Brooks Connections

from Brooks Bulletin Fall 2022

by Brooks School

Message from the Head of School

BROOKS CONNECTIONS

IN THIS SECTION 46 Alumni News 52 Class Notes 82 In Memoriam

A scene of costumed Brooksians enjoying the Halloween Dance sponsored by student affinity group Alianza Latina. The dance was held inside the property located at 1116 Great Pond Road.

A Reunion on the Pitch

Two Brooks teammates spend a final year together on the Northwestern University soccer team in their final year of NCAA eligibility.

Christian Garner ’18 (left) and Andrew Stevens ’18 reunited for a year on the Northwestern University men’s soccer team.

Brooks boys 1st soccer teammates Andrew Stevens ’18 and Christian Garner ’18 made names for themselves at Brooks when they won Independent School League titles in 2016 and 2017. They each went on to play soccer in college: Stevens, a midfielder, captained the Columbia University squad by the time he was a sophomore, and Garner, a goalkeeper, captained the Boston College team. Now, due to the additional year of eligibility granted by the NCAA in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Garner and Stevens find themselves reunited for a year: They’re both fifth-year starters for the soccer team at Northwestern University, where they’re each pursuing graduate-level certificates in analytics and management.

Garner and Stevens, who live together, couldn’t be happier to be reunited. First, they’re proud to be at Northwestern: Stevens lauds the school’s renowned academics combined with its athletic stature as a member of the Big Ten Conference. “It’s hard to beat that level of academics and athletics, and being just outside Chicago is a huge bonus,” says Stevens. “We’re both from the Boston area, and Chicago’s a whole different experience.” Second, Stevens and Garner are thrilled to have one final year playing soccer together. “It’s a lot of fun,” Stevens continues. “We had a really good relationship from day one at Brooks. And obviously, getting to come here and reconnect our paths and end our college careers together is really cool. We both had different processes going into college and didn’t think that we would have the chance to play again. So I think we’ve really just been trying to enjoy the moment and take full advantage of the opportunity.” “Brooks soccer meant a lot to us,” Garner adds. “That shaped our perspective on the game now. And then we had two different experiences — Andrew at Columbia and me at Boston College. Getting to come back together is like a dream come true.” Garner and Stevens also say that they still use aspects of what they learned at Brooks on the field. “My Brooks soccer experience is the best experience that I’ve ever had,” Stevens says. “I loved it. I loved the team, the culture, the tradition, everything. How to be a good teammate, how to feel about

the game, how to push guys around you, all that stuff comes from playing at Brooks and my experience with [faculty emeritus] Dusty [Richard], current head coach Willie [Waters ’02] and all the guys there.” Garner emphasizes the way in which his experience at Brooks reverberates today. “It’s the culture, togetherness and the brotherhood the Brooks program’s given us,” he says. “It’s cool when we go to Indiana and we’re playing on the Big Ten Network. We’re both out there together, battling one of the better college soccer teams in the country, and there’s still that connection to Brooks and how special that experience was.”

Christian Garner ’18 and Andrew Stevens ’18 were so excited for the Brooks boys 1st soccer team’s trip to the New England championship game, they drove for 16 hours straight from Chicago to Massachusetts — and through a blizzard in Buffalo, N.Y. — to catch the game with other soccer alumni. Read about the Brooks season on page 18 of this issue.

BROOKS WORKS

Hal Hamilton ’53 “Spectral New England” Hal Hamilton ’53 showed his recent film project, “Spectral New England,” this fall. The documentary project explores New England’s supernatural history from the 1630s to the present day. Hamilton wrote, directed and narrated the film. Hamilton was known at Brooks for his acting talent. He decamped to the United Kingdom for several decades, during which he graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and became a member of the Royal Court Company. After returning to the United States, Hamilton took a position teaching film and literature at the University of Rhode Island, where he continues to preside over classes.

Alumni Briefs

A Pioneer in Wyoming

Liza Scott ’14 works as a fly-fishing guide in Wyoming. Recently, she spent a day guiding retired Groton School classics teacher John Tulp in Buffalo, Wyoming. Although Scott identified herself quickly as a Brooks graduate, Tulp says, “Liza and I didn’t spend the day talking about life in the ISL. We were there for the fishing, and she showed me one of the best days of trout fishing I’ve ever had. But we did chat about it here and there, and more importantly we both knew from our first couple of minutes that we shared a strong connection and were going to have a great time together.”

Tulp adds that Scott was “terrific. She was upbeat and fun all day long, but also thoroughly professional in all the crucial matters of knowledge, confidence, skill and organization that make for a successful day in a rather technical pastime, not to mention safety in very remote and sometimes fairly rugged places.” He points out that guiding fly-fishing remains a predominantly male industry, and says that Scott is making an impressive impact on the cutting edge of the sport. “With her blend of self-assurance, competence and personal style, she is poised to have an exciting influence on that fly fishing world at several levels in the coming years,” he concludes.

A Meaningful Film Score

Daniel Slatkin ’12 composed and conducted the musical score for “Gradually, Then Suddenly,” a documentary on Detroit’s 2013 bankruptcy. The film debuted at a Detroit film festival in April. Slatkin, a Detroit native, recorded the score with members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. His father, Leonard Slatkin, is the orchestra’s music director laureate.

Slatkin’s score for “Gradually, then Suddenly” features parts for viola, cello and bass, along with piano and electronic sounds. Slatkin told the Detroit Free Press that he avoided violins because he wanted the sound of the score to feel heavier and more industrial to suit the Detroit setting. According to the Free Press, the score plays for about 85% of the movie, well above the typical 60% for a documentary.

“Gradually, Then Suddenly” was released in October. Slatkin previously won the award for best score at the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema for his work on the indie feature “Neon Bleed.”

SAVE THE DATE

GIVING DAY! Our annual Giving Day is scheduled to take place on February 9, 2023. This oneday event, in which we strive to accrue as many donations to the Brooks Fund as possible, is a tremendous help in meeting our annual fund and institutional budget goals. Please be on the lookout for class competitions, challenges and gift matching opportunities, and get ready to give back to Brooks!

Members of the 1982–1983 girls 1st lacrosse team at the October hall of fame induction ceremony.

A Special Campus Weekend

The school spent an October weekend celebrating Alumni Homecoming and an induction into the Brooks School Athletics Hall of Fame.

Brooks welcomed alumni back to campus on Saturday, October 1, for its annual induction ceremony for the athletics hall of fame followed by the annual alumni homecoming gathering. The alumni festivities began with honoring three inductees into the athletics hall of fame: The undefeated, ISL champion 1982–1983 girls 1st lacrosse team; lacrosse and soccer player Ginger Walsh Cobb ’83; and tennis and basketball star Alex Skinner ’08. The lacrosse team that was inducted was a particular highlight of the day: Numerous teammates and their families flooded campus, lending a palpable buzz of reunion to the event.

The homecoming festivities for all alumni continued the sense of reconnection, including a field-side hospitality tent with refreshments and raffle prizes that Brooksians enjoyed while watching that Saturday’s Brooks athletic competitions.

MORE HONORS

Four Brooksians were recently inducted into the Brown University Athletic Hall of Fame. Sarah Broadhead Baird ’99 and Julie Petralia Derderian ’99, P’25, along with Assistant Head of School Nina F. Hanlon, were inducted as members of the 2000 women’s crew team, which won the NCAA national championship. Hanlon was also inducted as a member of the 1999 team, which also won a national championship. Murray Danforth III ’72 was inducted for his prowess as a member of the men’s rugby team, which won the Ivy League Championship three times during his tenure in Providence.

Athletics Hall of Fame Induction

The Brooks School Athletics Hall of Fame was established to honor those individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the quality and tradition of Brooks School athletics.

1982–1983 GIRLS 1ST LACROSSE TEAM

The 1982–1983 girls 1st lacrosse team had an undefeated, 13–0 season and an ISL championship win. The team also scored the most goals in the league. The group made its mark as a hugely successful team despite the school having opened to coeducation only five years prior. Before the induction ceremony, teammate Alexandra G. Abbott ’85 reflected on the team’s impact on her life and on the school. “The dedication and commitment toward winning and playing our very best, not only as teammates but as individuals, was powerful to be a part of, especially as a 16-year old,” she said. “As the season was coming to an end, it was clear that we were making history and showing the community our strength as young women.”

Abbott also recalled a lesson she learned from being a member of the team. “Every Friday night before a Saturday game, we would meet on the lacrosse field, sit in a large circle and talk as a team about any issues or problems that we had as individuals and players,” she said. “I remember thinking how incredible it was to be a part of something so communicative and supportive. It taught me a very valuable life skill that I have utilized throughout my life and career. This power of open communication allowed our team to work more efficiently and help us focus.”

Members: Ginger Walsh Cobb ’83 (captain), Alexandra G. Abbott ’85, Courtnay O. Duchin ’86, Circe Dunnell ’84, Courtney O. Hayes ’83, Carolee Levick Hazard ’84, Jennifer Gooch Hummer ’83, Tracy E. Kinney ’85, Susan P. McDonald ’83, Tory Wright Morton ’84, Wickie Smith Rowland ’85, Mary-Priscilla Stevens ’83, Andrea van Beuren ’83, Elizabeth R. Wheeler ’84, and Margaret Sands Witham ’84.

GINGER WALSH COBB ’83

Ginger Walsh Cobb ’83, who served as a threeyear captain of the girls 1st lacrosse team, was also honored as an individual inductee. She is one of the school’s first star female athletes, and she made massive contributions to the school’s budding girls soccer, ice hockey and lacrosse programs. Cobb was a two-time captain of the girls soccer team; she also played ice hockey on the boys 1st ice hockey team while calling for the creation of a girls team. She was named the 1983 athlete of the year and

received the Headmaster’s Prize at her Prize Day.

Cobb remains a force for studentathletes today. She currently serves as the head of the upper school at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland. Her longtime successful coaching career of the St. Andrew’s girls lacrosse and soccer team has also earned Cobb induction into the St. Andrew’s Athletics Hall of Fame.

ALEX SKINNER ’08

Tennis champion and basketball powerhouse Alex Skinner ’08 was the third inductee this year. Skinner captained the boys 1st tennis team during his sixth form; his singles record of 17–1 helped him maintain a USTA ranking in the top 30 for New Englanders under 18 years of age. He was also the school’s first New England Class A Prep School Singles Champion as well as its first Boston Globe All-Scholastic awardee for the league’s best player. He was a three-time All-ISL selection and Eagle-Tribune All-Star, and he received the 2008 Moynihan Lumber Student-Athlete Award and the FDA Athletic Award at his graduation. He was also captain of the boys 1st basketball team and was selected for the 2008 Eagle Tribune Basketball Super Team.

Skinner matriculated from Brooks to Boston College, where he played tennis and was ranked first in the Northeast with his doubles partner as a senior. He received the Boston College Leadership Award 2011–2012 and the Athletics Director’s Award for Academic Achievement. He has been inducted into Boston College’s tennis hall of fame. Skinner then returned to Brooks, where he served as a nine-year member of the faculty as a member of the admission office and athletics department while also coaching tennis, basketball and squash for younger Brooksians who viewed him as a role model and inspiration for their own success.

Top to bottom, left to right: The 1982–1983 girls

1st lacrosse team. ■ Ginger Walsh Cobb ’83 (right) in action for Brooks. ■ Athletics hall of fame

inductees Alex Skinner ’08 (left) and Ginger Walsh

Cobb ’83 at the October induction ceremony. ■

Alex Skinner ’08 on the court.

A NEW ALUMNI BOARD MEMBER

Summar Lyons ’03

joins the Brooks School Alumni Board as a member of the Career Advisory Committee. She is currently the director of youth programs with the Partners of America, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit that connects people and organizations across borders to serve and change lives through lasting partnerships.

Lyons is passionate about youth development. She pursued field work in Costa Rica as a Peace Corps volunteer from 2009 to 2012 and graduate studies at American University’s School of International Service in 2014. She has led the implementation of youth exchange programs for high school students with the United States Department of State for the past eight years. This path connects to her Brooks experience: She first went on a high school exchange to Kenya in 2003 while at Brooks. When applying to serve on the Brooks alumni board, Lyons shared that she hopes to pursue initiatives that connect alumni with current students where possible.