Buzzer Spring 2010

BUZZER THE BROWNING SCHOOL

WINTER/SPRING 2010

THE ANNUAL MIDDLE SCHOOL SHAKESPEARE PRODUCTION

TWELFTH NIGHT

Now, good Cesario, but that piece of song, That old and antique song we heard last night: Methought it did relieve my passion much, More than light airs and recollected terms Of these most brisk and giddy-paced times. —Twelfth Night, act 2, scene 4

MISSION STATEMENT Founded in 1888 as a college preparatory school for boys, The Browning School continues its commitment to the goals of John A. Browning: the pursuit of academic excellence and a lifelong love of learning, the belief in the dignity of the individual, and the development of personal integrity and responsibility to the broader community.

The Browning boy develops amid these values.

The Browning alumnus is a good citizen, sensitive to the needs of others, and respectful of divergent yet informed opinions.

He is, in the best sense of the word, a gentleman.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT The Browning School strives to create a diverse community in which all members are safe, respected, and valued.

We believe that in actively promoting a diverse learning environment, we are fostering intellectual, social, and emotional growth for all.

Recognizing and pursuing diversity, however, are not enough; we seek to transcend mere tolerance of differences and aspire to a celebration of the varied appearances, abilities, perspectives, and values that characterize our community.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2009–2010 James S. Chanos, President Samuel J. Weinhoff, Vice President Lois L. Hutzler, Secretary R. Thomas Herman ’64, Assistant Secretary Thomas S. Hexner, Treasurer Richard L. N. Weaver ’75, Assistant Treasurer Juan D. Reyes, III ’86, President, Alumni Association Christine A. Lambiris, President, Parents Association Susan A. Grimbilas, First Vice President, Parents Association Stephen M. Clement, III, Headmaster

Contents

WINTER/SPRING 2010

Mildred J. Berendsen, Honorary Trustee Marita F. Altman Mark P. Boisi Keith F. Barket Allan L. Gropper Celeste A. Guth William L. Jacob III Susan R. Kessler William S. Kingson Patricia S. Langton Wendy F. Levey Jeffrey S. Olsen Michael H. Perskin, M.D. Othon A. Prounis ’79 Michael L. Rankowitz W. Tucker York, Jr.

BUZZER STAFF Stephen M. Clement, III, Headmaster Martin T. Haase, Director of Development Mary A. Horenkamp, Director of Publications Lois L. Hutzler, Copy Editor Laura E. Neller, Director of Alumni Affairs Cover: The cast of the 2010 Middle School play.

The Browning School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, religion, or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other school directed programs, or employment practices.

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FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

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The George Foundation and the Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project Be Holden Faculty Articles 16 19 21 23 26 27 28

Contributing photographers: Christine Bramble, Martin Haase, Mary Horenkamp, Courtney Lawsing, Laura Neller, and Marty Hyman Photography The BUZZER is published three times a year by the Browning School Development Office.

The School may be reached at 212 838 6280.

The Web site is www.browning.edu.

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Lucy A. Warner Cynthia D. Jackson Megan B. Ryan Nikolaos Vlahos John T. Young Jr. Giurissa A. Felix Dominique Bernard

France Spring Break Trip

the buzzer is printed on paper containing 10% total recycled fiber

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Contributors Letter from the Headmaster Local Buzz Athletics Alumni Events Class Notes Alumni in the News

Contributors Stephen M. Clement, III Headmaster

Hollis M. Amley Middle and Upper School History

Dominique Bernard Middle and Upper School French

Giurissa A. Felix Middle and Upper School Spanish

Courtney T. Lawsing Director of Annual Giving

Cynthia D. Jackson Middle and Upper School Science

Paul T. Mastroianni Director of Physical Education

Laura E. Neller Director of Alumni Affairs

Megan B. Ryan Chair, Modern Languages Department; Middle and Upper School French

James E. Reynolds Head of Upper School

Alexander A. Sheridan ’04 Grade Five

Daniel A. Taveras Physical Education

Nikolaos Vlahos Chair, Art Department

Lucy A. Warner Lower School Music

David C. B. Watson Physical Education

Andrew West ’92 Director of Athletics

John T. Young Jr. Middle and Upper School Latin

Patricia M. Zeuner Physical Education

Rawle Sterling ’10

From the Headmaster his winter I have been fortunate to hear three eminent

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accused of selling military secrets to the German army. Imprisoned

historians speak, and before attending their lectures I made

for five years without trial on Devil’s Island, in French Guiana off

time to read their most recent books, the basis of their talks. From

the equatorial coast of South America, Dreyfus was eventually

boyhood on I have been interested in history. I grew up in the

released without explanation or apology. The Dreyfus Affair set off

house outside of Buffalo in which my father was born, which my

a huge debate in France about security, politics and xenophobia

grandfather built, on land purchased by my great grandfather in

over a century ago. Begley deftly traces parallels to Guantanamo,

the 1890s. Conscious of being the fourth generation with ties to

and the current detainees including those charged with planning

the place (and three of the four of us shared the same name),

attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Begley notes,

I was alternately proud and dismissive of the lineage. Mixed

“Times and circumstances change. Some Guantanamo detainees

emotions continued through college, but my intellectual

may be as innocent as Dreyfus; some surely are not.”

development was enhanced for life by a professor of American

My third history book was an autobiography. On the last day

history my freshman year at Yale. I eventually majored in

before spring vacation, I heard author Kati Marton address the

American history, supplemented by studies in art and religion.

Middle and Upper School girls at Nightingale-Bamford. Was I

The three winter books, while anchored in Europe, had direct

impressed with the girls’ attention, and with her story! Enemies

links to the United States as well. The first was suggested reading

of the People records the lives of her parents, both Hungarian

for the annual meeting in February of the Headmasters

journalists working in the Nazi and Soviet eras. Accused of being

Association, a group of 100 private and public school heads from

spies for the west by the totalitarian Communist government, both

around the country. We read Lords of Finance: The Bankers Won

were imprisoned. The family eventually was allowed to emigrate

Broke the World. Its author, Liaquat Ahamed, has since received

and settle in Washington, where both parents talked as little as

the Pulitzer Prize for History. What well deserved recognition!

possible about their lives in Eastern Europe. Trying break the

Ahamed chronicles the world economic situation between the

silence many years later, Marton returned to Budapest and gained

two World Wars, and the role of the four men in England, France,

access to the secret police files on her family. She was warned,

Germany and the United States who had much to do the

“You are opening Pandora’s box.” The reader benefits immensely

precipitate the crisis of 1929. Each man is portrayed in vivid detail.

from her curiosity and bravery.

The reader is left to make his or her own parallels to 2008. Ahamed

It has been a productive and engaging winter term in my

introduces his work with a line from Benjamin Disraeli: “Read no

avocation as reader of history and biography. It has also been a

history—nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.”

fulfilling year for many of our faculty who benefitted from 2009

My next biography was by Louis Begley, accomplished

summer stipends from the Parents Association. Their talks at the

lawyer turned novelist turned historian. Why the Dreyfus Affair

monthly Parents Association meetings, and at the weekly faculty

Matters analyzes the charge of treason leveled in 1894 against

meetings, have often been studies in history. Once again the

Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a French artillery officer of Jewish descent

Browning faculty has been my inspiration. I

The Local Buzz

Dean of Students Sam Keany, Robert Denton ’10, and Andrew West ’92 display their arm bands after their donations.

Stephan Straub ’10 replenishes himself after his blood donation.

BROWNING BLOOD DRIVE

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n April 9, Browning had its first Blood Drive in the Lower Gym from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. The New York Blood

Center (www.nybloodcenter.org) ran the collection.

Donors must weigh over 110 pounds and be over 16 years of age (parental permission slips required for 16 year olds).

The process, from filling out paper work, screening, donating, and then juice and snacks took about 45 minutes. Browning students, faculty, staff, and parents were encouraged to participate, and walk-ins were be accepted on the day of the drive.

The New York Blood Center’s Web site says, “Donating blood is literally giving the gift of life. Each day, NYBC needs close to 2,000 people to roll up their sleeves to give the gift of life.

There is simply no substitute for voluntarily donated blood.

Without volunteer donors, our community would not have an adequate community blood supply.

A huge thank you to Doug Salomon for organizing what turned out to be a very successful event—Browning donated 23 units of blood. I

L The New York Blood Center van in front of the 52 East 62nd entrance.

M Two of New York Blood Center’s professionals who helped with the drive.

K-1 Team (L to R): Nico Laffont, Gavin Mitchell, William Knoff, Hercules Sotos, Alexander Raftopoulos, Kyle Liptak, and Evan Segalman.

K-6 Elementary Novice Team (L to R): Harrison Fisher, Austin Stapleton, Robert Michaelson, Alexander Naber, Philip Raftopoulos, Jack Freiser, Jesse Starr, and Alexander Raftopoulos. Missing: Philippe Laffont

BROWNING STATE CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

By Christina Beem, Chess Parent

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hanks to everyone who made the long ride to Saratoga Springs and braced the snow, long days, and emotional

highs and lows of competition. We all left a little wiser to the chess tourney process, and we encourage you to keep coming and learning. It’s very exciting to see the boys grow and experience the game together. The team spirit was at its peak and is evident in our results. Of course, some super talented individual players took center stage and came home with

K-3 Primary Championship Team (L to R): Alfonso Laffont, Thomas Knoff, Max Beem, and Hugh Chapin.

trophies to recognize their outstanding performance.

The K–3 Primary Championship, K–6 Elementary Novice, and K–12 High School Championship teams all played three games on Saturday and three games on Sunday. The K–1 team joined us on Sunday only and played five games in one day.

They were so brave (and cute) and brought back memories of our older boys when they started.

The results were as follows:

Individual K–1 Results (total of 36 players in the section) • Alexander Raftopoulos won a 12th place trophy after tie breaks, and won 3 out of 5 games.

• William Knoff won a 15th place trophy after tie breaks, and won 3 out of 5 games.

• Evan Segalman won a 17th place trophy after tie breaks, and won 3 out of 5 games.

• Hercules Sotos won a trophy for Top Unrated Player.

K–1 Team

K–3 Primary Championship Team

Alexander Raftopoulos, William Knoff, Evan Segalman,

Thomas Knoff, Alfonso Laffont, Max Beem, and Hugh Chapin.

Hercules Sotos, Kyle Liptak, Nico Laffont, and Gavin Mitchell.

• The team took home the 3rd place trophy.

• The team took home a 2nd place trophy. We were edged out of first place by Dalton who scored 1.5 points higher, but they had 13 players versus our four players. We had a small but mighty team!

Individual K–12 High School Championship (total of 86 players in the section) • Ben Altman-DeSole came in 21st place after tie breaks and won 4 out of 6 games.

Congratulations to all our teams and individual players! I

BLACK VS. WHITE TAKES A LOT OF GRAY MATTER Young chess enthusiasts compete in state Scholastic Chess Championships SARATOGA SPRINGS—The Hilton hotel is filled with wrinkle-faced children this weekend.

Furrowed brows meet scrunched noses as each pair of youngsters laser-focuses on the chessboard between them, calculations firing their neurons and, occasionally, surprise moves by an opponent tenting their eyebrows upward. Many mush their faces with their hands.

Ultimately, a result: relief or dejection, multiple times.

“Mommy! Can I put my win up there?!” says Jared Klegar, 8, Thomas Knoff with Bruce Pandolfini, Browning chess coach.

standing tiptoe, pencil in his upstretched hand, as he struggles to record his first-round victory on a wall chart. “I can’t reach!” he says.

Individual K–3 Primary Championship Results (total of 45 players in the section)

Mom Eunjie Klegar draws a neat “1” next to Jared’s name, a “0”

• Thomas Knoff won a 2nd place trophy after tie breaks and won 5 out of 6 games

to see how he fared. The family lives in Wesport, CT, where the boys

• Alfonso Laffont won a 17th place trophy after tie breaks and won 3.5 out of 6 games.

K–6 < 800 Elementary Novice Team Philip Raftopoulos, Robert Michaelson, Austin Stapleton, Jesse Starr, Philippe Laffont, Alex Naber, Jack Freiser, Harrison Fisher, and Alexander Raftopoulos.

• The team took home a 3rd place trophy.

next to his opponent’s, before they go in search of brother Jacob, 11,

attend the private Pierrepont School.

The New York State Scholastic Chess Championships, running Saturday and today, attracted approximately 400 students, ages 4 through 18, to Saratoga Springs for round upon round of clashes in the vaguely militaristic, vehemently mathematical game of chess.

The youngest competitors, preschool through first grade, will work through five matches today, while their older counterparts

Individual K-6 < 800 Elementary Novice Results (total of 72 players in the section)

played three on Saturday and will return for another trio today.

• Philip Raftopoulos won a 4th place trophy after tie breaks and won 5 out of 6 games.

and younger, sixth grade and younger, etc.—earn trophies and

Winners in each category—12th grade and younger, ninth grade

• Robert Michaelson won a 14th place trophy after tie breaks and won 4 out of 6 games.

automatic free entrance into the overall state championship

• Austin Stapleton won a 20th place trophy after tie breaks and won 3.5 out of 6 games.

will vie for cash prizes and the chance to move on to national

tournament, held in Colonie on Labor Day weekend; there they

tournaments.

Children and their parents from New York City to Buffalo visited the Spa City for the tournament, with the largest contingents, at least two dozen strong, coming from private academies like the Dalton School and the Browning School, both on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

More than 90 percent of the weekend’s competitors were boys, based on a scan of faces in the hotel conference rooms set up with long rows of tables. The male-female ratio comports with national statistics: Fewer than 8 percent of American chess players are female, according to the United States Chess Federation, and most of those are girls; adult women comprise only 2 percent of the federation’s members.

Margaret Dobrovech plays chess well enough to still be able

The 2010 Multicultural Club Front (L to R): Wick Waller, Henry Gans, Conor Dietzgen, Isaac Bariezyeta, Rawle Sterling, and Ryan Collela.

Middle row (L to R): Efram Morales, Janak Aduani, Griffin Bassman, Kyle Johnson, Kevin Wu, Tyrell Phelps, Myles Mills, and Farouk Oni. Back row (L to R): Jeremy Chen, Miles Collins, Alexander Wisowaty, James Adeleye, Henri Fernandez, Jesse Rost, Pranay Advani, and Glenn Walker (advisor).

to beat her son, Austin, 9, but she expects to lose soon. Austin, who

and new focus and issues to the club. The club has also had a

was introduced to the game as a kindergartner in the Fabius-

positive impact on student life, which has not gone unnoticed.

Pompey Central School District, south of Syracuse, has played in

We have helped change and broaden the thinking of students as

approximately 30 tournaments. Although he lost his first round on

well as break down the barriers that exist between them.

Saturday, it was to a boy with a markedly higher ranking, and, as Austin says, “That’s just a number. The fun part is the playing.” I First published in the Times Union by Steve Barnes, senior writer, Sunday, February 28, 2010.

Used by permission.

I was elected president in my junior year and it was my honor to serve. My presidency in the club would not have been as successful as it was without the support of all the members of the club and some of the faculty. Whether it was organizing trips, setting up charities, or planning assemblies for the school, the

MULTICULTURAL CLUB DEDICATION

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he last four years at Browning have been some of the best years of my life. I am thankful to say that it is in part due to

my participation in the Multicultural Club. At the beginning of a student’s experience at the Browning School, choosing the right club can be a difficult task. We generally want to find a club that we can support and enjoy. The Multicultural Club offered all of this to me. I have been with the club for my entire time here at Browning and have seen the club grow and change for the better.

Thanks to the initial support of Mrs. Kushner and then the continued support by our current proctor, Mr. Walker, the club now has a significant impact on the school. New members, from Form II to Form VI, have brought fresh ideas, exciting themes,

dedication and resilience shown by each club member was invaluable. One particular project that stood out in my mind while serving as president was the Martin Luther King Jr. Dedication. After the conclusion of that dedication, I felt comfortable knowing that I will leave the club in good hands next term. The current members of the club have proven themselves time and time again, especially with the planning and execution of project Sweat for Nets Charity and Bake Sale.

Next year when I am a college student, I will return to see the things the club is doing. The club will always have my support and I hope that my continued contact will inspire the members.

I also hope that the positive works will continue, both in and out of the club. That spirit I leave in the hands of the remaining members of club. I

—Rawle Sterling ’10

specific work-flow plans and task designtions to be carried out at specific time sequences. Coaches watched from outside of the 15' x 15' roped-off area where the boys worked. From this coach’s perspective, Browning had one of the most interesting designs on the floor, which included a mouse trap catapult that flung a ping-pong ball from one table to another, to be caught by a fantastic catcher—high risk, but cool, and spectacular (when it worked)!

Each team had five minutes to set up and ten minutes to describe their machine to the judges and run it, with scores The Browning team handles the pressure while rebuilding their machine.

based on complexity, functionality, and originality. If a contraption misfired, teams could set up and run again, as long

BROWNING WINS TEAM PRIZE AT RUBE GOLDBERG COMPETITION

as a complete run was accomplished in the allotted time.

Team captain Ben Jacobs gave an articulate, clear, and

010 marks the first year that Browning has been selected

concise explanation of Browning’s contraption. The ping-pong

by the MIT Museum committee to compete in the Rube

flinger misfired several times, requiring resetting, including

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Goldberg Machine Design Contest. The competition was held

the domino portion, which needed careful coordination and

on April 10 at the Fay School in Massachusetts. With a list of

a steady hand (a difficult combination when the adrenaline is

tools and raw materials that would be available for building on

flowing). But this was when the Browning team shined. They

the competition date, the team had less than three months to

stayed calm and collected—they adjusted, corrected, and

turn their ideas into real working machines.

moved forward with cooperation as each boy handled his task

On the day of competition, teams from 24 schools had three

and remain focused. When the ping-pong flinger eventually

hours to reconstruct their machines. The Browning team—

worked, a cheer arose from the assembled onlookers and the

Brendan Walsh ’ 15, Alex Gottdiener ’15, Chris Haack ’14,

contraption actually accomplished its assigned task: operating

Philip van Scheltinga ’14, Ben Jacobs ’13, and John Adam

a stapler to staple three sheets of paper, with only one human

Plenge ’13 —sawed, taped, glued, and stacked according to

intervention required.

Browning won the award for presentation, teamwork, and sportmanship, recognizing some of what makes Browning and its boys special. Ben Jacobs’s ability to explain the machine to the judges reflected Browning’s efforts to train its boys in presentation and public speaking. The way the boys displayed teamwork without recrimination reflected the standard of Browning gentlemen. In other words, the judges got it just right, and the award was well deserved. I —Jeremy Sambuca, Technology Coordinator

L to R: Alexander Gottdiener, Brendan Walsh, Christopher Haack, Benjamin Jacobs, Philip van Scheltinga, and John Adam Plenge.

BROWNING CLASS OF 2023: PRE-PRIMARY PROFILE â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Liane Pei, Director of Admissions

The Class of 2023 draws its incoming students from the following 24 schools:

Amongst the class, the foreign languages spoken within the home include:

All Souls School American School in London Beginnings The Brownstone School Claremont Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School Epiphany Community Nursery School The Episcopal School The Family School Garden House School The International Preschools The Stanley H. Kaplan Nursery School Madison Avenue Presbyterian The Mandell School Park Avenue Christian Resurrection Episcopal Day School The River School St. Thomas More Play Group Temple Emanu-El West Side Montessori William Rall The York Avenue Preschool 92nd Street YM-YWHA Nursery School P. S. 87 P. S. 106

Arabic Bulgarian Czech French Greek Hindi Portuguese Russian Spanish Swedish

Occupations of the incoming Pre-Primary parents include: Accounting, audit, tax, and advisory services Administrative and managerial services Advertising, marketing, PR, media and promotion, merchandising Architecture Fine arts Art Freelance book publishing Freelance writing Fashion

Given the diversity of this class, it comes as no surprise that their parents have ties to a number of different countries, including: Argentina Australia Brazil Bulgaria Canada Czech Republic Dominican Republic Egypt France Greece India Russia South Africa Spain Sweden

Cosmetics Foundations Banking and investments Commodities Entertainment Photography Music education Travel and transportation Import Export Systems engineering Real estate Ship owner Transfer pricing and business valuation Medicine, health care, and physical therapy Law and law enforcement

The George Foundation and the Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project

By Courtney T. Lawsing, Director of Annual Giving

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his past summer, I spent four weeks in Southern India working and volunteering for the Shanti Bhavan School, a K–12 residential school for disadvantaged children of the untouchable, or Dalit,

caste in Baliganapalli, India. It was founded by Dr. Abraham George, who established the George Foundation in 1997 to

provide educational opportunities and support for children from the poorest families and orphans in Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh and Karnataka areas of Southern India (Source: Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project website). Tuition is free, and 210 students are currently enrolled. The George Foundation is based in Bangalore, India, and raises money for projects in livelihood/income generation, education, health, and empowerment of women in Southern India.

Harshita, a First Grader at the Shanti Bhavan School.

Shanti Bhavan, a Hindi name, is indeed a “Haven of Peace.”

(Source: India Untouched, by Dr. George). While at Shanti Bhavan,

nationally accredited Council for the Indian School Certificate

I taught human rights education, emergency education, political

Examinations, or ICSE exams. Shanti Bhavan is the first school

science, history, and civics courses to 6th–12th graders. My daily

for children of the “untouchable” caste to achieve First Division

schedule included waking up to participate in physical training

in the ICSE exams! This year, the first class of students will

(PT) with the students, then meeting for an assembly in which

graduate from Shanti Bhavan, and go on to attend universities in

daily current events were discussed and the children heard

India, making them the first in their families to attend college.

international news in Tamil, Hindi, and English. I then taught

Every child at Shanti Bhavan is inquisitive, motivated, and

during mornings and afternoons. In evenings, I taught an

hard-working. The students come from disadvantaged

HIV/AIDS education course, helped children with homework,

backgrounds and have overcome much adversity. Many are

and participated in PT again. Often, there would be

children of quarry laborers, rag pickers, or sex workers and have

performances or recitals by the students. I witnessed a debate by

seen hardships that we cannot imagine. As part of the

twelfth graders, plays presented in the lower and middle school,

untouchable caste, these children are victims of social segregation

and various sporting events. Before my arrival, Shanti Bhavan

and discrimination in their daily lives. Untouchables make up

made academic history in India for the second year in a row, as

approximately 25 percent of India’s population of 1.1 billion

the entire class of tenth graders secured First Division in the

children (Source: Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project Web site).

Dr. George believes that, if given the proper care, support, and educational opportunity, these children can succeed just as well as those from private schools in a developed country. It is only through such commitment to the children that the overall discrimination and segregation of the caste system can be stopped, and they will have a chance at contributing to society.

While Shanti Bhavan continues its noble cause, the world economic recession has taken a toll on the school. Recently, it has had to cut back on teachers and teacher salaries, and it has run into shortages of beds, desks, blackboards, lab equipment, and Sixth Grade history class.

other necessities that are essential for a good education. They are also struggling to find college scholarships for their first high school graduating class. Despite these difficulties, the school remains committed to providing the best opportunities possible for these underprivileged children.

Dr. Abraham George Comes to Browning In December 2009, Dr. George; his son, Ajit George; and colleague Dimitri Zakharov spoke to Browning students in Forms II through VI regarding Shanti Bhavan. They addressed current social issues in Southern India and the circumstances that inspired Dr. George to start the school and his foundation. He encouraged the boys to think beyond their immediate comfort The 11th Grade human rights and history students.

zones and surroundings, and to engage in community activities while promoting the ideas of social justice, equality, and social service. He noted that every individual is capable of producing change when given the opportunity. The boys, in turn, asked some highly informed and relevant questions regarding the current political and social climate in India. They wanted to learn about Dr. Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s path to success, first as a businessman, and now as a philanthropist and provider of social service. Dr. Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comments ring true for the Browning boy and alumnus who aspire to be good citizens, be responsible to the broader community, and be sensitive to the needs of others. Dr. George urged the boys to make the most of what they have been given, to take advantage of the opportunities with which they have

Ms. Lawsing with two Lower School students at PT.

been blessed, and to create a current of change. What stands out for me is how similar in nature the children of Shanti Bhavan are

Underlying all of these differences is the power of education.

I hope that the boys’ exposure to Shanti Bhavan will help them think more about their role as global citizens in an increasingly globalized world. They will have to make many difficult choices as they enter into the world as men, beyond Browning’s red doors and the comfort of family, friends, and community. I

For more information on Ms. Lawsing’s time in India, to volunteer with the George Foundation, or to learn about or contribute to the Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project, please contact: Dr. George speaks with boys from Forms II through VI regarding Shanti Bhavan and current social and cultural issues in India.

Courtney T. Lawsing, Director of Annual Giving The Browning School Development Office clawsing@browning.edu

to the students at Browning, and how closely aligned the two

Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project www.shantibhavanonline.org

schools are in the character traits they promote, despite extremely different demographics and circumstances.

The George Foundation www.tgfworld.org

Margaret Erbe (mother of Sumner Erbe ’15) gave the Form I art students a tour at the Armory Art Show on March 5.

Be Holden HONORING J.D. SALINGER’S ICONIC WORK WITH A GROUP READING OF THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

By James E. Reynolds, Head of Upper School

challenge was how to accomplish this so that others would feel

A

party to the celebration of Salinger’s work. We could read the

t times, working in a school can resemble being in a bubble. What happens outside the school walls on any given day rarely has an immediate impact on the lives of the people inside the

institution. One learns to wait for the evening news. However, there are occasions when world events pierce that bubble and force the school community to take note and respond. Just such an event occurred in the middle of this school year.

On January 27, news flashed across the Internet that author J. D. (Jerome David) Salinger had died at this home in Cornish, NH, at the age of 91. His death hit many people hard because since 1951, the year his monumental novel, The Catcher in the Rye,

was first published, just about every American read the book, most often some time in high school. The book’s protagonist, Holden Caulfield, became the icon of the disaffected, cynical, angst-ridden teenage boy. Amazingly, 59 years later, Catcher and Holden still hold sway over young men, particularly those in independent schools such as Browning.

When the news struck, my first thought was, How could we as a school honor an author whose novel impacted, literally, thousands of Browning boys? My immediate thought was that we should, somehow, pay tribute to this author in a way that we had not honored any other author because of the importance of this particular book.

As I hurried out of my fifth-floor office down the stairs to the Martin Library to talk with school Librarian Sarah Murphy, I thought, let’s do a reading of Catcher in the Rye. The immediate

book in the library, and students, as they were available, would hear bits in pieces of the novel. The problem with that approach was that not everyone comes to the library in the course of the school day.

We thought we could do the reading in the Lower Gym, which had been the location of a wonderful Upper School Assembly at which Ms. Murphy had read excerpts from a soon-to-visit author’s new book. (I was surprised and delighted to see the older boys’ captivated by having an adult read to them.) Ms. Murphy and I contemplated for a minute and almost simultaneously looked at the new SMART Board in the library and thought, we need Director of Technology Aaron Grill to help us. Could we somehow figure out a way to broadcast the reading school-wide? Mr. Grill, can-do man that he is, responded succinctly, “Sure. We can set up a camera and microphone and send the feed out across the Browning intranet the way we broadcast the basketball game last year.”

By Friday the boys had been informed of our plan to read the entire novel, no matter how long it would take, beginning the following Monday. Sign-up sheets on which people could reserve timeslots during which to read a portion of the novel were posted on the door of the Reference Room in the library.

On Monday morning, the first of February, the Reference Room, with its glass doors and the microphone—a round, softball-size device and laptop camera setup resembled a radio show studio. I had the honor of kicking off the reading, at 8:30 am.

After reading for fifteen to twenty minutes, English teacher Kevin

people who wanted to be present for the conclusion. It was a

Dearinger slipped inside the glass doors to relieve me. Of course,

special moment at Browning

I was reluctant to surrender the book, but I also knew I had to share the experience.

After the reading, there was an interesting buzz going on around the school. Something important had taken place at

Initially, the students gathered in the library did not know

Browning and seemingly everyone felt it. Ms. Murphy said,

what to make of the reading, which was

“I was over the moon that Browning

piped into the room and displayed on the

would consider doing such a project.

SMART Board. According to Ms. Murphy,

The participation of students, faculty

“For some boys, the initial reaction was

and administration was amazing. That

confusion, but that quickly turned into

people would devote their valuable time

appreciation once they realized what was

to this effort was great.”

going on and as they listened to the

Though, given the importance of

reading.” Throughout the morning and

Catcher in the Rye to generations of boys

into the afternoon faculty, students, and

at Browning, the effort seemed a fitting

administrators passed the book to the next

tribute. When asked if he remembered

reader as the community of readers and

reading the book while a student at

listeners made its way through the novel.

Browning, College Guidance director

Increasingly, everyone in the school who had a few free minutes seemed to gravitate to the library to listen to the broadcast. As Holden Caulfield smoked and swore his

L The original 1951 cover (Little, Brown and Company; cover artist, Michael Mitchell).

M The 1985 Bantam edition (photo: Derek Jensen, 2006).

way from expulsion to New York City and

Sandy Pelz said, “Oh, yes, I read it in 1965 as a student at Browning.” He was positive that the book had been on the school’s reading list well before his reading it.

Michael Ingrisani, our English

on to Los Angeles, it became clear that

Department chair, has been teaching the

people in the school building had not only

book to students since he joined the faculty

been listening to the broadcast, but also

in 1970, and he remembers reading it for

had sensed that something special was

the first time in 1962 as a student at

going on at Browning that day. By the end

Regis High School. Regarding Regis,

of the day, readers—and there had been

Mr. Ingrisani said, “My teacher had to

many, ranging from Mr. Clement to fourth

get permission from the principal to teach

formers—made their way through most of

the book. As I remember, the principal

the book.

thought, ‘Why not?’ No one will be

On Tuesday morning, readers began again at 8:30 am picking up right where the

teaching the book in five years.” Mr. Ingrisani also brings a teacher’s perspective

reading had ended the day before. By 9:30 or so, the reading of

to the generations of boys who have passed through his

Catcher in the Rye was coming to an end. With only a few pages

classroom and their first encounter with the novel. “It is quite

remaining, it seemed most fitting that Ms. Murphy was called

interesting to look at the reactions of boys over the years to

into the room to finish the book. As she finished the book,

the book. Over time you can see students’ reactions as

applause broke out across the library, which was filled with

representations of the moment in the country,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see the book become canonical and

great sense of the communal spirit exhibited by the reading.

in the same category as Great Expectations.” Additionally, he

Because the reading was broadcast over the school’s intranet,

notes, “There will also be schools that ban it forever.”

those affiliated with the school but who were outside the

How did the student readers feel about their participation

building had access to the reading. Assistant Librarian Susan

in this memorial reading? Form V student Nick Stieg said,

Levine, who was on Martha’s Vineyard the day of the broadcast,

“It was great being able to be a part of Browning’s honoring this

wrote this: “When I heard that Browning was going to have a

important book and writer. In my Form III year, it was one of the

continuous read in our library, I was disappointed that I would

most important books I read. I very much so wanted to honor

miss it. And then I heard that it would be streamed. I set up my

J.D. Salinger on his death and wanted to celebrate a book that

laptop and was able to be part of this fitting tribute. Hearing

meant a lot to me.“

Holden’s words read so movingly by either a colleague with many

Even those for whom the book did not resonate so

years life experience or by a Form V student just coming of age

profoundly, joining the community in celebrating Salinger and

was poignant. Sitting in my den on Martha’s Vineyard, watching

the book was compelling. Patrick Collins, a Form VI student,

and listening to members of my school community in NYC take

said, “Honestly, I am not a huge fan of the book, but it is a

turns reading Catcher in the Rye became for me a perfect tribute to

significant novel. Salinger deserves respect as an author, and

an important book and its recently deceased creator.”

Catcher in the Rye is an important piece of our culture.”

The Browning community could not agree more with

Being in the school building during the reading gave one a

Ms. Levine. I

THE SALINGER READERS Andrew Amaros ’12 Jason Bader ’11 David Baird ’10 Emily G. Boland, Middle and Upper School Learning Coordinator (top left) John K. Carroll, Grade Five (middle left) Stephen M. Clement, III, Headmaster Abby D. Cohen, Middle and Upper School English Patrick Collins ’10 Kevin L. Dearinger, Middle and Upper School English Robert Denton ’10 Christopher D. Dunham, Head of Middle School (middle right) Martin T. Haase, Director of Development (bottom left) Gwyn A. Hervochon, Library Assistant Justin Leder ’10 Sarah A. Murphy, Head Librarian James E. Reynolds, Head of Upper School (bottom right) Maximillian Saint-Preux ’11 Nick Stieg '11 Lucy A. Warner, Lower School Music

Faculty Articles

Ms. Warner at Machu Picchu.

Each year the Parents Association awards stipends of $2,500 to faculty members who apply for specific projects, such as summer travel, research, or study. For the 2008–2009 school year fourteen stipends were given. Each recipient writes an article for the Buzzer about his or her project.

featured world music study in Lower School this year.

Prior to my travels, I had decided that the focus of my trip would feature (but not be restricted to) music of the Quechua (i.e., Inca) coupled with the musical influences of Spain. This pairing was similar to the formula I had used successfully during my 2008

PERU: A STUDY OF IRRESISTIBLE MUSIC

By Lucy A. Warner, Lower School Music

M

y Browning summer stipend trip to the Land of the Inca in August 2009 provided me with an abundance of

stipend trip to Mexico, in which the indigenous music highlighted was that of the Azteca—a unit that proved an exciting, enriching, well-received study for the boys in Lower School!

Touching down in Lima, my adjustment from “the city that never sleeps” to “the city where it never rains” was pleasant,

powerful firsthand musical moments to share with my Lower

punctuated with the thrill of being enveloped in a constant flurry

School students. The experience gave me the ability to impart to

of Spanish. During my stay, I visited museums, schools,

the boys a true, deep appreciation for the varied and distinctive

churches, shops, town squares, reveling in the rich mixture of

sounds flowing throughout Peru, the designated country of our

cultures past and present, focusing on vocal and instrumental

music as well as dance. At an ample, mirrored studio on a college campus in one of Lima’s more upscale districts I witnessed boys and girls ages five through nine stomping and then gracefully stepping to the prescribed movements of the marinera, a dance with roots in Spain. And on the grounds of El Instituto Chaminade Marianistas, fourteen college students sat in two facing lines, each sitting on a cajón or large Afro-Peruvian box drum, rehearsing for their next show. (The cajón, springing from the coastal area of the country and a product from the slave trade, is one example of a noticeably popular African contribution to Peru’s music.) After a short pause, these young men and women stood up and broke into formation to practice an indigenous dance, with driving Andean music of the

Three little girls with their lambs at the marketplace in the Andes town of Pisac (loccted in the sacred Valley of the Urubamba River).

Quechua filling the large open performing space.

In a few days I was on a short flight to the city of Cuzco.

Here at Browning, the boys have loved discovering the Quechua legend of how Cuzco (which means “belly-button” or “navel” of the earth) was founded with the tapping of a mystical stick by an Inca prince until the rod was swallowed into the earth, indicating the center of the world, the site where the Inca capital should be constructed. In Cuzco, on a small back street off the main square, I discovered a small but richly-stocked museum and music store—the humble but mighty Taki Andean Music Museum. The owner, a talented composer/singer/varied instrumentalist named Kike Pinto, records and performs in the Spanish and Quechua languages. His original works are moving reflections of both cultures. Back at Browning, Lower School boys were quite taken with Pinto’s beautiful song “¿Porque estas triste?” (“Why are You Sad, My Little One?”), from his Haylli CD. I had planned to stay at the Taki establishment for twenty or so minutes. The museum consisted of a single room, open and roped off at one end, allowing visitors to stand and view three walls of instruments as well as the musical items and related artifacts which filled the center of the space. The front room contained a variety of instruments and music books for sale. I visited with Panchito, the young musician managing the store.

We discussed music, sampled instruments together, and, by the time I reached the point of choosing CDs, books, and instruments

for my music classes back at 52 East 62nd Street, two hours had gone by! Thanks to our Browning music budget, I was able to bring some wonderful musical treasures back to New York to share with my students, including a beautiful charango (description below).

As is the case in many countries, a stunning array of musical instruments illustrates the co-existence as well as the mingling of varied cultures. One of my goals for the Lower School boys at Browning is for them to understand the power of music as a unifying experience, with Peru as this school year’s thrilling example of this phenomenon—from the heartfelt sounds of the indigenous Inca (Quechua), to musical influences of Spain and Africa—a celebration of diversity, a robust musical journey…

From the breathy, soulful, haunting tones of Andean pan pipes to the focused, resonant call of the quena, or vertical flute.

From the rich, earthy vibrations of rounded drums in varied shapes and sizes to the echoes of sharp hand slaps administered to the cajón, or box drum. From the snapping sound of a handheld donkey’s jawbone to the rustic yet flowing melodies of the rustic Peruvian harp. From Andean shakers, called chakchas, made of seeds, shells, or llama nails strung together, to the distinctive sounds of the charango, the small Spanish-influenced ten-stringed miniature guitar with the ability to produce sturdy strums or delicate melodies.

Street musician in Cuzco playing the charango (small guitar) and the zampoña (pan pipe).

Back at Browning, I demonstrated the charango I had

Leon Cahuide playing the Peruvian harp in the city of Cuzco.

defensive “rolled up in a ball of armor” position!) The students

purchased at the Taki Museum in Cuzco, and compared its

also delighted in shaking the chakchas as well as handling the

headstock, neck, body size and shape, and string count with that

multi-holed ocarina, the basto (one of several types of pan pipes)

of the guitar, ukulele, and banjo. The students were quite thrilled

and the quena (flute).

to learn that, originally, the sound chamber of the charango was

I had planned a tie-in of a famous Peruvian song with one

made from the shell of an armadillo. (As you might have

of our monthly featured composers during this school year. It

guessed, the momentum of segueing to large displays of

involves the American songwriter/singer/guitarist Paul Simon

armadillos on the SMART Board could not be avoided, to make

and the Inca-inspired melody “El Condor Pasa” (“The Condor

sure the boys’ curiosity could be satisfied, as they excitedly

Flies”), which, in addition to becoming a pop music favorite in

viewed this animal from all possible angles, including in his

the U.S. and around the globe, has reigned as the most famous melody in Peru for decades.

Almost one hundred years ago, Peruvian Daniel Robles composed the musical gem we know as “El Condor Pasa,” inspired by a traditional Andean dance. The melody so moved Paul Simon that the composer added lyrics. This new version of the song (“If I Could”), recorded and performed by Simon and his musical duo partner Art Garfunkel in 1970, climbed to #18 on the U.S. pop charts and introduced a whole generation of Americans to the sound of Andean flutes.

Today, this song resonates with people of all ages throughout the world—and, in recent months, most notably with 158 Lower School Browning boys! Paul Simon was our composer of the month for March, and “El Condor Pasa” (“If I Could”) provided

¿Como se llama? Ms. Warner with Peruvian mother, daughter, and llama against the backdrop of the Urubamba Valley with the Andes in the distance.

the ideal common thread to introduce him, interwoven with the

students’ ongoing study of Peruvian music. The younger boys became condors, perched on chairs and then flying silently (well, almost silently) around the music room as they soaked in the sights and sounds of the Peruvian band Canto Andino performing an instrumental version of “El Condor Pasa” via the Wilson Room SMART Board. And in our annual spring guitar unit designed for the older Lower School boys, all the students in Fourth Grade learned to play the “El Condor Pasa” melody.

Back to August: On a typically light-grey day (but with no precipitation) in the bustling downtown shopping area of Lima, unique CDs and DVDs that are impossible to find on iTunes can be bought at any number of tiny little stands that feature music

Dunes of Cape Cod National Seashore.

of the Incas and more contemporary mixes of Andean-, African-, and Spanish-influenced sounds. (Note: On a particular evening, during dinner at one of hundreds of chifa, or Chinese restaurants that abound in Lima, I was reminded that Asian culture also exerts a noticeable presence in Peru.)

My train ride through the Sacred Valley alongside the Urubamba River to the quaint village of Aguas Calientes (“Hot Springs”) brought me to the base of Peru’s much-celebrated wonder—the magical and majestic Inca city once hidden from the world—Machu Picchu. Here, atop the mountain, feeling the power of Quechuan intelligence, engineering, art, primal perseverance, I stood in awe, almost shivering in the sun from the attempt to realize this incomprehensible achievement that lay before me, tucked high among the Andes Mountains. Early the next morning, returning to hike upward from the ruins and catch a better glimpse looking down on the structures in the mist, I could swear, with no musicians in sight, I heard the faint sounds of Andean flutes in the gentle wind.

This spring at Browning, the Lower School music classes in the Wilson Room have been imbued with a certain magic borne of the irresistible intensity and charm of Peruvian music, with the students as the lucky recipients. I am only the messenger. And I am deeply grateful to the Parents Association for this unforgettable journey. I

CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE AND THE TREASURES WITHIN

By Cynthia D. Jackson, Middle and Upper School Science

T

he Cape Cod National Seashore is an area abundant with all sorts of organisms capable of living in diverse environments.

Thanks to the generosity of the Parents Association, I was able to observe firsthand how the ecosystem of this environment continues to thrive. Initially, I thought this area was mainly composed of mounds and mounds of sand and sparse vegetation, yet surprisingly enough, I found life in marshes, tidal flats, shoreline rocks and deep pelagic zones of the Atlantic Ocean.

The seashore stretches over 43,500 acres of dunes, ponds, woods and almost 40 miles of Atlantic shoreline. It is located on Cape Cod, principally in the towns of Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, and Eastham, but also covers some shoreline in Orleans and Chatham. One of my first places to visit in the Cape Cod National Park was the ranger station in Provincetown. Here I began to discover some of the treasures of this pristine land.

To reach the ranger station, I had the choice of driving a car or taking a bicycle. Using a quote from Robert Frost, “I took the one less traveled . . . and that has made all the difference.”

Figuratively, by riding a bicycle, I was able to view ecosystems not naturally seen along a road. The bicycle paths of the Cape Cod National Seashore cross through dunes, marshlands, tidal flats, and rocky coastlines. These marshlands of the North

Another beautiful day beginning in Cape Cod.

Atlantic serve as critical breeding grounds, a nursery for young,

“scrapes,” are little more than shallow depressions scraped

and a feeding ground or a habitat for organisms to live upon.

directly into the sand. Without the males and females working

Without the marshes, shorebirds would not have a place to feed

together to tend to the nest while alternating feeding, the eggs

in order to fuel their migrations. It was here I saw such

would be exposed to predators. Then my ranger friend asked if I

vegetation as salt marsh cord grass, wild cranberry bogs, and

would like to see these animals in action. Of course, being the

lovely smelling (not really) sulfur bacteria. In the tidal zones, I

science nerd that I am, I quickly jumped at the chance to watch

was able to find ribbed mussels and one fiddler crab. On that

these creatures “scrape” away. The ranger stated it was best to

particular day, I spotted a lone Great Blue Heron feasting on

view these birds at dusk on High Meadow Beach; however, I had

small fishes called mummichogs. The rocky coastlines were laced

to have a permit to be on the beach late at night. To have a permit

with all sorts of seaweed, kelp, and a bright green sea lettuce.

After much research of the Cape Cod area, I found that there were some birds, specifically the piping plover, that were threatened due to increased human visitation and decreasing shorelines. It seems that although the National Seashore personnel take great pains to publicize reasons to protect needed essential grasses, which prevents over erosion of the beaches, plover conservation measures are not as well promoted. As a tourist of this area, I tried to make good use of the information provided by my favorite ranger, Gerry O’Donnell, who described the need to preserve plover breeding grounds.

According to Ranger Gerry, piping plovers are small shorebirds that winter along the southeast coast of the United States. In the spring, they return to the Cape to establish territories and form pairs. Starting in April and extending into summer, plovers build their nests and lay eggs above the high tide line, usually in front of the dunes. Their nests, as I was informed, called

A finback whale preparing to lunge for more krill after briefly surfacing for air.

their bodies out of the water) and for their complex songs. The name humpback whale describes the motion it makes as it arches its back out of the water in preparation for a dive—a real sight to see. The overall tour was quite informative, but one fact that stood out in my mind was the feeding patterns of the young.

When born, the humpback calves suckle their mother's milk, which is 35 percent fat, compared to two percent in human milk.

A suckling calf will increase its weight between five and eight times before nursing ends at about 11 months when it has grown to 8 meters in length. The humpback calf will suckle up to the rate of 105–135 gallons a day in preparation of migration—and I thought I ate a lot of food.

Between some time with the rangers, a whale watching trip, a beach outing to view plovers, and many hikes, I feel I have a Along the Nauset Marsh Trail in the National Seashore Park, small ponds are gracefully painted with the natural beauty of water lilies.

better understanding of the ecosystems of the Cape Cod National Seashore. In time, I hope my students can also take a trip to the

meant I could not only view the birds but also build a fire and

Cape and have a similar experience. Upon leaving the Cape, I

watch the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean—one more treasure of

learned of a quote from Henry Thoreau regarding its beauty.

the trip. In the long run, the evening was filled with antics of

He stated, “A man may stand there and put all America behind

starting a fire only to view the night activities of the plovers. It

him.” After viewing one sunset, I can honestly say Thoreau was

proved to me that I needed to get out of the classroom more often

astute when putting life into perspective and finding a sense of

to relearn basic camping skills.

calmness through the sanctuary of the Cape Cod National

On one my of my last days, I had the opportunity to take a pelagic trip to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

Seashore. This was an experience I will not forget. Thank you again, Parents Association, for this opportunity! I

off the coast of Provincetown. The tour guide informed us that Provincetown was a thriving whaling town in the mid-1800s.

The whaling industry declined on account of a devastating storm, which destroyed many of the wharves. Tourists, like me, toting cameras and only shooting photography of the deep-sea mammals, replaced the guns and harpoons many years later.

Based on past experiences, I have found long sea rides to be an invitation for one very unpleasant stomach, yet I would be remiss if I had not tried. Thankfully, with medication and a constant, focused gaze on the horizon, I was lucky to see firsthand, the great giants of the ocean without becoming seasick.

In the course of the trip, the tour guide provided many interesting facts about the humpback, minke, and finback whales. They are well known for breaching (acrobatic twisting of

PARIS, NORMANDY, AND THE LOIRE VALLEY

By Megan B. Ryan, Chair, Modern Languages Department; Middle and Upper School French

T

hanks to a generous grant from the Parents Association, I had the exceptional opportunity to spend two weeks this

summer in France where I visited Paris, Normandy, and the Loire Valley.

I have written about my experiences in Paris in previous Buzzers, so just a quick word here on two highlights from this year’s trip. First, I made it to my favorite museum in the City of Lights—the Musée Carnavalet in the Marais. It is the museum of

I stopped at a working farm that was built in the 16th century but that had recently been carefully restored. Called the Domaine de Saint Hippolyte—a name that made me think immediately of the character of the same name from Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, a book with a Norman connection itself as it took place in Rouen— the farm includes a beautiful manor, gardens, a building that houses a wood-fired bread oven, another building that houses a pressoir for making apple cider, a pigeonnier, an apple orchard, an apiary, a fromagerie, a barn for the herd of dairy cows, an exhibition on Norman cows and how milk becomes cheese, as well as an exhibition on the wonders of French beef! Following the tour of the grounds, I enjoyed a little dégustation of the cider and cheese produced by the domaine. It was a wonderful morning and a reminder of the great pride—rightfully so—the French take in their regional products.

I then moved on to the D-Day beaches. I stayed in a place called Ver-sur-Mer, which is located between Gold Beach, one of the two beaches where the British landed, and Omaha Beach, one of the two beaches where the Americans landed. I visited Arromanches where I saw what remains of the artificial port constructed by the The Château de Chenonceau in the Loire Valley.

Allies and viewed a film entitled The Price of Freedom, which juxtaposes present-day footage of the area with film taken in June

the history of Paris and, effectively, of France. Its collection has everything from artifacts that date from the days of Lutèce and the Romans to Marie Antoinette’s slippers to a recreation of Proust’s bedroom. The museum also has a beautiful formal garden, is right around the corner from a number of delicious falafel stands and, perhaps best of all, is free! While in Paris I also made a point of going to the Musée de l’Armée, a fascinating museum that has an amazing collection of weaponry and suits of armor and permanent exhibitions on the major wars in which France has participated. One can also see Napoleon’s tomb in the adjacent Invalides. The former is enormous and not surprisingly more on par with the size of his ego than with the size of the man himself.

After Paris it was off to Normandy, which, in addition to D-Day, is known for its cows, apple trees, delicious cow’s milk cheeses and apple-based drinks, namely sparkling cider and calvados. Wanting to experience all of these things “first hand,”

1944. I went to the Batterie de Longues, which consists of four 150 mm guns that belonged to the Germans. These particular guns had a range of 20 km and rained artillery down on the Allies as they made their way toward the beach. I spent an afternoon at the American Cemetery. Its impeccably maintained 175 acres contain about 9,000 graves, and its landscape of crosses dotted with stars of David is extremely moving. At Pointe du Hoc, I saw a coastal battery on which the Germans had placed bunkers and artillery high up on a rocky cliff. On June 6, 1944, 225 U.S. Rangers were sent to scale the 35-meter face of the cliff in order to take the battery, only to find that the guns had been moved. Tragically, only 90 of the 225 Rangers were left standing at the end of the day. Pointe du Hoc is unusual in that the craters created by the bombing remain. It is also a place that reminded me perhaps most clearly of the bravery and selflessness asked of the Allied soldiers during this campaign. Lastly, I made my way to the German Cemetery. While the American

Cemetery was packed full of cars and tour buses, there were ten cars

Paris, Marseille or Canada, Belgium and Cameroon?), it is true

at best at the German Cemetery, despite the fact that there are 21,000

that it is a French devoid of the regional accents like those you

German soldiers commemorated here. Like the American Cemetery,

might find in the south or the north of the country.

it too is a very moving place, especially given the absence of visitors.

I stayed in Amboise. The road into town is lined with huge

And while my colleague, Dr. Protheroe, very rightly pointed out to

old trees and it is an absolutely lovely base for exploring the

me that one of the complications of a place like this is that you never

châteaux for which this region is known. While there I visited the

know who is buried under the gravemarker—innocent conscript or

Château d’Amboise. Francois I, France’s great Renaissance king,

ardent supporter of Hitler’s plan—I couldn’t help but think that

was raised in the château and, in an effort to bring the ideas of

each of these fallen soldiers had been, at his most basic, someone’s

the Italian renaissance to France, brought Leonardo da Vinci

little boy.

there to live in 1515. Da Vinci died in Amboise and some say he

When planning my trip to Normandy, I had thought I might

is buried in the chapel at the château. I also got to see the

find some clever way to use some of the details of D-Day to help

Château de Chenonceau, which is located about 30 minutes by

my Form I students tackle the passé composé, a relatively

car away from Amboise. Constucted in the early 1500s,

complicated verb tense that the boys study for the first time in

Chenonceau’s 197-foot gallery is built over a series of arches and

Elementary French. I had thought about a “storming the beaches

stretches across the river Cher. Though much of the creation of

of the passé composé ” game for the class that might inject a little

Chenonceau can be attributed to a number of powerful women

history and excitement into our studies. However, I found myself

(Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici, to name two), it too

embarrassed to have even had this thought when visiting this

was the stomping grounds of François I. In addition to having

magnificently beautiful but terribly, terribly sad place. I sat on

breathtaking formal gardens, it also has the most exquisite flower

one of the D-Day beaches one afternoon—perhaps on the very

and vegetable garden which, when I was there in mid-August,

spot where, on June 6, 1944, a boy not much older than one of

was brimming with gorgeous fruit, vegetables, and flowers.

our Form VI students lay alone and dying, wishing to be in the

In closing, it was a wonderful, informative trip, and I am

arms of his mother or father or wife or friend during the final

very grateful to the Parents Association for this exceptional

seconds of his life—and understood that any discussion I was to

opportunity. I

have with Form I boys about Normandy would under no circumstances come in the form of a game.

After Normandy, I moved onto the Loire Valley. As I stayed an extra day in Normandy, I didn’t have as much time here as I

THE ART OF SPAIN

By Nikolaos Vlahos, Chair, Art Department

had hoped, but nevertheless managed to pack some exceptional experiences into the day and half I was there. A few words on the Loire Valley as a region: Deemed a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2002, its nickname is the “Garden of France” thanks to its temperate climate and lush, fertile land. It is the home of most of France’s most celebrated castles, the majority of which were built during the Renaissance and reflect the ideals of the period. Many claim that the “purest” French in the world is spoken in the Loire Valley. And while this notion makes me a little uncomfortable (What does that make the French spoken in

W

ith the generous support of the Parents Association I went to Spain for eight days in June 2009. I was

attracted to Spain for many reasons. Museums in Spain house collections of painting, sculpture and artifacts that are some of the most important in western history. Spain has a history that tells the story of many different cultures and peoples in Europe, from the Romans, the Visigoths, the Moors, to Catholic rule and finally to modern times. Prior to the expulsion of all Jews and Muslims in 1492 overlapping cultures were tolerant of each other and their religions, creating fertile ground for some of the

most important art and architecture in Gothic or Medieval Europe. Fueled by riches from the Americas, Imperial Spain produced equally important work, most notably by the painters Velasquez and Francisco de Zurbaran. In more recent or modern times there is the work of Goya, (early 19th century), Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dali. Along with all the overlapping architecture prior to 1492 I was also very interested in seeing the architecture of Gaudi.

To see all this I went to three cities; Madrid, Toledo and Barcelona. In Madrid I saw the work of Velasquez, Goya, Zurbaran, El Greco, and works by their contemporaries at the Prado. At the National Museum known as Museo Reina Sophia there was an interesting collection of contemporary Spanish art along with works by artists like Salvador Dali and Picasso. This is where Guernica is on display and it was nice to finally see it in person. The other museum I visited in Madrid was the ThyssenBoremisza. This museum fills in the gaps in the collections of the other two museums. It has an extensive and very impressive collection of Italian, Dutch, German, English, and American paintings all the way to Hopper. I was also fortunate to see a L Madrid: Velasquez in front of the Prado.

M Madrid: Cibeles Fountain.

traveling exhibition on Matisse at the Thyssen.

From Madrid the city of Toledo is only a half-hour train ride and it is very accessible for a day trip. I went to Toledo to see its multicultural and integrated architecture as well as to see where El Greco lived the last chapter of his life. His estate in Toledo houses many of his works along with his collection of other art and artifacts such as furniture. Toledo is a very impressive city and still has a very Medieval feel to it with its imposing walls that surround it. Unfortunately the El Greco estate was closed for renovations and will open in about five years. All the paintings were moved to a different location where they will be on view until renovations on his home are complete. It was great to see these paintings but the only painting that remains where it was supposed to hang is The Burial of Count Orgaz at the church Santo Tome. It is always a great experience to see a painting where it was intended to hang rather than in a sterilized museum setting.

I was able to see how the feel of the architecture and light in the space affected the decisions El Greco made in the work.

Barcelona was my last stop. I was there for the last three days which is almost like giving a tourist three days to see New York. It is a great city filled with life and culture, and art is on display everywhere. There are street performers in every tourist destination in the world but I found it interesting to see street performers in the Gothic district of Barcelona dressed like Medieval characters almost out of a painting. They would not make sense anywhere else. Besides the majestic monuments, park spaces, and boulevards I went to the Miro Mueseum, the Picasso Museum and I saw the works of Gaudi. The Picasso Museum has a very impressive collection of his early works. Many of these works I had never seen before in reproduction or in person. They are from his teenage years up to his early twenties. Along with this there is his version of Las Meninas, originally painted by Velasquez.

Gaudi has many works throughout Barcelona. I went to see two major works one still in construction the other complete. The church Sagrada Familia is an amazing structure that Gaudi began almost one hundred years ago and it is being completed by subsequent generations of artists and architects. Although he did not design every aspect of the church it is clear that they were all very inspired by Gaudi. It is a grand cathedral that is in the line of and comments on the Medieval architecture of Spain. The Park Gruell is a large park area designed by Gaudi. It is more like a large permanent installation rather than a park or a sculpture.

Some parts of it are functional and support weight while others seem otherworldly with no architectural function. It is filled with many amazing monuments and it is clearly inspired by nature, many different disciplines, and cultures I had an amazing time in Spain and would recommend a similar trip to anyone who has these interests. I have brought back books and hundreds of photos. The experience of having seen many seminal works in western art has already inspired a few lessons this year and I look forward to sharing these memories with many other classes. I

L Toledo: City Walls.

M Barcelona: The Church of the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi.

VIVA VOCE Wherein he tells of his time at Rusticatio Virginiana where he heard and spoke, or tried to speak, nothing but Latin for an entire week.

By John T. Young Jr., Middle and Upper School Latin

Rising early on the first morning, I found the house quiet but for Paulus, a fellow Latinist who made coffee for us every day.

“Bonum matutinum,” he said to me without my understanding. His hands gestured around the coffee service, “Caffeam?” Others soon joined us and small conversations in Latin began to take place

y mind reeled and took refuge in an earworm of familiar

M

among the Latin lodgers. Thus we passed every morning until

song lyrics within hours of my first full day at Rusticatio

breakfast. We met three times a day in the dining room for

Virginiana. On that morning I had awoken confused, unsure of

refreshment and took turns in teams to complete all the necessary

my whereabouts, not immediately recalling that I had traveled to

chores. Working together forced us to try to communicate. Early on

the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of West Virginia, to stay for

we were busily engaged in giving Latin labels to all the furniture,

eight days in a rural manor house built in 1820 by a nephew of

utensils, and architecture with masking tape and markers. In

George Washington. I and thirty others had signed up for a total-

groups we put together short theatrical pieces, comedies by

immersion Latin event, offered by Septentrionale Americanum

Erasmus and others, to perform for one another at the close of the

Latinitatis Vivae Institutum, or the North American Institute for

week. Most importantly, groups of us would gather each day to

Living Latin Studies, better known as SALVI, in order to improve

participate in fluency-building exercises. Dr. Llewellyn led some of

our Latin language skills. I remembered the very pleasant dinner

these workshops; Dr David Morgan of Furman University led

of the night before, all the introductions, and the many

others. As a whole community we gathered to listen to talks given

conversations I had had with students and teachers of Latin who

by these very effective teachers or by Fr. Cletus Pavanetto, a Vatican

had gathered from all over the United States, Canada, and Italy. I

Latinist and the author of an important Latin grammar written in

could still feel the excitement we had all shared at the prospect of

Latin. These learned scholars are actually fluent in the language.

speaking and hearing nothing but Latin for a week; but for me

They are continuing the very ancient custom of handing down

that morning it was mixed with some anxiety: how does one say

Latin as a living language to the next generation.

“good morning” in Latin? why did I not know that? how was I going to manage?

Dr. Nancy Llewellyn of Wyoming Catholic College, the

It was very encouraging to see the progress we made toward listening, speaking, and thinking in Latin. Some of us even reported having dreamt in Latin. The exercises and practice

director of our seminar, had warned us about the difficulties of

created in all of us not only a beginning fluency with language,

“activating” Latin, forcing the grammar we had all studied for

but a greatly increased overall knowledge of the language. I

years into something resembling fluency. She cautioned us, to my

perceived that reading Latin was easier and quicker. What is

surprise, that it was likely to be an emotional, even distressing,

more, the interaction with and the observation of fluent Latin

undertaking for people who were used to being able to express

speakers provided me with a benchmark by which I am now

themselves well. How right she was! Within hours of my first

able to gauge my progress in the language and zeal to improve.

day without English, my mind rebelled and instigated its

I must express my gratitude to Browning Parents

incessant repetition of some of my favorite songs. By the end of

Association for this extraordinary opportunity. Their genuine

the second day it had convinced me to quit my job as a Latin

commitment to the improvement of education at Browning is

teacher and find some more suitable line of work. After a week it

truly exceptional and worthy of praise. I

had established that I had always struggled from speech disorders and that I had never been able to communicate effectively with anyone in any language.

Iohannes Young Martis die 26 m. Jan. a. 2010 Novi Eboraci

THE FRENCH INFLUENCE ON SPANISH AND LATIN AMERICAN AUTHORS

By Giurissa A. Felix, Middle and Upper School Spanish

T

he Spanish and Latin American literature course offers Browning students the opportunity to interpret and analyze

in Spanish. The works read this past year represent various historical periods, literary genres, and thematic lines within the Spanish-speaking world. However, many of the students were surprised to learn of the French influence on several Spanish and Latin American authors. As I reworked the curriculum last summer, my trip to France allowed me the opportunity to refresh my French skills and research the influence of French authors on certain Latin American texts.

For the 2010 spring semester, the students read and discussed El Señor Presidente by the Guatemalan writer Miguel Angel Asturias (one of the many novels for which he won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1967). El Señor Presidente, described as

A close-up of Asturias’ grave marker.

Erected on top of Cortázar's grave is a sculpture of a cronopio (detail shown), a character in several of his works. The cronopio represents all things imaginative, unconventional and idealistic.

a “tragic satire,” condemns the dictatorship of Estrada Cabrera (never mentioned directly), whose paranoia and bloodlust victimized an entire nation. Although he wrote the novel in 1933, Asturias was unable to publish it until 1946 due to its political implications. Heavily influenced by the French poet and theorist, André Breton, Asturias utilizes some of the surrealists’ techniques to present a vision of Latin America. It is a cultural reality comprising the juxtaposition of various incompatible cultures, ideologies, viewpoints, language, sounds, and images, a grotesque reality so fragmented and full of contradictions that the readers (along with the characters) find themselves alienated— unable to escape the effects of living under a dictatorship.

professor of French Literature) derived great inspiration from the

Critics have considered El Señor Presidente the “first real

surrealist movement and the French Nouveau Roman (the New

dictator novel,” and deemed Asturias an important precursor of

Novel or the Anti-Novel) literary movement. Disillusioned with

the Latin American Boom (Magical Realism) generation, in

traditional narratives’ inability to fully represent the fragmented

which reality and dreams, are further blurred. Such techniques

nature of the “modern experience”, the Nouveau Roman

can be seen in the works of Argentinean author Julio Cortázar, an

experimented with new literary techniques. These did not

author in my Spanish curriculum. Although modernist

impose a “particular interpretation of events” but obligated the

influences (the use of stream of consciousness and interior

reader to take an active role in exploring the inextricable link

monologues) are evident in his works, Cortázar (who was also a

between literature and the human identity. Nonlinear structures,

ingenious manipulation of the lexicon and grammar, and

much like Muslims from the world-over traveling at least once in

ambiguous points of view are evident in Cortázar’s literary

their lives to Mecca. This is the case, of course, with Asturias and

works. His Continuidad de los parques was one of the short stories

Cortázar. They not only made their pilgrimage to Paris, they

discussed in class. What seems to be a simple story about a

chose to be buried there, acknowledging that Paris was their

businessman reading a book in his leisure time, actually compels

metaphysical and cultural capital. Nearly every major Spanish

us to question whether literature is intended for the reader to

American author since the Independence traveled to Paris, spoke

comprehend reality, or to the contrary, a way to escape from it.

French, and followed French aesthetics, poetics, and philosophical

(The reader in the story, the businessman, pays with his life for

thought. From José Mármol and Alberto Blest Gana to Rubén

his complete involvement in the process of reading.)

Darío, from José Enrique Rodó to Rómulo Gallegos, Vicente

Both Miguel Angel Asturias and Julio Cortázar are buried in

Huidobro, Jorge Luis Borges, Alejo Carpentier, César Vallejo,

Paris, at le Cimetière du Père-Lachaise and le Cimetière du

Pablo Neruda, Octavio Paz, the city of Paris has remained

Montparnasse, respectively. Asturias’s grave marker is a Mayan

arguably the one most important cultural center for the last two

stele (a carved, standing stone), symbolizing his life-long defense

hundred years. The significance of Paris and French culture for

of and concern for the indigenous populations and his particular

Latin America, in general, creates a dilemma, defining a Latin

interest in the Mayan culture (inspired in part by French professor

American culture so heavily indebted to the French, that I myself

Georges Raynaud). Erected on top of Cortázar’s grave is a

have made my very own cultural pilgrimage to the city of Paris.

sculpture of a cronopio, a character in several of his works.

The effect has been reflected profoundly in literature, art,

Although he never provided his readers with a precise physical

jurisprudence, and political history, in all the urban centers of

description, the cronopios represented all things imaginative,

Latin America for the past two centuries. I

unconventional, and idealistic.

But beyond the close relationship of Asturias and Cortázar with French culture and the city of Paris in particular, that very connection refers to the extraordinary and decisive intimacy between Latin American culture, French culture, and Paris itself.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC OF GUADELOUPE

By Dominique Bernard, Middle and Upper School French

There is a historical reason for this. The ideals of the Spanish American revolutions and wars of independence (1809–1823) were inspired by the ideals of the French revolution and by the ideology of the French enlightenment (Rousseau especially).

Spanish America became independent from Spain politically as well as culturally. Prevailing sentiment was anti-Spanish, Francophile, secularist, liberal, and anti-Catholic. Culturally speaking, Spanish America became French, enlightened, and liberal, and its spiritual capital can be said to be (with some exaggeration, but no less objectively) the French city of Paris.

Most Spanish American (and Brazilian) writers, artists and political ideologists of the 19th century were drawn to France and the city of Paris. These novelists, poets, artists, politicians, and philosophers went on a spiritual and cultural pilgrimage to Paris,

I

n class, we discuss on a regular basis the reality and the history of the French-speaking world (la Francophonie). As a French

teacher, I try to teach students a more detailed and thorough and understanding of the connections and relationships between the French-speaking countries and the métropole. It is in this context that, this past summer, thanks to the generous stipend allocated by the Parents Association, I was given the opportunity to go to Guadeloupe. Although I have had the chance to visit several beautiful islands in the Caribbean, I had never visited a French overseas department.

An inherent part of the French republic, Guadeloupe is an overseas department and one of the twenty-six regions of France, the same way as Brittany, Normandy, or Lorraine are in the

War memorials: Born in Lorraine, a region that that was partly devastated during the first World War, I was struck by the war memorials erected in every village or small town, just like in metropolitan France, to commemorate not great victories but to honor the local soldier who have been killed during the fighting.

I was deeply moved thinking that many men had to leave this peaceful island to die for our freedom. Many of them were just M. Bernard at la Soufrière, an active volcano in the mountaintop in the Lesser Antilles with an altitude of 1,467 meters.

killed few miles from where I was born.

mĂŠtropole. Subsequently, Guadeloupe is part of the European Union and its currency is naturally the euro.

An overseas department is a department of France located outside metropolitan France with exactly the same political status as metropolitan departments.

During the two weeks of my sojourn, I drove around the mainland formed by Basse Terre and Grande Terre, and also took a boat to visit the three nearby islands of La DĂŠsirade, Marie Galante, and les Saintes. Here are excerpts of remarks about what I have liked, learned, seen, and discovered in such a remote and wonderful part of France.

The Eternal Flame to the Unknown Slave in Petit Canal on Grande-Terre.

Petit Canal: In the tiny town of Petit Canal on Grande-Terre, a monument, the Eternal Flame to the Unknown Slave, was erected in the port in 1994. While the town has little interest in tourism, yet it remains a major tourist destination in Guadeloupe.

Canal means channel in English and it is through the channel that the slaves were marched to be sold and sent to the sugar cane plantations all around the island. At the top of the stairs, there is a stele commemorating this painful historic event with one single word: freedom.

As always, thank you again to the Parents Association for giving me the opportunity to discover this remote part of France.

I now have a better understanding of the relations of an overseas department with the Mother Country so far by the distance . . . and at the same time so close and tied (despite many differences) because of a long mutual history. I

WWI memorial.

France Spring Break Trip Compiled by Hollis M. Amley, Middle and Upper School History

O

n April 24, ten art history students from Forms V and VI and two faculty chaperones (Hollis Amley and Aaron Grill) traveled to France for an eight-day excursion in the Normandy region

and Paris. The group included Teddy Altman, David Baird, Peter Crisp, Robert Denton, Morgan Monahan, Adrian Muoio, James Preiss, Nikhil Teckchandani, Rohan Wijegoonaratna, and Zackary Zarrillo. Though the trip only lasted a week, the itinerary was chock full of sites and art works, which complimented the curriculum they had studied in either (or both) the art history survey course or the Modern and Contemporary Art History class.

The tour began in the Normandy Region, where over the

The art history students take a break from aesthetic analyses to consider the view the Allies had when they stormed the beaches on D-Day. Back (L to R): Robert Denton, Nikhil Teckchandani, Morgan Monahan, Peter Crisp, Rohan Wijegoonaratna, David Baird, Teddy Altman, and Zackary Zarrillo. Front (L to R): Adrian Muoio and James Preiss.

course of two days, the group saw two of the five D-Day

experience. Below are some of the personal reactions of the

beachheads (Omaha and Utah), along with both the American

students who participated.

and German cemeteries. On the third day en route to Paris, two stops were made. First, the students visited Rouen to see the Bayeux Tapestry, documenting William the Conqueror’s victory at the Battle of Hastings. Secondly, just outside the city limits of Paris, the group toured Louis XIV’s elaborate Versailles Palace.

Once the group arrived in Paris, jet lag had subsided and the familiar urban setting invigorated the boys over the next four rigorous days—sites included the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, the Pompidou, Musée de l’Orangerie, Musée Rodin, Notre Dame, Sainte Chappelle, and Sacré Coeur. Furthermore, the group took a day trip to Reims to see the awe-inspiring Gothic cathedral, formerly the coronation site for the French monarchs.

The students’ academic curiosity, enthusiastic demonstration of knowledge, wit (including a vast array of movie quotations), and gentlemanly comportment created a fabulous dynamic, and contributed to a spectacular inaugural art history travel

Zackary Zarrillo, Form V Stepping off of the bus on the first day of our trip onto the grounds of Normandy was truly surreal. World War II is my favorite topic in history and being able to see the place where the beginning of the end started for the Axis Powers—there on the expansive beaches and rocky bluffs where Operation Overlord was executed—was certainly a treat. From the short movie-reel in the D-Day Museum, which depicted the storming of the beaches of Normandy, to walking on the beaches, trying to envision the combat that took place was overwhelming. But my favorite part of not only Normandy but the whole trip, was our opportunity to visit the American cemetery. It was one of the most powerful, yet eerily peaceful and calming sites that I have experienced in my life.

The perfect alignment of grave markers and scenery seemed to almost put out of my mind the mass casualties of American

Robert Denton contemplates the immense sacrifice and courage of the American soldiers during D-Day and the following nine-week campaign to secure the Allies' hold of Normandy and to liberate France.

Zackary Zarrillo, Robert Denton, Teddy Altman, and Nikhil Teckchandani stand under one of the giant bull capitals from Darius' and Xerxes' Persian palace at Persepolis.

soldiers. Instead, the cemetery helped me to picture the great acts

painted in the neoclassical style. This massive painting depicts the

the courageous veterans undertook for the country and world.

historic moment in 1804 when Napoleon I snatched the crown

Nikhil Teckchandani, Form VI

away from the pope and crowned himself. Overall, the visit to the palace at Versailles was both awe-inspiring and enlightening.

Louis XIV’s palace at Versailles is one of the most magnificent examples of 17th-century absolutism. Out of fear of an uprising, the palace was created by Louis XIV for the purpose of relocating

Teddy Altman, Form V On the trip to France, we visited the Musée du Louvre.

the government and troublesome members in the First and Second

Beforehand, I had learned about many pieces of artwork that

Estates from Paris. This fear stemmed from an event known as the

were housed there from the art history class taught by Ms.

Fronde, which was a violent revolt in Paris against a cardinal. By

Amley. As a result, I recognized many of the works before the

decentralizing the government, Louis XIV weakened the French

guide even had time to point them out; however, it was a much

nobility and the potential threat of social upheaval.

different experience to see them in person, rather than on the two

Currently, the palace serves as a museum that houses over

slide screens in Room 501. For the first hour, we toured with a

6,000 paintings and covers approximately 51,200 meters. The

guide (with a heavy Parisian accent), who was provided to us by

palace was constructed during the Baroque period, thus it is

Casterbridge Tours. Afterward, we were allowed to go on our

ornately decorated and embodies the spirit of aristocratic grandeur

own to explore the museum. Many of the boys went off into their

and veneration for luxury. Frankly, at times, the sheer amount of

own groups, but a few of us decided to take the “Ms. Amley

gold used in the interior of the palace was blinding. Furthermore,

tour.” On our trek we saw the highlights that we had studied

outside the Sun King’s abode, the palace is surrounded by 800

that hadn’t been on the initial tour, including Charles I on

hectares of carefully manicured gardens. My favorite work from

Horseback by Van Dyck, Hammurabi’s Law Code, the Bull

the palace was the Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David,

Capital from the palace of Persepolis, The Seated Scribe, two

Lamassu from the Assryian citadel of Sargon I, and my favorite,

relative familiarity with the art and Ms. Amley’s expertise made

The Arrival of Marie de Medici by Rubens.

short work of the collection.

When we entered the Rubens room, I was completely taken aback. The works within this series were much larger and grandiose than I had expected. (Note: While Ms. Amley is not a fan of the corpulent Rubens women, I happen to think that they carry it well.) The sight of the painting gave me the realization of how much time and effort must have been invested to create just one of these magnificent paintings, much less the twenty-one canvases that Rubens was commissioned to paint, dedicated to and immortalizing the life of Marie de Medici, the wife of Henri IV. Overall, the trip to France, and in particular our visit to the Louvre, gave me a greater appreciation for the works that I have been studying in art history this year.

James Preiss, Form VI As one of four members of the Modern and Contemporary Art History class, I had gotten a much better understanding of the influences and philosophies of modern art, specifically abstract expressionism, before embarking on our monumental trip to France. In the weeks before visiting the Pomidou, we had been reading articles on the revolutionary architecture and the statement that the museum itself made considering the surrounding neighborhood. Designed by Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano, the museum’s “high tech” industrial style immediately confronts the visitor upon entering the museum. Deliberately exposed pipes and air ducts encase the exterior; the museum appears to be constructed

Peter Crisp, Form VI Upon entering the museum, I was struck by just how beautiful the renovated Gare d’Orsay looked and how well it

almost entirely of glass and metal bracings. In fact, it looks a bit like a building made out of children's K’Nex toy building sets.

After staring at the outside of the museum (some of us in awe,

housed the art. The Musée d’Orsay underwent an astonishing

others in disgust, and still some were simply confused), we

transformation from a derelict train station to arguably one of the

wandered inside to explore what it had to offer. After looking at

most beautiful museums in Paris. The museum is home to the

some contemporary pop art collages consisting of comic scripts and

largest collection of impressionist and postimpressionist works in

political propaganda, we viewed billboard placards by the

the world. Yet, I particularly appreciated the architectural space of

“Guerilla Girls,” a form of protest art regarding the sexist treatment

the museum—it has both enough room to house the collection

of women artists in the modern art world. (Their most famous

without making it feel overcrowded and, through the massive, arc-

quotation, “Do women have to be naked to get into the Met

shaped skylights, the interior is flooded with light. Consequently,

Museum?” was in response to the statistic that only 5% of the artists

the Musée d’Orsay did not have the traditional severity and

in modern art sections of museums are women, yet 85% of the

overbearing nature of the Louvre, nor did the architectural

nudes are female.) We also saw Duchamp’s controversial Dadaist

renovations contrast with and overshadow the surrounding

work The Fountain and Otto Dix’s Sylvia von Harden.

architecture as the Pompidou center does. Furthermore, because

Finally, I got extremely excited when I saw some of

the museum only exhibits works from two aesthetic periods, the

Kandinsky's compositions from afar, as the four of us had read

experience is not as overwhelming as the Louvre (which would

excerpts from his Concerning the Spiritual in Art, and written a huge

take weeks, if not years, to properly navigate).

paper applying his philosophies to a compositional analysis of

Some of the highlights for me were the Burial at Ornans by

Kandinsky’s paintings. When I saw them, I rushed up to Ms.

Gustave Courbet, the Rouen Cathedral series by Monet, and the

Amley and the others like a child who got his first bike for his

extensive collection of Van Gogh’s works. The scale and

birthday, beckoning her to come see what I had just found.

immensity of larger works, such as the Burial at Omans, is

Kandinsky's nonobjective abstractions are hard to understand, but

accentuated by the museum’s decision to dedicate an entire wall to

having read his ideas and studied his technique, the other modern

one canvas. Although the group had a lot of works to cover, our

and contemporary art students and I stared in wonder at the large

musicians, breakdancers, and lounging Parisians, the building reminds the visitor of the neighborhood’s original status as an industrial district. Moreover, the views of the city once you ascend the tube escalators are magnificent. The museum is dedicated to all facets of modern art, from paintings to sculpture to film. The permanent collection is relatively small, but included many works we had covered in class (which prompted much triumphant fistpumping). The rotating exhibits were all excellent as well.

However, the beauty of the building, itself, was the highlight of the Pompidou for me.

I also had never visited the Musée d’Orsay, and, by the time we set off, I was in eager anticipation. I am a fan of realism, impressionism, and post-impressionism, in which the museum The art history students picked up some additional (bronze) group members (The Burghers of Calais) at the Musée Rodin in Paris.

specializes. From the moment I entered, I was not disappointed, as it had a wide range of fine works even if it was in the midst of a

canvases painted with thick black arcs, large pools of colors, and

partial renovation. I found I liked Manet much more seeing his

abstract forms. Seeing paintings that you have studied and

works in person, than I had seeing them on a slide. (And, of

invested a lot of time on is extremely satisfying, especially since I

course, Monet and Van Gogh were as great as ever.) Like the

had spent hours before my computer screen while staring at

Pompidou, the Musée d’Orsay also has splendid architecture.

Kandinsky’s compositions, trying to decipher them and his

Previously, it had been a rail station before being converted into a

spiritual intent. The Pompidou was one of my personal favorites

museum in the late 19th century. The variety of art within the

of the trip to France, and my firsthand experience in front of works

museum is impressive as well, encompassing works from

that will be in my memory forever.

Delacroix to Gaughin.

David Baird, Form VI One of the museums in Paris that I had never visited before was the Centre Pompidou in Beaubourg. The most striking thing about the museum is unquestionably its distinct high-tech architecture. Built in the 1970s, it is highly unconventional but sleek, and totally unlike anything in its neighborhood, the city of Paris, and the world. Before we traveled to France, the Modern and Contemporary Art History class had discussed the architecture and the philosophy behind it. In New York, seeing the building in pictures projected on a screen, I had had mixed feelings. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. Yet, like most things I have learned in this class, it took a close look for me to fully understand the building’s brilliance. The museum, despite its uniqueness, actually does not seem out of place amongst the 19th-century buildings surrounding it. Sunken in an open square, dotted by

Finally, I was unfamiliar with the Musée Rodin before our trip and wasn’t sure what to expect from it. However, I was totally blindsided with how great it was. I liked Rodin beforehand, but wasn’t sure how a museum could thrive with such a seemingly narrow focus. However, I finally realized there that Rodin truly was one of the best sculptors there ever was. He certainly was technically brilliant, as his forms were very lifelike and meticulous.

His real genius, however, lay in the emotions of his subjects—the faces and expressions are realistic and clear, yet not in an overwrought or distracting depiction. Slumped or stoic postures, grieving grimaces or ebullient hopeful smiles seem as natural as in life. Viewing all of these works together in one museum dedicated to Rodin, I was granted a better comprehension of Rodin’s genius and impressionistic style. The Musée Rodin was probably the best surprise of the entire trip. I

Athletics ABOVE THE RIM: TERREL PHELPS GIVES US THOUSANDS OF REASONS TO FOLLOW BROWNING BASKETBALL

D

on’t let his size fool you: At a skinny 6-feet, the Panther’s Terrel Phelps is playing some big time basketball. In just the sixth game of the season, Phelps became the fastest player in

school history to reach 1,000 points. He is just a junior, and his

basketball potential is still on the rise. Since that game he has gotten around 300 additional points, and says getting to the 2,000-point plateau is “a real possibility.”

Averaging around 30 points a game, Phelps uses his star power to become a gracious leader to the team. He encourages his teammates, “don’t always rely on me, be confident in your own games.” After his 1,000th point, which came on a free throw, the team called a timeout and celebrated with a trophy ceremony.

Hitting his 1,000th point was “nice, it was a really good feeling,” beamed Phelps, but he insisted that his coach, Harrison Fields, and his teammates were instrumental in getting him to that coveted accomplishment.

Offering Browning fans another evening of amazement, at the I.S.A.L. semifinal game, Phelps heaved up the basketball with 3.7 seconds left on the clock. He was beyond an NBA 3-point line, he sunk the ball, and he was fouled! After hitting his freethrow that sent the game into overtime, the Panthers defeated number-1 seed York Prep, 85–82.

Phelps was responsible for 61 of Browning’s 85 points, and hit 12 3-pointers! Reflecting on his jaw-dropping performance, Phelps admitted “it was definitely one of the most defining moments in my Browning Basketball career.”

Phelps can also credit his achievement to hard work. With practices, games, and his routine of hitting the gym four times a week as he tries to “get a little bigger, and stronger muscle-wise,” Phelps totes quite a demanding schedule. All of this, coupled with school, can be daunting. But Phelps is focused and knows that he must stay organized and create separate times for school and basketball.

Terrel Phelps may very well be the best player ever to come through the Browning program, but he is positive that in the future Browning will continue to foster strong players and continue to have success. While desires of going to a good college and playing basketball are strong, this player is mindful that basketball may not be the most important focus as he pursues higher education.

No matter the outcome of the Panther’s season, one thing is for certain: Browning has accomplished the victory of nurturing its players to continued greatness on and off the court. What’s the next adventure for Phelps? Maybe deciding where he wants to go to school. Or maybe, just maybe, hitting that 2,000th point!

By Sam Blum, New York Family Sports Thursday, March 4, 2010

Winter Sports Wrap-Up

By Andrew West ’92, Director of Athletics

W

inter athletics at Browning in 2010 was a

Fifth Grade Basketball The Fifth Grade Panthers had a great season. In their

huge success. The season tipped off with a

inaugural Browning basketball experience, the boys were eager to

great hard fought battle between Columbia

learn the fundamentals of the game and compete against other

Prep and Browning, during the Tip-Off

schools. There was never a doubt that the team always gave its

Tournament, at which Browning won the championship with a

best effort on the court. They played excellent defense and grew

71–70 win. The teams would meet again four more times during

more aggressive with each experience. By the end of the season,

the season with each team grabbing victories. The Varsity team

the players were running the beginning stages of a motion offense,

finished 13–10, JV was 7-10, Form I and II was 7–18, Sixth Grade

and their offensive game showed vast improvement. This group

was 13–4 (including a 10-game winning streak), and Fifth Grade

can expect to have a great season next year. The team’s overall

was an improved 4–9. The major highlights of the season

record was 4–9.

—Coach Zeuner

including Terrel Phelps ’11 scoring the 1,000th point of his career as only a junior! His total is now at 1,479, giving him a real shot at 2,000 total for his Browning career, and already making him Browning’s all-time leading scorer. Another highlight was the varsity Panthers second consecutive appearance in the NYSAIS postseason state tournament. Unfortuantely, this season Browning lost in the first round, but it was by only four points to a much bigger Riverdale school. All and all, it was a great season, and I am really expecting just as spectacular a spring!

Sixth Grade Basketball The Sixth Grade basketball team had one of the most successful seasons in Browning’s history! For the record the team was 13-4, had a 10-game winning streak, and was unbeaten at home. But the true story was the manner in which they played and the composure they showed on the court. The boys were quick to learn plays and execute them in competition, and always had a “never say die” attitude. After losing a game they should have won early on in the season, the team realized that they could not rely on just one or two players. From that moment on they became a team.

If I were to single out a couple of players, then I must mention Will Jacob ’16, who was the top scorer, and Aris Kalogerakis ’16, who as a guard was the player who controlled the pace and rhythm of the game.

Lastly, I would also mention that the players had fun, which is important at this stage of their development when playing competitive sports.

—Coach Watson

Fifth Grade Basketball Front row (L to R): Quintin Blumka, Luke Spellman, Kevin Cox, William Detwiller, Robert Adams, and Ethan Parisier.

Second row (L to R): Max Spirer, Logan Stark, William Graham, William Trammell, Truman Ennals, Conor Harkins, and Coach Zeuner.

Back row (L to R): Kenneth Mazzaro, Alec Siden, Sebastian Segat-Macmillian, Christopher Toub, and Daniel Westra.

Sixth Grade Basketball Front row (L to R): Jack Connor, Harrison Bishop, Anthony Carrasco, and Liam Kerwin.

Middle row (L to R): Coach Watson, Will Jacob, Harris Russell, Griffin Tobia, Aris Kalogerakis, Craig Levinson, and Sandy Sadler.

Back row (L to R): Nochoals Warner, Michael Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, Michael Zuppone, Robert Heilberg, Matthew Reader, and Raphael Russo. Not pictured: Harry Calianese and Brandon Keno.

It was a wonderful season. Every one worked hard and I look

7/8 Basketball The 7/8 basketball team enjoyed a successful 2009–2010 season, capturing fourth place in ISAL, after a dramatic playoff-

forward to next year. Thank you to all of my players for their effort, and colleagues and parents for their support.

—Coach Taveras

clinching win against Trevor Day in the season finale. The team was led by Form II captains Spencer Reuben ’14 and Peter Maguire ’14 , whose leadership, hard work, and hustle were instrumental in helping the team recover from a slow start to the season to earn our third consecutive postseason appearance. With a talented rising Sixth Grade class ready to bolster the squad’s interior presence and complement the perimeter threats of Form I players Ross West ’15 , Julian Kalogerakis ’15 and Slater Stark ’15 , the future of the 7/8 basketball team is extremely bright.

Fencing The fencers had an outstanding year, according to Mr. Glucksman, their coach at the Chapin School. They began the season with four veteran seniors: Stephan Straub ’10, James Weinhoff ’10, Rawle Sterling ’10, and Harrison Asen ’10. A few younger boys started their fencing career this year: Dylan Smith ’11, Ben Jacobs ’13 , and John Scowcroft ’12 . The boys were optimistic as the year started, and they grew closer and closer together as a

—Coach Sheridan

team throughout the season. The veterans helped the younger boys, and they put together a terrific team with lots of

Junior Varsity Basketball The junior varsity basketball team had a very successful

encouragement, support, and enthusiasm. Mr. Glucksman was

season, despite finishing just 7–10. The Panthers finished in second

very impressed with the Browning boys. Although he was sad to

place in the NYC division of the ISAL. Unfortunately, after a hard

say goodbye to the seniors who have been working with him for

fought, never-say-quit game, we were eliminated in the first round

the past three seasons, he is extremely hopeful that the younger

of the playoffs by the Dragons from Trevor Day. I expect many of

boys will work hard and continue the Browning tradition.

—Coach Mastroianni

the players on this year’s JV to step up next year and contribute at the varsity level. The team was very heavy in Form VI boys, which means there will be plenty of opportunities for boys next season to fill the major rolls. The team was led in scoring by Jesse Rost ’11, who averaged 9.13 points per game. Seniors Robert Denton ’10 and Justin Leder ’10 were the other two top scorers, with 7.06 and 5.42 points per game, respectively. Thanks for the fun season!

—Coach West

Varsity Basketball Our varsity basketball team had a very successful season. We

Winter Running Club A more and more popular activity, the winter running club offers a combination of short- and long-distance running. The participants go to Central Park and to the Armory Indoor track.

This club started on November 3 until the start of spring sports.

Some boys prefer short intervals running (100 to 800) whereas others run three to six miles. We also use the weight room when the weather is inclement. This program is great for students who wish to stay in good shape during the winter and for athletes

started the season by winning the Columbia Prep. Tournament and

who want to prep for the baseball, tennis, or track seasons. We

Terrel Phelps reached the 1000-point milestone. The team improved

have practices five or four times a week and participants can skip

through out the season by working hard in practice to prepare for

one day. Grading is based on attendance and cooperation—there is

any upcoming game. We finished second in the league and playoffs

no competition. We started this club four years ago, and we have

but we were able to qualify for the NYSAIS tournament for the

received good feedback from the boys who enjoy the opportunity

second year in a row. Our most impressive game was against

to remain fit during the cold season without the stress of high

powerhouse Riverdale in the quarter finals of the NYSAIS

competition. And Central Park is so beautiful during a sunny

tournament. We played well as a team and lost by only four points.

winter afternoon.

—Coach Bernard

7/8 Basketball Front row (L to R): Alec Morea, Jordan Greco, Slater Stark, Spencer Reuben, Peter Maguire, Aaron Parisier, Max Stacey, and Wick Waller.

Back row (L to R): Julian Kalogerakis, ross West, Henri Fernandez, Ben Klein Schmidt, Harrison Grauso, Griffin Bassman, and Coach Sheridan.

Not pictured: Juan Yanes.

Junior Varsity Basketball Front row (L to R): Nicholas Greco, Farouk Oni, Kevin Wu, Jon Pelz, Kyle Johnson, and Spencer Wolfe.

Middle row (L to R): Coach West, Lucas Schwartz, Adam Nebenzahl, Teddy Altman, Jeremy Chin, and Alex Bendo.

Back row (L to R): Jesse Graff, Greg Davis, Erik Van Os, Robert Denton, Adrian Muoio, Justin Leder, Stephen Fleischer, and Josh Burgess (manager).

Not pictured: Jesse Rost, James Weinhoff, Alejandro Morales, Anik Akhund, Max Liu, Peter Crisp, Colin Carter, and Charlie Meyer.

Varsity Basketball Front row (L to R): Myles Mills, Daighn Dunn, Terrel Phelps, Ryan Flynn, Ibrahima Diallo, Evan Blumenthal, and Efraim Morales.

Back row (L to R): Michael Harley, Rohan Wijegoonaratna, Harrison Fields, Steven Kassapidis, James Priess, Miles Collins, and Coach Taveras.

Not pictured: Nicholas Corliss.

Fencing L to R: Coach Glucksman, Dylan Smith, Ben Jacobs, John Scowcroft, Stephan Straub, Rawle Sterling, James Weinhoff, and Harrison Asen.

ALUMNI

Alumni Events To share news with Browning and your classmates, please contact Laura Neller, Director of Alumni Affairs, at 212-838-6280, x192, or lneller@browning.edu.

and their enthusiasm to return for next year’s contest. Only time will tell how long it will be before the odd squad regroups and makes the rivalry the positively competitive event we all look forward to.

2010 ALUMNI BASKETBALL GAME

By Andrew H. West ’92 and Alexander A. Sheridan ’04

I

n what has become one of the most highly anticipated basketball games of each season, Browning basketball

alumni returned to the school on January 8 for their annual contest. Having lost sixteen of the last seventeen games, it came as no surprise to see a weak turnout from the odd squad (alumni

Young Alums

Points

Rebounds

Assists

Jason Friedman ’06

33

5

1

Luc Vareilles ’04

5

6

3

Albie Bramble ’04

9

3

5

Alex Sheridan ’04

13

15

8

Sam Morril ’05

20

16

4

Robert Bramble ’06

0

2

2

Adam Dalva ’04

3

4

4

Points

Rebounds

Assists

Mike Anselmo ’92

22

15

5

Mike Dorra ’92

10

7

7

Peter Cohen ’99

7

3

6

Andrew West ’92

4

7

9

Phil Blake ’95

26

5

4

Victor Catano ’94

9

4

6

Steven Johnson ’96

10

11

2

Samora Legros ’03

1

10

4

whose class years end in an odd number). Unable to take on thirteen even-year alums, the odd squad waived the white surrender flag before the tip even took place. The group was then split up evenly: Old Seasoned Veterans (a.k.a. AARP All Stars) vs.

Young Guns (a.k.a. Those Who Still Owe Mr. Dearinger Their Satires). As always, it was a tough battle between the teams . . . and the “official,” Coach Taveras. With the game tied at halftime, and then again at the end of the third quarter, both teams were primed for a competitive and dramatic fourth quarter. The difference in game was the experience and composure of the

Elder Alums

elder statesmen, who outwitted—and barely outlasted—their younger counterparts by a final score of 89–81.

Special thanks to everyone who helped make the event

The young alums were led in scoring by the hot hand of

possible, especially Laura Neller, Christine Bramble, Patricia

Jason Friedman ’06 with a game-high 33 points, followed by

Zeuner, Maureen Linehan, Dan Taveras (especially from the

funnyman Sam Morril ’05 with 20 points. The elder alums were

elder alums) and Chef Clark (because without the cookies the

led in scoring by Phil Blake ’95 with 26 points, followed by

event might as well not happen). I

Browning Athletic Hall of Famer, Mike Anselmo ’92, with 22 points. After the game, the teams gathered in the lower café for sandwiches and beverages to reminisce about the good old days

Top row (L to R): Victor Catano '94, Mike Anselmo '92, Andrew West '92, Mike Dorra '92, Steven Johnson ’96, Phil Blake '95, Peter Cohen '99, Samora Legros '03, and Coach T. Bottom row (L to R): Robert Bramble '05, Alex Sheridan '04, Jason Friedman ’06, Luc Vareilles '04, Adam Dalva '04, Albie Bramble '04, and Sam Morril '05.

The Old Seasoned Veterans celebrate their win over the Young Guns.

Phil Blake '95 and Jason Friedman ’06.

Headmaster Clement on court with the alumni basketball players.

Alumni shaking hands and congratulating one another after this year's Alumni Basketball Game.

ALUMNI ALUMNI COUNCIL MEETING

O

n January 25, the Alumni Council met in the Wilson Room at Browning. Head of the History Department Gerry

Protheroe opened the meeting as the special guest, sharing information with the group about Browning’s Model UN program. Following Dr. Protheroe, the Council listened to committee reports and discussed plans for the Note-a-thon and Alumni Reunion. The following alumni attended: Brooks Clark ’84

Andy Madden ’96

Jonathan Cohn ’01

Joe Metzger ’02

Leon Dalva ’58

Nader Mobargha ’91

George Grimbilas ’80

John Moran ’97

Richard Helgason ’82

Andrew Ponzo ’98

John Hutzler ’86

Bill Reed ’85

Ed Kent ’02

Juan Reyes ’86

Justin Kingson ’98

Andy Sandberg ’01

Eric Lustgarten ’81

Allanby Singleton-Green ’83

Alumni Association President Juan Reyes '86 signing letters to classmates.

ALUMNI COUNCIL NOTE-A-THON

O

n February 22, the Alumni Council hosted the 2nd Annual

Note-a-thon in the Wilson Room. Fifteen alumni returned

to school to sign, personalize, fold, and stuff letters to send to their classmates. An impressive total of 482 letters were mailed.

The letter was sent to donors to last year's Annual Fund that have not yet given this year, as well as to all the 2010 major

Nick Versandi '01, Sean Russell '02, Ed Kent '02, and George Grimbilas '80 signing and sealing letters in the Wilson Room.

reunion classes. The goal of the Note-a-thon is to promote Alumni Reunion and encourage alumni to support the 2009–2010 Annual Fund. Thank you to the following alumni for participating in this year’s Note-a-thon: Bryan Boisi ’00

Bill Reed ’85

Jonathan Cohn ’01

Juan Reyes ’86

George Grimbilas ’80

Sean Russell ’02

Richard Helgason ’82

Andy Sandberg ’01

John Hutzler ’86

Allanby Singleton-Green ’83

Ed Kent ’02

Sharif Tanamli ’87

Stuart Orenstein ’00

Nicholas Versandi ’01

Stuart Orenstein '00, Andy Sandberg '01, and Bryan Boisi '00 at this year's Alumni Note-a-thon.

ALUMNI 2010 SAN FRANCISCO RECEPTION

O

n February 25, Browning held a regional alumni and faculty reception at the San Francisco Mandarin Oriental.

Dean of Faculty and Head of the English Department Michael Ingrisani hosted the event along with current faculty member Allison Gilpin. Both Mr. Ingrisani and Ms. Gilpin were in San Francisco for the 2010 NAIS Annual Conference. The following alumni and faculty attended the San Francisco Reception: David Callaway ’82 Allison Gilpin, Current faculty L to R: Matt Horvat (former US Head), Chris Karachale (former Latin teacher), Brett Gladstone '75, Allison Gilpin, Mike Ingrisani, Prescott Woodruff '85, David Callaway '82, Gabriela von Haunalter, Anthony Sabedra (former Spanish teacher), and George von Haunalter '52 at the Mandarin Oriental.

Brett Gladstone ’75 Matthew Horvat, Former faculty Michael Ingrisani, Current faculty Christopher Karachale, Former faculty Anthony Sabedra, Former faculty George von Haunalter ’52 Gabriella von Haunalter Prescott Woodruff ’85

UPCOMING EVENTS ALUMNI REUNION Thursday, May 13, all day (refer to pages 44–44 for schedule of events) Annual Meeting of the Alumni Association L to R: Mike Ingrisani, Matt Horvat, Allison Gilpin, Anthony Sabedra, and Chris Karachale.

Monday, May 17, 6:00 pm (Henry B. Martin ’24 Library) 3rd Annual Young Alumni and Alumnae May Mixer Thursday, May 27, 6:30 pm (M1-5) Graduation Wednesday, June 9, 11:00 am (Christ Church) Summer Buzzer Class Notes Deadline Tuesday, June 15

L to R: Bill Reed '85, Jon Cohn '01, Allanby Singleton-Green '83, and Sharif Tanamli '87 writing notes to fellow alumni at the Note-a-thon.

ALUMNI

2010 Alumni Reunion HONORING THE 2010 ALUMNUS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT R. Sargent Shriver ’34 First director of the Peace Corps, 1961–1966 Leader of the War on Poverty, 1963–1969 U.S. ambassador to France, 1968–1970 Democratic vice presidential candidate, 1972

Accepting the Award on his behalf will be his son, Mark K. Shriver Former member of the Maryland House of Delegates Current vice president and managing director of U.S. programs for Save the Children

Remarks by Theodore C. Sorensen Former special counsel and adviser to President John F. Kennedy Colleague and long-time friend of Sargent Shriver ’34

ALUMNI ALUMNI REUNION SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR THURSDAY, MAY 13 8:30 am: School Assembly featuring an Alumni Career Panel Lower Gym

JOHN A. BROWNING SOCIETY Did you know . . .

Nine Browning alumni are members of the John A. Browning Society?

12:00 pm: True Grytte Society Luncheon featuring the Upper School A Cappella Group Knickerbocker Club 807 Fifth Avenue at 62nd Street By separate invitation only to the Classes of 1960 and earlier and their spouses 6:00 pm: Cocktail Reception and Alumnus Achievement Award Ceremony Loews Regency Hotel 540 Park Avenue at 61st Street 7:30 pm: Reunion Dinner, Stephen S. Perry ’76 Memorial Class Representative Award Ceremony, and Class of 2000 Gift Announcement Lower Gym

R. Neville Davis ’50 Brett Gladstone ’75 Peter P. Luce ’47 Eric M. Lustgarten ’81 Benjamin S. Melting ’00 Stephen A. Ruddy, III ’45 John G. Russell ’46 Roger M. Schmitt ’70 John E. Hutzler ’86

What is the John A. Browning Society?

The John A. Browning Society was founded in

To register for Alumni Reunion, please visit www.browning.edu/alumni or call the Alumni Office at 212-838-6280, x192.

1997 to acknowledge and honor donors who provide for the Browning

If your class year ends in a 5 or 0, your class is celebrating a major reunion this year! All classes encouraged to attend.

2009–2010 Reunion Representatives

School by some method of planned giving. Planned giving is an area of

John M. Richman ’45

Scott H. Yeckes ’85

fundraising that includes

Thomas C. Dillenberg ’55

Edward D. Katzka ’90

bequests, trusts, annuities,

Homer K. Vaughan ’60

Stephen M. Cooper ’95

life insurance policies, or other deferred giving arrangements

Jack E. Larson, Jr. ’65

John J. Ray ’95

made between the donor and the School.

William L. Selden ’65

Bryan P. Boisi ’00

John M. Coleman ’65

Evan H. Levey ’00

Frederick Snare, IV ’70

Benjamin S. Melting ’00

George H. Boothby ’70

Stuart A. Orenstein ’00

Richard L. Weaver ’75

Andrew P. Fanelli ’05

Gregory T. Camp ’80

W. Stafford Travers, II ’05

George Grimbilas, Jr. ’80

Asif A. Uddin ’05

Browning greatly encourages and appreciates future gifts made through one’s estate. These planned gifts are assets of the school and can be considered in the long-term planning of financial support. Members of the John A. Browning Society help ensure the future financial security of the School by strengthening its endowment. While being generous, be wise.

John S. Williams, III ’80

Please consult with your attorney or other appropriate

William T. Reed ’85

professionals when considering a planned gift. For additional information, please contact Martin Haase, Director of Development, at 212-838-6280, x150. I

ALUMNI

ALEX M. KAYOUN MEMORIAL LANGUAGE AWARD, ESTABLISHED BY THE PERKIN FUND

A

lex M. Kayoun (1922–2009) was an extraordinary teacher, mentor, and

role model for generations of young men at the Browning School. A member of the Browning faculty from 1968 to 1989, along with his wife, Gisele, Mr.

Kayoun’s legacy will be perpetuated and expanded by the Kayoun Award, an appropriate honor for an outstanding teacher. The Kayoun Award will provide an opportunity for a deserving student, who otherwise would not have the resources, to experience firsthand the language, culture, and aesthetics of the country most associated with the language he is studying. Students of French will be given first consideration, but the award will not be restricted. Presented annually at Prize Day at the conclusion of the school year, the Kayoun Award aims to cover the expenses of a chaperoned programmed trip to France, Spain, Greece, Italy, or other appropriate destination.

For four years now, a man with an accent and a French moustache has taught French at Browning. When our class first met him, he seemed like a typical teacher with a few unusual expressions. But over these four years, we have come to appreciate, respect, and admire him. We appreciate what he has done to improve the French department, respect his personal integrity and unique qualities as a teacher, and admire his devotion to helping students learn.

He has inspired us in a way that very few teachers do.

—1972 Grytte

ALUMNI In 1984, the Kayouns led a group of Browning upperclassmen on a trip to France. The group visited various cities and sites, including Paris, Lyon, Reims, Chartres, Mont St. Michel, and many others. By extending the French experience outside the confines of a classroom and providing firsthand interaction with the people, culture, and language of France, the Kayouns have been able to establish one of the most successful and esteemed French departments in the city.

—1989 Grytte

To make a donation in memory of Mr. Kayoun toward the Alex M. Kayoun Memorial Language Award, please visit www.browning.edu/kayoun-award or call the Development Office at 212-838-6280. I

I spent five years learning French from Mr. Kayoun, from Form II all the way through AP French in Form VI. Mr. Kayoun had an uncanny memory for detail and a thorough knowledge of French history and culture. He never failed to entrance students with stories about the lives of French historical figures or the authors whose works we were reading, putting their lives into a context which seemed relevant to ours. Mr. Kayoun is one of the teachers who influenced me the most.”

—William T. Reed ’85

The Kayouns’ legacy will live on forever with all of us who have had the benefit of their erudition and friendship.

Au revoir et merci.

—1989 Grytte

ALUMNI

Class Notes To share news with Browning and your classmates, please contact Laura Neller, Director of Alumni Affairs, at 212 838 6280, x192, or via e-mail at lneller@browning.edu.

Mr. Moyers’s good friend, R. Sargent Shriver ’34, former Peace Corps director, 1972 Democratic vice presidential nominee, and 2010 recipient of Browning’s Alumnus Achievement Award. Mr. Moyers noted that, “Sarge talked at least once with

1890s

me about his days at the [Browning] School and how he almost

In a recent article in the Jerusalem Post, the Rockefeller

son, Mark K. Shriver, will accept the Award on his behalf at the

Museum, named for John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Class of 1893,

Alumni Reunion cocktail reception on Thursday, May 13, 2010,

was praised as “One of Jerusalem’s most exquisite gems . . .

at the Loews Regency Hotel.

decided while there to become a journalist.” Sargent Shriver’s

Besides its magnificent white limestone edifice, the Rockefeller Museum also boasts an extraordinary collection of antiquities unearthed in excavations conducted in the country, primarily during the time of the British Mandate (1919–1948).” The

1940s

Rockefeller Museum is an archaeological museum located in

Thomas L. Schmidt ’44 lives in Leimbach, France. He recently told

East Jerusalem. In 1925, Mr. Rockefeller donated $2 million to

us that actress Meryl Streep has a home near him and that she

fund the construction of the museum.

knocked on his door one morning and gave him a French lesson.

Robert A. Naumann ’47 has lived in Vermont since his retirement in 1992 from Princeton University, where he was a

1930s

professor of chemistry and physics for forty years.

Richard A. Helgason ’82 recently contacted Bill Moyers, PBS

J. Miles Thompson, Jr. ’47 recently wrote to us: “Still go to

journalist and former deputy director of the Peace Corps, about

the insurance office part-time at age 81. Grandchildren in

Gonzalo Mariategui '61 during a recent trip to Cuzco, Perú, in a local poncho that he acquired during a brief stay to gather information for his next novel.

Sandy Pelz ’71 and Charles Plohn ’62 in Headmaster Clement’s office in January.

Matthew Eliott ’73 on his faithful Irish horse, Caffrey.

ALUMNI Wilton, CT. Best to Chester F. Cotter ’47. We played soldiers in Central Park.”

couple of years ago. For those who read Spanish I suggest you take a look at my blog: www.sietejeringas.blogspot.com. There are many interesting and entertaining cultural posts. Best wishes to all at Browning.

1950s

In the picture below (lower left, page 48), Gonzalo is standing

In November, PBS Nature series founder Thomas E. Lovejoy, III ’59

world-famous twelve-angle stone. The stones of the wall are so

was the keynote speaker at the 7th annual Evening for the

close that it is impossible to place a sheet of paper between two

Environment at the Portland Museum of Art, presented by the

of them. Another curiosity is that there is no quarry in the

Maine League of Conservation Voters. Dr. Lovejoy spoke on

vicinity of Cuzco; therefore, the huge stones were brought from

the present and future state of climate change.

unknown distant places with authentic “man power.”

next to a wall built by the Incas, precisely to the right of the

In December, John H. Ballard, Jr. ’63 sponsored tickets for Browning seniors Josh Burgess ’10 and Patrick Collins ’10 to

1960s

attend Jackie Ryan’s jazz performance at Birdland, a jazz venue in New York City.

Robert J. Dalva ’60 recently wrote to us, “I have a film that I edited coming out in late April, early May. It is called Touching

In January, Linton Wells, II, Ph.D. ’63 was named a

Home and stars Ed Harris, Robert Forster, Brad Dourif, and

contributing columnist to SIGNAL, the only international

twins Logan and Noah Miller who also directed the film.

news magazine serving the critical information needs of

Check it out. It is based on a true story. It will have a limited

government, military and industry decision makers active in

distribution.”

the fields of information security, intelligence, research and development, electronics, and homeland security. In March,

Gonzalo Mariategui ’61 wrote to us about his recent travels in Cuzco, Peru:

Mother Nature’s wrath, titled, “Disaster Relief 2.0.”

There are many wonders to be seen in Cuzco such as Machu Picchu—the last citadel of the Incas lost during centuries and refound by American archeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911. Susan Sarandon, the famous Hollywood actress, recently visted Cuzco, Machu Picchu, and the Valle Sagrado de los Incas (the Sacred Valley of the Incas) and has promised to return. Bill Gates went to Cuzco a

Jamie Dimon ’74 and Jeff Sado ’76 at a Central Park Conservancy press conference in the fall.

Dr. Wells wrote an article on how technology can overcome

R. Thomas Herman ’64 reports that Louis V. Spielman, M.D. ’64, died in March.

Louis was a true gentleman—and also one of the wittiest and most brilliant people I have ever known. At Browning, he was never too busy to help a friend with a

Shawn Cherry ’75 and Headmaster Clement in the lobby of Browning in November.

L to R: Reja Sabet ’82, Sharif Tanamli ’87, and Jon Cohn ’01 at Odeon Capital’s Holiday Party on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

ALUMNI thorny homework assignment, to share a funny story, or to recommend a novel that had inspired him. Some of my Browning friends excelled in English and the arts.

Others were gifted in math and science. Louis was a star in every subject, and he made everything look simple.

I gained special admiration for him during Forms V and VI, when we served together as co-editors-in-chief of The Grytte. He was not only a great writer but also unflappable and cool in the best sense of the word. Our headmaster, Charles W. Cook ’38, often said Louis Spielman was one of the most gifted students he had ever encountered in his long tenure at Browning.

Marilyn and I visited Louis at his home in Hawaii in late 2004. Even though he was suffering from severe back pain, he graciously showed us around his home, and we had a delightful evening with him at a local restaurant with a breathtaking view. He later sent us a package of Kona coffee beans that came from his farm. Please join us in sending our deepest sympathies to his brothers— Stuart H. Spielman, M.D. ’60 and Scott R. Spielman, M.D. ’65, both Browning alumni—and to his sister Sara.

Arizona. We now have our first grandchild, Lillian Morgan Scott. My wife can't wait to get back and catch up on her grandparenting duties. All is well and I would be happy to hear from any classmates. Anyone headed to Maine on a vacation should get in touch for a few pointers on the better sights and lobster pounds.”

1970s In December, Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr. ’70 accepted an award honoring the New York Times for distinguished journalism in public health from the Center for Health Communication of the Harvard School of Public Health. The Times was specifically recognized for a series of articles published on the subject of driving while distracted.

Bloomberg’s multimedia group CEO Andrew Lack ’64 spoke at the Software and Information Industry Association’s

Robert M. Lightfoot ’71 reports that he is a field supervisor for National Oilwell Varco, drilling for oil in the Barnett Shale. He

Industry Summit in New York in January.

is looking forward to his class’s 40th reunion and would love In February, Former Democratic National Convention

to hear from classmates. He lives in Midlothian, Texas.

Chairman Howard B. Dean, III, M.D. ’66 participated in a debate at the University of Colorado against Karl Rove, former senior adviser and chief of staff for President George W. Bush. The two main topics of debate were health care and

Richard E. Fisher ’72 recently wrote to us: “With Jaime Carey ’72 in the U.S. on a business trip, several of us are planning to get together with him in Charleston, SC, the weekend of May 22 and 23. If you'd like to join us, contact me at ref@wyndmill.com

foreign affairs.

or 336-275-2922.”

Lawrence L. Scott ’68 recently wrote to us: “My wife and I retired four years ago and moved to Bath, ME. We spend our summers in Maine and are currently wintering in

Nic Perkin ’89 (second from right) with friends at the Superbowl.

Matthew E. Eliott ’73 recently wrote to us: I am still a horse veterinarian in North Salem, NY, where my wife and I run RiverHorse Farm, a horse

L to R: Nelson Chan ’96, Jonathan D'Agostino ’99, Andrew Ponzo ’98, Stuart Orenstein ’00, Jon Cohn ’01, Sasha Forostenko ’98, Mike Afshar ’98, and Peter Cohen ’99 at Odeon Capital Group’s Holiday Party on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

ALUMNI boarding facility. I also spend what my wife says is ‘too much’ time competing my two event horses! Life magically takes on a different perspective every time I put my foot in the stirrup, swing my leg over the saddle, and take up the reins. My horse, Caffrey, is a very fun horse that makes me smile every morning as I walk into the barn. He has quite a personality including a bit of a naughty pony streak every now and again. And yet, as we gallop out of the start box onto the mile and a half cross country course, he is there to get me safely over the 25 jumps, ditches, and banks! Equine veterinary medicine has been a wonderful career. If any Browning students are interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine, please get in touch. Browning was a wonderful part of my life. Of course at the time, I had no idea just how much of an impact it would make on my life. As a young boy, I didn't realize that Browning was shaping my perspectives on education, life, and a forever interest in learning. What better gift can be given to a young boy than the desire to continue learning about the wonders of life!

In November, Mayor Bloomberg and JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon ’74 announced a $1 million donation from Chase to the Central Park Conservancy to restore and replant areas of Central Park devastated by an unusually severe storm in August. Additionally, in December, Mr. Dimon was named Banker of the Year by American Banker, a publication that provides information, news, and analysis of the banking

educational psychology with a specialization in gifted and talented education at the University of Connecticut, where he is also working as a research assistant for UCONN’s Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development.

William C. Allen ’77 is the owner of the William C. Allen Insurance Agency in Kew Gardens, NY. He lives with his wife, Chris, and two sons, Will, 9, and James, 6, in Manhasset and Montauk.

G. Wilcox Snellings ’77 recently wrote to us: “We've lived in our new home in Costa Rica now for nearly 18 months and are very happy. Both our kids are in college and doing well.

Business is fine despite the broad economy. I began a blog back in December which you can access at wilsnellings.blogspot.com.

I write on topics revolving around the big theme of how we respond to and initiate change in our lives. Please check in and add your thoughts.”

Christopher F. Cannon ’79’s newest restaurant venture located on Central Park South, Marea, was named to the New York Times’ “Fabulous Freshmen of ’09” restaurant list. The Times called Marea “the latest gem in the crown of restaurateur Chris Cannon and his talented partner-chef, Michael White, representing the marine treats of a nation that is almost Italy, almost the United States.”

industry. In February, Mr. Dimon was one of a handful of top

Hans Henderson ’79 recently wrote to us, “I am living in

business executives invited to lunch at the White House with

Bangkok, divorced, raising two young children, working as an

President Obama.

Internet technology and marketing consultant. Any old friends

Shawn R. Cherry ’75 visited Browning in November. Mr. Cherry is currently enrolled in a three-year Ph.D. program in

Weston Almond ’89 with his daughter, Cate, who was born on March 4, 2010.

or Browning alumni planning to visit Thailand are welcome to contact me.”

Ally and Andrew West ’92 at Browning this winter.

Francisco Estrada ’93 (left) is director of workforce strategy for Major League Baseball.

ALUMNI

1980s

It: Profiles of New Orleans Entrepreneurs. Mr. Perkin is co-

MarketWatch Editor-in-Chief David Callaway ’82 was

New Orleans–based finance company providing the world’s

interviewed by finance blog Wall St. Cheat Sheet in November.

first online marketplace for real-time trading of accounts

For the full interview, please visit page 58.

receivable. TRE was recently featured on CNN after the

Nicholas G. Kotsonis ’84 was featured in a NY Daily News article in March. The article refers to Mr. Kotsonis as “the angel

founder and president of the Receivables Exchange (TRE), a

company raised $17 million in financing from Bain Capital, one of the world’s largest private equity groups.

of Park Slope,” for his involvement in coming to the rescue of a local dance company that was ripped off by a travel agency on its way to performing at an arts festival in Scotland.

1990s

Mr. Kotsonis, owner of Slope Health & Fitness in Brooklyn, pledged to donate $10,000 to the dance troupe if the group could first raise $10,000 to fund travel to the Scotland festival on its own. Last week, the group exceeded its $10,000 fund raising goal, and Mr. Kotsonis will soon be delivering on his matching pledge. For the full article, please visit page 61.

Craig A. Mooney ’88 was one of seventeen featured artists in DFN Gallery’s “New Landscapes” exhibition, which took place in New York from December 9 to January 30.

In January, Adeo Ressi ’90 (known as Greg Ressi di Cervia while a student at Browning) was featured on one of the Wall Street Journal’s blogs in an interview titled “The Trouble With Venture, Through Adeo Ressi’s Eyes.”

Francisco J. Estrada ’93 was featured in Prep for Prep’s 2009 annual report for his role in securing internship opportunities with the New York Mets for two fellow Prep for Prep alumni.

Mr. Estrada is director of workforce strategy for Major League Baseball.

Weston M. Almond, III ’89 recently shared the following news with us: “My wife, Pippa, and I just had a baby girl on March 4, Catherine (Cate) Sara Meredith Almond. Our son, Teddy, is very excited to be a big brother. I'm still video producer at Mediabistro where I produce and direct all the video content for the company.”

Seagram M. Villagomez, M.D. ’95 recently wrote to us: “Since the last update I got engaged on November 11, 2009, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Kelly Crotty, M.D., M.P.H. We plan to get married in Daytona Beach, Florida, on October 9, 2010. Also, I was recently the best man at the wedding of Christopher McLeod ’95 and Kimberly Perkins in Nassau, The Bahamas, on February 27,

Nicolas R. Perkin ’89 was one of seventy entrepreneurs

2010. Also in attendance was John Ray ’95.”

featured in a newly-released book titled How They Did

Greg Hewett ’93 (far right) and family.

Browning alumni at Nobu as part of a Ties & Tenderloin event in February. Top row, L to R: Stuart Orenstein ’00, Andrew Ponzo ’98, Andrew Gamache ’97, Eric Lustgarten ’81. Bottom row, L to R: Nelson Chan ’96, Evan Levey ’00, Gene Prentice ’03, and Jon Cohn ’01.

ALUMNI John P. Moran, III '97 was recently recognized by Tishman

Reja Sabet ’82, Evan Schwartzberg ’98, Sharif Tanamli ’87, and

Speyer in the New York Times as well as by Brookfield Properties

Nick Versandi ’01.

in the New York Post. Mr. Moran is a director at Newmark Knight Frank in Manhattan. He also recently had dinner with Browning classmates Paul Boisi ’97 and J. Patrick Murtaugh ’97.

2000s

Graham A. Bahler ’98 is an associate director at SMG United, a global advertising agency. He still keeps in touch regularly with his classmates, including Sasha Forostenko ’98, Mike Afshar ’98, Cris Cravetz ’98, Andrew Ponzo ’98, and

Bryan P. Boisi ’00 recently joined Cassidy Turley as an associate.

He is focusing on tenant and landlord representation and can be reached at bryan.boisi@cassidyturley.com.

Paul Reyes ’98, as well as many other upstanding Browning

In November, Francesco Civetta ’00 was mentioned on Page

gentlemen.

Six of the New York Post for his appearance in Julian Lennon’s

Brett C. Model ’98 recently wrote to us: “After living and working in Beijing for six years, I moved to Macau in 2007. I am

video version of “Lucy in the Sky,” filmed in New York to raise money for the Lupus Foundation.

currently working for Wynn Macau in the Table Games, Casino

Jonathan A. Cohn ’01 and Stuart A. Orenstein ’00 have started

Operations Division. The casino business in China is fast paced,

a Browning alumni social club called Ties & Tenderloin:

exhilarating and full of surprises. I am loving Asia and spend most of my spare time travelling the region and have now logged 23 countries into my passport. If any students or faculty need advice on living, travelling, or working in Asia, I would happily share my experiences with them.”

Andrew Ponzo ’98 and Evan Schwartzberg ’98 hosted a number of Browning alumni at their firm Odeon Capital Group’s holiday party in December. The party was held on the

The purpose of Ties & Tenderloin is to facilitate cordial socialization amongst Browning School alumni in a setting that nourishes entertainment and discourse, thereby strengthening good fellowship amongst Browning gentlemen. All Browning School alumni are graciously invited to attend the club’s events, with a monthly dinner to be held on the third Wednesday of every month. The events are held at a variety of venues with an emphasis placed on the attendance and support of Browning alumni in their social, professional, and philanthropical pursuits.

trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Browning alumni

For information about Ties & Tenderloin please contact

in attendance included: Mike Afshar ’98, Nelson Chan ’96,

Stuart at sorenstein@tiesandtenderloin.com and Jon at

Peter Cohen ’99, Jon Cohn ’01, Jonathan D'Agostino ’99,

jcohn@tiesandtenderloin.com.

Sasha Forostenko ’98, Stuart Orenstein ’00, Andrew Ponzo ’98,

Ross Thompson ’04 and Michael Elliott ’04 back at Browning for sloppy joes in January.

Nurse Linehan and Jesse Steel ’05 at Browning this winter.

Haakon Gresdal-Lenzi ’06 is studying ceramics at Alfred University.

ALUMNI Zachary A. Goldfarb ’01 wrote an article in December for

Steven Guzman ’04 works as a legal assistant at the law firm

the Princeton Alumni Weekly titled “After the Crash,” which

Goodman and Jacobs LLP in New York.

provides an in-depth look at the decline of Princeton University’s endowment.

Andrew B. Sandberg ’01 is still a producer of HAIR on Broadway (www.hairbroadway.com), which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary and introduced an all-new cast featuring “American Idol” contestants Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo. This Tony Award–winning production launched a second company in London on April 1, featuring the original Broadway cast. A U.S. national tour will launch in the fall. Andy’s upcoming projects include: The Last Smoker in America (www.lastsmoker.com), a new musical comedy premiering in Columbus, OH, in October before

Edward R. Maharam ’04 is one of 43 members of Florida International University’s Herbert Werthein College of Medicine’s inaugural class.

Ross C. Thompson ’04 is director of international travel and student security at Investigative Management Group (IMG), based in New York. In February, IMG hosted a cocktail reception at the Core Club with Beth Holloway, Natalee Holloway’s mother, who spoke about the importance of student travel safety and security. Ross was recently featured in Quest magazine in an article focusing on travel safety titled, “Abroad, but Aware.”

coming to New York as part of the 2010–2011 season; A Perfect Future, a new play expected to premiere in New York this fall; and Paradise Found, a new musical conceived and directed by Hal Prince, making its debut at the Menier Chocolate Factory in May and June. If you are interested in learning more about any of these projects or would like to inquire about opportunities to get involved, Andy can be reached at andy@andysandberg.com.

Jeremy Stewart ’02 is engaged to be married in July 2010.

He currently lives in San Jose, CA, where he works as a finance specialist at Intel Corp.

Alexander B. Berardi ’05 is a fashion designer based in New York. He held a runway show for his line, Alexander Berardi, during New York Fashion Week at the Altman Building on February 12, where he presented his 2010 fall collection. For more information, please visit www.houseofberardi.com.

Paris A. Ionescu ’05 attends the European Graduate School in New York, where he is a candidate for an M.A. program in media and philosophy. He is also working at PaceWildenstein, an art gallery located in Chelsea. He runs an art social networking site called selfportrait.net.

In March, Samora L. Legros ’03 presented testimony at the court chambers of New York City Hall to prevent the MTA from discontinuing student metro cards.

Jesse Steel ’05 visited Browning in December. He spent time catching up with Nurse Linehan and Headmaster Clement.

Jesse attended Browning for five years, leaving in Middle

A Ties & Tenderloin alumni event at HAIR in March. L to R: Ian Edwards, Andrew Ponzo ’98, HAIR producer Andy Sandberg ’01, Jon Cohn ’01, Nick Versandi ’01, Andy Madden ’96, and Nelson Chan ’96.

In December, Tab McEntyre ’09 spoke to Mr. Pelz’s college guidance class about his experience in the U.S. Air Force Academy.

ALUMNI School. He currently lives in Phoenix, AZ, where he attended

freshman year, Pierre worked for a publishing company in

the Golf Academy of America.

New York and during the summer of his sophomore year, he

Benjamin P. D’Innocenzo ’06 is a senior at Hobart and will graduate this year. This fall he worked as a marketing intern for the Rochester Business Journal and this winter he interned

studied acting at the Stella Adler Conservatory. Pierre traveled to China for three weeks in September, and to Prague and Florence for his winter break. He sends good wishes to his classmates and the faculty at Browning.

with Merrill Lynch.

Haakon Gresdal-Lenzi ’06 visited Browning in January.

He graduates from Alfred University in May. His father’s restaurant on New York’s Upper West Side, Haakon’s Hall, is named after him. Haakon designed all the TV dinner plates for the restaurant and continues to study ceramics at Alfred.

Michael A. Wilner ’07 visited Browning in January with classmate Pierre Henry ’07 while they were both home in New York on winter vacation from college. Michael is a junior at Claremont McKenna College and spent the past semester studying at the London School of Economics.

During his recent visit to Browning, he gave one of Mr.

Zachary M. Perskin ’09 visited Browning in March while he

Vlahos’s ceramics classes a demonstration on one of the

was on spring break from his freshman year at Syracuse

School’s pottery wheels. For more information, please visit

University.

www.haakonshallny.com.

Matthew J. Marciak ’06 will graduate from Case Western Reserve University in May, with a major in sociology.

Pierre M. Henry ’07 is spending his junior year at Oxford University in England. He has joined the Christ Church Choir and is a member of the English Speaking Union. He completed his first term with First Class Status and the highest grades in his college. He also has been nominated as top essayist. Pierre finished both his freshman and sophomore years on the Dean’s List at the University of Chicago. He was on the Mock Trial Team and completed with honors a third year class at the University of Chicago Law School. During the summer of his

Michael Wilner ’07 and Pierre Henry ’07 in Prague.

Sandy Pelz ’71 and Nick Christy ’09 at Browning in March.

Zack Perskin ’09 and Chef Clark at Browning in March.

ALUMNI

Alumni in the News WALL STREET JOURNAL BLOGS Digits: Technology News and Insights The Trouble With Venture, Through Adeo Ressi’s Eyes

By Pui-Wing Tam January 20, 2010

WSJ: How have you seen those problems manifest themselves?

Ressi: I just ran the numbers and we got a 23% straight bounce-back rate when we mailed VCs for our annual database update recently. With that kind of bounce-back, that means

A

deo Ressi has watched the venture-capital landscape change over the past few years through his Web site,

TheFunded, where entrepreneurs can rate venture capitalists and discuss operational issues. The 37-year-old also runs an incubator-type program dubbed The Founder Institute, which

their email was 100% turned off.

We got another 10% to 15% of responses that were polite messages saying that these people could no longer be reached at their email address.

We’d normally only see a 10% to 15% bounce-back. A lot of people are just leaving the industry.

identifies aspiring and existing

WSJ: Despite these conditions, you

entrepreneurs and puts them through a

launched an incubator-type program, The

four-month curriculum aimed at helping

Founder Institute, in April 2009. Why?

them better grow their start-ups.

Ressi: There’s an obvious liquidity

This blog recently asked Mr. Ressi

crisis, but there’s also a problem with the

about how he’s seen venture capital change.

quality of entrepreneurs. You could argue

WSJ: How healthy does the venture-

that if you had a class of entrepreneurs

capital industry look these days?

creating consistently high-quality

Ressi: I’m very concerned about the

companies, a lot of problems would fix

state of venture capital globally. The most concerning trend is the significant and sustained decline in the amount of money

themselves.

Adeo Ressi ’90 attended Browning from 1984 until his graduation in 1990.

test to identify people with a high

that limited partners (investors) are putting into the asset class—we’re looking at a fall of about a third in investment from the high in the 2007 period till today. That decline won’t be reflected in the investment pace for another three to nine months.

We’re facing a perfect storm in venture capital right now.

It’s a highly opaque industry. But rather than trying to look at best practices, the industry continues to pursue a very closed approach to trying to solve their problems.

So we developed an aptitude and IQ

probability of succeeding as an entrepreneur and then we put them through a difficult four-month curriculum that’s led by seasoned entrepreneurs. We’re currently operating in five cities.

WSJ: Do you plan to expand the Founder Institute?

Ressi: Our vision is to expand the model internationally.

Our goal is to train 1,000 entrepreneurs this year and help launch 500 startups. Comparable incubators might do 50 to 70 startups a year. I

ALUMNI Two blocks down,

A WALK AMONG VANISHED GUIDEPOSTS

at the northeast corner

By Christopher Gray ’68 New York Times: Streetscapes November 19, 2009

of Lexington and 60th, stood a magnificent four-faced clock

I

n the middle of fourth grade, the spring of 1960, my mother

advertising the Lambert

allowed me to walk home from the Browning School at

Brothers jewelry store.

62nd Street and Park Avenue to our apartment house at 56th

Relocated around 1930

and Sutton Place.

from their old store at

While most of my classmates traveled north up Park or Madison Avenues, my west-to-east route sliced through

Christopher Gray ’68 writes a weekly column for the New York Times called Streetscapes.

decades of architectural strata, brownstone next to Art Deco

unformed mind as off the norm, and thus adventurous in the cookie-cutter recipe book of New York real estate. Although I was more interested in “The Twilight Zone” and model railroads than architecture, I observed them steadily over my grade-school years.

The first stop on my rounds was the bright pastel stucco front of the Weyhe bookshop on Lexington just south of 62nd.

Art books had been Erhard Weyhe’s nominal stock in trade since he built the store in 1923, and inside the musty old shop were wooden floors and wooden bins filled with prints by artists like Rockwell Kent and Louis Lozowick, although I did not recognize the names at the time.

Mr. Weyhe was tight with the literary and artistic scene in New York, and the exterior reflected it: The front, designed

by Henry S. Churchill, had intricate ironwork by Kent, checkerboard tiling, and a decorative plaque signed by Henry Varnum Poor.

Mr. Weyhe’s daughter Gertrude Dennis closed the store in 1991 and leased the shop to a bakery. Inexplicably, the family did not try to salvage or even ask the bakery to preserve the iron and tile work.

“I don’t think it would be appropriate for anyone except Weyhe,” Ms. Dennis told me with chilling indifference. The bakery put in what it described as a “very modern, really upscale” shop front, and closed after just a few years. What a waste.

Street, it was a big, bulbous thing, much

next to limestone next to 1950s white brick.

Along my path were four structures, that struck my

Third Avenue and 58th

more robust than the usual two-faced clock, something like the difference between a s’more and a vanilla wafer. It disappeared from its post at some point in the 1970s, and Henry A. Lambert, a grandson of one of the founders, told me in 1989 that it was in storage, but now says it is lost.

At the northwest corner of Third and 58th, I always stopped to stare at a great crowded panel of brightly colored enameled half-spheres on a two-story store annex to the department store Alexander’s at Lexington Avenue. To a youth with a passing interest in the opposite sex, the forms looked like . . . bosoms, the very word a titillation.

The panel perplexed me: It might have been art, specifically Pop Art, but it was an odd place for an artwork, a forgettable building in a leftover location. On the other hand, it didn’t quite seem like signage—there was no logo, legend or other explanation.

Not long before it was torn down, I learned that it was a work not of commerce, but of art, installed as a public gesture

by George Farkas, who owned Alexander’s.

The panel was the creation of Stefan Knapp, a Polish refugee who had survived the Soviet gulag to fly Spitfires for the R.A.F., and then had gone on to become an artist—he also created a huge mural for the Alexander’s in Paramus.

The last stop on this melancholy tour would be the southeast corner of 56th Street and First Avenue, where the Plaza 400 now stands. This gawky faux-swank 40-story

ALUMNI apartment house of 1968 replaced an arresting set of post-Civil

WALL ST. CHEAT SHEET

War tenements. What intrigued me was that they didn’t have

Exclusive Interview: David Callaway, Editor-in-Chief of MarketWatch

the expected individual entrances on First Avenue, but a single garden court entrance facing 56th Street. There was nothing else

By Damien Hoffman November 25, 2009

like that on my journey.

I

n the late ’90s, MarketWatch

Sutton Mews, as the little complex was called, seemed sort

stormed on the scene and

of secret, even though anyone could just walk in. Was it a

quickly became one of the top

public space, or private? In a city of hard edges, where each

financial media outlets on the Web.

block has an unbroken perimeter of walls and fences, it was

Twelve years later, Editor-in-Chief

obviously unusual.

David Callaway is looking to make

The group had been born in 1940 of Depression

MarketWatch a recognized brand

desperation, the work of William E. P. Doelger, heir to the brewery empire of his grandfather. Mr. Doelger rehabbed the tenements, by then in ratty condition, and moved their

David Callaway ’82 attended Browning from 1969 until his graduation in 1982.

When we moved from 56th Street, this little group was still intact, so I was not around when Sutton Mews was flattened and replaced by what is, generously, a gauche monstrosity.

This little clutch of innocence, the mysterious bosoms, the Lambert clock, the Weyhe’s artistic outpost, all these are the bare ruined choirs of my first brushes with the streetscapes of New York. I

I spoke with David about where MarketWatch is headed,

entrances around the back to a common garden made from the old back alley to attract a new generation of tenants.

across the globe.

how they plan to get there, and the role of social media during the process . . .

Damien Hoffman: David, with the internet creating a very competitive landscape, how will you keep MarketWatch on the leading edge of financial journalism?

David: We need to expand our audience. MarketWatch has been around for twelve years now, so our audience in the US is mostly set. Our audience is a hundred million people who own stocks or mutual funds in the US. However, online financial news is only getting a small fraction of that. So, there is a lot of room for growth.

Growing internationally is really where we need to focus.

We need to get our name out there. We have journalists in Europe and Asia. In the Middle East we have somebody, but we still have a very young brand name when compared to the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.

Rupert Murdoch is always fond of saying there is a whole generation of people moving into the middle class who are going to want to consume financial products. I subscribe to that theory and think there's an opportunity for MarketWatch in the next ten years to become more a brand name in Europe and Asia.

Damien: Do you plan to create partnerships with preexisting outlets abroad, or are you building everything from the ground up?

David: About eighteen percent of our total traffic is outside

ALUMNI the U.S. mostly—but not exclusively—in the English-speaking

The traffic figures are still relatively small compared to

countries such as the U.K., Canada, Australia, China, and

overall traffic, but it is becoming a preferred way people access

Germany. During the first ten years of MarketWatch’s existence,

news and stories—certainly a preferred way for advertising. So,

most of those people have been investors or people interested to

we’ve got a huge video commitment with the Wall Street Journal

see what's going on in the US. Likewise, our US readers have

network. Our video team operates with the whole network.

been interested in what we're doing in China because they're

Damien: On a more philosophical level, what is your opinion

interested in buying Chinese Internet stocks or Macau gambling

regarding information online? Some people claim the internet is

stocks. For us to see some scalable growth we need to start

cluttering the world with noise rather than original journalism.

covering stuff for Europeans in Europe and for Asians in Asia.

The way to do that is twofold: One way is through the

David: MarketWatch has about a hundred journalists working for us. We have created original news from the very

News Corp (NWS) network. For example, Dow Jones has a

beginning. So when I hear a newspaper editor saying, “The

global name and we've been able to establish correspondence

only news you see on the Internet comes from newspapers,”

with folks in those outlets fairly easily. Now with News Corp

that’s crazy. A lot of direct publishing is happening on the net.

running the show, doing things with Sky News is a lot easier

Also, we have the same ethics, the same newsroom

for our London team and doing stuff in Asia is a lot easier with

practices and priorities as most of the major newspapers in

the Sydney Morning Herald in Australia.

terms of developing, editing, publishing, and delivering news.

Another way is through partnerships. We can become part of established local media and get our brand name out there.

That's probably a good strategy.

We just do it straight to the Web instead of on paper first. That’s the only difference.

Damien: Dave, thanks for sharing your thoughts about where

Damien: How do you see social media playing a role in that process?

your organization is headed and how you contribute to the financial

David: It's huge and getting bigger by the moment. I don't

media.

know where we're going to be five years from now, but five years ago, MarketWatch was on only AOL, MSN (MSFT), and Yahoo Finance (YHOO). However, now we get a ton of traffic from Google (GOOG) and we’re getting a large and growing traffic from places like Twitter and Facebook. As far as I can see, those platforms are going to continue growing for the time being. People are exchanging news and swapping stories on Twitter and Facebook and we need to be there.

Then there’s video. Back in the dark ages in 2001–2002, we had discussions at MarketWatch about whether we should kill video because it was a small product and it wasn’t making much money. Every year we would have management meetings and the guy who was in charge video would argue, "This is going to be the year video takes off!"

Of course, it never really took off until about 2005. Then YouTube hit. Like it or not, video is a major presence in online storytelling and every news site must be a part of it.

David: Anytime. You guys are making quite a splash.

Keep it up. I

ALUMNI Similar ecosystem failure is occurring in the coniferous

THE EARTH IS CRYING OUT FOR HELP

forests of North America as milder winters and longer

By Thomas Lovejoy ’59, Op-Ed Contributor New York Times December 9, 2009

summers tip the balance in favor of native bark beetles. In the United States, approximately 22 million acres are currently

A

s national

leaders and

others assemble in Copenhagen for the climate change negotiations, the whole subject must seem a mystifying cloud of acronyms, numbers and data.

Thomas Lovejoy ’59 was the 1993 recipient of Browning’s Class of 1938 Alumnus Achievement Award.

But as important as all these are in

crafting an action plan, they completely obscure the fact that the planet works as a biological as well as a physical system.

That biophysical system (the biosphere and atmosphere together) is the key to understanding the urgency of climate change as well as crafting a truly meaningful response.

Everywhere one looks on the planet, nature is on the move in ways never seen before by natural science. Species are changing the timing of their life cycles, and some are already moving and changing where they occur. We are beginning to see a decoupling of tight links in nature in which one element is cued by day length and the other by temperature. With the earlier arrival of spring, for example, snowshoe hares are now no longer camouflaged by their brilliant white winter coats because they are in snowless landscapes—completely obvious to predators.

Of greater consequence, ecosystem failure has begun to take place. Five percent of humanity depends on and lives within 100 meters of tropical coral reefs. A temperature increase causes the reef’s basic partnership between coral animals and algae to break down. With temperature stress, the coral animal ejects the alga and the ecosystem undergoes "bleaching events": The brilliantly colorful reef essentially goes black and white as attendant diversity and productivity crash.

projected to be affected. It is an enormous forest and fire management problem. It is hard to project what the future of these forests will be.

The implications for agricultural ecosystems is equally worrisome. Australia has had to abandon rice as a major export crop because of persistent drought (an early manifestation of climate change). Dwindling glaciers and glacial melt threaten agricultural productivity in many parts of the world. Lester Brown, founder of the Earth Policy Institute, projects considerable difficulty in maintaining current agricultural practice and production in the face of rising global temperatures.

Vast as it may be, the Amazon seems perilously close to a tipping point. For some time a dieback of the forest in the southern and southeastern Amazon has been projected by one of the climate models, first at 2.5 degrees global temperature increase but more recently at 2.0. Recent studies that include the effects of deforestation and fire as well as climate change show the initiation of dieback perilously close—just years away.

Were that to happen, the loss of biodiversity, the carbon added to the atmosphere and the impact on people in the region would be horrific. The good news is that aggressive reforestation could add a safety margin and reduce the imminence of the tipping point.

The oceans, so important to us for seafood, have become 30 percent more acid because of higher concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere. This ultimately will affect all the tens of thousands of marine species that build skeletons or shells of calcium carbonate. Effects are already being noticed at the base of some ocean food chains.

The living planet is signaling very clearly that current greenhouse gas concentrations are already too high.

So the challenge becomes not only to find ways to reduce emissions from deforestation (“REDD”) and other land-use change, but also to identify ways to pull CO2 out of the atmosphere.

ALUMNI Because all living things are built of carbon, restoring ecosystems on a planetary scale can contribute in a meaningful way. Actions that can capture carbon include reforestation, restoring degraded grasslands and grazing lands and managing agriculture to return carbon into the soils.

There is no single reliable number for the carbon capture

PARK SLOPE BIZ OWNER HELPS DANCE TROUPE ‘DANCEWAVE’ FINANCE TRIP TO SCOTLAND FOR ABERDEEN FESTIVAL

By Ben Chapman, Writer New York Daily News March 4, 2010

potential of ecosystem restoration globally, but an ambitious program might reduce planetary CO2 concentrations by as much as 40 parts per million (ppm). That is the difference between current level (roughly 390 ppm) and the 350 ppm that is the upper limit for dangerous interference with ecosystems.

As important as such a reduction would be, it is insufficient.

The chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Rajendra Pachauri, has called for a major effort to suck CO2 out of the atmosphere. A major research effort to examine additional ways to remove CO2 without environmental side effects must be a global priority.

This is generically different than most geoengineering schemes. Most of these only address temperature (the symptom) rather than CO2 (the cause) and hence are not a real fix. Further, the risk of unintended detrimental effects is inherently high because most geoengineering proposals are planetary in scale.

It is clear that the targets and timetables most nations are bringing to the table at Copenhagen are insufficient to safeguard the living planet and the biological underpinnings of sustainability.

Nick Kotsonis ’84 was featured in the New York Daily News in March.

He’s the angel of Park Slope.

A

neighborhood businessman is coming to the rescue of a local dance company that was ripped off on its way to

performing at an arts festival in Scotland.

The amateur teen troupe Dancewave won a slot last October to perform at the prestigious Aberdeen Festival—the only American group invited to perform.

The only wrinkle was the company had to pay its own

The United States, entering late in the game, is proposing a goal that is but a 5.5 percent reduction below 1990 levels. The equivalent number for China is an increase of 253 percent and for India, 229 percent. Brazil’s emissions (without land use change) would increase 15 percent.

They can be a basis for meaningful discussions and initial lines of action, but only in a context that respects this planet for the biosphere it is. I

way to the festival, which runs from July 27 through August 7, and is expected to attract 30,000 people.

Raising that kind of money was a tall order, especially since half of the troupe’s 16 members come from low-income families.

“Most of our kids couldn’t afford to go to Europe without this trip,” said company director Diane Jacobowitz. “It’s an opportunity of a lifetime, and they worked hard for it.”

Thomas Lovejoy holds the Biodiversity Chair at the Heinz Center and heads the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel for the Global Environment Facility.

To raise money for the trip, the scrappy teens—who practice out of PS 77 on Park Place—pooled their baby-sitting cash, held benefit performances and asked friends and family for help.

ALUMNI They were on their way to paying for the journey when a phony travel agent ripped them off for almost $9,000 in January.

“I couldn’t believe anyone could be so heartless,” said dancer Nola Smith, 17. “It was a terrible shock to all of us.”

Police are investigating the case, but the money is still missing.

The dancers’ luck turned around when Nick Kotsonis, the owner of Slope Health and Fitness, read about their troubles in the Daily News.

“When I read the story, I thought it was a great opportunity for these kids,” said Kotsonis, 44, whose family opened the Purity Diner on Seventh Ave. in 1929 and sold it in 1986. “They’re good kids and they deserve this chance.”

The third-generation Park Slope businessman pledged to donate $10,000 to the troupe if it could first raise $10,000 on it own.

Last week, the group exceeded its $10,000 fund-raising goal, and Kotsonis is ready to deliver on his pledge.

He’ll present his check to Dancewave at an open-to-thepublic rehearsal next Wednesday at PS 77.

It’s enough money to guarantee the dancers will make the trip, but the troupe still needs to raise another $20,000 to pay for the journey in full.

To make a donation, visit www.dancewave.org or call 718-522-4696. I

In Memoriam Fay Plohn, Mother of Charles J. Plohn, Jr. ’62

John B. Hardy ’78

Fay Plohn, a benefactor of Italian-

Camille H. Huvelle, M.D. ’34

American humanitarian activities,

Eugenia P. McCrary, Mother of D. Campbell McCrary ’89

a patron of the arts and the widow

McCrary—Eugenia Potts Lester (Howard). Died, January 8,

of the investment banker and

2010. Cherished wife of Dennis and mother of Campbell

securities underwriter Charles

McCrary. Daughter of Admiral and Mrs. John Campbell Lester.

Plohn, passed away on Nov. 27 at

Her nickname while attending Roland Park Country School

her home in Westport. She was 85.

Born Filomena Lucia Suriani

and studying piano at the Peabody Conservatory was “The Brain.” The McCrarys circumnavigated the world many times

on Feb. 19, 1924, in New York City, one of five children of Italian

with a keen interest in India. Eugenia was AB Cum Laude,

immigrant parents, she grew up in The Bronx and graduated

Radcliffe-Harvard, ’50: MA Johns Hopkins; post-graduate

from P.S. 89 and Christopher Columbus High School.

Harvard ’53; studied at Drew University; studied at Institute of

After graduation during World War II, she was among the

USSR, Munich; teacher at Brearley School 1954–57; owner of

first women to work in the trading and operations area of a

School of Languages, Summit, NJ; co-author of Frontiers Aflame;

Wall Street brokerage firm, where she met her future husband.

Chairperson of Van Cortlandt House; active member of

While living in New York City and often traveling to Italy

National Society of Colonial Dames; CDA; Metropolitan Opera

during the 1950s and 1960s, Fay and Charles Plohn developed

National Council; Mayflower Descendants; Directress General

their decades long interest in collecting art, including a highly

Daughters of Holland Dames; daughters of Cincinnati;

important English silver collection, Chinese paper weights, and

Causerie du Lundi; Warden of St. Esprit Church; Huguenot

porcelain and paintings by both established and previously

Society; Board of The Colony Club; Hereditary Order

undiscovered artists.

Descendants of Colonial Governors. Indeed, she was a joiner,

They also developed interest in supporting hospitals,

but of greater importance, she always contributed her time and

universities and Italian-American humanitarian and cultural

efforts in a meaningful manner. Her wit, grace, and warmth

institutions. After the death of her husband in 1984, Fay

will be greatly missed. Memorial service to be held on Tuesday,

concentrated on their tradition of giving of her time and

March 23, 2010, at 3 pm, St. Thomas Church, 53rd and Fifth

resources to various charitable organizations.

Avenue, New York, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Thomas Church Choir School.

–New York Times, March 13, 2010

For almost 40 years, she was a close friend of Msgr. John Patrick Carroll-Abbing, the founder of Boys’ Towns of Italy, and a benefactor, tireless worker and fund raiser for that organization.

She chaired fashion and gala events for Boys’ Towns and

Commander John Foster Place ’39

Girls’ Towns at the Waldorf-Astoria while living in New York City.

After the Plohns moved to Connecticut in the early 1970s, she hosted an annual Le Masquerade Mardi Gras celebration on behalf of Boys’ Towns at the Longshore Inn in Westport.

Locally she was also active in the Italian Community Center of Bridgeport and was named an honorary chairlady of its Ladies Guild.

Louis V. Spielman, M.D. ’64 March 16, 2010 Louis Victor Spielman, 62, of Honaunau, Hawaii, died March 16 at his residence. Born May 22, 1947, in New York City, he was a former anesthesiologist at Kona Community Hospital, and previously practiced in Bethel, Alaska, as a doctor for the U.S.

Fay was also a very active supporter of the arts. Some of the most important paintings of her personal collection were on loan for several years at the Vatican Embassy in Rome through the U.S. Department of State Art in Embassies Program.

She also established the Charles Plohn Art Gallery and Charles Plohn Art Scholarships in memory of her late husband at Sacred Heart University in Bridgeport.

In 1983, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Sacred

Public Health Service. For the past 15 years he resided on his coffee farm in South Kona. Private services are to be held.

Memorial donations in his name may be made to West Hawaii Humane Society or Hospice of Kona. He is survived by brothers Stuart (Annabel) Spielman of Kauai, and Scott (Ruth) Spielman of Pennsylvania; sister Sara (Charles) Augenbraun of Connecticut; numerous nieces and nephews. Arrangements are being handled by Cremation Services of West Hawaii.

Heart University, its Board of Trustees recognized her as one of 20 leaders from southwestern Connecticut who “represent in their lives and in their career the values of the University.”

In 1989, “in recognition of her humanitarian and philanthropic acts” as a woman who “has given generously to others through her lifetime,” Sacred Heart University awarded her an honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts.

Mrs. Plohn is survived by her siblings William Suriani, Frank Suriani and Rosemary Suriani Peroni of The Bronx; her son, Charles Plohn, Jr. of Princeton, NJ, and daughter, Carol Sophie Plohn of Westport; her granddaughter, Chandler Fay Plohn Dektas of Cincinnati, Ohio, and grandson, Charles Raymond Plohn of Princeton; her great-grandchildren, Michael Christopher Dektas III and Lily Dorothy Fay Dektas of Cincinnati; and numerous nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grand-nephews.

Harding Funeral Home, 210 Post Road East, was in charge of the arrangements.

Contributions in her memory can be made to Boys’ Towns of Italy, Inc., 250 East 63rd St., New York, NY 10065.

—WestportNow.com, December 2, 2009

—The Garden Island, Thursday, March 18, 2010

aterina Lanfranco, Lee Heekin, and I are proud to present Art Show 2010. We were very pleased with the hard work that our students put into this year’s show. Every day we walk a fine line between giving the boys enough information and technical instruction to express their vision and providing too much guidance.

K

Throughout the art show, the works demonstrated students’ unique artistic achievements. Projects like the Third Grade abstract compositions, Fourth Grade sarcophagi, Form V self portraits, and Sixth Grade masks have clear guidelines and expectations while remaining open enough to allow for individual expression.

In following such a path, students learn that art is more than the finished product. Creating and seeing art as a process rather than simply a product spurs students to think more abstractly about how and what they are making. On this path they learn that frustration is a natural response to obstacles, but they also come to find in themselves the confidence and maturity to overcome the challenges that art puts forth.

I hope that you will take the opportunity to engage your son and question him about his individual artistic journeys.

Ask him about the decisions he made in producing the work he brings home. Why did he position the mouth in such a way? What does this color choice mean? How did he put together those images or shapes?You will be surprised—and impressed—by the conversation that opens.

Our students come in and work hard every day not only because they love art but because they know their teachers, peers, friends, and family value art.

—NikolaosVlahos, Chair, Art Department