Calhoun Chronicle, Summer 2017 by The Calhoun School

The College Process: That Was Fun!

19 for 19 Campaign Crosses $13M

Graduation: Oh, the Places Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Go!

Alumni Class Notes

summer 2017

Calhoun’s Mission To inspire a passion for learning through a progressive approach to education that values intellectual pursuit, creativity, diversity and community involvement.

Board of Trustees 2016—17

Pa r e n t s A s s o c i at i o n 2 0 1 6 — 1 7

Eric Potoker ’85 Chair

Steven J. Nelson Head of School

Officers

Vice Presidents, Middle School

Jon Brayshaw Vice Chair

Co-Presidents

Life Trustees

David Hawkins Barbara Pyles

Bert Pasquini Ken Vidal

Robert L. Beir* Eric Ryan

Jim Glasgow Treasurer

Vice Presidents, Lower School/81st

Tara Mendelson Daphne Smith-Naylor

Secretary & VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Louise Litt

Melissa Liberty Secretary

Honorary Trustees

Trustees

Susan Barkey Jonathan Bauman Stefanie Bhalla Michael Conboy David Elsberg Lori Fleishman Dorr ‘92 Karen Greene David Hawkins, PA Rep Scott Hirsch ‘86 Aasem Khalil Walter Levitch Marc Murphy Colleen Pike Blair Barbara Pyles, PA Rep Shaiza Rizavi Steven Sinatra Claudia Singleton Jay Sugarman Christine Taylor Susan Thomson

Gertrude Marden Bacon ‘34* Edwin Einbender* Constance Stern Flaum ’39* Ronald M. Foster, Jr.* Sally Goodgold* Lawrence S. Harris Mark S. Kaufmann Anne Frankenthaler Kohn ’39* Peter D. Lederer Stuart Levin* Florence Yachnin Liebman ‘38 Helena Simons Marks ’32* David C. Masket* Joan Masket Arthur S. Olick Elizabeth Parmelee* June Saltzman Schiller ‘42 Jesse I. Siegel* Mary-Ellen Greenberger Siegel ’49 Allen Swerdlick Edward S. Tishman

Vice Presidents, Lower School/74th

Treasurer

Sheila Kirkwood Hanh Livingston

Lynda Roca Vice Presidents, Upper School

Amy Edelman Chris Rothermel

T H E CA L H OUN SC H OO L Main number

Alumni Relations

212-497-6500

646-666-6450

Lower School/74th

Annual Giving

212-497-6550

212-497-6579

Admissions/81st

Communications

212-497-6534

212-497-6527

Admissions/74th

Please send changes of address, phone or email to familyupdates@calhoun.org

212-497-6575

*deceased

summer 2017

o n t h e cov e r

“That was fun!” Three words you’ll never hear about the college process—except at Calhoun!

The Calhoun Chronicle is published twice each year by the Communications Office for alumni, current and former parents, staff and friends. Editorial Assistants

Beth Krieger beth.krieger@calhoun.org

Angela Fischer Michelle Raum

EDITORIAL ASSOCIATEs

staff Photographers

Michelle Kiefer michelle.kiefer@calhoun.org

Beth Krieger Cory Schwartz Nahuel Fanjul-Arguijo

Nahuel Fanjul-Arguijo nahuel.fanjul@calhoun.org

Design

Alumni News

Christine Zamora ‘81, CZ Design

Page 26

PHOTO: cory schwartz

Photo : GARY JOSEPH COHEN

Editor

Bart Hale ‘00 bart.hale@calhoun.org Copy Editor

Amy Edelman

Cert no. XXX-XXX-XXXX

Contents summer 2017

Features

The College Process: That Was Fun!

Senior Profiles: “Stay in Your Own Story”

Graduation: Oh, the Places They’ll Go!

32 38

Departments

V i e wp o i n t

by Steve Nelson

Sc h o o l N e w s

Jon Brayshaw Takes Helm of Board

19 for 19 Campaign Crosses $13M Mark

3 6

LS/74: Quilting as a Window

LS/81: Financial Literacy Projects

MS: Independent Science Projects

US: Junior Workshop

Onstage

Sports

Alumni News

Class Notes

Career Symposium

Jordan Peele ‘97 Breaks Out

Profile: Andrew Conlin ‘08

Reunion 2017

Viewpoint by Steven J. Nelson, He a d of School

One Final Glimpse I’ve experienced a lot of lasts in recent weeks. I have no words for the feelings these experiences evoked. None of these things will ever happen again.

In the days leading up to his last Calhoun graduation, Steve took a moment to reflect on the past year . . . and his 19 years at Calhoun. On May 19, at Calhoun’s 2017 Gala, I watched my children and teenage granddaughter as they watched me on the screen at the American Museum of Natural History. The great blue whale watched us all. It was surreal. Weeks before, I sat in the 81st Street theater as Upper School students asked me irreverent questions in a delightful interview. Another day I quietly, discreetly, wiped my eyes as the sounds of “Hey Steve” bounced off the gym rafters during the Lower School Spring Sing. Little Calhouners at 74th Street sang a Hawaiian goodbye (yes, discreet eye wipes again), and teachers I’ve known for 19 years hugged me (and later sent banana bread). A much-loved colleague and I said, “See you later,” to each other, knowing that such a thing was highly unlikely. I was given the great gift of an Irish farewell song. I had “junior” meetings with a ninth grader and tenth grader. A student said I couldn’t leave and made me promise to be in my chair in the fall. My picture appeared on the Field Day 2017 T-shirt. My body shook to the cheers during the Cooper Stock MS-LS faculty basketball game. An alum who started school with me in 1998 (she was three, I was not) came to visit and 10 minutes turned into 90, like magic. I wrote something that will remain hidden until June 2018. I ate chicken gumbo from Bobo’s kitchen. I sat in a brilliant, hilarious biology class with eleventh graders I’ll miss more than you can imagine. I listened to an Earth, Wind & Fire tune performed by a fabulous percussion ensemble. I had a high-five with Anna that stung my hand exactly the way it should. I high-fived Eddie for the umpteenth time. I saluted Cashel. Elias saluted me. Lulu and I did our not-so-secret-butreally-cool handshake for the 3,467th time. I signed Allie’s petition

Calhoun Chronicle

for a political candidate. Maddy and Sasha came to a book signing, but forgot to bring Jesso. For the tenth time, Delsa told me Cornel West was in Matrix movies. By the time this “Viewpoint” is in print, I will have written and read aloud the last of more than 5,000 lines of mediocre, but deeply heartfelt, rhyming couplets. I will have watched the last egg descend from an open window on 81st Street. “Drop it! Drop it! Drop it!” I will have handed certificates to eighth graders who went from children to young women and men in the blink of an eye. Nineteen years is a long time. I’m fairly sure I’m leaving the school better than I found it, which may not be a lofty achievement, but still lends satisfaction. Wonderful people have given the school millions of dollars, things have been constructed, enrollment has grown and Calhoun remains the most remarkable community of humans I’ve ever encountered. At least I didn’t change that. I hope I added something to it. But accomplishments are not the most powerful memories I will take away. I have been graced by stunning generosity. I’ve had real, remarkable, sometimes startlingly revelatory conversations with more than 750 young women and men during junior meetings. I’ve had three-year-olds and 80-year-olds yell, “Hi, Steve!” I’ve been dunked. And dunked. And dunked some more. I’ve learned far more from students than I ever “taught” them. (I don’t like the word “taught” very much.) I’ve had hugs and giggles and tears. I’ve heard stories that could tear your heart out. I’ve dealt with issues that could make a guy tear his hair out. I’ve handed diplomas to students who now teach at Calhoun. I’ve handed diplomas to students whose children now attend Calhoun. In 1998, with great anticipation and mild trepidation, I walked alone down 81st Street toward the TV building to begin my very first day at work. The years have gone by in a blur. By the time your eyes fall on these last sentences, I will have quietly left my office, old gray Patagonia bag in hand, and walked back up 81st Street for the last time, alone as I was in 1998. I may have turned around, for just one final glimpse. I may have wiped my eyes one last time.

school news

Eric Potoker ’85 Named Life Trustee; Jon Brayshaw Assumes Helm as Board Chair Eric Potoker ’85—one of only three alumni to have served as Chair of Calhoun’s Board of Trustees and the first since the 1930s—stepped down this spring after having served as Board Chair since 2009 and Trustee since 2004. In recognition of Eric’s contribution to his alma mater during a time of rapid growth and rising prominence on the independent school stage, he has been awarded the honorary title of Calhoun Life Trustee—adding on to his multiple Calhoun roles as alumnus, former Trustee and parent of two Calhoun graduates (Nicholas ’17 and Matthew ’17). Announcement of the honorarium was made by incoming Board Chair Jon Brayshaw at the school’s Gala on May 19 at the American Museum of Natural History. This is only the third time in the school’s 120-year history that a retiring Board Chair has been bestowed the title of Life Trustee; Robert L. Beir and Eric Ryan also hold the title. Eric Potoker’s leadership on the Board actually fulfilled one of Head of School Steve Nelson’s earliest goals. “Eric’s chairmanship has been the best possible realization of my aspiration to have Calhoun’s graduates deeply involved in perpetuating the school’s powerful mission,” says Steve. “And he has been an incredible leader and friend—to me and to our school.” Eric will be replaced as Board Chair by Jon Brayshaw, who has served as Treasurer and then as Vice Chair since joining the Board nine years ago. He also led the recent Head of School search committee that unanimously selected Steve Solnick. Jon has an eclectic background that is unusually well suited to Calhoun’s creative, experiential philosophy. After graduating from Choate Rosemary Hall, he took a year off to work as an apprentice in a welding shop and then as a carpenter working with a custom home builder in central

Jon Brayshaw, incoming Chair of Calhoun’s Board of Trustees (left), presents a plaque to outgoing Chair Eric Potoker ’85 at the 2017 Gala, announcing that Eric has been named a Life Trustee of the school.

Connecticut. He then went on to Bates College, where, in addition to beginning his studies in history and meeting his future wife, Jocelyn, he became the head coach of the men’s and women’s crew teams. Jon oversaw the development of both programs into one of the largest athletic clubs at the school and also helped spearhead the acquisition of land for and construction of a boathouse. After graduating from Bates, Jon moved to New York and spent several years as an apprentice cabinetmaker. Jon’s work in custom furniture and eventually as an art fabricator for the Guggenheim Museum led to the creation of the Connecticut-based Baileyville Woodworks—which continues to produce high-end millwork for projects throughout the New York metropolitan area. While retaining co-ownership of the company, he returned to school to pursue his law degree, graduating in 1996 from Fordham University School of Law. Following graduation, he practiced in the real estate group of Kaye Scholer LLP, and then, in 1999, he joined a real estate finance business at a French investment bank now known as Natixis Capital Markets.

There, he became a managing director and helped structure, close and sell almost $20 billion in commercial real estate debt. In 2008, Jon and two of his colleagues left the firm and started a commercial real estate debt private equity firm called Prime Finance. In addition to managing his business interests, Jon serves on the building committee for Redeemer Presbyterian Church, and chairs the board of the World Childhood Foundation USA. He and Jocelyn are parents of four Calhoun “lifers”: Rea (entering twelfth grade), Wilder (entering tenth), Deacon (entering seventh) and Lena (entering fourth). Jon says he looks forward to working closely with incoming Head of School Steve Solnick and fellow Board members. “Although it has been a great privilege to serve on the board under Steve [Nelson] and Eric’s leadership, I am very excited to partner with Steve Solnick and the rest of the Board in developing a new strategic vision for Calhoun that builds on the accomplishments of the last two decades and embraces the unique culture and mission of the school.” SUMMER 2017

school news

Board Names Athletic Center in Honor of Steve Nelson

Steve Nelson holds the framed certificate announcing the naming of the athletic center.

Calhoun’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name the school’s gymnasium and athletic facilities after Steve Nelson, in honor of his 19 years of dedicated service as Head of School. The announcement was made by Board

Chair Eric Potoker ’85 and Vice Chair Jon Brayshaw before an audience of almost 300 parents, grandparents, alumni and current and former faculty members at this year’s annual State of the School address on April 25. Jon Brayshaw presented Steve with a framed certificate that reads: On the occasion of Steven J. Nelson’s retirement as Head of School, and in recognition of his nineteen years of service, his unwavering commitment to Calhoun’s mission, and his visionary and transformative leadership of the school, The Calhoun School gymnasium and appurtenant facilities shall henceforth be called The Steven J. Nelson Athletic Center. The 81st Street athletic center, completed as part of the Growing Up with Calhoun campaign in 2004, realized one of Steve’s first goals as Head of School— to increase the size of Calhoun’s main building, providing state-of-the art facilities for curricular and co-curricular activities.

Steve’s response to the announcement was, characteristically, a grateful “Wow.” He went on to say, “I’ve gotten more than enough attention and gratification out of doing a job that I love and being with people I care about. . . . I’ve had the extraordinary experience of having real, close, important relationships with every one of the 700-plus kids that I’ve given a diploma to or will have by June. And that’s the only thing I really need to take away from here. But I’m very grateful to the Board for everything, and for this acknowledgment.” A second presentation was made at the State of the School event—this time by Parents Association co-presidents Barbara Pyles and David Hawkins. Using a clever acrostic, Barbara announced that the PA was donating $19,000 in Steve’s honor to the 19 for 19 Campaign. Watch the video of the State of School: http://bit.ly/2qsPKFU

SAVE THE DATE! Three opportunities for current Calhoun parents…

Meet Steve Solnick Calhoun’s New Head of School September 13

•

October 4

•

November 8

Each evening runs 6:30pm-9pm, beginning with a presentation by Steve in the 81st Street theater, followed by cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in The Commons. ~ There will also be an opportunity to greet our new Head of School at the Parents Association’s Cocktail Party with Steve Solnick, on the Green Roof, on October 17, 6:30-9pm

Calhoun Chronicle

school news

New Trustees on Board as Three Depart Along with outgoing Chair Eric Potoker ’85, two additional Trustees are ending their tenures on the Board: Lori Fleishman Dorr ’92, who served two three-year terms, was a member of the Head of School search committee and was largely responsible for identifying and recruiting new Board members; and Susan Thomson, who was a Trustee for seven years—many of those spent as Chair of the Beir Society, helping raise major funds for the school. Their time and dedication were invaluable in promoting the school’s mission. The Board is pleased to welcome these three new Trustees. Louise Gore

A veteran of a progressive education in her hometown of Memphis, TN, Louise went on to earn her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and, after serving in the U.S. Peace Corps in East Africa, received a master’s in public health from Boston University. She applied that training to her work for the Correctional Health Services office in New York City, where she was responsible for policy development and program management in mental health and HIV services for inmates in the city’s prison system. Louise left public health for publishing in 1998, when she joined the staff of Time Out New York. She remained at TONY until she and her husband, Parker Phillips—a managing partner at Bondurant Management—welcomed the birth of their daughter, Eleanor. Louise became involved at Calhoun as soon as Eleanor entered the 3’s—first with the Parents Association as a cluster rep, member of various committees, and then PA secretary. She was also a frequent volunteer for Development initiatives, including the Benefit and the Annual Fund. In 2012, Louise returned to full-time employment, joining the editorial team at Better Homes and Gardens magazine, and then, in 2015, she transitioned to freelancing as a market editor for print and digital clients.

Terry Haas

Terry is an executive director in the CMBS group at JPMorgan (JPM), where he focuses on the origination of commercial real estate loans. He joined JPM in 2010 as a vice president in the large loan group, responsible for underwriting and due diligence. Prior to JPM, Terry was an originator of the CMBS group at UBS, where he worked as a consultant advising several other large banks on real estate lending. Terry grew up in Ohio and attended the University of Akron, where he served as vice president of the student government and president of his fraternity chapter before graduating in 1992 with a BSBA in finance. He and his wife, Mary Ann Betsch—a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers—live in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan and are the proud parents of Jote Haas, whom they adopted from Ethiopia, and who entered Calhoun in the 3’s. This past year, Terry served as a parent rep for Jote’s kindergarten cluster, and he continues to volunteer as a manager for Jote’s Little League team.

Jason McIntosh

A graduate of Yale University with a major in economics, Jason began his career working for a small hedge fund in New Jersey before taking over management of the bond portfolio for the Yale endowment. He turned to managing his own portfolio after he and his wife, Maria Zaitseva, moved to upstate New York while Maria attended graduate school. Once back in Manhattan, Jason joined Baker Brothers—a biotech-focused investment fund—where he is the head trader, and Maria was appointed a professor of political science at Yeshiva University. They have three children at Calhoun: Peter, who is entering fourth grade; Henry, entering second grade; and Ivan, an incoming 3’s student. While work and children keep this Calhoun couple busy, Jason says he finds time to enjoy travel, golf and a good glass of wine. But he’s ready to add one more activity to his already busy schedule: “After six years as a Calhoun parent, I am really excited to take on a more active role of contributing to the school as a Board member,” he says.

Follow Calhoun on Social Media! Follow Calhoun on social media! Even during the summer months, you can find out what’s happening and what’s coming up! #Calhoun School •@CalhounSchool • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram

SUMMER 2017

19 for 19 Campaign Crosses $13 Million Mark with 2017 Gala The 19 for 19 Campaign for Calhoun has raised more than $13.6 million, thanks to a community-wide effort that was launched only one year ago. Co-Chairs Melissa Liberty and Jennifer Arcure expect the Campaign to surpass its $19 million goal in the 2017–18 school year. A primary goal of the Campaign is to grow the school’s Endowment (which has traditionally been among the lowest of its peer schools) to a level that will provide meaningful annual interest revenues and strengthen Calhoun’s financial security. Of the $19 million campaign goal, $15 million will be directed to Calhoun’s Endowment. To date, 55 families as well as the Parents Association have made Endowment gifts totaling more than $9 million. In addition, $1 million of the $3 million available through The Beir Foundation matching funds has been released, bringing the total raised for the Endowment to more than $10 million. “Each of these gifts, from the smallest to largest, has helped double Calhoun’s Endowment since we began this campaign,” notes Melissa. She and Jennifer expect that the Campaign will continue to benefit from the Calhoun community’s philanthropic spirit in the coming months as the Campaign leadership meets with even more community members who are interested in supporting the school’s fundraising initiative.

“Innovation is the life-blood for a progressive school like Calhoun,” says Steve Solnick, incoming Head of School, who has already generously supported the Campaign with a personal contribution. “A larger endowment makes innovation possible and helps us find exciting and effective new ways to meet the needs and interests of our students.” Steve goes on to note that an endowment • signals that the people who know the school best support it in a meaningful way; • makes it possible to face marketplace fluctuations while maintaining the school’s priorities (e.g., compensating teachers competitively, providing tuition assistance, sustaining key programs); and • provides funds for innovative programs that may require new technology, equipment, professional development training or space. While building Calhoun’s Endowment is critical to the school’s long-term success, ongoing community participation in all three development programs—Major Gifts to the Endowment, the Annual Fund and the Benefit—will ensure the financial health of our school and the success of the 19 for 19 Campaign. For more information about the Campaign, please contact Mary McCarty, mary.mccarty@calhoun.org or 212-497-6579.

19 FOR 19 CAMPAIGN ENDOWMENT GIFTS* NUMBER OF GIFTS

GIFT LEVELS

$1 Million + $400,000-$999,999 $250,000-$399,999 $100,000-$249,999 Up to $99,999

Number of gifts received Number of gifts needed to reach goal *Paid over 3–5 years

Calhoun Chronicle

“ Innovation is the life-blood for a progressive school like Calhoun. A larger endowment makes innovation possible and helps us find exciting and effective new ways to meet the needs and interests of our students.” —Steve Solnick, incoming Head of School

school news

2017 Gala: A Whale of a Party! The Calhoun community made history at the 2017 Gala on May 19, when a record 700 guests came together for a night of celebration at the American Museum of Natural History. The event generated more than $1.7 million for the 19 for 19 Campaign! Enormous gratitude is owed to Campaign and Gala Co-Chairs Melissa Liberty and Jennifer Arcure as well as the 100-plus volunteers who helped ensure the Gala’s success. Many thanks, too, to community members and friends who generously supported Calhoun by offering corporate sponsorships, underwriting expenses, purchasing faculty tickets,

donating auction items and services, contributing to Steve Nelson’s Tribute Journal, buying tickets to attend the event and participating in the auctions and paddle raise.

1. Dinner and live auction under AMNH’s iconic whale 2. Lower School parents (L-R) Yelena Leyderman, Hanh Livingston, Sheila Kirkwood, Barbara Rochenbach, Kourtney Bogard and Alison Zelenko 3. Gala honoree Steve Nelson 4. Calhoun parent Ben Stiller ’83 5. Campaign and Gala Co-Chairs (L-R) Jennifer Arcure and Melissa Liberty 6. (L-R) Margaret Pitts, Calhoun grandparent, with Constance Emmerich, parent of an alum 7. (L-R) Katie Slade ‘04, Scotty Ryan ‘04 and Rosanna Volchok ‘04

school news

Popular Science Teacher Wins Uhry/Thompson Award

Joan Gillman, LS/MS science teacher, graciously accepts the Uhry/Thompson Award at the Annual Tea on April 19.

Joan Gillman, Calhoun’s fifth and sixth grade science teacher, was named this year’s recipient of the Uhry/Thompson Award at the Annual Faculty Tea on April 19. Presented by Head of School Steve Nelson, the award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates excellence in the classroom and a commitment to progressive education. Steve noted that Joan’s dedication and creativity in the classroom, and involvement in the life of the school, are the very embodiment of that kind of excellence. Since coming to Calhoun in 2008, Joan has brought joy to her science classes and has been a tireless ambassador for Calhoun, teaching workshops around the country that showcase her project-based

curriculum. Earlier this year she repeated her popular Straw Rocket workshop at the esteemed National Science Teachers Association’s conference on science education and was asked back again this fall. “It feels wonderful to be able to inspire my fellow teachers and get them excited about astronomy,” says Joan. Also this year, Joan was selected as a Subject Area Representative (SAR) for the Elementary Section of the Science Teachers Association for New York State (STANYS). In that role, she is responsible for teaching workshops at the various science conferences throughout the year. In addition to teaching science, Joan participates in the Calhoun Community Orchestra as well as numerous studentcentered activities and faculty committees.

McDonald Leads Public Community-Read Initiatives US Assistant Director and social studies teacher Lavern McDonald organized and led a six-part/six-month community reading and discussion group this year, The Other One Percent, which focused on punishment and the prison-industrial complex. The free public series was co-sponsored by Calhoun along with the Barnard Library and St. Agnes Branch of the New York Public Library. This was the second community read organized by Lavern, following on the heels of the successful 2014–2015 book discussion series, Muslim Journeys. Both initiatives were an outgrowth of Lavern’s Upper School social studies seminar Punishment, Politics and Culture. Book discussions were moderated by authors and Calhoun faculty and included Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s Guantánamo Diary, facilitated by Calhoun parent and author Mark Kurlansky; Elizabeth Hinton’s From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America, facilitated by Calhoun social Calhoun Chronicle

(L-R) Lavern McDonald, organizer of The Other One Percent book series, discusses Matthew Desmond’s Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, with Calhoun parent Trish Elliott and guest facilitator Meghan Chidsey.

studies teacher Jason Tebbe; David Brotherton and Luis Barrios’s Banished to the Homeland: Dominican Deportees and Their Stories of Exile, facilitated by co-author David Brotherton; Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women, facilitated by the author, Victoria Law; Matthew Desmond’s Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,

facilitated by Calhoun social studies teacher Meghan Chidsey; and The Autobiography of Malcolm X, facilitated by Calhoun alum Francesca Aborn ’09 and Jim St. Germain, chairperson of PLOT (Preparing Leaders of Tomorrow, a nonprofit mentoring organization that provides mentors to justice-involved and at-risk youth).

school news

Calhouners Lead Workshops on Sustainability and Activism Calhoun students were co-organizers and workshop leaders for this year’s Sustainability Through Student Voice Conference, the second annual city-wide, student-led conference that invites students, parents and educators to work together for green initiatives in our schools and communities. Among the youngest workshop leaders was Calhoun fifth grader Tomas Michelangeli, who, in his slideshow presentation “See the World through Conservation,” challenged his audience to think about ways to conserve locally and throughout New York State. Inspired by his own family travels, Tomas proposed that New York City schools make connections with those in Australia and the Galápagos Islands to discuss opportunities and best practices in sustainability and conservation.

Other Calhoun presenters included Sophie Hodess ’17 and Sustainability Coordinator David Hyman, who spoke about Calhoun’s aeroponic Tower Garden initiatives; and Chef Bobo, who encouraged listeners to learn how to “cook with scrap” instead of wasting food. Returning as conference organizers this year were Keizo Fish ’17 and Katherine Hade ’18, who are also co-leaders of Calhoun’s Upper School Sustainability Club. Calhoun’s sustainability initiatives became central to the school’s commitment to social justice, equity and public purpose in 2005, with the opening of the Green Roof. Since then, the school and its students have con tinued to search for ways to reduce Calhoun’s carbon imprint. For more information, see www.calhoun.org/sustainability.

Tomas Michelangeli ’24, one of the youngest presenters at the sustainability conference, proposed that New York City schools partner with schools in Australia and the Galápagos Islands for conservation ideas and practices.

Annual Tea Celebrates Faculty/Staff Yvonne Primus, Yadi Rivas and Tillie Scarritt—all Lower School teachers—were recognized at this year’s Annual Tea on the occasion of their 25th-year anniversaries at Calhoun. They join an “elite” group of 20 other faculty and staff members who have been at the school for 25 years or more—the longest tenured being US science teacher John Roeder, who will mark his 45th year at Calhoun in 2018. Besides Yvonne, Yadi and Tillie, 30 additional faculty and staff received gifts for their tenure years: Eighteen received five-year awards; seven marked their 10-year anniversaries; and six celebrated their 15th year at Calhoun. The Annual Tea is hosted each year by the Parents Association as a celebratory thank-you to Calhoun faculty and staff. Tenure gifts are supported by funds raised by the Spring Carnival and the Book Fair; donations of food and décor were provided this year by Magnolia Bakery, Zabar’s and the Plant Shed.

Left: (L-R) LS teachers Tillie Scarritt, Yvonne Primus and Yadi Rivas were honored by the Parents Association for 25 years at Calhoun. Right: (L-R) Bridget Baiss (P ’25) and Vanessa Shuster-Raizberg ’99 (P ’31) spearheaded the talented committee of parent volunteers who transformed the 81st Street gym into a sunflower garden à la Van Gogh for the Annual Tea.

Celebrating their 15-year anniversaries at Calhoun were (L-R) Jose Roman, senior chef; Cara Finnerty, LS74 teacher; Victor Lin, US jazz teacher; Tony Guzman, 74th St. maintenance; Amy Konen, MS art teacher; and Chef Bobo, executive chef.

SUMMER 2017

school news

54th Annual Calhoun Carnival Rain was a constant threat leading up to this year’s Calhoun Carnival, but first-time co-chairs Tara Mendelson (P ’25) and Angela Naegele (P ’25) and their resolute committee members stayed undeterred. Ultimately, all the hard work was rewarded with calm skies, enthusiastic crowds and happy kids. Many thanks to all the Calhouners who helped make the day such a wonderful success—including the record number of students who volunteered! 1

1. Calhoun’s Cougar made a first-time appearance at the Carnival this year, starting the day with co-chairs Angela Naegele (left) and Tara Mendelson. 2. Flora Morrison ’18 was kept busy swirling cotton candy 3. A carnival must: face-painting with Asha Perry ’18!

4. Natalie Goodgold ’20 and Oscar Llodra ’20, co-chairs of the Upper School Thrift Club, raised more than $400 for charity by selling secondhand clothing. 5. As always, dads loved their spot by the grill. 6. The Cougar posed with Sadie Hawkins ‘25 and brother, Zach Hawkins ’22—big raffle winners for this year’s Carnival Extravaganza package, which included taking the last toss at Steve Nelson for his last splash in the water tank! 7. Volunteers came in all sizes—including Quinn Geisler ’29, who helped sweep the street! 8. Tasty cotton candy brought a big smile from Nolia Dorset ‘25.

Calhoun Chronicle

school news

PA Welcomes New Leadership

Sheila Kirkwood (left) joins Barbara Pyles as co-president of the Parents Association.

The Parents Association welcomed Sheila Kirkwood to its ranks as PA co-president in mid-May at the annual All-School PA meeting. Sheila will be assuming the post from outgoing co-president David Hawkins—who has done a yeoman’s job!— and joining Barbara Pyles, who is now entering her second year of her two-year tenure. Both Barbara and Sheila will also serve as parent reps on the Board of Trustees. Sheila, who received her BS in chemistry from George Washington University and an MBA from Saint Joseph’s University, says she knew early on that her talents and interests were in collaborating with other people. So after spending seven years in an environmental science lab, then a corporate firm and a small business, she started getting involved in volunteer work—initially as a Sunday School assistant teacher. When first looking at schools for her elder daughter, Isabella (entering fourth grade), she says she and her husband, Amir, were attracted to Calhoun’s “diverse faculty, intriguing, joyful students throughout all the grades, and the school’s philosophy on educating children.” She adds, “I knew right away I wanted to become an active member of the Calhoun

community.” A younger daughter, Noelle (entering second grade), started at Calhoun shortly thereafter, and Sheila has been involved ever since—first as a cluster parent and then as a volunteer for the Carnival and the Benefit. For the last two years, she has served as LS/74 vice president, assisting with the planning of parent cocktail parties and start-of-school welcome-back picnics. In the classroom, she enjoys helping organize Kwaanza celebrations. Sheila says that, in tandem with Barbara, her goal as PA co-president is “to balance representing parents’ interests with what is in the best interests of Calhoun students.” In addition to Sheila, several new parents are assuming positions of leadership in all three divisions, and a few are moving into executive roles—including Farrah Zabar as secretary and Daphne Smith-Naylor as treasurer. Grade parents will be announced later this summer, while parents at LS/74 will be invited to join as cluster parents in early September. For more information about the Calhoun Parents Association, go to www.calhoun.org/pa.

2017–18 PA Officers Co-Presidents: Barbara Pyles (P ’20, P ’23) Sheila Kirkwood (P ’26, P ’28) Secretary Farrah Zabar (P ’24) Treasurer Daphne Smith-Naylor (P ’25, P ’27) VP LS/74 Hanh Livingston (P ’28, P ’30) Leigh Gerstenblatt (P ’26, P ’28) VP LS/81 Elif Ongoren (P ’25, P ’25) Stephanie Santamaria (P ’21, P ’24, P 27, P ’27) VP Middle School E. Kendall Vidal (P ’22) Louise Litt (P ’23, P ’23) VP Upper School Hillary Kahn (P ’19, P ’19 ) Anna Snider (P ’20)

SUMMER 2017

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Another GRAND Day! It only takes looking at the big smiles to know how special it is for our littlest Calhouners to welcome their grandparents 1 and special friends to their exciting world, introducing them to friends, teachers and the classroom activities they love! 1

1. Aselita Labeste shares a warm hug with granddaughter Mya Labeste (second grade). 2. Diane Benedict Ryan, 3’s teacher, invites grandparents to join the children in a reading circle. 3. John Nemergut poses with grandson Leo Chang (4’s). 4. Susan Grassetti has double the fun with grandchildren Spiro and Evelyn Stanos (3’s). 5. “Special friend” Nicole Tsang gets a formal welcome from Mattea Rayford (K).

Calhoun Chronicle

6. Owen Kowalski (first grade) proudly shows off his reading skills to grandmother Jola Kowalski.

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Quilting as a Window into Research and Storytelling In Heather Jupiter and Richard Amelius’ kindergarten classroom, a beautiful communal quilt, with squares designed and sewn by each of their students, hangs from the rafters. Onlookers marvel at the handiwork. But the quilt is much more than an enjoyable arts-and-crafts assignment; it is the unexpected outcome of a monthslong, collaborative research project. And when these kindergartners first embarked on their study, no one could have predicted just how engaged they would become and where their ideas would lead. The project began after winter break, when each kindergarten class was looking to choose a topic of interest for an in-depth research project. Heather and Richard’s cluster first began exploring symmetry. But it was after reading a book called The Quiltmaker’s Gift that the teachers noticed that the story had struck a chord. Students were fascinated by the quilt patterns they observed in the story, and many tried to re-create them during art activities. With their curiosity as their guide, the class embarked on a full-fledged study of quilts. During the course of their research, the kindergartners learned how to investigate a subject from multiple angles and make connections across disciplines. Indeed, their quilt project spanned the fields of literature, history, art and math. They read books that featured quilts as a literary motif, and studied quilting traditions across different cultures. They used quilt patterns as a lens through which to examine geometry and shapes. They even looked at quilting as a form of memoriam and activism, and talked about the AIDS Quilt— the largest piece of folk art in the world. One of their most exciting discoveries was that quilts were part of many of their own family histories. Several family members visited the class to share their expertise on quilting and show examples of heirloom quilts. “It was really moving to see how quilts were such a huge part of our community,” Heather recalls. Another

For their community quilt, each kindergartner designed and sewed an individual quilt square that represented a theme or memory that had been important to the class during the school year. Read the story behind the quilt and each square at: https://issuu.com/calhoun/docs/kindergarten_ quilt_book

huge source of inspiration was author and activist Faith Ringgold, whose children’s picture books, the children discovered, had begun as story quilts. Struck by the narrative power of the quilts they had observed, the kindergartners decided to make their own communal quilt that would tell the story of their cluster. The group worked together to compile their ideas for their quilt, with the consensus that each quilt square would represent a theme or memory that had been important to their class during the school year. Then the teachers met one-on-one with each child to come up

with an action plan for how to execute his or her concept for a square. After sketching and illustrating their designs, students set about cutting, sewing, embroidering and assembling. Finally, the finished quilt was revealed. What had started as just an idea had become something much bigger, each individual square coming together to form a beautiful patchwork. It was a moving reminder of the class’ shared journey of discovery. SUMMER 2017

school news

Math Comes to Life Through Financial Literacy Projects It was payday at Calhoun, and people were busy depositing their checks, paying rent and reconciling their bank accounts. But these weren’t your typical employees: The scene was being played out in Molly Cohen’s fifth grade math class, where students were engaged in a classroom simulation as part of a project in financial literacy. For this fifth grade economic construct, students earned pretend money through such jobs in the classroom as homework monitor, administrative assistant, banker and even loan officer. Students received bi-monthly paychecks for their work (printed to look like real paychecks, with tax deductions), and were responsible for paying for basic needs—like rent for their seats. Math topics came to life through the project: Students practiced working with decimals while balancing the withdrawal and deposit columns of their bank sheets; they worked on percentages when calculating the interest of a loan; and through the simulated banker-client relationship, they learned to articulate these numerical concepts and work together to solve a problem. The classroom economy also instilled a key non-math skill: responsibility. “When [my students] got a check, they worked harder to hold on to it than they would a homework assignment, since no replacements were given out for lost checks,” says Molly. Another branch of the fifth grade’s financial literacy curriculum was participation in the Stock Market Game, a national competition in which students invested pretend money in the real stock market. Students were divided into small groups, asked to research the financial market and economic vocabulary, and then invest $100,000 in a combination of stocks, bonds and mutual funds. While “investing” in the stock market, the students honed several of their Calhoun Chronicle

mathematical skills: They multiplied when calculating the cost of potential shares, graphed the value of their portfolio over time, and used percentages and fractions to solve problems and make investment decisions. Looking at math through this new lens had the added benefit of boosting the students’ confidence. Since success in the stock market is partially based on luck, even fifth graders who were previously intimidated by numbers discovered a newfound self-assurance while playing the game. And when the game concluded, Molly’s class received exciting news: A team of three of their female classmates had won third place in New York City’s elementary division! By bringing real-world situations into the classroom, Calhoun fifth graders learned firsthand about the impact of their own financial decisions. But the ultimate aim of the financial literacy curriculum

Top: (L-R) Fifth graders Lyla Changar, Molly Fox and Sarah Harmon accept their awards along with teacher Molly Cohen at the 2017 New York City Stock Market Game awards ceremony. Bottom: Julian Lemper-Turkisher (left) reconciles his banking log with “banker” Christian Sword as part of the fifth grade’s classroom economy project.

went beyond creating smarter spenders. “When math is hands-on, it resonates more with students,” says Molly. “They’re much quicker to do the math when it’s put in a real-world context.”

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Discovering ¡Cuba! Kindergarteners through second graders embarked on a study of Cuban culture this year as part of Priscilla Marrero’s Lower School Spanish curriculum. Throughout the year, the children read stories, sang traditional Cuban songs and learned how to dance salsa—the national favorite!

One of the highlights for first and second graders was a visit to the American Museum of Natural History’s bilingual exhibition ¡Cuba! As a culminating project, the children re-created Cuba’s famous Carnaval celebration—with handmade sombreros

and shekeres (hand drums), they paraded around the block singing Spanish songs. “I’m always looking for ways to encourage children to connect with what they’re learning,” says Priscilla. “In experiencing the culture, it becomes more exciting to speak the language.”

Top: Spanish language teacher Priscilla Marrero adjusts first grader Eli Wilderman’s sombrero, constructed entirely from recycled materials, in preparation for the Cuban Carnaval. Right: Little Calhouners re-created Cuba’s famous Carnaval—complete with a conga line and homemade sombreros—after a yearlong study of Cuban culture.

Fourth Graders Become Mother Nature’s Helpers In a project that’s become iconic to the Calhoun fourth grade experience, students had the chance early this spring to release the brook trout they’d been raising since early fall into the fresh streams of the Black Rock Forest preserve. The unit of study takes the little scientists on a nine-month journey as they measure and chart the growth of the trout, studying their dietary needs and regulating the temperature and chemical balance in the water for ideal living conditions before finally setting them free into nature. The final hope? That our environmentalists can help turn the tide on the low population of this New York State fish! Fourth graders release the trout they’ve raised into the streams of Black Rock Forest.

SUMMER 2017

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Sixth Graders Call for Action Sixth graders took to the streets in a Call to Action demonstration on Monday, June 5, marching with homemade signs from Calhoun to Riverside Park, where members of each of Anthony Gaskins’ social studies classes gave speeches on such issues as racism, women’s rights, immigration and climate change. The students were joined in their rally by guest speakers Joyce McMillan of the Child Welfare Organizing Project, Rashida Latef from the West Side Campaign Against Hunger, and Abiodun Oyewole of The Last Poets. The Call to Action project, inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his philosophy of nonviolent resistance, was first launched by Anthony last year. He begins by having his students research issues that are meaningful to them, suggest ways to correct these issues within society, and then write and practice speeches for their final presentations before the Calhoun community.

Addressing an audience of students, faculty and parents, sixth grader Jason Liberty shared his classmates’ collective vision for a better world: “We demand to see a world that’s equal, peaceful, honest, healthy, bright and free.”

Earth Fest 2017: We Got This! Earth Fest 2017 was an all-school celebration again this year, kicked off with great music, cluster-family-bonding activities and a host of sustainability-driven initiatives. Kids learned how to start a home garden; how to make New York–style bird feeders with bagels, sunflower butter and birdseed; and how to identify macroinvertebrates in pond water. Little Calhouners discovered they didn’t have to be scared of insects, reptiles or rodents, while older students took on the role of activists—writing letters to representatives about combating climate change. 1

1. Kids came together to design this Earth Fest jigsaw mural, “We Got This.” 2. Katherine Hade ’18 invited students to write letters to state and federal representatives in support of sustainability efforts. 3. Bianca Ulrich (fifth grade) learned how to identify macroinvertebrates in pond water.

Calhoun Chronicle

school news

Independent Science Project Gives Eighth Graders Freedom to Fail At first glance it looked like a traditional Middle School science fair, with posterboard trifolds set up on tables around the gym, and kids, parents and teachers milling around. But if you delved a bit deeper, looked a bit closer and listened to the conversations, it became immediately apparent that this was more than just a show of posters and end products; these eighth graders were demonstrating the process that went into their creations, charting each step of inquiry and experimentation; data sourcing; creative problem-solving successes and . . . yes . . . failures. The assignment was to “create something new or improved” using computer technology, mechanical engineering, or chemistry-based reinventions of cosmetics, foods or related products. And, clearly, the eighth graders enjoyed their first go at this long-term, hands-on independent project. They created organic soaps, lotions and fragranceenhanced stress-balls; gluten-free cookies, mochi ice cream, and organic energy bars; games programmed to determine the missing side of a hypotenuse or to play Mad Libs; power generators, audio enhancers, a multi-speed electric toothbrush and a digitally programmed lock opener with parts made on a 3-D printer. But more than just giving students the freedom to create a product of their choosing—something Calhoun kids know a lot about—science teacher Ardalan Parsa wanted his students to learn about trial and error, and the strenuous data analysis that is necessary in science. “I tried to focus this project a lot on the iterative process— to make something and improve on it,” explains Ardalan. “Oftentimes, science fairs are just about running an experiment 200 times, which is very beneficial to learning about an experiment, but this is more about the students figuring out their mistakes and growing from it.” Throughout the four phases of testing, the eighth grade scientists had to evaluate

1. Casi Hixon demonstrates his lock opener, crafted with parts made from a 3-D printer; 2. MS science teacher Ardalan Parsa reviews Sophie Levy’s poster presentation on her experiments to make the best hot chocolate recipe; 3. Sophie Goldstein set out to create highly pigmented, thicker oil paints; 4. Casey Kalfus displays his new and improved audio enhancers; 5. Allegra Wertheim’s poster presentation maps out the trials and corrections she undertook for her programming project.

both quantitative and qualitative data through surveys; identify the “junk data” (unusable feedback that won’t benefit the final product); graph data; and generate research papers with their recorded data, hypotheses and conclusions to demonstrate their understanding of their findings. “Part of the product was the end product, but part of the real product you’ll see here are the things they tried that failed,” observed Dylan Hixon, who watched his

son Casimir make multiple attempts at engineering a digital lock opener. “The product is the phases and the iterations, the changes they made to be able to succeed.” Ardalan echoed Dylan’s observation. “This is much more like engineering than pure experimental science,” says Ardalan. “Part of science is failing; it’s not pretty, but in science, it’s okay to fail.”

SUMMER 2017

school news

Documentary Looks at Junior Workshop Calhoun’s Junior Workshop—a seminal nine-week independent study project that eleventh graders engage in during the last two mods of the year—is the subject of a short film by Tyler Battino ‘17 and Matthew Pfeffer ‘17. Tyler and Matthew made the five-minute short for the Documentary Film class they took earlier this year. They decided to focus on Junior Workshop because, they say, it is “Calhoun’s centerpiece for experiential learning.” To set the stage for the thesis of their exploration, the filmmakers use a quote from Yeats: “Education is not the filling of the pail, but the lighting of a fire.” During the course of interviews with teachers, administrators and students about the process and the intended value of Junior Workshop, they conclude that the program proves that students learn best by doing; it is, say the filmmakers, “a unique opportunity to bring ‘new knowledge’ into the world” and, in the process of actively creating knowledge, “inspires an interest in self-learning.” Watch the film, Junior Workshop: An Insight into Progressive Education, and read about some of last year’s Junior Workshop projects at www.calhoun.org/juniorworkshop.

Ethan Lichtenstein ’18 leads a cooking demonstration at the West Side Campaign Against Hunger as part of his Junior Workshop project on food access and nutrition.

Junior Workshop projects from the Class of 2018 included: • The Perfect Woman—an interactive, mixed-media installation • Healthy recipes and food demos, using ingredients available in the local food pantry • An original TV pilot • Fairy tales rewritten with LGBTQ issues in mind • Dress design using the Ulam spiral (a graphical depiction of the set of prime numbers devised by mathematician Stanislaw Ulam in 1963) • App designed for New York State residents, to search by issue for relevant politicians and contact information • Design for a new Calhoun Upper School schedule • Public service announcement video about sexual harassment and rape, designed for a high school audience

Cougars Take Honors in NYC Science Olympiad Middle and Upper School students laid claim to seven medals in this year’s NYC Regional Science Olympiad competitions. The Upper School team brought home three medals, placing in the top 10 out of 66 schools in three separate events. Medal winners included Lucas Chapman ’19 and Gabby Chapman ’17 for the Robot Arm building event; Zak Wegweiser ’17 and Oumy Kane ’17 in the Game On coding event; and Caitlin Leung ’17 and Oumy Kane for the Wright Stuff helicopterbuilding event. Meanwhile, Middle Schoolers earned Calhoun Chronicle

four medals this year, placing in the top six out of 33 schools in four separate events. Trey Loizzo ’21 was the big winner, earning three medals in test-based events (two with Jay Wu ’21 as his partner, one with Trevor Black ’22), while Anna Friedland ’21 and Maya Henning ’21 came in fourth place in the Towers building event. This was the fourth consecutive year that Calhoun assembled two strong teams of Middle Schoolers, and the third year for two teams of Upper School students. Clearly, Cougars are establishing a strong presence among the city’s aspiring scientists!

(L-R) Middle School medal winners Trey Loizzo ’21 and Trevor Black ’22

school news

Onstage MUSIC Music filled the air at Calhoun this season, with ensembles and orchestras from every division and grade performing an eclectic array of classics, pop, folk and jazz. A notable highlight: the Lower School Sing’s choral presentation of “Hey Steve”— an adaptation of The Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” in honor of Steve Nelson.

US Winds, Strings and Percussion Concerts 1. Noah Jean-Baptiste ‘19 2. (L-R) Dillon Newell Elmaleh ’20 and Nia Howard-Fenton ’19

MS Jazz Band at Earth Fest 2017

3. (L-R) Annie Brewer ’21, Casimir Hixon ’21, Maya Henning ‘21 on drums, Natalia Rueda ’21, Matteo Herron ’21 and Anna Friedland ’21

LS81st Spring Sing 4. (L-R, front) Third graders Sophia Burnstein and Hugo Duran 5. (L-R) Fifth graders Cameron Brightfield, Ben Karpatkin and Rocco Fonseca

SUMMER 2017

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Onstage 1

UPPER SCHOOL THEATER

The Incident Playwright Barbara Pitts McAdams worked closely with students to develop scenes and explore characters in The Incident, a social commentary that interweaves a digital-media firestorm with a high school production of the ancient Greek tragedy The Bacchae. Thespians delivered powerful and sensitive performances! 1. (L-R) Julian Juo-Gross ’19 and Evan Changar ’20 2. (L-R) Samantha Winters ’19 and Hope-Elizabeth Darris ’17

Viral, A Musical Funny, insightful and tragic all at once, this musical-in-progress was a tour de force for Calhoun, with amazing book, song and lyrics co-written by Calhoun alum Xander Green ‘09 and US theater teacher Margie Duffield, direction by MS theater teacher Jono Hustis, and a stellar cast. 3. (L-R) Kira Friedland ’20, Charles Stone ’19 and Ella Stiller ’20 4. Anya Raikhovski ’19 (left), Claire Annino ’20 (right) and Maya Mondlak-Reuveni ’20 (back)

FIRST grade theater

Author Study Play Festival For the annual First Grade Author Study Play Festival, students performed wacky and wonderful scenes based on classic Dr. Seuss stories. 5. (L-R) Elliot Fain, Leo Mehraban, Leo Duran, Mercer Megginson and Sawyer Bogard

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FOURTH GRADE PLAY

Campfire Stories Fourth graders explored the power of storytelling by creating four interweaving short pieces, each set in a different time period. 1. Kali Hageman (left) and Santiago Phillips 2. (L-R) Hannah Wu, Kate Rothermel, Kirsten Goulbourne

SIXTH GRADE THEATER

Scenes from the Sixth Grade Curriculum Sixth graders wrote, staged and presented scenes inspired by their studies in English, social studies and theater.

3. Demetra George performs Maleficent Monologue, written by classmate Katrina Lester. 4 Inspired by Lois Lowryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Giver and the sixth grade utopia lesson, Charlie Siegal (left) and Julian De Laszlo read the daily morning announcements with a haunting dystopian twist.

SEVENTH GRADE PLAY

Comedy Tonight The seventh grade acting class put on eight hilarious scenes written by various authors. The audience hooted at performances that explored such outrageous scenarios as two cows engaged in international nuclear espionage and a mysterious Girl Scout from another world! 5. Maria Gil (left) and Charlie Adams 6. Ava Mandel (left) and Evie Dolan 5

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Boys’ Varsity Volleyball Team Grabs Double NYCAL Championships! When last year’s Boys’ Varsity Volleyball squad graduated 10 of its players—the core of the team—it looked like the stellar record the team had worked so hard to build in recent years might be in jeopardy. But the young 2017 team exceeded expectations by finishing not only as the NYCAL League co-champions, but also as the winner of the post-season NYCAL Tournament Championship! Early in the season, when faced with such a drastic change to its lineup, the team found its legs with a new formula for success: Longtime Varsity players Keizo Fish ’17 and Elijah King ’17 took on a collaborative role as tactical leaders for the squad, while Joe Blackman ’17 was designated the motivator and spirit of the team. Clearly, the strategy worked! The season’s highlight came during the post-season championship tournament. After a dominant 3–0 win over Masters School in the tournament semifinals, the Cougars—the number-one seed—had the matchup of the season in a final home game against Lycée Français de New York (LFNY), league co-champions and number-two seed. In a packed gym, Calhoun took the first two sets with unwavering focus, but LFNY rallied, taking the third set and looking primed for a comeback. A back-and-forth fourth set had the Calhoun gym buzzing with battling cheering sections, but the Cougars mounted a much-needed comeback halfway through. Once the lead was theirs, the Cougars, through impressive Calhoun Chronicle

(Top) Joe Blackman ’17—motivator and spirit of the team—smashes the ball. (Above) The Boys’ Varsity Volleyball team poses after bringing home the NYCAL League Championship title for the third consecutive year.

teamwork, scored quick points for a rousing 25–20 finish—ending the season with two championships and extending their league dominance for the third consecutive year.

SPORTS

MS Baseball Records Another Undefeated Year! The rainy spring season, marred by postponed games, couldn’t keep this team from hitting it out of the park! For the second year running, the Co-ed Middle School Baseball team stormed the league, finishing as the undefeated NYCAL champions. Calhoun clinched the championship after defeating secondplace St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s, 10–4, in the last regular-season game. The Cougars, poised to take home the championship, quickly jumped to a 7–0 first-inning lead, fueled by co-captains Rhys Hitzig-Santamaria ’21, Jonah Edelman-Gold ’21 and Jack Liberty ’21. “Team captains helped us stay focused,” says Coach Andrew Hume. “Plus, eight players had RBI hits, including major hits by Charlie Adams ‘22 and Zach Hawkins ’22 with two outs down!” On the mound, Jamie Bobigan’22, Jack Liberty ’21 and Mateo Sucre ’22 helped the team stamp the final win, getting 14 strikeouts and allowing only one walk all game. “It was a fantastic team effort,” adds Calhoun parent David Hawkins, who points to “strong signs for a three-peat next year with so much team spirit and great pitching.”

(Top) Seventh grader Jamie Bobigan’s masterful team play was on display in the championship game—on the mound and behind the plate! (Photo by Lily Edelman-Gold ’17) (Above) Unyielding pitchers and solid hits from the entire lineup led this Middle School Baseball team to its second undefeated championship year!

SUMMER 2017

Cougars feature Clinch NYCAL Honors

Nine Cougar athletes and two teams received top honors this year, based on votes of coaches from the New York City Athletics League (NYCAL). This recognition is a true testament to Athletics Director Sabrina Zurkuhlen ’06 and the Cougar athletes, who have turned camaraderie and teamwork into a winning formula. Go, Cougars! Honorees include: • Girls’ Varsity Volleyball League MVP: Emma Griffith ’17 • Girls’ Varsity Volleyball All-League: Sydney Ashton ’20, Emma Griffith ’17, Stef Sarantis ’18 • Girls’ Varsity Soccer All-League: Allie Leavitt ’17 • Girls’ Varsity Basketball All-League Second Team: Lily Edelman-Gold ’17 • Boys’ Varsity Volleyball All-League: Joe Blackman ’17, Keizo Fish ’17, James Schirrmeister ’19 • Boys’ Varsity Baseball All-League: Tyler Battino ’17 • NYCAL Team Sportsmanship Award: Boys’ Varsity Soccer team and Boys’ Varsity Baseball team

Spring Sports Roundup Calhoun’s outdoor sports teams did their best to survive the stormy spring season, with a schedule upended by postponed games and rained-out meets. Cougars made the most of their time on the field, focused on staying fit and gaining whatever experience they could for future seasons. Still, the shortened Boys’ Varsity Baseball season didn’t stop the team from posting some exciting moments and highlights. After having the game postponed twice, Calhoun finally took on UNIS in the last game of the year. The wait paid off for the Cougars, who gathered all of their frustration from this on-and-off season to finish with a huge 12–2 win! With no seniors on the Girls’ Varsity Softball team this season, it was a year for team-building. The freshman- and sophomoreheavy team took every practice and game as added experience— a welcome opportunity for this young program, only in its second year. Coaches see some real talent, so the future looks bright! In Varsity Track & Field, the boys’ 4x400-meter relay race team—made up of Pedro Assis ’19, Justin Brown ’18, Devin Fina ’19 and Josh Weiner ’17—was the big winner at the NYCAL Championship Meet this year, taking first place and qualifying for the NYSAIS State Championships. Senior Ana Finnerty-Haggerty also qualified for a spot in the state competition after taking second place in the NYCAL 400-meter event.

Winter Sports Roundup The Boys’ Varsity Basketball season was highlighted by an early-season win in the Fieldston Invitational Tournament, and near-upsets in regular-season play. The team held fans on the edge of their seats, taking tough opponents late into the fourth quarter—including a one-point loss to Trevor Day School (the undefeated regular-season league champs) and an overtime loss to UNIS (the post-season tournament winners). “Zak Wegweiser ’17 and Tyler Battino ’17 provided strong senior leadership and excellent play, and Elijah King ’17 emerged late in the season as an indispensable scoring option,” says Coach Bobby Rue ’85. The team picked up steam in the last games of the season, hoping to take the momentum into the NYCAL Championship Tournament, but eventually fell to LFNY in the quarterfinals. The team’s potential should provide motivation for next year’s squad, which Calhoun Chronicle

will be led by Eric Abrons ’18, Justin Brown ’18 and Eli Fortunato ’18. The Girls’ Varsity Basketball team finished the season and went into the NYCAL Championship Tournament as the number-four seed, facing a tough UNIS team. Despite falling in a competitive quarterfinal game, the Cougars showed the hard work and commitment that came to define their season. “While our season ended earlier than we would have liked, the team had a lot of fun and showed a lot of maturity throughout the season,” reports Coach Andrew Gerdes. “Senior captains Allie Leavitt, Talley Sacks and Lily Edelman-Gold led the team to thrilling victories during the season; their example will carry a strong group of younger players into next season.” While the team is graduating a large senior class, next year’s Cougars should be exciting to watch as many young players will be asked to take on bigger roles. The Boys’ JV Basketball team was one of the largest in Calhoun history—with 19 players, five of whom were taller than six-foot-three—allowing the coaches to use a deep roster with a stifling defense and physical style of play. Teamwork and a four-game winning streak midway through the season gave the JV squad an 8-6 regular-season record, and helped clinch the number-four spot in the JV NYCAL Championship Tournament. “The win streak demonstrated the team’s ability to work together and fight for one another,” says Coach Anthony Gaskins. In the tournament semifinals, the Cougars put up a battle, but fell against eventual league and tourney winner Columbia Prep. Known to rebound from a loss, the Cougars displayed a gritty defense all season that should carry them well into next year. The Girls’ JV Basketball team rostered only eight healthy players by season’s end, but the numbers did not slow them down. Coach Sabrina Zurkuhlen ’06 called this team “a very special one,” noting the girls’ resiliency throughout the season and the dynamic leadership from captains Asha Perry ’18 and Oummu Barrie ’18. This resilience paid off late, as Calhoun battled number-two Loyola all the way into overtime in the NYCAL Championship Tournament semifinals. The Cougars couldn’t come away with the win, but they proved they could contend with the top of the league. 1. On the Boys’ Varsity Baseball team, the solid underclassmen infield stayed focused and enjoyed the season despite the weather. (L-R) First baseman Nate Fingeret ’18, third baseman Jacob Stahl ’19 and second baseman Caleb Rubin ’20. 2. In Girls’ Varsity Softball, coaches look to sophomore Lucy Walkowiak— who led the team in RBIs—to lead the way next year.

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3. Sophomore Pedro Assis not only took first place with his 4x400-meter team at the NYCAL Championship Meet, he also qualified for the NYSAIS State Championship in the individual 400-meter race by running four seconds faster than his personal best. 4. The Boys’ Varsity Basketball team’s young talent and potential should provide motivation for next year’s squad, which will be led by Eric Abrons ’18 (pictured), Justin Brown ’18 and Eli Fortunato ’18.

6 5. Next year’s Girls’ Varsity Basketball squad should be exciting to watch as many young players, including Laysha Mata ‘19 (pictured), take on bigger roles. 6. Coach Nicola Zimmer, who took on the role of Assistant Athletics Director in January, gives direction to the Girls’ JV Basketball athletes during their battle with Loyola, which went into overtime in the NYCAL Championship Tournament semifinals. SUMMER 2017

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Calhoun Chronicle

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That Was

Fun! Three Words You’ll Never Hear Regarding

the College Process—Except at Calhoun! A conversation with Lisa Merritt, Director of College Counseling, and Jarrad Nunes, Associate Director of College Counseling, on how the process of writing essays, taking

tests and submitting applications has become a joyous journey for Calhoun’s seniors.

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Seniors shared “Submit Selfies” with classmates on a private college office Instagram account, at the moment they sent in their first college applications.

So, Lisa and Jarrad, how are you feeling now that another class has graduated and is moving on? Jarrad: I’m feeling like we just crossed the finish line of a long race—happy but exhausted. Lisa: Well, if there’s one thing we know about the college process, it’s a marathon and not a sprint. J: We play the long game! And that game certainly ended successfully this year. It’s amazing to look back and realize how beautifully our students navigated it. L: We’ve enjoyed literally looking back through the Submit Selfies we took throughout the fall and posted to our office’s Instagram. In each photo, you get the sense that sending off the first application is truly a milestone for our kids—one they’re eager to share with us.

There were so many success stories this year... L: It would be disingenuous not to talk a little bit about what happened this year after those applications went out into the universe to more than 120 colleges, 88 of which sent back wonderful news! J: As remarkable as all those acceptance letters were, I was floored by the conversations we had with admissions counselors. Those chats really encapsulated what was special about this class in particular and Calhoun students in general. Hearing deans of admission gush to us about students’ Junior Workshop projects, for example, was really lovely.

visit Calhoun. I love when our students talk with admissions folks about the books they’re discussing, their social justice work, and the research they’re doing in places like Black Rock Forest . . . L: The huge number of colleges visiting Calhoun—we had nearly 100 this year—says so much about how they view us. It’s not just about which high schools offer the most AP courses; it’s about which ones offer the kinds of authentic learning experiences that translate into success in college. And so we try our best to build our college counseling program around the things that are special about this place and make us different.

What makes Calhoun’s college process so unique? L: It’s all about honoring the individual student. We ask students to reflect on their educational experiences, their interests, their talents, their own curiosity, and then work to use that foundation to search for colleges and universities that are a particularly good fit. That’s difficult to do when students, parents and entire communities have a very narrowly defined sense of what makes a “good” college—a perception that’s all too often tied to U.S. News & World Report rankings or a certain athletic conference.

L: Jarrad and I have both worked in college admissions and have seen applications come from a diverse array of high schools; we’ve gained a great appreciation for the way that Calhoun allows students to really stand out in a hyper-competitive environment.

J: Not only does a place like Calhoun largely reject that kind of thinking, but there seems to be a genuine excitement about the hidden gems out there. Having families open their minds in that way really liberates us to be creative. When we step in, we ask students and parents to trust us. We also encourage parents to trust their kids—and they do! We intentionally start from a more philosophical place than most schools, working with students to identify what makes them tick and what might make them happy. From there, we move into the mechanics of the process and guide students as they put together the nuts and bolts of their applications.

J: We know that admissions counselors are witnessing something altogether different and refreshing when they

L: We also try to minimize stress. This is, in some ways, an inherently stressful process, with students putting themselves

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“ We intentionally start from a more philosophical place than most schools, working with students to identify what makes them tick and what might make them happy. From there, we move into the mechanics of the process and guide students as they put together the nuts and bolts of their applications.” out there in a very vulnerable way. We start really working with families during junior year, which is a busy time everywhere—but especially at Calhoun. Among other things, our students are tackling the independent Junior Workshop project, which is distinctly Calhoun . . . J: . . . and something like standardized testing, that’s decidedly not . . . L: Which is why we start giving students exposure to standardized testing during their sophomore year. The reality is that, at many colleges, standardized tests play a role— even in a holistic admissions process. So we do everything we can to make sure our kids have the skills they need to be successful. J: We’ve partnered with a test preparation firm to offer after-school classes here at Calhoun. They value many of the same things we do, including the belief that successful test preparation shouldn’t just prepare students to perform well on an exam, but also equip them with tools and information that will be useful in the classroom and in their lives. L: We also provide financial support for these prep classes to students who receive Calhoun tuition assistance. Now, more than half of our students prepare for these tests right here at Calhoun. J: We are always trying to understand and respond to what’s happening externally without damaging the balance we try to strike internally. But it’s hard. The calendar has shifted, with more colleges encouraging earlier applications. We’ve responded by introducing focused work on the Common Application in junior year—which is a big change for us.

L: Another addition to our Junior College Seminar course, which begins mid-year and continues into the fall Senior College Seminar, is essay-writing instruction. Luckily, our students come to us with a leg up in that respect. Nevertheless, it’s probably the part of the process that induces the most anxiety. Admittedly, it’s daunting for students to ask themselves, How am I going to communicate the essence of my being in 650 words or less? J: We’re using technology to our advantage, too. Students can share their writing with us electronically, so we can supplement our in-person conversations with constant feedback and guidance. L: We’ve also introduced a Senior College Kickoff program, right before classes begin in the fall of their final year. We actually have a pretty intense morning with the seniors, to ensure that they have a clear sense of what the next few months hold. J: And we try to respond to other changes in the landscape, as well—not the least of which is the exorbitant cost of higher education. We’ve built a lot of financial aid literacy into our program, bringing in experts to help families strategize about how to finance college. We play a quiz game with students in College Seminar, asking them to guess the average cost of attendance at a private, four-year university; their jaws always drop at the answer, regardless of their socioeconomic status. L: That sort of literacy is important for all of our students, not just those who receive tuition assistance at Calhoun. Having that awareness is important; this is a social justice issue.

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There’s a lot that you do in the background to support our students, as well. J: Well, we certainly can’t take all of the credit. We’re unbelievably lucky to have someone like Victoria Eatman— our college counseling office manager—on our team. She makes so much happen for our kids behind the scenes. L: She sure does! Beyond Victoria’s magic, Jarrad and I have great relationships with our colleagues at the colleges, and we try to leverage those relationships in ways that benefit our kids in this process. One of the most important things we do is the writing of recommendation letters on behalf of the school. We work hard to complement the students’ personal narratives and provide context for the stories they’re telling. I always like to say that we’re microbiographers. And again, one of the great joys of working at a place like Calhoun is sharing these stories. J: What’s wonderful is that, because our relationships with students don’t stop once they hit the submit button, we can share all of the amazing things our students do after they’ve applied. We can give a college a real-time update about a student—the sorts of tidbits that can actually tip the scale for a student. Thankfully, colleges are becoming increasingly vocal about the fact that they value more than just test scores; they really want to see how students prove themselves as scholars and as citizens. Those are the kinds of stories we’re proud to share with colleges. L: More and more, character counts in the process, and that’s a place where our students really have an ace in the hole. That certainly comes out of the broader Calhoun experience, but I’d like to think that it also comes from the fact that we treat the college process as an opportunity for character development. J: With this particular class, that meant lots of early conversations . . . L: . . . and, of course, our famous—infamous, maybe— catchphrase: Stay in your own story. We really hammered it

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home from our first meeting and repeated it every time we met, because we know how hard it is to navigate a rite of passage like this, something that’s so personal and communal at the same time. J: You know, at so many places, the college process is like going shopping, and that’s just not how we frame things here. We don’t want students to visit a college and superficially decide what they do or don’t like about the place; we want them to understand what they value and determine how a particular school might align with those values. L: That philosophy leads our kids to apply to a well-edited and distinctly tailored list of schools. So many kids out there are stressed and not getting good guidance—so they are throwing out 15, 20 college applications in a panic. That’s just not something Calhoun kids are doing; this year, in fact, the average number of schools our students applied to was about five. And because they were making smart choices and getting feedback on how to keep their lists in balance, they ended up getting mostly good news. In this year’s class, 89 percent of our students who applied to multiple schools were admitted to more than half the schools to which they applied. J: Amazing! L: It is! And it speaks to the fact that our kids are being ambitious, but appropriately so. The counter-statistic to that is, of those students who applied to multiple schools (not Early Decision), only one got in everywhere she applied. So, virtually everyone got at least one rejection. J: Which is all part of the process! And they handled all of the news with grace—which, I think, is partly a result of our focus on self-care. I always tell our kids to prepare to do something nice for themselves on the day they know they’ll be receiving college news. That way, regardless of the result, they are putting their own health and well-being first! L: And in that vein of character building, one of the things that I thought was most beautiful about this senior class was their resilience in the face of rejection.

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“ More and more, character counts in the process, and that’s a place where our students really have an ace in the hole.” J: To me, that’s the legacy of this class. Even more than their impressive matriculation list was the way they held one another up in the face of setbacks; it was pretty astounding to watch. Equally amazing was how supportive they were when the inevitable good news came. That healthy mindset is even more amazing when you consider what a pressure cooker college admissions has become.

We’ve heard the word “fun” associated with the college process here. FUN? J: With all of the forces that influence the college process from outside Calhoun, it would be easy to retreat to a place where the work we do becomes more transactional and serious. Yet, we’re really focused on making sure that a genuine sense of joy informs our college process, from beginning to end. L: Too often, we use the language of war—we talk about surviving the college process, and I worry that can set an expectation of joylessness, if not cause some actual damage. We’re flipping the script. For example, instead of having application boot camp, which is how many schools frame the work, we host “Appy Hour”! J: For our first Appy Hour, we promised students essay-writing advice, application fine-tuning . . . and mocktails. I remember thinking we’d be happy if five or six kids showed up; we were overwhelmed when 30 kids were waiting for us! Since then, it’s become a lovely tradition that we sort of stumbled into. L: That fun reaches its pinnacle with our Halloween-themed Dawn of the Deadlines party at the end of October. November 1 is a big first deadline for many of our students, so it only makes sense to combine a party with one last opportunity to have your college counselor look over your application before you click submit.

J: And there’s nothing as beautifully absurd as watching a high school student submit a very consequential college application in his or her Halloween costume! L: Amen. The other bit of programming I’m proud of— something that celebrates going to college, which is what this is all actually about—is our Senior Send-Off program, which takes place right before graduation. Students wear their college gear and, as a group, take time to reflect on their high school experience as well as the future they face after Calhoun. J: We cover a huge range of issues, from roommate dramas to self-advocacy in the classroom to the joys of laundry. We try to cover the full scope of what it means to be an independent college student.

So, they’ve graduated! Is it all over? L: One of the things that’s really special about Calhoun is that our kids go off to college and they come back. They tell us about their experiences. And if, for some reason, students need to find a new home, that’s a search we can help them with. J: I always tell our students that they have college counselors at Calhoun for life. L: That’s right. But we will not do their laundry!

Read more about Calhoun’s College Counseling Program: calhoun.org/college calhoun.org/collegetimeline

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Victoria Eatman, College Counseling Office Manager, celebrates with some of her fans from the Class of 2017. Calhoun Chronicle

“ We’re really focused on making sure that a genuine sense of joy informs our college process, from beginning to end.”

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Senior Profiles: “STAY in Your Own Story”

Emma Griffith ’17 Heading to: University of Chicago Excited to study: Science, writing, history

It’s not easy navigating the college search

Calhoun legacy & involvement: Captain of Varsity Volleyball team; president of Model UN; member of High School Committee; club coordinator; Social Justice Organizers; Student Forum

alongside 50-plus peers striving for a similar result, so at Calhoun, students are encouraged to focus on their individual journeys. Throughout the process, students and counselors repeat these words of advice so often they’ve become a catchphrase: “Stay in your own story.” As a result, seniors go through their college search with less stress and tension, and, most of all, as one another’s biggest supporters. The seniors profiled here give testament to the highly individualized nature of college counseling at Calhoun. Two of the students are even going to the same college, and yet their paths were strikingly different. Indeed, it was difficult to choose just a few stories to tell from the Class of 2017, because each senior found a way to shine. And when it comes to the college process, our students shine brighter than most! —By Michelle Kiefer

n the fall of senior year, while her classmates were nervously awaiting the results of their college applications, Emma Griffith could breathe easy; she had decided to attend the University of Chicago while still in her junior year. It was an impressive end to what had been a uniquely challenging college search. As a student who was passionately engaged, intellectually and athletically, Emma was looking for a school that would be the right academic fit, but she also wanted to be recruited to play volleyball. “It was definitely stressful trying to make what I wanted in a school align with what I wanted in a volleyball program,” Emma recalls. In addition, her position as setter in volleyball is a spot that’s usually only recruited for every two years, meaning the conversation was over before it even began with many of the schools that interested her. While the uniqueness of Emma’s situation pushed up her college search timeline, she approached the challenge with a maturity beyond her years. The summer before her junior year, she proactively jumpstarted the process by making a spreadsheet of every school she was interested in, searching for the email address of each coach and composing approximately 50 inquiry emails. Meanwhile, she made videos of her volleyball highlights, organized phone calls and campus visits and started prepping for standardized tests— months before her peers had begun their own searches. Despite her early timeline, Emma’s counselors customized the support they gave her according to her individual goals.

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“They were really helpful in guiding me, even though my schedule was so pushed up,” she says. Good news came for Emma in her junior year, after an overnight visit to the University of Chicago, during which she was able to meet the volleyball team and the head coach offered her a position on the team. Emma is a student of diverse interests—from volleyball to science, writing and social justice—and the flexibility to explore those interests has been a big part of her Calhoun experience. In fact, she explains, “A lot of the reasons I chose the University of Chicago are informed by why I like Calhoun: the combination of freedom and structure that helps you figure out what you want to do; the passion of the teachers; and the way that the school talks about students as people, not just test-taking machines . . . it makes it feel similar to Calhoun.” There’s no doubt that moving to a new school will be a big transition for Emma, who’s been at Calhoun since preschool. But just as she navigated the uncharted territory of her college search, she feels ready for whatever comes next. “A big part of what I’ll take from Calhoun is how I’ve been taught to advocate for myself,” Emma says. “[As Calhoun students] we’re more comfortable improvising. Even when things aren’t mapped out, we can figure it out as we go and work hard in any situation we’re in.”

zak wegweiser ’17 Heading to: Brown University Excited to study: STEM fields Calhoun legacy & involvement: Created class-scheduling software for Upper School; captain of Varsity Basketball team; peer leader; Science Olympiad

hat Zak Wegweiser thought he wanted at the start of his college search was very different from where he ended up. Attracted initially by big-name tech

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schools, Zak admits that “in the beginning I thought I wanted a school that was wholly centered on my passion, which is STEM.” But Zak threw himself wholeheartedly into the college search process, scheduling nearly daily meetings with his counselors. The close relationship he formed with them—one he describes as both honest and supportive—helped him gain a new perspective on what he wanted from a school. “Jarrad asked questions that helped me see things clearly,” Zak recalls. “He said to me, ‘Do you want to go to a school just because of the name, or do you want to go to the school that you really love?’” The school Zak loved? Brown University. Zak was drawn to Brown because of its open curriculum, which would allow him the freedom and independence of self-directed learning that has been at the heart of Zak’s experience at Calhoun, where he was able to pursue individualized math and physics courses. As another example of his ambitious spirit, for his Junior Workshop project, Zak created class-scheduling software for the Upper School, which has since been adopted. “At Calhoun, I’ve been exposed to many different ways of exploring my interests, which helped me realize that I’m not one-dimensional. We’re encouraged to spread our wings, to try things despite the consequences. I think that experience is going to really help me transition to a place like Brown.” As a self-described perfectionist, Zak found the college process challenging at times. “One of the biggest stingers for me was being rejected from Caltech before I heard from Brown,” says Zak. Ultimately, he admits it was a learning experience. “The college process helped me learn to face rejection and struggle. It allowed me to understand what I’m good at and how I can get better at things, and how to hold myself more professionally.” Zak shares one piece of advice that was especially helpful to him during the college process: “You can’t appreciate being accepted until you face being rejected. When I got rejected from Caltech, I just kept reminding myself that it will feel so much better when I do get in somewhere.” Soon after, Zak was accepted Early Decision to Brown. And the celebration couldn’t have been sweeter.

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brenda fortune ’17 Heading to: Rhodes College Excited to study: Sociology Calhoun legacy & involvement: Co-produced video about diversity at Calhoun; directed stage makeup and hair for theater productions; led Spring Session class called Makeup 101; Junior Workshop research project on the hypersexuality of black women; Varsity Track and Cross Country

n the first day of Junior College Seminar class, Lisa and Jarrad gave students a piece of paper and asked them to write down what they were looking for in a school. Brenda Fortune drew a map of the United States, put a line dividing the north and south, and wrote “no” in the north and “yes” in the south. She added for good measure, “No temperatures below 50 degrees!” In reality, the factors driving Brenda’s college search went much deeper than the weather. “It was my dream to be closer to home,” she explains. When she was 12, Brenda immigrated to Florida from Haiti. She later moved to New York with a surrogate family to pursue a better education. Brenda’s situation is unique, and she’s open about the fact that it’s been difficult navigating the emotional terrain of working toward her goals while being so far from her mom. But she says that her college counselors took her personal concerns seriously in her search. They helped her narrow down her choices to a list of strong liberal arts colleges in the southeastern U.S, and guided her through testing and applying for financial aid. “It was a team that helped me get here,” says Brenda. A few weeks before Brenda submitted her applications, the dean of admissions of Rhodes College—one of Brenda’s top choices—came to visit Calhoun. Brenda met him and they hit it off, talking for more than an hour. Clearly, she made a strong impression. In late January, Rhodes offered her a full ride. “I don’t think I really processed it until much later, when my

counselors told me, ‘You got the golden ticket,’” recalls Brenda. There was only one caveat—Brenda hadn’t yet visited Rhodes. But when she finally got to see the school a few months later, her decision was solidified. “I got the feeling on the tour, and I just started crying,” she remembers about the trip. Brenda loved many things about the school, but what stood out the most was Rhodes’ sense of community and openness with social justice issues—qualities that have been equally important in her experience at Calhoun. Looking back on her journey to this point, Brenda admits that it wasn’t easy transitioning to Calhoun in the ninth grade. It’s hard to picture that now when you look at the impact she’s had on the community, in everything from theater to sports to social justice. More than any of her classroom or extracurricular experiences, though, Brenda says it’s been the close relationships with her teachers that have transformed her the most. “I don’t think I’d be where I am without them,” she says. As a first-generation college student, Brenda doesn’t take for granted the enormity of the opportunity she’s been offered at Rhodes. “I came here when I was 12 so that one day I could go to college, and it’s hard to believe it’s actually happening,” she says. “But my journey hasn’t ended yet.”

josh blank ’17 Heading to: American University Excited to study: Journalism and photography Calhoun legacy & involvement: Peer leadership, yearbook, Girls’ Varsity Basketball team manager, unofficial tech and AV director for Upper School town meetings

t’s not every day that a student hears back from a college via a personal phone call from the dean of admissions. But that’s just how Josh Blank found out he was accepted to American University. It was an incredible moment, but one that

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Josh couldn’t have predicted at the beginning of his search. Josh is candid about the trepidation he felt embarking on his college process. “It was such a dreaded thing. . . . I didn’t want to start,” he recalls. Josh admits he has a history of procrastinating, but when he realized how college could help him pursue his love for media communications and photography, Josh stepped up to the plate and took control of the process. At the age of 14, Josh discovered photography on a family trip to Argentina. To explore the field more fully, he applied to be part of National Geographic Student Expeditions, and was accepted not once, but twice. The program took him on travels around the world, taking photos first in Iceland, then in Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands; later, he took his camera to Nepal on a trip that he organized himself. Still, while Josh was grounded in his passion, he was skeptical about college—until he started visiting schools and began to recognize the resources and opportunities that could be available to him. “I realized I wanted to use my four years in college to set up the rest of my career,” he says. Josh decided to apply Early Decision to American University. Unfortunately, he encountered a big hurdle in the pursuit of his goal: Due to a mix-up with his schedule, Josh missed his meeting at Calhoun with American University’s dean of admissions. “It was so scary in the heat of the moment,” Josh remembers. But he acted quickly to make things right, reaching out to the dean to schedule a new meeting. This self-driven approach was something Josh applied to all aspects of the college process. “A lot of it was about balance,” he says. “If I knew I fell short in one area, I wanted to make sure I went the extra mile.” Josh’s initiative didn’t go unnoticed. While on a family vacation in December, he received a phone call from an unknown number with a D.C. area code. It was the dean, who was calling Josh personally to tell him he got in. Looking back, Josh remembers what first taught him how powerful his own actions could be. Two weeks after his trip to Nepal, devastating earthquakes hit the country. Josh wanted to help, so he set about organizing a fundraiser at Calhoun by selling prints of his photos—and raised more than $8,000 for humanitarian relief efforts.

Calhoun Chronicle

As a Calhoun lifer, Josh has appreciated the comfort of the school’s close-knit community, but he is excited to spread his wings. “I want to learn as much as I can, to take advantage of every opportunity,” he says. And if his college process and creative talents are any indication, Josh has the potential to make amazing things happen.

matthew pfeffer ’17 Heading to: Brown University Excited to study: Public policy/public health Calhoun legacy & involvement: Community manager; member of Head of School search committee; High School Committee; Review Board; Student Forum; Varsity Basketball

atthew Pfeffer possesses many of the attributes of a well-rounded college applicant: He’s a committed leader, focused scholar and dedicated athlete. And yet, as for many students, finding a way to stand out amid a sea of equally qualified applicants was a daunting task. “The college search requires you to create a narrative for your own life. You have to dig deep and really get to know yourself,” says Matthew, who admits that the introspection involved was one of the biggest challenges of the process for him. His college counselors, Matthew acknowledges, were instrumental in this journey of self-discovery. “They get to know us on a personal level beyond the college process . . . with their help I was able to learn more about myself,” he says. If there’s been one consistent narrative in Matthew’s four years at Calhoun, it’s his emergence as a leader. He was on student government all four years, serving as community manager his senior year, and was part of several actiondriven committees throughout his Upper School career. His experiences at Calhoun have helped nurture his interests in fields such as public policy and public health. “Calhoun has

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helped me become a more empathetic person. Whether it was community service or the way history was taught not just from a Eurocentric perspective, the culture of the school has opened my mind to new ideas.” Ultimately, Matthew found a college that was a match— Brown University. “I like that Brown shares Calhoun’s sense of community as well as its emphasis on independent thinking, diversity and social awareness,” he says, adding that he hopes to continue pursuing leadership positions in college and beyond.

Early on in his search process, one of Matthew’s teachers proactively approached him, offering to write a recommendation letter for his application. It’s a moment Matthew looks back on with deep gratitude, but it’s also a testament to how Matthew seized the opportunities afforded to him here at Calhoun and grew as a person, student and leader. He was able to carve out a unique path that helped him shine in the college application pool—and there’s no doubt that he’ll continue to leave his mark where he goes next.

Class of 2017—WHERE THEY’RE GOING! By Lisa Merritt, Director of College Counseling, and Jarrad Nunes, Associate Director of College Counseling

t’s been an especially happy 2017 for our 55 seniors. A few impressive stats? Of the 37 students who applied Early Decision or Restricted Early Action, 28 were successful—that’s 75 percent who knew by December that they were going to a first-choice school. And the number of acceptances to top-choice schools continued to roll in. In the end, our seniors—29 of them Calhoun lifers, at Calhoun since at least kindergarten—will be going off this fall to 41 distinct institutions, from American to Williams and a lot of amazing schools in between. This list is a point of real pride for us . . . not because of the names of the institutions—although it certainly includes a number of highly selective schools—but because we know the quality and depth of the conversations that were behind the decisions each student made. At a lot of high schools, students automatically head to the most selective school where they were admitted. Our kids approach it from where they’ll be happiest, where they’ll be supported and where they’ll do work that matters to them. And that changes the game entirely. American University Babson College Bard College Barnard College Bates College Bowdoin College Brown University Chapman University Colgate University Colorado College Connecticut College Dartmouth College Emory University Fairfield University

Harvard University Haverford College Ithaca College Johns Hopkins University Lafayette College Lehigh University Loyola University New Orleans New York University Northwestern University Princeton University Rhodes College Skidmore College Swarthmore College Syracuse University

The George Washington University The New School - Eugene Lang College Trinity College Tulane University University of Chicago University of Miami University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of Rochester University of Southern California Wesleyan University Wheaton College MA Williams College

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Oh, the Places They’ll Go! facult y/staff news m ak e r s

Emotional, inspirational, unique, special—all words that characterize a Calhoun graduation. And this year was no different. Teary-eyed parents described this year’s graduation as “really moving; a true highlight of our Calhoun experience,” and “amazing; a great way to close our 15 years at Calhoun!” There were guest speeches by US English teacher Ellen Kwon and outgoing Board President Eric Potoker (this time as the parent of Class of 2017 twins); a heartwarming slide show of our seniors, “then and now”; and the last of Steve Nelson’s famous couplets for each graduate—bringing the total over 19 years to more than 5,000 rhyming lines. But the unforgettable musical performances by talented seniors, together with the exuberant speeches by class speakers Zak Wegweiser and Delsa Lopez, showcased the 55 members of this extraordinary Class of 2017.

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The Freedom to Think Without Walls stu nt newsmak e r s Zakde Wegweiser

“Maybe it was a leap of faith you took coming to this wall-less community. [But] imagine for a moment what it might have been like if you had never stepped foot in Calhoun: The place around you feels like a long, dull hallway—you’re walled off to your left and walled off to your right. You are constantly pushed forward in the direction of a light at the end of this bleak hall. There are a few turns here and there, but everyone around you is so focused on the end, that you forget to enjoy the journey itself. . . . “That is not where we ended up. Instead of a narrow hallway, we found a place full of twists and turns, encouraging students to ask questions and pursue their passions. . . . “For these past six years, nine months and eleven days, I have had the one feeling that most high school students don’t get to experience until they’ve graduated—freedom. I’ve had the freedom to create my own track, be it on the basketball court, the Science Olympiad team or, heck, even as a “faculty” member. Yeah, that’s probably not normal. But, through my time here, I’ve realized that the reason Calhoun does not have walls is because Calhoun mirrors our inherent ability to break down walls in real life. Calhoun teaches us how to truly think. . . . It is this method of teaching that I believe has shaped all of us graduates into prepared young adults, ready to face the challenges that lie ahead. . . .

“I’m so happy to have made this journey with you all. And Steve, in your 19 years here, your leadership has helped shape this institution, and without you giving your staff, your teachers, our parents and us, your students, the freedom to think without walls, we would all be that same lost kid wandering the constrained hallways searching for answers.”

Conquering the World Delsa Lopez “One of the greatest feelings you can experience is being remembered and recognized for your accomplishments. People at Calhoun definitely do that and then some. People here do not allow you to be invisible. Every aspect of you will be welcomed at Calhoun. . . . “I am still different, still weird as hell, and, sure, I still stick out sometimes . . . I am unconventional and more than slightly strange, but now I know that I have the power to make others feel as happy as I do. Calhoun helped me figure that out. . . . “The teachers who have shaped my academic journey stand out because they transcend their job descriptions. They learned about me as a person and not just a student. They know what makes me tick and helped me gain confidence in myself and my abilities. . . . “Calhoun gives you a home, no matter who you were when you entered. Whether you were brash or timid, bold or soft-spoken, outgoing or reserved, every person graduating today has matured into a young adult who will conquer the world beyond 81st and West End Ave. . . . Now we are inquisitive, observant and self-assured. . . . “Our graduating class is full of talent, intelligence and power. Our grade has composers, engineers, scientists, doctors, artists, musicians, authors and many other successful people in the making. Calhoun’s Class of 2017 will end up in your books, on the

news (for all the right reasons), on billboards and the radio. We will be in your movie theaters and your stores, in your homes and everywhere in between. We all have insurmountable power within us that will make leaders today quake in their boots. Nobody will dare mess with us, because we can forge revolutions with our hands, our voices and our intellect. You will not forget us!” (Videos of the full speeches can be viewed at calhoun.org/college2017.)

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Eighth Grade Commencement facult y/staff news m ak e r s

Graceful and self-assured, eighth graders talked about how their experiences at Calhoun have helped them become the people they are. “We have been taught that having a voice is a great gift, so we must use it,” said Malina Ferri, addressing her classmates. “We’ve grown from children who had to be taught to use inside voices, to young adults who shout out for what they believe in.” Bottom row (L-R): Commencement speakers Victor Levy and Malina Ferri; Aidan Campagna and Elijah Isaac receive their commencement certificates.

Calhoun Chronicle

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Fifth Grade Moving Up stu de nt newsmak e r s

Fifth graders shared fun stories about class projects and trips, thanked teachers and parents for their support through the years, and took home #MovingUp T-shirts to mark the beginning of their next journey to Calhounâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Middle School. (Top left) Front Row, L-R: Jamie Schimmer, Harrison Zabar, Isabelle Santana, John Freitag; Back Row, L-R: Owen Llodra, Samantha Ball. (Top right) L-R: Ella Law, Logan Whitney-Morrison, Dashiell Pitts

Second Grade Summer Send Off

In a heartwarming Summer Send-Off and in preparation for their momentous move to Big Calhoun in September, second graders remembered their favorite times with teachers and friends at 74th Street. (Bottom, left) Viraat Sarwahi and Nathaniel Green; (Bottom, right) Andrew Carnoy, Sara Pucci, Natalie Babej and Maddie Denaro.

SUMMER 2017

CLASS NOTES

Alumni News MARRIAGES David Merrill ’00 to Christine Amorose Jack Carroll ’02 to Elizabeth Collector Julie Otton ’04 to Jake Simpson Scotlan Ryan ’04 to John James Goldbeck Chelsea Stilman-Sandomir ’05 to David Linehan Andrew Otton ‘07 to Stephanie Williams

BIRTHS To Meredith Gold ’93 and Seth Lotstein, a girl, Hildy Lou To Katherine Ovalle ’94 and Billy Metellus, a boy, Lucas William To Geoff Foster ’96 and Meg Sylvester, a girl, Violet Elizabeth To Troy Cummings ’97 and Laura Cummings, a girl, Victoria Violet To Rebecca Stein Rogers ’00 and Will Rogers, a boy, Miles Orion

IN MEMORIAM Clarice Zinamin Henry ’38 (2013) Ruth Finn Stein ’41 Lillian Hirschorn Steinberg ’41 Rita Kory Klyce ’44 (2009) Beverly Richman Nussbaum ’44 Helene (Terry) Cumsky Sobel ’45 (2010) Frances Florea Berg ’47 Jane Price Frank ’50 Barbara Singer Wolfson ’52 (2012) Marjorie Moss Fox ’55 Nick Zarin Ackerman ’95 NOTE: Every effort is made to contact alumni to confirm accuracy. We apologize for any errors and welcome corrections for our records. Submissions for an upcoming issue can be directed to alumni@calhoun.org.

Calhoun Chronicle

1940s

Jane Frank Sultan ’40, who still lives on the Upper East Side, says that though she retired from her career in public relations in 1979, she is “busy with friends, actively playing bridge and mah-jongg.” Jane adds a note for classmates, “Hope you are all well!”

1950s

Barbara-Lu Marks Schoenberger ’50 (Roslyn, NY): “I am still alive and well; working for MSWLI Travel; enjoying three grandchildren, who live fairly close; swimming, golfing and traveling. We continue our annual winter activity on World Cruise.” Sara Ann Abrams Berman ’54 (a.k.a. “Cookie”) checks in from Weston, FL, where she is now retired as a broker, to send greetings. “Just turned 80— can hardly believe all these years have flown by. I’m feeling good, with great family nearby.” Olivia Scheuer Ferrarini ’54: “I have retired after 21 years in charge of a substance abuse program, but I keep busy publishing poetry.” Joan Wolf Schneeweiss ’54, who lives in New York, is the chief financial officer of MJS Garage Management. Her biggest news, she says, is “I just had my fourth great-grandchild!” Susan Aronson Symons ’58 writes in from Richmond Hills, TX: “I continue to be a world traveler, with six grandchildren.”

1960s

Deborah Redein Aronson ’61 has been retired since 2001 as a teacher with the New York City Department of Education, but notes, “I am enjoying four grandchildren and still having fun talking to Bonnie Loeb Chajet, Mara Schwartz Davis and Ilene Siegel Golembiovsky.” Elizabeth Robbins ’62, who retired from the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation in January 2016, reports: “I am delightedly enjoying my new home, a two-bedroom cottage in Elmira, NY, and am proud to be a ‘first-time homeowner.’ I’ve applied to work with the families of inmates at the Elmira Correctional Facility and hope to hear from them soon.” Toni Levess Greenfield ’64 is living with her husband, Danny, in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Her passion for animals finds expression through several entrepreneurial business ventures: She is the owner of Pet Exceptionals, Stunning Creations, Memorial Paw and Sacred Symbols—all of which produce specialized jewelry and gifts for pet lovers. Barbara Lowenstein Dubois ’66: “I was unable to attend my 50th Reunion as I had just moved to Boulder, CO. I missed being there, but Boulder is a beautiful place to live. I am semi-retired but continue to work in textile sales and volunteer here quite a bit. My daughter, Summer, lives here with my two grandchildren; Jesse lives in Denver and is assistant DA in Aurora County. It was a good move, closer to family. I’ll be at the 55th Reunion!

Peggy Hahn Felberbaum ’67 reports: “For years I was a retail buyer for Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor and Macy’s. My husband, Peter, and I will be married for 47 years this coming September and our daughter is expecting her first child. Although our main residence is in New York City, we have a home in Putnam County, NY, where we go for half of the week unless we are away.” Monica Bernier ’69, who lives on the Upper West Side, continues her work as an artist. “I had a solo show of my paintings at Bowery Gallery in New York City in January 2016, and this past April, I exhibited with sculptor Robert Braczyk at The Romano Gallery in Blairstown, NJ.” See her work at monicabernier.com. Diane Winston ’69 lives in Los Angeles, where she works as an associate professor and Knight Center Chair in media and religion at the University of Southern California. Her expertise is in American evangelicalism, American religion and politics, and mass media.

1970s

Naamah Kelman ’72, who lives in Jerusalem, Israel, sends regards to classmates upon the occasion of their 45th Reunion. She writes: “I am currently dean of the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem. When I am not running this important institution, I am busy with my three grandsons!” Naamah earned her rabbinical degree from Hebrew Union College in 1992. Barbara Tholfsen ’72 lives in Croton-on-Hudson, NY, where she works as a psychotherapist in private practice. Barbara

class notes

graduated with an MS from Columbia University School of Social Work in 1985. John Lakos ’77 has been busy finalizing his 1,000-plus-page publication on Large-Scale C++ programming software, the first volume of which—on process and architecture—is slated to come out in December 2017. John’s first publication, Large-Scale C++ Software Design, has already reached its 20th printing—in five languages! John continues his work as a manager at Bloomberg, where he runs the BDE group, serves as a teacher to engineers and team-leads in the software infrastructure department. Kenneth Levin ’77, who lives in Sherman Oaks, CA, had his first book published this past October—a young-adult science fiction novel, The Kids from Folden. Ken has two more books coming out in the next two years, with his second novel, Kite Strings & Brisket, already nearing completion. Ken returned to Calhoun for his class reunion this past June, along with his wife, Laura. Deborah Seidman ’78: “I am happy and well, living between Greenwich Village and the Hudson Valley. I’ve been busy running and owning a building, making pottery, taking long dog walks with my Aussie shepherd and traveling to faraway places!”

1980s

Toby Emmerich ’81 was promoted this past December to president and chief content officer for Warner Bros., where he now has creative oversight for films generated by both Warner Bros.

Congresswoman Allyson Young Schwartz ’66 Provides Keynote at Career Symposium On Friday, February 17, alums returned to Calhoun as part of the 7th Annual Cougar Career Symposium, to share career experiences and insights with juniors and seniors. The program began this year with a Distinguished Alumni Keynote Address by Congresswoman Allyson Young Schwartz ’66, who, as a Pennsylvania congresswoman (2005–2015), played a pivotal role in healthcare reform. Today, she is continuing that work as president and CEO of the Better Medicare Alliance. Her advice about civic engagement had a powerful impact on the Upper School student audience. Following the keynote, students were able to attend one of three panels: Corporate Job Life: Examining “Traditional” Paths; Entrepreneurs: Defining Your Own Trail; or Pursuits for the Common Good. The conversations were particularly invaluable to the twelfth graders, who were about to embark on their Senior Work internships. The Cougar Career Symposium, sponsored by Calhoun’s Alumni Office, continued with a reception—a great opportunity for students and alums to connect one-on-one. Special thanks to the following alumni for participating: Stacey Anderson ’04, Terry Horowitz ’09, Ross Kleinberg ’88, Ally Kotowski ’07, Nnabuihe Maduakolam ’95, Sophia Morel ’98, Alberto Namnum ’09, Andrew Otton ’07, Summer Rej ’02, Damaso Reyes ’96, Ariane Rockoff-Kirk ’07, Congresswoman Allyson Young Schwartz ’66, Jessica Zapp Sibley ’87 and Paloma Woo ‘01. Watch videos from the 2017 career panels, and read more about the Cougar Career Symposium: www.calhoun.org/careers.

(Left) Congresswoman Allyson Young Schwartz ’66 gave a keynote address at this year’s Cougar Career Symposium. (Right) The panel on Pursuits for the Common Good included Sophia Morel ’98, Paloma Woo ’01, Damaso Reyes ’96, Stacey Anderson ’04 and Ally Kotowski ’07.

Pictures and New Line Cinema. Toby had been serving as president and COO at New Line, a company he first joined in 1992. He has been producer or executive producer of more than 50 films, and he also wrote the screenplays to the films Frequency and The Last Mimzy, among others. Toby lives in Beverly Hills, CA, with his wife, Julie, and their daughter, Cosy.

Jessica Voorsanger ’83 lives in London. Her work as an artist spans a range of media— painting, sculpture, installation, mail art, photography, film and performance. Much of her work explores the concept of “celebrity” within popular culture. Among her recent projects, she performed on The Apathy Band’s newest album, which was released in October 2016. For more: jessicavoorsanger.co.uk

Peter Millrose ’84, a sound engineer in New York, received due praise for his creative work on a revival of the music of the Four Seasons member Don Ciccone, in an article in The New York Times (“Oh, What a Voice: A Revival for a Member of the Four Seasons,” January 27, 2017). As Peter explains, “My client Brian Gari brought in simple piano/vocal and piano/guitar demos from the early 1970s with his friend Don Ciccone.

SUMMER 2017

class notes

Jordan Peele ’97 Breaks out with Get Out

Jordan Peele ’97, who is having a stand-out year with his blockbuster film, Get Out, returned to school in November 2012 to talk to Middle and Upper School students about how he found his voice at Calhoun. Watch the video: http://bit.ly/2q0QvTf.

Jordan Peele ’97 has been racking up acclaim for his debut feature film, Get Out, a social horror film that he wrote, directed and co-produced. The film, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival and was theatrically released in late February by Universal Pictures, earned a whopping $11 million in the first three weeks of its release. Weeks later, Get Out was surpassing the $100 million mark at the box office—leading journalists to note that Jordan Peele is the first black director and writer to have his debut film reach that milestone—“an impressive feat,” noted CNN, “considering that the film is also one of the first horror films with a plot explicitly driven by racism.” Variety, which described the film as Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner meets Stepford Wives, called Jordan Peele “fearless,” while a feature article in The New Yorker called Get Out “a major achievement, a work that deserves, in its own way, to be viewed alongside Barry Jenkins’s Moonlight as a giant leap forward for the possibilities of black cinema.” Vanity Fair began its profile by calling Jordan “the filmmaking M.V.P. of 2017.” Calhoun folks are not at all surprised at Jordan’s triumph, or his success as one of the Key & Peele duo on Comedy Central; Jordan showed his creative chops way back in Upper School as an artist, a writer/satirist for his homegrown comic magazine, and a multitalented actor. And we’re also not surprised that one of Jordan’s first responses to his well-deserved fame was to generously offer to help young black filmmakers. Talking exclusively to Digital Spy, he put out this call: “If you have a script, reach out and I’ll try to help it get made. Monkeypaw Productions is my production company and we’re really trying to promote untapped voices in the genre.” Jordan has already entered into an agreement with Universal Studios to develop his next film and several additional projects. Can’t wait to GET OUT and see them!

Calhoun Chronicle

Don died suddenly in the fall and Brian had me create full musical arrangements around the old recordings—which was extremely challenging, as every part had to be played by hand and tweaked . . . old school!” Beth Fischbein Bodner ’87 made an appearance at the Calhoun Carnival in May, with classmate and Calhoun alum and dad Marc Mendelson ’87. Beth and Marc returned to Calhoun once again this spring, to celebrate their 30th Reunion. Marc and his wife, Tara (who was one of the co-chairs of this year’s carnival) have two children, Sacha (11 years old) and Jacob (14 years old). Beth, who lives on the Upper West Side with her husband, Mark, and daughter, Hannah (10 years old), is an attorney. Her areas of specialization include medical malpractice, trusts and estates, estate administration and personal injury. David Healy ’87 traveled from Marietta, GA, where he lives with his wife, Kelly, and two children, to join classmates for his 30th Reunion. This past January, he founded Stakeholder Marketing & Media. He had previously spent almost 10 years at the sports marketing firm CSE, Inc., most recently as senior vice president for integrated marketing. Jessica Zapp Sibley ‘87 returned to Calhoun in February to speak as a panelist for the 7th Annual Cougar Career Symposium, where she shared her advice about working in the media. Jessica was promoted to senior vice president of sales, U.S. and Europe, at Forbes this past December; she joined the company in 2014.

s Catherine Pearlman ’89 is the author of a new book being released this summer, Ignore It! How Selectively Looking the Other Way Can Decrease Behavioral Problems and Increase Parenting Satisfaction. Catherine, who received her PhD in social welfare from Yeshiva University, is a licensed clinical social worker, an assistant professor of social work at Brandman University and the founder of The Family Coach, a private practice specializing in helping families resolve problems related to discipline, sleep and sibling rivalry. She has appeared on the Today show, and has been featured in Parents magazine, Men’s Health and The Wall Street Journal and on CNN.com. Catherine and her husband, Jeff, live in Laguna Niguel, CA, where they have a son in middle school and a daughter in high school.

1990s

Justin Stone ’91, owner of Design & Co., a web development firm, writes: “I am in my 19th year living in Cambridge, MA, along with my lovely wife of 11 years and our super silly twins—who turned seven early Christmas morning. It’s all about the kids these days; thankfully, their interests align well with my maturity level! It was fantastic to see so many Calhoun friends at our reunion last year [2016]!”

class notes

Chelsea Green ’95 is living in Brooklyn with her husband, Bryan Finnegan, and their twin children, Avery and August. Chelsea works as director of art education at Lyons Community School.

s Meredith Gold ’93 shared exciting news of the arrival of her baby girl, Hildy Lou, who was born on August 24, 2016. Meredith has been living in Connecticut with her husband, Seth Lotstein. She works as the director of domestic abuse services of the YWCA in Greenwich, CT. Katherine Ovalle ’94 writes that Lucas William Metellus was born on May 2, 2017. He joins his proud older sister, Gabriela. “The whole family is doing well and is excited about his arrival!” Katherine, who is a practicing attorney, lives with her children and husband, Billy Metellus, in Burke, VA. Nick Zarin Ackerman ’95 passed away in late March. He is survived by his parents, Judith Zarin and Gerald Rosenfeld, his siblings, Jack and Erica, and many Calhoun friends. A talented artist and musician, Nick was with the successful indie rock group The Virgins from 2006 to 2013. The band appeared twice on NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Rolling Stone named one of their songs #68 on their list of 100 Best Songs of 2008. Friends and family have remembered Nick with the dedication of a park bench in Central Park. All of us in the Calhoun community extend our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved Nick.

s Geoff Foster ’96 and his wife, Meg Sylvester, welcomed Violet Elizabeth on March 15, 2017, as the newest member of the family. Violet joins her sibling, Quin (five years old), who Geoff says, “is absolutely thrilled to be a big sister.” In other news, Geoff has moved from The Wall Street Journal, where he was a sports editor, to the position of senior editor of sports for FiveThirtyEight.com, a website that focuses on opinion poll analysis, politics, economics and sports. Kilolo Strobert ’96 took her degree in marketing and culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University to build an accomplished career in the food and beverage industry, having worked in wine sales for more than 10 years now. Her impact extends far beyond her role as a wine sales specialist, though; Kilolo uses her experience to give back as a wine-on-wheels event coordinator for Wheeling Forward. The nonprofit organization, which Kilolo has worked with for more than five years, helps people with disabilities by providing advocacy, mentorship and support services.

Troy Cummings ’97 and his wife, Laura, celebrated the birth of their daughter, Victoria Violet, on February 1. Older sister Chloe welcomed the newest member of the family. They live in Naugatuck, CT. Ethan Todras-Whitehill ’98 teamed up with classmate Josh Krafchin ’98 to launch the Swing Left network (www.swingleft.org), a website that helps progressives find their closest swing district and learn about actionable opportunities in advance of the 2018 House elections. The two were featured in a piece in The New Yorker (“Swing Left and the Post-Election Surge of Progressive Activism,” Jan. 26, 2017), which noted that the site had 100,000 people sign up for updates by January 22, just days after the presidential inauguration. Since then, that number has grown exponentially! As Ethan explains, “Like a lot of people after the election, I was flabbergasted and devastated. . . . We just felt like we had to do something. We couldn’t just ask someone else to do something.”

2000s

t David Merrill ’00 celebrated his wedding to Christine Amorose on March 1. The ceremony was led by

Road to 19

219 alumni gifts in 19 hours

Road to 19 Alumni Giving Day Sets Record Alums made Calhoun history on January 19, when they met and surpassed the Road to 19 Alumni Giving Challenge. The collective goal, which was to secure 219 gifts in 19 hours, ended up with 357 gifts totaling $285,798 (including 93 gifts from first-time donors!) across eight decades. Meeting the Challenge unlocked a $250,00 gift from an anonymous alum! All funds raised will go toward tuition assistance, faculty/staff salaries and school programming. Read about the Alumni Giving Challenge, including video, photos and donor list: calhoun.org/roadto19

SUMMER 2017

class notes

Judge Leo Gordon of the United States Court of International Trade in the court’s law library in Manhattan. David works as director of marketing at Imminent Digital, a Manhattan-based technology start-up; Christine, who is from Elk Grove, CA, is an account executive at Gimlet Media, a company that produces narrative podcasts. (L-R) Noah Krauss ‘15, Anna Margrethe Nilsen, Steve Nelson, Jesús Reina ‘04 and Tiffany Poon ‘14 (Missing: Dan Stein ‘07)

Alum Musicians Perform in Honor of Steve Nelson Four of Calhoun’s renowned alumni musicians returned to school in January for an unforgettable concert in honor of Steve Nelson, retiring Head of School. For Steve, it was not only a chance to enjoy hearing and performing with his dream team, but it was also an occasion to highlight two of his personal contributions to Calhoun—the Performing Arts Center, now in its 12th year, and the school’s very successful strings program. Alum musicians who performed during the evening included Noah Krauss ’15, Tiffany Poon ’14, Daniel Stein ‘07 and Jesús Reina ’04. They were joined by several Calhoun faculty, as well as guest artist Anna Margrethe Nilsen (Jesús’ wife). Noah is a sophomore at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studies cello with Melissa Kraut and piano with Daniel Shapiro. He is a member of the award-winning Onyx String Quartet, which formed in 2015. Tiffany currently attends the Columbia University/ Juilliard School exchange program and studies piano with Emanuel Ax and Joseph Kalichstein at Juilliard. She was named a John Jay Scholar and awarded a full-ride scholarship to Columbia University in recognition of her remarkable academic and extracurricular achievements. Dan, who recently completed his master’s degree in jazz studies at Juilliard, is an adjunct music teacher at Calhoun and continues to perform professionally with jazz, rock and classical ensembles. He also composes for short films and commercials. Jesús was recently selected as an International Artist in the festival Music@Menlo, and was named Maestro of the Baja Musical Arts Initiative, part of the Playing for Change Foundation, an arts education program that brings music to the people of Mexico and New York. As soloist of the Mahler Philharmonic, Jesús took part in performances in Wiener Konzerthaus and Carnegie Hall this past season. Upcoming engagements include a concert tour in Spain, and a CD recording with the Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra. Listen to a video recording of the concert: calhoun.org/concert

Calhoun Chronicle

s Rebecca Stein Rogers ’00 and her husband, Will, welcomed a baby boy, Miles Orion, on March 9. The excited family includes his very proud uncle Dan Stein ’07, adjunct music teacher at Calhoun, and his grandmother Michelle Raum, who is on the Lower School staff at Calhoun. Jack Carroll ’02 married Lizzie Collector on Martha’s Vineyard, MA, on May 27. Daniel Mantas ’02 was his best man, with Daniel Eddy Quintana ’02, David Kramer ’02 and Basil Wajdowicz ’02 serving as groomsmen. Jack works as an assistant director for the Directors Guild of America, and Lizzie, who is from Santa Barbara, CA, is a set costumer for Theatrical Wardrobe Local 764. Yokasta Tineo ’03 is a licensed massage therapist, practicing in a healing space called Pam Christenson Massage on the Upper West Side, not far from Calhoun.

Going beyond simply musclerelaxation and stress-reduction techniques, Yokasta’s practice thrives on providing preventative care, restoring range of motion/ function and eliminating pain from past injuries, overuse syndromes and other restrictive issues. Stacey Anderson ’04, director of public programs for the Municipal Art Society of New York, is simultaneously keeping busy with a pet project: she is the co-founder on the pro-bono team working to establish Maker Park—a vision to replace a part of the Brooklyn industrial waterfront in Williamsburg with a 21st-century urban park. The City of New York acquired the site and has funds in place to finally execute the park, so Stacey’s team has come together to define the vision for the space. Plans involve incorporating a series of oil tanks from the site as community gardens, performance spaces and art installations to make Maker Park a multi-purpose community green space. Stacey received a master’s degree in urban social policy from the University of Amsterdam. Stacey graciously participated in this year’s Cougar Career Symposium. Laval Bryant ’04 is the manager of tourism and group tours at the Brooklyn Museum, where, in a small-world Calhoun story, she helped mentor senior Xiomara Kelly this spring. Laval, who lives in Brooklyn, is also a working musician—as a singer and songwriter with a company, Climate Controlto, that she manages with her fiancé, Rahj Mason. Adds Laval, “Another fun fact: I am godmother to the daughter of classmate Christina Howard ’04!”

class notes

Will Levine ’05, who moved to Los Angeles, CA, in 2012 to work in the agent training program for United Talent Agency, transitioned to a new role in the film industry in January 2016; he’s now working in development at Columbia TriStar.

Ariane served on a pro-bono team that successfully brought attention to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s lax oversight of the Indian Point nuclear power plant, which resulted in Governor Cuomo’s decision to close the plant. Shelby Wong ’07, who received her MFA in acting at the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in May 2016, reports that she is a finalist at the Actors Studio, where she hopes to become a lifetime member. (We hope so, too!)

s Chelsea Stilman-Sandomir ’05 married David Linehan on January 15 in a celebration at the Battery Gardens restaurant. Chelsea is now in her sixth year as a humanities teacher in the Calhoun Middle School; David works in media. Guests at the wedding included classmate Kat Slifer ’05, who served as Chelsea’s bridesmaid, and a large delegation of fellow Calhoun teachers. The couple jetted to Scotland and England for their honeymoon. Ariane Rockoff-Kirk ’07 talked about her experience as a litigation associate at the firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP—a position she’s held since graduation from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2016—with Calhoun students at the 7th Annual Cougar Career Symposium in February. As part of her caseload at Paul, Weiss,

Barry Weinstein ’09 has blended his background in financial trading with his vision as an entrepreneur with his start-up, Bazzabot FX, a trading decision engine and automated portfolio manager that he founded last year. Calhoun caught up with Barry at the 2017 Gala, which he attended with his family to honor the retirement of Steve Nelson. More on his company: www.bazzabot.com

2010s

Rachell Morillo ’10 is working as community engagement associate at The Studio Museum in Harlem, where she coordinates the museum’s community engagement initiatives, cultural partnerships and exhibitionrelated public programs. Rachell, who lives in Harlem, earned a bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College in sociology and anthropology. Isabel Cordero ’11, who graduated from Skidmore College in January 2016 with a BA in anthropology and a concentration in archaeology, went to work last November as a polar field

assistant at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University’s home for earth, ocean and atmospheric research. The position led to an exciting field adventure in Antarctica, the Rosetta-Ice Project with Dr. Robin Bell—where Isabel was tasked with reviewing and processing shallow ice radar, deep ice radar, and airborne magnetometer data, all of which she’s using for research back at the observatory. [Ed: Wonder if Isabel was originally inspired to go in this direction by her Senior Work internship at the American Museum of Natural History?] Rachel Lippin-Foster ’11 is living in Ecuador this summer, spending time as a program leader for VISIONS Service Adventures— an international community service program for youth that blends volunteer projects, cultural immersion and adventure. Before departing, she attended the Calhoun Gala with her mom and her brother, Jesse Lippin-Foster ’14, a rising senior at the University of Michigan. Simon Gilbert ’12 will be starting a new job this coming fall at Poly Prep, teaching high school physics and astronomy. Simon began his teaching career at the Ranney School in Tinton Falls, NJ, shortly after graduating from Oberlin College with a BA in astrophysics. Danica Pacifici ’12, who received her BA in human biology from Pitzer College in 2016, is pursuing her master’s degree in nursing at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. “It is a pre-licensure program and I will take the NCLEX exam for my RN license after I graduate from the Hopkins program,” Danica writes.

Ways to Connect Online with the Calhoun Community

Calhoun website www.calhoun.org

Facebook facebook.com/calhounschool facebook.com/calhounalums

twitter @calhounschool

Instagram @calhounschool

YouTube youtube.com/calhounschool

Linkedin www.linkedin.com/groups/1931476

PINTEREST pinterest.com/calhounschool

SUMMER 2017

class notes

Profile Andrew Conlin ’08: Fighting for Gun Safety By Matthew Pfeffer ’17 and Bart Hale ’00 It was in the late spring of 2004, on Calhoun’s annual eighth grade trip to Boston, when a wide-eyed Andrew Conlin ’08 got his first glimpse of political activism. He and his classmates were scheduled to take a tour of the state capitol building but, upon arriving, they crossed paths with a spirited rally on marriage equality. Rather than continuing on the tour, the group decided to change course and join the rally. It was, says Andrew, “a formative moment because it was my first political rally, and it was with my educators. It was a moment of empowerment.” The activism bug stayed with Andrew, leading him to a career in public policy. In his first year at George Washington University, where he eventually received a BA in international affairs, Andrew joined the College Democrats and had a front-row seat as the historic election of President Barack Obama unfolded. “It was an incredible time to be in Washington; [that] election night in D.C. is something I’ll never forget.” Living at the epicenter of politics further solidified Andrew’s passion for government. In the summer before his senior year, he interned as a legislative assistant for a bipartisan government relations law firm, Holland & Knight, where he dealt with issues related to health care, cybersecurity and foreign affairs, and learned how public policy is developed from a perspective outside of elected office. Andrew continued working at Holland & Knight until two years ago, when he left for a position as political coordinator at Everytown for Gun Safety. Andrew’s commitment to fight for gun laws comes partially from having grown up in the shadow of the Columbine and Newtown massacres—tragedies that he notes occur all too often. “Gun violence has become much too commonplace, particularly in a developed country such as ours. It has a crippling impact, not only in terms of the loss of life, but also the economic damage it does to American cities,” he says.

Calhoun Chronicle

As coordinator for mayoral outreach at Everytown, Andrew manages the Mayors Against Illegal Guns program, working directly with city mayors to help address gun safety. In this capacity, he coordinates interviews with the press, facilitates communications and promotes legislative ideas among the mayors. The intent is to build cohesive, commonsense approaches around the country. Andrew notes that it is a bipartisan coalition with one goal: “to make sure our communities are safer by cracking down on illegal guns.” Most recently, Andrew’s work has been focused on the fight against the federal Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would allow for permit-less concealed-carry of guns in all states, including ones with very strict gun laws. Andrew has also been addressing the role guns play in domestic violence. “I’m hoping that my time here can help save lives and help move us forward, so we don’t have to live in a country where 96 people are shot or killed every day by guns.” Andrew emphasizes that the work of Everytown for Gun Safety is not about infringing on Second Amendment rights. “We are a gun-violence prevention group and we think that the Second Amendment goes hand-in-hand with commonsense gun-violence prevention laws. One of the things we like to say is that with rights come responsibilities—which means that programs like background checks are important to ensure guns are in safe hands.” As Andrew reflects again on his Calhoun days, he says that the value placed on community service definitely played a role in what he’s doing today. And, he adds, “we were always taught that it’s important to exercise your voice. For Calhoun students who want to follow a path of advocacy work, Andrew recommends starting during college, and advises that pursuing political internships or getting involved with a campaign is a great way to network within the political system. “I also tell everyone that all folks should advocate. Everyone should be engaged—whatever the issue.” It is hard to predict where Andrew’s advocacy will take him next, but he will surely be at the forefront of issues that have an impact on our communities, locally and nationwide.

class notes

earned his broker’s certification in April by passing the Series 19 Exam while working for Quattro M. Securities, Inc. Benny earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Bentley University in 2016.

s Zuri Pavlin ’12 has reached another milestone on the basketball court! A two-year captain of the men’s varsity basketball team at Connecticut College, Zuri set the school’s all-time rebounding record (917) in addition to becoming a 1,000-point scorer in his collegiate career with the Camels. Among other honors, he was featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” spotlight in March. Of course, it wasn’t the first time that Zuri reached that scoring milestone; his name is etched in history as a 1,000-point Calhoun Cougar as well! Zuri graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and English.

s Benny Tuchman ’12 can be found on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange; he

Gaby Yitzhaek ’12 is one of two familiar Calhoun faces that can be found at Bisnow, a commercial real estate media company based in New York. Gaby works as an event producer and account manager, a position she started last June . . . but just down the hall is Rico Bautista ’07, who serves as director of New York City business development, a promotion he received in March after almost two years at the company. Good to see the Calhoun network in full force!

Tight Contest for Alum B-Ball Game January’s 11th Annual Alumni Basketball Game was a thriller this year, with former varsity players facing off in a battle of the decades. The contest went into triple-overtime, with key plays by Zeke Edwards ‘91, Zach Lazare ‘08 and Zeus Rocancourt ‘15, before finally going to the older squad of veterans.

(Standing, L-R) Brian Peters ’97 with daughter Journey, Justin Odell ’08, Ross Kleinberg ’88, Zach Lazare ’08, Zeke Edwards ’91, Nate Silverstein ’06, Rico Bautista ’07. (Kneeling, L-R) Casey Shane ’06, Oliver Chase ’91, Neil Kleinberg ’85, Richard Lin ’97 with daughter.

s Roman Brown ’14, Robin Sklar ’14 and Zach Simon ’14 all teamed up in December during their college winter breaks to participate in a birthright trip to Israel—a plan they conceived when they were students at Calhoun and finally turned into reality. Their adventures included trips to the Golan Heights, Zefat, Caesarea, Masada, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. “The visit overlapped with Hanukkah, making the experience even more memorable, with the streets lined with menorahs,” recalls Robin.

(L-R) Nick Kessler ’16, Michael Leavitt ’15, Jack Javer ’15, Zeus Rocancourt ’15, Jacob Taylor ’15, Omar Kabbaj ’15, Jackson Griffin ’15, Ray Collins ’11

SUMMER 2017

class notes

Alex Schonfeld ’15 has completed her sophomore year at Elon University, where she received the Priestley Scholarship at the annual awards ceremony for the School of Communications on April 20. Alex was one of only 18 award winners among 1,200 communications majors. The Priestley Scholarship honors a female student who is majoring in journalism and preparing for a career as a writer for public-circulation newspapers and magazines.

ALUMS at GALA 2017! Calhoun welcomed more than 30 alums at this year’s Gala, held at AMNH. Among the guests were Farah Taslima ‘13, Heidy Rodriquez ‘13, Gabe Berenbaum ‘12, Alex Tritto ’12 and Julian Weiss ’12.

the NJAIS (New Jersey Association of Independent Schools) Trustee Enrichment Day in February with Neen Hunt—former Head of School, who was responsible for hiring Carole—and Marilyn Stewart, who was Director of the Middle School during Carole’s tenure. Talking about the reunion, Carole writes: “Neen was the speaker on Governance 101 and Advanced Governance [at the NJAIS event]; Marilyn is on the NJAIS board and is the head of Red Oaks School in Morristown; and I’m the executive director of NJAIS. We all have such fond memories of working at Calhoun!”

Save the Dates! 2017-18 Alumni Events Pub Night November 16, 2017 6:30-8:30pm Homecoming Luncheon December 22, 2017 12:30-2pm Alumnae Luncheon Reunion June 1, 2018 Time TBA Alumni Reunion June 8, 2018 6:30pm-9pm Details and invitations to come!

Calhoun Chronicle

s Sacha Rogosin ’16 (right) made good use of the Calhoun alumni network when he linked up with Erika Nakamura ’99 last winter, securing an internship at White Gold Butchers—a restaurant/ butcher shop on the Upper West Side, where Erika serves as general manager. Sacha, who completed his freshman year at Davidson College, will be transferring to Cornell University in the fall. FORMER FACULTY/STAFF Phil Bender (Middle School math, 1986–2016), who moved to South Carolina following his retirement from Calhoun last year, is enjoying his family and the warmer weather! Carole Everett (Director of College Counseling and Latin teacher, early 1980s) met up at

s George Murphy (Middle School science, 1977–2000) made a surprise visit to Calhoun this winter, reconnecting with former teachers and familiar faces—including Alison Max Rothschild ’85, Calhoun lifer and current Director of the Lower School. George lives in Huntington, NY, and continues to follow his passion for music—performing with The Queazles, a five-member classic rock band. Hear them perform: thequeazles.com.

For all things Calhoun... Go to calhoun.org/alumni for the latest news and photos, updates on alumni events, and volunteer opportunities.

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more photos online www.calhoun.org/alummedia June 9, 201 7

Alumni Reunions & Steve Nelson Send-Off More than 160 alums across eight decades and spanning three generations came together in June to celebrate their class reunions and to honor Steve Nelson, outgoing Head of School. The evening program included a welcome by Class of 1977 alum Muffin Gifford, who recalled her Upper School years, when the school was first transitioning to a progressive school under Head of School Gene Ruth, and the time capsule her classmates helped bury to mark the groundbreaking for the 81st Street building. In honor of Steve’s retirement, US science teacher John Roeder led a serenade version of “Thanks for the Memory”—a tradition he’s continued for every outgoing Head. The alumni community also presented Steve with a custom yearbook of all of his graduating classes, as well as an encased basketball listing the athletic championships won during his tenure—40 banners in all!

75th REUNION: CLASS OF 1942 It was a momentous occasion for Class of 1942 alums Claire Winston Diamond (left) and June Saltzman Schiller, who marked their 75th Reunion this year! The two, who were seniors during Miss Mary Calhoun’s last year as headmistress, remembered some favorite and not-so-favorite teachers, lunches at Schrafft’s, a prom with Doris Day (or was it Dinah Shore?) as the featured singer, and a Calhoun gala in later years, when Marilyn Monroe showed up as the guest of a Calhoun parent!

50th REUNION: CLASS OF 1967

35th REUNION: CLASS OF 1982

40th REUNION: CLASS OF 1977

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25th REUNION: CLASS OF 1992 30th REUNION: CLASS OF 1987

20th REUNION: CLASS OF 1997

2 1. (L-R) Shoshana Baraschi-Ehrlich ’14, Adam Horowitz ’14 and Sabrina Das ’14 2. (L-R) Max Torgovnick ’02, Audrey Black ’02 and Todd Garrin ’02 3. US science teacher John Roeder and Cary Rosner ’78 3

Calhoun Chronicle

4. Muffin Gifford Berlinger ’77

reunions

more photos online www.calhoun.org/alummedia

10th REUNION: CLASS OF 2007

5th REUNION: CLASS OF 2012 4

3 1. (L-R) Justin Axelrod ’16, Bart Hale ’00, Sacha Rogosin ’16 and Craig Supcoff ’16 2. (L-R) Whitney Ferguson ’03, Max Lemper-Tabatsky ’12, Michael Ferguson ’10 and Benny Tuchman ’12 3. (L-R) Will Pollock ’86, Rachel Harris Brown ’87 and Jason Novick ’87 (L-R) Katie Slade ’04, Julie Otton ’04, Kendra Weldon ’04, Steve Nelson, Rachel Lippin-Foster ’11 and Whitney Ferguson ’03 enjoy the “Thanks for the Memory” tribute, prepared by US teacher John Roeder in honor of Steve.

SUMMER 2017

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