Winter 2008
Brunswick Blue Notes Serve a Smรถrgรฅsbord of Swing Carl Bernstein Raps Celebrity News The Paternina Boys: From New York to Pamplona in 3 Steps The Octopus of Maher Ave.
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Brunswick School 100 Maher Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830 Tel: 203.625.5800 www.BrunswickSchool.org
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Headmaster Thomas W. Philip Director of Advancement Terry M. Gumz Editor-in-Chief Bonni Brodnick bbrodnick@BrunswickSchool.org Class Notes Editor Catherine Scott cscott@BrunswickSchool.org Sports Editor Diana Samponaro dsamponaro@BrunswickSchool.org Contributors Anne Adler, Ali Al-Maqtari, Rhonda Bonom, Diane Briggs, Krista Bruce, Libby Edwards, Terry Gumz, Billy LeVasseur, Hector Marban, Herberth Melgar, Joan Michie, Tom Murray, Amy Ostrye, Catherine Scott, Paul Withstandley Contributing Writers Chris Antonacci ’08, Chiquita Battle, William Cunningham ’16, Elizabeth Fernandez, Connor Fitzpatrick ’09, Henry Harris ’16, Michael Marx ’10, Scott Matthews ’09, Guy Cameron Pratt, Braxton Reynolds ’19, Nelson Vargas ’16
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Cover Photo ChiChi Ubiña Contributing Photographers Cindy Biondi, Diane Briggs, Dan Burns, ChiChi Ubiña, Chi VanLang Designer Good Design LLC www.gooddesignsusa.com
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Printing Villanti & Sons, Printers, Inc. Milton, Vermont Brunswick School, founded in 1902, is an independent college-preparatory day school for 893 boys in grades Pre K through 12. The Upper School grades 9 through 12 has a coordinate program with Greenwich Academy, a neighboring girls’ school. In a community of challenging academics; comprehensive arts, drama and music programs; and 33 varsity and sub-varsity sports teams, time for Brunswick School students is also reserved for both reflection and service to others. We believe in the potential of boys and have successfully developed an educational experience that emphasizes rigorous traditional learning, self-discipline, and character development. The School’s motto, “Courage, Honor, Truth,” is a phrase familiar to students who have graced our halls and one that is followed in both word and deed. For more information, please contact Jeffry Harris, Admissions Director, at 203.625.5800 or go to BrunswickSchool.org.
Board
of
Trustees 2007–2008
Garrett M. Moran, Chairman Richard A. Baker ’84 W. Preston Baldwin III Michael P. Castine Leslie A. Dahl B. Cort Delany ’73 Matthew S. DeSalvo William A. Durkin III ’72 Anne B. Farrell Richard M. Fuscone Joseph D. Gatto
Colvin W. Grannum Jeffrey R. Holzschuh Alain Lebec James B. Lee David B. MacFarlane Lisa G. Matthews Ian C. Murray ’93 Shepherd P. Murray ’89 Thomas D. O’Malley, Jr. ’85 Charles Paternina Peer T. Pedersen, Jr. Clifton S. Robbins
William A. Schneider ’72 Henry F. Skelsey Mark J. Vallely ’75 J. Edward Virtue Peter A. Weinberg Simon J. Williams Tracy R. Wolstencroft Brunswick Parents’ Association Terri DeSalvo, President
Contents
Features 4
Departments
By Scott Matthews ’09
Brunswick Blue Notes Serve a Smörgåsbord of Swing
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The Man and His Bike
2 Message from the
Headmaster:
“The ‘Commitment’ of Our Morning Greeters”
By Bonni Brodnick
3 Letters to the Editor
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26 On the Front
By Guy Cameron Pratt
29 ’Wick Snippets
Tropical Marine Biology in Belize
30 Let the Fundance Begin! 31 Shane Kirsch’s New CD:
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“The Fuzzy Flow”
Class of 2005 Lecture Series Guest: Reporter Carl Bernstein Raps Celebrity News
32 Jimmy Romanello Saves
a Piece of ’Wick History
33 Everything Was So Trivia! 34 ’Wick Admission Application, 1953 35 “Let’s Hear It For the Boys!”
By Chris Antonacci ’08 & Michael Marx ’10
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Courage, Honor, Truth and Vision By Chiquita Battle
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Soup’s On at Brunswick By Bonni Brodnick
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From New York to Pamplona in 3 Steps By Maria Isabel Solana
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Brunswick Lower School Acts of “Courage”
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The Octopus of Maher Ave. By Connor Fitzpactrick ’09
36 Sports Round-up
By Diana Samponaro
42 Beyond the Classroom 46 Alumni
46 “What’s the Difference Between
Annual Giving vs. Capital Campaign”
47 Phonathon 2007 49 7th Annual Golf Outing 51 The 2007 Distinguished Alumni
Award
52 Homecoming 2007 61 The Robert L. Cosby Society 62 Class Notes & In Memoriam
Compiled by Cat Scott
Erratum
Apologies to David Thomson ’43. In his story, “Brunswick Athletics Gain Progress & Prowess 60 Years Hence” (summer 2007 issue), a sentence in the last paragraph should have stated that Milo Berking ’43 “…tackled with the ferocity of an NFL cornerback.”
Winter 2008
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Message from the Headmaster “The ‘Commitment’ of Our Morning Greeters”
Times of Brunswick
It was a day starting with a ray of sunshine when Robert L. Cosby, our beloved teacher, mentor and coach, shook boys’ hands as they arrived at school and offered his famous “Greetings!” Since his passing in February 2004, Brunswick Upper School students have adopted this wonderful and welcoming tradition by serving as morning greeters to our Pre and Lower School boys.
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Since the opening of the Macfarlane Lower School at King Street and the move of our Pre School to Maple Avenue, we have expanded and formalized the commitment of our oldest boys to our youngest. The key word here is “commitment” as our greeters’ concept was an idea the boys came up with themselves to help ease the sorrow after Mr. Cosby’s passing and the void left by our communal loss. What is most special to me when I see the greeters every morning is the significance of their “commitment.” Specifically, as we all no doubt remember from our own adolescence, there are few things high school students (and most especially boys) value more than their sleep. Getting up at any morning hour often proves to be a struggle and getting up extra-early is a fate to be avoided at all costs. In fact, this phenomenon continues through the college years when many an undergraduate has been known to literally structure an entire course-load around the sole criterion of how early in the day the classes are scheduled to meet. This “commitment” of our Upper School boys to the Lower School students means that, on a rotating basis, a group of three Seniors wake up at least one hour early and travel out to King Street to greet Lower Schoolers from about 7:15 – 8:15 a.m. After shaking the young boys’ hands as they are dropped off, the upper classmen head to Maher Avenue for their first class period. For our Juniors, (who now greet our Pre Schoolers) the job, while just as important, is somewhat easier. Although they must arrive at school 45 minutes early, they are at least close by and can easily walk up the hill from the Upper School to fulfill their Pre K duty prior to first period.
More than anything, “commitment” is the glory of this whole enterprise. Although I have heard all sorts of speculation as to how we get our oldest boys to serve as greeters—I am not making it up when I share with you that theories abound, including that the boys are secretly serving detention or even that they are being paid—I am proud to say that the truth is far more simple and much more honorable: Our boys volunteer to be greeters. In fact, the vast majority of our Seniors and Juniors signed up for a greeter “commitment” at the start of the school year before they signed up for virtually any other community service opportunity we offer. Even more telling … unlike many other service opportunities, being a greeter offers no formal recognition: it doesn’t get reflected on the transcript, and it isn’t something colleges will ever likely learn about or, I dare say, understand. Just think about it—150 or so Senior and Junior high school boys at Brunswick School volunteer to wake up early to shake the hands of Pre and Lower School children whom they, for the most part, don’t even know. In so doing, by continuing Mr. Cosby’s tradition, the students spread a message of respect, community and, most importantly, of “commitment” for which we, as a School, have stood and will stand for . . . always.
Letters Letters Letters Letters Letters Letters Letters
To the editor… 07 issue, ick (summer 20 ouffier w ns ru B of es im T out Jacques B The story in s to Paris”) ab r English teacher, oe G er ffi ou B “Mr. at ou of the fact th a bow tie. My classmate e reminded me or w ord and 1–1954), also emulate Mr. Sw Mr. Sword, (195 to d de ci de I d an th n t at our Barton S. Bolto nd-tied bow ties, too. I doub ha started wearing ed with our grades though! lp r graduwearing them he wear bow ties at Yale and afte tating ro I continued to especially practical when near things. e ation. They wer engineer, I had to observe such an machinery! As Regards, Dick Jenner ’54 (Sweden), e here in Ulvön gu vo in t no e P.S. Bow ties ar em anymore. DJ th so I don’t wear
Congratulations on an oth Times of Brunswick. So we er beautiful issue of ll done. And of course, I was so glad to see the wond erful spread on Fundance. Thank you so much. Best, Darrell Lorentzen Current Brunswick Parent
I recently c thrilled to ame home from a gre find Times of Brunswic at summer and was summer is k waiting fo sue looks fanta rm great to see what every stic! Congratulation e. The reading ab one is up to s! It was ou up in Worc t the crew team’s se and I really enjoyed e a they won N ster back in May che son. I was actually ering them ew Englan correction.. d’s. Just wa on when n . Brunswick the third boat won th ted to make a little e fi h NEIRA me istory and the first tea rst NEIRA gold in m medal, b dal was actu ut in the single a s event in 2 lly won when I receive the first I look d bronze 006 and qu fo a Brunswick rward to hearing a lified for nationals. ro b Times of Bru wing season and read out another great ing the nex nswick. t issue of Go ’Wick! Zach Ruchm a
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of friends from the classes It was great to see old of ue iss 07 20 ” of the summer 1966–69 on “Class Notes of did can a ). The photo is Times of Brunswick (page 86 s uin Br 6. –6 mbers of 1965 the student government me right): Harold Webber, ft to in the photo include (le omb, Ronnie Br uninghaus, wc Reggie Pierce, Mark Ne eg Smith (crouching), Larry Peter Oler, Wally Burke, Gr lberg, Terry Auch, Tom ck So Russell, Dave Whitin, Di and Hank Johnson. Michaels, Andy Wallach, 67 ion for a Class of 19 As a part of preparat d ite vis tly en Book, I rec 40th Anniversary Reunion s ge an ch e Th e in a decade. Br unswick for the first tim rke Bu old e astounding. Th in the physical plant are a oved in preparation for rem Gymnasium has been a is ld fie ll tba ter; the old foo new performing arts cen y em ad Ac ch ion of Greenwi parking lot; and the integrat students is a healthy sign ick students with the Br unsw ol. ho Sc of the progress at the y faculty from the 1960s, an r ge While there is no lon d to mber of current staff an it was great to meet a nu swick. get reacquainted with Brun Sincerely, Gene Hornsby ’67 Winter 2008
We welcome your comments and letters to the editor. Please contact bbrodnick@brunswickschool.org.
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Times of Brunswick
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The Blue Notes in the Upper School courtyard
Brunswick Blue Notes Serve a Smörgåsbord of Swing By Scott Matthews ’09
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Hans Christian Andersen monument in Copenhagen, Denmark
Brunswick School jazz musicians embarked on a special treat last summer: the first International Brunswick Blue Notes Tour. While the ensemble of ’Wick musicians has previously competed in jazz band competitions as far away as Disney World in Orlando, Fla., never has a Brunswick arts group gone abroad. The group played five concerts over eight days in three countries—Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
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Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo, Norway
Winter 2008
“The goal of our tour was for the Blue Notes to perform in three of the major capitals of Scandinavia, increase our world knowledge and education, and experience other cultures,” said Paul Raaen, Brunswick Upper School music director. “Along with our performances, we toured Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm, and visited museums and historical sites in each of these beautiful cities. It was a great trip for both the boys and accompanying chaperones.” What does it entail to move a school jazz band from New York City to Scandinavia and back? Lots of details that took more than a year-and-a-half to organize and plan. The excursion included transportation for 20 musicians (Chris Antonacci, Michael Byrnes, Tom Cassidy, Jonny Duennebier, James FitzPatrick, Phil Gatto, Sam Haig, Preston Han, Peter Hanson, Bill Hock, Peter Kyriakos, Øivind Lorentzen, Ghreg Louis, Chan Mahaney, Chris Mahaney, Scott Matthews, Nihkil Mehra, Colin O’Connell, Kevin Santacruz, and Turner Smith) and four chaperones (Paul Raaen, Brunswick Upper School music
director; Beth Raaen, Greenwich Academy head of performing arts; Rick Beattie, Brunswick Upper School history teacher and associate director of college guidance; and Margot Beattie, director of records and scheduling and associate director of college guidance). There were four trumpets, one baritone sax, three tenor saxes, four alto saxes, one clarinet, one trombone, a full drum set, one bass guitar, and one regular guitar. Total net weight: 160 lbs. (Not including adapters, amplifiers, electrical cords, music stands, adding another 120 lbs. and not including 24 suitcases and backpacks, adding another 500 lbs.) Total approximate weight from the U.S. to Scandinavia: 800 lbs.
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Brunswick Blue Notes Serve a Smörgåsbord of Swing
Times of Brunswick
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Final concert at Santa Clara Church in Stockholm, Sweden
Some of the highlights of our amazing trip include sightseeing tours of Copenhagen and Amalienborg Palace, winter home of the Danish royal family, and Langelinje Harbor, home of the Little Mermaid statue, a popular tourist attraction since 1913. Our concert was in Tivoli Gardens, which originally opened in 1843 and is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world. Today, the park has about 25 rides and features the Tivoli Big Band, one of the finest in Denmark. We were escorted through a back entrance and issued passes to get into the famous band shell, which is generally reserved for professionals. As the Blue Notes began to play, an audience quickly gathered. Although there wasn’t a huge audience directly in front of the stage, the open-air cafés were packed with people listening from a distance. We also went to the ferry port Dampfærgevej 30 to board the ship Pearl of Scandinavia, which turned out to be a 12deck cruise liner that far surpassed the expectations of every Blue Note and our chaperones In Oslo, we saw Akershus Fortress, the Royal Palace, Frogner Park, Holmenkollen Ski Jump, and fjords around the city. One of our busiest days was performing at Foss Videregaende Skole, a local high school that specializes in music. Over half of their students play instruments or take music courses. More than 100 people attended our concert, which was capped off by graduate Chris Mahaney’s “Farewell to the Blue Notes” solo, where he stood on two empty chairs in the first row of the audience. After the concert, we headed over to the waterfront where we played at a Maritime Center reception hosted by the Lorentzen family. This would be our longest concert; we played two 45-minute sessions featuring all of our songs and many different soloists. A Blue Notes Jazz quartet interlude and a surprise jazz pianist who attended the reception broke
up the concert. We’d like to give many thanks to the Lorentzen family for hosting the very nice post-performance dinner. In Stockholm, our guided sightseeing tour included a visit to the Royal Palace and Parliament, the “old town,” the Vasa Chip Museum, and city hall, home to the Nobel Prize festivities. Our farewell concert was at the Santa Clara Church. Although it was an incredible venue in which to perform, the 16th-century architect clearly didn’t think ahead to 21st-century acoustics. While the hour-long concert was fun, we couldn’t get used to the full five-second reverberation from the start of a note until it became inaudible. Despite the “dampered” sound, the concert was a hit and included all of our best pieces for about 80 locals, and even some of our parents and friends! “In our tour of Scandinavia we experienced many accomplishments on many levels,” said trumpet player Tom Cassidy ’09. “We bonded as friends and musicians, we immersed ourselves in and learned about another culture, and we had, in a sense, a self-realization of what (as a band) we are capable of accomplishing.” The Blue Notes would like to thank the many people who made our Scandinavia trip go so smoothly: chaperones Mr. and Mrs. Beattie graciously agreed to come along and help us in any way possible. Mrs. Raaen recorded all of our concerts. Our courier Kari Moss Wright led us flawlessly through northern Europe and continued to entertain us all throughout the trip. Finally, the Blue Notes would like to thank our music directors Mr. Raaen and Mr. Kirsch for all of their help in preparing us for our 10-day tour. In the end, the trip provided a way for us to share our music with people nearly halfway around the world, and to also get to know one another on a more personal level. We all were really proud to be the first Brunswick School group to ever go abroad to play music and hope that we’ve started a new Brunswick Arts tradition. r
Checklist for the Blue Notes tour Transport Instruments (including drum set and amplifiers) • 4 Trumpets • 1 Baritone Sax • 3 Tenor Saxes • 4 Alto Saxes • 1 Clarinet • 1 Trombone • Full Drum Set • Bass guitar • Guitar Net weight = 160 lbs
Peter Kyriakos and Michael Byrnes with a Norwegian troll at the famous Holmenkollen Ski Jump in Oslo, Norway.
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Transport Support Gear • Adapters • Amplifiers • Cords, cords and more cords • Music Stands Net weight = 120 lbs 24 Suitcases and Backpacks Net weight = 500 lbs
Approximate total weight = 800 lbs The Blue Notes Live in Scandinavia, a jivey CD for jazz aficionados, is available through the Upper School music department.
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The Blue Notes in full concert dress and well rehearsed for their 2007–2008 concert season back home in Greenwich
Winter 2008
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Performing at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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The Man and His
Times of Brunswick
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He’s a Juilliard-trained musician. He’s also an avid
bike racer. At the end of every spring semester, it’s all uphill for Joey Bracchitta, Middle School music teacher, as he dons his bike gear and pedals to the finish line (often high above the clouds). Mr. B, the affectionate moniker bestowed by his students, first learned to ride a bike at 7. At 10, he liked long-distance rides, and at 13, he was taking 70-mile rides. As a grownup, he now competes in a series of challenging bike races that are all hillclimbs. Using a modified bike frame that weighs only 16 pounds of aluminum tubes, carbon fiber, titanium, and a wheel set that is a mere 1,000 grams, he takes on Whiteface Mountain (New York), Mount Ascutney and Big Equinox (Vermont), Mount Washington (New Hampshire), and Mount Greylock (the highest peak in Massachusetts).
Bike
By Bonni Brodnick
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Teaching the beat to Middle School music students
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Pedalling in rhythm and racing to the peak
Winter 2008
“There are a few things I particularly like about hillclimbs, which are basically short distance paved roads that are very steep,” said Mr. B. “#1: Most bike races are done at a frenetic speed, and have to deal with drafting and being in the right positions. Uphill races are not at extreme speed, and you get to see the scenery. #2: You get to race against those in your age bracket. #3: You race mainly to improve your time, and it’s fun to see it, hopefully, come down. #4: It is often said: The mountains will produce the truth.” Of all the climbs, Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb is the toughest to tackle. Mount Washington is the highest peak in New England. It’s not terribly high at 6,288 feet, but weather-wise it can be wacky. Snow can fall at any time of the year. Not a great place to have a bike race! The mountain also gains the most vertical the fastest: 4,727 feet in only 7.6 miles at an average grade of 12 percent, with many sections at 18 percent, and the last 50 yards at a challenging 22.5 percent. The auto road, built in 1860 when President Lincoln was in the White House, was an unprecedented engineering achievement and took eight years to complete. All transport of materials was done by horse, oxen, or on the backs of workers. The road is 65 percent paved, 35 percent hard pack dirt, with 72 killer turns and switchbacks. The longest straight section is only 3/10 of a mile. Every August, 600 riders participate in this seemingly impossible task. “The auto road also hosts a car race, with the winning time of about six minutes. The current bicycle record holder made it in the incredible time of 49:24,” Mr. B continued. “In a car, it’s a white-knuckle adventure. On a bicycle, it’s a journey like none other. The captivating views of the Presidential Range, the White Mountain National Forest and beyond are remarkable.” “Riding your bike down the mountain isn’t permitted. It’s so steep that if you put on your brakes, the bike would flip over,” said Mr. Bracchitta of the race that attracts riders from around the world—everyone from average recreational cyclists to Tour de France veterans. “All racers must have a driver waiting at the summit, and willing to drive you down the auto road in their car or van.” Mount Washington, “Home of the World’s Worst Weather,” can feature the strange phenomenon of rime ice, or frozen fog. Therefore, knowing about the weather on a mountain that is home to the planet’s highest recorded wind speed (hold onto your helmets … 231 miles per hour!) is critical. Scientists and weather guys are enthralled with the weather at the peak since it’s so unusual and are in the weather station 24 hours a day to check conditions. (For weather buffs out there, check mountwashington.org) The race can only be held in August. Otherwise it’s snowing too hard and the winds are too high. It’s feast or famine: you’re either going to freeze or fry. It can be 70 degrees at the bottom and 15 degrees at the top with the wind chill.
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Times of Brunswick
The Man and His Bike
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What’s the stuff for uphillclimbs? Science and math. Math skills are used to prepare the gearing on the bike as well as the rider’s muscular system since they need to calculate their pedaling cadence and not run out of steam. A trip up Mount Washington on bike, for example, requires a high degree of strain on the entire muscular system, mostly the cardiovascular system. If you want to finish in a competitive time (1 hour 20 minutes or less), you need to sustain 170+ (beats per minute), heart rate for the entire race. Bracchitta’s training for the race starts in January with low intensity (heart rate below 115), long-distance (30–40 miles each) workouts 4–5 times per week. “I then introduce short, high intensity intervals so that I am pushing my heart rate into the 170 range,” he said. “I have to train slowly so that my heart can withstand the high heart rate.” In the winter, all of this riding takes place on a fleet of bicycles in his basement. Come spring and summer, he rides outdoors as much as possible—totaling 6,000–7,000 miles per year. Mr. B also has a stationary, interactive computer/ bike system called CompuTrainer, which allows him to ride
his bicycle on “real” roads virtually, and then calculates the actual “watts” he is truly generating. “A rider has to be able to withstand the heart pumping at its max for 1 hour and 25 minutes,” said Mr. B. “The training isn’t necessarily long-distance riding, but rather high intensity exercises. The only run that comes close is Cliffdale Road in Greenwich. It’s short, but that’s what the Mount Washington race is like for 7.6 miles.” Other hillclimb races in which Mr. B participates in the northeast include the twice completed Vermont Six-Gap ride, a one-day marathon which ascends all of Vermont’s “gap” roads (Brandon, Middlebury, Lincoln, Appalachian, Roxbury, and Rochester), totaling 132 miles and climbing 11,000 vertical feet. Is there glory to reaching the top of the rock pile? “Conquering Mount Washington is on every biker’s wish list,” he continued. “It’s a big challenge because of the steepness of the road, and how it gains altitude as soon as you pass the first 500 yards. Once at the top, unless you’re shrouded in fog, the view is incredible. But the real prize is simply making it to the summit.” r
Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb— Summer 2007
Winter 2008
Last summer, 600 cyclists (including Joey Bracchitta) rushed for the chance to race the world’s toughest hillclimb at Mount Washington, but were turned away last minute because of uber-foul conditions. With weather blasting horizontal sleet, hail, rime ice, 87-mph gusts of wind, and 15-degree wind chill, the race was canceled. (See press release from the Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb, “Weather Cancels Bike Race—Again.”) Was it a big downer not to be able to make it to the top? “Yes… it was a HUGE bummer!” Mr. B wrote to Times of Brunswick. “The training for this race is intense and takes many hours of high heart rate intervals. The race was canceled at 7:05 a.m. while all 600 riders were busy warming up at the bottom of the mountain. Since riders need to have a driver take them down the mountain because it’s too steep to descend on a bike, the drivers sent to the top at 6:30 a.m. were met with horrendous weather conditions. Volunteers at the finish area at the 6,288-foot summit were being blown to the ground by the winds!” On a sunny note, the invincible bike champ Mr. B and his ultra-cool bike not only participated in all of the other races last summer—Whiteface Mountain, Ascutney Mountain and Big Equinox—but he was able to take time off from 2006s’ finish times. And we don’t mean “take time off ” as most comprehend “take time off.” As you, kind reader, are likely settled in for a cozy winter’s night reading this story, Mr. B is either outside or in his basement gearing up and spinning his wheels for upcoming victory. r
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’Wick
Students
Times of Brunswick
Study
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Tropical Marine
Belize
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It’s 2:45 on a Tuesday morning during summer break. The sun has not even thought about rising and in the dark parking lot of the Maher Avenue campus, several students pull in, not really awake, but excited. What could possibly motivate them to return to School during their summer break? The students climb out of their parents’ cars and pull their luggage from the trunks. A Brunswick van is waiting, warming up in the predawn chill and I help Steve Weber (chair of the science department and Upper School science teacher), who graciously volunteered to load up the bags and take us to the airport. The students give a last goodbye hug to their parents and climb into the van. Its Day One of the program and our journey is only just beginning. In June 2007, several students from Brunswick School, Greenwich Academy, and St. Luke’s traveled to the Central American country of Belize to participate in the first tropical marine biology program at Brunswick. The expedition is hosted by the Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC), run by Dr. Mattes and his wife Maureen Gannon, in the town of San Pedro on the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize. Belize is home to the world’s second largest barrier reef and English is their national language. The country has a stable, democratic government and was known as “British Honduras” until it gained independence in 1981. I’ve been taking students to Belize since 2001, when on my first trip
Biology Winter 2008
Story & Photography by Guy Cameron Pratt, Upper School Science & Oceanography Teacher
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Belize Tropical Marine Biology in Times of Brunswick
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I not only fell in love with the country, its people, and its ecological wonders, but was also taken by the idea of a program that would immerse students in the world of marine biologists and give them a firsthand experience they would remember for the rest of their lives. The two-week program began with students earning their Open Water SCUBA Certification from Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and learning to identify species of the reef. Students began in TREC’s pool to learn and practice SCUBA before going out to the open water of the reef. While Belize is a perfect place to snorkel, and you can see most anything skin-diving, breathing underwater is a strange sensation that brings with it a feeling of euphoria and the childlike wonder we used to feel whenever we learned something new. After earning their certification, the students couldn’t wait to get back in the water. We traveled outside the reef and dove the famous spur-and-groove formations of Belize. The students were able to stroke the backs of nurse sharks, stare into the gaping mouths of 80-pound black groupers, and take a chance going into a swimthrough, a short tunnel through the reef itself. In Belize, the excitement of discovery is around every corner, as the students learned during our impromptu encounter with one of the ocean’s graceful giants, the manatee. While snorkeling at a place we call North Cut, a 15–20 foot deep channel through the barrier reef, we came upon not one, but two manatees. These animals are usually shy, but on the day of our visit, they decided to come close and swim directly under us. They came so close that we were able to look them in the eye, and see them looking back!
Our group left the countless fish, corals, manatees, and sea turtles on a couple of occasions to travel to the mainland and explore the Mayan ruins at Altun Ha, inner tube the Belize River as it passed through the jungle caves at the Jaguar Paw Resort, and learn about Belize’s jungle creatures at the unique Belize Zoo. There are so many stories from our journey—from our encounter with fire ants, to the realization that baby jaguars like to play with cameras, to dining on fritters, local fresh-caught conch, to making friends with the old fisherman at Shark-Ray Alley who feels Myrtle, the resident green sea turtle, is his personal charge. But the real stories, the ones that make this experience so special, are those of the students becoming friends, the endless card games late into the night, king-of-thecannonball contests, learning about the chicken drop (an island game), and loving custard ice cream. For the students who traveled with me, they went on a journey and safely returned with newly acquired knowledge. As for me, every time I go on a marine biology trip and have this opportunity to learn more about the students and share such amazing experiences with them, I, too, am transformed. It also gives me a deeper love for the country of Belize. This June 2008, Belize Marine TREC Expedition will be expanded to two-anda-half weeks so that students may explore the Mayan Cave at Cha Chem Ha and have the opportunity to conduct research on the barrier reef. Students from other schools are welcome to join us, and Brunswick students can earn academic credit for their experience. I look forward to returning to Belize with a new group of students to experience all new adventures and to be able to tell more stories about discovery, exploration, and friendship. r
Class of 2005 Lecture Series Guest:
Reporter Carl Bernstein Raps Celebrity News By Chris Antonacci ’08 and Michael Marx ’10 World-renowned reporter Carl Bernstein, who appeared as guest of the Class of 2005 Lecture Series, addressed Brunswick Upper School students at an assembly about the intricacies of the news media and its pivotal role in shaping today’s society. Famous for his extraordinary reporting that unveiled the Watergate scandal during Richard Nixon’s presidency, Bernstein brought a message of warning to students and faculty: The dysfunction in m Michael Marx ’10, Chris Antonacci ’08 and Carl Bernstein simply can’t all be put at the feet of those who present news.” modern media and politics is rampant and hard to beat.
Bernstein urges students to look to established media (e.g., The New York Times and The Washington Post), rather than quick news updates from blogs. He cited that century-old traditional media have developed, for the most part, into sources of truth rather than quick sensationalist storytellers. He briefly commented on the Watergate scandal of 1972 for which he is most famous. Carl Bernstein and his colleague Bob Woodward are acclaimed for their investigative reporting that eventually drove President Richard Nixon from power. The writing team also wrote All the President’s Men, which was adapted into a film starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford. In his new biography, A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton, Bernstein writes about the Democratic senator for New York, and the Democrats’ leading candidate for the 2008 presidential election. In a final note, Bernstein warned students and faculty that unless there is going to be outrage about the media coverage we receive, then we are going to deserve the kind of system failure that we are currently looking at in politics and the press. He emphasized to the Upper School students that we are the ones capable of reestablishing the news-media system as trustworthy and truthful. At the same time, he worries about the “money mentality” of today’s youth—a “disturbing and potentially disruptive” mindset that pushes students to work at well-paying jobs that they dislike, rather then following their passions. Bernstein hopes that young people will take advantage of the fact that they are young, as he did when he broke the Watergate story. We are grateful to the parents of Class of 2005 for continuing to bring such prestigious speakers to the Upper School students. Stories about Carl Bernstein’s appearance at Brunswick were featured in many local newspapers. It was also picked up by The Associated Press news wire, which spun off nationwide coverage in such dailies as the New York Times, Boston Globe, and Kentucky Herald-Leader. r
Winter 2008
“Not enough people demand the truth of our country,” he said. “As a former writer for The New York Times put it, ‘Truth has become the acceptance of untruths.’ ” “This national problem starts locally,” said Bernstein, who sported a bright purple tie and grey sweater. “The problems we have in news and journalism are about us not doing our job well enough. The ideal of providing the best obtainable version of the truth is being affected by the dominance of a journalistic culture that has less and less to do with reality and context.” Bernstein, who addressed students in the old wrestling room (our temporary “meeting hall” until the new arts center is completed), made note that much of the public’s attention shifts too easily from important news to entertainment news. Documentation of the daily lives of tabloid figures like Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, and Donald Trump—lives “disconnected from the true concept of our lives”—are partly to blame. When Bernstein started in journalism, the bottom line was finding the truth. Now, for journalists, “the bottom line is the bottom line.” “This disconnect from important truth should be blamed partly upon those who report news, and partly on those who accept it,” said Bernstein. “The triumph of ‘idiot culture,’ which has particularly evolved over the past 30 years, is something to fight against.” Mr. Bernstein recalled a day in the 1990s when three out of the four major New York City newspapers put news of Donald Trump’s divorce on the front page instead of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison after 27 years, and of the agreement of the Allied powers to reunify Germany. All three events happened on the same day, but Trump triumphed first page news. “When we give more attention and resources to the divorce of Donald Trump and the trial of Michael Jackson,” said Bernstein, “that is idiot culture.” “You can’t separate the appetites and demands of the people themselves and what they are given,” he continued. “The blame
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Courage, Honor, Truth, “One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous or honest.” —Maya Angelou At the start of
Times of Brunswick
the 2007–2008 academic year, it was decided that the Lower School year-long theme was to focus on the significance of our Brunswick motto—“Courage, Honor, Truth.” Each teacher would creatively incorporate this into their curriculum, thereby playing a fundamental role in “ably and generously preparing boys for life.” Chiquita Battle, grade two science teacher, writes:
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As a science teacher, my first reaction was how would I be effective at such a task? This would require a great deal of thought, as our new theme was very different from last year’s theme, “S.O.S.” (“Sharing Our Solutions”). It was the opening assembly that confirmed that I not only have an obligation to teach my subject of expertise, but also to teach my students about life experiences through discussions and living our motto. At Brunswick’s 1906 commencement exercises, the president of the Board of Trustees, W.J. Hoggson, formally turned the newly constructed school building over to Headmaster George Carmichael. He concluded his speech by saying, “Take our boys, Mr. Headmaster, and teach them, if you will, Latin, Greek, mathematics; but above all else, teach them Courage, Honor, Truth.” In challenging each Brunswick boy to fulfill his own individual potential, my students examined the science behind being unique. We explored our fingerprints, the scientific terminology involved in understanding them, and learned that no two persons’ fingerprints are alike. Each boy, many of whom
are twins, took pride in being one of a kind. After further exploration, the boys gained an appreciation for their sensory receptors, those responsible for their ability to feel pressure and temperature, as some people are born with an abnormality that does not allow them to feel pain. These experiences piqued their interests and led to our study of the blind and visually impaired, as well as the fingertip reading method called Braille. As we studied the history of Braille, the courage of those who are “Differently-Abled,” we learned to write using a slate and stylus; discussed myths, legislation, literacy and unemployment rates. We learned from two fourth graders, Jamie MacFarlane and Kieran Dowley, about an organization called The Seeing Eye. Jamie informed his mother Annesley of our interest and she immediately went into action. Mrs. MacFarlane contacted the organization, and they sent us an angel: Mrs. Ginger Kutsch, a beautiful woman who touched our hearts. Ginger began to lose her sight at age 10, and comfortably shared her life with us. She introduced us to her Seeing Eye Dog, Payton, who is 6 years old, and
and Vision to the energetic and entertaining Arnold, who is 9 months old and Ginger’s companion for three years. Since he is still a puppy, though, he has not yet been trained to work. It was obvious that these courageous canines were raised with lots of love, a necessary ingredient in relationships that require courage and trust. “My Seeing Eye Dog taught me to walk tall and raise my face, without fear to the sun, wind and rain . . . she taught me to trust again,” said guest speaker Ginger Kutsch. She began her presentation by acknowledging that it took courage for the founder of The Seeing Eye to travel across the world as a blind person in order to receive a dog that would help him gain independence. She spoke of the intense training working dogs receive, and explained how her dog assists her with daily activities that help her to be self-sufficient and independent. They have the ability to “transform challenges into opportunities, obstacles into victories, and Seeing Eye Dogs into partners in life’s triumphs,” said James Kutsch, Ginger’s husband and president of The Seeing Eye. Companion dog Payton is trained to alert Ginger to hazards and obstacles by stopping, or backing up, even if his master commands him to move forward. When a Seeing Eye Dog does not obey a command until it is safe to do so, it is called “intelligent disobedience.” Ginger explained the role of the retractable harness in guiding her along the way. As the terrain changes, she feels the difference in the harness. We enjoyed observing Payton follow Ginger’s commands, “Left, right, forward.” When we approached steps, Payton stopped, Ginger put her foot forward to feel what was ahead, and moved onward.
By Chiquita Battle, Lower School Science Teacher
To be a part of a wonderful vision, inquire about raising a puppy, or learn more about The Seeing Eye mission, go to seeingeye.org.
Winter 2008
If one had no knowledge of Seeing Eye Dogs, one would not know Ginger was blind. She walked with assuredness, and a body language that exuded confidence. Later, a few of the boys confessed that they were not aware that Ginger was not sighted because her eyes looked like theirs. She explained that her eyes had not atrophied or grayed over. She wears contact lenses to protect her precious eyes from UV radiation. Ginger also let the boys pass around her Braille labeler, labeled spices, playing cards, a frame that allows her to write checks in script, an alarm clock, and a magnetic label for marking cans of tuna. She demonstrated the use of her foldable cane and laptop computer. She even scanned a piece of mail so that it could be identified, while the computer read the contents. We learned that only dogs trained by The Seeing Eye could be named Seeing Eye Dogs. The generic term for dogs trained elsewhere is “guide dog.” We also learned what to do when coming into contact with a Seeing Eye Dog. A working dog should not be petted, lest the dog be distracted. Your pet should not be allowed to interact with a Seeing Eye Dog, and when approaching one, you should always make the owner aware that you have a pet with you. We also learned how not to insult a blind person. In essence, we acquired a wealth of lasting knowledge through Ginger’s presentation. The Seeing Eye began more than 75 years ago when a young man named Morris Frank read an article about dogs being trained as guides for World War I veterans who were blinded during the course of duty. He acquired his first dog Buddy from Switzerland. When challenged by reporters to cross a busy street with his new dog, Frank met the daunting task with success. He kept his promise of spreading the word when he returned to the United States. Hence, The Seeing Eye, located in Morristown, N.J., was born. The organization gives the blind access to the world and helps them to safely and confidently navigate through daily life. The Seeing Eye is supported by charitable donations, and receives no government funding. It costs $50,000 for a student to receive a trained dog, room and board, and instruction for 20–27 days, round-trip transportation, and follow-up services for the duration of the partnership. Brunswick boys like to make a difference, and have enthusiastically sponsored a “Pennies for Puppies” program. Once they started selflessly sharing their spare change, some decided to go a step further and bring in their dollars, commenting that we are actually supporting “Dollars for Dogs.” Our boys have a deep sense of purpose, are learning appreciation, sensitivity, tolerance, and philanthropy. I would say that we are, indeed, preparing them for a life of courage, honor, and truth by mentoring them to become responsible adults who strive to make a difference in the world. Brunswick Lower School students will continue their studies of the human body, and when they asked, “When we study the ear, can we learn sign?’’ The answer was, “We most certainly can!” r
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’p s u o
n O
S
By Bonni Brodnick
Billy’s Vegetable White Bean Zuppa “I learned this authentic Italian soup recipe when I was at CIA (Culinary Institute of America) and working in one of the four student-run restaurants on campus, Caterina de Medici,” said Billy LeVasseur, Brunswick School executive chef. “It’s a delicious soup for a cold wintry day.”
Times of Brunswick
Yield 8 portions
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Ingredients • ¼ pound bacon diced (omit if vegetarian) • 1 medium onion, chopped • 1 medium carrot, chopped • 4 garlic cloves, chopped • 1 medium white turnip, chopped • 2 celery stalks, chopped • 1 parsnip, chopped • 1 cup butternut squash, chopped • 1 cup white wine • 3 diced tomatoes • 1 medium yellow squash, cooked and diced • 2 cups canned cannelloni beans • ½ bunch parsley, chopped • 4 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dry thyme) • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dry rosemary) • 1 bay leaf • 6 cups vegetable broth (canned will do)
In a 5-quart pot on medium heat, cook bacon and render until golden brown (approximately 10 minutes). Add all vegetables, except beans. Add white wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth, bay leaf, and other herbs and precooked beans. Simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish soup with croutons or serve with bread sticks and shredded Parmesan cheese.
Herberth’s Chicken Tortilla Soup “This is an old family recipe that my grandmother and mother used to make as a treat on Sunday afternoons,” said Herberth Melgar, Flik Food Service director. “Chicken Tortilla Soup is part of my roots and is a way for me to share my culture with the students. It’s really my pleasure to make something for them that I, too, enjoyed as a young boy.” Yield 8 portions Ingredients • 3-pound chicken, quartered • 1 cup fennel bulb, chopped • 1 leek, washed & chopped • 2 carrots, chopped • 1 Poblano pepper, chopped • 1 red bell pepper, chopped • 3 celery stalks, chopped • 5 garlic cloves, chopped • 2 white onions, chopped • 3 plum tomatoes, chopped • 1 cup dry white wine • 1 tablespoon cumin powder • 1 quart chicken broth (College Inn will do) • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 teaspoon if using dry) • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 teaspoon if using dry)
Soup In a large pot, add all ingredients, including chicken. Simmer for 1 hour. Remove chicken to separate bowl and shred. Use a burr blender (or “stick” mixer) to purée soup in the pot. (You can also ladle the soup into a blender and purée.) Add seasoning and shredded chicken. To Serve Mix cheese and scallions with sour cream. Dice avocados, and toss with lime juice and cilantro. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with dollop of sour cream mixture, diced avocado, and tortilla chips.
Winter 2008
Garnish • 2 cups sour cream • 1 cup Cotija’s Mexican cheese (or Monterey Jack), crumbled • ½ bunch scallions, chopped
• 1 bag plain corn tortilla chips • 2 ripe avocados, diced • juice from 1 lime • 1 teaspoon cilantro, chopped • Mix with avocado
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From New York to De Nueva York a
By Maria Isabel Solana Translation by Ana Paternina, from story that appeared in the University of Navarra (Spain) magazine
When he finished Brunswick School in Greenwich, Conn., London-born Bernard Paternina (a junior at University of Navarra in bilingual business studies) knew that his fortune lay in two ideas: business and Spain. “I always thought of going to university in the country of my parents, where I have never lived. I wanted to understand where I come from so I can make sense of where I am going,” he said. Although his first option was “CUNEF” (Colégio Universitario de Estudios Financieros) in Madrid (Spain),
Bernard considered going to the University of Navarra in Pamplona after being encouraged by his cousin Miguel Amat (’01 business studies major), who is currently completing an MBA at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. A visit to the University of Navarra convinced Bernard. “The campus reminded me of U.S. colleges,” he said. “I had a sense of America and Europe at the same time, which was just what I was looking for.” Bernard remembered that the Selectividad [pass or failure entrance exam to universities in Spain] was the first hurdle in his competition to get into the school. In his nearly three years at the University of Navarra, he readily acknowledges now that not overcoming that hurdle on the first-go was a blessing in disguise. “Studying all summer in Madrid helped introduce me to the European system,
Times of Brunswick
Left to right: The Paternina brothers: Pablo is a freshman philosophy student Luis is a sophomore global law student, and Bernard is a junior bilingual global business student currently in Hong Kong.
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Pamplona in 3 Steps Pamplona en 3 Pasos which is very different than the American system based on case studies and tests. By the end of my summer courses, I got an excellent grade,” he affirmed with a smile. Bernard’s adventure sparked the interest of the next Paternina brother, Luis (sophomore, global law program) who, until then, had not shared the dream of attending school in Spain. “My older brother fit in well at the Belagua Residence Hall and at the University,” said Luis. “I realized that he studied hard, but also had a great time, so I was inspired to follow him,” he explained. He also mentioned that he had the advantage of having learned from the mistakes of the “pioneer.” “In view of what happened to Bernard,” he joked, “I started to prepare for Selectividad just after the January exams of my senior year at Brunswick. Jaime Gonzalez Ocaña helped me with Spanish grammar and literature.” It worked to perfection.
Two Different Worlds
Like a chain reaction, Pablo, the third in the link of Paternina brothers and a freshman studying philosophy, also passed Selectividad with Mr. Ocaña’s invaluable help. “For a ‘foreigner’ like me, the University of Navarra is the ideal place to go to college. It gives me the opportunity to return to Europe, and Spain in particular, as well as have the chance to live and learn from a different culture and obtain the foundation I am looking for in my college studies.” “Pablo is a deep thinker,” said his big brother Bernard. “He believes that a different experience is more enriching; you speak another language, interact with different people, live in another culture, and get more of a worldview.” Luis agreed. “Now we know two completely different worlds. We can compare and get the better of each one.” r
Support From the Home Front
Winter 2008
This adventure would not have had so many chapters if 3,590 miles away, Ana and Charles Paternina, the parents of Bernard, Luis, and Pablo, hadn’t eagerly supported their sons’ decisions. “They have taken risks and are reaping the rewards. We are proud of them,” said Mr. Paternina. “We are especially pleased by the quality of people with whom the boys interact every day.” “Living outside of Spain has taught us to enjoy all that the world has to offer, and a strong foundation is key,” added Mrs. Paternina. “The University of Navarra provides this foundation in the widest possible sense and allows our sons to develop progressively and intelligently.” Until they return home, the Paternina brothers are making good use of their time in and out of class. Bernard is taking his semester abroad at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Luis and Pablo remain in Pamplona (Spain) with future projects that include postgraduate studies in the U.S. When thinking about this, their eyes light up knowing that they will begin another phase of their education having experienced a fantastic undergraduate opportunity. They walk with the advantage of being different.
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Times of Brunswick
Brunswick Lower School Acts of “Courage” By Bonni Brodnick
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“What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage. What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage. What makes the Sphinx the Seventh Wonder? Courage. What makes the dawn come up like THUNDER?! Courage. What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the ‘ape’ in ape-ricot?” pondered the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. “Whatta they got that I ain’t got?” Courage! Throughout the year, Brunswick Lower School students are exploring our School motto, “Courage, Honor, Truth.” “Courage” led the classes to study such inspiring individuals as Pat Tillman, former-NFL player who was killed in action in Afghanistan; Mattie J.T. Stepanek, young peacemaker hero who died at the age of 13 and whose poems of hope touched millions of lives; and Yuri Gagarin, first astronaut to circle the earth in 1961. Groups who also exemplify bravery include community helpers, Doctors Without Borders, and Americans in the military service.
During a recent assembly, the boys sat attentively in the Macfarlane Lower School atrium and watched their schoolmates make courage-ous presentations. A heartfelt round of “Boys of Brunswick” made the moment particularly meaningful. “As young boys you, too, are capable of performing courageous deeds,” said Eleanor Lindberg, head of Pre and Lower School. “Opportunities are presented every day, and hopefully, at the end of each day you will be able to look back and remember your simple moments of courage: raising your hand in class, helping a friend on the playground, trying something new, doing what you know is right even when your friends don’t agree. “Acts of courage come from the heart,” she continued. “Our School motto and the words of our School song, ‘Boys of Brunswick,’ remind us of the importance of living our daily lives as courageous, honorable and truthful boys.” r
Courage is saying no to the wrong choices. Courage is wrestling somebody bigger than you. Courage is admitting a mistake. Courage is being a candidate in the School election. Courage is not laughing at someone when everyone else does. Courage is telling the truth, even though you might get into trouble. Courage is not cheating when you are trying to win a game. Courage is being responsible for your actions. Courage is daring to try a difficult task. Courage is being the real you. By Nelson Vargas Class of 2016
Courage is helping someone if they are being made fun of. Courage is bringing tuna for lunch when everyone else brings ham. Courage is taking responsibility for your actions and your mistakes. Courage is introducing yourself. Courage is taking your first steps. Courage is skydiving. Courage is being you. Courage is handing in your homework on time. Courage is keeping your “impossible� promises. Courage is taking a hard test. By William Cunningham Class of 2016
By Henry Harris Class of 2016
Winter 2008
Courage is making a new friend. Courage is trying a new thing every once in awhile. Courage is standing out by playing with someone new. Courage is telling someone that what they are doing is wrong. Courage is helping someone while risking your own safety. Courage is standing up for what is right. Courage is never giving up. Courage is taking a hard test. Courage is being a leader and setting a good example.
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The Octopus of
By Connor Fitzpatrick ’09
Times of Brunswick
My own curiosity about the sea began with a few very simple words when I first began to read—“A is for Angelfish.” These four words from the first page of The Underwater Alphabet Book sparked a passion in me that has been instrumental in the person I have become. On my eighth birthday, my gift was an empty aquarium and an Optimist dinghy. Filling the aquarium and learning about the African Cichlid environment was more fun than I could ever have imagined. My love for sailing continued and the time I spent out on the water increased. The sheer exhilaration of water rushing by my beloved Optimist, racing past competitors, and winning my first regatta begged the question, “What lives in the world beneath the waves?” My experience on the water as a young boy has guided me to learn everything I can about the underwater world. I am now a PADI Master Scuba Diver, an avid underwater photographer, a reef aquarist, and most importantly, a marine researcher.
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Recently, I began a research study at Brunswick that is very different from others at the School. My study involves an eight-legged friend. Yes, you guessed it! I am studying an octopus! Cephalopods, such as the octopus, have been used in many studies over the years due to their large brain to body mass ratio. The Marbled Octopus (fondly named Ophelia), that I am keeping in a science classroom on Maher, is native to the small island of Bali. At only a month old, Ophelia is about a foot and a half from the tip of one tentacle to another, and can do several cool “tricks.” She can change color to display her
mood, eject ink to confuse a predator, and solve simple puzzles that she has been given. Octopuses have no bones in their bodies, and can therefore squeeze themselves into very tight places or through holes that are almost the width of a quarter. There are over 289 recorded species of octopus, with most of them living along a reef of some sort. Octopuses are incredibly strong for their size, so I have placed about 10 pounds of weight on the tightly fitting glass top on her aquarium. Octopuses also have a tendency to show just how intelligent they are by going on “shopping trips” at night. I was once told an amazing story by a fellow aquarist at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk. He shared with me that at another research facility they kept several tanks of baitfish next to a tank with an octopus in it. Every morning they would come to work and more fish would mysteriously be missing. They found no sign of the fish anywhere in their tanks! Finally one evening the researchers placed a camera in front of the tanks and to their amazement, they caught the octopus crawling out of his tank and bringing back a snack of fish to enjoy later. By the time morning rolled around, it had eaten all of the fish, returned to its home, and left no trace of the nightly excursion. In my study at Brunswick, I will attempt to prove that experience will affect the ability of a cephalopod to complete a task or puzzle. During my internship last summer at the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium, I worked with an American Octopus and observed how he learned to open a pickle jar. The results of my study with Ophelia should prove my hypothesis correct, that the time taken to complete a puzzle will decrease with experience.
of Maher Ave.
Special thanks to the Brunswick Science Department, specifically to Mr. Weber and Mr. Pratt, for their mentorship and inspiration to do this project. Sadly though, much of the information that we learn in studies such as mine may become useless one day, as the coral reefs of the world cease to exist. An article in the journal Geology suggests that the world coral population is dying at a faster rate than at any other time in the past 11,000 years. We may one day live in a world where there is no such thing as coral, and we may only reminisce about the wonders of octopuses. As the famed oceanographer Jacques Yves Cousteau once said, “The sea, the great unifier, is man’s only hope. Now, as never before, the old phrase has a literal meaning: we are all in the same boat.” Winter 2008
Note to parents: Be careful what gifts you give to your children. It may breed intense passion! r
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Brunswick School honors our alumni in military service to our Nation Brunswick School is proud of our members of the military serving our great country. Please continue to write and tell us where you are stationed and what you are doing. Contact Cat Scott in the Alumni Office, cscott@brunswickschool.org.
Air Force Airman 1st Class Daniel J. Maloney ’04
Returned from Afghanistan this past fall. His home station is Tyndall Air Force base in Panama City, Fla.
Army 2 LT Allen Haight ’88
Started University of Arkansas Medical School in fall 2007. He is in the Army Scholarship program.
Major David Haight ’90
He is in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., for Command General Staff College, and is waiting to hear if he will be picked up for a Sports Medicine Fellowship in 2008. On another note, he also finished his first Ironman Triathlon in October with a pretty decent first time of 11:20:07
Times of Brunswick
2 LT Sam Kies ’04
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Sam writes, “I attended LDAC this summer from June 28 – July 31. LDAC stands for Leader Development and Assessment Course and it is a mandatory training camp that all ROTC cadets in the entire country attend after their junior year. It is 33 days long and very important, as it counts for 40% of my overall Order of Merit (OML) score. The OML ranks every cadet in the country, from best to worst, and determines what branch cadets receive. I did very well at LDAC; I received an overall E, and in the final rankings finished #1 out of 48 cadets in my platoon and in the top 10 out of about 330 cadets in the regiment. I got excellent marks from the cadre for my leadership abilities and soldiering skills, and received excellent peer reviews. While Wake Forest no doubt gave me the soldiering skills I needed, and has enhanced my leadership abilities, I strongly feel that Brunswick laid a solid foundation for me physically and mentally. I was thrust into some leadership positions and pressure situations that I had never encountered, and many times needed to make decisions that not only affected me, but many others. And while the long days in the field, walking through the woods with a rucksack and weapon were physically demanding, I think I’d rather do that than one of Coach Brennan’s twice-a-day conditioning sessions. Once I returned from LDAC, I submitted my top branch choices to cadet command and waited to hear my
assignment. I found out a couple weeks ago that I got my first choice. I got Military Intelligence with an Infantry branch detail. What this means is that I will be commissioning in May as a 2nd LT in the Infantry, serve 4 years as an Infantry officer, and then switch over to Military Intelligence. I want to serve in a Light Infantry unit, but that is a long way away. Although I am very excited about beginning my career as an Army officer, for now I am focused on a strong finish to my Wake Forest career. Best to the Brunswick community.”
CPT Nathan E. Raymond ’99
Stationed with the 3-187 Infantry Regiment/3rd Brigade Combat Team/101st Airborne Divisional in Yusufiyah, Iraq, as a Battalion Planner. He will be redeployed in December of 2008.
2 LT Scott Weston ’03
Scott just graduated from Wake Forest this past spring where he was in their ROTC program. He wrote in to tell us what he has been up to since graduation. “Things are going well. I’m just in the process of getting all settled into my new apartment out here near Fort Lewis, Wash. The drive across the country was pretty intense, but an enjoyable experience. It’s kind of cool blazing your own trail. I started at Fort Sill, Okla., where I went through BOLC II (Basic Officer Leadership Course). It was essentially an Army immersion course, exposing you on a relatively superficial level to a wide range of weapons, equipments, and different tactical procedures. After that was BOLC III, which was in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. This was engineer school, where I learned everything from bridge construction, to demolitions, to mine sweeping, civil engineering, geospatial engineering, among others. I received honors as a Distinguished Graduate. Finally, having just completed my cross-country trek, I am currently stationed at Fort Lewis as an officer in the 14th Sapper Battalion, which is a combat engineer unit. I am anticipating going to Ranger School in the coming months before my ensuing deployment in April.”
Marines Major Kevin Cortes ’90
Stationed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., and works for PMA-261 (which is the Navy/Marine Corps H-53 Program Office) as the In-Service Airframes Project Lead. It is a non-
deploying, non-flying billet and he doesn’t plan to relocate for another three years. Kevin writes, “So, although I am taking some ‘time off ’ from flying the CH-53E Super Stallion, it is a good break from the deployment cycle.” In other news…we send best wishes to Kevin and his new fiancée Wendy!!
2nd Lt. Edward J. Hubbard ’02
Based in Ramadi, the capital of Anbar Province, Iraq. He’s a rifle platoon commander and will return stateside in May.
Captain Forrest Jones ’97 Major Tim Waterbury ’92
Was scheduled to come home from Afghanistan before Christmas. He was there working with the U.S. Army as a “weapons analyst.” As a reservist, he is still in the U.S. Marine Corps with a unit up in Northern Virginia (unless he is deployed as he was during his time in Afghanistan).
1st Lt. Caleb Weiss ’94
Based with the 3d Reconnaissance Battalion in Okinawa, Japan. He will be deploying to Afghanistan sometime this year as an Embedded Training Team leader.
Merchant Marine John Williamson ’01
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduate
Navy
Following is a tribute written and performed by Miss Ostrye’s second grade class to honor our Brunswick boys in the military service: “When we think of American soldiers we think about how they sacrifice their lives to protect our country. We think about how brave they must be to leave everything behind, including their families, in order to stand up for our freedom. We think about how our Brunswick soldiers try to spread peace around the world. We think about their strength, pride, patriotism, discipline, and intelligence. When we think of American soldiers, we think about a very important word: Courage.”
Midshipman Carter Harris ’05
Enrolled in U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis
Ensign Shane Heller ’03
Midshipman Andrew Hotchkiss ’05
Enrolled in U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis
Winter 2008
Graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis spring 2007. He has moved on to the second phase of flight school called Primary and is training in Corpus Christi, Texas (NAS Corpus Christi) flying the T-34.
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By vineyard vines®
…for men and women
Stay Cozy Warm in a Brunswick 1/4 Zip Fleece Manufactured for Us by vineyard vines® Limited Quantities
Alumni: To order, go to BrunswickSchool.org/Brunswick_Wear We’ll ship your order to you! Current Parents, Teachers and Administration: Email your name, your son’s name and grade (if applicable) to BrunswickWear@BrunswickSchool.org. Please provide quantities you’d like by size. Your bookstore account will be charged and we’ll arrange for you to pick up your order at school. Please note that this fleece is NOT available in the Bookstore. Price: $74.95
Times of Brunswick
Sizing Information: We cannot accept returns or exchanges: carefully select your sizes!
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Size: Chest:
Small 35–37
Medium 38–40
Large 41–43
X-Large 44–46
‘Wick Snippets By Bonni Brodnick
The following news briefs are from Bruins past and present who are sharing what they’re doing, where they’ve been, how they’ve done it. What’s your story? We’d love to hear! Contact: Bonni Brodnick, Brunswick News Room bbrodnick@BrunswickSchool.org Tel: 203.625.5864
Winter 2008
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Let the
Fundance Begin!
Times of Brunswick
April sounds months away, but not for the dedicated committee of Brunswick film-buff moms who began screening foreign films in September. What does it take to mount a successful film program? A constant hunt for great kid-oriented films, keeping eyes peeled for new films, and attending Tribeca and New York Film festivals. A few committee members (on their dime) also attended the renowned “Chicago International Children’s Film Festival” last October.
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“Jessie Jamar, co-chair, and I watched 75 films in 3 days! Yikes,” reported Darrell Lorentzen, co-founder of Fundance. “A lot were shorts, and many we didn’t watch all the way through if they weren’t right for our festival. We were a bit bleary-eyed by the end, but it was a great venue to see so many films for children from around the world at one time. Now we are trying to obtain copies of the ones we liked, show them to the rest of our committee—Priscilla Masselink and Dina Silverleaf—decide to include them or not, get permission to show them, and then they will be in our April Fundance Foreign Film Festival program. Such is the process we go through.” All in all, it’s about 1,000 hours of dedicated volunteer work on the moms’ behalf, but there is the satisfaction not only of launching another successful film festival, but also building their knowledge base and film inventory that will be helpful to Brunswick teachers in the future. The 4th Annual Fundance Foreign Film Festival and Brunswick Upper and Middle School Student Film Competition takes place April 11–13, 2008, at GA Massey Theater. Fundance Foreign Film Festival looks forward to having a new home at the Brunswick Performing Arts Center in 2009! r
Fundance Foreign Film Festival co-founder Darrell Lorentzen and Festival co-chair Jessie Jamar at the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival. For more information, please go to fundancefilms.org.
Shane Kirsch’s New CD
The Fuzzy Flow
Shane
Winter 2008
The Fuzzy Flow has bebop elements that mesh with jazzinfused electronica that’s heavy on the sax and draws on funk. Groovers will hear the influence from artists like Parliament/Funkadelic (better known as P-Funk); of early ’80s break-dance artists like Newcleus, Grandmaster Flash, and The Sugar Hill Gang; along with some of the more influential electronic musicians like The Art of Noise and Kraftwerk. “A few of the numbers are also reminiscent of artists like Zero 7, Beck, Deee-lite and other sounds and eras,” Shane said. “Big inspiration, though, came from the Brunswick kids I work with and their amazing musical talents. I wanted to give them an
‘Wick Snippets
Kirsch, Upper School music teacher, saxophonist and producer, has done a funky/jazzy thing with the release of his new CD, The Fuzzy Flow. “The album was an opportunity to bring some of my songs out to the public,” said Shane who, with the exception of a few collaborations, wrote, arranged, produced, and performs all of the songs. “Many of the compositions were instrumentals beforehand, and last year the lyrics started to come together and fit into the tracks. I’m into simplicity and I like music that has a hook and grabs the listener.”
outlet for their work as well, so The Fuzzy Flow is also a big tribute to my students.” “When I began teaching at Brunswick, Andrew Hall, chairman of the arts department and Upper School art teacher, told me the sky was the limit with where I could take my classes,” Shane said. “This, paired with the School music curriculum, was an incredible opportunity and gave me the additional freedom to teach students how to compose with digital audio. It was inevitable that several of the works on the CD were derived from classroom work with the boys.” The song “Change,” for example, was inspired by Brunswick’s then-advanced jazz combo musicians Nick Chen (guitar), Chris Mahaney (sax), Terence Einhorn (bass and sax), Jose Fabre (trumpet), and Zach Ruchman (keyboard and sax). Brunswick faculty and staff also participated. Listen up for Jacques Bouffier, the Devo Divas (the folks in the Development Office), Andrew Hall, John McLane, Fiona Knight-Lucas, Seth Potter, Paul Raaen, and Larry Urbon. The Fuzzy Flow exemplifies Shane’s breadth and talent as a musician. As one iTunes 5-star review states, “ . . . [he] keeps his tunes upbeat and fun while interspersing some less traditional, darker numbers as well. There is clearly a great amount of collaboration that went into this album and it comes through in the music.” The Fuzzy Flow by (our very own) Shane Kirsch is available on iTunes and at CDBaby.com. r
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Jimmy Romanello Saves a Piece of ’Wick History Trying
Times of Brunswick
to maintain a sense of semblance, no less our senses of humor, is something Jimmy Romanello, Upper School maintenance, exceeds at. In fact, nearly every day you’ll find him going above and beyond the call of duty.
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His latest feat was over the summer while Turner Construction turned it in high gear to begin the Maher Avenue renovation. As we soon looked forward to the new Upper School Performing Arts Center (opening in September 2008), so, too, did we see the demise of Burke Gymnasium, home of many school-wide assemblies and graduations. “When I saw the gym floor getting ripped up, I thought it would be good to save the Brunswick bear paw in the middle of it,” said Jimmy, who tips his hat to Jimmy Shrive, director of maintenance, for giving him the time to do the posterity project. Along with the teamwork of his summer helpers—Zach Dobbs, Charlie Gumz, and Jamie Millard, all Class of 2006—the guys took about two hours to cut out the bear paw in a big square, and then used a jigsaw to craft it into a circle. “Originally, we thought we’d make a table for Tom Philip’s office, but it didn’t work,” Jimmy continued. “The gym floor was tongue-and-groove, had too many ripples on the surface, and wasn’t flat enough.” With a quarter-round trim border and lots of polyurethane, the piece of Burke gym floor is now hanging as a shiny shield on the wall of the Upper School athletic office. “We thought rescuing the bear paw was a good way to remember our old gym,” pined Jimmy. r
(Except the fact that it was one of the last School events in Burke Gymnasium)
Paul Withstandley, Upper School Spanish teacher and Junior class dean, was the master of hilarity at the “Brunswick Trivia Bowl 2007.” Picture Burke Gymnasium with 25 or so round tables with 200 rowdy/knowledgeable boys standing by their seats ready to run their answers to the judges at the tables in the middle of the room. Mr. Withstandley, MC of Trivia, announced a series of questions that ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous:
Question: What Italian sculpted the statue of Daphne and Apollo? Answer: Bernini Question: How many bones in the adult human body? Answer: 206 (I started to count, but one of the boys jumped up with the correct answer.) Question: Alphabetically, who is second to last on the Middle School faculty? Answer: Ms. Zannino Those are the easy questions. Try this brain-buster:
Winter 2008
Question: The number of feet in a mile, divided by the number of sons Mr. Philip has, minus the Roman number DCC, plus the sum of squash courts at King Street, minus 46, equals what? Answer: 1902
‘Wick Snippets
Question: In what year did Yankee Stadium open? (Cue for Mr. Kirsch to UP organ music, as if to simulate sitting in the actual ballpark!) Answer: 1923 (I knew that.)
But the rrrrreal question is: Why does Mr. Withstandley do this every year? “I love trivia and I’m a huge fan of getting everyone together for a good time with no strings attached,” he said. Mr. Withstandley and Doug Burdett, director of college guidance and Upper School English teacher, organized the 1st Trivia Bowl in 1997 and (with one exception) it’s been an annual event ever since. “I knew a few kids who loved trivia, and liked to show that they knew cool facts about things from sports to science, to Brunswick history to music, so I had the idea for a contest,” Mr. Withstandley said. “Doug knew of a format that had worked at another school, so we modified it and went with it. We have never regretted it. It’s a fairly unique situation, where, literally, hundreds of people get to compete simultaneously, with the action of the runners, the pressure of the table sheet questions, and the discerning eye of the nearly one dozen judges in the center of the room all combining to create an explosive atmosphere.” “But the reason it has always existed (and the reason I hope it always does) is that the Brunswick Trivia Bowl is unifying, gratifying, exciting, unpredictable and wild. Pure and simple, it’s all about having fun.” r
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Facts are Bruin In a 1953 Application for Admission to Brunswick School, a father requested third grade enrollment for his son with the goal to “prepare his son for preparatory boarding school and Harvard.� (In third grade!) Centered at the bottom of the one-page application: A registration fee of ten dollars must accompany this application. This fee will be applied towards the cost of diploma at graduation.
Ten dollars for a Brunswick diploma at graduation seems like a good deal. r
Times of Brunswick
Sixth Grade Class Top Row, (left to right): William Kent, John Way, Fred Zeder, Robert Willis, Joseph Cross, and Jon Barrett. Middle Row: John Bates, George Gould, Carl Solberg, Eric Steinmetz, Kent Gilbert, Stephen Saks, and Mr. Graves. Bottom Row: Scott Fitkin, James Caverly, Francis duPont, Christopher Keyserling, Hugh Caldara, and Michael Freedley.
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“Let’s Hear it For the Boys!” By Elizabeth Fernandez, Middle School Librarian
Winter 2008
Connecting Boys with Books, by Michael Sullivan, states that one of the reasons for the disconnect between boys and books is the lack of male role models in early education. Most teachers and librarians, children’s book authors, and protagonists in children’s books are female. Required reading in most schools consists of lists that are not entirely “boy-friendly.” Brunswick, as an all-boys school with many male teachers, a comprehensive selection of books and collections, along with reading lists specifically designed to target boys’ interests, has a distinct advantage. We support a robust reading environment in which our boys have many print resources that readily address their particular academic levels and needs. In addition, our library is constantly replenished with books that boys like to read for pleasure. To get a better picture of what our boys are reading, Brunswick Middle School conducted an in-house survey in which the
boys rated their reading preferences, and named favorite books, genres, and styles. According to the survey, our boys do read! In fact, the survey showed an impressive array of titles and thoughtful appraisals of various genres—the top three being adventure, humor, and sports. Nonfiction is the preferred genre and choices in this category are topic-driven. The most popular book of 2007 is The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson series) by Rick Riordan. Many boys also reported that they enjoy reading magazines and newspapers regularly, especially The New York Times sports sections and Sports Illustrated. Several of the survey questions reveal ideal conditions in which boys enjoy reading. Most students noted that their favorite times to read are during leisure hours and over the summer. Their least favorite conditions were reading for school and required reading. In a recent New York Times article by Motoko Rich (November 19, 2007), the National Endowment for the Arts reports its study findings: “…students who read for fun nearly every day performed better on reading tests than those who reported reading never, or hardly at all.” Many of our boys reported that the best part of reading is often finishing a book. They described the satisfaction of books that can be read quickly, which is one of the main reasons book series are so popular. Series provide a wonderful vehicle both to build stamina in reading and to become invested in storylines that have flow and continuity. Based on data from our Middle School reading survey, I created several bibliographies on the boys’ preferences. There are lists of sports books, series, humor, adventure, nonfiction, and others. It was my pleasure to report at the National Middle School Association’s annual conference that Brunswick is a school that values reading. Our students are enthusiastic, mindful readers and it’s our mutual responsibility to encourage and nurture the idea of reading for pleasure. r
‘Wick Snippets
At the National Middle School Association’s annual conference in Houston, Tex., I presented a workshop based on my research about boys, books they go for and why (or why not), and my experience as Brunswick Middle School librarian. There is a growing interest on the subject of boys and literacy—from Time Magazine’s feature “The Myth About Boys” (August 2007), to Newsweek’s cover story, “The Boy Crisis” (January 2006), to School Library Journal’s “The Boy Problem” (September 2007). The research is often conflicting: “Boys are in trouble!” “No, they are okay!” “Boys don’t read!” “Yes, they do!”
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BRUINS
Times of Brunswick
BRUNSWICK
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By Diana Samponaro
Varsity Cross Country
Winter 2008
The 2007 season began with the highest aspirations, greater than any Cross Country Team previously donning the Brown and Gold… and White. The reasons behind such hopes were clear, as Brunswick returned an experienced and deep squad of 40 harriers. Captains Chris Antonacci, Ryan Hopkins, and Alex Jamar, together with Seniors Chris Bayliss, Greg Berger, Jamie Biondi, Jon Bubar, David Fernandez, Dexter Freeburg, Philip Gatto, Alex Hare, Lee Jackson, Teddy Kearney, David Levy, Garrett Long, and Russell Zimmerman led the team to a season record of 17–wins 6–losses; 3rd place FAA, and 6th in New England. The Captains’ race performances equaled or surpassed those of any trio previously entrusted with the team. Indeed, the Bruins were expecting a season for the ages, but ours is a fickle sport, and as the injuries mounted up it became clear that it was not to be. ’Wick finished 3rd in the FAA behind Hopkins and GFA, teams that placed 2nd in their respective divisions of New England. The palpable disappointment overshadowed the fact that this was Brunswick’s fastest team to date, as a record number of runners broke through threshold times of 20, 19, and 18 minutes. Ryan Hagerbrant posted a freshman record, and Ryan Hopkins set a home course record of 16:16 for the five kilometer distance, and then set the school record of 16:02 en route to individual 2nd place honors at the New England Division II Championships. As they disappear into the distance, the members of the Class of 2008 leave behind a legacy that, like a good runner, will be tough to pass. Head Coach Steve Polikoff and Assistant Coach Tommy Mulvoy are confident that next year’s Captains Brian DeAngelo, Tim O’Leary, and Will Seaton will be up to the task.
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BRUINS 38
BRUNSWICK
Times of Brunswick
Varsity Football It was another great year for the Bruins football team. With the stellar leadership of our three captains—Tommy Hoyos, Kevin Quillinan, and Michael Allwin—and Seniors, Jack Barrett, Bryan Coleman, Phil Cutler, Alex Dickson, Corey Dobbs, Mark Figgie, Marcus Garfinkle, Chris Ghaffari, Tom Hotchkiss, Oscar Loynaz, Kent Northrop, Nick Philip, Brian Platter, Andrew Reed, and Will Reed, Brunswick took on a more challenging schedule adding the likes of Salisbury and Trinity-Pawling. After a solid effort against GHS in our final scrimmage, we had two strong wins against Kingswood-Oxford and St. Luke’s to start the season. In a great game against Hopkins, we came out on the short end of the stick 28–24 after scoring 14 points in the closing minutes. In week 4 we rebounded well with a 10–7 win at Brooklyn Poly Prep and added a 4th win the following week against Hackley. Salisbury School came to town on Homecoming, and while the Bruins kept it tight, turnovers were the difference in the 16–7 loss. Our last FAA game of the season pitted us against KLHT in a Saturday night game, and we came out victorious, 31–0. In the last game of the season, we hosted Trinity-Pawling on a cold, wet Friday night, and it was very clear why T-P was the eventual Class A New England Champion as they beat us 34–0. In all, our 5–3 season may seem like a sub-par performance, but for those who saw the games, this was an incredible group of players and, more importantly, a stellar group of young men. Coach Sean Brennan said, “The boys showed the coaches and each other what it means to be a TEAM. Their selfless actions and willingness to do whatever was necessary for the good of the TEAM will only help to lead the way for future members of the Brunswick Football team.” Assistant Coaches Steve Garnett, Marcus Chioffi, and Rashad Randolph, and the 2008 Captains Milo Ceci, Billy Chapman, Will Holmes, and Kevin Royal are already looking forward to next
Varsity Soccer
Winter 2008
Varsity Soccer completed its most successful season since committing to a full WNEPSSA schedule in 2005, going 7–5–4. The season started out with great promise, following a much anticipated opener that the Bruins were able to win, 1–0 against Taft. While perennial New England tournament teams Loomis, Hotchkiss, and Avon proved vexing, ’Wick rebounded in the middle of the season with convincing victories over Gunnery, Trinity-Pawling, Choate, and Williston. Perhaps the finest 90 minutes was played on a perfect early-November day against Deerfield, a 1–1 tie before the largest crowd of the season. A 2–0 win against Westminster in the final game assured Brunswick of its highest win total, an undefeated record on the road, and a nine-game span in which ’Wick lost only once. The Varsity Soccer team was led by an exceptionally strong Senior class. Captains and three-year starters Karl Hantho, Zach Prager, and John Eric Oberbeck were invaluable, while Bryce Fitzpatrick, Terence Einhorn, and Jordan Grannum contributed significantly to the offense. In net, Matt Forester was stellar in his first year as a starter, posting four shutouts. The team was fortunate to get Tom Piscina back halfway through the year after a knee injury and he responded by scoring a much-needed goal against Williston. Adam Polak, CJ Chu, and Woody Bailey were great additions to the team. Finally, Dan Morrisroe—both a WNEPSSA and a New England All-Star—led the team with an impressive ten goals and five assists. Coaches Power Fraser and Tucker Hastings have high hopes for next fall when Ben Tabah and Brendan Seaver, along with Captains Øivind Lorentzen and Taggie Martin, will provide a talented nucleus for the 2008 team.
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BRUINS
Brunswick Varsity Soccer 2007
WNEPSSA Select Team Dan Morrisroe
WNEPSSA Select TeamHonorable Mention Karl Hantho Zach Prager
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BRUNSWICK
Times of Brunswick
CSCA All State Team Dan Morrisroe
Post-season Honors James Brown Award Winner Dan Morrisroe Coaches’ Award Winners Jack Carter Karl Hantho John Eric Oberbeck Zach Prager
Captains for the 2008 Varsity Soccer Season Oivind Lorentzen Taggie Martin
FAA All-League & Special Recognition Cross Country FAA All-League Selection FAA Honorable Mention All New England (2nd place) MVP Winner Most Improved Sportsmanship Award Rookie of the Year Senior Citizen JV FAA Champion
Football
All-League Honorable Mention All New England Pedersen Award Joe Reimer Award Rookie of the Year Most Improved Seniors Bruin of the Year Comeback Player of the Year Lineman of the Year Climb the Ladder Award
Soccer
WNEPSSA All-Star Game NEPSAC Senior All-Star Game CSCA Senior Bowl Game WNEPSSA Select Team WNEPSSA Select TeamHonorable Mention CSCA All State Team James Brown Award Coach’s Awards
Ryan Hopkins Chris Bayliss, Brian DeAngelo, Ryan Hagerbrant Ryan Hopkins Ryan Hopkins Gus Ruchman, Sam Waters Kyle Radler Ryan Hagerbrant Jon Bubar Ian Johnson
Philip Cutler, Mark Figgie, Tommy Hoyos, Oscar Loynaz, Andrew Reed Corey Dobbs, Kevin Quillinan, Will Reed Tommy Hoyos Tommy Hoyos Oscar Loynaz Brett Moscati Corey Dobbs, Tom Hotchkiss Chris Ghaffari Michael Allwin Kevin Quillinan Andrew Reed, Will Reed
Dan Morrisroe Karl Hantho, Dan Morrisroe Zach Prager Dan Morrisroe Karl Hantho, Zach Prager Dan Morrisroe Dan Morrisroe Jack Carter, Karl Hantho, John Eric Oberbeck, Zach Prager
Thanksgiving
Alumni Thanksgiving Weekend Skate 2007 On Saturday morning of Thanksgiving weekend, it was the battle of “Even” vs. “Odd” graduation years as Brunswick alumni came to duke it out on the ice at the Hartong Rink. The close match-up came with the winning goal at the very end of the game. “Odds” won 7–6! Even spectators noted the competitive spirit and abilities on the ice, and this was no leisurely skate. These guys were there to win! A special shout-out for the Hartong clan: not only did the three boys—Henk ’85, Billy ’92, and Pieter ’90—play, but their wives, kids, and parents were all there ice side to cheer them on. That’s true Bruin family spirit!
Winter 2008
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THE
BEYOND CLASSRO
Arabic Class Goes to Brooklyn
Times of Brunswick
Arabic continues to grow at Brunswick. Last year, Ali al-Maqtari taught two levels of Arabic and had eight students. This year, we offer three levels of Arabic and have 11 students in Arabic I, five students in Arabic II, and two students in Arabic III. For a spring outing last year, Mr. Al-Maqtari took his class to the Arab neighborhood in Brooklyn to visit stores, where the students bought Middle Eastern items such as bread and coffee. The afternoon included a spicy lunch at a Yemeni restaurant where the BWK and GA students feasted on falafel, hummus, Yemeni foul, fasoulia (beans), and rice with meat. “Students learned vocabulary words first-hand by talking with the waiters, looking at items in the store, and asking me about their meanings,” said Mr. AlMaqtari. “They were able to catch a glimpse of the Middle Eastern culture through Brooklyn, N.Y. This trip was important because it was a way to take my students beyond the boundaries of the classroom. It connected them to the culture of the language they are studying.”
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Let’s say “Olé!”
All in Good Humor James Clark and Wes Wynne, both Class of ’07, had chill summer jobs running a Good Humor truck One of their cooler stops was the 2:45 p.m. for five weeks at Brunswick baseball camp on King Street.
Hector Marban, Pre and Lower School Spanish teacher, went beyond the classroom to share his rich cultural heritage. Shown here at Rye (N.Y.) Library, Mr. Marban gave a Spanish presentation to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. To the delight of attending parents and children, Señor Marban taught games, songs, and two dances from Mexico and Peru.
RO M Nina Garcia
Appears at
Book Fair
Big Bros, Meet Your Little Bros The Big Brother/Little Brother program is a great way to encourage mentorship and to keep the Upper School boys on Maher Avenue connected with the Lower Schoolers on King Street. At a recent Lower School assembly, Big Brothers addressed the “Courage” part of our School motto, “Courage, Honor, Truth.” Tommy Hoyas ’08 spoke about Mr. (Robert L.) Cosby and how he was truly the personification of Brunswick’s motto. Second-grader Alex Riel also showed courage when he went up on stage to be wished a happy birthday from Big Brother Jonathan Bubar ’08.
This year’s Brunswick Middle School book fair “Rocket Into Reading” shot for the moon with lots of great books and author visits. Shown here is John MacGillivray ’16 helping his aunt Nina Garcia, who appeared to sign her latest book The Little Black Book of Style (HarperCollins Publishers, 2007). Ms. Garcia is also a fashion director at Elle, one of the world’s premier fashion magazines, and unerring, formidable fashion judge on Bravo’s hit show “Project Runway.”
Ride for MS Winter 2008
Bill Hoch ’09, Connor Fitzpatrick ’09, Owen Scannell ’09, and David Fitzpatrick ’12 all agree that biking is a great way to see the scenery and raise money to help people. Last summer, on behalf of The Brunswick Cycling Club, the boys rode 30 miles and raised nearly $3,700 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
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Halloween Parade Little Red Riding Hood
(Gina Hurd, assistant head of
Pre School and Lower School admissions director) and The Big Bad Wolf
(Cheryl Renn, Brunswick School nurse) led some pretty scary Pre Schoolers
from Pettengill Campus to Headmaster Tom Philip’s office
for Halloween treats. Costumes trended this year towards The Incredibles,
Storm Troopers, Transformers, Star Wars
characters, Spiderman, Commando Squad guys, Ninja,
Times of Brunswick
lots of Power Rangers, with a few Harry Potters in the mix.
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And who said Upper Schoolers can’t be scary, too?
Mrs. Michie, The Magic Storyteller Joan Michie, Pre and Lower School librarian, is a veritable wordophile. While she loves books and reading, she also likes to tell folktales and ancestor stories. Last summer, Mrs. Michie enchanted children with her storytelling magic at the city of Binghamton’s Discovery Center. Clad in an exquisitely detailed costume created by Sandra Vest, an assistant instructor in the theatre department of Binghamton University, Mrs. Michie was Lady Autumn. The costume, which was brought out again for the Brunswick Halloween Parade, includes a crazy headdress made of pheasant feathers, pinecones, and acorns. “The best part of the costume,” said Mrs. Michie, “is around the bottom of the skirt, which is inscribed with runes on leather shaped like tree leaves. Runes are symbols that stand for words such as happiness, health, wealth, and longevity.” Inspired by the get-up, Mrs. Michie theatrically performed “Why Dogs Hate Cats” (African-American), “The Useless Tree” (Chinese), “Rabbit Foot and the Peacemaker” (Iroquois), “Two Friends” (Russian), and “The Empty Pot” (Chinese), all to the delight of her heedful listeners.
Winter 2008
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Annual Giving vs. Capital Campaign… What’s the difference? Why should I give to both? Foundation for the Future: The Campaign for Brunswick This special capital campaign addresses specific needs at Brunswick: • Endowment for Faculty Support and Financial Aid • Faculty Housing • New Performing Arts Center • Upper School Renovations • Parking Goal: $45 million
2007–08 ’Wick Annual Fund Annual Fund gifts from parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and friends help support our operating budget for: • Faculty and Staff Salaries • Classroom and Curriculum Resources • Studio, Performing and Fine Arts • Athletics • Facility Maintenance • Financial Aid • Professional Development Programs
Payment of a Capital Campaign Pledge Our current campaign, Foundation for the Future, was launched at the Annual Dinner on September 20, 2007. This campaign will provide a one-time infusion of capital for the Center for the Arts, an increase to our endowment, and renovations to the Upper School. Pledges may be paid over a three-to-five-year period. Why should I give to ”Foundation for the Future?” All members of the Brunswick community—parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and friends—will be asked over the next two years to support Foundation for the Future, our capital fundraising effort. We hope you will choose to be a part of this legacy for future generations of Brunswick boys!
Goal: $3.2 million & 100% participation
Times of Brunswick
Time Frame for Annual Giving The ’Wick Annual Fund seeks support each year to address the School’s short-term needs and offset annual operating expenses. Annual Fund pledges are due by June 15, the end of the School’s fiscal year.
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Why should I give to the ’Wick Annual Fund? Regardless of other contributions you may make to Brunswick, Annual Giving should be a priority. Each year, every member of the Brunswick community— parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and friends—is asked to participate to the best of their ability. Last year, the 2006–2007 ’Wick Annual Fund achieved a record setting 98% current parent participation. This year, with your help, we hope to surpass it!
Every gift makes a difference! Thank you for your support!
If you have any questions about either the ’Wick Annual Fund or Foundation for the Future: The Campaign for Brunswick, please call Terry Gumz, Director of Advancement at 203.625.5864.
Who: Wonderful and dedicated Brunswick parent volunteers What: The 2007-2008 ’Wick Annual Fund Phonathon When: Two very productive evenings in early November Where: The Middle School Cafeteria functions as our call center (and the food was great! Now we know what our boys boast about at lunchtime!) Why: To promote Brunswick’s Annual Giving Campaign by calling fellow parents and asking for their financial participation. But that’s not all! It was also a terrific evening of laughter, good food, and good company while also performing an invaluable service to our sons’ School.
Thank you one and all!
As you can see in this 7th grade team photo, veteran Phonathon volunteer Chip Skinner is missing. However, since this is the first Phonathon in six years that Chip has missed, Tim Zuckert made sure that Chip was fairly represented in this enhanced 7th grade team photo. See you at next year’s Phonathon, Chip!
Winter 2008
Results: Successful! Substantial pledges were committed toward the 2007–2008 ’Wick Annual Fund goal of $3.2 million that balances Brunswick’s operating budget and fills the “gap” between tuition revenue and operating expenses. To make your pledge or gift to this year’s ’Wick Annual Fund, call the Development Office at 203.625.5864, or give online at BrunswickSchool.org/giving.
7th grade team: Top Row (left to right), Bengt Nergaard, Tim Zuckert, Charles Paternina, Ted Henderson, Bruce Quackenbush, Steve Hart Bottom Row, Philip Fett, Paul LaBossiere, Class Captain Doug Fields, and Walter DAgostino
Phonathon 2007
Call for Brunswick!
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Times of Brunswick
Phonathon 2007
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B runswick
Alumni
Homecoming 2007
Golf Outing The weather for the 7th Annual Alumni Golf Outing at the “Griff ” held out until exactly 3:15 in the afternoon. Just as the golfers headed inside for good food and banter, the skies opened. (Hey, what’s a rainstorm between friends? Nothing ruins the Bruin spirit!) Clubhouse hoopla included celebrating the awesome winning foursome: David Clarke ’85, Chris Day ’81, Tom O’Connor ’91, and Rick Pagnani ’81.
Winter 2008
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Homecoming 2007
Times of Brunswick
Golf Outing
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The
2007
Distinguished Alumni Award By Cat Scott, with contributions from Chris Corroon ’82
The 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award is given annually to that alumnus who has displayed a lifetime commitment to his profession, to community service, or to a combination of volunteer and professional activities and accomplishments. Recipients must also have a continued commitment to our School and must embody the traditions of “Courage, Honor, Truth.” This year Brunswick School is proud to present its 6th Annual Distinguished Alumni Award to Mayor Peter M. Corroon, Class of 1982. Celebrating his 25th reunion this past Homecoming weekend, Peter was honored for his commitment to his community, family, and alma mater. While a student at Brunswick, Peter played football, hockey, and soccer, participated in various community service projects, and took his first stab at politics as class treasurer his Senior year. He went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in engineering, with cum laude recognition from Carnegie Mellon University; his master in science in real estate from New York University,
Winter 2008
Chris Corroon ’82 and his twin brother, and Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Peter ’82
m
and his juris doctor in law from Golden Gate University. In 1994, his twin brother, Chris, persuaded Peter to move out to Utah, where he began practicing law. While in Salt Lake City, Peter accumulated a long record of public service. He served as president of the Salt Lake Vest Pocket Business Coalition, a group of locally owned and managed businesses; and also served as a small claims court judge. Peter was responsible for starting a nonprofit affordable housing company to serve unmet housing needs in Salt Lake City, and over the years, has provided volunteer legal advice to the Spanishspeaking community. His jump into politics took place when, at the suggestion of the state Democratic Party chair, he ran for the Salt Lake County mayoral seat—the largest political subdivision in the state of Utah. Peter won that race in 2004 and has since become one of the most well-known and widely respected political leaders in Utah, winning numerous awards and accolades. There has even been talk of Peter as the next governor of Utah. Through all of his success, Peter remains a committed family man. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Amy (a Utah native), and their three children, Sophie, Petey Jr., and James. Best said by his brother Chris, “In my mind, no one better represents those virtues of Brunswick School’s motto, Courage Honor, Truth. I am proud to nominate my twin brother, Mayor Peter Corroon, for the 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award.”
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Homecoming 2007 October 26–27, 2007 Believe it or not, the rain didn’t stop until Homecoming ended the following day! Despite the steady downpour (though warmer temperatures this year), Homecoming was full of celebration as it united alumni, their families, students, and many current and former faculty members. The Varsity teams had some tough matchups, yielding a few losses mixed in with some nice wins as well. Kids of alumni in attendance didn’t know where to look first with a bouncy castle, arts and crafts, face painting, and a balloon magician who created amazing creatures. (Ever see an alligator-with-teeth balloon hat? How about an insect with big buggy dangling eyes?)
Times of Brunswick
Blue ribbons go to the reunion classes, who all did an excellent job encouraging classmates to return to their Brunswick alma mater. Everyone enjoyed cheering on the home team, reliving the old days on the soccer and football fields, and reminiscing with classmates and faculty. Homecoming 2008 is September 26–27. Alumni classes ending in 3 and 8 will be celebrating their reunion years and we swear there will be clear and crisp weather this time around. (Wait, didn’t we say that last year?)
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B runswick
Alumni
Winter 2008
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Times of Brunswick
Homecoming 2007 October 26–27,
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2007
B runswick
Alumni
Winter 2008
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Times of Brunswick
Homecoming 2007 October 26–27,
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2007
B runswick
Alumni
Winter 2008
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Times of Brunswick
Homecoming 2007 October 26–27,
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2007
B runswick
Alumni
Winter 2008
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Times of Brunswick
Homecoming 2007
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October 26–27, 2007
The Robert L. Cosby Society To honor Brunswick’s past friend/mentor/teacher/ coach/legend, members of the Robert L. Cosby Society gathered last November for a pre-game football party at Durkin Dining Hall at the Macfarlane Lower School. After the exciting under-the-lights Brunswick vs. Trinity-Pawling game began, so did the rain. At half time, members of the Cosby Society invited other loyal spectators inside for cover to enjoy the food, warmth, and “skybox” view over Cosby Memorial Field. The Robert L. Cosby Society, founded in 2004, honors members of the Brunswick community who donate a cumulative total of $5,000 or more to the Robert L. Cosby Scholarship Fund over any period of time. The mission of the Society is to perpetuate the values that Mr. Cosby exemplified. As our beloved faculty member, his good nature, optimism, thoughtfulness, and fine character affected generations of Brunswick students. Mr. Cosby’s legend lives on, and the November pre-game party was another celebration to uphold his generous spirit. Society members are invited to gather annually to meet outstanding students who have benefited from the Fund, and to remember the man who provided more than 30 years of inspiration and dignity to our School. ¢
Winter 2008
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Class Notes
1955 2007 has been a rough year for our Class. We lost two classmates, both of whom died suddenly and unexpectedly. Ralph Fairbanks in February and Hayward Alker in August. Please see In Memoriam section for their respective obituaries. Good news is that we found Jim Wheatcroft relaxing in Bethesda, Md. in September. So out of a class of 17 we have 8 left and 1, Rick Penney, who may or may not be around somewhere.
Times of Brunswick
When we got an address for Jim Wheatcroft, Ralph Risley called, and thanks to Ralph’s persistent and investigative voicemail message left on a phone number located in Bethesda: “Hello, this is Ralph Risley, if Jim Wheatcroft is still amongst the living please call me at…” Jim sent a long letter confirming that he had not left the living several years ago as all records seemed to indicate and provided the following highlights of his life since having attended Brunswick his last two years of high school. Here is a recap (the original was sent to the rest of the Class):
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Jim, who was born in Chauny, France, and left Europe on the fifth of five ships—the SS Manhattan—sent by President Roosevelt to evacuate American citizens. On July 18, 1940, and at the age of four, he arrived with his parents in NYC. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University with an ROTC Commission in the Army. In 1960, Jim learned Spanish at the Army Language School, Monterey, Calif., and in 1980 after two assignments in Panama (1961–1964) and (1972–1976), two assignments in Vietnam (1967–1968) and (1971–1972), and several stateside assignments mostly in the Washington,
Compiled by Cat Scott
D.C. area, retired. In 1982, he obtained a master’s degree in teaching French, Spanish and English as a second language at the School for International Training (SIT), Brattleboro, Vt. In 1968, Jim met and married his wife Susana A. Querejazu, born in Sucre, Bolivia. They raised their three children—John-Paul, named prior to the naming of the Pope, Ana-Maria, and Gloria Helen—in Washington, D.C. All three graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, are successful professionals holding advanced degrees, and are happily married. In 1982, Susana and Jim returned to the D.C. area and soon realized that they could not raise a family with three children on a teacher’s salary, so Jim obtained a job with Sperry Corporation, which after several mergers became part of Lockheed Martin, and in 2006, after 22 years with the corporation, Jim retired yet again. Jim and Susana love to travel but have had to postpone many of their “retirement plans” due to Susana’s recent openheart surgery. They do enjoy visiting Ana-Maria and Jonathan and their two grandsons, Yogi and Xavi, 2 ½ years old and live in Manhattan. Gloria and Jasper live in D.C. John-Paul and Sara live in California. Then we all know Bill Krauter is alive and well! but we have no clue where he actually lives! Here is his latest: “We are leaving November 17 for a two-week Egyptian tour with 3 days in London on our trip home. On December 20, we fly to the Philippines to spend Christmas with Lenie’s family, and then head on to a beach resort for one
Class Notes month, as we do every year.” See, out of 365 days of the year, Bill is only home 4–5! Must be nice to be retired. Yours truly, Bill Putman (who still plans on another 10-15 years running the B&B here on Cape Cod, playing with the 55 cars, 30 cats, and growing Single Malt Scotch collection).
1959 Tom Hartch and his wife Gale recently celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary. They continue to live in Greenwich, Conn., where Tom is a partner in the law firm of Whitman Breed Abbott & Morgan and they are both active in their church. Tom participated in the 2007 Brunswick Alumni-Varsity tennis match at the King Street campus last spring 2007. Graham Huston, after 40 years of practicing law, has decided to retire. Subsequent to Brunswick, where he was an active soccer player, Graham’s education included earning an AB from Duke University and a JD from George Washington University. He founded the firm of Huston & Angus in Arlington, Va., focusing on civil litigation and commercial law. On the side, he competed in the Boston Marathon several times. Now Graham and his wife are looking forward to life in Pinehurst, N.C., both to play golf and to contribute to civic organizations. They have three adult children.
1962 Homecoming for the Class of 1962 was the opportunity to celebrate our 45th reunion. Returning for the day were Tony Andrea, Peter Chapman, Austin Cragg, Mike Dingee, John Fairgrieve, Ross Ogden, Tom Richards, Bob Sonderman, Charlie Tusa, and Bill Wearin. Bob won the prize for having traveled the longest distance—all the way from Caracas, Venezuela—and Tom received major kudos for returning to Brunswick after the longest absence, 45 years. Everyone enjoyed one another’s company and the terrific dinner at Giovanni’s Steakhouse, arranged by Charlie Tusa. Our evening was also graced with a few brave wives, Diane Wearin, Marcia Richards, and Margot Tusa. You can be sure that we talked about old times, former teachers, old romances, and all of you who missed the event! We raised a special toast to the memory of Tom Hyland, who passed away in 2005.
George Baldwin ’62 enjoying one of his many outdoor activities
No telling where the rest of you are, but we’re busy tracking you down. You can’t hide, and everyone has to make it back for the 50th Reunion in 2012! Now for communiqués from your classmates: George Baldwin writes, “I am now semi-retired and living with my wife in Fort White, Fla., just north of Gainesville. We moved here three years ago from Fort Lauderdale, seeking more trees and less condos. It’s quiet and rustic here. After many years in investment banking and corporate finance, followed by a few years in health-care consulting and marketing, I decided to do what I like the most: HR recruiting. I have my own recruiting boutique, Results! Recruiting, Inc. (results-recruiting.com). We specialize in finance and technology professional recruitment, service emerging growth companies, and subcontract for larger staffing firms. I am proud that our clientele stretches all the way from Florida to San Francisco. My health is great, and I try to stay as active as possible. I do whitewater kayaking in North Carolina and, most recently, have been doing section hiking and camping on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia and North Carolina—definitely a challenge! If any of you are driving through Jacksonville, going to or from Florida, please give me a call and I’ll meet you for lunch!” Hawley Chester checked in from Atlanta: “Penny and I now have nine grandchildren— seven are here in Atlanta, and two have moved to San Francisco. The last child, Narrie, is a junior at Blessed Trinity High school in Roswell, Ga., is a three-year member of the Varsity Softball team, and a two-year member of the Varsity Tennis team. I’m still on the ‘firing line’ at Fox Sports, where I am director of Canadian Sales & Marketing for the SPEED Channel, and enjoying every minute. Racing was always my avocation, now it’s my vocation! Tom Chester
is 89 years old and still living in Cos Cob, and Tracey is still working for the Greenwich Board of Realtors, so my connections to Greenwich remain. I look forward to seeing everybody at the 50th Reunion!” Mike Staples sent the following from his home in Chocowinity, N.C.: “I am happily retired after 32 years in health care. I received my United States Merchant Marine Officers license from the United States Coast Guard two years ago and currently hold a commercial master’s rating for vessels up to 50 tons on the inland waters of the U.S. I was going to run a sightseeing tour of some key ports in eastern North Carolina but the insurance costs are ridiculous. I am just finishing up a two-year term as Commander of the Pamlico Sail and Power Squadron, a unit of the United States Power Squadrons. I have been teaching boating safety for years now. I also received my ordination from the Universal Life Church out of California. Yes, I can marry someone, as every state in the union recognizes this church. However, the process of a rigorous religious curriculum was unnecessary; I simply went to the Web. Obviously, this process was completed as a lark although I have conducted some official duties. My days are spent between golfing and boating. I think that I can finally give Austin Cragg and Charlie Tusa a good match as I have gotten the handicap down to as low as a 3. Kathy is busy playing golf, boating, and working on sewing projects. Both our boys live in NYC. Mike works for AXA, and Elliot is the VP of Design for Limited Brands. I wish everyone health and happiness, and look forward to our 50th. Anyone passing this way on Route 95 near Wilson, N.C., should plan to stop by and spend a night in Chocowinity. ‘You all come on down.’
Winter 2008
George Baldwin and Hawley Chester upstaged our dinner by celebrating on their own at a restaurant in Atlanta, and Paul Burg came to Greenwich with his wife, but two weeks early! Sending regrets were Ward Heaviside, Mike Staples, and Charlie Mason in North Carolina, and Mike Veysey and Doug Ballin in Atlanta. Maybe we should organize reunions next year in North Carolina and Atlanta?
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Class Notes Development under President Clinton’s administration. He credits his childhood experiences on his family’s Cos Cob property for his deep appreciation of the environment.
1976 Mark Engebretson writes, “Sorry I missed last year’s Alumni Hockey game. But I’ll be back this year! Need to see more old guys out there.”
1979 “All four kids are doing well,” write John Stratton. “Walter entered first grade at Brunswick King Street campus. We both enjoy watching Brunswick’s football games at the new field!”
1983 m Adam Jenkins ’78, Jim Stein ’81 and Tony Jenkins ’82 are seen here at a music festival in Topanga Canyon, Calif. Adam is a four-time Emmy Award-winning sound mixer in both film and television. Jim owns a real estate company that caters to the entertainment industry. Tony is a sound consultant in the film industry and is currently working on a film in the Philippines. Adam and Jim continue to play ice hockey while Tony enjoys surfing. All three live in the Los Angeles area.
Times of Brunswick
And finally, for this round of class notes, Mike Veysey writes: “We’re college scouting this fall with our youngest son, a high school senior. Our other three boys are in the New England area, with two married. Our second son lives in Greenwich and works for vineyard vines®, who I think is one of Charlie Tusa’s clients. We’ve been in Atlanta almost five years where I serve as SVP and General Counsel at Scientific Atlanta, a Cisco Company. We plan to be here for two more years, and then who knows what we’ll do. My wife Susie asks me everyday what we’re going to do after that, where are we going to live, etc.? The short answer is ‘I don’t know.’ She would like to live (at least part-time) near her boys, so one of these days we may end up back in the Greenwich area. I know Hawley Chester is in Atlanta, and I haven’t seen him in awhile, but I will be calling him for a catch-up. All my best to the Class of 1962.”
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2007. Rafe founded the Climate Policy Center in 1999, an advocacy and policy group based in Washington, D.C. Prior to the founding of the policy center, he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Environment and
John Purdy started as the Director of Business Development for the Pharmaceutical and Biotech markets worldwide for Regis Learning Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of online and blended simulations out west in Colorado.
1985 On August 6, 2007, at 4:35-ish, Liam-Maverick Teja McDaniel joined the McDaniel Family at 8 pounds, 8 ounces. Dad Teja has been busy, too. The musical comedy film he directed has wrapped and is currently being edited. Also, the long awaited feature film 5IVE is in its final stages of editing (90% complete). He writes, “For those
Over the next few issues of the Times of Brunswick, we’d like to include something from each of you, so please send your updates to Ross Ogden (OgdenR@optonline.net). If we don’t hear from you, we’ll make something up; so in self-defense, you’d best send something!
1964 Rafe Pomerance returned to his hometown of Greenwich to speak about global climate change at a Bruce Museum forum in October,
Faculty member Eric Tillman with George Conrades, father of the late Gus Conrades ’86, at the Summit Lacrosse Tournament in Lake Placid, N.Y. Eric writes, “We are members of the OWU Legends who compete in the Super Grand Masters Division (age 51+). To see all these old guys who were once great laxers (with the exception of this author) still playing is a wonderful sight.” m
Class Notes not familiar with 5IVE, it is a feature-length international espionage film which I wrote. I directed and produced it with four other production teams around the world, filming on four continents, in eight countries, and thirteen cities, including Dubai, Jerusalem, Hong Kong, New York, Sydney, Rome. The production includes over 80 actors, on a production budget of ZERO. The next step is the festival circuit, streaming on YouTube and MySpace within the next few months.”
1986 John Germaske updated us with: “My wife Monique, 15-month-old Katie, and I are enjoying the crazily predictable sunshine of Santa Monica, and I am grateful to have my family in good health. I am fortunate to work for Wachovia Bank, where I specialize in corporate aircraft, yacht, and essential-use equipment finance.” Tripp Moore writes in: “My family and I relocated back to Greenwich last summer and have greatly enjoyed reuniting with local classmates including Craig Jung, Graham Murray, Keith Cipollaro, Carl Freyer, Guido Stroemer and others. My wife Laura has taken a job as social worker/counselor at Greenwich Country Day School, so it looks like my children, Eva and Spencer, will be attending school there, but I will always remain a true Bruin.”
1987 James Bragg moved back east to New York City from Chicago this past spring. He has enjoyed being back and reconnecting with his Bruins classmates.
1989 Reed McIlvaine, owner of Renny & Reed, a premiere event design and management company based in Manhattan, was back on his home turf designing the Greenwich Hospital Gala which had a Simply Green theme.
Peter Kavounas ’94 with his wife Jen and their new daughter, Madeline, minutes after the birth
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Christopher Kelley ’92 enjoying family time with his wife and their new daughter Phoebe Syman Kelley (15 months).
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1992
John Monsif moved to Washington, D.C. this fall and accepted a job with Congressman Chris Shays.
Arthur Jean-Guillaume writes, “After four years living in England, I am returning to Brussels, Belgium, to settle down with my Belgian girlfriend. This February will make it 10 years since I have left the States to live abroad.” (We all enjoyed seeing Arthur back in town for his 15th Reunion!) Timothy Waterbury wasn’t able to make it back for the 15th Reunion as he was on a fourmonth tour with the Marines in Afghanistan, returning before Christmas. Everyone missed having him there!
1993
1994 Congrats to Eddie González who got married in Spain this past August. His wife Angela is a teacher in Massachusetts, where they reside. Eddie also started a new job with Adler, Pollock & Sheehan in March. Peter Kavounas and his wife Jennifer Schenberg Kavounas, welcomed the birth of their first daughter, Madeline Rose Kavounas, on October 23, 2007.
Ryan Faherty and his wife Carol had their first child on August 19, 2007. Baby girl Nora Elizabeth Faherty and mom are doing great! Michael Grace and his wife Lauren just moved back to Rye, N.Y. with their daughters Maryanne (3 years old) and Alice (1 year old). All are well.
1990 Mat Schwalm writes, “On September 16, 2006, Samantha Kabat of Toledo, Ohio, and I were married in the Thousand Islands, N.Y. My brothers Dugan ’93 and Brad ’98 were cobestmen. We were fortunate to have a number of Brunswick and Greenwich Academy graduates in attendance including Pieter Hartong, Bailey Hallingby ’98, Michael McKeever ’60 and Elissa Raether Kovas GA ’89, Alexa Raether GA ’92, and Cara Raether GA ’97.”
In attendance at Brian Vaughan’s wedding were lots of members from the Class of 1994. From left to right: Peter Kavounas, John Flack, Brian, Eric Hopp, and Brendan Cooper. Eric Unis (not pictured) also attended the wedding.
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Nora Elizabeth Faherty
Reunion 2008 Alert! Celebrate the years since graduation at Homecoming Weekend on September 26–27! Reunion year for classes ending in 3 and 8. Please send your news to Cat Scott (cscott@brunswickschool.org/800.546.9425) to keep us all informed!
Winter 2008
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Class Notes 2001
Chris Wirth ’97 with his new wife Melissa Mahoney-Wirth on December 16, 2006
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1997 Best wishes to Chris Wirth who married Melissa Mahoney at the Rye Presbyterian Church. The reception was at Apawamis Club. Melissa is the assistant director of admission at Rye Country Day School and Chris is a partner at First Financial Resources in Greenwich. They reside in Greenwich.
1998 Daniel Snediker ’94 was married to Alexandra Laporte on January 4, 2007, in Treasure Beach, Jamaica. They live in Pittsburgh, Pa. and Daniel is working as an emergency physician.
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Brian Vaughan married Rebecca Hammond on September 29, 2007, in Nantucket. Several members of the Class of 1994 were in attendance.
1995
Janik Gasiorowski married Brooke Ellen Moore on June 2, 2007. Both recently received their doctorate degrees in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (the bride in 2005 and the groom in 2007). They reside in Georgetown, Ky. where Janik has an internship in surgical veterinary medicine at the Rood-Riddle Hospital in Lexington.
2000
Congrats to Dan Brenninkmeyer who is engaged and getting married this coming March in Argentina.
Cushing Donelan recently worked on and appeared in a mock “24” project (a spoof of the show “24”). Check it out at myspace.com/ 24swing
Jermaine Harmon is a proud dad to his 14month-old daughter.
Rana Kashyap has taken the leap and relocated to Bangalore, India. Everyone keeps asking him how the move back has been, but for this ’Wick lifer, it is truly a move TO India. A foreigner in his own homeland, Rana is adjusting quite well and attributes the early success to the values instilled during his time at Brunswick. He is currently working on strategy and business development at the Maini Group, a diversified industrial enterprise with manufacturing processes ranging from precision components to an electric car. Matt Losch is working in Greenwich after 20 months of living in Thailand.
2002 Jamie Coffin writes, “I’m now working in Greenwich at Newmark Knight Frank doing commercial real estate, but doing the reverse commute from NYC where I live with Matt Heineman ’01 and Per Barre ’01.” Carter Hempleman returned, from Suzhou, China, in June where he was teaching English for two semesters, and is now working for PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Manhattan.
2004 Andrew Small was one of four three-match winners for Hamilton College which placed third in the five-team Liberty League championships that were recently played at St. Lawrence University’s Robie Squash Center.
Best wishes to John McCormick who got married in October.
Times of Brunswick
Jimmy Seaborg is living outside of Boston, Mass., with his wife, Angela. He is working as a marketing manager for O Water. They are always trying to find time to travel, ski, sail, garden, hike, etc, etc!
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1996 Michael Gansfuss married Alison Cole on April 14, 2007, in Dallas, Texas. The couple honeymooned in the West Indies and resides in Chicago, Ill.
Matt Virture ’06, Bart Witmer ’05, Matt Ferrer ’05, and Charlie Tashjian ’05 at Trinity College on April 14, 2007, for the Middlebury vs. Trinity lacrosse game
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Class Notes
In Memoriam Hayward R. Alker ’55 died unexpectedly on August 24, 2007, in Providence, R.I. Selected in his Brunswick yearbook as “most likely to succeed,” Hayward certainly did. By special dispensation of MIT’s Board of Regents, he made full professor at age 29. The Swedish government named him the first holder of the Olaf Palme memorial professorship that qualified him to teach on war and peace in any Swedish university. Later in his career, he held the John A. McCone Chair in international security studies at USC. He is survived by his wife Ann, who recently completed her term as president of the International Studies Association; three daughters, all of whom hold prestigious graduate degrees; a twin brother Henry ’55; a sister Charity; and six grandchildren. At memorial services on both coasts, Hayward was celebrated for both his interpersonal generosity and the moral foundation of his work. James Allwin, father of Chris Allwin ’03; Katrina Allwin GA ’05; and Michael Allwin, grade 12, passed away on October 19, 2007, from cancer. He was 54. Jim received his BA degree from Yale University in 1974. In 1976, he received his MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College. In 1999, he founded Aetos Capital, an investment management firm. In 2005, he became the CEO of AEA Holdings, an entity created from the combination of Aetos Capital and AEA Investors. Prior to founding Aetos Capital, Allwin was head of the investment management businesses of Morgan Stanley, including Morgan Stanley Asset Management: Miller Anderson & Sherrerd: and the firm’s private equity and real estate funds. In addition to his dedicated work in the business sector, Allwin made important contributions in the areas of education, health care and the arts. He served on the Greenwich Academy Board of Trustees from 1997–2004, and was Chairman of the Board from 2000–2004. His wife Maria and his three children survive Jim. Ultimately, he was a beloved husband and father.
Gordon Lyon Benjamin, Jr., ’45 passed away peacefully on August 11, 2007, in Portsmouth, R.I. Gordon graduated from Brunswick in 1945, immediately enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve, and served in World War II as an Instrument Specialist and Aviation Mechanic. After World War II, he attended Clarkson College and graduated with a degree in mechanical-industrial engineering. After various positions with manufacturing companies, Gordon ventured out on his own and created Warren Electric Corporation, a manufacturer of industrial electric immersion heaters in Warren, R.I. Since its creation in 1962, the company has continued to grow and is still manufacturing in Warren. Gordon was an avid competitor and yachtsman who initiated many into the sport of sailing. He enjoyed activities shared with family and friends, most especially with his wife Robbie. Gordon is survived by Robbie; three sons, Gordon, David, and Lawrence; a daughter, Mary; ten grandchildren; a brother, Charles; several nieces and nephews; and former wife and mother of his children, Fan. Milo Berking ’43 passed away on November 19, 2007, at home surrounded by his family, after a two-month battle with cancer. Mr. Berking attended Brunswick, but then graduated from the Loomis School in Windsor, Conn. before attending Williams College and Yale University. He served as a first lieutenant with the Marine Corps during World War II and was recalled to duty during the Korean War. Milo enjoyed a successful career in sales, advertising, and public relations, including stints at Headley Reed Company (New York City), WNIX-Radio (Springfield, Vt.), and HBMCreamer (Providence, R.I.). He became sales manager at Whiteco Metrocom (formerly Standish Johnson Company) in Providence,
where he also worked with Holmes Boucher & Company before forming his own advertising and public relations firm, Berking Communications, and working with Finney Outdoor Advertising of Fall River, Mass. On April 24, 1954, Milo married Sheila Sanders, daughter of Beverly and Agnes Sanders of Rye, N.Y. The Berkings lived in Barrington, R.I., from 1957 to 1988 where they raised their four children, Barbara, Carter, Christopher, and Margot. In 1988, Mrs. Berking passed away from brain cancer after a two-year battle. Upon the death of his wife, Milo was reunited with a friend, Sylvia Carr, daughter of John and Mary Biddle Sinclair, with whom he had grown up in Greenwich. Married in 1992, they enjoyed travels to visit their children, the births of grandchildren, tennis weekends with friends, and sailing aboard their ketch Tidings. More than for his career or his generous volunteer work, Milo was known for his direct and modest character. He was a gentleman, never speaking badly of others, and his friendship has left an indelible mark on all who knew him. As his late brother Max was fond of saying, “They don’t come any nicer than that.” Milo is survived by his wife Sylvia; his four children: Bobbie Berking-Dalzell and her husband David of Providence; his son Carter Berking and his wife Adele of Great Barrington, Mass.; his son Christopher Berking and his wife Sheryl of Beverly, Mass.; and his daughter Maggie Daigle and her husband Bob of Portland, Maine. He is also survived by his stepchildren: Kate and Sandy Heavenrich of Richmond, Va.; Keb Carr of Ventura, Calif.; Sylvia and Don Rubenstein of Walnut Creek, Calif.; Deb and Paul Adamy of Nyack, N.Y.; Matt and Melissa Carr of Midlothian, Va.; Suzy and Christian Weber of Midlothian, Va.; Dan and Kari Carr of Fairfield, Conn.; Liz & Dom Gennusa of Harrison, N.Y.; and John and Abby Carr of New York City. He also leaves 7 grandchildren, 23 stepgrandchildren, and 2 step-great-grandchildren. Nancy “Susie” Bidwell, mother of Sanford Simmons ’71, Mark Simmons ’72, Gordon Simmons ’73, and stepmother of Charles Bidwell ’81 and Michael Bidwell ’83, died of heart failure on October 28, 2007. She is survived by her loving husband Seth and sister Jane; by her three sons; five grandchildren; one great grandson; five stepchildren, and four stepgrandchildren.
Reunion 2008 Alert! Celebrate the years since graduation at Homecoming Weekend on September 26–27! Reunion year for classes ending in 3 and 8. Please send your news to Cat Scott (cscott@brunswickschool.org/800.546.9425) to keep us all informed!
Winter 2008
Jonathan Bass, husband of Greenwich Academy faculty member Kristen Erickson, and father of William Bass, grade 4, and Christopher Bass, grade 1, passed away on October 21, 2007, from cancer. Jonathan earned his undergraduate degree in geology from the University of Cardiff, Wales, and a Ph.D. in geology from Wolfson College at
Oxford University. He was most recently employed as an environmental geologist with the firm of Camp, Dresser & McGee in New York City. An avid rower and a 10-year member of the Norwalk River Rowing Club, he also enjoyed cycling and skiing. Jonathan leaves his wife, Kristen Erickson, and two sons, William and Christopher; his sister Sarah Iwata and her husband Shiro; their two children Ken and Kay; his in-laws Joy and William Erickson, and many close friends in England and the United States.
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Class Notes
In Memoriam Michael Biondi, father of Michael Biondi ’06; Jamie Biondi, grade 12; William Biondi, grade 10; and Cameron Biondi, grade 8, passed away on November 12, 2007. Mike was a graduate of Dartmouth College, where he met his wife Cynthia, and received an AB in History and English. He also played on the baseball team at Dartmouth. Later, Mike received his MBA from the Wharton School and his JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Most recently, Mike served as co-chairman of Investment Banking of Lazard, and as a managing director of the firm, where he worked since 2003. He joined Lazard from Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, where he held a number of senior positions, including chairman and cochief executive of the Americas, and co-head of Global Investment Banking. Prior to that, he was a founding partner of Wasserstein Perella & Co., and served as its chairman and chief executive officer from 1996 until its sale in early 2001. He began his M&A career as a lawyer at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Mike was an avid skier and golfer, and was a serious wine collector and bird-shooting enthusiast. He was a baseball fanatic, statistician and historian, and was a devoted Mets fan. He loved nothing more than playing baseball with his four boys. He also completed the New York Times crossword puzzle every day. Mike continued to be active with Dartmouth where he co-chaired the Dartmouth College Fund with his wife Cindy, and also at Penn, where he served as chair of the Law School’s Institute for Law and Economics. He was also a board member of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association. He is survived by his wife Cindy, four sons, and two brothers Frank and Robert.
Times of Brunswick
Former Brunswick faculty member Bruce Cartozian passed away on October 14, 2007, in Yountville, Calif. Mr. Cartozian was an Upper School science teacher from 1962 through 1977. During his tenure at Brunswick, he taught biology, chemistry, physics, and for many years was chairman of the science department. The Class of 1968 yearbook, which was dedicated to Mr. Cartozian, has a section that reads: “An undaunted champion of precision, Mr. Cartozian has infused a measure of his order into each student. Whether helping a senior out of a
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slump or leading the chemistry class in calisthenics, he is living proof that science need not be an affair of dust and textbooks. Humor is his most powerful weapon, a lancet to deflate the superfluous and hypocritical, or a means of turning crisis into entertainment. He is perhaps the School’s least appreciated teacher, certainly one of the most deserving of recognition; and consequently the Senior Class takes great pride in dedicating this yearbook to him.” Mr. Cartozian is survived by his brother William and sister-in-law Alice Cartozian; two sons, Clayton and Tobey; four daughters, Katie, Markrid, Karoun, and Marian; numerous nieces and nephews; and all of his Brunswick students who learned from his teachings. Ralph Williamson Fairbanks, Jr., ’55, a recent resident of Annapolis and previously of Weston, Conn., died unexpectedly February 6, 2007, at Anne Arundel Medical Center. The cause of death was cardiac arrest. Born January 17, 1937, in Boston, Mr. Fairbanks graduated in 1955 from Brunswick School and in 1959 from Brown University in Providence, R.I. He spent 25 years in sales and marketing with IBM and later moved to a sales position with Satellite Business Systems, a joint venture by IBM, Aetna, and Comcast. Ralph retired from Spectralink, a telecommunications company in Denver. An ardent sailor, he also was active in the Boy Scouts of America as scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 88 in Weston. He was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Weston and St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Annapolis. Surviving are his wife Mary Elizabeth Cullen Fairbanks, whom he married in 1962; one son, Ralph Williamson Fairbanks III of Potomac, Md.; four daughters, Catherine Soto of Potomac, Md.; Anne Knapp of Savannah, Ga.; Sarah Duffy of Oak Park, Ill.; and Emily Fairbanks of Washington, D.C.; one sister, Lois Mitchell of Duluth, Minn.; and 18 grandchildren. Christine Nichols Ferrer, mother of Nick and Matt ‘05, died on July 13, 2007 after a long battle against melanoma. She was 55. Christy was a graduate of Darien High School and received her bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University. She went on to Shearman and Sterling, where
cont’d she was a paralegal, and where she met her future husband, Esteban “Steve” Ferrer. Christy’s career and passion was to be a devoted wife and mother. In addition, she was heavily involved in her children’s schools and her church. She is survived by her husband and their two sons; by her father, step-mother, her sister, and two brothers; her brother-in-law Carlos Ferrer, his wife Rosemary, and their sons Charlie ’00, Willy ’03, and Andrew ’04; as well as a sister-in-law, stepsiblings, and 21 devoted nieces and nephews. Robert McCullough ’38 passed away on August 14, 2007, after a brief illness. He attended Brunswick School, but went on to graduate from Taft School, followed by Brown University. Robert served in World War II as a commander officer of Destroyer Escort. He spent his career as a senior officer with Collins and Aikman Company and then as chairman of the board for Chesapeake Petroleum Co. However, one of his true passions was sailing and competitive racing. Robert is survived by his wife of 65 years Margaret; daughters, Constance, Sandra, D. Scott, and Linda; sisters, Dorothy and Marilyn; and many nieces and nephews. Max Richter, father of Hans Richter ’85, passed away on August 18, 2007, of complications from dementia. Kind and beloved husband of Judy (Hofmann) Richter, he is also survived by his mother Carla; two sons, Hans and Philip; daughter-in-law Jennifer; two granddaughters, Maxine and Margot; brother Ernst; and two cousins, Gisela Richter and Irma Pedersen. James Singer, father of Mac Singer, grade 8, and Hilary Singer, GA grade 10, passed away on October 21, 2007, after battling a long illness. Jim was 56 years old. Adored husband of Dee Dee, devoted and wonderful father of Hillary and Mac, precious son of Rita Baldinger Singer, beloved brother of Steven, Richard and sisterin-law Stephanie, and devoted son-in-law to Margery Wiesenthal. Allin Brower Turner ’32 passed away in Dunedin, Fla., on May 3, 2007, from injuries received in a fall. Allin often spoke highly of his years at Brunswick and enjoyed receiving alumni news.
Looking forward… Giving back Share your appreciation! About to sell some real estate? Think Brunswick. How? Here are a few ideas: • Give your property to Brunswick, take a charitable deduction for your full market value, and create a named endowment fund. • Give a percentage interest in your property to Brunswick now, and keep the rest of the proceeds of sale when you sell. • Use your property to create a trust that pays you income for life and leaves the principal to Brunswick later. • Give your home to Brunswick now, but retain the right to live in it for the rest of your life. Let us help you find the way that fits your needs. You will be glad.
The Carmichael Society
For more information, call Tom Murray Director of Development for Major Gifts at 203.625.5864 / 800.546.9425 Email: tmurray@brunswickschool.org or visit us online at BrunswickSchool.org/giving
$100,000 Alumni Annual Fund Challenge! An unprecedented offer by an anonymous alumnus will match every new and increased gift made between now and June 15, 2008, up to a total of $100,000. To give, please call 800.546.9425 or go online to BrunswickSchool.org/giving In an effort to be thoughtful to our environment, Times of Brunswick is printed on paper that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). It contains fiber from well-managed forests, controlled sources. www.fsc.org Cert. no. SW-COC-1558 © 1996 Forest Stewardship Council
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