BULLETIN
Summer 2019
THE SK Y ’ S THE LIMIT
ALUMNAE THROUGH THE DECADES
Senior Selfies Alex Barnosky ‘19 turns the camera on the viewer for his self-portrait, which was featured in this year’s Senior Selfies: SelfPortraits by the Class of 2019 exhibit at The Warren Family Gallery.
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SUMMER 2019 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 P’22 HEAD OF SCHOOL
Andrew Bogardus P’23 DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT
Carol Visnapuu DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
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Bulletin Editor: Megan Tady FREELANCE EDITOR
On the Cover: Jillian Hooper Joseph ’97, who is the Managing Director and Associate General Counsel at Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), on the balcony of TIAA’s office building in Manhattan. Photo by Chattman Photography
Features
Departments
22 The Sky’s the Limit Berkshire alumnae excelling in their fields
2 Seen Around
50 Unfinished Business Two Bears compete in the NHL
50 Bears at Play
64 Commencement
4 Campus News 88 Class Notes 102 In Memoriam 105 From the Archives
70 Reunion 2019 80 Chasing “The Bear” A tribute to a Berkshire legend 84
Raising the Bar Bruce Benson ’57, University of Colorado’s longest-serving president in 65 years
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.
Class Notes Editor: Jen Nichols ‘87, P’19 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS
Class Notes Coordinator: Sue Delmolino Ives P’15 Design: Hammill Design Printing: Quality Printing Company Principal Photography: Berkshire School Archives, 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 students, faculty, and staff say farewell to science teacher Peter Kinne P’08, recognizing him for his remarkable 39-year teaching career at Berkshire. 2. S tudents from Stanley dormitory light up the ice with their electronic dance music at Winter Carnival. 3. F or a second year in a row, the Aviation Science class had a 100% pass rate on the FAA Knowledge Test for Private Pilot. 4. Bears soaking up the spring sunshine in Buck Valley 5. F aculty member Britt Plante and Matthew Fisher ’21 join the epic climb on One Day for Berkshire. The fourth-annual event raised a record 1,770 gifts for the Annual Fund. 6. A scene from Berkshire’s theater production of Disney’s “High School Musical”
To view the tribute to Mr. Kinne or submit your own memories about him, go to berkshireschool.org/peterkinne.
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REBUILDING HISTORY The Rededication of Chevalier Senior Lodge by Hannah Van Sickle
The Berkshire community, the Board of Trustees, and friends of the School gathered under the Mountain on September 28, 2018, for the rededication of the Chevalier Senior Lodge named in memory of Stephanie Y. Chevalier ’77.
The Chevalier Senior Lodge, formerly known as the “faculty shack” or “Coffee House,” was rebuilt in the summer of 2018, in its exact location, after the 90-year-old structure deteriorated beyond simple repair. “Thanks to generous contributions by Trustees Emeriti Peter Kellogg ’61 and Hugh Knowlton (Stephanie’s father) and other gifts, the Lodge has been restored to its former glory with an eye toward its original elements,” said Head of School Pieter Mulder in his remarks at the rededication. The space continues to honor “a living 1 According to a Fall 1978 Berkshire Newsletter
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memorial suitable to the fun-loving, giving spirit that is the Stephanie [so many] remember.”1 The structure was first dedicated to Stephanie in October 1978 after she was killed in a tragic automobile accident shortly after her graduation from Berkshire. The School took meticulous efforts to replicate the original structure from the 1930s. In Mulder’s remarks, he cited the “faithful efforts” of Director of Facilities Management Tim Fulco ’78 as instrumental in returning the spirit of the structure to its rightful place on campus. Fulco, who spearheaded the construction project, points to the
In memory of Stephanie Chevalier ’77, the 1978 senior class launched a fund drive to convert the Coffee House to a Senior Lodge. The funds were used to refurbish the interior, rebuild the chimney, and fix the wall paneling.
Campus News
The Chevalier Senior Lodge serves as a tech-free, place-based classroom to support the School’s environmental science and sustainability courses.
community’s shared vision: “The goal for this replica was to utilize natural materials such as wood, stone, and steel in an effort to replicate the materials available at the time of its original construction.” In a fitting tribute to the School’s history, the restoration hinged on historical details, as Fulco and his team gleaned vintage lighting fixtures from the hallways and dining room of Memorial Hall; refurbished the wood stove and returned it to its place of prominence on the hearth; and tracked down the manufacturer of the original siding, all in an effort to retain the authentic aesthetic. While the Lodge has been updated, it still bears tributes to Stephanie, including a commemorative plaque inscribed with a quote from Stephanie’s classmate, Dr. Amy Waldo Allen ’77: “Stephanie showed us that it is not the length of one’s life that is important but the quality of it.” Also on display is a framed tribute to Stephanie and an 1884 “crazy quilt” donated by Monique Knowlton (Stephanie’s mother). During the rededication, Allen recalled her friend as “refreshingly different,” noting that Stephanie was “sophisticated beyond her years.” She drew attention to Stephanie’s greatest attribute, calling her “a good and beautiful and unforgettable friend that
From left: Board of Trustees Chair Chip Perkins ’73, P’14,’14, Emily Hunsicker P’11, Dr. Amy Waldo Allen ’77, Trustee David Rondeau ’78, and Head of School Pieter Mulder P’22
[she feels] blessed to have known.” Over the decades, the Lodge has served a variety of purposes for our community. Thanks to research undertaken by former Berkshire English teacher and Department Chair Hilary Russell, we have learned that the Lodge has been: a place for students to congregate after athletic contests and before dinner; a meeting place for members of The Green and Gray and the Trail Squad; a home to the Watch programs, with activities that included hiking, studying nature, maintaining trails, and drying and mounting wildflowers and leaves; and, a location for students to design and build rustic chairs and tables in a winter furniture-building course. Most recently, the Lodge housed the Boat Building Program, where students practiced primarily skin-on-frame construction to build double paddle canoes, kayaks, umiaks, sculls, surfboards, paddle boards, and even a skateboard. Today, the Chevalier Senior Lodge serves as a tech-free, place-based classroom to support the School’s environmental science and sustainability courses. “Teaching and learning out of Chevalier has been a dream,” shares Cait Ward ’08, who teaches Advanced Environmental Science Research—a new yearlong course designed for students who are interested in applying their environmental science knowledge through
Stephanie Y. Chevalier ’77, for whom the Chevalier Senior Lodge is named
a local exploration of Berkshire’s 400 acres of land. The space also supports Berkshire’s strategic priorities, which aim to embed in the curriculum “place-based educational experiences that utilize the Mountain and our unique setting.” And while the Chevalier Senior Lodge honors history—both the School’s and Stephanie’s—it ushers in a new wave of students and an innovative approach to teaching science, all in keeping with what student Board of Directors President Gib Amber ’78 said of Stephanie in a 1978 article by David Rondeau ’78 in The Green and Gray: “This lodge will help to perpetuate a feeling of sharing and companionship in a community atmosphere that Stephanie did so much to foster during her Berkshire days.” To read more about the new Advanced Environmental Science Research course, see page 6. Summer 2019
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DIGGING FOR ANSWERS Students explore real-world ecological issues in the new Advanced Environmental Science Research class. by Hannah Van Sickle
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Senior Lodge. Students chose a research project—in Reed’s case, the salamanders—and pursued answers to real-world ecological issues. “It was a bit daunting at first,” Reed says of her endeavor to track the species’ population density in its rural habitat. Despite the Jefferson salamanders living in close proximity to healthy vernal pools behind East Campus, she feared the community knew little about the species. This, coupled with the fact that salamanders are unpredictable, quickly gave shape to Reed’s research. “I became interested in the ways in which our school community affects the species near us, and I learned so much this year.” At the helm of AESR is teacher Cait Ward ’08, who says the curriculum allows students to apply knowledge they gained in AP Environmental Science to potentially advance science
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Sophie Reed ’19 studying endangered Jefferson salamanders here in Sheffield
The Jefferson salamander has a lot on its small shoulders: it regulates the food chain to ensure a vibrant ecosystem. If the population of Jefferson salamanders is faltering, the environment might be, too. Sophie Reed ’19 wondered: How were the Jefferson salamanders that lived 6
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at the base of the Mountain faring? She decided to investigate further. Reed was one of 18 students enrolled in Berkshire’s new yearlong Advanced Environmental Science Research (AESR) course, housed in a tech-free classroom in the rededicated Chevalier
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Jefferson salamander is a mole salamander that spends larger amounts of time underground than other breeds. They can be seen above ground during the mating season, which takes places in early spring.
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AESR teacher Cait Ward ’08 works with Jeff McKee ’19 and Kat Erazo ’19 in the Chevalier Senior Lodge.
or implement sustainability measures as they uncover answers to their questions. For example, Reed is in the process of lobbying the state of Massachusetts to legally protect the vernal pools on campus, where the salamanders breed year after year. Ward also credited the Chevalier Senior Lodge, which is nestled in a grove of pine trees on campus, for evoking a sustainability mindset. “Teaching and learning out of Chevalier this fall has been a dream,” Ward wrote in a letter commemorating the building’s rededication. “Walking through the pines [to class] has quickly become the highlight of my day, as the journey through the forest immediately sets the stage for conversations around environmental stewardship, ecological sustainability, and technology.” Science Department Chair Dr. April Burch shares Ward’s enthusiasm for
AESR, calling it “a class that will support advanced research opportunities for students who are passionate about ecology, environmental stewardship, and social justice issues related to environmental science.” Burch continues: “It has been so exciting to see Cait bring her vision for high-level environmental research to life with this new offering. She has created a truly unique educational experience for students, one that I’m sure they will hold fondly.” Ward is specifically encouraging her students to focus their research on topics related to the Mountain, which aligns with the School’s strategic priority to “incorporate the Mountain more fluidly into our classes.” AESR, Ward says, has provided tangible access to the Mountain in both a physical and a spiritual sense, and many students have begun to “build familiarity with the physical space and
recognize the importance of these surroundings to their research.” Carter Allen ’19’s interest in climate change inspired him to enroll in the class and learn more about protecting the local ecosystem. In his pursuit, he asked: What factors make the ecosystems surrounding Berkshire School unique? Allen made clear his dual intent: “To bring more awareness to the Mountain and hopefully inspire people to spend more time on it.” Allen enjoyed both the challenge and the independence of the class. “Not only do we get to completely choose what we are going to study, but we choose our progression and our guidelines; it’s been very rewarding,” he says. And then there is the teacher: “If you are eager and wanting to learn, Ms. Ward will do everything to help you succeed,” says Annabel Pirkle ’19, who studied the effects of climate change on sugar maple trees. Her classmates describe Ward as equally passionate about the environment and their own success. Most importantly, Ward wants her students to develop a personal accountability to the environment. “We talk a lot about what it means to be a responsible human, one who is rooted in obligation to caring for their surroundings,” she says. This then provides a foundation for what Ward calls “diving in to environmental issues and policy in a different way—one that connects to students’ other classes” and creates a firm connection to the very environment in which they both live and learn. To read students’ AESR Independent Projects, go to http://bit.ly/AESRprojects.
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WRITE WHENEVER AND WHEREVER In September, the Berkshire community welcomed Emily St. John Mandel, author of four novels, including most recently, this year’s All-School Read (ASR) selection, “Station Eleven.” The ASR keynote event began at allschool meeting where two members of the sixth form, Maddie Devost ’19 and Harley Frechette ’19, interviewed Mandel on stage. Before the interview, students, faculty, and staff entered Allen Theater to the sounds of Beethoven’s
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Ninth Symphony, in honor of “Station Eleven’s” fictional Traveling Symphony, which performs works by Beethoven and Shakespeare after a flu pandemic wipes out 99% of the Earth’s population. The notion that the arts would sustain civilization in a postapocalyptic world is a central theme in the book. Mandel explained that the fictional symphony’s motto, “Survival is insufficient,” is a phrase she borrowed from a Star Trek: Voyager episode. When asked about its significance, Mandel explained: “[It’s] a very elegant expression of something I believe to be true: Survival is never enough for us, which is why we have things like books and sports and music that go beyond the basics of food, water, and shelter.”
Mandel answered questions about the book’s plot, characters, and story structure, as well as her path to becoming a writer. “When I was growing up, writing was a hobby, but it was something that I found wouldn’t let me go,” she said. “The whole time I was writing ‘Station Eleven,’ I had a part-time day job in a research lab, and I had really flexible hours, which was incredibly fortunate. My writing process has always been a matter of trying to write whenever and wherever I can.”
emilymandel.com
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.
FINANCIAL AID AT-A-GLANCE 2018–2019
$5.15M
Financial Aid Budget
$44,750 Average Award
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Number of Recipients Meet Scholarship Recipient:
Gillian Maher ’21, New York Before Gillian Maher arrived at Berkshire, the joy that she once experienced in school was missing. “Berkshire has helped me rediscover my love for learning. I used to love to go to school, but I lost that passion in the seventh and eighth grades. Once I adjusted to life at Berkshire, I was excited to go to my classes again every day and enjoyed new experiences.”
30%
of Student Body Receiving Financial Aid
$150,000
Support Beyond Tuition (books, trips, transportation, etc.)
Inspired by her teachers and her classes, Gillian has thrived academically, and her presence in the classroom has served to heighten the level of learning for her peers. In the words of her math teacher, Ms. Wheeler, “Gillian has the amazing ability to balance her intellectual capacity with playfulness and curiosity. She is an outstanding example of what it looks like to enjoy learning.” While Gillian made clear Berkshire’s influence on her, her impact on Berkshire is equally profound. In addition to taking a dynamic and challenging academic course load, Gillian is a talented varsity field and ice hockey player, sings a cappella with Ursa Minor, plays the cello in the Chamber Ensemble, and serves as a Green Key tour guide.
“As a member of the girls varsity hockey team, Gillian leads by example. She comes to the rink each day, whether it be a practice or a game, and is prepared. Not once have we ever had to remind her to work harder. Both on and off the ice, she adds a unique and kind dynamic to the team and is respected by her teammates and coaches alike.” —Lisa Marshall, Girls Varsity Hockey Coach
To support a Berkshire experience today, contact Director of Advancement Andrew Bogardus at abogardus@berkshireschool.org or call 413-229-1907. Summer 2019
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EMBRACING INNOVATION Integrating AI across the student experience
Just as it’s difficult to imagine life today without a cell phone, it will soon be nearly impossible to find an industry untouched by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Amazon, a leader in the field, defines AI as “the field of computer science dedicated to solving cognitive problems commonly associated with human intelligence, such as learning, problem solving, and pattern recognition.” As society adjusts to the new reality of using AI to expand humans’ ability to see interrelations and make decisions based on massive amounts of data, schools are increasingly eager to equip students with experiences in AI. Berkshire stands at the forefront of its peers as the School moves to integrate AI across the student experience. By embracing AI on campus, students will gain the ability to innovate, problem-solve, and collaborate using critical and creative approaches in computer science. Parlaying these skills into deeper exploration and real-world applications following Berkshire, students will be well prepared—not just for school, but for life.
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THE NEW FRONTIER: AI Adapted from an article by Elias Sienkiewicz ’19 in The Green and Gray, February 2019
This year ushered in a new era of science at Berkshire, offering students a first-row seat to learn about AI. Thanks to the Tian Family Endowed Lecture Series for AMSR and AI, students attended a lecture during Pro Vita week that featured experts in the AI industry, titled, “Sports Analytics and the Power of AI.” Students will have opportunities to attend additional lectures about AI in the next few years. The endowment funds travel and honoraria for AI researchers and industry leaders who will visit campus to share their expertise with students and the wider community. “We are so excited to welcome AI to Berkshire as an emerging discipline that is relevant, accessible, and forwardthinking,” said Head of School Pieter Mulder. “We are deeply indebted to the Tian family for their leadership and generosity in establishing this endowment. I expect this to only further
differentiate our academic program and the opportunities for our students here.” The Pro Vita lecture invited members of the company ICEBERG to share the sophisticated sports data they had collected by using AI to observe Berkshire’s varsity hockey teams. Along with the endowed lecture series, the School is introducing new science classes that will prepare students for the future of AI, including Computer Science and AI, which will be offered as a math elective. Dr. April Burch, director of Advanced Math/Science Research (AMSR), will be working to infuse AI into the AMSR curriculum. Heralding it as “a pivotal moment for Berkshire,” Dr. Burch sees the initiative as “a tremendous opportunity to create an innovative, first-in-class artificial intelligence program at Berkshire.” Additionally, the Office of Advancement is working to strengthen
ADVANCING SCIENCE Regeneron STS Scholars Two Berkshire students, Avalon Lebenthal ’19 and Daniel Tian ’19, were chosen as Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) semifinalists. STS is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. Lebenthal researched acne in Berkshire’s research lab, working closely with Dr. Jeffry Stock of Princeton University. She used the lab’s transmission electron microscope to develop a method to reduce the skin condition. Tian explored vulnerabilities in image recognition software crucial for technologies, such as driverless cars. He was assisted in his research by Dr. Siwei Lyu of SUNY-Albany and Dr. Nick Webb. Lebenthal and Tian were among 300 scholars selected from a pool of 1,964 applicants, which included four other Advanced Math/Science Research students. All semifinalists received $2,000, as well as a matching amount for their school. Previous competition winners include Nobel Prize and National Medal of Science recipients. 12
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the emerging AMSR and AI fusion through generous support from Berkshire families, alumni, and friends of the School. Goals include: creating faculty chairs that will provide salary and benefits for dedicated AMSR and AI faculty; supporting the development and implementation of an AMSR and AI curriculum; funding the engagement and leverage of an external advisor network; and recognizing students demonstrating outstanding work in AMSR and AI. In explaining their passion for AI, the Tian Family P’19 said, “Artificial Intelligence is the electricity of the future. With the AI and AMSR endowment fund, we envision an accessible AI education for high school students that will prepare and empower them to be at the forefront of innovation.”
Campus News
“...with these added statistics and analytics, our coaches will be able to develop our players even further.” —Jack Whitney ’20, Boys Varsity Hockey Team
Photo by Gohta Aihara ’19
AI IN ACTION Improving Berkshire Hockey Through the Power of AI Adapted from an article by Gohta Aihara ’19 in The Green and Gray, February 2019
Did you notice the three cameras and a computer set up next to Berkshire’s hockey rink this past season? These devices, from a company called ICEBERG Sports Analytics, rely on AI to give cutting-edge feedback for coaches and players to analyze. Along with helping hockey teams improve, ICEBERG marked Berkshire’s first experience with AI. By using AI and deep learning algorithms, the ICEBERG system tracks and records each player to provide advanced-level statistics—statistics once only accessible to professional teams. Berkshire partnered with ICEBERG for the 2018–2019 season, using the system to analyze eight games for both boys and girls varsity hockey teams. The system analyzes basic data, such as the number of goals, shots on goal,
penalties, and ice time. And it also allows the team to access extensive measurements, including passing efficiency, acceleration with or without the puck, and weak spots in a goalkeeper’s defense. Assistant Boys Varsity Coach Becky McCabe ’05 said ICEBERG helps coaches to “see where there are individual and team breakdowns during games,” and she specifically said the tool allowed the players to have a clear visual of the lowpercentage shots they were taking. “After studying the ICEBERG analytics, the boys began taking shots from inside the house, which means that they were taking higher percentage shots that had a better chance of scoring,” McCabe said. Jack Whitney ’20, a member of the boys varsity hockey team, was in awe of
the technology. “Like most teams, we watch our game film, but with these added statistics and analytics, our coaches will be able to develop our players even further,” he said. Members of ICEBERG Sports Analytics visited Berkshire during Pro Vita week to present the statistics during a lecture supported by the new Tian Family Endowed Lecture Series for AMSR and AI. Dr. April Burch says ICEBERG may be the first of many AI technologies that appeal to both scholars and athletes. “Helping our hockey teams with the ICEBERG system shows our community that AI can solve problems that they never thought before. It will definitely raise the awareness of the power of AI,” Dr. Burch said.
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ON A GRAND ADVENTURE Dr. Sandy Perot guides the Advanced Humanities Research program.
Dr. Perot is all in. Since arriving at Berkshire in the fall of 2017, Sandy Perot has jumped into school life with gusto. She teaches U.S. history, coaches both girls cross country and track and field, serves as an advisor and a dorm parent in Crispin Gordon Rose, and leads Berkshire’s Advanced Humanities Research (AHR) program. The “all in” approach resonates with her perhaps because it’s how she’s always lived her life. “I’ve had an interesting series of life experiences,” 14
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Dr. Perot explained. “I have multiple degrees, have traveled extensively and lived in various countries, have worked in museums, taught from sixth grade through university students, stayed home to raise our family, and I have never stopped exploring, challenging myself, or believing in myself. If there is any takeaway students can find in my experiences and through our interactions, I hope they know that life is a grand adventure.” Dr. Perot’s grand adventure included
taking over the reins of the AHR program last September. AHR is a yearlong course offered to students with a deep interest within the humanities— languages, literature, history, philosophy, or the arts—who wish to progress beyond the AP program. The course approximates the undergraduate experience in top liberal arts schools. During the summer, students choose their topic of study. Dr. Perot says this independent process is a critical test in discovering a compelling topic and
Campus News
“I have multiple degrees, have traveled extensively and lived in various countries, have worked in museums, taught from sixth grade through university students, stayed home to raise our family, and I have never stopped exploring, challenging myself, or believing in myself. If there is any takeaway students can find in my experiences and through our interactions, I hope they know that life is a grand adventure.” —Dr. Sandy Perot
learning how to contribute to existing conversations about it. “Students come excited to learn in AHR, and I am fortunate to have a collection of highly motivated, curious, and creative thinkers in my classes,” she said. As the year progresses, students hone the ability to think critically. They are challenged to look for the essence of the argument in a variety of authors’ works, analyze academic and creative essays, compile a collection of annotated bibliographies for their topic, and
Dr. Perot coaching track and field in the spring
read, edit, and analyze their peers’ work while presenting their own in various formats. Each of these skills encourages students to imagine how their work fits into a larger intellectual discussion and understand how an audience perceives their writing, all in the name of making them eloquent and effective communicators, agile thinkers, and persuasive writers. “The process of writing what is now a 30-page paper really gave me the writing skills I’m confident I will use (and need) in college next year,” said Elias Sienkiewicz ’19, whose paper is titled, Architecture, Daylighting, and Their Effects on Health and Happiness. “Writing in a distinct and outlined progression was key to making the paper flow from point to point and remains one of my most valuable lessons from AHR,” he said. Ashanti Bruce ’20, who is from Crown Heights in Brooklyn, N.Y., is taking advantage of AHR to study a topic close to home and to her heart: gentrification. Bruce’s paper, An Inspection of Gentrification’s Significant
Imprint on Brooklyn, New York, was inspired in part by University of Leicester Professor Loretta Lees’ research paper, “Super-gentrification: The Case of Brooklyn Heights, New York City” (Urban Studies Journal, 2003). “Throughout this process, my passion for writing and for my hometown have both increased because AHR has given me the platform to investigate both,” she said. While writing powerfully and persuasively will no doubt serve students well in the classroom, Dr. Perot sees the skills as a platform for even more growth. “What I hope that students will take away from AHR most of all is a lifelong love of learning, discovering, creating, and thinking,” she said.
About Dr. Perot
A graduate of Princeton University, Dr. Perot earned her M.A. in English, as well as a teaching credential in English, from San Jose State University. She earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in history and museum studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Summer 2019
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“Living completely sustainably in a small community creates a sense of family and loyalty to each person ... there are no backup plans or other resources to rely on.” —Martine Lavelle ’19 (The Island School) Heading to Starve Creek in Eleuthera, Bahamas, to catch turtles, tag them, record data, and attach cameras to them in order to learn more about the social behavior of sea turtles on The Island School trip, led by Martine Lavelle ’19 and Annie McGill ’19 Photo by Caddie Jackson, Faculty
TRAVELING THE WORLD WITH PRO VITA Each spring, students are abuzz with excitement when Pro Vita trip destinations are announced. Exotic locales from Argentina to Iceland draw interest from students looking to expand horizons or fulfill a bucket-list wish before graduation. This year, students led trips abroad to Peru, Greece, Morocco, and The Island School in the Bahamas, while some students stayed in the U.S. to test their backpacking skills with the National Outdoor Leadership School in Arizona. @berkshireschoolprovita
Backpacking in the Galiuro Wilderness in the Sonoran Desert with the National Outdoor Leadership School Photo by Ben Urmston, Faculty
“Each and every member of our team learned something new about themselves over the course of the week, and it is our hope that they will hold onto those lessons and work to apply them to life in the frontcountry.” —Cait Ward ’08, Faculty (Arizona)
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Campus News
Left: Team Peru, led by Cami Kittredge ’19, hiked the Inca Trail to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu. Below left: Students prepared dinner during a tagine cooking class in Morocco’s Sbiti village on a trip led by Victoria Rowland ’20 and Michelle Wang ’20. Photo by Maura MacKenzie, Faculty
Below right: The Greece group in front of the Parthenon, on a trip led by Kat Erazo ’19 and Avalon Lebenthal ’19, where students studied the country’s refugee crisis
“As a daughter of immigrant parents, I believe that it is necessary to hear and see the narratives and stories of others in order to understand the world around us.” —Kat Erazo ’19 (Greece)
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Dance in Color On November 9, students took to the stage in the Fall Dance Concert. The concert’s theme was color, and the dancers performed in numbers choreographed to evoke emotions associated with certain colors—red for anger or love; green for envy or greed; and blue for trust or stability. Aichen Yao ’19 is seen here performing the dance, “A Thousand Years.”
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MODERN ART IN MOTION The Work of Paul Taylor
In April, the Taylor 2 Dance Company brought the professional world of dance to Berkshire’s stage and dance studio. Taylor 2 performed during the all-school morning meeting and held a master class in the afternoon for dance students. The company, based in New York City, was founded in 1954 by the acclaimed modern dancer and choreographer Paul Taylor, and is a companion to the Paul Taylor Dance Company. “Taylor 2 gave a performance with a superb amount of energy for our students and adult community,” said Berkshire dance instructor Amy Keefer. Mr. Taylor established Taylor 2 in 1993 to ensure that audiences all over the world could view his works in nontraditional venues. Ruth Andrien, the rehearsal director of Taylor 2, said the company was delighted to bring the “poetic expression, exuberance, and athleticism of Paul Taylor’s work to Berkshire School to share its depth and beauty with staff and students.” Company member Johnny Vorsteg led the master class, which offered students a glimpse of the rigor it takes to perform with a world-class ensemble. Mr. Taylor’s
original company regularly performs at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. “The master class that Johnny taught was challenging and inspiring,” Keefer said. “It felt like we were in New York taking class at the Taylor Studios.” Vorsteg taught a section of one of the dances the company had performed just hours earlier, which electrified Berkshire students. “When the company was performing the dance, they made it look easy, but it was so much more difficult,” Daniel Akomolafe ’19 said. Ashanti Bruce ’20 said, “Dancing with the company dancers made me feel like an actual dancer.” Vorsteg, who began his formal dance training at 18 years old and joined Taylor 2 in 2015, said the master class introduced Berkshire students to the diversity and range of Mr. Taylor’s choreography. “His work really does stretch a wide spectrum of human emotion and many different physicalities,” Vorsteg said. “Although we only explored one piece of repertory—Company B—I hope the
Amanda Stevenson with (L-R) Irving Amigon, Rei Akazawa, Jake Deibert, Sloan Pearson and Johnny Vorsteg in Paul Taylor’s Taylor 2 “Esplanade” Photo by Whitney Browne
students were able to experience and feel what it’s like to live for a little while in a Paul Taylor world. A limited movement vocabulary of only a few steps, coupled with some partnering and hand-holds, spacing patterns, and wild changes of direction—all really make up what it’s like to dance a Taylor work.”
Johnny Vorsteg and Taylor 2 Dance Company teach students a modern dance. Summer 2019
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SING IT PROUD Berkshire musicians flexed their musical muscles this April in the inaugural Songwriting Contest, coordinated by music teachers Dr. Tasia Cheng-Chia Wu and Dr. Clive Davis, and English teacher Dr. A.J. Kohlhepp. Six students participated in the contest, writing and producing their own songs, which they performed in the Berkshire Hall Atrium for the community and three guest judges, who are professional musicians. The judges—Grisha Alexiev, Rachel Norton, and Will McGovern—awarded prizes for lyrics, performance, and music production and composition, as well as a grand prize, which was given to Lydia Wu Davis ’21 for her song, “Melatonin.” “Regardless of the outcome of winning or losing, students can take pride in creating an original work and seeing it through to its rehearsal and performance. For many songwriters, there is nothing more wonderful than realizing one’s own creation.” —Dr. Clive Davis, Music Teacher
“I was particularly interested in whether or not the song was singable and simultaneously unique. I was curious to see if the song was stuck in my head after the performance.” —Rachel Norton, Contest Judge
“I found it hard to share my piece with others at first, but once a couple of people heard it and had some positive feedback, I was even more inspired to continue with the song.” —Lydia Wu Davis ’21, “Melatonin”
“The most challenging aspect of writing the lyrics to my song was telling a story through the words. It was really difficult to get across my truth in a way that would be interesting to an audience.” —Eleanor Ahn ’22, “The Circle Line”
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Campus News
“The Stitches We Hide,” a multimedia work by Ruby Merritt ‘19
Contest participants: Front row: Luke Nguyen ‘21, “Candy” Middle row: Eleanor Ahn ‘22, “The Circle Line;” Lydia Wu Davis ‘21, “Melatonin;” Martin Dimo ‘19, “Let Me Be;” Remy Bond ‘22 (vocal); Back row: Wilson Zheng ‘21 (piano); Logan Renneker ‘20, “Boys in the Boat;” Sierra Posey ‘22 (violin); and Leo Yang ‘22, “Incredible”
“I learned that songs start off with even the slightest emotion toward someone or something. Once the initial feeling is down on paper, the direction of the song is unknown. As silly as it sounds, the song will begin to write itself.” —Martin Dimo ’19, “Let Me Be”
“Songwriting is the modern trend for young people to express their feelings in a creative, effective, and safe way.” —Dr. Tasia Cheng-Chia Wu, Music Teacher
Ruby Merritt ‘19 Earns National Silver Medal for Artwork Eighteen Berkshire students received 2019 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, including Ruby Merritt ’19, who earned a National Silver Medal. The Awards are the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for students in grades 7–12. Merritt’s artwork—a mixed media piece entitled “The Stitches We Hide”—was selected for the Art Department’s 2019 Purchase Prize and will be framed and on permanent display in the Kennard Visual Arts Center.
“ This piece was part of a series that explored the metaphorical masks we wear in our daily lives, and I feel success in knowing the work reached a wide audience.” —Ruby Merritt ‘19 To view the list of 2019 Scholastic Art & Writing Award winners, visit berkshireschool.org/artawards.
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This fall marks 50 years of coeducation at Berkshire, and since then, alumnae have gone on to push the envelope, push for equality, and push themselves to achieve big goals—even as the glass ceiling, chipped as it is, still looms overhead. We’re featuring six women—one per decade since coeducation (six, because two are sisters)—who are ascending and excelling in their fields. These alumnae are giving voice to female heroes in movies and children’s books, are calling the shots in corporate America, are bolstering female athletes of color in schools, and are creating revolutionary artwork that sparks dialogues about gender and culture.
Read on and be inspired.
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Berkshire Bulletin
’70s THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Children’s author Carolyn Crimi ’78 turns to full-length fiction, her way. by Lucia Mulder | Photos by Alyssa Schukar Photography
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arolyn Crimi likes
to write the kind of books she would have wanted to read as a child: funny ones. And it just so happens that the award-winning author is awfully good at it, too. To date, Crimi has written 15 picture books for young readers, and her first middle-grade novel, “Weird Little Robots,” will be published by Candlewick Press on October 1. The novel is a departure for the author, whose book “There Might Be Lobsters” (Candlewick), about a timid dog who overcomes her anxiety during a day at the beach, won the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’ 2018 Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text.
“I HAVE TO WRITE THE STORY THE WAY IT COMES TO ME, AND THE WAY I WANT TO WRITE IT.”
Like “There Might Be Lobsters,” many of Crimi’s books feature animals as protagonists, and the zanier the better. There are crazed chicken pirates, buccaneer bunnies, bossy and advice-giving cats, and a musical mole, to name just a few. When she began working on her latest project, Crimi felt emboldened by an earlier milestone birthday and decided it was time to tell a new story. She chose to write a novel from the point of view of a little girl instead of a furry beast, and thus came to be clever, eleven-year-old Penny Rose. In “Weird Little Robots,” Penny Rose creates robots out of found materials like calculators, cell phones, and meat thermometers. And one day, these robots magically come to life, becoming Penny Rose’s close friends. “It’s about friendship; it’s about what it means to keep a friend; it’s about being popular versus standing up for your friends,” Crimi says. Ever since Crimi was a little girl, she knew she wanted to be a children’s book author. As the youngest growing up in a family of five on Long Island, N.Y., she spent a lot of time on her own. “No one wants to play with you when you’re the
youngest,” she laughs, “so you’re forced to make up your own games.” This skill turned out to be excellent experience for a career in which a wild imagination is a serious advantage. As a child, Crimi spent hours in the woods playing with her stuffed animals (“Not dolls,” she notes), and would zone out in the middle of grown-up conversations at mealtimes, writing stories in her head at the dining room table. While a student at Berkshire, Crimi loved her art and English classes. But it was the science elective Animal Behavior, taught by Chris Coenen, that she names as her favorite. “It was a great class,” she explains, “and it did influence me. I continue to read about animals and their behavior as an adult. I just find them so fascinating.” Even the daily antics of her own beloved pug Emerson, affectionately known as Sir Scratch and Sniff, inspired a story: her 2012 canine counting book, “Pugs in a Bug.” After graduating from Lake Forest College with a B.A. in art history (“The perfect major for people who never want to get a job.”), she began testing the waters of careers in retail and advertising, while constantly
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“I REALLY, REALLY WANTED TO WRITE FOR KIDS, AND IT WAS ALWAYS IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD.” SHE SOLD HER FIRST MANUSCRIPT IN 1995 AND HASN’T LOOKED BACK SINCE.
The novel, for readers ages 8-12, will be published October 1.
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In Crimi’s new book, two science-savvy girls create a robot world that magically comes to life. But will their friendship survive all the changes that brings? WEIRD LITTLE ROBOTS. Text copyright © 2019 by Carolyn Crimi. Illustrations copyright © 2019 by Corinna Luyken. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.
writing and developing her portfolio. “I really, really wanted to write for kids, and it was always in the back of my head,” she says. She sold her first manuscript in 1995 and hasn’t looked back since. With decades of experience in the publishing industry, Crimi has heard the conventional wisdom that girls will read books about boys or girls, but boys will only read books about other boys. To capture the widest possible audience and sell the most books, some authors decide from the outset to write books about boys. When asked whether she considered this notion when deciding upon the main character Penny Rose instead of say, Percy or Pablo, she replied simply, “That can’t be something that influences me as a writer. I have to write the story the way it comes to me, and the way I want to write it.” As a judge for last year’s Golden Kite Awards, Crimi discovered a heartening
trend in the industry that mirrors her own conviction. Among the entries, she noticed roughly half of the books featured little girls of color as main characters. That doesn’t mean that more writers are writing about girls of color, necessarily, but that children’s book editors (whose purchasing power ultimately controls what ends up in bookstores) recognize an appetite in the marketplace. “They’re seeing the need for representation of both children of color and little girls,” Crimi says. “Especially scientific little girls, tough little girls, and brave little girls.” If this is the case, then children’s literature is on its way to becoming much richer and more diverse, one weird little robot at a time. carolyncrimi.com
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E.V. Day in front of her prototype for a wall mural of “Breaking the Glass Ceiling” for the Children’s Museum of the Arts in New York City
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’80s THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Artist E.V. Day ’86 reaches for the cosmos. by Carol Visnapuu | Photos by Chattman Photography
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ulti-disciplinary artist and sculptor
E.V. Day has thought a lot about breaking barriers. She herself has broken the proverbial glass ceiling for women, becoming a successful female artist in an industry that has traditionally undervalued women’s contributions. She also has tackled the subject head on in her recent installation, aptly titled, “Breaking the Glass Ceiling.” “Breaking the Glass Ceiling” is on display at the Children’s Museum of the Arts (CMA) in New York City through October 27, 2019. The gravity-defying exhibition has viewers gazing skyward to see a matrix of monofilament—a metaphor of the firm but elusive “glass ceiling,” CMA says references “cosmic aspirations—the strong desire to achieve something that might feel just outside of one’s reach.” Photo images of shattered laptop screens, chunks of broken glass resembling melting glaciers, and mirror fragments surround the viewer. Some of the visual abstractions resemble outerspace or warp speed.
“Bombshell” (1999), an eight-foothigh reproduction of Marilyn Monroe’s infamous white dress worn in the 1954 classic film, “The Seven Year Itch” Photo courtesy of E.V. Day Studio
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“THE FIRST ATTENTION I RECEIVED FOR MY WORK WAS LIKE BEING SHOT OUT OF A CANNON IN FRONT OF THE ART WORLD. WHEN I HAD THE MEANS TO EXPRESS MYSELF IN A WAY THAT I IMAGINED WOULD BE UNFASHIONABLE, THAT’S WHEN MY CAREER TOOK OFF.”
“Ultramarine,” 2015 Cast Bronze and Ultramarine Pigment This piece is a part of Day’s collection of sculptures titled “Twisted,” inspired by French artist Yves Klein, who was best known for his blue monochrome paintings and use of females torsos to create his work. Photo courtesy of E.V. Day Studio
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Day herself often wondered if making a living as a female artist was out of reach, but she persisted, despite the gender biases that often thwart women’s success—from fellowships and grants siphoned to mostly male artists to galleries and museums unwilling to showcase their work to collectors unwilling to buy it. “This is the first generation ever where a woman can make a living as an artist and be a mother,” Day says, who earned her MFA in sculpture from Yale University. “Making a living as a female artist really never happened at this scale before and it’s very exciting.” Day, who creates her art from her studio in Brooklyn, N.Y., has received numerous awards for her work, which also appears in permanent collections in some of the world’s leading art venues, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art, New York; and the Saatchi Gallery in London. Day’s art often focuses on themes of sexuality and humor, and she uses suspension techniques, employing fishing lines, turnbuckles, and other types of hardware to do so. Fueled by the environment around her, Day’s work often manipulates popular culture in order to highlight contradictions of gender roles and social stereotypes. In 1999, Day made a bang in the art world with her “Exploding Couture” installation series—dresses captured in mid-explosion, using a system composed of monofilament suspended between the ceiling and floor. “The first attention I received for my work was like being shot out of a cannon in front of the art world,” she says. “When I had the means to express myself in a way that I imagined would be unfashionable, that’s when my career took off. An inspiration doesn’t always come from happiness; it comes from some kind of irritation.”
“G-Force” (2001) is a 40-foot-high installation at the Whitney Museum at Philip Morris in New York. Photo courtesy of E.V. Day Studio
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“The Pollinator (Water Lily),” 2012 Cast and Polished Aluminum This piece, Day’s first-ever outdoor sculpture, was featured in the Beautiful Strangers exhibition at the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, Mass., in 2018. Photo courtesy of E.V. Day Studio
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One of the works from this series, “Bombshell,” was an eight-foot-high reproduction of Marilyn Monroe’s infamous white dress worn in the 1954 classic film, “The Seven Year Itch.” The dress was deconstructed into hundreds of pieces as if it were blown apart by an internal explosion—representing an expression of liberation and transformation central to Day’s work. “I wanted to free the stereotype of female pleasure that requires a male’s gaze. I wanted to rupture this cliché and show the process of transformation.” “Bombshell” was exhibited in the 2000 Whitney Biennial and is part of their permanent collection. Day created other provocative works, including “G-Force” (2001, Whitney Museum of Art), a 40-foot-high installation of 200 jet fighters fashioned from G-strings (yes, women’s underwear) soaring in combat formation; “Divas Ascending” (2009, David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center) suspending costumes of the tragic female characters in the air; and “Twisted” (2015, Pen & Brush) contorting sensual shapes of human forms. In 2010, Day was a resident at the Monet Foundation in Giverny, France, where she lived in Claude Monet’s garden, known for its immortalized water lilies. Inspired by the garden, she transported this iconic flower and created “The Pollinator (Water Lily)” in 2012. This was Day’s first-ever outdoor sculpture, featured in the Beautiful Strangers exhibition at the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, Mass., in 2018. Recently, Day was awarded the prestigious Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome for Visual Arts, where she spent a year living and working in the Eternal City. “Being at the Academy was a once-in-a-lifetime experience of being steeped among the minds of classic scholars, art historians, and archaeologists,” Day says. “At every conversation and at every mealtime,
I had to bring my ‘A’ game.” While there, Day explored sculpture within architecture, and in particular the works of Italian sculptor and architect, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. With her most recent exhibition, Day is turning her attention to the glass ceiling she herself has surpassed, but which still exists for many others. In its press release describing “Breaking the Glass Ceiling,” CMA
said, “Day sees the glass ceiling as a symptom of a broader problem—the collective subjugation of nature and our planet. With her installation, Day creates a conversation about the invisible barriers that prevent us from breaking through the glass ceiling and onward toward the advancement of culture.” evdaystudio.com
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’90s THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Screenwriter Lauren Hynek ’96 writes women as heroes on the big screen. by Megan Tady | Photos by Wendell D’Ambrosia
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ive years ago, in search
of their next film project, screenwriters Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin were throwing ideas against the wall like spaghetti, willing one of them to stick. One thing was certain: they wanted to write a movie featuring a strong female heroine. The writing duo found its answer in an ancient 360-word Chinese poem, “Ballad of Mulan,” about a young woman who disguises herself as a man to replace her ailing father in the army. Disney had already made an animated film based on this poem in 1998 (“Mulan”), but since the company didn’t own the rights to the poem, Hynek and Martin were able to begin penning a live-action version on spec with the hopes that a film company would purchase it. In the midst of writing, Disney announced a focus on updating older animated films with liveaction movies. “Mulan” was on the list. “We were not done with the script yet, but when we saw Disney’s press release, we said, ‘Oh my God, write faster. Write
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faster,’” Hynek says. Sitting side by side in Los Angeles, Hynek and Martin wrote furiously, and then they pitched the script to Disney. Two days later, the company snapped it up. “Even now, it still doesn’t feel 100 percent real,” Hynek says. The movie, directed by Niki Caro—who wrote and directed the critically acclaimed film “Whale Rider”—will be released on March 27, 2020, five years and one day after Hynek and Martin sold the screenplay. “And that’s fast tracked,” she says. Call “Mulan” their “big break”—but the truth is, Hynek and Martin have been aspiring screenwriters for years, fueled by a dogged determination, a “keep-your-butt-in-the-chair” motto, and several ounces of audaciousness. In fact, it was this audaciousness that introduced them to the writerly life two decades ago when they began to muse: How hard could it be to write a movie? Surely, not that hard. Originally actors and theater denizens, Hynek and Martin, who is a Hotchkiss School graduate, bonded at a summer
“HOW HARD CAN WRITING BE? I WANT TO DO IT. I’M GOING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT. I’M GOING TO KEEP DOING IT UNTIL I GET GOOD AT IT, AND THEN I’M GOING TO KEEP DOING IT UNTIL SOMEONE PAYS ME TO DO IT.”
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“IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR GIRLS AND BOYS TO SEE GIRLS NOT JUST WAITING AROUND TO BE SAVED, BUT GETTING TO SAVE THEMSELVES.”
Hynek performs in the play “Kiss Me, Kate” in Berkshire’s Allen Theater. Photo courtesy of Lauren Hynek ‘96
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“Shakespeare commune” in Greenville, New Hampshire, where they were performing in parks and passing hats for tips. They began to grumble to each other about the lack of female roles, both in classics like “Hamlet” and in contemporary films. Could they write the kinds of movies they’d like to star in themselves? They holed up in a cabin in Canada and began to write their first script, a horror film. “It turns out the answer is: hard. It is very hard to write a movie, but we got ourselves a bunch of screenwriting books, and we read all the scripts we could get our hands on,” Hynek says. “There is an art to screenwriting, but there’s also a lot of science. Every genre has a form. Just like you learn how to write a limerick or a sonnet, you can learn the beats and the forms of the various film genres.” Since their first horror script, which they optioned for $1 (it was never made), the pair have had various stages of success, including writing the movie “Christmas Perfection,” which aired on Lifetime last year. They also wrote an animated feature for Amazon before the company decided to go in another direction. Next up, Hynek and Martin have been hired to write a “Fast and the Furious”-style action movie (she couldn’t divulge more), and a film about computer pioneer Grace Hopper. “We are spinning a lot of plates all the time because there’s so much hurry up and wait,” Hynek says. “Being a professional screenwriter is about 30 percent writing and then 70 percent trying to get a job.” Hynek is the co-chair of the Committee of Women Writers at the Writers Guild of America West, and like her “Mulan” script, she is on a personal mission to elevate women’s presence on the big screen—not just how many females populate a movie, but what they actually get to do. “Growing up, I saw a
lot of movies of guys out front having the adventures, like Indiana Jones or Han Solo,” she says. “The women were either missing from the story, or they just weren’t doing as much cool stuff. It’s really important for girls and boys to see girls not just waiting around to be saved, but getting to save themselves.” According to a study by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, which analyzed the gender and race representation in the top 100 grossing family films of 2017, male characters speak twice as often as female characters, and only 17 percent of those films have a protagonist of color. “The images we see on screen start to inform what we expect the world to look like,” Hynek says. She refers to the “Scully Effect”—the phenomenon that inspired women and girls to work in the sciences after watching the character Dana Scully on “The X-Files.” “We want girls who are watching TV and movies and playing pretend and having adventures to see themselves as the heroes and the difference makers. That’s one reason we wanted to become screenwriters: our words have the power to change the world.” This gender imbalance on screen is also evident behind the camera. Another study, sponsored by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, examined employment of women in the top films of 2017, and reported dismaying results. Of the top 250 films of 2017, 88 percent had no female directors, 83 percent had no female writers, and 96 percent had no female cinematographers. In the midst of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, the latter of which is a response to sexual harassment and the fight for gender equality in Hollywood, Hynek says she is beginning to see a shift—though she says it is “agonizingly slow.” Not so for “Mulan,” however. Hynek is thrilled about the women at
the helm: the director, the assistant director, the director of photography, and the screenwriters. Long before Hynek was pitching scripts to Disney and trying to tip the gender balance in Hollywood, she was playing the lead in the musical “Kiss Me, Kate” in Berkshire’s Allen Theater and assistant directing with the late Irene McDonald, who taught drama at Berkshire for 25 years, until her retirement in 2002. Hynek also wrote her share of book reports at Berkshire—a skill she’s come to rely on as she quickly skims books for movie material. “I didn’t realize those book reports were going to matter in my life, but now I’m realizing, ‘Oh, I actually gave myself the skills I need for my dream job.’” And it was at Berkshire, where Hynek insisted on a semi-grueling academic schedule, that she developed her moxie. “Berkshire absolutely gave me the sense that I could ask for what I wanted,” she says. “It helped with my audacious path: ‘How hard can writing be? I want to do it. I’m going to figure out how to do it. I’m going to keep doing it until I get good at it, and then I’m going to keep doing it until someone pays me to do it.’” Just as the filming of “Mulan” was coming to an end, Disney invited Hynek and Martin on the lot to view some of the footage. “It was amazing and beautiful, and we just sat there and cried,” she says. “The producer said, ‘Do you want to watch it again?’ And we said, ‘No, we have a meeting after this. We can’t.’”
With the Seven Dwarves statues overhead, Hynek holds her “Mulan” script outside of the Team Disney building in Burbank, Calif.
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Q & A
’S
WITH THE
HOOPER SISTERS
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Berkshire Bulletin
’90s THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Real estate lawyer Jillian Hooper Joseph ’97 builds up women in the workplace. by Carol Visnapuu | Photos by Chattman Photography
J
illian Hooper Joseph’s
love of real estate began when, as a young girl, she saw her neighborhood transformed through the power of home ownership. Now, Joseph is Managing Director and Associate General Counsel at Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), where she’s made it her mission to help elevate educators and health care retirees through real estate investments. A mother to two children under the age of 12, Joseph is an advocate for advancing women and women of color in her male-dominated industry. In 2015, Joseph was included in The Network Journal’s “40 Under Forty” honorees. She frequently speaks at bar associations, law firms, corporation conferences, and on panels to help improve and engage women and minorities in the real estate and legal profession. Prior to TIAA, she spent five years as executive counsel for GE Capital’s Real Estate Business, where she was responsible for their $30 billion real estate portfolio. She started her law
career at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom in New York. She earned her juris doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School with an undergraduate degree from Colgate University, and she serves on Berkshire School’s Advisory Board.
What inspired you to become a real estate lawyer? I grew up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, in the late 80s and 90s. It was a neighborhood that was suffering through the recession and plagued by drugs. Then the East Brooklyn Churches came together to revitalize the neighborhood through home ownership. My parents bought one of the affordable homes in this neighborhood, and I watched home ownership change the landscape of Brownsville, because where there are homes, there are families. Where there are families, there are children. Where there are children, there are parks. This moment has always stayed with me: that real estate could rebuild not only communities, but families. I fell in love with real estate at Penn Law when I was chosen to be a teacher’s
assistant for Georgette Poindexter, an African-American professor and the head of the real estate department of the Wharton School at the time. It was the first time I had seen a woman of color in real estate, and I remember thinking, ‘I want to be Georgette Poindexter when I grow up.’ It’s so important to have women and women of color as role models because they inspire other women to go into these fields.
Tell us about your role as senior in-house counsel at TIAA. At TIAA, we say ‘we are the financial services for the greater good.’ My job is to invest on behalf of the people in higher education and in hospitals who do good for the world, and a lot of that investment is in real estate. We own, buy, sell, lend, borrow, all in real estate on behalf of our participants. I support our domestic U.S. teams as well as our Asia Pacific and European teams in their investment strategies across the globe. It’s my job to provide legal support for people who are looking to put their retirement proceeds in TIAA assets, in our banks, or with our wealth managers.
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Joseph with her two children, Christopher and Victoria (Tori), at the TIAA/Nuveen offices in New York City
What has been your proudest moment during the journey of your career? My claim to fame is I helped build Barclays Center and brought the now Brooklyn Nets to Brooklyn! Everybody thought building a stadium in Brooklyn was foolish and would never come to fruition. It had a lot of moving parts: we had to displace people due to eminent domain; manage the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Long Island Rail Road; and move the basketball team the Nets from New Jersey. It was a huge-scale project, and I was a new mother fighting that stereotype. We closed the project in late 2010, a little over two years after my son was born. I live near the project, so I’m reminded of it daily.
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However, my proudest moment is when I took my son’s kindergarten class on a tour of Barclays Center before it opened to the public. The kids played on the court, probably before the Brooklyn Nets did. Afterward, my son wrote in his journal: ‘I have the coolest mom. She did Barclays Center.’
What observations do you have about the challenges women and women of color face in your field? I’ve got the dual challenge of not only being a woman and a woman of color but also being in the law and in real estate—two industries that have failed to make much progress in diversity and inclusion. And that has been difficult. Almost all law school classes are 50-50 today. The law school
environment feels very warm, very inclusive for women to truly have an amazing experience. Then you get to a law firm and very quickly realize that the field is not level. And that’s tough to swallow. Most of the law firm partners are men. So while the class coming in is 50-50, the people making the decisions, deciding who gets work, putting people on certain cases, putting people on certain deals—they’re all white men. I think law firms have extreme challenges because they are not publicly traded companies. They don’t have certain mandates or cultural and diversity mandates. Unlike a publicly traded company, who has to report to shareholders, partnerships of mostly men decide who excels, who succeeds, and who is next in line.
“THINGS WON’T CHANGE UNTIL WE START INTENTIONALLY PUTTING WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR IN PL ACES OF POWER TO EFFECT CHANGE AND TO CHANGE THE CULTURE.”
What do you think will be the biggest challenge/opportunity for the generation of women behind you? Women have to say, ‘I want the next slate of people to fill this spot to be more diverse. I want more women and people of color on this slate.’ Things won’t change until we start intentionally putting women and people of color in places of power to effect change and to change the culture. As a leader, I have been steadfast to ensure that I have women on my team who participate in the voice of what TIAA real estate and law looks like. I foster an inclusive culture, and I call people out when they do not. I think we have to challenge more leaders to do that. What advice do you have for women who are trying to break barriers in male-dominated industries? My biggest advice for women is to be your whole self, be your authentic self, and bring all of you to work. I am a mother. I am a wife. I am a woman, a daughter of Brooklyn immigrants who listens to rap music and loves Asian fusion. I am my whole self, and I think that allows people to relate to me. For a long time, women were trying to be someone else. We were trying not to talk about our cultural differences. We were trying not to be a woman or a mother, and it came off disingenuous. People like to see authenticity in leaders. They like to see transparency. And what people were reading as lack of authenticity or transparency, was only women trying to hide pieces of themselves.
What is A Better Chance, and how has it shaped who you are? A Better Chance is a nationally recognized program placing talented, diverse students in college preparatory schools across the country. [Through this program], I arrived to Berkshire on the first day with a suitcase and a boombox from Brooklyn having never seen the school before. I tell people all the time, ‘Berkshire School is where I got my muscles.’ That is where I realized that I could do anything. I was a tri-varsity athlete, a tri-captain, a prefect, a junior class president, and the recipient of the Berkshire Cup. I realized, ‘Wow, if you marry access and opportunity to talent, anything is possible.’ I was smart and I was interesting, but I didn’t have access and opportunity. And those opportunities were boundless at Berkshire. I am indebted and committed to A Better Chance financially, culturally, and morally because ‘To whom much is given, much is required.’ I have been given so much from A Better Chance, and I feel very similarly about Berkshire School. It is our job in American society to do a better job of giving opportunities to talented, young people—regardless of race and socioeconomic status.
the transformational feeling of who I became, flooded back to me. I want to use my role at the School to support students who are there, students who are coming, and to be a leader in diversity and inclusion, to give back to the kids that I think would be most inspired by me and my story, my career, my success, and my challenges.
What are you most proud of about your sister, Natalie Hooper, who is also featured? There are a lot of things my sister does well that I’m extremely proud of, but it is her resilience and ability to be successful in the construction development field that I am most proud of. My sister has stayed steadfast in this industry and I am constantly in awe of her ability to never be deterred. When knocked down, she always gets back up.
What has it been like for you to serve on Berkshire School’s Advisory Board? Before joining the Advisory Board, I had not been back to campus in many years. The moment I stepped back on campus, all of the fond memories, Summer 2019
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’00s THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Real estate professional Natalie Hooper ’01 knows where Nike should build next. by Megan Tady | Photos by Leah Nash Photography
N
atalie Hooper was
the kid who built elaborate buildings out of Legos and doodled cartoons in her notebooks. When she was 10 years old, a teacher peered over her shoulder at an impressive tower she’d built out of wooden blocks and uttered a question that would inform the direction of her life: “Have you thought about architecture?” She’s been thinking about architecture ever since—earning a B.A. in architecture from Cornell University and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management—and she’s amassed architecture and real estate development experience with leading firms in New York City. Still, Hooper said the work wasn’t getting her “out of bed in the mornings.” Then Nike came calling—a company and a brand for which Hooper, a threesport varsity athlete at Berkshire, deeply respected. She joined the company in 2015, moved to Portland, Ore., and was quickly promoted to director of real estate for North America. For a sports fan and athlete (she wears her Nikes to work) with architecture and real estate prowess,
the position is perfect for her. Hooper’s goal every day is to help Nike find and acquire sites for new stores, and she is passionate about sharing the company’s mantra to make sport a daily habit.
Did you envision yourself working for Nike, and what does it mean to you? I was always personally a Nike person from my days as a kid playing sports and growing up in New York City. That’s what I wore; I didn’t wear anything else. I had to beg Mom for the latest Jordans. It was interesting for it to come back full circle. When I told people that I got the job at Nike, everyone was like, ‘That totally makes sense.’ And when I’m asked, ‘How do you like working for Nike?’ I say, ‘I don’t drink the Kool-Aid; I bathe in it.’ I am passionate about what we do and what we stand for, so that energy and dedication permeates my work. It’s also very important that I work for a company where I can bring my entire self, which is a woman born to immigrant parents, raised in Brooklyn, who found herself at Berkshire School and Cornell University and MIT. All of that makes me, me.
“I DON’T DRINK THE KOOL-AID; I BATHE IN IT. I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE STAND FOR, SO THAT ENERGY AND DEDICATION PERMEATES MY WORK.” How often do you visit physical sites as you consider a piece of real estate for Nike? My job cannot be done on Google Maps. I have to go to a site, walk it, smell it, and really understand the state of it. And I have to have the vision and foresight to see the future. There are times when I’ll visit a location that doesn’t necessarily look like a viable retail proposition, but Summer 2019
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Hooper at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.
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I see where the growth is, where the development is, and what’s happening immediately in and around the area.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far? We have a factory store concept that is centered around the community. These community stores are meant to help elevate a neighborhood and bring economic viability, and also be a point of distribution for us. We’re hiring from the community, and these stores make such a local impact. I’m proud to be a part of that work. How does your architecture degree and experience serve you now? No one’s able to pull the wool over my eyes. In terms of site selection, I’m able to read a set of drawings or documents, and I don’t need to wait to get input from the design team to understand functionality and physical design elements. I can respond in real time to potential opportunities. What are the challenges that women and women of color are facing in your field? The pay equity piece is very important. Women need to know our value and test our value in the marketplace so we can assess the appropriate level of compensation we should be getting. It’s taboo, and people don’t want to talk about it. But we need to periodically test and understand where that bar is. Another challenge is the dual edge of visibility. Visually, I stand out. If I go to a real estate conference, there are very, very, very few people of color. I can’t hide. So that visibility can be a challenge, especially when it comes to being critical. I have to always be cognizant of my actions and what that feedback could mean. On the flip side, it’s making sure that my opinions and ideas are accepted and heard, and not just because they are validated by someone else.
How can women advance in leadership roles in large companies like Nike? Women need to understand the difference between mentorship and sponsorship. Sponsorship is having that sponsor who is advocating for you and speaking for you behind closed doors so that you are in the leadership pipeline. That’s how the leadership pipeline in companies is formed. It’s, ‘I know this person’s work and that person should probably be on the path to assume X role.’ If there’s no one advocating for you, you can do a great job, and it won’t necessarily get noticed. That’s the best way to ascend in leadership. It can be difficult at times to find or connect with the right person, but that’s the hard work that’s going to ultimately pay off in the long run. How did your Berkshire experience impact you? Berkshire is where my serious commitment to sports began. That requirement to play sports and be active is something that I continue to this day. Berkshire also gave me early exposure to different people and different cultures. On the other side, I experienced people meeting me. There were several instances where I was the first black person that some people had ever met, which I felt was kind of wild. Being respectful of others, understanding where people are coming from, and having that exposure early on was definitely helpful in how I live my life. What makes you the proudest of your sister, Jillian Hooper Joseph ’97? She’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. She has that presence. When she walks into a room, you know that someone special is in your midst. She’s an amazing public speaker; she’s gotten standing ovations for her introductions. She’s just been a fantastic role model for me to follow. Summer 2019
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THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Hannah Cooke ’14 founded Bowdoin College’s Athletes of Color Coalition— and she’s just warming up. by Megan Tady | Photos by Chattman Photography
“Y
ou got beat by a girl!”
It was the same familiar jab Hannah Cooke has heard for years lobbed amongst the boys, and now men, who have eaten her dust. This time, she was at a pick-up basketball game at a YMCA in Pomfret, Conn., on a Saturday morning, the gymnasium filled with the sounds of shoes squeaking up and down the court as two makeshift teams battled for buckets. Cooke, who was a basketball and track and field varsity athlete at both Berkshire and then at Bowdoin College, handled the ball with ease, her footwork deft. One male player ribbed another: “Don’t let a girl beat you. That’s so humiliating.” But why, Cooke found herself wondering, yet again. Why is the ultimate humiliation among some men being physically bested by a woman? Most of her life, Cooke has been the only female athlete in traditionally male spaces, and she’s often been the only person of color
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in dominant white places—from sports teams to classrooms to her home state of Maine, which is 95% white. Her athletic pursuits and her academic focus have been entwined in and dedicated to trying to understand, and then dismantle, a patriarchal system threatened by strong female athletes of color. “That phrase—‘beat by a girl’— reinforces this assumption that a girl should never in any context be beating a guy, and especially not in sports where masculinity is so much about physical dominance,” she says. “If you are a boy, it is unacceptable to lose to a girl. It doesn’t matter how many more hours she’s spent in the gym or on the field, because [the idea is that] nature blessed all males with a baseline of skill that is better than any level a female could possibly reach.” Cooke, who graduated from Bowdoin in 2018, earned her bachelor’s degree in Africana studies and Government and Legal studies. She founded the college’s Athletes of Color Coalition
(ACC), building a support system the campus lacked. And she worked closely with the athletic department to create and facilitate workshops for sports’ captains and athletic teams engaged in discussions about race and its impact on the culture, relationships, and level of support on a team. For two consecutive years, she organized a program called, “Winning Together: Race in Athletics,” which included panel discussions with professors and alumni about race and sports, and showcased anonymous stories about athletes’ experiences with race at Bowdoin. Her success at rapidly building the ACC’s prominence on campus inspired other schools to seek her advice on how to do the same thing, including Amherst College, Tufts University, and Wesleyan College. Currently, she’s helping advise a coach at Trinity College as he supports students’ efforts to start their own ACC. But first—and what inspired her to start the ACC—Cooke had an epiphany. When basketball season started at
Cooke at Pomfret School in Connecticut, where she teaches history, serves as the assistant coach on the girls varsity basketball and track and field teams, and works on diversity and social justice initiatives
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“WHATEVER SUBCONSCIOUS BIASES YOU HAVE WILL STILL INFLUENCE HOW YOU COACH ME, WHAT CALLS YOU MAKE AS A REF, HOW OR IF YOU ESTABLISH A REL ATIONSHIP WITH ME, HOW YOU NAVIGATE THAT REL ATIONSHIP, AND MUCH MORE. IT ALSO SHAPES HOW I FEEL TOO.”
Bowdoin, Cooke was disappointed to find she was the only athlete of color on the team. Then, one night as she was driving in Brunswick, a white police officer pulled her over, and after their interaction, he took her picture to prove their encounter was non-violent. Cooke was taken aback by the racial implications.
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“I was thinking, ‘Who do I talk to about something like this?’” she says. “It was a big moment. As college athletes, you become very close to your teammates because you spend so much time with them. I thought, ‘I don’t have a single teammate who’s a person of color, and I don’t know who to turn to.’” The ACC became that place for
Cooke and dozens of other athletes of color at Bowdoin. “There was a need to create a space for people to come together and not feel isolated or alone in some of the unique challenges that come with being a student of color and an athlete of color,” she says. “Being a college athlete is like a job. If you don’t feel comfortable or understood or seen by the people who you spend so much time with, that’s a lot of stress, and it takes away from your ability to just focus on playing the sport.”
of multicultural student programs at his alma mater, also Bowdoin. Wil was instrumental in helping Bowdoin expand access and opportunities for students of color, not knowing, of course, that one of his future players would continue his good work in the athletic arena. While Cooke herself has never had a black female coach, she believes representation is powerful. “Representation matters—in gender and race and sexuality, whatever it might be,” she says. “Having teammates, captains, and coaches with shared identities and experiences can greatly impact one’s experience on a team. Whatever subconscious
biases you have will still influence how you coach me, what calls you make as a ref, how or if you establish a relationship with me, how you navigate that relationship, and much more. It also shapes how I feel too.” Whether she’s coaching from the sidelines, teaching in the classroom, or sprinting up the YMCA courts, it’s not in Cooke’s nature to tone down her talents because she’s outshining others. So, on that recent Saturday, as the men around her struggled to make sense of a woman outplaying them, she spoke up about the gender biases that make the “let a girl beat you” insult so offensive. Then, she took the ball ... and ran with it.
Cooke (right) and her Berkshire teammates Samone DeFreese ‘16 and Kristalyn Baisden ‘15, were each selected to play in the NEPSAC All-Star game in 2014. Photo courtesy of Hannah Cooke ‘14
Cooke is now a history teacher at Pomfret School in Connecticut, where she is serving as the assistant coach on the girls varsity basketball and varsity track and field teams, and is working on diversity and social justice initiatives. In developing her history curriculum, she has been intentional about highlighting a wide range of experiences and cultures in the US, and teaching students to begin to recognize how their own racial biases might marginalize others. “I think it’s healthy to question: What is going on in our world, and what is my role in perpetuating or stopping it?’” As a coach, Cooke is thrilled to be a pillar of support for female athletes of color at Pomfret. She cites her Berkshire basketball coach, the late Wil Smith, who also served as the School’s dean of community and multicultural affairs, as being highly influential. It’s possible that Wil’s influence extended beyond the basketball court. Before coming to Berkshire, Wil served as associate dean
REMEMBERING WIL SMITH
Dean of Community & Multicultural Affairs (2010–2015) “I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to be coached and mentored by Wil. Wil taught me so much about basketball, resilience, love, appreciation, and leadership. When Wil was doing chemotherapy, he never missed a single practice. He showed up every day with gloves on to protect himself from infection. He used to say that basketball and our team was his medicine, so he couldn’t miss practices or games because it was good for his health. I know Wil was in pain, but he never ever showed it. He didn’t soften at all either; he still held us to the same high standard and showed up every day with this level of intensity that I have yet to see matched by any other coach. Before every game, Wil would lead us in a prayer, saying that we played ‘for all the girls around the world who don’t get a chance to play this wonderful game of basketball, on their shoulders we stand.’ Wil reminded us that the world was so much bigger than basketball. He made us into a family, and some of my favorite memories are playing for him.” Photo courtesy of Hannah Cooke ‘14
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Bears at Play
UNFINISHED BUSINESS NHL Hockey Players Kevan Miller ’07 and Kevin Rooney ’12 set their sights on next season. by James Murphy
In early March, the New Jersey Devils and the Boston Bruins battled in the TD Garden arena, with the Devils falling 1–0. After the game, Devils forward Kevin Rooney ’12 dressed quickly, swapping his uniform for the required postgame suit and tie, and he hurried out of the locker room. Rooney was raised in Canton, Mass., and a flock of his family and friends were waiting to greet him before he boarded the team bus home. Also waiting for him: Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller ’07. The two had never been teammates—and only played against each other once, last year, when Miller acknowledged the rookie Rooney with a light tap of his stick on his helmet. (“I couldn’t believe he knew me,” Rooney said.) Now they were formally meeting for a quick photo for the Berkshire Bulletin. Miller, who has been in the National Hockey League (NHL) for six years, was recovering from an upper-body injury and hadn’t played in the game. He is well respected as a strong and capable defenseman whose team feels his absence—and whose opponents relish the relief from bumping up against him. Rooney, who was called up from the American Hockey League (AHL), is becoming a dependable player for the Devils thanks to his speediness, footwork, and humble-yet-hungry attitude. Meeting in one of the arena’s dimly lit hallways, the two players greeted each other. “Keep up the good work, man,” Miller told Rooney. “Thanks for taking the time to do this.”
Photo by Heidi Holland/Getty Images
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“Of course. Anything for Berkshire, right?” Rooney said. The two posed, hugged, and then Rooney was on his way. The gesture was a display of Berkshire camaraderie trumping competition, two fiercely competitive players vying for the same glory—ultimately, the Stanley Cup—yet honoring their shared past as Bears and as players. Five years apart, Miller and Rooney had an oddly similar journey to the NHL, opting to attend a boarding school that pushed them to achieve greatness beyond their sport rather than focus solely on hockey. Not drafted into the NHL, both players worked day in and day out to get there, seen as triumphant underdogs who scrapped for spots on teams and fought back from injuries. And both players have unfinished business on the ice.
Rooney ’12 and Miller ’07 met for the first time after the New Jersey Devils played the Boston Bruins in March. Photo by James Murphy
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Kevan Miller ’07:
“PUT YOUR HEAD DOWN AND WORK.” This year, the Bruins nearly hoisted the Stanley Cup trophy aloft, but in June they fell to the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of the finals. To his immense frustration, Miller was watching the game rather than competing in it. Riddled with fluke injuries throughout the season—a broken hand from blocking a goal; a fractured larynx from taking a puck to the throat; a torn oblique muscle from being pinned awkwardly to the boards—Miller’s resilience and hard work put him back on the ice after every rehab, competing with his usual ferocity. He was finally benched for good after he fractured his kneecap vertically and then refractured it
horizontally in physical therapy, requiring surgery again. For someone as competitive and passionate about the game as Miller, getting injured once was tough; having to sit out the Stanley Cup Final was ridiculously cruel. In an interview with National Hockey NOW, posted on YouTube in June, Miller reflected on his season, saying, “I don’t think frustrating does it justice, to be honest with you. When you put it all down on paper, there’s not one thing I could have done differently. I couldn’t have trained harder, I couldn’t have been more mobile, couldn’t have done anything to prevent the [injuries]. It doesn’t sit well. You watch your team go to the Stanley Cup Finals, but you’re not able to help the guys out— it hurts, for sure.” It’s not Miller’s style to dwell for long. He’s dedicating his summer to getting healthy and has set his sights on next season. “The motivation to get back to playing is a pretty easy thing for me,” he says. “It’s part of my job. And I truly love playing hockey. It’s something that I’ve done my whole life now.” Miller grew up playing hockey with his brothers—street hockey, that is, on the wide, leafy streets in Santa Clarita, Calif. He didn’t exchange his rollerblades for ice skates until a friend nudged him toward the sport, and within weeks he was routinely playing and practicing in the Iceoplex in Simi Valley. “I fell in love with the sport,” Miller says, who taped pictures of Wayne
Bears at Play
Photo by Heidi Holland/Getty Images
Gretzky on his bedroom wall to motivate him. “It was a goal to play professionally, and when I was practicing with my brothers, I would envision scoring a goal in the NHL. It was just something that I put on the wall, and I worked toward that goal, year by year, day by day.” As Miller realized he could play beyond recreational hockey, he began to wonder: Where and how should I get to the next level? “My parents and I sat down when I was about 14 or 15, and I said, ‘I think I’ve hit my peak here in California. We should start looking at other places, whether it be the junior route or prep school.’ But we didn’t really know our options.” As luck would have it, Miller’s Pee Wee hockey coach, Larry Bruyere P’93, had sent his son to Berkshire, and he urged Miller to consider the school. While many young hockey players opt to try out for a junior ice hockey league or attend schools focused solely on hockey, both Bruyere and Miller’s parents had a different vision: they wanted Miller to receive a well-rounded education and play several sports in order to boost his potential hockey prospects and prepare him for life. “My parents were adamant about
me going that route instead of juniors because they were pretty high on me getting a good education,” Miller says. “They didn’t know what type of career I might have, and neither did I. Berkshire, and then Vermont, helped prepare me for anything. There was always the knowledge and security that I had that education in my back pocket.” Alex Moodey, Berkshire’s head hockey coach at the time, was not expecting Miller, since he applied late to Berkshire, arriving in his fifth-form year. Miller, who admits he came strutting in expecting a varsity spot, was immediately punted to the JV team, causing his first crisis of conviction. Knowing that his junior year was an important time to be visible to college recruiters, he worried, “Did I make a wrong decision to come east? Is my hockey career already over?” His family, specifically his dad, told him to “put [his] head down and work hard,” which is what he did, eventually getting called up to varsity at the end of the season. “That’s all you can really do when things don’t go your way—put your head down and work,” Miller says. “That was the biggest lesson taken away from
Berkshire. Things aren’t necessarily always going to go your way, but those are the moments when you learn the most about yourself.” In fact, it was this lesson that sparked Miller to begin to gather his mental toughness, which he says he called on again and again this season as he faced numerous injuries. After Berkshire, Miller played in the Hockey East NCAA Division I for the University of Vermont Catamounts, where he served as captain of the team for the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons. Following college, he made his move to become a professional hockey player, and just like his time at Berkshire, he had to “put his head down and work” as he made incremental movements toward the NHL, called up and then reassigned to AHL teams on several occasions. Rooney says he’s followed Miller’s career and was even attending Berkshire when Miller returned to speak to the hockey team about mental toughness. “Just like me, Miller did it the hard way— the way that people say you can’t do it,” Rooney says of earning a spot in the NHL without being drafted. “I’ve always looked up to him and tried to follow his path the best I could. He’s the guy that everybody respects in the locker room. His whole career, I’ve never heard a bad thing about him as a player or as a person.” Now finishing his sixth season with the Bruins, Miller reflects on what it means to him to have achieved his goal to play in the NHL—while also emphasizing there’s still work to do. “It’s hard to put into words,” he says. “It’s honestly a dream come true. I have to remind myself before every game, ‘You’re very fortunate to be here. You’re very blessed to be in a position that you are. You’ve had a lot of help along the away. And these are the times you’re going to remember.’” Summer 2019
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Kevin Rooney ’12:
“I CAN PLAY IN THIS LEAGUE.” In a January 14 game against the Blackhawks, Rooney buried a rebound deep in the back of the net late in the second period, marking his first NHL goal. It was a monumental moment— one that he’d been working toward for years—and he grinned in celebration. He had arrived.
“It’s never been about statistics for me,” he says. “It’s been about showing up and playing hard every game. But once I got that first goal, I got more confidence within me to know that I can play in this league.” Over the last few years, Rooney has either played in a hockey game every day or recovered from one—first for
Providence College (leading the team to the NCAA championship) and then for the AHL’s Albany Devils, where he was the captain. His diligence and patience paid off, and the NHL took notice, finally committing to Rooney after calling him up several times, signing a one-way contract with him to play for the New Jersey Devils next year.
Photo by New Jersey Devils/ Andy Marlin
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Bears at Play
“I want to be front and center on the penalty line, committed every night to help the team go further than we did this year.” —Kevin Rooney ’12
Although the Devils were ousted early from the playoffs this year, Rooney had enough time to make his mark this season when he was called up— and stayed up, playing 34 games and contributing six goals and nine points. “It was a big season to show that they made the right signing,” Rooney says, whose goal has always been to play in the NHL consistently. “So hopefully next year, I will have gotten to the point where I’ve proven that I should be here and can be relied upon.” “This is a great opportunity for Kevin,” Devils coach John Hynes told the Patriot Ledger in March. “He’s been in the organization and had numerous call-ups, and right now he’s really playing some of the best hockey we’ve seen—and he’s doing it at the NHL level, which is encouraging.” Rooney was raised on hockey. His father was a former college hockey player and his uncle is former NHLer Steve Rooney, who played for the Montreal Canadiens. When Rooney played hockey for Providence College, he played one season alongside his cousin. Plus, he grew up in the Boston area, where people live and breathe the Bruins. “We’ve always been a big hockey family, and that’s all I’ve known growing up,” Rooney says. “So I’ve just followed in my dad’s, my uncle’s, my brother’s, and my cousins’ footsteps in hockey, and then just worked my way through each level.” When Rooney was a sophomore playing hockey for Canton High School, his speed on the ice began to set him apart. After one game, an assistant hockey coach for Northeastern University, who happened to be in the stands, pulled Rooney aside. “He said, ‘Hey, I saw you play, and I think you’ll
want to go play in another league with that speed. You’re almost too good for this league,’” Rooney recounts. “That was the first time I was like, ‘Whoa! What do you mean?’ This was all I knew and all I wanted to do.” Devoting himself even more to hockey, Rooney’s family began to look at his options, and like Miller’s family, they began thinking about Berkshire School. Rooney first set foot on campus while accompanying his older brother on a visit to see if Berkshire could be the right fit for his brother’s postgrad season. As it turned out, it was the right fit for Rooney—though he struggled at first to find his way. “I was 16 when I got there, and it was the first time living away from family and friends,” Rooney says. “The first month there was really tough for me, with study hall every night. I was kind of in shock, like, ‘What did I sign up for?’ Once I got comfortable and made some friends, it was great.” Rooney credits two upperclassmen on the hockey team for taking him under their wings—Eric Robinson ’11 and Trevor Mingoia ’11—and Rooney ended up playing hockey alongside Mingoia at Providence. “I became best friends with him and he helped me a lot at Berkshire,” Rooney says. One of Rooney’s most important takeaways from Berkshire was “getting outside my bubble to meet people from all over the world. ...Now I’m in a situation playing professional hockey, and there are guys from all over the place, and being able to connect with them because of my time at Berkshire is such an asset,” he says. “That all started at Berkshire.”
THE MOST COMPETITIVE KIDS Many young athletes are often encouraged to specialize in one sport, intensely training to elevate their talents. Increasingly, however, research shows that specializing in a sport can cause psychological stress and overuse injuries. At Berkshire, students are required to play a sport every season— even students who are laser focused on becoming elites in college and professional athletes in their careers. For Miller and Rooney, this nonspecialization approach meant they had to set aside their hockey sticks in the fall and spring to play other sports. Miller says the three-sport mandate gave him a chance to branch out, playing soccer in the fall and lacrosse in the spring. “I had been used to skating and working on my skills almost year round, but at Berkshire, the ice didn’t go into the rink until right before the winter season started,” he says. “I didn’t have the option to focus on hockey, and I think it gave me a much-needed break from the yearround hockey. When it came time to put the skates back on, I was basically foaming at the mouth to get back on the ice and get the season started.” Playing multiple sports, Miller says, ultimately helped him become a stronger hockey player. “Lacrosse is a very similar sport to hockey,” he says. “Angles, reading and reacting, physicality—these were all things that translated from the lacrosse field to the ice rink. I’m extremely glad and Summer 2019
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Rooney ’12 celebrates his first NHL goal after a game against the Chicago Blackhawks in January. Photo by New Jersey Devils/Andy Marlin
thankful I chose to play different sports, because it helped me tremendously.” Rooney, who played JV soccer in the fall and baseball in the spring, experienced a similar shift as an athlete, growing in ways he hadn’t anticipated. “Playing more than one sport was a huge opportunity for me,” he says. “It allowed me to develop other skill sets that made me a better overall athlete. Hockey was always a mental and physical grind. To be able to take time away from the game made me appreciate it that much more when hockey season came around again.” When it came time for Rooney to recommit to proving himself to the NHL, he called on the resilience he gained playing sports at Berkshire. “I’ve always had to get by on my work ethic and passion, and that’s something I developed at Berkshire,” Rooney said. “Everywhere I’ve gone, I had to carve
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a niche for myself and just work harder than anyone else. I learned to do that during my time playing for Coach Driscoll and being a student at Berkshire.” Athletic Director Dan Driscoll, who coached both student athletes in hockey, says Berkshire’s non-specialization philosophy helps cultivate well-rounded athletes and leaders, which he sees in Miller and Rooney. “Kevan Miller almost went to play college soccer; he was a tremendous athlete. And Kevin Rooney also played baseball at a very high level,” Driscoll says. “I think what they both learned from it, which is reflective in the way they approach their jobs now, is they became the ultimate teammates. They played different roles in each sport, and with that came an empathy or an appreciation of the roles that every kid on every team has. That’s reflected in the ways they both approach their work today.”
Driscoll continues, “Playing different sports opened their eyes to the value and importance of every guy in the lineup. They’re two of the most competitive kids I’ve ever met, and I think competing in different situations and different roles benefited them in the long run.” With the NHL season wrapped up, Rooney says he’s feeling more comfortable than ever playing at this level—though he isn’t letting his guard down. “There’s no room for error,” he says. “It’s a full-time job. I have to be there ready to perform. If I’m not, then somebody will be there to take my spot very quickly.” Never without a plan, Rooney says of next season: “I want to become more consistent in the league and try to help the team any which way I can,” he says. “I want to be front and center on the penalty line, committed every night to help the team go further than we did this year.” Miller, too, is already turning the page, not wanting to linger too long on the past. “When I’m done playing, whenever that may be down the road, I will have time to sit back and reflect on my career,” he says. “But I still have a lot of unfinished business to do. That’s what drives me: to win that Stanley Cup. And now that motivation is burning stronger than ever. I want to win one, and I want to actually play.” James Murphy is the owner, editor-inchief, and lead NHL and Boston Bruins columnist for Boston Hockey Now. Murphy, who has covered the NHL, NCAA hockey, and junior hockey for 18 seasons, has worked for NHL.com, NESN, and ESPNBoston, as well as various other outlets in print, radio, and TV.
Bears at Play
Kendall Coyne Schofield ’11, the first female ever to compete in the NHL All-Star Skills Competition Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
KENDALL COYNE SCHOFIELD ’11 BREAKS GENDER BARRIER IN THE NHL In January, Kendall Coyne Schofield ’11 became the first woman to compete at the National Hockey League (NHL) All-Star Skills Competition. Coyne Schofield, 26, raced around San Jose’s SAP Center ice rink in 14.346 seconds, breaking the gender barrier in the league’s fastest-skater event. Wearing her Olympic jersey, she crossed the finish line to chants of “USA, USA” and received high fives from the NHL players sitting on the benches. “I cherish these moments,” Coyne Schofield said in an USA Today article. “That’s what I tell kids all the time. When I was putting on my hockey skates when I was 3 years old, I didn’t think I’d play in two Olympic games, get the
education that I received, or be sitting in front of you here today after being the first woman to compete in an All-Star Skills Competition. It’s amazing what this game has brought me.” Coyne Schofield’s impact on women’s hockey has not been lost on the players who have followed in her footsteps:
“When I see an example of a woman playing a sport that I love, it is extremely motivating to keep working hard regardless of the adversity I may face. There is a lot of hope for women’s ice hockey, and I am really looking forward to seeing where the women’s game goes.” —Catherine Appleyard ’20
“Kendall Coyne is a great role model for girls to look up to. Her appearance at the NHL’s Skills Competition was a huge step toward equality and allowing young girls to compete at the highest level of hockey.” —Erin Dillon ’17
“Without the role models I have in my life, I would not have set the same goals for myself. They make me push myself to be better. I have watched women go out and win Olympic gold medals and championships. If they can do it, why can’t I?” —Abby Hornung ’22 Summer 2019
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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.
Cross Country
Nordic Skiing
Haines Corrigan ’19 earned a sixth-place finish at the NEPSTA Div. II Cross Country Championships on her way to being named to the All-NEPSAC Div. II team. Harrison Chapin ’20 was the top finisher on the boys team, earning a 33rd place finish among 112 runners.
#GoBears!
Girls Basketball
Devon Thompson ’19, Emmet McDonnell ’20, and Clara Mollerus ’22 competed in the New England Nordic Ski Association Eastern High School Championships in March at Fort Kent, Maine. The trio was chosen to represent Massachusetts against other top skiers from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York.
Football The Bears finished the season with a 6–2 record, narrowly missing an opportunity to play in a postseason bowl game. Berkshire was led by twotime NEPSAC Class C Offensive Player of the Year Rayshawn Boswell ’19 and All-NEPSAC linebacker Micah Morris ’19. The Bears outscored opponents 236–64 during the season.
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The Bears finished the regular season 15–6, earning a trip to the NEPSAC Class B playoffs, where Berkshire lost to The Governor’s Academy 50–44 in the quarterfinal. Alexis Moragne ’19, a four-year starter who scored her 1,000th career point during the season, and Treasure Coleman ’20 were selected to the All-NEPSAC team and represented Berkshire in the Class B All-Star game.
Boys Squash After guiding the Bears to a 16–6 record, Karan Dhiman ’19 captured the 2019 AllJamaica U-19 Junior Squash Championship in March. Dhiman also earned All-NEPSAC Class A Honorable Mention.
Girls Alpine Skiing Captain MacKenzie Hatch ’19 led the Bears to a second-place finish in the coed, 15-team Brigham Ski League. Hatch and teammates Eliza Keller ’20 and Tess
Bears at Play
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1. Alexis Moragne ‘19 scored her 1,000th point as a Bear on Jan. 30, in a 72–39 win over Hotchkiss. 2. Devon Thompson ’19 races toward the finish line during a Nordic Ski event at Prospect Mountain (VT) in January. 3. Girls Varsity Squash finished the season 13–5 and won third place in the NEPSAC Class B tournament, earning high praise from Berkshire squash ambassador and coach Nick Matthew (far left). 4. Alfonso Maculan ‘21 and Cade Alami ‘20 earned the No. 2 Doubles title at the Southern New England Tennis League (SNETL) tournament on May 11.
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Haskel ’20 also qualified for the U19 Eastern Finals at Gore Mountain, while program newcomers Charlotte Turner ’22 and Caroline Kerner ’22 earned a trip to the U16 Eastern Finals. Hatch and Kerner were named to the All-NEPSAC Class A team.
Girls Lacrosse The Bears defeated Cheshire 11–10 in sudden death overtime in the WNEPSLA Class B quarterfinals, led by leading scorer Callie Drake ‘20, who scored seven goals in the game. Berkshire lost in the semifinals to Williston.
Boys Track The Bears finished fourth at the New England Div. II Track and Field Championship, buoyed by the team’s 4X400m relay team of Achara Achara ‘19, Kevin Kelly ‘19, Dan Rayhill ‘20, and Jon Sinclair ‘19, which finished in first place.
Girls Track Angela Ansah ‘21 earned a New England championship in the shot put and placed third in the javelin throw to help lead the Bears to a secondplace finish in the New England Div. II Track and Field Championship. Other contributors to the all-around team effort included Haines Corrigan ‘19, who finished third in the 1500m and 3000m races, and Treasure Coleman ‘20, who earned third place in the long jump.
Baseball Jeremy DeLaMota ‘21, Graham Herrick ‘20, Matthew Fisher ‘21, Michael Lewishall ‘20, and Hayden Riva ‘21 helped the Young Division to a 5–1 win in the Western New England Prep Baseball League Underclassmen All-Star Game in May.
5. Football Head Coach Mike McCabe joins Austin Thompson ’19 (Cornell), left, and Micah Morris ’19 (UPenn), right, as they sign their National Letter of Intent. 6. Andrew Buckley ’19 earned a thirdplace finish in the A Division mountain bike race hosted by Hotchkiss School in September. 7. Girls track won second place at New Englands. Front row (l-r): Treasure Coleman ‘20, Vivian Akyirem ‘22, Angela Ansah ‘21. Back row (l-r): Aimi Sekiguchi ‘20, Holley Riva ‘19, Autumn Coard ‘22, Alanna Smith ‘19, Lucy Krumsick ‘20, Alexis Moragne ‘19, Sally Anderson ‘22, Haines Corrigan ‘19, Elizabeth Nutting ‘19
To view the 2018-2019 Athletic Award winners, go to berkshireschool.org/awards.
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Bears at Play
Berkshire celebrates its fifth NEPSAC championship in seven years following the team’s 3–1 victory over Worcester Academy on Nov. 18, 2018. The Bears also defeated Taft 3–0 (semifinal) and Milton Academy 1–0 (quarterfinal) to bring home the Stewart Cup. Photos by Risley Sports Photography
PRESEASON PURA VIDA Trip to Costa Rica Guides Boys Varsity Soccer to Perfect Season by Michael Hayes
For all the success that Berkshire’s boys varsity soccer team had enjoyed over the past decade, the Bears had never finished a season undefeated, untied, and as prep champion. That changed last fall when Berkshire defeated Worcester Academy 3–1 in the New England Preparatory Scholastic Athletic Council Class A championship game, to finish the 2018 season with a perfect 19–0–0. The team’s destiny, it turns out, had been set in motion during a preseason trip to Costa Rica, where Berkshire faced a handful of competitive Costa Rican youth teams and returned home from the trip having lost two of its four 60
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friendlies. The lessons learned from those losses, Head Coach Charlie Bour explained, helped pave the way for a memorable season. “I think Costa Rica was a good trip because some of the places we played, there’s some grittiness there,” Bour recalled, describing the lessthan-ideal playing conditions that his players encountered, including mostly dirt fields and muddy pitches. “Our players quickly realized that the level of facility and venue that we’re used to at Berkshire—playing on a perfect surface like a turf field, having an immaculate training room, having all these resources and amenities—should
not be taken for granted.” The preseason scrimmages were only a small part of the Costa Rican experience that helped propel the Bears to the team’s fifth prep championship in seven years and TopDrawerSoccer. com’s final No. 1 ranking. During the trip, players and coaches bonded during a visit to El Trapiche (a sugar mill), shared the thrill of whitewater rafting, enjoyed whale watching, and ziplined through a section of the country’s dense jungle. The trip also allowed the team to connect to Bour’s past. As a junior at St. Lawrence University, Bour had studied abroad in Costa Rica, and the Bears visited the family that had hosted Bour during that time. “It was cool to share that experience,” Bour said. But it was the moments playing soccer in Costa Rica that had the most impact on the team later in the season. Bour recalled one game in particular, during which the team called on the resilient and refuse-to-give-up mentality they had begun to develop against their tough opponents in Costa Rica. Playing against Taft at home in October, the Bears fell behind 1–0 in the first minute of play but managed to grit out a 3–2 victory that included two penalty kick stops from postgraduate goalkeeper Marco Saborío Pérez ’19. “A win like that, it changes the whole season,” Bour said. “There was a larger-than-life feeling of confidence after that win.”
Bears at Play
Berkshire players swarm Deng Kur ’19 (Northwestern University commitment) after his 50-yard free kick finds the net, giving the Bears a 2–1 lead against Worcester Academy.
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Bears at Play
BEARS IN THE NEWS Mitch Gillam ’11 played 44 games in goal for the Worcester Railers and earned a spot on the ECHL Eastern Conference All-Star roster. Gillam finished the season with a 21–16 record in net. Charlie Corcoran ‘14 played in 60 games for the Dundee Stars of the Elite Ice Hockey League in the United Kingdom. Corcoran scored 16 goals and tallied 36 assists in his first professional season following a four-year career at Brown University.
member of the Williams College women’s soccer team, which defeated Middlebury 1–1 (3–2 PK) on Dec. 1 for the team’s secondstraight title and third in four years. Kristalyn Baisden ‘15 wrapped up a fouryear career at Saint Joseph’s University, where she averaged 8.4 points per game as a senior and often led the women’s basketball team on the defensive end. Baisden scored a teamhigh 17 points in her final game vs. VCU in the A-10 conference tournament.
Michaelann Denton ‘14 completed her final season with Hobart and William Smith College’s squash team, where she also competed for four years on the tennis team. Denton finished her senior season with an overall match record of 12–4, earning a spot on the All-Liberty League first team. Her 3–0 record at the national team championships helped propel the Herons to second place in the Epps Cup. Cooper Fersen ’14 served as a student assistant coach for the University of Virginia men’s lacrosse team, which defeated Yale this spring to capture the NCAA Div. I National Championship. Tipper Higgins ’14 wrapped up a fouryear career at Army, playing in 38 games as a senior while scoring four goals for the Black Knights. Ana Alvarenga ’15 won her third NCAA Div. III National Championship as a
Mrs. Bowler catches up with Kristalyn Baisden ’15, who started 28 of 29 games for the Hawks during her senior year. Photo courtesy of Andrea Bowler, faculty
recorded 16 assists. Donawa and Zeiko Lewis ’13 were teammates on the Bermuda National Team, which competed in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Olivia Good ‘15 completed an impressive athletic career at Connecticut College, where she played four years of varsity hockey including serving as a captain during her senior season. For her career, Good played 100 games for the Camels, tied for third all-time at the school. MacKenzie Lancaster ’15 led the Quinnipiac University women’s hockey team with 18 assists this year. She received the 2019 Sarah Devens Award, a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship awarded by ECAC Hockey and Hockey East to a player who demonstrates leadership and commitment on and off the ice.
MacKenzie Lancaster ’15 also earned the Mandi Schwartz Student-Athlete of the Year award, an honor given to the ECAC hockey player who best demonstrates excellence on and off the ice. Photo by Rob Rasmussen
Justin Donawa ’15 was selected 66th overall by the Columbus Crew in the 2019 Major League Soccer SuperDraft in January. As a four-year midfielder at Dartmouth College, Donawa scored nine goals and
John Leasure ’15 was named to the American Collegiate Rowing Association’s (ACRA) all-Mid Atlantic team and earned second-team ACRA All-Academic for Bucknell University, where he rowed for four years. Arwen Neski ’15 completed an impressive crew career at Yale University, where she was a four-year varsity rower and competed at the NCAA championships all four years. Yale was consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally during her time there, finishing No. 8 in the nation in 2019.
Cooper Fersen ’14 (fourth from left) helped coach UVA to the ACC and NCAA championships. Photo by Matt Riley, UVA Athletics
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Samone DeFreese ’16 was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association women’s basketball second team after leading the
University of Delaware in scoring at 10.8 points per game. DeFreese also averaged 6.5 rebounds per game for the Blue Hens, and scored a season-high 31 points against Northeastern. Anna Flaherty ‘16 (Hobart and William Smith Colleges) and Annette Key ‘16 (Tufts University) competed at the U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association National Championships held in March at Snow King Mountain in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Sophia Peluso ’16 helped guide Middlebury College’s field hockey program to its second straight Div. III NCAA National Championship. Peluso also earned a spot on the National Academic Squad, which recognizes student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher. Caroline Sugar ’18 started 14 games for the Sewanee Tigers women’s field hockey team, and earned Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Defensive Player of the Week honors twice. She was named to the All-SAA and National Field Hockey Coaches Association (Great Lakes Region) second teams.
Shaffelburg Signs with MLS, Repeats as Gatorade POY Berkshire soccer standout Jacob Shaffelburg ’19 has taken his game to the next level. In January, the Nova Scotia, Canada native signed a professional contract with Toronto FC II, a minor league affiliate of Toronto FC of Major League Soccer (MLS). In June, Shaffelburg signed with Toronto FC as a homegrown player, and in his first start against Atlanta United he recorded two assists in a 3–2 victory. Shaffelburg also earned Gatorade’s 2018-2019 Massachusetts Boys Soccer Player of the year award, becoming the second Berkshire soccer player to win the distinction in consecutive years. Former MLS SuperDraft No. 1 pick Jack Harrison ’15 won the award in 2013–2014 and again in 2014–2015.
Cooper Tuckerman ‘18 represented the United States in the Junior Men’s 2x at the 2018 World Rowing Junior Championships in Racice, Czech Republic. Cooper went on to row in Dartmouth College’s lightweight varsity 8+ and earned a bronze medal in the lightweight varsity 4- at the 2019 Intercollegiate Rowing Association championships.
Crew Christens Three New Boats
Cooper Tuckerman ‘18 competes with his Dartmouth College teammates at the 2019 IRA championships.
Elizabeth Rowland ’19, who earned this spring’s David P. Madio Bowl (Most Valuable Rower) for girls crew, helps christen Guilder, one of three new boats to hit the water this spring. Artemis and Bear Mountain were also added thanks to the generous support of the Crew Endowment Program.
Photo courtesy of USRowing
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Photo by Lucas Kschischang, Toronto FC II
Bears at Play
Campus News
COMMENCEMENT Longtime science teacher Peter Kinne offered some advice to the graduating Class of 2019. Kinne, who retired this spring after teaching 39 years at Berkshire, called the opportunity to serve as this year’s Commencement speaker “the greatest honor of my career.” He then urged the School’s 123 graduates to treat others with kindness, and to continue being stewards of the environment. Drawing from a similar theme, Gohta Aihara ’19 told his fellow graduates to face the future with a sense of
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appreciation. “We all know that getting out of a place where you feel safe and comfortable is extremely difficult. However, as you keep striving against the tides of your comfort, you will eventually find a land where you will be rewarded and feel accomplished,” said Aihara, who was chosen by his classmates as this year’s winner of the Weil Family Prize for Public Speaking. Members of the graduating class bestowed the Aliis Non Sibi Award to Director of Counseling Tess Adams, citing her
Campus News
2019
On May 24, Berkshire bid a fond farewell to its 112th graduating class.
“quiet, steadying, and wide reach through the community.” The award recognizes a faculty member who lives up to the motto: “For others, not themselves.” An audience of over 800 gathered inside the Jackman Stewart Athletic Center to watch the graduates receive their diplomas. The ceremony included a performance of the national anthem by Daniel Akomolafe ’19 and the Berkshire hymn by the School chorus. Head of School Pieter Mulder and faculty also awarded top academic and athletic prizes.
The Weil Family Prize for Public Speaking winner Gohta Aihara ’19 Photos by Highpoint Pictures
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Giang Le, Nate McShane, Gigi Brown, and Emmanuel Roldan will lead the Class of 2020 as next year’s all-school presidents and head prefects.
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Campus News
ONWARD See where members of the Class of 2019 are headed this fall.
Ugochukwu Achara Elikem Adika John Aiello Gohta Aihara Daniel Akomolafe Carter Allen Bianca Arredondo Alexander Barnosky Nicholas Berghold Elizabeth Bernstein William Blomquist Anne Marie Boardman Samuel Bodman Rayshawn Boswell Cavan Brady Lazerrick Braxton Andrew Buckley Kenneth Burgess Lillian Caan Liam Carroll Halle Chandler Lila Childs Elias Cohen Haines Corrigan Michael Derrig Madeleine Devost Karan Dhiman Martin Dimo Emma Dreher Elizabeth Driscoll Peter Dunbar Hussien El Desouky Katherine Erazo Catherine Farr Harley Frechette Michael Fulling Patrick Fulling Robert Gallop Brooks Gammill Katherine Graham Michael Grise Kegan Grogean
Northwestern University St. John’s University University of Richmond Johns Hopkins University Boston University University of Denver Rutgers University Hobart and William Smith Colleges University of Virginia Elon University Trinity College University of Denver The University of Alabama Hobart and William Smith Colleges Wheaton College, MA St. Lawrence University University of Vermont Lehigh University The American University of Paris Eckerd College Franklin & Marshall College Santa Clara University New York University Bucknell University Southern Methodist University University of Virginia University of British Columbia Boston University Skidmore College Washington and Lee University Bates College Dickinson College Rutgers University Trinity College Northeastern University Texas Christian University Southern Methodist University Boston University Colby College Rollins College Lehigh University Dickinson College
Elizabeth Harrington MacKenzie Hatch Caroline Hogan Robert Hoogkamp Thomas Horak Kade Iervolino Jacob Iwowo Sinclair Jelleme Elise Johnston Kevin Kelly Henry Kessler Shane Killian Camille Kittredge Grant Kneisel Sanghyun Ko Deng Kur Jake Lachance Martine Lavelle Avalon Lebenthal Shannon Lee James Lehmberg Mackenzie Licata Brendan MacDonald Sean MacDonald Danielle Malarney Eli Mathieu David McCrory Madeline McDonough Anne McGill Jeffrey McKee Maxwell McKersie Brooke McLanahan Edward McMurray Ruby Merritt Aidan Metcalfe Philip Mollerus Alexis Moragne Micah Morris Nhu Nguyen Elizabeth Nutting Jennifer Ogaz Kent Pendergast
Dickinson College University of Denver University of St Andrews St. Lawrence University Junior Hockey Elon University Bates College Southern Methodist University University of Virginia Lycoming College University of California, Los Angeles Miami University, Oxford University of California, San Diego Miami University, Oxford Boston College Northwestern University Wesleyan University St. Lawrence University University of Michigan Lesley University Denison University Bates College Elon University Elon University St. Lawrence University Bucknell University Kenyon College Colby College Wake Forest University Bucknell University Bates College Elon University Boston University University of California, Santa Barbara Junior Hockey Dickinson College Delaware State University University of Pennsylvania Tufts University University of Sydney St. Francis College Babson College
Chance Perekslis Annabel Pirkle Benjamin Plager Michael Porter John Pratt Peyton Presutti Sophie Reed Holley Riva Grant Rohrmann Fatima Romano Escamilla Mason Romm Louise Rosenblad Alexander Ross Elizabeth Rowland Marc Sabrià Gabarró James Schoudel William Schultz Myles Scott Nenyasha Shoko Elias Sienkiewicz Jonathan Sinclair Anya Singh Alanna Smith Hunter Smith Thomas Sogard William Souder Nicholas Steed William Stoops Tyler Swirbul Austin Thompson Devon Thompson Daniel Tian Collin Vincent James Walsh Katherine Whitman Elliot Winoker Sydney Wray Nan Yang Aichen Yao
Trinity College Newcastle University Seton Hall University University of Rochester Northeastern University University of Colorado at Boulder University of Denver Elmira College Southern Methodist University Trinity College Hobart and William Smith Colleges Universita Bocconi Bates College Hobart and William Smith Colleges Villanova University Lafayette College Dartmouth College Wheaton College, MA Syracuse University Williams College The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Oxford College of Emory University Villanova University University of Miami University of Tennessee Texas Christian University Colgate University Bucknell University University of Pennsylvania Cornell University Cornell University University of Pennsylvania St. Lawrence University Skidmore College Trinity College Brown University Sewanee: The University of the South Columbia University Carnegie Mellon University
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THE PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT Longtime science teacher Peter Kinne P’08 offers some advice to the graduates.
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arlier in the spring, shortly after [Head of School] Mr. Mulder had asked me to speak, I was having a family get together when I asked my oldest brother Tom, Berkshire Class of 1959, if he ever thought I’d be a commencement speaker. Tom sat there for a minute and he looked at me and replied, “I never thought you’d be graduating.” For those of you who know me, you know how prophetic those words were, and really defines my high school career, in terms of looking back. It makes this day even more humbling and special, along with being the biggest honor of my career. Today is about me getting out of my comfort zone, as I’ve been pretty much making a living talking at 45 minutes at a clip to relatively small classes. This is not a small class! Relax, I’m not going to talk for 45 minutes, even though my mouth is trained to do that. One of my messages to you, members of the Class of 2019, is that continuing to push yourself in new directions is a lifelong process. I’ve learned that growth is earned daily, that it never really stops, and there’s really no seniority, which I don’t like. It’s all part of the process that I’ve learned—we either grow or we wilt. When I said, “yes” to Mr. Mulder, I chose to grow, and I
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hope that you do, too. Also, today is about a transition into an unknown realm for both of us. I’m leaving the classroom, where I’ve been for all this time, and you are leaving the friendly confines of this wonderful Mountain that we have here. So, I have some advice for all of you along with some reminders for myself. Back in the summer of 1980, I was finishing up my bachelor’s degree at the University of Vermont, a degree I had set out to earn in the fall of 1966. You can do the math and figure out why my brother was a little concerned. My wife, Lynn, and I were home for a few days visiting with family in Great Barrington [Mass.], when I ran into my great friend, [late former faculty] Twiggs Myers, who many of you knew. So, I asked him half-jokingly, “You have any work over at that school?” He said, “Let me check on it.” So later that day, I got a phone call from another mutual friend, some remember Dr. Charlie, who said, “Why don’t you swing by and meet me tomorrow morning.” So, I arrived at Berkshire the next day in flip flops, shorts, and a T-shirt to meet up with him. Then, I received a whirlwind Green Keytype of tour of the campus. I met Ross Hawkins, Jack Stewart, and a few other
members of the community. Finally, I ended up in the Head of School Office with Jim Moore for a brief chat about the teaching profession, residential living, and coaching sports. We shook hands, and off I headed back to town to have lunch with Lynn and her grandmother. I was completely oblivious that I was being interviewed for a job, until later that afternoon when the phone rang, and it was Mr. Moore offering me a job. I didn’t even have my resume put together; I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, which continues today. Now, 39 years later, here I am sharing with you, in front of this microphone, that I was truly meant to be here. I got to do something my whole career that I really loved to do … I got to teach and coach our daughter, Sarah ’08; I got to teach several current faculty members along with several of your parents and many of you in the Class of 2019. So, one of my main messages to you as you embark into this new phase of life is the plan is perfect. It will unfold exactly as it is supposed to, you will meet the right people, end up in the right places, and end up doing what you are supposed to do if you commit to and trust the process. Get up in the morning, do the footwork, and follow your heart; it will
“I truly believe that the Mountain has touched a part of your soul that you never knew existed . . . Therefore, I have complete confidence that as you go forward from this place that you will be mindful of the fact that you are a part of this planet, not apart from it.” all work out exactly as it is supposed to. Actually, while I was writing this, one of my reminders to myself is that I would like to leave Berkshire as I arrived, in flip flops, shorts, and a T-shirt. [Kinne revealed to the audience a similar outfit under his robe during his Commencement speech.] I’m also here to thank all the Berkshire students, especially you, the Class of 2019, who I’ve had the honor of knowing over my tenure here. Most of you who know me would probably say that I’m the “cup is half full” kind of person, and so the question might be, why? Especially when you realize that for 39 years that I’ve been teaching about all the perils facing the planet, like the climate crisis, water and air quality issues, and an ever-expanding population. My answer is really simple: it’s because of you. I know I may be living in some of your heads “rent free” as you go forward. I also know that because you’ve attended this School, which takes its mission seriously,
you are leaving here as environmentally literate and compassionate people. I truly believe this Mountain has touched a part of your soul you never knew existed. Even if you did not spend a lot of time exploring it, the Mountain’s spirit is part of you now. Therefore, I have complete confidence that as you go forward from this place that you will be mindful of the fact that you are a part of this planet, not apart from it. By being with you in the classroom, in the dorm, on the court, the links, and on the Mountain, I definitely sleep better at night knowing that the many issues facing the planet are in the capable hands of our current and future Berkshire alums. For you, the Class of 2019, I’ve seen what you will become at every alumni event I have been able to attend. The lessons you have learned here under the Mountain will serve you well in any endeavor you pursue. The true friendships definitely will be yours for a lifetime. I challenge you to stick to the morals and values you have earned while here and promise you others will look to you as a role model. Be mindful you might be the only Berkshire student or alum that someone gets to see and let them know there are only two types of people in the world: those who graduated from Berkshire School and those who wish they did. Now, I was talking with Mr. Mulder about what I might also be able to impart to you. A lot of you know one of my main mantras, which I thought I would explain to you. Back in the late 60s, one of my best life role models was a World War II vet named Barney. Every time I met him, his salutation was “It’s the best day of my life.” I owe it to that man for teaching me this lesson and giving me the main mantra for my own life, as many of you already know. Why you might ask, is it always the best day of my life, which by the way, it really is. What I learned from Barney was that a healthy philosophy sets an inspirational
Peter Kinne P’08, a beloved science teacher, coach, and mentor to generations of Berkshire graduates, served as the keynote speaker. Photo by Highpoint Pictures
example, which he was, and that the way one thinks sets a tone for the day. I’ve also come to understand it’s always today, right now actually, and all the worries and the things one projects never seem to be happening right now. The best lesson life has taught me is the Universe never gives me more than I can handle if I can keep it in the moment. Barney’s gift each time he made his refrain, which is now mine, reminds me that this day and particularly this moment, is perfect, and I’m right where my feet are. So, to all of you and particularly to the members of the Class of 2019, bask in this moment, pay attention to your surroundings (the hawk, the raven that I saw before I came into this building), and even the wind that may be speaking to you, giving you blessings you all richly deserve. I thank all of you for your life and all that you’ve given me. Please be kind to one another. It’s the greatest gift you can give to each other, stay in touch, some of you [jokingly], all of you, actually. Remember that you are Bears for life! Summer 2019
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Alumni Spotlight
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Campus News
Class of 1969: Bill Keeney and Steve Hope
Julian Delacruz ’99, Laurel Patterson, and children Reid and Ava Wibberly
Class of 1999: Evie Ullman, Sarah Cushwa Divine, Liz Mattes, Annie Corrao Allardyce, Alex Cutler Gregg Beldock ’79 with daughter, Sydney ’14
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Class of 2014: Ali Malecka, Serena Menges, Blake Polizzi, Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris, Alden Boldt, Ian Rasmussen, Jake Grant, Will Fortenbaugh, Allie Brazo, Emily Hubbard, Peter Hoover, Mitchell Andres, Austin Zaepfel, Sam Hahn, Nick Asaro, Dylan O’Connor, Eloise Morrow, Sydney Beldock
From left: Lucia Mulder P’22, Tom Wolf ’44C, Bobbie Wolf, and Head of School Pieter Mulder P’22
LIFETIME OF LOYALTY Reunion Weekend marked a special occasion for Thomas P. Wolf ’44C, who celebrated his 75th reunion and was honored at the opening of the exhibit, “Selected Works from The Art Collection of Tom Wolf ’44C” in The Warren Family Gallery. Wolf donated to Berkshire 20 pieces of artwork on display. He and his late wife of 57 years, Marian Gregory “Greg” Wolf, began collecting art in 1959, adding works by noted artists Ben Benn, Marsha Gayle, and James Hiroshi Suzuki and seeking out “entirely what they liked and what spoke to them.” Wolf remarried in 2010 to Barbara “Bobbie” McClellan Wolf, and together they have continued collecting works by a variety of artists—including Bobbie herself. Wolf’s thoughtful contribution will serve to inspire and educate students and faculty of Berkshire for years to come. Class of 1944C: John Schofield and Tom Wolf
Class of 2014: Clementina Davila Tejeida, Allie Brazo, Allie McErlean, Hadley Laskowski
Wolf exhibits a generosity of spirit seen not only in his donation of artworks but also in his longstanding loyalty and service to Berkshire. He has given back to the Annual Fund every year since graduation, with the exception being the year his overseas service in the U.S. Armed Forces prevented him from doing so. In 2019, honoring Wolf’s extraordinary commitment to the School and his milestone reunion, Berkshire established The Tom Wolf Society to recognize young alumni who join Wolf in giving back every year following graduation. Board of Trustees member Cary Weil Barnett ’76, P’17, whose father was a classmate and longtime friend of Wolf, shared, “Tom’s record of giving for 74 years straight is inspirational. ...To belong in The Tom Wolf Society is to embody the same philanthropic loyalty to Berkshire as Tom.” Wolf was joined by his wife, Bobbie; his granddaughter, Shoshana Wolf Bohrer; his great-grandsons, Jake and Drew; and longtime friend and classmate at Berkshire and Princeton, John Schofield ’44C.
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2019 REUNION AWARDS
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA AND KELLOGG VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS ALICE EHRENCLOU COLE ’76 AND K.C. CLOW ’69
On Saturday, June 8, Head of School Pieter Mulder P’22 awarded Berkshire School Board of Trustees member Alice Ehrenclou Cole ’76 with Berkshire’s Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor that the School confers on one of its graduates, and K.C. Clow ’69 with the Kellogg Volunteer of the Year Award.
ALICE EHRENCLOU COLE ’76 attended Chapin School in New York City and then graduated from Berkshire School in 1976—serving as a pioneering female in the early days of coeducation. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and political science from Occidental College in 1980. A native of New York City, Cole resides in Vero Beach, Fla., and Willsboro, N.Y., with her husband, Wallace H. Cole III. Cole has been a member of the board of trustees at Berkshire since 2000 and became the board’s first female chair in 2014. Head of School Pieter Mulder said, “We are so deeply indebted to her principled, compassionate, and strategic leadership.” He then shared quotes about Cole from her fellow board members. Vice Chair Jim Haskel ’86, P’20,’22 said, “While Alice may be remembered by some as the first woman chair of Berkshire’s board, I will remember her simply as a great chairwoman. She combines deep caring and exceptional operational excellence, empowering trustees with clear responsibilities and then holding them accountable for results. She is a combination of humor and essence, but she knew how to get
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down to business and she drove results.” Board member and classmate Cary Weil Barnett ’76, P’17 expressed how “With her light yet firm touch, Alice moved us forward and held our feet to the fire. Alice is a woman admired, an alumna admired, and a chairperson admired by her peers, colleagues, and fellow members of the board of trustees.” “Alice has been breaking the glass ceiling for women since she enrolled into one of the first classes at Berkshire
steward for the School through many rough seas and can take as much credit for ushering in Berkshire’s success story as anyone else,” shared Vice Chair Lara Schefler McLanahan ’86, P’16,’16,’19. Chair Chip Perkins ’73, P’14,’14 joined Cole on stage in Allen Theater to express his congratulations and gratitude. He said, “As you look around campus, everything that’s going on—from the strength we see in college acceptances to students’ achievements in arts and athletics to the
“As a Berkshire trustee for two decades, she has been a steward for the School through many rough seas and can take as much credit for ushering in Berkshire’s success story as anyone else.” —Lara Schefler McLanahan ’86, P’16,’16,’19 Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees
to admit females. Whether intended or not, this experience positioned her to be a lifelong advocate for women and a notch on the belt of feminism. As a Berkshire trustee for two decades, she has been a
quality of the faculty—simply would not have been possible without Alice’s steadfast support and vision.”
2019 REUNION AWARDS
K.C. CLOW ’69 has shown selfless support over many years to Berkshire, the local Sheffield community, and to the members of the 50th Reunion Class, earning him the 2019 Volunteer of the Year Award. This year, Clow served on the 50th Reunion Committee, dedicating much of his free time to planning the event. Forty-three members of the Class of 1969 reunited at Reunion Weekend— setting a new high watermark in attendance for the 50th Reunion. Classmate Seamus McKeon ’69, P’04 said, “K.C. has done more to reconnect our classmates with the School, and with each other, than could be expected of any class agent. I couldn’t have pulled off the Ed Chase Ski Room without K.C.’s support. In fact, I would not have come up with the idea of a ski room had K.C. not brought us together with [former faculty and ski coach] Bob Brigham. Forty-three classmates returned for Reunion because of the work K.C. has done over the years.” During Clow’s time under the Mountain, he was active on the football and ice hockey teams. As an alum, Clow has served as a class agent since 1998 and has volunteered in countless ways since his graduation. He has generously made a planned gift commitment to establish the Clow Family Scholarship Endowment Fund, a future scholarship fund to welcome a student(s) from Berkshire County to attend Berkshire. Clow is a supporter of the School’s U.S. History program and has kindly donated an online subscription of The New York Times to all members of the Berkshire community. He is active in the Sheffield community and serves as a member of the board of trustees at the Sheffield Historical Society.
“K.C. at his core is a decent, kind, and generous man with a sense of humor and a good soul.” —Jim Hooper ‘69, Board of Trustees Member
Classmate and board of trustees member Jim Hooper ’69 shared, “K.C. at his core is a decent, kind, and generous man with a sense of humor and a good soul. In our younger days, K.C. could be reliably found in the middle of a fun time, with fun people, in fun places. And this remains true even today, although fortunately, the fun does not occur with the same
frequency or intensity. He has survived and bounced back from more than his fair share of life’s adversities with strength and grace. K.C. has bounced and not broken, and he commands the respect from many of us for the ways in which he has handled both life’s triumphs and life’s headwinds.”
Head of School Pieter Mulder P’22 (far left) and Board of Trustees Chair Chip Perkins ’73, P’14,’14 (far right) with alumni award winners Alice Ehrenclou Cole ’76 and K.C. Clow ’69
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ACTIVITIES FOR EVERYONE! NEW ENGLAND CLAMBAKE George Fowlkes ’14 and Charlie Corcoran ’14 enjoyed the clambake under the tent.
50TH REUNION & BEYOND GOLF SCRAMBLE Alums hit the links! Chip Willets ’69, Jim Hooper ’69, Steve Hope ’69, Bill Spalding ’65, John Hermans ’69, Dave O’Hara ’69, Janet O’Hara
PAINT AND SIP Anne and Woody Rothe ‘59 capture Berkshire Hall and the Mountain on canvas.
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CAMPUS TOUR Director of Admission Dana Anselmi and Prefect Madi Gomez ‘20 led the campus tour for Jed Struckus, Lisa Wojan ‘76 and her niece Rebecca Hensley, and Alex and Connie Choi Park ‘04 with their children Abby and Allie.
2019 REUNION RUNDOWN
From left: League of Bears members Ken Gordon ’73, Rex Morgan ’73, Alec Wyeth ’73, Chip Perkins ’73, Mark Richardson ’73, Bill Drake ’73, Robin McGraw ’70, Kevin Bruemmer ’71, Jeff Follert ’73, Jerry Weil ’73
DANCING UNDER THE TENT Alums hit the dance floor and the stage with music performed by the “D Group,” including Hannah Sheldon-Dean ’06, Abby SheldonDean P’06, Tom “Doc” Blum ’69, Steve “Spider” Morgan ’69, Richard “Dickie” Colligan ’70, Jim “Disease” Sheldon-Dean ’69, J. Gary “The Rev” L’Hommedieu ’69, John “Pardner” Wayne ’69, Rich “Motown” Muhlfeld ’69
DEDICATION OF THE BEAR The Dedication of the Bear Tribute Sculpture on Saturday morning marked a highlight of Reunion Weekend when guests filled the hillside by Glenny Brook to witness the unveiling of Berkshire’s first outdoor, bronze sculpture in honor of the original Berkshire “Bear” Arthur C. Chase. Spearheaded by alumni in the League of Bears committee, the sculpture represents the culmination of a years-long effort to honor Chase’s legacy and the spirit of all Berkshire Bears. The League continues to raise support for the Arthur C. Chase Endowed Chair in English as an important counterpart to the Bear. Emphasizing the Chase Chair and Bear initiative as a demonstration of paying it forward, lead donor and League of Bears member Robin McGraw ’70 spoke and was followed by League Chair Bill Drake ’73, Artist Mark Richardson ’73, Jeff Follert ’73, Alec Wyeth ’73, and Board of Trustees Chair Chip Perkins ’73. Former faculty member Hilary Russell joined in, recalling memories of Chase and his wife, Alice Ann, holding hands as they walked the campus. “The School’s first generation of students had Mr. Buck,” Weil added. “Subsequent had Mr. de Windt, and our generation made it in time to have Mr. Chase.” Now, the Berkshire spirit that Chase embodied and instilled in so many will live on in perpetuity. For more on the Bear Tribute Sculpture, see page 80.
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2019 REUNION CLASSES
50TH AND BEYOND Front row: John Schofield ‘44C, Tom Wolf ‘44C, Dave Lanman ‘64, George Church ‘48 Back row: Jim Dean ‘67, Bruce Shields ‘57, Sandy Creighton ‘59, Perry Rianhard ‘59, Woody Rothe ‘59
50TH: CLASS OF 1969 Front row: Gary L’Hommedieu, Chip Denton, Bert Meek, Steve Hope, Richard Muhlfeld, Tom Blum, Bill Keeney, Gary Wright, K. C. Clow, Fred Williams Middle row: Doug Martin, Bob Haywood, Gordon Hunt, Dave O’Hara, Todd Dickinson, Angus Laird, George Sanderson, Jim Sheldon-Dean, Chris Bell, Seamus McKeon, John Taussig, Throop Geer, John Wayne Back row: Guy Randlett, Jim Hooper, John Hermans, Tom Pollak, Rob Dwelley, Jack Weeks, Chip Willets, Art Beckert, Charlie Brown, Kip Penney, Larry Crawford, Richard Clark Not pictured: Jack Bloodgood, Jeff Borghesi, Dave Hibberd, Whit Huber, Steve Morgan, and Bob Naramore
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45TH: CLASS OF 1974 Dave Weiss and Mark Murdock Not pictured: Jeff Drake
2019 REUNION CLASSES
40TH: CLASS OF 1979 Tamara Gauthier, Glenn Cadman, David Gefke, David Locke, Gregg Beldock, Susie Norris, Bob Thomas, Wynne Patterson Back row: Jack Benvent, Mike Schopp, Sid Vanden Broeck, Tony Settel, Jim Irwin, Ben Barrett, Rich Hanson, Bob Cadogan, Andy Brooks, Doug Hanslip
35TH: CLASS OF 1984 Front row: Amy Tedesco Pillitteri, Ennis Blount Baker, Jeanie Woolsey Borgman, Gretchen Hemeon, Lauren Hopper Beaulieu Second row: Debbie Drucker, Linda Harkrader Powers Back row: Cindy Stringham-Smith, Liz Kemler, Liz Reynolds Brandon, Mike Sullivan
30TH: CLASS OF 1989 Front row: Chris Kunin, Margaret Flood Vulliez, Samantha Burns, Alessandra Schwartz, Jenna Pollock Middle row: Jane Shields, Dave Dufault, Deb Cook Wall, Christie Dufault, Annie Tutwiler MacKenzie Back row: Todd Thomas, Charles Kinsley, Kathy Orlando, Andrew Allen, Drew Goldman, Jon Clark
25TH: CLASS OF 1994 Front row: Wendy Walker, Sarah Gee Second row: Ashley Schreiber Ghriskey, Maddie Futterman Krasnow, Jen Harvey, Joan Frantz, Nick Iacovino Third row: Jen Galik D’Annibale ‘95, Kristin Burks, Peter Carner, Tom Daub, Jeff Frank Back row: Emily Ivey Williams, Paul Pimpinella, Chris Weiss, Pat Regan, Dave Friend, Peter Edmunds, Elliott Smith, David Tamburelli Not pictured: Todd Gochman, Chris Lee, Steffen Root, Hillary Macko Wallace
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20TH: CLASS OF 1999 Front row: Matt Sexton, Brian Goff, Alex Cutler, Justin Orgel, Scott Kantor, Evie Ullman, Sarah Cushwa Divine, Liz Mattes, Annie Corrao Allardyce, Aaron Romano-Meade Back row: Alex Dick, Mike Smith, Liam Millhiser, Todd Ballaban, Julian Delacruz, Andy Borek, Parker Case, Teymour Golsorkhi, Christopher Berejik
15TH: CLASS OF 2004 Connie Choi Park and Quinn Soto
10TH: CLASS OF 2009 Front row: Matt Spurling, Kelly Brennan, Julie Lee, Charlotte Fadden Back row: Chantal Choi, Annette Lo, Margot Horner Hoeflinger, Thomas Love
5TH: CLASS OF 2014 Front row: Serena Menges, Devon Kessler, Clementina Davila Tejeida, Francesca Ghi, Allie Brazo, Allie McErlean, Hannah Cooke, George Fowlkes Second row: Eloise Morrow, Tony Barraco, Bryn Kenny, Nick Asaro, Charlie Corcoran, Jake Grant, Emily Hubbard, Cooper Fersen Third row: Alden Boldt, Hadley Laskowski, Mitchell Andres, Sam Hahn, Matty Wieczorek, Ali Malecka, Sydney Beldock Back row: Blake Polizzi, Cyrus RothwellFerraris, Will Fortenbaugh, Ian Rasmussen, Peter Hoover, Dylan O’Connor, Quintin Pollart, Lavante Wiggins, Austin Zaepfel, Troy Pierre-Louis, Isiah Nuñez, TJ Adams
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Campus News
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CHASING “THE BEAR” “This bear sculpture is not about a black bear. It’s about a chance encounter with the spirit of The Berkshire Bear. I hope it inspires students to be driven, courageous, and more importantly, open and curious—and to be irrepressible.” —Mark Richardson ’73, Artist
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Photo by Gregory Cherin Photography
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Alumni Spotlight
BILL DRAKE ’73: DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE BEAR “As I make eye contact with Mark Richardson’s fine art sculpture and reach out to touch the bear’s extended arm, I’m struck with a deep feeling of connection to the power and grace that is epitomized by our mascot and by the timeless tribute to the enduring spirit of Berkshire School as exemplified by Arthur C. Chase.” —Bill Drake ’73, League of Bears Chair Photo by Gregory Cherin Photography
It was with great sadness that the Berkshire community learned of the passing of Bill Drake ’73 on July 16, just weeks after the Dedication of the Bear Tribute Sculpture. His longstanding commitment to and leadership of the project stands as a testament to his fierce perseverance, another enduring attribute of the Berkshire spirit. Fourteen years ago, the Class of ’73 bid farewell to another classmate, celebrated photographer Sing-Si Schwartz ’73. Moved to honor Schwartz, Drake envisioned an “iconic monument to Berkshire’s mascot namesake, ‘The Bear’ Arthur C. Chase.” From 1938 to his retirement in 1973, Chase held roles of English and Latin teacher, trail squad leader, Sugar House founder, and assistant to the headmaster. Much like Schwartz, Drake felt that Chase
embodied the Berkshire spirit. Drake’s vision was well received by classmates (who would later form the League of Bears), and in 2010, he connected with sculptor Harold Clayton ’73. Sadly, Clayton passed away in 2015 before he could engage with the project. Drake then turned to artist Mark Richardson ’73 to help the League create a sculpture that would signify Chase’s strength and grace. With guidance and input from Head of School Pieter Mulder, Art Department Chair Paul Banevicius, Director of Advancement Andrew Bogardus, Director of Facilities Management Tim Fulco, and Director of Communications and Marketing Carol Visnapuu, the sculpture progressed. The Arthur C. Chase Endowed Chair in English emerged as an enduring, academic counterpart to the physical tribute.
From conception to the Dedication in June, Drake served as chair and champion of the League of Bears. He found enthusiastic support among committee members Kevin Bruemmer ’71, Jeff Follert ’73, Ken Gordon ’73, Robin McGraw ’70, Rex Morgan ’73, Chip Perkins ’73, Richardson, Jerry Weil ’73, and Alec Wyeth ’73, as well as Chase’s family members. To date, more than 50 donors— including alumni from 1956 to 2006—have joined the effort. Unwavering in purpose, the League of Bears will continue to raise funds toward a fully endowed Chase Chair in celebration of the faculty members carrying Chase’s legacy forward and the many alumni, like Bill Drake, who also embody his spirit. To learn more about the Chase Chair and Bear, visit berkshireschool.org/chase.
Bill Drake’s name will appear in the In Memoriam section of the Berkshire Bulletin Winter 2020 issue. 82
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Alumni Spotlight
MARK RICHARDSON ’73: PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST “If you think about this sculpture in the context of a team, I created the sculpture but could by no means have done this solely on my own. So many very talented artisans from the foundry have worked on it. Alumni in the League of Bears, many at Berkshire School, and that wider community have all influenced this. My guess is at least 100 hands have touched it—plus my two, of course.” —Mark Richardson ’73, Artist Photo courtesy of Mark Richardson ‘73
Perched at the southwest corner of Buck Valley watching an eight-foot bronze bear being gingerly lowered onto a meticulously balanced rock outcropping, Mark Richardson ’73 hovers between measured anticipation and unchecked exuberance. This sculpture, five years in the making, represents a labor of love on Richardson’s part and on the part of all the alumni and friends who raised funds and sustained the vision to bring it to campus. The bear pays homage to Arthur C. Chase, a 35-year Berkshire veteran who, in Richardson’s words, was a “‘scholar/warrior’ we all looked up to … an imposing man with a soft nature.” Said to have been able to hold 11 dinner plates in one hand, Chase was fittingly nicknamed “The Bear.”
Richardson, a well-heeled artist looking back on his time at Berkshire, remembers “roaming the Mountain and learning to love a natural world … to collaborate and be a team player, to be fearless, and to lead and take risks.” Thanks to Berkshire’s influence and the guidance of his mentor and photography teacher Bob Witkowski, Richardson attended the prestigious Apeiron Workshops in Millerton, N.Y., and gained acceptance to Rhode Island School of Design. Graduating with honors, he enjoyed a celebrated career as a designer and illustrator. Thoughts drift back to the stretch of upturned earth spreading out before him and to the sculpture that has dominated his waking hours and artistic focus these recent years.
Richardson has worked tirelessly to capture in bronze not a man but rather that man’s spirit—universal, at times ineffable, and forever a fixture in Berkshire’s landscape. He has succeeded. Now and for years to come, the Bear Tribute Sculpture will be a testament to Chase’s essence—as relevant today as it was the year Richardson and his classmates dedicated the 1973 yearbook to their mentor, friend, and namesake of the School’s then-new mascot, “The Bear.” To read more about artist Mark Richardson ’73, visit berkshireschool.org/richardson.
Profiles by Katie Kutney
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Alumni Spotlight
RAISING THE BAR University of Colorado President Bruce Benson ’57 Retires by Tammy Rae Matthews
Bruce Davey Benson ’57 never dreamt of becoming a university president. He yearned for the hands-on, gritty work of an oil rig roughneck, which he says was the best job he ever had. A natural leader, successful businessman, and ardent supporter of higher education, Benson was tapped to lead one of the nation’s largest universities, the University of Colorado (CU), for 11 years, which makes him the longest-serving CU president in 65 years.
In July, Benson retired from his post. He reflected on how a cowboy-boot-wearing self-made “wildcatter,” as described by longstanding Berkshire School Board of Trustees colleague Peter Kellogg ’61, guided CU into an era of prosperity. Over his tenure, Benson helped double CU’s budget, from $2.2 billion to $4.8 billion. Fundraising more than tripled from $135 million in 2008 to $440.5 million in 2018. CU’s endowment also grew from $640 million a decade ago to $1.3 billion today. “We have made great progress in this place,” Benson said during an April interview in his office, and it’s clear that Benson has raised the bar across the board as CU enjoys the strongest reputation it has had in decades. 84
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Dismantling Silos Benson’s 2008 appointment as CU’s president catalyzed some initial trepidation among the CU faculty. Not only is Benson a vocal conservative active in Republican politics, but he also comes from an oil-and-gas background. Was he the right choice? After all, he would be the chief executive officer of a fourcampus system that includes CU Boulder, CU Denver, CU Colorado Springs, and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus—a system with some 35,000 employees, 67,000 students, and another 8,000 taking courses for credit. Benson holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from CU; yet, a doctorate is regarded as the gold standard of academia.
“I’m not an academic,” Benson says. “The only teaching I ever did was as a graduate student at Boulder when I was teaching geology labs.” As it turns out, Benson’s professional and political experience gave him the propensity for vigorous and dynamic work that propelled his achievements in the university system. Benson founded the highly successful Benson Mineral
Alumni Spotlight
Photos courtesy of University Relations Office, University of Colorado Photos courtesy of University Relations Office, University of Colorado
Group in Independence, Kans., in 1965. Though not elected, he also ran for governor of Colorado in 1994, and he was the chairman of the Colorado Republican Party for seven years from 1987 to 1993. He sat on or led numerous boards, including chairing the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and the Metropolitan State College Board of Trustees.
“He’s the seventh university president I’ve worked with, and I have come to strongly believe in the value of a nontraditional president, particularly for the University of Colorado,” says CU’s Vice President of Communication Ken McConnellogue, who describes the post as lobbyist-in-chief meets fundraiserin-chief. “It’s not an academic job anymore. You’re managing what is now a
$4.8-billion enterprise.” Benson helped research funding soar from $660 million to more than $1 billion across his tenure. Enrollment increased by approximately 25%, and internally generated financial aid at CU increased from $88 million annually to $202 million under Benson’s guidance. In such a large university system, Benson found that communication Summer 2019
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Alumni Spotlight
among departments and schools was disjointed. He is particularly proud of encouraging faculty members to collaborate across campuses and disciplines. He says he knew he had made progress when Terri Fiez, vice chancellor for research and innovation at CU Boulder, exclaimed, “The silos are coming down.” “If you’re going to run a proper organization, you have to have collaboration,” Benson says, who sees interdisciplinary studies as a necessary alliance. “We have such outstanding people, so let’s use all of their brains.”
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“If you’re going to run a proper organization, you have to have collaboration. We have such outstanding people, so let’s use all of their brains.” —Bruce Benson ’57
While Benson relied on his staff, his wife, Marcy, has always been his sounding board. Marcy, a powerhouse in her own right, met Benson while serving as the director for the White House Fellows, one of the United States’ most prestigious programs for leadership and public service. “Marcy Benson is whip-smart, politically savvy, and exceedingly nice,” McConnellogue says. “[Benson’s] wife is an essential part of what he does.” Marcy says that of Benson’s many accomplishments, she is proudest of the culture that he established and the atmosphere that he created at CU. She’s been in awe of his drive and determination. “When you have a pile of things to do, just pretend you are Bruce. Plow through them,” she says. “He is focused, and he has the drive to get things finished whether they are pleasant or not.” Benson’s laser focus on reputation meant that the university addressed problems immediately, admitted mistakes, initiated solutions, and made progress. CU’s reputation is as strong as it’s been in decades, McConnellogue says. The university’s approval rating hovered between 20% to 30% in the early 2000s after a recruiting scandal with the football program and a rogue professor. A poll Benson commissioned last year showed that the approval rating was 75% and climbing. Additionally, an extensive alumni survey last year shows 97% of CU graduates are either satisfied or highly satisfied with the education they received. “He is a problem-solver,” Marcy says. “I think that is the kind of person you need running these organizations because there is a new problem every day.” A straight shooter, Benson can be both jovial and serious. Wynn Pericak, Benson’s executive assistant, says, “I’ve enjoyed working with Bruce because he’s direct and honest with his thoughts and opinions. You always know where he stands on the issues. He’s great to
Alumni Spotlight
work for because he’s clear with his expectations.” Above all, Benson put a premium on education and made helping students his mission. “Bruce made it very clear when he came on board that he was focused on getting students into higher education,” says Leonard Dinegar, senior vice president and chief of staff. “He’s been a champion of and a spokesperson for higher ed in Colorado.”
and Berkshire classmate, says Benson’s time on Berkshire’s board was “great training ground for him” to lead CU. “It was a formative time for Bruce in developing the kind of skills he would bring to the University of Colorado,” he says. After Berkshire, Benson tested the college waters at Cornell University, though adventure called, and he dropped out after a year. Like a true trailblazer, he took to the open highway.
From a Berkshire Wildcat to a Wildcatter Benson graduated from Berkshire in 1957, and his family has ties all the way back to the founding of the School. His maternal grandfather, Calvin Fentress Sr., was a close friend of founder Seaver Buck and one of the first members of the board of trustees in 1919 and served until 1949. The Fentress Reading Room in Berkshire Hall bears the family name. Fentress also raised four Berkshire graduates. Benson joined the School’s board of trustees in 1978 and served as president from 1984 to 1994. During that time, he established the Unsworth Endowment for Professional Development that supports faculty members embarking on graduate-level education. He entered the distinguished group of honorary life trustees in 1996 and received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1997. A consummate fundraiser and generous donor, Benson was instrumental in securing the funding for Berkshire’s new dining hall, Benson Commons, which was dedicated in June of 1992. Peter Kellogg ’61 recalls a time when Benson was standing next to his portrait hanging in the new Benson Commons dining hall. A student passing by stopped to ask then-Headmaster Dick Unsworth, “Is that Mr. Commons?” Walt Henrion ’57, a childhood friend
“When you have a pile of things to do, just pretend you are Bruce. Plow through them. He is focused, and he has the drive to get things finished whether they are pleasant or not.” —Marcy Benson “I’d never crossed the Mississippi River until I headed west,” Benson says. “My car blew up in Iowa. I’m an old mechanic’s farm kid, so I dropped the [oil] pan, looked at it, and said, ‘hopeless.’ I hitchhiked to town and got a junkie [meaning, a person who junks cars]. He came out, gave me three $10 bills, and I gave him the keys. I put my thumb out and headed to Wyoming.” In Wyoming, Benson, who had never seen an oil rig until he arrived, dug ditches, built Quonset huts, and cut timber until he could get a job on a rig. He transferred to CU Boulder to study geology, where he pursued a
master’s degree while he began to study formations in southeastern Kansas. When he visited his CU Boulder advisor, professor emeritus Bruce Curtis, to discuss his thesis, he also brought along his maps that depicted the wells he was drilling. “Forget the thesis!” Benson recalls Curtis saying. “Go back to Kansas, and keep drilling.” Benson did, and he drilled his first two wells by himself without assistance. Nine of the ten wells were producers, and Benson Mineral Group Inc. was born. Since then, Benson has been involved in a number of industries, including geothermal power, real estate, and banking. The Bensons donated generously to the CU Boulder Museum of Natural History’s renovation project. He also led the fundraising and was lead donor in what became the Benson Earth Sciences Building. As part of that effort, he also got to name the old geology facility. He named it the Bruce Curtis Building in honor of his mentor. It was dedicated in 2002. He has won numerous awards from CU, including an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 2004. As for his professional life, he says he’s not exactly retiring. “I’m retiring from CU,” he says. “I wouldn’t know what to do if I, ‘retired-retired.’ I would still be active doing something.” He turned to point across the Denver skyline. The company he founded in his 20s was just a few blocks from his office. “We’ll go back [to Benson Mineral Group] because I have to have a place to hang my hat,” he says. Tammy Rae Matthews is a journalism Ph.D. student in Media Research and Practice at the University of Colorado Boulder. A native Chicagoan, Matthews worked in major-market print media for more than 15 years.
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Class Notes
Class Notes
1950
70 th
1951 John B. Hull III 413-528-1528
1952 1945
75 th
Philip W. Goodspeed 616-949-1949
1948 George Church III 413-448-6199
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Charlie Sutton writes: “I did a story on playing football at Berkshire (1945–48) for the Vermont Country Sampler in October 2018, ‘Surviving Rough and Tumble Days of Early Football.’ I made varsity as a second-string guard. Considering I weighed only 120 pounds, this was quite unusual…”
Tad Woodhull writes: “At 85, I’m still flying. I am the senior volunteer patrol boat captain for the sheriff’s office in Indian River County, FL. My wife of 59 years, Joan Patterson, passed away in December, so I am starting a new life doing mostly volunteer work, as no one is interested in an 85-year-old pilot. I am enjoying life in Vero Beach, FL, with kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids nearby. Hope to get back to campus after all these years.”
1949 Robert W. Doyle, Sr. robertwdoylesr@gmail.com
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Bob Doyle writes: “Every year our clan of ’49ers returns to campus to enjoy time together and reminisce about our Berkshire days.”
Bob Doyle ’49, Ben Davenport ’49, Head of School Pieter Mulder P’22, and in front, Moe England ’49
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Tad Woodhull ’52 works 20 hours a week at the best volunteer job ever.
Tad Woodhull ’52 with his granddaughter, Allie, and his great-grandson, Hunter
1953 John G. Cluett jcluett@aol.com
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James McCurrach writes: “This past school year marked my 19th year as a full-time teacher. I also work as a tutor, and during the summer months I conduct a writing seminar.”
1955
65 th
1956 Daniel C. M. Crabbe dan.crabbe@comcast.net
1957 William Kirtz cbkirtz@gmail.com
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Bob Burbank writes: “All is well out here in Northern California. We live in a Del Webb Active Adult community in Lincoln. We have two golf courses, gyms, indoor and outdoor pools, 11 tennis courts, six pickle ball courts, a softball stadium, and about 675 different clubs for everything from knitting to clogging. My normal routine of tennis and regular gym workouts has been vastly improved. I have been in recent contact with the family of my great pal, Sam Nichols ’58. Sam passed away five years ago. Sam’s daughter, Jen Nichols ’87, now works at Berkshire as the director of alumni relations. Thanks to Jen, I have talked with Kit, Sam’s widow, and we have shared some emotional moments catching up.” Mac Odell writes: “I am once again looking back on my years in Nepal, as I am busy fundraising for my new Fulbright-backed ‘Great Himalaya Trail’ initiative to create a vibrant network of communities engaged in grassroots ecotourism that is promoting conservation and development along
Class Notes
this iconic 500-mile track. If you’re a Rotarian, I’d like to hear from you, as Rotary International Foundation is among the sources I’ve been recommended to explore.”
1962
1958
John Hendrie writes: “I am remarried to the lovely Kathie and relocated to Southern California to be closer to offspring and the grands. The weather is wonderful.”
Benjamin J. Rosin benrosin@aol.com
1959
Andrew S. Berkman aberkman@cpny.com
1964
Photo display of famous Migueleses, including Stirling Dickinson ’27 in El Centro in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Wick Murray writes: “I was just awarded the Samuel Eliot Morison Prize by the Society for Military History. The Samuel Eliot Morison Prize recognizes not any one specific achievement, but a body of contributions in the field of military history, extending over time and reflecting a spectrum of scholarly activity contributing significantly to the field.”
1960
60 th
Joseph D. Bodak, Jr. jdbodakjr@hotmail.com
Grandchildren of Ken Morris ’64 from left to right: Lachlan, Ella, Jackson, and Jesse
Stephen P. Norman steve@spnormanco.com
Ken Morris writes: “I have four grandchildren. My daughter, Jennifer, has an 18-month-old boy and a 4-yearold girl, and my son, Ian ’96, has a 12-year-old boy and a 15-month-old boy.”
1961 Peter R. Kellogg pkellogg@iatre.com
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John Ellwood writes: “Garry Morfit and I have been having fun fishing together now that he is a Naples, FL, resident during the winter. Garry lives on a lake where he fishes virtually every day, and he claims to have caught fish every time, usually largemouth bass. We also fish with a guide on Charlotte Harbor, 40 miles north of Naples, where we catch snook, redfish, sea trout, and the occasional catfish.” Jeri Langham writes: “I am leading five to six birding tours per year for Victor Emanuel Nature Tours.”
1965
55 th
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Chris Ames writes: “I retired from an ‘of counsel’ role at the California attorney general’s office in November after a total of 44 years. I am now managing commercial real estate in Carmel, CA, and I am involved with the operation of our small community near Burlington, VT. We spend winter and early spring in San Francisco and the summer and fall in Vermont.” Phil Deely writes: “Walking through El Centro in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and was greeted by a photo display of famous Migueleses. First was Berkshire grad Stirling Dickinson ’27,
whose name is emblazoned on street signs, statues, and even an orchid. A gay man and artist, Dickinson relished San Miguel’s tolerance and receptivity to the arts—two characteristics which remain today. My wife, Hilary, and I now spend a month or two in San Miguel’s lovely town on what we call the ‘Fun Side of The Wall!’” Tristam Johnson writes: “I did not make it back to Berkshire for Reunion in June, as I had a family reunion in York Beach, ME. Life is good. My term as interim executive director of the Landmark Trust USA (LTUSA) came to an end last June after 5-and-a-half years. It was a great position with many challenges, and I know LTUSA is in better condition. I traveled to Armenia, Colombia, looking to establish a small lodging business that can educate foreign travelers about the coffee industry. It is a beautiful region with excellent coffee and a fantastic cultural and ecological environment. Wendy and I have had this dream for a number of years. We shall see.”
REUNION 2020 June 5–7
Welcoming back ’5s and ’0s!
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Class Notes
1966 Harlan J. Swift, Jr. timswifty@gmail.com
1967 F. Woodson Hancock III whancock3@aol.com
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background and knowledge of home construction. Very satisfying to do a task that has a lasting impact on people’s lives. My wife, Rhonda, and I have been married for 39 years. We travel to visit our son, his wife, and our two grandkids in Colorado with our travel trailer in tow annually. Lots of fun!”
1968 L. Keith Reed lkreed.mt@gmail.com
1969 Kent S. Clow III ksc3@msn.com
Geoff Clifford ’67, Ken Piel ’67, and Mac Wood ’67 made it to their first spring break on Isle of Palms, SC.
1970
50 th
Robert L. W. McGraw blackrockfarm@hotmail.com
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Bob Mustard writes: “Being 70 is tough! Attended my nephew’s wedding in England in June and spent a couple of weeks there, and in Ireland, playing golf. Kate and I had a great trip on the Danube with my Dartmouth classmates last fall. Just returned from a sailing cruise in the Exumas. Time to hunker down for the upcoming golf season in Chatham, MA. Hope we see Mike Warren in Damariscotta, ME, this summer.” Tom Nolan writes: “Though Social Security pays the bills, I started another company, Checkmark Home Inspections (Checkmarknc.com), after moving to North Carolina to utilize my engineering
Tom Nolan ’67, Checkmark Home Inspections 90
Berkshire Bulletin
in San Francisco, CA. She is working toward opening her own bakery/cafe in Berkeley, CA, next year. In her spare time, she is studying Spanish and business management. Andi is completing her sophomore year at Connecticut College majoring in architectural studies. Having anchored her field hockey team for the second year in goal, she went on to start a women’s club ice hockey team this winter and has come home when she can to play some games with her mother (and sister) for the Salisbury Stingers Hockey Club. She reports that all the Berkshire alums at Connecticut College are having an impact on their teams.” P. L. Wright writes: “I retired in 2008 and I’m living in Vancouver, WA, south of Amazon, Boeing, Expedia, Microsoft, Starbucks, Costco, and Zillow. Good luck to all you fortunate ones.”
1971 Kevin J. Bruemmer kevin.bruemmer@gmail.com
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Russ Boardman writes: “I retired from Delta Air Lines (federally mandated at age 65) in October 2017 after almost 39 years of flying. Since then my wife, Louise, and I have been working on our bucket lists. In January, we traveled to Brazil, Argentina, and Antarctica, our seventh continent.” Buzz and Robin McGraw ’70 at the ceremony honoring him as the Bees Prendergast, Irish Person of the Year
Robin McGraw writes: “On March 27, I received the Bees Prendergast, Irish Person of the Year Award from Hillcrest Educational Foundation, as well as a Senatorial Citation for my commitment to community and public service in Berkshire County, MA. Considered the most revered accolade for community and public service, I was one of a very few who is not an elected official to receive this honor. My daughters, Maddie McGraw ’07 and Andi McGraw ’17, are doing well. Maddie is the manager of a restaurant
1972 John Y. G. Walker III jwalker2353@gmail.com
Clark Brown ’72, Phil Carey ’72, and John Squibb ’72 having lunch in Bangor, ME, in 2018.
Class Notes
1973 Leon J. Weil, Jr. jerryweil.tennis@gmail.com
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Chip Perkins writes: “On June 8, alumni, family, and friends gathered on campus to celebrate the dedication of the Berkshire Bear Tribute Sculpture in honor of the legendary Art Chase. A number of us in the Class of ’73 are proud members of the League of Bears—a group of alumni and friends who helped bring about the Bear sculpture and continue to raise support for the Arthur C. Chase Endowed Chair in English. We owe special thanks to sculptor Mark Richardson for his remarkable creativity and dedication, and to the League of Bears and the Committee Chair Bill Drake for his vision and unwavering leadership. Our thanks also goes to classmates Jeff Follert and Jerry Weil for their generous support. Congratulations to everyone on this iconic, enduring symbol of the Berkshire spirit we all share.” Jerry Weil writes: “On January 6, yours truly organized a round robin tennis benefit at the Yale Tennis Center in New
Haven, CT, supporting the Jerry Berg Tennis Scholarship at Chapel Haven, an independent living program for adults with intellectual disabilities. Among the participants were Tim Taussig ’75 and my Berkshire friends, Bill Bullock and Andrew Bogardus. The event drew 36 participants and raised $7,000 to support a Tennis Scholarship Fund that will defray the costs of participation in the Chapel Haven tennis program for anyone who wants to join.”
Alum buddies from the Class of 1975 David Peck, Frank Kirschner, Wayne Andrews, and Jamie Craig, gathered in Vail, CO, for powder skiing and to remember Kenny Friedman ’75.
1974 Louise A. Clement luluinsf2005@yahoo.com
1975
45 th
Joseph M. Fusco joe@techworkers.com
1976 Stephen H. Hassett shasse01@gmail.com
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Kim Wilson writes: “Greetings from Montana! In June 2018, I married Lisa Fairman, another Montanan who, interestingly, grew up in northwest Connecticut, close to Berkshire. I’m still
Kim Wilson ’76 backcountry skiing in the Bitterroot Mountains in Montana.
practicing mostly public interest law, and I spend lots of time skiing, biking, hiking, and otherwise enjoying the wild country around Helena. My two daughters graduated from Trinity and Middlebury and live in the Bay Area and Denver, CO.”
1977 Dave Riatti writes: “Currently creating the next social media platform, micro social communities with Buzznog. Starting our last phase next month.”
1978 Birney B. Boehland birney@hummerdrinks.com
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Berkshire’s Major Gift Officer Bill Bullock, Tim Taussig ’75, Jerry Weil ’73, and Director of Advancement Andrew Bogardus at the Yale Tennis Center in New Haven, CT
Andy Baseman writes: “I was the set decorator on the hit movie ‘Crazy Rich Asians,’ which opened in August 2018 to glowing reviews. I had an amazing time in Singapore and Malaysia making the movie and am thrilled the hard work paid off! Last month, I won an Art Directors Guild Award and was Summer 2019
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Class Notes
1980
40 th
Kimberley C. Fuchs kcfuchs33@verizon.net Ralph J. Lamberto uticaeyedoc@gmail.com Steven P. Veronesi sveronesi@cox.net
Andy Baseman ’78 on the red carpet at the Art Directors Guild Awards, February 2, 2019
nominated for a Critics Choice Award for my set decoration. I have started work this summer on the movie, ‘In the Heights,’ shooting in New York City with director Jon M. Chu, who I worked with on ‘CRA.’” Lily Leonard Goodale writes: “I divide my time between Jupiter, FL, and Cuenca, Ecuador. I teach at the Turtle River Montessori school in Jupiter, FL, and at the Academia Montessori in Cuenca. I also coach middle school lacrosse in Jupiter. My passion for lacrosse stems back to my days at Berkshire. My daughters attend Colorado University at Boulder and the University of New Hampshire. Adrianna is a junior and Jesse is a freshman. My husband, Nat, and I celebrated 25 years of marriage last November.”
1979 Robert D. Thomas bthomas@wwsg.com
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Sid Vanden Broeck writes: “Thank you to Bob Thomas and Susie Norris for a wonderful 40th reunion. Shout out to Nancy Duryee-Aas and Tom and Susan Young—amazing people to whom we owe our gratitude and thanks.”
1981 Sue Ann Stanton sa.stanton@gmail.com
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Maria Recalde writes: “I attended Berkshire as a foreign student from Managua, Nicaragua. I spoke not a word of English when I first arrived … the rest is history, and I owe much to my Berkshire education. Upon graduation, I attended Wellesley College (B.A. ’85) and then Boston College Law School (J.D. ’88). I would be happy to speak with any Berkshire alum considering law school or making a career change within the legal profession.” Tony Scheinman writes: “I began professionally recording audiobooks in 2011 and have since recorded 10 titles, both fiction and non-fiction, and all of which have sold over 600 copies! I am currently dividing my time recording narration for both ‘Fall of the House of Queens’ by Shelly Talcott, a fictional autobiography of Henry VIII’s Court Jester Will Sommers, and ‘Strange Tales of the Sea’ by Jack Strange, a collection of factual/true accounts of sea ghosts, sea ‘monsters’ and haunted ships, both of which are expected to be released toward the end of 2019.”
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Matt Tice writes: “I was confirmed and am serving as a district court judge in Biddeford, ME.”
1982 Anthony P. Addison doubleany1@gmail.com James E. Demmert jamesdemmert@gmail.com Rosemary G. Fitzgerald rose@spiderwebstudio.com Jay K. Overbye joverbye@halstead.com George L. Rioseco III grioseco@nwadvisorsinc.com Gayle S. Saks gaylesaks@gmail.com
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Andrew Champagne writes: “Last November, I won the election for justice of the peace in the City of Burlington, VT.”
1983 Karen Schnurr Secrist karensecrist6@gmail.com
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Hob Boazman writes: “My wife and I were working and teaching abroad for six years before moving to Katy, TX, in 2017. We were blessed to have lived in Zimbabwe, Hungary, and the British Virgin Islands before coming back to the states. I’m teaching second grade at the British International School of Houston, and I love it!” Ken Hopper writes: “When I think about Berkshire, I remember all the adventures rambling in the woods. So in honor of my late friend, Ritt Kellogg ’85, I think I will round up some buddies in Colorado, get on my Beemer, and head to Talkeetna, AK, to pay homage. I was one of the few who was honored to spend time with him at Berkshire and college. Sure miss him!”
Class Notes
1984
dogs, and the best husband ever!”
Debra Drucker druckerdeb@yahoo.com
1985
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Will Ellis writes: “My son and nephew graduated from Wellesley High School in June. Mary and I celebrated our 28th year of marriage, and we are looking forward to being ‘empty nesters’ this fall. Four kids in college will mean a lot less money, but we will have lots of parents’ weekends to look forward to. I hope to see you all next Reunion. A special shout out to my buds in Senior House!”
The children of Will Ellis ‘84 at Monmouth Racetrack in 2018 where Will’s aunt had a horse running in the Haskell International. From left: Sam Crown, Simon Ellis, Molly Crown, and Corson Ellis
Matt Learnard writes: “Talbot Adamson ’85 and I got together recently to see my brother, Roger Learnard ’86, and his band play a gig in Philadelphia, PA. The band sounded great and it’s always a good time when this crew gets together.”
Matt Learnard ’84 and Talbot Adamson ’85 before checking out the Roger Learnard ’86 Band in Philadelphia, PA
35 th
Lionel A. Shaw lionel_shaw@yahoo.com Mary Brosnahan Wachter mtbwachter@gmail.com
______________________________ Amy Gruson Lucarelli ‘84 and family on Christmas Day in Costa Rica
Amy Gruson Lucarelli writes: “I have two grown children. My son, Brendan (25), is in special forces with the Army at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. He is working on his fixed wing pilot’s license, and after the Army he will pursue a career in aviation. My daughter, Sarah (26), has a degree in ayurvedic medical consulting and a degree in sustainable farming and permaculture. She spent three years homesteading on an island in southeast Alaska with no roads, electricity, or running water. She is in a partnership with an amazingly creative woodworker and jewelry designer. I live in the best small town in Florida, Mount Dora. I have my private practice as an acupuncturist and herbalist, two large
Roger Leonard ’87 and Talbot Adamson ’85 practice guitar in the second floor of the old Memorial Hall.
Tim Brennan writes: “Still living in the suburbs of Chicago, IL, and still a partner with Direct Fitness Solutions. My oldest son graduated from the University of Missouri in May and will be a teacher. My middle son is a freshman at the University of Denver, is
The players from left to right: Dudley Shotwell ’85, Mike Gibbons ’85, Kit Kittredge ’85, Jack Stout ’85, Pete Scott ’85
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going to school on an ROTC scholarship, and joined the Army after graduation. My youngest is a sophomore in high school at Culver Academy. I caught up with Dennis Moran a few months back and he and his wife and kids are living in Boston, MA, and doing well.”
David Weiner ’86 with director John Carpenter
1987 Janna Klyver Cord jannacord@aol.com
Tim Brennan ’85 with children Griffin, Lily, and Owen
Jennifer Nichols nifnichols@gmail.com
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1986 Rhonda M. Bentley-Lewis r.b.lewis@hotmail.com Anthony S. Clifford tclifford11@gmail.com Lara Schefler McLanahan lara.mclanahan@gmail.com Ann C. Zimmerli-Haskel azh@me.com Erik C. Zimmerman ezimmer4@rochester.rr.com
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David Weiner writes: “These days, in between writing film interview pieces for The Hollywood Reporter and L.A. Weekly (and raising our energetic 7-yearold son), I am wrapping up production on a documentary I directed about ’80s horror movies called, ‘In Search of Darkness.’ It’s a thrill for me to get to talk at length with so many of my cinematic heroes from the era, including legendary director John Carpenter. If any fellow Bears are in the Los Angeles area, give me a shout!”
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Thomas Maddock ’87 with Vince Gilligan, creator of the television series “Breaking Bad” at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM.
Kat Eiff Makelim writes: “I reside in Evanston, IL, with my husband, William ‘Bo’ Makelim and our four pets: two dogs (Marley and Ziggy) and two cats (Sassafrass and Josey). No children, but our pets are everything. My husband is a stock broker. We will be married 22 years this year. I have my own boutique business helping small businesses with their employee benefits. My mom and I make, design, and sell beaded jewelry. Please reach out if you want to get in touch: katherineeiff@gmail.com or cell 847-867-2030. Long time and long road.”
Brad Matheson ’87 has a Guinness with his girl!
Brad Matheson writes: “I am back in New England, living up in Lebanon, NH, with my wife, Anissa. We both work at Dartmouth Hitchcock. I am part of the IS Technical team, responsible for the Windows Systems out in the field for our main campus and the affiliate members we have joined to our domain. It is great being back east. I never lived here as an adult. Some would argue that is still the case. We are anxious to explore the area. If anyone finds themselves in the Upper Valley and wants to meet up, Harpoon Brewery is a great place and Salt Hill Pub on the Green is very close to home!”
1988 Scott M. Falso sfalso@gmail.com Anne E. Glaccum glaccume@gmail.com James D. Watt, Jr. jdwattjr@gmail.com
1989 Andrew D. Allen andrewdrexelallen@gmail.com
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Abdul Fox writes: “It’s always just a great time to connect to Berkshire, which marked such a pivotal point in my life. I’m currently living in the Atlanta area, and I am a franchise owner of three
Class Notes
1991 John K. Fretz jfretz@bmedtech.com
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Abdul Fox ’89 at Orangetheory Fitness
Orangetheory Fitness studios and two youth athletic training centers called Redline Athletics in Georgia.”
1990
30 th
Natalie Bradley Clarke ninabclarke@gmail.com Katharine Cutler Coughlin katecoughlin1@gmail.com Natalie Dillon natdillon@gmail.com
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Josh Caulfield writes: “This past year has been a bit of a wild ride. I was blessed to have the opportunity to join an expedition to Antarctica (it’s
Josh Caufield ’90 in Antarctica. He quipped, “I didn’t know it was formal attire.”
penguins and ice all the way down), then finally published a book on Amazon I had been working on for ... well it felt like forever. That led to me accepting a position as the executive director at the International Society for Infectious Diseases, and moving back to Boston, MA. Now that I have gotten settled here, I am completing my doctorate, which has been way too long in progress.”
Dan Alden writes: “Happy to share the news that after nearly 15 years of selling real estate in the Berkshires, I am starting my own local, holistic, virtually based real estate brokerage doing business as Alden Country Real Estate Services (www.berkshireacres. com). For those who don’t know, I also have the luck and honor to be married to Berkshire’s Science Department Chair and Director of Advanced Math/Science Research Dr. April Burch.” Josh Isenberg writes: “I am married to Stacey Isenberg and living in Ardsley, NY, with our two children, Abigail (13) and Caleb (6). I began my 18th year coaching high school hockey.”
Jim Donohue writes: “2019 will be a crazy year for me and the family. In January, I relocated to Sacramento, CA, to become the deputy chief investment officer of Sacramento County Employees’ Retirement System. My wife, three kids, two dogs, and two guinea pigs joined me after the school year ended. Now I just need to find a home. If anyone is in the region, let me know.” Brian Luts writes: “Doing our second annual L&G Charity Sporting Clays Event. Last year, we raised money for the Fischer House, and this year we are raising money for Hero Dogs, Inc., which improves the quality of life for our nation’s heroes (veterans and first-responders) by raising, training, and placing service dogs and other highly skilled canines with them, free of charge, with lifetime support of the partnerships. Last year Pete Mongeau ’91 came out and joined us. It’s a great event for a great cause.”
Peter Mongeau ’91, Brian Luts ’90, and Dutch Luts at the first L&G Charity Sporting Clays Event
1992 Abram W. Duryee III bduryee@hotmail.com
1993 Hilary Ivey Mueller hilary@schoolsuitesoftware.com Tenley E. Reed tenley@mac.com
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David Ritter writes: “I am living the dream. I have a new job running outdoor education and team building for Bretton Woods Recreation Center outside of Washington, D.C. My family is well. Daughter Vivian Elizabeth is almost 8 and son Robert Roy is 4. They love adventure and dirt. My wife is wonderful, beautiful, and kind. My brother, Ben Ritter ’95, owns and operates a farm-totable restaurant in Poolesville, MD. I saw Carrie Bodman recently in Denver, CO, and it was awesome.” Jared Soper writes: “During mutual family vacations this past summer in Lake Placid, NY, Matt Skinner and I had the chance to reconnect after many years. Last September, Matt Fifield made a surprise visit to Palm Beach, FL, and we were able to catch up over dinner. He was making a transcontinental swing though the U.S., Canada, and Dubai from Australia where he, his wife, and three kids live.”
1994 Francis A. Blair francis.blair@gmail.com
1995
25 th
Bradley P. Hunt colgate1399@gmail.com
1996 Julie A. Lemire juleslemire@gmail.com Katherine King Mahan katiecking@yahoo.com Dylan B. Mattes dylan.mattes.nyc@gmail.com Seth J. T. Sanders sjtsanders@gmail.com
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Javier Cruz Winnik writes: “I have two stories published in anthologies by Lion Forge Comics and Somos Arte/DC Comics. The books are titled, ‘Puerto Rico Strong’ 96
Berkshire Bulletin
1998 Malinda L. Lareau mlaurenlareau@gmail.com Lauren A. Levin lauren98@aol.com
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Javier Cruz Winnik ’96 at Big Apple Con showcases “Ricanstruction,” “A Reason to Smile! Making Friends!” and “Puerto Rico Strong.”
and ‘Ricanstruction.’ Proceeds made from the publications support the devastation by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. You can purchase the books on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble. I had my first comic book cover (by someone else) published, ‘The Adventures of Saladeen, the Keeper of the Flame.’ In October, I funded my third selfpublished book in my ‘A Reason to Smile!’ series on Kickstarter.com: ‘A Reason to Smile!: Making Friends!’ I have sold over 2,700 copies of the books in the series and hope to have 3,000 sold by the next holiday party! You can find the books at www.etsy. com/shop/thelearningcurve.”
1997 Nick Corrao writes: “After eight years teaching at the University of Alabama, I have accepted an assistant professor position at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL, where I’ll be creating the new film production track in the film studies major. I’m very excited for this new adventure! If anyone is ever in the Tampa area, please let me know.” Gretchen Nareff writes: “I earned a Ph.D. in forest resources science with an emphasis in wildlife management from West Virginia University. I continue to work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Corpus Christi, TX, but I hope to get back home to New England as soon as possible.”
Moe Sessoms writes: “Just finished working for Marvel Television as an assistant director (‘Daredevil,’ ‘Jessica Jones,’ ‘Iron Fist,’ ‘Luke Cage,’ and ‘The Defenders’). Currently working on the pilot for ‘New York Undercover’ for ABC.” Björn Stein writes: “2018 has been my most exciting year yet: I decided to jump into the curious world of raising money from investors by founding what seems to be the first quantum computer hardware startup in Germany. I can’t wait to read what my classmates from my junior year at Berkshire in 1996/97 are doing 20 years into post-graduation life!”
1999 Michael D. Gutenplan michaelgutenplan@aol.com George S. Scoville III gscovillempp@gmail.com
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Michael Gutenplan writes: “As I travel the country performing my magic and mind reading show, I always try to meet up with fellow Bears! On recent trips, I’ve had the absolute pleasure of seeing Cassie George ’00 and Lauren Lareau ’98. If you want to know what I do, check out my website: www.themembersonlyshow.com or www.themagicmentalist.com.”
Michael Gutenplan ’99 with Cassie George ’00, and Lauren Lareau ’98
Class Notes
2000
20 th
Brooke Beebe Noble brookebeebe@gmail.com
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Jess Smith-Malphrus writes: “I am currently living in Savannah, GA, working for the Savannah Airport Commission as their engineering coordinator. In addition to my B.A. from the University of Colorado and my B.S. from the Georgia Institute of Technology in environmental engineering, I am pursuing my professional engineering license, my ASCE Construction Engineering Certificate, my AAAE Certified Member Accreditation, and in due time, my MBA. Lifelong learning is one of the most important values Berkshire instilled in me during my time under the Mountain. My husband, Andy Malphrus, and I are currently working on our second ‘fixer upper,’ enjoying a childfree existence, and travelling as much as possible. We look forward to seeing everyone at our 20th Reunion in 2020!”
Births & Adoptions 1996
Ian Campbell ’96, and wife, Stephanie Campbell, welcomed daughter, Avery, and son, Alex on May 14, 2018. Go Bears!
2001
Samson Holland Baron, son of Shawn Baron ’01 and Hollyn Baron, was born on August 18, 2018, in New York, NY.
2008
2001 Shannon M. Flynn flynnshannonm@gmail.com Peter A. Kearney, Jr. pkearneyjr@gmail.com Philip A. Sandick phil.sandick@gmail.com
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Shawn Baron writes: “My wife, Hollyn, and I welcomed our son, Samson, last summer, and he has quickly settled into our growing family. His older sister, Juliette, loves having someone to play with and has been incredibly sweet with him.” Dre Horton writes: “My 8-year-old son, Mason, is excited about being a future Bear! We recently moved to Charlotte, NC. New York is still a second home. I’m working in the technology industry with Microsoft. See you all soon around the world, my friends.”
2004 Jillian Bowron Morgan ’04 and her husband, Ethan Morgan, welcomed their first child, Briggs Markham Morgan, on March 20, 2019. Born at 4:11 p.m., he weighed in at 8.14 pounds and measured 21.5 inches.
2002 Jaclyn Brander Marshall jbrander@gmail.com Matthew P. Sposito matthew.sposito@gmail.com
2003 Robert Morgan Ralph robertmralph@gmail.com
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Amanda Cooley Donaldson writes: “Graeme and I toasted to our seven
Erica Ginsberg Murphy ’08 and her husband, Michael Murphy, welcomed a son, Ellis Adam Murphy, on February 15. He weighed in at 5.11 pounds and measured 19.5 inches long.
years living in Austin, TX, with the purchase of 2.5 acres of farmland where we are building a house. This city girl has to learn how to do things like plant trees and tend chickens. I’m still working as a creative director in the tech industry and focusing on pro-bono and consulting work with sustainable fashion organizations. When the house is finished, you can come stay in our hotel room!”
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Class Notes
Engagements & Weddings 2000
Sarah Scheinman ’00 and Matt Hulsey got engaged on November 3, 2018, in front of the Washington Monument in D.C.
2004 Faye Abrams Klein fayevklein@gmail.com William C. Stern wcstern1@gmail.com Kraig D. Strong kskraigstrong@gmail.com
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Jillian Bowron Morgan writes: “My husband, Ethan Morgan, and I welcomed our first child, Briggs Markham Morgan, on March 20, 2019. I am a registered nurse at the VA in Boston, MA, working with patients with spinal cord injuries. Ethan is an iron worker with Local 7 in Boston, MA. We married at our summer lake house in Shapleigh, ME, on August 5, 2017. Maid of honor was Bridget King and flower girl was Bridget’s daughter, Reagan. Also in attendance were Faye Abrams Klein, Katie Morrison, and Shane Knapp ’05. We were married by minister Melissa Allen.
2005 2007
15 th
Matthew G. Crowson matthew.g.crowson@gmail.com
2006 Courtney J. Kollmer courtney.kollmer@gmail.com Stephen W. Piatelli steve.piatelli@gmail.com
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Lizzy Spalding ’07 and Tyler Spofford ’05 were married on February 2 at the Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield, MA. It was a snowy and beautiful day!
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Berkshire Bulletin
Christopher Garis writes: “After recently finishing a masters at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London, England, I am moving to Milan, Italy, where I’ll be working with a fabric designer. It has been wonderful living in London, but I am thrilled to be heading back to Italy, where I studied abroad with SYA while at Berkshire.”
John Diebold ’07 from the island of Puerto Rico to the island of Manhattan
2007 Casey A. Larkins casey.larkins@gmail.com Allison A. Letourneau letourneau.allison@gmail.com
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John Diebold writes: “After three years living in Puerto Rico and developing environmental and social impact analytics tools for investors, I just moved back to New York City to take a job as a senior ESG analyst at S&P Global. Happy to finally be home (and much closer to the ‘Shire).” Lizzy Spalding writes: “Tyler Spofford ’05 and I were married on February 2 right down the road from Berkshire at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield, MA. Berkshire alums were well represented, including my brother and father, Jon Ford ’96 and Bill Spalding ’65, and Tyler’s father, Tim Spofford ’68.”
2008 Christopher J. Buonomo cjbuonomo@gmail.com Erica Ginsberg Murphy eginzie@gmail.com Mary E. Pace maryelizabethpace@gmail.com Abigail I. Tufts abigail.tufts@gmail.com
Class Notes
On March 13, Steph Miller ’08 successfully passed the FAA written, oral, and checkride exams to become a commercial pilot.
2009 Gregory T. Piatelli gpiatelli@gmail.com Molly L. Ryan mollyryan1024@yahoo.com Kelly J. Wallace kellyjwallace5@gmail.com
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Nicky Picotte Smith writes: “My husband, Kyle, and I are still living outside of Philadelphia, PA. We recently moved from Willow Grove to Huntingdon Valley. I recently started my own wedding planning business. If you or someone you know is getting married, pass my name along. I do travel anywhere. Hope everyone is doing well, and if you’re ever in Philly, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me!” Jen Stafford writes: “Bear crossing! On-site in Montreal directing a new documentary for Red Bull Media House about the future of women’s hockey, I was able to interview former- Bear-turnedCanadian-Olympian Jill Saulnier ’11. It was great to cross professional paths and get her thoughts on the United States and Canadian Olympic Team rivalry.”
2010
10 th
Jen Stafford ’09 and Jill Saulnier ’11 discuss the future of women’s hockey for a new documentary from Red Bull Media House.
William R. Hearty wrhearty@brec-llc.com Christopher B. Landry landrycb@gmail.com Kelsey A. Markiewicz kelsey.markiewicz@gmail.com Shannon E. Nelson senelson913@gmail.com Tyler J. Reighley tyler.reighley@gmail.com Travis Yuan Shen shenyuan1991@gmail.com
2011 Arthur Copstein arthur.copstein@gmail.com Margaret A. Fiertz maggiefiertz@gmail.com John C. Krueger jckrueger19@gmail.com
2012
Charles B. H. Brey cbrey11@gmail.com
Samuel C. Maher smaher@berkshireschool.org
Alexandra B. Colbert abcolber@gmail.com
Juliet E. Shatkin jes714@nyu.edu
2013 Wesley J. Lickus wlickus@icloud.com Harriet F. Waldron hattiewaldron@gmail.com
2014 Jacob A. Grant jkgrnt12@gmail.com Emily M. Hubbard emilymhubbard1@gmail.com
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George Fowlkes writes: “I am excited to announce that Raw Sauce’s online shop is open for business! Raw Sauce is a fermented foods business located in Berkeley, CA. We source entirely organic produce from farmers in Northern California to craft fermented foods ranging from salsas, chili sauces, and traditional ferments like sauerkraut and kimchi. It has been a little over a year since our first round of funding, and we are extremely proud of what we have been able to accomplish in that year. We are excited for what Raw Sauce has in store for us in the future. Check out our website, www. wearerawsauce.com, or our Instagram Summer 2019
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account, @wearerawsauce. Please reach out with any questions or comments regarding Raw Sauce.” Emily Hubbard writes: “I moved cross country to San Francisco, CA, in August 2018, where I am now working as an assistant account executive for PAN Communications, a B2B tech and healthcare PR agency.”
2015
5 th
Jeffrey A. Erazo erazo.jeffrey@gmail.com Chelsea A. Leeds chelsea1101@gmail.com
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Colleen Devanney writes: “After several years of Loyola University, Maryland, not having an equestrian team, I helped to reinstate the Hounds in Zone 4, Region 1 of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). As vice president, I helped build the program. I love the camaraderie with my teammates, as well as the friendly competition with the other schools.”
Sophia Peluso ’16 poses with the Middlebury field hockey team after winning their second consecutive National Championship in November.
2016 Peter D. Bahr peterbahr97@gmail.com Natalie C. Harrington natalieharrington17@gmail.com Lane W. Mayher lwm007@bucknell.edu Anne M. E. van ’t Wout annemijnvtwout@hotmail.com Karin M. Vantine kvantine@elon.edu
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Former Bears Barclay Gammill ’16 and Michael O’Brien ’14 win their second NESCAC Championship together at Trinity College.
Peter Bahr writes: “I am a junior philosophy major at Sewanee, the University of the South. I am president of my fraternity, Chi Psi, and leading a university partnership for education programs at the local jail. This summer, I will be interning at Sotheby’s and living in New York City.”
2017 Andrea L. Cass andrealaurencass@gmail.com Margaret P. Curran maggiecurran99@gmail.com
Colleen Devanney ’15 and her mount for the day, TP, win second place in her first-ever IHSA show.
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Benjamin W. Dixon benwdixon@mac.com Juliana L. Kokot julielkokot@gmail.com
Annie Love ’16 and Maggie Zhu ’17 reunite in Paris, France, at the Arc de Triomphe. Both are studying abroad in Europe.
Class Notes
2018 Charlotte B. Childs charlottebchilds@gmail.com Isabelle W. Maher Isabellewmaher@gmail.com Mohamed S. Omar moeagles11@gmail.com
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Hannah Weymuller writes: “After my freshman year at the University of San Francisco, CA, I have been accepted into the School of Management Honors College, and I have signed as a D1 triathlete for the university’s first-ever women’s triathlon team!”
2019 Gohta Aihara gohta.aihara@gmail.com Daniel A. O. Akomolafe dakomolafe8@gmail.com Danielle R. Malarney dmalarney4@gmail.com Elizabeth B. Nutting enutting95@gmail.com James H. Schoudel jayschoudel@gmail.com Elias E. Sienkiewicz elias31201@gmail.com
Former Faculty ______________________________
Jo Chaffee writes: “Dr. Gina Ogden, the School’s psychologist in the late 70s/early 80s, died November 2, 2018, at home in Cambridge after wrestling for 10 months with lung cancer. Gina served at Berkshire while earning her Ph.D., then she went into research, writing, speaking, and training others (visit: www4-dnetwork. com). She is survived by children Philip Saunders and Cathy Saunders ’85, and her partner of 37 years, Jo Chaffee, one-time Berkshire director of alumni relations, currently psychotherapist (ret.).”
Jodi Dinsmore de Lopez writes: “I taught Spanish at Berkshire from 1988 to 1995 then moved to Mexico. Two and a half years ago, I came back to the U.S. I am now working at Perkiomen School as the head of the world languages department. I am thrilled to be able to usher in major changes in the department, including training the teachers in Comprehensible Input techniques and shifting our courses to align with ACTFL proficiency levels. I live on the edge of campus with my golden and four cats—all brought from my home in Mexico. My husband is holding down the fort in Morelia, caring for the rest of our cats and our dog. I now live just 30 minutes away from my two sisters and my 94-year-old mother.” Bill Earle writes: “After teaching at Berkshire, I taught at Thayer Academy in Braintree, MA, for 30 years, teaching Latin and coaching football, wrestling, and track. Now I am retired and live in Weymouth, MA, and I summer in Tuftonboro, NH. I have fond memories of teaching and coaching at Berkshire with my colleagues Donald Brunel, Tom Dixon Hon. ’68, Ed Hunt ’61, Dana Shaw, Bayard Kellam, and others. Married for 42 years and we have one son.” Bart Elsbach writes: “Fun to see some smiling Berkshire faces at the Fairgrounds in Great Barrington, MA, again this spring for community activities. It was nice to see Matt Emprimo ’92 recently. He was looking good and hitting his jumper on the basketball court with his wife and daughter watching from the bleachers.”
Become a class agent! Contact Jen Nichols ’87 at jnichols@berkshireschool.org.
Send us your notes! berkshireschool.org/ alumni/classnote
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Calling All Memories Faculty members R.G. Meade and Mandy Morgan are calling for your recollections. In an effort to illuminate the personalities behind many of Berkshire’s awards, they are compiling information on alumni and former Berkshire faculty and staff for whom Prize Night awards are named. If you had a connection (as a student, colleague, or friend) with any of the below individuals, please reach out to Mandy or R.G. over email or regular mail with an anecdote or story describing their impact on you. Photos are a plus!
Robert Davis Allen ’40 Peter Lance Anderson ’65 Jeffrey S. Barclay ’90 David Shumway Barrett ’59 Frank W. Beattie ’66 Margaret V. Beattie Thomas L. Chaffee Alice Ann Chase Arthur C. Chase Leslie W. Clifford Jeannett B. Cooper Frederic S. Dean ’36 David Campbell Eipper John F. Godman William F. Gulotta W. Ross Hawkins Marguerite L. Kreh
Elaine Mansell William P. Matthews ’61 Edward K. Morris ’14 R. Bruce Morison ’61 C. Twiggs Myers, Hon. ’57 William Brooks Nolan ’78 Lawrence T. Piatelli Robert A. Powers ’36 John E. Rovensky Johna Jo Segalla ’81 William F. Spalding ’65 Jackman L. Stewart William Stoddard, Jr. ’65 James Stone ’82 Lance Turner ’84 Ernest L. Wakefield Leon Weil ’44C
Contact via email: amorgan@berkshireschool.org or rgmeade@berkshireschool.org or mail: 245 N. Undermountain Road, Sheffield, MA 01257
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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.
Past Trustee 1979–1982 T. Richard Spoor January 28, 2019 Former Faculty Mary Ann Sullivan January 29, 2019 1937 William M. Johnson, Jr. April 8, 2019 1953 Leland M. Cole February 3, 2019 Albert J. Phillips, Jr. April 15, 2019
1958 John P. Chapin, Sr. January 18, 2019
1982 Jennifer H. Gardner January 1, 2019
1963 Thomas J. Grahame, Jr. June 8, 2019
1985 Elizabeth Adotte Adam April 14, 2019
1967 Andrew B. Kagan May 29, 2019
1994 Ina Brinkmann January 18, 2019
1969 Steven F. Peet March 27, 2019
1997 Glen A. Maclsaac May 19, 2019
1972 Joseph E. Scandore March 20, 2019
2016 Thibault H. W. Lannoy January 31, 2019
A note to our readers: The list of names for the In Memoriam section is reported from January 1 through June 9, 2019. 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 9, 2019, during Reunion Weekend.
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P A Y I N G
I T
THE HASKEL FAMILY
F O R W A R D
Annie Zimmerli-Haskel ’86 and Jim Haskel ’86 with their children Tess ’20, Sam ’22, and Eli (not pictured)
“The act of giving is not a one-way street. Giving is as much a gift to us as it is from us.” —Annie Zimmerli-Haskel ’86 and Jim Haskel ’86, Godman Society Members
Meeting as students under the Mountain in the early ’80s, Annie Zimmerli-Haskel ’86 and Jim Haskel ’86 may not have imagined that a decade later they’d be a couple and three decades later they would be the proud parents of current Berkshire Bears Tess ’20 and Sam ’22. Both active alumni, Annie and Jim have served on their class’ Reunion Committee, and Jim is a past class agent and current trustee of the School. These close ties to Berkshire make them acutely aware of how “cost is one of the biggest realities, and challenges, about the Berkshire experience.” To ensure that deserving students have access to the same amazing opportunity they did, Annie and Jim established the Haskel Family Fund for Financial Aid Endowment in
2016. The Fund supports “a student who will seize the opportunity that a Berkshire School experience provides and exhibits the integrity, strength of character, and generosity of spirit that add to the sense of community so central to Berkshire’s culture and mission.” Seeing the School as “the primary building block that helped us to launch successfully to college and ultimately become the adults we are today,” the two hope that their commitment will inspire others to engage in the ways that are most meaningful to them. They look forward to “watching deserving kids prosper and go on to do great things, including giving back as alumni and helping the next generation to attend Berkshire.” For the Haskels, “Nothing is more satisfying than to know we played a part.”
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THE PAYING IT FORWARD CHALLENGE
MURRAY BODINE ’74 “The Youngs saved my life.” —Murray Bodine ’74, Godman Society Member
“An immature, gangly kid from outside Philadelphia” stepping onto a campus bursting with springtime splendor, Murray Bodine ’74 recalls how he could “hear the Mountain singing.” Berkshire has been a part of him ever since. He counts himself fortunate to have encountered a caring and committed faculty during his time in Sheffield. Among all of his teachers, coaches, and advisors, Tom and Susan Young stood out. They welcomed him and countless other students into their home, considered a “safe place” for those who came to campus in need of finding confidence in themselves. Many of their students, now alumni, consider the two near-30-year school veterans and lifelong mentors to be synonymous with “Berkshire.” Establishing The Tom and Susan Young Endowed Scholarship through a planned gift commitment, Murray shares that “It’s an honor for me to be able to say thank you.” He adds, “Students who may not have had access to Berkshire may now through this gift. Hopefully lives will be changed and flourish as a result. [The scholarship] will keep alive and going the essence of what the Youngs were all about and how they looked after Berkshire’s students.” On a ramble through campus following decades spent on the West Coast, Murray felt just as connected to the place as he’d been in the early ’70s. He took heart in seeing the spirit and soul of Berkshire not only intact but thriving. With firm belief in the School’s ability to shape young people into “great citizens committed to giving back to their community,” he thought to himself, “What better investment is there than to give to Berkshire?” To learn more, go to berkshireschool.org/payingitforward.
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When you make a new or expanded planned gift to Berkshire, an Annual Fund gift will be made in your name equal to 10% of your future gift. To join in Paying It Forward, contact Director of Advancement Andrew Bogardus at 413-229-1237 or abogardus@berkshireschool.org, or visit berkshireschool.org/ payingitforward.
THE JOHN F. GODMAN SOCIETY In 1996 Berkshire established the John F. Godman Society, named for the legendary headmaster who was responsible for nearly two decades of dramatic growth and who made a bequest to the School that endures to this day. The Godman Society recognizes all those donors—almost 200 to date—who have embraced John Godman’s spirit through a planned gift. Visit berkshireschool.org/ payingitforward to learn more and become a member.
From the Archives
The Buck Started Here
Anne Allen Buck’s leadership role in the founding of Berkshire School, alongside her husband Seaver Buck, was instrumental. Her influence should not be surprising; Mrs. Buck, an 1895 graduate of Smith College, came from a family of educators. Her father, James T. Allen, was the founder of the former The Allen School in West Newton, Mass., where Mr. Buck taught as a young man. In the fall of 1907, Mr. and Mrs. Buck rented the buildings at the Glenny farm at the foot of Mt. Everett and founded their school with just six boys and four “masters.” From the beginning, Mrs. Buck imbued the campus with intellectual vitality and fostered deep connections with students. Arthur C. Chase, assistant headmaster of Berkshire at the time of Mrs. Buck’s
Anne Allen Buck enjoying her grandchildren with husband, Seaver
death in 1967, shared remarks at her memorial service, recalling her critical role. “I recognized immediately that the partnership of Mr. and Mrs. Buck was an extraordinary one in which her wisdom served as check and balance on a thousand occasions,” Chase said. In addition to serving actively on the School’s board of trustees from 1919 to 1945, Mrs. Buck made a direct impact on generations of students’ lives. “Her
countless trips to the infirmary, her birthday cakes and remembrances, her messages relayed from relatives and friends, and her infallible memory for all the achievements of Berkshire boys—all were evidences of her complete absorption in the life of the school,” recalled Chase. “In the history of independent schools, there have been few partnerships to equal the Bucks’.”
“She was garrulous, sharp as a tack, and loved to entertain ... her influence was enormous.” —C. Twiggs Myers Hon. ’57, Berkshire Bulletin, Summer/Fall 2007
Access the archive at: BerkshireSchoolArchives.org
245 North Undermountain Road Sheffield, Massachusetts 01257-9672 Address Service Requested
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
2019 All-School
REAd “Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.” In the world-renowned essay, “We Should All Be Feminists,” Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie writes a convincing and accessible definition of the term “feminist.” She uses humorous anecdotes from her own life to argue to her audience that gender equality can no longer take a backseat. The 2019-2020 school year marks the 50th anniversary of coeducation at Berkshire and this book was selected to help us launch this celebration. We hope to see Adichie’s witty and accessible writing open conversations about gender roles and gender equality across our school community and beyond. Learn more about this year’s ASR program on our website: www.berkshireschool.org/ASR.
Kick-off Event: 9.19.19 A talk by Gina Barreca, author of numerous books, including “Untamed and Unabashed: Essays on Women and Humor in British Literature” and “Babes in Boyland: A Personal History of Coeducation in the Ivy League.” Q&A and a lunchtime reading from “Babes in Boyland” to follow.
Photo by Elena Seibert
