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BROOKS BULLETIN • SUMMER 2016
One of the highlights of Alumni Weekend is the Saturday night All-Alumni Reception and Dinner. Here, a set table awaits the Class of 1986.
BOA R D O F TRUSTE E S President Steven R. Gorham ’85, P’17 Andover, Mass. Vice President John R. Barker ’87 Wellesley, Mass. Whitney Romoser Savignano ’87 Manchester, Mass. Secretary Craig J. Ziady ’85, P’18, P’20 Winchester, Mass. Treasurer Valentine Hollingsworth III ’72, P’17 Dover, Mass.
TRUSTE E S Pamela W. Albright P’10, P’16 Topsfield, Mass.
Ramakrishna R. Sudireddy P’15 Andover, Mass.
William N. Booth ’67, P’05 Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Isabella Speakman Timon ’92 Chadds Ford, Pa.
Kamilah M. Briscoe ’96 New York, N.Y.
Alessandro F. Uzielli ’85 Beverly Hills, Calif.
W. J. Patrick Curley III ’69 New York, N.Y.
ALUM N I T RU ST E E S Zachary McCabe ’15 North Andover, Mass.
Anthony H. Everets ’93 New York, N.Y. Jon Gibbons ’92 Needham, Mass. Shawn Gorman ’84 Falmouth, Maine Paul L. Hallingby ’65 New York, N.Y. Robert W. Hughes P’16, P’19 Andover, Mass. Booth D. Kyle ’89 Seattle, Wash. Zachary S. Martin P’15, P’17 Wellesley, Mass. Brian McCabe P’18 Meredith, N.H. Timothy H. McCoy ’81, P’14, P’15, P’18 Wellesley, Mass.
Albert D. Nascimento ’10 Somerville, Mass. TRUST E E S E M E R I T I Henry M. Buhl ’48, P’82 New York, N.Y. Steve Forbes ’66, P’91 Bedminster, N.J. James G. Hellmuth P’78 Lawrence, N.Y. H. Anthony Ittleson ’56, P’84, P’86 Green Pond, S.C. Michael B. Keating ’58, P’97 Boston, Mass. Frank A. Kissel ’69, P’96, P’99 Far Hills, N.J. Peter A. Nadosy ’64 New York, N.Y.
John R. Packard Jr. P ’18 Head of School North Andover, Mass.
Peter W. Nash ’51, P’81, P’89 Nantucket, Mass.
Daniel J. Riccio P’17, P’20 Los Gatos, Calif.
Cera B. Robbins P’85, P’90 New York, N.Y.
Belisario A. Rosas P’15 Andover, Mass.
Eleanor R. Seaman P’86, P’88, P’91, GP’18 Hobe Sound, Fla.
Lynne A. Sawyer ’83 New York, N.Y. Ashley Wightman Scott ’84, P’11, P’14 Manchester, Mass.
David R. Williams III ’67 Beverly Farms, Mass.
Juliane Gardner Spencer ’93 New York, N.Y.
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BROOKS BULLETIN
B CON TEN TS
BU L L E T I N • SU M M E R 2 0 1 6
Head of School John R. Packard Jr. P’18
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Associate Head for External Affairs Jim Hamilton Director of Development Gage S. Dobbins Director of Alumni and Parent Events Erica Callahan P’19, P’20
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Assistant Director of Alumni Programs Carly Churchill ’10 Director of Admission and Financial Aid Bini W. Egertson P’12, P’15
D E PA RT M E N TS Director of Communications and Marketing Dan Callahan P’19, P’20
02 Message from the Head of School
Director of Publications Rebecca A. Binder
FE AT U R ES
Design Lilly Pereira
18 A Triumphant Celebration
Alumni Communications Manager Emily Williams Assistant Director of Communications Tom Owen
Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome. Opinions expressed in the Bulletin are those of the authors and not necessarily of Brooks School.
03 News + Notes 40 Reunion Notes
The Class of 2016 spent two days celebrating its accomplishments, receiving its diplomas and reflecting on its time at Brooks. The campus community joined together to send this remarkable class out in style during Lawn Ceremony and Prize Day.
28 A Memorable Return
Alumni Weekend gave alumni a chance to return to Brooks, to reconnect with classmates and to engage with the vibrant, active Brooks of today. A special art exhibit and a retirement party for faculty emeritus Mark Shovan P’99 topped off the schedule.
Correspondence concerning the Bulletin should be sent to Editor Rebecca A. Binder: mail Editor, Brooks Bulletin 1160 Great Pond Road North Andover, MA 01845 email rbinder@brooksschool.org phone (978) 725-6326 © 2016 Brooks School
ON THE COVER: Drew Ginsberg ’16 and other graduating sixth-formers congregate at the Head of School’s House on the morning of Prize Day. Eighty-four members of the Class of 2016 received their diplomas to applause from family, friends and the Brooks faculty.
A MESSAGE FROM JOHN R. PACKARD JR. HEAD OF SCHOOL
Ensuring the School
“ The school has mattered to us. The school matters to us now. And, it is our responsibility to do all we can to ensure that the school will continue to matter in deeper and even more compelling ways to students yet to come.”
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As we move into our fourth year of The Campaign for Brooks, the time we have had over the summer to focus on the critical areas that we intend to complete by 2018 has been more abundant. We are poised to push as hard as we can in the direction of achieving this $60 million effort. And, as we do, we will take a leap forward in our work to ensure the school. As this issue of the Bulletin will share, we had a wonderful Prize Day ceremony on Memorial Day, and were proud to graduate 84 members of the Class of 2016. While any graduation day is about that moment and all the graduates have achieved through the years, the connections between this campaign’s goals and what we celebrated with this wonderful class were palpable. Much of the weekend centered on community and relationships — time spent together as a school and furthering profoundly meaningful connections amongst students, and between students and faculty members. When these moments are recalled, it strikes me that many of them were shared in Ashburn Chapel. This was the first major achievement of this campaign, as we renovated, expanded, modernized and rebuilt this iconic space to house such communal moments for generations to come. Students spoke of time spent on the athletic fields, with many of those moments occurring on our turf field with lights — the whole school watching and cheering them on. Students referenced the degree to which community and familiarity with people and surroundings matter at Brooks, and the work this campaign has achieved to pedestrianize the heart of the campus has added to that feeling. The weekend was also full of reminders about why the work that remains to be
completed matters. Jay Park ’16 spoke about his experience in the arts and noted that the school’s commitment to music, theater and visual art is open to criticism in our current space. Building a $28 million arts facility and theater will go a long way to positioning our arts program to flourish in ways that space has restricted the school from until this point. There were countless moments celebrating student accomplishment of all kinds during graduation weekend when the student in question would not have been at Brooks without financial aid. This campaign aims to add $10 million in endowment to push the school toward having one in three students at Brooks on financial aid. When we add a $2 million endowment component for faculty support, we round out a campaign that is attempting to equip and strengthen the human capital at our school in ways that will ensure our capacity to thrive for decades. The 2016–2017 year will be the school’s 90th. If we pause to consider the distance Brooks School has traveled, and the work so many have done for so long to further and fortify the experience students have here, the reason for this campaign becomes abundantly clear. The school has mattered to us. The school matters to us now. And, it is our responsibility to do all we can to ensure that the school will continue to matter in deeper and even more compelling ways to students yet to come. With your support and care leading the way, we aim to be prouder than we have ever been of the students leaving us on Prize Day year after year. I wish you a pleasant finish to your summer.
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NEWS + NOTES IN THIS SECTION 04 News from Campus 10 Campus Scene 12 Athlete Spotlight 14 Athletics News 16 Campaign Update
The Saturday of Alumni Weekend featured picture-perfect weather, which allowed alumni and current students — and other Brooksians of all ages — to walk the campus and take in a slate of athletic contests. Here, 1st baseball assistant coach Andy Campbell (left) escorts his daughter, Baylie, toward the team’s matchup with Thayer Academy.
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Nobel Prize recipient Dr. William Campbell speaks with students at a reception following his Ashburn Chapel presentation.
An Honored Guest A Nobel Prize recipient presents at Brooks.
“ My advice to students would be to find opportunities to do experiments that nobody has done before.” Dr. William Campbell
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Dr. William Campbell, a 2015 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, addressed the Brooks community in Ashburn Chapel in May. Campbell presented on his prizewinning research on parasitic diseases and his development of a groundbreaking therapy against infections. He also regaled the capacity crowd with stories about the pomp and ceremony of winning a Nobel Prize and answered questions from eager students. According to the Nobel Prize website, Campbell shared the prize with two other scientists, Satoshi Ōmura and Youyou Tu, all three of whom were jointly recognized “for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy
against infections caused by roundworm parasites.” Campbell is a North Andover resident who lives directly across Lake Cochichewick from campus. An avid kayaker, he opened his talk by joking that he had briefly considered paddling to Brooks. His gentle sense of humor gave way to a fascinating recounting of his career. In 1978, Campbell purified a substance called avermectin from a soil bacterium that was isolated and cultured by his colleague Ōmura. Drugs derived from this compound are effective agents against a wide range of parasites. Ivermectin, which is perhaps the most well-known avermectin derivative,
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has been crucial in dramatically lowering the incidence of the diseases known as river blindness and lymphatic filariasis. Both diseases are caused by parasitic roundworms and have caused major health and societal problems in affected tropical areas. Much of Campbell’s talk focused on the debilitating effects of river blindness in African countries. Symptoms include serious dermatological issues and loss of vision. Campbell also emphasized that victims bear the burden of what he called “tremendous sociological problems.” First, Campbell reported that infected individuals are frequently stigmatized because of their appearance, which includes dramatically altered pigmentation and the appearance of premature aging. Second, Campbell noted that because the disease causes blindness, children often leave their education behind in order to spend their days leading and guiding blind adults. Third, Campbell explained, because the parasitic worms are transmitted to humans via river-dwelling flies, villages that are located close to rivers are frequently abandoned in order to avoid the disease. Since rivers are a boon to agricultural productivity, moving away from these waterways can seriously restrict the local population’s food supply. Campbell then shifted to the whirlwind experience of winning the Nobel Prize: a visit to the White House and a meeting with President Barack Obama, followed by a trip to Stockholm for the awards ceremony and a full slate of banquets. He described the trip as “the most incredible, fairy-tale sort of thing,” and called the ceremony “a very, very dressed up occasion.” When his talk ended, Campbell answered questions from several students. One student asked what advice Campbell would give to a young person interested in scientific discovery. “We already know how to develop new drugs unpredictably, but not predictably, so perhaps we should continue to search in unpredictable places,” Campbell said. “My advice to students would be to find opportunities to do experiments that nobody has done before.”
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Unity Day Celebrates Individuals + Community A day of conversation allows students to appreciate the variety of perspectives and experiences at Brooks. The Brooks community held Unity Day on March 30, an annual day-long set of programming that centers on building skills and knowledge related to issues of identity. The day was filled with workshops and activities that gave students and faculty a chance to examine their own identities and celebrate the diversity of the community. “You might be challenged today,” said Shaunielle McDonald ’94, diversity and inclusivity coordinator, in her introductory remarks. “You might hear things that you don’t understand or agree with. But I want you to stay engaged in these conversations. I think we’re doing incredible work, and I have confidence in everyone here.” The day began with a screening of the film “I’m Not Racist… Am I?” The film follows New York City students from diverse backgrounds as they engage with issues of race and privilege over the course of a school year. Following a discussion on the film, students and faculty met in smaller affinity groups to talk about topics that were particularly relevant to their shared identities. Then, the community participated in a selection of workshops designed to illuminate a variety of issues, ranging from intersectionality to the ways in which socioeconomic background can affect a student’s experience at Brooks. One workshop was led by a group of young LGBT Brooks alumni. McDonald hopes that workshop helped students “see themselves in our work.” “Having alumni share their own stories with our community felt really powerful, and it’s something we’ll definitely do again,” McDonald says. “Also, I think it was a good experience for this group of alumni to come back and be a part of our programming. I hope it was an affirming experience for them about their school.” The day concluded in Ashburn Chapel, where community members shared their thoughts on the day and the lessons they learned from the conversations in which they engaged.
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High-Five! Brooks takes a shot at a world record. The Brooks community gathered for a unique purpose on a Friday afternoon in April: to attempt to break the Guinness World Record for executing the most high-fives in one minute. After School Meeting, a huge number of Brooks students, faculty and staff lined up on Main Street, starting in front of Ashburn Chapel and ending by the Athletic Center. Will Gibeley ’17 sprinted down the line, high-fiving as he went. Gibeley tallied 314 high-fives in 45 seconds, which eclipses the current Guinness record of 277 high-fives in one minute. Guinness’s Records Management Team had not completed its review of Brooks’s attempt by press time. The event was spearheaded by Allie Iamonaco ’17, along with Gabi Hillner ’17 and Priyanka Thakuria ’17. The trio had dreamed up a “bucket list” — a list of things they wanted to accomplish — which included breaking a Guinness World Record. The three organizers sent an email to the student body requesting votes on which world record to try to break. The high-five record got the most votes, and the challenge was on. Iamonaco says that Gibeley — a three-sport first-team athlete at Brooks — was the most enthusiastic of several people who offered to be the runner. Iamonaco’s faith in Gibeley was well-placed: Gibeley performed in style, although he admits that the experience was “a little nerve-wracking.” “It was a lot tougher than I thought it would be,” says Gibeley. “You may think that giving a high-five is easy, but when you’re giving so many at once, it starts to feel like you’re running through the ocean. There was so much resistance; each time I gave a high-five, it would slow me down a little. It looked like I was jogging, but I was actually trying to run at a full sprint.” Iamonaco says that she’s glad Brooks attempted to break this particular record because it allowed large numbers of the Brooks community to turn out. “The more high-fives we could get, the better,” she says. “This was a time when everyone was in the same place, doing the same thing. This is something that we all did together.” Gibeley, who calls himself “a high-five kind of guy,” says that the Brooks community has been the highlight of his time on campus. “Now, even if I leave Brooks without having a sentimental moment with everyone on campus, at least I can say that I’ve given everybody here a high-five,” he says. “That’s a cool thing for me to remember.”
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CUM LAUDE CEREMONY Nineteen fifth- and sixth-formers were inducted into the Brooks School Cum Laude Society at a special Chapel service in April. The society honors a select number of students who earn academic honors records at Brooks. Elected as Sixth-Formers Benjamin Tracy Albright Grace Ann Bilodeau Michael Thomas Flanagan John Dickinson Hooper Lucas Vijay Krishan Erinn Lee Charles Sheridan Lotane Harrison Mathieu Page Elected as Fifth-Formers Nicholas Alexander Dominaitis Leland Maxwell Goodman Alexandra Elizabeth Iamonaco Joon Hyung Lee Grace Victoria Lindsey Tess Anderson Martin Kelly Anne Raymond Yutong Sun John Louis Trotto Samuel Hobart Wakelin Zi Qi Yang
Formed in 1906 and modeled after the collegiate Phi Beta Kappa Society, the Cum Laude Society recognizes students who display the highest level of excellence in their studies. The Brooks chapter, which was established in 1936, commemorates a select number of students who earn academic honors records while at Brooks.
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A Concert with a Message The spring season was punctuated by stirring performances by Brooks’s musical groups, including a unique, curated vocal and ensemble concert that explored social movements through music. The curated concert, titled “On Justice, Truth and Peace: A Journey,” combined music, readings, poetry, slides and videos. The progression invited the audience to reflect on an arc of persecution and suffering of various groups that evolved into a story of hope and healing. The program began in what Director of Choral and Classical Music Kenneth Griffith calls “this place of injustice and despair and acknowledging the suffering of different peoples, and it was important as we spoke about justice and truth and peace, to end in a place that was hopeful.” Griffith called the concert “the pinnacle, the highest point of what we’ve been doing in the program since I arrived at Brooks.” He explains that he wanted to contribute to the ongoing community-wide discussions on these issues. He believes that the arts are a way to cause people to think, and realized that music was the best way that he could contribute. “For the kids who have been in the program with me for the past two years, this was their best and most thoughtful performance,” Griffith says. “I think they took pride in the performance, but also in what it offered to the community.”
SHOWCASING TALENT The Spring Concert, which took place in late May, featured the jazz band, advanced jazz band and two student rock bands. The night included several opportunities for Brooks students to launch into blistering solos that were met with applause and roars of approval from the audience. First, the jazz band led off with a fivenumber set that included “Dog Face Boy” by Johnny Otis, “Equinox” by John Coltrane and “Cold Duck Time” by Eddie Harris. The set also included arrangements of “Cool” from the musical “West Side Story,” and “A Whole New World” from the Disney musical “Aladdin.” Second, the rock band Midnight Stereo opened with “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield, and then followed up with “Dreaming” by Smallpools and “Your Love” by The Outfield. Third, a second student rock band, District Maylo, tore through a four-song set that kicked off with “Speed of Sound” by Coldplay, followed by renditions of “Future People” by Alabama Shakes, “Give Life Back to Music” by Daft Punk and “Let it Happen” by Tame Impala. Last, the advanced jazz band closed the show on a high note. Its set began with “Footprints” by Wayne Shorter, continued with
Henry Hollingsworth ’17 shreds with District Maylo, a student rock band.
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“Song For My Father” by Horace Silver and closed with “Hocus Pocus” by Focus.
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Ashburn Chapel Rededicated
D E PARTING FACU LTY
PRIZE DAY HONORS Two Brooks faculty are bestowed with emeriti honors on Prize Day. The Brooks community took a moment during Prize Day proceedings to honor decades of hard work, care and contribution by two departing faculty members. Head of School John Packard named Associate Director of Admission Sarah Gurry faculty
The Brooks community gathered on April 28 for a special service to rededicate Ashburn Chapel. The rededication follows the extensive renovations to the Chapel that were completed last year. From left to right: Bishop Alan M. Gates of the Diocese of Massachusetts School Minister and Director of Spiritual led the service, which included a reflection on Brooks’s Life Julie Mavity Episcopal identity. Maddalena, Bishop Gates began his address by noting the place of the Alan M. Gates and Head of School Episcopal faith in Brooks’s history: Endicott Peabody, the John Packard at the school’s founder, and Phillips Brooks, the school’s nameservice rededicating sake, were Episcopal priests. However, Gates continued, Ashburn Chapel. a central part of Brooks’s mission is to embrace diverse viewpoints, backgrounds, identities and religions. “What in the world could it mean for an independent school in the 21st century to maintain its historic affiliation with the Episcopal Church?” Gates asked. He concluded that the school’s spiritual origins do not contradict its current focus on inclusion; rather, Anglican theology teaches that church and scripture are held in balance with the virtue of reason. “This balance encourages us to tolerate ambiguity and consider opposing viewpoints while still maintaining a sense of tradition,” Gates said. “It allows for the spirit of intellectual inquiry.” Gates asked the Brooks community to observe those three tenets: to honor tradition, which provides a sense of identity; to take seriously the world’s sacred texts; and to use reason in order to seek important truths. “Bishop Gates’s visit to Brooks exceeded our hopes,” says School Minister and Director of Spiritual Life Julie Mavity Maddalena. “We always try to thread the needle of being authentic about our Episcopal identity while ensuring space for authenticity for the wide range of religious, spiritual and non-religious identities at Brooks. We particularly wanted this occasion to find that mark, and I think it did. I suspect everyone in attendance will remember it for some time. I certainly felt privileged to take part.”
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emerita. He also named English faculty Mark Shovan faculty emeritus. Mr. Packard said that Gurry “is an exceptional school person — doing what needs to be done to keep the wheels turning.” Over her 27 years of service to Brooks, Gurry led the school’s sailing program, and coached squash and tennis. Above all else, though, Mr. Packard called Gurry an “admission office stalwart,” and said that “she sees a potential fit at Brooks in just about any prospective student and family she meets, because she believes in the possibility that lies within all young people. She thinks about what might make it work, as opposed to what might make it not work.” Mark Shovan leaves Brooks, Mr. Packard pointed out, as the longest-tenured member of the faculty in the school’s history (see “A Historic Career,” Brooks Bulletin, Spring 2016, page 28). “If you wander this campus and look for names on walls and stones and buildings in various places, or read some of the works produced through the years commemorating the school’s first 30, first 50 or first 75 years, you will see the names of some of the school’s giants,” Mr. Packard said. “If Brooks School has a Mount Rushmore of sorts in its future, Mark Shovan will be on it. The magnitude of his tenure coming to a close really cannot be overstated.”
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Level Up
HEARD ON CAMPUS
with the All-School Read The All-School Read for the 2016–2017 academic year is “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline. The science fiction novel is set in the dystopian future, where young adults compete for power and fortune by attempting to solve puzzles hidden within the digital confines of a virtual world that has eclipsed their society. The All-School Read program, in its second year at Brooks, requires all students and faculty to read the same book over the summer. At the outset of the 2016–2017 academic year, faculty will integrate the book into the curriculum of several academic departments to invite examination of the text from multiple disciplines and perspectives. Alumni, parents and friends are encouraged to read along!
“Our brains like to lie to us. Concussions don’t heal in five days, or five weeks, even if you feel fine like I did … I didn’t really feel like my brain was broken.” Former professional snowboarder K EV I N P E A RC E, speaking in Ashburn Chapel in April. Pearce, a 2010 Olympic hopeful whose meteoric rise through the sport was cut short when a series of concussions left him comatose, recently founded the LoveYourBrain Foundation to raise awareness about brain injury.
GOLD!
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BROOKS BULLETIN • FALL 2015
The Bulletin was named the Gold Award winner in the Independent School
Sixth Form Community Service Day
Magazine category by the Council for
TH E INAUGURAL ALL-SCHOOL READ
Advancement and
The graduating class of Brooksians spent the Thursday before gradua-
Support of Education (CASE) in its
tion ceremonies performing community service work at local organiza-
2016 Circle of Excellence Awards
tions, including the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club, Cape Ann Animal Aid
program. The award was announced
in Gloucester, Mass., and the Stevens-Coolidge Place museum in North
on June 8. The judges spoke highly of the
Andover. Here, Shane Canekeratne ’16 (left) and Gardner Crary ’16 lend
magazine’s design, print quality and writing
a hand at Bobbin Farm, the off-the-grid organic farm located on the
in their comments. We are thrilled to have
Brooks campus.
received this recognition of the school and our work. Go Brooks!
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The sixth form came together following Boo Hoo Chapel to release balloons in remembrance of classmate Anna Trustey ’16. Trustey was awarded the Kerri Ann Kattar Prize at Lawn Ceremony and was awarded her Brooks diploma, summĹ? cum amore, at Prize Day.
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Molly Carabatsos ’17 A pillar of a Brooks program finds her way by learning to have confidence, accept challenges and rise to the occasion. There’s a lot to be said for the experience of playing for a high school sports team that dominates its schedule, regularly goes to the postseason and drives deep into the New England Championship tournament. There’s also a lot to be said for the experience of playing for a high school sports team that’s rebuilding its historical strength, that’s finding its footing against tough opponents and that’s re-establishing its place in the canon of prep school sports. First softball tri-captain Molly Carabatsos ’17 can attest to the latter experience. The fifth-former has been a steady presence
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1st softball tri-captain Molly Carabatsos ’17.
and leader for the Brooks softball program since her arrival on campus. Carabatsos has played softball since she was a small child and always intended to play high school ball. But, as a third-former, she wondered whether she was prepared to take a vital role on a Brooks team that had no sixth-formers on its roster. As a rookie she was asked to take the mound as one of Brooks’s pitchers and bat second in the lineup, and Carabatsos says she felt pressure to do well — to get on base, to hit her spots, to make the plays. “It was really tough at first,” Carabatsos admits. “But, I think it
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helped me. I realized that the position or the circumstances you find yourself in don’t matter; you just have to be yourself. I didn’t have to prove myself, I just had to play.” And, play she has: Now, as a fifth-former, Carabatsos — along with her classmates and tri-captains Bridget Cifuni and Gabi Hillner — has quietly led the Brooks program back to a winning record, culminating in this year’s 8-7 mark, including a 6-4 record in the ISL. The significance of this milestone is not lost on Carabatsos. “My goal this year was to go over .500,” she says. “Going over .500 shows that we have a good team. It shows that students who want to play softball should come to Brooks.” Carabatsos faced down the challenge of being relied on so heavily by a young team as a third-former. As she got older, she also faced down a second challenge. She had to limit her pitching due to injury when she was a fourth-former. “That was hard,” she says. “Pitching was always a big part of my life, and this was something that I couldn’t control.” “I had to be smart, though,” she continues. “I decided I’d become really good at another position, so I started playing center field. And, I really love playing center. I love the feeling of being outside, playing softball and standing in center field, when it’s the perfect nice day and the breeze blows and you think, I’m having fun, and this is what I like to do.” Carabatsos has grown into her new position, and she’s also grown into a force at the plate. “I used to hit for contact, but this year, I hit doubles and triples out of the
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three spot,” she says. “I’m becoming more of a power hitter.” Head 1st softball coach Brian Martin applauds Carabatsos’s perseverance and determination. “Molly has always risen to the occasion,” he says. “She welcomes a challenge and then attacks it.” Martin also speaks highly of Carabatsos’s leadership instincts. “I’m very fortunate to have Molly as one of our captains this year and next,” Martin continues. “She leads the underclassmen with her actions and also with her words.” Carabatsos relishes leading her team. “On the softball team, we have a lot of girls who haven’t really played before,” she says. “I’ve been playing since I was 3 years old. I know a lot about the game, and I want us to do well as a team. So, especially the first few weeks of the season, I try to help people and get them used to the sport. We have a couple of newcomers who have really come a long way and are a big part of our lineup. I want every person on our team to feel that they deserve to be here and that they’re good enough to be here. I want us to win, and I want us to be a good team and be good teammates.” Softball isn’t the only Brooks team that Carabatsos has left her mark on. She’s also known as an aggressive forward for the 1st field hockey team, and she will captain
the girls 1st squash team this winter. Carabatsos credits Brooks with introducing her to field hockey and squash, and says that the school gave her the opportunity to try new sports. She’s especially enthusiastic about playing squash at Brooks; Carabatsos hopes to play either squash or softball in college. The lessons Carabatsos has learned playing softball at Brooks — leadership, determination, meeting challenges head-on — have translated to her academic experience at the school. She admits that, as a third-former, “school was really tough. I was sort of in over my head,” she says. “I had to learn to find the time, to put my mind to my classwork and to just do it. And as I’ve gotten older, I’ve improved steadily and I’ve learned to adapt to the academics here.” Carabatsos credits several of her teachers at Brooks with supporting her academically, including Moira Goodman, who taught Carabatsos’s third-form math class, and history teacher Alex Konovalchik (history, Carabatsos says, is her favorite subject). “I’ve learned to be confident in myself,” Carabatsos says. “I’ve learned that it’s OK to struggle, that it’s OK to not know everything, that it’s OK to ask for help.” “Brooks is a place that I’ve grown up at, and softball is a big part of what shaped me at Brooks,” Carabatsos concludes. “I’ve grown as a person here, but softball is what made me confident and made me a leader. Softball gave me leadership qualities that I don’t know I would have had if our team had been a powerhouse. This team has helped me grow up.”
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Boys 1st lacrosse player Harry Page ’16 battles past a St. Sebastian’s defender in May 2016.
A Standout Spring BOYS 1ST T EN N IS CONTINUES TO ASCEND IN THE ISL
The boys 1st tennis team continued its winning ways this year, a season removed from last year’s 13-4 record and appearance in the Class B New England Team Prep School Championship tournament. This spring, Brooks rang up a 9-6 record. Head coach Alex Skinner ’08 says this year’s success is a tangible result of the hard work and long-term commitment to the program of his two captains, departing sixth-formers Gardner Crary and Matt Nightingale. “It’s been a fun journey,” Skinner says. “I think if you had asked the sixth-formers who graduated four years ago if they thought this program would see the success it has, they probably would have said no. But, we were able to turn it around. I’ve had Gardner and Matt on the team since they were third-formers, and it’s been great to see them have such success here.” In addition to Crary (who lost only four sets all season, and who Skinner says was a vocal and competitive leader for his teammates) and Nightingale (“the emotional cog of our team,” Skinner calls him) the team carried four additional departing sixth-formers: Kevin Barry, Andre Forbes, John Hooper and Dylan Rose.
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“This group knew that we could get somewhere as a program,” Skinner says. “They plugged away, they worked, Gardner and Matt recruited their classmates away from other sports and convinced them to play tennis, and they were an unbelievable group.” Skinner has nothing but praise for Barry and for his younger brother, Will Barry ’18. Both Barrys were highly ranked players in New England when they were younger — Will commanded the top spot for a time — and Skinner sees a future two-year number one player in Will. “I have a strong number one in Will, and then I have a few
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returners and four new kids that I expect to play next year,” Skinner says. “I’m excited for that youth and for a new development process. We’ll have a group of kids who will work hard, climb up the standings and get us right back to where we are now.” “This season was a cap on a fouryear journey for Gardner and Matt, who have been there since day one and have struggled through some hard times,” Skinner continues. “To come out on top and win a ton of matches was storybook. What I really hope is that they saw what can happen when you buy in, when you enthusiastically give yourself to a program and stay dedicated to it. The journey that this team has made together for the past four years has been so exciting, and I feel privileged to coach such a great group of kids.”
THE NEXT LEVEL Several members of the Class of 2016 will play intercollegiate sports in college, including the following: Ceasar Adim, soccer UMass Amherst Vito Bavaro, ice hockey Sacred Heart University Samantha Boardman, tennis Gettysburg College Paul Capozzi, ice hockey Connecticut College (entering in 2017) Jinx Charman, soccer Middlebury College David Gordon, squash University of Virginia Jake Gottfried, wrestling American University Nolan LeBlanc, football Bentley University Ikenna Ndugba, basketball Bryant University Mahmoud Yousry, squash
PROMISING CREW TEAMS CONTINUE TO COMP ETE
The Brooks boys and girls crews both had notable seasons this spring. The boys first four found its way to the grand final of the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association Championships at Quinsigamond. The girls continued to search out fresh talent and improve on veteran strength over the course of a productive spring. “The season goes by fast. And, we lost a lot of kids since last year — we only had four sixth-formers — so we were very young,” says Mike Grenier ’03, head coach of boys crew. “But, we competed against some of the top schools in New England, and all our boats were invited to New Englands.” The boys first boat made it to the grand final, where it finished sixth. Grenier notes that Brooks’s accomplishment is impressive, given that it’s the first time Brooks has made grands in several years. Grenier recognizes the contributions of his departing sixthformers: first boat rower and team captain Blaise Harmange; first boat coxswain Erinn Lee; second boat coxswain John Rullo; second W MORE ONLINE: boat rower Turner Cepuritis; and Jake Please visit the Brooks athletics Gottfried, who did not row this season website at www.brooksschool. due to injury. org/athletics for more information on your favorite Brooks “All those sixth-formers have shown team, including schedules, game dedication to this program, which they recaps and up-to-date news. brought every day,” Grenier continues. “They’ve all been here for a few years now, they’ve all become leaders on the team, and they’ve all made their mark on this program.” The future is bright for boys crew: Next year, the squad will return all its boats, and all but two of its rowers. “We’re expecting a far more experienced and far more competitive group of boats next year,” Grenier says. On the girls side, head coach Justine Rooney calls crew “an opportunity sport” at Brooks. “We get a few girls each year who come in with some rowing experience,” she says. “But, crew is also a great opportunity for those students who haven’t yet found their spring sport to be introduced to a sport.” This spring, the girls crew had to overcome the loss of six members of the class of 2015. Rooney says that the squad is currently rebuilding, and she has faith in the program’s future. “We’re a young team,” she says, “and we’re finding our groove and working on our retention.” Rooney also sees Brooks as an attractive location for potential rowers: “We’re lucky to have a lake on campus that allows students to row crew without having to leave campus,” she notes. “This is a luxury that not all schools have. We’re grateful for that, and that helps a lot.”
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N EWS + NOTES
CAMPAI G N UPDAT E
The Campaign for Brooks: An Update The Campaign for Brooks is a $60,000,000 capital campaign that will be remembered as a pivotal point in Brooks history. With initiatives ranging from the construction of a new arts center to increased funding for financial aid, the campaign imagines the potential of a dynamic, vibrant community with access to resources and facilities that deliver a meaningful and profound educational experience.
Since the fall 2014 Summit, we have completed the first stage of our capital projects. Now, we look to build on that forward momentum to achieve our remaining goals. THE CA M PAIGN ’S PRIORITIES: Completed and open to additional unrestricted funds: • Ashburn Chapel Renovation
$5 million
• Center of Campus
$2 million
• Anna K. Trustey Memorial Field
$2 million
O NGO I NG PRIORITIES: • Endowment for Financial Aid
$10 million; raised $4,274,300
• Endowment for Faculty Support
$2 million; raised $120,000
• Brooks Fund
$11 million; raised $6,406,475
• Center for the Arts
$28 million; raised $19,367,750
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CA M PA IGN TO DATE (with two more years to go)* Total cash, pledges and intentions raised:
$39,172,023
We plan to BREAK GROUND and begin construction on the Center for the Arts in June 2017.
Total raised since The Campaign for Brooks was announced on May 7, 2016:
$5,995,590
(cash only)
Prior to The Campaign for Brooks, the LARGEST SINGLE GIFT in the school’s history was for
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To date, The Campaign for Brooks has received:
$5,000,000 gifts
$2,000,000
$3,000,000 gift
$1,000,000+ gifts **
For more information on The Campaign for Brooks, please visit www.thecampaignforbrooks.org.
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**but under $2,500,000
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The Class of 2016 graduated from Brooks with pride in its accomplishments, hopes for the future and an appreciation of the lessons learned in the classroom, on the playing fields and in the spotlight.
The sixth form begins to proceed out of Ashburn Chapel following Boo Hoo Chapel.
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GRADUATION 2016
A
Triumphant C E L E B RAT I ON ON SUNDAY, MAY 29, Brooks held its traditional Lawn Ceremony, during which school-wide prizes were awarded for achievement and notable work in the arts, academics and athletics. Three sixth-formers spoke during the ceremony: Jay Park spoke about the influence of the arts program on his time at Brooks, and about his ability to have an impact on others through self-expression; Ford Hatchett, a star ice hockey player, focused his speech on the experience of learning how to play football at Brooks; and Monica Abou-Ezzi spoke about the foundation of lifelong learning that the Brooks academic experience provides. The speeches were thoughtful, evocative and engaging, and they collectively served as a remarkable portrait of the student experience at Brooks. During Lawn Ceremony, Brooks awarded numerous prizes to students, in areas ranging from photography to athletics to Latin. At the conclusion of Lawn Ceremony, the students retired to Ashburn Chapel for the traditional Boo Hoo Chapel service. The meaning behind the name became clear following the service. First, the sixth form filed out of the Chapel and lined the Chapel walk. Second, the Brooks faculty processed through the line of sixthformers to offer congratulations, advice and goodbyes. Third, the younger forms left the Chapel to bid farewell to the departing sixth form. Last, the sixth formers gathered in front of the Chapel to wish each other
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well and say goodbye. This year’s Boo Hoo Chapel was especially poignant, as the sixth form released a mass of purple balloons in honor of deceased classmate Anna Trustey at the end of the procession. Prize Day dawned the next morning. The sixth form eagerly participated in the entire day, beginning with a breakfast at the Head of School’s House, during which faculty members pinned traditional rosettes onto the graduates’ clothing. Following a brief chapel service, the crowd assembled under the Prize Day tent for the graduation ceremony. Head of School John Packard began his remarks by introducing Nick Booth ’67, P’05, president of the board of trustees, who was on stage to greet each graduate as they received their diplomas. “This will be Mr. Booth’s final Prize Day as president of the board of trustees, and his leadership, commitment, engagement and deep care for the experience all of our students are having is second to none,” Mr. Packard said. “On a personal note, he has been an incredible support and mentor to me these eight years, and I am profoundly grateful.” Mr. Packard also thanked the parents of the graduates, praising their support of and dedication to both the graduates and the school, and the Brooks faculty, which he noted has an impact on Brooks students in myriad ways: in the classroom, on the stage, on the playing field, in the dormitories, as advisors, over meals and in other unmeasurable ways.
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Then, Mr. Packard turned toward the graduates. He stressed that Brooks emphasizes character, empathy and compassion over markers of individual achievement. “This is an ‘intense, thick community,’ a phrase I love, and we achieve that by joining ‘hearts and souls’ and by ensuring there are groups within the school to lean on,” Mr. Packard said. “We care for one another here. We support one another here. We come to know one another well here. In these ways, we find community, and through community we find and develop character.” Mr. Packard continued this theme when he awarded an honorary Class of 2016 diploma to faculty member John McVeigh, who exhibited tremendous care and love for the community following the loss of Anna Trustey. “He has held this Class of 2016 during a year when they needed to be held; when they needed him,” Mr. Packard said. “He did it out of love. He did it with no thought of himself. He did it because it is what he does. I consider myself so fortunate to know him and I consider our school blessed to have him.” Sixth Form Speaker Harrison Rice delivered a memorable, humorous speech. Rice listed several outlandish career paths — for example, sultan of a small island nation — that he felt he could confidently pursue with the benefit of a Brooks education. The audience appreciated Rice’s wit and wisdom, which provided a high note to the celebration.
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“When I think of this Class of 2016, I am grateful for the investment they made in this community, in one another and in having a great year. They led us in our pursuit of being a community of character.” H E AD OF SCH OOL JOH N PACK AR D, ON PR I Z E DAY
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[ 1 ] Head of School John Packard addresses the crowd on Prize Day. [ 2 ] Indra Kanwal ’16 celebrates on the day of Lawn Ceremony. [ 3 ] Monica Abou-Ezzi ’16 (left) and Erinn Lee ’16 outside Ashburn Chapel on the morning of Prize Day.
[ 4 ] Student speaker Ford Hatchett ’16 gives a speech on his experience with the Brooks athletics program. [ 5 ] Head of School John Packard (left) with departing sixth-former Gordon Ehrlich following Boo Hoo Chapel.
[ 6 ] Former United States Army Captain Amanda Rivera (left) presents Gardner Crary ’16 with Crary’s commission to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Prize Day. [ 7 ] Jake Hesse ’16 during the rosette pinning ceremony on the morning of Prize Day.
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GRADUATION SNAPSHOTS
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Payson, Anna Slingerland and Jinx Charman on the morning of Prize Day. [ 7 ] Kevin Jin ’16 adjusts his tie before the Prize Day ceremony. Each spring, the Alumni Association holds an induction dinner, during which it gifts tokens to sixthformers to wear on Prize Day: male students receive ties; female students receive charm bracelets. [ 8 ] David Gordon ’16 (left) takes in the Prize Day tent while Chapelle Johnson ’16 waves to a member of the crowd. [ 9 ] Vito Bavaro ’16 (center) was supported by a large contingent at Prize Day. Bavaro’s guests brought visual aids that made it clear
which Brooksian they had come to watch graduate. [ 10 ] Ylanis Babio ’16 celebrates with her guests following the Prize Day ceremony. [ 11 ] Student speaker Jay Park ’16 addresses the Lawn Ceremony crowd on the arts program at Brooks. [ 12 ] Nicole Patch ’16 (left) shares a laugh with Brooks math faculty and Director of the Learning Center Moira Goodman after Boo Hoo Chapel.
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“I consider the arts an integral part of my life, whether I am a creator, a participant or an audience member. Art has helped me find who I am.” JAY PAR K ’ 1 6, S P E AK IN G AT L AW N C ER EM ON Y
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Achievement & Talent
AWARDS
Brooks awarded more than four dozen prizes at Lawn Ceremony and Prize Day, recognizing The Reverend George F. Vought Prize: awarded by the Head of School to honor a member of the faculty in his or her first few years of teaching who has made special contributions to the School and has exhibited notable professional growth:
The Faculty Prize: given by George C. Haas and awarded annually to a student who has made outstanding contributions to the life of the School:
The Kerri Ann Kattar Prize: awarded annually by the faculty to that member of the graduating class who, by her warmth and generosity of spirit to others, by her outstanding contribution to Brooks athletics, by her presence alone, has added that precious quality of kindness for which we remember Kerri Ann Kattar:
VALERIE TINNY NAM ’16
CHRISTOPHER COLIN DAVIS
ANNA KATHLEEN TRUSTEY ’16 The Trustees Prize: awarded by the faculty to any member of the school community who has served beyond the call of duty:
OMARINA CABRERA ’16
DEOKCELMO GONTIJO VIEIRA DE CARVALHO FILHO ’16 The Headmaster’s Prize: given in memory of George B. Case Jr.:
Honorary Diploma:
JOHN MICHAEL MCVEIGH ART AWARDS The George A. Tirone Prize: awarded by Mrs. Rudolph Muto, in memory of her father, to a Middle School student who shows unusual promise in the Visual Arts (two recipients in 2016):
KATHERINE COULSON SAUNDERS ’18 and LEAH NICOLE ROSENBAUM ’18
The Buhl Photography Prize:
HANNAH ELISABETH LATHAM ’17
The Russell Morse Prize: awarded to an Upper School student who has made distinguished contributions to the visual arts at Brooks:
GRACE BECK SCHYLLING ’16
The Parkman Prize in Drama: given in memory of Terry Parkman to a student who has worked long and hard backstage with no thought of any reward:
DUNCAN ANDREW DAVIES ’17
The Knowlton Drama Prize: given in memory of Warren Knowlton, of the Class of 1967, and awarded to a member of the Brooks community who has shown those qualities of loyalty and devotion to drama and versatility and enthusiasm in work before and behind the scenes that was typified by Warren Knowlton:
JOHN DEAN RULLO ’16
The Music Prize: awarded in recognition of dedicated, longterm study of an instrument or voice that has resulted in the highest level of musical performance in the graduating class (two recipients in 2016):
ANABELLE ACEVEDO ’16
(vocals) and
DAVID PHILIP GORDON ’16
(instrumental)
Senior Prefect Valerie Nam ’16 was awarded The Headmaster's Prize.
ATHLETIC AWARDS The ISL Award of Excellence: BOYS: GARDNER CRARY ’16 GIRLS: MEGAN NEAL ’16 The Athletic Prize: An annual award to two sixth-formers who, in the opinion of coaches, have distinguished themselves in sportsmanship and athletic ability, and whose achievements have demonstrated an outstanding record in the athletic life at Brooks: BOYS: JAKE GOTTFRIED ’16 GIRLS: OLIVIA PAPAPETROS ’16 The Frank D. Ashburn Athletic Award: given by the Cogswell family to honor an outstanding individual or team performance in which intangible, extra qualities have added a special flavor for the school:
BOYS 1ST BASKETBALL TEAM ACADEMIC AWARDS The Edmund Samuel Carr Prize in Beginning Latin:
JACK REID O'CONNELL ’19 The Edmund Samuel Carr Prize in Latin:
HARRISON MATHIEU PAGE ’16 The Spanish Prize:
MATTHEW JAY ERICSON ’16 The Rene Champollion French Prize:
NURYELIS HERRERA ’16 The Charles C. Cottingham Class of 2008 Chinese Prize: to be awarded annually to a student who has exhibited an enthusiasm and appreciation for the Chinese language and culture:
DEOKCELMO GONTIJO VIEIRA DE CARVALHO FILHO ’16 The John B. Melvin Computer Prize:
RUCHENG JOJO ZHANG ’16 The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Medal: for excellence in Mathematics and Science:
YUTONG COCO SUN ’17 24
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the school’s academic, artistic, athletics and community leaders. The A. G. Davis Philip Prize: given by the Science Department to an individual who has demonstrated an interest in and who shows considerable promise in Science:
LUTONG TIM ZHAO ’18
The John J. Cabral Prize: given to the Brooks student who has shown a high degree of interest in physics and for the depth of involvement in the subject:
KEVIN JIN ’16
The Denison University Book Award: awarded to an outstanding fifth-former with a proven record of academic achievement and an interest in pursuing the study of English literature, creative writing, or poetry at the college level:
JI HYEONG JAMES KIM ’17
The Publications Prize: awarded to a student whose diligence, devotion and skill have contributed significantly to the successful production of a Brooks publication, given this year to:
The Nicholas J. Evangelos Science Prize:
HANNAH ELISABETH LATHAM ’17
The Mathematics Prize:
The Wilder Speaking Prize: (given by John G. and H. Todd Cobey Jr.):
ANNA LEIGH SLINGERLAND ’16 KEVIN JIN ’16
The Howell Van Gerbig Jr. Prize: given for the best essay on the development of political institutions, for her paper titled “Fifty-Three Years, Two Wars: The Newspapers’ Fault,” goes to:
ELSA GRANT ’17
The Richard K. Irons Prize: for the best essay on a pressing problem in American history or international relations, for her paper titled “Warhol: An Artist and a Mindset,” goes to:
GRACE BECK SCHYLLING ’16
The Michael W. McCahill Prize in History: awarded to a Sixth Form student who has demonstrated a love for the discipline by taking a wide and rigorous program in History, a mastery of analytical thinking and writing, an enthusiasm for the craft of historical research, a delight in the exploration and exchange of ideas, and an empathy for the human condition:
CHARLES SHERIDAN LOTANE ’16 The E. Graham Ward English Prize: awarded to a student who has demonstrated a love of literature in all of its forms. This student is a talented reader and writer gifted with the ability to respond to literature both analytically and creatively:
SOPHIE MARIE BYMARK ’16
KENNEDY LAVERA POUNDS ’17
The Columbia University Club of New England Prize: awarded to a Fifth-Former who has demonstrated an ability to combine academic achievement, personal character, extra-curricular contribution to the school, and accomplishment in and dedication to a field of interest meriting personal recognition:
NICHOLAS ALEXANDER KONOVALCHIK ’17
The Wellesley College Book Award: awarded by the HaverhillAndover Wellesley Club to a Fifth-Former nominated by the faculty for her outstanding contributions to her school in leadership, citizenship, and scholastic achievement:
JULIA SCOTT MOORE ’17
The Phillips Brooks Prize: donated by the Phillips Brooks Society and awarded by the School Minister in memory of the Reverend George Frederick Vought to a Sixth-Former who, during his or her time at the School, has followed in the path of Phillips Brooks by offering constant love, exemplary service and good humor to the community and by setting a high standard for others:
JOHN DEAN RULLO ’16
The Oscar Root Prize: given by Morgan H. Harris Jr. to a member of the Brooks community who has exemplified certain characteristics with which Oscar M. Root for many years enriched the life at Brooks. These characteristics include excellence in the sciences, devotion to nature study, and a sense of humor which provided a rare overview of life:
KAITLYN ELIZABETH BRANDANO ’16 GENERAL PRIZES
The Malcolm G. Chace III Prize: awarded to a third-, fourthand fifth-former who, in the judgment of the Headmaster, has made the most personal progress during the year: THIRD FORM: PERCIVAL SIBANDA FOURTH FORM: MILLIE BRADY FIFTH FORM: ISAIAH GODWIN The St. Lawrence University Prize: awarded to a fifth-former who has displayed a significant commitment to community service:
The Harvard Club of Andover Prize: awarded by the Harvard Club of Andover to a Fifth-Former nominated by the Faculty for high academic achievement, leadership, and active participation in school affairs:
PAUL LUIS MILLER ’17
The Jolene And Stephen C. Eyre Prize for Scholarly Achievement: this prize is awarded each year to the ranking scholar in the Sixth Form:
The George B. Blake Prize: awarded in recognition of extended voluntary and generous service to others:
YUTONG COCO SUN ’17
ANNA LEIGH SLINGERLAND ’16
The Leonard S. Perkins Prize: awarded by the Faculty to that member of the Fifth Form who makes an outstanding contribution to the life of the school:
HANNAH ELISABETH LATHAM ’17
JALEN MARTINEZ ’16
The Kilborn Bowl: given by Mr. and Mrs. John W. Kilborn for the greatest all-around improvement (two recipients in 2016):
DAVID JOSEPH MICHAEL CROSBY ’16 and GORDON JACK EHRLICH ’16
The William R. Ferris Jr. Prize: given by Howell van Gerbig in honor of William R. Ferris ’60, and awarded to a sixth-form student who stands out among his peers on account of the depth and range of his intellectual curiosity, energy and creativity:
KEVIN JIN ’16
The Harvey P. Hood Prize: awarded in recognition of special interests such as working with young children, making things with one’s hands, and in memory of a lively, gentle view of life:
ERINN LEE ’16
The Headmaster Emeritus Prize: given by the faculty for any reason it considers appropriate:
JACK ROBERT HUGHES ’16
The Dunnell Prize: given by the faculty in honor of Jacob Dunnell and William W. Dunnell III to a sixth-former who has worked without fanfare to better the school:
MONICA NICOLE ABOU-EZZI ’16
The Allen Ashburn Prize: given by the late James D. Regan and awarded each year by the Headmaster for any purpose which he deems suitable: ANNA LEIGH
SLINGERLAND ’16
The Thomas Perkins Brooks, Jr. Prize: given in memory of Ensign Brooks who was lost in the Battle of Leyte Gulf and awarded annually by the Headmaster to a member of the sixth form who, during his or her career at Brooks, has met certain requirements of development, leadership and responsibility:
DANIEL OXFORD HATCHETT ’16
The Russell Prize: given by the late Richard S. Russell for an outstanding single contribution to the life of the community during the year:
IKENNA NDUGBA ’16
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College Bound The Class of 2016 will attend prestigious colleges and universities across the United States and around the world. Their experiences will vary, but their foundation will be consistent: Brooks’s close-knit community, inquisitive classwork and preparation to meet the challenges of college, career and life. American University
Sacred Heart University (3)
Babson College
Southern Methodist University
Barnard College
Syracuse University (2)
Bates College
The Catholic University of America
Bentley University Boston College Boston University (3) Bowdoin College Brown University Bryant University Case Western Reserve University Colby College College of Charleston (2) College of the Holy Cross
The George Washington University (4) The University of Alabama The University of Texas, Austin Tulane University (2)
University of Delaware
Connecticut College (2)
University of Denver (3)
DePaul University
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Gettysburg College (2) Indiana University at Bloomington Lafayette College Loyola University New Orleans Middlebury College
[ 3 ] Annie Roddy ’16 (left) and Harrison Rice ’16 memorialize Prize Day with a selfie.
United States Military Academy—Army
Concordia University—Montreal
Georgia State University
[ 2 ] Nury Herrera ’16 (left) and classmate Carter Howe dance their way down the Prize Day aisle.
Trinity College (2)
University of Colorado at Boulder (2)
Georgetown University
[ 1 ] Ikenna Ndugba ’16 enjoys his moment in the spotlight during Prize Day.
The University of Arizona
Colorado College
Duke University
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University of New Hampshire at Durham (2) University of Notre Dame University of Southern California University of St Andrews University of Vermont University of Virginia (4) Villanova University
New York University North Carolina State University Northeastern University (6) Pennsylvania State University— World Campus Providence College (2) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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“Brooks prepared us not just for academic success, but also for life. We are literally ready for everything.” S I XTH FOR M S PE AK E R H AR R I SON R I CE , ON PR I Z E DAY
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A Memorable
RETURN Three hundred Brooks alumni and guests returned to campus for Alumni Weekend in May. The weekend featured a Lehman exhibit of works by the Class of 1966 and a retirement party for a pillar of the Brooks faculty.
BROOKS welcomed a celebratory, excited group of alumni back to campus for Alumni Weekend in mid-May. As has become custom in recent years, Alumni Weekend was held while classes were in session and students were on campus. This allowed alumni to attend athletic contests, sit in on classes and meet the Brooksians of today. The weekend included the traditional Memorial Chapel Service and Alumni Convocation, as well as the Saturday night All-Alumni Reception and Dinner, which doubled as a retirement party for retiring faculty Mark Shovan P ’99 (see “A Historic Career,” Brooks Bulletin, Spring 2016, page 28). The weekend also featured an art exhibit showing the work of the 50th reunion Class of 1966 and the finals of the 50th Wilder Prize in Public Speaking competition.
A crowd of Brooksians turned out for the Saturday afternoon crew races on a beautiful Lake Cochichewick.
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ALUMNI WEEKEND 2016
The Lehman exhibit, titled “Class of ’66 Creatives,” was curated by Sidney Lawrence ’66 and Jim Madden ’66. The exhibit included a diverse collection of art produced by 50th reunion classmates, including painting, photography and furniture, as well as less traditional art forms such as cigar paraphernalia and white-water gear. The show reflected how Brooks, particularly through the teaching of arts faculty emeritus Michael King, encouraged individuality, exploration and creative freedom. On Friday morning, alumni who contributed to the exhibit presented their art during a talking tour. King’s influence on the group was a repeated theme. “He taught us the importance of staying with your creative impulse and seeing if it’s true,” Lawrence said, describing King’s impact on his students. “Basically, just being yourself.” Saturday’s slate included the Memorial Chapel Service and the Wilder Public Speaking Prize finals. There, H. Todd Cobey ’61 and John G. Cobey ’62, who established the competition as students and remain the prize’s benefactors, spoke about the origins of the contest and the qualities of senior master emeritus F. Fessenden Wilder P’66. Kim O’Neill Packard ’87, P’18, who won the competition as a fifth-former, also spoke; she reflected on how her success in the competition helped her change her perception of herself.
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Head of School John Packard began Alumni Convocation with his annual State of the School address. Mr. Packard spoke of the school’s evolving approach to learning that values experiential education and depth over breadth. He also discussed the launch of The Campaign for Brooks. Following his speech, Mr. Packard conferred alumni awards on two notable alumni, and announced four inductees into the Athletics Hall of Fame (see pages 34 and 36, respectively). On Saturday afternoon, alumni explored the campus and attended athletic contests, including the girls 1st lacrosse nailbiter on Anna K. Trustey Memorial Field, before congregating for the All-Alumni Reception and Dinner and Mark Shovan Retirement Party. Mr. Packard gave a thoughtful, heartfelt speech about Shovan’s 48 years of service to Brooks, and the impact he had on countless Brooksians, both students and faculty. “He gave of himself selflessly and with humility at every turn,” Mr. Packard said. “He helped a lot of people take a lot of deep breaths throughout the year. I doubt there will ever be a more calming presence on this campus.” The celebration went on into the night as alumni danced, laughed, and reconnected with each other and with Brooks.
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“You didn’t think I would let you get away without me reading a poem, did you?” RETIRING FACULTY MARK SHOVAN P’99, ADDRESSING THE CROWD AT HIS RETIREMENT PARTY, BEFORE READING A POEM THAT REFLECTS ON THE NOTION OF TRANSIENCE.
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[ 1 ] From left to right: Scott Hendrickson Mannion ’06, Charlie Cornish ’06, Taylor DiGloria ’06, Brian Mannion and Kevin Jacobs ’06 in the lower level of the newly renovated Ashburn Chapel.
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[ 2 ] Max McGillivray ’12 (right) greets Becca Shovan P’99, wife of retiring faculty Mark Shovan P’99, at Saturday night’s festivities in Mark Shovan’s honor.
Dinner and party in honor of retiring faculty Mark Shovan. [ 5 ] Sarah Barto Vespermann ’86. [ 6 ] Retiring faculty Mark Shovan takes in the Saturday night celebration to mark his retirement.
[ 3 ] George Waterston ’56 (center) enjoys a campus tour.
[ 7 ] Head of School John Packard during his remarks at Saturday night’s party in honor of faculty Mark Shovan, who retired this spring after 48 years of service to Brooks.
[ 4 ] Allison Jackson ’93 enjoys the festivities during Saturday night’s All-Alumni Reception and
[ 8 ] From left to right: Henry Wilder ’66, Sidney Lawrence ’66 and Shel Pitney ’66, P’96, P’97 greet
each other at the start of their 50th reunion. [ 9 ] From left to right: Ryan Jarvis ’96, Greta Lundberg ’97 and Bailey McKallagat Martignetti ’96. [ 10 ] Stephanie Finelli ’86 (center) chats with Katharine Wallace ’86 (left) before the start of Saturday night’s AllAlumni Reception and Dinner and Mark Shovan Retirement Party. [ 11 ] Lawrie Barr ’54 during the Ashburn Luncheon. [ 12 ] Skip Morse ’56 pauses outside Luce Library.
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“Playing sports at Brooks was a really special experience. Even when we would play away games against much larger schools, so many Brooks students would come out to support us that our crowd of fans would end up being twice the size of theirs.” ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE KAREEN SAVAGE BACINSKI ’91 DURING HER ACCEPTANCE SPEECH. 4 6
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[ 1 ] Milton Love ’91 (left) and classmate Josh Perlow enjoy a sunny Saturday afternoon on campus.
[ 4 ] Katie Myers Henshaw ’96 (left) and Robb Henshaw at the crew races on Saturday afternoon.
[ 2 ] From left to right: Kay Colson, Neil Wilkie ’56, Skip Morse ’56, president of the board of trustees Steve Gorham ’85, P’17 and Ellery McLanahan ’56.
[ 5 ] Rufus Peckham ’46.
[ 3 ] From left to right: Bill McAndrew ’56, Dominic Habsburg ’56 and Skip Morse ’56 outside the Head of School’s House.
[ 6 ] Kareen Savage Bacinski ’91 gives an emotional speech following her induction into the Brooks Athletics Hall of Fame. [ 7 ] Former Headmaster H. Peter Aitken (center) attended the weekend as an honorary member of the Class of 1986.
[ 8 ] James Bride ’56 (right) and Ginny Bride. [ 9 ] Peter Beatty ’66. [ 10 ] Leanne Robinson W’54, P’92, P’95 (left) trades memories with George Reiger ’56. [ 11 ] Charles Walbridge ’66 (left) and Sophia Unger ’66 relax before the start of Saturday night’s festivities. [ 12 ] From left to right: Loubna Garozzo ’96, Alynn Albert ’96 and Renee Montminy O’Dwyer ’96.
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ALUMNI AWARDS
Alumni Awards Brooks took note of the accomplishments of two of its graduates on Alumni Weekend. Head of School John Packard lauded the career of a former United States ambassador to a fledgling democracy, and also highlighted the impact that the executive director of a nonprofit organization has had on at-risk youth.
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Distinguished Brooksian Award
The Distinguished Brooksian Award honors a member of the Brooks community whose life and contributions to society exemplify the nobility of character and usefulness to humanity embodied in the spirit of the school.
THEODORE SEDGWICK ’66, who recently served as the U.S. ambassador to Slovakia, showed hints of his future promise to Brooks’s founding headmaster Frank Ashburn. When Ashburn wrote Sedgwick’s college recommendation, he noted his “extraordinary range of interests,” and described him as a “stimulating individualist.” Those diverse interests led Sedgwick through a career that included journalism, publishing, entrepreneurship and nonprofit leadership. His deep interest in global affairs and other cultures and languages solidified his five-year post in Bratislava, where he promoted the idea of “active citizenship” to the new democracy; he worked to stem a tide of political corruption and led efforts toward transparency in the Slovakian government and judiciary. Sedgwick is now a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, an organization whose mission is to apply the lessons of history to address today’s political challenges; develop real-world strategic policy solutions by convening representatives from government, academia and the private sector; and educate the next generation of leaders. At the
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Center, Sedgwick draws on his substantial experience and global perspective to achieve what Mr. Packard called “lofty goals in today’s political and social climate.” “Tod’s contributions to our country and our world are countless,” Mr. Packard said, before granting Sedgwick the award “for his promotion of knowledge and extraordinary contributions to democracy.” Sedgwick’s acceptance speech touched on many aspects of his ambassadorship and on his life in Bratislava, from his diplomatic efforts to his joining a rock band composed of other ambassadors and international diplomats. Sedgwick also reflected on the influence that Brooks had on his career. “This is a true honor,” Sedgwick said. “I was in Richard Holmes’s dorm — and let’s face it, Brooks School in our day was a kind of monastic experience, if you will — and to be in a dorm with somebody who spent a lot of time in Africa and Kenya opened my eyes that there was a world out there beyond Brooks School and New England.”
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AWARD WI N N E RS Distinguished Brooksian THEODORE SEDGWICK ’66 Alumni Shield Award DAVID S. COHEN ’91 Alumni Bowl Award STOW WALKER ’71, P’06
[ 1 ] Head of School John Packard (left) with Distinguished Brooksian honoree Theodore Sedgwick ’66, former United States ambassador to Slovakia. [ 2 ] Head of School John Packard (left) with Alumni Shield winner David S. Cohen ’91, executive director of Doc Wayne, an organization that provides sports-based therapy to at-risk youth.
Alumni Shield Award
The Alumni Shield Award recognizes an alumna or alumnus who graduated from Brooks less than 25 years ago and has made significant contributions in the field of his or her endeavor.
DAVID S. COHEN ’91 is executive director of the nonprofit organization Doc Wayne. Doc Wayne uses sports-based therapy to work with at-risk youth. Under Cohen’s leadership, Doc Wayne has received numerous awards and accolades: The organization was chosen as the 2014 Innovator of the Year by the Provider’s Council; it was also named the 2015 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Sports Award winner as an Influential Leader and Model For Others Making Communities Healthier Through Sport. Cohen has also racked up some awards of his own: In 2012, Cohen was named Major League Soccer (MLS W.O.R.K.S.) New England Community MVP; in 2014, he was selected as a Social Innovator by Root Cause’s Social Innovation Forum in the category of Breaking Down Barriers To
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Effective Mental Health Services; and in 2015, Cohen was named a Carmax “Bright Side of Game Day” Community Hero. “I see myself as a passionate, committed individual doing what I believe the right thing is to do for others,” Cohen said in his acceptance speech, “not to be personally recognized but rather raise awareness about what is going on in our communities, right here in our back yard.” “There are millions of youth who struggle daily and are often overlooked and get left behind through no fault of their own,” Cohen concluded. “I accept this incredible honor on behalf of all them, and know there is still so much work to do to provide hope and possibility.”
Alumni Bowl Award
The Alumni Bowl Award, given by the Brooks School Alumni Board to recognize dedicated and thoughtful service to the school, has been conferred on STOW WALKER ’71, P’06. Walker will accept the award when the alumni board is assembled on campus in the fall.
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HALL OF FAME
Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Brooks celebrated four new inductees into the Athletics Hall of Fame on Alumni Weekend. The hall of fame honors those individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the quality and tradition of athletics here at Brooks. KAREEN SAVAGE BACINSKI ’91 stood out at Brooks as an athlete and as a student, due to a high degree of motivation, determination and self-discipline that helped make her teams successful. She captained the girls 1st basketball team as a sixth-former, and was named to the ISL All-League team and New England Prep All-Star team in 1990 and 1991. She also dominated on the softball field: As a fifth-former, Bacinski notched a .479 batting average while recording a league-leading 76 strikeouts as a pitcher en route to All-ISL honors, league MVP honors and Boston Globe All-Scholastic honors. She suffered injury and did not play as a sixth-former, but undaunted, went on to play softball at Harvard University. Bacinski was also the goalkeeper for Brooks’s 1990 New England Championship-winning girls 1st soccer team. She was awarded the athletics prize at her graduation from Brooks, and returned to campus for a short stretch to coach the girls 2nd basketball team. JUNG M. LEE ’91 had a historic wrestling career at
Brooks. In fact, he is still regarded by many as one of the best wrestlers in Brooks history. At Brooks, Lee easily won the league and New England championships while wrestling up two weight classes. An electrifying presence on the mat, Lee also made time for his teammates, and was as known for his humility and humor as much as he was for his skill and talent. Lee was named Outstanding Wrestler in both the Graves Tournament and the New England Tournament, and went on to wrestle for the elite Lehigh University team.
THE 1956 1ST SQUASH TEAM was a very successful
team, only losing one match en route to a 9-1 record and the New England Interscholastic Tournament championship. The team’s renowned coach, Frank Jackson, would say that the team was notable not because of its record, but because of the individuals who made it up. Mickey van Gerbig ’59 played at number five; he grew
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enormously during the season and delivered a critical win against Middlesex School; Ellery McLanahan ’56 earned the four spot through competitiveness and a refusal to give up; Fred Holbrook ’56 was undefeated at number four as a fifth-former, and beat seven of 10 opponents at three as a sixth-former, including a win over the previously undefeated Middlesex number three. Grenville Emmet ’56, the team’s number one, went undefeated; he only lost one match, to Bob Gerry ’56, P’81, P’87, the team’s captain and number two, in the school tournament. Gerry’s dedication to the team, his patience and his eagerness to promote and serve the squash program is still notable today. McLanahan accepted the induction on behalf of his team.
FREDERICK M. CASWELL ’76 was a leader in many ways at Brooks: As senior prefect, he played a vital role in every aspect of campus life. Yet, he also found time to captain the boys 1st soccer team, the boys 1st ice hockey team and the boys 1st tennis team as a sixth-former. Head of School John Packard said that Caswell “demonstrated first-class sportsmanship with grace, humor and incredible energy,” and noted that his friendly and charismatic nature was a healthy influence on his contemporaries at Brooks. Caswell matriculated at Hamilton College, where he continued to play all three sports; he was named the men’s ice hockey team’s MVP in 1980, and earned an ECAC championship with the men’s soccer team. His life in athletics continued beyond his own playing days: Caswell coached the Boston University women’s ice hockey team in 1982. [ 1 ] The 1956 1st squash team. Top row, from left to right: Bartle Bull ’56, Mickey van Gerbig ’59, head coach Frank Jackson. Bottom row, left to right: Ellery McLanahan ’56, Bob Gerry ’56, P’81, P’87, Grenville Emmet ’56, Fred Holbrook ’56. [ 2 ] Ellery McLanahan ’56 (left) with Head of School John Packard. McLanahan represented the 1956 1st squash team at its induction into the Athletics Hall of Fame. [ 3 ] Kareen Savage Bacinski ’91 (left) with Head of School John Packard following Bacinski’s induction into the Athletics Hall of Fame. [ 4 ] Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Jung M. Lee ’91 (left) and Head of School John Packard. [ 5 ] Head of School John Packard (left) with Fred Caswell ’76, P’10, Athletics Hall of Fame inductee.
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ALUMNI SNAPSHOTS
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[ 1 ] Tabby Turner ’67, P’99. [ 2 ] From left to right: Chase Stone ’11, Emily Stone P’11 and John Stone ’79, P’11 outside Saturday night’s All-Alumni Reception and Dinner and Mark Shovan Retirement Party. [ 3 ] The 50th Reunion Class of 1966 tours the Brooks campus. [ 4 ] Paul Perocchi ’66, P’10 (left) and Sidney Lawrence ’66 reminisce at the Head of School’s House. [ 5 ] Jack McKallagat ’66, P’96, P’00. [ 6 ] Young alumni greet each other before heading in to the
All-Alumni Reception and Dinner and Mark Shovan Retirement Party. [ 7 ] From left to right: Tyler Stillings ’11, Jon Choroszy ’11 and Will Collier ’11 enjoy a sunny Saturday afternoon at Brooks. [ 8 ] John Cobey ’62 addresses the audience at the finals of the 50th anniversary Wilder Prize in Public Speaking competition. Cobey and his brother H. Todd Cobey ’61 established the competition as students and remain its benefactors. [ 9 ] David Hyun ’86 (left) and family enjoy the Saturday afternoon crew races.
“To be in a dorm with somebody who spent a lot of time in Africa and Kenya opened my eyes that there was a world out there beyond Brooks School and New England.” TOD SEDGWICK ’66, FORMER AMBASSADOR TO SLOVAKIA, REMEMBERING FORMER FACULTY RICHARD HOLMES 7
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REUNION NOTES
Spring blossoms decorate the Brooks campus during Alumni weekend.
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“I’ve always felt that I took more out of Brooks than it got out of me. Thirty years later, I have the pleasure of revisiting Brooks through the eyes of my son, Andy ’10. Not surprisingly, his Brooks experience mirrored my own.” FRED CASWELL ’76, accepting his induction into the Brooks Athletics Hall of Fame over Alumni Weekend
THE BROOKS FUND connects Brooks School’s past to its present, and its present to its future. The Brooks Fund provides 10 percent of the school’s annual operating budget and helps ensure that the everyday experience at Brooks — the beautiful campus; the dedicated and inspiring faculty; the crisp team uniforms — reflects the school’s larger, unchanging 90-year old tradition of providing a transformational educational experience.
BROOKS S CHOOL BROOKS FUND
Three easy ways to give: Credit Card — Check — Stock. Visit www.brooksschool.org to make your gift.
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Brooks Bulletin Brooks School 1160 Great Pond Road North Andover, MA 01845-1298 Address service requested
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE FOLLOWING EVENTS: Homecoming October 8, 2016
Boston Reception February 2, 2017
Parents Weekend October 28—29, 2016
Alumni Weekend
New York Reception November 17, 2016
(classes ending in 2 or 7)
May 12—13, 2017
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