Berkshire Bulletin Summer 2021 by Berkshire School

BULLETIN

Summer 2021

ALUMNI MAKING A

D ifference +

Adapting to Life Under COVID Empowering Berkshire’s Female Athletes

Marco Wilson ’21 took this photo when the pandemic began to shut down the world in March of 2020. As he and his mother attempted to get home to Saudi Arabia at the start of Berkshire’s spring recess, they were forced to quarantine for two weeks in a hotel where Wilson captured this photo of his mom in the hotel’s lobby.

/ Reflection /

SUMMER 2021 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 P’22 DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

Bulletin Editor: Megan Tady FREELANCE EDITOR

On the Cover: Erin Halper ‘97 founded The Upside to help people transform their careers, leading to more freedom and flexibility. Read more on page 36. Photo by Alexis Mera At left: Marco Wilson ’21’s Scholastic Art Awards National Gold Medal-winning photo, “Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 2”

Features

Departments

2 Seen Around

COVID by the Numbers

24 The Changemakers Berkshire Bears dedicated to making a difference

4 Campus News

48 BLAST Program Empowering female athletes

94 In Memoriam

44 Bears at Play 76 Class Notes 97 From the Archives

54 Celebrating the Class of 2021 72 DEI Alumni Council Working towards a more inclusive community Berkshire School admits students of any race, color, religious affiliation, national and ethnic origin and qualified handicapped students to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students. We do not discriminate in violation of any law or statute in the administration of our educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.

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

Class Notes Coordinator: Sue Delmolino Ives P’15 Design: Hammill Design Printing: Quality Printing Company Principal Photography: Berkshire School Archives, Highpoint Pictures, 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

Berkshire Bulletin

SEEN AROUND 1. Students celebrated Holi, a Hindu festival celebrating the arrival of spring and the victory of good over evil. 2. Berkshire welcomed 10 food trucks to campus this year, including two visits from NYC’s Shake Shack, who served up delicious burgers, fries, and shakes to the community. 3. T he Asian Affinity Club kicked off the Lunar New Year celebration with an Asian-inspired lunch and an evening at the fire pits with bubble tea, games, and a spectacular fireworks show. 4. By springtime, interscholastic athletics were in full swing under the Mountain. 5. On the Day of Silence, participating students took a vow of silence to represent the forced silence and erasure of the LGBTQ+ community.

Summer 2021

Campus News

COVID BY THE NUMBERS This last year is one we’ll never forget, where nearly ever aspect of campus life shifted to accommodate pandemic protocols and expectations. Still, what our students, faculty, and staff accomplished was monumental. Here’s a look back, in numbers.

ACADEMICS

THE ARTS

171

Days with students on campus

97%

Classroom teachers teaching in person first semester

Virtual music performance videos produced

100%

Classroom teachers teaching in person second semester

Virtual All-School Meeting Platform

Virtual Full-Time Learners

113

Virtual College Rep Visits

Cameras and microphones installed in classrooms for remote learning

Livestream Performances

Chamber Music Showcases

Theater performances, including a play with puppets!

Berkshire Bulletin

Food Trucks

Mountain Days

ATHLETICS

Snow Day

167

Fall intrasquad athletic contests between varsity, JV, thirds, and faculty teams

Winter Interscholastic Contests

Spring Interscholastic Contests

New Facilities 1 outdoor rink + 1 indoor turf field 4

STUDENT LIFE

Firepits

Adirondack Chairs

181

Parent/Guardian Campus Visits

Campus News

ADMISSION

PPE

1,350

Virtual Admission Events

Safety Decals

6,000

1,372

125

Driving Campus Tours

Zoom Interviews

113

In-Person Campus Visits

Masks

Face Shields

Hand Sanitizer Stations

Outdoor Dining Tent

Grab & Go Food Stations

1,440

Cans of seltzer purchased per week

Total COVID-19 Expenditures

COVID-19 TESTING

17,323 PCR Tests Administered

.06%

DINING HALL

$ 2.4 m

Cumulative Positivity Rate

580

Containers of sanitizing wipes

Testing Days

$1.1m Total Testing Costs

Acrylic desk dividers for Berkshire Hall

TOP MENU ITEMS: Dumplings, beef and broccoli, and chicken parmesan

Acrylic dividers for dining hall tables

Summer 2021

Campus News

WELCOMING NEW BOARD MEMBERS much is given, much is required.” Coard lives in Southampton, NY, with his wife, June Martinez-Coard, and their children, Autumn ’22, Chelsea ’23, and Kendall, who attends Fork Union Military Academy.

Kenny Coard ’85, P’22,’23 is is a past employee of Berkshire and longtime volunteer for the School, and he was recently honored for his service with the 2021 Kellogg Volunteer of the Year award. He played varsity basketball for three years at Berkshire, twice leading his team to the New England Championships and garnering 1st Team Tri-State League honors. Coard played basketball for Clarkson University, garnering 1st Team all ICAC honors. He earned a B.S. with a double major in industrial marketing and management. Following Clarkson, he worked on Wall Street as a stockbroker specializing in individual equities and later earned a master’s in school administration and supervision from Mercy College. Coard is currently a math teacher on Long Island, with 20 years of experience as an educator, school administrator, and basketball coach in NYC public schools and New England boarding schools. A member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation, he is director of the Shinnecock Indian Education Program on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation. He is also CEO of Hoop Skool Foundation, a nonprofit that targets at-risk student athletes and identifies potential boarding schools to help them find success academically, athletically, and socially. His work is guided by the belief that “to whom 6

Berkshire Bulletin

James “Jed” Demmert ’82, P’25,’25 serves as a class agent for Berkshire and returned under the Mountain earlier this year to teach a Pro Vita class on finance and philanthropy. Demmert is founder and managing partner of Main Street Research, a wealth management firm that also provides investment advisory services to families, nonprofits, and foundations. Holding a B.A. in economics from Harvard University, he has more than 30 years of experience in investment management with expertise in macro-economic research and risk management. In 2017, he published “The Journey to Wealth: Smart Investment Strategies to Stay Ahead of the Curve” and more recently, “The Sustainable Endowment.” His articles have appeared in “The Wall Street Journal,” “Barron’s,” “BusinessWeek,” and “Fortune.” Demmert and his wife, Velda Brown-Demmert, and their children, Hudson and Stella, split their time between Tiburon, Calif., where

he was named the Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year in 2018, and Salisbury, Conn. Hudson and Stella will be Bears in the fall.

Ken Gammill, Jr. P’16,’19,’20,’22 and his wife, Pamela Barclay Gammill, have served the School for years as dedicated co-chairs of the Parents’ Committee and Admission Office ambassadors. Gammill is an attorney and partner in the Greenwich law firm Gilbride, Tusa, Last & Spellane LLC, where his work in the firm’s Private Client Services Group focuses on residential and commercial real estate, zoning, and land use. A graduate of Taft School and Hamilton College, Gammill earned his law degree from Vermont Law School. He has been involved with various local school and community boards over the years and currently serves on the boards of the New Canaan Winter Club and New Canaan Youth Lacrosse. He is also active in coaching hockey, which he has done for over 25 years with many different age groups, including helping with Berkshire teams in the fall. The Gammills live in New Canaan, Conn., and have five sons: Barclay ’16 (Trinity College), Brooks ’19 (Colby College), Briggs ’20 (Yale University), Boden ’22, and Bauer.

Campus News

Kate Gilbane P’23 and her family joined the Berkshire community in 2019. The oldest of five, Gilbane has always been passionate about teaching and learning. She earned a B.A. with a double major in English and French literature from Brown University. Following Brown, Gilbane worked in editorial at Condé Nast Publications before pursuing early childhood education in New York City and then Boston for five years. More recently, she’s been getting certified as a kids’ yoga instructor, learning about ADHD, dyslexia, and the benefits of mindfulness, breathwork, and restorative justice in schools. Gilbane is currently pursuing a two-year master’s program in social justice/ critical ethnic and community studies at UMass Boston, while serving on the board of The Steppingstone Foundation (a college access program for marginalized students in Boston) and the advisory board of the National Partnership for Educational Access. Gilbane lives in Chestnut Hill, Mass., with her husband, Tom, and their children, Chandler ’23, Tuck (14), and Hugh (11).

Anne Allen Buck Leadership Summit & Dedication In acknowledgment of Anne Allen Buck’s pivotal role in the founding of the School, and to commemorate Berkshire’s celebration of 50 Years of Coeducation, the School hosted its first Anne Allen Buck Leadership Summit in October. The virtual event included a series of speakers, including Shabana Basij-Rasikh, founder of School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA); Alvaro Rodriguez Arregui ’85, social entrepreneur; Dr. Christine Goldthwaite P’20,’22, leadership specialist; Dr. Tarika Barrett, COO of Girls Who Code; and Melissa Del Valle ’88, professional women’s boxing champion. To kick off the Summit, Berkshire rededicated Allen House as the Anne Allen House, and hung Mrs. Buck’s portrait in Allen Lobby. Members of last year’s Leadership, Politics & Society class helped with the dedication and created a documentary to illuminate Mrs. Buck’s significant role in Berkshire’s early years. As Head of School Pieter Mulder cut the ribbon alongside Nina Stoops ’21 and Silas Bullock ’21, he said, “We do this on behalf of the legacy Mrs. Buck left behind, which we strive to carry forward on campus with all of our Bears.”

Watch the student-produced documentary that kicked off the inaugural Anne Allen Buck Leadership Summit on October 5, 2020, at berkshireschool.org/annebuck.

Summer 2021

Campus News

Bob Vermilyea (30 years)

Mandy Morgan (4 7 years)

R.G. Meade (39 years)

Skip Bowman (43 years)

John Malarney (21 years)

Berkshire Bulletin

Campus News

Faculty Awards Congratulations to the five faculty members who were recognized for their outstanding contributions to Berkshire this year.

Celebrating

180

YEARS

of Service On May 25, students, faculty, and staff gathered to recognize five long-serving members of the Berkshire School community who retired this year. To honor their combined 180 years of service, the community formed a gauntlet, starting on the steps of Berkshire Hall and winding down the walkway along Buck Valley. One by one, each was greeted with applause, handshakes, hugs, and high fives. Congratulations on five well-earned retirements!

Cori Chambers, The Kellogg-SilvermanKontos Award, given to a member of the community who demonstrates integrity, motivation, spirit, commitment to excellence, and mentoring or guidance through small acts of caring, kind words, or a listening ear. Mohammed Hetraf, The Class of 1957 Faculty Award, in recognition of teaching excellence (for an individual with fewer than six years at Berkshire). Anita Loose-Brown was named Senior Faculty Member for her 33 years of service to the School. She is the successor to Mandy Morgan, who is leaving her post after 47 years of service to Berkshire. Maura MacKenzie, The Class of 1957 Faculty Award in recognition of teaching excellence (for an individual with greater than five years at Berkshire). Marc Wysocki, The Puth Family Advisor Award, in recognition of an exceptional commitment to the advising program.

To view the tributes to these retiring community members or submit your own memories about them, go to berkshireschool.org/tributes.

Cori Chambers, Mohammed Hetraf, Maura MacKenzie, Marc Wysocki, Anita Loose-Brown

Summer 2021

Campus News

James C. Kapteyn Prize for Excellence in Teaching The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation announced Dr. Tasia Cheng-Chia Wu as the 12th annual James C. Kapteyn Prize winner last winter. The award, which comes with a $10,000 prize, is given for excellence in teaching, and recognizes, “individuals of exemplary character, integrity, and honor who lead by example and impart to their students a lifelong love of learning and dedication to personal growth.” Arts Department Chair Paul Banevicius commended Dr. Wu, saying, “Her greatest gift as a teacher is her passion for music, along with her unique ability to impart that love of music to her students.” On receiving the award, Dr. Wu said, “I feel blessed to be able to share my passion for music with students who are willing to take risks and try new things.”

“I feel blessed to be able to share my passion for music with students who are willing to take risks and try new things.” —Dr. Tasia Cheng-Chia Wu

MEGAN MOKRISKI ’21 NAMED COMMENDED STUDENT In October 2019, 1.5 million students took the PSAT to qualify for the National Merit® Scholarship Program. Out of the 1.5 million, 34,000 students—including Berkshire’s own Megan Mokriski ’21—were named Commended Students in 2020, for having demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success.

Berkshire Bulletin

Campus News

Journaling the Pandemic “Everything along the journey back home seems to be the same as usual yet completely different.”

—Fiona Dong ’23

A journal entry Fiona Dong ’23 wrote for her ninth grade Berkshire English class was published in “Dispatches from Quarantine: Young People on COVID-19”— a selection of diary entries, letters, music, and artwork created and recorded by young people during the pandemic. Dong has also been invited to participate in the Writer’s Cohort, writing sessions for young writers led by distinguished author Alexandra Zapruder. “I look forward to learning how I can narrate my stories in a more powerful way,” Dong said. “Writing breaks the barrier of age, culture, and time. It helps me to understand other perspectives and to share mine at the same time.” Read Dong’s journal entry at alexandrazapruder.com/dong.

Summer 2021

Campus News

PRO VITA GOES VIRTUAL

71 CL A SSE S O FFER E D

This year, Berkshire’s traditional Pro Vita Winter Session was held on a single, action-packed day. Students selected two classes (from both virtual and in-person offerings taught by fellow students, alumni, parents, and faculty) whose topics ranged from dance, entrepreneurship, financial management, and animation to rock climbing, leadership, mindfulness, and making kombucha! It was an inspiring morning capped off with a (virtual) show by magician and mentalist Michael Gutenplan ’99 and a campus-wide Trivia Night. The Pro Vita experience continued in April with the annual Telluride Mountainfilm festival showcasing nonfiction short films about environmental, cultural, and social justice issues.

A LU M NI IN VOLV ED

50 ZO O M CL A SSE S

Magic: The Gathering Arena; Taught by Jesse Howard and Dan Roe

Berkshire Bulletin

Easy Origami; Taught by Jason Epstein

Campus News

Bears on Ice: Crash Course in Ice Skating; Taught by Caleb Perez and Mae Archie ’23

CLASS HIGHLIGHTS: Become A Numismatist & Collect A (Semi) Rare Coin Arthur Bernstein P’13 and Dr. Sandy Perot Working with an actual one-cent coin (don’t call it a penny) from the late 1800s, students learned the stories behind the coin’s imagery and why this coin and others are important in our history.

Cornell 5/8/77 — Ivy League Grateful Dead Bill Bullock and Andrew Allen ’89, P’19,’20 Students investigated why the Grateful Dead’s legendary concert at Cornell University’s Barton Hall in May 1977 is considered by many to be their best. Was it the intimate setting? The set list? The “Betty Board?” The “Dew!?”

Bears Step Danae Williams ’21 and Lisa Marshall Students learned the art of step rhythmic dancing—stepping, clapping, and chanting to make a cool, choreographed step dance piece.

The Science of Chocolate Truffles Susie Norris ’79 and Nancy Lyon Chocolate is one of the most chemically complex foods on the planet, and Bears studied chocolate’s origins, history, and chemical composition before making chocolate ganache and truffles.

S T U DENT TE ACHER S

PA S T PA R ENT S IN VOLV ED

CU R R ENT PA R ENT S IN VO LV E D Beading Bears; Taught by Mary Alindato

Summer 2021

Campus News

GROWING TOGETHER Students Study Wildflowers on Berkshire’s Campus

Berkshire’s campus in full bloom in the fall is a sight to behold. It’s also a perfect outdoor laboratory for science teacher Patrick Donovan’s Environmental Science class. In late September and early October, Donovan’s students participated in a mini-lab, studying the way that wildflowers— purple asters and yellow goldenrod, specifically—live in reciprocity with each other right in Berkshire’s backyard just behind the Morgan-Bellas-Dixon Math and Science Center. “I designed this mini-lab with a number of intentions—one of the main being that all humans can practice science, can learn from, and be in tune with what is right in their backyards,” Donovan said. Pryor Sullivan ’22 said he enjoyed incorporating theories in class into a real-world setting. “Sometimes it’s hard to visualize the topics from class without seeing them,” he said. “With this lab, however, we were able to see what we were working on firsthand.”

Students pondered questions raised by “Braiding Sweetgrass” author Robin Wall Kimmerer, among them: “Why do [asters and goldenrod] stand beside each other when they could grow alone? Why this particular pair?” Kimmerer’s book is part of the curriculum, and she offers her own hypothesis in the book. “Goldenrod and

asters appear very similarly to bee eyes and human eyes,” she writes. “We both think they are beautiful. Their striking contrast when they grow together makes them the most attractive target in the whole meadow … Growing together, both receive more pollinator visits than they would if they were growing alone.”

“I designed this mini-lab with a number of intentions—one of the main being that all humans can practice science, can learn from, and be in tune with what is right in their backyards.” —Patrick Donovan, Science Teacher

Berkshire Bulletin

Campus News

Students pondered questions raised by “Braiding Sweetgrass” author Robin Wall Kimmerer.

To test this hypothesis, students embarked on a data collection process by dividing into groups to observe bee visits on just asters, just goldenrods, and finally, on a combination of the flowers over a prescribed time frame. The following class, the students interpreted their data and engaged in conversations about the findings from the lab and in connection to bee populations around North America today. “This connects us to a biodiversity investigation on campus, learning about the importance of biodiversity from local to global scales,” Donovan said. Students also had the opportunity to “advocate for future land use practices to optimize biodiversity, interconnectedness, and regeneration on the land that Berkshire School occupies.” Ava Cappella ’21 said both Kimmerer’s book and the lab taught her about the importance of bees. “People are usually scared of bees and think they have no purpose to our lives, but this is extremely inaccurate,” she said. “There are over 20,000 species of bees across the world and they hold extremely

important jobs. In terms of the lab, the idea of beauty being in the eye of the beholder was important. This was how we can interpret the way the bees see asters and goldenrods. Both art and science seem like they are on opposite sides of education, when in reality they go hand in hand.” Finding deeper meaning in his lessons is Donovan’s goal. “In the end, I hope that students deepen their

understanding of the realities we are facing as one human race on this shared planet today and looking forward,” he said. “Simultaneously I hope my class offers ways for them to find belonging, hope, opportunity, and love for the earth that provides us everything we need to thrive over time.”

Summer 2021

Campus News

THE SHOW MUST GO ON Berkshire’s performing artists embraced change and challenge this year as COVID restrictions literally kept singers and wind instrumentalists from doing what they love. Arts faculty created new ways for students to showcase their talents by pre-recording music for the fall and winter concerts and the winter musical, rehearsing outdoors, and teaching new skills like playing the handbells. The arrival of spring’s revised guidelines brought a breath of life back to campus, and the Arts Department responded in kind. Bears enjoyed not only the spring dance concert and a black boxstyle play, but also impromptu chamber ensemble performances, the annual Capriccio classical music concert, and a first-ever outdoor, moonlit Vocal Cabaret on the steps of Berkshire Hall.

Berkshire Bulletin

Campus News

Summer 2021

Grace Monahan ’23, Gold Key

Sammie Glogoff ’23, Silver Key

Berkshire Bulletin

Maya Hampton VanSant ’22, Silver Key

Michelle Rhee ’21, Silver Key

SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS

William Kim ’24, Best in Category

Berkshire students received a record number of 32 Scholastic Art Awards this year in the fields of ceramics, photography, drawing, sculpture, painting, and editorial cartoon. Marco Wilson ’21 was awarded a Scholastic Art Awards National Gold Medal (view photograph on inside cover), and William Kim ’24 from Seoul, South Korea, received a special “Best in Category” prize over hundreds of other entrants for his mixed media painting, “Into the Storm.”

“Students created a really rich and varied body of work this year with many of the winning pieces inspired by pandemic-related experiences and emotions.” —Paul Banevicius, Arts Department Chair

Summer 2021

THROUGH THE LENS With cameras in hand, five students from Paul Banevicius’ AP 2-D Art and Design class went on an all-day field trip to explore the back roads of Berkshire and Dutchess Counties. With visits to farms, fields, abandoned buildings, and cemeteries, the trip gave students the opportunity to photograph subjects away from campus and view the world through their varied lenses.

Rylan Kennedy ’21

“My favorite photo from the field trip is ‘Trees.’ I love the central focal point.” —Hollis Churchill ’21

“I love the contrast between nature and machinery.” —Marco Wilson ’21

Berkshire Bulletin

Ava Cappella ’21

“I see this photograph as a crossover between structure and disorder.” —Grace Wood-Hull ’21

Summer 2021

Campus News

Digital Arts Studio This winter, Berkshire’s technology department made significant upgrades to the hardware in the Digital Arts Studio thanks to a generous donor. “The new equipment will allow students to stretch their learning to places we can only imagine,” said Jason Epstein, director of technology. “The computers and peripherals will allow the students’ art passions to come to life.” The upgrades include all new iMacs, which accommodate the art and music software students are using in their classes. Each station is equipped with an Arturia Keylab 49 MIDI keyboard, a Novation Launchpad, and a MOTU M2 audio interface. A new 80” flatscreen monitor is used to showcase crisp, large, high-resolution images, and students can also project their computer monitor on the screen so that the class can observe individual work via Apple AirPlay. “Students have unlimited power to make their creations— all they need now is patience and knowledge,” said music teacher Dr. Clive Davis. Digital Music students are learning Ableton Live 10 Suite, a tool for generating compositions, mixing projects, and composing music for film scores. With sampling technology, speed is of the essence, and these new computers are able to process numerous audio tracks all running different plugins at the same time. Additional software has been added to each station, including more virtual synthesizers.

Berkshire Bulletin

PUPPETS TAKE STAGE IN FALL PLAY The Theater Department’s fall play, “The Ugly Duckling” by A. A. Milne, was performed entirely with puppets by a cast of students and faculty, and the show was stage-managed by distance learner Saul Salazar ’23. Fouryear Berkshire theater alum Merit Glover ’14 stepped in as the show’s assistant director and costumer. The show was performed for smaller audiences—who were masked and socially distanced—in Allen Theater, and was live streamed for distance learners and off-campus family and friends. Theater Director Jesse Howard said, “While this is a very funny play, it also has an incredibly powerful message that questions stereotypes of beauty and the power of knowing yourself. The use of puppets has also been an amazing tool for responsible staging because the puppets can be close to one another while the puppeteers are safely spaced.”

Campus News

BEAR CARE Black Rock Scholar Hamda Hussein ’21 started Bear Care, a fund that helps and supports children living in orphanages in Somaliland. One of Bear Care’s initiatives is to provide clothing for these children, ages 5–15. “What I have learned from my experience [at the Hargeisa Orphanage Center] is how appreciative and grateful the kids are for others who care about them,” Hussein said. For $15, people were able to purchase a Bear Care sweatshirt from Berkshire’s Bookstore, which was sent directly to the orphanage, along with a personal message. Hussein raised $2,010 to purchase and ship 134 sweatshirts to Somaliland and presented them to the children when she returned home in May.

FUNDING A FARM

Bill Bullock, Pape Seye, Joey Belenardo ‘22, Matthew Fisher ‘21, and Head of School Pieter Mulder

In May, the Berkshire Philanthropy Outreach Program (BPOP) awarded a $10,000 grant to Gould Farm in Monterey, Mass. The farm is a residential therapeutic community that assists adults with mental health and related challenges. Gould is well known for its high-quality cheese, and the grant will be used to replace the farm’s old dairy machinery. This spring, students Joey Belenardo ’22, Chace Nethersole ’21, and Matthew Fisher ’21 presented the grant proposal to their Economics and Philanthropy classmates. The class heard other proposals and voted on how to direct this year’s BPOP funds, ultimately selecting the farm. “Gould Farm immediately caught our attention,” Fisher said. “We are humbled that they agreed to work with us. There is no better feeling in this world than giving, and we hope that our grant has an everlasting impact on the farm.” BPOP was launched in 2015 after two anonymous donors gave $300,000 to support teaching the merits of philanthropy at Berkshire. Previous grant recipients include Camp Jabberwocky and a school in Nepal.

Blanket the Berkshires Rylan Kennedy ’21 is carrying on a tradition to help others. She recently donated 100 blankets to Soldier On, a nonprofit organization located in Pittsfield, Mass., that works to prevent homelessness among veterans. Kennedy spent the past year raising funds to purchase the blankets, which are 50% wool, as part of her Black Rock Scholars outreach work at Berkshire. The program gives students the opportunity “to be exemplary citizens of the global community.” Kennedy was inspired by Ruby Merritt ’19, who launched Blanket the Berkshires in 2017. “We all know how cold it can get in the winter at school, but we are lucky enough to have heat and shelter,” Kennedy said. “It’s not every day that I get the opportunity to help those in need so close to home. These blankets and socks [the socks kindly donated by the sock company Bombas] provide a little warmth to those who don’t have access to the same materials.”

Summer 2021

Now, more than ever, is the time when people need to understand what we need to protect.” Alex Arjoon ’11

One person can only do so much, but knowledge shared will bloom and grow.”

Changing one life is all I set out to do. Luckily, it’s been many more.” Erin Halper ’97 24

Berkshire Bulletin

Dr. Daniel Griffin ’85

The

CHANGE MAKERS Change isn’t ushered in; it’s made, purposefully. Across the nation and the globe, many Berkshire Bears have dedicated their lives and careers to moving the needle on some of society’s most pressing issues. These changemakers are on unshakeable missions to tell underrepresented stories, preserve Indigenous languages, combat climate change, support people with life-altering illnesses, inspire a culture of service, and redefine the way we work. Thanks to their efforts, the world is shifting for the better.

Summer 2021

ALEX ARJOON ’11 SOUNDS THE AL ARM ABOUT RISING SEA LEVELS IN GUYANA. By Megan Tady

our years ago, Alex Arjoon visited the village of Mahaica on the east coast of his home country of Guyana with his mother, an environmental activist, to film the ocean waves leaping up over the seawall. Arjoon, who wasn’t yet fully immersed in climate work, stood in the back of his pick-up truck with his camera when the problem literally hit him full force in the face. “It was a red blood moon and a super high, spring tide,” Arjoon recalls. “The waves were so violent. We were about 10 feet away, and suddenly it got so much more aggressive. Water pitched over and nearly threw us out of the truck. It put a dent in the front of my truck and all of my equipment was damaged. It was an eyeopening moment about how bad this can be and how vulnerable we are on the coast.” The majority of the population of Guyana resides on the country’s coast, which is six feet below sea level. A 280-mile concrete seawall is Guyana’s only defense against the mighty Atlantic Ocean, but the seawall is losing the battle; as sea levels rise due to climate change, the ocean waves increasingly overtop the wall, ruining farmland, stalling traffic on busy highways, and even causing some coastal communities to relocate and completely alter their livelihoods.

Berkshire Bulletin

Arjoon films waves crashing over Guyana’s coastal mud dam. Photo courtesy of Alex Arjoon

Summer 2021

Arjoon is the founder of REEL Guyana, a video production and marketing company focusing on highlighting Guyana’s natural environment, rich cultures, and heritage through high-quality content. He travels around the country producing films for clients, who include eco-tourism companies and non-governmental organizations, and he realized that he had enough footage of coastal flooding and seawall overtopping to create a documentary that could sound the alarm about the problem. In 2020, Arjoon released the 25-minute documentary, “Coast Land” on YouTube aimed at both local and international communities, and at policymakers. “Guyana is not the only place where this is happening,”

Berkshire Bulletin

If we can’t change our behaviors in terms of our contribution to climate change, we have to at least acknowledge that it’s going to affect us. If we don’t want our livelihoods ruined, then we need to act now.” he said. “With rising sea levels, coastal communities are the first to be affected. If we can’t change our behaviors in terms of our contribution to climate change, we have to at least acknowledge that it’s going to affect us.

If we don’t want our livelihoods ruined, then we need to act now.” Passionate about sustainable development and environmentally conscious travel in Guyana, Arjoon has also produced and filmed two seasons

Left to right: Acres of rice farms inundated by salt water, which cost farmers millions of dollars; Waves crashing over the sea wall in Dem Amstel village; Massive erosion and wave action cause a breach at the coast of Dantzig, Mahaicony. Photos courtesy of Alex Arjoon

of “Inside Guyana.” Each episode hovers around 10 minutes and introduces viewers to the country’s diverse ecosystems of rainforests, savannahs, and wetlands. Guyana is nearly the same size as the United Kingdom, and it has a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. “I want to put Guyana on the map—that’s my mission,” Arjoon said. “But our goal is also to spread environmental awareness. Guyana is on the verge of a significant development because massive oil resources have been found here. Now, more than ever, is the time when people need to understand what we need to protect. What’s the cost of development,

and how should we go about development in this time?” Arjoon is hopeful that his films will spark change—not just “likes” on social media. “The more people that are aware, the more we can push our policymakers to do something,” he said. “But we have to care more than just saying, ‘Oh, this is a great film.’ It’s bigger than just one documentary. It needs to inspire action, and I’m hoping that it does so that we can stand a chance against climate change.” reelguyana.com

THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY Arjoon attended Berkshire as a post-graduate, and he helped lead the squash team to compete in the national championships. He went on to captain the men’s squash team at Franklin & Marshall College from 2014 to 2015, and he was selected MVP for the 2013–2014 season. Arjoon says playing as a tight-knit unit at Berkshire not only influenced his leadership style in college, it impacted how he approaches his professional life now. “One of my biggest values is being a family, and pushing and encouraging each other,” he said. “I don’t think you can do anything without the support of the people you care about. Filmmaking would be hard to do without collaboration and support, and I learned the importance of that at Berkshire.”

Summer 2021

FILMMAKER C. FITZ ’85 SHINES A LIGHT ON STORIES NOT T YPICALLY “GREEN-LIT” IN HOLLY WOOD. By Megan Tady

Photo by Natialia Knezevic

rom the moment filmmaker Cathy FitzGerald, who goes by “C. Fitz,” met legendary businesswoman and activist Jewel ThaisWilliams, she knew she wanted to tell her story. Thais-Williams opened the longest-running, Black-owned nightclub in Los Angeles, called Jewel’s CatchOne, offering one of the original safe spaces for both the LGBTQ and Black communities. It took Fitz six years to make the documentary, “Jewel’s Catch-One,” which premiered at the Provincetown International Film Festival on June 19, 2016. In 2018, filmmaker Ava DuVernay released the documentary through her distribution company, ARRAY, introducing the film to an international audience. It has since won four awards

Berkshire Bulletin

for Best Documentary, was named one of the best LGBTQ films to watch on Netflix by Logo TV’s NEWNOWNEXT, and was included in Netflix’s curated Black Lives Matter list. Fitz’s documentary captures the work Thais-Williams did to “change the course of our country by breaking down racial, social, and cultural barriers ... and The Catch also served as a refuge for many during the AIDS crisis.” Thais-Williams also founded the nonprofit Village Health Foundation to serve low-income communities with nutrition and health support. “Jewel was a hero in our own backyard, but there wasn’t enough out there about her,” Fitz said. “I wanted the world to know her name and to know her story so that it would

inspire everyone to do a little bit more. She and the people around her in that community were so incredible and resilient—they changed how the world is from their little corner in Los Angeles. They moved mountains; we stand on their shoulders.” Fitz’s work in the entertainment industry spans several decades, and her experience is vast—from producing commercials to writing and directing scripted and unscripted TV shows, including co-developing and producing the pilot for “Queer Eye.” Fitz seeks to tell stories that impart important social messages. She’s recently begun directing shows for OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, which includes DuVernay’s “Queen Sugar,” a drama centering around three siblings who inherit their

SHAPING ME AS AN ARTIST

...we need stories, films, art, by and about Black and Brown females, because they are also heroes and trailblazers.” father’s sugarcane farm in Louisiana. “It’s really important to represent the world accurately, and it’s been unbalanced,” Fitz said. “All of our heroes are not white males, and we need stories, films, art, by and about Black and Brown females, because they are also heroes and trailblazers. They have been heroes, but those stories didn’t sell and you couldn’t get them green-lit in the previous years. Now that is changing slowly.” Fitz has always been producing and directing in her career, but her directing was met with little support. She herself

said she “faced a lot of bigotry. Back in the day, being a director was always a ‘male’s job.’ The landscape in Hollywood is shifting, and Fitz says that the tireless and sometimes invisible work by female creatives to push for an equal playing field is paying off. For the first time ever, three women were nominated for Best Director at the Golden Globes awards this year, and two women were nominated in the same category at the Oscars. “Thanks to the #MeToo movement, and the work of people like Ava DuVernay, who have been trailblazers,

Fitz directs an episode of “Queen Sugar” on The Oprah Winfrey Network Photo by Rhonda Marie Alston

At Berkshire, Fitz played the role of Frenchy in Grease, and she said that, “Performing on stage was critical in shaping my future in my film and television career. Although I loved every second at Berkshire singing and acting on stage, I was better behind the camera. But that time on stage has helped me to understand my actors’ work better today.” Additionally, Fitz also took an AP art class that introduced her to a world of different mediums. “My class piece on alcoholism was profound for me as an artist. It opened my eyes, showing me that art could be used to shine a light on issues influencing our world (much of what I have done with my documentary filmmaking work).”

there is change,” Fitz said. “People are being watched more closely, and people in entertainment can’t just say, ‘Oh, I can’t find a female director,’ or ‘I can’t find a Black director or a person of color to work on my crew.’ But there is more work to be done, and we need even more parity in the industry.” Fitz is doing her part—speaking on panels, representing clients through her social media firm who seek to promote messages of equality, and extending a hand to boost other women in the industry. “I’m doing everything I possibly can because I feel like it’s my job,” she said. “I want to do it so that somebody doesn’t have to go through what I’ve gone through. And I will continue to do that for the rest of my life.”

Summer 2021

Paine in front of his wall of memorabilia at his home office in Newport Beach, Calif Photo by Kendrick Brinson

A Q& A WITH DAVID PAINE ’75, PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER OF 9/11 DAY By Carol Visnapuu

fter the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, David Paine was inspired by the extraordinary spirit of unity and togetherness that emerged both in New York City and around the nation. With this in mind, he founded the nonprofit 9/11 Day in 2002 with his friend, Jay Winuk, who lost his brother, Glenn, an attorney in New York City and a 32

Berkshire Bulletin

volunteer firefighter and EMT, in the line of duty during the rescue efforts. “We wanted to ensure that something good would come from the attacks, and that those responsible wouldn’t have the last word,” Paine said. The nonprofit was instrumental in establishing September 11 as a federally recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance, which invites Americans to do one good deed on

the anniversary of the attacks in honor of those lives lost or injured, and to keep the promise to “never forget.” Under Paine’s leadership, 9/11 Day has become the nation’s largest annual day of charitable engagement. Before launching 9/11 Day, Paine founded the public relations agency PainePR. During his 23-year tenure, the company won over 100 public relations awards, and he was recognized for his innovative humanistic philosophies in the workplace, creating a peoplefriendly culture. Paine lives in Southern California with his wife, Laney, and their 12-year old son, Ryan. They also have three adult children, Matthew, Eric, and Alyssa.

We wanted to ensure that something good would come from the attacks, and that those responsible wouldn’t have the last word.”

What did you learn from 9/11? September 11 demonstrated that when it really matters, the differences that we think we have —the way we identify with our roles, race, religion, gender, age, and/or background— doesn’t matter at all. 9/11 was so powerful, dramatic, and horrific that it literally dissolved those labels. It left people all around the world recognizing that they shared a common humanity, a concern for one another, and that we were all just human beings at the moment. This day exhibited that what we have in common is far more important than the differences we think separate us. What is the purpose of the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance? The day is fundamentally about people taking a moment to think about what’s most important in their lives, and then taking some form of action that could make a difference to help someone else. A good deed can happen in any way, shape, or form, in big and little ways. We also remind people that the good deed can be for yourself. Sometimes people need to help themselves, and until they help themselves, they’re just not in a position to help someone else.

How did COVID impact 9/11 Day? This year, we had more participation than ever, with 9/11 Day being almost entirely virtual due to the pandemic. We asked people to help those who were suffering from the pandemic. We launched many programs to support hunger relief—providing ways in which people could sponsor a meal for somebody in need or a first responder. We also connected people to mental health resources as depression has skyrocketed in this environment. How is 9/11 Day planning to celebrate its 20th anniversary? Our goal is to inspire Americans and others to perform 20 million good deeds in remembrance and tribute for the 20th anniversary of 9/11. We are planning many significant programs, which include organizing volunteer projects around the nation, delivering tens of thousands of meals to people in need, supporting our first responders and members of our military community, and possibly staging a televised event leading up to the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

Why does this quote from Pope Francis resonate with you? “It is better to live a shorter life serving others than a longer one resisting that call.” I believe that everybody, no matter what they’re planning to do in their lives, should reserve a part of their lives and their time to give back and help people in a way that fulfills them. As it has been said, we’re just borrowing the planet from the next generation. They inherit it from us, and our time here is limited. We have a certain responsibility to make this world a better place. How has your Berkshire experience been present in your life? I honestly think the School saved me. When I entered the School, I wasn’t sure where I was going with my life. My parents were divorced, and I was living with my mom in Long Island. I was unhappy, and the only thing that really gave me joy was playing hockey. Hockey gave me the entry to Berkshire, and I came in as a junior. I just loved everything about it … the Mountain, the fact that people were smart, the community, and the caring teachers ... and, I got to play sports all the time. I grew up there and started to discover who I was. 911Day.org Summer 2021

TOURÉ FOLKES ’95 DIVERSIFIES THE HOSPITALIT Y INDUSTRY IN NEW ORLEANS. By Megan Tady

ouré Folkes fields a lot of phone calls from white restaurant and bar owners who want the Black Lives Matter signs in their windows to be reflected in who they hire. But Folkes believes that simply putting a “token Black person” behind the bar isn’t the answer. He’s looking for partners in hospitality that want to join him in “smashing the current industry model.” Folkes has worked in the service industry for 15 years, first in New York City and now in New Orleans. In 2019, he founded the nonprofit Turning Tables, which provides mentorship and a 12-week externship program to help Black and Brown talent get hired and succeed in NOLA’s restaurant and bar scene. While the city is predominantly Black, restaurant and bar owners and managers are typically white, and Folkes wants the industry to more accurately reflect the community. Smashing the current model—where people of color are still routinely given lower-paying, back-of-the-house positions—starts with elevating nonwhite people in visible positions at the front-of-the-house, but also requires owners and employers to evaluate and change how racial bias infiltrates all

Berkshire Bulletin

aspects of the business. “If you want to partner with us, if we’re going to send one of our externs in your direction, it’s gotta be prompted by more than just, ‘What you’re doing is cool. We need a Black person,’” Folkes said. “Instead, it needs to be, ‘We realize we have a systematic problem in our restaurant space and we want to change it. How can we change it, in addition to hiring this person?’ A lot of people want to be on the right side of history, and they think it just takes diversifying their staff.” Folkes was inspired to start Turning Tables from his own experience watching white co-workers get promoted over talented and tenured Black and Brown colleagues. Then, in 2017, when Folkes was working as one of the only Black people on staff for a national hotel and restaurant chain in New Orleans, he was falsely accused of robbing the establishment. “It was traumatic,” he said. “If you’re a person of color in this industry and something like that happens to you, and you don’t have business owners that believe in you, you could get fired, and it’s hard to ever get hired again. I had restaurant owners and people in the community who said, ‘We have your

back.’ If I didn’t have that, it could have been much worse. It’s partly what’s inspired me to make sure that if this happens to someone else, they have a network of support, too.” Turning Tables provides both inexperienced and rising Black and Brown hospitality professionals with culturally responsive education, training, mentorship, and resources necessary to access real opportunity. They then collaborate directly with hospitality partners to create more inclusive environments and equitable access to opportunities and training. “We surround our trainees with a diverse and committed community of support that empowers them to

We surround our trainees with a diverse and committed community of support.”

BEST YEARS

Photo by Keli Brown

understand their worth and chart a revolutionary new path for themselves,” Folkes said. “Our students feel more confident in their skills, see more role models who look like them, and feel that they are part of the city’s economic growth.” Only in its second year, and operating with a tiny budget and small staff, Turning Tables has been garnering national attention. “There’s so many people who want something

[like Turning Tables] in their cities. I got a message from someone in Chicago today, Birmingham last week, and Portland, Maine, a few weeks ago. If we’re able to increase our budget, the possibilities could be endless. We could expand to other markets, and we could really change the world.” turningtablesnola.org

Captain of the track team, senior prefect, junior class president—Folkes held all of these positions, and more, at Berkshire, where he said he first developed his skills as a leader and learned how to vocalize the changes he wanted to see. “My four years at Berkshire were some of the best years of my life,” he said. “I had a lot of teachers who believed in me and encouraged me to be a leader.” But just as representation matters in the hospitality industry, it’s equally important in education, and when Folkes graduated from Berkshire in 1995, he was one of only eight Black students in his graduating class of 120, and he’d had just one Black teacher at the School. “It was hard at times,” Folkes recalls. “I wore a mask. If you look at every picture from my yearbook, I look happy-go-lucky, I’m a joker, I’m a clown. I think I probably was the only Black friend a lot of my white counterparts had when I was there. It wasn’t the easiest of experiences, but it taught me how to advocate for myself.”

Summer 2021

ERIN HALPER ’97 GUIDES PEOPLE TO REDEFINE THEIR CAREERS. By Megan Tady

magine working when you want, how you want. Erin Halper did, radically redefining her 9 to 5 and taking control of her career. Now, since launching The Upside in 2017, she’s helping thousands of other professionals build respected consultancy practices that lead to the same freedom, flexibility, and autonomy that she’s enjoyed throughout her professional career. Halper began to get a little antsy professionally in her late twenties. She liked her career in private equity, but she longed to travel and work from anywhere. Taking a leap, Halper started an independent consulting business to provide marketing expertise to private equity, real estate investor, and hedge fund clients. One year later, Halper, who was pregnant with her first child, and her husband, received challenging news: there was something wrong with their baby. “It was a long two-and-a-half years of heart surgeries and doctor’s appointments,” Halper shared. “It was not lost on me that if I had not already been consulting, I would have had to give up the career that I absolutely loved. There was no way I could have managed a full-time job and the demands of the health of this baby (now a healthy 9-yearold), and that’s where the seed was planted. I

Berkshire Bulletin

thought, ‘I’m privileged that I can maintain the work that I loved—I wanted to work— and still be able to take care of my baby and maintain my marriage.’” Halper ran her consultancy for seven years, and in that time she had a second child, moved homes twice, and experienced the death of a loved one, “all the while having this flexible company that I could scale up or down depending on what was going on in my personal life.” But all around her, Halper saw other professionals—particularly women— being driven out of the workforce because balancing the demands of a full-time career and home life was extremely difficult. “I saw women leaving the workforce, and it really bothered me because these women were so accomplished,” she said. “These were women who went to top 50 universities and had worked their butts off, who had great careers at great companies. I could not accept that they were quitting because they felt like they had to choose between working full time or not working at all. And I said, ‘There’s an in-between if you want it.’” At first, Halper structured The Upside to match consultants with prospective clients, but she quickly realized that professionals simply didn’t know how to be consultants.

I could not accept that women were quitting because they felt like they had to choose between working full time or not working at all.”

Photo by Rebecca Ryan @ServingUpSocial

Summer 2021

COMING OF AGE AT BERKSHIRE Halper grew up in South Carolina, and she was eager for a change. “From the moment I walked onto campus at Berkshire, I knew it was the place for me,” she said. While at first Halper said she felt out of her element, she began making friendships “that were rooted in authenticity.” To this day, she’s still best friends with her roommate from Berkshire, Kate Bright ’97, whom she speaks with weekly. She describes her experience at the School as deeply profound. “There’s something so special about being at a stage in your life when there’s so much personal growth and self-discovery, especially in a warm, inclusive, and nurturing environment,” she said. “There is no other stage of my life that had a bigger impact or has more nostalgia for me than Berkshire.”

She watched people stumbling to craft impressive bios, to pitch themselves to clients, and to charge what they were worth. Halper pivoted, restructuring The Upside as a curated membership community of ambitious consultants who network, collaborate, and support one another. The group is mostly female professionals, but is open to everyone. She also offers an Accelerator program directed at early-stage consultants who want to learn, step by step, how to launch a thriving consultancy. “There isn’t a consulting course in college,” Halper said. “Someone has to teach people, and I knew how to do all this stuff, even down to offering a client script about how a meeting is supposed to go.”

Berkshire Bulletin

Photo by Brian Marcus

Halper, who lives in Summit, New Jersey, also gives away some of her assets for free, including “The Confident Consultant’s Pricing Playbook,” a straightforward peek at how consultants can structure their fees. “When I tell people how to repackage their skills in a way that showcases their pedigree and special sauce, and what they can charge for their services, people fall out of their chairs,” she said. “They can’t believe it. But part of what we do at The Upside is being transparent about what people are earning. That transparency elevates everyone.” In general, Halper finds there are three reasons that drive people to pursue consultancies. “It’s flexibility, it’s autonomy, and it’s purpose—meaning, I don’t want to be a cog in the machine anymore,” she said. “People say, ‘I do all of this work, and

for what? I don’t feel like I’m making any impact. I don’t feel like my work changes anything or makes a difference, and I want that new motivation.’” Halper’s own motivation is to “help people gain a sense of balance that they never thought was possible while making more money than they ever thought was possible.” “I do consider myself a changemaker,” she said. “It takes more than one person to solve a problem that is this complex and multi-layered. The pay gap is multilayered. The lack of venture funding for women-owned businesses is multi-layered. I’m approaching the problem from the consulting angle. Changing one life is all I set out to do. Luckily, it’s been many more.” betheupside.com

Battle for the Global Good DR. DANIEL GRIFFIN ’85 FIGHTS COVID WITH KNOWLEDGE By Lucia Mulder

hen Dr. Daniel Griffin, M.D., Ph.D. identified one of the earliest cases of community transmission of COVID-19 in the U.S. last spring, he quickly found himself among the very first physicians working on the front lines in the worldwide fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The self-described physician-scientist is the chief of Infectious Disease for ProHealth Care in New York, instructor in Clinical Medicine at Columbia University, the senior infectious disease physician for UnitedHealth Group and president of Parasites Without Borders, an organization that provides educational resources for combating global issues related to parasitic diseases. In addition, Griffin has become a go-to public health source for media outlets such as “The New York Times,” “The Wall Street Journal,” CNN, and Fox News. Griffin’s interest in medicine began while he was living in New York City at the beginning of a different pandemic. He watched as a mysterious disease swept through Greenwich Village and took the lives of healthy people of all ages, turning a once-vibrant community into a sad and somber place. He was inspired to volunteer at St. Vincent’s Hospital, often described as ground zero of the AIDS crisis in New York, where he got his first glimpse of hospital medicine. As a young student at NYU’s medical

school in the early 1990s, he worked at a large, public hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, when the Communist Party of Nepal won the election, and he and other Western physicians were driven from the city by the military. “I started to realize that medical care was only part of a larger social and political dynamic,” Griffin explains. Over the spring of 2020, Griffin’s group, ProHealth Care, diagnosed thousands of cases of COVID-19 and became frustrated. “We felt we were seeing the pandemic start and had no access to testing to confirm it. What followed was and continues to be the most challenging experience of my career. It was rare for a day to go by [last winter] without one of my patients dying.” And yet, since that point, the private sector has provided tremendous support with testing, therapeutics, and, of course, the development of vaccines. Griffin feels hopeful but cautious. “I think the pandemic has revealed the inequities and divides in our society here in the U.S. and globally. Because of this virus’s ability to change its sequence, no one will be safe until everyone is safe and vaccines are available around the world.” The interconnectedness of healthcare and the global good has perhaps never been more apparent than it is today, making Griffin a true

physician of the times. “I still believe that knowledge is the most powerful tool we have in the fight against disease and infectious agents, and thus I have focused so much of my resources on teaching and sharing knowledge so that the human capital in all areas of the world can grow and expand. One person can only do so much, but knowledge shared will bloom and grow.”

A BIT OF WISDOM “There was a culture at Berkshire that suggested one could reach very high and feel confident in achieving those goals. There were also so many kind role models, such as Twiggs Myers [Hon. ’57], who modeled a life of putting others first. One of my mentors at Berkshire once told me that if you focus on making yourself happy you will continue to struggle, but if you focus on making others happy you will find happiness. To this day I believe this is a bit of great wisdom.”

Summer 2021

MARIA MALAGUTI ’82 HELPS LYME PATIENTS FIND THEIR PATH TO WELLNESS. By Carol Visnapuu

n the spring of 1998, Maria Malaguti was driving home from work when she suddenly found herself parked on the side of the road. “I didn’t know how to drive,” Malaguti said. “I didn’t know where I was. I didn’t know how I even got there.” Malaguti suffers from chronic Lyme disease, an infectious disease caused by the Borrelia bacterium, spread by ticks. This disease is becoming known as the “Great Imitator,” mimicking other diseases such as Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and other nonspecific musculoskeletal and neurological illnesses, making it difficult for the medical community to diagnose and even acknowledge. But on that day, sitting on the side of the road, Malaguti didn’t yet know she had Lyme. Growing up in Plymouth, Mass., Malaguti has always enjoyed nature and the outdoors. In 1997, she was bitten by a tick while backpacking on the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire. Shortly after, she experienced flu-like symptoms and noticed a rash on her hip, but it wasn’t the classic bulls-eye rash that doctors look for, a telltale sign of Lyme. Malaguti thought she’d had an allergic

Berkshire Bulletin

reaction to a spider bite. As months passed, she started experiencing neuropsychological symptoms such as memory loss and confusion. She had trouble finding words and easily lost her train of thought, which she still experiences. She even lost her voice for some time. After Malaguti’s alarming memory loss while driving, she went to the emergency room and checked off all the symptoms on the clipboard. She thought, “Did I have a heart attack or a stroke?” The doctor took one look at her list of symptoms, discounted her, and prescribed Prozac. Furious yet undeterred, Malaguti finally received the correct diagnosis from her primary care physician. She tested positive for Lyme, as well as two tick-borne bacteria co-infections: Bartonella and Ehrlichia. She was treated on and off for three months with antibiotics; however, both the treatment and Lyme left her bedridden for two years. Due to Malaguti’s debilitating symptoms, she applied for disability. She recalls that it was a dark time. “I

Lyme is a clinical diagnosis, currently there are no accurate tests, and no single treatment.” lost my friends, I lost my money, my home … Lyme strips you bare when you get chronically sick with it,” she said. As Malaguti navigated the medical system, she experienced firsthand the lack of care Lyme patients receive, and how difficult it is to apply for disability, qualify for treatment covered by health insurance, and find the right medical and holistic practitioners. Compounding the difficulty, Malaguti was still suffering from severe fatigue, brain fog, and other chronic symptoms as she tried to advocate for herself and fill out complex medical paperwork.

Photo by Joanna Chattman

Fast forward 15 years, and Malaguti— who had continued to relapse with Lyme, even becoming wheelchair bound for a time—decided to use her experience and knowledge to help others struggling with the same disease. In 2013, after earning a nonprofit management certificate from Marlboro College, she founded Lyme Disease Resource Center (LDRC) with a board of seven members in Northampton, Mass. LDRC offers clients with Lyme and other tick-borne diseases a place to find guidance and emotional support on a path to wellness. LDRC also provides benefits for the underserved population who have been impacted socially, physically, and economically by chronic illness. Benefits include free holistic therapies, support groups, and workshops to increase the understanding of the issues surrounding chronic and acute health problems. “A lot of the clients that end up coming to us have been sick for a very long time with no answers and have been told, ‘See a psychiatrist, it’s all in your head,’” Malaguti said. “Lyme is a clinical diagnosis, currently there are no accurate tests, and no single treatment.”

Because Lyme disease is often misdiagnosed—it can present like many other diseases and today’s testing is not always accurate—LDRC guides patients to “Lyme-literate” doctors who treat the whole patient and track the latest successful treatments. “The controversy over diagnosis and treatment is critical to our mission,” Malaguti said. Skepticism around the existence of chronic Lyme disease can create a sense of being lost and alone for patients. Care professionals experience the same frustration as they seek medical care, benefits, and services for their Lyme patients. There are two viewpoints surrounding Lyme disease. “One viewpoint believes that Lyme disease is hard to catch and easy to cure,” Malaguti said. “The other is held by physicians who are treating chronic Lyme patients, and provide evidence that Lyme disease can be profoundly serious.” Malaguti says people with Lyme may experience an array of confusing symptoms, from nerve pain to heart issues to psychiatric disorders. “It’s important that when you have suspicious changes in your health that you go to your primary

care,” she said. My mistake was not going to the doctor (early enough) and not taking antibiotics in the beginning.” Although LDRC is still in its nonprofit infancy stage with funding from the government and generous donors, Malaguti is helping nearly 700 patients a year with the help of licensed health care professionals and volunteers made up of tick-borne illness peers and local community members. LDRC has also been instrumental in Malaguti’s own healing process. “To be able to give back and to share information that’s going to make someone else’s life easier with a complex illness is better than any pill or therapy for me,” she said. “It’s those endorphins flowing through your system that feels so good because you’ve helped somebody.” lymedrc.org

GAINING EXPERIENCE Malaguti attributes her time at Berkshire to becoming the creative problem-solver she is today—helping her to accept the challenge of, “I need to create a nonprofit with no money. How do I do this? Where do I start?” she said. Berkshire also taught her the importance of structure and being independent and self-motivated. “Going to a boarding school is not like going home at night and having your parents say, ‘Oh, did you do your homework?’” she said. Having the opportunity to make day-to-day decisions and choosing your own path taught Malaguti to challenge and push herself, which she continues to do to this day.

Summer 2021

WILHELM MEYA ’90 IS SAVING NATIVE L ANGUAGES BEFORE THEY GO EX TINCT. By Megan Tady

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a language emergency, further endangering native languages that were already under threat of extinction. The remaining fluent speakers of native languages are often elderly, and some have tragically died from the virus, cutting off the last ties to a language, as well as the legacy that each language encapsulates: knowledge, history, culture, wisdom, songs, humor, dances, and prayers. Wilhelm Meya, CEO of The Language Conservancy (TLC), a nonprofit he founded in 2005 to preserve and protect endangered Indigenous languages, said, “Older people are doing their best to transfer their language to the next generation, so there’s a very narrow timeframe available for them already to

Meya in Scottsdale, Ariz. Photo by Caitlin O’Hara/Juntos Coop

Berkshire Bulletin

EMBRACING THE MOTTO do this work. Because of COVID, we’ve lost over 30 of the speakers that we work with, which has accelerated the language loss process by five to ten years. The clock was already ticking, the sands in the hourglass were falling, and COVID has pushed forward the urgency to safeguard as many languages as we can.” There are 6,000 languages in the world today, and the vast majority of them are spoken by communities of less than 100,000 people. TLC warns that without intervention, 90% of all languages will become extinct in the next 100 years, making language loss “the Earth’s most acute crisis” after global warming. TLC is one of the world’s only organizations working on a grassroots and policy level to protect over 40 of these endangered languages. “Indigenous language speakers are under pressure from the dominant languages within their region to give up their Indigenous or heritage language,” Meya explained. “When elders try to transfer languages to the next generation, there are no materials or curriculum available. These are all problems that resulted from the policies of forced assimilation that had been going on for

over 100 years in the United States and a number of other countries.” Meya received a B.A. at Oglala Lakota College, an M.A. at the University of Arizona, and an M.S. in anthropology at Indiana University. He became interested in language loss when he was studying on a Lakota reservation and saw that young people in the community were struggling to learn the Lakota language, a Siouan language spoken by the Lakota people in the area of North and South Dakota. Before founding TLC, Meya pursued his Ph.D. at Indiana University in 2002, where he co-founded the Lakota Language Consortium, one of the first large-scale Native American Language projects in the United States. TLC began producing world-class Indigenous language-learning materials and resources, which includes mobile apps and e-learning platforms. Since its inception, TLC has produced over 100 titles in the Lakota language and printed over 100,000 different curriculum pieces. Nearly 20,000 people are learning the language online. “It’s really transformed that language from one of decline to one of ascension,” Meya said. “Young people are beginning to learn their language and move forward with it with dignity and confidence.” TLC has also pioneered a new automated digital word collection

90% of all languages will become extinct in the next 100 years, making language loss ‘the Earth’s most acute crisis’ after global warming.”

At Berkshire, Meya was passionate about reading Russian literature, and the School introduced him to a professor who could assign him books and critique his reports. “It was fantastic,” Meya recalls. “That’s the kind of an experience I couldn’t get anywhere else.” He says Berkshire’s motto—“Learning—not just for school but for life”—continues to have a tangible impact on him. “I realized that I wanted to learn about the things that interested me, not just for some abstract notion of what is important academically. That’s guided me on my quest for what I’ve wanted to do with my life. I knew that if I followed my passion and my heart, I was going to be successful because I’d like what I was doing.”

process that has transformed the language documentation landscape, allowing dictionaries to be developed in one year rather than twenty. TLC and its partner organizations collectively publish over 500 titles and distribute hundreds of thousands of copies of Indigenous language materials that support learners of all ages. “Each language has its own humor, its own poetry, its own aesthetic worldview,” Meya said. “There’s a very rich history and cultural heritage that’s lost if the languages are lost. The thoughts and ideas that can only be expressed in that language could be lost to the world forever.” languageconservancy.org

Summer 2021

Bears at Play

A SPRING FOR THE RECORD BOOKS Chioma Okafor ’22 leapt her way into Berkshire’s record books this spring. Okafor, who came to Berkshire from Malawi as a sophomore but did not compete in track and field last spring as a result of the pandemic, set new school records while competing in three events—long jump, triple jump, and the 4X100m relay.

Triple Jump 37’ 9” vs. Williston Long Jump 18’ 7” vs. Williston 4X100m Relay 50.14 seconds vs. Williston

Berkshire Bulletin

Bears at Play

Berkshire’s Girls Track and Field 4X100m team of (left to right) Jessica Lomo ‘23, Madison Rabb ‘22, Vivian Akyirem ‘22, and Chioma Okafor ‘22 set a new school record.

Summer 2021

Bears at Play

ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS Play on Pause COVID restrictions prevented interscholastic competition amongst schools during the fall and much of the winter season, so the Bears instead competed against one another. Although scrimmages were held entirely for bragging rights and no records were kept, the competitive contests were a welcome addition to the schedule. As restrictions eased in early March, teams were able to play against other prep schools both at home and away.

167 FALL INTERSQUAD ATHLETIC CONTESTS

JV Field Hockey plays a friendly match against faculty in October.

Girls Varsity Soccer scrimmages against the Boys JV team in the fall.

Girls Varsity Hockey returns to the ice at the Jack against Deerfield in early March.

Berkshire Bulletin

Bears at Play

Varsity Basketball welcomes Deerfield to the Soffer Athletic Center in early March.

NEW FACILITIES (Outdoor Rink & Indoor Turf Field)

Varsity Baseball plays an abbreviated 12-game season due to pandemic restrictions.

Varsity Crew competes against Taft at Camp Sloane in May.

WINTER INTERSCHOLASTIC CONTESTS

SPRING INTERSCHOLASTIC CONTESTS

Summer 2021

Bears at Play

BLAST PROGRAM EMPOWERS FEMALE ATHLETES By Megan Mokriski ’21, Editor of “The Green and Gray”

It was hard not to notice the group of more than 70 female athletes working out, playing loud music, and cheering each other on every Monday and Thursday afternoon last fall— which is exactly what the founders of BLAST intended. BLAST is a workout program designed for Berkshire’s female varsity athletes to make them stronger, prevent injury, and foster a supportive environment. Athletes can also work with different coaches and take their training to the next level—physically and mentally—as they set their sights on collegiate athletics. The initiative was a collaborative effort between varsity coaches, including Cori Chambers, Lisa Marshall, Katherine Simmons, Heidi Woodworth, and many others. Coach Woodworth said BLAST was an opportunity “to better serve our athletes.” Their goal is to create a space where female athletes can feel proud of who they are and what they can do. In the past, Coach Marshall said there’s been a “tangible inequity” between girls’ and boys’ sports at Berkshire, and many girls have felt that they are not taken seriously as athletes, despite the large number of girls who play two or three varsity sports. The coaches wanted to

Berkshire Bulletin

figure out what Berkshire sports had been lacking in the past and find a way bridge that gap. To Coach Marshall, BLAST is “the passing of responsibility. So much of why I came back to work at a boarding school is to not only identify what I did have and appreciate it, but also to identify what I didn’t have. And what we’re doing here is so much more than what I lived.” Coach Becky McCabe wanted to give back after her time as a student athlete at Berkshire, and to offer the next generation of athletes the same opportunities she had. That includes mentoring other athletes, just as Coach Sylvia Gappa was a mentor for her. Many female athletes grow up with the message that they should “keep up with the boys,” but Coach Simmons hopes that BLAST relays a different message: “I want to keep up with the girls. I want the girls to set the standard,” she said. The highlight so far for Coach Marshall was seeing athletes supporting each other. One moment in particular stands out: after a hard BLAST practice, athletes were finishing up with sprints, and “all of the girls were so tired, but they were still cheering for each other to finish ... you can’t coach that, you can’t make them cheer, it’s something that you have to want to do. And in life, you

“Many female athletes grow up with the message that they should ‘keep up with the boys,’ but I want to keep up with the girls. I want the girls to set the standard.” —Coach Simmons

need other people to pick you up, and you need other women to empower you instead of breaking you down.” If one athlete gets stronger, everyone else does too, which is imbued in the BLAST motto: “If she gets stronger, we get stronger.” And beyond getting stronger, Coach Woodworth says that these first BLAST participants are “rewriting the narrative around female athletics at Berkshire.”

Bears at Play

Athletes to Coaches The Berkshire coaches that participated in coaching the BLAST program were Kelley Bogardus, Callie Carew-Miller, Cori Chambers, Hannah Cooke ’14, Dory Driscoll, Sylvia Gappa, John Hyland, Maura MacKenzie, Lisa Marshall, Becky Zavisza McCabe ’05, Britt Plante, Katherine Simmons, Georgia Tuttle, and Heidi Woodworth. All of the coaches were also athletes themselves. Combined, they played 135 varsity high school seasons and 78 seasons of college athletics, captained 43 teams, won 16 league championships, completed 11 marathons, earned four college All-Americans, and one coach even played at the national level.

Summer 2021

Bears at Play

PERSEVERING THROUGH A PANDEMIC By Michael Hayes

When the global pandemic caused an upheaval in collegiate athletics—games were canceled, practices were limited, and training changed—alums who once competed as Berkshire Bears had something they could fall back on: perseverance, one of the School’s six core values. By developing the skill of perseverance at Berkshire, these alumni overcame uncertainty to maintain a competitive edge and didn’t allow a pandemic to shut down their athletic goals and mindset.

ELIZABETH ROWLAND ’19 GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ROWING

Antonia Matzka ‘17 Photo by Mark Seliger

ANTONIA MATZKA ’17

CATHERINE APPLEYARD ’20

COLLEGE OF THE HOLY CROSS WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY

A two-year captain of the College of the Holy Cross Women’s Ice Hockey team, Toni Matzka was disappointed when the team’s season was delayed by two months. Although she missed out on playing 10 games during her senior year, Matzka credits her teammates with sticking together through a difficult season. “Coming to the rink and playing hockey was the most rewarding and fun part of our day, and the motivation to be able to play is what gave us that extra little push to simply accept and deal with the reality.”

Success isn’t always measured in wins and losses. As a freshman on Middlebury College’s Women’s Ice Hockey team, Catherine Appleyard maintained a game-face mentality even though contests were cancelled. “We were all very disappointed that we could not play games. But we were able to practice on the ice and continue to train, and it was nice to be a part of a team. No one was complacent, and we trained as if we were going to play again.”

Elizabeth Rowland joined the George Washington University Women’s Rowing team as a sophomore and hadn’t raced competitively in 16 months because of the pandemic. But by the end of her spring semester, she was celebrating a second-place finish in the Atlantic 10 Championship with her teammates. As a member of the Colonials’ 2V8, Rowland helped the team match its best finish in the program’s history. “During the season we had to selfadminister COVID-19 tests 2-3 times a week, depending on competition schedules. When we were at the boathouse, or in the erg or weight room, we had to disinfect all equipment after each use. Prioritizing our health was what allowed us to train together, especially when the opportunities to compete were so limited in our sport.”

Elizabeth Rowland ’19 Photo by Marcela Robles

Berkshire Bulletin

Bears at Play

COOPER TUCKERMAN ‘18 DARTMOUTH COLLEGE MEN’S ROWING

Brian Rodriguez ‘16 Photo courtesy Northeastern Athletics/Jim Pierce

BRIAN RODRIGUEZ ’16

BRIGGS GAMMILL ’20

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY BASEBALL

YALE UNIVERSITY MEN’S ICE HOCKEY

When COVID lockdowns began in the spring of 2020, Brian Rodriguez figured his college baseball career was over. Then, the NCAA announced that seniors would be eligible to play an additional year. Rodriguez rededicated himself to the sport, and in June he was the winning pitcher in the Huskies’ 11–10 come-from-behind victory in the Colonial Association Baseball Championship. “I was given a second chance, and I wasn’t going to let it slip. I worked with what I had. I would go to a park by myself and bring a bucket of balls to throw into a fence. Instead of just laying back because of the lockdown, I found a way to make myself better for my final year at Northeastern.”

Six months after the pandemic began, Yale-commit Briggs Gammill packed his bags and headed for Canada to play juniors hockey. Shortly after arriving in the country, he was named team captain of the expansion Cranbrook Bucks of the British Columbia Hockey League. Despite being forced into two 14-day quarantines and playing just 10 exhibition games before eventually returning to Connecticut, Gammill says he wouldn’t trade the experience. “I found a way to be happy and enjoy the moments that I probably will never experience again—like the mountains I’d wake up to every morning in British Columbia, or the skiing, or the outdoor ice hockey rinks I skated on.”

Soon after the pandemic put an end to Cooper Tuckerman’s spring rowing season at Dartmouth College, he received the news that the college’s men’s lightweight team had been eliminated altogether for financial reasons. Facing an uncertain future, Tuckerman poured all his energy into training for the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. Although he narrowly missed the opportunity to represent the U.S. in Japan, Tuckerman was relieved to learn in January that his collegiate team would be reinstated. “Through it all, I think I have found that really the only thing you can do is be ready for anything. Control what you can control, put yourself in the best position to succeed, and just hope the pieces fall into place around you.”

Cooper Tuckerman ’18, second from left Photo courtesy of Lisa Tuckerman

“Through it all, I think I have found that really the only thing you can do is be ready for anything. Control what you can control, put yourself in the best position to succeed, and just hope the pieces fall into place around you.” —Cooper Tuckerman ’18, Dartmouth College

Summer 2021

Bears at Play

BEARS IN THE NEWS Lukas Atsalis ‘18 was named to the AllCentennial Conference Second Team while playing right field for Dickinson College, where he batted .288 on the season.

Kevin Rooney ’11 played in 54 games (career high) for the New York Rangers, finishing the season with eight goals and six assists. Rooney also played for bronzewinning Team USA in the 2021 Ice Hockey World Championships.

Cavan Brady ’19 played in the Div. III College World Series for Wheaton College, which captured the NEWMAC tournament championship. Erin Dillon ’17 finished her career at Connecticut College as the team’s fourth all-time leading goal scorer (36) despite playing only four games as a senior captain (five goals) due to the pandemic.

Erin Dillon ’17 Photo: Connecticut College Athletics

Cooper Fersen ’14 is an assistant coach for the University of Virginia mens’ lacrosse team which beat Maryland 17–16 in May to capture the team’s second straight NCAA Div. I championship. Jack Harrison ’15 signed a three-year contract with Leeds United in July. Harrison scored eight goals and tallied eight assists in 36 appearances for Leeds in the English Premier League.

Kenzie Lancaster ’15 Photo: Connecticut Whale

Kenzie Lancaster ’15 joined the National Women’s Hockey League’s Connecticut Whale in January, following a four-year career at Quinnipiac University. Lancaster also currently serves as an assistant coach for the women’s ice hockey program at Connecticut College.

Brian Rodriguez ’16 helped Northeastern University capture the Colonial Athletic Association Baseball Championship and earn a spot in the NCAA Div. I tournament. The Huskies’ 20-game win streak was best in the nation and Rodriguez finished the season with a 1.32 ERA in 27.1 innings, and a 3–0 record.

Jacob Shaffelburg ’19 Photo: Toronto FC

Aidan Thompson ’20 was named USHL Player of the week on March 15. A center for the Lincoln Stars (Nebraska), Thompson led the team in assists (23) and scored 10 goals on the season. Thompson will play for the University of Denver this fall. Cooper Tuckerman ’18 and three teammates from Dartmouth College qualified for the U23 World Championships in the Men’s Lightweight Quad held in the Czech Republic in July.

Graham Herrick ’20

Berkshire Bulletin

Jacob Shaffelburg ’19 scored his first-career MLS goal for Toronto FC during a 1–1 tie vs. NYCFC on May 8 at Yankee Stadium.

Holley Riva ’19 helped Elmira College win the 2021 United Collegiate Hockey Conference championship, the team’s fourth consecutive title. In 36 career games, Riva has eight goals and 12 assists.

Graham Herrick ’20 was named Rookie of the Week in the NE-10 in March while playing outfield for Stonehill College. Herrick finished the season with two home runs, 19 RBI, and 21 runs scored for the Skyhawks.

Photo: Stonehill College Athletics

Kendall Coyne Schofield ‘11 currently serves as player development coach and youth hockey growth specialist for the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks.

Brian Rodriguez ’16

Bears at Play

Berkshire Nordic Takes on the Birkebeiner By Norah Smith ’23

The American Birkebeiner, commonly called the “Birkie,” is the longest Nordic ski race in America. The 50 km (31.06 miles) skate and 55 km (34.18 miles) classic ski race takes place annually in Wisconsin. Each year, more than 10,000 skiers race the world-renowned course. To date, over 250,000 skiers have finished the American Birkebeiner, including several Berkshire alumni. This year, due to interscholastic ski races being canceled, the Berkshire Nordic team decided to embark on a new challenge, skiing the Birkie at Berkshire. On Saturday, February 20, members of the Berkshire Nordic team completed between 30 and 50 km all across campus, totaling 302 kilometers skied. Six skiers completed a marathon, with five skiers breaking 50 kilometers. The American event is based on the Norwegian ski marathon. Every year in Norway, thousands of skiers trek from Rena to Lillehammer. The American Birkebeiner began in 1973 and featured 34 men and one woman, and has since grown to be the largest Nordic ski event in the United States and the third largest in the world. And now, the Berkshire Birkie has become an important part of the School’s history, marking how students continued to ski during a pandemic.

Bellamy ’05 Retires from Team USA

Kacey Bellamy ‘05 enjoys a round of golf with her fiancée, Melissa Young.

Kacey Bellamy ’05 has ended her remarkable hockey journey with the U.S. National Team, retiring this spring from the sport she’s played since she was a 5-year-old girl growing up in Westfield, Mass. Following a standout 4-year career at Berkshire, Bellamy earned All-American honors at the University of New Hampshire as a defenseman before embarking on one of the most accomplished hockey careers in the sport’s history. Bellamy played for Team USA for 15 years, competing at three Olympics and winning a gold medal at the PyeongChang games in 2018. As a professional, she played for the Boston Blades and Boston Pride.

Kacey at a Glance: 3 Olympic Medals 1 gold (2018), 2 silver (2010, 2014)

8 Gold Medals Women’s IIHF World Championship

130 games played for Team USA

All-American at UNH

Summer 2021

CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF

2021 In a year unlike any other, the Class of 2021 led the way by exhibiting perseverance and resilience in the face of challenges. The pages that follow showcase this memorable group as they wrapped up their time under the Mountain.

Berkshire Bulletin

Rylan Kennedy ’21 kept the tradition of Senior Selfies alive this spring by moving the annual exhibit online and printing the images herself. Photos were hung in the dining hall in place of The Warren Family Gallery, which was being used as a temporary classroom.

bit.ly/seniorselfies2021

Summer 2021

Berkshire Bulletin

SENIOR

SEEN AROUND 1. A Berkshire tradition: senior class photos on the Berkshire Hall steps 2. During senior week, the class went to Catamount Mountain Resort, where they braved the longest zipline in North America! 3. For this year’s Prom, the Bears had dinner in Benson followed by dessert and dancing in a decked out Soffer Athletic Center. 4. S eniors enjoying a Bistro Box picnic on a picture-perfect Mountain Day. 5. Faculty and staff celebrated the Class of 2021 with a first-ever formal dinner for seniors before Thanksgiving break. 6. Prize Night featured a full moon and the return of everyone’s favorite local band, The New York Players.

Summer 2021

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

Excerpts from Departing Faculty Member Cait Ward ’08’s Senior Dinner Address

To the Seniors, I am so grateful for the opportunity to speak to you today. Our lives have intersected in multitudes of ways. We have worked together in the classroom, on the ice, on the Mountain. Whether you realized it or not, if I was your fourth form dean, I presented your progress to the full faculty several times over the course of the year. Some of us have shared a dogsled together, discovered unexpected snow in Arizona, flipped logs looking for salamanders, made pizza over a fire. I have even trusted a small few of you to belay me while rock climbing. And now, we will leave Berkshire together. It feels important to recognize that this past year and a half has been hard. The pandemic forced us all to redefine our expectations of the present and come to terms with the idea that things would not play out as they were “supposed to.” For many of us, it also impacted our vision of the future, recentering the things that are most important to us. As challenging a year as it has been, we have also been really fortunate, for we have not had to navigate all of it alone. Instead, we have had each other to lean on, sometimes in very different ways than we have before. This past year required a direct need for Resilience, a word that we now use with a capital R.

Berkshire Bulletin

“The truth is that this will not be the last time in your life that things will not go as planned.” —Cait Ward ’08

In the past 18 months, I have returned often to a journalist named Johann Hari who writes on the topics of depression and addiction. In one of his books, Lost Connections, Hari distills his research into four factors that he believes allow for living a life of meaning: • Connecting with others • Doing that thing you are really good at • Experiencing wonder and awe • Bringing value to someone else/ helping others Our main job as adults at Berkshire is to create spaces for our students to experience and explore all four of these areas. I will be honest: this year, it was difficult at times. We are used to plans and schedules and clear communication and checking all the right boxes. But this past year, we often (I often) just did not have the right answer. For me, it was a reminder that perfection is an unattainable goal. Many of my own learned lessons were

rooted in slowing down instead of pushing through. The truth is that this will not be the last time in your life that things will not go as planned, and when that next moment happens, it will be your resiliency that will help you recover and redirect. The Mountain (and the people beneath it) will always be here to hold space for you, just as it has done for me. My wish for all of us is that as we move forward, we find other mountains and lakes and parks and oceans to call home: places with communities that both comfort and challenge us, empower and inspire us, and allow us room to give back to others. Ultimately, a healthy community is a mindful community. You should also know that your Berkshire diploma does come with a responsibility. It is a responsibility to reframe what you have learned from the challenging parts of this past year so that you can be more vulnerable and empathetic. A responsibility to recognize and elevate voices that are oppressed. To care for the Earth and value what it provides for us. To continue practicing the art of listening and holding space for others.

Summer 2021

COMMENCEMENT

2021

On May 28th, we said farewell to the Class of 2021 at Berkshire’s 114th Commencement. The event was held in the Jackman L. Stewart Athletic Center’s West Rink for the first time, and due to state COVID restrictions, guests were limited to sixth formers and their families, as well as faculty and staff. Ursa Minor opened the ceremony with the National Anthem, and the Berkshire Chorus sang the school hymn. Angela Ansah ’21, the Weil Family Prize for Public Speaking award winner, gave the student address, while retiring faculty members Amanda Morgan and R.G. Meade shared the stage to deliver the Commencement address.

Berkshire Bulletin

“I want to encourage you all to always ask yourself ‘Why am I doing all this?’ Especially in today’s age, we’re constantly bombarded with the success of others, which is great: #girlboss #thegrindneverstops. But it makes it very easy to get into a mindset of wanting to one-up everybody, instead of bettering ourselves.” —Angela Ansah ’21

Summer 2021

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

CHANGE HAPPENS

Longtime and retiring teachers Mandy Morgan and R.G. Meade offer advice to the graduates.

MORGAN: _________________________

grew up in another century. Many things were different when I was a kid in the 1950s. My family used to have older model cars with doors that would come unlatched if you leaned against them. Cars back then did not have air bags. In fact, they didn’t even have seat belts. This might help explain why four of the six kids in my family fell out of a moving car at some point in our childhood. To be fair to my parents, particularly my mother, I am not sure what parents were supposed to do back then. It seemed that the plan was to load the kids in the back seat of the station wagon and hope you had the same number when you arrived at your destination. One of the things that has changed the most over my lifetime are phones. I know that almost everyone in the audience today has a phone in his or her pocket. When I was kid, we had one phone in the house. In those days, if you needed a phone, the phone company would lend you one. You couldn’t buy one. You had your choice of colors as long as you liked black. We had what was called a “party line.” That meant that you shared the same phone number with several other families. You had to listen to the ringtone carefully to decide if you should answer it or not. If you wanted to make a phone call, you might have to wait until the other families were off the line. One of the biggest improvements I remember

Berkshire Bulletin

was when we got a longer cord hooking the handset to the phone so you could at least sit a few feet away from the actual phone. As you might imagine, it was tough finding time to talk to my friends in elementary school and high school. Phones were used for one thing, to make phone calls. If you wanted to take pictures, you needed a camera with film in it. Then you had to take the film to the store and wait a week to see the pictures. You didn’t listen to music on the phone. You had a record player. You couldn’t look anything up on a phone either. That’s what the Encyclopedia and books were for. When I was in high school, the Red Sox were in the World Series, and we only had live games back then. In school, someone would have to pretend they needed to use the restroom and check the score on a transistor

radio. Then we had our version of instant messaging, texting, Snapchat, or whatever. This involved scraps of paper that were passed around the room, hopefully without the teacher’s knowledge so everyone could be informed. If you needed to make difficult mathematical calculations, there were no calculators. We had a device called a “slide rule.” At one point, I was pretty good at it, but now I have completely forgotten how to use it. Mr. Dalton has one … maybe ask him how to work it. Now we have phones that are more powerful than the first computers that took up the space of an entire room. We can do almost anything with the same device. Take photos, watch movies, do complex math, listen to music and, yes, even make an occasional phone call. By now you are probably starting to

wonder where this is all going. For those of you who endured one of my chemistry classes, you know that I sometimes make up stories to help my students remember certain ideas. We might be talking about chemistry one minute and then you would be subjected to a story about Thanksgiving dinner or a family trip I took involving a crazy bridge or tunnel in Virginia. There was eventually a point to the story, and there is one today also. My point is not that my childhood was easier or harder than yours has been. It was just different. When I was a kid, there were predictions about what the future would be like. One part I was looking forward to involved cars that could fly. They never told me that I would be walking around with a computer in my pocket or that I would have to teach essentially on a TV set with students from all over the world in different time zones. So how can you prepare for the future if you have no idea what it will be like? The truth is that you cannot. You can only be flexible in your thinking and be open to change when it inevitably comes. Many of the changes that have happened over the course of my lifetime have made life better and some have not. It is certainly easier to stay in touch with friends and family. If I have a question, I can easily look it up on my phone. I think it makes us all more impatient, needing instant gratification, which may not be a good thing. I was listening to a song in my car recently titled “Work Hard and Be Nice to People.” Good advice, but I would also add: Be nice to yourself when things are not going well. So as you move on from Berkshire, give yourself a break when you mess up, which you all surely will do at various points of your life, as we all do. Don’t dwell on the mistakes you make, but forgive yourself and move on. I don’t have any idea what the future holds for each of you and, frankly,

neither do you. Hold tight to Berkshire’s core values of curiosity, inclusion, integrity, perseverance, resilience, and respect, and you can weather any storm. Maybe you will get the flying car I was promised. If you do, send me a photo from your phone. MEADE: ____________________________

am also a product of the ’50s— the polio scare, the civil rights movement, and the Cold War—but let’s move forward to the 1980s. In late summer 1982, my family arrived from Seattle to take up residence in the de Windt dormitory. Somewhat of a surprise to us as I had been told we would be living in Stanley. However, change and adjustment are a part of boarding school life and of life in general. Life was hectic, the pace regulated, and free time limited when school was in session. Much of that free time was spent outside or talking with friends. The primary technology in the classroom was slate boards and chalk, or possibly an overhead projector. Student communication with family and friends was by mail or the payphone in the hallway. The common room in de Windt, where the TV received four stations, is now the student room to the left of the south entrance. But change happens. The physical plant has been continually upgraded, the grounds are more manicured, the trees on Mount Everett are taller, several sugar maples on campus have been replaced, and technology has morphed at the speed of light. What has been constant is the sense of community, one of the reasons I stayed here as my beard went from red to gray. When I was offered a job here, I told Bob Brigham, the former dean of faculty, that I would commit to work with the international students and teach ESL for at least three years. The plan was to then

relocate. So much for the plans of mice and men. My spouse, Anna, and I discovered that the Berkshire community, including the student body, is a great place to raise children. Life can be frustrating, disappointing, and at times difficult. We got through those times with “a little help from our friends.” (That was for you James Harris—wherever you might be.) Class of 2021, I have enjoyed working with you in Berkshire Hall, the Soffer Athletic Center, the outfield of the softball field, and Eipper Dormitory. It is, however, time for us to head down the driveway; you to take on new endeavors and adventures and for me to search for a Podunk Road on the Cape. As we leave the shelter of the Dome of the Taconics, I hope that you take some good memories with you. As for myself, I’ll miss the music of Glenny Brook after a heavy rain, the ding of a ball meeting a bat, the squeak of athletic shoes on the Duryee Court, the ringing of the bell in the Berkshire Hall cupola to mark the approach of first period, watching the Bears performing in a wide variety of musical and theatrical enterprises, and most especially the sound of the faculty children at play. The climbing tree is still one of my favorite spots on campus. Some of you know my opinion regarding received knowledge; however, if I were to compile a list of suggestions for you in life, it would include things such as: eat more vegetables; play and work well with others; stay hydrated; practice random acts of kindness; disconnect from social media to have a conversation or simply listen to the world turn. And please, please communicate with your parents on a regular basis and say thank you to them.

To listen to the entire commencement address, go to berkshireschool.org/commencement.

Summer 2021

Berkshire Bulletin

Summer 2021

THE MAJOR SIXTH FORM

PRIZES Angela B. Ansah of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia: 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.

James M. Lebentha l of Pawling, New York: 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.

Abigail R. Hayes of Oakland, California: 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.

Abdoul A. Diouf of VaudreuilDorion, Canada: The Morris Trophy, awarded to the sixth-form male student who has best exemplified proficiency and sportsmanship in interscholastic athletics.

Emma L. Birmingham of Enfield, Connecticut: The Herger Trophy, awarded to the sixth-form female student who has best exemplified proficiency and sportsmanship in interscholastic athletics.

Hamda A. Hussein of Hargeisa, Somaliland: The Anna S. Barrasch Prize, awarded for unselfish interest in people and loyalty to Berkshire.

Gillian M. Maher of Pearl River, New York: The Calvin Fentress Citizenship Award, given for exemplary personal performance, loyalty to Berkshire, and outstanding citizenship in the school community.

Nam (Luke) H. Nguyen of Hanoi, Vietnam: 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.

Megan J. Mokriski of Salisbury, Connecticut: The Princeton Cup, the top sixthform academic prize awarded for diligence in studies and success in co-curricular activities.

Johnathan L. Speer: The Aliis Non Sibi Award. Selected by members of the graduating class, the recipient of this award follows the motto “for others, not themselves.” 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 Sami Adam Henry Alpaugh Chi Chi Amaihe Devan Andreski Angela Ansah Mimi Arriaga Nogosa Atekha Matea Beadle Venetia Beauchamp Emma Birmingham Jake Blackwin Emma Blanchette Matthew Blasius Ava Block Rachel Boardman Emily Bouvier Henry Boyle Matthew Bridger Esslynne Bui Truong Silas Bullock Mike Burrell Tyrese Caines Amalia Calderini Ava Cappella Hollis Churchill Reid Curran Téa Cuvelier Lydia Davis Owen de Cordova Jeremy DeLaMota Ellis DeMars Nikola Dimitrijevic Abdoul Diouf McKenzie Doyle Charlie Driscoll Nicky Finn John Fiore Matthew Fisher Sofie Fisher Lila Fitzgerald

University of Virginia University of Richmond St John’s University, New York Wake Forest University University of Miami Duke University Occidental College University of California, San Diego University of Michigan Western New England University Colgate University Eastern Connecticut State University University of Denver Colby College Colorado College Castleton University Bucknell University University of Waterloo University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Elon University Cornell University Liverpool John Moores University College of Charleston Texas Christian University Bennington College Hamilton College Northeastern University Belmont University Syracuse University University at Albany, SUNY University of Colorado Boulder Dartmouth College Colby College University of Colorado Boulder Denison University College of the Holy Cross Syracuse University Catholic University of America Santa Clara University Chapman University

Mike Frechette Avery Freund Marcos Furr Niko Gardilcic Stevie Garofalo Naomi Gibson Taylor Gilbert Jack Gladowsky Abby Hayes Noah Helmke Luke Hescock Hannah Hudson Hamda Hussein Anthony Ierna Burnham Johnston Brett Karkus Carl Kaufer Akshay Kaundinya Rylan Kennedy Bowen Kittredge Claire Knight Lindsay Knight Keenan Koopman Niko Kouvaris Katie Kreke Ivanna Lagur Markus Lebenthal Gavin Lui Jake MacDonald Gillian Maher Jacob Marlowe Jack Marottolo Kevin Matos Aiden McDonnell Harrison McGlashan Campbell Mecke Caroline Mezias Ali Mian Umar Mian Lucas Miranda Megan Mokriski

See where members of the Class of 2021 are headed this fall.

University of Michigan Williams College University of Rochester Undecided Babson College University of Wisconsin Colgate University Northeastern University Yale University Amherst College Hobart and William Smith Colleges University of Denver Bowdoin College University of Richmond Trinity College University of Maryland Villanova University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Sewanee: The University of the South Montana State University Boston College Georgetown University Elmira College St. Lawrence University The University of Texas at Austin American University University of California, Los Angeles Syracuse University Colby College Skidmore College Northeastern University Junior Hockey Wheaton College Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Boston University Colgate University Wesleyan University Indiana University, Bloomington Purdue University Cornell University Davidson College

Katharine Monahan Hank Morgan Chace Nethersole Luke Nguyen Cole Paredes Sophia Pasquale Cooper Pearce George Pearce Nicholas Pesce Canin Reynolds Michelle Rhee Hayden Riva Franklin Rodriguez Bencosme Chloé Sabbagh Michael Sabin Maeve Schoudel Graham Schwartz Ethan Scott Basil Shillingford Peter Silvester Hunter Smith Andrew Sperl Alexandra Starr Nina Stoops Scott Takacs Christina Tao Moya Techakalayatum Michael Thompson Maia Tolentino John Wahl Kellen Walker Wyatt Walker Davis Whiting Danae Williams Marco Wilson Charlotte Winoker Sam Woessner Grace Wood-Hull Wilson Zheng

Colgate University Hamilton College Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University University of California, Los Angeles Connecticut College Boston University Bucknell University Southern Methodist University Lafayette College Amherst College Tufts University Junior Hockey Ohio Wesleyan University The American University of Paris Wake Forest University Northeastern University Lehigh University Williams College University of Vermont Connecticut College Rochester Institute of Technology Gap Year University of Wisconsin, Madison University of Denver Bucknell University Barnard College Tufts University Southern Methodist University New York University Southern Methodist University Gettysburg College University of Denver High Point University Wesleyan University University of Massachusetts, Amherst Northeastern University University of California, San Diego Pitzer College University of Virginia

Summer 2021

CHANGING A LIFE THROUGH A BERKSHIRE EXPERIENCE Your generosity directly impacts every student’s experience under the Mountain. By contributing to Berkshire’s Annual Fund for Financial Aid or making a gift towards the School’s endowed scholarships, you provide needed support for Berkshire students. The need for financial aid is particularly critical now as families navigate financial uncertainty caused by the pandemic. Every $2 million raised in financial aid allows Berkshire to provide full tuition for one talented and deserving student in perpetuity. All gifts, of any size, will forever change the life of a Berkshire student.

FINANCIAL AID AT-A-GLANCE 2020-2021

$5.4M

$47,000

Financial Aid Budget

Average Award

118

28%

Number of Recipients

of Student Body Receiving Financial Aid

$150,000 Support Beyond Tuition (books, trips, transportation, etc.)

Meet Scholarship Recipient:

Thai An Rosario ’22, Massachusetts K E LT S CO L FA X B A K E R , J R . S C H O L A R S H I P R E C I P I E N T

Thai An Rosario seeks and embraces the opportunities around her. Her advisor, Nina Bjurlin, shared, “I’m impressed by how Thai An has diligently set out to learn more about herself as a gifted artist and thoughtful environmentalist, and how she has created beautiful friendships in the process.” From taking AP Environmental Science, AP Spanish Language & Culture, and advanced courses in all other subjects this year, Thai An continues to step beyond her comfort zone. “I am proud that I have managed to take increasingly harder classes each year, still manage to maintain a good GPA, and keep up with my workload,” Thai An said. Languages Department Chair Jesús Ibáñez had the pleasure of teaching and working with Thai An in his AP Spanish Language & Culture class, where he discovered her passion for social activism. “She is a compassionate individual who wants to fight to make the world a better place. Thai An believes that in order to create a more equal and inclusive society, we need to listen more to each other and acknowledge that nobody is in possession of the absolute truth,” Ibáñez shared. Thai An is also involved in the dance program, is an Admission Green Key Head, and is an active leader in the community. “Thai An came into the dance program with energy, confidence, and eagerness to excel in dance,” dance teacher Amy Keefer said. “Over the past three years, she has expanded her dance vocabulary and immersed herself in her dance studies, increasing her positive impact on the dance program. She is a natural performer and shines when she gets on stage.”

“It was an honor to be chosen as a Green Key Head. I am proud to have been entrusted with this important leadership role because Admission tours play a key role in a student’s decision to come to Berkshire, especially during the pandemic.” —Thai An Rosario ’22

To support a Berkshire experience today, contact Director of Advancement Andrew Bogardus at abogardus@berkshireschool.org or call 413-229-1237. 68

Berkshire Bulletin

REUNION 2022 HAS BEEN

SUPERSIZED! Save the date! JUNE 10–12, 2022

We look forward to bringing together the classes of ‘0s, ‘1s, ‘2s, ‘5s, ‘6s, and ‘7s! Stay tuned for more details!

berkshireschool.org/reunionweekend

Calling all Bears! Nominations are now open for the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award. Please find the nomination form here: berkshireschool.org/distinguished

Summer 2021

2021

Alumni Awards On Friday, June 11, Berkshire honored two outstanding alumni, Maggie Ross Meiners ’90 and Kenny Coard ’85, for their achievements and service to Berkshire. Head of School Pieter Mulder opened the annual ceremony, followed by live and recorded toasts in celebration of Meiners and Coard. Both expressed appreciation in remarks of their own. Mulder began by acknowledging the magnitude of the challenges faced during the course of the past year and the depth of his pride in Berkshire’s faculty and staff, trustees, and especially its students. While recognizing that the year included great loss, in addition to myriad challenges, Mulder emphasized how the entire community displayed “... remarkable spirit, remarkable resilience, and remarkable belief and conviction in our school.” In closing, Mulder shared that it was a “personal joy” to introduce such deserving recipients. “It is fun to recognize greatness in the ways we will this evening ... to see all of you connected around your classmates and cheering their accolades, and sharing this wonderful moment.” Watch the 2021 Alumni Awards at berkshireschool.org/alumniawards2021

Berkshire Bulletin

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA OF THE YEAR

KELLOGG VOLUNTEER 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.”

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.”

AGGIE ROSS MEINERS ’90, an artist, uses cultural artifacts,

media, and iconography in an effort to leverage her personal portrayal of experiences rather than the prevailing cultural narrative. Through the lens of humor, feminism, and various media, she engages in self-analysis and critique to arrive at a truthful and authentic version of herself. Born and raised outside Chicago, IL, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Colorado Boulder, a Master of Education from DePaul University in Chicago, and she recently earned a Master of Fine Arts from Maine Media College in May 2021. Meiners had her first solo exhibition in 2005 at the Union League Club of Chicago, nationally recognized as one of the preeminent private collectors of art in the country. Her work has been widely exhibited and is in the permanent collection of The Illinois Institute of Art, Wheaton College, and Harrison Street Lofts. Additionally, her work is in many private collections and was on loan at the U.S. Embassy in Uruguay from 2016 to 2019. In 2019, Meiners’s first film, “The Little Black Dress,” was nominated for Best Mobile Short at the Los Angeles International Film Festival. Meiners’s ties to Berkshire have remained strong since graduation. She has served as a member of her class Reunion Committee, the Hail Berkshire Campaign Committee, the Distinguished Alumni Nominating Committee, and the Advisory Board. Here on campus in The Warren Family Gallery, Meiners exhibited a collection of photographs titled “Revisiting Rockwell,” inspired by a visit to the Norman Rockwell Museum. In the winter of 2016, she returned to Berkshire to teach a week long Pro Vita course, “Pretty as a Picture,” which received unanimously rave reviews from her students. Among her classmates, there is admiration and appreciation both for Meiners’s talents and her approach to life. As Sarah Robinson Aird ’90 declared, “Maggie encapsulates everything that is Berkshire. She’s not just a phenomenal artist, she’s an incredible friend, mentor, mother, wife—a true force of positivity and drive who is always pushing herself to learn more and share her talent with us all.” And as Tracey Riccio Ranta ’90 stated directly to Meiners, “It has been so inspiring to watch you grow as an artist and hone your craft. It’s beautiful how you share your unique perspective and life’s awareness through your art.” Clearly, Meiners has always inspired those around her, and she’s had a consistently positive impact on Berkshire throughout the years.

ENNY COARD ‘85, P’22,’23 is a former faculty member at Berkshire and a longtime volunteer for the School who currently serves as a member of Berkshire’s board of trustees. Following his career at Clarkson University studying industrial marketing and managing, Coard was a stockbroker specializing in individual equities before beginning his career in education. Equipped with a Master of Science in School Administration and Supervision from Mercy College, he has 20 years of experience as a math teacher, administrator, and basketball coach on Long Island. A member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation, he is director of the Shinnecock Indian Education Program on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation. Coard is also CEO of Hoop Skool Foundation, a nonprofit that targets at-risk student athletes and identifies potential boarding schools to help them find success academically, athletically, and socially. Throughout the years, Coard has been a leading supporter of Berkshire’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students and alumni. He has been instrumental in helping create Berkshire’s first DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Alumni Council, having served as co-chair of the Council’s selection committee. Those in the Berkshire community who know and work with Coard remark consistently on the depth of his volunteerism, generosity, humor, optimism, and desire to better the lives of those around him. These traits shine brightly in his work on behalf of the entire Berkshire community in ways that are both visible and behind the scenes. As former faculty member Nancy Duryee-Aas noted, “... prior to this award, many in the Berkshire community may not have understood that Kenny truly has been an unsung hero.” What is always clear, however, is his desire to help young people. As Bobby Moran ’87 stated, “I love Kenny’s commitment and dedication to improving children’s lives.” He lives in Southampton, NY, with his wife, June, son, Kendall, and daughters, Autumn ’22 and Chelsea ’23.

Summer 2021

Alumni Spotlight

DEI ALUMNI COUNCIL In the spring, Berkshire launched its first DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Alumni Council, which has been a collaborative effort across the entire Berkshire community. The idea emerged from numerous thoughtful and intentional conversations among alumni, students, faculty and staff, and school leaders who advocated for a DEI Alumni Council to help make the School a more inclusive community. Head of School Pieter Mulder said, “We’re grateful for the hard work and support of the Council members as we work toward making Berkshire a more equitable and inclusive environment for every member of our community.” Board of Trustees members Robin Levi P’21 and Kenneth Coard ’85, P’22,’23, led the DEI Selection Committee process for the School. “We were looking for alumni with a deep commitment to DEI work who also have skills and experience relevant to Berkshire, the desire to dedicate time and energy to this initiative, and a love for the School,” Levi shared. “We hope the Council members will contribute new and valuable ideas for building and supporting the community at Berkshire and encourage other alumni from all backgrounds to get involved.” The Council is organized to advance the Berkshire’s 2019 Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan by working across six areas of school life: academics, admissions, athletics and afternoon programs, alumni engagement/ advancement, student life, and faculty and staff support. It is composed of 26 members, representing both BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and white alumni. Along with the Council members, a Berkshire faculty or staff member

Berkshire Bulletin

will work with each of the above school-life subcommittees. As the Council moves forward, it will engage with current students, faculty, and staff, and lean on alumni for their perspectives and recommendations on how to be most effective. Brittany Brown ’13 and Rob Jacobs ’04 will serve as the Council’s co-chairs. “Both Britt and Rob have the skills to bridge divides, bring people together, and focus on the project at hand,” said Coard. Jacobs and Brown have each expressed their excitement about leading the Council. “James Baldwin said it best: ‘Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced,’” Jacobs said. “Berkshire is uniquely positioned to have a meaningful impact on DEI, both in school and around the world. I look forward to making it a success.” And Brown said she was “humbled and honored” to be chosen as one of the first co-chairs. “I look forward to working with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and parents in making Berkshire a more diverse and inclusive educational institution as we continue to mold the leaders of generations to come,” she said. berkshireschool.org/ diversity&inclusion

Ms. Brittany E. Brown ‘13 Co-chair

Mr. Robert J. Jacobs ‘04 Co-chair Mr. Losseni O. Barry ‘18 Dr. Rhonda M. Bentley-Lewis ‘86 Mr. Alexander F. Buteux ‘08 Mr. David H. Chiang ‘05 Ms. Samone J. DeFreese ‘16 Ms. Dalisa Espinosa ‘10 Ms. Cathleen F. FitzGerald ‘85 Mr. Abdul A. Fox ‘89 Mr. John N. Harris, Jr. ‘82 Ms. Marianne Ho Barnum ‘78 Mr. Shawn D. Ingram ‘85 Mr. Klayton H. Johnson ‘10 Mrs. D’vonna S. Johnson-Hines ‘85 Ms. Martha Hagerty Kirkpatrick ‘11 Ms. Angela Lange Meredith-Jones ‘87 Ms. Farah N. Osman Nurse ‘86 Mr. Philip A. Sandick ‘01 Ms. Denise F. Saunders ‘83 Mr. Titus Stewart, Jr. ‘89 Ms. Selina A. Sun ‘10 Mr. Jiles T. Turning Heart ‘04 Ms. Unyimeabasi N. Udoh ‘13 Mr. John E. Washington, Jr. ‘72 Mr. Javier Cruz Winnik ‘96

Alumni Spotlight

DEI WORK ON CAMPUS

“We hope the Council members will contribute new and valuable ideas for building and supporting the community at Berkshire and encourage other alumni from all backgrounds to get involved.” —Robin Levi P’21 DEI Selection Committee Co-Chair

Honoring Dr. King’s Legacy This year, Berkshire honored the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a full day of programming and student-led discussions around the theme “Choosing Hope and Power: Finding the Soul of the Nation.” The day included an all-school Zoom assembly with music from acclaimed performer Wanda Houston, as well as presentations and discussions with leaders in the fields of education, law, and social justice. Learn about the leaders and their workshops here: berkshireschool.org/mlk

Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month In May, Kelly Tsai, an award-winning writer and filmmaker, spent a virtual afternoon with Berkshire’s community to commemorate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which honors Asian Americans’ and Pacifc Islander Americans’ contributions and influences to the history and culture of the United States. Tsai performed some of her spoken word poetry and led a community discussion over Zoom with students who were listening and contributing within their advisory groups. kellytsai.com

The Berkshire Chorus shared their moving recording of rock band U2’s elegy to Dr. King, “MLK,” during Black History Month.

Listen here: bit.ly/ChorusMLK

BSU Hosts Speaker In honor of Black History Month, the Black Student Union hosted Baratunde Thurston at an all-school virtual event. Thurston, an Emmy-nominated host and “New York Times” bestselling author of “How to Be Black,” led a conversation moderated by co-All-School President Angela Ansah ’21 and faculty member John Speer. The writer and comedian, who has worked for “The Onion” and “The Daily Show,” answered many thoughtful questions from students and shared his ideas for how we can all work towards a better, if imperfect, society. baratunde.com

Listen here:: bit.ly/ChorusMLK

Summer 2021

P A Y I N G

I T

F O R W A R D

PLAN YOUR LEGACY GIFT TODAY THE HENRY H. BARD, JR. ESTATE GIFT In 2005, Dr. Henry “Hank” Bard, Jr. ’41 placed Berkshire in his estate plans, wishing to commemorate his four-year experience under the Mountain. When Dr. Bard’s estate settled in 2020, Berkshire worked closely with his family to follow his wishes by establishing three new faculty chairs. Two of these chairs celebrate Berkshire faculty legends Albert Keep, Class of 1924, and Frank W. Beattie, Jr., while the third celebrates Dr. Bard’s passion for U.S. history with the Henry H. Bard, Jr. Class of 1941 Endowed Chair in History. In creating these chairs, Dr. Bard and his family planned their estate to honor the teachers who had a tremendous impact on his Berkshire experience, his university and medical school accomplishments, and his remarkable career in medicine that spanned more than 50 years.

Albert Keep Class of 1924 Endowed Chair in History (2019)

This Chair honors Albert Keep ’24, Berkshire’s second head of school, revered history instructor, and member of the School’s board of trustees. Keep resigned his post as head of school in 1943 when he answered the call to serve his country in World War II. Keep’s enduring commitment to his students extended well beyond their graduation, as he continued to support so many through their university and professional careers. The recipient of the Albert Keep Class of 1924 Chair in History embodies Keep’s keen intellect as well as his powerful role as a mentor committed to his students’ growth and development at Berkshire and beyond.

Berkshire Bulletin

Frank W. Beattie, Jr. Endowed Chair in Music (2019)

Henry H. Bard, Jr. Class of 1941 Endowed Chair in History (2019)

Established to honor Frank W. Beattie, Jr., this Chair celebrates an exceptional educator who understood the power of the Berkshire community and the students who studied here. Beattie left his mark on four decades of students through his steadfast belief in them. Whether in the music classroom, at the track, or on the football field, Beattie was admired for his ability to connect with students and motivate them to be their very best. This Chair honors a highly skilled instructor whose kindness, encouragement, and empathy embody Beattie, a champion of students whom Henry H. Bard, Jr. always remembered for his support and advocacy.

This Chair recognizes an exceptional Berkshire instructor who possesses an unwavering passion for teaching and a tireless commitment to helping students thrive both in the classroom and in all aspects of their everyday lives. The Chair honors that rare history instructor whose teaching brings the past to life, making it relevant today and creating connections to the present that embolden students to think critically and creatively about the subject in a way they hadn’t before. The Chair also celebrates the instructor who naturally inspires the students he or she teaches, coaches, and advises, and instills in them a lifelong love of the discipline, the same way Henry H. Bard, Jr. was inspired by his history teachers while at Berkshire.

P A Y I N G

I T

F O R W A R D

s co-chairs of The John F. Godman Society, we proudly encourage our extended Berkshire family to join us to ensure Berkshire’s continued success. Donors who choose to include Berkshire in their estate plans are welcomed into The John F. Godman Society, introduced in 1996 by the board of trustees to recognize the critical role that planned giving plays in the success of Berkshire School. Having served as Berkshire’s dedicated headmaster from 1951–1970, John F. Godman left a generous bequest to the School prior to his death in 1987. In addition, in 1985, the Class of 1961 established the John F. Godman Fund to provide the core funding for scholarships in Mr. Godman’s name. The School is forever grateful for the foresight and generosity shown by Mr. Godman and all those who have demonstrated such a commitment to the future of life under the Mountain. Planned gifts may include bequests, appreciated securities, gifts of real estate, gifts of life insurance, and/or charitable income gifts, such as charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder unitrusts, charitable remainder annuity trusts, or charitable lead trusts. We are so proud to be members of The John F. Godman Society. It was easy to join and fulfilling to know that our commitment will help Berkshire long after we’re gone.

Welcoming New Members of The John F. Godman Society Berkshire School was thrilled to welcome the following donors to The John F. Godman Society in the 2020–2021 fiscal year. We are so grateful to each of these donors for including Berkshire School in their estate plans. Their generous commitment will continue to help the School grow and prosper so that a Berkshire education is available to all who qualify for admission. Joseph D. Bodak, Jr. ’60 Michael D. Gutenplan ’99 Lori Mandel Jennifer G. Nichols ’87 Samuel Q. Nichols, Jr. Katherine B. Nichols Katherine Nichols Olney ’85 Willard B. Soper II ’66 Vernon F. Taylor III ’66

Hans L. Carstensen III ‘66

Bebe Clark Bullock ‘86, P’14,’17,’21

Co-chairs, The John F. Godman Society

Make your impact on Berkshire as a member of The John F. Godman Society: Estate planning gifts such as Dr. Bard’s (at left) are effective tax planning vehicles that provide tremendous benefits for both the donor and Berkshire School. If you’d like to learn more about planned giving strategies to benefit your estate and Berkshire School, please contact our Director of Planned Giving Bill Bullock at (413) 229-1368 or wbullock@berkshireschool.org. He looks forward to discussing how to create an individualized plan for you and your estate. berkshireschool.planningyourlegacy.org

Summer 2021

Class Notes

several occasions. Unfortunately, my wife has been in assisted living for four years now, but my children live around me so I’m thankful for that. Unfortunately, almost all of my friends my age have gone to live with the Lord.”

1951

1948

John B. Hull III 413-528-1528

George Church III 413-448-6199

1952

______________________________

Jon Miller writes: “Dr. Ira Straus stated in National Review in 1997 that: ‘When Gorbachev spoke of a common European home, he meant: if Russia could not defeat the West, at least it could join it.’ To Western officials this was destabilizing ... Yeltsin made the offer of a surrender-equivalent even clearer ... and spoke of joining NATO. Still the West showed no interest. The practical result of Russia joining NATO would have been that Russia would be giving up, on paper anyway, complete control of its nukes. Paper, though not everything, does count for something. For instance, no more Cuban Missile Crises. Why was this denied to us by a bunch of NATO bureaucrats? As a private historical researcher, I’m interested in finding out.” Charlie Sutton writes: “I celebrated my 90th birthday on April 3, 2020, and continue to publish the family-run newspaper Vermont Country Sampler, which my wife, Catherine O’Kane, started 37 years ago, then a single mom. I almost ‘bought the store’ a few times but the ‘big copy desk in the sky’ can’t have me yet. The key to my long life is to keep working at something I enjoy doing.”

70 th

1953 Moe England ‘49 is happy to be here!

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

______________________________

Moe England writes: “I would love to hear from and get together with any 1949 alumni! I’ve been meeting with Bob Doyle and Ben Davenport for years. I would love to widen the circle. Hope to hear from one and all!”

John G. Cluett jcluett34@gmail.com

______________________________

Herb Roskind writes: “John Cluett, grandson of the School’s founder, Seaver Buck, and I stay regularly in touch. He is in Florida and I’m in Arizona. A number of ’53s are still around and hope to make it back for our 70th reunion in 2023. We are working on it.”

1950 Hugh Hessler writes: “I am 89 years young and live in Frankfort, MI, one of the loveliest areas on the shores of Lake Michigan. I have been retired for over 20 years. My wife and I owned a small furniture store which is now owned and run by my son and daughter-in-law. Our business was seasonal so in the spring we traveled all over the world to more than 60 countries. We have four children and all are very successful. Our oldest daughter was a Peace Corps director under Obama, which enabled us to travel to different continents on Herb Roskind ‘53 with his wife, Laura

Become a Class Agent!

Submit a Class Note!

Contact Jen Nichols ’87 at jnichols@berkshireschool.org.

Share your news at www.berkshireschool.org/classnote.

Berkshire Bulletin

1954 Mike Smith writes: “I’m sure the rest of you, who are still around and kicking, are equally saddened by the passing of

Class Notes

our classmate, Pete Van Vleet Young. Always contributing and helpful; we’ll miss you.”

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

1956 Daniel C. M. Crabbe crabsail@icloud.com

______________________________

Tim Austin writes: “I received both Pfizer inoculations, have been on chemotherapy for more than 18 months, and I am still working.”

1957

65 th

Walter S. Henrion walthenrion@gmail.com

______________________________

Walt Henrion writes: “As all my classmates know, I have had a love affair with Berkshire for close to 70 years. Over the years, there has been mild disappointment for me, namely our college placements. I am very proud of the college placements for the class of 2020. Thirty percent are attending colleges/universities in the top tier of schools, the likes of Yale, Williams, Dartmouth, and Bowdoin. And this is but the tip of the iceberg with the class of 2020 going to other wonderful schools. My hat off to Pieter Mulder, the entire faculty, the student body, and to Erin Lyman, director of college counseling, for the fine work they are doing.” Mac Odell writes: “Like all classmates, I stayed virtually locked down with Marcia in our little town house in Georgetown, DC, for the full year from March 2020, staying safe from a tragically avoidable pandemic. But that didn’t stop us from writing thousands of postcards to get out the vote for the big

election and then hunker down during the Capitol insurrection, genuinely fearful for the soul of our nation. My refreshing escape from all this has been reprogramming my Great Himalaya Trail project to adapt to the pandemic and to embark on a major fundraising campaign, focusing initially on the Rotary network that originally helped fund Hillary’s Sherpa school project 50 years ago.”

1958 Benjamin J. Rosin benrosin@aol.com

______________________________

Chuck DuCharme writes: “In the outskirts of Grosse Pointe, MI, the town I’m in, is a house where the Southern poet Sidney Lanier died in [c.1880] during the Civil War. Working together with Larry Mills ’36, we found that Lanier’s grandson, Sidney, graduated from Berkshire in 1920 and went on to investment banking in NYC. The private library in Tryon, NC, is named after his grandfather. Stay well.”

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

______________________________

Harry MacLean writes: “My second book, ‘Once Upon a Time: A True Story of Memory, Murder, and the Law’ is the subject of a Showtime documentary series entitled, ‘Memory Wars.’ The show is scheduled for release next September or October. The book/documentary tells the story of a woman who claimed to recover a repressed memory of her father murdering her playmate 20 years earlier. The father was convicted solely on the basis of the ‘recovered memory.’ The book was a New York Times notable book of the year. I am the principal narrator in the series.”

1961 Peter R. Kellogg pkellogg@iatre.com

______________________________

Ed Hunt writes: “In a time when we’ve often felt housebound during the pandemic, we are grateful for several wonderful visits from our children and grandchildren. Brad ’95 and his wife Lauren visited from Salem, MA, bringing along our 3-year-old goingon-25 granddaughter, Eveline, and grandson, Andrew, almost two. We also had a welcome break from our routine with a visit from Tom ’97 and his wife, Julie, who just moved to Ballston Spa, NY, with their 4-year-old son, Lincoln.”

1962

60 th

Andrew S. Berkman aberkman@cpny.com

______________________________

Jamie Murray writes: “This past spring, while my wife Coo, and I were at the Windsor Club, north of Vero Beach, FL. I enjoyed notes from classmates Al Popkess, Jeff Denker, Dave Hemelright, Steve Fletcher, Bob Leuthy, and Stu Marsh. It seems that joint replacement and COVID restrictions are occupying many of us. But, it’s great that we are still connected. I hope to see Peter Kellogg ’61 at the Yeamans Hall Club.”

Jamie Murray ‘62 and his wife, Coo Summer 2021

Class Notes

1963 Peter V. K. Parsons pvkp2@msn.com

______________________________

Dick Corwin writes: “After some 25 years practicing maritime law, in 1995 I shifted to marine insurance, where I remained until 2015 when I retired from Gard (a Norwegian insurer of ocean-going ships, offshore platforms, subsea pipelines, and owners’ liabilities) with which I was associated for 20 years. During the last 10 years, my wife, Bonnie, and I lived in Tokyo and Hong Kong. In 2015, we returned to New York City, where we live on West 60th Street. I spend some time as an arbitrator (disputes under maritime contracts such as charters of merchant vessels), am an active user of the gym at the New York Athletic Club, and try to take a couple of ski trips with friends each year.” John Grace writes: “Hello classmates. Pat and I moved to Santa Barbara, CA, to be closer to family. All good here. Enjoying the history, culture, and arts in the area. Let me know if any of you are in the region.” Peter Parsons writes: “Dear classmates, In the last Bulletin, I noticed that we had no class agent, and despite everything I learned in my five years in the military, I volunteered. I would enjoy hearing from all of you as to how you would like to stay in contact, and what you might want to share with your classmates. After a year of intensive online study, I was recently certified as a health, life, and business coach. The coaching methodology is a wonderful way of helping people achieve success in almost any endeavor, and if you have any interest, please feel free to contact me for a free consultation of how I may be of help to you or someone you know.”

Berkshire Bulletin

Bob Mustard ‘67 clan. Heather Mustard Lovett ‘92 third from right

1964 Geoff Bray writes: “I taught a Pro Vita class for the second time at Berkshire. This year was very different due to COVID. The subject was ‘Bugatti—The Art of Design.’ Realizing students are undoubtedly aware of today’s hyper cars, but not necessarily from whence they came. Interestingly back in 1963– 64, I took some heat for saying racing cars could do 200 mph, and now I’m talking about a road car that exceeds 300. Such is life.” Bill Sheehan writes: “Went to Yale, studied English. Married Lynn. Law degree from UPenn. Federal court clerkship NYC. Went to a small DC law firm (17 lawyers) when Lynn was hired by the National Gallery of Art. Assistant to the Solicitor General, Justice Department, then back to law firm. Moved to Maryland farm outside DC when Lynn became a professional horse trainer (dressage). Deputy General Counsel, Defense Department, then back to law firm, which merged with a giant firm (1,000 lawyers); chaired appellate litigation group for 10 years; quit and became general counsel of the American Bird Conservancy, where I am today. I take riding, piano, and squash lessons; tend ornamental and vegetable gardens; collect bronze

sculpture; travel. Lynn and I will celebrate 52 years in June. Without Berkshire, no Yale, no Lynn.”

1966 Harlan J. Swift, Jr. timswifty@gmail.com

1967

55 th

F. Woodson Hancock III woods1949@gmail.com

______________________________

Bob Mustard writes: “Outside of a few quarantines, COVID has spared our family. Miss three of the grandkids, but added a fourth that stayed with us. Looking forward to Chatham and golf. Hope to see Mike Warren this summer. My 50th college reunion was in June. Still flying but never quite as fast as Steve Connolly.”

1968 L. Keith Reed lkreed.mt@gmail.com

______________________________

Keith Reed writes: “Jim Fergus’ third book of his ‘One Thousand White Women’ trilogy came out on April 6. The book is titled, ‘Strongheart.’ Congratulations, Jim!”

Class Notes

Kane Morgan ‘22, son of Steve Morgan ‘69, playing dodgeball during Winter Carnival at Berkshire.

1969 Kent S. Clow III ksc3@msn.com

Pete Groninger writes: “Thinking about the past 50 years (and channeling Jerry Garcia): ‘What a long, strange trip it’s been.’ After graduating from college in 1974, I struggled to get some traction in life. Finally got into banking, where I spent the remainder of my professional life, primarily as a fixed-income portfolio manager. Married in 1976, divorced in 1991, remarried in 2005. One daughter who lives in DC and two grandchildren in Chicago burbs. Retired in 2013, and spend my winters in Florida and the bulk of the year in Chicago. Life is good, and I certainly don’t understand the source of my good fortune. Regrettably, I haven’t kept in touch with any of my classmates (with the brief exception of Charlie Neuhauser). Would love to change that as well.”

______________________________

Steve Morgan writes: “Here’s a picture of my son, Kane ’22, ready to nail someone while playing dodgeball during Winter Carnival at Berkshire. Note his dorm’s hippy era, representing the class of ’69 well. He’s excited to contribute to Bear wins on the mound this spring as a lefthanded pitcher! He’s lovin’ Berkshire!”

Kevin J. Bruemmer kevin.bruemmer@gmail.com

______________________________

Phil McCahill writes: “I retired to Cape Cod, MA, in 2016 after 37 years with Xerox Corp. (33 years in Rochester, NY, three in Dallas, TX, and the last from home on the Cape.) Now I spend my time traveling (not in 2020) and volunteering for several nonprofit organizations. Looking forward to spending more time with family in 2021 as the pandemic hopefully winds down. We miss the hugs from our 6-year-old granddaughter.” Tom Stewart writes: “(Bearing in mind that I grew up a faculty kid.) Berkshire, my bare feet, on a pine-needle floor, in the dappling light, beneath old pines.”

1972

50 th

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

______________________________

Nick Johnson writes: “I continue as director of dance at Wichita State University (WSU) teaching mime and dance. I keep in good touch with Clark Brown, who just guest lectured to students at WSU (a Zoom class in experimental theatre). I blame Clark for my career choice.”

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

______________________________

Ted Batsch writes: “Living in West Palm Beach, FL, and working on a major refit of a 44m yacht.”

1971

Robin McGraw ‘70 says goodbye to some of his boys.

SUPERSIZED Ted Batch ‘70 working on a refit of a 44m yacht in the shipyard before the tent goes on.

Robin McGraw ’70 and Buzz McGraw’s daughter, Andi McGraw ’17, graduated from Connecticut College on the Dean’s List and was a 4-year NESCAC scholar athlete.

JUNE 10–12, 2022 Welcoming Back ‘0s, ‘1s, ‘2s, ‘5s, ‘6s, and ‘7s!

Summer 2021

Class Notes

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

Andrew Baseman ’78’s set decoration for the film “In the Heights,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release

1974 Louise A. Clement luluinsf2005@yahoo.com

will air later in the year. Looking forward to working on my next movie!”

1975 Frank Potash writes: “We’ve spent the past year at our New Marlborough, MA, house, only eight miles from Berkshire— the longest stretch of time I’ve been here since graduation. A tough year for all, but I don’t have to tell you what a beautiful part of the world in which to be sequestered during the pandemic. We look forward to retiring here soon, and to a time when the class of ’75 can meet again under the Mountain.”

Ian Foster ‘76 and Al Gonzalez at the US Air Force Academy Winter Classic (LA Kings vs. Avalanche) in Colorado 2019.

considered not important for our great nation. The beauty of Berkshire School is the wonderful diversification of ethnic backgrounds amongst all the classes. We will get through these difficult times as this nation did in the 1918 pandemic. Wear the mask and stay safe even if you are able to get a vaccine.”

1977

Lily Leonard Goodale writes: “I’m living in Jupiter, FL, where I am a Montessori teacher at Turtle River Montessori School. I continue to divide my time between Florida and Ecuador. My husband has a horse farm in Ecuador. All four of our children live in Maine.”

45 th

Richard M. McGivern rmcgivern@msn.com

1978 Birney B. Boehland bbboehland@gmail.com David Peck ‘75 and Jamie Craig ‘75 attended Motocross of Nations in Michigan. David occasionally races a 1975 dirt bike in vintage motocross.

1976 Stephen H. Hassett shasse01@gmail.com

______________________________

Ian Foster writes: “What a challenging year it has been. I became eligible for the J&J vaccine on May 1. Seeing the trend in Georgia to suppress voting just makes me sick that all the efforts through the ’60s to present are 80

Berkshire Bulletin

______________________________

Andrew Baseman writes: “Even with the threat of COVID-19 looming, I managed to have a very busy year! ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ opened last fall and was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. For my work, I was nominated for an Art Director’s Guild Award and a Set Directors Society Award. After a long delay, ‘In the Heights’ finally opened in June. My current project is the Apple TV series ‘Severance,’ and principal photography will be completed soon and

Lily Leonard Goodale ‘78 with her two daughters

1979 Robert D. Thomas bthomas@wwsg.com

______________________________

Andy Brooks writes: “I played 100 Disc (frisbee) golf courses in 100 days, drove about 7000+ miles, saw friends, alums, met lots of interesting people, rode a jet ski around Key West, FL, went on an airboat in the Everglades, watched expensive

Class Notes

1980 Kimberley C. Fuchs kcfuchs33@verizon.net Ralph J. Lamberto uticaeyedoc@gmail.com Steven P. Veronesi sveronesi@cox.net

______________________________

reunion was cancelled again (but I understand of course). Was looking forward to seeing you all! Still in Utah, still writing software (but mostly building analytics these days). Picked up golf again about three years ago and seem to have an active addiction—I’m sure I can quit anytime though. Just got back from Phoenix, AZ, and played seven rounds in four days ... haven’t skied much this year though. Family is doing great and just living a life of gratitude these days. Best wishes for all of you. ’81 Best!”

Andy Brooks ‘79

boats go in and out of Haulover Inlet in Miami, saw J.J. Walker perform stand up in Clearwater with my friend (a bounty hunter, need someone found?), and went to a baby shower. The only thing on my schedule was the baby shower.” Susie Norris writes: “Planning my Berkshire School Pro Vita class, ‘The Science of Chocolate Truffles,’ gave me a chance to connect with faculty and staff in a way that always deepens my connection to Berkshire. It’s alive! The students gave me something new to think about—this year, I noticed how resilient they were and how their friendships and learning styles seemed strong despite compromises we all had to make for a safe environment. Inspiring! They earned their allotment of handmade French-style chocolate truffles!”

SUPPORT BERKSHIRE’S ANNUAL FUND! Every gift supports a Berkshire experience.

Kurt Kristensen ‘80 and Michael Bruno ‘80 catching up after 39 years!

Kurt Kristensen writes: “Took a fishing trip out of Venice, LA, and stopped in New Orleans to see Michael Bruno! It had been 39 years since we last hung out so we had a lot to catch up on. All is well!” Vero Veronesi writes: “Very disappointed that our 40th was derailed! Was looking forward to seeing all of the 1980 pretty faces! Entering my 36th year in the mortgage industry. All three kids are grown with my middle son Keith ’10 recently married. Sadly, my dad passed away on Father’s Day weekend in 2019 but visions of him at every game of mine and then every game of Keith’s some 30+ years later, same fields, same rink, never goes away. Hoping that we can all connect very soon!”

1981 Annie Godfrey Clyne clyne@optonline.net Sue Ann Stanton sasroyale@yahoo.com

______________________________

Max Maxwell writes: “Pretty disappointed that the face-to-face

Allen Maxwell ‘81 and his wife, Cathy

Tony Scheinman writes: “Even while under stay-at-home orders, I’ve had a very busy fall, completing production on three audiobooks, all approved by their authors and awaiting audio review by Audible, and upping my number of audiobook credits to 16! I’ll also be appearing in the low-budget feature film ‘Sanctioning Evil,’ in which I will be murdered for the first time on screen! I will be appearing in a featured role in a second season episode of the Netflix series ‘Russian Doll.’” Mark Wickers writes: “Hope everyone is doing well. We live in Colorado full time but are living in New Hampshire this year. During these times I am lucky to be able to work from anywhere, so why not? Summer 2021

Class Notes

Vermont, unlike some other states, we want to encourage our citizens to vote. I have registered 1,375 Vermonters to vote. Look forward to seeing my classmates at our 40th reunion in 2022. R.I.P. my dear friend and Berkshire brother, Brian Fahy 1962–2020.”

Mark Wickers ’81 with his wife, Michelle, hiking in New Hampshire

We are enjoying lots of outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, biking, backyard fires, star gazing and picnics when it’s warm enough. We really hope the best to you and your families! Mark and Michelle.”

1982

40 th

Anthony P. Addison doubleany1@gmail.com Andrew Champagne 802-540-0717 James E. Demmert jamesdemmert@gmail.com Rosemary G. Fitzgerald rose@spiderwebstudio.com Jay K. Overbye joverbye@bhsusa.com George L. Rioseco III laxcoachgeorge@gmail.com Gayle S. Saks gaylesaks@gmail.com

______________________________

Andrew Champagne writes: “Thank you Mr. Mulder and all the faculty, staff, and students for their diligence to keep our beloved school safe during the pandemic. Berkshire School, like our country, has weathered many storms and has always emerged stronger. I have been involved in Democratic politics as a member of the Vermont State Democratic Committee. I was fortunate enough to be elected as a national delegate for President Biden at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. In 82

Berkshire Bulletin

Alex Sumner ‘82 and family in Southampton, NY—Alexander (19), Bella Blue (11), and Isha (forever 21)

John N. Harris, Jr. ‘82

John Harris writes: “Hello Berkshire family! 2020 was quite the rollercoaster ride. During the first quarter of 2020, I had the time of my life. I was able to complete two Christian mission trips building schools in Nairobi, Kenya, and Antigua, Guatemala. By the second quarter, I almost lost my mother and brother to COVID-19 in the same week. Prayerfully, they survived. However, 2021 has started off with a bang. I became a published author, launching my first book called, ‘Breakthrough Success,’ available on Amazon. One hundred percent of the book royalties go to two charities: www.hugitforward.org and www.stjudes.org. Wishing everyone health, wealth, and happiness!”

SUNY’s F.I.T.). Our eldest, Alexander, finished at St. Marks last spring and is following suit at UNC Chapel Hill as an education major, and Bella Blue (11) is creatively making her mark. I’ve been in the fashion industry for two decades and will soon be celebrating 25 years of marriage. Shout-outs to some of my upperclass brethren on their upcoming 40th reunion: Ennalls Berl ’81, Marty Berger ’81, Geoffrey Shutt ’81, Jorge Heilbron ’81, and Jim Haim ’81, to name a few.”

1983 Karen Schnurr Secrist karensecrist6@gmail.com

______________________________

1984 Debra Drucker druckerdeb@yahoo.com

______________________________

John Kuhn writes: “My son, Weston ’23, is headed to Berkshire in the fall! He will be the fifth Kuhn to attend Berkshire when he joins the fifth form and the Class of 2023! Go Bears!” Alex Sumner writes: “New York City has been our home for the better part of 35 years. Berkshire was central in engendering a desire to give back and teach (I spent 10 years with the NYC Board of Education and three years with

Bob Mueller writes: “Greetings. Hope all is well at School. Went whitewater rafting in Colorado last summer with some 1984 classmates. Kevin McCulloch, Stuart Gardner, Jamie Ward, Will Durland, William Lawrence, Robert Hutter, Talbot Adamson ’85, and Mike Doherty attended. We all had fun and came home in one piece. Unfortunately, Craig Powers could not join us, as he was at a yoga retreat that week.”

Class Notes

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

______________________________

Carla Klein Moriarty writes: “I sold my house in Teaneck, NJ, left my job, and moved to Santa Monica, CA, last August with my two teenagers smack in the middle of the worst time in the pandemic. I am being certified through UCLA in mindfulness facilitation and hoping to land a job with a private school for fall 2021–22.”

My husband and I have no children; however, we have two 4-legged children: Gabriella, a golden retriever and Molie, a golden retriever/lab. We live in Ashley Falls, MA, on 12 acres. I have unofficially retired from teaching to help my husband run his two businesses.”

1987

35 th

Janna Klyver Cord Jcord3214@gmail.com Angela Lange Meredith-Jones ameredithjones@gmail.com

Graham Goff ‘87, race director for the inaugural Montana Bike Odyssey. 1,770 glorious grueling miles around Montana in 19 days. Second running of the event will be in Bozeman, MT, in September.

Jeff Anderson writes: “It was a bittersweet decision for us, as we always dreamed of sending Joey to Berkshire and reliving that cherished experience vicariously through him. But Joey has committed to playing for his youth hockey coach, Bobby Ferraris, at TrinityPawling, and he will continue playing for his travel team, Westchester Express, through 18U. Joey’s looking forward to playing the Bears. Class of 2025!”

as well as a few other beauty startups through my agency, 4thFl. Looking forward to a summer in Maine with cats, dogs, and family. Lucie (12) sailing all summer as she prepares for 8th grade and Alice (17) starting to look at colleges. Oldest daughter, Eloise, will be teaching sailing on Lake Champlain as she enters into her senior year at UVM.”

______________________________

Thomas Maddock writes: “I am the new commissioner of the Albuquerque Premier Hockey League (APHL). The league consists of former Division I players, exminor league pros, and University of New Mexico Club team players.”

Around the corner from Carla Klein Moriarty ‘85’s home is this beautiful wall of bougainvillea.

1986 Rhonda M. Bentley-Lewis rblewis81411@gmail.com Anthony S. Clifford tclifford11@gmail.com Lara Schefler McLanahan lara.mclanahan@berkshireschool.org Ann C. Zimmerli-Haskel azh@me.com Erik C. Zimmerman erikzimmerman46@gmail.com

______________________________

Melinda Cinkala Handlowich writes: “I have been married for 20 years.

Joey Anderson, son of Jeff Anderson ‘87 and his wife, Dina, playing hockey for his travel team.

Sarah Kloman writes: “Sending love to all as we embrace 2021. Continue to consult as creative director for Victoria Beckham,

Thomas Maddock ‘87, retired Lt. Col, USAF and former Berkshire varsity hockey player, hits the ice as the new commissioner of the Albuquerque Premier Hockey League.

Summer 2021

Class Notes

excited about. It will be offered in the fall. My teenage kids are making it through COVID times—thank goodness for horses and soccer. Hope everyone is well.”

John Marshall ‘87 participated in the inaugural Montana Bike Odyssey with participant and Race Director Graham Goff ‘87.

Jen Nichols writes: “Enjoying life and work under the Mountain. I’m hoping our class will be able to gather in June 2022 for our 35th reunion. Not sure how that happened! I hope everyone is well and healthy. Please stay in touch.”

Blair Gawthrop Miller ‘87’s donkeys, Hazel and Olive

1988 Mirabelle, Ella, Caspar, and Angela Lange Meredith-Jones ‘87 looking at the Class of 1987 yearbook on a recent visit to Berkshire.

Angela Lange Meredith-Jones writes: “What a year we have all had! The silver lining has been having copious amounts of family time both in New York City and on Long Island. I have been working on small art projects; my 14-year-old twins applied to boarding school (and will be Berkshire Bears) and my eldest will be applying to college in the fall. We’re hoping the entire Berkshire family is staying healthy and keeping well!” Blair Gawthrop Miller writes: “We added two miniature donkeys to our growing equine family, so now there’s a horse, some chickens, dogs, a cat, and maybe a little parakeet—my husband calls me Blair Exotic. I’ve been invited to teach a course on diversity in historic preservation at the University of Colorado, Denver, which I’m really 84

Berkshire Bulletin

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

and caught hammerhead, sailfish, king mackerel, amber jack, and bonita.” Melissa Glick writes: “I’ve been living in Salt Lake, Utah, for the past 11 years. I have worked for the department of psychiatry at University of Utah for five years and have been a PA for the last 21. I ski whenever I can and made it through COVID with a vaccine in December. Got to ski 60 days so far and that’s been the best therapy. Still close to my Berkshire girls and got to have a great visit with Jenna Pollock this summer and Facetime with all my four year gals several times, which was the best.” Sherry Lautenbach Murphy writes, “I am living in Jupiter, FL, with my husband Mark and three teenage kids, Ned (19), Tulane University; Nick (17), University of Colorado Boulder; and finally, Grayson (15), a freshman. Had the pleasure of seeing my best friend/prom date Jon Clark ’89 in my hometown at the Honda Classic golf tournament with his adorable son, Oliver!”

1989 Andrew D. Allen andrewdrexelallen@gmail.com

______________________________

Andrew Allen writes: “Had a great time visiting Kirk Kellogg ’87 in Palm Beach, FL, to celebrate his recent engagement to Emily Maillet. We went deep sea fishing on his boat, ‘School’s Cancelled,’ Sherry Lautenbach Murphy ‘89 with Jon Clark ‘89 at The Honda Classic golf tournament in 2021

Kirk Kellogg ‘87 and Andrew Allen ‘89 at Buccan Restaurant in Palm Beach, FL, with two friends, Hank Brucker and Chris Merton.

Todd Thomas writes: “Since I was furloughed from Hospital Construction Management in February 2020, I split my time between helping create PPE and organizing citizens’ brigade responses to the ongoing pandemic

Class Notes

GET CONNECTED Try out Berkshire’s online networking platform:

BERKSHIRE SCHOOL CONNECT • Personalized feed of alumni updates: stay up-to-date with contacts • Full Berkshire directory: Re-engage with alumni, parents, and students • Mentorship program: Network and give/receive professional advice • Job board: Post openings and find job leads • Events: Stay in-the-know about gatherings across the country

Download the app today! www.berkshireschoolconnect.com

with www.nationofmakers.us and other national “maker” organizations (these organizations, church sewing circles, makerspaces, and individuals have helped create over 50 million pieces of PPE to date!). I also co-founded a company in Rhode Island last April, www.oceanstateshields.com, to help locally combat COVID-19 by developing applications and EPA approvals for our long-acting antimicrobial surface coatings. Then, I accidentally stumbled on an opportunity to help local restaurants survive indoor dining restrictions by designing from scratch and then producing winter outdoor dining igloos that survived multiple nor’easters with gale force winds and heavy snow without flinching!”

1990 Natalie Bradley Clarke ninabclarke@gmail.com

Brian Luts writes: “With the world trying to make steps towards getting back to normal, I’m excited to say we had our fourth annual L&G Charity Sporting Clays Competition for The Trip McNealy Foundation on April 22. We donated all proceeds to the military charity, Hero Dogs, Inc. They raise, train, and place service dogs to improve the quality of life for our nation’s heroes. At the beginning of March, I had the cool experience of teaching students at Berkshire during Pro Vita. The interaction and questions were great. I was pleasantly surprised by the give and take with the kids. If you have something you are passionate about, please offer it up to teach it. It may push you out of your comfort zone, but it’s worth it.” Dee McGaffey Schwein writes: “I’m happy to say that, as of March, we’re healthy and vaccinated. We look forward to traveling again, and having a do-over on our 15th wedding anniversary celebration, somewhere far from the confines of our living room! I joined the latest Berkshire alumni app (berkshireschoolconnect.com) and was able to reconnect with Anja Hennerkes Boettinger ’89, who’s happily married and living in Germany. May we all live in ‘less’ interesting times soon!”

Katharine Cutler Coughlin katecoughlin1@gmail.com Natalie Dillon natdillon28@gmail.com

______________________________

Jeremy LaCasse writes: “I thoroughly enjoyed an opportunity to engage with a great group of Berkshire fifth formers who came in excited and made the most of our time together in the Pro Vita class I co-taught with [Academic Dean] Brooke Depelteau, ‘Leading at Berkshire & Beyond.’” Deirdre McGaffey Schwein ‘90 showing off her vaccine chic Summer 2021

Class Notes

1991 John K. Fretz jfretz@outlook.com

1992

30 th

Abram W. Duryee III bduryee@hotmail.com

1993 Hilary Ivey Mueller hilary@schoolscuitessoftware.com Tenley E. Reed tenley@mac.com

______________________________

John Holbrook writes: “I started a small BBQ sauce and dry rub business a few years ago. I recently had a nice write up in a local magazine. I make all-natural BBQ sauces, hot sauces, and dry rubs. I also just started using a few of my dry rubs to make sweet and savory BBQ pecans and almonds. My website address is www.pitbullbbqsauce.com.”

Jared Soper writes: “Proud to share that our daughter, Annie P. Soper ’24, is officially a Berkshire Bear and headed under the Mountain this fall. Our family, including her grandfather, Willard B. Soper II ’66, and her aunt, Amanda Soper Henning ’97, can’t be more excited. Additionally, with our son, Bear, down the street at Salisbury School, my wife, Linda, and I look forward to spending more time back in New England and hopefully reconnecting with classmates from 1993!”

1995 Bradley P. Hunt colgate1399@gmail.com

______________________________

Ayren Moskowitz Pfeifer writes: “After 20 years moving around the country in support of my husband’s military career, it’s time to finally settle down as he transitions to civilian life. We have been in northern San Diego county, CA, for five years now. My husband and son have become avid surfers, and I’m leading a busy real estate team. I’m looking forward to serving as the Southern California Advisory Board ambassador and encourage any fellow Berkshire alums in San Diego to reach out to me anytime!”

1996 Katie C. King katiecking@yahoo.com Jules A. Lemire juleslemire@gmail.com Dylan B. Mattes dylan.mattes.nyc@gmail.com

Derek Chauvin.’ I shared both my experience at Berkshire as well as my experience as an educator. Also in May, I completed an advanced certificate in School District Leadership. Effective July 1, 2021 I will be a Principal in the New York City Department of Education. I look forward to this next step in my career.”

1997

25 th

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

1999 Michael D. Gutenplan michaelgutenplan@gmail.com George S. Scoville III gscovillempp@gmail.com

______________________________

Michael Gutenplan writes: “Over the past year, I’ve adjusted my mind-reading show to be all virtual. It’s been a blast entertaining, via the internet, people all across the country. Sarah Cushwa Divine, Alex Cutler, Becca Neagle, Nakia Howell-Turner ’96, and Jason Rano ’98 are just a few of the familiar faces I’ve seen at my shows! I also got to experience the thrill of a lifetime ... I was a contestant on ‘The Price is Right.’ I had so much fun, and yes ... I won!”

Seth J. T. Sanders sjtsanders@gmail.com

______________________________

John Holbrook ‘93 in the January 2021 edition of “Boca Raton Magazine” 86

Berkshire Bulletin

Nakia Howell-Turner writes: “The pandemic presented many challenges and opportunities. In May 2021, I virtually attended Berkshire’s All-School Meeting as a part of a panel discussing ‘BLM Day Programming: Liberty & Justice for All: Building Bridges Beyond

Michael Gutenplan ’99 using his psychic powers to win big!

Class Notes

Births & Adoptions 2002

1998

2008 Timur Pakay ’98 and wife, Stephanie Pietros, welcomed a baby girl on April 6 in New York. Cecilia Ela Pakay joins big brother Oliver.

Rachel Blandori Simon ’08 and her spouse, Jed, are excited to introduce their son, Axel Guard Simon, who was born January 22, 2021, and weighed in at 7.1 pounds and measured 19.5 inches.

The newest addition to the Emily Bean Livezey ’02 family is son, Rivers Buchanan Livezey, born on October 20, 2020. He is posing here with mom, dad, and siblings, Finley and Rawson.

2003

2001

2008 Melina Mae Sainsbury, daughter of Bubba Sainsbury ’08 and his wife, Seva, was born on February 2, 2021.

2007

Caitlin Marsden McNeill ’01 and her husband, Christopher, welcomed a daughter, Audrey Jane Marsden McNeill, on September 1, 2020. She weighed in at 6.15 pounds and measured 21 inches long.

Morgan Ralph ’03, with wife, Molly, and daughter, Willa Frances Ralph, at Mt. Ellen in Vermont in March. Willa totally “loving” her first après ski!

2000

Henry Fraser Cannon III, son of Nate Cannon ’07, and his wife, Jennifer, was born September 13, 2020. Pictured here with his auntie Kenzie Cannon ’05

Elizabeth (Bizzy) Louise Carter Boynton, daughter of Matt Boynton ’00 and his wife, Courtney, was born on February 7, 2021.

Summer 2021

Class Notes

George Scoville ’99 in his office in Nashville, TN

George Scoville writes: “Last fall, after helping to scrutinize now-Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s First Amendment jurisprudence during her tenure on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, I was named an adjunct fellow at the Institute for Free Speech in Washington, DC, the nation’s premiere advocacy and strategic litigation organization working to protect political speech. I continue my products liability and business/ commercial dispute resolution practices at Lewis Thomason, P.C. in Nashville, TN, often serving as local counsel in the state and federal courts of Tennessee.”

2000 Matthew D. Boynton boynton_matt@yahoo.com Sarah Scheinman Hulsey sarahscheinman@hotmail.com

______________________________

Anna Donahue Fiske writes: “I’m happy to report that my son, Thomas ’24, started as a third former at Berkshire last fall. I finished my MBA in 2019 and continue to work in healthcare administration. My husband and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary this past December and are still living on Cape Cod, MA.” Sarah Scheinman Hulsey writes: “What would we have thought back in 2000 if someone told us that our 20year reunion would be cancelled due 88

Berkshire Bulletin

Sarah Scheinman Hulsey ’00 camping in a Harvest Host winery on a California road trip

to a global pandemic? Hope everyone made it through and is doing well. My husband and I felt lucky to be living in Breckenridge, CO, this past year, where both the local library system (where I work) and the ski resort were business as usual.”

2001 Shannon M. Flynn flynnshannonm@gmail.com Peter A. Kearney, Jr. pkearneyjr@gmail.com Philip A. Sandick phil.sandick@gmail.com

John Plumb ’01 and family in Telluride, CO

for Hines (real estate developer and manager) and Katherine is a partner at Deloitte. Our family enjoys trips to the beach, hiking/skiing in Colorado, and visiting with friends.”

______________________________

Caitlin Hettinger Marsden McNeill writes: “Last September our little Audrey Jane Marsden McNeill entered the world. She is full of joy, happiness, and surrounded by a lot of love. We have been fortunate that I am still working from home in the Berkshires as my New York City office won’t be re-opening until fall 2021. I continue to work for Artemis Partners as the director of community relations in a role that has required increasing amounts of flexibility and persistence during the pandemic.” John Plumb writes: “I live in Houston, TX, with my wife, Katherine, and three children—Mary, Jack, and Kackie. I work

2002

20 th

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

______________________________

Devon O’Rourke writes: “Social distancing offered an opportunity for Jackie and I to seek out new outdoor adventures throughout Cape Cod, MA, with our now 6-year-old daughter, Finny. It’s certainly the most hiking we’ve done since our days spent under the Mountain, but admittedly a little easier given the maximum hill height out our way is about 20 feet. Jackie is

Class Notes

Engagements & Weddings 2015

Grayson Keith ’15 and Kenzie Lancaster ’15 got engaged on Easter 2021. They have been together six years since they met under the Mountain and are excited to say “I Do” to the rest of their lives together!

2012

Joe Connolly ’12 and Jillian Spector got engaged on March 19, 2021.

1987

2010

Alex Colbert ’10 and Tyler Roselli ’10 were married in Longboat Key, FL, on April 9, 2021.

2008 Wylie Galvin and Helen Pearsall ’08 got engaged on February 4, 2021, at their home in Edwards, CO.

2005

Kirk Kellogg ‘87 and Emily Maillet got engaged in Palm Beach, FL, on March 6, 2021.

Melissa Young proposed to Kacey Bellamy ’05 on January 21, 2021, at Emerald Lake, British Columbia, Canada, on their way to Golden. Summer 2021

Class Notes

thriving in her consulting work, and I recently joined a biotech startup after earning my doctorate back in 2019. We look forward to seeing faces again on campus soon.” Allison Zelman writes: “I have been asked to serve in the Biden Administration as deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Labor.”

Faye Abrams Klein fayevklein@gmail.com

Jeff Wexler writes: “A busy 2020 working on the Democratic Convention, BidenHarris campaign, and transition, which led to an even busier 2021. Started a new job in January as director of COVID-19 Operations at the White House.”

William C. Stern wcstern1@gmail.com

2007

moment! Hope everyone is safe and healthy out there!”

2004

Kraig D. Strong kskraigstrong@gmail.com

______________________________

Kat Valiotis writes: “Greetings from Greece! Wishing all good health and patience to get through this. Development and management here—a food production facility now in operation and a resort hotel under construction.”

2005 Matthew G. Crowson matthew.g.crowson@gmail.com

______________________________ Allison Zelman ’02 at her “virtual swearing-in ceremony” with her husband (not pictured) and son, Caleb, who is 15-months-old

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

______________________________

Hansjörg Behrens-Ramberg writes: “My girlfriend and I got engaged in August and moved to our new home in Germany. We’re planning to get married in 2022.” Morgan Ralph writes: “My wife, Molly, and I welcomed our first child, Willa Frances Ralph in February. By the time this is published, I’m hoping we will be getting a full night’s sleep, although I’m told that’s very optimistic! The Berkshire staff was kind enough to send a little Berkshire onesie, but she’s way too tiny to fill that out at the 90

Berkshire Bulletin

Kacey Bellamy writes: “I have been living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, for the last three years. I got engaged in January at beautiful Emerald Lake in British Columbia. I recently retired from the National Team but I will continue to stay involved in the game to help inspire the next generation of players. I also joined a sports media company, TorchPro. The company is a platform that helps to educate and inspire the next generation by telling the stories of professional athletes. On their website, TorchPro.com, you can access videos on players’ day-to-day habits. Through training, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and mindset, younger athletes can use these tools to improve.”

2006 Courtney J. Kollmer courtney.j.kollmer@pwc.com Stephen W. Piatelli steve.piatelli@gmail.com

______________________________

15 th

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

______________________________

Nate Cannon writes: “2020 was an interesting year for the Cannon family as we celebrated one year of marriage, two years of living in Salem, NH, and welcomed our own Bear cub, Henry Fraser Cannon III. Henry arrived 11 weeks early and spent 86 days in the NICU.” Zan Scala Christoferson writes: “I am excited to announce that, after 10 years in the field of art therapy, the last six as a licensed professional counselor and board certified art therapist, I have opened my own private practice, Art Therapy Explorations, LLC, currently utilizing teletherapy with plans for a physical location in New Haven County, CT, later this year.”

Zan Scala Christoferson ’07’s business logo created by Sean Taillefer ’12

Class Notes

2008 Christopher J. Buonomo cjbuonomo@gmail.com

hope this note finds the rest of you Bears doing well and staying safe throughout the remainder of this pandemic—I can see light at the end of the tunnel!”

2010 Charles B. H. Brey cbrey11@gmail.com

Erica Ginsberg Murphy eginzie@gmail.com

Alexandra Colbert Roselli abcolber@gmail.com

Mary E. Pace maryelizabethpace@gmail.com

William R. Hearty wrhearty@gmail.com

Abigail I. Tufts abigail.tufts@gmail.com

Christopher B. Landry landrycb@gmail.com

Chris Buonomo writes: “It was a great experience to teach my first Pro Vita Class, ‘How to Ready a City: An Introduction to Urban Planning.’ The first Pro Vita was during my senior year at Berkshire, and I was glad to be able to be a part of it again.”

Kelsey A. Markiewicz kelsey.markiewicz@gmail.com

______________________________

Shannon E. Nelson senelson913@gmail.com

J.J. Jemison ’09 and his wife, Mandy, with Jalen Jerome on the way!

Bubba Sainsbury writes: “My wife and I introduced our first newborn, a baby girl, in February 2021. Her name is Melina Mae and she has already brought us so much joy and has melted our hearts. I will also be completing my residency program in endodontics and will be relocating to Tampa, FL, to join a group practice.”

Gregory T. Piatelli gpiatelli@gmail.com

Alex Colbert Roselli writes: We originally planned our wedding for August 2020 in Lenox, MA, and instead married in Longboat Key, FL, on April 9, 2021. We look forward to celebrating with friends and fellow Bears next year.

2011 Kevin Scheller-Crowley ’09 and his wife, Elizabeth Scheller-Crowley, are expecting their first child, a baby girl, this September!

Arthur M. Copstein acopstein@gmail.com Margaret A. Fiertz maggiefiertz@gmail.com John C. Krueger jckrueger19@gmail.com

Molly Ryan Rubins mollyrubins1024@gmail.com

______________________________

J.J. Jemison writes: “Hi everyone! I am so proud and excited to share that I am a dad! My wife and I welcomed a baby boy, Jalen Jerome, in late April. I am also proud to say that after four years of working at Berkshire (2013–17), I will be wrapping up my fourth year as an admissions representative for my collegiate alma mater, Kenyon College. I

Yuan Shen shenyuan1991@gmail.com

______________________________

2009 Kelly Wallace Abbott kellyjwallace5@gmail.com

Tyler J. Reighley tyler.reighley@gmail.com

2012

The Bears’ Den

10 th

Samuel C. Maher smaher@berkshireschool.org

For campus news, events, and more! • • • Stay connected at

berkshireschool.org/bearsden.

Summer 2021

Class Notes

2013 Wesley J. Lickus wlickus@icloud.com Harriet F. Waldron hattiewaldron@gmail.com

______________________________

Keunna Dill writes: “I graduated with a master’s degree in physical therapy (physiotherapy) in England in February 2021 and have accepted a job working as paediatric physiotherapist with the NHS at Oxford University Hospital.”

Kira von Steinbergs writes: “I married Abraão Magalhães; I met him while studying abroad in Fortaleza, Brazil. He is a third degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt and professional MMA fighter. Our daughter, Cherry, was born in August of 2016. She is currently in Pre-K and a white belt in BJJ. I graduated from the University of Arizona in December 2017. I majored in Spanish studies with a concentration in Portuguese studies, and had minors in both Russian studies and military leadership and sciences. I was commissioned into the U.S. Navy in January 2018. I graduated flight school, earned my wings of gold and the title of naval aviator in July 2020. Soon, I will be flying the MH-60R Seahawk out of Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii (after I finish the Fleet Replacement Squadron school in Mayport, FL). I am also a two-degree blue belt in BJJ.”

2015

2014

Kay Humes Paz writes: “Tyler and I are expecting a baby boy in July 2021!”

Jacob A. Grant jkgrnt12@gmail.com Emily M. Hubbard emilymhubbard1@gmail.com

______________________________

Andrej P. Bogdanovics andrebogdanovics@gmail.com

Anne M. van ‘t Wout annemijn@vantwout.net Karin M. Vantine kvantine@elon.edu

______________________________

Ray Li writes: “For my graduate application (mechanical engineering), I got accepted by MIT and Stanford.”

2017

5 th

Jeffrey A. Erazo erazo.jeffrey@gmail.com

Andrea L. Cass cass.and@northeastern.edu

Hannah Z. Honan hannahzhonan@gmail.com

Margaret P. Curran maggiecurran99@gmail.com

Grayson G. Keith graysonk5353@gmail.com

Benjamin W. Dixon benwdixon@mac.com

Mackenzie L. Lancaster mackenzie.lancaster13@gmail.com

Juliana L. Kokot julielkokot@gmail.com

Chelsea A. Leeds chelsea1101@gmail.com

Sam Boorstyn writes: “Unfortunately my entire senior year at Claremont McKenna was remote and my last football season was cancelled. But as a silver lining, online classes afforded me unique experiences I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I was able to move to Richmond, VA, and I had the opportunity to work on Mayor Stoney’s reelection campaign this past fall. Congrats to the Class of 2021!”

______________________________

Kris Govertsen writes: “In the spring, I completed my master of science in sustainable building systems and passed my qualifying exam. I am now a Ph.D. candidate!”

Reilly Kennedy writes: “During the first month of the pandemic, my dad set up one of the first (of many) group video calls to celebrate my 23rd birthday. Not only were some of my fellow alums all there, but even my advisor, Mrs. Anselmi! It was such a great surprise.”

______________________________

Jay Spoehel writes: “I began my flight training at Berkshire in 2015 on a Pro Vita trip to Florida. After nearly six years, including a 20-month break from flying, I decided to get back into

2016 Peter D. Bahr peteydb@gmail.com

Keunna Dill ’14 at graduation from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. COVID prevented her master’s degree graduation ceremony.

Berkshire Bulletin

Natalie C. Harrington nharrington@rcsny.org Lane W. Mayher lwm007@bucknell.edu

Jay Spoehel ’17 flying a cross-country solo trip on January 4, 2021

Class Notes

it and finally earned my Private Pilot License on January 18, 2021. Thank you Berkshire and Mr. Lee.”

2018 Charlotte B. Childs charlottebchilds@gmail.com Isabelle W. Maher Isabellewmaher@gmail.com

2019

2020 Katherine R. Aiello kaiello@colgate.edu Ashanti S. Bruce ashantibruce@gmail.com Giang H. Le giangle1605@gmail.com Nathan J. McShane nate.mcshane@richmond.edu

Gohta Aihara gohta.aihara@gmail.com

Emmanuel F. Roldan-Lezcano emmanuelroldan22@gmail.com

Daniel A. O. Akomolafe dakomolafe8@gmail.com

Amelia C. Schelle aschelle1tulane@gmail.com

Danielle R. Malarney dmalarney4@gmail.com

James T. Welch jtw7ct@virginia.edu

Elizabeth B. Nutting enut8089@uni.sydney.edu.au

2021

James H. Schoudel jayschoudel@gmail.com Elias E. Sienkiewicz elias31201@gmail.com Aichen Yao aichenyao07@gmail.com

______________________________

Alex Ross writes: “I am currently a sophomore and a political science/ history major at Bates College. This is my second year on the Bates baseball team, and after that season ends I will be interning in Washington, DC, with Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas.” Sydney Wray recently published a book that she wrote at age 11 through Amazon. Her mentor and business partner, Craig Bouchard, helped her establish her own company, The Run Productions LLC. “I wrote the second and third book, in addition to others, during my four years at Berkshire. I took creative writing classes with Mrs. Cooper, amazing English classes with Mrs. Bogardus, and worked with DK! Go Bears!”

Gillian M. Maher gillianmaher66@gmail.com Luke H. Nguyen hngnam25@gmail.com Sophia R. Pasquale sophiarpasquale@gmail.com

______________________________

Former Faculty

Henry R. Alpaugh henry.alpaugh@richmond.edu Angela B. Ansah angelaansah@gmail.com Reid C. Curran reidcurran2@gmail.com

Jed Scala ‘85 and former faculty member David Beecher after a wonderful visit with Jed and his partner, Paula Wardynski, the consummate host

John W. Fiore jwf203@gmail.com Abigail R. Hayes ahayes5541@gmail.com

Peter Scott ‘85 and former faculty Bill Gulotta and his wife, Debi, at Jed Scala ’85’s home for a mini 1985 reunion

The cover of “The Run” by Sydney Wray ’19, recently published through Amazon.

Summer 2021

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 alumni@berkshireschool.org. To view the obituaries for those listed below, please go to www.berkshireschool.org/inmemoriam.

Trustee Emeritus 1989–2009 John H. Stookey January 31, 2021 Trustee 1971–1981 Peter V.V. Young ’54 March 25, 2021 Faculty James P. Balch ’51 April 5, 2021 Jeanne W. Merrill May 16, 2021 Peter Giordano May 23, 2021 Kaye A. Overbye June 11, 2021

Berkshire Bulletin

1945 Philip W. Goodspeed March 21, 2021

1958 James B. Kimberly June 4, 2021

1947 Phelps Dewey March 29, 2021

1960 Alessandro B. Salimbeni April 19, 2021

1950 Paul W. Meyer January 21, 2021

1968 Joseph W. Blagden, Jr. March 13, 2021

1954 David M. Crabbe January 2, 2021

1972 Jean-Claude Kergaravat March 20, 2021

1956 Joseph T. Geiger January 11, 2021

1986 Charles G. Beyer March 20, 2021

1957 Peter B. Katzenbach January 15, 2021

A note to our readers: The list of names for the In Memoriam section is reported from January 1 through June 11, 2021. If we have missed a name, please accept our apologies and email us at alumni@berkshireschool.org.

In Memoriam

We Remember... John Hoy t Stookey Trustee Emeritus • January 31, 2021 *“Our School, our county, and our country are unquestionably made better thanks to the selflessness of those like John Stookey, and we are forever grateful for the service, generosity, and vision he shared with us.” John Stookey was a loyal trustee and supporter of Berkshire School, as well as a well-loved and deeply respected community leader throughout and beyond Berkshire County. His service on the board of trustees spanned an extraordinary 20 years (1989–2009)— chairing the Technology Committee and serving on the Compensation Committee, Committee on Trustees, and Executive Committee. An avid lover of music, Stookey founded the Berkshire Choral Festival housed under the Mountain in the early 1980s—one of his most noted contributions to life at Berkshire. Committed to ensuring equal access to recreational, cultural, and environmental experiences for all, Stookey was a member of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s Alumni Board and instrumental in founding Berkshire South Regional Community Center. He also founded Landmark Volunteers, a nonprofit based in Sheffield that provides volunteer opportunities for high school students in Berkshire County and throughout the country. His commitment to equity was further demonstrated in his founding of Per Scholas, an organization that provides no-cost training to individuals historically excluded from the tech industry. Stookey served as chairman of National Distillers and Chemical Corporation and Suburban Propane, LLC, and as a director of more than 50 other companies and nonprofits. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Katherine “Appy” Stookey; daughters Helen Jones and Laura Johnson; and sons Hunt and Anson. *All quotes delivered by Head of School Pieter Mulder.

Peter Van Vleet Young ’54 Past Trustee • March 25, 2021

“Peter was a loyal alumnus and natural leader under the Mountain.” Peter Van Vleet Young served as a member of Berkshire School’s Board of Trustees for a decade (1971–1981), and his generous support of the School stretched over three decades. As a student at Berkshire, he was a member of the Glee Club and Student Council, among other student groups, and he played football, hockey, and tennis. Young was also a board member at Low-Heywood School, the Stamford Museum & Nature Center, and Woodway Country Club. An avid golfer, he served on the board of the Junior Senior Golf Association and co-founded the Anguilla Golf Association. Young served in the U.S. Army, and he retired as vice chairman at Union Trust. Young is survived by his wife, Georgia, and his children, Christie Young ’78, Dana Young Goering ’85, and Todd Van Vleet Young.

James Prescott Balch ’51 Former Faculty & Past Trustee • April 5, 2021

“Jim wore multiple hats in his many years of service to Berkshire. He was an adored and respected member of the Berkshire community and will be greatly missed.” James “Jim” Prescott Balch was an engaged and dedicated alumnus who returned under the Mountain to serve as the director of development, CFO, and associate headmaster until his retirement in 1996. He also served on the board of trustees for five years (1972–1977), was the 1993 Distinguished Alumni Award winner, and was the recipient,

Summer 2021

In Memoriam

along with his wife Gretchen, of the 1985 Kellogg Grant Award. Balch also served on numerous boards throughout his life—United Way of Utica, Hamilton Alumni Council, The House of the Good Shepherd, and Kirkland Art Center. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Gretchen; his sons, Tom Balch ’77 and Mike Balch ’79; his daughter, Carolyn Balch Streett ’83; and his grandchildren, Jim Streett ’16, Luke Streett ’17, and Ben Streett ’19.

Peter Giordano Faculty • May 23, 2021 “Peter was a true scholar with a quick wit and ready smile. He made the library a welcome space for all, and we will dearly miss his presence on campus.” Peter Giordano came to Berkshire in 2018 with his wife, Ruth, and served as library director, taught college writing, and advised the School’s student newspaper, “The Green and Gray.” Newspaper staff members Megan Mokriski ’21 and Samantha Bernstein ’22 dedicated an issue in his memory, writing, “Mr. Giordano was so important to getting this newspaper started again two years ago. He cared so much about the outcome. Despite being so busy, he always made time for the newspaper in his day.” Prior to Berkshire, Giordano served as the librarian instruction coordinator at Williams College and head librarian at Albany Academies. From Albany, he moved to Taiwan, where he was the middle school head librarian at Taipei American School.

Berkshire Bulletin

Jeanne Wile Merrill Former Faculty • May 16, 2021

“Jeanne fostered an inviting and scholarly atmosphere with her warm, kind presence that made students feel comfortable and at home.” Jeanne Wile Merrill served Berkshire for 27 years alongside her husband, Norm, who passed away in 2015. When they both arrived on campus in 1986, Merrill worked for two years in admissions and then joined the Geier Library staff. She later became the School’s head librarian in 1996, following Susan Young, who was preceded by Alice Ann Chase, Berkshire’s first full-time librarian. Merrill retired in 2013. During Merrill’s tenure, the Geier Library experienced tremendous growth. She completed Berkshire’s online catalog, created an online database, and provided computers for student use. She enjoyed helping students with everything from research to discussing the latest library acquisition. Merrill earned her master’s in library science from the Nelson A. Rockefeller School of Policy and Information Science at the University at Albany in 2000. While at Berkshire, she was the author of two articles published in peer-reviewed journals: “The Internet and Classical Civilization” and “In the Blink of an Eye: Developing Trends in Publishing.” The Merrills are survived by their two sons, Norman, Jr. ’94 and Richard ’98.

From the Archives

Jesse Owens speaking at the Fall Athletics Banquet in 1965. Also pictured is John Taussig ’69, a third former assigned as waiter to the head table, and Athletic Director Jack Stewart, who became friends with Owens and helped him with the Jesse Owens Foundation.

Meet Berkshire’s New Archivist: Bebe Clark Bullock ’86

“The photo, long forgotten in a folder, ignited an amazing night of stories, memories, and pure joy of seeing each other again—for some, not since 1965.”

In the fall of 2020, Bebe Clark Bullock ’86 accepted the role of archivist, following in the footsteps of C. Twiggs Myers Hon. ’57. She’s since spent long hours in the basement of the James C. Kellogg ’33 Alumni Center, putting her background as an organizational specialist to good use as she sifts through

and organizes decades of images, photos, letters, and publications. “I am following Twiggs’s system: I find his notes scratched on legal pads everywhere,” she mused. Prior to this role, Bullock taught and coached at Berkshire from 2007 to the spring of 2020. One of her latest, jaw-dropping discoveries: an image of four-time Track & Field Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens speaking at Berkshire’s Fall Athletic Banquet in 1965, where he handed out varsity letters to athletes. To commemorate the find, Bullock organized a Zoom call with 17 alumni and three past faculty members who attended the banquet. “The

photo, long forgotten in a folder, ignited an amazing night of stories, memories, and pure joy of seeing each other again— for some, not since 1965,” Bullock said. Inspired by Owens, the students, along with Myers, started the cross country team in the spring of 1966. Bullock believes that “if we don’t save our past, then we may forget who we are,” and she plans to build a website so that the archives will be accessible to everyone. “I have started guest lecturing in the English and history departments so that students will know how Berkshire started and flourished,” Bullock said.

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

2021 All-School

REAd E. Lockhart’s #1 New York Times bestseller “We Were Liars” is a novel about family, betrayal, privilege, and one young person’s reckoning with a terrible mistake. In it, friendships turn toxic and secrets are covered in layers of lies. Unearthing the wreckage brought on by dishonesty will provide a lens through which our community will explore one of the School’s core values: integrity. Learn more about the ASR, visit: berkshireschool.org/ASR.

Kick-off Event: 9.30.21 Join us for a discussion with author and speaker E. Lockhart this fall, whose visit will launch a yearlong dialogue about accountability, trust, and responsibility.

Photo by Heather Weston

Berkshire Bulletin Summer 2021

Articles inside