Berkshire Bulletin Summer 2020 by Berkshire School

BULLETIN

The

Summer 2020

ENTERTAINMENT ISSUE ISSUE

From the Head of School

Dear Alumni and Families, Wherever in the world this finds you, I hope you, your families, and your friends are all healthy and safe. As we continue to navigate these challenging and uncertain times, our community draws great strength from Berkshire’s core values and the enduring Berkshire spirit found among students, alumni, parents, and friends. This issue of the Berkshire Bulletin is a reminder of our common love for our School that holds us tightly together and celebrates the successes of our community even while we are apart. Virtual Learning The educational landscape has shifted dramatically as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following spring recess in March, our faculty quickly pivoted to a virtual learning model, blending synchronous and asynchronous classes to connect over 18 time zones. In this issue of the Bulletin, Dean of Academics Brooke Depelteau shares the challenges of reinventing the curriculum and illuminates the new teaching tools and experiences that our faculty will bring with them into the new school year. Resilient Community Words can’t express how proud I am of the resiliency of our community, particularly the Class of 2020. These students had to recalibrate their expectations, as their final months at Berkshire looked and felt altogether different than what they had anticipated. They surmounted this challenge with grace, perseverance, and fortitude. We can also find optimism and courage in the stories of our alumni making a difference on the front lines of the pandemic and in their communities, which are recognized and honored in this issue. Standing for Equality Our community has been deeply outraged by the violent deaths of Black Americans last spring, by the systemic racism that leads to these injustices, and by the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on communities of color across the world. As we have grieved and protested, this summer we have also had deep and meaningful conversations led by both current students and our alumni about how Berkshire can ensure every community member feels safe, heard, and affirmed. We look forward to continuing these conversations this year and to working together to make sure we are our best, most inclusive community. Last fall, Berkshire and the Board of Trustees approved its 2019 Diversity &

Inclusion Strategic Plan, which Dean of Diversity and Inclusion Akilah Edgerton highlights in this issue. 50 Years of Coeducation As we look back on the School’s celebration of our 50th anniversary of coeducation, we are inspired by our first female students who shared their Berkshire experience from five decades ago with our community last fall. Their pioneering spirit was evident in the stories they told and the challenges they overcame. Their experiences illustrate how far Berkshire has come in terms of gender equity and also serve as a reminder of the work still ahead to honor their legacy by continuing to ensure that our female students share equal opportunities for success and growth. The Next Normal As we look ahead to the start of the 2020-21 school year in September, we eagerly anticipate welcoming our full community back together to resume the vibrant life at Berkshire that we’ve all missed so dearly. While the daily experience will likely feel different than it has in years past, we will appreciate more than ever the power and joy of the personal connections that make Berkshire, Berkshire. All my best from under the Mountain,

Pieter Mulder P’22 Head of School

berkshireschool.org/Reopening

/ Reflection /

SUMMER 2020 OUR MISSION

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.

Lara McLanahan ’86, P’16,’16,’19 CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Pieter M. Mulder P’22 HEAD OF SCHOOL

Andrew Bogardus P’23,’24 DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT

Carol Visnapuu DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

Bulletin Editor: Megan Tady FREELANCE EDITOR

On the Cover: Set decorator Andrew Baseman ’78, awarded for his work on the film “Crazy Rich Asians,” at the Newel Gallery in Manhattan. Photo by Joanna Chattman

Class Notes Editor: Jen Nichols ‘87, P’19 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

Features

Departments

18 Celebrating 50 Years of Coeducation

2 Seen Around

24 Lights, Camera, Action! Berkshire Bears in the entertainment industry

58 Bears at Play

60 Take a Leap Inviting more students to join RKMP

108 In Memoriam

Class Notes Coordinator: Sue Delmolino Ives P’15 Design: Hammill Design

4 Campus News 82 Alumni Spotlight 92 Class Notes 109 From the Archives

74 Senior Celebration 82 Generosity of Spirit Alumni’s heroic COVID-19 efforts

Berkshire School admits students of any race, color, religious affiliation, national and ethnic origin and qualified handicapped students to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students. We do not discriminate in violation of any law or statute in the administration of our educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.

Printing: Qualprint 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. D ancers perform “Order/Chaos” from the Winter Dance Concert, “Juxta Position.” 2. T he Asian Affinity Club kicks off the Berkshire Lunar New Year 2020 celebration with a Chinese dragon dance followed by a Kung-Fu demonstration by Shifu Shi Yan Ming, an Asian-inspired lunch, and an evening fireworks show. 3. Bears defeat the Rhinos 2–1 at Taft in the 13th annual Pink Out game in memory of Lucille D’Arco.

4. D uring WeWeek, students wore the traditional dress of their native cultures for International Traditional Dress Day, including the kimono (Japanese), Hanfu (Chinese), and dirac (Somali) styles of dress. 5. A self-portrait of Darran Shen ’20 from this year’s “Senior Selfies: SelfPortraits by the Class of 2020.” To view the collection, visit www.berkshireschool.smugmug. 6. Third formers enjoy bonding activities at their leadership retreat, which included a high ropes course.

Summer 2020

Campus News

APPRECIATION OF SERVICE Berkshire honors Board Chair Alice Ehrenclou Cole ’76. Berkshire School was thrilled to honor one of its pioneering female leaders, Alice Ehrenclou Cole ’76, on Friday, September 27, in a tribute that coincided with Berkshire’s celebration of its 50th anniversary of coeducation. Cole was recognized for her longstanding service on Berkshire School’s Board of Trustees at a celebratory dinner hosted in the Berkshire Hall Atrium. She was joined by her husband, Wallace H. Cole III, along with classmates Robin MacAusland ’76 and Liz Kinney Robinson ’76, and fellow trustees,

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faculty, staff, and friends. Becoming Berkshire’s first female board chair in 2014, Cole was initially appointed to the board of trustees in 2000 to lead a subcommittee charged with reviewing the School’s human resources policies. In this critical role, she took a measured and compassionate approach that would come to epitomize her tenure on the board. Hans Carstensen III ’66—trustee emeritus and former board chair— recalled his appreciation for Cole’s steady presence and insightful guidance early in his own tenure; when he asked fellow

trustees whom he should seek out for advice and counsel, he received the resounding response: “See Alice.” Cole went on to serve the board in multiple roles, including as vice chair and as a member of numerous committees. Upon naming her Berkshire’s 2019 Distinguished Alumna, the award committee commended her for her board leadership, which “consistently placed the student experience at the forefront and helped instill a culture of excellence and a commitment to our core values among all members of the Berkshire community.”

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Among the institutional priorities Cole saw as fundamental to strengthening the student experience was the School’s commitment to its faculty. In honor of Cole’s steadfast support of Berkshire’s teachers, board member Cary Weil Barnett ’76, P’17 spearheaded the effort to establish the Alice Ehrenclou Cole ’76 Faculty Endowment, to provide essential annual benefits for faculty members. Thanks to contributions from former and current trustees, alumni, family, faculty, and friends, the fund has exceeded $300,000 and continues to grow. In a heartfelt tribute to her classmate, Barnett shared, “I admired her then, and now, as we all do, for her determination with a smile, making herself heard and respected, and her decades-long dedication to Berkshire.” Board member David Rondeau ’78 recounted his experience as a humble sophomore summoned by Cole, a confident senior tennis player, to go

“I admired her then, and now, as we all do, for her determination with a smile, making herself heard and respected, and her decadeslong dedication to Berkshire.” —Cary Weil Barnett ’76, P’17

in search of a lost ball. Following this anecdote, which was met with equal parts laughter and applause, he presented Cole with a set of brand-new bright green tennis balls to remedy his fruitless attempt at retrieval years ago. Bringing a refreshing mix of humor, wisdom, urgency, and generosity to her volunteer leadership work, Cole exhibited a selflessness and perseverance

that pushed the School toward an ever-higher standard of excellence. As outgoing Board Chair Chip Perkins ’73, P’14,’14 remarked, “What is at the core of this person is simply her ability to care about people—family and friends, and places like Berkshire.” Berkshire School and all those in its community will thrive far into the future thanks to her extraordinary care.

A Warm Welcome to New Board of Trustees Chair Berkshire School was pleased that we are today. My proudest to announce the appointment moments were seeing my three of Lara Schefler McLanahan children, Georgia ’16, Jake ’16, and ’86, P’16,’16,’19, as its next Brooke ’19, follow in my footsteps chair of the board of trustees and become Berkshire graduates. on September 28, 2019. We are a family of Bears, through McLanahan joined the board and through.” in 2010, and she served as vice She continued, “As chair, I chair since 2015, as well as will be cognizant of keeping co-chair of the Advancement Berkshire true to itself and its Committee. She has been culture—a place where students Lara Schefler McLanahan ‘86, P’16,’16,‘19 with her three instrumental in recruiting are happy and enjoy learning children Georgia ’16, Jake ‘16, and Brooke ‘19 countless new families to from dedicated teachers who care Berkshire over the past decade. deeply about them. Excellence On accepting the appointment, McLanahan expressed her can be seen in all corners of Berkshire, and I look forward to deep commitment to the School: “As an alumna, I have seen partnering with all those in the community who work so hard Berkshire grow through the decades into the exceptional school every day to achieve this.”

Summer 2020

Campus News

FACULTY CENTER REDESIGNED A Space for Collegiality and Collaboration

On Friday, September 27, the Berkshire community, the Berkshire School Board of Trustees, and friends of the School gathered in Berkshire Hall to celebrate the dedication of The Calderini Family Faculty Center. The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the opening of the Center and honored board of trustees member Pablo Calderini; his wife, Carina; and their children, Seve ’18, Amalia ’21, Conrado, and Octavio. The renovated 2,500-square-foot Center provides office and meeting space for the English, history, and language departments, and it serves as a resource for all Berkshire faculty.

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Head of School Pieter Mulder presided over the dedication, expressing deep gratitude to the Calderinis for their transformational gift. Mulder shared, “I feel so much pride for our English, history, and language departments as they come into this space for the very first time. They feel the School’s support for the

Celebrating the dedication of The Calderini Family Faculty Center are, from left, former Chair of the Board of Trustees Chip Perkins ‘73, P’14,’14 with the Calderini family: Octavio, Pablo, Carina, Amalia ‘21, Conrado, (Seve ’18 not pictured), and Head of School Pieter Mulder

“It’s clearly the faculty that make this school unique. It’s the academics, but it’s also the human side of the faculty that make such a big difference.” —Pablo Calderini P’18,’21, Board of Trustees

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New Academic Leadership

collaboration, collegiality, the crosspollination of ideas, and the engagement with students around their work in the humanities at Berkshire.” The Center, designed by Finegold Alexander Architects of Boston and modeled after the faculty offices in the Bellas/Dixon Math and Science Center, creates a more collegial space in which faculty can work and share ideas with one another. Clay Splawn, Berkshire’s newly appointed dean of faculty, who served as the School’s dean of academics for nine years, shared, “The proximity to one another is going to encourage the kind of collaboration amongst teachers that we all want, and it will make our teaching better and our students’ experiences richer.” The design of the space was a collaborative effort among the board of trustees, faculty and department chairs deeply invested in the project. English Department Chair Stuart Miller ’97 said, “We took this opportunity to share our input about every detail of the design phase . . . down to whether desk dividers helped or hampered collaboration.” History Department Chair Heidi Woodworth shared that she appreciates the lack of barriers in the Center. “There is the feeling that it is a space for everyone to be working together rather than on their own individual projects,” she said. “This space will go a long way in supporting the faculty who support the students.” Pablo Calderini, who has served on the board of trustees for two years, said, “We love the Mountain. That makes the School extremely special. But it’s clearly the faculty that make this school unique. It’s the academics, but it’s also the human side of the faculty that make such a big difference.”

Brooke A. Depelteau Dean of Academics In the fall, Brooke A. Depelteau stepped into her new role as the School’s dean of academics. She also teaches English and serves as an advisor. Depelteau formerly served as the dean of academics and curriculum and as an English teacher at the Christ School in Asheville, N.C. Prior to Christ School, she worked at Suffield Academy in Suffield, Conn., where she was the assistant academic dean, assistant director of the Suffield Summer Academy, an English teacher, and a dorm parent. A graduate of Presbyterian College, Depelteau earned her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Georgia, and her education specialist degree in leadership and administration from George Washington University. She will complete her doctor of education in curriculum, teaching, learning, and leadership from Northeastern University in 2022. Depelteau lives on campus with her husband, Jeff Depelteau, who is the director of Summer Programs, head coach for boys varsity basketball, and assistant coach for varsity track and field, and their two sons, Max and Bryson. Clay Splawn Dean of Faculty After serving as the dean of academics since 2009, Clay Splawn was appointed dean of faculty this fall. He also teaches ethics, serves as the assistant coach for the girls varsity basketball team, and is an advisor. He has taught philosophy at Berkshire, and he served as the history department chair from 2007 to 2009. Splawn earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of Alabama and a master’s degree from Texas A&M University. Splawn joined the Berkshire faculty in 2001 and lives on campus with his wife, Kristina Splawn, who serves as the associate dean of students and community service coordinator, and their three children, Diana, Dalton, and Robert.

berkshireschool.org/MeetOurFaculty

Summer 2020

Campus News

New Board of Trustees Members Berkshire School welcomed four new members to the board of trustees in 2019: Tony Clifford ’86, Robin Levi P’21, Luciana Miranda P’21, and Brian O’Callaghan P’22. Hailing from widespread geographies and each bringing unique experience and expertise to our governance effort, these board members exhibit the love for Berkshire that unites us all in our desire to serve and guide the School.

Tony Clifford ’86 is an architect in Philadelphia and works at Stantec Architecture and Engineering, focusing on K–12 and higher education projects. He holds a B.A. from Roanoke College in Virginia and a master’s degree in architecture from Syracuse University. He lives in Ardmore, Pa., with his wife, Susan, and their 13-year-old son, Noah. When he’s not losing the battle of the screens with his son (thanks, Apple!), Clifford enjoys playing for his soccer club and trying his hand at painting. He also looks forward to annual outings with his fellow classmates Peter Alternative, Jeff Horton, Justin Miazga, and Eric Zimmerman.

Luciana Miranda P’21 is a managing director and global head of marketing for Futures & Options and OTC Clearing at Bank of America. She previously held leadership roles at Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs. Miranda earned a B.S. from Fundação Getúlio Vargas in Brazil and an MBA from London Business School in the United Kingdom. She has served on the board of Educando/World Education Fund, which focuses on empowering education in Latin America, and she volunteers for Safe Passage, an organization that provides legal assistance to immigrant children. Miranda lives in Scarsdale, N.Y., with her husband and sons, Lucas ’21 and Pedro. In her free time, she enjoys travelling, doing yoga, and spending time with her family in New York and Brazil.

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Robin Levi P’21 is an independent college consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area and a consultant with Students Rising Above (SRA), which helps high-achieving, low-income students apply to and graduate from college. Prior to joining SRA, she spent almost 20 years as a women’s human rights attorney. Levi earned a B.A. from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a J.D. from Stanford University. She has served on the boards of Justice Now, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, and the DataCenter. Levi lives in Oakland, Calif., with her husband, John Hayes, and their daughters, Abby ’21 and Hannah (Middlebury, ’23). As a new empty nester, she enjoys walking her dog, knitting, and reconnecting with friends and family.

Brian O’Callaghan P’22 founded CPI in 1996, the first investment professional recruiting firm to focus within the investment industry. He has been fortunate to work with clients of all sizes and strategies as a recruiting partner, investor, human behaviorist, and confidant. Previously with Morgan Stanley and the international real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle, O’Callaghan has been involved with several entrepreneurial ventures as founder and investor. After graduating from The Lawrenceville School, he earned a B.A. in political science at Denison University, where he played football and lacrosse. He lives in Katonah, N.Y., with his wife, Suzanne, and their children, Will ’22, Jack, and Maggie. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, playing golf, watching college football, and hiking with his dogs.

Campus News

FINDING THE SILVER LININGS Teaching and Learning Remotely in Spring 2020 By Brooke A. Depelteau, Dean of Academics

In our hurry to live our lives, we often forget to pause and take note of what is going on around us. The emergence of COVID-19 necessitated that our community stop, take note, and prioritize while recognizing that we are, quite literally, living history. Younger generations will ask our children what it was like to live through a global pandemic. As a mother, I hope my youngest child remembers that he learned to ride a bike, and I hope my oldest remembers that we baked (too much) banana bread. As an educator, I hope our students remember that we found strength in each other and that their teachers met their concerns and frustrations with patience, compassion, and understanding. Berkshire Bears are a strong lot who care fiercely for each other and their school, and the faculty and staff felt their absence keenly during the spring quarter. Teaching and learning looked differently at Berkshire this spring, as

they did in most of the world. As cases of COVID-19 grew, we found ourselves planning to deliver our academic content in a manner completely new to us as an institution. The method of delivery we used has since acquired a name: emergency distance learning. While none of us would have labeled it as such at the time, we now recognize it for what it was, and we have taken with us lessons from the experience. As we moved our world from beneath the Mountain to “The Brady Bunch” boxes of Zoom, we found ourselves thinking more creatively about how to recreate our community in a virtual world. We also had to consider that we were asking our students to continue their learning in a variety of different circumstances, some more challenging than others. Realizing that we could not account for the unexpected obstacles our students would face, we decided to move fourthquarter courses to a pass/fail model

and to utilize both synchronous and asynchronous classes. In our virtual world we learned lessons about patience and flexibility; we also learned about waiting rooms and passwords and to joke with each other when someone inevitably spoke without turning on their microphone. We learned that our students missed us and each other, just as we missed them. Within this experience some silver linings have emerged. We have embraced Zoom’s ability to connect with those both near and far. We have had more time to think about what we teach and how we teach it. We have become more comfortable in a digital environment. When school begins in the fall and we move into our next normal, these lessons will stay with us, and we will remember that our students have been our teachers just as much as we have been theirs. Brooke A. Depelteau just completed her first year as Berkshire’s dean of academics. See her bio on page 7.

Summer 2020

Campus News

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION: THE FABRIC OF WHO WE ARE By Akilah Edgerton, Dean of Diversity and Inclusion

Shortly after my arrival at Berkshire, I had the opportunity to introduce myself, share my personal story, be in community with other Berkshire Bears, and describe Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as “the fabric of who we are.” You may be wondering what fabric has to do with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). I invite you to journey with me to Ghana, West Africa, a place that I love and where I sojourn annually. Over the years, I had the opportunity to observe the intricacies of weaving fabric to produce Kente cloth (an indigenous Ghanaian textile made of interwoven cloth strips of silk and cotton). While the weavers were urgently working, I noticed how focused they were. I noticed their hands and feet moving in sync producing a rhythmic melody on the machine. When the thread did not flow according to the plan, they would stop and assess the area where the process went awry. Sometimes they communicated with one another, worked through the barriers, then continued weaving. This was an ongoing process. I share my experience because this is how DEI has to be interwoven to become the fabric of who we are as an institution. Prior to my arrival at Berkshire, I was excited to learn about our newly drafted Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan and the process the authors engaged in. The Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Planning Committee comprised students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff, trustees, and 10

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school leaders. The committee sought to identify the needs of our community members and their hopes to experience an equitable and inclusive Berkshire. Weaving the voices of the community into the process was vital to the success of drafting the plan. In the fall of 2019, the board of trustees approved the strategic plan, and weaving DEI into systems at Berkshire immediately commenced. When I think about the importance of having a strategic plan, my thoughts drift back to the numerous times I spent marveling at the progress of the weavers’ work in Ghana. One aspect of the process that I carry with me on a daily basis was their urgent and active engagement. To make progress with DEI at Berkshire, we have to engage with urgency. As threads are woven to produce fabric, we have to treat DEI in a similar manner: It is not meant to be implemented in a silo but woven and embedded into every aspect of the Berkshire experience. The strategic plan connects DEI to various aspects of campus life and provides guidance as we actively strive to become an equitable, anti-racist, and just community. In addition to understanding Berkshire on a deeper level and cultivating relationships with the community, the DEI office has continued the work that was established prior to my arrival. Opportunities were created to share and listen to personal stories, thus beginning to challenge the single-story narrative that we may have towards other people. We

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leaned into difficult conversations about race, invited robust discussions in affinity groups, and engaged in celebrations and learning opportunities about various cultures and identities represented in our community. We also interacted with a series of speakers who shared experiences related to the intersectionality of their identities. Some of our community members traveled to conferences outside of Berkshire to further their learning about inclusive practices, while others welcomed facilitators to campus to take us on a deeper dive. The work that lies ahead is ongoing, reflective, intentional, and must effectively contribute to ensuring that DEI becomes the fabric of our school. The establishment of the Equity Councils for students and adults will be transformative as we begin coalition building to further weave DEI into the institution. Per students’ requests, we will increase the affinity spaces we offer on campus. Affinity groups are intentional spaces that are necessary to the growth and identity development for those who participate. Having affinity

spaces will support our community members, especially those with marginalized identities, to feel a sense of belonging. Community conversations will evolve to provide a proactive avenue for cross-cultural dialogue and ally ship between community members. We are an institution of learning and will continue educating our community on topics that include but are not limited to unconscious bias, microaggressions, systemic oppression, anti-racism, and culturally relevant pedagogy. For us to take a proactive approach, we have to closely examine our progress, identify our growth areas, and be willing to reimagine the methodology with which we engage in the work. We must avoid complacency in our journey and keep striving towards an equitable and just school. We are the weavers of DEI at Berkshire. With our head, heart, and hands working simultaneously, we will continue learning, challenging ourselves, and weaving the thread for DEI to become the fabric of who we are. berkshireschool.org/ diversity&inclusion

Trustee Angel Pérez, Dean of Diversity and Inclusion Akilah Edgerton, and faculty member Michael Bjurlin led Berkshire’s Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan.

“The work that lies ahead is ongoing, reflective, intentional, and must effectively contribute to ensuring that DEI becomes the fabric of our school.” —Akilah Edgerton Dean of Diversity and Inclusion

Akilah Edgerton Dean of Diversity and Inclusion Last August, Akilah Edgerton was appointed as the School’s dean of diversity and inclusion. She also serves as an advisor and a dorm parent. Edgerton formerly worked at Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield, Mass., serving as the co-director of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program, as well as the 10th-grade Horizons Program teacher and a dorm parent. Outside of her role at Berkshire, she is the senior pastor at the New Generation Global Ministry in Pittsfield, a mentor with the Rites of Passage and Empowerment for Girls of Color and on the board for Ghana Educational Collaborative. Edgerton earned her bachelor’s degree in social work and global studies at North Carolina A&T State University and studied at the University of Ghana. Last fall, Edgerton, along with trustee Angel Pérez and faculty member Michael Bjurlin, led Berkshire’s Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan, which was approved by the School and the board of trustees. Summer 2020

Campus News

TAKE FLIGHT A simulator helps students earn their wings on campus. By Hannah Van Sickle

Berkshire’s Aviation Science program, which began in 1943, is soaring to new heights with expanded offerings and a new, cutting-edge flight simulator. One of Berkshire’s 10 Signature Programs, Aviation Science is now available both first and second semester, with a curriculum that prepares students to take the FAA Knowledge Exam for Private Pilot. Additionally, every Sunday students can receive flight instruction at the nearby Walter J. Koladza Airport in Great Barrington. Berkshire is the only independent school in New England to

offer such an advanced Aviation Science curriculum, allowing students, quite literally, to see the world from a whole new vantage point. This year, the School purchased an FAA-approved flight training device called the RedBird LD FTD, which provides an easier, more cost-effective way for students to hone their skills before they get in an aircraft. Michael Lee, a science teacher and flight instructor at Berkshire since 2009 said, “It replicates exactly what an airplane will do.” Science teacher and pilot Ben Urmston,

who teaches the fall semester of Aviation Science, is thrilled with how the simulator fast tracks students’ knowledge. “Theoretically, by the time kids get to the airport, they will be familiar with instrumental panels, taking off at the right speed, putting the flaps down, and following a checklist,” he said. Urmston’s course touches on engineering, aerodynamics, airspace, and weather. Hands-on activities impart lifelong skills, and include learning to safely fly drones and launching a weather balloon into the upper atmosphere.

Nicholas Pesce ‘21 learns how to fly on the flight simulator in his Aviation Science class. 12

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Campus News

“I love transferring my passion for aviation into something that could stay with students for the rest of their lives,” Urmston says, who is the proud owner of a 1970 Cessna 172. Come spring, Lee helps students prepare for the FAA Exam through a multifaceted curriculum. Topics range from electronics systems and aerodynamics to weather and the physics of air pressure. “Aviation is where freedom and responsibility find each other,” Lee said. Emmet McDonnell ’20 participated in the Pro Vita aviation trip to Florida in 2018, passed the FAA exam the following year, and is working toward earning his private pilot license. “The simulator has helped me do multiple things at once,” he said. McDonnell demonstrated how to change frequencies, enter a location into GPS, and talk to air traffic control—all while flying without visual aid from a classroom in the Bellas/Dixon Math and Science Center. Aviation Science is supported by The Hans Carstensen Aviation Endowment, a fund created in 2011 and named for Emeriti Trustee and alumnus Hans Carstensen ’66. The endowment in his name allows current students enrolled in the program to have a similar experience by funding flight time and test fees. When Victoria Rowland Garrido ’20 signed up for Aviation Science, she too was looking for a transformative experience—one that would allow her to take a risk outside of her comfort zone and follow in both of her grandfathers’

“I’m living a dream not many get to have, and I’m doing something not many women get to do.” —Victoria Rowland Garrido ‘20

footsteps, each of whom were pilots in the military. Having recently passed her FAA exam, Rowland Garrido is striving for her private pilot license as well. “I’m living a dream not many get to have, and I’m doing something not many women get to do,” she said. This winter Lee and science teacher Maura MacKenzie led a Pro Vita trip to Houston, Tex., titled Aerospace and Aviation. Rowland Garrido and McDonnell, along with four other Berkshire students, attended a fully credentialed and FAA-certified flight school, where they underwent six to eight hours of flight training and fifteen hours of ground school training. The trip also featured a VIP tour of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where students were able to witness real-time operations

in Mission Control as the controllers went about daily operations with the astronauts on the International Space Station. Students also toured the floor of the facility where work takes place on the new spacecraft and astronauts train for their next mission. Ashanti Bruce ’20 found the entire experience enriching and enthralling. “How many 17-year-olds can say they have flown an airplane, and at night too?” Bruce said. “Staring in awe during the NASA trip and during my flights along the skyline, I realized the infinite possibilities I have for my career and my future. After the aviation trip, I will be looking for that blood-pumping experience in a cockpit again, and in the career I choose to partake in.”

“Aviation is where freedom and responsibility find each other.” —Michael Lee, Science Teacher and Flight Instructor

Pro Vita students get a VIP tour of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. Summer 2020

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A CLOSER LOOK AMSR offers unparalleled access to cutting-edge equipment. By Dr. April Burch, Science Department Chair and Director of AMSR

Since opening in 2011, Berkshire School’s Advanced Math/Science Research (AMSR) lab has continued to be a tremendous resource for aspiring scholars interested in conducting real-world research in the biological, physical, and social sciences. This highlevel study has been supported by two new, state-of-the-art additions to our AMSR program. Three years ago, Berkshire acquired a JEOL JEM-1200EXII Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), which has enabled students to visualize everything from viruses to bacterial biofilms to carbon char residue produced from plastic pyrolysis. Without a doubt, the TEM has allowed students to obtain results needed for the School’s continued success in the Regeneron Science Talent Search competition, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. Notwithstanding, the utility of the TEM has been limited partly because of our inability to slice thin sections for detailed TEM study—until now. This year, Berkshire purchased a new Leica UC7 Ultramicrotome, which allows students in the science and AMSR programs to slice very thin sections for TEM. The Ultramicrotome has the ability to cut 50 nanometers (nm) thin samples, thin enough for the electrons in the TEM to actually transmit the sample to reveal inner, very complex detail. Many kinds of material may be sectioned, including but not limited to

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BART senior William Schrade works alongside Dr. Burch on the Ultramicrotome in Berkshire’s AMSR lab.

tissues, plant matter, and samples for material science. This instrument uses glass and/or diamond knives to cut very thin samples from epoxy-embedded (plastic) tissues or materials. Berkshire is the only high school in the world to have this instrument. We encourage you to visit the AMSR lab to check out the Ultramicrotome (or “tiny knife,” as it is affectionately called by some students and faculty).

Students in the AMSR afternoon program are becoming “super users” of the Ultramicrotome. An engineer from the Leica company visited campus to provide us with a professional training session. Students learned how to master the alignment of the sample and knife— two key steps in successful sectioning of materials—and safe use of the knife as they are very easy to break during use if improperly aligned.

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Students use the Ultramicrotome to cut very thin samples from epoxy-embedded (plastic) tissues or materials. The Transmission Electron Microscope allows them to visualize sub-microscopic particles such as bacteria and viruses.

Incredibly, when Dr. Abigail LyttonJean (scientific director, Nanotechnology Materials Lab at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) learned about our AMSR program from our Leica representative, she graciously donated 20 glass knives and tissueembedded samples for us to train with over the winter. Through this valuable connection, students have been able to practice using the instrument without the fear of breaking our only knife. This winter was also special because Berkshire’s AMSR program has been “paying it forward.” Students from Berkshire Arts and Technology (BART) Charter Public School in nearby Adams, Mass., visited each week for a Winter Advanced Research Program. Every Wednesday, five BART students and Amy Wiles, a science teacher at BART, traveled to Berkshire to work alongside our AMSR afternoon program students as we mastered the art of tissue embedding and Ultramicrotome sectioning. All costs for participating BART students and transportation to and from our laboratory were covered by Berkshire School. This program is designed to provide BART students, who have a passion for science but limited access to technology, an opportunity to learn science and new techniques in Berkshire’s state-of-the-art AMSR lab. We were excited to share our resources, environment, and expertise with these young scholars.

Summer 2020

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“Mill Pond” by Brandi Dahari

NATURALLY CURIOUS Berkshire’s faculty has a show of its own.

The Warren Family Gallery opened this year with a homegrown exhibit, “Naturally Curious: Paintings by Brandi Dahari and Photographs by Dom Sayler,” which featured work by two members of the arts department. Both artists chose to work in media different from their traditional forms. Dahari, who teaches ceramics, presented acrylic landscape paintings, while Sayler, who teaches sculpture and is the theater department’s technical director, shared his photography. “This exhibit demonstrates the depth and range of skills present in Berkshire’s arts faculty,” said Arts Department Chair Paul Banevicius. “Our faculty’s passion for the arts transcends any particular medium, style, or specific discipline.”

“A Year Without Light” by Dom Sayler

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“I’m fascinated by the vibrational energy within all things. I try to capture that feeling of aliveness, of shimmering colors and layers of meaning, the seen and the unseen, in each of my paintings. I want to give a singular moment, a fleeting impression of nature, as a gift of spirit.” —Brandi Dahari

“Clem” by Dom Sayler

“One of my favorite photos, ‘Clem,’ was taken using a flashlight stuck in the mud underneath a large leaf with a towel draped over the bushes overhead. I was able to isolate my light source in this case, and really highlight the beauty of my subject, a gray tree frog.” “Wintery Walk” by Brandi Dahari

—Dom Sayler Summer 2020

THE LAST LAUGH Author Gina Barreca helps launch All-School Read. When Gina Barreca arrived at Dartmouth College in 1975 as a member of the third class to include women, it wasn’t always easy. Some male students considered having female classmates to be a complete joke. But Barreca soon discovered that the best way to handle animosity was with an actual joke, and humor has been a tool she has wielded to great acclaim ever since. In September, Barreca helped the Berkshire community launch its All-School Read programming in support of the renowned essay “We Should All Be Feminists” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. A Board of Trustees Distinguished

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Professor of English at the University of Connecticut and winner of UConn’s highest award for excellence in teaching, Barreca is also a 2012 honoree of the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame. She is the author, most recently, of “If You Lean In, Will Men Just Look Down Your Blouse?” and has been a guest on “20/20,” “The Today Show,” and “Oprah,” discussing gender, power, and politics with a signature wit that is both thoughtprovoking and laugh-out-loud funny. Barreca brought that very humor to the stage of Allen Theater during an all-school meeting, where she promised from the get-go to “tell a few stories and

make a little trouble.” Growing up in a Sicilian family in Brooklyn, Barreca was the first woman in her family to graduate from high school and attend college. Enrolling at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H, made her a pioneer there as well. In 1975, the male-to-female ratio on campus was 7 to 1. During her talk, Barreca read two passages from her book “Babes in Boyland: A Personal History of Coeducation in the Ivy League” and recounted tales about the challenges of being in the gender minority in the early stages of coeducation at Dartmouth. When introducing the concept of

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With her wit and sense of humor, Barreca captivated the audience in Allen Theater.

feminism in her talk’s conclusion, she described it as “one of the last F-words in our culture.” According to Barreca, the definition of feminism is “the radical belief that people include women and that women are human beings. It’s not a tough club to get into,” she explained. “Women are human beings, so just start there.” Barreca’s visit and the All-School Read selection were timed intentionally to coincide with Berkshire’s celebration of its 50th anniversary of coeducation. Her remarks helped pay homage to Berkshire’s first alumnae and shed light on the similar challenges they faced as pioneers in the School’s transition to coeducation. After Barreca’s talk, students split up into small groups to discuss what gender-related obstacles still exist within the Berkshire community. Barreca then held a Q&A session based on her book and the breakout discussions, had lunch in the dining hall with students, and held a smaller reading and discussion of “Babes in Boyland” with students and faculty. “After Dr. Barreca’s visit, I realized how important it is to talk about how gender has impacted my own life, and to listen to other peoples’ experiences as well,” said Peggy

Barreca joined students for lunch in the dining hall to continue discussions sparked by her book.

Stansbery ’20, who attended Barreca’s reading. “I hope the Berkshire community will continue to have tough conversations about topics like gender, listen to underrepresented voices, and work toward promoting a more equitable community.” “My biggest takeaway from Dr. Barreca’s visit was that it is difficult to be vulnerable and brave, and that’s why the road to gender equality is difficult,” said Luke Nguyen ’21, who also attended the reading. “However, I think if we are willing to open ourselves to new experiences, we will be amazed at the progress we make.” All-School Read Committee Chair Callie Carew-Miller believes that conversations about gender on campus will continue throughout the year thanks to Barreca’s visit and the questions she asked of the community. “I think Dr. Barreca’s humor and honesty helped students look at gender from a new perspective,” she said. “Dr. Barreca’s visit was a fitting and important way to launch our celebration of Berkshire’s 50th anniversary of coeducation,” said Head of School Pieter Mulder. “Discussing the challenges she faced as a gender minority in college

offered a springboard to encourage our own efforts to address gender-related issues that still exist today. Her use of humor as an entry point to difficult conversations made the topic accessible and inspired new conversations that will ultimately make our Berkshire community even stronger.” As Barreca herself remarked in closing, “The most seditious, interesting thing you can do is to make a joke, and the best thing you can do is laugh.” ginabarreca.com

Author Gina Barreca with All-School Read Chair Callie Carew-Miller and Head of School Pieter Mulder

Summer 2020

SPEAKING UP

Marianne Hubert Stein (former faculty), Nancy Faye MacDonald Hecker ‘72, Carole Maghery King ‘72, Paula Pevzner ‘73, Linda Matson Heyes ‘73, Alex Brunel ‘72. Back row: Jack Bacon ‘72, Gigi Brown ‘20, Manny Roldan-Lezcano ‘20, Nancy Duryee-Aas (former faculty), Amanda Morgan (faculty), Ned Sullivan ‘72

First female students and faculty talk candidly at the 50 Years of Coeducation Celebration Panel. Four of the nine first female students to attend Berkshire—Alex Brunel ’72, Carole Maghery King ’72, Linda Matson Heyes ’73, and Paula Pevzner ’73—returned to campus on Saturday, September 21, to share their memories and stories at the 50 Years of Coeducation Celebration Panel held in Allen Theater. Nancy Faye MacDonald Hecker ’72 was also in attendance to help celebrate the milestone. The panel was the first of many events to commemorate five decades of coeducation on campus, and it also

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included Berkshire’s first full-time female faculty member, Madame Marianne Hubert Stein; Senior Master Mandy Morgan; two male classmates, Ned Sullivan ’72 and Jack Bacon ’72; and current students Gigi Brown ’20 and Manny Roldan-Lezcano ’20. Former faculty member Nancy Duryee-Aas moderated the panel. In an interview after the panel, DuryeeAas said it was important for current students to learn more about the School’s history. “History is important because it gives us perspective on what it was like in the beginning,” she shared. “I think it was

particularly poignant when the students learned that females only made up 3% of the population, whereas they are 45% of the population now.” Duryee-Aas also commended the School for highlighting some of the early struggles of coeducation rather than glossing over it. “We always learn more from what we did wrong than what we did right,” she said. “As good as you are, you can always do better.” To watch the recorded Coeducation Panel, visit berkshireschool.org/coeducation.

“Linda and I decided that we would play squash, but we didn’t know how to play and there wasn’t anyone assigned to teach us. We only had one squash racket between the two of us. We had to skirt the boys locker room to get into the squash court. We’d stake out until we thought the coast was clear, and then we’d go into the squash court and talk for an hour. I still don’t know how to play squash.” —Paula Pevzner ’73

“I arrived in 1969 just after Woodstock. The interest I had while I was here was trying to survive.” —Alex Brunel ’72

“I felt that once we went coed, I belonged here more. I quickly made friends with the girls.” —Jack Bacon ’72

“The first two years were very tough, but as we were growing up with the boys in the same classrooms, we became friends. In the last two years, I felt very supported by everyone, including the guys.” —Linda Matson Heyes ’73

“I had no idea that it wasn’t cool to be a cheerleader at a private school. Boys at Berkshire annihilated us. They were nothing compared to boys at other schools. Every Saturday morning when I left my parents’ house in my beautiful cheerleading uniform, I hoped I would fall down the back stairs and break something.”

“You had it rough, and I want to apologize to you on behalf of my classmates and others in the School. You persevered as pioneers at Berkshire and have gone on to have remarkable careers and done great things for the world. My hat’s off to you.”

“I had to teach in the annex because I was a woman. I was not allowed into faculty meetings.”

—Ned Sullivan ’72

—Madame Marianne Hubert Stein

—Carole Maghery King ’72

Summer 2020

BEARS IN THE FILM INDUSTRY

Pro Vita Director Donald Anselmi, Jennifer Stafford ’09, Andrew Baseman ’78, Lauren Hynek ’96, and moderator Bebe Bullock ’86, P’14,’17,’21

On what turned out to be the last on-campus event of the 2019–20 school year, Berkshire welcomed three alumni in the film and entertainment industry for a special Pro Vita panel and discussion, “Bears! Camera! Action!” Moderated by 50th anniversary celebration coordinator Bebe Bullock ’86, the panel offered students a glimpse into the industry from designer and set decorator Andrew Baseman ’78, screenwriter Lauren Hynek ’96, and producer/director for Red Bull Media House Jennifer Stafford ’09. The alumni showed clips of some of their favorite work, offered tips for getting into their respective fields, and shared their take on women’s evolving impact and experience in the industry. Afterwards they stayed for a meet-and-greet and informal discussions with students. For more on Baseman and Stafford, see page 24. Hynek, who was profiled in the Summer 2019 issue of the Bulletin, co-wrote Disney’s new live-action film “Mulan.”

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Coming this Fall! In acknowledgment of co-founder Anne Allen Buck’s guidance in the School’s early days, Berkshire will host the inaugural Anne Allen Buck Leadership Summit in October 2020, featuring a week of virtual events to salute her leadership. Guests include: Melissa Del Valle ’88, women’s boxing champion Alvaro Rodriguez Arregui ’85, social entrepreneur Shabana Basij-Rasikh, founder of the School of Leadership, Afghanistan Dr. Tarika Barrett, COO of Girls Who Code Dr. Christine Goldthwaite P’20,’22, leadership instructor

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HONORING THREE TRAILBLAZERS And the Award Goes To . . .

Bebe Bullock ‘86, former faculty Dana Shaw ‘79, Jeanette Shaw, Nancy Herger Duryee-Aas, Jeannette Cooper, and Head of School Pieter Mulder

The festivities to celebrate 50 years of coeducation at Berkshire continued in January when the School hosted an honorary luncheon to recognize three pioneering former faculty: Jeannette Cooper, Nancy Herger Duryee-Aas, and Jeanette “Jan” Shaw. Each woman has a graduation or Prize Night award named after her—The Jeannette B. Cooper Prize Book, The Herger Trophy, and The Jeanette A. Shaw Trophy. Past award winners of the prizes were also invited to the luncheon, which included over 50 people who gathered excitedly in the James C. Kellogg ’33 Alumni Center. Head of School Pieter Mulder offered welcoming remarks, acknowledging the “women trailblazers and pioneers for whom these three awards are named,” as well as the “award winners over many decades that are here with us today.” Shaw was the School’s first girls athletic director, appointed in 1972. Cooper served the School for 16 years in a number of roles, including as the first female director of athletics. And Duryee-Aas, who taught and coached at Berkshire for 36 years, was initially hired to teach dance to the School’s first female students. The honorary faculty members shared memories of their time at Berkshire.

Duryee-Aas said that when the School first designed the actual Herger Trophy, she lobbied for a trophy that looked as equally impressive as the ones bestowed on male students. “I looked at the [initial trophy] and I said, ‘Not happening.’” Duryee-Aas enlisted the help of a female sculptor in Great Barrington, Mass., to create the trophy. “I found my voice that year,” she said. “And I never lost it.” Shaw was instrumental in unifying the girls’ and boys’ athletic directors’ organizations into a single body. She recalled some of the challenges of being a female coach in the 1970s. “It was very hard being the only woman going to Western New England School Sport Association meetings,” she said. “I don’t think there was another female sports athletic director until after I retired.” Cooper commended Berkshire for “having the courage to [go coed]. What makes it important and emotional is the young people in the room and the faith that you had in us to let us guide you a little bit. The impact you’re making around the world is just phenomenal. Keep the good work up. And keep the spirit going.”

The Jeannette B. Cooper Prize Book is awarded at Prize Night to a fifth-form student who best exemplifies personal courage, leadership, responsibility, and honesty in academics and athletics.

The Herger Trophy is awarded annually at graduation to a sixth-form female student who best exemplifies proficiency in sportsmanship in interscholastic athletics.

The Jeanette A. Shaw Trophy is awarded annually to a fifth-form female student who best exemplifies proficiency in sportsmanship in interscholastic athletics. Summer 2020

LIGHTS, CAMERA, CAMERA,

ACTION ACTION

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N! N!

Many people dream of making it big in Hollywood or creating media that changes the arc of history; few succeed. It just so happens that Berkshire alumni—more than we could feature here—are working and excelling in the entertainment industry. From award-winning set decorators to groundbreaking directors, actors, producers, and choreographers to beloved reality stars, these alumni have drawn from lessons and experience learned at Berkshire to take entertainment to a whole new level.

Plus, an interview with Berkshire’s own theater director,

JESSE HOWARD Summer 2020

Berkshire Bulletin

NEEDLE in a HAYSTACK Set decorator Andrew Baseman ’78 transports film and TV audiences. By Megan Tady

Baseman at the Newel Gallery in Manhattan, where he often searches for set decor items

Set decorator Andrew Baseman was on the hunt for a Dixie Cup, and not just any paper cup would do. He was decorating an office set for the upcoming film “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” based in 1968, and every last detail— including a Dixie Cup perched on a desk—needed to reflect the time period. “I love shopping for the hard-to-find item,” Baseman says from his home in Chelsea, N.Y. “It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, especially with a period piece. Having the right paper cup on somebody’s desk or at a coffee station—that’s exciting to me.” Baseman and an assistant eventually tracked down the Dixie Cups in the original box. It was a lucky find, as were the dozen 15-foot-long church pews— posted for free on Craigslist— that he used to furnish the courtroom set for the film, which is directed by Aaron Sorkin and stars Sacha Baron Cohen and Eddie Redmayne. The film follows the story of seven people on trial for charges surrounding the

uprising at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Yet luck doesn’t have much to do with Baseman’s success. He’s made a name for himself as a meticulous and committed set decorator who can rapidly transform sets and transport audiences, tracking down elusive items to visually articulate the script and its characters. In 2018, Baseman won an Art Directors Guild Award and was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award for his work on the film “Crazy Rich Asians,” directed by Jon M. Chu. He was also the set decorator for Chu’s “In the Heights,” which is based on the musical written by Quiara Alegría Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Other film and TV projects include “The Nanny Diaries,” “The Americans,” “Gotham,” and “Eat, Pray, Love.” Baseman says his role differs from that of a production designer, a title that goes back to “Gone with the Wind.” The production designer conceives the look of a movie and the set decorator starts with an empty space and procures

Photo by Joanna Chattman

Summer 2020

“I often create characters’ backstories, even deciding where they graduated from college if I hang a diploma on the wall. My work includes all the details. Ninety-nine percent is not in the script.” Baseman’s set decoration for the film “In the Heights,” scheduled for release in summer 2021 Anthony Ramos as Usnavi and Melissa Barrera as Vanessa in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “In the Heights,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo by Macall Polay

everything, including furniture, rugs, wallpaper, lamps, and the art on the walls. “I often create characters’ backstories, even deciding where they graduated from college if I hang a diploma on the wall,” he says. “My work includes all the details. Ninety-nine percent is not in the script.” The feat is truly monumental. To create interior sets—inside a character’s home, for example—films often use people’s real houses or apartments. Baseman and his team arrive with a large truck and must empty out the residence, carefully taking photos so they can later restore the house to its original condition. Then the real work begins: decorating the set to reflect a character’s life. Nearly always pressed for time, Baseman is sometimes still adjusting a set mere minutes before the actors arrive, often working while the set lights 28

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are being hung up above him. Each character requires a vastly different look—a grandmother who’s been living in her apartment for 30 years needs “30 years’ worth of layers of everything she owns.” Baseman continues, “Her books, her clothes if you open the closets, everything in the kitchen, piles of mail and magazines— all those things I have to find.” For period films, Baseman has to conduct historical and cultural research, painstakingly tracking down each item and then ensuring that it accurately reflects the era, culture, or location. For the film “In the Heights,” his team decorated sets to reflect Cuban, Dominican, and Puerto Rican families. “We had a big responsibility to tell their story, because Cubans, Dominicans, and Puerto Ricans are not well represented on the screen,”

Baseman says. “The production designer and I did a lot of research to find out the subtle differences in how people from each of the three islands furnish their own homes.” Once shooting begins, Baseman is on hand to open the set and make any lastminute adjustments. “I want people to think the set is a real environment,” he says. “Sometimes a producer will walk onto a set and think that we found it like that. Of course we didn’t. We spent a long time making it look authentic. My ultimate achievement is when I’m doing a biopic and the relative of the character comes to set and cries, saying something like, ‘Oh my God, this looks just like my father’s house. I can’t believe you made it look like this.’ I like tears if they’re positive. I don’t really want crying if I did it wrong!” Every once in a blue moon, Baseman notices something that’s too late to fix

just as the cameras start rolling—a loose curtain panel over an office window in one film, for instance, still has him vexed. “I have a good eye for detail, and it’s also a curse, because when I go to the movies and I see something that’s wrong, I obsess,” he says. “I can’t help it.”

EARLY TRAINING

Baseman spent his four years at Berkshire immersed in drama and the arts.

From a young age, Baseman was intrigued by detail, noticing things other kids (and even adults) did not. “I was an unusual kid,” he says. “I was into antiques and furniture refinishing.” He spent many hours in his parents’ bookstore and antique shop in South Egremont, just up the road from Berkshire School. “That was instrumental in my development as a decorator because so many things came

through the doors of their shop that I got to learn from. Our house was furnished with antiques, so I’d ask my parents, ‘Where did you get this? What is it? Tell me everything you know about it.’” When he was 8 years old, Baseman became captivated by antique postcards—which, at a nickel a piece, were one of the few antiques he could afford to buy himself—and he attended postcard shows and auctions. It was at flea markets with his parents that he discovered a lifelong passion for antiques with “inventive” or “make-do” repairs, which he explains on his blog, “Past Imperfect: The Art of Inventive Repair,” are “unique examples of necessity and thrift, made during a time before Krazy Glue was invented.” “If I bought things that were

Set decoration of “Trial of the Chicago 7” Photo courtesy of Andrew Baseman

Summer 2020

imperfect, I could afford them because most people didn’t want them,” he says. “I realized that I preferred the imperfect to the perfect ones because they had an additional something, so a broken teapot with a metal handle is to me more interesting than the perfect one with just a normal handle.” Baseman now has the largest collection of make-do antiques in the world, rotating 600 items for display in his home. “It just really took off. I started to write about them and study them. It’s grown into an obsession.” When Baseman arrived at Berkshire, he was nervous about playing sports, something he says would have been “a disaster.” Full of ingenuity, he asked his teachers if stagecraft (constructing scenery) could fill his sports requirement, and thus began four years of building and designing sets, costumes, and posters for drama productions at the School. Hungry for knowledge and experience, he also took every art class available, began directing plays, and he became president of the Drama Club. At graduation, he was awarded The Berkshire Dramatics Cup, The Margaret V. Beattie Memorial Prize for Excellence in Art, and The John E. Rovensky Memorial Prize for Excellence in Independent Study. “Without even knowing it, I was training to become a theater designer,” Baseman says, who earned his bachelor’s degree in set and costume design from Carnegie Mellon University and began his career as an assistant set designer on Broadway. “Berkshire really had a lasting impact on me. I had a real sense of pride being at that school. I loved the history of it. I loved the setting of it. I loved the community.” Long before Hollywood beckoned, Baseman’s first breakthrough came during his junior year, when he had the temerity to approach the acclaimed Berkshire Theater Festival about designing posters for its upcoming

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Baseman at Newel Gallery Photo by Joanna Chattman

season. His offer was declined, but he was asked to become an apprentice. Baseman accepted, and the early connections he made there were instrumental to his later success. It was there he met production designer Bill Groom, who called on Baseman years later, after he had pivoted from Broadway, to join him as the assistant set decorator on what would become Baseman’s first film, “Rocket Gibraltar,” starring Burt Lancaster. “I was so green,” he says, of working

on the film. “I had never worked on a movie set, and I didn’t even know the terminology.” He has learned a lot since then. “I turned down work very early on because I didn’t think I could handle it. I didn’t really know where to find the things [the set would need]. I don’t turn down work now unless I just have too many projects, but not because I don’t think I can handle the job. At this point, I love doing big period movies because those are hard to do, but it’s a challenge and I really enjoy it.”

WHEN ALL THE ELEMENTS COME TOGETHER One such challenge was “Crazy Rich Asians.” Baseman received the call to join the movie just five weeks before shooting began, leaving him half the time normally allotted. The film is a romantic comedy, based on the bestseller of the same name, that follows a Chinese American professor who travels to meet her boyfriend’s family and discovers they are among the richest families in Singapore. The film was praised for being the first modern Hollywood film with an entirely Asian cast. “I jumped into it, and everything was foreign to me: the language, the money,” he says. “I work off of scale drawings, and the scale was metric, not inches. I was working with people I had never worked with before. It was mind-boggling.” Because filming was near the equator, Baseman also had to contend with 100% humidity. “Many of the crew members and I had sunstroke,” he says. Still, Baseman forged ahead. “I put my blinders on and did it, and it was

probably the most amazing experience in my work I’ve ever done,” he says. “We knew we were doing something important. Again, we had a story to tell about the culture, which was not well represented [on screen].” Baseman and his team had a relatively small budget—“the word ‘rich’ is in the title of the movie, so you can’t cheat”— yet they managed to decorate the sets with ornate, opulent furnishings and lush, beautiful flowers and plants. To decorate the main character’s ancestral home in Singapore, he got a quick education on the Peranakan design style. “It’s a very specific style of decor and color palette that is a mash-up of Chinese, Malaysian, and English, and I had never heard of it before,” he says. “I had just weeks to not only learn about it but find it and then put it all together. It turned out that I loved the color palette, I loved the style, and it was right up my alley.” The film received widespread acclaim when it was released in 2018—and so did Baseman’s work. “The response was just incredible, and I was so thrilled that

after all that hard work, not only was it a good movie, but you saw everything [in the sets],” he says. “That made me feel really great. The cinematography and costumes were beautiful. It’s so rare that all the elements come together.” The best part of his job, Baseman says, is transporting audiences to a new time and place, and introducing audiences to unfamiliar characters. And he himself loves to be transported by the silver screen. The latest movie to do that for him was “Roma,” Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón’s story of the life of a live-in housekeeper in the early 1970s who works for a middle-class family in Mexico City. “I had been to Mexico a couple of times, but I certainly had never seen interiors like that or gotten to know those characters. Everything in that film came together to become this world that I’d never experienced before. I hope I can do something like that for audience members the way ‘Roma’ did it for me.” andrewbaseman.com

In 2018, Baseman won an Art Directors Guild Award and was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award for his work on the film “Crazy Rich Asians,” directed by Jon M. Chu. Photo courtesy of Andrew Baseman

Summer 2020

The

CAMERAS LIKED ME Dorinda Cinkala Medley ’83 is featured on “The Real Housewives of New York City.”

Last year, Dorinda Cinkala Medley was touring an open market in Dubai when residents began approaching her saying “I can’t believe it’s you.” Medley, who is featured on the reality TV show “The Real Housewives of New York City,” couldn’t believe she was being recognized. “The most amazing thing about the ‘Housewives’ franchise is the incredible reach it has,” Medley says. “I find the whole experience fascinating—reality shows have this powerful message which can be both positive and negative. When I’m filming I forget that this is going to be broadcast all over the world. The bond is that people are people, and we are all going through the same stuff everywhere.” “RHONY,” as it is coined, is in its 12th year on the Bravo TV network and follows the personal and professional lives of a group of women living in New York City. Medley, who is embarking on her

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sixth season, has an Instagram following of over 900,000. Her fans have deeply connected with her vivacious, funny, tellit-like-it-is personality; her off-the-cuff one-liners, termed “Dorinda-isms;” and her ’80s-themed aerobics classes, also with their own name: “Dooorobics.” Medley graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in 1986, worked for Liz Claiborne, and then relocated to London with her first husband. In London, she started DCL Cashmere and counted Princess Diana and Joan Collins among her clients. After her divorce, she and her daughter, Hannah, moved back to Manhattan. In 2005, she met and married Dr. Richard Medley, who tragically passed away in 2011. Medley was reeling from the loss when “RHONY” cast member and friend Ramona Singer suggested that she join the show. “Ramona came to me and said, ‘Why don’t you try it for a year? It’s

a great distraction, and I think it’d be good for you,’” Medley recalls. “I went on the show, and the cameras liked me, and I liked the cameras. So off to the races we went.” During her first season in 2015, Medley was honest with the audience about her grief. Medley told the magazine Saratoga Living: “One of the most powerful moments for me after the first season was when I was at a fruit stand in front of my building, and this woman walked up to me and said, ‘Can I just say how powerful it is that you spoke about Richard and his passing, and that you spoke about becoming a widow?’” Each season requires months of intense filming. While cameras don’t follow Medley 24 hours a day, she is required to film scenes several times each day, and she simply allows the camera crew and producers to

Photo courtesy of Dorinda Medley

By Megan Tady

Summer 2020

“Each season is a different animal. It’s a pretty realistic look at me in my life. What you see is what you get.”

showcase both the glamour and the everydayness of her life. “They literally just pick you up in your life,” she says. “I know it sounds crazy, but it works. If you try to create a storyline or try to push anything, it never ends up how you think it’s going to.” Viewers are glued to “RHONY” for the drama that unfolds—gaffes, intense discussions, and emotional outbursts. “Our show in particular is very much based on resolving, getting things out in the open, being real and saying it the way it is, and having people take accountability,” she says. Medley adds that she isn’t allowed to retract anything caught on camera. “You sign that privilege away! Once you’re mic’d, you’re mic’d.” At the same time, Medley says the audience is drawn to moments that portray normal life. “People love to watch us pack for trips,” she says. “I think it brings comfort to let people see that we’re all just doing the same stuff, dealing with the same problems, handling the same issues, whatever it may be: death, divorce, aging, dating, finance, and motherhood.” On and off camera, Medley is also known for her many philanthropic endeavors to benefit causes near and dear to her heart, including Lalela Project, Ronald McDonald House, Ali Forney Center, Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation, and many others. Medley, who grew up in Great Barrington, Mass., says her penchant

for outrageous one-liners comes from her mother, who always “said whatever needed to be said.” As one of four children in a large and diverse family— Italian, Catholic, and Polish—she needed to vie for attention. “I think I’m a comic by nature,” she shares. “There was always a lot of banter and stories being told, usually over a lasagna, and you weren’t noticed unless you had a colorful story to tell, because there were so many of us.” It was Medley’s mother who insisted that she and her siblings attend Berkshire School. “My mother had a vision for us,” she recalls. “I grew up locally, my dad was a telephone man and my mother was a bookkeeper for my grandfather. They didn’t have the opportunities that they wanted to give us through education, exposure, and athletics. Berkshire School was pivotal in changing my mindset. It made me realize that there was more than Great Barrington, and that the opportunities were endless.” As a day student, Medley says she was actively involved in athletics and extracurricular activities. “It really kept us out of trouble because we were just so athletic and engaged, and we were basically exhausted. If we weren’t doing academics, we were doing athletics, if not athletics, student council. All that was left was sleep.” One of Medley’s favorite Berkshire memories is of students and faculty

members dining together. “I felt like it was an extended family and everyone was rooting for each other to be the best we could in the world,” she said. “It really set a tone.” Medley is often back in her old stomping grounds. Her second home in the Berkshires called Blue Stone Manor is a 1902 Tudor-style cottage with seven bedrooms. The house, which was a wedding present from her late husband, has a rich familial history: her great-grandfather and grandfather were masons who helped build it. Medley often daydreamed about one day owning the home with its expansive 18 acres. “The Berkshires are a very special place,” she said. “When I get there, it’s a relief and a release from all of the worries that I have when I’m in New York. I’m with my family. I relax, read, cook, take walks, and get back to nature. It’s a very spiritual retreat for me. It’s where my heart and my parents are, it’s home.” As for the upcoming season of “RHONY,” Medley doesn’t have any predictions. “Each season is a different animal,” she says. But fans near and far can expect Medley to be her tried-andtrue self. “It’s a pretty realistic look at me in my life,” she says. “What you see is what you get.” bravotv.com/people/ dorinda-medley

Medley in her living room at Blue Stone Manor, her second home in the Berkshires Photo by Mick Hales, www.mickhales.com

Berkshire Bulletin

Summer 2020

MAKING CHANGE on Stage Q&A with Actor Damian Walker-Edwards ’94 By Kevin Soja | Photos courtesy of Damian Walker-Edwards

With a strong, deep voice and an appreciation for humor, Damian WalkerEdwards connects easily with people on the stage—whether he’s performing in his one-man comedy shows or acting in a play. In 2018, Walker-Edwards performed in “Hands Up,” a series of seven monologues showcasing seven different Black experiences with police brutality in the wake of the 2014 police shootings of Michael Brown Jr., and John Crawford III. He is currently starring in an independent film based on the murder of Corey Jones, a young Black American man from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., who was shot and killed by a plainclothes police officer while waiting for a tow truck. Walker-Edwards is using art and his love of acting to make the world a better place, one audience member at a time.

Berkshire Bulletin

What inspired you to be an actor? When I was in “Our Town” [at Berkshire], I delivered a big monologue at the end of the play that summed up the culture of towns—and that no matter black or white, or if you were from a different country or a different state, we all have similar stories. That was my first real, serious, dramatic role, and I realized that I can connect to the crowd, tell a story, and present certain issues that people may overlook. That was a powerful moment for me. I realized this is what I want to do. Who are your favorite actors? Denzel Washington. I love seeing a Black actor who’s popular because it’s something that I could connect to as a Black person. It’s amazing to me how interesting and dynamic he is as an actor. Seeing Black people on television or in a cartoon growing up was also

really important to me. As a kid, all my superheroes were white characters— Batman, Superman, and so on. So it was wild to me that the “Black Panther” movie was such a massive success, with a Black superhero. What was your experience acting in the play “Hands Up?” That was a great play, and it is definitely important because of the serious issues going on now, as far as police brutality and people understanding the Black experience and wanting to have unity. I think that with these monologues, I’m able to address the injustices that have been done to Black people. And one thing that I liked about my particular role was there’s a lot of comedy in it. A lot of light parts. I talked about frustration and brutality, but my character also talked about liking “Star Wars” and “Willy

Wonka.” I was able to show that Black people like “Star Wars,” too. We like to watch “Ghostbusters” and all of these kinds of things. We’re just normal people. What is it like to present your own work in your comedy shows? It’s great because I have more control. In acting, there’s a lot of uncertainty. And when I am able to create my own project, I create my certainty, to a certain extent. I can also express things that I’m going through personally and put it in the writing. I really love having the freedom to share what I feel about the world. At the same time, I’m a flawed person. I make my mistakes, but people are aware of that as I’m talking, and I think they relate to the imperfections, too. It’s refreshing.

Walker-Edwards played security guard William in “Lobby Hero,” a play that details racial injustice in the court systems.

How did your Berkshire experience impact you? Diversity. Thanks to the loving support and guidance of my mother, Lola Edwards, I went there, and I’m meeting people that listen to the Grateful Dead. I don’t even know what that is. I’m like, I’m not listening to that. I’m a rap guy. Just being openminded and learning about other people and having differences of opinion and working through that. And, it was the first place where I did serious acting. I

“I realized that I can connect to the crowd, tell a story, and present certain issues that people may overlook.” wrote my first play at Berkshire: a oneact titled “Purgatory” that I performed. I was able to try a lot of things, and Berkshire gave me that space to do it. What is your dream role? “Black Panther Two.” I know I’m supposed to say Shakespeare or something, but I want to be in a superhero movie! facebook.com/ DamianWalkerEdwards

Walker-Edwards, who played the character Amen, and the cast of “Hands Up”

Summer 2020

HER ELEMENT In

Producer and director Jennifer Stafford â&#x20AC;&#x2122;09 tells athletesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; untold stories. By Megan Tady

Stafford and her crew prepare to film ice hockey star Hilary Knight on a pond in Idaho. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Stafford

Berkshire Bulletin

“The absolute best days in the world are when I’m in the field shooting. I live for that. I love watching it all come to life.” Jennifer Stafford, who directs and produces sports documentaries for Red Bull Media House, was in search of a frozen pond. She wanted it to look remote and arctic, the surroundings formidable, yet the ice needed to be safe enough to hold women’s ice hockey star Hilary Knight. After searching in vain for the ideal location in Western Canada, Stafford and her small team opted for a pond in Idaho, where they filmed Knight skating alone, taking practice shots into a net, her breath shooting out in icy plumes. The sequence serves as the opener for Stafford’s film, “Change of Pace—Hilary Knight’s Story,” which highlights Knight’s efforts to unite the two North American women’s ice hockey leagues and to better the conditions and compensation for female hockey players. Knight, who won an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2019, is one of women’s hockey’s most visible and outspoken players. When Stafford heard Knight’s story (Knight is a Red Bull-sponsored athlete), she knew she wanted to tell it, and she envisioned a scene of Knight skating alone. “I wanted Hilary on an open ice rink completely by herself because she has the weight of the world on her shoulders, and she’s carrying women’s hockey a lot of the time by herself,” Stafford says. “She’s saying things that a lot of people don’t want her to say.” Red Bull Media House, on the other hand, wasn’t sure they wanted to run with the story, and Stafford’s insistence sparked an internal conversation about transcending sports marketing. “This

was a separation from traditional Red Bull storytelling,” Stafford says, who has a B.A. in broadcast journalism from Emerson College. “We’re not an objective media source. We’re marketers. We have an athlete list, and our job is to make branded content with them. There was a large discussion around, ‘As a brand, do we have permission to tell this story?’ And we had to tell it with integrity and objectivity.” Stafford received the green light to move forward, and after its release on Red Bull’s Media Network, the short film was picked up by “Sports Illustrated” and the Associated Press. The film was also a feather in Stafford’s cap, since she has only been producing and directing at Red Bull Media House since 2018, where she works in Santa Monica, Calif. Prior to joining Red Bull, Stafford was the digital producer intern for the New England Sports Network, reporting on the fans and events supporting the Boston Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins. She also reported on a Red Bull Cliff Diving event, which marked her first exposure to the brand’s experiential marketing. Stafford then joined Red Bull in 2013 immediately after college, paying her dues in positions that didn’t sing to her. “I had no desire to do public relations, but I knew that I was getting my foot in the door,” she says of her first post at Red Bull Media House. “I would say that my career path has been more of a game of Chutes and Ladders versus an upward trajectory where you march along and get a promotion every year and a half.” Red Bull Media House produces

Stafford in Santa Monica, Calif. Photo by Benjamin Askinas

branded content that relates to a roster of 140 sponsored athletes in the United States (and dozens more globally), and as a producer and director, Stafford had to quickly learn how to hold her own in highly competitive pitch meetings. “The story that you bring to the table has to be compelling,” Stafford says, who is the only female director on the production team of nearly 40 staff members. “As a young producer and director who doesn’t have the experience other people have, what can I bring to the table that’s unique? As I went through the list of stories that we were telling, I noticed that almost none of them included, on an emotional level, storytelling around our female athletes.” That realization hit close to home for Stafford, who spent her childhood

Summer 2020

Berkshire Bulletin

Photo by Benjamin Askinas

and teenage years playing sports. At Berkshire, she played girls JV ice hockey, captained the girls varsity soccer team, and competed with the track and field team, setting Berkshire’s school pole vault record in 2009 (which still stands today). She also won three gold medals (out of three events) in the 1999 Junior Olympics for Karate, which she said sparked her passion for competition. “As a little girl, I would always look to other female athletes for inspiration because you have to see it to believe you can actually be it,” she says. “Whenever I can put a female athlete in the spotlight, I do. I took an opportunity [at Red Bull] that no one was capitalizing on, and it has become my niche.” Since June of 2018, Stafford has produced and directed four documentaries on a wide range of high-profile yet often underrepresented female athletes, including flat-track racer Shayna Texter, WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart, and barrel-racing champion Jackie Ganter. “The projects I find the most fulfilling are when I can figure out what makes an athlete tick,” Stafford says. “What are the nuances behind them, and what makes them operate at the highest level? I want to start to understand someone on an emotional and human level. That’s what makes a good story.” Long before filming begins, Stafford meticulously plans each shoot, scouts locations, creates a script and storyboard, and conducts pre-interviews. Rarely does filming happen in Santa Monica, so Stafford and her team usually travel to film their subjects, which is less glamorous than it sounds. Her 15-hour days often begin at 4 a.m. to capture early morning light. “Half the time you’re freezing or you’re hot,” she says. “You’re lifting heavy camera equipment. You’re not dolled up. It’s hard work, and it’s long work.”

“Whenever I can put a female athlete in the spotlight, I do.” Stafford directs Red Bull Media House’s film “Change of Pace,” about Knight’s fight for equality in women’s ice hockey. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Stafford

Summer 2020

Stafford interviews fellow Bear Jillian Saulnier ’11 about Knight’s impact on women’s ice hockey. Saulnier won a silver medal with Team Canada in the 2018 Olympics. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Stafford

“The projects I find most fulfilling are when I can figure out what makes an athlete tick ... that’s what makes a good story.”

Berkshire Bulletin

Still, Stafford contends, “The absolute best days in the world are when I’m in the field shooting. I live for that. I love watching it all come to life. All of the hard work that everybody has put into it starts to pay off, and I get the beautiful shots that I’ve been visualizing in my head for six months, or something totally unexpected works out.” Despite months of planning, there are untold variables that Stafford can’t predict, like the weather or an athlete’s performance. She has to be nimble and flexible, willing to “crumple up my shot list and throw it over my shoulder.” To tell the story about flat-track racer Shayna Texter, Stafford and her crew filmed three of her races, always unsure of the outcome. Flat-track racing is also known as dirt-track racing on a motorcycle, and in one of the races, Texter lost by a slight margin, which

became the opening of the film. “She’s standing on the podium reeling with anger,” Stafford says. “You can see it all over her face, that competitive spirit. You can’t script that. When you get the essence of someone like that when they’re in their element, it is just a beautiful thing.” Stafford says her directing style is still evolving, describing it as a “blend between a cinema verité, raw, fly-onthe-wall-style of filming and more dream-like, ethereal scenes that put [the viewer] in the flow state of mind of an athlete when they’re in their element.” As a director able to make her subjects comfortable or instill confidence in her team during a grueling shoot, she says she often draws on the traits that were instilled in her at Berkshire. To this day, she still carries in her wallet Ms. [Jane] Piatelli’s card listing “10 behaviors to

Ms. Piatelli’s “10 Behaviors” card, which Stafford still carries in her wallet

live by,” which were introduced to the community by her husband, the late Larry Piatelli, who was appointed Berkshire’s head of school in 2003 before his untimely passing in October of that year. “The behaviors and traits listed on that card make a good director,” Stafford says. “It’s all the soft skills and small things that make such a difference to somebody, like making eye contact or saying, ‘Good morning’ or ‘please and thank you.’ Having integrity, being your authentic self—that’s the stuff Berkshire instilled in me that has had such a profound impact on my life and helps me connect with people.” The Berkshire network has also been invaluable. When Stafford was looking for other female hockey players to interview for her film about Hilary Knight, it was by coincidence that Stafford’s producer suggested fellow Bear Jillian Saulnier ’11. “I’m looking at this piece of paper, and I’m like, ‘Jill Saulnier? No way.’” Of her trip to Canada to interview Saulnier, Stafford says, “It was a mini reunion. Before I even asked questions, we immediately started talking about Berkshire days. It was really wonderful to have it come full circle.”

Still image of “The Storm,” Stafford’s film about WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart

How’d you get that shot? “THE STORM”

With over one million views on YouTube, this documentary tells the story of the rise of WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart, who was also one of the first players to share her experience of sexual abuse. Throughout the film, Stewart is determinedly playing basketball in the rain. To get the shot, Stafford says: “The rain was a risk. I told everyone, ‘We’re bringing in 30-foot poles that spray freezing cold water at night, and it’s going to be 50 degrees.’ People were skeptical. The rain symbolized Breanna’s team, the Seattle Storm, but also that she’s come through her own storm. She’s gone through a lot in the WNBA fighting for equality and being a leader in the #MeToo movement. We put the camera on the ground and filmed upwards so that she was in a dominant and fierce position, where she had power and control. Whenever I work with a professional athlete of Stewart’s caliber, she’s got an entire team monitoring her down to the second. We have to be respectful of her time. And we were putting rain on the slippery plastic ground, so we had to make sure she didn’t get injured. As a director, I was right next to her in the rain guiding her through the entire thing. If I’m wet and you’re wet, then it’s not as bad as you just standing there by yourself. Everybody was in great spirits. The energy was so high because it looked so beautiful, and we captured it on film.”

jenstafford.com

Summer 2020

And,

SCENE!

Emmy-Award-Winning director Tucker Walsh ’08 reevaluates his purpose. By Lucia Mulder

Tucker Walsh has been chasing stories for the better part of the last decade. His work as a commercial and documentary director brought him to locations across the globe and earned him an Emmy Award in 2019. It also left him well poised to tell what could be the most interesting story yet: his own. In May 2018, Walsh found himself at

Walsh on Peaks Island off the coast of Portland, Maine

Berkshire Bulletin

a pivotal point in his career. He was collaborating with m ss ng p eces, a toptier production company that originally hired him right after his graduation from Corcoran School of the Arts and Design in 2012. He was living in Los Angeles, taking on bigger and bigger projects, traveling the world living the “L.A. dream,” and meeting and working with icons like Lionel Messi, Bernie Sanders, and Hillary Clinton. “That time was totally surreal,” Walsh says. “I just put my head in the sand and worked nonstop.” Walsh’s dedication to his work earned him a great deal of professional success. He and his team at m ss ng p eces had recently produced “Prescribed to Death,” a film promoting opioid awareness for the National Safety Council that was one of the advertising world’s most decorated projects in 2018, winning over 80 industry awards. It was at this point, amid the hustle and bustle, the crazy long days, and the head-spinning travel, that Walsh made a decision to irrevocably alter the trajectory of his career right while it was careening toward its very height.

AN ASPIRING PHOTOJOURNALIST It all started with a gift Walsh received on his 13th birthday: a small Canon Rebel film camera that he brought along with him on a community service trip to Kenya. His family believed in the power of travel to help people understand the perspectives of others. Armed with this foundation and a brand new medium through which to see things, it didn’t take long before he was hooked. “I became obsessive about photography during that trip,” Walsh says. Walsh’s newfound hobby was a natural fit for a boy with a keen interest in the world around him. The events of September 11, 2001, turned Walsh into a self-described “news and politics fanatic” at the age of just 11. “I would go home after school and all my friends would be playing video games,” he explains,

A still from Walsh’s film “Water is Life” about the people of Thailand who rely on the waters of the Khao Laem River. View the film at NationalGeographic.com.

“while I would watch Anderson Cooper on CNN.” Walsh arrived at Berkshire with a deep love of photography and developed his skills even further during his time under the Mountain. He pursued an independent study in photography with his advisor, Paul Banevicius, and took as many photo classes as Berkshire could offer. He also became involved with the school newspaper, The Green & Gray. “Mr. [James] Harris, who was the advisor for The Green & Gray, was really awesome and inspiring and taught me a lot about newspaper journalism,” Walsh says. As a first-year photojournalism major in 2008 at the Corcoran School in Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital became his classroom. “I would ride my bike past the White House every single day to go to class;

Capturing the view from the top of Mt. Everett at sunrise while a student at Berkshire

it was the perfect place for an aspiring photojournalist,” Walsh says. “There were all these incredible opportunities to photograph history in the making.” Like the night Barack Obama won the presidency, for example. “Everybody

stormed the White House,” Walsh recalls. “It was like this party that lasted until 4:00 in the morning. I was shooting so many photographs. I really felt like I was at the center of the universe.” One of the images he captured that night would win first place in the FOTOBAMA International Photography contest. The photograph, along with another of Walsh’s that was selected as a finalist, was exhibited at the Newseum Museum in Washington, D.C. in 2009. While at the Corcoran, Walsh cultivated his storytelling eye with internships at The Washington Post and NPR, where he covered topics including the government shutdown and the recession. He was entering the field just as the new “multimedia” format hit the internet. News organizations were using video that consisted of powerful photographs combined with audio to Summer 2020

Election Night, 2008. This photo of Walsh’s won first place in the FOTOBAMA International Photography contest and was exhibited at the Newseum Museum in Washington, D.C. in 2009.

“Everybody stormed the White House ... I really felt like I was at the center of the universe.” make stories come alive, and Walsh’s skill exploded in parallel. “At such a young age and with very little experience, it was an incredible opportunity to be able to make content that was being seen by thousands and thousands of people,” he says.

A COURAGEOUS FILM From there, Walsh’s career took off. “I worked really hard, and I tried to hone my talents,” Walsh says. “But another part of it was pure luck and timing and the universe just working in my favor.” 46

Berkshire Bulletin

By age 28, Walsh was accustomed to the stress and responsibility that goes along with directing a multimilliondollar project, but the novelty and the adrenaline had already worn off. It was during this time that The Truth Initiative, the country’s largest nonprofit public health organization, reached out to m ss ng p eces about creating a film to raise awareness about opioid addiction. The idea was to film a “live detox,” showing the harrowing physical effects a person must endure as the body recovers from opioids. Once they filmed a subject going through the detoxification process (while highly trained doctors administered care), they would screen the film outdoors in New York City in such a way as to suggest that viewers were actually looking at a real, live person inside a self-contained room in the middle of the city. The challenge for Walsh as the director, and the team at m ss ng p eces, was to create this 3D illusion and to make the experience as life-like as

possible to evoke the strongest effect. In doing so most authentically, they needed to know and understand their subject, a 27-year-old woman named Rebekkah, who had the courage to make her fourday detox public to help save lives. Rebekkah broke her ankle in a championship cheerleading competition when she was 13 and was prescribed an opioid for pain management. A year later when her parents were going through a difficult divorce, she continued to take the opioids as a way to numb the emotional pain from their separation. From then on, the addiction was nearly impossible to stop on her own. Walsh, who was feeling “like a complete zombie” from intense burnout and depression, identified with Rebekkah immediately, recognizing in himself a similar addiction that he pursued to the detriment of his own well-being. Walsh’s vice, however, was his work. The resulting project that grew from their mutual respect and friendship was the incredibly powerful film, “Treatment

A viewer connecting with “Treatment Box,” Walsh’s Emmy-winning film

Box,” which won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class in 2019. “It felt like one of those projects where the whole team was guided by angels the entire way,” said Walsh of this tremendous accomplishment. Sharing the Emmy with Rebekkah, who has been sober since May of 2018, was by far the best part for Walsh.

QUARTER-LIFE CRISIS The experience also had one major unintended consequence: Walsh fell into a self-described “quarter-life crisis.” Getting to know Rebekkah was like a “big, soul-stirring wake-up call that began a year-and-a-half-long odyssey to rethink my entire life and to reflect and regroup,” he said. That odyssey began when Walsh fully resigned from his job and moved from Los Angeles to Friendship Island, a remote, off-the-grid island without roads 90 minutes north of Portland, Maine. He had recently separated from his partner of over a decade and deleted all of his social media accounts. And so he began what he describes as “a grueling and life-altering experience,” committed to doing the emotional work that goes along with the kind of rebirth he was after. Walsh fasted

Walsh with Rebekkah and Ari Kuschnir, founder of m ss ng p eces, on Emmy night

for four days while camping solo in the remote desert during a “vision quest;” he spent over 33 days in silence at meditation retreats; and he faced his own grief and many old wounds head-on along the way. While Walsh isn’t positive about what’s next for him professionally, he’s considering the stories he’d still like to tell. This summer he will apprentice at an electricity-free ecovillage called the Possibility Alliance in rural Maine. With

so much of the world in self-isolation during the current health crisis, Walsh feels that this “less glamorous” work that we do on our own to better ourselves is “possibly some of the most important work for humanity to do at this moment.” “I spent my whole life telling other people’s stories, and I forgot to live my own,” said Walsh. “I don’t regret anything, and I feel like I’m the luckiest person on the planet for the life that I’ve been able to live. But I’m starting to realize that maybe it’s all been practice for the most important story of my life, which is my own.” When Walsh recalls his work as a director thus far, it’s Rebekkah’s story he’s most proud of. The doctors who cared for her shared that her detox was one of the least difficult they had ever seen. They theorized that she felt a sense of purpose knowing that her experience would help others. As Walsh describes it, “She felt like her life had meaning again because she had a way to share her story, and it literally made her healthier.” That’s the healing power of storytelling. Chances are it can cure a quarter-life crisis, too. tuckerwalsh.com

Summer 2020

MAKES THEM TICK What

Q&A with Casting Producer Chelsea Resnick ’08 By Lucia Mulder

Chelsea Resnick says she could literally talk to a brick wall. Her outgoing nature is a big asset in her role as casting associate producer for ITV America, the production company responsible for the super popular Netflix show, “Queer Eye,” as well as a host of other reality shows on networks including Bravo, the History Channel, and Discovery. Resnick is currently casting for the History Channel’s hit series “Pawn Stars,” and she shared some of the reasons why her job doesn’t even feel like work. What is your role as a casting producer? Casting is the first step of any production. We are the first point of contact that the talent will have with the production company. For every project, we scout the people that would best fit the network’s vision. We get the word out on social media, and then, [after some initial screening with possible cast members], we’ll do Skype interviews to showcase their personalities to the network.

Berkshire Bulletin

What’s the best part of your job? I love talking to different types of people and getting to know their stories. I get to ask people what makes them tick, to explain their personalities, and to share some weird traits. It ends up being so much fun. I love it. I feel so lucky, I don’t feel like I’m even going to work! What did your career path look like before ITV? The work is all project-based, and projects can be for weeks or months. The longest I’ve been at one company has been a year and a half. I’ve also been on gigs that only lasted a week or two. It makes it hard trying to plan and pay rent. I’ve been at ITV since October, and they would consider themselves to be “permalance,” because they try to keep people on. Being able to save up and be comfortable has taken a lot of the fear out of it. I’ve also been very fortunate to have great mentors in my bosses. It can be a tough business. A lot is expected of you, working 12-hour days, sometimes

for not enough pay. You really have to be passionate about it. What has been your favorite project? I really enjoyed working on “Ink Master,” a tattoo competition show. I interviewed all types of people, including some who had very troubled pasts, and it was eye opening to see how they had made something of themselves from the bad situations they had come from. How did your time at Berkshire impact your career? I do a ton of writing now, and I’d like to shout out to all of my English teachers: A.J. Kohlhepp, Cathy Schieffelin, Barry Fulton, and Ronn Cabaniol. At Berkshire, I learned a lot about the essence of working on a team, giving it your all, and not letting people down. For that, I owe R.G. Meade, Bill Spalding, and Bill Gulotta, for sure. Those lessons have carried me a long way.

Hastings on the set of Freeform’s award-winning show “Shadowhunters” Photo courtesy of Matthew Hastings

STORY TO TELL

Behind-the-scenes with writer, director, and producer Matthew Hastings ’85 by Carol Visnapuu

Matthew Hastings put everything on the line to create his TV show, “Higher Ground” including maxing out all of his credit cards to create a pilot/presentation. It was his last shot to make his dream come true. He will never forget the sweet moment when he received a call from his friend Kevin, who said, “The show is greenlit! Twenty-two episodes!” The series

was inspired by Hastings’ own personal experience of attending Berkshire. In disbelief, sitting in his tiny rentcontrolled apartment in Santa Monica, Calif., he was gobsmacked, saying, “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe this is happening!” With “Higher Ground” as the match-light of his career, Hastings felt anything was possible. Two decades later, Hastings has been

involved with more than a dozen TV shows as a writer, director, or producer, including “Spinning Out” (Netflix), “Shadowhunters” (Freeform), “The Originals” (Netflix), and “Alphas” (Amazon Prime). Currently, Hastings is working on “Handmaid’s Tale,” an Emmy Award winning, dystopian series based on the novel by Margaret Atwood, which

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is streaming its third season on Hulu. Hastings joined the show in its fourth season and is producing with his longtime friend, writer, and Executive Producer Bruce Miller, who created the show. Interestingly, Hastings hired Miller in his first job as a staff writer on “Higher Ground,” and since then they’ve made over 80 hours of television together and counting.

GROWING UP ON THE SET As a young boy, Hastings often accompanied his dad to work—and work was on a TV set. For 50 years, his dad, Don Hastings, played the role of Dr. Bob Hughes on the CBS soap opera, “As the World Turns.” Hastings said this environment highly influenced his life. “I think I was five or six when I was sitting in the chair next to the director in the control room watching my dad on camera,” he recalls. What especially caught Hastings’ attention was watching the director steer scenes, take command, and have a vision all at the same time. “It just blew my mind … so, it has been something I have been drawn to ever since that moment,” Hastings shares. Initially interested in following in his dad’s footsteps, Hastings also wanted to pursue a career in acting. He attended the television and film program at Boston University after graduating from Berkshire School. But some wise fatherly advice changed the trajectory of his career. “My dad said, ‘You should be a writer, because the real creative drive is behind the camera.’” Hastings switched gears and began learning everything he could about the art of screenwriting, a skill that still serves him today.

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Hastings with cast member and a two-time Olympian in figure skating, Johnny Weir, on the set of Netflix’s show “Spinning Out” Photo courtesy of Matthew Hastings

BEHIND THE CAMERA Hasting has always been fueled by all aspects of the creative process, from show pitches to visual effects to post-production. “I love finding the inception of an original idea, whether it’s completely original or derived from intellectual property, and then developing it, making the show, doing post-production, and then airing it for the audience,” he says. He has also been tapped to step in to help shows that are already in production, but are experiencing problems, whether they be creative or financial. This was the case for the 2019 Netflix series, “Spinning Out”—a show about a figure skater who struggles to balance family, love, and mental health as she pursues her Olympic dream. Hired as the executive producer and director, the challenge for Hastings was addressing a large deficit that would not be easy to make up across 10 episodes. “Desperation is the mother of

invention,” he says. Luckily, with good scripts and actors, the rest was just critical thinking. The project was close to Hastings’ heart, as he was helping to deliver the creator’s first show. “It felt like a flashback for me when I had my first show … so I wanted to help and support this talented, new voice,” he says. Hastings also takes tremendous pride in creating an outstanding show for viewers, and he is often deeply connected to his fan base. He is also conscious of the message his shows deliver, including Freeform’s awardwinning show “Shadowhunters,” a series about a diverse group of people hunting demons, with an underlying message of tolerance, inclusivity, and kindness. “People have come up to me at Comicon and said, ‘I came out to my parents because of your show. Thank you.’” He continues, “The show started important conversations in homes and kids felt that they weren’t alone. Every time I turn the camera on, I’m not thinking about me. I’m thinking about the people who are watching.”

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE Since Hastings first began his career, the TV and film industry has undergone a seismic shift. Instead of tuning into “whatever is on” cable, more people are streaming content online at any hour, through apps and platforms, or “streamers,” such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon—and more are on the horizon. The digitalization of TV has also provided more opportunities than ever for producers, directors, and writers to create content and tell stories. “It’s an exciting time to be in the position that I’m in because never before has there been more opportunity,” he says. “When I threaded the needle, the needle was much thinner … but now I feel like there’s more opportunity than ever for people to create.”

“I’m fortunate that I get to do what I love, and then in my downtime spend time with the people I love.” Hastings on the set of Netflix’s show “The Originals” with his son, Grayson Photo by Kurt Jones

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Hastings at New York Comic Con with fellow Executive Producers Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer and the cast of “Shadowhunters” (Below) Hastings with his wife, Tina, and their children Grayson and Cricket June Photo courtesy of Matthew Hastings

“Every time I turn the camera on, I’m not thinking about me. I’m thinking about the people who are watching.” Hastings says streamers have provided artists a platform to tell their stories in the same way that independent films have been produced and distributed. “[Streamers] take chances on artists that they believe in, but who have never created shows before,” he says. “I think that it’s an amazing time for storytellers.” Last spring, as people around the globe went into quarantine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many viewers relied on these online platforms for their entertainment. Hastings has a prediction: “I think after this crisis, there will be an explosion of content, because everybody is finally working their way

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through their Netflix queue.” Hastings says the advanced technology of visual effects has also changed the landscape of filmmaking. “It opens up your brain to imagine whatever you want … to really expand on the details that your shooting location doesn’t have,” he says. “The best kinds of visual effects, I think, are the ones that you don’t even notice.”

LASTING CONNECTIONS Hastings, born in New York and raised in New England, splits his time between his homes in Toronto, Canada, and Los Angeles with screenwriter wife, Tina, and their children, Grayson and Cricket June. Together, they enjoy traveling, which includes spending a lot of time in Europe, especially Paris. Hastings laughs, “We travel as a little nomadic circus.” Hastings is hopeful he will be back to France next year, as he recently sold a show to Legendary Entertainment that takes place in Paris. “I’m fortunate that I get to do what I love, and then in my downtime spend time with the people I love,” he says. Hastings also shares his passion and creativity with students. He has given lectures to his alma mater, Boston

University, along with Florida State University and Emerson College. He also taught a course in screenwriting during Berkshire’s Pro Vita Winter Session and hopes to come back to teach another course. “If I can impact even just one or two Berkshire students and see the lights go on, that’s cool, because that’s the next generation of storytellers,” he says. And Hastings’ very first show, his matchstick moment, can be traced back to his time at Berkshire, when he himself was becoming a storyteller. “The very first TV show that I created was loosely based on my experience going to prep school,” he says. Berkshire provided a solid foundation for Hastings and afforded him an opportunity to excel in the arts, which included performances on stage in Allen Theater. There is a deep kinship to the School that can be heard in Hastings’ voice as he shares, “I love that school. My dad still lives in Dutchess County, so every time I go home, I always take the car and take a lap around Berkshire. I’m extremely proud to be an alumnus.” mattmakestvandmovies.com

DANCING Every DAY Q&A with Choreographer randy reyes ’10 By Megan Tady

Using dance to raise eco-sociopolitical issues, randy reyes’ (who prefers the pronoun they/them/their, and to lowercase their name) work has been gaining notoriety. Among other nods, they received a Princess Grace in Choreography Fellowship in 2019, an award dedicated to elevating extraordinary emerging artists in theater, dance, and film to continue the legacy of Princess Grace Kelly. With some performance plans on pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic, reyes will still continue to dance, saying, “If I dance every day, inevitably I’m growing like a plant, and that is really the gift for me, to witness myself growing, shedding, in the process of becoming.” What was your relationship to dance as a young person? I started dancing in the complex context of the Pentecostal church my family attended where I grew up in New Jersey. The intersection of dance, movement, choreography, and spirituality was the stepping stone and is the thread and throughline to what I’m doing now within my choreographic work. I took dance even more seriously at Berkshire, but it wasn’t until undergrad where I designed my own major in dance that I decided that dance was going to be my life.

What grant/fellowship has had the most impact on you? I truly am grateful for every opportunity I have been granted to date and am super excited about having received a Creative Capital Award this year because this grant will allow me to finally begin digging deep into my life vision of launching a school, healing center, queer club space, choreographic research incubator, and land-based initiative called La Escuela de Corporealidad y Artes Sutiles, set to launch in December 2025–2030 in the Bay Area and abroad. What stories do you seek to tell through your choreography? I identify as a queer, Brown, AfroGuatemalan artist who has interrupted Mayan-indigenous ancestry. The stories that I’m interested in sharing are ones that invoke the presence of — Black, Indigenous, Queer, Trans, Artists of Color. And specifically folks who are first-generation and have parents who have emigrated to the U.S., because that’s my reality. The themes I excavate choreographically include: reclaiming my erotic potential, reclaiming pleasure and time, integrating trauma, endurancebased improvisation, and incrementality.

Photo by George Emilio Sanchez

Why is dance important to the health of individuals and communities? I don’t think that movement alone is the solution to the issues of the world, but what it does provide is an aperture into a deep and innate understanding of who we are on a cellular level by taking us to a place where language becomes decentralized and an embodied form of knowing is pushed to the forefront. Choreography and movement are bridges for accessing more shared well being and are portals for rehearsing how to be in better relation with the earth and with one another. How did your Berkshire experience impact you? My teachers Katherine Gurley and Della Schleunes were instrumental in my falling in love with dance. It was during this time at Berkshire where I was coming of age and coming out that dance entered my life. I could not have done it without the support of those teachers, my advisor, and the people in the dance program. My senior thesis performance was unexpectedly beautiful. So many people in the community showed up to watch and support me. I was finally able to meet myself with compassion and be like, “You have been through a lot, dancing has catalyzed and transformed you from the inside out, and these people in the room, my community, who came to witness your growth, have been critical to your development and holistic well being.” randy-reyes.com

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BEHIND the CURTAIN A conversation with Theater Director Jesse Howard by Carol Visnapuu | Photos by Gregory Cherin Photography

When Jesse Howard was appointed theater director in 2010, only a handful of diehard theater students showed up to his first casting call. He quickly realized that if he wanted to build a robust program, he would need to impassion students and engage audiences. Fast forward to today, and he’s done both. Over the last ten years, Howard has staged more than 30 productions in Allen Theater—including “Rent,” “Grease,” “In the Heights,” “Metamorphoses,” “Into the Woods,” and “The Crucible”—with each production setting ever higher standards. Raised by musician parents, Howard spent his formative years onstage at the schools he attended. In fifth grade, he played the title role in the musical “Snoopy,” and after his big solo, the audience went wild—and Howard was hooked. At Berkshire, he hopes to instill that same love of performing in students, introducing them to every aspect of putting on a production, from stage design to sound production to lighting. Howard’s

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caring nature and all-business attitude make him at once a beloved and effective director, and his increasingly ambitious and impressive shows have our community flocking to the theater, time and again. What was the first play and musical you directed at Berkshire?

When I showed up on Day One at Berkshire, there were only six students [in the fall theater program]. I needed to find a play that had six roles. I found the play “Reckless” by Craig Lucas. I remember the students said, “Nobody’s going to come. They’ve never heard of it, Mr. Howard.” So I told them, “We have to do something that is good enough that the people who come the first night tell everybody else to come the second night.” Quality actually trumps cool. We worked really hard, we had a great turn out, and the kids were like, “Whoa! It’s amazing what happens when you worry less about what people will think and just focus on quality!” The first musical I directed was “Little

Shop of Horrors,” which is one of my all-time favorites. It has the man-eating plant and these massive puppets that actually eat people on stage. We were able to attract a group of kids that spanned many different social groups, so it was this explosion of fun that landed in February that year. It created a lot of excitement around the theater program and showed the community that anybody can be in a play at Berkshire. What do you enjoy most about directing students? And what do you find challenging?

I enjoy betting on students and then being proven right. I feel strongly that people are more motivated when they’re setting out to prove somebody right about them rather than trying to prove somebody wrong. I love that feeling when you start to see a student crack through what they thought they could do to what you knew they could do. What I enjoy most is also the most challenging—to see something students

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“I love that feeling when you start to see a student crack through what they thought they could do to what you knew they could do.”

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can’t see. We have to keep acting as if that’s where they are going. Even when they say, “I don’t need to work this hard to memorize my lines.” Yes, you do. Because when you get here and we start throwing a microphone on you and we put lights on you, you’re going to forget 30% of everything you know, and we know that. Students can be over confident sometimes or under confident, so you’re just trying to get them all in the same zone. It’s all about caring for students as individuals while also attending to the essential job of building the group into a team. What is one of the most important things your students learn being a part of a production?

Students learn the habits of caring … being on time, getting enough sleep, eating well, being respectful to people, listening, saying thank you, doing the things you say you’re going

to do, keeping your agreements, saying you’re going to get off book and actually learning your lines. We have a job to do here, too. I say to the kids, “We draw our swords together.” What makes for a good audition?

What makes a good audition is when students let us see who they are and do the best they can with the tools they have. When they don’t try to change who they are to fit what they think we want. Then, they need to trust us to figure out where people fit. And, that can be painful. I’m not joking when I say my least favorite day is when we post the cast list on the call board outside of the green room. Whether the students got the parts they wanted or not, I offer to meet with them to tell them everything we were thinking behind our decision. All casting is made by a group of adults. I don’t go off and twist my mustache in a closet somewhere and make the decisions. We have a rubric

for how we try to value all aspects of the student’s audition. What advice do you offer students who want to pursue a career in theater?

On a practical level, I am a big fan of pushing students toward a B.A. program rather than a B.F.A. program. They can always get a master’s degree in some area of acting. They can go to a school that has a really good theater program, but that’s more of a community. What our students fall in love with here about theater is the community and the family and how we try to base it around caring about people. I try to focus on the idea that if students love theater, they should prepare to work in a life of theater and not necessarily to be just an actor. Go work with the costume crew, take a set design class … keep your foot in all different areas of theater. How do you decide on what production hits the stage each year at Berkshire?

The number one thing we’re always looking to do is give the students and ourselves a challenge that’s going to stretch us in a new way. For example, when our students tackled the difficult art of humor and accents in Monty Python’s musical, “Spamalot” or traveled to Salem, Mass., to read an actual court document from the witch trials with featured characters they would be playing in “The Crucible.” We always strive to tackle questions we don’t already know the answers to, so the students are part of a genuine discovery process. We want to do productions that touch on important relevant topics that create an invitation for students of all backgrounds. We want community members of all different identities to see themselves on stage. People need to see

A scene from Berkshire’s theater and music production, “Rent”

an actor who looks like them playing a key role, or a storyline that touches their life featured in a big production. By selecting material that represents the population of the school, students feel an invitation to care about the play either as a participant or as an audience member. It is a gift and it must be given to all. This fall marks the 50th anniversary of coeducation. How did this milestone impact this year’s lineup of shows?

Annie Rosenberg, my assistant director, and I take great care to select musicals with strong female characters, whether it be “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” “Metamorphoses,” or “Hairspray.” We were thrilled when we learned we’d be celebrating the 50th anniversary of coeducation at Berkshire because our fall play, “Nickel and Dimed,” was written by a female playwright based on a book by a female author, with strong female characters. It was a great opportunity to highlight women in theater and to offer amazing roles to our female students.

What is the work you are most proud of during your 10 years at Berkshire?

I am most proud of creating a program where every single person is valued. I hear students say that theater is a place where they can be themselves because their background is celebrated here. Students aren’t going to come [to the theater program] if they don’t feel invited. We’ve made a real concerted effort to try to have our productions represent all of the backgrounds of our students and faculty at Berkshire from gender to sexuality to race to ethnicity. For productions, I am most proud of “In the Heights,” as it does such a good job of exposing people who are not from, say, the NYC Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights, to the beauty, struggle, dreams, and life of a community of people whose descendants are from Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. I think it was eye opening for our community. I really wanted to be a part of that story getting told here. berkshireschool.org/theater

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SKATE FOR HER Girls varsity hockey team hosts a new tradition.

Young female skaters from local leagues were invited to skate with the Bears!

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On January 10, Berkshire’s girls varsity hockey team hosted Buckingham Browne & Nichols in the inaugural Skate for Her game at the Jackman L. Stewart Athletic Center. The game raised $5,200 in support of equality in female athletics for the Women’s Sports Foundation, whose mission is to enable all girls and women to reach their potential in sports and life. During the game, members of

Berkshire’s first female hockey team from the 1989–1990 season were recognized for their contributions as trailblazers. The event also included a youth skate with our Bears and a silent auction for the game-worn jerseys. Second-year Varsity Head Coach Lisa Marshall organized the event and said the team hopes to support other femalebased organizations in the future. “This

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game represented a special opportunity for the team to play for something that is much larger than themselves, with regard to Berkshire and beyond, and it allowed them to come together in support of a great cause,” Marshall said. Bebe Bullock ’86, English teacher and coeducation coordinator, noted that Skate for Her was well timed as the School celebrates the 50th anniversary of coeducation. “The event is a testament to the contributions and achievements that young women made, and continue to make, in our commitment to academic, artistic, and athletic excellence.”

Berkshire’s founding Girls Hockey Coach Buzz McGraw, along with players Jane Naylor ‘91, Naylor’s son, Harrison Beneke, and Paige Robertson Jasaitis ‘91 with her daughter, Jamie Jasaitis; Assistant Boys Varsity Coach and former Girls Varsity Coach Becky McCabe ’05; former Girls Varsity Coach Sylvia Gappa; Athletic Director and Boys Varsity Coach Dan Driscoll; Head of School Pieter Mulder; Girls Varsity Coach Lisa Marshall

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TAKE A LEAP New RKMP director encourages students to step out of their comfort zones. By Megan Tady

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Lucy Krumsick ’20 woke up in her tent on a damp and chilly October morning in Vermont, and as she crawled out of her sleeping bag, she wondered, “What did I get myself into?” Krumsick had joined the Ritt Kellogg Mountain Program’s (RKMP) Fall Watch squad in order to introduce herself to New England’s great outdoors. Along with hiking, canoeing, and trailblazing, the program included an overnight backpacking excursion covering eight miles of the Appalachian Trail. As Krumsick shivered and strapped on her 50-pound backpack, her back already aching, she worried that she might not be able to hack it. “In the first mile, I kept thinking, ‘What am I doing? I’m taking a girl from the Midwest (Kansas) and putting her on a mountain? It’s not where I’m supposed to be,’” she said. Mile after mile, Krumsick continued to surprise herself. “I just kept walking,” she said. “There was no rush to get anywhere. Everything else disappeared. I wasn’t focused on schoolwork. Everyone was talking and supporting each other. I am not the most athletic person, but once I got to the top of the mountain, I felt like I could accomplish more than I thought I could. It was so rewarding to see how far I could push myself.” Krumsick’s experience is music to Jim Norton’s ears. Norton became RKMP director last year and was tasked with leading the beloved program. Founded in 1994 by the Kellogg family to celebrate the life of their son Ritt Kellogg ’85—an avid climber, skier, and Outward Bound leader, who died in an avalanche in Alaska in 1992—RKMP offers afternoon alternatives to traditional athletic team pursuits. Norton has been trying to engage students like Krumsick, who are eager to learn outdoor skills and sports but have lacked the opportunity before arriving at Berkshire.

Will Goldthwaite ‘22 building a planter in RKMP’s woodworking class

Norton also serves as an English teacher, advisor, and assistant coach for the JV boys lacrosse team. Prior to Berkshire, he taught and coached at The White Mountain School in New Hampshire and Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont, where he also led outdoor education trips. As Norton took the helm of RKMP, he saw an opportunity to introduce the program to students who don’t normally consider themselves “outdoorsy” or don’t typically play sports. He also noticed that many students weren’t aware of RKMP’s vast resources, and he decided to launch a “charm offensive” to raise awareness about RKMP and engage more students. “I see the value of outdoor education in everybody’s life—in the health of your mind and soul, and in the health of the planet,” Norton said. “I’m working hard to make sure that all students know what is available to them through RKMP.” The program operates out of the Ritt Kellogg Mountain Center, dedicated in the fall of 2017, which serves as a space for pre-trip meetings and gatherings

“I see the value of outdoor education in everybody’s life—in the health of your mind and soul, and in the health of the planet.” —Jim Norton

as well as a storage space for RKMP equipment, including mountain bikes and backpacking, skiing, fly fishing, and climbing gear. RKMP participants also have access to the School’s indoor climbing wall, canoes, and kayaks, as well as miles of trails on Mount Everett, the second highest mountain in Massachusetts. Under Norton’s direction, RKMP now offers two options each season. In the fall, students can choose between Fall Watch and mountain biking; in the winter, woodworking and Nordic skiing;

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and in the spring, Spring Watch and rock climbing. As part of his awareness campaign, Norton has made energetic announcements about RKMP during AllSchool Meetings, sometimes tossing water bottles filled with M&Ms into the crowd; enticed students to attend and cheer on a mountain biking race with the presence of a pizza truck; held an RKMParty with donuts, cider, and a fire pit; and doled out RKMP sunglasses and stickers. Krumsick, who as a senior led RKMP’s Outdoor Club, says Norton’s efforts are working. “He’s so passionate about making us all aware of how special this place is, and that we should be taking advantage of it,” she said. “We are so lucky to have the RKMP and the incredible gear that we have.” Megan Mokriski ’21 is another student who counts herself lucky to have discovered RKMP. This winter, she joined the Nordic skiing team, though she had never been on skis in her life. A member of the varsity soccer team in the fall, Mokriski had heard from classmates that Nordic skiing could provide great conditioning. She took a leap, embarking on the “hardest athletic challenge I’ve done so far.” Nordic skiing includes both classic and skate skiing, and Mokriski found herself struggling with the motion required for classic skiing. “It wasn’t a natural movement for me,” Mokriski said. “It seemed like everyone was already so fast. I’m a really competitive person, and I wanted to be good right away. My first day classic skiing, I was on the ground more than I was skiing. I had to experiment and figure out the best way to ski.” Mokriski built up her tenacity and resilience—and her skill level— eventually competing in her first 5K classic race. Much to her relief, she found the race to be a collegial event, in

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“I am not the most athletic person, but once I got to the top of the mountain, I felt like I could accomplish more than I thought I could. It was so rewarding to see how far I could push myself.” —Lucy Krumsick ’20

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which both teammates and competitors rooted for each other. “Everyone could tell that it was hard for me to do this, so there was a mutual respect,” she said. An RKMP convert, Mokriski urges other students to step out of their comfort zones. “To get your full experience at Berkshire, you have to try something new,” she said. “If I stuck with what was safe, I wouldn’t have met all my teammates or had the experience that I had. Most of the sports I play I’ve been doing my entire life. Nordic skiing was different. It showed me I can persevere through these challenges, and now I have that skill for life.” Along with skills for life, RKMP is hoping to instill environmental stewardship in participants. “I don’t think that you could be involved in doing things outdoors in a responsible way without having environmental

conservation be part of your consideration,” Norton said. “To be like, ‘I really love the outdoors, so therefore we should still have them.’” Students are introduced to the unique tension of preserving the environment while playing, competing, and hiking in it. “Some people say that the best way to preserve the wilderness is to never, ever go there,” Norton said. “We’re saying, let’s destroy this small amount of hiking trail so that the rest of it is preserved and people don’t just crash through the woods.” Last fall, students in Fall Watch and mountain biking re-blazed all the trails on the Mountain. Ben Cabot ’22 was new to mountain biking and trail clearing when he joined the mountain biking team last fall. “I learned that this is a new passion for me. It changed my perspective on outdoor, in-thewoods sports,” he said. “It’s a ton of fun.”

“Nordic skiing was different. It showed me I can persevere through these challenges, and now I have that skill for life.” —Megan Mokriski ’21

Team members helped clear trails and learned about the protected areas around the School. Cabot says he now has a deeper appreciation for the work and maintenance required to make a

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“It takes two people one hour to make one minute of single-track trails in the woods. I got to see the behind-the-scenes work of how these trails are made, and now I will always appreciate them when I’m riding on them.” —Ben Cabot ’22

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Photo by Gregory Cherin Photography

Ben Cabot ‘22 traverses the mountain bike course at Berkshire during a race in October.

trail. “It takes two people one hour to make one minute of single-track trails in the woods,” he said. “I got to see the behindthe-scenes work of how these trails are made, and now I will always appreciate them when I’m riding on them.” Norton is thrilled to see that more students are taking advantage of RKMP’s offerings. “I hear a lot of alums say, ‘I wish I’d spent more time doing stuff on the Mountain.’ Rhetorically, the Mountain is definitely part of the Berkshire experience and the culture historically. We’re hoping to make it more a part of the everyday, lived culture.” Krumsick encourages her fellow classmates to join RKMP for one simple reason: “Being outside just makes you happier.” She continued, “Why not take the chance to be outside when you can? When are you going to get another chance to take a hike in the afternoon with some of your new best friends? For a lot of people, RKMP becomes the program they should have been doing all along.” berkshireschool.org/RKMP

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For more information and updates on all of our teams, go to berkshireschool.org/ athletics and follow @BerkshireBears on Twitter.

#GoBears! Berkshire boys cross country captain Harrison Chapin ‘20 placed 12th in the NEPSTA All-Star Cross Country race in November. He also earned AllNEPSAC Division II honors.

Field Hockey After finishing the regular season 8–8 and securing the No. 7 seed in the NEPSAC Class B playoffs, the Bears upset No. 2 Cushing Academy 2–1 in the quarterfinals before falling 2–0 to The Governor’s Academy in the semifinals. Goalkeeper Annie Hauser ’20 and midfielder Catherine Appleyard ’20 were named to the All-NEPSAC Class B team.

Boys Soccer The Bears finished the regular season 10–4–6 to earn the No. 6 seed in the NEPSAC Class A playoffs, but the team was defeated 1–0 by Taft School in the quarterfinals. Tyler Gransbury ’20 and Manny Roldan-Lezcano ’20 were named WNEPSSA All-Stars.

Girls Soccer The Bears earned a spot in the NEPSAC Class B playoffs after finishing the regular season with 12 wins against 5 losses. Despite a 4–1 loss to a strong Suffield Academy team in the quarterfinals, the Bears celebrated a successful season. Rylie Griffith ’20 and Danni Watson ’22 were chosen to play in the WWNEPSSA All-Star game. Griffith and Chioma Okafor ’22 also earned a spot on the All-NEPSAC Class B team.

Zakiy Manigo ’20 (No. 55) was named to the All-NEPSAC Class B team, while teammate Bobby Searight III earned Honorable Mention. Photo: Risley Sports Photography

Boys Hockey Berkshire finished the regular season with an 18–7–2 record and earned the No. 8 seed in the Stuart/Corkery NEPSAC Elite Eight tournament. In the first round of the playoffs, the Bears won a dramatic 3–2 overtime game versus No. 1 seed Lawrence Academy. Berkshire lost to Dexter Southfield School 3–0 in the semifinals. Briggs Gammill ’20 and Aidan Thompson ’20 were selected to the All-NEPSAC First Team.

Girls Hockey The Bears won 10 games on the season, including a 3–win, 1–loss stretch in December that helped the team win the Edward G. Watkins Girls Invitational Hockey Tournament (Cushing Tournament). Catherine Appleyard ’20 was named to the All-NEPSAC First Team.

Samantha Takacs ’23 won the Grand Pony Hunter Championship at the 61st annual Washington International Horse Show in October. Takacs, who trains at New Hope Farm in Ohio, earned the title riding Brighton. Photo: Shawn McMillen Photography

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ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS continued

Kiroshanna “Kiro” Manoharan ’22

Girls Squash

By A.J. Kohlhepp, Head Coach Varsity Girls Squash

The Bears earned second place at the NEISA Class C championships hosted at Berkshire. Kiro Manoharan ‘22, Mia Lake ‘20, and Amanda Miller ’22 each won individual championships as the top players in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd flights. Manoharan was named to the All-NEPSAC First Team, while Lake and Miller earned Second Team honors.

Girls Alpine Skiing Charlotte Turner ‘22 finished second overall at the NEPSAC Class A Alpine Ski Championships held in February at Sunday River, Maine. Turner finished the season as the top-ranked USSA U19 in the Tristate, while teammate Aggie Ryan ’23 earned the No. 1 rank for all USSA U16s.

Nordic skiers Emmet McDonnell ’20 (above) and Megan Mokriski ’21 qualified for the Eastern High Championships at Gore Mountain. The event, scheduled for March 13–15, 2020, was cancelled due to COVID-19.

To view the 2019–2020 Athletic Award winners, visit berkshireschool.org/awards.

NEW ENGLAND CHAMPION

Berkshire Bulletin

In her first year of American prep squash, Malaysian Kiroshanna “Kiro” Manoharan ’22 has certainly made a big splash. Manoharan arrived at Berkshire as a fourth former after nearly cracking the top 200 for women pros, and that standard of excellence continued all year. Eager to experience the team dynamic with her fellow Bears, Manoharan proved herself a focused practice player and a ferocious competitor. Manoharan managed a perfect 12–0 ledger in New England Interscholastic Squash Association (NEISA) matches, including decisive victories against Westminster and Hotchkiss. Her unblemished record continued at High School Nationals, propelling Berkshire to third place in their division. At New Englands (hosted by Berkshire), Manoharan breezed through to the final to face rival Jana Safy, an Egyptian junior who attends Kent School. The two had played twice previously, Manoharan winning both by razor-thin 3–1 scores. The first game was a grueling affair with Safy winning 14–12 on Manoharan’s broken string. Manoharan surged back to claim the second with patience and structure. The visiting player came into the third with renewed purpose, putting Manoharan under massive pressure in the front of the court. Just when it seemed like Safy might pull away, Manoharan slowed things down, using superior movement and patience to force errors from the reigning champion and even the tally at two games each. Buoyed by a boisterous home crowd, Berkshire’s super-sophomore jumped out to a lead and held on with everything she had, winning 11–9 in the final frame. With her victory, Manoharan clinched Berkshire’s first-ever New England Class C individual championship in squash. Berkshire’s squash ambassador Nick Matthew, courtside at the championship, praised Manoharan for her team-oriented outlook. “Maybe the best thing about her is the fact that Kiro sees herself as just one component of a great program at Berkshire,” said Matthew. With a perfect first season under her belt, Manoharan has the American squash scene taking notice. “I can’t wait to watch her take off over the next two years,” confides Matthew. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Bears at Play

BEARS IN THE NEWS Katherine “Kado” Simmons Inducted Into Cornell University Hall of Fame by Michael Hayes

“Kado’s spirit was, and still is, apparent in everything that she does. She was a rockstar on the field, leading her team honorably throughout her career. I’ve enjoyed mentoring her again and reconnecting over a sport we both love.” Katherine Simmons, second from left, is joined by Coach Graap (far right) and two members of Cornell’s women’s lacrosse team who received the Katherine Simmons Brick Award.

Berkshire Girls Varsity Lacrosse Coach Katherine “Kado” Simmons is now a member of the Cornell University Athletics Hall of Fame. Simmons, an All-American and twotime captain of the Big Red Women’s Lacrosse program, was recognized for her contributions to the University during a campus ceremony held on October 5, 2019. Simmons ranks fourth in school history in career goals (128) and seventh in career points (152), and she earned All-Ivy League honors during her sophomore, junior, and senior years. “It was a special moment,” Simmons said, a member of Cornell’s Class of 2008. “It was homecoming, and the weather was beautiful, perfect really,

and to see all the Cornell students out in their gear again was really cool.” The Salisbury, Conn. native shared the special moment with family and friends, including her former coaches at Cornell. Her twin brother waved a Cornell flag while Simmons’ name was announced over the loudspeaker during halftime of Cornell’s football game versus Georgetown University. Not long after graduating from Cornell, Simmons’ contributions to the team led the Big Red to name an award in her honor. The Katherine Simmons Brick Award is given each year to the player whose hard work and effort contributed most to the team. Equally as important to Simmons is the bond she’s kept with her coaches from her playing days, including

—Coach Jenny Graap Cornell University Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach

longtime Cornell coach Jenny Graap. “She’s still a mentor for me now as a coach,” Simmons said. “I’d say our relationship has even gotten better. There’s a different depth to it now. My coaches have also inspired me to always give more love and support to my own players and to continue to support them after they graduate.” Simmons has led Berkshire’s girls varsity lacrosse team since 2017, guiding the team to the WNEPSLA Class B semifinals in 2019. In addition to her coaching duties, she serves as the School’s Director of Financial Aid and can often be found offering yoga classes to members of the community throughout the year.

Summer 2020

Bears at Play

BEARS IN THE NEWS

continued

Sophia Peluso ’16 Photo courtesy of Will Costello, Middlebury College

Sophia Peluso ’16 guided Middlebury College’s women’s field hockey team to its third-straight NCAA Championship in the fall. Peluso, a two-year starter on defense, helped the Cougars outscore opponents 68–15 in 2019. Barclay Gammill ’16 earned NESCAC Player of the Year honors at Trinity College, where he captained the men’s hockey team to a 19–7–1 record and the No. 9 ranking in Div. III. Gammill, who appeared in all 27 games for the Bantams as a senior and scored three game-winning goals (18 total), was also named to the All-American second team.

Arwen Neski ’15 (sixth from left) and her Yale teammates celebrate following their victory at the Head of the Charles Regatta.

Arwen Neski ’15 followed a successful rowing career at Yale University by guiding her alma mater’s boat to a first-place finish in the Alumni 8 at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston in October.

Erin Dillon ’17 was named to the All-NESCAC Second Team in women’s ice hockey after scoring 13 goals and tallying 13 assists on the season. Dillon was named NESCAC Player of the Week in December and has 31 career goals for the Camels.

Rayshawn Boswell ’19 won the Liberty League Football Rookie of the Year award while playing football at Hobart College. A two-time NEPSAC football player of the year for the Bears, Boswell set a Hobart (9–2 overall) record with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on Nov. 16. On Nov. 23, Boswell was named MVP of the New York State Bowl after gaining 231 all-purpose yards in the Statesmen’s 30–10 win over SUNY Cortland. Connor Waldron ’16 was selected in the 6th round of the 2020 Major League Lacrosse Draft on May 4 by the New York Lizards. Waldron, an All-New England player for the Bears, started all four years at Holy Cross, where he finished his career with 28 goals and 27 assists.

Berkshire Bulletin

Former Bears Drew Pitcher ‘17 and Jake LaChance ‘19 helped lead Wesleyan University’s men’s ice hockey team to the 2020 NESCAC championship in March, a 7–2 win over Trinity College.

Elsie Harrington ’19 scored the game-winning goal—the first goal of her career—in Dickinson College’s 3–2 win over No. 9-ranked Ursinus College in October. Adam Raine ’18 was a member of Yale University’s football team, which won the Ivy League Championship in November, a dramatic 50–43 overtime victory over longtime rival Harvard University. Connor Waldron ’16 Photo by Mark Seliger

Bears at Play

Sylvia Ryan Gappa to be Inducted Into Middlebury College’s Athletics Hall of Fame Longtime Berkshire coach Sylvia Ryan Gappa will be inducted into Middlebury College’s Athletics Hall of Fame in November as a member of the women’s ice hockey program. Gappa, a member of the Class of 2000, has scored more goals than any other player in school history: 114. A two-time All-American, Gappa helped lead the Panthers to four consecutive ECAC Championships and the school’s first national title in 2000. “I felt really honored when I received the news about the Hall of Fame induction,” said Gappa. “Middlebury has a rich tradition of athletics, and I was very fortunate to have been able to be a part of that.” More coverage of Coach Gappa’s induction to follow this fall.

Achara ‘16 Playing for Toronto FC

Photo: USA Today

Former Bears Micah Morris ’19 (UPenn) and Austin Thompson ’19 (Cornell) connect after their team’s Ivy League matchup in November. The Quakers defeated Big Red 21–20.

Kendall Coyne Schofield ’11 and Kacey Bellamy ’05 participated in the Elite Women’s 3-on-3 at the 2020 NHL All-Star Weekend in St. Louis. The gold-medal-winning pair were among 20 of the top-female hockey players invited to play in the game featuring American and Canadian players.

When Ifunanyachi Achara ’16 scored the winning goal for Toronto FC (MLS) in his professional debut on March 7 against New York City FC, there was a collective cheer coming from Bear Nation. Then again, Berkshire fans have gotten used to watching astonishing play from Achara. The Nigerian-born soccer forward was an All-American for Berkshire his senior year. He helped the Bears capture a thirdstraight New England Preparatory Scholastic Athletic Council Class A title in 2014, a win that further solidified Berkshire as the top-soccer prep program in the country. From Sheffield, Achara found his way to Georgetown University, where he played four years of soccer and captained the college to its first ever NCAA Div. I Men’s Soccer Championship last fall. In March, Achara heard his name called as the 25th pick in the MLS SuperDraft. Although the MLS season was cut short due to COVID-19 just days after Achara’s first professional goal, Bear Nation expects more to follow from this footballer. Summer 2020

Bears at Play

A MONUMENTAL MILESTONE Berkshire Hockey Coach Dan Driscoll wins 400th game. by Michael Hayes

A successful coaching career is hardly defined by wins alone. Still, there’s something special about milestone victories—in this case, Berkshire Varsity Hockey Coach Dan Driscoll’s 400th career win. Driscoll, who coached in his 14th year at Berkshire School and 24th year of prep school hockey last winter, reached win number 400 when the Bears defeated Williston Northampton 7–0 in Easthampton, Mass., on January 18. He celebrated the milestone, albeit briefly, on the ice, surrounded by his players, family, and friends. In typical Driscoll fashion, he downplayed this extraordinary collection of wins, citing other factors for his success. “I’ve coached at schools where there’s been a lot of support, and I’ve also been fortunate and blessed to coach great kids and great players,” he said. “It’s more a testament to the kids I’ve been around. It’s really a celebration of them.” Driscoll has been named New England Prep School Coach of the Year four times: in 1997, 1999, 2007, and 2013. He was the runner up in 2020. This year, he was also named NZ Prep Coach of the Year, while his hockey team finished with an impressive record of 19–8–2. As Driscoll shies away from the limelight, his players are more inclined to give credit where credit is due. And while some of them touted the 400-win benchmark, many of them said Driscoll has had a larger impact, helping to guide and shape young men season after season. “The 400 wins he has aren’t his only wins,” said Kevin Sullivan ’10, who Driscoll helped prepare to play for Div. I 70

Berkshire Bulletin

collegiate hockey at Union College—and win the team’s first ever NCAA Div. I National Championship in 2014. “He’s a part of all of his former players’ wins, at every level.” Driscoll’s former players repeat these sentiments, adding up to another impressive record of achievement. “Playing for Coach Driscoll has been an honor and a privilege,” Briggs Gammill ’20 said, who will play hockey for Yale next year, and whose two older brothers, Barclay ’16 and Brooks ’19, also played for Driscoll. “He’s taught me so much about the game, but more importantly, he taught me how to be a leader on and off the ice.”

“Coach Driscoll kept everyone accountable, regardless of their role on the team,” said Berkshire hockey standout Charlie Corcoran ’14, who now plays professionally in Europe. “He told me some hard truths I hadn’t really been told before. He was my dad away from home. I am a better man for knowing him.” Corcoran was a member of Berkshire’s 2012–2013 team, which enjoyed a 20-game winning streak and finished the season with a 22–4–3 record, and he helped Driscoll earn his third New England championship. Driscoll had previously guided Winchendon Prep to two Division II titles before spending five years at Pomfret, where his teams finished

Bears at Play

“Playing for Coach Driscoll has been an honor and a privilege. He’s taught me so much about the game, but more importantly, he taught me how to be a leader on and off the ice.” —Briggs Gammill ’20

each season with a winning record. Driscoll is known as a serious coach on the ice, and for his fairness and sense of humor off of it. He also goes above and beyond to help his players. Take Thomas Regan ’08, whom Driscoll invited to live with him and his wife, Dory, as well as the couple’s five children, at their off-campus home at Pomfret. The offer, Regan recalls,

allowed him to attend the school as a day student and play hockey. When the Driscolls moved to Sheffield in 2006, Regan joined the family and enrolled at Berkshire as a junior. “I know that my experience with Coach Driscoll wasn’t exactly like every athlete he coached … I mean he only had so many bedrooms to spare,” Regan joked. Yet, Regan’s experience isn’t all that unusual. Boston Bruins player Kevan Miller ’07, who left California to play for Berkshire in 2005, said he formed a close bond with Driscoll in just one season, a connection they still share today. “Whether it was school, hockey, or any other activity, he always demanded we give our best,” Miller said. “My favorite memory of Coach is a collection of memories from Buck dormitory, whether he was breaking up a rowdy bunch of boys or bringing everyone down to watch the game after study hours. He ran a tight ship, but was always good for a few laughs.” In addition to leading by example in the dorms or from the bench, Driscoll

has also served as Berkshire’s director of athletics for a dozen years, and he worked for many years as a college counselor. Along the way, he also coached his two sons, Dan Jr. ’16 and Mark ’18. “I think Dad’s strongest ability is reading kids,” Dan Jr. said. “We always had fun at practice and on road trips to games, and of course there were times when things got serious, but he is always a fun, loving, and respectful coach.” Head of School Pieter Mulder believes Driscoll’s connections to his players transcend the rink. “So much of Dan’s success lies in his ability to inspire young people to commit beyond themselves to the larger goals of the team,” Mulder said. “He changes lives with every practice and every game. As a school leader with a reach well beyond the rink, Dan has also been an integral member of our team, making the entire Berkshire community that much stronger because of it. I couldn’t be happier or prouder for what this leadership milestone represents for Dan and his players.”

The Bears surround Coach Driscoll following his 400th win at Williston Northampton, a 7-0 victory over the Wildcats.

Summer 2020

Bears at Play

WINTER ALUMNI HOMECOMING 2020 On January 10–11, Berkshire held its Winter Alumni Homecoming, which included alumni basketball and ice hockey games, a slate of home athletic contests, an alumni reception, and time spent under the Mountain. In celebration of 50 Years of Coeducation, the weekend kicked off with the inaugural Skate for Her game with the girls varsity hockey team playing Buckingham Browne & Nichols School to raise funds and awareness for the nonprofit Women’s Sports Foundation. Congratulations to our alumni who were recognized after the alumni games. For alumni basketball, Bobby Moran ’87 received the Troy A. Robinson ’85 player-of-the-game award. In attendance was the Robinson family, whose daughter, Sabrina, played in the game. For alumni hockey, Wendy Walker ’94 and Ellie Page Kellershon ’95 received the first-ever Elizabeth Hayes McGraw playersof-the-game award. Whit Watts ’98 and his brother Alex Watts ’02 took home the W. Ross Hawkins players-of-the-game award as well. Robin McGraw ’70, director of alumni hockey, was honored for all of his energy and time he put into making this game happen for the past 30 years. The baton has now been passed on to Chris Reichart ’98 to lead the charge. Go Bears!

Alex Watts ’02, Robin McGraw ’70, Whit Watts ’98

Player-of-the-game Bobby Moran ’87

Berkshire Bulletin

Bears at Play

Ellie Page Kellershon ’95, Wendy Walker ’94, Head of School Pieter Mulder

Director of Alumni Hockey Robin McGraw ’70 passed the torch to Chris Reichart ’98 at this year’s game.

Alumni and friends on Duryee Court

Family of the late Troy Robinson ’85: Xaria, Sabrina, Seth, and Katherine Hernandez-Robinson

Chris Reichart ’98

Klay Johnson ’10

Summer 2020

2020 STRONG For students in the Class of 2020, the end of high school looked nothing like it did for the students who came before them. Nobody foresaw seniors missing out on some of life’s most memorable moments, including prom, college decision day, senior skip day, graduation, and more. What has not been lost, however, are all the friendships and memories of their high school experience that will carry them forward, particularly as the result of what they endured together. On Saturday, May 23, Berkshire held its first-ever virtual Senior Celebration to commemorate its 113th graduating class during the COVID-19 pandemic. Berkshire looks forward to welcoming the Class of 2020 and their families back to campus to participate in their in-person Commencement Ceremony at a future date. During the Senior Celebration, Head of School Pieter Mulder shared with the seniors, “Overcoming this, you have demonstrated a remarkable resiliency and a strength of character that I believe will ultimately leave you more connected to yourselves as classmates, more connected to Berkshire, and I know it has established a legacy for the Class of 2020 unlike any class in Berkshire’s long history.” The Class of 2020 is an inspiration to us all and has left a special mark on Berkshire. Congratulations, Bears! To watch the Senior Celebration, visit berkshireschool.org/2020.

Logo credit: Grace Fitzgerald ’20 and Amelia Schelle ’20 designed the senior class logo with a blue heart as a symbol of hope.

Berkshire Bulletin

Class of

20 20

The Major Sixth Form Prizes

Virginia B. Brown

Oliver S. Cookson

of Chevy Chase, Maryland: The Berkshire Cup, the highest distinction Berkshire confers on one of its graduating seniors. It is given each year to the student who is considered by the faculty to have made the greatest contribution to the success of the school year.

of Ashley Falls, Massachusetts: The Morris Trophy, awarded to the sixth-form male student who has best exemplified proficiency and sportsmanship in interscholastic athletics.

Robert L. Renneker, Jr.

of Rye, New York: The Herger Trophy, awarded to the sixth-form female student who has best exemplified proficiency and sportsmanship in interscholastic athletics.

of Brambleton, Virginia: The Head of School Prize, awarded to the student whose particular contribution to Berkshire has distinguished the school year in a special way and whose leadership led others and influenced many.

Charlotte C. Billingsley of Rye, New York: The Peter Lance Anderson Award, decided by the membership of the Cum Laude Society and given to the student who best exemplifies the qualities of personal excellence, integrity, and academic scholarship.

Ashanti S. Bruce of Brooklyn, New York: The Robert A. Powers Award, which recognizes a sixth former who has demonstrated personal growth, loyalty to the school, and dependability of performance which has distinguished his or her career at Berkshire.

Catherine B. Appleyard

Katherine R. Aiello of Manhasset, New York: The Anna S. Barrasch Prize, awarded for unselfish interest in people and loyalty to Berkshire.

Oumou Doumbia of Bronx, New York: The Calvin Fentress Citizenship Award, given for exemplary personal performance, loyalty to Berkshire, and outstanding citizenship in the school community.

Aimi Sekiguchi of Tokyo, Japan: The Princeton Cup, the top sixth-form academic prize awarded for diligence in studies and success in co-curricular activities.

Sandra B. Perot The Aliis Non Sibi Award. Selected by members of the graduating class, the recipient of this award follows the motto â&#x20AC;&#x153;for others, not themselves.â&#x20AC;? It recognizes a member of the faculty who, through a love of teaching and abiding commitment to enriching the lives of students, embodies the ideals and spirit of an engaged and treasured member of both the faculty and, equally important, the Berkshire community.

Berkshire Bulletin

ONWARD See where members of the Class of 2020 are headed this fall.

Kate Aiello Brooks Allen Catherine Appleyard Joe Arena Eva Bartell Jack Bavis Max Beadling Charlie Bell Charlotte Billingsley Cece Block Claire Borchers Krissy Borowiak Chris Branch Gigi Brown Ashanti Bruce Will Byrne Paige Carter Harrison Chapin Jackson Chapin Raimundo Chateau González Oliver Cookson Schuyler Coughlin Gaoussou Coulibaly Aidan Daly Britton Davis Lynx Della Schiava Charlotte Dockery Oumou Doumbia Callie Drake Will Edell Matthew Esposito Maggie Ewert Grace Fitzgerald Victoria Gagas Briggs Gammill

Colgate University University of Denver Middlebury College Northwestern University Lehigh University South Shore Kings Hockey Swarthmore College Gap Year Bowdoin College Northeastern University University of Richmond American University Middlebury College Skidmore College Yale University Bowdoin College Chapman University Pitzer College Cornell University Undecided Skidmore College Trinity College Gettysburg College St. Lawrence University University of St Andrews American University Trinity College University of Pennsylvania Middlebury College University of Detroit Mercy Boston College Regent’s University London Miami University, Oxford Marist College Yale University

Alex Gibian Allegra Giordano Ben Goldthwaite Madi Gomez Gunnar Granito Tyler Gransbury Logan Greene Rylie Griffith Griffin Grisé Tess Haskel Annie Hauser Graham Herrick Randi Hinds Noah Hoffman Tobenna Ikejiani Shun Iwata Eliza Keller Shannon Kelly Tad Koenigsbauer Lucy Krumsick Jake Kuhn Julia Kurth Jack LaCasse Mia Lake Giang Le Michael Lewishall Emily Liu Tommy Maiocco Zakiy Manigo Emmet McDonnell Matthew McGlinsky Nate McShane Ryan Michaels Lisa Moon Patrick Murdock

Boston University Georgetown University Lehigh University Wesleyan University Miami University, Oxford Post Graduate Year Hamilton College Connecticut College Colby College University of Vermont Hobart and William Smith Colleges Stonehill College Cornell University Elon University University of Rochester University of California, Irvine St. Lawrence University Santa Clara University Bates College Northeastern University Ohio Wesleyan University Elon University Bates College New York University Tufts University Sewanee: The University of the South Dartmouth College Washington University in St. Louis St. Lawrence University Cornell University College of the Holy Cross University of Richmond Hamilton College Boston University Bowdoin College

Max O’Brien Teddy Oliver Helen Onufer Andrew Patty Henry Quaintance Dan Rayhill Logan Renneker Connor Reynolds Connor Robb Manny Roldan-Lezcano Andrii Roman Victoria Rowland Garrido Connor Rushford Amelia Schelle Matthew Schlesinger Bobby Searight Aimi Sekiguchi Darran Shen Molly Shine Tyler Slaugh Peggy Stansbery Ellie Stetson Arkan Tahsildaroglu Kyoti Tavarez Momo Techakalayatum Chad Teresky Aidan Thompson Hudson Tuckerman Michelle Wang William Warlick James Welch Jack Whitney Emma Wynne

Colby College Kenyon College Wake Forest University Middlebury College Bucknell University Williams College University of Miami New York University Northeastern University University of Richmond Amherst College Lake Forest College Colgate University Tulane University University of Denver Ithaca College Johns Hopkins University Northwestern University St. Lawrence University Loyola Marymount University Kenyon College University of Denver New York University Susquehanna University Syracuse University United States Air Force Academy University of Denver Colgate University Columbia University Bowdoin College University of Virginia University of Michigan Dickinson College

Summer 2020

CHANGING A LIFE THROUGH A BERKSHIRE EXPERIENCE Building Berkshire’s endowment for financial aid is essential to ensure the School’s brightest future. Every $1.5 million raised in financial aid allows Berkshire to provide full tuition for one talented and deserving student in perpetuity. By investing in Berkshire’s endowed financial aid, you have an opportunity to directly influence, and forever change, the life of a Berkshire student. Your contributions provide financial support for deserving students who could otherwise not afford a Berkshire education. It’s a giving opportunity of a lifetime with an impact that will endure forever. Meet Scholarship Recipient:

Eli Araujo ’22, New York Eli Araujo is a budding young leader on campus. He shared, “To be part of the Berkshire community means to belong to something bigger than myself. It means to be an active member who positively impacts those around me.” Humble and mature, Eli’s impact within the community is far-reaching. Digital art teacher Mr. Roe shared, “As one of the more senior members of the class, Eli served as a great role model for the students around him in terms of his work ethic both in and out of class.” In addition to Eli’s academic schedule, he is an emerging talent on the varsity soccer team, a Green Key tour guide, an active member of the Poetry and Chess Clubs, and taught a Pro Vita class this spring with science teacher Mr. Donovan and Autumn Coard ’22. One of Eli’s

FINANCIAL AID AT-A-GLANCE 2019–2020

$5.2M

Financial Aid Budget

$46,000 Average Award

113

Number of Recipients

28%

of Student Body Receiving Financial Aid

$150,000

Support Beyond Tuition (books, trips, transportation, etc.)

goals at Berkshire is to become a prominent student leader before he graduates. With a strong desire and inclination to reach out to younger students, he has learned early on under the Mountain that when you give of yourself to others, you get so much more in return.

“Berkshire has given me the opportunity to be myself, allowed me to make my own decisions without fear to fail, and has empowered me to become the best version of myself.” —Eli Araujo ’22 To support a Berkshire experience today, contact Director of Advancement Andrew Bogardus at abogardus@berkshireschool.org or call 413-229-1907. 78

Berkshire Bulletin

K ER

S H I RE S C H O O

REUNION 2020 HAS BEEN

POSTPONED & SUPERSIZED SAVE THE DATE: JUNE 11–13, 2021 Due to COVID-19, we have postponed Reunion 2020 and are DOUBLING UP Reunion 2021 by bringing together the classes of ’0s, ’1s, ’5s, and ’6s!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR REUNION 2021 TODAY! We hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. Thank you for your understanding as we navigate these unprecedented times. Stay tuned for more details! www.berkshireschool.org/reunionweekend

Summer 2020

2020

Alumni Awards On Saturday, June 6, Berkshire held its first-ever virtual Alumni Awards honoring four extraordinary alumni for their achievements and the many ways they give back to our School. Head of School Pieter Mulder P’22 gave a special message followed by a collection of video tributes from fellow alumni. The recipients accepted their awards by video and expressed their gratitude for being chosen amongst the Berkshire community. Mulder began his message by acknowledging the timing of these awards against the backdrop of the greater challenges facing the world and our extended Berkshire community, including the global pandemic and protests against racial violence and injustice sweeping the nation. “I’m hopeful that as we honor worthy recipients from our alumni body, particularly with lives dedicated to the service of others, that we might find in this moment connection to the community, connection to Berkshire, and connection to each other.” As this school year marked the 50th anniversary of coeducation, the awards were presented to both a female and male recipient.

Berkshire Bulletin

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI OF THE YEAR

The Distinguished Alumni Award is given annually to “a graduate of Berkshire School who has brought distinction to Berkshire as a result of vocation or avocation, community involvement, or other professional or personal achievements, and who has demonstrated an interest in the welfare of the School.”

ROBIN L.W. MCGRAW ’70, former teacher and coach at Berkshire, is a committed community and public servant and a longtime Berkshire volunteer. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1976 with a B.A. in film/theater arts and from the Institut National des Sports et de l’Education Physique in Paris, France, with an M.S. in education. McGraw is the founder and president of Black Rock Foundation and senior director of the Donald C. McGraw Foundation. He is also chair of the board of trustees for three organizations: HospiceCare in the Berkshires, Berkshire Education and Correction Services, and the Play to Lead Foundation. Presently, McGraw is a deputy sheriff in Berkshire County and works on the Opiate Task Force. He recently designed and built the first aquaponics growing and training facility in the Northeast at the Berkshire County House of Correction. For over 30 years, McGraw has been a constant ambassador of Berkshire and continues to demonstrate his unwavering commitment to the School—from teaching for years in the Ritt Kellogg Mountain Program and the Chase Sugar House, to serving as eternal director of alumni hockey and as a member of the League of Bears Committee leading the Bear sculpture and endowed chair tribute to Arthur C. Chase. Matt Scarafoni ’89 shares, “Over the years, Robin has had a lasting impact on Berkshire and continues to find more ways to help to this day. He truly embodies the School’s motto, ‘Learning, not just for school but for life.’ We salute you for making Berkshire a better place.” In 2012, McGraw was awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award. He and his wife, Buzz, live in Sheffield, Mass., and have three children, Seamus, Maddie ’07, and Andi ’17.

KELLOGG VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Kellogg Volunteer of the Year Award is given annually to “a constituent of the school who has volunteered their support toward an extraordinary endeavor for the sole benefit of the school.”

MICHAEL D. GUTENPLAN ’99 has

JENNA D. POLLOCK ’89, an electromagnetic design expert, specializes in the design of custom magnetic components for power conversion systems. She has spent the last decade designing small, efficient, and low-cost magnetic components for custom power conversion systems for automotive, energy storage, and wireless power transfer applications at Tesla Motors, Apple, Harley Davidson, and Resonant Link. Classmate Annie MacKenzie ’89 shares, “I want to thank you for being a true inventor and for building and inventing things to help save our planet.” Pollock earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the Thayer School of Engineering in 2008 as a member of the Dartmouth Magnetic Component and Power Electronics Research Group. The author of several publications, she holds two U.S. patents pertaining to her work on efficient magnetic components for power conversion applications. Pollock completed a B.A. in economics and women’s studies at the University of New Hampshire, an A.E. in civil environmental engineering technology at Vermont Technical College, and a B.S. in environmental engineering at the University of Vermont.

served as a class agent since 1999 and chaired the Reunion Weekend Committee for his class in 2008–2009, 2013–2014, and 2019–2020. He returned to campus in February 2020 to teach a Pro Vita class called “The Secret Art of Magic ... Exposed” and recently demonstrated a magic trick via podcast on Berkshire’s One Day Together virtual celebration of community engagement. Gutenplan is always willing to assist with outreach to fellow Bears and to help the advancement office and School with any needs or projects. He lives in Los Angeles, Calif., when he is not traveling and performing magic.

ALLISON A. LETOURNEAU ‘07 has served as a class agent for Berkshire since 2007 and as her class’ Reunion Weekend Committee chair from 2011 to 2012. She was recently appointed co-chair of the Advisory Board, of which she’s been a member since 2015. Besides having recently participated in One Day Together with a virtual “shout out” to the Class of 2020, Letourneau is consistently and constantly ready and willing to help with any task that will better the alumni community and the School and improve alumni engagement. She lives and works at The White Mountain School in Bethlehem, N.H., where she serves as the associate head of school for enrollment and engagement.

berkshireschool.org/alumniawards2020

Summer 2020

Alumni Spotlight

Alumni display heroic efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic

GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT By Kevin Soja

As the COVID-19 pandemic presents great challenges and uncertainty, we can also find optimism and strength in the heartwarming stories of people making a difference in this world. These stories encompass alumni, parents, and students gathering and sending masks and medical supplies to the School for distribution in the local community; alumni working to provide food and essential services; and countless other acts of kindness that have unintentionally gone unrecognized. While this generosity of spirit is not a surprise, it is certainly affirming. Here we salute our alumni and thank those on the front lines, providing vital care, supplies, or even simple goodwill to people in need. Their compassion, unwavering commitment to service, and determination to make a difference for the greater good are extraordinarily inspiring.

Berkshire Bulletin

Alumni Spotlight

DON KENDALL ’66 Kendall’s business Mack Molding of Arlington, Vt., reengineered hundreds of snorkeling masks to function as respirators for Southwestern Vermont Health Care staff members during the early days of the pandemic.

ROBIN MCGRAW ’70

McGraw, deputy sheriff and president of Berkshire Education and Correction Services, has helped distribute over 16,000 heads of lettuce to local food pantries and charities. The lettuce was grown in a newly-built aquaponics greenhouse facility in Pittsfield, Mass.

ALEX BRUNEL ’72

“As of May 5, 129 of my frontline colleagues at the Cambridge Health Alliance (in Cambridge, Mass.) have tested positive for COVID-19. That’s up from 115 the previous week. We’re not out of the woods yet, folks. Stay safe. We are running a wide range of mindfulness stress-reduction support sessions for staff and the public. You can take a break yourself at www.chacmc.org.”

DAVID PAINE ’75 Paine helped an organization launch one of the nation’s first high-speed 45-minute tests to identify COVID-19 in patients. “I developed my sense of community at Berkshire, and attribute it to changing the direction of my life.”

K.C. FUCHS ’80 Fuchs serves as the COO of the Silver Shield Foundation, which helps offset the cost of education for the children of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. “I have been dedicated to working to support our uniformed first responders who lose their lives in the fight against COVID-19.”

MICHELLE DERR ’82

Many families are struggling to maintain a healthy food supply during this difficult time. Derr is the director of South Berkshire Family Services and WIC at Community Health Programs, where she has kept busy supporting the increased need for services, especially at their food pantry.

STEVE KACZMEREK ‘85 Kaczmerek’s company, Borealis Fat Bikes, purchased 3,200 N95 masks, which were distributed to employees, friends, family, and medical clinics in Colorado Springs, Col. through the end of May, when suppliers could catch up with the demand in the area.

ELVIA GIGNOUX ’87

When she heard there was a shortage of PPE at her local hospital in Sharon, Conn., Gignoux went on a mission to supply masks. She and a friend provided nearly 500 hand-sewn masks to nurses, EMTs, and the local food pantry. “There are so many people who can use a helping hand these days. See what you can do in your community!”

YVETTE BOOYSE GORDON ’87

“I am an OB/GYN in the Houston area. I work at a federally qualified health center where we are screening for COVID-19. Our positive patients have included pregnant women. Everyone stay safe!”

Summer 2020

Alumni Spotlight

MARION YATES SCHIFF ’97

SCOTT GROGEAN ’91 P’19 “Things at BMC (Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Mass.) are pretty intense as we are preparing for the anticipated surge of COVID-19 patients. Both [son] Kegan [Grogean], Class of 2019, and I have managed to stay healthy. We’re all hoping that our surge and peak are not as bad as predicted.”

KATRINA SEIDMAN CURTISS ’93 11 “I work in the Cardiac Care Unit at Fairview Hospital (in Great Barrington, Mass.). My days have included swabbing patients in their cars in the parking lot, assisting in intubations, taking care of rehabbing COVID patients, and nursing critically ill patients. Thank you to the Berkshire community for checking in on me and my family, and for the support from around the globe!”

Berkshire Bulletin

MARISSA REITNOUR SISAK ’98

“I’m a nursing administrator for three hospitals in the Los Angeles area and one in New York City. Trying to motivate the doctors and nurses and keep everyone smiling has been my job lately. Sometimes I surprise the units with a dance or ask for a group selfie. Other times, I share a kind word or a joke. Together, we can beat this!”

“I am a registered nurse working at Phoenixville Hospital, outside of Philadelphia. I work on our COVID unit, the ER, and ICU. I am blessed to have incredible coworkers, and we are protected with PPE. Our patients are very sick and it has been sad, scary, and physically exhausting at times, but I love what I do. I have never been more proud to be an RN!”

BROOKS ANNE HEADY BURDICK ’98 9

BRYAN HOUSEMAN ’00

“I’m a labor and delivery registered nurse at Berkshire Medical Center (in Pittsfield, Mass.). Though we are poised to care for patients with COVID-19, much of our work has been centered on supporting our patients during this tenuous time. We are coaches, birth partners, patient advocates, photographers, and liaisons between patients and families. As we continue to allay patients’ fears, we work hard to create intimate space to allow for the joy of birth to prevail.”

STEPHANIE DEFIORES COREY ’98 12 “I’m an emergency medicine physician in Rochester, N.Y., at Rochester General Hospital. We are seeing a rise in COVID cases and doing our best to keep people safe. Stay home and healthy!”

“I am an orthopedic trauma surgeon in Manchester, N.H. We are doing everything we can to continue to help people. Stay safe, protect your community, and do your part. Go Bears!”

JASON CHAU ’01 Chau ’01 shipped 1,000 masks from Guangzhou, China, to Berkshire Health North for distribution throughout Berkshire County.

CAITLIN HETTINGER MCNEILL ’01 McNeill, who raises hens with her husband, Kip, is using their surplus of fresh eggs to help others. They’re offering up free eggs to those in need, with an option to make a donation to Volunteers in Medicine. “I thought about an organization that I admire and that does impactful work in medicine in the community.”

Alumni Spotlight

CHARLOTTE DELEO ’04

DeLeo is an ER doctor at UMASS Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Mass. treating COVID-19positive patients.

SUKEY MULLANY ’05

Mullany serves as an RN at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “Still living graciously, as Mr. Piatelli would want, as I care for my sick patients.”

JAMES RUSSELL ’05

“I’m an emergency medicine resident working in the ER at Lincoln Medical Center in NYC. The devastating impact on low-income and minority communities is heartbreaking and sadly, not the main cause of my sleepless nights. I am more fearful that this will not lead to any impactful changes to our healthcare system on a national level, and for that, I am left feeling truly helpless.”

ELISABETH RUSSELL ’06

“I’m an internal medicine resident working in the ICU at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara in California. We’ve had several successes this week getting our COVID-19 patients through the worst of the disease. The surge has been manageable thanks to everyone adhering to social distancing. Keep it up and stay safe!”

THOMAS REGAN ’08

When Regan learned that the COVID-19 outbreak would prevent Berkshire students from returning to campus, he mobilized an online platform to provide daily workouts and wellness advice. His experience as a personal trainer and gym owner kept our Bears motivated and moving this spring!

KENDALL COYNE SCHOFIELD ’11 18

masks for essential personnel. I told my team that I was going to do whatever it takes to keep them employed and off of unemployment so they can continue to provide for their families during these uncertain times.”

KAY HUMES PAZ ’15

Coyne Schofield and her husband, Michael Schofield, have been providing families in the Chicago area with meals through the Schofield Family Foundation.

KIM SCALA TAILLEFER ’11

“I’m a senior medical technologist in the Microbiology Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Our lab is running hundreds of tests every day around the clock. We’ve come a long way since the beginning of March!”

SAM HOOPER ’12

Hooper, owner and president of Vermont Glove, a family-run glove business, pivoted to producing protective masks during the COVID-19 outbreak. “While we are not heroes like those fighting on the front lines, we have produced thousands upon thousands of

“I am a registered nurse at Yale New Haven Hospital’s COVID ICU, relocated from the operating room to help on the front lines. I will continue to help until the last COVID patient is discharged. I am grateful for my time at Berkshire School and attribute my success to the dedicated faculty and staff guiding me through my early years of education.”

SHERRY YANG ’19 Yang sent masks from her home in Shanghai, China, to Boston Children’s Hospital and to a lab where Sherry previously worked at Weill Cornell Medicine, which is processing some RNA data of the COVID-19 virus.

View the full list of alumni here: www.berkshireschool.org/heroes.

Summer 2020

Alumni Spotlight

RAISING CHAMPIONS Edward “Ned” Toffey ’82 helps to breed top Thoroughbreds in the U.S. and Australia. By Lori Ferguson

Ned Toffey can’t pinpoint the moment when he fell in love with horses. He simply knows the passion has been with him for a very long time. And in something that can only be called kismet, he traces that love back to an early experience at Spendthrift Farm, the famed Thoroughbred stallion farm in Lexington, Ky., where he now serves as general manager. “When I was just 4 or 5 years old, my parents loaded us up in the car and drove us to Kentucky to tour horse farms,” Toffey recalls. “One of the places we visited was Spendthrift, the home of the wonderful racehorse and sire Nashua. Maybe the seed was planted then.” Perhaps. Whatever the genesis, Toffey’s passion has carried him to the upper echelons of the Thoroughbred world. Since taking the helm at Spendthrift in 2004, he has worked with owner B. Wayne Hughes to help the farm rebound from bankruptcy and regain its former position as one of the biggest—and most successful—stallion farms in Kentucky. In 2015, Spendthrift expanded into Australia, purchasing 600 acres nestled in the Macedon Ranges outside of Melbourne, which Toffey also oversees and manages. 86

Berkshire Bulletin

Today, Spendthrift is home to some 250 horses, a collection of stallions, broodmares and foals that Toffey hopes will make important contributions to the farm’s legacy in the years ahead. Clients turn to him and his team for guidance in evaluating pedigrees and curating breedings that will yield the finest Thoroughbreds possible. Learning the Game “As a boy, I took a lot of pleasure in riding—I was one of those annoying kids who talked my parents into getting a couple of horses,” Toffey recalls with a chuckle. “I even took riding lessons from Jeanne Hawkins, Ross Hawkins’ first wife, one of my dad’s fellow faculty members at Berkshire.” Then in 1973, a wide-eyed, 11-yearold Toffey tuned in on television to

Spendthrift Farm in, Lexington, KY., is home to the largest stallion roster in North America. Photo by David Coyle

watch Secretariat become the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years. “For a kid already interested in the sport, watching Secretariat win the Triple Crown was just incredible—the experience captured my imagination.” The following year Toffey and his father travelled to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., for the Thoroughbred races. “We were across the street from the

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“I get to spend my days on 1,200 acres of rolling pastures filled with some of the best four-legged athletes out there.”

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, and it happened to be the day they were inducting Secretariat into the Hall of Fame,” he recounts. “I saw the ceremony and met Penny Chenery, his owner. It’s a day I’ll always remember.” As the years passed, however, Toffey’s interests shifted to football and baseball, and it wasn’t until midway through college that he rediscovered his love for horses. “My college roommate, Paul Manganaro, was from a family that was heavily into the Thoroughbred breeding business—they still are today—and the exposure renewed

Alumni Spotlight

t ho

—Ned Toffey ’82

Summer 2020

Alumni Spotlight

Spendthrift has expanded to a Thoroughbred farm in Australia on 600 acres nestled in the Macedon Ranges outside of Melbourne. Photo courtesy of Spendthrift Australia

my interests.” Manganaro’s father, John, later became a valued mentor to Toffey, and in another hat tip to fate, he introduced him to John Williams, the manager of Spendthrift Farm in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Williams, too, would become an important mentor. “It was a great introduction into the business,” says Toffey modestly. Following graduation from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Toffey took a job on a horse farm in Old Chatham, N.Y. “It was a stopgap measure while I looked for a real job,” he says wryly. But the more he learned about the horse business, the more he realized its career possibilities. “It wasn’t long before I threw everything I owned in a truck and moved to Lexington,” he says. Although he had four years of college behind him, Toffey absorbed lessons of a different sort after arriving in Kentucky. “One of the things I’m most proud of is that I graduated college and started out at the bottom,” he says. “It wasn’t where I expected to be, but one of the best pieces of advice I got in the early years was, ‘Learn the game from the ground up.’” The work was tough and hardly glamorous, Toffey concedes, but the experience was invaluable. “Lexington has such a concentration of talented 88

Berkshire Bulletin

horse people that if you just put in the work, pay attention, and listen, you can learn an awful lot. And that’s what I did.” In the intervening years, Toffey built a reputation as a talented broodmare manager, working first at Brookdale Farm with owner Fred Seitz, then moving on to Dixiana Farm and Three Chimneys Farm. He spent seven years honing his skills at Three Chimneys, one of the premier Thoroughbred breeding farms in the world and the final home of Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. “General Manager Dan Rosenberg was an important mentor, the roster of horses was incredible, and the farm’s client list was a real Who’s Who of the racing world,” he notes. The Spendthrift Years Three Chimneys represents an important inflection point in Toffey’s career for another reason as well—it was here that Toffey met B. Wayne Hughes, a client at Three Chimneys who decided to buy his own farm. “He asked me to run it,” Toffey recalls. What Toffey didn’t know was that Hughes had set his sights on Spendthrift Farm, a place once renowned for its roster of stallions as well as clients. “Spendthrift’s history was storied, but

the farm went under in the late 1980s, and by the time Mr. Hughes bought it in 2004, it was pretty run down,” he says. Nevertheless, Toffey was thrilled when he learned what his charge would be. “To find out that Mr. Hughes had purchased Spendthrift Farm and wanted me to run it was more exciting than anything I could have imagined. It’s like saying to a baseball fan, ‘I have a little team called the Boston Red Sox that I’d like you to run,” says Toffey. Some 15 years on, Toffey confesses to being proud of what he’s accomplished, but he’s also quick to credit the horses for any long-term fame that the farm enjoys. “Spendthrift’s history is written in the bloodlines,” he asserts. “The legacy of the farm lives in the stallion barn—the names of those horses and the genes they’re passing on will live for generations in their offspring.” Indeed, in many respects it’s this history that drives Toffey’s interest in Thoroughbred breeding and racing. “I got a sense of history from my dad—we shared an interest in the Civil War—and I always enjoyed Twiggs Myers’ history classes at Berkshire,” he says. The historical aspects of the Thoroughbred world elicit the same sense of delight. “Although I got my degree in sports management, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” he explains. “But when I started working with the horses, it

The Berkshire Days Although life in the horse business sounds idyllic, Toffey confesses that it’s both a blessing and a curse. “For many years, I’ve had very little time off the farm where I worked. It’s a way of life— ask my wife, Katie. She’s never worked a day in the business but ask her what she does, and I guarantee she’ll say horses,” he says with a laugh. The arrangement is familiar to Toffey; in some respects, Berkshire School was the Toffey family business when he was growing up. Toffey’s father, John, taught English and served as director of college

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counseling and dean of faculty over his 20 years at Berkshire; his mother, Irene, worked in the School’s admissions office; and his brothers, Jack ’79 and Joe ’80, are alumni. “I was a faculty brat,” he says. “We never lived on campus, but I was always there. I grew up running around with other faculty kids like the Youngs and the Shaws.” Toffey remains grateful for the experience. “Over the years, I’ve come to realize how valuable a broad-based liberal arts education is. I’m afraid it’s something I took for granted for a time—it’s an appreciation that you just don’t have as a 17-year-old.” He also appreciates the years playing sports at Berkshire. “Not everyone grows up playing on a team and learning to work together to achieve a goal, but sports teach you how to work with lots of different people, and that’s a skill you use throughout your life.” Toffey has leveraged those skills to great effect over the course of his career, and never more so than in working to bring Spendthrift back to its former glory. “Being a part of rebuilding something that was special in our industry and is becoming special again is very important to me,” he confesses. Toffey played an instrumental role in the purchase of Spendthrift’s famed stallion Into Mischief—currently the leading sire in North America—as well as that of his half sister Beholder, among the most successful race mares that ever lived. “The farm was pretty run down when Mr. Hughes bought it, but over the past decade we worked hard to restore it. I’m very proud to be a part of that transformation, which has included decisions like the purchase of Into Mischief and Beholder.” Asked if his Berkshire classmates would be surprised to learn where life has taken him, Toffey laughs. “I suspect anyone reading this now who knew me then would say, ‘I don’t remember any

grabbed me like nothing really had. My love of history played a big part in that fascination.” Much of what makes a Thoroughbred is its pedigree, Toffey continues. “It’s their history, and it’s not just equine history. It’s also the families and farms that have bred these animals—there’s a wonderful story that goes with every horse.” Now, as Spendthrift’s general manager, Toffey spends his days contributing to that legacy through his work on the farm’s portfolio. “Most mornings, I can be found doing physical evaluations of the mares and foals, and afternoons you’ll usually find me in my office reviewing pedigrees, looking at things like what mares we own, who we’ll sell, who we’ll buy, who we’ll race, and who our mares will be bred to.” The stallion operation is also demanding. “Our primary business is standing stallions,” Toffey notes. “This year we have 24, the largest stallion roster in North America. We sell seasons, i.e., the right to breed to one of our stallions, and set stud fees. It’s a lot of work, but I’ve got a wonderful staff and they keep everything running smoothly.” “I’m incredibly lucky,” he continues. “I get to spend my days on 1,200 acres of rolling pastures filled with some of the best four-legged athletes out there.”

Coyle

Alumni Spotlight

“Not everyone grows up playing on a team and learning to work together to achieve a goal, but sports teach you how to work with lots of different people, and that’s a skill you use throughout your life.” —Ned Toffey ’82

of this about him,’ and it would be true. I set my love for horses aside for a while and didn’t return to it until midway through college. I’m very fortunate,” he concludes. “I have a wonderful wife and four great kids, and the horse business has given us a great life. It’s not really a job, it’s just who you are.” Lori Ferguson is a freelance writer with a soft spot for education, the arts, and animals. Based on Florida’s Gulf Coast, she enjoys writing on arts, lifestyle, health, and wellness topics. spendthriftfarm.com.

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P A Y I N G

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F O R W A R D

K ATE AND WILLIAM STODDARD, JR. ’65 “Over our many years together, we saw Berkshire in all seasons and got to know it and see it through Will’s eyes.” —Kate Stoddard, John F. Godman Society Member

Kate Stoddard and her late husband, William “Will” Stoddard, Jr. ’65, returned to hike Mount Everett as often as they could. Without fail, their loop through campus would conjure up the familiar names—Myers, Godman, Chase— that shaped Will Stoddard’s memories of the place. Having arrived at Berkshire a shy young man in the early ’60s, he shared how the experience taught him to gain confidence and become a leader passionate about the outdoors and the world around him. He credited the School, in particular then-headmaster John Godman, for “building his sense of commitment and work ethic.” Well prepared and inspired by Berkshire, Stoddard went on to become a conservation biologist for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. When Will Stoddard passed away, Kate Stoddard wanted to preserve his legacy. He would have been a lifetime donor to Berkshire, so her decision was easy. She donated a portion of her future estate to extend the impact of the William Stoddard, Jr. ’65 Memorial Scholarship, established as a student prize in 2004 and growing into a scholarship endowment in 2009. Having gotten to know their scholarship recipients through yearly updates, Stoddard is

Berkshire Bulletin

certain that “you could select any student at Berkshire, and they’d all be thoughtful and kind and empathetic leaders.” A past recipient of the Stoddard Scholarship, Josiah Tolvo ’16 describes the significant impact that the fund had on him. “While I came to Berkshire with many goals, the financial support I received allowed me to pursue new passions, such as college-level science research and immersive outdoor leadership experiences.” He echoes Will Stoddard’s recollections as he reflects, “The friends and mentors I found there propelled me into the adult I am today.” Tolvo recently graduated from the United States Naval Academy and is headed to Marine Officer Training at Quantico Base in Virginia. He takes inspiration from retired U.S. Marine Corps General James Mattis, who joined the Marines “in search of those who were more interested in living life fully than in their own longevity.” The same could be said of Kate and Will Stoddard, who chose to share their lives with students who would benefit from the lasting relationships, new opportunities, and the balance of ambition and humility that come from time spent under the Mountain.

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F O R W A R D

Join Kate Stoddard and others in the

PAYING IT FORWARD CHALLENGE: For every new or expanded planned gift committed to Berkshire, an anonymous donor will make a gift to the Annual Fund in your name equal to 10% of your future legacy gift.

To provide future Berkshire students with life-changing opportunities and help unlock up to $10 million for students today, contact Director of Advancement Andrew Bogardus at (413) 229-1237 or abogardus@berkshireschool.org

“While I came to Berkshire with many goals, the financial support I received allowed me to pursue new passions, such as college-level science research and immersive outdoor leadership experiences.”

or Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving Bill Bullock at (413) 229-1368 or wbullock@berkshireschool.org.

Learn more at berkshireschool.planningyourlegacy.org.

—Josiah Tolvo ’16, Stoddard Scholarship recipient

Summer 2020

Class Notes

Class Notes 1945 Philip W. Goodspeed 616-949-1949

1948 George Church III 413-448-6199

1949 Robert W. Doyle, Sr. robertwdoylesr@gmail.com

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Howard Esquirol writes: “I’m still kicking at 88. My wife died in 2016, so I’m spending six months in Florida and six months in Minnesota. Not many ’49ers left, so I just wanted to check in. Love the Bulletin!”

1951

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John B. Hull III 413-528-1528

1953 John G. Cluett jcluett34@gmail.com

1955 Lewis E. Sadler lewcchd@gmail.com   Frederick C. Twichell ttwichell@thacher.org

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Terry Twichell writes: “Lew Sadler and I tried to arouse interest in our 65th reunion to no avail. Now that Reunion has been postponed to 2021, we’re hopeful we’ll get to see friends from 1956. We are hoping to arrange a gettogether in the fall. Stay tuned all you members of 1955!” 92

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1956

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Daniel C. M. Crabbe dan.crabbe@comcast.net

______________________________ Woody Osborne writes: “I’ve been retired for eight years already! Can’t believe it’s been more than 60 years since we graduated from Berkshire! Jane and I are living happily in Deer Isle, ME—a lovely bridged island and a wonderful community, which, for better or worse, nearly doubles in size each summer. We are both active in various volunteer ventures, most notably the school board and the local land trust. Our travels are mostly limited to visiting children and grandchildren and old friends in Washington, D.C. The kids all come to visit for a few weeks each summer, which is a high point of the year. We have our fingers crossed for this summer, given the limitations imposed by COVID-19. Best wishes to my classmates.”

1957 Walter S. Henrion walthenrion@gmail.com

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Walt Henrion writes: “Well, here I am on March 26 under ‘house arrest’ for 14 days, and I’m hoping by the time you read this we will be back to something that resembles normality. It is sad to say that for many of us, our activities revolve around our medical appointments. I am having difficulty walking, let alone running the 100-yard dash, because of severe neuropathy in my feet. I am still thinking about our 65th in 2022. I would need encouragement from at least six of you to pursue this possibility. Any news would be appreciated.” Mac Odell writes: “Greetings from locked-down Washington, D.C., where Marcia and I were among the first to be exposed on March 1 to COVID-19 by our church rector. Being in that

Mac Odell ’57 and his wife, Marcia, safe and healthy in Washington, D.C.

vulnerable age group along with all of our classmates, we’ve decided to stay in total lockdown ever since. Good news. We’re totally fine and have worked out safe supplies and groceries at no risk. Now we just say our prayers and mantras daily for all our classmates, friends, family—and especially for all the vulnerable health workers and service personnel who are at such great risk.”

1958

Benjamin J. Rosin benrosin@aol.com

1960 Joseph D. Bodak, Jr. jdbodakjr@hotmail.com   Stephen P. Norman steve@spnormanco.com

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Joe Bodak writes: “I received an email from Jen Nichols ’87 announcing the cancellation of Reunion this year. It was particularly painful since, including Steve Norman and myself, seven of us from the Class of 1960 had committed to attend, and there were five additional ‘tentative yes’ responses. I was still

Class Notes

working on a few more classmates. Assuming my health holds up, I will embark on a new effort next year.” Steve Norman writes: “Joe Bodak and I reached out to members of the Class of 1960 to assemble a godly number of classmates to return to campus for our 60th reunion, which will now be held in June 2021. Despite the present coronavirus curtailment of activities, our classmates seem in good spirits and are looking forward to the 60th reunion next summer so we can demonstrate we still have the mojo.”

1961

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Peter R. Kellogg pkellogg@iatre.com

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John Ellwood writes: “On a beautiful February day, Cynnie and Peter Kellogg, Garry Morfit, and I enjoyed an outdoor lunch together at the Naples Yacht Club. We spent more than two hours telling Berkshire stories and laughing. It was a fun gathering!” David Haidak writes: “I recently retired from practicing oncology/hematology in Maryland. My wife, Cecily, retired after 42 years of government service as a deputy bureau chief of state. We have two sons. The oldest is a civil engineer with the Washington sewage and sanitation commission, and he is married with no kids. My youngest lives in Amsterdam, Holland, and is single. We still have a home in Alford, MA. Once this coronavirus is over, and we survive, I plan to resume flyfishing, some shooting sports, and some travel with my wife. Any classmates needing a place to stay in the Berkshires, please let me know, as we would like to make our place available.” Peter Kellogg writes: “I recently heard from Ross Byron. He shared, ‘I am happily ensconced in New Zealand. My

wife, Cyndie, and I have a lovely place on the Manukau Harbour in the leafy semirural outskirts of Auckland, where we retired from our graphic design practice. After Berkshire, I left home and have since lived in Guadalajara (2 years), then L.A. (1 1/2 years, ugh!), back to NYC (5 years), then Australia (9 years), and finally, since ’76, in New Zealand.’” Ned Newton writes: “My wife, Elizabeth, and I moved north two miles to a 300-year-old house in a small village in Dartmouth, MA. Makes me feel young. I am still working for MassDOT, now part-time from home. We have Shetland sheep, as well as an assortment of ornamental pheasants we brought up from the former house. Being home all day has given me a chance to review my fishing rod collection. My first bamboo rod was from our freshman house master, Robert Guthridge. Hope we all survive this virus.”

1962 Andrew S. Berkman aberkman@cpny.com

1964 Bill Sheehan writes: “After practicing law for many years in a Washington, D.C. law firm, with stints at the Justice Department and Department of Defense, I am now vice president and general counsel of the American Bird Conservancy. My wife and I live with our horses, dogs, and indoor cat on a farm in Maryland. We look forward to the election in November.”

1965 Tristam Johnson writes: “My family and I are well. We are managing stayat-home restrictions. I have a mustang mare and ride several times a week on old logging roads in Vermont, which is a great escape from this virus! I am fortunate to have been called on by Rotary International to review project proposals—either the design, implementation, or sustainable impacts. In February, they sent me to Guatemala to review a nutrition project that focused on decreasing dependence on corn and beans by expanding nutritional intake from harvesting produce from household gardens. Project Harvest, a Canadian nonprofit (www.projectharvest.org), developed this project model over the past 15 years and has produced outstanding results!”

1966

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Harlan J. Swift, Jr. timswifty@gmail.com

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Tim Swift writes: “A few of us decided to try our hands at a Zoom meeting to catch up and share stories about our lives during the COVID-19 crisis. We managed to conquer the technology, much to our grandchildren’s surprise. It was great to see Ham White, Chipp Jamison, Tom Hewes, Jeff Jones, Hans Carstensen, Butch Laubenstein, Jim Hadley, Bob Witkowski, Ray Tuller, Pete Hammett, and Win Johnson.”

Classmates from ’66 on a Zoom call: Ham White, Tim Swift, Chipp Jamison, Tom Hewes, Jeff Jones, Hans Carstensen, Butch Laubenstein, Jim Hadley, Bob Witkowski, Ray Tuller, Pete Hammett, and Win Johnson

Summer 2020

Class Notes

1967 F. Woodson Hancock III whancock3@aol.com

1968

L. Keith Reed lkreed.mt@gmail.com

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Keith Reed writes: “Lisa and I had a nice visit with Katherine and Joe Blagden in their lovely Santa Fe, NM, home just before Christmas. We had not been to Santa Fe in many years, and since Joe was unable to attend our 50th reunion in 2018, it was fun to catch up with him!”

Berkshire since he was 18 months old. I arranged for a casual tour at the end of the summer as part of a trip to Boston, MA, during which he fell in love with the place. This will be the best two years of his life, and he already feels it. Looking forward to trips to Sheffield, spending time with K.C. Clow, and hopefully seeing some of you! The legacy of the Class of ’69 continues, even after 50 years!”

1969

Robin McGraw ’70 with Barclay Gammill ’16 after Trinity beat Amherst to advance to the NESCAC Finals. Gammill, the league’s high goal scorer, was named the NESCAC Player of the Year.

Kent S. Clow III ksc3@msn.com

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K.C. Clow writes: “The Class of 1969 is thrilled to announce that Steve Morgan’s son, Kane, is starting at Berkshire in the fall as a member of the Class of 2022.” Steve Morgan writes: “My son, Kane, will attend Berkshire in the fall as a junior, Class of 2022. He’s ecstatic, as am I for him. This all started when he saw a video of the reunion this past summer and felt bad he couldn’t go. He hadn’t been to

J U N E 11–13, 2021 REUNION WEEKEND 2021 IS SUPERSIZED! Welcoming Back ‘0s, ‘1s, ‘5s, and ‘6s!

Berkshire Bulletin

in their sixth charity match. This year, player/coach/captain McGraw’s team raised over $50K for the Jimmy Fund and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.”   Kane Morgan ’22, son of Steve Morgan ’69, will attend Berkshire in the fall.

Jim Sheldon-Dean writes: “My mother, Suzanne S. Dean (also grandmother of Hannah Sheldon-Dean ’06), passed away peacefully at her home on Cape Cod, MA, at age 96, Thanksgiving morning, 2019. She got to know many of my Berkshire classmates and bandmates way back then, and she was always a staunch supporter of my and Hannah’s educational and musical aspirations. She supported my bass education over the years and helped me buy the bass that I played in my Berkshire days and at our 50th reunion last year—an instrument of my salvation and delight back then, and today still.”

1970 Robert L. W. McGraw blackrockfarm@hotmail.com

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Robin McGraw writes: “The Bruins defeated the Dana Farber Rink Rats 8–7

1971

50 th

Kevin J. Bruemmer kevin.bruemmer@gmail.com

1972 John Y. G. Walker III jwalker2353@gmail.com

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Clark Brown writes: “It was shocking news to me when I learned that Jim Cathcart had suffered a heart attack and passed away. ‘Jimbo’ was always an invincible, even cocky force in life and especially on the ice. Back when we played hockey at Berkshire, he was a scrawny, thinnish unimposing kid. I could not understand how he was so good at hockey, when the rest of us seemed to have some size or speed advantage. Years later, I realized Jim had this laser focus to get to the right spot on the ice at the exact right time—often scoring, or passing, for a goal. He was uncanny at playmaking with Gretzky-like vision for

Class Notes

our little world. In many ways he was a keen observer of  life around him, and he was mature beyond his years. He was part of our ‘quilt’ of exceptional characters of ’72. RIP my friend.” Hayward McKee writes: “I had a very nice Florida Keys waterfront dinner with Art Greene and family between Christmas and New Year’s. Interesting how things change, but then also don’t, over 45 years since we last met.”

Chris Groves writes: “I have recently become a grandfather to twins. We are loving spending time with them. I also spend a lot of time in my shop turning segmented bowls and building furniture and striped bass plugs. Life is great!”

is causing havoc. I pray for everyone to have a safe and healthy 2020, and that the Berkshire community will continue to be leaders in society wherever we are. On a good note, we are expecting our 18th grandchild and our upcoming 47th wedding anniversary. Go Bears!”   Albert Stockell writes: “I retired in 2019 after working 38 years for the Genevabased international inspection, testing, and certification company, SGS Société Générale de Surveillance S.A. I worked in various positions in Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, and North America, of which 35 years were outside the U.S.”

1975 A bowl turned by Chris Groves ’73, who has a small woodworking business, Groves Woodworks. Hayward McKee ‘72, Art Greene ’72, and family enjoyed this view at dinner over the winter holidays in the Florida Keys.

1973 Rex S. Morgan, Jr. rexmorgan@gmail.com Michele Robins michele.robins@gmail.com Leon J. Weil, Jr. jerryweil.tennis@gmail.com

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1974 Louise A. Clement luluinsf2005@yahoo.com

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Walter Baker writes: “I’m excited to join Partnership for Public Service to lead their talent acquisition efforts. The Partnership is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that strives for a more effective government for the American people.”

Pat Healy writes: “My daughter and I are hunkered down at home due to COVID-19. Learning Wimbledon was cancelled made our isolation even worse, so we decided to do something about it. We built a grass tennis court in our backyard, donned our whites, and had Wimbledon at home! Stay safe everyone!”

Ted Collins writes: “So glad to turn 65 on April 19, even though the coronavirus Pat Healy ’75 with his daughter, Olivia

Chris Groves ’73 and his grandkids, Devin and Lena

Ted Collins ’74 and his wife, Valinda, celebrating her 65th birthday

Dave Paine writes: “You may remember me as ‘Schmertzee.’ I co-founded the nonprofit 911day.org, which transformed 9/11 into a federally established National Day of Service. It has grown to become the largest day of service in the nation. I also helped launch the nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise, created to help prevent future mass shootings in schools across America. This year, I helped an organization launch one of the nation’s first high-speed, 45-minute tests to Summer 2020

Class Notes

bread baking under the Mountain. I hope the students are enjoying their new baking skills at home now. I’m happy to have a few pre-corona memories to savor here in California. Many thanks to Susie Beattie, Clive Davis, Donald Anselmi, and all Berkshire faculty and staff.”

Chip Lieber ’81 and Peter Kellogg ’61 Dave Paine ’75 rings the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange in observance of the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

identify  COVID-19 in patients. My sense of community was developed at Berkshire, and I attribute it to changing the direction of my life.”

1976

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Stephen H. Hassett shasse01@gmail.com

1978 Birney B. Boehland bbboehland@gmail.com

1979

Robert D. Thomas bthomas@wwsg.com

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Susie Norris writes: “Berkshire’s Pro Vita 2020 gave me a week of teaching

Connect with Berkshire

Berkshire Bulletin

Students in the Pro Vita 2020 Bread Baking class, taught by Susie Norris ’79, visited the Berkshire Mountain Bakery.

Our boys, Riley and Joseph, are finishing their college semesters at home while we are in the middle of restoring numerous buildings on our historic 1700’s farm in Chestertown, MD. It was only a few months ago that I had the opportunity to run into another Berkshire family member, Peter Kellogg ’61, while he was visiting Chestertown to share a couple of his beautiful boats during the Sultana Education Foundation’s Downrigging festival. We hope more of you are able to enjoy your families and stay safe.”

1982

1980

Sue Ann Stanton sasroyale@yahoo.com

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 laxcoachgeorge@gmail.com   Gayle S. Saks gaylesaks@gmail.com

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Chip Lieber writes: “Our family is quite fortunate right now as the COVID-19 disruption hits hard around the world. We find ourselves with a chance to enjoy each other more than we have had an opportunity to over the last few years.

Wags Berl writes: “I am happy and healthy living in Durham, N.C. My son, Luke, is now 2 years old and a barrel of laughs. I am playing a lot of tennis and am captain of a WTA team. I played ice hockey in the winter and really enjoyed

Kimberley C. Fuchs kcfuchs33@verizon.net   Ralph J. Lamberto uticaeyedoc@gmail.com   Steven P. Veronesi sveronesi@cox.net

1981

40 th

Annie Godfrey Clyne clyne@optonline.net

Class Notes

1984

it. I still have, and use, my helmet from Berkshire. And as you see in the photo, I still have Chris Miazga ’85 and Joey Miazga ’83’s gloves! Go Bears! And a big hello to all of you up at Berkshire and all over the world!”

Debra Drucker druckerdeb@yahoo.com

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Stephen McGlynn writes: “I thought it was going to take longer to get this old! Hope all are well. My wife, Lisa, and I are living in Skaneateles, NY, with our last of four children: Anna at home in tenth grade. Cullen graduated from Bentley and is living and working in Boston, MA. Mae is a junior at Elon University, where she has tons of fun and plays lacrosse for them. Will is a freshman at Virginia Tech and has fast become a Hokie. My wife and I own two businesses: Multivista and Blue Water Renewable Energy. She is a great boss!”    Sarah Bakhiet ’83 in her favorite spot at her nagado

of homelessness in our community and beyond. Good wishes to all, and may you continue to be healthy and happy.”   Wags Berl ’82 shows the hockey gloves that Chris Miazga ’85 and Joe Miazga ’83 gave him his senior year.

1983

Engin Bayraktaroglu writes: “My daughter, Isabelle, has just been accepted to attend Berkshire! We are both very excited! I am sure she will enjoy it as much as I did!”

Eric Mellinger writes: “I am not ashamed to announce that my entry in the Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest (www.bulwerlytton.com/2019) received honorable mention in the Purple Prose category. This annual contest welcomes wretched writers to submit the worst opening sentence to a novel and at long last, I am honored to have been selected as one of the worst. I dedicate this award to all my Berkshire English teachers. I could not have won this award without you.”

Karen Schnurr Secrist karensecrist6@gmail.com

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Sarah Bakhiet writes: “During this surreal time of social distancing, I thought it would be good to connect with my alma mater. I retired in 2018 and moved back to San Diego, CA, after 25 years in education. It was wonderful to spend the summer with my ‘hanai’ families, the Gulottas and the Romano-Meades, on Cod Cape, MA. I continue with my Japanese drumming and have also returned to my cello after several years hiatus. I joined the board of Jewish Family Services in San Diego. This has been deeply fulfilling work, as we strive to address, among many other issues, the urgent concern

Stephen McGlynn ’84 and family, Cullen, Mae, Lisa, Stephen, Will, and Anna

Support Berkshire’s Annual Fund! Engin Bayraktaroglu ’83’s daughter, Isabelle, at Berkshire during his reunion in 2018

Every gift supports a Berkshire experience.

Summer 2020

Class Notes

1985 Lionel A. Shaw lionel_shaw@yahoo.com   Mary Brosnahan Wachter mtbwachter@gmail.com

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Cathy FitzGerald writes: “In addition to directing TV, film, and advertising, I have my own boutique social media management company representing celebrities and brands: www.TheCanterburyAgency.com. My latest feature documentary, “Jewel’s Catch One,” is now streaming on Netflix. The film is an eight-year filmmaking journey covering 42 years of history about the oldest black-owned disco in America. It celebrates the story of how one woman changed the course of our country on a grassroots level.”

and eighth grade students and trying to keep a peaceful home while being cooped up with two teenagers! My daughter will be attending Chapman University in the fall, and my son will be moving out to California with me.”

1986

35 th

Rhonda M. Bentley-Lewis r.b.lewis@hotmail.com   Anthony S. Clifford tclifford11@gmail.com   Lara Schefler McLanahan lara.mclanahan@berkshireschool.org   Ann C. Zimmerli-Haskel azh@me.com   Erik C. Zimmerman ezimmer4@rochester.rr.com

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Steve Kaczmerek writes: “Hunkered down in Colorado Springs, CO. Reprogrammed Borealis Fat Bikes to import N95 masks to our community. We plan to continue doing this until supply can catch up with demand. Hope to see all of you at Reunion 2021!”

Jim Haskel writes: “The photo of me playing basketball at Winter Homecoming needs to go into some publication, as I don’t think I could ever replicate the shot!”

Carla Klein Moriarty writes: “I am planning a big move to Los Angeles, CA, this summer. I hope to put my house on the market and sell it quickly after this pandemic subsides. Scary times my friends! I have been teaching mindfulness online via Zoom to my current seventh

Celebrating Chip Perkins ’73 and Jayne Millard’s marriage last June. David Puth, Jayne Millard, Chip Perkins ’73, Lara Schefler McLanahan ’86, Leslie Puth, and William McLanahan

Brain Muscles,’ was an experiential and instructional class on mindfulness skills. The kids were fantastic, and it was exciting to be ‘under the Mountain’ for a week teaching a subject I love. If any of my fellow alumni have ever considered spending a week teaching a class at Berkshire, don’t hesitate. The Berkshire community is as warm and welcoming as always.”

1987 Janna Klyver Cord jannacord@aol.com   Jennifer G. Nichols nifnichols@gmail.com

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Thomas Maddock writes: “My family and I spent Christmas on Oahu, HI,

Jim Haskel ’86 at Winter Homecoming in January

Carla Klein Moriarty ’85 says: “Keeping my hair long for now.” 98

Berkshire Bulletin

Annie Zimmerli-Haskel writes: “I had the distinct honor of teaching a Pro Vita class this past March, along with my daughter Tess Haskel ’20 and Peter Quilty. The class, titled ‘Fueling Your

Thomas Maddock ’87 and family snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, Oahu, HI, in December

Class Notes

snorkeling with sea turtles at Hanauma Bay.”

1989

Julie Silberman Samuels writes: “I am living in East Fort Lauderdale, FL, and loving it. My sister, Elisa Silberman Simon, and I are still working with our clothing line, AnnLoren, that we established in 2006. We are struggling during this COVID-19 crisis, as so many people are. Our families are healthy, and we have faith that we will get through this. I often reflect on my years at Berkshire with the fondest memories. I’m sending my love to all of my old Berkshire School friends and teachers for making a difference in my life!”

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1988 Anne E. Glaccum glaccume@gmail.com   James D. Watt, Jr. jdwattjr@gmail.com

Andrew D. Allen andrewdrexelallen@gmail.com

Drew Goldman writes: “I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. In these trying times, it is nice that we can connect with our former classmates. My wife and I are sad to say that our twin boys are off to boarding school in the fall. Sadly, they are not attending Berkshire, but I hope they have as great an experience as I had.” Annie Tutwiler MacKenzie writes: “While this year has been tough so far, my beautiful friends from 1989 are working hard to maintain connections. We did our first virtual reunion in March, and we’d love to see more of you!”

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Ellie Glaccum writes: “I just got a new hip. So far so good. Went on a lovely trip to Italy last spring. My daughter, Isobel, is in fifth form at Foxcroft in Middleburg, VA, and I can’t believe it’s time for university already.”

Classmates from 1989 had a virtual reunion: Christie Dufault, Annie Tutwiler MacKenzie, Jenna Pollock, Alessandra Schwartz, Deb Cook Wall, Paula Weber Bock, and Melissa Gardner

1990 Natalie Bradley Clarke ninabclarke@gmail.com   Katharine Cutler Coughlin katecoughlin1@gmail.com

Shelby Perkins ’91 harvesting the 2019 Pinot noir at Bracken Vineyard in Willamette Valley, OR

the Willamette Valley of Oregon. My craft winery, Perkins Harter, is focused on the production of organic and biodynamically-grown Chardonnay and Pinot noir. Our 40-acre farm, Bracken Vineyard, is currently planted with grapes, gardens, and a diverse cover crop. We plan to add fruit and tea trees as we implement permaculture principles, and are currently in the process of restoring 18 acres of the Oregon Oak Savannah. While I enjoy bringing people moments of peace through my wines, it is a great privilege to be a farmer and a steward of land. Find us outside Salem, OR, or at perkinsharter.com.”   Cassie Lynch Sanchez writes: “I took a break from grad school to focus on raising my kids, and I’m happy to report that I finally defended my dissertation at UMass Amherst. My Ph.D. is in education policy, and my research

Natalie Dillon natdillon28@gmail.com

1991 Ellie Glaccum ’88 with her aunt’s not-soDerby horse, Irish Mias. He won a stake race last fall at the Laurel Futurity at the Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, MD.

30 th

John K. Fretz jfretz@outlook.com

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Shelby Perkins writes: “I am a winemaker and wine grape farmer in

The children of Cassie Lynch Sanchez ’91, Ada (9) and Zack (7) Summer 2020

Class Notes

focuses on community college transfer to elite colleges, which is informed by my work as a senior associate in the Writing Center at Amherst College. This degree capped off a long educational journey, of which Berkshire was an essential part. It was heartwarming to see so many of my Berkshire classmates reach out to offer congratulations!”

1992 Abram W. Duryee III bduryee@hotmail.com

1993

Hilary Ivey Mueller hilary@schoolscuitessoftware.com   Tenley E. Reed tenley@mac.com

1994 Wendy Walker writes: “Elizabeth and I welcomed our second son on October 14, 2019. Oliver James Ghilardi-Walker came out ready to rumble with older brother, Owen. Looking forward to bringing the boys to see the School soon!”   Damian Walker-Edwards writes: “Hi there Berkshire fam! At Berkshire, I was known for my acting and Michael Jackson dance moves, and I also studied and did homework. I swear. Check my mutual friends on Facebook; you’ll find the usual suspects. I am a theater graduate from University of Florida, and I have devoted the past two years of my life going after my Denzel Washington dreams. Fortunately, I have been able

GET CONNECTED Try out Berkshire’s NEW online networking platform:

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Damian Walker-Edwards ’94 on the set of the horror film “Santastein”

to perform: traveling theater, my first TV commercial, and currently I’m in the middle of acting in my first movie. Thanks again for all you’ve done for me, Berkshire. Blessings.”

1995 Bradley P. Hunt colgate1399@gmail.com

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Jenn Wheeler Del Vaglio writes: “Life has certainly been busy for the last 13 years. CJ and I took a leap of faith and bought East End Pool King in Long Island, NY, and we couldn’t be happier. We service about 200 pools on the North and South Fork and build approximately 12 gunite and/or vinyl pools per year. We also operate a pool supply retail store in Southold, NY. We won our first award for pool design this year, and our eighth award for customer service! But more importantly, we were blessed with a baby boy on November 1, 2019—Anderson James Del Vaglio. Hoping everyone from the Berkshire community is staying healthy through this difficult time.”    Brad Hunt writes: “Andrew Phillips Hunt was born on November 4, 2019, weighing in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces and 19.5 inches long. He’s exactly 20 months younger than

Class Notes

Births & Adoptions 1994

2003 Barret “Bear” Alexander Haller was born on November 9, 2019, and is the son of Tytus Haller and Libbie Alexander Haller ’03. He is pictured here at four months old.

Another baby Bear is born. Wendy Walker ’94 and Elizabeth Ghilardi with sons, Oliver James and Owen Ghilardi-Walker

2005 Kat Kollmer Gaudin ’05 and her husband welcomed Jack Andrew Gaudin on October 10, 2019. He is pictured here with siblings, Robbie and Zoe.

2007

1995 CJ Del Vaglio and Jenn Wheeler Del Vaglio ’95 with son, Anderson James Del Vaglio, born on November 1, 2019

2007 Children of Lauren Flury Colahan ’07 and her husband, Travis: Quinn (far left, born on December 19, 2019), Olivia, and Charlotte

Alina Bird Christoferson was born on October 9, 2019, to Zan Scala Christoferson ’07 and her husband, Adam. Welcome baby Bird!

2002 1995

Julia Hansen Lynch ’02 and her husband, Justin, are excited to share the news of the birth of their third daughter, Gloria Lennon Lynch, who was born on January 17. She is surrounded by siblings Scarlett (3) and Madalyn (4).

2004 Eveline “Eve” Harper Hunt meeting her baby brother, Andrew Phillips Hunt, who was born on November 4, 2019. Proud parents are Brad Hunt ’95 and his wife, Lauren.

Leni Presley Harrison, daughter of Mike Harrison ’04 and his wife, Danielle, was born on December 1, 2019.

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his big sister Eveline ‘Eve’ Harper Hunt, born on April 4, 2018. Our family is doing well and safe at the present time. We celebrated Eve’s birthday with the family via Zoom. I learned from Matt Naylor that his ski trip to the western states was cut short due to COVID-19 social distancing. I hope everyone is safe and sound under the Mountain.”

1998 Lauren Levin Budz lauren98@aol.com   Malinda L. Lareau mlaurenlareau@gmail.com

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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

Traci Hinden writes: “I went back to Berkshire for the first time in 22 years to teach a civil rights class for Berkshire’s Pro Vita week. I had intended to teach the class on employee civil rights, as that is what I practice as a lawyer in California. However, the students were so intrigued by the concepts of our rights that we started back at our roots, slowed it down, and went deep. Such bright minds and a great group. I encourage my fellow Bears to consider doing this, as it was a really rewarding experience. The campus and what is available for the students now just blew me away. Very proud of our little school.”

1997

1999

Bill Fike writes: “We moved to San Rafael, CA, just north of San Francisco. We took our first family walk during self-quarantine.”

Michael D. Gutenplan michaelgutenplan@aol.com   George S. Scoville III gscovillempp@gmail.com

1996

25 th

Caitlin Hettinger McNeill writes: “Last spring, I accepted a position as director of community relations for a boutique private equity firm in NYC. This has meant splitting my time again between the Berkshires and NYC, but it’s definitely been worth it to spend more time with my brothers and friends back in New York. The work that I am doing is impactful and fulfilling, and now that I have sorted out my schedule (in NYC Monday afternoon through Thursdays), I’ve found a great work-life balance.”

2002 Jaclyn Brander Marshall jbrander@gmail.com   Matthew P. Sposito matthew.sposito@gmail.com

2000 Brooke Beebe Noble brookebeebe@gmail.com

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Bill Fike ’97 with his family on their first family walk during self-quarantine

Sarah Scheinman Hulsey writes: “Leslie Williamson ’99, Lauren Levin Budz ’98, and Brian Weinberg ’01 celebrated with me and Matt Hulsey at our snowy wedding in Breckenridge, CO, on October 18, 2019.”

2001 Become a class agent! Contact Jen Nichols ’87 at jnichols@berkshireschool.org.

Send us your notes! berkshireschool.org/classnote

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20 th

Shannon M. Flynn flynnshannonm@gmail.com   Peter A. Kearney, Jr. pkearneyjr@gmail.com   Philip A. Sandick phil.sandick@gmail.com

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Berkshire Bears gathered for the wedding of Matt Sposito ’02 on September 21, 2019: Tim Rotolo ’02, Scott Davidson ’02, Matt Boynton ’00, Matt, Chris Sposito ’99, Bryan Mornaghi ’02, Libby Murfey ’02, and Trey Simpson ’02

2003 Melissa N. Jubinville melissajubinville@icloud.com Robert Morgan Ralph robertmralph@gmail.com

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Libbie Alexander Haller writes: “I’m still teaching science and am one of the Master Teachers in New York State! My husband and I had our first son, Barrett, on November 9. Fittingly, his nickname is ‘Bear!’ Hope everyone is doing well!”

Class Notes

Engagements & Weddings 2000

2015

Above: Kay Humes Paz ’15 and Tyler Paz got married on October 5, 2019, in Canaan, CT.

Leslie Williamson ’99, Sarah Scheinman Hulsey ’00, Lauren Levin Budz ’98, and Brian Weinberg ’01 at Sarah’s wedding on October 18, 2019

2010

2012

Left: Christa Montano ’12 and Tyler Wilmot ’12 got engaged in Great Barrington, MA, on August 31, 2019.

2002

2011 Shannon Brown ’10 and Amir Clark married on March 30, 2019

Matt Sposito ’02 married Sally Johnston on September 21, 2019.

Kim Scala ’11 married Sean Taillefer ’12 on October 19, 2019. Summer 2020

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Class Notes

2004 Faye Abrams Klein fayevklein@gmail.com   William C. Stern wcstern1@gmail.com   Kraig D. Strong kskraigstrong@gmail.com

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Mike Harrison writes: “My wife, Danielle, and I welcomed our daughter on December 1. Her name is Leni Presley Harrison. Of course, we’ve already started talking about when Leni will start at Berkshire. Class of 2038 has a nice ring to it! As I write this note on April 13, Danielle, Leni, and I are quarantined in Cape May, NJ, while we wait out the COVID-19 crisis.”

Kat Kollmer Gaudin writes: “We’re still in Atlanta and looking forward to seeing the Class of 2005 and 2006—along with those we miss still under the Mountain at Reunion 2021!” James Russell writes: “I’m a fourth-year emergency medicine resident at Lincoln Medical Center in the Bronx, NY. We are running low on PPE and ventilators, and our hospital is almost completely full. Running out of hope. Please stay safe everyone.”

2006

15 th

Courtney J. Kollmer courtney.kollmer@gmail.com Stephen W. Piatelli steve.piatelli@gmail.com

2005

2007

Matthew G. Crowson matthew.g.crowson@gmail.com

Casey A. Larkins casey.larkins@gmail.com   Allison A. Letourneau letourneau.allison@gmail.com

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Matt Crowson writes: “I’m happy to announce that I’ve accepted a faculty position at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, MA, starting in August. I’m excited to relocate back to Massachusetts and be able to engage with Berkshire and alums more now that I’m in the U.S.!”

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Lauren Flury Colahan writes: “My husband, Travis, and I welcomed our third baby, Quinn Flury Colahan, on December 19, 2019. She joined very excited big sisters, Olivia Grace Colahan (4) and Charlotte Gray Colahan (2). We still live in Pacific Palisades, CA. If you are ever in town, please let us know. We love to have Berkshire visitors!”

2008

James Russell ’05 wearing a mask provided by the Lincoln Medical Center because the hospital is running out of N95s

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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

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Liza Muhlfeld writes: “After spending three decades in the Northeast, I moved to New Orleans, LA, in October 2019 with my fiance, Filippo Feoli, and our black lab, Lola. Filippo and I met at Colgate University (Class of 2012) and have plans to be married in the Crescent City in March 2021!”

2009 Kelly Wallace Abbott kellyjwallace5@gmail.com   Gregory T. Piatelli gpiatelli@gmail.com   Molly Ryan Rubins mollyrubins1024@gmail.com

2010 Charles B. H. Brey cbrey11@gmail.com   Alexandra B. Colbert abcolber@gmail.com   William R. Hearty whearty@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   Yuan Shen shenyuan1991@gmail.com

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Charlie Brey writes: “Unfortunately, due to the health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Reunion Weekend in June was postponed until 2021. As sad as we are to miss an opportunity to get back under the Mountain, we are excited to join together with the reunion next June for a ‘supersized’ celebration! We look forward to seeing our class, along with many others, next summer!”

Class Notes

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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Lacey Burns ’11 in the Northern Province of Rwanda. In the distance is the stretch of the Virunga National Park that borders Uganda and the Demoractic Republic of the Congo.

2011

10 th

Arthur Copstein arthur.copstein@gmail.com   Margaret A. Fiertz maggiefiertz@gmail.com   John C. Krueger jckrueger19@gmail.com

2015

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Lacey Burns writes: “I am entering my third year living and working in Kigali, Rwanda! I first moved here in 2016 living in the Northern Province (where I call ‘home’) teaching EFL. I am working as the development lead for strategic partnerships for Vatel, a hospitality and tourism business school. In April, I began my master’s for sustainable development (via online learning) from the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies.”   John Irving writes: “I am lucky enough to live in San Francisco, CA, and work for a great startup called NexHealth. Most of my free time is spent exploring Northern California, skiing in Tahoe, and mountain biking. Wishing all of the Berkshire family my best. Go Bears!”

Emily Hubbard writes: “I am living in San Francisco, CA, working as an account executive for the Boston-based tech and healthcare PR firm PAN Communications. I love running into fellow Bears (when not in quarantine), and attending Berkshire in the Bay Area events. I’m constantly trying to get more Berkshire grads to move out west, and I can’t wait for my next trip back to Sheffield.”

John Irving ’11 on top of Yosemite Falls with Bear and Half Dome in the distance

2012 Samuel C. Maher smaher@berkshireschool.org   Juliet E. Shatkin jes714@nyu.edu

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Tyler Wilmot writes: “Christa Montano  ’12 and I got engaged in Great Barrington, MA, on August 31, 2019. We will be tying the knot in New Marlborough, MA, on October 24, 2020!”

Andrej P. Bogdanovics andrebogdanovics@gmail.com   Jeffrey A. Erazo erazo.jeffrey@gmail.com   Hannah Z. Honan hannahzhonan@gmail.com   Grayson G. Keith graysonk5353@gmail.com   Mackenzie L. Lancaster mackenzie.lancaster13@gmail.com   Chelsea A. Leeds chelsea1101@gmail.com

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Kenzie Lancaster writes: “I graduated from Quinnipiac University and had a blast playing hockey and studying psychology. I’m now coaching hockey at Connecticut College and loving it! Excited to see everyone next summer for a giant reunion.”

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Class Notes

school in Hawaii. I now live on the North Shore of O’ahu. My school is at the base of the Ko’olau Range mountains and makes me think of Berkshire with us always being under the Mountain. In my free time, I hike and surf around the island while also getting my master’s.”

2016

Bears from 2015 staying connected during corona via Zoom: Molly Crabtree, Chelsea Leeds, Mary Corcoran, Reilly Kennedy, Hannah Honan, Caroline Welch, Liza Jane Branch, and Lexi Merison

Kay Humes Paz writes: “On October 5, 2019, I married Tyler, the love of my life, on my family’s dairy farm in Canaan, CT.  The night was everything we could’ve dreamed of and more. We are both very excited to start our life together as newlyweds!”   Mary Ward writes: “After graduating from Emory University and majoring in political science and history in 2019, I accepted a position as a secondary humanities teacher at an international

Mary Ward ’15 in Oahu, HI

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Berkshire Bulletin

5 th

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

______________________________

Emily Walsh writes: “In November, I ran my first TCS New York City Marathon with Fred’s Team of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in support of my stepmother, Carolyn, who is currently battling ovarian cancer, and in memory of my grandfather, who passed away from melanoma.”

2017 Andrea L. Cass andrealaurencass@gmail.com   Margaret P. Curran maggiecurran99@gmail.com   Benjamin W. Dixon benwdixon@mac.com   Juliana L. Kokot julielkokot@gmail.com

2018 Charlotte B. Childs charlottebchilds@gmail.com   Isabelle W. Maher Isabellewmaher@gmail.com   Mohamed S. Omar moeagles11@gmail.com

______________________________

Devon Halliday writes: “I was recently offered a summer internship with Ayco, a Goldman Sachs company in the investment management division of their private wealth management business. I am very excited to start this opportunity when Union College concludes for the summer.”

2019 Gohta Aihara gohta.aihara@gmail.com   Daniel A. O. Akomolafe dakomolafe8@gmail.com   Danielle R. Malarney dmalarney4@gmail.com   Elizabeth B. Nutting enut8089@uni.sydney.edu.au   James H. Schoudel jayschoudel@hotmail.com   Elias E. Sienkiewicz elias31201@gmail.com   Aichen Yao aichenyao07@gmail.com

Emily Walsh ’16

Class Notes shire cts the Berk sell, Jr. dire hes at the Hila ry Rus ool, teac ldin g Sch , Maine, Boa t Bui in Brooklin shop t School uding his WoodenBoa tions, incl publoca r has othe and at usetts. He es, , Massach magazin in Sheffield boa ting rame cles in ing Skin-on-F lished arti Build the book and written oes. Can le Double Padd

lighterage father’s sail , Jr. great-grand ry Russell with his hor Hila Beginning inesses r and aut family’s bus boatbuilde eens, the Russell business, Point, Qu growth of rs the nte es chronicl ed at Hu launched to 1962. Bas built and it 1844 re from ek whe k Harbor New Yor town Cre coast, along New rating from along the s, and ope Lakes and its own tug tto, “We the Great to its mo half up through rs Towing lived up In the first the anywhere.” k the Russell Bro e, too tim tion g, any d genera tow anythin ily’s role , its thir ed the fam h century of the 20t and expand ht heig to its company lding. s’ memin shipbui tes captain to Tales” rela the boats, “Captains’ ly life on The chapter from dai canals and everything ls along the the sell ories of bro and way Rus the bars Along the and nts. s, stories of ide son ning acc mothers, life-threate e—fathers, omplishfamily aliv arkable acc brings his s and rem en and the the full live s of waterm g forms daughters: generation l, evolvin the three es origina ments of k. sometim wor ul, ily’s utif fam often bea ctified the t that obje of the craf

Tugboats and Shipyards: The Russells of New York Harbor, 1844–1962 Hilary Russell, Jr.

ISBN

116-7

578-54

978-0-

90000

541167 9 780578

Max McKersie ’19 at Bates

2020

Katherine R. Aiello kateaiello2@gmail.com Ashanti S. Bruce ashantibruce@gmail.com Giang H. Le giangle1605@gmail.com Nathan J. McShane nate.mcshane@richmond.edu Emmanuel F. Roldan-Lezcano emmanuelroldan22@gmail.com Amelia C. Schelle aschelle1tulane@gmail.com   James T. Welch jtw7ct@virginia.edu

Former Faculty Em Putnam writes: “I may be the only person left on Earth who was an employee at Berkshire in the 1953–54 school year. Both C. Twiggs Myers Hon. ’57 and the Putnams arrived at Berkshire in September, 1953. I will turn 90 in September, and I’m still in good health.”

Bringing History Alive The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree for Hilary Russell, Jr. Director of the Berkshire Boat Building School in Sheffield, Mass., Russell comes from a long line of shipbuilders. In his new book “Tugboats and Shipyards: The Russells of New York Harbor, 1844–1962,” Russell meticulously and passionately traces this lineage, offering insight into his own family history, and into the maritime industry in New York Harbor up through the Great Lakes. Russell was a former English teacher and department chair at Berkshire School for 24 years, retiring in August 2005. Since 1998, he has been teaching high school students and adults how to build skinon-frame canoes. Russell is currently teaching at the WoodenBoat School in Brooklin, Maine. The story begins as Russell’s great-grandfather arrives in New York City from England in 1884 and establishes a lighterage business— which means ferrying cargo between vessels. His sons transitioned the business from sail lighters to steam-powered tugboats, founding a successful towing company. The third generation of Russells then expanded the family’s role in shipbuilding from tugboats to various commercial and military craft. The book, according to Russell, “also contains stories remembered and retold by various tugboat captains, and the contributions of the Russell wives and daughters.” In summary, as written on the back of his book, “Russell brings his family alive—fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters: the full lives and remarkable accomplishments of the three generations of watermen and the often beautiful, sometimes original, evolving forms of the craft that objectified the family’s work.”

Russell’s book is available on his website, www.berkshireboatbuildingschool.org.

Summer 2020

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Class Notes

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 1965â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1966 James C. McCurrach, Jr. â&#x20AC;&#x2122;53 April 8, 2020 Staf f Victor D. Vargas April 23, 2020 1943 Capt. John E. Snyder March 10, 2020 1952 William A. Cooper March 19, 2020 1955 Stephen V. R. Spaulding III May 28, 2020

1964 John R. Hendrie April 20, 2020 1965 Paul B. Montana May 7, 2020 1969 John G. Borden May 26, 2020 1972 James A. Cathcart January 21, 2020 1982 Robert J. McManus January 20, 2020

A note to our readers: The list of names for the In Memoriam section is reported from January 1 through June 5, 2020. If we have missed a name, please accept our apologies and email us at bulletin@berkshireschool.org.

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Berkshire Bulletin

From the Archives

A Central Hub for Students

Forty-five years ago, the Berkshire community gathered for the dedication of the student lounge Shawn’s Place, named in the memory of Shawn A. Walsh ’71. A three-year student from Thomaston, Conn., Walsh was killed in a car accident in 1972. In The Green and Gray, from March 6, 1975, Walsh was remembered as an “outstanding person … actively involved, serving as captain of varsity basketball, editor of The Trail, and as a student council member.” “Wally,” as he was affectionately nicknamed, also served as the captain of the varsity lacrosse team, a Community Action tutor, and a class agent after graduation. Funded by the generous donations of parents, alumni, and friends of the

school, the refurbished “Tuck Shop” became the new snack bar and communal gathering space located in the basement of de Windt. During the first hour of its opening, approximately 350 hot dogs and hamburgers were served. Today, Shawn’s Place is located on the first floor of the Rovensky Student Center. Over the decades, Shawn’s Place has been a central hub for students to gather, eat food from the made-to-order kitchen, play ping-pong or foosball, watch television, listen to music, and more. Seniors gather in the Rob West ’98 Senior Lounge, which is named after Rob West, another young alumnus who tragically died in a car accident shortly after graduation.

Shawn A. Walsh ’71’s senior photo in The Trail

The terrace outside of Shawn’s Place, which has recently been the site of informal outdoor concerts and gatherings for the Sixth Form and their guests prior to Senior Dinner, was also given in memory of Walsh by his classmates, friends, and family in 1992. 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

Join the Berkshire community for the

2020 All-School

REAd This year, Berkshire has selected six books for the All-School Read! We invite you to join us as we explore their various themesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;justice, love, race, immigration, poverty, class, and moreâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all through the lens of identity. Learn more about these books and our ASR program on our website: berkshireschool.org/ASR.

Berkshire Bulletin Summer 2020

Articles inside

Berkshire Bulletin Summer 2020

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION: