Today Spring 2018
Where will SEM take you?
Spring 2018
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Celebrate Fall 2018 ¯ SEM The Annual All-School Picnic
9/8 from 5 - 7pm
Don’t miss the annual picnic on Bidwell Parkway presented by the Parent Association. Welcome new families and spend time with old friends! Enjoy great food, pick up SEM gear - kick off the school year in style!
Open House
9/30 from 9am - noon
Join us as we show prospective families what we all love about SEM. Please contact Laura Munson ‘79 if you are available to volunteer lmunson@buffaloseminary.org
SEM?Quest
11/16-18
“We love theatre and we play all the parts!” is the SEM theatre department credo. Fall and spring, friends, family, faculty, alumnae, and the public are invited to an all-girl production chosen and directed by theater instructor Susan Drozd.
Grandparent Morning
Spring 2018
Head of School Helen Ladds Marlette (P’13) Director of Communications/ SEM Today Editor Erin St. John Kelly (P’13 & P’17) Annual Fund Melanie Jaskolka Alumnae Relations & Communications and Class Notes Editor Betsy Bloom ‘08 Development Operations Manager Susan Beich (P’06)
11/2 from 7 - 10pm
Join fellow parents, faculty, trustees, and alumnae for a casual fun-filled evening of games, music, and silent auction. Join us for an evening of great fun! Contact Melanie Jaskolka if you would like to volunteer - mjaskolka@buffaloseminary.org
Fall Play
Annual magazine for the alumnae, friends, parents, and students of Buffalo Seminary
11/20
Don’t let grandparents miss the fun at SEM as granddaughters show their grandparents why they love their school. With performances, cookies, and coffee, a granddaughter/grandparent family picture, and the opportunity to be interviewed by granddaughters as part of StoryCorps’ national oral history project “The Great Thanksgiving Listen.” RSVP to buffaloseminary@buffaloseminary.org.
Gifts & Records Manager Nancy Miller In Memoriam & Class Notes Editor SEM Historian Gary R. Sutton Editorial Betsy Bloom ‘08 (faculty/staff) Susan Drozd (faculty/staff) Molly O. Greene ‘98 (faculty/staff) Sharon Kounovsky (faculty/staff) Tess Rine ‘18 Grace Heidinger ‘18 Sophie Michaud (faculty/staff) Laura Munson ‘79 (P’19 & ‘21) (faculty/staff) Harry Schooley (former faculty/staff) Gary Sutton (faculty/staff) Jiaxuan “Jocelyn” Yang ‘19
This festive and fun holiday tradition just keeps on growing! Browse and shop with local merchants and artisans and try your luck at the always spectacular basket raffle. Support SEM clubs and the BSAA when you stop in at their booths and snack on tasty treats!
Photography & Art Caitlin Cass (faculty/staff) Amy Doyle (P’18) Susan Drozd (faculty/staff) Michele Goldfarb Erin Kelly (P’13 & P’17) (faculty/staff) Isabelle Fisher (P ‘20) (faculty/staff) Kyle Hopkins (P’13 & P’16) (faculty/staff) Sharon Kounovsky (faculty/staff) Ann Leslie (P’19) (faculty/staff) Laura Munson ‘79 (P’19 & ‘21) (faculty/ staff) Margaret Treichler Jesse Sloier ‘17
Revel & Alumnae Reception
SEM Today ONLINE Director of Technology Beth Adamczyk
Holiday Bazaar
12/8
12/21
All alumnae are invited to Revel and to a reception that follows in the Colby Room. Share stories & hot cocoa with former teachers and classmates!
Designer Cassandra Ott *P = Parent Cover: A Google map of the SEM alumnae global network - 3300 strong. Want to find someone or be found? Visit buffaloseminary.org/Alumnae.
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Table of Contents 4 10 14 16 24 30 32 38
SEMinal Influence Admission Report National School Walkout Capstone The Enduring Gifts of the McNulty Sisters Lean on Coach Phil Barth But Never Lean on the Wall Red Letter Days for the Red-Tailed Hawks Class Notes
Beini Ding '19 gazes at the works of Colby-Oishei Artist Julia Bottoms
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Letter from Head of School | Spring is finally making an appearance in Buffalo. This sunny April morning our seniors kicked off their final few weeks at SEM with a Buffalove tailgate breakfast on the parkway followed by a surprise invitation for the whole school to join them for doughnuts in the Margaret Mugel '38 Atrium. The fun-loving spirit and kindness they displayed reminds me that there is no place like SEM.
By Helen L. Marlette
After a full-day retreat and many shorter faculty meetings, we flexed our creative and collaborative muscles and designed our path for the future. The excitement of devoting the time to creative collaborative thinking and the prospect of executing our plans is palpable. Multitalented Assistant Head of School Sophie Michaud captured our work in this graphic:
The 2017-18 school year has been marked with moments of joy and celebration and moments of heartbreak that challenged us all. It is in these moments that I return to our mission and traditions. We are an all-girl school with a supportive, welcoming, and nurturing academic community. Our students are involved, outspoken, and care deeply about one another. Our faculty and staff are committed to our students and passionate about collaboration, and their classes. We must continuously examine our work to ensure that we provide our students with the knowledge, skills, and grit to make a difference in their communities. In the spring of 2017, we hired the firm Leadership + Design (L+D) to help us examine our program. In the fall, we examined all aspects of life at SEM guided by L+D facilitators using this philosophy: We design experiences for the people who create the future of teaching and learning. Through our work, we seek to build capacity, create conversations that lead to action, and make connections between and among school leaders and schools. It is my honor to share her work with you and to wish her well as she and her family will relocate to the Washington, DC area in July. Sophie has been a driving force here – challenging us to make the time to envision and design the future of SEM's program. I thank her and we will honor her by following through on the important projects we have started.
Helen leads "Simon Says" in the Magavern-Sutton Courtyard with the incoming freshmen, fall 2017
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In two short years, I have learned important lessons: 1. Moments of joy happen when you least expect them, and they should be celebrated and cherished. 2. Members of the SEM community are uniquely capable of supporting each other. 3. No two years in the life of a head of school will be the same. It is this understanding that energizes me for the work ahead. Please enjoy this SEM Today and stay connected with us.
| BuffaloSeminary.org We’re excited to launch a new look for the SEM website on or about June 1. Our logo remains the same and our SEM red is eternal, but the new navigation and layout are simplified. A website is always hungry for pictures and video – Technology Director Beth Adamczyk and I are going to spend the summer feeding it. Alumnae, parents, students, faculty and prospective families should find it useful and engaging and reflective of the unique SEM experience. -Erin Kelly
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#OnceaSEMgirlalwaysaSEMgirl The best way to show SEM students a path to the future is to illuminate it with the words of the women who preceed them. Find in these voices a bind to generations of alumnae with each other, the students at SEM now, and those who will come next.
SEMinal Influence Tara VanDerveer '71 Head Coach Stanford Women’s Basketball
One of only eight NCAA women's basketball coaches to win over 900 games, and one of six NCAA Division I coaches – men's or women's – to win 1,000.
Seminaria 1971
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Best 60 seconds @SEM? Scoring a goal in our field hockey game against Nottingham. This happened in my first week as a SEM student. I transferred to SEM at the end of October in my junior year. Being part of a team made my transition to a new school a lot easier! I wish that I knew what I know now: The things I knew then (when I was at SEM) have just been reinforced. The importance of being an honest person, working hard, being inclusive, having integrity, and being resilient. More than anything what I know now is how critical DISCIPLINE has been to my success and happiness. I have a favorite quote ‘the pain of discipline is much less than the pain of regret.’ Discipline in coaching is essential. On one hand you have to push yourself constantly to keep up with the demands of the job. On the other hand, it is key to live a healthy lifestyle and have balance. Fortunately, I have found that “sweet spot.” This allows me to enjoy the journey! It is so exciting to see the opportunities that young girls have now. I missed the chance to play big time college basketball but Title 9 has changed that! As a young girl my Dad told me “basketball will never take you anywhere.” In fact, I have traveled all over the world coaching the sport I love. (I sent my Dad postcards!) I did take my Dad’s advice when he told me to “believe in yourself and anything is possible.” When I think back to my SEM days more than anything what I think I gained was confidence. I can’t thank my parents enough for making the sacrifices they made to send me to SEM! Interview by Harry Schooley
Kelley Donohue Hacker '85
Christine Driscoll '07 Best 60 seconds @SEM? Singing the descant to Jerusalem until we were asked to stop. I cried laughing and it's beautiful, too. Biggest post-SEM challenge: Adjusting to a large university.
Best 60 seconds @SEM? Winning a game against Nichols in field hockey. Biggest SEM challenge: Speaking French!
Allison C. (Stefanik) Macguire '00 Biggest SEM challenge: Mr. Schooley! I had to work so hard for a B in his class. Nothing better prepared me for college though. He taught me how to study. SEM oasis: My oasis at SEM was either the chapel or the theater spaces. With Toni Wilson and theater, I was more myself than anywhere else.
Lindsay Mathias '11 Best 60 seconds @SEM? Driving around in a convertible on Hornet/ Jacket Day. SEM oasis: The catwalk.
Meg Dutton Baglioni '78 Biggest post-SEM challenge: Defending my choices as a woman, mother, nurturer. I wish that I knew what I know now: The world is there for you to explore, and language barriers are so easily overcome.
Patricia Liesinger Guinn '61 Biggest post-SEM challenge: Trying to build self confidence and believing that I could succeed and doing it. SEM oasis: The library.
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Nancy Bredenberg LaRusch '68
Lucy Butterbaugh Coburn '73
Best 60 seconds @SEM? 1st day. Freshman year. I wish that I knew what I know now: Enjoy the moment.
Best 60 seconds @SEM? Performing in the rock opera Tommy. I wish that I knew what I know now: That SEM would not last forever.
Tara Matthews '05 Biggest post-SEM challenge: Adjusting to a world where most people don't understand the importance of Putting on the Hits. I wish that I knew what I know now: SEM friendships are forever-friendships that transcend large stretches of time and geographic boundaries.
Brielle d'Estries '06 SEM oasis: The hallway between the senior lounge and West-Chester. Ann, Carrie, Laura and I built a fort there and had some hilarious times...I mean...we were studying really hard! I wish that I knew what I know now: I wish that I knew it is OK to mess up, it is OK to get in trouble, it is OK to ask for forgiveness, and take a risk! Those four years at SEM are some of the best times of your life – do not forget to take a step back and breathe it all in. You will miss it!
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Magaret Brown '72 Biggest SEM challenge: Algebra, by far. Still don't get it, but managed to survive. My math teachers barely survived. I wish that I knew what I know now: The financial and other sacrifices SEM parents make to realize the dream for their daughters.
Meghan Hofert Gebhardt '03 Biggest SEM challenge: I was at SEM during 9-11. At the time I thought we handled it well – everyone met together in the chapel to watch what was going on, we had several conversations about it afterwards, including prayers of peace from the Bible and the Quran. With hindsight and hearing what other friends' high schools did, I am so proud of the way SEM's teachers and staff handled a very difficult and scary time. Biggest post-SEM challenge: I am now in a male-dominated field (agriculture/business development). It's amazing to me how I continuously draw on the confidence and strength I learned at SEM in an all-girls setting. I'm not sure I'd be in this position if I didn't have those reserves to draw on. SEM prepared me to move boldly in the right direction.
Carolyn Jones Gurney '61 Best 60 seconds @SEM? Sinking a basketball shot from mid-court. Biggest post-SEM challenge: Keeping up with classmates :)
Hilairy Hartnett '86 Best 60 seconds @SEM? There are a lot of good answers to this question! I'll have to say the opening night of our production of Mame in 1986 – I was the stage manager and it was a great show! I wish that I knew what I know now: I could have been a lot 'nicer' to myself in high school. I was very bad at letting myself make mistakes and then learning from them. I always felt that I had to be perfect and that probably prevented me from just being better.
Enjoy the moment.
Our Oldest Tradition is Forward Thinking S
EM would not be SEM without the scaffold of our specific traditions. Some are generations old (Honor Code signing) and are planned just as they always were, while some have been created and embedded just in the last few years (like the Hawk Walk and Lunar New Year). Then there are those that have been renovated, as was Hanging of the Greens this year. A faculty committee explored new possibilities to make what began as decorating for the BSAA Bazaar even more significant and inclusive. December 1, each class created a felt banner that meant something to them and we decorated with real greens, carried in by the students. Hanging of the Greens was beautiful, fragrant, universally appealing, and fun.
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Sept. 2017 All School Picnic
Sept. 2017 Honor Code Signing
Dec. 2017 Hanging of the Greens
Nov. 2017 Hawk Walk
Dec. 2017 Hanging of the Greens
Dec. 2017 Revel
Feb. 2018 Lunar New Year
Feb. 2018 Lunar New Year
Dec. 2017 Young Alumnae Reception
Feb. 2018 Trip to Quebec
Mar. 2018 French Exchange
Mar. 2018 Spanish Trip to Puerto Rico Spring 2018
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Alumnae Admission Directors Speak From the Heart | By Grace Heidinger ‘18
It has recently been discovered with the help of SEM Historian Gary Sutton and Director of Admission Laura Munson, that since the creation of the position 1974, every SEM director of admission has been an alum, with only one exception. Who better to express
to prospective parents and students the impact of SEM than someone who has experienced it first hand? Ms. Munson and Mr. Sutton traced the first official director of admission to Mary Ellen Lowe Tompkins ‘62. Not only is she an historic figure for that reason, but for her lasting impact on lunch! “As I recall, she was responsible for bringing the salad bar to SEM,” said Ms. Munson. At one time, the process was to have the applications collected by administration staff followed by the head of school appointing an admission committee which would build the incoming class. Alumnae perfectly fit the admission position because they can describe to prospective families the different aspects of SEM including the challenging academics, lifelong friendships formed, and traditions like Hornet/Jacket Day. Although the director of admission keeps the process going and promotes SEM, it is clear from interviews with prospective students and their families that it is SEM itself that has the most impact on admission: SEM students and the welcoming environment, the SEM faculty, and small class sizes, and the beautiful SEM building and campus. These features make SEM so unique and special to everyone who has ever been here.
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Meet the Class of 2022 Led by Ms. Munson, the admission team (associate admission directors Kim Trow and Kacie Mills) admitted the Class of 2022. The next class of SEM girls comes from 29 different schools in the U.S. and abroad. SEM is excited to welcome our first residential students from the Bahamas and from Kenya. This class is not only multi-cultural but multitalented comprising gifted scholar athletes, talented photographers, 3D animators, and dancers. While some members of the class of 2022 have travelled extensively in foreign countries, others have lived in six different states, participated in the Junior Olympics, and have rebuilt cars. The Class of 2022 as a whole loves to laugh, have fun, and the most used word to self-describe themselves is “kind.” “Thank you to all of my predecessors for their dedication to SEM and for providing such a solid foundation for me and those to come to build on,” said Ms. Munson. “It’s going to be another great year at SEM.”
Heads of Admission Mary Ellen Lowe Tomkins ‘62 Linda Kittinger Wadsworth ‘56 Rosemary Gohr Caldwell ‘49 Amy Lucachik Carpenter ‘81 Paula Thill Suzanne (Suzy) Marlette Sears ‘73 Cynthia Baird Stark ‘81 Carrie Lyons Auwarter ‘96 Moira Giammaresi Lewis ‘05 Laura Munson ‘79
Red Key ambassadors aide the admission process at SEM. (Seniors pictured.)
SUMMER @SEM All-Girl Power All Summer Long! For Girls Entering Grades 5-9 June 25-Aug.3 Financial Literacy for Girls, Entrepreneurship, Crew, Squash, Sailing and Lots of Traditional Camp Fun For
Girls Entering Grades 6-9 July 8-28 Sleepaway@SEM
Sailing, Squash, Crew and Traditional Camp Fun. Evening and Weekend Cultural Outings, Outdoor Adventures & University Visits Live Family-Style in our Historic Home Student Residences
Immersion@SEM
Learn English Through the Study of American History & the Women Who Lived it
For Girls Entering Grades 6-10 July 15-21 & July 22-28 Squash@SEM
Intensive with visiting Connecticut College Coach Mike MacDonald
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Living @SEM |
By Jiaxuan “Jocelyn” Yang '19
I
used to consider myself a warrior who could overcome all kinds of challenges; however, I doubted myself, just for a second, when facing the Buffalo winter. Born and raised in Beijing and settled in Pacific Northwest for a year and a half, I'd wondered whether I could survive a freaky Buffalo snowstorm just after I arrived at SEM in January 2017. I have survived because, fortunately, there has been constant warmth inside the SEM community from a supportive sisterhood. At SEM, I have shared my room for the first time. Jiani Lu '18, my sophomore year roommate and first roommate ever, talked about sports all day long at Oishei House. She is always so vital, so full of life and energy. When I heard her grinding her teeth at night, I assumed she was probably fighting in her dreams. Spring is a time for a change and new beginnings. Spring of 2017, on the second floor of Wendt House, I met my second roommate Mikang Kim, who was one of the graduating seniors of the Class of 2017. I remember neither of us was completely asleep nor completely awake during those final days of the school year. In the middle of the night when she rubbed her eyes and mumbled something in Korean that I didn't understand, I still figured that she was asking me about the time as she tapped her wrist with her pointer finger. Whatever different languages we speak, roommates' minds are in sync with time. Returning to SEM as a junior, I secretly delighted at how lucky I was to live in a single room. I thought this little area would ideally create a productive study environment, but it was only for weekdays. With the ongoing parties of the weekends, I named it a new common room of Niscah House rather than a personal sleeping space. As one of my high school achievements, I became a "house mom" with a sympathetic ear and supported my peers by sharing our experiences. It's interesting to watch people come and go, leaving a memory behind them.
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SEM is a place that connects girls from all over. When exchange students from France or a Latin American country come, I get to learn about different cultures. Two Guatemalan girls, Maria "Ale" DeLeon Quiñónez and Ana "Isabel" Franco Ordoñez, and I have kept up strong friendships founded when they stayed in Niscah House in the fall of 2017. We went trick-or-treating together on Halloween, practiced our non-native languages in writing and speaking, and understood Starbucks as a regular part of American culture, while a luxury brand in both China and Guatemala. Our communication broadened each other's horizons – while rooted in our SEM experience. Living at SEM, there is a variety of house activities and faculty-led weekend activities for students. Instead of grinding away at our homework, we can get off campus and socialize with our friends at an indoor climbing party in Niagara Falls or take a Jet Boat ride in Lewiston. This winter, first time snowshoeing was an unforgettable weekend experience.. With the lead of Nurse Nancy and Mrs. Bernecki, we put on those large, flat shoes that allowed us to float atop the snow. While trying out a new way of walking through the woods, I felt the need to compact the snow into a snowball and launch an attack... SEM is a bridge that connects me to my academic goals while also exploring global cultures. Every time my friends in China greet me with a "winter" joke, I usually chuckle with a heart full of secrets. I tell them the secrets of surviving Buffalo winters were not only just about heat and instant ramen, but the warmth of sisterhood and compassion that is the SEM community. I have survived twice with all that support - one more year to go.
Fall Picnic 1. Residential students went on a picnic at Delaware Park on a sunny afternoon in September. Halloween 2. Ale Quiñónez, Ana "Isabel" Franco Ordoñez, Xiting "Cindy" Huang, Liheng "Helen" Wu and Jiaxuan “Jocelyn” Yang Trick-or-Treating in the neighborhood. 3. Chenlei “Amy” Li and Jing “Lexi” Bian showed real skills at pumpkin carving! Lunar New Year Feast 4. Zeyun "Zoey" Liu, Zhe "Susan" Su, Mingting "Spencer" Xu, and Yixuan "Rebecca" Li made a Lunar New Year feast at Niscah House in February. Indoor Rock-Climbing 5. Huaze "Shannon" Shao '19 climbs the jagged indoor rocks during our weekend activity with teachers Kyle and Doug Hopkins at the Niagara Rock Climbing Center in February, 2018.
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SEM Activism: National School Walkout |
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n February 14, 2018 Nikolas Jacob Cruz, age 19, attacked Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida with a AR-15 style semi-automatic weapon. In the end, 17 people were dead at the hands of a mentallyill former student with a gun. Unimpeachable facts. America is once again left in the wake of a tragedy but something extraordinary happened: activism. This time around, students cried out for gun control rather than thoughts and prayers, with the hope that this school shooting will lead to changes in gun legislation. Head of School Helen L. Marlette signed an open letter with other New York State Association of Independent School heads that ran in the February 25 issue of The New York Times. The letter called on lawmakers for action to ensure the safety of students. Mrs. Marlette said the open letter was not a political stance but a stance that supported student safety. At 10:00am March 14, students all across America participated in the National School Walkout. It lasted only 17 minutes but it was a powerful statement: March 14, marking the one-month anniversary of the mass shooting, and 17 minutes, marking the 17 lives that were ended. Many SEM students chose to support this movement.
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By Tess Rine '18
Prior to March 14, SEM students activated for the cause. Seniors Katie Gibbons and Maggie Rose Bontempo took on leadership roles with this protest. With the help of Director of Equity and Expansion Kanika Durland and Assistant Head of School Natalie Stothart, they organized two SEM-specific events before the walkout. Students wrote letters to members of Congress on Monday, March 12 and made posters on Tuesday, March 13.
"I feel like it's SEM purposefully taking a stand so, it's nice that the school is standing with us."
-SGA President Maddy Cherr '18
Politics never come without controversy and prior to the day of the walkout students and administration disagreed about the degree to which SEM administration should get involved with the protest. This tension was amplified when SEM requested those who wished to participate have a permission slip signed by a legal guardian. According to Mrs. Marlette, there are two core reasons why SEM wanted permission slips from
parents: "Hope to engage parents and students in a dialogue about an issue," and the safety of students. "I wanted parents to at least know and accept this because with protest can come a safety risk. Did I believe there was a safety risk? No. But I at least had to make sure the parents had that conversation." A student theory as to why SEM requested permission slips was to protect SEM administration from the backlash of parents who did not want their child participating. Senior Maya Simmons said, "Parents would be the ones calling the school saying you let my kid do XYZ. That's what the permission slip is about." If a student had chosen to walk out without a permission slip there might have been a consequence but it would certainly pale in comparison to the punishments handed out to those who walked out in other schools. Brooke Pohlman' 18 said she doesn't know how she feels about the involvement of faculty. "On one hand, it is nice to feel support from those who educate you, but on the other hand part of education is knowing when it is time to let go and allow students to take the lead on important issues." Regardless of the permission slip controversy, 110 SEM students turned them in. A mixture of fear and hope was in the air as students and faculty prepared to exit SEM's big wooden doors and cross on to the snow-covered parkway. A protest is dangerous, which is part of the reason it is powerful. People push fear aside in the name of a cause they feel passionately. Allana DePaz '18 said "We are an easy target. Many people are angry at us, or anyone doing this thing."
There were others who did not participate. Mrs. Marlette said "I felt it was a student walkout. The role of the school was to protect safety. And we had to have school continue for those who choose not to participate." The 17 minutes without many SEM students affected the school day for those who stayed in class. "I found it really hard to focus because the whole time I was thinking that a part of me wanted to be doing it,� Sarah Hamdan '18 said. Math teacher Courtney Heaps held class as she always does. "I just kept on teaching. It did take them a little bit longer to return to class than I was told it would take but overall it wasn't too distracting." After the walkout, controversy flaired up because of a video taken and posted on SEM's Instagram by Director of Communications Erin Kelly. SEM did not take the video down and it's had over 5300 views and many supportive comments. Some students believe SEM wanted to use student activism as marketing for SEM. The irony of being against posting on social media is not lost, as the protest was organized via Twitter. Mrs. Marlette said assuredly that this post was not for publicity. "SEM did not take a position. We took the position of helping students organize and learn how to be activists. We support students' right to activism. It's making them think about it, and to me that's education."
Brooke shared that fear throughout her experience of the walkout: "I walked out holding your (this reporter) hand. My heart was beating." She continued,
"It was really powerful being surrounded by all those girls." The fear was ever-present but the desire for change was what truly motivated the protesters. Mick Tesluk '20 walked out in the hopes of "better gun control laws and regulation. It's so unfair what happened to these kids and families."
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Buffalo Seminary Artwork by Caitlin Cass
By Sharon R. Kounovsky Academic Dean and Capstone Coordinator
| Senior Capstone Projects Lay the Cornerstone for the Future
SEM's Capstone program, true to its eponymous architectural feature, crowns the achievements of a SEM student's high school career. Just as a real capstone is held aloft by the building blocks beneath it, the SEM Capstone is built on four years of learning and growth, and stands proudly at the highest point of the structure that a student has built stone by stone. Capstone grew out of the recognition that students are best served when their senior year of high school builds upon the challenge of junior year, reducing any temptation to coast before college. In this role, Capstone also serves as a keystone for each student's SEM experience—just one stone in the arch, supporting only a fraction of the weight compared to the many other building blocks of a SEM education, but the key to holding everything together. An achievement that both integrates and caps a SEM student's high school experience, the Capstone program also serves as a foundational cornerstone for college. From its inception, the Capstone program's purpose has been to bridge the high school and college experiences, providing a space for seniors to stretch themselves beyond what they have already accomplished. The skills students develop and practice through SEM's Capstone projects align, by design, with the characteristics that colleges seek in applicants. These same skills and mindsets lead to success in college and beyond.
Capstone's Place at SEM The Capstone program both informs and reflects SEM's academic program, which intentionally scaffolds students' growth in the college-preparatory areas of research, academic writing, intellectual independence, and self-management. Each year, students create annual e-portfolios that help them identify their talents and passions. Freshmen receive foundational digital literacy training and sophomores enroll in our Research and Information Literacy class. Students gain disciplinary research skills through a range of projects in each subject area during their years at SEM, fulfilling our rigorous “Research Across the Curriculum Standards.” During the trimester-long Junior Capstone course, each junior narrows down a research question under the guidance of a team of faculty mentors. With the support of mentors and a small group of peers with related interests, juniors conduct preliminary research and develop a prospectus, or plan of action, for the projects they will complete senior year. Every SEM senior completes this self-directed independent project, guided by the prospectus but with
CAPSTONE MENTORS: Kris Kemmis, Director of Operations and Capstone Community Liaison; Jennifer Goetz-Bixby, science faculty and math/sciences mentor; Sharon Kounovsky, Academic Dean and Capstone Coordinator; Carey Miller, History faculty and humanities mentor; Benjamin Joplin, English faculty and humanities mentor. Front row: Gabriela Lyons, Languages faculty and language and culture mentor; Caitlin Cass, Fine Arts faculty and arts mentor; Beth Lewitzky, school librarian, Research and Information Literacy teacher, and Capstone research librarian.
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It has been amazing to see the students bring their plans to fruition. In the past, when they've done internships, it's to get an experience in the community, but now we're seeing students reach out into the community for experiences that truly inform their inquiry. There’s a moment where you really see the light bulb go on, and you can see they're just completely inspired from within. Kris Kemmis, Director of Operations and Capstone Community Liaison
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the flexibility to forge new plans as opportunities arise. A faculty mentor partnered with each Capstone student provides encouragement, guidance, and accountability as needed.
Capstone in Action Capstone projects can be found at many secondary and post-secondary institutions, but SEM's Capstone program was destined to have one feature in particular that sets it apart: Students are free to pursue a project in any discipline or interdisciplinary area. Although each Capstone project incorporates the minimum requirements of academic writing, community involvement, an artifact, and a presentation, students freely choose what type of work will comprise the majority of their Capstone projects.
The Capstone being something that you're passionate about or interested in really helped me have fun with it and want to do it. Melanie Tunkey '18 Many students choose to invest their efforts in writing an extended research paper, while others choose to create works of art, perform, build, design, intern, volunteer—students' options are limited only by their imaginations. On any given day, you may find SEM seniors building a model, coding, conducting interviews, creating a website, dancing, experimenting, filming, navigating, painting, planning a business, practicing an instrument, raising awareness, singing, surveying the community, taking photos, teaching children, testing recipes, training for a sport, or writing poetry. Capstone seniors present their projects to the school community at SEMposium, a fullschool conference-style event that occurs three times a year. Audience members select presentations of interest to attend, and leave impressed, inspired, and informed, according to survey results. Seniors may also present their projects in authentic community-based settings.
Meeting the Challenge Taking a deep dive into an area of personal passion with the support of a faculty mentor encourages Capstone students to tap into their strongest motivation, pushing themselves past roadblocks to grow as learners and as people.
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For some Capstone students, the greatest challenge is identifying a project to pursue out of a seemingly endless list of interests—or, perhaps, from an uncertainty that it would be worth exploring for an entire trimester. For others, the biggest challenge is tackling a complex subject that is deeply personal and fraught with emotion. Some students find it hardest to tap into their courage and interact with the community outside the walls of SEM, while others wrestle with the necessity of managing their time and energy well. Whatever challenges their Capstone projects pose, SEM students are uniquely positioned to develop as learners and as people, working to become more knowledgeable, resilient, and independent, and better prepared for college and their futures.
Lasting Curiosity Two decades ago, the theatrical voice of Mr. Malkiewicz (father of Anna, '10) skillfully guided a school bus of fourth and fifth graders as they toured the exceptional architecture of Buffalo, NY. Architecture alphabet sketchbooks at the ready, students eagerly searched for real-life examples of the terms they had studied for weeks, from arcade to ziggurat and balcony to veranda. More than 20 years have passed since I was a fourth-grader on that bus, and I still can't walk or drive downtown without fondly noticing the city’s oriels, pediments, and quoins. More importantly, though, stepping outside of the classroom to explore something I loved in an authentic context contributed to a lasting sense of curiosity for our city and the world. What was true for Mr. Malkiewicz's elementary school students is equally true for SEM students and we likely would agree, for adults – firsthand experiences strengthen learning and motivate our best effort and engagement.
Sharon Kounovsky and Jennifer Goetz-Bixby will share the benefits and possibilities of student-designed passion projects like SEM's Capstone through their session, "Say Yes: Cultivating Independent, Passion-Based Learning" at the National Coalition of Girls Schools Global Forum conference in DC (June 18-20).
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Capstone Projects: 2017-2018
As an alum and administrator, it's been wonderful to witness the Capstone program firsthand. I truly wish I'd had the chance to participate in something like this during my time as a SEM student. I'm excited for these intellectually inquisitive, engaged, and passionate graduating seniors to join the SEM alumnae network! Betsy Bloom ‘08, Alumnae Relations and Communications
I appreciate the opportunity to do this as an independent study and talk to colleges about what I'm doing. I'm glad I already have this under my belt and I think it gives me a leg up for when I go to college for computer science.
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Yasmeen Collins '18
I'm doing my Capstone on celestial navigation – I'm teaching myself how to navigate with the stars. I was very nervous going into the Capstone process but the class broke down everything I needed to accomplish and it was very easy to come up with the whole project and be less scared of tackling it. I'm pumped! Maddie Love '19
Elisa Yi presents "East Asian Stereotypes and Representation in America" in the Chapel.
Overall, the biggest difficulty that I've faced is getting over my self-doubt as an artist. Sydney Adams '18
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A Closer Look into Body Diversity in the Fashion Industry A History of Irish Folktales and Mythology A Study of History and Racial Identity in the Dominican Republic ACL Tears in Young Female Athletes Advertising Techniques America’s Attitude Toward Natural Hair, As Seen Through My Journey Artistic Therapy and Stress Reduction Coding, Designing, and Creating an Ideal Game Depression in Teenagers Diversity of Squash in America East Asian Stereotypes and Representation in America Evolution of Dissociative Identity Disorder in American Media Forensic Anthropology and the Crime Scene Full Spectrum: A Photographic Study How Emotions Behind an Art Form Translate to an Audience Interior Design and How to Create a Successful Business Life in the Ocean Lupus and Its Effects Medical Studies of Canines Mental Illness and Creativity Personal Style through Art Portrayal of Women in Sports Media Power Industry: An Original Novel Psychological Effects of War on Refugees Reasons Behind Medical Students’ Choice of Specialties Repeat: A Short Film Sneaker Bubble Tea Store Strabismus and Convergence Insufficiency Table Tennis Skills and Effects Tennis and Cross-Country Nutrition The Bald Eagles of Strawberry Island The Case of Mary Bell: Punishments in China vs. the U.S. The Effects of Childhood Cancer on Families The Effects of Hockey on Female Teenagers’ Academic Life The Power of Makeup The Realities of PTSD for Combat Veterans The Realities of Reconstruction Post Breast Cancer Theories in American Psychology in American Education Uncovering the Secrets of the Super Smash Bros. Community Women in Journalism Women in the U.S. Military
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Rave Reviews for Capstone |
By Sharon Kounovsky
Freshman interviewees: Annabelle Daley, Jing (Lexi) Bian, G. Harvey, Dagny Rebhan, and Alexa Groh
Freshmen Look Into the Future What do our newest SEM students think about the Capstone program? Sharon Kounovsky (SK): You’ve attended SEMposium twice so far this school year, in December and in March. What did you think? Annabelle Daley (AD): Especially being the first year of the program, I wasn't expecting much, but they were amazing. Students enjoy Capstone presentations. We want to see it and we're very excited. There's such a wide range of topics that there's always one we will really enjoy.
Dagny Rebhan (DR): I would say to incoming freshmen...be excited about it! I remember getting the [conference program] in the morning of the first SEMposium and just circling whatever. But after the first one, I thought, I want this every week!
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G. Harvey (GH): I came from a school where presentations would just be laughed at. I thought the SEM community wouldn't make this work, but I was wrong. Seniors I didn’t even know, I can see how much work and love they put into their Capstones. And there's such a wide variety. In one room you could be learning about cancer, in the other room about sea animals.
AD: The student body is very respectful. We were not judgmental but open and supportive to all of the projects. If I were a senior, I wouldn't feel as nervous because it's a very supportive environment.
DR: SEM is a super supportive community. Coming from a school that was not open at all to SEM is a super big change. After someone puts so much into a project, it's nice to see everyone appreciating it and wanting to learn more about it.
SK: What do you think of the way Capstone has evolved out of SEM’s internship program?
SK: Is there anything about Capstone that worries you?
Alexa Groh (AG): Capstone is completely you. It
senior year!
will prepare you more.
DR: I don't think changing from internships is bad, because Capstone allows you to do internships. They are really beneficial, getting out in the real world and doing actual jobs. I like how Capstone can combine an internship and the research portion.
GH: I like how the SEM community had a new idea. It's like a better version of the internships.
SK: You all have plenty of time to explore your interests first, but some students come to the Junior Capstone course with a project idea all ready to go – not that it’s a guarantee they will choose to pursue it! Do any of you already have an idea of what you might like to explore?
AG: It’s a huge project you have to do junior and GH: Before I came to SEM, I thought it was such a big deal. I was talking to one of the sophomores, and a lot of teachers talked to me about it when I shadowed. But talking to Tessa [Covello ‘18], I learned that Capstone has you make your own work plan. Well, the Neighborhood Project in [our freshman] History class has us make our own work plan. It’s like we get mini Capstones to prepare us.
DR: It's not a scary, daunting task. Once we become juniors, it will be something we like to do and have passion about. It won't be boring. It will make you super stressed at times, but there are teachers who are there to help you through the process.
SK: Is there anything about Capstone that you are really excited about?
DR: You can do literally anything! Some people do it
AD: This is the SEM experience. SEM gives you a real
based on what they want to do at college, and others do it on something they're super passionate about.
leg up for freshman year of college, especially with the Capstone. And you always hear, 'I love this but I have no time.' It's cool that SEM gives you that time.
AD: I'd probably choose what I'm planning to do in college. Which I don't exactly know yet, but it would help a lot!
JB: For now, I can't think about any topic for my Capstone, but I think that's normal.
AG: I'll probably do something on hockey because that's one of the biggest parts of my life.
AD: I was talking to a junior who's planning to do a full-fledged play for their project. I didn't realize how open you can be about it, so it broadened my horizons and now I have even more ideas.
GH: There's a lot I would want to do it on. There are endless possibilities of what I like, and then endless possibilities of what I could do with that. I like how open it is and how we are in control.
JB: Capstone is a motivation for me. I do have some things I'm really passionate about, but I probably can't spend a lot of time to study them so much. But with Capstone, I can go deeper into something I like.
DR: Capstone personalizes high school to do something to your own advantage, like you can personalize your health care plan or your insurance. There's not usually a personalized school setting, but SEM gives us a lot of flexibility with our schedules, and Capstone is the cumulative thing that you work for.
GH: It's all you, but there is everyone helping you
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get to where you choose to go. It's your idea: you're in control. You have to take a couple steps back sometimes and make mistakes and ask for help, but it's still all you, and the learning process is very beneficial. It won't be something you want to procrastinate on because you are invested personally.
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Expanding & Embracing the Arts | 1-2 It was a full rich year in SEM arts. The program at
SEM comprises classes in theater, art, and music layered with performances including at Revel and the Joan Kostick Andrews '48 Spring Concert, and in extracurricular clubs: drama, ensemble, glee, and the a cappella Semachords.
3 This year, freshmen were given passports in their “Arts
Eye” classes and were expected to fill them with hand drawn stamps for each art event that they attended outside of school. There were plenty!
4 Art teacher Caitlin Cass regularly takes students to visit area galleries and museums and even only as far as the Magavern-Sutton Courtyard to draw.
5 A faculty-student book club was formed to dine and dig
into the Just Buffalo Literary Center’s Babel authors to ready for the authors’ appearances. Teachers Caitlin Cass and Susan Drozd also did a study of South Africa and its art, theater, and history to ready students to see the Shaw Festival’s Master Harold and Boys by Athol Fugard.
6 Julia Bottoms visited as the Colby-Oishei Artist and
spoke in classes and in the chapel about her work as a portraitist of African-Americans and her murals on The Freedom Wall in Buffalo. At the Wall, Maya Simmons '18 was invited to read her poem "On This Road", which was inspired by Angela Davis, who is featured there.
7-8 Susan Drozd directed two very different plays at SEM this year. In the fall, we had the somber: Laurie Brooks’s
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Buffalo Seminary
By Tess Rine ‘18
Afflicted: Daughters of Salem. It took us into the woods to see the origins of the Salem Witch Trials. In the spring, it was the lighthearted and enlightening This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing by Australian Finegan Kruckemeyer about a trio of sisters separated, finding themselves, and finding their way back to each other.
9 The Semachords continued with many traditions that a
recent alumna would recall, but did add a few new works. Students still sing the "Sailor’s Farewell" with great pride (it was the first song the Semachords sang together under Kyle Hopkins’s direction when the group was revived 12 years ago) and of course "Jerusalem!" Pitch Casey Ball ‘18 used this year to shake things up and arrange new songs such as “Ain’t No Mountain,” “Forget You,” and a medley of modern songs. Former Semachord Abigail Hopkins ‘16 brought her Yale a cappella group to SEM to do a joint concert and a singing workshop for SEM students.
10 Journey Hairston '20 performed at the August
Wilson Monologue Competition on February 3 at the 710 Main theater. It was the first year Buffalo has held the competition; we’re one of only 12 U.S. cities to do so. Mary Leslie ‘19 was second at SEM and as an alternate, accompanied Journey to workshops at the event.
11 This spring, senior Sarah Hamdan performed Hamlet’s
“To Be or Not To Be” monologue on the SEM stage in the regional contest of the English Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition. Her prize? A trip to New York City and the opportunity to do it again at Lincoln Center!
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The Enduring Gifts of the McNulty Sisters |
By Susan Drozd Adapted from Theater Instructor and Director Susan Drozd’s casting call for the spring play, 2018.
S
hort of a century ago, Marion McNulty ‘22 sat in the same chapel pews as are here, now. She loved her friends, fun adventures on the weekends and keeping up with the trends of the 20’s. As recorded in Seminaria, “Almost every week Marion appears in school with a new hat or a new dress, and if told how pretty and becoming it is, she replies, 'Oh, do you like it? I made it.' ” Marion also loved theater and allowed it much of her time here at Seminary.
Harriet
Marion had two sisters: Betty (the middle sis), Class of 1925 and Harriet (the baby), Class of 1926. Three peas in a pod! The sisters loved being at SEM and chose to get as much out of this high school they called a home, as they could. This was not without notice. Because of their zest and love of theater, poetry, and learning we have been left with beautiful memorials of their passion. It is because of these sisters that we have:
The Wilkinson Poet:
Created for Betty – who grew to become Elizabeth McNulty Wilkinson.
Betty
The Adsit Lecture:
Created by Harriet – who grew to become Harriet McNulty Adsit.
The Marion McNulty Dillon '22 Drama Fund: Created by Marion’s son James and his wife Susan Ray Dillon '51 for drama enrichment. Since 2004, the the title has been attached to the spring play; her memory lives on in our theatrical world.
Never having met these three sisters, I often think of them this time of year and am grateful that their passions were so strong; they were contagious and
Marion 26
Buffalo Seminary
allowed for countless other SEM women to create and learn in their name.
Long live sisterhood! In honor of Marion, her creativity and her memory, I picked a play that allowed us all to play. Written by a living playwright, born in Ireland, now living in Tazmania and one of Australia’s most prolific playwrights, Finegan Kruckemeyer has had 84 commissioned plays performed on five continents and translated into eight languages. This year alone, his work will be featured in 34 different theatrical seasons including six world premieres and a regional premiere in our own backyard. Theatre of Youth has just done his play The Boy at the Edge of Everything. Buffalo Seminary Theatre has added to his list for another regional premiere. We have emailed back and forth several times and I am quite excited to be working on one of his plays. This play requires a team of creatives, storytellers, passionate people who want to spin a yarn of sisterhood, travel, choices, love, sadness, adventure, war, building, boating, lighthouses, and life. I am so excited to direct This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries and This Girl Does Nothing. Somewhere between hilarious and human is this story of triplet sisters who are left in the forest by their woodcutter father. From this fairytale beginning, three resolutions are made: one sister will walk one way; one sister, the other; and the third will stay right where she is. Twenty years later, having circumnavigated the globe, fought Vikings, crossed oceans, tamed wilds, and achieved greatness, the three meet again, as women.
We will create a multitude of locations and shapeshift into an abundant array of characters – some tame and some wild. A caring cast and crew are necessary to make this work. Humans who possess a willingness to take up the challenge of creating something magical out of nothing, embracing skills that will be new to them, and an acceptance that trial and error, fantastical mistakes, and going back to the drawing board will be part of our journey.
Don't let fear get in your way of an amazing opportunity.
If you have never worked on a SEM play before – you are welcome. If you are a self-claimed “bad actor” or “not creative,” you are welcome. The point of going to school is to learn! If this is your first chance to try or your last, you are welcome.
March 2018: Betty McNulty Wilkinson '25 Poetry Lecture Alie Wright, Helen Marlette, 2018 Wilkinson Poet (WP) Rachelle Toarmino, Emeritas WP Ansie Baird '55, current Poet-in-Residence Janet McNally, Jessica Silverstein & Patrick Walter.
Will you be nervous? More than likely. Just remember Marion! She made the most of her time at SEM and we are still talking about her today!
Marion McNulty
1922's Fashion Plate
Very often we wonder why Marion doesn't ever grow weary of her unceasing round of gay parties and gayer week-ends. But she doesn't, for she always appears gayer and peppier than ever, with not a hair out of place nor a spot on her trim apparel. Almost every week Marion appears in school with a new hat or a new dress, and if told how pretty and becoming it is, she replies, "Oh, do you like it? I made it." So you see with all her frivolities Marion is a stayat-home, too: and besides she is always finding time to do things for others. She has all kinds of energy -- except for basketball, which would muss her hair -- and that's never been done. Her delightful interpretation of Ruth Penneymint in the Senior Play with only two days' rehearsal is an example of her efficiency. -1922 Seminaria
November 2017: Adsit Lecture was given by Life Trustee Melanie Franco Nussdorf ‘67.
March 2018: Marion McNulty Dillon '22 Drama: This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries and This Girl Does Nothing featured hand-built puppets.
Endowed Speakers Enlighten and Entertain | By Betsy Bloom ‘08
2018 was another fabulous year for endowed speakers at SEM. Adsit Lecturer
Wilkinson Poet
Life Trustee Melanie Franco Nussdorf ’67, a senior partner at Steptoe & Johnson LLP in Washington, DC, served as our 2018 Cum Laude speaker and Adsit lecturer on November 13, 2017. Describing the future as fluid, not fixed, Ms. Nussdorf said, “Ladies, get out your hammers.” In a speech that told students it was right to be proud and advised dreaming big, she also addressed the current national conversation around sexual harassment. Ms. Nussdorf, who has had a long career as an attorney, cautioned: “Do not let someone with apparent power humiliate you.”
On April 13, we were thrilled to welcome local poet Rachelle Toarmino as the 2017 Betty McNulty Wilkinson '25 Poet. Ms. Toarmino is the author of the microchapbook GRAPHIC (Ghost City Press, 2017), the poetry pamphlet REBOUND (Monster House Press, 2017), and the chapbook of embroidery poems PERSONAL & GENERIC (PressBoardPress, 2016) as well as founding editor of Peach Mag, an online literary magazine. Ms. Toarmino spent the day in front of the fire in the library listening to students read their poems from the class anthology and discussing the art of poetry, which concluded with a reading of her selected works in the SEM chapel. She was selected by our new poet-in-residence Janet McNally, author of the poetry collection Some Girls (White Pine Press) and the novel Girls in the Moon (HarperTeen), and Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at Canisius College. Each winter, the poetin-residence leads the sophomore class in a series of poetry workshops which culminate in poems written and contributed to a printed anthology.
The Adsit Lecture Series was established in 1999 by Harriet McNulty Adsit, class of 1926, along with her husband Willcox Adsit, with the aim of bringing visiting lecturers to SEM in order to share their expertise with students and faculty.
Colby-Oishei Artist
Established with a gift from Patricia Oishei Colby ‘32 in honor of Robert W. Colby to further foster art education and art appreciation, by naming women artists connected with the Western New York community to serve as Colby-Oishei Artists, who spend time on campus with their work to the benefit of the SEM community. Julia Bottoms served as our 51st Colby-Oishei Artist. Bottoms is the inaugural artist for the Open Buffalo Emerging Artist Series, a contributing writer for AFROPUNK, and one of four artists chosen to paint the Albright-Knox Public Art installation, The Freedom Wall. Friday, April 27, she spent the day speaking to art classes which culminated in an all-school chapel talk which thoroughly engaged the students and faculty.
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Buffalo Seminary
The Wilkinson Poet fund was established in 1986 under the will of Elizabeth McNulty Wilkinson ’25 to bring practicing poets to SEM's campus and classrooms to enrich teaching and learning of poetry, in support of SEM's English department.
Prince Lecture
The Prince Lecture was established by Mrs. and Mrs. Warren Prince and their daughters Alison Prince SEM ‘75 and Jennifer Prince Bronstein SEM ‘78. Alexander Aylward gave performances of Franz Schubert's The Trout Quintet at both Nichols and SEM on May 11 as the 45th Annual Prince Lecture. A graduate in the Nichols Class of 2013, Alexander recreated the musical performance of the first Prince Lecture in 1973, which his father, violinist Ansgarius Aylward gave with Charles Hamlen, a Nichols French teacher and pianist.
| Cum Laude Society The fall Cum Laude Society induction was held November 13, 2017. Pictured above are the Adsit lecturer Melanie Franco Nussdorf ‘67, Dean of Students Dr. Sara Siczkarski, Zhiting “Elf” Dong, Elisa Yi, Katie Gibbons, Zo Galarneau, SGA President Madeleine Cherr, Margaret McHale, and Head of School Helen L. Marlette.
Class Day June 11, SEM inducts six more students to the Cum Laude Society: Casey Ball Bridget Ewing Yixuan "Rebecca" Li Shangqi "Sary" Lyu Brooke Pohlman Talia Stoffman
Congratulations!
Wilkinson Poets in the library.
Julia Bottoms visited art classes as our 51st Colby-Oishei Artist
Spring 2018
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College Congratulations |
By Molly O’Connor Greene ‘98 From a speech given on the day seniors deposit for college
May 1, 2018. One of the best things about working with all of you is to see how much you have grown during the college process and while at SEM, in general. Think back to our first meetings in junior health in the spring of 2017 – look at how far you have come! You have also done a lot of work! You put in 543 applications to 241 schools. One of you applied to 19 schools – but that's down from a high of 29, a year ago. And though some are still deciding – here’s what we have so far for next year, by way of mascots: Five UB Bulls, a Ram, Paws the Lyon, a Yellow Jacket, two Colonials, a Golden Knight, two Bees, a Bobcat, a Violet, a Blue Devil, a Hawk, Nellie the Dolphin, three Bison, a Knight, Trax the Pioneer Moose, Hugo the Hawk, True Blue of the Varsity Blues, Gompei the Goat, two Dukes, two Golden Griffs, RITchie the Tiger, a Red Hawk, Gaucho, a Triton, a Frog, Bruiser the Bruin, two Bearcats, the Big Red, a Pioneer, Roody the Kangaroo, a Cardinal, and a Spartan. This is a creative class with a remarkable number of artists, writers, and engineers: notably, three students
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will attend an Historic Black College and the first student in five years will attend a women's college. You will find many members of the Class of 2018 right here in Buffalo next fall, several others in our home state, and still others in California, Ohio, Rhode Island, Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Washington, DC, Maryland, Canada, and the UK. Many of you are wearing your college shirts today, but it's not really the name on the sweatshirt that we celebrate today. Today we celebrate you – your hard work, your achievements, the care and thought you put into the countless essays, interviews, the entire decision making process, and the impending culmination of your high school career. Graduation is exactly six weeks from today, and trust me, those weeks will fly by. Enjoy them – but keep working hard! Class of 2018 – congratulations, and I can't wait to hear about all of your future achievements at reunion 2023.
| The Class of 2018 Acceptances and Matriculation Alfred University Allegheny College
American University
Arcadia University Baldwin Wallace University
Baruch College of the CUNY Belmont University Boston College Boston University Brooklyn College of the CUNY Bryn Mawr College Bucknell University
Canisius College
Case Western Reserve University Chatham University City College of New York CUNY Clark Atlanta University
Kent State University Keuka College Le Moyne College Lehman College of the CUNY LIM College (Laboratory Institute of Merchandising) Long Island University Loyola University Maryland Lynn University Manhattan College Marist College
Maryland Institute College of Art Marymount Manhattan College Mercyhurst University Miami University, Oxford
Michigan State University Morgan State University
Clarkson University
Mount Holyoke College
Daemen College Denison University
New York University
Columbia College Chicago
DePaul University Dickinson College Drexel University
Duquesne University Durham University (UK) D'Youville College
Eckerd College
Elmira College Emerson College Emmanuel College
Emory University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fordham University
Gannon University George Mason University
Hampshire College
Hawaii Pacific University High Point University
Hilbert College
Hobart and William Smith Colleges Hofstra University
Howard University
Hunter College of the CUNY Indiana University at Bloomington
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Iona College Ithaca College
Jacksonville University
John Carroll University John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the CUNY Johnson & Wales University
Nazareth College New York Institute of Technology Niagara University Nova Southeastern University Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences Ohio University Otis College of Art and Design
Pace University Pennsylvania State University Point Park University Pratt Institute Purdue University Queen's University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island School of Design Robert Morris University
Rochester Institute of Technology
SUNY Buffalo State College SUNY at Brockport SUNY Cortland
SUNY College at Geneseo SUNY at New Paltz SUNY College at Potsdam SUNY College of Technology at Canton SUNY at Fredonia SUNY at Oswego Temple University The Catholic University of America The College of Saint Rose
The George Washington University
The University of Iowa The University of Tampa The University of Texas, Austin Thomas Jefferson University Union College University of British Columbia (Canada) University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz University of Cincinnati University of Colorado at Boulder University of Connecticut University of Dayton University of Delaware University of Denver University of Hartford University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Massachusetts University of Michigan University of Missouri University of Nebraska at Lincoln University of Oregon University of Pittsburgh
Rollins College Rutgers University
University of Rochester
Savannah College of Art and Design School of the Art Institute of Chicago
University of Toronto (Canada)
School of Visual Arts Skidmore College Spelman College St. Bonaventure University
St. John Fisher College St. John's College St. Lawrence University Stony Brook University
Suffolk University SUNY Alfred State College SUNY at Binghamton SUNY at Buffalo SUNY at Purchase
University of South Florida, Tampa University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Wisconsin, Madison
Utica College
Virginia Commonwealth University West Virginia University Western University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Xavier University York College of the CUNY * As of 5/17/18 For an up-to-date list visit
BuffaloSeminary.org/CollegeStats Spring 2018
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Lean on Coach Phil Barth | But Never Lean on the Wall
By Betsy Bloom ‘08
December 21 - after Revel, the 2nd annual alumnae squash match when the current team plays alumnae team members.
I
’ve been lucky to serve as the school’s assistant squash coach during my past two years at SEM. In many ways, coaching squash has felt like coming full circle; as a student here, I was a founding member of the school’s very first team in 2005. In those early days, we didn’t have the beautiful Bassett Squash Courts, or the coveted squash bags, and we didn’t have Coach Phil Barth, or as the girls simply refer to him, “Coach.”
“Squash often exposes the true nature of a person.”
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A certified Level 1 squash coach, Phil has won the Buffalo City Squash Championship (six times!), the Buffalo City Squash Doubles Championship (seven times!) and the Canadian Nationals Doubles Championship. (I had to look up all of these achievements, because I have never heard Phil mention them.) But more than his impressive athletic endeavors, Phil’s unique personality truly endears him to the team. Equal parts humility, wit, passion, and kindness make for his winning coaching style. An attorney by day, Phil became SEM’s head squash coach in 2009, and under his guidance, the squash program has thrived. 2017 marked the team’s third consecutive year
Buffalo Seminary
as U.S. High School Nationals Division V champions, and as a result, the team was moved up to Division IV in 2018. Under Phil’s direction, our players rose to the occasion, winning the Division IV Classic Plate draw and earning 5th place overall in our new division. With characteristic modesty, Phil attributes much of this success to the determination and moral fiber of his players: “Squash often exposes the true nature of a person,” he said. “The team’s young women continue to be wonderful representatives of Buffalo Seminary in matches and tournaments as well as at practice and in their preparation. They are recognized by other players and coaches as a team that plays with integrity, skill, and sportsmanship.” In addition to playing regularly in the Western New York High School League against Nichols and Nardin, the team frequently travels to compete against a variety of out-of-town schools, such as Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, Berkshire School in Massachusetts, and Blair Academy in New Jersey. These matches provide an invaluable
opportunity for our students to test their skills against unknown players at varying levels of ability. Win or lose, the team is always better for having participated. Senior Rose McDonnell ’18 looks back on these journeys fondly, recalling, “The best times I had on the squash team were the trips. It was always fun seeing and meeting kids from other schools.” Alum Isabelle Schlehr ‘17 carried that dedication and drive with her to Northeastern University, where she currently plays number five on the women’s team ladder. In fact, Isabelle recently competed at the College Women’s National Team Championships against a player from Boston College whom she had previously played as a SEM team member at High School Nationals. Isabelle won the match (as she did in high school) and Northeastern went on to win its division and take home the Howe Cup. During SEM’s matches, Coach can be found hovering behind the parents and students, paying close attention to each of the players. Even though several games occur simultaneously on different courts, he finds time to consult with each girl between games to discuss strategies and offer encouragement. Even the most dejected or frustrated players emerge from these conversations with a look of renewed determination. They know that Coach cares about them deeply, and they take this knowledge with them every time they enter the court. Isabelle remarked, “His
coaching style created an atmosphere built upon respect and passion. The team always worked hard because we loved playing and we wanted to win. Before matches,
didn’t end up departing from Philadelphia until about 5 PM on Sunday. The drive back was truly terrible – we were racing to make it home before midnight when we hit an awful ice storm. While the team (and I) tried to fall asleep to block out the treacherous conditions outside, Phil stayed alert the entire ride, making sure the bus driver felt safe and scouting alternate routes to avoid the worst of the weather. His number one priority was to protect his precious cargo. In my initial interactions with Phil, I would not have pegged him as a softy. However, the more I get to know him, the less surprising it seems that he is. As senior Brooke Pohlman ‘18 said, “My favorite thing about Coach is his heart. It is so apparent that he has such a deep love for squash and especially our team, like when he cries at Nationals every year.” This year, during his brief remarks at the squash banquet and spaghetti dinner at his home (an annual tradition), Phil became misty-eyed speaking about his pride in his team. In fact, by the end of his speech, there was barely a dry eye in the house. Players and parents (and this assistant coach) alike, were moved by Phil’s esteem for these young women. As I listened, I realized that Phil was doing for me what he so often does for the players - leading by example. In working with Phil these past two years, I’ve learned so much about upholding the values of sportsmanship, kindness, mutual respect and "No Leaning!" Watch the next time you are at a match: SEM girls don’t lean. All this time I thought he was coaching the players; it turns out he was coaching me, too.
“My favorite thing about Coach is his heart.”
Coach would tell us to go out on the court and have fun because that is why we were here. But we all know that winning is more fun, so we would work hard to accomplish that.” Phil’s compassion goes beyond gametime pep talks; it’s evident in every aspect of his coaching. For example, because of a late final match at this year’s Nationals, the team Isabelle Schlehr '17 (top row, second from right) with members of the Northeastern University women's squash team.
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Red Letter Days for The Red-Tailed Hawks | SOCCER (1) After moving
up to the B Division, Varsity Soccer advanced to the Monsignor Martin Association All-Catholic championships where they faced Cardinal O’Hara at Canisius College. Despite their loss in the finals, the team finished in 2nd place. Senior Natalia Vaquero and juniors Nicole Nobrega and Erin Griffis were voted 1st team AllCatholic for the B division.
GOLF (2) Senior golfers
Shelby Kmidowski, Casey Ball and Cienna Certo made the All-Catholics. Shelby and Cienna qualified for the State Championships on May 21 in Westbury, NY.
CROSS COUNTRY
(3) SEM's Cross Country team finished 6th in the Monsignor Martin High School Association; however, each runner on the team had personal bests throughout the season. Junior Zoe Knauss had another successful cross country season. She qualified for the New York Federation Cross Country Championships for the third consecutive season, finishing 142nd out the nearly 300 entrants. Zoe placed second at All-Catholics and she was also named First Team AllCatholic for the season.
SWIMMING (4) At the
All-Catholics in the 200-Yard Medley, Relay swimmers Jess Napier ‘20, Erin (Mick) Tesluk ‘20, Kimberlee Seth ‘21 and Grace Jamieson ‘21 placed 3rd overall. MVP Erin (Mick) Tesluk placed 2nd overall in the 200-Yard IM and 3rd overall in the 100-Yard Breastroke.
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Buffalo Seminary
By Grace Heidinger ‘18
BASKETBALL (5) Facing NATIONAL multiple injuries throughout LETTERS OF the season, Varsity Basketball INTENT After spending four pushed through another season making it to All-Catholic quarter finals. Junior Bridget Conboy’s determination lead her to making First Team All-Catholics for the B Division.
years on SEM’s Varsity Soccer team and serving as captain this season, Natalia Vaquero, a midfielder, committed to SUNY Canton to continue her soccer career.
BOWLING (6) By the
end of the season every bowler’s average had improved. After winning big matches to finish 4th for the season, the team gave 100% at the All-Catholics and finished 3rd. Senior Grace Heidinger received Section VI honorable mention as a ScholarAthlete in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association.
FENCING (7) SEM hosted
a fencing tournament where members of our team went home with a number of awards. Coached by SEM alumnae Dabin Han ‘17 and Olivia Miller ‘17, Rae Griffin ‘20 placed 1st in Epee, Cindy Huang ‘21 placed 2nd in Epee, Veronica Zhang ‘19 placed 2nd in Foil, and Zeyun "Zoey" Liu ‘18 placed 3rd in Foil.
SQUASH
(8) SEM Squash won the Division IV Classic Plate draw at this year’s US SQUASH High School National Championships in Philadelphia, February 2-4. SEM earned 5th place out of 16 teams in Division IV. This was SEM’s first year in Division IV where we were moved after winning Division V for the last three years in a row.
At the age of 5, Ellie Cleary was laced into hockey skates and has been playing ever since. Now, she is committed to SUNY Potsdam to continue her hockey career. Ellie was a defenseman on the Monsignor Martin Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Team where she was Assistant Captain her junior and senior year.
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SEM sports not only had team accomplishments but also individual player achievements: as the fall and winter seasons ended, we had two college letter of intent signings (soccer and hockey), and one team played in championships.
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SAILING finished in 2nd place at the Spring
Icebreaker Regatta in Chautauqua, NY on May 6, 2018.
DISCOVER THE POWER OF ALL-GIRLS AT SEM 2018 Open Houses Sept. 30: 9AM - Noon Oct. 18: 6 - 8PM SEM offers a 4-year Computer Science Curriculum
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Buffalo Seminary
September 15, 2017
| Hornet/Jacket Day
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News from the Buffalo Seminary Alumnae Association Buffalo Chapter Calling All WNY Alumnae!
Fall 2017 Alumnae Gathering
The Buffalo Chapter wants you! We’re looking for local alumnae who wish to serve on the board of directors. The board facilitates many of the events you have probably attended such as the reunion dinner and the Holiday Bazaar. But we do much more and would love to have you join us! For more info, contact Lucy Butterbaugh Coburn '73 at bigmamalu@gmail.com.
On October 5, local alums were treated to a presentation by Stephanie Crockatt, Executive Director for the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy! Stephanie spoke about the Olmsted Parks in Buffalo (including Bidwell Parkway!) as well as the future of the Conservancy.
Spring 2018 Local Alum Happy Hour & Networking Event
Don’t Miss Holiday Bazaar - Dec. 8, 2018 This festive and fun SEM tradition just keeps growing! Enjoy some tasty treats and finish your holiday shopping by supporting local businesses and SEM clubs! Saturday from 10 AM - 2 PM.
SEM Pendants for Sale!
On April 26, the Buffalo Chapter held an event for local alums at Forty Thieves Kitchen & Bar on Elmwood Ave. Alums gathered to sip, snack, catch up and reconnect. Thanks to all who came!
Now you can show your support for your alma mater in gold and silver with Buffalo Seminary Alumnae Association pendants. Made by Erik Jewelers for SEM, the high-quality pendants are available in sterling silver and 14 karat yellow or white gold and can be worn on a chain as a necklace or on your charm bracelet. Order by emailing Lucy Coburn at bigmamalu@gmail.com.
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Buffalo Seminary
BSAA News from the Head’s Council of Alumnae Engagement From Buffalo to Buenos Aires, Ottawa, London, Paris, DC, Singapore, and Johannesburg, there are over 3300 SEM alumnae around the world... What do we share? SEM.
Head’s Council on Alumnae Engagement Members 2017-18
The Buffalo Seminary Alumnae Association (BSAA) has transitioned to a national and international organization, providing networking and engagement opportunities for alumnae wherever they live.
Amy Hayes Atkinson ‘84 Margaret Brown ‘72, Co-chair Kilby Bronstein '10, Co-chair Lucy Butterbaugh Coburn ‘73, Co-chair Gabrielle P. DeRose ‘74 Dahlia Fetouh ‘92 Erin Sozanski Goubiere ‘03 Bethany J. Grabiec ‘94 Emily Insalaco '92 Kara Hornung Kerwin '98 Moira Giammaresi Lewis '05 Joanna Glauser Marymor '00 Alicia Saia '86 Carolyn Brown Wick '76
In September 2017, the Head’s Council on Alumnae Engagement (HCAE) was launched to guide the development of this initiative and support SEM’s Head of School. The HCAE is focused on new initiatives in four key areas identified as most important: • Alumnae Communications • Events and Programming • National Platform for Networking and Resource Sharing • Establishing new chapters of the BSAA in regions beyond Western New York where there is both interest and prospective alumnae leadership
For more information or to get involved, visit BuffaloSeminary.org/Alumnae
Save the date for
Reunion 2019!
Follow & Post to #SEMREUNION2019 Go to buffaloseminary.org/reunion for activities, accommodations, and to get inspired! Class of 1969
May 31 & June 1, 2019 Classes ending in 4’s and 9’s - it’s especially for you! Class of 1969, it's your 50th!
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Class Notes Jean McLean Bostwick ‘48: I’m sorry
40's
Elizabeth Underwood Mosley ‘41:
Life goes on very well for me at 94, thanks to our large family's care, being busy with (F)friends at Quaker Meeting. My love to SEM!
Claire Levy Levi '42: I’m still kickin’,
but family concerns are keeping me in Pennsylvania for the present. My gift to SEM’s Annual Fund is a reminder of those unforgettable years under L.G.A.’s stern gaze. Seventy-five years “far from thy shelt’ring arm.”
Suzanne Dorntge Pearson '44: My
husband, Dick, died at the end of March, at age 91. A very sad time for me, as you can imagine.
Susan Spaulding Murray-Rockwell ‘46: Talked to Eva Potter Lee on our
90th birthdays on April 8th. We agreed that the "Golden Years" are not that fun. I managed to get myself to Miami to celebrate the big 90 with my "southern grandchildren" and my son. Buffalo has been very cold all winter. Eva and I can't make it to the graduates dinner. How lucky you have Helen as head of school! She is a dear friend of our family.
Georgia Johnson Pooley '47: Georgia and her daughter, Gigi Pooley Helliwell '76, were at dinner with Sam (Katherine) Hershey Hafey '76 and
her family in September. While there, she met the Hafey's puppy and had a chance to sit on the floor and bond...
that I’m unable to attend our Reunion this June and renew old friendships owing to a “bad back” (osteoporosis/scoliosis). To read a summary of Jean’s post-SEM life on the occasion of the Class of 1948’s 70th SEM Reunion, visit BuffaloSeminary. org/ClassNotes.
Buffalo Seminary
Copeland sisters, all SEM graduates, on vacation in Stowe, VT; Susie Copeland Grant ’56; Merrily Copeland
Beyreuther ’60; Carol Copeland Sullivan ’55 and Sally Copeland O'Brien ’59 (below, left to right).
50's
Ethel Robin Melzer '50: Celebrating
66 years of marriage and counting with my husband Rich. We became greatgrandparents this year! Very grateful and very blessed.
Kathy Hamilton Steinwedell '53:
Doing well but slower pace. Still playing tennis and pickleball. Still traveling and having fun.
60's
Judith Becker-Cavallon '60: Had a delightful dinner with Jill ’60 and John
Flynn in March when they were in Tucson. Had a four-hour delay at the SLC airport on my way back from an Alaskan Cruise - Nancy Noehren Melling '60 and her husband George came out to see me, and we had an early supper near the airport. The Mellings travel extensively, often taking walking tours on their trips. Had a delicious dinner that Ellen Wile Schiller ‘60 cooked in her home in Corte Comoda, CA. Her husband Nelson is a charming host and treated us to some of his home-grown veggies from the garden. Both still play tennis. Nelson is working Ellen into a master bridge player. Recently I participated in a large continuing education lecture series in Tucson with Joanne Rich Healy '56 and her husband, Tom. Coincidentally, the Healys moved next door to one of my closest friends - someone I have known for more than 26 years!
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Merrily Copeland Beyreuther '60: The
Barbara French Pace '61: Friends for 60 years! Corny Roberts, Pat Waterman, Bobbi French, and Ruth Greenberger (all class of '61) spent a
week together on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Enjoyed the beach, local sightseeing, and sharing stories from our lives in Vermont, New Mexico, Colorado, and Washington, DC.
Evelyn “Evy” Lipp Harmon '61: On
March 8, 2017, we sold Frederick House (Staunton, VA) and at 73 and 83, retired. Owning a 23-room small hotel for 34 years was wonderful, but being retired is wonderful as well.
Jean Boer Cleverly '62: LOVED seeing and catching up with our beautiful 1962 classmates Pam, Ellen and Peggy for the Friday, June 2017 alumnae dinner!
That one day in Buffalo remains a wonderful memory, commemorating our shared times, and providing a muchneeded reality check on my always unfettered imaginings of the future into which we leading ladies progress with all the benefits of our shared miraculously irreplaceable education. I do still appreciate my education at SEM more and more with each passing year!
A special note from Head of School (1959-66) Richard Davis. Mr. Davis was the subject of a Tuesday Trivia question: “Why was Richard Davis listed as a member of the Class of 1963?” Kathy (Hartmann) Schwinger ‘63 had the winning answer: "The beloved Mr. Davis began his career at SEM at the start of the Class of 1963’s freshman year; thus, they considered him an honorary ‘63 graduate!" Harry Schooley was able to track down Mr. Davis, who shared:
Dear Ones: I wonder where you are now. For a while I was able to keep up with some of you through Class Notes, and with a few by correspondence, but I’ve been busy. Intensive study for retest after retest of finals, always followed by disappointment, has been discouraging. If you should return to school and peek into the study hall and see a dusty, crumpled old figure slumped at a corner desk, it’s your very old classmate cramming to take one more shot at Mrs Taylor’s final exam. Please say hello. I’d love to see you. If you’d like to reach Mr. Davis, please email development@buffaloseminary.org and we will get you in touch!
Josie Townsend Kaestner '64: July 2017, Ann Masotti Hengerer, Betsy Hitchings Hampton
Susan Wolfley Baumgartner '66:
Just celebrated my 70th - best time of my life! Active in a breast cancer survivor group and NIH study through UH (University Hospital/Seidman Cancer Center/CLE) at The Gathering Place - IMPROVE: Empowering Breast Cancer Survivors through Exercise. My four grands are the light of my life, my son Tim, and Lena with Mia and Max is working & living in London. My daughter Lisa just received a job with CARE.com in London (too!) after spending 10 years in Kampala, Uganda. Son Derek and wife Kelly, with Hudson and Camryn, live near Berea so keep G'ma Sue active! Remember our SEM 50th in '16; it was special & GREAT! Cheers to my classmates....
Kathryn Moeschler Bujalski '66: Happily retired in Wilmington, NC!
Shelley Cole Drake '66: M&T Bank
promoted Shelley Drake to the position of Regional President for Western New York. She retains her role as the president of the M&T Charitable Foundation.
Susan McConaughy Calderon '68:
Dear Class of 1968 - Looking forward to 50th reunion in 2018! Haven’t been in Buffalo in many, many years. But great memories of SEM friends and teachers.
70's
Cynthia Eaton '70: Spent a glorious
three days in the DC, MD and VA area enjoying the hospitality of my three classmates: Alana Gayle, Dorcas Colvin, and Amy Fisher. It's always a treat to spend time catching up with friends from SEM. Amy pointed out that we have been friends for 50 years, starting as freshmen in 1966. That's a good thing.
Marci Melzer Wilf '71: I am proud to
announce the arrival of my grandson, Ethan Michael Alster, born 3/29/17, to my daughter Katie and her husband Jason. We are beyond delighted to have Ethan in our lives! Hope many of my classmates are sharing joy in their own families.
Lucy Butterbaugh Coburn '73:
Greetings, fellow SEM girls! Just a quick shout out to say how excited I am for our 45th reunion in June 2018. Hope we see many new (old) faces at this year's reunion. As for me, I'm working at MJ Peterson in the city office and witnessing the crazy-busy real estate market. It's fun to see the growth in our city! I'm still serving on the Buffalo Seminary Alumnae Board and excited about new alumnae development. 2017 was a tumultuous year for me but ended on a good note with the purchase of my first home (very lucky considering there were 14 offers on the table!). I'm on the still-burgeoning West Side of Buffalo and loving every minute of being in my hometown!
Kathy Killeen Ashton '73: Greetings,
classmates! Still very busy in the marketing department at Providence College and teaching yoga, but turning 61 has me eyeing retirement and a change in lifestyle. Would love to hear of other's experiences with this. Our daughters are great; Sara married and living in NH and Holly living a bit closer in Newport. David and I enjoying life together and traveling whenever we can. Looking forward to summer!
Susan Coe Brown & Liz Morrison '74:
In June 2017, we took a two-week journey through Scotland. We hiked the Highlands, the Isle of Skye, and the Outer Hebrides. And we also enjoyed time in Edinburgh and Stomoway. This photo was taken on the Quiraing on Skye, a challenging hike with spectacular views. Hoping to see all of you at the next class reunion.
and I had a lovely lunch in beautiful Newport, VT with our own, dear, Mr. Foster. Mr. Foster (we are to call him Bob now!) and Betsy both live there. Ann and husband Ned were visiting Hank and me in Charlotte, VT, up from their home in MD.
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80's
Amy Habib Rittling '86: Amy Habib
Rittling, former Board Chair and partner at Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP, has been appointed to the Board of Trustees at University at Buffalo Foundation.
Lauren McHugh Herr '01: Dr. Lauren
McHugh Herr graduated with a doctoral degree in Education Administration and Policy from The George Washington University. Her dissertation is titled, “Principals' Interpretation of ELL Policy.” She is currently teaching in Alexandria, VA.
Lacy Ellinwood '02: Lacy is celebrating
Virginia Schaefer Horvath '75: President of the State University of New York at Fredonia and SEM Trustee, Dr. Horvath served as SEM’s 2017 Commencement Speaker.
Margaret Dutton Baglioni '78: Still
living and wandering in Europe. With the kids grown up and living in the US and Nottingham, UK, I took early retirement and moved to France for a year while my husband worked in a French hospital. We're back in Wales and planning our next adventure. I am excited to return to Buffalo to attend our 40th reunion, and hopefully see a lot of old friends.
90's
Jennifer Roberts '92: Hi SEM Family! I am pleased to share that I am still living in the Washington, DC area with my husband. I am a professor at the University of Maryland in College Park (UMD) and am enjoying it tremendously. My story and research was featured on the front page of the UMD website. Very exciting! I would love to hear from SEM alumnae living in the area or elsewhere. I can be reached at jenrob@umd.edu.
one year as the Library Development Director for the Mississippi Library Commission, the state library agency based in Jackson, Mississippi. Lacy has worked for the Mississippi Library Commission for almost 6 years. She was recently featured in the Jackson Free Press for her work at the Library Commission and as a local bass player for her band Kicking.
Denise Rott Lovern '78: Hi from sunny
Las Vegas! After living in Buffalo most of my life, I moved to Las Vegas five years ago. This spring my husband and I will be starting a new adventure in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I’m still teaching elementary school and loving it. My two boys are living out west: Tommy in Utah and Taylor in California. Looking forward to attending our 40th reunion this summer!
Victoria Chatfield '04:
00's
Jo Glauser Marymor '00 hosted Christine Driscoll '07, Grace von Simson '13, Liza Marlette '13, and Curreen Luongo '13 (below, left to
right) for bagels and conversation at her Manhattan apartment. A great time was had by all, and future get-togethers are in the works! If you're an NYC-based alum and are interested in connecting, feel free to reach out to Jo at marymorm@gmail.com.
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Buffalo Seminary
I just wrapped up a Fulbright Distinguished Teaching fellowship in the University of Glasgow's theatre department, researching cross-demographic arts education programs. I had the opportunity to work with the National Theatre of Scotland while I was abroad, as well as lecturing at the University of Cambridge, my mother's alma mater. (I was, unfortunately, not able to locate Nessie, despite numerous trips up to the loch.) I'm currently the Executive Director of the National Theatre for Student Artists (www.nationalstudenttheatre.org), a nonprofit organization that brings high school and college students from across the United States together to create new theatrical works off-Broadway. This summer will be our first time holding rehearsals at Daemen College right here in Western New York! I'm currently splitting my time between Western New York and my home in Airdrie, Scotland. If you're ever visiting the United Kingdom, please get in touch!
Space constraints in the printed issue of SEM Today may require the editing of submissions. Please add full Class Notes online to buffaloseminary.org/class-notes, where space is infinite!
Tara Ashraf '07: In September 2016, Tara married Anders T. Rosén and held what is sure to go down in history as the first Viking-Pakistani wedding... or maybe the first of many! She and her husband were shortly thereafter awarded an Atlas Corps Teaching Fellowship to teach English in Colombia, and were there from July until November 2017.
Kyle Friedman Harnett '08: Members of
the Class of 2008 celebrated Kyle (Friedman) Harnett's wedding to Justin Harnett in Buffalo on September 16, 2017!
From left to right: Betsy Bloom, Kathryn Steffan, Heather Kimmins, Kyle Harnett,
Keep In Touch
Ariane Mallon, Megan Creahan Pellis. The fellowship is a collaboration between Atlas Corps, Heart for Change, Volunteers Colombia, the Ministry of Education, and el Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA). Its mission is to facilitate the development of a post-peace accord, prosperous Colombia, where children and youth have the opportunity to receive a high-quality bilingual education. Weekly, she taught about 400 Colombian students along with Colombian coteachers, and shared with her students different aspects of American and Pakistani culture.
10's
Kathryn Melber '11: Kathryn graduated from
Daemen College with a dual degree of a Bachelor of Science/Master of Science: Physician Assistant Studies. She will be moving to Pittsburgh, PA, to work in a surgical residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Lauren Moloney Ford '08: Members of the
Class of 2008 celebrated Lauren Moloney Ford's wedding to Chad Ford in Charleston, South Carolina on Oct 27, 2017!
What have you been up to? Your success is SEM’s best tool for success! Share recent events and milestones on our online Class Notes at buffaloseminary.org/classnotes.
From left to right: Zoe Friedlander, Emma
Papagni, Lauren Moloney Ford, Michele Kujawa and Abi Stark.
Do we have your current phone number and email address? Contact: Development@buffaloseminary.org Like us on Facebook/BuffaloSeminaryAlumnae and you can play Harry Schooley’s quizzes!
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List of Class Agents:
1941 Rosemary Smith Marlette development@buffaloseminary.org 1942 development@buffaloseminary.org 1943 development@buffaloseminary.org 1944 Betty Kleindinst Fierle betty.fierle@gmail.com 1945 Mary Moot Buerger development@buffaloseminary.org 1946 development@buffaloseminary.org 1947 Mary Truscott Jebb beeboo15@aol.com Joan Kahle Smith wj_smith66@yahoo.com 1948 development@buffaloseminary.com Alma Chapin Strachan development@buffaloseminary.org 1949 Janice Roberts Fretz fretzvmi49c@roadrunner.com Louise House McClive lhmcclive@live.com 1950 development@buffaloseminary.org 1951 Frances Lipinski Morrison development@buffaloseminary.org 1952 Mary Ross Rice riceonice@aol.com 1953 development@buffaloseminary.org 1954 development@buffaloseminary.org 1955 development@buffaloseminary.org 1956 Beverley Cryer Brewer beverleybewer@aol.com Linda Kittinger Wadsworth lindakwads@gmail.com 1957 Mary Hanrahan Berlow mhberlow@me.com Luella Harder Johnson lhj39@msn.com Iris Farrow Skoog ifskoog@gmail.com 1958 Phyllis Gabbey, gabbeydesigns@mac.com Janet Katz Wisbaum janetwisbaum@gmail.com 1959 Nancy Cooley Polk development@buffaloseminary.org 1960 Judith Hansen Benson jhwbenson544@yahoo.com Judith Moss Hagy jmhagy@alumni.duke.edu 1961 Sandra Severson Harwood harwood.sandy@gmail.com 1962 Constance Greene James conniejames3@gmail.com 1963 Anne Lipp Frank anfrank212@gmail.com 1964 Mary Fisk Klinge mfklinge@gmail.com Sally Spitzmiller Vincent svincent@rmhcwny.org 1965 Jane Pelson Miller jane.p.miller@verizon.net 1966 Jane C. Morris janecmorris@gmail.com 1967 Constance M. Schweitzer cmsch1949@gmail.com 1968 Susan Blaine Nesbitt, susienes@gmail.com 1969 Randy Cole development@buffaloseminary.org 1970 Ellen S. Goldstein, egpr@aol.com Mary Jewett Harty, mjnewhall@aol.com
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Buffalo Seminary
If you would like to volunteer as a Class Agent for your class, please contact development@buffaloseminary.org
1971 Mary Ellen Yerkovich Burke mey529@yahoo.com Devon Parker Marlette devonpmarlette@gmail.com 1972 Suzanne Murray ssmurray8889@gmail.com 1973 Lucy Butterbaugh Coburn bigmamalu@gmail.com Linda Robertson Magavern lindamagavern@gmail.com 1974 Gabrielle P. DeRose, gaby15@msn.com 1975 development@buffaloseminary.org 1976 development@buffaloseminary.org 1978 Cynthia J. Pope, cj_bikerpup@yahoo.com 1979 Ann Goldman More amore@buffaloseminary.org Laura Munson lmunson@buffaloseminary.org 1980 Nyla Scott Carlisle nscott01@mail.com 1981 development@buffaloseminary.org 1982 Lisa Abeyounis lisa.abeyounis@gmail.com Suzanne Lawless Johnson sljohnson02@yahoo.com 1983 Karen Moden, kmoden@gmail.com 1984 development@buffaloseminary.org 1985 Amy Kelly yerofeev@roadrunner.com 1986 development@buffaloseminary.org 1987 Lia Fiato Hallett hallett13@gmail.com 1988 Amy M. Schmit amyschmit@yahoo.com 1989 development@buffaloseminary.org 1990 development@buffaloseminary.org 1991 development@buffaloseminary.org 1992 Emily Lombardo Longo elongo@carolina.rr.com Katharine Bowen Smith kwbsmith@gmail.com 1993 Allison Mitchell allison.c.e.mitchell@gmail.com Rebecca Michael Gaffney rebecca@redletterdays.biz 1994 Rebecca Diina LaCivita rdlacivita@yahoo.com 1995 Kana Watanabe development@buffaloseminary.org 1996 Carrie Lyons Auwarter carrielyons22@hotmail.com 1997 Sarah Antos-McDevitt ntos.sarah@gmail.com Elizabeth Marshall Metcalfe belmonttwyla@gmail.com 1998 Darcy L. Hirsh darcy.hirsh@gmail.com Kara Hornung Kerwin karahkerwin@gmail.com 1999 Kerri Chyka kerrichyka@gmail.com Kirsta Sendziak kirsendz@gmail.com 2000 Jolie M. Roetter jroetter@yahoo.com 2001 Erin Klass erin.klass@gmail.com Whitney Lisk neelylisk@gmail.com 2002 Grace O'Connor oconnorgrace@yahoo.com Rosemary Sears rosemary.sears@gmail.com
2003 Meghan Hofert Gebhardt meghan.gebhardt@gmail.com Lisa Niswander Peterson lniswand@gmail.com 2004 development@buffaloseminary.org 2005 M. Julianna Glauser glauserja@gmail.com Moira Giammaresi Lewis mgiammaresi@gmail.com Caitlin Overdorf McCarthy caitlin.overdorf@emc.com 2006 Laura E. Del Dotto ldeldotto@gmail.com 2007 Marisa Faitelson marisafaitelson@gmail.com Tara Harper tara.marie.harper@gmail.com Aria D. Walfrand awalfrand@gmail.com 2008 Elizabeth Bloom elizabeth.g.bloom@gmail.com 2009 Victoria L. Dann Dann.tory@gmail.com Rebekah Farrar farrar4834@aol.com 2010 development@buffaloseminary.org 2011 development@buffaloseminary.org 2012 Eliza Kaye ebkaye826@gmail.com 2013 Ji Eun Choi stop4885@yahoo.com Alexandra LaMonte alamonte@lawny.org Jessica Phillips phillipsmjessica@gmail.com Victoria Roney roney695@gmail.com Grace von Simson gracevonsimson@gmail.com 2014 Marissa Egloff egloffm@my.canisius.edu Pamela Rivas rivasp@my.canisius.edu Sara Schmidle saraschmidle@yahoo.com Madeleine Thompson mthompson@buffaloseminary.org Kelsy Waack kwaack1@jacksonville.edu l Xiao Zhang 290490743@qq.com 2015 Ryan Bronstein bronsteinre@g.cofc.edu Jane Gold goldjm@lafayette.edu Alexa Rosen alexarosen4@gmail.com Leah Trow Leah.Trow@hws.edu 2016 Margaret Brannon maggiekbrannon@gmail.com Anabel Cornacchio agcornacchio@gmail.com Andrea DeMarco andreademarco147@gmail.com Anna Fretz annafretz@gmail.com Kendyl Kratzer kkratzer@fandm.edu Bessie Shiroki bessieshiroki@gmail.com Kerui Xu kxu113@syr.edu 2017 Jade Johnson jjohn110@u.rochester.edu Mi Kang Kim naeaup@naver.com Lysette Vazquez lysettevz@gmail.com Clare von Simson clare.vonsimson@gmail.com Fatima Siddiqui fatima.siddiqui8@gmail.com Lisa Xiao yaolisax@gmail.com Caroline Dunbar Caroline.Dunbar@uvm.edu
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In Memoriam Kenneth Atkinson
father-in-law of Amy Hayes Atkinson '84, grandfather of Hannah Atkinson '15
Kay McCarter Ball '46 Edwin T. Bean, Jr.
husband of Susan Roberts Bean '43, father of Emelie Bean Ventling '76, and Former Trustee Douglas Bean, grandfather of Kristen Bean Blackman '04
Tish Blaine
stepmother of Cathryn Blaine Muzzy '64 and Susan Blaine Nesbitt '68, grandmother of Erin Griffis '19
Patricia Friol
mother-in-law of Ashley Hubbard Friol '05
Frederic W. Gioia
uncle of Andrea Gioia '02
Sheila Gottesman
grandmother of Jamie Gottesman '00
father of Elizabeth Pictor Betti '78
Mary Howard Hayes '51
Priscilla Bassett Bretschger '44
son of Mary Rose Hennessy Hays '44, brother of Maureen Hays-Mitchell '74, PhD and Judith Hays Benedict '79, MD
sister of Bonnie Barmon Fastiff ‘56
Gretchen Vilsack Chmura '82
Joseph “Jay” C. Hays
Eloise H. Hedstrom '47 Rita Mary F. Hubbard
mother of Mary R. Hubbard '80, grandmother of Ashley Hubbard Friol '05 and Megan Hubbard-Riley '10
Jane F. Jacobs
cousin of Erin Gregory Jordan '02
mother of Nancy Jacobs Fischer '61
David M. Downing
Margaret “Peg” Metzger Keane '39
brother of Molly Downing Regan '88 and Gretchen Downing Cappiello '94
Laura Jane Henrich Ehret '40
sister-in-law of Virginia Radner Metzger '42, cousin of M. Lauren Kreiner '03
Dr. Thomas Z. Lajos
Maxwell “Mac” Ellis
father of Cheryl Lajos '86 and Laura Lajos '89
Neal V. Fatin III
grandfather of Tess Rine ‘18
husband of Virginia Amram Ellis '52, father of Pamela Ellis Meltzer '73
David Lambe
uncle of Callie Burke Georger '03 and Carolyn “Carrie” Burke Dealtry '06
Alicia “Dottie” Breuil Lammerts '40
Tery Rosing Feinberg '62
Catherine Means Loew '53
Phoebe “Penny” R. Flickinger
brother of former SEM History Teacher F. Curtis Miles '72
sister of Jill Rosing Landel '68 mother of Wendy Flickinger Ross '73, aunt of former Head of Board of Trustees Catherine Flickinger Schweitzer '71
Buffalo Seminary
Amy Nash
Eugene Hadjisky
grandmother of Morgan Gress Johnson '08 and Paige Gress '11
Matthew A. Bowden
Marcia Barmon Brett ‘50
G. Robert Moeschler, Jr.
husband of Claire Tindle Moeschler '61, brother of Kathryn Moeschler Bujalski '66 sister of Ann Wiedenbeck Galbraith '85, aunt of Alexandra Galbraith '20
husband of Maryellen Gould Hadjisky '42, uncle of Lucy Butterbaugh Coburn '73
sister of Deborah Bassett McGinley '51, aunt of former Trustee Lori Bassett, Katherine Bassett '75, Mary Bassett Wilson '84, and great-aunt of Elizabeth Bassett '11
Robert Lang Miller
husband of Evelyn "Evie" Gurney Miller '46, brother of Claire Miller McGowan '54, uncle of Felicia Lang Miller Meyer '80 and Susan McGowan '88
Helen S. Gress
Virginia Bauman Boman '43 son of Martha "Marchy" Zietlow Bowden '65
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Linda Wolfe Fox '63
Philip G. Miles, Jr.
William R. Pictor, Sr.
Joan Siverling Poehler '48 Catherine Miller Ray '49
sister-in-law of Susan Ray Dillon '51
Dr. Charles R. Schen
father of Trustee Claire Schen. PhD, father-in-law of Dr. Gregory Cherr, grandfather of Madeleine Cherr '18
John Semo
father of Andrew Semo '20
Carol A. Stevens
grandmother of Elise Stevens '08
Gloria F. Trincanati
grandmother of Mary Trincanati '95
Evelyn A. Taublieb
mother of Dr. Amy Beth Taublieb '76
Nancy Vargo, RN SEM Nurse
Michelle Jaworski Victoria '86 daughter of former Trustee Walter J. Jaworski
Dr. Milton M. Weiser
father of Julie Weiser Knapp '82
Norman E. Winkler
father of Mari Jo Winkler-Ioffreda '84
Wendy Zacher-Schmidt
sister of Laura Zacher Otterbein '84
The
Nancy Vargo, RN
Elm Legacy Society of Buffalo Seminary
When school nurse Nancy Vargo died on April 22, 2018, our community suffered the ragged loss of her warmth, wit, skill, and intelligence. Since 2013, she has taken care of all of us, in one way or another. I relied on her for crack proofreading skills and her ability to find what was funny about almost anything. It was good medicine.
Create Your Legacy Since the very beginning, the vision of Buffalo Seminary has been to empower young women by providing an excellent learning environment. Planned gifts from SEM’s graduates and friends continue to provide the financial support to realize this vision.
Legacy Opportunities Gifts that can provide income during your lifetime
For students and faculty, mornings are not the same without her greeting us at the door, and certainly days are not the same without her to dispense medicine or lend her ear. Particularly, residential students depended on Nurse Nancy for everything from trips for immunizations, to a quiet conversation and empathy, and fun! She understood what SEM girls thousands of miles away from home needed; just a week before her diagnosis in March she hosted residential students for a day of snowy fun at her home in Java Center. She is beloved and she is missed.
-Erin Kelly
Establish a Charitable Gift Annuity or a Charitable Remainder Trust to provide for a steady stream of lifetime income for yourself and an ultimate gift for SEM.
Gifts that yield immediate benefits Outright Gifts, Securities, Property
Gifts that sustain SEM in the future
Last Will and Testament, Life Insurance, Retirement Accounts Considering a planned gift to SEM? We look forward to welcoming you to the Elm Legacy Society. Please contact Susan Beich at sbeich@buffaloseminary.org or (716)885-6780.
Elm_AD.indd 4
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Spring 2018
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Grandparent Morning at SEM The morning before Thanksgiving break is dedicated to grandparents. November 21, 2017 grands were shown the best of SEM: visiting classes, participating in The Great Listen, and gathering for a special morning meeting in the chapel.
(left) Ania Wright '20 with grandparents James and Annie Wright. (right) Grandparents joined a Harkness table discussion.
(left) SEM French teacher Isabelle Fisher and Eloise Fisher '20 (center) with grandparents Alex BĂŠdard and Jeannine BĂŠdard.
(left) Shelby Kmidowski '18 with grandmother Lucy Kmidowski.
(left) Annabelle Daley '21 (center) with grandparents Bob and Pat Daley participated in The Great Listen oral history project.
(right) Yasmeen Collins '18 (center) with grandmothers Aida Salvador (left) and Regina Bellisari (right).
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Buffalo Seminary
| SEMsational Stories Alumnae Interview Alumnae
Get the great advice from SEM alumnae whether it’s about life or career - when you follow SEMsational Stories at BuffaloSeminary.org/semsationalstories. FIND THESE NOW! Fall 2017: Life Trustee Melanie Franco Nussdorf ‘67 interviews Casey Perley ‘04 in DC Spring 2018: Jo Marymor ‘00 interviews former Trustee Linda Cornelius ‘71 (below, right) in NYC
Fall, 2017: Casey Perley ‘04
visited SEM where she thrilled students in classes and alumnae at lunch with her insights from the front lines of biodefense. Casey is a postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). She even brought us a decommissioned biohazard suit to demonstrate.
Donate to SEM at No Cost! SEM is a registered nonprofit with AmazonSmile. Customers have access to the same products, features, services, and low prices as on Amazon.com. The shopping experience is identical to Amazon.com with the added benefit that the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from eligible AmazonSmile purchases to charitable organizations selected by customers. Please choose SEM! You can change your nonprofit selection at any time. Thank you for considering the school as a recipient.
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Buffalo Seminary
Casey, her parents Tama Crowell and former Trustee Michael Perley and Helen Marlette.
Legacy Residential Scholarship Do you know a girl who would be a great SEM girl? A great Hornet or Jacket? She doesn’t have to be from Buffalo anymore… Because whether she’s from around the block or around the world – Buffalo Seminary has a place for her in our 5- or 7-day boarding program in the beautiful historic homes next door to the school. Scholarships are now available for residential girls referred by a graduate, trustee of the school, or SEM family for the 201819 school year. The purpose of this scholarship is to build our SEM community with talented young women who have a connection to the school. To nominate a candidate, contact Director of Admission Laura Munson ‘79 at 716.885.6780 or email admission@buffaloseminary.org.
Volunteer Leadership 2017 - 2018 Board of Trustees Officers 2017-18 Chair: Michael E. Maxwell, Esq. Vice Chair: Patrick J. Long, Esq. Treasurer: James Kramer Secretary: Josephine Siddiqui
Board of Trustees Members
Suzanne Bradley ‘73, MD Mark Burlow Robert Carr Jennifer Cornacchio Linda Cornelius ‘71 Gabrielle DeRose ‘74 Virgina Schaefer Horvath ‘75, PhD Richard Gold David Hughes, MD Kara Hornung Kerwin '98 Linda Robertson Magavern ‘73 Helen L. Marlette (Ex-officio) Brian Melber, Esq. Elizabeth Montesano Roach Claire Schen, PhD Katharine Bowen Smith ‘92 Christopher Tolomeo
BSAA Buffalo Chapter Officers
President: Lucy Butterbaugh Coburn ’73 Vice President: Kilby Morgan Bronstein ‘10 Treasurer: Georgia (Gigi) Pooley Helliwell '76 Recording Secretary: Nadine Matala-Kowalski ’82 Corresponding Secretary: Linda Robertson Magavern ‘73 Ex-officio/Liaison: Betsy Bloom ’08
BSAA Buffalo Chapter Members Amy Hayes Atkinson ‘84 Missy Bell De Laria '89 Allie Friedman '05 Phyllis Gabbey ’58 Heather Rumsey Gibson '91 Mary Jewett Harty ’70 Faith Hoffman-McQueen ‘62 Allison Joseph '10 Joy L. Kaminski ’94 Heather Kimmins '08 Erin Klass '01 Robin Marti ‘83 Erin O'Brien '86 Lauren Stegemann ’06 Joan Ginther Wadsworth ’74
BSAA Buffalo Chapter Honorary Members Dianne Ward Forbush '50 Mary E.B. (Memo) Oshei ’74 Mary Ross Rice ’52
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Buffalo Seminary
Life Trustees
Marjorie E. Barney Frederick B. Cohen, Esq. Shelley Cole Drake ‘66 Joan Willard Gruen ‘51 Amy J. Habib Mark E. Hamister Barbara Cowan Hyde ‘43 Luella Harder Johnson ‘57, PhD Susan Lenahan Kimberly ‘68 David Knauss Charles F. Kreiner, Jr. Madeline Ambrus Lillie ‘68, MD, PhD Rosemary Smith Marlette ‘41 Amy Martoche, Esq. ‘88 Philip R. Niswander, MD Melanie Franco Nussdorf ‘67, Esq. Kevin O’Leary William H. Pearce, Jr. Charles R. Rice Mary Ross Rice ‘52 Amy Habib Rittling ‘86, Esq. Thomas Stewart David G. Strachan Michal Wadsworth Deceased: Joan Kostick Andrews ‘48 Francis S. Faust, Esq. L. Nelson Hopkins, Jr. Murray S. Howland, MD Elaine F. James ‘42 Paul J. Koessler Robin Simon Magavern ‘52 Joseph H. Morey, Jr., Esq. M. Ruth Fowler Niswander ‘43 Betty Lehman Oppenheimer ‘37 Jean Reese Oshei ‘32 William H. Pearce, Sr. Madeleine Breinig Reid ‘33 Susan Rubenstein Schapiro ‘48, PhD Annette Stevens Wilton ‘52
Honorary Trustees
Ansie Silverman Baird ‘55 Janie Urban Constantine '66 Alice Sullivan Dillon ‘51 Marritje VanArsdale Greene ‘69 James L. Magavern, Esq. Suzanne Marlette Sears ‘73 Gary R. Sutton Tara VanDerveer ‘71 Linda Kittinger Wadsworth ‘56 Rosemary Woodworth Whiting ‘40 Deceased: Katherine Crandell Bassett ‘50 Mary Henrich Botsford ‘33, MD Betty Butzer Brown ‘44 Melissa Reed Chudy ‘78 Virginia Deuel ‘33 Robert E. Dillon, Jr. Betty Duthie Kittinger ‘30 Jean Wende McCarthy ‘31 Marion Osborn ‘40 Betty Johnson Ott ‘40 Dorothy Doane Scott ‘26 Patricia Runk Sweeney ‘56 June Seufert Walker ‘39 Margaret L. Wendt 1903
Founders’ Advisory Committee Katharine Bowen Smith '92, Chair Monica Angle Jane Schoellkopf Banta '65 Suzanne Bradley '73 Margaret Brown '72 Jane Hopkins Carey '75 Robert Carr Geraldine Walsh Clauss '47 Janie Urban Constantine '66 Jennifer Cornacchio Linda Cornelius '71 Shelley Cole Drake '66 Virginia Schaefer Horvath '75, PhD Luella Harder Johnson '57 Susan Lenahan Kimberly '68 James Kramer Leslie Kramer Patrick Long, Esq. Helen L. Marlette Michael Maxwell, Esq. Katherine Heasly Metzger '63 Michael Perley, Esq. Mary Ross Rice '52 Elizabeth Montesano Roach Claire Schen, PhD Suzanne Marlette Sears '73 Josephine Siddiqui
Parent Association
President: Wendy Sievenpiper
School Government Association President: Madeleine Cherr '18 Vice President: Mary Leslie '19
Senior Class
President: Casey Ball Vice President: Tess Rine
Junior Class
President: Mary Curtin Vice President: Kailyn Lane
Sophomore Class
President: Katie Gareis Vice President: Eloise Fisher
Freshman Class
President: Eva Maines Vice President: Alexa Groh
Residential Student Prefects
Oishei House: Shangqi “Sary” Lyu ‘18 Niscah House: Yixuan “Rebecca” Li ‘18 Lipke House: Mencheng “Cathy” Yu ‘18
Residential Ambassador Jiani Lu ‘18
Your support powers SEM
WHY SEM?
Thank you!
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Buffalo Seminary
You can put a student in a SEM classroom who otherwise would not be able to attend.
Your gift to SEM will have an immediate impact on a student’s life. buffaloseminary.org/give When I first started giving to SEM, I did it as a way of honoring the memory of a beloved teacher and family member. And while I still do that, now I appreciate that my gift impacts the experiences of the current and future SEM students who benefit as I did from those who gave before me. It feels good to continue the tradition of giving and to play a part in the education of tomorrow’s women leaders. I truly believe in the power of SEM to change women’s lives and in the power of all-girls. I hope you’ll join me in supporting SEM! Katharine Bowen Smith ‘92, Trustee I support SEM because the value of my donation is priceless when I consider how SEM changed my life. My memories of SEM bring me a sense of joy and gratitude. I was embraced into a community of unique, talented, and strong females and was launched on a journey to be my best self. Not a week goes by that I’m not hearing about, talking about, or thinking about the SEM impact. A SEM education inspires and fosters girls to grow into the best humans they can be and I want to be sure that SEM continues this legacy for future generations. Molly Beck-Joslyn ‘99, Annual Fund Chair
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Buffalo Seminary