbook this way: “As well as evidencing exceptional literary ability, he is accomplished to a great extent in artistic fields.” Regarding his high school athletic career, the editors explained, “His one complaint is that although for four years he has run consistently with the track squad, as yet he hasn’t been able to catch up with them.”
After becoming reacquainted in New York with fellow Berkshire alumnus and co-founder of the New York City Ballet Lincoln Kirstein ’26, in 1935 Kirstein and George Balanchine commissioned Lynes to photograph dancers for the company, which he would do for many years to come. He died of cancer at the early age of 48 in 1955. Lynes’ photographs commemorate Balanchine’s early American work and stand to this day as tributes to male dancers of the era. The Kinsey Institute, created by famed biologist and sexologist Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey, obtained over 600 of Lynes’ prints as part of its effort to research homosexuality.
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Alumni Spotlight
Geordie Beldock ’11 with a tuna from the waters of Chaitén, Chile
HOOKED ON FLY FISHING Catching up with Three Angler Alums
While many graduates choose the Mountain as their most beloved campus landmark, others are drawn to the nearby waterways—Glenny Brook, Guilder Pond, and the mighty Housatonic River. For in these ponds and rivers so many Bears cast their first fly rods, many with the RKMP and Fly Fishing Club, feeling that perceptible tug on their lines. And for three Berkshire alums— T.J. Laviolette ’79, Geordie Beldock ’11, and John Ryan ’11—this beautiful, meditative pastime has become a profession. All three can trace their love of the sport back to Berkshire.
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Berkshire Bulletin
by Bill Bullock
T.J. Laviolette ’79: “Listen more than you talk.” In the spring of 1979, T.J. and his classmate Gregg Beldock ’79 had a disagreement on the lacrosse field, and Coach Bayard Kellam kicked both boys out of practice to “go figure it out.” A local T.J. Laviolette ’79 pond would serve as the mediating force, and soon the pair were reeling in pickerel (not yet with flies) and cementing a bond that continues to this day. Gregg, T.J., and Gregg’s son Geordie fish together every summer in Montana on some of the best wild-trout water in the world. The Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana remains his home waters, though I would not dare ask him about specifics. It’s big, it’s wild, and grizzly bears are in abundance, which keeps the crowds away. T.J. operates Troutwest Fly Fishing as a guide and licensed outfitter in Livingston, Mont. His path began when he was 20 years old and set off hitchhiking for Colorado. T.J. had a contact at Elktrout, a fly fishing lodge on the Colorado River, and thus he became hooked on the fly fishing lifestyle.
Alumni Spotlight
T.J. was proud to share the most valuable insight he has learned from guiding: “If you listen more than you talk, you can learn a lot.” He loves that each day is never the same; the hatches are different, the light is different, and he is “always learning.” He enjoys introducing people to an unplugged lifestyle as they live in canvas tents and chase wild cutthroat trout. The increased popularity of fly fishing these days means that there is more pressure on the ecosystem, more trash, and more people. To T.J. that means “the guides and sports alike” have to better protect the wilderness they love. Geordie Beldock ’11: “Fish should swim away healthy.” This spring, Geordie returned to King Salmon, Alaska, where he works as a fly fishing guide for Rapids Camp Lodge. While he remembers almost every detail of catching his first fish on a fly (a beautiful, wild, eight-inch brook trout on Lewis Creek in Vermont), it was Guilder Pond that instilled his love of fly fishing, where he dabbled in the sport with classmate John Ryan. Geordie wanted to pursue a career that included travel and the outdoors. “I knew fly fishing had the potential to take people to exotic, pristine corners of the world,” he said, so he jumped in with both wading boots. He’s been a professional guide for five years in some of the best fly fishing waters in the world, including in Chile and Nantucket, Mass. “What I enjoy most are the amazing places the sport takes me, and more importantly, the people I meet along the way. I can build relationships that last a lifetime.” Geordie enjoys educating people who are new to the sport, and his days often include fishing on the Naknek River in Alaska, where he can catch 30-inch leopard rainbow trout. “I love teaching people how to cast and the physics of the fly rod. But one of the most important
things I teach is fish handling. It’s so important that the fish we catch swim away healthy enough to live another day, spawn, and continue to thrive in these beautiful waters.” John Ryan ’11: “It’s a clean slate every day.” Now a guide for Fish the Fly based in Jackson, WY, John’s father and grandfather introduced him to the sport in Waukesha, Wisc. when he was little. But it wasn’t until he took a Pro Vita fly fishing class that he truly felt the pull to the water. At Berkshire, he learned to tie Wooly Buggers (an artificial fly), perfect his cast, and fish the Housatonic with the Fly Fishing Club. After college, John enrolled in guide school with the Sweetwater Travel Company in Montana, studying with the Vermillion brothers, who are renowned in the sport. For John, fly fishing is the common thread that brings like-minded people together. “Being on the water makes you notice things more. It’s never the same; it’s a clean slate every day.” John also enjoys how fly fishing encourages people to slow down. “It’s much more than fishing. I have the opportunity to make life-long fishermen and conservationists out of my clients. I remind them that we’re in a beautiful place, so take it all in. Look at the eagles and the elk. Unplug your phone. Things can wait.” While John lists his home water as the Gros Ventre outside of Jackson, he is a sucker for tiny creeks where wet wading with small flies can produce big, wild fish. Even as he imagines his next big catch, he still remembers his favorite fish—a 40-inch bright king salmon he landed on a spey rod in the Tordrillo Mountains of Alaska. So much fishing to do and water to see.
John Ryan ’11
Fighting a lunker To close, we will end with a fishing story. As Geordie recalls: “We were fishing the Madison River in Montana. T.J. was guiding, and my dad and I were both tired from traveling the night before. After lunch, we were floating and hammering the banks with big streamers. I looked back, and my dad was asleep in the stern. T.J. and I thought it would be good fun to play a prank on him, so I leaned over and attached a big branch to his fly and sent it down river. Dad’s reel screamed to life and he popped up, wide awake as we both told him he had hooked a huge brown. Dad began to reel in the fish like a madman, fighting this ‘lunker’ for 10 minutes. When he finally got the branch close enough to see he’d been ‘played,’ he laughed harder than we did. We even took a picture with it, and I believe that photo still hangs in his office today.” For anyone looking for a great day out on the water, John, T.J., and Geordie are but an email away. Tight lines . . .
Bill Bullock is an avid outdoorsman and the faculty advisor to Berkshire’s Fly Fishing Club. He lives on campus with his wife, Bebe Clark Bullock ’86, and they have three children: Addie ’14, Liam ’17, and Silas ’21.
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BERKSHIRE EVENTS & RECEPTIONS FALL PARENTS’ WEEKEND The Kittredge Family: Cami ’19, John ’85, Lani, and Bowen ’21
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Parents’ Weekends
800+
Guests at Off-Campus Events (alumni, parents, and friends)
BERKSHIRE AT THE BALLPARK: ANGELS VS. RED SOX Tim Locke ’82 with his sons Teddy and Brendan, David Locke ’79, and William Locke enjoyed a great night of baseball at Fenway Park in Boston.
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4
Baseball Games
24 Total Events & Receptions
States Visited
Look for upcoming events: berkshireschool.org/events
Thank you for your support! We are so grateful for the loyalty and generosity of Berkshire’s Annual Fund donors, who came together in 2017–2018 to provide an outstanding experience for every student under the Mountain.
Thanks to you: n Nearly $3 million went in support of Berkshire’s students n Parent participation kept steady at 78% n Alumni participation reached 22% n More than 2,400 alumni, parents, and friends contributed to the effort To learn more about how your gift makes a difference, visit berkshireschool.org/support.
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Berkshire Bulletin
FINANCIAL AID: Changing A Life Through A Berkshire Experience Building Berkshire’s endowment for financial aid is essential to ensure the School’s brightest future. Every $1.5 million raised in financial aid allows Berkshire to provide full tuition for one talented and deserving student in perpetuity. By investing in Berkshire’s endowed financial aid, you have an opportunity to directly influence, and forever change, the life of a Berkshire student. Your contributions provide financial support for deserving students who could otherwise not afford a Berkshire education. It’s a giving opportunity of a lifetime with an impact that will endure forever.
Meet Scholarship Recipients
Lydia McBride ’18, Massachusetts Interests: Black Rock Scholars, Pro Vita Trip Leader (Thailand), and AP Studio Art College: Coastal Carolina University
“Being afforded the Berkshire experience has allowed me to feel as if I can go to any country and be confident that I will meet people whom I will be able to relate to and learn from. The teachers at Berkshire have given me confidence by truly caring about my success, allowing me to pursue my dreams that I never could have pursued on my own.”
FINANCIAL AID AT-A-GLANCE 2017–2018
$5.15 M
Financial Aid Budget
$42,000 Average Award
119
Number of Recipients
Ahria Simons ’18, Bermuda Interests: Varsity Soccer, Track & Field, and Co-Head Prefect College: Dartmouth
“Growing up, I constantly doubted myself. Coming to Berkshire has forced me out of my comfort zone. The School has helped me grow as a leader by instilling in me the confidence that I am able to lead. I am grateful to Berkshire for giving me the opportunity to reach my highest potential—I’m surrounded by positive role models.”
To support a Berkshire experience today, contact Director of Advancement Andrew Bogardus at abogardus@berkshireschool.org or call 413-229-1907.
30%
of Student Body Receiving Financial Aid
$150,000
Support Beyond Tuition (books, trips, transportation, etc.)
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berkshireschool It was a fun and festive Halloween morning under the Mountain! #socialbutterflies #perkstobeingabear October 31, 2017
See You on Social!
BERKSHIRE CONNECT
1,379 ACTIVE ALUMNI USERS
327
The best way to stay connected with your fellow Bears! “ It focuses the principles of LinkedIn and Facebook into the smaller, tight-knit, community-based ‘family’ of Berkshire. That’s pretty powerful stuff.”
NETWORKING CONNECTIONS
90 4 ALUMNI WILLING TO OPEN DOORS AT THEIR WORKPLACE
—Stephen Piatelli ’06
Berkshire School’s Online Networking Platform www.berkshireconnect.org
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1,021 ALUMNI WILLING TO INTRODUCE OTHERS TO THEIR CONNECTIONS
Class Notes
Class Notes 1939
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1944
75 th
1945 Philip W. Goodspeed 616-949-1949
1948 George Church III 413-448-6199
1949
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James McCurrach writes: “I have managed to stay healthy, despite my continuing work as a teacher. This year, I have been working primarily with special ed elementary-age kids. Tough assignments but very rewarding when progress is made. No special plans for the summer beyond car trips in close proximity. Needless to say, California has plenty of vistas that are always breathtaking no matter how often they are viewed.”
1954
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1956 Daniel C. M. Crabbe dan.crabbe@comcast.net
Robert W. Doyle, Sr. robertwdoylesr@gmail.com
1957
1950
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Charles K. Elliott, Jr. 29456ce@gmail.com
1951 John B. Hull III 413-528-1528
1952 Tad Woodhull writes: “It’s great living close to grand and great grandkids.”
1953 John G. Cluett jcluett@aol.com
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Tony Austin writes: “My oldest daughter, who has a Ph.D. in music, recently remarried at 55.”
REUNION 2019 June 7–9
Welcoming back ’4s and ’9s!
Walter S. Henrion walthenrion@gmail.com
Walt Henrion writes: “All is well with the Class of ’57. We should have our two faculty awards presented by the time you read this. The stipend is given with no strings attached. Please be sure to read the wonderful editorial in The Denver Post about classmate Bruce Benson’s tenure at the University of Colorado at: www. denverpost.com/2018/03/09/10-years-inat-cu-bruce-benson-still-the-right-choice/.” Mac Odell writes: “Along with family and friends, I joined hundreds of thousands of students, teachers, and others at the amazing March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C., in March to advocate for long-overdue gun control legislation. In Pakistan in December, my wife, Marcia, and I shared our successful methods for community and women’s empowerment at an international conference—ideas I also shared at Pro Vita in February, along with classmate, Bruce Shields.”
Mac Odell ’57 with family at the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C.
Paul Tompkins writes: “The year 2017 was busy and fun-filled for Gail and me. It included a lot of travel (both domestic and foreign) with family and friends and a class reunion at the Naval Academy. The highlight of our travels was four weeks in Europe river cruising and visiting the beaches of Normandy in France. If one has not been to Normandy and spent time on the beach and in the cemeteries, one has missed a very emotional and historic moment in time! For any ’57 classmates traveling to or through ‘sunny’ southern California, please give us a call—our home is always available for a meal or a day or two visit.”
1958 Benjamin J. Rosin benrosin@aol.com
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Bill Blaney writes: “Greetings, Berkshire Class of ’58! I’ve retired from IBM and am volunteering at the State Health Insurance Program—the Area Agency on Aging, Region One. I counsel and advise Medicare and Medicaid clients. This is a tricky and fragmented area to make intelligent choices, as many of you can probably confirm. We are at www. aaaphx.org. Thanks to Frank Beattie’s inspiration, long remembered, I am a tenor in my church choir, and I also sing in other choirs, including Arizona
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Class Notes
1961 Peter R. Kellogg pkellogg@iatre.com
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John Ellwood writes: “Garry Morfit, a relatively new resident in the Naples, FL area, and I have been having fun fishing, boating, and dining together. Clearly, Garry is a better fisherman than I am, but I hold my own in the dining area. I extend an open invitation to any classmate to stop by if you are in Naples.”
1962
Bill Blaney ’58
MusicFest and ProMusica AZ Chorale. We’ve done Carmina Burana, I Pagliacci, Chichester Psalms, and Sunrise Mass—from R&B and rock ‘n’ roll to choral works! Thank you, Frank. I see Berkshire on Facebook and LinkedIn. If I can network or help, please let me know!”
Andrew S. Berkman aberkman@cpny.com
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Jamie Murray writes: “Peter Kellogg ’61 and I belong to Yeamans Hall Club in Charleston, SC. On the sixth hole, the famous Redan #6, my ball hit on the front right of the green, arched up toward the higher middle, and then rolled down in the cup. Peter was not with me, but I plan to regale him with the event soon.”
Ivar Quindsland writes: “I finally retired last August after over 12 years as CFO for TMS Global, a missionarysending organization, which had sent my wife and me to Peru for a year in 2002.”
1963
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Richard H. Elias mardic68@hotmail.com
Bill Hand writes: “Enjoyed a visit at Berkshire on January 31 after spending a few days at Jiminy Peak. Great to see the new squash courts, hockey arena, and Arthur C. Chase Sugar House. Lots of good memories collecting and boiling sap with Mr. Chase those winters at Berkshire. It was also fun to see the team photos posted in the sports facilities and recognize many faces, including my own from ’62 squash! Regards to all classmates and friends from those good old days.”
1960
1964
Stephen P. Norman steve@spnormanco.com
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Jay Keller writes: “Retired in Deland, FL, where I’m kept busy as a board member and executive director of the Athens Theatre.”
1959
60 th
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Steve Norman writes: “Following retirement from American Express Company, I have maintained a small business consulting practice in the area of corporate governance. My wife and I continue to live in Rye, NY, although we spend increasing amounts of time in Harpswell, ME, where we bought a house a few years ago. Three grandchildren to report, with hopes for more. I look forward to seeing classmates at the 60th reunion in two years.” 86
John Townsend writes: “Still in NYC with summers and weekends in Westerly, RI. The only classmate I bump into is Andy Berkman. I missed my 55th, but Berkman will undoubtedly prevail on me in 2022. Hope the country survives until then. Otherwise, life is great with three grandsons, lots of finance-related charitable activities, and my 50th wedding anniversary with the incomparable Kate coming up in December!”
Berkshire Bulletin
Jamie Murray ’62 at Redan #6, Yeamans Hall Club, Charleston, SC
55 th
Bob Beaumont writes: “Peter Johnson and I visited Berkshire near the end of the football season to see the Kennard Visual Arts Center. It really is of a different century from what I remember. Next, we settled in at the 50-yard line to see the big game. The Bears were well coached and played to their full potential. We were on our feet the entire game. It was touch and go, but Berkshire’s players teamed their way to an impressive win, defeating a team that outweighed them by nearly a quarter of a ton.”
Class Notes
John Hendrie, who has retired as a class agent, writes: “From the pages of my Facebook: Rick Marsi is following his talent with wilderness tidbits, particularly some wonderful bird photographs; Bob Schor is ever active in his wilderness visits as well, trekking the outdoors; Dave Lanman is in middle Maine and following the snowfall; John Van Deren is in Vermont, prepping his motorcycle for spring; Charlie Tyler is very much into the theater in Florida in supporting and starring roles; Peter Johnson is traveling about and loving/ promoting his wines; spoke with Cappy Anderson, who is contemplating where to move next from York, ME; and Bob Beaumont sends his best to all. I have relocated to the Los Angeles area, married the wonderful Katharine, and we see some of our children. My eldest, Nate, now has two terrific sons. The sun always shines in California, they say!” Peter Johnson writes: “Last November, Bob Beaumont came to Berkshire to visit the Kennard Visual Arts Center and to see a football game. Great time and wonderful to see ‘Swamps.’ Oh, and Berkshire won!”
Class of 1967’s 50th; a great turnout— Barstow, Benz, Breed, Clifford, Connolly, Dean, Fisher, Foster, Griggs, Hancock, Lewin, Madden, Mustard, Piel, Ripley, Sawyer, Smith, Wood, Woodruff, and Zeff. Since then, Pat and I visited Mac Wood and Shari in South Carolina to observe the eclipse. Piel is now promising sailing lessons; how about a pirate cruise around the Chesapeake? I propose a 55th reunion. Let’s not wait until the 60th. Everyone at the 50th should recruit an absent classmate to attend; Jim Goodrich and John Raphael had schedule conflicts. No excuses next time. Where is Mike Warren? Let’s keep the good feelings going!” Geoff Stack ’65’s CD cover photo
of my songs with me singing. I’m now writing a musical with 11 songs studio recorded so far, five to go.” Nick Wallner writes: “I just returned from a trip that included stops in Cuba, having retired from AAA after 45 years and 8 months of employment. I have lots to do. My passion continues to be refereeing soccer games as I enter my thirty-fourth year, and I managed to complete hiking the last of the 48 4,000foot mountains in New Hampshire. In between hikes, I manage to continue looking for plane wreck sites in New Hampshire. I am active in various community services and am planning trips to the West Coast this summer and then Australia and New Zealand this fall.”
1966
Dan Griggs ’67 and his wife, Martha, welcomed their first grandchild, Abigail Lish, on July 8, 2017.
1968 L. Keith Reed lkreed.mt@gmail.com
1969
50 th
Kent S. Clow III ksc3@msn.com
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1965
F. Woodson Hancock III whancock3@aol.com
K.C. Clow writes: “John Borden and I had dinner with Jim Hooper after Jim’s opening reception for Portraits of a Working Waterfront: Photographs by Jim Hooper ’69 at The Warren Family Gallery at Berkshire.”
Geoff Stack writes: “Recently published and released a hardcover book of 120 original paintings. I’ve released two CDs
Dave Brooks writes: “My daughter, Emily, gave birth to our sixth grandchild, Ronin, a real bruiser. A year on since the
Dave Hibberd writes: “It was great to get together with fellow ’69er and attorney Gary Wright in his home
Harlan J. Swift, Jr. timswifty@gmail.com Peter Johnson ’64
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1967 ______________________________
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Class Notes
town of Aspen, CO, this past winter. Gary and I did have an opportunity in the bar at the Hotel Jerome to reflect on our time at Berkshire, as well as the 49 years that have occurred since. As both of us were on the ski team, and Gary was involved in the International Ski Federation, officiating for over 20 years, memories of Ed Chase ’69 came into the conversation. I was able to report that Seamus McKeon and crew had done an exemplary job on the Ed Chase ’69 Ski Room. All this reflection did result in a commitment by both of us to attend our 50th next year.” Kip Penney writes: “I’ve been working in, with, and for food and garden seed cooperatives in Maine since 1975.”
1970 Robert L. W. McGraw blackrockfarm@hotmail.com
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Robin McGraw writes: “Earlier this year, the Alumni Hockey Game was played in memory of W. Ross Hawkins, who dedicated much of his storied career to the success of Berkshire hockey. Ross’s two sons, Scott ’83 and Leigh, were on hand to drop the ceremonial puck to start the game. This
Jan D’Angelo ’72, Lock Swift ’72, and Ben Creed ’71 hit the slopes in Aspen, CO, during the X Games.
is the first time the game was played without Ross in attendance to give an inspirational speech to his former players. Many stories of Ross were shared by his players, and he was sadly missed. In a back-and-forth game, the Green came away with the victory once again. Tom Hargrave ’81, clearly the strongest player on the ice, was awarded the Ross Hawkins Player of the Game trophy. Looking forward to seeing even more players join us next year. “
1971 ______________________________
Bob Sullivan writes: “Back in January, I hosted an opening reception for my oil painting exhibition down in Princeton, NJ. On hand were classmates Bill Schluter, Monty Reis, and George Coyne. The show went well, and afterward we went over to my sister’s house for dinner. Bill is teaching history and is head of the upper school at the Tatnall School in Wilmington, DE. Monty is an account strategist with TalkPoint Webcasting, and George is up and about and enjoying life in Bucks County, PA, after recent abdominal surgery. When Sag Harbor, NY, sailing winds die down in September, there will be a few weeks for me to prepare for the plein air landscape seminar I’ll be teaching in Amagansett, NY.”
1972 John Y. G. Walker III jwalker2353@gmail.com
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On Saturday, February 17, 2018, alumni returned to the Mountain to participate in the Alumni Hockey Game. 88
Berkshire Bulletin
Carole Maghery King writes: “After five years of trying on life in Cape Cod, MA, I’ve decided to commit! In the spring,
Class Notes
I moved my home, interior design business, and retail store to the center of Harwich Port, MA. I’ve had fun recent visits with Paula Pevzner ’73, Mary Jane Anderson Shannon ’71, Jerry Weil ’73, Bill Drake ’73, Jack Bacon ’72, and a few others. It’s always fun to cross paths with Berkshire alums, so if you’re on the Cape this summer, please stop by and say hi. We’re at 573 Route 28. Congrats to Kacey Bellamy ’05 and Kendall Coyne ’11. Having been one of the first female graduates at Berkshire, I was really moved watching the Winter Olympic Games. What an exciting time for women from Berkshire School!” Spencer Willets writes: “Had a great few hours with John Sherman the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day, so we tipped a couple of Jamesons and Guinesses and talked trash about everyone and everything. So good to see ‘old’ friends.”
Ian Foster ’76 with his Squirt 10U B team champions at the Silver Stick Tournament in San Jose, CA, over Thanksgiving
real breakthrough work in the field of immuno-oncology, as well as other innovative medicines.”
1974
Brent Sweet writes: “In November, I was elected supervisor for the town of Alexandria in upstate New York on the Saint Lawrence River. The position makes me the CFO for the township. The township consists of six water districts, two sewer districts, and a recreation/arena center with combined budgets of $3.7 million. I own two businesses in the town that my sons, Harrison and Jarret, are operating.”
1975
John Sherman ’72 and Spencer Willets ’72 the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day
1973 Leon J. Weil, Jr. jerryweil.tennis@gmail.com
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Rex Morgan writes: “I recently joined the R&D training group at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) at their Lawrenceville, NJ, headquarters. It’s an exciting time at BMS. They’re doing some
The sign outside Brent Sweet ’73’s office at the Town of Alexandria
45 th
Louise A. Clement luluinsf2005@yahoo.com
Joseph M. Fusco joe@techworkers.com
1976 Stephen H. Hassett shasse01@gmail.com
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Case Casey writes: “This is a great article about our classmate Elisabeth Kinney Robinson’s son. He played both Division I and Division III Final Four Basketball as a starting player. I had the pleasure of watching Duncan at Williams College. Please read: https://www.si.com/ college-basketball/2018/03/29/michiganduncan-robinson-roots-williams-collegefinal-four.” Ian Foster writes: “Hello fellow classmates. My Squirt 10U B team won the Silver Stick Tournament in San Jose, CA, during Thanksgiving of the 2017–2018 hockey season (undefeated). I was so very proud of what these kids accomplished when they put all their effort into playing as a team! I would like to attend the Lake Placid, NY, USA Summer 2018
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Class Notes
Hockey Coaching Education Program (CEP) in August to finish my CEP Level-5 coaching certification. Maybe I will see some other Berkshire alums there. My son cannot wait to play for Berkshire. Best regards.”
Eric Levin writes: “I am enjoying a second career traveling all over the world. I have accepted a position in corporate risk management in the Fire & Life Safety division of Marriott International. We are enjoying new additions to the family with a fourth grandchild on the way!”
1977 ______________________________
Dave Riatti writes: “Fellow former Berkshire student and son, Gray ‘Dallas’ Riatti ’14, graduated from the University of Alabama and is heading to work in Atlanta, GA, for the Atlanta Hawks! Meanwhile, I believe I live at airports with my new venture, Buzznog. Started a new funding push recently.”
1980
1978
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Birney B. Boehland birney@birneysfoods.com
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Carlin Weidlein Fravel writes: “I have been living in Atlanta, GA, for 24 years and only moved to Georgia because Christie Young was living in Atlanta! I manage our family’s catering business, enjoy traveling, and visit snow country as often as I can.”
David Brand ’80 on his way to the canyons in Utah
Kimberley C. Fuchs kcfuchs@silvershieldfoundation.org Steven P. Veronesi sveronesi@cox.net
David Brand writes: “In May, I took a 100-mile journey on the White Rim Road with expert guide/outdoorsman/ classmate Michael Page and a host of other off-road enthusiasts and explored the Canyonlands of Utah. Not unlike our adventures cruising the roads of Mt. Everett back in the day, just a little different scenery!”
Lily Leonard Goodale writes: “I am currently dividing my time between Jupiter, FL, and Cuenca, Ecuador. I am a Montessori teacher, girls’ lacrosse coach, and Kundalini yoga instructor. This past winter, my oldest daughter, Adrianna (20), and I spent one month in Kartu, Tanzania, volunteering at a children’s orphanage and helping to develop their first-ever Montessori classroom. My younger daughter, Jesse (18), spent the winter in Australia and New Zealand.”
1979
Sunil Rajan writes: “Looking forward to our 40th reunion in 2020. I’m opening a new restaurant, RikSha Tacos, an Asian street food restaurant, with my eldest son, Nikhil. My daughter, Maya, graduated from Deerfield Academy in May and will go on to Colorado College. I get to continue to love on my youngest son, Rohan, for a few more years! Unfortunately, I lost my dad in 2016, but my mom continues to enjoy her grandkids’ triumphs. Be safe everyone!”
1981 Sue Ann Stanton sa.stanton@gmail.com
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Karen Reinker-Attra writes: “After 22 years in Louisiana, I’m loving life back in New England with lifelong family friend and now husband, Cory. It’s wonderful being close to family and friends again!” Buddy Ontra writes: “I want to mention the awesome time I had during Pro Vita at Berkshire in March. The kids were
40 th
Robert D. Thomas bthomas@wwsg.com
Lily Leonard Goodale ’78 enjoying her work with children in Kartu, Tanzania 90
Berkshire Bulletin
Buddy Ontra ’81 taught a Pro Vita class called Stone Fabrication 101. The class installed a natural stone countertop in Shawn’s Place.
Class Notes
fantastic! Not like me as a student. They have left their mark at Shawn’s Place ad infinitum (and I didn’t even take Latin). Special thanks to Kurt Bartzsch at Rock Solid Marble and Granite in Sheffield, MA, for opening his doors to the students. And special thanks to Marble and Granite Inc. of Westwood, MA, and Milford, CT, for donating the slab. And thank you to Director of Pro Vita Donald Anselmi, Director of Student Activities Su DelGuercio, and the rest for allowing me to work with the students.” Tony Scheinman writes: “I completed another classic audiobook recording, an unabridged (albeit revised) version of Penrod by Booth Tarkington. This is my seventh audiobook production to date,
in which I not only narrate but also voice all of the juvenile and adult characters. Pending final approval, it will be available on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes soon.”
1982 Anthony P. Addison anthony_addison@ml.com Thomas B. Fahy, Jr. bfahy44@gmail.com
1983 Karen Schnurr Secrist karensecrist6@gmail.com
1984
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1985 Lionel A. Shaw lionel@caritasadvisors.com
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Heather Steck Von Seggern ’85 with faculty member Mandy Morgan at a concert in Florida
over 35 years ago (eek!), at a concert pretty far away from Berkshire! It is really a small world. She knew all of us Steck sisters and our cousin, Ann Kelly ’07, and most recently taught Megan’s daughter, Eliza Berg ’13.”
How are you? Tony Scheinman ’81 Scott Hill ’85 at his CPR Cell Phone Repair store opening in Tiverton, RI
Scott Hill writes: “After 23 years with Lexmark International, I have moved on as a managed print consultant with Xerox Corporation. This has been a welcome change, joining with the #1 provider in the industry. In addition, my CPR Cell Phone Repair company is opening its third retail location in less than 12 months. We are actively looking for a possible franchisee to open stores in the Clarksville, TN, and Bowling Green, KY, markets.” Samantha Burns ’89’s daughter, Peri, with Annabelle Grace, daughter of Billy Grace ’82, at the Montauk Turkey Trot in Montauk, NY, on Thanksgiving Day
Heather Steck Von Seggern writes: “How funny that I ran into Mandy Morgan, one of my teachers from
Communities thrive on communication. If you don’t see any news about your classmates, it’s because no one sent in an update. We’d still love to hear from you—and updating the Berkshire community has never been easier. ONLINE www.berkshireschool.org/ classnotes EMAIL classnotes@berkshireschool.org CALL 413-229-1907
Please let us know how you’re doing.
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Class Notes
1986 Rhonda M. Bentley-Lewis r.b.lewis@hotmail.com Lara Schefler McLanahan lara.mclanahan@gmail.com
started high school and college last fall! I worked as a librarian for a small private school for nine years before ‘retiring’ as a library assistant in a public school, as well as teaching after-school enrichment STEAM classes throughout the Richmond, VA area, (love living near the river with lots of outdoor adventures with my family and dog Charlie). I keep in touch with Connie Gilbert Polzin by Facebook. Hope my classmates are all well!”
John Robb writes: “My son, Connor ’20, transferred in as a sophomore at Berkshire, and he loves it!”
1986 classmates Jim Haskel, Annie Zimmerli-Haskel, Jen Hayes Johns, and Dirk Johns enjoy a night out in New York City to see Springsteen on Broadway.
1987
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Laura Wolf Dysart writes: “I worked as a family services coordinator for Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work’s Head Start Program before staying home with my two boys, who
Keanu is reading the script as I type this. The director filmed all second unit work for the Pirates of the Caribbean films. The director for my film, Liberty (2019), won two Oscars (Alien and Star Wars), and created the lightsaber, R2D2, the Millennium Falcon, Death Star, and Luke Skywalker’s home! Will be a super year. Thanks Berkshire for challenging me to adjust to a sudden life change my senior year, to reach in deep to find stamina, and to scramble down a mountain in time to pick up my parents for graduation! For my aerospace work (NASA) and overall writing career, I owe my English teacher, as well as our form dean in 1989. Taking astronaut Chris Hadfield (sang ‘Space Oddity’ in space) scuba diving in the Red Sea was amazing. Best to my true friends. Find me on IMDb.”
Thomas Maddock ’87 congratulates Albuquerque, New Mexico’s recently elected mayor, Tim Keller, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
1988 Scott M. Falso sfalso@gmail.com
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Julian Vulliez writes: “I brought the family along from Houston, TX, to campus for Reunion Weekend.”
1989
30 th
Andrew D. Allen andrewdrexelallen@gmail.com
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Laura Wolf Dysart ’87, son Jake, and husband, Scott, at their eldest son Brandon’s graduation from Trinity Episcopal High School in Richmond, VA 92
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Yassy Naficy writes: “I’m enjoying fruitful consulting writing proposals for government contracts (won $14.7B), but I have also funded my film, The Rogue, pending lead cast member.
John Robb ’89’s son, Connor, Class of 2020
Class Notes
Jamie Sydney ’90
1990
in Stafford, VA, where I practice with my wife, Martha, and focus on civil litigation, estate planning, and business law.”
1995
Josh Person writes: “I’m taking part in my 15th Pan Mass Challenge in August. I’ll bike 192 miles from Sturbridge, MA, to Provincetown, MA, to raise money for pediatric cancer research. I’d love your support. Here is more information: http://profile.pmc.org/JP0180.”
1996
Natalie Bradley Clarke ninabclarke@gmail.com
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Jamie Sydney writes: “Happily living in Rowayton, CT, with two great kids. I’m working as a chef for Tommy Hilfiger full time and having fun appearing on some TV cooking segments for a Connecticut TV channel. Working on a cookbook and hoping to someday create my own cooking show!”
1991
1992 Abram W. Duryee III bduryee@hotmail.com
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Takashi Yoshida writes: “I’m currently living in Quito, Ecuador. I began studying tourism at Universidad de Las Américas. Come visit Ecuador, and I’ll be glad to guide you!”
1993 Hilary Ivey Mueller hmueller@berkshireschool.org Tenley E. Reed tenley@mac.com
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Levi Norton writes: “After 24 years with Conservation International in Washington, D.C., I’ve joined the law firm of Goodall, Pelt, Carper & Norton
Julie A. Lemire juleslemire@gmail.com Katherine King Mahan katiecking@yahoo.com Dylan B. Mattes dylan.mattes.nyc@gmail.com
1997 ______________________________
Natalie Dillon natdillon@gmail.com
John K. Fretz jfretz@bmedtech.com
Bradley P. Hunt colgate1399@gmail.com
Dave Pyle ’60 and Nick Judson ’93 ran into each other in Antigua over winter break.
1994
25 th
Erin Yoffe Halper writes: “I recently launched The Upside, which matches businesses with diverse, best-in-class, flexible, scalable, and on-demand talent. My company aims to help highachieving professionals gain flexibility and independence in their careers, while also helping businesses acquire top consultants, independent contractors, and freelancers that can flex and scale with their evolving needs. Kate Gable Bright launched The Upside’s West Coast operations in early 2018. Together, Kate and I are on a mission to change the way working works in corporate America, especially for exceptional corporate women. Come visit us at www.
Francis A. Blair francis.blair@gmail.com
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Emily Ivey Williams writes: “When life gives you lice, find a solution: Boo & Butters Supply Company: Lice Prevention Spray is on supermarket shelves thanks to my girls! My little ladies, Laura Ann, five, and Abigail, four (Irish twins), keep me busy when I’m not slinging bottles of liquid gold. If you find yourself living with lice, go to www.booandbutterssupplycompany. com. Looking forward to seeing some classmates at our 25th (gag) reunion next year.”
Erin Yoffe Halper ’97 and Kate Gable Bright ’97 Summer 2018
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trip to Hawaii, I reconnected with Ms. Sarah Bakhiet ’83, who is now head of school at Seabury Hall on the island of Maui. She sends her love to everyone and reminded me that the Class of 1999 was (one of) her favorites!”
BeTheUpside.com or reach out to erin. halper@betheupside.com.”
1998 Malinda L. Lareau mlaurenlareau@gmail.com
2000
Lauren A. Levin lauren98@aol.com
Brooke Beebe Noble brookebeebe@gmail.com
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Traci Hinden writes: “Just celebrated my own firm’s Civil Rights Employment Practice of being 10 years in business! Last year was our best year, helping employees recover from wage theft and discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace. Going strong with my beau, Paul Carey—into our seventh year now.” Lauren Lareau writes: “My son and I moved from South Florida to Pennsylvania in 2011 so that I could earn my master’s degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania. I graduated in the spring of 2012 and have been running a successful tutoring business since then. After the election in 2016, I got involved with my local Democratic Party and joined my township’s Environmental Advisory Council. This past January, the chair of my local Democratic Party asked if I was interested in running for State House Representative. I had to collect 300 signatures in three weeks, and it snowed every weekend! But I persisted and was able to file about 500 signatures
Lauren Lareau ’98 for State House Representative in Pennsylvania HD 142 94
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2001 Whit Watts ’98 and Frank Zoch ’98 had a great time on the slopes and catching up during a ski trip to Steamboat Springs, CO.
with the Department of State to get my name on the ballot for November 2018. I never imagined myself a politician, but I am so excited to be one of the more than 500 women running for office this year.”
1999
20 th
Shannon M. Flynn flynnshannonm@gmail.com Peter A. Kearney, Jr. pkearneyjr@gmail.com Philip A. Sandick phil.sandick@gmail.com
2002 Jaclyn Brander Marshall jbrander@gmail.com
Michael D. Gutenplan michaelgutenplan@aol.com
Matthew P. Sposito matthew.sposito@gmail.com
George S. Scoville III gscovillempp@gmail.com
Jaclyn Brander Marshall writes: “My family and I moved to Memphis, TN, in July. We’ve been enjoying southern living!”
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Michael Gutenplan writes: “Hello everyone! It’s just one more year until our 20th reunion. Crazy! On a recent
Former faculty member Sarah Bakheit ’83 with Michael Gutenplan ’99 at Seabury Hall on the island of Maui, HI
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Jaclyn Brander Marshall ’02 with husband Steve, daughter, Lily, and son, Joel
Class Notes
Births & Adoptions 2000
Elizabeth Scoville writes: “l graduated from Lipscomb University in December 2017 with a master of science in clinical mental health counseling and a specialization in play therapy. In addition to working toward my license, I’m working as an intensive in-home therapist with kids and adolescents, and I’m also working with a family program therapist at a residential addiction treatment center outside Nashville, TN.”
2003 Jane Walker Blake janewblake@gmail.com Robert Morgan Ralph robertmralph@gmail.com
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Brooke Beebe Noble ’00 writes: “My husband, Troy, and I welcomed a baby boy on February 18. Weighing in at 8.2 pounds and 20.75 inches long, Brock Glade Noble joins our just-about-to-turn-two twin girls, Callie and Taylor, making it a crazy family of five! We are overjoyed and feel so blessed.”
2006
Hilary Day Calton writes: “Hello from Colorado! My daughter, Brooke (now 10 years old), is stepping up her hard work completing fourth grade and staying busy in competitive soccer. Liam is quickly approaching two years old and has booked a few local baby modeling jobs. I love being a stay-athome mom but will be continuing with my cosmetology work very soon. My husband, Bill, is still a vice president with Comcast. We love getting to tag along on work trips when possible and experience new cities around the country. Hope all is well with everyone!”
Jacqui Cloud Easton ’06 and her husband, Collin Easton, welcomed their daughter, Madison Elizabeth, on August 28, 2017. Charlie Smith ’06 writes: “My wife, Cath, and I welcomed our second child, Ansel, in October. He joins sister, Mariposa, who just turned three years old. I am in my fourth year teaching art at New Hampton School, where I also coach varsity soccer and run the Outing Club. We are loving life up in New Hampshire.”
Liam, son of Hilary Day Calton ’03, modeling for a local clothing company based in Boulder, CO
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Class Notes
Nick Shackford ’03 with fiancée, Ruth Ann Shal
Nick Shackford writes: “I have started a company with Kraig Strong ’04 called 85 Sports Management, LLC. It is a hockey advising company as well as a hockey agency headquartered in downtown Columbus, OH.”
2004
15 th
William C. Stern wcstern1@gmail.com Kraig D. Strong kskraigstrong@gmail.com
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Nick Uhorchak writes: “I recently changed jobs in the Army, moving from Infantry Branch to Operations Research/ Systems Analysis Branch. The move afforded me the opportunity to attend graduate school, funded by the Army, and I graduated from the Air Force Institute of Technology with a master’s in operations research in March. My wife, two daughters, one son, and I are looking forward to my next assignment in Tampa, FL, as a data scientist/OR analyst.”
Connect with Berkshire
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Jon Krakower ’06, Adam Szczepanski ’06, and Parker McKee ’06 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, FL
2005
2007
Matthew G. Crowson, M.D. matthew.g.crowson@gmail.com
Casey A. Larkins casey.larkins@gmail.com Allison A. Letourneau letourneau.allison@gmail.com
2006 Courtney J. Kollmer courtney.kollmer@gmail.com Stephen W. Piatelli steve.piatelli@gmail.com
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Jeremy Yuto Nakamura writes: “Hello to everyone. For updates, please visit my website, www.yuto.nyc.”
Adam Szczepanski writes: “Prior to getting married on March 10, 2018, I was joined by fellow Berkshire alumni Parker McKee and Jon Krakower at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, FL, sharing a few ‘war stories’ from our time under the Mountain, along with a few rounds of golf and some beverages.” Jeff Wexler writes: “I just moved to San Francisco to run the Global Climate Action Summit hosted by Governor Jerry Brown and Michael Bloomberg in September. Looking forward to folks visiting the Bay Area.”
Ben Arikian ’07 graduated from the New York State Police Academy on January 31, 2018.
Class Notes
Engagements & Weddings Jon Krakower ’06, faculty member Andrea Bowler, Parker McKee ’06, faculty member Kevan Bowler, and Adam Szczepanski ’06 at Parker McKee ’06’s wedding in September in Easton, MD
2006 2001 Aaron Simon ’01 and Brittany Grinstead were married on May 6, 2017, in Key Largo, FL.
2006
Caitlyn Hettinger ’01 writes: “Christopher ’Kip’ McNeill and I announced our engagement on June 27, 2017, on Roman ruins next to the Adriatic Sea. We married in Puglia, Italy, on June 23, 2018.”
2003
Molly Martinecz Lipkvich ’06 writes: “I married Bradley Victor Lipkvich, former Avon Old Farms Winged Beaver, Class of ’06, on August 20, 2017. We celebrated in front of family, Berkshire alumni (including my bridesmaid and former roommate, Brooke Neuman ’07, and brother, George Martinecz ’09), and friends in Newport, RI.”
2009
2008 Kayla Arsenie Fitzgerald ’08 writes: “Garrett and I were married in Palmetto Bluff, SC, on September 30, 2017. We had such an amazing weekend, and I was so happy to have my fellow Berkshire classmate Samuel Shapiro ’08 with me as a bridesman!”
2010
Nick Vernon ’03 and Monica Laguna Vernon were married on October 28, 2017, in Huntsville, UT. He writes: “After five years together and four years in the Army, Monica and I tied the knot surrounded by friends and family. I was proud to have fellow Berkshire alumnus Frank Jewell ’03 serve as a groomsman. My wife and I currently live outside Boise, ID, serving our community as medical providers.”
Michael Von Trachtenberg ’09 and fiancée, Lisseth Cuevas, visited Pacific Grove, CA, in August before they married on May 11, 2018.
Ali Ziefer Tilton ’10 married her best friend, Joshua Tilton, on March 18, 2018, in Aventura, FL. Summer 2018
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2008
2010
Christopher J. Buonomo cjbuonomo@gmail.com
Charles B. H. Brey cbrey11@gmail.com
Erica Ginsberg Murphy eginzie@gmail.com
Alexandra B. Colbert abcolber@gmail.com
Abigail I. Tufts abigail.tufts@gmail.com
William R. Hearty wrhearty@gmail.com
Zander Buteux writes: “After two years at Zillow Group, in my first stint in San Francisco, and after four years in the Oregon mountains, I’ve taken a new opportunity to build out a search department for Art.com. I balance my work days with early morning sunrise photography expeditions.”
Christopher B. Landry landrycb@gmail.com
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Steph Miller writes: “On March 23, I signed a one-year contract to play arena football for the Nashville Knights, Nashville’s first women’s professional sports team and the newest franchise of the Legends Football League.”
2009
10 th
Gregory T. Piatelli gpiatelli@gmail.com Molly L. Ryan mollyryan1024@yahoo.com Kelly J. Wallace kellyjwallace5@gmail.com
Kelsey A. Markiewicz kelsey.markiewicz@gmail.com Shannon E. Nelson senelson913@gmail.com Tyler J. Reighley tyler.reighley@ge.com
2012
Molly Lazio writes: “I am a staff member of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee and work on issues involving the U.S./European relationship and related policy issues.”
Juliet E. Shatkin jes714@nyu.edu
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2011 Kristy M. Barnes kristy.m.barnes@gmail.com Arthur Copstein arthur.copstein@gmail.com
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Support Berkshire’s Annual Fund! Every gift supports a Berkshire experience.
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Katie Kernodle writes: “I graduated from the University of Arizona in May 2017 with a master’s in international security studies and will be applying for political science Ph.D. programs in the fall.”
Travis Yuan Shen shenyuan1991@gmail.com
John C. Krueger jckrueger19@gmail.com
GIVE TODAY!
After training with Carriage House Birth, Allie Blanchard ’11 is an active birth doula with Baby Caravan in New York City.
Teddy Benfield writes: “I live in Boston and completed my graduate degree from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts.” Allie Blanchard writes: “For the last year or so, I have been training as a birth doula in New York City. I attended my first birth this spring and can’t wait to dive into birth work fully. I plan to continue learning and expanding my practice to postpartum work in the next year or so. If anyone is looking for support or resources while expanding their family, don’t hesitate to reach out!”
Samuel C. Maher samuelcmaher@gmail.com
2013 Wesley J. Lickus wlickus@icloud.com Harriet F. Waldron hwaldron@fandm.edu
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Thomas Benfield writes: “I graduated from The New School in Manhattan, NY, in December 2017.”
2014
5 th
Jacob A. Grant jkgrnt12@gmail.com Emily M. Hubbard emilymhubbard1@gmail.com Samuel G. Perkins samgperkins@gmail.com
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George Fowlkes writes: “On February 8, 2018, I competed in The Big Idea Competition at Colorado College and came in second place, netting $15,000 in
Class Notes
garlic sauce. I am planning on moving to Ventura, CA, with my business partner, Alex Harros, with hopes of getting Raw Sauce on the shelves of a natural foods market near you.”
2015 Jeffrey A. Erazo erazo.jeffrey@gmail.com Chelsea A. Leeds chelsea1101@gmail.com
______________________________ Teammates Alex Harros and George Fowlkes ’14 of Raw Sauce pose with their prize money after placing second in the 2018 Big Idea Competition.
prize money. The Big Idea Competition is a startup pitch competition that gives students the ability to bring a business venture to life. The company I pitched is called Raw Sauce and is a fermented foods company that strives to change the narrative of agriculture in America, all the while providing delicious and nutritious products. Our premier product is a fermented, chili-
Krissy Govertsen writes: “After graduating from Clarkson University with a degree in civil engineering in May, I will be returning to Massachusetts to pursue a master of science in sustainable building systems and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. at Northeastern University in Boston. I am forever grateful to Berkshire School for exposing me to green building design. The Bellas/Dixon Math and Science Center was more than just a classroom and lab space to me. It inspired me to pursue multiple degrees in order to change the planet one sustainable building at a time. I am a firm believer that the lessons I
Bauer Gammill, younger brother of Barclay ’16, Brooks ’19, and Briggs ’20, was presented with a Berkshire School hockey jersey for being one of the team’s most ardent fans.
learned under the Mountain are not just for school, but for life!” Chelsea Leeds writes: “Classmate Reilly Kennedy is spending a semester abroad in beautiful Sydney, Australia. She’s already made stops in Bali, Vietnam, and India. Next up are Fiji and New Zealand. She got an amazing summer internship in New York City at W Magazine.”
2016
Peter D. Bahr peterbahr97@gmail.com Natalie C. Harrington natalieharrington17@gmail.com Lane W. Mayher lanemayher@gmail.com Karin M. Vantine miavantine97@gmail.com Anne M. E. van ’t Wout annemijnvtwout@hotmail.com
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Sophia Peluso writes: “I recently won the 2017 NESCAC Field Hockey Championship and NCAA National Championship with the Middlebury College field hockey team.”
Sophia Peluso ’16 with the NCAA National Field Hockey Championship trophy
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2017 Andrea L. Cass andrealaurencass@gmail.com Margaret P. Curran maggiecurran99@gmail.com Benjamin W. Dixon benwdixon@mac.com Juliana L. Kokot julielkokot@gmail.com
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Greer Gibney writes: “I got a position this summer as a research and archives intern at the Richard Avedon Foundation in my hometown of New York City. Really looking forward to a new experience in learning about archiving photographs!” Julie Kokot writes: “Berkshire introduced me to The Island School in the Bahamas during Pro Vita of my sophomore year. I spent a wonderful week there learning about their curriculum and sustainability projects, and I am so excited to be returning as an intern this summer. I will be working in the Early Learning Center and teaching Bahamian children about the ocean and environmentalism through place-based learning. Thank you so much Berkshire!”
2018 Charlotte B. Childs chil18@stlawu.edu Isabelle W. Maher isabellemaher@gmail.com Mohamed S. Omar moeagles11@gmail.com
To volunteer to be a class agent or nominate a classmate, please contact the Office of Advancement at advancement@berkshireschool.org or call 413-229-1907.
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Former Faculty Bart Elsbach writes: “The Fairgrounds project in Great Barrington, MA, is still pushing along and once again we look forward to welcoming Berkshire students and teams on site for great community service work. During the summer season, we will have more events, concerts, community gardens, volunteer days, etc., and you are all always welcome. Visit us at www.gbfg.org.” Sons of Em Putnam, former faculty from 1953 to 1986, Scott ’74 and Brett ’81, visited campus last fall
The Arthur C. Chase Endowed Chair in English and the Berkshire Bear Tribute Sculpture Alumni and friends are joining together in tribute to legendary faculty member Art Chase, the original Berkshire Bear. To watch a video of the recent groundbreaking and find out how you can participate, visit berkshireschool.org/support/chase.
In Memoriam
In Memoriam The Berkshire School community extends its sincere condolences to the families of the following alumni and friends of the School. To send obituaries or remembrances of classmates or family members, please email bulletin@berkshireschool.org. To view the obituaries for those listed below, please go to www.berkshireschool.org/inmemoriam.
Faculty 1986–2005 Ronn J. Cabaniol April 11, 2018 1969–2006 Allan H. Bredenfoerder April 24, 2018 1943 Robert S. Riche February 26, 2018 Peter S. Finlay March 24, 2018
1945 Allan E. Plimpton January 24, 2018
1973 H. Webster Walker III May 21, 2018
1949 Lewis H. Withey April 12, 2018
1980 Christopher M. McCulloch March 13, 2018
Roald M. Schopp April 22, 2018
James J. DeLuca June 4, 2018
1958 Charles B. Catlin February 20, 2018
1984 Peter M. Uhlein March 29, 2018
A note to our readers: The list of names for the In Memoriam section is reported from January 1 through June 10, 2018. If we have missed a name, please accept our apologies and email us at bulletin@berkshireschool.org. All faculty and alumni above were honored at the Service of Remembrance on June 10, 2018, during Reunion Weekend.
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In Memoriam
A Standing Ovation for Allan Bredenfoerder
Photo from the Berkshire School Archives
“Al epitomized humility.” Former faculty member Rick Bellas shared these words about Allan Bredenfoerder during Berkshire School’s Reunion Weekend Service of Remembrance on June 10, 2018, and the sentiment was echoed in additional tributes about him throughout the service. Known to many as “Al,” Bredenfoerder was a revered teacher who served Berkshire School for 37 years, from 1969 to 2006. In roles including math department chair, dorm parent, coach, head of the Maple Syrup Corporation, and Ritt Kellogg Mountain Program instructor, Bredenfoerder made a difference in the lives of countless students over more than three decades under the Mountain. Head of School Pieter Mulder recalled, “It was my great honor to have Al as my department chair and to teach
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“He was a true master teacher dedicated to his craft and to shaping the experiences for his students.” alongside him during my first year at Berkshire. He was a true master teacher dedicated to his craft and to shaping the experiences of his students.” Awarding Bredenfoerder the Seaver Buck Faculty Award in 2002, thenAssistant Head of School Phil Jarvis shared, “Al is an excellent instructor who treats all his students with grace and humility. He is always there for the kids, and he has the equanimity and patience of a saint.” When named Berkshire’s senior
master in 2005, Bredenfoerder received a standing ovation from his peers. Jerry Weil ’73 shared how “‘Big Al’ was such an ironic nickname, as Al was the opposite of loud and attention seeking. He exuded selflessness, devotion, wisdom, levelheadedness, and doing what needed to be done all with good humor. No one was more devoted to his students or thirds tennis players.” This devotion came through vividly in an image Jerry recalled of Al kneeling on the tennis court with a hammer, diligently nailing down tape on the court for his team. At Bredenfoerder’s memorial service, those gathered listened to a reading of Marge Piercy’s “To Be of Use.” The poem speaks of those, “who do what has to be done, again and again.” It continues, “The work of the world is common as mud./Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust./But the thing worth doing well done/has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.” Nowhere is Bredenfoerder’s work more evident than in the replica he helped build of Henry David Thoreau’s cabin, which still stands on the Mountain. Former fellow faculty member Hilary Russell described how, “Like Thoreau we used 6” x 6” pine posts, plates and sills, which we mortised, tenoned, and pegged together—a process that math teacher Al Bredenfoerder and I had begun to learn that summer at the Heartwood School in Becket, Massachusetts.” This willingness to work tirelessly, with a healthy mix of joy and determination, characterized Bredenfoerder through and through. Bredenfoerder is survived by his wife, Lin, who led Student Health Services at Berkshire; his son, Mark Bredenfoerder ’87; and his daughter, Karen Bredenfoerder Blogett ’89.
In Memoriam
A Farewell to “Cabs” Remembering Ronn Cabaniol
As a teacher, coach, and “accomplished novelist, dazzling pen-and-ink illustrator, and prolific poet” as cited in his obituary, Ronn Cabaniol was unforgettable.
Photo from the Berkshire School Archives
Ronn Cabaniol brought a signature combination of charisma, passion, and artistry to every one of life’s pursuits. Known by former students simply as “Cabs,” he served as an engaging, talented, and deeply respected English teacher, coach, and form dean for 19 years at Berkshire from 1986 to 2005. Former faculty member Linda Bellizzi recalled the bespectacled, bow-tiewearing Cabaniol as a “great showman.” She recounted his memorable recitation of E.E. Cummings’ “Buffalo Bill” “as a tobacco-spitting, grizzled cowboy,” sharing how she has “never be able to read the poem without seeing Ronn’s cheek puffed out with a fake chaw of tobacco and his explosive (also fake)
pistol-draw as he barked that Bill could ‘break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat.’” Fellow faculty members also recalled Cabaniol’s gift for leading students to discuss essential questions inspired by the literature they were reading. He encouraged his students to “go with the flow, make changes, and take risks”—advice that has stayed with the many whom he mentored over his long career. It came as no surprise in 1991 when Cabaniol received Berkshire’s Seaver Buck Faculty Award, given in recognition of “teaching excellence and a willingness to assist each student to achieve his or her highest potential.” Cabaniol’s extraordinary ability
to inspire students extended to the fields and track as well. Coaching 19 seasons of fourths soccer with only one losing season, he urged his players on to victory by declaring, “May the ‘fourths’ be with you!” In track and field, Cabaniol led Berkshire’s athletes to set six New England Prep records and finish seven seasons undefeated. Jaime Leddy Graham ’94 recalled how “Cabs was one of the most important people in my life during my four years at Berkshire. My time on the track with him will never be forgotten.” As a teacher, coach, and “accomplished novelist, dazzling penand-ink illustrator, and prolific poet” as cited in his obituary, Cabaniol was unforgettable. He is survived by his wife, Sue, and their three children, Darrell Cabaniol, Aleisha Cabaniol Gibbons ’97, and Chad Cabaniol ’01. Summer 2018
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Why I Give Coming from a public school in Chicago, past Board of Trustee Walt Rose ’65 arrived under the Mountain as a junior in the fall of 1963. On campus, he found a welcoming, close-knit community that changed his life for the better. Here’s what he had to say about making a planned gift to Berkshire:
Why give back? “I want to honor the memory of my best friend and classmate at Berkshire and Yale, P.L. Anderson ’65. My hope is that future P.L. Anderson Scholarship recipients can enjoy the same opportunities for growth and have the advantages in life that I’ve had thanks to Berkshire.” How has Berkshire shaped the person you’ve become? “For me, Berkshire was true to its motto of ‘learning—not just for school but for life.’ Under the Mountain, I gained a love of the outdoors. I had opportunities to play sports and try my hand at acting, landing two lead roles. I learned to write, becoming managing editor of The Green and Gray. I learned responsibility, serving as head proctor to my peers. I formed lasting relationships with faculty like Tom Chaffee and Frank Stevens.” What would you say to someone considering a planned gift? “Circumstances change. By making a planned gift, you support the institution you value and yet you maintain the flexibility of being able to adapt to your own situation.”
GIVING BACK IN A WAY THAT WORKS FOR YOU Through estate planning, you can achieve your philanthropic and financial goals while making a difference for Berkshire’s students. You may be surprised to learn of the flexibility that comes with a planned gift, including options that: • • • •
Make an impact during your lifetime and beyond Offer immediate and future tax solutions Protect your assets for your loved ones Provide an income stream for life
To find out how a planned gift can benefit you, your family, and Berkshire—and for real-life examples and up-to-date tax information—visit berkshireschool. planningyourlegacy.org. We look forward to helping you determine the gift that’s right for you. To begin the conversation, contact Director of Advancement Andrew Bogardus at 413-229-1237 or abogardus@berkshireschool.org.
BECOME A PART OF BERKSHIRE’S STORY We invite you to join legendary Berkshire Headmaster John F. Godman (1951–1970) and more than 160 others who’ve followed his lead by making a planned gift to Berkshire.
Learn more about the John F. Godman Society at berkshireschool.planningyourlegacy.org.
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Berkshire Bulletin
From the Archives
In the fall of 1977, Berkshire won the New England Class B Cross Country Championship. The varsity team finished with an 11–1 record, losing only to Canterbury while beating opponents such as Taft, Hotchkiss, and Williston. Late and former Coach Myers presented the Most Improved Runner Trophy to sophomore Mike Magistrali ‘80 and the Cross Country Cup for Most Valuable Performer to his entire team.
The Return of “Cardiac Hill” By Britt Plante, Girls Cross Country Coach
On Nov. 11, Berkshire hosted the Division II Cross Country New England Championships, an event that saw the return of the infamous “Cardiac Hill.” Runners from 19 teams, including several Bears, competed in the 3.1-mile race on a sunny but chilly fall day in Sheffield. When longtime Coach C. Twiggs Myers Hon ’57 founded Berkshire’s cross country team in 1966, he trained his athletes hard on this screamer of a hill nestled behind the tennis courts, which clearly paid off. He racked up 200 victories in his career. Six years ago, the course was moved from the main campus across Route 41 to East Campus, to provide a safer Access the archive at: BerkshireSchoolArchives.org
environment for runners. Among the eight-acre solar field course athletes needn’t worry about traffic, running on pavement, or the dangers of soccer balls getting in the way of their footing. The three-loop course on East Campus also allowed coaches and spectators to glimpse runners at least four times over the entirety of the race. But when NEPSTA selected Berkshire to host the 2017 Championships, it quickly became apparent that the course should be moved back to the main campus, where former runners thrived under the leadership of Myers and his successor, Bill Gulotta.
Runners graced the heart of campus once more when Berkshire hosted the Division II New England Cross Country Championship last fall.
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For Parents of Alumni: If this magazine is addressed to a son or daughter who no longer lives at home, kindly call us with the correct address: 413-229-1225
This magazine was made with reusable energy, using soy-based inks printed on recycled stock.
Join the Berkshire community for the
2018 All-School
REAd “Because survival is insufficient.” Part gripping, post-apocalyptic page-turner, part elegy for a lost civilization, The New York Times bestseller and National Book Award finalist implores readers to consider the fleeting beauty of life as we know it and ask themselves, “What would I miss?” This and many other questions will linger long after the last page is turned. Learn more about the book with our ASR Reading Guide: library.berkshireschool.org/ASR2018
Kick-off Event: 9.17.18 A Q&A with author Emily St. John Mandel Streamed LIVE Photo by Sarah Shatz